Toews Adventures

Here we go again...

2011-11-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

Why do I feel that every time I update this blog, I say "Its been a long time"? There must be something to that!

For those that still check up on this...welcome back to our life!Natalie seems to be turning into a young women everyday! She is growing up right before my eyes...yet why do I feel like I am missing it? She will be 4 in just over a month (I can't believe it!). She loves her family, friends and "kids". She is ever playing house and bossing her brother around...though most of the time he seems to enjoy it! She loves to dress up and informed me the other day "Mom, I want to be prettier than God made me!" It broke my heart to hear that, though I know she didn't intend it the way it came out. We have had to be really intentional about telling her how beautiful she is and her outfit is nice too!Natalie is ready to be in school! Everyday she asks if its a school day, and most days will play that she is at school. I ended up buying her some Writing and Dot to Dot books, so she can do her "schoolwork". She can spell her first and last name very easily as well as Josh's name and seems to LOVE learning! Everyday I hear the countdown until she is in preschool and kindergarten (who knew having a January baby would be so hard...on her?)Natalie loves to make up stories and songs...or to have anyone make them up. Most nights she asks for a story she has never heard before and then a song about it...I have come to realize how horribly uncreative I am at making up stories and songs! Nate usually gets that job...:)

Joshua is 2 and is also growing up so fast! His talking is incredible...and thanks to his older sister his imagination is really developing as well. Its so cute to hear him having a pretend conversation with an imaginary person! Josh has a zest for life, that can be a bit overwhelming at times. More and more, I am seeing myself in him! I am understanding what my parents when through (though I am not sure I agree with my dad who said I "deserve a child like you were"...)Josh is boy through and through and could play with his cars and trains very contentedly ALL day long! He is ever lining them up and re-lining them up, then driving them up and down the car slide...but don't forget to stop for construction! He loves to climb and jump and is thriving in gymnastics class!Though he is all boy, Josh really looks up to his big sister and wants to be just like her! The last few weeks he has started to suck his thumb or finger, to be like Ali (he rarely ever took a soother). Though unfortunately, he has given himself sores from the way he sucks (maybe he bites?) so all his fingers are pretty sore! He also loves to have clips in his hair, necklaces on and dress in Natalie's dresses - though Nate is very unimpressed with this, I think its cute! :)

Josh is a sweet boy who can be so affectionate one minute, yet so aggressive the next. We struggle at times to know how to parent him. But we are learning daily and are loving the journey.Nate is really enjoying his work, starting up a new company. He has so many ideas and dreams! He often works from home, which has been really nice. The days he is gone seem weird now. :) Their company has gotten its website up and running and they are doing such a great job. I am really proud of Nate and this plunge he has taken!

And I am doing well. I have been working for Nate's company, doing design and promotional material. Its been fun to get back into it since I haven't done much since having kids. Its also been nice that Nate has been able to take days to watch the kids so I can get work done. Though much of my free time has been spent doing that and not this, unfortunately!

For those that don't know, I am 22 weeks pregnant with baby #4! We are excited to meet this baby in March. I definitely have had my anxious moments...I have to be careful with how much I do and my OB is watching me very carefully and taking precautions...but otherwise, most days I am feeling pretty good.I have included a few teaser pictures in this post...if you want to see more from the last number of months, you can here.

Answers

2011-08-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

After 4 1/2 months of waiting, we finally have answers surrounding Abigail's death.

In May, I was sent for a round of blood tests to determine whether or not something in me caused it. As a result, I was diagnosed with a disease called Antiphospholipid syndrome - basically what that means is that my body has created antibodies to attach the phospholipids in my system...essentially attacking itself causing blood clots. In pregnancy, it can cause early miscarriage, stillbirth and pre-term labor. To my OB, this answered many questions surrounding the sudden delivery of Abigail. He said that this syndrome can go up and down, but what it means is in any future pregnancy, I would need to be on Aspirin and an injection of heprin daily (not a thrilling thought) - both blood thinners!

To Nate and I, this news was actually comforting. There seemed to be an answer as to WHY she died and something could be done for future pregnancies.

In July, I was sent for re-tests, just to check my levels again. Though this time, my tests came back completely NEGATIVE! So, not sure exactly what was going on there. But what that means is that I do NOT need to be on injections everyday in future pregnancies!!!

A few weeks later, I got a call from my OB's office. Abigail's autopsy report had come back and it needed to be discussed. As I prayed about it, I felt a real peace, even though I had no idea what I was about to find out.

The autopsy report reveals infection throughout Abigail's little body and my placenta. Somehow I contracted listeria and passed it on to Abigail. Supposedly this infection is really random, though can be found in soft cheeses (raw cheeses) and deli meats - which is why pregnant women are encouraged to stay away from them. I have no idea how I contracted it, but I think the entire family probably had it, as we were all BRUTALLY sick about 3 weeks before I had Abigail...the weekend before my pain started.

So, only the Lord knows what combination of these 2 factors caused Abigail's early delivery and death. But we trust Him wholeheartedly and know that He knows what He is doing...even when I am in the dark. And I know that she is no longer sick and suffering. My baby is healthy and whole in the arms of Jesus.

Changes

2011-08-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

Much has changed in our lives since my last post!

At the end of May, Nathan started his new job and his new company! He and a friend started-up a company that manufactures blinds and window coverings! It is completely different from what he was doing, but he is loving it! This job is pulling from every schooling, training and job he has pretty much ever had, and melding it all together (not necessarily in what he is doing, but skills he learned, etc at each place). It is fun to watch him thrive in this new position.

The end of July brought more changes as we moved! Our small basement suite was getting smaller by the day, with 2 very active kids. We came to a point where we HAD to make a change. 2 weeks later we moved into a house - 4 bedrooms and a den! We are absolutely loving it! The location is great - only 20 min to Abbotsford and family, yet still very close to all amenities in Chilliwack! The Vedder River is only a 5 min walk away and the kids and I take daily walks/bike rides there. As well as an elementary school playground only a 13 min walk away! The house fits our needs perfectly and has been exactly what we have been looking for for YEARS! The den allows Nate to work from home, which is a blessing, yet gives the kids and I the space we need to be out of Nate's work space. We are still getting completely settled...and I will post pictures soon.
On August 2, Joshua turned 2! I can't believe how fast he is growing up! He is daily surprising us with his physical abilities and his speaking. He is talking so well and is even starting to put sentences together. I am continually amazed at the ease with which he speaks most words, sometimes better than Natalie. He is a character who's smile can light up a room! He loves to get a reaction and is already quite mischievous, though he gives you the innocent eyes, as though he is oblivious to what he is doing! Josh has also given Nate and I a run for our money as he is a stubborn and determined kid (my dad says I'm getting a taste of my own medicine)! He wants to do EVERYTHING on his own and I constantly hear, "No, my do it!"

To celebrate our little man's big day, we had family over for a party. We set up our bouncy house and everyone had a blast! It was fun to be able to host his birthday (the first birthday party of our kids we have been able to host) in our new home!And the last big change in our life...we purchased a mini-van! I vowed as a teen that we would never get a van, but as a Mom, my focus changed. The ease and space of a van became very appealing. So last week, we took the plunge and purchased 2002 Honda Odyssey...and honestly LOVING IT!

We just got home from holidays on the Shuswaps...and I am exhausted. I will blog about our holidays, hopefully, this week. Nate uses our laptop for work, which limits my ability to blog, but I will do my best. And I will try to post some pictures this week as well (Josh is in the "I don't want to look at the camera" phase, which makes it very difficult to get a picture).

As of late

2011-05-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo-snapshot of life lately.

Our Not-So-Little Boy

2011-05-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

Josh seems to be growing up at break-neck speed! His vocabulary is expanding everyday, though he can already say most anything and can communicate very well! He has also decided that the "why" stage is one to enter early as well as the challenging 2s! :)

We had decided we were going to put him into a big-boy bed this weekend, as he seems very ready. And it was none-too early as on Thursday night he learned a new trick of getting out of the playpen (at our friend's house) and his crib the next morning! So last night was his first night in his big bed...he was so excited! It took him 1 1/2hours to fall asleep because he loved it so much!And we are also going to be potty training him in the next little bit. Most days he insists on wearing underwear over his diaper! And after he sits on the potty (even if he doesn't go), he always jumps around and says "Yeah Joshua" (our "potty dance")! It is very cute! (this picture is not the best picture; Josh is pretending to be an airplane, but you can see his unds on)Our little boy is growing up!

Mexico

2011-05-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

With everything that has been going on the last 2 months, we decided to take a family trip. Last minute we decided to head down to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We left on April 28 for a week at an all-inclusive in sunny Mexico (it hasn't rained there since November)! :) We had a wonderful time as a family!We stayed at the Grand Marival in Neuevo Vallarta. Our resort was very family oriented, with 1 adult pool, 2 family pools and 1 kiddie pool. The kiddie pool had 3 waterslides and a "shower" as Natalie called it. The kids spent hours going down the "froggy slide". The resort also had a playground,a minigolf course,and parrots.We ran around,jumped around,sat around,laid around,and played around.To see more pictures from our trip, see my facebook album.

A Whirlwind

2011-04-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

The life I once knew doesn't seem to exist anymore. So much of life has been uprooted and changed.

It's hard to believe that its been 2 weeks since I have birth to Abigail! She came into our lives and left so quickly, and we are forever changed. We will forever hold in our hearts the hours we were able to spend with her. We will treasure the photos we have of her and the dreams we had for her.The last 2 weeks have seemed to fly by. After I had Abigail, we spent the next 4 days in and out of hospital once again as I again had complications. My body does not seem to know how to let go after I have a baby. Sunday, March 27, I finally had a D&C, and have since been on the road, physically, to recovery. So, to give you a picture, in a 10 day period, I was admitted to the hospital 9 times plus in the doctor's office twice!This past Saturday, we buried Abigail. The day matched our emotions as it was dreary and rainy. Though, it was special to have family and friends surround us and support us as we buried our baby girl. That is something that you will never be prepared for. There is no way to imagine what that will feel like. But we feel very blessed by the community surrounding us.Natalie and Josh are adjusting very well. Josh really has no idea what is going on, but he knows that something is different. He is a bit off. And Natalie seems to fully grasp what has happened, though with a matter-of-fact bluntness as only children can have. She thanks God every night for her baby sister and continually tells us how much she loves Abigail. She shares with anyone who will listen the perils of life and that her sister is dead and in Heaven with God and Jesus (though she did tell me today that Abigail is alive with God and Jesus - an all too true statement)!Aside from Abigail's death, our life has been very unsettled. Since we found out that I was pregnant with her, Nate and I have been praying and discerning what God has in store for us. And on March 11, Nate gave his resignation to Central. We have no idea what is next, but all we know is that God has asked us to take this step of obedience. So as of the end of May, we will be done in a pastoral role. Please pray for us as we discern God's next step for us.

So, as you can tell, life is a whirlwind and we are in a season of transition. This is a life that we planned and dreamed with Abigail in mind, but its a life that we will continue to walk forward in, with her on our minds.

Thank you for your prayers as we learn a new way of living and we figure out what life will look like for us.

Abigail Grace Toews

2011-03-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, March 23, Melissa delivered a beautiful little girl. However, she was born prematurely, only 21 weeks old, and had no chance at life. After a few short breathes Abigail Grace Toews went home to be with Jesus. Abigail means "A Fathers joy", or "God's Joy." I guess Abi was so special that He couldn't wait to have her in heaven with him. Even though we knew it was a possibility to have this baby early, we are both heartbroken.

Thank you for your prayers.

And Time Gets Away...

