Girls

My nieces are over today. I feel like I forgot how fun it was to take pictures of other kids besides my own. I forgot how much I love taking pictures of girls with their pigtails, skirts and leggings. I think kid photography is my favourite, especially as they play, and I hope one day to be able to do it a lot more.
ANI

Ani looks so much like her auntie Trisha did when she was little in the picture below. I think it helps that she has pigtails in because Trish had them for years:)

Two kids are napping and two are probably getting soaking wet playing with all the toys and the kiddie pool just outside the door. I should probably get out there before Kai soaks Ani.

Check out those eyes!

Week 5: Journey to Being Fit Again

I was so scared that I would gain weight this week. Gary has been gone all week AND I only worked out 5 days AND I had no football practice. I have decided that I am going to continue working out 6 days a week, even after the 10 weeks because:
a. I love it
b. I need it
c. I am making a new goal. My desire is to be pre-Kai weight before Koen turns 1. I don't want to lose any more than a total of 20 lbs because it would be too hard to maintain and besides, Gary likes a, um, how do you say it...`enough meat on the bones' type build. No skinny girl for him. Phew!

So, DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!!! This was a slow week, and I think it has to do with the above factors and because the last few weeks I lost about 1.5 lbs each. I wish I had a better number to post but...
Weight lost this week: 0.6 lbs (total of 6.4 lbs )
Body fat % lost this week: 0.1% (total of 1.2%)

I know I could've lost more if I had only been able to go on my long run yesterday but alas, I was stuck in the house with 2 sick kids. I did my work out video twice yesterday but I find I don't work up the same kind of sweat. Oh well, next week will just be a biggie! On a more positive note, I have totally improved my running time and am approaching my pre pregnancy time. I used to be able to run 5km in 27 minutes and now I'm at about 31 minutes...getting closer!

Kai. Such a character. He hasn't really learned anything new lately. Because he knows all his letters and can tell me how to spell a word if I sound it out, I thought he might like to learn how to write. He does not. He isn't into colouring and writing so I guess I won't push it. He liked it when we `played' math the other day. We were adding and subtracting cars and he asked if we could play math again the next day.

Kai REALLY loves it if you tell him stories. Loves the three little pigs. Loves anything you make up as long as there are a lot of his favourite things in it. Not so sure what he thought about auntie Jackie's made up story of Roberto Luongo as a kid growing up on the streets of Russia?!

(Julie-Ann, if you are reading this, this jacket is from your mom and it's so cute!)

Here's Chubs getting ready to go on a walk. I LOVE that he will sit quietly in the stroller. He loves looking around and will just drift off to sleep after about 45 minutes. I love walking so I'm so glad I can easily walk with the two of them. He is now in 12 month sleepers and just looks so big to me!

After the walk. He actually looks a bit like Kai here so maybe they have similar eyes and noses? A sleeping baby is just so precious. One reason I would want another baby is because they just grow up too fast. Especially Chapman babies, they just get too big, too fast so they don't look like babies (I know this is a healthy good thing by the way and that I am truly blessed with thriving babies). But ya, we are still 75% sure that our family is complete. Was I at 85% before? Hmmmmmm.....

I'm going to miss these pudgy little hands as he grows up. Aren't they just yummy?! I wish they would stay small and pudgy forever....but that would look strange:) I have to say that the nights this week have been absolutely terrible. He was up 4 times last night at least and two of those time were for dirty diapers....that shouldn't be happening at night anymore. I didn't feed him each time, I just rolled him over and walked out. I think. I have no idea. He does have a cold again (isn't a breastfed baby supposed to have a better immunity?!!!) which is probably while he was being cranky earlier this week and why he is up so much? I am utterly exhausted, especially because Gary is gone and I'm going it alone. I had a sister and bro-in-law come by on Tuesday so I could go on a run and even them just holding Koen made my life so much easier.

This is a Chicken Samosa Pie. If you love samosa's, you will love this. Gary made it for me before he left so I would have a few meals. That's one nice thing about a guy that cooks, I find a recipe and he makes it if I want!

PS There is a space for comments below:) You just click on the link and write something like `Mmm..that food looks good!' `I hope Koen sleeps better tonight!' `Hope you get a good run in this week!' `Chubs is cute'. So, if you don't know what to say, pick one! There are over 100 people who read this per day and generally just 2 comments. Hmmmmmm....

Airplane

Kai: Mommy, do you know how to drive an airplane?
Me: No, I don't know how.
Kai. Oh. Well, you can fly a paper airplane, right?

Kai was a good boy yesterday. Phew. He had a playdate with 2 other three year old boys and had a blast. Koen has been way more irritable than normal, even arching his back again after a feed which is so strange. It's not because of any solid foods either because he didn't want them a few days ago. My weigh in tomorrow is not going to be good. Gary being gone all week has meant that I'm `on' from 6am til 10pm with very little time to exercise. In other news, my dad got engaged. I was going to give a separate post but I don't have too much to say about it. I'm happy for him and Joanne. I'm glad that Joanne knew my mom (when they were all teenagers! My dad even dated Joanne when they were 15, before he dated my mom) and that she respects our feelings about our mom and isn't trying to replace her. I'm glad she said yes.

