Kender I det, når man er tager i fitness for første gang efter man har født, og opdager for sent at man kun har fået shorts med, at man ikke har barberet ben (i mindst et par uger), og at ens T-shirt er plettet og beskidt (fordi det var den man sov i de første par uger efter ovennævnte fødsel, mens mælken bare sprøjtede ud af brysterne i tide og utide)?? Og at man så tænker, at det er okay, for man møder jo alligevel aldrig nogen man kender, vel?? (Famous last words)

Og kender I det med, at man så står der med sine behårede ben og beskidte bluse og fylder sin vandflaske op ved håndvasken, og der så kommer en total toplækker trunte ind i matchende pink træningstøj, der liiiiige skal rette sin makeup og sit hår inden hun træner videre....??

Nej? Kun mig? Godt så.

On Swimming and Olympics and stuff

This past weekend the European Short Course Championships (swimming, doh) were held in Poland. As an old swimmer I tend to follow championships like these closely - I like to look up the results, stories and pictures. When Danish swimmers are mentioned in International swimming news, it makes me happy.

I've never understood why Swimming isn't a bigger sport in Denmark. In the US and Australia, swimming has become quite popular - largely thanks to superstars such as Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps (what up Bmore!) In Denmark though, it has onyl started gaining more respect and media coverage again more recently. Super swimmer Lotte Friis gained some popularity after winning some medals and competing in the Danish version of 'Dancing with the starts" (vild med dans). But she still has to compete with the handball team, the soccer team, Caroline Wozniacki, and a plethora of other athletes for media and mainstream attention. More recently, Jeanette Ottesen has been winning and therefore recieving lots of attention. These are swimmers that swam back when I swam - they were the 'good girls' of my agegroup, the ones to beat (even though  I was way far off their times even back then....) - and it is SO cool to see them have success. And even more exciting - there are lots of young talents too.

Anyway, back to the Euro SC champs. Denmark won a record amount of medals and topped the medal charts, set some cool records (It's good to see that new swimmers are taking over now that the Mette JAcobsen and Louise Ørnstedt days are over....). I KNOW none of this translates to Olympic Success. But BOY am I excited for this upcoming Olympic year!

On stuff you don't really need...

I am absolutely crazy about this Kenwood line of kitchen appliances ---- the retro design and the red color makes my heart melt! It would fit perfectly in my red-themed kitchen.....

I still have a dream of one day owning a kitchen machine like this....

Some day, we will own an espresso machine.
For now, though, making our Lattes has it's own special charm.

oooh... Some day!

Swimming yeay

The Danish swimmers are really having a ball at the European Short Course Championships with 6 medals today. They are really looking promising for the upcoming Olympic year!

Today, Little Dude decided he was too cool for naptime. And by 'too cool' I mean he literally laughed at me most of the day, especially when I was trying to get him to sleep. He wasn't super fussy or tired or anything most of the day, he just refused to sleep for more than about 15 minutes at a time (except for one 30 minute nap).

By the end of the day, momma here is super tired and fussy. 

Memories

I couldn't sleep last night, and so I got to thinking... about all the normal housewife things - the laundry (my neverending project), grocery shopping, thesis writing....

And last but not least, my mind was circulating around another event. Just a few days ago, you see, I recieved a facebook invitation for our 10 year primary school reunion. It is still hard to believe it's been almost 10 years since we left 'folkeren.' It's not a time that I think about very often... I've moved on, lots of stuff has happened since then - and I'm sure most of my old classmates feel the same way. I am looking forward to attending the reunion... kind of.

You see, I read once that when we go to reunions, we tend to fall straight back into the roles we once had... the nerd, the jock, the valedictorian... etc, you name it. And it scares me, that now, 10 years later, I may go to Sønderborg to go to a party, and fall straight back into those old patterns that no longer exemplify who I am. I am scared that those people, who I once spent day out and day in with, will think that I am the same as I once was....

Will they see, and accept, that I've changed? That I am no longer that same scared little 14-year old girl, desperately longing to be accepted, to be liked and included? The one who hid behind a computer screen during recess because she would rather not try at all, than to be rejected. Again. Will they see that I am funny and smart and miles more confident than I once was.... but that I am still not perfect, I am still flawed and sometimes scared? That I am a mother, a girlfriend, a scholar..... and so much more.

