It's about time

About time to update the baby blog, dont'cha think?!

It's hard to believe, but half a year has already flown by since the day our precious Elsa María came into the world. Suffice it to say that I am impressed every single day by how much she is growing and how quickly she is learning. When I look at videos and pictures of her from just a few months ago, it is hard to imagine her being so small and squiggly...she is quickly becoming a strong, chubby little child! As of last night (she is still asleep, and who knows what tricks she has picked up since I last saw her awake 10 hours ago) she can now babble adorably, sit by herself, crawl (we're still refining the technique) and eats solids like a champ. In the past month, she has started sleeping all night, with a bit of fussing usually around 2am, and only one feeding. Last night she slept from 8pm until 7am when she ate, and then fell asleep again until 9am! Little lady 'sleeps like a Viking,' as her father would say.

Solid food is so much fun! She was super skeptical about it at first, but I think that's just because I was doing what the book told me and giving her rice cereal only. Have you ever tasted that stuff? It's flavorless and basically nasty-gross. She would eat it and then literally shudder her little body and give me a look like, "Why did you put that in my mouth, Mom? It's so icky!" Once we discovered the wonderful world of mashed up bananas, applesauce, potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes, there's been no stopping my little eating machine.

We are getting excited for our long upcoming trip to the US next month! We will leave Iceland on Monday, November 22nd, and stay in the Pacific Northwest for Thanksgiving and Christmas and then fly back to the land of fire and ice on December 30th. Tumi will join us in the US when his school and coaching responsibilities wrap up on December 8th.

In light of forthcoming international travels, we recently acquired a passport for little Elsa María. Since we had to report her birth to the US Embassy in Iceland for her to become a recognized US citizen anyway, we applied for her to get her passport at the same time. To be honest, it didn't even occur to me that we should get her an Icelandic passport, even though it might have been easier and less expensive, and less of a hassle. She is a dual citizen, so she could technically have passports from either or both countries. How many passports does a little baby need? In any case, we made an appointment to go to the US Embassy to get her citizenship and passport sorted out before our trip this fall.

I don't know if you've ever had the pleasure of visiting a US Embassy while abroad, but it is quite an adventure. Technically, you are stepping onto US soil, and it really does feel like you're leaving one country and entering another. To begin with, the US Embassy in downtown Reykjavik has a guard outside (a security measure not employed by any other embassy in Iceland). He is friendly enough. Then you stand outside in the rain while the second guard just inside the building checks to see if you have an appointment. He lets you set our baby inside, but has to check you and your husband out. He informs you that while your name is on the listhis is not. Why doesn't he have an appointment? You let the guard know that you were told both parents needed to be present when reporting birth abroad which is what you are here to do (gesture politely to baby). He concedes to let you both into the building. The foyer of the US Embassy is basically an airport security checkpoint. The guard employs the same kind and trusting tone as a TSA agent and a customs official all rolled up in one happy welcoming package. "Ma'am, please take the baby out of the car seat and place it on the X-Ray belt." "The baby?!" "No, the car seat." "Sir, please empty your pockets and take off you belt. Remove any cell phones, computers, or metal." Then you hold your bundle of joy/anchor baby while you walk through a metal detector. Then it's time to meet with the woman behind the panel of bullet-proof glass.

I don't know if you've ever seen a baby's passport before, but just like all children's passports, they are good for five years. The application is the same for a child or grown-up passport. When I filled out the application for Elsa, there were a few places I left blank, because I figured they could not seriously apply to my six month old; occupation, height, hair color, etc. When I handed the stern woman behind the bullet-proof glass the application, she looked it over, and informed me that all the spaces needed to be filled in. Ok. So occupation (sucking, pooping, tummy time, chewing on stuff, sleeping) was marked 'n/a'. Height...seriously? 70 cm. Hair color? I asked the woman about this, since Elsa baby does not have any hair, and she said, "Just write in 'light.'" This passport will serve Elsa María until she is 5 years old. Oh well.

