This is the last post before you are one. I am not ready. Oh, this year has gone by so fast. I mean the mundane tasks of taking care of two kids, full time, without working outside of the home has been LONG and I am ready for a change of pace but other than that it has flown by! Here is what you've been up this month:
Trying to get smiles out of you in this box is hard. You are a happy baby but not a fan of these box pics.
Every once in a while you get a red patch of skin on your lip like you do in this picture. Not sure why it happens but it does.
StatsI took you to the BVC (pediatrician's office) to get weighed halfway through this month because I was worried about you not having very many wet diapers. At that appointment, you weighed 7.82 kg (17 lbs 4 oz) which was 0.02 kg less than what you weighed at 10 months so you lost a little bit of weight. That is in the 22nd percentile. We didn't check your height or head circumference.
I think the weight drop was due to my milk supply dropping and your love of solid foods which means your liquid intake (including baby food) went down.
The biggest change this month is that we started supplementing with formula. Man, formula. About two weeks before Linnea's first birthday I noticed a drop in her wet diapers so we supplemented with milk since she was so close to one. The same thing basically happened to you except it was about 6 weeks before your first birthday. So we added formula to your daily diet 5 days before we headed to the US. Not great timing.
You were nursing at 7, 11, 3 and 7 but once we added formula we changed it to nursing at 7, 11, a 6 oz bottle of formula at 3 and then nursing before bedtime. After a week or so we changed the 11 feed to a 6 oz bottle so you only nurse first thing in the morning and right before bedtime. Freedom!!!
Thankfully after about a week would get excited when you saw a bottle. It has given me more freedom while we are back in the US which has been wonderful. Plus you get to bond with whichever Grandparent is giving you the bottle. Win-win!
You still LOVE solid foods and eat so much at every meal. We give you a little bit of pureed food to 'fill in the gaps' but you would rather feed yourself which is nice but messy. For Christmas, I asked your grandparents to feed both you and your sister during one meal each day. I am tired of barely eating mostly cold food while feeding you and your sister. I know this is just a season but I'd really like a hot meal here and there ;).
Sleeping
You are still sleeping pretty well. You wake up once or twice a week and need a little help which is better than every night but not as consistent as Linnea was. Thankfully you did well adjusting to the jetlag this time around. All the praise hands for that one! This was the first time we tried getting over jet lag in separate rooms and it was glorious!
You sleep with your pacifiers and only get them at nap time, bedtime or while traveling on an airplane or in a car.
You are wearing 9 month and 12 months clothes. You also wear a size 68 and 74. I dressed you in lots of holiday wear this month and I'm not sorry even one little bit! You wore size 4 Huggies Little Movers and Snug and Dry diapers when we were in the US and Libero size 4 diapers in Stockholm.
Playtime
You love crawling over my legs or over pillows on the floor. You like to climb through your push cart. I also see you hike your leg up on the bathroom stool.
How are you so dang big?
You love reading books but get frustrated when I don't stay on the page you want.
You love this ball toy!
I would say my days with you are great. For the most part, I actually really enjoy the baby stage. I'm definitely getting tired of feeding you and cleaning up the mess you make. It just feels never-ending. I am sad our days at home are coming to an end but man I am looking forward to some purpose and creativity that will start flowing again once I'm working outside of our home. I'm also really looking forward to your dad getting a front row seat at what stay at home mom life really looks and feels like.
Grocery delivery!
I've been trying to work out more consistently and I did a pretty good job during the month of November and part of December. You also enjoyed helping me workout.
Activities and OutingsGrandma Janet visited us in Stockholm this month. Went to a Saint Lucia concert which was fun and hung out with her around the city.
Showing Grandma Linnea's preschool.
Grandma Janet came to celebrate Santa Lucia day, December 13th. We all enjoyed watching Linnea's preschool program.
Linnea's favorite preschool teacher, Miss Elin. She is wonderful!
