Uncork and Unwined

WE

2012-02-14T03:00:00.000-06:00

We are incredibly happy.

We rarely argue.

We make up quickly and sweetly.

We have been together almost six years.

We can't believe it's been that long.

We are looking forward to seventy or so more.

We cloth diaper and love it.

We co-sleep and never thought we would.

We miss sleeping more than five hours in a row.

We aren't ready for another child...yet.

We live on coffee and willpower.

We love unconditionally.

We are tired of the freezing weather and snow.

We are warm weather people.

We need the sunshine.

We can't wait till summer.

We love Europe.

We love traveling.

We are blessed to have this opportunity, but

We can't wait to get back to the States.

We are best friends.

We genuinely like each other.

We are each other's happy.

We don't know many people like us.

We think that's okay because,

We are happy with who

We are.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Professional Problems

2012-02-08T03:00:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure how many of you know this, but I am an Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Sounds fancy doesnt it? It just means that I can work with adults in an acute care setting. I graduated from grad school six months before we moved to Germany. I passed my boards just three months before we arrived here. I never had the opportunity to practice while we were in the States. Now it looks like I might never have the opportunity to practice at all....

After high school, I went to college with the intent of becoming an occupational therapist. I had done some summer internships at our local hospital and really loved working in OT. I chose the school with the best OT program in our state and off I went.

Once I arrived though, I began doing research on other majors, other careers. I dont remember why, but ultimately, I changed my major to nursing with the purpose of becoming a nurse anesthetist. I wanted to make a lot of money, but not have to work too hard to do it. (Admirable, I know.) I guess OTs just didnt make enough money, plus I wanted to go out of state for grad school and the locations of CRNA schools was highly appealing to me. I loved working in the operating room, so I thought becoming a CRNA would be a good fit for me.

So I switched to nursing and loved/hated every minute of it. I found nursing school to be easy in that the skills came pretty easily to me. I felt like I was born to be in the medical profession. I truly love helping people, having all the right answers and seeing my advice and skills make a difference in someone's life.

Somewhere along the way though, I realized that nurse anesthesia wasnt for me. I wasnt that person. Money wasnt going to make me happy if I was bored with the job. I was already too far into my major to change it again, so I decided to push on and become a nurse practitioner. Nurses have a remarkably high level of job opportunities and can do anything from work in a hospital, clinic or school to teach, manage or direct. I knew if I became an NP, I would have lots of opportunities for a career, and, big money or not, I would be happy. My end desire was to teach grad school.

I put in my time after college at a large local hospital's surgical intensive care unit, a job I loved to hate. I can say now that it was a great experience, but one I am very happy to have over with. I applied to grad school, in state, and got in two years after graduating college. It took three long, stressful, expensive years to get my graduate degree, but I did it. I graduated with my Master's in Nursing and couldnt have been more proud.

During my clinical rotations, I rounded with an endocrinologist who specialized in diabetes. Before meeting him, diabetes was one of my least favorite subjects. I was scared of all the treatment options and the seriousness of the disease. This doctor completely changed my way of thinking. He treated his patients in such a novel way that made total sense to me. He had high success rates and an easy demeanor. He inspired me to want to be like him, a diabetes specialist. He even offered me a job if we were to stay in the area after my graduation. I was elated, so happy to have been offered my dream nursing job. .... And then we found out we were moving to Germany.

Again, I was elated for the opportunity to live and travel overseas and I havent regretted our decision once. But I am at a professional crossroads now. There are remarkably few opportunities for civilian nurse practitioners to work over here. I tried for months to find a job before getting pregnant. Now that we have a little one and no childcare, my options are even fewer.

In December I received a letter from the national certification board stating that my certification, along with several others, was being eliminated. If I didnt meet the requirements for recertification within five years of taking my boards, I would lose my certification and be unable to practice as a nurse practitioner, ever. I couldnt believe this! I havent even had the chance to work as a nurse practitioner yet, the career I worked so long and hard to get. And now it might slip through my fingers. Years of school, money, stress and time wasted. Before March 2015, I must get 3,000 working hours and around 75 educational hours. I can get the educational hours relatively easily, but the working hours? Not so much. Im not sure what's going to happen at this point.

I never intended to be a stay at home mom. Ive worked and/or been in school since I was fifteen. Ive been a little lost with all of my free time since moving here. Hobbies and social gatherings only take up so much time. And really, how many times can you clean your house? Since having a child, my "free" time has been drastically reduced, but I still feel like I am floundering. I feel so blessed to be able to stay home with our child, to watch her grow, teach her about the world around her and see her flourish. But I never intended to be a stay at home mom. I feel like something is missing. I actually want to work. My mom worked while I was growing up and is still working to this day. I admire her so much for making it all work, for being an awesome mother, plus juggling a full-time, demanding job. I feel like I have so much to contribute to society. I want to be out there helping people. Being a mother is the most rewarding and important job I will ever have. I just want to do that and more.

*Hold your hateful comments. Please remember that these are just my opinions of myself and not in any way a reflection of how I feel about other people. I think being a SHM is an awesome and incredibly difficult job. So difficult, that it's just not for me. I greatly admire all moms, whether they work in the home or out.

Shout Out

2012-02-07T07:42:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to give a shout out to Shabby Apple, the sponsor of my last giveaway. They truly are a great company!

I received a very sad email from the winner, Casey pertaining to her prize. The package for the necklace arrived...without the necklace. The package was a flimsy envelope and was open when delivered. So either the necklace fell out, or, more likely, someone took it from the envelope. I really dislike that things like this happen. Makes my heart sad.

Anyway, I was upset for her and unsure what exactly happens in situations like this, so I emailed my contact from Shabby Apple and explained what had happened. I was hoping they had taken out insurance before mailing the necklace. When I received the reply, it was even better than them having insurance. They stated that they would replace the necklace at no charge. Woohoo!

The replacement was mailed right away and Casey received it last week. Im so thankful for the wonderful customer service provided by Shabby Apple and their quick resolution to this situation.

Casey, we want to see a picture of you wearing this gorgeous necklace! =)

*I wasnt compensated in any way for this post. It's just my honest opinion and appreciation.

Shabby Apple Winner!

2012-01-23T03:19:00.000-06:00

The winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway is............

#13 Casey!

Casey said...

I follow your blog. Duh. :)

JANUARY 11, 2012 10:02 AM

Congrats Casey! Send me your shipping information and Ill pass it along to Shabby Apple. Im totally jealous and just might have to buy the necklace for myself! =)

Thank you so much to everyone who entered!

(I used Random.org but cant get it to copy over at the moment.)

Book Review: 2011 and What's in Store for 2012

2012-01-18T08:12:00.000-06:00

My goal for the year 2011 was to read 50 books. Most years I read this and more. Since I spent the majority of this year pregnant and then with an infant, I knew I wouldnt get as many read as I normally do, so 50 was my goal. I read a total of 51, with five in progress. Ive finished two off this year so far. My goal for 2012 is 60.

Instead of listing all the books I read, Ill just share my favorites in no particular order.

The Book Thief, by: Markus Zusak

This book really touched me. It takes place during WWII in Germany. The narrator is Death. It follows a young German girl, her adopted family, the Jewish man they harbor and the community they live in. It's a really well written book. I reviewed it last year. So, so good.

Outlander, by: Diana Gabaldon

I also reveiwed this one which you can read here. I loved this book so much. I started reading the second book last January. I still havent finished it. I hate it and will probably never finish it. It's graphic, disturbing and sickening. So disappointing, but the first one was great.

The Discovery of Witches, by: Deborah Harkness

Check out my review here. This is the first in a trilogy and I cant wait to read the second one this summer!

The Help, by: Kathryn Stockett

By now Im sure you all know about this book and have probably seen the movie. I loved them both. Touching, heartwarming and totally made me cry. My review can be found here.

The Scent of Rain and Lightening, by: Nancy Pickard

This was recommended by a fellow blogger and was a book club read. It's a cold case murder mystery that takes place in small town Kansas. It alternates between the present and the past, reliving the murder of a well liked man and the disappearance of his wife, told through the eyes of their daughter.

The Virgin of Small Plains, by: Nancy Pickard

Another murder mystery set in small town Kansas. A naked body is found in a pasture in the middle of a blizzard. Someone sees something they shouldnt have. Secrets and lies abound. Good book.

90 Minute Baby Sleep Program, by: Polly Moore

The book that changed my life. Read my review here.

What's a Wine Lover To Do?, by: Wes Marshall

We have a ton of wine books, but this one is by far, my favorite. It is so easy to read, informative and interesting. I liked the layout and wording- not too stuffy or dumbed down.

Thirteen Reasons Why, by: Jay Asher
Before a thirteen year old girl commits suicide, she mails out 13 tapes to the people who influenced her decision. Makes you think about all the people you have an impact on, with out even knowing it.

The Next Always, by: Nora Roberts

The first in a new trilogy. It's about three brothers who are refurbishing an old building in a small town on the East coast, turning it into a B&B, their love lives and adventures. I really liked it!

So far in 2012, Ive read only two books.

On my to-read list are some promisingly titles:

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?- Mindy Kaling

Incarceron- Catherine Fisher

Divergent- Veronica Roth

Delirium- Lauren Oliver

Shadow of Night- Deborah Harkness

Destined- P.C. Cast

The Night Circus- Erin Morgenstern

MWF seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend- Rachel Bertsche

The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho

We Need to Talk About Kevin- Lionel Shriver

The Flight of Gemma Hardy- Margot Livesey

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think about them? Would you recommend them?

Starting the New Year off Right...

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-06:00

...with a giveaway!

Who doesn't love a giveaway, right?

Many of you may have heard of Shabby Apple. Vintage dresses, stylish jewelry and unique arts and crafts. It's my kind of shop. I LOVE their vintage dresses for women and children. I can not wait until M is old enough to wear the children's designs! I am eyeing a few of their dresses and pieces of jewelry for myself. I really wish I would have known about them when I was pregnant because they have some of the most beautiful maternity dresses that Ive ever seen. Ill be keeping this in mind for my next pregnancy!

Shabby Apple has graciously offered up one of their stylish necklaces to one of my readers. I wish I could win this because this necklace is gorgeous (I picked it out!). The White Rabbit's Time Keeper was featured in the magazine Southern Living and is valued at $64.00! Check out their website for more details.

So who wants to win this?

All you have to do is "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook.

That's mandatory and good for one entry.

For extra entries:

Go to the Shabby Apple website and tell me what your favorite item is.

Good luck only choosing one thing!

(one entry)

Follow Shabby Apple on Twitter.

(one entry)

Follow Shabby Apple's blog.

(one entry)

Follow this blog via GFC.

(one entry)

That's five chances to win. Be sure to leave me your email address so I can

contact you if you win.

This giveaway will close on Wednesday, January 18th. The winner will be chosen via

Random.org. Open to US readers only.

Good Luck!

Bottle Strike

2011-12-31T06:40:00.000-06:00

Ok Moms, I need your help.

I'll even beg.

Please, please, please someone have a great idea for me.

M is currently in the middle of a bottle strike. She's taken a bottle before, for me and a friend who was babysitting her, but only about 10 times in her 15 weeks. This is our first child and yes, I am breast feeding. I just read in my "What to expect the first year" book, month three, that it is recommended that all breast feeding mothers give their baby one bottle a day from week 6 on. WTF? Why are they just now telling me this in month THREE??? Why didnt someone tell me this earlier? My siblings and I were not breastfed, so my mom didnt have any breast feeding advice to give me when we started this whole thing and unfortunately, none of my breastfeeding friends told me this either.

So now what? What do we do?

She SCREAMS like we are trying to torture her when we try to give her a bottle. We've tried Doctor Brown's, Medela, Avent and Ventaire bottles. Wide nipples, narrow nipples. Inserts, no inserts. All to no avail.

So, does anyone have any advice for us? Id really like to be able to leave her with someone for longer than 2.5 hours. (She eats every 3 right now). I feel so tied down and I really dont know what else to try.

Thanks for any helpful suggestions!

Oh, and Happy New Year! =)

Our Baby Gear Must-haves

2011-12-27T03:00:00.002-06:00

Now that M is 3 months old, I wanted to list our favorite baby gear items thus far.

*I wasnt compensated for any of this and these companies have no idea who I am. These are my own opinions.

Carter's pack and play

We use this as a changing station/cloth diaper holder for downstairs.
So convenient, sturdy, cute. Maybe she'll nap in it one day.

Carter's Bouncer seat

This isnt the exact one that we have, but it's close enough.

We keep it upstairs and move it from room to room, wherever we are.

We mostly use it in the bathroom to put her in during our showers and while we prepare her bath.

Disney Baby Einstein Play Mat

M loves the toys that come with this.

She stares at and plays with "Oscar" the octopus the most.

She also likes the flashing lights.

We keep it downstairs in the living room.

She plays while I get household chores done.

This is also where we do tummy time.

Boppy Breastfeeding Pillow

I only use this for nighttime feedings, but I love it.

I have a few covers for it too.

Once M can sit up a little more steadily on her own,

Ill put it behind her to help hold her up.

Boppy newborn lounger

This is great for naps and playtime.

M usually takes her morning nap here.

Arm's Reach Co-sleeper

This allows the baby to be within reach, but not in the bed with you.

It connects to your bed. It's great and convenient if you're breast feeding.

The AAP recommends sleeping in the same room as your baby until they are 6 months old,

so this is what we are using.

Nuk Pacifiers

This is the only brand of pacifier that M will take.

We've tried multiple brands and this is her fav.

Fisher Price Zen swing

M wasnt too keen on this early on, but around week 8 she really took to it.

She will sit in it for 10-20 minutes a few times a day. It is big and takes up a lot of room, but

she likes the mobile and loves the side to side swinging motion.

