Week 4

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1. Lily, being spoiled by her current favourite big sister…

2. Prayer practicing the piano. She has figured out how to play two octaves on the recorder, and did a duet with Eve on the violin for church on Sunday.

3. This baby loves sleeping with her daddy. By the way, I could kiss that chubby little chin all day long.

4. My gorgeous oldest daughter, who has an appointment with the orthodontist next week!

 

Forgive my lack of posts, but I feel like my brain is mush. No… not mush. Maybe more like the scrambler ride? Way too many things going on in there right now. The possibility of our entire family going dairy/gluten free… Why? 1. Elijah, has gone more than two weeks without an asthma attack now. 2. I don’t think I can handle making two separates meals for every meal. 3. I feel guilty about all the temptations that surround him.

I’m praying that we can figure out exactly what’s going on… and in the mean time, I’m reading everything I can find on the relation between dairy and asthma.

Happy Monday!

i heart faces: By the Book

 

My oldest daughter, has always been a bookworm.

Since the time that she was 1 and I’d read the same baby board book to her over, and over again… To an 11 year old, who’s favourite author is now Jane Austen… she loves her books.

I chose this photo cause it perfectly depicts her- curled up in a corner, with a blanket, reading a book…

Week 3

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1.The kids have been playing chess and checkers all week… I’m afraid that I may start losing to them soon! :/

2. I left Lily with a bottle of pumped milk for the first time this week when I took Elijah to an appointment. (I was only going 5 minutes away from home!) Eve watched her for the whole hour! Since she didn’t need the bottle while I was out- I still let Eve feed it to her once I got home. (Eve was most looking forward to that part! :)

3. Our new espresso machine with the milk steamer thing... That Scott got for less than half price! My hubby’s chai tea lattes, are comparable to Starbucks. Best investment in a long time.

4. What I wake up to every morning… :)

Saturday Morning…

 

It was a very long week…

Blessin’ Baby

I’m sitting here at midnight. Hair, still curly from a late night shower. Kitchen is cleaned. Laundry is going. I now, finally, have a tea in hand. “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” comes to mind. I remind myself of my mom.

I have slowly but surely been adding decor to our new house. A picture here, a candle there… It’s beginning to feel like home now. I even finished a sign that I saw on Pinterest and adored-

   

This one I made for the girls.

Now I just have to figure out where to hang them…

This weekend, I’m working on a project for the kids’ bathroom! :)

Elijah’s paediatrician appointment on Monday was… less than I had hoped for. No answers- a perplexed doctor. More tests… He went for a blood test to check his steroid levels on Wednesday morning. He is scheduled for pulmonary function tests, and to see an allergy specialist, and a paediatric respirologist. He is breathing perfectly fine at the moment and I am trying my very best not to worry about him. Tomorrow (today, I guess) is his appointment with the Naturopath. I am very much looking forward to it.

I went to a long overdue dentist appointment today. The dentist came into the waiting room and said, “Are you Jaclyn? Come on in, kiddo!”

Kiddo?

I would expect that from someone my grandpa’s age- but this guy was easily under 40… kiddo?

Better kiddo than ma’am, I guess… :P

I love how Jeddy calls Lily his “blessin’ baby”. As in, God gave her to him as a blessing. When he prays, he always says, “And thank you God for my Blessin’ baby.”

It’s adorable.

Charity, was telling Adam about a hockey game that was on last night and who won, and who scored etc. When I asked her how she knew all this, she told me, “Oh, I was listening to the sports on my alarm clock this morning. Then, Ella came in and asked me to turn on Treehouse!” lol…

Charity and I, made Lily a mobile this week. It’s a bunch of swinging jellyfish. Scott thought the idea was creepy. “Jellyfish? You may as well make some bats to go on there as well!” I think he may have changed his mind when he saw the finished product… I’ll have to share a pic soon. Another idea I pinned on pinterest and actually followed through with making!

Keona, crocheted her first hat this week. It fits Lily. It’s a little wonky… but it’s much better than my first hat!

I made Lily a Valentine’s Day hat and Ella asked for one too.

