The Waiting Game of Real Estate

We are in quite a dilema at the moment. The notion of moving has always been there and it's burning a severely smoldered hole in the back of my head. Should we move to Canada? Should we find a bigger place in Hemnesberget? Should we try moving to the south? When we found out that I was pregnant with Sophie it was immediate chaos when it came to our current residence. Do we move or do we build out the house? Ørjan has already created several floorplans for the three rooms and is anxious to get started, but I on the otherhand have no desire to build out just yet (since the kids are so young and there's no rush) and would rather wait to see if something else comes out on the market. We live in a small place with a huge elderly demographic. (It's only a matter of time before they move to a nursing/retirement home or umm... die, right? Then I'm sure a house will go up.) There are a couple of places for sale in our town but they just haven't seemed right.

There's a house for sale (was previously owned by good friends) that we've thought about but it requires massive renovation outside (insulation and panels). The profit we'd earn from selling our current house would probably go towards that and not interior renovation or redecorating. Sigh.

PROS:

• The house is HUGE - 4 bedrooms and 3 full floors
• Located in a family/child-friendly neighbourhood
• Was recently renovated x2 (But I'd like to gut some of it... Just not my style)
• We'd be starting again - new house means redecorating and new home projects!

CONS:

• We'd be losing the gorgeous view that we already have!
• We'd no longer be in the sentrum (We don't own a car - the walk in the winter would be tougher.)
• We'd have to let go of a house we've put so much time, effort, and money into. (Then and Now)
• Our nextdoor neighbour would be one of the town's police officers (My life is not a BBC police-mystery series)

Anyhow... We still have alot more to think about. We might call the owner today and go for a quick browse to get a better feeling since looking at photos online can only give you so much.

What's Next

Now that things have calmed down and holidays are over I'm looking forward to getting a headstart on this list. My goal is to achieve and complete this list by the end of April or mid-May, but with two kids, some new projects I've insanely taken on, and all the appointments we have scheduled I wonder if I'm being too hopeful. At least I can be enthusiastic, right?

• Complete framework painting in our bedroom
• Complete shelving in kids' room
• Take passport photos/Apply for Sophie's passport
• Send carepackage to Kristin in Australia
• Reply to all mail
• Book apartment for Prague Trip 2008
• Complete proposal for cooking workshop
• Renew subscription for ROM 1.2.3
• Save/Burn photo archives
• Organize Spring/Summer wardrobe
• Send photos with thankyou cards to Canada
• Begin cardio again! (6 weeks has already passed!)
• Birth control

Hello, cupcake!

Being the last day of Easter holidays I decided to bake some cupcakes for the kids. (Magnus and neighbourhood/friends' kids) They are so good but so bad for you. 3 cups of sugar for 3 dozen chocolate cupcakes? Wowza.

I have so many left and have no idea what to do with them now. I don't want them in the house for fear of eating them! I need to start losing this baby weight now!!! Having 2 kids in 1 year did a real number on my body. There's a wedding coming up in June so I really have to find some willpower... hopefully... maybe.

Marimekko Madness

So the New York Times unleashed a sneak peak at the new clothing line being released with H&M but I'm completely disappointed. Yeah yeah, the prints are typical of Marimekko and the latest Spring and Summer trends of 2008, but I have to admit I was expecting something more... and maybe something a bit more rounded. Even the Marimekko free fabric placemats they're including with Findus ready-meals are more inspiring than the H&M line. (Bare i Sverige tror jeg...) Now I'm reading that Marimekko is making hook-ups with Avon for a beauty line? And of course it'll be featuring the trademark Unikko print. Sigh.

I guess I was just hoping for a little bit more since I am always amazed with Marimekko fabrics. Oh well.

Period.

You've got to be fucking kidding me. I just got my period.

Not even 4 weeks after giving birth and I've ovulated already! WHAT. THE. FUCK. After I gave birth to Magnus I thought it was unbelievable and slightly unfair that mine returned after just 6 weeks, but what the hell? I am breastfeeding exclusively - Why can't I just take advantage of one of its benefits? No wonder I've been so moody lately... damnit. Easter holidays are almost here (Ørjan has a week off from work) and I planned on having sex sometime during the week but it's not going to happen now. I'm bloated, moody, and menstruating. I also probably only sleep 4 hours a night and don't have time to nap during the day due to my screaming children. I can't believe Ørjan still tries to hold my hand under the covers at night. I must be a horrible mess during the day and yesterday I did yell at him when he came home for his lunch break... ugh. Very bad. I can't believe my period has led to an epiphany.

Maybe something good did come from getting it this early.

