wordless-ish kinda [wednes]day

...because let's face it. i got a lot to say ;)

it's been 16 days.
16 days since we have been a family of 6.
16 days full of ups and downs.
16 days of visitors, quiet time, fresh faces, faraway faces, tears and 1616 other things...
so sixteen [iphone] photos to share from our last few weeks. in no particular order.

1] boy3 talking to a great auntie.

all from things like being a big brother,

getting an owie on his toe,

and just having a bath...

like boy2, he is quite a phone talker.

boy1 is completely not.

2] first time trying on the water wrap pamC made.

i need some more practice in the wrap department!

babywearing is uncomfortable for me right now after my

c-section as well but i look forward to it once i am healed...

3] boy1&2&4

i just love em :)

4] babyK in his first ever MOO diaper. 

it's sublime.
babyK is cloth diapered most of the time &
keeping up with the cd laundry when TWO are
diapered is something to get used to...
[but think of all the money we are saving!!]

&we are totally lovin the HUGE blanket

a faraway friend made. the lady bug side is my fave :)

it's totally big enough to swaddle which is a must right now!

5] beautiful sunrise i saw the other morning. 

it made the sky RED. and my phone totally didn't capture

it in alls its essence. boo.

happened to also be when Rick and boy1 stayed in the tent.

6] swaddled to perfection. soother in.

tigger nearby just in case it falls out.

sigh. he is so peaceful.

7] such serious looks.

8] newborn cuddle time = precious.

9] little brother and littlest brother time. 

oh boy3, you won't like it when he starts playing with 

your toys and chasing after you like you do to boy2!!

10] games night girlies. fun times with many laughs,

too much sugar & treats, and some serious 

game play mixed in there too.

& why is Andrea the only one who knows who

Johnnie Cochran is? wha?!?

11] former neighbour, current BFF.

now that the Jets are back in Winnipeg

her hubs may be more inclined to move back to Manitoba :)

12] no more papparazzi!!

get used to it bud.

13] my nieces so graciously blessed us with their presence last week.

thanks pam1 for letting us steal them away!

here they are playing sardines under my desk. 

[with silly faces of course...]

14] more absolute cuteness.

it's been said a few times lately since babyK has been born

that we make cute babies.

and i totally agree. 

we do.

15] this one is my fave photo. day one.

babyK.

 

16] baby toes.

*sigh*

i want to thank you all for the kind comments and emails i received. thanks so much!! and now i want to retreat to my own comfy bed to sleep at least 4 or 5ish hours straight. oh right, gotta tuck the baby in first!

Thursday thirteen SPECIAL EDITION

Welcoming the newest member of our family - babyK - pics to come!
Learning all about this new person in our life
The joy on his brother's faces when they first met babyK
Each taking a turn to hold babyK but boy3 waiting until day three to show interest and brave holding his lil bro.


Benefits of hospital stays:
Food brought to you four times a day [some think hospital food is revolting & I will agree, some of it is not edible, like yesterday's blueberry breakfast scone but it's food that I don't have to prep or cook so I'll take it!!]
Nurses available at the ring of a bell
Unlimited ice water delivered to your bedside table
Request of a private room granted

Drawbacks of hospital stays:
Missing the other boys 
Not getting fresh air for four long days
Nurses disturbing the already disruptive sleep
Visitors arriving at the 'wrong' time
BabyK getting his feet poked way too often

Number 13 on the count?
Going home. 

friday favorites.

Today I am linking up with Rachel @ Finding Joy. She asked to share our fave vacay spot :) Right now we are not big vacationers but we do like to head out to the beach and go camping occassionally in the summer.

These are last years faves and hopefully we can add more this year.

Beach

Camping at Dad's Back 40

Which often includes fishing & canoeing & last year also included cousins we rarely see.

& cousins we see more often...

