Cdubs first solid food

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back in the States

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

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

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

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

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

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

On Accident

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next stop: matching hats.

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

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

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

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


Oh well, at least she was happy:

1st Excursion: Budapest

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here is what C thought about Budapest:

Sleep-the great love maker

Sleep allows me to love my family more...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fun with Photo Booth

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

Here is a smattering!

Modeling our new monogram blanket

January

sleeping at Mimi's

January

 sleeping on mom

January

Picture for Dad
February

tummy time
February

Mom as backpack
March

putting on our party dress
March

Being punk rock
March

Falling asleep with Mom and Dad in bed

April

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

Medical Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

Any other ailments I haven't thought of?

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

So give me any medical wisdom you got people!

Sorry for the mush

I will blame my last mushy post on homesickness.

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

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

So I was exhausted to boot...

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

The spark

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Swaddling: THOUGHTS and ADVICE

Oh, how I love the Swaddler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THOUGHTS and ADVICE wanted and needed

An unintended bloggy break

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Sigh

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

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

And finally, you quiet...

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

And then you sigh.

Your body relaxes and so does ours.

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

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

oh you are beautiful.

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

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

And then you fart.

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

Laughter

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

But tonight you pulled out the big guns.

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

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

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

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

Mommy and Me Monday

Hosted by Krystyn

It is Mommy and Me Monday again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

And please forgive Cdubs belly flash. 

Power fists...I love that serious face.

What do you make of this?

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

5 reasons why your husband should not read your blog

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

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

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

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

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

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

I really love to feed

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

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

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

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

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




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

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

Hosted by Krystyn

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

Fell in Love

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

The moment Cdubs came into this world, I cried.

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

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

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

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

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

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

And that was it.

I fell in love.

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

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

The Pros and Cons of Visitors

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

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

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

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

First of many mom-judgements

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

AND SHE WAS TINY!

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

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

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