Nina: A 1 year and a half...

Our little girl is growing fast like his Kuya Niels.  Lots of big changes and yet it seems like its just yesterday when she was born.

And she is almost ready to go to school! 1 more year and she will be making her own adventures in the school grounds.

Her famous activities these days:
1. Watching the DVD of Plop Songs in the morning and in the afternoon on television.  As soon as she wakes up in the morning she only has 2 things to say "Goede Morgen" and "Mama, Plop kijken!"
And if you don't react to the latter, then it will be 3 things to say, "Mama, Plop KIJKEN!" And as soon as we get out of the car, she takes out her shoes, her jacket and then tells me in such a sweet voice with her very cute puppy eyes, "Mama, Plop kijken"  WHO CAN RESIST THAT???

2. Hiding behind the curtains!!!  Such a game to her, and I pretend not to see her even if she is totally bulking out of the curtain and I SHOULD look for her while shouting "Nina, where are you!?"  And I could hear her giggle at the back of the curtain!

3. "Buiten pelen" Another favorite statement. Sunshine, rain...or even storm!  Nina says, "Buiten pelen!"  And if its OK to play outside, she will get her ball immediately with her, go straight to visit the "kikkevisje" and points to the terrace beach chair while saying "Omlaag"...meaning she has to lay on it and I have to put it low so she is laying down...relaxing (even if its freezing outside she still says "Omlaag" brrrrr!)

4. "Klus gedaan!" Klus will be the ever naughty kabouter!  To those who do not know Kabouter Plop, it's quite long to explain in the blog but to those who do...you understand.

5. Nic, the daycare mom is so fond of Nina cause Nina is the only one of her daycare kids that knows the name of every single individual and pet in the house.  From the father of the house, to Nic's kids and to all the kids in the daycare...even their teddy bears, she know which is for who!

6.  As always, Niels is still her favorite.  Every morning she gives her forehead close to Niels for a good morning Kiss, every time she has to go take a nap and go to sleep at night she gives her forhead close again to Niels for another kiss.  And when its time for her to go home on fridays back to us, she doesnt want to go home to Mama or Papa but to NIELS!

7. Some more or her favorite statements:
"Mario kaart Wii!"
and when Niels wins she says "Feestje!"
and when Niels is winning the race, she says "YES!" with matching hands up high!
"Petteflet! Petteflet!" when we have to pick Niels up from the daycare.

and a lot more.

So now you believe me she's not a baby anymore?

Mama Neri

My future tennis champ!



Waiting for the opponent's serve



Hitting hard!



And watching the ball land

Another powerful forehand hit

And a backhand

And who is the opponent/victim you may ask?
His ever loving Oma (hehe)

The Pacifier Experience

This is literally a pacifier experience and I will tell you why.

As I was walking to the train station like any other weekday morning, weather was cold and wet...like any other Belgium morning, at the bridge over the train tracks I saw a blue pacifier on the ground.  Immediately I thought about my little girl.  Not that I want it for her but thinking that the owner of that pacifier is now probably crying or cannot sleep cause the pacifier is lost.

I passed it, trying to ignore it like any other litter I see on the floor but cannot go another step further away from it.  With my conscience full of pity for the owner, I went back, picked it up, placed it on top of the bridge wall (not really that high thats why I can reach the top hehe) taking into consideration that maybe the mother will pass by the same place while searching to where did her baby's pacifier fall.

Feeling a little bit better, I went on and took my train. That afternoon on the way back home, it was still on the wall waiting for its owner to find it.

The next day, it was on the ground again..probably fell from the heavy wind and rain the night before, I picked it up again and put it back at the same place I put it yesterday.

For 3 days its just right there where I left it.

On the fourth day, there was such a heavy rain that day, when I passed by that morning...no more sight of the pacifier.  Not on the wall nor on the ground.  Somebody picked it and threw it in the trash or it fell on the other side of the wall which is the train tracks...

Now everytime I pass this bridge I think about that pacifier.  A baby blue one with a white teddy bear design.

Maybe its just me but if you are a mother too, with such overflow of emotion like me..then I think you would understand why.  "If it happened to my baby..." That was what's in my mind that time. 

Anyhow, taking out the drama...the mother probably bought her baby a new one already (hihi).

I'd immediately do the same if I was her.

Welcome Fientje!

Welcome little angel Fientje!

(photo from Tante Nicole's Facebook album)
3.175 kg, 50 cm at exactly 11.40am

Baby daughter of Jimmy and Astrid and baby sister of Staf

We were not able to visit you sooner but when we did you treated us with a thousand cuteness!  And your brother was an entertainer too!

We cant wait to see you again!!!

Neri, Nico, Niels and Nina

Wel niet de bedoeling kleine meid!

Ja, groot worden betekent niet alleen flink groeien en alleen brave dingen kunnen doen...dat weten jullie allemaal...want onze kleine meid is echt groot aan het worden met alles erop en eraan...kijk maar:

Wel niet de bedoeling dat je mama's wasknijpers opeet of aan je kleertjes hangt...wat ga ik nu gebruiken voor mijn was?

Wel niet de bedoeling dat je je pop en knuffels op de grond gooit en je zelf op het popbedje gaat staan Nina! Ik zeg het al, het is gevaarlijk...Nu ja...en ze lacht ook nog naar de camera...dus ja, ze was gevallen..en wie was dan stout geweest?  Nina zeg dan heel spontaan "Stoute vloer! Stout bed!"

Maar door die stoute dingen te doen wordt ze dan ook wel slim van hé