Summer Lovin'

We went on an adventure the other day...Alexa, Tante Maja and I. We went all the way up the mountain to the Linz Zoo...the non-stroller friendly tram and way to the zoo was a workout in and of itself! Alexa slept through the majority of our adventure, but Maja and I had a blast! Then we leisurely strolled back down the death ramp back to the tram to travel back down the mountain and back into the city where we got the most delicious sorbet in Linz! Of course, Alexa woke up for ice cream and eyed my yummy homemade waffle cone until I gave her a taste. I think it's safe to say that she really liked it...

(Unfortunately I am not very skilled when it comes to messing with and changing or modifying videos on the computer, so if the picture is sideways...sorry!)

Another First Time Mom

After spending five glorious days in the hospital after having Alexa (yes, in Austria that is possible!), we left the bubble of security, we left 24 hour nurses, doctors and midwives, prepared and cleaned up meals and laundry that magically did itself and ventured home...a new family, a mommy, a daddy and a baby. It was exciting, thrilling and mostly it was terrifying. No one can prepare you to take your little bundle of joy home. No one tells you that every fear you never knew existed would topple over on you one by one the closer you got to the hospital doors. No one tells you that the world outside is a predator and your sole purpose in life now is to protect your little bundle from those threats, from all of those threats.

I left in comfy maternity leggings and whatever shirt fit over my ginormously engorged boobs (I think it was red). We had Alexa bundled in her little rockin' polar bear outfit, added blankets to the car seat to keep her warm, and then added a burp cloth over the car seat to keep her safe, to keep her unseen and away from people...from the world. Michael carried the baby and I stayed right next to them, to my family, my world.

I thought about that day leaving the hospital when I saw all the news articles and Facebook posts about the royal baby. About Kate in her fancy dress and high heels. HIGH HEELS??? Are you freaking kidding me? Regardless as to whether she had a natural birth or a c-section, you do not wear high heels leaving the hospital! I actually think that might have been the most painful moment of her life, not the birth itself! Seeing the hundreds of news posts declaring the arrival of the royal baby and the "first picture" made me feel so thankful. Thankful that I was able to bring my child home without the world watching, without making every single one of those paranoid fears come true. I was able to protect and hide my little bundle under a burp cloth. Until I had a child of my own, I never even considered what motherhood, or parenthood for that matter, of a celebrity, an athlete, of any famous person or political figurehead, or a member of the royal family might be like. I have always thought the paparazzi were annoying, little flies...everywhere and nowhere all at the same time catching every moment that the world really doesn't need to see. It makes me extra thankful that the only paparazzi I know is Oparazzi, my father-in-law with his digital camera, taking pictures while my mouth is full of food or while I'm in the middle of a sentence. I am thankful for my little world, my little family and the privacy that we have to walk around in sweatpants in the middle of the day, run to the grocery store with crazy bed head or hang out with baby spit up all over my shirt and not care at all.


So, I tip my hat to you Kate...congratulations on your new little bundle of joy and may your feet be comfortably resting in some snuggly slippers! Now, go put on your sweatpants.

Learning to Sit Up

I can't believe that Alexa is nearly 5 months old. I have no clue where the time has gone. She's learning everything so quickly and I get so excited when she learns something new or finally accomplishes something that she's been working on for a while. We've been working on rolling over and sitting for a while now. She can roll over, has done it multiple times, but just doesn't seem that interested in continuing to do it.  We've also been practicing sitting up. You have to understand, I have a crazy baby over here. She doesn't do anything that she's supposed to do...little babies lay in prams - Alexa wants to sit up in the toddler part of the stroller, babies learn how to hold their heads up, roll over, sit up, stand up - Alexa only wants to stand...she's quite an independent and determined little bean!

Well, she's almost a self-sitter. Every day she can sit for a little bit longer on her own! On our route to sitting we've had our first injury. She had been sitting unassisted for almost a minute and she was trying to figure out how to get the toys that were in front of her...well, she decided to use her mouth and ended up face planting directly onto her toy. One red, swollen cheek and a very sad baby later and she refused to sit alone for the rest of the night.

We obviously continued practicing after our first boo-boo. Here's our progress as of today!

How old were your babies when they first rolled over? Sat up unassisted?

4th of July Photo shoot

I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July!

(this picture courtesy of Brandi Henniger-Wiesinger)

Jet Lag

Holy moly am I beat! A six hour time difference plus a nursing baby equals one exhausted momma! Alexa was so amazing both on the flight to the US and the flight back. After she ate her cereal, she totally passed out for the duration of the long haul flight. Baby...you rock! I was actually able to sleep for almost an hour myself which was much needed. By the time we landed in Vienna I was totally shot. I slept for the majority of the drive back to Linz and we even took another short family nap once we got to the apartment.

