Biz-zay

Busy busy busy.

Life has been hectic and none of us have really been sleeping too well. The move, the switching of our address, and calling all of our services have been pure chaos. Norwegian businesses usually close at the usual hour of 3pm and now that many are taking on summer hours it has been a pain in the butt to get ahold of certain people. Our appointments, errands, and schedules are frightening, we still haven't unpacked half of our stuff, and we're still living out of boxes. Sigh.

One plus? At least my latest to-do list is pretty much complete.

[ETA]: The last of our belongings were packed up yesterday and most of what we own is just sitting in such a sad state in one of the bedrooms. I can't believe 90% of what we own could be fit into one room. We don't plan on spending so much money for furniture or renovations, but owning a much larger house leaves us with so many posibilities that are too hard to choose from. I just wonder when we'll actually have the time for this considering our vacation schedule next month.

TO-DO

A few things on my mind lately...

TO-DO:

• Pick up H&M order from post office
• Send in Ellos online order
• Buy Ørjan's birthday gifts online(pt.1)
• Send/reply to emails
• Find wedding outfit and shoes
• Find wedding outfit for Sophie
• Sophie's passport photos
  
• Buy Susanne's wedding gift
• Organize Magnus' old clothes for May Britt
• Organize and pack away the office
• Do laundry
• Clean out fridge
  
• Empty cupboards and organize kitchen for pre-move
• Get haircut!!! (Appointment next week...)
• Upload photos and order prints for mom
• Get Sophie's passport
  

JUNE/JULY 2008 SCHEDULE:

• ##.06.08 - Moving to the new house
• 06.06.08 - Doctor's appointment (11:30)
• 10.06.08 - Meeting at the bank
• 19.06.08 - Sophie's pediatrician appointment
• 19.06.08 - Baby group
  
• 21.06.08 - Susanne's Wedding
  
• 12.07.08 - Shopping in Oslo and visiting friends
• 13.07.08 - 18.07.08 - Prague vacation!
• 19.07.08 - Passport/Canadian embassy in Oslo
• 31.07.08 - Pediatritian appointments and vaccinations for the kids

Will edit this later...

Exit 75, I'm still alive.

I haven't had the chance to post anything as of lately due to several reasons. Obviously life can be busy, but when your back goes out and you end up sick and having to take care of two sick kids it's pure chaos. With our house being sold and our constant hunt for a new place we have very little time for ourselves. Here's what you might have missed...

Last Thursday my already aching back went out. I thought I could just shrug it off with a good night's rest but it just wasn't the case. As the weekend approached it became increasingly more painful to the point where I couldn't even turn two degrees to the left. I spent a couple of days in bed and had to ask Ørjan to take a few days off from work to help me out. All that terrible twisting, bending, and lifting combined with my post-partum bekkenløsning had put me out of commission. Not only was I crying due to the pain, I was also feeling incredibly guilty that I couldn't even pick up my kids. It also didn't help that all three of us were sick. Thank god that Ørjan has some patience. To top things off April hasn't been the slowest month either. On the days that I've wanted to rest and recooperate I've had to shock myself awake and drag my exhausted ass out the door.

The Schedule:

08.04.01 - Magnus' & Sophie's pediatric appointments (11:00)
08.04.01 - Appointment with my midwife (birth control) 12:00
08.04.01 - Magnus' & Sophie's doctor appointments (14:00)
08.04.04 - Kids' Dental Group @ healthstation (13:00)
08.04.05 - Family Meeting @ healhtstation (12:30)
08.04.05 - Meeting with the realtor
08.04.11 - Family meeting (11:00)
08.04.12 - House viewings
08.04.16 - House appraisal
08.04.21 - Doctor's appointment for birth control (09:50)
08.05.14 - Magnus' & Sophie's pediatric appointments

I'm sure there was more that I wanted to post but I'm just too tired right now. I'll come back and edit this later.

Despite the leapyear...

I can't believe February is almost over. It's almost like this month never really happened due to the chaos and busy scheduling I found myself in. Three of the biggest events were: Magnus celebrated his first birthday, we celebrated the Chinese New Year, and I gave birth to Sophie. With March lurking not so far away I'm optimistic that things can only get better. February came in and left so quickly that I never managed to accomplish everything that I had intended to.

