News!

Well I didn't get back on here quite as quickly as I had hoped but I'm here now!

Before I say anything else I want to say CONGRATULATIONS to Maryka and Leon (our dear friends here) who have just had a baby boy last night...... Ruben Serfontein! I'm so excited to meet him!

So that all important news! I'm sure you know already but basically we've just bought a house here!! So yes I spose you could say that we love living here and that we plan to stay a while longer! It's a 30's house in the old part of Amersfoort. Actually instead of explaining it I'll just go through some pics. Remember that the photos are deceiving and make the rooms look bigger than they are! This is the front of the house. It doesn't have conventional double glazing but there are 2 layers of glass... hard to explain. It's on a quiet road with a canal out the front. Then on the other side of the canal is a busier road. We're not sure yet how noisy that road is.

This is the canal outside. The bigger piece of water is just along the road a bit, as is a park, forest and playground.

This is the downstairs area. The kitchen needs to be changed and made bigger but it's all a good size The previous owners already knocked down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. There's also a downstairs toilet (which I have plans for) and a lada bit.

This is the 1st floor. There are 2 double rooms and one very small box room (probably Josiah's bedroom). There is also a bathroom (with no bath yet) and another door that leads to the attic (zolder)

This is the study in the attic. There is a door where the photo is being taken from. That goes into another bedroom. There is another door that you can just see on the left of the pic that goes into a little room with the washing machine and drier. In Holland it's normal to have the washing machine in the attic. They NEVER have it in the kitchen like in the UK.

Finally, this is the back garden. There's a cool shed just to the side. Unfortunately if we decided to build an extension to make the kitchen bigger, this would have to go.

It's a really charactered place. There's no work that has to be desperately done, instead things that need to be done in time and personal taste things.

You can see it on Google Earth so if you want to see the area then email me and I'll give you the address.

Other than that, all is well. Josiah is growing well and changing daily. He's absolutely adorable. He's now found his thumb which is so cute! More details soon

Josiah at 7 weeks

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'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!

More Details!

I decided to wait for a while before I wrote in here. Its taking a while to get into the 3 hourly routine of nappy, eating and sleeping.... and that's just me!!!
We can't believe that we have this little person with us. He's so perfect! I can't believe that he's a little bit of me and little bit of J and that together we've created this new life!!!

So you wanted to know what happened!

As you know from my last blog, my mum and sister came out to visit and were due to go home on the 30th May (the day before the due date). We had thought about what we would do if it all happened while they were here, but I never really thought it was possible. I was expecting the birth to be at least a week late. We all decided (after praying about it!) that if my labour started before they got on the train back to the airport, that they would extend their stay here but that if something happened after they got on the train that they would carry on going home. So at 7pm on the 30th we said good bye to mum and Nic at the train station - nothing had happened!!

It's a 10 minute walk back to our house from the station and as soon as J opened the door to our flat my waters broke!!!! Hows that for timing. The midwife came over and said that everything was fine but that because my contractions hadn't started I shouldn't have a shower or bath.. bummer! Apparently only about 10% of labour actually start with the waters breaking...... take no notice of the movies!!! We had called mum and Nic by this time but all decided that it was meant to be and that they should carry on with their journey home.

J and I tried to sleep for a bit. We knew that things would happen soon so had an early night. At about 11.30pm I was woken up with a definite contraction. J timed them and we decided at about 2.30am to call the midwife because my contractions were about 3 - 4 mins apart. The midwife came out and said that I was 2cm dilated - I remembered from one of the courses that we took that if you call out the midwife and she says 'you're 1 or 2 cm dilated', that you should be sad about it because your body has already had to do a lot of work to get to that point; so I wasn't too fazed by it. She said that it was now ok for me to bath and shower and that J should now set up the bath. She also said that she was off duty at 9am that morning and that I would most probably see the next midwife on call.

