Europe Series: Poland

When planning this two week Co-Fam 2.0 EuroTrip we decided a road trip was necessary.  Luckily, Nicole was on spring break (she's a teacher) so she could join us for the adventure.  Ryan wasn't so lucky and he had to stay behind for work.  After five full days in Prague we took the train from Prague to Dresden, picked up our rental car and headed for Krakow, Poland.  *We rented our car from Dresden because we would be dropping it off in Frankfurt and it was significantly cheaper to pick up/drop off in Germany, rather than pick up in Czech and drop off in Germany.  Lessons learned.

En route to Dresden!

Once we found Avis, picked up our car and found our way out of the city we hit the Autobahn and headed for Krakow (or so we thought...)  We quickly discovered we were heading in the completely wrong direction and because we travel old school when in Europe (ie. no GPS or iPhone data plan) we were 100% reliant on our trusty map book.  This misdirection was the first of many confusions while road tripping through Europe.  We've road tripped through France and found it easier to navigate than this time around, but while you could cut the tension with a knife at some points, I highly recommend stowing the technology and relying on the map book...it just makes things more exciting!  Side note: When traveling with your partner and child, make sure to have a third adult involved.  Nicole saved us from killing each other with the silent treatment on several occasions.  Thanks, Nik, for literally taking the front seat at times!

From the German border until Krakow we literally saw nothing.  Joel commented on the sky, which was a nice shade of "communist grey" and we just drove straight for five hours before getting lost in the outskirts of Krakow and having to stop at McDonalds to hijack some wifi (not even the map book could save us this time!)

As you can see, Charlee and Nicole loved the ride from Dresden to Krakow.

We found Krakow's Old Town to be quite charming and very easy to navigate.  Our hotel was located about 20 minutes from the Old Town's core, so we parked our car upon arrival to Krakow and didn't use it again until we left the city.  Our first night in Krakow was nothing short of magical - we wandered around for a few hours and I fell in love immediately.  I think Krakow has taken first place for my most favourite European city (Vienna was previously number one, for me). Check out Krakow in photos:

Our first night walk in Krakow.  Here is the main square (Rynek Glowny).  The trumpeter played every hour on the hour across the city and everything was absolutely beautiful.

Poland was decimated in the Second World War.  Not just the infrastructure and architecture, but also the people.  To me, this photo speaks volumes.

I was thrilled to wander through Kazimierz, the old Jewish Quarter of Krakow.  One of my favourite genres to read involves fiction and non-fiction works set in Kazimierz.  Needless to say, I was shutter happy as we wandered :)

Proof that I was there!

If only the buildings could speak.

Wawel Castle grounds in all their springtime glory.

Nicole capturing Wawel Castle like a true tourist.

Some people asked us how we were able to successfully travel in Europe for two weeks with our 5 month old baby...it all has to do with the fact that Charlee is awesome and Joel and I make a pretty fantastic team, if I do say so myself.  Also - it helps to have some lovely friends who are willing to wait an extra ten minutes, or make a quick pit stop for the baby :)

One of my favourite views in Krakow - a cluster of roof tops at Wawel.

Just me and my girl, doin' our thang.

We sat and took in all Wawel had to offer.  What a gorgeous spot!

This restaurant, Hamsa, featured Israeli cuisine and oh-my-goodness, we were delighted. Sooo deelish.

A lunch break at Hamsa.

These photos are a bit out of order, but more of the wondrous Wawel.  How cute are those two!?

A little snuggle in Rynek Glowny, soaking in the fact that I have a baby and was in Krakow with that baby.  Both long awaited experiences.  Filled with gratitude.

Our little world traveler slept on the floor of our hotel room in Krakow.  What a champ!

When planning this road trip Nicole and I brought up the possibility of venturing into Poland.  We chatted about it over FaceTime and text message for a while, until we decided...it must be done.  Before heading on this EuroTrip I had only ever experienced the more "western" countries of Europe (Germany, France, Italy...) so Poland seemed extra foreign to me.  What's more, I really wanted to get to Auschwitz if we went to Poland.  Some little kids have dreams of going to Disneyland, but when I was about ten years old I decided I really would need to see Auschwitz at some point in my life.

