The last year has really been fantastic. It all started exactly one year ago when suddenly I had to hurry and take a plane to Madrid. Alex was being delivered a few weeks early. When I arrived in the hospital I was the first person that could get close to Alex and touch his just a bit. That night we spend together skin-on-skin. Alex was sleeping and I had a body full of adrenaline and a mind filled with emotion.

The first few days were though. We needed to get used to each other. Getting used to our stay in a hospital and getting used to huge numbers of visitors each with their own recommendations. For Ana it was even worst because she needed to recover from her c section and a few months later her gall bladder needed to be removed. Luckily afterwards things went a lot better.

Alex was so small. I can hardy imagine it right now. He was so very small. In one year he grew a tremendous amount. Both physically and emotionally.

Then
Weight: 2.5 kilo
Eyes: Dark blue
Teeth: 0

Now
Weight: 10 kilo
Eyes: Clear blue with some green shades
Teeth: 6

The year passed like a freight train and Alex developed incredibly fast and this is something we love to celebrate. Alex is crawling through our house at very high speeds. He laughs, plays with us, he stands up, eats a lot of things and is still growing very fast. We are curious to see what happens with Alex the next year but undoubtedly it will be a very educational year for both Alex and ourselves.

Things are going very well with Alex and his swimming lessons. He looks like he is enjoying his time in the water and he doesn’t cry anymore, not even if he is suddenly submerges.

Alex got another shot. He also had to go through a general checkup. He had grown a lot and he now had the following statistics:

• Weight: 9.130
• Height: 73 cm
• Head: 45,7 cm

From now on we can and should add tuna, sardines and avocados and egg to his diet. We also have to give him more chunky food so he can use his teeth a little. Just after his shot he cried a little, but he soon forgot about his trauma. Right after the checkup we went swimming, and it was the first time Alex was enjoying himself in the (pretty cold) water.

On our island the ocean is an important part of everyday life. Almost everyday we can relax on the beach and there is a wide variety of water related sports. Swimming, sailing, surfing, snorkeling, diving, etc. It is important to have confidence near or in the water and for this reason were going to go to a nearby pool with Alex to take some ‘swimming’ lessons.

Alex is probably to young to learn how to swim, but at least he´ll be able to get used to the water. This week we already threw little Alex with his little swimsuit and little cap, right into the deep pool. What a scare!

When we were in Holland we had another highlight. Alex remained standing with just a little bit of help. An impressive feat for a little boy of just 10 months.

Why does this photo remind me so much of the little prince?

We enjoyed some nice holidays. Three weeks that we spend in the Nertherlands and in Spain. We enjoyed ourselfs and Alex also had a good time. After three weeks he suddenly had three more teeth. He is now crawling, plays with his parents and suddenly had a very big mouth.

Raising a kid is sometimes a very tiring occupation. Alex is on the verge to start crawling, so every now and then we try and give his some crawl and walking classes. Hopefully he will master the act quickly because even after a short class I’m beat. I’m getting old!

In this picture we see little Alex quietly observing a nearby animal. A little later Alex decided to connect with the cat in a strange manner. He pulled her little leg quite hard. The cat decided it would be better to avoid little babies for a while and did not show himself the rest of the evening.

Today it is mothers-day in Spain and Alex only needed a little help from his father to make a very creative present for his mother.

Ana was ecstatic about such a fantastic present.