The color of Lydia's world

Tomorrow morning we are boarding a plane and (in the words of Lydia) flying from "orange Czech Republic to yellow America" -- their respective colors on our map. When I ask Lydia who we will see in America, Andrea's cat, Oscar, and Grandma Verbrugge's cat, Daisy, top the list. But don't worry grandparents... We (the adults) are excited to see YOU! ;-) So think of us tomorrow as we traverse the friendly skies. Hopefully Mr. Marcus will be quite oblivious to the experience and Miss Lydia will be as compliant and self-entertaining as is possible in her little nearly three-year-old world.

We look forward with great anticipation to spending time with as many of our friends and family as possible. We will be in Maryland for the first five days of our trip, and on to Iowa for the remaining nine. It will be the first time most of our family will meet Marcus and that they have seen Lydia in a year.

So Merry Christmas (Veselý Vánoce) to all, whether this side of the ocean or the other! With love and wishes for a wonderful holiday season as we celebrate Jesus' birth.

Pass the salt, please.

I think we've found our cure for the wintertime blues. A mom in our playgroup introduced us to a "salt cave". It's a small room that has been converted to a salty wonderland. The floor and walls are covered in salt crystals and the ceiling has salt crystal stalagtites. There are about 8 beach chairs for adults to relax while the kids play in the salt with the sand toys turned salty toys. Supposedly there are a bundle of health benefits to this, including the cure-all for runny noses and coughs. Whatever. I'm just excited about the prospect of a way to deal with Prague's eternal winter.



Lydia informed me on the way home that "there wasn't any pepper, just salt." And just to cover all bases "there wasn't any sugar". Hmmm.... now THAT'S an idea.....


"Ta-Daaaa!"


Taken from the website... Ok, it makes the room look a TAD bigger than it really is. Oh well, it was still pretty cool.

Oh, Christmas Tree

I am learning that Czech and American Christmas trees are a lot like people. Czech trees are just a bit (should I say?) less, well.... "full". Yes, even the artificial variety is sparse enough for the viewer to see through to the trunk. After last year's not-so-pleasant experience with a "real" Czech Christmas tree, and taking into account we will be in the States for 2 weeks surrounding Christmas, I decided to throw in the towel and go for fake. All in all the experience has been every bit as painful. The first tree to grace our doorsteps dropped just as many needles on my floor as a real tree. Only to discover that it was defective and the three tree sections didn't fit together. The thought of trying to explain this in Czech to the supermarket employee was enough to make me lose my Christmas pudding. So, I sent Brandon in for cleanup duty. He came home with another brand of tree. This one didn't drop needles and even has fake dead branches scattered about. Even slightly more sparse than the first tree, it was nothing that a few lights and ornaments couldn't fix. It's charming in it's own way. And in the words of Lydia, "It's VERY SO beautiful!" That's all that matters......


Efficient multi-tasker that she is, is there a better way to survey one's handiwork than on the port-o-potty? I knew the bad influence of the Czech construction workers would wear off on her sooner or later...

Passport? Check! (not Czech)

Looks like Marcus can come with us to the States for Christmas. Whew! Didn't know how he'd do home alone.


To answer the many questions: No, Marcus is not a Czech citizen. Yes, Marcus IS an American citizen. Although he has both Czech and American birth certificates, he only has an American passport. His passport is good for 5 years, which means his passport will have his picture as a 6 week old baby even though he is five. How they will verify his ID by looking at the photo is a bit humorous. Hopefully he will have a bit more hair and a bit less fat in the cheeks by then. He also applied for and received his Czech visa this week, so it looks like he can stay!

Following in his big sister's footsteps...

Marcus is becoming quite an impressive little American. In the words of the doctor at his 2 month checkup he is "big and heavy" (that's a quote), weighing 6kg (13.2lb) and measuring 60cm (23.5in). No puny kiddies in our house, no sir-ee.

This one is for the Grandmas....

We love you and are excited to see you (and Grandpas too)!!!

How'd they get His address?

Sadly, most Czech people know Jesus only as Baby Jesus, the little baby who magically appears each year at Christmas to bring you gifts. Sort of like a baby version of Santa Claus, but dressed very ornately. However, as sad as this is, it can be a bit humorous at times. Last year we were introduced to the Jesus phone booth, where you can call him up and make your requests. This year we stumbled upon Jesus' Post Office. How they managed to get His mailing address is astounding... maybe they used Yahoo People Search, after all you can find everything on the internet.

