Photobook

I've been writing some notes every month since Annika was born, about her development etc, and I wanted to do something creative with it. So I thought I'd make one of those photobooks, with photos & text. I came across a blog where I saw a really nice little book, and thought I'd use that as inspiration. This is how far I've got, I still might change some photos, move things around etc, but I think this is the direction I'll be going! I think it could be a nice little thing with notes from her first year.

Fun in the bouncer

Trips!

Only 1 1/2 week left to go to Sweden! I'm really looking forward to it, just a bit nervous about the flight - I bet I'm gonna be the Mum With The Crying Baby that you always get on a plane. :) Oh well, it's only 2 1/2 hours... I can't even remember the last time I was home for Easter, (or even celebrated Easter) it must have been like 7 years ago or something?!

Another trip is planned, but for my grandma & my cousin, to come and visit us! It was my grandmas idea, she wanted to come and visit and didn't wanna go herself (grandpa is not really fit enough for a London weekend trip..) so she's asked my cousin Anna, who will be joining her. Should be fun!! My grandma has been here once before, on our wedding 2 years ago, but they didn't really see any sights or anything, so this time I'll probably show her around a little. 

Then we've got my sister-in-law's hens weekend, which probably will take place in June, and abroad somewhere. Hopefully I can leave Annika for a couple of days, by then she has to take the bottle! (or a cup) Then there's their wedding reception (a 2nd one, the main one's here) in India in August, which will be exciting. 

So, lots of fun trips to look forward to in the next few months!

No time...

I've been busy with Annika, house and freelance work lately so that's why I haven't updated the blog in a little while. Will be back soon(ish)...

Efficient morning

I woke up at 5.15 feeding Annika, back to bed for 10 minutes before she was properly awake at 6am. Since then I've been putting in a wash, folding yesterday's laundry, made breakfast x 2, washed up last night's dishes, played with A and had a shower & got ready. And it's only 7.15! That's gotta be pretty efficient...

Today is babyclub plus cleaning the house. Hopefully we can move in on the weekend...

Spring is here!

Today me & Annika went to cheer on Teek when his football team played in a cup semi-final in the park. They won! Unfortunately Teek hurt his knee so didn't play the whole game. (And no, Annika didn't play, even though it looks like she did on the picture...) It was such a nice day today, lots of sun and 15-16 degrees. On BBC's website they're saying it's going to be 18 degrees on Thursday!! Let's hope they're right... Bring on spring!

Passport's here!

Phew! Annika's passport is here. She looks quite funny in the picture. :) It's actually valid for 5 years, a bit strange; she'll look so different by the time she's 5!

Going home!

Just booked a trip home for Easter - found some not so expensive tickets for me and A. Now we just have to hope her passport arrives in time!! 

Happy Holi

Today we celebrated the indian holiday called Holi, the festival of colours. There weren't that much colour though but there was a fire by the temple which people (for a reason I can't remember) threw popcorn into. Tomorrow is the main 'colour day', where people traditionally throw coloured water and coloured powder to people on the street - sounds like fun but it doesn't really work as well here in England as in India though!

I think it's nice that Annika gets to celebrate double sets of holidays, both Indian and Swedish. She's got Holi, Diwali, Midsummer, Lucia plus Christmas and Easter - there's something on almost every second month! We wanted to go home to Sweden this Easter, but unfortunately Annika's passport hasn't arrived yet so I haven't bought tickets, and since the flight ticket prices are going up we'll probably have to do the trip a bit later, hopefully in May. I can't wait to take her home and get all her great grandparents to meet her. I think her grandparents and aunts misses her too, so I'm sure she'll be getting lots of attention!

My darlings

Today's outfit / Dagens outfit!

Grey, paint-stained trousers from Primark; Red, also paint-stained, hoodie from the campus shop at New Jersey Institute of Technology (where I've studied). The shoes which you can't see are old Nike's and are also paint-stained. All right on trend! Or at least in the house renovation circles... ;) Annika's a bit more fashionable, wearing red trousers from swedish shop Kapp Ahl and a Winnie the Pooh jacket (not sure from where), plus her cool hand-made little booties. We've just been down at the house, varnishing the wooden floorboards. Or, Annika was mainly sleeping in her pushchair in the garden, lucky girl!

Missing my beach

It's grey days like these that I miss Sydney... I just realised the other day that I haven't been on a beach since Coogee Beach, Sydney, which is like 2 1/2 years ago! Ahh... I really hope spring comes soon and that it will be a long, warm summer in England! (even though there aren't any beaches)

Multi-tasking

Having a baby makes you quite good at multi-tasking, I've noticed. A few things I now manage to do:

- Going food shopping with a pushchair and a shopping basket

- Going food shopping with a pushchair and a shopping trolley (NOT recommended!)

- Typing with one hand whilst breastfeeding (like right now)

- Making phone calls/eating/texting/cleaning baby's double chin whilst breastfeeding

- Taking up car seat w. baby in it plus various bags up the stairs (not really multi-tasking, but really heavy!)

- Carrying baby and eat/be on the phone/put in a wash

What I've learned is to take every moment Annika is happy and content to do as many chores as possible (and to play with her) - forget the saying 'sleep when the baby is sleeping' - yeah right! Luckily our baby sleeps quite well at night - she only needs one, sometimes two feeds at night, so I'm not too tired in the day. It could have been a lot worse; I met another mum whose 12 weeks old son never slept more than an hour and a half, even during the night! Then I guess you have to sleep when baby sleeps...

Chilling in the bouncer

Annika likes bouncers. She likes her own, but also other babies bouncers - this is her friend Ben's, which she seemed to enjoy!

Renovations

Not much left to do in the house now, although it looks like more because of the mess! :) I'll be helping out this week with some tidying up. Fingers crossed it should be ready to move in to in about 2 weeks now. 

Above is a photo from today, it's Teek & Annika in the kitchen area, looking out towards the garden (which we'll finish in the spring/summer). I love love love those big glass doors at the back, they bring in so much light to the kitchen!

(I also just wanted to mention the cool little shoes/socks Annika is wearing, they are crocheted (virkade) by a work colleague to my mum - a very big hit this winter! I know they're a bit hard to see though...)