Great Expectation: Archive

You are your own girl. (E @ 10 months)

Dear Elise, It has been a crazy month for all of us as we settle into the new fall routine with your sister back at Montessori School and travel through (until the holidays). Writing these newsletters has become just one more thing on my to-do list that never seems to get done. Here we are, already at nearly 10 ½ months! I did, however, write a list of all things that you have enchanted us...

Oct 28th

Carolyn Hax: Thank You! →

Oct 18th

SAHMotherhood

I am currently working in the hardest job I have ever had for no monetary compensation. It is 24/7, extremely demanding while at the same time often mind-numbingly dull. It allows me to be with our young daughters, but I feel I seldom truly get to BE with them. This is my fault, and it has come about because I have worked, and worked hard, in many other jobs that are “results-driven”...

Sep 23rd

“Show me a woman who doesn’t feel guilty, and I will show you a man.”

– Erika Jong, American writer and feminist

Aug 11th

Bad mom?

Inspired by dig this chick, I will tell you about my own guilt. Not only has E fallen off H’s bed a few times, I feel she is generally neglected because of her considerably larger, more verbal and demanding sister. Today I left a screaming H with the fitness center childcare in order to selfishly swim a few laps. And then lay in the sun 10 minutes following (in total, a 25 minute absence). I...

Aug 11th

What would Momo think?

Whenever I consider buying toys for our girls, I think about the following passage from Michael Ende’s book, Momo (this is the same guy who wrote The Neverending Story). I am deeply affected by this book, but this passage holds an incredibly practical wisdom for the world in which we live. Immer häufiger kam es vor, daß Kinder allerlei Spielzeug brachten, mit dem man nicht wirklich spielen...

May 25th

Elise: Open Letter @ 4 months

Dear Elise, Finally I am sitting down to get this written for you and Hannah this warm, dark, rainy afternoon in New Orleans. You are both fast asleep. Hannah fought me, as she always does at nap time. She then woke you, and you would not go back down until I fulfilled our ritual of nursing you to sleep on my bed and staying the obligatory 20+ minutes. Today I did not sleep, but usually this...

Apr 23rd

Elise's Birth Story (1st Open Letter @ 12 weeks)

Dear Elise, You came into the world on a weekend of record rain in New Orleans. The wettest month on record, in a city that was still rebuilding after hurricane Katrina. The night before I had been with your aunt Holly getting pedicures when the little Asian place flooded through the back door as we finished up. I nearly couldn’t get the half mile back to our house because of the street flooding...

Mar 9th

Offshore

The title of this post could also describe my own location since the birth of Elise and provide an excuse for not posting in over 3 months. Elise Marie was born December 14, 2009 and is doing BRILLIANTLY. I will be posting her birth story soon, but I have not written anything after doubling the number of children we have. And again, Facebook has distracted me. Jens has been offshore for his...

Feb 21st

Nov 6th

23-month Open Letter

Liebe Hannah, Can it be that two years is really looming so close? Recently, you snuggled up to me in front of the computer as we looked at photos of Baby Hannah. Tiny Baby Hannah. I was thinking about what a new mom friend of mine is going through these days and wanted to recall your tiny body. Your strong, long, tanned limbs bear no resemblance to the skin that hung off your long, skinny legs...

Oct 27th

Why does no one talk about this?

I feel compelled to write a few words about having that first baby and the myth we are sold/told as that event approaches. The “brand new moms” depicted in Babytalk Magazine in your OB’s office always look so happy and rested and completely put-together. They and their partners are sporting all that new, shiny, ridiculously adorable gear that you just got at your shower. They are...

Oct 21st

Oct 19th

Life and Death.

Hannah’s new sibling, I am certain a future world-class soccer player, is busy practicing inside my womb as we said good-bye to my Grandpa Harold this weekend. He died last Wednesday morning at 87 after a long, healthy life and a short, hard bout with lung cancer. I had been here in my hometown visiting for the 75th anniversary of my family’s company, a visit I extended because of a...

Sep 6th

Allein mit Hannah und meinem Baby-Bauch

Jens can be found here until Tues or Wed: Hannah and I had a nice day during which I did NOTHING for work for the first day since settling in, and it was good for both of us. I did, however, sort out all the normal human clothing that I won’t be wearing until January and sorted in the rest of my maternity-wear. Nummer 2 won’t be denied. I also bought some more which I hate because...

Aug 9th

20-month Open Letter

Liebe Hannah, It has been another crazy month for you and for me. Papa is settling into work. You and I have settled into a schedule also, however temporary. The last two weeks, our new babysitter, Kelsey, helped me out with you in the mornings. Starting this week you entered Camp Cricket at the University Montessori school. You will be there 9 – 12 each day for the next 3 weeks until we leave for...

Jul 30th

Great New Expectations

“Great Expectation” is an appropriate name for the metamorphosis this blog and our lives are undergoing. I’ve been meaning to share for some time that Schmieder Kind Nummer 2 is on its way into our family. We’ve known since Sunday, April 26th. And it is from that date that things began to get really crazy in our lives: May 3rd (one week later): Ali runs the Lincoln half-marathon with sister while...

Jul 29th

Mit Papa in Deutschland

Jens and Hannah left me for Oma and Opa last Tuesday. I have been without husband and toddler for a week and it is a strange feeling. Too much going on for us. During this past 8 days I launched the new Web site at work (the culmination of 7 months of full-time work), planned our move and SOLD our house. My commission is the 4 pairs of shoes I managed to also purchase during these past 8 days. I...

Jun 3rd

16 months and counting

If I don’t shoot off this quick post over lunch today, you will never hear from us. We are alive and well. Our world is a crazy place full of constant and major changes. Hannah turned 16 months old, and I wrote the newsletter. I am all caught up on them, and will share some here if I ever get around to it. Things are crazy in my job and with Jens’ dissertation and changes are on the...

