Queensday in Holland

Today, the 30th of april, is Queensday in Holland. We celebrate the birthday of our queen. Formally, that day would be somewhere in january, but because of the wintercold and all the events that are being held, they stayed with the birthday of the late queen-mother.

During Queensday there are a lot of festivities all over the country. Every city has its own activities, but every city also has a fleemarket.
Also our neighbourhood.

And that's the place to go when you are expecting a baby.

We booked some nice results:


















After we paid for some babyclothes I told the lady who sold the items that now we only needed a bigger place to live in. And she said: "Well, it so happens that our rental appartment will be free as of the first of June". We got her telephone number and tomorrow we are going to take a look. You never know if it is perhaps a better place to live.

Being continued......

Joy at the Aranda's

A couple of weeks ago, Mariana and Romer visited Amsterdam. We picked them up from the Amsterdam Central Train Station and accompanied them to their hotel.

We congratulated them with the pregnancy of Mariana. It was nice to see them so proud and so happy.

Then we went into the city to have a drink. The men ordered beer and the women ordered soft drinks. What Romer and Mariana did not no was that there was a good reason for me to stay away from the alcohol as well.

After the drinks came Antonio showed them the echo. Mariana was surprised to see that the digital photo of her echo that she had send by mail was so real printed by Antonio.

Then she took another look and saw that there was another name on the echo: Hubert.
She made the connection very quickly and was super enthusiastic and congratulated us both. Romer also was very happy for us.
We had a good time that evening, the four of us.......(or the six of us)!!

kicks from the inside

Since two days I can feel just some little kicks from my belly. Antonio was resting his head on my stomach and after a while I asked him if he did something. Then I asked again and again. No he did not do anything. So I asked him if he felt something as well. But no again.

So that was the first contact from the one who is living in the inside world with me, living in the outside world.

After that I tried again with my own hand and yes another little kick. That was so cool. The next morning while driving to Amsterdam I was listening to a News Radio Station, but after I received 5 kicks in 5 different places I decided he or she probably wanted another channel. So I switched to Classic FM.




I got infected by the architectual influences of all the information I get from Antonio.







Antonio and I having coffee and a very healty soda water at Hotel New York. On the background the Port Authorities Building and the appartmentbuilding Montevideo (by Mecanoo Architects).

Half way there

The most bizarre thing during the registration of our to be born baby at the town hall was that the pen was a promotion pen from an insurance company which dealt in FUNERALS.

Are they crazy over there?!!?

So, I think it is time that the BUGABOO company will sent them a promotion pen as well.

Meanwhile, the belly is growing and there is not a possibility to hide my pregnancy. And I feel that I'm getting very proud of my belly.

Today I went skating and if there is a way to get a lot of attention, I can tell you I have finally found it.
Everybody is looking at the funny women with the skates and the big belly.

a place and a name

Yesterday we went together to the City Hall (section Feyenoord) to arrange the recognition of the unborn child. In this way it is possible for me to register the child when it's born as his/her father, otherwise it has to be done by the mother.

As things stand now, our child would be a Rotterdam born child. A truly Feyenoord baby (South of Rotterdam).

We also had to decide which surname we shall give to the baby, and it is Paiva Aranda. Both my surnames because according to Dutch law those two names together are my name. Under Venezuelan law it would have been Paiva Hubert.

I had a little discussion with the public servant who arranges the documents, because I was not allowed to use my fountain pen to sign the documents. She said that everything should be signed with a special "act pen". I looked at the pen she handed me and it was a cheap promotion pen from an insurance company. Unbelieveable...

Another small victory

After all the information Antonio has shared with you, I will anounce the first little victory: nothing bad happened to the pregnacy because of the amniocentesis.

The first 2-3 days I have been very careful (read: I've let Antonio spoil me for 2 days). The advice that the docter gave me was to remain in and around the couch. After that I was allowed to go to work, but for the next 4 days prohibited to carry anything heavy and I was not allowed to do any sports.

So far so good. Now we have to wait another two weeks for the results.

Easter moment

Today we had the last prenatal diagnostic's test. The amniocentesis or the sampling of amniotic liquid from Margreet's belly.

We were together and everything went fine. Now is time to rest for Margreet. In about three weeks we'll have the results of the test and we will have much more confidence about the health of the baby. So far, with the blood screening test that we had some weeks ago, we already know that there are little or almost no risk for the pregnancy and the baby.

Now a relaxed week for Margreet, further with the beautiful life inside...