Reconnecting with friends - The Sundströms

It is great to be back in Sweden for many reasons. One of them being to reconnect with old friends again. The Sundströms we have known for more than 15 years and it was wonderful to see them again. A couple of weeks ago we were invited to a lovely Sunday dinner and you couldn't feel that we had not seen each other for many years. We just started to catch up with what had happened to relatives and common friends while eating a delicious meal.

Henrik and Maria also have a new "baby", but it is the cutest little dog - Myran. She is a Norwichterrier and is just a couple of months older than Poppy. They were about the same size too and it was fun to see them together. Myran was very sweet and careful so it was actually Poppy who crawl towards Myran to touch her. After a while Myran leaned forward and licked Poppy, but she just laughed. A great first experience with a dog.

Henrik and Maria has Nils and Ylva. Nils was gaming with his older brothers, Max & Leo, who have already moved to their own apartment. But we did say hi to them over Skype. I forgot to take pictures, so it is just Maria's photos I have borrowed. Therefore there are no pictures of her and her husband. We'll change that when we see them this summer.

Christening

Our priest, Josefin G Andersson, Mats, Sara, Filippa Lindström, Ulrika & Johan Ottosson
Alice, Poppy and Nils

A couple of weeks ago it was finally time for the christening of Poppy. Most common in Sweden is to do it when the baby is about 3-4 months old, but the variation is big so it was not strange at all that Poppy was almost 7 months old. One important thing for me though was that I wanted her to be able to wear the dress that Alice wore 12 years ago. The girls who sewed my wedding dress made christening gowns for Alice & Nils when it was time for that.

Poppy surrounded by some of her cousins and siblings.
From left Ingrid, Harald, Nils, Alice, Theodor, Erik, Carl & Anna

We wanted to make the ceremony simple and similar to the one we had for the big kids. That way they could relive and understand how it was when they were baptised. Same church, same hymns, and I read the same poem. But the priest was new, there were many cousins this time (who were too young to attend last time) and of course Nils could assist the priest with pouring the baptismal water and Alice wiped Poppy's head when she was done. Also cousin Anna sang a beautiful song and her brother Erik assisted her on the guitar. 

It was a wonderful little ceremony with just our closest families + my cousin and his family who lives here in Lund. I also have a cousin's daughter who has moved to Lund to study medicine and she joined us too.

After the ceremony in Lund Cathedral we had a photo session where Poppy posed with almost everyone present. When she finally came to my mother she was quite tired and needed a break. The look she gives my father is so funny. 

My sister Filippa, one of Poppy's Godmothers

Mats' sister Ulrika and her husband Johan

Poppy's Godparents

Mats' parents Sven & Gertrud

My parents Margit & Anders

After the ceremony we walked the short distance to the Grand Hotel where a nice lunch was waiting for us. Here follow some pictures:

Anna & Theodor

Harald & Carl

Ingrid & Erik

Astrid & Nils

Alice & Gösta

Theodor & Alice

Agda

Anders & Ulrika

Karin & Johan

Martin & Filippa

  

Karin with Birgit, Poppy and me

Karin is married to my cousin Martin and they moved to Lund while we were in California. Their third child, Birgit, was born three weeks after Poppy. So wonderful to have family near by and such a lovely coincidence that they had a child born so close to Poppy. 

Celebration in the north

Poppy in front of the Icehotel by night with the entrance doors covered with reindeer skin

A little more than a month ago we were invited to a family celebration far up in the north of Sweden. My parents celebrated their 50th anniversary, Gold anniversary in Swedish, and invited me, my siblings and our families. In totat that is 22 people, but my brother and his family couldn't make it and one cousin became sick and had to stay home, but we were still a good group of 16 who travelled to the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi. It is situated 200 km north of the Arctic Circle and is on about the same latitude as the very north of Alaska. My parents both grew up in Luleå, which is a four hour drive south of Jukkasjärvi, but they wanted to show the big family something special about the Lapland region of Sweden. The Icehotel is certainly special and I have always wanted to go.

From Lund it is a 2,5 hour flight, but we went via Stockholm this time and met up with the cousins. First time for Poppy on an airplane and she did well. Not the most favorite thing to do, but she stayed calm and we spent some time standing up, walking in the aisle and talking to the stewardess in the front.

Our warm cabin and Poppy in her cutest Laplandic outfit

The Icehotel is built up from scratch every year from the Torne river and melts away during the late spring/summer. There are also cabins where you can stay in regular temperature, but the majority of the guests spend one night in a warm room and one night in the icehotel. The temperature in the icehotel never drops lower than between -5 to -8 degrees C, about 23-17F despite the fact that the temperature outside can drop to -30C (-22F). When we were there it was around -20C, about -4F, but the air is dry so it's not as cold as it sounds. But yes, it is important to get dressed properly or else you will freeze like crazy.

