Good bye 2010

As I sit here on New Years Eve in a house too seldom this still, I find myself with the time to reflect on this past year. What a year it has been! From The infamous Herman family adventures have not been included on the blog for too long. I will do my best to update with a year in review:

December 30, 2009: Alexandria and a A very pregnant Lauren join Ryan at our new home in Somersham, England.

January 2010: While waiting on our belongings to arrive from America, we take the opportunity to get some traveling in before Julia arrives. Our first weekend in England was spent sightseeing in London. Merely 2 weeks later, we found ourselves in Paris.

February 2010: We celebrated Alexandria's 3rd birthday, and continue the process of adapting to our British life becoming more involved in play groups.

March 2010: Ryan's mom visits and is here for the birth of our second daughter, Julia Elise.

April 2010: *Our adventures resume with a trip to York

*We celebrate Pascha with Julia's first trip to church

*Lauren's parents visit

*Julia is baptised

May 2010: Trip to Bath, Bristol, Stonehenge, and Wales

June 2010: Alexandria begins play group (preschool)

July 2010: *We spent our 4th of July holiday in Scotland visiting Edinburgh and St. Andrews

* Towards the end of July, we took another holiday to Lyme Park and Liverpool

August 2010: Still inspired by Lyme Park, we make our way to Burghley House in Stamford

* We make another family trip to London concentrating our visit on the city of Richmond and attending Liturgy at the Orthodox Cathedral in London

*August comes to a close with a visit home to St. Louis

September 2010: Our first weeks of September are spent in St. Louis visiting with friends and family, attending services at our home parish--Nativity of the Virgin Mary, trips to the zoo, and a Cardinal's game

October 2010: Another trip? Don't mind if we do. Ryan celebrates his birthday with a road trip through Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and France. We first rove to Dover where we took the ferry across to Calais, France. We drove straight to Belgium where we stayed in the beautiful city of Brugge. The next day we traveled through Luxembourg stopping at the American Cemetery there. Then we continued into Germany's oldest city: Trier. Finally, we made our way back to the ferry by traveling through the champaign region of France. It was an exhausting but amazing trip. I find myself in awe at how easy it is to travel from one country to another throughout Europe.

*Julia begins crawling in our hotel in Germany

* We host a Halloween party with some American friends. Alexandria is Lexie Bo Peep and Julia is her sheep

November 2010: We celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in Rome. Amazing Rome. I am dreaming of my return to Italy!

December 2010: How did December arrive so quickly? Didn't we just move?!

* Alexandria participates in her first school play which is focused on the Nativity. I LOVE that they keep Jesus in Christmas here!

* Christmas is quaint and wonderful!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The loss of a family member

On a recent trip across the English channel, we lost a dear member of our family: Kaelynn.

Kaelynn joined our family on 25 December 2007 and fell victim to loss and assumed kidnapping 8 October 2010. Kaelynn was a well traveled child. Having lived in both America and England, she traveled the 2 countries extensively with her mother, Alexandria. She also visted Paris, France with her mother. She was preparing for a trip through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany at the time of the loss. She may be gone but never forgotten.

To America and back

I must once again apologize for my hiatus. It has been nearly 3 months since we made our first trip back home and Julia's first trip to America. On the 28th of August, our family of 4 flew out of London's Heathrow airport to St. Louis, MO (with a brief stop in Chicago).

The girls both did very well on the flight. The only mishap we had was 1 blowout diaper surprise, which of course occurred just after lunch was served. Fortunately, I had packed a change of clothes for everybody, because Julia and I certainly both needed ours! The onboard television screens and radio kept both girls entertained for the majority of the flight.

Highlights of the trip:

• Visiting with all of our fabulous friends and family

Lexie and Julia enjoy reuniting with their Nina

Smiles with Mawmaw

Spending time with cousins Elijah and Abigail

This was our first time meeting Abby and their first time meeting Julia, cousins born 11 days apart

Cousins Brody and Julia

• Attending services at our home church, Nativity of the Virgin Mary, including sharing in the 110th anniversary with Metropolitan Jonah

• Julia's first Cardinals game

• Visiting the St. Louis Zoo
• Enjoying the BEAUTIFUL weather

Chilling by the pool

Julia's first time in the pool-- She loved it!