Joel and Charlee didn't come to Auschwitz with us (in fact, small children are not allowed at the site), but Nicole and I spent a few very important hours together in remembrance.  At one point, while in the barrack that is now the Dutch memorial, we realized the magnitude of what we were experiencing.  Here we were, two good friends, one of German ancestry and one of Dutch ancestry (former axis and ally powers) standing together and sharing some tears over the atrocities that were committed at Auschwitz.  Isn't it incredible how much can change in only 70 years?  Maybe it's more frightening to realize how much has actually stayed the same...

And with that, we left Poland with an imprint that will be forever on our hearts.

xxk&k&charlee rae

Europe Series: Czech Republic

 I figure it's about time I write about our Europe trip; we have already been home for over a month and it already feels like Europe didn't even happen!

We were away for two weeks and our first stop was Prague, Czech Republic.  Our really good friends, Ryan and Nicole, moved to Prague in September so we knew we'd eventually be heading to Europe to see them.  We were excited to see Ryan and Nik because we've been missing them sooo much, but we were also excited to explore Prague because Czech was a new country for both (all) of us.

Charlee's first flight (Victoria to Vancouver...and then to Frankfurt...and then Prague).  She did amazingly well on all the flights and slept the majority of our travel time.

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We arrived in Frankfurt and after a serious race to our gate discovered we missed our connection to Prague (because our flight out of Vancouver was delayed and our connection time was short to begin with).  I've flown a LOT in this life so far and I've never once missed a connection...of course the first experience of this nature had to be with a baby in tow.  We managed to get on the next flight and arrive in Prague unscathed.  Airport beer was necessary.

Another reason why Lufthansa wins again! Unlimited free coffee while waiting for our connection.

We arrived in Prague, dealt with our temporarily misplaced stroller (ugh) and finally met Nikki in the waiting area of the airport.  It was such a great reunion!  We dumped our luggage at the Hulstein's gorgeous apartment and set out for our first Prague-venture: finding dinner.  We ended up eating at this hilarious restaurant complete with a three lane bowling alley on the second level (our table was in the dungeon).  At this point I started feeling nauseous from the extreme lack of sleep, so we made our way home and crashed around midnight (Charlee, too).  Here is where I have to brag about my child for a moment...Charlee was incredible.  She didn't fuss, she didn't experience a single drop of jet lag, she slept soundly in a play pen, she woke up at 9am the next day like nothing had happened!  I was definitely holding my breath to see if we just lucked out for one night, but she continued on this way for the duration of our trip, which is why we decided this girl is a born traveler and we are taking her everywhere!

And now for a bunch of photos to help accurately describe our time in Prague.

The view from Ryan and Nikki's apartment in Prague.  There is almost nothing I love more than waking up to a European view such as this!

Charlee's first train ride!

Tasting some Trdelnik - a local treat of wood fired dough, sugar and nuts of some sort.

Feeding Charlee "in the square".  Joel definitely made fun of me when I announced that we should "feed Charlee in the square"...he was like, "How long have you been waiting to say that for!?"

The greatest Easter tree we've ever seen.

This is one of the reasons I love Europe so much - modern meets timeless around every corner.

Exploring the castle.  Photo cred: our personal selfie-stick, Joel's arm.

Gorgeous.

Some tummy time with her beloved God-mama, Nikki.

I LOVE this friend.  As sad as it is (for us) that they live across the world, we keep them in our hearts and on our fridge (in photo form) constantly.

Exploring Prague!

An adventure to Karlstejn - a castle about 30 min train ride out of Prague.

The windows and light inside Karlstejn were stunning.

Various windows from around Prague.

It snowed in Prague while were there...twice.  We were caught completely off guard by this crazy blizzard - I only had TOMS as footwear.  Luckily, Ryan and Nik had gloves and toques to share!

This is how Charlee looked for most of our photo-ops.

A blurry photo, but we're off for our next adventure....Poland via Germany!

