July journeys

Hello everyone! Leif here!

Here I am stuck in the piano legs at Grandma and Grandpa Hanson's. It's been a busy month! With Daddy not working this month and Mommy done with the Boards, we had lots of time to travel to see family! We went to Rapid City then Minot and stopped in Fargo on the way back home. It was the longest road trip I've ever done. I made sure we stopped a lot to stretch our legs, eat, and change my diaper. Other than the driving, we had a great time! I even went on a hike!

I've been learning a lot this month also! I can give kisses (I don't quite get the smooching part but I lean in with my mouth open), clap my hands (I know what "clap hands" means and also clap sometimes when you tell me "good job"), give high fives, crawl really fast, and climb stairs. I am also good at coming up with new facial expressions. I really like my Gerber snacks and Cheerios...life is good! Okay, here are the pictures...

Letting cousin Riley's wild bunny go free--he didn't want to leave quite yet!

Our family while frisbee golfing with family in Red Wing

I'm ready for our trip! (yes, I was strapped in my car seat, don't worry)

Grandma and Grandpa got me a new Strider bike (invented by a local Rapid City guy)! I just need to grow a little bit and will then be able to walk with it. I will most likely never need training wheels with learning on this bike!

Mommy and Daddy went on a hike with Grandpa to "Hippy Hole." Not many tourists know about this location in the Black Hills!

Hiking "Sunday's Gulch" near Sylvan Lake...I got to ride on Daddy's back for 2 1/2 hours!

I did really well on the hike and even slept for the first 45 minutes or so...

Many tall rock formations

Mommy and Grandpa

Mommy was tempted to go through this narrow passageway but decided against it!

In Minot with Grandma at Kinsey's softball game!

Grandpa coaches Kinsey's team

Visiting with Great-Grandma and Grandpa Sevig...four generations!

I like grass!

I really liked Great-Grandpa's walker, especially the wheels! I followed him around the living room and tried to climb up it.

Back home, learning how to roll balls to Daddy

I love knocking my books off my shelf.

That's it for now!

Little Swimmer

June is almost over! The below pictures are some of the events that took place the past month! Leif went swimming for the first time in a pool then a lake, and he loved it! I also passed the Board exam which was a relief! We also attended Bjørn's cousin's wedding this past weekend.

The view of the golf course at the wedding reception. Our niece and nephew were running down the hill and both fell head over heels at the same time--Bjørn just happened to be taking a picture when it happened!

Bonnie and Tony's wedding! I played violin during the ceremony.
Peek-a-Boo!


Leif is getting really close to standing on his own! He is also learning sign language--he cannot do the signs himself but we're pretty sure he understands "eat," "milk," and "more." I am now working on teaching him "bath," "yes," "no," and a few others.
Straight into the tub!
At Bjørn's cousin Josh's graduation open house...Leif zonked out!
The conservatory at Como Zoo
Looking at the fish
Petie-Pee cup! We thought this was pretty funny.
I, of course, had to get a picture with the giant tooth!
Looking at more fish
Cousin DJ and Leif--best buds!
Leif's new toy I got at a garage sale--I'm sure he'll be playing with this for a long time! He likes to spin the wheel.
At the lake with some friends...Leif's first boat ride
He fell asleep in Lindsay's arms.
Leif loves getting splashed in the face!
Superman!


First time swimming in a lake
First time swimming in a pool (at our friend Rachel's apartment)

We're back!

Hey everyone! Well it's been three months, and it's time to fill you in on all our adventures! Where has the time gone? I (Alissa) finished class at the beginning of May, which signalled the beginning of studying for my National Board Dental Examination Part I (students take boards after their 2nd year then again before graduation along with the clinical exams). I finally took the exam yesterday (the 10th) and was so glad to get it done! I was getting really tired of being cooped up in my room while the birds sung outside, and Leif and Bjørn played downstairs! I got to watch the tree outside my window go from bare branches to full foliage! I'll find out in 3-4 weeks if I passed--I feel like I did!

Another neat thing I've gotten to do is donate 400 ounces of breast milk to the International Breast Milk Project...25% of the milk is sent to Africa to those infants that live in poverty, many of them having mothers that are HIV+, and the rest of it goes to NICU centers throughout the nation for premature infants. I was so excited to be able to do this...praise God! It's such a neat thing to be able to directly help with the efforts to fight HIV and hunger in Africa!

Bjørn isn't working this month and probably won't be until the end of July as it's slower now at the Flint Hills oil refinery. He worked in March-end of May on night shifts again--during this time, he worked 25 straight days with no time off, all 10-12 hour shifts! I don't know how he does it! Needless to say, it was nice to get all the overtime so he can spend some time off now! It was helpful having him at home while I studied the past couple weeks. While he was working, Leif was at our baby-sitter's in the mornings.

Leif has learned so much since March! He is now 8 months old and is getting around! He crawls and pulls himself up on furniture now, which he finds super exciting! He slowly works his way around our table. He's been getting on his knees, scooting, and rolling around for over a month now, but in just the past week or so he's gotten the coordination down with his legs to officially crawl! Time to baby-proof the place!

We can see the incisal edge of his lower tooth now along with evidence of the second one also. Leif also likes to click his tongue, tear up paper, get his hands in his food and squish it between his fingers, and his Baby Einstein movies. He loves to bang on everything!! He thinks it's funny when we pretend to "blow out" the lights (turn them off and on), and he likes swatting Daddy in the face because it makes Daddy fall down. We apologize if he tries to hit anybody...

Okay, here are the pictures!

Leif loves pulling himself up now! The hockey table has a perfect grip around the edges for him.

Seven month old pictures taken when we were in Fargo. Thanks, Alissa N.!

A typical Leif expression
Mid-roll

First trip to the Como Zoo with Aunt Becca and Erin, and cousin Riley!

Leif liked the fish as they were close up and moved!

Trying to reach his snake Oops! Leif fell down but then realized he could reach his snake easier this way!

Chilling with his snake...and yes, snakes can have legs! We looked up pictures online...

Leif's favorite spot to be is under the table.

Superman!

A kiss for everybody!

Leif showing his turtles how to get up on their toes

Future hockey player?

Leif likes Daddy's cooler.

Leif helps me with the laundry. I fold it, put it in the basket, and he takes it out and unfolds it. It's a very efficient system!

He still has his fuzzy hair and a natural mohawk in the back...I love it!

We got a new carseat for him! He'll be able to use it until he's 100 lbs! He likes it--he sat in it for a long time! Bjørn said it can be Leif's Nintendo chair...I don't know about that!

Why hello there!

In Fargo for Aunt Kayla's graduation from Minnesota State University (English major)--good job, Kayla!

Our family...Bjørn had to work this weekend. Kevin, Kayla's fiance, took the picture. He also graduated this weekend from Minnesota State Community and Technical College from the same program that Bjørn did in carpentry.

We got to see our new little nephew/cousin baby Micah! He was born on April 14th.

Pretty trees in our student housing complex (our building is behind this one).

Leif has upgraded to the big bathtub since this picture. We knew it was time when he kept trying to crawl out of this one! He has also discovered the wonders of pulling the plug. He loves splashing and doesn't mind when he gets a face full of water!

The playground right by the building with the pretty trees...we are fortunate to have quite a few playgrounds in the area!

Aunt Kinsey and Grandpa Hanson came to visit us in April for Kinsey's Taekwondo tournament...she got two first places and a second! Way to go, Kinsey!

Leif's first Twins game!

In Red Wing visiting Aunt Erin, Uncle James, and cousin Riley in March! Riley is so good with Leif! I took the kids to the playground...another first for Leif. He fell asleep!