Ok, Daddy...do something funny!
Daddy is so silly isn't he! :)
Daddy is so silly isn't he! :)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
A big smile!
Amelia has been smiling for the past week or so, but every time I went for the camera, she was more mesmerized by the camera and stopped smiling. However, tonight, Markus was making her smile, so I was able to snap some cute pics...and one of a really big smile :)
Monday, October 26, 2009
Amelia's new trick
Amelia has a new trick and it is lifting her head! YAY! She really only does it when she's on our chest...she hasn't gotten the hand of it while she's on the floor, but I sense a breakthrough with that coming sometime soon. Markus was able to catch a couple pictures of the big event last night, so enjoy!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sugar and Spice Pecans
These are incredibly good and super easy to make. Be careful though...you can't eat just one.
1 pound of pecans
3/4 tea. salt
1 tea. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 tbs. water
1. Beat egg white and water together until frothy but not super stiff
2. mix in sugar, salt and cinnamon
3. Add in pecans and stir well until completely coated
4. Spread nuts on a large baking sheet and bake at 200 F (95 C ) for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven when dry and toasted.
6. When cool, store in an air tight container.
One thing that I did do a bit differently...I baked these at about 125 C...they came out just fine.
These keep for a while, but they won't last that long because you seriously can't eat just one...these things are addictive!
1 pound of pecans
3/4 tea. salt
1 tea. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 tbs. water
1. Beat egg white and water together until frothy but not super stiff
2. mix in sugar, salt and cinnamon
3. Add in pecans and stir well until completely coated
4. Spread nuts on a large baking sheet and bake at 200 F (95 C ) for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven when dry and toasted.
6. When cool, store in an air tight container.
One thing that I did do a bit differently...I baked these at about 125 C...they came out just fine.
These keep for a while, but they won't last that long because you seriously can't eat just one...these things are addictive!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
The other day I made a pumpkin cheesecake for the pumpkin carving party. It was quite a hit with not only the adults, but the kids as well. And hey, who doesn't love pumpkin cheesecake? Yeah, that's right...no one! So, here's the recipe...
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tbs. butter melted
1 tbs sugar
1 cup sugar
3 8oz. (226 g.) packages of cream cheese
1 tea. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 tea. cinnamon
1/4 tea. nutmeg
1/4 tea. allspice
1. preheat oven to 350 F or 175 C
2. For the crust: combine graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and 1 tbs. sugar in a medium bowl and combine until it makes a crumbly paste. Press the crumbs into bottom of springform and 2/3 way up the sides. Bake for 5 minutes and set aside
3. For the filling: Combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Mix together until smooth.
4. Add pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Continue beating until smooth and creamy.
5. Pour over the crust.
6. Bake for 60-70 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Turn off oven and have the door slightly open and allow to cool like this for an hour or so.
8. Store it in the fridge until ready to serve...it should keep for a few days, but it really won't last that long (i.e. it will be eaten before then).
Now, this past time that I made it, I had to bastardize my lovely recipe here...For starters, I used the Philidelphia Jogurt (yogurt) cream cheese with only 13% fat. I thought I would cut down on the calories a bit. I have done this before and it doesn't change the taste or texture at all...but I wouldn't go any lower than 13% fat. Also, because I rock at the conversions, I didn't get enough cream cheese. I was about 150 grams short...damn. It really didn't matter though...I just added a bit more pumpkin. I also used a teaspoon and a half of pumpkin pie spice from Penzey's. Oh, and here in Germany, you've only got Leibnitz that are roughly close to graham crackers (that I've found at least), so to the crumbs, I added a bit of the pumpkin pie spice mix as well.
Let me know if you make this and what you think of it! :)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tbs. butter melted
1 tbs sugar
1 cup sugar
3 8oz. (226 g.) packages of cream cheese
1 tea. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 tea. cinnamon
1/4 tea. nutmeg
1/4 tea. allspice
1. preheat oven to 350 F or 175 C
2. For the crust: combine graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and 1 tbs. sugar in a medium bowl and combine until it makes a crumbly paste. Press the crumbs into bottom of springform and 2/3 way up the sides. Bake for 5 minutes and set aside
3. For the filling: Combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Mix together until smooth.
4. Add pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Continue beating until smooth and creamy.
5. Pour over the crust.
6. Bake for 60-70 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Turn off oven and have the door slightly open and allow to cool like this for an hour or so.
8. Store it in the fridge until ready to serve...it should keep for a few days, but it really won't last that long (i.e. it will be eaten before then).
Now, this past time that I made it, I had to bastardize my lovely recipe here...For starters, I used the Philidelphia Jogurt (yogurt) cream cheese with only 13% fat. I thought I would cut down on the calories a bit. I have done this before and it doesn't change the taste or texture at all...but I wouldn't go any lower than 13% fat. Also, because I rock at the conversions, I didn't get enough cream cheese. I was about 150 grams short...damn. It really didn't matter though...I just added a bit more pumpkin. I also used a teaspoon and a half of pumpkin pie spice from Penzey's. Oh, and here in Germany, you've only got Leibnitz that are roughly close to graham crackers (that I've found at least), so to the crumbs, I added a bit of the pumpkin pie spice mix as well.
Let me know if you make this and what you think of it! :)
After the pumpkin party
After the pumpkin carving party, we went over to our friend's, Matthias and Claudia, house. Amelia was so pooped after the excitement at the pumpkin carving party, that she basically just passed out in their son's bed. It was way too cute. We kept telling Moritz (who's 2 and a half), that there is a frog asleep in his bed. He thought that was funny. :)
The Great Pumpkin Party
Yesterday, we were over at our friend Tammy's house for a pumpkin carving party. It was great fun. Amelia got to wear her Halloween costume and Markus and I were able to chat with some of our friends...did I say it was great? I made a cherry pie, a pumpkin cheese cake and some sugar and spice pecans...YUM!
Amelia in her frog costume that Grandma brought her all the way from the US!
