It's Time...

The day started off pretty normal with no indication that our baby would arrive soon. We went to breakfast with my girlfriends – Paty & Laura – that had stopped for a visit from Maputo (the day before we had spend the entire day shopping).

After breakfast the four of us (JJ, Luka, Clotilde and I) went to the mall again (can you tell there is not much for us to do here). JJ and I went “house” shopping and Luka enjoyed the playground with Clotilde.

3:30 pm - After the mall it was time for our appointment with the doctor to see how the baby was progressing at 39 weeks. The doctor seemed a little concerned. He said the baby had not dropped at all and he didn’t feel he/she was going to…maybe the head was too big and my pelvis wasn’t helping the situation. His biggest concern was that the baseline hearbeat was a little lower than he would have liked to see. He explained that maybe that placenta was no longer functioning optimally and it was time to discuss how to deliver this baby.

OMG…it was time and I don’t think JJ and I were ready! He asked us to return to the hospital that evening where they would start a slow induction to try and get things moving along. So off we were to get our bag and things ready for the baby’s arrival. Tomorrow at some point we would be holding our new baby in our arms.

5:00 pm - We went to the grocery store to make sure Luka and Clotilde had food and supplies for the next couple days.

5:30 pm - We went “home” to talk to Luka and let him know what would be happening. I think he sort of understood what was going on. Here are our last photos as a threesome….by this time tomorrow we will be a foursome.

6:15 pm - We arrived at Stephano’s where we had our “last meal” before the baby’s arrival. I was told to have pasta to store my engery, but the truth is that I was so nervous and my belly was so big that I really couldn’t fit much in my stomach.

7:15 pm - We arrive at Nelspruit Medi-Clinic and walk to the Labor Ward to have our baby. I never pictured that it would happen like this. What happened to the drama of my water breaking in the middle of the mall or having to wake up JJ at 3 am saying “It’s time honey!” Oh, well…the truth is that you never know how your birth will go. You can have all these plans and then most likely it won’t turn out how you planned. So I had to settle for:

Melissa: “Yes, hello my name is Melissa van Herksen and I am here to have my baby.”

Receptionist: “Are you in labor?”

Melissa: No

Receptionist: Okay, please have a seat until I am done with this patient.

As I am sitting there another woman arrives huffing and puffing. I have to tell you, I was a little bit

jealous.

8:30 pm - Here we are in the labor ward waiting for them to give me the gel to induce. They say it

could take hours…like 12 hours for anything to happen. Lets hope it doesn’t take that long. By the

way…was there a full moon or something because the labor ward is PACKED. There is no room

the pregnant woman are everywhere and you can hear them.

9:30 pm - The gel has arrived. Let the labor begin….more on the actual delivery in another post.

Here I am strapped to the monitor so they could check the baby’s heartbeat before the “games”

begin. You can also see the LAST photo of my belly (39 weeks and 1 day).

The Golden Arches

(He really liked it...don't pay attention to his face...that is the same face he puts anytime he bites into his food)

Today we spent the morning at home…JJ catching up on this studies and I was hanging out with Luka. Then we headed to McDonald’s for lunch. For most of you reading this it might not seem like a big deal, but I love going to McDonald’s every time we come to Nelspruit. It is such a treat and I don’t feel that guilty because it is usually once about every 6 weeks and it just recently opened so it hasn’t even been that long.

Luka also shares my enthusiasm for those golden arches and I don’t really know why, except for the fact that he knows how much I like it. He goes crazy yelling, “Look McDonalds’s!!! Look, look.” Until today he wouldn’t dare try the food, but today he had his first 3 bites of a Happy Meal Cheeseburger. I was such proud mommy. Before some of you go crazy thinking how could she be proud of Luka sucking down all that trans fat. Well, my son doesn’t like to chew or eat regular food…so this was a BIG step. Since we arrived to Nelspruit he also eats peanut butter or ham/cheese sandwiches. This is HUGE! But the hamburger was a big accomplishment.

After our delicious lunch as McDonald’s (I also had a Happy Meal) it was time for our visit with the doctor at 38 weeks. The good news is that the baby is doing great and seems to be really comfortable in my belly.

