Our Birth Story

I can hardly believe that Coco is six months old today, but it's true! So it's about time I shared our birth story.

I went into labor the morning of September 28th. I woke up with a familiar feeling. It was exactly like the first day of my period. Exactly! I was having mild contractions every six to ten minutes. They felt exactly like temporary menstrual cramps and I didn't find them painful. I had a doctor's appointment anyway, so I  headed her way on the tram. I felt peaceful and calm like I was wrapped in a big piece of gauze. I didn't like being around other people so I sat in a secluded seat on the trams and bus. But by the time I arrived in my doctor's office, the contractions had stopped.

Dr. Manneh did an exam and told me that I was dilated to one centimeter. Then she did a stretch and sweep, which really hurt! She followed that up with a quick ultrasound which revealed that my placenta had called it quits and was developing calcium deposits, and that the amniotic fluid levels were low. Prognosis: the baby had to be born by the evening of October 1st.

Looking back, I should have just gone about my life in a relaxed state, because four days is a long time and the labor probably would have progressed just fine on its own. But, I had read too many books and was convinced that the entire healthcare institution was out to ruin my birth experience through induction, intervention and caesarean section, so I went into a bit of a tizzy and started doing everything I could to get things moving along. I took an hour long walk, then I met J and we went for lunch where I ate spicy food. After that we had sex, took a long nap and topped the day off with a brisk 11- mile hike. Yes. Eleven miles at a vigorous pace up a steep hill at 40 weeks, 4 days pregnant!

I think I managed to get two hours of sleep before the contractions became really strong. I labored on my own for a little while. Then I called my mom for a bit. Finally, at 3 am when the contractions were 5 minutes apart and so strong I couldn't talk during them, I called Nicole, our doula, to come over. She stayed with me and we let J sleep until about 7. All throughout I was moving around, pretty upbeat and coping well. After J woke up and the sun came out, I was getting tired. I took a shower and managed through all of the contractions on my own thanks to the best labor tip I had: blowing raspberries. I felt like a horse, but it worked! They were coming quite close together by this point. I got dressed and Nicole blew my hair dry for me. Then the contractions seemed to be right on top of each other with only a minute in between. I started crying. Labor was so much more painful than I ever imagined it would be. Let me say that again: Labor was so much more painful than I ever imagined it would be. It was all lower back labor. I could feel nothing in the front at all, but in my lower back was the worst agony I've ever experienced. Nicole called and spoke with the midwives at the hospital. She was sure I was going into transition. I knew I wasn't. In fact, I was pretty sure it wasn't even working, but I was no longer comfortable. I was afraid of the pain and I wanted to go to the hospital. So we went.

After we checked in, the midwife did an internal exam and I was only at 2 centimeters. I would have cried, but I was way too exhausted for that. She hooked me up to the monitor and said that the contractions were good and strong and that we wanted three like that in every ten minute period. I was so disheartened. Somehow I knew it wasn't progressing or working properly. 

After six more hours of labor, the midwife finally called the doctor in. I was still at 2 centimeters and there was something about the positioning of the baby that wasn't quite right. 

"We're going nowhere" I whispered to her when she arrived. I was so exhausted I could barely talk. As they whisked me out of the bath and into another room for an ultrasound, I saw the elevator I had arrived in. I actually thought to myself for that brief moment that I didn't need a baby anymore, that I could just go home and go to bed!  

The ultrasound showed that the baby was stuck in the birth canal and coming down ear first. This meant that the head was not in contact with the cervix. Every. Single. Contraction had been wasted. I thought the doctor would surely say I had to have a caesarean and at that point, and I would have said, "Yes! This must end!"

But she didn't.

She said we had a new plan: an epidural, Oxytocin and Buscopan. "Yes!" I practically shouted and I was off down the hall to the birthing room for my epidural. J and Nicole had to leave the room for the epidural. It was just me, the anesthesiologist, her assistant and the midwife. It was not easy to stay still during the epidural insertion, even with the drugs they had given me to slow the contractions. The assistant and midwife were amazing and held my hands while they helped me through it. Soon it was in, and working, and I have never, ever in my 32 years experienced relief like that. Thank God for that epidural!

