A new friend

Mihai, the teddy bear

4 months today

In Solna Centrum having "fika" with a dear, dear friend

This evening, at 9:31, it's going to be 4 months since Theodor was born. He was 42 cm long and weighed 1618 g then. A tiny, tiny, red person, covered in tubes. Today he is 58,5 cm long and he weighs 5250 g. Everything has developed very well so far and soon he'll start tasting more than just his mother's milk. My little boy has grown a lot - he is now able to fall asleep on his own (BIG improvement!!), he can tell us what he likes and dislikes and the first signs of talking and laughter are starting to show. These four months have flown by, sometimes everything still feels so fresh. I still have the moments where I look at him and wonder where he came from - wasn't he in my belly last time I checked? We have been very lucky, both Theodor and I seem to have done really well for ourselves. But sometimes I wonder if I am ever going to forget the pains I've suffered all the month of August and if I'm ever going to put behind me the chock caused by his sudden birth...

Theodor bathing with Daddy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXdPi84LMVs

Theodor "chatting"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HOXcxu5frw

Theodor smiling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3fsRD5lwv8

The wonder weeks

After going through 2 "magical" leaps with Theodor, I ordered this book online to help me with the numerous next ones. I started reading it yesterday and already can recommend it to any parent. It is a golden asset, especially when it comes to the different ways you can help your child to go through this difficult time. This book has a good chance of becoming the family bible.

First Christmas

Yesterday afternoon Theodor slept outside on the porch in his pram for 3 hours!!! While he was busy doing that, Stefan and I decorated our living-room for Christmas. He made big eyes when he saw all the changes. But all the new stuff hanging around seems to interest him a lot.

Theodor's room

Our little sweetheart is getting older, so now that Stefan is at home during a whole month we have decided to get started and redecorate his room. The theme is jungle and animals - and here is the first wall:

Poor Stefan had to put up the wall paper on his own, because the baby sitters couldn't help us anymore. But I think he's done a wonderful job, as always!

Now the rest of the room is finished. We are just waiting for the furniture to be delivered...

Scones

And this is the result of using the Kitchen Aid for the first time. Very delicious scones :-)

Kitchen Aid

This year I've spent my 33rd birthday in the hospital. Such were the events, that both Stefan and me forgot that it was my birthday. That is why today I was allowed to open my birthday-Christmas present combination. And this is what came out of the box. The funny thing is that, 15 minutes before Stefan and I talked about this machine during dinner. And I had sad that I expect to get one when I turn 40  :-) The thing that I am most excited about is starting to bake our own bread. Thank you, my wonderful husband for reading my most inner wishes! I LOVE YOU!

The baby chair

This is what we bought yesterday. Theodor loves it. He can "sit" at the table with us while playing with the toys he got from his godmother&family. And we can finally eat our meals at the same time and in peace. What a wonderful invention!

Rock-a-bye-baby

That is how I have been feeling the whole week - this also explains my absence here on the blog. Theodor has been very demanding, crying a lot, not wanting to sleep and basically wanting to be rocked all the time. And we are not talking about the basic rocking, no. It has to be in an upright position, so he can look over the shoulder and one has to pace around the house. The moment one stops and rocks him without moving from the spot, the crying begins. I do understand that he is going through his next developmental milestone and that he needs to feel safe, reassured and intimate with his parents. But it doesn't get through my head, how all this pacing that is killing my back and making my arms and shoulders burn like they are on fire - how is all this supposed to give him all that? Needless to say, that with my hot Romanian temper he's been driving me bananas. Rescue came after the longest week in my life, in that Stefan started his winter vacation which is going to last a month. Already today I feel an improvement in my lifestyle: I was able to read 4 pages in my book and that in the middle of the day, not after 11 pm.

Theodor's favourite Romanian Christmas carol

Deschide usa, crestine / Stefan Hrusca

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3ef4d7qGUk

Home, sweet home

We've had a quiet weekend with no side effects from the vaccin - so today we went to visit Theodor's mummo (=great grandmother) and meet there also his grandparents (farmor+farfar). When we arrived back home he got really happy and was smiling a lot so Stefan managed to take a few snapshots. So this is the first smile caught on camera. I've also started to sing Romanian Christmas carols to Theo, which he seems to enjoy very much. YouTube and Stefan Hrusca (the famous Romanian Xmas carols singer) are a big help.

Vaccination no. 1

Went very well. Theo did cry a bit and was sad for about half an hour afterwards. So far he has had a normal day - he played a bit, smiled a bit, cried a bit and slept a lot. We are hoping that he won't develop fever or other unpleasant side effects. On December 21st I will have the first meeting of my parent group. We are going to meet about once a month and talk about what we are going through with our little ones. I am looking forward to meeting new people - first time moms like me. The children are a lot younger than Theodor, but at about the same stage of growth and development as he is. Exciting!!

