We're settling...AGAIN!

Well for those of you who don't know we have relocated to "K-Town" once again. I know most of you will laugh at this but this time is the real deal. We registered Sam for Kindergarten at a school near by and we got a really, I mean REALLY great house. It's been fun unpacking everything that has been packed up since July when we moved from Kelowna to Surrey. Justin has been working six days a week and will continue that from now on. It makes for some crazy days. Especially since he's working 1-9 monday to friday and 6am-2pm on Saturdays. Unpacking the house with three children is more then a challenge. I take one step forward, unpack a box, and take 10 steps back, the children spread everything everywhere. It's been slow and frustrating. I don't do well with being unorganized and this unpack has been taking forever. I like to get everything put away and then the fun begins, the decorating. The children's rooms are set up and so is the main floor bathroom and kitchen. But the rest of the house is still scattered. I said to Justin the other night, "I look forward to when the children are all snug in their beds and I can do something other then UNPACK and organize. Like sewing, card making, twirl and frilling, painting, or any other hobby I haven't done since before I was a mother of three."
Speaking of the three, they are all growing and changing everyday. Sam is 4 years and 3 months and as strong willed as ever. He tests me ALL THE TIME. But with that also comes alot of tenderness. He's a helper, a hugger, a snuggler, and is getting more and more creative with the simplest things. He is learning to read and is getting really quite good at it. It amazes me how quickly he picks up words and letters. He actually can read one of his books all to himself. He really excels at school work and crafts. If we do a bit of each everyday there are few confrontations with him. Mattias is almost 22 months old. He can still be easy going but is learning he has voice. He is speaking new words everyday. And no matter what words I ask him to say, he will try his hardest to say it. He is so cute when he says Sam...."sssssssAAAAA"! He hasn't gotten the MMMMM part yet but soon. And he LOVES his "baby" Saffron. Those two are so cute together. They share a room and often at nap times or in the morning I'll hear them giggling and talking to each other. They both squeal and smile when they see eachother. I often refer to them as the "twins" because they are so close in size and age and seem to have a special connection. Saffron is 9 1/2months and is finally crawling. She really wasn't interested in doing it because she had no reason to. Both boys would always bring her toys to her, so she didn't need to move anywhere. It's fun watching her "commando slither" on the floor. Like she's in the trenches or something. She just got her two front teeth which makes a total of four teeth, including her two front bottom teeth. She's so funny now when she's eating dry Cheerios. Instead of just popping them in her mouth she insists on taking the tiniest bight off and savoring each bight. She's so easygoing but lets you know when she wants something. And she's a real character, a real "ham bone" my mom would say. She's great fun and my little sweetie. She has this girly, leadership, calmness about her. I am excited to see what kind of woman she will become.
As far as us, we're good. Tomorrow Justin and I will have officially known each other for ten years. Yep, I met him Ferbruary 10, 1998 after being transfered into his "Family Management" class. He was the first person to say hi to me and called me "Becky" at first because that's what he thought my name was. Those early days of our friendship were so fresh and trying. My uncle had just died suddenly of a heart attack and I was really trying to figure this whole life and death thing out. I know I met Justin for a reason. I had questions about life and death and heaven and God and he was able to answer them as best and Biblically as he could. One month later I accepted Christ as my saviour and then knew what this whole life thing was all about. And I no longer was worried about dying because I knew exactly where I was going, heaven. Yep there has been alot of laughs and rawness over these last ten years. There is nothing Justin doesn't know about me and nothing I don't know about him. We have always, from the very beginning, shared EVERYTHING with each other. It's something that's important to us and because of that I know we won't lose that. So ten years of friendship, almost nine years of being a couple, 6 1/2 years of marriage, and close to five years, if you include the pregnancy with Sam, of being parents....TOGETHER! I am more in LOVE with him now then I was all those years ago. He's a great Papa, husband and friend. Here's to another 70+ years. Cheers!

I see light at the end of the tunnel

This past week has been tough because we have all taken turns being sick. But as far as child raring, this week has been the best it has in a very, very long time. Sam has hardly needed to be disciplined and hasn't pushed the usual buttons he likes to push. He has been more helpful then usual and is listening and obeying pretty much right away. It has been a nice, refreshing week as a mom. There are times when I feel like pulling my hair out of my head and question if I know anything about raising three children. I know what I've read in the Bible and parenting books; I know what I observe from family, friends, and out in the public; I know the good and bad from when I (and Justy) was raised. I am amazed with all of that, I still don't "know it all"! I am constantly reassessing myself as their parent. The only way I will be able to do the best that I am capable is to be constantly on my knees....giving my days to the Lord and asking for forgiveness. But these days of "light" are so great and a constant reminder why I love being a mom and so thankful the Lord has granted me these precious children.

