More hats

Thought I'd show a few more hats I've been working on:
1st ear flap hat with stripes

Custom order of ear flap hats - sent to Manitoba

Newsboy hat

One of my favorite color combinations :)

Some crocheted clips I've been trying out

"Do not worry about tomorrow...."

For anyone who knows me really well, or not even too well, they know I worry. I worry about so much... I know that God desires me not to worry and to give Him everything... but my human nature fights against that regularly.
Lately I've been worrying about money. I'm sure that everyone worries about money at some time in there life. Well I've been worrying about it because in less than 2 months I am no longer getting mat leave. So of course we have been discussing about how we are going to live on several hundred dollars less each month, especially when there are so many things that we want to do next year.... like travel to Manitoba at least once... and hopefully in the future move to a home with a back yard for Kelsey and our future children (Lord willing) to play in. Of course I desire to stay at home. I've always dreamed of being a stay at home Mom and now more than ever I don't want someone else raising our daughter and knowing our daughter better than we do. I have spent the past several weeks worrying about where the money was going to come and how I could make several hundred dollars extra a month but still stay at home. I wasn't coming up with much to say the least. Most of you know that I have been making crocheted hats and selling them. This hasn't brought in tons of money but I would like it to bring in some but wasn't sure if the need/want/demand was out there and yea.... worrying.... then last night I received an email with an order for 9 hats, then shortly after that I heard back from a Mom that I had talked to a few months ago about babysitting her son while she goes back to work. She was still very interested in having me care for her son. Nothing is confirmed yet but just the fact that there is a chance gave me hope. And as I was telling this all to Brian I started crying. I realized at that point that GOD was in control and that HE would ALWAYS take care of us. Somehow or someway we would be cared for. God just reassured me of that last night. God is so good and His Love is forever, and I know that He will always care for me!!

.... for tomorrow has enough worries of there own!"

Loving my life!

I just have to share how much I'm loving life right now!! I love being a wife and a mother!! I have a fantastic husband who loves me unconditionally and I have a beautiful daughter who has a wonderful personality! I love taking care of her and being her Mom.
That's all... just wanted to express what I'm feeling! :)

7 Months old

I can't believe our little girl is 7 months old. I was just telling Brian today at supper that these have been the fastest 7 months I've ever experienced! They have also been some of the most trying and most wonderful 7 months I've ever had!
Kelsey is growing up so much. She doesn't even feel like a baby anymore and has such a personality! Her favorite thing to do (other than eat of course) is standing and walking. She loves to be helped to her feet and to walk around the house. I'm sure that this is part of the reason that she gets SO excited when Daddy comes home. Because he does a lot more walking with her than Mommy does! But that's ok, she only gets a few hours with him and I have her all day! She isn't crawling yet and this is most likely due to the fact that all she wants to do is stand and walk, when she's on her tummy she just gets mad and frustrated because she can't go anywhere. I'm sure that once she figures out that she can move on her hands and knees nothing will stop her... and Mommy will have her hands full!! As excited as I am to see her learn this I'm also glad that it's taking awhile because I can get so much done now that she plays on her own, but once she's moving I won't be able to take my eyes off of her.
Other than that....
I've been busy busy busy crocheting!! I'M LOVING IT! I love having projects to do and am having so much fun creating this little business. It really was the perfect time of the year to start it up with it being winter and all! I was really excited today because I sent my first order off to the States and off to someone I don't know! (most of my hats have been people that I have some acquaintance with)
Brian's been busy at work, it's actually busier than it normally is at this time of year so that's been great!
We are really looking forward to this Christmas. This will be the first year as our little family. I'm really excited to start our own traditions and to begin teaching Kelsey the reason that we celebrate Christmas. This year comes with excitement but also with some sadness as it will be the first year I will not be celebrating with my family and I am sad about that. I love the traditions that I grew up with and it will be hard not to have some of those things this year. But I know that this is part of growing up and leaving home and also that we will make new memories and traditions together. I'm really glad for Wonderful friends and family here that will make the season special.
Well, I should sign off now and go to bed and hopefully get rid of this cold!




I should also mention that we have a new addition to our household. She's an 8 yr old Shepherd cross dog named Keesha and no we did not name her, that was the name she came with. She loves to sleep, sleep and sleep a little more. Her favorite spot is either on the couch (were working on that) or in front of the fire place.

