Our trip to Rome

What an amazing trip! Rome was our big destination while Jay was on leave, and it exceeded every possible expectation we had.

We took a late flight Friday evening and were in our hotel in Rome, just west of Termini (the main Metro/Bus terminal) by 11pm. We got up early Saturday morning and headed to Vatican City. A quick run through security and we were inside St. Peter's Basilica. Truly the most remarkable of the 900 churches in the vicinity, we saw Michaelangelo's Pieta, the statue of St. Peter, the incredible dome, and marveled at the sheer size and magnitude of the historic basilica. We braved the steps to the top of the dome (320 of them, AFTER you take the elevator halfway up) and it was worth every bit to see all of Vatican City and much of Rome from the top.

The Vatican Museums were closed early on Saturday, so we visited the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. We had some amazing salads for lunch, and gelato of course!

Sunday morning we faced the lines at the Colosseum, which we bypassed mostly thanks to our Roma pass! We marveled at the sheer size of the monument, and spent plenty of time walking around and looking at the exhibits inside. We toured most of the ancient city including Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus, the Roman Forum, Il Vittoriano and Piazza del Campidoglio. The heat sent us inside after lunch, and we went back out in the evening to enjoy the city and take some night pictures and to eat some fabulous Roman pizza!

Monday morning we headed straight to the Vatican Museums to view the masterpieces inside the Sistine Chapel (the one place you can't take pictures), after an hour and a half wait to enter. We grabbed paninis and went back to our air conditioned hotel room to get out of the heat for a bit. After that, it was to Centro Storico to see Il Elefantino, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. Unfortunately Bernini's "Fountain of Four Rivers" is undergoing extensive renovations to remove years of weather and environment from the masterpiece, so we could only see it through the fence. But we enjoyed the Piazza, and had a fabulous pasta dinner at sunset. Later we had wine and dessert (well, Jay had wine) and espresso at a cafe near our hotel, which was a fabulous ending to our Roman vacation.

Tuesday morning we boarded a plane to head back to Germany, pleased with our Italian adventure but certainly ready to be back in our house! It was such an amazing experience, and I'm so glad we finally got to go. Special thanks to the State Department, who somehow managed to get Jay's passport finished in EIGHT days without a rush order, which was the only reason we were able to go. It was definitely the trip of a lifetime!

26 weeks

We had another doctor's appointment on Wednesday. This one was an early one, since I had to do the blood glucose test for gestational diabetes. Basically I had to show up at 8 on an empty stomach for them to test my blood. Then I had to drink a GIANT cup of sugar water and have my blood tested again in an hour, and in another hour. The test is to see how my body is processing sugar. After the long two hours, we're good to go with no gestational diabetes!

Our ultrasound did not produce any good pictures, since Hayden was in an "impossible position" which means his back was to us. We got to see his little feet and hands, and also checked the heartbeat since Jay hadn't heard that yet. He is growing well (but not too big!) and hopefully our next appointment he will be in a different position so we can do the 3D ultrasound.

My weight gain is moving along steadily, which the doctor said is fine since I didn't gain much at all in the beginning. At our next appointment I'll also get the Rhogam shot (since I have A- blood and Jay has O+), which will be on the 25th of September. For now, all is well though!

Hayden moves around all the time, most often when I eat. He has taken recently to kicking in rapid succession, which feels funny for both me and Jay. It's like little flutter kicks, so maybe he's trying to rival his daddy's six-pack before he comes out!

We also got Hayden's stroller in the mail this week (thanks Gloria!) and put it together. Now all we need is the baby to put it in! It gets more exciting with each passing week, but we're glad he's still in there growing and getting big. This week I went to the PX in Ramstein (about 2.5 hours away) and they had our crib assembled in the baby furniture section. It was exciting, since we won't actually be able to put our crib together until we move back to the states. Right now most of his stuff is in the basement, waiting patiently to either be put in the nursery or be packed and shipped to GA.

Only three months to go!

Our trip to Garmisch

What a busy and eventful trip! We started out the trip with a convoy south with our friends the Flemings and the Pollards to Neuschwanstein castle in Germany. There are actually two castles in Schwangau, but the Neuschwanstein is most well-known as the "Disney castle", as it was the inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle. I had visited it once before this past December when Susan and Shane were here, but it's completely different in the summer time! We hiked up to both castles but chose not to actually go inside, as most of the rooms are unfinished and you can't take pictures inside. This time the Marienbrucke (a bridge overlooking the castle) was open so we hiked up there as well for the "fairy godmother" of all views! It was amazing, and even the kids did well on the long hike!

