http://pearl.vanzoest.com/ Pearl Karuna van Zoest en Copyright 2008 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:03:32 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss For a few seconds, she stood alone (unsupported). :-) ]]> http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/06/standing_alone_1.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/06/standing_alone_1.html Development Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:03:32 +0000 Yay! Pearl is pulling up to stand and she wants to walk around. She has been pulling up to stand about two weeks ago, but more recently she holds onto our hands and walk around the room. Sometimes we can see the eagerness in her face as she watched Jasmine and I run around the room. She most likely just want to do everything her sister is doing... such as giving out high five. She's growing well. In 7 more days, Pearl turns 7 months old! http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/06/pulling_up_to_stand.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/06/pulling_up_to_stand.html Development Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:27:52 +0000 Pearl is 5 months and 3 weeks old. She is also starting to crawl. It all began last week when we found her in her crib up on all four. And today, she is moving backward on all four. ]]> http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/04/crawling.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/04/crawling.html Development Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:40:00 +0000 (This image gallery is located at Jasmine.vanZoest.com) Pearl at 3 months old weighs 13 pounds and 8 ounces. She is 61 cm long (24 inches). She got two immunization shots at her 3 month appointment. The nurse did a more thorough check-up and said she is strong for her age as she is able to hold her head at 45 degrees. She is also capable to holding her head in place without support when she sits upright. In other development, Pearl is interested in exploring her hands and feet. When wearing the garden bug rattles, Pearl loves to kick her feet and swipe at her hands. She giggles out-loud and coos to it. She is also capable of grabbing her pacifiers or other objects that is close-by and put them in her mouth. She can also hold her bottle for a few seconds on her own as she does this when she tries to correct our holding of the bottle during feeding. Overall, she is growing on her growth chart between the 50 % and 85% percentiles, and appears to be happy too. In this series are images of Pearl and her sister spending time together; enjoying Valentine's day. ]]> http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/02/3_months_old.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/02/3_months_old.html Development Sat, 23 Feb 2008 10:46:14 +0000 May each day of your New Year be lit with good luck and good fortune. Wishing you happiness and success! Happy Chinese New Year. Below is the 2008 forecast for the Pig in Earth Rat year: Ratings 68% (11 favorable and 1 unfavorable month) Major improvement is likely to be in store for you this year. It's ironic that the environment is likely to be more unsettling, while simultaneously providing more opportunities for success. A mental adjustment is required to maximize your potential. Although the Pig tends to look to the future, even to retirement, your focus should be squarely on the present. The future is now. Be alert for favorable situations and make the most of them. Career Be wary of changes on the job this year. As you are likely to see increased success, your best bet on the job is to stay focused on the projects you have been working on and make sure you drive them to completion. When you begin new projects, be sure to get the support of your co-workers and management. They will be instrumental to your success on the job. You will find that the work environment is more comfortable this year and that the people around you will appreciate your experience and talent. Relationships Family time will be precious this year. You will find yourself wanting to do more with your significant other, and patch up any conflicts created last year. Your social life will be active and fun, whether you are hanging out on the single front or relaxing with your loved one. The single Pig will find plenty of opportunities during the Year of the Earth Rat. If you are single, set aside a little more time for your social life and accept a few more offers to go out. You may find that love is in the air -- along with a new career connection or two. Health Changes in your life may be a bit unsettling for you. The pace of the year also poses some risk to your health and well-being. Be sure to avoid any risky physical activity as this is probably not the year to attempt your first mountain climb or deep-sea dive. You should take a slow, cautious approach to your daily life. Your general energy level will be positive this year and you should have no problem maintaining your health. Wealth The second half of the Year of the Rat should be much better for you than the first. Exercise caution with your spending and make it a point to think twice about any potential purchases. You will be best served to maintain a budget this year and stick to it. You could have real problems with money if you are not careful and become tempted by the slick sales person type with offers that are not sound. by Chinese Zodiac]]> http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/02/_happy_chinese_new_year.