Meanwhile, Behind the Scenes

In the theme of the previous post, I was able to check another lingering thing off the list this week.  I finally got my German driver's license.  We don't usually blog about stuff like this, but this process was so... well, foreign, that I thought some of you would at least get a laugh out of it. 

We'll start with the fact that for some Americans moving to Germany, getting a German license is very easy.  Like walk in to the equivalent of the DMV, hand them your American license and get a shiny new German one.  But like many other things in this move, it wasn't quite that easy for us.  Oregon, like a few other US states, has only a partially reciprocal agreement with Germany.  So if you have an Oregon driver's license, you have to take a theory (written) test before getting your German license.  A few states have no agreement, so you have to take a theory test and a practical (driving) test, so at least we got some kind of break. 

So that's it, I had to take a theory test of thirty questions.  But the process of getting to take the test is where the fun lies.  It could be so easy, right?  Like walk in to the DMV equivalent, let's call it the KVR since that's what it is in Munich, and say "I'd like to take the theory test to get my German license", take the test, get the license and be on your merry way.  Even if someone could have just told me what the process was with reasonable certainty then I'd have been happy.  Instead I was left to browse message boards and web sites and get about fifty different interpretations of what I needed to do.  Anyway, here's what I actually did:

1.  Got my Oregon license translated into German at ADAC, the German equivalent of AAA, cost ~40 euro, time spent ~1 hour.
2.  Went to KVR to try to register to take the theory test.  They said I needed to register with a driving school.  I had read conflicting info about whether I needed to do this, so I took a shot.  cost free, time ~2.5 hours, mostly waiting.
3.  Registered at a driving school.  This is the part that is completely ridiculous.  All I needed to do was take the test.  All the driving school did was give me a slip of paper to take to the KVR, call me when I was "approved" to take the test, and schedule the test time with TUV (the testing place).  If there is a worse example of pointless bureaucracy, I'd like to see it.  This might be ok if it weren't so expensive.  Cost 240 euro, time ~2 hours.  Ok, 40 euros were for an online practice test app, but I figured if I'm spending this much money and time I might as well pass it on the first shot.
4.  Went back to KVR.  They took my piece of paper from the driving school and my money and sent my file to Berlin.  Cost ~40 euro, time ~2 hours. 
5.  Waited.  They said it would take two to four weeks for the application to be processed.  It took just over five.  Meanwhile I studied a lot and learned things like how "hashish" consumption can make one unfit to drive,  "pavement" means sidewalk in German English, and if you have something on your roof it can only project 50cm in front of your car, and only if it's above 2.5m.  Cost free, time many hours studying.
6.  Scheduled the test.  After five weeks in purgatory, the driving school called and we scheduled a time to take the test at TUV about two weeks out.  Apparently lots of people want to take the test so you need to book it a couple of weeks in advance.  Lovely, more waiting.  Cost free, time 5 minutes.
7.  Took the test.  Of course the test isn't given at the same office as licenses are given.  Of course.  Germans may be known for their efficiency, but this is apparently lacking in government offices.  America is no model of government efficiency, but they shine in comparison.  As for the test itself, it is thirty questions, multiple choice.  But multiple answers can be correct, and you must select all correct answers.  Yes, an added evil twist.  Each question has a point value from two to five, and you can miss a total of ten points and still pass.  But you can only miss one five-pointer.  You can essentially miss one or two questions out of thirty and know you'll pass.  So the pressure is on.  The one HUGE positive in this whole process was that I could take the test in English.  If that wasn't an option, I would have been in German classes for the past three months.  Maybe that would have been more productive, but that's another story.  Anyway, cost free (pre-paid in the driving school fees), time 2 hours.
8.  Yes, there's more.  Got the license.  I had a glimmer of hope that after passing the test they'd just give me my license, but hey, why not -- in the words of Cake -- prolong the magic?  I finished (and passed) the test last Friday at about 2:30.  Of course the KVR closed at noon.  Sigh.  So I went back to the KVR Monday morning fully expecting another hour-plus wait and some snag that would take another month to resolve.  I guess they weren't in a sadistic mood that day and I only had to wait five minutes (total time ~1 hour including biking there and back) before getting my shiny new German license and even got my Oregon license back as well.  They didn't even charge me, I guess they just plain gave up.

