May 31: Happy Birthday Zachary

We can hardly believe that our little guy is two years old! When did that happen?

Zachary is already getting the concept of stretching out your birthday to make it last longer. He had two birthday parties. On May 7th, Zach and his friend Steven, had a double birthday party at the church with our play group. Steven is about a month older than Zachary. Then, a few weeks later, Zach had a birthday party at home on his actual birthday. In attendance were just Mom, Dad, and Dexter. Grandma and Nana were in attendance via webcam.







Here are some pictures of his party at the church. In attendance: Andrea w/ daughter Lily, Shebah w/ Vanessa, Katrina w/ Hannah, Jenny w/ Steven and Lydia, and Lana Packer came by as well. It was a Cars themed party w/ Cars plates, cups, and decorations. Jenny made a cake and cupcakes that were phenomenal. We had planned on singing some songs and playing some games, but the Moms ended up spending too much time chatting. By the time we got to the gift opening, both boys were a little grumpy. Zach really enjoyed both opening his presents and then playing with the gift RIGHT THEN. Steven was more concerned with just opening the present - ripping off the paper and such. Zach insisted on playing w/ each thing immediately. The only issue came when Steven and Zachary both got puzzles from 'Lily', but Steven's was a puzzle of tractors, cars, trucks, etc, and Zach's was of zoo animals. He threw a FIT and wanted Steven's puzzle. But, it was his party and he could cry if he wanted to. Luckily, he really enjoys that puzzle now, and no fists were thrown - nor any teeth used! Zachary got some great gifts, ones he really loves even now: oversize matchbox car, a forklift that makes sounds and lights up, a fire truck that makes sounds and lights up, a police car (no sounds!), a wheel loader, a set of bookends and a zoo puzzle. Check out our little heart breaker - giving a hug to Hannah; an older woman at that! :)









Here are some pictures from the birthday celebration at home. Art was very excited about starting the day for Zachary b/c he had planned his opening move for quite some time. He was looking forward to dumping balloons on Zach and filling his crib with them - 'boo-ya' to Zach. He loves loves loves balloons. Then, Zach got to open his birthday present from Mom and Dad ('Dadu') after breakfast - an 80 piece Lego Duplo set. The requirement will be that he has to play with them in our bed only - 1. to keep the pieces in one place, and 2. to prepare for the arrival of the baby ~ we're hoping that Zach will stay in bed and play legos while I am nursing the baby. The Duplo were a big hit. Later in the afternoon, at lunch, we set up the webcam so that the grandparents could watch Zach eat his lunch and his bday 'cake'. He hated the fruit tart (which he usually loves) and even threw a mini temper tantrum. C'est la vie. Lastly, after dinner, Zach got to open up all of his cards. He enjoys ripping open the card and then looking at the pictures. Occasionally he will "read" the card out loud, which is fun for us all.

Unfortunately, he was fairly grumpy for most of the day. So much so that we finally put him to bed early. We felt badly about that since it was his birthday and all, but sheesh, he was out of sorts! And me being SO pregnant did not help. But lucky for us, the baby did not come on Zach's birthday, so they do not have to share days!!

May 21: Zach's Bad Fall

Uggh, what a terrible scare we had! On Wednesday, May 21, Zach and I were getting ready for play group. My friend Shebah has been picking us up and taking us home for both play group and bible study. I opened the apartment door for Zach and I to leave, and he took off. The phone rang, so I stepped back into the apartment to answer it, not giving a single thought to Zach being in the hallway. AFter I hung up, I was walking back towards the hallway when I heard the thuds and a scream. Of course I panicked. I got into the hallway and Zach was on his back at the bottom of the stairs. I have no idea how, or from what height, but he took a tumble down the stairs. I don't recall how I got down the stairs so fast, and scooped him up. He didn't scream for long, and he kept pointing to the stairs, as though to tell me that it was their fault. He wasn't bleeding anywhere, and didn't appear to be in much pain, clearly nothing broken. I didn't see any bumps yet. Both of us were pretty shaken up by the whole thing. I am surprised that I did not go into labor with the scare of it all! Zach didn't make a sound the entire ride to playgroup. Once we got there though, he took off, running towards the church, and was laughing and playing. It was during this time that I noticed his odd contusion on his ear, and that the had a bump behind his ear. An hour or so later I saw the big goose egg on his forehead (his hair had been covering it up). When we got home, he went down for a nap with no problem, plenty exhausted. He woke up very poorly though and wanted to be held and lie down in my bed. He was whining and crying and holding his head. I gave him some Tylenol for what I assumed was a pretty nasty headache, and after 20 minutes he was up and playing again. He was a little grumpy that evening and went to bed early. We expected him to be grumpy and sore the next day, particularly after we saw a big bruise on his back, but he was no worse for the wear. Zach woke up in a glorious mood and was his happy, playful self the entire day. Could be because it was a holiday and he had both Mom and Dad home. This so far is my least favorite part of parenting - the awful scares and the worrying. I had checked a few of our books, and some online sites about head injuries and when to see a doctor and so on, and he was totally in the clear, symptom-wise, but of course I was still very observant of his moods and such.

