Expat Jon takes on the world (well... Sweden)

Venice from our flight Ah, Italy!  A country rich in beauty and culture.  I had been to Italy before on a Euro Trip back in 2006 with a friend.  We had a good time, but that was a party-oriented trip.  This would be different.  This time I would be visiting my brother and his family.  They are stationed in Italy and had our days filled with things to do while we'd be there.  Well, actually my brother's wife had a lot planned for us.  I'm glad she did.  The long weekend we were there would prove to be a very fulfilling one. Bash exploring   The House We had seen the place on an Oovoo session when my brother and his family first moved in.  It was amazing then, but to see it in person was even better!  It was obvious that a lot of thought and personality was put into this home by the person who built it.  There is beautiful wood throughout the place, sliding doors, shutters, plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms and...

I look at Bash these days and I see him go through many memorable moments.  For instance, he JUST crawled under an armchair and got stuck.  Swedie pulled him out before he started crying or anything, but if that happened to me now I would remember it.  The feeling of being trapped inside of a chair and the helplessness that goes along with it would be something that I would remember and then put into my blog.  But Bash is the tender age of one.  He won't remember that.  As a matter of fact he won't remember anything for the next couple of years. This is kind of a comforting fact for me as a new parent.  I can literally be mean as hell to him for a good year and a half longer and then be super nice to him from the age of three and he'll love me more than anything! I'm not suggesting that I'll do this, but it is possible. Thinking about this made me reflect on some of my earliest memories.  Most of them take place when I was between three and four ...

Well well well.  I made it through Year One!  I know there's a long way to go before I fire up the victory band, but still I'm glad to get that first year under my belt.  Just think, a year ago today I was freaking out about this little being that was stubbornly delaying his entrance into the world.  A year ago I didn't have the slightest idea what Sebastian or Evan or Dylan would look like!  I must say I got lucky.  We got lucky.  We got "Bash" and boy has he been a joy. There have only been a handful of nights that Bash has been cranky and screaming.  His demeanor thus far has been perfect for beginner parents.  It's like he knew what it would take to make life easier and he did just that.  We've been told that he has a "quiet cry".  To us it's a scream, but to other people it's like "That's it?"  Man, we hit the jackpot. Fatherhood has taught me a lot about myself.  I remember when we bought Jasper and I caught ...