Baby laughs

We’re back from Poland. I’m too tired to post about my trip (but I will, I promise), so have a video of Eryk laughing instead:

The alcohol consumption is ridiculous

The past few days have been pretty exciting. On Sunday night we went out with Chris’s best friends (one of them is Eryk’s Godfather) to eat/drink. We drank a little too much and I got super-drunk. (the next morning I felt like I was hit by a truck.) Remember, it’s tradition here to take shots of vodka with dinner for special occasions, and since we haven’t really hung out with these friends for 2 years, it was considered a special occasion. Eryk stayed home with his grandmother and great-grandmother (he has 2 GREAT-grandma’s here, so the grandma love is enormous) and they were tickled to death to be able to watch him alone. Except when it was time to go to bed he cried for like an hour, I think because it was his first night here going to bed without us. Last night we went out with his friends AGAIN, this time we just went out to eat and didn’t have anything to drink (except a glass of wine) because we all needed a break from alcohol.

The nights here have been rough. Eryk wakes up anywhere between 3:00am and 5:00am, and all he wants to do is nurse for like an hour, meaning I pretty much die from exhaustion. He also has not been to bed before 9:30 since we got here. We broke down and bought a bottle and a pacifier (which he hasn’t used since he was 5 months old, but we figured we’d give it a try). He HATES the pacifier with a passion, and he’ll take the bottle, but only if he doesn’t see me first. As soon as he see’s me I’m the only person he wants. The problem is, he’s sleeping in the same room as us, so when he wakes up in the middle of the night he sees us and immediately wants us to pick him up. I think when we get back to the U.S. I’m going to start working on weaning him. He wants to nurse a lot during the day, too. It might just be because he’s in a new environment with new people and he’s not too comfortable with it yet, so he turns to me for comfort. At least that’s what I’m hoping.

I got drunk at my own son’s baptism party.

Sorry, but I’m a little drunk right now, so this post might be a little…unorganized. Don’t judge me. I’m in Poland.

Eryk was baptised today. I had absolutely no idea what was going on during the mass, but I think I did a pretty good job pretending to. We had to sit in front of everyone in the church (along with his godparents (Chris’s sister and best friend)) which I thought was going to be embarrassing, but it wasn’t. Afterwards there was a party (which I just got back from. Eryk was so tired he was walking around in a delirious daze. Chris dropped us off at his house and went back to the party.). In Poland it’s tradition to take (numerous) shots of vodka with dinner for special occasions, and since it’s been so long since I’ve had any kind of alcohol I got kind of drunk, so it’s probably a good thing I left early. I ended up taking 5 shots of vodka (or “wodka” as it’s spelled here), along with a glass of champagne. And then I had to dance with at least 5 of Chris’s uncles,a nd I looked like a complete idiot doing it (I have pictures, but I can’t post any until I get back to the U.S.). I’m pretty sure everyone was laughing at that crazy American that doesn’t know how to dance. We had a lot of fun hanging out with some of Chris’s friends who we haven’t seen since we were here in 2006. I’m really going to miss them when we leave.

So, we’re enjoying our time here and I will be sad when we have to leave on July 2nd.

We’re here

Well we made it. The flight (s) over here were…less than thrilling. Usually we love flying but we’ve now learned to never, EVER fly overseas with a 15-month-old if you can avoid it. Eryk was a wreck at the Washington-Dulles airport because he had to stay in his stroller pretty much the whole time. Our flight to Switzerland was about 8 hours - overnight - which was ok because Eryk slept for 5 of those 8 hours. The other 3 hours we worked hard to keep him entertained. We had the worst seats imagineable (near the back of the plane in the 3 middle seats) but there were 2 other babies sitting near us so we didn’t feel as bad.

The airport in Zurich was like something out of the space age. We had a 2-hour layover so Eryk got to run around for a while (even though it was 2:00 in the morning his time, 8:00 in the morning Zurich time, so by this point he was a little delirious). Our flight to Poland was ok because it was a small plane and it was only about half-full. I got to sit by the window which was awesome because we didn’t get to sit by the windows on the first plane. Eryk started SCREAMING crying near the end of the flight and wouldn’t stop for about 10 minutes. There was no way for us to calm him down, and we couldn’t take him out of his carseat because we were getting ready to land. We were so embarrassed, but luckily we didn’t get any mean stares.

Chris’s mom and sister hired a guy who owns an 8-passenger van to pick us up from the airport, and he drove like a freaking lunatic. It was so bad that I thought I was going to die no less than 8 times. Not to mention his seatbelts wouldn’t work right so Eryk’s carseat wasn’t secure, so Chris had to hold it to keep it from sliding off the seat. By the time we got to Chris’s mom’s house (it was a 2-hour drive from the airport) I was beyond the point of being pissed, and so was Chris. MIL said he probably just drove that way because I’m American and he was trying to show off for me. Well, yeah, good job showing off because there’s no way in hell you’re driving us back to the airport when we leave. Oh HELL no.