2011-03-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

I am really not doing a very good job at keeping this blog up to date!Life continues to be very busy with all the activities we have going on. On top of all of our regular weekly activities - youth, worship team, women's - Natalie's activities have kept us on our toes as well. In January, she joined 2 of her good friends, Maggie and Norah, for a Princess Dance class! The girls absolutely love it! They dance around, wear wings and pretend that they are Disney Princesses! And it also gets the kids and I out of the house for a bit. I am amazed with how well Josh has been - he sits in his stroller or stand and patiently watches the girls as they prance around! Occasionally he tries to get in on the action himself, but for the most part is enthralled with the girls!This last month we also put Natalie in swimming lessons. It was a 3-5 year old class, and she actually did amazingly well, considering she was in quite a clingy stage. This class seems to have helped her with this clingyness and now willingly and happily goes into her Sunday School class, etc! Its exciting to watch this transition.Natalie is ever expanding her imagination and play! Often she makes up wild stories of things she is doing or places we should go! She is ever dreaming that it is her wedding and needs to wear her wedding dress! And that girl's memory is amazing! Last week she tells me as we are driving, "We went on a tractor once Mom." Racking my brain to think of such a time, I replied, "I'm not sure we have Ali. We have gone on hay rides behind tractors!" To which she replied, "No Mom, we did. It was a long time ago; when we saw your cousins." I knew she had to be referring to our summer vacation last year, but still could not think of riding a tractor. I offered suggestions of other things we had done, gone on a boat, etc. But she insisted we had gone on a tractor and proceeded to describe to me where it was! My memory was jogged to an old tractor that we had taken pictures on while peach picking. But she remembered all the details of the day, including the color of the tractor and going on the slide after! Oh that girl! She never ceases to amaze me!Josh is 19 months old and absolutely loves his big sister! He looks up to her so much and is ever trying to imitate exactly what she is doing. Though he is also a little instigator and loves to steal her clothes or toys, just to get a reaction! His words are pouring out of this mouth and he is speaking so well! He loves his newfound ability to communicate with words and my heart melts every time I hear his precious little "O-Tay" in agreement. He is also quite the little dare-devil as he loves to try new and crazy ways of doing things, like going head-first off every piece of furniture. He is a delight!As for baby and I...I am 20 weeks pregnant and have had a pretty routine pregnancy, until this last week. About 3 weeks ago I started having cramping and painful braxton hicks. This last weekend I started having some consistent spotting. Tuesday I had my ultrasound, and everything with baby looked good, but I happened to have a mid-back pain while the ultrasound was happening that the tech decided to check out. Thursday we found out that the mid-back pain was actually something more than just muscle pain, as I thought, but was some swelling and blockage of my kidney! Thursday night, Nate insisted I head into ER, as my bleeding had gotten worse and we were concerned about a possible kidney infection. I spent the next 11 hours in ER having numerous tests and 3 ultrasounds. It appears the the swelling in my kidney as gone down significantly, the doctor thinks maybe I passed a small stone or something. BUT, in their attempt to find where the bleeding was coming from, they found a clot that had not previously been in my uterus! I have been put on complete bedrest for the weekend, and will see my family doctor first thing Monday morning to be referred to an OB. I am really glad I listened to my husband's prompting and went into the ER - even if it was just to settle his mind!So, we are a little unsure of what the next few days and weeks will hold for us, but would appreciate your prayers as we try to get this all figured out!

Things that make my heart smile

2011-02-28T08:19:00.001-08:00

This is Natalie dancing around, singing and pretending she just had a wedding!

Lately

2011-02-10T21:47:00.001-08:00

Life happens and I don't seem to find the time to update this!

In any event, here is a snapshot of what we have been up to lately. Most are fairly self-explanatory.

We got a little bit of snow...

And then we got more...And then much more! Notice Ali's makeshift snowpants...made of garbage bags, tucked in to her pants and taped to her boots! She couldn't have cared less!

We put Ali in gymnastics again this fall and she again loved it! Especially since her bosom friend Maggie was there with her! Often Natalie followed her around and had to do whatever Maggie was doing for free time or make sure Maggie was right behind her going through the circuit!

Natalie enjoying our "new" chair - our great find! Nate found this chair, a loveseat and an ottoman in really good condition for $175 on Craigslist! (And it was in Chilliwack and the guy delivered it!)
The ultimate pee party!

Our family is doing really well! Josh is talking up a storm; he can point to most objects and tell you what they are - one of his favorite activities currently! He is getting really good at communicating exactly what he is saying...this is such a fun stage, though can be frustrating at times for him when we can't figure it out!

As you can tell from the picture, we have pulled out the "special" potty for him and he often asks to sit on it to go to the bathroom - and goes every time! I guess we are potty training!

Ali loves life and loves to help and figure things out on her own. Which is wonderful, except when we have asked her not to do something, and she chooses to go ahead and do it anyways because she wants to! This stage is definitely getting interesting as we figure out the best way to parent her!

Nate and I celebrated our 7th anniversary on January 17 and were able to go away for a night! He is my best friend; I feel so blessed to be married to such an incredible man! Nate, I love you so much more today than the day I married you! I treasure the 7 years God has blessed us with and I anticipate the years that God has in store for us!As for me, I am 15 weeks pregnant with our 3rd baby! We look forward to welcoming this new addition around August 4, 2011! I struggled with evening sickness up until 10 weeks and had 5 days of all day sickness last week. But I feel like I am on the upswing! Though I do look forward to gaining a bit of energy back!

My Big Boy

2011-01-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

Josh seems to be growing up before my eyes! He is now 17 months and learning so much every day!

The last week or so, the words have been pouring out of him! He is able to communicate so much more to us and he is delighted! Here are a few of his words:

Teddy
Be Be - Blanket
Baby
Ali
Mama
Daddy
Apple Juice - any beverage
Apple
P-apple - pineapple
Josh
Uh - oh
Car

Those are a few of the ones I can remember. Its so much fun to enter this new stage with him!

Josh also seems to be potty training himself - I know, crazy! The last few days, he has started to become very interested in the toilet. Yesterday he asked to sit on it and was quite content to sit for 5 - 10min. Today, he asked again. And this time, HE PEED! We all happened to be in the bathroom at the time, so all cheered! Josh seemed a bit confused as to why we were cheering, but he enjoyed the treat he got! Then, right before their evening bath, he again asked to go on the toilet. After sitting there a couple minutes, he signed "All Done". When Nate picked him up, he had gone again! So, it appears that we are in potty training mode again!

Another new stage we've entered with Josh is the asthma stage. From the time he was born, Nate and I have wondered if he possibly has asthma, with the constant loud breathing, seemingly constant cold, that moves into his chest, so a constant nasty cough. I took him into the doctor just before Christmas and the doctor decided that we should try him on a puffer. But Nate and I are a bit unsure. We did some research on the medication/puffer and we were a bit sketched out about some of the side effects possible. I'm going to go back and just talk to the doctor about some of our concerns. Has anyone been through this? Any toodlers/kids with asthma?

Natalie is 3!

2011-01-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that my little girl is already 3! These 3 years seem to have just flown by!Natalie is such a joy and delight. She brings such love, life and laughter to our home. She loves to help anyone and everyone that she can! And tends to be quite selfless, and willingly gives what she has when others ask for it.

At 3, Ali speaks very well. And has now moved full on into the "Why" stage. I love her inquisitiveness, though at times, the constant questions can be draining. But I love that she loves to learn and figure things out. She loves to do puzzles, read books, play "Mommy" to her "kids", have tea parties and learn how to do new things. She is ever asking to do something new. She is a delight!

To celebrate her birthday, we had her cousins and a couple friends over to my parents house. We also pulled out our bouncy house. We lent our bouncy house to a friend for a birthday party this fall, and as soon as Natalie knew her birthday was coming up, she constantly asked if the bouncy house would be at her party too! Even though it was January, we knew we had to find a way to make it work. My parent's garage turned out to be the perfect place! We had the heaters going, kids music playing and the kids were in their glory!The kids had so much fun! It was a great day!

Christmas

2011-01-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

Merry Belated Christmas!

December as a whole, this year, was not very busy, which is surprising considering Nate's career in ministry! But it was a nice change. We got together with friends, attended a couple Christmas parties, and enjoyed an evening out for my birthday! It was actually a wonderful month! And to top it off, Nate was off 2 of the 4 weeks (he had some vacation time and banked days that needed to be used before the end of the year) - so we had some great family time together!

Christmas itself got a bit busier, but was quite enjoyable.

Christmas Eve we headed over to Nate's parents house around lunch time, put the kids down for naps and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon with family. We then all headed back out to the Wack for our Christmas Eve service - which Natalie was singing in. I was a little unsure how she would do, but she did awesome - though insisted on standing in the back row, which made it a bit hard to see her! Oh well. When she wasn't on stage, Ali was dancing in front of the stage!

After the service, Nate's family came back to our place for the evening. This was the first year we did that and it was so nice to not be traveling back and forth between Abbotsford!

Christmas morning we enjoyed a family breakfast, reading of the Christmas story and opening of presents together. It was really special to be able to start some traditions with our little family!Christmas Day we spent at my parents house! It was busy and crazy and wonderful! 7 little grandchildren running around makes for a crazy house, but o so much fun!Boxing Day, I lead worship at church before heading out for a family dinner with Nate's extended family!

And the 27th, we headed out to North Van for my extended family dinner.

Busy! But it was wonderful!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well!

The Sweetest Thing

2010-12-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

It is the sweetest thing to watch Natalie teaching Josh or her baby how to do things, like cleaning up the toys, or building a jig-saw puzzle! I love listening to her explain things to her baby as I have explained things to her. Life is good!

And Josh has grown up these past few days. He has come to a new level of communicating with us, through words, actions or taking us where he wants. Yesterday morning he pushed and pulled my legs, so I would get his toast out of the toaster! Life is good!

Christmas Time

2010-12-01T12:36:00.001-08:00

I absolutely love Christmas time! It's one of my favorite times of the year! And this year is no exception!

Last Thursday we decided to put up our Christmas tree. In previous years Nate and I have put it up ourselves, but this year we decided to let Natalie help us decorate! She was so excited and serious about her job. So serious in fact that she refused to pose for a picture - she would not look at Nate as he tried to snap some shots! But it just adds to the cuteness of it! She quickly realized that our efficient way of putting the box of decorations on the ottoman didn't work very well. Within a few short minutes, she had moved the box beside the tree for easier access! She did such a great job, though there are a few decoration heavy portions of the tree! :)Since we put it up, she has proceeded to go through almost the entire tree, everyday, and ask where we got each ornament from - the "Why?" phase at an extreme! :)

I anticipate this Christmas Season and this coming year!

Update

2010-11-18T15:15:00.001-08:00

Wow! I apologize for my long absence! It was not intentional, but I have felt so extremely busy the last month and a bit (it feels like much longer than that!) and have really not had much of a chance to blog! Not sure even how many people even read this anymore. But I will continue to do my best to update, regardless of the amount of people!Well...life is trucking along! Natalie will be 3 in just over a month! (That is so hard to believe!) She is such a blessing! She is in a very independent stage, wanting to do everything on her own, which can be very nice, but frustrating at times as well. She loves her brother to bits and is constantly giving him hugs and kids and saying "I love you Little J" or whatever nickname she has chosen to give him that day! Josh takes it all in stride, for the most part, and even gives hugs and kiss back often! They really do great together!

Natalie is at such an interesting age mentally...she is into to questions! She wants to know exactly what is going on, or who we are talking about. Yesterday, she was watching Finding Nemo, and we had to turn it off because she was so upset Nemo was taken away and his Daddy couldn't get to him! :) She had bit tears in her eyes and had to sit down and cry it out with me once we turned it off! Not what I was expecting! She has such a soft heart! She is so precious! She loves to make sure that all kids feel included and often will give up the toy she is playing with to a kid who wants it, and she will go find another one! She loves her "kids" (her 2 dolls), as she calls them and is forever getting them dressed, changing their diapers, reading them stories and putting them to bed!
Josh is full of smiles and laughter, but is also strong-willed and determined (no idea where he gets that from :)!) He brings so much life to our family! He is almost 16 months old and loves his big sister. He follows her around and loves to try WHATEVER she is trying, being it tackling Daddy or jumping from the ottoman to the couch (got his first big bloody nose on Sunday). He thinks he is 2 in most of his activities and loves to walk up and down stairs and climb everything! Right now, one of his favorite activities is building! He loves to stack lego together and build big structures, before pulling it apart. He also loves his cars and is forever pushing them around the house making car noises!
Nate is doing great! He is still loving his job and the church recently hired a young adults pastor, taking 8-10 hours a week off of Nate's plate! Now he is able to more fully focus on Middle School and High School!

We are heading to a Marriage Conference at Harrison Hot Springs this weekend, called, "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage"! I am so excited to be getting away! its gonna be really good!

And me, I am doing really well. About a month ago, God open an unexpected door, to a business opportunity that I am really excited and passionate about! I am now selling Norwex Enviro Products from my home. My purpose in selling these is to help families create a clean and safe living environment, both in and out of their homes! If you have never heard of Norwex, these are chemical free, environmentally safe cleaning and personal care products! I absolutely love them! I am doing parties and I have also set up a website that people can purchase them from. If you are interested in finding out more information, hosting a party or purchasing some of the products, please let me know! I am really excited about this opportunity, though it has kept me quite busy this last month.

That is a quick update on the goings of our life! I will try to update more often!

The Sweetest Prayer

2010-10-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

This evening Natalie included in her prayers..."And thank you that Jesus has the whole world in His hands".

Like Mother Like Daughter

2010-09-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to be a mom as long as I can remember. I have vivid memories of being not much older than Natalie and sticking dolls or anything up my shirt to have a baby!

Over the last few months we have seen Natalie emerging as a little Mom with the way she interacts with her baby, bunny, brother and any other baby she sees! She loves babies and is instantly drawn to any baby she sees! Last night we witnessed her desire to be a mom emerging even more.

Nate heard Ali talking in her bed, so he peeked in her room to see what was going on. It took a few seconds for her to see him, and when she did, she laid flat on her bed. When he walked in, he was surprised to see something up her shirt. He called me into the room and Natalie told us, "I have a baby in my tummy!" She had stuck her "o-up" (throw up) bowl up her shirt to be her baby! We couldn't help but laugh! I'm sure my parents witnessed many such things as well. And so it begins...