It was Markus and my first gathering with friends and loads of kids. One of them, our friend Imani's little girl Aminah was just so infatuated with Amelia...they're going to BFF's I just know it! She was quite cute with Amelia, always going up to her and giving her kisses on her hand...then sticking her finger in Amelia's mouth...yup, that is totally best friend material :)
Amelia and Aminah
Ahh, and then the pumpkin carving. Markus and I couldn't find a decent pumpkin...just these really small ones that were probably just 2 pounds or something...nothing that we could actually carve in to...so this week, I'm going to be on the lookout for a decent pumpkin so that we can carve it here. This may involve a trip to the Wednesday market in town...darn! :)
For Penny, one of the ladies there, this was her first time ever to carve a pumpkin. She said that in Ireland, where she's from, they used turnips...interesting. Never heard of that one, but alrighty :). Anywho, her pumpkin turned out awesome! Not bad for a beginner Penny! Her son Nathan was helping us take out the pumpkin guts and Luca, her other son was busy trying to climb on anything...he was in a devil costume :)
Nathan with his mom's pumpkin
So, the pumpkins were carved and the kids were watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown", so it was time to head over to the food table to try some other of the goodies that were brought. Christina brought some salmon spread that was super good (which reminds me I need to get the recipe!), Tammy and Matthias (our hosts) has a vegetable platter with this awesome dressing (of which I also need the recipe) and Penny brought something Irish, and I don't remember the name, but it never got opened and I wish I had tried it! Next time, next time :)
All in all, it was a great time. The kids were dressed up...we had a fireman (Nathan), a devil (Luca), a knight (Oliver), a bat (Clair), a sweet little girl (Aminah) and of course a frog (Amelia). We parents left our costumes at home...no wait...we were all dressed up as parents...cool parents of course!
Here we are with the pumpkins...unfortunately, Christina had to go home early, so she and her pumpkin aren't here...her's was pretty cool...it was a bat. She's got mad skillz at pumpkin carving :) Well...actually, they all had mad skillz...I was just the cleaner (being sure all the pumpkin guts were out)...
Amelia in her frog costume that Grandma brought her all the way from the US!
It was Markus and my first gathering with friends and loads of kids. One of them, our friend Imani's little girl Aminah was just so infatuated with Amelia...they're going to BFF's I just know it! She was quite cute with Amelia, always going up to her and giving her kisses on her hand...then sticking her finger in Amelia's mouth...yup, that is totally best friend material :)Amelia and Aminah
Ahh, and then the pumpkin carving. Markus and I couldn't find a decent pumpkin...just these really small ones that were probably just 2 pounds or something...nothing that we could actually carve in to...so this week, I'm going to be on the lookout for a decent pumpkin so that we can carve it here. This may involve a trip to the Wednesday market in town...darn! :)For Penny, one of the ladies there, this was her first time ever to carve a pumpkin. She said that in Ireland, where she's from, they used turnips...interesting. Never heard of that one, but alrighty :). Anywho, her pumpkin turned out awesome! Not bad for a beginner Penny! Her son Nathan was helping us take out the pumpkin guts and Luca, her other son was busy trying to climb on anything...he was in a devil costume :)
Nathan with his mom's pumpkin
So, the pumpkins were carved and the kids were watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown", so it was time to head over to the food table to try some other of the goodies that were brought. Christina brought some salmon spread that was super good (which reminds me I need to get the recipe!), Tammy and Matthias (our hosts) has a vegetable platter with this awesome dressing (of which I also need the recipe) and Penny brought something Irish, and I don't remember the name, but it never got opened and I wish I had tried it! Next time, next time :)
All in all, it was a great time. The kids were dressed up...we had a fireman (Nathan), a devil (Luca), a knight (Oliver), a bat (Clair), a sweet little girl (Aminah) and of course a frog (Amelia). We parents left our costumes at home...no wait...we were all dressed up as parents...cool parents of course!
Here we are with the pumpkins...unfortunately, Christina had to go home early, so she and her pumpkin aren't here...her's was pretty cool...it was a bat. She's got mad skillz at pumpkin carving :) Well...actually, they all had mad skillz...I was just the cleaner (being sure all the pumpkin guts were out)...
Thursday, October 22, 2009
BATH TIME!!!!
Amelia loves bath time with daddy. This time, she was especially enjoying it, so I had to grab the camera and take a few pictures. She kicks her feet, moves her arms all around, and tries to drink the water, with some success. This is wonderful that she loves water...can't wait to take her to the Monte Kaolino next summer!!! What fun that will be!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Smiling Baby
Yesterday, Amelia began smiling at Markus and I when we were doing dumb stuff in front of her face :). She wasn't pushing or farting or anything, so I totally think that this is her really starting to consciously smile! YAY! I tried to get a picture of it while she was on Markus' lap smiling, but every time I got the camera, she decided she didn't want to smile anymore. I did catch the tail end of a smile though. When she does smile though, it is such a cute, gummy smile with dimples in her cheeks...totally heart meltingly cute!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Dear Amelia
Dear Amelia,
Yesterday, you turned one month old! I can't believe that it has already been a month! Time really flies...next week you're going to be bringing boys over and driving, I just know it!
You are seriously the most precious baby. Sometimes you scream bloody murder when you are so tired but just can't fall asleep. That's a bit hard on mommy and daddy, but once you are asleep and dreaming, it is just fine because we get to watch you sleep and dream. I wonder what you dream about. I say you are dreaming about booby since that is your favorite thing right now. Daddy thinks you are dreaming about taking a bath, since that is Daddy-Amelia time...it is probably both.
You seem to like your baths...that is, when you're not already in kind of a bad mood like last night. For the most part, you kick your legs and move your arms, and try to drink the water. It is all quite cute. You are a little water bug when you are in a good mood...when not, you in the tub, washed real quick and then taken out. You're cool with that.
You have also been to your first restaurants this past week. The first one you went to was a new Italian restaurant here in Weiden (which was really, really good). You were such a good girl while we were there! You were just looking around, taking in all the new sights and sounds and smells. You did get hungry, luckily, mommy was smart and had some mommy milk in a bottle for you, and you were happy with that. The only time you cried was right as we were leaving and we had to put your hat on...you still hate these hats, but your getting more and more used to them.
Your second trip out was with some work friends of daddy's. Before you were born, we would go out about once a week with them. Now that we know you love going out to restaurants, we can start this up again. This time, you just slept the entire time (which mommy paid for later since you were up until 1am).
Today, though, was a really exciting day. It was your first doctor's appointment! Your doctor, Dr. Riedl, is really, really nice. You seemed to like her too, even though she tossed you in the air a bit to check your reflexes (and to try to scare the hiccups out of you). She told us that you were the picture of health and that you are average in weight and height. Since you came home from the hospital, you have gained almost a whole kilogram and grew 2 centimeters! Now, you are 4000 grams and 54 cm long! Such my growing little girl.
