The other day, Hayden brought home a paper for Robert and I to fill out from school
It was from his teacher and she wanted us to write down little facts about Hayden that would be beneficial for her to know.
I felt horrible at first. It took me about a week to fill it out and hand back to her. Both of their teachers know that they are adopted. The hard part was realizing that as much as we hung out together before they lived with us...we are still getting to know each other.
I stared at the paper for days trying to put together the best words to describe Hayden.
Hayden is working on listening and following instructions.
Hayden LOVES going to school.
Hayden is in swimming lessons, speed skating, and guitar.
And then...something clicked...
Hayden gets tired and can become VERY stubborn. We are trying to teach him to use this power for good and not evil.
Hayden is really good at making friends. Even if you try to make a conscious effort to not be his friend...you will be.
Hayden is carefree and this makes him hilarious! I'm not worried about peer pressure at all with this boy.
Hayden loves to hold hands.
Hayden will take time out of his day to make sure,you are happy and are having a good day yourself.
Hayden is very affectionate.
Hayden will often stop whatever he is doing, no matter how much fun, to snuggle and tell you that he loves you. These moments are often at random:)
So....I do know a little something about Hayden.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
New Mom-mobile
It was between a white Honda Odyssey or a white Ford truck...it was up to my dad and the truck won!...surprise!
It's great! It fits all of us and I can haul stuff :) Who do you think got all the hardwood flooring to our house ?
Plus, because it's my truck and I'm the one who drives it, Hayden assumes that I am the better driver ;)
It has a sunroof, child locks, things like cruise control etc, is roomy, and has cup holders galore!
It does have some of my typical dad accessories such as chrome and Harley mud flaps...now I can drive and park like an a-hole in my truck :)
Thanks Dad!! Life is soooo much easier!!!
...now I have to sell Sheila... :(
It's great! It fits all of us and I can haul stuff :) Who do you think got all the hardwood flooring to our house ?
Plus, because it's my truck and I'm the one who drives it, Hayden assumes that I am the better driver ;)
It has a sunroof, child locks, things like cruise control etc, is roomy, and has cup holders galore!
It does have some of my typical dad accessories such as chrome and Harley mud flaps...now I can drive and park like an a-hole in my truck :)
Thanks Dad!! Life is soooo much easier!!!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Will at 6 Months!!
Another quickie of an update .... Sagelyne is currently locked in a dungeon by an evil dragon and I must save her soon!
Will's favourite foods are apples, bananas, oatmeal cereal, barley cereal, beets, squash, sweet potatoes, pears, pumpkin, and avocado.
We are trying to get him to eat carrots and peas. I really have to disguise some veggies with other foods...already!
He is learning to like veggies that are mixed with fruits and cereals.
His current feeding schedule is:
700am breakfast and nurse
930am nurse for nap
12pm lunch and nurse
1pm nurse for nap
4pm supper and nurse
7pm nurse
8pm bedtime and nurse...we tank up during the day now so that he only wakes up once or twice at night :) Otherwise he gets distracted by day and makes up for it at night :s Not cool.
Will can sit, hold toys in both hands, smash toys, switch toys between hands, and sit up in the tub! He has learned to drink from a sippy cup and has mastered the Ball-cano!
He can make sounds that consist of mama, mom, dada, blah, bah, ahs, ohs, nana, and a bunch of different unidentifiable sounds, raspberries and of course the attention grabbing fake coughs.
We are teaching him to crawl, play hand games, find a hidden toy, and how to work on puzzles...the 1000 piece puzzles...j/k.
He is 27 inches (95th percentile) and 18lbs 12 oz (50th percentile). Quel surprise...
Will's favourite foods are apples, bananas, oatmeal cereal, barley cereal, beets, squash, sweet potatoes, pears, pumpkin, and avocado.
We are trying to get him to eat carrots and peas. I really have to disguise some veggies with other foods...already!
He is learning to like veggies that are mixed with fruits and cereals.
His current feeding schedule is:
700am breakfast and nurse
930am nurse for nap
12pm lunch and nurse
1pm nurse for nap
4pm supper and nurse
7pm nurse
8pm bedtime and nurse...we tank up during the day now so that he only wakes up once or twice at night :) Otherwise he gets distracted by day and makes up for it at night :s Not cool.
