One more change of platform

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I have once more decided to change my blogging platform. This time it’s not because I’m upset with something blogspot did or so, but because I can.

I have my own webpage and domain; I should use it to its full extent. Now I do, by having the software and database on my own turf.

As software I chose WordPress, mainly because it was easy to install on my webhotel. I’ll keep the blogspot page for a while, but this will be the last post there. (You might read actually read this on my new page, depending on how you found my blog).

Anyhow, the link to it now is: blog.wolfmaier.se/wolfie217

Sorry to all of you who set up your rss readers to follow me. I hope you don’t mind changing to this new place. I promise it will be the last move in a while. (Why should I move from my own place?)

As you can see, I’ve moved all posts from blogspot here.

I also got indications that the commenting function didn’t work all the time there, so if it doesn’t work here, just let me know in some other way. (E-mail, phone, message on facebook) (And no, I won’t post my e-mail address here).

Enjoy!

A happy day coming up and some other things

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Today I’ve been back to work for two weeks. Time flies.

Tomorrow is a big day. Not because Ellinor is becoming four weeks old, but because two good friends are getting married.

This will be a challenge, we still have not gotten into all the routines we want, nor do we get all the sleep we need. I think it will work. We just hope she is in agood mood and won’t be too scared by all the people.

Back to my good friends: Jordana and Suppe:
Sad to say I’ve been a bit too busy to spend time with them lately. Anyhow, I’m convinced that they are a perfect match.

Suppe with his cool and calm ways, rubbing some of that off on Jordana. Jordana with her temperament and social skills that just lift Suppe. I know Jordana, how she sees things in people that no one else sees. I remember when she said that Suppe would be a great guy, but that he was a bit young. Good she changed her mind on that. I remember when Suppe first helped out with the sound, really getting it all together. Now when he leads worship it shows he has tried that too, knowing how to make the life of a sound technician easy. And he has a great voice too.

I’m just so happy that they are getting one tomorrow.

And now to some total unrelated stuff:
I managed to rip off the wire to the gears of my bicycle on Wednesday, after only 3300km. I thought my new bike would be better, but somehow it ripped off anyway. Luckily it wasn’t too difficult to change. Actually it was easier than on the old bike. (There I had to change it every 1000 km or so). I bought it on the way home.

Soon I have to get a new winter tire too. The back one had worn out this spring. It’s just safer to bike with spikes when there is snow and ice.
We still aren’t sleeping nearly as much as we need, but I have the feeling it’s getting better. I get enough to get by, but I don’t know how Susanna makes it. Today I was surprised by them being out walking, I met them out at the big road while biking home.



Just one more picture of Ellinor

So far so good!

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So far sogood! That is how it feels now.

Ellinor keeps us awake during the nights, but not more than we can handle. Some nights I get plenty of sleep, others Susanna gets a bit more.

We are getting into a good trot. Even if there still are some things that have to become more regular. I don’t know how to get there. But with some trial and error we will get there.

She is not the big screamer. Sure, once every now and then she cries so that one wonder show she gets all the air into her lounges to make it that loud. Other times she has some kind of coughing cry. During the first days she had a strong vibrationon her lower lip, that is almost gone now. When she cries it almost sounds like she is saying “nej” the Swedish word for no.

I most like the moments when I can carry her around. That is the highlight of the day. When she looks up to me, it’s like nothing else matters any more. This is not something she does all the time, most of the time she is sleeping while being carried in the sling, but the moments are precious in a very special way. (And Susanna gets sleep, gets to eat or does anything else she can’t do with Ellinor on her lap).

Just two more pictures of her:

 

On the sheepskin
One very special expression on her face

Back to work

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Yesterday Iwas back at work for the first time. Two weeks have already gone since I became a father.

It’s amazing how fast time flies. It feels like it was just yesterday we came back home from the hospital. Sure we have accomplished many things. But still, many things are so brand new that I’m not used to them yet.

Two things I have noticed:
  1. Susanna is an even more amazing woman than I ever could imagine. She takes care and nurses Ellinor all the time, sitting with her for hours at a time, total patient. She sleeps less than half of what I sleep and I don’t really sleep enough. She has basically given up all of her own things, even if I try to give her some time to do things she just wants to do. (That’s tricky, she has to sleep too).

  2. I can take care of Ellinor. I thought I would have problems changing diapers, calming her down when she is crying or even carrying her. I can do all those things. I even like doing them. (Maybe that’s the biggest surprise).