There was a very kind and cheerful woman, obviously trained in customer service in the US, who dealt with our paperwork after that. She was overly-bubbly, cooed at Elsa, and made eye contact (almost) with my eyes....sort of upper right forehead quadrant. When the paperwork was finally all done and accepted, she said, "Congratulations, Elsa! You are the newest US citizen living in Iceland!" At this, my calm, sweet baby abruptly projectile barfed the biggest barf I have every seen come out of her...it wasn't an 'I just ate' little spit up, either...this stuff had been in her stomach long enough to turn into stinky curds and whey. It got all over me, and the chair I was sitting on. "Oh, she is so excited!" Miss Bubbles behind the glass cooed...Yea, she's *something* alright! Excited? Disgusted? We'll see...

If you haven't already seen them, check out the latest videos of our little lady who can now crawl, swim, and smile for the camera!

Elsa and Mama at baby swim class

Elsa pulling herself up....here comes trouble!

She knows to have a serious expression in the passport photo. No bullshitting with the customs people, Elsa!

Little Anchor Baby

Pulling up again...

Sitting by herself!

Happy baby!

Elsa munchin' on some kale.

Helping Pabbi with his homework!

Elsa grew out of the little bed she used to nap in...now she just sleeps in her crib

Downward dog

A visit from neighbors Bergrun Lilja and Vala Kristin!

Hi Elsa!

A visit from Una Lilja and little Davið

Wood Elf stuck in the Kingdom of Rohan

I'm totally a wood elf. When you move to a foreign country, sometimes the things that make you homesick aren't the things you didn't think you would miss. Thinking about my family makes me want to go back to the US, but I figured that would be the case. It's fall here in Reykjavik, and the leaves are changing color; soon they'll fall off the trees and all the green will be gone! At times like this, I imagine the tall thick evergreens of Olalla surrounding me on all sides and above, and it makes me feel cozy, like jumping into a bathtub of green. The Icelandic natural aesthetic puts a great emphasis on long, unbroken vistas. While I think this is beautiful, it is certainly not comforting like standing in the middle of a Pacific Northwest forrest. I've heard that thick forrest makes some folks uneasy; it gives them the spooky feeling that something is lurking inside the woods waiting to pounce at any moment. When I stand in the Icelandic landscape, it makes me feel exposed, and I fear I might just spin off the earth with no trees holding me down.

I've started scheming to come back to the US for a long trip this winter. It occurred to me, why not try and come back with Elsa María for Thanksgiving AND Christmas? Being a 'stay-at-home' mom is the same schedule no matter if we're in our own home, or Elsa's grandparents' home....plus when will we have the flexibility to come for a long trip again? Tumi doesn't have any finals this semester, so he could join us shortly and wouldn't have to be away from his adoring daughter for too long. Plus, it would be so good for Elsa to have some time with the other half of her family (and it would be so good for her mom to spend some time in the mother country!) I think we can make it happen :)

The beginning of fall has been a hectic time at our house. Tumi quit his job and started school. He is taking all the classes required for a teaching certificate, plus some classes for an MA in Journalism. Together, this means he is spending 110% of his time on school. He is also tutoring, coaching soccer three nights a week (+one weekend day) and finishing up projects at his old job, and doing his weekly radio show, and his weekly pub quiz. Somehow in all this chaos, he also finds time to hang out with his daughter and teach her how to play the piano. He seems very happy being so busy, and we are proud of him for following his passion. He won't really brag on himself, but I can....he has a knack for journalism, and apparently a bright future in the field. One of the tasks students in his class have to complete is to write for the student newspaper. One of the articles he wrote last week was picked up by the Icelandic news, a rare honor. An editor for the student paper asked him if he was sure he wanted to 'waste' his talents on sports journalism...a sentiment that I am inclined to agree with, but he will follow his heart...hey, maybe he can find a way to make soccer interesting to us non-sports-oriented people and explain what's so frickin' magical about it anyways!

I have started helping out at the International School in Iceland. I have one small class a week in which to teach 'environmental stuff.' We've only met once so far, and I can tell that creatively planning interesting lessons for them will be challenging for me. I am also going to start an Icelandic language course at the 'Intercultural Center' in the evenings three nights a week. With Tumi's coaching time, this means we will be relying on Icelandic grandparents quite a bit this fall. What a blessing to have them so close and willing!

Elsa María is almost crawling. She is certainly mobile....She pivots around on her tummy and scootches backwards (not forwards, yet!). If she is on her belly and hears something interesting going on, she'll turn around to look at it. How exciting to learn to interact with the world around you! The backwards-wiggling has landed her in some tricky spots, but my smart little cookie will figure out how to navigate the apartment pretty soon.