The pictures were taken the next day, and of course I don't feel they accurately reflect the horror that was the injury. :) The one on his ear is just odd. It looked like his ear wanted to split open, but the skin didn't break. It changed colors quite a bit. The goose egg was nearly gone the next day, left with just a shadow of a bruise. But there they are, pictures for posterity.

We are very curious as to how it happened, especially because Zachary is generally very cautious. He has never tried to go down the stairs by himself and always waits for someone's hand. I wish I knew if he slipped, or if he was trying to go down on his own and fell. So odd.

May 23, 2008: 39 Weeks Pregnant

So close now!! That is good because lots of my maternity clothes are no longer fitting - the shirts don't come down far enough to cover the entire belly, and the pants are getting too tight as well. I am still hoping that he stays put until at least the weekend. June 2 would be great! :) I say this, but I am pretty miserable, and the smallest tasks are getting to be such a chore. I am grateful to my friend Shebah who has come to pick me up and take me to the grocery store once a week! Shopping is the worst. We are busy trying to put the last little bits into place, getting ready for our little guy. We are still struggling with a name, but we'll get there. I will be sad to see my built in table gone.

May-Holidays Abound

May is a very heavy time for holidays - most people love the month of May for this very reason. And what is great about lots of workplaces, including MPI, is that if a holiday falls on a Thursday or a Tuesday, they will give the corresponding Friday or Monday off as a "bridge day". How great!

However, it is sad that since I am so pregnant, we can't fully take advantage of all these holidays and do some traveling. But we have gotten out of the house a bit.


May 1 - May Day: It is very similar to the US's Labor Day, with the exception that almost everything is closed. In the US, a holiday means sales and all the stores open. Here, everyone is on holiday, the grocery stores, department stores, even the public transportation runs a more 'relaxed' schedule. Last year on May Day we went to Aachen to visit the family of one of Art's coworkers. This year we met a couple from church at a famous park here in Dusseldorf called the Volksgarten (people's garden). It is rumored to have lots of strange and cool statues and architecture as well as several lakes, playgrounds, and lots of green space. We met up with Christy and Eric Zwygart and their 6 week old son Stanton. It was not the best outing we've ever had. Zach peed through his clothes on the train ride to the park, then I had to change him into new clothes as it started raining, on the train platform. Then the Zwygarts needed to stop and feed their little guy, so we let Zach run around a meadow area. He came walking up to us like a robot when we noticed that he had peed through his pants again, and socks and shoes. This time as I was changing him, I noticed that in my hurry on the train platform, I made an "interesting" diaper malfunction that allowed all of the urine to completely bypass the clean/dry diaper and run directly down his leg. We had to let Zach run around in a shirt and a diaper while his less wet, yet still dirty, pants dried in the sunshine. Not at all embarrassing. After Stanton finished eating, he had a major poop, so we had to wait for them to change him, then Zach also pooped, so then another change for him. By the time our two kids were fed, clean, and dressed, we had spent about 45 minutes just at the entrance of the park. We started walking on to see some of the park's sights when a snack stand caught our eye. Another quick break of fries and ice cream. As we were finishing up, it started to rain a bit again, then a bit harder. Lucky for us, we were by a bridge overpass, so there was a large area we could stand beneath for shelter. Then it started lightning and hailing. Easily the worst storm we have seen in Dusseldorf. Zach of course got bored just standing under the shelter, and kept wanting to stand at the very edge where the rain was coming down, so he could catch it in his hands. We let him for awhile until he started getting too wet - no extra clothes now! It finally let up enough to venture out, and we all decided to forget the wonders of the park and head home. Not the most productive outing, but it was enjoyable to meet Stanton Zwygart and spend some time with Christy and Eric. We were all exhausted when we got home, and all crashed into bed before dinner.

May 2 - Since May Day, the actual holiday was on a Thursday, most businesses, including Art's, gave Friday off as well as a "bridge day". We had entertained the thought of taking the train up to Munster for the day, but after I was so exhausted and sore from the outing at the park, we decided to stay closer to home. The weather was not good, so we didn't do much besides a trip to the playground and the store.




