Wiener Mummy

It has been a while since writing my last blog post . Since then we have received the photos from the newborn session ( Nikki did not make the selection process easy), prepared and sent out the baby announcement card (we used Rosemood and can highly recommend them as they proof read and check layout and quality of the photos before printing) and done a few fun activities as well (Update after writing the post: we did a lot!). This week we will have survived 7 weeks as a family of four! I really can't believe it and am amazed how well we are actually doing at the moment. To wrap up some of the things that we have been doing, I thought it would be fun to share these with you and answer the question "what do you do with the baby?" This post has been inspired by the Mother-in-Law asking "Where is Magnus" when we send her photos of activities with Little K, friends who have asked "how do you manage with two?" and of course myself in thinking "how w...

Happy long weekend - hope you all enjoyed it (if you were so lucky to do so!) On Thursday Magnus had his first photo session. I was so excited to book this, that I think Nikki (the photographer) was one of the first ones who I told about the pregnancy so that we could get this booked in her calendar. She quickly accepted and we slowly started the planning for the shoot. I got to know  Nikki Harris photography when Little K was born, however we received a voucher for another photographer so I did not take the opportunity to do his newborn session with her. When he turned 6 months old, Nikki was offering a "Mini shoot" for a special offer and the photos were just spectacular. Little K at his Mini Shoot at 6 months To help you in making your decisions and getting ready for a such a photo session, here are some of my tips in selecting and preparing for your newborn photos :) Select the photographer that fits your style - it is important for you, and the photog...

All the announcements have been made and I can very happily share the exciting news that Baby Magnus Björn was born on Tuesday morning. We both came home on Friday and are doing really well! As some of you know, with Little K his birth ended up by C-section as he was just too happy in there and no amount of inducing labour could convince him otherwise. This time I had chosen to have a second C-section at Rudolfstiftung. I was admitted on Monday afternoon and told that I would be the first on Tuesday to have the surgery. The Husband dropped me off, a friend came to visit with snacks and then I got settled for the stay. It was strange being back in the same hospital, but I have nothing but positive comments about the Rudolfstiftung (even with the construction work going on at the moment). I'll spare you the details, but for those with some curiosity about C-sections (this might be a lot more positive than some experiences that others have had) - they bring you into the delivery r...

Time to get ready!  Last time, my hospital bag was actually pretty well packed (even confirmed by husband)... so, what can I recommend: (note: This is based on potential 5 day stay in hospital as you never know how long you could be there / standard number of days after having a c-section in Austria. If you are planning on staying a shorter time or not being admitted to be induced / c-section then you can reduce this list) Essentials ready for the hospital bag. Bag is packed and ready in case of anything unplanned happening or for the hospital check in next week! Documents - check with the information you got from your hospital if there is anything extra you need to bring. Most likely you only need MUKI-pass and e-card as all other documents they should have already. Mutterkindpass E-card Any hospital documents / forms that you might need to bring with you Any other relevant documents depending on your insurance or from check ups since last visit at hospit...

(Note: this is a repost from the Vienna Family Network blog ) In one of my upcoming posts I’ll be sharing some tips for new mums. One of the biggest tips is to find your “mum tribe.” In Vienna there is the Vienna Family Network (VFN) which is a community for international parents to join. It is possible to join from any age of your child - even pre-birth! There is a rule with friends of mine that certain baby talk is confined to the baby group! With Little K, I joined the VFN about 4 months before he was born and started to meet my “mum tribe” and throughout realised how important this rule was. It felt great to be connected with other families going through the same things we were. It also helped to develop new friendships and meet some really interesting people. There were regular meet ups and we also organised things like the antenatal class, first aid course and of course group birthday celebrations. Today, as a mum-to-be again, I joined the monthly VFN Open House which ...

* changing backpack One of the benefits for having a baby in Vienna is the entitlement to the free " Wickelrucksack " which is offered to all parents by the City of Vienna (if you scroll down I've also found some interesting information on the history of the backpack which I've translated). You can pick up this backpack at any of the " Eltern-Kind-Zentrum / Familienzentrum " ( Parent-child-centers / family centers ) before or 8 weeks after delivery when you present your Mutter-Kind-Pass. These centers offer not only the free backpack but also have a lot of events / activities for expecting and new parents including baby meetups, midwife support, doctors onsite and up-to-date information and support on any questions you might have. The Husband and I went to the Familienzentrum in the 11th district after picking up our morning coffee and getting on the U3 to Enkplatz. They recently moved there and the building is a very nice and bright with an inner courty...

The weekend has come to an end and ours was very relaxed! Little K got picked up on Friday evening by Omi and Opa to enjoy a weekend in the countryside. Before that, we had a quick play in the Prater and he finally got to show us his skills on his balance bike! We bought it a year ago after a friend recommended the brand ( Laufrad in case you are interested) and he didn’t get the hang of it until now. He was very proud of himself and we both loved watching him! Little K on his bike With Monster 2 making an appearance in about four weeks, we did what every parent does on a child free weekend (yes, sarcasm) and went to Ikea! We need to buy a bigger wardrobe for them and unfortunately the Stuva setup we wanted is no longer being produced so we hoped to see the alternative but this wasn’t available yet either... Seems we will need to wait a bit longer then. It did save us some money, so I treated myself to 4eur shoes from Primark :) let’s see how long they last! My new bargain s...