09 December 2010

A new bubba... Riley Morgan

Ahhhh, such a crazy crazy whirlwind the last 27 days has been... oh, and even the weeks, months, and dare I say it, YEAR before then too!


Friday, 12 November was an EPIC day for us - our newest little man, Riley Morgan, joined our family earthside at 2.22pm.


Riley Morgan - 10lb 13oz, 22" - 12/11/2010
My little monkey is 27 days old today, and surprise surprise, I'm madly in love with him.  He's a snuggle-bum, and sooo squishy... I'm addicted to newborn snuggles.  I wish we could bottle them and have them forever.


Life with a newborn, a toddler, and a pre-schooler is fun... hectic right now, since my newborn has baby gas, and life is tough for about 4 hours in the afternoon, and about 3 at night.... but we're getting into a routine.  I'm happy to say that I'm finished typing out Riley's birth story, and that I will post it here with a couple of pics in the weeks to come, along with Xavier's and Shannon's birth stories, as part of a series to depict my progression from a cascade of interventions (my first) to a natural hospital birth (second) to an unassisted home water birth (third).  But, being that I want to have them posted as a series, I will wait until I've finished typing up the other two as well.  I had hand-written both the other two in their journals, so I've managed to type out Shannon's, and I'm just tweaking it now... but Xavier's journal, book 1 (I'm on notebook #2), is somewhere... so I may have to type it anew... meaning that may take a bit longer than I'd anticipated.


For all my birth junkie friends: they will be worth the wait.


Love and hugs,
D.

22 October 2010

Adding to the family

Today is 37 weeks and 5 days... and baby, has time FLOWN.  

Every day that goes by, I feel goes by quicker than the day before.  

It's 22 October, and holy hannah, it feels like we just rang in 2010 last week...  It feels like I just found out yesterday that I was expecting my 3rd child (March)...  It feels like just yesterday that I won a competition with my Stampin' Up! business that got me a "Workshop of  a Lifetime" with CEO Shelli Gardner (March)... It feels like just yesterday I finished up at work on early mat leave (May)... It feels like just yesterday my hubby and I celebrated 5 years of marriage (July)... It feels like just last week we got back from a week's vacation in the sunny, hot region of Okanagan, BC (July)... It feels like just yesterday that my dad was here visiting from Portugal (August)...

Where has 2010 gone????

And like the title of this post, we are adding to the family, soon, as baby is due in 2 weeks and 2 days, although could LITERALLY come at any day now, since boy #2 was born at 37w6d.

Is it a trait that comes with AGE, or with PARENTING, that time seems to fly at an unnatural pace?  That life seems to happen whether we're ready for it or not... that quote from John Lennon sums it up best:

"Life is what happens when you're busy making plans."

Oh YEAH.

So anyway.

We have plans.  We have BIG plans.  

- Baby is going to be born at HOME (oh how I've wanted this one for soooooooo long!!!!  Since boy #1!!!).... 

- Hubby's biz is going in a COMPLETELY different direction (very good though!  More details and a link, well, repeated links, to his site once it's up and running.)... 

- We won't be staying tooooo much longer in Small Town, BC (read: 12 to 24 months)... 

- Homeschooling starting next year (ok, this is kinda' scary, but so exciting - I BEGGED to be homeschooled as a kid!)... 

- And me?  As a STAY-AT-HOME-MUM???  (Man, I **LOVE** that title!!!!)  I have business plans.  Yes, in addition to getting back to running a house (haven't done *much* of that the last 6 months - this pregnancy has been tiring.), homeschooling, I also plan on maintaining my Stampin' Up! business (more as a hobby though, I just love being creative), and earnestly exploring two options for earning income from home - Melaleuca (a great company I've been a customer of for almost 12 years), and a publishing business (no name, as it's ALL MY IDEA, and I don't want to spoil it until I have it all planned out).

Will I have time for this?  I pray so.  If it's part of His plan for us, then the time will be there.  If not... well, we'll see, won't we.  ;)

Okay, off to bed... always seems that I go into labour in the middle of the night AFTER I've stayed up too late... (yes, both boy #1 and boy #2 started into our lives that way!)  I just wanted to post, since I've been so slack (yeah, 6 month gap is slack, you can say it), and I felt inspired for WHATEVER reason - I ain't gonna argue!

much luv,
D.

25 April 2010

Win a copy of this book!

If you read my profile, you'll know that I'm a lactivist (breastfeeding activist), and I LOVE the saying: "If breastfeeding offends you, put a blanket over YOUR head!"

Well, there's a group on Crackbook with that same name, that now has their own blog.  :)  COOOOOOOL.

AND.

They are giving away TONS of stuff... and the one thing I am SO stoked about, is this new book by Elizabeth Pantley, called The No Cry Separation Anxiety Solution.  If you've ever had to deal with separation anxiety, well, you might understand why this book gets me giddy.  My big boy has almost never had issues with SA, but little one?  At times, he has a meltdown if I have to go pee.  It can get pretty annoying to have to do your business with a toddler sitting on your lap.  Yes, doing your biz is FINE, it's the WIPING with a toddler on your lap that gets difficult.  :P  Believe me, I KNOW - been there, done that, tooooooo many times to count.

If YOU want a copy of this book, enter to win here: THEIR BLOG .

And ya know what?  While you're at it, become a fan of Elizabeth's on Facebook HERE.

