waiting for spring and a baby... almost there.

After weeks of freezing temperatures, today was sort of spring'ish, and it felt soo good and energizing! 

A lot of the snow has melted, finally making it manageable with a stroller and my big bump to actually get out and move away from our own little neighborhood and join a playgroup with friends somewhere else. The past many weeks it seems we've been in hiatus at home, which has been good and needed too. I've been working on different baby prepping projects and we've gotten to know our neighbors in the building a lot better - we have the nicest neighbors! Now the baby crib needs another round of paint and the blanket I've been working on needs a last row of stitches, and then I think we are pretty much ready to welcome this little brother. Until he shows up I'm enjoying these last days of having only Silja to care for -- and with this nice weather, actually getting out and about like we used to. 

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hearts

I guess we are like most Europeans when it comes to Valentines Day: it's not a huge ordeal. But when in Rome... you might as well make the most of it. And I suppose you (me!) get smitten by the surroundings that all of a sudden are full of hearts, flowers and chocolate. So we've been crafting with hearts and eating a heart shaped cake or two (yesterday with the accompanying Happy Birthday, because cakes in Silja's book is related to birthdays strictly).

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snowed in...

Just as we started talking about longing for spring or just getting out of the freezing temperatures, the news announced with their usual drama the big 2013 Blizzard, which would start Friday afternoon lasting until Saturday: A snow storm so big it could potentially be the worst in the history of Boston. It all seemed a little surreal when schools (including Silja's day care), and offices etc. (Bjarni's too) closed down Friday morning, and there was neither snow nor wind in the air. But it was coming they said, and instead of dropping Silja off at daycare, I brought her to the supermarket to get what was needed for a big pot of chicken rice soup and grains for home made bread, which all seemed fitting and comforting when we were going to be snowed in. The snow started slowly as we turned the corner to our building. It was a quite cosy and out of the ordinary Friday, hanging out with the other parents and kids in the building, changing between apartments depending on whose toys the kids wanted to play with next.
We woke up to a completely white landscape Saturday morning and a meter of snow on our balcony. (I think they say there was a 70 cm snowfall in our area) We were fortunate to have heating and power (others were not so lucky), and went outside on the parking lot to play and watch the snow. We couldn't really get anywhere else, most public transport were shut down and a lot of the roads near us looked like the first picture. So we stayed in again with hot chocolate, little friends running between apartments, and neighbors exchanging recipes.
Sunday was sunny and we were antsy about getting out of the house and went for a small walk, which took forever because we couldn't bring a stroller and Silja wanted to stop and play in the snow everywhere. It seemed like everyone was out, either digging their cars out of the snow or just taking in the unusual scenery like us.
Today Monday all public schools are still closed. Silja is off to daycare, but Bjarni insists on bringing her both back and forth because it's still difficult to walk. Now it has started raining, so it's all slippery and wet outside with snow masses blocking the drainage.
For us it's been a great little winter adventure, although we are still very much ready for spring and warmer temperatures. That might take a while...

 (A donut for the pregnant lady is a must...)

We ran into Yonah from our building, who is Silja's good friend. They are sitting next to a car.

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slowing down

Boston is absolutely freezing at the moment -- something that fits quite well to my current need for slowing down and spending more time at home, resting and nesting... I've handed over my managing responsibilities at HSSPA (a fantastic resource by the way, if you end up here because you are or will be a 'Harvard spouse'), something which I have been involved with since summer. Although we still head out to see friends, make snow balls, and drink coffee, this cold weather really encourage baking, sewing, dancing, napping, and watching movies at home. There are six weeks left to my due date, and I know everything will be turned upside down until we settle into a new normal of being four, so these last calm weeks - mostly at home - are really precious and well-appreciated.

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harðfiskur

About two months after I first met Bjarni he had to travel to Northern Iceland for three months to work in the tiny village of Hólar. Three months seemed too long of not seeing each other, so I decided and was invited to come up to Iceland to visit this new Icelandic guy and see the big volcanic island he came from. He picked me up in the late evening after my plane landed in Keflavik and we spent 4 hours driving North, and arrived to amma and afi, the grandparents, in the middle of the night where we'd stay the next couple of days. He had to leave early next morning for work, and I slept in. When I woke up it was time to meet the grandparents, but without Bjarni to introduce me and without a common language in which we could communicate. It sounds more nerve-wracking than it actually was. Amma was the sweetest thing, and hugged and kissed me and talked and talked and talked although I understood close to nothing. Amma, who is famed for her babysitting, was taking care of her great-grand child, Hrafnhildur, who was sitting by the kitchen table eating dried fish like it was candy. It was just another late morning in amma and afi's house with the radio playing in the background and coffee on the pot, but for a Dane who'd never previously put her foot on Iceland, there was so many new impressions.
Now I'm the mother of a little blue-eyed girl, who is the same age as Hrafnhildur was, and I came to think of these first impressions with Iceland, when we were sitting in the house in Reykjavik and Silja was happily snacking on dried fish. I suppose it's in the genes to like that kind of a snack -- which I by the way have also taken a liking to by now. Who would have thought back then, when Bjarni (and amma) in addition to the harðfiskur proudly introduced me to rotten shark and other Icelandic delicacies. Good thing it didn't scare me off.

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about being spread out

We are back in Boston after a long nice break back home. A trip that reminded me that our ties are spread over many places, which on one hand is great and satisfying as we belong and are welcomed several places. We get to feel at home with the spectacular views of Northern Iceland, the food and the friends in Reykjavik, and the extended socializing around a dinner or lunch table in Denmark.

And then we return to our home here, and slip back into the way of life we have here. It's all good being spread out like that, but going 'home' to reconnect and coming 'home' again after that carries a bittersweet reminder that thoughtful and fun grandparents and aunts and cousins and friends that really matters are also spread between large distances. If only we could see them all a little more often.

I hope you all entered 2013 with proper celebration. I woke up to the new year with a wide awake toddler at 6am -- blame it on the jetlag. Happy New Year to you from Boston!

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happy holidays

We are leaving tomorrow afternoon for a long awaited trip back to Denmark and Iceland for Christmas. Weeh! We are so excited to see everyone. Silja woke up with a fever today, so fingers crossed she is better tomorrow. In addition to all the for us usual Christmas traditions, we have spent the last week also celebrating and learning more about Hannukah through our sweet neighbors who invited us for latkes and lightening of the Hannukah Menorah, and Silja's daycare which threw a party and provided goodie bags with a dreidel and Hannukah chocolate-gelt. 

Now we are packing up our suitcases, stuffing them with Christmas presents and warm socks and are looking forward to catching up with dear ones, relaxing, eating æbleskiver in Denmark and Icelandic lamb in Northern Iceland. Lucky us.

Whatever you are celebrating, we wish you happy happy holidays!

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