The seat is removable and doubles as an infant seat.

Moby Wrap

This was intimidating at first, but after I figured out how to use it the first time,

I could get her in and out of it quickly and easily.

It's perfect for commissary runs. It distributes her weight evenly.

M falls asleep in it every time.

Bum genius and Fuzzibuns Cloth Diapers

We love these! Im so happy we decided to cloth diaper.

We use the pocket one size versions of both of these and are very happy with them.

We do occasionally have a poop leak from the leg holes due to M's skinny legs,

but that doesnt happen often.

Medela On The Go Breast Pump

Great for traveling. Works really well. Easy to use and easy to clean.

We're not big fans of the bottles that are included, but the pump is great.

Baby Trend Travel System

LOVE this! The handle on the car seat makes it so much easier to hold and carry.

The stroller is easy to fold up and maneuver. I love that it's a jogging stroller and

has a swivel front wheel. It has two cup holders and speakers with an MP3 hookup.

It is a bit heavy, but I am able to lift it into and out of the trunk. Travel systems are

definitely the way to go.

Bundle Me

This is so great. We live in cold, dreary Germany and this keeps

our little one warm and cozy. She likes her car seat more now that we've added this.

Woombie

We have the one shown above, with legs. We love it! M got to the point where she was

constantly breaking out of her swaddle blankets at night and waking up. This solves that problem.

It also keeps her warm and cozy. The 3-6 month size is too long. but still fits her. It gives her just enough play and movement of her arms to keep her happy. She hates the Swaddle Me's. She will struggle

against them until I take it off. The Woombie, she likes.

Cloud b Twilight Constellation Nightlite

This is so great. I keep it in our room and use it when I want to see the baby and when Im feeding her during the night. It is so soft, it doesnt wake M or J up when I turn it on, but it provides enough light for

me to be able to see her clearly. Another awesome feature? It turns itself off after 45 minutes!

What are your favorite baby gear items? Please share!

*All images from www.google.com

Book Review: The 90-Minute Baby Sleep Program

2011-12-21T03:00:00.078-06:00

Not my image

This book has changed my life.

True story.

(I seriously hope Im not jinxing myself by writing about this...)

From the very beginning, Baby M has been a very spirited, fiery baby. That will translate to full of personality, charismatic and passionate when she's older. Many of our early days were spent walking the floors, bouncing and yes, sometimes crying. The word that we used most often to describe her during weeks 2-10 was "fussy." I hated this. It broke my heart, not knowing what was wrong or how I could help. When I would talk to friends and family about it, they just said that babies cry and at that age, fussiness is normal and expected. I understood this, but I felt like there was more to it.

M rarely slept during the day. Rarely. Naps were like a golden gift when they did occur. My mom told me I never slept as a baby, so I thought M was just coming by it honestly. But I kept thinking, "Arent babies supposed to sleep?" All of the books said babies her age sleep 15-20 hrs a day. Ha! We were lucky if M slept 10 hours a day. She would fuss and fuss until she eventually wore herself out.

Being a first time mother is exhausting and very, very hard. I called my mom in tears more than once, lamenting that I must be a bad mother or doing something wrong. Why else would M be so fussy and seemingly unhappy? Dont get me wrong- she wasnt always fussy or always crying, but I remember once saying that she was probably fussy 50% of the time.

And then, the day after Thanksgiving, my husband gave me a gift. An early Christmas present. We were having an especially difficult day. A very "Black Friday" indeed. The gift was this book. I had put it on my Amazon wishlist after reading about it in an email from thebump.com. I read the book that day and decided to try the suggestions the following day.

That Saturday, our world began to change. We implemented the plan in the book and our days became so much better, our baby so much happier. Our days are now structured on a flexible schedule. I am so much happier, better able to deal with any fussiness and less stressed. I can actually get things done around the house and I feel comfortable running errands. Most importantly, M has flourished! She wakes up in the morning smiling and laughs and "talks" all day long. She's a little ham, making J and I laugh all the time. No longer is she a "fussy" baby, but a happy baby. And as her momma, I couldnt be happier about that!

Now, Im not saying we dont have bad days or that M is never fussy. What I am saying is that those happen infrequently. Out of a 7 day week, we probably have 1.5 bad days now. Before, it was more like 3-4 bad days a week.

The main points of the book include:
*Start the timer from the moment the baby wakes up.
*~90 minutes later, the baby will be ready for a nap.
*The point that was most key for us--- because she is so young, the baby will need help falling asleep.
*When the baby wakes from her nap, start the timer again.

M wakes, eats (every 3-5 hours), plays for an hour-hour and fifteen minutes and then goes down for a nap ~90 minutes after waking. This is our schedule all day long. The times vary depending on what time she wakes up every day, but the routine doesnt. I didnt realize that she just needed help falling asleep. It was a "lightbulb" moment, when I read that. So now, when she starts displaying her sleepy signals, I swaddle her arms, place her in the side lying position in my arms, give her her paci and either walk with a bounce or sit and pat her bottom until she falls asleep. She naps for 45 mins-2.5 hours at each nap. All along, she just needed more sleep and a little help getting there.

This book may not work for everyone, but it worked for us. Now, if she would just sleep through the night...

*I was not compensated in any way for this review. This is my own, personal opinion.

Love/Hate

2011-12-19T03:00:00.001-06:00

Dont you just love it when:

*You're finished Christmas shopping!
*Your baby wakes up smiling and happy. Totally makes my morning.
*You're back to pre-pregnancy weight 12 weeks after delivery. Woohoo!
*Your baby is good in public, especially during a dinner out.
*You can fit into a dress you wore in high school.
*Your baby sleeps longer than a 3 hour stretch at night.
*Your husband is on vacation. Two weeks off coming up and I cant wait!
*Your baby doesnt get sick even though you and your husband both had the same virus.
*You get caught up on laundry. Yes!
*Your family and friends shower you and your family with love.
*You get into a flexible daily routine that makes both momma and baby happy.
*Your parents send 14 boxes of things for the baby and Christmas presents. Cant wait till Christmas morning.
*You see your child discover new things and develop new skills.
*Your mom comes to visit. T minus two weeks and counting!
*You get a child free date night with your hubby.
*The sun shines in the winter.
*The holiday season is in full swing. I love this time of the year.

and on the reverse side of things....

Dont you just hate it when:

*The military throws you a curveball and you have to change your plans.
*Your baby goes through a growth spurt. Every two hour feedings during the night are no fun.
*It's pouring down rain and you have to go to the commissary. Worse, with a baby.
*You run out of pumpkin spice coffee and cant buy more around here. =(
*There's nothing good on AFN. Wait, there's rarely ever anything good on AFN. I miss real TV.
*You've worked so hard to get your baby to sleep and the moment you put her down, her eyes pop open and she's wide awake again. Sigh.
*You dont see the sun for days and days. Boo to the never ending grey skies and rain.
*You get sick and your husband is TDY. And you still have to take care of a baby.
*You have obligations to attend to, but all you want to do is stay in your PJs and snuggle with the cutest little girl in the world.
*It's the middle of December and you havent received any Christmas cards.
*You have to go on base and stand in line to get your mail. I miss mail being delivered right to your home. Id love to be able to just walk to the mailbox.
*You cant find a parking spot.
*You live in a country that doesnt know what good Mexican food is. We tried a new Mexican restaurant last night and as per all the Mexican restaurants in Germany, it sucked. Bad food and too strong, watered down drinks. I really miss good Mexican food.

Holiday Blog Swap

2011-12-14T03:00:00.000-06:00

If you havent heard, Wife on the Roller Coaster from Riding the Roller Coaster is hosting a MilSpouse Holiday Blog Swap. This is my very first blog swap and Im really excited about it. There are some great bloggers participating, so be sure to check them all out. Just stop by the Wife's blog to see them all. I cant wait to read everyone's posts, which are all about Christmas.
You can find my post on how the military has affected our holiday seasons over the years on Nicole's blog at Flip Flops and Combat Boots.

Im hosting Katie F. from The Life of an Army Wife. Katie is an Army wife from Wisconsin and new momma to a beautiful little five month old girl. Stop by her blog to find out more and to see some photos of her little cutie!

Here's her post:

Hello. My name is Katie F and I write over at The Life of an Army Wife. I love the holiday season. Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. I love listening to Christmas music, driving around looking at decorations and the warm fuzzy feeling you get curled up in your living room with the ones you love enjoying the lights of your Christmas tree

My family is big on traditions. My parent's made Christmas so special and I knew that I wanted to do the same for my kids. Now that our daughter is here we went all out for Christmas this year. The last few years we have gone home to WI to be with our families for the holiday's. This year a 17 hour drive with a 5 month old was out of the question so it will be our first Christmas just the three of us. While it's sad knowing we won't be going home for Christmas I am excited to start our own family traditions along with incorporating some of our families traditions.

One major tradition my family did was giving us a new ornament each year. Every year in the beginning of December my parent's gave us a new ornament to put on the tree. They always had some sort of meaning or represented us in some way whether it be a ballerina ornament or a high heel, it was always special to see what my parents had picked for us. And now 27 years later I have 27 ornament's to hang on my own tree. The hubs and I decided to start this tradition with our daughter and a few weeks ago headed to Hallmark to pick out Baby's first Christmas ornament. It is hanging proudly on our tree and our family member's have even joined in our tradition and purchased some ornament's for her

Other traditions include going to church on Christmas Eve, cooking a big meal for us to enjoy. A traditional turkey with all the trimmings on Christmas eve and a traditional italian dinner on Christmas day.

Traditions are meant to be passed down and shared with one another. That is what makes Christmas so special for us. Sharing them with our daughter along with starting our own new traditions. Traditions that will last a life time and that will hopefully be passed along to our grandchildren. So even though we will be far away from our families this year they will be close by in spirit. What sort of traditions do you all enjoy during the holiday's?

I know one tradition I plan on starting is The Elf on a shelf. When Gianna gets a little older I think it will be such a cute experience for her. I see so many people blogging about it that I can't wait to start it.

The most important thing of all however is that we will be together this Christmas. Celebrating the holiday's when your loved one is deployed is always hard and it has taught me to never take time together for granted.

Thank you for your great post Katie!

What are some of your Christmas traditions?

A Birth Story, Part 3

2011-12-12T03:00:00.001-06:00

*Warning: Part 3 includes the delivery and some things that may be TMI for some of you.

In case you missed the beginning...

Part 1
Part 2

So the epidural isnt working on the left side and I can feel everything. From the beginning, the contractions had been focused in my back. (My mom told me she also had "back labor.") Now that the epidural wasnt working, the back pain on my left side was excruciating.

At 7:00 the change of shift came on and my new nurse was Alexis and she told me that a midwife would be the one to deliver my baby. I was so happy it wouldn’t be the doctor from the night shift. At 8:10, she came in to check my progress. J had just left a few minutes before to run down and get some breakfast. The poor guy was starving. Id been on the Pitocin for a little less than two hours. The midwife lifted up the sheet and said, “Whoa! I can see the baby’s head. You’re dilated to 10 and the baby’s head is at 2+.” We were all so shocked! They hadn’t expected me to progress so quickly, even on the Pitocin. I called J and said, get up here now, I’m dilated to a 10! The midwife laughed and said there wasn’t any hurry; she was going to let me labor down for a while before I started pushing. I relayed the message to J, who was very relived. He did rush back upstairs. He said he thought I was joking at first, because I was so calm. He almost threw his food down in the cafeteria and ran. Thankfully he brought the food with him and didnt make a mess.

So as I’m laboring down, the contractions are getting worse and worse and are coming less than two minutes apart. Things began to get hazy at that point. I remember the nurse saying that there was no reason for me to be in so much pain, especially with an epidural and she was going to get the anesthetist. At some point he came in a said he was going to give me a “half bolus” directly into the epidural. I was in the zone at that point and don’t remember much except Jason helping me focus on my breathing. Around 9:30 the nurse came back in and said it was time to start pushing. Thankfully by that time the bolus had just kicked in and I was feeling nothing but relief. She had me push a couple of times but then stopped me because the baby’s head was right there and she was afraid I would deliver without the midwife being there. At 9:40 the midwife arrived and I began pushing. J was on my right, mom was on my left and the midwife and nurse were at the end of the bed. I remember my mom saying, “She has so much hair!” over and over.

I loved the midwife. She was very concerned with giving me the safest, quickest delivery and preventing a tear. She also wanted all of us to participate in the delivery. So she had Jason lift my right leg, which was extra numb from the bolus, and mom lift the left leg. She had me hold my thighs as well. This wasnt working for me because I was too numb. After a few minutes, she told me to lift my pelvis with each push like Michael Jackson thrusted his. We all cracked up at that, but it worked! She had me grab my ankles, with mom and Jason supporting my legs, and thrust upward. She said this would help prevent a tear.

After a total of fourteen minutes of pushing, and 17.5 hrs of labor, M was born at 9:54 am. She was perfect! The cord was wrapped around her neck once, but the midwife was so calm and unwrapped it without us even knowing. It wasn’t until we were filling out our discharge paperwork that we found out she had a nuchal cord. She dried her off a little and placed her right up on my chest. She waited until the umbilical cord stopped pulsating, letting M get all the stem cells. I loved that she did that. I had read about it during pregnancy, but didn’t think they would be willing to do it. Once it had stopped pulsating, J was allowed to cut the cord. I didnt even feel or realize when the placenta delivered, which was fine with me because I did not want to see it. They let M lay on me while they cleaned her up. I also breast fed her within the first 20 minutes after she was born, before they took her over to weigh and bathe her. After an hour they took her over to give her the Vitamin K shot, the eye ointment, weigh and measure her. She weighed 6 lbs, 12 oz. We all took a guess before they weighed her and the midwife guessed it correctly! She was 18 ¾ inches long. Afterward, they brought her back to me and let me breast feed her again. I was allowed to eat at that point. Finally! I was starving! We got in lots of snuggle time too. J and mom held M and lots of pictures were made. Then it was time for her first bath. While they bathed her, Alexis helped me to the bathroom so I could clean up and get a shower. Unfortunately, my right leg was extra dead from the bolus so I looked like a drunk person trying to walk to the bathroom. She and J practically carried me. The numbness didnt completely wear off of the right side for six hours.