PIZZA

Today I made homemade pizza for the first time from scratch. I know, I know... I've been a wife and a mother for how long??... and I haven't made pizza yet??!! I know.. it's horrible, but I've been cheating and buying frozen pizza. But a few weeks ago I bought a pizza crust and put our own toppings on it.. and WOW I forgot what I had been missing... it was SOOO much better than frozen... then I decided to try the crust too. I know, it's not really that hard, but I'm a chicken when it comes to yeast.. I don't know why but I just am!
Well, I did it and I have to say... I think it turned out pretty good. There will have to be a few adjustments but overall it was a great pizza...
here's a few pics of the process, just for fun! :)

Putting on the sauce




Before going in the oven :




The final product!


One half was Brian's - Green pepper, Banana peppers, mushrooms and pepperoni
My side was the same minus the banana peppers... I don't do hot! ;)
Well, it was yummy and I will definatly do it again... and even though I love homemade pizza, I'm sure I'll always have a frozen one from the freezer "just in case"! :)

Piano

Ever since I've moved here I've been missing my piano back at home. I didn't realize how much I missed playing and singing till I didn't have a chance to do it anymore. I've casually been looking on craigslist for a piano for the past 2 years but usually it's too far away, or it's been spoken for already or my hubby doesn't really want to insure the truck to go pick it up. The other day at Bible study we were talking about pianos for some reason.. not really sure why... and I said yea, that's on my wishlist for sometime in the future. Well... my dear friend Ginni said that her in-laws neighbors had one that they wanted to get rid of.... and was sure that if we wanted it we could have it. One thing led to another and our wonderful friends even helped Brian pick it up... with there truck and deliver it to our home!! (we have such wonderful friends!!!)


So it came and now sits in our basement. It needs A LOT of TLC but even just a quick cleaning has made it look a lot better already. Not sure if we will completely redo it as it would be a ton of work but it needs a really good tune and then it will be good for the playing that I want to do.
As I was cleaning it though I was thinking to myself..... if only this piano could talk! I wonder how many hands have played it's ivory's and how many songs have been sung with it. At one point in time someone will have made the splurge and spent the big bucks to buy it and it will have been a treasure but now so many years later it's been neglected and forgotten. It made me ponder about our spiritual life. When we first accept Christ it's so wonderful and exciting and beautiful... but if we neglect it it doesn't take long and it gets dull and worn out. But if we take care of it it can stay that beautiful and becomes even more valuable.
Just something I was thinking about ....

Learning

Its been so fun to see Kelsey learn. I have really enjoyed seeing and watching her learn how to learn! :) She has recently learned how to pull herself up on things. This has been a lot of fun for her. To watch her face has been priceless. She furrows her brow and starts this grunting noise as she strains to get herself up. Then her feet slide out from under her and she ends up hanging from whatever she's holding onto, with her head only a few inches from the ground! but she is so determined not to let go! I know that this determination will be a good thing in the future but I also know that it will probably bring us some challenges while raising her. I'm sure we will spend many hours on our knees praying for wisdom as we raise her...
but as I was saying... it's been fun to see her learn and grow and explore the world!



Learning how to crawl




Yes, she pulled herself up!

being crafty

Many years ago, long before I met Brian, when I just had hopes and dreams of being a wife and Mother, I started to crotchet. I started in Bible school with scarves and toques. Those turned into baby blankets and eventually some bigger blankets. Now many years later I pulled out some of those little hats and tried them on Kelsey. They fit perfectly and looked so cute on her. So cute in fact that people have been asking where I bought them... so humbly I told them I made them. Long story short, I've decided to make a few more and sell them.... so here are a few of my little creations. I've really been enjoying learning new patterns and seeing how they turn out. I don't hope to make millions but it's really more for the enjoyment!

1/2 a year

Kelsey is turning 6 months on Sunday! I can hardly believe it!!! They tell you it will go fast but boy does it ever!!! I was looking back at her newborn photos the other day and so much has changed! She has grown up so much. Here are a few things that has happened since my last post. She now is eating some solids, and by solids I mean rice cereal! :) The rice cereal plugged her up and so now she also gets some prunes to go along with the cereal, and seems to enjoy it! She sits up on her own (started sitting at 5 months), finally figured out how to roll from her back to her tummy (she has been rolling from her tummy to back for a long time now) she has two front teeth (got her first one a few days after she turned 4 months), she goes to sleep on her own (most of the time:)), she's had her first cold (well still has it), she "talks" and even "hums" when music is playing, and she has even grown some hair!! :) She went on her first hunting trip, and she had her first long road trip (her first short one was to Whistler) , with her Great Grandma and Grandpa (and me of course) all the way to Manitoba.
So it's been a few busy months, packed with lots of learning (both for Kelsey and for me!)
I have really enjoyed being a mother, even though at times it gets overwhelming.
So that's the past few months in a nutshell. Looking forward to what the next 1/2 yr will bring!

