Ashlyn's update

Ashlyn is a little spitfire. She is extremely independent and prefers to do things on her own time. She is not walking independently yet, but that does not slow her down. She is the better climber of the two babies and I often find her on top of pieces of furniture when I turn my back for just a second. Ashlyn has started to speak and now has several words.....ball, bubble, hello, uh-oh, doggy, kitty, Jackie. She loves to read books about animals and will mimic their sounds. Her favorite is the elephant and she gets her arm going just like Mommy and Daddy! Ashlyn loves to play with balls and will point out anything that looks like one. She is still tiny and only reached the 20 pound mark in the past few weeks. This was a big deal though because we got to turn her carseat around to be forward facing like her brother and sister! Ashlyn has already developed a fetish for shoes...what will she be like as a teenager?

Caelan's update

I haven't updated anything about the kids in a while, so I thought I would briefly describe what they are up to! We have their big 18 month neo-natal follow-up clinic appointment at the end of this month and Caelan has an ENT appointment this week to check out his ears. He has had a few hearing assessments that demonstrate mild hearing loss...mostly attributed to too much fluid in his ears. I guess we will discuss the need for tubes in his ears. He does not have any intelligible words other than Momma and Dadda, but it is very easy to understand what he wants. He will bring you over to the object of his desire and point and babble unitl you get it for him. He has been walking well for several months now and has discovered how much fun it is to have someone chase him. He prefers to walk rather than being in his stroller and I let him walk most places we go now. He is extremely loving and sweet and I call him my "people pleaser". He is never far from my side and comes back to check on me and give me a hug every so often when we are at the playground. He is most upset when he knows that he has disappointed someone. He is happiest when he has food in his mouth. He has started to discover trucks and trains and loves to play in dirt and/or water.

Such a Big Boy

Caelan is becoming so independent. He has recently figured out how to walk down the stairs while holding the railing and to go down the slide on his bottom...both of which he used to do sliding down on his belly. He seems to be gaining skills so rapidly these days! He watches how Shaylah does things and then tries to imitate her. He is sure enjoying the summer-like weather we have had the past couple of weeks.

My Little Man!

Caelan recently got his first "real" haircut and, because of it, he no longer looks like my little baby boy.

Ashlyn and Charlie

Charlie is actually Shaylah's pet...a Telus animal brought home from work by Daddy....and he has been known as Charlie right from the beginning.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is such a mix of emotions for me. I am so grateful for my children and I feel so full of life and grateful when I hear them call my name. It is the best job in the world and I do not take one moment for granted with my three blessings.


...but there is also a sense of extreme sadness on the day that we are meant to honor our own mothers.


This is the fourth Mother's Day I have spent without my mom and it does not get any easier for me. I miss her to the core of my very being. She was such a giving and caring person; she never thought twice about sacrificing her own needs/wants for those of her two daughters. I would give anything to have just five more minutes with her to tell her how much I appreciated her and loved her.



I have been trying to talk to Shaylah about her Grandma and I am so saddened by the fact that she will never meet her. My mom had such a special bond with children and she always made a big fuss over the little people in her life. She constantly talked about how proud she was of her great-niece Faith and great-nephews Declan and Gabe (Jen's kids)....the closest she ever got to being the grandmother that she longed to be. Even after she had passed away, we found gifts for these special kids hidden away in her closet.

My mom was so supportive of me and made me believe I could do anything in life. She always had a way of making me feel better about myself, especially when I was feeling low.

With my mom in this world, I always knew I was loved. I miss the unconditional love that only a parent can give. I love you Mom!

Swinging

This is from a while ago, but I liked the picture. She wasn't really enjoying the swing this day.