Tag Archives: memories

Baby update: My baby girl is 6 months old!

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My baby girl L. is 6 months old! A blink of an eye and my baby girl changed from an infant to a smiling, babbling baby. She is sweet-tempered and very interested in her surroundings. We love her so much and she definitely knows it.

My baby girl is very friendly to all the people she meets. As long as she’s in my embrace she is content wherever we are or whatever we are doing. A bit less than a month ago we started her on solid food. I mean, so far she has tried carrot, apple, pear and zucchini puree. She likes to eat :). She’s teething for some time now. She likes to grab things and she has recently discovered the joy of throwing things down for mummy to pick them up. 🙂 She can amuse herself with a couple of toys for brief periods of time but her favourite activity so far is to ˝walk˝ around our house (I am walking with her in my arms, of course, and then when I sit she protests immediately).

Everything so far was very different than with my boy. He was the first child and I had to learn how to be a mother (something I’m still learning though). Holding my baby girl, breastfeeding her, changing her diapers, playing with her…it was all something I already knew how to do. There was no drama, no anxiety, everything felt so natural, so easy, unlike the first time. However, there was also less excitement and things just happened without me noticing them immediately. The curse of the second child, you might say. But I think I’m gentler, calmer and more self-assured with her than I was with our boy when he was just a baby.

my sweet baby girl

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Baby update: V. is 1 year old!

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My baby boy is 1. Let me repeat this : My baby boy V. is 1-year-old! No, I still don’t believe it. That means that I’ve been a mum for a year too. Wow! That also sounds unbelievable. And yes, my baby calls me mummy but only occasionally. He’s too busy running around the house chasing the cat. Poor cat! He spends a lot of time high up on the cupboards out of our baby’s reach.

V. is a strong, big boy. He’s 78 cm tall and weighs exactly 10 kg. He still loves to be carried around which is sometimes quite painful for my ageing back. He likes to cuddle a lot! V. is such a cheerful boy. Very determined and very persistent too. Prefers to play with things that aren’t baby toys. He walks. He carries things. He pushes furniture. He climbs the sofa. He makes all sorts of loud noises but he doesn’t talk (he just says mama). He’s got 7 teeth now and likes to chew on all sorts of forbidden things. He smiles when you say sternly NO, and just continues to do whatever he isn’t allowed to do until you move him. He’s fearless. He rarely cries. He doesn’t like changing diapers or getting undressed for bed. He eats a lot of different foods but I still nurse him. He loves spending time with his grandparents. He enjoys being out. He is a proper water baby, in the bathtub and in the sea. He likes playing with the ball. He has travelled. He’s been to Italy several times. He discovered San Marino. He’s visited a lot of towns in Croatia.

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Baby update: V. is 6 months old!

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My baby boy V. is already 6 months old. I’ve been meaning to write about him for a while now but I actually don’t know what to write about exactly. Shall I mention his adorable smile? The sleepless nights? How I still don’t believe that I am a mum?

Every day is a new day for him. A day of possibilities and new discoveries. And I get to experience all that with him. That’s the amazing part of being a mum. Exhaustion and being mushy brained and having almost no personal time is the-not-so-great part of the motherhood. But hey, I’ve only been a mum for 6 months 🙂 There’s more joy (and sleepless nights ) to look forward to in the future.

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My English memories: Ipswich

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Ipswich, England

Ipswich

I have been feeling rather nostalgic lately. Maybe because it’s ten years since my work & life experience in England. During that time I explored as much as I could of East Anglia which is where I lived. Ipswich was one of the first cities I visited. I went there by train for a day trip without a fixed plan of what to do and see. After this first day trip I visited Ipswich again to meet up with some new acquaintances but I haven’t really been to any museums or done any proper sightseeing. What I have done actually was to shop at Primark 🙂 I know, I know, there are a lot of people who belittle this brand but I still have a top I bought for only 2£ ten years ago.

Ipswich is the biggest town in East Anglia and it’s situated on the estuary of the river Orwell. The first thing I noticed on my day trip to Ipswich when compared to other smaller towns in Suffolk was the number of people in the streets and a greater feel of cosmopolitanism. I came across the Ancient House with its beautiful pargeting  and the Town Hall. I liked the old houses on the high street and the choice of shops. I also saw Ipswich’s waterfront and the marina. It was a leisurely day trip for sure.

