Inauguration Bawl

As someone who wrote a number of posts waxing on about my support of his candidacy, it may be surprising that I had nothing to say about Obama's inauguration last week. Here's another shocker: I didn't even watch the ceremony until almost a week later when I discovered that it was available on-demand. So, what was I doing instead?

Last Tuesday morning, right on schedule, I had the baby. He's perfect, and the whole family is doing well.
For the next few weeks blogging may be erratic. I'm a first time Mom and just learning how to do this. Thankfully my Mom has been here for the week helping me through the first few days.

No Doubt About Slum Dog Millionaire

One of the things that I missed most about living in Germany was the lack of movies. Sure, there was a theater in Bad Godesburg that played movies in English, but the times were never convenient. They usually started between 4:30 and 5:30 PM. Way too early for Kevin to get there after work, and I felt guilty going by myself.

Now that we are back in Raleigh, I love having movie theaters everywhere. It's especially great that we came back to the states when all of the year's best films are in the theaters. I've got a list a mile long of things that I want to see, and only a week of so before the baby comes to see them.

Yesterday evening Kevin wanted to hunker down by the fire to watch football. I had a better way to spend the evening . . . by going to the movies. The only decision I had to make was which film to see. Even when I left the house I was still undecided. Fortunately, the movie theater (or my mistake) made my decision easy. Doubt started earlier then I thought. Slum Dog Millionaire was starting in ten minutes. Perfect.

I really like the movie too. Though I knew a little bit of the plot, I was still surprised by the story. It was both unbelievably painful to see the poverty, and still beautiful to watch. I also found the characters to be interesting and developed and complex. Overall, I'd stay it was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.

Floor du Jour

When we came back to Raleigh, both Kevin and I had projects that we wanted to get done around the house. I really wanted to have shelves and cabinets built in to the space on either side of our fireplace. Kevin really wanted to replace the carpeting in the living room with hardwood. In the spirit of compromise, we decided to do both.

It seems like we are trying to get a lot accomplished in a short time, but it really didn't make sense for us to wait for either project. Since we haven't fully unpacked, it was easier to move everything out of the living room now. Also, we really wanted to get it done before the baby arrived. This way we don't have workers, dust, or noise in our house for the first few weeks.

Today we got the floors installed. They look absolutely wonderful! I could have lived with the carpeting for a while longer, but I'm glad Kevin convinced me to get the floors done. It makes the whole house look bigger and more open.

Here's a before picture:

And after:

Now, if we can just get the shelves painted before the baby . . . the painter is scheduled to come two days after my due date.

Book Clubin'

One thing that I really missed in Germany was being part of a book club. Although I knew a few great English-speaking women by the time that I left, I was never able to get a group started.

In New York, a few friends and I started our own group in 1998. Members have come and gone, but the group has been meeting faithfully ever since. It makes me extra happy to know that they are still meeting years after I left.

When I moved to Raleigh I was extraordinary lucky to be invited to join the book club of one of Kevin's co-workers. They are a great group of women, who read interesting books and always have lively conversations.

A few weeks after moving back to Raleigh, I was happy to be able to go back to book club. And, demonstrating what a great group of women they are, they suspended their regularly scheduled meeting last night for a baby-shower book club. Now Enzo (the baby's working title) is stocked up with an awesome collection of baby books.

Building and Upholstered Headboard

I received a bunch of positive feedback about the headboard that I described in the "Nesting With a Vengeance" post from earlier this week. Here are the photos and step-by-step instructions.
I have to thank my mother for suggesting the hallow-core door. It was lighter to work with and less expensive than plywood.

Also, since the wall that the bed is placed against isn't very wide, we didn't have much room for end tables. Everything that I saw that was small enough for the space didn't seem stable or substantial enough to work. Instead I purchased two cube shelves from Target for one side of the bed, and two five-inch shelves for the other side. Now we each have a place for a lamp, a book, and our glasses.

Materials
1 32-inch wide hallow-core door
1 to 2 yards of fabric
4 yards of batting with the highest loft available
Staple gun and staples
Picture hangers

Step One
Measure the width of your bed and have to door cut to size. A standard queen-sized bed is 60 inches wide. We had the door cut at Lowe's so we didn't even have to bother with sawdust at the house.