Monday was a total killer. Thankfully, my mother in law stepped in and hung out with us all day so that she could lend a hand with Alexa and let me nap a little throughout the day. My one "cat nap" turned into a two hour long pass out session! Oops!

Alexa seems to be adjusting alright to the time difference. The only problem we're really having is that she won't go to sleep unless she is rocked (thanks Mom!) and has the boob as her binky. Any advice as to how to stop this would be great!

The absolute worst thing is that Michael is in Vienna all week and I'm alone with baby and our new inhabitant...jet lag.  I'm hoping that a good night's sleep will help and that the jet lag won't be so bad tomorrow.

Baby Antics #1

Babies like to pull tricks on their parents and family members. You know you've fallen prey to a little munchkin when the following has occurred...

The baby wakes up at an ungodly hour in the morning, crying, fussing and carrying on until everyone in the house is wide awake, playing with and cheering them up. Once this task has been accomplished then baby dictator decides it's time for a nap!

If this has happened to you, you should totally read The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee. It's basically the autobiography of your new life!

Allergies

Alexa has a stuffy nose, keeps coughing and sneezing and her eyes are red and puffy. What does this sound like to you? I say it is allergies and I think it can be one of two kinds...seasonal allergies or she follows in her daddy's footsteps and is allergic to dust mites. So what do I do? I have honestly tried to ignore the symptoms in hopes that they will just vanish, but sadly this is not working, in fact, I think it might be getting worse. :( I guess it's time to acknowledge their presence. If we were at home I would feel completely comfortable asking the pharmacy for something to help make her more comfortable while nursing and sleeping. Unfortunately that is not exactly an option. I bought saline drops and a nasal aspirator (which she HATES) to see if that would help. I don't really think it did much. I might keep up with the drops for a couple of days to see if they do anything. The aspirator, yeah, that thing has got to go! It's scary enough to know that I can pull her brain out with it, and then to have her cry while I'm using it is not reassuring at all! So what do I do now? I'm kind of uncomfortable giving her medication that I've never heard of, haven't been told by a doctor to administer or that I have heard bad things about. This totally sucks.

Have any of your children ever had allergies? What did you do?

Mama learns to travel with a bean...

Traveling with an infant is definitely an experience. Normally, I fly through check in, security and find myself a nice spot at the gate...stress free travels! Traveling with the baby was not as difficult and stressful as I anticipated, but it definitely was not a breeze. In one of my earlier posts, Things You Shouldn't do While Wearing a Baby, I talked about all the stuff I've unfortunately dropped on Alexa while wearing her. Flying added to that list! Bread crumbs littered her hair like dandruff and I even found a piece of shredded cucumber in one of her neck rolls. Sorry baby!

I have mastered some new mommy skills on the train ride and flight. I can now do the "one handed coffee maneuver". I can get the to go lid off, rip open sugar packets and pour them in without making a mess and then get the lid back on all one handed! I've come to thoroughly appreciate binky holders. We managed to get from Linz to New York without losing or dropping the binky on the ground at all! Whoever invented these things is a genius and I'd say a parent too!

After having Alexa we registered for the Bipa Baby Club. It is basically just a store card where you are able to get discounts on baby supplies once a month. After registering they sent us a welcome package that included a diaper, a small lovey toy, baby butt cream and of course a tiny little pack of wipes. When I first saw the tiny pack of wipes I was annoyed. What the heck is that going to do for me?? Well, I decided to throw them into my purse on the way out the door. Smartest decision I've ever made. They were so handy, easily accessible and did not take up any room at all! Thank you makers of mini wipes.

A few other things I learned included how NOT to pack a diaper bag when traveling. I brought along a few books and toys to keep Alexa entertained while on the go. What I did not do, was think about how I was going to reach those books and toys while we were on the train, in the plane or in the car. I packed three board books, which are slightly heavy, so I put them on the bottom of the diaper bag. I stuck the diaper bag in my carry on to make it easier to maneuver around. I also threw my purse on top. When it was time to reach for her books I had to take out my purse, dig through the carry on and into the diaper bag and try to move everything else that I'd stuffed in there. Not the best idea. The changing mat, which was soooo necessary I couldn't even access because of where it was in the diaper bag/carry on mess.

