"It Was a Power Ranger and a Cowboy."

We just simply couldn't pass up an opportunity to visit the British Territory of Gibraltar this last Saturday (Oct. 2, 2010). You've probably heard of "the Rock of Gibraltar"... Well, we did it and it's more like "the small mountain of Gibraltar" Rock is a misnomer.

We hiked the "Rock" and a small part of the city of Gibraltar for over 5 hours!! My feet are still sore.

But let's begin at the beginning!

To see all the photos, go here.

We left Sat. morning from our hotel in Rota, Spain. It was a 2 hour drive thru dusty, scrub brush and cacti. About half way there, Zac got hungry and needed a diaper change. Good thing, because mommy was about to need a

diaper change too! Not a rest stop was to be found! We were surrounded by ranches and rolling hills but no services. I had to do the unthinkable! We pulled off the highway onto a ranch road where I nursed Zac and as I handed him off to dad for a diaper change, Stephen handed me a baby wipe, "for you" he said. Oh how sweet, my husband has just handed me a wet wipe so that I don't have to drip dry!

The whole operation was a success. Zac was fed and clean and I was relieved with out tripping, falling or peeing on myself!

We arrived in Gibraltar a little after noon. The weather was spectacular!! Sunny and 80 with the air spiked with just enough sea water to keep the humidity in check. The line of cars going into the territory was long, slow and winding.

Eventually we got through the passport check and were immediately stopped by a traffic light. As we w

ere sitting at the light, more and more mopeds and motorcycles were filling in the last bits of free space. In the length of 3 cars two across, there were easily 30 bikes!

Suddenly the pedestrian crowd just beyond our car windows started to get excited, cameras and camcorders flew up and we realized that were were about to watch the take off of a commercial jet. Gibraltar is so small (just 7 mi. long and only half that wide) that their airport runway crosses the controlled entrance in. That means, every time a plane lands or takes off, traffic is halted! It was so funny!!After the plane took off, we were allowed in where we found parking and were off to our first activity for the day - dolphin watching.

During the 1.5 hour cruise

around the bay of Gibraltar we saw 20 or more dolphins! It was beautiful. The crew was fun, the other passengers were few and Zac took to it like an old pro. Zac's first boat ride zonked him out.

After the boat ride, we were off to finally find some lunch. I opted for some "original" fish & chips (YUM) while Stephen enjoyed the chicken & chips.

After lunch we made our way to the cable car station and hitched a ride to the top of the rock. At the top is the home of the Barbary Apes. They are wild monkeys that just hang out with the visitors. When we first got off the tram, we had a bit of a scare as one of the monkeys saw Zac and made a bee line for him. I'm sure it was out of curiosity - but I wasn't going to let this Ape rip the arms off my baby. I urged Stephen's attention away from his camera and onto the monkey while I scooped Zac out of the stroller and into the wrap where I felt I could better control the situation (though I'm sure the monkey could rip of my arm if she wanted to).

We saw several apes and there were cute as a button (once I got over my initial fear). There were a few babys that would just melt your heart w/ cuteness! Unfortunately it was starting to get late, so the monkey business was not booming. We still got excellent photos from the top of the rock, that included the African coast! Yes, I saw AFRICA!!

After the monkeys, we hiked to a Cave, St. Michael's Cave. This was my first Cave experience and it was beautiful! The cave used to be a sacred space of the indigenous people, but has since (in the last several thousand years) been turned into a concert hall. I can imagine how amazing a small orchestra or a piano concert would be in this space.

After the cave I was starting to feel the day. I was tired and not looking forward to the 40+ minute hike back up the hill to the cable car and said as much to Stephen when he asked if we were ready to go. The security guard overheard me and said, "well if you follow this road here, take a left at the sign and then a right at the benches, it's only a 20 min walk to the bottom of the rock". SCORE! Sounded good to me. Walking down hill for 20 min or uphill for 40...which would you take?

We apparently missed our turns, because it took us 90 min to reach civilization again.

It was now 9pm we were all hungry and tired. We found a pub and enjoyed an excellent meal.

Near the end of the meal and couple of Saturday hooligans were stumbling home and in their jubilation, they decided that a little disorderly conduct was in order. After kicking over some furniture at the Pub we were dining at as well as a restaurant down the way - the pub called the police. By the time the cops showed up, the hooligans were well gone...but left behind one distinct impression - they were dressed in costumes (for unknown reasons). One was a yellow Power Ranger and the other a cowboy. These were the distinguishing "marks" that I thought could identify them for the cops. I told the waiter this and he immediately shouted to the cop (in an authentic british accent) "One was a POWER RANGER and the other a COWBOY".

