Cheese & Tulip!

Once we arrived in Amsterdam on Wednesday, August 19th, Greg got a short nap before heading out that afternoon for work in London until Saturday evening. That meant I was doing "jet-lagged toddler" duty on my own. :) It definitely wasn't easy, but thankfully there was unseasonably warm weather (in the 80's!) to get us outside and enjoy the hours that we were awake and somewhat functional. Here is some play time in the water at Westerpark. I am obviously getting more Dutch by the day...I was not at all bothered by the fact that Ben was just in a swim diaper with no trunks. Not sure that I would ever get to the "let him swim naked" stage, but this is progress, right? The Mirakelbrug photo is on our way into the park, and I always love the beauty of the park from this spot and the name of the bridge itself. And to wrap up, a few shots of my tired tot (who only uses one-fourth of his crib space) and some serious jet-lag bedhead. :)

Greg arrived home on Saturday evening, and it took us all another 3 or 4 days at least to get back on Amsterdam awake/sleep time. We were feeling pretty good by Thursday, August 27th for our day trip to Gouda. We had planned this trip a while ago and were determined to visit on a Thursday in the summer, when the cheese market is re-enacted in front of the Town Hall. Greg took the day off, and we hopped on the 8:30 a.m. train, arriving about 9:15.

The town of Gouda is known for its famous cheese and for the stained glass windows of the St. Janskerk. The cheese market began at 10 a.m. with farmers driving their brightly painted wagons piled high with round cheese in orange skins to the square behind the Stadhuis (Town Hall). Then, we saw the cheese buyers and sellers engage in negotiations. They were speaking in Dutch, but it went something like this. The seller would promote his cheese. The buyer would offer a price as he slapped the seller's hand. Then, the seller would come back with another price as he slapped the buyer's hand. They would go on like this until buyer or seller would walk away, or until they agreed on a price and then clasped hands and shook on it. The buyer would try some of the cheese, and then the cheese wheel would be carried off to the weighing house (Waag) to be weighed. It was pretty fun to watch, although Ben didn't think so. He was quite bored after only about 10 minutes, so we moved along.

We took a peek inside the Waag, Gouda's pride and joy, dating from 1669. Ben and I (and Tulip) even got weighed together and were presented with a certificate. Cute!! Then we were off in search of the Red Lion Windmill. Gouda, like almost every other Dutch city we've visited, had beautiful, quiet canals running through the city. We passed by Gouwekerk and to the Molen de Roode Leeuw (Red Lion Windmill). Oh brother! More restoration. I'm all for restoration, just bummed that we miss out on seeing things as they should be. So, we frowned and grumbled, then kept strolling.

We walked to see some of the water locks, and Ben proceeded to have a massive meltdown. We figured it was time to find some green space and a spot to eat snacks - and fast! We found a park and let our little monster, I mean boy, out to play. And, we happened to be right near a windmill that didn't have a bunch of white sheets wrapped around it...Molen 'T Slot. Spent a while just running around, looking at leaves, and eating snacks/lunch.

We were able to corral Ben and be on our way around noon. Greg and I took turns visiting St. Janskerk. It is the longest church of the Netherlands, dating back to approximately 1280. But, the church is most famous for its stained glass windows that depict scenes from biblical and national history. These were donated between 1555 and 1603 and became popular almost immediately. We read that before the outbreak of WWII, all the windows were removed and put in safety somewhere else. Good thinking!! As one of us enjoyed the beauty of the church, the other one enjoyed the beauty of watching Ben say, "aim, throw!" as he hurled rocks into a canal. We also walked through the arched gatehouse (1609) of the Museum Het Catharina Gasthuis and browsed the many engravings on the building walls. This house was built in the 14th century as a hospice for travellers, converted into a museum in 1910 and, among other things, displays portraits and landscapes by Dutch Impressionists.

