Amalie is a 1 year old!

It is so hard to believe that we had our sweet baby girl more than a year ago. I only have sweet and precious memories from the whole birth experience. I do remember that it was incredibly painful, and by the end I was so exhausted from being in labor for 36 hours straight that I was truly delirious. But I remember the moment she was placed on my chest like it was yesterday. I was all of a sudden completely aware and felt so present and rested. I am sure that was just the adrenaline, and I did crash a few hours later, but it was such an amazing moment.

Now, a little over a year later we have the most energetic, fun, and crazy 1 year old. Just a little update on Amalie's personality. Amalie loves action! She loves running around outside, loves going to the swimming pool, bike rides, being chased, chasing others, you name it. She is extremely social and thrives around people. She will pretty much go to anyone and is so interested in little kids. She loves reading and will pretty much only sit still if there are books involved. She has always been a great eater, but will not eat unless she also has a spoon or fork so that she can "feed" herself, which means food everywhere. If we take something from her she will cry like she just got slapped in the face or something. She will only snuggle a few people, and there are only certain times a day that snuggling is appropriate in her mind. She loves to laugh and giggle and has the sweetest voice I have ever heard. She says Mamma (only when she is mad or sad), Dadda (all the time), and she points at everything and says the Norwegian word for "look". She has always liked the color green, which we noticed when we realized she favored the green toys at home, at her grandparents house, and her great grandparents.

I love everything about this little girl and just love being with her. There really aren't words that will do my feelings about being a mom justice. The past year has been filled with so much pure joy and love. At the same time, I have never been as tired and busy. Well, for the first months I was exhausted because this sweet little girl woke up every 2-3 hours to nurse. Then we had a moment of hope and thought that we had made it through the worst at around 2 or 3 months. But then she went through a sleep regression starting at 5 months and lasting until 8 months old! Thankfully she has been sleeping through the night since then. These days I am tired because life is just so busy!!

I went back to work in August and Amalie started in preschool. Although I really am loving my job right now, our everyday life has been so busy. Basically we get up at 6am, get ready, feed the sweet girl, pack her lunch and leave the house between 7:30-7:45. Keith drops her off normally, then I leave work at the latest 3:45 to pick her up. I pick her up around 4:15, get home around 4:45 or 5pm. We play, eat dinner, she gets a bath, then we read, sing and she goes to bed between 6:30-7pm. Since the project that I am on is in a pretty hectic phase, I normally turn on my computer and work at least another hour or two. Then I go to sleep by 10pm because I am dependent on at least 8 hours of sleep. Then we do it all over again!!!

I know that there are so many people who are busier than us, have more kids, more hectic jobs, etc, but I really am not a fan of such busy days, and such little time with Amalie. Keith and I pretty much do everything we can to have family time during the week and weekends, which means we are less social which is also a bummer.

Despite the feeling that life is just too busy these days, I do feel so thankful for so many things. I definitely have my moments, but there are few days where I am not reminded of all of the beauty in our lives and in the world. We have been blessed with having a relationship with the Lord, which gives us such peace and joy in our hearts. This is not something that should be taken lightly. I cannot imagine living this life without fully being able to experience the beauty and joy. We have been blessed with each other (Keith and I), and such a sweet and precious relationship. We have been blessed to be able to be parents. We live in a place where we can have jobs and take care of our family. We have our health. We have caring and loving people around us. We have families to love us and our sweet girl. We live in such a beautiful place and are able to enjoy the beauty of Gods creation every day.

I pray that no matter what is going on in our lives, we are able to be thankful for and appreciate every moment of each day. I pray that this is what we are able to show Amalie.

 

 

 

 

Even though we live in Norway and have a different day for celebrations like fathers day, we still celebrate the American days too. Why not celebrate as many days of the year?!

So yesterday was Keith's day. We took it pretty easy and just had a sweet day together as a family. We had breakfast together, had snuggle time with Amalie before her nap, went for a run in the beautiful weather, and watched a really cool documentary. I don't feel like any one day can do justice to the wonderful man and father that he is. 

