Our Family & Our Life

We're together as a family again, the weather is sunny and warm and we just celebrated Easter - He's Risen! It's been great being together and the only time Isla has left Colin's side is to sleep.   I picked him up bright and early on Thursday morning.  He really wanted me to take her along but I just didn't have the heart to wake her up at 5 a.m..... Good thing I didn't either because his flight was late! Anyways, we're hanging out at home and making the most of the sun.  We did leave home to go to Mountsberg for the Maple Syrup Festival and it was good fun. Some photos from the last few days: Mom bought her a "new" house and she L-O-V-E-S it - $$ well spent, thanks Oma! We went for a walk down the road and guess who took off running? Pearl also came with us, bad kitty! Mountsberg Easter Egg Hunt - she picked up all the purple eggs Getting her prize By this time it was naptime ... good thing daddy was there! Did you notice Colin...

It's REALLY handy having a hairdresser living upstairs because Isla's hair grows REALLY fast. It started out with just getting her bangs trimmed and then after a bit of chit-chat we decided that evening out the long bits at the back could do with a snip too.  After a few minutes, VOILA - The straight look or at least as straight as her hair can be.... The fresh out of the bath curly look... I know, the cup is in both pics even though they were taken about five hours apart - she drinks alot, what can I say... I like it and despite being a bit skeptical when I told him, Colin says it looks nice too. Phew! Now we just have to figure out how she inherited those curls? PS - she's still sniffly today, coughing and the nose is still running constantly.  I'm beginning to think this silly cold will NEVER go away.... Poor girl but she doesn't complain.

... if Isla will ever stop coughing, if her nose will ever stop running and will I ever have a full night sleep again before she's 18 or moves out of the house? So, I thought she was on the mend and then bingo, Wednesday morning her nose is running like Niagara Falls and she's hacking up a lung - albeit a loose cough. Getting to bed has been a struggle too because now she's coughing more and she thinks she has to come out at least once before falling asleep... Did I mention that I am sooooo ready for Colin to come home?  It's been a long almost four weeks of single parenting .... Whining finished.

I'm patting myself on the back at the moment for posting on the blog finally...... Nothing exciting to report.  Isla is still coughing especially at night but thankfully the doctor didn't find anything wrong with her and said it could take awhile to recover completely from a viral infection.  I have noticed a significant improvement the last couple of nights and tonight is the first night that I haven't used the Vicks Vapo in her humidifier.  She's been sleeping soooo much better too which means I also have been able to get a few more hours of rest each night.  Single parenting for long stretches of time is hard work so trust me when I say I need all the rest I can get. Colin is in Brazil and will return until next weekend.   For some reason I had it in my head that Easter was this weekend and he would be home on Friday morning but I got it wrong, it's next weekend.  It will be nice to have him back, we miss him so much!...

I have to share this poem I recently came across because it reminds me so much of Isla!  Just read it and you'll see why... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Author: unknown A two year old is so many things. A tiny discoverer of butterfly wings. A hugger of teddies, a sweet sleepy head. And someone to dream for in bright years ahead. A special new person who right from the start, has a place in the family and a coarse in your heart. And just when you think you've learned all the things, that your dear son (daughter) is,and the joy that (s)he brings, a hug or a grin comes with such a sweet surprise, that love finds you smiling with tears in your eyes.

As I write this, the house is quiet.  The cats are asleep, Colin is asleep (and feeling ill) and Isla is still in bed.  I should be napping too but Isla awoke for a bit and that was the end of my "nap". I've been MIA from the blogging world.  We've been spending time together before Colin leaves again this weekend for Brazil.  The time he is home goes by far too quickly and I miss him already!  I think he will be back the Easter weekend. We've been keeping well for the most part.  Some good laughs and good cries, some happy moments and some moments of anxiety.  We've been through the whole realm of emotions and sickness but we'll get through and focus on the good for now.  We've come to expect plans that go amiss and to be honest, I don't understand why but I pray that His plan will be done.  Maybe I've been taking advantage of the good and haven't noticed them as much but there always seems to be something "bad" going on.  I...

It's done, the party is over....  but boy oh boy, did she have a good day! She beamed from sun-up til sun-down.... We had a group of family and friends over in the morning to celebrate and Colin's aunt and uncle came later in the afternoon and for dinner... Despite her not understanding the concept of "birthday", she knew everyone was there for her.  She smiled and giggled all day long.  It was a good day, an enjoyable day of watching her squeal and laugh and thoroughly enjoy herself.... Having a birthday also means having a check up and that's what we did today.  Never to be taken for granted she received a clean bill of health although she "forgot" where her nose was when the doctor asked!!! 26 lbs. 10 ozs. - 54th percentile 34.5 inches tall - 37th percentile 20 inch head circumference - 97th percentile (full of brains you see!) The doctor commented that she was tall and thin...  HA! Our child TALL?  I had to giggle but seriously ...

... our sweet beautiful Monkey joined our family. The Lord has blessed us with her sweet demeanour, amicable personality and smiling face.  She brings joy to our hearts when everything else in life seems to be falling apart.  The Lord knew what we could handle when he placed her in our lives and she has been our shining light for the past two years. "Two" things about Isla : Two favourite words:  Hi-eee ~ No (subject to change frequently) Two favourite foods: bread ~ any kind of fruit (subject to change frequently) Two favourite activities: jumping ~ washing her hands/splashing in the sink Two favourite household "chores" - feeding Tasha (one kernel at a time goes in her bowl) ~ dusting Two favourite toys: Teddies ~ Elmo Two favourite TV shows:  Sesame Street ~ Wheel of Fortune Two favourite colours   purple  ~ yellow Two favourite people:  Daddy ~ Oma (I'm not offended, really!) Two favourite characters: Elmo ~...

WARNING (sort of) - I should say that this post may not appeal to everyone.  I'm not being graphic or trying to scare anyone, it just may not interest some or you may be expecting a baby and don't want to read about it just yet.  That's OK but you've been warned. The reason I want to post it is for Isla and for me.  It's a part of her life and mine and I want to remember it. So if you don't want to read it, stop right here .... Just remember, there is a happy ending.  We had Isla. If you want to read it, continue reading.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 2007 -  I discovered I was pregnant the day before Father's Day and as much as I wanted to tell Colin the next day, I can't keep a surprise so I went out and bought him a Father's Day from the cats - HA! -  and Baby Black.... He didn't get it right away but he caught on pretty quick! So, I would love to say I went into labour at 5 p.m. she was born at 8 p.m. and it was a day in th...

Today was a wonderfully bright, sunny winter day here in the Great White North.... Despite waking up at 6 a.m. Isla didn't want to nap so we went for a walk on the Wetlands Trail instead.   I forgot my gloves and decided not to walk as far as I had planned because it was c-o-l-d.  Besides, the lady had enough of sitting and wanted to walk back to the van. I know she is wearing a winter coat with a car blanket but seriously, she's outgrowing this stroller.  February 2010 May 2008 She looks so tiny and look at all the room in there!  She's getting to be a big girl and I get sentimental thinking of her 2nd birthday next week..... .....  What happened to my tiny 2.5 month old baby?  She's grown into a beautiful little girl, full of personality and love!