Freedom; The Overlapping Nap

Each day, I get the kids to nap at the same time so that I have an hour to blog or exercise. Ah, love it!!! We had a busy weekend. Friday, Gary took the kids to my game and even hand painted some signs. Bonus points to Gary! More bonus points for the Mother's Day post Gary wrote. I was surprised to open my blog and see something there that I didn't post!

Kai with his new friend Mandeep.

The huddle

They double rushed me the entire time which meant I couldn't run or do any hand offs and had to make a bunch of just really short plays.

I'm still really enjoying playing but its def. a little frustrating that we haven't had a win in a while.

`That way Mommy!'

Kai and I watching auntie Trish play some defense

Then, we went to Noah's 2nd birthday. Kai had a great time running around and eating pizza and cake. Terri, Noah's mom, just had her second boy via planned C-section so we're def. in the same `Two boys via C-section' club:)

Okay, I need to talk about each kiddo here.
KOEN
Oh boy. So, I've been keeping him up for 2 hours so that he goes longer than 2.5 hours between feeds. He now eats every 3 hours. Phew. He was sleeping from about 9pm until 4 am for about 3 weeks. However, he is now going to bed at 9pm and getting up at 12am, 3am, 5am and then 7am for the day. I've been feeding him because he's hungry. This has been going on for almost 2 weeks and I am tired!!! I can't nap (mentally I can't let myself sleep in the daytime because there is `so much to do').

(Koen eating Kai's hand. I had to bribe Kai to sit with Koen. He truly has showed no interest in him and asks my dad to take Koen to his house.)
I tried giving him some rice cereal as well as pears but he is not into it. It took Kai about a month to get into it so I will be patient. I know some people put rice cereal mixed with breast milk into a bottle but he won't take a bottle from me, only Gary. Did you know that a lot of rice cereal has skim milk in it? Not so good if he has milk allergies. I don't know if he does but me being off dairy has helped him. He was spitting up a lot this weekend but it could be that we forgot to give him his BioGaia drops OR its the new solid foods we are giving him. I just changed his 8th dirty diaper of the day, and its just 2pm. I think by now things should've slowed down in that department.

I was reading old posts and saw that Kai slept 7pm til 7am when he was about 6 months so I just have to wait 2 more months and hope that Koen is similar! Koen is a really easy baby to take anywhere. He doesn't fuss and if you are holding him, he will fall asleep without crying much at all. He is easily amused and loves to giggle and laugh with people.
It seriously seems as though Koen is yearning for Kai to care about him. One day.
KAI
So, not sure if this is the terrible two's all of a sudden or if this is what a three year old is like but ya, not pretty. I'd say that there were two days this week where I found him extremely annoying. He has behaved in ways that he knows are completely unacceptable. He says rude things to Gary and I and this morning, he slapped me in the face twice. He hasn't done that since he was 1.5 years old. Time outs generally work because he doesn't like being there but I'm thinking we may have to take it up a notch and take his best friend in the entire world, Bubi (the blankie) away for a certain period of time.

(Still being bribed to be even close to his brother)
I don't know if its jealousy or being over tired or what it could possibly be. We are trying to figure out the perfect amount of nap time for him. If he naps 2 hours, he's up til 9pm. If he doesn't nap, he is a monster. One hour, mini monster. I'm a little stressed because Gary is gone on a hiking trip. Between the lack of sleep and Kai driving me nuts, I'm not sure what is going to happen! Well, better wake Kai up so he actually sleeps tonight....

Happy Mothers Day

On the way into watching mommy play football this morning I asked Kai what he loved most about his mom. He said emphatically, "Sidewalk, she takes me on walks on the sidewalk". I know that he also means that he loves it when you sing with him, do your exercises together, write ketchup letters on his food, try to steal his bubbie, kiss his owies, make sure he is safe, walks to the mail box or the park, give him baths, tell him fun stories, answer his questions and then answer even more questions. Koen really loves how you always hold him, get up in the night to feed him, change his diaper, wash his poopy clothes, always smile at him, give him baths, place his need above your own, and how you have given and continue to give of your own body so his needs are met. By the way these are by no means an exhaustive list about why they love you. I love you because you are an amazingly loving mother who wants the very best for our kids just like the mothers we both know and love.



Happy Mother’s Day Mommy Bear.

Bridesmaid

Here are a couple pictures from Maria VT's (now Vberg) wedding in March, courtesy of Frances Eden Photography. How fun to be on the other side of the camera!

It was super chilly but tons of fun getting pictures taken.