There are no signs yet that he/she wants to meet us in person yet. The doctor did tell us that he/she already weighs 3.4 kg (7.5 lbs) and has a fairly big head (OUCH FOR ME!!!). Can you imagine if he/she decides to stay in there 3 more weeks….it could be a HUMUNGOUS baby. But lets focus on the good news….We are both healthy and everything is fine.

JJ and I will get cracking on some “exercises” to help move this labor along…I am talking about walking of course! ha ha ha….why, what did you think I meant?

Waiting at 38 Weeks

Here we are in Nelspruit, South Africa “waiting” for Baby van Herksen to arrive. Under the recommendation of the doctor we decided to come to South Africa two weeks before our official due. So here we are..Luka, JJ, Clotilde and I. We had to bring Clotilde so that Luka would have someone to hang out with once we went into labor. I keep saying “we” because I realized today after our first and probably only prenatal class that if I really want to do this “naturally” JJ is going to have to be there every step of the way.

The class was great. We took at the class at Bella Rose Birthing Center right outside of Nelspruit. Belinda was great! She sat with us for almost 3 hours and went through everything that would happen with the labor, how I would feel, the breastfeeding, etc…she gave us lots of pointers and we learned some things that we didn’t know. I mean all these books we have can only take us so far. It is different when you sit with someone that has witnessed 100s of births.

We will be having the baby at the hospital. My doctor wasn’t into going to the birthing center and after 3 years of being with him and after all he did for us to get us preggers JJ and I felt like we would be “cheating” on him if we opted for the birthing center and I really love my doctor. He is the best!

Those of you that are reading this and have been to Nelspruit might be saying….what the heck are they going to do there for 3-4 weeks? Well so far, we have been to 2 malls and the grocery store. But today I made a list of fun things to do around town…visiting the Elephant Sanctuary, Botanical Gardens, Petting Zoo, Monkeyland. Those are just a few. I really have to keep Luka busy, even though all I want to do is hang out at “home” on my computer, read baby books or watch tv/movies. But that wouldn’t be fair to him.

Tomorrow is our check-up at the doctor so we will have more news on the baby!

Here is a photo of my belly today (38 weeks)…it still hasn’t dropped and I think I have a couple of weeks to go….YIKES.

Luka Eats Cake & More Photos

Yesterday was a day full of activities. We spent the afternoon at Laura's House at a big send-off party for a bunch of us. Luka had a great time and even enjoyed some flan. For those of you that know Luka's eating habits....that was a BIG deal. But the excitement didn't end there. In the late afternoon we went to our friend's house to celebrate Tendai's Birthday and here Luka ate his first cupcake. Can you believe it!!! This boy finally had a cupcake at 3 years old.

Here are some photos of Luka having fun at Laura's House and the party. Here he is with his friend Andrea:

Here is Luka with Peter, Max & Celeste. He has a major crush on Celeste, but she is like 8 years old (she is kneeling in this photo). Everyday he tells me he wants to marry her:

Luka and JJ enjoying some outdoor time with Laura's dog:

Here are our friends Kebba, Ellie & Tendai. Happy Birthday Tendai!

Here you can see Luka as he sneaked around the corner with his new friend Mariana to enjoy a private dance. You should have seen them. One moment they are dancing in front of everyone then the next thing I know they are holding hands and walking around the corner to enjoy some alone time. Has he gotten over Celeste so easily??? ha ha. This boy loves his dancing!

Here I am at 38 weeks...

This was taken yesterday at my friend Laura's House. We spent the afternoon there with some friends for a party. Thank you Lauri for such a great afternoon. I will post more photos later of Luka and all his friends. He really had a blast.

My Birth Story

So, yesterday I was considered "full-term" that means the baby could pop out at any time. I am hoping that he/she waits at least until Monday. That is the day we are moving the family to South Africa to await the arrival of Baby van Herksen.

Well, these last couple of days I have been wondering what kind of birth I am going to have and freaking out about the PAIN and the hours of labor I will have to endure. What else am I supposed to think about, right?

