A daytrip to the island of Hvalø // Interview & Photographs for NORD

I was so lucky to spend a day at this deserted island, with only two inhabitants. The result - both text and pictures - is in the winter issue of the fantastic food&lifestyle magazine NORD.

Breastfeeding World Tour :)

Breastfeeding is amazing! if you can do it, that is. And I have been fortunate to be able to feed Ada for the past 15 months. Until she one day didn't feel like having anymore. She self-weaned which was great. 

Here in Norway you can do it anywhere. We have travelled a lot during her first year, so I've tested the attitudes towards breastfeeding "worldwide" :)

In California, no problem. In New York, well, I got some looks, but tried to be desecrete. 

In Argentina, where we stayed for 2 months, it is very normal as well. Most women there keep on breastfeeding until the child is 2 years. 

Then we travelled on to Istanbul, where it was definitely a challenge. My solution was to carry her in our Ergobaby (on my stomach), and fed her from there, with a shawls over us. That worked and no one noticed :)

Here we are at the airport in Buenos Aires, Ada is 8 months. 

Croissants in the Making

My friend Line makes the most beautiful pastries and cakes. One sunday morning, when Espen and I visited her, the two of them baked croissants from scratch. Here's a step by step guide :)

FEATURED IN "MAMMA" MAGAZINE

Ada and I were asked to feature in a fashion-spread in the january issue of the magazine "Mamma".
It is out now!

The photos are by Nina Ruud (whose photography-style I've loved for a long a while already), styling by Hanne Aspelund and text/concept by Heidi Pettersen.

They all came over to our place for a day of shooting and dressing the two of us up - cause this is not my every-day lounge-around-the-house-look :). It was a fun day, and went super smooth, considering Ada needing her naps&nursing quite often. The "behind the scenes"-pix will be up on the blog soon!

Photos by Nina Ruud

XMAS DINNER WITH FOOD STUDIO

Food Studio is a super nice food&event concept here in Oslo. 

They invite food enthusiasts to Table Talks, a place to meet new acquaintances, share culinary experiences and enjoy the wonders of good and honest food. They offers workshops, courses and creative sessions, all related to topics within the world of gastronomy, where they collaborates with knowledgeable chefs. And also; Food Lab's, where good food meets good ideas. Do check it out!

Together with my other freelance "colleagues" at our shared studio named "Øvrefoss", we joined Food Studio for a x-mas event. We mingled, got tips from the chefs at Smalhans on how to make the traditional x-mas dinner a tad more fun and tasty, we drank x-mas toddy outdoors by the bonfire and had a lovely meal!

All images are by friend and fellow freelance journalist; Ingvild Telle! 

Learning new tricks:

Toddy made on the fire!

Ingvild in the middle there :)

Øystein and Myself

Nice stuff...

The chef is about to serve... 

Ada and Espen came by, as Ada needed a portion of food from her mama :) Here she's hanging out on Anna's lap. 

Espen and I. 

Nice atmosphere!

Photos by Ingvild Telle

HELLO AGAIN

I'm back! Ada is now 4 months, so it's been a while...
I've contemplated a little bit... About what this blog is about. Where to take it. What to post.

When I started this blog, I was starting out as a freelance journalist, and wanted somewhere I could share the pictures I took, the people I met who inspired me, pix from travels, the variety of my work, anything interesting I came across. Then, two years ago, I started working on Aftenposten Junior (the best newspaper for kids in the whole world, if you ask me :)). At the same time Espen and I renovated our home and then I became pregnant. So my working life changed - less variety; I went into the same office every day. And with the renovation and pregnancy I had less energy, and perhaps, inspiration, which is necessary. So the blogging went kind of down-hill.

I quit my job as "reportasjeleder" (commissioning editor?) just before Ada arrived, and in a few months I'll be freelancing again. Embarking on Chapter III of my work-life, I suppose :)

But until then, I'm hanging out with Ada. I'm unsure of how much of her I'll reveal here. Unsure of how exposed I want her to be. And this will never become a pink mummy-blog with baby-stuff only. But there will be some, as my focus and world has changed.

Ada comes along to almost everything I do. She's been traveling with us for a month in the US. She has already been to three weddings (slings and baby bjørn are sooo great - they love being carried everywhere), she has joined me at an interview-assignment in Copenhagen, where I interviewed the artist and film-maker Julian Schnabel (more on that later). I've "baby-worn" her while photographing a lady I "follow" in Harlem, NYC. She's been on my lap while I got a pedicure and joined me at jazz-concerts. Well, she's great :)

Here we are on the NYC-subway on our way to Harlem. Ada is wearing my sound-canceling-headphones to protect from the high pitched subway-sounds (but during our 2 weeks in the city we mostly walked - everywhere!!).

ADA

6 weeks ago Ada arrived. She is wonderful, beautiful, fantastic. Motherhood is overwhelming, sets things in perspective, is wonderful and rocks the soul. I can stare at her for hours and she's started smiling at me!

