Busy weekend

This must be a record, I'm posting again so soon! I just thought I'd update since we had some things to celebrate lately.

Last weekend we went to Levi, Finland for the winter season opening. Alex worked while Christian and I stayed inside our cozy little cabin and relaxed. Christian is teething so I was a bit worried he might be really fussy over the weekend but he was great! He actually turned 15 weeks old last Friday and his first tooth was at the surface of his gums! Both of his bottom teeth are coming in - one is visible under the gums still but we are just waiting for them to break through the gums. No one believed me when I said I thought he was already teething before he reached three months old but now looks who's laughing! Seems like mommy really knows her baby unlike anyone else - regardless what the doctors and others say.

Over our weekend Alex and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that we got married in Rovaniemi six years ago and are still here. Even when we got married we had no idea we'd still be here but we've had a great life here so far and we celebrated with the best anniversary present of all, Christian! I love you, Alex, and I love you more and more each year!!

Sunday was Father's Day in Finland so Christian made a little present for his papa. The pic below shows what we made. It was easy and fun to make but a little bit difficult to get a good handprint since he wanted to swing his hands around. It was also a matter of speed because I had to quickly stamp his prints and clean him up before he could smear paint everywhere. We used watercolor paint so it was really easy to paint on and clean off. To finish off the artwork I gave C a marker and he scribbled his little signature. Alex loved it and now he has something special to remember the day by plus I imagine we can make one each year and we'll have something to compare the prints to.

He wore the shirt on Father's Day - I love Daddy, but I don't love when Mama takes so many pictures!

We also wrote a message on the back of the page but Alex has to take it out of the frame if he wants to know what it says.

Christian playing with his little duck (courtesy of his Aunt Birgitt) while in Levi.

And of course I couldn't only buy the "I Love Daddy" shirt:). Since most of you reading this are in the US you are probably wondering why it says Mummy and not Mommy - it's the British way of writing it.

October

I suppose it's time for me to post again seeing as it's been one month since I last posted. I should do this more frequently because it's easy to forget those lovely little moments that you want to tell everyone about.

Since my last post Christian has changed so much. He discovered his hands. One morning I woke to find him wide awake with both arms sticking up in the air while he twisted his fists back and forth and just stared. He likes to be carried in what we call his superhero pose and normally he sticks his arm out and stares. He's also teeting now, which I have to say is not the most pleasant experience, so he's usually sticking his fists in his mouth at all times. Poor little thing! Alex went to the pharmacy and to some natural health stores but they didn't have anything to help. That means we have to go about this in more creative ways, ice cubes wrapped in clothe, cold cucumber slices, cold spoon, mama's finger - those are just a few of the suggestions I've received. For now mama's finger seems to help but it makes me so sad to see him in pain. I'm just hoping the pain will subside after the first tooth and will hopefully become more bearable as more teet come in.

Since my last post we have also had some firsts. I have been careful to take Christian out places until he turned three months since that's when he got his first vaccination - in the USA it starts at two months but in Finland babies get the first shot at three months, the second comes at five months and the third at one year and so forth. I've posted some pictures of his first trip to the grocery store (he did great!), his first trip shopping with mama and papa (although the picture is from the restaurant we stopped in for a bite to eat and of course I posted a picture of him when he had his shot. I was so sad for him but he cried for about two minutes and was fine.

Also in October I celebrated my 30th birthday on the 18th. It's funny to write that I'm 30. I remember when I used to think that was old:). For my birthday I told Alex that I really wanted to get out of the house and out of town so we decided to spend the weekend in Oulu, Finland. It was a three hour drive (the speed limit is now lower because of the winter road conditions, yay). Christian was perfect - he slept the entire drive ther and back and he let his mama shop and enjoy a nice birthday meal and some super dessert. Alex got me some wonderful presents so I was really surprised when roses were delivered to our hotel room on the morning of my birthday. What a husband I've got!