Immediately the waiter rolled his eyes and looked to us saying, "I can't believe I just shouted that to a police officer!" And we all got a great laugh.

After dinner (now 10:30pm) we ambled our way back to the car. Thankfully, Zac and fallen asleep durning dinner. We arrived "home" at 12:15 am and VERY happy to see our beds.

What an excellent adventure!!

To see all the photos, go here.

Greetings from Spain

Yes, you're right. It's been roughly a million years since i posted an updated blog! In fact, I've missed the entire summer - and what a summer! Stay tuned, and eventually i'll have my summer overview posted.

However, now to the issue at hand...our Spain adventure! Zac and I have been in Spain now for 4 days. We came to meet Stephen who preceded us by a week - he's here on business. It's BEAUTIFUL! Stephen mentioned a few days ago that the peak of Spanish tourism season ends Sept. 15 (it's now Sept. 30). Well, my friend, I say go to spain Sept. 16th!! The weather is unbeatable (80s and sunny), the crowds are gone, and the hotel prices are down.

We are in the lovely coastal city of Rota. It's on the south-western tip of spin and is a city smack dab on the tip of a peninsula, so there's water on 3 sides! It's AWESOME!! Our hotel is a 3 minute walk to the beach (across the road and down a picturesque boardwalk thru sand and pines with lilies and various cacti!!).

Zac and I have had the pleasure of checking out the area on foot and (yesterday) by bus. It's a small city with many people (i don't know how many, if you're interested, google it). Stephen has a rental car so Zac and I are left to our own devices - as I prefer it!

Yesterday, we found out that the bus only costs 60 euro cents to ride. That's WAY cheaper than getting our own rental car. Stephen offered us a car yesterday on our way home from dinner and I turned it down. I figured, if there was something that I wanted to do that required a car, it would be easy enough to rent a car for the day - in the mean time, save the money and spend it elsewhere!

Oh boy, and did we spend some money when we got here.

Since I was traveling alone, I packed light. I pre packed some things in Stephen's luggage (cuz he had room and a much larger allowance) which REALLY helped me out. However, when we got here, we picked up a few things that weren't worth packing: diapers, wipes, groceries, baby food & supplies. Then S took us to the department store on base. This is a navy base, so it's similar to what we are used to...but oh so different! Their selection in clothing is great! now I may be saying this because I'm fed up with what we're offered back home, or because the first day we were here, we bought 6 new outfits (2-3 pc. sets) for Zac, as well as several pieces for each of us off the MEGA clearance rack.

We went back on the 2nd day i was here and bought a new MacBook pro because the price was right and I had no internet access at the hotel w/o a computer (at least this is what Stephen used to persuade me - the man collects computers like "Carrie" [from Sex and the City] collects Shoes).

The 3rd day we went back because I needed flip flops and to see if we could find a specific toy for Zac. Well, we found the flip flops (on clearance) and we found the toy...just not on clearance :( however, now Zac has an awesome new activity center that will grow with him! We now have to figure out how to ship it back. It came in a box roughly the size of 3 shoe boxes. With "some assembly required" it now measures about 2.5' x 3'x 3.5'.

Even with all the enjoyment we've experienced, it wouldn't be a cultural exchange with out some discomfort. Sure enough, I'm having just a little trouble with the language (2 years of H.S. spanish isn't quite enough to get me by now) and our biggest issue is that dinner isn't served until AT LEAST 8pm each night. Kitchens don't open until 8pm!!!

Now you can drink your brains out till then. But not a spot of food till the clock strikes 8 (and later in some establishments).

This wouldn't be such a problem, except Zac's bedtime is between 7 and 8 pm. The poor thing just can't take it after 8pm. We've slowly adjusted and finally had a dinner out on the town last night. Zac did great...until we got home.

He had a meltdown when we got home (about 9:30pm) and finally fell asleep shortly after 10pm - but spent the rest of the night up and down every 2 hours. I'm exhausted.

So, we've decided that dining out just isn't worth it! We'll probably try 2 more times and see how it goes (in another day or so). But thankfully where we are staying is actually and apartment (1 bedroom w/ kitchenette - about 600 sq. ft). So we've got a mini fridge stocked w/ 2 meals and we'll just play it by ear as we go.

