Happy Halloween!!

No trick-or-treaters for us tonight. :( Maybe some tomorrow........

But here are some pictures of Leia in her Halloween costume. :)))

Fantastic week!

Ever since Saturday, Leia has been super-fun to be with. :) She has been behaving so well and she's been back to her normal self. She's been playing better, and she has her enormous appetite back. :)

No teeth though. :/ Her bottom, left gums have entirely been swollen for the last 4 weeks, even now, but no sign of any teeth. :/ But she is more content now at least. :)

We've had lots of fun the last week. She enjoys her walks again. The construction hasn't been going on for the last 3 weeks or so, but the last couple of days, they have finished the last little bit of sidewalk paving, and she really loves watching the machines. Especially the big roller to press down the black-top.

It is unbelievably cold, though. :/ It is around -3 degC (26 degF) at 22.00, and around freezing in the mornings around 7. It doesn't get above 4 degC (39 degF) during the day. Caesar is trying his hardest to fatten up for Winter. He is eating like crazy; he is going through a box (1 kg / 2 lbs) of dry cat food a week, including plenty of wet food, and table scraps, or raw meat trimmings. He begs for peas and corn from the dinner table.

We're happy we had the winter tires put on the car already, it seems like Winter is coming early this year. I hope we have LOTS of snow though, for Leia's sake. :)

Fredrik has lots of things to finish with work before December. :/ Not meaning that the projects will be finished, but he has certain things that need to be done. His workmate will be gone after next week. :/ So he will be by himself again and have even more responsibilites. Fredrik isn't sure if they are going to try to find someone else. It is extremely difficult to keep these workers in the area. :/

When Fredrik had his annual raise meeting a couple of weeks ago, he made sure to mention to his boss that he plans on sticking around for awhile. He hopes it will make them more inclined to give him a bigger raise than his coworkers. Why give a raise to someone that is going to move away? Instead of someone that plans on putting more effort into their work and stick around for awhile.

At work, they released a paper for his... district (Västra Götaland), of wages for people with the same type of job as Fredrik. Fredrik is the 2nd highest paid in his field for Västra Götaland. The first highest was the guy that is leaving. :P Fredrik feels weird having a higher pay than people his age that have worked with this job for 10 years or so, and people that have more experience, etc. I told him that they must have really wanted him to work for them, and they really wanted him to stick around and not move away. But we're not complaining. ;)

School is okay! I've been putting off my accounting work and just working on Swedish. I have two assignments finished that I still need to turn in. And then I have one more assignment to do, and then I am done. I still need to meet him. :/ And then I don't know if I have to take a national test or not. :/ What he said, sounded like I could just continue onto the next level if I want. So I'll have to talk to him about it. Not saying I wouldn't mind not having to take a national test.... :))

I've decorated a bit for Halloween. I only carved one of the pumpkins, they go bad so quickly, I didn't want two stinky pumpkins in the house at the same time.. ;) I'll carve the other one tomorrow.

Don't get me started about Halloween in Sweden. Those that know me know how much I loath the Swedes "trying" to celebrate it. They seem to think that Halloween should be celebrated on November 1st, All Saint's Day...... And it just really annoys me. NO scary movies on TV tomorrow, but there are plenty on Saturday........

But we all know that I have my own fantastic horror movie collection; horror, thriller, slasher, cannibal, film noir.. you name it, I've got it. :P

Fredrik's been trying to call the fireplace guy, but no luck. I've not heard anything back about my US driver's license..... :/ A little scared that they won't renew it. They are cracking down on not letting non-residents renew. But I also wanted them to change to my married name on the license, so that might also be why it is taking so long. And it takes a week in the mail. So, hopefully it will show up soon, or they will at least let me know that they won't renew it or whatnot.

Leia goes to the BVC on Tuesday for her 3rd immunization shot. It will be her last time seeing the pediatrician with the BVC. From now on she will go to the "big people" clinic. We're anxious to get her length and weight.

I'm trying to plan a Thanksgiving dinner with my American friends. :) We invited B+R to our house, but now we know that L+K won't be leaving for the US until later, so they will be joining us from Norway.

