Here we go... leaving Barcelona Airport and heading to the Netherlands.

Meri´s first time in a plane! She was brilliant - about 30 minutes in she fell asleep for an hour and once she´d woken she sat with Daddy and amused herself with the overhead lights and the window blind.

Xayla, expert flyer after her trip to Australia last year, had her own seat, ate chips, drank juice, did some colouring in, and watched one of Poppie´s Chip n Dale DVDs on her own personal DVD player.

Finally at the new apartment - time to do some unpacking...

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... and then a bit of a rest after an exhausting day.

Sunday: First venture out.

Poor little Xayla - wearing a garbage bag (!!!) because we were unprepared for the constant rain and didn´t have a raincoat for her.

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Out and about in Amsterdam.

Look... grass!!!

And lots of puddles and water drips all over the place to jump in and generally freak Mum out about.

Meri, checking out the new environment.

Squishing the girls into the pram as they were both so tired and are both too heavy to carry long distances anymore. It was all fun and games until Meri threw her herself backwards and head-butted Xayla.

And finally... totally pooped after a long long long first full day in Amsterdam, suckered out on the couch.

You're a falling star, you're the get away car.
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.
And you're the perfect thing to say...

And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute.
Ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do.
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.
Cause you can see it when I look at you...

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, you make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

[Michael Bublé, Everything].

Memory Lane: Meri, 21 weeks gestation.

One day old.

Four days old.

16 weeks old.

Five months...

Eight months...

Eleven months...

Birthday Girl! One year old today!

All those presents and so unaware of being the centre of attention.

All those presents and so aware of not being the centre of attention.

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A plane!!! Thanks Nannie, Poppie and Uncle Keith!

Some t-shirts!

Thanks Lita and Umpa!

A bit of fine tuning from our Resident Product Control Tester.

Almost done...

... just a second longer.

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Oooh... waiting for...

... CAKE!!!

Um... anyone else notice that it´s ON FIRE!!!

Poor girl. Sometimes turning one can be just a bit overwhelming. Just as well Xayla is on hand to help blow out the candles.

And now for the taste test...

... hmmm... um... have you got one in chocolate?

Nevermind, Xayla will help to eat it all up.

Thanks Nannie!!! And Poppie and Uncle Keith too.

Ring around a Rosie, a pocket full of... Oh, who am I kidding, dancing to Beach Boys´ Barbara Ann. Happy Birthday Meri!!!

Backyard Blitz: some time out in the *yard*.

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Um... Mum? Mama? Can we... can we come in now? We've been out here 14 hours.