The Gypsy Bunch




So here he is. The man in my life. My better half. My best friend in the whole world. My soul-mate. The father of my children. I know. YUCK!!! Stop being so mushy, it's making me sick. I will stop now but just know, that my silence won't make it any less true. I love this guy with all my heart and I'm not afraid to say it. Adrian is the most caring, kind, selfless, loving man I know and he's working his cute little butt off, every day to support his family. I've never doubted for even one second, that I'm the love of his life and he has always been there for me, no matter what. The only thing I dislike about him, is that he's making me look bad by being so good a person.

We've been through some tough, turbulent times together. The hardest one for me being the passing of my beautiful and strong mother in December of 2012. Unfortunately, she has lost her battle with cancer and passed away quicker than anyone would've thought. I was home in Germany at the time and he was supposed to join me a couple of weeks later, because he needed to keep working in order for this trip to happen. He let me take his 3 month old son away from him for 6 long weeks, so I could be there for my mother and I know how hard this was for him to do. I certainly couldn't have made it a single day without my baby boy. And when I called him to tell him the dreadful news, he changed his flight immediately and payed a whole lot of money we didn't have to do so, in order to be there for the funeral and to support me through this terrible time. Even though I told him not to. Of course, I was glad he didn't listen.

He's the best partner one could wish for and the best daddy and I'm very determined to marry this guy (as soon as we can afford the wedding) and bind him to me permanently. Because I'd be a fool not to tie the knot and tell the world and any single and pushy female out there, that this one is taken. He's simply the most adorable, most handsome, funniest and sexiest man out there. Oh, did I mention he's got a very nice behind? You can never talk too much about nice behinds. Yes I know, I promised to stop being all mushy. Well, I lied. Get over it. He's my hero and when I look at him, I see John Cusack holding up a boombox, playing Peter Gabriel's 'In your eyes'. I see Johnny and Baby dancing to 'Time of my life'. I see Patrick and Demi getting their hands dirty in pottery clay to 'Unchained melody'. Ok, even I have to admit this might be a little much.

In all seriousness though, I'm glad I've got a man like Adrian by my side. Having children is harder than I would've ever thought possible and I couldn't imagine doing it without him. I couldn't imagine doing it with somebody, who comes home after a long day at work and thinks, the simple fact that he's the one bringing home the bacon gives him the right to sit on his behind, drink beer and watch TV whenever he's home. Because looking after two small children is not easy and I don't get to sit down, have a glass of wine and watch TV, either, no matter how badly I want to do just that. Not until they're tucked in for the night. Adrian is a carpenter and works hard physically. Working twelve hour days is not unusual for him and on the weekends, he's working around the house. Doing things that need doing, like chopping wood and getting everything ready for the long winters ahead. And if he's not doing that, he's helping out friends or his parents, who are currently building they're own home on an empty lot. Needless to say, he's not home as often as he wants to be. But when he is, he's helping me out and spends time with his kids. He's changing diapers, he's feeding them, he's bathing them and he plays with them and that's what I love about him. I know a lot of women, complain about their husbands not doing any of these things and I can just imagine, how much harder their lives must be. Adrian also has the biggest heart ever and is a very selfless person. If somebody asks for his help, you won't hear him say no. No matter how stressed or tired he is. I complain about it once in a while, telling him he needs to learn how to say no and that it IS OK to say no occasionally. Why? Because I'm the selfish one in our relationship and I hate sharing him with other people, when I don't get nearly enough time with him as it is.

Yes, we DO fight and when we fight, it gets very intense around here. Adrian is a very kind and patient man, but he tends to hold things in for far too long and then just suddenly explodes. He does have quite the temper and it's best to just leave him alone and give him time to get over whatever it was, that set him off. But I am not that smart. I'm stubborn to the point of being annoying, I'm sure and I will argue and argue and argue, until I'm blue in the face or until he admits that I'm right. Which I am 95 % percent of the time, of course. So our fights can get very loud and they can go on FOREVER. And half the time we don't even know what it was, we started fighting about and just throw random things at each other, just for the heck of it. You know, when you've opened a can, you might as well empty it completely and shake out EVERY LAST DROP. But we're good at making up, too. I had a boyfriend back in the day, who was very sensitive and used to cry once in a while, when I yelled at him and I just couldn't stand it. I need a man who can handle me and my German temperament and I think I have found him.