Will can sit, hold toys in both hands, smash toys, switch toys between hands, and sit up in the tub! He has learned to drink from a sippy cup and has mastered the Ball-cano!
He can make sounds that consist of mama, mom, dada, blah, bah, ahs, ohs, nana, and a bunch of different unidentifiable sounds, raspberries and of course the attention grabbing fake coughs.
We are teaching him to crawl, play hand games, find a hidden toy, and how to work on puzzles...the 1000 piece puzzles...j/k.
He is 27 inches (95th percentile) and 18lbs 12 oz (50th percentile). Quel surprise...
A tiny glimpse into our every day family life!
A wee update about us and what our back to school schedule looks like! We made it and it was easier than I expected. I'm not on here much! Honestly, when I do have time to myself I don't think about going on the internet. I haven't checked my email in months. It usually takes me two days to get around to sending an email. It's usually shower, tidy, coffee, and watch a few minutes of The Newsroom :)
I know babysitting is nothing like having your own kids. But I did nab some ideas from when I was a nanny for the Clunie family.
Here is a quick peek...Hayden has school Tuesday, Thursday and alternating Fridays! Those are the days that I can do things like go out with friends and really get lots done! I love my kids but yay for school! ;)
6-7 am Shauna showers
7 am Kids wake up, get dressed and have breakfast. No breakfast until everyone is dressed.
730 am Brush teeth and hair. Make sure back packs are ready to go. And then free time. No TV.
835 am Sagelyne walks to school. She leaves 5 minutes ahead of us because she doesn't want to walk with us anymore ;)
840 am Hayden, Will and I walk to school
930 am Will has a nap, I tidy, shower if I didn't drag my ars out of bed at 6 am, have a coffee and watch a few minutes of tv.
10 am Hayden has snack if he is home from school
1030 ish am Will usually is up from his nap. We have now until noon to get any errands done or have play time...or both!!
12 pm lunch
1pm Hayden and Will have naps...and me too after I tidy and workout ;) Wake up and play!
3pm Will and I pick up Hayden from school...play it cool if we happen to run into Sagelyne and let her walk home by herself :)
330 pm Afternoon snacks for Sagelyne and Hayden
4pm Will has supper
5pm The rest of us have supper...unless it's a speed skating day, swimming day or music lesson day lol. Then supper time and bedtime prep is a wee bit shuffled. But bedtime sure isn't :)
630pm Bath time, story time.
8pm Bedtime!
9pm My bedtime! After I make lunches, tidy again, and have some time to myself :)
It's busy but we love it! And it's FUN! I always knew that the best time of my life would be when I was a mom of three or four...and I was right :)
I know babysitting is nothing like having your own kids. But I did nab some ideas from when I was a nanny for the Clunie family.
Here is a quick peek...Hayden has school Tuesday, Thursday and alternating Fridays! Those are the days that I can do things like go out with friends and really get lots done! I love my kids but yay for school! ;)
6-7 am Shauna showers
7 am Kids wake up, get dressed and have breakfast. No breakfast until everyone is dressed.
730 am Brush teeth and hair. Make sure back packs are ready to go. And then free time. No TV.
835 am Sagelyne walks to school. She leaves 5 minutes ahead of us because she doesn't want to walk with us anymore ;)
840 am Hayden, Will and I walk to school
930 am Will has a nap, I tidy, shower if I didn't drag my ars out of bed at 6 am, have a coffee and watch a few minutes of tv.
10 am Hayden has snack if he is home from school
1030 ish am Will usually is up from his nap. We have now until noon to get any errands done or have play time...or both!!
12 pm lunch
1pm Hayden and Will have naps...and me too after I tidy and workout ;) Wake up and play!
3pm Will and I pick up Hayden from school...play it cool if we happen to run into Sagelyne and let her walk home by herself :)
330 pm Afternoon snacks for Sagelyne and Hayden
4pm Will has supper
5pm The rest of us have supper...unless it's a speed skating day, swimming day or music lesson day lol. Then supper time and bedtime prep is a wee bit shuffled. But bedtime sure isn't :)
630pm Bath time, story time.
8pm Bedtime!