Special Moments

As many of you know I have been spending the past few weeks teaching Kelsey how to sleep and working on getting into a routine. There have been many challenging moments and many time where I wonder where I went wrong as a Mom and if I'm doing the right thing for her. But through it all I have learned a lot! I've learned so much about patience and endurance! Little does Kelsey know she's a great teacher! After all the discouragement I decided to look back on the time and find some special moments.
So here are a few:
1.Kelsey never has been a very cuddly baby, but through this process she has learned to cuddle under my chin during our wind down time and now I know when she's tired when she will let me put her head on my shoulder or under my chin.
2.She also has started to hum with me. I always have music playing when I put her to bed and lately I've been humming along with the music. She has started to hum with me to put herself to sleep. Its so precious and every time she does it my heart melts.
3.While she falls asleep she loves to hold onto something and my finger is her first choice. Its almost like as long as she can touch me she's ok!
These are moments that I hope to treasure for many years, as there will be a day that she won't want to cuddle with me, sing with me or hold my hand! Thank you Lord for giving me this precious gift and for teaching me to look for the positive in the negative.

video

Ok, so I think I finally figured out how to put a video on here... so here it goes.
:)

To sleep or not to sleep!!

I'm sure u won't want to read this all and that's fine... its more for my own knowledge and record keeping, and a place to right down triumphs and frustrations.


So for the past few weeks we have had a lot of trouble getting Kelsey down for naps. She has been doing amazing with going to bed... usually sleeping from 7:30ish till 6:00am. But when it comes to going down for a nap and staying asleep for longer than 45 min. it's been difficult. So I decided last week that this week would be the "Nap training" week. I decided that I would do nothing but stay at home and spend time with Kelsey teaching her how to nap longer than 45 min. and to get us on a routine of sorts so that hopefully no matter where we are she will sleep. Kelsey's personality is a lot like mine. She doesn't want to miss a thing and will only sleep when she is so past exhausted that it actually is hard to fall asleep because she's over tired. I believe i was a lot like that when i was little, so she comes by it honestly. So I guess I can't really complain... :)
Day 1 - Didn't go so great. I tried to follow my schedule that I planned but she woke up earlier in the morning and threw it all off. She is on a 3 hr feeding schedule and that's all fine but she doesn't want to sleep between those times. So I would start putting her down 1 1/2 before her next feeding and for some of the naps it went well but then others it took a full hour to get her to sleep. A little frustrated and wondering if this is worth it... but reminding myself that naps are important and that Kelsey will benefit from this in the long run. Went to bed GREAT!
Day 2 - Started off a lot better. Woke up at 6 (which is when i want her too) and the first nap went really well, but the 2nd nap only lasted 1/2 hr. I tried getting her back to sleep but it resulted in 45 min of crying and ended with me feeding her (it was very close to her next feeding time and i think that she was just hungry after all that crying). 3rd nap started off well, but had to go back in after 1/2 hr and rock her back to sleep... but she eventually slept for 2 hrs total. Went to bed great but then woke up again, but cried herself back to sleep. Hopefully it will only get better from here!
Day 3 - so far it hasn't been the best. she woke up at 5, and wouldn't go back to sleep so I fed her a bit and put her back to bed, only to realize that she was soaked from an over wet diaper, so i changed her but this woke her up too much and it took 1 hr for her to go back to bed. Then she woke at 7. She was sleepy by 8 so she went down only to wake 1/2 hr later... this resulted in a 1 hr battle to get her back to sleep... only to finally give in... what do I do?? After hearing her cry for over an hour I just can't take it anymore.
Day 4 - well, didn't go much better than any other day. the first nap of the day went really well and she slept for 2 hrs, but it was all down hill from there. She goes down really good for naps, only to wake up 15-45 min later. I've tried letting her cry it out, that does no good, she doesn't stop crying. The longest I've let her cry was 1 1/2 hrs. After that I knew there was no way she was giving in. I've tried going in right away and giving her soother, that doesn't work, she just spits it out and cries more. I've tried picking her up and rocking her back to sleep and that sometimes works to get her back to sleep but the moment I put her into her crib she wakes up again. It's very frustrating. and now she's not sleeping good at night either! I don't know what to do anymore!!!!!
Day 5- MUCH BETTER! First 2 naps were Great! The last nap was split into 2 but that's alright. She was much happier today and ate better too because she wasn't as tired or grumpy! We are finally getting a routine and system that seems to be working. Started feeding her some cereal in the eve's to help her sleep longer at night and it seems to be working very well! She eats it really well and it is helping her last a little longer at night!