Neither of them wanted to cooperate for a picture. I shall try again some other time…

Eve and Prayer are practicing a violin/recorder duet for the senior’s home this weekend. I played the recorder for years in school and never knew that it was capable of playing more than one octave. Prayer read the book I bought for them, and she has become quite the recorder player! They’re playing one of my favourite songs- “He Leadeth Me”…

We learned a ton of information on Christopher Columbus and the “New World” this week in school- Elijah was so into! As I was reading he said, “Wow! I wish they’d make a movie about all this!” Ha…

Two nights ago, Lily slept in her crib from 9pm until 4:30am! I could barely believe it when I saw the clock. She ate quickly, and went back to sleep until about 8:30am. I was super excited that this was going to be her new routine- unfortunately, it only lasted one night! Last night, we were back to her waking up to eat at 2am and then for the first time since she was born, she decided that she wanted to smile and coo, and then fuss and hit, for the next hour. I eventually put her in her crib and just left her to fall asleep. She did. :)

Well, I’m thinking that now would be a good time for me to sleep. Especially since she will probably be up in about an hour or so…

Lord, thanks for my ‘blessin’ baby!

Week 2

 

So it was NOT a hospital-free weekend. Scott took Elijah into the ER on Friday morning at 5am with the start of another asthma attack. Thankfully, we caught it early this time and he didn’t have to be admitted. Just a few hours of masks and steroids. Ugh…  He is back on all of his meds. Then, I spent Saturday afternoon at the hospital with him waiting for a follow up appointment. Two hours in a kids’ waiting room. Treehouse playing on the TV, for two hours… The paediatrician looked a little confused as to why the medications aren’t working. We have an appointment with the doctor who will be looking after him, tomorrow morning. I also booked him an appointment with a naturopath doctor on Friday. I’m looking forward to seeing what they have to say. I’m looking forward to it even more now that I know Scott’s benefits cover it! We were not expecting that. So right now, we’re waiting. Praying, and waiting for some answers.

 

Now for my P52!

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Lily doesn’t cry all the time- I promise. ;) In fact, this was the first week that we’ve had real smiles from her! I’ve got to get some more pictures of my big girls next week- they are hilarious. We just had a very loud drive home from church. When Eve was explaining to Jed and Ella WHY skunks (or “DUNKS”- as Ella would say) smell- she says, “To spray the animals that would eat them. Like tigers.”

“Really, Eve? Tigers? Here? In the woods?”

Eve- “No. Not here… The skunks in the jungle!”

Oh! Right… Of course!

I think whatever Prayer has- may be contagious. :P

i heart faces: family fun

 

I had a blast shooting my friend, Stef, and her three kids. This shot was one of my faves because of how their personalities are all shining through. We spent a good 10 minutes trying to get a shot of all three of them blowing a bubble at the same time- it was hilarious! No one is looking at the camera here, because they were all trying to co-ordinate their bubble-blowing and I just adore the interaction between them… :)

Most definitely one of the “funnest” families I know!

Puffers, Sleep, and Science

It’s 11:30pm and I have half an hour left to wait before Elijah’s next puffer dose. Sitting here, listening closely, hoping not to hear and coughs or wheezes. Funny how this time, I saw his breathing trouble coming on before he did. I noticed his mannerisms changing before he noticed his breathing change. Prayers would be appreciated. We’re hoping to stay out of the hospital this weekend- he has an appointment with a really good paediatrician on Monday…

 

Last night, was the first time that I had trouble with Lily sleeping. So believe me- NO complaints here! She has been an amazing sleeper from the beginning. Mostly, cause she sleeps with me… :)

But she has been doing better in her crib, and today I let her cry herself to sleep. She cried for less than 5 minutes each time. It’s not an easy thing to do around here with so many willing-arms to rock her to sleep!

Yep, not a doll- that’s a real baby!

School is going well. We learned about the ‘thermosphere’ in world science yesterday. So many things that I didn’t know! I was all excited to relay the information to Scott this morning, and he just kept saying, “I know. Yeah, I knew that too…” Science never was my thing in school…

Keona, has to pick a famous Canadian to do a report on this weekend. Who to choose!?