Prague, you are grande.

xxk&j&charlee rae

Thoughts on Motherhood

Some thoughts on motherhood have been going through my head and heart lately.  I haven't been too deep or emotional on this blog yet because this blog has mostly been a place for photos and stats updates, like Charlee's current weight, height and her newest skills.  I'm slowly learning that motherhood is so much more than keeping the baby book updated with stats - and thank goodness for that!

Charlee has been fighting naps lately.  When I say "fighting" I mean full on refusal to go to sleep...sometimes for 30 minutes or longer.  Some of you might think that's nothing, but for me it's a new thing and it sucks.  While Charlee can put herself to sleep, the nap fighting is exhausting for both of us.  Eventually she falls asleep and I go make another coffee.  The nap fighting makes these thoughts on motherhood so much more vivid and present, so today, with the third coffee steaming beside me, I am sitting down to write it out. 

I really do not enjoy "mommy groups".  I am surprised to learn this about myself because I am a very social person and enjoy meeting new people and learning new things.  I am being completely honest when I say these are my exact thoughts on "mommy groups": I already have amazing friends...lots of those friends have kids...I don't need new friends.  Harsh right?!  I don't exactly know why this is my viewpoint toward such groups, but it is.  I suspect part of my issue is the comparing and contrasting that tends to go on in such groups: "My baby sleeps", "My baby doesn't sleep", "My baby is already crawling", "My baby can't sit up yet", blablabla.  I don't really know what my problem is because I talk about these things with my friends who have children all the time.  I'm weird. 

Perhaps part of my issue is the fact that motherhood has really brought my attention to my own imperfections.  Oh gosh, I can't even type that without tearing up.  Fewf.

I am not perfect.

I have deep, deep roots concerning perfectionism. I was born this way.  I have high expectations for myself and for the majority of my life I have been able to control how perfect I am at things (gymnastics, school, university, teaching...all these things have been within my control).  I am learning now that there is nothing that has made me realize my imperfections more clearly than motherhood.

I could not carry Charlee to full term.  I was not healthy.  Charlee was healthy (thank God), but the pregnancy was not.  Most days I am able to see past the unhealthy pregnancy, looking into the face of my joyful child, but there are moments that catch me off guard and those moments are brutal.  I start to think, "If only..." and before you know it I'm having one of those "red light epiphanies"...you know, the major life discoveries you have while waiting at a red light.  You must know what I am talking about...I have these seemingly all the time.  It is what it is - I tell myself this constantly when I'm having those "If only..." moments.  I cannot change what happened.  I could not control what happened.  Yet, sometimes I still feel deep sadness that my pregnancy with Charlee was a cocktail of all things gone wrong.

I could never have exclusively breastfed Charlee and I did not breastfeed her longer than 5 months.  I know I expressed my thoughts on this topic in my last post - again, I am mostly okay with it, but there are moments that catch me off guard and make me feel guilty as hell.  While ending breastfeeding made me feel like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, a small, tiny part of me wishes that my relationship with breastfeeding was healthier than it ended up being.

I let Charlee "cry it out", especially during the nap fighting we've been experiencing lately.  Sometimes she cries for longer than the 45 minute cycle on her Sleep Sheep.  Of course, I go in to her room and stroke her head, give her back her soother, etc., but I stick strong and I don't pick her up, I just let her cry. 

Basically, these three categories: giving birth, breastfeeding and sleeping, are all areas of child rearing that carry a lot of stigma in the mommy group realm.  Some people want the epidural right away while others desire a natural birth plan.  Some people are almost fanatical about breastfeeding while others suffer, long and hard, with that method of feeding.  Some people swear by "crying it out", while others curse those who practice it.  For those of us who were hard on ourselves before becoming a mama, well...I feel like motherhood has the extreme potential to be a breeding ground for personal, self-sabotaging disaster!  Sometimes I feel as if I've failed in all three of these categories because of how we do things around here.  Most times I could really care less about what people in the mommy groups say (except I do like it when they share tips on baby sunscreen...)

