Happenings, week 21

What I like
* getting a pedicure and walking on air afterwards
* C, her baby boy T, J and me visiting our colleagues at the elementary school we worked at
* kids in 2nd grade loving J and asking amusing questions about giving birth (Who did support me in delivery room? My sister? Uncle? Mum? The whole family?)
* having an outdoor pizza dinner with S and J
* J being very active, squeaking when we play with him, loving cuddling and singing with us ("Hänsel und Gretel verliefen sich im Wald...")
* the living room being redesigned with a new sofa and a comfortable hanging chair
* our balcony and the smell of lavender surrounding me
* having a sunny outdoor lunch with J and my parents at Yppenmarkt
* ice cream from Veganista (although I wouldn't say it's the best ice cream in town)
* J wearing short-sleeved shirts for the first time in his life
* learning to act like a for-armed mum
* dinner with our dearest friends B & C, M & M and their little dog Purzel
* listening to the nearing thunderstorm while sitting in our new hanging chair with J
* J turning 11 weeks old on Saturday
* cooking delicious Pasta Asciutta
* being invited to a baby's first birthday party and being overwhelmed by E & C's beautiful house and garden in the countryside
* listening to baby mama's secrets and tips

What I read and watched
* the movie Otto - Der Film
* the book Delancey by Molly Wizenberg
* this interview with Anja Plaschg (who makes great music as Soap&Skin) over at Freunde von Freunden
* these photos showing the wonderful Oregon Coast (we visited Cannon Beach and Indian Beach at Ecola State Park on our honeymoon in 2012)

What I don't like
* the weather being too muggy for my baby boy
* sometimes more, sometimes less: living in a city

Happenings, weeks 19 & 20

What I like
* growing a little garden on my balcony (I lately added tomatoes, meadow sage and rosemary)
* J playing with his toys and grabbing them
* J dancing to Jazz for Kids
* baby spinach from my mother's garden
* a very talented young cook and his girlfriend opening a restaurant in our neighborhood
* my mum going for walks with J and giving me some "free" time
* meeting S and her little daughter V for a walk and coffee, spending an unstressed morning together
* J loving his daily tummy time and holding his head up
* using my hometrainer again, and it feels good to exercise again!
* lunch at Joseph bistro, eating good food I had to refuse during pregnancy (beef tartare, soft boiled eggs, rainbow trout "sushi")
* getting rid of our old white Ikea sofas - it's time to redesign the living room!
* chocolate truffles from Berger
* baking rosemary ginger shortbread (inspired by my mother-in-law and Molly Wizenberg's recipe in Delancey)
* my brother-in-law M's birthday lunch (and S's delicious poppy seed layer cake with yoghurt and raspberries)
* the white orchid I keep in my bedroom blooming again
* J's jaw still moving when he fell asleep during breastfeeding

What I read and watched
* the movies Looking for Eric and Otto - Der Film
* the book Delancey by Molly Wizenberg and this article on this great pizza restaurant on Sweet Amandine – S and I had dinner there twice during our stay in Seattle on our honeymoon. We had unforgettable evenings!
* this hilarious article on baby toys and a problem of many homes with a new baby by Holly Becker. I can totally relate to!
* TV-series and shows (the ones I mentioned earlier plus Portlandia and Arrested Development)
* the Song Contest from Copenhagen – thanks to Conchita Wurst, next year's contest will be held in Austria!
* Vienna's city newspaper Falter (I now ordered a weekly maternity leave subscription)
* these pictures of Vega Cottage in zeen Magazine
* Nordic Design homes
* this post by MAV about her cookbook favorites

What I don't like
* nurseries with pretty small gardens
* J crying during stroller rides – getting well-meant advice from strangers can be so frustrating!
* buzzing insects flying around our living room

Happenings, week 16, 17 & 18

What I like
* J's new baby hammock – I hope he'll like it, too!
* april weather
* a visit from A, who unfortunately came without her three little girls
* having a relaxed brunch at C's place together with my friends C's baby boy T, K and L
* K's cake project "Beat Cakes". She and her friend baked cupcakes and sold them at a market – to be continued!
* the beautiful baby book K bought us in London
* two four day long weekends with S and J
* Easter vacation in Waldviertel
* J sleeping well in other beds
* visiting J's great-grandparents
* some "free" minutes when grandparents, aunts or uncles take walks with J and his stroller
* M's delicious roasted lamb on Easter Sunday
* that awesome Easter brunch we had with our closest family members on Easter Monday
* J laughing and babbling so much and turning his head from one side to the other
* J visibly growing in lenght and gaining weight steadily – he already weighs 4500 g! Pumping breast milk isn't necessary anymore which feels much, much better for J and me.
* meeting M, my neighbor from hospital, together with her little daughter A, at the pediatrician
* my gynecologist telling me everything was okay with my body after giving birth
* redesigning our living room with a new sofa and a hanging chair
* my mother-in-law continuing walking El Camino de Santiago
* playing Scrabble togehter with S in the sunshine
* many long, long walks
* getting better in managing daily routine with J
* celebrating T's and J's two-months-birthday together with T's parents C and P
* ice cream
* asparagus
* making felt balls
* listening to the hail pinging against the windows
* my brother visiting from Germany
* visiting Y, S and their two-year-old son L and watching L being fascinated by J (when I changed J's diapers, L brought me a potty that belongs to his dolls!)
* visiting my parents for having Sunday roast together in Lower Austria

What I read and watched
* the movies Silentium, Sarajevo and Jet Lag
* TV-series and shows (Mad Men, Californication, Bösterreich, Willkommen Österreich,...)
* baby related books and magazines

What I don't like
* Mondays when S has to go back to work
* J crying for no apparent reason at all

Easter Brunch

On Easter Monday, we had a fantastic brunch together with our closest family. So good!