It's Been Awhile

So, the first post of the new year.

I want to first apologize to those who actually read my blog about not posting in two months. Since we moved out of the hotel, we have been on an internet card and the bandwidth was just not enough to support blogger and I was unable to post updates. So here is what has happened since my last post:

We got our place!! Hurray! It's a very nice 3 bedroom 2 bathroom 1st floor apartment here on one of the local posts. I really like the fact that I only have to climb a total of ten stairs to get to my front door and not 20 stairs or more, especially having a dog, a child, and a baby on the way. The first floor is the most practical. Anyway, the place is very nice. Much more spacious than we had originally anticipated. My only complaint is that my bathroom window faces the main road and the glass only "blurs" out what you can see on the inside, so after a lovely shower you can see everything. We had to get a curtain for the bathroom window, which wasn't so bad, but the only shelving in the bathroom is the large window ledge so that is a bit annoying. But, it is something I can definitely live with.

Amélie had her birthday party the Saturday before Thanksgiving. She had a blast. Quite a few kids showed up from her class and they all had fun. It was a bit strenuous, but as long as my baby girl had a good birthday, it was worth it.

Thanksgiving was nice. We went over to hubby's co-workers place and had dinner there. It was nice to be able to spend Thanksgiving with others and plus, I didn't have to cook, which didn't hurt my feelings.

On December 14 I was admitted into the hospital. I spent a total of 13 days there...including Christmas. I was allowed to go home a few days, for a few hours, but I was under strict monitoring. My blood pressure was pretty high and they were trying to get it under control. While I was in the hospital, I learned that I have placenta inefficiency, which basically means that the placenta isn't providing enough nutrients and/or oxygen to the baby in order to help her grow...so she is exceptionally small with some obvious growth problems. Her head is growing at a normal gestational rate, but her body is behind. The doctor believes that it has to do with my rising and dropping blood pressure, but I have a feeling it has something to do with my gastric bypass surgery I had in 2009. I can't provide proper nutrients for myself, so how would I be able to provide for a baby too? I keep wondering this and I am going to bring it up to my doctor at my next appointment. Anyway, long story short, I ended up having to get a series of steroid shots to help the baby's lung develop faster so if she has to be delivered early, her lungs will be more mature. At my last ultrasound, (December 27...that is also the day they let me come home) the baby had grown a little, but nowhere like she should be. I have an appointment this Tuesday which will determine if they want to go ahead and deliver her or if they think she is safe for another two weeks inside. I asked the doctor what he thought personally and he replied, "At this point, we really don't know until one or the other is done". Not really reassuring. Wednesday I will be 34 weeks pregnant and in what they consider a "safe zone". So we shall see what has happened in a week. I am pretty nervous because one of the leading causes of cerebral palsy is this placenta insufficiency. Apparently it is caused because of the lack of oxygen getting to the baby's brain while they are in utero. I mean, if they baby has it, she has it and there is nothing we can do, but it still worries the crap out of me that I could have caused this by getting pregnant after having gastric bypass. But, there is no point in worrying myself silly. What happens will happen...what is done is done...and I can't change the past, only hope for the best outcome.

BTW -  here is my 33 week pregnancy picture -

Got a little bigger since the last picture, huh? LoL

Anyway, now I am home...five days later...and on bedrest, which is driving me crazy...but if it is for the health of my baby then it is worth driving me crazy.

Carmex

After school let out, I took Amélie over to her doctor's appointment. We ended up being slightly late because I got behind a line of school buses and couldn't figure out how to go around them and by the time I did, they started moving. I think everyone on post who was driving around me probably thought I was an idiot, but I am still a little unsure about the German traffic laws and I would rather not get a ticket or even worse cause an accident.

So the doctor said that Amélie's lip thrush was much better, but she needed to stop licking her lips. She keeps a constant red, dry ring around her lips from where she keeps licking them. Bo and I keep putting Carmex on it to prevent her from doing so and to heal the chapped skin, but it seems no matter how much we tell her, she continues to do it. Maybe coming from a doctor, she might listen a little more now!

