Still No Pictures...

But an update, nonetheless! We still haven't gotten our computer fixed, so I have no idea when I'll be able to post some pictures! We'll be taking lots this weekend (Thanksgiving) and I might have access to another computer I can put them up on, so hopefully it won't be too much longer:)

I don't feel like anything terribly new or exciting is happening around the Wagenaar household these days. These last couple of weeks we've all been able to slow down, and have had quite a few relaxing evenings at home together, enjoying our wonderful wood fireplace:) I absolutely love this time of year, when the weather is cooling (but still tolerable;), the leaves are changing, and there's that wonderful 'autumn smell' in the air. I feel so blessed and filled with joy when Lyndon, Kallie and I are all cozied in for the night, just spending time together, with the fire blazing:)

I'm now 7 months pregnant! In some ways, I can't believe I'm so far along, it feels like time has flown. But there are times (that are getting closer and closer together) that I feel like I should be at the 9 month mark!:) I know these last couple of months will fly by, we have lots to get done around the house including renovating our basement, tiling our front entrance, and putting the nursery together! Plus, one of my best friends, Kat, is coming to visit us in November. Lots of things to look forward to and keep us busy until December rolls around:) Our baby is so incredibly active, I find it unbelievable how much movement is going on, CONSTANTLY! And I've got lots of energy and have been feeling pretty good lately, so I guess my 3rd trimester is my best:) I'm thankful I feel like I can truly enjoy my pregnancy for at least part of it:) Kallie loves her little sibling, she's always kissing and hugging my belly, and talking about what she'll do with 'her' baby once they arrive:) Lyndon and I are really looking forward to seeing Kallie in the role of big sister:)

Lyndon and I went away two weeks ago for an 'adults only' weekend;) His parents took Kallie from Thursday to Sunday, and we went with friends down to Milwaukee for a concert (which was amazing!) and some R&R:) We'd both been so busy for the month leading up to the trip, that it was really an incredible time to reconnect and nurture our marriage. We felt so refreshed and content afterwards, I'm so thankful we went. And so thankful for Oma and Opa, who showed Kallie such a great time that she didn't even mention us ONCE the entire time we were gone;)

We're spending Thanksgiving with my family this weekend, which we're all really looking forward to! And I get to see some of my closest friends which is always great:) Kallie's so excited to see Grandma, Grandpa, and Auntie Dana, she's been telling everybody about it all week:)

Hope you all enjoy a Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!!!

Giving Birth...

So last week I posted a status on FB that got all sorts of comments:) I didn't mean for it to become so secretive, but we've been looking into different birthing options, and until we had more information and had talked to our families, I didn't want to say too much.

SO...the big consideration right now, is home birth! A couple of you guessed it right away (because you're home birthers yourselves, or pretty darn close;) The reason we're looking into it, primarily, is because I was really unhappy with the way my hospital birth with Kallie went (induction, immobility, rude medical personnel, etc.). A couple of weeks ago I watched some home birthing videos on You Tube and was in awe of how beautiful it was to see women labouring and giving birth in their most comfortable surroundings. Obviously birth is just as awe-inspiring in a hospital, it doesn't matter where a baby is born, but after I saw those videos, I felt a strong yearning for the same experience. I also have a few friends who have had home births, and they had amazing experiences.

Lyndon is much more wary of the whole idea, so I had a very in-depth discussion with one of my midwives on Tues. about it, and got some great information. For those of you who don't know much about home birth (like me before last week!) and think that the 'midwife shows up with a kitchen fork to deliver your baby' (thanks Natalie for that perspective;), I was quite surprised to find out how medically prepared a home birth is. And that statistically, the risks of a hospital birth vs. a home birth are the SAME in AMOUNT, but different in NATURE. I have done lots of research, and as far as risks go, with a normal, healthy pregnancy (which you're already screened as, as a midwife client) there isn't a lot to worry about. It would take too long to write down everything I've learned in the last week, but it is very fascinating:)

At this point, we don't know what we're going to do. One of the things I love most about having a midwife is the empowerment. Ultimately, the decision is ours, and there's no rush to set things in stone. We could decide on a home birth and then an hour into labour change our minds, and that's absolutely fine. What's most important to me is being able to labour at home, in a comfortable setting and comfortable clothing, for as long as possible. I think we might do that and then go to the hospital for the actual birth. The midwife suggested if that is our choice, to have everything set up at home for the possibility of birth, just in case things progress faster than we thought. We have support from our families and friends as far as doing what we think is best for our family, which is a huge blessing:)

I also realize that with a midwife this time, a hospital birth would be a completely different experience than last time. This is encouraging, I know that either way it will be a positive experience. Right now we're weighing our options, occasionally discussing it, and praying about it. Ultimately, I know we'll find the best fit for both of us, and will welcome our beautiful baby into this world in the setting we choose:)

I've gotten really great information and advice (thanks again, Natalie:) and would love to hear any other experiences or thoughts on the topic. And as a disclaimer...if we do birth at home, Kallie will not be in the house, and definitely NOT witnessing the birth of her sibling:) I have no desire to subject my toddler to something that traumatic!!!