I honestly cannot have imagined marrying a more amazing man, father, husband and friend. It is so crazy to think back to when you were younger and you tried to imagine what your life would be like. Although I had a great imagination and painted this unbelievable picture of my life and my husband, I can honestly say that it has turned out better than I ever imagined. 

8 years ago my life changed completely when I met Keith. He was the most genuine, sincere, loving and open person I had ever met. He showed me what it was to truly have a relationship with Jesus and to live fully in His peace, joy and love. Before he even really knew me that well, he loved me and saw me in the way I had always hoped to be seen. He loved me the way Jesus does in that unconditional, non-judging, compassionate, optimistic way, where you know there are no limits placed on who you are and want to be. A year later he proposed to me and one of the things he said that I will never forget is that he would not just "propose" to me this one day. He would spend the rest of our lives loving me and "proposing" to me on a daily basis. And he has not gone back on his promise. Keith has loved, supported and encouraged me everyday to be everything that I want to be and that Jesus places on my heart to be. 

We always knew we wanted to have children and I didn't question one second whether Keith would be an amazing father to our children, and supportive husband to me as a mother. And once again, no matter how wonderful I imagined this experience to be, I could have never imagined it to be this beautiful. Every moment of each day is so precious. It is the greatest blessing to be a mother, and it is even more of a blessing to see the man that I love being the sweetest, most caring and fun father ever. I am so thankful for our family and for this life that we have been blessed to experience. Thank you Keith for being the man, husband, friend and father that you are. 

Life is beautiful

So the past couple of months have flown by! I have less than 3 months left of my maternity leave and I am trying to take in each moment of each day. This life couldn't be more beautiful. Amalie is on the move big time and is keeping me on my toes. She is crawling and trying pull herself up to stand on those little chubby feet, although she has had no luck yet. She pulls herself up and tumbles, but I can only imagine that it will not take long before she is cruising around the furniture. It is such a blessing to experience the excitement in her eyes every time she discovers something new. Everything is an adventure and every new experience sends her into a joyful state. It is seriously hilarious. We went to some friends house for dinner last night and they have a much bigger and more open living room. No exaggeration she was crawling in circles at one point, sitting down every once in a while to smile and laugh. She loves new places, and people... she is all about people. 

I feel like we just got home from our trip to the US, but we have already been back for a few weeks. The trip was definitely wonderful, hectic and sweet. The first week was a total blur. Amalie had jet lag the first few days, which meant very little sleep for the both of us. Then she got the flu while we were in Charleston, which meant less sleep for the both of us. Although I still managed to enjoy seeing friends and family that first week, I was exhausted to put it mildly. My little sister travelled with me and was a complete angel, but it was so hard to be without Keith. Having Keith home with me the first 5 months after Amalie was born was beyond a blessing and made it seem like having a baby was a piece of cake. Not to say we didn't have our moments, but being together on everything took the stress out of the whole experience. I never really felt overwhelmed and if I was ever close to feeling that way Keith was right there to help me in any way possible. Needless to say, travelling around with a 6 month old, staying with other people no matter how close you are, having a sick baby, and not having your other half was a challenge. But we made it through and after that first week the trip got much better. Amalie was back to being her fun, sweet, happy, laid back self, and I was able to get the sleep I needed to not die of exhaustion. 

I threw all sleep rules out of the window for my own sanity sake and she pretty much slept in the bed with me every night. She started out in the pack and play, but started protesting and waking me up all the time, so we just snuggled every night. I cannot lie, it was wonderful:) After we got home it took about a week and she was back to sleeping in her crib in her own room and she has quit nursing at night completely. Although I miss those sweet little snuggle times, I am thankful that she has managed to cut it out on her own. We only have the summer left before I go back to work and I will not be able to handle waking up at night and working full time. My sweet little girl is getting so big and I don't know if I am totally ready for this. 