Our baby is four!

Nine days overdue, high blood pressure, been on bed rest for two weeks and finally I am being induced....
Next day he's still in there face up and not coming down so they vacuum him and finally at 2:14pm November 8th, 2003 our little "hoover" was born in Kelowna. Some complications arose and I wasn't able to see him until 7:30 that night. From that moment on he has been in my care. Sure there's been the odd babysitter, "quiet" time for myself, or a marriage retreat for Justin and me. But since his birth, he has been apart of every single one of my days. That's about 1460 days of loving, laughing, teaching, crying, disciplining, YAWNING, praying, wondering, reading, playing, walking, rocking, climbing, SNUGGLING, cleaning, changing, touching, worrying, feeding, imagining, negotiating, listening and rubbing my hands through his beautiful "copper" hair. He has brought so much joy to us. His tenderness and sensitivity warms my heart and reminds me to be more tender and more sensitive. I pray his stubborness and determination will be used for God's glory and the kingdom of Heaven. Though these days it is mostly resulting in time-outs and me sprouting gray hairs. He is very truthful and must know every detail. He is a great helper and loves to get dirty. He LOVES to dance and listen to all kinds of music. He loves splashing in the water and uses lots of caution when trying new things. He has NEVER slept well and rarely goes to bed without a fuss. He prefers to pray at mealtime and bedtime. He is really good with electronics and has his own imac. He plays with his blocks and Hot Wheels every single day. He likes playing pretend with Mattias and dressing up. He loves meeting and greeting new people. He loves story time. He loves his Nanny and Grandma and often asks to pray for them. He can be particular about his fashion, his outfits. He doesn't like cheese but will pretty much eat anything else. He's not much of a breakfast guy but prefers a second helping at dinner. He is quite content to play by himself with one thing for a while. Once he likes something, it lasts. After more then two years, "Thomas" is still a loyal companion. He loves to hold his baby sister and tell his brother Mattias what to do. He likes shopping and going for drives. He does NOT like bugs. He does like animals. He can dress and UNdress himself. He likes watching and reading "Berenstain Bears". He is learning his alphabet and starting to read. He is often interested in the weather and what the forecast is.
He is RHTHYM.
He is fair skinned.
He has thick, corse, "copper" hair.
He has big, blue eyes.
He has several birthmarks.
He is our first born.
He is loved by many.
He is four years old!

Longtime no see!

Well I have decided to once again blog and keep you all up to date with us. So here goes....
Life is good but busy. Justin is working five days a week at Focus on the Family. The children and I drive Justin to work on Tuesday's and Thursdays so we can have the van. We drop him off and then go to our church, Cloverdale Baptist Church. Tuesdays I have a mom's Bible study (Which I am really, really enjoying!) and Thursday's there's a mom and tot's thing called "Busy Bees" that we go to. Each thing is about two hours but there's alot more driving and rushing around early in the morning in order to get there on time. But its worth it. The children and I really like going, visiting and meeting new people, and just getting out of the house makes things smoother and the week go quicker. Speaking of the house, we are still here in Surrey housesitting Justin's grandma's place. We are enjoying it here very much. It looks like as of late that we'll be here until April '08. Then we are praying to find a townhouse near either our church in Cloverdale or Justin's work in Langley. That way one of us can walk and the other have the van. Also I am praying that it will be close to a Sam's future school so Tias, Saffron, and myself can walk him to it. And then maybe I'll take in some school kids who also need to be walked and picked up and looked after til dinner just to make some extra cash. We'll see though, three children keeps my arms full and patience maxed out. Speaking of children, they are all getting so old. Well not really but it seems like yesterday Sam was just a little guy and a week today he's going to be four. I can't believe how time is flying. In some ways it seems like forever ago and in other's it seems like yesterday. He's grown like a weed these last few months. In one month he grew too tall for all of his pants. He's doing really good at his alphabet and counting. And he's learning how to read and write. It's so fascinating watching him learn how to read words for the very first time. I've never experienced learning in such a raw and fresh way. Mattias is 18 months old and trying really hard to say everything. He says hi, bye, ball, p-ees(please), mo(more), mama, papa, and his words for everything else. Lately he has taken to Sam's stuffed Monkey named "Flap Jack". Tias calls him "fap fap" and doesn't go anywhere without him. He takes him to bed, church, playroom, in the van, everywhere. It's really cute. He's still a great sleeper having his two-three hour nap after lunch and going to sleep by 7:30pm. He's up earlier these days though, about 7:30am. Saffron is 6 months old and is starting to eat solids. She's had vegetables, fruit and cereal. Nothing too complex but seems to like it all. She really saviour's every bit. It's actually quite hilarious how she sucks her lips in and makes funny noises with every bite. She's sort of "crawling" around. She lays on her back, looks upside down and scooches with her head and feet. She loves her jolly jumper and exersaucer. She's quite easy going but has her opinion about things too. She jibber jabber's constantly and often sounds like "ET" or "Darth Vader". She's quite the character and the boys love her to bits. Lots of hugs and kisses and scrape and bruises. Tias likes to swap soother's with her which she's not too keen on having a bigger soother shoved in her mouth by an 18 month old. Her and Tias are both in size 3 diaper and not far off in length. Saffron is quite long and lean. Just enough chub to be cute and to fit her pants properly. Tias is a bit of a picky eater and is thinning out quite a bit. Not that we don't try to feed him, he's just not that interested in food these days. Well that's the up to dates on us as of now. I will be blogging more often from now on.

