Baby's Eye Color.

So, I am extremly curious as to what eye color our child will have. :) I've done the whole genetics thing in biology class hundreds of times (high school and uni).. but I found this really neat website ... here is what it says:



Fredrik and his parents all have blue eyes (as 90% of the Swedish population has).
My parents have brown eyes, and so do my sisters, but I was born with hazel/green eyes (which I get from my grandmother (mormor)). Now my eyes are dark green, with a bit of red around the pupil (a bit strange, I know.)

It says that brown eyes isn't an option, but I don't really buy that, do you? :) Not with 99% of my family having brown eyes. :) Fredrik, I think, is hoping for brown eyes, or green, I think just something besides the normal-Swedish-blue. :)

So, I'm very excited to see what color the little munchkin will end up with. :)

Week 17

Your baby, now about in its 15th week of development, has doubled in weight in the last two weeks. Fat begins to form, helping your baby's heat production and metabolism. The lungs are beginning to exhale amniotic fluid, and the circulatory and urinary systems are working. Hair on head, eyebrows and eyelashes is filling in.

Round ligament pain.

Round ligament pain is most common during the second trimester. Women may have a sharp pain in their abdomen or hip area that is either on one side or both. Some women even report pain that extends into the groin area. Round ligament pain is considered a normal part of pregnancy as your body goes through many different changes.

What causes round ligament pain?
The round ligament supports the uterus and stretches during pregnancy. It connects the front portion of the uterus to the groin. These ligaments contract and relax like muscles, but much more slowly. Any movement (including going from a sitting position to standing position quickly, laughing, or coughing) that stretches these ligaments, by making the ligaments contract quickly, can cause a woman to experience pain. Round ligament pain should only last for a few seconds.

What can be done to alleviate round ligament pain?
Rest is one of the best ways to help with this kind of pain. Changing positions slowly allows the ligaments to stretch more gradually and can help alleviate any pain. If you know that you are going to sneeze, cough, or laugh you can bend and flex your hips, which can reduce the pull on the ligaments. If you are having consistent round ligament pain your health care provider may recommend daily stretching exercises. The most common exercise is done by placing your hands and knees on the floor, lowering your head to the floor, and keeping your bottom in the air.

Slight nausia, no vomiting, but this has been the one thing I have suffered from a bit. Had some pain yesterday, and today, and once before a while back. But good to read that it is normal.

16th Week of Pregnancy

How big is your baby?
By the end of week 16, your baby is approximately 6 inches (15 cm) and weighs 2 ½ ounces (70,75 g).

What is happening with your baby?
Your baby is preparing himself/herself for a growth spurt over the next several weeks. Your baby’s head is more erect now than it has been in the previous weeks of pregnancy. His/her ears and eyes are situated in their final positions. These three things are giving your baby a more “normal” appearance than he/she has had up to this point.
Several of the more complicated body systems are also beginning to function including your child’s urinary and circulatory system. Your baby’s heart pumps around 25 quarts of blood per day. However, by week 40 this amount will increase to 1,900 quarts per day!

First pictures of our house.

(Our stuff.)

(Newly renovated, downstairs bathroom.)









Fredrik went to the house to drop off some things that he took with him. They (the female owner and her Significant Other) were there at the house putting the last touches on the downstairs bathroom. They are actually our age!

She said that she has some photographs of the way the house used to look, and she said she would mail them to us. So we'll see if those show up some time. :)

We are very excited to move in and take lots more pictures to share. And then to fix up the baby's room and baby-proof the house. :)

A girl??

So, it seems like everyone is very convinced that we are having a girl. :) (Maybe because of the small size??) Fredrik is very set on the munchkin being a girl. :) We went looking at some baby clothes yesterday at H&M, and he was drawn to the little girl clothes, especially the very adorable little Hello Kitty dresses. :)) (They had much, much more girl clothes than boy clothes.) But he did complain that if it is a girl then she always has to look cute. :) All the pink with little ruffles and bows. :))

My sisters and my niece both had small babies, all around 6 pounds (2,7 kg).
(And yes! I have a niece that has children. :)) She is only 5 years younger than me. So, I was an aunt at 5 years of age.) :) (My oldest sister is 14 years older than I am.)

I was 7 lbs. 4 oz. (3263 g) and I was 21 in. long (53,3 cm).
And I think Fredrik was (my memory might be wrong) around 8 lbs. 6 oz. (3770 g) and 20 in. (50,8 cm).

But yes, I have been around children and babies from a very young age. I was an aunt at 5 years of age, again at 6 and again at 7. :))

So, maybe that is why I was so good with taking care of children and ended up as the most wanted babysitter in town. ;) So, I spent my ages of 12-18 taking care of other people's children. Actually raising a little boy from 9 months to 3 years of age. (He should be 13 now.) Makes me feel old. :/ :)

So, being around babies is nothing new to me -- Fredrik on the other hand, has not been around very many young children. :) But he is much, much more interested now. :) He will come home from the store and tell me that a child came up to him and waved and said "hi." :)) So, he pays more attention to children now. :) Not only "that one is ugly ... that one is ugly .. oh but that one is cute .. ooh that one is ugly .." *sigh* :)

(Although a maybe 1 year old child yesterday in Brio really wanted to go home with me.. :/ It kept waving at me and reaching for me.. the mom found it amusing at least.) :)

Yesterday while we were in line (we were 2nd in line!) to get into Brio (still had the 50% sale) we saw my friend Yamini and her husband! I finally got to meet her husband and she finally got to meet Fredrik. They are due June 5th, so they are getting close to the end. And they finally bought their stroller yesterday.. :))

But we bought lots of nice stuff at Brio .. all of which Fredrik took with him, so that I wouldn't spend these 2 days opening everything and taking them out of their packaging.. :P

And we got onto the subject of citizenships, and how we have to hurry and get the baby's American passport before we leave to go to the US for Christmas. And.. everyone said, "well, why can't it just enter with the Swedish one??" And I gave everyone the annoying, true answer that if you are a citizen of that country, then it is illegal to enter that country with any other passport than the passport for that country (which is true with any country you enter). And since the mother (that would be me) is an American citizen, the baby has no option of claiming its American citizenship. If we were in the US, however, and with Fredrik being foreign, then the baby doesn't automatically get that country's citizenship! Strange stuff, these rules!

And you get in lots of trouble if you break the.. enter-a-country-with-the-wrong-passport-rule.

But Fredrik called me lots along his way last night. And he has called me several times today. Last time I talked to him he was on his way to Ed, to the Toyota dealer to see if they could find a work-car for him. And then he was on his way to Bengtsfors. His meeting is from 12-3, and then he is meeting the realtor in Åmål at 3:30. And he should be getting the keys to our new home. :)

Miss him, though. :(
The cat has been doing well keeping me company. :) He slept with me in the couch last night, until I woke up to go to bed. And he has been following me around all day.

Fredrik has been so good with keeping ontop of everything we have to get done. He is on the phone all the time. And a workmate, Tommy, will be coming to help Fredrik carry stuff and take it all to the dump on Sunday.

I still can't get over how Fredrik looked at the ultrasound appointment yesterday. :) When the picture was finally clear, he couldn't get over how easy it was to make out everything and how much the baby was moving. All he could say was "Va' häftigt!" (How cool/neat.) The woman wasn't going to give us a picture I don't think, because we should try to have another appointment so soon, but Fredrik was very determined to have one. :) Of course there were much better pictures we could have had, but I had already cleaned off my belly, and that was the best picture in the last 30 seconds she had filmed.

