DVD on how to understand an infant's cries (we figured the "head start" wouldn't hurt-!), the suitcase for the hospital (complete with the same knitted outfit that Grady was brought home from the hospital in as a newborn!), even a "baby's first year" calendar (thanks Jen!) and cute little pictures on the wall, we're set! (PS- the two pieces of clothing in the middle of the grid are my favorite two! one says "honey bunny" and the other has the cutest little ears on the hood! In some ways I just can't wait to meet our little one! [...and in other ways I want to savor this pre-baby time while the peace and quiet lasts-!])
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
"Baby-fied"
Well we could potentially still have six more weeks until we meet our new baby face to face, but our apartment and thoughts have progressively become more and more "baby-fied" and if he or she decides to come next week we'll be ready! Carseat, stroller, bed, changing area, clothes, instructional video for the baby carrier and DVD on how to understand an infant's cries (we figured the "head start" wouldn't hurt-!), the suitcase for the hospital (complete with the same knitted outfit that Grady was brought home from the hospital in as a newborn!), even a "baby's first year" calendar (thanks Jen!) and cute little pictures on the wall, we're set! (PS- the two pieces of clothing in the middle of the grid are my favorite two! one says "honey bunny" and the other has the cutest little ears on the hood! In some ways I just can't wait to meet our little one! [...and in other ways I want to savor this pre-baby time while the peace and quiet lasts-!])
DVD on how to understand an infant's cries (we figured the "head start" wouldn't hurt-!), the suitcase for the hospital (complete with the same knitted outfit that Grady was brought home from the hospital in as a newborn!), even a "baby's first year" calendar (thanks Jen!) and cute little pictures on the wall, we're set! (PS- the two pieces of clothing in the middle of the grid are my favorite two! one says "honey bunny" and the other has the cutest little ears on the hood! In some ways I just can't wait to meet our little one! [...and in other ways I want to savor this pre-baby time while the peace and quiet lasts-!])
Karlovy Vary
This past weekend Grady and I took our last "just the two of us" trip (some like to call it a "Babymoon") before settling in closer to Dresden to be ready for if the baby comes. We drove a little over three hours to get to our destination, a small, yet "stately" ornate spa town in the Czech called Karlovy Vary. There are around 10 natural warm mineral water springs throughout the main valley in this town, and practically everyone you see is carrying their personal ceramic mug with a handle-straw-spout (see picture) to sample each spring they pass. Most of the town was developed in the early 1900s and the art deco facades and ornate, pastel colored buildings really give this place a distinct feel. We enjoyed the cool yet sunny day walking around and also sampling our share of the springs (although I couldn't get over the minerally/salty warm water taste--Grady compared it to drinking tea of some sort)--they are supposed to be very natural and good for one's health. It's always nice to be in the Czech, where the food is always delicious and the exchange rate doesn't weigh so heavily on us (they still have their own currency instead of the currently all-powerful Euro), and especially as a nice change of pace and scenery!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
35 down, 35 to go!
Today marks the start of week 35, meaning only 35 days are "left" until the estimated due date. The baby must be doing great because it's moving ALL THE TIME lately, really making it hard at times to just sit and relax! (imagine being regularily *boxed* from the inside, often without the warning of preceding lighter movements-!) Walking and sleeping continue to grow more challenging, but preparations for our new family member are going along smoothly with a stroller, bed, changing area, clothes, some toys and even the first week's diapers all ready to go (not to mention the hospital bag!). We hope to take a small trip this weekend to a town just over the border in the Czech to enjoy our last opportunity to travel "before baby." And the realization keeps ringing truer and louder that in as little as two weeks (it's commonly recognized that babies can be born full term anytime between 37 and 42 weeks) we could be meeting this little life! Please keep praying for our adjustment into parenthood, I don't know if anyone ever truly feels "ready" for it-!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Entering the Homestretch
...and by "homestretch" I do mean *stretch*--the baby and belly seem to have moved into high growing gear this past week!
And you didn't think you'd seen the last of sappy pregnant Allison did you? I read this poem last night and found it really sweet, so I thought I'd post it too.
quote and poem taken from "Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother's Soul"
"It is only when the rigidity of advanced pregnany sets in that you appreciate fully how useful it was to be able to bend at the waist."