Dr. Manneh explained that I would sleep on my right side for 20 minutes, then my left side for 20 minutes and so on to see if we could get the baby to straighten out. Just before she left me to sleep, she held my hand and said, "Be optimistic." I felt so defeated, but something about the way she said it, I found a little ounce of strength left somewhere inside of myself. I took it to heart and promptly fell asleep. It was absolute heaven.

Soon the midwife checked me and smiled and told me the baby had straightened out and was in position! She helped rotate me to the other side and the next time she checked me she saw that my water had broken and I was ready to start pushing. It was hard to believe.

I pushed for about 40 minutes. Dr. Manneh held one leg, Nicole the other. J held my hand and helped me lean into the pushes during contractions. Between contractions, I breathed. Slowly. Deeply. Sending as much oxygen and love as I could to my baby as it wiggled and squirmed and made its way down the birth canal. We were all intensely focused. And so filled with joy! When the head crowned, I got to reach down and feel it. There was so much hair and it was all a bit surreal. When the head was half way born, I could see it just sticking out with the bones all overlapped. It was so sci-fi! Once the head was out, we waited for the next contraction. I was really in a pushing groove and it was almost a surprise when voila! The baby was born and right there in front of me. Oh what a relief! It was 10:21pm September 29th.

The midwife began to wipe the baby clean and Dr. Manneh said gently, "Nein. Auf die Mama," and she placed the sweetest little bundle of joy right on my chest. I could see the baby's little tongue vibrating wildly inside that darling, tiny, crying-so-loudly mouth! Ooohhhhh!

Talk about pure magic. I've never experienced anything like it in my life. Tiny nose, tiny fingers, tiny ears, all so sweet and complete, just like that. I looked at Dr. Manneh, finally, and asked, "Well is it a girl or a boy?!" She just said, "Look!" 

I lifted up the slimy umbilical cord and was blown away to see it was a girl! I had wanted a girl so badly all throughout the pregnancy. I'm glad we waited to find out because it honestly took the full nine months for me to finally be happy with the idea of a boy. I know I would have been just as happy to have a baby boy. But, there she was, my baby girl! 

I didn't shed one tear and neither did J. The only way I can explain it is that we were beyond tears, in a state of total euphoria. Nothing could be so awesome as giving birth and meeting that tiny person for the first time.

Fancy Treats

We were in the mood for a fancy treat after an afternoon of walking all through the city, so we stopped into Vollenweider Chocolatier Confiseur on the way home this evening. Vollenweider's single portions desserts are like edible works of art. We had some nice wine with dinner and then dug into these for dessert. Aren't they beautiful?

I'm really enjoying my new DSLR camera, but sadly the import didn't go very well this evening and almost all of my photos were lost. Tragic! Does anyone know a good recovery tool for Mac? (And how to use it?) I'm hopeful that I'll get my photos back. Fingers firmly crossed.

It feels like just yesterday, but tomorrow our darling Coco is six months old! In honor of half a year passing since her birth, I'll be posting our birth story tomorrow. I truly cannot wait to share it with you.

Happy Birthday, J!

Today I wish a very happy birthday to my darling, beloved husband who always seeks out the best walks and adventures, whether in our own neighborhood or abroad.

He has an eye for beauty and takes really wonderful photos.

He knows how to kick back and have a good time.

He's a wonderfully patient, loving and adored father.

Naturally, I love him more with each passing year! This afternoon we are going on a nice long walk in the hills and vineyards above our neighborhood. Then we are having dinner at the neighbors'. They're going to France today and bringing back duck confit to celebrate the birthday boy. It will be delightfully fancy (of course they'll say it's nothing ;) and such a treat to have a decadent dinner waiting after our jaunty spring walk. Happy birthday, darling! I love you.

Zurich: Galerie Bruno Bischofberger

Last weekend we went to see the current installation at the Galerie Bruno Bischofberger of paintings by Vladimir Shinkarev, a Russian painter born in 1954. His work is captivating because of the muted detail in the faces and the saturation of color. Each of the canvases appears unfinished. In this work, entitled New Epoch, he's taken classical paintings and recreated them in his own watercolor-like dreamy style.

The Watteau (bottom) was definitely my favorite. If you're in Zurich, you should absolutely go check it out. They are paintings better viewed in person (like most paintings ;) and I enjoyed standing and look at each one for a long time. 