Speaking of the hotel, it's quite a nice place! Very affordable (thanks to the off-season pricing) and lots of amenities (laundry room, restaurant, pool, spa [closed for maintenance], located on bus route, private parking, excellent staff). Seeing how we're set up here - I don't' think the 3 of us could ever fit into a hotel room for an extended period!!! (this is the first time we're traveling as a family and not staying in our parents' homes.) I do love it here. It's so comfortable and family friendly. There's even a kids club house - which we haven't checked out yet, but will soon. And, as i said earlier, we're a very short walk to the beach with a long, winding board walk to keep us occupied for days! Just yesterday we discovered an equestrian sporting arena, a small playground and a bike park w/ obstacles ( yes, we did it in the stroller - no one was there to yell at us so i thought "why not?!")

So, after just 4 short days, we're all feeling at home in our space and enjoying our time on the beach and in the sun. Perhaps this weekend we'll head to Gibraltar, or maybe take a ferry to AFRICA!!!

I AM SO BLESSED!

Wepon of Mass Interruption

Probably the most difficult thing to get used to as a new mom is interruption. Sleep is optional, eating is ocassional and showering really only affects those around you - but the ability to get things done (for me) is directly linked to my sense of purpose and self value. Now that Zac is here, my ability to get stuff done has been seriously altered! But, in the end, all for the better.




It's far better to have Zac and not get as much done because I get to watch, experience and encourage all these wonderful moments between us and even between Zac and Stephen. Having an infant really does make you appreciate so much more about your life - life before and after baby.



This weekend we took Zac to the pool for the first time. It was magical to watch him explore the water, how his body works in the water and the wonderment of being in the water. It's these moments that you can never appreciate until you're actually there! And that was worth WAY more than getting the laundry done, paying bills, meeting the repair man, etc. etc.

For more photos, click here.

On Tuesday, June 29 we are headed back to the U.S. for our first trip to America as a new and improved family. I'm quite nervous for how much stress it'll be. I know that the cooler I keep it, the cooler it will be for Zac and for Stephen. We all feed off each other in stressful situations. I truly hope that the whole flight (approx. 10 hours) will be no problem for him.

The thing I'm most concerned about is how he's going to transition to the new time. All the other travelling mommies I've talked to said it's just like adults, it takes a couple days, but eventually he'll be on track. The worst part will be when we come back to Germany - going east is far more difficult jetlag.

While back home we will be spending 2 weeks with my parents - who have never met Zac before. I'm so excited to introduce them to my son. I'm so proud of him - he's the best! And I can't wait till my parents get to see that as well.

After that, we'll spend a week with Stephen's family - they haven't seen Zac since he was a month old. Quite a lot has changed since then!

This month, as previous months, has seen a great number of firsts:

• Zac now loves laying on his back, putting his feet in the air and grabbing them to bring his toes into his mouth.
• Zac can now lift his own body weight onto his legs. We just have to hold his hands or body for balance and give him the initial momentum, but once he's on his way up, he's in total control.
• Zac can roll from belly to back (it took another month to get our 2nd instance of rolling) and just yesterday he did a back to belly roll. That one will take some more time to become reliable...but it's coming!
• He is now pushing up on his arms a little bit to lift his chest off the floor during tummy time.
• He grabs for toys when playing on his tummy, back or sitting in his chair.
• He sits, supported, in his high chair!
• He makes chewing motions while he watches us eat, and much of the excess saliva is now being swollowed (both signs of him getting ready for solids).
• He loves playing peek-a-boo with dad and dancing with anybody. He enjoys "pony rides" on your knee and can't get enough of silly sounds and faces.

Favorite Things - Newborn to 4 Months

So all along the way, every new mommy and daddy learns something new: about themselves, about their babies, and definitely about a whole new world of products. Here are a few of my favorite things, in no particular order, that have helped ease our lives:

1) Bouncy Chair - I love the "Sassy Zanzabar Bouncer” – cheap (especially when received as a gift), light, super springy and relatively easy to take apart and carry with you if you're visiting a friend or what have you. This bouncer goes from living room to kitchen all day long. It’s comfortable, safe and portable. The downside is that it eats batteries (3AA).