Monday we headed to Partnach Gorge for a walk through the picturesque rock formation, complete with waterfalls and raging rapids. Another good hike, but worth all the exercise for the views! The gorge is just outside the Olympic ski jump stadium, which is being used again in 2011 for the Alpine Ski Championships.

Jay got in a few holes of golf while I napped, which was nice for both of us! We figured we needed to get in a little relaxation on this vacation! We spent some time at the pool and the hot tub (just feet in the hot water for me!) and enjoyed some time just hanging out with each other and with our friends.

On Tuesday we broke from the group a bit and took a drive to Salzburg, Austria. We spent a little while there, touring the city and taking in the scenery. The Hohensalzburg Fortress was most impressive, and quite a ways up! From there we headed to Berchtesgaden, home of the Eagle's Nest. All that remains of the one-time resort created for Adolf Hitler is a restaurant, but the view is spectacular nonetheless. We opted for the bus ride as opposed to the four-mile hike up the mountain, and it was worth every (euro) penny. Jay has wanted to see the Eagle's nest for a long time, so it was awesome to finally see it. We tested out the Thai restaurant in Garmisch (not bad) and Jay got in some slot machine and German beer time back at the hotel. Again, early to bed for me!

Wednesday was our full-on lazy day. We slept in, ate breakfast in the room and did a little shopping before my FAVORITE part of our vacation: our massages! Jay got a hot stone massage and I enjoyed an hour-long maternity massage. Just what we needed! It was a great way to cap off our week, followed by a nice dinner and a walk outside in the Alps.

Thursday we got up and checked out of the hotel, and headed to the Dachau Concentration Camp memorial site. I had visited Dachau last summer but Jay hadn't yet been, so I was glad to give him my mini-tour from what I remembered and had read. We saw a few things I missed on my trip last June, so it was worthwhile for both of us.

Now we're back home and getting ready for our next trip, Rome! We fly out tomorrow evening, taking advantage of the time I can still fly and the places we haven't seen in Europe yet. So far, Hayden has been pretty cooperative and I've tried to be hospitable with extra water, good walking shoes and always a snack on hand. Wish us luck!

Baby belly!

Here's what I look like at about 25 weeks!

My belly is steadily growing, and baby Hayden has recently learned how to dance a jig on my bladder! It feels like he's doing somersaults a lot of the time; he's an active little guy!

Due to our crazy travel schedule right now, we moved my doctor's appointment from this Friday (Aug. 22) to next Wednesday (Aug. 27). That's when they'll test me for gestational diabetes, which means an early appointment (8am) and no breakfast beforehand. Bummer! But hopefully we'll have a new ultrasound, and a better idea of how our baby boy is growing. More posts with travel updates later, for now we're doing laundry to get ready for our next trip, which starts tomorrow!

24 weeks

It's been a busy week for the Rogers family! Last Wednesday, Hayden had a pretty good mail day! We got his playpen (thanks Gloria!), his nursery stuff and a box from our friends in the north, Megan and Gene. Full of all kinds of great stuff to welcome this little guy to our world. Thanks you guys! Our baby boy is spoiled rotten already.

This weekend we took a trip to Luxembourg to visit Luxembourg City and the Luxembourg-American cemetery, where General Patton is buried. We had a blast with some of our friends, and spent the night at Ramstein AF Base. We picked up some more clothes for Hayden, and the scrapbook I've been looking everywhere for. Oscar got a little break as well, with his visit to the farm, but he's ready to go back!

We got back Sunday evening and are catching up on cleaning and some rest! I'm 24 weeks and feeling Hayden move around all the time. My parents also sent us the rest of the Lil' Dino stuff to complete the nursery, and we can't wait to put it up! We are leaving Germany in February, while he's still in the bassinet, so he won't have his own, fully-decorated, dino-infused room until we move to the states, but we can put some of it up here!

Every day is a little more exciting, and we really appreciate everyone's support! This week we're laying low and hanging out to prepare for our travels towards the end of Jay's leave, and we have our next appointment(s) on the 22nd. We'll keep you posted!

Blog updates

Well I decided Hayden may not appreciate his blog decked out in pink (even though I did), so I decided to make it a little more boy friendly, and it actually matches his nursery. We're a coordinated family, so it's only fair to start him right!

I've also added links to blogs that belong to some of my other friends. Some are having babies, others are in grad school, and Jaime is embarking on a marathon adventure (though not her first). Feel free to check them out!

This week we went to the zoo in Nurnberg, and I found a pair of my shoes are perfect for those super-long, heavy-on-the-walking days! I bought them last year to go canyoning in Switzerland and they double as light hiking shoes, so they were perfect for the six hours of looking at animals yesterday. Good thing, since we have some fun trips coming up that sore feet and a tired back just won't work for!