Last night was rough. I don’t know why, but Eryk just could NOT fall asleep. He was also really clingy and only wanted me and no one else. Probably because he’s not comfortable with all these new people, and because he was jet-lagged. He didn’t fall asleep until 11:00, and even then the only way he would sleep was if he was lying right next to me. He ended up sleeping all night, though, so that’s good. Hopefully today will be better.

We’re staying at Chris’s mom’s house which means 6 people (not counting Eryk) to one bathroom. Later on in our trip we will probably stay with his friends who live nearby for a few nights (we stayed with them the entire time last time, which worked out well). We’ll probably need a break by then anyway. This afternoon we have a meeting with the priest who will be baptising Eryk. Chris told me to behave myself. Then we’re going to go visit some of his friends and family who will be meeting Eryk for the first time.

Weekend and last one before Poland.

Last Friday my mom and I both came down with a nasty stomach virus. We must have given it to each other. I’m not lying when I say I lost 6 pounds over the weekend because I couldn’t keep ANYTHING down (that brings my weight loss total to 20 pounds!!!). By Sunday my mom was feeling better but I wasn’t so she and my dad kept Eryk overnight at their house (plus it was easier for us to pack our bags for Poland without him getting into everything). It was the first time he’s been away from us at night. I didn’t expect to miss him as much as I did. I kept thinking I heard him crying in the middle of the night.

So, we leave for the airport (in Washington, DC) in about 3 hours. We have 7 bags, plus the carseat and stroller. I have no idea how we’re going to do it. My stomach still feels kind of weak but that might be because I’m nervous. I’m not nervous about flying (because I LOVE flying), I’m just nervous about having an (almost) 15-month-old on the plane for 12 hours (that includes our layover in Switzerland). And we probably won’t have a window seat, which sucks. Oh well. I’ll have internet access at Chris’s mom’s house, but I’m not sure how much I’ll be online, so if I don’t get to post while I’m over there, see you on July 2nd!

Transfer

Last week I had a meeting with my boss and told her that because of gas prices I might not be able to work there for much longer. She told me that she would hate to see me go and if I absolutely HAD to leave that she wanted to at least see me stay within the company (we have offices all over Hampton Roads). So, she asked around and found out that one of our offices that is 5 miles from our apartment has an opening. So I went in for my “interview” today and basically as soon as I sat down the office manager told me that I could start after I get back from my vacation to Poland, but to talk to my current office manager to see what is convenient for her since she’s going to have to find someone to fill my spot. I’ll most likely start at my new location on July 7th or July 14th.

This also means that we’re going to have to look for a new daycare. Chris is going to stop by one that’s right around the corner from us before he goes to work today. *crosses fingers* I’m sure it’s a long-shot that they’ll actually have an opening. There’s 33 daycares in Williamsburg, so I’m sure at least ONE of them has to have an opening, right?

With my “new” job I’ll get a pay raise (I’ll be doing a slightly different job at my new location) AND be saving a TON of money on gas (I’ll be driving 10 miles a day instead of 60!). Awesome!

Countdown to Poland: 12 days. OMG.

We’ll be in Poland in 12 days. Wow. I’m officially freaking out about what Eryk is going to eat/drink on the plane and in the airports. I’ve gotten my dresses/shoes for the baptism/wedding.

Oh, and I have officially lost 10 pounds!!! I now weigh what I weighed before I got pregnant. And I’ve dropped a pants size. I still want to lose 10 more pounds after this.

My dress for the wedding:

(I’m pretty embarrassed about my still-fat legs.)

And my dress for the baptism:

I think I should get different shoes for this dress. Chris says they’re not “modest” enough.

Eryk is climbing all over everything now. Whenever I turn around he’s climbed on our bed/sofa/chairs. He’s also moving from the infant room to the toddler room at daycare (*sniff*). I’m kind of glad because they are getting 3 new 6-week old babies in the infant room within the next week, and I don’t really feel comfortable with Eryk running around and playing around all those babies.

Just a quick one to say:

You know how in my last post I said I was on a diet because I’m going to Poland in 3.5 weeks? Well, I’VE LOST 7 POUNDS. This is AWESOME. When I was pregnant I gained 36 pounds. I lost 26 pounds by the time he was 3 months old and that’s where I stayed for the next 11 months. Until now. I’m only 3 pounds shy of hitting my pre-pregnancy weight (and I wanna lose 10 more pounds after that, too). (And for the record, I’m STILL breastfeeding (only once a day) and it didn’t help with losing weight at all. I know it works for some people, but not me.) (And yes, I’m starting to get comments from people about how I’m “STILL doing THAT?!?!” but I really don’t care what other people say. Goal is to stop at 18 months if he hasn’t weaned by then.)

