Attached in order for freedom

I loved carrying Theodore in a sling from day one and we still carry him in one occasionally, on long walks for example when it isn't practical to bring a pram or when the snow gets too much for the pram in the Norwegian winters, or when he needs to get close and feel safe. It was wonderfully snug and cosy for him when he was a newborn and so practical as he was a baby that rarely slept. It meant that i could cuddle him and still do some things around the house or get out and about with him with no fuss. We didn't have a pram until he was alot older as we'd decided that we wanted to try a sling first and we definately didn't need one for a while. After trying a few different cloth slings we were recommended the Kari Me sling which was actually a dream to use.

I love the fact that it is so easy to use (once you have tied it a few times) and that it packs away into a small pouch when you don't need it. It is versatile in terms of the different positions that you can have your baby/toddler in, you can breastfeed with the baby in the sling and it is so snug and cosy for both you and your baby. 

When Theodore got to about 7 months old he became a little too heavy in the Kari Me sling for me to comfortably carry him around, so i started looking around for another one. Although we were given a metal framed one not long after this which is like a rucksack carrier for babies it was still quite heavy to carry him in and impossible to travel with so i went back to my search. All of the reviews i read raved about the Ergo baby carrier, so after much thought we ordered ours. We haven't looked back.

It was fabulous from day one, so light and easy to use and it took the strain off my shoulders which meant that i could carry him around for hours with no adverse affect or pain. It was brilliant. Infact i still use it occasionally with Theodore, although i think now i would order the new sports version because as it has a higher back. See this review of the improvements.

The Ergo baby carrier can be used from birth, although i think that i will still use the Kari Me with the new baby as it more cocooning for a newborn and i am not convinced that they should be in the above position until they are a little older...

There are of course many slings on the market but the Kari Me and the Ergo are my favourite!

Russian Princess snugness with a baby on board

So now that the snow and ice have arrived in Oslo and the temperatures have dropped to minus 8 degrees C i have finally admitted defeat and unearthed my deliciously warm Russian Princess style hat and snug below the knee down coat, which is like wearing a heavenly but stylish duvet, and wonder why i waited so long (my ugg boots and thick gloves have followed, thank heaven). I feel so warm and toastey as i go about Oslo, but i'm also very aware that i wont be able to do my coat up around my pregnant belly for much longer as it's becoming quite a tight fit and the weather will inevitably get colder. So i'm thinking that either i will need to make do and wear it open with a big thick jumper underneath (hmmm i don't have one of those) and risk getting very cold or i need to invest in a new coat. Not just any coat though as i feel that would be a little pointless to buy a maternity coat just for the next two months. It needs to be one that is versatile enough that i can wear it while pregnant, when the baby is born (as i want to carry him in a sling i need a jacket that will do up around us both) and when i have lost the baby weight. There are several different Mama Jackets on the market which fit the bill and i have listed a few here....see what you think:

1) The MAM coat from Mam Design

Now in its fifth season, the MaM Coat is a great solution for babywearing through the cooler (and wetter!) months. It's suitable for use during pregnancy, for front and back carriers, with all kinds of non-framed carriers and it can also be worn without your little one on board.

Using a babywearing coat makes getting out and about much simpler as you just need to pop your baby in the sling, put the coat on and go. No need for snowsuits and raincovers, no problem with pushchair wheels in wet leaves or snow, and you know exactly how hot or cold your baby is all the time.

hmm but is it warm enough?

Although this jacket is hugely practical i personally don't think that it is massively attractive.

2) MaM Tunic babywearing coat with weatherproof fleece

  

 I love this MaM babywearing tunic which comes in weatherproof fleece. It seems to me to be a very stylish Scandinavian design, and perfect for layering throughout the seasons. It can be used during pregnancy and when carrying a baby on the front or back, or without a baby at all. "A timeless investment piece" and i think my favourite overall.