So, that's really all there is to say about Adrian. We want the same things and have the same dreams and hopefully, we'll get to live those dreams someday. We're a good team and we just get each other and if he keeps doing what he's doing and behaves himself, I'm pretty certain I'm gonna keep him around.  




I'm going to issue a trigger warning here for those of you, who dislike personal stories of labor or birth or are simply bored by it. If  you do NOT under any circumstances want to hear or read about what happens to a woman's body and mind while pushing out a human being, DO NOT precede or just skip ahead to 'The Rocksta'.



My baby-boy. My firstborn. He'll always have a special place in my heart. I love this little man so much, it hurts sometimes. I've loved people in my life. I love my partner. I've loved my mother. I love my dad and my brother. But the love a mother has for her children, is of a different kind. It's intense. It's scary, because you worry about them every second of every day. Sometimes, I look at him and I feel sick to my stomach, just thinking about the possibility of something bad happening to him. I don't think I could go on. But we're working on thinking positive. So lets just assume, he's going to live the long, healthy and happy life he deserves.

I remember everything about my pregnancy and everything about giving birth to this beautiful and amazing boy. We were traveling in New Zealand, living in a van called Berta Rose, when we found out I was pregnant. We'd been staying at a climbers campground (rock climbing is another one of Adrian's passions) at the time, where Noah was also conceived and had planned to get work for a few weeks and stay in the country longer. But my morning sickness was so bad, I couldn't even keep plain water down. The smells from all the different people cooking and the campfires, were simply overwhelming and it's not fun to throw up in 30 minute intervals, when you only have one public bathroom stall at your disposal. Especially in the mornings, because it most certainly is even less fun to stand in line, when you have to vomit. Anyways, we decided it would be best to make our way south to my friend's house. We grew up next door to each other in Germany and have been friends for as long as I can remember. Since she's permanently living in NZ now, we got to stay in a house, in our own room, with the bathroom right across the hall. And there I was, either laying in bed or on their couch, feeling like I was dying. I couldn't eat, I was vomiting blood and I just wanted to go home. But the doctor there advised me, to wait until after the first trimester to fly and that's what we did.

We had no money and we were basically homeless when we got back to Canada. We moved in with Adrian's parents and Adrian got his old job back right away and did what he does best. He worked hard and bought us a townhouse in the city. Because we were so freaked out by the thought of having a baby, we decided it would be a good idea to get a puppy as well. Just to make sure we wouldn't get bored, you see? It was a stupid idea really, because raising and training a dog, is a lot more work and takes a lot more patience, then either one of us had anticipated. Especially when your OB puts you on bed rest for the last two months of your pregnancy. Anyways, we've got Rocky now, he's part of our family and we wouldn't want to live without him anymore.

And then labor began at 4 am. I made it until 7 am, before I finally decided it was probably time to go to the hospital, which was only a two minute drive away. I was there for 14 hours before Noah was born and they gave me any drug they could possibly give me, to ease the pain. Plus an epidural. I remember lying in bed, daydreaming about Rocky chasing pigs and giggling to myself. Getting the epidural wasn't much fun and Adrian tried to steal the show, by collapsing onto a chair. He's not good with needles and blood and such. And then it was time to push and I couldn't feel a single thing. I was numb from the waste down and I was just breathing through the whole ordeal, without a single whimper. I vividly remember thinking 'hey, this isn't bad at all. I could do this all day.' Of course my tune changed drastically, once the drugs and the epidural wore off. And then, there he was. MY baby. MY child. It was overwhelming and at the same time the happiest moment of my life. He was so tiny and precious and perfect and I was afraid to break him. Everyday they asked me, if I wanted to go home or stay another day and I stayed, because I simply felt safer at the hospital. I was terrified of going home, not knowing what to do with this little human being. What if he choked, or stopped breathing, or I couldn't get him to breastfeed properly? But we had to go home at some point and so we left after 3 days with our little bundle and our new life began.

