Ten on Tuesday (it's still Tuesday somewhere edition)

1.  You'll notice I switched out my weight loss ticker with a pregnancy countdown.  Ironic, eh?  Though I didn't reach my ultimate weight loss goal, I did (just) make it back to where I was when I got pregnant with Blaise.  Hopefully after this pregnancy I'll be able to get back faster.

2.  We've begun working more pointedly on the walking.  My friend Jen commented that she thought as soon as Blaise decided he wanted to walk, it wouldn't take much time.  That sounded possible, so I got to thinking, maybe I should be showing him more how to do it.  He really hadn't shown much interest until now, but when we broke out the "walking wagon" yesterday, he was pretty thrilled with his achievement.  I think we're on the way now.

3. We put Blaise to bed with a bottle and as we burp him before laying him down, he pats our back as well.  I wanted to make sure to write that down, so I never forget it.

4.  I think I actually started this ToT list two Tuesdays ago.  So much for motivation...

5.  I had baby appointment about two weeks ago and everything looks good so far.  The baby is measuring about a week ahead, but looking back I found that Blaise also measured over a week ahead early on.  Maybe another big baby?  (Blaise was 9lbs 2oz)  I go back next Tuesday for another look and fetal measuring.  Not sure when/if we'll be able to tell if the intestines have developed correctly, but my doctor seems confident that we'll be able to do appropriate diagnostics.

6.  I think we pretty much decided to wait again to find out the gender.  I was leaning towards maybe finding out this time, but I am having major "girl" feelings, which makes me feel okay about waiting.  I also "knew"  Blaise was going to be a boy.  But, don't pull out the pink frilly dresses just yet.  My girlfriend Jen was 3 for 3 until she had her 4th baby, but she said it made it an extra special surprise that she was wrong about the gender this last time.

7.  Andrea was visiting a few weeks ago and she and Blaise read this super cute book that we got from Jen and Martin.  It is all about a mole who got pooped on one morning and he is out to discover who the culprit is.  We have the German version and I think it was orginally written in German, so I don't know how good the translation is, but the story is really cute as the mole interviews many animals and compares poop.  Blaise really enjoys it and Tante Andy taught him to squeeze his nose closed when something is "stinky".

8.  We have finally been having some really nice weather recently, so Sunday afternoon we went over to Andrea and Andreas' (it's confusing, I know, but I swear Andrea's boyfriend's name is Andreas).  While Jan grilled, I chased Blaise all over as he explored and took apart their living roomn and tried to take a bath in their garden decorations.

Notice the poopy mole book again :)

9.  My friend Sarah got Blaise a sweet book where you can trace your finger through grooves.  There is one outdoor scene which includes a mole.  Blaise does the pat on the head when he sees the mole - leftover from the mole-with-poop-on-his-head book.

10.  My favorite photography blogger, Erin Cobb, is doing an interesting series right now called Mamma (with a camera) Mondays.  She tackles a different topic every week.  It isn't very technical, but still a great read and full of fun ideas.

Ten on Tuesday

1.  We found a new apartment in Ingelheim.  We will be moving the end of May.  The new place gives us more room - 3 bedrooms instead of 2, as well as under floor heating, a nice balcony and a little yard area.  It will be an adjustment to living in the city, but Ingelheim offers a lot for children and Jan will have about a 7 minute bike commute.

2.  Showering is becoming increasingly more challenging.  Remember this?  Yeah, not so easy anymore.  I am going to have to maybe possibly try showering at night, but I really hate that!

3.  We have had some warm days, but all of a sudden it has turned cold again.  Not much fun for playgrounding.

4.  I have a date Wednesday night!  I am going to my first movie since possibily November 2008.  Jen and I are going to see The Blind Side while Jan and Martin take over nightly baby duties.

5.  I have been pretty tired lately, I am 10 weeks now so I am hoping I soon bounce back.

6.  I am having girl feelings about this one, I was right with Blaise, but I don't feel as sure as I did with him.

7.  Other pregnancy side effects:  I have been wanting all things meat/salty/sour lately, and I have had some nausea which I never did with Blaise.

8.  Easter was pretty quiet around here.  We went to Jonah's baptism in the evening, which was a nice way to celebrate the day.

9.  We went to the Zoo last week with Jen, Martin, Jonah and Jen's Mom.  It was a nice trip into Frankfurt and Blaise had a great time looking at the animals.  My highlight was when he roared at the lions!  I have it on video, but I keep getting an error message when trying to upload it to youtube...I'll keep trying, until then:

10.  We are getting ready for a visit from my Mom.  She arrives in May and will be here for the move, which works out well.  She is an efficient packer and a great babysitter!

Ten on Tuesday

1.  I am still catching up on events of the past few weeks, hopefully soon I'll be up-to-date.

2.  There was a fire in the building where I work!  It happened on a Friday night so the building was luckily empty.  It somehow started in the basement and melted a garbage can - not sure we are ever going to get rid of that smell!  It seems to have stayed contained in the basement, though the whole building still reeks!  We were without electricity all week, which meant having to cancel evening classes.  I did teach one student at a cafe though :)  Rumor has it the police suspect arson - (it wasn't me!).

