Happy 3 months!

Happy weekend!

Happy two months!

From the Minnesota Mom

to the Norwegian Mom!

So much joy I feel today, I forget about all the pain.

A title I longed to have...she offered to help me gain.

You see, I became a mother in a not so usual way,

At the loving hands of someone else, I celebrate today.

I am now called Mother, because she made it so;

She sacrificed her womb for me, and let my baby grow.

Now cards and flowers are mine, and happy wishes too;

She gave herself unselfishly, and made my dreams come true

She too is a mother, on this very special day

Though no longer in her womb does my baby lay,

But forever in her heart remains a love so strong and pure

And as I enjoy this glorious day, I remember I'm a mom because of her.

-Author unknown

Happy Mothers' Day, Hanne!

Back to work

Good luck going back to work Julie! Its been 6 weeks since that magic Monday at Abbots hospital. Emil is growing and he is also happier during day time. So all is fine with baby - such a true blessing. Hopefully you will be taken well care of at work today Julie, and we hope it will be nice to be back, even if we wish you could have had two more weeks home before going back.

Lots of BLUE and PINK hugs from the family of 4 in Norway

1 month

...tomorrow... seems like little Emil has been here forever and still he is so new. Two weeks of his life outside belly was spent in the US and three weeks here at Sømna. We are still in transition from three to four, and it feels both great and a bit chaotic this "new normal". Emil is starting to stay a bit more awake in the day, but still there is no very clear pattern that indicates a difference between day or night. He eats, burps, cries or make a few noises, looks around his surroundings for a while and then go to sleep again. When awake he definitely prefers to be held in our arms. Very cosy, even if if means you dont get very much else done. The last week he has had some fuzzy days, just as it should be. Probably its the stomach that works its own ways before the whole system is well established.

So this is baby life and we must make sure to enjoy every second. These few weeks and months will just fly and before we know it, he is running around talking with big sister :)

Happy Birthday Sanna

Our Miracle girl turned two years today. We had a nice party together with our family. Sanna was very happy with everything that happened around her. Cake and candles for breakfast, cake, candles and presents at the party...oh, yes, she liked this thing called birthday a lot :)

2 years... its amazing how time flies, but also it seems like she has always been here. Two very rich years, we are so blessed. Thank you Julie!!!

Hugs from proud parents in Norway

Happy 4 clover :)

Happy weekend!

Cry loud, rock hard!

Emil is home in Norway

Finally back home after a two day long travel from Minneapolis to Sømna. Both Sanna and Emil are great travelers and made it very easy for us as parents. We have been a bit tired after we came home and thats why we have been slow on posting.

Its very nice to be able to show Emil to our family and friends. He seems to adjust fine to Norwegian life. Here is a few pics of his first meetings.

We do miss our American family, so here is a big MISS YOU HUG to the Formans!

Hanne, Tommy, Sanna and Emil

Time to fly

A little over a year after we started the "sibling journey" the proud parents,
and now a family of four,
have flown home to Norway.

Amazing grace.

Precious time spent together!

 

Spa Treatment

Dreams do come true...

Team Grandpa

The Norwegian team brought a new member on board this time. Grandpa Peder Sverre from Sømna has been so kind to join us on this second miracle journey to the US. He came a week after us and right on time to welcome his new grandson. Its been amazing to share this miracle and also let someone else from home meet the Foreman family, and experience how wonderful they are, not only listen to us telling them.

Grandpa and Sanna have been a great team - when mom and dad are busy with new baby, its so nice and handy to have grandpa here. We are very grateful for all his help and cannot see how we could have done this without him. Thanks a lot!




















