Maud Angelica and Leah Isadora: discussion

[Larzen]

She is not sick, Se og Hør reports that she is milk intolerant, and that Märtha Louise was spotted in a health store buying products that not contains milk, and asking the staff for advice. They say she can grow it of when she gets older. Atleast that what I got looking trough the mag, I dont have it so I cant be totally sure of the details

Probably she has inherited it from her dad, Ari Behn is alergic to all sorts of things and had to leave a wedding once because he was sting buy a bee, he had to go directly to hospital. I also seem to remember he could not do his mandatory military service because he had so many alergies, but I cant find a source to support that now. Also when they were composing their wedding menue there were lots of things he could not eat.

[Mandy]

August 25, 2005: Maud Angelica at the Cirkus Meranos in Oslo with her father Ari, her aunt Anja Bjørshol, her uncle Christian Udnæs & cousin Isak Rafael. Picture Frode Hansen.

[pdas1201]

Originally Posted by Mandy

August 25, 2005: Maud Angelica at the Cirkus Meranos in Oslo with her father Ari, her aunt Anja Bjørshol, her uncle Christian Udnæs & cousin Isak Rafael. Picture Frode Hansen.

Thanks so much for posting the pic Mandy. Maud is so cute in the pic, she is really enjoying herself there:)

[norwegianne]

Thanks for the picture, Mandy. Seriously, Maud is looking more and more like her mother every time we see her.

[LaMinka]

I agree with you so much Norwegianne! Maud Angelica look just like Märtha-Louise! Thanks Mandy for the pic, and Isak is a cute boy.

[LaMinka]

Is Isak Rafael Anjas son? Wasn't her sons name Ask Andreas?

[LaMinka]

Another picture Maud Angelica at the Cirkus Meranos in Oslo (VG)

Edit: To add a little picture of Maud, also from VG

[Larzen]

Here is my tranlslation Märtha Louise did for the magazine called "Mamma" which means mummy/mother. Ill post the picture of Märtha and Leah later

Since it was quite alot of text to translate I would ask that it is not posted elsewhere.

First there is an introduction which I won’t translate.
ML: It was so natural, When Leah arrived it was just like it was supposed to be, Maud has dealt with it very well. She has been very kind towards Leah right from the birth, she caresses her and says “Good Morning” and “good bye” And she takes care of who is allowed to carry Leah, not every one is allowed you know, sometimes Mummy may do it, other times daddy shall do it

Two children in two years, Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn is a “nuclear family” (kjerne familie) The last flower in the bouquet lies next to mummy in the sofa. Leah smirks her eyes that are still deep dark blue; Maud Angelica is still in kinder garden.

ML: Being a mother has made me calm, now I prefer to be home with my children and relax, and it has done something to my heart. I did not know I could be so in love with someone until I had children. When I had Maud she opened my heart in a new way, when there came a second one it opened even wider. It is wonderful to discover that there is enough love. I don’t take my love for Maud Angelica and give it to Leah; I have even more to give. Maud is more active than Leah; she is very extrovert and has been awake a lot during the nights. It seems like Leah is calmer. She craves contact. Lately she has started to be more awake “haven’t you? And then you are very present”

Leah smiles to the hand that touches her cheek

Q: what is the most difficult thing about being a mum?

ML. It is being fair and firm with the rules. Also keeping track of where the children are. They change so fast. The image the parents have of their children is so fast outdated, but still we talk to the children like they were last month. “Then you did that, why don’t you do that now?” You slept last week, why don’t you sleep now? I think that is the most difficult challenge, to see the child where it is. And now Maud Angelica is in the difficult age and has screamed for two hours then I don’t know what to do.

Of course the Princess is exhausted sometimes. It’s a lot she says; luckily Maud Angelica is no longer awake 3(!) hours every night. She kept doing that until the month before Leah was born. Had she kept doing that it would have been awful? You discover how important sleep is; it has so much to say for how I am as a person. Now we are lucky, Leah just wakes for food and then goes back to sleep. It is fantastic!!

Q: How do you get Maud to sleep?

ML: We sing to her

Q: What

ML: Different things, songs I learned as a child

Q: Is there something else from the childhood the princess wants to give to her daughters?

