Since October...

I know, I know. It's been since October. Brandon and I have just been super busy since what seems like June of 2012 and the busines isn't going to stop anytime soon! The last time I blogged I was around 22 weeks! I am now at 38 weeks +4. So much has happened since then. I think we are almost done with the nursery and have almost everything prepared at home. It's so neat to feel Jackson move around inside of me. The back aches, the super sore ribs, and sleepiness are all worth it to feel him move. Sometimes I think he will punch or kick his way out of my belly! Unfortunately, our son is already a bit stubborn and does not want to turn head down. He has been breech since 30 weeks. I have been doing everything possible (putting headphones at the bottom of my uterus and playing music and doing several different yoga poses,among many other things), but nothing has seemed to help. I really had my hopes up at 35 weeks that he had turned, but he had not. I had a really hard time with the realization that I might have to have a c-section. I KNOW, I know how lucky and blessed I am to even be pregnant and to have a healthy baby boy, but it is still a disappointment and my feelings have been all over the place in the last 4 or so weeks. I wanted/want so badly to give birth to our son naturally. Part of me feels like I won't have "given birth" to him having a c-section. I'm not doing any of the work to help him come into the world (besides the 9 months of carrying him). The thought of having a major surgery has scared the crap out of me. I have never had surgery before and the only time I had some sort of pain relief put inside me for a procedure was when I had my wisdom teeth pulled. The recovery will be much more difficult and I won't be able to do as much after for a while. BUT, as SO many people have told me and reminded me, Jackson is healthy and our safety is what matters. And for those two things, I am VERY thankful, don't get me wrong. For future children, however, I definitely plan on finding a doc who will do a VBAC. Anyway, my OB/GYN has scheduled a c-section for February 6!! That is in TWO days, y'all. TWO days. I have more or less accepted having a c-section and we are just so excited to meet him now! I will be 39 weeks at the time of his birth. I tried getting it scheduled closer to my due date (Valentine's Day), but they were all booked and the latest they had was this Wednesday. Anyway, Brandon and I are just beyond excited. We are ready to meet him. It's still hard to believe sometimes that he will be here so soon. On a different note, since my last entry we have moved (thank goodness) to another house. The place we were living in before just wasn't ideal. We didn't have a lot of privacy and Benson had already been attacked by our neighbors' dog once and so we always had to be on the lookout for when their dog was outside. Anyway, we found a place super close to post. It is literally like a 2 minute drive to work for Brandon. The house we live in now is great and we are thankful for the move. The Germans in this village are super friendly and most of them can speak English! After our move, my mom and my mom's friend Betty came to visit us. We had such a good time having them! We visited several Christmas markets, took a trip down to Garmisch, visited several German villages, and went to Prague for a few days. It was a wonderful time and I am always so happy when my momma comes to visit! A few weeks later, one of my good friends, Breann, came to visit. We also did a lot of traveling to different Christmas markets and German villages, including Garmisch. It was so much fun seeing her and catching up. Since then, Brandon and I have been busy getting ready for Jackson. Brandon is super busy at work and is trying to get a lot done before Jackson gets here! He is taking paternity leave and will be home with us for about 2 1/2 weeks. So thankful for that and for the fact that he is the cook in our family. Words cannot express how stinking excited I am to meet our boy on Wednesday! I go in tomorrow (Tuesday) for some blood work and for another ultrasound to make sure he hasn't turned. I still have a little hope that maybe he has, but if not, that is ok. I am happy that we are full term and are both healthy. It is going to be one crazy/exciting/fun week! Can't wait to have him in my arms!!