In case you didn't know, Bruno Bischofberger is an icon in the art world. He brought Pop Art to Europe in the 60s and rumor has it that he had first rights to Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat's work! For that reason alone, his gallery is always worth stopping into. ;)

{photos from here} 

What the dojo?!

J did some "performance art" with Coco today. His material is very unique and he puts on a good performance, but let's face it, she definitely steals the show!

Yellow Skinny Jeans

You can't go five minutes without seeing colorful jeans this season. So let me warn you in advance. If you haven't bought a pair already, once you pop (a little color, that is), you just can't stop! I now have four (!) pairs of brightly colored skinny jeans: blue, pink, green and yellow. Yesterday, in honor of the gorgeous, sunny weather we're having here in Zurich, I busted out the yellow skinnies for the first time. Delightful!

Would you believe I got these yellow skinnies at Old Navy?! They were on sale for a mere $25. Hurrah! To get this laid-back nautical look, I paired them with a bold stripe Loft shirt, one of my favorite J.Crew cardigans from a few years back and Minnetonka moccasins. My sunglasses are kate spade. 

Would you wear yellow skinny jeans? What spring trends are you leaning toward this year?

Home at last. (And the tale of the wine explosion at 40,000 feet!)

Sweet readers, have you ever been away from home (with your baby!) for five and a half weeks? I can tell you, that upon arriving home yesterday afternoon, it felt positively weird. It reminded me of walking in the door after having given birth and stayed in the hospital for nearly a full week. Following the transformative, life changing event of giving birth and the hospital stay avec bébé, our apartment felt surreal; like a mirage somehow, as if I weren't actually there. Yesterday afternoon it was the same way. I marveled at how familiar everything was, touched things to be sure they were real, admired the furniture and coziness of it all. It's difficult to describe. It felt like I was somehow in a home of mine that had disappeared, or gone to the moon, and then suddenly come back again. Thankfully that limbo feeling went away after a few hours. Then it was perfectly comfortable to be back in my own space with my own routines: J made me a delicious dinner, Coco went to bed at 8:30 (perfect) and then I went upstairs to see the neighbors and went to bed at 10:30 (perfect again ;).

This morning Coco and I woke up at 8:15 to sun streaming in the windows!

She let me know she was ready for her nap at 10:30 on the dot - no jet lag?! Fingers crossed on that one. ;)

Then I set about rescuing my new J.Crew shirt that suffered a wine explosion on the plane! Yes, that's right. A wine explosion. It turns out that those plastic cups on the plane are quite brittle. So a little squeeze meant that my cup broke apart and wine went everywhere. Everywhere! All over my shirt, drenched my tray and completely sprayed the face of the man sitting next to me. Horror! Thank goodness Coco and I were seated next to the two most wonderful, fathers themselves, sweet as can be Irishmen of all time, Alan and Simon. They held Coco throughout the flight, bounced her, walked around the plane with her while I ate my dinner (that was Simon - no joke!) and were sympathetic and helpful the entire time. Swoon! I've always loved the Irish, but those two strengthened my love, admiration and devotion to that culture even more. Alan wasn't the least bit ruffled by the wine explosion. He just wiped his face with his napkin and said, "Well it happens, you know?" Yes, Alan, I do know. And I can't thank you enough for knowing. Bless him! Bless them both!

Here is my shirt pre-Vanish soak. Uh-oh! Can I just say that I'm so glad I had extra clothes for myself and Coco? We used them all!

Immediately after dunking the shirt in the Vanish, the wine stains turned blue and very quickly started to fade to a greenish hue.

Fifteen minutes later, nothing! 

I heart Vanish. Not to be completely dramatic, but honestly, it's a miracle! Do you remember the days before oxygen bleach? You had to salt the red wine stain immediately, soak it for days, wash it in cold, hope and pray, dance for the stain gods and it still always stained for good. Not anymore. So totally rad if you ask me. :)

This afternoon we are having chicken wraps with N upstairs, heading down to the lakeside for a walk with the kiddos and bringing a blanket so we can all soak up some sun on the grass. Then when J gets home, it will be another walk outside. I'm so grateful that spring has sprung! At the same time, I'm filled with dread seeing all this sun and praying that my allergies won't be half as miserable as they were last year. Oof!