Another wonderful thing that you are doing now is smiling. Yes, you were smiling a bit before, but now it is coming more and more frequently. This just means that you are going to be smiling at silly things that mommy and daddy do real soon (and we both can't wait for that!).
You are still a real good sleeper at night. During the day, you really like to nurse roughly every 2 to 3 hours. At night, you nurse real good before we go to bed, and you're usually out at about 11pm. You then sleep until about 4, which is wonderful! Oh, and the best part, you are starting to nurse faster, so you and mommy can go back to bed sooner :). Mommy really appreciates this.
I can't wait to see what you are going to do in the next month. I'm sure you are just going to surprise mommy and daddy with everything that will happen. Don't worry, mommy and daddy are ready for anything...and the camera is always near mommy for when you decide to do something absolutely adorable :).
I love you to bits and pieces!
Mommy
Yesterday, you turned one month old! I can't believe that it has already been a month! Time really flies...next week you're going to be bringing boys over and driving, I just know it!
You are seriously the most precious baby. Sometimes you scream bloody murder when you are so tired but just can't fall asleep. That's a bit hard on mommy and daddy, but once you are asleep and dreaming, it is just fine because we get to watch you sleep and dream. I wonder what you dream about. I say you are dreaming about booby since that is your favorite thing right now. Daddy thinks you are dreaming about taking a bath, since that is Daddy-Amelia time...it is probably both.
You seem to like your baths...that is, when you're not already in kind of a bad mood like last night. For the most part, you kick your legs and move your arms, and try to drink the water. It is all quite cute. You are a little water bug when you are in a good mood...when not, you in the tub, washed real quick and then taken out. You're cool with that.
You have also been to your first restaurants this past week. The first one you went to was a new Italian restaurant here in Weiden (which was really, really good). You were such a good girl while we were there! You were just looking around, taking in all the new sights and sounds and smells. You did get hungry, luckily, mommy was smart and had some mommy milk in a bottle for you, and you were happy with that. The only time you cried was right as we were leaving and we had to put your hat on...you still hate these hats, but your getting more and more used to them.
Amelia all packed up and ready to go to a restaurant...
Your second trip out was with some work friends of daddy's. Before you were born, we would go out about once a week with them. Now that we know you love going out to restaurants, we can start this up again. This time, you just slept the entire time (which mommy paid for later since you were up until 1am).Today, though, was a really exciting day. It was your first doctor's appointment! Your doctor, Dr. Riedl, is really, really nice. You seemed to like her too, even though she tossed you in the air a bit to check your reflexes (and to try to scare the hiccups out of you). She told us that you were the picture of health and that you are average in weight and height. Since you came home from the hospital, you have gained almost a whole kilogram and grew 2 centimeters! Now, you are 4000 grams and 54 cm long! Such my growing little girl.
Another wonderful thing that you are doing now is smiling. Yes, you were smiling a bit before, but now it is coming more and more frequently. This just means that you are going to be smiling at silly things that mommy and daddy do real soon (and we both can't wait for that!).
You are still a real good sleeper at night. During the day, you really like to nurse roughly every 2 to 3 hours. At night, you nurse real good before we go to bed, and you're usually out at about 11pm. You then sleep until about 4, which is wonderful! Oh, and the best part, you are starting to nurse faster, so you and mommy can go back to bed sooner :). Mommy really appreciates this.
My good sleeper :)
I can't wait to see what you are going to do in the next month. I'm sure you are just going to surprise mommy and daddy with everything that will happen. Don't worry, mommy and daddy are ready for anything...and the camera is always near mommy for when you decide to do something absolutely adorable :).
I love you to bits and pieces!Mommy
Sunday Funnies...on Monday, yet again :)
My mom sent this to me in an e-mail. I thought it was funny...
BIOLOGY CLASS
Students in an advanced Biology class were taking their
mid-term exam. The last question was, 'Name seven advantages of Mother's
Milk,' worth 70 points or none at all. One student, in particular, was
hard put to think of seven advantages. He wrote:
1.) It is perfect formula for the child.
2.) It provides immunity against several diseases.
3.) It is always the right temperature.
4.) It is inexpensive.
5.) It bonds the child to mother, and vice versa.
6.) It is always available as needed.
And then, the student was stuck. Finally, in desperation,
just before the bell indicating the end of the test rang, he
wrote...
7.) It comes in 2 cute containers.
He got an A.
BIOLOGY CLASS
Students in an advanced Biology class were taking their
mid-term exam. The last question was, 'Name seven advantages of Mother's
Milk,' worth 70 points or none at all. One student, in particular, was
hard put to think of seven advantages. He wrote:
1.) It is perfect formula for the child.
2.) It provides immunity against several diseases.
3.) It is always the right temperature.
4.) It is inexpensive.
5.) It bonds the child to mother, and vice versa.
6.) It is always available as needed.
And then, the student was stuck. Finally, in desperation,
just before the bell indicating the end of the test rang, he
wrote...
7.) It comes in 2 cute containers.
He got an A.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
My Birth Story...Part 2
So, yeah...4 cm at around 7:30 pm...damn. I was totally hoping to be at 6, get the epidural, and then have some time when I could try to get some sleep between the contractions, push twice and have my baby. Yeah. Nope. Not how it happened in the slightest.
So, after being told I was at 4 cm, they had me go back into the birthing room and labor some more. Ok, I can do that. Poor mom and Markus have to sit here and listen to me moan and groan. Mom was smart and brought a book with her. Markus, however, wasn't allowed to read :).
I did get an IV drug of some sorts...it was probably equivalent to baby aspirin though since it didn't really do much. The nurse said that I would feel a bit drunk...nope, not even a bit tipsy.
At some point, the midwives and doctors changed shifts...I have no idea when since I was bit out of it, not because of the baby aspirin, but because of the pain. The midwife that came next had zero bedside manner...and I mean zero.
At around 11pm, she came to tell us we should go to my room and labor some more since they need the labor room. Well, ok. I guess that is fine. We were able to get the one family room in the maternity ward. This was absolutely awesome! There were two beds in there, one for me (duh!) and one for Markus. There was also a big couch where mom could sleep that first night (and any subsequent night if she wanted, and she didn't, which I don't blame her!). So, as we're walking down the hall to the nurse's station to get something (I don't know what) I got another contraction, and I needed to stop...I mean, I really needed to stop and bend over and just wait the minute the contraction would last. Mean midwife lady told me not to stop, but to keep on moving. "Oh hell no lady! I'm stopping!". I didn't say that, but I really wanted to.