Giving birth to Jackson Tyler Ward in a German hospital

Yup! We finally picked out a name we both love. Girls names always seemed easier for me to pick out, so picking out a name for this little boy of ours was more difficult. But, I think we found a winner!! We can't wait to meet you Jackson! :) He has been moving a lot lately! This last appointment went well. From what I understand (since I have not had a child in the States before nor have I had maternity care in the States or by an American OBGYN), the appointments are a bit different than they are in the States. I have been having an appointment every month (it will increase to two times a month starting in November) and at each appointment I bring my "Mutterpass" (Mother Pass) which has all of my information inside of it (my blood type, medical history, tests that have been run and results from the tests, weight history, blood pressure, etc.). Every pregnant woman in Germany receives one of these and you are instructed to carry it with you at all times, just in case (God forbid) something happens to you. Smart, huh? Although, I definitely can't read it since it is all in German! Anyway, I give my Mutterpass to the nurse, she takes my blood pressure, tests my blood (for iron deficiency), tests my urine, and takes my weight. After this I go back and wait to see the OBGYN. At every appointment I have had so far I have had an ultrasound, including a 4D ultrasound at my 12 week appointment. I know I am getting spoiled with an ultrsound every appointment so I an definitely not taking it for granted. My experience so far has been great. Everyone is super nice and speaks English very well. Brandon and I were able to tour the hospital last night (Jackson will be born in the German hospital near where we live). We were able to see where we need to go when I am in labor (registration purposes), the labor and delivery rooms, the overnight rooms (where we will stay for a couple of days), the nursery, and the NICU. I am so glad we went! I feel more relaxed and confident now that I was able to see the area and hear the OBGYN and midwives talk about the l&d process. I loved the l&d rooms. They are very warm and inviting. They have all sorts of things in the rooms you can use for managing labor pain. As I mentioned in the last post, I am excited about giving birth in the German hospital. They look at things differently than (most) hospitals in the States do. It's not so "business" like and doctors do not rush the woman through labor. Midwives are used more and are trained to help the woman through labor. It is also standard in German hospitals to have "bonding" time right after baby comes out and before he is weighed and cleaned. They place baby on your chest for skin to skin contact right after. They also encourage letting baby sleep in the room with you at night, but have a nursery if you need a break and/or some more rest. Like I said I have not had a baby in the States so I don't have much to compare to, but I am excited about giving birth and feel confident in my ability to do so. If you haven't seen the documentary, "The Business of Being Born" I would highly recommend it! More than anything, I am thankful for the resources that are out there that provide information about childbirth and the options I have as a woman. It is empowering to be able to learn about and know what options I have going into this amazing, life changing process! Anyway, I realize I still have not written about all of our trips and visits. I have some catching up to do!

Our sweet German baby

You'll notice my last post was at the end of May. There are a few reasons for that, one being that we have had someone come to visit every month since then and two being that we are expecting a baby!! I will have to update on the visits we had sometime soon, but for now I want to talk about Baby Ward! The end of May was about the time baby was conceived, but we didn't find out that I was preggo until the middle of June when Debbie and Clipper were here. Back in February Brandon and I had decided to try to start family. Although we wanted more time to travel around Europe and knew a baby would slow traveling down, we both honestly thought it would take longer to conceive than it actually did. And, we were both ready (as ready as you can be). I also thought it would be neat to have a baby in Germany for a couple of reasons. One, my ancestors are from Germany and two I had heard great things about the maternity care and delivery here in Germany. I wanted that experience! This is the note I found one morning after Brandon left for work:

So June rolls around and we are traveling all over Europe with Deb and Clip and I am exhausted. I could barely keep my eyes open. The last thing I wanted to do was go visit all of these places (which is very unlike me). I just wanted to sleep. When we got home from the trip I took a pregnancy test and it was positive! Around week 6 is when the vomiting and nausea kicked in and since then it has not gone away. I have only gained two lbs, although the size of my tummy would beg to differ. It's not that big yet, but there is definitely a baby in there. :) I am receiving prenatal care at the German hospital about 10 minutes away from where we live and so far I love it. I love my doctor. She is super nice, speaks English very well, and is very talkative. She always tells us everything she is seeing on the ultrasound, which by the way, I get EVERY time I have an appointment. That is another benefit I love here. You get to see your baby everytime you go for a visit! The care has been execellent. Germans are also more likely to use midwives than we are back in the States and encourage natural childbirth. They are less likely to induce or do c-sections, which a lot of American hospitals do even when they are not necessary. They advocate more for letting the baby come when he or she is ready. I am thankful for that. We have not gone on a hospital tour yet, but I hear the delivery rooms are great. Baby is doing well and now weighs 6 oz! I am almost at 17 weeks, which is crazy/scary/exciting! We hope to find out the sex of the baby next time we have a doctor's appointment! :) We don't have a preference. We just want a healthy baby!