There is always lots of stuff going on of course. Being a mom is a full time job, and then housekeeping and laundry and cooking and school.. and of course try to get a little time in for me and Fredrik.. and then with what few mintues I have, I do try to put a little something on the blog.

We are planning a trip to Stockholm, a 5 hour drive West.
Fredrik's friends would like us to come for a visit, so we decided it was due time for us to take a trip there. We haven't been there since we flew back from the US in January. We decided last Christmas that we really wanna be at home for this Christmas. We were so far away, and we want to have Christmas at home with Leia. Not sure yet if anyone will be visiting us or joining us, but I think we will have a very nice time here. :)

We are going to Stockholm the first weekend in December, when DIF (Djurgårdens IF - Fredrik's favorite Stockholm hockey league) has a home game. So we plan to go to a hockey game, check out Stockholm center and shop a little of course. We want a lunch at Pizza Hut, a dinner at Friday's, and we have a short list of people we definitely want to see while we are there. And maybe a late evening out for Fredrik and I.

I'm pretty anxious to go. We get a couple of babysitters (Farmor + Farfar). :)) And some alone time for Fredrik and I. :)

The only time that I feel like I live in a different country is when we go to Stockholm. I think it is because it is more crowded and the buildings are so different. It is a bit more exciting to be in Stockholm.. a bit more fun than our town of Åmål.. ;)

But I suppose it is good that I don't feel like I live in a different country on a daily basis. I suppose that means that I.. feel like I belong. :P

Ehh.. that is enough for tonight. :P :)
It is almost 22.30 and I'm super, super tired.
I hope to try to complete as much of my last Swedish assignment as I can tomorrow, so wish me luck. Along with it, I have to write two reviews of two novels that I read in Swedish. :P

Go'natt! Sov gott!

[Go'natt :: God natt :: Good night]
[Sov gott :: sleep well]

If the World could vote.

Very interesting page! A chance for everyone in the World to vote for President of the United States.

If the World could vote.

Outside.

These were from yesterday. Today it was very cloudy and cold. Fredrik had snowflakes on his way to work. :/ We have the Winter tires on the Volvo and he had them put on his work truck, so we are now ready for Winter to arrive!

Now with the time change, it starts getting dark at 16.30, and it is almost pitch black by 17.00. I enjoy the darkness, though. I think it would be fun to visit Northern Sweden, during the complete month of darkness. No sunlight for one month.

Fredrik should be calling tomorrow to the fireplace-fixer-person, so hopefully he can come out and take a look at everything and give us an idea on price and time. It is so cold, we really want the fireplace fixed. :/

But now it is bedtime.. :/ We're all just drained of energy.

I LOVE that smile.. :)

Ready for school!

Leia went around all evening with this bag on her back. :) She absolutely loved it. :))

Time change and explosions.

Our time changed this morning. :/ It is usually fantastic in the Fall, but Leia didn't realize that we all get an extra hour of sleep.. ;) So she woke up at 06.10, which was now actually 05.10. We'll fix it so she is back at the right hours. I've read how parents start weeks ahead of a time-change to fix their baby's sleeping so it is right on the morning of change..... :/ :) Last time change (in the Spring), she fixed it all on her own back to normal.

The time doesn't change in the US for another week, so now we're 5 hours ahead of my parents instead of 6, so that gets really confusing.. :/

There was an explosion last night in Karlstad! At a harbor next to where Shell stores oil, in enormous oil tanks. When I got up this morning it was still going strong, but it seems like it is all under control now.

The neighbor's car was gone this morning, but he came home a few minutes ago. He is a volunteer firefighter, so I have a feeling he "spent the night" in Karlstad. :)










We had scones this morning and Leia fed herself some raspberry jam. :)








We had a bad storm last night on our side of the country. Very bad winds and lots of rain.


A few more pictures from yesterday:












Btw, the brick house in the picture is the house that is for sale!

Pumpkins.

We went grocery shopping this morning, got there at 09.30. I love going early, because it was E M P T Y. Even though pay was this past Friday (it is usually super crowded the Saturday following). (Everyone in the country gets paid on the same day of the month.)

