Tomorrow morning we leave bright and early for the States. I’m excited. I’m elated. I’m eager. I’m all the other “e” words that elicit energy. Jeremy and I (and Eli) desperately need to go home, and well, be at HOME. I think we do our best at adjusting to life here, but every so often, you have to go where your heart is, right? Well, I’m going to do a top 10 list of what I’m looking forward to outside of Wien!
1. Family – No brainer…we love our family, and they love us! (Well, they mainly just love Eli, but sometimes we get some pity hugs and kisses too)
2. Friends – Also a no brainer. We love the new friends we’ve made here, but nothing compares to the oldies, but goodies! :o)
3. English – Oh yes, my native tongue. How I miss thee…how I long for thee…how I anticipate speaking you good.
4. Ice – (In your glass, not on the ground) I’m ready for an ice cold glass of sweet tea…not lukewarm…ICE cold.
5. Target – Well, honestly just shopping general. I love the one-stop shops! I love sizes that I understand! I love the baby clothes in America! I love the Euros to Dollars conversion! Awww, shucks, I just love it all.
6. Babysitters – I imagine I’ll be lucky if I get to hold my child at all. My mom said, “He may be crawling before you leave!” And I responded, “Not likely since he probably won’t be on the floor at all!” In all honestly, Jeremy and I could use some down time, and I think we won’t be at a loss for willing extra hands.
7. FOOD – Biscuits! Burritos! Chicken n’ Dumplings! Bar-b-que! Chocolate Pies! Oh yes, it will be mine…MMWU-HAHAHAHAHA!
8. Air Conditioning – Well, I guess it’s a good thing they do have AC in the States. I hear that it’s in the high 90’s in Tennessee. Meanwhile, I’m hanging out in the 60’s over here. We may be melting a little when we step off the plane!
9. Water Fun – We’ll be spending quite a bit of time at the lake, and I’m excited to see Eli’s reaction to a giant, dirty bathtub like experience!
10. Jacob & Dani’s Wedding – My little bro-in-law is getting married to the sweetest girl in the world! We couldn’t be more excited!! (Plus, Eli has this super cute mini suit and tie…we will all be piles of mush)
Now I will leave you with a few random items. Would you like a little story about today? Another reason why we are happy to be going home? When we were out and about in Wien doing a little shopping, we had a nice experience. Jeremy was in the driver’s seat, and we were stopped at a stoplight. When it turned green, he hesitated for maybe 3 seconds to let a truck move from the intersection. The guy behind us started going rabid on his horn. Jeremy decided to irk him more by moving a mere 5 miles and hour when he did pull forward. When the guy was finally able to get around us (foaming at the mouth), I got a look at his license plate…appropriate, no?
Also, I got a shot of my little birdy wanting more food…you’d think we didn’t feed the boy!
He was also in good spirits tonight because mommy pulled out all his toys that will be left behind for the next three weeks. Happiness is over stimulation!
I have the best husband in the world. He is such a great daddy to Eli, and I feel so fortunate to have him be the father of my child and all my future children.
He makes me smile with my heart when I see him with Eli. He is so gentle and caring, but he also knows how to get this boy riled up!
More than anything, I’m glad that he is a godly man, and he strives to follow God’s will. He will train up Eli in the way he should go, and I know when he is older he will not depart from it.
I love you, honeybun, and I look forward to celebrating many more Father’s Days with you!
I came across this video, and I think it is so dorky and funny (just like my hubby), so I thought I would post it for some amusement! Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers!
(Click here to view video if you receive subscription emails)
As I mentioned in my last post, we’ve had an exciting week with Joe & Megan visiting us! We have been doing a lot of sightseeing, and it has been perfect weather. Joe and Megan were music friends of Jeremy’s at UT, and then we all went to the same church in Knoxville. I’m so glad they have been able to come and visit, but I’m sad they’re leaving tomorrow!
Thankfully because they were here to take our picture, we finally got an up-to-date blog banner with Eli on the OUTSIDE of me! We tried to get this photo when the Sharpes were here, but unfortunately, my hair and Eli did not cooperate. Megan did a lot of jumping around to get Eli to look up…one of the reasons Jer and I look so happy too! :o) If you get email updates, please visit our actual blog website to see the new layout!
