Nya Turns One!!

One year after the birth of our baby girl, there are just a few things I want to say.  

1.  I am so thankful.    Thankful to have her.  Thankful for her health.  Thankful for her cheerful personality.   Thankful for how she makes our family what it is.  Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the gift that God has given me in regards to Gary and the kids.  They are awesome.  Tiring, but awesome :)

2.  My love is great.  I remember when we were expecting Koen that I was so nervous I wouldn't love him as much as Kai.  I quickly learned that there's oodles of love in my heart for each and every kid.  They are all so different and special and I love them so much.

3.  Everyone says it, but wow, this year how flown by.  I feel like she was born 2 months ago or something.  I want to savour every cuddle and feed and giggle.  I didn't love the newborn stage with Kai but with each child it was easier because I knew what was ahead and was more confident in my ability.  I loved newborn Nya.  So sweet. 

4.  I am AMAZED by the boy's love for their sister.  I think it's the age gap and the fact that she is a pretty easy going kid, and well, she's adorable. They think that she is the cutest thing in the world, hence, her nickname `Cutie'.   Koen gives her full access to his cars and that says a lot.  She is a great source of entertainment in our home.  Gary is pretty smitten too.

5.  I have loved getting to know her.  She is very friendly and outgoing and is pretty easy going wherever we go.  She has a mischievous side and loves to explore.  She is content to cuddle but also loves being thrown in the air.  She loves mangoes and apparently icing as well as you will see below...

All right, you know I could reminisce for a long time with many, many photos, but I won't.  Here are some photos from a year ago when we met our beautiful 7lb 14oz bundle of cuteness.

And here she was on Monday in all her girly cuteness. 

I need to tell you that she loved the icing so much that there were very few smiles, it was just non stop putting icing in her mouth.  We actually had to stop taking photos because she was just eating too much and I was worried she was going to get sick.  

Also, I would like to point out that Gary made the cupcake for his little girl :)

The boys were allowed to join in and Koen spent most of the time licking icing off of his leg.

You can see her birthday greeting on Breakfast Television here :)

Nya, we are so thankful to have you in our family.  We love you so much.  Always and forever.

Love, Mommy, Daddy, Kai and Koen.

Pet Peeve

This has been driving me bonkers for soooooo long.

Dudes, if someone has a baby or gets engaged or something big happens in their life, don't post congratulations on their facebook wall until THEY announce it.  Don't be the person who says `Wow, SHE was so big.  Love her name ______' like you know everything and are especially close to that person.  It's giving away some of the joy that the person would have announcing it themselves.  Many other people know, you are not the first, but other people are waiting appropriately.  Maybe they need to contact all their friends first.  You know, in real life.  Maybe they want to bond with their baby before announcing it to their 300 acquaintances.  I hope this doesn't sound harsh, but seriously people, it's common sense and appropriate social protocol.  Can you tell I'm PMSing?  Thank you.

The Weekend

The weekend was pretty uneventful.  I wish we had done something fun for Mother's Day and I'll leave it at that :)  Here are just some photos...

Koen is hilarious.  He calls this outfit his `tennis outfit'.  He'll say `Tennis players don't eat avocado' `Tennis players can go to bed at nine o'clock' etc.  

The cupcake he made for me at preschool

Trying out the coffee maker.  I like it!  I was worried it would be costly with all the T-cups but it's not so that's good!  

Nya looks very unimpressed!!  I am so thankful that I get to be a mom to these three amazing kids.  They are awesome.   You can have very serious conversations with Kai.  Koen likes cuddles and silly stuff.  Nya loves to be held and to destroy the house.  She is soooo tough.  I wonder what she would be like if she didn't have older brothers.

Kai's note to find the card he made under his bed.  The fifth word is `search'.  Some things on his card said that he loved my sweet smile, my teaching, my food, his birth (kind of weird but you are welcome buddy!), reading together, and when I make his lunch on Fridays :)

Koen makes me laugh all the time. Examples:

'Mommy, we talk about so many things all the time.  Like Christmas, Easter and manure.'

'Mommy, I'm using my metacarpals to eat!' (yay! another nerdy one!)

'It's raining, it's pouring, the old man in snoring!  Hey, he should blow his nose'

Not sure she could be any cuter.  Look at those lashes. Love.

Hope you had a good weekend!

Love,
Louise

Mother's Day Tea

They had a Mothers Day Tea at preschool where Koen sang about 4 songs.  It was sweet and I had a good time talking with some of the other moms.  Koen made me this beautiful necklace which now hangs on our van's review mirror.  I think his favourite part was bowing over and over at the end of each song.  In the card he made, some of the things he said about me were:

My  mom loves to eat meat (true!!  Huge carnivore).  