I think having seen the baby yesterday, has made everything so much more real. :) Getting to see the baby move was just incredible (I think it was very annoyed by having its comfy home pushed at.). :))

Yesterday I gave the Canadian neighbor across the street a couple bags of frozen rhubarb (~2 kg / ~4½ lbs.) and 1 kg of berries (~2.2 lbs.). We just don't have the time to use it or make jam or pies, etc..

Hmm.. *think* Fredrik will be home late tonight.
Had a really fun day with him yesterday. :)
Here are a few pictures from the office:

[Can click each for a larger view.]

And I finally found out what Caesar's kitty-friend is named!! Bamse. :)



And my "beautiful," accidental picture of our dining chair:



But I took my Excel computer test yesterday, and it went well, a VG+ (Almost a perfect grade.) And I only have one more assignment to turn in. And I have 2½ more assignments to turn in for the medicine class (½ = I'm ½ way through an assignmnet). I'll be very happy when done with these classes.

Lots of writing today... :/ :)
But now I am a little hungry, so I might get something to munch on.

2nd Ultrasound

[You can click on the picture for a larger view.]

So, here is the little one. :)

You can easily see the skull and if you look well, the eye sockets. The legs, arms, and body, too. :)

She said that it (the estimated due date) wouldn't be accurate until we are week 18-19.

Because with the measurments that the baby has now, puts it at a full 14 weeks and a few days.. Which, you're going to have to take our word on this one, ;) is just not possible. :)) The baby is going to have to be at least 15 weeks right now.
But she said that it wouldn't be a good estimate until we are at week 18.

Which, I'm still a little worried that it hasn't grown enough, but we are very happy. :)) (Even at 6 weeks, the GYN said that it looked like it would be a small baby.)

So, yes, some worries have disappeared. :) I was more afraid that it hadn't grown at all.

She measured the head and femur, and everything was proportionate. :) And the baby was moving around all over the place. :)

I loved the look on Fredrik's face. :)) A very happy, and proud pappa. :))

Fredrik's "dinner-date."

Fredrik is at his "dinner-date" with a workmate, Niklas. :)
I think.. I have a picture here somewhere...

That is Niklas.
Fredrik started out working with him, when he first started with Skanska. Niklas has his own measuring company and is privately hired by Skanska. Niklas has been working on the train platform in Gnesta, etc.. And rings Fredrik when he needs help getting stuff done. So, they have a lot in common and get along well. :)
And he also has the same movie taste as me.. ;) (Bad, old horror movies.) (So, he can't be too bad of a guy.) :)) So he borrows tons of movies from us.

Maybe not that interesting, but I have some time to waste.. :P

I will be spending the day with Fredrik tomorrow. The ultrasound appointment is at 9 in the morning, and I would have to take the 07.00 bus to get into town (closest bus to 9) and I would have to sit and wait at the bus stop for 1½ hours... so, I might as well go with Fredrik at 06.30 and then I can sit at the office with him. And then I will spend the day with him until I need to take my computer test. It was Fredrik's idea, and I am very grateful. :) I'm not sure I could sit at the school for 12 hours without going completely insane. :/ :))

Today there was a ½ off sale at one of the Brio stores in town. And we were hoping to grab some things, if anything .. and I would have gone with Fredrik today, but I had my CPR thing right when the store opened.

Fredrik went past the store ½ an hour before it opened, and he said there were 100-150 people standing in a line to get into the store...! WoW!
And he kept going by the rest of the day, and there was always a line outside the door to get in. So, he gave up. :/ :)
So, we might try to go by tomorrow, and see if anything is left in the store. :/ :)

But here are the changing table and crib that we want to get:



They are Brio brand and Fredrik is completely obsessed with the changing table. :/ :)) And we really like the set together. So, right now, that is our goal to buy. :)

Fredrik brought me kebab home for dinner. Was very yummy. :)) Have to fatten the baby up for our appointment tomorrow. ;)

There is a "Spanish" woman that I've gotten to become very good friends with. (We call her "the Spanish-woman" because saying "The woman from Uruguay" just takes too long.) :) She is in her 50's, but she has been more like a grandmother-type for me for the past year. And she is so sweet and wonderful and I love talking with her.
She used to be in my Swedish class, until she quit. And then she ended up being in my medicine class. So, she was there today for the CPR training. And I was so happy to see her..
(Don't worry.. I AM building up to something here..) ;)
But when she saw me today, she gave me a hug, asked how the baby was doing, looked me up and down and said that I have lost a lot of weight. (Since I saw her last, which was maybe 1-2 months ago.) She asked me if I was eating.. :/ :)) And I told her that I eat all the time, whatever I want. So, I suppose my body is just doing what it wants. (I don't care, as long as the baby is getting its nutrients and is growing.) Fredrik has the theory that my weight is going down but also shifting to areas that mommy's need it to be (hips, breasts, etc..)

Blah, blah, blah.. :P

Hmmm..
A bit anxious for our appointment tomorrow. :)
So I have an average of how much in length the baby should have grown, and I'll be holding my breath until the technician gives us some info.

I talked to Fredrik around 14.00 today and layed down on the couch and fell asleep and didn't wake up until 16.40. So, I had a nice long nap, which I need to get better into the habit of doing.

Now I will rest a little and finish watching the Swedish-US icehockey match. (Heja Sverige!!)
And see how Fredrik's dinner went. :)

New clothes.

[Click picture for larger view.]

Much better now..

So, we have figured things out. :) And we are content.
I went through a massive amount of older pictures and found some of the house when we first moved in, when the house was empty, and we sent some of those. And I think Fredrik said in the e-mail that those pictures will have to do because that is all she is getting. :/ :)) And I think he mentioned it to her that it might be good if we signed a contract.

We came to the realization that her hassle just isn't so important in the scheme of things right now. :/ :)

But we received the inspection back from the realtor, and there is nothing majorly wrong with the house. So, we are very content about that. :) We sent it to Farfar, of course, and had him look over it too. :)
So, we are very happy. :)

We talked to the Åmål realtor plenty today, about figuring out when to meet to transfer money and such, and I think she and Fredrik figured that out easily.

Hmmm.. And I e-mailed my computer teacher and told her that I will show up to the test on Thursday when I can. :)
I have to do a powerpoint presentation and turn it in. It has to be about sports, so Fredrik suggested Foppa (Peter Forsberg). :)

Swedish class went well at least today. Teacher came over to me in class and said how much I will be missed and wanted to know lots of stuff about if we had a place to live already, etc.. And she told me about one of the math/computer teachers that actually comes from Åmål. And wanted to make sure that I was going to continue with SAS A (Svenska A). And I told her that I already talked to them (reception) about taking it distance from Nyköping's commune. And she was very pleased. :/ :) And she said that I wouldn't have any problem with it.

Hmm.. but when I talked to my studievägledare.. ehhh.. study-road-leader.. :/ :))) education-guidance-counsellor.. :) she also had lots of questions about why we were moving and how nice of a place Åmål is, and how nice it is that we have a view of the lake from our house. I think she was almost as excited as we are.. :/ :)) Obviously she knows the area well and couldn't stop talking about how nice it is there. :)

When we first moved to Nyköping, I was a little skeptical, but I've come to really like it here. It will be a little sad to leave I think, for Fredrik, too.

