OK, so I started back to work 2 weeks ago (going well). I started cooking dinner at least 5 nights a week 1 month ago (doing ok-Markku doesn't like my food, but Heikki and I do!). Now I have bought a bike and plan on riding my new bike to work! Let's see how that goes...
Why now? Why start all these things now that I am a really busy sometime single mom of 2 kids? I have no idea but am feeling motivated to do it so will keep trying! I'll let you all know how it goes.
Markku is starting to say more and more words now, although some are still just the beginnings of words. He nows tell me "Momma, stay. Stay." That means do not go to work or the store or to the bathroom... That is the hardest thing to hear! But on the bright side he also is saying and recognizing some other colors than yellow! He says Blue and seems to know when things are blue. Some red recognition too and he'll say it, but only after we tell him that it is red. He has the cutest "Yes" ever, but we also have to prompt that. He just says "ohh" meaning yes! He is swimming like crazy-he loves it! He will hold his breath for >10 secs and swim back and forth from 2 people or from the wall. He also loves to jump in from the sides. He is trying hard to ride a bike, but he doesn't quite get the pedaling thing. In stores, he always picks out the pink bikes... drives Heikki crazy I think. He also loves to brush his teeth (but not when I do it). He really just wants to suck the kids toothpaste. I caught him eating half the tube the other day! Tomorrow he is going with his mummo and Ukki to a resort near Seaworld to stay for 2 nights. he will be swimming and playing and eating all sorts of junk I bet! Ukki has a hard time saying "No" to Markku. It will be me and Suvi at home (well, I will be working so Kiri and Suvi for a large part of the time!). He is starting to tell me things that he did when I couldn't see him-like having wet hair from seating outside while playing or when he spills his water or food, or if Tillie eats something of his. But, yesterday was a little different. Suvi started screaming and I ran over to her as it was an unusual cry for her. Markku was standing by her so I asked what happened. He stomped his foot down on the ground and pointed to her! I was horrified thinking her may have stomped on her (she was on her playmat). He kept telling me he did and looking sad. I am not certain that is what happened as he can't be reliably deciphered yet most of the time, and I sure hope he wouldn't do that. Poke her in the eyes and lay on her with all his weight while giving her a hug, Sure. But not something deliberately mean. I sure hope not at least!
Suvi is becoming more mobile. She can spin around on her play mat and roll from back to side and vice versa. She is trying so hard to sit up and roll over and even crawl. It is amazing to watch. She talks (coos and such) so much of the time it is amazing. She also screeches like a dolphin or whale at times as well. She is very chubby. Her thighs are huge! It is so cute. We met a couple at church whose daughter is 2 months older and much tinier due to a feeding problem. They were amazed and delighted to see her baby fat and kept making me show them her legs!
Heikki is still a captain at work for now. That will likely change soon as ExpressJet is closing down their branded flying early September. Hopefully he will at least have a better schedule and be home more often. Some sort of trade off for losing his captain spot and half his pay!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Back at work
Well, last week I started back to work. I worked Thursday and Friday and it was not very busy, but kept me at least a little busy. It was good to be back and working again. I didn't miss the kids too terribly although it was hard to get going in the morning. Suvi didn't wake up until after I left for work both days! Markku did ok, but it was hard to share his nanny Kiri with Suvi-he wanted her all to himself. After work was the tough part. Heikki was in New Orleans for Coast Guard duty so it was just me...and that was VERY hard.
I tried to eat dinner but Markku just wanted to play and show me EVERYTHING. He wanted to play outside in the 100 degree heat and mosquitoes. Yuck! But I did it because I love playing with him and missed it all day. Suvi actually slept for about 40 min so I could leave her inside away from the bugs and heat. Then came bath time and getting ready for bed. Suvi cried through it all. Markku cried about going to sleep and by 9:20 he was in bed, I fell exhausted to the couch with Suvi. I got her to sleep and then finally was able to eat something! But then she woke up again so I decided to just call it a night and we both went to bed. Friday was similar, but since I didn't have to work on Sat. am it was much better!
