Maeve at 18 months

Our baby girl is 18 months today, a full blown toddler! As we purge our home of all thing baby, the reality is starting to set in that this phase of our life is over. I'm really not sad about it because I adore the toddler phase. So many changes and things to celebrate! 

A little bit about our darling girl:

What are Maeve's favorites? 

Dancing, eating, sitting on my lap to read stories, The Wiggles and seeing Daddy and Jude when they come home from school. 

Maeve loves to sway to any music that she hears and her dancing is getting more coordinated as she gets older. Oh, we love it so! And she charms people with it, too. 

Our little one is an eater. She loves pasta, pizza, anything dipped in ketchup, yogurt, grapes, mandarins, pears, berries of any sort, CHEESE, sausage, peas, corn, broccoli, crackers, bread. Have I listed all of the foods? I can tell she is getting more discerning and eating around the veggies she doesn't like, but we are so thrilled to not have any food drama. Unless you count the 5pm WHERE IS MY FOOD drama. That drama is real. I'm trying ways to involve her in the cooking, placating her with snacks while I cook and having her physically removed from the kitchen area in order to avoid the above drama. 

While we never experienced real tantrums with Jude, we have already seen them in Maeve. It's not a regular occurrence, but girl can arch her back when she wants to! I attributed Jude's lack of tantrums to his early communication skills and I do see that the tantrums are less as Maeve's communication improves. Maeve has a number of words: momma, daddy, cheese, more, cheers, moo, an excellent pig snort and a great "shh, shh." She understands so much though and continues to use her signs for more, all done, apple, please. With two days a week spent in the Dutch daycare, I will always wonder what impact that is having on her language development. She hasn't said any Dutch words yet (that I know of!), but I'm sure they are coming. 

I'll also wonder what impact all of her TV viewing has on her language. Pete and I are pretty sure Jude hadn't watched any TV by the time he was 18 months and Maeve has watched loads. It can't be helped if she's playing while Jude is watching his shows, but we also let her watch her own show, The Wiggles. It started out of my desire to see her dance and now it can't be stopped. Maeve goes to the TV, picks up the remotes, starts to shake her butt and/or sits in her little chair in front of the TV. I'm trying to convince myself that she'll turn out alright in spite of this. Because it is really hard to deny her. 

Thankfully, she also loves to read books. I love how she backs up to sit on my lap. She is really snuggly in general and I love it! She has "My first 100 words" in Dutch and that is her current favorite. When she is sitting near me reading stories, she will throw a fit if Jude comes anywhere near us. She does not want him interrupting her time. She fusses and hits him. He takes it really well saying, "it's ok if she hits me." I know this post is about Maeve, but we have been so pleased with how Jude is with her at this stage and hope the good brotherly behavior lasts!

During the week, apart from her 2 days at daycare, we have playdates with friends, go to Montessori playgroup and attend a few Dutch singing/dancing class when the nap schedule allows. I love seeing her in these environments and watching her become more comfortable in the new settings and around new people. Her favorite songs are "Wheels on the Bus," any song by the Wiggles, "Miss Polly Had A Dolly," and "Come and make a circle." 

Maeve is a great sleeper, but it is totally unpredictable. Some days she'll take 2 naps totaling 3+ hours, some days only one hour and a half nap. Some nights she'll sleep 11 hours, some nights 12.5+. I'm thrilled that her bedtime routine is so easy, but look forward to when her schedule is more solidified (while knowing full well that it may never be!). She still uses her pacifier, mostly to sleep, but also during the day when she's out of sorts. We said we'd wean her off it at a year, so you can see how that is going. Now, I don't know when we'll stop... 

She only has six teeth (and has had those six teeth for the past ~6 months). Finally, another top one is coming in. It is slow going though so I know a lot more rough nights are still ahead! 

Just like Jude, Maeve expressed an interest in the toliet one evening so we busted out the training potty and she has used it a handful of times! We're no where near throwing away diapers, but feel this is a good first step and hope her potty training goes as smoothly as Jude's. 

And now some pics of our sweetie doing her thang. We love you baby girl! 

Food time is the best time

One of her nicknames is Silly Beguino

And also Maevey Girl

Watching the Wiggles of course

Loves playgrounds now and going down slide. Not really into swinging. 

Loves ducks, dogs, animals in general. 

Maeve, a swan and the shimmering canal houses (don't worry, I had a firm grip on her stroller while taking this pic!)

Dancing with her popsicle

I'm working on her hair styles. I call this look, "when it doesn't fit in two ponies, make three!"

Singing time at Montessori

Loves to eat playdough and paint.

I could just eat her up! 

Interpretive dancing. Really getting into it!

Sinte, Sinte Maarten

Saturday evening was the adorable Dutch tradition of Sint Maarten (November 11th or elf November), where young kids go door to door with homemade lanterns, singing Sint Maarten songs for treats. We were glad to go with Charlotte, Annabel and one of their Dutch creche friends as their command of the Dutch songs was far superior to our own! Maeve wanted to participate and loved reaching into the bowls for her treat. And while the big kids sang, she swayed to the music. This would have been a good opportunity to meet more of our neighbors if we had stayed in our neighborhood so we will probably try to do that next year. Jude also wanted to give out some candy, but by the time we got home it was too late. 

So now I have the two catchy songs I know stuck in my head and am actually looking forward to Saturday when they will be replaced by the Sinterklaas songs! 

Concert Week

It was the week of concerts, starting with cousin Sam Amidon last Sunday evening at Bitterzoet. My parents hadn't seen Sam perform since he was a kid with the Amidons! Sam's been through Amsterdam three times since we moved here and now lives in London so we've seen a lot of each other. It was fun to catch up over tapas before the show! And to hear his new music at the show. 

