The Roaming Southerner

Some pics from Edinburgh

2011-08-30T16:26:00.001-04:00

Our recent visitor has been kind enough to share some pics of C in Edinburgh:

At Princes Street Gardens (you can see the Castle in the background), C has made much progress this summer...in May she wouldn't even touch the bouncy horse or dragon...now she likes it as long as it doesn't go crazy!

At the Botanical Gardens...don't the hedges look like the maze from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! So flipping cool!

Walking and holding hands at the Botanical Gardens. So flippin' sweet!

One of our fav. activities: Watching the inter-city trains and making them honk! Castle in the background!

YEA! The trains honked!!!! I have a ton of pics of her dancing with excitement! She loves it!

Toddler Trauma

2011-08-24T09:03:00.000-04:00

Oh, we are hitting those fun toddler years, people.

We had a week long visitor from Austria with her child, who is 2 months older than Cdubs. She is more advanced in many ways and is usually a good motivator for Cdubs to walk, talk, and do more. However, this is biting us in the butt. With 7 days of nothing but whining and pitching fits from this kid, C has learned that this can happen?!?!?! While C was an almost perfect angel while the guests where here, now that they are gone, she has gone into meltdown mode. That might be part of the getting used to not having visitors around, some emerging molars, a cold or whatever...but it all boils down to

NO FUN!

She is learning all about time outs
and I am learning a big lesson in patience.

Kdubs came home from a trip (while our visitors were here) and said, "What happened to our sweet baby?" I said, "she's becoming a toddler, watch out!"

Answered Prayers

2011-08-18T08:53:00.001-04:00

So my last post, many moons ago, was me whining about being alone. And anyone can scroll through my posts even when they are infrequent and see that our lifestyle can get a bit lonesome.

But the Monday after my last post, I decided that I would take Cdubs to the big kid park (which is usually too crazy for us) just to get some air. And I prayed and hoped for maybe a half talk with a mom or two.

Well, God was listening because I met two wonderful moms there that day with two great kids. And one of them has become a great source of entertainment for me and Cdubs. She invites us to many different play groups and outings, which is great...but even better? Her child and C get along like gangbusters. To the point where C goes to the door and knocks on it saying, "I WALK WITH *insert kids name* WALK!" The other bonus is that I love talking to this new friend and her friends because they actively work to talk about real things and not just mom war stories.

I am sorry for the lack of posts and the lack of pictures (they kind of go hand in hand)...but we left our camera hookup cord in Vienna. So no pictures of Edinburgh till then, I guess.

All by myself

2011-07-10T17:59:00.000-04:00

Don't want to be All BY MYSELF-ANY MORE!
(sing it!)

Okay, so Kdubs is off for another trip, and this is mine and Cdubs first time alone in a foreign country. I really love Edinburgh, and I am not nearly as paranoid as I get in other places...but I don't love it. For several reasons, #1 is the shower. I have a weird thing about showering by myself. It comes from too many friends/family having very bad, sometimes fatal accidents in the shower. So, to me, it is a justified fear.

I never give Kdubs a lot of credit for entertaining me all the time. He works from home and he works A LOT...by himself...secluded. But, now that he is not here...IT IS TO QUIET...even with my husband who is often called "quiet K," it just doesn't feel right.

We also have not met anyone here, really. And with all our travels and visitors, making friends in 90 days seems moot. But I do miss the social interaction.

So, for that and losing the baby weight. I have signed up for yoga and pilates classes (not that I can do them when Kdubs is gone this week). And I have to say, I am really enjoying yoga. Much more than I thought. I am such a spaz and so silly that I didn't think I could get into it. But 2 things have come to mind about that...1.) don't do yoga with a friend--it just gives me someone to laugh with and 2.) I think I may have matured and appreciate the finer points of my body after giving birth. That also said...I think that it will totally help me go complete med-free next time....that is if the next kid doesn't come out with her hand on her head like she is talking on the phone...cause that hurts mommy!

Cdubs is adorable and awesome...and tiring and ridiculous. But she is funny, and I love how she is talking and signing like crazy.

oh, yeah, I am teaching her baby sign language...a.) cause it helps with communication and b.) cause I loved learning it throughout my life and want to keep up and teach her.

Right now, she is getting down, "nice to meet you" and banana...even though no one but me would know what she is saying.

Also, she is going through a crazy shy phase right now. Most babies, i've read, go through the stranger danger phase at 6months. Not her. She has never met someone she didn't love to talk to, or wave to, or look at. It is still true, but if someone looks or talks to her...she gets all shy and hides behind me. Plus side: she is easier to keep track of walking around and I'm less scared she won't run away from into some strangers arm for just a smile.

Lots of other things going on...but that is more in depth. I should write more...and less extemporaneously...is that the word? sporadic? crazy? yeah...something like that.

Tips for Flying with infant

2011-07-05T17:08:00.000-04:00

In the hopes that I will get to meet another blogger IRL overseas, I have been refining my traveling with baby in airplanes tips:

I first made this list for a friend traveling with a 4mo old for a short 2 hour trip. But it holds for overseas as well.

1.) to help prevent airborne germs from getting all-up-on Cdubs, I do two things: a.) spray saline solution in her nose before and after the flight (several times after). You can get baby saline spray at babysrus or any drug store. They also have regular ocean spray saline solution. b.) coat the outside of his nostrils with vaseline before you take off. I put a few q-tips in a baggie with a dab of vaseline in the corner (I haven't found travel size vaseline yet). ***I have found travel size Aquaphor, which works great.

2.) Pack a diaper for every hour you are traveling.

3.) receiving blankets are great for all sorts of things...spit up, cold, nursing cover.

4.) For a longer flight, i'd say take a boppy. I liked it for my long flights because she would sleep on it from nursing and on.

5.) a new toy is always good (he may be a little young to really know the difference but it does seem to hold the attention a little longer).

6.) if you like your a baby carrier, wear it through security. It is super easy. I always use my babyhawk or Action Baby Carrier.

7.) Are you bringing a stroller? or getting him his own seat? There are some guidelines on those. If he is sharing a seat with you, ask for the baby seat belt when you board because 9 times out of 10 Cdubs was asleep when they handed me one, so I had to wake her to put it on. They may say, "in a minute." Just say, "oh I just wanted to get it before he falls asleep." they usually hurry it up then.

8.) I usually disinfect the whole seat with alcohol wipes...now that she is a toddler, I don't...cause she gets into everything anyways

9.) I find that the hanging make up bags are great to put all of the travel necessities things in because you can hang it up on the seat in front of you and you don't have to worry about diving under the seat or getting in the overhead if you need something fast. (I usually fill the pockets with a receiving blanket, diapers and a small pack of wipes, pacifiers, pacifier wipes (great for anything that falls on the floor), an extra onesie, socks, etc).

10.) This is a big one: they need to suck on something when taking off and landing, but here is the trick to know when to start (because in my opinion if they suck, esp. bfing or a bottle, too early then they will be full by the time they need to pop their ears). Once the flight attendents are told to buckle up, THEN give them something. I was and always will be tempted to start earlier but then I am forcing her to swallow by the time we are at cruising altitude or landed.

11.) I carry on a TON of stuff and never need it. But it always feels good to have it.

12.) I never used the bathrooms on the plane to change her, but if you want to, you should ask the flight attendant when you board which ones have the changing station. I just make Kdubs stand up and use his seat (and then he throws the diaper in the bathroom).

13.) Oh for international flights when you have/need to take a meal...it is almost impossible to get the tray down when you have the baby in your lap, so we had one of us hold Cdubs and the flight attendant put two dinners on top of each other on Kdub's tray: he ate and then we switched trays and I ate off of his tray table...we couldn't figure out the switch the baby and the trays. We are not graceful like that.

****4 mo. is probably to small to fall for the iphone but if you are traveling with him when he is older...it is gold!

if you ever travel with an infant hope these tips help.

To play catch up

2011-06-25T03:23:00.002-04:00

Since there has been some time between blog posts, I probably should play catch up...so I do not forget what happened (seems hard to believe that I would).

We moved back to Vienna in early spring '11, we got hooked back up with our local babies group, and Cdubs kept on growing. It was hard to be away from home and always changing, as usual, but we were all doing pretty well. I did not blog because we were doing okay with each other but were at ends about what we are going to do next. They are looking at relocating Kdubs again because Austria will not give me a visa, and we have decided that being apart for long periods is no longer acceptable. So we were "discussing," more like fretting. We finally came up with the idea of coming to Edinburgh for the summer so we can still be legally not in Austria (or in the Schengen region) for 90 days. Not going home to the US meant not having to adjust time zones and not having to spend weeks apart. So now, we are officially living our lives in 90 day increments.

90 days-Vienna
90 days-Edinburgh
90 days-Vienna
90 days-States for Holidays +

Next 90 days cycle--still unknown but probably not Vienna

Funny enough, in all our travels, Cdubs never really got sick. She would get snuffly from teething or have an ezcema flare up, but nothing worth a doctor's call. Until May...She had a bad night and seemed warm, but I attributed it to her sleep sack and the weird changing weather of spring. Woke up and she still seemed warm...so we took her temperature. between 100.5 and 101. All my books said, treat it and don't call the Dr. unless something else seems wrong.

So we gave her some Tylenol and she took an easy day. Halfway through the day, Kdubs suggested putting her in a lukewarm bath, but I said, "oh it isn't that bad yet." I wish I had listened.

Telling her peeps she is OK

It turns out our thermometer was not accurate. She was probably running a fever closer to 102 and 103. Around 4pm, she started having these little starts--she would fall and cry or convulse a little. It was so quick, I almost didn't catch it and Kdubs never did. But I knew something was wrong. So we ran to our Dr.'s office in Vienna (literally ran, since we didn't have a car)....and it was closed. I had called the wrong dr. So we took a cab to another dr that we found somehow (I really don't remember how I found the number). Again, Cdubs seemed okay but warm to Kdubs. We got to the new dr. realizing it wasn't our first dr. and begged her to see us. She examined her, said she had a bit of a fever but if she was having seizures, we should go to the hospital (which she wasn't sure of and Kdubs kept saying, "lets just go home"). Right then, she convulsed and bigger than ever. I panicked and probably yelled more than I should have at the dr. who was on the phone. They gave her an emergency seizure suppressant and called an ambulance. It took all I had to not say to Kdubs, "SEE? TOLD YOU!" We had several days in the hospital for monitoring. She would not break her fever and the worst of it was very scary...the best of it was endlessly watching Elmo (herefornow to be known as Red Devil) and Lady Gaga.

Her Favorite: Daddy Recliner

It was not a fun time, but it did teach us a few things:
a.) that we can survive in a foreign hospital (one of my biggest fears)
b.) that you should never take your family's health for granted (knew it but didn't KNOW it)
c.) that prayer is a power thing (at the worst times, I had a peace that I can only attribute to God and all of our friends praying for us--my mom called my godmother and her daughter who have the largest prayer phone trees in the state).
d.) To just appreciate being together and let God sort out the rest.

So that is what I am doing...and keep reminding myself to do. Every day.

Oh and it taught me to have and use several thermometers!!!

Where in the World is TRS?

2011-06-12T17:08:00.000-04:00

I'm in Edinburgh

It has been FOREVER! But I have been coming and going and finally settled in Scotland for the summer.

It is a long story of how and why, but the good news is that we all get to be together as a family for the whole summer. And it is an English speaking country...bonus!

Cdubs is huge and wonderful and EXTREMELY talkative...

We have gone through some medical stuff the past couple of months, but she is still huge and wonderful and crazy:

Favorite Words: No-No, Good Girl, and everyone in the families names (Lolly, Poppop, etc.)...and every character on Sesame street (Oscar, Abby, Elmo being favorites). turtle, door, Num-Nums...are others.

She loves to say How big she is (raises her hands over head-SO BIG), how smart she is (pats her head-So Smart), how sweet she is (pats her cheeks-SO SWEET), how nice she is (hugs herself-SO NICE).

She is the best and sweetest and most dynamic little girl. I am one lucky mom.

So remember

2011-03-28T06:52:00.000-04:00

That time when I said I was going to post all of February...I thought I did a good job, until I looked back and it was like 4...4 times. Wow.

Well, we are back in Vienna again. And I wanted to wait awhile to post my feelings when I was sure of them.

To be brief: it is better than I expected, better than last time.

Kdubs is available more, Cdubs is able to do more, the acquaintances from before are becoming friends, and we are carving out a life here.

Cdubs is walking and talking and being such a big girl. She is into EVERYTHING. Her current obsession is socks. She loves to get them out, carry them around, chew on them, pull them apart, try and put them on over her already socked feet...

She loves to tear apart drawers that I just put together...she doesn't want to play with toys. She wants to play with rocks, straws, pot lids...and socks.

She is building up quite a vocabulary. She says (in order of first said): Dada, Mama, Tickle, More, No, Yes, Sock, Shoe (both or just Sah and Shhhh), Uhoh, Pop Pop, Moo, Baybee, and Gaga.