Some people say that you should look to your mom to see what type of births she had and this will give you a basic idea of how yours will go. I don't believe that...but I did ask my mom about the births of my sister and I. I knew they were very different, but I really didn't know the details of mine. Okay, my mom was 22 when she had me...and who knew she had so many errands to run on the day I was born. These are her words that she emailed to me recently:

Melissa Isabel Vigues

born June 3, 1975 at 10:16 pm

"With you my dear daughter I started having pains at 6:00 am. I got dressed and ready to go to the hospital, but Papi had to run some errands before we got to the hospital. First we stopped to drop off a flyer at a print shop that Papi had worked on the night before (remember your father did freelance back then on the side). {Funny I do the same work now}. Then we went to my father's house to let him know we were on our way to the hospital. {Guess no cell phones back then}. Then we went to St. Michael's Church because I wanted to get communion and Father Paz gave it to us at the rectory. {Same parish/school I went to school my entire childhood}. Finally we got to the hospital at about 10:30 am and I was having contractions every 3 minutes, but I would not dilate more than 3 centimeters and I was in labor until 10:16 pm when you were born! Very LONG and PAINFUL labor!"

Monica Maria Vigues

born on September 21, 1978 at 9:05 pm

"Now with Monica I had my first pain at 8:00 pm, while I was in the condo. Your sister was born at 9:11 pm at Cedar's of Lebanon Hospital...by the way we arrived at the hospital at 9:05 pm. The pain was strong, but it didn't last long at all."

I am really hoping my labor is more along the lines of my sister's birth....a girl can wish!

37 Weeks...The Countdown Begins

(scan at 36 weeks...look at that face...not sure what those huge things are in front, maybe fingers...but so cute, right?)

Tomorrow I will be officially 37 weeks....only 21 days from the official due date of May 18th. But really this baby could come at any time. How freaking crazy is that? I can hardly believe that the time is already here. Although it hasn't been an easy pregnancy, it has flown by. I still remember the day in Pretoria when we did the IVF and seriously had no expectations that it would finally work.

But here we are...huge belly...every pregnancy symptom you can imagine. Yes, can you believe they keep coming! Last week I started with nosebleeds and well let's just skip the other one...too nasty...but some ladies reading this will know what I am talking about...if you don't, well...LUCKY you. But you know what...Yes, I complain about all the changes, migraines and nausea but I am so freaking lucky that I can actually go through all this.

I never really thought that I would actually give birth to a son/daughter...ever. I still catch myself in disbelief when I glance at my shadow or see my belly in the mirror. JJ and I were so lucky to be parents already, but to go through this experience has been amazing (I know JJ is reading this saying...what a liar...she complains so much...it is true...I do...what do you expect I am 37 weeks pregnant, but I know how great it is at the same time).

Being pregnant believe or not has made me appreciate what we have with Luka even more. I think of the time he must have been growing in his other mommy's belly and what she felt while she was carrying him and I realize that she gave him the greatest gift of all...LIFE! Not only did she give birth to him, but she made a conscious decision to try and give him a better life. Sometimes things in life happen for a reason and I really believe that if Luka had not been part of our lives this baby would not have been either. He has been our lucky charm during this entire process.

Since the beginning he has known what is going on and been there to ask how mommy is doing and kissing my belly at every turn. I can't wait for our family to be complete and for this baby brother or sister to meet his/her amazing big brother Luka.

More Dancing with Luka...

A couple of weeks ago Luka celebrated his 3rd Birthday with a Spider Creepy Crawly Party. You can see all the photos by clicking here. But the real party started when everyone left. Who knew that Luka wanted to skip the spiders and go straight to salsa dancing. In the video above he is dancing with Kaira (Clotilde's daughter). Clotilde is his nanny and he LOVES Kaira. She is a year older than Luka, but he doesn't seem to mind.

We just put some Buena Vista Social Club and Celia Cruz and there was no stopping these kids. Luka still needs to learn a little bit about dancing with a partner...as you can see from the video he likes to be dipped. I need to tell him that he has to be the one to dip, but for now it is very entertaining to watch.

And just so you know Luka likes to watch this video at least 5 times per day and dance all around the house. I can't even have iPhoto open or else he goes ballistic so that I will play these videos of him and Kaira dancing.

And if you didn't get enough from the first video, here is another one:

What do you think? Do you think he gets these moves from the Cuban or Dutch side of the family? Or maybe he just gets it from his Mozambican blood....

Our Belly Dancer

I am currently 36 weeks and the baby is always moving around and Luka wants in on the action too. He walks around flashing his belly telling everyone to "look the baby is moving." I guess he heard me say it and he doesn't want to feel left out. It is very cute.

