Les Jabiens in USA

Pancakes, Snow and Fun

2012-01-22T13:32:00.007-05:00

We had been waiting for a long time for some snow so Théo could play in it and ride on his sleigh! And this day finally arrived when on Saturday morning we woke up to a ground covered in snow.
Before enjoying some fun outside, Chef Théo prepared some awesome pancakes for a cozy breakfast. It ended up to be a little messy (far less than what I expected) and apparently he likes to eat the flour! And we do not have to say that Théo's banana pancakes were delicious.
Then we all went outside to enjoy the snow and take advantage of it for a little ride in the streets before the town plowed it away. (notice his great snow boots!)
Here's a couple more pictures when Emma came to see Théo on Sunday...

Let's hope we will have a few more snowfalls for more days of fun...

2012

2012-01-04T23:11:00.002-05:00

The Holiday season is now over and so I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year for 2012!
For us, Christmas time started early in December when we went to our good old neighborhood in Summit to pick up the tree at the Magic Fountain, down the street from our old apartment!
Once we got a hold of Théo preventing him from running around everywhere, we finally found a Christmas tree we liked, and, tree on the roof of the car, we were riding back home very excited to set up everything for our first Christmas in our new home.

In between, came December 17th. Some would say: "What happened on the 17th?" This was the day Rachel turned 33! And lucky her this year it happened to be on a Saturday!
So one more time, I wish you a very happy birthday mon Amour, and Théo wants to give to his maman millions of kisses because you are just that great.

And after a quiet week, we were all set and ready to celebrate Christmas!
We actually started a little early, in the morning of Christmas Eve. We first went to Théo's last baby swim class. He is doing so great that he actually doesn't need our help to swim and so he can stay in the water on his own without assistance (well except that he is still wearing a belt of course!).
Then, when we got home we had him discover that Santa came by because we were unable to bring some of our presents to the grandparents, where we would go later in the day for the real Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve was as usual a nice and pleasant evening surrounded by family around a good meal. Then when the time came to open the presents on Christmas Day, it was just so great to watch Théo ripping off the paper and opening his gifts. He was really into it and, even though it wasn't technically his first Christmas, it was indeed the first one where he could really interact and we could see his reaction to each present he had.
Then we finished the day in our traditional way at Pat and Arlette's to spend the remainder of the day with the rest of the family.

And finally, to end up our relationship with 2011, we went to Barbara and Massimo's to celebrate the end of the year. The little munchkins stayed up a little later than usual, but of course as their tiny eyes were closed long before midnight, it was without them that the last second of 2011 passed and we cheered to a healthy and joyful 2012.

So here we are, well established in 2012 already. We are ready to put the Christmas tree out on the curb by the end of the week and we are already back into our everyday routine. But we know that this is going to be a good year, hopefully filled with lots of joy. So once again, Happy 2012 to all of you and we are very grateful to have you in our life.

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-15T10:46:00.010-05:00

This won't be Théo's first Christmas but maybe the first that he will really be able to enjoy as a little boy. We actually realized how amazed and happy he is when something new comes in the house. Here is a video to show you his reaction the morning when he saw the tree mounted with some lights on...which is adding another meaning to us for our first Christmas in our new place.

He now often begins his days with a big "wow" every time he steps in the living room. We can't wait to see his reaction on Christmas morning with all the presents!

Long Time, No Write | New Stuff

2011-11-29T20:48:00.016-05:00

Well it's been a while again since I last posted something on the blog (one month to be more precise). Still the same things: A ton of working hours (my boss got me a lot more involved with clients that could be...let's say...very demanding), busy at home with projects and maintenance, and of course Théo who requires a lot of attention (but this is the good part of our busy days).
Our latest project in the house: repainting what will become the dining room. With the trim and ceiling almost done, we are now just about to start the walls.We chose to go with a "no voc" paint to reduce the smell of the chemicals that would probably not be the best thing to inhale for Théo. That said, we needed to apply up to five coats (yes 5!) to go over and hide completely the wood color that was there before.
Same stuff for the ceiling: we are just done with coat #4 and finally have a pretty smooth effect....though I might go for a fifth one to just make sure...

Then in between paint jobs and other projects (believe me there are so many - welcome to the homeowner's world) Rachel and I went for the first time away for a couple of days to Lenox, MA without Théo who stayed at his Grandpa and Nany's home. It was a little strange to not have him with us for the first time since he was born but in the end it was a must-do to recharge our batteries. It was a great trip where I discovered one of the most iconic American painters, Norman Rockwell.
And just recently we of course gathered with the rest of the family to celebrate Thanksgiving over at Dave and Bev's place. We were almost a complete crowd, but we all missed Ron's presence and wished he was able to make it (rain check is available for next year Ron :)
And since this day you are supposed to say what you are thankful for, well here is what I AM thankful for: I'm thankful to have such a wonderful family, to have been raised and surrounded by these two people that I call Maman and Papa ; to have my sister and my 2 brothers. I am thankful to have met Rachel and to know the rest of my other family. And finally, I am SO thankful to share the task with Rachel of raising the best little man in the world (yes that would be Théo) who we love so much.

Of course Théo keeps growing and developing. He now:
- knows most of his relatives names: Maman, Papa, Nany, Grandpa, Pati (Papylain), Mamou or Zo (Mamie-Jo), Tata (Sara and Claire). He definitely says something for his Tontons but so far it sounds more like "Tltlutplu" or something like that!
- says animal sounds: Moo, Quack-Quack, Ouhaha (Monkey), Tweet-Tweet, Meow, Oink Oink, Hoo-hoo (Owl), Woof-woof, Coyocoyocoyo (the funniest one aka the rooster)....
- Dances in circles
- Loves sign language
- Counts "2" (not one or three, just "2")
He is just such a funny little character and we discover so many things about him everyday. Rachel and I often say to each other: "did you see what he does/says now?"