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/02/_happy_chinese_new_year.html Chinese New Year Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:47:51 +0000 Pearl had a mini check-up today and the docter said she is growing to his expectation. She currently weighs 13 lbs and 2 ounces. She is standing 23 inches tall. She has a 3 Month WBV (Well-Baby Visit) and vaccination on the 15th of February with the Consultatiebureau. This series contains a mini set of pictures taken last week. Tomorrow we will be celebrating Chinese New Year which will certainly produce some new shots to post. ]]> http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/02/rolling_over.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/02/rolling_over.html About Me Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:18:24 +0000 Pearl has an appointment this 6th of February. For now she appears to be growing and developing well. She recognizes us. Pearl loves looking at Jasmine play and smiles at her all the times. She is also able to lift her head up to 45 degrees.... Note: Post will get edited later I'm too tired to be writing this at the moment -- it's 3am in the morning -- got to go to sleep]]> http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/01/peaceful.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/01/peaceful.html Sun, 27 Jan 2008 01:54:04 +0000 Two months old Pearl weights 11 lbs and 5 oz. She is standing 23 inches tall and has a head circumference of 15 and 1/3 inches. At last week's well-baby visits and according to the Dutch standardized growth chart these results put Pearl in the 50th percentile for weight, height, and head circumference. They also examined her behavior and gave her two immunization shots. She screamed really loud and was very upset with the nurse. Because of her reaction to the shots and the fact she passed her general examination, the Dr. said she is healthy. Overall Pearl is doing well and is extremely friendly. When we visited Pier and Satoko over the weekend. Pearl smiled and coo at Pier. And when she sat on my lap, she started to smile immediately. I didn't have to initiate any smiles. She appears to be happy and loves making bubbles. I was not able to capture any of it onto the camera as the flash on the camera distracts her. As for us, we are happy too especially because Pearl is allowing us to get more sleep at night. We can sleep about 5 and half hours before having to wake up for a feeding. ]]> http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/01/2_months_old_wbv.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2008/01/2_months_old_wbv.html Well-Baby Visits Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:17:03 +0000 Pearl is quite funny and lovely lately. She is cooing, squeaking and making all sort of throaty sounds -- such as "nee" (no in Dutch) when she is protesting mom from wiping her butt with cold wipes. I am sure it is just random noise... And once in a while she'll also starts to laugh out loud, following with a couple smiles too. She brings so much joy to the family and is such a great addition. Jasmine loves playing with her and taking care of her too. Overall Pearl is doing well. She has grown some more and is up to 87 cm, 23 inches. She is also almost 2 months old, and probably weights 11 pounds. Pearl and Jasmine have a check-up on the 11th of January. We will know more about Pearl's growth then. In this series is a small selection of the images over the holidays. We couldn't take too many as Jasmine didn't want their pictures to be taken so she kept on turning the camera off. We hope to get more pictures of Pearl later.]]> http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/12/pearl_is_quite_funny_and.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/12/pearl_is_quite_funny_and.html About Me Sat, 29 Dec 2007 21:03:20 +0000 Yesterday, Pearl laid asleep on Mamas' arms dreaming sweet dreams, when all of a sudden she burst out into laughter. It was a big surprise to see her laugh because this is the first time, I have seen and heard a laughing newborn. It is nice to know, Pearl, you can find life humoring considering the challenges you are facing. For your development progress, we notice that you are capable of supporting your head very well. Her Papa lifts her up in the air without worrying about her head. She seems to be able to hold it up firmly. Although, it was frightening for me to witness, her head did not flop towards the floor. I hope no harm came from the rough play. :-) Otherwise, Pearl likes to sleep, eat, and have her nappy changed. If she is done drinking her milk before the bottle goes empty, she will knock the milk bottle out of your hand. It is very unexpected, but effective at letting me know that she had enough milk. This gallery series contains pictures of her relaxing at home with us and of her wearing her Saint Nicholas gifts... We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your gifts. Thank you Dirk and Ardy for the cute cow shirt. Jasmine absolutely loves it on Pearl. Thank you family Haverkamp, for the adorable shirt and sweater. Thank you Opa for your generous gift, we were able to buy a baby sling. Insofar, we have made frequent use of it. ]]> http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/12/laughing_one_month_old.