Medical advice

I bleed a lot from my nose from time to time, why is that? 

Any doctor who cares to give me some free answer?

The Future Lives

Our future is starting to take shape more and more - in my mind - and it is starting to make more and more sense.

We could have great lives here in Sweden - at first.

Get a cute little apartment at first, with two full time jobs - with our educations - we should be able to buy pretty soon.
Memo can take SFI, and get the economical help that comes with it at first - it would help us gain a few months on job search.

I will take a intensive driving course to get a driving licence. At some point buy a car.

I mean, it's possible, and it could be amazing.

On Sunday I will try to meet up with a young Canadian that married a Swedish girl and see if he could speak with Memo about how it was for him to come here.

I am excited. Returning to Mexico for a few months, if this is what we decide to do afterwards, will not be that bad after all.

Fun times, and exciting times

Less exciting is the bureaucratic process of getting maternity leave money, as well as child allowance. Today I talked with them - again, and will send in the papers. Let's all cross our fingers to that it is all good, and that I will stop living off my mom as soon as possible.

Veep

Earlier this year I recommended the show 'The News Room', I love the show because of the irony and the intellectual part.

Veep on the other hand I like because Julia Louis Dreyfus is one of my favorite comedians, on the other hand the cursing.
You gotta love all the cursing.
Yet another HBO series, and it delivers.

Here's the trailer



and here a very politically incorrect scene



I hope you all enjoy it the way I do

Jobs

So I have decided to start looking for a job.
I am looking here in Sweden to see how the market looks... for me Mexico is not really an option since you work like a dog to get paid nothing, with no benefits what so ever.
In order to have a good life there you need to have your own business - which we do not.

It's scary to look for jobs, because you realize just how little experience you have. I have work experience, 5+ years, but not within business or administration.
We'll see what can be found.

I was talking to Memo in the morning, and I guess that - considering my visa situation over there - the best would be for Sophia and I to head over there for a bit in the beginning of next year, so that he can spend some time with her. Then head back over here - find a job, apartment, day care etc.
We will see.

In the end the deal has always been to live where our standard of living is the best, and where it is best for us as a family. And sadly I do not think Mexico is - mostly because of our economical situation.

We will see... thoughts going around....

lot's of things to consider

Back to searching

Motion Picture

Some videos from today: Sophia driving on the potty and Sophia standing up

#Fail

It smells like poop in our room...
it could be the poop diaper I threw towards the door this morning, but missed and then forgot to pick up.... but now Sophia is sleeping and turning on the lights would wake the little monster up.

To learn to pick up the dirty diapers straight away, I will need to sleep with this smell tonight.

ps. It should be explained that we do not spend time in our room during the day, thus having forgotten to pick it up straight away, it slipped my mind. I am not THAT dirty. ds.

4th

For the past 2 nights Sophia's sleep has been all but good = her mother is tired

Sophia's nose has, yet again, turned into the Niagara falls

Her mood has been more crappy than nice

These three equals only one things - teething

This will be the 4th time in 4 weeks that we go through this, hell if I may call it that.

Sophia suffers - she makes everyone else suffer

Don't get me wrong, I feel for her... But I also feel for myself

I hope we will get a break after this, maybe 2 months without any new teeth

I hereby pray to the tooth-fairy to NOT give Sophia any more teeth for a bit, 6 is more than enough to chew - yours truly, Helena

Also, if you have a baby, and you know it might be teething soon DO NOT go across the world on vacation with your 8 month child.

1. jet lag and teething is not fun times

2. the change of environment and teething is not fun times either

3. when the baby is around 8-9 months separation anxiety kicks in, this with the previous two and teething is DEFINITELY not fun times

Good luck... to me

Impressions

We had an amazingly stressful and eventful day yesterday - packed with impressions, especially for the little ones.

We started out at the grocery store, where they got to ride the two machines they have at the entrance. This was a first for Sophia. And although she didn't seem scared or sad, she did not seem happy.
Vincent on the other hand LOVED it, and cried as we left.