Does anyone know what this face means?
It means our little one has a tooth that has come through the skin! I can’t complain at all because he’s been such a sweetheart. He’s been a little more clingy than usual, but other than that, it’s not been the reign of crying I’ve heard can happen. It DEFINITELY means no more chewing on mommy and daddy’s fingers…that sucker is sharp!
He has also been eating his cereal so well the past week. I tried feeding him solids about a month ago, but I felt it was a little early. So, on his 5-month mark, I started up again. He barely gets any food on him now! Today I began feeding him twice a day, and boy, does he like it. He just opens his mouth wide like a little bird…I guess this means he’s got my appetite, huh?
He has also been feeding himself his own bottle. My little boy is getting big too fast!
We are SO excited because we’ll be in the States this time next week! I’m definitely ready to have my American batteries recharged with some friends, family, and Southern food! I can practically taste the sweet tea now…sigh… :o) The thing I’m NOT looking forward to is the plane ride. It was pretty easy back in March when we had this tame little 2-month old who slept all the time. Those days are long gone! He’s squiggly and squealy! Squealy? Yes, squealy. For whatever reason, he has discovered squealing at the top of his lungs. My hearing aids can barely register the frequency at which he’s vocalizing. He squeals when he’s happy, sad, angry, laughing, in pain, dreaming…you get the point. I can only hope he gets tired of it before next week. Otherwise we’re going to have some very annoyed people around us on the plane trying to sleep! Here is a little taste of his talent…
Do you dance to “Do, a deer?” Do you crave “Climb Ev’ry Mountain?” Do you marvel at “My Favorite Things?” If so, this Wiener Wednesday is just for you because The Sound of Music was set and filmed in Austria!
Unfortunately, I simply don’t have time to do an in depth Wiener Wednesday today. We have some wonderful friends, Joe & Megan, in town, and we are keeping busy sight-seeing and eating!
I think most of you know the story of The Sound of Music, so I’m not going to go into a long synopsis! Most of the movie was filmed in Salzburg, Austria (and surrounding mountainous areas), and it is based on the Roger and Hammerstein’s Broadway hit. The film won a total of 5 Academy Awards, and the soundtrack was nominated for a Grammy for “Album of the Year.”
What I found interesting was an article I came across that compared the movie von Trapps with the real von Trapps. (WARNING: Do not read if you do not want your view of the fictional von Trapps to be tainted!)
The REAL Georg & Maria von Trapp
While The Sound of Music was generally based on the first section of Maria's book The Story of the Trapp Family Singers (published in 1949), there were many alterations and omissions.
~ Maria came to the von Trapp family in 1926 as a tutor for one of the children, Maria, who was recovering from scarlet fever, not as governess to all the children.
~ Maria and Georg married in 1927, 11 years before the family left Austria, not right before the Nazi takeover of Austria.
~ Maria did not marry Georg von Trapp because she was in love with him. As she said in her autobiography, she fell in love with the children at first sight, not their father. When he asked her to marry him, she was not sure if she should abandon her religious calling but was advised by the nuns to do God's will and marry Georg. "I really and truly was not in love. I liked him but didn't love him. However, I loved the children, so in a way I really married the children…by and by I learned to love him more than I have ever loved before or after."
~ There were 10, not 7 von Trapp children.
~ The names, ages, and sexes of the children were changed.
~ The family was musically inclined before Maria arrived, but she did teach them to sing madrigals.
~ Georg, far from being the detached, cold-blooded patriarch of the family who disapproved of music, as portrayed in the first half of The Sound of Music, was actually a gentle, warmhearted parent who enjoyed musical activities with his family. While this change in his character might have made for a better story in emphasizing Maria's healing effect on the von Trapps, it distressed his family greatly.
~ The family did not secretly escape over the Alps to freedom in Switzerland, carrying their suitcases and musical instruments. As daughter Maria said in a 2003 interview printed in Opera News, "We did tell people that we were going to America to sing. And we did not climb over mountains with all our heavy suitcases and instruments. We left by train, pretending nothing."