Step Two
The upholstery fabric that I purchased was 58 inches wide. Since I wanted to use a stripe that came on the bolt vertically, I needed to purchase two yards of fabric for the project. If the fabric that you select is wider, or if the patter is horizontal on the roll you may be able to get away with less then two yards.
Kevin's mom, who is much more adept at working a sewing machine, matched up the stripes on the fabric and stitched them together. (My Mom and sisters can whip up all sorts of things, but the sewing gene skipped me.) The extra fabric is being used to make pillows.

Step Three
Cover the front of the door with batting and staple to the edge of the back of the door. Cut off the excess batting. Place a second layer of batting on the front of the door and staple the top and the bottom to the back edge. (I only put one layer of batting on the sides of the door to keep it from looking too puffy.)
Step Four
Cover the front of the door with your fabric. Place a few staples on each side to be sure that the pattern is straight. Then pull the fabric tight and staple to the back of the door on all four sides.

Step Five
Drill picture hook into the back of the door a few inches from the end on either side. Hang the headboard on the wall as you would hang any large picture.

Nesting With a Vengence

I've heard that pregnant women experience a need to clean, organize, and prepare their homes for the new baby. Now, throw on top of that natural instinct an empty house and a shipping container full of furniture and you can envision the unpacking frenzy that has been my life for the past five days. From morning to night Kevin and I, along with his parents who volunteered to help, have been working to set up the house.

In addition to simply unpacking our things, we've also decided to make some changes to the house. Our bedroom, for example, is finally decorated. We painted one wall a dark green/brown. (The paint chip is called steamer trunk.) And I (with some sewing assistance from my mother-in-law) built an upholstered headboard.

I had been talking about creating a headboard for a while now. However, since my husband was doubtfully of my vision, the project never came to fruition. I finally convinced him that this was the perfect time to try. And, with about $100 dollars in material invested in the project, it was certainly more appealing then purchasing a bed.

For the headboard we bought a hallow-core door, which we cut to the width of the bed. I then stapled a double layer of extra thick batting to the front and sides. Over that I stapled upholstery fabric. Kevin then drilled picture frame hooks and attached the door to the wall.

I think it looks great!

Ships Ahoy

I'm very excited to report that our container has cleared customs and is being delivered this morning. That's almost two full weeks earlier then expected! For me, this is great news. I have visions of going into labor as the movers were in the middle of unloading the container. And while this is still a technical possibility, the probability of that happening is slim.

Because we will be moving out of our Internet-enabled temporary housing, there will be a few days of radio silence on the blog. Stay tuned though. The cable company is scheduled to arrive bright and early Sunday morning. I can't wait until I am living like a normal person in my own house with my own stuff again.

Birthing Center Visit

Last night Kevin and I toured the Birthing Center at Rex Hospital. We both were pleasantly surprised by what we saw.

When we found out that we would move back to the states before the delivery I had mixed feelings. Though I was super excited about the fact that everyone in the hospital would speak English, I was nervous about being admitted to an American hospital.

Knock on wood; I've been very healthy throughout my life. With the exceptions of a few trips to the emergency room, I've never been admitted to the hospital. That said, I don't have a lot of experience with hospitals. Compounding my fears was the fact that I saw Michael Moore's Sicko just before leaving the states.

Like many people I was under the impression that European medical care was better than what we receive in the States. After living abroad, I now know that that assumption is a bit overstated. Sure, there are lots of people in this country who do not have adequate health insurance. Therefore they are denied access to adequate care. And in Europe, people don't have to worry about health insurance because it is provided even if their job doesn't cover them. But, as a couple with job-provided health insurance Kevin and I do not fall into that category.

The thing that makes me most excited about having the baby at Rex is that I will have a private room with my own bathroom for both the delivery and the post-natal stay. A friend in German had a baby in November. She told me that after the baby was born she had to share a room with another woman, who had tons of visitors. I'm glad I wont have to deal with that.

