SLEEP

Last week i figured out that Jack was just getting up at night to be held and not necessarily to eat.  He consumes about 5 ounces at every feeding but at night he drinks MAYBE 1 ounce.  This was affirmed as i laid him back in his crib and he started screaming.  I rubbed his belly and he pushed his pacifier out smiling at me.  Little punk, he knows he has me wrapped around his little finger!

He then had immunizations last week and slept through the night, (i think from crying all day and not sleeping once).  So i then knew he did not need the food during the night which made me feel better taking a friends advice and letting him cry it out.

THEN CAME TIME... time to put my "talk" into practice.  I was going to let him cry.  His screams went on for what felt like two hours, my stomach started feeling queasy, i could so easily make him stop crying by just picking him up... but no that would not help either of us.  The cries started sounding like "mommy please" "pick me up" and "MOOOOOMMMMY"... I did not do too well, but after only 15 minutes he fell back asleep and woke up in the morning.

I am pretty sure that was harder on me than it was on him.  We will see how long this lasts, i hope he will just understand soon and not wake up.  I don't like to hear him cry!

So you may have heard, i was pulled over by the polizei on FOOT.

Yes, they didn't just drive up next to me to talk, they actually put on their lights and siren. 

Question: Where was i going?

Do you understand that i am a mother, pushing a stroller, do you really think i was going to try and get away?

um no.  But thank you for embarrassing me further.

First they say to me, "are you German or American?"

I answer "American"

They look at each other and chuckle.

um... what is the deal?

They say that walking with a stroller is way too dangerous, i must turn around and go back into town.

I tell them i am not from Gladbach, i live in Bruch.

They don't care, i need to turn around.

I ask how i am supposed to get back to Bruch.

They tell me to call someone.

They drive off and then make 2 loops to ensure i am turned around.

Thank you.  Thank you for not offering my son and i a ride in your station wagon!  

oh dear.
I ended up asking some RANDOM germans to take us home.
AWESOME.

All we wanted was some exercise and vitamin D.

some time for life...

I am finally getting the hang of Jack's schedule which is providing me time to do more things like clean and cook and knit and blog.

I like this.

On that note, here is Jack's newest hat.  I had time to do it during one nap :)

Thank you Jack.

That's how i roll

Well my baby is officially spoiled and so am I.

Nick let me purchase the Quinny system that i wanted but wasn't willing to spend the cash on.

DUDE!

Great deal though, still expensive but i figure it's an investment in our future :)

Quinny Buzz 3 stroller

Footmuff 

Dream Cot

Maxi cosi cabriofix

Easy base

Parasol

buzz box

bug net

weather shield

  

Everything is interchangable with the main stroller and this thing turns on a dime!!!

So different from our beast of a stroller!  

:)

we bought it for less than 50% and it was only used 3 months!!! 

YAY!

So excited to use it!

2 months

Dear Jack-o-lantern,

I don't want to write this, that means i am admitting that you are growing up.  All parents say they can't believe the time goes so fast, and now i am one of them.  I love how chunky you are now, that you hold your head up and smile at me or try and chat with me but i now know that you will be all grown before i know it!  I don't like that one bit.

This month you had your first haircut, sat in your bumbo seat for the first time, started "talking", tried to crawl, and smiled with purpose.  It was an eventful month, now if you would just sleep through the night . :) (I tell myself that you wake me up because you want to spend time with me)

Daddy walks you around our house making up new songs for you and saying "ooo, how do you do it?" We can't believe how cute you are and how you change every day!  I love when you put your mouth into a little triangle and your eyes light up!  When you fake cry your chin trembles and you stick your bottom lip out and we just laugh at how adorable you are!  (sorry)

I love every minute with you, i get a bit stressed when you scream and i don't know what you want, but i can't stand to be away from you for more than 5 minutes.  I miss you even when you are being a little brat box.