We spent two days in the hospital. Thankfully M was healthy and I didnt have any complications. My only complaint was intense back pain for a few days afterward from the contractions and epidural. My mom stayed with us for the next two weeks and J was off work, so we spent the time getting to know our little one.

The last 12 weeks havent always been easy, but they have been wonderful. M is the best thing that has ever happened to us. She's our little miracle baby, our greatest blessing. All in all, my labor and delivery were pretty wonderful. Even with a defective epidural, I was very pleased with my experience and will happily do it again one day. The devastatingly brutal sleep deprivation that goes along with having a newborn...well, that's not something I look forward to. We have another year or two before we have to worry about that though.... =)

A Birth Story, Part 2

2011-12-05T07:02:00.001-06:00

Check out Part 1 if you missed it!

So on to part two...

So we're in room 3, the best room...
I changed into a gown and got into bed at 1245. Becky checked my cervix for progress. The hospital's policy is not to admit a patient unless their cervix is dilated to a 4. I was a 2 at my last appointment a week before, so I was hoping I was at least a 4 now. According to her, I was dilated to 3 and 80% effaced. I was a little disappointed and worried they would send me home. Becky asked me if I would like to go home for a while longer or stay and of course I said stay! I wasn’t giving up Room #3! =)

So we made ourselves comfortable and prepared for a long night. Although the contractions were painful, as long as I was walking, they were bearable. There was a moment when I felt like as long as they let me walk, I could handle them indefinitely. Ha! Although I was feeling mighty tough, I knew I really wanted an epidural and didn’t want to miss the window of opportunity for it. I informed my nurse of this so she agreed to come back and check me in a couple of hours. In the meantime I walked, breathed, facetimed with family and laughed with J and mom at the crazy German TV shows that air in the middle of the night.

When Becky came back in to check me at 2:40, I was 5 cm and 90% effaced. The pain was beginning to get pretty intense and I was terrified of missing out on the epidural (this had happened to my friend just two weeks before), so I told Becky I was ready for it. The CRNA arrived at 3:30. When he walked in was pacing the floor, laughing at something J had said. He looked around, said he must be in the wrong room and turned to go. We laughed and called him back in. He said his patients weren’t normally up walking around, laughing. Getting the epidural was an interesting experience. As a former operating room nurse and scrub tech, I had seen countless epidurals placed. One of my best friends is also a CRNA and I had talked to him about it. I knew it would be uncomfortable, and it was, but I underestimated how difficult it would be to have to sit still during the process. The contractions were bearable while I was walking, but so painful while sitting still. The sharp shooting pains down my legs wasn’t anticipated either. Afterward though, I was very thankful for the wonderful numb feeling.

At 4:15 the doctor came in for the first time since I’d arrived. She was about as friendly and animated as a rock. I sincerely hoped she wouldn’t be the one to deliver my baby. Luckily, she went off duty at 7:00 and /i knew I probably wouldnt deliver by then. She checked me at I was still at 5 cm. She said my water was bulging, so she decided to break it to speed things up a bit. Thankfully, due to the epidural, I didn’t feel a thing. Becky suggested we all try and get some rest while we could and she would be back in a couple of hours. I actually slept for an hour, but I was too excited to sleep more. I had fun trying to keep J awake by throwing ice at him. So far the worst part of labor? The hunger pains! I was starving. The popsicles and jello just werent cutting it.

At 6:15 Becky checked me again. I was only 6 cm. Unfortunately, the epidural had slowed my progress. They decided to begin a low dose of Pitocin to try and get my progress back on track, so at 6:25 they started the drip. After 20 minutes, Becky increased the dosage. At this point, I began to feel the contractions again. All I could think was, “Uh oh.” I knew this wasn’t good. I wasn’t supposed to be feeling anything. The contractions continued to get worse and as they did, I realized that I could only feel them on the left side. My right side was still numb, but I could feel everything on the left. Each and every contraction. I tried pushing my pain button, but that didn’t provide any relief. It sucked having to lie in bed during the contractions when all I wanted to do was walk.

Thankfully J was with me. He was awesome! He encouraged me, helped to keep me focused and kept me grounded. He is a funny, funny guy but never once cracked a joke. We’d made a deal beforehand that he wouldn’t make any jokes, complain or eat in front of me. Not that he would ever complain, but I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t have a reason to hurt him. =) I did let him eat eventually. I didn’t want him to pass out during the big moment!

Stay tuned for Part 3, the big event, coming next week.....

A Birth Story, Part 1

2011-11-28T09:48:00.000-06:00

So I am finally getting around to writing up M's birth story. Im pretty longwinded so Ive broken it up into a couple of posts.

On September 14^th, 2011, my due date, I spent the day running errands with my mom. On the way home from base I told her that I had a new “heavy” feeling. I wasnt having contractions, but I definitely felt different. Later that afternoon we sat at the dining room table, mom working on her charts, me working on a pregnancy photo book. At 4:30 my lower back began to hurt. This was nothing new as my back had been hurting for almost 10 months! At 4:54 though, I had a contraction. Just a tightening of my abdomen. It didn’t hurt, but it was noticeable. At 5:02, I had another. At 5:11, another. I told my mom that I was having contractions and sent Jason a text at work letting him know. I wasn’t sure if this was the real thing or not because I had been having Braxton Hicks for weeks, but I was really hoping so! I cooked dinner for us all and the contractions kept coming. They were 6 to 20 minutes apart. After dinner they stopped for about 20 minutes so Jason and I went on a walk. We wanted to keep them coming! We couldn’t believe that after 10 months of waiting, this might finally be the real thing. On our walk we saw a bright light- space material (a satellite, maybe?) shoot across the sky and break up into two pieces. It was a sign. By nine I was sure that this was real labor and that the big event would be soon. We attempted to go to bed around 9:30/10 because we knew we would not be getting much sleep soon, but as I lay there, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I was too excited! I decided to get up and shower. My contractions were about 4-6 minutes apart by this time. After my shower I went back into the bedroom and told Jason to get up and finish packing our bag. We would be going to the hospital soon, I was sure. He got up and we both got dressed and went downstairs to tell Mom.

The contractions were coming more regularly and were beginning to pick up in intensity. I had to breathe through them, but they werent too bad at this point. The best pain reliever was walking. As long as I was walking, the pain wasn’t bad. We called L&D at 11:00pm and told them that my contractions were about 3-5 minutes apart and increasing in intensity. They advised me to stay at home until they were 3-4 minutes apart and stronger. We were pretty disappointed because we were ready to go and get this show started, but we managed to stay at home for another hour. We called them again at midnight since my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and instead of asking if we could come in, we told them we were on our way. The pain was getting worse, but still very manageable and even mild if I could walk during the contraction.

When we arrived at the hospital and pulled up to the gate, the gate guard asked us to shut off the engine and step out of the car. They wanted to do a car search! A panicked look immediately crossed my face as I breathed through another contraction. Jason told the guard that I was in labor and that we couldn’t stop. The guard said, “Oh! Ok, go on then!” and told the other guards that I was in labor. As we drove by they yelled out “Good Luck!” Jason dropped Mom and I off at the ER entrance while he went to park the car.

We walked up to L & D and checked in. The nurse, Becky, led us to Room 3, aka, THE room. This was the room that we wanted. We were told it was the biggest and the best room during our tour of the unit several weeks earlier when we attended our childbirth class. Our friends had also just delivered their baby in that room exactly two weeks before and they confirmed its awesomeness. Turns out I was the only patient on the unit that night.

I changed into a gown and got into bed at 1245. Becky checked my cervix for progress. They don’t normally admit a patient unless their cervix is dilated to a 4. I was a 2 at my last appointment a week before so I was hoping I was at least a 4 now. According to her, I was dilated to 3 and 80% effaced. I was a little disappointed and worried they would send me home. Becky asked me if I would like to go home for a while longer or stay and of course I said stay! I wasn’t giving up Room #3! =)

Stay tuned for part two....

It's Been Awhile...

2011-11-23T06:36:00.000-06:00

Hi!

(waves)

Remember me?

It's been awhile.

With an almost 10 week old who is very...spirited and fiery, blogging has definitely been pushed to the back burner. The way back burner. M is a doll baby most days, but requests a lot of attention and loves for her momma to hold and walk with her and of course entertain her. Add in the fact that she prefers to nap in my arms rather than anywhere else, well, that makes blogging, emailing or doing much of anything else for that matter, difficult to say the least. Thankfully, she is becoming more independent and interested in her surroundings, so I am slowly acquiring more "me" time during the day. I havent been very good at reading your blogs, much less commenting, but I am trying to catch up! Some very interesting, happy and/or challenging things have been happening to you, my bloggy loves, and I am eager to get caught up and back in touch with you!

A quick baby update:
M is smiling, cooing and laughing often throughout the day now. She hasnt mastered rolling over yet, but how could she, when she's always being held? So we're working on more tummy and playmat time. She learned how to spit and blow spit bubbles this past weekend. Not fun for mommy when Im trying to give her medication, but so adorable any other time. She's constantly chewing/sucking on something, be it her hand, my arm, daddy's fingers or her beloved Nuk paci. The drooling has also started. We have had a bout with thrush, a very mild case. She only had a couple of spots on her tongue, but thanks to my professional background, I knew exactly what it was and we caught it super early. We're both on meds for a week and Im very much hoping this kicks it. M was diagnosed with reflux when she was two weeks old. She's been on Zantac since, which has helped, but I have started a trial off of the Zantac to see if she really still needs it. Id like for her to only be taking medications if she truly needs them. So far, she's been doing great off of it.

She had her 2 month appt last week, complete with shots. No fun for mommy, but she handled them really well. I was able to breastfeed her during the injections and she only cried for about 30 seconds before going right back to eating. It was a great distraction and comfort measure for her and I highly recommend it to all of you breastfeeding mommas out there. She weighs almost 11 lbs and is just over 23 inches long. She's already grown out of so many of her clothing! Im so proud, but sad too. She's growing so quickly! We are cloth diapering and for the most part, love it! We have had a problem with a rash at night if she's wearing them. Im thinking it's either because she is going so long between changes at night or due to the detergent that we are using- Rocking Green, unscented. I spoke to a friend who recommended double stuffing the diapers at night since M soaks through one. Ill be trying that tonight.

We are prepping for Thanksgiving today. Im making a Pumpkin chocolate chip cake, a recipe I found here. Ive never made it before, but it looks and smells so good! I love all things pumpkin, so Thanksgiving just wouldnt be complete without a pumpkin dessert (or two!). I used the organic pumpkin that Becca sent me in my awesome care package. Im also making a chicken and green bean casserole that I found here. I cant believe Im not making anything from Pinterest! I did make two dinners this week that I found there. There were stellar! We are spending the holiday at a friends house with a few other couples and kids. I am excited, though I do wish we could be home with family. This is the second Thanksgiving in a row that we've missed at home. In fact, Ive only been home for two Thanksgivings in the last seven years. This was the "major" holiday that I always chose to work at the hospital so I could have Christmas off. We will be skyping with family tomorrow evening, so that will help with the homesickness. I think having a child now makes holidays that much more special and that much more difficult when we cant be with family. At least J will be home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year! Woohoo!

What are all of you doing for Turkey Day? I hope you have a wonderful, laughter filled day! I am super jealous, but also relieved that I will be missing out on Black Friday yet again this year. Im pretty much finished with my Christmas shopping, so I dont need anything anyway, but I may cyber stalk a few of my favorite stores... =)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

A Little Mama Love

2011-10-31T03:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween!!!

I received the MOST AWESOME care package from my sweet bloggy friend Becca. If you arent reading her blog, you should be. She sent me a care package especially for me... one of the few non-baby things Ive received in the last nine or so months. She knows how much I LOVE pumpkin flavored things (have I mentioned that on here before?).

She sent:

*Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix with cinnamon icing. YUM! I cant wait to make these! Im a sucker for all things pumpkin, but also for cookies. They are definitely a weakness of mine.
*Organic chocolate roasted tea. Seriously? Chocolate flavored organic tea? Yes please!
*A fall themed foodie magazine. I <3 magazines. I only subscribe to one (Cooking Light) because I feel bad spending money on magazines for myself, but I love them. If I could, I would subscribe to Martha Stewart Living, Southern Living, several cooking magazines and maybe even People for some mindless entertainment.
*A satin sleep mask for some help with daytime shut eye. Haha, yeah right. Like I get any shut eye ever, but one day I know my baby will sleep and when she does, Ill happily put on my new mask and snooze right along with her.
*Medela quick steam clean bags. I've been using these for a few weeks and love them! They are so convenient and easy to use.
*Organic lip balm. I cant tell you how much I needed this. Most lip balms give me a yeast infection in the corners of my mouth. Yes, seriously. It started with Bath & Body works lip gloss and now Blistex does it too. That's a whole other post though. Im super excited to try some organic balm because my poor lips need some moisture and the long cold Germany winter is looming.
*Two cans of organic pumpkin. I made pumpkin brownies this week. (Thank you Pinterest) They were so good, Im going to have to make them again and this time, Ill use the organic stuff. Love it, especially since we cant get specialty things like that here in Germany.

and......