Ella was quite into our lesson. As you can see, my reading put her right to sleep!    

I have yet to take all 8 kids out by myself. Taking the 7 out- I was use to. But taking the 7 out with a baby… It kind of scares me still. I mean, I’ve taken them out to pick up Robbie- where we can stay in the van… But into a store or something… nope. I’ll have to do it eventually, but I’ve been avoiding it.

Having a father-daughter moment… :P

The other night at dinner, the kids were all bugging eachother about who they are going to marry. They were trying to convince Ella that she should marry a certain boy from church. She kept yelling, “No! No! I don’t want to marry him!”

When they asked her why- her response was, “Because! I’m marrying Daddy!”

The next morning, he made her a special hot chocolate with breakfast…

 

Hoping for a good night’s sleep, and a hospital-free weekend.

{Photo} Strips of Our Lives

I was going to do a P52.

Can you say ‘indecisive’???

I’ve changed my mind already…

It is so hard, to pick just ONE photo, to represent a WEEK.

So instead, I’m doing a Photo Strip per week.

A photo strip, just like from a photo booth, you know!?

Much more fun this way.

I got the idea from here.

So, a do-over of Week 1…

Plus, at the end of the year, I can have a book printed with all of them!

Yay for P52!

Embracing White Hairs and Other Such Ramblings…

This week, I have been told that I have “alot more white hairs!”

I believe there was a “WOW” included somewhere in that sentence…

Ella, asked to feel the wrinkles on my forehead.

She doesn’t have any… “Only Mom do’s..”

The girls saw a picture of me as a kid and laughed for a good 5 minutes at my “old fashioned clothes.”

And I heard them saying that an old puzzle Keona won as a white elephant gift, must be “like from when Mom was a kid.”

Why?

Cause it’s so OLD, of course!

Scott reassured me that he still loves me- white hairs and all!

Scott’s picture of Ella…

On the plus side, I lost another 5lbs last week! Only about 20 more to go…

I think I’m beginning to like my Sunday school kids more than my own. One little boy told me, “Teacher, teacher, I love your face.” Ha! Just kidding about liking them better than my kids- but I do love my toddler class and was super excited to be back in with them for the first time since Lily was born! :) They all loved seeing her in class. One little girl showed her affection by grabbing Lily’s headband and snapping it. Thankfully, Lily just slept right on through it.

 

Speaking of Lily sleeping…

She has started sleeping in her crib now! Of course, She still prefers to sleep with me, or Scott, or any of her siblings… But she is sleeping 5 or 6 hours a night in her crib!

Elijah adores having a baby sister this time around…

  

Gotta love the squished face…

Last weekend, Scott and I were making dinner when we heard a loud “BANG!” We both looked at eachother, and then Scott ran upstairs, thinking that someone had just fallen from a top bunk, or something severe had happened. What he found, was two boys locked in their room, with a broken door knob. (They had broken the door knob a few days prior, and had been warned about slamming the door) Scott shouted down to me, “Hey Jac! The boys are locked in their room. The door knob’s broken and I don’t know how I’m going to get them out. What should I do?” So I shouted back up, “Leave them in there!” (We were both teasing, of course!)

Jeddy started to cry and said, “Ohhh! Can we atleast dig a hole???” Ha! Dig a hole through the floor?

Anyhow, after passing a screwdriver under the door and instructing Elijah on how to remove the knob on his side, Scott finally got them out. Oh, and remember the big bang we heard? Apparently, when the boys realized they were locked in, Jeddy said, “It’s OK! I’ll just kick the door down!” Yep. That from the kid who punches holes in my walls. The big bang, was him attempting to kick down a door…

 

(snapshot from Saturday morning…)

Oh! And Lily’s baby shower was this past Sunday at church. I did plan on having some pictures from it- but halfway through, the fire alarm went off! It continued to go off for the next 10-15 minutes… until several firemen got there and shut it off. That kinda ended the shower…

So, we had a shower in our livingroom the next morning!

So, thankful for our church family. The ladies were such a huge blessing to us!

