Yes, yes, I can hear you now if you are living in Chicago or Alaska or even Bend, my complaints of cold are nothing compared to the snow coming down around where you are but for Berlin on Nov. 18th we are having a cold spell.

This morning I bundled up as I prepared to go outside with the pups and what I found was a thin layer of snow and some dusting coming down. Our husky was overjoyed but our little dog and I were all about walking quickly and efficiently through it.

I will have to admit that it was really pretty and poignant to find the snow collecting on the falling leaves. We still have a month of Autumn and yet the Winter is ready to barge in. This week the lows are 25 or so (or -3 or -4 or so) with highs of 35 (or 1 in Celsius). This is cold for us! It is a make sure I have my hat, gloves and maybe a scarf kind of cold. It is the cold that I thank goodness that I just got a really lovely warm jacket to wear for such days kind of weather. It is the brrr I can’t believe we are already here kind of weather.

But this cold weather marks different seasons for us, literally but also in our home as Ana has gone on maternity leave this week. We are now in full preparation mode. We are attending a birthing class the next two days to learn all we can although we are both nervous about how the two days will be in German. But our midwife will be there and can help us navigate what we don’t understand. I anticpate we will be exhausted by Sunday night and not just because of all the information but if you are funcitioning in a different language for two full days, it takes a lot out of you! There will be lots of strained understanding and extra brain power used in addition to all of the information about our lives completely changing!

This cold weather marks in time that we are coming into the last weeks before our son arrives. It also reminds me that I kind of missed a whole season to immediate recovering. The darkness seems to be affecting me more these days as the sun sets at 4pm and doesn’t rise until 7:30am and I think it is because I feel like I didn’t have a summer. I was looking forward to the long days to have them be kind of a fog and having to stay resting indoors. This winter seems to be coming too quickly and yet the weather will do what it will do.

So we will bundle up, drink warm beverages and do the best we can. How are you preparing for this quick change of season?