Holala

yep, I've done it again, ignored the blog for too long.

On the other hand, quite a lot happened and I just did not have the time to keep up. 
I won't bore you with the usual weekend trips to the beach or hills and birthday parties we've done and had since February but I'll get straight on to the big news: 

Indeed, we've become the proud parents of a beautiful girl, Siri Marie. She was born on 10th September after a speedy delivery of 1h10 min! All went well and both mother and baby are doing great. 
I had left Cameroon unexpectedly much earlier as planned because I was diagnosed with kidney stones. Because it would not be possible to treat the kidney stones and look after the unborn baby, it was decided I would return to Belgium asap in case the stones descend. So I spent the rest of my pregnancy worrying about stents and descending kidneystones, only to find out after delivery, after further examinations, there were no kidney stones...  

So now, we've returned to Cameroon after a long stay in Belgium. It was great spending so much time with family and friends. Jara & Lisa loved getting to know their cousins much better.
They also went to school in Belgium. The school, who's working on a experienced based learning approach, was a great change from the French system, which they are used to in Yaoundé. It took Jara a few weeks to get confident enough and take initiative in class as she's used to sit, listen and be told what to do. In the end though, they regretted having to leave this creative environment.

After a few weeks of adjusting, we're back to normal. Jara and Lisa have found their friends (although Lisa's 2 "best" friends have left the country while we were in Belgium) and are settled back in school. Thorsten's is busy again at work and traveling a lot and Siri, after about a week of adjusting to the climate, is growing so fast you can almost see it. I hope to get back to my new hobby, sewing, soon enough, as long as Siri leaves a few more hours between feeds. The unlimited choice and supply of beautiful fabrics really are a big incentive to get creative.