A few awesome things according to Teddy.
Teddy is a little over two and a half years old now and I feel like I should mention a bit of what he is up to.
-Construction Sites
This one has been popular for a while now with no signs of diminishing in popularity. Have you ever watched construction workers at a site for over half an hour a few times a week? I have. So have Teddy's babysitters. The best items are cranes (Teddy delights in being a crane while doing normal day to day activities as well), diggers, and people hammering (BANG BANG).
-ROARING
Teddy isn't into animals. At all. I know this because we have a yearly zoo pass and he literally only wants to go to the playground there, play with the real safari jeep in one of the food areas, and talk about riding the antique cars which he never gets to ride. He has never once asked to look at an animal, take a closer look at an animal, or not leave an animals area- in fact his most frequent comment is "weitergehen" (roughly translated: lets keep going) However he does like animal sounds due to some books he has- and all animals roar. Now he does the right sound Woof Woof, Meow,etc but he somehow makes it into a roar- it is awesome.
-Telling us what we are doing right at this very moment and then repeating it over and over again until one of us confirms what he just said by saying, "yes you are right that is what we are doing".
This happens literally hundreds of times a day. Some favorites "nicht dünkel" "nicht dünkel" "jetzt nicht schlafen gehen" (not dark, not dark, now it isn't time to sleep-this isn't said in a negative way just as a statement which must be confirmed) "baby weint" (the baby is crying- always fun to confirm this over the baby's high pitched screams).
-Na?
A German phrase which basically means "well!/?" but which Teddy constantly uses after every phrase. It is very cute and I am hoping it naturally goes away because no one uses it as much as he does but he definitely isn't aware he is using it so I don't know how in the world I would teach him to stop.
-Laufrad
Riding on his balance bike is one of his favorite things to do and he is really good at it. Like I can't watch because I am sure if he goes down that skate ramp any faster he might die, good.
-"Monkey show"
For a long time Teddy would only watch the show "Max and Ruby" . This was annoying for me because I have only been able to find two seasons of it, so I was stuck watching the same episodes over and over and over again. Now Teddy likes "Curious George" which he calls the "monkey show" and I get to spend time watching one of my favorite childhood characters on the little screen. If I am going to be watching toddler TV this is one show I don't mind.
- Gummy bears, fruit snacks, cookies, cake
I don't know how it happened, if it is related to personality, or what, but Teddy really likes sweets. If he sees some he wants them and will actually try to take a piece of your cake from your plate if he has already finished his and you have some left. Not so amusing in front of company.
-Trains
Trains are still one of the greatest things ever and thankfully since we live in the city, subways are also considered trains. He loves riding trains, talking about trains, playing with his train table,etc.
-My husband and my husband's friends
Spending time with daddy is one of the best things ever. He delights in shutting the door in my face "Tschüüüüüsssss mama" (bye mom) and doing super secret awesome things with his dad. We also have a good friend who has come over to play with him a few times, and last time he actually started crying when he had to leave. I am clearly not first choice when it comes to playmates.However I also am no good at building forts and often veto things citing reasons such as danger and bodily harm so I understand. I'm still the only one who can bake cookies with him which assures that I will never fall too low in the rankings.
-Skyping with grandma
When we first started doing this, he really didn't know what was going on, but now he really enjoys talking to grandma and actually requests to skype with her sometimes. I find this to be super cute and I know it is great for their relationship.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Three months!
Ferdinand is three months today! Wow. I know I write this literally every post but things are so great when your baby doesn't have colic! I'm not even counting down the days until he is 4 months or 6 months or whatever magical age is supposed to be easier, because things are good.
I'm one of those incredibly lucky people for whom breastfeeding is easy, from the very beginning, and who fatten their babies up without trouble. This means that Ferdi is now slowly following in his brother's footsteps and is kind of big. Like wearing 6 month clothes big. I don't know how much he weighs but definitely not as much as his brother did at this time but definitely more then the average baby I think. I'll know next week at his next doctor's appointment.
He is cooing all the time which is pretty darn adorable. He is also drooling all the time which is less so. Especially because I am lazy and hate having to change his clothes all the time. I mean he wears pajamas two days in a row and during the day as well, because like I said I am lazy, and it isn't like he cares. Thankfully he never spits up so as long as he doesn't have an explosive diaper- speaking of which I totally forgot how awesome/gross newborn diapers are,every time he goes he gets this faraway glazed over expression and then sounds like he is having explosive diarrhea for a minute or two, which I guess he sometimes kind of is. Anyways it totally cracks me up but I realize it is probably a mom thing to think that which is why I won't be posting it on FB anytime soon or mentioning it here ever again. I promise.
He sleeps OK. In some ways I actually kind of preferred Teddy's sleeping because it went from sucking super hard, to being pretty great in comparison, to just actually being super amazing. Now Ferdinand can sleep alright by himself without any help from me which is different. For example if we put him down drowsy but not asleep he will often lay in his crib and then fall asleep. This is awesome. However his ideas about when he would like to be fed are not necessarily moving in the right direction. Although he has had a few nights where he has gone almost 7 hours between feeds (Oh my gosh what an amazing night that was, looking up at the alarm clock and seeing it was quarter to 4 in the morning...priceless!) he has also has recently expected to nurse every 3 hours which is not so enjoyable for me, and I think unnecessary for him unless he is going through a growth spurt. So now I am sort of trying to make a game plan (do I want to try dream feeds?, when do I ideally want his longest stretch?, do I want to introduce a bottle at bed time?,etc) because sleep is my baby obsession and I do believe that some of Teddy's awesome sleeping habits come from diligence and hard work on our part, and so I want to start helping Ferdinand get the best sleep he can. Right now he takes 3-4 naps a day without about an hour to an hour and a half wake time between the naps, and his bedtime is at 6-7pm depending on how naps went.
He and Teddy are so adorable together. Unfortunately he and Teddy are also sick together and it looks like the whole winter will be spent with illnesses being passed back and forth between all of us but they don't seem to mind too much. Teddy also will never stop giving him kisses, rubbing his face, and sticking his fingers all over him, (once even licking his face-eww) so I think it would be a waste of time to try and fight that losing battle.
Ferdi has great head control and can manage a few minutes on his stomach, head up, eyes alert before collapsing in defeat and starting to cry. Toys aren't too interesting yet but he is normally pretty calm if you talk to him especially in the morning.
So I've managed to write much more then I thought I would be able to about hitting the three month mark, as lets be honest he still really isn't doing much. But he is definitely being extra cute and helping me to see why some people like the newborn stages.
I'm one of those incredibly lucky people for whom breastfeeding is easy, from the very beginning, and who fatten their babies up without trouble. This means that Ferdi is now slowly following in his brother's footsteps and is kind of big. Like wearing 6 month clothes big. I don't know how much he weighs but definitely not as much as his brother did at this time but definitely more then the average baby I think. I'll know next week at his next doctor's appointment.
He is cooing all the time which is pretty darn adorable. He is also drooling all the time which is less so. Especially because I am lazy and hate having to change his clothes all the time. I mean he wears pajamas two days in a row and during the day as well, because like I said I am lazy, and it isn't like he cares. Thankfully he never spits up so as long as he doesn't have an explosive diaper- speaking of which I totally forgot how awesome/gross newborn diapers are,every time he goes he gets this faraway glazed over expression and then sounds like he is having explosive diarrhea for a minute or two, which I guess he sometimes kind of is. Anyways it totally cracks me up but I realize it is probably a mom thing to think that which is why I won't be posting it on FB anytime soon or mentioning it here ever again. I promise.
He sleeps OK. In some ways I actually kind of preferred Teddy's sleeping because it went from sucking super hard, to being pretty great in comparison, to just actually being super amazing. Now Ferdinand can sleep alright by himself without any help from me which is different. For example if we put him down drowsy but not asleep he will often lay in his crib and then fall asleep. This is awesome. However his ideas about when he would like to be fed are not necessarily moving in the right direction. Although he has had a few nights where he has gone almost 7 hours between feeds (Oh my gosh what an amazing night that was, looking up at the alarm clock and seeing it was quarter to 4 in the morning...priceless!) he has also has recently expected to nurse every 3 hours which is not so enjoyable for me, and I think unnecessary for him unless he is going through a growth spurt. So now I am sort of trying to make a game plan (do I want to try dream feeds?, when do I ideally want his longest stretch?, do I want to introduce a bottle at bed time?,etc) because sleep is my baby obsession and I do believe that some of Teddy's awesome sleeping habits come from diligence and hard work on our part, and so I want to start helping Ferdinand get the best sleep he can. Right now he takes 3-4 naps a day without about an hour to an hour and a half wake time between the naps, and his bedtime is at 6-7pm depending on how naps went.
He and Teddy are so adorable together. Unfortunately he and Teddy are also sick together and it looks like the whole winter will be spent with illnesses being passed back and forth between all of us but they don't seem to mind too much. Teddy also will never stop giving him kisses, rubbing his face, and sticking his fingers all over him, (once even licking his face-eww) so I think it would be a waste of time to try and fight that losing battle.
Ferdi has great head control and can manage a few minutes on his stomach, head up, eyes alert before collapsing in defeat and starting to cry. Toys aren't too interesting yet but he is normally pretty calm if you talk to him especially in the morning.
So I've managed to write much more then I thought I would be able to about hitting the three month mark, as lets be honest he still really isn't doing much. But he is definitely being extra cute and helping me to see why some people like the newborn stages.
Oh and just like Teddy he rarely smiles and still has not giggled. Thankfully this time around it cracks me up instead of sort of worrying me that I got some serious sad baby who might be unhappy for life.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Saturday Morning
We're walking down the stairs to the stroller. I've taken Teddy's jacket, shoes, and hat hostage to ensure that he finally decides to come with instead of finding the 35th item which he suddenly needs to play with/look at/take down/ pull apart/take off. The baby is fussing/crying because he is tired and just wants to fall asleep which unfortunately isn't possible when I have to keep putting him down to convince his brother "to please just come down...now". We get downstairs and I realize that the double stroller hasn't been "winterized" yet and isn't set up for two, all this means is that I have to take the snow sack off the other stroller and put it on this stroller, take off the bassinet, and add the 2nd seat. Now altogether this should probably take about 1 minute but of course, because I am just trying to leave the house and go, and I am alone, it won't happen like that.