Well, hopefully this is the start of a better napping life and good long nights. :) Here's hoping! :)

Phoenix

I guess I should also mention that we have a new addition to this household. Her name is Phoenix. She is a little smoky gray kitten that we got just over 1 wk ago. She is very fun loving and is very funny to watch sometimes, and she is a cuddly kitten. She loves to curl up at your feet or somewhere near you and she can purr like a machine!! I hope that someday her and Kelsey will be able to enjoy each others company and have fun together!

motherhood

You know I never realized how much my Mom did until I became one. My Mom always told me that someday I would understand what she goes through on a daily basis and I didn't believe her. I thought that it would be easier I guess or that I would be different somehow. But now I understand a little more of what her life consisted of for many years. The other day I was just thinking and I realized that there is no one on earth that will ever know Kelsey longer than I do. I mentioned this to Brian and then he reminded me that that was like our Mothers. It sure made me appreciate my Mom a lot more and made me realize that all those times when I didn't think that she new best... well she did!! My prayer is that my daughter will figure that out sooner than I did.
I really do love motherhood, even though there are days that I wonder what I've gotten myself into. Like last week.... it was a rough week in the Degelder household. The temp was quite warm and that of course always makes one a little more cranky and Kelsey and I had a busy few days at the end of the week. This resulted in cranky Mom and Baby. (Daddy was just fine... which was a blessing!!) Kelsey was refusing to nap and then was taking forever to go down at night. I spent so many hours of my day just holding her and then to put her to sleep it was a workout. I HAD to stand up (she didn't want it any other way) and I had to rock and swing her so hard I thought that my arms would fall off. And this would last for sometimes up to 1/2hr. The breaking point finally came friday night. I was DONE!! I couldn't do it anymore. That eve it took both of us 3 hrs to get Kelsey down for night. After that night and after talking to some family we finally decided to let her cry it out that eve if it happened again. I just couldn't do it anymore. My in-laws and sister and brother in law were over for the eve and after getting her down around 9 with no problem we thought it was going to be a good night. Nope! she woke up around 9:30... with big smiles ready to go again! So Brian and I looked at each other and said ok... this is it! So we let her cry. 35 min. later she fell fast asleep and slept the whole night. It was the hardest 35 min. of my motherhood life! (other than the actual delivery of course! :) ) But since then nap and nights have been much easier. There is still some crying but usually if I go back in and give her her soother again she will fall right asleep. This is making it much easier. As hard as it was it has made me a much happier Mom and I think in the long run it will be much better for Kelsey. I would rather do this now than when she's 2 yrs old and can get out of bed and she can talk back to me.
So after that... let me tell you of the wonderful moments of the past few days.
I LOVE IT WHEN SHE SMILES!! There is something so incredibly wonderful when she looks directly at you and gives you this grin that takes up her whole face. Or yesterday when we were at a friends birthday party. Brian was holding her and she was facing me and as I was talking to someone else she just kept grinning and smiling, especially when my conversation would get more excited... she would respond accordingly. I love it!! Also she's been starting to figure out her voice. She now will just sit there and "coo" to herself. She's finding out that she can do different sounds and she will sometimes do this for a long time all by herself. Before she would only do it when you would "talk" with her.
Kelsey does not usually cuddle. She would prefer to look around and see what there is to see. but every once and awhile when she's very tired she will rest her head on my cheek, still with her face looking out so she can see things, but she will just hold her head there. I love those moments... and treasure them because they are few.
I look forward to many more trials and tribulations that come with motherhood, and I thank my Lord Jesus for blessing me so much with this family.

