Only Daddy Works?

Today while putting Naomi to bed for her nap, the following conversation took place:

Me: "OK, Naomi, time to go in your bed."

Naomi: "You sit in my chair beside me?"

Me: "No sweetheart, Mommy has do go do some work around the house..."

Naomi: "No Mommy. You don't work. Only Daddy works! You stay home with me. You don't go to work like Daddy"



Yes, my sweet girl. You are right. Every day I count it as a privilege to be at home with you. I am so lucky and blessed to be at home and be a mommy to you and Nathan. The best "job" in the world.

3 month old boy

My dearest Nathan,

Today marks your official 3 month birthday. In some ways it feels like you just came home and in other ways it is hard to remember what life was like without you. You are such a joy to have in our family. Everyone told me that my second baby could never be as calm as the first, but you have proven them all wrong. You are even more easy going than your sister was as a baby.
You are such a wonderfully content little boy. I am so lucky! You love to lay in your swing and watch your sister play. You get so excited when she comes into your view. You love being snuggled, but I am learning that you also need time to yourself just to lay and play.

Your sister is so in love with having you around. She always wants to hold you and help me take care of you. She likes to call you "Nathe", which I think is cute. Hopefully it will stick. It is my hope that the two of you will be close siblings and always look out for each other.

You love your bath time! As soon as we put you in the water you are smiling from ear to ear. You get so excited that you splash water all over the bathroom, and who ever is bathing you is nearly as wet as you are by the time the bath is over :) I love the way the top of your head smells after you come out of the bath and how you always need to eat as soon as you are dressed, even if you have just eaten before you went in.

Sleeping is going well. Most nights you fall asleep by 10 pm and are up around 3 am for a quick feeding and then you go right back to sleep and often sleep till 7 or 8! All I can say is "thank-you"!
You and Daddy have a special relationship. Your biggest smiles are always reserved for him. You love to lay beside him and tell him all about your day when he gets home from work. Your daddy is so proud of you and loves dream about the things you will do together one day.

Nathan, you are an amazing son. Even in your few months of life you have blessed me and your daddy so much. I love you. I am lucky to be your mommy, and I am eagerly anticipating all that we will share together as you grow up to be a wonderful young man.

Love Mommy

Summer Days...

I had every intention of blogging more often than I have in the last month. We have had such a wonderful summer, filled with so much fun and HOT weather :) We have so many picture that it would take far to long to post then each individually so I opted for collages instead.
(Click on any collage to expand it and have a closer look if you like.)

Our adventures included...

A week long vacation at a cabin on Cultus Lake with Ron's family.

The August long weekend camping with my family in Hope.

The rest of these summer days have been spent enjoying time together with our family.

6 years

It's amazing to see how far we have come.....
From this.......
And all this...

To yesterday....
And for everyday to come....
I love you with all my heart and I am so proud to be your wife. These last 6 years have been a joy to share with you.
"When things are changing all around us
and the world seems too fast,
don't forget I'll be right beside you, loving you.
What I feel for you is deep, total, and enduring-
a love you can count on without ever having to wonder.
So when you look ahead to the future
or look back at how things used to be,
don't forget to look beside you,
because that's where you'll find me,
loving you with all my heart." (unkown)

Baby K'tan Rave

I am completely new to the whole "baby wearing" world.
When Naomi was born I borrowed a conventional carrier (Baby Bjorn) and just used it for quick trips into the mall. She did not like it at all when she was a newborn and so I only ended up using it a few times when she was old enough to face forward. She is a solid little girl and soon she was just to heavy to carry in the Bjorn so I stuck with the stroller. I really wished that I could have carried her longer.
When we found out that we were expecting Nathan, (who arrived 3 weeks ago), I knew that I would need my hands free as much as possible in order to still care for my active two year old and take care of the house. I researched a lot of carriers but I found that most were not as versatile as I would have liked. Since money is always a little tight I knew that the carrier I bought would have to last more than a few months or it could be a waste. After much debate and chatting with those who know more about baby wearing than I do I decided to order the Baby K'tan

I am defiantly not an expert on baby carriers but I LOVE the Baby K'tan. It can be used from birth to 40 lbs and has 8 different carrying positions. So I know I will be able to use it for a long time. Right now I am using the cradle position with Nathan since he is only three weeks old, but I can't wait to try out the other positions soon. Check out their website for more info and even an instructional video for how to use it.
I like that it is made of cotton and does not have any buckles or snaps to worry about. They also have a line of carriers that are made of completely organic cotton. There are lots of colors to choose from and you can even customize your K'tan. I also like that it comes in different sizes so that the fit is better. Most of the other carriers I looked at did not offer as much versatility as the Baby Ktan, and often felt really small for my plus size body.