So back to our trip, there were so many fun and sweet moments: Sweet time with Keith's parents and Mrs. Vicki babysitting or just taking Amalie anytime I needed it, or whenever she needed it; time with so many wonderful friends we haven't seen in way too long; warm weather and bare baby feet; ; Amalie finally getting used to other kids thanks to sweet snuggles from Henry, Avery, Amelia and Sarah Grace; the best first mother's day ever with Amalie and Keith; crossfit grit and crossfit east decatur (yes, I loved it); and a bunch of firsts for Amalie-- first time being outside without wool or down covering her little body, first touch of grass, first time on the beach, first time swimming outside, first time swinging, first time jogging with Mamma and Daddy. It was just all around good for our souls to be back home. We both feel like we need to start visiting home twice a year, although that will be pretty difficult.

I have to tell about my first American mother's day. Most things are bigger in the US, literally. And not always in a good way, but making a big deal out of Mother's day was awesome. Mother's day is celebrated on another date in Norway but just isn't quite as big. I loved Mother's day and feel like it is like having 2 birthdays a year. But in all seriousness, we pretty much deserve it. No matter how much those sweet Daddys do, the amount of energy that is put into those little babies by the Mammas that first year should be celebrated for years to come. Keith was home with me for 5 months and did as much as he could all of the time, but carrying Amalie for 9 months (which I loved), delivering her after a 36 hour labor (which I did not love), and nursing her every 1 1/2 the first week or two (mixed feelings) and then every 2-4 for months on end, being checked back into the hospital after passing out from a 104 fever due to a breast infection, and chasing after that sweet little rascal every day while Keith is at work, I think I deserved a big Mother's day!! The day was just perfection. I woke up that morning and Keith had already taken Amalie so I could sleep a little more, which he does on a regular basis anyways. But then he made me my favorite pancakes made with just cinnamon, 1 banana and 2 eggs. Then I left for the Ritz Carlton spa for a morning massage. I hung out there for a few hours and came home to a wonderful lunch made by Keith on the porch with Mrs. Vicki. Then we went down to the little beach to go swimming and later went for a run. Then we got all dressed up and headed to Gaby's by the Lake at the Ritz and had a sweet family dinner just Keith, Amalie and I. After we put Amalie to bed we cozied up outside on the porch with some of my favorite beer and just talked until I was exhausted at the early hour of 9:30pm. I am old and love it:) So that was my sweet and perfect day. It may not sound all that big, but to me it was perfect. My sweet man knows me so well. 

Here is a picture update. I already posted pics from our trip on facebook so I will post some of Amalie/us lately:)

Sweet girl in her new big girl chair

 

Beautiful blue eyes trying to climb

Loves playing the yard

Loves her granddaddy

 

Summertime in Norway is beautiful

 
I recently read an article about ex-pats living abroad. It definitely sparked (once more) the feelings of being constantly torn between two places. Although we moved to Norway almost 5 years ago and definitley feel like it is home in many ways, Keith and I discuss on a monthly basis our feelings and thoughts on whether we will stay. Despite the fact that my entire immediate family lives here and I am technically half Norwegian and speak the language, it is probably me that initiates the conversation most these days. I am not saying that Keith does not miss his home and his family and friends, but Keith has definitely come to love Norway.

This will probably end up being pretty long but keep on reading if you are interested:)

Let me first describe our experiences of moving to Norway. I am half Norwegian, speak the language and have spent a good amount of time here, but I did live in the US from I was 5 until I was 23 years old. This makes me mostly American in many ways. Keith on the other hand is fully American but is one of those unique people who loves to travel and to learn about new cultures and was willing to move with his young wife to Norway to be closer to her family. I honestly never thought I would meet a man like him who truly loves his home but who would leave it all for a cold Nordic country. But Keith is a prayerful man and listens to his heart and we believed that this is where we were being led at that time. Rewind back almost 2 years before our move and we had just gotten married and moved to Charleston. WE LOVED CHARLESTON! For many reasons, but the friends we had and made while we were there was definitely the most important reason. Neither of us come from South Carolina or Charleston and we only lived there together for 1 year, but if we were ever to move back to the US we would no doubt about it move back to Charleston. But we truly felt that we were supposed to move to Norway and we needed to prepare for that move, so we moved to Conyers for almost a year. There were several reasons why I didn't love living there but the main reason was my 1 1/2 hour drive to work every day. It seriously sucked the life out of me and that is not easily done. But we truly enjoyed our time with Keith's parents and some of Keith's closest friends.

