Home in Raleigh

We are back in Raleigh and slowly getting settled. Unpacking the house and keeping an eye on Odin has been a bit of a challenge. Everyday gets closer...today, while Momma and Odin played with some friends, Dadda got the internet working!


Tonight Momma made a super healthy dinner of spaghetti with meat sauce (in the sauce she snuck in some finely diced cabbage, parsnips, carrots, onions and chicken liver). Odin loved it! Or perhaps he loved playing with dinner!

18 month stats

We went to the doc this Thursday. We got a thumbs up. Odin weights 24.1 pounds and is 31.5 inches. He's the 40th percentile for both...and has been for the past year.

Day with Dadda

Today Dadda spent the morning with Odin. He started by taking Odin to open preschool while Momma hung out with a friend with a newborn. Both Dadda and Odin had a blast playing with the other children and parents. Dadda commented to Momma that there were just as many dads as moms at preschool!
After preschool Odin spent the afternoon with Momma. Odin was so tired he actually slept most of the afternoon only to wake up approximately 5 minutes before Dadda came home. Odin woke up saying, "Dadda!" And then like magic, Dadda walked in the door! There sure is something special between Odin and Dadda.

While at dinner tonight, with Odin sitting on Dadda's lap, Dadda promised Odin a bath after dinner. Well, as soon as Odin finished his dinner he walked to the bathroom and started to "grunt" at the door. When his calls were not answered (both Momma and Dadda were still eating) he walked to the table, grabbed Momma's finger and asked her to open the door. Once inside the bathroom he started saying "Dadda, Dadda..." Momma tried to explain that Dadda was still eating, but Odin could not be swayed! Dadda had promised a bath after dinner and as far as Odin was concerned dinner was OVER and it was bath time. So, true to his word, Dadda stopped eating and promptly gave Odin a bath.

This past weekend we had dinner at a friends house, Hans and Hannah. Their youngest daughter, Signe, had a great time with Odin. She is 6 years old wants a younger brother (both Hans and Hannah have told us that she will have to be happy with her older sister and brother! ha!). Odin really enjoyed having the attention of an older child and had lots of fun playing with Signe.

Team lego building! Odin needs to get a bit taller to keep going higher...

EYES!

Odin has learned another word! EYES! It is hard to say the exact day he first said it, but yesterday and today it was really clear that when I touched my eyes and asked him what they were called he said, "eyes!"

Today while playing with a favorite friend, Kristen, Odin said it again. Kristen sugested we try and get it on video. What we got on video isn't as clear as how he said it moments before, but it sure is cute! Listen carefully!

First Words

Odin has started trying out a few words lately. He's been saying "momma" and "dadda" for a while, but recently there have been a few new ones...

Swedish words: momma, hej (hello), där (there - or children use it to ask the question, "what is there?") and nej (no).

English words: dadda, no and a word that sort of sounds like either cup or coffee; we are pretty sure it is coffee b/c he gets really excited when dadda makes coffee.

Odin also understands both English and Swedish. This past weekend when we traveled with Anita and Keneth they only spoke Swedish to him and he really seemed to understand what they were saying. Here Anita is teaching Odin to say "apple" in Swedish.

And Kenneth taught Odin how to wrench a finger!

Kokkola - Karleby

This weekend we took the ferry from Umeå to Kokkola in Finland (called Karleby in Swedish) which is just across the Baltic. The sea was frozen solid, but the ferry had quite the ice-breaking capabilities! We visited with some of Anita's family with her husband Kenneth. We stayed in a restored farm house that is 100 years old. Odin really enjoyed the house and really liked the flashlight he found! Odin also learned to rock in the rocking chair.
We went for a 1.5 hour walk around the cabin; Odin slept in the sled.
Odin liked climbing the steep stairs to the loft in the cabin. Mom was there to make sure he didn't fall.

Mom and Dad having a bit of relaxing time while Odin slept in the rocking chair with Anita.

Odin looking down and laughing from the loft in the cabin! Notice Kenneth in the background making sure he doesn't jump through.

We went skiing on Saturday and the weather was great! Nice and sunny and not too cold. Odin had another good nap in the sled - all warmly wrapped up in wool!

Jokkmokk

Last week we traveled BACK up to the arctic circle because it just wasn't cold enough for us in Umea! No...Dadda (notice the switch from Papa; Odin has decided that Dadda is Bronson's name and has told us so many times by pointing at Bronson and saying, "Dadda") had a conference to attend in Jokkmokk so Momma and Odin tagged along to check out another Swedish village. The conference coincided with Jokkmokk's annual Winter Market and Sami Cultural Events. We saw reindeer and many traditional Sami crafts.

It was also extremely cold ranging from -15 C to -30 C! Fortunately before leaving Umea we purchased a new snow suit for Odin (which we imagine will fit him for at least another year).

In Sweden it is very typical for children to nap outside in a pram (or jogger in our case). Here is a picture of Odin all bundled up right before we take off for a sleep-inducing walk. The Swedes feel fresh air everyday is a MUST for children. Regardless of how cold it is you will find youngsters playing in the snow and babies/toddlers sleeping while being walked to sleep in their prams.
In Jokkmokk there is a really nice Sami historical museum. The museum had a children's place equipped with "magnetic" fishing and "cows" to milk. Odin LOVED playing here!