Fredrik is:

Your Score: Joe Normal

26 % Nerd, 43% Geek, 47% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored less than half in all three, earning you the title of: Joe Normal.

This is not to say that you don't have some Nerd, Geek or Dork inside of you--we all do, and you can see the percentages you have right above. This is just to say that none of those qualities stand out so much as to define you. Sure, you enjoy an episode of Star Trek now and again, and yeah, you kinda enjoyed a few classes back in the day. And, once in a while, you stumble while walking down the street even though there was nothing there to cause you to trip. But, for the most part, you look and act fairly typically, and aren't much of an outcast.

I'd say there's a fair chance someone asked you to take this test. In any event, fairly normal.

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Hillary is:

Your Score: Modern, Cool Nerd

78 % Nerd, 60% Geek, 34% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.

Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)!


Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Pappa.

So on Thursday night we got in bed a little late (despite that I had already been sleeping on the couch). But the Little One became extremely active after we got settled into bed. Fredrik was laying like he normally does with his hand and arm on my tummy, and for the first time he was able to feel the baby moving! :) So, that was a very fun family experience. :)

Yesterday evening we had our "block party" and there were maybe 20 ppl, including some children. There was one couple that had a 2 year old (along with an older brother that was maybe 4), and then another couple that had what couldn't have been a baby more than a month old. And it was strange to think that that child is going to be a classmate of our baby, and who it grows up with and plays with, etc.. :/ :))

Everyone was very nice and friendly. But we met one older lady and we absolutely loved her. She is from Gothenburg, so she has issues with small towns and the ppl from them. :/ :) We were talking about how we didn't really know anyone yet and she said something to the effect of "well they are all related." :/ :))) She was fun to talk with. :) She told us about a man that walks his dog (and I've seen him plenty) and he is in the same line of work as Fredrik. And we talked to a nice older man that was just newly retired and he has a daughter living in San Francisco.

I found the most adorable little girl Christmas dress that we are going to have to get if we have a girl. :)
Click here for the dress.
So, we're going to have to find something similar if we have a little boy!

The maker of the dress.. they sell lots of baby stuff, they sell cribs that are 2000$! (14 000 SEK).

Fredrik is downstairs now, trying to get a few odd things finished. It is raining today, so we are trying to get things done inside.

I bought a plant to put outside on the deck (to replace a plant that was already there - and dead - when we moved in), and the plant can go outside, and on the instructions it said: "Bright sunlight but no direct sunlight." EHhhh..?? I'm having a horrible time keeping the blooming flowers happy.. :/

It rained like mad on Thursday, but nothing has leaked into our small dining room! We are very happy about that. Yesterday, it was sunny and warm all day, and then about 10 minutes before we were going to have our picnic, dark clouds showed up! Eventually ppl went down to the grassy spot, and when we got down there it sprinkled a few drops, but then stayed away. It was a little cold. We stayed for about 2 hours. Most everyone left around the same time.

I think we will be going to the BBQ in a couple of weeks. I think Fredrik will take off a Friday and we will go on Thursday and try to make a trip to Svinesund/Nordby and do some shopping during the weekend trip. Now I just have to RSVP.

We're getting close to that 100 day countdown. :))

Hmm..
My leg is better! I only used the itch-cream once yesterday. The large red spot is getting smaller and it itches less often. There is another spot within the large red spot that is blood red, probably the main source of the problem. But when I scratch the whole thing, of course, turns bright red, and then the other leg starts to itch (sympathy itching). But it is looking much better today. The spot stays sorta warm, so when we got home last night, I put an ice pack on it and that felt really good.

Ohhhhh.. we watched a really bad movie.. :/ Black Christmas.. (the remake). It was awful.. :( We tried it, just to give it a shot and it was pathetic.. :( :/ The original is a classic and they completely butchered any significance of doing a "remake."
The bad movie made me want to start up my movie review blog again: Hurly's movie review

25th Week of Pregnancy

What changes are occurring with your body?
Your uterus is approximately the size of a soccer ball, and the top of your uterus can be felt about halfway between your belly button and the bottom of your sternum.

How big is your baby?
Your baby is now 12 inches long (~30 cm) and weighs anywhere from 1½ to 1¾ pounds (~675-780 g).

What is happening with your baby?
While it does not appear that your baby is that big, he or she is slowly gaining some baby fat, making his/her appearance less wrinkled. If your baby has hair, the color and texture could be seen at this point. However, it can change after the baby is born.

Leg update.

Still red and as big as it was yesterday, but at least the itching comes and goes.. :/ I found some.. anti-itch cream that we have from the US that I use on my mosquito bites, so I'm hoping that that helps some with the symptoms.

The sun is actually shining this morning!

Hmmm.. I know there was something I forgot to mention yesterday..

We put the changing table together on Monday! :) It took 4 hours!! The worst instructions.. :/ But it is heavy and sturdy and looks great! :) Fredrik did most of the putting together and I did the instructions and found all the screws, etc.. :/ :)
I'll put on pictures when we get the camera.. :P

We figure we are going to stay home for the next couple of weekends and try to get some things fixed up and finished around here. And then we'll try to head to the summerhouse the weekend of the American BBQ party in Ed. We think we are going, but I haven't sent an RSVP yet, but we hope to be able to make it.

We ordered the closets from IKEA! (Expensive!) And a dining table for our simple dining room. But it will be around 27 days until delivery!!! So we are annoyed that it will take so long before we will get anything.

Caesar is still doing well. Reluctantly taking his antibiotic, but he is getting more used to it now. :) Still drinking lots of water and not eating much (but he is giving into the food slowly). :)) He had really stinky poopies yesterday.... :/ So bad that he even stood and covered it up with litter for a good 5 minutes until he had a pyramid mound in his box.. :/ :)

Yummy strawberries.