Unfortunately, the return trip did not go quite as smoothly as the first flight. Ryan returned to England on the 5th of September as he needed to get back to work. The girls of the Herman family stayed an additional week, returning on the 12th. I planned the flights to have a connection in New York, thus making the 2nd flight shorter than flying from the midwest. This plan backfired on me in a major way as BOTH girls fell asleep on the flight from St. Louis to New York. If you have ever tried to wake a sleeping 3 year old, then you likely know what I dealt with once the flight landed in New York. Despite the embarrassment of the giant spectacle, we made it to our next flight with time to spare. The next flight, though long, passed smoothly.

The one thing I was concerned about for myself with this trip was that I would fall homesick and dread the return to England. Much to my surprise and happiness, this was not the case at all. It was during this trip that I realized how well we have all adapted to living in England. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the visit "home," it felt even better to return HOME!

Awaiting a visit 'home'

After an exciting July, I realized we still had the entire month of August to just wait for our trip back to St. Louis. I knew straight away this would not do!

There is an estate called "Burghley House" not too far from here. We had always talked of visiting so figured the first weekend of August would be the perfect time. It is located in Stamford outside of Peterborough, and ironically enough allowed me to continue with my obsession of Pride and Prejudice adaptations. This property was used in the 2003 film and represented Lady Catherine De Bourgh's property, Rosings. Besides being another amazing area to tour both inside and out, Burghley House is also home to some very friendly deer. Upon entering the property, I thought I noticed a couple of deer behind a fence in the distance. Only minutes later, we were parking the car mere feet from grazing deer. Much to my surprise Alexandria grabbed a leaf from a tree, approached a buck, and fed it straight to him!

The following weekend we headed toward London but away from central London which we have tired of seeing already! Instead, we visited Richmond, which is essentially where all the people who live in London actually live. Despite constant rain, we enjoyed ourselves with shopping and gelato. One of the things we hoped to do while there was walk along the river. Here is what we found when we made our way down to the river:

Yes, that is a pub in which people cannot get out due to the river flooding... every man's dream.

July travels

The summer has come and gone so quickly, but it did not pass without more adventuresome travels by the Herman family. During July we took 2 trips: One weekend to Scotland and another to Lyme Park and Liverpool.

July began with a long weekend for us Americans in England, and we refuse to let a long weekend pass at home. Being stuck on the island (due to Julia's lack of a passport), and having already visited Wales, there was little doubt in our minds that our next trip would be to Scotland. Between strollers and luggage, we decided it best to drive and stick to Southern Scotland. The drive was gorgeous! Although crossing from England to Scotland is no more difficult than crossing from Illinois to Missouri, we observed a distinct difference in the landscape and architecture. Architecturally speaking, stone is very popular in Scotland, as opposed to England's use of brick. To our surprise, we spotted even more sheep in Scotland than in England.

We spent the first part of the weekend in Edinburgh, traveling the Royal Mile and the surrounding area. While we enjoyed the sights, we found Edinburgh (like most other capital cities) to be very touristy. We joked that we heard more American accents there than in all of our time in England. Upon sighting Edinburgh Castle, we took the hard way up. With 2 kids and 2 strollers (we're still experimenting on the best 'transportation' for the kids), we traveled up and down about 5 flights of stairs and a very steep hill before arriving at the top. After getting to the castle, we discovered the whole 'mile' is at a slight elevation. We started at the highest point and worked our way down! Both a workout and a memory... I couldn't have planned that better.

Next we visited St. Andrews, the birthplace of golf. Fortunately for me, the husband could neither afford nor play his way on to the courses there. Despite rain, wind, and cold we had a fabulous visit. We saw both St. Andrews Castle and St. Andrews Cathedral. We have all grown quite fond of historic sites such as these, because there is something for everyone, and they are 100% kid friendly. Between these attractions, and a few pubs before, during, and after the drive, I deemed this holiday a success.