My favourite thing to do with my Mom is play games like Chutes and Ladders.  

During the day my mom is doing the house and taking care of Mya (he can't pronounce her name correctly). 

I love my  mom because she is beautiful.  

My mom is really good at the computer. (NOOO!!!!  It sounds like I'm a mom who ignores her kids and just hangs out on the computer.  Major downfall of being a work at home mom).

I really need to use our real camera to take photos of Kai Bear's freckles.  They are abundant and we celebrate them and consider them very cute.  They continue to multiply daily, and really, we are all so freckly in the Chapman household.

Today I had a conversation with Kai where I indicated that just because he had doubles of some of his Pokemon cards, that would not be an appropriate Mother's Day gift.   I think it's important for him to think about what someone else might want and I can tell you...there is no way I want any of those ridiculous cards.  

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Love, Louise

Koen Wins

Yesterday morning at 7:30 am, I was watching Breakfast Television and they said to head to Home Outfitters in Langley to win prizes.  We live just 5 minutes away so off we went!

Koen got to pick a dot from the wall and he picked one that I never would've chosen.  It was a red one and on the back it said we won a Tassimo single cup coffee brewer!   I'd say that I've become a coffee drinker over the last year so I was excited about this.  I think they are valued at about $129.00 or so.  Anyway, now I have to pick up some T-cups which may increase the cost of my coffee `habit' but I only drink one per day anyway. 

Good job, Koen!

I have to say that for a day that could've been crappy, winning something made it a whole lot better!  My dad joked that Koen must have the Dekens winning gene in him because let's just say my dad has won quite a few things in his day!  

Have a great day.

Love, Louise

Seven Years

Love you. Miss you.  Wish you could know me now.  I'm a lot less selfish and I think we could have some really good talks about motherhood and life these days.    Gary actually really likes your hamburger bean pot pie recipe.  He's a great husband, mom.  We use your apple crisp bowls daily, although more for fishy crackers than apple crisp.  They tore down the La Masia restaurant,  you wouldn't believe how different this area looks now.  The `long block' is still the same though. I ran it and Kai biked alongside and it reminded me of our post dinner walks.   Our kids love riding bikes...remember that time I was showing you how fast I could bike down our driveway and forgot how to use the brakes and ran straight into the house?   Nya started sleeping though the night, I wonder when I started to.   Koen would love your cookies and I bet he would REALLY love your brownies.  Did you know that we are going as a family to SE Asia?  Wish you could come along.  I remember taking you out for Thai food, it was good, right?  We talk about you often.  Koen has prayed for you to become alive again.  Love you. Miss you. 

{I loved doing her hair.}

{With baby Ani...just missed Kai by 3 months}

{34 years later, I have my own baby girl}

{Tea time!  Lifelong tradition}

{Cuddles}

I Made It.

{Pretend there is a picture of me here at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro...all of my pre 2006 photos are on film and the pictures are packed away in the depths of our basement}

I feel like I have reached the summit of a mountain.  Nya now sleeps through the night.  I'm sure that will change when a new batch of teeth come along, but for now, I will enjoy.  It took 11 months and 1 week.

{What is this?!}

Other stuff briefly:

-babysat my nephew for a day.  Nya enjoyed having a friend.

-photographed a wedding Friday and Nya was an angel for my mother in law.  Took her bottles, napped etc.  I feel so much freedom because now she finally takes a bottle if need be.  I still want to bf her for a few more months at least.  I really enjoy it.

-Saturday a good friend of Gary's came to visit for a couple of hours.  Very awesome as we hadn't seen him for a few years.

-Had an engagement session Saturday night and learned the difference between Lougheed and Dewdney Trunk Road.

-Sunday went to church and then went for all you can eat sushi with my sisters and dad.  Celebrated dad's birthday, remembered my mom, spent time talking about my aunt who is very sick with cancer.

-Sunday went to book club.  Read `The Book Thief'.  7.5/10.

-Been going to boot camp 3x a week but missed two days due to my sinuses.  It's not too hard but it works me harder than I would on my own.  Dreading going tonight because of the heat.  

That's it.  

Louise

PS My sisters and I talked about all moving to a small town together (well, with our families!) and it is sort of tempting.  I feel ready for some change and adventure.  Although I'm not a person who seeks change, I do love some adventure in my life.  Let's just say that being a work at home mom is not the kind of adventure that I love day in and out.  I know my life is wonderful but I am bored. And tired. And busy. And sometimes angry.   I'm hoping our SE Asia trip will be just the adventure I'm craving...