Is it odd that I feel some sort of need to 'prove myself' to them?

And will I be open to accepting that they have changed as well? I hope that I will be able to forgive and forget their past flaws as well... and realize that they have grown up, just like I have. That they are unique individuals...fathers, mothers, partners, scholars, workers, and adults.

And I wonder... if any of them might feel the very same way.

Happy 2nd Sunday of Advent!

Glædelig 2. Søndag i Advent!

More Christmas

I read today that young people between the ages of 18 and 29 are the people most invested in  following tradition when it comes to the holidays. I found this interesting. I wonder why this is?

I know I have always loved christmas, and maybe even more so since I moved 'out' at age 18. This year, it has become even more important to me that we decorate and do 'Christmassy' things. I feel like we are trying to start some of our own christmas traditions. I think that for a lot of young people, we are trying to either recreate happy childhood moments, or maybe trying to erase bad ones by making our own.

Either way- we picked up our christmas tree today and plan on decorating it  later today or possibly over the weekend. Now we are going to put some æbleskiver in the oven and enjoy some quiet time before Little Dude wakes from his nap.

Creamy DUCK noodle soup

In the spirit of not letting good food go to waste, I usually cook a soup whenever I make a whole chicken. This past weekend we made a whole Duck - and figured that Duck noodle soup was in order. I've made it before, but this was the first time I made it creamy. And boy was it delish!

I covered the remaining Duck with water and let it simmer for several hours along with a few bay leaves, some thyme, and one onion cut into quarters. Along the way I skimmed the top for fat and other stuff.

After that you sift the 'buillion' and (this part isn't for the faint of heart) you make sure to pick any remaining meat of the bones and remove any small pieces of bone or skin. Preferably you then let it cool a bit so you can skim of any remaining fat from the top.

Strain it back into your bit ole pot and add 3 sliced carrots and 3 sliced onions (if you have things like cellery this is also good, but this was more of a leftover dish for us...).

Add pasta or noodles, a sprinkle of oregano, a sprinkle of thyme, and some 1 % milk.

Just before serving, stir in leftover Sour Cream (I had about 1/2 cup).

oh baby....

Say it isn't so!!!

Picture screencapped from http://www.duggarfamily.com/content/twenty

and a Merry Christmas to you!

I'm going out on a limb here and wishing you all a very merry Christmas on this first day of December. I know that it's all non-politically correct and stuff, but if you feel offended you can feel free to wish me a happy Hannukkah or a happy Ramadan (even though that's already passed for this year). Or you can ignore me. That's fine too.

Anyway, as soon as Thanksgiving had passed I was allowed to break out the Christmas stuff. I've made this rule for myself so that I (and those who have to live with me...) don't get too sick of christmas too early. And also "forventningens glæde er den største" (the joy of expectation is the greatest).

This is just the beginning....

'Stop Spild af Mad'

Over the past year or so a campaign to 'stop wasting food' has taken hold of Denmark - and me! I guess I really caught onto the idea when I heard how much food we waste without even really knowing it. I mean, how often do you throw out a little leftover rice, a brown banana, or maybe some old milk? Even though I thought I was pretty good about it, once I started paying attention to how much food goes in the trash, I was a little shocked. And that's just from my own kitchen. When you hear about supermarkets and restaurants, my mind is completely blown....

Anyway, I guess I just wanted to write a little bit about it because it's something that's been on my mind lately. 'stop wasting food' is also a good way to save money on food - because you really try to use everything - thereby saving money. When you're on a fairly tight budget, you try to save any place you can. I know I do. 

One way I've been trying to stop wasting food is to make sure:

• I save leftovers and eat them for lunch or try to make a second dish out of the leftovers
• Make sure I use the entire bag/(whatever it is) of something. 

The last part is the biggest challenge. It sometiems requires a little bit of thought and planning to make sure you use the entire head of cabbage (for example) when you bought it to make coleslaw-.... you still have to find something to make with the other half of the cabbage. 

Anyway - this topic will come up again soon!

The giving of Thanks

We had a successful belated Thanksgiving on friday night.

