I've Been ...

reading ... i found a used English book store a few weeks ago and bought about 7 books. i finished these two and highly recommend them both.

i'm currently reading this one, and it's pretty good. i've liked all the oprah book club books so far, so i think i'll order them if i can't find them here. i see there's lots on the list since the last time i checked.

baking ... oatmeal cookies, apple muffins and these awesome chocolate chip cookies. i finally had to give them to the boy to take to eat at work, because i had no will power at all, could not just have one or two at a time. :)

making ... my cousin's daughters wedding invitations... 250 of them!! i didn't realize they needed so many when i offered to make them, but i got them done finally! they will be getting married in romania, and we are planning to go. it's about a 3 hour drive, so we will just go and come back the same day. i love romania (on the top of my list of fondest vacation memories) but i don't really want to deliver there!! :))) i blurred the details in the invite, but you get the idea. the original sample i made had the ribbon woven through the paper at the top; it was the bride's idea to have the bow at the corner. attending ... prenatal class, and so glad i did. there were 4 sessions: "giving birth in hungary", "labour", "newborn care". and "breastfeeding." i learned a lot (so much to know!!). i've also been going to a mommy-baby group every week. it's been great meeting other expat moms (from all over; swedish, german, american, asian, english) and again, hearing their experiences and getting lots of great info.

shopping for ... baby stuff! there's so much, and so much to choose from. not easy to narrow it down, especially stroller/car seat. there are so many brands, so many choices, quite overwhelming. we almost had one picked out, but now it depends on whether or not it'll fit in the elevator... but hey, we're lucky we even have an elevator, as many apartment buildings here don't have one. i am also looking for a baby wrap/sling (moby, ellaroo?), and ordered a book on attachment parenting.

enjoying ... lemonade. this is my current phase/crave. i make it myself (after the boy squeezes the juice) because they don't have it here in the stores, only in restaurants, as shown in this pic from dinner out a couple of weekends ago. what have you been up to?

Sweet Girl

it's afternoon, dark, the rain has started to fall and i've just ran around closing all the windows and the balcony doors. we get major thunderstorms here that last about 20 minutes, just enough to clear the air and the streets. and they usually happen at night. so if you suddenly see everyone crowded under building overhangs, find a place for yourself too and don't make the mistake i did when i first got here; i got absolutely soaked the first time i got caught in one, even with an umbrella.

i made a card for the little sister of the person i mentioned in yesterday's post. i made the cupcake by cutting it out freehand, did some stitching and added some seed beads. i gathered the yellow ribbon, added some lace and sparkly flowers. the rub-on is doodlebug. i used the sketch from 2 sketches 4 you this week, which was just the perfect inspiration!

the girls' birthdays are about a month apart, so i'm going to send their presents together with a note to open them as soon as they get them.

i'm going to order a couple of things from this etsy shop, as soon as i decide which ones i like best :) and print them out on card stock.isn't that just the cutest!? i love paper dolls, colouring, etc... and soon i'll be able to play with all of that kind of stuff :)). thanks for stopping by!

M Happy Birthday

i have a bit more time this week, finally, to do some creative stuff. i had all my pink and glittery supplies on my desk for a few days, wondering how to put it together, then i saw this week's sketch at card patterns, and it all came together from there, so thanks card patterns!! i continued the swirly pattern in the paper by adding bling and ribbon with swirls on it. the paper has some glitter on it too. the butterflies are actually flowers which i folded in half and cut the 5th petal off of. the heart is one of those stickers meant for a cell phone.

this card is going to one of my best friend's daughters, with whom i have been friends with since we were 11 years old, even with both of us moving around a lot, and both spending a few years overseas. i was very fortunate to stay with her and her family for 4 months when i went back to vancouver (before moving to the netherlands) and i am so lucky that i learned so much parenting stuff from her and her two girls. the youngest was born just a month before i got there, and i was basically "the nanny." i am very grateful i was able to stay with them, now more than ever. and i sure miss them!

I Just Wanted a Backrub...

... now i'm due in august :)))) all is well, and so far i am very impressed with the medical system here. it has been quite a learning experience as it's quite different than the canadian system (not that i ever had a baby there, i mean in general...) for instance, i have lots of people looking after me - gynecologist, his assistant (but more than that because her title is "pregnancy caregiver" or similar) who sends me for lab tests and has been awesome for help and advice, a védőnő, who is similar to a midwife, but will not be present at the birth, just before and after and will do home visits, an obstetrician (because the gynecologist doesn't deliver) and i will have a private nurse during the delivery as well.

my only complaint is that it isn't very organized, that most places don't have a receptionist who you can tell that you have arrived, and then sit and wait. some places have an assistant, some places you get a number, sometimes you knock directly on the doctor's door, some you line up and wait (leftover from the communist era). luckily i know enough hungarian to either ask, or i can understand the others also trying to figure out the system at each particular place.

my obstetrician says i've gained too much weight (i gained over 20 lbs so far) so i have slowed down a bit on the eating, and go for walks a lot and actually feel much better. i was trying to make sure that i was getting enough protein (i'm vegetarian) so was eating a lot of cheese, yogurt, nuts etc but it isn't easy to find anything low fat here.

check out these fun t's from etsy, where i got my idea for this post title :)