My contractions got pretty intense at that point. I took a shower and a bath while J set up the pool. For all those people that one day may consider using a birthing pool here is a little advise.... Set it up before hand - even if it's a few weeks before (except for the plastic lining). As my contractions got more intense poor J was running between setting up the pool and me screaming the place down! I was getting contractions in my back and so couldn't find any relieving position at all. At about 4.00am I got into the bath. dangling my arms over the side with J rubbing my back was the best position for me. A little later I started getting the feeling that I needed to push but that was only after about an hour and a half. I didn't believe that that could be a real feeling so I tried to ignore it!! Until a really intense one came and I 'instructed' J to call the midwife. She got to us at about 5.30am and said that believe it or not, if I needed to push then I should. She got me into the right position and after 3 pushes his head was half way out................ ohh that hurt!! 1 more push and his head and all his body flew out!! MY BABY!!!!

I'd spent 9 months pregnant but something in me can't have expected it to actually be a baby in there - when she put him on me all I could say was "it's a baby!". We didn't even think of asking what sex he was!! It was the midwife that reminded us to look!!!

So In all, from the start of my contractions to his birth it was about 6 and a half hours!!!!!!!!! I have nothing to complain about!! 2 stitches & a beautiful baby boy!!! Apparently only about 2% of babies are born on their due date - our boy is special!!

There are more details but I figure not everyone will want to know them...... I'm happy to talk about them though if you really want to know anything else!!!

More soon i hope!! got to bath a baby!!

Exactly on time!!!

Welcome to the world

Josiah Benjamin Dennis Sweeting

Thursday 31st May 2007

at 6.02 am

7lb 1oz (3220g)

50 cm

Born in a birthing pool at home in The Netherlands
Our very own Dutch waterbaby!

3 months

39 weeks

baby Josiah!!!

I will write in more detail soon!! Bit tired right now!

39 weeks!

Mum and Nic are coming tonight so I can't write too much but I just wanted to add the latest bump picture and a photo of the pool. The pool isn't completely set up - as you can see from thte picture it over lapping and not a full circle, but this gives you an idea of what it looks like. It's waiting for the 'right time'!!

38 Weeks!! Nothing yet!!

Well hello again! Not much time left now!! This pic was taken at 37 weeks. I seem always to be a week behind myself!

We've had a pretty good few weeks. There has been a few bank holidays here so J has had some extra days off which has been fab!! His Spring cleaning and preparations haven't stopped. we've now pretty much finished the entire clean of the whole apartment and it's looking loverly!!

At one point this is what the lounge looked like!We had everything from the bedroom in the lounge, so you could hardly see the floor!

On the day that I was 37 weeks (full term) Thursday, all the baby furniture we were waiting for arrived. Then on the Friday the pool arrived (I forgot to take a pic. when we set it up as a practice, maybe later!). It was a little overwhelming for me and I had a bit of a freak out. Suddenly it was real and was happening! I feel very much like the expectation of a new mother is that you should know everything; know what you should need - sizes, amounts etc, be in control and aware of what you want in the labour and after.... basically that you are sposed to be this strong creature that is expected to deal with all these changes. Well I have to say that I haven't felt that at all. I have no idea what I'm doing. Every question that I have about having a baby takes me into about 10 other questions! Even when others tell me that it'll all come naturally when the baby is born, I'm still able to freak out! Don't get me wrong I'm not falling apart and I am truly excited about this whole process, I just don't like the feeling that crying over not knowing what a baby is sposed to wear to bed, shows that I'm weak. Anyway.. for all you soon to be mums that freak out about all this sometimes I say CRY! and cry as much as you need! God will help us through this whole thing but it's not wrong to cry and to feel overwhelmed sometimes!!

Back on the subject again. As I said all the furniture arrived and we spent ages putting it together. So now we've eventually got the nursery end of our bedroom sorted and everything in the drawers so now there's nothing out at all really! Here's a pic of J building and the new 'nursery'! Unfortunately we can't fit in the Moses basket that we borrowed so we've decided to either use the pram or put the baby straight in the cot.

