Waiting for the U-Bahn

Jameson loves riding the public transportation. Truly, he thinks its great.
He patiently waits for the train, he knows which way its coming from, and he gets really excited when he hears it.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!


Whew! What a rush!

Catching Flies

I have often said that my son likes to "catch flies" in reference to his mouth being wide open all the time. It reminds me of the joke about the "little wide mouth frog." If you don't know it, ask someone around you. Per Auntie Alison's request, I decided to take some pictures today...a lot, so brace yourselves, and I couldn't help but notice a trend, you tell me, does he look like he is catching flies?








































































If you are running through the joke in your head, then this last picture is the punchline. Drool and all!








Now for a totally wonderful pic (hello does anyone else see a teenager in this picture, or is it just me?)That is the boy I often seeing staring back at me and I love him!

All Bundled Up!

At this moment, its 50 degrees and rainy, a warmer day then in recent days. Fall has begun weather-wise and according to the autumn equinox begins officially as of tomorrow. Just because its chilly outside doesn't mean we don't go out, although I do wait until the last possible moment in some cases. Jameson is now the proud owner of a jacket, a hat, and some mittens. He doesn't seem to mind wearing them, and the mittens are especially fun to chew and put in his mouth. Yuck, blue fuzz. I think he looks like Randy in the movie "A Christmas Story," you know the one... "I can't put my arms down!"

A Happy Dance

I am officially 100% pre-baby weight, even on our totally inaccurate (but flattering) scale here in Vienna. I added 5 lbs and I am still pre-baby weight. Yippee. My pants are loose, and the only size I have left to fit into are my pre-baby pants. Unfortunately, I didn't bring any pre-baby pants, because I honest to goodness did not think I would ever fit into them again, and I was just fine with that. Something about giving birth that makes you re-think body size anyway. All the walking, and huffing and puffing up the hill and cartin' Jameson around, and constantly chasing after him are paying off, apparently. OK, enough about that.

Some pics that make me laugh. The back-story about the sweatband around his head. My mom was saying I was going to have to cut his hair (gasp!) at least trim his bangs she said. I said I would just put a headband on him, its totally trendy for guys here to wear headbands, but I was joking. Instead, I took one of my soft headbands and made a cool sweatband, and it keeps the hair out of his eyes, for the most part.

Look Ma, I can do push-ups!


I'm not all brawn though, I'm brain too!


See how fierce I am?


Just Teasing!


Jameson has become increasingly difficult to change. If you want to see a grown woman wrestle a 6-month-old (and lose) come hang out at my place around changing time. He can roll away quicker than it takes me to turn and get the new diaper ready to put on. He always looks so proud of himself too. I don't blame him, the boy likes his freedom.



He is obsessed with technology, is this normal? Computers, TVs, telephones, cell phones and remote controls. He even looks like he knows what he is doing at the computer.

A Bugaboo Revolution

For those who don't know what a Bugaboo is, let me explain, essentially, it is the Range Rover of strollers. I have never seen so many bugaboos as I have seen here in Vienna over the past few weeks. Although, I have yet to visit NYC, where I am sure they are just as numerous. These strollers are very pricey, around $1000, here in Vienna the price is approximately 750 euros, which is even more than $1000. Yesterday I was strolling along Mariehilferstrasse, which is a main drag here, lots of shopping, cafes, and a ton of people, and I began counting these bugaboos. They are pretty easy to spot, and I think I decided to stop at around 30. I know that new mothers receive "Kindergeld" (money for each baby produced)that puts our tax break to shame, but really, is it necessary to spend so much on a stroller? Mine works just fine, except for that beautiful rip that the airlines managed to create. All that to say, I don't get it. Another stroller note, last time I was at the airport I saw a women with this brand (another Range Rover Brand)called Phil & Ted's. She had the double one, which has two seats on top of each other. Like an upstairs/downstairs version of a stroller, so that you don't have the length of front and back or the width of a "double-wide." I thought that was a really great idea, one that I might like until I looked up the prices! The stroller has become a very important part of our daily life in Vienna, so I am fascinated by all the options out there. On the whole, I am very pleased with my non-bugaboo, but it makes me want to test drive one of the luxury strollers to see what all the hype is about!