~ The von Trapps traveled to Italy, not Switzerland. Georg was born in Zadar (now in Croatia), which at that time was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Zadar became part of Italy in 1920, and Georg was thus an Italian citizen, and his wife and children as well. The family had a contract with an American booking agent when they left Austria. They contacted the agent from Italy and requested fare to America.
~ Instead of the fictional Max Detweiler, pushy music promoter, the von Trapps' priest, the Reverend Franz Wasner, acted as their musical director for over 20 years.
~ Though she was a caring and loving person, Maria wasn't always as sweet as the fictional Maria. She tended to erupt in angry outbursts consisting of yelling, throwing things, and slamming doors. Her feelings would immediately be relieved and good humor restored, while other family members, particularly her husband, found it less easy to recover. In her 2003 interview, the younger Maria confirmed that her stepmother "had a terrible temper. . . . And from one moment to the next, you didn't know what hit her. We were not used to this. But we took it like a thunderstorm that would pass, because the next minute she could be very nice."
Finally, to make you smile after ruining your beloved The Sound of Music, here is a debut performance of our good friends, the Roberts, and us acting out scenes from this great film! (Please keep in mind I was 6 months pregnant when I was doing all this frolicking) Enjoy!
Yesterday was Eli’s 5-month milestone. I honestly can’t believe it’s been 5 months! I’ll probably say that every time he gets a month or year older. It just doesn’t seem like that long ago when this wrinkly little boy was pulled from me.
Can you believe how different he looks? The nurse said it would take 48 hours for him to look like “himself,” but it actually took more like a month for him to look like my Eli. Don’t get me wrong, he was a cute little bug, but he resembled a Sharpe dog more for a while before he started to look like this good lookin’ thing…sigh…
There are so many things I adore about this little man. He’s a mommy’s boy, no doubt, and I love it! Some specific things are I love the way he…
…makes long grunts when he’s sleepy instead of crying.
…hiccup laughs.
…is scared to death of Peekaboo.
…wants desperately to stand even though he can’t.
…squeals in delight when he sees his favorite puppets on Baby Einstein.
…almost bucks off the changing table when he’s naked because he’s so excited.
…has found out splashing is super fun.
…loves to discover mommy and daddy’s faces with his hands.
…kicks like there’s no tomorrow.
…starts laughing at night when he gets really delirious.
…snuggles into my neck when he’s sleepy.
…is simply my sweet baby!
Happy 5 months, sweet boy! Mommy loves you!
She gave birth all natural, so she is my hero! Her husband, Adam, gave her motivation to do so by saying they would come to Vienna AND go on a cruise with us in the next year if she could do it without an epidural. I’m putting this down on the blog, so I can remind him of it! :o) Congrats, guys…we’re so happy for you!
To see more 5-month photo shoot pictures click here!
Think only diamonds are a girl’s best friend? Guess again! This week’s Wiener Wednesday will prove that the ladies like something else just as sparkly!
I told you in my last blog that Jeremy’s gift inspired my Wiener Wednesday. He got me this beautiful Swarovski teal blue bracelet.
There are 5 sets of crystals…one for each year we’ve been married. It was the perfect gift, and it is my favorite color! Swarovski is a lot more than just flower and animal knick-knacks that our grandmothers collect in curio cases. It has a wide range of jewelry, fashion accessories, handbags, stemware, and home accessories. More importantly, it originates in Austria!
Daniel Swarovski was born to a glass cutter in the Austrian monarchy in 1862. I guess this got him a good start because in 1892 he patented an electric cutting machine that assisted the production of crystal glass jewelry. In 1895, Daniel got a financial backer and opened a crystal cutting factory in Wattens, Austria. He was able to take advantage of the local hydroelectricity in Wattens to aid the exhaustive energy used in the grinding process. The original Swarovski logo had an edelweisss flower on it, but it was replaced with the current swan in 1988.
I could go into a long description on how they make their crystals all shiny and rainbowy, but I’m afraid I would lose you…I kind of checked out myself when I was reading about it! Instead I’d like to show you some interesting places Swarovski shows up.
Did you know that the 550 pound (or 250 kilo) star on top of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is made by Swarovski? How else would it get so sparkly?