The move to Norway couldn't have come soon enough, which was mostly due to my work situation. I was sooooooo thankful to move when we did. I moved first and started working at a pre-school so that Keith could get a visa and Keith came a month later. That first summer was nothing short of amazing. If the weather is kind, Norway can be one of the most beautiful places to be from May until August. We biked everywhere, went to the beach right down from where we live every day, grilled out in my parents yard, hung out in Oslo, hiked in the mountains with my family and just truly enjoyed life. I loved being close to my family and working at the pre-school was such a blessing. Keith loved it too but probably had quite a different experience than I did. He didn't understand a word being said, he couldn't find what he needed at the grocery store due to the limited selection, he felt that people were staring at him, and that they were not exactly on the friendly side. It didn't take long for him to realize that Norwegians don't greet each other (AT ALL) but they look at each other as they walk by which is kind of awkward at first. Being southerners, we felt the extreme need to nod, smile, or wave, but nothing... no reaction what so ever. Anyways, Keith being the positive and curious person that he is he managed to enjoy the newness of it all.

We of course had ups and downs, but those first couple of years in Norway were life changing. It is an amazing experience to get out of your comfort zone completely. We didn't have that in mind when making the move, but we were taught so much about ourselves and about how much our previous comfortable environment made us blind to many aspects of the world around us. I am definitely not trying to say that moving to Norway, another western, peaceful, wealthy country, is even close to being as profound as moving to a country struggling in every way possible. But being torn from what you know and all the assumptions about the world based on your reality can be eye opening. I am not good at explaining things, but let me try. You know the man that is currently on board the international space station who is posting pictures of various places on Earth from his view?? Well its like living on Earth all of your life and seeing the sky and your surroundings from your viewpoint, and then being able to see the Earth from the outside. I don't know how he feels, but it makes me feel like you are all of a sudden able to see things not just from a different perspective based on where you are, but you are able to see things from the outside looking in. I am also not suggesting that the experience was profound becasuse we were looking back at the life and the place we left, but we were looking at ourselves, our lives, our beliefs, goals, priorities, ideologies etc.

This experience has challenged us in so many ways and has blessed us with more self awareness and humility through reflection. We truly believe that this experience was one of the many reasons Jesus challenged us to move. We have been in the process of learning how to truly be ourselves and we have been blessed with the opportunity to be just that. We have been allowed to grow and to change.

All of that being said, we are still and always will be torn between two places. We love our home here in Norway and all of the amazing people we have met and become friends with, but we love our home in GA/SC and all of our friends and family there. No matter where we live we will miss the other place, mostly because of the people. I think about what it would be like to move back to Charleston almost on a daily basis. I am sure I romanticize it in my head but it would be such an easy thing for us to do. We love the coast, the weather and all that comes with it. We love the people that live there and feel so at home with them, and we love the church we used to attend. But at the same time, life has continued for all of those we know there and in Georgia. They have changed and we have changed. In a wonderful way, but things are different and it would definitely be a transition for us and we would definitely miss Norway and all of the things and people we have come to love here. See.... this is and always will be difficult. No matter where we go from here, we will miss people and places. We knew we would always have this struggle no matter what since we have families on different continents. It is a blessing, and a heartbreaking challenge.

The most challengiug aspect has been watching friends and family go through major life events from afar, such as illness, marriage, and children. To miss out on such important moments in our loved ones lives has been rough to say the least. Having Amalie has magnified this challenge even more. We wish that she would feel a connection to both places and more importantly to all of our friends and family in both places. It breaks our heart to not go through such a life changing experience with all of our loved ones. Having said that, it is a blessing to have the ability to take time to visit home and this is and will be a priority for us always.

