ER visit...

We have had some adventurous days lately, but let me start with last Friday. I wanted to post a video of David last Friday, because he was introduced to baby cereal (gröt) for the first time, but I have to be on my laptop to do that and I have simply not had a chance to use it yet. Anyways, he LOVED it and finished the whole bowl easily. I didn't make much since it was the first time but still! I have never seen a baby love food so much the first time they are introduced to it. Anyways, i am so grateful that I decided to introduce him to that, because two days later (Sunday) i ended up in the ER and had to stay there over night. 

I had appendicitis (blindtarmsinflammation) and had to have it removed the same night I came in. Alex and David were not allowed to stay in the hospital with me because of the infection risk and bacteria and stuff and David being so small. Luckily they did let them come in ones before surgery so i could nurse David one last time before getting on the heavy painkillers. 

Me after surgery..

All the boys but Marlee stayed the night at some friends house and Marlee was home with Alex and David, mainly because he had a cold that we did not want to spread but also because he was able to help Alex a little with David. Alex was supposed to be in Illinois this week and speak but since he had to stay home he tried to be somewhat available on zoom and at least answer some questions etc. Marlee was a great help and that was good because David was not very easy when he could not nurse like he is used to, naturally. Thankfully he did eat baby cereal and some puree. 

I got out of the hospital by Tuesday, late afternoon and by that time Alex had "moved" the boys to some other friends, all of them this time, and I had found a friend who had a friend with extra milk in the freezer that she could spare because David did not want formula (mjölkersättning) that Alex had tried to give him. Such a chock for little David to go from 100% nursing to 0 but Alex, Marlee and David managed to get through it :-) Now I've been home a little more than 24h and David has excepted the other mom's milk, more baby cereal, water, prune puree, and now I'm finally able to nurse again because i stopped taking the heavy drugs when i left the hospital 🙌

Me and my bed buddy!

Having said all that i feel like the situation has been as good as it could be. Alex was supposed to have been in Illinois this whole week and luckily i got sick (one day) before he left and not after!! We have had several friends helping with kids, baby stuff, home remedies, advice and now they have also set up a meal train for us so we will receive dinner every other day until the end of July (except when we are out of town). We have the most wonderful community here! One friend delivered a wonderful Greek salad with chicken and garlic baguette tonight, and desert.

The doctors told me i have to rest for 4-6weeks, I'm not allowed to carry and lift David but I can travel so we still plan to celebrate 4th of July with some family :-) 

Not to forget, David turned 5 month in the middle of this, on July 27. ❤️

First weeks of summer break!

It has been a great start on summer break but it is funny how busy it can get despite less scheduled activities. 

We started our break with a visit to the Gaylord hotel in Orlando. Alex was part of a conference there. As it might not sound so exciting with a hotel stay this one was. This hotel has an amazing water park. Alex only had a short time to enjoy it but me and the kids went there for one day. Since we didn't have a proper dog sitter planned we decided to not be gone very long and have some friends taking her out a few times. 

Pictures from the Gaylord...

During our water park day it had to close due to thunder storm (welcome to Florida!) So we enjoyed other parts of the hotel.

The boys have also enjoyed building on their forte in the back yard. :-)

Two friends of mine have printed David some very cute onesies. This is one of my favorites.

We have also had a chance to have friends over. Rafael has enjoyed several friends to play with :-)

If you ask him the girls are not his friends :-) but they have a lot of fun if you don't remind him, lol!

Father's day was last Sunday and we spent it on our new land in De Leon Springs. We have made our first "investment" in the land, a new gate! Before we had to driver across our neighbour's land and now we have our own entrance. I know it is just a gate but it is still exciting!!

We brought our boat this time and the boys went knee boarding. They did so good!!

Gabriel 

Rafael

Noah

Our neighbour's neighbour has cows on their lot.

The past week Marlee has done surf camp, who h he has enjoyed so much! No one else wanted to so it so we have done other things such as seeing friends, visited the librarygonw to the skate park and to a farm with a farm store. The late day of camp the weather was really cloudy, rainy and not very good, but we went to see Marlee surf and the boys had fun, despite the weather. 

Gabriel found a fun creature at the playground by the library in Daytona. 

Visit to the skate park

Visiting Marlee's camp. Unfortunately i didnt get any picture of Marlee surfing :-(

Today Noah had another Battle bot completion with some friends so me and David went to cheer for him :-) Alex took the other boys to a surf meeting at the beach.

