More in Germany and Switzerland...

MMM...a brat five times bigger than the bun!


Inside an animal/rides/video extravaganza park.


Walking!!!! He needed to hold onto blocks while walking to start, they say it makes them feel supported. Also, the walk is very frankenstein-esque, which is soooo darn adorable.


Goofing around with Charly P. while the mamas and papas eat some kuchen!


The gorgeous wedding couple! It was an amazing wedding, unfortunately, our camera battery died so we didn't get as many shots as we would have liked of the festivities. It was ok, though, it allowed us plenty of time to eat the amazing food and mime conversations with German and French relatives.

Trip to Germany and Switzerland!

We just returned from a wonderful vacation in Switzerland and Germany. It was incomparably beautiful, clean, and full of fresh air. It could have been the scenery but something prompted Callum to take the final leap and start walking! About three days into the trip he was an official walking man. Very fun. We were able to visit with some of our friends that came from England with their 1-year old, Charly, and then off to a wedding of our New Jersey friends. In all, it was a wonderful trip. Charly and Callum are guaranteed best friends forever.
Here are a few shots...

Arrival in Zurich, Switzerland...mama's new favorite city of all time.



Goofing at the Freiburg market/


The whole crew in Freiburg


We stayed in this apartment in the Black Forest for the first part of the trip, us upstairs and Charly and Co. in the downstairs apartment. Next door were mooing cows, which delighted the boys to no end.

Mother's Day!

While it was technically my second Mother's Day, I'm not sure that the sleep-deprived state of having a week and half old baby really counts as a first Mother's Day. So, this year felt like my first official Mother's Day. And, after the big birthday party the day before I had pretty simple desires come Sunday. So, we headed out to a local Greek restaurant for a nice, relaxing meal that required no clean up afterwards and later in the day I took a nap!! What more could a Mama ask for, right?

From the Cha-Cha to the Two Step

No, he's not dancing but he is...taking some first steps!! He used to think about taking some independent steps by getting very excited and stomping up and down in place (a.k.a. the Cha-Cha). He did this for a month of so and now has started taking some steps. He usually walks two to four steps (Ah..the Two Step). He mostly likes to walk towards Mama or Papa but has started taking up to six steps toward a toy. The funny thing is because he never crawled and has such a cautious nature he NEVER falls. So, he has to make very calculated choices or where and when to walk. These shots show off his new favorite activity...playing with the magnets on the fridge.

Callum's First Birthday Bash!

The man arrives in grand style!!


Cal's birthday party was held this saturday at our neighbor's house down the road. It was a joint party for Callum and their daughter Lila. It was a fantastic time with lots of food, lots of kids, and lots of adults. Callum enjoyed most of the attention, all of the cake, and every single sliver of love he got from his grandparents. It was a great time.
Enjoy the pictures! And, thanks to EVERYONE for so many birthday wishes.

Some of the Party Revellers!

The party had two tents set up outside and one tent had blankets on the ground and toys all over so kids could play while parents chatted with eachother. It worked out really well, older and younger kids shared the space and parents didn't have to spend the party worrying their kids might wander off. It was great fun. Here are some shots of Cal's buddies enjoying his first birthday party.

Henry enjoying just a little bit of cake.

Friends inside the 'baby' tent!

My buddy Sahara wearing a party hat while sipping on her juice box.

The neighbor girl Sam posing for the camera in the 'baby' tent.

My Birthday Weekend with my Grandmas!!

Callum's Grandma Burns and Great Grandma Scharmer visited us in New Jersey for Callum's birthday weekend and we had a great time. They came all the way from Minnesota. Four generations all together!! The weather was beautiful and all the spring blossoms were in full bloom. It took Callum a while to warm up but after about a day he finally figured out that he had one awesome fan club. And, couldn't stop double-checking that they were both watching every single thing he was doing. As in, "look, I just took a sip from my sippy cup...did you see? did you see?". He got lots of cheers and lots of love and he couldn't get enough of it. It was so fun to watch it all.

Here I am with my Great-Grandma, playing with some of my new birthday toys.


All four generations in our neighborhood park!


Goofy Papa!!


I even went down the baby slide with my Grandma.


Grandma couldn't get over the blossoms in our dear Garden State and helped me reach out to the flowers. It was great fun.

I'm 1!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to Callum!