3) Mama Jacket/babywearing coat

Made of a wool/cashmere blend in either charcoal grey or wine red, this coat also allows you to wear your baby on your back or front without a large amount of billowing fabric surrounding you. It also doubles up as a maternity coat with an extra pregnancy insert - and can also be used without the supplied insert as a normal jacket when you are not carrying your child. Not too bad.

4)  The M Coat 

Another convertible 3-in-one- jacket but this one is insulated with pure Canadian Down which makes me think it will be warm enough for the Scandinavien winter. It can be used not only as a maternity jacket but also when you have had the baby and want to wear him/her in a sling as well as afterwards as a regular coat.

5) The Babywearing Down Coat 

This is another down coat but to be honest i'm not a huge fan of this one because although undoubtedly warm it does actually look like you are wearing a sleeping bag/duvet.

6) Peekaru Fleece Vest   

Snug Baby Wearing

This could be amazing under my down coat and a slightly cheaper option than buying a totally new coat.

The Peekaru Original is a fleece vest that zips over a soft baby carrier to keep you and your child warm. It says that it also fits comfortably over all carriers, including Baby Bjorns, Hotslings, Ergos, Mei Tais, and Wraps. It's made from 85% recycled high quality Polartec fleece with each Peekaru Original saving approximately 25 plastic bottles from reaching the landfill. In addition, Polartec fleece holds an Oeko-tex Standard 100 for textile products of all types which pose no risk whatsoever to health. So you can feel good knowing that while you are holding your baby close, you are also helping the environment.

7) Suse's Kinder Coat 

 Again not the most flattering design...?

Failing all of those i do have this amazing MaM cover for the slings i have. I saw it on a man carrying his baby when i first moved to Oslo and literally chased him down the street to find out where he bought it from!! It's 4-season microfibre-fleece lined cover and comes with a detachable fleece hood. It's easy to use around any soft slings including the ergo baby carrier and keeps the baby warm and snug in cold countries like Norway, even if the Mama is less than toastey! You can buy them online or from this wonderful shop in Oslo called Bæreglede on Wessels Gate. They have a whole heap of natural baby things including slings, wool clothes and cloth nappies.

and while i'm listing warm things for the winter i also love these  

Baby leg warmers.

 Just sooooo cute.

 

The small things in life...

Time to read the sunday papers, what bliss!

‎"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things" Robert Brault

There are a few things that we haven't had time to enjoy since having our son, things like lie ins in the mornings, time to read the papers over breakfast or while drinking tea in a cafe, nights out, time together to do what we'd like at our own pace, time together to talk without interuption. Small things that when they come together in one weekend are really quite huge. Infact it was a really big thing for us to be able to get away together for a whole weekend. It is a first since Theodore was born, partly because we haven't wanted to leave him for so long, partly because it has been so hard to get baby sitting in general and definately for the weekend and in part because Andreas' work has been so crazy that it just hasn't been possible for him to get away. Thankfully everything came together this weekend and we had a blissful weekend away without computers or phones and just saw each other. 

Tønsberg's waterfront at night

We went to a small town by the sea called Tønsberg just an hour and a half outside Oslo. It's is reportedly the oldest town in Norway and here they are building a full replica of one of the original viking boats using traditional methods, ready to sail to the UK for the Olympics in 2012. It's a small but pretty town that i imagine comes fully to life in the summer when all the boats pour into the main waterfront to moor up and enjoy the bars and restaurants there, but it is was absolutely perfect for a two day break away from everything.

Here are a few pictures from our weekend:

 

I love doors if you hadn't noticed!

8 months pregnant this weekend

A huge thank you to everyone who made this weekend possible!

Nutty lemon drizzle

hmm Susan Jane Murray just gets it right every time with her recipes.

Here is her Lemon Drizzle cake and it is deelicious.