After the church, we walked back towards the Stadhuis and the main square. Besides the cheese market on Thursdays, there is also a general outdoor market with food, fabrics, etc. It was quite crowded, and we circled the square a few times to find a cafe to sit and have lunch. (No, we did not have lunch at Subway, but for some reason I found it very funny that Subway was on the lower level of this very old and beautifully gabled Dutch house.) Well, by the time we circled, Ben had fallen asleep. We did find a spot to sit outside and enjoy the weather and the market action, and we also enjoyed the famous "kaassoep" - cheese soup. Had to - we're in Gouda, the land of cheese! It was a bit different than the cheese soup we think of in the States, more broth-based. But, still quite tasty, especially with all that yummy brown bread to soak it up with! We had tea and coffee after our sandwiches and just relaxed. Finally, around 2:30 p.m., we walked over to the Stadhuis for Greg to take a peek inside. It was built between 1448 and 1450 and is one of the oldest town halls in the Netherlands. It is still used mostly as town hall office space, so Greg didn't find it too exciting. The market was packing up now, and we decided to pack it up too. Ben woke up as we headed to the train station and caught the 3 p.m. train back to Amsterdam. I really don't know what we'll do when we move back to Illinois; Ben sure will miss kickin' back on the train with his Daddy pillow!

Once back in Amsterdam, we walked to the Mark Raven art store near Dam Square. We had been considering buying a piece of his unique artwork for some time and figured that today was as good a day as any. Mark himself was there, and he was very kind for the hour that we spent in the store looking again and again at his paintings - it was such a tough decision! At last we decided, and as he was wrapping it up, we got to chatting. Come to find out, we're neighbors! He lives on the Brouwersgracht too! Even funnier, we were out that evening playing with Ben on the neighborhood swings, and Mark rides by on his bike. He rings his bell and waves at us! How awesome is it that we are now best friends with a famous Dutch artist?! ;)

Well, I covered the "cheese" part of this blog entry, now onto a "Tulip" update. On Friday, August 28th, we had our 20 week ultrasound appointment. Notice the baby bump becoming much more visible! Greg and Ben came with, but sadly Ben wasn't as cooperative as he was 10 weeks ago. So, they missed most of the "show", but did get to see a little bit of Tulip's action. The ultrasound technician was very thorough and helpful at pointing out what she was seeing...closed skull, spine, 4 chambers of the beating heart. All good things! Yes, I'm sure she was able to see boy or girl, but no, we stayed strong (although it was hard!) and are still waiting until January. We even got a picture in 3D, very cool! It was so good to see our little Tulip again, and now I'm ready to start feeling him/her kick and jab! I know, I know...be careful what I wish for...

Flying, Family, & From This Day Forward

Our trip to the States was full of flying, family, and "from this day forward" - meaning weddings. We even had time to enjoy a few visits with good friends too. As always, the time went by too fast, but we were so glad to have made the trip!

On July 25th, the taxi van arrived at 8 a.m. The driver asked if we were moving; it sure looked that way, huh? I had read on the "Dutch News in English" website that July 25/26 was expected to be Schipol's busiest weekend of the year - over 453,000 passengers in one weekend! Our flight was leaving at 11 a.m., so it seemed that 2.5 hours at the airport would be plenty. Well, just barely this time. First of all, thank heavens for business class. We were able to avoid the long economy line and check our bags right away. That probably saved us an hour, seriously. We then waited almost an hour to go through passport control. There were a handful of people that we let "budge" in front of us. For example, one man walked up and said, "May I stand in front of you? My flight takes off in 2 minutes." How do you say no to that? By the time we made it to our gate and went through security, they were boarding the plane! Fun fact: new seating in business class. It had a very "space-age" look to it, and the best part was that the seats recline now to an absolutely horizontal position. Clearly, that made for a great nap - just look at Ben's bedhead! :) As always, he did great on the flight. This kid may have plenty of other issues that we need to work on (sharing, hitting, etc.), but I must admit that God has blessed us with one fantastic traveler!