Well, nothing much has been happening in Wilson land lately. Jeremy is working a LOT, so we can leave a week early to come to the States at the end of June. We’re not really getting to see each other very much, and I hate that! I guess I’m glad my little munchkin looks so much like his daddy…it’s like a little version of him is cooing at me all day long!
We’ve been together a total of 9 years…a lot happens in 9 years! It’s hard to believe that when we started dating, Jeremy’s brother, Jacob, was in middle school. Now, he’s getting married this summer! We were just babies then...I think we are aging nicely though, don’t you?
Since we couldn’t spend our anniversary together (sad, I know), Jeremy left me a scavenger hunt around the house to find my gift. It was a blast…and the gift was SO perfect. Unfortunately, he’s going to have to wait till we get to America to get his, but I think it’s worth it. I’ll share his gift to me on my Wiener Wednesday blog…it inspired me! :o)
I desperately want to get out in the sun. I love laying out and soaking up rays, but it’s a little bit harder with the mister Eli. Anybody have any suggestions? I have a little kiddie pool, but it hasn’t been quite warm enough yet. Eli is lighter than I am, which is just sad. He’ll need LOTS of sun block when this cool dude finally soaks up some vitamin D!
Well, I’m hungry….so this week’s edition of Wiener Wednesday is going to be all about my favorite Austrian foods!
Obviously, most of these will be desserts, so please bear with me. I’m a woman of the sweets…a slave to the sugar…a frau in need of frosting?? Anyway, I like desserts. Here are my most wanted!
Mohr Im Hemd
Ok, this is my FAVORITE. It has enough sugar and more importantly, chocolate, to keep you moving all day long. It is a chocolate cake that is steamed and served with hot chocolate sauce. It is usually served with homemade whipped cream and vanilla icecream. Yummo! It is also the oddest named dessert. Can you imagine a dessert going over well in America that was literally called “black man in a shirt?”
Krapfen
I was searching for a picture when I came across this video instead! I think it explains it all...and with cute kids to boot! It’s basically a doughnut stuffed with something…I always go for chocolate. Big surprise, huh?
Apple Strudel
Did you know this was an Austrian native? Just in case you don’t know what it is, Apple strudel is a pastry that is stuffed with apples, raisins, and bread crumbs (though Paula Deen uses crumbled sugar cookies). It is dusted with icing sugar, and it can be served warm or cold. Of course, ice cream always goes well with it!
Sachertorte
Now, I actually don’t like Sachertorte, but it is one of the most famous Viennese desserts. I feel like it deserves a spot on Wiener Wednesday anyway! It is a dense chocolate cake that has a layer of apricot jam beneath a thick chocolate coating. The only reason I don’t like it is because the cake is always too dry for me. But it’s liked enough to have a hotel named after it! (Or maybe it’s the other way around?)
Palatschinken
Palatschinken is thicker than a French crepe. It is an Austrian pancake filled with fruit, curd cheese, chocolate sauce, or jam. Not really a dessert, but it’s a good breakfast!
Mohnstrudel
This is a sweet, moist, yeast-based dough that is spread with ground poppy seeds and raisins. Then it’s folded over into a roulade. Very, very good…especially with coffee or tea!
Now on to the savory! I always wished I could eat dessert first, so they had to get first dibs. These other guys are pretty good too!
Wiener Schnitzel
I have to start with the meat named after Vienna first. I really like Wiener schnitzel! No, it’s not a hot dog…I’m not really sure where these guys got their name. Wiener Schnitzel is a thin slice of veal coated in breadcrumbs and fried. In Austria the dish is traditionally served with a lemon slice, lingonberry jam and either potato salad or potatoes with parsley and butter. Sometimes it is made with pork instead of veal. I prefer that!
Tafelspitz
This is a silverside of beef that is thickly sliced, boiled and served with fried grated potatoes and an apple and horseradish sauce. It is a typical lunchtime dish and was allegedly eaten every day by the Emperor Franz Joseph!
Bosna
We discovered Bosna in Salzburg. I’m excited to eat it this summer now that I’m not pregnant. It’s an Austrian fast food dish, though of Balkan origin, and it resembles a hot dog. It consists of sausage, onions, and a blend of ketchup, mustard, and curry powder.
