Hello students! Welcome back to class. And to all of the new students, welcome to Ballet Club! My name is Ms. Amanda. For those of you who were with me last year, you’ll know I had to leave at the end of the year because I had a baby. I’m still a little out of shape and not as agile yet, so don’t make fun of me. *chuckles* We’re going to start off this year the same way we started off last year. I’d like you all to introduce yourselves to the class. Tell me your likes and dislikes. In addition to that, I want you to tell me 2 reasons why you want to take this class and your favourite dance move. It’s okay, if you don’t know your favourite, or what the name is. Just tell me if you like… jumps for example. Who wants to start? Comment on my blog to let me know when you’ve completed the assignment. Good luck! Comments #1. Hi miss, I've done my homework *smiles*
Zara Craanen #2. Great! I'll check. *winks* Amanda van Loon
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“Who’s the cutest baby in the world?” Amanda cooed. Nicco cooed right back, making Amanda chuckle. Often, it seemed as if her baby boy tried to talk back. It was probably because there were always people talking to him.
Elia had her jealous moments. Sometimes she threw tantrums when Nicco needed Amanda’s full attention, but most of the time, as long as she could help take care of the baby, she was fine. And most of the time she was chatty. “Elia, can you grab some a clean diaper please?” Amanda asked. Elia was sitting on the bed, swinging her legs, but immediately, she jumped off the bed and ran to the little container where Amanda kept some baby items in the master bedroom. “Do you need the cweam?” Elia asked loudly. Amanda laughed lightly. “No, thank you, sweetie. Just a nappy.” Elia returned to the bed, full speed, the diaper held proudly in her hand. “Can I help?!” Amanda was tempted to say no. Elia wasn’t a gentle child. She did everything hurriedly. Incidents of Elia attempted to help with diaper changes usually ended in a screaming Nicco and an equally-screaming Elia. “Uhm… How about you run to Nicco’s nursery and grab a bib, hmm?” “Okidoki!” Elia ran off again and Amanda sighed with relief. She put a fresh diaper on Nicco, a clean onesie and a hat. He looked absolutely adorable, even in clothes just meant for him to wear at home. Elia returned excitedly and shove a pacifier into her baby brother’s mouth suddenly. Amanda nearly exclaimed in alarm, especially noting the way Nicco’s eyes bulged, but within seconds, he was was happily sucking on the pacifier. “He likes it!” Elia said, happily. Amanda smiled. “I guess he does.” None of the kids had ever used pacifiers as infants, but a friend of the family had sent them an entire package for Nicco. Amanda was still uncertain about the use of pacifiers, but for now, her baby boy and baby girl were happy. Everyone was a winner. The morning began with Niccolò’s customary cry, and as it had been the past few days, Elia climbed into bed with her parents as well. As a light sleeper, she easily woke at the sound of her baby brother’s piercing cries. Luckily for Amanda and Niels, Elia often fell asleep again quite easily, tucked between her parents while Amanda nursed the baby.
As Amanda gazed down at her baby boy she couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. She’d had quite an easy pregnancy and an uneventful delivery. It was long and exhausting, but weren’t most deliveries? She felt lucky that Nicco was healthy and seemed happy. As long as he had a full tummy and a clean diaper at least. So far Nicco seemed to be an easy-going baby. Amanda hoped it stayed that way. The morning progressed, Elia ran off to the bathroom for her usual wake-up routine, and Amanda changed Nicco into a fresh nappy and clothes. He seemed happy, even smiling up at her. Though most insisted that smiles at such an young age were just coincidental or gas, Amanda considered it a sign of her baby boy’s happiness. Laying him on her lap, she cooed over him and chatted about various things. In the distance, she could hear her older children giggling and carrying on conversations of their own. Nicco was just starting to doze off as Niels quietly re-entered the bedroom. He held up a glass of iced coffee. “Decaf,” he said with a little grin on his face. “I thought you can use a little boost.” Amanda chuckled and smiled gratefully at him. “Thank you love.” She took a sip and then glanced at Niels. “Remember those times when we used to be able to escape from our children on our anniversary?” She couldn’t help but grin even wider. “I think those times are over for a while… I can’t believe we have four kids now.” Niels laughed lightly. “I know,” he said. “Neither can I.” Amanda glanced down at Nicco again. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” For days, Amanda had been quite uncomfortable. Sleep was out of the question, and those Braxton-Hicks contractions were becoming quite annoying. Tuesday night, Amanda was lying in bed, trying to relax. Emi had been the last child to go to bed only just two hours before. Niels felt sorry for Amanda when he saw how she could barely sit still. The restlessness was hard to miss. “Can I get you anything?” he asked her for the gazillionth time. Amanda shook her head. “Need a massage at least?”
