The little one has turned one! Before I had a child I always thought first birthdays are somewhat overrated because the birthday girl or boy doesn’t understand the occasion anyway. Nowadays, as a still somewhat newish mom, I have changed my mind 🙂 This was SUCH a special birthday! Ok, maybe more for me than the birthday girl herself, but anyway 🙂

Moritz and I have been debating in the days leading up to the big day whether or not we should celebrate. We are still in the middle of a pandemic, right? But I reallyreallyreally wanted to celebrate so we decided we organize an “open garden” for a small number of friends so that there would still be enough space for the guests to keep their distance. Luckily the weather was on our side, too.

OF COURSE the little one didn’t understand what was going on. And after half an hour or so she was done with socializing and wanted to run around the house for a million times and play with the toy frog in our rainwater collector.

But it was so lovely celebrating this past first year amongst friends and people who care about her. It melted my heart 🙂

The last 12 months…

When I look back at the last 12 months I can’t believe how many things have changed. Obviously our whole life has changed 🙂 We have become parents and are now responsible for a little, helpless, super cute and wonderful human being. I think I personally have changed tremendously – and am still the same person at the same time, too. Does that make any sense?? 😀

I am so thankful that Moritz has taken nearly one year Elternzeit (parental leave) so that I was able to work again a bit after 3 months. I think this was a great experience because I could really have it all – I was a new mom but still self-employed and active. I can only speak from my point of view but for me it was very healthy to be able to wrap my head around other topics than diapers and such all day long.

Another thing I am very grateful for: Our amazing trip to Tasmaia when the little one was 5 months old. We have spent 2 wonderful months in Down Under in a camper van and were able to enjoy this adventure as a family and make memories for a lifetime.

Then the pandemic hit us and we came back prematurely. But at least we made it back safely and healthy.

I remember how strange it was at first to be stuck at home with the little one with no play dates and Krabbelgruppen to attend. I think I can call us lucky again as she is too young to understand what is going on. But I also remember how glad I was when it became warmer and the situation a bit better and we were able to meet friends in the fresh air again.

What a whirlwind of a year. Not only our personal little world has changed so much, everybody’s world has.

When I can wish for one thing for the little one’s first birthday it is that this next year will bring a cure for Corona and wisdom for mankind. Haven’t these past months shown us what is really important? Family and friends and health? We really don’t need much to be happy but very often we forget about that. I wish for the little one and all other kids of the next generation that we as a society learn and grow, that we stop buying stuff only to throw it away again, that we stop destroying the planet and our health and that we remember what is really important and act upon it. I know, I know, big words 🙂

Sources for new moms and moms to be in Stuttgart

If you want to browse through my experiences as a new mom in Stuttgart, check out the following articles:

• What I’ve learned from being a new mom in Stuttgart for 3 months
• What I’ve learned from being a new mom in Stuttgart of a 4 months old baby
• What I’ve learned from being a new mom in Stuttgart of a 5 months old baby
• Being a mom in Stuttgart of a 6 months old baby
• Being a mom of a 7 months old baby (no, I didn’t forget the “in Stuttgart” part 🙂 I wrote this mom life update while we were on our trip in Australia)
• Being the mom of an 8 months old baby in Stuttgart
• Being the mom of a 9 months old baby in Stuttgart
• Being the mom of a 10 months old baby in Stuttgart
• Being the mom of an 11 months old baby in Stuttgart

You find an overview over all my mom life updates here.

If you are pregnant at the moment you might find helpful tipps in my category Pregnant in Stuttgart.

And if you’re thinking about introducing solid food to your little one, here is an overview about the German way of weaning (with recipes for purees and a pdf-document that holds all information and that you can download for free).

I plan to post an article about things I would have loved to know before I became a mom and another about what to buy before the baby arrives (and where – in Stuttgart and online). So stay tuned for that when you’re expecting a little one yourself 🙂

Thank you for staying with me this past year. It was so special to me and I love that you were a part of it through this blog 🙂