If you were keeping track at home, that was 280 euros and about ten hours plus studying time.  At least I didn't have to do the practical test, since that costs well over a thousand euros and hours of required instruction at the driving school. 

Anyway, here's the finished product.  After that process, is it any surprise that I look like a depressed zombie?

Crossing Things Off the List

We are inching further every day towards... chaos? Double the joy? Sleeplessness? Fulfillment? Insanity? I guess one thing we're not inching towards is certainty of what we're getting ourselves into. In that way, this time around the block is very similar to the first time. We know life will be changing significantly, just not exactly how. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

In the meantime, we're continuing to slowly prepare. I'm nearing the end of a push to finish up all of my work travel by the end of October. Turns out I'm pushing the deadline a bit with a trip to the middle of nowhere in Northern France for a quick visit to a big customer at the beginning of November. But that will be it, after that, an indefinite travel ban. The past couple of weeks have been hectic with trips to the UK and Spain and a few customer visits in other Bavarian cities, and I know it's been tough for Nicole to have me away even for a night here and there as she gets more uncomfortable as the days drag on and that's usually also when Lily gets tougher to handle. Luckily Oma and Opa are back from Chicago and have come to Munich this week while I was away for two nights instead of one.

I was finally able to go to one of Nicole's doctor appointments this morning, for the first time since the first appointment. Between work, trips and someone needing to look after Lily, I just haven't been able to make the timing work. Today Oma and Opa picked up Lily from her play group, so I could go along to see the twins specialist who has a top of the line ultrasound machine. And pretty much the whole visit was watching the big flat screen as the doctor took a ton of measurements and talked about what she saw. First, the good news is that all is good with both babies, they're still growing as if it was a singleton pregnancy and they still have room to move around in there. Nicole now has about eight and a half pounds of baby in her, almost as much as when Lily was born. And yes, the babies hopefully have another month to six weeks to go.

The boy had his face towards Nicole's spine, so we couldn't take a look at his face. But we got a great view of the little girl as, with the push of a button, the doctor went into 3D mode and there she was in all her glory. Our first reaction was that she looked a lot like Lily when we got a 3D ultrasound of her at about the same "age". And when we looked back at Lily's 3D picture vs. her as a baby, it was definitely accurate. So we'll see if we end up with two little girls who look... well, like twins.

We still have a long list of things we would like to get before the babies arrive, but nothing completely critical. We don't have a 2nd infant car seat yet, but since we live a block from the hospital, even that isn't a necessity. Yes, it is easier to buy things now compared to after they arrive so we need to get our act together soon, but for the moment we've been slacking. Maybe we've just been waiting for the weather to turn while we have fun around town with Lily, and since the high temperature this weekend isn't supposed to crack 50, it may just be a productive weekend. And if not, hopefully the babies stay put while we procrastinate.

30 Weeks Pregnant and Missing Good Ol' USA

Today I really miss America. I had an appointment today at the hospital I'll be delivering at.
Because it's normal here for the doctor I'm seeing throughout the pregnancy to not do delivery, I had to schedule a prep appointment at the hospital for paperwork and tests so they can get my data on record using their stuff. Just trying to go with the flow here. I was already warned by enough that it's an old building outside and inside so not what you might be used to but the staff is amazing.

I will be sharing a room with 2 - 3 other people and bathrooms are not attached to the rooms. Husbands don't spend the night as there are no sleeping accommodations. I was most looking forward to meeting some of the staff and confirm my assumption that they speak great English given that it's a University Hospital . My appointment lasted 3 hours and 30 minutes of it was actually doing something other than sitting on a wooden bench uncomfortably waiting. No padded chairs here. My assumption was wrong. Not only was the English poor but the people I met were cold and made me feel very rushed. Yeah I have more questions than a German patient - deal with it. The combination of the interior looking like the inside of the hotel from The Shining crossed with the mental institution from One Flew over The Cookoo's Nest and the unfriendliness just gave way for a meltdown. Of all places, where did I lose it? In the communal bathroom peeing in a cup. I really needed familiarity and kindness and I didn't get it. Sleep deprived, hormonal, and physically uncomfortable = Emotional!