*PUMPKIN SPICE COFFEE!!!!
I cant tell you how excited I am about this. Ive just started drinking coffee again this week- only half a cup a day. It's been heavenly having coffee again. I decided that since Baby M is crazy and fussy no matter what I eat/drink, I might as well enjoy half a cup a day. My lactation consultant agreed. =)

Thank you Becca! You are so awesome and sweet and receiving this care package seriously made my week!

Newborn Photos

2011-10-17T03:00:00.000-05:00

When Baby M was 10 days old, we had her newborn photos taken.

It was not a pleasant experience, to say the least.

First off, I dont think our photographer (who came highly recommended) had very much experience with newborns. She didnt have a lot of ideas for poses or props. Thank goodness for Pinterest; I came prepared.

Secondly, she suggested taking the baby's diaper off for some naked shots about 15 minutes into the two hour shoot. So I took off M's diaper. While Im waiting for the photographer to arrange the props, M pees ALL over me.

Ugh.

Thank goodness I was wearing black, right?

Sure, and so she peed on me again. All within the space of five minutes.

Cue the incredible fussiness, the inconsolable crying. She was seriously hating having her picture taken.

So I decided to try and feed her, which usually calms her. I take her into the bathroom, sit on the toilet (because the photographer did not offer a more comfortable option, rude), and proceed to feed her.

Aannnddddd............

She poops.... explosively.....all.over.me.

Of course.

So she's screaming and Im getting all teary eyed because we havent taken our family photos yet and for f*ck's sake, we'd only been there for maybe 30 minutes and it was already a cluster. Thank God my mom and J were with me to help clean us up and calm me down. I was ready to cancel the whole thing.

After lamenting that my shirt was ruined and we wouldnt be able to have our family photos taken, the photographer offered one of her black shirts. It wasnt perfect, but it worked.

M was fussy for the entire rest of the shoot and most of the photos with her eyes closed are in between screams.

I now know better for future children and future photo shoots.

*Schedule the shoot in the morning or late afternoon, not at noon, when the baby is most likely going to be fussy.

*Save the diaperless shots for last, for goodness sakes.

*Bring extra clothes. For everyone.

*Bring extra wipes. We ran out.

*Wait until the baby is 3 weeks old. They may be "less flexible", but will probably be better behaved. (M was much calmer at three weeks than 10 days.)

Despite the shit storm that was this photo shoot, we still managed to get some absolutely adorable shots. Here are some of my favorites:

And my favorite:

Happy Monday!

Baby M is Here!

2011-09-26T04:26:00.000-05:00

She's here! Baby M arrived on September 15th at 0954 after 17.5 hours of labor. She weighed 6 lbs., 12 oz. and is 18 3/4 inches long. We think she's just perfect and are so in love with this little girl! Ive got lots of posts planned for the upcoming weeks... if I can just find the time to finish them!

Happy Monday!

Brain Dump and Giveaway Winner

2011-09-13T06:34:00.000-05:00

Just dropping in with a quick update.

I just love posts that are quick and to the point!

Ill be 40 weeks pregnant tomorrow!

I cant believe it's been 40 weeks already!

No baby yet, but I have been having some contractions.

Fingers crossed.

This little girl just might come on her due date.

My birthday is on Monday, the 19th.

Im REALLY hoping she doesnt wait until then to come.

Also, I cant wait to eat birthday cake!

Yes, I love cake.

The winner of the cloth wipes giveaway from Turtles R Us is...

#7 Cat!

Congrats!

Please send me your address and email so I can connect you with the owner

of Turtles R Us to claim your prize.

I really wish I could get a pumpkin spice latte here.

Ive been reading about all of you enjoying yours and Im totally jealous.

The cafe on base here has a Harvest Spice latte... Im going to try it asap, but

Im sure it isnt going to be the same.

I read on another blog about these fantastic things called Pumpkin Delights from

Little Debbie.

Have any of you ever tried them? They sound delicious!

Im pretty sure they dont sell those here.

Im loving having my mom here!

She's been such a great help and great company.

Yay for the return of NFL football!!!

So sad my fav Peyton Manning is out.

I think Im gonna root for the Packers and Jets this year.

Anyone but the Chargers (my husbands favorite!).

Happy Tuesday!

Too Hot to Handle!

2011-09-05T01:53:00.000-05:00

*Dont forget to enter my giveaway! Cloth wipes that can be used for anything and would make a great gift! And they are super cute!

Source

So we all know what these little darlings are, yes?

A few weeks ago I found a recipe on Pinterest for bacon, jalapeno and cream cheese poppers.

YUM.

Source

I made them for a party and they were a huge hit.

So when our squadron's August social rolled around, I thought these would be perfect

to bring. Everyone always brings a dessert, so I really wanted to make an app.

When I made these the first time, I used sliced jalapenos from a jar since that was all that

I had on hand. When I attempted to make them the second time, I bought fresh jalapenos

since that's what the recipe called for and they looked so good.

I began by cutting up the jalapenos- ten of them- and then frying the bacon. As I was frying

the bacon, a couple of the fingers on my left hand began to tingle.

I thought it was weird, but maybe the grease was just popping up on me?

After cooking the bacon, I started hand washing the dishes.
That's when my left hand began to burn.

BURN.

And that's when I realized that it wasnt the bacon grease.
It was the jalapenos!

Ive been cooking with jalapenos for years people, and have never worn gloves while
handling them. While I realize that peppers can cause chemical burns on skin, it never even
occurred to me that they might burn me.
Because they never have.
Until now.

I have never felt a fire burning pain like that before. It felt as if I was constantly
holding my hand over an open flame or a hot stovetop.
My entire left hand, centered in the palm and
bases of my fingers, was covered in a horrible chemical burn from these jalapenos.
Im thinking that either my skin is super sensitive due to pregnancy,
or those were just some ridiculously hot peppers.

When the burning intensified shortly after I realized what was going on, I immediately
ran to my favorite medical source:
Google.

I could have easily looked in my own medical books, but my hand felt like it was ON FIRE
and thinking rationally wasnt high on my list.

Thankfully I found a website with extensive information and advice on the occurrence
of chemical burns from jalapenos with tons of first hand recommendations.

For the next FIVE hours, I tried every home remedy listed.
Multiple times.
I even called my OB doctor, my parents and my best friends asking for advice.

Let me tell you what didnt work:

Egg whites
Alcohol
Soap and water
Yogurt
Lemon juice
Baking soda and water
Milk
Baking soda and milk
Sugar scrub
Ice
Tylenol

Finally, after five hours of failed attempts, I found something that did work.

Palmolive and Germ-X.

I soaked my dry hand in Palmolive for several minutes, washed it off and dried it, used the Germ-X,
let it dry and then did the whole thing over again.

The pain instantly decreased and slowly faded away after a couple of hours.
My hand was sore for the rest of the night and for the next two days,
it peeled. It was an awful sight to see my entire palm and the skin on all of my
fingers peeling off, but at least it wasnt burning.

So, moral of the story?

Wear gloves when cooking with jalapenos.

Just do it.
The searing, burning pain just isnt worth chancing it.

Happy Labor Day!

Birth Month Celebration

2011-09-01T03:00:00.002-05:00

If you've been reading my blog for at least a year, you know that September is my most favorite month of the year. Why? It's my birth month, NFL football begins, wine and beer festivals begin here in Germany, Pumpkin Spice Lattes (!) come back and it's the beginning of Fall, my favorite season, just to name a few reasons. This year it also means the birth of our first child, a very monumental event indeed.

To celebrate Ive got an awesome giveaway for you!

About a month ago I entered a giveaway on another blog to win something from a super cute Etsy shop called TurtlesRUS. Unfortunately I didnt win the giveaway, but that didnt stop me from ordering something from her shop.

Im going to veer off here to a story, but I promise, it's related!

While I was home in the States in June, my mom and I decided to go to our local fabric store to look for a fabric I liked to make Baby M's nursery bedding. I had looked everywhere online and could not find anything that I liked, not to mention, the prices were more than what I wanted to spend. While we were at the fabric store, I found it! The. One. I had finally found a fabric that I loved. It had a white background, was very colorful (not just pink or purple) and had small butterflies and ladybugs of all different colors. It was exactly what Id been looking for. We immediately started choosing coordinating fabrics with which to make the curtains, pillows and bed skirt. I couldnt believe we'd struck gold on our first outing. I kept thinking, "Yes! This is perfect!"

And then it wasnt.

The catch? (Because there's always a catch right?) They only had a small piece of the fabric. In their entire warehouse of a store. Seriously. It was only enough to make a very small curtain. I was beyond bummed! My hopes had gotten so high, only to come crashing right down. Im sure some of you are thinking how melodramatic this sounds. Im mean, come on, it's just fabric right? Well, yes, but after searching for months, this was the only fabric that I even remotely liked, so it meant more to me than just a piece of fabric.

We went ahead and bought the small scrap to see if perhaps we could find it online and put all of the other coordinating fabrics back. My mom suggested that we head up to my aunt's to see if she had seen the fabric before or knew where we could get it, since she makes baby quilts. When we arrived at my aunt's and I showed her the fabric she was shocked. She immediately went out to her car and brought in a baby blanket made out of the exact same fabric!!! She had found the fabric at the same store two weeks prior! She bought it and made me a quilt out of it. I was ecstatic! We couldnt believe that out of the literally thousands of fabrics at that store, we'd chosen the very same one. It was definitely meant to be. Mom and I went back the next day and bought all of the coordinating fabrics, ribbons and accessories which she used to make the bed skirt, closet cover, curtain and pillows.

Fast forward back to the TurtlesRUs giveaway (I bet you thought Id never get back to my original story, huh?). When I was entering the giveaway, I went to the Etsy shop and looked around to see what I would chose if I won. Imagine my surprise and utter delight when I saw 2 dozen cloth wipes in the exact same pattern as my baby quilt and curtain! I couldnt wait to see if I won the contest or not, so I went ahead and ordered them.

Baby M's Nursery bedding!

These cloth wipes are adorable, soft, eco-friendly and so, so affordable. The pattern matches my fabric perfectly. I cant wait to use them on Baby M! I received them so quickly too, especially for an APO address.

The matching cloth wipes!!

When I wrote to Kayla at TurtlesRUs and told her how happy I was with the product, she graciously offered up one dozen cloth wipes to you, my readers! Even if you arent a mom or mom-to-be, these would make a great gift!

To Enter:

Mandatory-

"Like" TurtlesRUS on Facebook

www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Turtles-R-Us/119431367851

AND

"Like" TutlesRUs on Etsy OR your favorite item in her shop

www.etsy.com/shop/TurtlesRUs?ref=pr_shop

Once you've completed those two you can earn extra entries by:

Following this blog (one entry)

Tweeting about the giveaway (one entry)

Blogging about the giveaway (one entry)

That's four chances to win!

Just leave me a comment for each entry please.

Super simple right?

Dont forget to leave me your email address in at least one of the comments.
This giveaway will close September 10th.
I will email the winner asap, depending on when Baby M decides to make her debut.

Good luck!

Super cute wipes from TurtlesRUS!

I love this fabric!

Week 38

2011-08-31T09:38:00.000-05:00

We're only 2 weeks away from that elusive due date. Im sincerely hoping this precious little girl makes her debut soon, or at least before the due date. Last week I finally reached that "point" that all mothers talk about- the one where you are just plain miserable and so ready to be done with pregnancy. We are just so anxious and excited to meet our little one!

***Be sure to check in tomorrow. It's the beginning of my favorite month, my birth month (and Baby M's too!) and I have a great giveaway planned!***

How Far Along: 38 weeks!

Size of baby: Anywhere between 6-6.5 lbs, supposedly the length of a leek.

Total Weight Gained: 22 lbs. I had gained three lbs in two weeks at my 36 week appt, but I didnt gain any over these last two weeks. I have read that the weight gain usually slows or stops in the last few weeks. I also cut back on my sweets consumption dramatically. I was eating more desserts than real food! My appetite has also decreased over the last week or so.

Still no stretch marks and my belly button remains an innie. Woohoo!

Maternity Clothes: Yes, definitely, though my favorite shirts arent maternity at all. They are the small, long tanks from Target. So stretchy and soft and really inexpensive.

Gender: It's a GIRL! A very spoiled and blessed little girl.

Movement: Tons! She is crazy active all morning, some during the day, all evening and throughout the night. She's in the head down position and prepping for her debut!

Sleep: I wake up 2-4 times a night to pee and then usually wake up for good around 7am. I have actually been sleeping really well for the past few weeks.

What I miss: Being able to move around easily, being able to breathe without difficulty, fitting into my normal clothes, drinking an entire glass of wine. It's all worth it of course, but I am SO ready for her to be born! I cant wait to hold her in my arms!

Cravings: Still with the cereal and fruit. Peanut butter and jelly on either bread or rice cakes. Nothing too crazy. Ive laid off the sweets in the past two weeks.

Aversions: None, thankfully!

Symptoms: Horrid sciatic pain down my left butt cheek, left inner thigh and left leg. Braxton Hicks, and some other less lovely things that I wont talk about on here. (You're welcome!)

The heartburn is WAY better. Only once a week or so now, for the past 3 weeks or so.

Best Moment this week: 38 week doctor's appt. Spa day with the girls with an extended foot massage and pedicure. Heavenly. J taking me for gelato. Twice!

Happy Wednesday!

Book Review- The Help

2011-08-29T03:00:00.000-05:00

Not my image

Wonderful.

Amazing.

Touching.

Funny.

Heartbreaking.

Beautiful.

This book is all of those things and more.

I had heard so many wonderful things about this book prior to reading it.

It was this month's selection for our book club and Im so glad it was.

