EuroLife: Day 106

We have a washing machine! Of our very own! Yes, that's right, it's the coveted Beko WMD 26120 M. And, as I said, it is our very own.

This really is a big deal, actually. We had been spending a preposterous amount of time and money at the local laundromat. (Well, laundromat and internet cafe.) I think it's probably overpriced, and that there's a cheaper one somewhere downtown, but it's right around the corner. The thought of lugging our laundry all the way downtown--on foot--always seemed to tip the scales in favor of the pricey but close one. So, no more of that!

We don't have a dryer, but we do have a new, nifty drying rack. We also, as a result of all of this, have a rather more crowded bathroom. Still, I am very excited about this new purchase.

I was also very excited in the grocery store yesterday to see the familiar, fuzzy face of the Snuggles bear. They, too, have "Snuggle-soft" fabric softener! However, the German version of the Snuggles bear is, I fear, vastly cooler than our own little American bear. He can be seen to my left driving a Trabby. On other bottles, he was surfing and performing all manner of trend-setting activities. From what I recall, our American version sits on a pile of laundry...maybe more to the point, but hardly as impressive.

On a totally unrelated note, I have started to be able to feel the baby move! I have no picture to correlate with this news, but it's exciting news nonetheless. I first thought I felt movement about a week ago, which is really very early, but by this week I'm pretty certain. This morning, while I was studying in the library, I got a very clear kick out of nowhere; I almost laughed out loud. Usually the movements are pretty gentle and ambiguous, but this was a clear pop to the gut. It's really an incredible feeling, and I can't wait until the baby gets a bit bigger and stronger so that Michael can feel some kicks as well.