January check-up.

One can't just write a whole post about this years goals without follow up. So end of every month I'm going to do a little check-up.

How did January go? Well I ran totally 50,2 km  which is way to little if I'm going to reach 1000 km total during this year. But I have to be a bit realistic, January is not the best month for runners... Once per week I dragged my ass to the gym so that's good and when it was to cold for running I did some work-outs on the cross-fit machine. And today I ran to work and halfway home, so only today I ran 15 km - good girl!

To sum it up, a bit of a slow start of the year but a slow start is better than no start...

Ganesh Babu.

Ganesh Babu and a 4 hour long conversation with dear friends was exactly what I needed tonight.

Now sleep!

The key is planning!

Remember my goals for this year? Well, January has so far been a bit disappointing when it comes to my running but now I have my new icebugs and the weather is starting to warm up so this week I'm hopefully going to start running to and from work again. But I have been going to the gym once per week, terribly early, around 6 am, before my work starts and the key for doing this is planning!

Pack the bag before bedtime, put the clothes you're going to wear on the chair, prepare the snack you're going to eat on your way to the gym, check what time the metro leaves and whatever you do don't forget to set your alarm clock. If I do all this it actually works, to go to the gym when it feels like the whole world still sleeps around you... And you know, even if I'm tired as hell it's kind of nice to have a moment for yourself before the whole crazy everyday stress begins...

Spring feelings...

Only -5 degrees today and I did a 10 km run in my new shoes. I love them! And after we admired our bouquet of tulips while we enjoyed this years first "semla" - delicious...

Have a nice weekend everyone!

 

Oups...

Did a bit of spontaneous Friday shopping and now I have absolutely no excuse not to go running in the snow...

 Icebugs!

Smart gloves with a warm windprotective shell

Springgoal here I come!

My work...

A few of my readers was wondering what I really do for a living. That's a question I also ask myself from time to time but I'm going to try to explain it simple and nice... I'm a biomedical scientist, specialized in clinical physiology. I work mostly with cardiovascular diagnostics and my special area is echocardiography of the heart. This is what my thesis was about, and more specific echocardiography with focus on the right ventricle. In my current position I'm suppose to work 50% clinically and 50% in research, unfortunately that's not my reality, it's probably 80% clinically and 20% research. Now it looks like I'm going to do a tiny bit of teaching too which I find exciting and stimulating.

Biomedical scientist is a unknown profession, but it's in huge demand in Sweden so if you're looking for something stimulating, a bit like a mix between an engineer, a nurse and a doctor this could be your thing!

An ordinary, extraordinary day.

05:30 Wake up call! Got my ass out of bed, took my shower, ate my muesli with yogurt and snuggled a bit with Andréa that woke up way to early (like usual!).
07:10 Got pissed off at a grumpy, old bussdriver that insulted people and yelled at me to get on the bus or he would leave when the guy ahead off me was walking with crouches and was blocking the whole entrance...
07:25 At work!
08:00 Meeting!
09:00 The first patient out of three before lunch.
12:45 Took the shuttle bus to hold a lecture at another hospital.
13:30 Preparing my lecture by drinking a cup off coffee and talking to colleagues that I don't see very often.
14:00 Lecture! 20 hungry biomedical scientist students got to know a bit more about echocardiography of the right ventricle.
16:00 Rushing to the train to get back home before supper time.
17:00 Realized that we're missing groceries and took a detour to the store.
17:30 Making spaghetti Bolognese together with H while the girls were playing, pooping, screaming and laughing around us.
18:00 Eating. That means sitting down maximum one minute before I had to take care of a glass off spilled water or give Lovisa more food or take Andréa down from the babychair (because she's standing up in it, ready to hurt herself pretty bad if she falls) etc, etc...
18:30 The big battle takes place: PJ:s on, washing little faces and tiny hands, brushing very small teeth.
19:00 Bottle time!
19:15 Lullaby time "No mummy, not that one!" "OK, mummy, you can stop singing now, we've had enough!"
19:45 The silence takes it's entrance and we exhale.
20:15 H and me watches an episode of "Six feet under" - still so bloody good!
21:30 I decide that it's time to update my poor blog
21:45 As usual I say a little prayer about a whole nights sleep knowing it wont happen but maybe, just maybe it will...

It's a good thing somebody's using it.

The beautiful cold.

Winter hit us again with full strength. Today minus 20 degrees and so beautiful it's breathtaking.

This week sucks!

I really thought I would be able to work today, Andréa is definitely better and Lovisa went to daycare yesterday. Then Andréa had her worst night ever. She woke up several times per hour the whole night, screaming and crying. And she only wanted me, if H went in to her room trying to comfort her she got hysteric, screaming even more. So now we're here, hollow-eyed, tired and bored. Could we please have some luck coming our way now?

Blurry but happy after a terrible night. Wish I could forget that fast...

Yet another day at home...

And our patience is running out. At least Lovisas and mine because we're not that sick. Poor Andréa still has a fever and prefers to spend all her awake time in my arms preferably with her snotty nose in my armpit... Here's an inspiring picture on our hallway around noon, after a few hours of rooming around...

After lunch Lovisa was devastated that she couldn't go outside in the snow so I quickly decided that muffin baking was going to save this afternoon, and so it did!

Banana muffin with glitter, a real treat!

At least I got out in the snow after a whole day inside, 40 minutes of hill interval training - good girl!

40 degrees fever and a sweaty mum.