For now, we are in Norway missing our "home" back in the south. We believe we are where we are supposed to be right now and definitely love so many aspects about our life here. We play outside no matter what, and I mean no matter what. We just pack up the kids nice and tight in the necessary gear and we head out to play. There are trails and sidewalks everywhere so that you can bike, jog, walk and just enjoy the outdoors. Mothers get between 10-12 months of maternity leave, and the fathers get 3 of those months. The pre-schools are so amazing and no one worries about the quality, and in addition you don't pay an arm and a leg. We all get 5 weeks paid vacation every year, which makes it easier to visit family and friends who live far away. The seasons are amazing! Although winter could be a little shorter it is so much fun to enjoy 4 distinct and equally beautiful seasons. And maybe one of the most important reasons to stay in any place, we have met so many sweet and wonderful people who we would sincerely miss if we were to move.

We will always be torn!!

**This picture basically sums up the past couple of months with Amalie! By the way, I am the worst blogger, but I really do want to keep posting updates and pictures so that our amazing friends and family who live so far away can feel like they get to be a part of everything.

Amalie update:

It has been two months since I posted and Amalie has grown so much. Every moment is so sweet and special and it is so unbelievably exciting to see her develop. Amalie is truly such a happy, social, curious and loving little baby. She loves people and will flash her gummy little smile at anyone. She loves having company and she just soaks up all the attention, but she loves to sit quietly and listen to all of the talking as well. The only people she has been afraid of so far has been little ones under the age of 3. This has mostly to do with the fact that they come at her quite quickly, get really close to her face, talk much louder than she deems necessary, and pat her quite aggressively on the head. There have definitely been some funny moments, but I am sure she will get used to them:)

Her cousin Eva scares her as well at times. Sweet little baby is 3 months younger than Amalie and is just so tiny and precious, but she has a pair of lungs on her. Amalie has definitely been caught off guard when they are laying next to each other just chillin' and all of a sudden Eva starts to screech. But then again, Amalie has scared Eva as well with her high pitched screams which are meant to be a joyful noise. 

So Amalie is now 5 months old. She has great hand coordination now, she rolls mostly just up onto her sides but also onto her belly from time to time, no matter where you place her favorite toy in her play pin she will somehow manage to squirm over to it. She has been biting everything for a few months but no teeth yet. She has the sweetest laugh which Keith and I will of course do anything to hear. She stares at her Daddy anytime he is close by. She just waits for him to look her way so she can smile at him. It melts my heart!!!

Just hanging out on her side... that is her favorite toy by the way:) The little purple elephant

Baby blue eyes!! So beautiful!

I am loving my time at home with her! I am so thankful for every day we have together and I wake up with such an urgency to cherish each moment. Amalie still wakes up at least once at night but I cannot help but love those sweet, quiet and snuggly moments we get together. Although I am sometimes a bit sleepy when we wake up in the mornings I have to say I have it pretty darn good, and we will not have those moments forever.

All bundled up for a walk:)

We seem to fill up our weeks pretty quickly with things to do. We see my family a good bit, especially my sisters. We have post-natal strength class on Tuesdays with other mothers in the area (which you should ask me about because it is hysterical but fun). We have some other friends with babies that we meet up with for coffee and walks at least once a week and we try to visit my grandparents once a week. The weather has been amazing the past couple of weeks! If you know me well enough you know that I am the happiest when I am able to spend time outside on a daily basis. And by amazing I mean between 23-40 degrees and sunshine!! It is so beautiful with the white snow everywhere, blue skies and sunshine! This is the best weather for jogging actually. We live right by the fjord and it freezes over most winters. It is the coolest feeling to jog on the fjord! I know it is hard to imagine how wonderful it is, but seriously... it is so cool to know you are jogging on the ocean and getting to see the place from a different angle than you normally do.

Here are some ice pictures!

Some more updates:

Keith went had his third interview yesterday for a job he has been working on getting since November! Lets just say things take a bit longer over here....

Keith, my little sister and I are training for a half marathon! We are so excited because some of Keith's friends from Conyers are heading to Dublin, Ireland in September to run a half marathon and we are joining them! I cannot wait!

And my favorite update... We are heading home this spring for a visit!! It is seriously about time! Keith hasn't been home to Conyers in 3 years, and neither of us have been back to the US in like 2+ years. Amalie and I are heading to Atlanta with my little sister on the 15th of April, we will spend a few days in Conyers, drive down to Charleston for a few days, then head to SSI for a week!!! After that Amalie and I will drive back to Atlanta to pick Keith up and we will spend our first week at Lake Oconee with some of our best friends. Then we will spend our last week in Conyers with Keith's parents and friends.