Hmmm.. My tummy is getting bigger.. :/ :) Feels a bit hard.. :/ Feels a bit strange.
Feels like I have a big air-bubble in my tummy. :))

And my jeans just do not fit anymore.. :/ No problem when standing, cause they are so baggy anyways, but sitting is so uncomfortable.
And poor mormor and morfar keep sending maternity clothes ... and the jeans are always either way too big or small so the pants go half-way up my calf.. :/ :))

After losing the weight, I am in a strange relationship with clothes right now, and being pregnant has made that relationship even more complicated.
But we think we are on the right direction.. :) We've found a good brand, and they almost fit, just have to get a size smaller. :)

Bought some baby clothes today. :) I had a little while to wait for Fredrik to pick me up after school, and H&M was so close, I had to go take a peek. :) And they had some very nice clothes. Bought 3 "onesies" as we call them in the US and 2 hats.

Looked at a few online Chinese Gender Calanders, and they all said that we were having a little girl. :/ :) I should be 27 when the baby is born (supposed to be 27, but I will be close to 28), and the baby was conceived in January - so that means a girl! :/ :)
We were hoping for a boy, but I think now we are hoping for a girl. :) (Of course it doesn't matter which, as long as it is healthy.) :P

Or "little monster" as Fredrik often refers to him/her. :))
And then the "monster" morphs into "Alien" (from the movie).
And he says how much fun it would be if it popped out of me like it does in the movie.. :/ :))

That is enough for tonight.
Bed time soon!

Nazi-Realtor.

I am SO angry.

We sent our realtor pictures of our home. And she called today and said that they weren't good enough. That they were too "cluttered." She complained that there were a couple of things sitting on the countertop in the bathroom and towels in the bathroom.

So, I am very, very angry. Fredrik, too, of course, but I am just steaming about the silly things she complained about.

And so she wants new pictures......
Our house is a MESS. :/ :) Boxes everywhere, about 30 empty boxes stacked in the living room, no pictures on the wall, no bookshelves in the bookshelves..
The pictures that she requested are just not possible right now.

So, now we are trying to decide if we take the pictures, take a few pictures, or tell her to shove-it and go with another company.

But my day gets even better!
I e-mailed my not-so-very-helpful computer teacher today and told her that I need to take the next (last) computer test. And I told her the days that I can and cannot take the test in the next 2 weeks (every day and times that I couldn't take the test). And the two options she gave me were this week... exactly when I cannot take the test.....

Tomorrow at 10.15, and I told her that I have a 3 hour class I have to go to at 10.
And Thursday, and I told her I couldn't on Thursday cause I have my ultrasound appointment. ??!?!?!

So ... Things have been going very well for me today. :/ :))

Bad dreams.

Last night I dreamt that I started bleeding lots. Not the most fun dream. :/
And I also dreamt that I bought a new hairbrush.

But about a month ago, I dreamt that we had our baby, and it was a baby boy. And I said something like, "So you are a little boy." And all of a sudden the baby changed into a girl, and said "No, I'm a girl. And there are two of us." So, our baby "came to me" in my dream and told me that we were having twins. Whether it is 2 girls or a girl and a boy, I don't know. But the dream was actually.. very freaky and I had a difficult time falling back to sleep.

I think sleeping should be as simple as this:

I am going to school today. I only went once last week. :/ :D And I will only get to go once this week as well (of the 3 times a week that we meet). Wednesday I have my CPR thing and on Friday Fredrik will be gone, and he is my ride home, so I'm not going. :P

Fredrik is very excited, he only has 6 days left of work (including today). :)

And he will be going on Friday to Bengtsfors. He didn't think he would be able to go, because he was going to be the only person left in the area to be boss, but another guy will be around, so that gave Fredrik the chance of being away.

And we have everything fixed with the movers (thanks to Farmor! - for calling and finding the company). They will move everything out on Thursday evening (the 3rd) or on Friday morning (the 4th). We are hoping for the 3rd, so that we can clean up what little is left dirty, and drive to the summerhouse and spend the night there. Then we can leave the cat there while we go to our new home on Friday while the movers move everything in. It will be a pain trying to keep the cat content while all the doors are open and having to keep him locked in a room (probably a bathroom) ... so that he doesn't get so confused, run out the door and run away.

We haven't heard anything from the realtor or inspecting company. Fredrik will be calling her today and try to get some information. We finally received the contract for buying the house. Which we will sign and send back.

Hmmm... And Fredrik has been trying to call and get an appointment with a barnmorska (midwife) in Åmål. But no luck with getting through to anyone. The appointment will have to be the first week we move in. Because after he starts work, he will be gone for 10-15 days, so we want the appointment before that, so he can be there with us. :) And then he has to be gone the 9th and 10th, so we have a small window. And we really want to get in, since the barnmorska in Nyköping did absolutely nothing........

That is all for right now maybe. :) Trying to decide when to go in to school.. which bus to take.

This past weekend Fredrik found an adorable little snow-outfit for a baby that I think we might have to get. :))

More soon!

Nothing to do with the parents or baby...

...but super funny anyways.

16 Weeks

Your baby now measures about 4.3 to 4.6 inches (10-12 cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 2.8 ounces (79 g). Fingernails are well-formed and the fine hair, lanugo, may be growing on the head. Arms and legs are moving. The nervous system is functioning and muscles are responding to stimulation from your baby's brain. You may be able to hear the baby's heartbeat in the doctor's office.

Within the next few weeks you may start to feel your baby move, called "quickening." It's often like a gas bubble or subtle fluttering movement. As it happens more regularly, you'll know it's your baby.

"There can be only one."

But what if there are 2 ?!?



I think it would be fun to have twins. I think Fredrik is a little skeptical, though (of how much fun it would be to have 2 at a time). :D

Twins actually run on my dad's side of the family. He actually is a twin. And he has several sets of twin siblings, even though none of them survived. (Which isn't that uncommon from 70+ years ago.) But he still ended up with 8 siblings anyways. :/ :))

But I am very certain that we have only one. :)

Ultrasound isn't so far away now.
I'm very nervous, and being my typical hypochondriac self... :/
"What if it hasn't grown ... What if something is wrong ... What if it has 5 heads ..."
It makes me tired.. :/ :)
So, the ultrasound will definately ease some worries.
And Fredrik just laughs at me and tells me I am silly. (Which isn't exactly what I need to help calm my nerve.) :/ :)

This coming week is a very busy week for us.
I have to go to a.. CPR training class, which feels a little.. redundant ... considering I am a trained swimming instructor and lifeguard.. :P But it is a requirement to get a grade in the class, so.. I have to go.

And Fredrik will try to figure out on Monday if he is going to go to Bengtsfors on Friday. Two good reasons for him to go: Take lots of our stuff piled in the car.. breakable stuff and strangely boxed stuff, etc.. We could fill the whole car, so it would be worth it. And he would get to meet lots of people he'd be having contact with. A reason for not going: his bosses won't let him. :/ :)

I shaved Fredrik's head this morning. He looks much better... :)

Hmmm... I guess that that is all for now. Plenty of stuff to do around here. I would take some pictures, but it is.. slightly embarassing by the mess of boxes and stuff everywhere. Yesterday we took down some of the stuff from the attic (x-mas, Halloween decorations, etc..). And we have about ½ of our empty boxes left, so I think we are doing okay with space. :)

More soon.

