Quick Update

We finally finished our Christmas letter, now we just need a picture with Julien paying attention. We are going to try tomorrow and if we can't get him looking at the camera we will just go with one we already have. Hopefully we will get them in the mail Monday!

I spent all day yesterday baking Christmas cookies which is rather challenging with a baby. I did manage to bake them while he was napping and/or in his swing. I had visions of him needing my attention and me burning all the cookies. Baking always makes me want to be back home in a real kitchen. I have become quite talented at using the washer as a counter and cooling cookies all over the apartment. I have even mastered turning the cookies to accommodate my oven's "hot spots" but oh how I long for next Christmas, hopefully in a larger kitchen with a calibrated oven!

We are headed home next Friday for 16 days! I am so excited to go back to the Pennsylvania and see our friends and family. We really want to see as many people as possible while we are home so please email me, genevieve.oliver@gmail.com with your availability if you want to get together. Josh needs to go the office a couple days but besides for that we are free.

We have started the process to move back to the states by getting an estimate on our apartment. It was lower than we hoped but I guess that is the way it goes sometimes. We plan to put our apartment on the market in Janauary, hopefully selling it quickly so we can start looking for a house in Pennsylvania. Our plan is to be back in the US by June of next year. It takes at least three months after the buyer has secured financing to do the transfer of an apartment in France. I can't wait to find the perfect home in the US where Julien can grow up and have wonderful memories.

In other news it is really cold in Paris which makes going outside less than desirable. I bundle up the baby and he is fine but then we get in a shop and it is too warm so he freaks out. I am not really coordinated enough to get off his outer layers while he is strapped on me in the Bjorn. Taking him out of the Bjorn is not a possibility as there is no place to set him down. We had quite a scene in the Monoprix yesterday but luckily it was in the morning when it is mostly other mom's shopping so I didn't get too many evil stares. Speaking of Julien I hear him stirring in his crib, I think we will have a little "tummy time" then lunch (I have learned lunch before "tummy time is not a good idea!).