When then went to my sisters place to start with Vincents birthday cake nr 2. I had decided it should be a train, and my sister somehow went with it.
It took a while, and after a few hours Vincent and I took a break and went down town BY BUS.
Oh lord, Vincent's second time on a local bus - in his life (according to my sister) and he was excited.
As we approached the bus he waived to the driver, who said that although he wasn't leaving for 13 min we could hop on... which Vincent literary did!
Amazing, he got to chose place and as I was telling him I had forgotten the camera the bus driver said I could borrow his phone and he would send it later - YAY.
Amazing, such a nice man.

Here it is

So much fun
As we came back I finished the cake and we had to go home - Yep, I didn't even taste it - but here it is

People said it was nice...

Today we're going to a play place for the children, I hope it will be fun, although it is not for small babies like Sophia.

Puss

Bad weather...

Today the weather sucked... it was raining more or less all day.

We stayed inside, played - naked - or at least Sophia.
My sister and the awesome 2 year old Vincent passed by, with Victor - of course.

We made lunch - read I, and we made pie - read I, and then we cleaned up - read I...

We got the 'grocery bag' from the local store this week. This is not me trying to bore you with every single detail of my life.
A 'grocery bag' or "matkasse" is a bag filled with groceries enough for 4 dinners, including the recipes. You save money, time and it's fun trying new things.

So far it's been really tasty, and easy - although, Anna-Karin would have wanted some more bacon today.

I am, however, dreading the fish dish....

SO, great news. Sophia is Swedish. We received the papers today with her national identification number, and Swedish birth certificate.
This means that Sophia and I will be heading down town tomorrow to go get the whole maternity leave money thing going...
YAY

Puss

New and old

We spent the first part of this amazingly important day at the open day care with Helena and Emmy.
Super fun, and exhausting.

Tonight we are going to the most awesome little boys second birthday party. Vincent is already turning 2!

He's amazing.
And although him and Sophia are having some cousin problems at the moment they love each other - from far at least.

We already gave Vincent our gift - the inflatable lucha libre man. It has sand in the bottom, so when you hit it it bounces back.

Fun times

Happy birthday Vincent - we love you

Potty

They say you should not start potty training at 8 months - so I decided to test anyways.

We have already seen some good results
2 pee
1 poop

Our quest for a diaper free life continues

Rights

Sophia and I deserve to be happy
To be treated with respect
We deserve honesty
For our interests as a family to be put first

We deserve a good life

Sometimes it is hard to distinguish the best for us as a family from what I want, love, need or prefer.
Because it is about her - us - not me.

I will work as hard as I can to give her a childhood that is at least as good as the one I had - playing outside, lots of fun activities, family time, family get-away's, feeling safe, and most importantly feeling loved.

In order for her to be happy I need to make sure I can be happy.

Happiness is the word of the day

And the search for our happiness starts now

Einstein

The baby einstein movies are a big hit with Sophia and Vincent.

Sophias daily Spanish class is baby Einstein - mis primers palabras

We were out all day today - took a walk to get Vincent at day care - further away than we thought.
I am exhausted.

But the fresh air here in sweden is amazing!

My mental list of things I want to bring to Mexico is getting so long I am starting to consider writing it down - maybe tomorrow.

Puss

Settled

We're pretty much settled in here now, as did two of Sophia's front teeth - surprise surprise, two more are about to break through.

We have cleaned my moms house, rearranged the basement a bit to suite our needs.
We have tried to register her (again) as Swedish - and failed.
We've been to the doctor to make sure she's growing fine and helped Anna/karin fixing her new place so she can move in.

There has been days with fever and days with runny noses.

Nights are still a bit iffy...

It seems like things are falling into place, and I can only hope the Swedish system moves faster so I can start receiving my maternity leave money soon.

Also, life is good when the weather is great.

Just LOVE the Swedish summer (late summer)

Puss

Difficult

Life is difficult for the small ones.

Sophia was dragged half across the globe and have had to struggle with her first jet lag, she has had to learn to live with her 1½ older cousin, and on top of that she got her two upper front teeth - fever, runny nose and pain.
This past week has been hell for her - and us.

That's the reason for the break.

She's getting better - slowly.