Well this is what happened in our life this past month. I hope everyone is doing well and ready to enjoy the holidays that is coming really fast. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrated it.

Happy Halloween

2011-11-02T22:22:00.010-04:00

Well, this year we didn't really know what to expect and if we would actually have a Halloween to celebrate since we had this huge snow storm just before. But everything melted and Théo had fun walking through our neighborhood in his little monkey outfit trick or treating for the very first time. I have to say that he was a little shy but came back home happy with a few treats (to share with us!). He even saw the Super Mario family!

Sleepover

2011-10-29T21:46:00.012-04:00

Tonight Théo and Emma had their very first sleepover. Despite the crazy fall snow storm, Barbara and Massimo made it to New York City to see a show, and Emma came here to spend the night. The kids had a blast together! The night ended with our two little monkeys jumping on the bed....but none fell off and bumped their head (thank goodness!).

Théo Loves

2011-10-27T21:21:00.000-04:00

Birthday Field Trip

2011-10-18T21:36:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, Sara, my mom and I took a special field trip to celebrate Sara's birthday. The day started out bright and early with Théo's weekly dip in the pool, but this time in the arms of his Tata Sara.

Then, us girls took off to Glen Mills, Pennsylvania where the amazing "Terrain at Styer's" was waiting for us. Sara has been wanting to visit Anthropologie's sister garden store for a long time now, and this weekend provided just the occasion. We started our visit with a delicious lunch at the café and spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring every corner of the store. While it was a bit of a trek to get there, it was well worth the 2-hour trip!

Pumkpins & Co.

2011-10-16T22:07:00.000-04:00

Finally! Our first "real" pumpkin picking with Théo. We had already done it last year, but at three and a half months, Théo didn't really realize what was going on. So this year, the whole Cranford gang came together at Riamede Farms in Chester and Théo spent a fantastic day with his little buddies Quinn, Will, Elliot, Maddie, Cole, Mason, Adrian and Tommy (the two newest members of the group) and future baby Spring.

Exhausted by this big outing (and having skipped his morning nap), Théo very nearly fell asleep in the wheelbarrow in the middle of the field!
Now, we just need to find the time to carve our pumpkins....stay tuned for the results....

Leftover Summer

2011-10-12T22:28:00.004-04:00

Taking advantage of a strangely warm day for the season (85 degrees), we spent the day at the beach in Avon by the Sea. Théo is enjoying the shore more and more, which wasn't the case before, but now makes us both very happy...
On the boardwalk:Dipping his feet in the water (a little cool at first!)With Mommy on the swings and slide

Drawing Lesson

2011-10-10T21:50:00.002-04:00

Since Théo began going to daycare, we realized that he likes to draw, and strangely, we never thought of doing this activity with him until now. But, we're catching up on lost time by giving him the opportunity to create new masterpieces as often as possible! Here are some extra shots from these first few weeks of fall....

A Little Bit of Time...

2011-09-24T22:57:00.010-04:00

...is what I finally have tonight! September has been quite a whirlwind so far. Between finding a new back-to-school routine and Fabien working non-stop on a translation project for work, it's been a busy month. But, tonight I have some time. So, let's rewind a few weeks and go back to Labor Day weekend when life was still relatively calm. Here are a few shots from our last weekend of summer which we spent with Barbara, Massimo, Emma, Linda and Mike (Barbara's parents). It was a lovely weekend at Linda and Mike's house in Rehoboth, DE where we enjoyed, as always, wonderful meals and great company.

Hi!

2011-09-24T10:15:00.000-04:00

At Mimi's

2011-09-08T21:03:00.005-04:00

Théo keeps growing (maybe too fast), and here he is, almost done with his first week of daycare at Mimi's! Everything is going great (we love Mimi) and he had so much fun using the paintbrush for the first time...or should I say his hands! Nany and Tata Sara will be oh so proud of their little artist. He'll soon be ready to draw a nice five-legged wolf like his papa did when he was a kid (a drawing that could possibly be revealed if Papylain is ever able to find it)!

Mother Nature

2011-08-30T09:14:00.005-04:00

After the earthquake early last week (5.9) as many people already know, we ended the week with the Hurricane Irene!
So we prepared the best we could for it: food supplies for a couple of days, flash lights ready, cell phone charged, cars filled up in gas, bath tub filled with water. We also slept in the basement in case one of the huge trees around us had the idea of falling onto our house!
The hurricane lost a little bit of its strength before hitting us but was still powerful enough to make tremendous damages. Proofs are these pictures of our neighborhood (which is not even the worst!)...
Luckily - and we do feel very lucky - we have no damage to our house to report except branches all over the back yard. A lot of people had a lot more serious damages to face.
Good luck to all the victims on their recovery.

Mr. Théo's Holiday - Part 3

2011-08-17T14:45:00.002-04:00

This is the last part of our trip in France, pictures of our morning outings in the South:

Aiguèze

Orange

Cavaillon

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

At Martine et Momo's in Carry-Le-Rouet

Avignon

Mr. Théo's Holiday - Part 2

2011-08-17T14:02:00.006-04:00

PiolencEnjoying Papa's Homemade Jam
At the square in Piolenc

Mr. Théo's Holiday - Part 1

2011-08-15T18:23:00.006-04:00

Another summer in France has come to an end. After what has become our traditional barbecue, our days in Paris and our trip in the South of France, we are now back home with some new memories that we will remember growing old.
So after a short stay in Chilly, we headed down to the South of France with my parents to Piolenc for the rest of our stay in France. There, we took advantage of Papylain and Mamie-Jo sleeping late to steal their car and go for some fun morning trips: Avignon, St. Rémy, Cavaillon, Aiguèze,...

