I think this may be my last blog about poop... maybe

Bushy overgrown trees remain...

My Friday morning started with a lot of poop. Dog poop that is. On Thursday evening, our landlord called and told me the tree trimmer was coming on Friday. To most people this wouldn't be a big deal but to someone who has conveniently avoided picking up dog poop since Christmas this caused quite the problem. Friday morning was spent picking up rock hard dog poop with a large stick since it had been frozen for like 2 months. It was really great. A really great workout that is. Anyways, it was a lovely way to start my day.

Friday afternoon when I returned home the trees looked exactly the same as the day before. The tree trimmer didn't show. Of course.

And today we woke up to 3 inches of new snow.

I should have just left the shit for another day.... or Chad.

Today, will be a good day...

I woke up this morning and my first thoughts didn't include poop (well, they did, but in a good way), throw up, or more sleep.

I knew it was going to be a GREAT day. I guess I have successfully survived my first trimester (alone, might I add) and now I can go back to feeling myself. I plan on enjoying every minute since I know it will be short lived.

Anyways, after getting up I looked around my house and decided today would be a productive day. Actually, it has to be productive because I haven't thoroughly cleaned my house in 7 weeks. I mean sure I've vacuumed and thrown some cleanser around but that really hasn't put a dent in this disaster. BUT TODAY, I feel like I can clean 100 houses (all with non-toxic ingredients).

I also had visions of putting up spring decorations, sewing, airing out the house, and washing my car (although I doubt I'll get that crazy). I may even take these poor housebound dogs for a walk.

I figure even if this sudden burst of energy fades in the next couple hours I still know it will be a good day because...

I realize now that throughout it all I was never really alone...

the sun is up in Stuttgart...

and Spring is in the air.

I'm going to say poop a lot today

Now that just about everyone knows we're going to have a baby... let me tell you a little bit about the last 7 weeks that doesn't have to do with snow.

While trying to avoid the topic of what was really going on over in Deutschland, the only topic I could successfully blog about was the weather. It was getting old. I also didn't want to blog for fear that I would barf on my keyboard. It's been rough.

Anyways, what's been going on over here in my neck of the woods has included:

extreme nausea- Mostly in the morning, afternoons, and evenings. And sometimes in between too.

breast tenderness- You must know that my breast pain has taken me back to the 5th grade... you know, that awkward/painful phase of preadolescence.

fatigue- the kind that allows you to fall asleep in the massage chair at work... and it wasn't even lunch.

peeing- lots and lots of peeing.

and the ultimate...

constipation- seriously... you're not supposed to beg God even before you've gotten out of the bed to allow you to have a bowel movement... it's not natural...

Well, I'm not really sure if this blog is anymore entertaining than snow but it's a brief synopsis of the goings on here on Wiesentalstrasse.

On a high note, my husband comes home in about one week. I can't wait. He's so upset that he had to leave me in such a state that he's ready to answer to my every beck and call (right, honey?)

His first job will be picking up old dog poop that has been covered with snow for 2 months. And some a little fresher (at least someone was able to go #2 around here...)

BUT, seeing that little bean on the screen makes not pooping for 3 days a little more bearable.

It took me 40 minutes to upload this picture and now my words are underlined and I don't know why. I'm thoroughly frustrated and I think that means it's time for bed. I must be rusty.

Anyways, here's the picture of Baby White taken on Monday by my German doctor who isn't much for photography. I saw hands and arms but you wouldn't know by this picture.

Enjoy.

A short story and an announcement...

The story:

Three months ago, my boss, who is interested in astrology, was informing me about being a pisces. He read that pisces are fertile.

The announcement:

On December 28, we found that to be true.

(my brother will be horrified that I put a picture of something I peed on in this blog but he can get over it.)

snow days...

My car is pictured in the photo in the right hand bottom corner. Can you see it? Me neither.

It started snowing early last week and continued until early this morning. It's a little out of the norm for the Stuttgart area and I think everyone has thrown in the towel. Germany is out of salt and Friday they shut down the military installations. I've avoided pushing snow around for the last 2 days and no one seems to care. I did manage to shovel my car out of the snow yesterday for a hot meal of chinese spring rolls and fried rice. I think at this point in my long weekend it's safe to say I'm experiencing cabin fever. One can only vacuum and nap for so long before boredom takes over.

On Season 4 of Sex and City...

Happy Monday!

