December in our house

Sadie is 10 weeks old and she is a big smiler!





She's gaining a lot of weight, but I think most of it is in her cheeks.



In other news, Jonas found a beetle by the garden up the alley. He brought it home and it ate some spinach. It got cuddled a lot. Then we let it go in the yard.



We also went to the beach on a balmy December day.

Grandma and Grandpa G's visit

We had a fun visit here with my parents for the last 2 weeks. We all miss Grandma and Grandpa G very much! Here are a few shots from their time here (as usual, there are more photos at my Flickr account, just click on any of these photos to get there):

Jonas doing magic tricks after dinner:


Sadie smiling with Grandma G:


Grandpa G enjoying Ada and Sadie:


A lot of books were read these 2 weeks:


Sadie snuggled up in Grandma G's arms at the park:


Jonas and Ada cracking each other up at the park:


Jonas drinking Aquarius after soccer practice:


Sadie at Jonas' soccer practice:


Sadie at 7 weeks:


The only family photo we've ever managed where everybody is at least looking at the camera happened to be taken in the food court at Taipei 101:

this morning

Today the kids and I walked to school. It's a nice 20 minute walk in the mornings.

Outside our house (on left).


We saw this funky bug.


And a pretty blue garage door.


At school, Jonas is supposed to walk Ada up to her class. He does it sometimes. His classroom is right next to hers.


After dropping them off, I went to 7-11 to pay the phone bill.


Then I went to the Wellcome for some groceries.


I love the soy sauce aisle. After 5 years here, I am still overwhelmed by it.


Aisle one of the instant noodles (ramen):


Aisle two of the instant noodles:


Aisle three of the instant noodles:


Aisle four of the instant noodles (and instant other stuff that you add water to):


Special display 1 of the instant noodles:


Special display 2 of the instant noodles:


And finally, really, really fresh fish:

halloween week

This week, we went trick-or-treating around Tienmu with our Dutch neighbors. The kids had almost as much fun as the Dutch neighbors! Sadie came along, too, but she didn't dress up (as much as we would have LOVED to dress her up as a whoopie cushion).



The kids also had a big Halloween party at school, complete with dressing up and trick-or-treating. I was amazed at how involved it got at their school. I was hoping their lunch menu would reflect the holiday festivities, but then again, something like brain soup might be just another typical lunch there. Just kidding!

In other news, Sadie is getting noticeably fatter, and we are all adoring her. P and I were talking about how different her infanthood is from Jonas' because she has so much more activity around her, and so many more people in the immediate family to give her attention. He said, "it's like she is not just her parents' baby, she's everyone's baby."







Poor Ada has been waking up way too early every day this week. I think Sadie wants to nurse her knee here:



One day on our way to school, Jonas told me that this is his favorite face of Sadie's. She does it a lot:



Sadie is obviously her own girl and is starting to look different from Ada as a newborn. But I thought this photo comparison was interesting:

Sadie, 3 weeks:



Ada, 3 days:



Even though she can't smile yet, it's easy to tell when she is happy. We are having a contest to see who can make Sadie smile first. Here's her pre-smile:



I have posted several more photos at my flickr account. Click any of the pictures above to get there.

sadie after one week

Sadie opens her eyes now and exercises.


She fits in preemie clothes quite nicely, even though she was 7lbs at birth. The pocket on her pj's here is so small that I can't fit my index finger in it.

She has nice fingers, if I do say so myself.


New hats made by Yaya arrived in the mail this week. One day, it will be hard to believe she could fit in this teensie hat:


Ada ventured closer to the baby this week:


Ada also looked very cute while eating apples:

an introduction

Introducing Sadie Gatewood Brown:



Born October 8, 2007 at 10:10pm, at HsinJuang Waterbirth Clinic, weighing 3.1 kilos. She came 2 days after the typhoon, just like Ada came 2 days after a typhoon!

Sadie, the day she got her name, 5 days old:


She looks so much like Ada did at birth. Ada at 4 days old (before she got HER name!):


Here's me at birth. Similarities include hair and fingers, but I'm not sure of what else:


This picture cracks me up, I love the missing tooth and the scrunched up face:


A few more photos at my flickr page, just click on any of the above photos to get there. I haven't taken many pictures yet, but will post more as soon as I can!

Typhoons and babies

In the Pacific region, there is an old wives' tale that typhoons bring on labor.

Here is the typhoon tracker from the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau (click on typhoon -> typhoon news on the left):



That means that the typhoon is due to travel right through Taipei on Saturday night and Sunday. Today is Friday. Wonder if it will do anything? Ada was born two days after a typhoon passed through Taipei.

life in Holland

Exactly a year ago, we were finally settled into what we thought would be life in Holland for the following few years. I'm feeling nostalgic lately for our life there.

I really miss our backyard, where Jonas and Ada played with the puppy, learned how to kick the soccer ball, and caught frogs.



Boys catching frogs:



I miss my kids in their wooden shoes.



I miss the trampoline in our backyard.



I miss our big kitchen, where we spent all our time, running in and out from the backyard.



I really, really miss our neighborhood, and the woods behind our house where we walked Mickey everyday. I loved waking up before dawn (which isn't all that early in the winter in Holland) and taking the dog out into the fresh, dark woods. It made me feel peaceful and revived the rest of the day.



We could spend hours at the canal in our neighborhood, throwing sticks, feeding ducks and watching Mickey swim gleefully.



I miss Jonas' school, which we rode our bikes to everyday in the morning bike rush hour on the paths in our neighborhood. That also just made my day. Jonas had the best, best teacher ever. And his Dutch was coming along nicely at this time last year.





I miss the zoo in Best, which was in the woods five minutes from our house. One of the brilliant things about Holland is that wherever there is a place for kids to play, not far away is a place to get beer on tap. Isn't that smart? Whenever Peter was out of town, I often took the kids up to this zoo and let them run around the tiny zoo while I enjoyed a fresh Grolsch. We would also eat dutch pancakes at the pancake cafe next door, and if we had time, we'd stop in at the Klompen Museum (wooden shoes museum) across the little road.



I also miss FairyTale Land (de Efteling)...





... living within driving distance to Paris...



... outdoor cafes ...



... and cops on rollerblades.



We enjoyed Amsterdam, too, but I can't find any of our photos from our trips there! I wonder if someday I'll miss Taiwan in the same way?