Only 2 weeks later, we were all growing antsy waiting at home with our next planned trip not until late August. While watching the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, we wondered about the films locations. After a bit of research we discovered Lyme Park, which acted as Mr. Darcy's estate Pemberley in the film, was only a few hours from home. After a bit more research, we learned that Liverpool was only an hour from Lyme Park. Once the weekend arrived, we were off. Lyme Park is absolutely gorgeous inside and out as we toured both the gardens and the interior of the estate.

Feeling satisfied with our time at 'Pemberley,' we hopped back in the car and headed for Liverpool. I absolutley loved Liverpool. There were so many things to see and do all within walking distance of our hotel. While we visited a few different attractions, the highlight was the Beatles Story Exhibition.

They had 2 different locations full of facts, photos, videos, and memorabilia. My favorite aspect was the second exhibit made almost entirely by donations from Cynthia and Julian Lennon. It told many stories of John Lennon and the Beatles that I had not previously heard and had some really awesome artifacts including postcards sent between Julian and John and original notes on Hey Jude.

Alexandria in the 'yellow submarine.' At one point she started singing Yellow Submarine as we walked much to the amusement of passersby who were happy to listen and join in.

Though we planned this trip only days before it occurred, our visit to Lyme Park and Liverpool is arguably my favorite trip we have made thus far. The only downside to the trip is that Liverpool seemed to have an awesome nightlife in which we were unable to partake. Don't worry though, I will most definitely be going back one day sans kids and husband. Anybody interested in being my travel companion?

That is the end of this saga as I have another full month of travels to catch up on as well. It was difficult to narrow down the pictures to share here, so if you would like to see more, you can view the full album here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2138476&id=48000029&l=8f59b8d4cb

3 months old

Julia is now 3 months old and of course leaves us wondering, "Where has the time gone?" As of Tuesday she weighs 14 lbs 8 1/2 oz and is approximately 25 inches long. While still a very healthy size her growth curve is slowing down. She is below the 90th percentile for the first time. She has some issues with gas and spitting up but so far has not required any treatment for them. Mostly I am just watching my own diet. I have had to entirely give up oranges and orange juice because of her reaction. I also limit my dairy intake and other acidic fruits. I plan to have her weighed once more in a couple of weeks and am hoping she maintains a steady growth curve.

She is very smiley and talkative. Currently her favorite activity is lying on mommy and daddy's bed and watching the ceiling fan turn. She has been laughing a bit for a couple of weeks now. The past few days Alexandria has made her laugh every single day! Mommy and daddy warn big sister often about being too rough or too touchy with Julia, yet Julia does not seem to mind at all. Let that be a lesson to us overly concerned adults! Julia also loves to stand up on our laps or the floor holding our hands. Her head control is excellent, and she does well with tummy time pushing herself up on her own. While on her tummy she often grabs the mat or blanket on which she is lying and kicks with her feet. Doing this she scoots all over the place!

She sleeps absolutely wonderfully! She regularly goes to bed between 10 and 11 PM. If not disturbed in the morning she will sleep until after 9, but often is woken by her sister between 6 and 7. Daytime naps are not yet regular. She most often has two or three 1 hour naps or one 3 hour nap. When she is awake she is very alert, talkative, and playful just like her big sister!

"Watch out world"

Proud big sister

First Day of School

Yesterday Alexandria started a new chapter in her life. She started preschool, also called 'play group' here in Somersham. Because year-round school is in place, she was able to start during the summer term. She attends First Step play group on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The program and teachers are wonderful and allow Julia and I to come along and stay until Lexie is ready to stay on her own. Tuesday we stayed about an hour, and then left for an hour. When we returned Lexie was doing wonderfully, watching the other children's show and tell. She didn't even notice we were in the room! Her first day included playing at the sand table, painting, drawing, playing doctor with baby dolls, running in the garden between bouts of rain, a story, and show and tell. Ever since we moved, she insists on being called Alexandria in public, so that is what she goes by at school. Here are some before school pictures from her first day:

She enjoyed a peanut butter bagel, mandarin oranges, and milk for breakfast

Update:

Thursday went even better than Tuesday! She gave me a hug and told me bye straight away in the morning and stayed at school all morning on her own with absolutely no problems!