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Mine will be spent indoors seeing that there's 7 inches of snow outside. I may or may not be able to get my car out of the driveway to go to dinner with friends... we'll have to wait and see about that. I'm also amusing myself with a Sex and the City marathon and missing my husband.

xoxo

snow melt[down]

I almost just had a meltdown while shoveling/pushing snow around in the front yard. I put off clearing our sidewalk until 430 pm. All day I kept telling myself to go out there and clear the sidewalk. I'm not feeling good and my nose hurts so that was my excuse. Unfortunately, if a German slips and falls on my unclear sidewalk they probably won't give a shit. And so... I started with the shovel. All it did was make this horrendous noise without doing much to remove the snow. Then I got the push broom. It helped move the fluffy new stuff but the hard icy under layer wasn't budging. I tried switching off. I tried breaking it up with my boot. I tried jabbing it with the shovel. After about 10 minutes of this (and thinking my neighbors are probably watching me and thinking this is hilarious) I felt tears well up in my eyes and threw my shovel (oh yes I did).

I then dumped about 10 cups of salt on the sidewalk and went back inside.

Now, not only is my sidewalk not clear but I'm also breaking German law by putting salt on the public sidewalk.

But like I said, my nose hurts so that's as good as it gets. I think the Germans are getting a little picky around here...

Gnocchi (the dog, not the food)

With Chad gone now I always hear strange noises in the night. Noises I would otherwise just ignore or send Chad downstairs to investigate.

Last night at approximately 1230, I heard a large crash. It startled me. I'm not sure why I was scared considering Stetten is the safest place I've ever lived. I mean, Chad did leave our house keys in the front door once. He then continued to drive all the way to work and realized only after he got to his office that they were in the door. He drove back and the keys were still there in broad daylight and our house (and dogs) were secure. Our landlord also said that when he was young he left the garage door open all night long and nothing was moved or taken when they realized it in the morning.

Regardless, there's something already alarming when you're alone in a big house and then to hear strange noises is more unnerving. Anyways, since I knew that I wasn't going to walk around downstairs in my undies to investigate I used our stealth, secret weapon. Gnocchi. I told her to go downstairs and look around and she did (I kid you not). I heard her do a sweep of the living room, kitchen, and dining room, shuffling her hairy paws across the floor. When she didn't bark and returned alive I figured all must be well and we went back to bed.

This morning when I took the dogs out I saw than an avalanche of snow had fallen from the roof and landed on the patio furniture below. Hence the loud crash.

I'm really only writing this blog because I think Gnocchi deserves some credit here. And because I think I might have some dog whisper-er in me.

Chad's been gone...

Christmas 2009

for a little over 14 hours. I dropped him off at the airport this morning at 530 to catch a 640 plane to Missouri, where he'll spend the next 6 weeks. He'll miss all of Stuttgart's gloomy winter and return just in time for spring. Doesn't seem fair but that's the military for ya.

Anyways, since he's been gone I've made some interesting observations.

First off, Chad's been on laundry duty this weekend because he had a butt load of 'gear' that need to be washed before today. He also emptied a couple of our over flowing hampers and put their contents in the washer as well. I didn't go downstairs for 3 days. This afternoon, I braved the laundry room to find the tallest pile of clean laundry imaginable to man. You see, Chad ends his laundry duties when the clothes are dry... he then meticulously (or not) builds a ginormous hill of sheets, sweaters, jeans and underwear which waits for me to fold. He also left me to hook numerous pairs of underwear and socks from behind the dryer with a wire hanger. I might have to rethink Chad doing laundry in the future.

Also, when cleaning the kitchen I found a large stash of plastic grocery bags. Like a HUNDRED bags stashed into a corner of the kitchen. I'm not sure what he was saving them for or for how long they've been accumulating but I reduced his collection by 90% via recycling. It had to be done.

I also found two identical jars of salsa... both opened... both half way finished. One definitely had remnants of chips floating in it so I know it was Chad's doing. He also left me a used coffee filter in the coffee pot and a few shoe prints by the front door.

And in the midst of all this... I still miss him like mad.

See you in six weeks, honey. We miss you.

This time last year...

we were living in a hotel on RB. I woke up every morning at 6 not as a result of jet lag but mostly to enjoy the continental breakfast. It's amazing I was able to get up that early considering I was waking up multiple times during the night to dress Meatloaf and take him down 4 flights of stairs to go poop in the snow. It was also at that time that I learned Meatloaf didn't like pooping in the snow and I would have to carry him outside to the same spot in order to stimulate anything. I was a mean Mom.

Chad would leave in the morning to go do in-processing and I would stay at the hotel and watch Sex and the City. We only had a mini-fridge so I ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

We were living out of suitcases and I wore the same outfit almost everyday.

It was cold and there was lots of fresh powder. Everything was new.

This weekend it only seems appropriate that we would have a snowstorm to mark our one year anniversary of living in Germany. We'll be stuck inside watching movies, staying warm and Meatloaf will be pooping in 4 inches of snow.

Just like old times.