Greetings from the Sick Room

I wouldn't want to bore you with all our sicknesses, but beside the apartment hunting, that is what has been going on here lately.

Fräulein was crying the whole Saturday night because her ear was hurting. We got her some antibiotics and she is now back to her old self.

After having a sore throat for a few days, I also got pretty high fever and went to see a doctor* yesterday: angina and antibiotics.

And baby has been crying a lot lately (very untypical of her) and this morning her temperature was almost 39°C. We went to see her doctor, but she doesn't have any infection. We just need to try to cope with some paracetamol.

These eyes tell you how she is feeling at that moment.

After several rainy and cold days we finally have some sun and warmth here. So despite the lousy feeling caused by fever and sleepless nights, I guess I have to drag myself to the playground this afternoon.

*) As a Finn, I find it funny that there aren't any 'general doctors' here Germany (I have heard there are some 'family doctors', but I haven't found any). Instead, when you've got a sore throat, you need to see a ear, nose and throat specialist... 


*****
Täällä ollaan sairasteltu viime päivät. Fräuleinilla oli korvatulehdus, itselläni angiina ja nyt Babyllä on kuumetta. Mutta aurinko sentään paistaa pitkästä aikaa!

What a Week! (Or One Third Of It...)

Last night, when I first started writing this post, I typed "What a week!". Then I realized it was only Tuesday evening...

Fräulein has been a bit ill since we got back from Finland. The sneezing and coughing started as soon as she was back in the Krippe. And last weekend she had some fever.

But early on Monday morning she started vomiting.

I was a bit worried. First of all, we had eaten brunch with friends on Sunday. One of them is 9 months pregnant and I really did not want her to have caught a stomach bug from Fräulein (I have first hand knowledge how it feels to be vomiting just a couple of weeks before the baby is due).

Secondly, Herr Welle was just leaving for a four day business trip, so I really didn't want Baby or myself to get sick.

I was certain it was a stomach bug, but luckily Herr Welle insisted on taking Fräulein to see a doctor, as it turned out to be an ear infection. That is not a nice diagnosis, but at least she could take antibiotics for it and she wasn't contagious.

The Monday evening alone with the girls was a bit demanding. Fräulein was whining about everything and it didn't help that I had to make her drink her antibiotics, wash her hair (because of the smell of vomit) and give her a suppository for sickness...

On Tuesday, the antibiotics were clearly working and Fräulein was full of energy. But because she hadn't really eaten anything since Saturday morning she was a bit cranky. Poor Baby, who had to tolerate Fräulein's whims...

Today we had another check-up with Fräulein's doctor. Her ear seems to be fine, although the virus causing the sneezing and coughing is still present. But we got the doctor's permission to go to the Krippe tomorrow.

These photos were taken at the doctor's office.
Today, I might add... :)

But now Baby is coughing... I hope we can still make it to her first play date tomorrow, because I would really appreciate some adult company!

*****
Fräulein on ollut Saksaan paluumme jälkeen nuhassa ja yskässä ja maanantaiaamuna hän alkoi oksentaa. Pahoinvoinnin syyksi paljastui korvatulehdus, johon saimme antibiootteja. Tulehdus alkaa nyt hellittää ja Fräulein on taas oma itsensä, tosin ehkä vähän kiukuttelevana versiona. Mutta nyt sitten on Babyn vuoro yskiä...

It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times...

The title of this expat blog seems to describe my last two weeks pretty well...

As you know, the best part of being an expat is having guests. And we have been very lucky on that front recently! First, my good friend was visiting us. We went shopping, ate breakfast (several times) at Cafe Extrablatt's buffet and just spent time together. Awesome!

And then last weekend, Herr Welle's parents came to visit us. It was nice for Fräulein to be able to spend time with her grandparents. And we visited the Christmas markets both here in Wiesbaden and in Rüdesheim.

But then to the not-so-nice part. First of all, I have had a cough for two weeks now. You know, that kind of dry cough, when it doesn't bother you much when you are awake, but you are not able to fall asleep, because just when you are about to, you start coughing again... And no chance taking any powerful medicine when you are pregnant.