Traveling with two

Julia is now 2 1/2 months old, and we are quickly growing accustomed to traveling with 2 young children. Perhaps the greatest advantage of this move is the ample opportunity for travel. I promised myself the day we moved that traveling with children would not limit our experiences. My children are the most wonderful gift I could ever imagine. However, it would be a lie to say there are not times I would rather travel as a couple than as a family of 4. Such negativities are forgotten when I remember what amazing experiences we are ALL encountering. Though it is unfortunate that my girls are too young to remember much of their travels, I love that we are so blessed to provide them with these opportunities. It goes so much further than a physical destination on the map. They are constantly surrounded by new and diverse cultures as well as history that feels as though it is leaping from the pages of Wordsworth's works.

I was reminded of all of this as we took a holiday over this long weekend. While the American's celebrate Memorial Day, the British enjoyed a Bank Holiday. This is essentially an excuse for a day off of work and a long weekend, which in my experience is enjoyed much more by Europeans than by us Americans. Whatever the reason, with a 3 day weekend upon us, we wasted no time in planning a trip on the island. We started off Friday afternoon to Bath. Here we visited Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths. They provided a wonderful audio tour that even Alexandria enjoyed. We left Bath Saturday afternoon and made a pit-stop to see Stonehenge before continuing our holiday in Bristol. We chose Bristol not to visit the city itself but as a central location to the other areas we wanted to see. Sunday morning we loaded up the Buick and drove into Wales. While in Wales we visited Tintern Abbey and Caerphilly Castle. These sights were astonishing and well worth the drive. Monday we remained in Bristol and spent a more modern day enjoying the Bristol Zoo. I will always feel partial to the St. Louis Zoo, but I must say the Bristol Zoo was also impressive. We especially enjoyed the penguin and seal exhibit where we were able to view the animals both above and under the water.

The girls both behaved wonderfully throughout the trip. I was especially impressed by Alexandria who is usually a bit of a homebody. I absolutely love traveling with an infant because as long as we have plenty of diapers, wipes, and clothes, she is set to go anywhere. Ryan and I often joke about the increasingly long list of places I nurse her. It has almost become game of finding the best places to nurse while visiting public attractions. One of my favorite was at Caerphilly Castle where I sat in the Queen's chair in the Great Hall.

Sisters

I am happy to report that we are all adjusting well to being a family of 4. Julia is 2 weeks old today, and is up to 10 pounds! She has gained 1 lb, 4 oz since birth. She is exclusively breast fed and really doesn't nurse for very long... I have been told I must have super milk =). Lexie is adjusting well to being a big sister. She loves to get diapers, wipes, clothes, and pacifiers for Julia. She also likes to throw away the dirty nappies! She has often been overheard saying, "Aw Julia, you're so cute" while stroking her baby sister's hair.

Julia's birth

Monday morning, 15 March 2010, we finally welcomed our second daughter Julia Elise into the world. She weighed in at 8 lb 12 oz and is of course perfect! I was 30 weeks pregnant when we made our move to the UK and began seeing a midwife at our local surgery with plans to deliver at Hinchingbrooke hospital in nearby Huntingdon. Ryan's mom came to stay with us for the birth. My due date of 6 March came and went, and we grew anxious for Julia's arrival. One week past my due date and seeming to not be making progress, we made the decision to prolong mom's stay with us for another week. This was a huge relief for us all, and we are very grateful for all the time she has dedicated to us! Sunday morning I received a call from my midwife informing me she could no longer visit and perform the membrane sweep we had scheduled for that day. It turns out Hinchingbrooke inexplicably closed, so they were not doing anything to "encourage labour" at this time. Though I had no signs of labor, she informed me to still call the same hospital if labor were to begin, and they would send me on to another hospital.

