Living in africa...

Everything is good. I keep getting messages from Finland, asking how is it. And I struggle to answer. It's life, and we love it. Max is starting to talk more, he has added new words during our trip: kissa, kukka, Asante, babu, Bibi, apua, anna. He can use these words quite effectively to get what he wants. :)

While Julius has always spoken Swahili with Tonny, he struggled to speak it to anyone else. Somehow, in his head it was just him and his baba using it. But yesterday I watched him have a whole conversation in Swahili with Abraham. I big discussion about what shoes he wants to wear. Every time kids amaze me how quick and easy they can adopt into new situations.

We had a disaster with Julius's skin after the first load of laundry was done. Stupid me I didn't even question what detergent do they use. All of a sudden the guy was full of rash and scratching his skin off faster than we could blink. And now I say thank you google. This disaster made me do one night of research until I found myself looking at the solution at solveeczema.org. We have always used mild detergent and that has helped to keep it some what under control, but what this website suggests it getting rid and preventing it. I now believe Julius has a detergent allergy. We switched to washing him with REAL soap, and all of our clothes, towels etc. the results are amazing. The skin that was pretty much bleeding in places has cleared up completely!! And without cortisone! He still gets some reaction from clothes (we had them washed three times but detergent is persistent)  but it is such a relief to know that why does it happen and when I wash him with soap at night I can see it all going away within few hours.

What this means though it quite thorough change. Mixing our own laundry soap, trying to hunt for real soap product for everything, and checking each and every lotion, tooth paste, even food for the SLS and buddies... But if it helps him then I do it with a song in my heart <3

Days are running and soon it's time to head home... I wish we didn't have to and I hope we can get back soon...

So how did we get from 2011 to 2013???

So, whet exactly has been going on during the last two years.

Small recap:

At six months Julius started baby led weaning (lazy mom, I know) and instantly became an expert at it. Loved food, became even chubbier if possible. He learned to crawl at nine months (skipping the army version completely). I think that's where we left off..Here's Julius at the gym with me around that time - love the chubbiness <3

Summer basically went by in a rush and soon it was time to make some changes for the growing family. We bought a semi-detached house in Kulju that was under construction. We had to say goodbye to Piettasenristi, our very first own home but before heading to Kulju we lived at mom's and babu's for four months. While it was tough at times I was extremely grateful for the rent free living situation. It was also so sweet to see Julius bonding with mom, carrying their mops and vacuuming together (activities are little bit different at Mummula). 

We celebrated Julius's first birthday in Särkänniemi zoo with friendly and family. 

Beginning of November the big move to Kukkolantie came and we were officially Lempäälä people. 

Getting the house ready while 8-9 months pregnant was certainly an experience. gladly we have alot of friends and family around to aid us in many ways. December 25th, the birth of our second baby boy changed our lives yet again.

It was Christmas Day and Minna, Jarkko, Daniel, Miikka, Katja, Aki and Mikael as well as Vaari were coming for Christmas Day meal. They arrived around three and we sat down to enjoy Kinkku around 15:30. Nice meal, so dessert and yes I was feeling the contractions. But because Max had basically given me contractions for the last three months (up to the point I had to take it really easy) I thought no way it's anything. He was already couple of days over due - I know after all the drama of fearing an early birth - but still I thought it was just another false alarm. After the guests left I lied down on the sofa expecting them to stop since finally I was able to relax, but nothing. Around six thirty I called mom I'm taking a bath but if this continues we are bringing Julius and heading to the hospital. Well around eight we were at mom's. I still remember sitting on the red chair silently breathing through a contraction Katja saying you can't be far along, look at you just sitting there, but inside I knew it's go time. We still tried to go for a walk with Tonny but barely made it half-way around the building when I said we need to get going to the hospital. I started crying when saying good-bye to Julius, I felt bad that his time as the baby was over, would I have enough love for both of them (looking back I know, it was never a really worry, just an emotional moment). At nine we entered the hospital. The lady put me to the monitor for 20 minutes and the last five of those I felt like murdering someone if they didn't come to help me soon. Finally she decided to check me and was a bit surprised to notice I was already at 7 cm. Perfect timing... Upstairs, please. So when I got to the delivery room they asked me what I want for pain. Pcp worked well with Julius so I said let's do that again. The doctor came and after that some relief. The midwife waited two contractions to see it's working and then left. The problem is that then, after the next one it wasn't helping and in fact I really felt like pushing. I made Tonny call her back quickly and she said, push if you feel like pushing. Two pushed and Max was in my arms. 22:53. Thank you God.

Two days old. Big brother admiring :)

I'll take good care of you...

Max was baptized on February at our home. Max William Missokia. 100% pure joy. Maximum energy.

The family of four...

The amazing extended family.. Some already had left the party, but we had Bibi and Babu from all the way Tanzania as well as my grandma and lots of friends. Modern Living in Finland.

Julius got to go to disco for the first time when we took Bibi and Shangazi to Sweden.

LOVING GOOD JAMMING...

Life settled to nice routine after that. School and kids for me, work and familytime, FT, for Tonny. Last summer in Kukkolantie was spent with wonderful neighbors.

Tarmo and Julius

Lari, Nikolas, Max and Julius

Nikolas babysitting.

Beautiful Max.