Let the Made-Up Songs Begin!

2010-08-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

Natalie has started making up her own songs and singing them, which in and of itself is so precious! Yesterday she melted both Nate's and my hearts by dancing around Nate and singing:

"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Jesus, I want to know you. I love you...."

Holidays & Our Newest Nephew

2010-08-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

Nathan arrived home on August 4 from his 2 weeks in Montreal and we wasted no time in heading out on family vacations.

That weekend we headed out to enjoy Whistler with Nate's family. We stayed in a beautiful 3 bedroom suite with Nate's parents and his brother and wife. It was a great time away and the kids had a wonderful time with Grandpa and Grandma, and reconnecting with Uncle Wes and Auntie Marie. We saw a bear 2 days and one of the days, it even came right up to our balcony (we were on the top floor, but it was right below us!) It was amazing!We came home on Monday, did some laundry, repacked and headed back out on Wednesday, this time as a family to Kelowna. My aunt was in Europe for a month, so we were able to stay at her place. We had an awesome time: had picnics, chilled out at the beach and connected with some of my cousins. We were even able to take the kids out on a WaveRunner and my cousin's boat! Both the kids absolutely loved the boat, and Josh loved the WaveRunner too! But Ali was a bit more cautious. She was very excited to go out on it and enjoyed going slowly. Nate mistakenly thought she was having a great time, but her yelling until he looked down and saw tears streaming down her face! When she came back in, she told me, "Mom, I want to go with you very, very slowly!" So cute! The picture of her was taken when they came back in; as you can tell, she wasn't too happy.After a number of days in Kelowna, we packed up again and headed to Summerland. Neither Nate or I ever remember going there, but we found a great deal on Travelzoo and had to take it up! We stayed at the beautiful Summerland Waterfront Resort and Spa, and as the name suggests, we overlooked the lake! We had a 1 bedroom and loft suite, with a full kitchen - amazing! Our days were spent in the pool and hot pool or on the beach, picking peaches in the orchard...it was so relaxing. From our balcony, Natalie could see kayaks on the beach and so everyday asked to go in one. So on one of our last days, we rented a kayak and took the kids out. Again, as soon as Ali was out on the water, she wanted to come back in - she loves the idea, but the reality isn't as fun! :) Josh on the other hand, loved it as well! Both kids had a blast when Josh lounged in the kayak and Ali pulled him around! :)One night we went out to dinner at a place called Zia's Stonehouse. It had been recommended to us by a number of the staff, especially with having kids. Unsure of what to expect, we arrived and were told that sitting out on the patio would be ideal with the kids. On the patio we found tables under a grape vine, with a huge kids play place, right next to it! The kids were in their element, though it probably would be a bit better when the kids are a little older and Nate and I can sit and enjoy our time, instead of being over there to watch the kids. Regardless, it was a great experience.We arrived back home on Wednesday, and though we had a great time away, it was wonderful to be home! All in all, it was a great time away!

On the few days we were home between Whistler and Kelowna, my sister gave us the pleasure of having her 3rd boy, Nash James Dickson, weighing in a 9lbs! And so, we were actually able to meet our newest nephew! Isn't he precious?So far, it has been a great August! And we still have a few days as a family before Nate heads back to work! Its been a great holiday!

A Day in the Park

2010-08-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

For Joshua's birthday yesterday, we headed into Abbotsford to spend the day with Grammy & Gramps. Gramps had just gotten a new camera and was more than willing to document the days activities!First we headed to Mill Lake to spend the morning enjoying the sunshine and the playground. Josh was a bit tired (as he decided not to have a morning nap), but as you can tell the kids had a great time.Then Gramps and Grammy took us out to McDonald's for lunch and a playplace...Before heading back to their place for naps, gifts...and of course, cake and ice cream!All in all it was a wonderful day - Thanks Mom and Dad for fun filled day!

Joshua's 1!

2010-08-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

1 Year ago today, you entered our lives, Joshua. I would be lying to say I don't remember life before you, I do. But now I can't imagine life without you. You fill our lives with such joy...your zest for life and your determination! You keep us on our toes as you continue grow, learn and explore each day! I love watching you learn new things, the excitement that fills your eyes and the repetition that follows!

We love you to bits Joshua!

A Mama in the Making

2010-07-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

Natalie told me very seriously the other day, "Mom, I NEED baby's monitor to go to bed so I can hear Baby crying" (even though Baby was sleeping right next to her) "I will not get a good night's sleep!"

Oh she is too cute!

Where Does the Time Go?

2010-07-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its already the end of July! Daily life keeps moving on.

2 weeks ago my little sister got married! So, the week previous was filled with all things wedding - the staggette, rehearsal and lots of fun! Unfortunately, Josh got sick on the Thursday with a crazy high fever I could not get down with anything! So, I ended up taking him to the doctor last minute, to find out he had a viral infection of some sort, spent over an hour in crazy traffic, only to drop the kids off and turn around to drive another 2 hours into Vancouver for Sam's staggette! Regardless of the craziness of the day, we had a great time!
Friday, Josh was doing much better, in that his fever would actually react to drugs! So, we spent the day setting up for the wedding, the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

And Saturday was the big day. The weather was beautiful; we couldn't have asked for a nicer day...though Natalie ended up getting the viral infection and had a crazy high fever that would not come down! She had been so excited about being in "Uncle Colby and Auntie Sammy's wedding" and throwing flowers! But was not too keen on it on the day. Nate ended up walking down the aisle with her and dumping some of the flowers out. It was very cute!
Nate's parents came to the wedding to watch the kids, since both Nate and I were involved, and that was a HUGE blessing! After family pics, they took the kids home so we could enjoy the rest of the day!

And wouldn't you know it? Monday evening, Nate came down with the same fever the kids had! He took a bit longer to feel better...and somehow I avoided it!

Last week we were able to head out to Harrison Lake and enjoy the beach and water! And especially some family time, as Nate took off this week for 2 weeks on a Missions Trip! The kids absolutely loved it!So we have filled the next few weeks with plans and playdates...we have already had some fun ones and look forward to the ones yet to come.

As a side note: These are some pictures of our big boy! This is a picture of my climber. He will push over boxes like this so he can climb up on the to turn on and off the light!

11 Months

2010-07-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

Josh turned 11 months last Friday! I can't believe how the time flies...that in just a couple weeks, we will be having his 1st birthday!

Joshua is such a joy and delight. He is super happy (unless he sees you getting food ready, then he wants it now!) and loves life! I get comments every week from the nursery workers at church about how content and happy he is!

He is growing and learning so much every day. I haven't weighed him lately, but my guess is he is somewhere between 22 and 23 lbs - catch up to his "big" sister who is only 25lbs!

Josh is constantly studying and watching everything that we and Natalie do. He really looks up to Ali! The last few days I have found him up on a stool, trying to grab things off the counter. Or climbing onto Natalie's bed, to his delight. Or standing on top of their play table, reaching for things on the top of my bookshelf (albeit only about 4 1/2 feet high). Or tipping one box over, so he can climb from that one to the upright one so he can turn off the light. He definitely keeps us on our toes!

He is walking full force now and loves the freedom of it! He is now able to get into things much easier than he did before! :)

Joshua has also pulled out a few words. He can say Dadda - though he refuses to say Momma, unless he is crying - and he thinks its really funny. He says "Uh-oh", whenever anything is dropped, etc - completely the right context. He calls himself "DJa". Says "Yeah" when asked a question - again used in the right context. He signs "more", "all done" and "thank you". He barks anytime you say dog or hear a dog barking, and growls when you ask him what a lion says.

He brings such a wonderful dynamic to our family and we love having him a part of it!

Gymnastics

2010-06-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

Last fall we got a flyer in the mail advertising "Parents and Tots Gymnastics Class" for kids aged 2-3. We thought that would be something Natalie would love, so we enrolled her and I for January! And we were right! She loved her gymnastics class, most days asking to go to class, playing the games or showing me things that she had learned! It has been really great watching her grow and be challenged over the course of the last 6 months and she has raised to it! She has grown so much her in abilities, confidence and interaction with other kids! Yesterday was her last class, so Nate came along and was able to snap a few shots of some of the things she has been learning.

Sun and Water

2010-06-25T13:44:00.001-07:00

We have finally gotten some summer worthy weather this past week, so I was able to haul out the sprinkler for the kids to play in! This was Josh's first time...and he was really enjoying it until he sat down and got sprayed fully in the face! We had to work him back into enjoy it! :) Ali enjoyed putting her hand or foot over the sprinkler and spraying it everywhere else!

Father's Day

2010-06-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

Seeing as Nate works on most every Sunday, and we have both sets of parents around, we have tended to move our Mother's and Father's Days to a different day.

And today was our Father's Day! The kids and I celebrated Nate with breakfast in bed, later followed by a picnic and a partial hike up Elk Mountain. The weather was a bit cloudy and at times cool, but we had a great time and I know Nate felt blessed. Here is our little family starting our hike (side note: I'm really going to have a figure out a way to put Josh on my back - I had to keep lifting up his legs so I could actually hike!)

Weekend Away

2010-06-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

We are back! And we had a wonderful 2 days away and a full Father's Day weekend!

Thursday evening we dropped the kids off at my parents and head to Horseshoe Bay to catch a ferry to the island for a much needed time away!

We got to Tigh-Na-Mara Resort and Spa and let the relaxation begin! It was so wonderful to not HAVE to do anything...just whatever we wanted!

the view from our balcony

Friday was a full day of relaxation - we slept in, had a late breakfast, walked along the beach, went to the spa (I went to the spa and Nate chilled out in the pools), had tapas at the Treetop Grill (for robed spa guests only), rented a scooter and went exploring Parksville, had a delicious dinner, played tennis, played crib on our balcony, had a fire on the beach - so wonderful!Saturday we had my cousin Amanda and her husband over to our room for breakfast over looking the ocean. It was great to hang out with them and catch up!We walked along the beach before catching an afternoon ferry back to the mainland. We then were able to celebrate Father's Day with Nate's family - his brother and sister-in-law had come out for the weekend.Sunday we were up early for church, then wonderful afternoon naps, before heading to my family's to celebrate Father's Day!

The weekend went much too quickly, but I wouldn't trade it for the world! It was so great to be able to go away with the love of my life and enjoy every minute together! I love you Babe!

The Long Awaited Anniversary Weekend Away...

2010-06-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

Every year for our wedding anniversary, Nate and I try to go away for a night. Usually we go back to Vancouver, where we spent our wedding night.

But this year, we decided that Josh was a bit too young to leave him and we decided to wait until he was a bit older and sleeping through the night. Well..."a bit older" has come! And we found a great deal at a spa resort on the island. So, tonight we are heading over to the island for 2 nights away, WITHOUT KIDS! This is going to be a wonderful weekend celebrating 6 1/2 years of marriage!

The Alphabet According to Natalie

2010-06-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

The Newest Member of Our Family

2010-06-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

Nate was driving on Saturday night and passed a house with the most wonderful sign. The sign read, "Free, no parts missing". Nate stopped the car, very creatively found a way to fit all the pieces into our car, and very carefully drove home. And thanks to that wonderful sign, this is what our children can now enjoy in our backyard! (Ali spent most of her waking hours on this today...the first thing she said this morning was "go play outside on slide?")

Life Lately

2010-06-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

I feel like there has been quite a few things that have taken place since I last updated.

In my last entry, Joshua had just taken his first steps. That has not really taken off like I was expecting it would - which is quite fine with me. He has continued to take a couple of steps every day, but has not taken off walking, which he has seemed to do with everything else. I think he feels he can get into anything he wants and still get around much faster either crawling or army crawling, and since speed is the most important factor with keeping up with Natalie, speed has taken front seat!Joshua is 10 months today! I feel as though the time has just flown by! I can't believe that he will be turning 1 in just 2 short months! I think it will come much too fast this time round. Josh loves food and still continues to grow like crazy. He eats basically what we eat, though eats the same amount or more than Natalie (and she eats a ton!) I have officially weaned him and he is taking formula much better now. Josh has added climbing to his mobility and can climb up on the couch, boxes, our slide, pretty much most things he wants to! He is a very happy kid, though can switch moods quickly and dramatically! He is such a joy and a delight!This last week, we were able to have a play date with our friend Heidi and her daughter Maelyn. The girls are only a few months apart and as you can tell, had a blast together! Maelyn is one of the few people that Natatlie will run up to and hug and kiss whenever they see each other! And the vise versa is also true! It is so precious to watch! Josh also got in on the playing by getting into everything, including the drawer...On Sunday, Nate experienced his first day alone with both kids as I headed out for a girls day with my mom and sisters! We headed south of the border for some shopping at the Outlets and sight seeing in Seattle. It was great to be out with the ladies and was quite rejuvenating! I came back and felt so refreshed after having a "day off". I love my kids and I love being a stay at home mom, but sometimes I do need that break! (sorry there are no pics; we all forgot our cameras)To end off this post, here is a video of Natalie singing and playing her "harp" (they learned about David in Sunday School and made harps). She is singing her current favorite song, "What Can I Do" by Paul Baloche or as she calls it "Hallujah!" Usually she sings it all on her own, but for the video she was being silly and needed some prompting from Daddy.

