We're in Norway!

Hilsen fra Norge!  We have arrived here in Scandinavia and the trip over went very smoothly.  Kyle flew from Minneapolis to Oslo on Jan. 3rd to pick up the belongings he had stored there in December, took a night train to Bergen, checked in to student housing, put his stuff in our rooms, activated a cell phone for me, and then met Annika and me at the airport.  After Kyle left Minneapolis, Annika and I stayed with my mom's cousin Sally and her family.  They were very welcoming and we had a great time with them.  Usually our visits with family and friends in MN are short because we have so much to fit in.  It was wonderful to have a more extended visit this time around.  Sally brought us to the airport on Jan. 4th (after one last visit to the amazing Peapods store in St. Paul).  We arrived early and had plenty of time to check our bags, get through security, get coffee, and give Annika a chance to stretch out before the flights.

The first leg brought us to Chicago, where we had to exit security in one terminal, take the shuttle to another terminal, go to the check-in desk, and return through security.  I was only able to get Annika's first ticket in Minneapolis and needed to get her tickets from the SAS airline for the rest of the trip.  The ladies at the desk were very helpful and even moved people around on the flight so that I could sit in a seat with access to a bassinet.  Amazingly fortunate!  The bassinet attached to the bulkhead in front of me and Annika slept soundly in it for the majority of our 8 hour flight.  SAS airlines seems very family friendly and a stewardess came through to give a book to every child.  Annika received a picture book of animals.  Once in Copenhagen we weren't able to use our stroller but the airport had strollers and carts free for use by the gates.  We had a short layover there and then flew to Bergen, Norway.  In no time at all, we were through customs and meeting Kyle!  So glad to be here!  We then traveled by bus into the city center and then by train to where we'll be living.  Kyle had already purchased a month-long pass for me for public transportation.

We are so happy to be all together here and I feel very lucky to be able to spend 5 weeks of maternity leave in Norway.  I'll write more soon about where we live and what we've been doing so far.

 Stretching out before getting on our first flight.  I didn't get a picture of the bassinet and will have to remember to do that on our return trip.

 Settling into our room.  Yes, Annika is sleeping in a drawer :)

2 Months Old!

On December 30th we went to a pediatrician in Billings to have Annika's two month check-up.  I had asked her doctor in Tacoma if we should have her shots done early before leaving WA or if we should wait until closer to 8 weeks of age.  The doctor recommended finding a clinic wherever we were closer to the two month point.  We ended up taking Annika to Dr. Gunville, my childhood pediatrician.  He was very friendly but I don't think he recognized my maiden name.  Annika passed the check-up with flying colors.  The shots made her legs pretty sore for the rest of the day, poor thing.  She weighed in at 10 lb 1 oz (50th percentile) and 23 inches (75th percentile).  That is a 3 lb and 3 in. gain from her birth stats.  In the last few weeks we have noticed a big change in eye contact, increased cooing, and lots of smiles.  She will respond with vocal sounds when we talk to her and really likes to have us sing to her.  She has pretty great neck/head control except when she's getting tired.While in Grand Forks and Billings, she slept up to 5 and a half hours in a stretch.  With all of the travel in the last week, we haven't reached that length again but I'm sure we will again very soon.  Annika has discovered that she likes sucking on her hands, especially after eating.  Our usual pattern is for her to eat, play, eat, play and then sleep.  

 Annika is wearing her outfit from the wedding.  We had to put the outfit on again because she didn't wear the headband or booties for more than about 10 min. on the wedding day.

She had a very attentive audience to talk with, thanks to Brittney and Sally Levens.

The sweater was knit for Annika by my friend Olivia and the reindeer was made by Annika's aunt Jessica.

Visit to Montana

The day after Christmas, Kyle and I borrowed his parents' car to drive to Billings, MT to visit my dad and step-mom.  We were really hoping the weather would cooperate and it did.  We had clear roads the whole way but felt like we were going to be blown off of the road in very high winds.  It's a much different trek with a baby on board.  We stopped many more times that we usually would have and are beginning to comprehend that the time that we used to allot to travel is now going to be much longer.  Annika traveled amazingly well and slept almost the whole way.  Sleeping all day was great for the car but definitely threw off her typical sleeping schedule.  It took us a few days to return to a more normal pattern.

Visit from Myrna.  Annika is in her Christmas pajamas.

One big reason that we wanted to make it to Montana this winter was so that my brother Jeffrey, his wife Quinn, and my step-sister Allison could meet Annika.  It was also great to take her to visit her Grandpa and Grandma Bartsch, who hadn't seen her since Thanksgiving.  They were excited to have us all there and, as always, had a plethora of holiday treats and snacks.  Our good family friend Myrna Martinson came to have breakfast one morning and to meet Annika.  She has known our family since before I was born and it's always great to have a chance to catch up.   

We always love to have an opportunity to go out with Ally, Jeffrey, and Quinn.  Thanks to dad and JoAnn for babysitting!

We wished my dad a happy birthday before driving back to Grand Forks on the 31st!  He's great with Annika and loves to have plenty of chances to hold her.

Annika's 1st Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with Kyle's parents, Joel, and Jessica.  It was extra special this year with Annika.  We have several nice meals together, went to a Christmas Eve church service, opened presents, and had an overall relaxing few days.  I found it a little humorous how many Christmas outfits that we had for her.  Joel and Jessica gave her an adorable Santa dress and my mom gave us a few other clothes to commemorate her first Christmas.  As with most infants, it was not difficult to work our way through many costume changes.  It was almost more difficult to make sure we had taken a picture of her in each one before needing to change her :)

Our first Christmas as a family of three!

