Sun comes with new beginnings!

Spring is coming!!  We are so excited that the sun peeks through and warms things up for bit every few days or so.  The temperature has been shifting from 50's with rain to 70's with sun and back to 50's so many times but I think it stays 70's longer lately.  We are so ready. :)  Jakob got a summer hat and a bathing suit and he's ready to use them!

At the end of the March we took a short Easter long weekend getaway to Deiva Marina, Italy.  Unfortunately, the weather turned for the worse and it rained everyday except one.  So all we could do was walk along the beach in the rain.  Not exactly what I was hoping for.  There was a huge aquarium in Genoa and we thought Easter would be the perfect day to go because everything else would be closed and people would be with their families.  Well, we were totally wrong.  It turned out to be the place to go and was packed and not to mention the weather was beautiful.  A perfect day to play on the beach (not in Genoa)!  It took us almost an hour to find parking outside of the city and then there was a 30 min wait to get into the aquarium and inside there were so many people is was hard to move.  Luckily, Jakob is still small enough to slither through everyone and get up front so at least he had a good time. He loved the sharks and after learning the word everything was a shark after that. That morning Jakob got a small Easter basket with some goodies. We colored eggs the day before when we were stuck inside. So we had a good breakfast while Jakob enjoyed his goodies. Since I couldn't find any plastic eggs to fill with things I sewed some felt together on the drive over to make eggs with pockets. He found the chocolate inside and some even had toys! Nothing too big because we don't really want that to become the point of the holiday but he got some sidewalk chalk, scissors, a 1chf plastic flying disk thing and a small magnetic fishing pole with a few fish. Plenty and he knew exactly how to use the scissors and break into the chocolate eggs thanks to school. :) The drive up was actually pretty enjoyable but the drive home was terrible. We were told Easter is the worst holiday time to drive through the Gotthard tunnel and boy were they right. 2-3 hours later we finally got through and made it home a little after Jakob's bedtime. Not exactly ideal especially since we all had work/school the next day but we made it.

The weekend after we went to celebrate Easter again with the family of the 3yr old girl and our friend Sarah. We did a little arts and crafts, an Easter egg hunt, let the kiddos open a few more goodies and then had brunch. Luckily Paul's mom sent us a little Easter package that included some plastic eggs! So I was really happy Jakob could do a little hunt. They have metal ones here already filled with gross 'jelly beans' but they are a lot harder to open and are still not cheap. But I wanted to see him hunt so bad and he was a lot better than I expected him to be! After a few points he got the idea and kept looking. We had to direct him a few times because sticks are obviously more fascinating and at one point he decided he needed to get rid of all his eggs and just started dropping them out of his basket. But once he realized they had candy in them (one busted open) he decided he should probably keep them. It was a fun celebration!

The last couple of weekends have been pretty low key. Even though we haven't planned much we still can't seem to get all the cleaning and errands done. Since Sat is our only day for all of it, it gets old and exhausting. I don't mind that things aren't open on Sunday but when I can't do laundry or vacuum and the like it gets annoying. And I guess me feeling under the weather for the last month hasn't helped things. But there's an explanation...

Jakob's going to be a big brother! It's all becoming a little more real now since I told work but we are really excited. Everything points to a very healthy baby so far- so thankful. Hopefully, we'll find out if it's a boy/girl in a month (me and our moms are crossing our fingers for a girl against the odds). The baby is due November 3 when Jakob will be just shy of 3 years. A great age difference in our opinion especially since school is making Jakob an awesome walker. On a perfect day he can walk for 15-20 min. But I told work I think it's best I stay home for 6 months (16 weeks are paid) and they didn't seem like it would be unreasonable. I plan to also ask to come back at 80% for the cleaning/errands issue mentioned above and spending time with my babies of course. I'm so thankful I have a job to go back to. Because of it I can spend so much one on one time with this new baby while Jakob is at school/daycare. I'm really looking forward to it. Paul should be finished with his PhD no later than this time next year. So he's starting to plan what he'll do next. He's gotten some great leads/offers and has some things to decide about the direction he wants to go.  It will be nice though when he's finishing that I'll be a bit more flexible and he can stay late to work on things.

