V A C A T I O N !

Karin, Johanna, Johan and Jan, all seemingly calm and contented, but under the surface lies exitement beyond belief: Tenerife is but hours away. Sunshine as contrast to snow, shorts instead of heavy winter clothes, bathing and swimming instead of work. Almost there now. To the left you can se the crib in which Alice is sleeping. See below.

Sleeping as a baby (they say that once you start walking you are not a baby anymore, I suspect however that to mum and dad, this little girl will always be a baby). The crib attatches to the wall - smart. And for about an hour we had some time to read books. Not that Alice was unhappy or so, she was happy and calm most of the time. Every now and then she was just very bored with flying for almost six hours, and having to sit still for long stretches of time with a seat belt on. But mostly she was just her sunny, happy self.

Alice and granddad Jan posing on our hotel room balcony. Pretty nice view, huh? It's actually better than pretty nice, it's absolutely lovely! We have the pool right below, and the ocean to the right, and the murmur of the ocean waves to lullabye us to sleep!

And of course a visit to the pool! Alice could have stayed there all day! So we've promised her that she can go every day. Tough promise...? Not really. :D

After just a day, we're happier, more relaxed and just slightly more beautiful. We'll get back to you soon and tell you more!

Love from the Hjelmér-Tuulse vacation bunch

Knitted sweater and hat (mommy's been productive)

Believe it or not, besides working like a fool I actually have had time to do some knitting. Most of it while watching teve in the evenings, being too tired to do anything else. Or even pay attention to whats on teve. Knitting is easier.

It turned out pretty nice. Alice loves the hat, she likes to put it on and wear it even when we are indoors. However, it took me a while to make the outfit, so by the time it was done, it was almost to small already. So I have ordered Alice to use the sweater and hat every day from now on until it doesn't fit any more... She says ok.

Right now we are busy packing and trying to find all of our summer clothes (yes, we do actually pack them away every autumn). On Tuesday we are leaving for Tenerife (the Canary Islands) for a week with Alice's grandparents Jan and Karin (Johan's parents). A whole week in the sun! After all of this snow and ice and heavy winter clothes it feels like heaven! Sure, it means Alice won't be able to use her sweater and hat for a whole week, and with the rate that she's growing it might be too small when we get back home. It's a risk we're willing to take.

/Johanna

Family time

Playing in the snow again, with grandma Lena Kristina this time. The snow is just about to melt away, we've had a few days of temperatures above freezing. However it's getting colder again, and there is still some snow and ice left, so we're preparing for some seroius slippery time... Alice is not entirely convinced about the snow sleigh. Is this really supposed to be fun? Oh well, at least grandma is having fun pulling her around.


Going on the swing set, Alice's favourite all time. No matter how cold, how tired, how bored. The swing does the trick every time. So much better than that sleigh. It sure seems to do the trick for grandma as well...


Dad is in Switzerland skiing so Johanna invited all of her family to come and keep her company. Here's uncle Josef, dancing with Alice, who is ever the photo model. Oh, a camera? I better smile and look straight into the lens and look pretty...

Mum is still working her butt off, but only four days a week which is very much better than before. The teaching experience turned out to be a learning experience of a high degree. Oh well, it's getting better each day, and also every day we get a little bit closer to our upcoming holiday in Tenerife with grandma Karin and grandpa Janne! Hooray!

Playing in the snow

I can't move because I feel like the Micheline man, but it's still kind of fun!


Mom, look, I can stick my tounge out! I f it was snowing now I could catch snow flakes on my tounge!

We ave lots and lots of snow, and some days it gets really cold (today it was down to almost 10 degrees celsius below freezing). It may be cold, and it may be hard work to put layers and layers of clothes on a child that wriggles like a worm. But still, it's real winter and it's snow and it's pretty magical. Seeing Alice take some snow in her hand and taste it for the first time: her eyes light up and she looks up at me with a really bewierded smile like she's saying. Hey, this is really funny...!