Beautiful Evening

Original Post Date: Wednesday, July 11, 2007.
This is Justin: Out in Surrey it was warm, but when I got to Abbotsford for school, it was HOT! It was so hot in the shade, and pretty much at the temperature when you breath through your nose it is a warm sensation the opposite of when you are in minus 29 degree weather and your nose hair freezes, and your insides are cold when you take a deep breath.
Inside the school of course was air conditioned, but when I returned to the outdoors...WOW. I had purchased a loft bed on my journey down here by myself (I don’t think Jen has told that story yet), and so I had to load that into the van...it was so hot to be doing things.
But the evening was grand as we went to Crescent Beach, where the wind was blowing...not the whole time though, but it was nice being close to the water like that (take a look in the July photos).

Abbotsford Here We Come

Original Post Date: Thursday, June 28, 2007.
Well from the title you may have guessed that we are moving back to Abbotsford yet again. Justin and I decided that indeed going back to school was the best option. Obviously we thought he would just attend Okanagan College (OC) and then transfer to UBC Okanagan. But after applying we found that he was going to lose a semester’s worth of credits and that getting into UBC O is a lot harder and more expensive. Another minus is that OC doesn’t offer very good summer schooling. So we looked into UCFV and found out that Justin was still currently a student and wouldn’t have to reapply and go through all of that jazz. BUT he would have to take a summer course in July and August for him to still be a student come fall. So he enrolled in Sociology 101 and starts July 3. So he is driving down July 2 to do school and work as much as he can. Then he will come up at the end of July, help me pack the rest of the house up, drive a u-haul down to Abbotsford to either put it in storage for a month or move it right into our home for August 1st. I will drive down in the van with the children. If we haven’t found a home by then, we have no clue where we’ll be staying for the month but are trusting the Lord will find something that’s right for us. And trusting He will also find a really good, clean, safe home that’s big enough and affordable enough for us. So that’s us right now in a “nutshell”. I will be alone with three little children for all of July. That I am nervous about and not looking forward to not having Justin around. But I am up for the challenge and will be relying on friends and family close by. Justin already has a couple of jobs lined up in the Valley. One of which is working for a moving company which pays really well and is in desperate need of workers. I am excited that Justin has decided to finish his BA and that we can eventually move forward from this awkward in between stage we have been in for the past two years. Some direction and a goal makes the light at the end of the tunnel seem not so far away. Also with going to UCFV Justin can take two semesters in the summer to cut down his on his schooling time. It’s just a matter of money and if he has the “umpf” to keep going in the summer months. I am looking forward to FINALLY planting some roots somewhere; to get connected with a church family and make some strong Christian friends. We’re just a three hour drive from Kelowna making it easy to come for a weekend visit and for holidays. Although with the price of fuel these days, I am not sure how often we’ll be coming. Anyways...our journey continues to keep us moving around. Well you can’t say we don’t like change that’s for sure. I’ll keep you posted as the finalities come. Please pray for a new home for us and that all of the loose ends would....be “tied” I guess you could say.