Here are a few other things I learned on this adventure...
Only pack essentials in the diaper bag - put the rest in checked luggage
*diapers - bring however many you would normally use at home during the length of your travel time plus maybe 2-3 more. (Packing 1 diaper per hour of travel was RIDICULOUS and took up way too much space!)
*wipes
*2 burp cloths (1 for spit up and 1 to cover up while breast feeding)
*a thick blanket (Regardless of the time of year! It was cold on the plane)
*a teether toy for baby to suck on and occupy themselves
*Book - as in one (1), no need to pack your library!
*an extra outfit (If you have a really pukey kid or one that has frequent poosplosions, then you might consider packing 2 extra outfits)
*bottles of pumped breast milk
*water in a baby bottle

On the way home, I'll be dressing Alexa in long sleeves and feetie pants (one piece jammies work well too!). It was very cold on the plane and I felt awful that her pant legs kept riding up and her legs were ice cold. I will definitely have at least 1-2 3oz. bottles of breast milk prepped and ready to go. Babies do no care if flights are delayed or if you cannot nurse right then and there. When they are hungry, they are hungry. Period. I will also be packing water in a baby bottle. As long as it is in a baby bottle and you try it then they will let you bring it through security. You might need it for formula or just for baby to have a little sip off of while waiting to board and get settled.

I wore a nursing bra, nursing shirt and a zip up hoodie. This was perfect for traveling! When you board and get settled, unhook your nursing bra on both sides for convenience and leave them undone until you get to your destination. Ask the flight attendant for a big bottle of water the first time they come around for drinks. Once you tell them that you're nursing they will be happy to oblige. Don't forget a few snacks for yourself. I brought three granola bars and they were the perfect snack.

Thanks to all of my friends who gave me tips and advice before my travels! You guys are helping me along in more ways than one.

To all of you parents getting ready to go on trips with your little ones...Good luck and Happy Travels!

Packing for a bean

Ok, so the suitcase is officially packed. I'm pretty sure that all of my stuff would have easily fit in a carry on with room to spare. Alexa, however, could have easily filled a huge suitcase to the brim (and this is packing lightly!).  Between, bibs, burp cloths and extra diapers, I'm surprised there was any room for my stuff at all! We're traveling for three weeks, the Baby Packing List says to pack two outfits for every day you are gone. That would be 30 outfits for her! Luckily, she will be spoiled rotten in the US, so I've packed 8 outfits (including jammies). She'll be fine. It's all the little stuff that ends up taking up all of the room. Socks, sun hats, her blanket (which I can't forget to pack!)...

This is my section of the suitcase...(including shoes and toiletries)

This is Alexa's stuff...(suitcase, plus diaper bag and sling carrier - not shown: stroller)

8 Greatest Things About My Baby

1. When she smiles at me my heart melts all over the place.

2. She is actually starting to coo a bit, so I no longer feel like I'm talking to myself all day long.

3. She is the cutest thing EVER!! (I'm kind of biased.)

4. She is starting to recognize voices and faces and she just lights up when it is someone familiar.(Grandma, Oma, Uncle Joe)

5. I get to do all kinds of cool projects with her and she is still too small to refuse!

6. She does something new almost every single day and watching her learn and grow is unbelievably amazing.

7. Mocking her when she cries makes her stop crying and start smiling instead!

8. Even when I act like a sleep deprived lunatic, she'll giggle, smile, or just look at me and I know that every second of sleeplessness has been worth it.

More Teething Tips

The teething process is just that, a process. So far we are going on two weeks of irritable, cranky, gum hurting baby. I wish these teeth would just pop through already! At our pediatrician's appointment on Friday we discovered that Alexa actually has FIVE teeth all trying to come in at the same time. FIVE! As if getting one tooth at a time isn't bad enough, she has to try and be an overachiever and get five at once! Well, this officially put me on the hunt for something to soothe her gums and help those teeth pop through. In Terrible, Horrible, Rotten, Evil Teething I talked about some different things that we had tried using as teethers...here are some new things that we have tried:

Bibs - Who knew that bibs not only caught the drool from teething, but also work as an awesome teether!
Carrots - Carrots are cold, hard, and AWESOME for soothing little teething gums. (I'm also hoping that they will help "encourage" the teeth to pop through!)

I have also bought some teething tablets (Osanit) and gum numbing gel (Dentinox). So far, I don't really think that the Dentinox works very well, but Alexa seems to like the Osanit teething tablets.

