Hi,
Another post from the Maldives. It's Sunday and that means a quiet day... well just because we're at the Maldives where it is more or less a quiet day everyday. Not much happened since we're here to relax, but I went on a night dive, my last dive here this time. As you might expect, it was dark, and fortunately I had two torches, since my primary went out after 24 minutes.
We saw two octopussies, octopuses, octopy (?), anyway, we saw two of those fighting. I think about territories, but that doesn't matter, it looked great. Never saw it for real.
Tonight we had a nice diner, although the duck wasn't really good. I left it where it was. We did see a Chinese movie (Curse of the Golden Flower), which seems to be a nice movie (soon to be found in my collection I guess).
Later on we went for fried ice with almonds for Olcay (her favorite desert as it turns out) and some lounging with an espresso (Illy) and a cognac (Hennesy VSOP) and a Shisha. That turned out to be a nice finalle of the day. Monday and Tuesday are left for us before we're leaving paradise and getting back to the real world, where there are Jay and Ray, who we really miss.
Iwan
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Words from the Maldives (4)
Hi,
Another day on this paradise like island. Today not much happened apart from the fact that I went diving this morning and we saw sharks, Whitetip Reef Sharks to be exact. Like six of them. Which was really cool. First time I saw so many sharks. We also saw a fairly big Napoleon fish. After the sharks (deco time at 5 minutes) we took a current and drifted for a while, which was also really cool. Unfortunately we couldn't spend that much time drifting. And on top of this all, while drifting, we heard dolphins. Yup, we heard the squirking (I really have no clue as to this is really called) by the dolphins. Unfortunately they were to far away, and we only saw them while back on the boat. But cool it was, some of them made some nice jumps. My guess is that these are trained dolphins, set out to entertain divers, and to make them feel bad that they didn't encounter the dolphins while diving :).
Nothing much else happened, although not to me anyway. Olcay on the other hand saw a turtle while snorkling. And considering that Kandooma doesn't have much of a reef, that truely is a sight to behold.
Until the next post...
Iwan
Another day on this paradise like island. Today not much happened apart from the fact that I went diving this morning and we saw sharks, Whitetip Reef Sharks to be exact. Like six of them. Which was really cool. First time I saw so many sharks. We also saw a fairly big Napoleon fish. After the sharks (deco time at 5 minutes) we took a current and drifted for a while, which was also really cool. Unfortunately we couldn't spend that much time drifting. And on top of this all, while drifting, we heard dolphins. Yup, we heard the squirking (I really have no clue as to this is really called) by the dolphins. Unfortunately they were to far away, and we only saw them while back on the boat. But cool it was, some of them made some nice jumps. My guess is that these are trained dolphins, set out to entertain divers, and to make them feel bad that they didn't encounter the dolphins while diving :).
Nothing much else happened, although not to me anyway. Olcay on the other hand saw a turtle while snorkling. And considering that Kandooma doesn't have much of a reef, that truely is a sight to behold.
Until the next post...
Iwan
Friday, January 30, 2009
Words from the Maldives (3)
Hi,
Today I've got something to tell, as promised yesterday, because today and last night stuff actually happened in this paradise of total relaxation.
So what happened? First of all last night we had quite the rainstorm here on Kandooma. Well maybe it was just your average everyday tropical rainstorm, but we woke up from the rain, which especially in my case means something as I don't wake up usually until it is time according to the alarm clock (or Ray). But rest assured, the Water Villa we're staying in is build very well, and apart from the bathroom (which is partly open) no water came in.
Today I also went diving. First dive here with Euro Divers, which means you're not allowed deeper than 20 meters, which is cool. The diving site had a wreck at 30 meters, but the top of the wreck was at 20 meters deep. From what we could see, there was no way you could actually get in the wreck so not much lost here. After the wreck we saw an Octopus hiding its little cave and later on a turtle. Which in fact was small compared to the turtles we saw in Marsa Alam last November, about which I need to blog... still. That turtles crossed our path later on, but that was also because we went around a big rock a second time and that turtle was at more or less the same spot.
A bit later we saw some Morenes. Two to be exact, which weren't that big compared to the one that swam right in front of me in Oman last year, or rather 2007.
After hitting the 50 bar mark we went up and started our return to the boat. We now were over the rock we circled twice and Jerry, my buddy for the occasion pointed behind me. I looked behind me and saw a Triggerfish (see also Wikipedia) trying to bite me. Yup, it wanted to get a piece of my fins (I like to think that it wasn't after my butt). It was a bit intimidated by me and my mask as it hesitated everytime I turned around. After some distance it gave up, or maybe I left its territory or something. Anyway, I am still me, 100% and nothing was left of me in the belly of this terrible monster of the sea :) haha. Although I must say that its teeth were somewhat big and sharp, I have to admit.
So that was today on the Maldives. Soon there will be more.
Iwan
Today I've got something to tell, as promised yesterday, because today and last night stuff actually happened in this paradise of total relaxation.
So what happened? First of all last night we had quite the rainstorm here on Kandooma. Well maybe it was just your average everyday tropical rainstorm, but we woke up from the rain, which especially in my case means something as I don't wake up usually until it is time according to the alarm clock (or Ray). But rest assured, the Water Villa we're staying in is build very well, and apart from the bathroom (which is partly open) no water came in.
Today I also went diving. First dive here with Euro Divers, which means you're not allowed deeper than 20 meters, which is cool. The diving site had a wreck at 30 meters, but the top of the wreck was at 20 meters deep. From what we could see, there was no way you could actually get in the wreck so not much lost here. After the wreck we saw an Octopus hiding its little cave and later on a turtle. Which in fact was small compared to the turtles we saw in Marsa Alam last November, about which I need to blog... still. That turtles crossed our path later on, but that was also because we went around a big rock a second time and that turtle was at more or less the same spot.
A bit later we saw some Morenes. Two to be exact, which weren't that big compared to the one that swam right in front of me in Oman last year, or rather 2007.
After hitting the 50 bar mark we went up and started our return to the boat. We now were over the rock we circled twice and Jerry, my buddy for the occasion pointed behind me. I looked behind me and saw a Triggerfish (see also Wikipedia) trying to bite me. Yup, it wanted to get a piece of my fins (I like to think that it wasn't after my butt). It was a bit intimidated by me and my mask as it hesitated everytime I turned around. After some distance it gave up, or maybe I left its territory or something. Anyway, I am still me, 100% and nothing was left of me in the belly of this terrible monster of the sea :) haha. Although I must say that its teeth were somewhat big and sharp, I have to admit.
So that was today on the Maldives. Soon there will be more.
Iwan
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Words form the Maldives (2)
Hi,
Another day on Kandooma which started of with sort of a disappointment. I overslept, so I was too late to enter for the afternoon Scuba trip. Tomorrow another try. Everything else was really great and every day we enjoy the resort even more.
Since not much happened today because we've been sunbathing and snorkeling and having lunch and diner and stuff, there's not much to blog. So hopefully (for you as well) I'll be diving tomorrow, and I'm planning on going deep the day after as well. I'll then have something more to tell you.
