Family Reunions

Koa meets the Grandparents

I cannot believe it's already that time of the year. Koa has turned 8 months in November. After many months of waiting for the right timing to travel internationally, his grandparents, my parents and Nicolai's mom, finally flew over to the US to meet their grandson. This wasn't so easy since many PCR tests, getting certifications, and self-quarantines were involved to make the reunions happen. For us, it has been more than 2 years since we last saw our parents. Thanks to video calls and family chats we used all time along, it felt like we were with them yesterday, but still, it was so delightful to meet them in person, to see them hold Koa for the first time.

The Orchard Cottage

We planned a little trip with each of our parents during their stay. (So, we could also get out of the house, where we have been stuck for most of the time.) With my parents, we took a trip to the not-so-well known little wine country in Vista/Temecula, situated between Los Angeles and San Diego. We rented a cute little cottage that was surrounded by an orchard. Fall arrives late in California. Persimmons were seen everywhere around the house. Their vibrant orange was amplifying the autumn colors of the orchard scenery.

We attempted to visit a winery in the area but after meeting with a rude unmasked staff, telling us Uni wasn’t allowed to be at the outdoor table, we decided to bring home a bottle of wine, some cheese and prosciutto from a local grocery store.

We sat in the backyard facing towards the orchard. It was terrific with the wine, good food, and the warm California sun. It was ‘the family time’ we wished for a long time. Koa was happy and content sitting on his grandma's lap, and also clapping his hands, which he just learned to do on this trip. Nicolai and I enjoyed the outdoor tub while my parents took care of the babies. (Don't forget, Uni was there, too!)

I was told, separation anxiety was the thing for an 8 months baby. It wasn't an issue at all for Koa. He has always been a smiley baby but after a few days with my parents, they were already best friends. My dad was proud that Koa was able to crawl at the end of their stay because he trained his muscle during the 2 weeks. My mom was, on the other hand, best at singing to him and putting him asleep in her arms.

The Modern Desert House

The day my parents flew back, Nicolai's mom flew into LAX. Koa is her first grandchild. They bonded instantly the day they met. This time, we were lucky to know another Danish family in our neighborhood, who let us rent their super nice and modern desert house in Joshua Tree.

Joshua Tree is magical at dusk. The striking blue and the strong sun ray from the day time turn into the purple pink sky looking over the desert mountains . Koa is probably too young to remember many things in his life but old enough to get different impressions from the beauty of the world. I am so glad he was able to spend this precious moment with his grandmother, who came all the way from the cold and snowy viking land.

The house had concrete flooring and minimal furnishing and decorations, exactly the style we like and perfect for the desert environment. We took advantage of the house during the day when the sun was strong. We got plenty of rest and sleep, and later in the day, we drove out to the desert to see the beauty and the Joshua trees.

The evening was cozy at the house. We cooked dinner and made gløgg for the Danes and hot chocolate for me later with the desserts. While the baby was asleep, we watched Tom Hanks' new movie called, Finch. It was about a post-apocalypse world, where dying Tom Hanks was trying to save his dog. The world has turned into a sandy desert with strong UV light that burns your skin. The movie was a bit shallow for our taste (the dog was so adorable though but the robot not so much), but staying in the middle of the desert, it made us think about what the world will be like in the future, the future of our little Koa and the environment he is going to live in.

Koa usually wakes us up before the sun rises, but in the desert house, the sun came up before the baby rolled into us. Koa starts his morning by climbing over us with his bubbly mouth and baby giggles. The sleepless parents have hard time saying no to this cute little munchkin every morning.

In the past few weeks, we were able to hand over Koa to the grandparents in the morning so we could get up, wash our face, fix our hair, and get ready for the day properly. How nice it was to have someone look after your baby for once. My mother-in-law was a super grandma during those two weeks. She made sure we got enough sleep during the day and night, and woke up to a clean kitchen and home every day. It was the care we needed for a long time. Parenting a baby in the pandemic really exhausted us.

A Holiday Greeting and a New Year Resolution?

This year went by really fast. Koa's birth was truly a miracle and still is a miracle that he is here with us. For many people, having kids came so naturally, but for us, it was such a long and brutal journey. That's why we can be more appreciative of things that happen in life. Every time we look back on the life we lost, it reminds me that we need to live today like there's no tomorrow. I'm so thankful for our parents to take a risk to come all the way to make these reunions happen. Especially during COVID when we don't know when will be the next time, it was so precious to see Koa's first-time meeting with the grandparents.

Next year, we would like to travel more to see the rest of our families and to see the world with Koa. I have also been putting my professional goals aside for a long time to put my health and fertility first. It's probably the time to find my passion again and be a proud mama to my little son.

Greetings in Japanese

今年もこの時期がやってまいりました。幸空（こあ）が生まれてからもう８ヶ月が立ちました。本当は、コロナでなければ、出産する時期に家族が来る予定でした。来月は大丈夫かな、飛行機は安全かなと考えて考えて、１１月にやっと夢が叶いました。そして、幸空は初めてグランパ、グランマたちに会うことができました。自分の両親と会うのは２年ぶり、そして義理の母と会うのはたぶん３年ぶり！最初は少し人見知りしていたコアくんも次第に慣れていき、最後の方は、よく一緒に遊んで、笑顔をみんなに振りまいていました。いつかは自分の子供を親たちに抱っこしてもらいたいとずっと思っていました。なかなか子供が授からず長く辛い時期もありましたが、こうやって家族３人プラスウニちゃんと念願のマイホームで、両親、義理の母と過ごせた日々を本当に幸せに思います。

来年は、できればそれぞれの母国にコアくんを連れて帰って、残りの家族に会いたいなと思います。そして、もう少し子育てが落ち着いたら、今後どんな自分でありたいか、どんな仕事をやっていきたいか、自分のキャリアをもう一度見つめ直していきたいと思います。