four generations

Halle, me, my Mom, and my Grandma

It was so wonderful to be together!

breakfast and breakfast and breakfast

This morning Stewart and I went out for breakfast to celebrate my birthday.  We went to the breakfast buffet at the Radisson Hotel.  Yum!  I may or may not have had three helpings.  And taken pictures so I could blog about it.  It was pretty exciting.  Especially since they had so many yummy foods that we can't normally get here.  Or that we can get here but that I don't buy, because they cost an arm and a leg.  So we really had to eat all that we could.  It wasn't my fault.  Honest.  And it was a buffet.  Who can say 'no' to some of their favourite foods in a buffet?  Seriously.

It was a wonderful start to the day.  Hashbrowns, a selection of cheeses, bacon, good coffee, a chocolate pastry, cocoa puffs, a brownie, nutella, a muffin and eggs all in one meal?  Delicious.  (Except for the tummy-ache that kicked in after we left!)

So thanks Mom and Dad R for the birthday money.  Between breakfast and a pedicure, it was well spent.  :)  I feel very spoiled.

Fifth Disease

It seems that I never had Fifth Disease as a child. It took me going to Africa to get it.

For those of you who may not know, it is a childhood disease that primarily gives you a rash. There are few other symptoms. So, thankfully it's not typically very serious. And I don't even feel sick! But I sure do have a rash. It's the worst on my cheeks, but also is on my arms, legs and chest.

The picture actually doesn't look too bad. It looks worse in person. :)

we're on the move again

For the first time in many years, I feel settled. Stew and I have lived in our house (or part of a house, really) for over a year and half. It's the longest I've lived in any one place since I was in grade 10! By a long shot. Until now, the longest I had lived in any one place was 8 months. Now I'm going on 19 months here!

But, give us two more months, and we'll be uprooting again and moving on. It's a good move. We're really looking forward to it. Again, it will involve packing suitcases and getting on an airplane, rather than packing boxes and renting a u-haul. But it smells of adventure. And we like adventure. Even if some people think we're a little crazy, moving half-way around the world with a baby. Maybe we are a little crazy. Probably. We're okay with that.

Stew and I don't want to stay here in North America and live a comfortable life. We weren't built for that. We're not just "built for adventure" either, though. Rather, we were made for a purpose. And part of that purpose involves lots of moving around, travel, living uncomfortably sometimes, and risking it all. We're living for Jesus. And He has called us to shine our lights elsewhere. And in this season of life, that means moving to Africa.

So I'm back at it -- packing boxes, that is. And writing lists, booking flights, writing newsletters, stocking up on things that we won't be able to get in Africa. Lots of planning and strategizing. It's what I do best. :)

It may seem a little early to be packing our house - two months ahead of time. But life with Micah is busy! And there are many things we don't need now; things that out of season, or we only use occasionally. So into boxes they go! Stewart's parents have graciously offered for us to store our stuff at their house, which means we can transfer things into storage a few boxes at time. It means less packing to do at the very end, and a little more room in this tiny house of ours. And I can pack a box whenever I have a few minutes with a happy Micah. Like now -- naptime!

five vials of blood later

I've been so exhausted lately! Some days it takes all my will power to keep moving. Just one foot in front of the other. So I finally got around to going to the doctor... five vials of blood later, and it turns out I am iron-deficient. Well that explains it! Now I know why I'm always tired, out of breath, and can't concentrate. I suppose hemorrhaging (after Micah was born), and losing 1.5 liters of blood will do that to you. (I think I failed to mention that in Micah's birth story. Maybe I'll eventually post part III and share all the details and mishaps of after his birth.)

I was given blood after I hemorrhaged (3 units), but it turns out that it takes a while to fully recover nonetheless. Who knew? I definitely was under the impression that receiving blood was all I would need to be feeling great. Ha! As my friend Stephanie put it, "It’s just a lot of trauma to the body". A lot of trauma that is not/was not going to be fixed overnight.

