Tears, fears and false labour

It has been a bit of a crazy weekend. We went for a long walk in the park with our neighbors (Max and family) Saturday morning and had the most wonderful time. Later that night I started to have labour pains, not strong ones but enough to cause me to pack a bag for me and the kids. Sunday we proceeded as normal and the labour pains subsided.

We learned Sunday afternoon that little Drew Clark passed away. Our hearts were very heavy for the Clarks and all their family. That is where the tears come in.

Again last night I had false labour - again mild but enough for us to get the bassinet in place and the room sorted out. The baby will be in our room at first.

Thank goodness for false alarms or we'd have nothing done when this baby comes.

I am fairly nervous about this delivery - I don't know why. I guess after going through what we went through with Bronwyn you realize just how much can go wrong. The false labour also has me a bit freaked. I am so worried about not having enough notice to get to the hospital (which is 5 minutes away) and make adequate plans for the kids. Really it is silly - I know Matt and Natasha (best neighbors ever) would help us out at any time day or night. Maybe it is just the hormones.

On the lighter side. Gavin and Bronwyn are doing well. Gavin has taken to walking around the house saying "For Pete's sake child." I have no idea where he heard that (I think I mentioned in a previous post how short tempered I am). He also has been saying - mostly to Mommy - "Zip it!" Again - NO idea where he learned that!

Bronwyn has been doing really well sleeping in her big girl bed - well in fact so has Gavin - he sleeps at one end of the bed and she sleeps at the other. She has been coming to bed with us only occasionally now. I am sooooo happy about this. They are both just growing and changing so much. We are so thankful for our two little happy children and are praying that number three arrives safely and without complications.

Finally, I ask that if you can pray for the Clarks and the Staples families.

Wager a guess

So my doctor doesn't think I'll make it to my due date - but I think that is because she starts holidays on that day and wants things finished up before she goes. I don't think I'll have the baby until a couple days after my due date. My husband keeps saying he's hoping for a couple more months (to finish more of the house stuff) - WHATEVER!

So - take a guess - when is this baby coming? And is it going to be a girl or a boy? If I can think of a prize for the winner I'll do that - but right now my mind is blank.

For me right now the big issue is seeing that my existing kids make it through the next week. Wow am I short tempered right now!

Little musical clip

Here is a little video clip of the kids singing one of Gavin's new favourite songs. Blue skies and rainbows. I have a new little camera that I am just adjusting too - it has a time limit on video clips - it cut off right before Gavin's theology lesson. Trust me it was interesting if not all comprehensible.

We continue to dwell in the land of dinasours - I am just hoping to make it through this phase - try as I might I really don't have a lot of interest in dinasours - but that doesn't stop me from trying to cook T-Rex noodles for supper (chicken in disguise). Of course, calling it T-Rex doesn't mean that Gavin believes me - he said to me - Mommy I know this is chicken. All right - nice try eh?

Out of the mouth of babes

Just after I wrote the previous post I sat down with the kids over our breakfast and Gavin pulled out a book for me to read. It isn't a book we normally read (I don't like the illustrations). It is about Noah's ark. He brought it to me and said don't read these parts, I just want you to read this part - which was a little box on each page with a scripture in it.

Here is what we read (one per page) -

God said, "Don't be afraid. I am with you." Isaiah 43:5
"Give your worries to the Lord. He will take care of you." Psalm 55:22
God said, "You will come to me and pray to me. And I will listen to you." Jeremiah 29:12
"Don't be sad. The joy of the Lord will make you strong." Nehemiah 8:10
God said, "You are precious to me... and I love you." Isaiah 43:4

Wow.

I'm so sad

We are witnessing a family that we love struggle with one of the worst trials life can bring. Our little friend Drew Clark is not doing well and the doctors have not given him much hope at this point.

I would ask those of you who pray to pray now for this family. Pray for a miracle! Pray for healing. Pray for support. Pray for courage. Pray for peacefulness. Pray for no suffering. Just pray what you can pray. I beg you to be like King David who prayed for his child until there was no more hope. At this point, pray and pray until such time as there is no longer hope.

I don't know what more to say my heart is breaking as are the hearts of hundreds and likely thousands of others who want this to be so different for the Clarks.

It seems quite surreal to be carrying on our little lives here with the knowledge that such a great struggle is happening in the lives of others - it is all very sobering.

Wow - where did that week go

You know it is crazy.

I remember when I was pregnant with Gavin I finished work about 3 weeks before my due date. Once at home I rested and prepared and went out for lunch and generally filled my days. Three weeks before I had Bronwyn I was already finished work and I was packing up house and preparing to relocate to Edmonton for as long as we had too. I was chasing after Gavin and having frequent appointments and echos.