I sat outside for awhile yesterday and picked strawberries from our "garden." We have wild strawberries and normal strawberries. (Wild strawberries are very tiny.) But our wild strawberries don't taste that much.. :( So, we're assuming that they don't taste like normal because they are planted wild strawberries and not just growing in the forest, etc.. But the normal strawberries are absolutely delicious! Few of the big ones are ripe, so there will be plenty more for the rest of summer, so many have just started to bloom.

While picking berries, I realized my foot had a bit too many ants crawling on it.. :/ :) And I moved my leg and hidden was a tiny, little ant hill (so small I'm not sure it would even count). :/ :) But I guess I disturbed them and they evidently bit me plenty. Because later my leg started itching plenty (must have crawled up my pants a little). And then when I woke up this morning, it was itching a lot. And I scratched a lot. :/ :) And then I ended up getting a small raised spot on the top of my leg at my ankle, and then an enormous "spot" about 4 inches in diameter (10 cm) on the back of my calf. So, I'm assuming I have a small allergy to ant bites. The spots are raised, like mosquito bites and red, and hard.

But I made myself stop scratching, and the itching has gone away plenty. Must be some small allergy, because the same thing happens to me with mosquito bites, they get about 1-2 inches in diameter (3-5 cm). Plenty of the ants must have biten me in the same area to get such a spot on the back of my leg.

So now I have to ignore what itching is left and let it go away.

Ooh and to beat it all, I mowed on Monday ... stupidly without gloves - didn't think I'd need them. No vibration and it didn't take very long. I ended up getting a big blister on my thumb! And another on the inside of my hand. We're assuming that they showed up so easily with the help of my grass allergy.

Ehhh..

Watched The Fantastic Four yesterday - it was on TV. It was a lot better than I thought it would be. I watched the cartoon religiously when I was little but I thought the movie would be awful, but it was okay.

And then Deliverance ended up being on TV last night (was on just a little while ago, too), but they show it so late at night.. :( That it is impossible to stay up and watch it. That movie is one of the best.

This Friday we have our "block dinner." Although it is gonna be a little strange. You have to bring your own blanket and food and just go sit at the lake down the street - and that is it.. :/ Not sure how productive it is going to be.. :/ I think we were figuring we would pay and then someone buys food and there would be a BBQ or something ... so.. yeah, we'll see how it goes.. :/ :)

And we forgot our camera at the summerhouse - so there won't be any pictures for awhile. :P

24 weeks

Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week. Since she's almost a foot long, that makes for a pretty lean figure, but her body's filling out proportionally. Your baby's brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds may be working now. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily. Your baby can hear more now, and you may even notice her startle at loud, sudden noises. But she's probably getting used to the regular noises she hears around the house, such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner.

Very nice weekend.

Even though there was plenty of rain, we still had a very nice weekend.

Fredrik was gone a good part of Saturday, he left around 06.00 and finally got home around 13.30. He went to the office after he did his measuring, to put the data into the computer and send it back to the person that is presently normally doing the work. And then he was finally able to come home.

He managed to get some fishing in on Saturday evening and on Sunday morning. The weather finally cleared up by Sunday. And I sat outside in the sun and dozed a little and read some in the book I'm presently reading: Stephen King's Needful Things.

We got home yesterday and I shaved Fredrik's head. :)
I had cut my hair during last week, I took off 3 inches (8 cm), which is quite a lot, even with my length. So, now it feels like I have no hair. :/ :)

We were starving when we got home yesterday so we decided to go get some food and then head to the grocery store. I got a kebab salad, which, I think with the kebab sauce, took away the goodness of getting a salad.. :/ :)) But at least it as something different than chicken.

Caesar is doing well! He has been reluctantly taking his antibiotic pills 2 times a day. He has jaws of steel.. :/ He is much more back to himself now. :) So he is as much a booger as ever.. :P
He isn't too crazy about his new cat food he has to eat ... and his pills give him diarrhea.. So, yeah.. he's having trouble going to the bathroom because he isn't eating much food, since he doesn't like it. But eventually he gets hungry enough that he eats it.

We put together the new mower last night, and tried that out. I'm going to mow as soon as I get done with this.. :P

The baby is doing fine.. Very quiet. :) Which is saving on my bladder with the punching and kicking. :/ :) But some larger movements in the evenings, of the baby rotating and moving. Anxious for our next appointment, to hear the heartbeat again.

We watched some good movies this weekend, though.
On TV was War of the Worlds. We had put off watching it, but it ended up being pretty good (except Dakota Fanning - we're not that crazy about her). We also watched Below. We had bought it some time, it must have been cheap, when we bought a bunch of other movies, because neither one of us remembers getting it. :/ :) But it was rather good. We both had our doubts in the beginning, but it was worth watching. It was a thriller/scary submarine movie dated during WWII. Definately worth a watch. And then after that Enigma was on TV. And that was also very good. (Another WWII movie, about code breakers, etc..)

Not sure if anything exciting has happened..
Caesar is better, we're doing fine, Fredrik is at work..
So, I guess that is all for now!

Tired kitty.

He is much happier! (And very tired.) :)

When Fredrik came down this morning Caesar was laying in the kitchen, on a rug, with a little bit of pee sprinkled here and there on the floor in the kitchen. (Maybe having a little trouble controlling his bladder because I have a feeling his pee-pee hurts a little after how many times she had to put the catheter in..) :/

But he is purring lots and wants to be held. And this is a picture of him sitting in the same spot for a long time and then closing his eyes, and eventually he falls asleep and starts to sway back and forth.. :))) He falls asleep very quickly and wherever he is sitting. :)) So, the sedation hasn't worn off completely. But he is definitely feeling much better.

He drank a lot of water but hasn't eaten anything.

So, we'll finish getting ready and Fredrik will run to the store and then we'll head out for the weekend!

P.S.
I was very proud of Fredrik yesterday.. :)) I was holding the pan to collect the blood, etc, but I got very warm and light headed (it was very warm in that room), and I was very thirsty, so I had to leave the room, and so he took over for me and he handled the blood very well!! :))

Sedated kitty.

