Dear Emeline,

I love you, I love you, I love you!

I just can’t get enough of you. You are such a wonderful little baby. You are the coolest kid around. You are nothing short of amazing!

This month you finally learned how to turn from your back to your tummy, and to crawl backwards, and this could’ve been the month that you learned to crawl forwards too, but well, I guess you’ll need a couple more days You are so strong-willed, and your dad and I has said this from the day you were born. We were afraid, well, and still are, that you’ll be a lot to handle when you grow up, but the upside is that you don’t give up when you’ve set your mind to it. Somehow you manage to drag yourself towards whatever you have decided that you want to check out. And therefor it’s now hopeless to take an action shot of you, unless said action is you trying to grab the camera.

One thing you love is when people clap their hands. You are trying to do the same, only you keep one of your hands in a fist, so it won’t make the proper sound and you keep looking at your hands wondering what you’re doing wrong. Adorable! It seems like you find your hands curious. Whenever you have time, you look at your hands and move your fingers. I can’t do anything but smile. I love that I’m able to see how you’re thinking and wondering about things that we take for granted.

At 6 months and 23 days old you got your first tooth. I was hoping that they’d stay hidden for a couple more months, but what can you do? We are now brushing your teeth in the evenings after you’ve had your meal. I thought you were going to give us a fight about that, but you don’t seem to mind at all.

And while visiting your grandparents, aunt and uncle in Germany you were just wonderful. Everybody was hovering around you just to look at you, and they were praising you ALL the time! Your mom thought it was a little too much, but you didn’t seem to mind

So, 7 months has passed since that cold, cold December morning when you came into this strange world, and you are giving every day a greater meaning just being you

Love always,
Mom.

We’re finally home after a week in Germany. We visited Christian’s parents and had a really good time. Emeline was just a delight, and her uncle and aunt, who got to see her for the first time, fell in love. The grandparents were ecstatic and told her how wonderful and clever and all that, she is. Good thing she doesn’t understand it all, or she’ll be full of herself

She also got a tooth while we were in Germany I noticed she was a little grumpy a couple of days, but thought it was because we went shopping and she was bored in the stroller, but once she got something to chew on, she was fine. And one morning I just woke up and thought that it might be the teeth we had seen earlier because she was drooling so much, and there it was; A tiny sharp tooth.

I’ve been thinking A LOT about this thing that I’ve already posted about on my Norwegian website. I’m thinking of closing down this blog and start all over again — in Norwegian. New domain, new design, and only blog in Norwegian. I have a hard time doing it because 1) I’ve had this blog for a million years, 2) I will probably lose touch with most of the English blogging people, and that would be sad, 3) I’m not sure about which domain to choose. And it drives me nuts to think about it, but I think I have decided to go for it.

I think.

What I love the most about being in a foreign country is to check out their grocery stores and see all the wonderful things they have that I’ve never seen before.

On my list of things to get while in Germany: Pink Hello Kitty cereal, Kölsch and brezel. Tons and tons of delicious German brezel.

Already bought: Marshmellow fluff, Laugenstange, baby stuff and cheap hair products.

The past weeks have been eventful. First we had the in-laws over before they drove to the cabin, and we went up there for the weekend. The weather was super nice, but the mosquitoes were on a mission to get me.

Emeline had watermelon for the first time

Oh, about that picture. We were eating at this place and suddenly a girl came up to us asking if she could film us while we ate. It was for a video on their Facebook page, and somebody said yes. It wasn’t me, that’s for sure. I just watched Emeline having that watermelon for a whole three minutes while she was filming, just so I didn’t have to look at the camera. At least Emeline was adorable in that clip

Then, back in Oslo, we had my parents over for a week. I’d been feeling very PMSy, so that was bad timing… I felt so bad for being so grumpy when they all came to visit us

Last Saturday we had a little get-together with everybody; my parents and the in-laws. In Norway we call it a name celebration, it’s a non-religious way to celebrate the birth of a child when you don’t baptize it. We had tapas and cakes, and it was soo good Poor Emeline couldn’t have anything we had, but she seemed satisfied with the usual cereal.

It was so hot inside that I didn’t know what to dress her in. The fancy dress I’d had in mind would’ve be cruel to put on her, but this one was pretty cute

They all left on Sunday, which was sad, but the moment they went out the door, Hanne-Lill and her baby girl, Vilde came to visit us We went for a stroll, but it started pouring down, so we ran to the nearest café since none of us had appropriate clothes to walk around in the rain on. In the evening, after the girls had gone to sleep, we ordered thai food and watched the World Cup finals and just talked about everything and nothing. Ah, how I wish I lived closer to my best friends

The next day they were off again, and I hurried downtown to meet Sunniva, my old classmate, who has a one-year-old, whom I’ve never met. We went to a pizza place where we met up with Karina, also an old classmate. It was so nice to meet them both again, I miss hanging with those girls! And little Sofie was so adorable! I forgot to bring my camera. Boo me.

On Tuesday we went back to the cabin, and it was really nice to just relax with a book, alone with our tiny family

And now we’re finally back in Oslo again Ah, I love summer.

I put Emeline on her blanket in the middle of her room, and went to the kitchen to unpack all the things we bought from IKEA. I could hear her babble, and then suddenly Christian shouted: “Where do you put Emeline?!”

I ran back to her and found her in the corner of the room, laughing at her own achievement.

Too cute.

Last night I dreamt that I really liked Cedric Diggory, but he was all dark and Edward-y. And not long ago I had a dream about Taylor Lautner. Damn you, Tweens! I haven’t even watched the last movies…

Dear Emeline,

My little bundle of joy, my little darling. I’m trying to understand the fact that you’re now half a year old. It’s been half a year since that morning in the delivery room when I pushed as hard as I could and you didn’t want to come out. And when they literally dragged you out, you were lifeless with only a heartbeat to show that you were alive. Oh, how thankful I am that we were in the hands of professionals. And the horrible hours after the delivery when I had to lie at the post-op, just waiting for you and your dad to come and visit me. And how incredible jealous I was of him, that he got to hold you, and after you had visited me and your dad had to go home to take Aurora for a walk, I wasn’t allowed to hold you alone cause they were afraid I’d faint and drop you.

It doesn’t feel like yesterday anymore, and it scares me. I’m afraid that I’m not soaking in every second of the time we have together, and suddenly you’re off to college and I’m standing there wondering where the time went. I even miss you when you’re sleeping.

Now, where was I? Yes, six months. SIX MONTHS! Since last month you’ve started eating solids. Today you had banana for the first time, and you found it a bit weird. I don’t blame you. Bananas ARE weird I’m so looking forward to let you taste even more things. And you’re SO ready!

You also are more mobile now. Just today I woke up three times this (early) morning hearing a tiny: “Aah” and found you had crawled backwards to the end of the bed. I’m VERY glad I had seen this coming and had put your bed just there We probably need to babyproof your room now…

What I love the most about this time, is that you’re enjoying your toys, you love that we sing, you listen when we talk, and you know what you want. It makes everything so much easier! Cause I have to admit, I found the two first months harder than the entire pregnancy. Or maybe I’ve just forgotten how the first months of puking and nausea were.

This letter was a little random, sorry, but mommy has a hard time concentrating when you’re screaming like you do right now I’ll have to teach you to speak a little softer when we’re inside

Love,
Mommy.