Very tired.

Ugh.. we're very tired. :/ :))

Woke up super early to go get some groceries, and it was worth it because the store was empty. Trying to not buy too much food; we want to make sure we use what we buy. The freezer is almost empty, and when it is, we will go ahead and defrost it and get that out of the way.

And then we've been packing all day.. :/ Not very fun. :/ :))
So, that is making us a bit tired. Doesn't take much for me to get tired. But poor Fredrik carrying all the boxes down the stairs by himself.

Still throwing stuff away here and there.. and still plenty of empty boxes left. We've come up with an estimate on how many sq. meters we'll have of boxes. But we have lots of furniture, too.. :/

So excited to move into our new home, though. :) Our first house. :))

Favorite thing right now: Fredrik hugging my belly.
:)

4 Things You May Not Know about Me : Fredrik

4 Movies I could watch over and over: American Psycho, Old Boy, Equilibrium, Lord of the Rings (all 3)

4 places I have lived: Kuala Lumpur, Baghdad, Washington D.C., Nössemark.

4 TV shows I like: Six Feet Under, South Park, Room Service, Scrubs.

My 4 favorite foods are: Hillary´s barbecue, swordfish, pizza, Hillary´s meal for me on my birthday.

4 international places I have been on vacation: India; Germany; Singapore; Montana, USA.

4 places I would like to vacation: The moon, New Zealand, Japan, Peru.

Happy now?

4 Things You May Not Know about Me : Hillary

4 Movies I could watch over and over: Rosemary's Baby, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Haunted Honeymoon, Clue.

4 places I have lived: Amherst, Ohio; Athens, Ohio; Nössemark, Sweden; Nyköping, Sweden.

4 TV shows I like: Six Feet Under, South Park, Room Service, CSI Las Vegas.

My 4 favorite foods are: Salsa & chips, anything hot and spicy, pizza, popcorn.

4 international places I have been on vacation: Czech Republic, Estonia, Denmark, France.

4 places I would like to vacation: Azores, Mauritius, Austria, Russia.

(Now I'll see if I can get Fredrik to do this..) :/ :)

Pregnancy Superfoods

During pregnancy, healthy foods provide the optimum mix of baby-building nutrients. Starting in the second trimester, you'll need about 300 additional calories in your diet every day.

Beans
Why: Chickpeas, lentils, black beans, and soybeans supply fiber, protein, iron, folate, calcium, and zinc.

Beef
Why: Lean cuts of beef, such as top sirloin steak, pack protein, vitamins B6, B12, and niacin as well as zinc and iron in highly absorbable forms. Beef is also concentrated in choline, required for brain development and peak cognitive powers.

Berries
Why: They're packed with carbohydrates, vitamin C, potassium, folate, fiber, and fluid. The phytonutrients in berries are naturally occurring beneficial plant compounds that protect cells from damage.

Broccoli
Why: For the folate, fiber, calcium, lutein, zeaxanthin, carotenoids to foster healthy vision, and potassium for fluid balance and normal blood pressure. Broccoli also contains the raw materials for vitamin A production in the body.

Cheese (pasteurized)
Why: Cheese supplies concentrated amounts of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium for your bones and your baby's, plus vitamin B12 and protein (use reduced-fat varieties, such as Cabot 50% Light Cheddar to save on calories, fat, and cholesterol).

Eggs
Why: Eggs supply the gold-standard of protein because they provide all of the amino acids you and your baby need to thrive. They also include more than a dozen vitamins and minerals, such as choline, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Certain brands supply the omega-3 fats baby needs for brain development and peak vision, so check the label.

Milk
Why: It's an excellent source of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D -- bone-building nutrients mother and child require every day. Milk also packs protein, vitamin A, and B vitamins.

Orange Juice (fortified)
Why: Orange juice with added calcium and vitamin D contains the same levels of these nutrients as milk. Plus, orange juice supplies hefty doses of vitamin C, potassium, and folate.

Pork Tenderloin
Why: Pork tenderloin is as lean as boneless, skinless chicken breast, and it serves up the B vitamins thiamin and niacin, vitamin B6, zinc, iron, and choline.

Salmon
Why: For the protein, B vitamins, and the omega-3 fats that promote brain development and vision in babies.

Sweet Potato
Why: Sweet potatoes pack vitamin C, folate, fiber, and carotenoids -- compounds your body converts to vitamin A. They also supply potassium in large amounts.

Whole Grains
Why: Enriched whole grains are fortified with folic acid and other B vitamins, iron, and zinc. Whole grains contain more fiber and trace nutrients than processed grains, such as white bread, white rice, and white flour.

Yogurt (plain low-fat or fat-free)
Why: For the protein, calcium, B vitamins, and zinc. Plain yogurt contains more calcium than milk.

Hilarious!!

(Sorry for those of you that can't do the Swedish, but it is a little much to translate!)

Sleeping positions.

I'm having a horrible time finding comfortable sleeping positions. (Aha.. the volunteer firefighters in Nävekvarn just went riding down the road on their truck with the sirens going. The volunteer siren went off a few minutes ago. Hear the siren now and then, once every couple of months, but have never seen the truck before.) Can't sleep on my stomach. Not supposed to sleep on my back.. supposed to get out of that habit, to have better circulation for the baby. But it seems like I am having a horrible time falling asleep and staying on my sides.. :/ And at least right now, it isn't very comfortable either. :/ Ehh.. it will have to work out eventually.

Things have slowed down here a little. The last few weeks, everything has been going by so quickly, and now we are expecting it to be the same, but we actually have a chance to take a deep breath, for a little while at least.

I have been packing what I can during the day-time and alternating with trying to get school work done (want to finish my computer class before I go), actually skipped school yesterday. Feels silly to go to school.. :/ Plenty to do here, and there is only one class to go to anyways .. And that I will be studying as distance after we move anyways .. And it is an hour travel time total on the bus, which isn't comfy with my jeans (too tight in the tummy area - I'm in that horrible inbtwn stage of normal clothes and mommy-clothes), and the buses only leave from each place every 2 hours or so ... so I always waste a few hours waiting for class or for a bus. And it just seems like a waste right now. We'll see if I end up going on Friday.. :/ :))) And I refuse to pay for a bus pass (600kr - 100$) if we are just here for 2½ more weeks, and a one way trip into town is 38kr (5.50$). So, there are plenty of reasons to not go to school... ;) blah blah blah..

We have plenty of time to pack, but we need to have an estimate on how much stuff (boxes) we will have for the movers.. and.. we are having a horrible time coming up with an estimate.. :/ So we want to pack up as much as we can as quickly as we can, so that we can have a better estimate before it gets too soon to moving time.

We're not sure if Caesar has figured out that we're moving.. :/ :) But he has been around enough banana-boxes that you would think he would be aware..

So far to go yet.. :/ :)
We're almost at the end of 4 months, almost to the half-way point. I just want to be able to fully wear mommy-clothes so that I can be more comfortable.. :P

Hmmm..
And Fredrik's new bosses told him yesterday that they just bought him brand-new equipment.. :) The top of the line.. Fredrik looked it all up and it should have cost them over a 1 000 000 SEK. :/ :)) (his measuring equipment, GPS, etc, etc...)
And he will get his own business cards. :))

Now I need to get some things done and shower. :P

*Yawwwwwwwwwwwwn*

I guess it doesn't matter..