A very sedated little kitty. :))

We are very certain that he is going to feel much, much better.

We got to the vet at 18.00 and she started working right away. She said his bladder was the size of a tennis ball. :( No wonder he couldn't walk.

Fredrik and I got to help out. :) She had to do everything then and there and we were able (obviously) to bring him home.

There was a lot of blood and urine. :( And the stones must have been tiny but clumped together because she couldn't find a single stone. It was an unbelievable amount of stuff in him. :(

It took 1½ hours and I was starving when we left. So we got something at McDonald's to bring home. Now Caesar is sleeping in his pee-paded box in the bathroom, next to his litter box. He could wake up within 6-12 hours.

When we were leaving a dog was coming in that had eaten rat poison! Ooops.. :/ :)

So, we will run to the pharmacy tomorrow morning and fill his prescription and then head to the summerhouse, with what we are sure is to be a happier kitty. :)) She said there was a lot of infection, but nothing unusal, and she was leaving a sample out to see if bacteria starts to grow.

I'll post something in the morning and report how he is doing. :)

Kitty update.

Fredrik just called the vet and they said they need to see him asap to flush out any infection. So there was an emergency vet number he could call and then we'll try to see if that person has the time to take care of him, etc. So then we'll either drive him to Säffle to the vet, or Fredrik said that they sometimes come and pick up the animals. He'll be calling back as soon as he knows..

But we're not sure yet if we are going. Depends on how long everything takes, and if the cat has to spend the night. If he has to spend the night, we'll have to get him tomorrow, and then with Fredrik working on Saturday it will make it pointless to try to get to the summerhouse.. :/

So, we'll see what happens. But hopefully Mr. Kitties can start feeling better.

Poor Mr. Kitties. :(

He is in a lot of pain and there is nothing we can do for him. :(

Yesterday he tried to pee in his box, and he couldn't and he was walking funny.. So we are figuring that his pee-problems are back. And there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. :( Last time it bothered him, it wasn't this bad and it went away quickly. He is having trouble walking now and he is complaining some with some whining and soft growling.

We know he isn't too far gone because he still wants to be petted and comforted and he is still purring plenty.

I called Fredrik a couple of hours ago and gave him an update of how he is doing, and he was going to call the vet in Säffle (the closest vet to us - ½ an hour away) and see if we can get an appointment for the beginning of next week.

We know there is nothing a vet can do if it is a urniary problem. Just have to wait it out and stop giving him dry food (dry food is obviously very dangerous for cats and has a 99% chance of giving them urniary troubles - supposed to only give them wet food). But Fredrik has been spending plenty of time on Swedish cat forums on the Internet and he's read that if we start only giving him wet food, then the problem can get better. But there is nothing really that a vet can do unless he gets an infection.

So, we are going to take him to the vet anyways, and just get him checked out. A little kitty-physical. Confirm that it is a bladder thing, make sure there is no infection, and maybe check for stones. He might be trying to pass one, and that of course is very painful, so maybe they can give him some pain medicine or something... :/

Unfortunately since it is a holiday starting tomorrow, everything will be closed. :( Poor Mr. Kitties. :( He has to wait at least until Monday to be able to see anyone.

So, Fredrik and I are a little bumbed.. :( Nothing we can do to help our little baby. :( No way he can complain or tell us how he feels. :( He looks very frustrated and in a lot of pain. He is walking very slowly and can barely go up and down the stairs. But right now he is sleeping on the couch.

So even if it passes over the weekend we are still going to take him to the vet, a check-up never hurts.

On the way home yesterday Fredrik picked up the changing table we ordered! Here it is:

This is as far as we have gotten with it. :/ :) The boxes are incredibly heavy and we'll have to unpack the boxes and carry everything up a little at a time, because there is no way that I can help him carry them up the stairs. :/

Fredrik is having to go to Strömstad today to measure for a house that is going to be built. He doesn't really want to (drive that far), but he has to get it overwith. He is going to try to come home as soon as he can and then we'll pack up his work car and go to the summerhouse! He doesn't have to work on Friday, but he does have to work on Saturday. We are almost hoping they ask him to work on Sunday, too, so that he doesn't have to work one day next weekend.

And the baby is fine, no worries. :) Plenty of moving around last night. When I am bloated I feel less (which I have been for the last couple of days), but started feeling more movements last night. :) The baby always lets me know when I am hungry.. :/ :)
With as much as this baby moves, as shown on the ultrasound, we don't have any worries at all about if it is healthy or not. :/ :))

Glad Midsommar, btw! (Happy Midsummer). It is officially summer, the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. (After today Fredrik says it is winter. :D Because it starts to get dark again after today.) It has been raining off and on today, I was hoping for at least a little sunshine for this weekend, so we could be outside a little.

So I am hoping Mr. Kitties starts feeling a little better, because it will be a miserable trip for us otherwise.. :/ We'll just sit and worry about him and want to take him to the vet. So, I hope he starts feeling better so all 4 of us can enjoy the weekend!

Interesting info.

We found out a little info about our house!

Fredrik was out working on the slope in the yard in the beginning of the week, and the neighbor that lives right next door came home at the same time. And they stopped and chatted a few minutes.

The guy said that they've lived here about 6 years. And their youngest daughter's (4-5 yo) name is Emma. (So now Fredrik is determined to not use that name.) :/ :))

Fredrik asked for suggestions about what to do with that plot of our land, and he suggested some birch trees, that they would like that. :) So, we are thinking about putting in a few trees. Would give them some privacy, too, because we can see into all their windows and their deck and yard, so it would be nice for them I'm sure.
And it would give lots of shade in the area, and maybe prohibit the sun getting through to letting so much stuff grow there, and for once we wouldn't be upset if moss took over and kept the grass low! So, that is a good idea.

The guy said that there used to be a forest on the slope! And that there used to be a fence around the top of the yard.