Gaga around here means 2 different things. It is what she calls my Mother in Law and how she asks for her favorite song:

We try and play just the lyrics now, because that video is FREAKY! I will admit, I am not a huge fan of Lady Gaga, but when my SIL played it for a 4mo old Cdubs...she went CRAZY. Jumpin' Dancin' and groovin'....now it is no different. And while I don't think it is a great song 'message wise' it has a beat and it kept Cdubs entertained while on the plane...

Oh, did I not mention that? Yeah, she didn't sleep at all for the 20 hours of travel.

Thank you Gaga...for keeping us sane.

Burning a Hole in my Credit Card

2011-02-17T19:40:00.000-05:00

In preparation to getting back to Vienna, I am buying so much stuff it is unbelievable.

Seriously, I can't be stopped.

To streamline the moving/flying process every 6 months, I have been winnowing down my possessions each time we land somewhere. So I am making up for lost items. AND...

Cdubs is always growing and clothes here are so cheap and cute (comparatively)....so I stock up for 3 seasons and 2 sizes ahead of time! Grandma is always helping too. AND...

Now that I am not in maternity clothes, nursing clothes, pre-pregnancy work clothes, and I can't fit a LOT of my pre-preggo casual clothes (stupid flub), I need new clothes. So the point comes:

WHAT DO YOU WEAR!?!?! When you don't want to be this size, need to be able to run around with a kid, travel friendly, and still cute!?!?!

I would appreciate any ideas.

My wallet wouldn't.

Friend or Mother

2011-02-15T08:38:00.000-05:00

My life seems to be doing a tango with these two roles of my life...in many ways.

1.) Can you be a good friend and a mother to an old friend that isn't one?
Yes, but it can be tricky.
2.) Can you mother your friends? and is that not so good?
Yes on both accounts. I am guilty of mothering everyone.
3.) And this is the big one: Can you be friends with your mother?
I so badly want to be, but I do not think that my mom and I will have that relationship. I have point-blank asked her, "can we be friends?" And she said, "No, I will always be your mother, and I don't want to be your friend."

My mom and I have always had a more difficult relationship. She says it is because we are so much alike. I always thought that was untrue, until now. Because we are so alike, she wants to change me into a better version of herself. To fix all of the faults she sees in the both of us. I get this feeling, but I don't like it. While I don't like that, I also do not like that we are so alike because I don't want to do the things she does, I don't want to have her exact life. So part of our fighting is me rebelling against being "like her"...which probably makes me more like her...It is a vicious cycle.

My mother and I will always have a difficult relationship because I will want to please her and be her friend and more than just her daughter, and she will not want those things.

My question to the universe and my prayer to God is "can you be friends with your daughter?"

I want to be a friend and a mother to my daughter. Not the Gilmore Girl version...that is weirdly co-dependent. But I want to be someone my daughter trusts, comes to for advice and not judgement, can feel safe with me and have fun too. I do not want to be the mom who tries to be a teenager friend...I will not try to be cool (I have never been that)...but I so badly want to find that balance.

Do you have that relationship with your mom? your daughter? How did you get it?

Getting Ready

2011-02-09T11:13:00.000-05:00

Flight back to Vienna: almost booked.
Packing: to be commenced.
Scared about going back: oh yeah.

Note to self

2011-02-01T22:32:00.000-05:00

Even when you feel alone in this world and people don't seem to get you, there will be a friend out there who knows what you are talking about.

When you say, "OMG, I am going through _______." They will understand your feelings and be able to verbalize it better than you can. And surprisingly enough it will not be the person you expect or who is in the exact same position as you...but you will feel validated and well....not crazy.

While I know that God never gives us more than we can handle, I am learning that God gives us people along the way to make us happier, better, and stronger.

14 months old

2011-01-31T22:51:00.000-05:00

Someone is 14 months old!!!!

She is so much fun at this age. Here are her stats:
-Around 26-27lbs.
-Signs: More, Please, Thank You, All Done, Water, (we are working on Again), Love (looks like blowing kisses).
-She loves to point to different body parts-Nose is a favorite, as shown above.
-Babbles constantly, says Dada, Mama (rarely), Dog, Nice, Night Night (NI-NI), Val (my sister in law), and her favorite: Tickle. The girl loves to tickle herself, me, and everyone around her.
-She loves to dance. Her all time favorite is still Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. I don't know where she heard it first, but it has always calmed her down. She loves to hear any music. She even loves to hear me sing, which is really something.
-She is almost done with nursing (I think).
-Loves to eat. Loves veggies and fruits and is learning about meats...still not sure about them.
-She has 7 teeth. She got her 2 Top-Front first, her 2 Bottom-Front second, her next 2 uppers, and out of nowhere a molar. I am telling you, this girl does nothing by the book.
-She mostly crawls or hangs on to walk everywhere. Likes to climb stairs...and wants to walk on her own, but she doesn't trust herself yet.
-And as always clapping and peekaboo are the best amusement.

I'm an Ostrich

2011-01-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

Ms. Nobody Care: "Why haven't you been posting lately TRS?"

TRS: "Well, I have been hiding my head in the sand so I do not have deal with all the stuff that is going on."

Mr. Ex-Reader: "Isn't that the point of a blog? To tell people who don't know you all your problems and thoughts and feelings?"

TRS: "Yes, old friend, you would think so. But I can not do it. Half of the things that are going on are so up in the air that it isn't worth mentioning because it will probably not happen and the other half scares the pants off of me (which we've dealt with (controversially for me) here). And when I get scared, I hide. Another reason I don't want to post is because I am not sure if anyone reading would be too close or would know people that I am dealing with (friends, family, inlaws) and be offended that I aired out my grief to the world. It is one reason I never put something on the internet about my parents or Kdubs or brothers when we are fighting (which happens) because eventually you make up and things are forgotten...except when it is read by the masses (all two of you).

Mrs. Lone Reader: "But I want to know these things or at least have updates on Cdubs?!?"

TRS: "My big problem is that I am a go-big-or-go-home kind of person. And I have not been able to go-big on this blog. I haven't done the redesign I wanted to because I have lost access to my software (AHEM, Kdubs stealing my old computer to Austria--and I'm too lazy/busy when he is home to do it). I have so many projects that I want to do that I get overwhelmed and do nothing. And then I get upset and bury my head in the sand. Like I said, 'I AM AN OSTRICH.'"

But here, I am challenging myself for the month of Feb. (a small month) to post 5 days of the week. Doesn't have to be mind blowing, but it needs to be SOMETHING.

So I am sticking my head out of the sand, cleaning out my ears, and stretching my fingers...

Got Milk?

2010-12-09T12:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I went out and got organic whole milk to introduce the baby to sippy cups (we do straw cups with water). I was kinda hoping to lead her towards weaning. I really want her to lead the process, but I thought she might like a new option.

So, I gave her a traditional sippy cup with milk...hated it. Then, her straw cup with milk...nope.

I just gave her a snack and some water and hoped to try it again tomorrow.

An hour later, she came up to me and laid her head down on my shoulder. There are many things my girl is: brave, strong, resilient, smart, curious. However, she is not cuddly. She likes to be held but rarely does she lay down on me. Instead, she wants to look around and explore. She has always been this way. So this sudden cuddliness was sweet but accompanying some moaning and whining got me thinking...what is up, Cdubs?

All the sudden it hit me...SHE WANTS TO NURSE! She has never been really vocal about it because we have a schedule and on a rare occasion when teething and I'll nurse her to help a girl out. But it really hit me hard. SHE WASN'T READY!

I think part of it is because she doesn't really have a lovey or attachment item. So, I guess it is me! Nursing is her safe base, her comfort, and her constant in a very changing world that the three of us live in.

I didn't think we'd nurse this long...but on we go...nursing past 12 months!

Happy Birthday Cdubs

2010-11-28T18:04:00.000-05:00

A year ago today...we were blessed beyond measure.

We had a pre-birthday party after thanksgiving dinner. And my godmother made Cdubs the same birthday cake she made me for my first birthday.

She was not in love with all of the sugar...and mess. She is her mother's daughter.

To say that I am so in love with my life as a mom and my daughter is the biggest understatement.

The Cowardly Lion

2010-11-18T21:59:00.000-05:00

There are many reasons that I am cowardly. Many reasons that I don't do what I am supposed to do: trust in God.

My cowardliness has and will take a toll on my relationships. So I am putting what I am scared of...out into the blogisphere:

1.) Going back to Austria.
Maybe our lifestyle will sound glamorous or exciting to someone. However, not sleeping for 5 nights in a row in a hotel, husband and wife being stressed at each other with getting around foreign cities, and a baby striving for routine, does not feel glamorous.

I am scared to my core of going back. As much as I hate being away from Kdubs for many weeks, I and the baby have thrived being in a stable environment.

2.) Not being a good mom.
I, so much, want to be a good mom and role model to my daughter. And this takes a lot of thoughts, time, and energy...as it should

3.) Not being a good wife.
The balance between wife and mother is so hard. When the question becomes, whose needs become more important?!?

There are many other things that I am scared of...but these are the top three.

What are you scared of?

Halloween 2010

2010-11-14T09:46:00.000-05:00

I am a little late on updating about Halloween. Well, story of my life it seems. To play catch up:
1.) Kdubs has been gone back to Europe on a 40 day work excursion around Central and Eastern Europe
2.) Cdubs and I have been staying at my parents house in the ATL (we also spend some time with the in-Laws in SC).
3.) We missed him, but we made it...
4.) CAUSE HE IS BACK!
(and there was much rejoicing...yea!)

We were having a hard time picking out what Cdubs would be for Halloween, and by we, I mean me, my mom, my mother in law and my sister in law. Not Kdubs.

Since I hate making choices, we did two:
1.) (above) was the Monkey for the Monkey Baby, which is what my family calls her.
2.) (to the right) is Dorothy using the dress that Kdubs bought her from Belgium when I was pregnant...yes, before we knew our baby was a girl.

We already had red shoes and I fashioned a wig out of yarn and a headband...I couldn't figure out how to make the back. So it is like a reverse mullet.

I was the cowardly lion....fitting, right?

There is a whole post that needs to be written about my cowardliness at the moment. But I also need to write Cdubs' birth story (now that it is almost a year past), travel tips with a baby, and show you all the craft that has been going on here.
I'll get to it.

But again, I use the Cdubs to distract and entertain:

As RuPaul and my great grandmother demonstrated, no one looks as good when the wig comes off.

She always comes to my rescue

2010-10-20T22:04:00.001-04:00

This is my friend, Crouton. We have been friends since we were in eighth grade.

We have done a lot of things together, but never on purpose.

We chose to go to the same college (we didn't want to cling to each other so we did not room together), we got married a few years apart (she was my maid of honor, I was her matron), and then we had babies months apart.

Through out our 15 years of friendship, we have had a very unique relationship. Today, while we were hanging out after several weeks of not being able to set a time (vacationing, sickness, etc), she summed up our relationship perfectly: We never spent all of the time attached at the hip together. We ebb and flow. We would hang out in the spring consistently because in the summer I was at camp and the fall she was doing band.

We had other friends, some of them we didn't agree upon.

But we always were there for each other. Bad times, good times, birthdays, medical issues. We know and love eachothers families.

And now, having babies together, has cemented our friendship. I love seeing the babies together and imagining them being friends as they get older.

Mainly, she is just a great person and a great friend...who has always been there for me. I am very lucky.

Best Friends

2010-10-18T19:55:00.000-04:00

Part of my personality quirkiness is the need to have a best friend. Maybe it is part of being one of three kids (esp. the oldest with two brothers), but I always felt a little odd-person-out. And my family moved/I changed schools in those formative years 5th, 6th, 7th grades...so, growing up was a little like a "Where's Waldo?" in trying to find my best friend.

College was wonderful. I found wonderful friends...almost a dozen best friends. And then my ultimate best friend: Kdubs.

As much as I love having Kdubs as my best friend and now joining the moms club, I realize that I have isolated some of my old friends.

Combine that with a six hour time difference and months of no-face-time...and I really have very few IRL (in real life) friends to speak of.

I miss having girl friends, ones to shop with, ones to confide in, ones to be silly and girly with...however, I find incredible solace in creating my own little "friend." It gets lonely being a nomad.

While she doesn't necessarily chose to be my friend, I love spending time with her. And my eternal best friend:

A month gone, too much to post

2010-10-08T21:24:00.000-04:00

There has been so much going on with our temporary move stateside.

We are finally getting settled back in the ATL. It seriously took me almost 2 weeks to unpack.

We have been visiting in-laws and getting our routine re-established. It has been a bumpy road.

Add to that 2 more part time jobs and getting Kdubs ready to make a 6 week trip back to Central and Eastern Europe...and I am wiped.

We have had a difficult time adjusting to living in a "community" setting again (read: live with my parents and new pseudo-adopted brother). and I have realized that I have lost a lot of my friends stateside. People have gotten used to not calling me and seeing me...and that makes re-inserting myself into their lives harder.

I am also somewhat overwhelmed with all the things that I can do with my time here: take classes, start new projects, etc.

And when I am overwhelmed, I hide like an ostrich. It is one of my lovely personality foibles.

I really should use my blog to release some of that energy, but after hours of database and website work, I just want to be away from the computer.