After the appointment, we headed over to TriCare and I filled out the forms for my reimbursement for my prescription I had to get filled off post and made the appointment for Amélie with the dermatologist. That appointment is set up for 1 December. I am a little worried that they are going to burn or cut these moles off, I don't really want to have to see her go through that, but a friend of mine told me that usually German doctors use stuff like that as a last resort and hopefully they will try an herbal remedy that will work first. I hope this is the case because I remember getting warts cauterized off my leg every summer for years and how painful it was. I don't want to have to see my daughter go through the same thing.

Housing told Bo yesterday to check back today on the status of the apartment. Hopefully, we will have good news. Keep your fingers crossed!!

Where is the Pause Button?

Yesterday, I finally got around to borrowing someone's blood pressure monitor. I really hated to have to buy one since I already own one and it is in storage which hopefully we will be getting into soon! We were told that maintenance should be at our apartment today, which should put us in our place this week. *fingers crossed*

I spent the morning cutting out Amélie's birthday invitations with the broken scissors that were so graciously provided for us in our hotel room. Let me tell you, it is pretty difficult to cut a straight line when your scissors only have one handle. 

When I took the kiddo to school, I informed the assistant teacher who stands outside and gathers the kids before class starts that Amélie had birthday party invitations to hand out to the class today. Mrs. Edgar (the assistant teacher) looked at Amélie and said, "So you are turning 25, right?" I laughed and told her not to jump ahead! She smiled at me and informed me that it seems that way to her because Amélie was not only so much more intelligent that her peers, but very mature for her age. I had mixed feelings about this statement. I was happy and proud that my child could be determined intelligent and mature beyond her years, but a part of me wanted to cry too. What happened to my baby? She needs to slow down! She's going to be a teenager in the blink of an eye and there is nothing I can do to slow time down.

Growing up, I use to think that it took FOREVER for Christmas or my birthday to come around, and it would be even LONGER before I would grow up and have kids of my own. I look back and think sometimes, "Wow, that seems just like it happened last week!" And then I look at my soon to be six year old and think, "Wait, wasn't she born just yesterday?" Growing up and having kids seems to make time speed up while all we want when we are little is for it to be this way. It seems like a minute is an hour and an hour is a day and a day is a life time. All I want to do now is press the pause button!

Bowling Balls & Dances

Friday night, we drove to Heidelberg to get the finger holes drilled into my daughter's bowling ball....trying to do it secretively of course, since it was after all, her birthday present. I told her we had to measure her fingers so we know what size of bowling ball to use when we go bowling. So, we drove the hour and a half to Heidelberg, got her fingers measured, and the guy said it would take about 10 minutes to do. We decided to drive around the post for a few minutes and come back. On our way out the door, the guy comes running out and asks my husband if he still has the receipt for the ball. I waited with the kid, and just a few minutes later, out comes my husband with the box that held the bowling ball. Amélie got into the car, and Bo took me around to the trunk and opened the box. There lie Amélie's future birthday present, cracked all the way around in two different directions. Turns out that the balls are cracking because the resin in the bowling ball makes it's way to the bottom of the ball and settles there so the rest of the ball has nothing to keep it together and with the change in temperature, altitude, and humidity the ball splits. Light weight balls have hardly any outer shell because they have to be made so light, so there is nothing to really keep the resin inside when we experience these changes. Bo asked in Heidelberg if they sold balls there that were that light (she can't really hold anything heavier than a 7) and they said no because of that reason right there....they crack. I didn't completely understand because I know when we go bowling, Amélie using a size six ball, so they have to aquire these balls somehow, right? So now, we are in the process of contacting the company to try and get a refund for this ball that we paid a pretty penny for, and unfortunately, it looks like we might just be out the money because I didn't purchase the warranty, and it has been past the 15 day return point. This is really upsetting since Amélie never even got to use it.