So I'm now on an iron supplement (Floradix does the job and tastes half-decent too), and hopefully in a couple months I'll be feeling good again. In a couple months! Eek. Until then, I just keep putting one foot in front of the other. And pray that my baby sleeps well each night, so I can get as much sleep as possible.

a new 'do

I was feeling tired of people thinking I was a teenage mom. (It seriously happened a couple times recently.)

:)

Time for a slightly more mature look.

Trying to Stay Sane

I've been reading a lot lately on mommy-blogs, about how they do it. Specifically how MckMama, and Jess do it. Both are encouraging, helpful blogs written by believing moms, so I found lots of tips and suggestions on how to be a mom and stay sane. Of course, they each have four children and are pregnant with number 5, and I have only one. But being a mother is none-the-less a hard job! (Although I'm sure that once I have four children I will laugh at how easy it was to have just one baby.)

So, in the spirit of "doing it all" (more likely, learning to not do it all!), here are some of the things I (am learning to) prioritize, or realize that I am not currently prioritizing, but need to:

-my marriage. I may be super tired and feel overwhelmed, but that doesn't give me license to neglect Stewart.

-my relationship with Jesus (still trying to figure out how to do that when I have very, very little quiet time in my days -- ok, I feel another post coming on about this!)

-breastfeeding Micah. I know that exclusively breastfeeding Micah in many ways makes my life easy (no preparing or cleaning bottles, it's convenient and free, nevermind the health benefits), but it also means that I am pretty much glued to my son. If I bottle-fed him, I could get a full-nights sleep by letting Stewart take the night shift every so often. But I have opted to breastfeed and make that a priority over even sleep, when necessary.

-hospitality. I find this is one way I can use my gifts, still take care of Micah, and hopefully encourage/bless others. We have made opening our home a priority, although (as you will read below) that doesn't necessarily mean having a perfect, spotless house. We want people to feel welcome in our home, and join in our lives, taking us as we are. Imperfections included.

-relationships with other moms. I've really enjoyed spending time with other moms -- it can be so encouraging to talk to other young moms and share ideas, etc.


Some things I have decided not to prioritize as highly, even though I value them:

-eating healthy. We try to eat low-fat, little meat, lots of veggies, and organic as much as possible. However, this doesn't mean that we don't eat fast food on occasion, or enjoy pounding through a bag of chips in an evening (did I just admit that??) every so often. Nor do we avoid baked goods. In fact, we really enjoy eating homemade cakes, cookies, pies, you name it! But, I really don't cook from scratch and rely on homemade (or organic) ingredients quite as much as I'd like.

-using cloth diapers. I love using cloth diapers, but I am realizing that it is okay to use disposables, particularly in the name of my sanity. So if I'm feeling overloaded with laundry, it's okay to put the cloth diapers on pause and use disposables for a few days while my washing machine (and brain) catches up.

-a clean house. I love things to be neat and tidy, and try to tidy up as much as is reasonable in our tiny place, but I don't get too worried about cleanliness. Maybe that's gross. We try to not let things get out of hand, but we are okay with not having a perfect, spotless house.

Phew. There is my very-much-not-comprehensive list. Do you have any suggestions? What do you prioritize (or not) in the name of sanity?? How do you "do it all" (in other words, what do you not do?)

a quote from John Piper

I've been reading and re-reading this quote for a while, and I think it's time to share it.

Don’t ever underestimate the power of your living room as a launching pad for new life and hope and ministry and mission!
-John Piper

I think this is very true, and I desire that it be true of me, and the use of my house.

feeding the little man

I am a mother.

The baby that I cuddle, kiss, and admire all day long is still here when I go to bed. And he likes to wake me up in the night. Because only I can feed him. This is so different from babysitting. No more cuddling, kissing, admiring, and going home to sleep all night long.

Micah is a really good baby: he rarely cries, he feeds well, and he sleeps a lot. But taking care of a baby is still a lot of work, no matter how good he is. I knew in my head that my baby would need to be fed several times through the night, but how that feels in practice is a whole 'nother thing. It's that where am I?, what is that sound?, and why on earth am I waking up already?, feeling.