May 12 - Yet another holiday! We had decided that we would have a relaxing morning at home, then after Zach's nap, we would take a picnic lunch to a massive playground that is on the 712 line on the way to our church. Then, mid-morning, Jake and Maddy Shaw called and invited us to do the same thing (picnic lunch at a park) with them, but at a different park - AND THEY WOULD DRIVE! So of course we took them up on it. Sudpark is massive and has an area w/ lots of animals you can pet/feed/etc. They had sheep and pigs and rabbits. Lots of geese wandering around as well. We had a nice picnic lunch in a shady goose-poop-filled area then headed to see the animals. Zach did touch the sheep, and practice his new found skill of saying "baaa" when asked what sound a sheep makes. He also liked the rabbits. There was one humongous rabbit that was in an area just to himself - I contend it was because he kept eating the other rabbits. Then off to a little water park area. Zach loved splashing around in the water - none of it is deep, nor are there slides or anything like that. He, Art, and Jake probably spent an hour just walking and splashing through all the different levels while Maddy and I chatted on a picnic blanket in the shade. I was getting pretty tired, as was Zach, so we headed back home. Again, all three of us went to bed until dinner.

May 22 - The last of this month's holidays. I was getting so big and uncomfortable at this point that going anywhere and doing anything did not really appeal to me on my "day off". So we had a splendidly relaxing morning with Art and I watching several episodes of Scrubs, and me taking a nap during Zach's nap. After lunch, Art took Zach to ride some trains. Zach had been begging for days to ride a train. As we would leave the apartment he would ask me "fwain?", and I would say, "nope, we're going to ride a bus", and he would give me a disappointed "oh". When Art and Zach got off the bus at the train station, Zach pointed downstairs to the "real" trains - apparently the trams are no longer cool enough for him. When Art started walking with him to the elevator to take them down to the train, Zach got very very excited. The two of them rode the train and watched other trains at the Hbf for some hours. I had a very relaxing time at home while they were gone! It was a great holiday for all of us.

May 23 - Since the May 22 holiday was on a Thursday, Art again got Friday, May 23rd as a "bridge day". He arranged to take a tour of an aluminum smelting plant in Essen. The tour was given by the S.O. of Art's coworker, Patricia. No pregnant ladies allowed, so Zach and I just followed our normal Friday routine of going to church for bible study, coming home and taking a 2 hour nap, then having a late lunch. So not much of a holiday for me. Art got home sometime after 4pm, having thoroughly enjoyed his holiday. His other co-worker, Abijit (sp?) and his wife also went along, so they all had lunch together afterwards.

May is a great month in Germany - so many holidays and bridge days!

May 16, 2008: 38 Weeks pregnant

One word: Uggh.
Our appointment went well this week - blood pressure is back up to normal, the baby is doing fine, and is a perfectly average size. The Dr. expects he will be about the same size Zach was when he was born ~ 7 lbs. I am feeling more and more cumbersome and taking longer and longer to complete tasks...though I can nap like a professional! :) Keep praying that the little guy (still no name as far as I'm concerned, though Art is set w/ his 'final selection') stays where he is until June 1st or after. I have a new pregnancy must have. For awhile it was Vla - the yummy Dutch pudding-like dessert. I still love the Vla, but I now cannot go a few hours with munching on some (generic brand) Fruit Loops. Hmmm, just thinking about them, I think I need a snack break. Some may recall my obsession with Toaster Strudels while pregnant with Zach. I do sometimes thing about them, but since I've never seen them here, it is pointless to dwell. It is odd though, because when we lived in the US, I did not like Fruit Loops at all. I never bought them, even though they were often on sale.

BTW, we have also been taking naked belly (NOT naked body) pictures for ourselves...but if anyone is particularly interested, I'll send you some. I think they make the belly look about twice as big.

Interesting story: Earlier this week Zach was looking at some pictures. He looked at one of me, then looked at me, then back at the picture, then patted my belly and did his "I don't know" shoulder shrug. I told him not to worry, that pretty soon, I won't have this giant belly anymore. Unfortunately I don't think that is good news for Zachary, since he does love to rest his head on my belly, and use it as an arm rest.

Our next appointment is not until May 28th.