We watched a Lucia performance on ice at Kungsträgården.
Making pepparkakor with Grandma.
Linnea wanted ice skates for Christmas and Stella wanted to be as far away from Santa as possible.
Writing a letter to Santa.
The ice skates were wrapped up inside the suitcase for Linnea and there were books in the front pocket for Stella.
Game night with friends after the kids went to sleep.
We headed to the US at the end of December (our 3rd trip in 8 months - FYI that is a LOT of international flights with two kids) to celebrate Christmas with our families. The flight to the US went well. I wasn't sure if you would sleep in the bassinet in the wall and you thought about not sleeping in it but thankfully you fell asleep.
We took a taxi to the airport for the first time. You are finally big enough to use one of the rear facing car seats so that's what we did. It was so nice not having to pull our bags to a bus stop and then onto the airport bus.
Linnea was so excited to sit in the pilot's seat and wearing his hat! 
This picture was taken right after we barely cleared customs. Our work visa/residence permit expired in March and we have reapplied but it takes 12-14 months for it to be processed. We can still travel but it gets a little more complicated. If we fly in and out of Stockholm it is easy for them to check our application but we flew out of Copenhagen and they can't check there so it just looked like we had been visiting Stockholm illegally. Thankfully we were able to leave without too much trouble but that could have definitely ended differently.
Linnea is at a great age for traveling. She knows the routine and she wants to be helpful. She brought her new suitcase on the flight. It was her job to take out the liquids when going through security. She did a great job. We also tried something new and had Jake board the plane early with most of our bags to make sure we had room in the overhead bins and then he wiped down the seats and trays before we boarded at the very end of boarding. Then you girls didn't have to be cooped up as long. It was great!
Speaking of near misses on this trip back to the US, I lost my wedding ring on the flight. I hadn't been wearing regularly ever since the girls got sick so I knew I needed to be careful to remember to wear it. I took it off to put lotion on and forgot about it. Several HOURS went by before I was half asleep and touch my hands together and realized it wasn't there. I panicked. Like completely flipped out. Jake didn't know what was going on because he had his earbuds in and he's apparently never seen me flip out like that so instead of helping he just watched me lose it. After 2 or 3 very long minutes of frantically looking on my lap, in my seat, on the floor, and on the bathroom floor I found it on the floor right at the bottom of my blanket. And then I cried. And then Jake and I had to talk about it because apparently, he thought I overreacted. . . . it was my wedding ring!!! And I guess he thought I was sending him some weird vibes about breaking up with him because I hadn't been wearing my ring and he didn't notice. I have no idea . . . but I found it and I was so thankful.
I got a head cold the day before we left. Flying with a head cold was ROUGH but we made it.
We borrowed a plane pal (similar to a fly tot) which is an inflatable cushion that is supposed to take up the space between the edge of your seat and the back of the seat in front of you. The idea is that kids can then lay flat on the seat to sleep. It worked great! Linnea could sleep and we didn't have to have her sleep on us!
New neck pillow, a head cold, and a sleeping baby. Ready to be off of the plane.
For the first time since living in Stockholm, we landed in Wichita instead of flying into KC and then driving to Wichita a few days later. It was awesome and I'm thinking we will probably try to do it again. I just wish it didn't cost $400 more each way . . .
Another first, we were able to recover from jet lag in separate rooms!! Game changer! We stayed at Grandpa's house, next door to Jake's parents' house, and both girls were in a living room on opposite sides of the house. Plus Jake's parents wake up early so when the girls woke up they had grandparents ready to play with them!
We celebrated Christmas with Jake's family first. We had a blast.
These four cousins had a great time together. Linnea talked about missing Andrew and Nathan for the rest of the trip (and well after the trip).
Learning how to play the trumpet.
Two angels!
Reading with Andrew. Both boys were so sweet with Stella and Linnea. I know Linnea was definitely spoiled while hanging out with her cousins.