time is flying by

I can't believe it... Kelsey is almost 3 months old. You know people always say that when you have children time flies by, so enjoy every moment... I didn't know just how true that was! I like to think that I am enjoying every minute... I really hope I am, I'm trying to anyway. Motherhood has been everything I've imagined and yet so much more. I absolutely love being a Mom. I wish I had some incredible words to put down to explain just how much I love it but I'm not that good with words. So far it's been the most trying and at the same time most wonderful thing that has ever happened in my life. There are so many moments when I just sit there and look at her and wonder if I'm doing the absolute best job I can and whether I'm doing the right things for her and if I'm loving her enough and giving her enough and whether I'm being a good Mom. I hope and pray that I'm making the right decisions for her and helping her grow up correctly. I know that this will only get more difficult as she gets older, and this is what worries me sometimes. Then I remember that there is no way on earth that I can do this parenting thing on my own. I can't imagine ever doing this without the help of God. So many times when I'm rocking her to sleep or folding her laundry or just cleaning up around the house I have little conversations with God just asking Him to show me what to do in every situation. My most frequent prayer is that someday our little Kelsey will choose to follow Christ and allow Him to be the Lord of her life. And I know that the only thing I can do is allow God to work in me to be the best parent I can to her and help her see Him and the rest is up to Him to work in her life.
Life with Kelsey has been incredible these past 3 months. She has changed so much and it's been amazing to see her change from this very helpless little infant into this little baby who has an opinion and a personality and is able to do so much more. She has learned so much. She found her hands a few weeks ago and now loves to suck/chew on them all the time... so much drool!!!! She loves to look around and is rarely content just to lie in your arms. She always wants to be standing up and looking around. She loves her exersaucer because this way she can stand, chew her hands and move around as much as she wants. She also loves to "talk". She is starting to "say" so much more and LOVES to smile. She has this incredible infectious smile that no matter how rough my day has been or how short my night has been will always make me smile with her.
One of her favorite places (other than the exersaucer) is the change table. Almost all the time.. even if she is in a grumpy mood... if you put her on the change table she will start smiling. She really enjoys getting her diaper changed. She also loves getting baths now. With the hot weather we've been having she has been getting a bath every night because she sweats so much. She loves looking at the mirror and splashing and kicking with her legs.
Well... not that I'm running out of things to say about my little girl but I should say a few things about the rest of our lives.
We have been enjoying the summer, although not getting out as much as we've been wanting too. After our holidays to Manitoba we've been mostly just hanging out at home. Brian and I have enjoyed a few evening walks when the weather finally cools off a bit. Kelsey and I went to the lake the other day with some friends. We've had a few play dates and a few birthday parties to attend. It's amazing that when you have a child all of a sudden there are so many parties to attend! :) It's been fun though, getting together with other mom's and discussing kid stuff.
Brian is almost finished with the tile in our bathroom... it was put on hold for too long after Kelsey was born, but should be done by the end of the week.
My garden is doing ok... some plants better than others. I can't wait till we have cucumbers and tomatoes, I'm really looking forward to some great cucumber salad!!
Oh, and just the other eve our family grew a bit. We have adopted a kitten into our family. She is a little gray kitty that was a bit under fed and needed a little TLC. But even after 2 short days she is already looking better and has made her self at home. We even had a bunch of children over last night and they were petting and playing with her. She did so great with them and didn't scratch or get aggressive... just ran and hid when she got sick of them. :) We haven't settled on a name yet but are thinking Phoenix might be a fun name!
well, I should get running... off to a play date!! :)

2 months old

Wearing some of my clothes from when I was a baby:








With Great Grandma Peters


I can't believe that Kelsey is already 2 months old.... time has flown very fast!! It's amazing how much she has changed in the past 8 weeks. She has recently started sleeping through the night which I've been enjoying a lot! We just came back from our first vacation with her to Manitoba. It was an interesting vacation. The first 5 days were really rough. Kelsey had thrush so feeding was very difficult as my production was really low so she was sometimes hungry but would refuse to take formula no matter how we would make it. Then on our 2nd night there Brian came down with the flu which lasted 5 days!! It was not very much fun for him, he unfortunately had to miss a lot of fun events. But after we all got better the rest of the week was much better. We had a great time seeing lots of family and friends! Kelsey got to spend time with both her Great Grandma's which they enjoyed immensely!! She also got her first horse ride, which I think I enjoyed more! :) She wasn't to thrilled to be up there... but hopefully someday she will be!
Well, I would love to write more but of course the lady of the house is calling me!! :)

Love this pic - 2 month picture

Kelsey - 1 1/2 months old!