24 January 2010

Six days... whoa. SIX DAYS

That's right, 6 days til we move.  Cripes.  That and my Stampin' Up! activities are the reasons why I haven't been blogging much lately - packing = time away from 'puter.  AND... stampin' = time away from 'puter. ;)  But, no stampin' now really until we move.  *pout* 

BUT... tonight will be spent scanning photos... Add to the fact that we're moving, I work full-time, Todd is trying to get his business applications done so his biz can move forward, I have a Stampin' Up! business that I've decided to actually nurture instead of just have a hobby, THAT.... my beloved grama turns EIGHTY on Friday.  Ssssshhhhh, she doesn't know that we're having a surprise party for her on Sunday.  Our big family gift to her is a digital photo frame with about 60 OLD photos scanned onto the memory card - guess what my job is?  So guess what I'm doing most nights this week?  That's ok, that's my ONLY job... no cooking, prep, nuthin', so I'm glad I can at least do that.  I asked her yesterday if she wants me to cook her something for her birthday, and she said no... :(  oh well, I might do it anyway.  ;)

Back to the move, the shipping container is almost entirely packed, and then it's just major items like small appliances and bed, bedding and clothes that we have left.  Oh, and the tv and computer.  ;)  I'm so stoked (in case you couldn't tell from the last post).  But, definitely not stoked about moving, I HATE the actual MOVING part.  Let's not even mention the fact that it's only FOUR BLOCKS AWAY... but the hassle!!!!  LOL  I just wish TODAY was move day.

We're hoping to have a few extra sets of hands to help us out, and we have at least one volunteer to make sure munchkins aren't underfoot - so that's a MAJOR help!  I should get back off the computer, and go pack some more boxes... and maybe think about what's for dinner.  Oh man, dinner has been.... lacking zing lately.  Cookbook is packed.  KD and me = good friends.

Much love,
D. :)

14 January 2010

16 days and counting...

oh.
my.
dog.

seriously, i'm so excited, i could pee.  i know, i know, too much info.  but i don't care.  i'm just so darn excited that we're finally getting into our own place in 16 days.

not that anything has been bad lately at home.  not at all.  grama and i have had a blue in MONTHS, like MONTHS AND MONTHS, so it's not that at all.  and i'm soooooo grateful (as you can see over here) that we've had a warm roof over our heads for the last 18 months of.... of.... hmmmm... trials.  but, we are SQUISHED here.  grama's house is big, but we're only on the one floor.  and we have lots of stuff... most of which is still in storage!

i have my stamping and scrapping stuff in boxes (and boxes and boxes), my fabric in boxes, books, dvds and cds on the mantle, and collecting dust, and making me feel claustrophobic... ACK.  i'm HORRIBLE at putting my clothes away to begin with, but with having no space?  yeah, my closet - meet my floor.

this new place is only about 4 blocks away, so no change in routine, or petrol (gas) bill... with enough space/rooms for t to have an office, me to have my SPACE, the boys to have a toy room, AND a storage room in the basement.... AND even a SPARE BEDROOM THAT IS JUST A SPARE BEDROOM!!!!  the boys will still share, but that's because i think that's probably a smarter move at this point - they're at a good age to continue to share. 

i'm just SO excited.  and because i'll have my SPACE... my computer will have it's own space, my scrap and stamp stuff will have shelves and bins... and oh, to be able to NOT HAVE TO clean up RIGHT AWAY because my work space won't be our dining table anymore!  yay!

anyway, i'm all done uploading photos to my gratitude blog now, so it's off to bed for me.  :*

much love!

05 January 2010

A sad day...

I've had a hard time stopping the tears for the last 4 hours... I'm thankful it's not due to a loss in my family, but just the same, my heart is broken for my dear friend who is going through the loss of a child.

On the evening of 5 January, a car accident occurred in NSW that left the driver and one of the 4 children in the car seriously injured.  Later that night, the 9 year old girl lost her fight.  Her auntie is still in the hospital, still in critical condition, so she needs prayers.  The other 3 kids are ok.  But Kate and Matt lost their beautiful Liv...

To pay tribute to this sweet little angel who was taken from her loving parents too soon:  she was a gorgeous redhead... shy sometimes, but others, take you off guard with how bubbly she was when she was warming up to you.  She was thoughtful and intelligent, and so so sweet.  And this all from a lady who really didn't know her all that well.  I was lucky enough to meet this gorgeous girl more than once, and lucky enough to have her over when my oldest was a newborn.  I can't imagine what they're going through right now, but Kate, if you're on the net trying to take your mind off things (as I know you do dear girl), please know that I'm shedding buckets for you, Matt and the kids, and that Liv has a special place in my heart...



Grab your kids, your parents, your brothers and sisters, your friends.  GRAB them, HOLD them, and tell them how much you love them.  Because it's not just a cliché - we really don't know how much time we have left.

Much love,
d.


ps: Kate has a blog, and just a few days ago did a lovely slideshow of pics of her kids in 2009... have a look-see over there:  The 6 of Us

04 January 2010

New year, new resolve

I've started a new blog.  


No, I'm not shutting this one down, I'm starting a daily gratitude blog, that is combined with a photo-a-day blog. It's a photo-a-day of something I'm grateful for.  That said, I'm not STARTING it, I HAVE STARTED it.


d's gratitude



My aim with this is that my daily activity on this (theoretically) shorter-posting blog will increase my devotion to this blog that I started FIVE and some years ago.  Yes, this blog has been around that long.  And so, I should step up to the challenge of COMMITTING to being part of the blogosphere, since I've technically been part of it for more than 5 years.


Anyhoo.


Goal for this year?  Hit 100 followers for EACH of my blogs.  Wanna help?  TELL YOUR FRIENDS! ;)


(((hugs)))