She's growing stronger, and bigger, and steadier and smarter each day. She talks and points and teeth are popping out her mouth like pop corn. Which is, naturally, not always a pleasant experience. So I guess th eating of the snow might be soothing as well funny.

First hair cut!

When Alice was dipping her hair into her food at every meal, we realised that it was time to do something about that cute baby hair style. It felt kind of nostalgic, but in the end it went down pretty unceremoniusly.


Before the bath, looks like a pen troll.


Yep, no going back. It's been done.
I was really good while mum was cutting, I sat really still and let her cut off my blonde locks.


Look, I'm a big girl now!

Merry christmas!

Is our rastafarian daughter singing christmas carols in her oversized hat? Or is she simply complaing about time passing so slowly until christmas eve? Can it be that she is stressed out about not having bought her christmas presents yet? Relax little one, and rest assured that mommy and daddy have it all under control.

What ever the reason for Alice's mouth being wide open - we wish you a wonderful, wonderful holiday season. Don't forget to pass on a smile to everyone you meet. And if you can reach out and help someone in need - this is the time to do it.

We have decided not to spend lot's of money on presents this year, instead we are giving a donation to charity (as we have for a few years now). We have also decided not to mail out christmas cards this year. We do however invite you to take part of our christmas greeting here: www.hjelmer.se/alice/julkort.html
(God jul means merry christmas).

Lot's of love and kisses to all!
Johan+na and Alice 

Alice in the sandbox

You wouldn't beleive it when looking out the window at all the green lawns and bushes, but Christmas is right around the corner. We haven't had any more snow since our last post, so Alice gets to play in the sandbox instead. This picture was taken with our Christmas present to ourselves, the new Nikon D80 digital camera.

This christmas season we are first going to Väddö, för a grand family christmas with Johannas parents. Then we are going to Johans parents on the day after christmas day, so Alice will get to meet both sets of grandparents and have lots of holiday fun with them.

Johanna is still working like a hamster in a wheel, but things are slowing down a bit and hopefully she will be able to take a well deserved rest over the holidays. Johan is keeping busy with Alice, going to the playground, open kindergarten and other activities. 

First snow & work update

A couple of weeks ago we had this years first snow. Of course it melted away almost immediately, but not before we had time to buy a snow sled and have Alice try it out. Not that she was overly enthusiastic about it, at least not yet. Then when we brought the sled inside, she played with it, sitting on it and trying to make it move forward, so I think once the snow comes back she'll probably be ready for it. She's definitely figured out what the point is.

As for the rest of the family we're all trying to work out how to manage the delicate balance between work and private life. Well I am, at least. I had completely forgot how much hard work it is, to go to work every day... ;) To tell the truth I've been completely worn out these past few weeks since I started working. Most days I leave before Alice wakes up in the morning, come back and get to play with her for about an hour before it's time for bed. And after that I work som more and crash in front of the teve. Whew! At least I can see that it's getting better, and I am learning so much all the time! The students are really nice, and all the other teachers take really good care of me. However, I had not realised before now how much work it is to be a teacher, either. I'm telling you - start appreciateing the teachers you have around you some more, they are the real heroes in our society!

Anyways, I haven't appreciated the week ends so much in a very long time! And I should get back to playing with my daughter now. I'll get back to you all soon! 

Swinging and eating and a new job!

These are Alices two favourites at the moment, swinging and eating on her own.


Alice has recently conquered another word: ga-ga. (Swe: gunga = swing/going on the swing)
Every time we pass a swing set she says ga-ga. She would sit on the swing 24 hours a day if she could. She kicks her legs, laughs out loud and sings ga-ga, ga-ga, ga-ga.

The fleece and matching hat & gloves are birthday presents from all of Alice's great grandparents. Isn't she a doll?


Eating is another favourite. Today Alice said ticka (Swe: dricka = drink) and pointed to her cup. She prefers to eat all by her self now that she has realised that she can. The fish fingers went down like nothing, but the rice, peas and broccoli stayed on the tray even though those are things she normally likes. I think it's something to do with her discovering that she has a will, and that she can express it. Preferrably with a scream. Challenging times for a parent, I'll say.