Switzerland

For Memorial Day weekend, Brandon, Benson, and I headed to Interlaken, Switzerland to camp. We left early Friday morning and it ended up taking us 11 hours to get there. It was the longest trip, ever. I think we hit almost every traffic jam going from Bavaria to Interlaken. Benson did so well, though. We stopped every few hours to let him out. By the time we got there, it was almost dark outside, but we still had enough time to set everything up. The camp site we stayed at was super clean and everyone was so nice. There were people from all over Europe there, and a lot of people from India, too. Evidently, Switzerland is a popular destination for Indians. Probably because it is 93582370923 degrees cooler there. Anyway, Switzerland is BEAUTIFUL! My goodness, what a beautiful country. Brandon and I had made a day trip down to Zurich last year when we were in the Black Forest area, but never made it further South. The mountains are just breathtaking and everyhting is so clean, and all the houses are so cute! On Saturday we headed into town and looked around. We eventually caught a train to Lauterbrunnen so we could then catch a cable car up to the mountain village of Murren, which supposedly is a village without cars. Once in Lauerbrunner, we grabbed lunch. Well, lunch ended up being almost 100 dollars for only 2 pizzas and 2 drinks. Switzerland is so expensive, and that's not just because we were in a tourist area. Everything is expensive there...when we had gone to Zurich last year, our salad and soup was almost 30 bukaroos! That is part of the reason we went camping. But we also went camping so that Benson could come and hang out. Anyway, the village was really neat and had beautiful views, of course! The next day we spent hiking up a huge mountain, which was well worth it in the end because of the views (and the work out). We hiked back down later that afternoon and spent the rest of the day playing monopoly and hanging out. The drive back was MUCH better than our trip in was. It only took us around 6 hours this time. We did stop in Lucerne on our way back. So glad we did. What a romantic, gorgeous city. Really would love to go back there for an anniversary or something!

Speedo

Before we moved into the house we are in now, we were warned about the third story neighbor (whose name happens to be Franz and who happens to have a very long, curly mustache). We were told that during the summer he enjoys laying out in his speedo (speedos are very popular in Europe)in the backyard. Well, we live on the first floor of a building (we have two more floors above us) and the backyard is divided into three parts. Franz's yard is right by the back door, which is the door we use because it is closest to our driveway. So, anyway, Brandon and I come home from the store and as we drive up our driveway, Brandon give me a funny look and says, "He's out there, in his speedo." But, you see, not only is he in his speedo, the speedo is TYE-DYED. AND, he is siting right by the back door. I mean, talking about wanting to just laugh the loudest you ever wanted to laugh. Brandon and I felt like little kids trying to hide our giggles as we were unloading the groceries. Then, Brandon makes me go in FIRST. A.W.K.W.A.R.D. So, I put on try to put on a straight face and walk into the house, awkwardly saying, "Hi!". Just try to act normal, Amy. Don't laugh. Don't laugh. It was hilarious. Well, a few hours later I go downstairs to the basement to do laundry. We have one of those dryers (which I am sure most of you have never seen) that requires you to empty out the water after it's full (It drys the clothes by spinning them, basically). So, not thinking, I go to the back door, open it, and BAM! That little piece of clothing is in my face. So, I try and hurry up and quickly go back inside laughing. I'm not sure what it is about speedos...I guess we aren't used to seeing them as Americans and that's what makes it so funny. So, for those of you coming to visit this summer, you might get to take a look at Franz in his tye-dyed speedo trying to soak up some sun. :) I couldn't get a good picture without falling out of the window, but it should do.