Routine

Original Post Date: Tuesday, June 19, 2007.
Let me just ramble on about schedule’s and routine’s for a bit....
Well for the past three nights Saffron has been in bed and pretty much asleep by 9:30pm and I am having to wake her up at 9am for her first feed of the day. Pretty cool I know. People say, “wow, you’re lucky to have such an easy baby!” But you know they said that with Mattias too. They didn’t say that when Sam was a baby because he cried all of the time and never slept. What’s the difference you may ask? I know exactly what the difference is...I have put Mattias and Saffron on a schedule the moment they were born. It takes a little figuring out because all babies are different. One things for sure is that they are born with a schedule of their own...up all night and sleep all day. So what I did was wake them up every three hours during the day to feed them. I would do it from morning til night and then around 11:30pm I would lay them down and hope for the best. Mattias was 3 days old when he slept through the night and Saffron was 3 weeks when she first slept through the night. Now both Saffron and Tias like eating every 2 hours after 3 pm. I see it as them stocking up for the night. With every child, the nurses in the hospital said, “just demand feed. They’ll let you know when they’re hungry!” Which indeed is true but when you have other children to take care of and need to be a functioning person in society, you need a good nights sleep. So 9am I wake Saffron up and feed her right away. Then change her diaper and get her dressed. Then 10am I lay her down for her two hour nap. Then 12pm I wake her up and feed her again and then lay her down at 1pm. Then wake her up at 3 and feed her. From then she’s usually awake and eats at 5, 7, and 9 is now her last feed for the night. It used to be 11 but now she can go the distance through the night. Mattias was on the same schedule until recently. He is older and doesn’t require as much sleep or “feeds” throughout the day. But he is in bed by around 7pm and wakes up around 8:30am. I figured this out by pure experience with Sam. To this day he doesn’t always sleep through the night and it’s usually most days a battle to keep him in his bed for bedtime. I breastfed 24 hours a day for 7months. It was exhausting and I knew that I never wanted to do that again nor could I with other children. And because Mattias and Saffron are well rested and know what to expect in the day, they are more joyful and pleasant to be around. Just some added information for those of you who are embarking on child raising or are in it.

Grandpa Martin

Original Post Date: Monday, May 14, 2007.
Here we are at Strathcona Beach (by the hospital), Grandpa Martin pushing Mattias on the swing. Mattias eventually fell asleep in the swing.

Pandosy Mission

Original Date: Sunday, May 6, 2007
Well it was a weekend kept busy with children, visiting and outings. My dad came up friday afternoon and left this morning. It was really neat watching him play with Sam and Mattias and holding Saffron at any given chance. Sam adores him and I am glad has been given the chance to get to know his other grandpa all over again. The weather was sunny and perfect for pictures and playtime at the park. Saffron is already two weeks old and adjusting to life on the outside quite well. She’s averaging 7 hours of sleep a night from about midnight until 7am. She naps quite well throughout the day despite the noise from her brothers. She’s a good eater and burper. She’s gaining weight daily and has already grown out of a few sleepers. But her limbs are way longer then Sam and Mattias’ were because the same sleepers that fit the boys at this time are too short on her. But she is skinnier then they were. She’s very dainty and well...girly. I love more then I ever thought I would, dressing her up in dresses and pink. I know it doesn’t matter what colour of sleeper she sleeps in but I just don’t like her in the mint green and yellow hand me downs from her brothers. Pink all the way! No lace or uncomfortable frills for this girl. Her hair is orange like Sam’s was at this age and she is extremely strong. She likes standing and can lift her head up and look around. Mattias is eager to walk and is totally becoming a toddler. Sam has been testing the waters daily and causing Justin and I to acquire some unwanted gray hair. But that’s what comes with the title...”parent”! We’re figuring what works and what doesn’t and I look forward to the new normal being settle and the only thing we’ll know. Three children this close together is crazy alot of times and with no doubt an adventure. I love them and wouldn’t change a thing. But I am glad to say that a family of five is the biggest are family is going to be.

Here's the scoop...

(Pictures are of the newly painted kitchen, completed baby dresser and my belly as of yesterday)
Well yesterday I had a doctor's appointment and my doctor suspected that the head was up again and the feet were down. He did an internal exam and felt nothing in the pelvis. He booked me for a morning screening in the case room at the hospital for this morning at 8:45am. So after Justin picked Jerine up to watch the boys we went to the case room. My doctor's assumption was correct. The head is under my right ribs and the heart on the left side with her feet in my pelvis. Explains why as of late if felt like baby was standing on my blatter and kicking me. So now what you may ask? We are waiting until Saturday morning. We have to be at the hospital by 8am. From then they will do another ultrasound thingy to determine the exact position and if it is still breech, we will have a C-section by 2pm. If they find that the baby has turned and is head down they will immediately induce me to prevent the baby turning once again. And if I go into labour between now and Saturday morning and the baby is not in the correct position, they will do a C-section within the hour. So that's all folks. We finally get to meet this little girl no later then Saturday. I am nervous and a little disapointed about the C-section but want what's best for the baby. But on the plus side, I will be getting my "tubes tide" at the same time. Saves convincing Justin to do it or me having to go in at another time. Three precious children is more then we could have ever dreamed. We have been so blessed with healthy, wonderful children. With that we are content. So, Justin will post pictures and all of the details as soon as they are available. The minimum stay for C-section is now two days but usually three if all goes well which we pray will. Pray for nerves, health, and recovery for me and health, no jaundice, good eater/sleeper and all goes well for the baby. Until then friends...