Well, we get the key to the family room and I get in bed. Germans are real big on supositories, so popped a couple more in and tried to relax...yeah, right. For every 3 minutes of "relaxing" there were 2 minutes of intense pain. And the pain only got worse, naturally. Around 1, I decided that I couldn't take any more of this (and I think Mom and Markus decided they couldn't take any more of my really loud moaning and groaning) so Markus headed down to tell them I would like my epidual now.
Of course they had to examine me to be sure it was the right time for one. Lo and behold, I'm 8 cm. The midwife said, "Well, lookie there, you're 8 cm. Can't do an epidural anymore.", and walked away. "Oh hell no!! I went to have the chat with the epidural dudes so I know what to expect and damnit, I want my epidural!" Nope, nope. I was too far along. No happy drugs for me...not of any kind. They wouldn't help/not be administered in time. Markus being the wonderful, loving, caring husband that he is, asked if we could have a second opinon from the actual doctor. The midwife said, "She'll just say the same thing, so no." Seriously, I never wanted to throttle someone as much as I did in that very moment. Hate doesn't even begin to describe the emotion that I felt towards this spawn of satan.
Ok, well, shit. No epidural. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. This is what I had to keep repeating to myself, over and over and over. Then Amelia's head was passing by the tailbone. Ok, if I thought that those whimpy contractions earlier (like 5 minutes ago) were awful, they were nothing compared to this. I seriously thought that my back was breaking and I was going to have to have my entire lower body amputated at that point in time. Oh, and I don't think that I mentioned the lovely sounds that I was making during this time. Yes, those blood curdling screams you were hearing around 1:30am on September 18, yeah, that was me. In Weiden. Screaming at the top of my lungs. Wishing someone would amputate the lower half of my body to get the pain to stop.
Did I mention how wonderful Markus was during this? He was by my side (where else?) and I was squeezing his palm in a way that I wouldn't crush his hand...so I thought. He was encouraging me the entire time. However, the only time I yelled at him was after the millionth time he said "It's ok". I told him if he said that one more time I would hit him. He switched to something like, "You're doing great" or "Push"...I don't really remember.
Then the pushing starts. There's no nurse here holding your legs up for you. You get to do that one yourself...the doctor and the midwife will push up against your feet which does help, but the spawn of satan wasn't pushing against my feet as well as the doc was, and I remember that being highly annoying.
Anyhoo, I was pushing and pushing and pushing...and no baby. This wasn't the 2 push and she's out like I was hoping. Nope...at one point, they told me not to push because little girl was a bit stressed, so I had to not push for 2 or so contractions. By then, the baby had to come, so the doctor, which by the way was sent straight from heaven, jumped on my stomach to help press little girl down and out. She did this for about 5 contractions, still nothing. So, she numbs my lady bits and gives me a giant epistomy. I'm talking Amazon here. During the next contraction she hops back on my stomach to help out...still not coming along like she'd like it. So, what does she do? She calls the head doctor to come and use the suction cup thing to get little girl out.
Once again, I'm thinking, "Oh hell no!", so I push with all my might with the next contraction and little girl's head pops out. Talk about a weird feeling. Then my water broke, which was another weird feeling. Then Amelia was there, laying on the table. I didn't hear her cry (which is what you hear in every movie) and I started to get scared that something was wrong...then I heard her cough and I forgot all about the pain of the past few hours. My little girl was there and healthy and life was good.
So, 4 weeks have passed since the first contraction started. I've always heard that you forget the pain and all the trials of pregnancy as time goes on, and this is astonishingly true. Oh, I remember the pain, don't get me wrong. That is just about the worst pain on the planet. But, as I look back on it, it was only about 18 hours of my life....and I gave birth to a new life. How cool is that? This isn't to say that Markus and I are going to try for another one right away...but someday...
Amelia's first picture...she's so cute!
So, after being told I was at 4 cm, they had me go back into the birthing room and labor some more. Ok, I can do that. Poor mom and Markus have to sit here and listen to me moan and groan. Mom was smart and brought a book with her. Markus, however, wasn't allowed to read :).
I did get an IV drug of some sorts...it was probably equivalent to baby aspirin though since it didn't really do much. The nurse said that I would feel a bit drunk...nope, not even a bit tipsy.
At some point, the midwives and doctors changed shifts...I have no idea when since I was bit out of it, not because of the baby aspirin, but because of the pain. The midwife that came next had zero bedside manner...and I mean zero.
At around 11pm, she came to tell us we should go to my room and labor some more since they need the labor room. Well, ok. I guess that is fine. We were able to get the one family room in the maternity ward. This was absolutely awesome! There were two beds in there, one for me (duh!) and one for Markus. There was also a big couch where mom could sleep that first night (and any subsequent night if she wanted, and she didn't, which I don't blame her!). So, as we're walking down the hall to the nurse's station to get something (I don't know what) I got another contraction, and I needed to stop...I mean, I really needed to stop and bend over and just wait the minute the contraction would last. Mean midwife lady told me not to stop, but to keep on moving. "Oh hell no lady! I'm stopping!". I didn't say that, but I really wanted to.
Well, we get the key to the family room and I get in bed. Germans are real big on supositories, so popped a couple more in and tried to relax...yeah, right. For every 3 minutes of "relaxing" there were 2 minutes of intense pain. And the pain only got worse, naturally. Around 1, I decided that I couldn't take any more of this (and I think Mom and Markus decided they couldn't take any more of my really loud moaning and groaning) so Markus headed down to tell them I would like my epidual now.
Of course they had to examine me to be sure it was the right time for one. Lo and behold, I'm 8 cm. The midwife said, "Well, lookie there, you're 8 cm. Can't do an epidural anymore.", and walked away. "Oh hell no!! I went to have the chat with the epidural dudes so I know what to expect and damnit, I want my epidural!" Nope, nope. I was too far along. No happy drugs for me...not of any kind. They wouldn't help/not be administered in time. Markus being the wonderful, loving, caring husband that he is, asked if we could have a second opinon from the actual doctor. The midwife said, "She'll just say the same thing, so no." Seriously, I never wanted to throttle someone as much as I did in that very moment. Hate doesn't even begin to describe the emotion that I felt towards this spawn of satan.
