Swedish and Bjorn

I keep talking Swedish to Bjorn every chance I have, but it is hard sometimes switching back and forth between English with Laura and Swedish to Bjorn, and I notice myself mixing the words sometimes (Swenglish anyone?), but most researchers state that children growing up in a bi-lingual home will mix the words until they are 5-6 years old, so I would not be surprised once he starts speaking he will mix the languages, if he does speak Swedish. Most language researchers state that some children will not want to learn a 2nd language, and it also depends on genetics, some people have a very strong skill for languages and others not....so only time will tell if our little Bear will speak Swedish or not, it won't be for a lack of trying on our end :- )

Here's a good link discussing bilingual babies, there is a myth that bilingual babies language development is slower, but in fact it shows that they learn just as many words as monolinguals, it is just that they learn some words in their native language and some in their 2nd language.

http://www.drspock.com/faq/0,1511,1106,00.html

Svenska Bocker

Last night we received a package from Farmor and Farfar Ricky : - ) , there were some clothes and a few books for Bjorn, one of my favorites, Alfons Aberg : - ) . I remember reading those books and watching the shows growing up, it is fun to see a lot of those "classics" are still around for today's children. As he gets older I have a couple of movies for him, Pelle Svanslos, Tjorven, Batsman och Skrallan, and I would like to collect some of the other Astrid Lindgren movies, like Emil, Madicken, Karlsson pa Taket, etc.

People ask me what it feels like to have become a parent, and it is the most amazing feeling I have ever felt in my life, there are no words to describe it, when I come home after a long day and sit down with him in my lap, it feels like all the bad things of the day goes away. I am so happy Laura has a chance to be home with him, she is such a wonderful Mamma to Bjorn and so patient with him, even now as he is waking up more frequently and Laura is fighting a cold of her own (which she caught from Bjorn). I talked to him on the phone today, Laura will call me up at work and then put the phone by his ear and she says when I start talking he looks really serious and is very quiet, he's probably wondering where the voice is coming from : - )

Last night when I came home from work, Bjorn was really stuffed up and did not feel very well at all, poor guy, he is so helpless and cannot tell us what is uncomfortable for him, but Laura gave him some saline in his nostrils every couple of hours and that seemed to help him breathe a little easier. Last night we made our first trip as a family to Wal-mart, we had to pick up some filters for the de-humidifier and a few odds and ends for Bjorn. We had him all bundled up in the chair with his cover and he was so cute in his reindeer hat : - ) .

He slept pretty good last night considering he has a cold, and today when I talked to Laura on the phone she said he was enjoying his rocker (see pic) and was doing much better, so I hope the cold passes quickly.

First day back to work

Today was my first day at work since Björn was born and it was tough going to work thinking I would not see him until I came home late at night. Work was ok, everyone was happy to see me back and a lot of people wanted to see pictures and asked how Laura and Björn was doing. Larsja, our HR specialist, who was retiring today had made this beautiful quilt and hat for Björn, it was such a surprise, and it is so neat. I will take a picture of it sometime soon and post on here. Laura spent the day with Björn and took some new pictures, here's one of them, isn't he cute :- ). He is wearing an outfit his Farmor bought him before he was born, I wonder if he will grow up to like Elephants? No matter what he will like, I will always support him and love him, I think that is probably the most important thing about being a parent.

Bjorns first Doctor's Visit

Today was his first visit to the Doctor, we have a wonderful Doctor in Lewiston, she seemed really nice and very caring. She said Björn was in perfect health and he had regained the weight he lost after he was born. All babies lose a few ounces when they are first born. I also had his height wrong, he was not 48cm tall, I calculated and 1 inch = 2.54 cm, so Björn is 55.2 cm tall! A lot taller than his Pappa was : - ) . Right now we are back home and Björn is sleeping after having had a little snack. I have to go to class tonight, and I will really miss spending those hours with him, hopefully will he be awake for a little while when I get home tonight.