I would love to hear if anyone is still out there? Care to de-lurk?

Homeward Bound

2010-09-15T03:16:00.000-04:00

Horrible movie (I hate movies with talking, real animals--freaks me out, please don't ask why).

We are heading home in 4 days! 4 DAYS, people!
And Cdubs and I will be there for close to 6 months.

Part of my plans for being home include a bunch of classes.
I am taking cooking classes with my dad (this was Kdub's gift to me for my birthday) and sewing classes with my sister in law. I have never sewn with a machine before and my mom is giving me one for the last couple of birthdays (she has wanted to give me one for years, but we haven't been in a place to get one before...now, I want to make stuff for Cdubs...so I said, "screw it, I'll just haul it around with me".)

We have so much to do before we get home, and it is going to be a busy time after. But I am thrilled.
Pictures from the past couple of journeys coming up.

I also need to work on the site revamp and post more...I'm a true slacker.
Please be distracted by the cheeks:

let the checks mesmerize you

focus on the cheeks!

Another hotel room, another beer***aka. TRS and Google can't spell

2010-09-02T16:03:00.001-04:00

Just days after cutting a sliver of a tooth, Cdubs has loosely agreed to come on a couple of trips with us before we head home on Sept. 19th.

Today, we are in Ljubjana*, Slovenia. And no, I can not spell that name without the help of Google.
*Kdubs just informed me that even Google got it wrong...it is Ljubljana....something like that.

It is a very small but very pretty city. It is like all major European cities: it has a picturesque countryside, nice city center square, and a river in the middle.

But Ljubs is like a European city meets Epcot. It is so clean and almost too picturesque. It seems like the metrosexual of all the Eastern European cities: well groomed to a point of questionability.

However, tonight, Kdubs is out to a work dinner and I am in a hotel with a sleeping baby, my Kindle and the local beer: Lasko. It is pretty good. Def. in the top 5 beers of the Eastern bloc.

Tomorrow, we leave for Zagreb. Until then, I bid you zbogom (goodbye) and srečno (good luck-in Slovenian).

Distractions

2010-09-01T04:45:00.000-04:00

We have less than 20 days until we go back to the States. This time for a LOOOOONG visit. 5-6 months! This means that I need to clean, clean, clean. I like to leave the apartment IMMACULATE so I can come back to a spotless (although dusty) place.

Before we leave, we are hitting three more countries and the baby has decided to teeth and/or hit a growth spurt that means we are out many hours of sleep.

Needless to say, I have less time for blogging than I would like. However, I should do it...because I have time...I have just been spending it with my newest internet distractions:

StumbleUpon: Have you done this yet? It is crazy. You list your interests and then just hit Stumble! and you get tossed to all sorts of interesting and different sites. It is the most fascinating thing. I have found some weird sites, some great sites and some in between. But it is now this itch I can't stop scratching! The next stumble will be even better than this one...one more time...and then I'll clean...

From Stumble, I have found the Gawker sites:
Craftgawker: A world of crafty cuteness. Since my mom is getting me a sewing machine for my birthday, I am on high alert for cute things to learn to create!
Weddinggawker: My SIL is getting married this winter...and I am hooked.
Foodgawker: It is like asking the internet, "what should I make today?" With beautiful pictures.
Dwellinggawker: I don't have a house, I don't have anything to make beautiful, but I can NOT stop looking at ideas of what I might want to do for my dream home.

So, I am sorry I am not posting (all 2 of my readers)...I will become more disciplined and stop hitting the STUMBLE button! Just after this next hit.

We like to Party, we like we like to Party

2010-08-20T05:10:00.000-04:00

My baby is about to turn 9 months old...

...so I am doing what every mother would be doing...

PLANNING HER 1st BIRTHDAY!!!!

I am trying to come up with some cute themes, and I need some help.

My family calls her monkey baby, so I was going to do monkeys. (However, my sister in law is kinda claiming them for her son (who is a few months younger than Cdubs).) But then monkeys are not very girlie...and this baby is def. more monkey like.

Then I saw a really pretty theme called, "You are my Sunshine." While yellow is not Cdubs best color, I still like it. But it might be too summery for November. All that yellow next to the beige of the GA after thanksgiving...CLASH!

And then Kdubs suggested a 'round the world theme, which I brushed off as "too adult." But then I thought it would be super fun to do a "Where in the World is Cdubs?" ala Carmen Sandiego and dress her up in a red trench coat. While, I like this idea...it might be better for birthday #2 because we will have finished our travels then.

Have you seen any cute girl themes that aren't too girly?

A lot of the other ones I've liked would be great for when she is older--tea party, fairies, etc.

I just want something cute and colorful.

Open to suggestions below.

Brain Mish Mash

2010-08-16T09:01:00.000-04:00

I have about 3 posts that I need to finish and post, so until I can commit to them, I figured I would just go through a few things that are going through my mind:

I recently started a new part time job. It is only 10 hours a week, but it seems to be taking up all my nap time. Until I can get a handle on things, my apartment is totally suffering.
#1 on that suffering list: Laundry. I have been struggling for almost 2 months to get a handle on our laundry from the first two weeks of traveling. But having a washer/dryer combo means that I can only put 1 sheet or 3 pairs of pants in at atime.
This, however, does not explain why I can't keep up with folding the clothes. That is just me being lazy.
I could really go for a Twizzler right now.
I am also re-watching the first few seasons of How I Met Your Mother...happiness reigns in my tv life.
The baby is getting really big! She is crawling...well more like army-crawling/inch-worming. She is babbling more and more, but her favorite is still Da-da-da-da.
I am loving introducing her to solid foods. We have tackled a lot of purees (zucchini and peas with mint, mixed vegetables with italian seasoning, apples and cinnamon), finger foods (bananas, avocados, bits of toast). And we are thinking about starting on some yogurt and/or soy beans.
I still love breast-feeding, but she is getting less and less enamored with it. She will nurse for shorter and shorter amounts of time, and she does not always want to nurse to sleep.
She sometimes even wants to sleep on her own (with minimal crying). Every so often, she will cry so much that I can then nurse her down.
I dread the weaning process that has obvious started.
I am loving this Tracey Porter dinnerware. But I am not sure if it is a little over-the-top.
33 days until we come home to Atlanta.
Living in Vienna is starting to grow on me, but I am still so excited to go home I can barely stand it!
I made red beans & rice from scratch this week...and now I have "Baby Got Back" in my head!

One more year of my 20s

2010-08-10T16:03:00.003-04:00

Tonight, I am in the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, and am about to start the last year of my 20s. I have never been a person who dreads getting older. I have gray hairs (I call them Kdub hairs, since they magically appeared after I met him)...I have never had a lithe or perfect body...

But one thing has hit me, this eve of my last year of my 20s, pregnancy and childbirth have made me feel and look old!

My hair is crazy looking. Because I won't try and get my hair colored in German I have awful gray roots...I am suffering from the worst bout of baby bangs I have ever seen! and I got the worst haircut of all times before I left. Lets just say no coloring, straightening, conditioning or whatever will fix all that is going on here!

My body feels not like my own. I didn't expect to be Heidi Klum and look normal after a month. I have actually lost a lot of the weight. My clothes mostly fit, they just don't fit right. I have a pooch which I have never had before...breastfeeding has made parts shift...and my skin is definitely not glowing (maybe it is the lack of the pregnancy glow). Too add insult to injury, I have developed carpal tunnel and an ankle sprain that prevents working out.

I feel like the hormones are leaving my body and making me feel "normal," but who the heck knows what normal is anymore.

So here is my resolution for the last year of my 20s. To come to a balance of diet and exercise that looks "effortless," esp to Cdubs. I don't want her to grow up with me obsessed with having to fix myself and I don't want to pass onto her my self-critical nature.

Of course, how critical can I be, sitting in my hotel bathroom (because Cdubs is sleeping in the main room), drinking a Zlatý Bažant beer with Kdubs and eating french fries from room service and some sort of Slovak dessert that may actually be goose liver pate.

Anyways, this is me saying...happy birthday self...you went through a hell of a lot this past year and you made it...congrats. Now buck up and let's blow #29 out of the water.

I know

2010-08-04T09:23:00.004-04:00

I know God exists because of her:

da da da from trs on Vimeo.

That is Solid, Man...

2010-07-28T10:54:00.000-04:00

So we have been introducing solids to the baby...and it has been interesting.

I am making all the food myself. Not because I am a real granola crunchy kinda girl...but because I can't read the labels on the baby food around here. And I am not sure about how her stomach will handle different brands/systems...

That might sound silly, but I am not willing to take the chance.

Especially, since she is spitting up a bit with new foods sometimes...mainly carrots or harder veggies...I think it might be a matter of preparation. We also seem to not be working well with oats. We are working on it.

But she has just progressed to three meals a day...usually:
breakfast: rice cereal in the morning with banana or pears
lunch: rice and veggies
dinner: rice, veggies and usually a fruit.

The veggies we've tackled and like: peas, green beans, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini.
Fruits: pears and bananas

Not our favorite: sweet potatoes and peaches.
I hope to tackle soon: apples, squash, potatoes, berries...

What do you suggest?
Also, we looking to start finger foods. Cdubs is getting much better and is showing signs of being a leftie with her pincher grasp.

She also has developed new skills: getting to table top, sitting up, drinking from a straw, and giving high five.

Great Recipes

2010-07-21T15:40:00.000-04:00

We hosted the babies club this week, and I have to share this great recipe:

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips:

Ingredients

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
1 pound strawberries
1 pear, peeled, cored, and diced
1 necatrine diced
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

The chips were tedious to make, but incredibly worth it!!!

I Miss My Mom

2010-07-19T16:40:00.000-04:00

I am 28, and I miss my mom.

I used to think that was a sad thought. To be a grown up and want my mom.

And now, I hope Cdubs never does NOT miss me.

Because I went 20 minutes to the store today without her...and I missed her.

Us in Poland ... soaking up the polish park experience... where they sandboxes are lined with pierogis...

The problem with being me

2010-07-16T06:52:00.000-04:00

I don't think I am very complicated. Or very deep.

But I am kinda needy (aren't we all in our own ways).

Even though, I am getting better at handling our adjustments back and forth, and it is an adjustment every time in both Atlanta and Vienna, and the baby is sleeping better and is getting adjusted...I am discontent.

Maybe it is just me, but when I get discontent, I look at my marriage to make sure that it is in a good place. I constantly worry that I will let it slip...the problem with that is that I pick at little things and nag and fret over the big and little things. This is my personality and Kdubs (after many years) realizes that when I get into an frantic "fix-it" mode with any aspect in my life, I just need to be soothed, hugged, and then distracted. We then try and "fix" whatever it is when I am less neurotic.

This may be an over-share or a duh...but even after my usual "OMG the baby's sleep pattern needs to be fixed, THE APARTMENT IS A MESS! You don't love me anymore" hormone and stress induced panic attacks, I still feel like I miss something here in Vienna.

Yes, I miss home, but I also miss a sense of connection to this place. I miss friendships and bonds. And that is something that I always want IMMEDIATELY when we have moved. I want to find a group of friends or a go-to best friend. The person or people who GET ME...who understand my humor, is available for coffee/diet coke/wine, understands or at least empathizes with some aspect of my life.

When we have moved before, I expected God to place them in my life. And He does...just not within my first few weeks of moving and not after running around feeling like a disgraced fat kid on the playground thinking "won't you be my friend?"

And while I know it usually happens after some time...I just don't see the point here.

Because of my visa situation (Austria won't give me one), I have to leave the country for 6 months of the year. This is great that I get to come home so much and Kdub's work lets him come home with us for a lot of that time. However, there is no incentive for people here to befriend me...I am not here a lot. And the friends I have in Atlanta have more consistent friends and consistent routines that make it hard for me to be included. Part of me realizes that if I did get attached at either or both places it would be a constant tearing and mending of friendships: "yea, we have so much fun together" then "balls, you are leaving for 3 months...this sucks." But I WANT IT! I want friends!!! I want to fit in!

And the people here (even in the baby group I force myself to go to in hopes of making a connection) don't get me.

This group is nice, we all have babies in the same month of each other. However, these are women from around the world, who live here. Most of them have married Austrians and/or speak the language very well and like/know the culture. No one is here temporarily, no one thinks that going home is a treat, they all act like America is a cultural wasteland, and most of them, as my sister-in-law-who has met them says, are wet blankets.

The ones that seem okay are either people who have been here for eons and have tons of friends...they don't seem interested in making more than casual acquaintences with anyone in the group or English is their second language and my sense of humor doesn't seem to translate well.

There really doesn't seem to be much of a solution for this, but I just wanted to vent into the Internets to blow off some steam...which I can make a lot of with no A/C and 95+ temps.

Ruht Roh

2010-07-16T05:27:00.000-04:00

Messed up my links while doing some maintenance and updating of the old blog.
I also have lost all your comments and links to your sites.

So, if you are out there. Leave a comment so I can get you back on my blog roll.

Thanks,
TRS

Ps. Any one guess what the title of this post is from?

