Two infections and a stiff neck

…summarizes this week quite nicely. Basically, we have been all sick-lish. Eneida twisted her neck badly and could not turn her head until she was “knocked back into shape” by an osteopath. She is now feeling much better but the neck is not yet 100% good. Thankfully, it seems only a ligament which got stuck in her neck and there are no slipped discs or similar nasty things. If everything continues like this, she should be fine again this week. Zoe and I were both fighting with infections. I am feeling already much better but poor Zoe has still some fever and is fighting hard with her viral infection. We hope she will be better in the next few days, as she is not happy with being sick.

And that was pretty much the week. Just a comment on the picture below. Zoe loves going swimming and she always wears a Lycra top as it protects from the sun and keeps her warm. Now, she always tells us when she wants to go swimming by bringing this top to us and pointing at the door. She has done that already a few times but now she is trying to put her swimming top on so that we get the message. Last week she finally managed to somehow put this top over her head and walked around proudly with her swimming top half on. So here we go, we have a true Aussie girl who wants to wear her swimtop and bike helmet all the time.

Zoe’s 1st birthday

The day before yesterday (20th August) we celebrated Zoe’s first birthday. We both still can’t believe that she is already one year with us. Incredible! Our lives have changed so much in this time and it seems like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital. I wonder how many years I will say this sentence!

Zoe has developed so much too from a tiny newborn to a toddler with so many milestones in one year: first eye contact; first smile; first lifting of the head; first lifting of the body; first turning; first sitting; first crawling; first walking and now first words. To think about it just makes us dizzy.

We can’t imagine our life without her anymore. There is nothing to add, except: Happy first Birthday Zoe! We love you so much! Mamae & Papa

Vienna (and last days in Paris)

Here we are again, this time with an update from Vienna before we travel tomorrow to Cambridge. Our week has been incredible nice and busy. We saw so many friends and had nearly every night people for dinner. Below some selected fotos of the people we met, including some final fotos from Paris, where we met Beatrice & Thomas, as well as Olivier and his family.

Otherwise we gave at the international Alzheimer conference both successful presentations,  although we were both quite upset with the organisation of the conference in that it forbids children at the conference, or even to use the conference facilities (ie toilets). Basically, we were therefore “thrown out” by security because of Zoe and we had in the end to go in turns to the conference center, while the other one was waiting outside or at the apartment with Zoe. We had a heated discussion with the organisation about this but they did not relent… what a pain not being even able to use the baby changing facilities there. So much about the different aspects of discrimination.

Anyway, we had on the other hand such a great time in Vienna. It was really hot here with temperatures reaching each day over 30C. Zoe got therefore her first sunglasses (see below) which made her look like Kim Il Jong. Let’s hope she won’t become a real dictator… hahaha  Zoe also enjoyed all the Laugenbrezeln and -stangen, as well as Wiener Schnitzel she could get into herself.

Next stop is now good, old England from there more soon…

Louis, Papa, Olivier and Zoe

The 5th baboon

With Beatrice

With Oma

Is Papa behind the HUGE glass?

Karin and Papa

With Jakob and Kathi

Eugen drinking coffee

Kekke

Mopo and Patrick

Nina

With Suvarna

Zoe and Matisse

Yummy!

Kim Il Jong’s cousin

Too much light on my blue eyes

Papa and Zoe’s sunnies

Mamae and Zoe’s sunnies

So long… and thanks for all the sand!

Just had to share quickly this video we took of Zoe on the weekend. We were at Clovelly beach and Zoe could not resist destroying all sandcastles we built… mmm must be her German/Japanese heritage to compulsively invade and destroy everything. hahaha
By the way, Nene says at the end pf the video “She is really a Hornberger!” when Zoe squeezes her hands tightly because of her excitement – not sure what she is talking about

The green peg

Just a little series of shots that we love.  Zoe is crazy about the clothes’ pegs, holds them while crawling, take them to the bath, to the car…

Beach excursions etc

Just some impressions here of our past weeks with no real theme – except maybe the beach locations (Bondi and Coogee), which is one of the advantages of living here. Oh well, at least something here at the end of the world!!

We’ve been enjoying the beaches, especially on the weekends (no matter which season!). It is really fun to chase the seagulls, play with the sand, and eat it… well, that’s probably Zoe’s opinion!

From our perspective, just being able to relax and smell the sea makes a huge difference…

At the beach with Kylie

Is this also water?

Closing in on the seagulls

Promenading with Papa

Nao meu angel!

Happy family 1

Mamae & Zoe

Papa

Happy family 2

Big eyes

Cheeky monkey + bunny

Tofu

Just another short video of Zoe. Now eating the famous tofu, which she really loves!

First make-up, or little investigator

Mamae took Zoe to the Playgroup around the corner (lucky us!)  today. There was a Western themed party, so we saw a pony, bunnies, chickens, ducklings…but Zoe was more interested in the the children running around than any of the animals! We also had a chance to get a face paint, so check it for yourself! I think she looks very cute…;-)

Zoe is now getting more coordinated with her hands and fingers, so she’s always looking for the labels on her toys, the little speck of food on the table, the little cords, the little details…like Papa says, our little investigator.

ps. the last pic is from yesterday, when we were all SO excited to see Zoe trying to crawl! She knows how to move her arms but the legs are still not synchronised with the arms…so sweet…if you think about it, it’s a lot to co-ordinate.

Where’s my drink?

First attempt in using a cup by herself. Let me correct it: first time we let Zoe try holding the cup by herself! Everything was already SO messy that we thought it wouldn’t make a difference if the floor was covered with water as well (after tofu, rice, squash, pear…). So we gave her the cup, and she was eagerly trying to drink by herself – no need for mamae or papa anymore – except maybe for the cleaning-up afterwards

We just showed her where to hold the cup and how to tilt it and….  she truly enjoyed drinking by herself, of course! Especially after so much praising. It was so beautiful to see her trying it!

* Sigh* Is Zoe  starting to get independent already?!…Oh well, we’ve got a lot of practice to go through first

Wallpaper

Nothing really new to tell…Just wanted to post these two pictures of Zoe – my favourites at the moment, which already became wallpaper for the computer!