I love my days home with the kids, I truly do. Jordan is phasing out of his morning nap...if he naps in the morning, he sometimes doesn't in the afternoon. If he doesn't nap in the morning, he sometimes doesn't nap in the afternoon because he's overtired... today was the latter. It seems like when I have a list of things to do and have expectations about how the day should unfold... it doesn't happen. Only after the third attempt at an afternoon nap did he finally give in and sleep for a bit (only after Abby was done "resting" and Jude was awake). When not asleep, he followed me around until picked up and cried when put down to play. It was a long afternoon.
I sat down once the kids were in bed (not yet asleep) to do some work on the computer. Abby called down a few minutes later to say that she needed medicine (although not really). Being told to close her eyes and go to sleep sent her into meltdown. I came back downstairs for her to settle (she didn't), then returned upstairs. I could have been frustrated that my time was again being infriged upon, but instead recognized that my little girl just needed her Mummy. My offer to climb up to her top bunk and cuddle with her was met a mixture of relief and excitement. After a few minutes, I got ready to climb back down. Abby said, "wait Mummy", gave me a big hug and then said, "that's to thank you for cuddling me". Abby and I share lots of cuddles through the day, but sometimes, we both just need a little extra cuddle :) I was a good Mummy tonight...
I did get most of my to-do list done tonight, although it is getting late. I enjoyed some warm toast with yummy melted peanut butter and drank coffee while hot. I do have my own time, it's just often later than planned!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Simpler things...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day
October 15 is recognized as a day of remembrance pregnancy and infant loss, including all babies who have died because of miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or any other infant death. It is only officially recognized in the US and in New Brunswick, Canada.
Our first borns, Josh and Jonah, are never far from our thoughts, even in the business of parenting their three younger siblings.
For those of you who don't know, our first son Joshua Michael was born on Tuesday March 18, 2003 at 10:15 am weighing 1 lb, 6 oz at 23 1/2 weeks gestational age. His brother Jonah David was born with a splash and a squeak on Wednesday March 19, 2003 at 9:10 pm weighing 1 lb, 11 oz.
Josh suffered from a pulmonary haemorrhage and passed away on Thursday March 20, 2003. Jonah fought bravely for his life until April 18, 2003 when his lungs and heart finally stopped functioning. We knew that he was very sick, but had hoped that we would bring him home with us. We now know that Jonah had NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis). The subsequent infection caused his already premature and weak organs to deteriorate and finally shut down.
I want to share with you what we wrote for the boys' memorial services...
To Josh
It's supposed to be July,
But it's March
You were too young to be born today
And yet your little fingers already have fingernails
Your tiny head already has dark hair.
Your skin, thin and fragile bruises so easily
And yet your are beautiful,
Fearfully and wonderfully made.
How we long to comfort you
Feeling so helpless as we sit at your bedside
...Watching you through glass
...Praying for you
...Hoping you feel our love.
We may never know why it's March
But we're blessed to have this precious time with you.
We love you Josh.
You'll always be in our hearts.
Our first borns, Josh and Jonah, are never far from our thoughts, even in the business of parenting their three younger siblings.
For those of you who don't know, our first son Joshua Michael was born on Tuesday March 18, 2003 at 10:15 am weighing 1 lb, 6 oz at 23 1/2 weeks gestational age. His brother Jonah David was born with a splash and a squeak on Wednesday March 19, 2003 at 9:10 pm weighing 1 lb, 11 oz.
Josh suffered from a pulmonary haemorrhage and passed away on Thursday March 20, 2003. Jonah fought bravely for his life until April 18, 2003 when his lungs and heart finally stopped functioning. We knew that he was very sick, but had hoped that we would bring him home with us. We now know that Jonah had NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis). The subsequent infection caused his already premature and weak organs to deteriorate and finally shut down.
I want to share with you what we wrote for the boys' memorial services...
To JoshIt's supposed to be July,
But it's March
You were too young to be born today
And yet your little fingers already have fingernails
Your tiny head already has dark hair.
Your skin, thin and fragile bruises so easily
And yet your are beautiful,
Fearfully and wonderfully made.
How we long to comfort you
Feeling so helpless as we sit at your bedside
...Watching you through glass
...Praying for you
...Hoping you feel our love.
We may never know why it's March
But we're blessed to have this precious time with you.
We love you Josh.
You'll always be in our hearts.
To Jonah
A gift of time, 30 days
Of anguish and of intense love.
We have a fear of forgetting.
We want to clasp each moment to us.
Memories; luminous and iridescent,
As captive tears
And as elusive.
Of fragile golden lashes, impossibly long;
Of seeing your eyes first open; one then the other;
Of delicate fingers, tiny and perfect, curling over our fingers;
Of small pink tongue and perfect lips;
Of silky head, gently carassed as we spoke and read to you softly;
Of your courage and strength and incredible will to live.
Until cradled and protected and cherished
You died in our arms.