Semi-sinful weekend

To sum up this weekend in one sentence: We sent Magnus to his grandma's in hopes of being able to relax and enjoy ourselves for just one night. I had originally thought that if we sent Magnus off for the weekend that we might be able to steal a few hours to ourselves since Sophie usually falls asleep after she eats. This was not the case at all! The plans were to eat a more adult dinner with slightly more gourmet flair than my usual weeknight dinners (which already can be fancy schmancy), relaxing on the sofa and indulging in chocolate truffles, and ending the evening with some... Ahem, lovin'. Of course nothing ever goes as planned. Let me explain...

I had somewhat of a quiet morning when Ørjan dropped Magnus off and also did some shopping in town. I was slightly disappointed that I couldn't go into town since I haven't been there for ages, but at least staying home with Sophie meant resting and relaxing. Instead of catching up on sleep (which I really should have done) I baked a few dozen cookies to have on hand and also to give to relatives and friends when we go visiting or have visitors. (I made chocolatechunk and triple chocolate cookies if you're interested.) When you have a new baby you always have people drop in! It wasn't so bad at all - The house was quiet, I only had Sophie to look after, and I was able to be alone and do something I enjoy: baking. Sophie fussed for a little while, but she slept for most of the morning. Around 3pm when Ørjan walked through the door things spiraled downward. From 3-9 she had terrible gas and was extremely fussy. We were seriously considering that it might be colic, but I knew that with all the vomiting and gas from both ends that her stomach must have really been bothering her. Instead of having a quiet evening together it was nothing but stress, crying, and exhaustion. The evening we had planned together wasn't going as anticipated. At least around 10pm she passed out after a final feeding and a nice long bath. The only trouble was that now both Ørjan and I were frustrated and had no energy to carry out the evening. I won't elaborate with details but we definitely exchanged some words. (We don't ever really fight, but rather have exhausting conversations that draw out alot of fears and emotions.) Already exhausted we spent over two hours talking in bed about how frustrated we were until we passed out.

At least our morning was better (this explains the title) and we managed to jump a certain hurdle - sex. It's been over a month since we last had sex and despite my pregnancy books suggesting a low sex drive after birth, this has never been the case with me. We both woke up in a much better and amorous mood, had protected sex (DEFINITELY no more babies for me this year!), and feasted on chocolate for breakfast. We also slept in an extra hour since we didn't have to attend to an oh-so-active Magnus that shakes me out of bed every morning at 8. Sex, chocolate, and sleep? As a parent that has very little time to stop and enjoy the small indulgences and pleasures of life, I can definitely say this weekend was semi-sinful.

Sexy time for exhausted parents

Lately it hasn't been so easy to hold back my short temper with Ørjan and I've been feeling extremely guilty about this. With all the extra work and lack of sleep we've been facing neither of us has had the energy or drive to even pretend like we're in the mood for... anything. Any chance we have to be intimate (this does not include sex since I don't feel ready for it just yet) is always passed up for a quick nap or household work that needs to be done. This weekend however was a different story.

Ørjan is incredibly sentimental but definitely not a romantic. Friday was a complete shock when I hesitated to follow him when he took my hand. He had just put Magnus down for a nap, Sophie was sleeping, and Ørjan took it upon himself to take me by the hand, asked me to follow him, and he guided me to the sofa in the living room where he had blankets and pillows ready and wanted me to sleep on/against him while he sat behind me. I only had time to sleep for a half an hour but it was very nice. Later in the night when we were in bed ready to pass out he said, "You know I wish we had time to do what he did today... that we had more time to cuddle." Just the fact that these words slipped from his lips made me completely melt with shock. He's not very talented at expressing his feelings, but just this small effort meant so much to me. Saturday night we spent almost two hours making out like we were the TLF boyfriend and girlfriend that you might encounter in highschool. It was wonderful despite the fact that we sacrificed sleep for intimacy or what he likes to call, "Sexy Time".

The weekend was fabulous. I doubt I need to say more.

What's next? This!

Yesterday morning a notice came in the mail from UPS Norway that there was a package waiting for me at the post office. To my surprise it was a welcome gift for thisnext mavens. Ørjan was so anxious to see what it was that he literally ripped open the box while we were down there. Unfortunately the thisnext maven M'n'Ms were slightly crushed and mangled during shipping. Oh well. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a gelaskin that I had listed/recommended was included in the package. Sweet!

Did I mention that I love free stuff?

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.

Sophie equals love.