Knödelsuppe
This is a clear beef broth soup that includes one large or a couple of small bread dumplings seasoned with parsley and marjoram. This is not to be confused with leberknödelsuppe that has dumplings made from liver…which I HATE.
Frittatensuppe
I lived off this soup when I was preggo. Since, I wasn’t eating meat, this was basically the only food I could consistently get at restaurants! It is a soup made with thins strips of lightly seasoned pancakes in a beef broth. It’s still my favorite after 9 months of eating it! :o)
Well, that’s my food edition of Wiener Wednesday! I hope you are all as hungry as I am now!
What’s the best way to tackle less than perfect situations? Laughter…or more specifically, laughing till you cry. Or are you crying because it’s so the situation is so pitiful? I don’t know…would you just like to know what I’m rambling about?
Yesterday, Jeremy and I were enjoying a nice evening of Tivo. Little boy was waking up from his nap, so we paused the show in order for me to go make a bottle. One of our kitchen windows overlooks our next-door neighbor’s driveway, and I usually stand in front of this window to make bottles. This is where it starts to get a little weird. I look up from bottle-making to see my next-door neighbor standing over his bicycle wiping it down. Nothing weird so far, right? Well, it is if you count the fact that he’s not wearing any PANTS. He is simply wearing a bright yellow biking shirt with underwear….not even boxers. Ummmmmm. Hmmmm.
“Jeremy?”
“Yeah, hun?”
“Our neighbor isn’t wearing any pants.”
(slight pause)
“Yes, he is.”
“No, he really, really isn’t.”
“Yes, he is…you’re just looking wrong.”
“Seriously, come look.”
So, of course by the time Jeremy came into the kitchen, our hairy-legged friend had already moseyed back into his garage. Jeremy kept insisting that I had seen wrong. Maybe his shirt was long and was covering his shorts? Nope…his shirt hit mid-crotch, so I got to see everything. Just as we were about to head back to Tivo-land, Thigh Master walks back out. Jeremy was stunned.
"Wha…wha….I don….WHY isn’t he wearing PANTS???"
"I don’t know, Jeremy."
"I’m not understanding this. Do they make speedo bike underwear?"
"That would be really disturbing if they did…"
I would also like to point out he is not hidden at all. His bike is parked on the sidewalk…in a neighborhood. We were dumbfounded. After forcing ourselves to look away from the figurative car wreck next door, I went over to the pack n’ play to change Eli’s diaper. I ask Jeremy if he would mind emptying out the diaper pail since it is full….really full. I got a scolding for letting it get that full, but after I reminded him that I changed 95% of the diapers in there, he relinquished.
Now, apparently Jeremy disliked the idea of walking downstairs to go to the trash, so he decided to throw that bag o’ diapers down the stairs (he told me he does this all the time). I'm assuming THIS doesn't usually happen:
...slipping and falling down.
I was on the floor clutching myself at this point. I love how Eli is just chilling on the pack n’ play probably wondering why in the world his parental units are losing it. Man, was I glad I didn’t have to clean up those diapers. I could hear Jeremy gagging downstairs the whole time. We even found out Eli thinks gagging sounds are hilarious! Moral of the story? Well, I'm not really sure if there is one. Any suggestions?
What a random title, I know. I didn’t even know there was such a thing until recently. I basically stumbled across this blindly when planning an impromptu road trip with our visitors, the Sharpes. Lindsay wanted to drive across the border into Slovakia and Hungary, so she could add a check off a couple more countries that she’s visited. Since we are so close to the border of both (around 30 minutes), we thought this was an excellent idea! The obvious choice for Slovakia was to go to Bratislava to Tesco (click here to learn about my love for all things Tesco), but Hungary was a new one for Jeremy and I. The closest semi-large city across the border was a town called Mosonmagyaróvár.
Quite a mouth-full! Actually, I never attempted to pronounce it…I’m smarter than that. When I googled Mosonmagyaróvár, I came across a Wikipedia article that was mainly talking about dental care. Apparently, worldwide it has the highest number of dentists compared to the total population. After reading this, I started to recall something in the back of my brain where I had read lots of people in Austria cross over into Hungary to get cheap (but good) dental work. It never occurred to me that it was actually the Dental Captial of the World!
