The Contagious Laugh

One of the greatest gifts that Carsten brings to my life is laughter... the kind of laughter that makes your stomach muscles hurt and gives you those God awful laugh lines around your mouth. Carsten and I have a good laugh like this at least once a day. Before he came along, this kind of laugh was rare. It usually takes a lot to really get me going the way Carsten does.

We do most of this laughing in the bath at night. I really dread the day that Carsten will be too old to bathe with me because it is by far my most favorite time of day. Usually the laughter strikes when his gas does. He thinks farting in the tub is the FUNNIEST thing in the whole world, especially when he sees that it gets a chuckle out of me. He really gets going when he can conjure up (and trust me, he really works at it) a few good ones. He starts laughing uncontrollably and I start laughing uncontrollably. Before we know it, neither one of us can laugh anymore.... me because of my side being in stitches, him because he has given him self a bad case of the hiccups.

I am so lucky to live this experience every day. I don't know how I ever lived happily without it. I really have to get the videocamera out and try to capture his laugh... the knee slappin', uncontrollable, side-stitching eruption. I am positive that it would be very efficient in combating even the worst case of depression and spreading world peace.

The Compassionate Husband

Danyel and I have gotten hooked on this new show on Monday nights called "What About Brian?". There is a story line going on in the show right now about this married couple who are playing with the idea of having an open marriage. The wife, who is a stay at home mom of 4 kids, is the one who suggested it. Her reasoning is that she thinks it will be a turn on and help re-spark their love life AND they were married at such a young age that she feels like she has missed out on a lot of things... sex with other people being the main 'thing' of course. So, anyways, the husband has some reservations about the open marriage thing, but they have very loosely agreed upon it. He has tried to go out and pick up other women, but he just finds himself wanting to go back home and be with his family. Really, you kind of see him as a victim in the whole thing because it is evident that he is not too thrilled about it and just wants to make his wife happy. In the meantime, she is flirting with the idea of hooking up with this guy she met at the park who is a divorced father.

So, that's the plot. This plot infuriates my husband. Last week while we were watching the show and this plot came up he just kept going on and on about how in the wrong this woman is. She should be taking care of her kids... She has a wonderful husband working hard for his family and all she can think about is cheating on him... blah, blah, blah. At the end of the episode last week, he even went as far as to say that he will not watch this show again if she cheats on him... "It is just wrong!"

The show came on last night and the story line continued and so did his disapproval of it. Finally, at the end of the episode, she hops into the back of her minivan with this divorced guy and they get it on in the grocery store parking lot. Danyel was so upset by this. He kept saying how he felt so sorry for the husband and that he didn't deserve this.... She is such a slut... It is wrong for them to show this on T.V. and make people think that it is o.k. to behave like this, etc. I had to remind him that IT IS JUST MAKE BELIEVE... THIS IS NOT REAL... IT IS JUST A T.V. SHOW!!! He was feeling genuine compassion for this guy who is just a character! A little bit later after the show had already been over for a while, I asked him if he was still upset and he said yes and started on his rant again. Oh Lordy.

Don't worry, Pookie. Your stay at home wife has no interest in getting it on with another dude in the back of her minivan at the Krogers. I don't even have a minivan.

Suburbia... It's like heaven!

Yesterday after Carsten woke up from his nap we decided to spend the rest of the day out. Since I am home all week with Carsten, I don't like spending much time at the house on the weekend... I like to go, go, go! I thought that it would be nice to drive down to The Woodlands and stroll around the Waterway. We had such a nice time. They have built this area across from the Mall (right by the Pavillion) called Market Square. There are lots of shops and restaurants and even a really nice HEB (comparable to a Central Market). They have a little courtyard where yesterday they had some kids from a dance studio performing. They have tried to make it look like an Old Main Street. After toodling around there for a while, we walked to the Marriott and were going to ride the Water Taxi over to the mall for fun, but we were told it would be anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour before the taxi came by again. So, we decided to walk down the waterway to the mall, which was even better. It's a nice walk and Carsten really enjoyed sharing his Cheerios with the ducks, turtles, and fish. Once we got to the end of the waterway, we went and had dinner at the Cheesecake factory before walking back to our car. The weather was a little warm, but bearable and all the walking really did us some good! It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

