January 11th - a little blue sky and a spring in my step

Today I didn't have to work after 3, AND the sun was out, AND the sky was blue AND the temperature was rather balmy for January. With a baby warming me up, it felt so good to walk without scarf and hat. So often in the last month we return home in the dark without much chance to really enjoy being outside. So today with a surprise early finish I decided to do some walking before heading home. We walked through Varosmajor park, my old pregnancy stomping grounds (I walked through that park twice a day almost everyday), and then around in the castle. The sun was just starting to go down so the light was ever so nice. I did my usual and took pictures of the silhouettes of trees.
The Danube was actually looking pretty blue today. That's the Chain Bridge going across, and then the Gresham Palace which is a Four Seasons Hotel, and then the Basillica in the background.
Chickadee was sound asleep the whole time. I love that she can still take good naps while I walk around. It has been too long since I've been out walking much with her. I love the way I can let my mind wander. I was thinking about what's happened over the last five months, about what will happen in the next five. I'm looking forward to tea sets, to finding out if she likes dolls, or stuffed animals, or cars, to when she can walk next to me and find bugs and rocks and leaves on our walks. But also I'm still enjoying that I can feel her breathing while she's asleep and that if she wakes up I'm right there so she doesn't have to feel alone for even a second. I still have a little shock when I think about, wow! I really have a daughter! Here she is! I love her so much!


This is the pedestrian walk on the far side of the castle. At any given time of day it's full of baby strollers, and old ladies and for some reason not so many tourists. It's nice that its like 5 minutes away (uphill) from where we live. As spring comes there will be more chances to walk here as the sunset becomes later.
This is the view from that side. This is facing West. If someone is interested in google maps (I know who you are) then the yellow church there is at Krisztina Tér.
I swear there was a chickadee sitting on this branch, but of course it flew away before I took a picture. Oh well, I didn't really expect to capture it, but I took the picture anyway to remind me of the bird.

That's the palace in the distance.
There's an art museum inside and intend to go soon, as soon as there's a good special exhibition.

She was 5 months exactly yesterday. Doesn't she look like the happiest baby ever here?! She is able to sit up now, like for this picture, but only if we put her in that position, and she's pretty TIMBER soon after. She getting more and more mobile, scooting her body around on the ground. When she's motivated (read: remote controls, feet, computer cords) she can really cover some ground.
When she is excited she flaps her arms, sort of like what you see in this picture. Her favorite things right now: baths, peek-a-boo, guitar playing, her maraca, being naked, and spoons.