What does one do when you are waiting for the babe to come?

Well...we paint! I applied a second coat of green paint to the new dresser and spray painted the handles white.(picture to come) Justin decided he wanted to paint the kitchen, entry hallway and laundry room. Not only did he paint the laundry room but he pulled out the washer and dryer and cleaned all around it. YUCKY to say the least. He vacuumed and washed the floor and walls. I bought a cheap curtain from Value Village and a rod from Wal-Mart. A little tlc and it feels like a brand new place. Now I don't dread doing laundry so much. I have set up the baby's cradle and dresser in Mattias' room. We'll see how that goes. Mattias still sleeps alot and Sam doesn't hardly sleep. So it makes more sense for the baby and Tias to share a room then it does for Sam and Tias to share a room. This all depending on what the baby's temperment and sleep habits are like. I have been praying for another sleeper like Mattias. Speaking of Mattias, he officially turned ONE year old on April 11th. I can't believe he is already a year old. Time has totally flown by. He is still my little baby that I don't want to rush into growing up too quickly. But I know that will just come with having a newborn. Once she comes, he won't seem like the baby anymore. And that makes me sad. He has been teething finally for the last five days. Fevers and snuggles sum him up pretty well. When he's sick, he hardly sleeps. When Sam is sick, he sleeps all of the time. These two boys are so opposite, it's hard to believe they are brothers sometimes. The other day I was sorting and folding the baby clothes and getting them ready to put in the newly finished dresser when Sam insisted that we put the clothes on his baby, "Flapjack". Then he wanted to have a photo shoot. It was so cute and hilarious. So now that everything is pretty much in place we wait...and wait! Yesterday was the official due date and I have a doctor's appointment today at 3pm. So hopefully we will know more and get things going. I can completely say with 100% confidence that I am SOOOOO done with being pregnant. Having two children within one year makes me feel like I have been pregnant FOREVER! I am excited about the new journey we are embarking with a little baby girl. If there is any news, we will post to let you know. Until then....

Web Site

Be sure to check our website, and you will always find a link here to our blog.
HARNETT.CA

Well into April and no baby!

Every night when I go to bed I think I will be awoken with the sudden feel of my water breaking. Then I wake-up the next morning still here. I can feel things happening with my body and last night and today I had a sudden urge to deep clean everything in sight. So I am really, really praying I go into labour soon. Funny sidenote, Mattias' first birthday is on Wednesday! These things really aren't in my control. And no, I will not drink codliver oil. So to keep my mind occupied and to get "ready" for the baby the last couple of days I have been working on the baby's dresser. We FINALLY found one at VV for $25 and I have sanded the whole thing and today applied two primer coats. Tomorrow I will paint it green...sort of a dilly asparagus colour. The handles, once all of the years of coats of paint is removed, are copper and wiggly. I like them but not the position of them on the dresser. So I will fill in the existing holes with wood filler and make new ones. It should be nice once it's done! And we are finally sort of back to normal in our new/old home. We really like our new bathroom with all of the newly acquired space and the colours. But hey, I'm just thankful for a working non leaky toilet and no mold. So now the nesting has settled in and I am trying to get what I can done before this girl comes out to finally meet us. I am excited to finally meet her and to not being pregnant EVER AGAIN! Until any news arrives....

No toilet and I pee 15 times a day!