What are your favorite spring activities? Or if you have them, drug-free, breastfeeding-friendly allergy survival tips? ;) Happy spring!

{top photos taken with Instagram}

Swimsuit Shopping Postpartum

What size swimsuit do you order when your bust measures a medium, your waist a LARGE (!) and your hips a small?!

I had no idea, either. So I called J.Crew and those folks are just so darn helpful. The guy I spoke with actually took down my measurements, put me on hold and went to discuss the swimsuits I wanted with a stylist to get the best fit. Amazing!

We are so lucky to live just five minutes from the nicest badi in the city. I can't wait to dive in and swim out the buoys. I hope to look slim and glam (despite the post-baby body) in these gorgeous retro picks.

(I'm getting the bottom suit in the color festival green :) 

Do you like to swim? Sunbathe? What do you look for in a swimsuit? UPDATE: I went with the navy with white polka-dots. :)

{photos from here}

Happy Tears!

This was too good not to re-post. I couldn't help but cry a few happy tears while watching it. Actually, I teared up not once, but both times I watched it! I'm known to do that. ;)



Thank you to Nat for sharing. I agree that we will definitely be buying a Johnson's Baby product (or two) before shipping back to Switzerland. Any recommendations?

Frugal {fancy} Painted Nails

These days I feel completely naked without painted nails. Thanks to my lovely friend and neighbor, N, I have discovered the joy of the at-home manicure - a must in Zürich where an "Express Manicure" will set you back 60 francs. Yikes! 

I used to think that you couldn't have a decent manicure at home. Not true. N is really good at painting nails and I'm learning from her. Her secret weapon? Chanel base coat and top coat. Use those two products and your nails will look perfect for nearly a full week! I've never had a salon manicure last that long. I used to think that nails had to be long to look good painted. Quite the opposite! After I scratched Coco by accident, I cut all of my nails down short. As it turns out, short nails look way better (and last way longer) than long painted nails. How delightful!

Having painted nails adds a little whimsy to everything I do throughout my day: washing the dishes? paying bills online? changing a diaper? dropping a letter in the mail? All fancy when done with painted nails!

Do you paint your nails? What are your favorite manicure tricks and products? 

{photo from here}

What are you doing for Valentine's Day?

This year, J and I will be at my mom's house on Valentine's Day. How perfect is that? She has already agreed to babysit Coco and we have the ideal evening planned out. Because I still don't fit into many of my pre-pregnancy clothes, and considering we'll be quite jet lagged having only arrived the night before, we've decided the perfect Valentine's Day for us will consist of burgers at Red Robin and a movie at the mall in downtown Spokane (!) I guess this is proof that we've fully made the transition from hip young couple to married with children. It will be entertaining to see all the highschoolers on dates at Red Robin, not to mention having an English-speaking waiter and ice water brought to our table when we sit down! As for the movie, we are just going to see whatever is in the theater. Movies come to Europe later, so our plan to see Carnage (which is currently playing in Zurich) was a bit off. ;) 

There's still time, so I might order some classroom Valentines from Coco to hand out to our family and friends back home. They're so impossibly adorable and affordable. And this week, my baby girl and I are making mini banana breads in little heart flocked bread pans to give to J's coworkers. 

What are you doing for Valentine's Day? Do you make a big deal out of it or do you find it a bit silly?  

{photo from here}

Getting Pregnant

When J and I were finally ready to start trying for a baby, I had the unfounded fear that most women have when they make the shift from pregnancy prevention to trying to conceive: What if I can't get pregnant?

To that end, I scheduled an appointment with a very well-reputed doctor to discuss our plans for a baby. She checked me out, said everything looked good and remarked that she thought I should have no trouble at all conceiving as I was still quite young and not overweight. But, she did advise me that 6-12 months is normally the amount of time it takes most couples to conceive, so not to get discouraged. (I guess she could tell I was ready to have a baby right then!) She sent me away with folic acid supplements and said start trying. Great! After all, that's the fun part, right? ;)

J and I got busy, and I read books. Lots and lots of books. And the news was not entirely encouraging. Getting pregnant began to seem difficult (a full week into our campaign!) when I read that a woman of my age had only a 20% chance of conceiving during each cycle. Oh no! When your aim is pregnancy prevention, it's a relief to know that there is only a 24 hour window each month during which you might become pregnant. When you want a little baby in your arms, it seems impossibly slim. I said to my  mom and brother, "Everything they told us in high school health class was a lie! You can't just get pregnant on the first try."