Before the woman lived here (for 4 years, she is our age) a man from Serbia lived in the house. And he definately got rid of the fence and cut down the trees on the slope. What else he did, we don't know.

We plan on putting up a fence, to stop little feet from running over the edge of our "cliff." :) But we are going to do that next summer, and have my parents help out. We won't need it this summer, the little one will only be starting to walk next summer, so it will be perfect.

Hmmm.. and the guy asked if he could park his car next to our garage (at the bottom of the slope - no where near our house), because he is a volunteer firefighter! and he is on-call often and would like to park so his car isn't trapped in their driveway.

I think that is about it at least. They have to be the people closest in age to use around here, and they look like they are in their mid 30's at least. Everyone else is... 60+ .. :/ :))

So it was fun getting little tidbits of info. :)

Fredrik's work is going well. He's very busy, working at home in the evenings, on the phone all the time, etc.. And we have a feeling he is going to be having to do a lot more work on the sinking dock. They are afraid some of the buildings might be in danger of sinking as well. The commune is stalling with starting on the work ... and keep asking for it to be measured (even though they well know that the rocks holding up everything is sliding farther and farther into the ocean).

I'm doing well, too, I suppose. :/ :) Haven't felt the baby move in a few days, so anxiously awaiting to feel something again. And waiting out for that 28th week, when you are supposed to start counting and tracking baby movements (at least that is what is done in the US).

I'm bored and lonely. Miss all my friends and classmates. Anxiously awaiting the start of our parent-group get-togethers.

24th Week of Pregnancy

How big is your baby?
Your baby is now 11 inches long (28 cm) and weighs 1¼ to 1½ pounds (560 - 675 g).

What is happening with your baby?
Your baby's brain is growing rapidly at this time. Taste buds are also developing, and the lungs are becoming more developed and complex. The branches of the main lung are beginning to form as well as special cells that will produce surfactant. Surfactant is necessary for the air sacs to inflate easily. Babies who are born prematurely often have trouble breathing because these cells have not had enough time to develop or are not producing the necessary amounts of surfactant.

Lots of driving.

Saturday we got up and drove to Intersport and bought a new motion bike! We put that together last night and it is very nice! It was on sale for a great price. And then after that we went and bought a new push mower. That way I can help out a little more with the mowing. The fumes of the gasoline isn't something I wanna be around, and it is heavy, etc ... so getting this one is great, I can mow more often than having to wait until Fredrik can have a chance to mow.

We decided to leave on Saturday, instead of Sunday.

Fredrik's phone was acting funny and he needed to get some information from the office, so we decided to leave on Saturday and go to Bengtsfors and then drive on to the summerhouse and spend the night there. Then we could leave on Sunday morning and be a little closer to the town we were going to: Smögen.

So, I was able to see the building where his office is, and see his temporary office until the little old lady in the next office gets kicked out of hers and Fredrik will take it over. :D

We went to the summerhouse and Fredrik mowed and I did some laundry. (Mr. Kitties didn't go with us.)
And then we got up at 6 on Sunday morning, and we arrived a little late at 9.15 in Smögen. Fredrik hurried and tried to do his work as fast as possible before lots of people showed up to get in the way and stop and ask questions, etc.. And we managed to get done and look around in the town quickly, drive the couple hours home and we got home a little before 14.00.

So, we drove a lot this weekend. But I am glad that I went with him, because we hardly would have seen each other this weekend otherwise.. :/

Here are some pictures from our trip!
Smögen - June 17th, 2007
The town is extremely beautiful. But extremely touristy during the summer. A guy said that there are maybe 3,000 people that live there year round, but from June to August there are 30,000 people that live there... :/ And I doubt he is joking.

I think that next weekend we will also go to the summerhouse. It is midsummer, our opinion: the worst time of the year to be in Sweden. Of these (almost) 5 years that I've been in Sweden, we've escaped to the summerhouse every year but one during Midsummer. Granted, it is beautiful (if the weather is nice, but it is supposed to rain here), and the sun never sets, blah blah blah ... It is the longest day of the year. BUT - Any holiday is an excuse for Swedes to drink over excessively and be very, very loud (fine if you are loud and having fun and enjoying yourself - but being loud because of being drunk isn't so attractive), so - we try to hide. :/ :)) Which is why we escape to the summerhouse. :)) And if the weather is bad, like it is supposed to be, then we can light a fire and put in some good, old movies and curl up on the couch. :)

Oooh..! We bought a great movie, too, while we were in Bengtsfors: Children of Men. Excellent movie! I definately recommend it.

Enough about me ranting about Midsummer.. ;)
The mail should be here now, so I will go see how many fun ads we received! :/ :)

23 Weeks

Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. He may be able to feel your movements now, so put on some tunes and dance around the house. No matter what race your baby is, he looks red now due to blood vessels showing through his transparent skin. His true skin tone will develop over the course of his first year. Blood vessels in your baby's lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing, but complete lung development will take many more months. The lungs are the last organ to fully develop.

Congratulations to me!!

I am officially a Swedish citizen! :)

I sent my application and other papers 3 weeks ago exactly and received the result today. :) Now I just have to go to the nearest police station that takes care of passports, and apply for a Swedish passport. Since the US and Sweden have agreed on dual citizenship, that means I get to have both.

The paper says, "Proof of Swedish Citizenship

The Migration Office takes in after [fancy talk for "accepts"] the application of the citizen of The United States of America Hillary Georgette to Swedish Citizen."

Yeah!!

Our new family member.

[Click picture for a larger view.]

Delivery today.

We are getting a delivery today: Fredrik's work truck.
He had bought train tickets and everything to go pick it up on Saturday, but they weren't open and everyone that could meet him there and give him the keys was away for the weekend or on vacation ... so the work person fixed it so that someone would deliver it to our house today. So it could show up any time today.