But this Monday was the total low-point (I hope). Since morning, I wasn't feeling too great. Herr Welle was driving his parents to the Hahn airport, so I had to pick up Fräulein from her Krippe with her buggy. Naturally, it was just that afternoon, when it started to snow and it was a bit of a struggle to push the buggy through all that slush.

At home, I felt my temperature rising (and not just because I was unhappy with the situation...). Within an hour, I had +38.5°C fever. I was just laying in the bed under several blankets and asked Fräulein to be very quiet and watch the Moomins. And then I threw up. Twice. Feeling sick is not nice, when you are in your normal condition, but it doesn't make it any easier, when you are 37 weeks pregnant.

The following morning I went to see my doctor. I was told that I was the fourth patient there that morning with the same condition. Apparently, it wasn't a stomach bug as such, but some sort of virus, which caused cramps in the abdomen. Normally, that wouldn't feel too bad, but for pregnant women it was worse.

But the important part was that the baby was fine. And I am starting to feel better, although I'm still coughing.

And I have been able to take part in two of the exams I had scheduled for this autumn, so now I can finally start my maternity leave for real!

Let the Christmas season begin!

*****
Viimeiseen pariin viikkoon on mahtunut niin huippuhetkiä kuin aallonpohjia. Ensinnäkin olemme saaneet nauttia lukuisista (tai no kolmesta) Suomi-vieraasta. Mutta toisaalta myös virukset ovat vierailleet meillä - lähinnä minulla. Ei hauskaa, etenkään raskauden tässä vaiheessa. Mutta nyt alkaa helpottaa ja mammalomakin on alkanut. Joten Joulua odottelemaan! 

Apologies Again...

I'm so sorry for neglecting you again. Unfortunately, I don't have anything interesting to write about, But I thought it would be fair to give you at least an idea what has been going on in here.

First of all, Fräulein and myself caught a cold last weekend. Fräulein was fine by Monday but I am still sneezing and coughing. And just when I would have needed so time to relax, Fräulein's Tagesmutter let us know that her own daughter was ill and Fräulein couldn't go to daycare. Great. So I really have had neither the time nor the energy to blog.

But not everything is a misery. We have been meeting friends, some of whom we haven't met for months. And yesterday, I had the 3D/4D ultrasound.

When I was pregnant with Fräulein, we were still living in Finland, so I had only two regular ultrasounds during my pregnancy. As we wanted the opportunity to she her once more and get to know her gender, we went to private doctor's office for this 3D/4D ultrasound.

This time, here in Germany, I have ultrasound every four weeks! So, first I thought it would not be so interesting to have that 3D/4D ultrasound. But as Herr Welle pointed out, that we would get a DVD with some video footage of the baby, I thought it be fair for this baby to have that too, like her sister does.

Everything was well and we got some great photos of her face. And yes, she was still 'she' :)

Next Monday, Fräulein will be starting in the kindergarten. The first day will be total 30 minutes long (together with me...) So, I cannot promise I'll have more time to blog next week, either.

*****
Taas on vierehtänyt aikaa edellisestä postauksesta, sillä olen ollut kipeänä eikä Fräuleinkaan ole päässyt päivähoitoon. Mutta jotain mukavaakin sentään, sillä kävimme 3D/4D-ultrassa kurkkimassa masuasukin kasvonpiirteitä. Maanantaina alkaakin Fräuleinin sopeutumisjakso päiväkodissa, joten en voi luvata bloggaavani ensi viikollakaan kovin aktiivisesti...

Back in the Blogosphere

Hi there, remember me? Frau Welle. The writer of this blog.

It has been quiet here for a while. Well, actually only for a few days, but it feels much more. First Fräulein fell ill. Thursday evening I got the same stomach bug, and Friday morning Herr Welle got sick. It really makes your own illness feel ten times worse, when there is a little girl, gaining back her energy, wanting you to play with her...

But we are all well now. So I won't have any excuse not to visit the German playgroup this afternoon...

Yesterday, after spending a couple of days inside, we decided to go to Kurpark to enjoy the brisk Sunday weather. It has been quite cold here, around -10°C. I know it is nothing compared to the temperature for example in southern Finland (about -25°C...), but it does feel cold!