I breezed right through it and did not want it to end.

Now Im excited to see the movie, which will hopefully come out here later this month.

The book is told from the perspective of three different women, living in

Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s-

Skeeter who is a young white woman, home after graduating college and unsure

what her next step will be.

Aibileen- A middle aged black woman who works for Skeeter's best friend

and

Minny- a middle aged black woman who is always getting fired for her sass mouth

and Aibileen's best friend.

Skeeter is an aspiring writer and after witnessing the prejudices and injustices that take

place in her town, she decides to write an anonymous book about "The Help"-

what it's like to be a black woman working for a white family in Mississippi.

After much consideration, Aibileen and Minny overcome their fears and decide to help

Skeeter write the book in secret.

This is a very well written book. The characters come to life and the author does a

wonderful job of making you care about them. The book offers a very real and

raw view of what it was like to live in the South in the 1960s.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who hasnt ready it yet!

I cant wait to see the movie, but it doesnt come out here until November. =/

Rating: *****

Rating Scale

*****: Amazing, wonderful, MUST-read, loved it!

****: Really liked it, would recommend, good book!

***: Liked it, enjoyable, but not the greatest book ever written.

**: Not so great, some good parts, but overall, it was just ok.

*: Didnt like it, wouldnt recommend it, bad book all around.

French Pottery

2011-08-26T03:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I went on my first French Pottery Shopping adventure.

There is a very small village in France called Soufflenheim.

It is only an hour and a half away from us, making it an easy day trip.

I was so excited about the pottery that I didnt take but one picture! =/

But I can tell you that this is a super cute, French town with pottery stores

lining the streets. There is a creperie in the middle of town, which is where

we had lunch. I had a savory crepe for lunch and a delicious chocolate banana

crepe for dessert.

The French style pottery is very appealing to me because most of the patterns are

bold and colorful. They had so many beautiful things and I wanted to buy so much

more than I did. I limited myself to three pieces plus a Christmas ornament and two

gifts. A group of my friends are planning another trip later this month and if Im

still feeling well, Im planning on going with them!

There were a couple of things that I really wanted, but talked myself out of.

I rarely buy things for the house. I love new decor, but Im not really a fan of

buying decorations for the house, nor do I consider myself very good at picking

out coordinating pieces. So, I dont feel bad buying this pottery since I rarely shop,

especially now that we've moved to Europe.

This pottery will also be a great souvenir, a reminder of our time here in Europe.

One of the beautiful and typical French buildings

A pitcher

Coffee mug- I love the poppies!

The inside of the coffee mug. Love the detail!

Medium sized bowl that matches the pitcher. I LOVE this pattern and how
colorful it is!

A closer look

Side view

I dont have any photos of the ornaments because they are gifts and I dont want

to give away the surprise since the person/people who will receive them read this blog!

In a Nutshell

2011-08-24T03:00:00.005-05:00

Burg Lichtenberg

Today I'm taking it easy and getting all my thoughts out with bullet points. It's quick, it's easy and you dont have to spend a ton of time reading. I dont know about you, but I to tend to skim (or skip) posts that go on and on about one's daily life. So Im making it easy for you to catch up on what's been going on, because, let's be honest, who doesnt love a good bulleted summary of one's life?

I had my 36 week appt last week and everything is well. Baby M is in a head down position and preparing for the big event.
My mom gets here soon and I cant wait! I just wish it was sooner!
We've been trying to spend as much time together and with friends as we can, just soaking up the last few weeks (days?) of baby-free life.
We had a picnic at a castle last weekend. It was so much fun, relaxing and romantic.
Summer has FINALLY arrived in Germany and we've been enjoying warm weather and sunshine for the past couple of weeks. I would love for it to stick around for a couple more months!
An artistic friend of mine painted my belly this past week. I thought it was an odd proposition when she asked me, but I also thought it would be fun. I was her first belly model. She did a fantastic job and I thought it was beautiful.
We're exchanging our American washer for a German washer today. It's smaller, but has the ability to wash with hot water, which we'll need with using cloth diapers.
We've attended all of our childbirth/breast feeding/baby classes and toured labor and delivery.
The co-sleeper is set up and the car set base is installed.
Six freezer meals are prepared and ready to go. I would still like to make a few more, but Im losing my desire to cook.
All I really want to do is bake, and eat what I bake, which is not good for the ever expanding waistline.
I am still craving fruit (grapes and bananas mostly) and cereal, but man I could really demolish some sweets these days if Id let myself. Must. Restrain. Myself.
We deep cleaned the first floor of the house this past weekend. The bathrooms and second floor are next. Perhaps nesting has begun?
I finished up most of our registry and cant wait for those items to come in!

I think we're as ready as we are going to be!

Does anyone have a recommendation for a baby sign language book?
Thank you all for your baby/children's book recommendations! I bought several of the ones you suggested and cant wait to read them to our little one.

That's about it, in a nutshell. I hope ya'll are having a great week!

36 weeks!

Belly painting, 36 weeks

Side view, 36 weeks

Picnic at Burg Lichtenberg

Recipe of the Week- Creamy Artichoke Lasagna

2011-08-22T03:00:00.002-05:00

This week's recipe's is a vegetarian delight! I found the recipe through Pinterest, my current source for new recipes. I usually make one vegetarian dish a week and this was last week's dish. It is a Creamy Artichoke Lasagna and absolutely divine. It's creamy, flavorful and almost like a dessert in it's decadence. J & I loved it! The recipe made a lot of sauce, so next time Im going to use a larger dish and more lasagna noodles. Im planning to make it this week and freeze it for eating after the baby comes.

Recipe: Creamy Artichoke Lasagna
Source: Adapted from Midwest Living.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can of artichokes (the recipe calls for fresh ones, but for the sake of time, I used canned. It was super easy and tasted great!) *edit- Ive made this again since writing up this post and I used two cans!
9 lasagna noodles (Im going to use more next time!) *edit- I used 12 noodles the second time
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. pine nuts
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15. oz carton ricotta cheese
1 c. shredded parmesan cheese
1 c. chopped fresh basil
1 egg
3/4 tsp. salt.
1 c. veggie or chicken broth (I used chicken)
1/4 c. flour
2 c. half and half or light cream (I used light cream)
1 c. shredded mozzerella

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Cook lasagna noodles according to package; drain. Rinse with cold water. Drain again.

2. In large saucepan heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add artichokes, pine nuts and half of the garlic. Cook several minutes until tender, stirring frequently. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in ricotta cheese, 1/2 c. parmesan cheese, 1/2 c. basil, egg and salt.

3. For the sauce: Combine broth and flour in a small bowl. In the large saucepan, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and cook until tender, but not browned. Stir in flour mixture and light cream. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 1/2 c. basil.

4. Combine mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/2 c. parmesan cheese in a small bowl.

5. Spread 1 c. of the sauce over the bottom of an ungreased 3 quart baking dish. Layer 3 cooked noodles in the dish. Spread with 1/3 c. of the artichoke mixture and 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 1/2 c. of the mozzarella mixture. Repeat, layering noodles, artichoke mix, sauce and cheese twice more.

6. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes until edges are bubbly and the top is lightly browned.

7. Enjoy!

The finished product

I went to France for the day on the day that I made this and bought these
cheeses while I was there. We had French cheese and bread with our lasagna,
a perfect accompaniment.

Recipe of the Week- Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

2011-08-19T03:00:00.000-05:00

This week's recipe comes to you from one of my fellow bloggers, whom I just adore. Miranda at My Camo Colored Life also writes a food blog titled Jolts and Jollies. I snagged this recipe from her blog and made it recently. J & I love all things pesto and this was a unique take on the traditional recipe. After you're done here, be sure to check out her blogs!

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
Source: Jolts and Jollies

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt (I always add a little more sea salt and pepper!)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds red bell peppers (about 4 large), roasted and peeled

Place all ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides of processor bowl occasionally.
Pour over pasta and enjoy!

We had ours over penne and it was perfect. Instead of mixing the sauce with the pasta, we just dished out a portion onto our plates. I was then able to freeze the rest of the sauce for later!

Sorry I dont have any photos of the completed project. I was too busy eating and then getting it in the freezer! Check out Maranda's blog though. She has great step by step instructions on how to roast the peppers and assemble the sauce.

I had to include this photo. Our German kitchen is very, very small, so cooking can be adventurous at times,
finding a place for everything. I had the stove on for the pasta and the food processor on the counter.
We have to use a transformer with it since it is 110V. J placed both of these heavy things up there for
me. I was busy, so I didnt get to them right away. Then we smelled something burning. YIKES!
The food processor cord had fallen on the hot pasta burner and it MELTED!
Thankfully it still worked but it sure doesnt look good. =(

Book Review- The White Queen

2011-08-17T03:00:00.000-05:00

Not my image

Ive read several of Phillipa Gergory's historical fictions. They have all been good,

but then, I love learning about this time period and this intriguing family. While

most of the story may be false, the people and the events are all true.

What makes this book different from the others that Ive read is that it is

a bit lighter, more fanciful, less bogged down with facts and historical references.

It was an easier and more fun read than the others.

This book follows the story of King Edward and Queen Elizabeth, from the moment

they fell in love, to the end of his life and the mystery surrounding the death of their

sons. (This king and queen are actually King Henry VIII's grandparents- their oldest

daughter is King Henry VIII's mother.) The mystery of what happened to their two sons

and heirs to the throne remains a mystery to this day. There are many rumors as to who had

them killed and when, though the why is fairly obvious enough.

I liked that this book was based on a marriage founded on love, unlike most marriages

during that time. There is a magical element and the book really held my attention

until about 3/4s of the way in. (That seems to be happening a lot with the books

Ive been reading lately.) At that point, it became a bit dull. The ending was not

really an ending at all, as there is another book that picks up where this one leaves off,

but tells the tale through the eyes of another Queen- The Red Queen.

It's a good book and though I probably wont read The Red Queen, I will continue to

read her books.

Rating: ***

Rating Scale

*****: Amazing, wonderful, MUST-read, loved it!

****: Really liked it, would recommend, good book!

***: Liked it, enjoyable, but not the greatest book ever written.

**: Not so great, some good parts, but overall, it was just ok.

*: Didnt like it, wouldnt recommend it, bad book all around.

Help Wanted

2011-08-15T03:00:00.000-05:00

I need your help.

Moms, moms-to-be, anyone who has some experience with babies/children, anyone who would like to help out, I would appreciate it so much!

1. What are your favorite children's books? J & I LOVE to read and we hope to pass our love of books along to Baby M. We have a little collection already started and have been reading to her every night before bed. I want to continue to build our collection, but having been out of the baby/child world for quite some time, Im not sure what the best books are these days. We have some of the classics: Dr. Seuss, Do you know how much I love you, Where the Wild Things are and my favorite, If you give a mouse a cookie. So what are some of your favorites?

2. What are your favorite mommy/parenting blogs/websites?

3. When you went in for your delivery, what did you pack for your baby and what did you actually need? Ive got the car seat, diapers, wipes and the homecoming outfit. What else do I need to bring?

Thank you for your help!
xoxo

A Baby Shower at a .... Wine Bar?

2011-08-12T03:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, my last baby shower was at a tapas wine bar!

It was the perfect location for someone like me, even though I didnt

drink any wine. It was a really beautiful and fun place to have a party.

Im thinking my birthday party needs to be here next year!

My friend Erin hosted the shower for both me and our friend Allie, who is

due two weeks after me. It was a beautiful shower and we had a great time.

The food was fantastic, as always, and we received some super cute gifts.

Knowing this was my last shower just makes it all the more real that this

little girl is going to make her appearance soon. We have less than 5 weeks until her

due date and there is still so much I need to do! Her nursery is all ready and has been

for weeks and we have pretty much all that we need to get started, but I definitely

need some maintenance! Im going to schedule a haircut and pedicure today.

I also need to make a few more freezer meals. So far we have three all ready to go

and our squadron sets up three meals, so that's six. Id like to have about ten ready

to go. Even though my mom and J will be more than willing to cook, it would be

nice if they didnt have to for awhile.

Diaper cake

I loved all of the little special touches like the baby themed clothes pins and the
matching Sixlets. The favors were super cute! A spa package with a candle,
bath bomb and mini nail file.

The delicious food!

I love tapas!

Opening presents

Such a beautiful place!

My cupcakes were the chocolate ones with chocolate filling and icing!
An overdose of chocolate, but very tasty!
Allie's were lemon and Im wishing now that I would have tried one!

The countdown is on!

My Mom arrives in just a few short weeks.

We'll be attending breast feeding and childbirth classes next week.

I am going to the OB every two weeks now.

Our bags are packed and all ready to go!

Book Review- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

2011-08-10T03:00:00.000-05:00

Not my image

Before a friend recommended this book to me, I had never heard of it.

This is not a book that I would normally have chosen, but she spoke highly of

the book, so I decided to give it a chance.

It was also this month's book in our squadron book club.

From page one, I was hooked. I am a nurse practitioner, so the medical aspect of

this story immediately appealed to me. I thought it was going to be a bit too

"sciencey" for me, but it wasnt at all. The author kept it on a level that anyone could

understand. The cells described in the book are so popular and well known in the science

and medical community, but I had never heard of them.

The book is a true story of the life of a woman whose cells have greatly impacted our

lives today, though she never had any knowledge of this. The author contacts the

woman's family and describes her efforts to tell their mother's story.

I loved the book until about 3/4th of the way through and then it began to get boring.

The best parts of the story have been told by that part and the ending is just ok.

I would still recommend this book, despite the last part, because the first 3/4ths really

are good.