I found this baby body when shopping for Emil: "Team Grandpa" it says. Just had to buy it :)


Hugs from Hanne & Tommy

Passport and baby`s health: check

Two great things happened today. Emils passport arrived for one! He is now officially an American citizen and we can fly home on Monday as planned. JP was so helpful to drop by the passport office this morning and pick it up - though not without difficulties. Luckily it all turned out fine in the end and we are all so very happy for that :-)



We had an appointment at Partners in Pediatrics (helsestasjonen) today to check if Emil has gained weight since our last visit on Monday. He did! A little more chubby he is with a gain of 4 onces. His weight is now the same as when we left the hospital. In other words, he is all set for the long flight home. Emil is a healthy and happy little boy. We can relax :-)















We also got to experience Minnesotas weather in March. It was almost spring, then suddenly a snow storm made the scenery all white again. We had a nice walk outside in the beautiful sunshine today -a family of 4. Grandpa behind the camera :-)

Love and hugs from the Norwegian team Emil, Sanna, Hanne, Tommy and granda Peder Sverre :-)

Headware...

Big sister Sanna is testing out little brother Emil´s hat. Don´t fit her, so got to fit him :-)

Sibling joy

Just another day in Minnesota

Spring is here!  Okay, well, Minnesota's version of that...  which consists of rain, sleet and snow in the forecast ahead.  It's a good thing those Norwegians aren't shy to be out in the elements.

Today's field trip was for Emil's passport.  The caravan started in Maple Grove, swinging by the house on Aquila, where we switched drivers to get to the downtown Minneapolis location of passport services. Yesterday we were able to secure Emil's certified birth certificate so today was about getting an "instant" passport.  Yeah, well, we should have known better.  However, it all worked out in the end.

The office was a tad full of men in security uniforms bearing guns in their hip holster.  A tad bit of over-cautiousness?  Really.  So we arrived 30 minutes early and get in line at Window #1.  Gave our confirmation number and began filling out the passport application.  Back in line and given our next part of waiting for A014 to be called.  I let the parents go to the window and waited.  Sensing things might be taking a turn, I stepped up and heard them questioning the validity (or who knows what) of the surrogacy and reason for passport.    We discovered that we needed to provide the Certified Order for all things legal in this transaction.  At one point she asked if I could provide my medical records as proof.  Um, no.  I think not.

We now have two people helping us at the window, a supervisor and the first guy.  She explains that they can get the ball rolling but will need to see the Certified Order (of parentage).  Then fine then.  The easiest and fastest way to get this done is to drive a couple of blocks and pay for another copy (remember, raining cats and dogs and puddles that could swallow up a small car).  Another 30 minutes later and Tommy is back in line to provide the proof.  Somewhere in the morning's discussion we hear that this is "new and setting precedent" as of yesterday.  Just our luck.

Oh, and this "instant" passport thing downtown...  not so much.  Now we are to come back another day to pick it up.  Thankfully we didn't wait to go downtown and start the process.  JP will provide this service on Thursday during his drive back from work.  We are happy that they were pleasant and accommodating at the window and will also allow someone else to pick it up this week!

 Emil...  he slept through it all.  There were also signs everywhere that cell phones and cameras weren't allowed (maybe that's why the armed guards?)...  but I don't listen well to rules such as that.  We needed some proof of our application for Emil's citizenship after all. 

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Part Two of our morning consisted of refueling by driving through the drive-thru of Golden Arches (mmm, burgers, chips & cokes)...  and coming back for a bit to eat at the kitchen table.

 

A quick visit with the neighbors, Nancy & Lily, rounded out our visit for the day.  It was nice to reconnect and enjoy some time together.

 

Lily was quite smitten with Tommy...  check out the video for proof!

Lazy Sundays

Meeting at Calvary for church and then back to Aquila for breakfast...  afterward Team Norway heads back to Staybridge for a "nap" and Team Minnesota finishes chores and homework.

Henry meets Emil

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes - Yum!

Handsom little baby boy Emil

We are getting to know our new family member better every hour. We adore him!!! He sleeps and eats and seem very happy!!
NORSK: Det går kjempefint med oss. Emil sover og spiser og er ellers en fornøyd og lykkelig liten gutt. Vet ikke om jeg tørr si det, men det kan virke som vi har fått en like "lett-å-ha-med-å-gjøre-baby" som Sanna (er) og har vært. Fingrene er krysset for det :-) Legger ut noen nye bilder av gullklumpen vår.