Yes, you read it correctly we have no toilet. No toilet, no sink, no floor, no wall, no use of our entire bathroom. Allow me to explain. Since we have moved here, almost five months ago, no matter how much I scrubbed our bathroom it always kind of smelled. And on the floor, I would clean along the floor boards because I noticed black looking stuff between the floor boards and flooring. I had a suspiscion that it was mold but was hoping for the best. Now since we have moved in here the boys, Justin and myself have been sick about every other week it seems. Adding to our suspiscion that we have a mold problem. So the other day I asked Justin to pull off the floor board where I kept seeing black creeping out. And wow, we weren't expecting what we found. The whole bottom of the wall along the whole bathroom was black with mold. Also Justin noticed that our toilet was leaking. He assumed a hairline crack on the left side because every day we noticed water and pee on the floor. Now our friends, Glen and Tanya the owners who now live upstairs, used to live down here before they owned the house. They noticed the pee too but thought their eldest son just kept peeing to the left. He needed to work on his acuracy they thought. Kinda funny in a way. But anyways...Justin told Glen about the mold and toilet and immediately Glen was on it. He gave us the ok to go and get a new toilet and because the sink was old too, we picked out a new vanity sink and tap. We've had mold guys and a large noisy hepa filter in and out since last tuesday trying to get the mold under control and dealt with in the best, most efficient way possible. Once the toilet was ripped out and the lino ripped up, the guys saw or should I say smelled where some of the problem was coming from. Poor guys were gagging and almost throwing up because it was so nasty and raunchy. So Wednesday we asked mom and dad Harnett if we could lay our heads and use their toilet at their house until this all clears up. So that's where we've been and will be until our bathroom is functioning. Justin and Glen are at Rona getting the rest of the drywall, insulation and other needed supplies to complete what needs to be done. We are hoping by Monday night everything will be DONE! All of this going on and I feel like this little baby girl of ours is coming any day. I am not sure if she has rotated or not. I know because of the ultrasound where the head WAS and where the bum WAS but now I don't know if it's the bum or head I feel in my ribs. Ribs that are so bruised I feel like I fell off a horse and landed on my chest. I use that meaphor because I know exactly how it feels to fall off a horse. Don't grab onto branches when you barebacking through the forest! Anywho away from pony land....life is a bit crazy these days. I am totally not ready for having this baby. I don't even have my suitcase packed. The clothes are washed and the cradle's here. Oh and we dug out the infant car seat. I guess we have what's esential. So different between the first child and the third. But I am not stressing. It's been crazy but an adventure. I thank the Lord for these times of reminder of reliance. We are NOT in control nor does us stressing and trying to control make the situation any better or easier. Well I will go...laundry and my tummy growling calls. (Pictures are Sam holding our newest cousin Simon Cecconi and Mattias exploring)

Ultrasound

(My sister in law Jerine and me at a wedding shower for her a week ago)
Well we went to the ultrasound today. They always say I don't drink enough water in time for the ultrasound so today I made sure I drank 1L of water one hour prior to our apointment. By the time we got there I could hardly walk my blatter was so full. First thing the technician says when she puts the ultrasound thingy on my tummy is, "WOW, your blatter is soooooo FULL!" Yes, indeed...she didn't need to tell me that. So after taking a quick couple of pictures, she let me go pee and come back for the rest of the ultrasound. She confirmed that yes, we are indeed having a girl with girl body parts shown to prove it! And the reason we went again in the first place to see if the baby is breech was also examined. The baby is NOT breech but instead sideways. I'll try to explain it...her head is in my right rib cage and her bum is in my left rib cage with the spine down at my pelvis. Her feet and hands are what I keep feeling up high in my chest. I am sure she is grabbing onto things that aren't meant to be held onto if you know what I mean. I feel so bruised inside it hurts to cough or bend over. So now we wait...pray and wait! Wait to see what my doctor will determine what needs to be done next and pray that this baby will turn with the Lord's hands directing her. For obvious reasons, I DO NOT want to have a C-section but that option is not in my control. So a girl indeed, sort of hard to even imagine. I felt like going out and buying something girly. But I refrained from doing so. Instead we drove to every known thrift store in town today looking for a smaller, sort of skinny, WOOD, dresser for the baby that I could sand and repaint or stain. NOTHING ANYWHERE! I couldn't believe it. We went to about 8 stores that were open and nothing. Refinishing wood furniture, destressing it or painting it cream, putting glass knobs on it and selling it for enormous amounts of money is a trend here in Kelowna so maybe that's where all of the dressers have gone. No call yet from my doctor concerning my sugar re-blood test results, so that's a good sign! Meaning that it appears that I passed. Well that's it for now. I will keep you all posted on this little babe of ours and her position and my doctors decision. Until then...blessings friends!

