Friday, January 14, 2011

What's Up?

KOEN
Kai is at preschool and Koen is just busy running around in his room. My dear sweet Kai napped until he was three. Koen? He just turned two and has decided he is done. I'm still making him go to his room for 2 hours each day because that is when I work (although I have very little photo work to do today, so I've just been baking/cleaning instead). Koen just pooped (is there a blog friendly way to say that?) on the toilet for the first time today. I'm not potty training him now but if he wants to use the toilet, I'll definitely encourage him! Koen had a runny nose for 5 weeks. I would say that today is the first day I'm not wiping it. Let's hope he stays healthy for a while now!!
KAI
I just need to make a note about Kai's skating. So, the first week...he could not get up on the ice (from kneeling to standing) and he could not skate without holding onto bars. Even then, he didn't really move. At all. This week was CRAZY. Gary was able to come along so I'm so glad that he saw it. Kai was accidentally placed in a more advanced group and I knew he must've been in the wrong group the second it started. I tried to be cool about it but when the teacher came close to the stands, I let her know he was in the wrong group (she thought he was `Ty' not `Kai').
Okay, so what did he do once he was in the right group? Well, they showed him how to stand up and he did it. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. He proceeded to fall probably 20 times in the next half hour but each time, he got back up on his own! Then, without bars, he skated from one blue line to another (skating=walking with their arms out). Back and forth he went. I was so proud! Kai is not what you might call a `natural athlete'. He's not super coordinated and he doesn't have a great love for sports. However, he does have determination which counts for a whole lot. At the end, he skated from the far blue line all the way to the end of the rink, where I was, and only fell once. I was so proud of his hard work. At one point when he fell down, he looked at me and gave me the thumbs up. That's my boy!

When he got off the ice, he said, `I don't like skating' but I think he just says that because he likes to hear me gush about how great he is. Every day he asks if it's skating day because he truly does like it. I'm so glad that he likes it and that he didn't give up.


GARY
What's new with Gary? Well, he's busy into basketball season. I think he had it for 13/14 days in the last couple of weeks. I don't know if this is good news or bad news, but, well....his team isn't very good. I think they've won one game. This means that it's a whole lot of work put in to lose game after game. But, it also means they won't make it very far and we'll have daddy bear home soon!

It's hard because he often won't see Koen for days in a row. Kai sees him for maybe 20 minutes. I'm fine with Gary gone on weeknights but it's the weekends that are tough. Gary has been teaching at the same school since 2001 (when we met!). I'm proud of him for working so hard and thankful that he goes each and every day without a single complaint. It is a pretty great place to work, although, I'm glad I'm not teaching right now:)

LOUISE
Nothing new here. I'm feeling pretty good and am excited about that. I've been working out about 4 or 5 days a week for the last 2 months so obviously that helps. I'm not losing any weight (just the initial 5 or 6 pounds) but I am getting in shape which feels so good. My upper body and endurance have a ways to go, but I'm getting there! Football season starts in a couple of months and I want to be in good shape for that.

I bought a bread maker just before Christmas (half price!!) and I have been using it every other day. I LOVE IT. I'm currently making pizza dough in it for dinner. I LOVE FRESH BREAD.

It seems like every day someone asks how old my kids are and I will say, `Kai is 4, Koen is 2, and we're actually adopting a baby as well'. I just feel like I'm expecting and I want people to know it. I don't have a big belly to show for it so I just need to use my words. They should have a specific colour bracelet that you wear when you are expecting through adoption. You know, like the yellow livestrong ones. Then, everyone would just know. I'm excited about it. I'm praying that it happens this fall. I don't know how I will feel if it's 2012 and nothing has happened, but, I'm thinking I won't be feeling too hot about it. Trying to trust His timing. We've talked about baby names (which is so hard to do when you aren't sure it's ever going to happen, or if the baby will already have a name, or if you don't know the cultural background) and we have a girl name. No boy name. I'm a sucker for names that start with `C' or `K' but I don't want all three kids to have the same sound:) Don't you like the name `Cole'? I do:) Koen LOVES babies and I know he will be such a fabulous big brother.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I've got a few photo sessions and a birthday party. Should be good!

Love, Louise



7 comments:

  1. That is great that Kai is trying so hard and making progress in the skating department.

    Great idea to still have a "quiet time" even after sleeps are over.

    My son's grade 8 basketball team lost every game! I'm a great believer in learning to be good losers and well as good winners, but did feel sorry for the boys and the coach!

    Have a great weekend!

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  2. Argh, no more naps! Aiden and Caileigh both stopped napping at 2 and I am sure hoping that Mikayla will be different. So far she adores her sleep, unlike the other two. I still have all the kids in quiet time. I think it is important for them to learn to be content alone. We all need a little alone time!

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  3. Baby Names: My friend just had her third boy she didn't plan it intentionally but she was naturally drawn to the C/K sound too. Her boys are: Cater, Cohen, and Caleb. :)

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  4. Breadmaker - SO FUN! Love mine as well.

    As for baby name - I love hte name Cole. I also taught a little girl in swimming lessons - Kohl. (Love that!) :)

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  5. Way to go Kai - that is some fantastic progress!

    choosing baby names is SO fun! :) I do like Cole too.

    I like fresh bread too :)

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  6. So great to read this update, Louise! It is so unbelievable to me that Koen is two now... They have both grown into such gorgeous little boys. So excited about your continued adoption journey, and I really appreciate you sharing your feelings about it as the process unfolds. And, I love the name Cole!

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  7. Oh my Louise you ARE expecting. I could not agree more about there needing to be some visual sign that you are adopting so that it is acknowledged in the same way a pregnant belly is, because it is JUST as significant, especially for the the one who thinks about it daily like you and I did/do.

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