Back home

Sorry for the lack of updating our blog... So much has happened since we got here four months ago. Where have the months gone? I have been meaning to write about my (not so new anymore) job, our nanny (that sounds soooo expat-ty and decadent), our trip to Bosra where we had a look at the Roman theatre or how we just so very slowly starting to settle a bit. I might do that later.


We just got back from our trip home (erm, home is where the heart is, right?) We stayed with my parents for five lovely days, just long enough to touch base, see all my family, eat as much stamppot as we could possibly muster and work our way through a shopping list as long as my arm. Unfortunately too short to catch up with friends, update Facebook or eat enough paprika chips to see me through the next few months.

My family threw me a birthday party on the night we arrived and Beatrice helped me with unwrapping the presents. She also saw snow for the first time, rode in a buggy for the first time (an experience neither of us enjoyed very much. So out with the borrowed buggy and back into the sling) and we went baby swimming.


Which she really enjoyed. Of course also because she got a chance to show off her pink bikini.

And now we are back in Syria. With the crazy traffic, the bureaucracy, even the custom officer at the airport smoking and with all Blogspot pages blocked (so sorry Nina, Irène, Alle, Joeltje, Elke and Kami for not being able to check up on you! Would you mind sending an email of every post you write? :-)). But also with 17 degrees and sun today. Not long before we will be able to take Beatrice to the outdoor pool at the [insert Jonny's work name] club. We'll just have to do the walking around in circles and singing lullabies ourselves, for the lack of a baby swimming instructor. Or not. :-)


I meant to exclusively breast-feed Beatrice for six months, but at five months and a few weeks and after weeks of scrutinising our plates, she decided herself it was time to start on solids. We are doing something called baby led weaning, meaning we don't puree any food, but give stick sized foods instead for her to play with. So far she has tried potato, carrot, apple, banana, rice cakes, bread, pumpkin, red pepper, avocado, mango, cucumber, butter beans and courgette.


It is supposed to help hand eye coordination and make the baby enjoy food. She certainly seems to enjoy it. Although Jonny and I have both been weaned on mashed foods, we don't have any problems with our coordination. So I think it is more because I am too lazy to blend everything for her...