And Life Changes Again...

2010-05-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

Joshua took his first steps on Saturday! Looking forward to this new stage.

Fun in the Sun

2010-05-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

We have been having beautiful weather the last week or so and the kids and I have been loving it! Our weekend was really busy, and as a result, we celebrated Mother's Day today! It was such a wonderful day! Nate got up with the kids this morning, let me sleep in a bit. Then made me breakfast and gave me flowers, a card Ali had made for me and a video he and kids recorded for me. Then we all headed out to Cultus Lake for playing and a picnic! I feel very blessed!

Joshua'a Favorite Passtime

2010-05-05T16:50:00.000-07:00

Partners in Crime...Already...

2010-05-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

Daily Life

2010-05-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

Life is trucking along.

Joshua is 9 months old today and growing and developing so much every day. He is one of the happiest kids you will meet and loves life! I have yet to see him make strange with anyone, and is very willing to smile and laugh.He has 6 teeth and is teething with more. He has not had a rest in over 3 months! 3 months ago he got his first tooth and every time a new tooth comes in, he starts teething with the next one or set!A week ago he weighed in at 20 lbs 14 oz - almost 2lbs weight gain in 3 weeks!

Natalie's speech develops so much everyday. This morning I asked her what she learned in Sunday School and she told me, "Jesus make storm STOP!" It is so wonderful for her to be able to communicate with us.She loves to help with everything, from helping Josh to cleaning to washing dishes to making dinner. Currently her favorite song is "What Can I Do" by Paul Baloche. She continually asks for "Hallelujah!" song.

Ali loves her brother to bits and is ever feeding him, playing with him, giving him is sippy cup, chasing him, calling for him to chase her and reading books to him! Life is good...Nate and I are doing great. May is the last month of regular youth, so Nate is starting to wind that down. Though his work is becoming quite chaotic as the church is doing renos. This past week was his last week in his office (he already moved out of his original office and has been sharing an office with another pastor - now everyone is out of their offices!) So, that does create a bit of craziness, as Nate is not able to work from home, with our limited space. We are still unsure where he will be working from, but it will all work out!

I was able to bit of contract work this past week for the BC MB Conference. It was nice to be able to use a different part of my brain while do something I am good at.

That is an update on our family.

Joshua 8 1/2 Months

2010-04-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

Life has become quite busy the last few weeks.

Joshua turned 8 months on Good Friday. The end of March (about 1 week before Josh turned 8 months), he started pulling himself up on things...just once or twice. Last week, he pulled himself up on his playtable and catapulted himself into a new phase! He can now pull himself up on almost anything; enjoys walking around furniture, between furniture and pushing things around, while walking behind them; and yesterday he stood by himself for a short time! He loves to walk holding our hands and even ventured to the one hand hold walk! I can tell walking is just around the corner!Josh is a very happy little boy. He loves to be with people and to entertain. One of his favorite games is hide and seek/peek a boo! He will crawl as fast as he can to Natalie's Dora playhouse, crawl inside and when I ask, "Where is Joshua?", two eyes will peer out before a whole head, with a huge grin appears. Then, back in he goes to repeat the whole process. He loves his big sister and would follow her around all day, to her delight! I often hear Natalie yelling, "Come on Josh!" as he "chases" her! It does my heart so good to have my kids so delighted with each other!At 8 months, Joshua weighed in at 19lbs - only the 32nd percentile. But he continues to gain weight and stay in the same percentile, so the doctor is not concerned. He has 4 teeth and is currently cutting two more on the top. He sleeps 7pm - 6:3oam (usually) and he is fairly content to hang out and talk and play in his bed until 7am. He brings such joy to our family and we are daily delighted, though at times frustrated, with is continual inquistiveness and determination (especially to get into his sister's toys he is not allow to play with)!Natalie and Joshua are defiantly from the same gene pool - they look very much alike and often we even find Natalie and Josh in the IDENTICAL sleeping positions! Life is good!

2 Year Old Imitation

2010-03-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

Its fun, though interesting to have a 2 year old who imitates everything you do, whether good or bad.

The last 2 days, Natalie has started turning her Baby over her knee and saying, "Ali hit Baby bum." And so I asked her, " Why are you giving Baby a spanking?" And the reply, "Baby touched stove." Then she sat Baby up and put her on her lap (exactly as I do to Ali) and had a "talk" with Baby, letting her know that she is not allowed to touch the stove. Baby also received a time out with the same process!

It has its trying times, but I am really enjoying the stage our kids are at.

Definitely Siblings

2010-03-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Natalie at 7 months and Josh at 7 months...they definitely come from the same gene pool!

Not the Weekend I was expecting...

2010-02-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

Nate has been gone at a youth conference all weekend, so I was expecting a low key weekend with the kids, running a few errands and visiting the grandparents. Little did I know that was not to be...

On Friday morning as we were running a few last minute errands before dropping Nate off at church, our car broke down. We took it in, but they were unable to look at it until Monday...leaving me carless all weekend! After a number of phone calls, I was able to borrow a car for the weekend.

Then, last night, I was doing a bit of cleaning before heading to bed early. Just as I was finishing, Ali woke up unable to breath, with a honking cough and a fever....croup. So, after trying a few things and calling the nurses hotline, I decided to take her into emergency. And that is fine, when there is another parent home to look after the other child! But, Nate is gone...so what to do? After a number of phone calls, I got ahold of my inlaws and they were able to come out and stay with Josh while I took Ali in. We spent 2 1/2 hours in emerg before Ali saw the doctor - 2 1/2 hours with a sick, tired child who was actually quite content to be up and playing and entertaining everyone else there! (The doctor told me afterward that this is quite a common thing as the night air usually helps the kids breathe a bit better!) Ali was given steroids for the infection and we were sent home.

She is doing much better today, but definitely still quite sick and clingy. But she can breathe.

On a different note, Thursday we were able to take a family hike up Tea Pot Hill and stop by the beach to throw some rocks. Here are some pictures from our time.

My Baby is No Longer a Baby...

2010-02-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

I have come to the realization in the last few days that my baby is growing up...he's not a baby anymore! I know these things happen, but it just feels like its happening so much faster with Josh! And I guess technically it is; he is reaching many milestones before Ali did.

As of yesterday, he has 2 teeth (finally after 3 1/2 months of teething!). He can sit up, prefers to feed himself

and is crawling (or his version of an army crawl - I love his bum up in the air)!

He started this on Saturday and gets better and better everyday. Its definitely a fun stage.

Just Because

2010-02-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

Its time for an update on our lives.

Our kids are doing great.

Joshua is now 6 months and weighed in the other day at 17lbs 8oz. He got his first tooth last week and seems to be trying to break another through as well. In my last post, he had just slept through the night. He had a couple more nights of it, and then it has been one thing after another. We all got the flu a few weeks ago, which kept Josh up at night, wanting to eat. Teething has also played a role. And last night Josh got stuffed up, so was up every 2 hours, trying to breath - poor guy. So, hopefully we will get over all this sickness and back on track soon!

Regardless of lack of sleep, Joshua loves life and absolutely loves his big sister! He is enthralled with all that she does and often I hear the two of them laughing at each other in the back seat of the car. It does my heart so good! Josh is super mobile and can get anywhere he wants, which has been a bit harder on Ali, as he can get into her toys. But, we are all learning! Today Josh seems to be trying to get up on his knees....crawling may not be far off!Natalie is a joy! Her vocabulary continues to explode everyday! It seems like she is able to say and communicate with us most of the things in her everyday life. And most words you ask her to repeat, she can. She is so cute as she continues to put thoughts into ideas and sentences. The other day we were driving in the and I hear this from the backseat: “Josh boy. Ali girl. Mommy girl.” And so I asked her, “Is Daddy a boy?” And she responded with “Daddy no boy. Daddy Nate.” I am really enjoying the stage of life she is at.Nate and I are doing great. We celebrated our 6th Wedding Anniversary this last month! I can`t believe its been that long already! The time has really just flown; and I have loved every minute of it!

Exciting News!

2010-01-14T19:37:00.000-08:00

This week has been full of exciting news...

Firstly, Joshua slept through the night (7pm - 7am) last night for the first time! It was such a wonderful blessing! Josh was a great sleeper at night when he was younger, but once he turned 3 months, he became a newborn again! He was waking up at least twice, usually 3 to 4 times - sometimes every hour (this from a boy who was sleeping 8 -9 hours consistently). After 2 1/2 months of no sleep, I was exhuasted! A week ago, I wondered if maybe I was over feeding him - he's been pretty pukey, so I tried cutting back and he went down to only getting up once a night. Then, we figured out that he has a tummy ache - gave him gripe water before bed and he SLEPT STRAIGHT THROUGH!

Secondly, my little sister got engaged this past weekend! We have been expecting it and are so excited for Sam and Colby. They will be getting married July 10. Here is the happy couple celebrating and Sammy's beautiful ring.

Thirdly, my older sister is pregnant with baby #3! We acutally didn't find that out this week, but thought I would share the exciting news! We look forward to meeting the new Dickson sometime in early August.

2 Years Old

2010-01-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Natalie's 2nd birthday! I can't believe how fast these 2 years have gone. It seems like just yesterday we were meeting her for the first time. And now I can't imagine life without her. She brings such joy and delight to our family. I love her exuberance for life, her determination, her passion. Every day she grows and changes so much. She is ever doting on Joshua and wanting to play with him. She imitates both Nate and I with actions and words. She loves to nurse her doll and rock her to sleep. Her vocabulary and sentence structure grow by the minute.

We love you Natalie!

First Haircut

2010-01-05T20:18:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday Natalie had her first haircut! Earlier that week, Ali had watched Nate getting a haircut and decided she wanted one too! Auntie Sam didn't have time to cut her hair that day, so we headed back later in the week to have it done. Ali did great, though she got a little antsy while Sam was cutting her bangs and had to sit on my lap. But I was quite impressed with her. Here are some photos from the event.

Christmas

2009-12-27T19:41:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas week.

We have really enjoyed this full Christmas Season. Last Sunday we had a kid's Christmas at my parents. Grammy and Gramps gave gifts and the grandkids all exchanged gifts. It was a great way to do Christmas. Ali received a bunch of items for her doll: a stroller, a car seat, a highchair which becomes a swing, a potty, a diaper bag and monitors! She is LOVING them. Her doll is constantly being pushed in the stroller or rocked in the swing. When Josh is in the highchair eating food, her doll is next to him and she is feeding her with a bowl and spoon. When she has to go to the bathroom, her doll is right next to her on her potty. Natalie also received dress up items: a necklace, earrings, shoes, rings, a wand and a tiara and she LOVES dressing up in them. She is so cute.
Christmas Eve we attended a service at church. Ali's Sunday School class sang. She was very cute. She was so excited about singing on stage, I had to stop her from climbing on stage before the time, but she ended up waiting up there so long before they started singing that she got freaked out and started crying. Nate had to go up and sing with her.

After church, we headed out to my parents, put the kids down and had an adults Christmas. It was wonderful. We had a delicious meal and really just enjoyed being together as a family.

We spent the night there and in the morning had our own family Christmas. Natalie has really figured out this present thing! She knew exactly who each gift was for and was more that happy to hand them out and help open them.After, we headed to Nate's parent's place for another family Christmas. His brother and his wife came over from the island. We enjoyed a wonderful brunch and the day together before heading to Nate's Grandma's for Christmas dinner.It was a great Christmas week!

Our children are doing great; growing and changing every day. Josh will be 5 months this week and is quite mobile with his rolling, army crawling and twisting. Its fun to watch how enthralled he is with his big sister. Natalie will be 2 next week and has definitely entered the realm of 2 year olds! She has been exerting her independence quite a bit over the last few months, but the last week seems to have been a complete change. The tantrums have started and the continual testing of everything Nate and I ask of her. It definitely has its exhausting moments. We have decided we need to read some parenting books, especially about this stage. Anyone have any good recommendations?

Time for an Update

2009-12-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, time has been getting away from me. In our new place, our computer is back in a corner, which is not easily accessible to me when the kids are awake. Therefore, I have limited time to update, as many other things vie for my attention when the kids are sleeping! But, no more excuses.

Life has been chugging along at an alarming rate! The last weekend in November, we decided that we needed some time away as a family. Nate had a number of banked days that he needs to use by the end of the year. So, we took a few and headed to Harrison Hot Springs for a few days. It was so wonderful to get away. Even though its only 30min away, it feels like we are on vacation!