Good news is the babies are looking good, over 3 lbs each now. I'm hoping for a normal birth but unfortunately they are both in breech position. I have to go back to the hospital in 3 weeks to check position again and possibly start talking about the C-section process. They are moving A LOT these days so I'm hopeful they can still flip.

Here I am at 30 weeks pregnant now and when I was 36 weeks pregnant with Lily. I can't tell a difference in size.

Things Are Different This Time Around

Going through this pregnancy has been a different for me too, at least as far as preparation. When Lily was in the oven (or Heino or Stetsi as she was known at that time), I was reading a decent number of books to try to equip myself for what was about to happen to us. They were all useful and I'm glad I did as much reading as I did, but it's been a lot less this time. Most of it is because we've been through labor and delivery and the first weeks and months and years before, so I find myself wondering less about specific things and more about just how crazy the first few days and weeks are going to be, and even though the twin-specific books talk about that, for some reason I just feel like we know what we'll have to do, it's just going to be tough in that moment.

I was wondering about different things to expect during delivery so I was reading about this one day while riding the U-bahn home from work. Things got a bit graphic with the intricate details of C-sections and between that and sitting backwards riding in the dark under the city, I found myself feeling a bit queasy and decided that reading about medical procedures while in motion was not on the list of things I should do.

Our birthing classes start in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately of the six weeks, I already know that I'll miss two while on business trips. What I don't know is how much I'll get out of the four that I can attend, since they'll be in German. I haven't started any classes or particularly focused effort on learning German since arriving almost six months ago, so I can't really hold a conversation about the weather, much less about the act of giving birth. I picture myself sitting in this class madly typing words into my phone's translation app. Oh well, I'm sure we'll manage one way or another once the twins arrive, whether I have a clue what's going on at the hospital or not. As long as two healthy babies end up in my arms I'll be happy.

Ok, I have to include a picture, so here we are yesterday having fun at Oktoberfest. Since before coming here I had no idea what Oktoberfest would be like, I can now compare it to two Portland things... if you take the fair/midway of the Rose Festival combined with the Beer Fest and multiply both by about ten, that might be close. And part of the 10x of the Beer Fest would be to take the tents and turn them into huge semi-permanent buildings that hold about 5,000 people. So yeah, it's a little crazy but it has something for everyone. Including corn on the cob, which for some reason is not common here. I was waiting for it to hit the grocery store all summer and only in the last couple of weeks did I accept that it was just not going to happen. Anyway, this post has taken a 90 degree turn, so I'll just wrap it up here...

Brotzeit and Oktoberfest

I didn't think the nap would already be a hit or miss with a not even 2.5 year old Lily but I have to accept that she won't nap each time I put her down. At least I get quiet time from her most days.

My belly is growing fast these days. I'm getting close to how I looked at the end with Lily and I still have at least a couple months to go. The babies are each weighing almost 2.5 pounds and they are very active which means they hopefully have quite a bit more room to still grow. The other day I mentioned that my butt bone hurt so Lily decided to run over and kiss my butt booboo to make me feel better. So wrong but pretty cute.

It was fun to hear from one of her teachers on Friday that she spoke her first German word at "school." After the morning song, they have Brotzeit which means bread time or morning snack. Apparently Lily yelled "BROTZEIT!" and ran to the other room where her lunch box was and sat right down to eat. Of course her first word would be associated with food.

There is a book of German songs that my grandparents sung to my parents and my parents sang to me and now I sing to Lily. It has been so cool hearing Lily now sing the songs herself. She doesn't know what most of them mean but she can just flip a page and start singing away.



