Euromania

2 Euro 2012!There is another 2 euro coin being minted. Very good for the treasury, but why is the Dutch mint always thinking so small. My point being that the special collectors versions of this coin was sold out in four days. The reason, there were only 15.000 coins being minted. These coins were sold with a nice profit for 10 euros each.

The direct profit for the government is 8 euro per sold coin. Furthermore, it is a pretty safe guess that all the coins will disappear into various collections resulting in a double profit for the government. But what I don’t understand is that in a time of crisis Holland is thinking so small. If 15.000 coins get sold in four days for sure there is a demand for more. With 30.000 coins you double the profit. Because this 2 euro coin will be wanted by collectors everywhere in Europe I think even one million coins would eventually be sold. A missed opportunity for the treasury.

4 Months

Alex surprised!It has already been 4 months since Alex’ birth and he has grown a lot. After the birth of our son our lived changed to the fast lane. Everything is happening faster and suddenly we don’t have time for a lot of things we used to take for granted. It seems that we are living our lives with much more intensity.

A simple cold that used to be annoying is suddenly a big issue because the results are much bigger. When I got a cold the little one also got it, resulting in sleepless nights, a poor coughing baby, a baby that does not want to drink, and a poor baby that will only quiet down and sleep it you rock it to sleep in your arms. This is quite an effort if you have a cold and need to keep it up a few days, 24 hours a day.

At the same time it is a fantastic experience to notice new developments all the time. Alex picking something up, Alex looking at his father when someone says ‘daddy’, Alex getting smarter all the time, avoiding we spray a salt solution in his nose, Alex controlling his body better and better and sometimes stretching his legs to avoid his pants being put on.

Being a parent is a lot of work, but it pays out. An Alex laughing, or showing a little smile is the best thing there is, and Alex smiles a lot. Even after coughing, puking, or whatever there is still a smile that appears on his little face.

The next adventure is already imminent. It looks like one of his teeth is starting to grow.

Coughing

Rhinomer!Yesterday and today the little one had a bad cold and this affected us dearly. Drinking his milk posed a problem because this nose was so blocked up that he could not drink and breath at the same time. The entire time he was coughing and he didn’t sleep for even a second the entire night. The immediate result was that we also did not sleep during the night. The poor boy, but it didn’t seem to bother him that much. A few times, just after a cough that sounded horrible, and sounded like the worst yet, a beautiful smile appeared on his little face.

The solution we are trying now is Rhinomer. A salt solution that we spray directly in his nose. Alex does not like it at all, but it works very well to get his some temporary relief.

Sinterklaas

Sinterklaas!Finally, the perfect evening has arrived. It is our first traditional Dutch Sinterklaas evening that we celebrate with Alex. Although Alex does not yet seem te realise what is going on. This way it’s a good general rehearsal where we can figure out what areas we are lacking in order to improve in the coming years.

The Sint has already been notified that Alex has been a very good boy this year. The presents have been flown in from Holland, and the typical music (including karaoke versions) is ready. The carrot Alex has left for the horse in his shoe was eaten so all looks well. The only thing we are missing is a cloth bag and the candies to throw around, but for this I will try and find some alternative.

Tonight we sing together and then we open the presents. The little one does not yet show any interest in toys, but maybe he will enjoy the unwrapping.

The shoe is set

First set shoe!I don’t think Alex will realize it, but his shoe is set and it contains a nice big carrot. The only attention point is probably the distance from Holland, but Alex is hopeful that the Sint will make a detour and also provide half-dutch children with a present.

Alex has been a good boy, that’s for sure and the horse on which the Sint rides will surely like the carrot because it is a nice Canarian one.

Alex smiles

Alex smiles!
Alex smiles again, because after a week his mother has returned home. Ofcourse he also smiled when I was taking care of him this last week, but seeing his mother again clearly did him a lot of good.

Another weekend fulltime parent

Ana was released from the hospital with a big stack of medicines and a strict diet that will for sure result in quite some weight loss. She could go home to calm down and relax. Not following the diet will directly result is a horrific pain in her bile so she is very motivated. With the medicines it should be enough to stabilize her body so that her swollen up bile can return to a size that can be operated.

A few days things went well, but alas. Today Ana was struck by a high fever, that went towards the 39 degrees and that resulted in a quick trip to the first aid where Ana was quickly admitted to a hospital bed. Right now they are trying a different antibiotic which make breath feeding impossible.

A sad result, but there is nothing we can do about it. We are happy that the strong pains no longer appear. Whats left for me is being full time parent for the weekend, and hope everything will improve for Ana.

Hand-eye coordination

Alex grabs - Part 1!
A few days ago we celebrated Alex’ third month. These were three months where Alex has changed a lot. He is growing impressively fast and he is already aware of things near him.

Alex grabs - Part 2!
Since a couple of days Alex is even capable of grabbing a little bear that is hanging near him in the air. He grabs the little bear and moves it to his mouth in order to give it a good licking.

Alex grabs - Part 3!
As fresh new parents we are of course very proud.

Gallstone

In the hospital!The past weekend was pretty stressful. Ana has been suffering from a strong pain in her back for a while. The pain seemed to be caused by stones in her bile. After her last medical examination she was immediately hospitalized and connected to a bag of antibiotics. She even gets her food from an IV.

Last week I was a full time father. With a little baby and my wife in the hospital I had my hands full. Ana is placed in the department for infectious diseases, so little Alex cannot come by and visit. This makes it very hard for me to pay Ana a visit, resulting in quite a bad situation.

We expect that Monday and will be send home. Probably with some special diet where she will need to avoid everything containing fat. Afterwards she will need to make an appointment for an operation where they will probably remove the entire organ. Tomorrow we hope to know more about Ana’s treatment.