ML: Letting the children play without watching over them all the time. Not saying that everything is dangerous. My mother was very good that way “Get in the threes” “Go Outside” “it’s important to fall and hurt yourself sometimes” It was never that we should be careful. The world gets very dangerous if all you hear is that you have to be careful all the time. You need to find your own limits. Of course you don’t want anything bad to happen to your children. You don’t want them to balance on the fence or discover how it is to get a snake bite.

She laughs: Yesterday Maud Angelica wanted to go into some stinging nettles we have in our back yard: There are nettles there and it will hurt but you may go there if you wish I told her. She did and when she cam back it was AuAuAuuuuu. But she wanted to go back to see if it would happen again and of course it did. But this way she learns for herself instead of us running after her all the time

[…] With two children do you and your husband have time for each other?

ML: we are lucky, since my husband works at home so we see each other for lunch and dinner and breakfast, often in calm situations. Then we talk together about who we are as people and update each other. We don’t just talk about the children and what we struggle with, but also about what is great and not so great. It is important to do thing just the two of us, to have time to be a couple. [….]

Q: Has Ari changes after he became a father

ML: He is more “homey” He does not want to travel abroad on adventures any longer, the small things are important to him, everyday he discover something new about his girls and that is big for him. Ari is a dotting daddy that plays a lot with the children, he throws them in the air and goes on expeditions with Maud Angelica and makes her wooden flutes.

Q: Maud Angelica is an explorer?

ML: Yes she is very adventuress; I think he gets it from the both of us. Both I and Ari was like that also, climbed threes and fell down, Ari hit his head several times; we are a little worried how far Maud will take it when she gets older, she laughs, but it has gone well so far.

Q: Why is she in kinder garden?

ML: She is so social and extrovert so she started getting bored at home, she loves getting input and does things. She blossomed when she got to spend time with other children. She loves it in her nature kinder garden with horses, rabbits, chickens and a pig named Harald (!) She comes home very happy and VERY dirty.

To be continued

[Larzen]

Part two of the interview

The Princess is very interested in work done by humanitarian organisations it says on the royal website. She is patron of SOS children’s villages. She thinks it is now even tougher to see children suffer.

ML: I take it much more to me now. It’s good, but difficult. Seeing children suffer on TV makes an overwhelming impression, you feel it on your body more than I did before. I can better identify with them. I think it is horrible to be away from my children. I fell and instinctive longing after them when they are no with me. If something should happen to them it would be horrible. As a mother I can better put myself in the situation mothers that has lost their children are in. I feel empathic with those who cannot provide food and shelter for their children. Children should have a good life; they shall not suffer or be in pain, it is not natural.

Q: Have you become more vulnerable

ML: In Many ways, yes. But I also feel stronger. I am not like those who get afraid of heights or planes after having a child; I think I have become more confident in myself. I have a family, I have daughters I have someone that is close to me, and it makes me surer about myself.

Q: Could the Princess imagine a life without children

ML: For me it is difficult to imagine, since I have two. But if I could not have children we would have adopted, I think we would have had children one way or the other.

Q: Do you want more

ML: Of course, we do, well have to wait and see….

Q: A princess and her belly is “hot stuff” for the press, how is it to be pregnant and being followed by the cameras.

ML: I do everything in public, so I don’t think about that as something special. Luckily I thought it was wonderful to be pregnant, I was not sick at all. I have gotten a whole new respect for my body. That it creates life is something big. I’m more relaxed about how it looks now. My body might look as it likes, because it has done so much for me.

Q: the press noticed the Princess was soon in very good shape after her first birth.

ML: I have not done anything to loose weight. When you breast feed much go away naturally. The fat you gain while pregnant is important for breast-feeding; it is not healthy to diet in that period.

Q: Does the Princess enjoy breastfeeding.

ML: Yes (she smiles) It’s very cosy to share the closeness with you child, I breastfed Maud for eight months, but she wanted real food, we started giving her food every now and then at six months.

