As our Moon Baby enters her twelfth month on Planet Earth, she appears to be learning new things daily. She can sit, wave "bye bye", raise her arms when someone says "hip, hip, hurray", play "pattycake", give a "high five", clap her hands, crawl on hands and knees, shake "no", stick her tongue out, say what sounds like "mama", stand up holding on with only one hand, walk through her play pen ...

... and Luna is especially good at looking cute. This is something that requires no effort on her part whatsoever. Our Moon Baby is such an active and cheerful young lady who gives so much happiness to the people around her. It is very rare that she cries. Luna eats everything and sleeps very well. How lucky we all are to have her in our midst.

While the view from Esther-Mirjam's bedroom is so beautiful, the developments in the lives of her family members are so awful. Opa Ben's condition is still highly uncertain following his cerebral hemorrhage and now his mom, Oma-Mama Mulder, has had a stroke. It looks like she will not be able to hang on for much longer.

One of the advantages of Fall having arrived in the Netherlands is that Luna gets to look cute in her hats (row below). That is, her mom seems to enjoy it more than our poor baby.

Here is proof that Luna is able to walk through her play pen (row below). She seems very pleased with her achievements. And she has every right to be!

Uh oh, we have Opa Ben to blame for the fact that Luna has learned to stick her tongue out (row below). We so hope we can blame him for many more silly things that he will teach his granddaughter. Luna adores her Opa Ben and so very many people care so very much for him. Oma Alie feels so very lonely without her pal.

Only a few weeks ago, Luna had fun visiting Oma-Mama Mulder, sitting on her lap (left) and playing with her duck and dog (right). On November 21, Tante Daniëlle's birthday, the sad news reaches her that Oma-Mama Mulder has passed away. Luna and Esther-Mirjam said goodbye to her a few days before, when Oma-Mama Mulder used her last energy to shake little Luna's hand.

Luna is doing whatever she can to entertain her mourning family fan club. She goes for walks with Oma Alie and Tjubka, who are staying with Luna and her mom (top row, middle). And she makes all the funny faces she has mastered up to now. Luna manages to put a brief smile on everyone's face. And if you look carefully, you may be able to see tooth #3 in Luna's mouth (left).

After having vainly tried to convince her family fan club that she is a difficult eater, Luna has decided to give up. She now eats everything, and rice cakes are her favorite, especially when she is allowed to make a mess with them (row below).

The three lovely ladies pictured top left take care of Luna on Mondays and Wednesdays, at the day care center. They are Heike, Diana, and Marjolein. This shot was taken a few months ago, as you can tell by their clothes. Diana regularly takes pictures of the children and they were recently posted to a website from which Esther-Mirjam also copied the three images you see of Luna left and right. One of Luna's boyfriends, Filippo, can be seen in the photo bottom left. On the right, Luna joins the others in their efforts to catch the bubbles.

Luna can quickly get on her feet, as you can see in the video clip to which you have access by clicking on the link below. More importantly, she has also figured out how to get back on the ground, besides calling her mom for help!
Click here to watch the clip.

When the first (and perhaps only) snow of the season reaches the Netherlands, Esther-Mirjam rushes out to buy a baby sled. However, it seems like she enjoys it more than her young daughter (left). Luna is much happier hanging out in her baby carrier (middle). This is not as much fun for her mom, though, because Luna is becoming almost too heavy to carry like this. It is high time to go shopping for a baby backpack!

While Opa Ben remains in the hospital, Oma Alie continue to stay with Luna and her mom. This gives Gramma an opportunity to go swimming with her granddaughter. Luna loves to float in Oma Alie's arms.

Luna enjoys hanging out with the other babies in the swimming class. She is very good about sharing her toys, while some of the other babies are not too happy when Luna grabs one of their toys.

Luna and Oma Alie go underwater together, which is something that no longer bothers Luna one bit, especially if she gets to play with some toys afterwards!

Taking care of Luna is really such a breeze. She is a very cheerful baby who enjoys playing by herself. The only time she cries is when she is tired. Other signs of tiredness are watery eyes (middle) and Luna rubbing her eyes (right).When she is put in bed, Luna usually falls asleep immediately. And when she does not do so, then she entertains herself by chatting quietly. Overall, Luna sleeps about 16 hours a day: two hours late-morning, two hours late-afternoon, and twelve hours at night.

As far as Luna is concerned, Oma Alie and Tjubka can stay as long as they like. Oma Alie takes such good care of Luna and Tjubka is a great playmate (left). The dog is very gentle with our Moon Child, contrary to the impression this image may give you. When Luna looks at her mom like this (middle), Esther-Mirjam cannot resist the temptation to cuddle with her little darling.

Saint Nicholas' eve is celebrated in the Netherlands on December 5. It is the present-giving occasion in the Netherlands (after birthdays). Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colorful Moorish dresses, called "Zwarte Pieten" (black Petes). Their blackness may have been inspired by black slaves, but today the more politically correct explanation that their faces are "black from soot" (as they have to climb through chimneys to deliver their gifts) is used. Sinterklaas has a long white beard, holds a long gold colored staff with a fancy curled top in his hand, and carries a big book with all the children's names in it, and whether they have been good or bad. He rides the roofs on a white horse. Each year in November Sinterklaas arrives by steamboat ''from Spain." Traditionally, in the weeks between his arrival and the 5th of December, before going to bed, children leave a carrot in a shoe as well as some water for Sinterklaas's horse, sing a Sinterklaas song, and will find a present in the shoe the next day.