The first time I put Nathan in the K'tan I knew I would be using it a lot. He felt SO secure in the cradle position and it was SO comfortable.
I anticipate using the Ktan a lot since the infant car seat gets really heavy after a while, especially with a big boy:). I have already carried Nathan around the house while I am doing chores and I even wore him at Ron's softball game this past week. I am looking forward to many more opportunities to use this great carrier in the months and years to come.

The Story of Nathan

In honor of Nathan's one week birthday I thought I had better update the blog with his birth story. If you missed the events leading up to last friday you can read about them by scrolling down.
Last Thursday was a nice day spent with just me and Naomi. We went to storytime at the local library, had McDonalds for lunch, and shared lots of hugs and snuggles. During her nap I got a call from the maternity ward at ARH (click on the link to see pictures of the new hospital) and they told me that my section was scheduled for 9:15 on Friday morning and that we should be at the hospital at 8:00. That evening Ron's parents brought us dinner and we spent the evening together, just the three of us. Around 8:00 we dropped Naomi off at my parents house again and gave her lots of hugs and kisses. It was hard to believe that my baby girl would be a big sister the next day.
Ron and I had a great night sleep, although both of us were feeling nervous and excited.
On Friday morning we woke up and headed to the hospital. When we got there the nurses were saying that every room in the maternity ward was full. It had been a very busy night:). They got me all ready for surgery and took us down the hall to the OR. While we were waiting we met with our surgon (Dr. Goswami) and she assured us that everything would be fine and had us sign some concent forms.
At 9:15, as scheduled, I was wheeled into the OR for my spinal. Unfortunalty, it did not work and I had to be put under general anisthetic, just like when Naomi was born.
Then finally after the months of waiting, Nathan Henry Klassen made his entrance into the word at 9:56am on Friday, May 22, 2009. Ron was able to see him right away and watch the nurse weigh and measure him. Everyone was suprised to hear how heavy he was. 11 lbs 5 oz and 23 inches long! A beautiful baby boy!

I woke up in recovery and soon was transfered to our room. Ron was waiting for me and told me that Nathan was in the NICU. Nathan was having trouble maintaining his blood sugar levels because he was such a big baby. As soon as I could I asked Ron to bring me to the NICU to see our son.


When I first saw him my inital reaction was that he looked a lot like Naomi did when she was first born. It was so nice to finally see him and hold him in my arms. The nurses had tried to give him an IV 4 times, but they couldn't get it in because he is so chubby. Instead they inserted a feeding tube in his nose so that they could constantly feed him formula to keep his blood sugars regulated.
I got up every 4 hours for the next day and night to go visit him and nurse him. He nursed really well right away, but was not getting enough since my milk had not come in yet. The nurses tested him by taking blood from his heel every few hours. His sugars thankfully stayed at proper levels.
After 24hrs in the NICU our little buddy was finally able to join us in our room. It was so nice to have him so close by. Just before he came to our room Nathan got so frusterated with having the tape on his face he pulled out his feeding tube and it left a huge red mark on his cheek. Although he was nursing well he still needed a topup of formula after each feed, and he eagarly gobbled this down every few hours.

We enjoyed many visitors during the next day, but the most special momment was when Naomi got to meet her little brother. It was so wonderful to see how gentle and loving she was towards him. She just held his hand and kept saying "Hi, Hi" in a quiet voice. We asked her if she wanted to sing a song for Nathan and she said yes. Then she sang "Jesus loves me" without any prompting from us.

Ron and I both missed her so much while we were in the hospital. She seemed so indepedant when she came to visit us and didn't seem upset about spending the weekend with Opa and Oma. In fact it was quite the opposite. She just kept saying that she wanted to have a sleepover at Omas house. We know she was well taken care of and obviously had a wonderful time.
The next evening we got the ok to go home. We packed up all our things and our precious "little" son and began our new life as a family of four.


Things have been going well since we got home. He has been up for a few hours every night except for last night, but sleeps well durring the day. Even when Naomi is playing her recorder right by his bassinet:) He is now completely on breastmilk and does not need any formula. This is such an answer to prayer, because I was worried that he would not nurse well after getting used to having a full tummy of formula. So far he is nursing like a champ and no longer needs to have the formula to feel full.
Naomi is adjusting well and really seems to love her little brother. She is loving having her daddy home to play with all day and all the extra attention.
We have been so blessed by our families. They have come to visit every day and taken turns bringing us dinner every night since we have been home. Thankyou, we love you all!

I love my little family so much and I am enjoying each day with them. I think this post is definalty long enough. If you have read all the way to the end "thank-you", and if you just stoped by for the pictures "thanks" also :) I just had to get this all down to preserve my memories since the days have a way of running into each other and I don't want to forget all the little details of my little mans big day.

The best laid plans....