Texas

Going back to the States is always weird. It just seems like a completely different world. The people are different, the buildings are different, the language is different, the speed limit/driving is different, and weather is different. Most things are different, and that's why everytime I come back I have this feeling of being out of touch with everything going on. The layover going to Texas was in Atlanta and I remember feeling sooo, I don't know, out of place? Everyone was speaking English and here I am wanting to say, "Danke" for someone doing something for me. It's just a weird feeling! But, I also feel at home, too. I also feel the familiarity. The streets are familiar, the people I see are familiar, the buildings are familiar, the weather is familiar, and the language is familiar. The green trees and grass, however, were not so familiar (at least since the last time I made it back to Texas). When I landed, I was so excited to see my mom and get to Waco. As I stepped outside, I was overwhelmed with heat, but the only thing I thought was, "I can't wait to wear all of my dresses!" You see, I am a dress kind of girl and would wear one everyday if I could, but in Germany the chance to wear one doesn't happen often but for maybe 2-3 months out of the year. My main reason for going to Texas was to throw Casey a bridal shower before her wedding in September. There was no way I was going to do it any later than April/May because we have people coming to visit almost every month for the rest of the year! I arrived on Thursday and was able to see Nanny, Casey, Ben, & Buckley, Chelsea & Tom, and my mom of course. Friday afternoon was spent with Nanny and Friday evening we went to go eat some Tex-Mex and then see Titanic 3D! It was good seeing the movie again, but the 3D didn't seem to make much of a difference!

On Saturday and Sunday I spent a lot of time just hanging out with everyone. A spent a few nights with Nanny and had some of her yummy cooking, and on Sunday afternoon we went to the Baylor baseball game and watched them beat A&M! Sic'em Bears! Oh, and by the way, we beat A&M in all THREE games that weekend! Yup...it was so much fun!

On Monday I ran some errands with Nanny and went to get a facial from Casey at Facelogic! It was a-mazing and so relaxing...wish I could get one more often! On Tuesday I drove down to West (Texas), picked up some kolaches from the Czech bakery, and went to the cemetary to visit with Deddy and Grandpa. It was a beautiful day outside and no one else was in the cemetary. It felt good to spend some time alone with them. I miss them so much! On Wednesday I met up with one of my friends from undergrad and grad school! I was able to see her super awesome new office and eat lunch with her! It was so good catching up. I can't believe it has already been two years since MSW graduation!

After eating lunch with Katie, I went back to my mom's house and packed quickly for Fredericksburg! Ben, Casey, and I went to see Deb & Clip (my in-laws) for a couple of days. It was so good seeing them. Debbie's birthday was on that Thursday so I was able to celebrate her birthday with her. Brandon's aunt, Barb, also come over with her mom (who recently turned 97!) and we all celebrated both of their birthdays! It was wonderful seeing everyone. Brandon and I get to see Deb and Clip here in a couple of weeks when they come visit!

We drove back to Waco that Friday and I went to see the Hunger Games movie for the second time (Brandon and I saw it over here a few weeks after it came out) and I have to say it was much better the second time around. I didn't have tons of crazy teenagers sitting around me making a lot of noise this time! Of course, the books are tens times better than the movie, but that's how it usually is. On Saturday Ben grilled some amazing food for lunch and we hung out at their apartment for a while. After that, Chels and I started working hard to get ready for Casey's shower the next day!! We made several trips to Hobby Lobby (a store I miss SO much) and spent hours cleaning and getting ready for the next morning! Pam and Cecil (my aunt and uncle) came down for the shower and arrived on that Saturday, so we were able to see and hang out with them for a while, too. The shower turned out lovely and I think Casey really enjoyed it. Thanks so much to the Blanek family for catering! They also catered for Brandon and I's wedding back in 2010. Always yummy, delicious food.

I was also able to spend some time catching up with some "old friends." I have known this ladies since forever ago. SO good seeing them. Can't WAIT until they come over here to visit! *Hint*Hint*

Tom made us all some yummy pizza later that night and I was able to spend some good time with another amazing friend who is visiting in Decemeber!!! :)

On my last full day in Texas, Breann, Casey, and I ran a bunch of errands and ate at Nifas later that evening. Melissa stopped by for a quick visit, as well. It was so good to see her! Her and Larry will be visiting in August!! It was so nice spending time with family and friends. I definitely miss everyone!

Leipzig with the Bowmans!

About a month ago I was able to see a good friend from grad school here in Germany! She is originally from Germany, but she married an American man and has been living in the States for a while now. She just gave birth to their sweet son, Samuel who is 6 months old. He is such a happy baby and is so so SO cute! I drove up to Leipzig and met Rike, Matt (her husband), Samuel, and a few of Rike's siblings for the day. We ate lunch, walked around the city, had wonderful conversations. It turned out to be a beautiful day! Here are a few pictures from the day.

Me and Rike

Such a sweet baby..

The new Daddy!