Teddy immediately starts trying to ride the neighbors bike which has training wheels, thankfully he is blocked by me taking apart the stroller. The baby starts screaming, wondering why in the world he is still not allowed to fall asleep yet. I try putting him down in the seat but then of course I have to take the seat off the stroller again because one of the buckles somehow is inaccessible and I need it to go through the snow sack. Teddy is currently trying to put his bigger seat on the stroller as well which means he might drop it on top of the baby at any moment. I put the baby on Teddy's jacket on the ground next to the steps, it looks completely uncomfortable and kind of dangerous so of course the baby instantly falls asleep. Teddy goes back to trying to ride the neighbor's bike while I sweat in my zipped up coat and try to stay calm. After about 10 minutes I've attached the 2nd seat with snow sack, the baby is buckled in, Teddy has a jacket, hat, and even shoes on, and his seat is also attached and we're ready to go. This is all that we have managed to do so far today and it is 10:30 in the morning. I've decided that breakfast, baths for both, and getting dressed don't count so i'm determined to get out of the house and run some errands, especially since Teddy has all of two diapers left and the stores are closed tomorrow.
Thankfully our morning after this point took a turn for the better. We got to all the stores we needed to, Teddy stayed sitting, the baby stayed sleeping, and I was able to get some exercise in by pushing the double stroller in the 36 degree weather. Speaking of which, thank you Germany for encouraging walking or biking to do the daily shopping, my body definitely appreciates the encouraged movement, and hopefully these baby pounds will continue to drop.
This morning when Teddy was doing his best to convince me not to like him at all, and the baby was just trying to cause early deafness I have to admit there were moments where I felt like crying because seriously do they not realize how difficult they can make simple easy tasks?!? But now this afternoon after enjoying a nice breakfast (we won't focus on the fact that it happened at 1:30 pm), watching the two of them "play" with each other, seeing them skype with grandma, and now enjoying the sounds of both children sleeping, I have to admit that I am more then ready for the afternoon to come.
Teddy immediately starts trying to ride the neighbors bike which has training wheels, thankfully he is blocked by me taking apart the stroller. The baby starts screaming, wondering why in the world he is still not allowed to fall asleep yet. I try putting him down in the seat but then of course I have to take the seat off the stroller again because one of the buckles somehow is inaccessible and I need it to go through the snow sack. Teddy is currently trying to put his bigger seat on the stroller as well which means he might drop it on top of the baby at any moment. I put the baby on Teddy's jacket on the ground next to the steps, it looks completely uncomfortable and kind of dangerous so of course the baby instantly falls asleep. Teddy goes back to trying to ride the neighbor's bike while I sweat in my zipped up coat and try to stay calm. After about 10 minutes I've attached the 2nd seat with snow sack, the baby is buckled in, Teddy has a jacket, hat, and even shoes on, and his seat is also attached and we're ready to go. This is all that we have managed to do so far today and it is 10:30 in the morning. I've decided that breakfast, baths for both, and getting dressed don't count so i'm determined to get out of the house and run some errands, especially since Teddy has all of two diapers left and the stores are closed tomorrow.
Thankfully our morning after this point took a turn for the better. We got to all the stores we needed to, Teddy stayed sitting, the baby stayed sleeping, and I was able to get some exercise in by pushing the double stroller in the 36 degree weather. Speaking of which, thank you Germany for encouraging walking or biking to do the daily shopping, my body definitely appreciates the encouraged movement, and hopefully these baby pounds will continue to drop.
This morning when Teddy was doing his best to convince me not to like him at all, and the baby was just trying to cause early deafness I have to admit there were moments where I felt like crying because seriously do they not realize how difficult they can make simple easy tasks?!? But now this afternoon after enjoying a nice breakfast (we won't focus on the fact that it happened at 1:30 pm), watching the two of them "play" with each other, seeing them skype with grandma, and now enjoying the sounds of both children sleeping, I have to admit that I am more then ready for the afternoon to come.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Growth Spurts
My husband likes to laugh at me when I talk about growth spurts, especially because during these first months they seem to be happening like every other day. However I had completely forgotten that growth spurts can turn normal babies into crazy little demon babies that are nothing like their normal selves. We just had our 3 month one (I think, guess, hope!) and for 4 days all Ferdi did was cry and sleep, and scream. It was....a special time. It totally brought back memories of Teddy and made me realize how much easier baby stuff is when you don't have to scream to be heard over the baby and how lucky, lucky, lucky I was to have a baby who wasn't normally like this. I never knew when Teddy was having a growth spurt because nothing changed whatsoever. This time it is totally different. Hey the baby wants to nurse a ton, is super fussy, and is sleeping less- must be a growth spurt. A few days later- hey the baby is nursing nicely, looking around pleasantly when awake, and sleeping nice stretches - must be my super awesome normal baby.
We just got back from our first vacation with both boys and it went great. I forgot the sun hood for the stroller so we had to improvise
and the boys were adorable and had a good time... except for that whole growth spurt thing.
As you can tell I am once again going against the German advice of never ever propping up my children before they can sit on their own. According to them this will lead to less intelligent children, serious back problems, and children who will probably not succeed in life. I'm such a bad ass. And a terrible mom. Who doesn't care- which I guess probably makes me even worse.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Oh no 2 month update
I was reading old posts and really enjoyed the monthly updates I had written with Teddy. I couldn't believe how much I had forgotten (basically everything) and I resolved that I had to start writing these updates for Ferdinand as well. Hopefully I can one day get my act together and make all these posts into a book, and then I will always have the memories which are so quickly forgotten.
So 2 months let's see... not a very exciting time I must say. Nursing has been nice and easy from the very beginning with this one, which is similar to Teddy. I knew that once my milk came in everything would be golden and it was. The nurse at the hospital tried to scare me about the 10% weight loss, but I knew that I had nothing to fear. When Ferdi gained just about a pound in a little over a week my midwife said I really didn't need to worry about him getting enough milk even if he doesn't take that long to nurse from each side. So I spend pretty much no time at all thinking about that.
Speaking of brothers, his loves him already. They can't do much together but Teddy tries to incorporate him into his play as much as he can. I love that he has a sibling and the house is definitely a lot less quiet then it was with Theo.
I'm not sure how much he weighs although a week and a half ago he weighed about 12 pounds. He had his picture taken for his children's passport and it looks amazingly adorable. He still has blue eyes which don't seem to be changing although I know they still could.
So 2 months let's see... not a very exciting time I must say. Nursing has been nice and easy from the very beginning with this one, which is similar to Teddy. I knew that once my milk came in everything would be golden and it was. The nurse at the hospital tried to scare me about the 10% weight loss, but I knew that I had nothing to fear. When Ferdi gained just about a pound in a little over a week my midwife said I really didn't need to worry about him getting enough milk even if he doesn't take that long to nurse from each side. So I spend pretty much no time at all thinking about that.
Smiles... smiles...we've seen a few but not many. No giggles. Our favorite expressions from Ferdi right now are ones which seem to express surprise and discombobulation. Seriously he looks kooky and like a mad scientist and it cracks us up.
Thankfully although he doesn't often smile he also doesn't cry too much. As long as I get him back to sleep quickly enough he tends to be content to just gaze into space and let his brother "play" with him.
I'm not sure how much he weighs although a week and a half ago he weighed about 12 pounds. He had his picture taken for his children's passport and it looks amazingly adorable. He still has blue eyes which don't seem to be changing although I know they still could.
His longest stretch of sleep seems to be about 4-5 hours although 4 is the norm, then 3 hour stretches for the rest of the night. Since my first child's sleeping sucked I appreciate this and can work with it for a few more months. What I LOVE is that he can sleep not on me. Wow! I can actually do stuff during his naps, and we just moved him to a crib for the first stretch of the night and that is going really well too. It is crazy to have a baby where stuff like swaddling actually does something.
I love him. I love him and his brother together. I love watching him, his brother, and his father together. I love this little family of ours so much and I am so glad everything has worked out so well for us so far. Now I just need to convince my lovely husband to have one more and I will feel totally complete ;)
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Keeping it real
Rereading my last post, I realized that I might have made things sound just a bit more delightful then they actually are. As though Teddy, Ferdi and I spend most of our time frolicking and giggling...which would probably just creep me out to be honest. I still have a 2 1/2 year old and a baby, and get to deal with all of the fun which that entails.
I am big on sleep. I spent a lot of time working on Theo's schedule and sleep and I am proud that he is an amazing sleeper now and has been for quite a long time. I'm also already working on the baby's sleep. Right now that means watching wake times and trying to keep him up no longer then an hour stretch during the day. Now with one child this is kind of feasible with two.. not so much.
That means that if the timing is off and the baby becomes a bit overtired we all get to listen to Ferdi scream in the car on the ride back from picking Teddy up from daycare. Then we get to listen to Ferdi scream while we unload the car, and while I convince Teddy that we don't have time for him to "drive" up front. We get to listen to him scream while I convince Teddy to put back his balance bike and to put down the bike pump. We get to listen to him scream while I carry him, the groceries, Teddy's hat and jacket which he no longer wants to wear, and my purse up the four flights of stairs to the flat.All the while convincing Teddy not to ring neighbor's door bells, try on other peoples shoes, or go back downstairs to go outside. Of course my tone stays calm and quiet as I playfully encourage Teddy to keep going while the baby literally screams at the top of his lungs (he is bright red and sweating by this point). My midwife once remarked that Ferdi was pretty loud, uhm aren't all babies I asked? No apparently not, some babies are quiet, probably the same ones who just grunt when they are hungry and sleep 8 hour stretches by the time they are 4 weeks.
Of course we manage to get upstairs and 95% of the time I actually am still a pleasant person to be around. The baby gets nursed to sleep and put in the swing, Teddy gets some one on one attention, and if my husband is lucky I even get started on making some sort of dinner but in those 15 minutes before peace hits there is definitely no frolicking going on.
I am big on sleep. I spent a lot of time working on Theo's schedule and sleep and I am proud that he is an amazing sleeper now and has been for quite a long time. I'm also already working on the baby's sleep. Right now that means watching wake times and trying to keep him up no longer then an hour stretch during the day. Now with one child this is kind of feasible with two.. not so much.
That means that if the timing is off and the baby becomes a bit overtired we all get to listen to Ferdi scream in the car on the ride back from picking Teddy up from daycare. Then we get to listen to Ferdi scream while we unload the car, and while I convince Teddy that we don't have time for him to "drive" up front. We get to listen to him scream while I convince Teddy to put back his balance bike and to put down the bike pump. We get to listen to him scream while I carry him, the groceries, Teddy's hat and jacket which he no longer wants to wear, and my purse up the four flights of stairs to the flat.All the while convincing Teddy not to ring neighbor's door bells, try on other peoples shoes, or go back downstairs to go outside. Of course my tone stays calm and quiet as I playfully encourage Teddy to keep going while the baby literally screams at the top of his lungs (he is bright red and sweating by this point). My midwife once remarked that Ferdi was pretty loud, uhm aren't all babies I asked? No apparently not, some babies are quiet, probably the same ones who just grunt when they are hungry and sleep 8 hour stretches by the time they are 4 weeks.