Standing sideways...

I apologize that this is set sideways, but I turned the camera, and didn't realize we can't rotate it.

My Crazy Kid

So, I don't know if I should be encouraging or discouraging this behavior below. Suggestions would be helpful.




I stuck him in his crib to go grab a new diaper and his clothes for the day. I came back and this is what he had done. Yes, he is STANDING. Wobbly and wiggly but standing. That was this morning, he has been attempting this for a few days and finally succeeded in pulling himself up. NOW, he is pulling himself up on everything. My leg, the chair, the couch and obviously the crib. The problem is that he is so wobbly that he falls and I am afraid he will smack his head. Isn't he too young to be attempting this? I keep telling him to only attempt one task at a time, but apparently that is boring for him. On his to-do list this week are to perfect: Standing, sitting, crawling and sitting from standing (so as not to hurt himself, and that last one is what I want him to work on).



Is it even possible to discourage this??? Should I? On a funnier note. He has been pursing his lips and biting his bottom lip a lot (teeth, maybe?) It makes me laugh, so I got a picture.



Like I have said he loves his blocks, so here is a quick photo shoot.
Look at that concentration as he tries to stack his blocks.


Destruction


Oh No! Foiled again.


Oh well better start again...


Bye Mom! A little privacy here to create my new tower.

I love Vienna!

I actually was thinking about writing this a few days ago, but I am SO glad I waited, because tonight as I was making dinner I heard a clip-clop of horse hooves. Just for the record we live on an incredibly busy street, annoyingly so. For a second I wasn't sure I heard correctly so I looked out our kitchen window and what do I see, but a HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE. I ran to go get my camera, but alas the carriage was too far up the street and blocked by a beautiful tree. This, my friends, is just one of the reasons I love my adopted city Vienna. Another reason is because this city is full of friendly people to a mom and baby. However, the strassenbahns are most definitely not stroller friendly. See picture below.


In order to get myself and my son onto the strassenbahn I have to rely on the kindness of strangers. I should preface, that Vienna is an incredibly formal town, formerly the capital of the Austrian empire, there is still an imperialistic quality that surrounds it. Needless to say, I was a little nervous about running around with Jameson and stroller. Much to my surprise (and delight!) I have been helped every single time I have needed to board the strassenbahn, without even having to ask for assistance. I must say that the older gents and surprisingly, the school-age guys (and no this is not sexist, they have all been guys) have been so nice. I must say that my german has been greatly practiced recently, because after they help me up the stairs of the strassenbahn they usually begin a conversation. This is practically unheard of here, except when I walked around with Lulu (dogs and babies, my friends are the way into the hearts of the Viennese people). It helps that Jameson is an incredible flirt and he has a preference for the older crowd, thanks to his wonderful grandparents. I have met some of the nicest people while sweating in the muggy heat and looking very frazzled, and it kind of makes me laugh.



The other day I was walking around with Jameson in the baby Bjorn. Sometimes its easier than hauling the stroller down the very unfriendly steps in my apartment house. I hopped on a full strassenbahn and I was just fine with standing because he was facing me and sleeping. I held onto the bar and had a nice breeze blowing around me because my window was open. School had just let out and the car was filled with school-age kids. Well, the elderly man sitting in the reserved seat was having none of me standing with a baby when at least ten seats were occupied by the young "hooligans" and he tapped one young guy on the leg, and said "You need to stand up, can't you see there is this woman standing here holding her sleeping baby, you need to offer her your seat." I even told the man, that I was perfectly happy to stand, I was only riding a few stops, but the young "hooligan" wasn't about to tell grandpa no. So he stood up, offered me his seat and took my place beside the open window, and I proceeded to sit down and sweat because it was much hotter at that level. The whole time I was sitting there laughing, and thinking how much I love this city. Ask me again when the weather has turned and I am still pushing the stroller up the hill in the rain and biting wind to the U-bahn station, and begging someone to help me lift his stroller into the strassenbahn, ask me then if I still love my adopted city.