Milestone #2

Hey, I'm on Cloud 9! I've gotta tell someone about it... Marcus slept through the night last night! 8:30pm-6:00am. Yippee!!!! Oh yeh! Woo-hoo!!! You have no idea how much I needed just one night of uninterrupted sleep. I know, I know, it may not happen again for weeks, but at least I know he can do it. I'm smiling all over.

This evening brought to you by Daddy, proud sponsor of Mommy's First Night Out

Just you n' me kid!

When Shanna called to see if I'd like to join a group of ladies for dinner and a ballet I was a bit hesitant. Would Brandon be up to the task of solo daddy-hood? Would I actually be able to relax and have a good time? Turns out the answer was "Yes" and "Yes". After giving Brandon specific instructions on Marcus' routine, I hopped in my car and took a deep breath. Normal life is beginning to resurface! I met the group at the restaurant for a great dinner and conversation. Then we headed over to the theatre where we would be watching "Romeo and Juliet". My first ballet experience, I didn't know what to expect. It turned out to be quite enjoyable -- apparently it was modern ballet.

I also found it quite humorous at times. For example, did you know you can have a fist fight, sword fight, and kill another guy with a gun and all the while continue to dance? And apparently, while one is suffering from mortal gun shot wounds, there is still plenty of time to leap and twirl all while your friends look on and even occasionally join in the dance. Hello, would someone please call 911 already?!?

All kidding aside, I had an amazing time. Brandon came through like a hero, proving his ability. When's the next girls' night out? I'm ready!!!


National Theatre, Prague




See those little specks waaaaaaaaay down there? Those are the dancers. Hey for $1.25 (I'm serious!) you really can't complain when you find yourself in the nosebleed section. Gotta LOVE Czech Republic prices.

Don't worry, Grandma!

I let this woman take care of my kids.... ALONE!
(Love ya, Sunny!)

Music and Sunshine

A glimpse into our Thursday morning routine...

My friend, Shanna, introduced me to this great music class. It's led by a Czech woman and attended my moms and their kids from around the world. Lydia loves it and actually lets me help her perform the actions... a real rarity. The class is an hour long and ends with a simple craft. All for $7. Gotta love Czech prices. Couldn't scrounge up a bargain like that in Baltimore for your life!

So where does the sunshine come in? Well, let me introduce you to Sunshine "Sunny" Evans. If I could sum her up in a word, it would be just that: Sunshine. She is a missionary here in Prague, a longstanding member of our church fellowship and a blessing to our family, especially since the arrival of Marcus. She's willing to drop everything and trek out to our house on a moment's notice so I can do things like take Nellie to the groomer, make doctor appointments or just maintain my sanity on nights when Brandon is away. This week, she volunteered to come to music class with us just to help hold Marcus so that I can focus on Lydia and really enjoy the class with her without being distracted. I didn't even have to ask her to do this... she just saw the need and asked if she could help in this way. The world needs more Sunshine! ;-)


Everybody loves Sunny!


Crashin' Music Class: Shanna, Clark, Sunny, Marcus and Lydia


Ok, so maybe Mommy gets into the Hokey Pokey a tad more than Lydia. But Lydia is having a LOT more fun than this picture portrays...

Mrs. Grumpy Pants

I was seriously yelled at by a Czech granny today. No, not because I was feeding my baby formula instead of breastfeeding. No, not because my children were not appropriately bundled in 3 layers of winter wear plus long underwear. Then why? Because the back wheels of my car were in the crosswalk. Yep, as I was waiting in my car for the sitter to come down from her flat with Lydia, a grandmotherly woman approached my car, knocked on the window and angrily pointed out my offense (while my window was still up!). I nodded. She repeats, growing more agitated. So, I roll down my window and nod and smile, saying "Ano" (Yes). Now she is REALLY upset and the hand gestures are increasing. Finally, attempting to quell the situation I apologetically say, "Mluvim Anglicky. Promiente." (I speak English. I'm sorry.) Nope, didn't work. She persists, spewing forth Czech at an alarming rate. So I try "Miminko tady". (Baby here). Ok, Lydia's a child, not a baby, and maybe I said it with more vehemence than that, but it didn't have any effect anyway. Marcus was screaming hysterically in the backseat and I had decided I had had enough. So, I tell her "Moment" trying to buy some time and attempt to roll up the window. That did it. Now she threatened to call the police! And would you believe it? Just then a police car rolls by!!! No joke! She starts pointing and trying to get them to stop. Thankfully they just ride by so I put my car in gear and she finally leaves the side of my car. I pulled ahead into a spot reserved for bank customers for the duration of the wait. All this in a span of 3 minutes...an eternity!