Mar 25th

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas...”

– F. Scott Fitzgerald

Jan 20th

Pre-Holiday Conversation

Me: "Christmas happens because women make it happen."
He: "Christmas is a holiday for women anyway."
Me: "Huh? So you don't enjoy anything about Christmas?"
He: "OK, I enjoy eating the cookies-"
Me: "-that the woman planned, shopped for and baked."
He: "I guess I like unwrapping gifts."
Me: "That she shopped for and wrapped for each relative, including YOURS in GERMANY."
He: "I like the down time together cozy by the tree."
Me: "That she initiated the purchase of and decorated."
He: "Did I tell you that I love you?"

Dec 22nd

Nov 24th

Dooce is expecting. →

My original great blogging inspiration is expecting her second. Congrats, Dooce.

Nov 19th

Nov 4th

11-month Open Letter

Liebe Hannah, On the evening of Oct 15th, Mama noticed two more biters poking through your more familiar toothless gums. These two were on top, your left front tooth and the tooth left of that. You are a bit lop-sided at the moment, but I looked more carefully to see the two right incisors just below the service. None at all and now nearly 6 at once. You are doing pretty darn well with this...

Oct 23rd

More Teeth

To my surprise, there were two top teeth poking through, which I noticed while changing Hannah yesterday evening. Her left front incisor and the tooth left of that. She is a little lop-sided at the moment. I should have expected it with all the gnawing she has been up to:

Oct 17th

First Tooth

Oh yeah. That first biter tore its way through her pink gums between 4:30 and 5:30 am Saturday morning. I am pleased that I got to spend the entire groggy hour with this not-so-happy girl. Now she can start eating steak.

Sep 22nd

Sep 5th

9-month Open Letter

Liebe Hannah, It is now happening so fast! We had 6 months during which we became pretty darn good at parenting this small, immobile, relatively uncomplicated little girl. Then you started rolling over and sitting up and life as we knew it was over, and it seems we have no chance to get used to the next phase because it so quickly leads to the next. There is no way to slow it down or preserve all...

Aug 25th

Crawling @ daycare.

Big changes in our household. I returned to began official full-time work August 1 (the kind for which one receives a livable wage) without Hannah beside me. She started daycare with a wonderful woman in her home, very close to our own. She seems to be doing great. I have been amazed how much I can get accomplished during the day and how the pace of life is dramatically changed by not having...

Aug 14th

Jul 30th

Watch

Hear it straight from Hannah.

Jul 15th

Jul 14th

7-month Open Letter

Liebe Hannah, Your seventh month with us was full of travel! Right after your “six-month birthday” you and Papa and I all flew to Germany with you for the first time. You were a wonderful traveler. On the flight over, a wonderful Lufthansa stewardess attached your bassinette to the bulkhead. I nursed you and put you in it shortly thereafter and you slept there until she had to remove it for...

Jul 1st

Travel

Jens and Hannah and I arrived back in Lincoln only 9 hours later than scheduled. Last Sunday, June 8, was a nightmare flying through Chicago because Chicago O’Hare airport is what it is and there were also thunderstorms. Our connecting flight was initially delayed and then cancelled. Only by the grace and kindness of Ivan and Matthew with the United ground personnel, were we the last to be...

Jun 16th

Jun 13th

Jun 1st

May 11th

Elephant Ears →

A former (albeit temporary) Nebraska resident sent us gorgeous baby gifts she sewed herself in her new home in California. Now everyone can buy them at her etsy.shop and start looking as stylish as our little Maus! She nursed under her gorgeous polka-dot blanket this very evening while we were eating out. Check it out! (and congrats again, Elizabeth)!

May 1st

Apr 30th

For I will consider my Cat Marvin.

On Saturday I went to a choral concert of 20th Century Masterworks, including one of my favorite choral works of all time, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, along with Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, based upon the ecclectic poetry of Christopher Smart. The second piece was a soprano solo for which I am sharing the text below, in honor of our other family member: For I will...

Apr 29th

5-month open letter

In the tradition of dooce.com, I share with you here my open monthly letter to Hannah. Liebe Hannah, You have been with us on this earth for 5 months. And I somehow find it impossible to remember what we did 6 months ago without you. Here is the Stand der Dinge: Your talking continues. You are gabbing at me right now, laying beneath the hanging play gym loaned to us by Harry’s mom, Rachel. Your...

Apr 25th

Remembering through her things.

My grandfather has been diagnosed with lung cancer, the really yucky kind that moves fast and has already spread. He always has been the eternal optimist and has chosen to fight to extend his time through chemotherapy. He began his regimine last Monday at age 86, approaching 87. My grandmother had been having gall bladder trouble with her surgery now postponed indefinitely because of...

Apr 19th

Tired and Sick

Just me. Hannah is fine. Her Dad, too. Threw out my back picking up our little Schwein (Hexenschuss, schon wieder) and caught laryngitis (Kehlkopfentzündung). Jens thinks the latter problem is rather refreshing. Glad this semester is drawing to a close, although I have lots of work to complete until then. When the semester is over, there will be lots of regular Hannah updates here, although as I...

Apr 19th

Busy month for Hannah

No time to go into detail, but Hannah was baptised, celebrated her first Easter and spent days in Oma Elfriede’s arms during the month of March. Pictures in the Flickr slideshow.

Mar 28th

Feb 28th

Feb 17th

Daughter in me. →

I heard this story on NPR on my long commute in February 2006 while trying to get pregnant and it made me weep. I am so pleased to know that part of Hannah is still within me.

Feb 17th

Feb 8th

Feb 3rd