Until then...
Iwan
Another day on Kandooma which started of with sort of a disappointment. I overslept, so I was too late to enter for the afternoon Scuba trip. Tomorrow another try. Everything else was really great and every day we enjoy the resort even more.
Since not much happened today because we've been sunbathing and snorkeling and having lunch and diner and stuff, there's not much to blog. So hopefully (for you as well) I'll be diving tomorrow, and I'm planning on going deep the day after as well. I'll then have something more to tell you.
Until then...
Iwan
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Words from the Maldives (1)
Hi,
It has been a while, a real long while since I blogged last. A lot has happened in since then and I plan on getting you up to speed sometime. But the coming period I'll be blogging about our stay on the Maldives. Kandooma Island to be exact. That's why these words are from the Maldives instead of the Netherlands.
So today we arrived, after a rather uneventful flight from Dusseldorf (Germany) International Airport, which requires explicit mentioning, since my dad programmed the NavSat to get us to Dusseldorf Regional Airport, which is about 60 km away from Dusseldorf International Airport. Not to blame him, since I did something very similar the first time I had to program my TomTom to direct me.
The flight was okay, although LTU has rather small seats, and the couple sitting behind us was very chatty all night.
We were quite fast outside of Male International Airport. The passport control and the customs check was fast and we got our backs really fast as well. Nice done Maldivians!
But then we got our first scare. Nobody from Kandooma to pick us up from the airport. Fortunately there was a nice lady from TUI who knew we were looking for, and as it turned out, we were expected to arrive on the 31st instead of today. No harm done, and the Water Villa we booked was available. It just had to be readied.
After a boattrip of about 40 minutes we arrived on this really beautiful island. The website is really a great representation of the island, no lies there. We're enyoing our stay sofar to the fullest. Weather is excellent (28C, a bit humidity and sea water is excellent) and so are the two restaurants we had lunch and diner. Sofar everything is going great and besides sleeping and relaxing in the sun we didn't do anything yet.
So more tomorrow, when we've undertaken one or two things (like scuba or hanging around the pool soaking up more sun). Just to keep our minds of the boys (who are staying with my parents) and on the relaxing part of the trip.
Iwan
It has been a while, a real long while since I blogged last. A lot has happened in since then and I plan on getting you up to speed sometime. But the coming period I'll be blogging about our stay on the Maldives. Kandooma Island to be exact. That's why these words are from the Maldives instead of the Netherlands.
So today we arrived, after a rather uneventful flight from Dusseldorf (Germany) International Airport, which requires explicit mentioning, since my dad programmed the NavSat to get us to Dusseldorf Regional Airport, which is about 60 km away from Dusseldorf International Airport. Not to blame him, since I did something very similar the first time I had to program my TomTom to direct me.
The flight was okay, although LTU has rather small seats, and the couple sitting behind us was very chatty all night.
We were quite fast outside of Male International Airport. The passport control and the customs check was fast and we got our backs really fast as well. Nice done Maldivians!
But then we got our first scare. Nobody from Kandooma to pick us up from the airport. Fortunately there was a nice lady from TUI who knew we were looking for, and as it turned out, we were expected to arrive on the 31st instead of today. No harm done, and the Water Villa we booked was available. It just had to be readied.
After a boattrip of about 40 minutes we arrived on this really beautiful island. The website is really a great representation of the island, no lies there. We're enyoing our stay sofar to the fullest. Weather is excellent (28C, a bit humidity and sea water is excellent) and so are the two restaurants we had lunch and diner. Sofar everything is going great and besides sleeping and relaxing in the sun we didn't do anything yet.
So more tomorrow, when we've undertaken one or two things (like scuba or hanging around the pool soaking up more sun). Just to keep our minds of the boys (who are staying with my parents) and on the relaxing part of the trip.
Iwan
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
How everything instantly started to suck! REALLY SUCK
So yeah, it all can really, REALLY, suck. Why I believe this to be true, well I know this to be true.
About a week and a half ago, my sister in law went into labor, 2 months early. Bindi, the baby girl's name, was born with the knowledge that she wouldn't survive. Deprived of oxygen while in the womb for too long did too much damage.
But however you go about it, whatever you try to rationalize this tragedy, which it really is, there is just no way to wrap your mind around it. The only explanation for what happened is 'fluke'. There is nothing that could've been done to prevent it from happening and I think, at least for me, that is the only reason why I can more or less accept it. The fact that she lived for almost a day. The fact that I've been put in the position to say my goodbyes to her, and not just me, but all around her. Makes it bearable, if such a thing can be bearable.
The next thing that really sucked was the immense grieve my brother and my sister in law where experiencing, as were the grandparents. All of them. Seeing their grieve is unbearable, especially since there is nothing one can do about it. There is no way to help them get around it. There is no way to help them wrap their heads around it. That, now, REALLY SUCKS.
Last week we cremated Bindi, in if there is such a thing, the cremation was wonderful. It was small and intimate as it should have been.
Bindi: In just a single moment, You earned a place in all our hearts.
Iwan
About a week and a half ago, my sister in law went into labor, 2 months early. Bindi, the baby girl's name, was born with the knowledge that she wouldn't survive. Deprived of oxygen while in the womb for too long did too much damage.
But however you go about it, whatever you try to rationalize this tragedy, which it really is, there is just no way to wrap your mind around it. The only explanation for what happened is 'fluke'. There is nothing that could've been done to prevent it from happening and I think, at least for me, that is the only reason why I can more or less accept it. The fact that she lived for almost a day. The fact that I've been put in the position to say my goodbyes to her, and not just me, but all around her. Makes it bearable, if such a thing can be bearable.
The next thing that really sucked was the immense grieve my brother and my sister in law where experiencing, as were the grandparents. All of them. Seeing their grieve is unbearable, especially since there is nothing one can do about it. There is no way to help them get around it. There is no way to help them wrap their heads around it. That, now, REALLY SUCKS.
Last week we cremated Bindi, in if there is such a thing, the cremation was wonderful. It was small and intimate as it should have been.
Bindi: In just a single moment, You earned a place in all our hearts.
Iwan
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
December, the month of holidays and illnesses
Hi,
Like I blogged last time, it would be after our trip to the US before I would blog again, and as it turns out, I was right and it is even 'next year'.
So what happened lately. Well first of all we went to our friends Ravi and Mamatha in the Boston area. This was on December 7th, the Friday after Sinterklaas. By the way, Sinterklaas, the Dutch equivalent to Christmas' Santa, was very generous this year, especially for the kids.
We flew at around 3 PM from Amsterdam airport, Schiphol, and because it was in the boy's prime time, they didn't sleep... for the whole flight that is. Fortunately they're both really well behaving boys when it comes to not sleeping, so hardly any crying and a lot of flirting with the North West Airlines stewardesses. It is always a really big benefit when your kids aren't pestering the rest of the plane and the in flight personal loves them. Trust me, it is. Ray needed his diaper changed pretty much right after we took of the ground and believe me, his diaper wasn't the only thing that needed changing. He'd overspend as much as Olcay and I were planning to do in the outlet stores. Fortunately Olcay had been so smart to take additional clothes along in our carry-on luggage, it was needed. Apart from the kids not sleeping, the flight was rather uneventful. We were picked up from the airport by Ravi and his family and drove to their place. As it had snowed, Jay and I played in the snow for a bit and because he didn't want to wear his gloves he found out the hard way that snow is indeed cold.