2) Huggies diapers – I feel that they are contoured better than Pampers. Pampers and Luvs are practically the same diaper (the difference being the pictures that are printed on the diapers). I’ve heard that Pampers can hold more pee, but in my trials, they worked equally well. Huggies has 2 levels of quality. Huggies Snug & Dry and Huggies Swaddlers. I’ve noticed that the swaddlers run a bit smaller, are softer and have the “mess catcher” (an extra fold on the backside to catch the runny poops – actually works well!).

3) Huggies wipes – thick, strong, fresh. That’s all you need!

4) Baby Gym – I should have gotten this sooner. Not only does it encourage motor skills, it’s a huge help for mom too. I can put Zac in it and drink my cup of coffee and maybe even eat some breakfast before he’s done enjoying it. Get this one early for everyone’s benefit. We use the Tiny Love Kick ‘n’ discover.

5) Pack’n’play – the Crib, we’ve established, is for night time sleeping. The PNP is for day time sleeping. It’s portable, relatively small and handy to have especially when baby’s crib is on a different floor than your daytime living spaces.

6) Swing – Oy! This think is a life saver! Crabby baby goes in, turns into sleepy baby, happy baby comes out 20-60 min later. We have the Fisher Price starlight Papasan. Zac is mesmerized by the lighted stars and it chills him out quickly.

7) Strollers – originally I didn’t want to do a travel system. I was just not happy with the quality available to us. It turns out that we needed the infant bucket seat and now I’m desperately wanting the pop in stroller option. Well…Greco makes a stroller frame for the bucket seat. We’ll be picking one of these up when we get back to the states. I’ve seen how easy it is for my friends and I want to have the option of the big comfy pram as well as the quick pop in of the stroller frame. We will still use the pram, but it’ll be for those times when we’ll be on the roll for extended periods (walking in the city, exercising, etc).

8) Pumping Bra – this hands free, bandu bra helps me pump more milk! How? Well when I’m more relaxed, I get more milk. And when I don’t have to worry about keeping the pump properly positioned, I’m more relaxed.

9) Microwave Steam Sterilizer – most importantly, make sure that it fits in your Microwave before you purchase it. But this handy dandy contraption steam cleans breast pump parts, bottles, nipples, pacifiers and even toys. Madela makes micro steam bags, which are handy when traveling, but the contraption will last longer and save $.

10) Baby Timer App for iphone/itouch – in the first days, you will be obsessed with: sleep, feedings, pees and poops. This app tracks all of this and more. I loved it, it was only $5 and I was addicted to it for the first couple of Months. It really helps a sleep deprived mom to remember what’s been going on.

11) Baby Gas Drops – we were giving Zac this at nearly every feeding in the beginning. Very helpful

12) Colic Calm – when the problems are bigger than gas bubbles, this product really seems to help him feel better. This product has charcoal in it, so don’t be surprised when your baby’s poos are dark or black for 2 days after giving him the dosage.

13) Video Baby Monitor – Sound only would work just as well, however, I like peeking in at him without him knowing it! Ours even has lullabies that can be triggered remotely. Sometimes, if he’s getting fussy, I can turn on the music from the living room and it helps him relax off into dreamland.

14) Boppy Nursing Pillow – I have one for each floor! Not only does it help me to nurse him, but it’s also great for tummy time and propping him up for sitting (DO NOT LEAVE BABY UNATTENDED!!!).


15) "Moby" wrap - I put "Moby" in quotes because mine isn't actually the name brand. It's litterally 5 yards of jersey cotton that has been cut to the right width. It's perfect! Now that he's strong enough to hold his head I can wear him front facing out, front facing in, back pack style or side saddle! Plus its easy to ball up and toss in my super jumbo diaper bag.

I’m certain that as Zac grows and his needs change, so will his stuff. And when it does, I’ll let you know!

12 Weeks/ 3 Months

Well, my little peanut is now 12 weeks old...and will be 3 months on Tuesday. You'd think he'd be stale by now, but that isn't the case!

Zac, Stephen and I are doing great! Zac and Stephen are still defining their roles with each other, but it's starting to look like Stephen is the best joke Zac has ever experienced. Whenever dad comes home, or spends quality time with him, Zac is awe struck and all smiles by the attention that Stephen pours on him.

On the other side, you've got Zac and me. I'm now able to distinguish Zac's cries by his needs and I'm pretty familiar with the daily routine (as routine as a 3 month old gets). I look forward to every moment I get with him...mostly. There are those occasional 3a.m. feedings that I wouldn't mind sleeping through every once in a while.