 

Lily, was thrilled about all the stuff she got! ;)

 

I’ll end with an answer to prayer:

Elijah, is off two of his medications and is currently still symptom-free! He’s going to see the paediatrician next Monday, and hopefully we can get him off another med or two. :)

Project 52: Week 1

I didn’t quite feel up to the challenge of attempting another 365 this year. So instead, I’ve decided to do a P52. One photo for each week of the year. I should be able to manage that, right!?

Elijah put his littlest sister to sleep for the first time. He was pretty proud of himself! :)

i heart faces: Best Face Photo 2011

How do you choose just ONE face?

Going through all of my photos from 2011, made me incredibly thankful for all the many faces that surround me; new and old!

But if I had to choose just one image, it would be this one…

I love how real her expression is. How her eyes are looking through my lens. Her natural, slightly-chapped lips…

This, is the other side of my crazy girl.

Power

 

(Ella thinks she can use the force, because her sisters pretend she pushes them down with it…)

Is it ability?

In that moment when a ruler sits in the throne and the crown is lowered down up his head with blessing and pomp, he can look out over his kingdom and shake the very fibres of its existence to fit his will if he so chooses. So many things and lives within his grip. What his mind can fathom his hand can now do. His enemies now flee lest they face the wrath of all that he can command and unleash upon them with his kingly might. He is able to do anything he wants now. Is that power?

(“She dead” – Ella)

Is it authority?

The leader speaks and his followers perk to the edge of their seat. Their minds and wills folded within his hand as he weaves his master plan by the obedience of those who follow. With his mind he can cause Pyramids to rise and cities to fall. Like a queen in a hive or the lion in the pride, whatever he says must be done. There is no rebuke. There is no questioning. There is nothing that anyone can do to change what he has decided. He has the authority to move and even end the lives of many with the sound of his voice. Is this power?

(Prayer likes hats and anything else that will make you laugh at her…)

(She has a follower)

Is it acceptance?

As she walks the halls of this grand life all eyes turn to watch her glimmering shine. She is everyone’s favourite fragrance and flavour, and everyone wishes to be her. What she wears, they will soon wear. What she likes, they will like. All eyes are turned upon her as she graces the world with her immaculate presence. Her coming is like the sunrise and her followers like the locusts to the harvest. She will direct them as she chooses. And as they watch and wait for her every move, the world sways in response to her every twinge. By their desire for her, her desire will become theirs. All those lives captivated by her entrancing being. Everyone wants to be her, and everyone will do as she does. Is this power?

Is it addiction?

As the many are enslaved, working day after day to taste the next fix of amusement, he profits from their lust. As fast as he can produce it, they line up to buy. Package it in any shiny box, and tag it with a red tag, and they will sell themselves away to have it. If it feels smooth, and smells sweet, and delights the eyes; if it looks good and is desired by many, they will take it for their own. All the while he will recline himself in the depths of his command of their desire, and enjoy the fruits of his designs. They all can’t get enough and would do anything to have more. Is that power?

(Elijah has 3DS addiction issues…)

Is it attention?

The child smashes yet another plate to the floor, filled with hours of work and effort, just for the glances of feeling. The walls are coloured with every crayon in the box, and some toothpaste on the side, and he would gladly take the punishment to have his parents run in circles trying to keep him in check. His every desire he can simply stomp his foot and obtain. Their schedule is his schedule, and he will design their lifestyle to suit his baser primitive lusts. Born to be wild, owning his parent’s life, he constantly attempts to fill his void with which he was designed. He craves to be watched, attended to, and obeyed. He is the king of his own life in a miniature form, and he will have his way or scream until the morning. Rock him to sleep, pack him full of candy, give him everything money can buy and an entire house to store it in, and you won’t cure the craving. He has your attention all the day and night. Is this power?

Is it affection?

To be with her is all he requires. Take his wealth and take his time; take all he has, but give him her love, and he will be pleased. There is no other thought that exists in his mind. There is no other person that can control him so. If only there were more hours in the day to stare at her picture, to hear her voice over and over again, and to speak of his love for her. There is not another girl in the world as far as he is concerned. And if another man dare go near her, he would duel them to the death before he would be parted from her. She has captivated his every corner of being. She owns his affection in every aspect of life and death. Is this power?