We arrived there about tooth-thirty (ha), and we did see a lot of dental clincs in Mosonmagyaróvár…an insane amount. Can you see all the signs on the left?
There is even a Dental Tourism Board. I’m not joking! Check out this site if you don’t believe me. According to Wikipedia, it is estimated that around 160,000 Austrians cross the border every year for dental care. This article talks about an American who traveled to Hungary to pay less than a third of the $50,000 in dental work he needed. That definitely takes a bite out of the cost (ha again)! I don’t plan on letting my teeth get that bad, but it’s nice to know that I have help just across the border if I need it! :o)
We currently have Ben, Lindsay, and Clarissa Sharpe visiting us, so this week’s Wiener Wednesday will focus on our latest sight-seeing adventure: Schönbrunn Palace!
Most of you may remember that we lived just a few blocks from Schönbrunn and had a beautiful view of the Gloriette from our living room. Well, since my Schönbrunn knowledge has recently been renewed after our tour today, I thought I could share a few random facts about this lovely palace.
- The land was first purchased by Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian II to be hunting grounds called Katterburg, but was destroyed by the Turkish siege in 1683. Maria Theresa employed Nikolaus Pacassi to finish the grand Baroque palace from 1744-1749.
- Schönbrunn was built to be the summer residence for the Austrian emperor and empress.
- It is home to the oldest existing zoo, which was built in 1752.
- The Gloriette, designed by Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg (yes, we all laughed at this ridiculously long name) in 1775, sits on a 60 meters high hill. Empress Maria Theresa enjoyed eating breakfast on it terraces.
- Schönbrunn, which means “beautiful fountain,” was named after a spring that lies on the grounds. The spring is now surrounded by a beautiful Roman Ruins architectural feature, which was finished in 1778.
- Napoleon used the palace as his headquarters from 1805-1809.
- It was the meeting place for the late John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev in 1961 to talk about a joint moon program.
- Emperor Franz Joseph died there in his sleeping chambers in 1916.
- The UNESCO placed Schönbrunn Palace on the World Cultural Heritage List in 1996.
- It is now home to the Wiener Philharmoniker’s free Sommernacht Concert usually held in beginning of June. The orchestra sets up a stage in front of the Neptune Fountain and draws tens of thousands of people every year.
- In my opinion, it serves the best Wiener schnitzel in Vienna! :o)
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At about 4am when feeding Eli, I decided that this week’s Wiener Wednesday would be about Red Bull. I’m sure you can figure out the motivation! I didn't drink caffeine except for a treat until recently. Once again, I’m sure you can figure out why! I don’t drink Red Bull (except for once during finals in college), but I find it fascinating that it originated in Austria!
From what I’ve been told (and verified by Wikipedia), Red Bull is actually based on a energy drink recipe found in Thai, called Krating Daeng. Apparently, Krating Daeng literally means "red bull," and it even has the same logo. An Austrian, Dietrich Mateschitz, discovered Krating Daeng when he visited Thai in 1982, and it helped him overcome jetlag. Mateschitz and Chaleo Yoovidhya founded Red Bull in 1987, and it made its way across the Atlantic to America 10 years later. Red Bull is different from Kratin Daeng because it is carbonated, and it is not as sweet.
You may also be familiar with Red Bull’s Flugtag…or “flying day.”
According to Red Bull’s website:
“Red Bull Flugtag challenges teams of everyday people to build homemade, human-powered flying machines and pilot them off a 30-foot high deck in hopes of achieving flight! Flugtag may mean "flying day" in German, but all these crafts ultimately splash into the waters below. They are judged not only on their flight's distance, but creativity and showmanship as well.”
In otherwords, idiots take a flying leap into freezing water. I would be interested in seeing this sometime. They host it annually at the Danube River, and what’s more fun than seeing people plummet to an over showcased ride to the emergency room?
I personally don’t like Red Bull…I think it tastes like a liquid sweet tart! However, it’s neat to know that I’m living in the caffeine capital of the world!
This past Monday was Eli’s four-month mark. We celebrated by having a photo shoot (of course)!