My little Genius

I am amazed at how smart Carsten has become just over the last couple of weeks. He is starting to really make connections. He has started to point with purpose. He can point out certain objects when asked. His favorite is a butterfly. He also can point to a duck, horse, bug, and a bird... to name a few. When I ask him where is Mama's belly, he lifts up my shirt and pokes my belly button. Sometimes, he will point to his own belly when asked, but most of the time he likes to point out mine. He has a fascination with lights. Everywhere we go, he likes to point out all the lights. He really loves the idea that he can point to something and you will look and name the object for him or fulfill his wants/needs. This morning, when he was playing with his big bunny he got for Easter, he was able to show me his eyes and nose when I asked. Of course, all this is done on his terms. If he is not in the mood to show off his skills, he won't.

He has also made some strides in talking. He has been sick with a cold the last few days. A few nights ago after I had rocked him back to sleep in the middle of the night I placed him back in his crib. As I did so, he cried out, "Mama" in his sleep to just make sure that I was still there. This was monumental (not to mention, extremely heart warming). He randomly has said Mama for a while (mostly when he is whining), but this is the first time he has really addressed me as Mama. Of course, he's been calling Danyel "Dada" for a long time now - go figure! He is constantly picking up new words. Aside from "no" and addressing us, he doesn't really know in what context to use his vocabulary. Some words he will say 20 times in a row and we never hear them again... some he uses daily. Lately he says sit, what's this?, wow, and no quite frequently. He also loves to say "eh-eh"... the slang expression for no.

I really love this stage in his development. Being that I am alone with him for most of the day, it is so nice to that he is really starting to be part of our conversations... whether with words or non verbal gestures.

The Aviator

Yesterday, my brother in law, Noyan, flew down from Clear Lake in his plane to have Easter Lunch with us at my mom's house. Afterward, Noyan took my Dad up in the plane for a short ride. My Dad really enjoyed it. Thanks Noyan!

Carsten and I before Easter Mass

Visit by the Easter Bunny

Yesterday morning after breakfast, I happened to glance out the back door onto the patio and there he was... the Easter Bunny. No kidding. This bunny was just sitting there staring into the kitchen. Luckily, Carsten got a glimpse of him before he ran back off into the woods. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to get a picture. I thought it was just so wild to see a rabbit sitting on my patio on Easter Sunday. Crazy.

Carsten's Easter Loot

Carsten was quite surprised when he came downstairs for breakfast yesterday and found a big bunny sitting in his chair. He didn't mind though since he brought a lot of goodies with him.

Saturday

Saturday evening, Danyel and I went with the Obenhaus' to Haak Winery in Santa Fe for a jazz band performance. The band was nothing to write home about, but we did have a relaxing evening amongst the vines. We left Carsten at my mom's for a few hours, so it was nice to just kick back with some good friends and good wine.

Friday

Danyel was off work Friday, so we decided to take Carsten to Bane Park, which is right off W. Little York near Hwy 290. They have a great playground and duck pond. I took some bread for Carsten to feed the ducks. Instead, he fed his face. Each time I would give him a chunk of bread, he would shove it in his mouth. You can see in the pic that he has his mouth full!

Ever since we visited the duck pond, Carsten has been quacking on cue. It took us all weekend to figure out what he was doing. If you ask him, "What does a duck say?", he will quack! At first we just thought it was just a coincidence, but sure enough, he has made the connection. Amazing.

How did I live without this face for a whole week?!

Carsten had to show a lot of Pamper for all these beads...

Carsten vs. The Bunny

Yesterday I took Carsten to see the Easter Bunny. You can't really tell it from the picture, but he is crying. I chose this shot because he almost looks like he is smiling. He was suspect of the bunny from the moment we got in line. He looked terribly nervous and eyed the furry creature every so often as if to make sure he wasn't getting any closer to him. When it was his turn, I went for it. I just slapped him down in the bunny's lap and hoped that they could get a picture before he got wise to what was going on. It didn't work. He started screaming and trying to get away. I tried shoving a sucker in his mouth and the photographer tried entertaining him with toys, but he had already fallen off the deep end. It was a good thing that I washed my hair yesterday and put on make up because I ended up having to sit down with him and the bunny. Even so, I am shocked that they got this good of a picture because he was still crying and trying to squirm away. About 20 bad shots later, we gave up. When I finally let him down he bolted off running as fast as his little legs would carry him. He was determined to get the hell away from that bunny. After I chased him down and paid for the picture, I took him to the play area and let him play for an hour. It's the least I could do after torturing him for the sake of a photo. Hopefully, there was no permanent damage done.

