Things I'll Miss + Things I Won't Miss

Let me preface this post by saying that I have absolutely loved living in Europe.  Italy will always hold a special place in my heart and there are so many wonderful things about this country.  As we get ready to leave very soon, I'm beginning to realize just how much I'll miss Italy.  That being said, I'm also looking forward to some of the conveniences that come with living in the States.  And so, a list of things I'll miss, and a few things I'll be glad to leave behind.

Miss:

• Cappuccinos - Italian coffee is just so much better, plus they're way cheaper than in the US.
• Pizza - like coffee, pizza is way better here.
• Traveling all around Europe.
• The history and the old architecture.
• The wine.  Especially getting liter for under 2 euros.
• The gelato.  Holy cow, the gelato. 
• The sweet Nonna across the street, who is absolutely in love with Nixon and always tickles his feet.
• Running trails through vineyards with views of castles (this one is more Donovan, because lets be honest, it's been awhile since I've gone running).
• Traffic circles - yes, they take a little while to get used to, but they make so much sense.  And they're super convenient for when you need to make a u-turn.  

Won't miss:

• Showers barely large enough to turn around in
• Lack of a garbage disposal.  Digging food particles out of the drain gets old fast.
• Not having a dishwasher - this one is not specific to Italy, as many places here do have dishwashers.  Our house, however, did not, and I now despise doing dishes.
• No air conditioning, or AC that barely works.
• Tripping the breaker each time I run two large appliances at once.  I lost count of how many times I accidentally turned the oven on while the dryer was running and then had to go outside and flip the breaker.  
• An oven so small I can only bake six cookies at a time.

Lake Garda

Over the weekend, we took a day trip to Lake Garda to visit a few of our favorite spots one last time before we leave this beautiful country.  Our first stop was in Arco, a cute little town on the north side of the lake that we've visited a few times before.  We ambled through downtown, had cappuccinos and apple strudel, did a bit of shopping, and ended the morning with lunch and gelato before moving on to the next stop.

We gave Nixon a teeny tiny taste of Donovan's pistachio gelato - despite drooling most of it out, he seemed to enjoy it

After a drive along the lake, going extra slow to let the little guy get a good nap in, we stopped in the town of Malcesine.  We've stayed just outside of this town before, but never actually explored within the town, so it was fun to see a new-ish place.  Nixon got to see the water (we were going to dip his feet in, but there wasn't a good place) as well as tour his first castle.

Judging by his face, Nixon may have inherited his mom's fear of heights

Our cue to head home

After a couple hours in Malcesine, Nixon was reaching the end of his rope.  So, we said goodbye to Lake Garda and headed back, thankful we were able to squeeze in one last trip.

The Next Step

Sadly, our time in Italy is drawing to a close.  In a couple short weeks, we'll be flying back to the States, where we'll spend a couple weeks catching up with family before making our way to our new home in North Carolina.  We're sad to say arrivederci to this beautiful country, but we're looking forward to new adventures ahead.

The last few weeks have been filled with packing, organizing, purging, cleaning, and everything else that goes along with a move.  But despite the never-ending to-do list, we've taken the time to enjoy some of the many things we'll miss.

Snuggling with Uncle Ralphie at brunch

Sneaking cake crumbs with Aunt Jessica

Some makeshift baby entertainment while we pack the basement

One last walk around the lake

Baby human and baby swans

Nixon: Four Months

It's hard to believe another month has gone by already, but somehow Nixon is four months old.  Seriously little one, you're growing up way too fast!  It's been so fun to start seeing his personality really start developing over the last few weeks.  He loves to "talk," and sometimes makes himself laugh when he makes a funny sound.  He's grabbing onto toys and is so close to rolling from his tummy to his back.  As far as his sleep schedule, he's still waking up around twice a night to eat, but he never has problems going right back to sleep so I can't complain too much.

We celebrated his four month birthday yesterday by getting another round of shots.  Poor baby screamed through them again, but he doesn't seem nearly as uncomfortable this time.  He's in the 68th percentile for weight at 15.5 lbs and the 64th percentile for length at 25 inches.  His head, however, is in the 83rd percentile for size, which could explain why he doesn't like tummy time very much anymore.  That's a lot of head to hold up.

What Nixon has been loving this month:

• Bathtime is still a favorite, even more now that the fun of splashing has been discovered.  He'll kick his little legs, look at me to see my reaction, and then smile really big.  It's adorable.
• Talking - Nixon has definitely discovered his voice.  His sounds range from soft little coos to incredibly high-pitched baby dinosaur shrieks.  I like to joke that he holds contests with himself on how weird of a sound he can make.
• Riding in the car.  The exceptions to this one include when he's hungry, too hot, or when the car stops.  As long as he's comfortable and the car's moving, he just hangs out in his carseat, looking around and talking to himself.
• Looking at everything.  He is turning into quite the curious baby, and he's usually happiest being walked around so he can take it all in.  Happy baby, arm workout for mom.  Win win.

Nixon: Three Months

How is our little baby three months old already?  Seriously, time is flying.  Nixon grows and changes every day, and we are loving every second.  Just in the last couple days he's started laughing (which is the cutest sound ever) and hitting at the toys on his play gym.  He hasn't tried grabbing yet, but I don't think it's too far away.  Sleeping has been getting better, he's usually up only twice during the night now, although we've had a couple seven hour stretches.  I'm really hoping that becomes the norm soon.

Things Nixon has been loving lately:

• His play mat/gym.  Especially now that Mommy finally got batteries for it.  He loves the colored lights and music.
• "Standing" on our laps.  We're still supporting him, obviously, but he loves practicing.
• Looking at anything and everything.  This little guy is so curious.  

Nixon also got his first Easter basket.  The Easter bunny brought him a new outfit for summer, a few toys, and some chocolate (which mom and dad will eat, since this is probably the only year we'll be able to get away with it).  

And lastly, because they're so adorable, a couple outtakes from his three month photo shoot of Daddy trying to get him to smile.

Springtime in Italy

Spring has officially arrived to our corner of Italy.  The other day, we stopped by the Rotunda (also known as Villa Capri, one of the villas in Vicenza designed by Palladio) to take some photos.  The fields around the villa are in bloom with gorgeous yellow flowers, making the villa even more picturesque.  There has been some debate over what the flowers actually are, but the consensus is the canola plant.  All I know is they're pretty.

And of course no blog post would be complete without adorable baby pictures.

A Weekend in Umbria

Last weekend, we headed south to the region of Umbria to spend a few days with Donovan's cousin and his family.  In our three years of living in Italy, we somehow haven't made it much south of Bologna.  Now, we're wondering how it took us so long to venture south, because the Tuscany/Umbria area is beautiful.  We spent the weekend touring a couple hill towns, eating amazing food, and enjoying time with family.  Nixon did great on his first road trip and he loved meeting his second cousins.

Rooftops in Amelia

Nixon stayed happy in his carrier while we walked around town

The Duomo in Orvieto

An eagle on the Orvieto Duomo

Nixon snoozing in Orvieto

At a Leonardo da Vinci exhibit in Assisi

In Assisi - Nixon is hiding from the sun

Assisi and the Basilica of St. Francis in the background

Baby sunglasses are the cutest

Keeping it real - diaper change in the car

Coolest baby in the world