Still we are not at routine yet. There are many things that will have to work better for us to manage in the long run.

  • We have to learn how to get the sleep we need.
  • We have to get more regular food times. (Not for Ellinor, but for us, she eats whenever she wants).
  • We have to learn to get out and walk every day. Susanna needs the exercise, (I bike to work), and Ellinor the fresh air.
  • We have to get our place in order, so that we easily can keep it clean.
I am so looking forward to everything that is to come. Last night Rob came by with his son Benjamin, he’s 11 months. Seeing a kid that is just a bit less than a year older than ours give a glimpse of what is to come.

Just one more thanks to all of you congratulating us and you helping us I various ways!

2011-09-10 05:05

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2011-09-10 05:05 is a very special point in time. This is the exact time when Ellinor decided to show her beautiful face and I became a father. The road up to this point was mere preparations. From now on it’s serious. I have a baby daughter.


I will never forget the long day and night that led up to this.

When she finally came it was total joy! I was over tired but that didn’t matter at all. First time I held her I just knew this is great.


Now a few days in, I’m more and more amazed about how she is and how much one can learn from a baby.
So she was born early Saturday morning, a few hours in we were transferred to a family room at the hospital where we could stay until the breastfeeding started and some checks were made. This was good. We had to feed her with a cup every 3 hours due to Susanna’s diabetes. That was hard. Both on us and on her, we all wanted to sleep.


On the Sunday we tried to start the breastfeeding, but that didn’t really work out in the beginning. First on Monday did we get help so that we felt that things start towork out and Ellinor did get the food she so badly wanted.


Tuesday morning we were released, actually it was more like lunch, but by now our daily schedule had become somewhat strange. We were happy to finally get home. Starting to organise our place to the new circumstances. We had left in kind ofa hurry, since we thought that she would come a few days later.

In the evening my parents came over. They brought pizza! They are really happy to have agranddaughter. Ask them and they will brag more than I do.


Back tonow:

Some nights we sleep. Some we try to get Ellinor to sleep. I’m amazed how Susanna is coping with only feeding and sleeping. But I think just sitting with Ellinor in her lap is such a great thing.


Yesterday I tried the baby sling for the first time. She really liked it. I could walk aroundwith her for a few hours (between two feeding-occasions) and she was calm and seemed happy. Then I tried it again this morning, when she didn’t really want to rest. The best thing is that she is so close; it feels much closer than when she is in my arms or on my lap. And if she starts to get unrestful I just walk around a bit and she is calm again.


Learning to understand her signs is tricky. I thought that I had learned how she acts when she is hungry, but realised that it also could mean that she wanted closeness.


I’m so happy I can be home these first days, there are so many things that have to come in place and this way I can help out in all the ways that are necessary.


Thanks to all of you that congratulated us, on facebook, via mail and phone. We really appreciate it even if we haven’t had the time to thank you all personally.


New blog platform

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Welcome!
I have decided to move my blog to Blogger. Myspace, where I had the blog before changed the layout, not to my liking, so now I’ll blog here.
I will reposted some of the latest blog post here too, but to find all of them go to: http://www.myspace.com/wolfmaier_217/blog
Most pictures are still posted on my homepage: http://wolfmaier.se
Hope you enjoy my new choice of platform.

Exiting times

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Exiting times

It’s about time I let you in on my thoughts again.

Somehow time flies. It feels like it was yesterday I wrote a blog last time, but as Ilook here it was more than four months ago. (If the announcement of thepictures of last year doesn’t count).

Many things happen in four months.

Some things stay the same.

Life is great!

We have fixed our home to be more accommodating to a kid.

We’ve enjoyed a vacation without leaving the country.

Now it’s less than three weeks to the calculated due day. That is soon. Still it feels like it’s far away.
In a way itis. Not because of the fact that 18 days is that long, but because of all the change that the little one will bring. All the things I really can’t prepare for. I’ve tried to prepare all I can. I even got the number to Försäkringskassan (that is the government agency that gives out parental money)so that I don’t have to look it up when the day comes.

It also feels like so soon.

In the beginning of October some good friends are getting married, we had to tell them we come with a kid. That’s just a little more than a month from now.

Susanna is at home now, giving me a warm welcome when I get back from work. She is good at that. (She is good at hugging too). I feel so lazy when I get home. I should change that. But I guess that will come naturally; there will just be so much to do.

