Nova Leona Rosa Frieling
born Monday, 7 July 2025, at 3:25 p.m.
weighing 3740 gm/8.25 lbs,
51 cm/20.08" in length.
[photo credit: Astrid]
YES, she's our new granddaughter, born to Jeroen and Marissa here where we live in Gorinchem, NL! She was due on July 1 but apparently was way too relaxed to come out on her own, so (long story) they did a C-section. And everything is now fine, for both mommy and baby!
The next morning, Tuesday, less than 24 hours later, Astrid and I went to the hospital to see her with our own two eyes. OMG! What is it about a newborn baby!
Opa Jaap was already there when we arrived and got to see Jeroen holding the baby (something we did NOT see with our own two eyes):
[photo credit: Opa Jaap and Oma Astrid]
[photo credit: Marissa and Opa Jaap]
A Father and Son special moment!
Before Jaap left (they allow only 2 visitors at a time), he and I snapped these photos...
followed by this one from Jeroen of all of us together.
You know how they say photos don't lie!
Then I snapped away, of course!
"My favorite place in the world is next to you." [the shirt quote]
[photo credit: Oma Astrid and Ginnie]
Just before we left, Marissa snapped this happy moment.
That was all before lunch on Tuesday...and the kids (Hailey and Sem, both age 6) still knew nothing about their sister's birth! But later that afternoon, while Astrid was at the house with them when Jeroen came home from the hospital to pick them up, and told them where they were going, they were over-the-moon excited.
[photo credit: Jeroen]
And now there are THREE children!
Hailey was nursing a cold and wasn't allowed to kiss the baby, but Sem sure took his chance.
The next day, Wednesday, July 9, Marissa was able to leave the hospital for home!
[photo credit: Jeroen]
Home Sweet Home!
That is one very relaxed baby. I think I saw her open her eyes slightly only once!
In fact, she is sleeping way too much of the time...enough so that the midwife is having to make sure she is awakened to be breastfed to get her feedings in! I have never heard of such a thing in my life but apparently it's a thing.
I guess if she's going to be a Super Nova, she needs to store up her energy for what is yet to come??!!