I had a few contractions throughout the day Sunday but nothing regular. Between 7 and 8 in the evening, my contractions were feeling quite uncomfortable and coming consistently 8 minutes apart. I continued my normal routine throughout the evening not wanting to get my hopes up. After unsuccessfully attempting a couple of hours of rest, I got up at 1 AM and began timing the contractions. Between 1 and 2, they were coming 5 minutes apart. At 2 I woke Ryan and called the hospital. While the midwife on the phone was friendly, she informed me the hospital was still closed and she would "call around to see if another hospital had space." This was not the most comforting of news when I knew I was in active labor, but she did call back only 10 minutes later to inform me that Addenbrooke's Hospital located in Cambridge could take me. Off we went. We were grateful it was the middle of the night so we did not hit any traffic. However, between the distance itself and difficulty finding a maternity ward we had of course never visited, it still took an hour to find. Once there, we were given a room but the midwife essentially doubted my labor and informed us that she could check me but if I was not far enough along, we would be sent home. We decided to walk the hospital halls to help things continue moving along. After an hour's walk, the contractions were 2 minutes or less apart, and I couldn't walk anymore. We returned to the birthing unit, where I was checked and told that I would in fact not be going home. They offered me the birthing pool to use to help ease the pain. While I had never planned on using a pool, let alone having a water birth, I was looking forward to the chance of a bit of relief from the pain. As soon as I entered the pool, Ryan said he knew I would not be getting back out, and he was right. From that point I labored in the pool with pain relief only from the water, my husband's hand to hold, and the moral support of the midwife. After less than 40 minutes of pushing, Julia was born into the water at 7:49 AM. The midwife grabbed her out of the water and placed her directly onto my chest. During the pushing stage, there were many points where I honestly did not believe I was making progress at all. In fact, she was nearly born with the bag of waters in tact. With my very last push, the waters broke and out came this absolutely perfect baby. Though certainly ready to meet her and for the labor to end, I was in disbelief. After cutting the cord, they gave her to Ryan to hold while I exited the tub to birth the placenta. While in the bed, he returned her to me for longer skin to skin contact, and she began nursing straight away. I did have a very small tear, but after checking it a few times, we decided it did not need stitches.

Within a couple of hours, I was out of bed, showered, dressed (if you count a nightgown as being dressed), and again nursing our new daughter. Soon after, we were moved to the "recovery room", which was really just an area with 5 beds and curtains across the hall from my current room. While I had been slightly concerned about the public recovery, there was only one other couple there when we moved, and they were about to be discharged. For the remainder of my stay, we had the area to ourselves. After getting settled in recovery, Ryan went home to shower himself and get the car seat. Julia and I spent this time nursing and cuddling. I also read, got a bit of lunch, and walked around the unit while Julia napped. I was surprised that the midwives left us completely alone during this time. They were available but waited to be called, very nonintrusive just like the birth. Julia never left my side throughout the short stay.

Ryan returned around 3 PM with champagne and ice cream =). By 3:30 a midwife came by with our discharge papers and informed me a midwife would be visiting us tomorrow. We were free to go home! Ryan headed out to get the car while I nursed Julia and got her all ready for the trip home. We made it home around 5 PM and introduced Julia to her Nina and big sister Alexandria. Ryan carried Julia in her car seat and sat her next to the couch where Lexie was sitting. I came in and hugged Lexie and asked if she knew who was with us. She said, "Mawmaw?" I told her Julia was there, and she immediately began staring at my stomach. I pointed to the car seat and she went right over and began marveling. She gave hugs and kisses right away. Since arriving home, we have had a few small cases of jealousy. Lexie is mostly feeling territorial and just trying to find her place as big sister while still being mommy's girl. We are making it point each day for daddy and mommy to each have one-on-one time with Lexie while the other is with Julia. This seems to help. Overall, she is a very proud big sister and already loves helping with anything she can!

I am still quite amazed at the quickness of the whole experience! I never planned nor imagined a drug-free water birth, yet I would not change a thing!