Complete with a duck (I know, that's just wrong), mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, coleslaw and gravy. This was followed by pumpkin pie and ice cream. yummity yum yum.

These boys are just way to excited about Thanksgiving:

'write what you know'

Do you know that annoying feeling of having lots of writing ideas and inspiration and all the wrong times? When I finally have the time/patience/energy to sit down at the computer to write on the blog and read other blogs, I've completely forgotten all of my good ideas.

So I guess it's time to go back to the basics and 'write what I know'. But what do I know?

That time is a precious commodity when you have a little one in the house.

Sometimes I feel like a I live in a strange, paradoxical world where I never have any time yet still manage to be bored some times.

Even though the term 'bored' seems like the wrong word to use. Rather, the days can seem endlessly long.... there is always something to do, or something that should be done. Dishes, laundry, vacuuming, and similar never-ending projects.

I also know that my standards for 'clean' have gone down. Our home is cluttered and dusty most of the time because I often choose to use Little Dude naptime for either Christine naptime, TV time, or walk-around-the-neighborhood-time.

Ah, but life is good.

LD

Just a few random pictures that haven't yet been shared on the book of faces.

because I usually only post attractive pictures of Little Dude,
 I figured you should see one where he makes a funny face

He's a little thinker, but very happy and loves to play

Happy Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holidays. It's not one that I grew up with and it's not one that is nationally celebrated many places. And yea, it also doesn't really have anything to do with fake friendships between pilgrims and native Americans.

Still - it is one of few holidays that doesn't revolve around giving material gifts. Rather, it is about celebrating the gift of family (gag...). I like to believe that it is a day for love and reflection and for giving thanks. It's also about delicious food, but at the same time I like to believe that at least some people also take the time to give thanks for the many blessings in their lives. It doesn't matter what religion you are or what culture you come from - it can still be healthy, humbling, and joyful to think of the little, and big, things that bring you joy each and every day....

So what are you thankful for this year?

I am thankful for coffee and caffeine. For cameras that allow us to capture moments and glimpses of our life. For free education and healthcare and a year-long maternity leave. I am thankful to have a dishwasher. For pretty dresses and warm fuzzy socks.

On a deeper level, I am thankful for friends and family. For an uncomplicated pregnancy and for the gift of the most precious and wonderful son. I am thankful for having food on my table every day and for a warm bed to snuggle in every night with my boyfriend and my child.

A Thanksgiving tip

This year, as a special thanksgiving gift, I am sharing a tip that has come in handy many a time.

We all know that thanksgiving isn't just about giving thanks - it's also about eating as much food as possible. Turkey, gravy, mashed 'taters (or mashers, as I like to call them), green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, gravy, coleslaw, cranberry sauce, corn, gravy, and so on...

Now, most people believe that the best way to tackle this day is to avoid eating all day, thereby saving space for lots of food when it's dinner time.

Those people would be wrong.
What happens is that you get so hungry that you eat way too fast and that you also get full way to fast.

Instead, you should be sure to eat / graze all day long in order to expand your stomach and keep your metabolism going. You should be sure to eat a good healthy breakfast and to stay hydratred. Possibly you should do a little bit of exercise. It could be a turkey trot race or just a nice long walk around the neighborhood. Then you should eat some more. Don't eat anything too filling, just foods to nibble on that will expand your stomach - bananas are good, so are apples. Toast and cereal are also good. This allows your stomach to be fully prepared for the feast to come.

Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!

I was fortunate enough to get some different giftcards and money so that I could by some post-pregnancy clothing. I've been seriously lacking in the basics department so I got a few of these items

Wool tights for wintertime

A nice warm sweater

Sparkly short sweater

a black skirt

running/exercise tights

As usual though, I still need some jeans, which are virtually impossible to find. I need them in the right size, non-lowrise, and at a reasonable price.

More food

This is a good place to save recipes ;) And to share one of my 'empty the refrigerator' dishes

Thai ruskumsnusk

Thai chicken ala Christine

3 carrots (julienne)

3 red peppers (julienne)

2 onions (1/8s)

3 stalks celleri

One small chilli

1 lb Chicken cut into wok pieces

Marinade:

White wine

Red wine vinegar

Soy sauce

2 clove garlic

For the Sauce:

Sour Cream or Milk
Tomato paste one can

Coconut milk one can

Paprika

Ginger (fresh or ground)

Pepper and lemon pepper

Tabasco

Soya sauce

Mortens Aften

We never celebrated 'Mortens Aften' growing up, but for some reason we decided to do so this year. So for my first Mortens Aften ever we invited to friends over to dinner. 