Speaking of parents - big news: I've got a job! I as in Johanna, that is. I'm starting on Monday as a business teacher in High school. I'll be teaching Business and International business, which is not something I have ever done before. So there's another challenge altogether. But I'm really excited about it and I think it will be a lot of fun too! 

Why English?

Some people ask me why this page is in English. It's simple - it's because Alice has a whole bunch of friends and family all around the world outside Sweden who don't speak Swedish. They all want to know how Alice is doing, and watch pictures of her grow, and so on. English is the common denominator, since I don't speak Portugese, or Greek, or well enough Estonian, and even if I did I lack the time to make a page in each language. So English it is.

Alice's First Birthday

Congratulations Alice - you've been around for a whole year now!

Isn't it amazing how much a child can learn in just a year? Having a child has really given us a different perspective on time. A year has never been so long before, or so short. I can't believe it's only a year since this sweet little baby (well, not a baby anymore) was born on our living room floor. And then again, so much has happened in this year, it feels like much longer.

Alice, once just a little package, seemingly just lying there uncapable of doing anything but breethe, breast feed and mayby wiggle a little. Now she walks, she eats by her self (it's a huge mess, but still), she plays, she draws, she can say "good" ("gott gott" in swedish) . She goes on the potty (with backup diapers, of course), she points at things we ask her to, such as the lamp or mummy and daddy. She can even drive a car ;)



What can this be, this huge colorful package? It looks so nice!



Oh, no, what have you done? You've ruined my beautiful package! (Alice actually started crying when we started to rip open the paper). What do you mean, is there something inside? What can this be?




Aha - it's a car! And look at this, it has a horn. Honk honk! (More like bleep bleep, but who cares). I like it!



Time to blow out the candle.
Hmm, I think I need mummys help. And this plate looks very nice, too!

We had a great party, and Alice got a whole bunch of super presents.
Thank you everyone who came for a great day! 

The Godmother's Visit

Alice's godmother Susanne came to visit from Gotland for a couple of days. This is us when we tried to go to "Fjärilshuset", which is sort of a "Butterfly Zoo". A large greenhouse like building full of butterflies fluttering around. None of us had ever been there before and we thought it would be a nice excursion. Now we still haven't been there, since the place is apparantly closed on Mondays. So we ended up going to IKEA instead... 

Flashback: Johan+na's wedding

To think that it's been four years already since this marvellous, fabulous, wonderful day! When I see this picture I want to get married again, it was so much fun! Sure, it was a lot of work, and it cost a lot of money, we had one or two conflicts along the way and all that, but it was worth it. Every single penny (or öre), every drop of sweat and the occational tear. All worth it. Johan I love you!!! 

Fly, fly, fly a kite

Last week end we went to a kite flying party! It's September and still summer (for all of you who don't know Sweden that well, I can tell you that this is extraordinary!). Jeans and a long sweater was way to hot. Anyway, it was a perfect day for flying kites and eating hot dogs.



Alice is asleep on mommy's back, while mom is flying the worlds smallest kite.



Josef wants to become a kite...



Henrik and Mattias is flying a slightly bigger kite. Henrik built this one by himself!



Ant here's the whole gang: Josef, Henrik, Sara, Lena, Mattias, Johan. Ville in the pram and Alice on Johan's back.

We decided that flying kites was so much fun that we want to make it an annual tradition, so some time early-mid september next year you are most welcome to come and build a kite with us, and then fly it! 

Driving granpa's tractor

We went to visit grandma and grandpa at Björk (outside Uppsala) the other week end. Alice insisted on taking a ride on grandpa' tractor.



Hmmm, I wonder if I can learn how to drive this thing...



I think I've got the hang of it now. Oops, did we hit something over there?