It was good to see our friends again, as it had been almost two years since the last time we visited them. Scary fact: Jay was 10 months old when we came to Boston with him, and Ray just turned 10 months when we flew there this time. Coincidence? I don't know.
That Monday or Tuesday Mamatha found out that she had pneumonia and needed to take antibiotics and stay inside. As it was really cold and everybody, especially Jay and Ray, needed to rest and get into a new rhythm we stayed around the house. Ravi had to work anyway. Tuesday and Wednesday Ray and Jay both were feeling not to well, probably because of the lack of sleep, the new daily patterns and the fact that the temperature outside was well below freezing point and inside it was nice and warm. That probably left enough opportunity for a cold-bug to strike. Ravi became ill as well during the week, same cold-bug kicked his butt and on Friday we all felt like we were good enough again to drive to his brother in Berlin, CT. Only Mahika, their daughter had a serious infection in both ears and we had to turn around. Since the weather was going to be really bad (again) it was probably a good thing, and we convinced Ravi's brother to stay at their place. Although that took a lot of convincing skills. Man did they really badly want to see us. That was really heart warming. During the car ride, Olcay became ill. Yup, that pretty much leaves me as the only person not catching anything during those 10 days. But on a different note, Olcay stayed flu'ish untill after Christmas.
The flight back was good enough as both Ray and Jay slept for a while. Fortunately they showed Cars on the inflight entertainment system so Jay was happy. Olcay didn't sleep at all, since she had to make sure that Ray wouldn't wake up. It all turned out to be a decent return home, but for the minor detail that the battery of our care was dead. Jay, probably, had turned on the little light in the back and that had drained the battery to a full stop. It took the ANWB, the Dutch roadside assistence, slightly under an hour to help us out and that was our cue to drive home and have closure for this vacation.
This time around I won't bore you with the rest of the proceedings in december. Well maybe I should as it isn't much, so here it goes.
As I said, Olcay caught the flu in the States and that only turned worse in the days after our vacation. Up to a point where she went to see the doctor. She had to try some steambaths etc for three days or else get some antibiotics. This because her whole head was congested and inflamed. This was right before Christmas. Good thing we bought some medicine in the US so there were enough pain relief goodies in the house. The day right after Christmas she called the doctor's office and got her antibiotics. Three pills and all was done. Right before New Years Eve she was up and ready to... comfort Jay while he was a bit scared of the firecrackers and other fireworks that 'made loud bangs'. Leaving me with 200+ firecrackers in the house...
On Christmas day Santa came along and surprised us all with loads of presents. Amina and her daughter where there as well. Christmas diner was really nice and the next day (2nd Christmas day as we call it in Holland) was as good, at my parents with the whole family. Apart from the illnesses and all we had a great December. Most of the time I was off and got to spend with the family.
Iwan
Like I blogged last time, it would be after our trip to the US before I would blog again, and as it turns out, I was right and it is even 'next year'.
So what happened lately. Well first of all we went to our friends Ravi and Mamatha in the Boston area. This was on December 7th, the Friday after Sinterklaas. By the way, Sinterklaas, the Dutch equivalent to Christmas' Santa, was very generous this year, especially for the kids.
We flew at around 3 PM from Amsterdam airport, Schiphol, and because it was in the boy's prime time, they didn't sleep... for the whole flight that is. Fortunately they're both really well behaving boys when it comes to not sleeping, so hardly any crying and a lot of flirting with the North West Airlines stewardesses. It is always a really big benefit when your kids aren't pestering the rest of the plane and the in flight personal loves them. Trust me, it is. Ray needed his diaper changed pretty much right after we took of the ground and believe me, his diaper wasn't the only thing that needed changing. He'd overspend as much as Olcay and I were planning to do in the outlet stores. Fortunately Olcay had been so smart to take additional clothes along in our carry-on luggage, it was needed. Apart from the kids not sleeping, the flight was rather uneventful. We were picked up from the airport by Ravi and his family and drove to their place. As it had snowed, Jay and I played in the snow for a bit and because he didn't want to wear his gloves he found out the hard way that snow is indeed cold.
It was good to see our friends again, as it had been almost two years since the last time we visited them. Scary fact: Jay was 10 months old when we came to Boston with him, and Ray just turned 10 months when we flew there this time. Coincidence? I don't know.
That Monday or Tuesday Mamatha found out that she had pneumonia and needed to take antibiotics and stay inside. As it was really cold and everybody, especially Jay and Ray, needed to rest and get into a new rhythm we stayed around the house. Ravi had to work anyway. Tuesday and Wednesday Ray and Jay both were feeling not to well, probably because of the lack of sleep, the new daily patterns and the fact that the temperature outside was well below freezing point and inside it was nice and warm. That probably left enough opportunity for a cold-bug to strike. Ravi became ill as well during the week, same cold-bug kicked his butt and on Friday we all felt like we were good enough again to drive to his brother in Berlin, CT. Only Mahika, their daughter had a serious infection in both ears and we had to turn around. Since the weather was going to be really bad (again) it was probably a good thing, and we convinced Ravi's brother to stay at their place. Although that took a lot of convincing skills. Man did they really badly want to see us. That was really heart warming. During the car ride, Olcay became ill. Yup, that pretty much leaves me as the only person not catching anything during those 10 days. But on a different note, Olcay stayed flu'ish untill after Christmas.
The flight back was good enough as both Ray and Jay slept for a while. Fortunately they showed Cars on the inflight entertainment system so Jay was happy. Olcay didn't sleep at all, since she had to make sure that Ray wouldn't wake up. It all turned out to be a decent return home, but for the minor detail that the battery of our care was dead. Jay, probably, had turned on the little light in the back and that had drained the battery to a full stop. It took the ANWB, the Dutch roadside assistence, slightly under an hour to help us out and that was our cue to drive home and have closure for this vacation.
This time around I won't bore you with the rest of the proceedings in december. Well maybe I should as it isn't much, so here it goes.
As I said, Olcay caught the flu in the States and that only turned worse in the days after our vacation. Up to a point where she went to see the doctor. She had to try some steambaths etc for three days or else get some antibiotics. This because her whole head was congested and inflamed. This was right before Christmas. Good thing we bought some medicine in the US so there were enough pain relief goodies in the house. The day right after Christmas she called the doctor's office and got her antibiotics. Three pills and all was done. Right before New Years Eve she was up and ready to... comfort Jay while he was a bit scared of the firecrackers and other fireworks that 'made loud bangs'. Leaving me with 200+ firecrackers in the house...
On Christmas day Santa came along and surprised us all with loads of presents. Amina and her daughter where there as well. Christmas diner was really nice and the next day (2nd Christmas day as we call it in Holland) was as good, at my parents with the whole family. Apart from the illnesses and all we had a great December. Most of the time I was off and got to spend with the family.