We arrived at O'hare around 1 p.m., got our bags, and met Mom & Dad Z and Jon at the arrivals hall. Ben was spoiled by GreeMa immediately with 2 new Thomas trains - including his first actual "Thomas". After that, I don't think he noticed anything or anyone. We got home, and I made a trip to visit my friend, Betsy, to drop off our apartment keys. Her parents and brother were going to be visiting Amsterdam and staying at our place while we were away. What a great deal for all of us! Greg headed off with his Dad and brothers to get fitted for his suit for Nick's wedding in less than a week. We've only been home for an hour and already busy, busy! Ben stayed at home with GreeMa, who shared 3 more Thomas trains! Spoiled rotten, I tell ya!! Of course, we had Lou's deep-dish pizza for dinner (so yummy!), then eventually hit the hay. Ben woke up around 2 a.m., slept on and off until he stood up at 4:45 saying "do something else...let's do something else, Mommy". Pretty cute, so I had to oblige. I went into our bedroom, and Greg was unpacking! So, Daddy and Ben had some together time while Mommy slept another couple hours. I finally made it downstairs a little before 7 a.m., and Greg was cleaning the kitchen. He had already straightened up the laundry room and set up the DVD player for Ben to relax on the couch! Wow, he really was awake! Well, it hit them later, because I caught both of them napping in Ben's chair. :) Dad, Sherry, Stacie, and Kara came for a visit later that afternoon, and we felt so lucky to be at home and sharing time with family. And of course, more goodies for Ben from Maw Maw and Paw Paw...are we noticing a trend that the grandparents have missed their grandson?

On Monday morning, Greg went to work. Ben and I went to Target (love it!!) and then shared a picnic lunch in the backyard. We visited Nick and Megan in their new home later that afternoon. Ben can't get enough of playing with his "cousin", dog Zoe. Greg worked Tuesday and Wednesday, but had Thursday and Friday off for the wedding. Thursday morning was errands - picking up the suit, finding Ben wedding shoes, etc. We spent some time at Nick and Megan's helping to prepare the house for the post-wedding brunch on Saturday. Early bedtime that night because Friday was wedding day!

On Friday, July 31st, we celebrated Nick and Megan's wedding! I got a little pampering that morning (toes, hair, make-up) before Greg left around 11:30 to join all of the groomsmen at Nick's house. Dad and Sherry arrived at our place around 1:30, and we got the little man all suited up and ready to go.

The wedding and reception were held at The Herrington Inn & Spa in Geneva, IL - a beautiful location right on the Fox River. It was a warm, sunny day - just perfect! We spent some time hanging out with the guys, and Uncle Nick showed Ben the little pond outside with fishies. No big surprise, Ben started tossing stones in right away. He was not at all happy when we had to tear him away around 4:15 for pictures.

The weather really cooperated for all of the outdoor pictures; they turned out great! Don't be too impressed by my photo or mothering skills - there was no way I could take photos this beautiful (downloaded from photographer), and no way I'd have been able to take all these photos while also watching Ben. As I mentioned, you can see that Ben wasn't too happy about leaving the pond. When it got time for a Zabikow family photo, Ben was in time-out for not behaving. Finally, Mommy and GreeMa were able to talk him into a couple photos. Then, Dad Z had the best idea of the century - we were able to "borrow" one of the groomsmen's rooms at the inn to relax and let Ben unwind for the next hour before the ceremony was to start. Praise God, that is exactly what he needed!!

The ceremony was lovely - or so I heard. It began at 6 p.m., and you'll be shocked to hear that Ben and I were outside tossing stones into the pond as the music began to play. Correction: Ben was doing the tossing; I was watching him get dirty and begging him to stop. I had no idea if this "walking down the aisle" thing was going to happen or not. Somehow, by God's grace, I coaxed him inside just as Chase and Connor, Megan's nephews, were walking down the aisle. The wedding coordinator told me, "if you are going to go, go now!". So, we raced around the corner, I handed Ben his pillow, and prayed. He tossed the pillow aside immediately and started charging up the aisle, literally running. At some point, he dropped the rock that he was carrying. Um, had no idea that was there. Of course, he had to turn around and go back for it, and I was just thankful it didn't hit anyone. When he got to the front of the aisle, the grandmas had agreed to grab him, and I would make my way down the side of the room to be with him. Well, they couldn't get their hands on him fast enough before he turned around and took off back down the aisle. By now, most everyone was getting a good chuckle. Clearly, a ringbearer career is not in his future, but perhaps a comedian or short-distance sprinter? Anyhow, he was not very interested in staying quietly in the back of the room, so he and I did our best to "sneak" out after Megan and her father walked down the aisle. Ben and I spent the rest of the ceremony throwing rocks in the Fox River. Correction: Ben threw rocks, and I was trying not to be sad that I was missing my brother-in-law's wedding. And such is the life of a mother with a toddler...