I just sent off the paperwork for Christian's US passport. His passport photos are so cute! It's really funny that he'll use the same passport for five years so when he travels he'll have a photo from when he was three months old. I'm hoping to take a trip to the States in the spring. We have to apply for his Russian citizenship as well. There's so much paperwork involved in all of these things but it's all worth it to have a little world citizen:). We're also going to start the procedures for Alex's US residence (i.e. the Green card) since we have plans of moving to the US at some point in the near future. That's a long and expensive process (not to mention the moving bit) but I'm absolutely excited about moving back to my home country and I cannot wait to be closer to my family and friends although I'll miss dearly the friends I've made here in Finland.

I've posted several pictures below - enjoy! I'll post more, next month:).

Superhero Sirota Boy!

Out on his first day of shopping - I think Alex felt the same.

His first trip to the grocery store. I cannot remember if they have carts like these in the US but I really like the fact that grocery markets in Finland have carts with baby seats.

Daddy was trying to play with him but he doesn't look too interested.

On my birthday - he's chewing on his hands here. He really started showing signs of teething around that time.

Holding his head up and making his mama very proud.

Figuring out which channel he prefers:)

Learning that he can hold objects in his tiny little hands.

Just after his shot:(

Ah-gooooo!

Well, well it's been awhile since my last post. I seriously must be the worst blogger in history of blogger.com! Anyhow, here's my excuse - we have had lots of visitors and things going on, not to mention a very active baby! I cannot believe how fast time has gone by but Christian is already two months old. He's growing daily and we are always impressed by his development. Naturally we think we have a child genius on our hands:). For example, I have learned to decipher his cries. The frantic, almost laughing cry means his tummy hurts. The annoyed cry means he's sleepy and his hungry cry sounds like he's saying hungry, or more like "ungeeeeeeee". See what I mean? He already says a word:). In all seriousness though he is doing great and we are so excited to see what he'll do each day.

My parents visited us for 10 days in August. Alex's parents were also here but his mom stayed for one month, with us. That was a bit challenging since Alex had to work long days and I was at home with his mom and we don't share a common language so we managed with a mixture of English, Russian and German. Somehow it worked but I was so exhausted when she left. And, since we had visitors literlly at our house for one month I had the fun task of getting my darling little boy back to a naptime and sleeptime schedule. It has been exhausting at times but I think he's starting to get the hang of taking naps during the day and he sleeps really well most nights. He still wakes up to be fed but usually only once or twice.

As I haven't posted in a long time I've added several pictures below. Prepare yourself, there's a lot! Let's see how long it'll be before my next post...


I love this picture! Christian never looks at anyone else when I hold him:)...mama's boy already!

The grandparents. Everyone was supposed to look lovingly at Christian but it looks like an awkward photo op instead.

In the Finnish hospitals they teach you to wash your baby's tushy instead of using baby wipes to prevent diaper rash. Maybe they also do this in the States but seeing as how I've no experience with babies this was the first experience of such kind with this method. So, we moved his changing station to the laundry room. I'm so happy we spent so much money getting that special changing top for his dresser... Here's a pic of him while he's hanging out under the faucet and the other picture is of him on his mat looking at himself. I put the mirror next to his changing pad from day one and he used to stare at it intently the entire time. Now he looks to the other side at the night light that I have plugged in. It's funny when he carries on conversations with the light and mirror.

His first bath. He hated it. We have a smaller tub but Alex went and bought this one after he was born and just had to use it. He loved it because it's got some nifty little features on it. I guess it's a guy thing...

Mom and dad bought Christian a little swinging chair that played music and all kinds of sounds. Unfortunately it was not much of a hit with the little guy so Alex and I took it back and will get the high chair I've been wanting.

One of my favorite pictures! During his first few weeks of life Christian would suckle anything and he mistook Alex's nose for my boob:). We have a video of him doing this too and he just kept going.


This was taken when Christian was two weeks old. Look how little his legs were! This Baby Björn sitter has become our measurement for his growth.