And yes.. :) I got 2 pumpkins. They were 12,90 sek/kg or 1$ /pound. :) I wanted to get a REALLY big one.. :/ But I had a party-pooper with me that didn't think I needed a BIG pumpkin. :( And then of course when I said I wanted a BIG pumpkin, he said to get it and then I didn't want it anymore. :P
*hmph* Men.
;)
We'll try to carve them tomorrow. :)

Leia really needs a haircut, but I can't bring myself to trim her hair. :/ She so much looks like a little boy that we desperately want to let it grow out so she can look like a little girl. :/ :)

I'm fixing an early dinner now, we usually eat earlier on the weekends. :) Tomorrow morning I might have to fix some scones and use some of Farmor's homemade blackberry jam that she brought us. (It's super yummy!) So I should check on dinner. :P

Climbing the stairs.

Deh.

Yup.. :) Leia playing in her baby gym. :) I cleaned out all the toys that was in it, and put them other places, so that we could finally put away the baby gym. It has been "protecting" the TV cords and I guess I realized that we just don't need it anymore. She doesn't mess with too many things around the TV, besides her toys, and it is nice having the extra floor space with it gone!

Yesterday was a horrible day.. :/
Fredrik came home early, he got home around 13.30. To give me a helping hand. And this morning he stayed home a little longer, to give me some help. She was.. unpleasant this morning for her Pappa.. but it is good for him to have to deal with it too.. :/

It can get pretty stressful to be with her all day alone and get no help with dealing with her behavior. :/ Sometimes Fredrik wonders why I am sad or depressed some days when he comes home from work and I say to him... how would you like it if you had someone at work following you around screaming at you all day ??

Hmm.. maybe some people DO have jobs like that.. :D

I hate asking.. and don't ask him to stay home, so that I can have a little break or at least some help.. Especially now because he is so busy with work. He has his normal sanitation project, and he is working with some Dutch on a new housing area. And then always lots of little things going on. And last week he fixed a map for Åmål. He delivered the file in person so that he could ask someone about getting our sidewalk repaved. He got a person to talk to about it, so at least we are a step closer.

He barely gets 2 hours a day with Leia during the week. And I feel like I get even less with him. :P

Someone (3 people) came and took one of our doors away yesterday. It is the door between the pellet machine room and the rest of the cellar. The door has to be fireproof..... So they took the door and today they brought it back with metal protection on it and a new handle and lock. It is really heavy now but it is really nice. I'll try to get a picture or two. :P

Leia was better though after Fredrik left for work. We didn't go on our walk today. She just hates it too much. She hates being constrained and forced to sit still. She screamed 30 minutes straight yesterday on our walk. Then she stopped and laughed and sang for about 5 minutes, then she screamed the last 10 minutes home...... Lots of fun!!! *sarcasm*

So today we stayed home and that was a lot better. Our morning wasn't as rushed with time, to try to get out before she gets cranky(ier). I decided to try something different today and I opened the baby-gate and let her walk around by herself, wherever she wanted, ALONE. I did my own thing and she walked and went around to the rooms she wanted, by herself, and she behaved very well. She didn't try to eat the cat food, or pull the books off the shelves. She did take things out of the trash, but that was okay. :) I think she enjoyed her bit of independence and she remained happy.

That is the thing with her though, she can and is very, very happy, she is just never content.

We think she might be a vegetarian, too.. :D
She isn't too fond of meat, but she loves her veggies. We have to mask meat behind her green beans and peas. But she hasn't been eating much as of late.. She will take a bite or two and then scream like crazy if you offer her anything else. So we try to not push it.

She.. she is.. a strange baby. :)
How she can be so happy and yet so angry..
But I guess she isn't a baby anymore, huh? She has graduated to "toddler" I suppose. :)

When she was having cranky, screaming moments, I would just set her on my lap, facing outwards, leaning against my chest and sway back and forth and hum to her and that would calm her down. She really liked that and I did it for as long as she wanted me to, and when she was content, she would get off my lap and start playing with her toys again. We did it several times throughout the day and it really helped her to refocus. Sometimes when I stopped humming, she would hum instead. :)

She sings. :)
When she is in an okay mood, I will leave her in her play pen and try to run around and get things done, like dishes and laundry, etc.. and she will look through her books and sing to herself. :))

I have to leave her in her play pen, because she won't sit in her high chair. She screams a lot when she is in it, and she stands up.. :/ she desperately tries to get out of it and it is a little dangerous.