Tough while Traveling

2010-07-10T10:55:00.001-04:00

If I haven't mentioned it before, Cdubs is an amazing traveler. She finally has tackled that little issue of thinking her carseat is going to kill her (and its cohort, the stroller). She takes naps on the road and finds new people fascinating and doesn't mind being in one seat for a long time (as long as it is on someone's lap).

But once at our destination, the poor thing has some trouble adjusting. She doesn't seem to understand why the 24 hour feeding fest should stop, why mom can't hold her continually, why she should play with things on the ground. We have had almost 8 weeks now of interrupted sleep and crazy schedules. The past two nights have been a reintroduction of scheduling. Including (do not yell at me), Crying it Out at night.

She usually goes to bed nicely (if she nurses almost to sleep--we are trying to break that). Sometimes she can go down more awake and listen to her music toy or she just cries for 5-10 minutes. Then, a few hours later she may wake up and cry for a bit. Sometimes she can flip herself back over and go to sleep...other times, we go in and flip her and rub her back. Picking her up, we have learned, does no good. So now, we check on her...if rubbing her back is useless we just let her cry.

It hasn't been perfect but I am hoping that within a week or two, she will be able to sleep through the night again.

Our introduction to solids has taken a backseat while traveling. So we are back to square one: rice cereal and veggies (this week: peas). She got incredibly constipated right before we left the US and I wasn't sure if it was the carrots or something else that caused it, but we are going back to 1 veggie/fruit a week and monitoring its effects.

If you have any tips on introducing solids or helping with sleep. I'd be really appreciative.

Thanks so much

2010-07-10T06:04:00.000-04:00

Cdubs,
I love being your mom. Even though you can't really talk or do much, I think you are HILARIOUS! Thank you for all the smiles and laughs you give me.

Thank you for the grunting and moaning that signals, "Hey, vend-a-moo, get over here and feed me!" and thank you even more for the sighs and moans of contentment.

Thank you so much for letting me see your new tricks. You are so close to crawling we can taste it...but the sitting up makes you seem like SUCH a big girl.

And lastly, thanks so much for the gratuitious spitting up on MY side of the bed this morning. That was a treat worth sharing....why don't you aim for Daddy's side next time?

Love you Monkey,
Mama

We be travelin'

2010-07-09T05:22:00.000-04:00

As soon as we got back to Vienna, we had to start traveling for Kdubs work.

Our itinerary for the 9 days:
Train from Vienna to Warsaw (8 hours)
Warsaw for two days
Train from Warsaw to Krakow (5 hours)
Krakow for two days
Krakow to Prague (8 hours)
Prague for two days
Prague to Vienna (6 hours)

It was a full schedule.

The baby was a wonderful traveler and a less than stellar sleeper.
We are back and working on sleeping through the night again.

I will be posting pics from our trips coming up, but here is a picture of Cdubs to tide you over:

Broadcasting Live From Vienna

2010-06-30T03:19:00.000-04:00

So I came back to Vienna with Kdubs...
Not only did my dad insist, who is out of the hospital and is doing okay...

When I decided to stay with my family, I got an immediate and overwhelming feeling that the decision was wrong. And that was weird.

I had been dreading my leave date, and I thought that staying would make me elated!

I realized very quickly that keeping Cdubs away for an indefinite amount of time from her dad was not good or that I would not be very effective helping my family without him.

I know I made the right decision...the flight over was great...she travels like a dream. Now, I wish she would sleep long enough to let me dream for real :-)

Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers over the last few weeks. I appreciate it.

Up and Down

2010-06-23T21:51:00.000-04:00

Dad came home on Saturday....and it was wonderful.

And then...I got sick on Sunday....on top of the baby not sleeping at all. She is getting up every hour or two crying....when we flip her back on her stomach and pat her back, she is fine. But this is getting old!

Then on Monday he had some problems with his heart rate. They told us to come to the ER. They gave him some medicine and sent him home in a few hours.

After three days of feeling gross and not sleeping, I needed sleep. I went to bed early early only to not be woken by the baby but my mom saying they needed to go to the hospital. Dad was having another episode.

My mom is not a good person to wake up at certain times at night. There are hilarious stories about my dad telling her it was her turn to turn off my monitor (I was on a breathing monitor for many months as a baby)...my mom turned off the VHS...came back to bed and socked my dad in the stomach. Last night was similar. She couldn't find certain documents even though they were in her hand. She freaked out about leaving her glasses at home and wanted to drive back before dropping off my dad...it is not good.

We are getting ready to go back to Vienna on Sunday...now, I'm not sure what to do.

He has been checked into the hospital for a few days because his heart rate is not stabilizing. To say this sucks is an understatement.

I will be honest...I was not thrilled about going to Vienna again and leaving my family...now it seems impossible to do.

My dad says, "you are not a medical professional...you are not needed."
Kdubs says, "If you need to stay, stay."

I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have no idea what to do.

Do I stay and let Kdubs go on without me? That means, a.) being away from him...b.) going back to Vienna by myself...c.) no knowing when we are going to be back together in a "norm" again.

Do I go and not be here for my family? What if they DO need me? What if...

I am putting my faith in that God will make this decision clear before Sunday.
But I am also praying for more sleep...I'm not sure which I am praying for harder.

Waiting for my dad to come home

2010-06-16T15:52:00.000-04:00

I was EXTRAORDINARILY blessed with a dad who kept banker's hours...sometimes even less than banker's hours.

He was home to play with us before the sun went down.
He came to every game or recital.
He took us to practices.
He helped us with homework.

Until recently, he took one trip a year to Las Vegas with his best friend for the Super Bowl. His current job mandates that he travels more (and it was a big shock to the family when that started--even though we were all high school age or older).

As many children, my brothers and I would wait by the window when my dad was away (for the weekend or for a day). We would cheer at the sight of his car and bombard him when he came through the door (if not the driveway).

I am so happy he is doing well after surgery. He is being discharged today and will stay in a neighboring hotel for a few days to make sure no complications arise.

We are just waiting for him to come home...and it feels like I'm in elementary school again, waiting by the window.

Dad's big heartupdate

2010-06-09T23:06:00.002-04:00

So, my dad is going through heart surgery tomorrow.

He was diagnosed a few years ago with a genetic disorder called hypertrophic cardiacmyopathy.

Tomorrow, he goes through open heart surgery to thin the middle wall of his heart.

To say I am scared, is an understatement....I am scared sh*tless.

When he left on Sunday...and he said, "well if I don't see you next week, I'll see you in a 50-60 years in heaven."

This is why I hate him and love him all in the same moment. He is hilarious and strong and wonderful.

This was him while I was laboring: cool and calm and collected.
That is my dad.
Until he walked in the room with my legs up in stirrups getting stitches after labor...he blanched and turned tail so fast...he doesn't love blood or me being hurt...

But he loves Cdubs.
He gave her her first nickname: Monkey baby.
He walked into the room and said, "where is my monkey baby?"

He is so great with her. He is the first one I left Cdubs with for any extended time (a dentist appt.). He loves to put her in the crook of his arm and rock her in the chair and "bristle" kiss her on the back of her neck.

He is a glue, a lubricant, a teddy bear, a comfort, and an inspiration.

Prayers and positive thoughts are appreciated.

***Dad is out of surgery and doing well--thank you for your prayers***

Sleeping like a big girl

2010-06-07T23:54:00.000-04:00

This week is going to be hard,
Not only is my dad going into heart surgery (more on that later), but we are trying to get cdubs to sleep "like a big girl." No sleep aids. No wrap, no positioner...we will not be sleeping much, but we haven't all week so we might as well make it productive.

She has learned to love her jumpy machine:

But she loves it so much, that she wakes herself up doing a jump jump motion (to be blunt she looks like she is humping the air when she is lying down).

So we are hoping that learning to sleep on her own (on her tummy or whatever), will help her to learn to sleep on her own, and get through this exciting period.

We are traveling a lot the next week and then the month after that. She needs to learn this now rather than later. Let's hope this works.

***I will be doing a big post about my dad soon. Please keep him in your prayers.

Cdubs first solid food

2010-05-31T21:57:00.000-04:00

Cdubs had her first solid food a week ago...delicious delicious rice cereal ala breast milk.

And you would have thought the girl had tasted nothing better in her life

I am not really sure where to go from rice cereal.

we are doing a little bit in the morning and a little bit in the evening.

That judgey look is just for my mom, who is taking pictures..."don't get in on this, Lolly!"

***I love that she tries to guide my hand to her mouth***

Proud dad looking on...she never looks away or seems full...this chunk loves her food!

I don't know where to go from here...when do you start the next type of food? How long? What should you start with? It is a fun new world we are embarking on! Advice needed!

Back in the States

2010-05-25T13:01:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, but we have been back in the States.

Cdubs did a great job on the trip, but she has had the hardest time adjusting.

Teething, time zone change, growth spurt, EVERYTHING...

we weren't getting more than 2 hours sleep at a time each night. She is slowly getting better, but it is slowly killing me.

Since we've been home, she has started solids, been in the swimming pool, loves her Johnny Jump up, and is learning to drink from a sippy cup.

This month is a doozy for our big/little girl!

On Accident

2010-05-10T03:30:00.000-04:00

We attended a party this weekend, and, of course, I worried about the important things:

What am I going to wear and more importantly, what is Cdubs going to wear?

My SIL gave C a cute black-and-white sweater dress that she will not be able to wear when the weather is more appropriate (read: cold), so I had her wear that. I was thinking of putting her in pink shoes and being done with it...

For me I was going to wear black because I was photographing the event and black is what you wear...

Then came three simultaneous events:
1.) can't wear my usual brown carrier with black clothes (so I wore my red Moby), which meant I could wear my red shoes with my all black outfit.
2.) C's pink shoes didn't fit and she hated the white tights...so I had to switch her to her red leggings to keep her warm.
3.) C puked on my solid black skirt, leaving me to change into my black and white polka dotted one at the very last minute.

As I walked into the party, I looked down...gasping, I realized, "oh shit, we match!" I have become one of those mothers.

Next stop: matching hats.

I do this somewhat often...not matching but coordinating outfits. Always always always by accident.

I think that when I am imagining her outfits I cross-reference my own wardrobe OR

I am subconsciously bringing out my latent issues that my mother would not wear our matching Laura Ashley dresses to church every Sunday like I wanted to.

Doesn't this picture say it all...the mom looks like she is ready to shoot herself and the daughter looks estatic. I mean, what women doesn't look great in the same dress as their toddler?

Oh well, at least she was happy:

1st Excursion: Budapest

2010-05-07T11:57:00.000-04:00

This week, we went on our first excursion to Budapest, Hungary. It is three hours away from Vienna by train, which was Cdubs's first train ride (see right-she seems really pleased, right?).

It was a nice train trip, and she was very well behaved. She is slowly becoming less and less tolerable to sleeping or eating while things are going on around her. Kdubs was great with her and played with her, letting me read and relax a bit.

Kdubs is what I like to call a tourist-from-hell. He has to see a million things and runs around town checking things off his "must-see" list. He is not leisurely, he never dallies, and he never takes it easy. We are very different tourists. I love to get up late and soak up culture. I love to tackle maybe two things in a day and really get to know them. While neither of those two ways works really well with a baby, she somehow let us both compromise in a way we haven't been able to before. We knew that we couldn't stay out all day and night seeing things (like Kdubs would like to), but if we were going to see anything we needed to tackle it while we could. So we went and took pictures in front of the big monuments (checking things off ala Kdubs), but spent a lot of time near our hotel in case someone needed anything (more my style). We saw so much and Cdubs did great...because, well she napped through most of it.

The only bad thing I have to say about Budapest is that their idea of a/c is a joke! It is like an elephant's hot breath is circulating the air in the room.

Traveling with an infant was challenging and continuing a bedtime routine is a joke, but it could have been worse. We are back in Vienna for a few days and then we leave for the States in 6 days!!!!

I am so excited to go home for a bit, but transatlantic air travel with an infant is never calm and with the Icelandic atmosphere, I am simply praying for no delays and safe journeys. Everything else is gravy...maybe that should be my new saying.

Here is what C thought about Budapest:

Sleep-the great love maker

2010-04-29T07:13:00.001-04:00

Sleep allows me to love my family more...

Sure, I love them unconditionally, but the sleep conditions my love to be silky and smooth.

Cdubs has been a pretty good sleeper after the first two months. She nixed her night feeding after 2 months (ok, we nixed it for her). And we have been pushing up bedtime earlier and earlier to where she was getting 8-9 hours of sleep without waking up.

And then, teething happened and napping more regularly and well a mouse pissed on a cottonball somewhere in the hemisphere and began disturbing her rest....regularly.

However, last night was as close to nights of yore as we've had in a week:
no late night feedings, no inconsolable crying, just a little fuss at midnight that a bit of snuggling cured and nothing else till 6:30.

I have become better with dealing with less sleep...but not by much. I have always needed sleep. It is actually the most selfish thought I had when I found out I was pregnant: great, there goes my sleeping habits, esp my naps. I used to be able to nap at a drop of hat, but now I stay up analyzing random things and/or hearing her noises. So when I finally do fall asleep (after an hour of getting to a good sleeping place), SOMEONE is ready to get up. Now, Kdubs, God love him, offers to let me sleep in or take naps and he'll handle her for a couple of hours...except IT NEVER WORKS.