[….]
Leah makes “happy sounds” "You shall have food soon" the Princess says to her, her maxy cosy stands by the wall at the Princess palace office, they are going to daddy and Maud at Hankø. When the children are asleep the parents talk to each other “And then she did that, and do you know what she did after that” the Princess laughs again and lifts Leah in her arms. The best times as a mother is when I have a smile from Leah or when Maud comes and gives me a big hug or when she throws me a kiss before going to kinder garden. It is wonderful


About her mother:
I have gotten a gradually stronger relationship with my mother, also before I had children. But of course you get another perspective when I’m also a mother. Then you see that your own mother was smarter that you maybe thought before. She laughs: I have realised that there was a lot of wisdom in what she said and did. Much of what felt unfair when I was younger really is not. I have gotten a new view on my mother and such we have gotten closer. Absolutely

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Thanks you for the interview article Larzen, it is very interesting, very lovely, as they are Royals, i always think they will have different life to us, but Princess Martha Louise had given us the scene of her family, it is really beautiful, lovely,...I wish all the best for them.

[Larzen]

The Pictures from "Mamma" nr 4 2005. Taken by Linda Naesfeldt

[Alexandria]

Originally Posted by Larzen

Here is my tranlslation Märtha Louise did for the magazine called "Mamma" which means mummy/mother. Ill post the picture of Märtha and Leah later

Since it was quite alot of text to translate I would ask that it is not posted elsewhere.



To be continued

Thank you for the translation Larzen. :) It was very interesting to read Martha Louise's take on motherhood and parenting.

I thought her bit about being protective of her daughters but also letting them discover their own boundaries was very interesting. The story of Maud with the nettles (twice!) was funny.

I suspect that with Martha Louise and Ari's own sense of adventure, it won't be just Maud who is a little adventuress, and that Leah will be, too, despite her calming nature now!

[pdas1201]

Wow!!! what wonderful pictures of Martha Louise and Leah. Thanks so very much, Larzen, for sharing them with us.

Also, thanks for taking out the time to translate the long article. We all really appreciate it. I, too, loved the story about the nettles in the backyard and Martha Louise letting Maud discover for herself it hurts. Now, Maud will definitely remember to stay away from nettles, experience which she learned by herself.

[Mandy]

Thank you so much Larzen for the translation and pictures. I can't get over how much Leah Isadora has grown since her baptism.

[Larzen]

As part of the interview there were also six children that got to ask her questions, its fun to see what they are interested in

Maia (6)Does the princess have a pyjamas?
ML: I have a pyjamas, yes.

Milan (4.5) Is your prince handsome
ML: Very handsome, he is the most hansome man in the world accually.

Navy (6) Does the Princess wear a dress all the time?
ML: No, not all the time, sometimes I wear pants.

Vilde (6). Does the Princess like Pizza?
ML, Yes of course

Julian (5.5) I know that the Princess lives in a tower but how does it look inside your tower
ML: I live in the forest, not in tower, us modern Princesses lives is normal houses, in the old times we lived in towers, and ofcouse the princesses in the fairytales also lives in towers

6 quick questions

About sharing the work
I am lucky, Ari works from home so we share the work, Since Leah is dependant on me for food he takes alot care of Maud Angelica. He makes dinner and I bake bread

Future?
Im looking forward to seeing how the girls grow up and how they individually develop in to the person they are supposed to be in the world. And to see how they play together and enjoy each others company

Writing?
Ari writes full time, He gets up 5 o`clock in the morning, I dont have time to write, my main priority is to spend time with the children now

Personal time?
Of course I need some time to myself, like everyone else. I get it during the day when Leah sleeps, but I dont relaxe, then I need to update mself and I check my e-mails from the palace. If I shal realxe I like to read.

Food?
We try to eat healthy, but we are not hysterical about eating ecological food.
-Does Maud angelica eat everything?
It depends if she wants to eat at all.

Going abroad again?
Not right now, but you shall never see never...

About frienship

It is so many things I appreaciate with my friends: Its to make each other happy. To grow together, that we challenge eachother as humans. I think that is the most important. We share humor and happiness and share the good times as well as the bad times.

[Emi]

Thanks for translating the articles and posting the photos Larzen and Norwegianne.

ML sounds very content and happy with her life, she seems to be really unpretentious and down to earth. Leah Isadora is cute! It'll be interesting to see how Maud Angelica and Leah grow and develop.