Rating: ****

Rating Scale

*****: Amazing, wonderful, MUST-read, loved it!

****: Really liked it, would recommend, good book!

***: Liked it, enjoyable, but not the greatest book ever written.

**: Not so great, some good parts, but overall, it was just ok.

*: Didnt like it, wouldnt recommend it, bad book all around.

Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber

2011-08-08T04:39:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago we took a weekend trip to
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a walled medieval city here in Germany/
We've been planning to go here for the past year, but due to J's work schedule changing,
we've had to cancel our previous two trips.
Thankfully we were able to get away for this weekend trip this time!
Rothenburg is a very charming, beautiful city.
I just wish the weather would have been as beautiful.
While the entire USA was sweltering in heat waves, we were freezing our bums off in
the 50 degree weather and ice cold rain.
Thankfully we had brought sweatshirts and an umbrella. In most of our photos
our noses and cheeks are red from the cold!
Despite the crappy weather, we had a fantastic time, loved our hotel- Hotel Rappen,
ate some delicious food and drank some yummy drinks. We saw everything
that we wanted to see this trip and we know we will definitely be back.

The main entrance

Where we ate lunch

Mushroom cream soup... Mmm, so good on a cold day!

Where we had dinner

St. Jacob's church

The town hall or Rathaus
You could walk up to the very top, up many, many flights of steep stairs to the bell
tower. I made it maybe halfway, but J went all the way to the top. It is quite a
climb, but the views are beautiful. I just wish it would have been a sunny day!

The beginning of the looong way to the top....

View from the top of the town hall tower

I wish I would have taken a photo of these things... Schneeballen means "snowballs" in German.
There were several cafes and shops in town selling these pastries. They were actually
invented here. They are sold at most of the local festivals and markets.
Basically, they consist of leftover baking scraps- the dough that doesnt get used. It all gets rolled
together and then baked and usually dipped in something like
chocolate or sugar with toppings. They had many different flavors, but I havent actually ever tried one.
Ive been told they arent very good and frankly, they dont look all that appealing.
Maybe Ill try one at the next festival we attend.

My favorite store in town- The Teddy Store!
We had so much fun looking at all of the stuffed animals.
They were surprisingly really reasonably priced too.
Of course we had to buy the baby a few things!

It is such a cute town!

We went to the Criminal Museum, which is four levels of torture devices,
documents and paraphernalia from the medieval times.
It was very interesting, but it was mostly documents, drawings and books.
We actually liked the torture museum in Prague much better.

In the stocks

We had lots of hot chocolate (heisse schokolade) and cappuccinos to keep us warm.

This was my dinner. It was one of the BEST meals that we have had in Germany!
Between the two of us, we devoured the entire thing (plus the side of potatoes that you
cant see!). It is beef with a horseradish sauce and homemade cranberry sauce.
Absolute perfection.

This was J's dinner and was also very good- pesto stuffed gnocchi with parmesan
and rucola. (We ate all of it too!)

Umm...what?
Seriously, what is this and would someone actually ever buy it?!

One of the highlights of our trip was the Night Watchman's Tour. At 8pm they
have a tour in English. The Night Watchman tells you about his job in the medieval times
and gives you a very interesting history lesson of the town, from it's beginning to WWII, all
while leading you around the town. He was very entertaining and spoke perfect English.
It was a very interesting and fun tour and I would definitely
recommend it to anyone visiting the city.

When we passed by this restaurant, he said "Welcome to Hell".
Apparently, this restaurant is called Hell and according to the night watchman,
it's a great place to eat!

We toured the castle walls before we left. You can walk along the top of the walls
all the way around the city. The people of medieval times werent very tall- J had to duck
everywhere we walked!

More delicious hot chocolate and cappuccinos!

Happy Monday!!!

Week 34

2011-08-04T03:00:00.001-05:00

I only have about 6 more weeks to go! The time has seriously been passing quickly and I cant believe she could come any day now. My doctor told me at this week's appointment that if I were to go into labor from today on, they wouldnt stop me. I was very surprised by this! I thought they would try to stop labor until around the 36/37 week mark, but he said that at 34 weeks, the baby's lungs are mature and while they might have to spend a bit of time in the NICU if born this early, most babies do just fine. This was a bit of a jolt to us that we need to make sure we really are prepared, just in case! I think we have everything we need to get started. I just need to order cloth diapers, the breast pump and a few misc. items, but I wanted to wait until after my last baby shower.

How Far Along: 34 weeks

Size of baby: Anywhere between 4-5.5 lbs, supposedly the size of a large cantaloupe.

Total Weight Gained: 19 lbs! Im right on track for the recommended one pound per week. My doctor wants me to gain a total of 25, so that's 6 more pounds in the next six weeks. Im thinking that with all of my dessert and sweets cravings, 6 more pounds isnt going to be difficult! =)

.So far, no stretch marks and I seriously hope Im one of the lucky ones who avoids them. *fingers crossed*

Maternity Clothes: Yes, definitely. I still cant wear most of my maternity jeans yet, but Ive got a couple that work.

Gender: It's a GIRL! A very spoiled and blessed little girl.

Movement: Tons! She is definitely running out of room, so her movements, while frequent, are not as strong as they have been.

Sleep: I wake up 2-3 times a night to pee and then usually wake up for good around 6-7am. I have definitely not been sleeping well in the last 3 or so weeks. I wake up a ton, cant go back to sleep and have some major hip pain at night.

What I miss: Being able to move around and do as much without my back hurting or getting tired so quickly; fitting into my normal clothes, eating anything I want. It's all worth it of course!

Cravings: Still with the cereal and fruit, especially grapes, but Ive really started to crave sweets in the last 3-4 weeks. Ive gone through oreo and doughnut cravings these past few weeks. I went to France today for lunch (no big deal, ;) and grocery shopping. I bought French macaroons (divine) and chocolate croissants. I wanted to buy so many other pastries and treats, but some how I refrained and held on to my willpower. I also had a chocolate, nutella and banana crepe for lunch. A-Ma-Zing!

Aversions: None, thankfully!

Symptoms: Hip pain, back pain, heartburn. Still.

Best Moment this week: 34 week doctor's appt. I love getting to hear her heartbeat. I also love seeing and feeling her move.

My last baby shower is this Saturday at a wine bar. How perfect is that?! It's a joint shower for me and my friend A, thrown for us by our friend E. Im really looking forward to it. I might even have a small (4 oz.) glass of wine. (Put away your stones and pitchforks and step into the the reality of the medical world in the 21st century. I understand that some of you may have some judgmental, negative comments regarding this, but having a glass of red wine a day in your third trimester is absolutely healthy and safe. I spoke with my doctor about this at my 30 week appt and he confirmed this to be true. So leave me be and let me enjoy my tiny glass of red wine.) I am super excited for this shower and all the girl time we'll get to have.

I had a baby shower via Skype a few weeks ago thrown for us by J's family. It was interesting and so sweet. I really appreciated what they did for us, especially considering how unique hosting a baby shower online is. We received some cute clothes and it was nice to get to see his side of the family.

Baby M's nursery is 99% complete. I just need the garment rack (closet) cover from my mom, which she will bring when she comes over in September. Once I have that, I will take a bunch of photos and show it to all of you! I think it's so stinking cute and colorful and Im really happy with the way it turned out.

Happy Thursday!

Book Review: The Happiest Baby on the Block

2011-08-03T03:00:00.001-05:00

Not my image

I had heard through the blogging grapevine that this was a great book

for calming fussy newborns. The pediatrician author recommends a method he

call's the Five S's: Swaddling, Side/Stomach, Shhing, Swinging & Sucking.

When done exactly right and together, these five things are supposed to help calm

a colicky baby.

The author makes a lot of really good, logical points throughout the book and places

an emphasis on learning from the past. I found myself saying "Yep, that makes sense"

several times. I liked the book and will definitely try out his recommendations. I liked that

he covered weaning from this method, breastfeeding, other soothing techniques, and possible

underlying medical conditions.

My only criticism is that he repeats himself often and some of the chapters were mostly

fluff. The book could have been condensed and the fluff taken out, but overall, it's a short,

easy read. Once the little one arrives, Ill let you know what I really think of his method! =)

Have any of you read this book? What did you think? Have you actually tried it on your own child? What were the results?

Rating: ***

Rating Scale

*****: Amazing, wonderful, MUST-read, loved it!

****: Really liked it, would recommend, good book!

***: Liked it, enjoyable, but not the greatest book ever written.

**: Not so great, some good parts, but overall, it was just ok.

*: Didnt like it, wouldnt recommend it, bad book all around.

Recipe of the Week

2011-08-01T03:00:00.000-05:00

Not my image

I found this week's recipe through Pinterest, my new favorite go-to place for recipes. It lead me to another new favorite site called Food Gawker.
I. am. addicted.
I have been making recipes from these sites for the past couple of weeks and my husband couldnt be happier. He remarked the other night that he was so impressed with all of the new meals we've been having. That totally made my day. This week's recipe was my favorite, though I changed it up just a bit. We ate it up so quickly that I forgot to take a picture! This is a pretty versatile recipe and I really like that it's a cream based sauce, but isnt too heavy. We get stuck in the olive oil/pesto/marinara rut, so it was nice to try a cream sauce.

Cajun Chicken Pasta
Adapted from: Blogchef.net via Food Gawker

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (I actually used shrimp instead)
4 oz. linguini cooked al dente (I used about 6 oz.)
2 tsp. cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's)
2 T. butter (I used EVOO)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 c. heaving whipping cream (I only used one small container- maybe a cup total)
2 T. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dried basil (I used a couple of tsps. of fresh basil, chopped)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 c/ shredded parmesan cheese

1. Place chicken (or shrimp) and cajun seasoning in bowl. Tosse to coat evenly.
2. In lg skillet over medium heat, melt butter (or heat EVOO). Add protein and saute until fully cooked. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
3. Reduce heat to low. Add green onion, cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Cook until heated through.
4. Pour over hot, cooked linguini, add in protein, toss and top with parmesan cheese.
5. Enjoy!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in #51

2011-07-29T03:04:00.000-05:00

Another edition of Milspouse Friday Fill-in!

1. Facebook or Twitter?

I like both for different reasons- I can keep up and in touch with my IRL friends on FB and see tons of photos. I love Twitter for my friends that I havent met IRL. Overall, they are so much more open-minded and less judgmental than those I know IRL. Ive made some great friends through blogs and Twitter. Twitter is also an awesome place to get news, feedback and ideas!

2. Hard tacos or soft tacos?

Definitely crunchy tacos! I love the crunch and taste of hard shell tacos way more than the mushiness of a soft shell. Plus, I love me some salt and crunchy taco shells have plenty of that!

3. Gardening or crafting?

This girl has a BLACK thumb. I can barely keep any plant alive, so Im definitely going with crafting on this one. The only things Ive managed to keep alive are a random plant from Christmas and some fresh, organic basil that I picked up in a Germany grocery store. I love cooking with my own herbs and will definitely be getting some more soon! Not only do they taste better than the ones you can buy in a package at the store, but they last so much longer too, so Im saving money, which is always a great thing! I love crafting, I just have a hard time finding the supplies I need over here. Ive got some great ideas lately from Pinterest though and cant wait to try them out!

4. Fruit or Veggies?

I love them both, but I have to go with fruit. I love almost all fruit and could eat it with every meal. It's been my most consistent pregnancy craving too!

5. Motorcycle or bicycle?

Definitely bicycle. Motorcycles are so dangerous. After working as a nurse in a surgical intensive care unit for three years and caring for more than my share of motorcycle accident victims, I am definitely not a fan of them. Ive seen too many people lose their limbs, basic body functions & lives from them. Bicycles can be dangerous too, yes, but I never saw one bicycle accident victim in my ICU. J & I have leisure bikes- mine is a beach cruiser!- that we love to ride, but I havent been able to this summer since Im preggo. I cant wait to ride them next year!

Happy Friday and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Book Review: Grave Sight

2011-07-27T03:00:00.001-05:00

Not my image

I stoked to find out that there are a couple of other series written by

an author I really like- Charlaine Harris who also writes the Sookie

Stackhouse books.

Grave Sight is the first book in the Harper Connelly Mysteries series.

It follows a twenty-something year old woman who was struck by lightening

when she was fifteen. Since that time, she has been able to locate dead bodies

and relive their last moments, immediately knowing their cause of death.

Sounds like a really interesting premise right?

I was so excited to read this book, especially because it takes place in my home state,

but when I was finished, I was pretty disappointed. It wasnt at all like the Sookie books,

in the writing, intrigue or entertainment.

I was bored, the plot was easy to figure out and the main character is really

annoying. Her weakness and debilitating reliance on her brother are weird and

a huge turn off.

So no, I wasnt a fan of the book. I had planned on reading the entire series, but

after reading the first book, I dont think Im going to buy the rest.

Have any of you read this series? Are the rest of the books any better?

Rating: **

Rating Scale

*****: Amazing, wonderful, MUST-read, loved it!

****: Really liked it, would recommend, good book!

***: Liked it, enjoyable, but not the greatest book ever written.

**: Not so great, some good parts, but overall, it was just ok.

*: Didnt like it, wouldnt recommend it, bad book all around.

Maternity Photos

2011-07-25T03:00:00.000-05:00

I had my maternity photos taken a couple of weeks ago.

I just got the CD in this week and I think they are fantastic! She

did an awesome job and I am so happy with them.

She took 100 photos!

I really like them all. We had some taken in her studio and some in a nearby park.

The B&W ones are my favorites, though we do have several of us

together in color that look great. J was a sweetheart and didnt

complain even once. =)

Which ones are your favorites?

Milspouse Friday Fill-in #50

2011-07-22T03:00:00.006-05:00

Head over to Wife of a Sailor to link up!

