Sunday Evening

We love Sundays in the Calder home. Last night Curt and I sat and played Scrabble for a while. This is one game on the iPad that I actually like to play.

June is on my team. Thanks to her we've been beating Curt lately. This is by far the best way to hold a tiny baby--it feels so good to hold her close!

Looking Cute

Yes! Mommy loves June.

and Mommy loves elephants too.

Visiting Daddy

June and I went on a walk and visited Daddy at work. Well we can't go into his office because of Swiss banking laws...but we go to where he works and he then walks around with us.

Thanks for the awesome afghan, Soeur Chatterley!

 and we LOVE the outfit and amazing boots (thanks Stewart family!).

A Saturday Stroll

We went on a walk on Saturday afternoon and June visited the Jet d'eau for the first time. It was a lovely day for a walk. Daddy and June love the Baby Bjorn (thanks Alyssa!).

And another photo just for fun because June is so cute.

Paternity Leave

We were SO spoiled to have Daddy at home for 5 work-days of Paternity Leave (thank you JPMorgan!!!). Daddy took care of his girls from sun up to sun down--doing dishes, making meals, changing diapers, getting groceries, etc. We couldn't have been more spoiled.

Daddy's favorite way to sit with June

Testing out Mom's homemade boppy

Just lounging (and probably watching football or Seinfeld)

"You guys are weird." 

We had just opened a gift so I put the bow on her head...

Getting a good hand/foot print was actually really, really hard. It took both of us (while she was sleeping) to be successful. We put them in the book great-aunt Cindy made for June. I'll share that in another post.

With Mommy before going out for FHE (we went for a pizza dinner)

Mommy's favorite jammies so far

Enjoying leave

I love watching her sleep. She's so sweet & serene.

June's First Outing

Daddy, Mommy and June took a trip to Migros for groceries. I tried to convince Curt that we just take the baby bjorn or a sling to carry her, but he insisted we use our new stroller because it's, well, awesome. I'm glad we took it. Daddy was right.

Here we are at Migros. Daddy bought us some flowers. I was surprisingly tired/sore after the walk. I guess you really do have to take it a little easy after birthing a child.

She looked so cute and tiny in the stroller bassinet,

and she was a good baby the entire trip.

June: 1 Week Old

June turned 1 week old on October 14th.

She is still the center of attention and is a very, very good baby.

She eats well, sleeps well, likes baths and always looks cute.

We love her!

Heading Home!

Curt picked us up at the hospital just before 1pm on Wednesday. It was exciting to be able to take June home! That meant she really was ours and that everything was not a dream.

Daddy picking us up

June's last time in her little bassinet (wearing her 'going home' clothes, minus the jacket--all stayed spit-up free, I might add)

Mommy--who lived in PJs for 5 days

Daddy getting June ready to go

Outside the Clinique

Rody de Guzman, in our ward, was so kind to give us a ride home

June's first car ride. The car seat is amazing!!! It was a gift from my co-workers (they gave us a diaper bag full of awesome goodies and a gift card to buy the car seat and base. Wow-SO generous. Curt bought the car seat and base on Friday morning after we got home from Evian while June was getting ready for the world--remember?).

Daddy bought Mommy an amazing glider chair--and yes, it is uhh-may-zing! He surprised me by setting it up while we were still at the hospital (remember how tired Daddy was?). I tried it out as soon as we walked in the door I was so excited. It glides, reclines and can lock in position. So great!! I couldn't count the hours we've already spent in it.

Welcome home, June! Daddy gave you a tour of our home.

and then took a nap with June on the couch. Daddy can't get enough of June.

June has an adorable bed (a little moses basket I bought from a lady here in Geneva)

My Troll Beads

Start counting the beads from top left to bottom right (end at fish clasp)

For Christmas 2010 my in-laws (Glen & Meridee) bought me a Troll Bead bracelet with two beads (#5, #8) and a special fish clasp (#9). If you're not familiar with Troll Beads, you build your bracelet over time with beads that tell the story of your life. Each bead has great significance to me.
For my birthday this year, they gave me two more beads (#2, #6). For our anniversary this year Curt gave me a bead (#7), and when were were in Venice he bought me a Murano glass bead (#1). After June was born Curt gave me two amazing beads: #3 is for me, a new mother; #4 is for June, our precious daughter--and boy do those two beads tell stories!

I LOVE my bracelet because it reminds me of those I love and some of the happiest times in my life. Thanks for the thoughtful gift, Glen & Meridee (and Curt). I love it more each day.

At the hospital

Mom and June spent the standard 5 days at the hospital. That is totally different than the US for a 'normal' delivery. It was the perfect amount of time, in my opinion.

The staff at Beaulieu was great. Many nurses and midwives spoke English--but the majority of teaching, questions, etc. was in French. It was amazing to see I know more French than I thought I did. The 5 days of French immersion were what I need all the time to get better at French. It's hard to force myself to practice French when work was in English and all of my friends speak English.

I definitely enjoyed the food. The Clinique I was at is known for good food. This lunch was scallops (wow!). I ate other things like veal, duck breast, horse steak, exotic fish, etc. It was like living with an in-home chef 3 meals/day. Amazing. 

June on Sunday (2 days old). They use down comforters in the bassinets. 

June got to stay in my room with me all of the time. The only night I had them watch her in the nursery was Friday night after she was born. I was paranoid she would stop breathing or something and I couldn't fall asleep at all, but was totally exhausted from 13hrs of labor. After Friday night I wasn't so paranoid and loved having her in my room. I can sleep fine now--but moms just worry about anything and everything. You just have to have faith and stop worrying sometimes.

Daddy taking a nap on Sunday. Still wiped out. Of course I learned why he was so exhausted when we got home--the house was totally straight. He had been working non-stop when not at the hospital with us.

Monday morning--still incredibly cute. I couldn't stop looking at her all day. Just sitting in bed holding her was amazing. I had to put her down to take photos :) 

Family Night on Monday with Daddy (after work)

Tuesday morning

Tuesday afternoon. June was a little jaundiced so they tested her bilirubin. The levels were elevated, but they peaked and she didn't need the phototherapy. She was a very good patient (her little bandaid was cute). It reminded me of the months I worked Pediatrics at Timp in Orem. I remember doing blood draws on tiny little hands. I was glad to let the nurse do it. I was glad June was tough too.

Pheasant, porcini mushroom soup, veal,
squash, au gratin potatoes, apple crumble with 
English cream, etc. Yum!

Our awesome tête-à-tête on Tuesday night. The hospital provides a nice champagne dinner (or in our case sparkling jus de pomme) for the couple the night before departure so they can have quality time together. They are very focused on the family's well-being as a whole. The food was amazing, as always, and the company the best!

Around Geneva

Here are some things that we did before June came along:

Daddy got to ride around Geneva in an awesome Ferrari with his co-worker. He didn't drive...but maybe some day he will get to :)

Here are some photos of a random Saturday spent at home: 

Grocery shopping at Migros: I love it when Curt goes grocery shopping with me. Generally I do the shopping, but it is so much fun to have company (and 2 extra arms to carry the bags).

We bought ourselves a rotisserie chicken at Migros. The chicken reminded Curt of Costco chicken (buying it with Jake) and reminds me of buying the rotisserie chicken on the street in Brazil for something like 7 reais. That was the most amazing lunch as a missionary. It was very tasty!

Here I am looking pregnant during an early evening stroll through the rose gardens by our home. We like to walk to the park or to the lake to sit on a bench and read. It's one of the best things to do in Geneva.