If it's possible, each day we fall in love with her even more. From the first moment that they placed her on my chest, and the first moment that Ørjan held her, it was instant love. Magnus is such a nice big brother to her (he strokes her head and puts his cheek to her face) and we have noticed positive changes in him towards his younger sister. I have also noticed how smitten Ørjan has become with her and I think it's wonderful... It actually makes me feel like I did when I was beginning to fall in love with him. There was an instant psychological connection this time when I saw my own face and my own ethnic traits in her. (I can't tell you how tired I am of hearing just how much Magnus looks like his dad... as if I had nothing to do with him!) I love when she cries, I love when she stares at me, and I even love the faces she makes when she messes her diaper... She is wonderful.

I heard myself say the word daughter when I was calling upstairs to Ørjan and at first I had to stop and think about it. I have a daughter. I was always overjoyed that I was a mother to a fantastic little boy, but now I'm also the mother to a wonderful girl. Of all the experiences in my life that have equated happiness, nothing can compare to what this is and what this means to me. I love this feeling.

Modighet

Bare et spørsmål - Hvem er du... Eller, hvem er dere? (Hemnes og Telemark) Kanskje jeg er bare litt nysgjerrig men kom igjen! Er det Ørjan eller meg som du lurer på? Det er jo ikke farlig til å si hei av og til og du kan kommentere hvis du ønsker.

God natt.

Ech, bite me!

Ugh, 10 minutes in a dental chair cost me 1300 kr today but I had to be there. After I gave birth the top left side of my mouth was throbbing. Two thoughts immediately ran through my head last week: "God I hope this is only a cavity" and "I hope this isn't my wisdom tooth coming in..." It turns out that it was both! I had a small cavity at the back that needed to be taken care of, and oh jeezs... It turns out that that my wisdom tooth had already come in. Having those pesky extra teeth coming in was always in the back of my mind (my dentist in Canada said they'd probably show up by the time I was 22 or 23) but I was optimistic that I might have another year or two. Today was also the first day I've left the house and of course it was to get dental work done.

At least after I was out of there I ran into a few of my friends and Ørjan's family. People have been very curious as to who Sophie looks like and I was very proud that at least this time I could introduce one of my children that actually looks like me!

Anyhow, nap time. If I can get in 30 minutes I know it'll set everything right. More later because I do have some news!

A Day of Rest

Ørjan's mom is here for the day (and maybe the night?!) so that I can get some rest while she's watching after Magnus. I can't tell you how good it feels to get in a nap! I haven't had one for days and this morning it really hit me hard. She took Magnus out for a walk and a visit to his great uncle's, and I ended up getting in 30 minutes of rest before Ørjan came home for lunch. Now I have no idea what I'm going to do with all this extra time to myself. I know I should really be resting, but I want to get some things done around the house. While I am completely grateful and appreciative of Ørjan's mom's effort to help us, I'm still slightly hesitant about letting her take the reigns so much. I can see that she's spoiling Magnus a bit and it starting to interfere with the rules we're trying to put down at the moment.

Anyhow... time for a shower. It feels great knowing I can get in a shower without stressing out.

I signed up for PPP!

I've just signed up for payperpost on a whim since I've seen so many blogs feature it. At first I was somewhat synical and skeptical about the programme, but after joining I can honestly say that I was wrong - payperpost is great. I haven’t been signed up for too long, but after being approved so quickly I was amazed with the opportunities that are offered. It may appear that members are only directed to promote products for advertizers but it's not that at all - you choose to write about products and services that you're interested in and believe are worth it. There are organizations, products, and services that offer valuable deals as well as information for people that are always in search of these. For a cautious consumer like myself I welcome reading and promoting these. One thing to also consider is that like any relationship between the advertizer and the blogger, there is also a word of mouth ethics policy that is in place. There are strict policies in order which protect both sides from giving the impression of conflict of interest.

I suppose what I like best about payperpost is that you can also choose to donate the money you make to organizations like Habitat for Humanity and The American Red Cross. For people that are always striving to help others but aren't sure where to begin, you can take 10 minutes by blogging to do it - it's just that easy. There's no pressure to post anything and you can make honest reviews. Maybe what I like best about payperpost is that it delivers what it promises. You actually MAKE money and you don't have to wait an eternity to receive it either. As a mother of 2 children under the age of 2 I love how I can easily make extra money from home just by blogging. I would definitely recommend payperpost for others out there that might be in the same situation.

Day 2

It's day number two of having both kids at home. The first day was a bit hard mainly due to Magnus' behaviour (Not pointing blame, but he was acting like a spoiled brat after spending a week at grandma's) but we got through it. I actually find it slightly easier to take care of two children under the age of two than being pregnant and taking care of a toddler. Magnus is very curious and actually very gentle with his little sister, but I sense that he's feeling slightly left out when we hold her. I don't think it's jealousy, but we see that he's very impatient and needy now. He constantly wants to be picked up and held whenever we show her attention. I won't lie, it's hard it hold them both at the same time. Sometimes while I'm breastfeeding her in my lap I have to pick him up with my free arm and put him next to me. While I have no problem with this, it's a struggle because he'll want down back to the floor, and only minutes later he'll want back up on the sofa with me. Doing this several times while trying to feed Sophie is not an easy task. At least Sophie isn't a screamer and she sleeps for most of the day so I really only need to worry about Magnus for the most part.

