Berlin, Germany

I have been meaning to blog for the whole past week and just never seem to find time! We had another exciting weekend November 5th and 6th! We flew to Berlin, Germany!!!! Emily did better on the flights this time…Hopefully she’s getting used to flying and will be prepared for our LONG flight HOME in 31 DAYS!!!!! (not that I’m counting…)

We had to get up at 2:30am again! We left in a taxi at 3:30am and were at the airport at 4:30am for our 6:30 flight. When we arrived in Berlin, we found the train station and finally figured out how to take a train to the area of our hotel. That was all but impossible to figure out! Germany’s train stations are not very well marked. It didn’t help that we don’t speak any German, so had a hard time asking for help. We finally found a worker who was able to help us though! We checked in to our hotel and then went to McDonalds for a quick lunch. I had a veggie burger at McDonalds!!! It was very interesting!!!! I was really happy to try it, but I’m not sure I would get it again…It was very different from the veggie burgers I’ve had in the past! Then we met Joana and Leni!!!! Joana is a friend from Key Largo, FL. We were interns together at Island Dolphin Care. (We also met in London awhile back when we were both pregnant.) We were so excited for Emily and Leni to meet! The girls share a birthday!!!! I think that is so neat!!! Leni was 3 weeks early and Emily was 12 days late. I think they just wanted to have the same birthday!

We walked around and explored Kurfurstendamm street, going in several stores to look around. Phillip bought a cuckoo clock!!!! He really wanted to get one in Germany. They are made in the Black Forest area though, which is pretty far from Berlin. He got really lucky because there was only one store in the area that carried Black Forest cuckoo clocks and they only got them the week before!!!! Lucky! We picked out a small one that’s really pretty! He was so excited! Joana and I wore the babies in their front carriers and both babies slept most of the afternoon. They were both so good! Then we went back to the hotel to feed the babies and hang out for a little while. We were excited to get pictures of the girls together! They really watched each other…it was adorable!!! Joana is so sweet and I truly hope we can always keep in touch. It was so great to see her and her adorable baby girl, Leni!!!

That evening, Phillip and I wandered around the shops a little more and then went to Hard Rock Café for dinner. We love that place! Phillip likes to collect their shot glasses! It’s pretty neat to have one from so many different countries now!

Emily slept great in the hotel again! We are so lucky for that!!!!! Once again, she looked so tiny in that huge crib! :-) We got up early the next morning because our hotel had a complimentary hot breakfast. I LOVE breakfast foods, so was really excited about that! Then we took off for another busy day! We went to the Berlin Wall first. There is a long section of it that still stands and artists have painted incredible murals on it. A lot of the murals represent peace and freedom. It was fascinating to see the Wall! Then we went to Checkpoint Charlie, one of the few places where people were able to cross from one side to the other. After that, we actually had McDonalds again…it was the only fast thing around and we didn’t have much time to waste eating! I was excited though because they had breakfast and lunch available. I got a McGriddle!!! I love those things! (I really miss breakfast around here. I didn’t get breakfast out at home very often, but it was a real treat when I did. I tried in England, but they don’t have McGriddles or biscuits!!! McDonalds breakfast isn’t worth getting without those! Haha!)

We walked around and explored some more that afternoon, then headed back to the hotel to get our stuff and check out. Then we began the long trip back home…train to airport, flight back, taxi home. It was another really great weekend!!! So glad we made it to Germany!!!!!

This past weekend, we stayed home! I admit it was really nice to not have to get up at 2:30am!!!!!!!!!! Phillip studied a lot. Emily and I tried to stay out of his way, so we stayed in the bedroom a lot. I enjoyed relaxing, playing with my sweet little baby girl, and reading my Nook. Phillip enjoys Pediatrics, but is working much longer hours during Peds than with the other rotations. He gets home later, which means we have a later dinner, he plays with Emily for awhile, studies too late, which means getting to bed too late, and Emily wakes him up too early! He is worn out! We joke that Emily is our alarm clock and she keeps going off too early! We try to tell her we’ve pushed snooze, but that doesn’t work!

Monday afternoon, Emily had a babysitter for the first time!!! Our friend Ricky watched her while Phillip was working and I went to a doctor appointment. (Ricky had the afternoon off, so it worked out great!) We totally trust Ricky and I wasn’t worried about leaving Emily with him, but it still felt so weird to leave her! I’ve only ever been without her a couple of times and then she was with Phillip! Ricky said Emily was an angel! She slept in his arms most of the time I was gone! So sweet! :-)

Emily and I have been going for walks lately when the weather is decent. Saturday, we walked 2 laps around the hospital grounds. That’s approximately 2 miles. We did the same thing Sunday! Tuesday, we walked a mile to the grocery store, bought a few groceries, and walked back. I only bought what I could put in a backpack. I wear Emily in the front carrier for our walks and wore the backpack full of groceries too. I’m sure I looked pretty funny, but I was excited that I managed to do it! :-)

Tuesday evening, we went to the Red Lion for dinner. Dr. H. (the head of the Pediatrics department and the one in charge of AUC students) invited all the students there for dinner and drinks! That was so nice!!! We really enjoyed the evening with everyone! Dr. H. also gave us a baby gift. She had the cutest jeans for Emily. They have little flowers on them! There is a shirt to match too…the shirt is pink with flowers and butterflies. She also gave us a white shirt with frilly blue trim and a pink sleep suit with elephants. They are all so cute and it was so nice of her! Emily enjoyed the dinner too…she got passed around the table and everyone held her! They were all excited to see her!