Thanksgiving in Prague

Yes, we managed to have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. In fact, it was SO fun we're doing it again on Saturday!

Our friends, Phil and Shanna Davis (see link at right) are missionaries in Prague who also happen to have the gift of hospitality. They frequently open their home to 30+ guests for birthdays, holidays, or any other number of reasons to celebrate. In preparation, I hit the "secret" potraviny (small market) I discovered that consistently carries sweet potatoes and proceeded to buy them out. Fourteen sweet potatoes later, I was one smug little foreigner. I walked out of there feeling the need to hide my find under my coat lest the competition be alerted and my sweet potato source dries up. (Just kidding -- If you ask nicely I'll give you directions to the shop... for a price ;-)

We also agreed to cook one of the 4 turkeys for the dinner. (I use the term "we" loosely as I have nothing to do with Turkey-prep. That's Brandon's gig.) All I have to say about that is: Turkeys that come with some feathers and a VERY long neck still attached are NASTY. This year for Thanksgiving I am thankful for my brave husband and his very sharp knife. Blech.

We had a wonderful time and dinner was great--including peach, apple and pumpkin pie. Thanks Phil & Shanna! Lydia was most excited because Lucy (the Davis' daughter) has a Snow White dress that she could wear all night long.

Saturday evening we will celebrate Thanksgiving #2 with our church fellowship. The Europeans will likely outnumber the Americans. Let's see how the Europeans handle our holiday of mass food consumption!

Redefining "Base Model"

Brandon's car is at the mechanic so he has a loaner car for 2 days. Imagine his surprise when he got into the car and noticed there is not only no CD player or tape deck, but no RADIO! His response (echoed by me 30 minutes later): "You can DO that? They really MAKE a car without a radio?!?!" Needless to say, Brandon was alone with his deep thoughts for the duration of his one-hour drive home.

When he left for work this morning he was sure to take his I-pod AND headphones.


A side note: The reason his car is in repair is because the emissions light is on. Funny thing is the loaner car has the SAME light on. Gives a person great confidence in the mechanic's ability to fix the problem, now doesn't it.....

We get around...

The streets of Prague have not been the same since Lydia gave up her seat for Marcus and began traversing the city via her boogie board.

So, I've got this friend... who has a friend...

...who was coming to Prague on his honeymoon and he packed 3 cans of infant formula for Marcus! Stop and think about that for a moment... this guy who doesn't even know me, packed THREE cans of formula in his honeymoon suitcase!

Wow. That's all, just WOW. I, for one, am sure glad he got married...

Mommy's Little Helper

Week 5 and she's turning into quite a good big sister!

The Princess' New Clothes

When Lydia pretends she's a princess she puts on all of her necklaces, bracelets go on her upper arms, her paper crown is in place and she carries her 3 stick balloons. Not sure why this qualifies as princess garb, but Lydia tends to redefine "princess" anyway. Today the princess was a streaker and more than happy to say "cheese" for Mommy's camera. Oh dear.

Think this pic might show up again someday at Princess Lydia's wedding?!?

When you care enough to send the very best...

Look what arrived today. It's Virtual Grandma-in-a-box! Or in the case of this particular Grandma, it's Grandma-in-a-perfectly-sized-ziploc-baggie-labeled-with-the flavor-and-complete-with-appropriate-rations-of-Knox-gelatin. Now if she could just find a way to telepathically make it... I'm not nearly as finger jello production motivated as Grandma.

Upon seeing the box Lydia exclaimed "I want jew-woa, pleeeeease Mommy." Who could deny that plea? Thanks Grandma Brugge!!! Friday is going to be a very exciting jell-o day around here...