I'll hear her fussing from the next room or not hear her and worry about why I can't hear her and then there goes any progress I had towards deep sleep.

I know, I know that this will be life until she is 30...

However, I have come up with a genius idea: a turkey timer in the baby that goes off before bedtime that tells you "hey, i'm not sleeping tonight." I think if I knew she wasn't sleeping, I could steal myself for it...like cramming for a test or pulling an all-nighter. It is the lure of sleep lost that kills me.

This all being said...when she lets me sleep (esp. when I haven't had it in a couple of nights), oh she is gorgeous! Seriously...beauty sleep with her works transactively...her letting me sleep makes her more gorgeous.

As if that is possible. (I know I need to take better pictures! But I am either tired or in spending too much time kissing those cheeks!)

Fun with Photo Booth

2010-04-22T17:16:00.000-04:00

We have had some fun photo shoots with our Mac Photo Booth throughout the last few months:

Here is a smattering!

Modeling our new monogram blanket

January

sleeping at Mimi's

January

sleeping on mom

January

Picture for Dad
February

tummy time
February

Mom as backpack
March

putting on our party dress
March

Being punk rock
March

Falling asleep with Mom and Dad in bed

April

I think it is really funny to see how much hair she had just a few short months ago! I also love looking at these pictures and realize how much more vibrant she has become...how much more fun she is each week.

Medical Questions

2010-04-19T17:13:00.000-04:00

One of my biggest fears with a baby is that she will get sick.

Not just THE BIG SICK...I mean the little sick that she will get.

Even though, I made a deal with her two months ago that if she never got sick until she was 60 then I would give her a million dollars.

So, in case she renigs on my deal, I need to ask all you experts out there what do you do when:

It is the middle of the night (no 24/7 pharmacy here either, so this is pre-planning) and...

1.) the baby is throwing up (do babies throw up?)
2.) the baby has a fever (below the take the hospital line-which I forget what that is now, but I have it written down in her medical book, I swear).
3.) she has diarrhea.

Any other ailments I haven't thought of?

I am making my list of new over the counter medicines to bring back when go to the states next month...because NOTHING here is over the counter. Not even tylenol or vitamins.

So give me any medical wisdom you got people!

Sorry for the mush

2010-04-16T12:03:00.000-04:00

I will blame my last mushy post on homesickness.

And I blame the homesickness on the nasty weather and lack of sleep.

We are trying to get Cdubs to fall asleep without nursing. She went down okay but kept getting up every couple of hours.

So I was exhausted to boot...

But today is Friday, the sun is shining and the cheeks, they are aplentiful.

The spark

2010-04-15T07:15:00.000-04:00

When I first met Ken, we were in Russian politics. And we didn't actually meet. We just made eyes at each other, and he wouldn't talk to me when I tried to cross his path after class. He claims shyness. Even when we were just eye flirting...we had something...a spark. That spark let me know that this was something. Something special.

I don't think that THAT spark is something felt in just romantic love. I think that with every type of relationship there can be a moment that you just know that they are special.

I have had it at college, I have had it at work, I have even had it with several bloggers (okay, I couldn't think of a way to make a third blog link, but here you go McMommy).

I have met these women and thought, "Oh yes, we will be friends."

And I haven't had that here. I mean, it has only been a two months...so I can't expect the first person I meet to be my Austria-friend-soul-mate. But I would really like it to happen like that.

Is it just me? Am I a plutonic-romantic-er-plutontic?

My mom says I should just be friends with everyone and don't expect perfection...
Thoughts?

Swaddling: THOUGHTS and ADVICE

2010-04-13T10:28:00.000-04:00

Oh, how I love the Swaddler.

With the actual swaddling blankets, I am all thumbs and elbows.

Cdubs can get out of those with one tiny puff of those cheeks.

But the velcro lovliness of the Swaddler has been essential in us getting to 8-9 hours of sleep at night. (I know I am lucky...it is not every night but it is close...and to make you feel better: she barely naps at all unless it is on me.)

Also, with the swaddler we use a sleep positioner to keep her towards one side (I was a "SIDS test baby" and the dr. said that keeping me on the side was best...so says my mom...so does I).

Now that Cdubs is getting more mobile/squirmy, I am a little worried about her being all pinned in...in case she rolls off of the positioner (which would be a feat of strength, but she is a strong big girl...I would not put it past her).

I have been reading up on transitioning out of the swaddler: when to and how to...but when we've tried to let her sleep half swaddled or with a sleep sack, she keeps waking herself up....

Should we keep trying? what do we do about the positioner? when do we stop using that?

Or do we just keep going with nice luxurious sleep until she says otherwise?

THOUGHTS and ADVICE wanted and needed

An unintended bloggy break

2010-04-12T16:08:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the bloggy break, but I have been enjoying time with my family...
Mine.
Not my parents' family.
But mine

We have been trying to get out more with varied success.

Part of me has such a hard time leaving my nest...I am quasi-agoraphobic and the baby can both help repress and exacerbate this problem.

We have been going all around Vienna and exploring the different districts and sights. To the right, is us at the Prater...the old Imperial hunting grounds now turned crazy-ass state fair. It is tons of fun.

It has been fun and the perfect way to introduce the three of us to traveling together. Kdubs knows that both of us need to be fed and comfy to be happy travelers.

That being said, most problems are all me. I get nervous or uncomfortable about changing/nursing/crying baby out in public and I just want to go home. After I get used to the idea that "hey, it's a baby; get over it people," then I am fine. But when she gets into a crying jag, it is hard not to feel like a bad mom.

This past weekend, Kdubs surprised us with a boat tour down the Danube (well up the Danube) to the town of Melk. Through the wine region and up to the Abbey (picture right). It was gorgeous and made me love Austria and miss home at the same time.

The area really reminds me of the Blue Ridge and my favorite lakes from the south, even though the weather was gross.

I wish there were more opportunities for pictures, but we are definitely taking family and friends here when the visit...so COME VISIT!

That being said, I am getting excited about coming home for a month+ in about a month+. Here are some cute Cdubs pics to distract us all until May 14th.

Rocking her first pair of jeans
and giving what Kdubs refers to as her "judgey" look.

Easter Ready!
I am not a smocking type of mom, but if there ever was an occasion: Easter is it!

I hope everyone is doing well...and forgives this blogging break...but those cheeks are very distracting.

The Sigh

2010-03-31T16:33:00.001-04:00

For the past two nights you have woken up after an hour or two of sleep.
Me or dad spring into action.
Picking you up and rocking you gently.

Your crying turns into a light squeal and then into soft mewing.

And finally, you quiet...

We rock and rock and rock from foot to foot (because we have no rocking chair here).
Swaying you back and forth trying to see how deep of a sleep you are in.

And then you sigh.

Your body relaxes and so does ours.

Your mouth moves and eyelids flutter and you go back to your sleep.

And I gaze at you...completely in awe that I had a hand in creating something as perfect as you.
I suddenly see your precious cheeks melting away into the face of a little girl then lady...

oh you are beautiful.

I slowly stop rocking...put my hands in the "ready-to-drop" position...
and place you back in your crib.

Happy that you are seemingly content to sleep some more and sad that I must leave you.

And then you fart.

With that, I know that I will love you forever.

Laughter

2010-03-24T16:58:00.000-04:00

You have been almost there a couple of times...a chuckle here and there...maybe a squeal of delight.

But tonight you pulled out the big guns.

You laughed with so much abandon while all three of us danced to your fav. song*.

It was so wonderful, and I hope I remember it forever.

I can't wait to hear that laugh forever and ever!!!

*I try to not be ashamed that it is Amy Whinehouse, but thankfully it is obscure and it is your aunt's theme song-named after her. And it is catchy, dangit!

Mommy and Me Monday

2010-03-22T05:25:00.001-04:00

Hosted by Krystyn

It is Mommy and Me Monday again.

When getting Cdubs ready for bath time, I had a flashback:

~~insert Wayne's World: duddilie doo-duddilie doo-duddilie doo~~~

When I was 13, I was lucky enough to have my cousin and her husband live with us while they were saving up for a house. My mom was raised with Pam as an older sister, and Pam lived with us during summers in college. Pam was ALWAYS the coolest. So halfway into the first year of living with us with her husband (who my brothers still think is the coolest human being on the planet), they announced they were pregnant. I was over the moon...I loved watching Pam have cravings for banana chips and warm orange Gatorade. And when her little girl, Caroline, was born...I was in love. I would come home every day and race to hold her, change her diaper and talk to her. Our favorite activity became: Superbaby.

While wearing her hooded towel, I would scoop her up and fly her around the room usually in full view of her mirror so she could giggle at that silly mirror-baby.

I had forgotten about superbaby until carrying Cdubs from one room to another half dressed. I had my flashback and told Kdubs to capture it for me:

Please forgive the sight of me...this was after a very difficult night of 2 hours of sleep.

And please forgive Cdubs belly flash.

Power fists...I love that serious face.

What do you make of this?

2010-03-22T04:38:00.000-04:00

Well, I could make a hat, or a brooch, or a Pterodactyl...

I tried to find a video clip for this quote from Airplane.
So if you don't know it, I'm sorry. and if you do, you're welcome.

I have been learning my way around the Viennese markets and grocery stores and am starting to get the hang of cooking in Metric. So, I decided while cleaning out my tiny refridgerator to put to use some items that we close to expiring...even though it was a Sunday and I couldn't go to the store (yeah, they kick it old school and shut down everything that isn't touristy).

And here is what me and my pal, AllRecipes.com came up with:
(you just type in what ingredients you have and it gives you some possible recipes)

I had Red Currant Jelly (my MIL bought it thinking it was Cherry Jelly)--

Dijon-Herb Pork Roast
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 (2 1/2 pound) boneless pork loin roast
1/2 cup red currant jelly
1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
cooking spray

Directions:
1. Mix rosemary, parsley and thyme. Cut small slits into surface of roast and stuff herb mixture into slits. Place in roasting pan. Roast at 325 degrees F for 1 hour.
2. Mix jelly, mustard, cornstarch and broth in saucepan. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Spoon about 1/4 cup broth mixture over roast. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and spray with cooking spray.
3. Roast 45 minutes or until done. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with remaining broth mixture.

Okay here is where I had to get creative because of lack of ingredients:
I had pork chops instead of roast, so I just rubbed the spices I did have (rosemary and italian seasoning) on one side of the chop after salt and peppering. Poured the sauce over THAT (after making the sauce without cornstarch and very little broth-it really didn't need it in my opinion). sprinkled bread crumbs and put a few pats of butter on the top...why? CAUSE THEY DON'T SELL PAM HERE!!! It is outrageous I tell you!

Things they also don't have: brown sugar (you have to make your own, which I didn't know you could do, from regular sugar and molasses), vanilla extract (they have this stuff called vanilla zucker that is crystalized vanilla sugar), and measuring spoons!

But I was able to figure my way around this meal, which was good. Kdubs said it would be good over chicken too. I also have made banana bread and this next mysterious What-Do-You-Make-Of-This moment:

I had some sort of ready-made pie crust, cinnamon, sugar and butter...so I made cinnamon rolls-rugalach. I rolled out the dough, poured melted butter on it, sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar, rolled it back and cut into pinwheels. Now the dough was flaky and not dough when cooked...but add a little icing to it and it isn't bad!

So, this was my adventure in cooking this week.
***I have seem to have misplaced my spell check button on Blogger. So, please excuse my misspellings.

5 reasons why your husband should not read your blog

2010-03-16T16:26:00.000-04:00

Or 5 reasons why MY husband should not read MY blog:

5.) He corrects my grammar and tries to edit each post unsolicited.
After law school, he has become an editing Nazi. He even does menus when we go out.

4.) He asks about the people who comment. He wants to know about you all and what your blogs are like, but, I swear, only when i am half asleep or watching something important on TV like HIMYM.

3.) He doesn't understand my sarcasm written down. He gets it in person, but thinks I'm a jerk on "paper."

2.) Criticizes every picture of himself all the time!

1.) Doesn't understand that I use him for comedic effect. Kdubs is not you, honey...he is an exaggerated version of you.

I really love to feed

2010-03-16T04:05:00.004-04:00

As mentioned in my previous post...breastfeeding started out as a literal pain!
She came out of the womb ready to latch and suck and eat like a champ, but my poor body couldn't keep up.
I had lacerated nipples and bruised aereolas like you wouldn't believe.

One night I was crying about it (in the shower, where I do my best crying) and Kdubs comes in and looks at me and says, "holy crap, your boobs look demolished!"*** I am sure I just smiled and nodded serenely...or I think I might have thrown something at him (something soft like a towel I'm sure) and said, "Uh, you think I'm crying in pain over a paper cut! After 33 hours of labor?!? really?"

After several weeks and one miraculous lactation consult later, I started to heal (special thanks to Earth Mama Angel Baby butter better than lanisnoh) and started to not dread feeding my little Suck-u-bis.

And just a few weeks ago, I realized I actually enjoyed it.