Help I had HELLP!

And this is what I went through with my pregancy. Courtecy of www.apec.org.uk


HELLP syndrome

HELLP is the medical term for one of the most serious complications of pre-eclampsia, in which there is a combined liver and blood clotting disorder.

H stands for haemolysis (rupture of the red blood cells).

EL stands for elevated liver enzymes in the blood (reflecting liver damage).

LP stands for low blood levels of platelets (specialised cells which are vital for normal clotting).

HELLP is as dangerous as eclampsia (convulsions) and probably more common, although it is less easy to diagnose. Some specialists believe that HELLP may be on the increase for reasons which are not known.

What are the signs and symptoms?
HELLP syndrome may be preceded by clear signs of pre-eclampsia – most typically high blood pressure, protein in the urine and swelling of hands, feet or face. But, like eclampsia, it can also arise out of the blue without any of the classic warning signs. The typical presenting symptom is pain just below the ribs (epigastric pain), sometimes accompanied by vomiting and headaches.

This pain is sometimes confused with the discomfort of heartburn, a very common problem during pregnancy. But, unlike heartburn, the pain of HELLP syndrome is not burning, does not spread upwards towards the throat and is not relieved by antacid. The pain is often very severe and is associated with tenderness over the liver. It is not uncommon for women with this pain to be diagnosed as suffering from some other acute abdominal condition, typically inflammation of the gall bladder (cholecystitis).

When does it occur?
As with eclampsia, HELLP syndrome is most likely to occur immediately after delivery – sometimes developing with devastating speed. However, it can arise at any stage during the second half of pregnancy – and some rare cases have been recorded even earlier.

What are the risks?
HELLP syndrome may be associated with one or more of the following problems:

Severely disturbed blood clotting function, leading to heavy, uncontrollable bleeding, particularly after surgery.

Severe liver damage, which can lead to failure or even rupture of this vital organ.

Severe kidney problems, including kidney failure.
Breathing difficulties, which may be severe enough for the mother to need artificial ventilation.

Stroke (cerebral haemorrhage) with or without eclampsia (convulsions).

How is it treated?
The diagnosis of HELLP syndrome can only be confirmed in hospital, and emergency admission is essential for all suspected cases. Once the syndrome is diagnosed, the baby should be delivered as soon as the mother's condition is stable, regardless of the maturity of the baby, since delivery is the only cure for this life-threatening condition. If the blood clotting system is severely disturbed it may be necessary to give transfusions of the platelets essential to clotting before delivery can take place. It is not uncommon for the symptoms to become worse – or to develop for the first time – in the 48 hours following delivery, and treatment in an intensive care unit may be necessary.

All treatment is aimed at supporting the mother's systems which have failed (liver, kidney, lungs, clotting) until such time as they have recovered enough to cope on their own. Providing no permanent damage has occurred, the mother should enjoy a full recovery. This may take as little as a few days or as long as two to three months (not all of it spent in hospital) depending on the severity of the mother's problems.

How is the baby affected?
HELLP is a maternal problem which has no specific effects on the unborn baby. However, as with all cases of severe pre-eclampsia, the baby may suffer growth restriction and even distress as a result of the underlying cause – a shortage of maternal blood flow to the placenta. But in most cases of HELLP delivery is for the mother's benefit, sometimes with tragic results for babies who are too early to survive outside the womb.

What happens in the next pregnancy?
About one sufferer in every 20 will suffer a recurrence of HELLP in her next pregnancy. However, there is no way of predicting who is most likely to suffer a recurrence and no specific means of prevention, although treatment with low-dose aspirin may be recommended in cases where the syndrome developed relatively early in pregnancy – i.e. before 32 weeks.

For optimum safety, any woman who has suffered HELLP in one pregnancy should be considered 'at risk' in the next pregnancy and monitored carefully throughout with a view to detecting signs of recurrence at the earliest possible stage. Former sufferers may like to consider preconception counselling with an expert to devise an appropriate antenatal care programme for the next pregnancy.

3 months

My little boy turns 3 months old today. Yesterday we went to the mall and there I saw a baby that was smaller/younger than Theo. It was the first time and I couldn't believe that he was even smaller than that a couple of months ago. Sometimes it is hard to keep in mind that he actually still is a newborn - for us he seems so much older, because of the age and mainly because he's grown so much.

Development stage

Theodor is apparently going through his first development phase, something that can be scary for him - that is why he has been crying so much lately. But as a result, he is now able to smile more and more every day and that is why we, parents, are able to live with the rest. Soon the crying will be over, only to come back in a month or so, when we reache the next stage.

