Before I say anything else i need to begin with a 'SORRY'!! We've become aware that a few of our announcement emails didn't get through to people. The thing is that we can't tell who it didn't get through to...... so if it was you then I'm sooooooooooo sorry. This is the most awesome news for us and we'd definitely want you to know. If you want me to send you the announcement (bit late I know but still!!) then email and let me know!It's been a while since I last wrote. It seems that evey time I sit down to do this something else comes up....... usually in the form of a little man waking up!
Josiah is 7 weeks and 2 days old!!!!!! Can you believe it! He's growing (very quickly in every direction) and changing by the day. It's so awesome to see those changes first hand - from pulling himself up and holding his neck up when he's lying on his front, to smiling from ear to ear. Although it seems that every time I get the camera out to get a pick of him doing that he stops!
J and I are learning fast too. Our every conversation seems to start with " well may be it's because he's......" - hungry, tired, needing a nappy change, over tired or all of these!
It has been awesome to have all our parents out here too over the weeks. In the week after Josiah was born we had a lady called Carine here as the Kraamzorg. She arrived at 8 each morning and left at around 2 ish. She did everything from washing to cleaning the bathroom,to changing our bed, making my lunch, looking after Josiah and answering the sea of questions that I threw at here all the time. It was awesome because basically for that first week I stayed in bed and Carine showed us how to look after our new boy. She dealt with him with such confidence that it really helped me to have confidence with him.... he's fragile but not made of china! Here's a pic of her:
We had expected Josiah to arrive late (as most first babies are) so we arranged for mum and dad to come out mid to late June. Because he came on the due date (clever boy) it meant that we had another week between the Kraamzorg leaving and them arriving. It was fab in that case for Meryl (J's mum) to make an extra visit. She stayed for 4 days, then mum and dad came then Meryl came back. It was so nice to see all the grandparents with Josiah and be able to show him off. It was fab too to be able to get out the house and have someone stay home with him even for just an hour. During Meryl's second visit Christianne (J's sis) also came to visit for a day.
We had expected Josiah to arrive late (as most first babies are) so we arranged for mum and dad to come out mid to late June. Because he came on the due date (clever boy) it meant that we had another week between the Kraamzorg leaving and them arriving. It was fab in that case for Meryl (J's mum) to make an extra visit. She stayed for 4 days, then mum and dad came then Meryl came back. It was so nice to see all the grandparents with Josiah and be able to show him off. It was fab too to be able to get out the house and have someone stay home with him even for just an hour. During Meryl's second visit Christianne (J's sis) also came to visit for a day.
We've had many firsts. First big bath, first shower, for mummy first breast feeding in public (nothing like a Saturday lunch time in a busy cafe to throw me in the deep end), the first nappy change in public, the first bag of clothes that no longer fit him!, the first trip to church (8th July) the first bottle of expressed milk, the first babysitting session for Inge (thanks!), the first baby massage session (great fun!) Here are some pics (the breast feeding one isn't the first time but there's breast feeding in public and there's taking a pic of it!!!!)
I'm still really glad that I've had Josiah here even though I'm feeling a little unable to show him off to loads of people. I love hearing people in the street commenting on him or going "ahhh how cute" but that doesn't happen often. We've sorted all the legal stuff - he even has his own passport now!! Although we are struggling with our Dutch we're making sure that anyone that is Dutch speaks to Josiah in Dutch not English. He loves hearing it and generally goes very quiet when he hears it. I hope that the more contact he has with it now the easier it'll be for him later.
We have other news to tell you too but I think this has been long enough so far! Here are some more pictures of our adorable little dutch water baby!
