Opa and Oma

Opa and Oma had met Nina for the first time when she was only two weeks old, still tiny and in the hospital. We've come a long way since then. As a 13 pounder (American) she's quite a handful now. But they only loved having 'more' of Nina and especially having her so close for a couple of weeks as we were staying at their place. Lots of cuddles, kisses and evening walks here, too!

Babcia and Dziadek

Nina is a lucky little girl, she does not only have an opa and oma (Anita's parents), but also a Babcia and Dziadek (Staszek's parents)! For them it was the first time they could hold her in their arms and see her 'live' in action. They enjoyed every minute of it.

Trip to NL

Last month, Nina finally got to use her passport: we went on a trip to The Netherlands. Two weddings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins to meet, the Queen's birthday. Reasons enough venture the 8 hour flight. The welcome party at the Beiaardiershoeve brought the Chlapowski and Slats family together to meet Nina for the first or, some already had the privilege, second meeting. It was great!

I can do it myself!

It's starting already; I want to do it myself! No further comment necessary, just see for yourself how the second carrot session went today.

Jip the cozy cat

Jip has made a habit of joining Nina and Anita for the morning feeding. As this event takes place in his favourite spot, the bed, it's only natural that he should be there too. Not just on the bed, but close to us, very close. Preferably between, but that's a bit difficult so next to will have to do for now.

First carrots!

After the rice cereal, the first carrots were on the menu. Different colour, different taste, but Nina loved the orange puree and finished her portion in no time. She even checked if the bowl was really empty. And after that, time to sit back, relax and let it all sink in and go down.

First rice cereal

Nina is now six months old so the time had come to extend her diet. Rice cereal was going to be her first 'solid food' experience. After Nina had tried a little bit off his finger, Staszek had the honor of feeding the first teaspoon full. Then Anita had a go as well. Only a limited amount for the first time, but enough to make a mess. Tomorrow again!

Cat comfort

It's a well known fact that cats have a knack for finding the most comfortable place in the house to lay their little furry heads. Jip and Janneke surely do, too. In the sun on a huge pile of clothes and just folded soft blanket, or even in Nina's little crib on, again a soft blanket. But only when she's not in it: they check!

High chair

It's always nice to see things from a different perspective and to be able to join the grown ups when they are having dinner. An upgrade from the bouncy chair and playpen to the high chair. Nina is loving it! But that green bottle will have to wait a little.

Easter 2008

Easter felt more like Christmas this year: snow, snow, snow outside! We are so ready for Spring. Fortunately we had a little Easter bunny to cheer us up.

Happy holiday Nina!

A bit of sun makes everybody happier. Although the heat came probably as a bit of shock to her, she coped very well with the 30 degrees Celsius difference. With sunblock, a hat and sunglasses, she'll be prepared for the Chicagoland summer, which will start very soon hopefully.

Versatile Ford Mustang

Bet you won't find these features in the official Ford Mustang convertible specs, that's why we would like to share them with you: comfortably padded changing table, spacious nursing nook and a relaxed after dinner lounging facility. What more could you possibly ask for?

Weekend Miami, FL

With all the snow and cold weather we've had (and still have!), we decided it was time for a bit of vitamin Sun so we treated ourselves to long weekend Miami FL. It would be Nina's first 'out of the womb' flying experience and a good practice round for going transatlantic next month. Travelling light is a thing of the past, but it was all well worth it. Leaving Chicago warmly dressed, a balmy breeze welcomed us in Miami. With Key West, the Everglades and Miami Beach we got a great taste of Florida and are sure to come back for more.

Sunday stroll in Chicago

The weather was nice last week's Sunday morning, so we decided it was time for Nina's first introduction to the Windy City. Window shopping along the Magnificent Mile, the Hancock building, a much too big lunch at Ditka's; it was a very Chicago day.