Some photos from Thailand and the trip over!

Thailand

Where do I start… we have now been away for over a month and we are having an amazing holiday! The flight over was long, we flew Luleå-Stockholm-Bejing-Bangkok (a night in Bangkok)-Krabi. Jakob and Viktor were perfect on the flights but Isak was at times struggling to sit still. Fair enough, not easy for a 3 year old. Anyway it was all forgotten when we finally arrived at Lanta Sea House again! We just love this place. The first weeks we spent with many of our friends and their families. Mainly from Sweden but also Adams best friend from Australia came over with his family. They were planning to stay for 2 weeks but changed their tickets and stayed for one more week! It was great fun having so many good friends around to share all this with and it will be nice also having all the memories to share when we are all back home again. About 2 weeks ago all friends left and Adams parents arrived the same day. It felt like a start of a new holiday but in the same place! We were a bit worried about if the children would miss having their friends around (they first few weeks they were playing from morning to night and always running between each others bungalows) but they have been great and just played with other things. We have had more time together with them but they have also (and still are) been playing lots with the staff here at the resort. Just like when we were here 3 years ago. The children also loved having grandma and poppa here and during their stay we have done lots of swimming, shopping, walking and eating! 2 days ago Jane and John left but and a couple of days before that my friend Verity arrived from Australia with her fiance and 2 children. Once again it feels like a "new" holiday. This last week before we leave we will just take it very easy and make sure we get the last shopping done, squeeze in some more massages, exercise and just relax. A little bit about the children... Lets start with little Viktor: Viktor has been sleeping very badly ever since we arrived but strangley enough I have not felt so tired. Probably because I don't have to worry about cleaning, working, cooking etc. In Sweden I had to do all that plus sleeping badly at night. When Adams parents arrived Jakob and Isak moved in to their bungalow so we could try to get Viktors sleeping sorted (too hard when we all are sleeping in the same room). I managed to get him to sleep in his own cot all night and went from feeding 6 times a night to feeding 2-3 times a night. That didn't last very long though and now we are back at waking up pretty much every hour after midnight again. I will try to do something about it again when we get to Australia. The positive with Viktor is that he has two good sleeps during the day which gives us a chance to relax and focus on Jakob and Isak. Viktor is also a very happy child and he hardly ever cires during the day. He has also finally started eating a bit after weeks of trying. The staff in the resort love him and they can carry him around for hours and sometimes it feels like he spends more time in the kitchen with them then with us. Isak loves life here in Thailand and walks around wearing soft thai pants and an open shirt all day. He has no problem sleeping at night but doesn't eat much more than toasts and yogerts. He is really confident in the water and throws himself in the big pool with no fear. Jakob is growing every day and is really fun to hang out with. From being scared about water only a couple of months ago he learnt to swim after less than 2 weeks here and is now amazing in the water. He swims across the pool easily now and can dive to the bottom to pick up things. It has been great to watch how hard he has been trying and how quickly he has improved. He is learing to count in Thai, he order most of his food himself and he is very social chatting to everyone. Adam and I are exercising every morning. He runs and I walk. I love my morning walk. When Sigrid was here we used to walk together but now I go by myself. It is a great way to start the day. We spend a lot of time with the children but also make sure we give each other "free" time to have massage, a rest, go for a walk, shopping etc. When Jane and John were here they were babysitting one night so we could go out for dinner just the two of us. That was very special! Not sure what else to write other than that we have nothing to complain about here. We love the family that owns the resort and spend a lot of time talking to them getting to know them better and learning more and more about thai life. Being here in low season has its benefits. The children are really liking this lifestyle and seem relaxed and happy most of the time. 7 more nights until we fly to Adelaide... I look forward to coming back to Australia but at the same time I don't want to leave Koh Lanta. But I am not going to complain, life is pretty great!

On the way

The boys...

 

I have once again been bad at updating the blog but here are a last few photos before we go travelling. In only a few days we take off for 5 weeks in Thailand and 3 in Australia. We are all very excited.

 

The last few weeks have been very busy but fun working a lot, not sleeping so well at night, spending time with the Children and also squeeze in some mummy/Viktor time in the city with other mum's or friends. I look forward to going on 2 months proper parental leave before going back to work again in January. I am just hoping that Viktor starts sleeping at night and also starts eating other things than milk from me... There are a few positives about Viktors sleeping though. He can now sleep for up to 2 hours without waking up during the day. That makes Life much easier than when he only did 20-40 min at a time. Especially now when I work between feeds and Adam bring him in to me when due for  some milk.

 

 

Jakob is growing up so fast. He loves school and he loves sport and he loves Viktor a lot. He loves Isak too but he gets a bit tired of him when he Always wants to do Everything Jakob does and also when he doesn't stop talking. It is very hard to remember that there was a time when I worried about Isak and that he had some problem with talking. I take that back now... talking is not a problem for Isak.

 

At the moment we are just trying to get organised for the big trip and also trying to help Isak to recover from a Cold and prevent the rest of us from getting it. Jakob is coughing a bit but seems ok. Isak slept for 15 hours last night and woke up feeling much better today.