Now...I have to rack my brain and try to figure out another birthday present before her party. If I order something, it isn't guaranteed to get here in time, so it will have to be something I can get locally. She dropped the ball yesterday that she wants an Easy Bake Oven, so that just might be what she will be getting. Besides, Bo says she is about to be six years old, time to start learning how to cook! LoL

Last night, Amélie and her dad went to the Father-Daughter Dance hosted by the Girl Scouts. Amélie was absolutely beautiful. I looked at her and got all teary-eyed thinking about how my little girl is growing up!

Amélie ready to go to the dance!

My beautiful little girl!

Definitely not a baby anymore!

Gorgeous!!

While we were sitting and doing her hair, she told me, "Mommy, I am scared. What if I don't know anybody or don't dance very well?" I smiled and told her that if she got scared or nervous to just tell Daddy and he would bring her back home. She decided that was alright and they went.

When they got back, Amélie told me, "This was the best night of my life!"

Children

Wednesday, I went back to MOPS. I had a really great time with the ladies and of course, enjoyed the food!! At the end of the meeting a little boy, perhaps about the age of two came up to me and latched onto my leg and started crying. A woman came in chasing after him. "Are you his mother?" She asked me. I looked down at the boy a little puzzled and then back to the woman and shook my head telling her "No." She tried to take the boy, but he clung to my leg and started screaming "Momma!!" I scooped him up in my arms and when he finally looked at my face it was obvious I was not the person he was looking for, though he stopped screaming. The woman asked me if I minded carrying him back to the nursery. So, I waddled down the hall holding this little boy who had tears streaming down his cheeks, but kept staring at me. When we got to the nursery, I sat him down and a woman came running up, taking him up in her arms. She looked at me and said, "Thank you." I nodded and told her that I thought he had mistaken me for her at first so that is why I brought him back. She just smiled and thanked me again.

Afterwards, I went and helped carry the Operation Christmas boxes out to a woman's van. One little boy, probably around the age of three would not let go of one of the boxes. When I finally got it from him, he threw an outright fit and started screaming at the top of his lungs. You would have thought I slapped him across the face. It was a complete melt down. I just looked at one of the other moms and we just sort of exchanged the "Thank God that isn't my child" look. I had no idea where this munchkin's mother was, but if that had been my child, I would have been mortified by the way he was acting. There was no reason for that by any means.

That afternoon, I went to my internal medicine doctor and explained to him what had happened Tuesday night. He concluded that whatever it was was not involved with my glucose levels and he suspected my blood pressure got accelerated. It was hard to determine since I couldn't take my blood pressure. This scares me, because elevated blood pressure is a sign of the pre-eclampsia getting worse. I'm at a loss. Thankfully, I have several people asking around if I can borrow a blood pressure cuff until I can get mine out of storage.

No news from housing besides the "next week" statement. Bo's commander now wants a letter from housing stating why we haven't been placed yet and a date that we will be in our apartment. I think she might believe that we are putting it off to make money by staying in this hotel, but that isn't the case...believe me. I would rather be in a house by now than living in this stupid hotel!!! GRRRR!!!! Sometimes, when I see people check into this hotel, I want to look at them and say, "Welcome to The Hotel California." You know, that place where you can check out, but you can never leave...that is what is seems like. Afterall, we have been in a hotel for 63 days.

Anyway, here is my week 25 baby bump picture:

Week 25

I Love My Daughter

Halloween Night -

Amélie had a blast trick-or-treating. We just did around the post we are living on. She made off with a ton of candy though. Admittedly, I ate some, but only that which she had multiples of!! I know, shame on me.

Gold and orange flowers to match her costume!

My pretty little fairy!

Yesterday, I attempted to go get reimbursed for my prescription I had to get filled off-post and make an appointment for Amélie to go to the dermatologist soon. Unfortunately for me, it was  German holiday so I couldn't do either since TriCare uses Germans to work (which is fine, I just picked the wrong day to go).

Then I found out that my hubby had to do CQ (in charge of quarters) which made me a little irate since he did it only two weeks ago. And of course, of all the nights that he is home, last night was the night I probably needed to go to the ER.

