Nightly Adventures in the Heights

Wednesday night we had just settled in for the night when we heard a loud bang. Soon we found out that a car had driven into the ditch across the street from our house. These ditches are there for drainage and can be anything from 30 cm to 1 m deep and have 'bridges' build across the to enter garages and driveways. The one across the street is pretty deep and the car was just hanging of the concrete cover - front down into the ditch. It appeared the driver had driven off the road into the ditch at high speed. We where somewhat puzzled how it happened as the man involved appeared not very sober (he was wobbling across the street, talking on his cell phone). Our street is a 2 way street but the one it connects to isn't so no through traffic in the direction the car was going and not many bars around. 

In Holland we would have walked outside to see if we could help the guy,....but here? We could not really see the man but he was obviously not in critical medical condition, we live in a very quiet neighborhood,  it is Texas and many people have guns and the man appeared quite intoxicated....Other passers by in cars (2) stopped briefly but drove on soon after. So we called the police who showed up with a tow truck. And we? We never left the house and watched the whole thing being resolved from behind the blinds of the nursery with all the lights off. 

Moral of the story: these Texas/US gun laws make us real cowards and we are indeed suffering from lack of sleep but not because of little Rick (who slept through it all).

And we can't get enough of him...

Whilst you are still all awaiting Eelco's story about China herewith some more pictures of our new Idol Rick in the meantime...

This is Rick today at 4 weeks old. We think he now weighs just under 9.5 pounds somewhere. And he waves at the camera - sort off.

Rick is a very good 'lounger' although he has been getting more active. He can roll over from his belly to his back already - No Nonsense - it happened once so we thought coincidence, it happened twice so we thought - pure luck - but he is now doing it over and over again!

he also has invented a lot of new sounds to make, which you cannot see on the picture of course

And he eats very well, and produces impressive burps (or spits) after

He loves his car seat as you can tell

and he loves his daddy.

The exciting life of little Rick

Today Rick is 3 weeks and 1 day old and so far he has had a pretty exciting life...

So far little Rick has had the following outings:

4 walks in the neighborhood

1 trip to the passport application office (incl. passport pictures taken)

3 trips to the airport

4 shopping trips

1 visit to the pediatrician

3 Lunch dates (out)

1 trip to mommy's hairdresser

7 play dates with other friends (4 at our house)

2 coffee visits ('op de koffie geweest')

1 trip to the post office

1 walk to the dry cleaner with a stop at the coffee house

1 fancy dinner out with mom & dad

1 walk in the park

1 trip to another park to see dad play touch rugby

1 trip to the recycling center

Here mommy & Rick are 'vegging' on the couch

our first fancy dinner out as a family at 'Catalan'

Rick also can sit on teh couch on his own and pretend he has things to 'over think'

Rick lounging in his play pen

and sometimes he does take a wee nap to recover from all the excitement. A handsome man like Rick needs his beauty sleep every once in a while -;)

Rick's photo shoot

Next week Eelco will bring you a story about China as he will go there for a couple of days for work. In the meantime herewith some more of Rick. Yesterday at 2 weeks old little Rick did a little show for the Paparazzi (his grandmother Marijke and his Dad). As you can see our little son, who according to his dad is most definitely Talented AND Gifted is quite the photo model!

For those of you who are interested in the details - Rick's first check up at the pediatrician went very well and the little man is feeding very well and now weighs a healthy 7 pound 12 (up from 6 pound 13 at Birth). Makes mum proud and happy as well of course that the cooperation on the milk front is working so well!

Look what I can do!

Day 8 - Rick & mom are having a good conversation....look at his hands....maybe Eelco is right and he is gifted and talented and it shows already -;)

Rick & Sophie (10 days older but over 9 pounds at birth so somewhat bigger) in the play pen. Rick is only marginally more interested in his 2nd date. Not very polite!

Day 7 - Hanging out with the boys Rick does seem to like, his friend Corrin is just over 3 months older and Rick and he likely get send of to their first skiing lessons together ASAP. Rick is showing how content he is by producing a quality 'you know what' right at the moment the picture is taken!

Apart from hanging out with the boys Rick also does 'Zen' poses

....and LOVES his own birth announcement! (picture taken @ 1 week old)

Rick's first date & more

Rick is almost a week old now and this weekend he had his first 'date' with Mees who is 4 weeks older. He also showed himself off very well on skype to all the family and kept his parents relaxed and very happy by sleeping well and adjusting to life on the 'outside' remarkably well. Please do not forget to note the beautiful playpen (NLse Box) papa made for Rick (and mom made the cushion).

It's a boy!

Tuesday June 30th at 12.16 pm local time our son Rick Mannes Jorritsma was born. He weighs 6 pounds 13 ounces and is 20 inches tall. He is of course the cutest little boy on the world and doing very very well!

Dad is proud as punch and looking very well after Rick and mommy.

I went in for a routine check up Monday, but when the Dr noted how far the baby had already come down and that I had dilated over 5 cm (without noticing much), he would not let me go anymore. So we spend the night in the hospital on lots of monitors but with little progress in the labour. Come morning time the Dr decided that maybe the process needed just a little kick-start to get going again. So with a little Pitocin into my iv little Rick made his way out within 2.5 hrs thereafter. Unfortunately the placenta did not follow the same route on its own and after some effort it was decided that surgery was needed. A little after 4pm that afternoon all was sorted and little Rick latched on to breast feed for the first time.

Minutes after birth

the proud dad insisting Rick wears a hat in the 40 degrees celcius Texas heat

Rick is ok with anything really...pretty chill!

and the cutest is the world of course, using his eyes a lot already

The happy family at home