holiday season chapter two: Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with grandpa Kent and grandma Cheryl visiting. Lilly loved all the play and attention and had a little bit of a hard time readjusting to the emptier house once they'd left, but now she's back to her good cheerful self (except when sick with the stomach flu, which happened for the first time this past Saturday. She was such a trooper though.) It was the first time we hosted Thanksgiving and I had so much fun with all the cooking and preparations. We had talked to Lilly in advance how Thanksgiving is all about coming together and being thankful, different people learning from each other. I found it quite appropriate that the native-Norwegian-fairly-recent-immigrant to this country got to share and learn from people who grew up in this country.

 Preparing the turkey, first time for me!

 Everyone busy in the kitchen 

(which I allowed just this one time; I know, I was kind of strict about that...)

 Having fun playing with grandpa Kent.

 A new book.

 Grandma Cheryl reading about Thanksgiving.

 Around the table Leighton fixed up for us, just in time.

(Thanks, sweetie!)

a great rainy day

It's 4:30 p.m., and Lilly hasn't had her nap (yet?), but, I'm amazed to say, she's happy -- and has been all day. She had a good night. She needed a little comforting around 9 p.m., then slept till after 2 a.m. Did not need more medication last night and was calm till morning when she got out of bed with a smile! Didn't even have time to go to the potty, just straight to all her toys.

This morning I was busy preparing for my small ladies brunch/lunch, and Lilly was happily playing on her own, studying her books and puzzles, so cute! Same when the ladies were here, she kept playing on her own, just visiting with us every now.

My guests (three strong women that I know through Lakselaget luncheons) arrived around eleven and left around one thirty. Lilly was past her nap time by then, and I thought she'd have an easy time falling asleep, but she either got so wired or happy or I don't know what. Unfortunately, her cold symptoms came back now during the last hour or so (because she's overtired?). Don't think we shall go to the pumpkin carving party at five...

It's been a rainy day; our home is so cozy on days like these!! With candles burning, the warm colors of the furniture and rugs. I love it!

It felt so good to have some adult conversation. We laughed, shared, cried, it was all good, all real. I'd made my usual pasta salad (whole wheat pasta shells, sauteed onion and mushroom, mozarrella cheese, green bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, kalamate olives, and a sauce made of Greek nonfat yoghurt, mustard, garlic, salt & peper). I'd gotten a baguette from the co-op, served it warm from the oven, crackers and brie for appetizers, with olives stuffed with hot peppers, grapes ... Sorbet for dessert. Sparkling wine. I'm getting hungry for more as I write this! It is getting close to dinner time. And so luckily there are lots of leftovers!

more on food

Today is first day of lent for those who observe it; no one in this household. We love food and don't deny ourselves, but we enjoy wholesomely. As you can tell from the videos below, Lilly is quite fond of food she can manage herself: she'll gnaw on a piece of apple (with her one tooth) and is able to down quite a few pieces of bread. She does not care for solids given her with a spoon (though she does like to hold and chew on the spoon), however, except perhaps for mashed pear. Other foods we've tried include mashed banana, avocado, potato, carrot, and oatmeal with breast milk. She will eat potato if it's in little pieces that I give her with my fingers (and that she can get her hands into as well). Mainly she eats milk. And since she's about tripled in weight since birth, she needs milk about every second hour, day and night (needless to say, she still sleeps with us). I have in turn lost all the weight I gained while pregnant (a lot: about 55 pounds, or 25 kg). Our midwife kept reassuring me I'd need the fat reservoirs while nursing. She was right. It's as if my body had the wisdom to stock up for this milk-loving big little baby. A friend of mine here in Oslo gained less than me though pregnant with twins. She has a petite frame and also has constant pain from rheumatism, perhaps her body knew it had to minimize its burdens?

In any case, with Lilly being so independent and content in her high chair as long as she gets to do what we do (that seems like a contradiction, huh), new pleasures have opened themselves up to us. For instance, going out to eat. The above picture is from Valentine's day when we went to the Cafe Theater at Trikkestallen (Torshov) here in Oslo. While Lilly gnawed on a piece of cucumber from my dinner, Leighton and I got to eat our meals, with both hands. We had planned on going out on mother's day instead a couple of weeks earlier (mother's day is earlier here in Norway than in the US). But I had come down with a cold so Leighton treated me here at home instead. Not just did he make dinner, he cleaned the apartment, treated me to a massage, and sat me down with a musical to watch on DVD: Fame (as mentioned before, Lilly too loves a good musical, so we had quite the afternoon around here). Life ain't bad.

Lilly and the apple (Lilly, eple, brød*)

Now two action-packed food videos for your viewing pleasure!