(The landing was the best part…)

Power is the source of it all. Power is what gives, what takes, and what makes. It is in the strength that flows from the throne of the source of all energy and sovereignty. All who rise are risen and all who fall are faulted. There is nothing done without the covering of the eyes of the One source of all forces and breath. We can only be channels of power, nothing more. Power built it all, and began its motion. Power is the truth behind the veil that covers its fervour. The truth of power is never measurable and unfathomable in entirety. Do you seek to find the ends of the universe? You never will, for it is not within your power. Do you seek to know the past, the future, and the causes thereof? Don’t waste your time. It cannot be known in mortality. Man’s small occupancy lacks even the power to know his self. You can search your whole life long and yet the only answers you will find will come from the true Power of creation.

The King has the power over all things. He is worthy of all ability, authority, acceptance, addiction, attention, and affection. He has the power to demand each one. Yet God is not a King by force to His people. He does not stomp His foot and whine. God does not kill off all competitors of His love. God offers Himself as He is and gives Himself to those who will take Him. He holds all of life in His hand and all of creation spins and consists by His will, and yet He looks to you to choose Him. He lets you choose. That is power.

Though we strive and fight to control all this that is not our own, He fights harder and strives more to give you all things. Stop struggling against true power. Accept Him for who He is, your Maker, Saviour, and your King.

“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” – I Timothy 1:17

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” – Revelations 4:11

 

Mini Session Fail

     

So, I wanted to do a mini-session of Lily with each of her siblings.Scott was hanging out with some of the older kids, so I decided to start with Jeddy and Ella.

 

Lily was game, at first.

Ella was all ready to go as well…

Prepared with all the hugs and kisses that Lily could handle…

I had so many outtakes of these two…

Ella’s attention span lasted a whole of 3 minutes- then she was done.

Jeddy is a bit better at holding Lily and making her feel comfortable, I think.

And he adores her…

My fave shot of those two.

So, the mini sessions didn’t go as planned. After this, Lily decided to spit up all over herself, Jeddy, and my bed. I didn’t bother with the older kids!

An outtake of Lily and I- courtesy of Prayer!

Happy New Year?

Oh yes, right… Happy New Year!

Here’s how we spent the first day of 2012…

     

Being woken up at 7am, by the wheezing sound of your child trying to tell you he can’t breathe properly-

is terrifying.

Not being able to do anything to help him- is frustrating.

 

Seeing him on all sorts of antibiotics- makes me feel helpless.

Knowing that God loves him more than I do, and is in control of this whole situation- gives me peace.

Or atleast I know that I should have peace about it.

I’m trying.

Everyone’s prayers have been greatly appreciated. To be honest, I always thought that asthma was just like a cough or cold. I never gave much thought to my friends who had to take puffers. I never realized how serious it could be. Seeing my son unable to stand up or complete a sentence; has woken me up, and given me nightmares. Seriously, last night I dreamt about having to call 911 and ambulances coming to our house. I have been checking on him constantly. Every little cough puts a lump in my throat that he’s going to have another attack. He must be sick of me asking, “Are you OK? Does your breathing still feel normal?”

As much as I loathe medications, hospitals etc… I am incredibly thankful for them right now. Just to update people who have been praying- we have an appointment with a great paediatrician two weeks from now, and he is giving us a referral to one of the top allergy specialists so that hopefully we can find out what is triggering this. I’m still hoping that it’s all from the nasty cold the kids had when I was in the hospital with Lily… Possibly his body never recovered fully. That is my prayer right now…

Scott brought him in to the ER on New Year’s morning and once he was admitted, Lily and I went to spend the night and next day there with him. I would tell you more about our hospital stay but he wrote a little story about it, which I’ll share later this week. Let’s just say that the nurses adored him, and he got spoiled to the max…

If anyone reading this has an encouraging story about dealing with asthma, please feel free to email me – I’d love to hear it.

Again, thank you for praying for my baby!