Time is flying

Update on the latest...I failed my sugar test and had to be on this diet for three days and then go and redo the blood test. The diet was simple with little sugar but lots of milk and whole grains. Not really hard! Then I had a dr's apointment on Monday and the dr noticed that the baby is not "engaged" in the correct position. Meaning the baby is supposed to be head down and it is head up! Not good at this stage of the pregnancy, 35 weeks out of a possible 40 weeks. So my dr immediately called to schedule another ultrasound for this friday to find the exact position of the baby. So tomorrow at 1pm we have our ultrasound. Justin also has an exray on his foot to see if his big toe is in fact broken. Long story but also a long time problem for him and we want to get to the root of the problem. Anyways, I am hoping they will be able to determine for sure whether or not the baby is in fact a girl. You never know though. Those technicians can be kind of picky when it comes to those kind of things when it is outside of what the dr has specifically asked to look for. We have started getting ready for when the baby comes. Justin got out our small suitcase and I am preparing things for it to pack. I have washed all of the neutral newborn clothes and blankets. And we will be borrowing a cradle from Justin's brother and sister in law. Now we are on the lookout for a good used dresser that I can clean-up and paint to store all of the baby's goodies in. For the first while, the plan is to have the baby in our room and keep Mattias in his room. But we will have to see how that works out. When Sam was born we put him in his room pretty quickly because of the weird noises that he made as a newborn while sleeping kept Justin and I sleeping with one eye open. Mattias has been in his crib in his room since the day we brought him home from the hospital. So depending on the baby and its' sleep patterns/habits, we might keep it with us; put it in Mattias room and put Mattias in Sam's room; or if its' a good sleeper like Mattias, we will put it in Mattias' room with Mattias. Sam still is a horrible sleeper. Rarely does he actually sleep through the night. I am starting to not let him have any sugar past lunch (including fruit and juice) and he only naps once a week which cuts down on the bedtime battles and helps him have a longer sleep when he doesn't nap. Chocolate is STILL out of the question at all times. We keep trying every once and a while and he just goes crazy. He is and always has been very sensitive to caffiene and sugar. Him and Mattias are total opposites when it comes to sleeping. Sam likes his night light on, music playing, and the door open. Mattias likes it dark, quiet, and the door closed. Both won't sleep if those things aren't rightfully in place. So for the two of them to share a room will pose quite a challenge.
Mattias is crawling at worp (sp?) speed and pulling himself up and walking along the coffee table. I have been able to watch right before my eyes how he's coming out of babyhood into toddlerhood. He claps, waves, and grunts to get us to look at him. But he still naps at least four hours a day and sleeps at least 12 hours at night. I prayed for a sleeper and boy did the Lord answer! First thing on Sam's 3rd birthday, November 8/06, we said it was a no diaper day and have never looked back. Officially I think the toilet training took three months but he pretty much had it on his own after about a month. He does it on his own on the big toilet and even washes his hands. It took a couple weeks of me instigating him going to use his toilet after a meal or before bed. And after that he caught on and was soon telling us when he had to use it. It was easy and quite a relief to know it can be done and without a big fuss/headache. So days are spent playing and just trying to take it easy. Not so easy for me but with little option. My hips are as bad as they have ever been but I know there is light at the end of the tunnel very soon. And Justin has been really great at taking care of the boys whenever he's home and has been really great at chores and so on. I am so thankful for a husband who is my bestfriend but also my PARTNER in all of this.

Snowy days

Yesterday and today it has been snowing heavy on and off and accumilated pretty quickly. Today Sam, Justin and our friend Micah went sledding up at the Kettle Valley playground. They had alot of fun but Sam came home with a HUGE purple goosegg on his birthmark on his forehead. Something about going too fast down the slide and smacking his head on the inside of the tube slide. The baby inside of me has been very active these days at the weirdest times. Like 3am "she" decides to do a summersalt (sp?) half way and then turns back the other way. Not really a fun way to be awoken at such an early time. Not alot to report other then our days go quickly and are busy yet I can't exactly think of what we have been doing. Mattias is crawling either on his tummy or while sitting on his bum "scooching" along. And man is that boy flexible. He will sit pretty much doing the splits. He's learning to pull himself up and loves to stand holding onto things. And of course he just keeps getting cuter and cuter. Sam has been alot of fun these past couple of weeks. He has been so obedient and helpful around the house doing chores and playing nicely with Mattias. They will play in Sam's room with trains and hot wheels and blocks while listening to some music and are just quietly content. I enjoy those moments of watching our oldest son sharing and caring with his younger baby brother. Never too many kisses and hugs for all of us from our dear Rhythm. He's stuburn beyond tolerance alot of times, but I pray God will use that for HIS glory. He is never short on opinions or asking "why" at least a hundred times a day. I know these days will soon pass and be a thing of the past so I try to just live in the moment and enjoy them with a thankful heart. I should go...I came on the mac to get a recipe for dinner and got totally sidetracked. Until next time....Blessings to you all!

Orange hair?

I thought I would post a couple of pictures's of Justin's cousins Amos and Hannah to show you that Sam isn't an "alien" in our family with his copper top!