Iwan
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Through Spain, Oman and Texel towards Boston
Hi,
It has been a while since I blogged and a lot has happened in the few... months I guess is the right word.
So what happened? Well Olcay and the kids went to Spain with my in-laws to meet my parents in Torremolinos, Spain. My parents had planned a two week vacation in Spain and as they do all the time, they went traveling for a week and spending the last week at the beach. They suggested that Olcay and the kids and her parents would visit them over there as well. So they did. I stayed behind, mostly because I had already planned a trip to Oman early October, but also because I had to do my verbal exam for the NVBI. Which I passed by the way.
Ray learned to crawl in Spain, and currently he walks while holding on to whatever he can. Oh, and he's damn fast as well. Putting everything into his mouth and trying to get his hands on anything forbidden. A little rascal, that's what he is. Jay had a great time in Spain, while Ray was keeping everybody awake during those 2 weeks.
A week after they came back home, I left for a diving trip to Oman. The weather was excellent, the water was warm, but murky. So there wasn't a lot of visibility. The fish we did see were bigger than those in the Red Sea and not so shy. By the way, I went with Lorenz and Ronald, and we had a great time. The hotel was really excellent, Oman Diving Center, and their food was extremely good.
Right after I came back from Oman, Olcay and I celebrated our 5th anniversary. On Texel, one of the Dutch islands in the Waddenzee. We stayed at the Texel Suites, a really good design B&B. It was a great weekend without the kids. We enjoyed it very much, but to be honest, we were also glad to see the boys again, who stayed at my parents.
And now the waiting is for our flight to the US on December 7th, when we fly to Ravi and Mamatha and see their little Mahika again. It's been way too long since we were there. Almost 2 years. Last year we planned to fly over, but Olcay got her hernia, so now it is going to work out, I'm sure.
Maybe I'll post another blog between now and then, but I'm pretty confident I won't
See you after Boston,
Iwan
It has been a while since I blogged and a lot has happened in the few... months I guess is the right word.
So what happened? Well Olcay and the kids went to Spain with my in-laws to meet my parents in Torremolinos, Spain. My parents had planned a two week vacation in Spain and as they do all the time, they went traveling for a week and spending the last week at the beach. They suggested that Olcay and the kids and her parents would visit them over there as well. So they did. I stayed behind, mostly because I had already planned a trip to Oman early October, but also because I had to do my verbal exam for the NVBI. Which I passed by the way.
Ray learned to crawl in Spain, and currently he walks while holding on to whatever he can. Oh, and he's damn fast as well. Putting everything into his mouth and trying to get his hands on anything forbidden. A little rascal, that's what he is. Jay had a great time in Spain, while Ray was keeping everybody awake during those 2 weeks.
A week after they came back home, I left for a diving trip to Oman. The weather was excellent, the water was warm, but murky. So there wasn't a lot of visibility. The fish we did see were bigger than those in the Red Sea and not so shy. By the way, I went with Lorenz and Ronald, and we had a great time. The hotel was really excellent, Oman Diving Center, and their food was extremely good.
Right after I came back from Oman, Olcay and I celebrated our 5th anniversary. On Texel, one of the Dutch islands in the Waddenzee. We stayed at the Texel Suites, a really good design B&B. It was a great weekend without the kids. We enjoyed it very much, but to be honest, we were also glad to see the boys again, who stayed at my parents.
And now the waiting is for our flight to the US on December 7th, when we fly to Ravi and Mamatha and see their little Mahika again. It's been way too long since we were there. Almost 2 years. Last year we planned to fly over, but Olcay got her hernia, so now it is going to work out, I'm sure.
Maybe I'll post another blog between now and then, but I'm pretty confident I won't
See you after Boston,
Iwan
Friday, August 24, 2007
Movie Review: The Simpsons
Hi,
This week I saw the Simpsons movie, and I liked it. But mainly because it was just the Simpsons. Nothing fancy, nothing new, just an episode as any other episode, only taking 90 minutes.
All the characters you know are there and they're all playing their role. Excellent.
I can tell you what the story is about, but it is as absurd as any other Simpsons story, so it won't help you to decide whether or not you should see this one. But I can tell you, if you like the Simpsons, you'll like the movie. Although going to see it on the big screen is maybe not worth the effort, but then again, when you're a fan, you probably want to get the experience anyway.
Iwan
This week I saw the Simpsons movie, and I liked it. But mainly because it was just the Simpsons. Nothing fancy, nothing new, just an episode as any other episode, only taking 90 minutes.
All the characters you know are there and they're all playing their role. Excellent.
I can tell you what the story is about, but it is as absurd as any other Simpsons story, so it won't help you to decide whether or not you should see this one. But I can tell you, if you like the Simpsons, you'll like the movie. Although going to see it on the big screen is maybe not worth the effort, but then again, when you're a fan, you probably want to get the experience anyway.
Iwan
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Body flying... that was soooo cool
Hi,
Last Sunday was fun. I went body flying in Hueckenhoven, Germany. It was our birthday present to Ashley. Every year we do something adventurous. Last year we went powerboating this year body flying.
For those of you who don't know what body flying is, here's a short description. There's this huge turbine from an airplane set into the ground blowing a wind of 180 km/h upwards and wearing a special coverall you're flying in this air stream. When you see people doing this, it seems very easy, but let me tell you, it isn't.
Ashley was a natural, she rode the winds like she'd done it all her life. Mark and I were mediocre compared to her, although we were doing fairly well ourselves.
The good thing about this all, is that Olcay could do it as well and she enjoyed her ride on the wind a lot.
Each session lasted for about 5 minutes a person, which seems very short, but believe me, it isn't in fact after two sessions we were all rather dead beat.
Jay and Ray were spending the weekend with my parents and they took them back Sunday night. So all in all we had a great weekend.
Iwan
Last Sunday was fun. I went body flying in Hueckenhoven, Germany. It was our birthday present to Ashley. Every year we do something adventurous. Last year we went powerboating this year body flying.
For those of you who don't know what body flying is, here's a short description. There's this huge turbine from an airplane set into the ground blowing a wind of 180 km/h upwards and wearing a special coverall you're flying in this air stream. When you see people doing this, it seems very easy, but let me tell you, it isn't.
Ashley was a natural, she rode the winds like she'd done it all her life. Mark and I were mediocre compared to her, although we were doing fairly well ourselves.
The good thing about this all, is that Olcay could do it as well and she enjoyed her ride on the wind a lot.
Each session lasted for about 5 minutes a person, which seems very short, but believe me, it isn't in fact after two sessions we were all rather dead beat.
Jay and Ray were spending the weekend with my parents and they took them back Sunday night. So all in all we had a great weekend.
Iwan
Monday, July 02, 2007
Movie Review: White Noise 2: The Light
Here's another movie review: White Noise 2: The Light. It's the sequel to White Noise, which I haven't seen but do own on DVD... but after seeing the sequel I'm not really looking forward to the original movie. On the other hand, sequels are typically not as good as the original and since this one is not too bad, I might watch White Noise sometime soon.
