FIFTY FEET IN FRONT OF US ALL ALONG THE WAY!

WOW!

It is hard to believe it has been nearly 3 months since our last blog post! Then again, consider that we have now been in Germany for 6 months and I wonder where the time has gone.

DANIEL JOHN

Our family grew by one very pleasant and perfect little boy on August 8th at 6:45am. Yep, Daniel was born on Daddy’s birthday :). Anyone who knows how quiet Mike likes to keep his B-day will find this humorous. Even more funny is that we learned I was pregnant with Joseph on Mike’s B-day 3 years ago. His birthday seems to be quite a significant day.

Having a baby in Germany was totally different than anything we expected. Mike and I did a huge amount of research ahead of time, but still were surprised by the several, little differences. Going into it, we had strong faith and were comforted knowing we were in the best hospital in the area and had been able to get the best doctor.

Since Germany is a social society their healthcare is free. We have private insurance so we are treated a bit different. They know our insurance will pay for things their system won’t pay for. For example, because of our insurance, only top doctors were able to give me care. There was a doctor their with me all night, but my doctor had to be consulted before anything was done. An anesthesiologist went over the epidural paperwork with me, but the chief of staff actually gave me the epidural. Even to the point my bed was a better bed. My bed would move in all directions with a remote. My roommate was on German healthcare and her bed had to be manually moved up and down.
Another difference is they believe in being homeopathic. I had been taking acupuncture when I was pregnant (not sure that really worked) and they did a lot of aromatherapy while I was in labor. For me, aromatherapy worked amazingly. Also while you are laboring they let you walk around wherever you want. We went on short hikes in the woods and we even walked into a church where nuns were singing hymns and saying prayers (in German). It was nice to be able to go outside as the hospital was no air-conditioned but in certain areas in the hospital. They also give you this very comfortable band to put around your belly while they are monitoring you. In the US they put a very uncomfortable Velcro strap. This band was elastic like an ace bandage, but also soft cotton like. I kept it! Plus, I got to stay comfortable in my own clothes while I was up and about. I didn’t even change out of my clothes and into a gown until I got my epidural at 1AM.
When Daniel was born there were only 3 people in the room, my doctor, the mid-wife (nurse), and Mike. They put Daniel right on my chest and that is where he stayed for about an hour, until I/Mike were done holding him. Mike was taking pictures after the birth and the doctor took the camera and started taking pictures for us. We thought this was funny and odd, but enjoyed having time to bond while she took the pictures. And of course then we saw the pictures and laughed and deleted 90 percent of them.
When they started measuring and weighing Daniel they came in with a cup of tea. I had a cup of tea and relaxed in my bed while they checked Daniel out right in front of me with Daddy there. It was sooo nice. I missed all this with Joseph. Once they were done Daniel was given right back to me to hold and feed.
Although it was very different, Daniel’s birth was hands-down as pleasant and peaceful as a birth could be. Mike and I both felt a peace that is hard to explain. The staff never took Daniel from my side and I held him for hours. Daniel and I even spent the night together. He is as beautiful as Joseph is and as different from Joseph as he could be. He is a great eater, sleeper, and very calm and quiet. He has grown so much this month it is unreal.

Mike and I have had a constant parade of visitors and help since 29 July. Some think we are crazy for booking two months of company around Daniel’s birth, but we have loved it. Delicious food, laughs, conversation, and memories have dotted the calendar for the past 55 days and my sister in-law will be the cake’s frosting when she arrives next week. We can’t wait.

Mike’s parents and my Mom came for the birth of Daniel, and he was kind enough to wait until everyone was here. After the grandparents left, my friend Jeanette and her son, Laith, and Mike’s good friend John and his family came for Daniels baptism.

Daniel was baptized on the 8th of September and became a U.S. citizen on the 9th – Mike like’s to say we had our priorities right on the order of events. The picture of Daniel raising his right hand at the consulate is real and was totally out of nowhere – we laughed very hard for a long time.

The time I spent with Jeanette will be in my heart forever. It was truly a special time for us to sit and be mothers together. We have been friends for almost 20 years. Who would have ever think we would be in Germany with our children? It was just fun to walk to the bakery and chit chat and watch our kids. For Mike, getting to beat around Germany on motorcycles with his riding buddy still has him grinning from ear to ear.

We also got a surprise visit from Mike’s cousin Jimmy. He and his girlfriend have been planning a trip to her native Germany for some time – as luck would have it, the trip landed them 20min down the road. ‘Luck’ like this used to amaze me about Mike, but I’ve come to see it is the norm for his life. It was great seeing them and we had a blast visiting.