I am lucky enough to have a boy who actually likes to cook and experiment in the kitchen some times, so him and his buddy C started in the kitchen at about 4 PM to clean and prepare the duck. Even though they were supposed to cooking, I am mildly obsessive and also like to cook, so I couldn't help myself from hanging around the kitchen 'helping' them out. Either way, Little Dude was still napping, which allowed me to spend some quality time hanging out with the boys. I took over the gravy making because that way I can get it exactly the way I like it! ;) 

We ended up with a full christmas dinner of duck stuffed with apples and prunes, delicious gravy, browned sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, red cabbage, and waldorf salad. We are definately doing this again next year!

I also had a glass of white wine and half of a christmas beer (blålys) - and ended up with a nice hangover sunday morning???!?

PS3

Today, I am wondering if I made a mistake when I allowed a PS3 into my home along with Fifa12. With two boys in the house, I have a feeling I will soon be outnumbered... at least the youngest boy has only barely discovered that he has hands and still doesn't understand how to control them. 

I was promised that we will get mariocart soon though, so at least I may get to play every now and then. 

'Tigerspring'

The last few days, Little Dude has been 'fussy.'

'Fussy' for Little Dude is actually quite calm compared to the stories I hear from other parents, but it is still heartbreaking for him to be unhappy and not be able to help him. He doesn't scream, but he seems restless and seeks comfort. He has also been a good sleeper for about 3 weeks - but last night he woke up every 3 hours and was hungry and needed some cuddle time.

A little internet research showed me that LD is just in time for his 8 week tigerspring.

I've done some reading on Tigerspring before, but never memorized them or read that much into it. But it is remarkable that he is this on time and pretty much fits the description right on the dot.

He has slowly started to notice that he has hands and that he can actually control those odd things at the end of his arms. It also seems that he is making more conscious noises - 'talking' on purpose.

There are a few of the things I already noticed a while ago: such as the way he has purposely been turning his head toward noises (especially our voices) and he has noticed and been fascinated by shadows on the wall or moving objects.

He is easily overstimulated, but also seems to be quite content and entertained for a long time when he is 'playing' or looking at his toys. But suddenly he gets angry with them and needs comfort.

Denmark around the World

2 years down...

Hard to believe it's been 2 years, but it's true. Two years ago today, I ate sushi and drank wine with this cute boy, and somehow he still likes me.

A year ago I wrote about how amazed I was at the thought that he didn't think I was (too) crazy yet and how he was willing to move into a tiny apartment with me.

To celebrate, we are leaving our baby in the care of others and spending an evening all alone for the first time in 7 weeks....

Pretty sure I have the easiest baby in the world!

I have tons of things to write about, but no time and no energy - and sometimes some other priorities. But we are all well, alive, and thriving.

My little Dude now weighs 6 kg and is 63 cm. Well actually, those were his latest measurements taken 9 days ago. For comparison his birth stats were 3.85 kg and 53 cm. Today he is 7 weeks old.

 He is so good at holding his head and likes having belly time to train his neck and back. He can lift himself up on his elbows and now we are practicing going up on our hands! He is very alert and has started smiling and laughing. It is truly the greatest sound in the world to hear his little laugh and see his eyes light up at us.

Sleeping and eating is going well. I don't want to write how much he sleeps for fear of jinxing it. Suffice it to say that I am more than satisfied. It is really amazing how much sleep means for happiness/energy levels. The first many weeks were tough - really tough. With a baby waking up every 3 hours during the night.... and learning to 'sleep when the baby sleeps' - is difficult!

As far as eating goes, he still eats alot. All the time. We are 100% breast feeding which is going really really well and I am so happy it is working as well as it is. Only sometimes I wish Daddy could take over... He has, a few times, with a bottle that I've filled during the day.

Just a little update from here. I have to go tend to a baby that is supposed to be sleeping (I am trying to teach bedtimes and the differnet between night and day!)

