Laowai

Everyone keeps asking for pictures of the Kid. Today she learned how to eat for real, had her first tummy ache (please don’t have them like Bea had them…) and tested her screaming stamina (this is a technical term something like VO2 or lactic acid threshold meant to measure how long a baby can scream before collapsing in exhaustion. Current world record holder is featured in the pictures below as well.

First is the proud grandma, thrice over, and the happy sleeping baby.

Bea has been a really good big sister so far, really not getting too jealous. We think this will eventually change given her former position as 100% focus of Mommy and how much she seems to enjoy it. This fall from grace may actually work out in my favor as she rushes for affection from someone else not previously occupied by a ravenous eight pound baby seeking nourishment… but I would never hope for such a thing. She does seem to know how to hold a baby…

I am sure that when Kathy returns to action on this blog, she will talk about the hospital. It is a private clinic, happily paid for by our ex-pat insurance, that is really almost decadent. The ratio of staff to patients is very high and the other thing that you notice is that you see the same people all day versus 10 different people, each with a tiny subsegmented role who has a short shift that you only see once (this is Evanston). The food is actually quite good, probably better than many restaurants. One wall is an entire wall of glass window, overlooking the lake. Switzerland is a painfully expensive place to live but you do get to enjoy that quality of life only when you come to terms with an inability to save any money…

Claire does know how to sleep. Our hope is that she will sleep better than her big sister, avoid the digestion problems and generally take pity on her aging parents. Is this too much to ask?

Now for a few pictures of the former star  if this blog –

Do you need me to describe the pouty lip?

 Tomorrow if all goes well, they finally come home. We are ready.