Oh no... what have we done!!!

OK... can you say nesting!!! Yes we are remodeling our kitchen. No, you didn't get it wrong, the baby's due date is in about a month so technically could come along any day now (Bella came 3 weeks early).

Check out our pics, they just tore down the kitchen yesterday. Today the electrician and plumber is here (the original kitchen wasn't really done to code). On Wed and Thu they will build and install all our cabinets. On Friday they measure for the countertops... and then 10 days later they install them.

Then we should be done... sounds easy right... everything will go right on plan right... including the baby.. right???

We'll let you know :-)

I hear projects like this never fall behind schedule around the holidays ;-)

Bella's magical hat

Ever since Bella could reach up and grab her hat she has refused to wear a hat. This has been a struggle since we want her cover her little sensitive head and eyes in the summer time and keep her head warm when it's cold but like I said it just would not happen. That was until our very good friend Natalie made this adorable hat for Bella. She absolutely loves it and wants to wear it all the time, even indoors:) Thanks Natalie!!!!

32 1/2 weeks and counting:)

We had a doctors appointment yesterday and everything is looking great. Our baby boy takes after his sister and mom and is early. He's already head down and ready to go. This explains the increase bathroom visits. I've been very tired lately and decided to give my self a break and say no more often as well as taking naps whenever possible. I feel huge but every tells me I'm small. I'm bigger than with Bella for sure but then again she was so small when she was born. The funny part is I have not gain an ounce in the last 3 weeks. I had the same thing happen when I was pregnant with Bella.

The baby's room is pretty much done so he can come as soon as I'm done working, right before Christmas.

Rainbow Butterfly

Yesterday, we had a daddy-daughter day at Sea World. We've been offering to Isabella to get her face painted there for over a year, but she wasn't quite ready... until yesterday.

She saw a picture of a "Rainbow Butterfly" and she pointed at that one and said.. "Daddy, can I have that one?"

I took a video... and had a little fun learning iMovie to put the clips together and speed it up so you could see the whole thing (but I couldn't figure out how to get the music to loop... I am still learning :-)

The things you do for your child

It's Father's day in Sweden today so this story is perfect for today.

Friday mornings are always a little crazy here at the Syren family home because I have to leave early for an appointment and still have to help James get Bella ready, dressed and feed. last Friday was extra crazy because James had to clean out the garage so a huge delivery from Ikea with out new kitchen could fit. Bella and James were busy cleaning in the garage when I realized I had to leave ASAP so I ran into the garage and said my goodbye and left in my car. Later that day James told me what happened next.

Bella came running crying to him and told him she never got a hug and kiss from me. He saw me pulling out of the drive way so he ran to the door to stop me but it was locked. He ran back into the kitchen, got the key but by now I was driving down the road. He then ran after my car waving his arms, calling out and trying to get my attention. I saw nothing:(

Bella by then was quit upset so he then got her into the car and tried to track me down. In the end it was not successful but you got to give James so many points for trying and for being the best dad there is! Happy Swedish Father's day James.

The busy life of a 4 year old

Since Bella started school her life has become busy. She has to get up earlier in the morning and it becomes more stressful getting her and us ready, feed our critters, make Bella's lunch and get her school before it starts at 8:15 am. Thank god schools is only 6 minutes a way but in the morning there are a lot of other parents dropping off their kids to the two schools that's there.

Bella also has stopped taking a nap during the day so after I pick her up and take her to the park and later after we ate dinner together, she is exhausted. She tries a few half hearted attempts to stay up but in reality, she falls a sleep as soon as kisses and hugs are over.

Friends

Mimi has been living with us since Bella was a baby so Bella does not know a life without her. We're always so amazed how good she is with Mimi as well as any animals she meets. This is Bella and Mimi having a cuddle time and she keeps kissing Mimi's head saying "there, there Mimsipims". That's her nick name for her:)

Life as we know it

Bella is slowly recovering from strep throat but on Monday I had to go to the doctor because my throat was hurting. I go to a health clinic close to our house since we don't have a MD because we're never sick. Last time we're there was Thanks Giving last year when we all came down with pink eye. Anyway, the doctor examen me and then began telling me about the pencillin he was giving me. I asked if he was not going to do a throat test and was so surpised by his answer. He said no because those test cost more than the medication and odds are I have a. strep, b. a cold or c. a viral infection. If it's a then the medication will take care of it and it's the other two my body will!!????? As this was not bad enough, hen then asked me if I needed pain killer???!!! I asked for what and he said for my throat. I could not believe it since I have informed him I'm 30 weeks pregnant and furthermore, what kind of wimp am I if I need pain killer for that? Bella is 4 and seems to handle the pain. Unbelievable. I have to say, it's the first time we had a bad experience at this clinic.

So now I'm on medication and starting to feel better but last night I had a reaction to it and vomited. Unfortunately, the child proof was on in the bathroom so it all ended all over. Lucky me (not so much for James) James came and cleaned up while I cleaned my self up. Poor James had Bella asking the million dollar question of the day; Why is mommy not feeling good? why are you cleaning, why, why why why and why. He had to bribe her with a movie.

When you have a house and family chaos is often not far away. Other "fun" things going on here at the Syren family home:

We now have another lizard who moved in with us (we lizard magnets) her name is Linda according to Bella. So far we have not been able to trap her but we hope she eat a lot of crickets while she is here because that is our second pr

oblem.

We're having our kitchen remodled and have to move out for two weeks starting...Monday after Thanks Giving. We'll get our kitchen back and running right before Christmas, the 20th.

I have two baby showers and one wedding shower to attend next week.

I have a project I'm trying to finish before Christmas and it's a lot of work and hard because I'm working with other peoples schedule.

Bella's new thing is getting into my make up and painting herself and walls in the bathrooms. We now have to remember to use the child gate hence this is why I got into to trouble when I felt sick.

Ok so work as a make up artist is not in her future

Our cleaning lady Maria has been sick for 2 weeks. I pretty hard to do hard cleaning when you are huge as a house.

We hosting Thanks Giving and our friend Jess's parents are coming for Christmas.

Bella's school is closed a whole week for Thanks Giving but Annie has offer to take care of her. Thanks Annie. However, daycare will be closed for two weeks sometime in December when she has her baby girl. Where will stick Bella we have no idea but we'll manage.

Phew!!!! Life is crazy.

Week 30 and counting

We had some good news at our week 30 check up, there will be no need for a cesarean Yeahhhhh!!! We also got so see our little guy again and he has changed so much since last time, 9 weeks ago. The glucose test came back clear so no diabetes and my blood work looks good so no anemia either. At this point I measure bigger than with Bella and have gained more weight so I think this baby will be bigger than Bella's 6,4 birth weight.

I feel tired all the time but most of the time sleep like a log at night time. I feel heavy and not very graceful. The heartburn is bad and live on tums and just wish it would go away. I do yoga as my main exercise since every time I try to walk I start having contractions.

Names we're thinking of is; Troy, Oliver, Elliot, Lucas but Bella says his name is Noa. We wont decided until we see him, just like we did with Bella.

Bella has been angry with the belly since she no longer can lay comfortable on me or sit and sometime when she does, he kicks her :) However, when I showed her the ultrasound picture she kissed my belly and said she loved him.

Our little guy who for once was still:)

Bump-happy! Makes me very happy to hear people tell me I look small:)