Frunty loves helping with the flowers and when we approach our home, he yells, "Look at those geraniums, they're bootiful!" The pink flowers on our back porch were chosen by Frunty and he takes care of them, as you can see!

Here are some pictures from the Breast Cancer Run on May 15th.

"We did it!"

Today we are full-term, yeeha! We made it to 37 weeks and I celebrated with an early morning run through Woluwe Park. With my new support belt, I feel great and completed 45 minutes with no problems. Now Tiny Baby can come any day! We are so excited!

Last night we celebrated K and E's engagement. I made banana leaf, sticky rice, and chocolate oaties...both designed to help K carbo-load for tomorrow's 20 K run. K made an excellent lasagna. We watched the sunset on their roof top...what a view of the city! K is already writing a list for my Mom and aunt of things to do and rules to follow as they will stay chez eux during their visit. It is such a nice area of town too.

The last few days we have had 30 degrees Celsius in the shade. It has been very hot. I am glad I got a run in before the heat wave hit and I did one stair work out thursday but yesterday, it was too hot to do anything! Tomorrow it is supposed to cool down a bit and be rainy which is way better for the runners. We will go to the race to take pictures of K and S, another friend, and I am so tempted to walk and run it...it isn't too late to join in the fun as S accidentally got two numbers...I will really have to think about it.

All our Tiny Baby clothes have been washed and are almost dry, my bag has been packed, we are getting our documents in order...I think we are almost ready to go except for the name business...still can't think of names. It isn't a question of deciding on a few we like...it is a question of finding ones we like...what a hard job again.

The other special thing to celebrate today is the wedding of L and B in Toronto. We wish we could be there. I bet it is going to be very beautiful especially given that it is at Black Creek Pioneer Village. We will have to content ourselves with photos. Our gift to them is Belgian Chocolates from Leonidas with the letter A on them. We will celebrate with them one day in person. Good luck, L and B!

Happy Birthday, to our lovely niece, K, in Port Credit! Hope you have a fun day!

Nonna sent me this wonderful quote today. Thanks so much, I love it too!

Quote by Noah Ben Shea:

"Do not kiss and hug your children so they will hug you
back. Kiss and hug them so they will kiss and hug
their own children."

Envy can be a positive motivator. Let it inspire you to work harder for what you want.

-Robert Bringle

Funny underwear moment: On Saturday in the car, I asked Frunty if he had to go "pee-pee" and he said, "yes...I want to go pee-pee in my underwear." I tried to persuade him not to but then his face went all calm and his eyes were just staring straight ahead and I knew he was going ahead with what he wanted to do. And I am really positive that Frunty really wanted to just see what it was like because all week he has been holding it so well and maybe he was just curious about what it would feel like. He didn't do it again the rest of our car trip to and from Holland. Anyway, maybe some people would be furious but we thought it was really adorable and funny. Frunty wanted the experience and now he knows what it feels like to go "pee-pee" in his underwear!

[Some people] have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy.

-A.H. Maslow

We just got home from a fun weekend in Holland. We think it is really lovely there and the Dutch seem to make their country very quaint and pretty. We stayed by the coast in a hotel near Noordwijk, about 2 1/2 hours from Brussels. On the way, we stopped at an Asian store where we used to go while living in Amsterdam. I was amazed that after all these years, Daddy could find it so easily. (the last time we went to this store was six years ago!)

We got to the hotel and checked in but then went immediately into Noordwijk to do some shopping at the Hema. First on our list, more underwear for Frunty. I never thought I'd have so much fun buying underwear but for a pint-size little guy, it is an adorable thing to do. The guys left me to walk to the beach where they played. We were lucky with the weather. After the beach, we ate some mackerel/raw herring and took a pizza, at Frunty's request, back to the hotel.

Our hotel was doing some renovation and although we never noticed any noise or experienced any inconvenience, they gave us coupons for drinks at the swanky bar. So after we had our pizza and enjoyed the pool and hot tub, we got dressed and went to the bar which was miraculously, not smokey! We sat at the bar so Frunty could watch the Karate competition and on the way back to our room, he practised lots of moves and it was hilarious.

Today we packed in a lot of fun activities. Across from our hotel were still a couple of bunches of tulips so we took pictures before moving onto the train museum. We played with a train set and took a train ride in the countryside where we saw cows/horses/sheep and people walking dogs. Mowgli came on the train too.