My due date is in now in three weeks again. I still have one lingering work project that has yet to wrap up. I'm not preparing for Bronwyn's next surgery (yet - thankfully) but I still have lots of appointments. I am still chasing after Gavin - well, and Bronwyn too. Gavin has preschool and we seem to be busy all the time. Just when I think I'm going to have a quiet day at home with the kids our plans change and we end up running.

Maybe its a good thing - I haven't had time to think about the next phase I'm just too busy for the moment. I just cannot believe the time has flown so fast. Crazy stuff!

Today the kids were up pretty early, so we spontaneously decided to go to Drumheller, to the dinosaur museum there. It was Wes' idea. Gavin has been in a dinosaur phase. Really, this has been such a bummer for me. Seriously, if you want to feel like a first grader again who is trying to learn how to read and being scolded by your bag of a teacher and made to feel stupid because you are stumbling over the letters (sorry childhood baggage); then pick up a book about dinosaurs and try to pronounce the names of these beasts. For heavens sake, why couldn't they use more simple names? Why is it that all our modern animals have names like - horse, dog, cat, cow - but dinosaurs have these horrible icantpronouncesaurus names?

Gavin loved it. Although I had to explain and explain and explain why he can't just go dig bones. He is just so sure that there is somewhere in Drumheller where he can go and dig dinosaur bones. I said, he had to be with a special team and have special permission and that it was a protected area. He told me that he could go with his Daddy because he was special. I said - Yes, Dad is special but he isn't exactly a paleontologist.

We did have a couple treats this week. I got to go out - by myself - and visit with my dear friend Katherine - that was super lovely. And we also got to meet the brand new baby Kalia (Mel and Scott's new girl).

As busy as we are - we haven't lost interest all the happenings in the world that are affecting people we love. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and folks in Texas and other hurricane hit areas. We are also anxiously following the recent developments in Zimbabwe and praying for a resolution that truly helps. We also have been praying for the families who have been struggling with illness and medical problems.

I wanted to mention this because I want those we love to be assured that we think of them often and that we care deeply about your struggles.

First day of preschool

Oh my goodness, my baby is growing up. I had no idea how hard it would be for me. I am not a sentimental person. If I were doing a personality test and the choices were - a. uncomfortable with emotion, b. not overly sympathetic, c. too blunt and pragmatic, d. all the above - I'd circle D. So imagine my surprise as I was fighting back tears trying not to let my son see me almost falling apart. I wanted him to have a fun, carefree time and I didn't want him to read any anxiety in my actions. Wow! Who knew I was such a softy.

Well, he went and he enjoyed it. He was very tired after school and in fact is now flaked out on the couch - so tonight could be interesting!!

I took the kids outside before we left so I could get some first day of school picts. I had him put his backpack on, and of course Bronwyn needed hers too - even though she stayed home with Grandma today. Speaking of Mom, she has saved my bacon this week. I have been doing a fair bit of work this week and needed to go to the office several times - she has looked after the kids and been just so wonderfully supportive.

Anyhow - here are some pictures from today.

Stinking car

Well van actually, and no I'm not just mad at the vehicle. It actually does stink. I don't know why! We went to the bug house the other day (Gavin calls Chinook mall the bug house). We parked in the parkade, when we were done we returned to our vehicle, opened the doors and went - pewwh! What is that smell?

Wes accused me of leaving a dirty diaper laying about in the van - well I'd actually have to take one out there and put it in the van!! I don't change diapers in the van.

We have looked MANY times in every nook and cranny. I had Mom and Dad look in every nook and cranny too. Still nothing, no rotting apples or anything. Wes thought maybe it is a dead animal in the engine - but we can't find anything and well I hope our neighbors cat is accounted for...

I decided that some punk kids put something on our car to make it stink. Wes thinks I'm paranoid but - well it smelled fine before we got to the mall and by the time we left it stunk - coincidence?? According to my husband my thinking is as stinky as our van.

So we have a mystery, and a stinky van!

Jelly beans and things

I picked up some jelly beans last night because Bronwyn was asking for them. I had picked a few beans from our garden patch that morning and thought she was asking for those. She would walk up and say - beans beans. So I'd pull them out and she'd put her hand up to me and shake it and say - no no. Then she started saying - Daddy... beans... box. Oh, Daddy has beans in a box?? Yeah. Oh, well - maybe she means jelly beans. Long story short I bought a few just for a treat.

This morning, Natasha and I took the kids to the park. I took along some jelly beans as a treat. You know a pre-lunch healthy snack! At one point the boys were dumping juice on the ground. We both told them not to do that. Gavin explained to us - we put one of the jelly beans here in this hole and we are pouring the juice on so it will grow into a big jelly bean tree.

Makes sense I guess.

Fall is definitely here - even though it isn't official. It has been cool and there are already some leaves in our backyard. While I am sad to see summer go I am also excited about everything that is coming up. I love Fall! And this year we have so many new exciting things.