So, there ya go, that's what we've been thinking about:) Secret's out!

What's Been Going On...

Well, the first thing is that our computer crashed, and we're in the process of *hopefully* recovering everything (pictures, videos, business paperwork, etc!) off of it! We have a new computer, a Mac, which Lyndon is thrilled about...and I'm slowly learning how to use:) So, I haven't been on the internet much, and we'll say that's one of the major reasons it's been so long since an update;) Also, I have no pictures on this computer yet (we just set it up last night), so hopefully soon I'll be able to post pics.

The MAJOR thing that has happened in our household lately is that Kallie Paige is COMPLETELY potty-trained! We started the first week of August, and w/in a week and a half, we were totally done! I've been talking to a lot of parents about it lately, and it seems that we had a somewhat rare p/t experience. Kallie had about 4 accidents in the first week of training, and since then, hasn't had one. About a week ago we started taking her out in just panties (no pull-up, she always kept it dry but we were paranoid) and she's still accident free. I don't ever have to ask her or check...no matter what she's doing, playing, eating, swimming, she'll come up to me and tell me she has to pee. Or at home, she just goes all by herself, half the time without us even knowing! She goes poop on the potty too, at first it was with a little hesitance, but now it's just as easy as her going pee! I'm very thankful it was this easy...I can tend to be a bit lazy when it comes to stuff like this, and so it was really great that we didn't have to work that hard at it:)

I know she might still regress, but for the time being it seems to be cemented, and she has a good 3 months before baby comes to make it even more permanent, so right now we're celebrating!!!:)

Other news with us:

Baby is doing GREAT:) So incredibly active, and I just love it! Anytime I rest, even if just for a couple of minutes, I'm completely entertained by wiggles, kicks and turns:) I just love having a baby in there!

I spent the weekend a couple of weeks ago in Kamloops B.C. with my mom's side of the family, celebrating my Grandpa. He passed away in early July, and we had a memorial for him in Kamloops. It was an amazing weekend filled with family and memories. I'll be doing a post about my Grandpa and the weekend later, but I want to add pictures, so I have to wait:)

Lyndon and I are celebrating 5 years of marriage this Friday:)! I can't believe how fast time flies by! My sister is also coming to visit this weekend, so we're seizing the opportunity and leaving Kallie with her auntie Dana Saturday night for us to go to dinner and a movie:) And then our big celebration is a trip to Milwaukee later this month with friends of ours, to see the 'Kings of Leon' concert! We're both SO excited! They're one of our favourite bands (which is very rare for us to agree on music;), and we're leaving Kallie with her Oma and Opa from Thursday to Sunday, for a child-free weekend before we're a family of four:) We'll be stopping in Minneapolis along the way, so I'm looking forward to some good shopping too:)

Lyndon has been working like crazy lately, so we haven't seen much of each other. It's that time of year for carpenters:) We're both really looking forward to having a date this weekend, and I'm so glad we're going away for those few days so he can have a real break!

Summer is over! I'm back to full-time daycare, which on day two is already proving to be a bit exhausting, but I think once we all get into the swing of things, it'll be a lot easier!

I think that's all, hope you've had a great summer!!!

Baby Update!!!

We had our first ultrasound a week and a half ago, and it went great:)! Baby was facing in, so they couldn't get a good shot of the heart, but they could see everything else, and it looked perfect! Baby's measuring a bit big (but still in the 'normal' range), but Lyndon and I expect no less considering we're not the smallest people;) Kallie was a nine pounder...I'm sure her sibling will follow suit:)

Because they didn't get a good shot of the heart, we had a second ultrasound re-scheduled for today, which I was excited about...I love getting to see our baby so much:) Where we got our ultrasound done has a 3D ultrasound machine, so we got some amazing pictures of baby's face! It made me cry...so beautiful to see our little baby in there!:)


I've been feeling a bit better lately, but still not myself. My mom's been in town all week, which has been a HUGE help! She's folded every piece of clothing we own, cleaned and cleaned and cleaned some more, and of course, spent lots of time with Kallie! Thanks so much mom, it means so much to me to have you here, I love you! And my dad arrives today, so I'm looking forward to a great weekend filled with lots of family fun:)

Baby is SUPER active! Kallie wasn't very active at all, but this one is just constantly wiggling around in there. It's really fun:) Lyndon has felt the baby move once, but it's still mostly deeper down so only I can feel it.