Today I broke my own rule and picked Charlee up out of her crib because she hit the 60 minute mark for nap fighting (a personal record - I'm so proud of you, baby! Ha.)  I held her close, changed her, fed her and cried because it was just so overwhelming.  I felt all those moments of "mama failure" come crashing down, while I texted Joel and told him I "gave up".  And then, just like when she was born, Charlee reached out her little hand and grabbed my finger.  She looked up at me and blinked while my giant tears just keep coming, and then she fell asleep, holding my hand while drinking her bottle.

I have a feeling that this little child is going to be my greatest life's work and my best, most influential teacher.  I love you, little button.

Happy Half Birthday, Charlee!

Six months has come and gone, and this past month (the fifth) has been the most fun we've had with our little love so far.  At six months old Charlee now has a wide variety of baby skills which truly impress us on the daily!

Charlee started sleeping in her crib at night the same day we arrived home from Europe.  That transition was seamless; she really likes her crib and we had no issues moving from the bassinette in our room to the crib in her room.  While Charlee didn't experience a drop of jet lag upon arriving in Europe, coming home was a bit of a struggle.  We were all jet lagged for a few days, but after a week of a mixed up sleep schedule things evened out again.

Jet lag aside, while we were in Europe Charlee stared putting herself to sleep! Before we left for Europe she would fall asleep every night on Joel's lap on the couch.  We knew Charlee's bedtime "routine" wasn't sustainable, but she fixed it herself while we were away.  Most nights and naps now consist of us going in to her room to soothe her a little bit before she falls asleep on her own.  Of course there are the few massive nap refusals that take 45 minutes to get through, but those experiences are few.  We are really proud of our girl learning how to self-soothe and sleep soundly all on her own!

Charlee can now roll in all directions and she loves it! She's always been a strong girl despite her tiny size at birth, but even her doctor is impressed with how strong she is! She loves to jump in her Jolly Jumper, too.

We've got the "go ahead" for solid foods, but we haven't ventured into that territory yet.  Maybe soon.

Charlee is making a lot more sounds now and she even giggles! This is probably the cutest thing she has done so far.

Charlee is very aware of her surroundings now.  She realizes when she is in a new place and she reaches out for her toys and various objects, especially my face when she drinks her bottle.  Charlee also notices the kitties now and squeals with delight whenever one walks into the room.

Charlee loves books and will sit and listen/watch observantly when I read to her.  The other day Joel and Charlee were looking at a book together and she turned all the pages herself...who IS this child?!

While we were in Europe Charlee weaned herself (from breastfeeding) and I must admit, I am so happy about that.  This topic can be a touchy subject for many, but I can honestly say I was never really that into breastfeeding to begin with.  I understand the whole "Breast is Best" slogan and I realize breastmilk is complete nutrition for babies, but the whole experience for me was a "take it or leave it" kind of thing.  I don't believe that breastfeeding is the only way to create a sacred relationship and bond with your baby; Charlee and I have had many other opportunities to create this relationship that don't include breastfeeding and I am grateful for that.  In addition, Charlee was always supplemented with formula from the day she was born because of my drugged up, high risk c-section state of affairs.  The first drink Charlee ever had was formula from a bottle (that I did not feed her) and there is absolutely nothing I can do about that, so I've chosen to not dwell on that fact and make myself feel guilty about it.  I was advised by several health nurses to attend breastfeeding workshops back in the early spring, but I chose not to go that route because my pregnancy and delivery was a terrible enough experience...I didn't want the struggle of breastfeeding to consume my entire maternity leave.  We are happy.  We are healthy.  We are slowly moving past the traumatic birth experience and moving on to more awesome things like the fact that Charlee now weighs over 16 pounds and has grown 20cm since birth.  I am definitely going to the shortest person in this family.

Here are some photos of Charlee taken since we returned from Europe 3 weeks ago (which I have yet to write about!)

And here are Charlee's six month photoshoot pictures!  Many people think Charlee looks like Joel and while I can see that resemblance, most of the time I think Charlee looks like my sister!

Keep care,

k&j&charlee rae