For the cake:

3 tablespoons raw agave or organic honey

3 tablespoons cold pressed macadamia oil or sunflower oil

3 medium eggs, or 2 large

1 tablespoon water

100g or 1 cup of ground almonds

Zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of good organic unrefined salt

For the drizzle:

Juice of ½ lemon

3-4 tablespoons raw agave or honey

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees. 180 degrees is a little too hot and will brown the cake. Oil a small Swiss tin, or similar small baking tin. A large loaf tin would also do.

2. Blend the oil, agave and eggs and water together with a fork.

3. Then beat in the almonds, zest, baking powder and salt.

4. Pour into your chosen tin – you’re aiming for approximately 2cm in height. Bake for 10 minutes.

5. For the sticky lemony drizzle, simply warm the lemon juice with agave or honey over a gentle heat. Pour over your cake as it arrives out of the oven. Allow to cool in the tin.

Lemon drizzle cake is usually made with huge amounts of butter (and wheat) and makes me feel aweful, but with this recipe both my taste buds and my tummy loved it.

I hope you enjoy this yummy cake as much as i did!

Happy Eggs

Sometimes you just need a quick meal and this one goes down very well in our house

Jamie Oliver's baked eggs

serves 4

Ingredients

• 40g unsalted butter/dairy free alternative

• 50g parmesan, finely grated (optional)

• 500g spinach

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 tbsp single cream (or soya cream)

• Freshly grated nutmeg

• 200g undyed smoked haddock

• 4 large free-range eggs .

Method

1) Preheat oven to 180C/gas 4. Butter 4 ramekins or ovenproof tea cups and coat with grated parmesan.

2) Cook the spinach in a little butter and extra-virgin olive oil over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes. When wilted, spoon into a colander and press out any liquid. Finely chop, then mix in a bowl with the cream, a good grating of nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix in the haddock.

3) Divide the spinach between the ramekins, then crack an egg into each, and pour around a little of the extra cream. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, then bake on a tray for about 20 minutes, until the whites are set and yolks are done to your liking. Serve with buttered soda-bread toast.

What's in a name?

The name that is chosen for you is so important and i think like it or not people immediately judge you by your name, even before they meet you. I often think that you are your name, or rather you live up to the name that you are given in some way, but then i would say that. I was named Freya (Cecily) which when i was little was a very uncommon name in the UK and much to my annoyance and often embaressment was one that no one could spell or pronounce. However over the years i have grown to love my name for the very reasons that i first hated it, because it was different and no one around me had the same name, but also because in hindsight it was a name that was meant to be. The name infact comes from the Norse Goddess Freya, the Goddess of love and springtime, and although i was indeed born in the spring I also love the fact that i met, fell in love with and married a Norwegian man with whom i am now living in Norway. Infact when people speak to me for the first time they often think i am Norwegian purely because of my name. So i think my parents were perhaps guided to choose this nordic name for me, a name that as it turns out fitted my fate, to meet and marry a Norwegian man and move to Norway.

Andreas and i on our wedding day

Of course the name here in Norway is an old Norwegian name and isn't now that common whereas in the Uk over the last ten years it has grown in popularity and i find myself turning around in the supermarkets when i am back there only to find that it is someone calling for their 4 year old daughter and not me. Freia ( it has the same pronunciation although not the same spelling as my name) is however the name of one of the most popular chocolate brands in Norway, for whom my father in law once worked, and the company has a  wonderful Freia sign above the main street in Oslo that lights up at night, so in some way i feel that i have my name up in lights here in Oslo.

There are several different spellings of the name that come from the Norse goddess Freyja including Freya, Freja, Freyia, Frøya, and Freia. I love my name now and wouldn't change it for anything, but perhaps the love of my name has also come with being able to love and appreciate myself which i was never able to do when i was younger. How about you what do you feel about your own name?

Celebrate your name, it is perhaps your destiny! 

http://sherrysenicardesigns.blogspot.com/2010/04/goddess-for-today-is-freya.html