Milestone #1

Ok. So we have to work on smile coordination a bit, but you can't deny those are "real" smiles!!!

Cuddle Baby

"It's totally, like, psychadellic, Dude!"

VeggieTales' "Jonah" takes on a whole new look when viewed with shades...

(Thanks Aunt Robin for Jonah... Lydia's "Most-requested Movie of the Year". Lydia is blessed with the coolest aunts in the world!)

One Cool Cat

This is what happens when you receive a package from your Aunts Liz and Emily!

Missin' Grandma

Grandma left today after 2 weeks in Prague helping us and Lydia adjust to Baby Marcus. It was such a blessing to have her here keeping the house running in a normal fashion. We will each miss something in particular about Grandma... Lydia is going to miss her personal play slave and the daily production of finger jell-o; Brandon is going to miss the sanity of his wife that his Mom enabled; Marcus is surely going to miss his hours and hours of cuddles; As for me -- I will sorely miss my chief cook, bottle washer and magical laundry/ironing fairy. She actually said (and this is a quote): "I love to do laundry." And about ironing: "It's FUN!" No joke!

We love you Mom/Grandma.

Swingin'

Lillian: Marcus says "Thanks for loaning me your cool swing!"

We're Home!!!

Wednesday was the big day. Because Marcus' weight had stayed the same for 2 days and my iron levels are still very low, it looked like we'd have to stay until Thursday. But Brandon managed to "negotiate" our early release by promising to have Marcus seen by a pediatrician before the end of the week. Our release was not without flaws or typical Czech delays but we were able to leave around noon and it felt SO good to walk out of the hospital!

Lydia was SO happy to see Mommy again. She just kept giving me hugs and asking me to play with her. She pretty much ignored Marcus except for a quick glance at him in the car seat. So far she doesn't have a lot of interest in him but I suppose that will change once he isn't sleeping 18 hours a day!

The Thinker

The View From Here

When I looked out my window this morning I saw the craziest thing...

Mmmmmmm.....

Brandon is questioning the sanitary aspects of recycling baby poo.... Anything can become a Czech dish if you add massive quantities of garlic!

Marcus' Debut

The Czech Diet "Workhorse"...

BREAD!

Hospital food at its finest. Now for a truly well-balanced diet, just add "pivo" (beer).


Breakfast


Lunch

Can you guess what is for dinner?!?!

Labor at 3:00 am

Mommy


Daddy 30 minutes later....

Momma would've survived the prairie after all!

Many of you know the story already, so I won't bore you with all the details. Just a quick recap:

Friday 9:00 am - Dr. says no chance of "spontaneous delivery"; cervix is closed tight; scheduled c-section for Sat. morning at 11:00

Friday 12:00 pm - Mommy is out to the grocery store stocking up for her family and their week sans-Mommy post c-section

Friday 7:30 pm - Contractions start; go to hospital and am admitted

Saturday 5:00 am - Doctor asseses Mommy; sees very little progress over the past 9 hours; agress to one more hour of trial labor and then insists on proceeding with a c-section at 7:00 am if no progress is seen

Saturday 6:30 am - Out of sheer frustration and hopelessness, Mommy tells Daddy to call the Dr. to proceed with c-section; Doctor arrives, does assessment and her jaw drops as she discovers I am 9cm dilated! No choice but to proceed! Mommy starts to cry.

1-1/2 hours later: Very difficult delivery leaves Mommy with severe battle wounds and an intense forceps delivery with the umbilical cord tight around his neck but big "little" Marcus Lee Verbrugge arrives into the world weighing 9 lb. 4 oz.

God worked so many miracles I have lost count. From imminent c-section to spontaneous labor; Back to imminent c-section resulting in delivery; A safe & successful vaginal birth after ceasarean; Angels surrounding our little boy as the cord was wrapped around his neck...

Am I surprised? Not a bit! We had a legion of prayer warriors literally around the world and a host of angels protecting us all. PRAISE BE TO GOD!

(I apologize that we're still working on pics and will post some asap!)

I Ain't No Prairie Momma...

In Brandon's famous last words, I guess I would've been "one of 'em who died on the prairie". This statement is backed by two instances: Lydia's breech position, and now my body's apparent ignorance when it comes to taking the next step in making it possible for this little guy to make his appearance. So, we are scheduled for a c-section delivery tomorrow morning.