He's growing so fast now. He walks and talks and makes us laugh so much. He's a joy and a terror. He has a temper and can be the cutest, kindest kid ever. He makes me want to strangle and hug him, all at the same time. I want to scream at him one minute and then he smiles at me, or says something utterly adorable and my heart wants to explode with love. Having children is kind of like living with mini schizophrenics. It's a roller coaster of emotions, but he's worth every second of it. Noah is a little person now, with his own personality and I can only hope, that I can give him the best start possible. I try to enjoy every day with him as much as I can, because I know how quickly time goes by. One day, he'll be all grown up and he won't want to sit on the couch with me anymore, cuddling while reading books. He won't need me to hug him and kiss his boo boos, when he hurts himself. He won't look to me for direction anymore. He won't need my help with everything and he won't look at me with hero worship in those big baby blues. He won't cry, whenever I have to leave him for an hour or two and he won't run towards me with his arms wide open, laughing and squeezing me tight when I get back. But he does now. He loves to cuddle and hug and he loves just being with me, sharing his every experience. So I'm determined to enjoy it, for as long as I can. For as long as he'll let me.




My little princess. My baby girl. Awe, she's just so adorable, it's not even funny. From the day she was born, she was sporting this cute, little Mohawk that just wouldn't stay down, no matter what I did. She was my little Alfalfa and she's got a little, adorable dimple in each chubby, little cheek when she smiles. She was the best baby. I remember being terrified of not being able to handle two children at the same time. I mean, they are only 18 months apart and Noah was pretty much still a baby himself when I brought her home. And man, was that boy ever fussy. He cried and cried and cried, no matter what I did. But Mia slept all day and night, pretty much only waking up to feed and god, it was a blessing. I was so relieved.

She's not that calm anymore, though. No siree, those days are over. She knows what it's like to get attention now and she WILL demand it. She has discovered how nice it is, to be carried around all day and does NOT like to just sit somewhere by herself. She's going to be a handful, I can tell already. But did I mention how adorable she is? A smile from that one could melt even the coldest heart, I'm sure.

I also remember every second of my pregnancy and giving birth to her. This time around we'd moved from our townhouse to our current home, because we simply couldn't deal with how noisy it was anymore. You can deal with loud music and noise in general a lot better, when you're young and childless and still in that party phase. It's simply NOT cool though, if you've got a baby that naps a lot, another one on the way and are just tired and exhausted. So we moved up north, to a small quiet town in cottage country and started anew. Scary, since Adrian didn't have a job up here and we didn't know anyone. But we have a big property for the dog and our children now, compared to the sad excuse for a backyard that came with the townhouse.  Our old yard was really just big enough for the dog to take a poop on and we love the space and the privacy we have now. Fortunately, our next door neighbor is a contractor and hired Adrian on right away.

I was suffering from morning sickness with Mia as well, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the first time around and I got through the whole pregnancy, without complications or bed rest. Which was amazing, because let me tell you one thing. As much as I now crave to just lie in bed and sleep for days on end and do nothing at all, it does get pretty damn old when you're not allowed to do anything and are forced to do so, for 6 long weeks.

This time around I woke up at 2 am with labor pains and woke Adrian up right away. The grandparents were staying at our house at the time, so we left Noah sleeping in his bed and were out the door within 15 minutes. It was the beginning of March and it was cold and it snowed like crazy. But we managed to get to the hospital in 30 minutes which is incredible, considering it usually takes you about 45. I was in my hospital room for less than 15 minutes, before Mia was born. I was later told by my OB, that the complete birth took 6 minutes in total. And man, was I glad we made it in time, because Mia's arm got stuck and I really needed a doctor to deliver this baby. Plus, I was so NOT looking forward to having my baby on the side of the highway in -30 degree weather. When we got to the room, I was begging the nurse to give me something for the pain. I was close to grabbing her by the collar and physically shake the drugs out of her. I begged for the epidural. But I was already so close to having the baby, they wouldn't give me anything. Not so much as an Advil and I was about to lose my mind. The whole thing took only 6 minutes, but those were the worst and most painful 6 minutes of my life. Remember when I thought giving birth was easy breezy and I could do it all day? Well, I decided then and there, this was going to be my last child and I would NEVER have sex with Adrian EVER again. I was screaming like I was possessed. I remember thinking 'Nina, you've got to stop screaming like that. You'll scare the whole hospital.' I sounded like I was being slaughtered and I knew I was acting like a maniac, but I simply couldn't stop. I kept screaming at the top of my lungs, "Take it out of me! Get it out of me, NOW!" and I remember Adrian, looking white as a sheet, with a greenish tinge to his skin saying, "Do SOMETHING." Thinking back on it now, the whole thing was kind of comical.