I'm not as exhausted as everyone expects me to be which I suppose is a plus, but maybe I'm a fool for not trying to ask for more help or try to slip in a nap when possible. I just don't really feel like it at the moment. I spent the last 3-4 months extremely tired while carrying Sophie and having to run after Magnus, and now that I'm no longer pregnant I have so much more energy that I want to use. I want to be doing the things I wasn't able to do in the past couple of months. Eh. Tomorrow Ørjan's mom is coming by to help me... whatever that means. If this means looking after Magnus I have no problem with it.

I think now I'll try to catch a quick 30 minute nap while I can. Sophie is sleeping and Ørjan is upstairs napping Magnus so I really have nothing else to do. I wanted to do a few other things but I'm afraid I'd make too much noise in the house.

More later... I still want to post something that is completely unrelated to babies. :)

I'm sure it has to do with the fact that I haven't spent the week holding Magnus, and I'm sure it probably is because I've only been occupied with Sophie, but holy cow - Magnus looks huge! He looks like he's shot up a couple of centimetres and it looks like he put on at least a kilo! My little guy is home and now he looks so much older. It's strange.

The weekend has been slow and we've been able to relax, the only probably is that now, and only now, has my fatigue started to kick in. Ørjan goes back to work tomorrow and I'll be here alone taking care of Sophie and Magnus... Who knows how it will be. As long as I get enough sleep tonight I'm sure I'll be able to handle things.

Must sleep now. I really want to post something but it'll have to wait until tomorrow when I have more time.

Sophie

• She's here - little Sophie Elizabeth Martinussen is here! I will post something later when I'm not so tired.
• Our daughter is on the front page of the paper! Unfortunately the article I was interviewed for misquoted me saying that I had given birth at a large department in Canada. What I did say was that I had a child HERE and that from experiences I've heard of (from friends in Canada) is that you're more like a number and you're in and out. I said that I had good experiences here and that I felt more safe and confident about the relationships with the staff and wasn't sure you could achieve the same satisfaction in a larger place. Oh well. After the interview I wondered if she could possibly misinterpret what I had said. Too late. Although I did mention that when I had my son I was in that specific hospital for more than a week. Maybe it just makes the article more interesting and convincing (about closing smaller maternity wards in our regions) but still, a little bit sad. At least it's exciting even with the misunderstanding. Our little girl is in the paper!
• I'm feeling healthy and fine (despite the engorged monster boobs) and want to go out but the weather is horrible. I should try to rest but I just can't. There are too many things on my mind right now. Magnus is still having a nice vacation at his grandma's but I do want him home because I've missed him so much. We're torn between having a nice relaxed weekend to settle in with Sophie but we'd also like Magnus to be a part of it.
  

Love

I love him so much.

Ugh...

Ugh, I should really be heading off to bed but here I am half passed out on the sofa watching old episodes of Samurai Champloo. It's been an exhausting day and I would have no problem trading it all for a can of diet pepsi with lemon.

I didn't mention it earlier but at my last ultrasound on Monday the midwife told me she believed I would probably go past my due date. WHAT?! I also received the news that our baby isn't really growing (packing on the weight) as it should be in these last weeks. I'm not too worried because it's still measuring between 34-38 weeks and past the 3kg mark, but still. We believe it was around the 30-32 week mark that Magnus stopped putting on weight (born full term as 2kg) and it makes me wonder if there's something wrong with me. Well, at least at this point we've decided this will be the last time we have another child... for a VERY long time. Ørjan is quite pleased knowing we'll be having a girl (or so they say) and that his job is done.

Anyhow, like I said. The day was exhausting. Maybe I'll post something tomorrow when I can compose my thoughts and concentrate on something more than complaining.

Almost a year already?

I can't believe our little guy is almost 1! Today I found myself hugging him and saying, "You've been outside mummy's tummy for a year." Every day with him brings us so much pride and joy. This afternoon I finished wrapping up the last of his gifts and tried to decide upon the baked goodies that I'll make for his birthday celebrations on Friday. I've always wanted to plan a party for a kid/baby and now that I can, I'm so overwhelmed! I wanted to go with a theme but I think I'll wait for another occasion when he's older.

I also tried taking some photos suitable for submitting to Rana Blad for their birthday announcements but it was so difficult... I really only ended up with outtakes!