Here's a shot from his one month visit to the doctor. He was getting his length measured. As you can see, he was not happy. However, at the two month visit he was really happy. These days he loves being naked so all is good. At his latest checkup he weighed 9lbs and was 21 inches. He's a little guy just like his dad was.



This was taken a few days ago on our walk. I just thought I'd show how cool it already is here. Brrrr.... I had to buy a few more outdoor outfits for him yesterday.


So, that's about it for now. All of the things he hated in the beginning he now enjoys. For example, the diaper changing is now one of the best ways to calm him down. In the beginning he would scream bloody murder. He likes to go for walks in his pram, which wasn't always the case. He smiles daily and talks frequently. His favorite thing to say is ah-goo while also making gurgle sounds and blowing spit raspberries. He can hold his head up for a short while when on his tummy and when I'm holding him. He loves when I sing "You Are My Sunshine" - subsequently his nickname is Sunshine for the time being. Now we are working on getting him to enjoy being carried in his Baby Björn carrier and taking car trips. Wish us luck!

Christian Alexander, Welcome to the Family!

I'm happy to say that I'm now the very proud mama to a healthy baby boy, Christian Alexander. Christian was born 10 days early on July 17th, 2009 at 1:35 a.m. I had a feeling I'd deliver early but when I woke up at 4:30 on Thursday morning I had no idea that in less than 24 hours I'd be holding my darling little boy. The labor was definitely an experience and had you asked me during the actual act I'd say that having another child was completely out of the question but looking back, I can only remember the moment they laid Christian on my chest after the delivery and the look on his and Alex's face.

I was lucky enough to have a wonderful mid-wife for my delivery who not only spoke English (yes, it was highly possible to get someone who didn't) but she also had five children of her own so she was a bit of a pro. She was so great as she coached me along and actually made the pushing stage much more "pleasant" (dare I use such a word when referring to labor?) So, thanks Annuka, you're the best! During our hospital stay the midwives were excellent and in the 3.5 day stay they gave me a crash course in taking care of the baby. For those who know me, you know that I am a huge reader. I read at least three to four books on new subjects. For example, getting pregnant I read three (something must've worked:), being pregnant (2), raising a happy baby (3...so far). Yes, yes I know books cannot teach everything and sometimes give conflicting advice but they do help put my weary mind at ease. Back to the midwives, they took such great care of Christian and I so that by the time we arrived home on Monday evening I can say that I was mostly confident in my abilities at diaper changing and so on. Too bad my little guy screams bloody murder when he's being changed but fingers crossed he'll grow out of that!

So far (knock on wood) Christian has been an "easy" baby. He likes to eat and sleep and of course do a little number in the diaper but otherwise he's letting us have sleep during most nights and I am able to relax during the day. I know this will change but right now he's definitely making our lives much easier. We sure do love our little guy and I'm already looking forward to adding another member to the brood. Not just yet though:).

I have taken tons of pictures since Christian was born. Probably more than I have in the past seven year with Alex but now I totally get how parents can take so many pictures of their little ones. I cannot get enough and each day he looks different so I have to capture everything. Alex thinks I might be going overboard but someday everyone will thank me I'm sure. Some of the pictures are posted below. I've also posted a couple of pictures taken of Alex and me just a few days before the birth. I wanted to have something to remind us of when it was just the two of us and I thought it would be nice to put one or two on the wall in Christian's nursery. The pictures were taken by a former student of mine who has now graduated and started his own photography company.

The little guy getting weighed for the first time. He was 2.46 kilos or 5.4 pounds. Little, I know.

My tribute to super midwife, Annuka!

The day he was born - look at all of that hair!

He's got papa wrapped around his tiny little fingers too!

Christian in his cradle. Sorry I didn't edit the picture first.

Pictures by Hayden Bishop of Hayden Lloyd photography - www.haydenlloyd.net

2009 Catch-up!

Well it seems I'm not such a good blogger. I cannot seem to keep up with it but here's another feeble attempt at doing so. Perhaps it will get easier since I'll be home more often...or will it?