Three weeks is a great amount of time for vacation, but no matter how long you're off for, it's always too short! Here's a little peek of our summer vacation in France 2011 - Part 1:

Chilly-Mazarin at Papylain and Mamie-Jo's Paris

In Rugbyland

2011-08-02T05:33:00.005-04:00

Taking advantage of one of our (very early) morning walks with Théo, I brought him to the stadium where the rugby fields are. And so he took his first steps on the turf, where I wore the red and white jersey and played so many years for this team (sniff sniff). The field still has perfect grass and I wish I could still feel what it feels like to play on it!
As for Théo, he liked playing with that strange oval shaped ball but I think he was more interested in playing with the wet grass. But I hope that he will like this sport as much as his papa does and maybe one day wear that same jersey as well.
Who knows...

In Chilly

2011-07-25T08:20:00.008-04:00

So here we go, it's vacation time! And everything is off to a good start as we lucked out with some very nice weather for the barbecue despite the fact that the weather has been crappy almost every day for the last few weeks in Paris!
But we took advantage of a beautiful sunny day to see everyone again for a great afternoon, followed by an improvised "pétanque" tounrnament for the men while our awesome wives took care of all the babies/kids.
Thank you everyone for having joined us for the day. We are now staying another whole week in Chilly before heading to Piolenc to enjoy the southern sun and the sound of cicadas. See you very soon...
The Janus family.

Sea, Sand & Sun

2011-07-18T09:59:00.003-04:00

Another day trip. This time we met up with Massimo and Barbara and we headed to Sandy Hook to spend Sunday morning at the beach. Théo got a little scared by the cool water of the ocean so we will have to try again next time. He still had a wonderful day playing with Emma.

A Day In The Country

2011-07-12T15:23:00.005-04:00

To escape a little bit from all the stuff we have to do in the house since we moved, we took off for a day trip. And so we planned on meeting Sara and Ron last Saturday for an easy afternoon with peace and tranquility in Long Valley using Dave and Bev's. On the menu: the Sheep Farm (the ones that say woof-woof) - well actually it was without the sheep since they were "put away" and so the back up was some alpacas, one goat and one horse ; then we stopped by the Brew Pub of Long Valley to relax even more around a cool drink on a hot day and a great cinnamon ice-cream to refresh everyone.
This little trip almost gave me the same feeling that I use to have when we go down to our country house in Piolenc in France, knowing that it will be a great time to recharge, just like a little preview of our next vacation to come. To do again...

1 Year

2011-07-04T12:48:00.001-04:00

One year ago, we had the joy and the surprise to welcome Théo into our life. No need to say that this past year has been filled with happiness! Of course there has been a lot of (very) short nights and some (very) long days, but who wouldn't do all of this for their little baby. Now, Théo is a little guy who already knows what he wants and what he doesn't. He likes vegetables (a little), loves his fruit, often asks you to take him in your arms, runs everywhere standing up like a big boy. He likes to dance, go on a walk in his stroller, take a ride on Papa's back, play hide and seek with Mommy. He doesn't like: when another baby takes his toys, going down for a nap, broccoli, somebody touching the piano pedals when playing (he really won't let you do it!), being changed on the changing table, playing on his own!
But don't worry he is still an angel 99% of the time.
Now, if you follow a bit the blog, you already know that today was the fifty second and last shoot of his weekly photo project. So here is a picture with all fifty two photos of the little peanut. Happy Birthday Théo, we love you very very much.

35 Bro'!

2011-06-26T16:01:00.005-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SUPER DUPER BROTHER LIONEL!

51 Weeks at The Zoo

2011-06-26T12:48:00.003-04:00

Today Théo turned 51 weeks and we celebrated this with an outing at the zoo. Well it wasn't actually something planned, but when Barbara and Massimo called to join them at the zoo for the day, we thought it was a great idea and a perfect way to celebrate another week in Théo's life.
And so we met Barbara and Massimo with little Emma at the Turtle Back Zoo which is relatively close to our house. Théo loved looking at all the animals and we discovered that according to him, the dog says "woof woof", but the lama says "woof woof" as well as the kangouroo and even the turtles from the Galapagos. Did you know that, still according to Théo, the pig says "woof woof"?
Overall, Théo loved his first visit to the zoo. He loved going on the little train, but he didn't love the carrousel so much where he stayed in my arms, grabbing onto me everytime I tried to put him on the seat! I even tried to sit with him but I got summoned after just a few seconds, being told that I was not allowed to sit on the ride...whatever!
Here are some pictures that show a little bit of how the day went:

Father's Day

2011-06-20T21:21:00.004-04:00

This time, it's not another first for Théo but it's MY first father's day! Rachel planned a picnic for the occasion and so we celebrated with my own little family and also with my mom, Bev and Dave. We all met at Colonial Park, one of many great parks in our "Garden State". The nice feature of this one is that they have some bocci ball courts and so we were able to play the french version: La Pétanque!
A perfect day that just reminds me how lucky I am to have such an amazing little peanut to whom I send tons of kisses and to his mommy too who is just as amazing.
I can not forget as well to wish a very happy Father's Day to my own dad who I think a lot about and who I send also all my love despite all these miles (and water) between our homes. Bonne Fête Papa a.k.a Papylain

50 Weeks

2011-06-20T12:48:00.000-04:00

A Little Nostalgia

2011-06-14T20:18:00.003-04:00

Six years ago today, Fabien surprised me with the most beautiful proposal that I could have ever imagined. A lot has changed over the past six years, but one thing will always remain the same - my response. I would say "yes" again and again for you make me so very happy, mon amour.

49 Weeks

2011-06-12T12:48:00.000-04:00

And One Day Théo Walked

2011-06-09T20:38:00.004-04:00

Théo already granted us with a couple of steps here and there but this time he walked the biggest distance to this day. And, that was to reach out to his papa and give him a big hug...how lucky I got!