May 9, 2008: 37 Weeks Pregnant

37 Weeks down, 3 to go. Three of the longest, most miserable weeks I can imagine at the moment! Uggh. I am generally uncomfortable all the time - sitting, lying down, lounging, walking, etc. Basicially, if I'm awake, I'm uncomfortable. The baby is getting big enough so that when he moves, it is borderline painful now instead of just interesting or uncomfortable. It is taking me forever to get to the stores and back b/c I walk so slowly. But hey, what else have Zach and I got to do? :) So, even though I am ready for this baby to come out, I am still hoping he will stay in the full 40 weeks, and even a few days past that! Yes, everyone thinks I am crazy for that. I am starting to get nervous about labor & delivery, my stay in a German hospital (language issues), and the effect on our family of adding another little guy. So you could keep us in your prayers for that - peace and even excitement for all of us.

Again, I am disappointed that these pictures do not reflect how large I feel. Perhaps I am being over-dramatic....perhaps. However, at our bible study this week, it was discovered that I can no longer tie my own shoes. Good thing it is now warm enough for slip-on shoes!

Zach is very helpful, and always helps me off the couch or chair. He grabs my hand and pulls with all of his weight. I think it is very cute, even if it is just barely helpful. His heart is in the right place! :)

I do feel badly for Art. He is taking on a much larger burden of household duties. I just can't get everything done, and he is been wonderful at taking up the slack - with no complaints even! I am trying to give him longer Civ playing privelidges to make up for his extra work.

My next appointment with the Dr. is on May 14th.

May 2, 2008: 36 Weeks Pregnant

Here I am at 36 weeks pregnant. My last doctor's appt went well. She said that while the baby is putting a lot of pressure on my cervix, that he is big enough and lungs developed enough that if I go into labor at any point now, the doctors will not try and stop it. She said if I want to make it to 40 weeks (which I do), then I need to continue to be careful lifting and carrying heavy things.

I feel like a beluga whale. I know that I feel much bigger than I look - mainly because I am disappointed that these pictures do not seem to adequately project my immense largeness. I think all the walking and chasing after Zach has kept me pretty fit during this pregnancy, but has also kept me more tired and sore. Pros and cons to everything.

Zach is still very interested in the belly, and likes to put his head on it when it's time for cuddles. If he is being rough, and I have to say "be gentle to mommy", he always rubs my belly and hugs it. Of course he is too little to understand what is going on.

Getting Ready for Baby

We are slowly getting everything ready for the arrival of our second son. Unfortunately the name selection is still going poorly, but we are taking care of other things.

Heirloom Cradle
Oom Hans and Tante Jop have loaned us their family cradle. Many many of the Hekking clan have slept there over 2 generations. Their generosity makes us feel like honorary Hekkings. We will be keeping the cradle in our room- 1) out of necessity in that it won't fit anywhere else, and 2) b/c I both want him nearby for night nursings and don't want him to wake up Zachary. We hope that we have positioned the cradle in such a way that the canopy will block out any light if we want to read in bed some. Art's only complaint is that the linens on the cradle are all pink stripes. I am trying to convince him that they are really red stripes that have just faded over the years! :) Luckily noone will know or care that our son is sleeping in pink. And honestly, so is Zach. His borrowed heirloom crib (hosting 3 generations of babies including Art's Mom) has outer walls that are blue and inner walls that are pink.

New (to us) Kinderwagen (stroller)
Yea!! After a year and a half of pining for a specific stroller- a Hartan Skater - we finally have one. Out of sheer conincidence, Art's co-worker had the exact model I've been wanting. Their youngest is now nearly 3, and they are not planning on another, so they agreed to sell us the stroller. Unbelievably for just 75 Euro. The stroller costs around 400 Euro new, which is exactly why we did not buy one. Plus, they also gave us the newborn attachment (like a Moses basket) as well, which generally you have to buy separately for over 100 Euro. We are very happy with it. It is quite big of course, but the ease of rolling it is wonderful. The downside is that it is difficult to carry if you have to (up and down stairs), but we are making due. Zach has already napped in it a few times, which is great b/c we can lie him completely flat and the foot rest raises to a horizontal position as well. Now all we need is to get a kiddy board for Zach to be able to stand on while the newborn is in the stroller.

