Odile

It has been a few weeks now, months even, that I sometimes lie in my bed and think 'I have to write a blog about Odile because if I die suddenly tonight, I have written one about Romée but not about Odile. And then it will haunt her for the rest of her life. 'So I sometimes deal with such things in the evenings. Ah yes… how does that all work?

Odile Cardoen, born on September 13, 2011 somewhere at 2 am I think. I just asked Mélanie the exact time because I don't remember. Odile's birth actually went as smoothly as Romée's, although it was a completely different experience for me. I don't know much about it anymore. Those two births were also emotionally so intense and brutal and beautiful and unreal that they were probably intertwined. When Romée was born, I think everything went even smoother. I sometimes hear stories of women who are sometimes in the hospital for more than 24 hours to deliver the baby. With Romée and Odile, and actually I should say with Mélanie, it was twice about an hour and a half. No time to waste. I think the contractions were a bit heavier with Odile than with Romée. Mélanie should tell her story! 😉 With Romée I took a picture of the clock when she was born, but with Odile I forgot...

So Odile. Born at night. Like her daddy. Me at exactly 12 o'clock at night, Odile somewhere around 2 o'clock at night. I remember having one of those CFS days, so it was tough. The birth was probably harder for me than for Mélanie hahahahaha. It all happened quickly. I think Mélanie was even so stripped before we had to go to the gynecologist that evening. Stripping the membranes says Gemini. I suspect she was already past her due date, a week or so, or maybe even two weeks. So that's why she was stripping and they were also going to induce her. I think she also drank a Trappist that evening. That all worked because around 11 p.m. or so we were allowed to go to the hospital. And then it all happened quickly again. Where Romée was lying very well in her stomach, Odile was slightly turned. That's why she came out blueer. I have very explicit photos of that, but of course we won't put them online here!

Odile Cardoen, how I love you! Your humor, your exuberance, your laughter, your intelligence, your language skills, your love for math hahahahaha and your big heart in the right place! I'm very happy to accept the stubbornness. I remember that we were in Collioure on the border of France and Spain. And you were angry again for some reason and sat on the floor on your hands and knees. And you fell asleep. Hahahaha. Blessed. I think you probably slept there on the floor for an hour. And when you woke up you were just as angry again because you didn't really know which planet you came from. I don't have to explain it to you, you already know yourself quite well. I learned little by little how to deal with it. I also remember our trip to the Ardennes last year, when we were at a restaurant. Sometimes there is apparently an error in your brain. Then I have to remain very calm and not become emotional myself. It's all ok and it is what it is. I also remember the times we studied math with big white pieces of paper on the wall! Blessed. The ski trip to Riederalp together with Aunt Els! Blessed. The trips to Camping Kiwi! Blessed!

I notice that I often have to ask questions with Odile to get something out of it. She once said to me Dad, it's not because I don't often talk about feelings that that means I don't have any. Blessed soul. What else can I say about Odile... I'm so happy that she still comes here every other week. It gives me great pleasure to have breakfast together in the morning, order Sushi in the evening, bake waffles together, go for a walk if the opportunity arises and then steal vegetables from the field in the Flemish Ardennes! Hahahaha! Blessed. Good times!

Being creative is so much fun. Sometimes I think allez Lieven Cardoen that mosaic maybe Odile doesn't want to do that at allbut yeah... whatever... I like to moose. Tinkering. Experiment. We urgently need to hang those other mosaics here. I'm going to make an appointment with Robob so he can come along.

So. I'm also very happy that Mom paid for those tests for your ADHD. Glad that you now know that you are above average gifted, although I still wonder what exactly that is, above average gifted. 50% is above average hahahaha. Mom, I get it. You have Cardoen genes, just like Romée, so intelligence and creativity and a little bit of genius will certainly not be missing. And then you need self-confidence because then you may be different from the rest. And being different is not always easy. Of course we are all unique, but some are more on the edge of normal and weirdo. Weirdo is fun. Weirdo is the max. Weirdo will never be boring.

Voila. Odile Cardoen, I love you!