Trollskogen with Friends

I'm baaaaaack! No really...for real this time! I know I've taken a long break from the blog but I should finally be able to post regularly again. The big change now is that Benjamin has started barnehage. He ended up with an ear infection and chicken pox within the first week, so it was a slow start. But now with both boys in school I have time to get the million things done that I have been piling up for years! I'll be starting work again soon. I'm working out and trying hard to loose this baby weight (is it even called that anymore...maybe chocolate weight? wine weight?) I'm also hoping to start Norwegian classes again, because when your bilingual child can get away with yelling potty words at you and you don't know any better it's time to study up!

However, with all that on my plate this blog is still a priority to me for two big reasons. The first is that it documents memories for my boys. At the end of each year I take all the posts, combine them, and print them in a book format. I want my boys to see the pictures and read the details of this adventure we call life. And second, I'm hoping that in some small way this keeps us all connected. It can be hard raising our children so far away from friends and family. So my hope is that my silly stories and pictures helps shorten the distance between us. So...without further ado...


This past weekend we met up with some friends at a local park called Trollskogen. It's one of our favorite places to visit in Stavanger. The forest is soft and green with filtered sunlight through the tall tress. The rocks are covered in neon moss. And the end of the path opens up to a fantastic view of the fjord and thousands of tiny sea pools, just perfect for little boys to splash in!


Mom's are such a creative bunch! One of the moms brought sidewalk chalk for the boys to color on the rocks. All 6 boys loved it and they huddled around the rock for a good 20 minutes.

Xander with his favorite color!

 Tide pool exploring

B has become very steady on his feet now. Even in the rocky, muddy terrain at Trollskogen he did quite well keeping up with the older boys.

Xander was a little grumpy for some reason this morning but give him some water and things to throw in it and he will always perk up quickly!

See! Smiles finally!

I love this picture so much. Xander has made a fantastic friend here. Josua is a such a sweet boy and they have made quiet an impression on each other. We try to get them together as much as possible and they're a great pair...both a little quiet and introspective but curious, bright, and silly. I just love watching their friendship grow.

Josua's mom is lovely too and one of my closest friends here. Shes a good calm ying to my Type-A yang. We always end up on the most ridiculous misadventures together that leave us in giggles! Oh and she is also a fantastic photographer! Most of these photos are hers! Such a fun day with lovely people!

Benjamin - 1 year!

Hello? Anyone still out there? Things have been pretty quiet around here lately. I'm working on catching up so stay tuned...

One year ago (erm....and some months) this little nugget dropped into our lives and from day one he has kept us on our toes.

Looking back on the highs and lows of this year I find myself feeling nothing but overwhelming gratefulness for the richness Benjamin has added to our lives. The amazing thing about a second child is that while everything is new again you're not quite so scared. You have more confidence and are more mentally prepared for the marathon ahead. This time I was healthier and in less pain and knew that I needed to grab on to every moment and appreciate it as this child would most likely be the last baby for us. 

 The day we left the hospital to head home...

Benjamin has always been a cuddler and I loved that I was strong enough to wear him, at least until he became too much of a chunk!

I think for the first 11 months of this kids life I was probably averaging 4-5 hours of sleep per night. So we took a lot of mommy/baby selfies where I look half asleep...and probably was!

We were so excited to watch Benjamin grow, He didn't have any of the nursing issues that we dealt with Alexander and it felt like he doubled in size every day. 

Although no one would argue that B was pretty attached to me for the first year he sure did have a sweet spot for his daddy. Arthur could get the most amazing giggles out of him.

Benjamin loved to cuddle with daddy too...just as long as he knew I was close by :)

As he grew we started to see glimpses of his personality emerging...his silly side...

And his determination to master things...maybe even before he was physically or developmentally ready...

Benjamin and I kind of became mobile together. As he started to crawl I was healing to the point that I could walk. We spent our days playing or going for walks out of the house.

In his first year he did quite a bit of traveling...Copenhagen at 3 months, the US at 4 months, Italy at 6 months, Prague at 9 months and back to the US around his first birthday.

Mr. Personality in Rome

About to enjoy some Prague pub grub!

It took me some time to adjust to Benjamin's demanding personality. It was so exhausting being the only person that could meet his needs for months. But he reminds me a lot of myself...he knows what he wants, hes particular about it, and impatient. But he is also very determined, stubborn, and independent. I know these traits will serve him well in life...as they have for me :)

Benjamin began pulling up and cruising around 9 months. I remember feeling a little concerned because he was slow to crawl and slow to start pulling up. Little did I know 1 month after pulling up he would start walking at just 10 months!!

In his favorite spot...Momma's lap :)

Benjamin and I enjoyed swimming class together. I was so impressed with his instinct to hold his breath and how much he enjoyed the water.

Last minute Christmas shopping with Mom and Dad.

Every mom thinks their kid is beautiful...but come on...this kid is adorable!

My sweet B...you might have surprised us with your timing but I hope you always know how desperately you were wanted. How I was mourning the possibility of never being able to have another child while you were already growing inside me. What a beautiful and incredible gift you are.

You're spunky, unpredictable, mischievous, stubborn, silly, loving and sometimes too clever for your own good!

Our birthday eve picture has become tradition now. Here we are...our last night with an 11 month old. Two tired but happy parents! Benjamin, we love you more than I can ever express. Happy Birthday sweet boy.

Benjamin - 11 months

Its been a pretty good month for our little B. But 11 months!? No way! No freaking way has it been almost a year since this little guy rocked our world! 

Teeth have been popping out left and right (literally) but you've been sleeping OK. You make it KNOWN when you are uncomfortable or tired or hungry or just plain grumpy. But you also give these AMAZING full-on cuddles that I absolutely love!

Mealtimes have entered another dimension of crazyness lately. You do not wait for food and gripe and yell almost the entire meal if you're not currently stuffing yourself. And you eat...A LOT! More than Xander does for most meals. But you're pretty picky. No eggs. No yogurt. No cheese (are you sure you're my kid!?). And anything new goes through a rigorous taste test that usually involves a few gags before it ever makes it down the hatch. And anything that doesn't pass the test goes straight on the floor while making defiant eye-contact with us!

We're in the early stages of the wanting-to-do-everything-brother-does phase. You follow him around, take all his toys (which to be honest is a 2-way problem), and gleefully grab his hair or clothes if he isn't paying you enough attention.

I imagine this is what he must look like to you most of the time....a 2 year old sized blur!

Now that I can finally walk, we spend every single weekend morning out of the house. With 2 boys with loads of energy it's a matter of survival. A few weekends ago we met some friends at a lovely forest right by the sea. And while we all successfully enjoyed oranges, and sausage, and roasted marshmallows, the ever elusive family picture still evaded us!

Soooooo.....the major news this month is not something I was expecting for a while. YOU ARE WALKING! Out of nowhere one day you were holding onto a kitchen cabinet, turned around to me, and took a few wobbly Frankenstein steps. Every day you walk a little more and you seem totally thrilled by your new skill. I just couldn't believe that I had a 10 month old taking his first steps!

My little B...I'm holding onto this last month of babyhood. Even though I see toddlerhood almost upon us! You are such a strong-willed, brave, active little guy. I love how vocal you are and I can't wait for the day when you can verbalize what you want (if only to cut down on the noise!) I love your focus on learning and mastering new skills. I love that you absolutely DEMAND attention and affection and you have no time to wait. I love this tenacious little personality that I see emerging and I love every minute with you!

Benjamin 1 year pictures