She puts her hands on her hips.. :)) And she sighs. :) Deep sighs when putting her hands on her hips. Is she impatient with us ?? :)

She says "deh."
And that means "tack" (thank you).
She says it when handing something to you or when taking something from you, she says "deh." :))

Now it is the weekend. And I will have some help for the next 2 days. :) So I am going to try my best to enjoy it, which means trying to get as much school work done as possible.

Inside with shoes.

A nice day!

Today we had a nice day today. Leia was more her normal self. :) She was happier and calmer. She can easily get upset, especially when she is told "no," so I try to keep that word at a minimum, and only take things away from her that she should NOT have.


As Fredrik suggested, we skipped our walk yesterday. She has been just screaming, for both of us, when going on walks. This morning we took our walk and she was much better. So hopefully this will continue! :) I didn't complain when she threw her treats over the side of the stroller, and after a short while she stopped doing it. Treatless, but quiet. :)) She had woken up sometime between 10-11 last night.. :/ We gave her some tylenol and orajel and some milk and she went back to sleep pretty easily. We first tried to let her go back to sleep on her own, but that wasn't going to happen. :)


Today I took Leia outside after our walk, and put her shoes on her. She barely complained, and then we walked around the yard. She was pretty happy about the whole thing. :) She didn't complain about the shoes, and she stuffed handfuls of rocks in her mouth.. :D







She has a little trouble walking in the grass, as it is a bit bumpy and the land slopes a lot. The gravels are okay, but she tries to eat them, so the deck was a great place for her to practice walking in shoes.


After dinner, we took her out again, so that Pappa could see his little girl walk in shoes, and I got a few videos:

The second one is a bit longer, so I'll post it on its on.

Today, for Swedish class, I read a horrible "love story" about two leaves. :/ I think I'm going to take a break with school after the New Year.

That is all for tonight. :/ We're tired and heading to bed.. I'll try to write something more tomorrow !

All done up.

Leia brought me one of my hairbows that I let her play with (the green color just isn't for me).. :)) She kept rubbing it over her hair, and then looking at the one in my hair, and then she kept rubbing it over her head.. so I helped her.. :))






And we've discovered that she can completely undress herself.....

"They're here..."

At least the stroller didn't get wet...

Wreath that I bought on Saturday!

First Cleveland Indian's shirt.

Marknad.

marknad [²m'ar:knad] :: market


Today we "went into town" for the market. Obviously it goes around from town to town and this weekend it happened to be here in Åmål. I bought Leia an adorable pair of slippers, wool slippers. I wish I would have skipped buying some for her and got them for myself.. :P They are really nice and not cheap, and she screams when she has them on.. :/ And she takes them off the first chance she gets. :/ We really wanna take her outside and let her try to walk around, but until she wears shoes......

All you have to do is hold shoes up to her, and she starts screaming, tears come down and she starts to shake a little. If you give them to her to play with, when she comes across a shoe, she takes it and throws it away from her.








But we also bought her a pair of gloves, and she complained and fought. Fredrik and I each took a glove and put them on at the same time, and.. she kept them on for a lot longer than we thought. :) They have no thumb holes, so they worked well. We've had a horrible time getting gloves to fit her, her hands are pretty wide.

And a few pictures of the backside of a few of the booths.

Fredrik really enjoyed himself. :) It was a whole bunch more than we thought it would be. Reminded me of the Lorain County Fair that I went to every August growing up.. but of course.. not nearly as big. :)) But all the booths and food reminded me a little of home.

Leia complained quite a lot while we were out. We thought she would really enjoy herself, being out and seeing so many new people and things going on.. but she was actually pretty angry the entire time. :/ :( And it made the experience not so much fun. She screamed plenty, until I finally bought her a play, Hello Kitty cell phone.. and then she kept quiet for a little while.

We aren't really sure what is up with her. We talked about several possibilities.. poss..ibilities.. is there too many 'i's in there ?!? hmm.. about her behavior. She is so moody, has a horrible temper, incredibly impatient.. We've decided to talk to her BVC nurse about her temperment.. and see if it is a common thing or not. :/

We have.. 2 reasonings:
1. She is incredibly intelligent and gets bored so incredibly quickly that she gets frustrated and angry, etc..
2. She has ADD (attention deficit disorder).