And I asked Kdubs to document it for me.
There were a lot of gratuitous boob shots, but he is a guy-go figure.
Here are some of the non-boob heavy shots:

We just went through another growth spurt (I think we are coming out the end of it, since she finally got off of the boob on her own accord). But it has been a lot of eating and not a lot of sleeping. But if the result is a big, happy baby, then I guess losing sleep is worth it.

This is my first time participating in the Mommy and Me Monday link from Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?
Go there to see more!

Hosted by Krystyn

***Kdubs says that he doesn't sound like a trucker, saying "HEY NAKED SHOWER LADY! YOU'RE BOOBS ARE DEMOLISHED." Instead he sweetly said, "wow I didn't realize that she was causing those lacerations and that I love to edit your blog unsolicited.

Fell in Love

2010-03-15T05:26:00.005-04:00

Even though I have a ton more "practical" posts to write (about traveling, living overseas, how much of a joy and a pain it is to have a workaholic husband), I need to get this out.

The moment Cdubs came into this world, I cried.

Kdubs said something one day about crying because I was so happy, but I did not cry for joy. I cried simply because my body could not handle the emotions going on inside of me. Trying to verbalize what I was feeling at that moment I said, "it is like every emotion was coming out of me at the exact same time."

Joy, Fear, Exhaustion, Anxiety, Relief, Anticipation, Horror, Pride, and Peace. All at the same time.

After 41 and a half weeks of pregnancy and 33 hours of labor, I went into autopilot mode: Take care of this baby. Make sure I don't screw this up.

I was too nervous and tired to feel anything for a few weeks.

I smiled when people congradulated me.
I laughed when trying to make other people laugh at my nocternal baby.
I cried hormonal tears.
I cried pain tears at breast feeding.
and I definitely cried tired tears.

After 3 weeks of breast feeding pain and exhaustion over her getting her days and nights on track, I got up for another diaper change in the middle of the night. I put her on the changing table and looked down with bleary eyes and....she smiled.*

And that was it.

I fell in love.

I fell in love the same manner I fell in love with Kdubs. I just hung around them at first because they were cute, and both of them slowly chipped away at my heart. Until one moment, I blinked and I knew...that I loved them and would do anything to make them smile like that again.

*Now, you can say that smile was gas or just exercising muscles, but I say that God knew I was at my end and let her show me that all of it was worth it.

The Pros and Cons of Visitors

2010-03-07T04:38:00.002-05:00

We have had parents in and out the past three weeks...
Pros:
-Someone to hold the baby whenever I need to eat, cook, or pee.
--Someone to come out and explore this new city with me.
---someone to talk to when Kdubs goes into his manic workaholic phase.

Cons:
-Having to be a constant hostess and tourist.
--not being able to get into a routine.
---not having any alone time with Kdubs

Even with a few cons, I am very nervous about them leaving. I am worried about being over here by myself, especially when Kdubs goes to crazy workaholic phase.

The baby has been still in flux especially at night, and I am still tired a lot. I wish I could nap and nap and nap, but no can do.
Such as life with a baby, right?

First of many mom-judgements

2010-03-02T15:20:00.003-05:00

I was in an Austrian version of a homegoods store today when a lady passed me with her baby sitting in the seat portion of the shopping cart. The baby was sitting up straight and very animated and holding onto the handlebars very excited for the outing.

AND SHE WAS TINY!

She had to be several months older than Cdubs developmentally but she couldn't have been any bigger than her...maybe even smaller!

This just affirms my suspicions that Cdubs is to Austrian infants what Godzilla is to the people of Japan.

But more pink and gummy (well, I am not sure that is the case for long...she might be teething?!?)

Cheap Trick

2010-02-26T06:27:00.002-05:00

Not this Cheap Trick

Although it is a great song.

I am trying to do a new blog design, but I am having a hard time doing it from scratch at the moment.
Because of small things like the baby, the move, and work...

And what does my mom want done first? Thank you notes and birth announcements...so the blog design got the Tijuana version of a facelift.

Please don't judge me too harshly.

Our first week as Expats

2010-02-22T14:15:00.006-05:00

Okay, so our first week as expats was something.

On my first night walking into my apartment. I almost broke down crying.

***please keep in mind I hadn't slept in 36 hours, I was nervous as all hell, and I wanted my mom!***

We drove up to the apartment building in a hired van that stuffed all 13 of our bags and a screeching baby (she hates her carseat) unceremoniously in the back. It was a long disjointed drive through the industrial parts of Vienna while it was gray and rainy at 9pm. I dozed off to sleep and woke up in a weird, old, dirty apartment building and was told to walk towards the front door. It was dark and rainy and gray...we went up four flights of dark, grimy, and gray stairs. To a door that was dark and gray.

I walked into the apartment and it seemed dark and grimy and gray.

Of course, it wasn't. Kdubs had done his best to scrub the construction dust away and spruce it up, but the furniture was all weird looking and didn't feel like home and I was sooo tired. I just sat there...quiet and still...and completely overwhelmed. I LEFT MY HOME FOR THIS SHIT SHACK.

After daylight and some rearranging by me and the in-laws it is definitely feeling more like home.

Here are some pictures:
our entrance "hall"
the sunroom/drying room/secondary office
the dining room and official office
the den with the Romanov castoff gold counches (they looked so dingy but now i realize that is brocade)
The three part bathroom
The really nice kitchen (it really is bigger than our american apts.)
with one exception...our tiny fridge.

So there is your tour of our apartment. I have spent 90% of this first week going from store to store trying to get what we needed. I have a lot of it done but still some fun challenges ahead, like Tylenol, ironing board, light bulbs. The people of Austria seem pretty nice (except the bitch that works the checkout line at our grocery store-seriously someone must put a hot poker up her butt every day for how miserable she is). I love the tram system because it is a lot like DC, and I am starting to get a feel for this. We'll see how week 2 goes without my in-laws helping us out.

Helpful in-laws! they do exist. More to come on that.

We are here!

2010-02-18T12:58:00.002-05:00

This is the view from my back window.

We are living on the grounds of a Schloss (schloss Neuwaldegg), which is like an estate/castle. We live on a fourth floor walk up, which is not as bad as it sounds, so far. It has been quite an adjustment the past few days, but the baby and I seem to be coming through fairly unscathed (KNOCK ON WOOD!).

Here are some things I will be blogging about in a bit:
Traveling overseas with an infant.
What to bring when you move overseas.
What to do when you first get moved in overseas (hint: don't panic).
What I like and don't like about living here so far.
More pictures of Cdubs.

Why am I laying this all out!?! Because I searched and scoured blogs for this information so I am going to pass on what I have learned.

What else to look for: Hopefully a new blog layout and more updating. My in-laws are with us for 2 weeks, so I wont' be truly avid until then.

Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes. I hope that this adventure keeps us all entertained (safely!).

My Momma Loves me so

2010-02-13T10:15:00.002-05:00

Cause she makes me my favorite meal before we leave:
Quiche! She seriously makes the best quiche, and since Kdubs has no tolerance for dairy, this is a big treat for me.

I always eat the filling first, then the crust cause that is the best part!

You will also see in this picture...a wine glass that I drank to help me get over my nerves and help me sleep (yeah that didn't work) and Cdubs snow boots cause we got snow yesterday (not that we went out in it...i figured I'd get enough of it in Austria.

In case you were wondering...can't sleep...too much going on in my head. But quiche makes me happy

Pic of Cdubs for your viewing pleasure

One of our outfit shots for dad.

Packing and more packing

2010-02-12T14:43:00.002-05:00

Endless amount of packing and re-packing.

Guess it has to end by 3pm on Sunday, right?

One Week

2010-02-07T17:11:00.002-05:00

Exactly, one week till we leave for Austria.

There is so much to do! I have a lot to pack and a lot to get in order.
I am very nervous and very excited to see Kdubs.

I think the baby senses all the "turmoil" because she is not eating or sleeping as well as normal.
Hopefully, this is a great call for me to calm down and trust that God will take care of us.
I keep saying, "I'm not moving to Africa...it will be okay if we forget something or if something happens."
But saying and believing are two totally different things.

I hope to roll out a new layout soon to commemorate with our new adventure.

Pictures of Cdubs

2010-02-05T22:01:00.003-05:00

the night before Dad leaves.

you can tell her thoughts about the situation.

check out my boots! This picture was taken before feeding so explains the face. She doesn't scream THAT MUCH, I swear.

And that giraffe just said something mean to her...I won't repeat it...but he deserved the tongue lashing he's getting.

One of my favs. She is sporting the newest in infant fashion-the snugglie-turned toga look. It is very hard to pull off.

And she knows she does.

showing off her new hat and gloves for Austria. The accessories say "i'm cute and preppy" the look on her face says, "sup, bitch."

Lovin' the new hat.

First of many freak outs

2010-01-26T22:35:00.005-05:00

I have discussed my paranoia on here before. here. here. and here.

And I know that having a baby would not help that, but I was not prepared for what happened today.
I have started going out with just me and Cdubs in the car. I thought I would invest in those rearview mirror things because I didn't think it would be worthwhile for our short while here.

But with a few roadtrips in our future, I broke down and bought one. It is great and has a beanbag weight on the mirror so you can easily move it from one car to another.

plus it is a monkey!

So the first day I went out with the mirror and baby in tow. I went to adjust the mirror to see the baby and saw an arm reaching out from behind the car seat!!! There was a person in the car about to grab the baby!!!!!

I looked back and realized that I was in a car not a truck...there was no where for a person to be behind the baby like in my SUV...
I looked back in the rearview mirror and went to straighten my hair like I did before and noticed the arm in the mirror again.

The facing mirrors had created the infinity mirror effect causing me to see the back of my arms. I am an idiot. And paranoid.
I am a paranoid idiot.

Cdubs has no hope of having a normal mother. (again, Holy CRAP I'm someone's MOM!--when does it stop being a shocking statement?)

Like a trucker cruisin' on the Interstate Mom

2010-01-23T20:00:00.004-05:00

tell me that doesn't remind you of a trucker leaning out his big rig checking out the scenery....
An unflattering picture, I'll give you that, and photo booth is washing my girl's pink cheeks out. But that face, the I'm-content-as-lazy-house-cat look or the Eat-shepoopie-and-die look (I can't decide which one she is giving at the moment) is hilarity

Punk Rock Baby

2010-01-23T19:48:00.003-05:00

Top: Queen "we are the champions" onesie from Target
Bottoms: heart polka dot leggings
Socks: Red converse shoe-socks

Picking an outfit that irritates my mother: Priceless

Missing the K in Kdubs

2010-01-16T00:44:00.002-05:00

So Kdubs left for Vienna for good on Sunday.
When I say for good, I just mean he has moved there. He packed 8 bags and left us.

It was sad, but it was much more tolerable than his previous departure. And I figured out why:
Cdubs.

Yeah, KW was partially right, she relieves a lot of my boredom when he is gone. But she also makes me have to buck up and be THE MOM! (holy hell, I'm someone's mom!!!) I can't wallow in self pity and cry myself to sleep. I have to take care of her...all the time.

It has been a good feeling. And she just makes me happy. Cheeks like hers does that.

I miss him like crazy but I honestly think he might miss us more. I mean how can you not miss the cheeks!

And no, we don't have a leave date for us yet. The reason why: my dad is having some heart issues (they were known before but he is getting somethings checked out on the 25th) and we are waiting for the all clear to leave (or leave and come back if he needs surgery). I don't always like asking for prayers, because I know that God will take care of us and him (and I do know the power of prayer even with that knowledge) but it feels selfish to ask for prayers sometimes (maybe it is just me, I'm weird). Anyways, if y'all could send some good thoughts, prayers etc out on the 25th, I'd appreciate it.

***new pictures coming soon***

The difficulty in posting

2010-01-11T18:20:00.002-05:00

It is difficult to post while swinging your baby around the room like a mad woman (she is in her moby wrap)....in an effort to calm and soothe her.

Please tell me some of you watch the Middle, with Brick and his soothing...it the height of hilarity.

I am trying to find a clip to share with you...but I am failing and baby is crying.

Okay will post better later...when you know who is sleeping.

A month with Cdubs

2010-01-06T19:47:00.003-05:00

Cdubs is now almost 6 weeks old!

And here are some happenings in her life so far:

Nursing has finally gotten easier. I could write a whole post on the turmoil of the first few weeks of nursing, but I am actually liking it now and thanking God that she is a great nurser.

She came in at just under 11 lbs at her one month well visit. She is very long, especially in the torso (just like her mom!).
Our pediatrician also 'recommended' that we start getting her to sleep through the night (aka stop the night feeding).

It has been an adventure. The first few nights, she slept from 12-5 or 6 but then she started to try and sleep earlier (10 or 11) and waking up earlier. She is still making it around 5 hours at a stretch, which is great! But we want to instill good sleeping habits as well. Her ped said that at her weight her kidneys and system can stay in "fast" mode for seven hours...so hoping for 6 is not a big deal. But it feels like a big deal. We are also letting her cry herself to sleep a bit (she cries for 5 minutes or so and then we comfort her and put her down--usually she is calm and sleeps pleasantly after one or two comfort sessions.