Last weekend turn out to be SO different than the one we had planned. Talk about toying with a pregnant woman's emotions!
It all started last Thursday at my normal doctor's appointment. My blood pressure was up, but thankfully not dangerous, so I was sent to the hospital for a Non-stress test. (Basically checking baby's heart rate, movement and my blood pressure). The results of this test were that my blood pressure was still up so they had the lab come up to do some blood work. The nurses at the hospital called the doctor with my results and he said to come in again on Saturday and if my BP was still up I should be prepared to have a C-section that day. So, I went home and told Ron the plan and we prepared to have a baby on Saturday. It seemed like perfect timing. My parents were talking Naomi for the long weekend, and Ron would be home all the following week.
I got a call that afternoon to go see my doctor the next morning because they found white blood cells in my urine which indicated an infection of some sort.
Friday morning Ron stayed home from work and I went to the doctors to see what the diagnose was. Bladder infection! All the pressure and discomfort I had been feeling was not Braxon Hicks but rather this silly bladder infection. They put me on antibiotics and I began to feel a lot better, even after only a few doses.
That night my parents took us out for dinner to Greek Island and then took Naomi to their house for the night so that we could relax and be at the hopstial early the next morning.

Saturday morning came and we both felt such peace about the whole situation. We knew that in a few hours we would be parents again and life would be forever changed. We got up to the maternity ward and checked in. They hooked me up to the machines for another NST, and this time my BP was great. In fact it was the lowest it had been in months! I attribute it all to those who were praying for us and the peace that passes all understanding from God above.
The doctor came in to chat with us about the options. I had wanted a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean) from the beginning and therefore had not scheduled a C-section. He said that he wanted to give us every opportunity to have a natural birth if possible, however we could also just give the word and it would be a C-section, so he suggested we talk to the obstetrician.
The obstetrician went over all the risks of a section and had us sign some forms. She was not able to do the surgery that day, and she could not justify a c-section before my due date. She told us that her next available OR time was for Friday May 22. I was disappointed. Although a C-section was not my first choice, by this time I had accepted the fact that this was how it was going to be. When she said that I would have to wait nearly another whole week I could not help but get upset. She told us that her office would contact us to confirm about what time on Friday early the next week.
So, we headed home with all our bags still packed and an empty car seat. We had a nice lunch together and then picked up Naomi from my parents place. We enjoyed the rest of our long weekend with friends and even took Naomi down to White Rock to play in the sand and water. She had a fabulous time.


On Monday I got a call from the obstetrician's office and they told me that Friday was full, so I was an add-on for the following Monday (May 25th), but they couldn't guarantee that it would happen that day. Talk about frustrating!!! I was so sick and tired of hearing, "Well, it MIGHT happen", or "If there are no emergencies before you..." Ahhh! All I want is to have this baby already.
The hospital called on Tuesday morning and asked me to come in on Wednesday morning for my pre-op appointment to go over things for my "possible" section on Monday.
So today I headed to my appointment and answered all the questions and had even more blood work done. Just as I was leaving the obstetrician popped her head into the office and told me that one of the women who was scheduled for Friday just had her baby. So that meant that I went from "possibly Monday" to for sure on Friday!
I am waiting for the hospital to call me tomorrow to tell me what time I have to come in on Friday, but at least I know that by the weekend we will be a family of four!
Sorry this post got so long, I really wanted to get down all the details for my own memories. If you don't hear from in in a while, rest assured it is because I am enjoying my newest baby and trying to recover.

Anxious Anticipation

These are the last few days of being the mom of one. I'm nervous about the adjustment. My mind is filled with so many questions: Will I be able to handle being the mom of two? Will Naomi get enough attention once baby comes? Will she act out? What will I do if they both need me at the same time? How will I ever get anything done around the house with two beautiful children to care for? Is is possible to love another child as much as I love Naomi? How will this labour/delivery/recovery be? I guess the best way to describe how I am feeling is anxious. Anxious for the birthing process, anxious to meet this new little one, anxious about the adjustment time. Just plain anxious.
With Naomi, I was already in the hospital at this point in the pregnancy getting my labour induced, and I am NOT eager to repeat that process. I feel like I am in "uncharted territory". I have more of the "typical" end of pregnancy symptoms than I did with Naomi, including LOTS of Braxton Hicks contractions. I hope that these are a good sign that I will go into labour on my own and avoid induction. According to the doctors a spontaneous start to labour gives me the best chance to have a VBAC and avoid another C-section. Pray with me that this will be the case, please.
Ron has been the sweetest husband throughout this pregnancy and I know that he is nervous about the transition to a family of four. I think its because we have the memories of Naomi's birth as our only reference point and that experience was anything but typical. I keep trying to remind myself that it likely won't be worse than it was with Naomi and we were able to survive that, so therefore we'll make it through, right? I know everything will work out fine, but I can't help but wonder, how?