Fredrik is in Gothenburg today ... having an administrative meeting about learning how to write out his extra work bonuses for his paycheck. He took the train, which I know he enjoyed rather than driving. It is such a short trip, we'll have to do that with my parents when they show up next summer.

And we found out that Fredrik has to work on Sunday (double pay!). The pier that they thought was sinking started sinking again - so he has to go out and do some more measuring. There is a restaurant/café that is sorta attached to it, so it is sorta important. And he asked me if I would like to go with him, so that will be fun! :) While out on Sunday we hope to drive by the summerhouse and pick up a weed-wacker that can handle higher grass than the one we have here at the house. We need to try to figure out what to do with the slope behind our house/yard. The grass/weeds are high ... but it is difficult to figure out what to do.. to just let it grow, or keep it trimmed (which will be a job), or to try to plant some kind of wild flowers or bushes to try to take over the grass and weeds. So, we'll see what we come up with.

We have definately decided on closets and how much will fit along the wall. Just have to sit down and order them. (And a table for our smaller dining room.)

I think that is all for now. I'll put on a picture of the truck when it shows up.

Your Pregnancy: 23 Weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby is more than 11 inches long (28 cm) and weighs just over a pound (450 g). His skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He can swallow, but he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze your baby when he hears them outside the womb.

Survey: Working dads want more family time

One reason why I love living in Sweden: maternity/paternity leave.

POSTED: 9:12 a.m. EDT, June 14, 2007

Don't be surprised if you see more dads on the playground with the kids during the workday.

According to a new CareerBuilder.com survey, 37 percent of working dads say they'd leave their jobs if their spouse or partner made enough money to support the family.

If given the choice, another 38 percent would take a pay cut to spend more time with their kids.

Nearly one in four (24 percent) working dads feel work is negatively impacting their relationship with their children. Forty-eight percent have missed a significant event in their child's life due to work at least once in the last year and nearly one in five (18 percent) have missed four or more.

According to the survey, the time working dads spend on work far exceeds the time spent with their children.

More than one in four (27 percent) working dads say they spend more than 50 hours a week on work and nearly one in 10 (8 percent) spend more than 60 hours.

In terms of the time they spend with their children, one in four (25 percent) working dads spend less than one hour with their kids each day. Forty-two percent spend less than two hours each day.

While more companies today are offering various programs and options to promote work/life balance, some working dads say their employers are lacking in this area.

Thirty-six percent of working dads say their company does not offer flexible work arrangements such as flexible schedules, telecommuting, job sharing and more.

Richard Castellini, vice president of consumer marketing at CareerBuilder.com and father of three, offers the following tips to help dads gain a healthy work/life balance:

1. Keep in touch -- While you're at work, make a quick call in between meetings and projects and let your children know they're top of mind.

2. Plan a kid-friendly potluck -- If co-workers in your department have kids, ask your boss if you can have a kid-friendly potluck for lunch on a Friday. Not only does this allow the kids to spend extra time with you, but it also gives the employees in your department time to get to know each other better.

3. Give your undivided attention -- When you're at home spending time with your family, turn off your cell phone, step away from the e-mails and give your undivided attention. If you bring work home, do it after the kids have gone to bed.

4. Keep one calendar -- Schedule baseball games and play recitals on the same calendar you use for meetings and travel to make sure you never double-book yourself. Save your vacation days for those special events in your children's lives, so you're there and in the front row.

5. Make time -- At least once a week, schedule a family activity that involves interaction such as a game, bike ride, trip to the playground, etc. Also, make sure to schedule a date night for you and your significant other.

Toy Frustrations.

I really want one of these. (Another one of these toys that are in all American households.)

But the problem is, they've changed them .... The top donut isn't red and solid anymore, but some weird, chewy thing.... :(((

Someone can please find me an older version of this?? I'd love to have one.

Flight ordered.

So, we were in the process of booking our trip to the US for December, and the information wanted the child's name and birthday. :/ :) So, we called the service center for the airlines and they told us what we were figuring we would have to do.

We ended up ordering the tickets for Fredrik and I, and since the baby isn't going to have a seat, it doesn't need to be reserved, so we can call them after the baby is born, and they will add the information and that is that!

I think we are going to call tomorrow, though, and reserve a bassinet and make sure they put us in the bulk seating before someone else reserves it.

At least we have the trip ordered. That is one step accomplished in this long process.

Pojke vs Flicka #2

Pojke vs Flicka
Boy vs Girl

I found this cute list on a random Swedish woman's pregnancy site and I thought it was neat. :) We have our own "wive's tales" about if it will be a boy or girl, so it is neat to see something in Swedish about it. Some of it doesn't apply to us yet, so I'll go through it now, and keep updating it as time goes on. :)


Du kommer att få en pojke om... (You're going to have a boy if...)

• din bebis hjärta slår med mindre än 140 slag/minut (your baby's heart beats less than 140 beats/minute) No.

• du bär magen "framåt" (your stomache is forward) Doesn't apply yet.

• du bär bebisen långt ner (the baby is low) Doesn't apply yet.

• du blir vackrare under graviditeten (you become prettier/more beautiful during the pregnancy) Not sure I should be the judge of this one.

• du inte var illamående de första tre månaderna (you were not sick during the first 3 months) Slightly naucious for a little while, but never threw up once!

• dina pupiller utvidgas när du tittar på dig själv i spegeln minst en minut (your pupil widens when you look at yourself in the mirror for at least a minute) Stayed about the same. No difference in the end.

• du vill äta salt och proteinrik mat, som ost och kött (you want to eat salt and protein rich foods, like cheese and meat) No.

• dina fötter lättare blir kalla (your feet become cold easier) Too warm now.

• du gör en pendel av din vigselring och en bit tråd, hänger den över magen och den svänger i cirklar (make a pendulum with your wedding ring and a piece of thread, hang it over your stomach and it swings in circles) Yes! Each time.

• du får torr hy (you have dry skin) Nope.