Me, laboring though...with no drugs...
Ok, well, shit. No epidural. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. This is what I had to keep repeating to myself, over and over and over. Then Amelia's head was passing by the tailbone. Ok, if I thought that those whimpy contractions earlier (like 5 minutes ago) were awful, they were nothing compared to this. I seriously thought that my back was breaking and I was going to have to have my entire lower body amputated at that point in time. Oh, and I don't think that I mentioned the lovely sounds that I was making during this time. Yes, those blood curdling screams you were hearing around 1:30am on September 18, yeah, that was me. In Weiden. Screaming at the top of my lungs. Wishing someone would amputate the lower half of my body to get the pain to stop.Spawn of Satan has her back to us...the wonderful doctor is the other lady...
Did I mention how wonderful Markus was during this? He was by my side (where else?) and I was squeezing his palm in a way that I wouldn't crush his hand...so I thought. He was encouraging me the entire time. However, the only time I yelled at him was after the millionth time he said "It's ok". I told him if he said that one more time I would hit him. He switched to something like, "You're doing great" or "Push"...I don't really remember.
Then the pushing starts. There's no nurse here holding your legs up for you. You get to do that one yourself...the doctor and the midwife will push up against your feet which does help, but the spawn of satan wasn't pushing against my feet as well as the doc was, and I remember that being highly annoying.
Anyhoo, I was pushing and pushing and pushing...and no baby. This wasn't the 2 push and she's out like I was hoping. Nope...at one point, they told me not to push because little girl was a bit stressed, so I had to not push for 2 or so contractions. By then, the baby had to come, so the doctor, which by the way was sent straight from heaven, jumped on my stomach to help press little girl down and out. She did this for about 5 contractions, still nothing. So, she numbs my lady bits and gives me a giant epistomy. I'm talking Amazon here. During the next contraction she hops back on my stomach to help out...still not coming along like she'd like it. So, what does she do? She calls the head doctor to come and use the suction cup thing to get little girl out.
Once again, I'm thinking, "Oh hell no!", so I push with all my might with the next contraction and little girl's head pops out. Talk about a weird feeling. Then my water broke, which was another weird feeling. Then Amelia was there, laying on the table. I didn't hear her cry (which is what you hear in every movie) and I started to get scared that something was wrong...then I heard her cough and I forgot all about the pain of the past few hours. My little girl was there and healthy and life was good.
One happy family :)
So, 4 weeks have passed since the first contraction started. I've always heard that you forget the pain and all the trials of pregnancy as time goes on, and this is astonishingly true. Oh, I remember the pain, don't get me wrong. That is just about the worst pain on the planet. But, as I look back on it, it was only about 18 hours of my life....and I gave birth to a new life. How cool is that? This isn't to say that Markus and I are going to try for another one right away...but someday...
Amelia's first picture...she's so cute!
My Birth Story...Part 1
Some of you may not want to read this, because I will go into a bit of detail, so you can stop here, and that is fine...tomorrow or on Saturday will be a post about Amelia being 4 weeks old (or I might wait to do that on Sunday when she'll be a whole month old! My how time flies!).
So, here goes...my birth story.
It starts out as any other birth story does, contractions. Mine started at around 6:30 am on September 17. They really weren't bad, and I was able to sleep between them...plus, they were pretty far apart, around 10 minutes or so. The thing that was freaking me out was that Markus was in Frankfurt. He was at the IAA, the largest car show in the world (he was there for work...and well, a bit of pleasure! Think kid in a candy store with all those new cars to look at!). I gave him the green light to go, since I thought I wasn't going to actually go into labor on my actual due date, but I did.
I had a doctor's appointment at 9:30 that morning, so mom and I were tracking the contractions with this nifty web-site called the Contraction Master. Holy crap, they were about 5 minutes apart! That's about when I was getting a bit nervous and sent Markus a text saying, "I am having some weird cramping, so be prepared to hop in the car and come home." I didn't want to make him nervous, so I phrased it in such a way that A) he wouldn't freak out and B) he'd get the picture. Well, he did, and he jumped in the car to come home.
At the doctor's, the contractions were getting steadily worse...there were some women in the waiting room and I felt kind of bad for them...you know, with me breathing deeply and the slight look of pain on my face...plus, there was another pregnant lady there, so she was getting a little look into the future.
The doctor examined me and told me I was a good 1, maybe 2 cm. dilated. What? Are you kidding me? That's what I was 4 days ago! So, what could mom and I do...nothing but go home. So that is what we did. Mom rocked driving standard...she hasn't driven one of those in many many years...and she didn't stall it until we got home...I was quite impressed.
At home, we continued with the contraction monitor, and attempted to watch some TV to try to distract me from the pain. It worked for a while. I remember it was the Top Chef episode in which the French guy got kicked off...what the actual challenge was, I don't really remember.
Sometime during Top Chef, mom made me some pasta, which I devoured, and Markus came home (phew! sigh of relief!). This was around 12:30. I decided we could wait a bit so that Markus could eat something and plus, I wasn't really ready to go to the hospital quite yet. Then around 1:30, I decided, what the hell. We can go, and the worst thing they can do is say, "Hey, you're not far enough along. Go labor some more at home." Which is basically what they said.
Leaving for the hospital...take 1...
They hooked me up to baby monitors and contraction monitors. After about 45 minutes of that, they gave me a quick exam. I was still only 1-2 cm. dilated. "Shit." I thought, "This is going to take forever." So, with that (and a couple suppositories to help out with the pain), they sent us home. Ok, fine. I kind of expected that...but I had hoped that I was further along.
After my 3 hour bath, and a couple refills of the hot water, I decided I wanted to get out since I was feeling a bit like a prune. Markus had to help me since I was in just a bit of pain...he was truly wonderful throughout this whole thing...I just can't say that enough! So, I moved on to bed and decided that it would be absolutely awesome if Markus were to basically put his entire weight on my lower back (while I was bending over) during the contractions. This helped to an extent...so, then I thought I would try out our exercise ball. Hey, they've got it in the hospital, so why not give it a go! I was only on that thing for about 3 contractions before I decided it was really time to go to the hospital. We waited until another contraction passed, hopped into the car and drove at a decent speed to the hospital. We live only 3 minutes away, so I didn't want to risk getting in a wreck on the way there...getting there 30 seconds earlier or later didn't matter (I say this now, but probably at the time I was wondering why we were driving so slow).