Approximately twenty days later, I took a pregnancy test and got two pink lines. Pregnant! J and I told my mom right away, and waited until the first trimester was finished to tell everyone else. I sent my brother a text that said simply, "They didn't lie to us in high school health class, after all," and he shot back a congratulations knowing exactly what I meant. :)

Did you get pregnant right away or are you trying to conceive? Did you, or do you worry that you won't be able to get pregnant?

{photos from Getty Images and here}

Homeward Bound

In two weeks Coco will have her first step (lie?) on American soil. We are flying home for a visit and I cannot wait! Our itinerary includes Spokane, Portland and Eugene. J and I met in Eugene while attending the University of Oregon and we are already waxing poetic about pushing our little baby through campus in her pram. We're also drooling thinking of all the fantastic food we are going to eat: Cafe Siena breakfast, Burrito Boy tacos for lunch, McMenamin's Captain Neon Burger for dinner. That is a lot of yum to pack into one day. Hurrah!

In Portland we're staying at the Ace Hotel. We reserved a "standard back" room because they're the quietest rooms and have a bathtub - two musts when traveling with a baby! I am looking forward to the hip decor, superb location and Stumptown Coffee in the lobby. Heaven! We have a long list of people to see in Portland and I will be so thrilled to introduce Coco to each and every one of them. 

{photo of University of Oregon Memorial Quad circa 1940 from Flickr}

Fish Out of Water

Lately I've been feeling a little blue on Tuesdays. Coco and I go to Baby Swimming on Tuesday mornings. Don't get me wrong, it's really fun and so amazing to be in the water with her. She looks very sweet in her swim diaper and she coos and giggles at me in the warm water. In our class are five other mommies and babies the same age as Coco. That's what has me feeling blue. 

All the other mommies know the songs and can sing to their smiling babies. I don't know the songs because I didn't grow up with them. So I hum along as best I can, but on occasion, Coco would rather look at an actually singing mommy, or the jolly singing instructor, rather than me. :( During the class all the other mommies joke and laugh with each other. I just focus on Coco, which is lovely, of course, but I do feel left out. In the locker room after class when we're all dressing and nursing our babies, it's the same. I understand snippets here and there of the conversation going on and I'd love to join in talking about whether or not my baby will take a bottle (she won't!) or about how torn I feel about returning to work in the Spring (I'm losing sleep!) but my German is nonexistent outside of ordering food in a restaurant. 

It leaves me feeling a little blue because it reminds me that although this is the most settled and grounded I've felt in my adult life, I'm an outsider. I don't belong here. It's a rather strange paradox. It also makes me look at life at home differently. In the future, when I'm living in American again, I don't think I'll ever be shy again. Suddenly it seems that when others speak your language, you're automatically on the inside. I wonder if that will change for me after being back in the States for a while. I also wonder how long we'll end up living here.

Have you ever lived in a place where you didn't speak the local language? Did you learn it?

{photo from here}

Separation Anxiety

Whenever I have to be away from Coco for any stretch of time, I get serious separation anxiety. This happens even when she's with a very trusted friend, or (dare I admit it) her dad! It's not that I fear for her safety, or worry that something will happen. I mean, I am a mother as in mama bear so naturally I feel protective of her. Mostly I think I just miss her so much!

I'm so thankful that I won't be going back to work full time anytime soon. I don't think my heart could stand it.

Goodnight Moon: An American Phenomenon

In our house growing up, we always read before bed. I remember being a little girl and reading Goodnight Moon with my mom. I loved how peaceful and relaxing the book was with the rabbit and the red room. When I got pregnant, Goodnight Moon was one of the first books on our registry. Naturally, it's a classic! 

Well, apparently it's only a classic in America. My British friend, Charlotte, asked me if I had Goodnight Moon when Coco was about six weeks old. "No!" I exclaimed, "I put it on our registry and no one got it. We really have to get a copy soon!" Charlotte exclaimed right back, "Every American mum I know has Goodnight Moon. I just do not understand that book at all!" What?! It had never (ever!) occurred to me that children in the English-speaking world had grown up without Goodnight Moon. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it.