• du lägger din ålder då du blev befruktad till numret på månaden du blev befruktad och svaret är ett jämnt nummer (take the number of your age when you became pregnant plus the number of the month you became pregnant and the answer is an even number) 27 years + 1 for January = 28! Even number.

• du fått tjockare och blankare hår under graviditeten (you get more thicker and shinier hair during pregnancy) Hair hasn't changed, but maybe with time.

• håret på benen växet fortare under graviditeten (the hair on your legs grows faster during pregnancy) Actually growing slower and thinner.

• du lättare får huvudvärk (you get headaches easier) Not any more.

• du sover med huvudet mot norr (you sleep with your head to the North) Nope! To the South.

• du spontant visar händerna med handflatan nedåt ifall någon ber att få se dem (if someone asks to see your hands, you automatically show your hands with palms down) Nope.

• du sover på vänster sida (you sleep on your left side) Right or left side.

• din urin är klargul (your urine is a clear-yellow) Yes.

• du luktar starkt från hela kroppen då du ätit vitlök (you smell a lot from your whole body when you eat garlic) No.

• om ditt förra barns första ord vad "pappa". (your previous child's first word was "dada") Doesn't apply.



Du kommer att få en flicka om... (You're going to have a girl if...)

• din bebis hjärta slår fortare än 140 slag/minut (your baby's heart beats more than 140 beats/minute) Average of 160.

• du är rund runtom, inte bara framåt (your are more round in the middle, not only outwards) Doesn't apply yet.

• du bär bebisen högt (your baby is high) Doesn't apply yet.

• du inte alls blev vackrare under graviditeten (you didn't become at all prettier during pregnancy) Not sure I should be the judge of this one.

• du var illamående de första tre månaderna (you were sick during the first 3 months) Nope!

• dina pupiller inte utvidgas när du tittar på dig själv i spegeln minst en minut (your pupils do not widen when you look at yourself for at least a minute in the mirror) Stayed about the same. No difference in the end.

• du vill äta sötsaker som juice, frukt och godis (you want to eat sweet things like juice, fruit, and candy) Definately having a sweet-tooth now: chocolate.

• du gör en pendel av din vigselring och en bit tråd och den svänger från sida till sida när du håller den över magen (make a pendulum with your wedding ring and a piece of string and then hang it over your stomach and it swings from side to side) Nope.

• din hy är mjukare än vanligt (your skin is softer than normal) Used to have very dry elbows, now always super soft.

• du är mer känslosam än vanligt (you are more emotional than normal) Yes. :/ I can just go through the TV channels and just catch a glimpse of Oprah and start crying.. :/ Rather annoying actually.....

• du spontant visar dina händer med handflatan uppåt om någon ber att få se dem (when someone asks to see your hands, you automatically show them palms up) Yes.

• du inte luktar starkt efter att ha ätit vitlök (you don't smell strongly after eating garlic) Correct.

• du lägger din ålder vid befruktningen till numret på den månad du blev befruktad och svaret är ett udda tal (you add your age, when you became pregnant, with the number of the month you became pregnant and the answer is a odd number) Nope.

• ditt hår blivit tunnare och mer glanslöst under graviditeten (your hair has become thinner and less shiny during pregnancy) No difference as of now.

• du sover på höger sida (you sleep on your right side) Left or right side.

• du sover med huvudet mot söder (you sleep with your head towards the South) Yes! (South-East)

• din urin är mindre klargul (your urine is less clear-yellow) Nope.

• ditt förra barns första ord var "mamma". (your previous child's first word was "mama") Doesn't apply.


Räkning (Findings) :::
Pojke: 5 green / 9 red
Flicka: 9 green / 4 red

None of this really means anything but it is fun anyways. :))

The Kicks of Death.

So around 10 last night, the Little One decides to do some aerobics and starts jogging in place on my bladder... :/ At least that is what it felt like.. And it hurts.. :/

It was really warm last night.. :/ I had trouble falling asleep.. :/ But it is much cooler outside right now, but very humid in the house.

Yesterday evening I think we came to a final conclusion on which closets we want to buy. So, when we have the chance we will take some measurements along the wall and try to fit as much there as possible. And then we can finally order them! And IKEA actually has the only round dining table that we can find, so we are going to get that some time as well. (Have to measure of course and make sure it isn't too big.)

It is officially summer break here now; school is over. I'm going to have to contact the school and have them send my grades here, as I obviously can't pick them up at the building. :/ :)

More later.

Midwife appointment.

Today we had another barnmorska (midwife) appointment. And all is very well with the baby!

She had the results of all my blood tests and we talked about the TB test that I have to have (if I really have to have it or not, since North America isn't a risk country for TB). And we all agreed that a toxoplasmosis test is unnecessary.

She didn't have many tests to take today:
- blood pressure 130/60
- iron 126

She said my iron is perfect (better than it needs to be) so I don't have to take any extra tablets or pills.

She did the first measurement of my belly, so she can track the growth rate of the baby. And we listened to the heartbeat! :) It varied from 154-164, so she gave an average of 160. (Old Wives Tale: high heart rate = a girl!) ;)

And then after the appointment she introduced us to a... group leader. This new woman told us about all the different group get-togethers that we can sign up for. There is the regular group get-together, and then another one is an educational class about being a parent. And a third which helps the parents deal with... relationship issues.. :/ :) So, we are signing up for as many group meetings as possible (except the relationship one), so that we can meet people!

Fredrik has to go to Gothenburg on Wednesday. Someone thinks a pier.. or dock is sinking into the ocean, so he has to go measure. :/ :) He's going to try to get his work car on Saturday.

Still miserably hot.. :/ But today we had some loud thunder and a couple of minutes of soft rain. The rest of the week should start cooling down, so, we are looking forward to that.

We have a new midwife appointment: July 4th.

23rd Week of Pregnancy

How big is your baby?
Your baby has finally reached a weight of 1 pound (450 g) and is approximately 10 inches long (25 cm).