3.  Blaise has recently started calling his pacifier "ba," not sure where this comes from, but it is consistently his "ba".  I actually almost exclusively use the German word for pacifier, Schnuller.  I think I just like Schnuller better than pacifier, binky, soother, etc.

4.  He is a pulling-himself-up-on-everything-and-cruise-along-it maniac, but I don't think we're going to make my April 1st walking predicition.

5.  The weather is finally beginning to be somewhat spring-like here.  We are trying to take advantage of that as much as possible.

6.  We have been looking for a new apartment for a while now.  Our current one is in a great location, but with the location comes a lot of noise.  Especially in the summer when you have to have the windows open or you sufficate.  I think we finally found one, we haven't signed anything yet, but we are hoping to meet with the owners this week.  More details once we have it finalized.

7.  Blaise is getting really good at signing.  He has added "car", "please" and "crayon" since I last posted.  He also does "milk," "sleepy," "stinky," "all done," "more," "eat," and "drink".  I can't think of any others he does right now.  Anyone have a recommendation of what else we should teach him?  I was thinking "thank you" and maybe some specific foods.  Though I wouldn't want him to sign "pear" for example and then have to say, "sorry, we don't have any pears."

8.  I can tell that Blaise is changing in many ways.  We are (not so) slowly entering into the toddler years.  He has begun testing limits and I am sure the end is nowhere in sight.  The biggest thing right now is throwing things on the floor, namely books, food and eating/drinking utensils...well and Schnuller, too.  The rule now is one warning then a one minute time-out (a la "The Happiest Toddler on the Block") for books and drinks/spoons/food being taken away after the first warning.  We don't have a great place for time-outs, and honestly he doesn't really seem to care too much, but I hope he learns that there is a consequence to his actions.  We have been using his high chair (turned away from the table, so as to not confuse eating time) so far as a time-out spot with no Mommy in the room - any better location ideas?  I should also mention the provoking, here's the scenerio:

     Blaise throws book on floor.
     Mommy:  Blaise, we don't throw books on the floor.  Ouch book!  Pick it up please and give it to Mommy.
     Blaise picks up book, looks at Mommy and throws it again!

I know it is about learning and testing limits and he isn't being all "take this Mommy," but it sure feels like it sometimes.  Plus, he is really cute when he is being devilish!

9.  For all you Buffy fans out there, I found this gem the other day during an unusually long (3 hours!) nap.  You can watch all the seasons here online!  Not sure how they are getting away with this, and how long it will be up and running, but for now naptime is slayer-time!  :)

10.  My NCAA tournament bracket, along with millions of other Americans, got pretty rocked last weekend.  Luckily the online contest that I participate in allows re-picks after the first two rounds (for lessor points).  My friend, Kelly, introduced me to it a few years ago and it really is a lot of fun.  My Dad has gotten on board these last couple years and he is doing really well so far - 36th of 487!  I'm, um, not doing so well (though I am currently beating Kelly ;) ).  I should have posted this last week if anyone wanted to join, I'll try and remember to do that next year.  Go Hoosiers!  Uh, oops, I mean, Go Bulldogs!

Ten on Tuesday

1.  I have had some complaints (okay, only one maternal complaint) about the lack of Ten on Tuesday posts.

2.  Blaise is still napping twice a day, but I think those days are numbered.  His morning nap seems to be becoming 15-20 minutes.  He usually goes down about 90-120 minutes after waking.  Eventually we'll (he'll) just drop the morning nap, but for now he still seems to need his little cat nap.

3.  Our dishwasher "broke" last week.  We called a service company that really helped us out during the holidays a couple years ago when everyone else wasn't working anymore and they came this morning.  Turns out a plastic piece from one of the trays had come off and was stuck in the pump.  The best €85 I ever spent!  It was actually half price if you figure that we were not charged for the telephone consulting we received a while back.

4.  I put him down this morning with a stinky butt!  I was trying to get all the dirty dishes from dinner and breakfast washed before the service guy came this morning, so Blaise had to occupy himself.  When I saw he was getting crabby, I snatched him up and gave him his milk.  While he was drinking the milk in the quiet of his room, I smelled it, but it was too late.  If I would have changed him then the cat nap would have been history.  I felt kind of bad putting him down with a stinky diaper, but I figured that sleep was more important.  He was up 15 minutes later anyway.

5.  Jan started back to work yesterday after his two month paternity leave.  I will now continue to teach in the evenings a few times a week.  I have classes scheduled this week for Tues, Wed and Thurs for example.  It is a nice way to keep a nice balance while still being able to be home with Blaise this year.  I won't be making bank or anything, but it's earmarked for travelling.  :)

6.  We have been listening to a new CD every morning.  Yesterday was Bon Jovi "Slippery When Wet" and today is the Eagles "Greatest Hits"!  He already likes John Denver (obviously, whose kid is this anyway?) and Hoosier Baby also rocks out to John Mellencamp.  It is so fun to watch him dance - he seems to like a fast beat.

7.  I made myself a coffee today!

8.  We visited an aquarium about an hour away in Speyer last Friday.  I'll post some pictures soon.  Blaise enjoyed it, but we didn't get any screams out of him this time.