-Audrey Hull
how true it is :)
--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--
And you didn't think you'd seen the last of sappy pregnant Allison did you? I read this poem last night and found it really sweet, so I thought I'd post it too.
A Mother's Journey
My life forever changed on the day you were conceived,
Your heartbeat gave me the reality of what I had achieved.
The stages of your development, the picture of how you grew,
Never completely knowing if I should buy in pink or blue.
Then came the day when I was able to hold you in my arms,
Hoping, as any mother would, to protect you against harm.
A precious little baby with ten tiny new toes,
An amazing set of lungs and a cute little button nose.
As you grow with lightning speed, I promise to treasure every day,
And try my best to give you a rainbow when the sky is dark and grey.
-Elizabeth Butera
Your heartbeat gave me the reality of what I had achieved.
The stages of your development, the picture of how you grew,
Never completely knowing if I should buy in pink or blue.
Then came the day when I was able to hold you in my arms,
Hoping, as any mother would, to protect you against harm.
A precious little baby with ten tiny new toes,
An amazing set of lungs and a cute little button nose.
As you grow with lightning speed, I promise to treasure every day,
And try my best to give you a rainbow when the sky is dark and grey.
-Elizabeth Butera
quote and poem taken from "Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother's Soul"
Friday, March 9, 2007
Waddling Just Around the Corner...
And here we have pregnant Allison at 33 and a half weeks! The baby has been growing quickly (sometimes causing a great deal of uncomfort as the belly struggles to "make room") and I feel noticibly more pregnant each day. Still fighting the urge to walk like a duck though (although by the end it may be inevitable-!). It's not the unmanagable size that's a problem for me, but the pure weight that is putting a weird kind of pressure on my hips and pelvis. Maybe I should start practicing my quacking sounds...
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Take a Minute to Lighten Up a Bit
I just read this list and realized it's been awhile since randomly finding something so entertaining-yet-to-the-point. It won't take you long to read but I hope you enjoy both the "lightness" and depth it will bring to your day! I especially got a kick out of #10!
16 Things That It Took Me Over 50 Years to Learn - By Dave Barry
1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
2. If you had to identify, in a single word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."
3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
5. You should not confuse your career with your life.
6. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
7. Never lick a steak knife.
8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11.
12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe we are above average drivers.
13. A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)
14. Your friends love you anyway.
15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.
16: Final thought for the day: Men are like fine wine. They start out as grapes, and it's up to the women to stomp the snot out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.
16 Things That It Took Me Over 50 Years to Learn - By Dave Barry
1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
2. If you had to identify, in a single word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."
3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
5. You should not confuse your career with your life.
6. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
7. Never lick a steak knife.
8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11.
12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe we are above average drivers.
13. A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)
14. Your friends love you anyway.
15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.
16: Final thought for the day: Men are like fine wine. They start out as grapes, and it's up to the women to stomp the snot out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Caller ID, German Style
One of the nice things about living in Germany is that the situation portrayed in the above cartoon rarely, if ever, occurs. First off, instead of answering the phone, "Hello?" it is expected that the person uses their last name or the last name of the residents' house they are at. I like to combine my Canadian background with this German social standard, so if you ever call and I answer you'll hear, "Maass, hallo?"But something that I still sometimes forget is that immediately after hearing who has answered it is now the caller's turn to identify him or herself. The accepted German way to do this is by saying (for example), "Hier ist Maass" (if you can believe it *gasp!* that means "Here is Maass" in English...haha), or if speaking English, "It's Allison" will do. When speaking with close friends obviously I say, "Hier ist Allison," since it's a much more casual situation.
My point is that in this culture (if both people do it "right") the conversation quickly moves forward uninhibitedly due to the efficient self-identification that takes place right off the bat. Never the half-listening-while-frantically-trying-to-figure-out-who-has-just-called dilemma. I guess that's why it's so nice to have call display...it puts both the answerer and caller on the same playing field-!
Anyway, for the record I don't miss "Premature Voice Recognition Assumption" one bit and will be saddened when I have to once again start asking, "May I ask who's calling?" (or in some instances, "Uhh, who is this?!?")
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