She will be home for a year. After that it will be my turn.

I’m also happy for my friends. Especially for the ones that also are fathers, they have given me much input and advice. I’m looking forward to put it to use.

I don’t know if I ever will feel like a good father, I just will try to do my best. Even if I feel like a disaster I’ll try again. One thing I know: I will be proud. I’m proud already, even if the kid isn’t born yet. When I listen to its hart-beat trough Susanna’s belly. When I feel its kicks.

Okay, this is it, this time. I doubt it will be four month to the next update. I think you all want one when the kid is born. (I might write some more before that but don’t count on it).

The joy of becoming a father

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Yesterday we had our first ultrasound. You know the kind of examination where one can see into a belly to see the child.
Somehow it’s sinking in now.
I’m becoming a father.
I am a father.
Am I ready to become a father?
It’samazing. Things are changing already, but there will be more, I’m well aware of that.
I can’t imagine how things will be. I think they will be great. I think we’ll be tired and stressed. I think we won’t know what to do with our joy. I think we won’t know what to do with our worries.
All I can see now is that since so many others have managed and brought up decent people, will do too.
Up until now it’s been unreal. I have seen the changes of Susanna. I’ve seen her belly grow. But still.
Now it’s much more real. I saw the pictures. I saw it move. Saw it react when the belly was poked. There is a little life in there. My child! Our child!
Now what?
Preparations will go on. We kind of started even before we were married signing up for this apartment we live in. Still there are so many more things to prepare
Susanna isa real planer. I’m more of a doer, without planning. Not that smart I guess when it comes to a kid. Now I have to listen to her smart and really precautions plans, while I’m dreaming of a wall painted with figures by me inthe child’s room. While I think of what kind of bike trailer would be the best.I’m so glad I have her in this.
What next?
Here a picture of the child.

"It feels like bicycling is counteracted"

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I was interviewed for a blog about bicycling in Stockholm. Now I’m a bicycle ambassador here.
Sorry the text is in Swedish.
Here is a short recap:

“It feels like bicycling is counteracted”

“He won’t give up bicycling. Even though he has endured being told of by motorists. Even though the bike lanes are crowded with other cyclists and pedestrians on too narrow pathways. And even though he has to parry cracks in the pavement of the bike lanes
But Johannes Wolfmaier also sees the improvements in the infrastructure and that the bicycle anyhow is the best way for him to transport himself. It is fast, he feels free and gets exercise. Meet another of Cycleville STHLM:s ambassadors.”
After this introduction comes a bunch of questions about my bicycling where I describe how things are for me as a bicyclist.
I hope that being in this blog makes some kind of difference. So that people see the possibilities with bicycling.
Bicycling has been somewhat difficult this winter, I actually had a two week break in the beginning of January due to the snow that wasn’t removed from the bike paths. Now it is getting better but I still can’t go as fast as I would like.
I even have a bus pass right now, but I prefer not to use it on my way to work since it takes me more than 20 minutes longer by bus to get there. (And I don’t have to wait for it at a cold bus stop).
I’m happy I have winter tyres with spikes on the bicycle, ice isn’t that much of a problem this way, but when the snow is kind of slushy it gets tricky. Not really a problem when I only go straight on, but trying to turn in the slush is not a good idea.
I wish the town would prioritise the bike lanes and paths more in the winter to truly make Stockholm to a bicycle friendly place.

It’s about time things happen here

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Now I’ve had a long time of not writing here. But today I finally got my first pictures up from this summer so I’m announcing it here too.
Just for all of you who hope for some nice vacations pictures, it’s just the ones of trains that are ready yet.
Here is a sample:
To find them all go to this link:
Enjoy!
(I hope I’ll get some more pictures up soon).

Some fine day it is!

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Once in a while I get myself together and write some thing. This is one of them times.
As you might know, I got married to the most beautiful woman there is.
This is our wedding picture.
 
Today is one of them nice days, sun is shining and it’s not too cold. So we went for a walk. Coming down to the lake we realized that it would be so nice to walk on the ice. And it was. We walked from our place to our future place just to enjoy the sun and the nice weather. It is so great to not have too much to do all the time anymore.


Here are some of the pictures from the walk.
 
The day is really nice!

 

The new house, it’s the smaller one in front

Susanna on a bench just suited for one

The house, now it’s almost done


 

This is the side where we’ll live; it’s the middle floor

 

In the first house people are moving in now.

 

On the way back home.