Of course we manage to get upstairs and 95% of the time I actually am still a pleasant person to be around. The baby gets nursed to sleep and put in the swing, Teddy gets some one on one attention, and if my husband is lucky I even get started on making some sort of dinner but in those 15 minutes before peace hits there is definitely no frolicking going on.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
A little update
I haven't been posting that often lately and thankfully it is because I have been good busy and not totally stressed out. Ferdinand turned 8 weeks on Friday and I can't believe how fast time is going. Having two kids has been a change but with lots of help it has been a really positive one for the most part. We are still so lucky and dealing with no jealousy from Theo and I think a lot of that has to do with how much one on one time he still gets.
He has been spending more time with extended family, but we also have been using babysitters and daycare more as well which I think is beneficial not only for him but also for me as it means less time where I need to stretch myself and try to take care of a baby and a toddler. For example today a babysitter picked him up from daycare and takes him to toddler gym. He loves toddler gym but the baby isn't sleeping regularly enough for me to be able to bring him and assume he will sleep the whole time while I do gym with Teddy, so instead someone else goes to gym with him. He actually really loves this, and I think it is great for him to have time where he doesn't need to wait for me to nurse, etc and his needs just get to come first.
In fact in some ways it is strange how little life has changed...besides the whole lack of sleep thing. We are still doing most of the things we did as a family of three which is great. I'm getting a manicure and pedicure this weekend as my first longer period of time alone from both boys and I think it will be really nice. I also managed a weekend alone with both boys two weeks ago and was pleased at how well it went. So all in all life is good.
He has been spending more time with extended family, but we also have been using babysitters and daycare more as well which I think is beneficial not only for him but also for me as it means less time where I need to stretch myself and try to take care of a baby and a toddler. For example today a babysitter picked him up from daycare and takes him to toddler gym. He loves toddler gym but the baby isn't sleeping regularly enough for me to be able to bring him and assume he will sleep the whole time while I do gym with Teddy, so instead someone else goes to gym with him. He actually really loves this, and I think it is great for him to have time where he doesn't need to wait for me to nurse, etc and his needs just get to come first.
In fact in some ways it is strange how little life has changed...besides the whole lack of sleep thing. We are still doing most of the things we did as a family of three which is great. I'm getting a manicure and pedicure this weekend as my first longer period of time alone from both boys and I think it will be really nice. I also managed a weekend alone with both boys two weeks ago and was pleased at how well it went. So all in all life is good.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
This time around
So this time around is different, which should be obvious- or in the words of a good friend, "No shit, Sherlock". Speaking of which the BBC Sherlock is so fantastic! I was holding up hope that the American version would at least be decent to help me deal with the long wait for new episodes with Benedict but unfortunately the first episode didn't hook me but I will give it another chance. What was I saying? Oh yeah this time is different, so different.
I never thought that something like colic could really have affected me so much but it did. I think if you have a "normal" baby you maybe can't imagine what it is like to have a baby who really cries all the time. Who never lets you put him down, who genuinely seems unhappy with life and most certainly with you, is like. But I can let you in on a little secret, it sucks.
Sure you tell yourself it is all worth it, and thank the stars the baby is cute, and he'll outgrow it - which of course is all true but you know what? Bonding is a whole lot easier when you can look in your baby's eyes and they aren't all scrunched up with tears clinging to their cheeks due to screaming. The first weeks are a whole lot more enjoyable when you can hand the baby to a relative or a friend and eat something in peace, let alone being able to put the baby down in the first place.
This time around I got that "normal" baby, and let me tell you, it is awesome. Sure he still cries sometimes, especially if he has to wait to be fed- but those are the breaks of not being the first, he also gets lots of sloppy kisses from his brother to make up for it. I love that I am not at the limits of exhaustion because this time I do get sleep. Ferdi does 3 hour stretches at night next to me in bed, and a few 1-2+ hour naps during the day... and normally not on me! Normally in his bassinet, sometimes in the car, stroller, or in the wrap. Until 4 months Teddy never did any sleep not on me and his normal stretch was 90 minutes so this is pretty much life changing for me.
Ferdi looks around when he is awake, sure he sometimes cries, but often not. Once again this was a complete shock. I honestly did not think baby's could be awake without crying. Obviously I saw that other people's babies did this but I kind of just couldn't accept that could be possible as it was so different from my reality. Ferdi also gave me his first smile at 4 weeks he hasn't smiled much since then but it was a fantastic little smile to see.
My midwife mentioned that she thought it was too bad that our first baby was such a challenge since our midwife at the time was no support at all but honestly I think it was such an important experience. First of all because nothing seems particularly difficult in comparison but also because it allowed me to quickly realize that we can decide how our children effect us. I don't need to take on my children's emotions, and I can still be perfectly happy even if they are not. I'm responsible for loving them, giving them a good home, and helping the learn the skills to be independent, all the other stuff comes down to them.
You might be wondering how this relates to colic and newborns but it does. Basically I could have been miserable those first 4 months with Teddy wondering what I was doing so wrong to make him so sad. But I wasn't (well OK I was but I was really, really, tired) however I did quickly realize that I wasn't to blame for his lack of lust for the world. I wasn't doing anything wrong, and I couldn't do any more then I was. The same is true this time around. When Ferdi has a rough day and decides to cry for awhile during the witching hours, I rock him and get on with my night. I don't worry whether I ate something wrong, or if his onesie is itchy, or he doesn't like the music playing. Not because I don't care for his comfort- I do. But because I realize that all these things are probably not a problem or he would have started crying much earlier. Babies cry, as I learned all so well the first time around, and the best thing I can do is simply love him and get on with my day.
An author I like, Dr. Marc Weissbluth says of the first weeks, "Try not to think of doing things to or for the baby. Instead, take time to enjoy doing things with your baby." That is what I have been doing these past almost 6 weeks. I have been doing things with Ferdi and Teddy and my lovely husband and enjoying myself immensely. This time is wonderful and beautiful and I feel so lucky to get to experience it with both my children. I can genuinely say that I am happy right now, if not a little tired.
I never thought that something like colic could really have affected me so much but it did. I think if you have a "normal" baby you maybe can't imagine what it is like to have a baby who really cries all the time. Who never lets you put him down, who genuinely seems unhappy with life and most certainly with you, is like. But I can let you in on a little secret, it sucks.
Sure you tell yourself it is all worth it, and thank the stars the baby is cute, and he'll outgrow it - which of course is all true but you know what? Bonding is a whole lot easier when you can look in your baby's eyes and they aren't all scrunched up with tears clinging to their cheeks due to screaming. The first weeks are a whole lot more enjoyable when you can hand the baby to a relative or a friend and eat something in peace, let alone being able to put the baby down in the first place.
This time around I got that "normal" baby, and let me tell you, it is awesome. Sure he still cries sometimes, especially if he has to wait to be fed- but those are the breaks of not being the first, he also gets lots of sloppy kisses from his brother to make up for it. I love that I am not at the limits of exhaustion because this time I do get sleep. Ferdi does 3 hour stretches at night next to me in bed, and a few 1-2+ hour naps during the day... and normally not on me! Normally in his bassinet, sometimes in the car, stroller, or in the wrap. Until 4 months Teddy never did any sleep not on me and his normal stretch was 90 minutes so this is pretty much life changing for me.
Ferdi looks around when he is awake, sure he sometimes cries, but often not. Once again this was a complete shock. I honestly did not think baby's could be awake without crying. Obviously I saw that other people's babies did this but I kind of just couldn't accept that could be possible as it was so different from my reality. Ferdi also gave me his first smile at 4 weeks he hasn't smiled much since then but it was a fantastic little smile to see.
My midwife mentioned that she thought it was too bad that our first baby was such a challenge since our midwife at the time was no support at all but honestly I think it was such an important experience. First of all because nothing seems particularly difficult in comparison but also because it allowed me to quickly realize that we can decide how our children effect us. I don't need to take on my children's emotions, and I can still be perfectly happy even if they are not. I'm responsible for loving them, giving them a good home, and helping the learn the skills to be independent, all the other stuff comes down to them.
You might be wondering how this relates to colic and newborns but it does. Basically I could have been miserable those first 4 months with Teddy wondering what I was doing so wrong to make him so sad. But I wasn't (well OK I was but I was really, really, tired) however I did quickly realize that I wasn't to blame for his lack of lust for the world. I wasn't doing anything wrong, and I couldn't do any more then I was. The same is true this time around. When Ferdi has a rough day and decides to cry for awhile during the witching hours, I rock him and get on with my night. I don't worry whether I ate something wrong, or if his onesie is itchy, or he doesn't like the music playing. Not because I don't care for his comfort- I do. But because I realize that all these things are probably not a problem or he would have started crying much earlier. Babies cry, as I learned all so well the first time around, and the best thing I can do is simply love him and get on with my day.
An author I like, Dr. Marc Weissbluth says of the first weeks, "Try not to think of doing things to or for the baby. Instead, take time to enjoy doing things with your baby." That is what I have been doing these past almost 6 weeks. I have been doing things with Ferdi and Teddy and my lovely husband and enjoying myself immensely. This time is wonderful and beautiful and I feel so lucky to get to experience it with both my children. I can genuinely say that I am happy right now, if not a little tired.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Top Ten Tuesday: Surprises as a new mom to 2
Top Ten Tuesday: My top ten surprises as a new mom to two
10: Babies or at least my new one, go to the bathroom all the time! I do not know how I forgot about changing diapers a zillion times a day but it was definitely a surprise to me. My favorite is changing his diaper just to have him go again 30 seconds later.
9: Baby screams are so loud- but surprisingly easy to ignore the second time around. I remember with Teddy that the second he made a sound the hubby and I were at a mad dash to try and help him out. This time around it is like- dude I know you are a teensy bit unhappy right at this moment but you your big brother is brushing teeth so you are going to have to wait a minute.
8. The weight hasn't melted off. I wasn't expecting to have lost all of it by now... oh wait yes I was! I think it is taking longer because this time around I am making sure to make time to eat. I won't start hitting the gym again until 4 months, so I better get used to wearing the pregnancy pants for awhile longer.
7. My children hate the co-sleeper. What is up with this? At least this one will sleep in his bassinet during the day but at night the co-sleeper is a no-go, thankfully there is room in bed for all of us and I have never had a problem with co-sleeping.
6. Getting two kids under 3 out the door quickly is hard. I know every mom told me this before so it shouldn't be a surprise, but it is.
5. This is a lot more fun the second time around. I am so much less stressed and less worried and am able to just enjoy this time much more then with Teddy- although Ferdi not having colic helps a LOT too.
4. Babies without colic rock! Seriously life is so much more pleasant with a baby who does not cry all the time, and those silly 5 S's which never worked with Teddy actually work with this one. Crazy!
3. Going without a 5+ hour chunk of sleep still totally drives me crazy. Was hoping that I was now such a zen mom that this wouldn't bother me, nope it still does.
2. Babies have so much stuff. I had completely forgotten how much "gear" babies have. Or at least how much stuff I bought for Teddy and now have brought up from the basement. Way too much, and I don't even have the toys for older babies like activity blanket or playpen up yet.