There won't be that much action on this blog for a while, as I'll spend most of my time with her. Once in a while I'll post something, and then when I have some more time and am less sleep deprived, I'll return :)

7AM Breakfast on the Floor

We've been renovating for more than a year now! Pooha!

Lately we've been moving in and out of the flat, as the builders are doing the last things at the loft and our made-to-order staircase is being installed. We've lived for 4 months without a bathroom, but a lot fo the time we've borrowed our wonderful neighbour's bathroom as they spend most of their time in Copenhagen.

The other week we had to move all our stuff from the living room, so the staircase could make it's way. I'll show you the stairs soon - I photographed the whole process! Here I'm enjoying my breakfast early that morning, before heading off to work, and before the stairs arrived. And I'm six months pregnant in this picture.

One thing is for sure; We learn to accept the situation we're in, to be patient, to relax and make the most of it under ever-changing circumstances... And that is a taste of some invaluable wisdom!

Rustic Outdoor Pancakes

In our easter holiday, Espen, my mum, my brother and I, went for a cross country trek (a very short one) and decided to make a fire and make pancakes out in the mountains.

So, here we are :)

WEEK 18

In week 18, I still throw up once in a while. Damn it! it happens a few times a week, in the mornings. For the first few months Espen had to bring me a biscuit and tea on my bedside each morning. Otherwise I would feel like I was fainting as I stumbled my way to the kitchen, with extremely low blood sugar. And then throw up. Great start. But hey, I get by. 

I haven't gotten any cravings yet. Usually I LOVE food and cooking, but now I'm happy with bread and norwegian brown cheese. Or pasta. Pretty boring stuff. I don't drink coffee. It tastes completely different to me now. 

Espen finds the whole food-thing almost more frustrating than I do! He can cook something which I normally love, and I end up picking in the food. Oh well :(

The bump is starting to show... Yippy!

In this picture we're on a weekend trip to the mountains with our friends; Colleen ♥ Magnus 

and Linn ♥ Hansa. 

So yet again, a casual outfit. 

Colleen and Linn are wonderful friends of mine and also expecting! Here I am with Frida, Linn and Hansa's 4 year old daughter :)

Photos by future dad, Espen Nord Eidene

WEEK 17

After week 12 I started practicing yoga again, after a looong 3 month break. 

Bikram yoga and Ashtanga yoga keeps me sane, both mentally and physically. Hopefully I can keep on doing it throughout the pregnancy. 

Bikram is pretty heavy, in 40 degrees. I was quite unsure if it was safe to continue the practice, but after plenty of research and as I've practiced for about 8 years now, I've concluded it will be fine. I'll get back to this in a later post! 

In week 12 we had our first ultra sound, privately. Quite sensational to see the tiny creature in there! It looked like a cool kid :) With a big smile!

In week 17 the bump is visible in the evenings, and kind of comes and goes throughout the day. 

In this picture we're about to head out cross country skiing in the mountains. Hence, the sporty outfit. 

Photos by future dad, Espen Nord Eidene

WEEK 16

I'll rewind back to when I was 16 weeks pregnant. It was barely visible. At week 16 the worst nausea was over. It's still there, but each morning isn't a battle like it was. For the first few months I had a hard time getting through the days. I was wondering; is it possible to be this tired? 

The weird thing was that I felt like something had occupied my body, while no one could see it.

3 times during those first few weeks I ended up eating at Mc Donalds. Something I never do! But that's how it goes when the blood sugar drops instantly and Mc Donals is way too convenient. 

Photos by future dad, Espen Nord Eidene

BIG (BUMPY) NEWS

I haven't had much presence here. The thing is; as of the last 5 months, I've been carrying around something magical in my stomach! This summer, Espen and I are expecting a baby! I've felt that this is private, but as my stomach now grows in a steady pace, and as my presences here has been ever so limited because of lack of energy, and our life slowly but steadily changes: it's time to share the news! 

We are making a photo-diary every week of the growing belly. I've been a bit unsure if this is something we should keep to ourselves. Is it too private? I've figured not. Everyone can see it now, and I'd like to be personal here. 

The photo-diary is inspired by fantastic photos on Pacing the Panic Room (the blog seems to be currently blocked). The whole blog is really nice, I've discovered. The couple photographed the growing belly week by week, and we've been inspired to do the same!

So I'll rewind to when I was 16 weeks pregnant, which is when we started! That will be the next post... 

But first, a picture we took yesterday, out in the norwegian mountains. Don't take this too seriously; we're just having fun with this :)

Photos by Espen Nord Eidene 

Winter Weekend

It's been a while... and I haven't been at some remote place in Spain all this time. I've been in the wintery norway. Which finally, is getting lighter and lighter everyday. And sunny!! Like it was last weekend, when I headed to the mountains with friends:
Linn + Hansa and their 4 year old daughter Frida.
Colleen + Magnus and their dog for the weekend Malou (which I became really fond of).
And Espen + I.

Magnus is an excellent cook, and had just been to Mexico City, so he brought some mexican flavours to the table on the saturday night.

When Norway is like this in the winter, there is nothing like it!