A few things I've learned so far

(AKA the lies we tell about motherhood and childbirth)

Giving birth hurts. Like Alot. I know I know, I've been hearing it all my life, and yet for some reason I never believed it could really be that bad. It could and it was.

You don't necesarily forget about it the minute you get your beautiful baby into your arms.

Breastfeeding is alot harder than it looks. And also it hurts untill your girls get used to it. And also you should be really careful to keep warm and dry (you entire body, not just the twins. Especially your feet) - if you want to avoid infections. They hurt.
And it's not fun to have to go the emergency Dr. on a saturday night with your 6 day old baby while you're running 39 degree fever. Actually, it's not fun to have another human being be 100% dependent on you when you are running a 39 degree fever. That's just a general rule.

You can learn to function on less sleep than you ever though possible.

Babies do not sleep peacefully. They make noises, cough, sneeze, wiggle, burp, etc. You will wake up every time your baby moves. It will interrupt your sleep even more.

'Sleep when baby sleeps' is alot harder than it sounds as is a skill that must be learned, similar to remembering to shower, eat, and drink.

So far, being a mom is everything I expected and so much more. It is at the same time the most wonderful, beautiful, giving thing in my life, and at the same time the most terrifying and scary thing ever.

There are constant worries - is he eating enough? Is that red mark supposed to be there? Is he comfortable? Does he feel warm? Is he wearing the right clothes?

I would give anything for just 5 hours of un-interrupted sleep or a nice long bath.

But my little Dude is thriving and growing, and he seems happy and well adjusted. He is 4 weeks old today, and he is getting better at being awake, taking the binky, eating on a more regular schedule, and enjoying changing/bathtime. I'm fairly sure we've started seeing the first real smiles, but I'm afraid most of them are just poopy smiles....

The best part of my day is watching him sleep, all peaceful, and listen to his many noises and watch his many facial expressions - he always has his arms placed above his head, and stretches them often.

Little Dude

Little Dude came to the world on September 4th after a very long labor. We are all doing wonderfully and enjoying each other immensely.

I haven't really had time to write or update the blog, - I'm busy staring ar my perfect son.

bum bummelum

So. Here we are. 41 weeks pregnant. It's not that much fun. 

We've tried taking long walks and coaxing him out with other promises. Like promising him lots of soda and candy all the time.

The best one so far has been: the longer you stay in there, the more embarassing we are going to become as parents. 

Looks like we need to start preparing to be the most embarassing parents to ever grace the planet. Hey, you asked for it Dude. 

Tips and advice welcome.

Although I'm fairly sure we can manage 'be embarassing parents' pretty well ;)

40+1

Yup, officially gone over time and past the due date so..... Please come out little dude? Please?

A birthday and a due date

Yesterday was a fantastic, baby-free birthday - the last one as just another chick and not as someones mother.

The boy woke me up with a birthday song, coffee, and rundstykker. We got to eat breakfast together before he had to leave for a long day of work. I got to take over the couch for some Go'Morgen Danmark and more coffee. This was followed by a brief hormonal meltdown over being overheated, all alone on my birthday, starving children in Africa, missing my mom, and the weather being horrible. Hey, no, it doesn't make sense.

It was made slightly better by a massage, yay, followed by the company of lovely Lene for lunch. We were joined by J for coffee, cake and 'boller' (which, because I am lazy, was instead franskbrød). Later we were joined by C for more coffee and eating and talking.

Finally we were joined by the boyfriend for a while before heading out to Cafe Chinos for huge, gross, greasy, delicious Burgers! Pretty much a perfect day. (Except for the fact that I drank too much coffee and soda all day and all night and I am fairly sure I did not sleep more than about 1.5 hours last night!)

Oh, also I got some great presents!


Today is my due date, which means Little Dude is welcome any time. Come out Come out wherever you are!

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my Moms birthday!

Happy birthday to my mama!

Oh Em Gee

I just realized how much fun holidays are going to be from now on. I mean christmas, obviously. But Halloween, Valentines Day, Pattys Day, 4th of July, everything. I can't wait to dress my baby in ridiculous outfits!

Pity Party

You know what isn't fun?