1. Giving Teddy a brother was awesome not just for us but for him- he absolutely loves his little brother and so far there has been no jealousy, which has been the best surprise of all.
10: Babies or at least my new one, go to the bathroom all the time! I do not know how I forgot about changing diapers a zillion times a day but it was definitely a surprise to me. My favorite is changing his diaper just to have him go again 30 seconds later.
9: Baby screams are so loud- but surprisingly easy to ignore the second time around. I remember with Teddy that the second he made a sound the hubby and I were at a mad dash to try and help him out. This time around it is like- dude I know you are a teensy bit unhappy right at this moment but you your big brother is brushing teeth so you are going to have to wait a minute.
8. The weight hasn't melted off. I wasn't expecting to have lost all of it by now... oh wait yes I was! I think it is taking longer because this time around I am making sure to make time to eat. I won't start hitting the gym again until 4 months, so I better get used to wearing the pregnancy pants for awhile longer.
7. My children hate the co-sleeper. What is up with this? At least this one will sleep in his bassinet during the day but at night the co-sleeper is a no-go, thankfully there is room in bed for all of us and I have never had a problem with co-sleeping.
6. Getting two kids under 3 out the door quickly is hard. I know every mom told me this before so it shouldn't be a surprise, but it is.
5. This is a lot more fun the second time around. I am so much less stressed and less worried and am able to just enjoy this time much more then with Teddy- although Ferdi not having colic helps a LOT too.
4. Babies without colic rock! Seriously life is so much more pleasant with a baby who does not cry all the time, and those silly 5 S's which never worked with Teddy actually work with this one. Crazy!
3. Going without a 5+ hour chunk of sleep still totally drives me crazy. Was hoping that I was now such a zen mom that this wouldn't bother me, nope it still does.
2. Babies have so much stuff. I had completely forgotten how much "gear" babies have. Or at least how much stuff I bought for Teddy and now have brought up from the basement. Way too much, and I don't even have the toys for older babies like activity blanket or playpen up yet.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
My not so secret, secret.
So I had a baby. You probably guessed it by now. Ferdinand was born at 39 weeks 4 days and was perfect... of course.
He was 55cm which is the same length as his brother and was 8 pounds 9 ounces. Quite a nice step down from the 10 pound birth weight of his brother.
My birth was awesome! At 6 am contractions started, they were coming every 3-7 minutes and were about 30 seconds to a min long. They were so doable. I listened to my hypnobabies tracks and just kept waiting for "real labor" to start. I was joking around with my husband, walking around the flat, checking things on google- like apparently real labor happens when the contractions are more evenly spaced. Then I took a nice hot shower at around 10:30 am and everything stopped. I was bummed out, as I had hoped real labor would start soon. My husband and I decided to go for a walk which was lovely. We laughed and talked and I started having contractions again, although they were quite short and I was almost able to just walk through them. We called my doctor to ask if I should come in as it was a Friday or head to the hospital, they told us to go to the hospital.
So we contemplated eating lunch first but I decided that I wanted to just get it over with and then after I was sent home we could go out for lunch. I felt pretty embarrassed that labor probably wasn't going to start and that we had already sent my son to stay with my SIL, but what could we do. We headed to the hospital and I had DH leave my bag in the car since I wouldn't be needing it and we headed in. Contractions were happening again but weren't bad, when we got to labor and delivery I first was hooked up to a CTG and told they wanted to check the baby's heartbeat for half an hour. I wanted to stand or walk around but the portable CTG wasn't working and when I stood the other CTG machine was only taking my heartbeat. Of course this was first realized after about 20 minutes. By this time it was around 1:30pm and I was told to lay down for the 30 minute check, and then the contractions really started again. They were coming often and were pretty uncomfortable especially as I find laying is really just the absolute worst position for dealing with them.
The midwife came after the 30 minutes said the heartbeat was fantastic and did an internal check. When I asked if I would be sent home she looked at me with wide eyes and said I would be having the baby today. I was pretty surprised but was even more surprised when I asked for some drugs to ease the pain and she said no way- it is too late for that you are already at 8cm. I was SHOCKED. The labor had been SO easy up to that point especially before I was at the hospital. I couldn't believe I was at 8cm and I couldn't believe that no matter what there was no opportunity for me to get any sort of drugs. My last baby had been 10 pounds and a vacuum birth how in the world did she expect me to push this one out by myself?? I finally convinced her to at least give me a tylenol, which she did with a laugh and then she told me not only would I be having a baby today but I would be having the baby SOON. My last birth had been 26 hours with 2 hours of pushing so I just didn't believe her at all.
Unfortunately the baby was asynclitic (I had to look that up as I only know the German term) basically it just means the baby's head was turned to the side and that it wouldn't go down. I had a lot of amniotic fluid and since I really grow straight out it is easy for the baby to get in a position which doesn't necessarily support the birth. Of course they didn't tell me this at the time the midwife just got a doctor for support and I have to say I was SO lucky. Both my midwife and doctor were kick ass. Yep Kickass! The first thing I asked the doctor for was a PDA and then a c-section as I was finding the pushing to be excruciating. Obviously at this point I was willing to say anything to just get the baby out without me having to deal with the awful pushing feelings. She did a check and then looked at me and firmly said you are pushing this baby out now! Both the midwife and doctor knew exactly what I needed to hear and with the next push I could feel the baby's head,which was SO amazing. Wow! The doctor helped keep the baby from going back up as that is what he had been doing the whole time. The next push was pretty painful and then the whole head was out. With the last push baby Ferdi was out at 3:45 pm. Unfortunately I found out later that the little stinker had had both hands by his face but thankfully with the doctors and midwives help he had at least gotten in the right position so that he could come out. His apgars were 10 and 10 and he was able to lay with me right away.
It was such an amazing birth and I was so proud of myself. I was also in awe of how fast it went and how nice so much of it was, especially the parts at home. I honestly wouldn't change any part of it and it was in some ways even better then I had pictured.
My not so secret, secret?
I took castor oil the night before.
Here in Germany castor oil is recommended by some midwives once you hit the due date or go over to help start contractions so I wasn't at all worried about the baby's safety. In fact his heart rate was perfect during the whole birth. What I was worried about was having another big baby as I just didn't think I could do it again. Honestly, I still don't. Anyone who says giving birth to a big baby isn't that bad is full of crap. Sure it is possible and some women manage to do it with grace and I totally respect them and their abilities but I never want to give birth to a baby as big as some 4-6 week olds again. So after doing every natural thing under the sun; RRL tea, EPO, long walks, lots of sex, jumping on a trampoline (I know ridiculous right? LOL), etc. I decided on Thursday night that I was going to take the plunge and take 1 tbsp of castor oil. I knew that it might just give me diarrhea and not start the birth and I was completely at peace with that. I had decided if that happened then that was the baby's way of telling me that he wasn't ready to come and that I would then stop trying everything and just be patient. I took the castor oil in capsule form and spent the night with some stomach cramps and hitting the toilet a few times. It was absolutely fine and by the time the birth started it was pretty much over. Honestly if we have a third child I would do it again in a heartbeat. My other option was going to be an induction at the hospital and there was just no way I could have had the natural relaxed birth I did if I had been at the hospital the whole time.I also knew that my fears would continue to rise the longer the pregnancy went on. As it is if this baby had "cooked" as long as our first son the chances are very high he would have been just as big.
So far Ferdinand is so different then his brother. He is super relaxed and sleeps very well during the day, taking 2-4 hour naps, and nursing like a champ. Nights are still a grab bag especially since he already got his first cold from his brother but I don't have to wear him to keep him from screaming and he just overall seems so much more content. My midwife said that part of this might be due to not being a vacuum birth like his brother but I have my doubts about that theory. I just can't imagine that every rough birth leads to an extremely colicky baby for four months and think it was much more just Teddy's temperament as he didn't really calm down until he could walk and see the world. But you never know.
Once life settles in a bit more maybe I will even start updating here again more often, we'll see!
He was 55cm which is the same length as his brother and was 8 pounds 9 ounces. Quite a nice step down from the 10 pound birth weight of his brother.
My birth was awesome! At 6 am contractions started, they were coming every 3-7 minutes and were about 30 seconds to a min long. They were so doable. I listened to my hypnobabies tracks and just kept waiting for "real labor" to start. I was joking around with my husband, walking around the flat, checking things on google- like apparently real labor happens when the contractions are more evenly spaced. Then I took a nice hot shower at around 10:30 am and everything stopped. I was bummed out, as I had hoped real labor would start soon. My husband and I decided to go for a walk which was lovely. We laughed and talked and I started having contractions again, although they were quite short and I was almost able to just walk through them. We called my doctor to ask if I should come in as it was a Friday or head to the hospital, they told us to go to the hospital.
So we contemplated eating lunch first but I decided that I wanted to just get it over with and then after I was sent home we could go out for lunch. I felt pretty embarrassed that labor probably wasn't going to start and that we had already sent my son to stay with my SIL, but what could we do. We headed to the hospital and I had DH leave my bag in the car since I wouldn't be needing it and we headed in. Contractions were happening again but weren't bad, when we got to labor and delivery I first was hooked up to a CTG and told they wanted to check the baby's heartbeat for half an hour. I wanted to stand or walk around but the portable CTG wasn't working and when I stood the other CTG machine was only taking my heartbeat. Of course this was first realized after about 20 minutes. By this time it was around 1:30pm and I was told to lay down for the 30 minute check, and then the contractions really started again. They were coming often and were pretty uncomfortable especially as I find laying is really just the absolute worst position for dealing with them.
The midwife came after the 30 minutes said the heartbeat was fantastic and did an internal check. When I asked if I would be sent home she looked at me with wide eyes and said I would be having the baby today. I was pretty surprised but was even more surprised when I asked for some drugs to ease the pain and she said no way- it is too late for that you are already at 8cm. I was SHOCKED. The labor had been SO easy up to that point especially before I was at the hospital. I couldn't believe I was at 8cm and I couldn't believe that no matter what there was no opportunity for me to get any sort of drugs. My last baby had been 10 pounds and a vacuum birth how in the world did she expect me to push this one out by myself?? I finally convinced her to at least give me a tylenol, which she did with a laugh and then she told me not only would I be having a baby today but I would be having the baby SOON. My last birth had been 26 hours with 2 hours of pushing so I just didn't believe her at all.
