Check-up

I went to the doctor this week (38 weeks), and was disappointed because he didn't really check anything.  Well, they did check my weight, blood pressure, monitor the baby's heat beat, and make sure my feet weren't swollen.  But, I expected him to do some sort of exam, see if we have made any progress.  No such luck.  He didn't even feel my tummy.  I guess here they figure she will come when she is ready, but I am impatient and would like to know a little of what is going on!

And, at the end of the appointment, he told us that the clinic would be closed all next week, so I could just go in one day to the labor dept. of the hospital for my check-up.  Good, maybe they will keep me!

Anxiously Awaiting the Arrival!

Garmisch

We took a little family vacation, the last one with only 3!  We ventured down to Garmisch, in the very southern part of Germany, where the Alps start.  We stayed at a military resort, a central location to many different sights-to-see.  We actually went down last weekend, and only stayed one night due to lodging availability.  It was such a great place, we had to go back!
Last weekend, we we toured Dachau,  a German concentration camp.  Although not as interesting as I thought it would be, it was still really cool to be on the grounds of such an important part of history.  The Dachau concentration camp was the first concentration camp that opened in Germany.  There were over 200,000 prisoners on record to stay here. This is a picture of a memorial erected in the center of the courtyard in memory of those who lost their lived to barbed wire.
 We drove through Munich, which was very beautiful.  I hope to spend more time there another date.

On our second trip to  Garmisch, we took a cog wheel train up a mountain to the highest point in Germany, Zugspitze.  Again, it wasn't what I would have expected, but again I was in awe.  I have never seen a snow-capped mountain before, and did not expect it to be so rocky.  When we stepped off the train, it looked like we had stepped onto a construction site.  We walked around and took in the view.  It was truly breathtaking, the pictures do not do it justice.We were looking down a Lake Eibsee.  It was so beautiful with its blue-green waters.  It really looks like a postcard.  the temperature up there was about 40 F.  There was some snow left, and Ben and Natalie were able to go sledding down a hill.  While taking a break, a tried some kind of thick-pancake like dessert that you dip in applesauce.  The pancake part was good, but I prefer syrup to applesauce :)

On our second day, we toured two castles of King Ludwig II.  One was Hohenschwangau, a summer home, and the other was Neuschwanstein, a home he spent many year having built, but did not get to live in very long.  The castle Neuschwanstein is often called "Cinderella's Castle" because this castle provided much of the inspiration for the Disney castle.  Both tours were fascinating because the floors, walls, furniture, ect. was all original.  The long lines and many steps we had to march up were definitely worth the trip to see the home of a King.

P.S.  Natalie thinks she needs her own castle, as she IS a PRINCESS! 

Take care & God Bless!

P.S.  3 more weeks until Avree's due date!