I can't wait to meet our little one! Thank goodness we're over half-way there!

Encouraged

I don't like using the blog as a complaining outlet...so I'll be brief with the first part of this post.

I've been having a rough time. Because I am really sick throughout my whole pregnancy, I don't experience that 'great' second trimester (in either pregnancy) where you apparently have more energy and feel better. And I know I'm not the only one this happens to...but that doesn't really make it any better;) So for me, these are nine long months of feeling like garbaggio on a daily basis. I hit a wall a few weeks ago where I fell apart, and after talking to my dietitian last week, realized I've been in a bit of a depression because of it. One of the biggest things I struggle with is forgetting that I'm NOT ACTUALLY LIKE THIS!!! I WILL BE NORMAL AGAIN!!! I'm not lazy and exhausted all the time, and I don't normally want to cry just b/c the dishwasher has to be unloaded:)

SO...last week, I got a huge blessing! I woke up Thursday morning, feeling FANTASTIC! Like, completely normal! No nausea, no fatigue, no sadness or anxiety (something else I sometimes struggle with in pregnancy)! I had a completely productive day, did all my paperwork for daycare that had been weighing me down and overwhelming me, made a delicious dinner (if I do say so myself;), and was just able to enjoy my day. It was exactly what I needed, not only to get stuff done, but as a real reminder of how I will be able to function in 20 weeks from now (minus sleep deprivation;). I was so thankful for that day! (and posted it on my FB status:)

I woke up Friday not feeling as good physically, but still being in better spirits. And then I received this message from one of my best friends:

Subject line: God is GOOD

Hey Lauren,

I just felt really compelled to write you today and let you know how GREAT God is. I was so excited yesterday when I read that you had had such a great day and had felt SO good and I wanted to let you know that yesterday morning I had prayed a really specific prayer for you asking God to give you a great day yesterday, that you would not feel sick or anxious or tired but that you would feel great and really have a chance to enjoy your pregnancy with no worries and I am SO glad that God answered. It just reveals to me once again how much He cares for us and loves us and hears our prayers and answers them. I hope you are continuing to have a great day today and that you are able to enjoy the weekend with your family as well.

Love you and miss you.
Kat

Isn't that AWESOME!?!?! Kat is a total prayer warrior, and I'm very thankful to have such an amazing friend:) And an amazing God who answers those prayers! I am human, and my illness in pregnancy is something I have to deal with, but God won't give me more than I can handle, and gave me that day at exactly the right time!

So, I'm encouraged!:) Each day since is looking better!!!

Hope you have a great weekend!

No Pictures--I'm LAME!

So, I've decided I'm the worst documenter (not a word, I know) when it comes to PICTURES!!! I don't take nearly enough, and I'm not totally sure why. Laziness? Dislike? Not a good photographer? Probably a combination of all these plus some others. So, sigh, no pictures with this post, even though we had a great Canada Day with family and friends, and some great photo ops. Oh well.

So, life has been normal around here. Daycare is slowing down for me now, with the summer holidays. Which is quite nice:) And it was great having a day off in the middle of the week! We had friends over for a yummy potluck lunch (which lasted about 4 hours...GREAT visiting!), and then had a BBQ with Lyndon's family in the evening to celebrate Canada Day and an auntie's birthday. Kallie has SO much fun with her cousins and it's just awesome spending time with so much family. Both of Lyndon's parents come from really big families, and a lot of them live here. We had a blast visiting, eating, jumping on the trampoline (well, Kallie did...she's a little obsessed:), and just spending time with family.

We were supposed to head over to Lyndon's parent's new house to watch the fireworks that night (they have an AMAZING view of Lake Superior and the Marina where the fireworks were), but Kallie ended up crashing before nine, so I stayed home with her. Turned out to be a good thing, b/c I was out by 9:30:) And getting up the next morning was STILL tough...pretty sure I would've just died if I'd been out past midnight;) Having said that though, I am disappointed that I missed more visiting and hanging out, Lyndon said it was a really great time!

We have a super jam-packed weekend planned, which should be lots of fun:)

Tonight we're going over to our friends for dinner and to have a fire in their backyard, visit, and the boys are going to work on their precious kayak:) Then Saturday morning we're meeting friends for breakfast, going to the Farmer's Market, and then Saturday afternoon we're heading down to Grand Marais with lots of family and friends for the 4th of July festivities and fireworks (I think that was the most words starting with 'f' I've ever written in a sentence;).