I was cooking dinner for the kiddo and myself, when I started to feel a bit woozy and my hands started to shake. I figured my blood sugar was a little low. It was at 68. So, I ate a piece of Amélie's Halloween candy. Not long after, I had dinner. Within the hour of eating that candy, I was convinced I might die.

I got really dizzy, sick to my stomach, my heart started racing, I was seeing spots...so I checked my sugar levels again. They went to 148. All I could do was lie down. Thankfully, Amélie got into the shower and then got into bed with me, no problem. I am not sure what I would have done if I didn't have a cooperative child. At that moment, I realized how awesome my kid is and how lucky I am to have her. Of course, all she wanted to do was comfort me. I love my daughter!

Thankfully, I did feel better this morning. I see my internal medicine doctor this afternoon. Hopefully, he can tell me something!

Fairies and Haunted Houses Don't Mix

My husband has decided that Germans don't believe in connecting wire together. We went to three different stores yesterday on a hunt to find wire connectors so he could work on something with the car...I think he is trying to disable to DRL (daytime running lights). So I think he is going to have to order the wire connectors online. Might be the only way to get it done.

Then we went over to commissary where we had to get some groceries because we were out of about everything. I didn't even have milk so the kiddo couldn't have cereal for breakfast yesterday...but she did have eggs and a bagel! 

Then last night, the kiddo got all dressed up in her Halloween costume and we headed over to the bowling alley for some Cosmic Bowling and free candy!

My little fairy!

After we bowled for about an hour, we headed over to the Haunted House that the Special Forces section set up for the garrison. The kiddo did really well until I freaked out over the spiders and then she started crying about how scared she was. Thankfully, Daddy was there to rescue her and carry her on out of the Haunted House in one piece. She swears up and down now that she will never go into another Haunted House again. So, to make her happy, we headed over to the bounce house and the ball toss games where she had a blast...and even enjoyed it more when she got a cupcake and more candy. So in the end we left with a very happy child!

Happy girl!

Girl Scouts, Halloween Parties, and Frustration

Yesterday was the kiddo's Halloween party at school. I volunteered to help out. I ended up getting there a a few minutes late because there was literally nowhere to park. It was a bit ridiculous. When I arrived, I ended up helping out with the "cookie station". The kids took Halloween cookies and decorated them with icing and sprinkles. I thought at first that it would be a complete disaster and that these kindergarteners would make a complete mess of this station, but in the end, the worst that happened was we had a couple licked plastic knives and sticky fingers. Although, I have to admit, watching these kids decorate cookies with icing...I could feel my blood sugar rising!

Right after the "cookie station" help, I had to run over and turn in the paper work for Amélie to join Girl Scouts. She will be a Daisy this year (her first year doing Girl Scouts) and if everything works out, she will be on the same troop as her close friend, Annie (Annie's mom is also the troop leader, so I hope this works out since I know her pretty well). She and Bo will also be attending the Father-Daughter Dance next Saturday. Amélie seems excited about it. I was really hoping that we would have our place and stuff by then so I wouldn't have to buy a formal dress for her to wear (she has several), but it looks like that isn't going to happen.

On that note, after I turned in the paper work for the Girl Scouts, I went over to housing to turn in our 6th TLA (temporary lodging allowance) paperwork and to check on the status of our apartment. Needless to say, it looks like we will be turning in a 7th TLA because even though the people moved out 12 days ago, the place hasn't even gone through maintenance. Which really frustrates me. I asked the lady what needed to be done and she said that it needed to be cleaned and painted and that there was loaner furniture in the apartment from the previous tenants. She informed us that if we wanted to, we could move in while the loaner furniture was there and just have it picked up when our stuff was delivered and I told her "YES!" I just want out of this hotel. If it were up to me, we would have been in there already. Seriously, I could of had it cleaned and painted MYSELF by now if they would have allowed it. She called maintenance and told them that the place needed to be cleaned ASAP because as of Monday, we are past our 60 day TLA original allowing. We already had to have the commander sign off on 1 extra day and now we have to have her sign off of 10 more. It's just getting annoying. I am so tired of living in a hotel and housing keeps giving us the run around. GRRRR!!!!!