I am learning to accept this fate and all that it entails. But I am also confident that the time has come, especially when Lydia has been heard proclaiming on a regular basis that "Mommy's body hurts". Guess the little ones are more perceptive than we think...

Good news is: Tomorrow "he" will be here. So, check back soon!!!

"I'm a broccoli monster!"

Did you hear the one...

about the Czech construction workers who asked a certain pregnant American's babysitter if the woman she babysits for is expecting twins?

Yeh. That was a good one....

Toilets in the Sky

For the sake of "art", why not? This was part of a recent art exhibit in downtown Prague. Apparently, when viewing this lovely work of art, one is supposed to be reminded of the negative impact of urban sprawl and how we, as cities, are not doing enough to protect our green spaces. Yep. That's what I thought too....

A Taunting from Cyberspace

I have been receiving weekly newsletters throughout the pregnancy from a site called Babycenter.com. Here's what came today... nothing like a "friendly" reminder that my little guy is still snugly tucked away in my belly!


Hello from BabyCenter!
Your Newborn

Welcome home! Right now, your new baby won't be doing much besides nursing every two to three hours and sleeping off and on around the clock. You may be feeling a little shell-shocked. That's normal — and it's your cue to take it easy. Your main job right now is to tend to your post-delivery aches and pains, learn how to breastfeed, and shower your baby with love. Concentrate on those basics, and when your baby drifts off to sleep try to grab a catnap yourself — the laundry can wait.

As I look around our house this morning, all I can see is growing mountains of laundry. Since we're still in a "blissful" holding pattern (ahem, sarcasm)... guess I'll go start a load and finish the ironing while I'm at it.

Fit for a Prince

See what you can do with the corner of a home office, an Ikea bed and the limited baby decor selection in the Czech Republic? (How many hours did I spend analyzing bed skirts for Lydia's crib? Let's not talk about that...)

Ok, so the letters on the wall were ordered from America but I didn't want to confuse the poor little guy with a picture of a house by the letter "D" or a dog by the letter "P"! The final touches... handmade baby quilts and a bed skirt from Gramma and "Gramma Great" are making their trek across the ocean. Diapers have been stockpiled and clothing is washed. Now, will someone please let the little guy know he is welcome to come any day... and soon?!?

Gardens Galore

Next stop: Troja Palace. Again, mainly for the "fountain fix" but we did manage to briskly walk through the interior of the palace and view lots and lots of paintings. (And with only TWO admonishments from the Czech room monitors! Those of you who are raising children in the Czech Republic know what a feat this is!!! Once for touching the printed text information signs, once for having her feet on the bench she was sitting on.) Thankfully, most of the paintings were of animals and not naked people ... a much more interesting viewing experience for a toddler!


Think this guy had a thing for statues?!?


The view is great from up here...

What have we been up to?

Well, Mommy has been nesting... and nesting.... and nesting. I've built quite a nest! You should see the storage closet, and the formerly tornado-strewn office, and the laundry room, and Lydia's toy room.......

Other than that we've been hitting some famous gardens in Prague. This seems to be Lydia's favorite past time as they generally include fountains, flowers, statues and maybe even a peacock, fish and ducks. She even managed to convince the babysitter to head out on a walk to the "garden" not realizing the garden is a 20 minute drive away. Poor Nina (our sitter)... unknowingly headed out on the trek, thinking the garden was just outside. Needless to say, Lydia wasn't happy when Nina eventually gave up on EVER finding the garden and turned her around to head back home!














Inside Wallenstein Castle garden... Built a long, long time ago by some important military guy who got too big for his britches and ended up executed by the Emporer.














Lydia and Fountain #1 of 4. Yes, those are coffee stains on her shirt. The girl LOVES coffee and isn't afraid to tell you: "I LOVE coffee. I eating coffee." Her drink of choice (she HAS no choice since mommy is ordering)... Decaf Caffe Latte with skim milk, 2 sugars and sprinkled with cocoa powder. "Train up a child in the way he should go....". ;-)

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An example of why Prague is nicknamed the "City of 1,000 Spires". Note the cool rock/stalagtite wall in the bottom of the picture. That's one of the walls in the Wallenstein Castle garden.