6 Monate

Hard to believe that my little boy is 6 months old today. 35 more of these and we will be shipping him off to college. Whoa - getting ahead of myself there!!

Here are a few things he's accomplished:

• Spent 45 days in the hospital and still came home 1 month before his due date.
• Quadrupled his birth weight. He weighed 3 lb, 6 oz (1.5 kg) when he was born, and he is now over over 14 lbs (6 kg)
• Increased his length by more than 50% - 16 in (41 cm) at birth and now over 25 in (63 cm).
• Rolled over front to back and back to front!
• Ate some banana (today f0r - the first time) and he liked it!
• Been to 8 US states (Texas, Arkansas, Tennesee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota) and 4 countries (US, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands).
• Been to 2 professional sporting events - a Mavs playoff game and a Twins game at the new stadium.

There's so much more out there to experience with him - can't wait. I think we'll start with Paris in September. :)

Baby Nephew

Simon has a new cousin coming soon - my sister Kate is due November 3rd. She found out she was pregnant the day I went into labor, which was also the same day my other sister got officially married. Crazy sister day...

Anyways, like so many families we are spread out across the globe which makes these important life moments tougher. I guess I always thought my sisters and I would raise our little bambinos together - take turns watching each other's kids while we ran errands, started working again, or went to yoga. I haven't given up hope. :)

While Kate was visiting MN one last time before becoming a mom, she had a baby shower, and I skyped in to say hello. Here's what I said to my sister:

Motherhood is such a defining moment in a woman’s life. So many changes that no matter how you prepare yourself, you cannot fully anticipate them. It is the start of a love a that is unparalleled, and the end of a lifestyle that you will never truly know again. It also redefines words that used to mean one thing - and will forever (or at least for a while) mean another. Here are a few examples:

Blow-out - No longer refers to the Vikings 0-41 loss to the New York Giants in the 2001 NFC championship game. We laughed so hard at Simon’s first one - I encourage you to do the same.

All-nighter - Has nothing to do with studying for boards, cramming for an anatomy exam, or dancing ‘til dawn. Cherish those moments - they grow up quickly, and you will miss those intimate late night rendezvous at the crib.

Modesty - Out the window! After bearing it all for childbirth, and swollen leaky breasts, the word just changes meaning. Your boobs will peak out when your little man beckons - whenever, wherever.

Sleep - Well, sleep still means sleep. It’s just that you get a little less at first. They’re only babies once though - so it must get better, right?

Mom - You have one, you work with them all day, but to become one is entirely new and unique. You will define (and redefine) this every day for the rest of your life.

In need of a shower - It’s not always easy to find time to shower - and sometimes it’s just not high on the priority list. But if you do make into the shower, it’s sometimes also challenging to remember where you are in the process. I have found if you are not sure if you already shampooed, just do it again. This may result in 3 shampoo sessions in one shower, but who knows when you will shower again?

Husband - This is big - husband becomes father! The love continues to grow and evolve as you see your big man with your little man- amazing!

I wish I could be there to celebrate with you today. I am so happy for you and Josh and can’t wait to meet the little guy!

Skype

What would my life be like without Skype? It's not just that I moved abroad and it's a great way to stay in touch with friends and family - Martin and I have beenusing it for years to keep in touch with his family. When our nephew was born nearly 2 years ago, we spent that first Christmas setting up Skype accounts for the rest of the family. At the time Arivd was just 2 months old - and we didn't see him again until this past weekend...but that's not exactly true.

Although we hadn't physically seen him in a year and a half, we had watched him grow up on Skype - saw him play with his new toys, checked out his new teeth, and watched him scoot across the floor - and then start walking! And seeing him now - we weren't strangers. He knew how to say our names (even Baby Simon!)

While it's not ideal, I am so grateful for it. It makes living abroad so much easier for both us (one of us will always live abroad) and makes me feel better knowing that my family isn't totally missing out on my life - and I am not totally missing out on theirs.