22 weeks....whoa

Could it be!??? 22 weeks!!! Oh my gosh, when I see this picture I think....who is this person!? Am I really THAT big? I see my reflection in a store window or walking by a car and do a double take. I'm getting big!

Wow...it's slowly setting in that I am now here for over two weeks. On one had that doesn't sound like a whole lot of time. But on the other hand it feels like so much more. I still have quite a list of things to accomplish...getting things in order for our flat, the baby, etc. But the more work I do on such lists the longer the list seems to become. Maybe this is just how it will be now, starting a family.. keeping busy with life and such. And planning. hhmmmm... again with this planning thing.

We got to go sailing this past weekend with David and Danielle, friends that are sadly moving to Namibia soon.

Then we, of course, watched the German soccer game against....Argentina I think. Wow, I know no one in the states really cares about the World Cup - at least no where near as much as they care about it here - but it's big here. Like Superbowl big. No, even bigger than that really. 'Cuz it's only every 4 years or so. Well, when your country makes it as far as Germany has, you tend to jump on the bandwagon, as I clearly have. SCHLAND!!!!!!!!!!! (that's what you yell for Germany because in German you call Germany Deutschland, and, well, like any good German word that's just too long, so they shortened it to just -"schlaaaaaand!!!!!")

(below - David and Daniela 'surfing' on a air mattress)

Sunday was a lovely brunch and walk on the Rhine with David & Danielle, Christian & Nina, their two little ones Mio & Tomte, and Sebas and I. Then we had a nice dinner with Lissy and Peter (Sebastians parents) Phillip and Petra (Sebas' twin bro and very pregnant girlfriend) Lea and Ronnie (Sebas' little sis and boyfriend). I was reminded once again that I need to enroll in a German crash course. Quickly. It's not like me to just sit back... attempting to follow a conversation that I understand 0.5% of...just laughing when everyone else laughs....not 'getting' the jokes...not making any jokes...it gets to be a bit too much at times. Like I don't get to be myself. I go inside and hide in a way. And whoever I'm with thinks that I'm always like this...quiet...passive...and those of you that know me know that's just not true. But I knew it would be like this for a time.

(right - clockwise from top right: Sebas, Me, Phillip, Petra, Lissy, Ronnie, Lea, Peter)

It's healthy to put yourself in these kinds of growing, learning, maybe even uncomfortable situations.

Otherwise I'm comfortable...healthy...happy......working on lots of little projects. One specifically, I'm creating an artful family tree (a Weiss one and a Schwarz one) with pictures and such, so Sebastian and I can start getting to know our extended families. Any other ideas?? For Sebastian and Lemon to get to know you all even if we don't meet just yet...? Please send advice. Input. We would be so grateful.

For now, love and light

Sebastian, Stacy and Lemon

(oh, and check it out...I've been labeling things in the flat so I learn more German words...the bottom pic shows that Sebas went a liiiiittle too far with the labeling - it says "Lemon inside")