This photo is from a birthday party last week where he wanted to show everyone how "his" baby was moving. He actually moves his stomach up and down...very similar to a belly dancing move. Not sure where he learned that one...not from me that's for sure!

Happy Birthday My Love

I wanted to wish my best friend a Happy Birthday! Today the love of my life turned 33 years old. Congratulations sweetie! I hope you are ready for the roller coaster ride you will have this 33rd year of your life. We have so many things to look forward to...first up will be welcoming Baby van Herksen to our family. I can't wait to meet him or her and see you hold our baby for the first time. Then we are off to Bolivia! There is no one in the world I would want to be on this adventure we call life with.

Little did I know the road our relationship would take when I answered that "wink" on match.com but I really think I am the luckiest girl in the world. (Although my recent mood swings would convey a different message to you...but you know I love you right!)

I hope that all your wishes come true (especially the one I told you to wish for as you blew out your birthday candles...that will be a secret to all your blog readers!)

I LOVE YOU FOREVER!

PS Don't you love the vintage polaroid looking photo. We have this new app for our iPhone - Hipstamatic iPhone App. It is so much fun! Here are some other ones we took at one of JJ's Birthday celebrations:

Dreaming of a nursery....

(photos courtesy of ohdeedoh)

I am almost 35 weeks and I really wish I could use this time to prepare the room for Baby van Herksen, but the reality is that we will be jumping around from house to house from the time the baby isn't even a month old. We will be packing up our house in Maputo at the beginning of June (my due date is May 18th). We will be living in an apartment hotel in Maputo until the end of July. Then we will visit Holland for two weeks, followed by Miami for two weeks.

From there we will finally head to La Paz (August 21), where we will stay in an apartment hotel for about 3 weeks (I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is only that long). Hopefully our container won't delay and it will get there in time.

This is not ideal for a new baby. I am actually more worried on the toll that this will take on Luka. He has many changes coming up. But it is our reality and we need to take it one day at a time.

Well, back to the reason for my post. Here are some photos that have inspired me for the new baby's nursery. What do you think? I am in love with the combination of pale yellow and a light light tiffany blue. Luka's room is also that same blue but the other color is red. I can't seem to get away from that blue color (it was also one of our wedding colors with chocolate brown). I am a little obsessed with it. But doesn't the combination with yellow make it so refreshing.

(photos courtesy of ohdeedoh)

I love this bookcase of toys. We actually have the bookcase and many of those toys. I really wish I had that Eames Rocker....maybe one day.

(photo courtesy of armelle...the blog)

Luka's Latest Photo Session

Is my son cute or what? Isn't he a ham? Okay, I need to stop, but these photos make me so happy. You should have seen him dancing around in the studio for Solange from Magma Photography in Maputo. She has been taking photos of Luka once a year and this was our session to celebrate his third birthday. If you are in Maputo and want to take some family photos she is great!

Click here to see the rest of the photos.

Our "Kitchen Sink" Tradition

My parents love to take care of their grandchildren...but for some reason they don't like to bathe them in the bathroom. Here is Evan - the newest addition to the family - taking a bath in the kitchen sink.

And here is Luka when he smaller and actually fit in the kitchen sink...I need to find one of Maxwell. I know the photo exists because all three of the boys love to take a bath next to the dishes!

Happy Easter

Today was Easter and to be honest with you....I felt like staying home and staying in my PJs all day (JJ and Luka were both very happy doing the same thing). So instead of bunnies, we were hermits.

I don't know if it is this 34 week belly or the heat outside, but it felt so cozy inside that we spent the day watching tv and painting Easter pictures. Yes, I am a horrible mother...there were no Easter Eggs to be found in my house, but where the heck was I going to get an Easter Egg painting kit in Maputo and last year I tried with food coloring and it was a "permanent" mess. The Easter Bunny did make a stop in our house to deliver Luka an Easter basket.

Here are the photos that Luka and I colored. Can you guess which one is mine? Look at Luka's Easter Egg...Look closely. He said it was a picture of mommy WITH eyebrows. He was very proud of the fact that he knew the word eyebrows and that he knew how to draw them. The eyebrows are in black and my eyes are purple...do you see it? If you click on the photos they become larger for a closer inspection.

Well, I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter wherever you are!

