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To remind myself that this family expansion phase didn’t start yesterday, I’m getting a bit nostalgic about this baby blanket—designed last year, materials bought in spring, and finished in November. It’s a patchwork one I dreamed up (though Ruben helped pick the fabrics as long as his patience lasted), with every tiny detail meticulously planned before execution. And in such a tentative way that I did every measurement, cut, and stitch by hand myself, a little (or a lot) each day, over months! The best parts were made in the afternoons. After cooking lunch and Rú getting home from school so we could eat together, then post-lunch we’d snuggle on…

Oh my goodness, next weekend this little human will already be an official member of our family! It’s unbelievable how much impact he already has on us and how much he’s brought us together 🙂 Honestly, I don’t think he’ll wait until next week to be born, but while Rú is spending his ski break in Hungary, I’m trying to hold my breath and not think about labor starting, so he won’t miss meeting his brother. I’m really trying, truly… The nursery is battle-ready, though there are still some missing items that I can only set up weeks after the “move-in,” since they come from the Vác storage only when…

Even though there are still a few weeks to go until our little bundle arrives, rummaging through the baby things is already starting to feel absolutely necessary on some deep, inner level. The boys just laugh when they see me ironing tiny little socks or rearranging the wardrobe filled with palm-sized clothes, but what can I say: the only time I feel at peace is when I potter around a bit each day among all those soft little things. There are still a few gaps in the interior, but with a few clothes and various textiles I’ve at least been able to start organising the dresser, for example. If some…

Ever since we found out we were expecting, so much has happened that I barely had time to catch my breath, and suddenly here we are in the final stretch! And even though the baby’s room is still waiting on a few deliveries and some handy little necessities (like a mattress or a changing pad :D), its final look is slowly coming together. As for me and my own “final form,” I honestly hope there won’t be too many more changes, because I’m starting to feel a bit left out of my own body :))) One thing’s for sure: the countdown has begun, and the time we have left in this shared…

Armed with the library card I’d found under the Christmas tree, we set off into the city — ready to spice up our search for baby furniture with a little extra happiness: the Vienna City Library! Most of my books are still not with me, since our last moving attempt had to be reduced to what could fit in a family car (our transporter wasn’t allowed into Hungary due to high insurance risk — apparently, the country is on the no-go list for pricier rental vehicles from Austria…). So this gift hit especially hard this year! And the very best part? I finally made peace with the idea of using…

Ruben went back to Hungary with my parents when they returned, to visit family and catch up with his old friends. They hadn’t even left yet, but I already missed him. Still, I know how much people sometimes need to make their own decisions, manage their own time, and since we’ve ventured into international waters, let him experience this new dimension of independence (within safe boundaries). So, as a mother with considerable self-control, I’ve limited my parental oversight and phone calls to a manageable level. Since it turned out this way and Laci and I are left alone together, we’re using the time to set up the baby room (until…

Loved spending Christmas Eve at home with my boys, but if you’ve been reading for a while you know the holidays are best for me when the whole family is involved and, ideally, I get to host them. This is how this year started too, but then the dates got a bit scrambled, so this Christmas we get a bit of everyone, just at different times.​ After our cozy little family Christmas Eve, my parents were up first, whom we were (very, very) eagerly expecting on the 25th. You always feel that you miss your loved ones, but that feeling really hits hardest when they’re finally here and you feel the difference…

The Viennese hills were kind to us once again — we woke up to snowfall on December 24th! Suddenly, our home turned into a true Christmas haven despite its spaciousness, and even the boys gave in that day to my obsession with Christmas movies… It’s incredible to think that just four months ago I was still working in Hungary, and now here I am, cooking the Christmas feast with a round (and constantly wiggling) belly. There’s so much we can be proud of as a family — especially the way we’ve pulled together and shown patience with one another over the past few months. But there’s equally so much to…

There are many things I love about my pregnancy, but one of them is the time I get to spend with my family because of the baby waiting, and that I can devote to Christmas preparations. I remember last year’s Advent, for example, when weeks before Christmas I was cleaning the windows one by one in the year-end rush due to the opening of the new clinic (because as a practice manager, it seemed like a good idea to achieve the impossible). In comparison, now with a million tasks behind and ahead of us because of the move, I can still pay more attention to things like baking cookies! This…

Over the years, it has become a tradition that, in addition to the presents I buy, I also put a small tasting gift under the Christmas tree for my family members, and while I prepare and wrap it, I already feel happy knowing I can add a little extra treat to the gift‑giving.Caramelized nuts always make an appearance during Advent in one form or another, and this year, alongside the spiced orange jam, they make up the tasting package. Wishing everyone a joyful time preparing for Christmas 🎄