Homemade sweater

Isn't this sweater beautiful? It looks so cozy and warm. Jenny at WikstenMade is amazing.

Drastic measures

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So, I kind of feel like doing something challenging in the diet department. Like, raw foods only. Or for me, that probs would mean, raw foods plus a few basics like milk, bread, salmon, frozen veggies, homemade (non-cream) soups, and my favorite breakfast treat: muesli. I honestly don't want to do something that is going to take a lot of brain power to figure out if I'm getting all the nutrients that I need or something that will incur a lot of food expense.

Basically, the idea would be to cut out as many processed, preservative-infused items, and see how I feel in a month. Have you ever tried something like this? My dad has been avoiding anything with processed sugars in it for several months now and has been feeling great, and losing a lot of weight. And beside the obvious health benefits, I think it's so good to try things like this because it makes you so much more aware of what you put into your body, and aware of how dependent we can be mentally and emotionally on food.

Sans dress

Last night I had a dream about an above-the-knee, red corduroy shift dress with elbow sleeves and a gorgeous cowl neck. Could someone design it, please? In my dream it was an Anthropologie dress, and of course came in wintry spruce green and butterscotch colors as well. Said dress would look phenomenal with black tights, boots and a belt.

But since this dress sadly does not exist, here are some things that do and are making my life awesome.

Indestructibles books. These are a serious lifesaver because babies love to eat paper.
Teacher stories
Caramel drizzle coffee 
Sense and Sensibility... the best version... the BBC version.

Oh, and this, too:

February 13th, my love day

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On February 13th at 1:00 a.m. 4 years ago, my husband asked me out on our first date. Since then, I've always felt that Valentine's day was a bit more special than before, as it (almost) marks our anniversary every year. I've collected a few fun and beautiful ideas and gifts. I hope you enjoy them, and perhaps find something special to do for or give to a loved one.

DIY Holidash puzzle.

Lovely chocolate desserts.

DIY heart envelope card.

DIY valentine barrettes for the little girl in your life.

German valentine card.

Shave set for your man.

Love the idea of having a little themed party with your kids.

Venn diagram print

Gorgeous letterpress prints. These are not just for Valentine's Day!

Make your loved ones a tasty smoothie

This is what I call a romantic getaway

I think this linen lingerie bag would be such a romantic gift

GAP underwear is so cute and fits great.

Sweet tea rose earrings

P.S. Do you like to get flowers on special days? I love getting yellow roses. 

Not being selfish, and being happy about it

I don't like to get up in the morning. Even in Germany.

Learning to sleep while holding a baby!

A friend reminded me of the beauty of a blank page, opened up before you and ready for you to make your mark. So here, if you’ll be so kind as to humor me, I pen my thoughts.

They have certainly been tending in the direction of contentment, the every-day, babies—one in particular—marriage, housekeeping, the purpose of life, etc. Yes, no small list. I am on day 2 of normal life after a long visit with my family. To be sure, yesterday morning was not so pleasant when I had to get up at the crack of dawn and stay up, having no grandma to give the baby to in order to steal a few more hours of precious sleep. I am thinking that I really want one of those alarm clocks that slowly brighten your room to wake you with light. Sounds nice. Because if one must wake up early, I feel it is best to do it in the most pleasant way possible, and for me, that means I need to get up and get ready before Seb. But until then, I’ll continue to love my husband dearly when he gets up with the little guy (like this morning), always convinced that I need more sleep, and I’ll continue to try to make mornings more lovely, even if they are truly not.

But it’s strange, mornings really are beautiful, even if I foolishly persist in thinking the opposite. I remember my dad saying once, years ago, that he loved the mornings more than any other time of day because of the stillness, the stars still hanging in the sky and the way the earth sounds when it is still waking. He never gets a lot of sleep. My dad wakes up at 4:30 a.m. and goes outside to milk the cows. Mom helps him.

I want what they have.

I could be wrong, but think what they have is 26 years of being parents under their belts. They’ve realized that there is more to life than sleep, that, with 6 kids, you just can’t be selfish and be happy. I have been learning this lesson since the day I married my husband just a year and 8 months ago. It is truly remarkable that the best things in our lives are usually the hardest, like being pregnant, and having a newborn that never sleeps, or a little guy that wants desperately to stay forever next to that bookshelf and caress the overtly colorful spines of Ovid, Livy and various other classics planted in their proper place on the shelf. He is his father’s son.

So today, among my usual thoughts about laundering diapers, cleaning the toilet and washing dishes, I’m also thinking about how much I love that one cup of coffee, and my sweater that Cody got me in Ireland 3 years ago, and how my baby spent 20 minutes examining—or trying to pull out—my eyelashes this morning.

Here’s to getting up early (for me, code for: not being selfish), and being happy about it.

Today!

I never thought I could miss being together so very much. It has been a good stay at home, even in spite of the week-long flu I picked up. But I can only stand to be away from my husband for so long, and dears, I've reached my limit. I'm so thankful that we don't have to be apart for months at a time. We are so blessed. And Sebastian has lots of new things to show dada when we get home. Let me see... 2 teeth, the ever popular "army crawl", his screeching grunt noise (it's as awesome as it sounds...), and waving! Ok, he's still mastering the wave, but he's almost there.

Oh yea, and how cool is my husband? Accepted into his top choice seminary cool! I'm so proud of him.

P.S. Beautiful little mover, and my favorite 2010 superbowl commercial.

Home | Missing the big snowstorm

Call me crazy, but I'm slightly depressed that I'm still visiting my family, while my husband and our friends are about to enjoy a huge blizzard. Here in W we are getting, joy of all joys, ice and freezing rain. I'm just hoping we'll be able to get back up to H according to schedule!

Well friends, don't have too much fun without us.

Nevertheless, we are having a great time. Lots of sleeping and lounging for me, as I have had a bad case of the flu for 3 days now, and lots of Grandma time, waltzing around the kitchen with Uncle I, and napping in a bean bag chair for Seb. Oh, and someone got his first 2 teeth!

P.S. Then: Pregnant in Paris, Twins in Paris. Now: Babies in Paris