Happenings, week 4

What I like
* listening to D's impressive lecture on identification through biometry
* being proud of S celebrating his doc graduation at the University of Vienna togehter with many relatives
* listening to old records of Sigur Rós
* feeling lucky and overwhelmed with finding tiles by the Schwadron brothers in a Viennese apartment building
* meeting Y and her sweet little boy L for morning tea
* telling 20 months old L about the baby inside my belly
* the days distinctly getting longer again
* breakfast dates with C & enjoying eating good food at Joseph bistro
* daytime naps that reduce my feelings of fatigue (before my pregnancy, I was unable to sleep at daytime)
* pregnancy yoga lessons with other pregnant women (and all their huge bellies)
* a lunch date with S at a quiet restaurant
* Sunday feast with kofta (adapted from Ottolenghi's Jerusalem cookbook) & vegetable stew, fika with muffins from Joseph bakery (Carrot, ricotta & speculoos streusel, Chocolate & cherry)
* snowflakes and -6 °C

What I read and watched
* the books Ich gegen dich by Jenny Downham and Die Tante Jolesch by Friedrich Torberg
* the movies Türkisch für Anfänger (very bad movie with lots of clichés!), Father of the Bride, I Am Love and Paradies: Liebe
* the article 24 Hours in Portland with Kinfolk Magazine over at Design Sponge (If I ever go to Portland again – I hope so – I'll read this in advance)
* the website Die 78er (highly impressive photos of abandoned, forgotten and inaccessible locations in and around Vienna)
* Warum! magazine

What I don't like
* seemingly endless nights without sleep
* dogs not wearing a muzzle when walking or running after a thrown ball
* mood swings

Two In One Body

I'm 35 weeks pregnant and I'm mostly feeling fine with two in one body. My belly is huge and my baby seems to be an active boy, he's kicking me all day. I'm never alone.

As the weeks get closer and closer to his arrival, I start to realize just how much I don't know. I'm being a mum – it still feels very unreal and I'm constantly asking myself if I'm going to manage all that. S being a dad. Being a little family of three. 24 hours a day. My parents and my in-laws becoming grandparents. Sometimes, I feel a little outside myself, but I believe that's just natural. I know that I'm imperfect, and I'm going to figure things out as we go.

I am so freaking excited to meet and love this little person.

Happenings, Week 3

What I like
* spelt honey rolls with sunflower seeds from Joseph bakery (this week, it was all about this damn good bread from that awesome bakery)
* buying Disco coffee at Kaffeefabrik
* a weekday breakfast with C (it's so good that we have the same due date!)
* discovering Café Ansari
* tulips everywhere
* crocheting a baby stole (and finally understanding the chrochetting pattern)
* C's homemade marmor gugelhupf
* reading, reading, reading
* feeling in a crafty mood, making handprinted onesies
* falling asleep during the yoga relaxation
* a spontaneous visit from my parents, they wanted to see the baby's room
* S trying to make the perfect belly video
* celebrating B's 30th birthday & meeting good friends at the very nice restaurant Zweitbester
* still being able to climb stairs, put on my shoes, cut my toenails...
* forming lots of Kärntner Kasnudeln together with S
* baking on Sundays (this Sunday: apple strudel with short crust pastry)

What I read and watched
* the book Der Mann, der starb wie ein Lachs by Mikael Niemi and the novella Die Spieluhr by Ulrich Tukur
* the movies An Education, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and I rymden finns inga känslor
* Kinfolk Magazine, Volume 10 (The Aged Issue)
* an interview with the talented illustrator Yelena Bryksenkova in Amelia's Magazine
* Holly Becker's helpful article on Baby Essentials For The First Year (to throw a baby party after a few weeks seems to be a good idea; like in Germany, there are no baby showers in Austria)

What I don't like
* spontaneous visits at an unknown hairdresser (bad idea!)
* getting a streptococcus screening test
* incredibly dark and foggy days
* thinking I'm eating too many sweets

Happenings, Week 2

What I like
* laughing with my dearest colleagues L, K and C while having brunch
* L's freshly squeezed orange apple carrot and pepper juice
* K telling about her experiences in Thailand
* buying second hand baby clothes, t. ex. from a nice Danish lady
* quiet neighborhoods in the middle of Vienna's 15th district
* visiting dusty bookshops because the retailers send my big parcels
* lazing around in the "new" baby room
* mum sending me the remaining Christmas cookies (my favorite with chocolate and raspberry jam, following a recipy by my grandma who died a few years ago)
* my new iPhone (yes, it works!)
* the receptionist at doctor's office calling my belly cute
* two very old women on the subway talking about soy yogurt and tofu
* shopping at Minimal and Herr und Frau Klein (sale!)
* feeling good enough to do yoga and meeting C there
* sunshine after foggy days
* picture books for babies
* dinner at one of the best restaurants I know, the Rasouli
* feeling inspired by an exhibition about the Schwadron brothers

What I read and watched
* the books Becks letzter Sommer by Benedict Wells and Der Mann, der starb wie ein Lachs by Mikael Niemi
* the movies Being There, Be Kind Rewind, Dan in Real Life, Greenberg and Frances Ha
* Anna Emilias illustrations Dreaming and Waiting. I remembered them due to my advanced pregnancy, they are so beautiful!
* an article on The Schorem Haarsnijder, a barbier in Rotterdam over at Freunde von Freunden
* Sandra's guide to great coffee in Berlin. I'm keeping it for our next visit, but when will that be?
* the reportage Der Mörder als Pfleger by Claas Relotius in Reportagen, issue 9
* Biorama magazine No. 28

What I don't like
* getting exhausted by short distance walks
* spring temperatures in January
* thinking about the things I'm going to need at the maternity clinic, it's too early!
* feeling uncomfortably in my growing body
* orange blossom tea (sadly...)

Dunes & The Sea

These are the last glimpses from our summer holidays in July and August 2013. We took a bike ride from Scheveningen to Katwijk, where we had lunch at De Bonte Kraai.

I'm looking forward to a new post about current happenings and to showing you some new photos.

Crunch

We spent the last days of our summer holidays in Den Haag, a city I know quite well.

Plain

Friesland is such a beautiful plain country! We stayed one night at a farmhouse, it was like being in heaven. The sheep bleated during the night and in the morning, a huge breakfast basket was delivered to our door.

't Eiland

Dinner at the fantastic hidden fishermen restaurant called 't Eiland in Lauwersoog. The place is connected to the Slow Fish network.

Ameland

We spent a stormy day on the dreamy West Frisian island of Ameland. We hired some bikes and explored the beautiful landscape.

Water, Ships & Windmills

Beautiful villages: Zoutkamp and Dokkum.

A Retreat In Friesland

We drove on to Friesland, the most northern Dutch province. This is the house we lived in. The breakfast the landlady prepared for us was amazing, and we could enjoy it on the patio while listening to the wind whisteling through the trees.