48 Weeks

2011-06-05T12:48:00.000-04:00

47 Weeks | All You Need Is Love

2011-05-29T12:48:00.000-04:00

46 Weeks

2011-05-22T12:48:00.000-04:00

First Steps

2011-05-20T17:28:00.006-04:00

This little video brings us back to about a month ago when Théo just started to walk by himself with a little help from his friend "Lightning McQueen".

Of course he is now a much better walker and is just about to stand on his own like a big boy!

45 Weeks | Dreamland

2011-05-15T12:48:00.002-04:00

Weeks are going by and Théo keeps growing and amazing us. And even if he's very active and it is sometimes hard to keep up with him, he luckily takes some good naps to let us rest for a little bit.

44 Weeks

2011-05-08T12:48:00.007-04:00

After forty-three weeks of photo shoots every Sunday in the living room of our apartment, here is the forty-fourth one, the first in our new place and apparently Théo is thrilled by it!I'm taking advantage of this post also to thank everyone who showed up and helped us move last Saturday. Everything went smoothly (as expected) and we were done by the very early afternoon. Unpacking though should now take a bit more time...
We closed the door for good of the old apartment, with some tears in our eyes, and left behind us seven years of great memories.
Happy 44th week Théo and welcome into your new home where we have eight more pictures to take to complete your weekly pictures project. The happy baby of course wishes once more a very happy mother's day to his amazing mommy and so do I.

New House | New Town

2011-05-04T08:58:00.018-04:00

So here we go, we are now the owners of our new home. We are officially moving to Cranford!Everything went pretty fast as only after two weeks of visiting houses we found our new destination. Although it seemed like an eternity until the closing (which happened last week); between the home inspection, the mortgage approval, setting up the moving and everything that comes with buying a house. But we got the keys and we're ready to scrape a couple of cars with my big rental truck on our way to our new home! If we're lucky enough there won't be too many cars on the road on a Saturday morning! Here are a few more pictures of the house as it was when we saw it for the first time. Cranford, here we come...

43 Weeks and 1 Day!

2011-05-02T12:48:00.001-04:00

Another busy weekend made it impossible to take Théo's picture on Sunday so we cheated a little bit and took it this morning instead of yesterday! So here's the forty-third week photo of our little man...

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T14:53:00.001-04:00

Last Sunday we all went to Dave and Bev's to celebrate Easter. Another first for Théo with the Egg Hunt!
The weather was supposed to be not very pretty but it turned out to be a beautiful day and so we were able to enjoy the sun all day as well as the fresh air of the countryside!

42 Weeks

2011-04-24T12:48:00.000-04:00

5

2011-04-22T09:07:00.013-04:00

Yesterday marked our five-year anniverary. As has been our tradition each year, we celebrated our special day with an amazing meal at an elegant restaurant. This year we chose Ninety Acres in Peapack-Gladstone. It was a memorable experience from start to finish - the ambiance was beautiful, the different courses were each delicious and the attention to detail was exceptional. Truly an evening to remember.

A little walk down memory lane with a photo from each of our previous anniversary celebrations... The first year - dining in the train car at Rod's at the Madison Hotel where we had our reception. Year number 2 - at the Highlawn Pavilion where Fabien had taken me for dinner the night he proposed. Celebrating our third anniversary with both of our families at La Campagna in Morristown. Back to Rod's for year number 4. This time, it was a reservation for three...

Spring is arriving...

2011-04-20T22:23:00.009-04:00

...slowly but surely. After the long, dreary, snow-filled winter, it is such a treat to see the daffodils blooming and the light green buds popping on trees all over. Although the weather lately has felt anything but springy, last week we did have a little sneak peek of the warm weather to come. We sat out on our back porch (for what might have been the last time) and drank the first iced coffee of the season. Théo had a good time being outside with us enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.

41 Weeks

2011-04-17T12:48:00.000-04:00

40 Weeks

2011-04-10T12:48:00.000-04:00

39 Weeks

2011-04-03T12:48:00.004-04:00

Our little boy has now spent as much time outside the womb as he had inside before we met him for the very first time. Happy 9 months Théo!

First Tooth

2011-03-30T22:23:00.005-04:00

Tooth fairy, get ready 'cause I have a lot more of these to come.

38 Weeks

2011-03-27T12:48:00.000-04:00

37 Weeks

2011-03-20T12:48:00.002-04:00

Thirty-seven weeks to celebrate Spring!

36 Weeks

2011-03-13T12:48:00.000-04:00

A Fish Named Théo

2011-03-09T08:01:00.001-05:00

We were waiting for it impatiently and we finally got to start the first of our baby swim classes for Théo. We didn't really know how Théo would react to the water. Of course we had a little idea from the fact that he loves taking his bath but this much water would be a whole new thing for him!

So we headed last Saturday to our new weekly meeting at the Westfield's YMCA pool with Barbara, Massimo and their little Emma. We even had the surprise to see little Quinn and Mason who are also taking the same class! This week Rachel and Barbara were the lucky ones to swim with the babies, letting Massimo and myself the pleasure to take the photographs. Our turn is coming this Saturday...seems like some of us have to start learning these baby songs (otherwise I know some "cute" french rugby songs)!

90 Candles

2011-03-07T08:33:00.006-05:00

If I ever have the chance to reach ninety years old, I wish to have Bonne Maman's health!
We just celebrated her ninetieth birthday this past weekend, and even if she doesn't have the strength of her twenties, she still has more memory that I do and pretty good health (in fact, she only just stopped driving recently!).
So to celebrate this, Arlette, Pat and Beverly prepared a special little surprise birthday party for her and she was so thrilled that it was all that mattered.Bonne Maman, we wish you once again a very happy birthday and we'll see you very soon so we can enjoy your company and you can enjoy playing with your latest great-grandchild who loves you very much (and so do we).