After the ceremony, there was a cocktail hour where we got to snack and chat with family and friends. Ben spent most of his time eating berries, playing trains, and making out with Maw Maw. He would grab her face and kiss like crazy. It really was pretty cute, and good thing Maw Maw was a good sport. ;)

Everyone settled into their tables for dinner. Megan's sister, Greg, and Jon all made great speeches toasting the newly married couple. They cut the cake, and dinner was served. The food was delicious, and Ben was being very well-behaved considering it was now close to 9 p.m. He wasn't at all interested in eating though, and nearly fell asleep a handful of times. Poor kid, I had been reminding him all day about cake after dinner, and I was pretty sure he was going to miss it. He was barely awake when it came to the table, but boy did that perk him up! He ate 2 pieces in a matter of minutes! Then, we went to visit the grandparents, and he was able to scam some of Maw Maw's cake. Then he wanted to "see GreeMa". Well, kind of. He saw that she had cake left and ate half of her piece too. Uh oh...this can't be good.

And then began the dancing. The cake must have given Ben his second-wind, because he was a dancing fool! He loved being out on the floor with Uncle Nick lifting him high in the air and everyone cheering for him. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. He was also quite smitten with GreeMa. Would not let PeePaw come close at all. Dad and Sherry were so nice to offer to take him home and put him to bed while Greg and I stayed to enjoy the party a bit. It took forever to get him off the dance floor though - 11 p.m.! - and you can see that he was not the least bit happy about having to go. We all had a wonderful time, and we wish many happy blessings to Mr. & Mrs. Nick Zabikow!!

On Saturday, there was a brunch at the newlyweds home hosted by Mom and Dad Z. The weather was warm, but wet, so things were mostly inside. Better that day than the wedding day, right? It was really lovely, and we were really exhausted by the time we got home that evening. Didn't get any pictures, ugh!

We got to see some friends while home too. Our small group from church had a gathering on Sunday, and it was good to be together. Also enjoyed the hot, sunny day that we could kick back a little while the kiddos played in the yard. Then, on Monday, it was Betsy Day! My friend Betsy had run a half marathon the day before and was taking the day off to recover and be with us. I'm not sure that a day with a toddler was "recovery", but we had pancakes and walked around Spring Valley Nature Center and Heritage Farm. Then relaxed the day away at chez Zabikow.

Tuesday was Ben's first visit to the dentist. Well, he got to "ride in the chair" and said "ahhh" for about 3 seconds for Dr. Blake to look inside. Not so bad for a first visit, huh? I also had an ob visit later that afternoon, just to check in with them and let them know I am expecting. Everything was fine. Had dinner in Rockford that night with Mom and Dad Z - and got to see our kitty, Peanut. Looking forward to having her back with our family in October, and I know Mom Z is looking forward to having one less critter in the house. :)

On Wednesday, August 5th, Ben and I left for Towanda in the afternoon. Greg was going to the Willow Leadership Summit on Thursday and Friday, and so the little man and I were spending a few days with family. Enjoyed Tobin's Pizza that night for dinner...oh, how I miss Illinois! :) On Thursday, Paw Paw, Ben, and I went to Miller Park in hopes of climbing aboard an old locomotive they have there. Well, the train is all fenced in, but Ben still loved getting to see such a BIG train! Played in the sand on the baseball diamond, blew dandelions, and really just loved getting so much time with Dad/Paw Paw. Ben sure was tuckered out when we got home!!