9.  Blaise is doing great at cruising along the couch and between couches and coffee table.  He also seems to be more steady on his feet.  Over the holidays, I predicted April 1 for taking his first steps, but that now seems a little fast.  I read anything between 9 and 18 months to start walking is normal, so I am not worried by any means.  It is fun to watch him develop and change at his own pace.  Speaking of which...

10.  Fourteen months and still no teeth!  I hope he sets a record! :)

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Our good friends, Jen and Jeremy, welcomed their fourth child into the world on Sunday.  A boy (their third), Brooks Andrus.  He is a sweety and the spitting image of his brothers and sister.  Congratulations!!!

2.  I am really enjoying being "back to work."  In order to clarify I am just working as a freelance instructor during Jan's two months of paternity leave.  I am teaching as many hours as they can offer me, which aren't too many right now, but it seems to be picking up a little.  After Jan resumes work full time on March 7th, I'll be home full time during the day again, but still teaching some evening and maybe even weekend classes here and there.  Yesterday was kind of tough though, I was gone a lot and Blaise seemed to notice.  Maybe it is better that we've been forced by the slow month to ease into Mommy working.

3.  Blaise is pulling himself up all over the place and crusing between the couch and coffee table.  I'm still guessing we have about 8 weeks before we have ourselves a walker, but he sure is getting some good training!

4.  I have been snacking on popcorn a lot lately.  It is very yummy and light.  I just pop it in olive oil to give it a creamy taste and then add some salt.  No butter needed!

5.  I have seen more snow this winter in (my area of) Germany, than I have total over the other 8 years I've lived here.  We had another "snowstorm" on Sunday night.  We only had one, maybe two, inches in the city, but still more than usual.  Outside the city they had up to a foot which made for traffic chaos Monday morning.  I was supposed to teach a class at 8:15 on-site at a company, but my student didn't show up until 8:40 because of the "storm" - easy morning for me!  especially, because I was able to walk there!

6.  We have pretty much given up two naps a day :(  He does seem to be taking a longer afternoon nap which helps, but I can definitely tell a difference.  Having said that, B is taking a "morning" nap now, he fell asleep at about 10:30, I just hope he'll sleep a bit later this afternoon, otherwise it will be a LONG afternoon!

7.  Blaise ate like a monster yesterday!!  He has always had a good appetite, but even I was surprised.  He ate his whole (big) bowl of cereal, a whole (big) banana, bread, pumpkin and tofu pieces - all before his 12:30 nap! - 2 more pumpkin helpings later and a little bit of spinach and potato for dinner, but by then he was pretty tired and cranky (and full, I'd think!)!  And water and milk of course!

8.  I started doing our tax return last week, but I stopped when I realized I am pretty sure we are going to owe money.  We always get a refund, but this year all the money I received during maternity leave is tax-free; however, it is added to our total income to calculate our tax rate.  Jan's withholding obviously didn't /couldn't? take this into account.

9.  Still no teeth!

10.  We still seem to all be battling with staying healthy...one thing to look forward to with warmer weather!

11.  Did I tell you that Blaise whistles?  He also now roars like a lion in addition to his one-armed beating the breast gorilla imitation.

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Blaise said "duck" yesterday.  I was getting him ready for bed and trying to keep him "still" for more than 20 seconds by distracting him with his duck book.  I said "duck" and he repeated it.  Poor Jan thought something was really wrong when I yelled hysterically for him to come into the bedroom.  He theatrically repeated it for us over and over again. :)  This probably isn't the first word that Blaise has said, just the first one we have really recognized as one.  (although he's made some "th" sounds referred to teeth as well).  My baby said "duck".

2.  Blaise had a pretty yucky fever when we put him down to bed.  We gave him some tylenol and I hope hope hope it will be gone in the morning.

3.  Sleep has been hit or miss recently.  We have crazy nights mixed in with not-a-peep nights.  Who knows?  Blaise does seem to have decided on one nap a day though :(  He dropped his morning nap right before his first birthday, but I was hoping we could get him to pick it back up.  No luck so far.  His one nap a day is usually at least 1:20, but I swear I can see the difference that only sleeping once is doing to him.  He is definitely more overtired.  Per the recommendation of Nick we have been putting him to bed 30 minutes earlier at night to help him adjust to only sleeping once during the day.  Not sure if that is helping yet, because he came down with said fever that threw everything off.  :( :(

4.  Update about said fever:  Blaise had a pretty high fever we noticed Monday evening - about 102.6, so we gave him some tylenol and put him to bed.  We had a horrible night and the little guy was hot hot hot!  Around 1:30 his fever had spiked to 103.5, so we gave him more tylenol.  He finally slept some then until morning, but the fever was still strong at over 102, so we went to the doctor.  The doctor said he didn't see anything abnormal, and that he had a virus so let him fever through the day and give him tylenol at night to help him sleep.  Tonight he went to bed also at 102.6 (but woke up at 100.6, and in a MUCH better mood, so we are on our way to recovery!).