 

& some Grampa time...

mixed with a lil pen to paper ole fashion blogging time...

can't forget my favorite flowers - sweet peas. my grampa used to grow them every year and now my dad carries on that tradition at the farm and grows them as well... i pick them every summer i am out!

happy friday :)

what's your favorite?

clover flower

Clover Flower

clover flower
clover flower
how white you are.

you sparkle bright
amongst the green.

are you lucky?
luck is not the word.

you are beautiful.
little girls snap your stems.
one, two, three.

little girls twist and braid
and place you in their hair
or behind their ear.

you are more than a weed.
you are more than just white against green.

you are loved.
you are beautiful.

oh clover flower,
how white you are.

-pamj

Dishwasher Detergent Recipe

1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup kosher salt
4 packets UNSWEETENED lemonade kool-aid. 

Mix and that's it, super easy. 
Make sure your container is airtight.

wordless-ish wednesday

taking advantage of a warm summer evening and a freshly filled kiddie pool...

and so i blog...

no baby here yet.
still baking.

still impatient.
waiting for that time - 'go' time.

so many times i have wanted to blog but open up the 'new post' and get writers block. and there is A LOT to write about. sorry the perogy post is still in editing phase... but i DID make these kick butt blueberry muffins today. and ate three.

find the recipe here. blueberries were on sale so i got two tiny baskets and doubled the recipe. now to find energy & some good recipes for all the strawberries in my fridge!

if anyone knows boy3, they know he LOVES cars. or anything with wheels. i got him a 2nd hand car mat. as soon as i laid it out for him he and squirt layed on it and played. i knew he would LOVE it!

he has also been able to drive his 'jeep' outside lately. for the winter we had it in the basement and he was the 'boni' aka zamboni and would clean the ice area for the older boys. now that we have a paved driveway and a deck for him to troll on, we keep it outside. below he has his glasses on too. they used to be sunglasses but the lenses are mia which doesn't bother him a bit... i think he is super cute with the spectacles on!

our neighbour commented that it looks like Dukes of Hazard the way he rides his car - SO TRUE!

Canada Day was also boy1's birthday. we were blessed with awesome weather and were able to pull off a MUD BOWL party for him on his actual birthday. i had him invite a lot of friends knowing it was the start of summer holidays AND a long weekend. 12 kids were able to come and roll in the mud!

 It took a bit of prep work in the backyard before the big day. We don't have grass yet, just weeds, so the husband tilled the area to be used and soaked it in water. SOAKED it.

Then on the day of, when all those boys [and ONE girl] got here, they dove right in. It was dirty. It was sticky. One big mess. But they had fun! It was a great idea. And I was pretty thankful that there were helpers around to clean those boys off. I didn't want that job.

This was part of the audience :)

and we ended the day off with a walk to get ice cream. boy2 is the cleanest kid ice cream eater i have seen! he didn't let a drop of that ice cream fall onto the cone. but was so done with it once he got to the cone part that he didn't mind sharing with daddy at all!

fast forward to today.

40 weeks & 2 days. i know people go overdue with their babies. this is new for me. 9 years ago i was one day overdue. 2 & 4 years ago, 39ish weeks was the max. i am not a patient person so it's hard for me! especially to put my life on hold just to wait. even today after planning an impromptu playdate/coffee date for today - i had to cancel because boy1 and the husband were sick with the flu. really?!? the flu in july. it happened to us. not great timing. at all.

after trying to stay so positive and looking on the bright side of things, it is hard to do that all the time.
i'd like my body back.
i'd like to hold that sweet sweet baby in my arms & introduce him to everyone [esp the family that will be in for a few days this week!]
i'd like to not see the scale keep going up.
i'd like to not have a short fuse & regrets.
i'd like to be able to not have to wake up to turn sides in bed at night.
and i'd like to not have to worry about any of the above gripes.

i'd also like to sit down and blog more, without worrying about the dishes that aren't done, the unfolded laundry sitting in the dryer or in a basker, the folded laundry not yet put away, the emails to respond to, the house that we are trying to sell, the people to keep happy [big & small]...

i'd also like to not have to worry about whether our 'trial of labour' [as the dr calls it - i call it vbac or vba3c] will end the way we intended. that God's plan is also by some minute chance is also our plan... i know my body is able to do this and must think & pray that way.

a fellow blogger [also vying for a vbac] pointed out a great verse in one of her recent posts:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
Perfect.

Happy July every one!