As we were pulling into the hotel, we unexpectedly ran into our friends Tim and Heidi, who were also staying there for a few days! What a small world! We were able to hang out with them and let the kids play in the pools together. Here are the girls enjoying the water.
Natalie LOVED the pools. We have been there a couple of time before, and every time she gets more adventurous. This time she was jumping off ledges as high as Nate could reach. She also became much more confident playing in the shallow end! Josh on the other hand was not as much of a fan. He was tentative and unsure, but quite until Nate got near the waterfall. Then he was done.

This last weekend, we headed into Vancouver for a conference Nate was attending. The kids and I just hung out and walked around downtown. We had beautiful weather (below freezing, but not a cloud in the sky) which made for a beautiful view from our room on the 24th floor. We were also able to connect with our friends Jen and Mike, whom we don't often see. It was wonderful to go out for dinner with them and attend their Christmas party.

Natalie and Joshua are growing and changing so much every day. Joshua is now 4 months old and rolling over both ways. He is ever exploring his surroundings and loves to be entertained by his big sister. You can tell how much he looks up to her already. If she is in the room, his eyes are usually locked on her! We started him on rice cereal yesterday and he is absolutely loving it! He is already eating 3 times the amount Ali was at this age - mind you he is about twice the size she was too! He keeps grabbing the spoon or my hand to bring the food closer faster! Very cute.
And Ali is developing so much too. Words continue to tumble out of her mouth and she has begun to describe things to us. She doesn't always know the words to say, but she figures out ways to get across her thoughts. She also has become quite the mother. She has always loved to help out and always tries to help Josh: if he spits up, she will wipe him up, etc. She will also line up her dolls and toys and give them bottles. But the other night, she pulled out Joshua's car seat and set up her Bear in it (she had to make sure his head was in the right spot on the headrest). She then attempted to do up the buckles. Then the rocking. She looks at me and tells me her Bear is crying. She rocks him some more, then tells me he is asleep. He woke up again, so she grabbed Josh's soother and tried to put it her Bear's mouth. She preceded to do the same with her Bunny in both the car seat and the swing. It was so cute to watch, I wish I could have captured it on film. She is becoming such a little girl!

To add to the chaos of this last weekend, we also dedicated Joshua during our Sunday service. My dad was able to dedicate Joshua, which was such a blessing - he has dedicated all 4 of the other grandchildren! It was really special to be able to have our immediate families, except Nate's brother and wife, and Nate's good friend Kris and his wife Rox there to celebrate with us. I have yet to upload the pics from this, so those will have to wait.

Wow, its been a while

2009-11-13T08:51:00.000-08:00

Time has been flying by and I can't believe its been almost 2 months since my last post! Life has been crazy busy, but good. I will try to give an overview of the past 2 months.

We moved at the beginning of October. I think I had mentioned in a previous post that 2 days before Joshua was born, we found out our landlords had sold the house we were living in. We found a place to live and have settled in quite nicely, though we still have quite a bit in storage. I look forward to the day when I am able to unpack all my things...it will be like Christmas! We have been in transition for a year and a half and I definately look forward to settling.

Joshua is now 3 months old and growing like crazy! He weighed in last week at a whopping 15 lbs - over doubling is birth weight in 3 months! He is growing and changing so much every day and I am loving watching the growing interaction between he and Ali. She can make him laugh and they already have so much fun together. Joshua is such a happy little man. He gives smiles and giggles very freely and seems to thoroughly enjoy people and life.

Ali is growing and changing every day too. I can't believe that in just a few weeks I will have a 2 year old! It seems like she learns a couple new words every day and her favorites she repeats over and over. Currently her favorite words are "Adi" (Ali), "Adia" (Auntie Andrea), "Osh" (Josh), and "Apple" (Apple Juice). Another new development with Ali is we are potty training! For months she has been really interested: pointing to the potty and saying please, even going a few times; everytime she went to the bathroom she would point at her diaper and say "oh oh". I put it off for a bit with having a newborn and moving, so we finally started 2 weeks ago. She definately had her good and bad days, but it feels like she is really catching on and taking ownership of it! It feels like we are through the worst part...hopefully. The last few days her accidents have all been on her way to the potty, usually right in front of it. And she now hates waking up from either her nap or night with a dirty diaper. She cries until its off and she has her panties on!

Nate and I are doing well too. This weeks marks 1 1/2 years of Nate being at Central. We really feel like he has found his sweet spot! And it does my heart so much good to see my husband loving what he is doing! As for me, I continue to love being a stay at home mom. This fall I have also started leading worship at our church once a month. I am really enjoying it.

I think that pretty much sums up our life currently. Here are some pic of our growing family.

Photoshoot

2009-09-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

We had some professional pictures taken by Scott Pankratz at Paramount Portraits when Joshua was a week old. Here are some of our favorites.

6 1/2 Weeks

2009-09-17T19:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Joshua is 6 1/2 weeks already. The time certainly flies!

We are all doing good. We are adjusting well. For the first month of his life, Joshua had a lot of trouble falling asleep on his own for naps, which resulted in a very over-tired boy. But last week we finally figured it out...we both figured out what he needs to go down well for naps! He had a whole week of amazing sleeps, then a few days of funkiness, due to being out and a growth spurt and today it feels like we are back on track!

Sleep during the night has been awesome! Starting last week as well, he was waking up only once in a 12 hour stretch for a feed! This week we had a few nights of twice, due to a growth spurt, but we are back down to 1!

And he is growing like crazy! On Tuesday he weighed in at 11lbs 5.5oz - gaining 15 oz in 10 days. He is in the 75th - 90th percentile for most of his measurements!

Natalie is LOVING her little brother! She often tries to play with him or do what he is doing. If he is laying on the floor, she tries to be exactly like him. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? :) It is so cute to watch! And she has started to make him smile this week, which has been really fun to see. I love seeing the kids interact with each other.

And I am continuing to heal. I was sent for an ultrasound yesterday, as my bleeding came back after being gone for a week. Because of the complications I had, they want to make sure there is nothing still in me. I just got a call from my midwife that everything looks normal! Praise the Lord!

In other news, we are moving at the end of this month. We are not sure where to yet, but our landlords sold the house we are currently living in, so we have to get out. Its not as sudden as it sounds; we have known since Joshua was born. But we are still looking, so you can also pray that we find somewhere to go.

I think that sums up what life has been like over the past few weeks. Here are some pictures of what we have been up to.

Ali trying to be like Joshua Joshua and his friend Callie - she is just about 5 weeks older than him, though he is catching up fast! And he looks half asleep cuz he just woke up from a napOur smiley boyJoshua sporting his new toque
Natalie and my fort My precious kidsI love her hand in the pocket

Blind Bay

2009-09-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

Last week we made a spur of the moment decision that we needed a vacation. So Tuesday evening, we packed up the kids and trekked out to Blind Bay to join my parents, sister and her boyfriend for a few days of relaxing. I love the Shuswaps...we have been vacationing there since before I was born.

The week before we arrived there was a huge lightening storm which started 17 fires in the Interior and Blind Bay was one of them. We could constantly see the smoke and at times, even the flames. But that didn't stop us from having a great time!Wednesday was spent on the boat...this was Ali's first time on a motor boat. The idea was fun for her, but once we actually got moving, she wasn't impressed that she had to sit still! Though she did love watching the "bubbles" from the wake. And LOVED watching Nate wakeboard. And loved watching the boys tube, though she was quite upset when Daddy would fall off. She was so concerned for him...she has such a soft heart (and she was crazy overtired)! Oh and she loved going on the tube with Daddy! Josh also enjoyed the boat and slept most of the time!

If you look closely, you can see Ali's arms spread holding onto the handles

Thursday we spent on the beach, chilling out. Ali loved all the rocks she could throw in the water and loved playing with Daddy and Gramps.Friday morning we arrived home and Friday afternoon Nate took off for a weekend away with the Middle School Youth! So the kids and I were alone and it actually went really smoothly. I definitely felt all the prayers people were praying for me.

Joshua's bed: a drawer
Our big boy, weighing in today at 10 lbs 6 1/2 oz.

Where Does the Time Go?

2009-08-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

I apologize for my lack of blogging these last 2 1/2 weeks! Life has been busy and full of adjustments! Thank you for waiting patiently for me to give you an update. For those of you anxious to hear "the story", I will do my best to give the details.

I guess it all started on Thursday. I went to my midwife for my 40 week appointment. She checked me and found that I was 1cm dilated, but she could easily stretch me to 3-4cm. My cervix was nice and thin. She stripped my membranes and I headed home. On the drive home I started feeling really crampy. Then contractions started. Things felt like they were progressing, so I had Nate stay home with me in the afternoon. Thursday evening my contractions were consistently 10 min apart. We headed to bed thinking we would be heading to the hospital shortly, but my contractions died down and I actually got a good night sleep!

Friday things started up again, but nothing consistent. Contractions continued all day and Friday evening they were about 5 min apart. Again we headed to bed, thinking and hoping for things to happen. Things died down once again until about 2 am, when I was awakened with hard contractions, every 2-5 min apart. I also started bleeding. Just after 3am we called the midwife and headed in to the hospital. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as we arrived at the hospital, the contractions spaced themselves out to 10-15 min. I was about 4 cm dilated. After spending 2 hours at the hospital, we decided to head back to my parents and try and get some sleep. (Ali was at my parents, as we were delivering in Abbotsford. There was no point heading back to Chilliwack)

I was able to sleep for about an hour. Inconsistent contractions continued throughout the morning. We attempted to get things consistent by walking, doing squats, jumping jacks, etc, but it didn't help! Just after lunch contractions FINALLY started evening out. They were 7-10 min apart all afternoon and around supper time moved down to 5-7 min apart. My midwife came over around 8pm to check me. I was 6cm dilated, and "very ripe". At 10pm we headed to the hospital for the second time that day, as my contractions were 3-5 min apart, to find that I was still only 6cm.

I spent much time in the shower and walking the hallways. At 2am my midwife checked my again and I was 6-7cm dilated (though Nate thinks I was still only 6, but she didn't want to tell me that after 8hours, I was still at the same, so she said 7...who knows?). I was so frustrated that I had not progressed at all, seemingly in the last 8 hours! Finally at 3:10am, they broke my water. 3 contractions later, I was pushing and Joshua arrived within the hour.

And then it got interesting...a couple hours after Joshua was born, I was still have crazy hard contractions and I started hemorrhaging and clotting. They gave me a shot of drugs to try and stop it. Then they had me get up to try and go to the bathroom, thinking that would help, except I passed out. They got me back into bed and hooked me up to an IV with more drugs. I was then given laughing gas and had both my midwife and doctor scrape me out to try and get rid of all the clots. I lost 1 1/2 IV bags full of blood (1500ml, I am told) and my hemoglobin levels dropped from 140 to 94. I didn't get a blood transfusion because my hemoglobin levels started so high. But needless to say, I was left very week and tired. Nate says that part was worse than the labor. For me it was a very out of body experience, for which I am thankful.

So, these last 2 weeks have been a slow recovery for me and my iron levels are still not back up to where they should be. Nathan took his 2 weeks of vacation time, so was able to be home with the kids and I and he was such a huge help. He wouldn't let me do almost anything! :) And we were very blessed with people bringing us meals so we didn't have to think about it.

We have all been adjusting and doing well. Thankfully my milk was not affected by my loss of blood and Joshua is gaining weight like a champ! He was 7lbs 4 oz when he was born and lost about 5% - so went down to about 6lbs 13oz. 2 days later he was back up to 7lbs 3oz. At his 1 week appointment he was 7lbs 13 1/2oz and this last Tuesday he was up to 8lbs 12 1/2oz!

Ali LOVES her little brother, though struggles a bit with learning how to play with him. She wants him to play and dance with her and she doesn't understand why he can't. She took a few days to adjust to the shift of attention, and she has been doing so good since, especially with Nate being back at work this week. I am so proud of her!

Here are some pics of our family and the last 2 weeks.

Joshua and his bud Josiah, born 10 days apart

And here are some cute pictures of the many sleeping positions of Natalie...

ITS A BOY!

2009-08-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

Joshua Nathan Toews was born Sunday, August 2 @ 4:14am. He is 7 lbs 4oz and 20 1/2" long. Baby is doing good. I had some complications, but am now on the road to recovery. I will try and post some pictures and more info in the next few days.

40 Weeks 1 Day...and No Baby

2009-07-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

My due date has come and gone and still we wait...

This heat is crazy! I'm hoping to go into labor tonight for a few reasons: 1) I'm ready to meet this little munchkin and 2) I am not sure I can handle the 47 degrees tomorrow is supposed to be (with humidity) with no AC!

38 Weeks & 2 Days, Pool Fun and Goodbyes

2009-07-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

I said I would post a picture a few weeks ago of my "growth", so here it is. I am 38 weeks and 2 days prego, and very ready to meet Baby Toews #2. The bags are all packed, car seat is in the car and now we wait...