Hospital
We have toured and registered at the EVK - our hospital of choice. I had to make an appointment with the Hebamme (midwife) to give her all our info, and ask questions. I was there a little over an hour, bombarding her with questions. Several things are the same here as they are in the US, but so many things are different. One good thing, is that we finally learned what the deal is with our insurance. We have private insurance in the sense that it is not government funded, but we do NOT have private insurance in the sense that the Germans talk about it. When they say "private insurance" they mean a higher caliber of insurance that pays for things like single rooms, the Chief of Medicine to deliver the baby, etc. Our insurance has the coverage of government funded insurance, which is says right there on the card (though we never read it - it's in German of course). So that explains some of the inconsistencies we've had. It also means that I can look forward to sharing a room, after delivery, with 1 or 2 other women and their babies. Sigh. The other thing that was odd was the lack of paperwork. From what I have seen, the Germans are sticklers for paperwork, and every single thing has to be recorded and printed out. Not so with the hospital. There was no paperwork, and the midwife took down all my info on an oversize index card. Clearly, she had a place in mind where info when on the card, b/c she would skip areas, and such, but still - very odd for Germans. She said that when I come to the hospital, they will pull my card and have all the info right there. So this large index card is effectively my chart. I am relieved though, b/c it does have my history on there as well - the bleeding I had after Zach was born is noted (she said b/c of this, they will be sure to have a Dr. as well as a midwife in during delivery, just in case), as is, oddly enough my hernia surgery I had when I was five. I had to ty and remember what side the repair was on - hopefully I was right.

Clothes
We brought back all the newborn clothes we had stored in ABQ, so that is a huge relief. We also have borrowed some long-sleeve and warmer clothes from some friends here...just in case it isn't quite as hot here as it was in ABQ. Now we just need to get the clothes organized and ready for him to come. I have been doing a lot of reorganizing, trying to get everything in order.

Let's see, what else....my hospital bag is loaded, but not closed yet - I keep adding things. I will probably be there 3 days, though I can stay for 5 if I'd like. We also borrowed a baby swing, which has been put together and is in place. We also have borrowed a Moses basket, but I don't really know if we'll use it. The owners are in the US until mid-June though, so we'll have a few weeks to see if we like it and use it.

I think that's it. Now if he'll just stay in for the full 40 weeks, that would be great...even though I am tired and getting increasingly uncomfortable...and pitiful. I now sit down to brush my teeth b/c standing is taxing! :)

Now all we need to really work on is a name for him!!! So difficult.

April-Dexter always cute when asleep

I do love sleeping pictures of Dexter. This one is doubly cute if you know the story behind it. Dexter was sleeping on the one pillow, and Zach brought the other pillow over to Dexter and covered him up, as though it were a blanket. Dex just accepted the gift and went back to sleep.

Zachary's April Showers

Just a few things that Zach has been doing this April.


Train of Trucks
Since coming back from the US after Christmas, Zach’s passion has been with cars, trucks, trains, and things that go – planes and helicopters are held in high esteem as well. On of the things he has enjoyed, much to our chagrin (we can no longer hang clothes/diapers on the radiator-warmed windowsill b/c Zach pulls everything off so he can play there) is lining his cars and trucks up on the windowsill. It has become a great play place for him. On this particular day, he must have been quite proud of the train of trucks he had made, b/c he pulled me out of the kitchen to have a look at his “fwain” (train), clearly very excited and proud.



Zach eating
Somewhat interesting thing we have noticed w/ Zach – he rarely uses his utensils the exact same way. For example, he generally eats cereal for breakfast in the morning, along w/ fruit, and when he feels like it, yogurt. Well, sometimes he eats w/ the spoon in his right hand, sometimes in his left, sometimes the entire handle is in his little fist, other times he gently holds on to the handle by the very tip (like in the picture). Just an odd quirk our boy has.



Zach with his big boy cup
While we were in the US for Staci & Creed’s wedding, Zach decided that he is too big for sippy cups and wants to drink only out of ‘big boy’ cups. So, we oblige, and endure the none-to-occasional spills. In his defense, the spills are usually from his not being aware of cup placement – hitting it with his elbow, accidentally setting it down on his fork, etc – and not spilling while he drinks it. We try and enforce the “two hands” rule. One day he caught on to the fact that he could hold the empty cup in his mouth w/ no hands – endless hilarity for him. At least it is incentive to finish his milk! In the last picture, Art has the milk carton and Zach is asking for more milk. What happens next is Art will ask “where does the milk go”, and Zach will point rapid-fire into his cup. Art loves this and encourages this at every opportunity. Zach does the pointing for his cereal bowl, and even tells you where on his plate he would like for you to put the sauce for dipping. He’s a pointer like his father.



Zach home videos
A new love for Zachary is to watch home videos of himself. He will sit and watch these for 20+ minutes. Some videos he does not enjoy and will quickly tell you, via sign language, that he is finished with that one. He does not at all like any of him crying, they distress him. He also has no interest in the ones where he is a little baby of 2 months old. He will see something familiar in a video, and point it out. For example, there is a video of him dancing, but in the bottom of the screen, his big dump truck is clearly visible. So every time he sees the dancing video, he is prompted to go get his dump truck and bring it back to have with him while watching the video. Tonight he did the same thing with his juice when the “baby” in the movie was drinking juice.