We get to the hospital, just in time for another contraction to kick in...man, these things suck. No seriously, they really suck. We go in after the contraction passed, and get to the elevator (which, by the way, is just about the slowest elevator on the planet) and it is full. Damn, we'll have to wait. Of course, by the time it comes again, another contraction is coming on, so there is no way in hell I'm moving right then. So we wait for the next one, which miraculously was there after the contraction was over.
We get up to the maternity ward and head into the Kreisssaal, literally screaming room, and they hook me up to the monitors again. Yup, still in labor. Baby is doing good. This time, after only 10 minutes or so, they take me in to be examined. Now they tell me that I'm 3 cm, but when a contraction is there, I'm 4. Great. This will never end...
So, here goes...my birth story.
It starts out as any other birth story does, contractions. Mine started at around 6:30 am on September 17. They really weren't bad, and I was able to sleep between them...plus, they were pretty far apart, around 10 minutes or so. The thing that was freaking me out was that Markus was in Frankfurt. He was at the IAA, the largest car show in the world (he was there for work...and well, a bit of pleasure! Think kid in a candy store with all those new cars to look at!). I gave him the green light to go, since I thought I wasn't going to actually go into labor on my actual due date, but I did.
I had a doctor's appointment at 9:30 that morning, so mom and I were tracking the contractions with this nifty web-site called the Contraction Master. Holy crap, they were about 5 minutes apart! That's about when I was getting a bit nervous and sent Markus a text saying, "I am having some weird cramping, so be prepared to hop in the car and come home." I didn't want to make him nervous, so I phrased it in such a way that A) he wouldn't freak out and B) he'd get the picture. Well, he did, and he jumped in the car to come home.
At the doctor's, the contractions were getting steadily worse...there were some women in the waiting room and I felt kind of bad for them...you know, with me breathing deeply and the slight look of pain on my face...plus, there was another pregnant lady there, so she was getting a little look into the future.
At the doctor's...hooked up to the monitor...obviously, between contractions :)
The doctor examined me and told me I was a good 1, maybe 2 cm. dilated. What? Are you kidding me? That's what I was 4 days ago! So, what could mom and I do...nothing but go home. So that is what we did. Mom rocked driving standard...she hasn't driven one of those in many many years...and she didn't stall it until we got home...I was quite impressed.
At home, we continued with the contraction monitor, and attempted to watch some TV to try to distract me from the pain. It worked for a while. I remember it was the Top Chef episode in which the French guy got kicked off...what the actual challenge was, I don't really remember.
Sometime during Top Chef, mom made me some pasta, which I devoured, and Markus came home (phew! sigh of relief!). This was around 12:30. I decided we could wait a bit so that Markus could eat something and plus, I wasn't really ready to go to the hospital quite yet. Then around 1:30, I decided, what the hell. We can go, and the worst thing they can do is say, "Hey, you're not far enough along. Go labor some more at home." Which is basically what they said.
Leaving for the hospital...take 1...
They hooked me up to baby monitors and contraction monitors. After about 45 minutes of that, they gave me a quick exam. I was still only 1-2 cm. dilated. "Shit." I thought, "This is going to take forever." So, with that (and a couple suppositories to help out with the pain), they sent us home. Ok, fine. I kind of expected that...but I had hoped that I was further along.Hooked up to the monitors at the hospital...
We came home and I decided that I wanted to try to labor it out some in the bath. Which exactly what I did...for 3 hours. I felt kind of bad for the neighbors. They had to hear all my moans and groans. Either they thought Markus and I were having a sex marathon or that I was in labor...I'm hoping that they knew it was the latter!
We came home and I decided that I wanted to try to labor it out some in the bath. Which exactly what I did...for 3 hours. I felt kind of bad for the neighbors. They had to hear all my moans and groans. Either they thought Markus and I were having a sex marathon or that I was in labor...I'm hoping that they knew it was the latter!After my 3 hour bath, and a couple refills of the hot water, I decided I wanted to get out since I was feeling a bit like a prune. Markus had to help me since I was in just a bit of pain...he was truly wonderful throughout this whole thing...I just can't say that enough! So, I moved on to bed and decided that it would be absolutely awesome if Markus were to basically put his entire weight on my lower back (while I was bending over) during the contractions. This helped to an extent...so, then I thought I would try out our exercise ball. Hey, they've got it in the hospital, so why not give it a go! I was only on that thing for about 3 contractions before I decided it was really time to go to the hospital. We waited until another contraction passed, hopped into the car and drove at a decent speed to the hospital. We live only 3 minutes away, so I didn't want to risk getting in a wreck on the way there...getting there 30 seconds earlier or later didn't matter (I say this now, but probably at the time I was wondering why we were driving so slow).
We get to the hospital, just in time for another contraction to kick in...man, these things suck. No seriously, they really suck. We go in after the contraction passed, and get to the elevator (which, by the way, is just about the slowest elevator on the planet) and it is full. Damn, we'll have to wait. Of course, by the time it comes again, another contraction is coming on, so there is no way in hell I'm moving right then. So we wait for the next one, which miraculously was there after the contraction was over.
We get up to the maternity ward and head into the Kreisssaal, literally screaming room, and they hook me up to the monitors again. Yup, still in labor. Baby is doing good. This time, after only 10 minutes or so, they take me in to be examined. Now they tell me that I'm 3 cm, but when a contraction is there, I'm 4. Great. This will never end...
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Swaddling
I am now a huge fan of swaddling. I know, I know...I should have kept up with it after we came home from the hospital, and I did for the first week or so, but it was just so hot, that the blankets that I had to swaddle with were just a bit too warm. Well, now it's cold...and I mean cold (5 Degrees Celcius...really cold in F). This is just the high (!) for today. Brrrr...
Plus, the past couple of days, Amelia has been super fussy (possibly because of a growing spurt) and so she's been crying more than normal and has basically been an unhappy baby. Today though, being as scatterbrained as new mothers are, I finally remembered that my mother had given me a Kiddopotamus swaddling blanket made of fleece. Woohoo, two birds with one stone! It is super warm AND it is a swaddling blanket! So, I tried it out on fussy Amelia today, and lo and behold, 5 seconds later she is much calmer. Hallelujah! Wait, what is this I hear? Could it be? Quiet? Yes, I believe that is the sound that I am hearing. Sweet!
