Question...

What is the difference between a British Baby....

...and an American Baby??

We are not entirely sure, but we will be finding out!

Tiny Teuscher #2 is scheduled (literally, it's a c-section) to arrive on English soil December 2nd!! And we couldn't be happier!!

Fun Facts:

*The babe will have dual citizenship (Jamie is in charge of the paperwork)

*Due date is actually the 8th, but they do c-sections a little early

* Now Jamie and I will both have birthday month buddies!

*December is a popular month on my side and on Jamie's side both his maternal great-grandmother and grandmother were born on the 2nd

*I keep trying to say that Healthcare is just "different" here, but honestly, the Healthcare is horrible here (think no dr care just midwife, sharing a room with 6-8 people in recovery (um, no) and one of the highest stillborn rates of any developed nation) so I am seeing a private dr in London and will deliver in a private hospital there as well. It is an hour drive each way but worth it to know I am getting the care I want.

*I have already reserved Mom for the beginning of December!

*We tell Hadley she will be a big sister and there is a baby in Mommy's tummy, she just wants to find my belly button - an actual baby arriving might be a bit of a shock to her.

* We are very, very excited. We had our 12 week ultrasound yesterday and I love seeing them squirm around and hear everything looks good! We are so thrilled to be expecting another little one.

OK - this is the part where you tell me sweet lies that going to 2 kids is easy, not a big deal and I will be fine - if you could, also throw a lie or two in there about how your body bounces back after two just as easily....

Strawberries!!

I have been wanting to go strawberry picking with Jamie since we got married, and after almost 8 years we finally made it! There is a little farm about an hour away and we met up with some friends to go berry picking yesterday. The farm was amazing, it had rows of all sorts of berries and vegetables (only strawberries were in season, we will need to go back later this summer), and then they had a little store with all of their produce and a bakery, a park and a petting zoo. All of us had a great time! It has been raining all weekend and when I called my friend to see if we were still on she told me if I waited until it wasn't raining in England I would never leave the house! So we bundled up, packed the raincoats and managed to stay relatively dry.

The berries were in this tarped tunnel, I am used to fruit picking in the sun so hearing the rain outside was a little strange. Jamie was an awesome berry picker, the variety was small but super sweet so we had to pick quite a few. I hauled home 11 lbs!

Hadley even helped find a few

She mostly just enjoyed playing in the dirt and squishing the berries between her fingers

Yum! We picked up a few scones in the store on the way out and had Strawberry Shortcake for dessert that night.

Next stop was the playground, she loves the swings.

Checking out the goats, apparently they bite so no feeding or touching!

She did get to pet the sheep, so soft! We have been working on animal sounds at home, so when we got up to the sheep we said "sheep go baa", and she instead growled at the mama sheep. In her defense, the sound this mama sheep made was more of a loud bellow than a demure "baa". We also saw a cow, ducks and baby ducks and a hideously ugly long-haired pig.

I froze some for smoothies and made a batch of strawberry jam tonight. It was my first attempt at home, I have made jam for food companies but the pectin, times and heating temps are different so we will have to see how this turns out! They dont really sell canning jars except online and they are kind of expensive, luckily a lady told me last fall to save all of the jars I used during the year. I know you are jealous of my food photo skillz...

The jam is still setting but we ate the extra on homemade cresent rolls tonight (super easy recipe I found while blog hopping), so delicious! I may need to defrost more berries and make a extra batches so it lasts us more than a few weeks!

Dear Hadley

**I wrote this last month, but never got around to posting. It is mostly for my sake, to keep track of my everyday life, it goes so fast!***

Dear Hadley,

Today I realized you are getting to be such a big girl, and I just love having a little girlfriend around. You really came with your own little personality, didn't you? And I love discovering it. Today you woke up and hung out with your Daddy, it is a perfect arrangement bc he doesn't always get to see you at night, and you wake up a little to early for my liking so I do him a favor and let him take you for an hour before he goes to work. When he needs to get ready you come help me make him lunch and pull all of the cans out of the cupboard. You then follow me and sit right next to me peering into my cereal bowl until I put a few rice crispies on my lap for you to eat - you pick each one up and then ask for more, your favorite cereal is Cocoa Krispies and you like it best when I give you a whole spoonful. We dance for a bit to Mickey Mouse while I check email and you try to put the laptop cord in your mouth, one day I tried it to see what the fuss was about turns out it gives you a bit of a buzz... still not letting you have it though.