With the weather being so lovely lately, we have been able to spend a lot of time outside. We bought a pool for Ali last summer and she LOVES it! The other day (which happened to be overcast and gross), I had to go into the backyard to check something. I left the door open from the house and came around the corner to find Natalie fully clothed in her pool (which was filled with water from the rain)! The really funny part is I did the same thing in the bathtub when I was her age! I wish I would have gotten a picture. But here is a pic of Ali enjoying her pool. She moved her chair in there so she would have somewhere to relax! :)

And Goodbyes...Nate's Uncle's Mom, who has been part of Nate's family for his entire life, went to be with Jesus this morning. She was an amazing woman and will be truly missed. Adina, thank you for all the memories, prayers for us and the blessing you have been to us. We will miss you.

CONGRATULATIONS...

2009-07-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

...to our friends Jon and Bonnie on the arrival of their daughter, Callie Lauryn on June 30. We were able to go to the hospital and visit them and Callie is precious! We are so excited for you guys and look forward to many play dates.

On a different note, here is a video of Ali showing off her singing skills for me! She loves to sing and is usually very willing to show off! I love the way her tone and inflection change when she is "singing". Enjoy.

And in pregnancy updates, I am now 36 1/2 weeks prego. So basically as of next week, I could have this baby at any time. I will take a pic in the next take or 2 to give you all an update on my size.

Pregnancy Photoshoot

2009-06-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

On Friday, we had Scott Pankratz from Paramount Portraits take some pregnancy pictures for us. We got the proofs back and are really happy with them! Here are some of our favorites.

Our Night Away

2009-06-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Nate and I had the chance to go on a "Babymoon" before Baby #2 makes its appearance! It was so wonderful to be able to get away.Sunday afternoon, after family naps, we loaded Natalie up, dropped her off at Grammi and Gramps' house and headed out to White Rock. We arrived to a beautiful 5star Bed & Breakfast and incredibly beautiful weather. The B&B wasn't on the main strip, but was 1 street up and had great views without the noise. The view from our room.Which we viewed from:

The "room" was quite spacious with a sitting area, as well as a large bedroom.

After settling in a bit, we headed down to the Strip for a great dinner on the rooftop patio of the Boathouse. And then a wonderful walk along the Strip and Pier.

Monday morning we woke up to another beautiful day (the clouds broke around 8:45am and we had clear skies the rest of the day!) We enjoyed a delicious 3 course breakfast, of which Nate had to finish...it was too big! Then headed down to the beach for a nice, long walk on the beach. I absolutely love the beach, whether the ocean or a lake. It is so relaxing and rejuvinating for me!
We finished off our time shopping at the outlet mall in White Rock. It was a short, but so needed time away together!

On a baby note, we had our second ultrasound last Friday (my placenta was sitting low at my 18 week ultrasound) and everything looks great! My placenta has moved up to where it should be and baby is measuring right on schedule. We got some cute pictures of Baby's face...with chubby cheeks and everything (at least it looks like it). But unfortunately we don't have a scanner at the moment, so I am not able to post the pics.

If you would still like to make a guess in our baby poll, visit http://bebepool.com/toewsbaby.

My Big Girl

2009-06-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how fast my baby has grown up. I can't believe that she is just about 17 months old! She has been such a blessing to our family and I could not have asked for a more perfect fit for our family!

Last week we moved Ali from her crib into a new bedroom with a "big girl bed"! She has made the adjustment so well and she seems to be absolutely loving it! She only fell out only once, and it was the first night. It took a few nights of her getting up out of bed and banging on the door, but she now goes to bed pretty well and is sleeping great...as far as I know. I do wonder sometimes if she is just in there playing, as I have walked in there a few times and caught her. But she is quiet if and when she does and seems quite content.

As for the rest of our family, the craziness of life continues (with something every weekend until I am 38 weeks prego! - and most of them involve Nate being gone). But this weekend Nate and I are going away, just the two of us, for a babymoon. Natalie is staying with my parents and we are heading to a B&B in White Rock. I am really looking forward to the time away and just being with each other.

sharing her cucumber with her babyenjoying the poolreading "Her First Bible" with Daddy - one of her favorites

If you would still like to make a guess in our baby poll, visit http://bebepool.com/toewsbaby. At my last check, 56% said boy and 44% said girl.

Its That Time Again... (with working link)

2009-05-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

With only 9 weeks left until Baby Toews' due date, it is time to set up a Baby Pool. To enter your guesses, visit http://bebepool.com/toewsbaby. We look forward to hearing your guesses.

And to help you, here is a picture of me at 31 weeks pregnant.

May Long Weekend

2009-05-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

It was wonderful to have a long weekend where the only work my husband did was the 4 hours we were at church on Sunday! The rest of the weekend was ours...no phone calls or emails regarding work! :)

And it was relaxing! This past weekend, we figured out, was the only weekend until July 19 that one of us doesn't have something up or is gone! And so it was dedicated to our family! That and purchasing things for Natalie's new "big girl" room! We have decided to move Natalie into a big bed before this next little one arrives so she doesn't feel pushed out or any resentment to the baby for taking "her" space. And so, Friday we ventured out to IKEA to make some purchases. We didn't find a bed like we were looking for, but did find some great bedding and accessories, including a little table and chairs (which Natalie found by accident the other day and fell in love with!)

Saturday we did a bit more shopping for the kids rooms and hung out around our place, enjoying the beautiful weather!

Sunday we went to church and then headed to my parents for a BBQ evening. My mom had a treat for dessert of Popsicles. It was quite humorous to watch the difference between Ben and Natalie. Ben treasured every bite of his and took his time. Natalie on the other hand couldn't chew it fast enough and finished before EVERYone else!

Monday we again ventured out to Vancouver, though this time it was not for shopping. We headed down to the harbor and loaded down my Uncle's company's yacht for great family day of cruishing around. It was to celebrate a belated Mother's Day, my Uncle's birthday and my grandparents anniversary. The weather wasn't the greatest, but still we had a wonderful time playing games, eating food and hanging out as a family.

Here are some pics from our trip. Hope you all had a wonderful long weekend as well!

And Life Marches On...

2009-05-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

Life is moving by very quickly! Its hard for me to believe that my due date is in less than 11 weeks...that's a bit scary! But we have been able to check a few things off our "To Do List" of before the baby comes. On Friday we did our hospital tour and purchased our double stroller. We also had our new bedroom set delivered, which means Natalie now has part of her new bedroom (our old stuff) and we will be finishing off her bedroom this weekend and putting her into her new "big girl bed" in the next few weeks! Slowly but surely things are getting done!

And this weekend was crazy busy, but wonderful! Friday night we headed to Nate's parents to celebrate Mother's Day with his fam. His brother and wife were able to come out from the island for the weekend and so we had a fun games and dessert family evening! Saturday we left Natalie with a "real" babysitter for the first time (real meaning not family or relatives) and headed off to a wedding! She did great and we had a nice day out.

Sunday I got to be on worship team as Nate led a youth service! This is the first time since Natalie was born that I have been on a worship team and it felt great to be serving God in that way again! And then in the afternoon, I was blessed by my wonderful daughter and husband to a Mother's Day treat! Natalie came running into my room with a card that she had signed herself! She was so proud and excited to give it to me! :) And we had a wonderful family walk and picnic at the park! It was such a wonderful Mother's Day, just to be together after the chaos of the last week.

Here is some pictures of me at 29 weeks pregnant and of our new purchase, a Phil and Teds Double stroller.

Harrison Hot Springs

2009-05-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we returned from a wonderful weekend away at Harrison Hot Springs! We were attending the MB Pastor's and Spouses Retreat and we had a great time. It was wonderful to be able to get away as a family (we brought Ali along and this will most likely be our last time away just the 3 of us...) - there were great sessions and also lots of free time! Although it was hard at times to have Natalie there, namely I didn't get to hear many of the sessions, we are so glad we had her along! And having her there allowed me to get to know and connect with some of the other moms who were out of the session due to babies. And I did get to sit in on a few sessions when my mom took Ali for one morning (they were there as well)! That was a wonderful blessing!

Most of our free time was spent in the Hot Springs which Natalie absolutely loved! Her lips would be purple, but she hated getting out! She loved to sit on the side and jump in or sit or stand under the waterfall and jump in! And, the crazy kid she is, kept trying to drink the water!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well. Here are a few more pics of our adventures last week...trying a popscile for the first time, going to the beach, hanging out at home...

Sun

2009-04-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

I am LOVING the incredibly beautiful weather we have been having lately! It is so great to play in our backyard or take Ali to the park!

Today we were able to head out to the Greater Vancouver Zoo with my wonderful girlfriends Kristin, Kimberly and Amy for Kristin's birthday. The kids had a great time playing together and looking at all the animals and it was really nice to reconnect with the girls! I didn't get too many pics but Kristin did. I stole this one from her blog.

Thank you Lord for such wonderful friends and for such beautiful weather!

27 Weeks

2009-04-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

It hit me last night how quickly my due date is approaching! I have now entered the 3rd trimester and only have 13 weeks left until my due date...WOW! I feel like this pregnancy has just flown by! And in realizing this, I also got a bit stressed over all the things that need to be done before we have this baby! And so, this morning I made a list of all that I want done. It feels much better to have it all written down so I can physically see what needs to be done.

Physically I am feeling pretty good. Though I am carrying completely different than I did with Natalie and feeling much smaller! Here is a comparison shot...the first is me at 27 weeks now and the second is me at 27 weeks with Natalie.

As a family we are doing great. This past weekend we went to the Family Connections event at our church, which was a day at the Farm! It was great! Natalie had a great time. They had face painting, balloon animals, tractor rides with a treasure hunt, volleyball games, tug-a-wars, kids playgrounds, ducklings and bunnies to pet, goats, pony and horse rides and tons of food! I couldn't believe how much Natalie loved petting the ducklings and bunnies! She couldn't get enough of them...she got so giddy excited when even coming near to them! And she was so gentle. I wish I had my camera along and gotten some pictures, but what can you do? This is a huge step for Alis since a few months ago she was scared of animals....including dogs and cats! And now she absolutely loves playing with them!

And I'll leave you with a cute picture of our little Ali - though they are getting harder to get. She has become a bit camera shy...and very interested in whatever pictures you do manage to take, so she doesn't stay in one place too long.

So That Explains It...

2009-04-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

We visited the doctor the other day and discovered some very interesting information: Natalie has joined the ranks of seasonal allergy sufferers! For a few months now, I have seen her often rubbing her nose, eyes or sneezing. I took her to the eye doctor because I have read that rubbing of the eyes can indicate eye problems (which run in Nate's family), but her eyes were perfect. And so we moved to the next idea: allergies. Ali has seemingly almost constantly had a cold since November - some of which was legitimetly a cold and some just plain old allergies. The doctor also commented that kids with allergies tend to be very irritble, picking fights with siblings for no reason, or breaking down in tears over nothing! And for the last few weeks that has been Ali! She is usually such a happy kid, so Nate and I were perplexed over why the sudden whininess and tears over seemingly nothing! I mean, it could be partially attributed to the 4 teeth she has gotten in the last 3 weeks and the 2 more molars that are pushing their way through....but still seemed out of character.

So what next? There is not a whole lot you can do for kids Ali's age with allergies. Basically all we can try is giving her Benedryl, which will make her pretty lathargic (we can't use the non-drowsy stuff till she is a bit older). I think we will try it for a week or so and see how much it helps and then weigh the pros and cons. So, we could use your prayers over this. Thanks!

Enjoying Life

2009-04-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

We have been having some beautiful weather lately and its been so nice to be able to get outside! Natalie has loved going to the park, though its getting hard to go for walks as she gets a bit antsy with being in her stroller too long. She would much rather walk or push it herself!

A few weeks ago we headed out on a beautiful Friday and went to the zoo. This is the first time that Natalie has been really interactive with the animals and it was really fun to watch her. The giraffe's head was maybe a foot away from Natalie, right on the other side of the plastic fence. She thought it great! She also discovered puddles on that trip and how fun they are to jump in!

We had a busy but good Easter weekend. Friday we headed to our Good Friday service. My parents, little sister and her boyfriend all came as well. We all then headed back to our place for an afternoon of egg painting - I haven't done that in years and it was a blast! Saturday we were able to hang out with Nate's brother and wife who live on the island and then have a great Easter Brunch with Nate's side of the family. We spent most of the rest of the day playing in his parents yard. Natalie loved the red wagon that Grandpa pulled her around it. I unfortunately forgot my camera, but my sister-in-law got some great pics (though I am still waiting to get a copy). And Easter Sunday, after church, was spent with my family in Abbotsford and Surrey.

Life is going good for me. I am 25 weeks prego and feeling good. Baby is quite active. I am growing everyday, though I can still make myself look not prego...I am carrying much differently than I did with Natalie. And I am going to, most likely, be doing some contract work from home. It will be similar design stuff that I was doing at my old job, but I will be able to do it from the comfort of my own home. I am looking forward to starting that.

Ali just got up from her nap so I should go. Have a great week.

My Little Cleaner

2009-04-02T16:04:00.000-07:00

Our computer is fixed and our internet is working again! So I am finally able to post again!