Mini photo shoot














1 month old










Wow, time has flown by!! I can hardly believe that Kelsey is already 1 1/2 months old. She has changed so much in the last few weeks. She is really starting to show us her personality.

She loves to smile and she is a very alert and active baby. She loves to look around and holds her head up all the time and fights to see things. She is very much a mommy's girl and has a hard time going to sleep for anyone else, which is something I hope to change. But she has been wonderful in the fact that she has been sleeping for about 5-6 hrs regularly. Mommy sure loves that!! :)



We had the honor of dedicating her on May.30th, our 1 yr anniversary. It was very special to have many friends and lots of family out to support us as we dedicated her to the Lord.



Family photo on her Dedication and our anniversary












Tomorrow we are flying out to Manitoba for my brother's wedding. It will be her first flight and well to say the least I'm very nervous. Especially now that Kelsey has developed thrush and I've been busy with giving medication and sterilizing bottles and soothers. It's not been fun.... praying that we will be able to clear it up the first time and that we won't have to go through many prescriptions to fix it.
Well, hopefully I will be a little more on the ball in the next little while with blogging... I've been somewhat slack with it all.. sorry!! :)

Kelsey 2 weeks old.... my first Mother's Day

So I just had my first Mother's Day! I sometimes still can't believe that I'm actually a Mother. But I guess I've been a Mother for 2 weeks + 9 months if you count the time I was pregnant. :)
It started with the little cries of a newborn wanting my attention.... she was hungry. So Brian went to get her and brought her to me in our bed. After I was done feeding I was treated to breakfast in bed by Kelsey's Daddy. We went to church and were blessed by a wonderful service. For lunch Brian made pancakes (my choice) and after a wonderful nap Brian surprised me with a gift and card from Kelsey and him.
I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who cares for me and loves me as much as he does and now to have a beautiful daughter to care for. It really is sometimes overwhelming. Thank you Lord for blessing me so richly.
So far being a Mom has been wonderful. Kelsey has been a wonderful baby. She is rarely cranky, and is sleeping really well at night already. Our days have been filled with changing diapers, feeding, burping, and trying to get her to sleep.... all the usual events that are involved with having a baby.
It's amazing how fast she has grown and how much she has changed already since birth. Every day she changes just a little more. She's starting to be awake a little more, mostly in the evenings. This is usually her cranky time of the day. She's starting to hold her head up A LOT more!! It's amazing, every day she holds it up for a little longer. She loves looking around and she's starting to focus on bright lights and even looking at my face, especially when she wants more food! :) She's actually starting to tolerate her baths a little more. She hated them so much in the beginning but I've found that if the water is just a little warmer and if I put a little more water in the bath then she stays calm for a little longer. She also doesn't get quite as mad when you change her. She really didn't like her little bum exposed and the cold wipe touching her bottom and she let us know. Now we are getting a little faster at it and she's not disliking it quite as much.
Some other things we've noticed.. She loves music. On Sunday in church as long as there was music playing she was quiet, as soon as someone came up to talk she would start fussing again. She defiantly knows who Mom is and usually quiets as soon as I pick her up. She has a schedule, I'm trying to get her down for night a little earlier so that I can go to bed with Brian but try as I might she will only fall asleep at 11 or later. Hopefully eventually we can change this but for the time being we will just have to go to bed later.

Last week my Mom was able to come out to visit. It was so wonderful to have her here. I'm sure she must have gotten tired of all my questions about whether I was doing this Mom thing right. :) I really appreciated all the help she gave me and it was nice to be able to rest and continue healing.


My Dad was able to come a few days later and spend a short time as well. Kelsey had him wrapped around his little finger the moment that he laid eyes on her. My parents picked up Tim from school at the end of the week so he was able to meet Kelsey too and I think that he fell head over heels for her. It was really wonderful to watch! I can't wait now till June till the rest of the family can meet her!!















Uncle Tim!!!
















The very proud grandparents

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made..... Kelsey Ann

Seeing as it's been over 2 weeks since Kelsey was born I figured it was time to blog about it.



