Vacation over and week 26 survey

Baby and I made it back to Germany safe and sound! We enjoyed every last minute of vacation. I'm so glad that we went and that everything went well.

I thought traveling back with two huge suitcases, a rolling carry-on, and a purse would be quite strenuous, but it was "easier" than expected, even though there were a few minor glitches on the way:
1) We had already boarded the plane in Philadelphia and the flight attendants were preparing for departure, but apparently one of the doors was showing that it wasn't closed properly. The captain came on and explained that mechanics were on the way to fix the problem. A while later, the captain came on again to say that the part they replaced didn't fix the problem, but that they had another one they were going to try. Fortunately, it worked and we were then finally on our way. Unfortunately, that meant that we were running late by 2 hours. We didn't make up any time in the air, so that meant we were also 2 hours late arriving in Frankfurt, which
2) caused me to miss the train from Frankfurt to Bonn that I had cheap tickets for. The special-price ticket I had gotten before I left was cheap, but at that price, I was also bound to the train (time) I had chosen. The train left just as we were touching down. It's a good thing that I wasn't in a rush and was flexible. I went to the ticket counter and even though I had to pay a little extra, I was able to take a different train to Bonn without waiting too long. I was home around noon and took a nice, long nap. I got up around 5:30, unpacked and organized a little, and then went to bed at 11:00 - which is around my normal bedtime. Today, it was back to work as usual. Only 7 1/2 more weeks of work to go. That's just crazy to me!

Here are some interesting pics from our trip back:

We flew directly over Pittsburgh on our way to Philadelphia!


I have never been on an international flight that was this empty. I think literally everyone had at least 2 seats to themselves. It was actually kind of amusing seeing the people scrambling around to switch seats, but I realized that the more room people have on flights, the more selfish they also get. Unfortunately, the woman next to me was one of them. I don't want to talk bad about her and I definitely don't want to pull the "pregnancy card", but we had 2 empty seats between us, and I just assumed that we would split them evenly. Well, I was busy watching a movie and when it was over, wanted to get somewhat comfortable and try to get some sleep. Too late! In the meantime, the woman next to me had decided to use both of the empty seats and stretch out as if she was in bed. Ok, she was probably in her late 60s or early 70s, and I normally might not have cared so much, but she AT LEAST could have looked at the woman next to her with the big belly and ASKED if perhaps I needed a little more room. Like I had mentioned before, people were quick to move and get as much space as they could to themselves, so I was basically stuck in my seat. I was just too slow and too polite, I guess. Lesson learned.


Candy pile that I brought back
(Can you tell I've been craving sweets? hehe)


Without a doubt, baby is already spoiled by ALL of the wonderful gifts we received! Thanks again!!!

I honestly can't believe that I was able to fit everything into the 2 suitcases and hand luggage, but I'm glad I did.

Now, if you're still up for reading more, here is the weekly survey...

How far along: 25 weeks + 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: I officially have to lean over to see the numbers on the scale now. :) I hit the 70 kg mark tonight, which I think means a gain of about 2 kgs in the last week or so. I'm blaming it on weighing myself at night after eating all day and on the fact that I'm back to kilograms instead of pounds and have honestly lost track a little...
Maternity clothes: I don't think I'll be wearing anything else for the next few months
Stretch marks: Nope
Sleep: Good - except on the plane
Best moment in the last week: Too many nice ones during my vacation. However, a really funny one was last Friday when I met up with a friend from high school. We went to a bar and both had non-alcoholic cocktails. Well, I didn't immediately realize that outsiders might think the combination of a big belly and a real-looking cocktail don't go well together. Apparently, I did get one really weird look that my friend saw.
Movement: Getting more active. Baby also seems to either love or hate traveling. S(he) was moving quite a bit on the plane and train.
Gender: 6 votes boy, 5 votes girl
Food Cravings: Cereal (with milk, of course) and sweets
Belly Button in or out: Still in
What I miss: Being on vacation (especially the people), still clear skin (I think I can forget about it until baby is born though), and the good hair days I had while on vacation. As soon as I got back to Germany and took a shower, my hair was unruly again. Must be the different water and hair products.
What I am looking forward to: Seeing Guenni on Friday!!! He's seen my new pics online, but it could still be a bit of a shock to see how big I've gotten after almost 4 weeks!
Weekly Wisdom: Being pregnant and going grocery shopping without a car is going to get more and more tedious in the next few weeks. I will most likely have to go shopping several times a week instead of trying to lug everything once a week.
Milestones: If baby is on time, we have less than 100 days to go!!! Crazy! What's even more amazing: If baby were born now and got excellent medical care, (s)he would have a chance of surviving. I actually have friends whose son was born at 25 weeks. He's an amazing little fighter and just got to go home a few weeks ago after spending several months in the hospital. Nonetheless, I hope baby likes its current home and stays there until at least the middle of May!
Baby Brain Moment of the Week: I had about 45 minutes time before boarding my flight from Philadelphia to Frankfurt. While I was exploring the airport (which I love!), I decided to buy a bottle of water for the flight. It wasn't until 5-10 minutes later that I realized I had left the bottle sitting right on the counter after I paid! Thankfully, when I returned to the store about 20 minutes later, the woman had it waiting for me.
Belly-button ring Status: Still out, but I bought a flexible tongue ring that I plan to insert periodically so that the hole doesn't close up.
Labor Signs: Not sure what the "practice" Braxton-Hicks contractions feel like, but occasionally my stomach does get really tight for a short time period. This also sometimes happens after eating a big meal. The real ones better not start any time soon!
Weekly Belly Pic: Baby needs more room every week! :)

(February 24th)


This one is for Andrea & Jess: My belly is starting to fill out the wavy mirror! :)