You take your nap, I just lay you down, you turn over and put your arm out for your little toy. You sleep with the soft stacking rings from PBK your cousin gave you. You wear it like a bracelet and cuddle it, seriously the cutest thing ever. I cover you with the crocheted blanket from you Aunt, turn out the lights and rarely hear another peep for the morning nap. I woke you up after an hour so we could go meet a friend in town, you LOVE people. I think you get bored of me these days. You flirted with the little boy and smiled at the older ladies, you love older ladies, do they remind you of grandma? You have this little lash thing you do, I swear you have better flirting skills that I ever did and all the people love your huge smile and the ladies at church call you the girl with the smiley eyes. I bought you a blueberry muffin and you scarfed it. We had to head home for another nap after a few hours and I think you are still worn out from the trip bc you took a 2 hour nap...and that hasnt happened in months! I laid down with you and we both got a nap, it was heaven.

You woke up happy and dumped everything in your bed out of the bed and somehow took off the animal on your mobile - I will have to figure out how to reattach that later. We went downstairs and played with blocks and tried to practice walking - I know you can do it, you just dont want to right now. You can stand on your own and love to hold our fingers or the wall and walk along. It is funny to see you so cautious, but I know you will figure it out soon. You are so tall!! and when you stand you really feel like a toddler to me. But then you come crawl in my lap and you feel like my little baby, sometimes I wonder if you are trying to crawl in my skin, but you just come for a hug or to sit awhile and then are back off again. I love when you come lay your head down on my shoulder and put your forehead out for a kiss. I give you cheese puffs for snack and grab a bowl of fruit and all you can do is beg for the strawberries. You eat them as fast as you can, you will say "mo" when I prompt you but basically all you can think about is the strawberries. You also say "no" with a headshake but normally your red-faced shriek can get the point across quite nicely. You jabber all day so I am not sure what words you really have, I hear mama alot when you are with me and dada when dad comes home, but I dont know if this is wishful thinking? But you talk non stop with facial expressions and hand gestures - I am wonder what you are saying and is going on in that little pretty head of yours.

We start dinner and you are very picky about what you want and when you want it - if it isnt what you want you clear it off, and dont even think about putting more than one thing on. So we started with quesadilla and traded to sausage, we liked that for awhile and then ate the strawberries with both hands, we finally snuck some quesadilla in and then went to the grapes, back to the sausage then to the grapes and then we wanted the quesadilla (I had eaten it so I had to make another...) and finally finished with the strawberries. You end up eating a variety of food so it is nice not to have to worry about what you end up eating, but you make it a bit of a work out.

Dad texts that he is on his way home early tonight and we head to the bath before he gets home. You love the squirty toys and like shoving all of the duckies onto the floor. It is just water so I let you. You also pull the chain of the plug up and drape it around your neck like a necklace...where did I find you? In your world everything is an accessory, I find you with dad's shirts like a boa around you, pull my headbands off to put on your head and anything that has a hole is officially a bracelet - I know to find all of my hairbands on your wrist! I think you are just getting a package of those for Christmas. I love seeing personality traits in you that I don't have myself, you are your own little person. We get done with the bath and stop by the mirror like we do every night, when I say you are my pretty baby you have started to point and touch the mirror now. We go get dressed in Jammies, you hate being on the changing table to get dressed and holler at me the whole time.

Dad comes home and we go play, he head butts you so you roll across the floor and you think it is the funniest thing ever. You have the best laugh and dad always gets the biggest belly laughs. We finally head upstairs, read scriptures and pray, you have started folding your arms, at least for a second! And I sing you a lullaby and put you down, you reach for your "bracelet" and I close the door with a "Love You".

Thank for a wonderful day baby girl, I am so very lucky to spend so much time with you and be the one that raises you, I know this is such a privilege. When I get homesick or feeling sorry for myself that I am so far away from friends, it is days like this that remind me I am actually doing exactly what I want to do, which is spend all day with you. Sleep tight Sweet Pea.

Love Always,

Mom

Grandma and Grandpa Come to Visit!

A few weeks ago my parents came into town. I am a little late since we took off to Germany a few days after, but I wanted to make sure I get it down since my sister arrives tomorrow! We are so lucky to have plenty of visitors this summer.