Beginning of October I went back to work and the kids started day care in November, after getting  to spend one month with Baba. Working, day care, kids, illnesses, school for both of us, Tonny's new business and maintaining the old also... The whole spring passed in a bang. As said now we are in Tanzania enjoying the luxury of vacation time, while Tonny is setting up his business. Depending on how things turn out the whole family might be relocating here eventually. LONG way to go though, and now it's time for hard work. The products arrive soon, then it's hello Tanzania, here is Battery energy drink!! Tonny started working on this already back in 2008, and after many hours of labor, meetings, finding the right connections the time has come. We are all amazed of his accomplishment, and praying for him to make the next stage of his project workout too!

Spending time around the house

Cousins. A lot of time spent in Dar revolves around cousins Abraham 5 and Collin who is just a week younger than Julius. And just enjoying life. Here's some moments from the first weeks..

The first day it was Lorax before bed time...

Pretty much the next day, we went to get the buys hairs cut. The curls just made then sweat... Here's Julius loving his new look:

Hanging around with Chichi. The other kids had not been treating the cat well so it took some time and a lot of TLC but she trusts us now :)

Drawing and crafts have never been my specialty. But with minimum house work to do I find my self behaving like a supermom. Maybe having housekeeper around would not be such a bad thing, I have a lot more energy to get creative with the kids. Play dough time... (Next batch I want to make organically from scratch - just have to track down all the ingredients.. This is Africa you know)

I wanna dance, and love and dance again... And again and again...

Master J made a worm. ;) Pretty spectacular I'd say.

 Mama get's some laaaav...

Busy little boy, has spotted another thing to go after... See the determination in his eyes :)

Time to catch up with life

"So, last time I blogged little Julius was 5 months old. Fast forward to may 2013, and we are a family of four! Julius is almost three, while Max (old crazy little monster) is already 1,5 years old. Blogging stopped pretty much around the time I got pregnant again - the constant vomiting plus a 7 month old was a bit too much to handle. I thought it was a good idea to have babies with little age difference - and really NOW I think it's super, but doesn't leave much time for anything else. So, literally I feel like I blinked and here we are.

                             The guys taking a nap together    

                                                                                                              

On May 31 I packed the kids toys and clothes, and some of mine too and we took our first trip to Tanzania. Tonny was already here, starting his export business (more details later) so it was me, load of luggage and Julius 2,5, and Max 1,5. Since I haven't been blogging for a while some details about the boys are necessary.       

                                                                                                                                      

Julius is a kind, loving and a happy child. He is very rule oriented and loves music, dancing and currently Cars movie and anything related to it. We struggle a bit with his health, he is allergic to birch and now it seems detergents too (more about this too coming up), so traveling to a new country for the first time poses some challenges and involves a lot of preparation for the worst case scenario. But he is hands down the easiest child on this planet. He  has been eating by himself from six months (around 1 year with a fork, at two fork and a knife). He still takes 2 hour nap at noon every day and sleeps 12 hours a night. Little things like clean laundry put into the closet nicely and baba coming home at the end of the day make him smile like he is in heaven. That joy makes any day seem a lot better.

                 

Mr. Max on the other hand is very much full of life and love. Interested in everything and up for anything. Every person he meets is met with an open heart and complete trust. His curiosity gets him into trouble all the time, the poor guy is constantly bumping his head, or falling on his but. And he is not the kind to take failure as a clue that maybe this is something I can't or shouldn't do yet. He tries, and tries, and tries and tries a good hundred times at least, most of the time finally succeeding in the end. Resilience will get him far in life. On his quest I spend endless hours saving him just in time or telling no, you can't climb on the stove for the hundredth time. Watching little Max, I finally get the story of myself at 1,5 climbing on a construction ladder to the roof... I see me in him, that crazy I can do ANYTHING attitude.

                

So these two in my arms we made our way through Helsinki -Amsterdam - Nairobi - Dar es Salaam. I was prepared with toys, snacks, medicines, extra clothes, diapers. pretty much anything and everything I could think of. So in Helsinki we had some ice cream and boarded our first flight. Julius slept the whole way, while Max watched Lorax on the IPad. But surely this could not be this easy... Enter Amsterdam, six hours of waiting, so we crab our pram and head to the play area at schipol. The web site had described it as a wonderful forest in doors, and while it was a little more for bigger kids the guys enjoyed hours playing there. I really enjoyed watching them interact with other kids, without a common language. Kids have that special way in them, no need for small talk lets just get to the "business". Max couldn't climb the ladder so he decided to climb the slide. For someone this might have been the harder way, but it worked for Max. 

                

They really enjoyed their time and it didn't really feel like we were stuck in an airport. The only thing I wish they would add is a fence... Max tends to run off, and the routes to take at an airport are endless...

 

We had dinner and then some games again. I had deliberately chosen the flight that would make the departure for the long flight at bed time so by the time the flight we were boarding Max was already asleep and Julius watching a movie on the IPad. (Boy it's a useful thing to carry around...) 

                                                                                 Little Max about to fall asleep.                                

Max slept until the early morning breakfast an hour before landing and Julius, while still awake during boarding slept until we were in Nairobi. Quick plane change and one hour flight, during which both of them slept through the whole thing.. The disaster happened after landing. I had gotten us visas ahead of time so we could just walk to customs, but for som reason they didn't have the immigration forms in the plane so Somehow, I had to hold two tired kids one crying and one screaming, write down the details of our stay, on three separate forms no less while checking for the info from our passports and my phone. We survived and with some help of airport personnel got all the luggage and headed out. Tonny was there so after that, I could say I survived. Without the last disaster it would've been no trouble, but one meltdown during a 24 hour trip is not bad at all.

Next up, wonders of Africa...