jonas

I fell asleep on the couch last week in front of the TV -- yes that's me now, mother of two and sleep deprived -- and woke up with a big knot of worry in the stomach, thinking I was still pregnant, and how would it all go with the baby (who throughout the pregnancy continued with big and small mishaps.) It lasted only a couple of seconds before I realized I had drifted off and the baby is fine! It's strange how I haven't had any particular reaction to all the worry that was part of the pregnancy after he was born, and then all this time after, I have this little moment where I'm reminded about the almost paralyzing worry that filled last fall and winter. 

Back in September we went to Children's Hospital for a follow-up appointment with his heart, and the cardiologist concluded his heart is normal and healthy. So although this is what we expected, it was such a relief definitively to be released from the health concerns we have had for him so early on.

That pregnancy has without doubt been the hardest time during our time abroad, and it reinforced my desire to go back home. Although we have been lucky to quickly develop an amazing network here, it just cannot compare with those who we (and probably me in particular) have known for years and years, and whose support you become so reliant on during a time like that. 

In a couple of days he will be eight months old, and he is developing so quickly at the moment. He is not crawling, but moving around everywhere on his butt and stomach, he pulls himself up, sits up by himself and prefers sweet potatoes and Cheerios (our little American). He has one tooth and the funniest person around is his big sister. He is such an easy-going little guy, who goes with the flow and doesn't complain much, and although it's just been eight months since he arrived (and brought peace along because of his healthy condition) it already feels like he has been around much longer. Lucky us to have him.

Oversæt til dansk

happy halloween

The halloween celebrations have been going on over the past few weeks, and ended last night in a candy explosion, jack o'lanterns, kids (and grown ups) in costumes. Unlike last year where we barely knew if a toddler could go trick or treating, we were better prepared this time around. 

Over the weekend we met up with friends at Boston Common for a halloween pumpkin fest, and brought a carved pumpkin along that would be lit along with many others on the Frog Pond. It ended up freezing cold and windy, so we hurried home before the parade. Yesterday we went to Cambridge to join another Danish family for dinner and trick or treating. I so regret we didn't bring the real camera (I only had my phone with me), because it was so cute to see all the little kids with their costumes and all the amazing and elaborate decorations people had put up. Wauw! I didn't even manage to get a proper picture of the kids in their costumes. Silja had practiced to do trick or treat with a neighbor: Knock knock, 'trick or treat' and 'thank you', when something went in the bucket, so she was ready and very very excited. She was a little shy and not much a roaring tiger once it was the real deal though.  This morning she asked when it is Halloween again, so she is totally hooked. 

Oversæt til dansk

picking pumpkins (and where's next)

You guys, it is so so pretty around here right now. So many colors, still a lot of sun, crisp air, and then these American fall traditions, which we find ourselves adjusting to and finding excitement in. Hot apple cider, gearing up for Halloween, baking apple crumble and then of course getting a pumpkin or two. You can buy them in them in every store at the moment, but that isn't half as fun as driving to the country side to pick them yourself on a pumpkin patch. That's what I thought, because I had never tried it. But this weekend we went, and it was just as I had hoped.

And making the most of these American traditions and experiences has started to feel more valuable after we found out our stay in Boston is coming to an end. Bjarni got a grant and we will therefore move to Denmark (Aarhus). As it looks now, the move will probably happen by the end of next summer. We are so relieved to find out what's going to happen next, and I'm beyond excited to be in close proximity to everyone at home. Although nothing can beat the excitement of all that, we know we will miss this place terribly and hope to make the most of it until it's time to go. Pumpkin patches, halloween, thanksgiving and so on included...

Oversæt til dansk

picking up a teddy

This past weekend Silja traded off her pacifiers with a pink stuffed teddy bear from Build a Bear in downtown Boston. Picking up the teddy was a good excuse to stroll around the city center and enjoy the beautiful fall weather (and bringing along the camera for once). As for the lack of pacifiers she handles it surprisingly well. Our little girl is getting so big! It was a great ending to a for us very happy week with some good news. I will share more soon. 

Oversæt til dansk

a sister visits boston

Thursday evening we said goodbye to my sister and niece, who was here for a week to visit. After they left Silja found a box of kleenex and kept saying through tears that she missed Camilla, her cousin, and that she wanted to go and play in her house. After the kids were put to bed I opened a box of Ben and Jerry's and tried to comfort my own living-far-away-from-family-sucks-feeling, which pops up every now and then. And that's how it is when living far away from home. When we get to see family, it's in large intense chunks rather than just over a cup of coffee. On the upside it makes for some memorable days with lots of time to talk, be and do things together, on the downside getting to be so close together also makes it hard to part and resume to normal, where Skype calls and text messages just isn't the same. After a couple of days of adjusting to being just us again, we are back into the our own rhythm thinking back on all the fun we had over the past week.

While they were here, Jonas got baptized. He was too big and chubby to fit the baptism dress which my mom made out of her wedding dress, and that all of us children and grandchildren have been baptized in. But everything about this baptism was different so the clothing seemed secondary. The priest who got to know us a bit, used a ceramic bowl inside the baptism font, which she gave us/Jonas as a concrete thing from that day, now he (likely) won't grow up near that church. I thought that was such a thoughtful gesture. How to bring along and be able to share the memories and experiences we make to such small kids as ours when we are on a go, is something we sometimes wonder how to manage. I think it's great we can one day point to the bowl, when we eventually settle down (in Denmark, Bjarni...) and say 'when we lived in Boston, this was the special bowl that was used for your baptism'.

Pictures from the past week. Silja is requesting more nail polish after Camilla and Anette's visit.

Oversæt til dansk

squeezing the last out of summer

We are currently enjoying these last beautiful summer weeks. It still feels very much like summer with
temperatures in the mid 20s, flip flops, iced coffees and sun screen, but the mornings are chili, the sun sets earlier and some trees have transitioned from green to a yellow-brownish hue. I'm pretty excited about the fall, but I know to suck the marrow out of these last warm and sunny weeks. Silja is home from school for two weeks, so we are spending as much time as we can outside shifting between playgrounds and bringing books to the park to read on a blanket and so on, getting the most out of the great weather.
The pictures are not particularly summery, but there are currently too many other things to drag along on our outings to care to bring the big camera.

 Teaching Silja to play board games

 Our garden box is now full of green tomatoes, a tiny pepper and two flowers Silja brought home as little seeds for mother's day.

This one is mostly such a happy easygoing little guy. Soon he will be half a year, and I don't know how that happened.

He LOVES the guitar Bjarni brought back from Iceland. 

Oversæt til dansk

three

Silja turned three last week. And we are reminded every single day, because she will tell us all the things she can do now just because she is three: She can brush her own teeth, eat a lot of breakfast, wear underwear instead of diapers, open and hold the heavy door outside, put on her shoes. She can throw the most crazy fits, when things don't go her way, and she says the most amazing things in a mix of Danish and English: Du skal get up, for du er sygeplejersken. Du må ikke ødelægge det der, for så bliver jeg virkelig sur og so sad. I love you lillebror. We are planning a little party for her when the sling comes of next week, so the celebration is not entirely over yet.

Oversæt til dansk