Rivendell...

The Riddermark...

My beautiful daughter in her Pabbi's old wool sweater...

Watching a soccer game with her Pabbi. I think she's inherited the passion, don't you?!

Sitting in her booster seat from Grandma Julie...She can almost sit up straight :)

Mary Frances Davidson, MSc. Homemaker

When Tumi and I were in the US last Christmas, we decided to open a bank account together. The woman at the bank asked us what we did for a living, and Tumi said he was an engineer. I said I was in school, but was just about to finish. She glanced down at my large pregnant bump, and said, "I'll just write 'homemaker."' The label caught me off guard...I'd never thought of myself as a homemaker. It almost felt like I'd just been insulted. 'Homemaker'? Me? I'm the progeny of a very liberal and feminist matriarchy. Both of my grandmothers (Elsa's great grandmas) are brilliant women who graduated from college when it was a rare life choice for women. Both worked very hard their whole lives both at home and professionally. (I'll just add here that the men of my lineage, with the exception of my dad, have not been very helpful examples of how to live a fulfilling and happy life as a parent). My own mother is the best role model for excellent parenting I could imagine, and she also worked very hard full time when raising me and my brothers. With such strong, trail blazing, feminist women in my heritage, 'homemaker' was like a slap in the face...like I'd been demoted from 'well-educated, productive, modern woman with a valuable and important voice,' to 'barefoot and pregnant woman in the kitchen there to make babies and cook and clean the house.'

This is when I realized my own prejudice, which is indeed a strange sensation.

I'd like to make a proposal. I think we (society nowadays) should make an effort to reward and recognize the contribution of women (and men, too, I guess) who choose to stay at home and invest their time and energy into raising healthy, happy kids. Imagine a world in which everyone spent the majority of their baby and toddling years at home with a parent to meet their needs and teach them in a loving way. I remember hearing about a study done by an economist called "If Women Counted" that was all about what the world would look like if the work homemakers did was defined in monetary terms and incorporated into policy and decision making. Unsurprisingly, the amount of work, and the time it takes, not to mention the invaluable contribution of mothers raising a healthy and well-adjusted future generation of society, turns out to rival the 'doctor/lawyer' income bracket when defined monetarily.

Regardless of if we pay them or not, homemakers perform a very important social service, and need recognition for their contributions. If you can...go hug your mom right now! Thank her for having grace and patience and the wisdom to balance working and raising you. I promise she worked really hard to make you healthy and happy!

In other, less rant-y news...

Riley Drake is back on the couch for a few days before returning home. He is fuzzy and happy.

Elsa is almost crawling. She tucks up her little legs and wobbles for a bit before slumping back down onto her tummy. She is mobile...she wiggles and pivots and rolls around on the floor, so she always ends up in a new and different place than when she was set down. She is lovely and getting cuter all the time! She now tries to eat the baby in the mirror, which is very entertaining for everyone involved...

Love that beautiful face...

Playing with Aunt Gunnhildur

Good lift, girlie!

With Great-Bapu!
Bundled up for a walk in the cold

It's all about that tongue!

Taking a nap with Unkka Riley...see how they sleep the same?

All I really need is a song in my heart, food in my belly, and love in my family

Ok, more than a month is too long to go without updating the blog. Sorry. SO much has happened since I wrote last...we'll have to summarize some of the good stuff. All in all, it's been a fantabulous month, with growing baby, family visit, mini-vacation to north Iceland, more friends visiting, more baby growing. Let's start at the beginning, and I'll go until I get tired or distracted...

