Three Years of Crazy

Three weeks ago Seth and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary.  Although three years isn't long in the grand scheme of things, we have gone through so many changes in this short period of time.  Sometimes I find this fact a bit overwhelming, especially when I realize that the life I knew for so long, a child in my parents' house is gone and gone forever.

On May 31st, 2008, Seth and I, two university students got married and moved into our first apartment on Hopewell Avenue.  We have moved two more times since.  We both "finished" university, Seth graduating, me "taking a break" to work for awhile (haha).  Seth was working at Scotiabank when we got married, he later quit to focus on school and graduate sooner, and has had THREE more jobs since then.  Two for the government, and one with Navigators, where he is still working.  We got two cats.  AND, the biggest change of all, we had two babies.

Now all of these changes are probably pretty normal for the first few years of a young couple's marriage. We probably have done things a bit faster than most people, being as crazy as we are, but still, these have all been positive things and we are so happy with our little family.

Even though these changes have been positive, there have been a lot of not so happy changes that have made change of any kind difficult for me to handle.  Since we've been married a lot of people have left Ottawa, including my sister and her family, and some of my close friends.  The least happy change of all though is the passing of my mother.  The loss of her in my life alone is enough to make me terribly sad.  Since her passing, my dad has sold our old house, the one I lived in for 18 years of my life.  I have to admit that house seemed like a safe haven for me.  Somewhere I was always welcome and that felt like home no matter how long I had been gone...and from the time I was four I don't think I've gone longer than 6 weeks without being there! Not only that, but my two childhood kitties, Zipper and Lilly have had to be put down.  We got Zipper when I was 4, so she's been around pretty much as long as I can remember.  In addition to all this my dad will be getting remarried this summer.  As glad as I am that he's happy, it's just another reminder of how my life is never going to be the same as it once was.

So the point of all this?  Well I realized, that with my life changing so quickly, and all of this change being beyond my control, I was avoiding the change that I could control.  One of these things was my hair.  The last time I got my hair cut was in November 2009.  I knew that I needed to get it cut, but part of me was terrified to do it! I knew that I didn't want to become somebody who kept the same hairstyle for decade after decade  so, with some encouragement from Seth I made an appointment.  I was really nervous the day of my appointment.  It seemed so silly to feel that way, but I couldn't help it.  Not only was I getting my hair cut, but I decided to donate it again, so the change was going to be big.  I did it though, and I am glad I did!  I felt awesome after.  It feels so nice to have short hair, especially with two babies who love to wrap their little hands in it.  My hair has never been this short as long as I can remember.

I have to admit, I find it hard being a "grown-up".  I feel like I'm still a kid in so many ways.  I wonder if I'll ever really feel like an adult or if I will always feel like I'm just pretending. Does anyone else ever feel this way? Or is it just me?

Well, that's it for today, it's taken me two weeks to write this blog!! I know, I know, what about the babies??  Well I guess you'll just have to look at my facebook pics for that!  A picture's worth a thousand words right?

Thanks for reading!

Mother's Morning

5 Time outs for one little lady,
4 new outfits, two just for the baby,
3 poopy diapers puts mom in quite a mood,
2 naughty kitties tear open their new food,
1 icky earwig creeping across the floor,
Oh what a day! Wait...it's only 9:24!

Mornings like these can make a mom feel stressed,
We're lucky if we can grab a bite, let alone get dressed.
It's easy to think fondly of the days it was "just me",
How the days passed without much difficulty.
But though morthering certainly isn't a life of bliss,
There are way too many good things you wouldn't want to miss.
Like

5 hugs and kisses, the sweetest things for sure,
4 minutes of snuggles with cute kitties while they purr,
3 little giggles, meant just for you,
2 squeals of delight when they discover something new,
and 1 little tear for the minute that you rest,
and have the time to realize your babies love YOU best.

And then there were Four

Well it's been awhile! These days I feel fortunate whenever I get a chance to get on the computer. It's so rare, that the blog is one of the last things I end up doing while I'm on it. Even now I just remembered I need to get the Hydro bill paid before Jonah wakes up. I end up doing most of my emails and facebooking from Seth's iPod, which means that most of my replies are quite short.

That being said, life with two babies is crazy! I wonder how my mother did it with 8 kids 10 years old and under. I feel like there are so many things I would love to ask my mom. Things I never would have thought of asking before I had kids. (I still find it weird saying "kids") Even though it's been a year and a half, I still miss my mom like crazy. I like to imagine what my life would be like if she were still here. I picture her coming to visit, imagine how she would interact with Naomi and Jonah, if she would say they looked like I did when I was a baby, and if Naomi would be as excited to see her as she is Grandma Potter. I could probably get very depressed about all this if it were not for the faith that I have that I will see her again one day!

Now where was I? Oh yes, crazy babies! Taking care of both Naomi and Jonah is definitely a challenge. Naomi is 17 months now. She is constantly testing the boundaries, seeing what she can get away with, and is climbing with the skill of a two year old. Yesterday she climbed into her highchair all by herself, and she is continually climbing onto the kitchen table (which is promptly followed by a time-out of course). We recently bought her a plastic climbing structure and slide for the basement. We did this because she had gotten into the habit of pushing her play kitchen over on it's front and climbing onto it. (See picture below.) Needless to say, the kitchen has been put away till she is older, and she is having a blast with her new slide!

It's not all tears and time-outs though. She is getting cuter everyday and is a true toddler now. She is full of hugs and kisses and snuggles, and is learning how to do fun things like coloring. She loves her little brother, and has tons of kisses for him. She even tries to rock his bassinet when he cries. It's very sweet.