So after this philosophical introduction, here's the review: White Noise 2: The Light is a thriller with paranormal aspects. It's by no means a horror and all scary moments in the movie are done by "showing all of a sudden a decaying dead person". Trust me, it's scarier to just all of a sudden scream at the person next to you than watching these scenes.
The story is interesting and the movie starts of with some statistics that are supposedly there to make the story more believable. But in the end it matters if you belief in near-death-experiences or not to make this movie believable.
With the current slant of horrors, psycho thrillers and paranormal thrillers at the movies, there are more alternatives. All in all: Rent the DVD.
Iwan
So after this philosophical introduction, here's the review: White Noise 2: The Light is a thriller with paranormal aspects. It's by no means a horror and all scary moments in the movie are done by "showing all of a sudden a decaying dead person". Trust me, it's scarier to just all of a sudden scream at the person next to you than watching these scenes.
The story is interesting and the movie starts of with some statistics that are supposedly there to make the story more believable. But in the end it matters if you belief in near-death-experiences or not to make this movie believable.
With the current slant of horrors, psycho thrillers and paranormal thrillers at the movies, there are more alternatives. All in all: Rent the DVD.
Iwan
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Movie Review: Bordertown
Two weeks ago I saw the movie 'Bordertown' staring Jennifer Lopez and Antonio Banderas.
The movie is about a journalist (Lopez) who is covering a series of rapes/murders in the Mexican border town Juarez. (Movie Trivia: The dice in Ocean's 13 are produced in Juarez.)
Local news paper publisher Banderas is helping here with the story, which becomes her biggest story ever. Meanwhile J'Lo is also trying to uncover the serial rapist/murderer and starts a romance with one of the local industrialists.
I saw the movie in the sneakpreview, otherwise I would probably never see this movie as it doesn't appeal to me. Not seeing the movie would've been a waste, as this is a nice and interesting story and both main characters are well acted.
This is not a movie for the big screen and I can very well envision you seeing the movie at home on DVD.
Iwan
The movie is about a journalist (Lopez) who is covering a series of rapes/murders in the Mexican border town Juarez. (Movie Trivia: The dice in Ocean's 13 are produced in Juarez.)
Local news paper publisher Banderas is helping here with the story, which becomes her biggest story ever. Meanwhile J'Lo is also trying to uncover the serial rapist/murderer and starts a romance with one of the local industrialists.
I saw the movie in the sneakpreview, otherwise I would probably never see this movie as it doesn't appeal to me. Not seeing the movie would've been a waste, as this is a nice and interesting story and both main characters are well acted.
This is not a movie for the big screen and I can very well envision you seeing the movie at home on DVD.
Iwan
Monday, June 04, 2007
Whatever happened to me... the story with Jay.
Just a couple of days ago I blogged about Ray and what happened the last couple of months in our lives. Today is Jay's turn.
As you might know, Jay turned 2 weeks ago, May 24th to be precise.
In the past couple of months he started talking really well, and you can now pretty well understand what he's saying, even when you hear him talking for the first time. His sentences spawn about 3 to 4 words. He picks up on words really fast as well. I remember from friends that as soon as they said something out loud that wasn't intended for children to hear, they pick it up and start repeating it. Well Jay's no exception. So I'm careful about what I'm saying. And it's not only bad words, but also when you say something about someone, you don't want them to repeat it in front of that someone.
What is quite interesting is that he, out of the blue, said 'Gezondheid' after somebody was sneezing. And he's saying 'Dankjewel' (Thank you) when you give something and apologizes when you're angry with him.
Recently he's really mad about his Lego Duplo train, he got more parts at his birthday, so now he's got one big rail-track in his room, with a police station and zoo. And he loves to play with it. This is when he isn't playing outside. With the excellent month of April weatherwise, he had a great spring '07, playing in our garden and in the street in front of our house all the time. Swings and slides are his favorite on the playground.
Oh, and then there is the big water slide in the swimmingpool we're going every week. When is was like 10 months old or so, we took that slide when he was sleepy and ever since he associated that slide with something awful. So he never wanted to go down that slide again. Somewhere in March he saw kids go up the slide and he wanted to go up as well. Although he didn't want to go down the slide, he still wanted to be at the top. One time he wanted to go down the slide and ever since, he's crazy about it and only wants to go down the slide. The faster the more fun, although I believe last Thursday I overdid it a bit. Nowadays we go swimming with the four of us. Jay's splashes with Olcay when Ray and I are taking a swimming lesson.
Since a few weeks, Jay hates it to be left at daycare, and cries heartbreakingly when you leave him there. Although appearantly after a minute he's okay with it. I've seen the same behavior a couple of times at home as well and I believe it is due to the fact that he is now at an age where he understands the concept of being left alone.
All-in-all, Jay's still the happy little fella that brightens your day big time.
Iwan
As you might know, Jay turned 2 weeks ago, May 24th to be precise.
In the past couple of months he started talking really well, and you can now pretty well understand what he's saying, even when you hear him talking for the first time. His sentences spawn about 3 to 4 words. He picks up on words really fast as well. I remember from friends that as soon as they said something out loud that wasn't intended for children to hear, they pick it up and start repeating it. Well Jay's no exception. So I'm careful about what I'm saying. And it's not only bad words, but also when you say something about someone, you don't want them to repeat it in front of that someone.
What is quite interesting is that he, out of the blue, said 'Gezondheid' after somebody was sneezing. And he's saying 'Dankjewel' (Thank you) when you give something and apologizes when you're angry with him.
Recently he's really mad about his Lego Duplo train, he got more parts at his birthday, so now he's got one big rail-track in his room, with a police station and zoo. And he loves to play with it. This is when he isn't playing outside. With the excellent month of April weatherwise, he had a great spring '07, playing in our garden and in the street in front of our house all the time. Swings and slides are his favorite on the playground.
Oh, and then there is the big water slide in the swimmingpool we're going every week. When is was like 10 months old or so, we took that slide when he was sleepy and ever since he associated that slide with something awful. So he never wanted to go down that slide again. Somewhere in March he saw kids go up the slide and he wanted to go up as well. Although he didn't want to go down the slide, he still wanted to be at the top. One time he wanted to go down the slide and ever since, he's crazy about it and only wants to go down the slide. The faster the more fun, although I believe last Thursday I overdid it a bit. Nowadays we go swimming with the four of us. Jay's splashes with Olcay when Ray and I are taking a swimming lesson.
Since a few weeks, Jay hates it to be left at daycare, and cries heartbreakingly when you leave him there. Although appearantly after a minute he's okay with it. I've seen the same behavior a couple of times at home as well and I believe it is due to the fact that he is now at an age where he understands the concept of being left alone.
All-in-all, Jay's still the happy little fella that brightens your day big time.
Iwan
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Whatever happened to me... the story with Ray.
Hi,
Yes, I know it has been several months since the last time I blogged, and if I am not mistaken at the time I made sort of a promise to blog more frequently. And so far I haven't lived up to that promise. Well, there are good reasons for this.