What is happening with your baby?
Your baby is continuing to gain weight, but the next several weeks will be when he/she really begins to fill out. Lanugo, or the fine hair that covers your baby’s body, may darken at this point allowing it to be seen on an ultrasound. Your baby is also beginning to look more like it will at birth.

Sticky.

Okay .... it is really, really hot here.. :/

It has been about 30ºC (86ºF) - which is really, really toasty for Sweden. Seems like Northern Europe is having a bit of a heatwave right now, and is warmer than most other parts of Europe for this time of year.

So, we are a bit miserable. :/ :)) None of the windows in the first floor of our house open, they are all painted shut (what you get with an old house). But thankfully the ones upstairs open, so it is very nice and cool upstairs (otherwise I don't think we would be sleeping much).

We had to go to the grocery store today and we were very thankful for the time we were able to spend in the car in the AC. :)) (AC = air conditioning). No one is outside. No one was out on the roads, and there were maybe 5 people in the grocery store. It is too hot to go out, too hot to be inside. All you have to do is sit to start sweating and get all sticky and nasty. So lots of cold showers for us this past week. :/ :))

The child (~4 yo girl) next door has a good size little pool outside, and I so much want to go over and get in it. :D My feet and hands are staying swollen (not been swollen at all because of the pregnancy - but now it shows up because of the heat). We have been drinking lots of fluids but we haven't been very hungry. So, I'm trying to make sure to munch on plenty of fruit (juicy and sweet), to help keep fluids and nutrients for the baby.

But the weather is still nothing compared to being in the US. :/ :) Times like this we are very thankful that we don't have humidity in Sweden.

(But with this weather - Fredrik and I really wish that stores in Sweden had the same policy that stores in the US have :: "No Shirt. No Shoes. No Service." I mean sometimes... Ewwww.. :/ )

Daddy and baby.

Oops... :/

So, I just realized that I never changed my married name in the US after our wedding.. :/ The only thing that can be done is to just change the name for my Social Security Number (personnummer), otherwise everything has to be done individually (unlike how it is in Sweden)..

So, I need to fill out a new form for a SSN and send it to the Embassy asap so that I have the correct last name registered in the US when they register the child's birth......

A big headache.

So, yesterday I finally got around to printing out all of the info we need to: Report the child's birth to the U.S., apply for a Social Security Number (personnummer), and to apply for an American passport. This is all the information and forms that I have to fill out.




Fredrik joked that we don't have time to look at the baby after it is born and decide on a name, we are going to have to decided right then and there after it is born, so that we can register everything with the tax office so we can get all the appropriate papers piled together. :/ :))

And not one paper can be filled out until the child is born.. :/ :)
So maybe while at the hospital we can have one of the nurses look after the baby for a couple of hours and we can sit down and fill all this stuff out.. :/ The Embassy won't even take a call for an appointment until you have this 3 page check-list completed. :/ :))

Such fun to look forward to!! :))

What your baby looks like — 22 weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches (26 cm) and almost 1 pound (450 g). Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

Super yummy cake!

Happy Swedish National Day!

A beautiful day today! Very hot and sunny. :) A nice change from our previous weather. It has been pretty decent this week, but today is rather spectacular. :) I asked Fredrik if he would like to grill today, being National Day and all, and he said "no" that everyone else would be grilling so he doesn't want to. :/ :) Such a nonconformist. :)) So, we are having tacos instead. :/ :)

The weather is unbelievable, though. I've been sweating quite a bit today, though, so that is just a prelude to what it will be like for me for the rest of the summer. :/ :) Being pregnant during the summer isn't fun!

Fredrik is on his way now, walking with some paper to recycle, and then buying milk on his way home. (We go through so much milk.) I would have gone with him for the exercise, but I... lag on the way home. :/ :) I am usually okay on the walk to where we are going, but the walk home, I start to slow down a bit.. :/ :) A symptom of pregnancy. :) But it is a bit hot out, and I get dehydrated easily anyways, so I don't want to push it. I'm sweating enough walking around the house. :/ :)))

We've been trying to get plenty done today, since it is an extra day that he has off from work. We have been trying to clean up here and there and if we can't unpack it (which most everything that has a place to be unpacked to - is already there) ... we are boxing it up and moving it to the basement. We've been working mostly in the office room ... it is the first room that we got together, and then it has been used for storage of odd and end things. So we've boxed up some stuff and trying to clean the room out. We've hung up a few pictures on the wall.. Just stuff here and there that we haven't gotten around to yet.

The IKEA doesn't open until the end of August..... blah... so we have been trying to figure out what to do about getting some closets for our bedroom, which would help unload the boxes upstairs, and we would still have plenty of room to store some towels and sheets, too. (We have no place for that now.) So, we're going to see what we want, and see if they will deliver here, and how much it would cost. We hate having to wait so long before we can fix stuff better.. :/

Fredrik painted the roof of the little food room with some thin, liquid tar ... which is supposed to be a balcony. It leaks some water when it rains very strongly (it has to be very bad rain). Painted with the hopes of preventing further leaking in the future. It has only leaked twice now since we've been here, and never in the same spots. We're figuring that the roof there just wasn't made so well, not finished properly, because some time in the past there was going to be a balcony that was never finished, so they were expecting to finish it, but of course didn't. We want to finish it of course, but it is one of the lower things on our list of priorty fixings for the house. :)) So, we just want to keep it from leaking.

And we want to redo the baby's room. It is the only room in the house that hasn't been renovated in a long time. The colors are scary ... dark green on 2 walls and light blue on 2 walls...?! And the flooring is fake wood floor, so we want to replace that as well. Which now we almost have to since Fredrik tracked in a little tar on the floor. :) But he said that that is a good excuse because now we have to redo it. :)) So, we hope to do that room some time this summer. There is a bit of furniture in there, too, that we have to get rid of before the baby comes. And I think we have decided to get some IKEA closets for in there, too, instead of ordering the very expensive standing closet that goes with the other set stuff with the crib, etc ... More practical for future use to get normal closets.

