Driving lessons

It’s happening, I must face my arch-nemesis head on. That’s right, Mr. Manual Transmission, you and I have a score to settle.

One of the downsides to living in Grenzhof, a historic farming community of 150-200 people that is now part of Heidelberg, is the absolute lack of transportation connecting the community to the rest of civilization in Heidelberg and Mannheim. Fabian’s parents have cars, and I am welcome to use them, but the trick is that they are both manual-transmission. I learned how to drive in America, the land of the lazy drivers who favor automatic-transmission, and need to get my butt in gear (ha!) to learn how to drive stick.

Saturday, my new friend from the baby class wanted to go to a bakery to hang out, but I had no way to get into Heidelberg because Schwiegermutter was busy entertaining a 9-year-old for the day. Instead, I invited Jackie over to go for a walk in the forest and have tea. She had a car, and was happy to come to visit me for the afternoon.

It was a nice visit, and we had chocolate fondue with my German family and the little girl at 4:00p (which was totally random), but it was quite fun. I felt a little bit funny because it was two of my different worlds colliding together (new English speaking friends that I don’t know very well and my German family), and I wasn’t sure how it would go over. But, everyone had a good time. Fabian's mom and Lilly said we looked cute sitting together with our big bellies.

So, getting back to driving. During dinner that evening, my mother-in-law announced that I must learn how to drive on a manual-transmission car so that I can drive to visit my friend in Heidelberg. Learning to drive stick has been on my radar since I moved to Germany, but I’ve just not been proactive about doing anything about it.

Sunday, after lunch, Fabian's mom announced that she wanted ice cream for dessert, and that I was going to drive to the ice cream shop in Eppelheim to get some. Um…. Eeek! I wasn’t excited about driving (or rather stalling a zillion times) in front of everyone. I can stall when I’m by myself or with Fabian and not get too flustered, but I didn’t want a huge audience. She earnestly assured me that it was much less stressful to learn from a woman than from a man.

It turned out that just Fabian, his mom, and me were going to get ice cream, and we took orders to bring ice back for everyone else. Much to my dismay, before I could sit in the passenger seat, I got re-directed to the drivers seat. I stalled the first time I tried to start, then did relatively okay until I got mixed directions about where to turn and stalled just behind the rail crossing gate as a tram was approaching. I was SO glad I could wait and collect my spaz while the tram passed before I had to try starting again! The rest of the drive was fine with a few stalls when I was leaving the ice cream shop, but overall, not too bad. Not too bad at all.

Later in the evening, Fabian and I went to the swimming pool (yes, I wore my bikini baring my big 8-month belly) and he made me drive home. After spending 10-minutes getting out of the parking lot, I had to face real traffic. The drive from Schwetzingen had a lot more traffic than the drive to and from Eppelheim, and I was terrified of having to stop at red lights and stalling and pissing off the drivers behind me. Fortunately, all the lights were green!! :D The only time I stalled after getting out of the parking lot was when I was parking and didn’t clutch hard enough.

It was an incredibly frustrating, yet rewarding day. Overall, a positive experience. I think my next opportunity to practice will be driving to the doctor on Thursday morning. I’m interested to see how badly parallel parking will be… 

But, you hear that Mr. Manual Transmission?! I will defeat you!!!! The prospect of having a real social life and not being stuck in Grenzhof all the time is just too tempting to let you beat me. Again.

Baby clothes are such a pain to sew.

First, you pin the pattern to the fabric.

Then, you get schooled by your second mom reminding you to leave extra space on the edges.

Then, you pin like a mad woman poking yourself many times.

The jacket gets a fleece lining and pockets!

The finished product (complete with AWESOME pants)!!

Three days of work, but I think it was well worth it! :)

So close…

It’s really hitting me that I’m going to be a MOM in five weeks! It’s been one heck of an adventure being pregnant in Germany, and I think the most challenging part is coming up.
Birth.

Last weekend, Fabian and I went to an English-language birth class. I learned a lot, and I feel a lot less uncertain about what to expect. The only things I know 100% now are that 1) labor is going to be a complete bitch, and 2) it will be over before I know it and I’ll have a new friend. I am also pleased because I met some other English-speaking expectant mothers. We traded contact information, and I’m hoping it’s the start of a baby-network in Heidelberg/Mannheim.

We went to see the hospital (Krankenhaus) yesterday, and I sat through the 45-minute presentation (in German) understanding maybe a third of what was said. Then, we toured the labor ward. It’s a very nice hospital, and looks very home-y and un-hospital-y. There are bath tubs (one for pain relief and aiding contractions, and one for a water birth), big yoga ball things, lots of space to walk around, and a “family room” with a big bed where we can stay during and after the birth. Overall, it is very alternative compared to how I picture most US hospital labor rooms. The hospital has a nice feel to it, and I think it will be a good experience. It’s also cool that midwives instead of doctors are the ones who are in charge of the birth (unless there are complications).

At this particular hospital, they recommend staying there for three nights after the birth in the family room (for a mere 48€/night!). The logic is that in the first three days after birth, your midwife and the pediatrician monitor the baby, and perform the first health checks. If I don’t stay at the hospital, I have to look for a midwife who will come to my house to do the checks. It’s a good idea, and it makes sense that to stay and have the extra support and time to recover, but part of me just doesn’t want to stay. I am just frustrated that everything still feels so far beyond my control. Fabian told me I can’t decide now, and that I have to see how things feel in the moment. He’s right, but it doesn’t make me any less frustrated.

Well, I am off for a morning of crafts and sewing. This week I started making a jacket (Jacke) for the baby. It’s red and yellow, with buttons shaped like chickens! :) Today, my mother-in-law (Schwiegermutter), sister-in-law (Schwägerin), and I are going to Schwiegermutters friend's house to continue making baby-things. Today, I hope to finish the jacket and make a baby Schlafsak, which is a blanket that the baby can wear for sleeping. It’s sort of like a baby sleeping bag.

Bis später!