It is a sweet place, the land of tears
Jonah you were worth it all.
We'll love you forever.
(modified from a poem we read shortly after after the boys' deaths)
Click here to watch the tribute we made for the boys
We also have a blog dedicated just to Josh and Jonah.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Loving Deception
UPDATE:
The spaghetti pie was horrible...it never actually firmed, even with extra time... we may try the meat balls with broccoli again, but just add them to our regular pasta sauce (maybe with some pureed carrot or beet).
***********************************************************************
At around age 3, Abby stopped eating all things green, with the exception of olives. This aversion spilled over to other veggies, with the exception of corn and tomato sauce. So, olives, corn and tomato sauce...any other veggie dared to make its way to her plate and she would literally run away from the table. She's a little better now and will try some veggies. I'm happy if the child eats one baby carrot or a single green bean a day!
I had to laugh at a friend who blogged about her kids loving the green smoothies (with spinach)... she made them for lunch... seriously... I could only dream of my kids drinking banana smoothies with spinach.
The chocolate chip cupcakes (with pumpkin and squash) were okay... Abby really liked them and even preferred them without the yummy maple syrup & cream cheese icing
Jude really liked the icing....
Tomorrow night my family's going to try spaghetti pie (with carrot) topped with turkey meat balls (with broccoli). It's all made and ready to go in the oven. I had to have Jon roll the meat balls... I don't handle raw meat well...
So, I am engaging in some deception, but if it eventually leads to veggie-love, I'm all for it!! I'm still serving veggies on the side... I don't want them to think that veggies are no longer important to Mummy!!
The spaghetti pie was horrible...it never actually firmed, even with extra time... we may try the meat balls with broccoli again, but just add them to our regular pasta sauce (maybe with some pureed carrot or beet).
***********************************************************************
At around age 3, Abby stopped eating all things green, with the exception of olives. This aversion spilled over to other veggies, with the exception of corn and tomato sauce. So, olives, corn and tomato sauce...any other veggie dared to make its way to her plate and she would literally run away from the table. She's a little better now and will try some veggies. I'm happy if the child eats one baby carrot or a single green bean a day!
I had to laugh at a friend who blogged about her kids loving the green smoothies (with spinach)... she made them for lunch... seriously... I could only dream of my kids drinking banana smoothies with spinach.
Jude used to be a champion eater, regardless of the meal. Now he'll down 2 bowls of oatmeal, a banana & yogurt for breakfast, but supper is a different story. Modelling is powerful. It doesn't matter how many veggies he sees Mummy eat.... if Abby says "yucky", Jude pushes his plate away with the same distain.
SO....
I bought a new cookbook. 
I've always been a little dubious about hiding veggies... I think I'll be found out!! AND I want the kids to truly love veggies, not only when they don't know they're eating them. We've tried a few recipes. The waffle sandwiches with sweet potatoe and cottage cheese were not popular, but they were tried. The quesadillas with squash on the other hand were a hit!! My favourite so far was the chocolate chip cookies with chick peas.
So, I am engaging in some deception, but if it eventually leads to veggie-love, I'm all for it!! I'm still serving veggies on the side... I don't want them to think that veggies are no longer important to Mummy!!
Walk in the Woods
Last Sunday afternoon we woke the kids from their afternoon naps, packed up the van with the stroller, snacks, warm clothes, drinks and kids, drove through Tim's for some coffee and headed to Kamview for our church's annual Walk in the Woods. Abby had soooo much fun running through the woods with her friends, especially Anthony and Ryleigh.
Singing "My God is So Big" with our pastor, Kevin at the lookout.
I took Abby and Ryleigh down a "shortcut". I didn't take a picture of the very very steep incline (cliff!) that we walked down. I was holding on to both Abby and Ryleigh, praying that I didn't lose my footing and tumble down the cliff... it was really steep!! The short cut was not really a short cut... we got there after most everyone else, but had sooo much fun running and stopping to rest under big trees, talking about how big and great God is.
Jordan was happy to be out of the stroller.
Jude with his friend Sophie.
Singing "My God is So Big" with our pastor, Kevin at the lookout.
I took Abby and Ryleigh down a "shortcut". I didn't take a picture of the very very steep incline (cliff!) that we walked down. I was holding on to both Abby and Ryleigh, praying that I didn't lose my footing and tumble down the cliff... it was really steep!! The short cut was not really a short cut... we got there after most everyone else, but had sooo much fun running and stopping to rest under big trees, talking about how big and great God is.
Jordan was happy to be out of the stroller.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Ramblings of a sleepy mummy
**UPDATE**
I just thought I would add some pictures of Jordan taken during "busy" moments :) Note the impish little smile in the top one... that pretty much sums it up!