I can't believe its April already! Where has the year gone? I was also surprised to wake up to snow this morning! I thought spring had finally arrived...its been really beautiful this week...but no, sadly it obviously had not!

Natalie is doing great! She will be 15 months this week and is ever growing, changing and experimenting. She keeps us on our toes and is also our delight and joy! She LOVES babies (I can't emphasize that enough!) and every time she sees one she is giddy with excitement! She gets as close as she possibly can get. And she "knows" that there is a baby is my tummy - she will pull up my shirt and point, yelling "baby", so excited! Then she will kiss the baby over and over. Its very cute. So, so far, it seems as though she may adjust very well to having a new baby brother or sister. The other day, I was making dinner. I heard Natalie pushing around our little step stool (which she loves to do and use as a chair). I didn't think tons of it until I turned around and she was peering up over the counter. She has figured out the acutal purpose of the stool. Things just got a little more complicated! :)
Natalie also LOVES to help us clean or do whatever we are doing. Today I was cleaning the floors and I walked upstairs with the mop and floor cleaner. Natalie got so excited! It took me a minute to realize that she wanted to push the mop around the floor! It was so cute. But when I started to use the mop, she was so disappointed. She helped me a few times, then I gave her the swiffer, which she was very happy to push around the kitchen as I cleaned. She would watch what I was doing and then try to immitate my movements. A priceless moment!

We have also sort of started potty training...not of our will but of Natalie's! She is very interested when we go to the bathroom and the last week or so, she started pointing at the toilet, signing please and saying "pee". So, I started putting her on. She liked being there like mommy and daddy, but it was a bit big for her little bum. So last week we purchased a potty just for Natalie..thinking we would have it for when she really started. Well, she wanted to go on it as soon as she saw it. So, whenever she asks, we have been putting her on it. She has yet to acutally go to the bathroom while on it, but she sat for about 5 min today on it before saying she was "all done". So, we are not trying too hard, but we have slowly started.

This week has also had its rough moments....Natalie is teething with 6 teeth, 4 of which are her molars! She had one of her front teeth come through on Monday, but it continues to be a waiting game.

I am 23 1/2 weeks pregnant and feeling really good. The baby is moving like crazy these days, though mostly it feels like its doing somersalts. We had our ultrasound at the beginning of March. It was wonderful to see our baby, though he/she was quite chill. He/she barely moved at all...and when it did, it was to yawn! :) But everything looks good and my dates are right on. The only issue that they found was that my platena is currently sitting too low. So, they are sending me back for a second ultrasound in early June to make sure that it has moved. If it hasn't moved enough by then, they will schedule a c-section for me. My midwife says that in over 90% of these cases, the placenta will move on its own by then. We have entrusted this child and pregnancy to the Lord and whatever happens. I'm not too concerned if I have to get a c-section...only the epidural concerns me! But, it would greatly affect Nate if I did as he is scheduled to be on a missions trip in Vancouver right when they would do it. So, you can keep this whole situation in your prayers.

I don't have the ultrasound picture to post at this time as we do not have a scanner, but the baby definately bares some resemblance to Natalie's ultrasound.

I need to go get started on dinner now. Have a wonderful week.

Lack of Updates

2009-03-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates. Our computer died a few weeks ago and I have only been able to use Nate's work laptop periodically. So, since I don't have too long, here are some pictures that I have access to to tie you over. :) And I will be 21 weeks pregnant tomorrow!

The Performer

2009-02-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

Nate and I feel like we witnessed another development of Natalie's personality tonight - she loves to perform! This past week she has started spinning - loving the feeling of getting dizzy! She will spin like crazy, then fall on the floor and giggle! Tonight she started spinning really fast (whipping herself) and then she would stop and start clapping for herself, looking at Nate and I expectantly to clap as well! When we stopped, she would do everything she could to get us to clap and cheer again! It was so cute!

I am really enjoying the stage Natalie is at. She is learning and changing so much everyday! Nate notices at the end of the day how much she has developed while he was at work - quite incredible!

Prego Update

2009-02-19T18:57:00.000-08:00

I am 17 weeks pregnant and have started to show a bit more this week. Its amazing how different this pregnancy is than with Natalie, with regards to my weight! But, baby and I are both growing and doing good.

I went to my mid-wife today and I have started to gain some weight, which is good! Though I am still not up to the weight I was when I was 5 weeks pregnant (I lost about 6 lbs from week 5 to 12). But we are on the right track. And I am using a midwife this time round, which so far I am enjoying. I know lots of people who have great reasons for going to a midwife; mine are simple: my doctor is out in Langley and with having moved to Chilliwack, we don't particularly want to drive 1 hour to have this baby and I don't want to give up my doctor! 30 min is far enough for us...so we are having this baby in Abbotsford! Those are my reasons, pure and simple! :) Back to the appointment, everything looks good and baby's heartbeat was at about 160 - nice and fast.

I started to feel baby move a few weeks ago and Nate was able to feel the baby move last week for the first time! I love that moment when Nate feels the baby move for the first time and gets to experience our baby a little bit! This baby isn't super active yet, which is nice! But I love the feeling of the bumps and kicks I do get! :)

I have also being feeling braxton hicks again very early. I was thinking that this time round I might not notice them as much, but they started even earlier this time and have proved to be very consistent already! Though, it did take me a few weeks to place that that was what they were. I kept feeling "weird", almost short of breath. And now I can feel the acutal harding of my uterus.

I feel as though I have been alot healthier already this pregnancy. I have been doing prenatal pilates, walking, circit training and yoga. I am especially enjoying doing yoga with Bonnie - its a girls night out! And I definately feel it the next day! Last night when we arrived home, the boys had made us a great steak dinner! It was wonderful to come home to food and our men! Thanks Bonnie for suggesting it!

Animal Sounds

2009-02-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

I just thought this was too cute not to post.

Life

2009-02-09T20:54:00.002-08:00

Life continues on day by day. We are getting more and more settled into our new home and are really enjoying being out in Chilliwack! I am especially enjoying being able to have the car more often!

I am now 16 weeks pregnant and am finally feeling like I am starting to show! And its more of a "filling out" than an acutal bump, but its starting.

Last week we went for Natalie's 12 month shots (a bit late, I know). She did great and was a super happy camper the rest of the day. And she got weighed and she has gained over 1 lbs in a month! So she is now over 19 lbs, which is a huge step for her since she has barely gained any weight since she was 9 months!

A quick update on our lives.

Our New Home

2009-01-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

I know we have been in a few weeks and we are still trying to get settled, but here are a few photos of our new home.

the entrance way - the stairs lead to the main floor; door to the left is our den; door straight ahead leads to our large rec room (currently used for storage) and 4th bedroom and bathroom; also on this floor, laundry and garage

this is our kitchen, the first thing you see when you walk up the stairs

our eating area - to the right of the kitchen the great room

And for your enjoyment, some pictures of our little one. Lately her favorite past time is reading books or having anyone read to her! I can't even count the number of times a day she walks over to Nathan or I with a book in hand and signs "please"! She gets so giddy with her legs kicking, when you pick her up, put her on your lap and start reading...and if you are already on the floor, she will make herself right at home on your lap or chest or anyplace that she has a good view for you to read to her! :)

Isn't her housecoat cute?

And waiting for bathtime - always an exciting part of the day!

5 Years!

2009-01-18T19:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Nathan and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary! Its hard to believe that 5 years have passed! It has been the most incredible 5 years! And I am so blessed to be married to such an incredible man! I love him more today than the day I said "I do". And it is amazing to look back at the journey God has taken us on these 5 years and where He is taking us!

We were able to go away which was really nice! Friday afternoon my parents took Natalie and Nate and I headed into Vancouver to the Pan Pacific! We spent our wedding night there and have gone back every year except last (due to the birth of Natalie). So, its been really special! We were able to go out for dinner to an AMAZING restaurant, the Shore Club. Its ritzy and very classy! The atmosphere and food are incredible! It will be a little bit of a pricier night, but I highly recommend this restaurant! (And if you do go, probably best to share a meal! Nate and I shared a 23 oz steak!) Saturday morning Nate sent me for a manicure in the spa in the hotel! It was wonderful to be pampered! I realized as I was getting my nails done that the last time I had a manicure was for my wedding day! Then for lunch we headed to another great restaurant, the Italian Kitchen.

On a completely different note, I was able to hear the baby's heartbeat on Friday! That is one of the most incredible sounds! It definitely helped make this pregnancy a little more real, since I really have no outward appearance of it! I can feel the uterus and that is about all.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Surprise...

2009-01-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

We are pregnant with Baby #2! It was a bit of a surprise to us as well, but we are super exciting and look forward to meeting this little life! Here are some of the details:

When am I due? I am due July 27, which makes me 12 weeks today!

How far apart will the kids be? They will be just under 19 months apart.

Was this planned? Not really. We had talked about starting to try in the next few months, but had not planned to get pregnant that month! We have decided that talking about it is dangerous; that was how we got pregnant with Natalie too! :)

How am I feeling? For the most part pretty good. I forgot how the first trimester knocks you right out though! That combined with us all being sick for the last 6 1/2 weeks! I have been a lot sicker with this one though - with Natalie my gag reflex was affected and I was just about sick once - with this one I have already thrown up quite a few times! And of course tired - moving and chasing around a toddler will help with that!

Am I showing? Slightly, though not really. I feel like I was showing a whole lot more with Natalie at this stage in the game, but thats fine. I guess being nausious every time I eat doesn't allow me to eat too much! :) I look forward to feeling somewhat normal again - with Ali that took till about 14 weeks.

Thats all I can think of at the moment, but if you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

Oh, and our move went great yesterday. Now, unpacking and settling in! I will post some pics once we get a bit more settled

My Baby is Back!

2009-01-09T15:18:00.000-08:00

For the last 6 weeks Nate, Natalie and I have all been quite sick with colds! This past week has been especially rough on Natalie as she had a fever every day and just was not herself! All she wanted to do was be in mommy's arms and was totally content to sit for quite a while doing NOTHING! This is NOT my baby! Usually we can't get her to cuddle for even 1 minute, unless she is tired!

Last night she slept for 13 1/2 hours and woke up her old self again! She still has had a fever today, but is running around and is so happy! It's great to have her back!

Ali is 1!

2009-01-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Natalie's 1st Birthday! This year has just flown by. But Nate and I have been so blessed to have such an incredible daughter. Her smile can light up any room and her joy and giggles are contagious! Natalie Marie, we love you so much! We are so proud of you and so thankful to God for placing you in our lives!

Here is a snapshot of the last year:

Last night we threw a family birthday party for Ali. She had a few rough moments as she is still sick with this horrible cold, after 5 1/2 weeks! And she had a bit of a fever. But she did great and had a good time!

We're Moving!

2009-01-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

After 6 months of living in my parent's basement, we are moving out! We had been looking to buy a place, but recently decided to rent and continue to watch the market and see what it does. So, we have found a beautiful brand new house with 4 bedrooms and a den to rent month to month. And we move in this Sunday. So this week will be filled with preparing to once again move! I will provide pictures once we move in.

Christmas and Snow

2008-12-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

This past week has been super busy, but wonderful. Nate took this week and next week off of work, so we have 2 full weeks together which we all are loving!

Tuesday we had Natalie's 1 year check-up (I still can't believe she is almost a year old!) She is growing, but still definitely on the long and lean side. She is in the 75th percentile for both her height and her head size, but she is in the 5th - 10th percentile for her weight at 17 lbs 14oz. But she has gained weight, which I am very happy about. From my calculations, she didn't gain anything from 9 to 11 months and in the last 1/2 month she has gained 1/2 lbs! She eats so much, but moves so much that she burns it all off - I guess she comes by it honestly; Nate is the same way! But we are loving every moment with her.

As of today, here are some milestones that Ali has reached:

she is walking EVERYWHERE - I don't think crawling exists in her thoughts anymore :)
she can crawl up and down the stairs
she LOVES to dance, whether to music, the vacuum cleaner or the dryer
she signs "all done", "more" and "please" (though "more" has been replaced with "please") and can point to what she wants
she can say "mom", "daddy", "bye-bye", "baby", "Ben", "up", "car", "bed"
she knows what a lion says and what a monkey says
she is very co-ordinated and can dribble a soccer ball around the room
she has 6 teeth - 2 on the bottom and 4 on top
she loves to play the piano and make music
she is a great helper and can clean up and put away her toys
she picks out clothes she wants to wear
she can turn on the power button and volume on a few of her toys
she loves to give kisses and also gives them to say she loves us and she is sorry (when she gets in trouble)
she listens and obeys (for the most part) when Nate and I ask her to do things

Those are some things that I can think of. Natalie is a delight and a joy! She is a very happy child and Nate and I feel so blessed to have her in our lives! She is a blessing from the Lord!