9pm My bedtime! After I make lunches, tidy again, and have some time to myself :)
It's busy but we love it! And it's FUN! I always knew that the best time of my life would be when I was a mom of three or four...and I was right :)
Thursday, August 16, 2012
PPA
Not an easy thing to write about...
Last month I was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety. Much like postpartum depression with a few differences.
Ever since Will was born I have felt like I was screaming on the inside. Every time I would visit my doctor or midwife I would "suck it up" and tell them that everything was fine and that I just had the baby blues. They would tell me that it would get better and I would believe them that all of my feelings were normal.
I wish I had known then that what I was feeling wasn't normal.
Will and I struggled with breastfeeding for 8 weeks. He ate every hour around the clock and we had latching issues. Imagine having chunks of nipple gone! Just gone...and never getting a chance to heal because he was constantly feeding. I don't blame him...I never did. But it hurt. I cried (and I mean REALLY cried) every other hour for 8 weeks. It was horrible. I would be holding my baby and my tears would be falling all over his face. I felt inadequate. Like he didn't deserve me. That he would be better off with someone else. I wanted to love my baby...but I just didn't feel a bond for those fist eight weeks because of the pain. He didn't smile at me or laugh...he just wanted to tear up my boobs. Deep down I knew that these feelings weren't real. It was my mind playing tricks on me and I made sure that no matter what I was feeling, Will would never not be cuddled, and loved. This led to a whole set of other issues.
Because I didn't want Will to feel what I was going through, I began to over compensate. The second he would start to cry, I would jump up. I would carry him all day, cuddle him all day, play all day...which is fine...but I couldn't take even 30 minutes to myself without feeling guilty. I googled every little thing Will did all day to make sure I was doing the best thing for him. Because google knows best :s I could't leave him with anyone else because they couldn't possibly know what to do with him if he started to cry. Or they would do something out of the ordinary and this would throw off his whole routine.
The worst part is that I was constantly on Robert's back. Diaper changes, how to get Will dressed etc. All so that Will wouldn't so much as whimper. Because if he wasn't happy...it was my fault.
It took me forever to tell anyone. As the symptoms got worse...it grew harder to talk about it. I never thought about hurting Will. But I thought about hurting myself. Not all the time. It was like a switch. I would be completely fine and incredibly happy...and then Will would struggle going to sleep and it would get dark very quickly. I would think that he didn't deserve me in his life. I could feed him, put him down for a nap, leave instructions about how to formula feed for Robert, and then I could be gone by the time Robert got home and Will wouldn't suffer at all. He would be fed and would have had a good sleep.
I told Robert all of these feelings a month ago and it took him a couple days to convince me to get help. I was terrified that Will would be taken away from us, that I would loose Sagelyne and Hayden, and that I would loose Robert because he would never forgive me. I would be judged by any mom who ever found out. All of our lives would be ruined.
It was my strong bond with Will that changed my mind. Will and I bed share part time. Robert has said that in our sleep we sigh at the same time, stretch at the same time, wake up at the same time...etc. If Will and I are so connected at night...what about during the day? He must feel what I feel.
I finally went in to see the doctor. I had to do it. I was sweating, shaking, and terrified that she wouldn't believe me. Or that 5 months later they would just tell me it's the baby blues...again! And that I would have to go the rest of my life kicking screaming on the inside. As soon as the nurse asked me what the visit was about I started bawling. The doctor came in right away and was the same friendly and calming face that I've always known. She reassured me that she would help in any way possible, that Will and the rest of my family need me and that if I ever need her, I can just call any time I want and she'll see me. Part of me was relieved...the other part thought "great, I must really be crazy".
I left feeling like I was finally heard. Just telling her made me feel better! I didn't have to kick and scream anymore. I could be open about my emotions because these feelings aren't me! It's a nasty trick that my hormones are playing on me.
So, for the past month I have been on medication. Not an easy thing for me to do. In the past, Robert and I have said that we do not believe in medicating before attempting to make better lifestyle choices. But I physically and mentally could not exercise, and I could not eat properly. So I decided to try the medication.
