this baby is rocking and rolling!

Just to say that little Gaizka officially rolled!
Last week we had this feeling that it was about to happen. Margreet a little bit worried that she would miss it because of her meetings and flights. But still, Gaizka waited until last friday (14 march) to give the primeur by his mother.
In a typical ninja fashion (ninja means: shadow warrior), Gaizka rolled when Margreet was not looking. Later in the weekend, on saturday, he did it again for me when I was not looking.
On sunday he just did it in front of our eyes. We shared his struggle, and we looked excited untill he finally did it. from then on, it has happen several times and our kid is very happy with his new found mobility.

Strolling in the park

Gaizka is 5 months old, it is sunday, and the weather is nice.
So we went for a short stroll in the park. It is just 12 degrees Celsius (it would be a freezing time according to Caracas' standards) but for us down here is wonderful... and it isn't March yet!

saturday's round with Antonio

If is possible, Gaizka does a saturday's morning round with Antonio.
We go to Fitness First across the river, that's a walk of about 25 minutes. Then I drop Gaizka by the babysitting service at Fitness First and I go for an hour of exercises. Every now and then I check with Gaizka if everything is going alright.

After that we go to the central library of Rotterdam and go to the centrale discotheek, a huge music CD library where we loan our music. Then we go to the Coolsingel, the main commercial street of Rotterdam. Sometimes we go to the Bijenkorf and have lunch there, sometimes we meet with Margreet somewhere and have lunch with her, it can vary, and it is nice fun.

The last couple of times we have come back home with the metro. Gaizka is a city baby, so why not? There is always someone who smiles at Antonio and Gaizka. The metro father and the metro baby?

Beurs station in Rotterdam's centrum

A metro passenger and Gaizka

Wilhenminaplein Station at Rotterdam Kop van Zuid (where we all live)

Gaizka in the newspaper!

Yesterday the Algemeen Dagblad (AD) ran the article about the dunstan method in their Family pages. Remember that a few months ago we posted a blog about this? Gaizka and Margreet for the first time together in a newspaper article. Cool, isn't it? Here they are...

Does he take after Antonio or Margreet?

These sure are all members of the same family!

Caraqueñito Gaizka in Caracas

Gaizka and I had a very active start of the year 2008. On the early morning of the third of january we took off to Caracas. Because it is winter and it was 05.00 o'clock in the morning it was still very cold. Antonio drove us by car to Schiphol Airport. At 06.00 o'clock we had our tickets (only if seats available, so it was one big adventure)and at 07.00 we took off to Madrid. There we took another plane to Caracas where we arrived at 23.30 in the evening(dutch time) As a son of an airhostess Gaizka behaved wonderfully for the whole trip and there were no problems at all.


It was a hard days work, especially in Madrid where we were busy for 4 hours (airline to airline, to airline.......via bus and train and back again.......from terminal to terminal) and finallly in the last row of the Air Europa airplane. After a half hour we experienced severe turbulence. All the passangers were screaming, but my Gaizka was totally relaxed.(that's how we put him to sleep nowadays.....it works!).
He just looked around a little to settle again against his mom. And how she liked it!
So we finally arrived in Caracas where Abuelita Sol and Tio Jose and Barbara were waiting for us. Gaizka's first 'steps' are on photo and will sure be posted here when possible. Gaizka is off course half a Caraqueño.

He loved it in South America. All these people, all family, all around for most of the times. And the temparature. Not those big jackets, but just a body to hang around with. And if he was at the pool, just a diaper of even nothing!!! With a bit of sunshine and relaxing with Margarita in the pool. What else does a baby want!


BISABUELA !!!!


Three generations of Aranda's. And does Gaizka look like his father???






Gaizka swimming!!



Tio Musico, Alvaro



On the tenth of january we started our journey back to Rotterdam. We both missed our Antonio en we wanted to be a family again. With Alitalia via Milan back to Amsterdam.

Abuela Sol en Tio Jose Luis

On the 11th of january around 3 o'clock in the afternoon we arrived at Schiphol Airport. An of course Antonio was waiting with his camera on full focus. The little family was together again. We had a wonderful time in Caracas but we were also glad to be with Antonio again.

1 januari: Gaizka is 100 days !!!

01-01-2008 : today Gaizka is 100 days !!!

After 100 days in politics, the prime minister knows his policy, after 100 days in the company, the CEO knows his strategy.

After 100 days in this world, what does Gaizka know?
-he's got parents who adore him,
-he's got parents who take good care of him;change his daipers,bath and feed him;
-he's got parents who play with him,take him for his daily walk around the park;
-he's got parents who give him all the hugs and kisses in the world;
-he's got parents who want to know why he cries and why he doesn't sleep;
-he's got parents who love him very, very much !!!!!

At 23.55 Gaizka had had his bottle of milk and was ready for sleep;


At 00.05 Gaizka finally was asleep. He slept through the worst of fireworks you can't imagine...........we are such proud parents......