happy holidays, happy new year!

Hope you're all enjoying this holiday season and the rounding off of the old year. We're enjoying "romjula" (the week between Christmas eve and New Year's Eve) in Oslo where it's cold and no more snow, but cozy inside and on short brisk walks outside. We had a couple of nice weeks in Gran Canaria earlier this month, relaxing in our apartment, by the pool, or strolling along the beach walk. Here we are on one of those walks, one of our first days there (for more pics., check out the album).

As New Year's Eve approaches, we get all nostalgic, looking back on 2008. It has been a big year for us!

Anne went from being an overworked prof at St. Olaf to being a happy stay-at-home mama for Lilly here in Norway. I haven't forgotten completely about work though; this month I got a publisher for my book, which I hope will help grant applications this spring. I've applied for another year off from St. Olaf and look forward to actually writing the book next year after trying out some ideas for its format this spring.

Leighton has been thrown into life as an expat in Norway where he's getting at least some good use of the Norwegian language studies he completed at St. Olaf last year (new year's resolution for the both of us is to speak more Norwegian together). He's thriving in grad school, enjoying the (at times quite dense and always ample) reading in particular. He has focused his thesis project and its title is: "The Garden Party: 'Intimate Spaces' in Ibsen's Love's Comedy."

Lilly turned half a year while we were on Gran Canaria this past month and has started eating solids (we're talking tea spoons here). Banana and avocado for now (she's not so fond of either). She's finished beginning and advanced baby swimming courses, talks a lot ("ng" and "ablablabla"), loves to play on the floor, explore the world and other babies, and listen to mama singing. She still prefers to sleep snuggled up with mama, but has begun to sleep more by herself in her crib.

baby swimming

Leighton finished his semester today by turning in two final papers. Then he came along to attend last day of baby swimming. Unfortunately, class was canceled but we still enjoyed ourselves in the pool. On Wednesday, we'll be able to swim in the Atlantic ocean -- or at least in the pool by our hotel. We're so ready for our vacation!







I also added some pics. to our album Norway II, including more of Lilly in the pool.

desember

December is a big month for us: Lilly will turn half a year on Dec. 15; she'll celebrate her first Christmas; take her first trip to the Canary islands. -- On Monday, we re-introduced her to the BOB stroller; she'd almost outgrown her pram and was eager to get a better view of the world (a side note on strollers: here in Norway, everyone uses a pram for their newborns, babies even lie in them in cars, with a security net sort of attaching the top part of the pram--the basket--to the back car seat. In the US, we didn't even consider a pram but went with the car seat everyone seems to be using for their newborns there, either putting it on wheels to make it into a stroller as such, or using it as an adapter in a jogger for bigger children).

She still loves riding in the BabyBjørn, but that can get a little heavy. Plus it's not practical when it's raining or snowing, - which it started doing again this week. So now we're also getting good use of the BOB weather shield we finally got shipped over here (thanks, Blake and Rick!).

Here's Lilly, first day in her "new" stroller on Monday:


And here again, yesterday in the snow:


This week, we also introduced Lilly to a high chair. She was very happy finally joining us around the table! She'll be even happier when she can get her hands on some of the food we're always eating:


Leighton's finishing his first semester of grad school. On Tuesday we went out to celebrate the top grade he received (an A) on one of the three papers he has due this month.

Here's Leighton with Lilly at Mikrobryggeriet (the only place in town you can get a decent beer) celebrating with a stout.


I've been enjoying connecting more with a few of the women in my "barselgruppe" (mommy group, set up by the local health station). We meet every week now at somebody's house and share our thoughts and experiences while our babies play together/explore each other on the floor.

Lilly will be finishing up her intermediate baby swimming course this month, just in time to show off her moves in Gran Canaria. We'll be staying at a place called Cay Beach in Las Meloneras. We'll return to Oslo for "romjula" and new year's eve celebration here.

p.s. I've also added more pictures to our album Norway II.