And then 'Poof'. There she was. My little girl. I wanted to know the sex of the baby so bad, but she wouldn't reveal herself during the ultrasound, so it was a surprise. I had a feeling it was going to be a girl, but it was nice to finally have confirmation. My family was complete. I had the little boy and the little girl I've always wanted and I was so happy. I remember just staring at her, for what must've been a good half hour and I was glad I had the distraction, since the doctor took his sweet time to stitch me back together. I will spare you the details, because I'm kind and I don't like to think about it myself. Adrian wasn't there to talk to me either, since he took off for the bathroom, as soon as the baby was out and he'd ensured himself, that both Mia and I were ok. He was once again looking so pale, the nurses and the doctor were giving me worried looks and were kind of apprehensive about letting him go in there by himself. But he was fine and just needed a minute to collect himself and get his nerves under control. Guess my excessive screaming, the 360 degree rotation of my head and the foaming at the mouth was just a little hard for him to take.

We were released that same day. Funny how much more relaxed and comfortable you are the second time around. Oh, I was still worried about her and I had totally forgotten, just how tiny they really are right after birth. But I was also anxious to get back to my son and show him the baby sister, I had told him so much about. He was not impressed by the way. I'm still laughing about the look he gave me when he first laid eyes on her. If he could've talked back then, I'm sure he would've said something along the lines of, "Who the heck is this and why are you bringing her home?" But he adjusted fairly quickly and loves her to bits now. And she's fascinated by her big brother and follows him around with her eyes wherever he goes. She watches him like a hawk and smiles and coos and reaches for him, whenever he pays her attention. It's heartwarming to see them interact with each other and I hope, they'll grow up to be as close as siblings should be. After all, family is the most important thing in life.  




Hi. My name is Rocky and I'm an alcoholic. Just kidding, peeps. I'd love to enjoy the odd delicious and refreshing beer once in a while, but my momma doesn't like it. Party Pooper! I'm a German Shepherd/Golden Retriever/Husky-Mix (I'm not quite sure myself) and I was born on May 24th, 2012. I've been with my new parents since I was 8 weeks old. Canine and human alike keep telling me, I should probably start stepping on the break and turn it down a notch. My parents even had me neutered, hoping that would calm me down. I know I can be a lot sometimes and only listen when it suits me but being super hyper and just generally go bananas in any kind of situation is just sooooooo much fun and even so I do hear them call me, sometimes I just need to follow a scent and see what it was before I can return home. I mean, I've got to make sure it's nothing dangerous right? Guess it's a good thing I'm so cute, huh? Anyway, I'm planning on staying with my people for as long as I'm allowed to live on this beautiful planet. Or for as long as they'll let me. They keep threatening to bring me to the pound a lot, so I'm not quite sure what the future brings (I'm pretty sure they're joking, though). But whatever my Parents decide. Wherever life may lead us. I'm all in!




YO! What's crackin'??? My name is Broody, but y'all can call me 'Da Broodsta'. I'm the head of the Columbian Rock Sistahood and my 4 homegirls have asked me to say a few words. I gots to say, I'm usually no good with stuff like dat, so I'll make it quick. We've been with our folks since July and I gots to tell ya'll, we've got a pretty sweet deal going on here. Get to run around the yard all day, they're feeding us some mad chicken feed, all organic and stuff and da old man made us a crazy crib to live in. With his bare hands. From scratch, yo! All we gots ta do is squeeze out a few eggs here and there and I mean, we do dat anyways, so no biggie. Right?

Our hood is mad dangerous tho. Had a frickin' black bear rip open our house once. Would've had us all for dinner, if our homeboy Rocky wouldn't have chased him off. Dat brother is one crazy puppy, I can tell ya that much. I mean, really? Chasing a black bear? That one does NOT know the meaning of the word fear! Went right at it, all barking and snarling and stuff. I gots mad respect for dat dude. Anyways, few nights later a couple of smelly racoons got in and chased us all out. One of us didn't make it, tho. It was a sad day in da hood. A lot more quiet around here now that Latifah's gone. She did talk a LOT. But that sista is with the lord now so I know she's ok.

The nightlife is not great in this hood. I mean, boooooooooring! Nothin' going on around here and I mean NOTHIN'. But hey, guess you gots to be happy with what you got, so you won't hear me complainin'. The only thing you might hear me complain about, is the lack of men. I wouldn't mind seeing a rooster or two around here just to keep things interesting and keep the sistas in line. But hey, maybe one day our folks will decide it's time to make that addition to our flock. A gal can dream, right?

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