Hytte Weekend: Egersund

Arthur, Xander and I enjoyed another quiet hytte weekend in Egersund a few weeks ago. Our hytte was massive (as seen below) and could have easily fit a family of 10! We were right on the ocean and the views were incredible!

We we treated to a view of the sunset each night.

Xander discovered his love of unloading the dishwasher while we try to load it.

Enjoying a beer in the quiet while Xander napped.

Fun story...early one morning Arthur went out to fish from the dock below the hytte. A local saw him and told him it was really the wrong season to catch anything from the docks but that he was welcome to join him on his boat. So they drove out deeper into the ocean to check some pots he had set the night before. When they returned they grilled up the fish right on the dock for us to enjoy.

Xander loved the fish too but his favorite part was the spoon.

Another restful weekend in the books in Egersund!

Alexander - 10 months

Its been a rough month for you (and us) healthwise. You started the month with a nasty tummy bug. I will never forget the feeling of holding your tiny little body in the middle of the night while you dry-heaved and cried...so terrible! It took you about 5 days to shake that bug and then you were healthy and happy again for a few weeks. Unfortunately, you now have a triple-whammy...eye infection, upper respiratory infection, and ear infection! Even when you're sick you're still such a sweet kid which makes it even harder to see you feeling so terrible!

You are babbling a lot now and every few days I hear new sounds or patterns. Of course this makes me incredibly excited as your mom and as a speech-pathologist! Watching language develop is just SO COOL! We've been working with you to sign "more" when you're eating or playing and you'll now use the sign and sometimes say "mo" at the same time. You even used the sign while playing with your dad. He was giving you kisses and you signed "more" to ask for more kisses!

You are a baby on the move! You are cruising furniture and have started to scare us by letting go and balancing. You probably now spend as much time standing up as you do crawling or sitting. You're not walking yet but I don't think it will be long. You are also starting to climb things. Just this morning I turned around and you had crawled inside the dishwasher! Ugh!

You are really playful and love playing games and giggling. You have so much fun with peek-a-boo and will giggle when you cover up your face or yell at us to say "Where's Xander" if we're taking too long. You're not so great at covering up your entire face which is pretty funny. You really love to play in windows. Anyone on the other side is usually treated to lots of giggles and a view of your face smearing across the glass. You also have started this hilarious head bobbing from side to side which always makes us laugh which in turn makes you bob even more.

You took your first real vacation this month to France! Our trip will get it's own post but it's worth saying that you did great. You have now taken a total of 16 flights in your short life and are becoming a great traveler. You were well behaved on the plane and slept the entire time or fished for smiles from the other passengers. You also slept through the night the entire trip even though you were in new places. I still can't believe what a great sleeper you are...most of the time!

Xander...your personality continues to shine through this month. A lady on the plane commented that you are the happiest and friendliest baby she's ever met and of course I agreed and beamed with pride. You are really a joy and I love hanging out with you and being silly!

Hytte Weekend: Bømlo

A few weeks ago we spent a quiet, restful weekend at a company cabin, also called a "hytte". As most things, a Norwegian hytte has it's own culture. Most hyttes are simple shelters located in idyllic locations...in the snowy mountains, on a majestic fjord, a quiet lake, or by the scenic ocean. Many are stripped down with only the most basic necessities (running water, heat, small kitchen, etc) so as to allow the guest to enjoy the serenity of nature.

While "basic" sounds great...with a kid in tow we were looking for a hytte with a little more to offer. So maybe our weekend at the modern hytte in Bømlo was not the typical hytte experience...I sure did enjoy the fireplace, dishwasher, floor heaters, washer and dryers, and super nice modern decor!

Our hytte was literally about 20 feet from the water's edge near the mouth of the Straumfjorden. And while the weather was temperamental, alternating between gorgeous sunshine, rain, snow, and then back to sunshine, we enjoyed watching it all roll by from the two-story wall of windows.

Arthur was able to fish for cod while I spent most of the weekend inside snuggling by the fire and drinking copious amounts of hot tea. Xander was great all weekend...he slept like a champ and had fun watching his Dad fish from the third floor of the hytte. 

Alexander - 9 months

Helloooo! I know I've been terribly lacking in posts lately but Xander is on the MOVE and his naps are hard to come by so I just haven't had much time!

Alexander is 9 months old TODAY! He's now been out as long as he was in - that's a weird thought. I can definitely say that I'm much happier on this side of those 9 months!I took this picture about 14 hours before starting labor. I was leaving the midwife's office the day before my due date and I was certain that he wouldn't be coming anytime soon. Boy was I wrong!

Your personality continues to blossom this month. Surprisingly, you're a bit of a social butterfly...that definitely did NOT come from me. You LOVE interacting with other people! It's interesting to see you next to other kids your age...you are smaller than most but always busy!

You've been saying "momma" since about 6 months but the speech-pathologist in me wouldn't accept it as a real word until I could see that you know the meaning. Well this month I think I can officially say you've said your first word...and it's momma! Good job kid! Many mornings you'll wake up in your crib and say "momma momma momma" over and over until your Dad comes to get you and brings you downstairs to me. It complely melts my heart! You'll also say it as you crawl to me when you notice me across the room. I don't hate it!