Speaking of sleeping through, on Mother's Day eve, Zac had his FIRST through-the-night sleep fest! Just before putting him to bed that night, we had a chat, and this is what I asked for, for Mother's day. The little peach listened and complied! Of course, I didn't sleep thru the night. I woke up 2 or 3 times just to go check on him.

Zac is still "sleeping thru the night" with long 5-7 hour stretches! It's not always predictable which 5 hours he'll give me and it's not always the convenient hours in which I'd rather be sleeping, but he's doing it! My little man is growing up.

And BOY is he growing. He's weighing in now just under 14 lbs (he was born 7 lbs, 5oz). It's a matter of days before he's doubled his birth weight. We've also switched to stage 2 diapers and started emptying drawers of our 0-3 month clothes. It's so sad to pack away the tiniest of his things, but I know that it just means I'm doing my job well.

We have the pleasure of Stephen's sister here visiting for a short while. She kindly gave us last Saturday all to ourselves! So Stephen and I had a wonderful day at the spa (the German version...saunas, steam rooms, wellness stuff). It was great to be just him and me, if only for just a few hours.

The weather here is increasingly better. The sun shines much longer now and the temperature is slowly climbing. Summer is on its way and I can't wait! We have some travel plans...back to the states! We will be visiting our families in WI and VA. I am SO excited to introduce my son to my parents! "Look mom & dad, Look what I made!"

So what have I learned this month?...Well, I guess these last 4 weeks have really been about the routine and learning the signs (hunger signs, tired signs, etc. etc.) Babies are extremely well at communicating their needs (a lesson we could all use)... the problem is that we don't speak their language any more. So, I've been relearning and teaching what I've learned to Stephen (and vice versa).

All in all, we're a happy little family - and I think it shows in our own personal satisfaction and our darling, well adapted, genius of a son.

Things you can only learn from an infant

We all learn new things, hopefully everyday. Here are some things that I've learned recently - and they can only be learned from an infant (some exceptions may apply).

1. How much diaper cream is too much


2. How many times mommy's lunch can be reheated (between feedings) before it's inediable (the answer is 2, forget it if you gotta nuke it a 3rd time.)


3. How to do just about anything one-handed (except for socks! I just can't seem to get my socks on if I don't have 2 hands.)
   
4. Spit-up is exempt from the known laws of natural physics (spit-up comes out the front, but somehow it's the back of his t-shirt that gets wet.)
   
5. Just when you've reached the end of your "giving/careing/providing" limits, when you just can't give any more and compassion fatigue has taken over, your child will know - he'll then smile at you and completely refill your meter and give you the stamina to give more than you'll ever expect you could.
   
6. Baby boogers are the same size as adult boogers! This is incredible because baby nostrils are a 5th the size of adult nostrils. So when one of those bad boys comes out, cover your eyes because it will travel roughly the speed of sound - or totally clog his nose; and if that's the case, you MUST go in after it. Mom's or mom's to be: my recommendation, keep your pinky fingernail long - it's an excellent tool.

I'm certain that this is not the end of the things I'll learn from my Zac and as I do learn, I'll be sure to share - hopefully that way you'll learn the lessons the easy way instead of in the trenches like I am.

My first week flying solo

Last monday (Apr. 5) Stephen returned to work, so it was my first week flying solo.

We did great! I love being a mommy!

On Monday, not only did I care for my son, I clean my house too! Well, not the whole thing, just the parts that company would see :) (dishes, vac/mop downstairs, tidying, etc).

Tuesday was also very good, got a few more chores done - but then Wed. brought a tough evening as Zac was up almost every hour from 2am on. Having so little sleep totally fizzed my super mommy game.

Thur. he gave me a good long break during the night (almost 5.5 hours) which helped to make Friday a good day, but by now I was pooped and barely got the dishwasher unloaded.

In addition to our first week alone together, we also took our first hike! We packed a backpack and Stephen strapped on the baby and we hiked our way to some castle ruins in a village just 10 min. from our house. The weather was fantastic! We got about 90% of the way to the ruins when Zac decided that he wanted some lunch. Great news, I'm breastfeeding, I just happened to have brought my breasts with us on the hike! And hey, look, there's a bench. So Zac enjoyed some boobie-al fresco!

By the time Zac was done with his lunch, Stephen was shakey with hunger, so we decided to turn back and head down the opposide side of the hill to a lovely german restaurant where we enjoyed a long and large lunch. Zac was so good! he only squeeked a couple of times.

All in all, we had a great but tiring week - and we're looking forward to more next week.