It’s that time of year again…no…who am I kidding?! It’s ALWAYS that time of year! Babies are popping up (or out rather) everywhere! And it’s no exception here in Germany!
Standard families are two parents and two children here in good old Deutschland. If you are a family of 3 children then you are considered to have a large family. It’s odd since most people I know have more than just one other sibling back home in the US. Having two kids is considered small and four is normal!
There is a fun way in Germany that the people announce when they have a new member and this morning I took Harley for a walk just so we could stalk these new parents! Love me some babies! Back home in the US we use Facebook (ha!) and birth announcement by form of a letter or delivering owl. Here, they make sure you know and I have a feeling its more so that people be quiet in the neighborhood!
The wooden stork! This is put up right before baby comes and as you can see in the second picture, there is a baby in a blue blanket hanging from the mouth of the stork. This informs us that the baby is a boy!! Yay!!
I think this is kind of fun and exciting! And now is when they get overwhelmed with everyone coming to see them and bring presents. They don’t have baby showers here! Can you believe that?!?! No baby showers, so that means you have the essentials and then people bring you the rest as soon as the baby is born, making life more complicated and annoying when you just need sleep. But no, you must visit with people and organize all the gifts they bring you plus provide the standard coffee and cake. No resting for momma bears!! Let me tell you something, If I’m living here when I have a baby, I will ABSOLUTELY be throwing myself a baby shower and I won’t hold back on my gift requests!! No way, jose!
Until next time, Readers!!! xoxoxo
The Diary of Sugar and Spice 
Hi Spice, I stumbled across your blog actually researching my upcoming move to Germany. Great blog and also comforting to read about someone who has embarked on the same journey I am about to start…any chance you would be open to lending aome advice on moving questions?
Hi!! Of course I would be happy to help! If you have Facebook you can send me a message on my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheDiaryofSugarandSpice.
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Hello.
I think baby showers are exclusively US-thing. I do not know a single country in Europe where such a tradition exists. But this is a nice custom, celebrating the little person and getting someone else to buy the baby stuff for you :0)
Dutch also announce babies with a sign on the house – stork, baby balloons or a really huge banner with drawings, they get really creative sometimes.
I do love the idea of others buying all the stuff for me that I would need! Baby showers are great!
But I REALLY love the idea of huge banners or big notices! I’m all about making a big statement so this is right up my alley! May have to do things the German and Dutch way!
Nice piece! I had a stork outside when I gave birth here. Loved it!
Awww so fun! I’ve already placed my order for when that moment comes that the Hubs needs to build and paint me a stork!
Great, it’s a lovely thing to come home too!