Sunshine in our life

The sun is shining again in Svalbard. It feels already like the polar night is far behind. We have had a really warm winter, meaning that it has been mostly just couple of minus centigrades. It looks like that scooter season won't be that good. But for me it has been just perfect to have our daily walks without worries about frostbites. In stead I have been worried that our baby might get it too hot in his sleeping bag made of sheep skin.

We're really enjoying our new everyday life with our son. Days are going quickly with him and our faithful black coated companion. One thing which is very low priorised is time used in the front of screen. As we're not having TV that's already pretty low but lately I haven't used much time in the front of lap top either. So it might be that I might update this blog less regularly.

Where is our dog?

My partner is working again in Svea and I'm home with my boys. Or, just with our son, beacause our dog got borrowed for a week. He is having a skiing holiday. I have to admit that of course my life is easier when I don't need to think to have walks in early morning or late evening with our little one, but it's strange not to have a dog in the house. I have been looking around so many times after him, just thinking where he's now.

We're getting nice twilight in the middle of the day and then we have a walk, even without dog. Increasing amount of light is feeling very good and already giving a feeling we're having now real days.

Long-lasting weekend

Even though I'm alone at home with our young son while my partner is working for two weeks in Svea, I'm still feeling I'm pretty privileged to have him at home for two weeks after a working period. Those two weeks we were together was just like long-lasting weekend. Everyday was Sunday for us.

We were lucky with weather during those two weeks, now thinking from perspective of a small babys mummy, not from an eager snow scooter fan. We were having some days around zero centigrades. Then I took our son out just in a baby carrier. That's so much easier than use a baby stroller. Our son likes to be sitting in a carrier, where he can be looking around or taking a nap if he feels like that. When it's colder I'm feeling better to use a baby stroller, where he can be protected against wind. The horizon is getting lighter now so it's also pretty encouranging to have some walking tours middle of a day.

Together with the boys

My partner started with a new working plan after New Year. Now he's working two weeks in Svea and having after that two weeks free. That means that when he's working, I'm alone two weeks with our boys, with our little son and our black coated companion. But when a working period is over, is my partner also totally free for next two weeks.

The first longer period alone with our boys went fine. Luckily our dog is an easy and really patient sheppard. I'm really happy now that I have used all those countless hours with our dog - that makes our life now much easier.

And our son - he's now two month old, happily smiling and making some really strange sounds. He's starting to be interested in different things and can be looking at some toys for a good while. Best thing after milk is to sit in mei tai (a baby sling) and follow what mummy is doing. And when he gets tired, he can be also having a nap there, feeling himself safe by mummys warm tummy.

There isn't any trees in Svalbard, so we got one from our friend. Now our son can be playing under an evergreen foliage.

New clothes to Emperor

Our son has managed to gain about two kilos in two months time. Mother's milk is powerfull stuff! I can clearly see how much he has grown - he's getting bigger and he's learning new things. It's just amazing how quickly time goes.

Last weekend I needed go through his clothes and pack away clothes which were getting too small for him. It was kind of sad to pack them on a cardboard box. There were lot of memories in those first small clothes. But in the same time it was nice to take new clothes on use. He has got lot of practical and beautiful clothes. Those clothes are already having memories in them - they remind me on those people we have got them from. As a mummy I'm really happy for all soft presents. And our son is far too small to understand that toys are something every child is hoping for. That age comes later!

Happy New Year 2014!

Christmas

We were celebrating Christmas with an other family with a little child. Christmas was time for good food, talking and board games for us grown ups, our son was consentrating on getting so much milk than possible.

One lady bought a Christmas tree but it was too tall for her, so she needed to cut the tree. The bottom part of the tree ended up on our friends house and there it was doing perfectly its duty as a Christmas tree.

Otherwise we were visiting people and getting visitors. Life has been so hectic lately, that it was nice to calm down and meet people we haven't met for a while and just sit down and use time with cosy chatting.

The picture above is from an evening with "Feuerzangenbowle". That is a German speciality, an alcoholic drink. There is a kettle with spiced red wine and over it's placed a sugarloaf which is burned with rum. Caramelized sugar drips in the drink and gives a good taste. That warm drink tasting a really good, but I hold anyhow with non-alcoholic drinks as I'm busy with nursing our son.

New home

We were planning to move to a new apartment before I was supposed to fly to Tromsø for to wait our sons delivery. We were thinking that it would be so nice to come back to a new apartment with the newborn. But things don't go always as planned. We managed to move half of our things to the new apartment when water suddenly broke and I was send with an ambulance flight to Tromsø. Everything just needed to be left as it was.

So, when we came back to Longyearbyen with our newborn son, we needed to continue with moving things and making the new apartment home. It's not an ideal situation to empty cardboard boxes between nursing and changing diapers, but it goes.

We got an apartment in Gruvedalen, up in the mountain side, in "Beverly Hills", as some people call it. Now in dark time we can enjoy a cosy view down to the town and towards airport. When the light comes back, we can see Hiorthfjellet, the mountain in the other side of fjord beside the town, and over Isfjorden, the big fjord.

Even though we have been busy just moving things in and putting them in places, managed we also make little Christmas as well. Our son is too small to realise it's Christmas, but it's cosy for us to celebrate in the darkest time of the year.