35 Weeks

2011-03-06T12:48:00.002-05:00

34 Weeks

2011-02-27T12:48:00.000-05:00

After thirty-four weeks we still cannot believe how fast Théo is growing and we are always surprised each time he has a new trick to show us. He now does even more funny things with his mouth, such as blowing raspberries and smacking his lips together. He's able to stand up on his own (with the support of something like his crib) and he's gaining speed when crawling. All of these developments are making our weekly photo shoot a bit harder as we have to find a way to keep him for at least a few seconds on the fabric before he rolls and crawls away. We managed once more this time so....happy 34 weeks!

Birthday Celebration

2011-02-23T13:08:00.001-05:00

Happy birthday Maman/Mamie-Jo. She arrived almost two weeks ago already to help us with taking care of Théo while Rachel is back at work until the end of the school year. That said, we had the chance to celebrate her birthday together for the first time in seven years! Mamie-Jo actually had an extended birthday since it already had started last Sunday when Dave and Bev surprised her with a nice brunch at the Stone House in Warren. Then, because we all are food lovers, Rachel, Mamie-Jo and Théo met me for lunch on the 22nd (her actual birthday) at an Indian restaurant followed in the evening by a nice dinner that ended with a not so nice store bought dessert. Yuck....next time I'll make it. But given the circumstances, time is not really on my side and at least we got a good laugh from it. And because my mom is just that great person that I feel so lucky to have in my life, we wanted to give her a special treat for her birthday. That's why she is the lucky winner of an 90 minutes massage at DePasquale....I wish it was my birthday too now!

33 Weeks

2011-02-20T12:48:00.002-05:00

Changes

2011-02-16T22:00:00.001-05:00

Alright, I have to admit that since Théo was born - and even during the pregnancy - this blog became more or less THEO's blog. Today, you will then learn that Théo is now crawling like a champ, that he's discovering new flavors (pears, bananas, green beans, avocado...) and also that he is starting to talk to us with his "bababababa" and his "mum-mum-mum-mum-mum".

But today I am taking back the blog. It's already been a couple of weeks since Rachel went back to work with a few tears in her eyes as it was and still is a bit hard to leave our baby behind at home after having stayed with him 24/7 for 7 months! Therefore, we managed the best we could for these past weeks until Mamie-Jo arrived to take care of Théo while we're at work. She'll be helping us out until the end of the school year! Thank you Tata Sara, Tata Lette, Nany and Bonne-Maman for coming to babysit. But at the same time, who wouldn't want to babysit such a cutie!
And if today's subject is not only about Théo, it's also because we wanted to share with you the other exciting big news that is happening in our life: we are moving! Yes, our time in Summit is coming to an end. We are moving out of this town where Rachel and I built our lovely nest and lived so many good memories during these past six and a half years ; Théo's birth being the best of them. Though, we won't go very far as we will unpack all of our things in Cranford, only a few miles away and where Théo will enjoy growing up. Get set, ready, pack...

32 Weeks For Our Valentine

2011-02-13T12:48:00.000-05:00

31 Weeks

2011-02-06T12:48:00.003-05:00

This week Théo's picture is a little different to commemorate the first time that he crawled for real! We won't say that this is the beginning of the end but only that from now on we will have to be a little more vigilant about him cruising around the apartment. All this will start with us baby-proofing our place. So here is our little sunshine, at the dawn of his thirty-first week.

30 Rocks!

2011-01-30T12:48:00.001-05:00

Give Peas A Chance!

2011-01-25T14:23:00.008-05:00

Everyone remembers how Théo loved his first taste of cereal, right? Well if you can't remember you can check out the video on this link ; otherwise here's a couple of pictures to refresh your memory: So for a few days we tried to give him some rice cereal - that he loved - and then, with just as much success we tried some oatmeal. Today came the time to give PEAS a chance (no play on word here)! And so here are some pictures that show how much he loved them:

29 Weeks

2011-01-23T12:48:00.000-05:00

28 Weeks

2011-01-16T12:48:00.003-05:00

This One is for Mommy, This One is for Papa...

2011-01-10T21:17:00.004-05:00

So here we go, Théo started to eat solid food today and he did so by having some rice cereal to introduce his little pallet to something else other than milk. We didn't really know what to expect from him, if he would cooperate or he would refuse to eat this new type of food. If you wonder how it went, just check out the video of his very first bite of real food...

Also, here is another little video for you to enjoy: Théo just discovered that behind the mirror there was his new best buddy that looks just like him...

27 Weeks | Home Sweet Snow

2011-01-09T12:48:00.001-05:00

After spending two great weeks in France for the Holidays, we are finally back home for Théo's twenty-seventh week, enjoying the leftover snow that is still here from the last storm.

A Parisian Walk

2011-01-04T08:07:00.015-05:00

We couldn't be at my parents' place and not go to Paris with Théo for the first time. And so Rachel, Théo, Papylain and myself drove to Rachel's old neighborhood in the 15th arrondissement. We of course started our walk at 26 rue Lecourbe (Rachel's old apartment) and continued on to the Eiffel Tower with a quick stop over at the "Café du Commmerce" for a nice lunch before going back home to avoid traffic at rush hour.
Théo cooperated so easily as usual that it made it the perfect first day in Paris with him.

iiii

Half a Year

2011-01-02T12:48:00.000-05:00

As everyone knows, 2010 brought us so much joy with the birth of Théo who turns 26 weeks today. We reached the half-way mark of our "weeks" project, hoping that 2011 will bring us just as much happiness as last year. We wish you all a very happy new year!

A Very Merry Christmas

2010-12-27T12:27:00.000-05:00

For both Fabien's family as well as my own, Christmas is a very special time, filled with lots of traditions. It seems that no matter how many years go by, we never tire of listening to the same Christmas albums, drinking hot wassail on Christmas Eve and making sticky marshmallow rolls on Christmas morning. Christmas in Chilly Mazarin is filled with just as many dearly loved traditions that we shared this year for the first time with our little Théo.