Other than the lack of sleep and general tiredness, motherhood is great. I love my baby boy. He is so amazing. I love it when he grasps my finger as if his life depended on it, when he reaches up and touches me while feeding, and when he has that drunk-on-milk-look that says "Thanks, Momma; I love you".

Well that little someone has waken up and is looking for some food. And since he can't yet raid the fridge, I should go. It may be only 8pm, but I'm hoping that by going to bed as soon as he's done feeding, I can get a couple extra hours of sleep in tonight. It's funny, because back in college I remember just going out for the evening at 10pm sometimes. Now I'm thrilled at the idea of going to bed at 9pm, or earlier. How things change!

baby or babies?!

The word has spread fast that I am pregnant, or "large and in charge", as Steve would say. It's nice to no longer be trying to hide my belly (which I really didn't try for very long, I'll admit). I'm now 9 weeks, and I've been wearing maternity pants since I found out I was pregnant (at 5 weeks) and realized that I had a valid reason for my pants suddenly feeling very snug.

Despite the fact that I do know others who showed really early and had only one baby, I'm still rather suspicious that either a). I'm having twins, or b). I'm further along than I think. Multiples run in my Mom's family, so twins are a definite possibility. I would love to have twins, but I know they will be a LOT of work, initially. I'm just eager to find out, as soon as I can, how many babies there are, and when I actually am due (are my dates correct?). At least this way I can prepare myself for what lies ahead!

I'm guessing it will be a couple of weeks before my first ultrasound, but in the mean time I like to jokingly refer to my "babies", in plural, which, if nothing else, always gets a good reaction from Stew. I know he'll be happy for us to have twins, but I think right now the idea is just a bit daunting for him. :)

I'll keep you all posted!

Pampered Chef Cooking Shows

I've decided to become a Pampered Chef consultant. When I sign up to start selling, I need to have four Pampered Chef cooking shows booked. If anyone is interested in hosting a show, please let me know! There are great perks for being a hostess, and you would be doing me a big favour, too. Just leave me a comment or send me an email. Thanks!

I have...

X the things you have done, and remove the X from the things you haven't done.

Things you have done during your lifetime:
( ) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone be born
( ) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
( ) Been to Florida
( ) Been to Hawaii
( ) Seen the pyramids
(X) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
( ) Gone to Washington, DC
( ) Slept in a castle
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep-
( ) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.
( ) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) Danced in the rain
( ) Danced in the rain - naked :)
( ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Watched the sun rise over the ocean
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
(X) Gone snowmobiling
(X) Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
( ) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
(X) Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Ridden a motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
(X) Been to Disneyland --- or Disney World
( ) Walked arm & arm w/ Mickey Mouse
(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer
( ) Been in a rain forest
( ) Seen whales in the ocean
(X) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Seen the Grand Canyon
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
( ) Been water-skiing
(X) Been snow-skiing
(X) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre
(X) Swam in the Mediterranean
( ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
(X) Been to a NBA game
(X)Been to an NHL game

25 Things

Twenty-Five Facts About Me:

1) I enjoy sushi
2) I was homeschooled for all of high school
3) I almost always have my toe-nails painted red/burgandy
4) I love making milkshakes with my amazing new blender
5) When I was in high school I used to collect ladybug trinkets
6) Now I really don't like trinkets and knick-knacks at all
7) I love cookies!
8) I don't really like seafood
9) I usually wear black socks
10) My current "usual" drink at Starbucks is a coffee misto with two pumps of toffee-nut syrup
11) I've lived for six months in the UK
12) I've lived for six months in the Middle East
13) I know how to properly wrap a Muslim head scarf (hijab)
14) I can effectively eat with chopsticks
15) I have two college degrees
16) I can speak a little Arabic
17) I love snow
18) I much prefer winter over summer
19) I enjoy travelling
20) I like spicy food
21) I have never broken a bone
22) My wisdom teeth have not yet grown in... I'm hoping it stays that way
23) I love that we have a fireplace in our home
24) I enjoy photography
25) When my current camera dies, I want to buy a Canon digital SLR