.. where you live.. Dentists will always ask you questions while you have at least 2 hands and 15 instruments in your mouth.. and expect you to answer them. :/ :)

The dentist appointment went well, besides Fredrik making fun of my numbed mouth.... *hmph*

And as soon as we got home they were here to come look at the house, the couple that want to move into the area. And they really liked the house. I think that they would like to have it, but I think that it might be too big for them. But I think she might push him to get ... but we have our doubts. :) So, we'll see how that goes. They said they would get back to us tomorrow.

Fredrik bought a "toy" today for over 5 000 kr (~700$). :) His boss called him and told him to buy a new cell phone with the nicest camera he could find. :) And he received his raise because he is going to start out working with sanitation! And they can't give a hazard pay, so they said that they would just raise his salary instead. :) Which they don't have to do, but is very considerate. :) But at least he will only work at that place 1 hour a day, and they offer shower - proper ehhh.. clean-up after being around all the mercury and other nasty stuff. And they will do regular, frequent health check-ups.

So, they are taking good care of my baby. ;)

And they told him how much he can buy a car for. :)

I am doing well I guess. The horrible hunger that I had for a long time has subsided at least a little, so that is nice .. but I get tired very easily, which is.. difficult to get used to.

Today was my first day back after Påsklov (Easter break), and it was definately not fun going back. :/ :) Fredrik has been the same with work, though, lately .. we're just not interested. :/ :)

Really wish they would buy the radhus, but we don't think they will. :/ :(
Oh well. :)

Ha! :D

Fredrik's division of Lantmäteriet, Metria, (which has been his dream job since he started his schooling) has just given him a 1000 kr raise (~150$)! :D And he doesn't even start working for another month. :/ :)))

15th Week of Pregnancy

How big is your baby?
By the end of this week, your baby is 5 inches long (12 cm) and weighs a whole 2 ounces (57 g).

What is happening with your baby?
Your baby’s skin is very thin, and his/her blood vessels can actually be seen through the skin. Your baby’s ears are continuing to develop externally and continue to look more like normal ears. Your baby’s eyes are continuing to move towards the nose from the sides of his/her head. The baby’s bones are beginning to ossify, which means that if an x-ray was taken the skeleton would be visible. Babies at this age have also been caught sucking their thumb on ultrasound pictures.

He just called ! :)

He's been very busy today.. :/ :) Actually had to do some work. ;)

He talked to the realtor, and the inspection will happen this Friday, the 20th. And then she will send us the summary of everything and we will have until the 25th to back out of the agreement. If all is well, then we can move in by May 4th! So, we'll be moving in the first weekend in May.

Anticipation.

I haven't heard from Fredrik yet today, and I hate sitting and waiting for information.. grr..! :))

He's supposed to call the realtor in Åmål and push her to push the house owners to be out by the beginning of May.
The realtor told us that they aren't very interested in finishing very much before we move in .. but they will finish the downstairs bathroom. The rest is a bit of painting here and there, so no big deal with that.

And Fredrik wants to redo the flooring in.. most of the house. But I think we will just do the baby's room for now. :) The room will probably look just like the room we redid here, but maybe a slightly darker green. :) The intention was a sage-ish color, but it just didn't end up that way.

But someone did call yesterday and was very interested in our radhus. He said his wife was sick, so he'd call back today and try to figure out when they can come see the house. We told them that time is an issue (because of realtor-paper-signing) and that we'd like to do it without the realtor. So, we'll see if he calls back and if anything happens.

And a little update on the baby-name-situation ... Fredrik was very annoyed and disappointed.. :/ He said "We have to change them now."
But then he decided that he likes them both so much anyways (Freja and Emma), that we will keep them both. :) (He can be very, very picky sometimes.) :/ :))
Haven't decided on which, or maybe to use Emma as a middle name.. But we like Lovisa, too..
But I think we are still pretty stuck on Sebastian. :))

We did well yesterday with packing. We packed lots of books and completely cleaned out the shed. We packed everything that we are taking with us from in there, and we are leaving a box of stuff for the new owners, if they want it.

And we've decided we're not taking the piano .. a little disappointed about that, but it is extremely heavy (and a bit out of tune). And one of his workmates, Tommy, wants a piano, but his girlfriend always complains about apartment space, so we'll see if they take it or not. :)

And we have some things we have to get rid of.. :/ And I am no good with helping to carry anything (I feel very useless at this point) .. and we don't want to put any of this junk in our BMW, and it scarely enough won't fit in his work car ... so, he has a work mate, Daniel, (the one I always make brownies for) that has horses and a horse trailer, so we are thinking that maybe he can come help Fredrik carry stuff and we can load it into a horse trailer and take it like that.. (it is big stuff, like the standing drier that was here when we moved in, and the old clothes-line that we replaced a little while ago.. So, we'll see if we can organize that somehow. It wouldn't be a problem of getting a trailer from work for Fredrik's work car, but that I can't help carry is the bigger problem.. :/

Took the cutest picture of Caesar today when he was yawning ... but I can't share it because I don't have any cords for my cellphone .. but I sent it to Fredrik and he should be able to put it on the computer, so I'll have to put it on here.

Hmm.. that is all for now..
Need to work on school work.. :/ blah..

Directions from NY to Stockholm.

1. go to www.google.com (It has to be the English site, not the Swedish one.)
2. click on maps.
3. click on "get directions"
4. type "New York, NY" in the first box (the "from" box)
5. type "Stockholm, Sweden" in the second box (the "to" box)
6. click on "get directions"
7. scroll down to step #23

A new discovery.

We had our annual bostadsrättsförening (tenant-owner's association) meeting this morning.. And a very nice woman that is actually from Finland came over to us and said that she has talked to the person who really wants to move into this housing area and she gave him/her/them our phone number and they should be contacting us. So, that is something! So, we are hoping to hear from them before our realtor comes around with a contract for us to sign.

So keep your fingers crossed!
(It would be faster, easier, and cheaper to sell privately.)

Fredrik's last day with Skanska is May 3rd or 4th (he can pick). And the realtor in Åmål said that we might be able to move in in the beginning of May. So, if all goes well, whether we sell the radhus or not, we hope to move the first weekend in May. That is our hope, depending on when we can move into our house. She said that the inspection might take about 2 weeks, but since it is an older house (from 1920) and not from the 70's, that the inspections are usually faster and cheaper because the houses are better built.

So things are happening quite fast now.. :/ :) And this week I hope to figure out what will happen with my classes. I'm hoping to continue the same classes until summer through distance studies with Nyköping's commune.

Now we are going to take everything that is left (not really that much) out of the shed, and go through it and either pack it or get rid of it.
I packed DVDs last night and today we have packed plenty of books.

Picture time!!