Message from My Dad

My father is hilarious. Look at the message I found in my email yesterday:

Dear Melissa & JJ:

We love the last sonogram of the baby. He looks really big and I know you still don't know the sex, but I can tell you its a BOY.

The problem is that people try to detect the sex looking the way the baby looks TODAY, instead of looking at how the baby will look as an adult. I took some artistic liberties, but I know for sure it's a boy.

See the attached sonogram (pictured above).

Love,

Pai

Thank You Ms. Rosa

Ms. Rosa was Luka's teacher at the Montessori School he used to go to. She really made an impression on him and he talks about her all the time. Well, last weekend Luka got a special treat when she showed up to his birthday party with her family. She also brought a great present - a CD with photos of Luka in action at school. Ms. Rosa, thank you for such a great memento of Luka's time in your class. We miss you!

To see the photos click here.

Scene from Xai Xai

Two weeks ago we spent the weekend on the beach in Xai Xai with friends. Here is a beautiful photo taken by my friend Paty Jimenez. You can see more of her photography here.

For more photos from the trip click here.

Our Baby @ 33 Weeks

Today we went for our 33 week check-up and got to see our little peanut. We are still trying to guess if it is a boy or girl...what do you think? I think that just by looking at the face it looks like a little boy, but sometimes by gut tells me it is a girl. So to tell you the truth...we have no freaking idea. But it is very fun to keep guessing.

During the visit the doctor had a really good time giving us the details on the baby. Here are some of the stats:

- The baby already weighs 2.2 kg (4.8 lbs). (How much bigger is this baby going to get..still 7 weeks to go!)

- "The baby has a big nose....Melissa, it looks just like you or maybe JJ." (JJ laughing, I didn't laugh so much)

- "Look at those big feet." (Mommy has a size US 12 (43) and Daddy also has a US 12 (47)....BIG surprise)

- "The baby has a big head...look at all those brains." (At that moment I thought it was a girl)

- "You have a really happy baby. His/her heart rate goes up and down...shows the playful side of the baby."

All in all it was a great visit and we are very happy that everything is going on track and the baby is growing....and the best part is that I am NOT growing. Can you believe I weigh less now than I did before I got pregnant. Let's hope I don't gain too much weight in the end...but only time will tell.

As far as the pregnancy, I still get nausea and morning sickness, but at this point I just think of it as a reminder of all the great things to come....or at least that is what JJ keeps telling me. Small price to pay after all the work it took to get this little one.

Luka is really excited about the baby. I hope this is a sign that he won't be too jealous. He loves to come to our room in the morning and shower my belly with kisses. He also changes his mind on a daily basis on whether he thinks it is a boy or girl, but to be honest he tends to lean towards having a brother.

We head to the doctor again at 36 weeks...so you know what that means...more pictures and I get to eat at McDonald's (hee hee hee). They recently opened a McDonald's in Nelspruit, South Africa (3 hrs from Maputo) where we go for all our medical visits. Yummy! It tastes so much better when you only have it once in a while.

Message from Luka on his THIRD Birthday

Today I am THREE years old! I woke up this morning and my mommy surprised me with a really cool t-shirt. I liked it so much I had to do the birthday dance before I headed off to school to show it off. What do you think of my moves? By the way the t-shirt had a really cool spider to celebrate the Spider & Creepy Crawly Party I will have tomorrow...can't wait.

When I got to school my teacher Ms. Maria made me a silly hat and all my friends sang me Parabens (Happy Birthday in Portuguese) many times during the day. I had to wear the silly hat all day, but it wasn't all bad...everyone kept giving me hugs and kisses and treating me very special.

When I got home my mommy and daddy said I would have some friends come over for cake and coffee. What is that all about...I was like I don't drink coffee or eat cake, but they said that the adults would bring the kids (my friends) if there was something for them to eat...go figure. I was just happy my mom opened a bag of chips. Chips are my ABSOLUTE favorite thing in the world.

When they came over they sang Happy Birthday to me in four languages - English, Spanish, Dutch & Portuguese. I won't subject you to the video of all four, but here is my favorite version - the Portuguese. I really love to sing and blow out candles!

For all the photos from today click here.

Names, names & more names

As you know JJ and I are excited about the surprise regarding the sex of the baby. But that means we can't really pick a name yet and the endless possibilities has us in a tailspin. I found this really cool site - Nameberry. Check it out and let us know if you have any suggestions...you won't find out what we picked until the baby is born...we probably won't even know. But it might be fun to come up with some different and unique names.

