A one year old

This past month we have been through lots of changes.  Nico started kindergarden, I started school again and a part-time job, the weather changed and we even got into a new schedule.  My little monkey boy is full of energy and only wants to walk, walk, walk.  We have already gone through one pair of shoes!

Life with a toddler is very different than life with a baby.  Strolls in the city have become rare.  Instead we take trips to the park or playground to let Nico run around and interact with other children and cuddle dogs.  We don't count on two naps a day to get things done anymore.  Nico sleeps once at kindergarden and that's it.  All house chores must get done while trying to prevent Nico from chewing the computer cords, eating potato skins or diving into the toilet.

Yet, life with a toddler is filled with laughs and love.  It is amazing how much it can mean to you that your baby runs into your arms when he sees you come home.  Or how wonderful those wet toddler kisses are.  It is unbelievable how much I have stopped caring of how I look in the mornings when I leave home because I spend all my hair and make-up time making puzzles with my bebe instead.

Since my parents seldom get to see Nico by Skype because of the time change and since it'll be a while until they see him in person, here are lots of pictures for them:

A d1nosaur party!

Nico turns 1 in 2 days! I am extremely proud of my little baby boy.  He has started kindergarden and loves it.  So far he only has 3 classmates that he plays with, so its a pretty small group.  They spend most of the day outdoors playing with sand and toys.  I pick him up early right after I am done with interviews, reading or whatever i've proposed to myself as a daily task.

This past weekend we had Nico's birthday party with friends and family.  We chose Dinosaurs as a theme because I love dinosaurs.  But also because we call Nico Nicosaurio or Babysaurio! So it was perfect. I spent a few days planning his first birthday, and here it is:

Hand made sign and onesie 

Marsipan dinos for the smash cake

Decorative dinos 

The cutest!

Muchos cakes! 

Nico wearing his onesie before it was destroyed

The next day we had fun playing with his gifts and trying on his clothes. After cleaning up the house and breaking a blender, we came back home and relaxed.  Everything was great and I can't wait to his second birthday party!

Master's Thesis

I started my fieldwork for my research project that will eventually lead into a thesis.  I am both excited and nervous about it! Both because I had never left Nico for so long and because I had to use my norwegian skills while gathering data.

I conducted a survey to the attendants of the Hove and Øya music festivals, along with some interviews and notes/pictures.  I am hoping to find a relation between music festivals and their power to communicate sustainability.  I think that festivals are a great tool to promote sustainable living, so I am hoping to find positive results in the end.  So far I have nothing but great things to write about them.

After camping for over a week in a tent without showers, real bathrooms and my baby, I was more than happy to see him! Christian joined me at the festival the last two days and then we drove to his family's cabin for summer vacation.  Unfortunately, its not very summery here and it has been constantly raining.

But, today my brother and his family arrive! We haven't seen them in months and they are spending four days here with us. I am so exited to go pick them up from the airport and show them around the west coast of Norway.

By the way, Nico starts kindergarden in a month! He is way too big.  Almost a year old, his teeth are finally popping through and he is a very active monkey.  We are going to enjoy our week of summer vacation even if its grey :) 

Messes and Summer

When you have a small child, messiness is just bound to happen.  I try to keep our living environment organized and clean, but I will not deprive Nico from learning through his sense of touch and smell.  Therefore, every meal time is just messy, wet, sticky, and very fun.

Nico likes to eat things by himself.  He wants to grab his own food and try to find its way to his mouth.  He doesn't always aim right and his porridge and fruits end up on his hair, arms, legs, the floor, and so on.  I try to give him a large variety of foods to taste, but his absolute favorite are fruits, any fruit.  He began with apples and bananas, but now he has tasted raspberries, blueberries, peach, mango, papaya, watermelon, blackberries, among others.

We give him porridge sometimes just because it is something easy that doesn't take time to cook.  It is hard to tell a baby to wait for dinner when he is hungry.  But porridge is a safe bet and likes it all over the table too...

The weather in Norway has greeted us with some lovely summer days.  Except today, today it's raining and cold. But, we did enjoy going to the beach and swimming in the pools at Tøyen. Nico is a water baby for sure.  He cries when his baths come to an end, and he wasn't very happy when we had to leave the swimming pools either. I hope the rest of the summer is warm and nice so I can take him to the ocean and lakes everyday.

And finally, this is Nico's 9 month picture: