Alexander - 6 months

• One of the few large items we actually brought with us to Norway was our Christmas tree. Although next year I might brave the fear of allergens and buy a real tree, it was so fun to put it up with you! You love looking at the lights and the ornaments!

• You are now able to sit up in a high chair. It makes meal times so much easier because we don't have to pass you back and forth! It's also made eating out MUCH simpler!

• We all went downtown to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas. Stavanger looks so festive with lights and garland every where! We bought some hot chocolate and peperkake and strolled around. Then we met up with some friends, the Rices, to listen to some Christmas carols and countdown to the Christmas tree lighting.

• You had another round of shots this month. Words can NOT express how much I hate taking you to get your shots! It breaks my heart to hear you cry, but as a world traveling baby I don't want to risk you getting sick. 

• We've started giving you real food this month. Or should I say, you've started giving yourself real food. We put the food on your tray and let you feed yourself. The times I've given you preloaded spoons of porridge or yogurt you grab it and put it in your mouth yourself. Independent boy! I love it! So far you've had broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, apples, bananas, rutabaga, butternut squash, avocado, and porridge. It is so fun watching you explore different food and textures for the first time.

• You are CRAZY about cups. We can't drink in front of you any more because you want a sip too. You haven't gotten the hang of sippy cups yet but as an SLP I'm OK with that. At first you would choke on the water and it mostly ended up down your bib. But now you're actually pretty good at drinking it. 

• We've really seen you grow a LOT this month. You're now able to sit up...although we have to keep a close eye on you because you easily topple over and haven't quite gotten the hang of catching yourself yet. You love to play on the floor on your blanket with your toys and have gotten good at rolling onto your belly and back onto your back.

• There have been some really fussy periods this month. First we thought you might be sick, or that the shots were making you feed bad. Your sleep schedule was terrible and you never wanted to be put down. Your dad does an amazing job of giving me a break in the evenings by holding you in the carrier while he cooks dinner. It's one of the few places you would be happy for a while. We figured out finally the cause of your fussiness...TWO teeth popped through the night before we left for Texas!

• You and Bailey have become quite the BFFs. You love to pet him and although you've obviously not learned how to be gentle Bailey is so good and lets you yank out his lovely fur. I think he loves the attention so much he doesn't even mind. I have to keep a close eye on you two though because Bailey likes to give you open mouth kisses...ugh!

• Big news this month...we've FINALLY ditched the swaddle! Your sleep had gotten so terrible that we decided it couldn't get any worse. Within the first night of no swaddle you went from waking every 1-2 hours to waking up only 2 times! It almost seemed to good to be true! Obviously you were ready...and it's made bedtime so much easier. Plus you look so stinking cute sleeping now!
  

• We celebrated your 6 month "half-birthday" in Texas again. You partied with Nana and Papa while we had a night away! It was our first night away from you and I'm not sorry to say that I slept like a rock! I knew you were in good hands so I really didn't worry that much. Even after 10 hours of sleep I still felt exhausted the next day. I guess it takes more than one night to catch up on 6 months of sleep deprivation!

Alexander, it has been the hardest most transformative 6 months of my life. I would never have imagined that I could wake up in the middle of the night and still be happy because I was cuddling you. You are starting to grow and develop at a rate that is alarming...I see that your babyness will be gone before we know it! But I love the little person that you're growing into...vocal and opinionated, strong willed and silly. You're the coolest little guy I know and happy half-birthday my sweet baby boy!

Julebord

We were excited to attend Arthur's work Christmas party this year. Around Christmas time many work places host a "juleboard", which directly translates to "Christmas table." Although Norwegian food has left us quite disappointed in its lack of flavor, variety, and creativity we were promised that the Christmas fare had more to offer.

Our friends Darcy and Jason graciously offered to watch Xander for the night (even though Darcy is pregnant with twins! Talk about super woman!) And although it was hard to leave him for the first time, we knew he was in great hands!

The juleboard was held downtown in a very odd combination of bowling alley/pub. Bowling alleys are not as common in Norway as in the US and with a birds eye view over the Stavanger harbour it was the swankiest bowling alley I've ever been in!

Our meal consisted of ribbe (roasted and broiled pork belly), pinochet, (salty cured lamb) kalrot (rutabaga) purée, and julepolse (Christmas sausage). And of course boiled potatoes...always potatoes! The meal finished with a generous helping of riskreme (sweet rice pudding) and strawberry jam. It was explained to me during our meal by Arthur's coworkers that the traditional julebord food reminded them of holidays and family in, I think, much the same way that we associate those things with our Thanksgiving meal.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the food. I did enjoy the pinochet and julepolse. I would have preferred a dessert of the chocolate cake variety but anything topped with Norwegian strawberries in any form gets a thumbs up from me!