Ipswich

Ancient House

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My English memories: Bath & Stonehenge

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Bath

What a trip! Visiting Bath & Stonehenge was one of the best weekend trips in England I’ve ever had. The weather was fair, our hotel was small & charming and I fell of my feet from all the sightseeing we did in Bath. It was in July in 2009 and I’d gladly return to Bath one day to see it all again.

After arriving to Bath in the afternoon and settling in our hotel my friend and I decided to go out for a meal. The city center was just a short stroll away from our hotel but we had lovely views of the lush green hills to enjoy on our walk down to the center. Our evening walk gave us a glimpse of the beauty that Bath had to show us.

Bath, England

Bath Abbey & Roman Baths

The next day was sunny & warm and we visited the Roman Baths. Probably one of the most famous  Roman sites in Britain the Roman Baths are truly impressive. There are four parts: the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House and the Museum. I listened carefully to my free audio guide as I walked around the Baths and marvelled at Roman sculptures and other artifacts. I even tossed a coin in the wishing pool. At the end of the visit we were given a glass of mineral water at the Grand Pump Rooms where you can have an afternoon tea too. Unfortunately, the Bath Abbey was closed when we walked by it twice so we only got to see it from the outside. I guess my visit to Bath coincided with the school holidays because there were a lot of school children around and a lot of tourists as well. Some of them were watching numerous performances by street artists at the square near the Abbey.

Roman Baths

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My English memories: Norwich

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Norwich Castle

Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery

I can’t believe that it’s been almost 10 years since I lived in England. Time flies! When I lived & worked in Suffolk I took several day trips by train, alone or with a friend. One of them was to Norwich, the capital of the neighbouring county of Norfolk.

It was a grey November day. The train ride was pleasant and short. After my friend and I took the map at the train station we proceeded over the bridge and past the canals down the Prince of Wales street which took us directly to the Norwich Castle. I thought that it looked rather unusual. Norwich Castle is actually one of the oldest castles in England. It was built by William II in 1094 and the part which remains today is the splendid box-like Norman keep. The castle is built on a small hill but there’s a modern elevator which takes you up to the entrance. There’s a Museum and an Art Gallery inside the castle. I loved the castle! There were all sorts of things from the Egyptian mummies to teapots and small cats figurines to armours and shields. We saw the part of the castle which once functioned as a prison and we also got to see the castle’s loo. There were also natural history dioramas. We spent quite a lot of time exploring the castle. To find out about the admission prices today click here.

Norwich Castle

After our visit of the castle we went down to the city center. Since I lived in a much smaller town in England I found Norwich to be very busy and crowded. Actually my visit coincided with the day of the Norwich Market hence the crowds. Before we reached the area of the Norwich Market we stumbled upon the beautiful Royal Arcade. It’s a rather grand shopping arcade full of independent shops and fancy eateries. This is where I saw the legendary Colman’s Mustard Shop. Colman’s is the famous English manufacturer of mustard and other sauces from Norfolk and it’s one of the oldest existing food brands.

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Who still sends postcards?

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letter box in London

Who still sends postcards? When I was a child I used to go through my mum’s picture postcards box and daydream. Those postcards were my Pinterest and Instagram combined. The postcards my dad sent from his concert tours around Europe, the postcards from distant family members who moved half a world across, the blank postcards from family holidays. That box was my treasure trove. So when I started to travel I sent postcards to my mum and dad and sometimes to my friends too. But I’d also buy several postcards for myself and I’d bring them home. Wherever I went, I bought postcards to take home. They were my most precious souvenirs. It didn’t matter that I took a thousand photos of Paris or Rome or London. I had to buy a postcard too. I don’t remember when I sent my last postcard. It was before I got my first smartphone for sure. What’s the point of waiting for a week or more to get a postcard from someone when you can send a photo via Viber or upload it on Facebook  and everyone can see it immediately? But there’s no anticipation and romanticism in Facebook pictures. You can’t store them away in a box for your children to see one day.

I’ve got my own postcards box now. I’ve collected all the postcards I was sent to by my family and friends and the postcards I bought on my trips. My husband also has to bring me back a postcard from his skiing trips. Last year he went to Essen to attend the biggest board gaming event in Europe and of course I expected him to send me a postcard from Essen. He searched and searched but couldn’t find any. However, he met some German guy and left him our address and asked him to send a postcard when he finds one. And I got my postcard from Essen!:)

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