Later that evening, more family came over for a cookout - Aunt Reta and Uncle Jim, Aunt Stacie, and cousins Eric, Di, Megan, and AJ. We ate, talked, and laughed. I loved watching Ben play with Megan and AJ. We have a picture of them in Amsterdam and even have lunch with them from time to time (putting the picture on the table). So, I think Ben was thrilled that he got to play and eat with them in person! Love these last couple photos...trying to get a photo where Ben wasn't distracting either Megan or AJ was challenging. :)

Friday morning was "Project with Paw Paw". (You can tell it was early, notice Ben and Paw Paw's bedhead.) ;) Dad and Sherry had bought this stepping stone a long while ago for us to make/decorate with Ben's hand and then they would put it in their beautiful garden. Well, I brought it back down to their house so that we could do it together, and then leave the stone there. We finally got Ben to put down the baby dolls and cooperate. My "I don't like to get messy kid" was not too sure about sticking his hand in wet cement, but eventually did it. He loved putting in the colored rocks though, and then trying to take them back out and put them in again. It's definitely not going to win a "stepping stone award" of any kind, but I hope it turned out ok and can't wait to see the finished product in October. Oh, and back to the baby dolls. Ben loves all of the toy choices that are at Maw Maw and Paw Paw's house that he doesn't have at our house...baby dolls being a big one, because of their granddaughter, Kara. Ben was very gentle with them, that seems to be a good sign with Tulip coming, right? His other faves at their house, besides the grandfather clock, are running up and down the line in the driveway (nearly giving Paw Paw a heart attack because of his speed), and watching Tigger bounce. I just loved that we spent the morning outside in our jammies. What fun!

Ben stayed at Dad and Sherry's that night while I drove home to meet my hubby and friends, Betsy and Marc, for dinner and a movie. Dinner was really tasty, but the movie was the main event - Harry Potter 6!! It was fantastic, and I'm already anxious for #7! Greg and I got to sleep in until 9 a.m. on Saturday morning!! When is the last time that has happened??? Met Dad, Sherry, and Ben for lunch - uh oh, without Thomas the Train. Good thing we are seeing them again on Wednesday!

Monday, August 10th, was a visit with Robin and her kiddos. Ben was in awe of all the Thomas stuff that Drew has, and Robin treated us to homemade pizza. Yum! On Wednesday, I met Dad halfway to swap Ben again. He was going to stay with grandparents while Greg worked the rest of the week and I traveled to CA with friends for a wedding. Got all packed up that afternoon, and Amy and Debbie arrived at our home around 9 p.m. Stayed up chatting until 10:30, then had to get some sleep for our early flight in the morning!

Left home with chauffeur Greg around 5:45 a.m. for Midway airport. (Pretty impressive getting 3 women out of the house before 6 a.m., right?) We checked in without any problems, and then grabbed some coffee (sadly, decaf for me) and headed to the gate to sit and relax. We were already having such a great time catching up and laughing, I couldn't wait for what the rest of the weekend would bring! Our flight left at 8:30 a.m., arrived 10:30 a.m. CA time. Our first stop was to visit my Grandma in Costa Mesa. It was so good to see her!! She treated us to lunch, and then was very sweet to drive us to Newport Beach for a few hours of California sun. It was my turn to treat for dinner - to celebrate Grandma's (belated) 84th birthday! We got back home and talked for a bit, then to bed around 10 p.m. (midnight IL time). We were wiped!

Had a slow Friday morning, walked for Starbucks and amazing strawberry coffeecake. Talked more, showered, packed up, had quick lunch, and hopped on our charter to Los Angeles around 1 p.m. It was hard saying goodbye to Grandma since our time together was so short. We arrived in LA at our hotel around 2 p.m. and were surprised to receive a goodie bag from Krista and Mike (the bride and groom) with treats, but also with suggestions on things to do around the city. We decided on a visit to Olvera Street - the birthplace of Los Angeles. Took the DASH bus (only 25 cents per person!) to Union Station, then walked to nearby Olvera Street. We took a peek inside the Avila Adobe, the oldest existing house in LA (built about 1818) and browsed the shops and street vendors. Ate a churro - had to, right? :)

We still had some more time to kill before the welcome reception that evening, so we walked to Chinatown around 4 p.m. Strolled through a large market - with no prices. Don't ask Debbie about that...she bought a little drum for her son for $2. I bought the same drum about 3 minutes later for $1.50. :) We enjoyed some Chinese food for dinner around 5 p.m. and then DASH'd back to our hotel. Before getting ready, we headed up to check out the view from the rooftop pool area. The sun was starting to go down and made the skyscrapers look really fabulous, and we dipped our tired toes in the hot tub too.