She is getting more and more alert, more smiley, and just more fun!

We also survived our first couple of nights without Kdubs, while he was in California. It was hard not having someone to pass the baby off to every once in awhile. He is leaving for Vienna on Sunday, and we do not know when I am going. So it could be a month or so until we see him. I hate thinking about it.

But this sweet baby makes a lot of things worth it.

Baptism and Christening

2009-12-18T16:19:00.005-05:00

The baby was baptized on Friday.

It went great. It was very special. Especially when the baby pooped the very first second of the ceremony, and I had to pray that she wouldn't blow out on her white dress or cry the entire time.

Because let me tell you one thing about my girl, she is fastidious. As soon as her diaper is dirty, she screams like she is on fire! I'm talking a drop of pee and the diaper must be off asap!

As you may have noticed, I have not referred to her as anything. Now, I am usually a open book when it comes to the blog, but Kdubs is different (hence the reason I have to refer to him as Kdubs). He is letting me put pictures of her up here, but I had to compromise by coming up with an alternative name for her. Most of you follow me on facebook and know her full name, but tonight she is christening the blog with her new blog-name. There are many contenders, but I think this is the one I like. It may change:

I was going to do Cdubs but with her cheeks, I am thinking Chubs. But she will hate it when she is 13. I also call her Cheekies alot. And Kdubs likes calling her Chuck.

So what is your vote:
Cdubs
Chubs
Cheekies
or Chuck

Pictures from our first few weeks

2009-12-18T10:59:00.005-05:00

My favorite picture. This was taken when I was holding her in the back of the car after nursing. No, the car was not moving. We were parked waiting for Kdubs to run some errands. Love that I caught her smile.
This was one of my favorite outfits and it matches the quilt I made her.

From the shower, She will definitely need a game day outfit even in Austria.

The hostesses and us at our first party together
Screaming at great Grandpa.
Us, at our first party together. We had a great time. She was an angel and I fit into my pre-pregnancy pants (a little tight but still fits!). For all those who followed my weight loss before I got pregnant: I am about 10 lbs away from being back at that goal, but I am not doing anything about it right now. Just nursing. I will work my way to working out and watching what I eat after the holidays.

Chillin in our Moby wrap

2009-12-17T14:43:00.002-05:00

We are trying to get used to our Moby wrap. She doesn't seem to like to have her head in at all...but she loves being held so this is a great one hand saver! Any body else use the Moby wrap and have a suggestion on holds or how to use it?

The First Week

2009-12-07T23:34:00.002-05:00

Baby has her days and nights confused.
We (and I mean me because Kdubs can't successfully nap during the day) are up all night. She is not necessarily fussy, she just doesn't want to be put down to sleep.

She nurses like a champ but my nipples aren't handling it as well. Cracked and I think a few plugged ducts from where my belly bandit was rubbing up against the bottom of the boobs. TMI? Sorry, there is no such things after birth.

I definitely have the weepies. But I know it is a combo of the impending move, lack of sleep, being overwhelmed by the baby and finding out that Kdubs will have to leave before us (which is good for the grandparents, doctor's visits, and getting the apartment in Vienna set up...but bad for me).

Have to run, time to feed...ouch.

fav pic from B-day

2009-12-02T14:23:00.003-05:00

Kdubs chatting it up during the post delivery check.

Sorry to disappoint but all of the pics of me post delivery are hideous and shall not be on the interwebs.

She's Out

2009-11-30T21:36:00.003-05:00

Well the unknown baby is a Girl!

I totally guessed wrong.

She came in at a whopping 8 lbs and 14 ounces. I might post some of the labor stuff over here later but miraculously I have forgotten the bad stuff!

If you count the start of labor from the water breaking, then I was in labor for 31 hours. I went the "natural route" until a 12:30am epidural at 7-8cm. I would like to say that I would have continued natural if I wasn't so tired, but it HURT! And I was not happy that I was becoming impolite. With the third change of nursing staff, I was getting upset that a whole shift would see me being mean and surly. Now, I know that it isn't THAT big a deal and I "shouldn't" care...but I do. And I felt better being able to say "thank you" for checking my stats, "no thank you" for do you need anythings, and generally feel like a person. Cause right before the epidural I could barely get a grown out as a yes or no.

Kdubs is doing fine...Very tired. Even though, he knows he has gotten more sleep than me.

Progress II

2009-11-27T09:53:00.002-05:00

Water broke at 2:30 am.

Contractions are around every 7 minutes or so.

We are just chillin' at the house until the contractions get closer together!

Hope the baby is doing okay in there!

As i Contract

2009-11-24T21:32:00.002-05:00

Right now, I am contracting like crazy, but I never know if it is going to be the real deal or die down in a bit.

But with this being Thanksgiving week and the end of the pregnancy, I thought I would write down some quick thoughts on how thankful I am for this pregnancy.

This pregnancy has been wonderful, especially what I hear from other people's pregnancies. I had very little morning sickness, the preggo hormones seemed to do good things for me (I was less volatile or moody than my usual monthly hormone jag), and I really felt good for the most part. I liked feeling this baby grow inside me. I liked feeling it move.

However, I kept my distance emotionally throughout this pregnancy. I didn't want to get attached, to feel too blessed and have it taken away. But I don't care now...seeing those pictures yesterday and realizing how far I've grown (physically and mentally), I've lost a lot of my fear about this change in my life. And I just feel blessed.

Kdubs and I have reconnected in a great way. I am feeling ready to have this challenge and blessing with him.
And I didn't feel this way on my due date (chock it up to God's timing, huh?).

Sorry, if this was cheesy and corny...I don't get this way often so you'll just have to deal until my sarcasm comes back.

Progress

2009-11-23T17:27:00.003-05:00

So I have dialated 1 more centimeter....bringing the grand total to 3!
Evidently the cervix is still thick so there might be some Cervadil in my future.

Next week, we will start talking about induction.
They did the biophyscial ultrasound, and the baby looked great!

Lots of fluid, good blood movement through the umbilical cord, baby is practice breathing great, and the tech said s/he looks good.

they also did a 3D ultrasound for free. Now, i typically think these pictures seem worthless and weird looking but I love these pictures!!!!

Check out those cheeks...they are killing me!

these lips are totally KW

his/her tongue was coming out the whole time! Just like dad!!!

No baby yet

2009-11-21T20:15:00.002-05:00

Still no baby!!!!

In Athens

2009-11-19T14:55:00.003-05:00

So we are officially in Athens (the city of my midwife and my hospital).
Waiting for this baby to make its appearance.

I can't call anyone on the phone because they think I am calling to say I'm in labor.
It is a bit annoying, but I'm glad they are excited.

I am contemplating going full on with the "lets-get-this-baby-out" campaign.
I do not want to have this baby in December, but I don't know if I am ready to smoke this baby out yet.

It is a little scary to say, "I'M READY! LET'S GO!"

Kdubs and I are doing much better. It is nice to be back on our own again and not relaying our lives around my parents. As much as I love my parents and they have been taking great care of me, I have relied on them throughout Kw's absence, and it was hard to stop relying on them and go back to my husband. 6 weeks will do that, I think. Other people can and have done this and longer, but I don't think anyone can do it without some problems re acclimating to each other.

tomorrow is the due date...Maybe I will have an "on-time" baby.

Getting Ready for the Real Deal

2009-11-14T18:23:00.002-05:00

So we are 6 days away from our due date. And I feel that we could go to the hospital at any moment.
I have been having more and more contractions every day.
They have not been consistent and stop after I change positions or drink some water.

For some reason, I just think this is going to happen soon.

My midwife is on call this weekend, so I would be pleased as punch to have it this weekend so I don't have to disturb her after her on call weekend. I don't like to be rude, but I might be rude and insist she be there for this.

One of my fears is that we are still at my parents house, which is an hour away from the hospital. So, I want to give myself plenty of time to get to the hospital but I'd like to labor at home for as long as possible. Ideally, we'd hang out in my brothers house in Athens as soon as the contractions got going...but who knows how everything will play out.

KW is home, but to be honest we are having a more difficult time adjusting to each other after 6 weeks apart. I have gotten used to being on my own, he has gotten used to not dealing with typical (and some untypical) girl issues. Hopefully, we can get reconnected before the baby comes. Which means we better hurry if this baby comes tonight.

I wish I knew what true labor and contractions were like. I'm sure I'll find out but I just want to reassure myself that this isn't the real deal.

Posting again

2009-11-09T22:12:00.002-05:00

Ken finally came home.
And he was very sick.

And he just left again.
And now I am sick.

This was an unexpected trip.
And I am not happy about it.

It has been a tough week with him home. Jet lag, sick, getting him ready to leave again.
I have not been a happy camper.

I am nervous about going into labor without him here.
So I am just going to think happy thoughts about baby staying put until the weekend.

A playlist to labor to

2009-10-24T21:52:00.007-04:00

One of my friends, who is a labor & delivery nurse, was talking about music for laboring, and I said, "I just don't think I can do the calm, meditative music. I'm going to need something to jam to." Her response was, "whatever works for you just please no ENYA...I'm so tired of it."

So here is what I am thinking for my labor themed playlist:

A great get pumped song:
Europe-Final Countdown:

If you have ever seen some of the natural birth moves, this makes sense:
Shakira-Hips Don't Lie

Cause Gloria will tell you the truth:
I will Survive

Because Axel Rose welcoming you into the world is completely normal:

My favorite for the Power Hour:
MC Hammer's Too Legit 2 Quit

A classic for the home stretch:
Salt N' Pepa's Push it

I am going to try and have a more calming selection too...
but to be honest...I am not a music person and will most likely listen to my white noise machine more than anything...

so what would your choices be as a Fun and/or Soothing song?

A week to go!

2009-10-22T20:55:00.002-04:00

At this time (hopefully) a week from now (God willing) KW will be home!!!

A whole month apart...I can't believe it.

Actually, a whole week has to move quickly enough not to drive me crazy and then I will not believe that I have made it!!!

I'd like to say that I handled this separation with grace and dignity, but I have not. I have moped and pouted and created ridiculous arguments. Why? Because it is easier to fight on Skype than have the ability to try and recreate our normal relationship over "new media." Since we can only talk at 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon his time (8 or 9 my time)-prime working time for him or 11pm to 1am-his prime sleeping time, we do not get to have great talks. Also, as many people in a relationship for almost 10 years can attest, some of the best times we have is just sitting around talking about stupid things that our on your mind, and I have a hard time doing that spontaneous talking during pre-scheduled times. So we have taken to fighting over stupid things just to feel like our conversations aren't "so how are you doing..." "what did you eat today..." etc.

It is sad.

I know.

And I can barely wait for it to be over!

Mom Imposed Bed Rest

2009-10-18T11:04:00.003-04:00

I was supposed to go to a play with my mom this afternoon, but after 4 failed attempts of putting shoes over my swollen feet, she put HER FOOT down as only a mom can do and said, "your feet are up for the rest of the day and you will drink nothing but water."

well, I'm not in love with drinking lots of water (it makes bathroom breaks too frequent for me). But the putting my feet up is probably a good idea. I would like to be productive, but if I can get my feet back down to size, it is probably the best thing for me.

Got to love having a mom who is dictatorial in her love and care of you!

Anybody have some fun sites to check out while I'm strapped to this couch?

Preparation

2009-10-17T10:40:00.002-04:00

Thank you Erin and Kelly for your suggestion of classes.

I have taken a 6 week childbirth class and a breast feeding class, and you are right they have helped.
I think part of my fear is that the classes are over. When I was going to class, I was doing something, preparing, and now I am back to waiting. Can you tell that patience is not my forte?

Also, KW was only able to make it 2 of the childbirth classes, so in a lot of ways I am worried that he is not prepared either!

I'm going to try and work on putting my trust in God and chipping away at my to do list!

Any other helpful suggestions or maybe books to read out there?

This is my confession

2009-10-16T21:12:00.003-04:00

Here is my confession:
I have not been posting awhile because I have been down.

K-dubs has been in Austria for 2 weeks now. For work. It has not been great. I have been lonely and not sleeping very great. You would think that would be a recipe for blogging all the time, but unfortunately, I haven't been doing much other than working around the house, packing stuff for Austria, and being a little bit of a Mopey Molly.

KW seems to like Austria okay. He is living a bit of a monastic lifestyle of working, living, and sleeping in a plain room with only a bed and a desk. So it has not been a crazy exotic time. He has been working all sorts of weird hours and hasn't gotten over the jet lag.

He has two more weeks.

On top of being down because Kdubs is gone, I am also scared of EVERYTHING! Going into labor with KW not here, labor in general, all the decisions about the baby (finding a Pediatrician, vaccinations, getting all the baby equipment, etc.), getting ready for Austria, visa stuff....

If I start thinking about any of it, I start thinking about all of it. And then I go a bit nuts. But I am wondering if I should start getting some of this stuff off of my mind and heart?!? I would like to get y'all's opinion on things...even though it might be a bit controversial.

Was there anything you were nervous about having a baby, labor, etc?

I am not one of those people that answers "OH DEFINITELY!" to the question, "Are you excited about giving birth?" Of course, I'm excited, but I'm also scared shitless.