German vs. American Baby Doctors

Over the summer a friend of mine suggested that I should blog about the difference between having a baby in the U.S. versus having a baby in Germany. Though I thought it would be interesting to read, I found that I couldn't write about this topic. Quite simply, at that point I only knew the German system.

Now, however, I've gone to a few appointments at my American doctor's office. I can't really say that one is better than the other, but I can say that my prenatal appointments certainly are different. In general I have found that the American doctor's office is much more "medical" looking. It's a big practice with five doctors, nurses, receptionists, and billing people. In Germany I had one doctor in a converted town house. Two nurses, who did everything from answering the phones to taking blood, assisted her.

Here are a few other observations that I wanted to share.

• At my first prenatal appointment in the U.S. I had to sit with the billing department to discuss the cost that I am responsible to pay. In Germany, I paid $10 a quarter to cover administrative fees. Everything else -- including prescriptions -- was covered by my insurance. *
• Each appointment in Germany took forever. Since I hit the sixth month mark, the visit started with monitoring the baby's heart rate and my contractions. To do this, I had to lie down for twenty minutes with the fetal monitors. In the U.S. they check the baby's heart rate, but with a hand-held device that measures the heart rate for a few seconds. Whatever number shows up then is the number they record in my chart.
• At both offices, each visit starts with giving a urine sample. In Germany, the nurse would write my name on a regular plastic drinking cup, which was then placed in the open on a tray outside the bathroom with the other patient’s samples. At my first visit in the U.S., I got a list of instructions about how to provide a "clean sample." The medical-looking cups come with lids and the samples are then placed in a metal box that is accessible to the nurses from outside of the restroom.
• In Germany you don't get a gown. In the U.S. you do.
• In Germany the doctor that provides your prenatal care does not deliver the baby. She's not even associated with a hospital. I had to select the hospital on my own. In the U.S. one of the five doctors in the practice that I've selected will be on call to deliver the baby.
• Six weeks before your due date in Germany you start seeing a midwife, who may be the person to deliver your baby. The midwife will give you a list of foods and teas that you should start consuming to help you through your labor.
• In Germany you are also entitled to additional alternative treatments to help you feel more comfortable during the last few weeks, such as acupuncture and massage.
  

* Note: Even though I had government insurance in Germany, I have to note that our monthly costs were more than what Kevin and I had to pay in the U.S., where our insurance was covered by our jobs.

Happy New Year, Happy New Blog

It seems like forever since I've blogged. While it has been only a few weeks in "actual time," so much has changed in my life. In the spirit of change, I've also made some changes to the blog. As you can see, I have a new blog name, description, and sidebars. Expect more changes in the weeks to come. (But don’t worry: The URL will stay exactly the same.)

Here's what's been going on in our southern lives.

We are slowly settling in as much as we can without actually being able to live in our house. Every time I move, I am surprised by the amount of stuff I need to buy. Even though I had everything I needed in Germany, I still need new/different stuff here in the states. From light bulbs, to silverware trays, to restocking the pantry, I have been doing my part to keep the economy going.

Of course, that includes purchasing two cars in one night. Walking back into the dealership the next day to pick up the second vehicle, I totally felt like a superstar. It was crazy. Salesmen, managers, and service people waved to me, gave me their congratulations, and wished me the best.

I am frantically getting ready to have the baby. If I'm lucky I'll meet all of the doctors in the practice that I've selected. Also, Kevin and I took a crash-course on birthing, had two baby showers, and will visit the hospital this week.

During the holidays we traveled north. Last year we spend Christmas alone in Europe, so this year it was especially nice to visit with lots of family and friends. I especially have to thank my husband who did a lot of driving (not always in the best conditions) getting me everywhere that I wanted to go.

Our tenant moved out, so we were able to have the stuff from storage delivered to the house. Kevin is working hard to get the house ready. His Dad and he spent days touching up the walls, cleaning the trim, and repainting the bedrooms. We purchased a crib for the baby, cleaned up some furniture that was given to us, and are looking forward to getting our container delivered.

The ship was due to dock in Norfolk, Virginia yesterday. Depending on how long it takes to clear customs, we should have everything by the beginning of next week. This is great news to me, since I really would like the furniture to be delivered before the baby.