Joseph has been a total delight!
He is every bit the sensitive and well-mannered gentleman his Daddy is. He gives both Mike and I a run for our money when it comes to energy levels though!!! I asked God for energetic children and so far he has answered my prayer. I’m thinking I should have been more specific on the energy level when asking God for energetic children. I think I will be asking for more energy for myself these days!

Joseph has been a HUGE helper; he loves his brother Daniel and shows no jealousy at all. He takes his big brother role very seriously and is very attentive.

The only thing we worried about was how Joseph was going to react to Daniel. Because of this Mike and I always made sure we referred to Daniel and Joseph HIS brother for several weeks before the 8th. We also helped Joseph pick out a special gift for him and made sure that Joseph brought Daniel home alone, just the two of them. We have also made holding Daniel special for brothers. Other children can look at Daniel, but Joseph is the only child allowed to hold Daniel. So far this has worked.

Joseph has been learning by leaps and bounds. He has made several new friends here and his vocabulary and imagination have been remarkable. For the past week he has invented a new game each day for us to play. Most of them involve Daddy pretending to be Joseph and then Joseph pretending to be a cowboy, a farmer, a cow, a firetruck-man, a doggy, or a kitty. Today his backpack became his dog, which we dragged to Mass today because it was on a leash. And legos are wheels for just about everything.
Here he is feeding Daniel and driving a castle…. err… school bus.

He is still learning to share and to lower his enthusiasm a few notches when needed, but we couldn’t be happier. It has been a delight to have two. I love being a family of four.

Catch up:

The friends and support we have experienced here have been unbelievable and humbling. Countless offers of meals and childcare are almost too many to field and one restaurateur we’ve become friends with has either refused to let us pay for anything since Daniel, or sends us home with bottles of Lambrusco on each visit. The generosity, love, and support we are experiencing has been unreal. Like Mike said, God’s angels have been 50ft in front of us this entire journey.

With all this company and commotion, Mike and I are still finding time to get out and about. Just before Daniel was born we broke our car in on a spontaneous trip to Florenville, Belgium where we visited the monastery at the Orval Abbey. This trip also started Mike on his collection of authentic Trappist monastery beers (there are 7 still made). Later, Mike and a friend ran to St. Vith, Belgium where they collected 5 more Trappist monastery beers. He will have the 7th when we go to Bruge Belgium in October with friends.
In July, we also had a lot of fun driving up the Rhein River from Bingen to Koblenz – we stopped in St. Goar for ice cream and had such a great time we plan to go back soon.

Yesterday was the beginning of Oktober Fest, so we drove to the village of Mehring in the Mosel river valley. From there we head along the mosel briefly and went to Burg (castle) Eltz. There are other trips to zoo’s parks, and playgrounds that have been fun but my fingers are beginning to cramp.

Mike is doing great. Work is very busy and it seems as though it will stay that way for the next 24months – or however long we choose to stay. He has restarted his graduate degree and also decided become an RCIA sponsor again, this time at our Church here in Ramstein. He also did the unthinkable and caved into his brother, a few friends, and myself and joined Facebook (I KNOW!!!). What’s more, he is probably one of FB’s most active members! Look us both up there some time for the day-to-day updates in Germany!

As for me, I’m doing great! I love having two boys. I thought it would be a very hard transition, but it has been a natural and low stress progression. Although, it is a bit more constant than I thought it would be, it is just contentment around our house. Daniel is a very good baby, so this makes it easier. Even though it has only been a month and a half it seems like Daniel was always meant to be. He just fits perfectly into the picture. Joseph is so much fun for me. I love teaching him new things. He is a sponge and soaking it all up and I get to show and name the world for him.
I am meeting new people and getting out and about. I went on a shopping trip while Jeanette was here. Mike kept Joseph and I took Daniel. I’ve never been a big shopper, but now I know why people like to window shop. When you have a two year old you look in a store window. If there are breakables in there you just keep walking! It was nice to be able to walk into those stores and take my time looking at things.
While Mike is in school I am going to start upping my German knowledge. My goal would be to conversationally (or better) speak German before I get home. I usually try around the village, but it is very simple, and I mean very simple, words. I would like to start saying full sentences. I’ll let you know how I progress.

I’m hoping to make the blog a habit again. We have pictures to upload, but there are soooo many to upload since July. I will post the link on here this week and resend the email and let you know. The pictures will have more details to what we have been doing day to day. Miss you all. Send emails and let us know what you are up to as well.
P.S. I know we have lost touch with some of our family and friends. We feel the absence of you too. Please know we have just been very busy and our old habits of communicating will be back to normal in no time!

Pictures:

To come when uploaded...