We also went to the 'Thuiszorg' (Home care) shop on the weekend. This is the place you go to borrow things like crutches or anything that you need to be able to function at home when you're ill. In our case we went there to pick up the stilts for the bed. When the 'Kraamzorg' (after care helper) comes after the birth you have to have the bed 70cm or above so that the nurse isn't always stooping over you over the bed. So you have to hire (free) these stilt things to lift the bed higher. It's like sleeping on a throne! Here's a pic:

So there you go. Nothing happening yet.. Pj is still moving nicely and kicking me in the ribs. My b.p. is still low - no change there. I'm having weekly checks now at the midwife so hopefully I'll get to see a few different ladies. There are 5 there in all. One speaks very good English (I'm praying she's on duty on 'the day', 2 speak pretty good English and 2 speak very little or at least don't communicate very much with me. I can't expect people to speak English (I'm in their country after all) but I find some appointments very frustrating as I seem to get only the answers to my questions - no more info. I'm sure it'll all be fine but I can't help pray that I get one of the good English speakers if only for reassurance!

Here is the link again as usual:

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/fetaldevelopment/38weeks/

See you at 39 weeks!!???

36 weeks!!! Are we ready????

This is the bump at 35 weeks

Hmmmmm well I can safely say that we're kind of ready but not really! Can you ever be ready! We feel like we're in the midst of the calm before the storm! We now just want to get on with this and learn how to be parents. It feel like we've been waiting for ever.

Here is a pic of the baby's nursery!

As you can see it's not in the least ready! We borrowed a moses basket from a friend just in case pj comes early, so that it actually has somewhere to sleep! Hopefully the furniture should arrive this week. I'll have another picture when that's all finished!

We said before how we were having some issues trying to find a pushchair that we remotely liked here. Well below is a pic of the one that we finally chose.

When the baby finishes with the bed part of the pram we won't need to store a huge great bed thing somewhere which is something I really didn't want. Instead on this one you take the material off the frame and use the same frame for the seat part. All we need to store is the material which takes up soooo much less space. It's good too because the car seat attaches to the main structure of the pram................. very exciting hey! I'm sure you wanted to know all about all that!!!

Here's a pic of J modeling it very nicely! He's also modelling the baby carrier that his Sis (Christianne) gave us. Very fetching don't you think!

Last week we had a really nice visit from J's mum and sis for the day! Yes the day! That's the benefit of living so close to the airport! It was really really nice to see them and to share the experience with them. The down side of being abroad through the pregnancy is that our parents haven't been able to enjoy the feeling of feeling their grandchild moving around and kicking like the karate kid! It makes me sad that they haven't been able to go through this pregnancy with us. But at the same time we have flights booked for after the birth so they'll have an intense baby time then!

Everything is still going well with pj. We seem to have had a pretty good pregnancy - I know though that that isn't an indication that the birth will be too! Thank you to those people that have emailed me with encouraging messages. You hear so much information about the things that can go wrong and, as important as it is to be prepared for any eventuality, it's good to also know that sometimes things don't go wrong. I'm feeling more excited about the birth than I had ever imagined I could be (I could never understand these women that said they were excited when they went into labour). I don't look forward to the pain thing but I know it's for a reason I'm hoping that that will help me get through. J has been awesome and helped me out sooooo much around the house. I think he's the one nesting now! We've been 'spring cleaning' and had half the flat out on the balcony to clean properly. We have just a little more to go but now we feel like we're living in cleanliness again!

My blood pressure remains low which has brought some comical times... the other day at 2 am I woke up really dizzy, so while j made me some food I lay with my feet up again the wall trying to get more blood circulating! I wish I had a camera on me!!! At today's midwife appointment it was 80 / 45! but the baby's loving it so I shouldn't complain. I've been amazed that all that happens at my appointments is that I have my blood pressure taken and they feel the bump. I had blood taken at the very beginning and not since and I've had my iron level taken once or twice but other than that, nothing!

Anyway this has become long again! Here's this weeks link: Enjoy and maybe read the stuff about water birth if your not sure what I'm getting myself into!!

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/fetaldevelopment/36weeks/

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/labourandbirth/waterbirth/howtousebirthingpool/