We miss Kev (AKA Daddy)

Kevin left yesterday because he has to go teach in Denver. It was a sad day for all of us. :( Kevin isn't excited about leaving us for 26 days, and we aren't happy about him leaving for 26 days either. When Kevin and I are together, we are TOGETHER, I mean 24/7. There is no one else on Earth with whom I could imagine spending 24 hours a day 7 days a week...except for perhaps my son, and that also happens. The three of us hang out a lot, so its especially hard because when we are not together, we are most definitely NOT together, like anywhere close. Luckily, with the advent of technology (thank you wireless internet and vonage phone lines) it doesn't feel so far away.

Us missing Kev


As Jameson has gotten more active, he is lots of fun to play with on the floor. He loves his blocks, rattles, books and as I have mentioned before chasing after all things he should not be chasing. Kevin has been down on the floor playing with Jameo a lot. They invented the "knock the blocks" game. Kevin stacks the four blocks on one side of the blanket and Jameo charges at them like a baby bull to knock them over. He then laughs and smiles and tries to stack the blocks himself. I meant to get it on video, but I didn't manage to do that. I did, however, get a couple pictures of Daddy and Jameo playing, and they make me smile just looking at them.

Jameo showing off for the camera and Daddy looking tired

A nursing gripe

I love nursing, I love that I feel more comfortable in Vienna nursing, because it is so much more "acceptable." However, I bought a couple of nursing shirts since we are out and about a lot more here then ever before, and I needed easy access to the food supply. Here is my gripe: WHY do nursing shirts double as maternity shirts??? I mean, I know I have some extra belly bulge, but I don't need to be reminded of it! I want a nice fitting top that doesn't make me look pregnant, but has nursing capability. I guess a nursing shirt, in my humble opinion, means I am no longer pregnant, hence the reason I am nursing, and if I were pregnant I wouldn't (necessarily) be nursing. Oh well, I love these tank tops that go under anything, I just wish they weren't so long and bulky in the belly. Go H&M Mama! Maybe I will understand in a few months if I am still nursing and pregnant. Ha ha ha, I am laughing at the thought, just to let you know.

6 months ago today...

Kevin and I were brand new parents and I cannot believe how quickly time has passed. When I look back at the videos I took when he was brand new I see how much he has changed. My tailbone still hurts when I sit, so I have the constant reminder that his birth was intense, but there isn't a lot I would change about it. I am posting a few of my favorite photos over the last six months, maybe one for each month of his life.









Can I admit that I am already missing the newborn phase, and its not just because the second I put him down he is off and "crawling" to get into something. He has a penchant for cords, our metal coffee table and the hardwood floor. When he is awake I am constantly on the go after him, how the times have changed since I could sit with him and while away reading, watching tv or on the internet. Nope, if he is awake he is MOVING! He seems to be adjusting alright to Vienna. He loves how often we are out and about, and I love it too. But, whew! I never knew we had such a big hill going up to the subway station. We seemed to have timed our trip terribly, he has had a hard week with the time adjustment, which also may be the teething, the lack of A/C, the occasional BUSY BUSY days and late nights. He has been a real pill to put down to sleep at night, he wants to be in my arms or sleeping right next to me. I won't let him stay asleep next to me, so I put him in bed, he wakes up and cries and the process starts again. He is a little stinker. In our apartment house everyone can hear everything, and our apartment is even worse because we don't have anything up on the walls or a lot of carpets to absorb the sound, so if he cries the whole places knows. That fact alone makes me jump to get him when I hear him crying. So, for the most part he is getting his way. Bedtime is taking longer and longer. Hmmm, troublesome.
This is my boy learning how to sit, however its so funny because he is trying to sit on his knees. When I try to sit him with his legs out he moves them back under his body to sit on his knees. What a cheeseball! Can you tell he loves the camera?