Legos
Proud Dad moment for Jake.
I went out to dinner with my college roommates and this girl got some quality time with her dad.
Nathan fed Stella breakfast.
We celebrated New Year's Eve with my college roommates and their families. We had a great time!
Man, I love these girls!
You are pulling to a stand regularly and with ease. You've been into clapping more this month. You hit that milestone a while ago but if I say 'good job' then you will usually start clapping.
Your front two teeth popped through this month which means you are up to 6 teeth. Thankfully you didn't complain too much about them in the middle of the night! You have started grinding your teeth a little and that really hurts my ears.
Sister Moments
Linnea has so much love for Stella it is hard to contain it all . . . and also keep Stella safe. One of my favorite phrases Linnea says to Stella is "Stella, your mama is here. Stella look, it's your mama." She'll say that first thing in the morning or if I've been gone. I mean, I know Linnea knows I'm her mama too but it is funny to hear to talk to Stella that way.
It was finally Linnea's turn to bring a book from home to share at school. She was so excited! She brought Popcorn by Frank Asch.
Linnea has been writing her name at school.
Linnea asked me if I wanted to play this game but I hadn't ever heard of it before and I didn't know what 'benet' was so I couldn't really understand her. I was recording her so hopefully one of my Swedish friends could help me translate. Apparently, it is a game they play at preschool where someone hides a bone and the student in the middle tries to figure out who has the bone. There is another game called "Help, help, we've lost a kid." The first time she said that in Swedish Jake and I were a little concerned about why she would be yelling that until we learned it was a game the kids made up.
Dressing herself.
Linnea has been writing her name at school.
Linnea and Emma had a great time playing together before we left for the US for a month!
Holding hands!
Linnea came home from school wanting her fingernails painted. I was happy to help!
Playing with a balloon, like she does at school.
Linnea Funnies/QuotesLinnea wanted a real cat for Christmas but thankfully about 10 days before Christmas she saw people ice skating and changed her mind and wanted ice skates. She did a great job asking Tomte (Santa) for ice skates for Christmas (in Swedish) for her and some books for Stella.
Jake wrapped up several Christmas gifts one night and the next morning while Linnea was eating breakfast Linnea looked under the tree at one present and said, "Are those my ice skates?" They were, but how did she know that? So we had to unwrap them and wrap something else in the box.
Later that day I asked her what her favorite part of the day was and she said, "When I thought Santa brought me the suitcase and then I realize there was a present inside and it was ice skates."
After opening a few sets of pajamas that also matched ones that Stella had Linnea opened up a gift from Stella. It was another set of pajamas and a small set was included. She held it up and said it was too small for Stella. And then she said, "Hang on, these are for Alix!" and went running for her room. And then preceded to put the new pjs on Alix (her baby doll).
"Hang on, these pajamas are for Alix!"
Remember
Out of the blue, Linnea said to me, "Mama, I like the way you are my mama." I just don't even have the words to put together how sweet that was.
Linnea: "I'm so glad we have a shoehorn." I told a friend I thought she'd like to have one for her birthday and she still loves it!
We were scootering around the neighborhood while Jake's mom was in town. It was 5:45 pm and it was dark outside. Linnea said, "I want the sun to be here" in a super defeated voice.
I've been trying to ask Linnea what she might want to pray for and recently she said, "I want to talk to God. I want to tell him I don't like the yellow lights." The lights turn yellow when it is time to start getting ready for bed ;). She also told God "I am thankful Grandma came".
I want to remember how you smile and lunge towards me when it is time to nurse. Plus the giggle that usually accompanies it.
I want to remember how just hearing my voice or seeing me fills you with so much excitement. That is one of the best feelings in the whole world!
I am your favorite person. That will change (especially since you will be with your dad shortly after your first birthday) but I am sure enjoying it now. Look at that clenched fist on the back of my shirt.
You are so loved sweet girl.
Love,
Your Mama
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