Thankfully, Coco got her very own Goodnight Moon for Christmas from my sister Amy, who is an amazing photographer, and her husband Tod, who is an English professor and poet. Phew! Order restored.

What are your favorite bedtime stories? Do you still read before bed?

{black and white photos from here and here}

Little Darling

I can't get over how Coco smiles. It's never a grin or smirk. She goes full tilt every time. How sweet is that?

Spring Fever

Every year, once Christmas and the New Year have passed, I am ready for spring. This is inconvenient for the obvious reason that winter has actually just begun! Dear me.

A recent pop over to jcrew.com didn't help my spring fever at all. Doesn't this bold, jaunty ensemble have you craving daffodils and Cadbury Creme Eggs? 

Aside from the leopard print bag, which is not my cup of tea, I love every piece of this outfit, head to toe. Swoon! Maybe when I find a new job and I'm preparing to go back to work, I'll make this my consolation prize for being away from my sweetie a few days a week. 

Do you get itchy and impatient for spring? How do you cope with spring fever?

{photo from here}

Outdoor Nap

It seems that when we're out and about, Coco always falls asleep in her pram. She sleeps so soundly in there. So when we arrive home, it's always with a little reluctance that I wheel her inside where it's too warm for her down suit, knowing that she will soon wake up. Conversely, if I try to undress her, she always wakes up, so it's a no win situation. 

I read this post a while ago and it's been in the back of my mind that I could let her nap outside for some time now. But I haven't had the courage to leave my little baby alone outside, naturally! Then today, I figured out how I could make it happen.

I put the fully-loaded-with-batteries baby monitor in with her.

Then I covered her pram with a blanket and parked it where I could see it from the kitchen window. 

I was more comfortable with it given that the door to our building is facing a courtyard and down a pathway from the street. No one passes by here or walks through here unless they're my neighbor and I know them. And because we're on the ground floor, I could leap out the window (which I sat next to the entire time!) if I needed to for any reason. 

Finally, thanks to our fabulous baby monitor, I was able to hear if she stirred and even see the temperature where she was sleeping as I sat by the window and took care of some work on the computer. 16 degrees Celsius is actually quite warm. The thermometer must have been getting some heat off of her head because it was not 60 degrees Fahrenheit in Zurich today!

She only slept for about ten minutes! ;) But now that I've got it all figured out, I'd do it again. I think those Danes are onto something with the idea of napping in fresh air. 

Would you let your baby nap outside? What would make you comfortable or uncomfortable with the idea? 

Resolve

I've never been very good at resolutions. I tend to take on too grand of ideas and then it's disappointing when they of course don't work out. One year my grandiose idea involved joining a gym (how original!) and one evening post-swim a man remarked in the steam room that he couldn't wait for February because by then all the New Year's resolution people would have quit coming regularly and the gym wouldn't be so crowded. How sad that he was totally talking about me. I was hardly going at all by March. That is embarrassing! But really, what was I thinking? I don't work out! :)

So, this year I've taken on a whole new approach. Something small, manageable, realistic and attainable. Becoming a mother has changed my perspective on all things. I have come to know (and accept!) that the house cannot be perfectly tidy and clean at all times. I know that if I don't give myself at least twice the time I think I need I will be hideously late. I've realized that I can only do so much and that prioritizing is the only way unless I want to be miserable. 

My 2012 resolution reflects all of this. I feel proud in a miniature way! I have resolved to floss everysingleday of 2012. 

Did you know that you can get Cupcake Floss? It tastes like frosting! I might just have to try it out one of these 366 days. (And this really made me laugh!)

Naturally, I have other resolutions I'd like to see happen in my life. For example, figuring out an effective laundry schedule, finding a way to blog on a regular basis, maximizing my time with Coco, reducing clutter, making more meals from bulk foods, organizing everything in my life. Eeeek! Talk about overwhelming. That's why I'm going to give the flossing a whirl for now. Maybe I can get to a few of those Herculean ideas later. 

Do you typically make a new year's resolution? Do you tend to stick to them? What's your secret - will power or reasonable resolution? I'd love to hear about it and how it works for you!