On April.23rd I went to the Abbotsford Hospital for a scheduled induction. Brian and I showed up at the hospital around 11:30am and I was induced shortly after. Almost right after I was induced I started having contractions and they were strong and coming right on top of each other with very little break between each one. I was told by the Dr. that with the induction I would actually be able to go home for the day and once the contractions got bad then I would come back to the hospital... he said I'd probably only come back late that eve. Needless to say my body was not liking the induction. It didn't take long and the baby's heart rate soared and the nurse I was with got really concerned. So they stopped the induction and her heart rate went back to normal and my contractions slowed down. My Dr. came in and said that seeing as I was already 1 cm and I was already having contractions they may as well admit me and break my water and start the labor process. So we were sent to our room and at 3:00pm the Dr. broke my water. We spent the next few hours doing the typical labor thing. Talking and laughing between contractions and trying to maintain focus during contractions. We had a tv in our room and we were even able to watch the Canuck game for the eve. Around 9 in the eve the contractions were becoming really difficult and I was having trouble focusing. The reason they were so painful is because the baby was coming out sideways and this was pushing really hard on my hips and causing a lot of pain!!! So I asked for the laughing gas and eventually a shot of morphine. Neither of these options helped with the pain at all. At 11 I was really having trouble dealing with all the pain and was starting to loose it mentally. I asked for an epidural even though I was hoping to go without. Once I got the epidural I was like a new person!! I couldn't believe how a needle in the back could make such a difference. It felt wonderful!!!! I finally could talk again and felt like I could actually deliver this baby. I got the epidural at 11:30 and at 1:00am I felt the need to push. I only had to push for 45 min and out came this beautiful little miracle!! I couldn't believe it... it really was surreal! One minute I'm in the worst pain of my life and the next minute I'm looking at this precious gift that God has given us.


Brian wanted to be able to cut the cord but unfortunately the cord was around her neck and the nurses had to quickly get her on the table so they could get her breathing. She didn't cry right away and I was obviously a little worried, but it didn't take too long with the doctors rubbing her and giving her some oxygen and she livened up and gave us a little cry. She never really screamed.... just cried enough to let us know that she was there.
The moment of holding her was so wonderful... I couldn't believe it...we were actually parents, and to a beautiful daughter! I was right. The whole nine months I thought that the baby was going to be a little girl.... and here she was, in my arms!!!
The next few hours felt like a whirl wind... they weighed her (a very little bundle of 7lbs), I had a shower, the room transformed from a delivery room back to a regular room, I taught Kelsey how to breast feed and eventually we were able to lie down and try and get some rest.



The night was really short and it didn't take long till it was morning enough to start calling our friends and family. The next day was busy with many wonderful visitors, the odd nap, and learning better how to feed Kelsey. In the eve we finally got a little time to give Kelsey a bath. Boy did she not like that!!! It was the first time we really heard her cry hard. Up until then she usually just whimpered or had a real soft cry. It was good to hear her lungs work a little. :)
Finally it came time to go to bed. Brian had no trouble falling asleep, even on the uncomfortable pull out bed in the room, but I had a little more difficulty. Kelsey did not want to settle and just wanted to feed the whole time, but she wasn't really hungry she mostly just wanted to be held and to have something in her mouth. Eventually the nurses came in and asked if I needed some help. It was a bit humbling to say yes because I thought that I should be able to care for my daughter, but I realized that me being exhausted wasn't helping the situation. So they took Kelsey to the desk and comforted her while I got a little bit of rest.
The morning came far too soon and after Kelsey got a clean bill of health by the dr and after a few blood tests and a hearing test we were cleared for discharge. I was really excited to go home and to spend the night in my own bed and the day in our home.
It's really hard to explain the love that I have for this little person. There have been many moments were I have just sat there and stared at her and marvel at the little miracle in my arms and how incredible blessed I am. I love being a Mom and love taking care of Kelsey. I daily pray that God will bless me with wisdom and guidance to raise Kelsey in a manner that is pleasing to Him. I also pray that someday Kelsey will come to know God as her personal Savior and love Him with all of her heart, soul and mind.