Here is Caesar's little kitty-neighbor-friend. I think they are really going to miss each other when we leave. :/















































Farmor and Farfar (Fredrik's parents) visited today and they brought some boxes with them:

52 boxes. :)
We are hoping that this is all we will need.. :/ :)

And our finally finished new bedroom that we never got to use for anything... :T




















































And here is our stash of some of the packed boxes:

Friday the 13th

The realtor just left a little bit ago. And the house will go up for sale around what we were at least hoping for, so, not the end of the world. :) 5 000 SEK less than what we were hoping for. :) I guess we should be happy we didn't invest more into the radhus, because I doubt we would have gotten anything more for it. :/ She said that people just think living down here is sooo far away from town.

She really loved our bathroom, though. :))


I am having some horrible pain, though.. :/ Last night, when I finished writing, I stood up to go check on the brownies, and I had horrible pain in my.. upper leg, where the thigh connects to the pelvic bone. Hurt so much that I couldn't straighten out my leg for awhile. :/

And it hurts this morning, too, but not at first, at first it was fine, and then when I started vacuuming, it started hurting again.. :/

Fredrik thinks I just did WAY too much stuff yesterday. :/ I was standing all day and up and down the stairs 500 times. And carrying too much heavy stuff.. :/

When I sit, it is fine, it just comes and goes, hurts mostly when I stand up after sitting. But last night it was much worse, radiating down my leg, and up my tummy some.

Fredrik thinks I strained my muscles too much. Fredrik keeps telling me to sit down but it is difficult to not do things.. :/
So, I'm trying to take it easy, and realize that I can't do everything I did before.. :/ :) (mostly just with carrying heavy things).

So, hopefully with some rest this weekend, I should feel much better. :)

I weighed this morning, and I've gone down 1 pound (½kg).

See, me being the hypochondriac that I am (I think this is the first time I am openly admitting this).. if there is something wrong with me - a red spot on my arm, I think I have cancer. So, now, if I have a pain or a belly ache, or a hangnail, I think something is wrong with the baby. So, thank goodness Fredrik is patient with me, even though he thinks it is a riot and always laughs at me.. :P

Okay. Now lunch is done, so it is time for a cookie and some water and a little nap on the couch. :)

We have a house. :)

After Fredrik got home from work, the realtor called and asked if we would accept 50 000 SEK more than what we bid, and we said yes and that was that. :) So, she will send papers that we'll sign and they will be our temporary binding to the house, pending the inspection. And if we think everything is okay with the house, then we will sign permanent contracts.

So, we are very happy and excited. :))

Right after that, we took our 5 fish and drove to Anders' house (Fredrik's uncle) and we gave him and the boys our fish. We stayed there for awhile and chit-chatted. It was very nice. :) And I gave them some cookies, too.

I made cookies today, and I think that is why my back is hurting so much.. :/ Standing in the kitchen so much. It made soooooooo many cookies, but they are very, very yummy. ;)

And after visiting with them, we did our fresh veggie and fruit shopping. So, we haven't been home for very long.

As soon as we walked in the door, Fredrik started cleaning out the fish tank and I started making a batch of brownies that I promised to one of Fredrik's work mates. Those are baking now, so I thought that I would write a little. :P

Stuff is getting packed. Fredrik brought home some boxes from a workmate that just moved into a different house. The workmate said that they used 100 boxes, and reused them back and forth.. :/ So, we feel... less awkward about having so much stuff. :))

Our realtor comes tomorrow at.. 10.00 and hopefully we'll get something out of all the money the bathroom cost.. :P

My fingers smell like chocolate..

Hmmm.. So, we have a house. :)) And a new job and a new car..
With all the luck, maybe we should play the lottery.. ;))

Week 14

Your baby measures about 3.2 to 4.1 inches from crown to rump now. The ears are shifting from the neck to the sides of the head, and the neck is getting longer and chin more prominent. Facial features and unique fingerprints are all there. Your baby is beginning to respond to outside stimuli. If your abdomen is poked, the fetus will try to wriggle away.

Happy and healthy.

Today was our first midwife appointment and everything went well, I think. :/ :)

Since we are moving, she didn't do any blood work and said they can do that later (I really wanna be tested for toxoplasmosis - since Caesar is such a good hunter and always eats his prey). And since I had an ultrasound at week 6, she did no internal or external exam.

But she did call the healthcare center in Åmål, and got some numbers for us to call so we can fix an appointment there.

She took my blood pressure, and that was 130/65. And she said that was fine.
My iron was at 138. (Which she mentioned something around 124 for a pregnant woman, so my results are great.) And my glucose was 5.1. (Which she said is allowed to be up to 9.)
She was really happy with these results.

And she had a few questions and it took only about an hour, but we didn't get in until after our scheduled time, and she was on the phone for awhile .. so the appointment wasn't really that long.

She complained about my weight (of course), which bothers me and makes me extremely depressed......., but that isn't for me to complain about here.
She said that I "can" continue to lose weight, as long as I do it properly and the baby continues to gain weight. (It wasn't a suggestion, she.. was pretty persistant.)
After lots of time and lots of weight loss and she can make me feel like a complete failure.. ugh.. ehh.. crying a bit much now.. :/ :T
So, we'll see how that goes.

But it seems like I am pretty healthy anyways, and if I'm healthy, the baby is healthy and that makes everyone happy.

14th Week of Pregnancy

How big is your baby?
Your baby is now approximately 4 inches long (10 cm) and weighs just a little less than 2 ounces (57 g).

What is happening with your baby?
Your baby is continuing to grow and mature at this point. Your baby’s arms are going to begin to lengthen and be more proportioned to the rest of the body. The liver is beginning to produce bile, while the spleen is beginning to produce red blood cells.
The development of your baby’s brain enables him/her to use their facial muscles to grimace, frown, and squint. He/she may even be sucking their thumb. Because you have begun the second trimester and most of the critical development has been completed, the chance of miscarriage decreases.

Name annoyances.....

I was taking a peek at Svenska Namn and realized that the top name since 2002 (and plenty of previous years as well) has been Emma.... And the name that is on the greatest rise is Freja....

If there is anything that Fredrik hates, it is trendy stuff.. whether it be clothes, hair, jewelry, furniture, or names.. :/ (I, of course, feel the same). And now our most 2 favorite names are on the "trendy" list of names. :/ Not sure how well he will take that. :/

He is at the bostadsrättsförening (tenant-owner's association) meeting now (he is "on" the board).. So, I'll have to slowly break the news to him when he returns.. :D

Peas.

I steamed some veggies for me for dinner. (Fredrik won't eat it.)

And, I ate what I could, mostly peas were left, because that is what the mixture is mostly composed of.

Caesar came inside and was begging at the table for food, and so I gave him my bowl of peas.. and he ate every last one of them. Not did he just eat them, but he used his left paw only and took every pea from the bowl to his mouth.

Not only does he have a strange eating habit, but he's left handed as well.

We have lots of stuff.

We ended up with 9 more banana boxes, and I think that all but 2 are already packed. We have lots of stuff. :/ :) Mostly clothes.. :/

But I went through my clothes, and had about 15 pairs of jeans to give away that are too big.. :/ at least 5 pairs of dress pants, and lots and lots of shirts. Most of it we'll give to a.. Salvation Army type place, and the rest will be thrown away. So, we ARE getting rid of some stuff. :/ :) Throwing away plenty. But we still have lots.

Most of our clothes are packed and most from the walk-in closet .. most of our sheets, towels, covers, blankets, etc..