Today, or rather this night, was Andréas turn to fall sick. With 40 degrees fever, totally delirious, she woke us up around midnight. And short after Lovisa woke up with yet another fever attack. She's in on her fourth day now so we went to the doctor today just to hear what I thought, it's a nasty virus and it's just to be patient. Well, patient is my middle name! I just can't believe that a 1,5 year old with very high fever can have so much energy. When H came home just before 6 pm I almost fell into tears because I was so tired and exhausted of trying to be the comforting, understanding, funny but in the same time firm mother. Phew!

 One of the rare moments today when both sickos sat down quietly, thank you Pippi!

Doing the dishes with 40 degrees fever, she has to be insane!

To blow off some steam I just did 30 minutes of cross training and 10 minutes of sit-ups and push-ups, endorphin is indeed a marvelous thing! Over and out.

My springgoal!

When you're home with sick children it's easy to sign up to fun races.... The 9th of March I'm going to try to run this race which they call "the Icemile". A 10K race in icy, snowy terrain... Wish me luck!

Home trying to get better...

Trying to recuperate after an exhausting weekend. Lovisa got sick on Saturday, high fever after attending a birthday party. I got sick the night between Saturday and Sunday. So today Lovisa and me are home trying to get better, we're pale and hollow-eyed and I have absolutely no energy to be a fun playmate. Bubbles in the bath and TV while I'm sitting on my ass, only doing what I have to do, that's today's melody...

My mothers old boyfriends socks...

I just have to give you a tip on excellent running socks. Keeps my feet dry and at perfect temperature, not to cold and not to warm, during my running routes in the snow. The material is Merino wool, very nice and comfortable. OK, they remind me a bit of my mothers old boyfriends socks (we're talking 30 years ago) but hey, comfort comes before looks here...

Goals of 2013!

Since I'm a strong believer that a sleepless fit mother is way better than a sleepless unfit mother here are my fitness goals of 2013:

• To run 10K under 50 minutes. I almost made it last year...
• To run over 1000K total during the year
• To run at least two 10K races and one longer race (perhaps this one?)
• To start combining my running with some gym training to give this poor body of mine some strength...

Let's just hope and pray that 2013 is going to be a fairly healthy year, but then again, a fit mother is a healthy mother!

Sleep therapy?

Andrea is keeping us awake. She takes forever to fall asleep and when she finally does she wakes up several times per night. This night she was awake between 00 and 1:15 am, screaming and crying. I wish the girls could have separate rooms, poor Lovisa gets disturbed... And I sleep so bad even when the girls sleep. Takes forever to fall asleep for me and I wake up several times per night... For over three years I've been sleeping bad. Is there something called sleep therapy, because I really think I need it?



Andrea this morning, happy as ever...

Christmas is over!

Today Lovisa declared that Christmas is over. And she's probably right considering her homemade Santa is destroyed and the Advent candlestick is demolished.

Santa doesn't look really healthy and my candlestick is ruined...

More signs that Christmas is over is that I took my first run for this year today. 6,3 slippery kilometers and I thank God that I got the spikes otherwise I wouldn't be able to run at all right now, it's so slippery it's insane! After all the fat food, treats and wine I stuffed myself with during the holidays it felt like a liberation to run and inhale the fresh, cold January air - new year, new goals! We also did this years first barbecue today and this is something I really recommend. Defy the cold, grey weather, put on warm clothes, pack your bags and go out for a barbecue, it's just wonderful.

 Lovisa picking icicles

 The barbecuemaster...

 Yummy!

 Playtime after eating...

Tomorrow's an ordinary Monday and the girls are starting daycare after 2 weeks of Christmas break. Christmas is really over and it feels totally OK.

Stomach flu in the house...

I almost thought we would go through this holiday without the bloody gastro, but I was obviously jumping to conclusions. After dragging Lovisa around the mall, trying to convince her that she didn't have a stomach ache, that she was complaining about all day long, I had to give in when she vomited on the sofa just before supper time. The homemade pizza with chèvre, walnuts and ruccola that was cooking in the oven suddenly didn't seem that tasty anymore...
Now she's sleeping and I'm going to try to do the same because we just might be in for a long night.

Happy Birthday H!

H slept in this morning and then got a few gifts and a gigantic Canadian breakfast, so the day for the birthday boy started pretty good. Now we're waiting for my sister with family and the cake is hidden on the balcony, together with a bottle of champagne, and the seafood supper slowly taking it's form...

Remembering 2012

Tough January: sick kids and food refusal. When Andréa finally started to eat it was on her own, no more babyfood...

Hopeful February: Lovisa started daycare and gave her tired mother a bit of a break. And boy, did she love it!

Lonely March: H went to Canada for 9 days and despite my doubts I managed to get through it with my sanity still intact...

Happy April: Andréa turned one year old and celebrated by starting to walk a few days before her birthday.

Sunny May: after two cases of chickenpox spring finally hit us with it's enormous power...

Summary June: I ran my second race for the season under a blue sky and a warm sun.

Rainy July: Vacation! Crappy weather did not stop us from enjoying it!

Beautiful August: during a surprise trip to my home town we took this picture of four generations.

Stimulating September: Lovisa turned three years old and I started to work after three years of maternity leave. Fun, stimulating and exhausting.

Work out October: I ran my 4th and last race for the season and almost managed to break my dream limit, 10 K under 50 minutes. Almost...

Dark November: H left for Canada again, this time for two weeks and this time I also worked and Lovisa was in her worst "terrible three" phase... Yes, I'm proud I got through it without totally loose it...

Bright December: snow, St Lucia, Christmas and New Years. A long row of celebrations!

Thank you 2012 and welcome 2013. Happy New Year!