Most of you already know but Alex and I are expecting our first child this month! I'm due on July 27th but I have a feeling he may arrive sooner. That's right, HE! Don't ask the name, it's a sensitive topic. We thought (or at least I had hoped) that we had a name picked out some time ago but it didn't fly well with our Russian family members since they couldn't really pronounce the name. So it was back to the books and after lots of debate we narrowed it down to a few other names. Wouldn't you know the second choice was shot down by my parents. It seems it had some really negative connotations as it was associated with a move about the anti-christ. Since we didn't want that we had to choose again and now we think we've come up with a name that's widely used in Europe, known in the US and pronouncable by Russians. In order not to deter us once again, however, we'll keep our mouths shut. Who knows, maybe we'll come up with something else when he's born!

The pregnancy has goen really well I must admit - sorry I don't mean to brag - but I managed to go through without any morning sickness and have felt really well up to the last few weeks. I've managed to exercise on a regular basis and SO FAR haven't experienced too much pain. I know it's coming though so you don't worry, I don't have on rose colored glasses.

Other than going through the months experiencing all of the joys of pregnancy it has been a fairly busy first half of 2009 because I was extra busy with work and because I've been studying for post-graduate diploma. Provided I can find some time to get my work completed by November, I'll graduate in December with a diploma in Vocational Teacher's Education in Finland. It's required for all teachers who want to stay within the University of Applied Sciences field. So far I've really enjoyed being a student again. I've also enjoyed the fact that every two months I had to travel to Helsinki for my classes. As you are probably not familiar with Finland (anyone? no?) we live in Rovaniemi and to get to Helsinki requires either a 1.5 hour flight or a 12 hour (overnight) train trip. Normally I chose the train but as the pregnancy grew further I couldn't handle the beds on the train anymore. The trips were always productive, I bought half of the baby's things from there. Alex wouldn't count that as productive though...cannot understand why!

Otherwise, I worked like a mad woman to get all of my work completed by June and in time to give some advice to those taking over my work during my maternity leave. I started my leave on June 19th and will not return to work until May 3rd, at least. Here in Finland you can have nearly one year maternity leave (the first three months with your salary and the following months you get 70% of your previous salary) afterwards you can elect to stay home for up to two more years with a guarantee that you'll still have your job when you return! How fantastic is that? I have no plans at the moment, I'll just wait and see how everything works out...maybe I'll want to return earlier.

We have travelled only a few times this spring but not too much. This is the first full summer we've spent in Rovaniemi (normally we travel for 3-4 weeks) but this year we had no choice but to stick close to "home". Some pictures of the first half of the year are posted below. And yes mom, I'll post nursery pictures soon. Enjoy!

In Barcelona for a friend's wedding in March.

The beautiful bride, Yesica.

We couldn't believe it was so warm in March, we're just rednecks from the Artic Circle! I think we were the only people with jackets.

Our cutie pie niece (Alex's brother's daughter), Lisa. We took her to Santa's Village where she met Santa for the first time and even received a suprise gift from him.

Taken at Lohimaa, near Kuopio, Finland. We spent a weekend there in mid-June. I suppose you could call it our Babymoon.

Luckily my jacket still managed to stretch over my baby bump.

We decided to go out on the lake for some fishing. So, here's Alex preparing our fishing rods. He had to deal with the worms....

And I was in charge of catching our supper. Thank goodness we brought plenty of other food for grilling! By the way, we took the boat out to the middle of the lake and our motor died. I just knew at that moment that I'd go into early labor! As you can see, it wasn't the warmest day either although I'm really dug the extra large clothing and bright orange life vest I was forced to wear for the festive activity. Oh, we managed to get back safely....Alex had to row most of the way against the waves.