Unfortunately the baby was asynclitic (I had to look that up as I only know the German term) basically it just means the baby's head was turned to the side and that it wouldn't go down. I had a lot of amniotic fluid and since I really grow straight out it is easy for the baby to get in a position which doesn't necessarily support the birth. Of course they didn't tell me this at the time the midwife just got a doctor for support and I have to say I was SO lucky. Both my midwife and doctor were kick ass. Yep Kickass! The first thing I asked the doctor for was a PDA and then a c-section as I was finding the pushing to be excruciating. Obviously at this point I was willing to say anything to just get the baby out without me having to deal with the awful pushing feelings. She did a check and then looked at me and firmly said you are pushing this baby out now! Both the midwife and doctor knew exactly what I needed to hear and with the next push I could feel the baby's head,which was SO amazing. Wow! The doctor helped keep the baby from going back up as that is what he had been doing the whole time. The next push was pretty painful and then the whole head was out. With the last push baby Ferdi was out at 3:45 pm. Unfortunately I found out later that the little stinker had had both hands by his face but thankfully with the doctors and midwives help he had at least gotten in the right position so that he could come out. His apgars were 10 and 10 and he was able to lay with me right away.
It was such an amazing birth and I was so proud of myself. I was also in awe of how fast it went and how nice so much of it was, especially the parts at home. I honestly wouldn't change any part of it and it was in some ways even better then I had pictured.
My not so secret, secret?
I took castor oil the night before.
Here in Germany castor oil is recommended by some midwives once you hit the due date or go over to help start contractions so I wasn't at all worried about the baby's safety. In fact his heart rate was perfect during the whole birth. What I was worried about was having another big baby as I just didn't think I could do it again. Honestly, I still don't. Anyone who says giving birth to a big baby isn't that bad is full of crap. Sure it is possible and some women manage to do it with grace and I totally respect them and their abilities but I never want to give birth to a baby as big as some 4-6 week olds again. So after doing every natural thing under the sun; RRL tea, EPO, long walks, lots of sex, jumping on a trampoline (I know ridiculous right? LOL), etc. I decided on Thursday night that I was going to take the plunge and take 1 tbsp of castor oil. I knew that it might just give me diarrhea and not start the birth and I was completely at peace with that. I had decided if that happened then that was the baby's way of telling me that he wasn't ready to come and that I would then stop trying everything and just be patient. I took the castor oil in capsule form and spent the night with some stomach cramps and hitting the toilet a few times. It was absolutely fine and by the time the birth started it was pretty much over. Honestly if we have a third child I would do it again in a heartbeat. My other option was going to be an induction at the hospital and there was just no way I could have had the natural relaxed birth I did if I had been at the hospital the whole time.I also knew that my fears would continue to rise the longer the pregnancy went on. As it is if this baby had "cooked" as long as our first son the chances are very high he would have been just as big.
So far Ferdinand is so different then his brother. He is super relaxed and sleeps very well during the day, taking 2-4 hour naps, and nursing like a champ. Nights are still a grab bag especially since he already got his first cold from his brother but I don't have to wear him to keep him from screaming and he just overall seems so much more content. My midwife said that part of this might be due to not being a vacuum birth like his brother but I have my doubts about that theory. I just can't imagine that every rough birth leads to an extremely colicky baby for four months and think it was much more just Teddy's temperament as he didn't really calm down until he could walk and see the world. But you never know.
Once life settles in a bit more maybe I will even start updating here again more often, we'll see!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
37 weeks + a few days
And I am so over this. I no longer look human- I look freakish. I feel how I look, but overall have nothing to complain about. Baby still moves often, my BP is great, I'm uncomfortable (obviously) but no real extreme pains, and I am still able to halfway keep up with Teddy. We have a lot going on in the next 2 weeks that I want to be present for so while I don't really want the baby to come yet I also can't imagine being pregnant for a few more weeks. Although the thought of bringing a baby home also gives me the shudders so maybe massively pregnant is just the right place for me right now. :D
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
My poor mother
I was skyping with my mother recently and she mentioned how disappointed she was that I wasn't updating this blog more regularly as during the last pregnancy she had really felt like she was a part of things, mainly due to my blogging.
While I completely understand where she is coming from, this pregnancy emotionally is just so different then the last that I don't think I will ever be able to muster up the effort to blog about it regularly. I mean so far during this pregnancy I have taken one pregnancy belly picture, about 10 weeks ago I believe- although speaking of weeks I can almost never tell you what week I am at, unless I just had a doctor's appointment, so you can see the fun belly progression of 14 weeks to..... hopefully I will manage to take one this week.
During this pregnancy I have also read exactly 0 books to get me prepared for the birth and baby, during the previous pregnancy I was probably at 30 by now. I haven't joined any special birth month pregnancy groups online, and am not really interested in doing so. I am planning on doing hypnobabies again but I don't need to start the 5 week self-study course until July and this time there is no way I would even consider starting it at week 25 like last time.
Honestly this reads as though I am not excited but I am, I am so thrilled that there is going to be another awesome little boy lighting up our lives. But this time I get to be excited about the realities which I know are coming, and I don't need to focus so much on all the possibilities. I know that I am going to have an insanely large stomach in just a few weeks so right now I love the fact that I still barely notice it now. I know that the first months will be a big adjustment so I am enjoying how easy our routine is and how much free time we both have for friends and hobbies living with our two year old right now. I know that the birth is something awesome and special but also difficult and maybe not something I want to spend months and months thinking about so I'm not.
I'm excited to have two little boys running around the house but I know that is still a ways off so I am focusing on the here and now and how enjoyable it is. I also really, really, really, REALLY love this age. 2 is awesome. Is he testing us? Sure. But is he also becoming more creative, more talkative, and overall just more of a person? Most definitely and it is so fun to watch and be a part of.
My pregnancies so far have both been easy and pretty much stress free. No diabetes, high blood pressure, trouble with position, etc. so I am really able to just sort of go on with my life as though I'm not even pregnant.... although I won't lie I miss drinking so much more than last time. I think because my nights out with the girls and with my husband and friends took on even more importance once Teddy entered our lives and going out every weekend was often unrealistic. Not that I am not still going out with friends and having fun but I definitely am looking forward to my first night out once the baby comes and I can really let loose. I also am surprised by how much I want to try for a third. We've both decided to just wait and see how it goes with two but a strong part of me really wants to go for 3, and space the last two perhaps even a bit closer together (but not closer than 2 years) so as to get the baby stage done with. Part of this does have to do with really wanting to have a daughter but at the same time even if baby number 2 had been a girl I feel pretty confident that I still would have wanted to have a third just as much, and of course I am prepared that I could have a third boy which is more than alright with me. But we'll see how I feel once the second actually arrives though!
So I'm just about 24 weeks and will try to update again before the baby comes. I won't promise more because I am guessing it isn't going to happen, but you never know.
While I completely understand where she is coming from, this pregnancy emotionally is just so different then the last that I don't think I will ever be able to muster up the effort to blog about it regularly. I mean so far during this pregnancy I have taken one pregnancy belly picture, about 10 weeks ago I believe- although speaking of weeks I can almost never tell you what week I am at, unless I just had a doctor's appointment, so you can see the fun belly progression of 14 weeks to..... hopefully I will manage to take one this week.
During this pregnancy I have also read exactly 0 books to get me prepared for the birth and baby, during the previous pregnancy I was probably at 30 by now. I haven't joined any special birth month pregnancy groups online, and am not really interested in doing so. I am planning on doing hypnobabies again but I don't need to start the 5 week self-study course until July and this time there is no way I would even consider starting it at week 25 like last time.
Honestly this reads as though I am not excited but I am, I am so thrilled that there is going to be another awesome little boy lighting up our lives. But this time I get to be excited about the realities which I know are coming, and I don't need to focus so much on all the possibilities. I know that I am going to have an insanely large stomach in just a few weeks so right now I love the fact that I still barely notice it now. I know that the first months will be a big adjustment so I am enjoying how easy our routine is and how much free time we both have for friends and hobbies living with our two year old right now. I know that the birth is something awesome and special but also difficult and maybe not something I want to spend months and months thinking about so I'm not.
I'm excited to have two little boys running around the house but I know that is still a ways off so I am focusing on the here and now and how enjoyable it is. I also really, really, really, REALLY love this age. 2 is awesome. Is he testing us? Sure. But is he also becoming more creative, more talkative, and overall just more of a person? Most definitely and it is so fun to watch and be a part of.
My pregnancies so far have both been easy and pretty much stress free. No diabetes, high blood pressure, trouble with position, etc. so I am really able to just sort of go on with my life as though I'm not even pregnant.... although I won't lie I miss drinking so much more than last time. I think because my nights out with the girls and with my husband and friends took on even more importance once Teddy entered our lives and going out every weekend was often unrealistic. Not that I am not still going out with friends and having fun but I definitely am looking forward to my first night out once the baby comes and I can really let loose. I also am surprised by how much I want to try for a third. We've both decided to just wait and see how it goes with two but a strong part of me really wants to go for 3, and space the last two perhaps even a bit closer together (but not closer than 2 years) so as to get the baby stage done with. Part of this does have to do with really wanting to have a daughter but at the same time even if baby number 2 had been a girl I feel pretty confident that I still would have wanted to have a third just as much, and of course I am prepared that I could have a third boy which is more than alright with me. But we'll see how I feel once the second actually arrives though!
So I'm just about 24 weeks and will try to update again before the baby comes. I won't promise more because I am guessing it isn't going to happen, but you never know.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Still here
I know, I know, it has been weeks since I have posted even a peep. Well first off, life is fine, good, splendid,etc. However this baby has weakened my immune system to such a state that I got seriously ill 2 times within a month. I was on antibiotics, which helped... a little. But basically I was miserable, and dealing with a toddler, and thinking I would never feel better and hating it all. Now I'm better... well I have a cold but it appears that is going to be my healthy for the duration of this pregnancy. For someone who is otherwise almost never sick, this is a bit of a pain but more then doable.
Teddy had his second birthday. It went great. He is doing great. Everything is great. Really! I love having a toddler. He is starting to push the boundaries a bit more- running into the street like a maniac for example. But is also starting to get into pretend play, is talking more, and generally throwing both my husband and I for a loop with how crazy fun and adorable he is. He also is happy about the coming arrival of Ferdinand.
Yep that is right, we are having another boy! We're excited, while I was at the same time a little disappointed to find out I wouldn't get to experience a girl this time around, I also am thrilled to be having another boy and for Teddy to experience having a brother.
Although he is theoretically interested in the idea of a baby (I don't think he will really like the reality), what Teddy is really into right now are cars. He wakes up in the morning saying "autos", he goes to sleep at night saying "autos", he sleeps with a toy car (thankfully any of his will do, and if it falls out he doesn't care), he wants to ride in the car all the time. He points out all the "autos" he sees (cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc), and in general seems to have decided that "auto fahren" = riding in the car, is pretty much the best thing ever. We think it is cute although since we live in the city and don't have much reason to drive most places it can be hard to convince that we are going to walk or bike.
Speaking of biking, he got a balance bike and loves it. He isn't using it correctly yet, as he doesn't sit down on it, but I think that will come naturally with time and figuring out that is faster.