He is getting so big…I just can’t stand it! He is already wearing 6 months clothes because of his length. The body is so baggy, but it’s pulling at the crotch! Our doctor said he looks like a toddler. I think I’d have to agree!
He is a rolling fool now. He’ll roll over to his belly and onto to his back again. Unfortunately, he hasn’t learned quite how to maneuver in the crib yet. We’ll hear these muffled cries coming through the monitor, and he’ll be face down and in the corner! I know once he gets the hang of it, he’ll be all over the crib! I FINALLY caught the little booger rolling over on camera, so you can see it! (Caution: Extreme use of my baby voice in this video)
He is also starting to use more consonants. It’s “ba” or “ga” now. He even said something yesterday that sounded so close to “mama!” I’m sure it was just wishful thinking on my part though! More than anything, he is a smiler. He LOVES to smile. Even when he is crying, you can usually get him to smile in the middle of it! He’s laughing a lot more now too. It’s this cute little hiccupping laugh…I can’t get enough of it!
Tomorrow I’m going high chair shopping. We need to get this boy on solids! The milk just does not fill him anymore. He has even started grabbing for my food! He’s particularly interested in french fries. I wonder if this is because a lot of his nutrition in the womb was from that food! :o)
You can see more 4-month (and Mother’s day) pictures by clicking here. I’m starting to experiment more with photography and editing, so please let me know what you think!
Yesterday started like any other. I was looking forward to making a trip to town because the girls from my childbirth class were having a reunion to show off the new babies. One of the girls, Sofia, was hosting it at her apartment. I arrived at Sofia’s apartment, and it turned out that everyone cancelled but me! That was ok…we had a good time anyway! She has an adorable little boy named Ari. Can you tell his mother is Greek?
I love it how him and Eli are completely unimpressed with one another. This was the first time he has been around another baby that is the same age as him (Ari is two weeks older), and I was curious what he would do…apparently nothing. :o) They both like sticking out their tongues though!
So, I hung out for a couple of hours, and then I headed back a couple of blocks to the garage where I was parked. This is where the story goes downhill (literally). On the way to the garage, I had to pass by a bar where several men where standing outside. This didn’t really faze me because this is not uncommon in Vienna, and there is usually never any threat. However, these men began catcalling, whistling, clapping, and yelling at me. Also, not uncommon, and I usually just ignore them and walk faster. These guys were a bit more determined than I’ve ever encountered before though. They began following me at a brisk pace while making lewd gestures. Now this is the point of the story where I started getting nervous. I was not worried for myself, but I didn’t know the best way to protect Eli! So, I basically started running from them to which they responded by running as well.
Now, I discovered that a LOT goes through your mind when you are terrified. My first thought was how in the world do I get out of the garage ridiculously fast? Here in Vienna, they do not have garage attendants that sit in a booth to collect your money as you exit. You stick your ticket in a machine located somewhere in the garage (usually at the stairwells) to pay BEFORE you get in your car, and you put the paid-for ticket in another machine that lets you exit. It can be quite embarrassing for a first-timer in a garage of this fashion when you pull up to the exit with an unpaid ticket, and people are lined up behind you. Just imagine having to get everyone to reverse! Anyway…back on topic…
The second thought was forget the ticket, I’ll just get us locked up in the car and drive around in the garage till police come. The third thought was how do I get Eli out of the stroller and into a car seat? I decided that I would simply grab him out of the stroller, leave the stroller in the garage, forget the car seat, and Britney Spears him out of there. The final thought? Well, what if they stayed around in the garage? Would I be prepared to run them over? Abso-stinkin’-lutely. I honestly think I would have done anything at that point to protect my baby. Alright, here we go….