All fun stuff! I am so excited for my trip to the states in June. I know I'll be very tired flying with Jakob alone but it will be worth it. This will be the first time I've been to Tallahassee pregnant. I'm so happy I can have some memories of sharing/celebrating this pregnancy in my hometown with people I don't see very often.  And Paul is really excited for his guy vacation.  Our extended winter has probably made a few of his ideas not plausible but he'll still have a great time with his buddies.  I'm glad he can have this special time and I can do the same.  Lately, I have been feeling really lucky and blessed about where we are in life.  So thankful.  :)

Zermatt, fondue, and more snow

Ok ok, so I guess I've gotten really bad at updating. I take so many pictures that sometimes it's overwhelming to go through them and sort and post. But here it goes!

Sicknesses have left! Not long after we came back from the states, Jakob got an ear infection (double) bad enough that the doc immediately have him antibiotics (finally). He was MUCH happier after that and his lingering cough finally went away. Paul got antibiotics for his sinus infection but it turned out that I probably needed the antibiotics. The doc wouldn't give me any though (even after 2 visits a week apart)- just some super strong meds so I could stop coughing at night and actually sleep. At least they worked.

For a weekend getaway in mid-Feb we headed to Zermatt to finally see the Matterhorn. It was a little spontaneous but the weather was supposed to be perfect. So we took the opportunity and found a great little hotel and had an exciting weekend. Jakob loved the snow and always loves going away from home and we took in the stunning views. While we were there I found the cutest stuffed puppy that Jakob just had to have... Ok maybe it was more for me but he loves it now. He holds it while winding down in the evening and before going to bed he gives it tons of kisses and calls the other parent in to give it kisses and take it while he sleeps. It's so adorable.

Recently we started going to a church at the hauptbahnhof. We went once last November and liked it but our weekends got super busy for the holidays and sicknesses took over. So after finally getting back into our routine we went back and the day we went back they talked about baby dedication and I knew immediately we'd be participating (and I'm pretty sure Paul did too). We've wanted to do it for awhile but didn't have the opportunity. So a couple Sundays ago Jakob was dedicated. It was great and we are so proud he is our son (even if he was running up and down the halls and riding the elevators while we wanted to chat). :) The pastor and his wife helped us dedicate him and we chose Romans 12:2 for his life verse since it illustrates hope and gives him guidance- which he very much needs.  Then I went to a girls night last weekend with the girls from the church and that was fun.  I'm glad we're finally getting into a good, fun group of people that hopefully we can get to know like family here.  Here's a clip from his dedication and some pictures.

Baby dedicatons Part 3 Jacob from C3 Zurich on Vimeo.

A couple weekends ago we had some people over for dinner who just moved here from Minnesota.  They have a 3 year old daughter and she and Jakob were having the greatest time jumping on the couch.  Guess it was only a matter of time... ;)  Then we went over to some friends' place for brunch the next morning.  So we are finally trying to get out and visit with more people.

Paul's birthday was last week.  I made him a huge carrot cake (and thankfully he saved me a piece because it was so good) and gave him a chair for camping/hiking that he wanted but wasn't going to spend the money on.  He and Jakob have been sitting it in and playing in it every evening so far.  We also went out to dinner for his birthday to a japenese restaurant that sounded good.  It was pretty good but a long trek for the same stuff we can find closer to us.  Jakob wasn't an angel but I guess he could have been a lot worse.  We decided for our anniversary in a couple months we'll get a babysitter- something we haven't done in almost 2 years.  It's just so much more relaxing when you aren't chasing your kid around the restaurant or holding him down in his seat.

This weekend we are taking it easy.  Jakob got a haircut and Paul is having a guy day tasting beer most of the day starting at 9am.  I don't mind though even if I have to do all the laundry.  At least I can finish this blog and start taxes!  ;)  Oh, and some fun news: I bought plane tickets to FL for June!!  I'm so excited.  I'll be flying with Jakob by myself but I'll just bring A LOT of movies.  Since Paul and his buddies are going on a road trip, it was going to be hectic for me to work and take care of Jakob since my commute is so far.  So I decided to spend the cash and go!  It will only be for 10 days but it's better than nothing.  Jakob's going to stay with Paul's mom for some days while I take a road trip of my own to see my good friends and some new babies!  We are both going to have SO much fun.

Ok, well I think that's a decent update.  I promise the next one will come much sooner.  My work is going well and so is Paul's.  Paul's thinking one more year and then he'll be a doctor with a real job but we'll see.  Spring is so close but the snow still comes and goes.  Once the snow leaves for good I think everyone will be in a much better mood!