1. Do you eat raw cookie dough?
   At the moment, no. It's on the "forbidden while you're pregnant" list, but prior to that, yes. I love raw cookie dough, though I rarely bought or ate the stuff.

2. When you get online for the first time of the day...what site do you immediately head to?
   Yahoo and my yahoo email. Then facebook, twitter and blogger. I have to stay connected with the world! Without real TV over here and access to a lot of websites, it's easy to become disconnected from the world back home.

3. What was your favorite pet as a child and why?
   My dog Buttercup. She was a cocka-poo mix and absolutely adorable, lovable and cuddly. I loved all of the dogs that I had growing up, but she's the one I remember the most.

4. If you had a snail that could magically grant wishes, what would you name it?
   First of all, I hate snails. They are just slugs with a shell on their back. We have slugs EVERYWHERE here in Germany this time of the year and they are so gross, leaving a trail of slime where ever they go. Eeww. I would probably keep one that could grant wishes, but Id make sure I didnt have to look at it and I would call it..... Slimy Joe.

5. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?
   As many as I want, depending on my mood. =)

Happy Friday Everyone!

Ill be posting a sneak peak of my maternity photos on Monday! They are fabulous! (Of course Im not biased at all!)

Book Review: Dead Reckoning

2011-07-20T03:00:00.001-05:00

Not my image

This is the eleventh book in the Sookie Stackhouse series.

I LOVE these books. They are definitely one of my favorite series.

I like the TV show True Blood, which is based on the books, but the show

is definitely a lot different than the books. Darker in all ways, but still good.

Anyway, these books are great. Entertaining, easy reads, that havent gotten stale,

even after eleven books. I did hear that there will only be two more books, which

makes me sad because there is still so much that could happen.

In this book, Sookie is being terrorized (again) by some unknown creature, her

fairy family moves in and out with her, and her lover and friend are plotting to kill

the new area master.

I was able to read this book, start to finish in six hours on the plane ride back to the

States. I liked it and am eager to see what happens in the next book and how she

will end the series.

Rating: ****

Rating Scale

*****: Amazing, wonderful, MUST-read, loved it!

****: Really liked it, would recommend, good book!

***: Liked it, enjoyable, but not the greatest book ever written.

**: Not so great, some good parts, but overall, it was just ok.

*: Didnt like it, wouldnt recommend it, bad book all around.

Pinterest Interest

2011-07-18T03:00:00.000-05:00

Like many of you, I love Pinterest.

I love it for the inspiration, the ideas. It just

makes me happy.

I have had some great success with craft projects and recipes

that I've found on Pinterest and I wanted to share them with you.

The first two are craft projects.

I love being crafty, but finding supplies here is difficult so I stocked up

on a few things while we were back in the States.

The first is a monogram made of seashells.

It was super easy to make-

just hot glue shells and starfish onto a

wooden letter.

While easy, it was a bit dangerous-

I think I burnt my fingers ten times while making this!

I've got it hanging in our entryway, using ribbon from one of

the baby gifts we received and a straight pin.

The second is another letter project, one I made for a friend.

J & I love red wine (duh) and we try and keep the corks from each

bottle. I've used them to make a large wreath which hangs in our dining

room. We still have a ton, though our supply really hasnt increased much

in the last eight months. ;)

Ive seen several wine cork projects on Pinterest and

plan on making most of them!

Here's my first:

It was really easy to make, just like the seashell letter.

You just need a wooden letter, some corks, hot glue and a

knife to cut them up with.

The next project is a recipe I found for Oreo pops.

We made these as favors for my baby shower and they

were a hit! Such a cute idea!

These were pretty easy to make, but time consuming and

a bit messy.

I loved how they turned out!

Another recipe we found on Pinterest and used for the

baby shower was for the punch.

It is supposed to look like pink bath water. Pineapple ice cream

and ginger ale makes the bubbles and the rubber duckies are so adorable!

To see the original links and posts, check out my Pinterest boards.

If you dont have Pinterest yet and want to check it out, just let me know and

Ill send you an invite!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in

2011-07-15T02:31:00.000-05:00

I havent participated in this in a long time! I liked this week's questions though, so here ya go!

1. If you could have a private concert with any singer, who would it be? submitted by An Air Force Wife’s Blog
John Mayer hands-down. I absolutely love his music and have seen him in concert twice. A private concert of all of my favorite songs? Yes please.

2. Is there anything you do to supplement your family’s income? submitted by Our Life, One Adventure at a Time
Nope, not anymore. Before we moved to Germany, we were a two income family, but it's been impossible to find a job here. I would love to find something that I could do from home though.

3. During your pregnancy (whether past, present, or future), what did you nickname your unborn baby before you knew the sex? submitted by Explosions of Love
We called her Baby Olive from week nine (when she was the size of an olive) until we found out the sex. I love the name Olive, but we already had a girl's name picked out.

4. Have you ever won a blog giveaway? If so what did you win? submitted by Mrs. O’s Life
Yes! And it seriously makes my day when I do! I won a bunch of bath and body stuff in a giveaway hosted my My Camo Colored Life, sponsored by Inspiri, which is run by It's a Dog Tag Wife Life. Sooo good! I won a precious baby hat from Flip Flops and Combat Boots, sponsored by Maggie's Closet. I also won a CSN gift certificate from Annoyed Army Wife. I love giveaways!

5. If I looked into your refrigerator right now, what would I find? submitted by Married to the Army
Bread, yogurt, grapes, pineapple, cheese, pasta, tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, beer, milk, cranberry juice, tea, artichokes, tortillas, salad, chicken, and a huge assortment of condiments. Im heading out to the German market soon though, so Im hoping to add some fresh fruits and veggies today!

Happy Friday Everyone! Have a great weekend!

Showered With So Much Love

2011-07-14T03:00:00.001-05:00

My Mom is an amazing woman. Crazy when it comes to parties, gift buying and grandbabies, but amazing. (She knows this, so dont worry, Im not offending her!)

I absolutely adore her craziness in these things and knew that she would put on a baby shower like

no other when I told her I would be coming home before the baby was born.

We didnt expect to go back to the States before my September due date, but J was assigned a

training slot for instructor school. He was notified two weeks before his leave date. The training just so

happened to be in my home state, so I was super excited to get to go back home for a month while

he trained. This presented the perfect opportunity for a baby shower!

The baby shower was at my parent's house.

Baby M is my parent's first grandchild in fifteen years (I have a 15 y/o nephew) and their first granddaughter.

She is also J's parent's first grandchild altogether.

She is going to be so spoiled!

J's mom flew out to spend the weekend with us and attend the shower. We were so happy she could

make it and have the chance to see me pregnant and feel the baby kick.

My mom went crazy buying presents for Baby M! Most of the shower presents were from her and

there were 30 people in attendance!

J's mom hadnt really bought much up to this point, so when she got to town she also went a bit

crazy buying super cute things for the baby.

We had a great time and I just wish it wouldnt have flown by so quickly!

Ps... My mom should have been a professional event planner- she brainstormed all of this and

did the decorating. It was beautiful!

One of the present tables

Presents! Cake and punch table.
I LOVE the wreath!
My mom bought it for us and I shipped it back to Germany after the party!

It's a girl chocolate bars and oreo pops for favors.
The bear is a Build a Bear from J's mom.

I made the oreo pops.
The inspiration came from Pinterest!

The cake!!!
It was absolutely delicious and so adorable!
My mom came up with the design and the rain boots are from her.

Love this

I loved the decor! The frame is from a friend, my sister and I made the cloth covered letters to
match her bedding, the flowers are from my mom, as are the clothes hanging up.
The large toy to my left is the My Little Pony Mermaid Castle and is from J. It was a
wonderful surprise and baby M's first toy!
The quilt and bedding are behind me. You cant really see them. Once I have the nursery all together,
Ill post lots of photos!

My wonderful mom and I

The food table
Yum!

Another view

The punch!
The inspiration was from Pinterest. It's pink bath water with rubber duckies.
It was very good!

All put together

The present tree
Mom hung presents from the tree and the guests had to guess how many they thought were on there.
Then I was allowed to "open" it!

Isnt this the cutest outfit and hat ever?!
Of course it's from my mom!

Thanks Mom!
Happy Thursday!

First Baby Shower

2011-07-12T03:00:00.000-05:00

A very sweet friend of mine threw me my first baby shower a month ago, here in Germany. I actually enjoy going to baby showers, so I was even more excited that this one would be for me! =) She did a great job and it was a lot of fun. We played a few silly games, ate some cake and opened presents. Baby M received some very adorable things and some very much needed things. Im one of those people who likes the practical stuff just as much as the cutesy things, so receiving bottles and diapers makes me happy. Im so thankful that Ive made such great friends here in Germany. I wasnt expecting to have a shower here and Im having not one, but two!

Decorations, baby photos of mine and Js, cake and drinks;
The cake was very good and so cute!

We played a game where the guests had to decorate a onesie and I had to choose the winner.
They were all so cute and creative!

The one in the middle won!
The one to the right says "Mom's German Souvenir"!

Blessed

It was a great first baby shower! My next shower took place at my parent's house in the States a few weeks ago. It was amazing and Ill post about it soon! Happy Tuesday!

Week 30!

2011-07-09T15:15:00.000-05:00

Im starting this post with a short rant, so Ill apologize now and get to the good stuff in a minute.

Why in the world do people (usually unqualified people at that) feel the need to offer unsolicited advice to pregnant women and new mothers? It seriously drives me crazy! I know people just cant help themselves and offer unwanted advice all the time, not just to this select group, but since Ive become pregnant, it seems like the unsolicited advice has just been rolling in. Actually, Im being a bit overly dramatic here. Ive had a few episodes of this, enough to make me cringe, but I know it's only going to get worse when the baby is born. People have an opinion on everything and like to share, whether you want to hear or not. Breastfed vs. bottlefed; SAHM vs. working mom, disposable diapers vs. cloth diapers. There's no cookie cutter answer, but there is a way that's right for me and my baby, whether you agree or not.

Also...

Why do people look at me like Im nutso when I tell them we are planning to use cloth diapers? I get the surprised "Oh, you are?" usually followed by a Hmm... It's as if Ive told them we'll be settled in a nudist colony or something equally as unusual.

Ok, enough of that and onto Week THIRTY stats!!!

How Far Along: 30 weeks

Size of baby: We had an ultrasound 2 weeks ago and she weighed 2 lbs. 11 oz.! She is also tall for her gestational age, measuring one week ahead.

Total Weight Gained: 14 lbs. as of this week. I thought Id gained far more from our trip to the States. My parents kept us well fed and I definitely indulged in American specialties such as Sonic lemon berry slushes, Starbucks caffeine free fraps, mexican food and almost daily frozen yogurts. So far, no stretch marks and I seriously hope Im one of the lucky ones who avoids them.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, definitely. I bought some great pieces while back in the States. I still cant wear most of my maternity jeans yet, but Ive got a couple that work.

Gender: It's a GIRL! A very spoiled and blessed little girl.

Movement: Yep, for weeks now. She's gotten in some good punches and kicks. As of this week, her movements have become more like swipes, swishes and rolls rather than all out kicks, though we still have a few of those. She's beginning to run out of room!

Sleep: I wake up 2-3 times a night to pee and then usually wake up for good around 6-7am. Not great sleep, but could be worse. The weird dreams have returned.

What I miss: Being able to move around and do a lot around the house without my back hurting or getting tired so quickly. It's all worth it of course.

Cravings: Still with the cereal and fruit, but now Ive really started to crave sweets. I bought vanilla ice cream and apple pie this week!

Aversions: None, thankfully!

Symptoms: Hip pain, back pain, heartburn.

Best Moment this week: My maternity photo shoot and my 30 week Dr's appt. I finally had a doctor that I liked and who seemed competent!

30 Weeks!

The nursery is almost complete! Another week or so and we should be done. I wanted to get everything organized and ready now, while Im still mobile and feeling really good. Ill post photos once it's done.

Back in Deutschland

2011-07-03T11:39:00.000-05:00

We made it safely back to Germany this morning after a month back in the States. Our flight was delayed an hour and a half (of course), so it turned into a 24 hour travel day. UGH. Exhausting and it was a truly miserable 9.5 hr flight due to my inability to sleep on planes, my need to pee every 45 minutes and the screaming children across the aisle from us. Not to mention my aching back, the cramped space and crappy food. BUT, we're home and happy to be here. We had an absolutely fantastic time back in the States visiting family and friends, shopping, eating and relaxing. It was a much needed break from European living and the bitter cold we've been having. The highs here in Germany while we were gone were only in the 60s most days.

Ive got a ton of things to blog about and will be getting to them in the next couple of weeks, in between unpacking the ELEVEN bags that we brought back. Yes, eleven. It's almost all baby stuff from my shower and my mom and MIL. This little girl is so lucky and blessed already. It's going to take me a couple of weeks to unpack and organize it all. We also had several packages from Amazon waiting on us at home when we arrived- gifts from our registries. So much fun to open! It was like having a mini baby shower when we got home. So in between unpacking, organizing and cleaning, Ill try and find the time to tell you all about our trip, my shower and everything else.

Happy Fourth of July! Have a safe holiday!

Pregnancy Brain

2011-06-24T03:00:00.000-05:00

Im 28 weeks pregnant and throughout this entire experience, I havent really felt the "brain fog" or "pregnancy brain" that most pregnant women talk about. Sure, Ive forgotten a few items at the grocery store or let a birthday slip my mind. Honestly though, those things happened before I got pregnant. I seriously have the worst memory. The worst, and it drives me crazy! I so wish I could be one of those people who remembers everything, but Im not, so out of necessity and, let's be honest, because I think it's fun, I am a list maker.

