Munich in the News

One of the things we loved about being in Paris was the constant international news about the city. We often choose our weekend activities from articles in the NYTimes or one of the inflight magazines that Troy was constantly bringing home. It was amazing to see just how much was going on at any one time - probably pretty important when you are trying to entertain 15 million residents and 78 million foreign tourists per year!
Munich in the news is a little bit quieter. Obviously a smaller city, only 1.3 million residents, and just about 9 million overnight visitors (but over 80 million day trippers last year), so the news tends to focus on the big events - Oktoberfest, the World Cup 2006, the Euro Cup 2008, Christmas Markets, Spring Festival, MTV Video Music Awards, etc... We were thrilled last summer when Munich was chosen as the "Most liveable City in the World" by Monocle, and then this morning the Germany Bureau Chief for the NYTimes based in Berlin had the guts to say that Munich is becoming cooler than Berlin (There is a huge rivalry between the two cities). I'm hoping we start seeing more & more of the smaller festivals in the international news as well!

In the meantime, you can always check out our other blog, Munich Daily Photo, for views of Munich & a little interesting commentary from Troy.

The Carousel

Round & Round. Troy & Sophia spent the weekends riding to parks. Sophia tried the teeter-totter for the first time, and ran endlessly through the garden labyrinth. Finally, she took a couple spins on the carousel. Amazing what fun you can have going in circles.

Munich Botanical Gardens

Troy & Sophia spent early Saturday at the Botanical Gardens, taking photos for the other blog we work on, and even though it is still freezing out (we had snow earlier this week again), the cherry trees are in bloom & they had a great time. Sophia's personality is also blooming all over the place... I just have to laugh whenever I see these smiles, and you have to imagine the belly laugh behind them!

Circles of German

Circles of German
Video sent by moyamz

Sophia going a little crazy between the circles & German.

Sophia on the Carousel

Sophia on the Carousel
Video sent by moyamz

Sophia on the fun horse of the carousel in Paris on Easter weekend

Easter in Paris

As our travel as a family of 3 comes to an end we decided to go to Paris for the Easter weekend(Bavaria was very accomodating giving us both Good Friday & Easter Monday as public holidays). It was wonderful to be back, although a bit sad too - Sophia was very confused why we weren't going to our home as she had been telling people all week in Munich that we were going to Paris for the weekend & not coming back. The hotel was a bit of a shock for her, but the 6 carousel rides on Saturday seemed to make up for some of her disappointment.

We had a wonderful weekend with friends, I fit in some shopping on Saturday (French baby clothes!), services at the Cathedral, and we even found time to go to the Louvre for an evening!

The Easter Bunny made it to our hotel room, and rather than a basket for Sophia, she was given her own rolling suitcase filled with Easter treats. Very appropriate for the traveling family!

Sophia reading in the baby's room

Sophia reading in the baby's room
Video sent by moyamz

Sophia has been enjoying exploring the books that are now in the baby's room. Yesterday I found her very comfortable on the couch, making up her own stories to the books that she used to know by heart. She asks almost every day if the baby is going to come, but I'm not sure if that is because she wants to have a new sister, or if she is just looking forward to Nana & Papa coming back!

Happy St Patricks Day!

We actually spent early yesterday afternoon at the St Patricks Day festival - and parade - before the rain hit later in the day. It was amazing to see people lining the streets drinking Guiness out of GLASS pint glasses... I bought a beer for Troy, and had a couple of celebratory sips as we heard the pipe bands coming down Leopoldstrasse. It was quite a small parade, ending at Odeonsplatz, with Bishop Patrick leading the way.

I got a bit teary eyed when all of the pipers gathered in the square, but it was such a large space, that for once the children around us didn't cry - Not even Sophia!

Baby Z update...

We met with the dr at the Frauenklinik today, and it looks like it will be an efficient, but slightly different birth experience compared to our experience at Swedish in Seattle.



2 big issues for me:



1- The doctor said since I have already been "stretched" that I would most likely not require an epidural. (Can you hear me screaming with the thought of the pain already!)



2- Group rooms. There are some private rooms at the hospital, but for the most part I will always have at least 1 room mate. I know that as an American, I have a slightly puritanical (prudish) view of privacy in comparison to the rest of the world. However, I don't really think that my reaction to this news is outside of the ordinary if the thought of being kept awake by my own newborn at 3 in the morning doesn't fill me with a slight panic - given that I'm not sleeping really well right now anyway - the thought of being kept awake by someone elses child sends me a little bonkers... So we will see. If there is a room available, it is an extra 50 euro per night. Sleep will be worth every penny.



So, onto other news, the baby is growing well. Estimated to be almost 5 lbs at this point, with just under 5 weeks to go. She is amazingly active, and quite strong, so that when she moves and gets the hiccups it is such a surprise, and literally takes my breath away.

She has very bony feet, and loves pushing off of my ribs, which causes her to shoot down onto my bladder.

Her favorite thing to do when I lay down to go to bed is push & kick against the mattress. If I flip to the other side, so does she... She also has the hiccups almost every night.



Sophia is getting very excited to be a big sister. We have been reading lots of books trying to get the mindset ready, but she is just really looking forward to "playing" with her sister. She walked around all afternoon with a pacifier in her mouth (you know the british call them dummies?!), and crawling like a baby. It lasted until she started rolling around & slammed the back of her head on the hardwood floors as she rolled over. After that she decided riding her bike in the hall was much more fun!

Sophia's Birthday Party

A Birthday Balloon tail. Sophia loves having a tail, and has been "little puppy" most of the week.
Birthday cake & candles ~ Sophia actually blew out her own candles this year (with a little help from her buddy Jackson.) Previous birthdays she has gotten so nervous & shy when the birthday song starts that she becomes frozen in place.

Chaos & kids at the birthday table (cupcake decorating catastrophe's & explosions)
Sophia's new bike! (sorry the flash setting was a bit off). The Hallway has gotten lots of use this week.