I also have the Miracle Blanket given to me by a good friend Janda and it is great as well. I believe I will try it out tonight again and have her in her sleeping sack...the miracle blanket is just a bit too light of a fabric to not have something else on it. Oh, and the other thing is, it is a bit complicated at night to undo it all (especially when your sleep deprived). However, we are getting more and more used to the whole sleep deprivation thing, so the unswaddling and swaddling at 3am may be a bit easier.
Now, I know that you can swaddle with any blanket, but my swaddling skillz aren't that good...yet. Plus, Amelia needs a tight swaddle, something that I need to practice a bit more. However, now that I know that this is a pretty sure fire way to calm her down when she seems unable to be calmed, I'm pretty sure my skillz with swaddling with anything on hand will become better, if not masterful.
And just to show you how much she likes the Kiddopotamus, I have proof. :)
My little worm :)
Sweet, sleepy baby...
Plus, the past couple of days, Amelia has been super fussy (possibly because of a growing spurt) and so she's been crying more than normal and has basically been an unhappy baby. Today though, being as scatterbrained as new mothers are, I finally remembered that my mother had given me a Kiddopotamus swaddling blanket made of fleece. Woohoo, two birds with one stone! It is super warm AND it is a swaddling blanket! So, I tried it out on fussy Amelia today, and lo and behold, 5 seconds later she is much calmer. Hallelujah! Wait, what is this I hear? Could it be? Quiet? Yes, I believe that is the sound that I am hearing. Sweet!
I also have the Miracle Blanket given to me by a good friend Janda and it is great as well. I believe I will try it out tonight again and have her in her sleeping sack...the miracle blanket is just a bit too light of a fabric to not have something else on it. Oh, and the other thing is, it is a bit complicated at night to undo it all (especially when your sleep deprived). However, we are getting more and more used to the whole sleep deprivation thing, so the unswaddling and swaddling at 3am may be a bit easier.
Now, I know that you can swaddle with any blanket, but my swaddling skillz aren't that good...yet. Plus, Amelia needs a tight swaddle, something that I need to practice a bit more. However, now that I know that this is a pretty sure fire way to calm her down when she seems unable to be calmed, I'm pretty sure my skillz with swaddling with anything on hand will become better, if not masterful.
And just to show you how much she likes the Kiddopotamus, I have proof. :)
My little worm :)
Sweet, sleepy baby...
Monday, October 12, 2009
Randomness
Here we are, 3 and a half weeks after Amelia was born and all of my posts have just been about her...and for good reason...she's just so freaking cute! She gaining weight like a rock star (well, more like a wrestler, but you get the point). She has gained about 820 grams in the past 3 weeks...that's 1.8 pounds! She's a good eater :). Another thing she is good at is sleeping (knock on wood!). She usually goes to bed around 11pm or midnight and then will sleep until about 3:30 or 4...one time she slept until 5:30!!! (I won't even go into the state that my boobs were in after that wonderful 6 hours of sleep...think rocks...that leak...)
She is also starting to become more aware of her surroundings, which is pretty cool. She'll stare at things other than the red wall or at shadows now. She has noticed the dinos that Markus got for her room (they're wall stickers and super cute...which reminds me I need to take a picture of them).
Life around here is slowly getting back to "normal". I cook lunch on those days when Markus can make it home for lunch...I'm loving having the grocery store less than 100 yards/meters from my front door! If I need heavy stuff, then Markus goes to the big store to get it :). We (Amelia and I) haven't been so adventurous as to go to the "big" grocery store yet, but I'm pretty sure it will come. However, Markus and I did take her out to a restaurant on Saturday, and she was absolutely perfect...for 2.5 hours! I pumped before we left so that she could have something to eat at the restaurant (and I could have a little glass of wine...which was awesome!). She was so good right up until the end when we were getting ready to leave and I had to put her little hat on...she hates the hat, and so she started screaming once it was on...but it was ok, since we were on our way out the door!
Oh, and we had Charlie for a bit this past weekend (we were going to have him all weekend, but Markus threw out his back and Amelia's eye was a bit infected, hence I was freaking out, so we only had him Friday and Saturday). Charlie is really good with her! I was just a tad nervous when they first met, but he is so cute with her! When she's on the couch sleeping and then all of a sudden makes a noise, Charlie goes over to be sure that everything is ok. He likes to give her kisses on her head and lick her hands (especially after she's nursed because there is more likely than not a bit of breast milk on her hands).
So, to end this post, here's the cute picture(s) of the day...my two kids, playing nicely :)
A: "Woah...that's a big black thing!"
C: "Mom...really...we have to keep her? Ok...I guess I'll manage..."
C: "Is that some yummy milk on your hands??? Ok, we can keep her..."
C: "I like it when we all play on the ground...especially since I'll get a chewy bone..."
A: "I've got my pucky...nom nom nom"
Friday, October 9, 2009
Pictures of Amelia...take 3
Yet another post with just pics of Amelia. These were all taken today...her 3 week birthday :)
Pictures of Amelia...take 2
Some more pictures of my little mouse :)
Amelia in her pink bear outfit...
2 weeks old :)
My little girl and I
Markus and Amelia...They look so much alike :)
Amelia in her pink bear outfit...
2 weeks old :)
My little girl and I
Markus and Amelia...They look so much alike :)
Pictures of Amelia
I have realized that there are almost no pictures of Amelia up, save for those from the hospital, so the next few posts are going to be some pics of the most precious little girl on the planet...
Amelia, Nadine (my midwife) and I...Here she is 5 days old...
Grandma and Amelia
Here, I believe she is 1 week old...so little...
Amelia's first car ride...the ride home doesn't count since it only took 2 minutes...This was all the way to Hirschau, so it was about half an hour...
Amelia is 13 days old in this photo...so cute :)
Amelia, Nadine (my midwife) and I...Here she is 5 days old...
Grandma and Amelia
Here, I believe she is 1 week old...so little...
Amelia's first car ride...the ride home doesn't count since it only took 2 minutes...This was all the way to Hirschau, so it was about half an hour...
Amelia is 13 days old in this photo...so cute :)
Dear Amelia
Dear Amelia,
Today you are 3 weeks old...a whole 21 days! My how the time flies. It seems like yesterday I was screaming bloody murder in the Kreisssaal at the hospital :). You are still the cutest thing that I have ever seen...you are even cuter than Charlie when he was a puppy, and that says a lot because he was an awfully cute puppy :). But seriously, could you be any more precious?