Now.. I think my friend Carie had the same ideas about her little boy, so she is going to have to fill me in now on... how their thoughts are presently about the whole thing.

I changed her diaper and set her on the floor to play, in her room, like I typically do. And while she is playing I pick out some clothes for her to wear. I picked out a gray, fleece pair of pants.. I was holding them and took a couple of steps to her, and she looked at them and started screaming and tears running down her face. I got on the floor with her and she climbed into my lap as if she was afraid.

I really honestly don't understand the child at all.. :/

I have been a babysitter (barnvakt/barnflicka) for about.. 12-13 years of my life or something like that, in the US and in Sweden. I've taken care of.. 20 kids that I can think of off the top of my head, ranging from newborn to 12 years old.. And I have NEVER seen or taken care of a baby that has been so .. angry. For awhile I thought that it was me.. that I was a bad mom or something like that.. but she behaves the same with Fredrik, and with both of us together.

We'll figure it out I guess when she gets older... :/
She can be just fine and we're all playing and she is laughing and having fun, and then she will just start screaming and tears.. and.. I dunno.. Maybe she is just an extremely moody baby girl.. I really, REALLY hate to see her when PMS shows up then..... :/ :D

But ooh we love her to death though.. :))
Maybe that is why it is so much more annoying!! :D That we try so hard to figure out what it is she wants and why she gets upset but sometimes nothing makes her happy, and it gets so very frustrating. :(

Okay.. :) That is enough for tonight.. :P I need to do some more school work.

Arms.

I put Leia in so much clothes this morning for our walk, she could barely move her arms.. :D It was a little colder than it has been, so I put on another layer. :) She won't wear gloves.. :/ She screams, so maybe I add more clothing to make up for her lack of gloves.







We had a very yummy Thai dinner. Leia was much calmer today.

She is starting to respond more to things we say, to show that she is understanding us. :) When she is sitting on my lap and I say "give mommy hugs" she will lay against my chest and hold onto me. :) And when I say "give mommy kisses" she wil reach her check into my lips. :))

We're all a bit frustrated with her lack of talking. :/ She gets frustrated and gets out a lot of gibberish. And Fredrik and I are a bit anxious for her to say more words. She only says "mamma" and "uh-oh" clearly. I think Fredrik and I are both "mamma" and "dada" is just a sound right now.

Of course we know WHY she isn't saying more and we were prepared for this, but it is.. difficult! I didn't think this would be something that would bother me. It probably doesn't help either that I make her watch cartoons in French, Spanish, Finnish and Norwegian. :P

But it will come eventually.. :) And then she'll have cute little sentences like "Jag want some godis." :)) (I want some candy.) Then ALL she will do is talk and then we will wish that she never learned how to talk.. :D

Birthday wishes..

So what do I want for my birthday..?

I want to sleep in in the morning, and have breakfast in bed. And then a long, hot bubblebath...

If only. :))

I asked for a pumpkin for my birthday. :) One for me and one for Leia.
Although I don't think there are any anywhere. :/ Only the really small ones.


I told Fredrik at the beginning of the week, that my birthday is sorta anti-climatic, which he agreed, cause we have Fredrik's 30th birthday, and then Leia's 1st birthday... and then "my birthday".. :/ :)) This year was a special year, having Fredrik's 30th and Leia's 1st in the same month. Every year though, it is going to be "uggghh... ANOTHER birthday??" :D


So I went through Leia's 2nd and last box of clothes that we bought while in the US (and presents, too, from people). And there was a pair of slippers, and she screamed at first, but she finally accepted them, and she walks around in them just fine. So we hope that this will be a start for to accept shoes.. :/






Her walking is almost perfect, even with socks. She is even going faster, running almost. Especially when Fredrik gets home from work, when she hears him.. :) She is usually sitting on my lap and she climbs off and goes running towards the door. :)

Yesterday morning at breakfast, she looked at me and pointed at Fredrik's chair. :( She misses her daddy.

There is a market in town on Saturday. I told Fredrik that as my birthday present he has to take Leia and I and look around. :)) Not sure he is exactly thrilled, but he agreed. :)