Before our arrival, Jo spent many hours decorating the house to create the ambiance and magic of Christmas. From the lights outside to the beatiful manger to the ceiling-high tree, everything was perfect! On Christmas Eve, we all spent time preparing the special "Réveillon" meal - lots of different canapés and appetizers followed by foie gras, smoked salmon and the traditional dessert, a "bûche de Noel". Since we arrived so close to Christmas, Théo still had not adjusted to the time change. So, instead of trying to make him sleep, we brought him downstairs to join us in the Christmas Eve celebration. He simply didn't want to miss out on the fun and he was definitely in the mood to party!Before we went to bed, we all made sure to leave our slippers by the tree so that Papa Noel would know where to bring our presents....
Evidently, Théo had been a very good boy this year as he received quite a few presents on Christmas morning!
For brunch we had fun making our own crepes, and in the evening we enjoyed a cozy meal of raclette - melted cheese over potatoes and various cold cuts. Fabien and I were surprised at the end of the meal with a delicous cake to celebrate our birthdays. Overall it was a very relaxing day filled with good food and the warmth of being with family.

25 Weeks for December 25th

2010-12-26T12:48:00.003-05:00

First Flight

2010-12-23T12:43:00.001-05:00

After our flight was canceled on Saturday, we had a few extra days at home to get ready for our trip and to prepare Théo for his first plane ride. When the moment arrived, Théo was ready to go! He waited patiently in line to check our luggage, passed through security without a fuss and didn't say a word despite our flight leaving slightly behind schedule. During the flight, Théo was very comfortable in his bassinet where he slept for nearly five hours! What a good baby!Luckily, his ears cooperated too and we had a happy baby on our hands when the plane landed in Paris Thursday morning. What a relief! We made it just in time too - more snow was on its way...While waiting at the baggage claims, Théo was reunited with two very special people - Papylain and Tata Claire - who were waiting on the other side of the glass wall. We made it to Chilly with little traffic and enjoyed a nice, relaxing first day back at home in France.

32...not weeks but years!

2010-12-19T19:31:00.007-05:00

Since our flight for Paris was canceled (we now leave on Wednesday), I found some time to pass by the blog and wish Rachel a very happy birthday weekend once again. I most certainly have the most amazing wife - especially when she requested pizza and root beer for her birthday dinner (sure I can do that!) but I am also very proud to say that she is the best mommy.

So here you go Mon Coeur, we love you and we wish you a very happy first birthday as a mommy.
- Fabien and Théo -

24 Weeks

2010-12-19T12:48:00.001-05:00

23 Weeks

2010-12-12T12:48:00.001-05:00

In The Mood for Christmas

2010-12-08T11:15:00.011-05:00

After Rachel's (successful) debut on the blog with the last post, I'm taking back the reins as we finish decorating the house for the Holiday season. Because we'll be in my hometown for the majority of the time, we thought we wouldn't have a tree this year...but that would have been sad for Théo's first Christmas! So we went down the street to get our Xmas tree at the Magic Fountain (our favorite ice-cream place...ever) that turns into a Christmas tree shop for the Holidays. And so we found the perfect one: not too big but not too small either as we weren't able to put it in the car. Rachel ended up driving back while I walked home, the tree on my shoulders. Anyway, nothing bad about a little walk in 40 degree weather - it's quite refreshing! I even got home before Rachel who got stuck in the parking lot by other shoppers' cars, ha ha!
Anyway, the tree is set up and lit in our cozy living room, and this year, the season takes on a whole new meaning with Théo. For the occasion, we couldn't resist buying him his first Christmas ornament! Happy Holidays to everyone.

31 Candles

2010-12-06T11:48:00.025-05:00

Yesterday was a special day for someone very special in my life...a day that merits a post of its own. However, since Fabien didn't want to write a post about his own birthday, I thought I would take this opportunity to make my blogging debut. So here it goes....

Birthdays that fall on the weekend are always the best. No commute, no work, no chores. Just a full day of doing whatever you want. Since we both love surprises, Fabien didn't know what the day had in store for him when he woke up. I made sure he was able to sleep in to the late hour of 8am (which really is sleeping in for us these days!). While Fabien was snoozing away, Théo and I were busy preparing the birthday boy's breakfast which we served to him in bed - café au lait, a croissant and grapefruit. When there were only a few crumbs left on the plate, Théo surprised his Papa with a special gift - a storybook of a baby bear who loves his Papa - which is very appropriate seeing how much Théo loves his.The morning was nice, long and lazy just as it should be when you're king for the day.In the afternoon the surprises continued with lunch at a new restaurant in town called Honey Brown's. The food was delicious and the meal ended with a surprise that I hadn't even planned. We were the last customers in the place since we arrived well into the afternoon, and just before we paid the bill, a group of very talented carolers came in to the restaurant to perform a song. It was very entertaining and quite amusing given that we (and the wait staff) were the only audience! Back at home, we had a nice late-afternoon visit from Massimo, Barbara and Emma who stopped by to wish Fabien a happy birthday. As always, it was fun to see the babies interact with one another which they're doing more and more as they get older.After putting Théo down for the night, it was time to enjoy a celebratory dinner. Fabien had chosen cheese fondue as his birthday dinner, but when we took down the fondue pot, we realized that we didn't have any more bunsen burners - surprise! So, while Fabien went out to the store to buy some (on his insistance!), I took advantage of the time to prepare the hors-d'oeuvres, and everything was ready when he walked through the door. The fondue dinner was perfect given the wintry weather outside, and of course, no birthday dinner would be complete without a sweet dessert. So, Fabien blew out his candles, made a wish and thus ended his 31st birthday. It was a wonderful day celebrating a truly wonderful person. Bon anniversaire mon amour, je t'aime.