I'm ready to meet the baby but I'm scared about all the changes that it will bring.

Is this weird or bad? That I am not 100% without-reservations-excited...I'm nervous too. Any words of advice out there?

Fall Television

2009-09-17T01:29:00.002-04:00

Because my popular culture doppelganger, Laugh Everyday, went to the comments for my feelings on the fall tv lineup and I'm up with a kicking belly at 1AM...I thought I'd fill you in on my thoughts on the fall lineup.

My favorite entertainment website, BuzzSugar, is my daily place for what to watch. She even puts up "What to Tivo" each day...it is perfect! She has a fall TV schedule here. And breaks down the new fall dramas and comedies and what to do when the decision becomes too tough!

Okay, so to hear my thoughts on the fall rundown...I will organize by category as well:

Dramas-don't watch them until the first full season is out on DVD and can get officially hooked. This is what has happened with me and Bones, and I am SO excited about the return of my favorite crime fighting duo on this Thursday!!!! I unfortunately (I don't mean this, baby) have birth class at that time so it will have to be Tivo-d and waiting at home. I also like Fringe, even though it spooks me out, but I can only watch it with all the episodes together at one time.

I did catch the first episode of the CW's the Vampire Diaries online. It was not bad, but it was a bit too angsty and I think I am over the whole Twilight/True Blood thing. blaspheme, I know!

Reality shows-I am already loving this season of Project Runway, even with all the changes. They have had some really great challenges. Did anyone else see the maternity challenge? LOVE IT! I also am hooked on Top Chef: Las Vegas. I got my dad on it too. We are routing for Kevin from Atlanta. His restaurant, the Woodfire Grille, is amazing! Plus, I love that he says that he is a southern fatboy and that is what drives his cooking. I also watch America's Best Dance Crew (ABDC to those in the know). This show makes me want to shake the big butt that I got, but that is not so easy 8 months in. I really hated Vogue Evolution and will go on a limb and say that the tranny danced like a big mess. That is right...there was a tranny that was on the show (even though there are a few girls on the all girls team that look like trannys) and the only reason her/him...herm? team stayed on as long as it did was because shim was representing herm people!

Comedies- AH my love. Nothing better than a good comedy but nothing is worse than a bad one. I am already in love with Glee, and if you haven't started watching...shame on you! It is great drama, tons of laughs, and amazing singing that stays with you throughout the week. My favorite line from tonight's episode: "They say it takes more certainty than talent to be a star. Just look at John Stamos."

Returning comedies that I will always watch: HIMYM, Big Bang Theory, and the Office...and Greek (which is more of a Drama sometimes!)

The new ones I'm going to check out: Accidentally on Purpose (I love Jenna Elfman from Dharma & Greg), the Community (great time slot and I love Joel McHale), Cougar Town (but I'm not too hopeful about this one), I just don't know if I can get on board with Hank (even though I love Kelsey Grammer) or Modern Family.

I'm excited to watch as much TV as I can before leaving the states...I'm conferring with a friend who is an ex-pat in Portugal on how to get my American TV fix.

What are you excited to see coming up this fall?

Computer sharing is no fun

2009-09-11T13:53:00.004-04:00

Kdubs went off to Germany and Austria with my laptop!!!
I know, how rude (ala Stephanie Tanner).

Living at my parents' house with one family computer, no wireless, and no laptop of my own is not very conducive to blogging or being really productive.

The update on Austria:
Kdubs had a hard time with jet lag but after getting to Austria really was happy with what he saw. The apartment that we might be leasing was beautiful, and he really liked the neighborhood. He thought it was a great place to raise a child.

There are some problems with the space and the price quoted, so we are in the middle of more negotiations. FUN! I will def. be posting pictures as we go along. Along with being a really large apartment, it is also not furnished (as most apartments for lease are)...so we may be living very minimally.

70 days to go till due date!!! Here is a new bump picture:
More traditional picture
More TRS style!

I'm definitely getting large and in charge!

Break it down

2009-09-01T11:21:00.004-04:00

So this job...probably should expound on what it is and what we are doing, huh?

Well without going into the name and crazy details of the job (cause we have all learned from Dooce about that!), here is what I can tell you about this job:

It is a brand new position created by this non-profit organization to build a European presence.

Translation: KW is the only person in the company for thousands of miles. Most work will be supervised by email, and he will be going at it blind for the most part. This also means that we have no support system in filing visa work, understanding the health insurance system, and oh, I don't know...how to translating things from GERMAN!

The job will entail a good bit of travel

Translation: When the bosses want to meet with someone in Europe or go to a conference but don't want to go themselves...they send KW. And me. and our baby. I am actually going over there as unofficial help. I will help with travel arrangements, phone calls, and minor research. Mainly whatever needs to be done that can be done around a baby. This travel will mean a lot of trial and error in the "Traveling with baby" category. Expect a lot of funny, awful, and crazy stories.

There are a lot of good and bad aspects of this job:

Bad-Kdubs will have to go over to Europe without me (while I am hugely pregnant).

Good-Kdubs will have the opportunity to hopefully get the apartment and office details squared away before we get there.

Bad-He may have to go over without us after the baby is born if the baby's visa takes a long time to get squared away

Good-He may have to stay with us longer if HIS visa process takes longer than expected

Bad-I have no idea how to take care of baby much less in a foreign country

Good-There seems to be a cool network of women called the Vienna Babies Club and a possibility of a few expat women living in the an apartment compound that has been offered to us.

Bad-Cannot take things from showers or big baby accessories with us to Europe (too expensive to ship)

Good-We will finally have an excuse to pair down our crap!

Bad-KW leaving today for a week to go to Germany and Austria

Good-we get to spend 24 hours together for 2 years once we are over there.

Armed with a Rosetta Stone in Deutsch (I think I spelled that right), the trusty internet, and a great family support system...I am going to figure out how to do this.

So in the future you will probably read about my adventures in bureaucracy, more fears about raising a baby, tantrums about leaving Penny, wails about Kdubs leaving me...and probably more nonsense about Jim Halpert (CAN YOU BELIEVE HE IS ENGAGED!!! I mean I like Emily Blunt and all, but he is off the market!!?!!?!? oh, wait...so am I....)

So there is news

2009-08-30T17:19:00.004-04:00

So it is as official as it is going to get...

We have our next roaming destination: Vienna, Austria

Kdubs just got the finalized job offer and he accepted. He will be going off and on until November/the-month-the-baby-is-due. We will all move over there after the baby is born...hopefully early to mid-January if all the paper work works out.

I don't know much about Austria, except this building seems pretty popular

And they are known for their music. Something about a boys choir and an opera?

The job will entail a LOT of travel around Europe and will last around 18-24 months. So as of right now...that is the plan. Crazy, right? We knew this might happen, but we just didn't think that it would pan out. I'm a little scared...ok, a LOT scared. And I am still processing a bunch of details and plans and to-dos.

So this is why I have been quiet for awhile. Negotiating, Processing, going back and forth.

What do babies sleep in?

2009-08-15T12:41:00.001-04:00

On our Babies R Us trip, Kdubs and I discovered something disheartening...

Bedding Arrangement-Plan A won't work.
What is plan A, you ask?
Since we have no idea when we are going anywhere, where we will be going, or what our arrangements will be, we wanted to get something that could travel well (since we might be traveling a lot and hotel cribs ook me out) and would be sturdy...

So after much research I thought an Arm's Reach Co-sleeper would be best. Great for breastfeeding, keep the baby close but not in the actual bed. I also thought it could be used as a play pen later. I had read a lot of reviews and was pumped.

Until I went into B-R-Us and played with the one on display!
It was unruly, hard to fold up, the play pen area looked flimsy and awful. It was small and there was warning labels printed on all the fabric...SO NOT CUTE!!!! Kdubs played around with it for awhile, and he was even more fed up than me!

So we looked around and brainstormed:

Do we get a Moses basket, a bassinet, a playpen, and a a traveltime bed? We'd like to wait to get a full crib until we move...less furniture to move, etc.

What do/did you all use for the first few months? Did you try something and hate it? Please advise me!!!

Birthday to Me

2009-08-14T15:48:00.002-04:00

So 28 years of me being on this planet has come and gone!!!
But this birthday was special for me because it is the first one in awhile that K-dubs was able to fully participate in the birthday festivities.

He took me out to breakfast to my favorite-Waffle House-by ourselves...it was so nice and just plain fun.

We took my cousin to see G.I.Joe. Popcorn and coke...my favorite treats!
The movie was okay. I loved the cartoons as a kid but they have globalized Joe and for a lot of reasons I got severely ticked at the politicization of Joe. The movie was really loud (I felt like an old fart until Kdubs and the cousin agreed that it was unnecessarily loud) so I couldn't really enjoy it.

He got me a cake (from Publix, of course). However, i was a brat about it because I wanted a Great American Cookie Cake. We decided it was a hormonally pregnant fit.

He also got me some awesome presents. He hasn't been able to take much time for presents in the past but he did great this time:

A great green Vera Bradley purse that I said I liked 6 months ago but never mentioned again.
A very pretty necklace that we had to unfortunately return (but I got a great gold one that is very unique).
And a very pretty dress that he picked out at Dillard's all by himself. I can't imagine him walking around Dillard's looking for a dress for his 6 months preggo wife.

He went out to dinner with my family and even happily took the requisite picture around the cake (which he usually grumbles about).

Needless to say...I am one lucky girl!

SOS

2009-08-10T22:58:00.001-04:00

Okay,
I have to set up my registry asap!
What do you register for? What shouldn't you register for?
What are the MUST HAVES?

I NEED HELP! Pass it along!

Boy, Girl or Neutral?

2009-08-06T21:35:00.002-04:00

The number two question we are asked (after "when is the due date?") is "Do you know what you are having?"

And we get a very strong reaction on both sides when we say, "oh, we're not finding out till it comes out!" or "we're going to be surprised."

People like my mom and brothers say things like, "How can I buy things if we don't know the gender?!?" "How are you going to be surprised...are you surprised by a coin toss...WOHOO! It's TAILS!" "Ugh, I couldn't wait to find out!"

Other people like my midwife and my mother-in-law are very enthusiastic about not knowing. They think it is great fun.

Really we decided on this for a couple of reasons:
1.) I think it will give me an extra reason to push! and I love surprises but always spoil them.

2.) I am the most impatient person in the world and thought that if I could test my patience with this that I may actually have some patience in me somewhere!

3.) I think it is more fun to tell people on the birthday..."Its a BOY/GIRL! and we've named it ________" rather than having everything picked out and saying, "So, ________ is here." (I know it is silly and small but it is something that I want to have for my first pregnancy at least.)

4.) Even if we didn't tell people a name, I didn't want to be smug and tell people: "yeah, we know but we're not telling."

5.) I like being difficult and doing things my own way...bet you couldn't tell that about me.

6.) Kdubs didn't care about knowing so that made the decision even easier. If he wanted to know or wanted to find out without me...I would totally buckle down to pressure.

7.) I also have heard that if you don't know that you get more practical gifts for showers, which is great. And since I don't know where we will be when this baby is born, I don't want to be moving a bunch of extra baby stuff. And not knowing the gender has really tempered my mom's desire to spoil this kid already.

So did you find out? What were the benefits in your mind either way?

The Roaming Southerner

Some pics from Edinburgh

Toddler Trauma

Answered Prayers

All by myself

Tips for Flying with infant

To play catch up

Where in the World is TRS?

So remember

Burning a Hole in my Credit Card

Friend or Mother

Getting Ready

Note to self

14 months old

I'm an Ostrich

Got Milk?

Happy Birthday Cdubs

The Cowardly Lion

Halloween 2010

She always comes to my rescue

Best Friends

A month gone, too much to post

Homeward Bound

Another hotel room, another beer***aka. TRS and Google can't spell

Distractions

We like to Party, we like we like to Party

Brain Mish Mash

One more year of my 20s

I know

That is Solid, Man...

Great Recipes

Ingredients

Directions

I Miss My Mom

The problem with being me

Ruht Roh

Tough while Traveling

Thanks so much

We be travelin'

Broadcasting Live From Vienna

Up and Down

Waiting for my dad to come home

Dad's big heart***update***

Sleeping like a big girl

Cdubs first solid food

Back in the States

On Accident

1st Excursion: Budapest

Sleep-the great love maker

Fun with Photo Booth

Medical Questions

Sorry for the mush

The spark

Swaddling: THOUGHTS and ADVICE

An unintended bloggy break

The Sigh

Laughter

Mommy and Me Monday

What do you make of this?

5 reasons why your husband should not read your blog

I really love to feed

Fell in Love

The Pros and Cons of Visitors

First of many mom-judgements

Cheap Trick

Our first week as Expats

We are here!

My Momma Loves me so

Packing and more packing

One Week

Pictures of Cdubs

First of many freak outs

Like a trucker cruisin' on the Interstate Mom

Punk Rock Baby

Missing the K in Kdubs

The difficulty in posting

A month with Cdubs

Baptism and Christening

Pictures from our first few weeks

Chillin in our Moby wrap

Dad's big heartupdate