I'm looking forward to spring, for real spring, not this 40/50s snow/rain/hail junk we have been stuck with, and everything that goes with it.
Teddy had his second birthday. It went great. He is doing great. Everything is great. Really! I love having a toddler. He is starting to push the boundaries a bit more- running into the street like a maniac for example. But is also starting to get into pretend play, is talking more, and generally throwing both my husband and I for a loop with how crazy fun and adorable he is. He also is happy about the coming arrival of Ferdinand.
Yep that is right, we are having another boy! We're excited, while I was at the same time a little disappointed to find out I wouldn't get to experience a girl this time around, I also am thrilled to be having another boy and for Teddy to experience having a brother.
Although he is theoretically interested in the idea of a baby (I don't think he will really like the reality), what Teddy is really into right now are cars. He wakes up in the morning saying "autos", he goes to sleep at night saying "autos", he sleeps with a toy car (thankfully any of his will do, and if it falls out he doesn't care), he wants to ride in the car all the time. He points out all the "autos" he sees (cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc), and in general seems to have decided that "auto fahren" = riding in the car, is pretty much the best thing ever. We think it is cute although since we live in the city and don't have much reason to drive most places it can be hard to convince that we are going to walk or bike.
Speaking of biking, he got a balance bike and loves it. He isn't using it correctly yet, as he doesn't sit down on it, but I think that will come naturally with time and figuring out that is faster.
I'm looking forward to spring, for real spring, not this 40/50s snow/rain/hail junk we have been stuck with, and everything that goes with it.
Friday, March 9, 2012
In response:Seriously, what ARE they thinking?!
An awesome fellow blogger recently posted this great post on her blog; Seriously, what ARE they thinking?!
To most points I can only whole heartedly agree but to two I must simply say- some of us with big footed children absolutely need the extra room in the footies... and there is no better time for boys to wear skinny jeans then when they are toddlers. Seriously there is nothing more awesome than a little boy in skinny jeans, case in point:
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Second Trimester
I'm at 15 weeks right now and feeling really good. Exhaustion still hits sometimes so I have added iron supplements to my diet but other then that I really feel great. The best part is feeling normal again, and being able to catch up on all the stuff I was missing; I've cooked yummy homemade meals almost every day for the past week- last night we had NYC Vodka Arrabbiata from Jamie Oliver's American cookbook, and a nice fresh salad. Yummy! I added a bit of spinach this time just because last time we loved it but it was SO hot and this time I wanted it a bit more mild- and it was a great addition.
Teddy is also getting way less TV time. No more TV in the mornings except on the weekends, and during the week normally just 10-15 minutes after nap time if he seems crabby.
We also have been getting in lots more outdoor time even though the weather has been gray and rainy. Teddy loves being outside and it is good for me too! At the end of this month we will also find out the sex of the baby- if baby cooperates of course. I don't really have a feel yet but if I had to pick, I would pick girl, solely due to the fact that so far these pregnancies have been almost exactly the same except for the fact that this time I haven't had any heartburn.
I also feel like working out again! I haven't yet... lets not push things here LOL but at least I have thought about it in a positive way.
Teddy is also getting way less TV time. No more TV in the mornings except on the weekends, and during the week normally just 10-15 minutes after nap time if he seems crabby.
We also have been getting in lots more outdoor time even though the weather has been gray and rainy. Teddy loves being outside and it is good for me too! At the end of this month we will also find out the sex of the baby- if baby cooperates of course. I don't really have a feel yet but if I had to pick, I would pick girl, solely due to the fact that so far these pregnancies have been almost exactly the same except for the fact that this time I haven't had any heartburn.
I also feel like working out again! I haven't yet... lets not push things here LOL but at least I have thought about it in a positive way.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
It's no fun being sick.
I finally hit the second trimester and started to feel good, so of course I came down with something awful. Thankfully I am finishing up my antibiotics and starting to feel great again so I should be back to posting soon.
I can't believe in less than a month Teddy will be 2. In some ways his second year of life was the complete opposite of his first, in terms of how I experienced it and how enjoyable we both seemed to find it. Basically I stopped wishing for the next stage and started hoping that each stage would last a bit longer because they were all so much fun! Maybe the coming baby will show me a different side to life with a baby but as it stands life with a toddler is so, so much better.
I can't believe in less than a month Teddy will be 2. In some ways his second year of life was the complete opposite of his first, in terms of how I experienced it and how enjoyable we both seemed to find it. Basically I stopped wishing for the next stage and started hoping that each stage would last a bit longer because they were all so much fun! Maybe the coming baby will show me a different side to life with a baby but as it stands life with a toddler is so, so much better.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Cooking: Oven Pancakes, yummy for adults and kids
In our family we are big on breakfast foods as great anytime meals, especially my husband whose top picks for lunch or dinner always seem to be; rice pudding, pancakes, or waffles. Another fun and *fast* food to make is oven pancakes. Now you may have heard of these as German pancakes or German oven pancakes but I'm just going to let you know now that they most definitely aren't German. Most Germans wouldn't even know what you were talking about. The most likely countries of origin are either Finland or Holland.
But back to the subject at hand- they are simple, fast, and relatively healthy.
All you need are:
a few tablespoons sugar (how much is up to you, I normally do 2-3 tbsps)
a bit of cinnamon ( once again depends on your taste preference I normally do a few good shakes)
vanilla (I have powdered vanilla bean but vanilla extract would be OK too)
A bit of butter to coat the pan
a pan (I use a glass pie crust)
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
Whatever you want to use as a topping- here your choices are really open. Apples and applesauce, berries, powdered sugar, syrup,etc.
That is it!
To make you heat the oven to 425 degrees, and put the butter in the pan you don't need to try and coat the pan yet as you are going to toss it in the oven for a few minutes to help the butter melt.
Then you take out a blender or a mixer and put your eggs and milk in, if you are doing a liquid form of vanilla you add a few drops of that as well. You blend it until well mixed and then add the flour and blend again until completely mixed with no lumps.
Then you mix your sugar and cinnamon together in a separate bowl (adding maybe a tsp or 2 of vanilla if you use a powdered form)
Take the pan out of the oven, spread the butter so it coats everything, pour in the egg mixture, shake the sugar mixture on top (only use as much as you need the rest can be used later or if you decide to make a homemade fruit compote or sauce), and that was it! Toss it in the oven for 20-25 minutes and you are done!
What I like about this is how quickly you can make it and how it is such a good kid and adult meal. It is soft, so even if you are still at the stage where your child has no teeth they can gum it fine. Plus if you have the time you can make a yummy homemade apple sauce to go with it. At the same time it is definitely an enjoyable meal for an adult especially if you add some nice touches like fresh berries or a homemade compote.
The recipe as I have described here is enough for either 2 adults or one adult and 1 child. It wouldn't be enough for a family of 3 unless you increased it, or made it a side and not the main meal.
But back to the subject at hand- they are simple, fast, and relatively healthy.
All you need are:
a few tablespoons sugar (how much is up to you, I normally do 2-3 tbsps)
a bit of cinnamon ( once again depends on your taste preference I normally do a few good shakes)
vanilla (I have powdered vanilla bean but vanilla extract would be OK too)
A bit of butter to coat the pan
a pan (I use a glass pie crust)
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
Whatever you want to use as a topping- here your choices are really open. Apples and applesauce, berries, powdered sugar, syrup,etc.
That is it!
To make you heat the oven to 425 degrees, and put the butter in the pan you don't need to try and coat the pan yet as you are going to toss it in the oven for a few minutes to help the butter melt.
Then you take out a blender or a mixer and put your eggs and milk in, if you are doing a liquid form of vanilla you add a few drops of that as well. You blend it until well mixed and then add the flour and blend again until completely mixed with no lumps.
Then you mix your sugar and cinnamon together in a separate bowl (adding maybe a tsp or 2 of vanilla if you use a powdered form)
Take the pan out of the oven, spread the butter so it coats everything, pour in the egg mixture, shake the sugar mixture on top (only use as much as you need the rest can be used later or if you decide to make a homemade fruit compote or sauce), and that was it! Toss it in the oven for 20-25 minutes and you are done!
What I like about this is how quickly you can make it and how it is such a good kid and adult meal. It is soft, so even if you are still at the stage where your child has no teeth they can gum it fine. Plus if you have the time you can make a yummy homemade apple sauce to go with it. At the same time it is definitely an enjoyable meal for an adult especially if you add some nice touches like fresh berries or a homemade compote.
The recipe as I have described here is enough for either 2 adults or one adult and 1 child. It wouldn't be enough for a family of 3 unless you increased it, or made it a side and not the main meal.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
One question
Why is maternity wear so ugly?? Seriously POLKA DOTS are a NO GO. Why would I want to look like a blimp with bad taste? Now to be fair there are some cuter things out there nowadays but I don't normally spend 70 euros on a skirt and I am not going to start now just because I need an extra meter of fabric.
I haven't really mentioned that we are pregnant on here yet. We are. yay! Due at the end of August. It was planned. It happened fast. We are *lucky*. I felt super terrible pretty much right away because it started out as 2. Then 1 stopped developing and we let out a sigh of relief. I still felt sick all the time though. I've been taking B6 and unisom. Lifesaver! Looking forward to having more energy when I start the 2nd trimester next week.
So I haven't mentioned it, 1 because I have felt terrible but also because this time around I am just not that interested. Oh sure I am interested in adding another member to the family, but the pregnancy and birth? A bit meh right now. I'm sure I will get there but right now I am trying to get some good deals on winter sales of maternity wear and all I can think is how much better some of this stuff would look if the woman didn't have a huge baby in there, and that I am going to get so ridiculously big. Again. And honestly I'm so glad I lost all the weight after Teddy because at least I am not scared about losing it again after this one.Vain and shallow but that is how I feel right now.I'm also missing a nice beer and a good cocktail. Of course it goes without saying that it is nothing in comparison to getting to have another baby but since that is how I feel right now, I figure better not to write about it.
Also I don't know if I have mentioned on here but Teddy has actually gotten sweeter and more fun to be around which we didn't even know was possible. We really lucked out with this one :)
I haven't really mentioned that we are pregnant on here yet. We are. yay! Due at the end of August. It was planned. It happened fast. We are *lucky*. I felt super terrible pretty much right away because it started out as 2. Then 1 stopped developing and we let out a sigh of relief. I still felt sick all the time though. I've been taking B6 and unisom. Lifesaver! Looking forward to having more energy when I start the 2nd trimester next week.
So I haven't mentioned it, 1 because I have felt terrible but also because this time around I am just not that interested. Oh sure I am interested in adding another member to the family, but the pregnancy and birth? A bit meh right now. I'm sure I will get there but right now I am trying to get some good deals on winter sales of maternity wear and all I can think is how much better some of this stuff would look if the woman didn't have a huge baby in there, and that I am going to get so ridiculously big. Again. And honestly I'm so glad I lost all the weight after Teddy because at least I am not scared about losing it again after this one.Vain and shallow but that is how I feel right now.I'm also missing a nice beer and a good cocktail. Of course it goes without saying that it is nothing in comparison to getting to have another baby but since that is how I feel right now, I figure better not to write about it.