Being 38+ weeks pregnant, unable to sleep, overheated all the time. AND having a horrific cold. Think sore throat, hacking up a lung, snot running out my nose, crackly voice. Feeling even more over heated - or just really really cold.

Whine whine whine whine

an impatient status update

Tomorrow I reach 38 weeks, so I guess really I should just wait and write tomorrow. I'll do my best to actually post some picture tomorrow. I promise! (to do my best, that is...)

Anyway. I am as big and round as ever, but have luckily only grown a few more small stretchmarks. The hole that used be meant for a belly button ring is all stretched and red and I am pretty sure it will never look the same. 

Little Dude is nice and active and kicking and moving (more moving than kicking, really). 

Today I returned from the last part of this years Summer Vacation - affectionately nicknamed 'Tour de Danmark rundt' - since it has taken me to Aarhus, Billund, Sønderborg (x2), København, and Thy. This last short trip was to celebrate the 30th birthday of my sister-in-law. I'm pretty sure some people thought I was crazy to be about 4 hours from home this close to my due date, but honestly, all distractions have been welcome lately. I may as well admit it: I'm kind of bored most of the time. 

We're pretty much ready for the baby. We have clothes (although it's hard to know exactly how much you really need?), the bed is ready, etc. We need a few small items, but nothing urgent that would be needed the first day. And I've heard a rumour that it's still possible to leave the house and do some shopping even after you have the baby....

I'm still eternally happy and thankful and blessed (and all those wonderful words) to have had such a complication-free pregnancy. I know it could take another 4 weeks - but so far, I've only gained about 9 kg and I'm not swollen or filled with water.

 I have trouble sleeping, I'm tired and hot all the time and ridiculously thirsty. But that's also about it. I mean - my hips can be a bit sore every now and then. The floor seems really far away. Sitting in the same position can be uncomfortable over a longer period of time. I have to pee pretty much nonstop. But overall I'm not bothered. 

Either way - I'm still ready for him to get out of there, so please feel welcome any time!

How awesome...

...is Chris Anker Sørensen?

After his wife gave birth in the middle of the night, he drove back in the morning to continue racing in Post Danmrk Rundt. Not that's pretty Bad ass.

(he must have a very understanding and patient wife!)

37 Weeks

Yup, today I reached the magical date: 37 weeks! To the uninformed (such as me, a mere 9 months ago when I knew very little about pregnancy) this means that baby is officially 'full-term'  -- Or in other words, if he were to be born today, he would not be considered premature. This also means that we will officially be parents within the next 5! weeks. Labor will be started at 42 weeks if he doesn't show up on his own.


It's a nice milepost to reach, and I think it has calmed both of us a bit to know that he is know pretty much ready to be born.

It's also started me on even more of a 'getting ready frenzy' to make sure everything in place if today turns ut to be the day. I mean - any day now, it could start, and within (about) 24 hours we could be parents. How crazy is that?

Il Gusto - Odense

For a long time I've been hearing all these wonderful things about a little Italian Ice place in Odense known as Il Gusto. It wsa supposed to small, with homemade ice, and a new and different selection pretty much every day.

I like Ice Cream, and I generally like to support local business.

Then, more recently, word also spread that the owner is a little bit of a butthole. I didn't take that too seriously. I should have.

Yesterday, when we were out running some errands, the boy and I decided to treat ourselves to some ice cream. I was excited about my Il Gusto debut, about ice cream, about nice weather and yada yada.

However, the owner was enough to almost ruin my good mood. He was... unpleasant. and rude. He rolled his eyes at us. He didn't say or do anything that could be concieved as positive customer service. He kind of drew some comparisons to the soup nazi from Seinfeld.

When people aren't nice to me, it makes me sad, angry, uncomfortable and a little depressed. So I don't plan on ever going back there - especially since I was told this was entirely normal behavior for this man. No ice cream (and it was good, no denying that) is worth it.

on Baby Preparations

Hot DOG it's hot out there!

Actually, not really, it's probably just me. But Whoa. I'm just over heated pretty much all the time, and nothing can really seem to help - cold(ish) showers, minimal clothing, open windows all over, sitting outside in the shade - tried it all. I miss airconditioning. (sad face).