He received a slight nod from her. Climbing into bed, he sat behind her and began to massage her shoulders. Amanda sighed and relaxed noticeably. That is, until another false contraction gripped her body. “You okay?” Niels asked her. “Mm-hmm…” Minutes later, as Amanda was nearly dozing off from Niels’ massage, another pain gripped her body. She inhaled sharply, her hand moving to her belly. “Kobe, that was a strong one,” she said once the pain had passed. She rubbed her stomach for a moment and glanced at the clock. By now, the contractions seemed rather steady. “I’m going to sit on the veranda for a moment,” she said. She didn’t ask Niels for his help, but he immediately jumped to her aid, helping her off the bed. Outside, the air was crisp, but rather refreshing. Amanda lounged in one of the chairs on the veranda, accompanied by Niels who didn’t want to leave her alone. A while later, Amanda gasped and doubled over in pain. Niels was by her side within seconds. “Baby?” Amanda glanced up at him, biting her lip. “I think it’s time.” Kobe, she was scared of the outcome this birth would bring. She sent up a silent prayer to the powers above: that this delivery would go smoothly and this baby would be healthy. The morning sun beamed through the windows of Amanda’s room at the birthing centre. The night had been so long and Amanda was beyond exhausted. After spending hours upon hours walking around, altering between the bed, the couch, the tub and at times even on the floor. Sometimes kneeling on the carpet was the most comfortable for her, and luckily no one disapproved. By morning, her contractions were coming steadily and Amanda often needed Niels’ hand or something to channel her pain into. Between the night and the morning, she’d had quite a few visitors: Daphne, Dawn, Rico and Ceci with their girls. Now, however, it was just Niels there and Amanda was fully focused on the task soon to be at hand. After three births, she was a veteran, according to one of the midwives. Amanda would’ve loved to say that it made her calmer, but in reality, she had to constantly coach herself to remain calm. Positive thoughts. The baby would be healthy. No injuries. No health problems. Amanda had to repeat this mantra over and over. Even while she began to push, she kept hoping for the best outcome. Her hand clenched Niels’ hand. She gritted her teeth and bore down with all the strength she had left. The midwives and Niels were right there, cheering her on every step of the way. For a while, she pushed with no avail, and was on the brink of giving up. She was already thinking the worst. Was his shoulder stuck as Angelo’s was? “One more push. You can do this,” the midwife coached. Amanda clung to Niels’ arm and bore down as hard as she could, until she had no strength left, until a loud cry pierced the atmosphere. Until the pain dissipated from her body and her eyes blurred with tears of joy. He was here at last. The fourth van Loon baby. Niccolò Cesare van Loon. Comments #1. Congratulations!
Mandy Marchal #2. Thank you, Mandy!! Amanda van Loon #3. He is amazing, congratulation! Blair van Riesen #4. Yes, he certainly is. Thank you!! Amanda van Loon Naptime was essential today. Amanda was so tired that she was sure she could fall asleep now, at noon, and sleep straight through the night. But she’d woke up just a couple of hours later. She heard Niels’ whispered words in the hallway. “Mummy’s still taking a nap. So you have to be really quiet.” She lay still in bed and listened to Elia’s whining.
