A Fig in Sweden Portland

tummy time

Doctor's orders to try and round out the back of her head. The girl is sporting a major baby mullet these days too.

ready for takeoff

I didn't get a passport until I was 28. I had to get it so I could work in Antarctica. (I also had to get my wisdom teeth pulled so I wouldn't create a dental emergency at the bottom of the Earth, but that's another story.) After that, I was hooked on seeing and experiencing new places. I often think that if I hadn't gone to Antarctica I probably wouldn't be living in Sweden right now. Although I became a world traveler pretty late in life, I've made up for lost time. My passport is about to run out of pages after visiting New Zealand, Fiji, Italy, France, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, China (Hong Kong), Taiwan and Portugal. (I still really want to see Japan and Iceland.)

Sophie just received her passport in the mail yesterday, and actually she's already been to another country (Denmark) to request it. I wonder if being born in Sweden and having a passport so young will make her want to experience the world at a much younger age than I did.

I thought it was going to be impossible to take Sophie's passport photo when she was only 6 weeks old and meet all the requirements – eyes open, both ears showing, closed mouth. Here's the trick: I draped a white sheet over her bouncy seat and sat her in it. And I took it in the morning when she's especially happy and alert. I got a good photo within minutes. Somehow I don't think the same techniques will work for Lewis when he takes my new passport photo this weekend...

Speaking of world travelers, Lewis' mom and stepdad are leaving the U.S. for the first time... TO MOVE TO GERMANY. In fact, Barbara has never even been on a plane before. Her first flight and big move happens on Monday. We'll be thinking of you guys and can't wait to see you on this side of the pond!

hot wheels

Just a glimpse of pram culture here... the pram parking "lot" at the baby health clinic.

I love being able to walk everywhere with her in the stroller. Earlier this week we walked to the big grocery store, which is on the outskirts of town. That's the one place we usually drive to because it's a bit further out and we tend to really load up. But I think I'll just put a backpack on and head over there on foot with Sophie a few times a week instead. And yesterday we walked to the IKEA store. It was Sophie's first time inside. She slept through the whole thing, so unfortunately I could not show her all the cool products that she will come to love. :)

Yup, I am starting to get out more. With Sophie past the two-month mark, I am less concerned about germs. Plus we're heading into spring, so there are fewer nasty colds going around. On my walk the other day, I bumped into a photographer I work with at IKEA. He is on "pappa leave" and was waiting for a train with his little girl. They were on their way to the Louisiana Museum north of Copenhagen. I told him he was so lucky to be able to get out and do things like that (because his girl is a toddler rather than an infant). He said, "You can, too." I guess he's right. Although breastfeeding does make it a bit more difficult. But I think I'm going to make a list of some good destinations and make a point to go. Museums are perfect because they have easy access to bathrooms, food and private places to breastfeed. Funny how having a child makes you see places in a whole new light.

Oh, but back to the health clinic visit... It was Sophie's two-month checkup, which included a visit from the doctor. That's how the free system can work here. Up until now, we've only seen a woman who's like a midwife for babies, not a real doctor. If there was a problem with Sophie, we would have seen the doctor earlier. But as long as a child is developing normally, babies only see a doctor at 2 months and again at 6 months, 12 months and 18 months. Sophie got the thumbs up from the doc, and now I start a baby massage class with 8 other Swedish moms on Monday. This will be interesting, especially since the class is in Swedish!

happy waffle day!

Grabbed the mail this morning and realized today is not only Sophie's two-month birthday, it's also waffle day. Maybe I need to have a second breakfast. (And I wonder why I am still 10+ lbs overweight...)

In other food news, the big grocery store in town is launching an eco line. It's like a taste of Whole Foods right here in little Älmhult!

never too early

There are a lot of important lessons to teach our little peanut. How to make a perfect half-caf latte is one of them.

Seriously though, I'm psyched about being able to put Sophie in a different position in the sling. With her tummy-to-tummy, I can really use two hands, and it's good bonding time.

By the way, it's absolutely freezing here. The Swedish meteorological organization said it's the first time since 1902 that the coldest day of the winter has occurred so late in the season. Thank goodness we have a lot of firewood left!

easter... or?

Looks more like Christmas here in Älmhult.

feathers, falafel and some vitamin D

IT WASN'T A FLUKE! Our girl wonder did it again. She slept straight through till 7 a.m.

So the well-rested fam took a drive to Sophie's birthplace – Växjö – a 45-minute drive away. It's the main city in our "county," and our main reason for going was so I could change my last name to Lewis'. Yup, I'm no longer a fig. Now it's my middle name.

Why the delay? I like my name. I've liked it for 37 years. And I guess the feminist in me didn't see why I should have to change it. But I guess this cold, dark place has softened me. I've been planning to change it for about a year now, and having Sophie got me to move my butt and do it.

It was easy peasy, and the way the Swedish government works means I don't need to really inform anyone about it. It will be automatically updated since it's tied to my personnumber. And the personnumber drives everything. They use it much more than a social security number. Next I'll change it in my U.S. passport, which is up for renewal soon.