In the icehotel the beds are all made of ice blocks with a mattress covered with reindeer skin. You sleep in a sleeping bag and you are supposed to wear only one base layer, preferably wool, and a hat when you go to sleep. At 8am they come and wake you up with hot lingonberry juice. The only problem for me this year was that I have Poppy and since I am still nursing it was not a good idea to stay in the cold accommodation. We had a cabin where I stayed both nights. Mats and Nils were the vikings in the family and went to sleep in the icehotel the second night. Alice stayed with me and Poppy in the cabin.

Alice in the far end of the lobby and Nils on one of the many ice sculpture decorations

Thankfully the icehotel is open for everyone during the day between 10am-6pm, so you can walk into any room and check it out. We took a long tour of the lobby and the many cool rooms. They have two sections with special Art Suites where different artists have been invited to design and build a room of ice. My parents decided to stay in the Flower Room.

The corridor with the Art Suites and the Flower room where my parents stayed.

Since Mats and I couldn't stay in a room together we tried the bed in one of the designed rooms during our tour and Alice tried a chair in one of her favorite rooms. Love the wall in that room.

We ended the tour by having a drink in the icebar. The best bar for Poppy since it had the perfect outdoor temperature that she was dressed for (so she kept sleeping in the stroller the whole time). I had a lingonberry drink and even the glasses were made of ice, so you'd better keep the gloves on.

The following day the big group went on a snow mobile safari. Only adults could drive, but it worked out fine and everyone had a good time. They were fast and most of the ride was on the frozen river. Poppy and I took a long walk in around the area instead.

Rules and instructions before the snow mobile safari

In the afternoon we did an Ice Sculpting Class. Everyone got their own ice block and a wood chisel to form whatever you wanted by carving carefully. It was great fun once you got a hold of how to do it. We had an instructor who helped us get started. After a while I could truly understand how long it must have taken the artists to make the Art Suites in the icehotel. Not a job for me, but this little piece was fun and a suitable challenge for me while Poppy took her afternoon nap.

Nils made a house

Alice made a sofa

Mats made a heart and so did I - without knowing that he was working on one as well

We also enjoyed good meals the whole group, but for some reason I totally forgot to take pictures of that. Maybe because we were busy eating or maybe because the view inside was not as spectacular as outside. Anyhow, it was a great weekend that we ended by taking a tour of Kiruna - the slightly larger city closest by. It is known for mining of ore. Unfortunately the city is now right on top of the ore, so they are moving the whole city, including 3000 homes, further away so they can keep on mining.

Sports for me and Poppy

Poppy working out at her gym

It is not only Alice and Nils who do sports in this family. Poppy is working hard in her gym everyday, but since she has recently learned how to roll over from her back to her stomach that is mostly what she does - even when she is under the gym. Sometimes she tangles herself up a little, but she has a strong voice and lets me know when she can't handle the situation any longer.

 

I also try to work out to get back in shape. Slowly, but surely I'm getting my body back the way I want it. Mostly it is shorter or longer walks with Poppy in the stroller, but since three months I also go to Gerdahallen (my Swedish Equinox, but not as flashy) and do the Parent/Baby-class twice a week. It is mostly workout for the moms (but two dads show up almost every week now), and the babies are on the floor playing with a toy. Some parts of the hour we carry the baby or use them as a weight. Favorite part for all the small people is when we "dance" closer together in the middle so they can see each other. The song for this part is Gangnam Style and everyone has a happy smile on their face, including the parents. About 50 parents show up twice/week for this class - pretty cool and a good workout in a safe way without heavy weights, jumps or running.

Even if the babies are mostly on the floor they get tired. Music, impressions etc so Poppy takes a little nap once in a while or at least puts her head down and relaxes.

Yesterday we had a snowstorm in Skåne, but that didn't stop me and Poppy. I put her in the BabyBjörn and off we went. It is only a 7 minute walk to the gym so bad weather is not an excuse. Besides, I must be a little crazy because I love the snow, the cold, how pretty the landscape turns out and how quiet it becomes when the snow is falling down all around you.

When we get back home I take a shower and she is on the floor outside keeping an eye on me (and I keep an eye on her too). We didn't think about having another baby when we designed the bathroom, but I must say that it works really well with the glass wall and the low glass door so she can look out even from the floor. When I am ready she is ready for another nap. I put her in the stroller and place her on the best spot in the garden, behind the house outside the kitchen window. I have a babywatch with an alarm that goes off if she cries, but sometimes I just hear a little noise and can check through the window. And so almost half our Tuesday has passed by with workout for both of us!