Sat we were still adjusting-I was still sooooo tired and Markku was fairly clingy all day. But we did something different--we went to a Pamper's diaper print ad audition! I took Markku and Suvi (we met Kiri there). The ad said it was for moms 20-35 (ie NOT me!) or caregivers so I thought Kiri would be in the pics. But they wanted me anyways- so I got in the pics as well. It was 1 1/2 hours of a wait and then just 3-4 pictures and we were done. They didn't call us needless to say-oh well. There were a lot of really pretty younger moms there. And actually, I saw 2 dads that I thought should be in the photo shoot if they wanted to sell ME diapers-they looked very nice with their babies! But they didn't listen to me on that either.... Sat night I went out downtown with some girl friends-what a thing to do!
Sun was a great day! I just felt great and the kids were great and we had a great day! We went to church and then to the park at Central Market to play. I just had such a great time playing with the kids and then picking out a few treats at the store (nice organic fruit and veggies). Sunday night Heikki came home and it sure seems almost easy when he is here (he wouldn't say the same). I actually had a night out on Tuesday as well (but I took Suvi) as my book club friends had a mom's night out. Heikki watched Markku AND Suvi earlier in the day when I went to a work meeting. He was so tired afterwards. I think he may be realizing how hard my job is when he is gone! It has been a good week. I think I definitely enjoy my time with kids so much more when I know I will be at work Thursday!
I tried to eat dinner but Markku just wanted to play and show me EVERYTHING. He wanted to play outside in the 100 degree heat and mosquitoes. Yuck! But I did it because I love playing with him and missed it all day. Suvi actually slept for about 40 min so I could leave her inside away from the bugs and heat. Then came bath time and getting ready for bed. Suvi cried through it all. Markku cried about going to sleep and by 9:20 he was in bed, I fell exhausted to the couch with Suvi. I got her to sleep and then finally was able to eat something! But then she woke up again so I decided to just call it a night and we both went to bed. Friday was similar, but since I didn't have to work on Sat. am it was much better!
Sat we were still adjusting-I was still sooooo tired and Markku was fairly clingy all day. But we did something different--we went to a Pamper's diaper print ad audition! I took Markku and Suvi (we met Kiri there). The ad said it was for moms 20-35 (ie NOT me!) or caregivers so I thought Kiri would be in the pics. But they wanted me anyways- so I got in the pics as well. It was 1 1/2 hours of a wait and then just 3-4 pictures and we were done. They didn't call us needless to say-oh well. There were a lot of really pretty younger moms there. And actually, I saw 2 dads that I thought should be in the photo shoot if they wanted to sell ME diapers-they looked very nice with their babies! But they didn't listen to me on that either.... Sat night I went out downtown with some girl friends-what a thing to do!
Sun was a great day! I just felt great and the kids were great and we had a great day! We went to church and then to the park at Central Market to play. I just had such a great time playing with the kids and then picking out a few treats at the store (nice organic fruit and veggies). Sunday night Heikki came home and it sure seems almost easy when he is here (he wouldn't say the same). I actually had a night out on Tuesday as well (but I took Suvi) as my book club friends had a mom's night out. Heikki watched Markku AND Suvi earlier in the day when I went to a work meeting. He was so tired afterwards. I think he may be realizing how hard my job is when he is gone! It has been a good week. I think I definitely enjoy my time with kids so much more when I know I will be at work Thursday!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Toes on corn
I never seem to have time anymore to really write what I want to tell everyone. But, Markku went down to my parents last night (so no 7 am wake-up call) and Suvi is still asleep at 10:20 am. What a difference! Imagine how well she would sleep (and me) if she were an only child! Of course I didn't get home until 11 pm and it took another half hour to get Suvi asleep, so not a full night sleep by any means. And to make it worse, I tried her in her crib! She did sleep 3 hours in it (until 2:30 am) and then I tried to get her to go back to sleep without nursing AND in her crib. What a mistake! I gave up at 4 am, and just brought her back with me. I did not nurse her though and she did go back to sleep (just in my bed)!! Then, she woke again at 5 am and almost 8 am where I did nurse her as she was liking hungry then. But she went back to sleep and is still there.
She is a really good baby. Her coos are so delightful! She talks so much more than Markku did and they are so soft and sweet and girl-like! She smiles and almost laughs a lot during the day. She just doesn't sleep well-but overall she is a good, happy baby. Her neck is much stronger now and she really looks around at her world. She nurses for only a real quick stretch as then she can't see the world! Much different from Markku who took 30-45 to nurse! Boys!!