Also I don't know if I have mentioned on here but Teddy has actually gotten sweeter and more fun to be around which we didn't even know was possible. We really lucked out with this one :)
Friday, February 10, 2012
Life in Germany: You won't get that for free
This is so banal and random that I often forget about it completely but it comes down to what we as Americans are used to getting for free; condiments at a fast food restaurant, tap water everywhere, use of bathroom facilities, a refill on our soda or coffee. And what Germans are used to getting for free: nothing.
I'm exaggerating a little but the whole idea of the customer being king is most definitely not German, and in general customer service is something which while improving is just not particularly good.
Things like condiments at a place like Mickey D's normally cost 30 cents. That's right 30 cents for one of those small packets of ketchup that people take by the fistful in the U.S.. You might get one for free if you ordered some type of "meal" but want anymore and you get to pay up.
Free refills don't exist. You also won't ever get a glass of water for free when you sit down for a meal at a restaurant. If you are thirsty you get to order a glass of mineral water. Of course you are allowed to ask for tap water but the chances are 50/50 that they will actually give you one for free. A nice bottomless cup of coffee? Dream on my friend.
The bathroom issue is another pain. Now in any establishment like a restaurant you of course aren't paying a cent but at a mall, gas station, zoo, etc there will normally be someone who cleans the bathrooms with a plate set out for expected tips of about 50 cents. Now in some cases you can choose not to pay and just get a dirty glare, but in other places it is all automated and you won't be able to get to the bathroom without paying. The problem with these tips are that in some cases- often at malls, there is a person standing at the table for tips who has nothing to do with cleaning the bathrooms, the money is going straight to mall management.Or a place like the zoo, I pay a large sum of money for a yearly membership, there is no way I am going to pay to use the restroom. I won't pay these ones, but for the ones where I see them cleaning the bathrooms I don't mind paying the tip, although it drove me crazy when I first moved here.
The nice thing about this is it forces us to be a bit more aware of how much we are eating and drinking, and we often have small change with us. The bad thing, sometimes it would just be nice to have that bottomless beverage!
I'm exaggerating a little but the whole idea of the customer being king is most definitely not German, and in general customer service is something which while improving is just not particularly good.
Things like condiments at a place like Mickey D's normally cost 30 cents. That's right 30 cents for one of those small packets of ketchup that people take by the fistful in the U.S.. You might get one for free if you ordered some type of "meal" but want anymore and you get to pay up.
Free refills don't exist. You also won't ever get a glass of water for free when you sit down for a meal at a restaurant. If you are thirsty you get to order a glass of mineral water. Of course you are allowed to ask for tap water but the chances are 50/50 that they will actually give you one for free. A nice bottomless cup of coffee? Dream on my friend.
The bathroom issue is another pain. Now in any establishment like a restaurant you of course aren't paying a cent but at a mall, gas station, zoo, etc there will normally be someone who cleans the bathrooms with a plate set out for expected tips of about 50 cents. Now in some cases you can choose not to pay and just get a dirty glare, but in other places it is all automated and you won't be able to get to the bathroom without paying. The problem with these tips are that in some cases- often at malls, there is a person standing at the table for tips who has nothing to do with cleaning the bathrooms, the money is going straight to mall management.Or a place like the zoo, I pay a large sum of money for a yearly membership, there is no way I am going to pay to use the restroom. I won't pay these ones, but for the ones where I see them cleaning the bathrooms I don't mind paying the tip, although it drove me crazy when I first moved here.
The nice thing about this is it forces us to be a bit more aware of how much we are eating and drinking, and we often have small change with us. The bad thing, sometimes it would just be nice to have that bottomless beverage!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Motherhood, friendships, and a ramble
I'm a young mother for Germany. I was 24 when Teddy was born and I will be 26 when baby number 2 arrives. Now for the USA that is on the earlyish side but for most towns still totally normal. For Germany, especially a big city, it is weird. Weirder still is that I am married and have been since I was 22. The average age for a German to get married is 30 and the average age to have a first child is 30. But of course averages are funny things so in an affluent area you see many, many moms with young children in their early to mid 40s. Nothing wrong with that of course. But when it comes to trying to make friends it can be hard.
I've lived here for 7 1/2 years and I still don't have a "best friend" here. I'm thankful that in my time here I have managed to make some good friends. Friends that I enjoy hanging out with and chatting with. But I'll be honest and say I'm still on the search for a friend that would compare to the friendships I had back home in the States. Now there are quite a few reasons for this; different cultures, ex-pats often only here for short periods of time, twenties are a period of transition for lots of people, etc. This is also something I am alright with and I really have made some awesome friends here both German and not who I really enjoy. However I'm not letting go of my goal of trying to find a female best friend who I really love, can relate to, and who has just as much fun with me as I with her. Honestly reading this it sounds sort of like I am searching for the perfect partner and since I already hit the jackpot once in that regard, I totally accept that this time around it will probably be a little more difficult and take a bit longer. However I think some things are slowly starting to turn in my favor, for example...
The average German female I meet in my age range (lets say within 6 years of me) has normally been in a completely different spot in life, and can't really relate to me already being married and having a kid. Now don't get me wrong I still really like to go out, go drinking, go dancing, and in general do all the things I enjoyed doing before having Teddy but I can't really relate to someone with absolutely no responsibility in their life. Not that I can't enjoy hanging out with them, but in general I have always tended to be closest with people who could at least in many ways relate to me. But the situation is changing because I am getting older! Yep that's right I'm now closer to 30 then 20, which for most people wouldn't necessarily be a positive thing but for me I do think it absolutely increases my chances of meeting someone my age, with kids, with a long term partner, who shares similar interests, and who isn't 15 years my senior.
I have to interject here that I do have a lot of friends that are 10-15 years older then me, and I really enjoy them, and hopefully they me. However there are some things in which we just can't really relate to each other and which sometimes makes things harder. I mean who really wants to go out dancing with a girl 15 years your junior? Not me LOL. I get it. Of course they would never say it but in certain things you feel it.
So I have a plan for this year. One is to start being a bit more friendly at activities for Teddy and when we are out and about. Now normally I have my friends at things like children's gym, and I don't really interact with anyone else but I am going to try and be a bit more "Minnesotan nice" and start chit chatting with others when opportunities arise. Same thing goes for when I am at the park ,etc. I'm also going to try and start going to a few classes at the gym more regularly so I have a chance to get to know people better by showing up to the same course multiple times, instead of always switching around.
I'm also just going to chill because through the hubby and my own exploits I have managed to make quite a few friends and have exciting things like a girl's spa weekend, and a 3 family 4 day long weekend trip planned which is pretty impressive considering I came to Germany knowing all of 4 people. I also accept that my standards are kind of high for what I want in a good friend... although I have to say it is partially a culture thing too. I have a friend I met on an online message board from my home state. We met in real life and she was awesome! Honestly if I lived back home I am sure we would see each other often, and it was so easy. Reminding me that friendship doesn't have to be this thing that you constantly need to work at and which is difficult. I have another woman I met here from the US who unfortunately is only here for a year but once again hanging out with her and her son is just fun and easy and enjoyable. In some ways Americans are just more open then Germans so it is much easier to reach that level where you are just sitting around chatting about your life, or a TV show, or whatever. But that is no excuse for me.
So that was a ramble. Sorry! I'm going out to dinner with the hubby tonight and I am sure he is thrilled he isn't hearing it....again.
I've lived here for 7 1/2 years and I still don't have a "best friend" here. I'm thankful that in my time here I have managed to make some good friends. Friends that I enjoy hanging out with and chatting with. But I'll be honest and say I'm still on the search for a friend that would compare to the friendships I had back home in the States. Now there are quite a few reasons for this; different cultures, ex-pats often only here for short periods of time, twenties are a period of transition for lots of people, etc. This is also something I am alright with and I really have made some awesome friends here both German and not who I really enjoy. However I'm not letting go of my goal of trying to find a female best friend who I really love, can relate to, and who has just as much fun with me as I with her. Honestly reading this it sounds sort of like I am searching for the perfect partner and since I already hit the jackpot once in that regard, I totally accept that this time around it will probably be a little more difficult and take a bit longer. However I think some things are slowly starting to turn in my favor, for example...
The average German female I meet in my age range (lets say within 6 years of me) has normally been in a completely different spot in life, and can't really relate to me already being married and having a kid. Now don't get me wrong I still really like to go out, go drinking, go dancing, and in general do all the things I enjoyed doing before having Teddy but I can't really relate to someone with absolutely no responsibility in their life. Not that I can't enjoy hanging out with them, but in general I have always tended to be closest with people who could at least in many ways relate to me. But the situation is changing because I am getting older! Yep that's right I'm now closer to 30 then 20, which for most people wouldn't necessarily be a positive thing but for me I do think it absolutely increases my chances of meeting someone my age, with kids, with a long term partner, who shares similar interests, and who isn't 15 years my senior.
I have to interject here that I do have a lot of friends that are 10-15 years older then me, and I really enjoy them, and hopefully they me. However there are some things in which we just can't really relate to each other and which sometimes makes things harder. I mean who really wants to go out dancing with a girl 15 years your junior? Not me LOL. I get it. Of course they would never say it but in certain things you feel it.
So I have a plan for this year. One is to start being a bit more friendly at activities for Teddy and when we are out and about. Now normally I have my friends at things like children's gym, and I don't really interact with anyone else but I am going to try and be a bit more "Minnesotan nice" and start chit chatting with others when opportunities arise. Same thing goes for when I am at the park ,etc. I'm also going to try and start going to a few classes at the gym more regularly so I have a chance to get to know people better by showing up to the same course multiple times, instead of always switching around.
I'm also just going to chill because through the hubby and my own exploits I have managed to make quite a few friends and have exciting things like a girl's spa weekend, and a 3 family 4 day long weekend trip planned which is pretty impressive considering I came to Germany knowing all of 4 people. I also accept that my standards are kind of high for what I want in a good friend... although I have to say it is partially a culture thing too. I have a friend I met on an online message board from my home state. We met in real life and she was awesome! Honestly if I lived back home I am sure we would see each other often, and it was so easy. Reminding me that friendship doesn't have to be this thing that you constantly need to work at and which is difficult. I have another woman I met here from the US who unfortunately is only here for a year but once again hanging out with her and her son is just fun and easy and enjoyable. In some ways Americans are just more open then Germans so it is much easier to reach that level where you are just sitting around chatting about your life, or a TV show, or whatever. But that is no excuse for me.