We have gotten more snow this week than we have had in the Fraser Valley in years! Its been so much fun. On Tuesday, we bundled Natalie up and took her tobogganing for the first time. My parents have an old GT snowracer from when I was a kid and we took Ali out on it - she LOVED it! She first thing she did the next day and the following days was point at the door to outside and sign "please". All day long, she would turn to the door and say please! It was/is so cute. Yesterday we finally took her again, along with my parents. She giggled and smiled the entire time! And when she wasn't on it, she was pointing to it and signing please! It was wonderful!

Wednesday was Christmas Eve and we were supposed to head out to Chilliwack for the Christmas Eve service, but due to the heavy snow, our Christmas Eve service was cancelled, along with every other church I heard of! So, instead we spent the whole evening at Nate's parents house (which was planned, but with church as well) and had dinner and opened gifts and had a great family time! Ali was able to wear her Christmas dress - which she picked out herself from the store! Natalie also seemed to really enjoy opening the presents...they couldn't get open fast enough for her!

Thursday we had our own family Christmas and then headed up to my parents for my family's Christmas. It was really fun with all the kids - 4 grandkids - and then they all went down for naps and the adults had our Christmas of opening gifts and playing games. My extended family came over in the evening for more busyness and fun! It was a full and great day...though Nate, Natalie and I all have sinus colds, which were a bit draining.

Yesterday was a relaxing and recovering day...we laid low, hung out around the house and played tons of games. It was really fun!

And today we are off to our last family Christmas dinner with Nate's extended family. It should be a great time!

I hope you all had a great Christmas and I want to wish you all a happy belated MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I think we are on the right track...

2008-12-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

Recently I wrote a post on Natalie's sleeping habits. Thank you to all of you that gave some insight or advice. Right after I wrote that post, the thought came to me that maybe Natalie wasn't sleeping well because she wasn't getting enough calories from the formula. So, started an experiment. And I think we are on the right track.

Since weaning Natalie in the beginning of November, she has not taken much formula. At first it was because she didn't know how to drink from a sippy cup or bottle (we had been working on it, but she hadn't gotten it...all she knew were the boob and her thumb). So after a few days we discovered that she would drink out of a cup, which is definitely a bit more messy and time consuming. But still she didn't take too much in, for the most part. She has since figured out both a sippy cup and a straw cup...which is great! But Natalie is a HUGE eater and still didn't take in too much liquid after consuming her meal. So, I decided to start trying to give her a "snack" of formula mid-morning and mid-afternoon. I found that often she would take in a significant amount of formula at these times, more than she would take in during the whole day! And, it seemed to increase her appetite even more at meal times (she eats more than I do most days!)

So, after a week and a half of trying this out, we seem to be on the right track. She has only had 1 45min nap during this time and it was on a day that she didn't take in too much formula during our "snack" time. Her naps have been consistently 2 - 3 1/2 hours! And she is gaining weight! She did not gain any weight from 9 to 11 months, in fact she may have even lost some. But she has definitely started putting on some weight. Tomorrow at her 12 month check up we will get all her stats and see how she is doing! But I am so thankful that we seem to have figured this out!

I can't believe that in less than 2 weeks I will have a 1 year old...Wow, how time flies!

25

2008-12-16T07:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I turned 25 - a quarter of a century old! When I was younger, 25 seemed like such a milestone, like I would be so old when I turned that age. The funny thing is now its not so old...

The day was wonderful! Nate blessed me in the morning by giving me a sleep in day and getting up with Ali! That doesn't happen too often, so it was great! I hung out with my mom, sister and nephew during the day. Last night was our church's last performance of the Christmas production, which Nate had to be at. It was a black tie affair, so the afternoon my little sister spent doing my hair and I got dolled up - which is always fun!

Nate came home from work with some birthday gifts from he and Ali and I got a new wool coat, which is beautiful, and a great black purse! I was so surprised! And both items went with the outfit I was wearing (I had planned to borrow both items!) We got a babysitter and headed out for what I thought was a dessert evening at the church...little did I know Nate had other plans.

We arrived at church and I was a bit confused with the amount of people already there, since we were supposed to be early, and it looked like the performance had already started. I started to ask Nate about this when he continued to drive through the parking lot and exit on the other side. He instead took me to the Copper Room at Harrison Hot Springs for a night of dinner and dancing! I was so surprised - the idea had not even crossed my mind! We had a great night out with great food and music!

Thanks Babe for a wonderful birthday! I love you!

HELP!

2008-12-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

I need some advice, if anyone has any!

Natalie is a great sleeper at night (12 hours since she was 4 months old), but her daytime naps have become an issue! For the past few months her morning nap has been give or take for her, but then she would have a great afternoon nap. Within the last month and a half she has flat out refused her morning nap - which would be fine if she had 1 great nap a day! Not a chance! When we started to go down to one nap a day, she would sleep for 3 to 4 hours in the afternoon - so great! But for the last 2 weeks, we are lucky if we get her to sleep 2 hours and usually it is 45 min to 1 1/2 hours! Which I cannot handle...she is grumpy in the morning cuz she is tired, but if I put her down for a nap, she will not sleep. Then she is so tired by lunch time, that she doesn't eat a good lunch and goes down for her nap and sleeps very short. I leave in her bed for usaully a while in hopes she will go back to sleep...not likely! Most days she will play on her own until I get her up. Then she is up for hours and grumpy in the late afternoon evening cuz she is so tired. If I put her to bed early, she will wake up after 12 hours, and play in her bed till I get her up. I have tried pushing the nap earlier and later and nothing has seemed to really help! This is exhausting!

Has anyone had a similar issue or have any suggestions as to what to do? Something has got to change.

Family Pictures

2008-12-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we headed out and had my dad take some family pictures for us. We don't have tons as a family and thought this would be a great opportunity. Here are some of our favorites.

Have We Created A Monster?

2008-12-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

I was washing dishes after lunch today and I turned around to find Natalie sitting amongst my laundry piles (living in a basement suite doesn't leave much space for laundry day!) We had combined a few piles into one, as I had already done some loads when more laundry came in. In any event, I found Natalie amongst my piles lifting up each piece of laundry, studying it very carefully and then putting it in her own piles. Some items she when through quite a few times before she "got it right". Then, she got up and walked away and I looked at what was left behind her: 4 distinct piles created from my 1: 2 of brights, 1 of darks and 1 of greys, all perfectly seperated! At 11 months she is already seperating my laundry - WOW!

Nashville and House Stuff

2008-11-25T20:28:00.000-08:00

We arrived home from Nashville early this morning at about 12:30am. It was the first time we had left Natalie even for 1 night - and we were gone 4 nights and 5 days! We missed her like crazy, but it was really nice to get away by ourselves for a few days!

We headed out to Nashville on Thursday for a National Youth Workers Conference (NYWC 08). There were about 5000 youth workers from all over the world including Australlia, South Africa, Canada and the US. It was amazing to see that many youth workers together from tons of different denominations (I even saw a nun in full garb) and worshipping God together!

We arrived late Thursday night, which allowed us to sleep in Friday morning, as the conference didn't start until about 1pm. There were great speakers, including Tony Campolo, Francis Chan and many more. And great worship leaders, including Starfield, David Crowder Band, Jars of Clay, Shane and Shane, Kendall Payne and others. There was also hundreds of booths of different ministries, most giving away free stuff! I think Nate got 6 t-shirts, cds, books, Bibles, footballs, balls, frizbees, pens and more! It was a great weekend! It was packed full of seminars and general sessions, but they really encouraged us to hang out with God first and foremost, get refreshed and renewed and if you had time for any seminars to attend!

one of the booths

So, Nate and I took them up on that and on Saturday evening headed out for a date night. We went out for dinner at BB King's Blues Club (very cool - great music, great food and great atmosphere) and then we headed over to the Grand Ol' Opry for a show. There were about 20 artists that performed during the evening, and some were really good. It was more the experience that we were after as opposed to seeing someone really amazing. We did however feel like we had been transported back to the '50s to the Ed Sullivan show or the like as the Opry is broadcasted live and so there was a man giving vebal advertisments between acts with a voice that sounded like he should have been on the radio 60 years ago! :) It was a fun evening though.

We had a great weekend - Nate really felt he got some great resources and attended some great sessions that will really help and grow him this year - and were really ready to come home and see our baby! It was wonderful last night to walk in and see her. She woke up, looked up at me, smiled, lifted her hand and waved at me and then rolled over and went back to sleep. It was so cute!

As per the "house stuff" in the title, the house that we had put an offer on actually fell through today. So, we now have some decisions to make as to whether or not to buy a different house (we have 1 other possiblity at the moment) or if we should just rent or something. You can keep us in your prayers as we mull over this and make some decisons in the next day or two.

Hope you all had a great weekend.

Time for an Update

2008-11-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

enjoying mac and cheese for the first time

It is definitely time for an update. The last few weeks have been crazy busy and have not allowed for much time to blog. A few of the big events going on in our lives:

Teeth - In the last 2 weeks, Natalie has gotten 2 of her top teeth and has 3 more very close to the surface. Its amazing how getting teeth changes the look of a baby! She has been fairly happy through the ordeal, with a few moments of unhappy pain - I don't blame her!

Weaning - Natalie is offically weaned! Not by her own choice, but by mine. Nate and I are going away this weekend for 5 days and she is staying with my parents. It was time to get her off of nursing as I do not have enough milk to pump for 5 days worth! The only issue has been that Ali is not too interested in a bottle or sippy cup! She finds it is much more enjoyable to bite than drink. I was a bit worried that she may get dehydrated, but my doctor is not concerned as Ali is still having tons of wet diapers. Nate did, however, discover a way that Natalie will drink....out of a cup! She wants to be like mommy and daddy. So, we have been using that tactic, but it does make for a messier feeding time. She is starting to actually kind of drink from a bottle as well, in the last few days.

Naps - We are moving Ali down to 1 nap per day. She was having tons of trouble with 2 and often refused to sleep her first one. So, we figured we would try one. And yesterday (the first day of trying it) she had a 3 1/2 hour nap! I am not sure she has had a combined nap that long in a while! So, so far it seems to be going well! It kinda feels a bit early to be doing one nap, but then I realize that Natalie is going to be 1 year old in 6 1/2 weeks - that is coming so fast!

Animal Sounds - If you ask Ali what a lion says, she will respond with a resounding growl and roar! It is so cute!

House - We are finally in the process of purchasing a house out in Chilliwack! After 6 months of looking and 4 1/2 months of living in my parents basement, we have found a home that we think could be great. I will let you know more details of the house once the deal is complete and all the subjects come off! And it would mean us moving December 16! That means we would be in for Christmas, which would be wonderful! Especially since we are planning on hosting Nate's family for Christmas Eve!

And with that, I think my update will come to a close. I will be back next week with more info on our possible new home and our time in Nashville this weekend! Have a great week!

Busy Weekend

2008-11-02T17:23:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was full. Thursday night one of the life groups in our church threw a Halloween party for the high school youth (a way to bless both the youth and Nate, by him not having to plan the night). So it was a fun evening of the kids dressing up, carving pumpkins, hanging out around the campfire, worship and hanging out.

Friday night we dressed Nataie up in a monkey costume (thanks Ange) and took her "trick or treating" to her grandparents' houses. I think she looked so cute.

Nate and I also headed out to a night with friends on Friday - NO BABIES! This was the first time in 2 years we have done this without kids with this group of friends. It was so much fun! We did a murder mystery. Nate was a Peruvian Amabasator and I was an archaeologist.

This weekend Ali has also been walking a lot more and longer distances. She was in her playpen today, attempting to sleep, and Nate walked in a found her walking from end to end! So cute! Here is a video of her walking - she seems to favor one foot, which makes her crooked, but she looks so cute! Sorry for it being sideways...

Thats an update on our life! Hope you all had a great weekend.

Pumpkin Patch & Shoe Racks

2008-10-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

Today Natalie and I headed out to Langley to join my friend Kristin and her son Landon for a fun time at the Pumpkin Patch. It was cold, and Landon had some rough moments, but all in all it was a great time. Then we headed back to Kristin's where we had a great afternoon together making cookies and hanging out while the babes slept! We got some great pics of the day. Here are a few of my favorites.

Natalie has discovered a few new favorite places to play: the shoe rack and the diaper shelf of her change table. The best part is pulling all the items off onto the floor! Who wouldn't love it?!?

It has happened...

2008-10-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

Natalie took her first steps yesterday! She took 5 or 6 steps on numerous occasions between Nate and myself. Very exciting!

Natalie loves when anyone plays peek-a-boo with her (shyness often turns into fast friendship if people play it with her). And this past week Ali started playing peek-a-boo back. The first time she did it, she came out with a resounding, "Boo!" It was very cute, but hasn't happened again. Here is a quick cute video of her.

Yesterday was also a big day for me...my little sister is in Hair School and I was her hair model for her exam. I was her second haircut on real hair (her first was earlier in the day!) She did a great job AND I LOVE IT! Here is a pic of the new do...with bangs for the first time since I was 8! This is a big step for me.