“But I want to give brother hugs!” Amanda couldn’t help but laugh. She slowly got out of bed and walked towards the door, opening it. Immediately, Elia’s eyes lit up and Niels looked as though he was caught off guard. “Mummy!” Elia exclaimed. She ran towards Amanda and wrapped her arms tightly around her legs. Then she peered up, Amanda’s belly in the way. It made her giggle and the sight was just too adorable for Amanda to resist joining in on Elia’s giggles. “Can I gave baby brother a hug?” she asked. “And a kiss!” “Of course you can, sweetie,” said Amanda. Elia pushed Amanda’s shirt up as high as she could and pressed her little lips to Amanda’s belly. Amanda smiled down at her, touched by this tender little act. She hoped that Elia would be this sweet to her baby brother once he was actually born. Her youngest girl always craved attention. How would things be when an even younger child was stealing that attention. “Are you excited to be a big sister?” Amanda asked Elia. The little one nodded enthusiastically. “I want to hold him.” Amanda smiled at her. “Me too, sweetie. Soon...” Moving from the penthouse to their new home in the suburbs was exciting, but it exhausting. By the end of the day, Amanda collapsed on their couch, happy to get off her swollen feet. Daphne had been a great help. Even Rico and Ceci had offered to help and the kids all had fun with their responsibilities of bringing in the smaller items and helping Angelo, Emi and Elia set up their bedrooms.
It was a long day. A long week, in fact. The previous day, they’d painted all of the rooms. Or rather, the men had insisted on painting and letting Amanda relax. Ceci and Daphne were there to keep her company and help take care of the kids. Amanda felt so spoiled and loved at the same time. Now, the house was basically complete with the exception of the baby’s nursery. But she’d been told that it was a surprise and asked to stay out of the room they’d chosen. Her curiosity was getting the best of her but she was too tired to snoop around anyway. At the end of the day, when everyone had returned to their own homes and the kids were in bed, Amanda and Niels cuddled up on the couch. Amanda was still in awe. “I can’t believe we have a new house,” she said. “A wonderful new house.” “I know,” said Niels, smiling at her. “It’s wonderful indeed. And so far, the kids absolutely love it. Look, Elia went right to sleep.” “Mummy?” Both Niels and Amanda froze for a moment. Then they turned to look at their youngest. Elia was hugging her blanket and her green eyes were sleepy. “I can’t sleep,” she whined, rubbing her eyes. “You spoke too soon,” Amanda whispered to Niels with an amused grin. She turned back to Elia. “Okay, just for tonight, you can cuddle with mummy and daddy for a little while okay? Then it’s back to bed for you.” Elia ran to the couch, snuggling right between her parents. Within moments, she was sound asleep again and soon after, Amanda and Niels dozed off right on the couch as well. "I think I'm already in love with this one," Amanda told Jen. “Good,” the realtor said. Her smile couldn’t be any wider. Amanda glanced around in awe. The asking price for the house was already wonderful, given the layout and overall style of the house. There was a large back yard with more than enough space to put a playground and still have a lot of green grass to run around. With spring imminent, they could really use the outdoor space. There were enough bedrooms for each of the kids, a master suite and even a guest bedroom. "Can we buy this one?" Angelo's voice reached Amanda's ears.
Amanda laughed softly. "We'll see," she said. "You like it huh?" Angelo nodded enthusiastically. “You like it too, don’t you Emi?” He nudged his sister gently to get her attention. Right away, Emi agreed. “Is there enough space to make a dance room?” Emi asked. She glanced at Niels. “Daddy, didn’t you build the dance studio in Paris for mum?” She beamed. Niels smiled and nodded. “I did,” he said. He glanced at Jen, inquiring if there was any room. “There’s a finished basement,” said Jen. “Want to see it?” They all headed downstairs to the basement. There was already hardwood floor installed, the walls were nicely painted. All it needed was mirrors on one wall and some ballet barres installed and they had a dance room. Emi couldn’t be happier to hear the good news. “Do you like the house, Elia?” Amanda asked once they’d seen the whole house. Their youngest nodded her head firmly. “I like it!” Amanda and Niels exchanged glances and then turned to Jen. “Where do we sign?” Niels inquired. (Ballet club homework in previous blog)
Happy birthday to my two girls! I can't believe that Emi is 11 and Elia is 4. Where has the time gone? I'm sorry I've been away. As you can see, I have a pretty big belly now. *laughs* And I think my baby boy likes to dance too because he moves around quite a lot. Today, I've brought along my daughter, Emi. I know I have told you all about her a million times. It's her birthday today. She'll be helping me teach class. ~~ For homework, I will send you all a video of Emi's most recent performance. Write your three favourite steps and why you like them. Comments
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Amanda at a GlanceNames: Amanda Pontremoli, Amanda van Loon Archives
August 2017
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