Keeping up with the Joneses – Euro style

We kicked off our non-stop, wild and crazy summer when our first familial visitors arrived in June. My mom, dad and sister, Anna, arrived in Madrid and spent 2+ glorious weeks with us. (It was so quiet and lonely when they left, that Luke and I had to leave that weekend as well and got away with a quick trip to Valencia.) I can’t possibly begin to do a day by day recap because the thought is just overwhelming, especially since more than two months has passed (what?!?) since they were here. I’ll suffice it to say that it was absolutely perfect. We made the most of our time together and saw all we wanted to see while also having some downtime to just chill and recuperate in our tiny apartment. Of course there were a few dramatic moments along the way (We are the Jones family! ), but there were no travel mishaps, car rental catastrophes or pickpocket travesties. It was perfect. I’ll let the pictures and brief itinerary tell the rest of the story!

June 25 – 28: Madrid and Toledo, Spain

On our balcony

Dinner with our Spanish amigos, Nico and Jose Carlos

Drinks on the terraza in Cibeles. These folks stayed up past 3 am!

Mom and Dad in front of the Toledo Cathedral.

Dad admiring the altar.

Wandering the winding streets of Toledo.

On the high speed train. Toledo-----Madrid

Pre-dinner drinks at Angel Sierra in Plaza de Chueca.

Anna’s first dinner in Spain, and we go for pizza at our favorite Pizzaiolo.

Street dancers in Puerta del Sol. Anna made their night month with a 5 euro tip!

Luke at La Torre del Oro en Plaza Mayor. A must stop on the Matthews’ guide to Madrid.

June 29 – July 2: Mallorca, Spain

Planning our first day.

The Cathedral in Palma de Mallorca.

Our only dinner out in Mallorca. The beach wore us out the other days, and we opted for living room picnics and paella left overs.

Paella for 5. So good and big enough to feed us all twice!

Dessert was good to the last lick.

Cheese at the little market we happened about in the most charming town of Valldemossa.

We found the best sangria in all of Mallorca…maybe in all of Spain!

More sangria!

Catch of the day!

Our view from lunch.

^{The boys went on a tour of some cool caves.}

The girls opted for more beach time.

Of course we had lunch here.

Mountains of Mediterranean salt.

Back to the airport.

July 2 – 5: One night in Madrid; Florence, Italy with a lunch stop in Lake Como, Italy.

The mounds of free food from El Tigre

After a plane and a train, we were finally in Florence!

Enjoying an Italian Aperol Spritz

Luke’s beer was bigger than my belly. Funny how pregnant I thought I was at this point.

This little church was quite plain in comparison to the Duomo, but I really liked it.

Crossing back over the bridge after dinner, with a gelato stop of course.

 

The David.

Climbing the dome of the Duomo.

Looking down on Florence and the Tuscan countryside.

Ponte Vecchio.

Luke’s impersonations of the statues in the Uffizi were priceless!

A Razorback in Florence

A giant swordfish at the market.

Beautiful Lake Como.

July 5 – 7: Beatenberg and Interlaken, Switzerland

The drive up and over the pass was beautiful with snowy mountains, grassy valleys and so many waterfalls! We were in awe!

The view from our patio.

Our picnic in Switzerland with goodies from the Florence market.

The boys parasailed, but all the in-flight pictures are on my parent’s camera.

Reenacting the tandem parasail.

Walking up for dinner at the tiny restaurant owned by the lady who owned our rental cabin. Voilà! Awesome!

July 8 – 11: Madrid, Spain

Toasting Anna’s birthday!

Our reservation for Flamenco at Casa Patas

The boys clapping along.

JC, Anna and Nico

Evening walk through Retiro Park

One of the best night time views in Madrid. From the Puerta de Alcala to the Metropolis building.

After shopping drinks at the Gourmet Experience in Callao.

Anna couldn’t keep her eyes open, but we made her visit the palace anyway.

Picnic and sunset at Templo de Debod

Sharing oysters at Mercado San Miguel. They’re ALL yours!

Late night bocadillos de calamari on the last night.

And there you have it! A picture glimpse into our amazing two weeks! Wish the rest of the fam could have been with us! Wish it were longer! Wish we were closer! But we’re certainly having the experience of a lifetime, and I’m so glad they got to come share a part of it, even if just for a short time. And now Mom and Dad will be back in just over a month for a whole new, even more special, adventure! We can’t wait.

31 Weeks

Whoa! This summer has flown by! Between having family visit Madrid, travelling on our home and a trip back home to the states, the time has gotten away from me. Can’t believe it’s been 5 weeks since the last update! Better late than never, though, I suppose.

How far along? 31 weeks

Due date? October 15, 2013

Weight gain? I’m right on track to gain within the healthy recommended range for my starting weight. However, the number is getting to big to type. Just kidding. But really, I sometimes fall into a trap of comparing myself to other pregos who do similar updates, which is just silly because every body, every baby and every pregnancy is different. I feel good and healthy, and I want to gain whatever my body needs to develop a strong, healthy baby.

Exercise? Lots of walks, though the heat really gets to me, so the earlier the better. (And they’re way better when I was home and had my mom has a walking partner, but I’m still getting out there in Madrid too.) Still keeping with my Body by Trimester videos 2-3 times per week.

Maternity clothes? A mix of maternity and non-maternity tops, dresses and leggings. I’ve upgraded to maternity shorts full-time, though. By the time September/October rolls around, I may resort to a sports bra and leggings full time. I apologize in advance for anyone who has to be seen in public with me.

Stretch marks? Not yet (unless Shelby was right and I’m missing something ), but my linea nigra is unmistakable. 

Sleep? Still lots of bathroom breaks, turning from side to side, and waking up with a stiff back, but I’m still waking up rested so not too much to complain about.

Best moment this week? Taking a road trip through the North/North West of Spain with Luke. It’s the one area of the country that we hadn’t really seen yet, so we rented a car and just started driving. We didn’t really have any plans or itineraries; we just drove, making plenty of detours and stops along the way, and found a hotel room wherever we ended up for the night. It was nice and relaxing, and the cooler temperatures were amazing! It was rough coming back to the hot concrete streets of Madrid!

Miss anything? Being able to bend over, get up and down, and just move easily and comfortably.

Movement? For sure. This little baby gets my whole tummy moving! There have been a few times that I’ve gotten worried when I feel like I haven’t felt enough movement that day, but it always turns out fine. I think sometimes s/he may just get in a position where I can’t feel things as much or maybe just needs to rest. We all need a lazy day every once in a while, but it sure is hard not to worry.

Food cravings? Cold fruit and water. I don’t know if it’s really a craving, but with these hot temps, I can’t drink enough cold water. And I have a feeling my gelato craving will return when we visit Rome with Luke’s family next week.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope. I’ve been so fortunate in this regard the entire pregnancy. 

Other symptoms? Tiny bits of swelling if I’m on my feet in the heat for too long, Braxton Hicks contractions, and just general uncomfortableness most days by the time the evening rolls around.

Have you started to show yet? Yes! It’s hilarious to look back at pictures from weeks ago when I thought my tummy was huge and so obviously pregnant! Ha! If I only knew what was coming! (And I’ll probably say that again in a few weeks.)

Gender prediction? Luke thinks girl these days. He definitely influences me, but I still can’t make up my mind. Either way, we won’t be disappointed! What an exercise in patience this whole process is!

Happy or moody? Happy, happy. 

Looking forward to? Cooler temperatures, making our final baby related purchases (I need to stock up on diapers!), and getting the room (and the rest of the house) in order for baby’s arrival. I’m ready for September!