We changed clothes and headed a few blocks to Casey's Bar for a welcome reception hosted by Mike's parents. What a great way for us to spend time with Krista and Mike, knowing how busy the bride and groom are on the day of the wedding. Krista, Amy, and Debbie are all great friends of mine from high school, and I LOVE that we are still so close - even after all these years and all these miles apart! We were so honored to be invited to share in Krista's big day, and we were so thankful to our hubbies and parents for watching the kiddos to let us have a "girls' weekend in LA"! The reception was lots of fun - catching up with Krista, her parents, and meeting Mike's family. It was another late night, but wouldn't have missed it!!

Saturday, August 15th - wedding day! We started off the morning with ladies only yoga at the Standard Hotel. Pretty sure it was the first lesson for all three of us...we're such Midwesterners. :) I was impressed I was able to keep up - except for some "crow" move that I was not getting my preggo booty in the air for. The Standard Hotel is very trendy and popular these days, all very funky. For example, the bathroom is separated from the bedroom area by a glass wall. Um, again - not for the Midwestern gals. But, we did check out the rooftop pool area here too and relaxed on the waterbed lounger for a photo. Back to the hotel for a bit, then out to lunch, then back to get all pretty for the wedding!

Krista and Mike were very thoughtful to have shuttles for the hotel guests from the hotel to Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral. I think there was some confusion as we waited for quite a while and were getting nervous that we were going to need to hop in a cab! But, we made it to the church just before the ceremony started at 5:30 - whew! The Cathedral itself was amazing, less than 10 years old and huge! Krista looked absolutely stunning, and the ceremony was beautiful. Not without a few laughs too - the priest threw in a few "Kristina's" at the end - oops! We took the shuttle to Union Station for the reception.

The reception was just as beautiful and fun as the rest of the weekend. Yummy food, a great DJ, and a "photo booth" where guests could go take pix of themselves on the computer. Amy, Debbie, and I had fun watching as some people were getting pretty wacky, especially as the night went on. We enjoyed dancing and chatting, especially catching up with Krista's parents. Warm chocolate chip cookies with shot glasses of milk at 11 p.m. were perfect - and made us realize how ready we were to go get warm and cozy in bed (is that the Midwestern in us again, or the Mommy?). We said our goodbyes and headed out around 11:30. After all, 4:30 a.m. will come mighty quickly!

We made it to LAX airport in plenty of time, as there is no traffic on the road at 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning! Had breakfast, and it felt like a long wait for our 9 a.m. flight. The flight was a bumpy one that did not agree with Debbie at all, poor thing. We landed safely, got some lunch and our bags, and Greg and Ben picked us up at 3:30. Chicago roads were a mess of traffic, so it took a while to get home. I felt bad that the girls still had another couple hours to drive to get home to their families, but I was so grateful that we had this time together! It was too much fun, and we are already starting to brainstorm when and where to go next! :)

While I was away, Dad S and Dad Z made a Ben swap on Friday afternoon so that Ben could spend some time with both sets of grandparents. Greg met them after work, and they all drove up to the lake house in Wisconsin to spend some time there. Arrived late on Friday night, but clearly enjoyed some sunshine, sand, and splashing on Saturday. No jet ski for Ben on this trip...maybe next time. Greg and Ben came back home on Saturday evening, so I think Greg was just as exhausted as I was when we saw each other on Sunday evening. Hence the Chinese takeout for dinner and straight to bed for all 3 of us!

We got all packed up and cleaned up on Monday, and Dad and Sherry surprised us with a visit in the afternoon. They brought Bill and Ben (more Thomas trains) with them, so I think that gave Ben a total of 8 new trains in about 24 days. How spoiled is this kid?? :) Saw Mom Z later that night, and Dad Z the next day for a bit before Uncle Nick drove us to the airport on Tuesday, August 18th. We checked in, and I couldn't help taking a picture of Greg under gate C19 - as that is the gate that I think we have flown to Amsterdam from nearly every time, and this would be the last time we'd see C19. Ah, bittersweet. As usual, Ben did well on the flight, but didn't drift off to sleep until 10:30 p.m. I didn't really sleep, but I was glad that Greg got a little shut-eye, as he was going to be flying out to London in a few short hours after we landed in Amsterdam. And it seems the Zabikows just keep on traveling...