5.  I am going to be working as much as possible for the time that Jan is home with Blaise - until March 7th.  Things began rather slowly, since there hasn't been much work, but I finally started back on Monday.  I will be freelance teaching this year; after Jan goes back then I'll continue with evening classes and even some Saturdays perhaps.  It really felt good to be back at work - even though I only had a 45 minute class.  It was the best start I could have had - teaching two young brothers (7 and 5).  I told them a few times how cute they were - hopefully they didn't get the wrong idea and report me!  (Thanks to my Mom for making sure I had a wardrobe - I got the pants hemmed last week!)

6.  My parents left last week after having been here for 4 weeks.  We had a nice visit with them, celebrating the holidays and Blaise's birthday.  They were sad to leave, but I also think happy to return home.  Thanks for putting up with us for so long!

7.  I have been working out more and have given up sugar for three weeks.  I am almost back to where the point it says on the ticker - it was a long holiday season.  A few more days. 

8.  I finished the last book in the Twilight series.  It was a fun read.  There was a point in the third book where I thought it was going in a different direction and I was seriously going to be pissed, luckily I was wrong.  Back to my Happiest Toddler on the Block reading material.

9.  Has anyone seen Food, Inc.?  I'd like to check it out, I am just sure it is going to freak me out!

10.  I think I had something else to share with you, but now I can't seem to locate it in my head.  Humpf, sorry, next time!

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Our euchre score is US: 16  Grandma and Grandpa: 4.  I obviously wouldn't be blogging about this if it were the other way around, but as it is...

2.  My wonderful friend Quinn from IU and her husband Ben welcomed twin boys on December 25th, Liam Victor and Sam Gordon.  They were born at only 29 weeks at 3lbs 14oz and 3lbs 7oz respectively, but are the tough little guys and are really doing great at meeting milestones.  She has recently set up a Caring Bridge website with updates of their progress, let me know by leaving a comment or sending an email if you'd like the link and I'll gladly pass it on.  Those of you who are friends with her on FB can also find updates and pictures of the sweet babies there.  I know she can use all the support she can get, for even though her boys are tough cookies, it will still be a long road.

3.  Blaise whistles.  He's been doing this for a few months.  At first I didn't think he was doing it on purpose, but now at least after he's gotten out one out he immiates the action again.  He's a whistler!

4.  Over the holidays I decided to read Twilight, and wouldn't you know, I was so fast, I got New Moon in as well.  I did really enjoy the books, I have always enjoyed a good vampire story, but I honestly don't understand the hype.  She must have been in the right place at the right time with the right story.  It surely is a fun read, don't get me wrong, but I don't feel as sucked in as I was for example with Harry Potter.  (HP is my benchmark for all books from now on ;) ).  And, having said all this, I must also admit that I read New Moon in 2.5 days, so maybe I was more sucked in than I thought?  (Please don't excuse my cheesy vampire pun).

5.  Can it be possible that we will be celebrating Blaise's birthday this week?

6.  As his birthday approaches, I can't help but replay it all in my head and also remember the looming surgery and stint in the NICU.  Seriously, was it really a year ago already?  My memories are so clear so in somes ways it seems like just yesterday, but in other ways a lifetime ago (which I guess it was, Blaise's lifetime, anyway).  These events shaped who I am today.  We are planning a trip to the Uniklinik Children's Hospital on Sunday to bring treats to all the teams who took care of Blaise (at least those currently there and representing his medical staff), as well as his surgeon.  I think I am looking forward to honoring them more than to his party on Saturday.

7.  Lisa left for home on Saturday.  It was so nice spending this relaxed time with her - thanks for spending the holidays with us!!  and a huge thank you to Jen and Martin for allowing her to stay in their apartment while they were spending the holidays in Indiana with her family!!  Can't wait to see you guys and how much Jonah has changed!

8.  We've mostly been taking it easy these days "between the years."  My Dad has taken some walks, my Mom as well, she also gets a daily dose of Spider Solitare, Jan has been doing his fair share (or more than fair) of cooking, and I've been reading and trying to keep up with my blog.  All the while playing with Blaise and taking him out for short walks in the frigid January weather.

9.  While my parents are here I really wanted to go see a movie one evening, but NOTHING good is playing.  Very disappointing.  I even considered seeing a less-than-interesting-looking movie.  Maybe some good ones will come out this weekend, but I am not counting on it.

10.  My Mom did 12 days of Christmas with me as a child to spread out the onslaught of gifts.  Blaise is now also enjoying the 12 days with Grandma Rose.  It is all very sweet.  He loves his Grandma Rose and Grandpa Lynn.

Ten on Tuesday(-ies)

So, this is the ToT that I stared LAST Tuesday, but never finished.  Oh well, here you go:

1.  I hate vaccines.  Poison, I tell you.  My baby had a fever for two days.  Don't try and give me reasons why they are a good thing, I will still hate them.

2.  Every Advent the theater hosts their own special kind of Advent calendar.  For the past three years I have enjoyed going there at 6 in the evening, enjoying a drink and about 30 minutes of musical or literary enchantment.  I look forward it to every year.  This year has been a disappointment.  I have only been twice, but they moved it from the warm cozy atmosphere of the foyer with tables, chairs and a bar to outside.  They stand on the balcony for about 6 minutes and that's it.  I need to go back and give it a fair shot, but all in all it definitely isn't the same anymore.  I am all about change and things remaining dynamic, but this change just seems to go against what they were trying to acheive.  A small moment of peace in this fast paced time of year.