Anyway, we've working on little house projects the past few days/weeks. The 'nursery' is now just about assembled and decorated and we've rearranged our bedroom to make room for the aforementioned nursery. We're hanging up some pictures on the walls and starting to prepare for packing bags for the hospital (mainly for Little Dude so far, and then just a list for our stuff). Pictures to come.

Vacation in Sønderborg - Tour de Danmark

Den dejligste lille sydhavsø

Wonderful Odense

Summertime in Odense

Streets of Odense

'Mosen' - where we found a swan mama with her 6 babies

Sankt Hans at Fruens Bøge

Crazy 'studenter' roaming the streets of Odense

OB ties with Panathainakos during Champions League qualifying rounds.

 My debut at Odense Stadion

Still alive

I'm still here and I'm still alive! I can't really say that things have been crazy, but I have beee keeping myself busy. And, as I've come to understand, my energy comes a bit bursts for a few days at a time - only to leave me exhausted and foggy for a day or two after. I think of it is a very, very, mild version of the 'spoon theory' (- NOT that I'm trying to compare myself to those with real, serious, debilitating illnesses. Pregnancy is not a disease! - but it is hard on the body and the mind. Even when you have an easy, uncomplicated, pregnancy.)

Who would have thought, but I'm actually getting a bit caught by the Tour. The Tour de France, that is. Maybe because my ironboyfriend has patiently been trying to explain to me how it actually works and why they do some of the things they do. It is actually much more complex than I ever imagined. I am still a bit confused about the sport though, and I don't quite understand it. It's not really a true individual sport, but it also doesn't really seem like a true team sport either. The entire team works together to bring one cyclist to the win. But when/if he wins, it doesn't really seem as if the rest of the team gets any of the honor. hmmm.

Status Update

Weeks of pregnancy 34

Amount of swollen ankles/feet: 0
Amount of swollen hands/fingers: 0
Amount of stretch marks: 3 =( =( =( (very tiny though, thankfully. I guess you take the good with the bad though, right.)
Amount of belly buttons: 0.1

Heading on vacation today for 'tour de Jylland' - an exotic trip around various points in Denmark that will last appr. 5 days.

Meanwhile, I'm totally not jealous about my parents currently being here:

'Cause I'm just not the jealous type. Ahem.

Or other family being here:

Koh Samet - Thailand
http://www.kohsametsaikaew.com/

Good thing I'm also not at all bitter about the fact that I was supposed to go both of these places this year.... Nope. Not at all


Anyways, see you all later this week.

Pet Peeves Part 3

• Excessive use of pet names (when not used ironically/sarcastically/for fun) such as babe, hunny, honey, sweetie or the Danish versions baby, skat, skatter, skattepige. It's not necesary in every sentence. It's not necesary in every facebook status update. It's not necesary to call you boyfriend/girlfriend this every time you are in contact (this is closely related to PDA which will probably be a future pet peeve post). Stop. It makes you sound un-intelligent. And annoying. And I'm not sure which is worse.

• Excessive use of the word 'cute'. Not everything is cute. Not everything (or everyone) wants to be cute. Stop. It makes you sound un-intelligent and very not creative.

Ya Heard?!?

//End rant

Status update

Weeks of pregnancy: 33
Weeks left until due date: 7

Additional weight: appr 7.5 kg
Current temperature: HOT, about a zillion degrees
Feeling: really thirsty

Oddest craving: nothing really crazy, but cheese curls and sour candy (not together...)
Most painful symptom: occasional strong headaches, a sore hip

Other: I haven't had any really crazy cravings, any really bad hormonella trips, or any strong aches and pains. I have had a problem finding things I actually want to eat... I tend to let myself get really hungry because there is nothing in the house I want to eat, and I can't even think of anything outside the house that I might want to eat. So sometimes my snacks/between meals is chocolate milk. Bread, potatoes, and pasta are still popular.
 

Thought of the day....

Not that I'm a huge fan of either, but how come Coldstone Creamery has more stores (20 expected by the end of this year) in Denmark than Starbucks?

The only Starbucks in this country is in the airport. On the wrong side of security for it to do any good for tourists and travellers.

I'm sure there's some sort of market evaluation, etc. behind this, but really?

On being made of Iron

Yup, 'cause that's what my boyfriend is.

He's a half iron man

Yeah, he's pretty badass.