Anyway, after I dealt with all that mess, I went back over to the school to help out some more. I got there just in time to eat a hotdog and help with clean-up. I didn't intend to be gone so long, but housing really dealt me a fit.

When I got back to the hotel, I passed out on the couch. It was a good thing I set the alarm on my phone or I would have slept right through the time when I was suppose to go pick up the kiddo from school! The kiddo played for a little while on the playground with Annie and then we all headed over to the PX/BX where we picked up a few things we needed and spent some time in the Christmas section of the store. I found a tree I really want to get to replace the one we have which looks terribly pitiful. Now, if I can just convince Bo to get it for me...well, if we have a house to put up a Christmas tree!!!!!! 

Eyeball Deviled Eggs & Wormy Jello

Nothing of interest to report that happened yesterday. I did laundry that morning, finished up my Love & Logic class that afternoon, and let the kid play with her friend at the school park after I picked her up. Haven't been feeling the best since yesterday evening. Made "Eyeball" deviled eggs and wormy jello for the MOPS play group today.

They were yummy and I had plenty of leftovers.

And of course...week 24:

Tired Tuesday

Yesterday, Bo and I attended the Budget for Baby class. It was informative, and we got a lot a free things, which was nice. I wasn't too impressed with the blankets that were given out...I am not a big one on cartoon themes and I got a Clifford the Big Red Dog...but hey, its a blanket. Beggars can't be choosers, right? It will keep the kid warm!

After school, I picked up the kiddo and took her over to the doctor to get some what I thought were warts on the back of her leg checked out. Turns out they are some sort of mole, but they are spreading and the doctor doesn't like that, so he is referring her to a dermatologist to have them removed. That sounds horrible. I remember as a kid having to get warts burned off the back of my leg every year because they always came back. It was very painful and of course the smell of burning flesh wasn't very pleasant either. I really hope that Amélie doesn't have to go through something like that. I don't know if I could handle watching her cry, because I know EXACTLY how it feels.

While we were there, I asked him about a spot on her lip that I assumed was a cold sore. She is very prone to them since she had Stomatitis back when she was two. She gets them often, but this sore kept coming up over and over. It would go away and then reappear. I mean, she has had it three times since we moved here and we haven't been here a whole two months yet! So I figured I would ask what I could do.

Turns out, it isn't a cold sore, it is Moniliasis. According to wiseGEEK.com "Moniliasis is another term for candidiasis, an infection caused by yeast in the genus Candida, particularly C. albicans. This term references the former genus name for Candida, Monilia, and people may also use terms like “thrush” to refer to the same infection. Treatments are available to manage moniliasis, and in some cases, patients may need to be hospitalized to manage complex or concurrent infections, especially if they have underlying health issues."

So the doctor put her on some antibiotics and said he wanted to see her back in a week. BLAH!

After I got her meds, I got my B-12 shot and went over to TriCare to try and get reimbursed for that medication I had to get on the economy. By the time we got there, they were closed, so I was a little irate. I still had to go to the commissary to get some things, but I was so tired, I just ended up getting microwavable lasagna for dinner. I couldn't picture myself having to drag a bunch of groceries up to the hotel room as tired as I was yesterday.

The Verdict is In...Maybe

So, the doctor wasn't positive due to the baby's positioning. But he said he is about 75% sure that....

But, because her legs were so close together, he said not to run out and paint the nursery pink just in case he was wrong. Which I totally understand. My little sister was a boy until the day she was born! So, Bo and I are just going to stick with neutral until the baby is born. Then we will invest in pink (or blue), just to be safe. We are however going to just say "It's a girl" now, when people ask...just to prevent the hassle. Girls run strong on both sides of our families, so I would probably be more surprised if it was a boy anyhow!