Fredrik has classes tomorrow and Friday in Karlstad, so he will get to come home. And then on the 15th he has to go to Göteborg, but he is going to take the train for that, which will be practical. :)

But I think that is all for now. :) I want to make a cake. :P

My Baby Shower!

I received the news yesterday that my childhood friend, Rachel, and her mom, Vicki, want to host my baby shower when we visit the States in December! :) I'm quite excited about the whole thing. My mom had mentioned to me that we could have a belated baby shower after the baby is born when we visit, and they were determined to host it. :) So, I am very honored. :)

For those of you reading that have no idea what a Baby Shower is:
it is a party given by friends or family (mom, sisters, or girlfriends) for a pregnant woman. :) It is usually done in the 3rd trimester, but of course allowed anytime during pregnancy. All the woman's family and friends are invited and there is food, games and presents for the baby. :)

Nothing like this exists in Sweden (I have heard Swedes have a bit of a superstition about buying things for the baby before it is born). My friend Yamini and I have been slightly depressed about not having the opportunity to have a baby shower while pregnant. But this is almost even better.. ;) Because everyone at my shower will get to see the baby, too. :)

Fredrik is a bit excited by it, I think. :) Men aren't invited, but of course he will be there. :)) He can take care of the baby while us women have lots of fun. :))

I've picked out some cute invitations, but we have plenty of time for planning everything. :) This is also giving me something to think about ... I've been a bit bored lately, with no school and no shops to look in. So, I've been trying to come up with some games. :) And deciding on practical and impractical gifts for the baby. :)

But I believe the party will be on December 15th, the first Saturday after we arrive. (Haven't bought tickets yet, but we are doing that, soon.) I think the dates of our trip will be from December 10th - January 3rd. Something like that at least. :) I hate coming back so soon after New Year's but Fredrik will need to get back to work eventually, and flying on Friday or the weekend adds about 5 000:- (800$) onto the ticket cost!!!

And my sisters will be there, and my nieces and friends. :) I'm very excited (but it is all so far away). :( :) Things like this make me miss being away from home. All these little traditions that I miss out on now. But at least I have some great friends and family that are going to make us feel right at home while we are there. :))

Fear.

This is Caesar watching the riding lawn mower at the summer house:

22nd Week of Pregnancy

How big is your baby?
Your baby is approximately 9 inches long (~22 cm) and weighs a whole 14 ounces (~400 g).

What is happening with your baby?
Your baby has pretty much taken on the form of a newborn baby, but is incredibly small. Much development will continue to occur over the next 18 weeks. His or her skin appears wrinkly, but this is because he/she has not yet gained enough weight to fill the skin out. The lips are becoming more distinct. The eyes have completely formed, but the iris (the colored portion of the eye) still lacks pigment. The eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and the pancreas is continuing to mature.

We should have gotten a dog.

Okay, so Caesar really annoyed us on the way home and I really thought Fredrik was going to stop and throw the catbox out of the car and drive away. :/ :))

With having to leave early to catch the ferry, we were in the car for about 1½ hours, and Caesar meowed all but 5 minutes of that time. He finally stopped when we reached Åmål. He meowed the ENTIRE time..... It was really annoying. He usually starts meowing, because he doesn't like cars and he HATES being in his box ... but he usually stops after 5 minutes .. but not this time. :/

But we had a nice trip besides Caesar's rantings.
We mowed the lawn and washed lots of clothes. The weather was very, very nice. Fredrik went fishing, but he said it was completely dead.

I sat out in the sun and read ... sat in the same spot for a little too long, and I got a little sunburned. :/ :))

Now we are going to use the rest of our day to work in the yard and clean up a little here and there.

Time to unpack lots of laundry and maybe sit outside and enjoy the nice weather (while it is here).

Congrats, Yamini! :)

My dear friend, Yamini, and her husband, JP, have recently had a baby girl. :) (Yamini was very determined that they would be having a little boy.) :)) The baby was due June 5th, but Yamini was right with her instinct that the little one would show up early and the baby, Vanya, showed up on May 25th. Yamini has been such a great friend since I have moved to Nyköping. She sent me tons of pictures and some fun details of their birthing experience. :) After 1½ hours at the hospital, their little one entered the World. :)) Right now her parents, from India, are visiting with them, so I know they are plenty busy with the new baby and relatives visiting.

My good friend, Carie, from the US is determined that we are having a baby boy. :))

She says the ultrasound looks just the same from their son's and she is determined she sees a penis. :)) We'll see if she is right. :)

I tried desperately myself to get a glimpse of something during the ultrasound, but the baby was moving around SO much, it was a little difficult. :) I'm going to have to ask Fredrik what he thinks about it ... last time he was 50-50, so I'll see if his mind has changed at all. :)

Fredrik got home around 22.00 last night. I think he enjoyed his day, as long as it was. :) Patrik, the guy he went to Malmö with, was there, so I think they were happy to be able to work together in the "getting-to-learn-about-everyone" activities. :)))

We're certain that Fredrik will work through his vacation this summer. The commune will have their set vacation days, but the Belgian project (the freelance project) he is working on will still be running, so he is thinking of working with that through vacation to get plenty done for them. But we are still planning on taking a few long weekends and maybe taking a few road trips through Norway. Nothing too strenuous or too far from home. :) And about our winter plans for going to the US - the Belgians will shut down their project on Nov. 30th, for the end of the year, and that will only leave his regular work, which will be a little thin during winter. And he will be getting 1½-2 weeks vacation for the holidays anyway. So, they have no problem of him taking as much time as he wants during winter for our trip to the US. :) So, that is great. :)

Since Yamini has given birth, I'm getting a bit more anxious for ours to show up.. even though we still have a looong ways to go. I wouldn't mind if ours showed up a little early, too.. ;)