After that, we ate our sandwiches and headed to the ESA Space Expo. We thought the one in Belgium was way more interesting. This one had a very good film about Glenn, the 77 year old American who returned to outer space. Before heading back to Brussels, we tried to find a pannekoeken restaurant in Leiden but ended up getting a picnic-to-go from Albert Heijn. We were all pretty tired when we got home but Frunty was so thrilled to see some of his toys again so we stayed up awhile and played.

I think that that is it for mini-getaways until after Tiny Baby is born. We had a really fun time but any trip can be tiring and we have to save our strength for the months to come! Plus there are a lot of great day trips we can do around here.

Happy Victoria Day, tomorrow, Canada!

It's Wednesday and Frunty still wants to wear underwears and at the Little Gym yesterday, took off for the bathroom on his own twice. On the way home, he stopped by some trees. He is doing really well and I am surprised that he just all of a sudden decided to do this and that he is keeping with it.

Today J&J are babysitting while we, Daddy and I, go to our 35.5 week check-up to discuss our birth plan which are really hopes. We have to learn a lot about how things are done over here and it is like having a first baby in many ways. Afterwards we will visit the hospital. I will try to squeeze in a run by shuffling over to the doctor's office and meet Daddy there. I feel tired but runs always shake the willies out, as Raffi sings.

We got some great news yesterday as our friends here, K and E, are getting married in Las Vegas on June 9th! We wish them the very best.

Today I ran Brussels' first ever 10 K run for Breast Cancer held in Tervuren Park. I dedicated this run to: Terry Fox, my grandmother, Heidi, my Mom's best friend, Marie, Zio Franco and our friend and neighbour, Anna. Although they lost their battles with cancer, we can continue to fight on their behalf.

Because I've been running a couple of 3-5K runs a week and one 7K a week, doing a 10K run wasn't too big a stretch for me. It took me 1 hour and 21 minutes. (pre-pregnancy would have clocked about 1 hour but who's counting!) I came in third...last! An unseasonably cold morning of 7 degrees Celsius meant my muscles never really warmed up and pre-race excitement meant a terrible sleep of only 3 hours last night= I am thrilled with how I did. Tiny Baby refrained from leaning on any major organs, luckily, and Daddy and Frunty cheered me on at several points along the route, handing me tissues and energy candies.

The organizers of the event did an incredible job and if you didn't know it, you wouldn't have guessed it was the very first year. Everyone was super friendly and efficient at registration and the volunteers along the route were excellent at yelling support and pointing which way to go. I ran by a volunteer named Charlie twice who was quite worried that I'd give birth today. Afterwards he seemed relieved to see that I had made it...with the baby still on the inside.

During the race, a few women recognized me from my picture and article in the BCT magazine and together we encouraged each other to keep going. At the 3K mark I thought the race was going to be too tough for me what with the cobblestone, several steep hills and muddy paths but I plugged away and found myself almost sprinting the last 1K through the pink balloons in my wonderful shirt made by Daddy. I couldn't get enough fresh oranges at the end and was the only one still standing by the refreshment table half an hour later! Hey, I'm pregnant!

After the race, I saw a woman, about my age, with no hair and the fact that she was wearing the race t-shirt indicated that she had completed today's run. She is one of the heroes of today's race and I hope that this experience renewed her spirit somewhat.

Thank you for the offers to sponsor my run today. Due to geography, it is hard for me to get my sponsorship form to some of you so please feel free to donate directly to www.awcb.org or some charity in your own vicinity if you so choose.

Thank you also for your emails and phone calls of support. I appreciated them greatly. With one more month of pregnancy to go, I will continue to do short runs and stairs/light weights as I do my last stretch of training for the big marathon in June! (providing my doctor approves)

After the race, we enjoyed the sunshine and then had a picnic at the playground so that Frunty could run around too. It got cloudy and cool again so we got back home and made chocolate chip cookies together. They are sitting on the counter right now and it is taking me a lot of discipline not to go over there right now. I am really happy that this race was scheduled during my pregnancy as it has given me a goal and helped me stay motivated all these months. I have learned about discipline through my training and have been rewarded with an excellent pregnancy thus far. I'll have another cookie...tomorrow!

Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is.

-Maxim Gorky

Frunty told me today that he wants to wear underwear. He said, "No diaper". I asked, "And what about tomorrow?" and he answered, "I want to wear underwear tomorrow." I told him that we would still put a diaper on at night time and he said that that was okay. Frunty still wants a diaper put on for poops but that's fine. Sooner or later, he will feel comfortable using the potty/toilet. The last time we tried underwear, a few months ago, it was our idea to try. This time it is his and we'll see if it works out. If it does, it is great timing as we'll be needing those cloth diapers soon for Tiny Baby!