Back in the groove

Well life here has seem to have settled into somewhat of a routine. Justin's working partime on Saturday's and Sunday's 8-2 at Petro Canada. PRAISE THE LORD, Justin was accepted for EI. Which is good because now he can take a little time to figure school and work options out instead of having to jump right into something that he may not want to do or that wouldn't be the best for all of us. So far this pregnancy is going "good". It has been the most different pregnancy yet. I am a ball of hormones and I am constantly tired. But my doctor reminded me that that could be because I have two youngin's to tend to and it wasn't that long ago I was pregnant. My body hasn't had much of a "rest" this past year and in turn my SI joint has been EXTREMELY painful and just a pain in my rear! I do what I can to not make it worse and Justin has been so great taking care of most of the vacuuming and big cleaning. Even cooking dinner or washing the dishes does me in for the rest of the day. Not fun but I know soon, once I have this baby, I will be able to do some core strengthening and I won't be feeling like this forever. I will be going to Physio again in the new year until the baby comes and after. I have to wait until I am back on BC medical until I go back to Physio. Because we are still on Alberta medical, each Physio visit cost's $50. That can definately add up when you are going every five days. But other then that I am doing well. The boys are growing like weeds. Sam shot up a size in pants in a month and every wash day I am packing away Mattias' clothes that he has outgrown. Mattias is a happy chatter box from the moment he awakes til he lays down for his nap. He seems to be getting easier as he gets older which I didn't think he could get any easier. Sam is three and testing his limits daily. New behaviours the past couple of weeks like kicking, hitting, screaming and being cheeky are just a few of his actions that have almost sent Justin and I over the edge. But daily he is learning that those things aren't acceptable and that we will not tolerate it in any form at any time no matter where we are or where he is learning it from. The time-out stool is working well and so is Justin and I being calm and firm yet loving. I can see light at the end of this tunnel soon. Sam and I have been doing crafts and baking which he loves. Much time spent outside in the snow playing soccer with Papa or the boys who live upstairs which Sam loves. We are LOVING our new place. It's cozy and none too big but we love it. It feels like home and we are so glad to be BCer's again. And our landlords upstairs, our friends, are better then we could have imagined. Having a babysitter so close for us and them is very helpful. And the hand me downs from their two boys, 6 and 8 are grately appriciated. Check our website for up to date pictures. Well lunch needs to be prepared and Sam is itching to get Tias out of his crib to play. Have a blessed Christmas and know what CHRISTmas is really all about. That it's origin would stand ahead of importance of what we so easily get caught up in what this season is all about. Blessings....

Getting there

Well we arrived in Kelowna Saturday October 28th and our household belongings and van arrived on Tuesday the 31st. We spent our first night in our new home November 1st and have been trying to settle into it ever since. On the 30th our new home got brand new flooring which we are so thankful and excited about. While staying with Mom and Dad Harnett, Sam acquired a cold from his sick Grandma. Sam's upper lip is totally raw from constantly using his sleeve to wipe his nose. Yesterday we celebrated Sam's third bithday at Mom and Dad Harnett's. There was a house full of family and wound-up kiddies. After a long day for our boys, we came home to settle into bed and get a good nights rest. Well...Sam and I rested well but Justin and Mattias were a different story. Mattias had a stuffed nose, bit of a cough and a fever and insisted that Justin snuggle with him while holding him all night long. I too have been feeling a bit under the weather and thanks to my wonderful husband I was able to sleep the night away. As much as a mother can while her baby is crying in pain in the next room. Today we are all fighting the effects of this bothering cold and have put the unpacking to the back burner. So pray that the boys especially would be on the mend and that the worst of their colds would be past and that Justin and I would have the energy and strength to care for and love our precious little guys. We are LOVING it back here in Kelowna...back home! However we do miss our friends from Edmonton and look forward to when we will meet again. We really like our new home. The landlords, our friends who live upstairs, are so kind and gracious and just such a huge blessing to us. Justin is on the lookout for a new job. But until one that pays adequate wages, Justin will be on EI and working partime at his old stomping grounds where he worked last December, Petro Canada. The job I was hoping to be getting has been taken up and I have decided for right now until something laid back comes around, I will be staying at home. On Wednesday I visited with my favourite doctor in the world, Dr.Ketch and got to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time. As of right now I am due April 17th, 2007. Meaning I am almost 17 weeks along. On the 15th I am scheduled for an ultrasound to determine the exact size and due date of the baby. Other then the effects of the cold, move, stress and constant change, I am feeling pretty good these days. My hip once again is getting worse which is extremely frustrating and debilitating. But thanks to my caring doctor, I will be going to physio what looks like to be once a week. Dr.Ketch told me that my hip and SI joint won't be getting better with physio but they shouldn't be getting worse. Which for me at this point is good news.
Anywhoooooo....Mattias is in bed trying to breath with his soother in his mouth, Sam is once again asking for more snuggles and Justin is dozing quickly on our bed. Until next time.....