Riley is in Iceland. He came on my birthday, and hung out for a while in Reykjavik before heading to his 'workcamp' in the north of Iceland. General consensus is that he is having the time of his life. Bars in Iceland don't card (he's one year under legal here) and so he has been taking advantage of that little loophole. He watched the final game of the world cup at a bar with a couple of Spanish girls in Akureyri....sure beats sitting around on the couch all day watching TV and eating Mac n Cheeze like last summer, eh little brother? While on a week long break between camps, Riley was kickin' it in Reykjavik, staying in my gracious in-laws' guest room ('Gracious' is an understatement. It is more than the simple and necessary big sister nagging role I occupy so very well when I say my little brother is a lazy slob. If left on his own he would sit in his filthy bed all day eating and watching TV and not talking to anybody. He would pick at his guitar with his chezenip encrusted fingers and get smellier and smellier if nobody told him to move his lazy ass and go breathe some air outside. I know I can say this about him because I am confident he doesn't read this blog, and I am also confident that if he did, he wouldn't read anything that hasn't already been said to his face. I told you, I am a very good nagging older sister. I love you, Riley!) S'anyways. When told to get off his lazy ass so my mega-gracious in-laws could air out his bedroom, my clever (albeit stinky) lil brother went downtown with his guitar to busk for some dough. He did surprisingly well, and seemed to really enjoy himself....He came back with wonderful stories about the Dutch girl who bought him a beer, and the old lady who put in a bunch of money and then winked at him. He now brags that he is a professional musician, a statement to which my ever-gracious symphony musician in-laws smiled politely.

After Riley left for his camp, the rest of the family arrived for their visit. Joy upon joys it was so heavenly happy to see them! (that's not a real sentence, but I was just too happy to see my family, real words and grammar aren't enough to convey the feeling!) Then the showing off of baby and country began. We went to the Blue Lagoon, then did the Golden Circle and went to the summerhouse, and I didn't hold Elsa for ten days...The Fam rented a car and an apartment in Akureyri and stayed there for a week. Tumi, Elsa, and I joined them and spent a lovely week in the northern part of Iceland. We took some day trips to see Husavik and go horseback riding, but the main priority was to relax and get to know the grandparents and uncles. I think that if we are going to live in Iceland (or anywhere else abroad) it is essential that we get to spend some time with my family at least a couple of times a year. It is so hard to see them and then put them on a plane to fly away and not see them again for six months; it would be even harder if I had to put them on a plane and not know when I would be seeing them again! I am convinced that Iceland is the best possible place to raise children, but it would be even more perfect-er if my family was not so very far away. As for now, I can look forward to taking Elsa Maria to the Pacific Northwest for the first time this Christmas. She will meet the extended family and get to see the other half of her heritage :)

Yesterday was a big day for my little family. Tumi told his employer that he would no longer work for them once his paternity leave ends. This decision has been a long time in the making, but basically, my man is not made to be an engineer. We were reminiscing yesterday about the fact that a year ago, he told his boss that he didn't feel a passion for the work he was doing. It is a hard decision to leave such a well-paying job that you've spent so many years being educated to do, but at the end of the day, I am convinced that it was eating his soul to wake up every day and go to a job that didn't fulfill or interest him. So what's next? He is taking classes this fall to become a certified high school math and science teacher (yippee!) and also exploring the world of journalism through a couple of extra courses. He will also be coaching soccer at our local sports association and conducting a weekly pub quiz about soccer. I am so proud that he is making a life for himself that fits better with his interests and personality! I keep thinking of some quote I heard somewhere about how you shouldn't let money dictate what career you choose, because the world doesn't need more miserable rich people...rather you should do what has meaning for you and nourishes your soul, because the world really needs more fulfilled people who get joy from the work they do. Go Tumi!

I bought some wonderful kid's music that Elsa and I have been listening too. I've learned I'm still as big a fan of Raffi's at 25 as when I was four years old. More about that later...cuz... it happened. Elsa woke up and my attention is needed elsewhere!

Snuggly baby in her warmy. Hanging out with Grandpa Frank. Livin the good life!
When the Davidson Children get together, names are taken and asses are kicked.
I may be the oldest, but now I'm the smallest...the boys have YEARS of big-sister bullying make up for now that they can beat me up!
Elsa meets her first puffin at the Whale Museum in HusavikReading "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" with Gramma J
Love the life of a Grandpa, eh Dad?
Riley arresting Thomas the medieval Viking way!
Out for a stroll in Reykjavik
Elsa's first dip in the hot spring near the summerhouse
Big smiles and a rainbow at the Golden waterfall
This one is the album cover....
My future's so bright I gotta wear shades, yo!
Getting a ride from Unkka Thomas
Elsa loves her fluffy sheep. She eats its face like a good Icelander should.
Unkka Riley's in Reykjavik!