After today, those last summer days are officially over... It has gotten to the point that I turned on the fireplace for the first time yesterday. Maybe it's good to mention that I'm quite a cold person, but still. Now I can really look forward to all that lovely winter clothing, but I already miss that summery feeling in the city: everyone is cheerful, seems to have less hurry, and all activities move outside. Amsterdam at its best if you ask me. But with that little one in our midst, Jon and I are looking forward to that real cold for the first time, so we can all sit by the fireplace, drink hot chocolate, and look forward to all the holidays. Okay, I have to be honest: the prospect of seeking the sun for two weeks in November makes me embrace that winter weather a lot better.
Last week, Otis and I got to take a photo together for the first time. Now, I already knew that this little guy is the sweetest, but you can literally take Otis anywhere with you. While I was in makeup, he was happily cooing in the stroller, and the moment the photographer took a hundred flashes, he didn't flinch and looked straight into the camera like a true model. Then perfectly timed, he dozed off for his afternoon nap. Now, we’re not going to make a habit of this, but it’s nice to know that one family member will always look good in the family photos. 
Now, all those parties and photoshoots always look quite glamorous in the pictures, but I’d like to give you a peek behind the scenes. And especially from a brand new mother, read: with a body that isn’t quite back in place yet... And of course, that’s all part of it, and I don’t have to walk a catwalk like Doutzen after six weeks, but when you’re trying on a couture dress for an event and your skin gets caught in the zipper (!), you do wish to quickly get your old weight back. Where possible, I obviously just choose a size larger, although that doesn’t prevent less embarrassing situations. So, I stood in a beautiful evening gown at a wedding last weekend when suddenly my breasts decided it was time to feed. Despite the anti-leak pads, just seconds later, my silk dress was under the dripping milk stains. Well, those oh-so-glamorous pictures don’t come without a hitch...

It’s as if I blinked and Mr. is already three months old. I absolutely can’t imagine life without Otis anymore. In the first week, I only hoped he would stay this small forever, but every new step is just as adorable and special. I never thought I would be so proud of grabbing a little stuffed animal or holding his head up all by himself. In my mind, he’s growing so fast that last week I bought a rain jacket for this fall in size 12M. Oops, a bit too big, I’m afraid. And this leather ‘Owned By’ backpack with his name on it had to be mine. But before he can carry it on his back himself, that will really take a while...

Oooh, what fantastic news! Bella Donna’s has now reached over 100,000 visitors! All the reactions are so incredibly positive: I can’t wait to sit incognito in the audience soon to hear all the reactions live. Despite all the hilarity, there’s also a very important message in the film: don’t postpone anything, because life can suddenly be over. Because of the film, I’ve also started thinking about a bucket list, and at the top is really making a world trip with my family. So we’re going to do everything we can to make this financially possible, so we can take half a year off and really make that trip. To be continued...