I sat Fredrik down with a good looking banana box, and gave him his toys (from when he was young) and told him to get rid of stuff or repack it so it is in only one container ... He ended up going through it and just playing with everything.. :/ So it took awhile to get that box packed. :/ :))

We've decided to pack room by room and clean that room when we've packed as much as we can. Working well so far. :) Done packing up our bedroom for now, and almost done cleaning it. We want to get as much done as we can before our realtor comes on Friday.

Before I forget, Fredrik talked to the realtor and gave our bid, and she said they use a very good company to do inspections, hopefully it won't take too long for them to get to that and get back to us.

We hope so much they will accept our bid, or something around it. We've already started talking about "baby-proofing" the house. Like putting up a fence around the back of the yard, etc.. a very steep drop off the back.

Very difficult for us to concentrate on anything. :/ I'm supposed to read a Swedish novel this week and I haven't even started it yet. :/ And Fredrik isn't interested in work at all. Difficult for him to start any new projects when he'll be leaving so soon.

And I still haven't gained any weight. :/ Only 1 pound still (0,45 kg) that I've gone up in 13½ weeks. Not much I can do about it. :/ :)

Fredrik sanded the rest of the ceiling yesterday and painted plenty, and will do a couple more coats today. And I bought some Spring flowers to put in the flower box in front of the house, and now I don't wanna put them out yet because of the snow and how cold it is.....

Ehhh.. more soon.

If he could kill us, I think he would..

But we died laughing anyways. :D

Sweden.....

Our trip to the store has temporarily been delayed......

We bought the BMW with summer tires on the car.. :/ So, we have to wait until it stops snowing and melts away (snowing like a blizzard), or plan B is to take his work car.

Happy Easter!

We had a very nice Easter weekend at the summerhouse. And it was nice to visit with Fredrik's parents, and really, really nice to not have to cook for a few days. :))

We decided to come home a day early, so that we could take tomorrow to do some things around the house. We've done some sanding today on the bathroom ceiling, but decided that we shouldn't do any more until we have some masks to wear. :/ Very dusty. (We bought a cute little sanding machine that is doing a pretty good job.)

And we are going to go to town tomorrow and buy some new ceiling paint, get some more boxes, buy 4 more chairs (some smaller, folding ones) to go with our outdoor furniture, and buy some masks, etc..

We went to a Babyproffsen on.. Friday and finally put a final decision on stroller color. And we are pretty definate on a crib and dresser choice, but first we wanna see if we can get it in white instead of the ivory color we keep seeing it in. (Ehhh.. just at the website and doesn't seem like it comes in white.. :/ We'll have to see what we can come up with..) :/ :)


We also bought this adorable little dress.. :/ :)

Fredrik said, "But what if it isn't a girl??" But it was cute and I'd love to have it if we do have a little girl. :)


And we received a present from Farmor and Farfar:



A cute hooded towel. :)

On Tuesday we will call the realtor, and put a bid on one of the houses that we saw on Thursday! But we're going to make sure an inspection is done on the house, and we have a few questions for the owner to answer.


And here is a picture of the house:




This is the side and back of the house.

And a very short walk down the street, is a place for a boat, or a very nice place to relax:






















So, we are very anxious to see if they accept our bid.


We had plenty of time in the car to talk about baby names. :))
Pretty set on Sebastian I think. :)

But for a girl we really like Freja and Emma. We can't make a definate pick on one of them. But we still have plenty of time for that!

Week 13

Your fully formed fetus, now in about its 11th week of development, measures 2.6 to 3.1 inches from crown to rump and weighs between half an ounce and seven-tenths of an ounce -- about the size of a peach. The head is still disproportionately bigger than the body, but the rest of the body is starting to catch up. In fact, your baby is growing rapidly these days. The face is starting to look more human, with eyes moving closer together. Toes and fingers are clearly separate, and ankles and wrists have formed. External genitalia are becoming visible. Intestines are shifting into their proper place, too.

Possible change/shift of plans.

We'll be leaving on Thursday afternoon, and hopefully we should be seeing 3 houses on the way. Not very interested in one of them, but it was the same realtor that is selling the house, so we figured we would look at it, too. But yesterday, a new house popped up that was pretty nice, but Fredrik had already talked to the realtor about which houses to see. But I think we will be okay with the ones we picked.

I ended up not having class yesterday, but I went into town anyways to stop by the school and get some info off of the school's network for some computer work I have to do. And then I met Fredrik at the realtor's office in town, so we could put our radhus up for sale, but of course no realtor was there at the time. So, they should be calling Fredrik today, to get some more information. We are a little worried about how little we will get for the radhus, but there really isn't anything we can do about that.

Seems like we are distance movers.. :/ We never just move down the street or to a town nearby or to the other side of town ... we move all the way across the country when we move.. :/ Which makes everything so very complicated.. :/ :)

Cause I was figuring on staying until we sold the radhus, even if Fredrik was working already. And keep the house sparkling incase we have someone that wants to see it, etc, and then do the last minute packing and then move over. But now Fredrik wants me to go with him, the same time... so that makes things a little more difficult. On if we should just empty the house and leave it for the realtor, etc... We want to make as few trips as possible back and forth.. Ehhh..

We bought the biggest pears I think I have ever seen.. :/ Super yummy, though.

Hmmm..
While at school yesterday, I ended up running into my Swedish teacher (which I had for SAS grund, I now have her for SAS A). I think she is sad to see me go. And she suggested that... I try to pass SAS A before we move...! That means that I would study and try to pass Svenska A / SAS A in 1 months time.. :/ I am a little skeptical..

I'm already stuck doing 2-3 months work of computer and medicine classes in 1 months time. And now this, too ... She told me to think about it and kept saying "men du är så duktig på svenska!!" (But you are so good at swedish.)

So, I would pay a fee and study, study, study and take the test before we move. And she thinks that it wouldn't be a problem for me and she wants me to get through as much Swedish as possible before I lose the chance to study it. Not sure if Åmål has SAS A and SAS B (after SAS B, I would just take Svenska C - if I ever found it necessary to continue passed that point). I know they have SAS grund, but haven't seen anything about classes passed that point. My teacher said that I would probably have to take them as distance courses from another commune.

Ehhh.. something else to think and wonder and worry about.. :/ :))

We've decided to not mess with driving stuff in Nyköping, but we've found what seems like a good driving school in Åmål: Johans Trafikskola. Or something like that. And the fees seem very reasonable. And now since the BMW is an automatic, I can just hurry and get a drivers license for an automatic, which means we don't have to pay for manual driving lessons, etc.. And then, later, when time allows, get a drivers license that covers that as well. So, now the driving part won't be a problem, but I just need to get a driving book in Swedish and English and study like mad for that.

We stopped and got some boxes yesterday, they only had 4, though. I've packed some. Hoping to throw a lot more stuff away while packing.

Will be interesting when we stop to look at houses on Thursday, with the cat with us.. :/ :)) We'll have to take his box and lock him in the car.

My pants are definately getting tight around the waist.. :/ Fine if I am standing but hurts when I sit. I got out some of my bigger pants. And.. I tried one of the last pairs that I wore last and.. they are even bigger than they were before.. :/ Which is good.. but doesn't help me any.. :/ :)
But my parents mentioned that they are soon sending another pregnancy-care-box and they are sending lots of clothes, which is really nice. :)

Fredrik called and got me an appointment for an ultrasound!! :) They wanted to do it in May, when I would be 18 weeks (around the earliest time they will do an ultrasound), but he said that we are moving and that we want one, and he nagged and nagged until they gave us an appointment. :)) So, that appointment will be on April 26th. And we'll be.. 15½ weeks. Although not really that far from 18 weeks.
I want it because I wanna see how much the baby has grown, and we don't really know how easy/difficult it will be with getting appointments around Åmål and how long we will have to wait, etc..