3.  During my time at IU an a cappella group took over campus: Straight No Chaser.  I have to admit I felt pretty cool, because I knew one of the members personally.  Not like we hung out or anything, but Kelly and I spent summer of 1995 with Steve in Krefeld, Germany, as high school students.  Most of you have probably heard of them in the meantime.  Last year they became a nation-wide sensation, gaining unexpected exposure on youtube.  They brought out Christmas CD last year, also with our friend, Steve, and this year they have released a new CD, this time however without Steve.  (Who I am guessing left in order to be close to his growing family and start of his new career - anyone know for sure?)

Anyway, check their current Christmas hit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E-47VmFopE

4.  I was thinking about making this point its own post, but i don't have too much to say about it.  I just felt the need to get something off my chest.  While travelling in the US for a good 7 weeks, I felt encountered by racism more often that I would like to admit.  It really came from many sides and I was rather shocked and also ashamed.  When I travel at home I am travelling with my German husband and of course would like to have him see my home country in all its glory, hence being ashamed when that doesn't happen.  I am not without fault when it comes to being judgemental or stereotypical, but it really is something that I try and be aware of, and that is what I am asking of you this season - be aware of what you are saying and the message you are sending out. 

5.  Blaise loves clapping!!  He does it randomly, when he sees others doing it, when he hears others doing it, when you say "clap clap" and after songs!  :)

6.  I finally got back to working out last week.  It felt good and I'm looking forward to being on my schedules especially through the holiday season!

7.  My friend Kathy and I went to see a theatrical production of Peter Pan last weekend.  It was really great and we got a kick out of the kids in the audience!  They were very interactive and great at cheering on Pan and rescuing faires!

8.  After having watched the 6th Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I decided to go back and read the book.  It seemed like the movie was different in a few places and I thought I remembered some things that the movie didn't address.  It had been two years since I re-read all the books before the last book came out (something I am really glad I did).  Anyway, after re-re-reading the book I was pretty disappointed in the movie - it had some redeemable parts, but all in all there were some (I feel) very important parts missing and I am wondering how they are going to tie it all together in the next movie.  Thoughts?

9.  Grandma Rose and Grandpa Lynn safely arrived last Friday.  They will be staying with us for Christmas, New Year's and Blaise's 1st Birthday.

10.  We have been playing a lot of uchre in the evenings after Blaise goes to bed.  Michelle/Jan: 4  Grandma/Grandpa: 2  :)  (not that I'm counting...;) )

Ten on Tuesday

Okay, so it isn't Tuesday here anymore, but it is somewhere, like...Hawaii! :)

1.  Jan and I watched the second Harry Potter, "The Chamber of Secrets," last night.  We are gearing up because I ordered the new(est) one, the 6th, "The Half-Blooded Prince" and it should be here soon.  I actually was able to watch some of it on the plane, but only in pieces and probably not more than 60%.

2.  Blaise has a cold! :(  It started out slowly a few days ago and then all of a sudden he had a bad cough yesterday.  I took him to the doctor and he prescribed a cough medicine to clear up the phleminess.  I hope this doesn't sound overly dramatic, but I feel responsible, like if I would have done something different he could have avoided being sick. :( We go back on Friday for shots. :( :( 

3.  The other night Jan and I watched "Serendipity" - I love that movie!  The best part was the carmel corn Jan made!  It was heavenly, gooey, warm and sweet.  He had some Garrett's Popcorn at the airport and can't get it out of his head.  He said his wasn't as good, but I don't believe him.

4.  We are in the midst of planning our Thanksgiving.  Normally we had it on Saturday, but this year we picked Sunday so we can have it earlier in the day.  I thought that might be easier on Blaise - we'll see.  We have invited about 26 people, which means taking the couch out of the living room and putting up some extra tables.  It's chaos, but tradition :)

5.  It is so nice to be back home so that we can cook for Blaise.  While we were travelling, we gave him mostly consumer baby food - I think I mentioned this before somewhere?  Anyway, it is so much easier to make sure that he is getting a variety when you can make it yourself, and it tastes MUCH better!  Plus, I feel good knowing what I am putting into his food.  You can't avoid all nastiness all the time, but at least I can reduce it.  He is proving to be a fish lover and today he yummied up his first yogurt (plain yogurt with cut up pear).  Later he is going to try tofu for the first time.  I am not a huge fan of plain tofu, but if he likes it then it will be a nice alternative to other protein sources.

6.  Blaise seems to be back on somewhat of a sleep routine.  We had a tough few weeks at my parent's house, and a tough few days back home, but he has had some great nights and some normal nights since then.  Right now the cold is aggravating his sleep somewhat, but even that doesn't seem to be too bad.

7.  The Christmas Market opens Thursday!!!  I can't wait for the Feuerzangenbowle that I missed out on last year! :)  Which brings me to...