Overdue

Picture of me on Sunday.... 40 weeks and 2 days

Well, it's 2:00am and I'm sitting here at the computer once again because I can't sleep. So I thought that I would write some of my thoughts down.
Got a really exciting phone call yesterday morning.... my sister-in-law Becky (who was due 1 day before me) called us to tell us that they had a little girl born early that morning. They named her Leah Taylor. We were able to go visit her yesterday eve. She was so beautiful.... beautiful rosy chubby cheeks, downy soft hair, tiny little ears, Long fingers and delicate finger nails.... just perfect!! It was so wonderful to hold her and to dream that soon Brian and I will be able to be in there shoes as well. I will admit though, it was hard as well to get the news. It certainly makes me a little more anxious to meet our little one as well. I just can't wait to see who this little person is that has been hanging out with me for the past 9 months. Now I really want a little girl so she and Leah can grow up together and be best of friends!!! Funny story... for those who didn't know.... Carl and Becky and Brian and I decided a few months ago to talk about the names that we had chosen. Every time we had talked about names that we liked before we realized that we seemed to like the same names. So we decided to share the names that we picked just in case we went into labor at the same time and so that we wouldn't have a situation where we would have to pick a new name short notice. Sure enough.... our boy name was exactly the same and the girl name was too similar that we couldn't use them together. So we spent the next few weeks deciding on 2nd choice names. Brian and I couldn't believe our ears when we heard on the phone yesterday morning that they named there little girl Leah..... why you may ask.... well because that was our second choice for a girls name!! Couldn't believe that again of all the names that you can pick we again choose the same name! I think next time we will try to NOT have our babies the same week!!! We like too many of the same names..... makes it too complicated. But it was also nice to know that someone likes the same names as you....
Well, I'm going to sign off now.... I'm going to try and lie down and sleep again.... although baby is starting to really move around a lot so not sure he/she will let me sleep! oh well.... like everyone says.... it's preparing you for motherhood! :) At least with motherhood, when I'm up during the night I'll have something to do besides boring you all with little details of my life... I'll have a beautiful baby to take care of!
Hopefully the next time I post it will be informing you all of our new addition to our family.


Brian and I holding our new little niece..... Leah Taylor

39 weeks and counting

I'm 39 weeks and 3 days today..... wish I knew when this little one will show it's face. Had a drs. apt. today and everything looks good. He said that if I didn't have the baby by next week then they would schedule and induction for the 23rd. So could still be awhile...but hoping and praying he/she will come sooner!!

Hair cut

So I've always had it in the back of my mind that a good wife should cut her husbands hair.... but I've always been a bit of a chicken. I finally decided that I should just go for it and cut Brian's hair. So on Saturday we went and spent the money on a good set of clippers and some scissors. After supper today I gave it a go. I started cutting Brian's hair. And I have to say.... it actually turned out pretty good. No major "opps" moments. I cut it a little longer than he usually gets it cut.... just in case. Now I can say that I cut my husbands hair. What a good wife I am! :) lol

Our puppy Keesha

I thought that I would do a little tribute to our puppy Keesha who we decided to find a new home for because I knew that it just wouldn't work with a new baby coming into our home. We bought her has a puppy in Nov of 08... Brian bought her for me for my birthday. We had lots of fun with her and enjoyed her but also realized that she wasn't really the right dog for us and a townhouse was not the right home for her... she is a very high energy dog and needed a back yard to play in. So 2 weeks ago we found a home for her with an older couple that had 2 other dogs, 3 acres of fenced in back yard and a pool made for the grandkids but used more by the dogs. She is very happy there and we are glad that we were able to find a suitable happy home for her even though we miss her excitement and love here. We hope that someday we will have another dog enter our home and our lives... hopefully sooner rather than later! :)

Counting down the days

Well, this is the first time I've ever blogged.... we will see how it goes! I've been told it's easy... I guess we will find out :)
It's April.6th/10 and we have only 10 days left till our due date!! I can't believe how fast time has flown. It feels like just yesterday that Brian and I got married. Oh wait it hasn't been that long... we just had our 10 month anniversary.
What have I been up too....
I've been a homemaker for the last 2 months and I have to say I've been loving it!! I've been able to clean a lot, do some baking, visit with friends and catch up on things that I had been putting off... like our wedding scrapbook. The pregnancy has been so far really great. I've felt really good and haven't had too much of the typical "pregnancy problems". I'm starting to feel uncomfortable and really sore all over but that might have a lot to do with not being able to sleep. I haven't slept a full night in quite awhile. I know everyone keeps telling me that its just preparing me for motherhood... but I really wanted to "bank" some sleep time for that... but well that's just not how it works.
I'm really looking forward to being a mom. I have to admit I'm a little nervous about the whole delivery part but I know that I will have a lot of support and many prayers from friends and family. I'm very excited to see this little person that's been with me for the past 9 months. Its really amazing that I have this incredible love for another human being that I've never met before. Brian and I both feel so blessed to be becoming parents and even though we know that it will be a huge challenge becoming parents we know that with God all things are possible and through lots and lots of prayer and with Gods help we will raise this child the best we know how.
So welcome to our lives... hope u enjoy!! :)