We did a long weekend in Berlin last week. We had splurged and bought high speed train tickets up there, which is so much nicer than driving.  To sit back, relax, and be able to sit across from friends versus stuck in traffic - perfect!  ...Well until the train workers go on strike 3 days before you're supposed to leave.  Our train ended up getting cancelled and we had to drive.  Luckily we got our money back!  

I was nervous about driving. Emma sometimes screams the whole way to the grocery store, and that's only 20 minutes away!  She did really well though, and we had no major tantrums.     

I didn't get a ton of photos, but here are a few.  Traveling with a baby that can walk is much different than traveling with her in the past.  She wanted to get down and walk a lot and she just couldn't a lot of the time.  So she would squirm and cry, which was hard.  After a day of fitful sightseeing, we decided to go to the zoo the next day and it was much more kid friendly.  Apparently the Berlin zoo is one of the best in Europe and was within walking distance to our hotel!  It was perfect!

My Mom, Emma, and myself headed to Florence for Mother's Day weekend this year.  My mom has always dreamed of going to Italy and during her visit for Emma's 1st birthday we were able to squeeze it in.  We had to haul the pack 'n' play and the car seat, in addition to our luggage, and a baby with us on what was quite a travel day - 1 hour car ride, flight, shuttle bus, train ride, then a taxi.  It was a lot to lug, but once we made it, we spent 4 amazing days roaming the city.  Some of it I unfortunately spent stressed trying to juggle Emma and being a tourist/tour guide, but that's probably to be expected as I try to do it all.  

One of the highlights of the trip was spending the day with our friends who are stationed in Italy.  They were kind enough to spend the day driving us around Tuscany.  We had planned to visit two vineyards and a market in Greve in Chianti.  As we walked around one of the vineyards I told them about this amazing winery my husband and I had gone to when we were in Florence last.  On a whim we looked up how far away it was and it turned out to only be 15 minutes from us!  I'm not really sure why I hadn't looked it up before, because I've thought about this winery often and always dreamed of one day ordering a case of wine from them.  Our visit to their vineyard, Solatione, turned out to be the highlight of the day and eclipsed all the other vineyards we'd seen.  I was glad that my amazing memories of it weren't overhyped.

It was a very different trip (I probably took as many pictures of Emma eating as I did of the Duomo), but a memorable one for sure.

This post is a little late, but when my dad was visiting last week we went to the nearby town of Mainz and just happenned upon one of the most perfect moments.  The Friday Farmers Market was going on, the weather was gorgeous and all the trees around the main cathedral were blooming.  It was just a wonderful Germany moment that further reinforces my opinion that Germany is best in the Springtime!

We hosted Emma's 1st Birthday Party yesterday.  I've had a lot of fun planning it.  She was born on Cinco de Mayo, so we did a fiesta theme (as I suspect we'll do until she starts having an opinion of her own!).  

I was a little obsessed with the cake being perfect.  I tried 3 different white cake recipes before landing on one.  The winner was the Whiteout Cake from the Baked cookbook.  Making layer cakes is a lot of work!  It took my mom and I an entire day to do it and some cupcakes.  Why did it take so long?  Honestly I don't know.  We aren't practiced with it I guess!

Tomorrow will be 1 year exactly.  I can't believe it.  I have been reminiscing this past week on what I was doing 1 year ago.  Emma was 7 days late and I was irrationally impatient about that fact.  I felt like she was never going to come.  Everyone kept reminding me that that wasn't physically possible, but it didn't help at the time.

1 year!  We love our bird.  More pictures to come from her actual birthday tomorrow.