Speaking of crying...that's what Jonah does. Don't worry, that's not all he does, but he definitely does a lot more of it than Naomi did. Being the second of the family, he doesn't have the privilege of being attached to me 24 hours a day like Naomi did when she was his age. He is 6 weeks old now, and already weighs 13 pounds 3 ounces! (He was 8 pounds 5 ounces when he was born.) He has also outgrown all of his 0-3 month clothing, and has moved into the 3-6 month stuff. I think he's a pretty handsome baby! He's only given us a few smiles so far, and seems pretty serious. Seth and I think he might just be a serious boy, but I don't know if we only think that because he hasn't really started smiling yet...I'll let you all know if we change our minds! He is a bit of a wuss though (don't tell him I said that). He gets VERY offended if you handle him the wrong way, and heaven forbid you try to feed him when he isn't hungry! Because of this, he isn't as big a fan of his affectionate sister as she is of him. I'm sure that will change as he gets older though. Overall, Jonah is a wonderful baby, and I can't imagine life without him!

Well, I'd better get that Hydro bill paid!

Thanks for reading!

An update! Finally

So, I am hoping to get better at updating this. I guess it's just a matter of getting into the habit. This is probably my third or fourth attempt at updating, but I always seem to get stuck after one paragraph, and then have other things that need doing!

So Seth's work in ministry is well underway. We are learning how to live life with a less predictable schedule than the past year of 9 - 5. It has definitely been a challenge for both of us. I would love to make a very detailed schedule and stick to it, but Seth prefers one with a bit more freedom, and one of his own making, which is definitely ok. I've realized though that I am someone who feels a lot more productive, and a lot happier with a schedule, and one that's made well ahead of time. On a happier note, Seth has really been enjoying his time ministering to students both at the Carleton Navigators, and with our church's young adults group. Naomi and I were even able to join him at the Navigators Fall retreat earlier this month, which was a challenge, but definitely worth it!

Naomi is growing like a weed, and definitely makes my life interesting! I really don't know where this girl came from. Her personality is so unlike mine or Seth's that we can find her a bit of a challenge at times. She is strong-willed and independent, and definitely knows what she wants! She is also such a monkey, and is always on the go and into everything. She's also the cutest thing I've ever seen, and has become much more affectionate in the past few weeks, which has been nice to say the least. Her latest "tricks" are spinning in circles, climbing into all of our cupboards, and blowing bubbles in the bath (and sometimes trying to drink the bathwater directly out of the bath). She's had a couple of rough nights this week though which might have something to do with her new molar which is just starting to make it's way through. Last night was especially rough, with little to no sleep for all of us between 3:30 and 6. I'm hoping for a better sleep tonight!

My pregnancy is going pretty well. I am now 29 weeks pregnant, and am just beginning to feel the desire for the pregnancy to be over. I can definitely feel the baby a lot more this time around, and often feel as if the baby is trying to escape through my skin. My back and ribcage are also starting to hurt a lot more, and my walking speed has slowed dramatically. I have to hold Seth's arm whenever we're walking together so that he doesn't get too far ahead of me. However we have a huge list of things to accomplish before the baby comes, and I know that as difficult as pregnancy may be, a newborn baby is not any easier, so I can definitely wait at least 8 more weeks!

Well, I'd better not be too ambitious, but I'll try to do a November update too!

Thanks for reading!

First Blog!

I have decided to start a blog! Actually I decided this quite awhile ago and now a few months after the fact I am actually taking the time to write my first one. I really enjoy reading others' blogs, and with many people being so far away, and my baby growing like a weed I thought it would be a great way to keep in touch.

The name of my blog is inspired by my mother. Before she passed away 11 months ago she jokingly told us that she had decided to write her life story, but that all she had so far was the title. The title would be "There but for the Grace of God". Throughout my mother's life, "by the grace of God" was the answer she gave to many of the questions asked of her. I think I heard her use this answer most often when others asked her how she managed to raise 9 kids. My mother was an amazing woman, and was able to overcome an abusive childhood, raise 9 children, and gracefully endure a four year battle with cancer, all by the grace of God. With my mother as an example, I hope to both live my life and end it the same way... in total reliance on God's grace.

These days, we are relying on God's grace when it comes to Seth's fundraising! Seth is beginning an internship with the Navigators of Canada at Carleton University this September. He will be helping students get to know who Jesus is and encouraging them to live Christ centered lives. In order to do this full time, he must ask others to support him both spiritually and financially. So far people have been very generous, and it is amazing to see God leading us to those who are willing to support us in this ministry.

In other news, Seth and I are expecting our second baby in January! I am now 15 weeks pregnant and am finally feeling a bit more energetic. The first trimester went by very quickly and with very little nausea (thank goodness). We are definitely looking forward to "little baby's" arrival, but are much less in touch with this pregnancy than the last. I've found that Naomi takes up so much of my attention that a lot of the time I end up forgetting I'm pregnant at all! I know that will change though once those little kicks start keeping me up at night.

Naomi is growing very quickly and is standing a lot on her own now. Yesterday she even got to a standing position while holding a soccer ball and nothing else! It's pretty funny how I find every little thing she does so impressive even though one day she's going to be walking and talking and writing essays and solving math problems and raising her own kids. I mean I know I won't be saying "Seth, Seth look! She's standing by herself!" when she's 20 years old, but right now it seems like a very big deal!

On top of standing, Naomi seems to be learning new things very quickly these days! In the past few weeks she has learned how to wave hi and bye, clap her hands, blow kisses, and pat her mouth while making a "ahwawawawawawa" sound. I'm also surprised at what she is starting to understand! At the store the other day Naomi was staring at a sales lady who kindly smiled and said hi to her. I then said to Naomi, "Are you going to say hi?", and without even looking at me she waved to the sales lady. Before I know it I'm going to have to watch every word I say!

Well I'd better head off before nap time is over!

Thanks for reading!