Pink

These next two weeks are not my favourite;  the anniversary of my mom's death is in one week (May 7th) and then Mother's Day is 5 days later.  Boo.  I'm so thankful to be a mom.  But ya.  I'm also on my 5th sinus infection in 6 months.  So frustrating mostly because I can't breathe and it's exhausting.  I'm pretty sure it's linked to my autoimmune disease as I've never had one in my life until this past October.  Googling it suggests so.   I just sent Gary to the store in hopes that he can find something magical besides a humidifier, sinus rinse, nasal spray and decongestant.  You know, like a magical vacuum that can suck everything out of your sinuses.  Does anyone know of any other treatment for it?  Could you do chiro? Massage? Acupuncture?

{Whenever I see these pink blossoms, I think of my mom.  The last time she went outside was for some pictures under the tree and it was always right outside of her window. Although these aren't cherry blossoms are they? }

{A cute little bald girl took her first step today!! Go Nya Go!}

No matter how crappy I feel, I have three very awesome kids and a wonderful husband.  Kai is so helpful, encouraging, sensitive and hardworking.  Koen is hilarious and eager.  Nya is energetic, adorable, and so easy going.  Let me give you two examples of Gary's wonderfulness.  He donates blood and he makes us healthy and delicious meals regularly.  Oh, he also is pretty great at making dessert and I love dessert!

Have a great week.   The weather forecast is looking awesome here for the Lower Mainland.

Love, Louise

YAY!!

In case you didn't want a post about poop to be at the top, here's a new one.  

HER 6TH TOOTH CAME THROUGH AND WE HAVE A VERY HAPPY GIRL AGAIN AND I ACTUALLY SLEPT LAST NIGHT (just one feed at 12:30am). YAHOO.  The end.

{Shopping Nya banging into all of our walls}

{Serious Nya post nap}

Our little monkey is now standing by herself up to 30 seconds.  No steps yet on her own.  

I had TWO sessions postponed this weekend due to rain which means my May will be crazier. Oh well.  As long as I'm sleeping better, it will be much easier!

Our summer countdown is on and we are a T-63 days!  One month of travelling, beaches, exploring, yummy food, and no working.  Soooo fun.  

Hope you had a great weekend.

Love, Louise

11 Months Old

11 Months Old

-crawls everywhere or pushes a car to walk

-has two 1 hour naps/day (10am and 2pm ISH)

-still gets up 1-3 times a night and only settled with breastfeeding

-normally goes to bed at 6:30pm and gets up at 6:30am (with wake ups in the night).  While teething, doesn't get to sleep until about 9:30pm.  Sleeps in a sleep sack and loves sucking on receiving blankets.  Not one of my kids has taken a soother.

-continues to use the toilet which is initiated by us still, but she holds it until we put her on.

-19 lbs (I think, will check.).  Very slender.  Unless she is wearing leggings, her pants fall down.

-5.5 teeth

-bald

-says `mama' and `dada'

Loves

-her brothers

-being outside

-balls

-cars

-breastfeeding (so glad I stuck with it for those tough few months!!)

-the bath

-keys, phones, remotes

-music

-eating rocks.  EVERYTHING goes in her mouth.
-waving
-climbing stairs

Doesn't Love:

-eating (although she does love eating whatever she can find on the ground, sometimes I seriously just pour some cheerios on the ground for her so she'll eat it).

-car seats

-high chair

-teething.  Oh my goodness, tooth #6 is ridiculous.  

-getting changed

-a bottle.  Generally will not take it.

Personality:

-very laid back and easy going in all situations (except the car seat!!!!!!)

-loves being in the action

-comfortable with everyone but generally quiet unless at home.  At home she shrieks.

-not very cuddly but loves to be physical by being thrown, tickled, bounced etc 

{This `Opposites' book with doggies has been a favourite for all three kids}

Yesterday I was looking for my yoga mat and Gary asked when I last used it.  I said when I was 8 months pregnant which means about....a year ago?!! Oh my goodness, how has it been a YEAR?!!  We are so done. I'm so tired.  She is awesome.  Love her to bits.  She completes our family sooooo well.  The boys love her.  If she's sad, Koen will give her his Bubbi.  Kai runs in the house to see `Cutie' as soon as he gets home.  

You can see Kai at 11 months here and Koen here.  It's interesting how they are different.  Nya def. resembles Koen's personality more..another wild one folks!

All right, back to work.  I won't be blogging much this week..too busy!  Have a great week.

Love, Louise