8.  I think it's over.  I think we are done nursing.  Our trip really made it hard to keep up with nursing every few hours during the day.  Blaise was so distracted and overall disinterested, I was lucky if he nursed once during the day.  I still had him in the evenings though, before bed, during the night and in the morning.  Then it became less and less.  Now he won't nurse at night and even when he wakes up and is still sleepy (this was the way I'd trick him into it) he isn't interested.  I think I have to admit that it's over.  I nursed exclusively for 6 months, then without supplementing with formula until about 8 months, then to a few times a day and down to once a day until 10 1/2 months.  It was a good run, not the absolulte best, I was hoping to make a year, but I hit my goal of 6 months exclusive and then some on top.  I feel thankful that we made it as far as we did.  I still feel kind of sad now that it's over, just one more step to becoming more independent.  It's bittersweet.

9.  Speaking of independence.  Blaise is now using a spoon!  He is quite proud of himself, too!  We are still feeding him inbetween his spoonfuls, so that he doesn't put himself on a diet and so that dinner doesn't last 90 minutes!  When we were at my parent's house, he started taking off his bib and over the course of a few weeks he learned that dinner is over when the bib comes off, so he stopped doing it.  UNTIL, he started doing it when he was FINISHED eating.  It is so sweet!  He starts pulling at his bib and then gives you a look, you tell him it's okay to take it off if he's finished and then rip off it comes!

10. I was planning on getting back to working out this week, but then Blaise got his cold, so I hate to "give him up" to someone else.  Maybe I'll go when Jan gets home from work, but in all honesty it is getting dark before 5 already and that really kills my motivation.  (It gets dark earlier here than in the States, because we are farther north).  Somehow I have managed to lose some weight though and I'm even under what I was before our trip.  It's a miracle really, what with all the carmel corn :)  During the day I don't really have much time to eat, I guess maybe that's why, or maybe the secret is in the carmel corn?

Ten on Tuesday - US Adventure Tour 2009, Maui Edition

1.  We got to Maui on Sunday and are staying in a condo at Maui Kamaole in southwest Maui.  It is really beautiful!

2.  We are now enjoying more relaxing weather since the tradewinds have apparently returned.  (thankfully!!)

3.  We checked out the area yesterday and had a nice mexican lunch while Blaise napped.  The sun (I think) gave me a pretty bad headache in the afternoon, so I slept and rested and had a lowkey evening.

4.  Today we spent the morning at the pool and Blaise enjoyed swimming.  Then we checked out a shopping area close by in Wailea.

5.  I am pretty tired and haven't gotten around to downloading pictures off the camera...I guess you've noticed...

6.  MichelleK arrives on Thursday to spend a week with us!  We are looking forward to her arrival and showing off Blaise (one of my favorite pastimes :) ).

7.  We stopped at Costco to stock up on supplies when we arrived on Sunday and I have never seen a store so packed!  This place seriously needed traffic lights!  I guess when the island is so expensive, everyone heads to Costco.

8.  We'll have been in the US three weeks on Thursday and I'm pretty sure Blaise has gained 2-3 pounds since we got here.  He looks like he's doubled in size...at least his cheeks look that way.

9.  This morning while Blaise was sleeping, Jan and I watched about 20 minutes of 90210.  I can't believe that show was the coolest show back in the early 90's.  (It was the first season though, it did get better and I'd watch it if I had it on DVD :) ).  What was up with their hair?

10.  We have been going to bed at around 9pm (at the latest!), does that make us old?

Ten on Tuesday - US Adventure 2009 Napa Valley Edition

1.  We stayed at the Comfort Suites hotel on Sunday night near the Baltimore airport because our flight was at 6:50am!  I booked the flight for 9:something originally, but United changed the time.  I think I am going to complain.  One of the reasons I picked the flight I did was because of the time and then I had to get my baby up at like 4:45 to make a flight - crappy.

2.  Blaise did well on the flight from Baltimore to San Francisco.  He took two naps, which he really needed - see #1.

3.  The flight coast to coast was 5 1/2 hours!  We did see some mountains from the air though, which was cool.

4.  We arrived in SF around 10am local time - another 3 hour time difference, making a total of 9 from Germany!

5.  After getting in to SF, we headed north to Napa.  We are staying at a little house close to downtown Napa - about 30 walking distance which is nice if you are hitting the tasting rooms.  We booked houses or condos for our trip since we figured that will be more comfortable for us all.  It is great to be able to put Blaise to bed and then have the rest of the living space to hang out in.  I never really cared about how nice our accomodations were in the past, but since we are now traveling different with the baby, this was a good deal.  All places also have either a backyard or a patio or some kind of outdoor seating area where we can chill in the evening.  The place we are renting now is the Devita Bungalow.  It is very quaint and quite relaxing.  If any of you plan a trip to Napa in the future I would recommend staying here.

6.  When we arrived we put Blaise down for a nap and my parents and Jan went shopping for provisions.  The kitchen was pretty stocked with things for our use though, which was a nice start.

7.  Once Blaise woke up we loaded up and went to a few wineries to get our feet wet.  We visited Andretti Winery and Clos du Val - both really nice and it was a good start to our trip.

8.  Monday night for dinner Jan grilled steak :)  yum!  We sat outside at the picnic table and enjoyed our food, wine and company.