 Christmas activities wore Annika out.

 Napping under the Christmas tree.

 Relaxing on her new stocking from her mommy and daddy.

 The newlyweds celebrating their first Christmas as a married couple.

 Christmas outfit #2

 Bright-eyed on Christmas morning

We have so many pictures like this one; a cute expression and blurry hands.  Those arms barely stop moving.

Grand Forks, ND

 After the wedding in Bemidji, MN, Kyle, Annika, and I drove to Grand Forks, ND, Kyle's hometown.  Kyle grew up on a farm on the north end of Grand Forks and that is where his parents still live.  When we're there, Kyle and I have a few favorite places that we like to visit.  We've visited there more often during the summer and really enjoy running from their home to the downtown area to get coffee and then walk back.  This time around it was a bit too cold or windy most days to do that.  We only made it to the Riverside park for a walk one time.  We brought Annika to a favorite eating spot called Red Pepper.  Kyle's brother Joel worked there while he was in high school.  We also made a few trips to Urban Stampede for coffee.  It was fun to be there at the same time as Joel and Jessica, who arrived a few days after their wedding.  We enjoyed decorating the tree and spending more time with them, along with Kyle's parents.

 Annika was not impressed with the many options for caffeine and slept almost the whole time.

 She's coming to terms with her paparazzi :) 

 Joel read Annika Good Night Moon in Norwegian.

Decorating the tree.

 We drove to Ardoch to visit Kyle's aunt Arlene and uncle Fred.

Four generations with Kyle's mom and grandma.

 All bundled up for a walk at Riverside park.

Minnesota Wedding

 Kyle, Annika, and I traveled to Bemidji, MN for the wedding of Kyle's younger brother Joel and his girlfriend Jessica.  Their wedding took place at Skogfjorden, a Concordia Language Village that they met at and continue to work during the summer.  The camp has winterized cabins which made it possible to stay on-site the entire weekend.  We shared a cabin with Kyle's parents and his older brother's family (Leon, Angie, and Ava).  The cabin had 3 rooms and then a shared center room that contained a large table, fire place, and a bathroom. 

 

Kyle was excited to have Annika be at Skogfjorden for the first time.  The language village is a special place for he and his brother.

 Annika needed a little help to sign the wedding card for Joel and Jessica. :)

 Grandpa Ardell (Kyle's father) with his two granddaughters.

 Annika and her cousin Ava had some nice cuddle time.

 Kyle and I were both part of the wedding party.

 Joel and Jessica during their first dance.  They did an amazing job decorating the lodge.

 This is a painting/drawing that Joel did for the wedding.  The arch is at the entrance to the village.  They had this displayed over the large fireplace in the room that they had their ceremony and reception.

 Kyle and I really enjoyed spending time with our niece Ava.  We don't get to see her very often as she lives in Michigan.  Our sister-in-law Angie was very helpful in taking care of Annika during the ceremony.

 This is our cabin for the wedding, named for the Norwegian city Stavanger.

This sign was on our door in the cabin.  Joel and Jessica thought of so many neat details.  They also had a welcome box on our beds with treats, mugs, hot chocolate, and suggestions of activities in the area.  It was a wonderful wedding weekend!

The Travel Begins

We have embarked on our journey to Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, and Norway!  This was not the easiest trip to pack for.  Annika is gaining weight like crazy and I'm afraid she'll grow out of all of the clothes that I'm bringing for her by the time we return in February.  Anyway, the trip officially began on December 13th at the SeaTac airport.  It unofficially started about about 4:15am that morning when I got up to feed Annika and decided to stay up to finish the packing.  By 8:30am, I had us all ready to go and luggage packed in the car.  My friend Kadee drove us to the airport and I managed to move everything all together.  Travel was made possible by the BOB stroller and advise from friends.  I had Annika in the carseat on the stroller, a diaper bag on the shelf underneath, my bridesmaid dress on top of everything, a backpack, and then I pulled my suitcase and Annika's suitcase stacked on top of each other.  As you can see, it was right at the edge of what could possibly be managed by one person.

Annika wasn't so sure about the airport situation but she did excellent on the flight and really liked stretching out when I changed her in the airplane bathroom.  I put her in a front carrier and she slept almost the whole way from Seattle to Minneapolis.  Kyle met us at baggage claim when we arrived in MN. His flight from Oslo arrived just minutes before ours.  The three of us were very happy to be reunited and enjoyed our evening together. 

The next day we filled with visits with family and friends.  My aunt Gloria, great-aunt Ruth, cousin Sally, and her daughter Brittney met us at our hotel and we went out for lunch.  It was a short visit but very enjoyable.

After lunch we met up with some college friends at the Mall of America.  The Lego center is pretty fun for kids.  It was great to see Kyle's former roommate Andy and his wife and 3 kids.  We were also able to spend some time with our good friend Emily.

That night we stayed with a fun couple, Brian and Sarah, who we met when we lived in AK.  Brian is now a lawyer in the Minneapolis area and Sarah is a pastor of a church in Eagen (a suburb).  They have a neat old house in St. Paul and we always have a great time when we stay with them. 

*Side note:  If you ever find yourself in St. Paul and looking for a fantastic baby store, go to Peapods.  It's on Como Ave., close to Luther Seminary.  We went in there looking for one thing for Annika and came out with several more items that I couldn't resist.  I'm planning a quick return visit when we go back to the Twin Cities before flying to Norway.