Anyway, doc is making me check my blood pressure three times a day now. The protein in my urine was a little higher than what it should be, but nothing to put baby or I in danger any time soon. My blood pressure was a bit high as well, so that is why he wants me to monitor it. Of course, the high blood pressure is a huge sign of pre-eclampsia. That is how we caught it with my daughter. So I understand why he wants me to take extra precaution. He says if it gets about 150/90 to come in before my next appointment. It's obvious I DO have the pre-eclampsia, we just don't know the severity of it yet. So far, it isn't bad and is under control, but I am on the high risk list because of it.

Doctor also confirmed I have SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction). Gives me a real excuse not to use the stairs anymore! Haha! No, in all reality, he told me to get a prenatal cradle and wear it 2-3 hours a day, stay off my feet as much as possible (I find this hilarious), no heavy housework, and to gently bounce on a yoga ball throughout the day. I ordered the prenatal cradle and the yoga ball yesterday. The prenatal cradle was expensive and for as much as I paid for it, it better give me some relief. It looks like a jock strap for pregnant women:

Not exactly the sexiest thing on the market, but from what I have read, it works. So my husband will have to deal with how unbearably sexy this thing makes me look. 

Knock, Knock

2.5 hours and counting....

Yes, that is how much longer it is until my next OB appointment where I will A) HOPEFULLY get to find out if I am carrying a boy or a girl and B) find out exactly how bad this pre-eclampsia is or could be.

So, as I was doing laundry yesterday and walking down the hall, I started laughing at the automatic lights. The halls in this hotel are equipped with those lights that automatically turn on when you walk by and I just burst out laughing because I remembered how much my daughter loves the lights. She thinks they are absolutely the most amazing thing she ever saw and loves the "magic in the lights". Yes, it is the simple things in life that make you smile!

But, then again, doing laundry...yes, what a pain. So, I went to run some loads of clothes. No problem. I finally found an open washer and ran my first load. I came back after I knew it was finished and noticed that the washer next to me was finished, as well as the dryer, but no one had moved the laundry over yet. I shrugged and switched over my own laundry and left. Well, an hour later, I came back to take my clothes out of the dryer and put in the next load...I still had two more loads to wash at this time...and looked over and that same load was still sitting there. An hour later. It really made me a bit irate that someone would do this. Seriously, keep track of your laundry. I make sure that if I have to leave while my laundry is going, I am not going longer than the time it takes for my clothes to wash or dry. So, I took those clothes out of the dryer, put them on the table, loaded the dryer with the wet clothes and started it. Then, I proceeded to put my last load in the washer. Was what I did wrong? I just wanted my clothes done faster and if that washer or dryer had been going, or even if it was a different set of clothes, I wouldn't have touched it, but still...that someone would leave their clothes there...in a public laundry room...for that long? It just annoys me and I would expect that if I had done that, for someone to do the same to me. 

I can't wait until I have my own washer and dryer again....

So this morning, after my husband left for work, I asked him to put the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign in the lock so housekeeping would wait to come by because I wanted to take a shower, but not be bothered by someone coming into the room. So I get into the shower and I hear my husband leave. About five minutes later, I hear my dog barking. I holler at her and tell her to be quiet, but she keeps up. So, I wrap myself in a towel and open the bathroom door where I hear this "knock, knock" at my door, followed by the words, "housekeeping". Well, I am a little irate. I figure my husband must have forgotten to put in the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign and go to answer the door. There, is the maid looking at me puzzled. I look into the door lock and low and behold the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign was right where it was suppose to me. I arch a brow and say, "Yes?" She asks, "Do you want housekeeping today?" I look down at the sign and back up to her...still standing there in my towel and say, "Can you come back in a little bit?" She looks at me and sighs, "When do you want me to come back?" Now...I am getting a little angry. "In an hour or so, please?" I say, trying not be rude even though secretly I wanted to throw the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign at her face. She huffs and rolls her eyes and says, "okay" and walks away. I'm a like SERIOUSLY?! REALLY?! I understand that a lot of people around here do not understand English, but during their training on maid service, maybe they should have been aware on what the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign means. I had never seen the woman before, so I assume she must be new. But still. It is annoying. I just wanted a nice, uninterrupted shower which is hard enough to get around here when you have a five year old. No, I will not miss having someone make my bed and take out my trash once we get our own place because at least I can have freaking privacy when I want it!!! 