BTW... Doesn't he look so adorable in his Easter outfit with his little tie on and loafers?!

No Gas, please.

Europeans love their gassy water (sparkling mineral water). Us Americans love our "still" water, or, as the Italians put it, "Aqua, no gas". Nobody drinks tap water in Europe. I guess it is beneath them. So, we bought a lot of water on our trip. If you don't request it without gas though, you get gas. It would have been easier to have written "No gas" on our foreheads. Sometimes, they knew it before we said it. They knew that we were Americans and that we believe that gas stinks. Each time we ordered "Aqua, no gas" we felt as if we were making a personal statement - "I am American and I do not want gas!"

"It's o.k., no problem!"

Half of the fun of visiting Italy for me is living amongst the Italians. They are very spirited, animated, and just ooze this zest for life. (To clarify, I am only speaking of southern Italians... Northern Italians are very cold and act as if they have a stick up their rear ends.) Italians are the friendliest and warmest Europeans I have come to know. They smile a lot and have sort of a spring in their step. They seem to be so carefree - I don't think there is even an Italian word for "worry". In fact, the one English phrase that we heard the most from Italians on our trip was "It's o.k., no problem"!

Here are a few of our experiences with different Italians during our trip.

Vito "The Sheister"
Vito was the hotel's tour organizer/manager. When you think Italian, you think Vito. He was quite a jokester. He told us a story of when he took his wife to China for their 25th wedding anniversary. When he returned, his business associates were asking him how he was going to top that for his 50th wedding anniversary and asked him where he would go then. And he replied, "Well, I guess I will go back to China and get her." He was constantly swearing in English and using English slang, which was hilarious. Aside from being a jokester, he was a sheister. One day we were trying to sign up for an organized trip to the Isle of Capri, but it was full. So, we asked him how much it would be to have a driver take us to Paestum (about 1 1/2 hours away). He told us that it would be about 240 Euros (@$300). We said, "240 Euros?!" He said, "Yes, but the driver will be English speaking." Oooohhh, now it made sense. So, when we declined his offer, he decided to "sneak" us in on the full trip to Capri. He said, "It's o.k., no problem!" He wasn't about to lose out on our money.

"Uncle" Lello
Uncle Lello was our tour guide to Pompeii. His personality was a little more subdued than Vito's, but he was still quite a character. He immediately told us to refer to him as "Uncle" Lello. He was very animated and constantly "talked" with his hands. On the way to Pompeii on the bus, a person in our group noticed a forest fire up on top of one of the mountains. When he asked Uncle Lello about it, Uncle Lello said, "If you are asking if it is under control... no. But, It's o.k., no problem."


"Mama"
Mama was the owner/chef/waitress at this little restaurant that we ate at a couple of times in Ravello. She was your typical loud, boisterous, and vibrant Italian Grandma. And, her food was the best Italian I have ever eaten. The Tiramisu was in a whole other category from the best Tiramisu that I have had in the states. Eating at her restaurant was like eating at a local's house. She was a big hit with the Edward Jones group and she made a pretty penny off of all of us. She provided lots of tableside entertainment, but she expected to be paid in return. One night, a vendor that was on the trip took us to Mama's for dinner. There were about 10 of us. We ate family style and went through a good amount of wine. When dinner was finished, she asked our host, "How much you want to pay? Write it here." So, he wrote down 450 Euros, which was about right for what we had consumed. She said, "Oh no, you insult Mama!" They went back and forth until she finally bent him over backward and gave it to him real good. He ended up paying her 600 Euros (@$700)! When the bill was settled, she took a picture with all of us. It was the least she could do.


Night Front Desk Receptionist at hotel
As I have mentioned, I suffered a bad case of insomnia while on the trip. One night, Danyel had had enough. He decided to call the receptionist and ask if they could send up some sleeping pills. In America, nobody will even give you an Advil if you ask because of the fear that you will overdose and they would be knee deep in a lawsuit. When he called, the girl said, "No, you have to have prescription for sleeping pill." Danyel said, "But, my wife is going crazy, she hasn't slept in days." The girl said, "O.k., it's no problem. I will send someone to pharmacy and bring them up." You got to love Europe.