We do not have any snow here, but the ponds of the park are now frozen

Oh yeah, maybe I should mention that the second round of the Finnish presidential election was held yesterday. Here is our new president:

The 12th president of Finland: Sauli Niinistö
(photo via Wikipedia)

Poor Baby

I should have known.

When one starts in three new playgroups within a week, this was about to happen.

Fräulein has fallen ill.

I want to be honest with you. Fräulein is not always the easiest little girl to take care of. As newborn, she had colic. She is a very light sleeper (I have always thought that children sleep so deeply that you can carry a sleeping child from car to her bed without waking her...). And her appetite, especially for 'real' food, is not the best.

But we have been very lucky, because she has been so healthy.

Her first year went by with only few days with running nose and whining. When she turned 1 year old, she had three flu in a row. They weren't too bad. On day time, she was like her normal self, only the nights were a bit difficult.

But now, for the first time, she is really ill. Ill in a way that has changed her behavior.

Watching BabyTV

There were two things yesterday, that made me suspect that something was wrong, even though she didn't seem to be sick per se.

First, she didn't eat anything. It is not a surprise that she didn't eat her potatoes, but she didn't even want any cookies!

Second, she usually hurries to the hall when Herr Welle comes home, but yesterday she just sat on my lap smiling at him.

Last night she got fever. Today she has been resting, cuddling and watching BabyTV. Anyone who has met her would say that it is totally out of character for her to sit still for 15 minutes!

Hopefully, she will be dancing again soon.

At least Fräulein has managed to eat something today

Get well soon poor Fräulein!

No Sick Leave For Hausfrau

As I told you yesterday, I fell ill on Sunday morning. Not nice. Especially not nice, when you have a 14-month-old to look after. They do not grant sick leave for SAHMs (= Stay At Home Mums, an acronym I learnt recently!)

Fortunately, I'm feeling a bit better now, so I had to spent only two days curled up on the sofa. Well, I would have liked to curl up, but whenever I was able to find a position in which I wasn't feeling too bad, our daughter, let's call her Fräulein from now on, came and took my finger, pulling me to join her games. You cannot tell a 14-month-old that mummy is not feeling good, so could you please read some books by yourself...

I sometimes wonder, what I have actually been doing all day, when I've spent the day home together with Fräulein. But now that I have not been able to do anything at all, I notice how quickly the toys take over the floors, kitchen table tops pile up with dishes and bathroom floor is covered with laundry, as it cannot fit into the basket anymore. All this in just two days! So, I must be doing something, as our apartment does not normally look like this. (Those who have visited our home know that our home in by no means clinically clean, but looks like someone is living there, to put it mildly... But after two days of doing nothing at all, this really is something else!)

I must say my thanks to Herr Welle, who was supposed to fly to Finland on business yesterday evening, but postponed his departure until tonight. He has made sure that we have something to eat and can actually fit into the kitchen. And today I have finally been fit enough to wash some laundry myself. Although checking the winter sales here in Wiesbaden has to wait until a later date.

Shop 'til You Drop

After arriving back to Germany, we hadn't had the chance to go shopping in the winter sales. So, last Saturday, we planned to visit the Main-Taunus-Zentrum.

Main-Taunus-Zentrum is a large shopping centre located just outside Frankfurt by the motorway leading to Wiesbaden. The centre is very popular: even though there are 4500 parking places, it is very difficult to find free spot for your car.

On Saturday, we were invited to a birthday party of a two-year-old girl, so we went shopping after the party and arrived to the Main-Taunus-Zentrum at only 7pm. Fortunately, the opening hours here a bit different than in Finland, where everything closes by 6pm. on Saturdays.

After 10pm., when all the other shops were closed, we still went to the Rewe grocery store (open until midnight). That's where the first 'drop' happened: our daughter fall asleep in her pushchair. She was so tired of all the partying and shopping, that she didn't ask for her pacifier.

The next 'drop' waited until the next morning: I fell ill. For a few days now I have had fever and felt sick. But hopefully it will soon pass and I'll be able to go and check the sales here in Wiesbaden!

Achoo!

Our daughter is down with the flu third time in a row. The day's rescue: BabyTV