After the meal we split into teams and enjoyed a few friendly rounds of bowling. We hit up another bar before heading home...just to pretend we could still hang! Overall I really enjoyed our first julebord. Good company, surprisingly good food, and a much needed night out for us!

Baby Swimming

While I was still pregnant, the other moms that I met through our birthing class (now called the A-team as all our babes have "a" names) were talking about enrolling in a baby swimming class. Being quite the waterbug myself (I think I spent half my life from aged 8-18 in a swimming pool) I was very interested.

The classes started when Alexander was only 9 weeks old and he loved it immediately. The pool was heated at to 36-38°C and felt amazing. Each week the class began with a song, then learning a new skill, and/or practicing a previously learned skill. Throughout all our classes Alexander learned to float on his back and on his tummy ( with his head supported.) He learned to kick as we moved forward and to hold himself onto the edge. He particularly enjoyed chasing the toys around the pool, splashing, and looking at all the other babies.

The skill I was most nervous about was the underwater diving. We started by pouring a cup of water on the back of his head and saying "get ready to dive". This helps activate a babies reflex to close their eyes and mouth and hold their breath and gives them a verbal cue of what's about to happen. Eventually he got to the point where he made the association with just a little splashing on the back of his head and he was ready to dive. As usual, my little boy impressed me with being ready to do something before I was actually ready.

Baby swimming was such a fun experience for both Alexander and myself that we enrolled in the baby swimming 2 class that starts next January. I can't wait to see what my little swimmer learns next!

Friendsgiving in Norge

Thanksgiving is just a day just like any other. So it was bit strange for us to see that all our friends and family were enjoying the holiday while we went about business as usual. Luckily, Arthur was able to take off a bit earlier than usual and we spent the afternoon making thumbprint Christmas ornaments with Alexander. And I think we had Thai takeaway for dinner...how very un-Thanksgiving of us!

Thankfully, we had the opportunity to celebrate thanksgiving with our American friends the weekend prior. Arthur found a large turkey to fry up Cajun-style and our friends brought some delicious sides. We even had cranberry sauce fresh from the US courtesy of Darcy's mom.

It was so wonderful to have our table packed to the brim with friends and their children, sharing in a traditional meal together while we are all so far from home. We are thankful to have each one of those precious families in our lives and to share the expat adventure with them!

Alexander - 5 months

• We celebrated your 5 month birthday while in San Antonio surrounded by all your family. Your Nana and Papa were over the moon delighted to see you again and see how much you have grown in just a few short months!

 Meeting your Aunt Susie and her new puppy Gigi

 Smiles for Aunt Kim, your Godmother

• Your Papa Kent had so much fun hanging out with you! We knew you loved music and so we were all excited to let you play piano. As many of you know, our family is a family of musicians so it was fun to see you enjoying yourself so much!

 Pretty sure that I would have gotten in SO MUCH trouble for putting my feet on the piano! Grandkids get away with everything!

 It melts my heart to see you with your Papa Kent.

 Early morning voting...carefully deliberating your selection for San Antonio's public offices

• Papa Kent wasn't the only one smitten with you this month. We went to see Oma and Opa almost every day while we were in San Antonio. It was so fun to watch them play with you. Luckily having a baby leverages us some extra of Opa's famous sourdough biscuits!
  
• Your dad spent his first time away from you this month. You and I stayed in San Antonio for a few extra days while he went to a work training in Dallas. In all the years I've known him he has traveled A LOT and left me behind quite a bit and I have NEVER seen him that upset to leave as he was to leave you. When we reunited the joy between the both of you was plain to see.
  
• We took a trip up to Denton to introduce you to our friends up there. I sat at the lake by our house in the warm sun with you and told you about how I used to run around the lake and up and down the hills of our neighborhood. Then we drove past our old house. The house that you only experienced from inside me. It was pretty emotional for me in part because looking back I realized it was an idyllic time in our life...happy and simple. Not that life isn't happy now, it's changed for the better, but I'd be lying if I said raising you in another country isn't hard some days.
  
• When I thought about going back to Denton there was really only one place that came to mind as a "must visit"...Mulberry Street Cantina. Son, they have tequila on tap so you should probably stay away from said establishment for at least 20.5 years! Anyway, it was the perfect place to meet up with our Denton friends...well, other than the fact that we totally had a baby in a bar. We're either the worst parents ever, or the coolest. Or maybe simultaneously both. It was so great to introduce you to all these people that have supported us while we lived in Denton.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• We wrapped up your 5th month back in cloudy Norge. We are now down to a few hours of sunlight each day. It's very surreal but also strangely beautiful. This photo was taken at NOON!
  

Alexander, another month has passed and sometimes I think I can see you growing and changing just from morning to night. In your short little life you have now joined us in traveling the world. You're not the biggest fan of airplanes (really...who is!?) but I love sharing our adventures with you! You are such a sweet little boy and you always put a smile on our faces.