A New Trick for Coco

Today Coco and I are relaxing and enjoying a sunny day in Zurich. We took a walk and now she's engrossed in some tummy time. Something rather exciting has been happening on and off during tummy time lately. Suddenly she finds herself on her back! It's exciting for me, but more frightening her her at this point. Soon she'll love it. It's hard to believe how quickly she's changing everyday.

When did your baby roll over? We're you completely surprised?

Washing Cloth Diapers in Switzerland

After a massive amount of troubleshooting, I have nailed down my method for washing cloth diapers here in Switzerland. The key? Extra water because it's a front-loading washing machine and uses less water than a top loader. The second issue I ran into was finding a suitable detergent. Zurich has somewhat hard water and really different detergents than are available in the US. I've got it all squared away though. Coco's diapers come out clean as can be. Honestly, I'll put my face straight into one and give a good sniff just to be sure there isn't some lingering odor in there somewhere. There isn't!

Having an intricate diaper system would make me switch to disposables, so I keep things simple. I do a dry pail with the Kissaluvs antibacterial liner. I use a watering can to add water to the washing machine. 

Here's my washing method:

1. Turn the pail liner of diapers inside out into the washer. Set liner aside on top of washer. Run the diapers only on "Mini-Programme" (a quick 30 minute cycle at 30 degrees celsius) adding 10 liters of water as the cycle begins. No detergent. This is just a really thorough rinse.
2. Put the pail liner in with the diapers and run on "Blancs/Couleurs" at 40 degrees celsius adding 10 liters of water the wash cycle. Use 1/2 packet of Durgol water softener and one 7 gram scoop of Filetti Sensitive powder. Why 7 grams? Because I use the scoop that came with our French Press because we never use it. We just pour a bunch of coffee in there until it seems good. The scoop that came with the French Press is 7 grams, which is just the right amount of detergent for cloth diapers as it turns out! ;)
3. Dry the diapers on high. Hang dry the pail liner and any covers.

I'm pleased because it's so simple. Do you use cloth diapers? What is your washing routine?

Babies Dressed Like Babies

Omgosh! Doesn't that sweet baby in cozy white woolens make you swoon? I am completely in love! Before Coco was born, my mother remarked that she doesn't like it when people dress babies like grown-ups in miniature jeans and collared shirts. "Babies should dress like babies," she said. Well, I'll admit I've had my fun dressing Coco in jeans and mini adult clothes. Then today when dressing her in something a little less bulky so she'd fit in her bunting for our walk, I got what my mom was saying. 

Just look at how sweet her little body is in those leggings. And the knee-high socks pulled up over the leggings! Oh it's so adorable. Mini adult clothes actually hide that irresistible baby shape, which is criminal to say the least! I vow to only dress Coco like a baby as long as she remains a baby. And that won't last forever. Then she'll be wearing jeans for the rest of her life.

Nøstebarn is a Norwegian company that has woolen baby clothes perfected. As Coco begins to grow out of her current stock (sniff!) and the temperature drops, I am devising a warm, woolly winter wardrobe for her that will be simple and include lots of leggings and knee-high socks. And white. Because don't babies look so beautiful in white? 

{top photo from here}

Sweet Slumber

This morning I put Coco in her bassinet so I could assemble her darling mobile and what did she do? She nodded off all by herself. I know that while my little sweet pea is sleeping it's my golden opportunity to do things I can't do while she's awake, like eat or go to the bathroom or throw in a load of laundry or (gasp!) make the bed, but sometimes I can't pull myself away. I love watching her sleep. Her little nose is so cute and she looks so peaceful. It's overwhelming this mother's love.

A Whole New Life

With Thanksgiving approaching, J and I have been thinking a lot about how thankful we are for our life together and marveling at how different it is compared to one year ago. In the space of one year, we are living in a new apartment in the city, J has a new job that makes him genuinely happy and we are parents! Omgosh, that is a serious amount of change in one year. I can safely say I've never had more to be thankful for.

I never intended for Folio Rose to be much about my personal life. Once I was pregnant I even considered starting a second blog, but I don't have the time to write two blogs and I just neglected this one! Now that we've welcomed our beautiful daughter into the world, I want to share about our life with her here. So that is exactly what I'm going to do!