Family & home

Today, Theodor visited his uncle, aunt and cousins for the first time in their home. He was wearing his first pair of real pants and he looked so sweet in them. Every small detail of their living room was interesting, the most exciting corner being the fireplace. Another premiere was relaxing in Patricia's lap: he loved looking at her face and studying her long hair. The visit however had to finish abruptly because he was so tired that his eyes had turned red. But so much excitement was around him that he couldn't fall asleep. We were served a very good cheese cake baked by Janne after a slovakian recipe - Theo will enjoy it in his milk later on.

When we came home it was already dark outside, but I had left the window lights on. I love this time of the year, when it is cold and grey outside and it gets dark earlier. Our home is lit by many small lamps/candles making the atmosphere look so cozy and homely. I get such a warm feeling inside coming to our home and this feeling is a lot stronger this year, because of the cute baby cuddled in my arms. I feel so blessed, like I haven't felt all my life. Somehow, having a child does put things in a new perspective and my life has found a completely new meaning.

Harry Potter with a smile

Yesterday we took Stefan's niece, Patricia, with us to the cinema to watch the new Harry Potter movie. It has become a tradition to go see these movies together. Stefan's parents stayed with Theodor. He was asleep when everybody arrived but woke up just when we were about to leave. He was picked up by Grandma and while in her arms he was curiously looking at everybody. When his eyes fell on Patricia's face she told him: "hello there!" - his face lit up with a big smile. So she was the first "outsider" to get a smile from him. The movie was very good, but then again the three of us are huge Harry Potter fans, so we are probably not the best judges.
Just like last time he was with his grandparents, Theodor was worn out. Apparently Marietta and Roger like to play a lot hehehe He will definitely learn to appreciate that. And later on it's going to be them feeling worn out after being with him. ;-)

cry, cry, cry and.... surprise!!

Theodor has been very cranky lately testing my and Stefan's patience to the limit. He doesn't seem to be in any pain, he seems to just want to be with us all the time - meaning in our arms. He had a period like this a couple of weeks ago. Like that one I hope this one also will go over. But this morning it finally happened. Missing all logic actually. I had managed to put Theo in the babysitter  and I was eating my breakfast while he was staring at me intensively. He was covered in his fleece blanket because the room felt a bit chilly. When I finished breakfast I took away the cover and asked him: "What do you say now, buddy? Shall we go play a little?" Then it came: a wide all gums grin  :-D I cannot describe the feeling of happiness that exploded inside my chest. Finally my baby smiled at me. He may actually like me a little hehehe So strange how babies function, I am still amazed...

Theodor 10 weeks old photo shooting

Smile

Stefan and I have been waiting the past few weeks for our son's first smile. It has been a very long wait it seems and one gets more and more desperate the more one hears about other babies who have already smiled. I do know that each baby has his/her own rythm, but it's still frustrating that Theodor is so slow when it comes to this. I met my friend yesterday and we went together for a walk with our babies. We talked about Father's Day of course. She had ordered something over the internet for the father of her son, which was supposed to come last Friday, but didn't. So, her husband didn't get the present he was supposed to get. But guess what he got instead??? Their son's first smile!!! The boy is born, like Theodor, prematurely and he has already smiled. In light of all this, the photos that Stefan got seem so boring right now... Why is it that we cannot enjoy the now and we always think about the progress our children should be making? I just hope that Theo will show us his toothless gums soon...

November

The past few days have been typical for this time of the year: lots of rain coming out of very dark clouds - not very motivating for me to go out for walks with Theodor. But we were not just being lazy at home. Yesterday Sweden celebrated Father's Day, so Theodor and I have been busy preparing a present for Daddy and for his godparents. We went to a photo studio and had Theo's picture taken. He was like a star, following the photgraphers instructions to the letter  :-). The result was very good, giving me the very difficult task to choose 2 photos out of 75 very good ones... It also created a bit of tension in the family, since not everybody got a copy. But we are going to solve the crises with Stefan's help, who is going to scan the pictures. I will be able to post them here, of course. And if you were wondering, yes, Stefan really liked his first Dad present.
Tomorrow the beautiful sunny cold weather comes back - so Theodor and I are going to meet up with a friend and go for a nice walk.

It's about time

Hello! It has been a while that I wanted to start a blog of my own. The birth of my first child made me feel the need of writing about my every day life grow even stronger. So, today, a rainy, gray november afternoon, I start. I choose English as my writing language because it fits my international status, thus making it possible for anybody interested to follow my blog. I think today I will spend the time trying to understand the different features that I can use to give my profile a personal look.