While we were in Växjö, we decided to stroll the shopping street, which was all decked out in Easter feathers (a lady even handed us a bunch!). Yes, they decorate trees with feathers for Easter. I don't know the significance. Usher in spring or something. The little girls also dress up as witches and go door to door. And instead of Easter baskets, they fill cardboard eggs with candy. We picked up 2 eggs today  (see photo) – one for Sophie, and one for her future little sister or brother (whenever THAT happens.) I love that we'll raise her with all these neat Swedish customs. I think I'll buy a bunch of feathers, too. The neighbors will think we're nuts when we move back to the U.S.

Here I am with my feathers and a big ole falafel sandwich as I take in some really bright sunshine.

was it a fluke?

This is a day to be remembered. Marked down. Celebrated for years to come.

Sophie slept through the night last night. (!!!)

Mom and dad didn't though. Because we kept waking up to see if she was breathing.

This wonderful event happened after I was panicking most of the afternoon because she was spitting up A LOT and acting really fussy. Very unlike her. I started looking up all the scary things she could possible have. That didn't help.

Then I had a glass of wine (don't worry... the Swedish government gave me the OK) and miraculously everything got better. Ah, yes, the elixir for all that ails you.

fig duds!

Sophie is now the hippest girl on Knutsgatan. She's wearing FIG, the cool eco-label I mentioned a few weeks ago. Thanks mom and dad for this adorable super-soft sleeper!!

I like the copy on the label: Let's face it, kids would rather be naked. Nude is fun, but it leaves no room for style.

simple pleasures

If only the rest of us could be as easily entertained...

Her new stim-mobile arrived today and it was an instant hit.

united states of denmark?

Sophie got her first taste of the U.S. on Friday... when we took a trip across the bridge to Denmark.

Huh?

Well, it started with a visit to the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen to register Sophie's birth and get her passport and social security number. We had an appointment at 9:30 but it was kind of irrelevant because we had to wait in line anyway, behind all the people who lost their passports and were trying to catch a flight. Oh and one woman was giving up her citizenship so she wouldn't be a target for terrorists. Luckily I pumped on the drive down so Lewis could feed Sophie a bottle while I waited in line and dealt with the woman behind the counter.

After turning in all our paperwork (her passport will be mailed to us), we decided to keep the American theme going for the day by going to a mall. I mean, I am a Jersey Girl at heart after all. Sophie needs to know where she comes from! I have to say that the mall is a great place to go with a baby. Easy access to bathrooms with changing tables plus it doesn't matter what the weather is like. A big plus when living in Scandinavia.

The mall even had an American restaurant called The President. We couldn't resist. Lewis and I both ordered the Reagan Burger (a fish sandwich). And it was a little fishy! Haha!

With her first outing into a public place, it was a big day for Sophie. But it was also a big day for me... because I had to breastfeed Sophie for the first time in public. She was having a meltdown just as we sat down for lunch. I guess I was nervous because breastfeeding is not totally accepted in the U.S. I mean, you hear about women getting kicked out of stores and restaurants all the time by ignorant people. It's different here, luckily, but I guess I'm still used to the U.S. mentality. It went fine, and I'm glad to get it under my belt.  Now I think I'll feel more comfortable about it.

battling the brown with a little green

When we learned that we'd be adding another person to this planet we decided to try and lighten their footprint as much as possible. We're not perfect by any means! But we try. Like using hand-me-downs and buying used clothing and supplies.  (Which also appeals to our budget, of course.)

But the #1 (and #2) way to be more eco-friendly, of course, is how you take care of the #1 and #2. We use unbleached prefold cloth diapers during the day and disposables at night. (See... not perfect.) The cloth diapers just get soaked so quickly. It's more comfortable for her to sleep longer with the disposables on. So that's what we do. Luckily Sweden has an eco-labeling system, which makes it easier to make the green choice. (I wish the U.S. had this.) It's called the swan label, and it's only placed on two brands of diapers in Sweden.

So far I've only been able to locate one of them, and only at one store in Älmhult: Coop. They're the Coop brand diapers. And they're actually the cheapest.

We'll see how they stand up to Sophie's poo-fests. A co-worker told me she tried Pampers and Libero and liked these the best. You gotta love when the green choice is also the best choice.

sophie has a question

Is it...

a. Can I be reassigned? These people are nuts.
b. What's for dinner?
c. Could someone take care of the juicy stuff in my diaper?
d. Uh, yeah, I pooped again. Can you get that?

The raised hand is one of Sophie's signature moves. Sometimes when she's laying in her bassinet all you see is her hand poking up. Hysterical.

good wood

My friend Karin, who was the HR person responsible for hiring me, came by the house today for a little fika and brought Sophie her first Swedish toy: this classic from BRIO. I was JUST saying that I want to find nice wooden toys for our girl, so I was so excited about this great gift! I've heard of BRIO – they make the wooden train sets popular in the U.S. What I didn't know is that the company's roots are right here... like a 15-minute car ride away! A guy named Ivar (not to be confused with IKEA's Ingvar) started the company in 1884. I found a bunch of things that I want to buy, like this cute pull-along dog and push cart. Turns out their main office also has an outlet shop, so Sophie and I will definitely be paying it a visit sometime soon!