Feeling a bit shaky about taking the little one on his first flight trip.
First of all, how can I fit all his stuff (and mine) in one suitcase??!!!
After having the packing sorted out, a bunch of questions poping up in my head.
According to the National Institute for Consumer Research (Sifo) will a child cost about 1 million NOK from birth until he/she turns 18.
So before deciding to have a baby, did you do your calculations?
Nor did I. But during pregnancy, with the baby shopping list we all start to think about what this additional family member will do to the household budget.
So what do we get for our 1 million NOK investment?
Or maybe we should rather ask ourselves what our lives would be like if we don't have kids?
Things like 'happiness', 'fulfillness' and 'life quality' don't have a price tag to me. Therefore I find it such a bargain to get them for only half a million NOK.
There are a few freebies to expect when you are expecting.
They are in principle a pick of samples and full size merchandise of what that store have to offer moms. So it's a win-win thing.
Now I'm stationed in Norway so the boxes below will only be avaible if you live in Norway.
Barnepakke from Rimi
(Picture not taken by me but the content was the same)
The box with best value inside comes from the supermarket chain Rimi. You can order it by going to their website fill in your details and they'll send you a pick-up card in your mailbox around due time.
This is only worth the trouble if you live in a city where there are Rimi supermarkets because that's where you'll be pickin it up.
Startbox from Libero Clubben
(Again picture 'borrowed' from the net but content was the same)
Join the Libero Club and they'll start by sending you a box with sample of their products. The diapers were very useful to start with.
When you are at a certain week of you pregnancy you will receive a pick up card which you will use to pick up your box at a Kiwi supermarket.
Apotekpakken
Fast, simple and pretty usefull content.
Just go here and fill in your details. Make sure you use an email address that you can access because that's where they'll send you a code to print out and bring to one of their drugstores to pick up the box.
Babybox
Same principle as Apotekpakke above but from a different chain of drugstore.
Go here and sell them your details.
The Finnish baby box
Now the only one thing that makes me wish I was a Finn.
The Finnish goverment gives every expecting mother a box you can call the king of all babyboxes.
The idea is to provide the mother to be with one year's supply of what her baby will need.
I wish the Norwegian goverment (with all their oil money) would be as generous as the Finn.
Having a baby is quite life changing and it's something I was prepared for....or so I thought.
Sleep
The thing that hit me hardest is change of sleeping pattern. It has more to do with the length than the lack of sleep.
Sure I wasn't expecting my usual 8 hours but going from that to 3 x 1,5 hrs per night was devastating!
The good news is, it's getting better. Now the little one will let me sleep 3-4 hours continuously if I behave.
Mornings
I've become so much more efficient with my morning routine nowadays. Before I would need about 2 hours from getting up to be ready to go out. Now half an hour is enough and that's included breakfast!
I've started to love my morning now because my little one is so cheerful and full of smile in the morning. I mean, who can resist such a cutie?
Evenings
Evening have changed from me time to please-don't-cry-and-go-to-sleep-little-darling time. There's no point in turning the TV on, unless it's someting we can enjoy without the sound.
And when he's finally fall asleep, it's wise to go to bed too....who know when the wee alarm clock will sound next time.
Weekends
Goodbye to roadtrips, cinema, restaurant visits, nights out or sleeping half of the day. It's just an ordinary working day for the parent.
Meals
Next after sleep, this is the bit I miss the most - having a relaxing nice meal without the little one start screaming in the middle of it or right when we're about to start.
Or having a nice conversation that doesn't include feeding, puking, pee and poop.
But then again, as soon as my little angel smiles, everything is forgiven and forgotten.