You've got spam

I'm a real blogger now, 'cause I have now recieved two spam comments on two different posts (that were not caught by the spam filter...). Wow.

I'd like to thank Little Dude, for giving me something to write about and also the time to write stuff.

just FYI

To the person who found my blog by searching 'odense sex thursday 5 00' -

I'm really sorry, but I won't be available for sex tomorrow at 5. I hope you found a place somewhere else. You see, I have a boyfriend who would probably be pretty upset if I went around having sex with strangers. Also, I don't have sex. Except that one time I got knocked up, I swear. Also, at 5 tomorrow I'm supposed to be washing my hair and stuff.

Eksil (Jakob Ejersbo)

Because I'm a nerd AWESOME, one of my very favorite things about summer is getting the chance to read lots of books - the non-academic kind. I've been spending my days outside in the yard, switching between the shaded and the sunny areas.


This week I started out on "Eksil" by Jacob Ejersbo. Where we meet Samantha, who is desperately seeking for meaning in life. Every time she finds someone to lean on, they dissapear. We are introduced to Tanzania at its best and worst. It is a tragic, brutal, very touching book, that I would recommend to anyone.

I've never been to Africa, but I've heard people recommend this book for people to read before going - it's hard to explain exactly why, but it displays alot of societal, political, psychological issues that we can all relate to in some way - even if it is based in a strange, foreign place.

One of the themes that really hit home was the ongoing story of how Samantha felt very strongly about not returning 'home' to England, even though her family pushed for her to go back. But Samantha moved from England at the age of 3 and has lived in Tanzania ever since. She speak Swahili, she knows and understands the local culture, people and customs. She thinks it is strange to call England 'home' when she barely remembers it and certainly doesn't understand it.



I'm working on the sequel - "Revolution." I should be done tonight or tomorrow, and will review that book as well. And then - it's time to go the library for new book supplies! 

Amme undervisning - Breast Feeding Class

Yup, today was the first day or preporatory classes for this whole birthing thing I'm supposed to be doing in about 2 months (2 months? really?). I may personally still be in denial about something ever being able to come out, you know... down there. But I guess it's gotta happen....

Anyway, breast feeding class. I was dissapointed. I was kind of secretly hoping that we would be playing with dolls and practicing feeding positions and stuff. But no. We just sat at a U-shaped table cluster and listened to a sort of lecture on breast feeding and stuff. I guess it was interesting - but nothing really new on the table for me anyway.

I tend to over research stuff and diligently do my 'homework' (as long as it's not for school...) So I have been dutifully reading all the brochures and the books. "What to expect when you're expecting.." and "Graviditet, fødsel, og den nye familie" as well as daily update emails from min-mave.dk.... ahem.

But yeah. Starting next week and then all through July we'll be partaking in 'Birthing and family preparations classes' and hopefully they will have more interesting things to offer.

The fogs

After several days of energy, I had a foggy day today. Or, in normal people language, a day where I was tired and just needed to sleep, eat, and lay on the couch watching TV. A perfect lazy sunday, actually.

Speaking of language, (nice segway segue right?) is it too early to start researching baby language development? You see, I have this plan of giving my baby the gift of being bilingual, so I need to be finding out, like yesterday, how to go about this most efficiently.

So if you are an expert on this, or if you're 'just' a mother, or 'just' someone with an opinion, and idea, or other - let me know!

Happy Sunday!

Go' Morgen Danmark

This semester, I discovered the wonder that is morning television. More specifically - Go' Morgen Danmark on tv2. Seriously. There may be nothing better than spending your first few hours awake in the company of Lisbeth, Morten, Mikkel2, Ida,Katrine, and Peter. You can drink a cup of coffee (or two), and spend the commercial breaks getting dressed, cleaning up, brushing teeth, etc.

I expect this glorious tradition will continue quite a bit through my maternity leave.

All photos courtesy of
go.tv2.dk

MY all time favorite morning team is a combination of Lisbeth or Ida, Morten Resen, and cute Mikkel the weather god.

Did I mention I really, really, really want to be a Go' host? (hopes sucking up on blog will help...) And you know, I really don't have many summer plans, so if you need a substitute summer host - Hit me up. I may be willing to help out.