I wish I had gone in earlier. I wish I could have had what I have now earlier. Will and I have never been better! There are sooo many things that would have sent me over the edge that just don't any more. Even things that would have bothered me prior to having Will (us Type A's ;s). Robert has said that he has never seen me this happy and relaxed. I feel like before I was always trying to improve myself and my life...like it was never good enough. And now it's the exact opposite. I have everything that I have ever wanted. I don't need to change a thing. The best thing is that I don't have to be medicated forever! Just until Will is over a year old. I'm eating better, exercising, and feeling great even if I don't eat well and exercise :) I've managed to tell a couple people and my mom. That's it. And I'm comfortable with that. I'm accepting that I can't do it all, and that's okay. I have a beautiful family and wonderful friends that will support me and love me.
Last month I was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety. Much like postpartum depression with a few differences.
Ever since Will was born I have felt like I was screaming on the inside. Every time I would visit my doctor or midwife I would "suck it up" and tell them that everything was fine and that I just had the baby blues. They would tell me that it would get better and I would believe them that all of my feelings were normal.
I wish I had known then that what I was feeling wasn't normal.
Will and I struggled with breastfeeding for 8 weeks. He ate every hour around the clock and we had latching issues. Imagine having chunks of nipple gone! Just gone...and never getting a chance to heal because he was constantly feeding. I don't blame him...I never did. But it hurt. I cried (and I mean REALLY cried) every other hour for 8 weeks. It was horrible. I would be holding my baby and my tears would be falling all over his face. I felt inadequate. Like he didn't deserve me. That he would be better off with someone else. I wanted to love my baby...but I just didn't feel a bond for those fist eight weeks because of the pain. He didn't smile at me or laugh...he just wanted to tear up my boobs. Deep down I knew that these feelings weren't real. It was my mind playing tricks on me and I made sure that no matter what I was feeling, Will would never not be cuddled, and loved. This led to a whole set of other issues.
Because I didn't want Will to feel what I was going through, I began to over compensate. The second he would start to cry, I would jump up. I would carry him all day, cuddle him all day, play all day...which is fine...but I couldn't take even 30 minutes to myself without feeling guilty. I googled every little thing Will did all day to make sure I was doing the best thing for him. Because google knows best :s I could't leave him with anyone else because they couldn't possibly know what to do with him if he started to cry. Or they would do something out of the ordinary and this would throw off his whole routine.
The worst part is that I was constantly on Robert's back. Diaper changes, how to get Will dressed etc. All so that Will wouldn't so much as whimper. Because if he wasn't happy...it was my fault.
It took me forever to tell anyone. As the symptoms got worse...it grew harder to talk about it. I never thought about hurting Will. But I thought about hurting myself. Not all the time. It was like a switch. I would be completely fine and incredibly happy...and then Will would struggle going to sleep and it would get dark very quickly. I would think that he didn't deserve me in his life. I could feed him, put him down for a nap, leave instructions about how to formula feed for Robert, and then I could be gone by the time Robert got home and Will wouldn't suffer at all. He would be fed and would have had a good sleep.
I told Robert all of these feelings a month ago and it took him a couple days to convince me to get help. I was terrified that Will would be taken away from us, that I would loose Sagelyne and Hayden, and that I would loose Robert because he would never forgive me. I would be judged by any mom who ever found out. All of our lives would be ruined.
It was my strong bond with Will that changed my mind. Will and I bed share part time. Robert has said that in our sleep we sigh at the same time, stretch at the same time, wake up at the same time...etc. If Will and I are so connected at night...what about during the day? He must feel what I feel.
I finally went in to see the doctor. I had to do it. I was sweating, shaking, and terrified that she wouldn't believe me. Or that 5 months later they would just tell me it's the baby blues...again! And that I would have to go the rest of my life kicking screaming on the inside. As soon as the nurse asked me what the visit was about I started bawling. The doctor came in right away and was the same friendly and calming face that I've always known. She reassured me that she would help in any way possible, that Will and the rest of my family need me and that if I ever need her, I can just call any time I want and she'll see me. Part of me was relieved...the other part thought "great, I must really be crazy".
I left feeling like I was finally heard. Just telling her made me feel better! I didn't have to kick and scream anymore. I could be open about my emotions because these feelings aren't me! It's a nasty trick that my hormones are playing on me.