Today was opening day of Oktoberfest. Before the Fest officially opens, there is a parade through Munich mainly of horses pulling kegs of beer from each of the breweries and the workers drinking beer and waving to the crowd in their dirndls and lederhosen. They all end up at the Fest where the Lord-Mayor taps the first keg and the drinking can begin. You can't help but fall in love with a fest where you feel like the outsider if you're not wearing a dirndl or lederhosen. Living in the neighborhood sure draws a different perspective. Nate passed a carriage full or ladies drinking beer in dirndls at 9am on his way to the grocery store and Lily can't go to a park she goes to a couple times a week because there will be too many passed out drunks and men peeing there. There's a good reason for a good downpour after the Fest.

Here's a pic from the parade

School Daze

Ok, it's not really school, but Lily's started to go to a German play group. Her first day was this past Thursday and she was really excited to go, even if she had no idea what she was getting herself into. Since Nicole is due in about three months and will probably need to slow down as the time comes, we thought it was important to get Lily into some kind of non-parent driven activity a few times a week. There's actually a second play group starting in another couple of weeks too and once that's underway she'll be at the "spiel gruppes" four days a week for three hours a day. Oh, and they're German-speaking, so hopefully she'll be picking up more German in a hurry too. Nicole stayed the whole time on Thursday to ease the transition and left Lily alone with the group for about half the time Friday and apparently she did just fine. So the changes continue around here.

Besides going to "school by myself", Lily keeps on changing too. She definitely challenges us a lot these days, but in general she's a really sweet and fun girl. She loves to go to the pool and ride her balance bike, and is constantly singing. Seriously, I think she sings about half the time she's awake. Over the past couple of months she's actually started carrying a tune too, so that's at least nice for our ears. She's definitely a protective little girl though, always making sure no one is using anything that's hers. Including her house. Most of the time we see someone in our apartment building, and sometimes just when we're out around town, she'll say "no go to my house", as in "I don't want that person to go to my house". Not sure where that one came from. Others are a little more obvious, like at the play group they have a snack time (called "brotzeit" which literally translates to "bread time" which I find hilarious) where the kids take out their little snack boxes and chow down. Lily sits between two other kids who of course are curious about what she has, so she sits with one hand covering her food in the box and the other stuffing it into her mouth. Pretty funny.

Here are some pics and video from our past couple of weeks of swimming adventures. Lily saw some other girls jumping from the starting blocks in the lap pool and decided she wanted to do the same thing, but only if Mommy would hold both her hands. The pictures are from today when we went to a great outdoor pool facility a short bike ride from our place. A great kiddie pool, a big play pool with a big slide and a big 50m lap pool. My favorite Munich pool yet, and the weather was so nice we even had a picnic.

Things are Different this Time Around

I never thought I'd be saying things like "the babies are playing footsie in my belly" or "I can't do the dishes tonight because my hoo-ha hurts" or even "our family might actually be too big to fit in a normal size car." I'm 25 weeks pregnant and feeling probably the best I will for a long time. I'm now busying myself reading books and making lists. So a plus, I'm learning a lot and starting to actually prepare for the craziness. On the other side, those nerves are acting up. I am actually most nervous about keeping these babies in my belly as long as possible based purely on my gut or the fact that I feel so much pressue on my gut and everything else around there. I'm a bit bummed how much extra work there is for us to figure things out because we're in Germany such as what does insurance cover, where to best buy diapers in bulk (read that twins use over 5000 diapers in their first year!), finding a twins support network in town, gosh, just getting random things done in a convenient way that we took for granted in the States.

My identity is soley tied to pregnancy and Lily right now. I really miss playing tennis, taking my urban hikes, being active and my Lompoc girls nights. When will I be able to reclaim myself again? I did experience a sliver of my old self today probably making a silly decision riding my bike on a perfect summer afternoon around Munich. I had to do it. I felt like the old Nicole for a moment. I wish I could exercise as much as I did when I was pregnant with Lily, but the doctors and books really stress taking it easy since twin pregancies are much higher risk.

Here are recent pregnancy pics comparing myself at 24 weeks pregnant now and with Lily. I'm about 6 weeks ahead in terms of size this time around.