Spring 2013. Life is Wonderful

The first day we got home from Belgium, we thought we had died and gone to heaven. We didn't realize how good and beautiful the San Diego weather was until we left it for 2 1/2 months. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful climate. Not to downplay Belgium's beauty, because we absolutely loved it there too. However, we loved it for reasons other than the weather!

It took us a while to adjust to being back home after Europe. For about a week Axel would wake up at 2:00 and be up for 3-4 hours, then go back to sleep, agh! But day after day the wake up time got later and later, and eventually, no more night wake ups. However, he has also been climbing out of his crib. I read my sleep training book, and it recommends keeping them in a crib until they ask for a big kid bed, unless you think climbing out of the crib is dangerous or you really think they'd be fine in a big kid bed. My brother told me that for each if his three kids, when they put them in a big kid bed, he had to sleep outside their bedroom door and all night long would return them to their bed each time they climbed out. Obviously, this is advice for parents who don't want to share a bed with their toddler, which I definitely am. I just wasn't ready for camping outside his bedroom yet, so I started scheming. I decided to take apart the bottom of his crib and drop it to the floor.  This lasted for one day, until he figured out how to use the corner of the crib to hoist himself out. Then I researched the Internet and found...the toddler sleep sack! It's genius. They are pajamas that zip up as a blanket. This way, they have room to sleep, they don't get cold since they can't throw their blanket off, and best of all, they can't get that leg over the side of the crib. Johan thought I was crazy, until he got to sleep in the next day until 7:30 because Axel stayed in his crib and slept! I know that some day soon we will have to sleep outside his bedroom door and lose several nights of sleep returning him to his bed, but I'm going to rely on the sleep sack to buy us some more time.

Axel still doesn't speak in more than two word sentences, but it seems he learns a new word every day. He also says words in all three languages, English, Swedish, and Spanish. His favorite English words: cheese (as in smile! Which he will do while saying it), and doggy. Favorite Spanish word is queque (cake/cookie), and favorite Swedish word is bajs (poop).

Since we left Belgium, he is an absolute daddy's boy. It's kind of getting to the point where Johan is starting to have to put his foot down because he is wanting Johan to hold him almost all day long. Oh, isn't it hard for daddy to say "no"? It sure is.

Some new things, Axel loves Stephanie and Olivia's pool. He will jump off the edge and go underwater (with his floaties on), then will kick as we push him to the steps. He could swim all day long.

Also, he will be starting preschool in September because I got a new job! I will be working as a principle design water resources engineer at Rick Engineering. I'm really excited because I've wanted to work there for a really long time. I think they are a great company, and a good fit for me.

For Mother's Day, we went to visit our bff's the Kellers in Nipomo. Johan had to go to Philadelphia that following week, so he flew out from Santa Barbara while Axel and I stayed at the Keller compound and helped increase the chaos. Actually, it was really fun. He loves playing with Brielle and Gavin, and they have such a big, fun, free house that the kids were all so happy. They basically ran around naked all day and ate whatever was lying on the kitchen counter. Toddler heaven.

For my Mother's Day present, Johan got me a super cute mug from Anthropologie, and a cookbook called What Katie Ate. It's a foodie cookbook, and I'm obsessed with it. Last week, I think I made a new recipe of hers 4 out of 5 days. Tonight I made Raspberry Friands, which are fancy raspberry cake muffins made with almond meal. They were really easy to make, and so good! Here is the recipe: http://www.whatkatieate.com/recipes/raspberry-friands/

 

I also made her Guiness Beef Pie, which was amazing, as well as some salads, and her Jill's Veggie Roll, which was also delicious. Here is a link to the recipe, it is super easy as well: http://www.whatkatieate.com/recipes/jills-veggie-roll/

I was telling my friend Holly, that it sounds silly, but the photography in the book completely inspires me to want to cook everything. I want to create something that looks as delicious and beautiful as what she has in her pictures. But in general, I really love to cook, and this has just made cooking more exciting. Thanks, darling husband!

Johan has been playing a lot with the worship band at church. Last Saturday, our friend Tyson really wanted to play at an event called Burn, where they would play worship music for 24 hours straight. He asked Johan to play as well as Olivia, Steph, and Crystal. Different bands would come in every 1 1/2 hours and switch, without stopping the music. It was so, so good. A lot of friends came, and all the kids just played at our feet, it was wonderful.

One last thing, I just had to include this picture. Johan, at London Heathrow Airport on our way back from Belgium, Axel asleep on his back in the Ergo (because we had no stroller), while taking tequila shot samples. This photo's a keeper!