Last but not least, here's the most recent picture of my "little" belly! It was taken on July 5th - just before my bedtime as you can see. Alex says my stomach is sharp and looks like a torpedo:)

2008 Recap

I finally decided it was time to start the Sirota Family blog! Like many of you, Alex and I have Facebook and MySpace accounts but I like the idea of the blog much better. Since we are new to the blogging arena it seemed like a good idea to recap 2008 for you. So, here goes...

We rang in 2008 in Levi, Finland. In case anyone reading this is a winter sports fan, you'd love Levi. Check out the cities website at http://www.levi.fi/en/home.html. Levi is only a 2.5 hour drive from my house so let me know if you ever feel like hopping on a few flights to come for the winter. We had our spring break (or ski holiday as it's called here in Finland) also in Levi. Luckily for me we didn't take any pictures of me skiing. I've skied in the Alps, in the fells of Sweden and in Levi's Championship slopes but I've always hated it. I prefer cross-country skiing to downhill any day!

In late March through early April, we took the trip we've been dreaming about. We went to Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan. We travelled to lots of places but that was quite possibly one of my favorite trips of all times! Japan is an amazing country, from the architecture, technology, food to the people...it was just great! I had the best sushi of my life and saw some beautiful landmarks - we visited Mt. Fuji too. We also had the good fortune of being in the country during the one week of the year when Cherry Blossoms bloomed. Since we had exhausted ourselves with history and culture for most of the trip, we decided to spend one of our last days visiting something a little less Japanese, we went to Disneyland Tokyo. It was great but we didn't know that it was spring break across the entire country. As you can imagine, it seemed like every child in Japan was there. It was still really fun and really cute to see them get so excited about the rides and Mickey Mouse. I'll add a few pictures later but they're on Alex's laptop at the moment.

After a tough spring/summer at work we decided to take a little trip to the US to visit my family and to go to my 10 year High School Reunion. Unfortunately we didn't have a lot of time to visit our friends since we decided to also visit Jamaica while we were there. On our first weekend at home we visited Holcomb High School for the reunion. I cannot believe it's already been 10 years! It was, for the most part, the first time I've seen most of my classmates since graduation. I had such a nice time getting caught up with all of my old and dear friends.

We celebrated Alex's birthday on the 25th of June while enjoying fantastic weather. It sure beats Finnish weather! Then we celebrated the 4th of July with my family in Tennessee. After a short, jam-packed trip to the US we had to head back to Finland. I'm already planning my next trip home.

Holcomb High School Class of 1998 - Yes, it was a small class

My dear old friends

4th of July, 2008: Dad bought Alex the t-shirt

Vacation time ended and it was time to start back to work. During the early summer my second nephew (& godson) was born, Lukas Alexander Thurman. That meant attending his christening ceremony. Birgitt, my sister-in-law, decided to spend some time in Germany with my nephews, Noah and Lukas, while my brother, Kyle, is in officer training for the Army. Birgitt was kind enough to arrange Lukas' christening for the weekend of my birthday and my Autumn Break at work. In October we were off to Germany. First we visited some dear friends of ours, Jan and Manfred, and had a nice drive through Germany and a nice stay in Nuremburg. From there we went to Neuhaus-Pegnitz for time with my nephews, Birgitt and her family. Alex and I became the godparents of Lukas and I got to spend time with my adorable, and very active other nephew, Noah. We had a great time but it was heartbreaking to leave. When children are involved it makes living such distances away from your loved ones even harder. It's definitely something to consider when we choose to move again.

Alex with Jan and Manfred in Germany

In case you're wondering why I'm wearing a puffer coat during the christening it's because it was really cold that day and I hadn't expected I'd need a coat in church so I didn't bring anything dressier. Too bad I didn't remember that the churches were built a few hundred years before our convenient heating systems were developed...

With Noah (in front) and baby Lukas

Of course many more things happened throughout 2008 but I don't want to bore you...any more than I already have. We ended the year again in Levi, Finland since Alex's company receives most of it's business in that resort town and this is the high tourism season. I'm starting to think of it as a home away from home. I'll add some pictures of Levi later.