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/12/laughing_one_month_old.html About Me Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:36:16 +0000 Pearl will be celebrating her full-month in 5 days! She has grown so much in the last couple weeks. The 0-3 months clothes that are made a little small do not fit her anymore. She still has a few outfits that are 0-3 months that were large at birth, but they fit her perfectly now. Not sure what size she'll be wearing at 2 months old. We need to buy her more 3-6 months because at the moment, she only has one outfit that is 3-6 months. Physically she is also quite strong. While laying on her belly, she has lifted her head and pushed up with her arms. With the help from her legs, she manages to lift her head quite high off the ground for several seconds. When place her on the couch and we are not careful to tuck her in tightly we find her near the edge of the couch. She has managed to wiggle her way around. Aside from the physical development, her mental development is also on par if not ahead. At about one - two weeks old, Pearl was able to focus and track moving objects. She has also been making other sounds aside from crying. And if she thinks her sister is getting too much attention, she will intentionally spit out the pacifier and while starring at us whine for attention. As long as we react -- her sister included -- she is a very placid and agreeable baby. ]]> http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/12/full_month.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/12/full_month.html About Me Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:58:02 +0000 (Pearl feeling cozy at home!) Pearl is now two weeks old. Weight wise, she has been gaining weight at a steady rate. Her current weight is 3.82 kilograms, which is about 8 pounds and 6 ounces. At this point, she has exceeded her birth weight, 3.555 kilograms (7 pounds and 13 ounces). Height wise, she is standing about 20.5 inches tall. We are not sure of her initial height so we cannot asset her growth at this stage. Hopefully, we will have a better idea in the next couple months. Overall she is doing well although she had a bit of a rough start. We are working on creating a gallery page for Pearl. We hope to have one up by next week. ]]> http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/11/2_weeks_old.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/11/2_weeks_old.html About Me Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:44:01 +0000 Pearl was born on the 8th of November, 2007. Papa and Oma were there to greet Pearl. She weighs 3.555 kilograms (7 pounds and 13 ounces). She has straight dark brown hair that has become dark blond overtime. Her eyes are a gray-blue color although it will become brown later. Pearl, Jasmine, Sander and myself would like to thank Oma van Zoest for coming out to the Netherlands to help welcome Pearl into the world and for all the assistance she offered our family. Oma, you have been a tremendous help. We hope you were able to enjoy your time in Netherlands and that your time here was not too stressful. ]]> http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/11/hello_world.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/11/hello_world.html About Me Fri, 09 Nov 2007 08:57:18 +0000 As it turns out there is no need for induction as the the blood test which showed the enzymes elevated above normal levels does not indicate a problem. As I found out today, the normal ranges for AST (aspartate transaminase) are around 0 to 40 IU/L and I tested 41. The mid-wifes are only concerned when it is at 100+ IU/L. Although this particular mid-wife feels that there are no worries (at the moment), she did send me to the lab for a re-evaluation. We do not know what the result of this new test is yet. We tried to call the lab earlier, but we were unable to reach the specialist. So we will try again tomorrow. Based on the results, we will know for a fact if I should return to see a mid-wife before my previously scheduled appointment on Tuesday. As for the rising blood pressure, I had it when I started to be seen by them. My blood pressure was X/65 (quite low), and now it is at 115/80 (normal range). So my blood pressure has been rising, but is within the expected range. At the moment, it feels like Pearl will most likely arrive on her due date or later because insofar, I have only felt a brief contraction that lasted 1 minute this afternoon, and it has not returned since. http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/10/38_weeks_and_4_days_liver_enzy.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/10/38_weeks_and_4_days_liver_enzy.html Pregnancy Thu, 25 Oct 2007 22:03:23 +0000 My blood pressure is rising so the mid-wife ordered a blood test for me today. She said to call back two hours later for the results from the after hours specialist. Two hours later, they indicated that I had normal readings except for my liver. It appears a little too high so they want me to see me again on Thursday despite the fact that I already have an appointment for the 30th of October. I am not sure what the prognoses by the mid-wife will be for this Thursday.It is rather ironic though, considering the mid-wife and I were discussing the pros and cons of induction today. Our conclusion was that we will not proceed with an induction unless there is a medical requirement. Because inducing too early might lead to an emergency cesarean. It appears now that I do have a medical requirement. So it is very likely that Pearl will arrive next week (if she does not arrive sooner). It is also very likely for her and I to spend a couple days at the hospital together. In the states, Mom and baby are monitored several days at the hospital. In Netherlands (and perhaps other European counties as well), mom and baby are often sent home several hours after delivery -- if they are healthy. Then family is given a confinement lady for a week to check up on Mom and baby. The confinement lady also helps with all the daily chores. I am told to have more rest -- be on bed rest for now. There goes my 10+ miles daily walk to bring grocery home and taking Jasmine to the playground. http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/10/38_weeks_and_2_days.html http://pearl.vanzoest.com/2007/10/38_weeks_and_2_days.html Pregnancy Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:24:22 +0000