Today we went to our friend's home, S's, to make sticky rice steamed in banana leaves. They are called "banana" but are really "bamboo". What a lot of work! First the leaves had to be washed and dried by my friend while the other friend worked on the rice mixture in the kitchen and while Frunty played with toys and helped me supervise. I cut the pointy parts off the leaves of the bamboo. But wrapping the rice mixture just perfectly so looked hard...like some kind of Chinese origami and then tying them with a string before they unravelled...wow...so much work to make them and they are so delicious, we ate them in a few seconds!

Downside? I was only allowed one. I couldn't believe it! The two Moms reached for their seconds but told me that these traditional, dragon-boat race "rice dumplings" are too hard on a pregnant woman's digestion. How frustrating. I had to listen to them because they have gotten me through my entire pregnancy so far with all their support and tips and ancient Chinese secrets. So I had to watch them enjoy another. I am only allowed one a day. (they sent a bag home with me.) Frunty loved his one as well. As a little guy, he is also only allowed one but he didn't mind as was eager to go off playing again. Anyway, I will steam one tomorrow morning for breakfast. Talk about heaven wrapped in a leaf!

These 3 Moms from mainland China and Taiwan have helped me more than I can ever express. Because of them, I have no aches or pain. I have not gained any weight in 6 weeks, and they fill me with daily advice and support my recent emotional swings. They always say it is nothing and no problem but it means everything to me. Yesterday they talked to me about all my hospital and birthing fears with such warmth and patience and we were brought to laughter often...probably because I sound so nuts! And they have their cell phones on day and night for me. I write about this in my blog because I need to remember this because one doesn't meet such wonderfully supportive people everyday. I never want to forget this time. And although we know that we will all eventually move on from Brussels, we are cherishing our moments together now which is all anyone can ever do anyway.

Tomorrow we will meet at S's house to pick up our fresh, fish order. We ordered the fish from Holland and once a month it arrives and S's house becomes a little supermarket with women coming and going, picking up their orders, fumbling around in their wallets for exact change, bowing and smiling and going home to make sushi and sashimi for their families that night. We have now been invited into the circle so today is our first time picking up fish although we have been at the mini supermarket on other days when this little tradition took place. So tomorrow night when Daddy gets home, he will enjoy some sashimi and Frunty and I will make sushi rolls too with cooked shrimp. After a week of heavy British and German food, it will be nice for Daddy to have something filling but light.

So tomorrow's chore is fish pick-up and then it is another three day weekend with the highlight of the breast cancer run on Sunday!

Each day we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.

-Charles Swindoll

Happy Mother's Day to everyone yesterday! Oh, to be a Mom seems like the greatest joy imaginable.

My guys made me crepes yesterday with Gramma's raspberry jam on top...heavenly and then they took me to one of their favourite places called the Pass. (www.pass.be) It was really fun and we all enjoyed ourselves. Then they made me dinner when we got home. (my favourite fish, Lotte, in a pesto sauce) After that, they gave me my half hour of stair climbing before we watched "The Incredibles." I forgot the gift. On Friday Frunty and Daddy made me a Mother's Day card and Frunty said for the very first time in his life to me, "Happy Mother's Day". What a sweet moment in my own life. Then yesterday they gave me a kitchen scale which weighs both metric/imperial and is battery operated so wherever we move, I can use it!

Cheerio everyone!

Yesterday was 30 degrees Celsius in the sun here in Brussels! It feels like we have gone from winter to summer with hardly a spring at all. But since the winter here is quite spring-like (except for the two weeks of snow we had) it all seems fine to me!

Yesterday was a very busy day. The guys headed off to do a hike and look for a "cache" and I headed out the door for a run at Woluwe Park. Near the end of my run, I got a call to meet the guys at Cinq. park for a bicycle festival. We had a really nice picnic and saw some neat bikes. I really like the little, three-wheel fold-up adult bike and will consider it down the road. Mowgli enjoyed the shade. After looking at all the stands and trying an organic cola (very good) we went home to drop off Mowgli and go for our hike. After my one hour run, I felt a bit tired but what a glorious day to go to the forest.

We hunted around for the "cache" but couldn't find it. Frunty and I waited by some trees while Daddy checked his GPS up ahead. Sometimes these scavenger hunts are very hard and we'll have to try again another weekend to find the treasure!

Hope you all have a lovely week with great weather too!