Uncomfortably exposed

The second day that we were in Ravello, I decided to have a massage before we went out for dinner... kind of a vacation treat. So, I went to my appointment and changed into my robe. The masseuse brought me into a room and barely spoke a word of English. She left the room as I crawled onto the table and under the blanket. They only thing I was wearing was a disposable thong that they had given me to put on. I was instantly cold. When I am very overtired, I get a bad case of the chills. So, being naked just intensified my goose bumps. The girl, who mind you was a very attractive Italian girl, came back into the room and started my massage. She was very soft and almost sensual. I was a little uncomfortable with her technique. Instead of working out the kinks, it seemed as if she was trying to seduce me. Being that I am not a lesbian, I did not particularly enjoy this. :-) In addition, I had goose bumps so bad that when she would rub against the hair follicle, the hairs would feel prickly against my skin. She started at my legs and worked her way up. Once she got to my shoulders (at this point I was facing up), she folded down the blanket to my waist - completely exposing my breasts! Then, she started to massage my shoulders, chest, and waist. I have never had a massage where they expose any of your body parts, or even worse, massage them! I have to tell you, that I felt a tad bit violated! I know that in Europe, this type of thing is so not an issue, but I am a prude American! At the end of the massage the masseuse told me in the best English that she knew that she was done by saying, "Ma'am, it's o.k." No lady, it was definitely not o.k.

Pictures from trip...

If you would like to see the pics from the trip, click on the link below. There are 156 pictures, so beware! The easiest way is to view them as a slideshow... just click on the double arrows to start the show. Enjoy!

BTW - You will have to create an account with Snapfish in order to view the pics... it is very quick and free, of course.

http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=40279169/a=25931525/t_=25931525

My Favorite Pic from the Trip...

A view of Positano from a balcony at the top of the hill. Unfortunately, the weather was drizzly the day that we visited Positano, but we had a wonderful lunch at a restaurant right on the beach with another couple and strolled the shops in town for a couple of hours.

We're Back!

Well, we got back home last night close to 10:30 p.m.... much later than scheduled, but this is a story in itself. We are exhausted and so glad to be back stateside... again, another story. But, most importantly, we made it back, period. We can comfortably stash away our will for a while. We will be on our way to pick up Carsten this morning from my mom's and I am ecstatic. I have missed him terribly and can't wait to wrap my arms around him. He, of course, I think has forgotten all about us. Each day while gone, I would call and talk to him on the phone. Most of the time, he would listen for about half a second and then adamantly throw the phone down and continue whatever he was doing. This broke my heart. Danyel kept reminding me that he is just a baby... and a very independent one at that. Anyways, when we found out we had missed our connection in Chicago yesterday back to Houston and I realized that it was going to be this morning before I would see Carsten, I just turned my back to the ticket agent and softly cried. The thought of going another day without Carsten was just too much to bear. So, I will make this entry brief so that we can head over to my mom's.

In a nutshell this trip was very memorable... that is the best word that I can use to describe it as a whole. The Amalfi Coast was the MOST beautiful place I have ever seen, our accommodations were the most unbelievable digs you could ever imagine, the food was the best food I have ever eaten, we saw some unbelievable places, and we met A LOT of really nice couples on the trip. Now, for the bad... The trip exhausted me more than anything in my life (even the sleepless nights with Carsten when he was a newborn do not compare), I suffered the worst case of insomina I have ever experienced, this place was the most difficult place to try and get to... for example, our journey home took us over 24 hours total of traveling time, and it was the most NON relaxing vacation I have ever been on... period. Yesterday, I counted the total amount of hours sleep that I got on this trip and it came to 26 hours for 6 nights... that is just a little over 4 hours a night. When I am this tired I start losing my sanity (again, this is a whole other story). Also, being this tired made it VERY difficult to enjoy myself and absorb my surroundings. It is hard to appreciate a vacation when you feel like you are walking around in a zombie like state.

Anyways, over the next few days I will tell you about some of our most memorable experiences while in Italy... the good, the bad, and the ugly. I will also create a slideshow of some of our pictures and post the link here. We got some great pictures... probably the best we have ever taken on a trip. The subject matter made it very easy! Ciao!

Carsten wants you!

Such a ham for the camera...