Anyhow... It's so lovely outside at the moment that I'm almost tempted to take the kids out for a walk... but after 15 minutes the weather changes drastically and it's nothing but horrid wet snow and rain. Meh. This February is nothing like last year.

Could you schedule me a break?

A few things I've been up to... And I still keep pushing myself because I'm desperate and too anxious at this point!

• Magnus' and next baby's laundry
• Organize drawers for baby clothing
• Assemble new twin wagon
• Pack hospital bag
• Pack Magnus's bag (He'll be staying with his farmor while I'm in the hospital)
• Clean out the fridge (OMG we had mystery prawns leftover from December! Ugh!)
• Detailed clean of living room
• Flip and vacuum the sofa cushions
• Organize magazines from subscriptions
• Put up new shelving for livingroom
• Clean bedroom
• Rearrange furniture in baby's room
  
• Clean out inbox
  
• Start decorating for Chinese New Year
• Send in forms for Magnus
• Send application to renew my residence in Norway

JANUARY

• 04.01.08 - Appointment with midwife 12:30
• 14.01.08 - Ultrasound at hospital 11:00
• 17.01.08 - Babyground & Magnus' appointment 13:00
• 22.01.08 - Pregnancy appointment with doctor 09:40 (labwork)
• 23.01.08 - Pregnancy appointment with doctor 14:10
• 31.01.08 - Pregnancy appointment with doctor 10:50

FEBRUARY

• 04.02.08 - Ultrasound at hospital 11:00
• 07.02.08 - Magnus' first birthday!!!
• 07.02.08 - Chinese New Year
• 12.02.08 - Pregnancy appointment with doctor 10:50 (If I haven't already given birth!)
• 13.02.08 - Sophie was born today!!!
• 19.02.08 - Checkup at hospital with midwife 10:30
  
• 22.02.08 - Dental appointment 12:30
  
• 25.02.08 - Helsesøster appointment (housecall) for Sophie
  
• 29.02.08 - Healthstation appointment for Magnus 11:00
  

Oh, time.

I have this anxious feeling that December is going to be over before I even manage to have all my Christmas cards sent out. With so many appointments and holiday-related events I become exhausted by just browsing my calendar.

• 07.12.07 - We're hosting a cocktail/Christmas party
• 08.12.07 - Ørjan's julebord (work party)
• 13.12.07 - Pregnancy group (10.00 - 12.00)
• 14.12.07 - Final family meeting at the health stastion (12.15)
• 17.12.07 - Ultrasound at Mo hospital (14.30)
• 18.12.07 - Appointment with midwife (10.00)

Cooking, cleaning, shopping, and a missed vacation to Prague can easily summarzie this year's Christmas. Yes, we'll be missing out on the vacation planned for December but it was easily moved until the summer for a very small fee. I thought I would be ok to travel but now I realize that I'm slightly too big and having a few more complications that I had anticipated. I probably wouldn't bee too fun and the chances of actually enjoying the vacation (without ruining it for husband) would be very slim to none. Anyow...

Friday we had to go into Mo for several reasons that couldn't be avoided at all. Kitty (our cat) had to be taken to the vet again due to another swollen paw. Apparently the dosage and suggested duration of penicillin they gave us last time wasn't enough and his infection returned. We tried our best to drain and clean this paw but obviously he needed another checkup, a shot, and more medicine which all meant yet another vet bill - fantastic. We also had to buy a new kennel cab but it was worth the extra money. Saturday was a run to every food shop in town searching for ingredients needed for some of the food I'll start to prepare for our party. Can you believe that we paid $12.00 for 2 litres of cranberry juice? Welcome to my Norway. In any case almost everything on my list was purchased and I still have time to find some substitutions. Today is Tuesday and I feel like the week is almost over. I still have af ew more rooms to clean over in detail, prep and freeze some food, and do several loads of laundry. Maybe when January comes I'll find some time to catch my breath... Only January means that the countdown is on until I go into labour.

In no time at all baby #2 will be here. It's quite possible that we'll welcome our second child before Magnus turns 1. Two babies in 1 year? If you thought my December was busy, well... consider how busy my year has been! Still, I wouldn't trade it for anything.