Have I mentioned that I want my own place now???

Pumpkin Festival

So yesterday we headed to Ludwigsburg and did a tour of the Ludwigsburg Castle and attended the Pumpkin Festival that was held on the castle grounds. It was a lot of fun and we got a lot of pictures.

Ludwigsburg Castle

Amélie loved the festival and she loved even more the Fairy Tale Garden that is located on the grounds all year. It was very unique. The old Schloss (aka palace) in Ludwigsburg is also home to a fabulous garden filled with fun about fairytales! Frog Prince, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, just to name a few! There were so many, but I didn't recognize a lot of them.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair!"

Amélie on the dragon...no clue what this fairy tale is...

If you know this fairy tale, please tell me!

My little fairy on the boat ride through the fairy tale garden.

Amélie on the Frog Prince ride.

A soldier that will read your palm...

A giant that emerges from a castle when you knock at the door.

Unfortunately, since this was in GERMANY, the tales and stories were all held in GERMAN, so I didn't know what half the tales were. Plus, a lot of the things (such as Snow White) you had to say something in German in order for it to work. With Snow White, you had to yell into the mirror "Spiegelspiegel auf der Wand who' s das angemessenste von ihnen alle?" Which translates as: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" But of course, none of us knew how to properly pronounce the words in German, nor could we say "geöffneter indischer Sesam" (open sesame). But we still had lots of fun!!

The Pumpkin Festival was wonderful as well. This year, the pumpkins were made into dinosaurs.

Dinosaur nest.

This T-Rex rawred and scared Amélie out of her pants as she walked by!

There were many carvings as well and pumpkin-themed food. I had the pumpkin soup and it was AMAZING!!!

Christmas Presents vs Birthday Presents

I think I spend entirely too much time in front of the computer. There are actually times I just sit here, at the desk, and stare at the screen, not necessarily doing anything...but staring. Sometimes, I think that if I sit here and stare at the screen, that something inspiring will come. Maybe one day.

So today I bought Amélie's "big" Christmas gift. I always try to get her something bigger or a little more expensive (something she really, really wants) for Christmas each year. Then of course, she gets a few little cheap things as well. So anyway, her "big" Christmas gift this year is a Nintendo DSi. They had a really good deal on it at the BX/PX this week. Bo and I discussed it for awhile and it was one of the two things she asked for and we figure she will get a lot more use out of the DSi and it will last longer than the Polly Pocket Air Plane she wants. Yes, it was more expensive, but honestly, knowing my daughter, she will appreciate this more. And on the bright side, they had the DSi in her favorite color...pink.

Speaking of presents, Amélie's birthday gift I ordered her came in this week. Since she loves to bowl so much, Bo and I got her her own bowling ball with matching bag.

The only thing that made me a little upset about this bowling ball was that since it was a custom order, there were no finger holes drilled in it which means we are going to have to make the 1.5hr trip up to Heidelberg before her birthday party to get finger holes drilled in the ball...all without her knowing it. Oh well.

I also finally found some rainboots on Amazon that I ordered. Along with snow boots and winter boots to keep my feet warm. I figured since I will be doing a lot of walking now...in the snow and rain...I should invest in something besides flip flops. My only thing about buying shoes online is that I can't try them on. My clothing size is pretty easy to figure out. Once and awhile something won't fit that generally does, but my shoe size ranges an entire size depending on the brand and type of shoe...I have always had this problem. Plus, being pregnant, my feet swell, so I never know from day to day what size I am going to wear. I went with my best instinct on these shoe purchases and all I can do is if they don't fit, send them back. It may take awhile to get my money back if that is the case, but what else can you do, right? But, I also ordered two pairs of wool socks as well...to keep my toes from freezing. Now, I just need some maternity tights to wear under my jeans! LoL I will NOT freeze this winter!!