Markku is as cute as ever. He is trying new words and ideas all the time these days. His cutest was when he asked for corn and toes. Corn and toes?? What?? He kept repeating it. I finally figured out he wanted butter on his corn (he loves butter) and that he was probably trying to say toast, which normally he sucks the butter off! So corn and toes it is! He says a word like "gee-lo" meaning all colors, not just yellow. And he loves to point out all the different colors (but he just calls them all gee-lo). On Friday, he finally said Blue and red when Kiri prompted him to! For those of you who don't know yet, all trucks are "gu" and he LOVES trucks so we here that a lot. When he wants more of something, he signs the word more in sign language, and the word he says is "mama". Not me in that case, but more. So "mama, gu. Mama gu. Mama gu" while we are driving down the highway means more trucks! I want to see more trucks! Or mama juice! Or mama choo choo, or mama cack (more crackers!), or ma (milk). He also shortens a lot of words so milk is "ma". Now is Finnish, milk is maito-or something like that, so I think he may be shortening that word. Markku is also "ma" but a little more drawn out like a southerner talks! So he says "Maaa baby. Maaa baby." Meanign Markku's baby, which is different from "MINE! MINE!" that he also says all the time, referring to anything he may want at the moment! Another favorite is "why"? Juice, why?? When I won't let him have juice! He is starting to put more words together, like "mummo taz bye bye". Meaning his grandma's dog Tazi has gone bye-bye (or is at her house). He just learned to say he is two. And all numbers are two. So if he sees 2 trucks, he says two gu!! And gets very excited. He holds up 2 fingers (thumb and index finger though) and waves them saying two gu! Even if there are 210 trucks he says two! But he loves to hear us count. He is also to the point where he corrects me if I say the wrong thing back to him. For instance if he says "ma gone" and I think is says "maa done" and so I say "you're all done?" he says no and repeats himself until I figure out what he means-his milk is all gone. Of course if I can't figure it out a tantrum may ensue, but who wouldn't be frustrated that they aren't being understood when they are trying so hard! He also realizes Heikki has to leave and be gone a lot. He just says "sha-sha bye bye". He tells me all the time... When we get close to home in the car or after a walk he says, "Tillie Allie, Tillie, Allie" (our dog and cat). Then he often says, "sha sha bye bye". I think he saying that we will be seeing tillie and Allie real soon, but not dad. He isn't home!
We are supposed to go down to Boerne today to see my aunt and cousin again and go to Sea World, but Suvi is still asleep. I may have to wake her up now! I just wanted to get some of the cute things Markku says and does, and someday soon I may forget! He still calls Heikki "sha-sha" short for Isa, but he longer whispers it! Things are changing already...
She is a really good baby. Her coos are so delightful! She talks so much more than Markku did and they are so soft and sweet and girl-like! She smiles and almost laughs a lot during the day. She just doesn't sleep well-but overall she is a good, happy baby. Her neck is much stronger now and she really looks around at her world. She nurses for only a real quick stretch as then she can't see the world! Much different from Markku who took 30-45 to nurse! Boys!!