Instead of going to the pedestrian entrance where I would've had to tackle stairs or wait for an elevator, I decided to just run down the steep hill where the cars enter. In hindsight, it was not the best idea. See, I’m a bit of a klutz. I promptly tripped, lost my shoe, and oh yes, broke my toe. *sigh*
Did I mention Eli is hysterically crying out of exhaustion at this point? Naptime couldn’t have come at a worse moment…
I’m at my car, and I realize the men must have decided they had terrorized me enough for the day. I’m still not comfortable with lingering, so I quickly get Eli into his car seat and lock the doors. Now I can leave, right? Wrong. Remember thought number one? Well, I had forgotten to pay for my ticket. STINKS! I look around, and I don’t see a machine anywhere. I don’t even see a sign that points to where it is. Since it is a grocery store garage, I thought it might actually be in the store. So, I go over and stick a coin in a shopping cart to rent one (yeah, they do that here too), and I sit the car seat in it to head up to the store.
As Eli’s crying wafted through the store, I realize there is no machine. Where in the dickens is this thing?! I decided it was time to call in the troops…I call Jeremy. I left out all the small talk (and story leading up to this), and I read him the garage sign about parking tickets. He said even though he’d never seen a garage like that, he thought I had to go through the cash register in the grocery store to pay for my ticket. DOUBLE STINKS!
I go and wait in line and promptly grab some chocolate to attempt to snuff out the memory of being chased through the street. When I get up to the register, I hand the cashier the ticket. She speaks of lot of German to me, and hands me a receipt. I point to my ticket that she had validated but didn’t give back to me, and she speaks more German. I tell her that I don’t understand, and she points to the garage and shoves my Snickers bar in my face. Okaaaaay, so this is where I start crying. I walk back to the elevator, and I call Jeremy again. I tell him she wouldn’t give me the ticket back even though I paid, and now I don’t know what to do. At this point the cashier leaves the store and walks down the street. So, now I’m thinking, “great, she just left for lunch!” A few minutes later, she comes back and starts yelling at me. I cry more, and Jeremy tells me to give the phone to her. He converses with her, and he tells me that she has to manually unlock the gate in the garage, and that’s where she went. But of course, I stood there blubbering like an idiot. So, he told me that she was going back, and I needed to get to my car as quickly as possible because she was pretty ticked off.
I got to the car in record time…crying, shaking, and traumatized…but would you like to guess the next part? Someone parked so close to me, I couldn’t get into the car from the driver’s side. I had to climb in through the passenger side door. And as I peeled out of my spot (being very careful not to hit the car next to me), what did I forget about? The garage foundation pole on the passenger side of the car in my blind spot. Yep, I put a nice, big dent in our new (to us) Ebay car.
The cashier waved to me as I exited, and Eli fell asleep peacefully as I drove home. A Snickers bar never tasted better. :o)
Dear Eli,
Today is mommy’s first Mother’s Day, and I can’t begin to tell you how special it is for me. You have changed my life in ways I didn’t know possible. Until you, there were a lot of things in this world that I thought were important: a great job, money, etc. Even though God tells us numerous times in His Word that this is not the case, I am still human, and I don’t listen too well. :o) You are the number one priority in my life. I am no longer a woman who is wrapped up in chasing material dreams anymore; I have a new dream…to help you become a happy, healthy, great man of God.
It was a little harder than I anticipated it would be to get pregnant with you. It took a couple of years, but it was well worth the wait. Your smile and little laugh make my heart melt. I can’t imagine what hearing you say “mama” will do to me. I love it how your eyes light up when you see me, how you reach for me, and how you know I’m here to take care of you. I love watching your milestones, but it scares me that time is passing so quickly.
Mommy will not be perfect, but I promise to always strive to do what is best for you. I know there will be times when we disagree, but I promise to always try to never say hurtful things in anger. I will always seek to build you up and never tear you down. I hope you will look upon me as a constant in your life because this is what I’ll attempt to be.
Until you came along, I don’t think I truly understood how great God’s love is for me. I cannot fathom Him giving His only Son as payment for my sins. I can only imagine trying to protect my son. For Him to love me more than I love you is truly amazing! Especially since I know I don’t deserve such love.
Always, always, always know that I love you, and my greatest privilege in my life so far is being your mommy.
Since you are too little to get me a “present,” I decided to make one for myself. It is a slideshow of my favorite pictures of you and of us together. It has our special song that I sang to you when I was pregnant (and when you are upset) as the background music. They lyrics are the perfect expression of how I feel about my sweet little boy!
Love,
Mommy :o)
(Click here if you have trouble viewing slideshow)