Croup and Cancellations

Last night we had our first middle of the night trip to the emergency with Naomi! She woke up gasping for air and barking like a seal. Yup, that's right, she has croup. We got to the emergency at 3am and got home around 6am. They gave her medication and hopefully she will is on the mend now. It was SO scary to hear Naomi struggling to breathe and coughing so hard. I was SHOCKED by how fast it came on. She was fine when she went to bed, just a little runny nose, and then had full blown croup 5 hours later. Is this normal?
Ron and I had planned a trip this weekend to the States for a last getaway before baby comes, but I guess our plans have changed. I have to admit that I am a little disappointed because I know now that the next trip for just the two of us will be a LONG time from now. To make up for these changed plans I think we are going to us this weekend to make some memories with just the three of us, starting with a nice walk at White Rock this evening.
__________________________________________________
Thanks so much for all of you who have already put in your guesses for our newest addition. I have had so much fun reading your guesses. For those of you who are still deciding It's not to late if you still want to put your guess in. I will close the guesses on April 30 just to make it fair for everyone. (PS that is also the day your taxes are due, just in case you forgot)

Two

Our Dearest Naomi,

We can still remember the day of your birth so clearly. Although it is hard to believe that you were ever this small.

You have had me and your Daddy wrapped around your finger from the first moment. Each day that you have been with us has been wonderful and a treasure. Your first year of life flew by as we adjusted to being parents for the first time. You have been training us well :) and we are so privileged to be your parents. We could not ask for a better daughter.
Your second year has been an adventure. You have grown up SO much in this last year. You amaze us everyday with your newest words and talents. We are so proud of you Naomi! Our hearts are filled to overflowing as we watch you learn and explore the world around you.

You are a loving and kind girl, with the perfect amount of independence and spunk. We know that you are going to turn out to be a fantastic adult one day. Yet, for now, please stay a little girl for a while longer, you are growing up to fast. We are enjoying this life with you every day.

Happy 2nd Birthday darling.
Love,
Mommy and Daddy

My Funny Valentine

Words can't express how much I love this little girl. She makes me laugh every day! You are the best daughter we could ever ask for, and we love you more than you will ever know! You are growing up so fast! It seems like only a short while ago you were an infant and now those days seem so long gone. My heart is filled with thankfulness to God every day when I see your beautiful face. We are blessed beyond measure and will always remember that you are the most precious gift from God. Happy Second Valentines Day Naomi!

I'm Back

I'm Back! I suppose my last post could have been titled Blog Hiatus. Life has just taken over, between the general busyness of life and all of us being sick for the last month blogging has fallen to the back burner. When I did have a minute to sit at the computer I would check all of your blogs, and try to comment, but when I thought of coming up with a post I lost all my motivation!
I hope some of you are still checking in and I have not lost my 3 regular readers:)
I'm glad to report that we seem to all be feeling much better these days. Naomi had a month long cold complete with major coughing, runny nose, sore throat, sleepless nights, and a general miserable feeling. I caught the cold from Naomi and then got the stomach flu on top of it all! It was AWFUL!
Potty Training is still on my mind, but has not made it back into the daily schedule. I plan to start again next Monday, since I am working a few days this week and I don't think its fair to ask my dad to deal with wet pants and worse. Naomi still seem interested in the potty and when she sees her panties she picks them up and says "potty". I hope this try will be more successful than last time. Any one who has any advice on how to make this process easier feel free to leave a comment.

A Backward Glace at 2008

I suppose New Years day would not be complete without a look back at the year that has past. Here is a brief recap of the last year.

January 08 - We said "goodbye for now" to my Opa. It is hard to believe that it has been an entire year that he has been gone. We still miss him, and I am sure we always will. The family just does not seem complete without him around.


February 08 - Our little girl got to celebrate her first Valentines Day. The love we have for her is hard to put into words.


March 08 - Naomi turns ONE! She was so sick on the day of her party, but she was a trooper. We had a great day celebrating with lots of family and friends.


April 08 - I was working full time in Langley for BDO and Naomi was being cared for by our dear friend Victoria.


May 08 - I am back at home full time with Naomi and loving every momment.


June 08 - Naomi fell and got her first stiches. Right in the middle of her forehead! Thankfully the scar is almost completely gone.


July 08 - We went on our annual Klassen family trip to Penticton at the begining of the month and our annual Penner family trip to Hope at the end of the month. We had a great time enjoying our time together.



August 08 - We celebrated our 5 year anniversary with a wonderful weekend getaway.


September 08 - Naomi is 18 months old, and we find out that our family of three will soon be a family of four. Baby #2 is on the way!


October 08 - Our days are filled with reading books together and playing with toys. Naomi loves to dance and listen to music. For halloween Naomi dressed up as the cutest little ladybug around.


November 08 - I participated in NaBloPoMo this month and I have still not recovered :). My niece Kayla turned one and now the girls are playing together more.


December 08 - Two words : Chirstmas and Snow!