So that was a ramble. Sorry! I'm going out to dinner with the hubby tonight and I am sure he is thrilled he isn't hearing it....again.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
I'm in love
and with someone other then my husband.... That's right you heard me. I'm in love with..... WAIT FOR IT.....
I'm in love with an inanimate object called a heated mattress pad.
No joke.
Every night I get excited just thinking about going to bed and laying on my warm and snuggly mattress before falling asleep. You see somehow I am naturally cold blooded and growing up in the cold winters of Minnesota didn't toughen me up at all. I still hate the cold, feel cold all the time if it is below 50 degrees outside, and generally am miserable for the winter months. Even though I sleep with a super thick winter comforter it isn't enough and I actually used to also sleep with a light sleeping blanket under the comforter in the winter. As you can imagine my husband thought this was awesome!
So about a week ago I was shopping at one of Germany's best supermarkets, Aldi, and I saw a heated mattress pad for 19,99 Euros. Now looking back I can't believe I even considered it for more then 5 seconds but in fact I thought about the purchase for a good 2 minutes before deciding to just try it out and see if I liked it. It was one of the best decisions I have made so far this year. And I'm honestly only slightly exaggerating.
Now I go to bed not dressed in 4 layers and freezing from my head to my toes, but instead in light PJs and all blissed out lounging on a warm mattress. Plus I turn it off before I fall asleep so that I don't wake in the middle of the night sweating and gross. Seriously this has changed my life, and made this first trimester a little more bearable-yay!
I'm in love with an inanimate object called a heated mattress pad.
No joke.
Every night I get excited just thinking about going to bed and laying on my warm and snuggly mattress before falling asleep. You see somehow I am naturally cold blooded and growing up in the cold winters of Minnesota didn't toughen me up at all. I still hate the cold, feel cold all the time if it is below 50 degrees outside, and generally am miserable for the winter months. Even though I sleep with a super thick winter comforter it isn't enough and I actually used to also sleep with a light sleeping blanket under the comforter in the winter. As you can imagine my husband thought this was awesome!
So about a week ago I was shopping at one of Germany's best supermarkets, Aldi, and I saw a heated mattress pad for 19,99 Euros. Now looking back I can't believe I even considered it for more then 5 seconds but in fact I thought about the purchase for a good 2 minutes before deciding to just try it out and see if I liked it. It was one of the best decisions I have made so far this year. And I'm honestly only slightly exaggerating.
Now I go to bed not dressed in 4 layers and freezing from my head to my toes, but instead in light PJs and all blissed out lounging on a warm mattress. Plus I turn it off before I fall asleep so that I don't wake in the middle of the night sweating and gross. Seriously this has changed my life, and made this first trimester a little more bearable-yay!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Life in Germany: The Movies
Going to the movies is a special treat especially once you have children but what many of you might not know is that it is totally different in Germany. First off, you get assigned seats! Yep that is right, no showing up to the movie an hour early to get your favorite seat, as you will be assigned one when you buy your ticket. There are normally two cost levels. The cheaper seats are located closer to the screen and the more expensive seats are higher up. Then they are simply labeled with an A-Z for rows and numbers for the individual seats. At first I hated this system and found it stressful and annoying but then the online reservation systems became popular and now I love it. I buy my tickets online, pick the perfect seat, and then show up to the movie just a minute or two before starting time, knowing that I will be sitting just where I want....knowing that my seat neighbors won't be obnoxious is another story however.
So after you deal with the whole seat issue you go to the concession stand and find out that Germans have totally different movie snacking habits. First off they eat their popcorn sweet, not salty. In fact most Germans find salty popcorn disgusting and my husband almost barfed when he watched me add sweet fake buttery oil goodness to my popcorn in the States followed by some cheese powder which probably contained 0.1% actual cheese.
They also love sweets and often have bins full of different types of gummy bears, sweet and sours candies, and licorice (real salty black licorice not the crazy strawberry twizzler stuff- this is probably another post in its own actually) which you can then mix yourself and which is then weighed at the register and you pay based on grams. Finally they have nachos, now I know we also have nachos in the States but I can't remember ever ordering them at the movies nor do I ever remember seeing anyone I know order them but here they are a big thing. And I have to admit that is one thing they have gotten right. Now I won't mention that most of the movie theaters here import their nacho cheese sauce from an American company, although they do. I will just say that even though I haven't gotten into the sweet popcorn, I have completely gotten on the nacho train.
It has also been one pregnancy craving which I can actually make happen without flying back to the States, and that I can even make at home so win/win for me!
Expensive ticket prices, obnoxious teens/adults, sometimes 30+ minutes of previews/ads, and concession prices which you make you wonder why you even decided to go to the movies are the same as in the States though.
So after you deal with the whole seat issue you go to the concession stand and find out that Germans have totally different movie snacking habits. First off they eat their popcorn sweet, not salty. In fact most Germans find salty popcorn disgusting and my husband almost barfed when he watched me add sweet fake buttery oil goodness to my popcorn in the States followed by some cheese powder which probably contained 0.1% actual cheese.
They also love sweets and often have bins full of different types of gummy bears, sweet and sours candies, and licorice (real salty black licorice not the crazy strawberry twizzler stuff- this is probably another post in its own actually) which you can then mix yourself and which is then weighed at the register and you pay based on grams. Finally they have nachos, now I know we also have nachos in the States but I can't remember ever ordering them at the movies nor do I ever remember seeing anyone I know order them but here they are a big thing. And I have to admit that is one thing they have gotten right. Now I won't mention that most of the movie theaters here import their nacho cheese sauce from an American company, although they do. I will just say that even though I haven't gotten into the sweet popcorn, I have completely gotten on the nacho train.
It has also been one pregnancy craving which I can actually make happen without flying back to the States, and that I can even make at home so win/win for me!
Expensive ticket prices, obnoxious teens/adults, sometimes 30+ minutes of previews/ads, and concession prices which you make you wonder why you even decided to go to the movies are the same as in the States though.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Bad Mommy Confession #3
I'm on the TV train. Yep that's right, I got off my high horse, got pregnant, got tired, got really really tired, and succumbed to letting the little guy watch TV daily.
The best part about all of this is that I had to really work hard to get the hyper little boy to sit down and watch it. First I tried kids shows that I used to enjoy as a youngster; Flinstones, Rugrats, Muppet Babies....-Teddy was having none of it and would often even go and turn the TV off. Fail! Then I tried shows with little to no violence and lots of talking that I liked to watch like Murder She Wrote, cooking shows, or Masterpiece Theater, these sometimes worked for about 5 minutes but then the gig was up and Teddy was back to turning the TV off- and of course I was really into it and all pissed that he was turning the TV off right at a super exciting point in Jessica Fletcher's investigation. Great parenting for the win! Finally I left a channel on which I had previously always skipped over for being too inane- BABYTV. It was like little Teddy crack (I recently found out that suckers are too, who knew?). His eyes quickly glazed over and he sat down on the couch to watch 20 minutes of little 3-4 minute clips of baby geared entertainment. Supposedly all the clips are created by child development specialists and have specific themes in mind; creativity, numbers, etc. Honestly I could care less and can't imagine that he is really learning anything besides a few annoying theme songs but oh my gosh on those mornings where he wakes up at 6 and the hubby and I want to pretend that the weekend is still something special and different then a weekday, we grab Teddy a snack, position him between us, turn on the TV , and both fall back asleep for another half hour while our son watches the giggling shapes and children on Babytv.
Now this would be the time for me to throw out that we still limit the TV to about 20-30 minutes a day, and some days not at all, and, and, and. But honestly I don't feel bad. We do lots of fun awesome things with Teddy every day. Watching TV is clearly not one of them, but I also don't think it is hurting him either. Is he learning anything at the time? Probably not. But is he climbing on my dresser, throwing jewelry on the ground, taking clothes out of drawers, sometimes jumping onto my head, and otherwise getting into trouble? Nope and considering this is what he used to do when we would try to sleep in just a teensy bit longer I am totally cool with the TV alternative. I've also started using it on those days where I just want 10 minutes alone in the kitchen to get dinner started without the kind of "help" that Teddy provides and it has been a great way to keep my stress and annoyance from rising to overwhelmed levels.
So I'm admitting it here and now. My not even two year old son gets to watch some TV and I think it is OK.
The best part about all of this is that I had to really work hard to get the hyper little boy to sit down and watch it. First I tried kids shows that I used to enjoy as a youngster; Flinstones, Rugrats, Muppet Babies....-Teddy was having none of it and would often even go and turn the TV off. Fail! Then I tried shows with little to no violence and lots of talking that I liked to watch like Murder She Wrote, cooking shows, or Masterpiece Theater, these sometimes worked for about 5 minutes but then the gig was up and Teddy was back to turning the TV off- and of course I was really into it and all pissed that he was turning the TV off right at a super exciting point in Jessica Fletcher's investigation. Great parenting for the win! Finally I left a channel on which I had previously always skipped over for being too inane- BABYTV. It was like little Teddy crack (I recently found out that suckers are too, who knew?). His eyes quickly glazed over and he sat down on the couch to watch 20 minutes of little 3-4 minute clips of baby geared entertainment. Supposedly all the clips are created by child development specialists and have specific themes in mind; creativity, numbers, etc. Honestly I could care less and can't imagine that he is really learning anything besides a few annoying theme songs but oh my gosh on those mornings where he wakes up at 6 and the hubby and I want to pretend that the weekend is still something special and different then a weekday, we grab Teddy a snack, position him between us, turn on the TV , and both fall back asleep for another half hour while our son watches the giggling shapes and children on Babytv.
Now this would be the time for me to throw out that we still limit the TV to about 20-30 minutes a day, and some days not at all, and, and, and. But honestly I don't feel bad. We do lots of fun awesome things with Teddy every day. Watching TV is clearly not one of them, but I also don't think it is hurting him either. Is he learning anything at the time? Probably not. But is he climbing on my dresser, throwing jewelry on the ground, taking clothes out of drawers, sometimes jumping onto my head, and otherwise getting into trouble? Nope and considering this is what he used to do when we would try to sleep in just a teensy bit longer I am totally cool with the TV alternative. I've also started using it on those days where I just want 10 minutes alone in the kitchen to get dinner started without the kind of "help" that Teddy provides and it has been a great way to keep my stress and annoyance from rising to overwhelmed levels.
So I'm admitting it here and now. My not even two year old son gets to watch some TV and I think it is OK.
I'm Back
I'm back and with a new found love for blogging. I'm going to try and stay on top of things and post weekly posts about parenting, living in Germany, cooking, and life at home. I'm giving myself a month to try things out and see what works for me and then hopefully I will have this blog at a place where I enjoy posting to it, and you all enjoy reading- we'll see!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
This Blog
I just don't know what to do about this blog. I can't decide if I want to start updating regularly, give it a theme, focus more on the humorous or something specific. I'm going to give it some thought and hopefully have some good ideas and a new layout for February. If you have any ideas let me know!
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