To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate

There is so much controversy surrounding vaccinations for infants and young children. Whether to vaccinate your child is a very important decision that every parent is faced with. How many vaccines do you allow at one time? Should you follow the CDC's Recommended Immunization Schedule or in my case the Recommended Immunization Schedule from Austria or do you delay or spread out the vaccines? What benefits come from either choice? What negative aspects exist? The CDC recommends following their guideline for immunizing your children from birth through age 6 in order to prevent putting your child at "...risk of becoming ill with vaccine-preventable diseases." The CDC's Recommended Immunization Schedule includes the same vaccinations as the Austrian Immunization Schedule, with the exception of Varicella, however, the Austrian schedule is much lighter. Immunizations, in the first year, are given at 7 weeks, 3, 5 and 12 months of age and are generally only given one at a time.

Vaccines

For my husband and I, vaccinating was an easy choice. We have both been vaccinated against all childhood diseases without a problem, so it was not a question as to whether or not our daughter would also receive the same vaccinations. What we did discuss with our doctor was the immunization schedule and how not to overload her system all at once. Luckily, we found that the suggested vaccination schedule here in Austria fit with what we were looking for...an evenly spread out schedule of vaccines.  The Vaccination Debate is one that has been going on for centuries and still people: doctors, parents, governments remain at a stand still. Vaccines must be given or consequences are faced; such as not being allowed to register your child for school. We have been very lucky. I wish all parents felt as involved in the decision of how many, what, and when to vaccinate their children and were not forced by a government mandate to vaccinate such young children so heavily.

Alexa received her first round of what I call "heavy duty" vaccines and she has been sad, sleepy and feverish all afternoon and evening. It's heart breaking to see her so unhappy and feeling so bad, but the alternative is unimaginable. I, personally, think that vaccinating is the right choice for our family, but if we were living in the US then I would most definitely spread out the vaccination schedule. I think little immune systems work hard enough fighting off simple germs in the environment and to overload them with so many other germs is just asking for trouble. I know many people in the US who have followed the recommended schedule without a problem, but I think it would make it easier for me to sleep at night knowing I had spread those immunizations out a little bit.

I'm hoping my little nugget is feeling better in the morning. I prefer to see her smiling and not crying.

Terrible, Horrible, Rotten, Evil Teething!

I finally figured out the problem, but I'm having some trouble actually solving the problem. She's teething. Teething sucks. I hate teething. Teething needs to take a hike! We've gotten teething gel and teething tablet thingies. I'm not actually convinced that either one work or are helping at all, but I am going to keep trying them because something has got to give. It's been two nights now since I have slept for more than an hour or two. I am cranky. I am tired. Plus, I feel like a horrible mom because I'm getting angry at her for crying. She's in pain and evil mommy is getting mad. Who does that?? I am such a jerk!

I've googled a whole bunch of different teething tips and I'm planning on trying ALL OF THEM! So far we've tried:

Teething toys put in the fridge - She likes these
Teething binky from MAM - even the stage 1 is too big for her, two thumbs down
Cool teether from MAM - too big for her, can suck on a corner if I hold it, but still isn't that fond of it
Wooden toys - Not at all, two thumbs down
Cold, wet wash cloth - undecided
My finger - LOVE at first tooth

I also ordered some Razbaby special teething binkies from the US. They will arrive right before we do, so I'll keep you all updated on how she likes them.

Ok, so I need to give a special shout out to my mother-in-law. She has been sooooo amazing this week helping out with Alexa and giving me a little "find your sanity and regroup" break. I am so appreciative for her help. With Michael in Vienna, I am quickly and certainly losing my mind a lot faster than normal.

Baby Birth Control

Who needs birth control when you have a newborn? No one, that's who. You barely get any sleep at night so you are exhausted beyond belief. Any and all energy goes into caring for your little coffee bean or trying to take a shower or brush your teeth. The house is a mess, there's dirty laundry everywhere and for god's sake can someone please vacuum??

Even though sex was the last thing on my mind for the first few weeks after Alexa's birth, those thoughts do start creeping in again. And if your husband is anything like mine, they get a voice too. A loud voice.

Now for those of you moms out there, you know that you can't have sex for 6-8 weeks after the birth of your little bean, or until your doctor gives you the thumbs up. I could still barely walk 6 weeks after Alexa's birth, so sex was not even on the table. For those of you who didn't know that, it's true, write it down and then add a few weeks because that will be when you might be ready for sex again. Maybe.

I finally had my "Post birth" checkup at 7 1/2 weeks postpartum and was given the all clear from my doctor. I wanted to be informed, so we discussed the different birth control options I had. I was, however, shocked and stunned by what my doctor said.  I was told, "Well, if you're breastfeeding..." We do not live in a third world country, we live in Austria.  Apparently, a place with sometimes ridiculous beliefs in old wives tales! My gynecologist literally told me that I wouldn't get knocked up again as long as I was breastfeeding. I also thought I wouldn't get my period as long as I was breastfeeding, but that turned out to be a big fat lie! Anyhow, we've opted for condoms. Wrap it up or get out!