Anyway, my clothes fit SO MUCH BETTER now, and I can actually pull down the pants I’d been squeezing myself into for the past few months without unbuttoning them (not that I would actually do that on a normal basis, but the point is I CAN!).

What’s my secret? Well I was going to do Weight Watchers and was all set to go to my first meeting, but then at the last minute I decided to see if I could do it on my own before I spent money on something I didn’t even know I would stick with. So, I started eating smaller portions. Of EVERYTHING. If the back of the pretzel bag said a serving size was 24 pretzels I’d eat 12. And I stopped snacking at work. That was my biggest weakness. We get so much free food/candy at work, so I just got rid of it all and drank more water to fill myself up.

Language barrier

In about 3.5 weeks we will be in Poland. I don’t know if I’m excited or not. I guess I’m about 80% nervous and 20% excited.

Nervous about the possibility of being in a room alone with my MIL for more than 5 seconds. She doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak Polish, so all we can do is look at eachother. And since her house has a total of 4 rooms (bathroom and kitchen included), it will be hard to avoid her.

Last summer she and Chris’s sister “visited” us for 3 months (omg). Chris took her shopping when she first got here for some necessities. She wanted to get something like Summer’s Eve, but since they don’t sell that brand in Poland, she didn’t know what it was called, so she had to ask Chris where the “vaginal cleansing products” were. I’ve never seen him more embarrassed than he was that night. Well, maybe the time his sister asked him if it was ok to swim with a tampon in.

(OMG I get embarrassed just typing it) *cringe*

I guess the point of this post is: The Language Barrier. It Sucks. I know you’re probably thinking “Well you should just learn Polish,” but it’s not that easy. I’m not a good “self-learner” and I learn better in a classroom setting. There aren’t Polish classes within like, 200 miles of here, and Chris laughs at my pronunciations. Regardless, I HAVE learned a lot of Polish over the years of hearing my husband speak it (he talks to Eryk in Polish) and can basically understand what someone is talking about. I just can’t speak it. Dude, it’s a hard language to speak.

Eryk is getting baptised on June 21st at a Catholic Church near Chris’s village (ok, so it’s not like a village with little huts, it’s just too small to be called a town). His whole family will be there including his 4,296 aunts and 3,452 uncles (Ok, so he obviously doesn’t have THAT many aunts and uncles, but it’s a lot. Also, anyone that is related to him and is at least 10 years older than him he calls his ”aunt” or “uncle,” even if it’s really his 2nd or 3rd cousin.). They will be looking at ME, because I’m an American, which by default means I should be stuck-up, rich, and fat. (Side note: I am currently on a diet for this trip because I know that everyone will be judging me on how much weight I lost after having Eryk. And also, because I just need to lose that last 10 pounds of baby weight anyway.) SIL’s wedding is on June 28th, which means even MORE people will be there. So, no pressure.

 

 

 

 

 

In which I talk about religion…sort of.

I got an email from a friend on Friday. He told me that he can no longer associate with me because of my religious beliefs (or…beliefs on religion, to word it better). He’s a Christian.

I wrote back to him saying that I have never, EVER judged him for his religious beliefs and that I am sorry that he judges me for mine. We hardly ever talked about religion in the first place, and I never tried to push my beliefs on him just like he never tried to push his on me, so why all of a sudden can’t he handle it? I told him that we had been friends a long time and that I was sorry he felt that way and to have a nice life. Then de-friended him on Facebook (ha! It sounds so high school, but it’s true! If he’s not going to be my friend anymore than I might as well make it official everywhere else).

I was baptised and confirmed in the United Methodist Church, I went to church camp EVERY single summer, and even went to a Baptist college. During my junior year of high school was when I really started to question my beliefs. By the time I was a sophomore in college and after years of research and learning I knew exactly what my beliefs were. I just didn’t know how to “come out” with them. It wasn’t until my college boyfriend and I broke up that I finally “came out” with my beliefs. I knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it while we were dating because he was a Republican from the bible belt. Anyway, I came out as an agnostic first, because I figured it would make the transition easier, and finally, after people got over the shock of that I finally admitted that I am, in fact, non-religious. I don’t like using the term “atheist” because it has such a bad reputation.

I’ve definitely let a few people down because of of this. My mom thinks I’m going through a “phase” and will “snap out of it soon.” Chris is too scared to even TELL his mom. But I have never tried to push my beliefs on anyone else and I respect people of ALL religions. I mean, my HUSBAND is a practicing Catholic who takes confession VERY seriously and hangs on to the Pope’s every word. I listen quietly while he tells me what the priest talked about that day. Sometimes I’ll try to be funny and remind him how the pope banished (if only for a little while) Nicolaus Copernicus (who was born in Poland!) for trying to say the Earth revolved around the sun. We laugh and that’s the end of our religious discussion.

So, this is me. I hope you can handle it.