9.  Tuesday morning we had an appointment at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars at 10:30.  Unfortunately they didn't have record of our reservation and I didn't have any email proof with me.  What is also confusing is that there is a Stag's Leap Winery up the road from them, so they figured we had an appointment there.  We weren't sure ourselves at that point, so we went to check it out and of course didn't have an appointment there either.  The drive back to their winery was beautiful though.  The reason Jan wanted to visit Stag's Leap Wine Cellars was because of their place in history surrounding the Paris Tasting of 1976.  We recently watched an independent film about the Paris Tasting, but it centered around the white tasting and Stag's Leap won the red.  The move is called Bottle Shock and I really recommend checking it out.  It is a feel good movie with some great scenery.  We were able to get a tour appointment for tomorrow morning at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, so we're hoping for some compensation for the mix-up.

10.  At first Jan was pretty disappointed at how our morning was starting out, but we ended up at Frog's Leap and had a great time!  I would very much recommend visiting this winery if you are out in Napa.  I think all wineries charge a tasting fee, for the "normal" wines between $10-$15 for about 5 wines.  At Frog's Leap we paid $15 a person for 4 wines and received some snacks and later a bonus sweet wine.  The setting was amazing!  Instead of just being inside at a tasting room, we sat outside on their large porch on couches where we were able to feed Blaise too.  Our server(?) was really sweet and personable and then we walked around the grounds a bit.  They have free range chickens that we checked out with Blaise and an organic garden.  We also lucked out to watch them bringing in the grapes from their morning harvest and putting them through some machine that picked them off their bunch and smashed them (think I Love Lucy but 2009 style).

Bonus:

11.  We stopped for lunch at a Mexican Market at the recommendation of the people at Frog's Leap.  La Luna was just what we were looking for to bring home lunch while Blaise took a nap.  I think we are going to go back tomorrow and get some Mexican Coke, because I've heard so much about it.  They were waiting on a shipment today - it is supposed to be better because it is made with real can sugar and not a syrup.  I'll let you know.

12.  We visited the tasting room of Gustavo Thrace  this afternoon because he is also a character in the movie Bottle Shock.  They have a very small operation and only buy their grapes from other wineries.  We tasted 3 wines (for free) and they were the best ones I've had since we got here.  Very good - we drank the sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and petit syrah.  We bought a bottle of the petit syrah which we are going to have to drink at some point before Thursday morning when we leave.  If you are looking for something new to try, give Gustavo Thrace a shot - let me know if you like it (or if you don't)!

PS:  If you missed the pictures from yesterday, go back and check them out, I added them later.

Ten on Tuesday

1.  I/we have been cooking for Blaise instead of buying consumer baby food.  Mostly, I figured it would be fresher and therefore better, and since I was home anyway, I had the time to do it.  Now that we are getting ready for our trip, I bought some baby food to try so that we'd be set for the plane and the first few days after landing.  Before doing this, I did some research in our similar-to-consumer-reports eco-magazine and was surprised to find the only two brands with a rating of "good" (best is "very good") to be house brands from a drugstore (DM, for you German readers) and a discount supermarket (Penny).  This once again proves that although a product is more expensive, it isn't necessarily better.  I have found this to be true with sunscreen and laundry detergent!  The problem with the consumer baby food isn't that the manufacturers are putting yucky stuff in them, but the heating process to seal them somehow creates benzol and some other icky stuff.  We will use the food as needed on our trip, but will give Blaise as much "real" food as possible.  Since we'll be staying mostly in houses/condos this should be easy.  Yesterday Blaise had steamed chicken and broccoli with olive oil and fresh garlic :)

2.  My parents are bringing their laptop, so I think we'll be wireless pretty much everywhere we go.  This means I'm hoping to continue blogging from the road, not to make you all jealous, but more as a travel diary for ourselves :)  Stay tuned for USA Adventures 2009 :)

3.  I am very much looking forward to seeing my IU Girlfriends in November!  We got together last year in Michigan and my friend Tara's family cottage and this year we are getting together at Pokagon State Park in Angola, IN.  Can't wait to see you guys!

4.  It is Hokkaido season!  It's called "pumpkin" in German, but I think we probably call it a squash.  I love them!  We (read: Jan) makes great pumpkin soup and Blaise has also enjoyed his pureed pumpkin.

5.  We are leaving our cloth diapers home for the trip :(  We took two weekend trips where we took them with us and it was super easy!  We have so much to carry with us, that the thought of taking them too was a little overwhelming.  I did consider it though since we'll have laundry facilities everywhere we're going, but I was also out-numbered in my decision, oh well, at least it will be once less thing to do on vacation.  :( :(

6.  I love going to pick up Blaise when he wakes up from his naps.  He sleeps on his belly now and one cheek is therefore always really warm and soft.  Oh is it cuddly!!!  He is also cuddly after waking up - you have about 120 seconds before he wants to start doing his own thing, so you have to act quick!

7.  Instead of using disposable cloth wipes, I bought little squares of flannel and use just a little water that I keep in a water bottle next to the change table.  I can't remember who I bought them from, but if you search either hyenacart or esty you will find a ton!  I am actually considering taking a few with me for our trip, because I think they are maybe less irritating for his skin.  To be fair though,  I do have a package of disposable wipes in my diaper bag.