Hmmm..
Oh yeah..!

I had received an e-mail from my brother-in-law, Paul, and he mentioned my parents coming over "for 2 months in the dead of Swedish winter."

And.. It made me think.. that they WILL be here during the most boring time of the year.. :/ To be completely stuck inside for 2 months and have very little to do. Completely dark and snowy and cold.. :/ Ehhh..

So, we've had a possible change of plans.
Fredrik, the baby, and I will go to the US for 2 weeks for Christmas & New Years ... and then my parents will come here for 2 months during the summer. Still the same months of the year, just a shift in who is going where. And instead, my parents will spend 2 months here during the most beautiful time of the year, and we can go outside, and grill and take day trips and do lots of shopping and take walks.. Will be much better.

So, my parents are letting it sink in now and then we'll do final trip planning and try to get us tickets.
And it will be easier and cheaper for us, too, on the plane. Because if we go in December, the baby will only be about 2½ months old, and we don't have to buy an extra seat on the plane, we can hold the baby, use a carrier, etc. If we went during the summer, we'd almost have to buy a third seat because the baby would be 9 months old. So, it will be cheaper for our first trip to the US. :)

But that does mean that we have to be really fast with registering the baby's birth with the embassy and get the baby an American passport.. :/ (As well as a Swedish one.) Because we have to make a trip to the American Embassy in Stockholm in person to do all that. Blah... So much to think about!!!

Most adorable kitty in the world!

13th Week of Pregnancy

What is happening with your baby?
Up until this point, your baby’s head was the largest part of his/her body, but that is beginning to change. Your baby’s head is now only about 1/3 of his/her total body. Unique fingerprints are now located on the tips of your baby’s fingers. The kidney and urinary tract are completely functional which allows the amniotic fluid he/she has been swallowing to be excreted. Covering your baby’s skin is a fine, soft hair called lanugo.

How big is your baby?
By your thirteenth week of pregnancy your baby is about 3½ inches long (8 cm) and weighs 1¼ ounces (35 g).

All is well.

The rest of Fredrik's day went well.

He informed his local area boss. His first official day was today. :D
And he informed the district boss for the region, so when Fredrik called him, Fredrik asked, "Are you busy?" And the boss said, "As long as you aren't telling me that your going to quit." :)) So, he already knew when Fredrik called and took it okay. One of Fredrik's project bosses took it very badly, which Fredrik was expecting. :) He kept saying "Neeeeeejjjj!!" He depends a lot on Fredrik, so that wasn't very surprising.

Lantmäteriet is going to set his starting date on May 15th. And if he starts before or after that date, either way it doesn't matter. But if we are done and move there and it is before the 15th, he can still wait and settle in, etc, if he wants.

The guy that called to hire him, told Fredrik that the chemistry btwn everyone was fantastic and they are looking forward to working with him. :) So, that is very nice to hear.

Fredrik called his union to find out about his notice-time, and they thought it would be 1 month, but they will get back to him about it, although the district boss thinks it should be more, of course. :)

He also called the realtor office about the house, and the specific realtor wasn't there, but they were going to try their best to fix everything so that we can see the house over Easter weekend. And we're hoping that Fredrik's parents will be able to meet us there, too, or go with us, and look the house over with us. Hopefully tomorrow we'll find out more about when we will be able to see the house.

I guess that is all for now. :) I packed some older towels. :) But that is all right now. Need to get some boxes and start packing up some things, can store them in the shed for the time being. :)

The longest day of our lives.

Not literally of course, but it certainly has felt like it.. :/

Neither of us could fall asleep last night. And today has just crept by.. :/

But I received an SMS from Fredrik saying: "Start packing! :D"
:))
So, we are moving to Åmål!

We're extremely happy. :) And we can finally take a deep breath, although not for too long, because now we have lots of planning to do and lots of stuff to figure out.

Fredrik then called me and gave me all the details. They are offering him a good salary, not exactly what he asked, but almost. :) But with lots of extra perks, though ... extra money if he has to stay away from home, extra money considering how much he has to be outside, and the option of working from home! And lots of other bonuses, too. Including a "fast" job right away, he doesn't have to have a 6 month temporary period, which means he'll get his pappa-leave. :)

Fredrik will inform the proper people today, and figure out how long he has to stay. As his new job wants him now. :/ :) We have to call the realtor for the house we are interested in, and see if we can somehow see the house over Easter weekend.

I doubt you'd be able to find 2 happier people on the planet right now. :))
Moving where we want to live, our hopes for a very nice home, and a baby on the way. :))

More details as they pop up!

Mmmm... Rhubarb.

While out yesterday, we bought Casino Royale. The 3 of us curled up on the couch with a piece of my yummy homemade rhubarb pie and watched the movie last night. :) A very good movie, btw.

Starting on Thursday, I started cleaning out the kitchen, gathering stuff to throw away, recycle, or give away to the local second-hand store. We had about 4-5 bags of stuff to give away! So the kitchen cabinets are much emptier, and that is always nice.

And yesterday we cleaned out our shed and put lots of stuff together that we need to take to the dump to get rid of ... we'll do that today. So, now the shed is nice and cleaned out, especially since we finally took out our outdoor furniture.

We're still going a little crazy about the job ... :/
Fredrik says he'd be very surprised if he didn't get it -- but it is very difficult to face reality that he might not.
And it seems.. unrealistic to us that he'd get a job where we really want to live, and that we'd have the chance to buy an absolutely beautiful house.
Ehhh.. :/ :) Trying to not think about it too much, but it is difficult.
Tomorrow is the big day.

If we don't move though - it really won't be the end of the world. :/ :)) Even though it feels like it will be. :))) Fredrik has a good job and we've actually looked at houses, here, too ... and we've found a nice house that is actually really close to where his uncle lives.

Fredrik hopes to get Thursday off from work so that we can leave for the summerhouse on Wednesday evening. If not, he should at least get ½ of Thursday off, so we can leave on Thursday afternoon.

Received my grade on my medicine test, and it was a G (passing grade) ... which I am content with for now. The teacher doesn't really like the flexible classes and I don't think she likes it that students can decide to not come to class..

We went to the Brio store yesterday, to see how long it would take to order a stroller .. and she said it would take about 2 months. But that if we want one, we should do it soon, because production will slow down because the new stroller models and colors are coming out in August. So, as soon as we find out if we are staying or leaving, we will probably go ahead and order it and get it out of the way. Ordering after August will just be a little too close to baby-time.

And we found a really nice crib and dresser (with a diaper-changing top) set, there, too. So, we're getting closer to figuring out what we want. :/ :) It is an ivory color, and we've been leaning towards white, so we'll see what we end up with.. :/ :)

10 days until our first barnmorska (midwife) appointment!

Fredrik's very good friend, Daniel, and his wife, Lisa, are also having a baby, that is due 2 weeks before ours. Slightly creepy but very cool. :)

So, I'll post either happy or depressing news tomorrow!