So what happened since February 26th, the date of the last blog? Quite a bit. I can do this chronologically, but I prefer a more elaborate, chaotic approach.
For one, Ray is growing really fast. He's now around 60 cm tall and weighs 6 kg, which is quite an achievement when you're starting from about 2800 grams and 50 cm. Especially considering he throws up big time. And I mean it in the sense that we change clothes every time we feed him, not his clothes but our clothes. This has to do with reflux, the little valve in between his throat and his stomach is not fully developed. According to the pediatrician this is quite common for babies. Since a while now he's getting some medicine to relief his throat from acid-burn, and some medicine to ease his stomach. That helped.
We also started to wrap him in sheets before taking him to bed. His arms were uncontrollable and he was accidentally hitting himself while he was asleep. It's quite a sight seeing him wrapped in what seems a cocoon. And best of all, he sleeps a lot sounder ever since.
Maybe most importantly to mention about Ray is that his 'bad' kidney is not doing anything at all, so nothing bad either. A little recap on the subject; early March we were supposed to have him examined to find out how much each of his kidneys was still functioning. But the doctors had a little trouble applying the IV. After 6 trials they gave up and we were supposed to come back in a month, so we did. At that time it all worked out nicely at the first go and with the IV they injected some radio active stuff that later showed up on the scanner. Only one kidney showed up, the other, the bad one, didn't show up at all. This is actually a good thing, since a poorly functioning kidney causes high blood pressure and infections. So we're quite happy about this one.
Meanwhile, as I stated earlier in this blog, he's doing great. At 6 weeks old we took him swimming and have the photo's to proof this. Last week I took him for a second time, 8 weeks later, and he enjoyed it a lot.
What is rather interesting is that he's very different from Jay. For one, Ray likes the ease and quiet. He's very sensitive to crowds and noises. But he's also very verbal, makes a lot of baby noises and starts to smile and even laugh when you talk to him. As a matter of fact, when he feels like crying, you can start talking to him and it is very likely he'll be laughing instead. He sleeps more than Jay did at his age. On the other hand, Ray can play all by himself for a far longer time than Jay could.
Something that is really great to see is that Jay accepts Ray completely and it's really heartening to see him explain to Ray what it is all out there in the great wide open. And when Ray cries, and we're not acting upon it, Jay's telling us to go see Ray.
Iwan
PS: Check out Ray's website on http://ray.tripleminds.com I try to keep it as up-to-date as possible.
Yes, I know it has been several months since the last time I blogged, and if I am not mistaken at the time I made sort of a promise to blog more frequently. And so far I haven't lived up to that promise. Well, there are good reasons for this.
So what happened since February 26th, the date of the last blog? Quite a bit. I can do this chronologically, but I prefer a more elaborate, chaotic approach.
For one, Ray is growing really fast. He's now around 60 cm tall and weighs 6 kg, which is quite an achievement when you're starting from about 2800 grams and 50 cm. Especially considering he throws up big time. And I mean it in the sense that we change clothes every time we feed him, not his clothes but our clothes. This has to do with reflux, the little valve in between his throat and his stomach is not fully developed. According to the pediatrician this is quite common for babies. Since a while now he's getting some medicine to relief his throat from acid-burn, and some medicine to ease his stomach. That helped.
We also started to wrap him in sheets before taking him to bed. His arms were uncontrollable and he was accidentally hitting himself while he was asleep. It's quite a sight seeing him wrapped in what seems a cocoon. And best of all, he sleeps a lot sounder ever since.
Maybe most importantly to mention about Ray is that his 'bad' kidney is not doing anything at all, so nothing bad either. A little recap on the subject; early March we were supposed to have him examined to find out how much each of his kidneys was still functioning. But the doctors had a little trouble applying the IV. After 6 trials they gave up and we were supposed to come back in a month, so we did. At that time it all worked out nicely at the first go and with the IV they injected some radio active stuff that later showed up on the scanner. Only one kidney showed up, the other, the bad one, didn't show up at all. This is actually a good thing, since a poorly functioning kidney causes high blood pressure and infections. So we're quite happy about this one.
Meanwhile, as I stated earlier in this blog, he's doing great. At 6 weeks old we took him swimming and have the photo's to proof this. Last week I took him for a second time, 8 weeks later, and he enjoyed it a lot.
What is rather interesting is that he's very different from Jay. For one, Ray likes the ease and quiet. He's very sensitive to crowds and noises. But he's also very verbal, makes a lot of baby noises and starts to smile and even laugh when you talk to him. As a matter of fact, when he feels like crying, you can start talking to him and it is very likely he'll be laughing instead. He sleeps more than Jay did at his age. On the other hand, Ray can play all by himself for a far longer time than Jay could.
Something that is really great to see is that Jay accepts Ray completely and it's really heartening to see him explain to Ray what it is all out there in the great wide open. And when Ray cries, and we're not acting upon it, Jay's telling us to go see Ray.
Iwan
PS: Check out Ray's website on http://ray.tripleminds.com I try to keep it as up-to-date as possible.
Monday, February 26, 2007
So much for an up to date blog on the proceedings at home
So here I am with my good intentions to blog about Jay, Ray and Olcay and my well being in their company on a very regular basis now that Ray is born. But it has been more than 2 weeks since my previous blog. I'll make it an effort to blog more often from now on.
What's been happening lately? Not too much I must say. Let's see, last time I blogged, Olcay and Ray came home and we're one happy family at home again.
Ray is doing fine, although breastfeeding was a bit of a problem, resulting in Ray not getting enough nutrition we moved to the bottle approach and that is going really well. Although he's one little sleepy boy, so typically somewhere halfway the bottle he's vast asleep and we have a hard time waking him up.
Olcay's hernia is retreating, ever since the burden of the big belly (BBB) is gone, she's healing quite fast. That is something to cheer about, so here comes; HURRAY.
Jay is being the big brother all over and he's doing really well. One of the things to keep in mind is that he was already used to not getting all the attention from Olcay because of her illness. So that's not much of a change. And he's accepting me to hold Ray more or less. The fact that Ray is only 3 kg or something like that allows me to practically move around with him in my hands without noticing this. So I can still play with Jay. But it is really comforting to see Jay walking up to Ray giving him a kiss when he's crying.
Bit of a downside is that Ray still doesn't understand that he needs to sleep all night, well one bottle of milk is ok, but after that he's crying... big time. Such a little fellow, such a big mouth. At least it was like that the last two nights, which is killing. But my friend Ravi told me it can be worse. His daughter woke up hungry every 2 hours, Ray at least sticks with 3-4 hours in between bottles.
That's about it. As I've said in the beginning, not much happened the past 2 weeks or so. But from now on I'll try to blog more regularly.
Iwan
What's been happening lately? Not too much I must say. Let's see, last time I blogged, Olcay and Ray came home and we're one happy family at home again.
Ray is doing fine, although breastfeeding was a bit of a problem, resulting in Ray not getting enough nutrition we moved to the bottle approach and that is going really well. Although he's one little sleepy boy, so typically somewhere halfway the bottle he's vast asleep and we have a hard time waking him up.