Please stay this size, i love you Jack.

hahaha

10 Things to Never Say to a Pregnant Woman

by Amy Morrison of Pregnant Chicken
1. “You look so big/small.” Remember when you were a teenager and you didn’t want to be unique in any way? Well pregnancy is the same and nobody wants to be told they look huge or teeny because it just scares them. Anything different from other pregnant women = weird = giant freak baby or creepy peanut baby.
2. “Haven’t you had that baby yet?” If that woman’s pregnancy seems long to you I can almost guarantee that it feels like about 30 years to her. Pregnant woman who are asked this question should be legally exempt from murder convictions.
3. “You look tired, you must be having a girl because they steal your beauty.” Someone actually said this to my friend. So really what you’re saying is “you look like crap”. Thanks. I think the response to this should be “Strangely enough I’m not tired enough to give a nice roundhouse in the mouth if the situation calls for it.”
4. “So do your nipples look weird? Mine went all crazy.” Pardon? Unless this pregnant woman is someone that would tell you about her anal leakage or an odd growth on her armpit, then don’t ask this kind of stuff and don’t share this kind of crap with anybody. Ever.
5. “Sleep now because you won’t get any when the baby gets here.” What the hell does this mean anyway? It’s not like you can bank sleep. It’s like saying “Don’t eat this year because an all-you-can-eat-buffet is opening up next March”. Plus, who says that the woman you’re saying this to is sleeping now? She may be a congested ball of heartburn, hemorrhoids and back pain so this kind of thing just adds insult to injury.
6.”I hate that name.” Really? Oh okay, then they won’t name it that. Nobody cares that a girl named Angela took your oatmeal raisin cookie in grade two so don’t lift up the tarp covering your mental baggage. On a similar note, if they want to name their kid Adolph or Kleenex just nod and say “nice” – that will be the least of that kid’s problems anyway.
7. “Were you hoping for a girl/boy?” It’s not really anyone’s business and if she ain’t sharin’ don’t you dare ask. If you’re asked this you should answer that you were actually hoping for a puppy that could fart rainbows then just walk away.
8. “Was this an accident?” A woman’s reply to this should always be “suck it.” It’s a nice, clean, confusing retort for someone that is rude enough to ask this kind of question.
9. “Did you use fertility drugs?” I don’t want to get all misty here but all babies are miracles and by asking a question like that you’re somehow implying that babies that were conceived with ‘help’ are different from babies that weren’t. Not cool so don’t ask.
10. “Should you be eating that?” This whole website is about people embellishing myths and half truths to scare the crap out of pregnant ladies. So unless she’s about to accidentally snack on dog shit, don’t say anything and let the poor girl eat.
Finally, there are three things you always say to pregnant women:
1. “You look fantastic” Even if she is a sweaty, wheezing Jabba the Hut with swollen ankles and a maternity top that no longer covers her fish pail, tell her she looks fantastic. She is making a person and that’s pretty fantastic.
2. “That’s wonderful” If she tells you she’s going to give birth squatting in a Mr. Turtle pool surrounded by chanting Tibetan squirrels, you say “that sounds wonderful”. Every pregnant woman makes about 200 declarations of what she is and isn’t going to do and about 4 stick. Don’t ruin her moments.

3. “It’s going to be alright” When she starts crying because the pizza shows up wrong or she panics because she used regular detergent to wash the baby’s onsies so she’ll be a horrible mother or simply because she threw a reciprocating saw at your head because “you’re too much of a moron to understand what she’s going through”. This is when it’s a good idea to pull out “it’s going to be alright”. A side car of “you look fantastic” couldn’t hurt either.?

One Month Old

Dear Jack,
Today you are one month old.  I can't believe it, the time has flown by.  Even the first week i kept telling myself to cherish every minute with you, i knew it would go by too fast.  I don't take naps when i should because i stay awake staring at you.  I just love you so much.

When we were still at the hospital you were holding your head up and trying to stand, you could do push ups and amazed all of us with your strength.  In your reflex tests you tried to run when they set your feet on the table and after the nurse started singing "Thunder Struck" she said we should sign you up for the New York marathon.  You are just like your daddy.  You amaze us every day.

You were a bit spoiled this month with the arrival of your Nanna, Poppi and uncle Brandon.  They all loved you so much too, so you were always being held, rocked, and talked to.  You had a hard time when they left because mom and dad just couldn't hold you enough to make up for all of their love.

We are fascinated by your feet.  Your daddy says he wants to take them on a date!  :)  You straighten your legs and flex your feet when you eat, you grip our finger with your toes and you point just your big toe.  We love all of it.  And you seem to like the attention paid to your feet.

Your dad always talks to you, he says he loves that you two are so in love, that you are best friends.  He says you are obsessed with him and he is obsessed with you.  I just love watching my two boys interact.

We love you Jack, and are so excited to be your biggest fans for the next 1,387,982 months!