There are so many things that you are starting to do it is amazing. For starters, you are a VERY good sleeper...this makes mommy and daddy really happy. The past two nights, you are sleeping about 5 or 6 hours straight. I know that there will be nights when this will definitely not be the case, so we are cherishing those nights when you do sleep lots. When you sleep, you make the cutest noises too...you grunt (I think your just pooping or pushing or both), sometimes you snore, you sigh, and sometimes you make this high pitched noise that is pretty funny.
What is really cool is that you are starting to focus on things that are a bit further away. When daddy came home the other day, you heard the noise and looked in that direction. It might have been a fluke, but it was an awesome fluke :). Also, you can focus on our faces when we are a bit further away. This is pretty cool. Some things you really like to look at are the red wall in the living room with the picture frames on it, and shadows on the white walls...all of these contrasty things are just so freaking cool to you right now.
You are also doing wonderfully at lifting your head. When you're awake, we have some tummy time. You like this tummy time too :). We practice on turning your head from side to side...you do this all on your own and the first time you did it, mommy and daddy were so proud. Also, you can lift your head really well, and hold it there for a couple of seconds, then your head is just too heavy, and you have to let it fall...but you're getting better and better every day :). Also, when you're on your tummy, you LOVE to kick your feet and it moves you just a bit. This is pretty cool...maybe next week you'll be crawling :). Ok, maybe not that quickly, but you know what I mean.
You are growing like crazy too. I can tell that when I change you, your chicken legs aren't so much chicken legs anymore...they're getting a cute layer of fat on them and rolls are starting to form. I love it. Oh, and daddy loves the fact that your cheeks are getting chubbier as well. He has this thing for cheeks...we've had this discussion. And your hair is getting longer...I still can't believe all that hair you were born with. Some of your clothes almost don't fit anymore. The newborn stuff will probably last another week, if that. So, it looks like mommy and daddy and you are going to be making a shopping trip next weekend...luckily, that is when mommy wants to show you off to her friends in Regensburg, so we can do some shopping there. FUN!
But, I have saved the best for last. There is one thing that you are starting to do that completely melts my heart and makes me love you more and more (if that is at all possible!). You are smiling. True, this happens when you are asleep, but it is a full on gummy smile, and you've got these cute little dimples in your cheeks. I tried to get a picture of it yesterday, but you got camera shy and stopped smiling. You also do this when you are nursing, so this makes me think that you are dreaming about booby, which you know, is quite alright :). That or you're dreaming about playing with Charlie when you're older...that is totally possible too.
Speaking of Charlie, you really like him. When he runs around, you try to follow him with your eyes. It is quite cute. He really likes you too. He keeps licking your head and your hands, and one time he got a good face lick in there, and you didn't mind at all...I'm betting you two are going to be the best of buds when you get a bit older.
Alright my precious sugar pea, you are wonderful. I can't imagine our life right now without you...no doubt it would be a bit dull around here without you. You bring a certain pizazz to our life that we wouldn't trade for the world. Yup, you're definitely a keeper!
Love you,
Mommy
Today you are 3 weeks old...a whole 21 days! My how the time flies. It seems like yesterday I was screaming bloody murder in the Kreisssaal at the hospital :). You are still the cutest thing that I have ever seen...you are even cuter than Charlie when he was a puppy, and that says a lot because he was an awfully cute puppy :). But seriously, could you be any more precious?
There are so many things that you are starting to do it is amazing. For starters, you are a VERY good sleeper...this makes mommy and daddy really happy. The past two nights, you are sleeping about 5 or 6 hours straight. I know that there will be nights when this will definitely not be the case, so we are cherishing those nights when you do sleep lots. When you sleep, you make the cutest noises too...you grunt (I think your just pooping or pushing or both), sometimes you snore, you sigh, and sometimes you make this high pitched noise that is pretty funny.
What is really cool is that you are starting to focus on things that are a bit further away. When daddy came home the other day, you heard the noise and looked in that direction. It might have been a fluke, but it was an awesome fluke :). Also, you can focus on our faces when we are a bit further away. This is pretty cool. Some things you really like to look at are the red wall in the living room with the picture frames on it, and shadows on the white walls...all of these contrasty things are just so freaking cool to you right now.
You are also doing wonderfully at lifting your head. When you're awake, we have some tummy time. You like this tummy time too :). We practice on turning your head from side to side...you do this all on your own and the first time you did it, mommy and daddy were so proud. Also, you can lift your head really well, and hold it there for a couple of seconds, then your head is just too heavy, and you have to let it fall...but you're getting better and better every day :). Also, when you're on your tummy, you LOVE to kick your feet and it moves you just a bit. This is pretty cool...maybe next week you'll be crawling :). Ok, maybe not that quickly, but you know what I mean.
You are growing like crazy too. I can tell that when I change you, your chicken legs aren't so much chicken legs anymore...they're getting a cute layer of fat on them and rolls are starting to form. I love it. Oh, and daddy loves the fact that your cheeks are getting chubbier as well. He has this thing for cheeks...we've had this discussion. And your hair is getting longer...I still can't believe all that hair you were born with. Some of your clothes almost don't fit anymore. The newborn stuff will probably last another week, if that. So, it looks like mommy and daddy and you are going to be making a shopping trip next weekend...luckily, that is when mommy wants to show you off to her friends in Regensburg, so we can do some shopping there. FUN!
But, I have saved the best for last. There is one thing that you are starting to do that completely melts my heart and makes me love you more and more (if that is at all possible!). You are smiling. True, this happens when you are asleep, but it is a full on gummy smile, and you've got these cute little dimples in your cheeks. I tried to get a picture of it yesterday, but you got camera shy and stopped smiling. You also do this when you are nursing, so this makes me think that you are dreaming about booby, which you know, is quite alright :). That or you're dreaming about playing with Charlie when you're older...that is totally possible too.
Speaking of Charlie, you really like him. When he runs around, you try to follow him with your eyes. It is quite cute. He really likes you too. He keeps licking your head and your hands, and one time he got a good face lick in there, and you didn't mind at all...I'm betting you two are going to be the best of buds when you get a bit older.
Alright my precious sugar pea, you are wonderful. I can't imagine our life right now without you...no doubt it would be a bit dull around here without you. You bring a certain pizazz to our life that we wouldn't trade for the world. Yup, you're definitely a keeper!
Love you,
Mommy
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