Olcay's hernia is retreating, ever since the burden of the big belly (BBB) is gone, she's healing quite fast. That is something to cheer about, so here comes; HURRAY.
Jay is being the big brother all over and he's doing really well. One of the things to keep in mind is that he was already used to not getting all the attention from Olcay because of her illness. So that's not much of a change. And he's accepting me to hold Ray more or less. The fact that Ray is only 3 kg or something like that allows me to practically move around with him in my hands without noticing this. So I can still play with Jay. But it is really comforting to see Jay walking up to Ray giving him a kiss when he's crying.
Bit of a downside is that Ray still doesn't understand that he needs to sleep all night, well one bottle of milk is ok, but after that he's crying... big time. Such a little fellow, such a big mouth. At least it was like that the last two nights, which is killing. But my friend Ravi told me it can be worse. His daughter woke up hungry every 2 hours, Ray at least sticks with 3-4 hours in between bottles.
That's about it. As I've said in the beginning, not much happened the past 2 weeks or so. But from now on I'll try to blog more regularly.
Iwan
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Brotherhood of the unexpected
Hi,
Last night was Ray's first night at home, and with that my first night with him. I'd already forgotten that when they wake up it takes roughly an hour before they're fed and put back to sleep... really sleeping. So that was an eye opener. But all-in-all it was an okay night. Jay woke up but after putting him back to bed, that was nothing more than an incident. This morning at 6:30 he came back to us and we took him in bed. After some baby-watching he slept for a while and we woke up around 7:15. Sesamestreet bought us another 30 minutes.
Today we had the nicest and sweetest experience with Jay giving Ray kisses and wanting to help Ray when he was crying, because according to Jay, Ray was in pain. That was really great. So we're happy that he in fact is very big brother like already. One pitfall we don't want to find ourselves in, is expecting Jay to be older than he is. That is hard, because all of a sudden he really is a 'big boy'. But we'll manage.
It's gonna be a week of happy family the next week, so little sleep and loads of diaper cleaning.
Iwan
Last night was Ray's first night at home, and with that my first night with him. I'd already forgotten that when they wake up it takes roughly an hour before they're fed and put back to sleep... really sleeping. So that was an eye opener. But all-in-all it was an okay night. Jay woke up but after putting him back to bed, that was nothing more than an incident. This morning at 6:30 he came back to us and we took him in bed. After some baby-watching he slept for a while and we woke up around 7:15. Sesamestreet bought us another 30 minutes.
Today we had the nicest and sweetest experience with Jay giving Ray kisses and wanting to help Ray when he was crying, because according to Jay, Ray was in pain. That was really great. So we're happy that he in fact is very big brother like already. One pitfall we don't want to find ourselves in, is expecting Jay to be older than he is. That is hard, because all of a sudden he really is a 'big boy'. But we'll manage.
It's gonna be a week of happy family the next week, so little sleep and loads of diaper cleaning.
Iwan
Friday, February 09, 2007
Back home
Hi,
Today Olcay and Ray came home. It was Ray's first trip in a car, and his land speed record to date is 140 km/hr. Not too bad for a 2 day old.
All is fine. Ray's kidney is something we will be checking up on in the next few weeks. We need to keep an I on his peeing practices, and in about 4 weeks he'll be checked in Amsterdam, to see how much his kidney is taking part in the whole process.
Well, Jay is doing great as well, doesn't care too much about Ray at the moment, although he's okay with his brother and gives him kisses. But since Ray is still a bit inanimate, especially in Jay's eyes, there's not much interest in that area.
Iwan
Today Olcay and Ray came home. It was Ray's first trip in a car, and his land speed record to date is 140 km/hr. Not too bad for a 2 day old.
All is fine. Ray's kidney is something we will be checking up on in the next few weeks. We need to keep an I on his peeing practices, and in about 4 weeks he'll be checked in Amsterdam, to see how much his kidney is taking part in the whole process.
Well, Jay is doing great as well, doesn't care too much about Ray at the moment, although he's okay with his brother and gives him kisses. But since Ray is still a bit inanimate, especially in Jay's eyes, there's not much interest in that area.
Iwan
Thursday, February 08, 2007
How once there were 3 and now 4 of us...
Hi,
Let me just put out the word straight out: Ray was born yesterday. Who Ray is? He's our son and his full name is: Raiden Sidar Eising. He was 2915 grams at birth and is doing great.
When you've subscribed to my blog and kept yourself up to date, you know that Olcay was suffering from a hernia and that she was onto morphine for quite a while. Although she's not using it for about 3 weeks now, we are still a bit concerned about Ray's health and the impact of Olcay's medication on it. So they're staying in the hospital until tomorrow afternoon and the pediatrician will do a full check-up on Ray. As of yet, there's nothing to worry about though.
The story is that yesterday around 3 PM Olcay called me in the office to tell me that 'it had started', her water broke (if that is how to put it). But she wasn't in labor yet, contractions what so ever. Because of her hernia this actually might be a sign of a serious regression of it and instant surgery might be imminent. So when I got home, we called the hospital and drove over there. As it turned out, labor had started, and she was supposed to stay in the hospital which was fine with us. At 11 PM she called me that the contractions had started and at 12:30 AM today she called me to get to the hospital. Things were getting serious. I called Desiree and Olaf to come and watch Jay while I was in the hospital and when Desiree arrived I went to Olcay. At 1 AM I got to the hospital and 2:51 Ray was born. It was a smooth easy job, were it not for the fact that Olcay was scared as hell for the pain and the impact of the contractions on her hernia. She focussed more on the pain, than on relief of the contractions. Under normal conditions it would've been a breeze, but it was tough nonetheless.
I came home at 5:15 this morning and at noon I was back with Olcay and Ray. Jay was taken there by Desiree already and for him this is still something hard to grasp. Well what is there to expect from a 19 months old great little fella? He's doing great as is his little baby brother. We're all happy and consider this as an end to a couple of months of misfortune.
Iwan
Let me just put out the word straight out: Ray was born yesterday. Who Ray is? He's our son and his full name is: Raiden Sidar Eising. He was 2915 grams at birth and is doing great.
When you've subscribed to my blog and kept yourself up to date, you know that Olcay was suffering from a hernia and that she was onto morphine for quite a while. Although she's not using it for about 3 weeks now, we are still a bit concerned about Ray's health and the impact of Olcay's medication on it. So they're staying in the hospital until tomorrow afternoon and the pediatrician will do a full check-up on Ray. As of yet, there's nothing to worry about though.