22 Weeks

2010-12-05T12:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Early Birthdays/X-mas

2010-12-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Since Théo's birth, we were thinking about upgrading our camera. Our now "old" powershot was leaving us a little unsatisfied with some of the pictures it was capturing, especially in low light. And so, as both of our birthdays were coming soon and Christmas was around the corner, we thought that this could be our gift to each other for all these events and we are now the proud owners of a Canon Rebel XS.
The difference between our two cameras is huge and we are very pleased with our new companion. We now have to start playing with all the features and settings and improve our knowledge in photography, but we're at least ready to take (more) beautiful shots of our little man.
Here are our first attempts:

Blackjack!

2010-11-28T12:48:00.000-05:00

20 Weeks

2010-11-21T12:48:00.000-05:00

Boarding

2010-11-18T20:35:00.003-05:00

No need for us to worry anymore about whether or not we will receive Théo's passport before our trip to France for the Holidays. We got it today! So actually it went pretty fast since it's been not even 3 weeks that we applied for it! And now, the little Frenchie is ready to go and conquer Chilly-Mazarin (my home town) in less than a month...

19 Weeks

2010-11-14T12:48:00.000-05:00

After reading Sara's blog, I recently had a little craving for some French toast the way she made it once for us. And so, kind of to celebrate Théo's 19th week, the craving took form this morning. We filled our bellies with this delicious recipe: challah bread, bananas and pecans, all caramelized of course! Nothing better to start this beautiful sunny day. The recipe is really not hard and the best is that we still have a couple left for tomorrow's breakfast. Yummy!

L.O.L | Laugh Out Loud

2010-11-09T09:48:00.002-05:00

The first time we tried to put Théo in his exersaucer wasn't a big success and so we thought we would wait a tiny bit more. But this time, he just had a blast, enjoying the toys, laughing out loud, and making us laugh hard too...

18 Weeks

2010-11-07T12:48:00.001-05:00

Théo and the Fuzzibunz

2010-11-06T15:42:00.012-04:00

It is now official, we now use only cloth diapers for Théo. Some would say "what?! cloth diapers? You're crazy, and it's so much work!". Well, things have changed since WE were babies. Those cloth diapers where you have to fold a simple piece of cloth in a very specific manner and secure it with pin are no longer the only option. Today we have so many kinds to choose from and so we chose to go with the very popular Fuzzibunz. The diaper is a waterproof exterior with adjustable snaps, and it has a pouch in which you put a liner (cloth as well of course). Once that is set, we're ready to put it on our baby. We also found out that Théo adjusted perfectly to the transition and had no diaper rash since the cloth protects him a lot better from these irritations than a regular diaper.Alright, it is a little more time consuming because of the wash we have to do but:

1 - One load every other day is not that bad and we are proud to be a little more green by not throwing hundreds of diapers in the garbage throughout the year.

2 - It's much more economical than purchasing a box of 80 diapers every other week (if not more!)
3 - Théo seems to be very happy in his new diapers and this is actually the most important for us. And, he has so many different colors to choose from everyday!
In sum, we were a little bit hesitant because of the practical aspect of it, but we are very pleased and happy to have made this move and invested in the Fuzzibunz.

My Left Foot

2010-11-04T12:20:00.003-04:00

A new milestone has been reached when last Sunday, Théo got his foot in his mouth. I guess he wanted to know how good it tastes...

Today is also his 4 month birthday! Happy Birthday little man!

Halloween | 7 Years Later

2010-11-03T15:24:00.019-04:00

Last weekend we celebrated Théo's first Halloween. I know it's been a lot of firsts for Théo so far and it's not over!
This time, not only was it Théo's first Halloween but it was also the anniversary of the day Rachel and I met, seven years ago. And therefore, like every year, this day is a little more special for us, when we go back in time and ask each other "do you remember when we met for the first time..."
Someday maybe Théo will want to hear about our story but last weekend, he simply enjoyed wearing his skeleton costume, looking at all the kids in the morning at Jenn and Rob's for a special Halloween breakfast. Later on we headed to Barbara and Massimo's where he and Emma had fun playing in their costumes.We also went out the day before to a park in Peapack for a walk to take advantage of the nice fall day we had on Saturday.

17 Weeks

2010-10-31T12:48:00.001-04:00

My First Passport

2010-10-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

Our trip to France for the Holidays coming soon, we had to apply for Théo's first passport. Which implied that we were in the need of two passport photos for him to submit with the application. Since we have everything on hand at home, camera+computer+photoshop+printer (just like the majority of people), no need to go to a photographer.
Here is how we did the trick in few steps:
1. We put Théo on our bed with a white fitted sheet and of course took a few shoots of him until we were happy with one of them. Actually this time we were lucky enough that we indeed were please after only four pictures have been taken! And by the way, the use of flash was necessary for a better render and a sharper image.
2. In photoshop, I cropped the photo so the proportions will be as required for a passport photo ; meaning 2x2 inches, with the length of the head (from top to chin) between 1in and 13/8in.
3. Then, we thought it would be even better if we got rid of the few wrinkles from the sheet so it would look a little more professional. So I used the pen tool to trace and select the background and keep Théo out of ma selection. Finally, I used "blur surface" under the blur filters. (here I used a radius of 69 and a threshold of 19)4. Now our picture is done. Just print (2x2) and submit with the application!

At the Supermaket

2010-10-29T13:22:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin Pickin'

2010-10-26T11:55:00.005-04:00

Halloween is just around the corner and so it was time to go pumpkin picking. Saturday we went to Hacklebarney Farm in Chester to find some good ones to get ready for Théo's first Halloween. An outing in the countryside with a donut and some hot apple cider, overall it was a nice fall day.

Of course, we had to carve those pumpkins to complete our task and that's what we did the following day. Watch out, here's the end result...

Sweet Sixteen

2010-10-24T12:30:00.001-04:00

Tata Claire, Théo and The Apples of Oldwick

2010-10-21T11:16:00.011-04:00

And so it was Claire's turn to come and meet Théo, to fall under the charm of our little peanut. She was able to see at the same time how much our lives have changed since Théo's arrival: the feedings, diaper changes, the baths, the short nights...