Having my parents here was wonderful, there is just something about having mom and dad around. My dad could only stay for a little over a week and then my mom stayed a few days after (where she made dinner and insisted on naps, I love her). My dad had never been out to England or Europe and we were so excited to show him around. When I was 15 my grandparents offered to take me to Europe and he paid for part of it, even though he had never been himself. All of the kids have been to Europe, and so has my mother so we were excited to share it with him.

They were such easy guests, they had a few sights they wanted to see and foods to try (yum yums, fish and chips and crumpets) but other than that they just wanted to spend time with Hadley and see where we live.

Hanging out with Hadley fighting through the jetlag, she really did recognize my mom from skype. She seemed a bit confused she was here instead of in the screen but she responded to her voice and warmed up really quickly. I am glad she is able to actually build a relationship with her even though we are so far away.

The next day we headed out to Tower of London and checked out the Crown Jewels, they sadly didnt allow pictures of the jewels but they are just as stunning as you would expect.

Part of the changing of the guards

We then headed over to St Paul's Cathedral, we loved Mary Poppin's as kids and I had "tuppence the birds" stuck in my head all day. My parents went in but we decided to try another time since there were lots of stairs involved and we only had the stroller.

The next day we headed to Stone Henge after church. We also were able to drive by Salisbury Cathedral and Avebury where there is a lesser known ancient stone area. It was really nice since we hadn't had a chance to see any of the sights we went to that weekend.

Monday my parents went to the British Museum and Hadley and I figured it would be more fun for them not to take a 1 yr old with them. They said it was really interesting and we are hoping to get there one day. Tuesday they headed to Paris, it is so close it was perfect to fit it in and they returned late Thursday night. It worked out perfectly since Hadley was running a low fever and was fussy from teething, we are now the proud owners of 2 newly cut teeth for a total of 4 teeth, it is a bit slow but at least they are there!!

We spent the down time carrying both of the "purses" grandma brought around at all times

When they got back, Grandpa wanted to plant her a little garden and we spent Friday visiting the garden store. We now have lettuce to eat whenever we want, little green strawberries and fresh herbs.

Hadley loved "helping" and playing in the dirt

On Saturday we headed to Big Ben and to check out some of the more popular London sights

Hadley is a pro at riding the metro

The one thing my dad wanted was to be able to hold Hadley on his own and have her not squirm away, and he definitely made his goal. She loved being with him! He also taught her how to throw a ball (so very him) and I spent the next few weeks encouraging her to throw just balls, instead of everything she could get her hands on.

The little finger puppets Grandma bought cracked Hadley up, she loved laughing with Grandma

We were so very, very sad when they had to leave!! We were so happy they came to visit and I am excited we go out to Austin in July, only two months away!

Rothenburg and Munich, Germany

Last of the vacation posts! From Interlaken we stopped in Zurich for a few hours on our way to Rothenburg. A partner that Jamie had worked with is doing a rotation and has been there with his family for the last two years. They met us and gave us a tour of Zurich and stopped for lunch. We saw a beautiful cathedral where the stain glass was made of thinly sliced geodes. We were shocked at how expensive a city could be, 150$ for a few sandwiches at lunch! So glad we were just driving through.

We arrived in Rothenburg late at night and you can tell by the roads when you enter the town, it is completely surrounded by a wall and the roads inside are still cobblestone. We slept well and woke up the best breakfast we had the whole trip. I found it a bit hard to find lunches, sandwiches and salads are hard to find in Germany, they expect more of rich, sit down lunch and dinner which just isn't appealing day after day. You couldn't beat the breakfast though! We had crusty bread covered in butter/honey/jam/nutella, flaky pastries, rich yogurts, fresh fruit and juice and hot chocolate every morning, it was divine.

We started at the crime and punishment museum. It walked us through old laws and punishments and all the variations. There were metal masks you wore if you drank too much and this headlock thing that if two women were fighting you locked them both in until they made peace. They had the major punishments but it was interesting to see some of the lesser crimes that I guess are a bigger deal if you have a small town and nobody ever leaves.

The Christmas Museum.

It less of a museum, more of a small collection and then a huge store, pretty smart marketing.

