Our trip to Berlin

[melcena]

Right. We had to drive up to Berlin on Sunday so we could get all of the Pumpkin's paper work handled on Monday morning. I stressed and packed and packed to make sure he had everything. I packed extra empty jars so we could make his food in the bottle warmer. I packed all his favorite toys, six blankets, extra clothes, three days worth of diapers and wipes and two tubes of butt cream. I packed bottles of pre-boiled water, clean empty bottles, four spoons, four bibs, burp rags, his string of toys so he has entertainment in the pram. I packed his nail clippers, every possible medication he might conceivably need from gas drops to Ora-gel in case he cuts a tooth AND the dispensers. I packed five pacifiers ... you might at this point be wondering what I didn't pack. What one thing would we need that I spaced out and left 300km out of reach?

The freaking powdered baby formula. On a Sunday. In Germany. WHERE 98% OF SHOPS ARE CLOSED ON A BISCUIT EATING SUNDAY.

Jens went out in the snow and freezing rain to find some. He found a store that was open at the Zoo Station and got some formula, some chocolate for his air-headed wife, and DUNKIN DONUTS. He is made of goodness and win. It took him somewhere around two hours and he got back totally soaked and freezing.

I, in the meantime, had given the Pumpkin his leftover carrots and about an ounce of warm water trying to settle him down. I rocked him and snuggled him and tried everything I could to soothe him. He finally wore himself out crying and fussing not too long before Jens got back. We were both beyond exhausted and I was on the verge of tears.

Once I gave the Pumpkin a big bottle of formula, we all went to sleep. Or, you know, tried. The Pumpkin slept like a rock, Jens slept "OK, I guess." I got hardly any sleep. I basically just tried to lay still and keep my eyes closed 'til morning.

We had an expensive but convenient breakfast at the Hotel* before we headed out to the Embassy.

The Embassy and paperwork were the easiest and most painless part of the trip. In and out, easy peasy. All of the papers we need for him will be here in a couple of weeks. We were done so quickly that we got home well before the in-laws had expected us back.

We are, however, exhausted. And I already have a headache imagining the trip to the US in October.


* The Hotel which was bizarrely split up so that we had to go up a floor in the elevator, carry the pram down half a flight of stairs go down a hall, out onto a small balcony and back in to another stairwell where we had to carry the pram back up half a flight of stairs. No. I'm not kidding.

Comments

[orizarising.livejournal.com]

bawww! it's okay! i would have forgotten either the food or diapers. or the baby. D:

you are a great mom and you get ALL THE COOKIES YOU WANT EVER.

i am taking yoga this summer fyi.

i tried to call you and wondered where on earth you were on a sunday! but now i know!

today i have my algebra final, i will tell you about my shithead chem prof when we talk again, i'm SO MAD i could kick him. D:

things are okay here. had a rough day yesterday but things are better today. fingers crossed that my algebra final goes well.

okay, i am going to get ready to do maths! ilu! <3 <3 will call this weekend or hopefully sooner! <3

[melcena.livejournal.com]

Dude. I tried so hard to be prepared. I just couldn't believe I had forgotten something so IMPORTANT and add to that the fact that finding an open store on a Sunday in Germany is ridiculous ... *sighs*

And after almost two hours of unhappy baby crying because he's hungry, because YOU forgot to pack his food ... you feel like grade A crap and like the worst person on the planet. There will be lists in triplicate for the US trip because there are no stores to pick up anything you may need/have forgotten over the Atlantic.

YAY YOGA!

We got your message when we got home. I'd have tried to AIM you but it was really all I could do to type up the Berlin trip. I was so tired I went to bed at 6:40pm.

Good luck on the Algebra Final! If you come take care of the baby for a few days I'll fly over and kick your Chem professor. It's the perfect crime, he'll never know whose size 11 boots just broke his nose! :-D

*snugs* Yeah, it's been a rough couple of days here too. I am so glad we're home now. Joo should call and we can chat and shake our fists at people.

EXTRA GOOD LUCK WITH MATHS! ILU2 <3<3<3

[violetbloom.livejournal.com]

It always happens that way, doesn't it? Oh well. At least that's one less thing you have to worry about.

[melcena.livejournal.com]

I tried so freaking hard to be prepared. :-/ At least when we go to the US if I've forgotten something there will always be a place to find it! I miss living somewhere you can go get anything you want/need any day of the week.