But for us, it's also so great to have family members from France that come to visit one after another, which makes it much easier to wait until the Holidays.Meanwhile, last Sunday we arranged to meet with Sara, Jenny, Erik and their 13 month old little girl, Ellis, and go apple picking at a farm in Oldwick. We couldn't have asked for better weather and we left the sweaters in the car to take full advantage of the sun even though it was the middle of October.
Afterward we all went to the Mills' House to celebrate Sara's birthday who turned 30 last Monday. While we were there we also enjoyed some games of "Cornhole Game".
Let's hope we'll have the same weather this Saturday when we'll go to the country again to do some pumpkin picking this time!

15 Weeks Old And Rolling Right Along

2010-10-17T12:48:00.008-04:00

Not only did Théo turn 15 weeks today but this week he also turned...from his back to his tummy for the first time. Apparently he likes to sleep that way as we discovered this morning when he was laying peacefully on his stomach (however it wasn't THAT peaceful during the night as he was rolling around for a looong time until he finally found a position he liked).
This new trick made today's photo shoot a little bit challenging as you can see in the following "behind the scenes" photos...

Mommy and Me

2010-10-13T08:15:00.007-04:00

Théo is one of the luckiest babies on Earth: he has the best mommy ever. Even though he is a wonderful baby, very calm and so cute, he's still a baby ; which means he is in need of a lot of attention and patience. And so throughout the day, Rachel successfully does the greatest but very tiring job of being a mommy. Between feedings, activities, tummy time, bath time, diaper changes and all the other things that come with it, she can finally find a little window to have some time for her to rest (but not always) or share a nap with our little guy...

Bumbo

2010-10-11T07:53:00.005-04:00

Last weekend Théo sat for the first time in his really cool bumbo seat! Here are a few reasons why he loves it so much...

14 Weeks

2010-10-10T12:48:00.001-04:00

Today Théo is 14 weeks old but he also celebrated his 3 month birthday this past week on Monday on October 4th. We of course had to have a special dessert for the special day and as we blew the candle for him (sorry but he can't quite do that yet) it was hard to believe that three months have already passed...seems like we just got back from the hospital couple of weeks ago!

Date Night

2010-10-06T08:00:00.001-04:00

Last Friday, Bev suggested that she would come and babysit Théo to give Rachel and I the opportunity to go out just the two of us. We loved the idea and of course accepted because it had been a long time since we were able to have a special evening like this.
We thought that movie and dinner would be perfect for the occasion. We opted to go see "The Heartbreaker" in Chatham (seems like French movies are doing OK) followed by dinner at Shanghai Jazz in Madison. The concept of this place is to offer live jazz music while having a nice dinner or, sipping a drink (or two) at the bar.
The results of the evening: the movie was very good and we laughed out loud a lot ; and the restaurant was a good experience where we had a great Jazz concert with a band composed by one pianist, one bass player, and one drummer. The food though was just average but didn't take anything away from this unique experience.
Thank you again Bev for having babysat Théo last Friday ; you can come again whenever you want!

Outside Center...Like Papa

2010-10-03T12:48:00.007-04:00

Those who know me well know that for a long time I wore the number 13 on my back when I was playing rugby. Today Théo is wearing it too, but on the front and for a different reason: He's thirteen weeks today!

This past week, for the first time, Théo took his bath in his brand new big bathtub. We had to say bye-bye to the Puj because the little man started to become too big for it. So yes, bye-bye to the Puj and welcome to the Whale bathtub! Also, our peanut was finally able to reach and grab his little feet with his little hand, all by himself without any help. Maybe not a big deal but every time he reaches a new milestone we are just so excited! But the big step this week was that, because he was also outgrowing his bassinet, Théo finally spent his first night in his own bedroom, in his crib, alone. After postponing this day a few times (well actually for over two weeks), that day inevitably arrived: he sadly moved out of our bedroom and now we have to check on him through the monitor.

So Théo is still growing, learning and discovering his and our world, and after a quick visit to the doctor's for his shots, we found out that he is now 12lbs 6oz and measures 25 inches!

A Dozen Weeks

2010-09-26T12:48:00.001-04:00

A special fabric for Mamie Jo!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

2010-09-26T11:01:00.005-04:00

Here we go, after just a little more than 6 years living in the US came the time to go see my first baseball game when Ron invited me this week to go to the new Yankees Stadium with David for their last game of the season...against the Red Sox! And of course, even though I'm not a huge fan of this sport, I accepted the invitation...it was still the Yankees! And it turned out to be a very nice afternoon where we couldn't resist shoveling down some hot dogs and fries AND, I even drank a whole glass of beer, thinking that it would probably be what would satisfy my thirst the most considering how warm of a day it was (what a feat!)
The only thing was that those poor Yankees got beaten pretty bad by Boston 3-7. I guess it was an awesome game...for Red Sox fans (aka Arlette and Lionel)
Thank you so much Ron again for this great day, I hope I can return the favor one of these days...

Movin' at Work

2010-09-23T12:50:00.020-04:00

It's been a few years now that I'm going to work every morning at the same place, sitting and working in my little cubicle, tight, with little space, and where I have to wear a sweater even in the winter time because I am directly under the AC vent and I'm freezing my...feet. But it was time for a change and so I inherited another room to make it MY office! It is so nice to work in such a big room - maybe 8 times bigger. It just feels more relaxed and better with those big windows that actually let the daylight come in directly and I can feel the sun on my back. I can even hear the ice-cream truck driving around! Just a few more final touches to finish it up and I will almost feel like being in a room at home!

And, yesterday, Rachel and Théo came for a visit at work where Théo met my co-workers Alesia and Melissa. And so I was happy to share my new room with them before the three of us headed to the park for a nice picnic.