Getting used to being a family

Now that it's been over a month since Linus' birth, we're happy to say that we *think* we've got the hang taking care of the little dude. Although we initially thought he was fussy, we're learning that he's actually pretty mellow! Turns out we didn't really know what we were doing, but thanks to "The Happiest Baby on the Block" Linus is for the most part fuss-free!

A lot of people have asked if our new roles as parents has sunken in yet, and the answer is YES! You don't get much time to adjust when you're sent home with a newborn :) The good news is that it gets better day by day. Here I am enjoying being a mamma

Mattias chillin' with Gus (who is not too neglected) and Linus

Linus loves looking at these high-contrast drawings

Pappa Mattias feeds Linus with a bottle. This has given Ellie more free time away from her little parasite ;)

And these past few weeks have continued to bring Linus more wonderful visitors. Many thanks to those who have traveled from near and far to meet him-- you made us feel so loved. Here he is with great-grandma Rose at a family BBQ.

And Uncle Ken


We are also lucky that Linus lets us out of the house on an almost daily basis. Sometimes it's just the dog park or farmers market, but some days it's Tartine Bakery for croissants and lattes (below)


One of the biggest changes is thinking of our family as a threesome- before it was just the two of us and our animals. Everything was relatively easy. But now we have to factor in Linus whenever we make plans- be it long-term or short. Going out is limited by feeding times and a comfortable place to nurse, and seeing friends nowadays consists of dinner at home and playing Wii.

Sometimes we miss our past lives of being a young couple living in the city, and we long for an uninterrupted night of sleep or a quiet date at a nice restaurant. But there's no turning back-- and between the three of us there is no desire to do so.

Who does Linus look like? Part 2

Mattias thinks that I didn't really give Linus or him a fair shot at this, since my pictures were more similar in angle, pose, etc. So here's a few more shots to convince you that Linus is indeed, Mattias' son.



NOTE: If you would like to change your vote before the deadline, you can.

Who does Linus look like?

The question everyone has been trying to answer! I'll let y'all decide for yourselves:


Linus at 3 weeks old

Baby Ellie

Baby Ellie with Alvin

Baby Mattias

Baby Mattias with JonasPLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave your answers on the poll to the upper left. It's not that hard- you have 3 options. I'll be posting the results in a week!

Poop!

Here is a sweet series of pictures Mattias took while Linus was doing what he does best!

Going...

going...

gone!

And I thought pregnancy was hard...

The past 2 weeks have passed by so quickly! I know I'm like every other new parent when I think "I had no idea how much work a little baby is!" and "What did I get myself into?" Since the day we brought him home from the hospital, Mattias and I have spent countless hours trying to decode every whimper, cry and scream. So far we've figured out he's a gassy little dude, and this tends to cause a whole lot of fussiness (pictured below.) Our house looks like a war-zone, but overall things are going well. Mattias and I get 5-6 hours of sleep a night and Little Linus has been a pretty mellow baby, so far.

But we've also started to notice a lot of little similarities as well. Example #1: Like mommy, when Linus is angry he throws punches and kicks. Example #2 (below) Linus sleeps like daddy (and grandpa Magnus.)

Our 1 week check-up with the pediatrician went well. Linus was a little angel and it turns out he's gained well over a 1lb in 1 week! Guess I'm doing a good job feeding him...

The first few weeks of life have also brought a lot of loving visitors (who were also lovely enough to bring food!) Here's Grandma Melva, who learned how to take the Bart and Muni this week just to be with her little grandson. I should note that my mom has a really bad sense of direction- so she deserves extra credit. Thanks mom!

Aunties Amy and Jade

Uncle Mel and Auntie Helen

We also gave him his first bath. He liked the warm water for 2 seconds, until I wet his hair. He then proceeded to pee on his towel while we quickly tried to dry him off.

On 7/11 we celebrated our 4-year anniversary at Pizzeria Delfina. We were a little worried about trying to go on a date with a 2-week old, but we figured if he started crying the street noise would drown him out, or we could also opt for take-out. Surprisingly, Linus was sound asleep for our 45-minute date (our fastest ever!) Happy Anniversary to us!

And this past weekend we were also lucky to have a surprise visit from Uncle Jonas, who flew in from Chicago where he's doing his surgery residency. We went down to Milpitas to visit and say goodbye to Mattias' sister Gunilla who visits once a year from Sweden and just hang with the family. It's a rare affair to have all of the Karlsson Family in one place, so we took a quick family photo op complete with dogs :)

I hope everyone reading this is doing well. Mamma Ellie is enjoying her time with Linus at home, but of course loves the calls, emails, and visits from y'all. In the meantime she will be working towards her pre-pregnancy body with Wii Fit...

Welcome Little Linus!

After 41 weeks of gestation we are happy to welcome Linus Mangosing Karlsson into our world. Vital stats: Born Saturday 6/28/08 at 7:29PM. 6 pounds 13 oz., 19 1/2 inches long, and he's a boy!

Now to the details: The labor did last an entire 45 hours, but ended with just a quick 30 minutes of pushing. Most of the labor was spent at home unmedicated, with Mattias and I using a lot of techniques learned from classes and my prenatal yoga practice. Here I am focusing through a contraction.

Eventually laboring at home got really tiring, and yes painful, so we went to the hospital for some relief. I am trying to eat because a few of the contractions were so powerful they made me puke :(


The nurses at the hospital were amazing at helping us through the labor- offering emotional support, guidance, and even foot massages! While I did need some pain meds I was able to avoid an epidural, which was my goal. All of that hard work paid off with our special little bundle. He was alert and cute from the minute he came out.

Afterwards we were moved to the maternity ward. I'm staring in disbelief and thinking "He came from my body?!?"


On Monday afternoon we came home and Gus was very excited to meet his new little brother.

Me and the little dude appreciating some quiet time by the window.


We went to our first pediatrician's appointment already!

And even though we are sleep deprived we couldn't resist a walk to Duboce Park on a sunny day.


So far, so good. Every day is different and exciting because we are all just trying to figure each other out. Even with the emotional highs and lows I think I can say we couldn't be happier to call ourselves a family atlast.