Finally, summer break is here!!!

We finally finished school!! We ended the school year by building a clock with all the little cogwheels and things. Great way for the boys to see how it works :-) There are no batteries in it so you have to wind it up and it lasts for six hours.

The past few weeks the boys have had a chance to go with Alex to different speeches and stay over night. First Gabriel went to Sanibel island on the Florida west coast and he got to go to a TV studio with Alex and snorkle for pretty shells the same day. Marlee went some days later and got to fly to South Dakota for a few days. This past week Noah got to go to Miami for one night and had some one on one time with farmor and farfar, in addition to pappa :-) It's s great way for them to be able to get one on one time with pappa as well as helping him as his little assistent :-) When the dynamics change at home it tends to make things easier here, too. There is less sibling rivalry when one is missing and I have been able to "keep" one child up later than the others and have some one on one time, too. Rafael gets to go sometime, too, just not over night yet. 

When Marlee went to South Dakota the other brothers built a box car from boxes! They put a piece of wood under and duck taped wheels from a pair of inlines under it. Do I have to tell you that it didn't make it very far... bit it was fun while it lasted :-)

In Miami Noah and farmor went to pick A LOT of mangoes that Noah has been selling up here on Ormond, with some help of his brothers. They are so delicious!!!

Yesterday we picked up the boat after some maintenance work and went for a boat ride. It was the first time we explored New Smyrna beach and it was the first time David got to go. It was also the first time David got to go swimming :-) He really enjoyed it!! We did see some dolphins but didn't catch rhem on camera.

Happy after his swimming session :-)

Summer is here now for sure, and the heat... We were all exhausted when we got home :-) 

After church today I'm going to a baby shower and after that it is time for me to have some one on one time with pappa :-) Alex is going to a conference in Orlando and I'm just attending the dinner tonight and staying at the hotel. I will go back home tomorrow and then probably take the boys on Tuesday to go swim at the nice pool. Alex will come home Wednesday. Tonight the boys will have a sleep over at one of their friends' house, which they all love! 

Bike ride and melted gummi bears

The weather has been beautiful lately. Colder than normal. So the other day we decided to go on a bikeride. With the pregnancy and new born baby I have not been put in a while but decided we and David were  ready :-) We had planned to bike to a bear by playground, by the bridge, but Raffi got tired so we decided to stop en rest by a church with a big parking lot. We had so much fun in that parking lot! The boys had different kinds of races and we had other kinds of completions. It was such a great activity. 

Yesterday we all went to the beach with another family but the water was rough and I was too busy watching kids to take pictures. :-( After the beach we took Alex and Marlee to the airport in Daytona. They will be in South Dakota for a few days. Alex has a few speeches and also The Red Pill Expo. Me and the other boys spent today with schoolwork, chores and now Noah has a friend sleeping over. They are still awake and it is past midnight... Earlier we melted gummi bears in the oven to make lollipops. A lot messier and stickier than i though but also a lot of fun :-) 

What else happened in May??

May has been given us beautiful weather and we have struggled with staying inside finishing our school work for the school year when we really just want to go outside and enjoy the weather. It has been cooler, or rather less hot, than normal and it has been beautiful!!! As the coops ended in April we have been able to focus on our "at-home-only-subjects", which are mostly math and reading. We also added type writing (maskinskrivning) and the clock. We will end the school year by building a clock, which we are all excited about :-)

Gabriel hurt his finger a couple of weeks ago. We took him to the doctor who confirmed that the nail will fall off but that his finger will be okay.

Falling asleep in the (baby) gym

The beach has been covered in sea weed lately. Not a problem for the boys who find good use for the weed :-)

Marlee surfing while his brothers are building...

This little brother is growing way too fast! He is way bigger than his brothers were at this age. 4 months May 27. He now ways 16lbs/7,3kg.

Tha past weekend me and David went to the homeschool convention for three days. It was so much fund, inspirational and intense. I was exhausted when i got back home :-) but I also came back home with a lot of ideas and good material :-) Farmor and farfar was up in Ormond and helped Alex with the boys so that he could get some work done when I was gone. Farmor actually brought many many mangoes from Miami that the boys sold neighbours and people passing by :-)

I never went to the pool but this was the view from our room :-) Can't complain!!