We will make it back to Norway just in time to celebrate my dear friend Caroline's wedding! And a few weeks later we will celebrate my dear friend Kjetil's wedding. Oh I love weddings!!!

So that is about it for now:) Send us an update! And come on over for a visit!! Seriously... I am not kidding

 More pictures:

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has yet to come. We have only today. Let us begin."

by Mother Teresa

Just a little over three months ago I felt that time was standing still as I waited for Amalie to be born. I was so excited and so tired of waiting, and I just wanted to whole thing to happen. Now, I feel like time is flying by and I wish I could go back and start all over again so that I could experience this blessing one more time. I never thought I would say that only 3 months later, but yes, I would do it all again tomorrow if that meant I could experience all of the amazing and sweet moments with Amalie again. I feel like it is kind of crazy to already be mourning the fact that my baby is growing up so quickly. But then I guess I am just crazy. 

The past couple of months have been truly amazing. Amalie is developing such a fun and sweet little personality. She loves to socialize and smiles and coos all the time. She is so curious and ever since she gained more control of her neck has been turning her head from one side to the other just to make sure she sees what is going on around her. The result has been that she has a sweet little bald spot on the back of her head. She is great at letting us know when she needs or wants something. Instead of crying she just calls out and waits for an answer, then tries again if we didn't respond. It is amazing to watch her grow and develop from day to day. 

So back to the topic of time. I have always been very conscious about not letting days pass me by. It has really been placed on my heart to enjoy and be thankful for each day. To appreciate the small things in life and to take time to appreciate the beauty in the world. I am well aware of the hurt and pain in the world as well, which makes me want to be even more grateful for the beauty. Since Amalie was born I have started mourning the time that has already gone by. I don't know if this is healthy or normal, but I keep thinking of the time I will have with her before she moves on with her life as an adult. There will be only 18 summers (give and take a few) where she will be my little girl living under my roof. There will be only 18 springs and 18 falls. I want all of those springs, summers, falls and winters to be magical. I want her to feel loved and cherished for all 18 and the rest of her life. I want to show her the beauty in the world and I want to teach her to have empathy for all of the hurts and pains. I want to teach her to find the beauty that resides in every person and I want to show her the love that the Lord has for all of his children. Time will fly by and I want to cherish every moment. I will not succumb to silly daily stresses. I want to live each day with a thankful heart. I want to be spontaneous and give Amalie a magical childhood. 

Although I feel like the past three months have flown by, I have loved every moment. I will actually miss waking up with Amalie in the middle of the night when she starts to sleep through the night. I love those sweet quiet moments at night when she is so calm and snuggly and when she nestles so close into me. I will miss rocking her in my arms when she is fussy. I love those sweet eyes looking up at me and being able to give her all the love I have. I will miss all of the sweet moments with my infant but I am so excited to experience the joys of my baby and then of my toddler. So I am going to cherish each and every day. From the words of Mother Teresa "Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has yet to come. We have only today. Let us begin."

We have had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. It is wonderful when you can find a way to celebrate with all of those fun Christmasy things while appreciating the true meaning of the holiday. This year was just that. We had all of the 'fixins' but we started out the celebrations praying and being thankful for the peace, joy, love and freedom that we have in Jesus. 

To start off December we had an amazing visit with Keith's parents. We relaxed together, celebrated Keith's graduation, made good food, went on walks (despite the cold), enjoyed the winter wonderland that Norway is in December, played with sweet girl, and watched movies together. The 2 weeks flew by and we were so sad to see them go. We then had a sweet Christmas Eve with my family and woke up to find out Naomi was in labor. We then welcomed our precious little girl Eva into the world on the 26th. For New Years Eve we celebrated with a few couples at our sweet friends' Egil and Veronica's house. We are now ready to welcome a new year and all of the adventures that come along with it!

Happy New Year!! Here is a little pic update!