While Esther-Mirjam has mixed feelings about the whole Sinterklaas and Zwarte Pieten thing, it is difficult for her not to go along with this Dutch tradition. Luna figures that she can get lots of presents by putting carrots in many shoes (row below).

Luna tries to eat some carrots herself and is not too excited about the taste. These carrots are much better left for Sinterklaas's horse (row below).

Luna sings a Sinterklaas song (left) and is excited at the thought of finding a present tomorrow (right).

In the end, Luna figures it is better to leave just one shoe, carrot, and bowl of water for Sinterklaas's horse. And lo and behold, she wakes up the next morning to find the carrot and water gone and to discover a present waiting for her (row below). Incidentally, the wet spots on Luna's shoe are the result of the fact that Luna, ahum, was playing with the horse's water!

After having unwrapped her present, Luna finds the wrapping paper much more interesting than the present itself (top left). She starts playing peekaboo with the paper (bottom left) and turns up her nose at the present (top right), but eventually is happy with her moon book (bottom right). After all the Sinterklaas fun, Luna is ready for a good sleep (below).

Luna is a very musical baby who loves to dance, as evidenced by the video clip to which you have access by clicking on the link below. We wonder from whom she got this inspiration! The video clip further shows a big yawn and Luna being able to get back down on her knees, so she no longer has to call her family fan club to help her get down.
Click here to watch the clip.

Note: You can watch the clip with the free QuickTime player.
Click here to download QuickTime for Windows. (In Dutch.)
Click here to download QuickTime for MAC. (In Dutch.)
Warning: The clip file is large!

When Luna visits the Youth Health Bureau, she weighs in at 9345 grams (20.6 US pounds), which is exactly average, and measures 74 centimeters (29.13 inches), which is just barely below average. There are no longer any signs that Luna was born five weeks early. She is praised for her relaxed temperament, ability to play by herself, and well developed fine motor skills. Speaking of motors, Oma Alie's car was hit when she was on her way to Opa Ben, while Esther-Mirjam's car window got smashed and car radio got stolen. How much bad luck can one family take? Luna gives everybody much-needed diversion from their worries, especially when looking cute like this (left).

The celebration of Luna's birthday starts on Sunday, December 11 to give working people a chance to join her. While still in her pyjamas, she practices "Hip, Hip, Hurray." If you look carefully, you will see that tooth #4 has made its appearance (left and right).

Balloons next to the front door signal the celebrations inside (left). The decorations in her home (bottom left) leave Luna a little stunned (right). Tante Daphne and Sebastiaan give Luna books and a beautiful doll (below), in return for which they get to enjoy some delicious birthday cake (bottom right). Tante Daniëlle and Ome Geert were also present, but did not get photographed by Luna's absent-minded mom.

Esther-Mirjam thought she was smart not to decorate the part of Luna's chair that her Moon Child could reach while sitting in the chair.

Luna, however, outsmarts her mom by crawling to her chair and playing with the decorations while sitting on the floor underneath the table.

Luna is not so crazy about the hat that her mom is making her wear to celebrate her birthday. At first, she tries to remove it (below left), then she begs her mom for help (below middle), and finally she gives in (below right).

On Monday, December 12, Luna gets to celebrate her birthday at the day care center. The Dutch have this strange custom that you are expected to treat others on your birthday. Good girl that she is, Luna is happy to oblige. She helps her mom wrap yoghurt and a spoon into a napkin to which a little Luna card is attached (top left and top right). Yet again, Luna is expected to wear a silly hat and once again she tries to get rid of it ASAP (middle left). She much prefers the cake that gets served (bottom left). All the children get to choose a musical instrument to accompany themselves while singing "Happy Birthday." Luna prefers to chew on her musical instrument (middle right) and cheer for the others while they sing (bottom right). At the end of the day, Luna is so tired that she falls asleep in her bicycle trailer on the way home. Life is rough for a birthday baby!

Luna's third birthday celebration occurs on her twelfth Month Day, Tuesday, December 13. Of course, this requires another birthday cake and now one with a candle for Luna to frown at. Luna has figured out that she can blow out air with her nose, but not yet with her mouth, so she needs a little help from her mom to blow out the candle.

Luna receives lots of guests on her birthday, including Iris (and her mom Irene, with whom Esther-Mirjam took birthing classes), Isis (with her mom Christine, with whom Esther-Mirjam works at the university), and Karine (who is a student at the university). Other visitors are Luna's grandparents (though not Opa Ben, who is in a rehabilitation center, probably for six months), Ome Arno, Tante Daniëlle, Tante Astrid, Ome Albert, Tante Irma, Ome Dennis, Tante Sophie, Aunt Michelle, and neighbors (Anneke and Han). What a day!

Lucky little Luna receives lots of wonderful presents. The two dolls are hand-made by Oma Alie!

Luna is also fortunate to find lots of cards in her mailbox, including a few from her friends in the United States.

All the practice with "Hip, Hip, Hurray" pays off on Luna's birthday (below middle). Luna cheers for a present she receives from a very special person in the United States. It arrived a few days before her birthday (below left), but our Moon Child exercised her patience and waited to unwrap a gorgeously framed Sun mirror on the day itself (below right).