Also, Kelly asked for some of my `fit tips'. I don't know what I can tell you but here are a few things that have worked for me so far:

1. I only drink water. No juice, pop, coffee etc.

2. Try to have no food after 8pm

3. Lots of apples and carrots for snacks:)

2. I work out 6 days a week and make sure to go on a nice long walk on the 7th day.

3. Each day is a different work out. I find cross training is best, that way you don't get bored of the same old and you work different muscles etc.

4. Workouts rotate between: team sport (football), running (I think this is THE best way to lose weight and get in shape, although, Gary would say weight lifting is), and work out video. I'm doing the 30-day shred video (as I know many others are) but I only do it 2-3 times a week. I do it on the days I'm stuck at home and Kai does it with me.

5. Good/comfortable athletic gear; I love my new Saucony runners, my yoga pants (from Costco), and dri fit shirts. If breastfeeding and running, probably 2 sport bras at once:) When running, I listen to music. I have the same old radio armband that my mom gave me 10 years ago. For running, I always have a route or distance or time planned before I go. I'm not allowed to do any less than what I decide on. Running is such a mental thing.

We'll see if I continue to lose weight. I def. feel much faster and running is much easier which is awesome. I'm just glad my clothes are fitting a little better now!

Have a good weekend all. Gary and the boys might watch my football game tomorrow...should be fun!!!

Three Years

Three years ago today, on a Sunday at 5pm, my mom went to heaven. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer in the fall of 2001 and had surgery, chemo and radiation. Then, in the fall of 2004, she was diagnosed with bone cancer. No cure. Average person lives 2 years. Very painful. Again she had chemo and radiation. She was supposed to be there for the birth of Kai, she said she'd be there til Christmas of 2006, but she died when I was 6 months pregnant. I was able to tell her I was having a boy. What an emotional moment that was. The first boy. Two days before she died, I told her what his name would be. Her eyes were closed but I got the feeling she thought `Kai' was a little too much of a weird name. She smiled at his middle name though....Deken.

Here my mom is with my cousin's baby about 6 months before she passed away. This picture is probably the hardest to look at of all of them because she loved babies. She had 5 of them. She wanted to be an oma. I WISH SHE COULD'VE MET MY BABIES. She wrote us a letter and in it she says she said she felt blessed to die slowly. She mourned the fact that she wouldn't meet her grandbabies (besides Maria's first daughter who was 3 months old). She felt bad about all the we and her would miss out on. HOwever, she said we have to treasure what we DO have, not what we don't. Here is a random assortment of pics, most are from the early 90's. I have hundreds of pictures of happy family memories but due to time constraints, I just randomly picked some.

Our last time all together at Green Lake.

In mom and dad's front yard

My UBC grad...mom had been diagnosed right before this.

Hawaii

Massage train

I used to come home from UBC once a month to do my laundry, eat yummy food, and then mom would drive me back and give me $20. I think I'm eating some of her fresh bread here:)

I can always picture my mom in the kitchen. She spent so much time there and LOVED baking. That was one place where she spent quality time with us growing up, we could help her bake and cook.

Out on the boat. Check out that waistline after having 5 kids!

Boat again...

Mom and dad on the West Coast trail. I think they did it 3 times together.

Mom and dad loved the outdoors and spent tons of time out on the water.

Whistler family walk

Wow, we were on that boat a lot! Dad always went just a bit to close to all the seals and sea lions.

I'm about 14 here, I loved playing with my mom's hair

Hawaii

Long beach? Dad, you look young!

Niagra falls (I was 13)

Newfoundland

Putting make up on my mom in Saskatchewan. My outfit was cool in 1992 okay?

Fishing in Bamfield...every summer. Trish, you loving all these pics of cute little you?

Newfoundland (we went across Canada one summer...a 6 week trip)

Please note that I'm carrying our video camera which is attached to the VCR. That's what they were like in 1992.

Mom and dad reading at the picnic table. Mom always read a ton on family vacations.

Mom baking with Trisha. Imagine if that was Kai instead of my sister Trish? If I had one wish, it would be that I could watch my mom with my kids. Just a minute of making Kokoes giggle and just one baking session with Kai. I wouldn't even have to talk to her, I would just want to see her being an oma to my kids. And I would take 10 billion pictures.

I have to say that the `C' word is not a hard word for me. The `M' word is hard. Mom. Do you know how many times people mention how their mom helped them out with their kids, they went out for lunch with their mom etc? WHY CAN'T MY MOM PLAY WITH MY KIDS? WHY CAN'T MY MOM SEE ME AS A MOM? Being a motherless mom is a sad thing. My mom would def. want me to cheer up and be a little more positive so, ya, I truly am thankful for all I have.

One of the reasons I blog so much is because if something ever happens to me, I want my kids to know how loved they were. I want them to know what their childhood was like. I loved my childhood but there are a lot of questions I can no longer ask. Dads just don't have the same memories as moms. See you one day mom. I hope that we know who our family is when we are in heaven.