everyday life in Norway

So by now we've settled into a rhythm with daily routines. Leighton's a diligent graduate student, enjoying his reading and seminars. He's already had to turn in a short paper. This week, he's off to Skien, where Ibsen was born, for a couple of days with his program. It'll be our first night apart as a family. Lilly goes to bed with us in the evening and sleeps for a good 12 hours, so I have until around 10 - 11 a.m. to read the paper, do some email, and then dabble with my own writing. Leighton's at the Ibsen center 9 a.m. till 5 p.m., except on Mondays when he meets me at the gym at 3:30 so I can work out a little after Lilly and I are done swimming in the pool.

Lilly's turning 3 months tomorrow. She weighs about twice her birth weight and is a very curious and awake little person. She doesn't nap much during the day; she prefers to explore the world, interact with people, work out in her baby gym, study toys and objects. On Mondays, we go to babyswimming and on Wednesdays, we go to an aerobic class for new moms with babies. She loves looking at the other babies, reaching out to touch at times.

The other days, we go out for walks or we run some errands. I love walking around Sognsvann, a lake just 20 minutes up from where we live. We've also walked along Akerselva, a river on the east side of Oslo; around Akershus festning, the old castle and fortress; in Slottsparken, the park around the castle; and in the Vigelands park with its amazing sculptures.

In the weekend, the three of us go for walks together, visit with friends and family, get some house chores done, and relax at home. We've been to some parties and recpetions, Lilly comes along to everything and is always the center of attention. Except for my 40 mintues at the gym every Monday, I've not been apart from Lilly yet. I don't think we're ready; I've pumped but she doesn't want the bottle. And I'm happy to take her along to various talks, meetings, and parties. She's typically quite content and it stimulates her curious mind.

Leighton's been updating the photo gallery; click here or on the link to "Norway" under Photos to the right. The newest additions are at the bottom of the gallery page.