I have a grocery list, a daily to do list, a necessities list, a housework list, a reminder list and even a list for my lists. Sounds crazy, I know, but if I dont write things down, Im probably going to forget them. Of course I can remember the big stuff, the super important things all by myself, but for everything else, I need a list.

Since Im always forgetful, I thought I would breeze right through this pregnancy without suffering any effects from "pregnancy brain." That was until this week. It all started Sunday....

Pregnancy Brain Example #1:

We were playing Scattergories at my parents house. Has anyone played that? Super funny game. Anyway, the letter was "A" and the question was "Ways to get from here to there." I completely blanked out and could not think of a good answer. Finally, I came up with something just before the buzzer. When it was time to reveal the answers, my entire family had put "airplane." Unfortunately, that obvious answer never occurred to me and I put "animal". Seriously. Animal. I was thinking you could ride a horse, camel or even a freaking elephant to get from one place to another. Why had airplane never occurred to me?! What the heck did I fly over the Atlantic Ocean in? And for goodness sakes, my husband is a PILOT! Duh. Lot's of laughter and pink cheeks followed, but at least they let me count my answer.

Pregnancy Brain Example #2:

Again with the Scattergories. Maybe I shouldnt be playing this game while Im pregnant... Anyway, the letter was "T" and the question was "A crime or offense." I thought of burglary and stealing, but since those didnt start with "T", I went with this: "Taking something from someone else." When we revealed our answers my husband burst out laughing and said, "Do you mean theft?" Duh. Forehead slap. Of course I meant theft, though that word never came to my mind. Again, they let me count it. At this point, I think they all just felt sorry for me.

Pregnancy Brain Example #3:

J & I went shopping on Monday for some much needed clothes and shoes. My feet have grown just enough that I cant wear my tennis shoes anymore. As I was trying on various shoes, I would send J back for a different size/shoe. When I finally found the shoe that I loved, I had the right one on and went to put the left one on, but discovered that it wasnt in the box. I yelled to J that Id found the shoe I wanted, but was so disappointed to discover that it's mate wasnt in the box. He peeked around the aisle, laughing and said, "Honey, of course it's not in the box. You gave it to me to find a larger size before you even tried it on." He had the shoe's mate, the left one, in his hand. Oops. Id forgotten that. At least I found the shoes I wanted...

Pregnancy Brain Example #4:

This last one isnt about my silliness, but someone else's. I went to Hobby Lobby today to pick up a few things for Baby M's nursery. As I was checking out, the lady behind the counter asked how far along I was. I said, "28 weeks" and she said, "Oh, so four months then?" Holy crap lady. What kind of math did you learn? I corrected her and told her it was seven months. She then told me that she was three months pregnant. I understand that the weeks system of pregnancy can be confusing for non-pregnant people. Heck, it was confusing for me weeks after I found out I was pregnant. But for someone who is pregnant themselves, and twelve weeks at that, not know that 28 weeks is seven months pregnant, well... wow. That was a serious duh moment for that lady. It's good to know Im not the only one who has them.

Bernkastel-Kues

2011-06-22T03:00:00.001-05:00

A couple of months ago, my family came to visit and we took a trip to

a picturesque little village called Bernkastel-Kues.

It's on the Mosel River and surrounded by

vineyards.

It's a beautiful part of Germany that we love visiting and it's only

about an hour from us.

The castle ruins, high atop the village and the Mosel River

My mom and I at the castle

J & I

The Mosel River

It was sunny, but so cold!

The view from the castle tower. The inner courtyard is now a restaurant.

Cinque Terre

2011-06-20T03:00:00.000-05:00

On our babymoon, we took a day trip from Rapallo, Italy to Cinque Terre.

Cinque Terre is a region in the Italian Riviera made up of five small towns.

Several of our friends have been and raved about it. Before we went, it had been

built up by so many people. Even Rick Steves speaks highly of this region.

This definitely raised our expectations.

In the end though, the region didnt live up to all the hype.

Our first stop was Monterosso Al Mare, which is the first and largest of the five towns.

It's supposed to the be most "touristy." It was our favorite of the two that we saw.

It is a small town with two pebble beaches, some restaurants and shops.

Honestly, there wasnt much to it, but we loved it.

We rented a couple of beach chairs and hung out on the beach.

This was exactly what we wanted to do.

Relax.

Enjoy each other and the view.

I really wanted to go swimming, but the water was ice cold.

J braved it twice, but I dipped a toe in and deemed

it far too cold to enjoy.

We had a fantastic lunch and really enjoyed our time at the beach, but there

wasnt anything super special about the town.

After lunch we hopped on the train to Vernazza, the next town in the region.

We were very impressed with the train system and how easy it was to navigate.

Vernazza was beautiful, but very small.

There were some shops, restaurants a small pebbly beach and some castle ruins.

There wasnt much to see or do, but we had some great food and got some

fantastic souvenirs. Important souvenirs like wine, pesto and pasta.

We would have stayed later, but the train workers were going on

strike that night at 9pm, so we had to leave early.

We had a great day and really liked the region, but it was definitely

not as fantastic as it was made out to be. We're so happy that

we stayed in Rapallo and not Cinque Terre.

It was a great experience, but now that's it's checked off our list, we'll

probably not go back.

Here are the photos from that day.

Enjoy!

Our super cheep train tickets!

Monterosso Al Mare

Love the beach!

We rented beach chairs and relaxed for a couple of hours.
It was Heaven!

The water was beautiful, but freezing!

Enjoying lunch on the beach

Vernazza

The rocky harbor

Some crazy Aussies were cliff jumping

It's a really small town

Corniglia from afar

And the Winner is.........

2011-06-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

So I've finally had a chance to sit down and randomly draw a winner for the Italian inspired giveaway! Ive been so busy since I arrived in the States last week that Ive hardly had a chance to read any blogs, much less comment or work on my won.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

We had 29 entries (not sure why it says max 100 when I put in 29) and the winner is.........

Number 27- Elizabeth from The Young Retiree!
She entered the most times so she had a great chance of winning.
Congrats Elizabeth!

Email me at kendra143j@yahoo.com with your mailing information.

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:27Powered by RANDOM.ORG

I Need Some Help....

2011-06-15T03:00:00.001-05:00

This post is for all the mommies, mommies to be or anyone who has some first hand knowledge on this subject....

Cloth Diapering

Yep, Im considering it, but I havent a clue where to start. Ive looked online and the options are overwhelming. So any advice you can give related to this would be great! I dont usually ask for advice in a general setting because: a) people will give advice whether you want it or not, and b) while most people tend to offer advice to be helpful, some take the opportunity to get up on their high horse and look down on the rest of us. In this case, I know almost nothing about this subject, so the advice is welcome. =)

My main questions right now are:

*How many do I need to get started?

*How much do they usually cost?

*What are the good brands/kinds?

*What does it take to clean them?

*Do I need diaper covers/what accessories to I need?

*Do they leak?

While these are the questions on my mind right now, any information that you can share will be helpful.

Also- if you've had a negative experience with cloth diapering, dont hesitate to share that either. I want to know both sides so I can get an accurate picture to make an informed decision. Right now Im thinking that we will try the cloth diapers while at home (if I can figure it out) and use disposables when we are traveling or outside of the house for long periods of time. That isnt set yet, since Im pretty clueless about cloth, but it sounds good right now.

Thank you for your input!

Rapallo & Portofino, Italy

2011-06-13T03:00:00.000-05:00

After we left Lucerne, we headed down to the Italian Riviera.

We stayed in Rapallo, which is the largest city in the Italian Riviera.

We had originally wanted to go to and stay in Cinque Terre.

We have heard so much about the region and everyone raves about it.

Since we had to plan this trip literally at the last minute though, all of

the hotels in all five of the towns in Cinque Terre were booked. So

we used Google Maps and made our way up the coast until we found

a beach town with a vacancy.

That turned out to be Rapallo and one of the best places we've stayed.

Rapallo is a hidden, little known gem. We had never heard of it before

(and Im betting you havent either).

It sits right on the Med, has a castle in the sea, a promenade, unique

shopping and fantastic restaurants. The people were all very nice

and there is a sandy beach to lounge on.

Another plus is that is was very affordable, especially compared to

Switzerland.

We liked Rapallo so much that we will definitely go back one day

and we highly recommend it to anyone who is traveling in the region.

Rapallo

The harbor in Rapallo

The castle in the sea.
It was built in the 1500s to protect against
pirates!

We took a 30 minute boat ride from Rapallo to Portofino.
The boat stopped in Santa Margarita on the way. That town looked
gorgeous and we would definitely like to check it out one day.
The boat ride was fun, crowded and inexpensive.

On the boat, on our way to Portofino

Portofino is a very small coastal town in Italy.

It literally had one street and the promenade, a couple of churches, castle

ruins and shops and restaurants.

This was a very high class, almost snobbish town. The shops were all very

high class and expensive. (Think Louis Vitton)

The restaurants were all expensive as well, but we did have the best lunch

here. They had the freshest, yummiest mussels that Ive ever eaten.

We also had gelato here which was delicious of course.

When we got back to Switzerland the next day, we saw online that Leo

Dicapprio and Blake Lively were in Portofino the same day we were!

I so wish we would have seen them!

We imagine that they were on one of the huge, expensive and gorgeous yachts

that were anchored there.

Pulling into Portofino

The Portofino harbor

The water was a gorgeous color!

These are the crazy large and expensive yachts.
Hmm....which one was Leo on....
When we got back home, we googled the largest of these yachts to see
how much it would cost to rent one for a week.
Yes, we were dreaming.
Any guesses as to how much it cost?

250,000 EUROS/WEEK!!!!!
Seriously?
That's more than an entire house!

We liked Portofino, but we probably wont ever go back.

It was gorgeous, had great food and gelato, but then, so

does most of Italy right?

One Year Review

2011-06-10T03:00:00.000-05:00

We have been in Europe for one whole year as of this week! I cant believe the time has passed so quickly!

We were very fortunate to start off on the right track and find a great house on our first full day here. We love our house, our location and living in Germany.

We have made so many new friends and welcomed old friends to the new country.

We've been most fortunate to be able to travel to so many new places. During our first year here we traveled to:

Belgium- Bruges & Brussels
France- Paris & Strasbourg
Luxembourg- Luxembourg City
The Netherlands- Amsterdam & Zandvoort
The Czech Republic- Prague
Croatia- Dubrovnik
Italy- Rapallo, Portofino, Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Bari, Venice, Treviso
Greece- Rhodes, Mykonos, Katakolon, Olympia, Santorini
Switzerland- Lucerne
Germany- too many to count!

Not to mention all of the places J has been for work- Spain, multiple stops in Africa, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, etc.

We conceived our first child, J had a milestone birthday and we flew back to the States twice- once to my home state and once to his for his brother's wedding.

We bought a car, attended our first wine festival, pumpkin festival and Christmas market.

We survived our first German winter.

We hosted several visitors in our new land and enjoyed showing them around.

It has been a fantastic first year abroad and we are really looking forward to our next!

In Case You Missed It...

2011-06-07T03:00:00.001-05:00

*Dont forget to enter my Italian inspired giveaway here!

Hello loves!

While Im traveling and getting over some jet lag, I thought Id share a guest post with you that I wrote a month or two ago for Maranda at My Camo Colored Life. Ill be back to my regularly scheduled blogging soon. Enjoy!

Hi! Im K from Uncork & Unwined. Im a nurse practitioner by trade, a wino and foodie by choice and love. Since moving to Germany last June with my AF husband, we've had a blast traveling the world and navigating life overseas. These days I fill up my time with blogging, planning our next trip and preparing for our new addition, due in September.

When Maranda asked me to guest blog for her, of course I jumped at the chance. She is a doll, a fellow preggo and a fun gal, so why would I not? The problem was, I had no clue what to write about. This happens every time Im asked to guest post. I get writer's block immediately and freeze up when it comes to choosing a topic. Thankfully, a topic did come to me and it was such a simple concept really- getting back to the basics.

For my blog, the basics are all about wine and coffee. So that's what this post is all about- two of my favorite things. Unfortunately, I havent been able to partake in either for the last 18 weeks or so. Like Maranda, I am pregnant and counting down the days until I can have unlimited wine and caffeine again. Until then, I can watch enviously as my husband enjoys the pleasures of both. Oh, and talk to you guys about them.

We currently live in the land of beer and wine- Germany. Good wine is inexpensive, easily accessible and in some cases, locally grown. We've had the pleasure of experiencing many new wines since our arrival here last summer. We plan to continuously stock our supply, to hopefully build it up to 200 or so bottles by the time we leave here so we'll have a nice collection to take back with us.

One of the new wines that we have tried and love is called Dornfelder. It is a German red and usually dry, wine. It's smooth and delicious and since it's made right here, it's also very inexpensive. My favorite is:

A Spanish wine called Finca De La Vega is our current Spanish favorite.

And for only 2.99 euro a bottle, we buy it frequently.

Another hit is a Spanish wine called Dona Dominga.

It's a blend of Cabernet and Carmenere. So good.

As much as Germany is the land of beer and wine, coffee is a close second. It is customary to have a coffee drink after a meal. I prefer mine during the day, but they like to drink it around the clock. There are cafes everywhere and many drinks to chose from. These drinks arent your typical Starbucks variety. They are stronger, bolder and smooth. Flavors are not usually available, though some cafes do offer mocha, caramel and hazelnut.

We've tried coffees from all around the world while here in Europe. Dutch, Kenya, Sumatran, Ethiopian, German, French, and Italian are a few. Our favorites at the moment are:

We bought this at a German market in Mannheim. It's a
Guatemalan whole bean.

My brother introduced us to this and we are definitely fans.

I just cant wait until September when I can indulge in all of these again! =)