After MONTHS of being concerned about your weight you've finally started to pork up! Could it be because you now eat as much as an adult in addition to still nursing?! Breakfast is typically 2-3 eggs and a shared piece of fruit. Lunch is lighter because we're always on the go. Dinner is whatever we're having but almost the same sized portion. Tuna and chicken are your favorite meats. You also enjoy scarfing down beans and any type of fruit. It is so fun to see you explore new foods and textures and although we're starting to see hints of preferences (you now REFUSE broccoli...who are you!?) you generally eat anything we put in front of you.

Spring is FINALLY coming to Norway. The tulips in our front yard are blooming and we are all ready to get out of the house. My back is still making steady progress and although running is still off the table I'm able to bike ride. We took you for your first ride in the bike trailer around the neighborhood this month and you really enjoyed it. You have always enjoyed being outside and I think we're going to have so much fun this Spring and Summer enjoying (hopefully) some beautiful weather here.

 

Did I mention you are on the move!? If I thought you were fast last month then this month you're like baby lightening. You can seriously crawl almost as fast as I can run across the room. This is an equation that you've become great at calculating...Can I make it to the dog's water bowl faster than Mom. The answer is always yes. You still enjoy crawling in the dog's bed and you will chase Bailey in the mornings while I get your breakfast ready. The dogs are really good with you even when you smack them in the face or head butt them!

 You've been sleeping through the night now for almost 2 months. This is an amazing gift but it also has a downside - your naps are pretty unpredictable, sometimes non-existent. If I had to choose, I'd pick a good nighttime sleeper every time, but you still get fussy around nap times even when you don't end up going to sleep. Interestingly enough, I'm not much of a nap taker either so I can't really fault you for genetics. You've had a few rough nights and days and we swear up and down that you're teething but can't see anything to validate that yet. So for now it's still the 6 teeth.

Alexander- life with you is busy and noisy! You're always dirty and (almost) always happy. You love to laugh and you make life just that more joyful. We're proud of you kiddo...of your determination, your independence, and your fun-loving spirit. But unfortunately you're not allowed to grow any older...your first birthday is just around the corner and I just can not.

We love you buddy!

Alexander - 8 months

Happy 8 months Alexander!

You are sitting up now. Actually, I think it's very possible that you were capable of sitting up a few weeks ago but I can never get you to slow down to actually SIT anywhere.

Bathtime is STILL your favorite. I'm glad that you're sitting up in the bath now because when you used to lay on your back you would kick half the bathwater out all over the laundry room! You love to spash the water with your hands and chew on bath toys.

We took a little Sunday drive to the Byrkjedalstunet Candle Factory. It was a gorgeous drive past frozen fjords and snowy mountains and OF COURSE I had forgotten to put the battery back in my camera...so all I got was iPhone pictures. We enjoyed waffles and jam and watching the hairy mountain goats! You were not too impressed with your first experience with snow.

You dad reads to you every single night before you go to bed. You are a great listener (most nights) and your favorite book is Peek-a-boo Forest from your Nana.

Your favorite toy right now is BY FAR the blocks that your Aunt Charlotte gave you for Christmas this year. You always have a block or two in your hand. You love to knock down towers and make silly noises through the holes in the blocks. Also they make a really fun noise if you bang them on things, which you do alllllll day. Thanks Charlotte :)

You are now officially crawling and very quickly. If I take my eyes off you for a second you're getting into things (sometimes quite literally) that you shouldn't. You love getting into the dog's crate and then of course you're covered in dog hair. So that's fun.

It should also be noted that watching the washing machine will occupy you for at least 3 minutes. Long enough for me to get a little something productive done!

You are such a mover now, but sometimes you get yourself into situations that you haven't quite figured out how to get out of- like the first time you pulled up on your book box. You were so upset because you couldn't figure out what to do next. And of course, like a good mommy, I snapped a black-mail picture!

You are so happy when you wake up, either first thing in the morning or from naps. I usually let you wake up slowly and play and talk for a while before I get you. That smile you give when I walk into the room to get you just melts me!

Your appetite has really sky-rocketed...maybe it has something to do with how busy you are all day. When I gave you this pear I figured it would keep you busy while I got your breakfast ready. By the time I had your eggs ready you had eaten the entire pear! Your favorite foods right now are pears (obviously), strawberry, salmon, eggs, and banana pancakes.

I think you were pretty smug here because somehow you had managed to steal over half of my cinnamon roll and eat it. I've never heard so many "nomnomnom"s!

Lights of all kind remain your obsession. You know where all the lamps and light fixtures are in the house and if they aren't on you look and yell at them until we turn them on. Which of course we always do because it results in a big grin and a look of wonder from you. If only we could all be so happy with the simple things in life.

Alexander, I have really fallen for you this month. You are not a laid back kid and as exhausted as you make me I'm totally OK with that. I love watching you explore every inch of your world. I love your wonder and glee at new things. I love when you give us 3 seconds of snuggles before you're off again. I love that you're inventing your own games and giggle when you know we're going to start playing them. I love the look you give me or your dad when we walk into the room - you're always excited to see us! You are so happy, mischievous, and curious!

And pretty darn adorable too!