So, for the past month I have been on medication. Not an easy thing for me to do. In the past, Robert and I have said that we do not believe in medicating before attempting to make better lifestyle choices. But I physically and mentally could not exercise, and I could not eat properly. So I decided to try the medication.
I wish I had gone in earlier. I wish I could have had what I have now earlier. Will and I have never been better! There are sooo many things that would have sent me over the edge that just don't any more. Even things that would have bothered me prior to having Will (us Type A's ;s). Robert has said that he has never seen me this happy and relaxed. I feel like before I was always trying to improve myself and my life...like it was never good enough. And now it's the exact opposite. I have everything that I have ever wanted. I don't need to change a thing. The best thing is that I don't have to be medicated forever! Just until Will is over a year old. I'm eating better, exercising, and feeling great even if I don't eat well and exercise :) I've managed to tell a couple people and my mom. That's it. And I'm comfortable with that. I'm accepting that I can't do it all, and that's okay. I have a beautiful family and wonderful friends that will support me and love me.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
5 Months ....a little late ;)
Here is what was new for 5 months! Life has been pretty exciting and BUSY! I have many things to blog about and hopefully I can start catching up :) I have summer to write about, overcoming some challenges, and our new additions!
July 13th, 2012
5 Months
We tuck you in bed at about 8 o'clock.
Your bedtime routine includes: eat, bath, story, kisses and cuddles in the rocking chair, lay down in your crib, tummy rub, and then sleep.
Bedtime stories we read to you: Goodnight Moon, Guess How Much I Love You, The Goodnight Kiss, and The Hat.
Nighttime lullabies you enjoy: The Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star.
When you can't sleep we: Cuddle and rock you to sleep.
We can tell your coordination is progressing by the way you: stand, sit up unsupported, pick up objects, and roll around on the floor.
The sounds you make include: ma, na, ha, ba, ah, lots of raspberries, lots of giggles and experimenting with noises.
You have become so receptive. We are teaching you to: sit, stand, copy sounds, bounce, blow raspberries, crawl, roll, turn book pages, hold objects with both hands, give hugs and kisses, and baby sign language.
July 13th, 2012
5 Months
We tuck you in bed at about 8 o'clock.
Your bedtime routine includes: eat, bath, story, kisses and cuddles in the rocking chair, lay down in your crib, tummy rub, and then sleep.
Bedtime stories we read to you: Goodnight Moon, Guess How Much I Love You, The Goodnight Kiss, and The Hat.
Nighttime lullabies you enjoy: The Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star.
When you can't sleep we: Cuddle and rock you to sleep.
We can tell your coordination is progressing by the way you: stand, sit up unsupported, pick up objects, and roll around on the floor.
The sounds you make include: ma, na, ha, ba, ah, lots of raspberries, lots of giggles and experimenting with noises.
You have become so receptive. We are teaching you to: sit, stand, copy sounds, bounce, blow raspberries, crawl, roll, turn book pages, hold objects with both hands, give hugs and kisses, and baby sign language.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
New Discoveries
Well...that growth spurt has finally calmed down! Time to write about what I have been doing for me lately...most days...okay some days....and if it only happens once a week whatever ;)
I've discovered reading again! I haven't picked up a novel since February. I'm reading The Birth House. I've been waiting to borrow it. I usually only get one chapter read a night but it's nice :)
I've discovered The Good Food Box and Fresh n Local. We've been using both services for about a month now and I love them both! Hardly any grocery shopping for this lady and I feel that my quality of life has improved :) No more yelling at mean foreigners ;) The only thing I go out to grab is non perishables...which takes 30 min a week. I'm also an order/pickup depot for The Good Food box...so if anyone wants to know more just message me on FB! This also led to me filling my volunteering void. It's not much...but it's something that is easy and I have time for it. And it even makes my life easier since people come to me rather than me going to them.
I've been meaning to exercise and I do find time every now and then. But not enough time to make a difference. I have been losing weight...that's what three kids and breast feeding past three months will do for yah! But I do need to find a time to dedicate to exercising at least four times a week. Evenings after supper I'm exhausted...and I do enjoy lazing about in the mornings. I think I just need to commit and do it! Now that Robert is getting back into it, it makes me want to keep up. He can't beat me!
All small things but they all count! And I feel much better :)
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