Markku is as cute as ever. He is trying new words and ideas all the time these days. His cutest was when he asked for corn and toes. Corn and toes?? What?? He kept repeating it. I finally figured out he wanted butter on his corn (he loves butter) and that he was probably trying to say toast, which normally he sucks the butter off! So corn and toes it is! He says a word like "gee-lo" meaning all colors, not just yellow. And he loves to point out all the different colors (but he just calls them all gee-lo). On Friday, he finally said Blue and red when Kiri prompted him to! For those of you who don't know yet, all trucks are "gu" and he LOVES trucks so we here that a lot. When he wants more of something, he signs the word more in sign language, and the word he says is "mama". Not me in that case, but more. So "mama, gu. Mama gu. Mama gu" while we are driving down the highway means more trucks! I want to see more trucks! Or mama juice! Or mama choo choo, or mama cack (more crackers!), or ma (milk). He also shortens a lot of words so milk is "ma". Now is Finnish, milk is maito-or something like that, so I think he may be shortening that word. Markku is also "ma" but a little more drawn out like a southerner talks! So he says "Maaa baby. Maaa baby." Meanign Markku's baby, which is different from "MINE! MINE!" that he also says all the time, referring to anything he may want at the moment! Another favorite is "why"? Juice, why?? When I won't let him have juice! He is starting to put more words together, like "mummo taz bye bye". Meaning his grandma's dog Tazi has gone bye-bye (or is at her house). He just learned to say he is two. And all numbers are two. So if he sees 2 trucks, he says two gu!! And gets very excited. He holds up 2 fingers (thumb and index finger though) and waves them saying two gu! Even if there are 210 trucks he says two! But he loves to hear us count. He is also to the point where he corrects me if I say the wrong thing back to him. For instance if he says "ma gone" and I think is says "maa done" and so I say "you're all done?" he says no and repeats himself until I figure out what he means-his milk is all gone. Of course if I can't figure it out a tantrum may ensue, but who wouldn't be frustrated that they aren't being understood when they are trying so hard! He also realizes Heikki has to leave and be gone a lot. He just says "sha-sha bye bye". He tells me all the time... When we get close to home in the car or after a walk he says, "Tillie Allie, Tillie, Allie" (our dog and cat). Then he often says, "sha sha bye bye". I think he saying that we will be seeing tillie and Allie real soon, but not dad. He isn't home!
We are supposed to go down to Boerne today to see my aunt and cousin again and go to Sea World, but Suvi is still asleep. I may have to wake her up now! I just wanted to get some of the cute things Markku says and does, and someday soon I may forget! He still calls Heikki "sha-sha" short for Isa, but he longer whispers it! Things are changing already...
Friday, July 11, 2008
Last week of maternity leave
Nice mohawk. I have been noticing them coming back into style... how does he look??
Remember all the stuff in Markku's crib? Well, here is a shot of what he wanted one day! I took out most of the stuff so he could sleep but it sure made him mad!
Well it's here. My maternity leave is officially over and next week I go back to work. I have mixed feelings about this as Suvi is only 11 weeks old. We are still adjusting to naps and sleeping...Suvi is not sleeping during the day very well and does not sleep in her own crib at night. I was hoping she would be by the time I went back to work. Oh well...I do love cuddling with her and spending alone time with her, but I also need my space sometimes too. On the work side of things, I feel I have been gone forever-there are new employees I haven't met and was only just starting to get regular clientele before I took off for three months. Now I have to start all over again! I am anxious and stressed about how it will all work out so at this point I just want to get it over with! (I figure it will be better than I expect and I will realize there is no need to worry!) I will also be anxious to get back to my coworkers as I was really beginning to feel like a part of the work family before I left!
On the home front, we have been as busy as ever. The fourth of July was spent at my parents in Boerne. We went to a parade with Suvi in a beautiful dress and Markku in a too big Train shirt that he loves! He picks out his clothes these days-sometimes he wears jeans to bed and PJ's in the daytime. I don't fight him too hard as these can be screaming tantrums if I try to pick out what I want him to wear. We have to pick our battles they say! Mind you, he also wants to pick out Suvi's clothes-I often draw the line there. I want her to wear all her new clothes-not just the jean skirt that is his favorite! We spent the rest of the weekend relaxing at the pool or just with family. It was very nice.
This week my aunt Jane and cousin Shannon are visiting from Buffalo. I have not seen them since my wedding-where Shannon was one of my bridesmaids! That was 5 years ago. Jane was so great playing with Markku and Suvi, it really makes me wish we all lived closer together. We are going to plan a visit to NY to see all my relatives real soon-at least sometime this year I hope! It has been too long...
Notice the picture of the dinner table? That was the dinner I cooked for us! I have been planning meals and cooking for 2 weeks now! I took a class offered at my doctor's on nutrition and meal planning for families. It was very helpful for someone like me who needed both a little prodding and a way to present it to make it easier for me to do! So now I have to see if I can keep it up after going back to work as well... I made lasagna and salmon with tomato/corn salsa (not everyone at salmon!). I even made steamed green beans and a salad! I had a glass of wine to celebrate. That was very nice also. I have been pregnant or nursing for 3 years now, so I don't drink very often!
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