We were surprised to learn how much influence Germany had on Christmas and how many customs come from them. We were able to buy a few things, most of my decorations are bits left over from college and random sales so it was really needed. The phrases " ...but this could be a family heirloom...." and "...well, we don't really have any decorations do we..." were thrown around way too much. I ended up with a gorgeous nutcracker, a beautiful cutout with lights behind it of the nativity, a 3 story pyramid (they are the ones that use the candles to move) that will need to be kept away from tiny hands and a family of sheep, they were the cutest thing and Jamie indulged my purchasing a whole family, and ornaments for each one of us. Most of the items were shipped to the US since there was a 20% reduction bc of the tax so we wont have them this year but will later.

That evening we went on the Nightwatchman Tour, everywhere I read about Rothenburg it was mentioned and it did not disappoint. This hilarious man took us on a trip around the town and explained all of the history and special stories. It was so informative - I guess the medival town was basically preserved bc of poverty, it was a rich town and fell on hard times so nothing was updated. After the war the town requested money from around the world to help rebuild for tourism and it has taken off since then. It does feel like you stepped back in time.

View from one of the city walls outside the gate

Walking to the main square

Our hotel, the Kloster Stuble

We loved that the towns were still decorated for Easter, I don't know if it was bc we were in tourist areas but we were impressed that the towns would take the time.

The next afternoon we headed back to Munich, the trip from Rothenburg to Munich is on the Romantic Road, and it is just beautiful. This is one picture taken while driving through the window, so not the best! But it was 2 hours of beautiful countryside and we were so glad it was the spring and the fields were in bloom.

10 days is a long vacation for a little love

The next morning in Munich we headed to the Glockenspiel, it was the one we were waiting for! We had been to two others but they were just bells, we wanted to see the slightly creepy dancing doll glockenspiel!

The dolls up close, each one told a story. The top one about a joust (if I remember correctly) and the lower one about barrel makers that danced in the streets when the plague ended. It lasted about 10 minutes.

She is such a good little traveler

That afternoon we drove back to the airport and headed home! We had a wonderful time together and have really enjoyed the perks of living so close to Europe. We were also very happy to be home after such a long break. Jamie truly was amazing, he did all of the driving and navigating (I am useless) of the car as well as the towns, he hauled all of our bags in the airport, pushed Hadley and carried the backpack while sightseeing and then when we got home he started the wash and put away the luggage! Hadley and I are lucky girls.

Interlaken, Switzerland

We got into Interlaken late at night since it was a 4 hour drive through the mountains, at one point we went into a tunnel through a mountain that was about a mile long. We were able to drive through Lichtenstein, just to say we did.

Hadley helping us plan our day

We had planned on going up to the rotating restauarant at the top of the Schlithorn that was in the 007 movie but it was closed for the three days we were there for maintainance. We decided to spend the morning walking around Interlaken instead.

Mountains from the center of town

There were flowers everywhere

Jamie checking out the Swiss watches and eating the best overall ice cream of the trip

We then headed about 20 minutes to Diemtigen, it is where Jamie's paternal side is from a few generations back

It was beautiful

I have to admit that high in the mountains, mountains on every side and the cold would not be my first pick of where to live, but the town was beautiful and had so much character.

We had walked by a chocolate shop that offered a class at night, Jamie insisted that I attend and he would walk Hadley around. A chocolatier taught an hour class about basic chocolate making skills and showed us a few moulding techniques. It was stuff I had mostly done at work but was still really fun and amazing to take it where some of the best chocolate in the world is made.

The next day we decided to go up to the Jungfrau, the top of Europe! The top of the mountain was a bit cloudy but the trip up was clear and sunny.

Since the trip is so steep it takes a special train to make it up to the top

We took so many pictures on the trip, everything was right out of a picture book

Starting to get up to the top of the mountain

First thing we did was stop for lunch. Fondue overlooking the mountain, it was delicious!! and a huge pot, I ate until I couldn't eat anymore.

Top of the Jungfrau

Ice cave, it was one of my favorite sights on the trip. It was at the top of the mountain and the whole thing was made entirely of ice.

Favorite sculpture, loved the penguins

Heading back down in the train after a long, good day

We caught up on the Royal Wedding when we got back to our hotel room, I was a little sad we couldn't say we were in England but we just couldn't resist all of the holidays (with Easter and the Wedding, Jamie took 3 days vacation for a 10 day trip). The next day we would drive 4.5 hours up through Zurich back to Germany.