Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Cold Front
It has been unseasonably warm here for the past few weeks, but that changed this weekend. It dropped down to freezing for a few hours and we actually saw some snow flurries! I wasn't too excited about the flurries, because we don't really get too much snow so I didn't take it seriously.
Not that it should have been taken seriously, but there was about 1cm of accumulation, which was gone by this morning. I tried to take a picture of the pretty snow covered tree outside our bathroom window, but it was pretty dark. Here is what I came up with, one with flash, one without:
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Belly Music
We have received some really great baby music CDs as gifts, so I loaded them to my Ipod and hooked up the earphones under my maternity pants on my belly. As soon as I did this the baby started to flip and move around! They say the music in-utero is good for the baby, so I'm hoping it is relaxing and not too loud (it was pretty ridiculous how long it took me to decide on the volume). A bonus would be if this music is therefore even more relaxing for baby once it's out - I have visions of a baby who goes to sleep without fussing (at least too much anyway...a girl can dream, right?).
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Last Day of Work
Today was my last official day of work. My maternity leave begins tomorrow. It is law that you must stop working 6 weeks before your scheduled due date. I have 7 weeks to go, but I had a few leftover vacation days that I wanted to use up. On Friday my colleagues threw me a surprise farwell/good luck with baby party - it was super sweet, but a little strange to think I won't be back for so long. I will take off the first year of Baby's life and am planning on returning in January of 2010. 2010!
I have about 3 weeks before my parents arrive. My goal is to have a project for everyday. Tomorrow my projects are ironing shirts and finishing my knitting project (yes, I started knitting!). I still have some leftover loose ends to tie up at work, so I'll probably work on that in the afternoon. Maybe I'll even plan dinner for tomorrow night - but I don't want to take on too much at once, we'll see how everything else goes :)
I have about 3 weeks before my parents arrive. My goal is to have a project for everyday. Tomorrow my projects are ironing shirts and finishing my knitting project (yes, I started knitting!). I still have some leftover loose ends to tie up at work, so I'll probably work on that in the afternoon. Maybe I'll even plan dinner for tomorrow night - but I don't want to take on too much at once, we'll see how everything else goes :)
Monday, November 17, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Info Evening
Last night Jan and I went to the hospital (St. Vincent's) for an "Info Evening." Basically we got the tour and a run down of what to expect during Birth. We met the head of the Gynocology Department, the head Pediatrian in the nursery and some midwives. Everyone was very nice and we both found it quite informative.
Obviously the basics work the same as they do in the US. One of the major differences; however, is that the midwife is the one actually in charge of the birth - although they tried to make it clear that the mother is really the one calling the shots. Most normal deliveries take place with the midwife and an OB, who can take over if complications dictact that a C-section is necessary. What I also found reassuring is that they stressed to go into the birth with an open mind. I have been reading about making a "birth plan," but this seemed strange to me, since you can never be sure what will happen. I also didn't want declare ahead of time that I will go med-free and then have the conflict during labor of wanting meds, but not wanting to give in. I will take things how they come and adjust to my needs.
I will sign up for a preparation class which is lead by the midwives and lasts a few weeks. After you are home from the hospital, a midwife visits you on a regular basis to check that all is going well and give you some additional support. About 4-6 weeks after birth they provide a course for mothers to begin building up muscles. All of these "extras" are covered by insurance which is great!
This is one of the fun toys they offer in the delivery room.
Obviously the basics work the same as they do in the US. One of the major differences; however, is that the midwife is the one actually in charge of the birth - although they tried to make it clear that the mother is really the one calling the shots. Most normal deliveries take place with the midwife and an OB, who can take over if complications dictact that a C-section is necessary. What I also found reassuring is that they stressed to go into the birth with an open mind. I have been reading about making a "birth plan," but this seemed strange to me, since you can never be sure what will happen. I also didn't want declare ahead of time that I will go med-free and then have the conflict during labor of wanting meds, but not wanting to give in. I will take things how they come and adjust to my needs.
I will sign up for a preparation class which is lead by the midwives and lasts a few weeks. After you are home from the hospital, a midwife visits you on a regular basis to check that all is going well and give you some additional support. About 4-6 weeks after birth they provide a course for mothers to begin building up muscles. All of these "extras" are covered by insurance which is great!
This is the link to the hospital we picked, it's in German, but there are some pictures for those non-German speakers among you:
http://www.frauenklinik-mainz.de/geburtshilfe/geburtshilfe.php
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Gaslight
Jan and I went to the English Theatre tonight in Frankfurt. We'd never been there before so it was a new experience and it was super! We saw "Gaslight"which is a script written at the turn of the century and plays in Victorian England. It's a sort of murder mystery which was filmed in 1944 with Ingrid Bergman.
I love the theatre and was glad to have the opportunity to enjoy it again before the baby is here.
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