The story is that yesterday around 3 PM Olcay called me in the office to tell me that 'it had started', her water broke (if that is how to put it). But she wasn't in labor yet, contractions what so ever. Because of her hernia this actually might be a sign of a serious regression of it and instant surgery might be imminent. So when I got home, we called the hospital and drove over there. As it turned out, labor had started, and she was supposed to stay in the hospital which was fine with us. At 11 PM she called me that the contractions had started and at 12:30 AM today she called me to get to the hospital. Things were getting serious. I called Desiree and Olaf to come and watch Jay while I was in the hospital and when Desiree arrived I went to Olcay. At 1 AM I got to the hospital and 2:51 Ray was born. It was a smooth easy job, were it not for the fact that Olcay was scared as hell for the pain and the impact of the contractions on her hernia. She focussed more on the pain, than on relief of the contractions. Under normal conditions it would've been a breeze, but it was tough nonetheless.
I came home at 5:15 this morning and at noon I was back with Olcay and Ray. Jay was taken there by Desiree already and for him this is still something hard to grasp. Well what is there to expect from a 19 months old great little fella? He's doing great as is his little baby brother. We're all happy and consider this as an end to a couple of months of misfortune.
Iwan
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Long time no blog
Last time I blogged is already 3 weeks ago, well almost. And in these last couple of weeks, Olcay got rid of the morphine all together and we're on half the dose of Paracetamol. So that's all good news. Although the hernia is still there but the 'pain' is bearable... In the meantime we've seen the gynecologist and the neurologist and both were happy to see that she's walking by herself again. Mind that the time before she was rolled in with a wheelchair and taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Update on the baby; it is doing great. Thursday we're seeing the gynecologist again, that's more regularly now. The baby's kidney is doing relatively well also. One good thing about getting rid of the morphine is of course that the baby doesn't have to go into detox. That's taken care of in the womb, meaning that all related complications during its birth have more or less vanished.
Jay's doing good also. Since a couple of weeks he's sleeping in his new bed and that went great. Lately he comes out of bed himself and sneaks into our bedroom asking for us because he wants to sleep in our bed. That's really a great experience, and typically he sleeps until 730 AM. When he wakes up at night he needs a diaper change and I take him to his own bed again and he falls asleep until 7 AM or so.
He's talking more and more and really tries to find out what his place in the picking order around the house is. Unfortunately for him, he's still at the bottom of the food chain.
I guess that's about it for this time. I'll try to blog more often, blogging should be like eating; Often little bits is better than incidentally a lot.
Iwan
Update on the baby; it is doing great. Thursday we're seeing the gynecologist again, that's more regularly now. The baby's kidney is doing relatively well also. One good thing about getting rid of the morphine is of course that the baby doesn't have to go into detox. That's taken care of in the womb, meaning that all related complications during its birth have more or less vanished.
Jay's doing good also. Since a couple of weeks he's sleeping in his new bed and that went great. Lately he comes out of bed himself and sneaks into our bedroom asking for us because he wants to sleep in our bed. That's really a great experience, and typically he sleeps until 730 AM. When he wakes up at night he needs a diaper change and I take him to his own bed again and he falls asleep until 7 AM or so.
He's talking more and more and really tries to find out what his place in the picking order around the house is. Unfortunately for him, he's still at the bottom of the food chain.
I guess that's about it for this time. I'll try to blog more often, blogging should be like eating; Often little bits is better than incidentally a lot.
Iwan
Today's cookie: Sometimes It Is Important To Notice, Yet Ignoring Is Always An Option
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
2007 starts better than 2006 ended
Hi,
This is my first blog of 2007 and as the title suggests, 2007 has started better than 2006 ended. But to be honest, that wasn't a major achievement.
The reason for this title is that Olcay has stopped the morphine injections since January 1st and she's doing pretty good. There seem to be some withdrawal symptoms surfacing, but compared to the pain a month ago those are nothing. So in other words, she's doing relatively great. Our goal now is to be medication free by the end of the month. So we'll have about a month without painkillers before the baby is born.
So what else? Jay has a new bed and loves it. Best thing of all, he didn't mind sleeping in it and sleeps through the night nicely. Although sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night but that is because he needs a diaper change.
About the holidays I can say that they went by in a blur. I was too busy emptying the study, moving all stuff to the guest room and painting the study to become the baby room. This time its theme is 'universe' so I painted our solar system on the wall. Sometime at the end of the month the new curtains and carpet will be delivered and then we're all set. Until then, Jay will have two sets of beds and closets in his room.
Btw, yesterday I finished the baby room, although there's still a lot of stuff in it that needs to be taken care of... i.e. thrown away.
The new study is a complete mess. That will take some time and effort, but with the new Ikea closets and drawers it'll look fabulous. Best of all, it'll mean that a lot of the mess currently in the lounge is gone as well.
I think that's about it for what happened over the holidays. Of course we had a great X-Mas, although I was feeling a bit ill that day. Our X-Mas was celebrated on the 23rd with the whole family around. Gifts for everyone, but mainly for the little ones. They where spoiled so badly, Jay didn't know what to play with because there were more gifts to be opened. Since a very long time I did the cooking again it everybody liked it, so that was a success. We had a great time. The 31st my parents were over at our place, and my dad brought some fireworks... which was the first time for Jay to experience. He loved it. Hearing the BANGs all day and seeing the rockets explode all night. He didn't want to go to bed, so we kept him up until 10 in the evening. At that time he was wasted so slept soundly through the main fireworks.
That's really about it.
Iwan
This is my first blog of 2007 and as the title suggests, 2007 has started better than 2006 ended. But to be honest, that wasn't a major achievement.
The reason for this title is that Olcay has stopped the morphine injections since January 1st and she's doing pretty good. There seem to be some withdrawal symptoms surfacing, but compared to the pain a month ago those are nothing. So in other words, she's doing relatively great. Our goal now is to be medication free by the end of the month. So we'll have about a month without painkillers before the baby is born.
So what else? Jay has a new bed and loves it. Best thing of all, he didn't mind sleeping in it and sleeps through the night nicely. Although sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night but that is because he needs a diaper change.
About the holidays I can say that they went by in a blur. I was too busy emptying the study, moving all stuff to the guest room and painting the study to become the baby room. This time its theme is 'universe' so I painted our solar system on the wall. Sometime at the end of the month the new curtains and carpet will be delivered and then we're all set. Until then, Jay will have two sets of beds and closets in his room.
Btw, yesterday I finished the baby room, although there's still a lot of stuff in it that needs to be taken care of... i.e. thrown away.
The new study is a complete mess. That will take some time and effort, but with the new Ikea closets and drawers it'll look fabulous. Best of all, it'll mean that a lot of the mess currently in the lounge is gone as well.
I think that's about it for what happened over the holidays. Of course we had a great X-Mas, although I was feeling a bit ill that day. Our X-Mas was celebrated on the 23rd with the whole family around. Gifts for everyone, but mainly for the little ones. They where spoiled so badly, Jay didn't know what to play with because there were more gifts to be opened. Since a very long time I did the cooking again it everybody liked it, so that was a success. We had a great time. The 31st my parents were over at our place, and my dad brought some fireworks... which was the first time for Jay to experience. He loved it. Hearing the BANGs all day and seeing the rockets explode all night. He didn't want to go to bed, so we kept him up until 10 in the evening. At that time he was wasted so slept soundly through the main fireworks.
That's really about it.
Iwan
Today's cookie: When The Food Is Good, The Party Is Great.
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