The day after my parents left, we played host to the David Wax Museum band, a husband and wife duo who are on tour through the Netherlands with their two young kids, their nanny and one of the grandparents. I had never heard of this group before, but got an email from a college friend who is a fan and has mutual friends in common with David and Suz. She forwarded me a fan mail email she had received from the band talking about the upcoming Dutch tour and asking for places to stay. While I was mulling over if it would work out to host them with the dates they had in mind, I received a call from my friend here, Audra, who went to college with Suz and was planning to host them for part of their stay and have a house concert at their canal side apartment.

It seemed there were too many coincidences, so we invited the band to stay. When they arrived on Halloween, they parked their van at our house and stored their instruments in the house between gigs. We went around trick or treating with them with Audra and Brad. During their stay here, Jude hit it off with their daughter of a similar age and they were so sweet playing together at the house. The real treat was their house concert. Check them out if you haven't heard of them!

Speaking of bands you probably haven't heard of,  The Nelly Wilsons had their second gig Friday night! It was at the Buurtboerderij ("neighborhood farm") north of Westerpark. It was a farm house, which is some sort of co-op. A 3 course bus-your-own-table meal was served before the show for 8 euros. Three of Pete's science dept coworkers and their partners made it to the middle of no where venue. Any band Pete plays in will always be my favorite band, but we were blown away by the act that followed them. A true boy band consisting of a 17, 18 and 19 year old. They packed the house with their parents and their parents' friends who were celebrating a birthday. Those boys could rock and the parents were adorable!

Pete asked for a pic for the boy band, so here they are :) Minus the older guy on the right (the birthday boy). 

Hard Work and Play

In their last week in Amsterdam, I put my parents to work! Lots of hardware store runs and hard work. We checked off a lot of home projects and I was very grateful for the expertise and skill! Doors were trimmed, hundreds of bulbs were planted, outdoor light was replaced, holes were patched up, nicked up door frames were primed for painting, windows and stove range were caulked and a shower door was replaced. My parents earned their day at the spa Thursday (bathing suit day!).

With a lot of work behind us, we enjoyed our final weekend together. Pete was off for his second wedding trip home, this time for his childhood friend, Jon. I wished I could have been there, too, celebrating with the Williamstown crew. I settled for living vicariously through the photos and stories. Back in Amsterdam, our weekend started off with an impromptu visit from the daughter of family friends who I used to babysit. Isabella is at university in Dublin and came to Amsterdam for a long weekend of exploration. Her father, Warren, was my mentor during my National Institute of Health high school internship project. I got my interest in genetics through this program and also for studying abroad in Chile (Isabella's mother is Chilean). Felt full circle to introduce her to my kids! 

On Saturday, I showed my parents around Naarden, the walled fortress town Pete and I discovered when Maeve was a newborn. I had remembered that there was a little petting zoo along the moat and we also found a good playground.

 

 

 

During nap time we walked around the downtown and came across their Saturday market. We had a Dutch specialty of kibbeling- battered fried fish chunks served with a special fish sauce. And then Dutch apple pie and other treats at a cafe.

My parents stayed in Saturday night so I could go out to Museumnacht Amsterdam. The first Saturday in November, all of the museums are open until late at night and a special admission ticket allows access to all. We only went our first year where we saw the Portuguese synagogue by candlelight, the botanic garden and the sobering Hollandsche Schouwburg with Paul and Andrea.
This time around I started on my own at Het Grachtenhuis (museum of the canal houses). While I waited in the rain to get in, we were serenaded by a brass band. Inside the museum, I walked through the museum wine in hand and then boarded a canal boat for a 20 minute tour. Later I met up with some ISA people at Amsterdam Museum, the Dylan Hotel and finally waited in line forever to get into the Rijks museum, which was transformed into a night club. It was a late night for me and I was so thankful to have Nana and Pops get up with the kids!

 

Our last day was spent cheering Jude on in his first scooter race, raising money for Sinterklaas.

With his Rabbit classmates

 
Followed by pancakes at Boerderij Meerzicht.

 

My parents had to say goodbye to the kiddos when the babysitter arrived as we were headed out to see my cousin Sam perform and their flight left first thing Monday morning. The next morning, Jude was sad that he didn't get to say goodbye and hoped that Nana and Pops could stay weeks and weeks and weeks. We wish they could have stayed longer, too! Thanks for a wonderful visit! Tot ziens!

Halloween 2017

It was all smiles here in our castle on Halloween. Jude was a valiant knight and momma was smart enough to make his sword out of foam. Because, cute as the castle Jester was, Maeve's antics occasionally got her a bop in the head! But she would just shake her jester stick and give a little booty shake and it was all good. 

Trick or treating in Oud Zuid was a hit again and a great to see all of the cuties dressed up. The kids were into it and watching Maeve walking around in her costume was too much. Jude took charge at each house asking for candy and started to show Maeve the ropes. 

  

 

The hat was a little tricky to get right, but the rest of the costume was easy to make. Nana added the triangle trim, which really helped distinguish it as jester costume.

On guard! 

 

Balloon maker crafter a sword holder for Jude so he'd have a free hand for his candy bag!   

We went around with Audra, Brad and Joey the dragon and also the David Wax Museum band, whom we are co-hosting during their Netherlands tour. 

I love that the local Albert Heijn (major national grocery store chain) embraces the expat tradition and gives out candy (unwrapped marshmallows in a garbage bag) to the kids.

As usual, Jude rejected most chocolate candies and chose some specifically to give to Nana. I am sure Maeve would have been all about the candy, so we placated her with raisins and she was pleased!