Grandpa bought Alice a pair of gorgeous brown leather shoes. However, walking in shoes is far more difficult than walking bare foot. Luckily there's always mom to support Alice in her ongoing project of learning how to walk. 

Halleluliah, she walks!

Feels like we have been waiting forever!

In May she crawled, in June she stood, in July she cruised*, and now, finally, she walks!!

At 10 months 4 weeks it is official, Alice is a walker! From two tentative steps in the morning, to six assured steps in the evening. Where will you go today, darling?

* Cruising, for all of you not up to date on your babylingo, means walking along furniture.

Oh and by the way - Please do write a comment now and then! How hard can it be? I don't even know if anyone is really reading this page. Except of course for Ally - thanx babe!

The t-shirt is painted by mum, says "Älskad" which means beloved.

Lunch at the mall!

Milk built this body... (that's what the bib says) But now I eat most anything. For lunch today I had some carrots from mum's wok, apple, lasagna and water melon. How do you like my water melon beard?


By the way, dad has taken over now, and is officially on paternity leave since Friday (Sept 1st). Go Johan! The best daddy in the world!

Mum is on the hunt for a fantastic job, with fantasy pay and short hours - have any hot tips? 

The birth

As promised - the story of Alice's birth
Alice was born on October 14, 2005. She was due on the 13th, but we really didn't think she would be on time...

She was born at home, on our living room floor. No, we hadn't quite planned on a home birth, but we had arranged for it to be possible: we had a midwife there who was supposed to support us at home first, and then come with us to the clinic as a doula. We really, really wanted to have some one with us whom we knew, and who would be with us the whole time. The Swedish system doesn't quite support this, so we arrenged for it ourselves. But then in the end we decided to stay at home.

Things went pretty slow at first, at 10 pm on October 13th I started to feel regular contractions and we knew pretty much right away that this was it. We went for a walk, we came back home and Johan lighted at least a hundred candles. I took a shower (the first of many), and the contractions just kept coming, steady but often. From the beginning until Alice was born there were no breaks longer than 5 minutes. At around midnight we called Anita, our midwife, and she came around 4 in the morning. And told us that we still had a looooong way to go. In the morning Anita went to work, and we promised to call her when we noted any changes.

But then in the end it went really fast, and Anita just barely made it back before the final fase. So when we were ready to go to the clinic I just didn't want to get in a car. I didn't want to have to meet any other people, or have to get dressed. I felt like I was in control just where I was, and I was afraid to lose that positive flow in the midst of everything. And since our midwife was there and had all the equipment she needed we didn't need to go.

At home
So at 2.18 pm Alice came to us, pretty as an angel, with all that black hair, and a look in her eyes like she had it all figured out (later we have of course realised that she does indeed have it all figured out, we can't wait for her to learn how to speak so she can tell us).

It was really a marvellous experience, and I felt very safe all the time. I think deep down inside I really wanted a home birth from the beginning, so it was perfect. All in all it took a little more than 16 hours from when I first realised that it had started. Sure, it was painful, but I felt like I was in control all of the time, thanks to the breathing techniques we had learned, and Johan's massage and pep talks, and the great support and coaching we got from our midwife.

Hospital
Unfortunately, we still had to go in to hospital two days later. Alice wasn't eating as she should, and when we tried to wake her to feed her she just didn't react at all. Later, at the childrens hospital, we found out that her blood sugar was really, really low, so she was almost in a coma, so it was a good thing we went. Anyways, we stayed at the hospital for two days, where they helped us feed her with a bottle and get her energy up so that she would eat. All other tests they took showed that she is perfectly healthy, which was good to know.

But it's funny, a lot of the people we met at the hospital (and later) looked at us like we were completely out of our minds and totaly crazy, when we said Alice was born at home. Some people have even said: is that allowed? Like there's a law to say where people can give birht to their kids? I think next time, if we are blessed with another child, we will have a planned homebirth, that is planned from the beginning. Because, in the end, I wouldn't want to change anything about Alice's birth.