Feliz Dia Do Pai

Did you know that March 19th was Father's Day in Mozambique? Well, we didn't either until Luka came home with this present for his daddy. Isn't it cute? He was so proud of his painted shirt and tie and couldn't wait for his father to see it. Feliz Dia do Pai my love!

Broadway in Maputo?

It wasn't quite the same as seeing it on Broadway, but Luka and I had our first Theater Date yesterday. We went to go see Peter Pan. The show was at one of the local theaters in town, but it was put on by the American High School. It was hard to get Luka to actually go into the dark theater. He cried hysterically and would not stop. We went outside and I calmed him down and told him all about Peter Pan and that it was just like the book we read at home. Well, after 20 minutes he agreed to try the show. So we went in late, but did get to see most of it. In the end he said he liked it and he has been telling everyone about it...but you would have never guessed from the holy hell he screamed at the beginning.

Mommy and Luka on their "date"

Bring on the Rain

This past Sunday we went to our friend's house for a dip in the pool. Luka was very excited about going for a swim. Well, we got there and it started to pour...but that didn't stop the boys from playing in the rain. They had a blast and Luka asked for rain today so that he could go out and play :)

Thank you Ellie for the photos!

Say Hey...I Love You

I had never heard of Michael Franti & Spearhead, but here they are singing my new favorite song. I saw this video (thanks Jackie for sharing on facebook) and it made me think of all the joy and happiness that I sometimes see walking around here in Maputo. This was done is Brazil, but it could be anywhere in the world where you see people that you think might not have much, but they still have this zest and joy for life that is simply contagious.

The song also talks about traveling all over the world and it states the more you see the less you know...that is so true. But the learning process is so much fun and really I am blessed to have the kind of life where I will be able to see many corners of the world. By the way, this week we find out where our next "corner" will be.

Anyway, this is dedicated to all my friends and family...I LOVE YOU!

PS Maybe I just overly sensitive due to the rush of hormones, but the song is catchy, huh!

PSS By the way if this guy is super famous and you are thinking...why hasn't she heard of him. Well let's just say that I don't have the most evolving taste in music. I listen to the same music over and over again. It drives my husband INSANE :)

Who is Michael Franti? Here you go...what a cool guy! I also heard he is an ambassador for CARE...loving him!

Daddy & Me Time

Just feeling the love for my boys today....aren't they cute? This photo was taken on our last trip to Miami. As I have mentioned before Luka is in love with planes at the moment and this was the perfect way for JJ to bond with his son over jet engines.

Feliz Dia Da Mulher

Today is the International Day of the Woman...well, at least that is what they told me at Luka's school when I picked him up today and he enthusiastically greeted me with this beautiful painting. It is the first bouquet I receive from Luka ♥

In celebration of all the special women in Luka's life I wanted to share the painting with all of you. He sends a special hug to all his omas, abuelas, tias and aunts!

Hanging Art with Hangers....Genius

After almost 3 months of not checking on my favorite blogs this morning I found some time to browse....I forgot how much I love them and how much inspiration I get from them. Here is a photo of a great idea....isn't it a cool way to hang up posters or maybe art from the kids. It has such a great vintage feel. The fabulous orange couch also adds to the whole style.

Our Baby - 29 Weeks

Well, we are officially in the home stretch now. There is no denying that I am pregnant and at 7 months and 1 week I am officially into my third trimester. I am feeling okay, but the nausea and food aversions are still there. I was not one of the lucky ones where those symptoms disappear after the first trimester. But I feel 100% better than the first couple of months...thank goodness.

We still don't know if it is a boy or girl and hopefully we won't find out until the big day, but there are many people that have their own scientific theories about what it is. A co-worker of JJ saw me today and she asked me a couple of questions about my freckles and skin and she said she knows. She claims she had a genetics teacher that taught her this "method" and she has never been wrong. We asked her not to tell us, but write it down and seal it in an envelope...so we can see if she was correct. In Miami people were always looking at my belly and saying it is a girl. What do you think? Isn't it fun not to know!

I will leave you with these photos of our "baby face" that were taken yesterday. They are not super clear, but if you stand back and take a look you can see our baby. Isn't she/he cute?