great little expat craddle

http://www.totem.ws/Z2-1-en.html

For P and I, one of the greatest logistic challenges of preparing for the baby here in Italy has been chosing furnishings that A. dont break the bank, B. will insure the safety of our little guy, C. would be worth transporting back to NYC when the time comes to move home, and D. are not heinous.  Perhaps I am a little ambitious, but I knew that I could find a cradle that would satisfy all of the above.

At first, I fell in love with a full-sized, convertible crib (it is the Bobo lettino system and is huge, actually), by the Italian company TATI, and was almost persuaded by the lowered price tag here in Europe compared to a stateside purchase. However, after some contemplation decided to save the actual crib for later on down the road when we are back in Brooklyn, grounded, and not worrying about shipping.

Alas, after a month or so of disappointing perusal of the frilly and generally old fashioned Italian baby boutiques, I was about to give up when I stumbled upon this great little company called TotemItalia, and with it their adorably simple, safe, modern, and affordable wooden cradle.  Not only does it assemble with great ease, but it comes apart compactly for super easy shipping or even (perhaps??) an ambitious carry-on.  The wood used, though ply-wood, is of the highest European E-1 standards and the futon-style mattress is made of 100% organic cotton.  I believe they ship world-wide, so if you are interested check out the link and inquire away…

introductions…

Ok, so I originally intended to chronical my pregnancy here in Milan month by month (of course peppered with other interesting bits of random art, design, scientific findings, well designed baby gear etc) but alas the months have slipped away and here I sit, getting huge in my 7th month.

So, for the sake of introductions, I am a 28 year-old expat wife (and much, much more) living in Milan, Italy and now 29 weeks pregnant with my first child, a little boy.  Though both my husband (P) and I (plus our dog, Hasty) have lived abroad before, we have only been in Milan for 8 months, so as one might imagine I have been more focused on the craziness of being pregnant than the insanity of adjusting to my new home.

Being pregnant is obviously one of the most life-changing, memorable times in life as-is. Add to that a heavy dose of culture shock, disdain for moped exhaust, and uncertainty about a foreign healthcare system, and it can start to feel like the epicenter of an earth quake.   All in all, I have had a relatively smooth pregnancy, and am very lucky.   Baby Mario (that’s the nickname) seems to be growing at a great pace and is chucking his weight around inside of me with a vengeance usually reserved for wrestling matches.

Hopefully, I can use The Expectant Expat as an outlet to share ideas about almost being a mom/being a mom, whatever other randomness has piqued my interest, and lastly– beautiful, well-crafted things in general.  At the risk of upping the cheese quotient, I will also probably write in from time to time about my adorable dog, Hastings, who is the current recipient of all of my maternal instincts.   And also of my travels– Milan is not the most enjoyable place, but the surrounding areas are amazing. More to come…