 

Swimming school

Last week Jakob had his 2 last sessions of an intensiv swimming school. It lasted 10 times over 2 1/2 weeks straight after school. Parents were only allowed to Watch the first time and the last time and these photos are from the last session.

 

Jakob who has never been very Confident in the water did really really well and I most imortantly - he had fun and enjoyed going there every time. He still can't swim without floaties but is so much better than when he started.

Isak came to watch on the last day!

And also mormor and Viktor!

Jakob has always hated to put his head under water (must like his mother...)

and the first day he didn't want to do it at all, but the last day he did it over and over again. He still doesn't like it but he tries and does it when he has to.

To celebrate that he finished the 10 swimming lessons we went out for pizza together with his friend Axel and his family.

Brothers

 

Jakob loves helping with Viktor and Viktor just can't get enough of Jakob!

 

Viktor

A few weeks ago I started giving Viktor solids. What can I say? it is not going very well. So now he is both a bad sleeper and a bad eater.

 

 

 

He is very cute though and happy during the Days!

Autumn

 

During the last couple of months I have tired hard to get fit and lose some more weight. It hasn't gone quite as well as I had hoped due to a few things, but mainly me working a lot more than planned and also Viktor sleeping so extremly badly. I have lost about 5 kilos in 2 months and only have 2 more to lose so at least it is not so far to go.

 

Viktor is normally very happy in the pram so I have taken him for quite a few long Power walks.

 

 

The autumn has been  beautiful with many sunny clear days.

Sport sport sport...

The ice hockey season started with an open day at the ice arena a few weeks ago. Not sure what I was thinking but I deciede to go with all Three boys even though Adam was working. Luckily mum met up with me at the arena and could look after Viktor when I was chasing Isak and Jakob.

 

Isak did great. He we probably one of the youngest but he worked so hard and listened to the trainer and tried to follow the instructions. Sometimes he just did his own thing but he was happy and only stopped a couple of times for a drink.

I lost Jakob quite quickly but he had found a Group of kids that were on the same level as him so he was happy.

Isak was so proud of himself for finally overcoming his fear of the big hockey bear!

Straight after hockey we had to get changed in to soccer outfit in the car park.  

Jakob just loves any sport and is very cometitive!

While Jakob had his soccer training Isak Went to a birthday party.

Going home...

After a few great days in Stockholm we hit the road again with a one night stop in Sundsvall. The ride home felt a bit longer as it normally does but apart from a bit of rain at the end and the kids losing the plot a couple of times it all went  really well and I am quite sure we will do more long car trips in the future. I was worried about Viktor crying a lot but he has been close to perfect.  

Isak, our little angel is starting to become a monster at times. He is showing much more temper and drives us insane sometimes but is most of the time so adorable when he is angry that it is hard not to laugh. This afternoon in the car he managed to draw his whole arm blue... 

After managing to rub off a lot of blue paint on his clothes, his face and arms, both his brothers, his toys, the car etc he crashed in to a well needed long sleep and didn't wake up until we were back home in Luleå. 

Jakob entertaining Viktor and keeping him happy for a big part of the trip!

Visa photos

In the hotel room I used the white walls for some photos of all of us that we need when applying for visas to Thailand. 

Last morning in Stockholm

The day of leaving Stockholm the sun was shining and we didn't feel like getting in to the car in the morning. Instead we spent a few hours in the parklands of Djurgården playing and walking around. 

Jakob who loves climbing found a great tree!

Gröna Lund!Be

When planning the trip to Stockholm a visit to Gröna Lund was on the must list, but when looking at the weather forecast we thought we had to change the plans. The only night it was open when we were there it was going to rain and rain and rain. When the place opened in the afternoon the sky was almost blue so we decided to go in (even though Jakob was not happy to leave the hotel again, he wanted to stay and play Ipad). I am glad that we went because we had a great night! It seems like both Jakob and Isak like rides as much as I do so we all went crazy in there. Even Adam had a go at a few of them.

Isak would have done them all if he had been allowed to but many of them had hight limits and he was too short. He was devastated when he had to wait and watch Jakob go on some of them. 

The weather was great all night! not sure how the weather people could get it so wrong.

Viktor did great in the pram until about 8pm when it started getting dark and was very noisy with lights flashing everywhere. 

It worked ok as long as we carried him though. 

This ride, that went up and down quite fast, Jakob and Isak did probably 15 times!

About to leave Gröna Lund after a fantastic night! since it is the end of the season it was not so busy and no queing for any of the rides. Because of that Jakob and Isak did a few of them over and over and over again, just getting out, and running around to go in again. 

I was the only one who did the one where you sit in a chair go straight up in the air nearly 100m (I think) and then get dropped straight down (free falling). I was a bit scared but found a man who was going by himself as well and talked to me on the way up and distracted me by getting me to admire the view of Stockholm instead of thinking about falling to the ground. It was an amazing feeling in the end and I am glad I did it!