The first time having sex after having a baby is worse than the first time having sex EVER.  Between the fear, anxiety and the pain...it's a freaking wonder that people have more than one kid! I hope I haven't traumatized too many of you, it's not bad every time, but that first time is a doozy!

I'm so glad we've opted to use condoms as our birth control and not something more expensive like an IUD or the pill because honestly at least condoms don't have to be taken every day and can just be pulled out when needed. Although finding the time and energy to have sex seems to be somewhat of a problem. When we do have the time and the energy the baby inevitably wakes up, cries, spits out her binky...anything to keep us from actually having sex! It's like she's trying to make sure that she's an only child for a while!

So don't you worry new moms, not only will you probably not enjoy sex for a good while after giving birth, but on the off chance that you would like to engage in some kind of sexual sport with your spouse, partner, or whomever, you won't be able to because baby birth control will stop you every single time.

30 Best Places to be a mom! I'm feeling thankful...

 The 30 Best Places In The World to be a Mother

A friend of mine sent me this article about The 30 Best Places in the World to be a Mother. Thanks Stell, it was quite an interesting read. From 176 countries, the United States places 30th, while Austria is in 11th place. Save the Children evaluated all 176 countries based on maternal health, children's well-being, educational status, economic status and political status. I feel fortunate to have been raised in a country placing in the top 30, as well as, to be raising my child in one that places in the top 20.

I was born and raised in the United States, in Connecticut to be exact. I have a deep love of my country, but I am also a realist. The United States has changed big time since I was a kid. Growing up, we were allowed to play within a whistle blow of my grandfather's house. You hear the whistle, you have five minutes to get home. We played in the street, we played with ALL of the neighborhood kids, and we did this with a ball or our bikes, never with fear, anxiety, or worry that something would happen to us if we were out of our parent's sight. Being a kid was awesome most of the time. Things have DRASTICALLY changed, and I know I don't have to explain why, I don't understand why, but I surely don't need to explain what I mean here.

I grew up with a working mom. My brother and I caught the bus to go to school, went to daycare after school and my mom or my grandma would pick us up and bring us home. Growing up, working and living in the US, I expected to raise my children in a similar fashion...get pregnant, have baby, go back to work 6-8 weeks later. I never knew it could be any different! Stay at home moms were a rare commodity.

On and off since 2008, I have lived in Austria. I originally came here as an Au Pair with a family I knew in the US. While here, I met my husband Michael. I moved back permanently in the summer of 2010 and Michael and I were married in the fall. In February 2013, we welcomed our first child, Alexa, to the world. Since falling pregnant, I have learned an enormous amount about raising and having children in Austria. It is AWESOME.

In Austria, eight weeks before the official due date of your child you go into Mutterschutz, maternity leave. Mutterschutz lasts until eight weeks after your child is born. We're talking 16 weeks here, of paid, awesomeness. This is paid by your company. Before the last week of Mutterschutz you then register for Karenz, more maternity leave or parental leave because either the mother OR father can take this paid time off. You have options...there's the 12 month option, the 24 month option, or the 36 month option. Yes, that's right, 1, 2, or 3 years of paid parental leave. Paid for, by the amazing social insurance system.

Now when I first discovered this insane system, all I thought was, "What the heck am I going to do at home for TWO YEARS???" Please keep in mind that I have worked as an Infant room teacher, a nanny, an Au Pair, and I was a babysitter from the time I was taller than the other kids until I left for Austria! This idea of a mom staying home for two whole years just boggled my mind! Why would anyone want to do that? I have always been active, independent and very busy working and earning my own money, what would I do for two years at home? Surely, the Austrian people are crazy. Or so I thought....

Alexa at 8 weeks old.

The day my daughter turned eight weeks old I cried. I realized how blessed I am to live in Austria and be raising my daughter here. Yes, we are thousands and thousands of miles away from my entire family and my friends and yes that gets to me ALL THE TIME, but look at all we have here... If we were living in the US, the following Monday would have been my first day back to work and my daughter's first day of daycare. She was so small! How could I have ever left her?? It made me truly understand what all of those mom's had gone through leaving there little bundle with me at daycare and going back to work for 6-8 hours! I have not been away from Alexa for more than four hours! How could I ever leave her for a WHOLE day???

I am very thankful that I am able to stay at home with her for at least the next two years. It is something I surely will not take for granted!