8.  I really love blueberries - I think they are my favorite berry.  It took me awhile to get into them this season, but when I finally did I ate them almost every morning with quark (like yogurt) and honey...yum!!

9.  After Tara's steak and artichoke post, I was craving artichokes, too!  I saw some big yummy looking ones at the market last week and couldn't resist.  I steamed it and dipped it in a olive oil, garlic salt and thyme dip.  Yum!  :)

10.  Today is the first day of fall!!!  WooHoo!!!

and as a bonus today:

11.  I have officially decided to take another year off work.  It was a scary decision, but I think the right one.  Jan is going to be home with Blaise for January and February, and I'll work as much as possible in this time and then teach some evening courses after that to earn some vacation money :)

Ten on Tuesday

1. Jan had a great time in Dresden at the conference. It turned out to be a mini-holiday which was well deserved. His speech went well and he very much enjoyed the cultural events - city tour, great food and river cruise on the Elbe.

2. While Jan was gone, I ate cereal, salmon and chocolate for dinner. oops.

3. Tonight we ate lamb bratwurst and chanterelle mushrooms. YUM!

4. Many people have recommended having snacks available for Blaise on the airplane. Since he didn't eat any snacks, I have been on the search for some! We tried some spelt bread sticks and he liked them, although he could bite too much off at a time and it made me nervous. We tried rice cakes and he wasn't such a fan. Then we tried zweiback - it was a big hit! He loves it! It is so cute how he munches - pictures to come! :)

5. We have been enjoying Zotter chocolate since we discovered it a while back. It is hand made, organic and super yummy. There are some wacky flavors too, like 'Peanuts and Ketchup'! We had 'Walnuts and Marzipan' this evening. If you can find it, give it a try!

6. We've had a good run of naps, but yesterday Blaise didn't sleep in the afternoon again. He was up for 11 hours and slept for 50 minutes in the morning. He is crazy! (which made me crazy too...today was slightly better, he at least slept even if it was too late)

7. I have made contact with two English speaking women with babies (each 9 months) who live in Mainz. I am looking forward to meeting them and having playdates with English speaking babies!

8. It's gotten a lot colder here, it was in the 50s this morning! It is supposed to warm up a bit tomorrow, but it had Jan and I looking at snowsuits for Blaise yesterday.

9. I thought I had a lot more interesting things to tell you all...I guess not...

10. ...except for, Blaise seems to be "crawling" check it out:

Ten on Tuesday

1. I should have mentioned this yesterday, but Blaise has begun waving! He doesn't do it 100% of the time when coming or leaving, but he's gotten pretty good at it :)

2. Jen is now home with her beautiful Jonah - if all goes well today I get to see them this afternoon!

3. I thought I was going to start packing last week for the Big Trip, but I think I'm so overwhelmed by it that I'm stalling. Another problem is that I really don't know what equipment to take. I am considering taking the pack-n-play, car seat and stroller. All three of those things seems excessive, so I'm thinking about ditching the pack-n-play and just winging it. Thoughts?

4. This past weekend was the "Weinmarkt" ("Wine Market" - but really it's a wine fair) and it is my favorite festival in Mainz! The Christmas Market takes a very close second, but the Weinmarkt is held up in the park where I took the pictures yesterday and it is beautifully lit in the evenings. We've enjoyed many a Sekt (sparkling wine) there under the turning-fallish sky. Love it!

5. Jan is going to a conference this week - Wednesday to Friday. The person he was going with was scheduled to give a talk about blahblahblah (I don't know what Jan's talking about), but last minute he had to cancel. Guess who is giving the talk in front of 100-200 people now? :)

6. Blaise has eaten: avocado, sweet potato, parsnips (thanks to Parthena for this idea! He loves them!), peas, pumpkin, zucchini and bananas. He tried some green beans in a glass and was less than thrilled (in all fairness, they were pretty gross). I wanted to give them to him again to get a picture of his face, but Jan wouldn't let me. Needless to say, he didn't eat them. The doctor has given us the clearance to try anything - even schnitzel and hambugers as he said :) We're taking it slow to make sure we can identify an allergy should one arise, but after 9 months, I think we'll just let it roll :)

7. Jan's sister, Andrea, celebrated her birthday yesterday. We had a nice brunch with them on Sunday to celebrate.

8. Sunday was a pretty packed day. We met up with the Lischewski's (pictures to come) and had a nice time catching up with them. They recently spent 2 weeks in Spain and are old pros at international travel with children (they have 3!), so we got some good tips.

9. If you are interested in editing your pictures (even if it is to get the red-eye out) then I recommend using Picasa or https://www.photoshop.com/. Both are free and a good start to an editing program. I am hoping to upgrade at some point, but for now these free programs are a big help.

10. Blaise has been sleeping for 1hr and 20min - he better wake up soon so I can go work out! (I'm never satisfied, eh?)

(Explanation: I've seen a few people do the "Ten on Tuesday" in their blogs and always thought it was a cute idea. It's also a good way to get some random thoughts down before they never get blogged about. I hope to keep it up, so come back next Tuesday for more randomness!)

PS: my spell check doesn't seem to be working anymore - anyone else having this problem in blogger?