Yesterday (Friday) I heard, in the span of a few minutes, "Mum, Jordan fell down the stairs" (actually just off the bottom step, but still a traumatic for the little guy) and "Mum, Jordan's splashing in the toilet" (pulling the toilet paper out of the toilet was more like it... Abby had just finished and hadn't flushed... Jordan saw an opportunity to explore). At least it was just pee and I caught him before it went to his mouth... got to see the positives here! Anybody else's youngest child the busiest of the bunch? Seriously, I can't leave the child out of sight for more than 30 seconds! What was childproof for Abby and Jude is sooo not for Jordan!
*********************************************************************************
This morning I overheard a conversation between Jon and Abby. It went something like this:
Abby: "It's cold out this morning, isn't it Daddy"
Jon: "mhmm, it's almost fall...well it's kind of fall...actually, it is fall isn't it?"
I laughed as I tried to whip my hair into a ponytail so we could all get out the door for gymnastics. It's kind of how life has been lately... when exactly did the seasons change?
Abby still loves gymnastics and has nearly mastered the seat drop on the trampoline where she bounces on her bum and then up to her feet. She just vibrates with excitement with a huge smile on her face as soon as she puts on her leotard. Jude is learning to enjoy gymnastics. He is indeed a "Busy Bee". I get a workout just by going to class with him. He loves doing front rolls and will say, "one more time, Mummy" holding his little finger in the air. He rides one set of balance beams like a horse, but will walk on the ones with dotted lines down the middle (I think because they look like a street and he can pretend he's a truck!) He has such a sweet, proud look on his face as he slowly moves his feet along the beam. Today, he actually jumped on the trampoline, although is still working on jumping with both feet together.
Abby started learning piano this year. She's really enjoying it so far and we're looking into purchasing a keyboard for the family... who knows, maybe we'll all learn how to play!
Jordan is now 10 months old and gets BUSIER every day! I've started putting up the gate between the kitchen and our "dining room" (still not actually our dining room again, but rather our office/play/tv room). It's not uncommon for me to wash and rinse a plate, put it in the drying rack and turn to see Jordan just about to lick the kitty water fountain. I stop, carry him to the living room and run back to the sink so I can wash another plate before he's back, this time putting put a piece of cat food in his mouth (I'm learning to put the food up when he's awake, but he has a way of finding stray pieces on the floor)...you get the picture... he's busy.
The gate helps me do my dishes, or prepare a meal, or do anything in the kitchen! The kitchen becomes my sanctuary. Yes, I can hear children negotiating turns (aka fighting) over a toy or a toilet paper roll or a half-eaten cookie that mysteriously made its way from the kitchen to the crack between the couch cushions. But, it's much easier to ignore the little stuff when your personal space is not being invaded. I love my kids. I also love being able to move my body freely without tripping over said children...especially in our non-eat-in kitchen which currently contains the dining room table :)
Abby: "It's cold out this morning, isn't it Daddy"
Jon: "mhmm, it's almost fall...well it's kind of fall...actually, it is fall isn't it?"
I laughed as I tried to whip my hair into a ponytail so we could all get out the door for gymnastics. It's kind of how life has been lately... when exactly did the seasons change?
Abby still loves gymnastics and has nearly mastered the seat drop on the trampoline where she bounces on her bum and then up to her feet. She just vibrates with excitement with a huge smile on her face as soon as she puts on her leotard. Jude is learning to enjoy gymnastics. He is indeed a "Busy Bee". I get a workout just by going to class with him. He loves doing front rolls and will say, "one more time, Mummy" holding his little finger in the air. He rides one set of balance beams like a horse, but will walk on the ones with dotted lines down the middle (I think because they look like a street and he can pretend he's a truck!) He has such a sweet, proud look on his face as he slowly moves his feet along the beam. Today, he actually jumped on the trampoline, although is still working on jumping with both feet together.
Abby started learning piano this year. She's really enjoying it so far and we're looking into purchasing a keyboard for the family... who knows, maybe we'll all learn how to play!
Jordan is now 10 months old and gets BUSIER every day! I've started putting up the gate between the kitchen and our "dining room" (still not actually our dining room again, but rather our office/play/tv room). It's not uncommon for me to wash and rinse a plate, put it in the drying rack and turn to see Jordan just about to lick the kitty water fountain. I stop, carry him to the living room and run back to the sink so I can wash another plate before he's back, this time putting put a piece of cat food in his mouth (I'm learning to put the food up when he's awake, but he has a way of finding stray pieces on the floor)...you get the picture... he's busy.
The gate helps me do my dishes, or prepare a meal, or do anything in the kitchen! The kitchen becomes my sanctuary. Yes, I can hear children negotiating turns (aka fighting) over a toy or a toilet paper roll or a half-eaten cookie that mysteriously made its way from the kitchen to the crack between the couch cushions. But, it's much easier to ignore the little stuff when your personal space is not being invaded. I love my kids. I also love being able to move my body freely without tripping over said children...especially in our non-eat-in kitchen which currently contains the dining room table :)
Jon's decided that he doesn't like 2-story houses...
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