Sunday morning Lyndon, Kallie and I are heading out to Duluth, where we'll most likely meet up with my friend Laura and her family, and also have a mini-family vacation for the day. We're staying overnight in Duluth, and then Lyndon and Kallie are dropping me off at the airport there at 4 AM!!! to catch a plane to Colorado Springs! I'm going to visit my best friend from middle/high school, who was also one of the maids of honour (along with my sister) at our wedding. We haven't seen each other SINCE THEN (almost 5 years!) so I'm extremely excited to be spending a whole week with her! Oh, and did I mention I'm going BY MYSELF!!?!?!?! I'm very much looking forward to time to myself, but honestly, slightly terrified that I will miss Kallie so much it'll be a little unbearable. Ok, dramatic, yes. But moms, you know what I'm talking about! A full week away from your munchkin...that's a LONG time! I know Kallie will be in great hands between Lyndon and his mom here...she probably won't even notice I'm gone (not true, but I'm telling myself that:) She loves being with her Oma and Daddy so much, and both of them are SO excited about having her all to themselves for the week, that I'm sure everything will go great.

So that's what's happening with us...I get back next Saturday, I'm taking my camera, so I'm going to work on the picture-taking thing!

Have a great weekend!

Pregnancy Update and the Last Few Weeks

Well, today marks 16 weeks and 1 day of pregnancy! It's definitely flying by now. From about 5-10 weeks, I felt as though time was actually standing still, and since then, I'm not quite sure where the time has gone!

I'm really enjoying being pregnant for a second time. I find it so interesting to compare my pregnancies, and I just feel so much more prepared this time around. My pregnancies have been completely different in some regards, and in others, exactly the same. Those of you who have known me through both (or have heard the horror stories;) know that in general, I don't do pregnancy well. In that way, it's been very similar. I get EXTREME morning sickness when I'm pregnant (it's actually a specific condition that occurs in 1% of pregnancies, and I'm lucky enough to be in that 1%. And while that's a ridiculously low percentage, if you think about how many women are pregnant around the world each year, that's A LOT of women dealing with it!) Anyways, where it's been different, is that with Kallie, I had no idea what was coming, and so landed in the hospital for a week and was on heavy medications to control it, whereas at the very first sign of illness this time, I got on Diclectin (a prescription medication specifically for nausea in pregnancy) and it's made all the difference. With Kallie, I went on it, but it was too little too late. This time, at 6 weeks I was on the maximum dosage (triple the amount of the regular dose) and while I was still throwing up a couple times a day and dealing with constant nausea, it wasn't nearly as bad as before (but you can imagine what would have happened if I wasn't on the medication!). I also seem to be in the lucky 20% for whom morning sickness lasts the whole pregnancy, but with Kallie I was only throwing up once a day into my 8th month, so the Diclectin managed it very well. And already, I'm not throwing up every day (but when I missed ONE dose of diclectin...the next day was awful!) so I'm very hopeful that in the next couple of months I might be able to wean myself off of the diclectin! I'm very thankful for it, but one of the side effects is fatigue/tiredness, and on top of just being pregnant, it's a little difficult to deal with!

Ok, sorry for the whining...I have definitely been feeling sorry for myself lately, I'm just ready to stop feeling nauseous and tired ALL THE TIME!!! I'm a wimp, what can I say?;) BUT, and this is a big BUT, I have friends and different people I know who have been struggling with conception and miscarriage, and I don't ever want to take my pregnancy, and this baby, for granted. We got pregnant very easily, and so far, other than sickness, I've had a great pregnancy. No worries, no stress, we heard a strong heartbeat at 14 weeks, and are so excited for an ultrasound in about another 4 weeks. I feel so incredibly blessed to be expecting this sweet little one, and it frustrates me that I can sometimes become so focused on what I'm NOT enjoying, that I forget that it all points to this little miracle inside of me.

Another way this pregnancy is so different, are the circumstances. With Kallie, Lyndon and I were living apart (Wpg and Thunder Bay for work reasons) and so Lyndon was really left out. This time, obviously, that's not the case, and we're completely overjoyed about it! Lyndon didn't even get to hear Kallie's heartbeat in utero, so listening to the heartbeat all together as a family was so special:) I'm also showing WAAAAAAAAAY sooner this time around, which is fun:) And the other major difference is that I have a midwife instead of a doctor/OB. That's one of the differences I'm most excited about:) I LOVE my midwives, and midwifery care! I didn't have the best experience with my doctors, but even if I had, I am just so impressed with how all-encompassing midwifery care is, and am even looking forward to labour with a midwife (I know I'll be eating those words come December;).

The picture was taken today, so basically at 16 weeks. Honestly, with Kallie I wasn't showing this much at 7 months! I really do love having a pregnant looking belly already:)

The past two weekends, we've been really lucky to have two wonderful guests come stay with us:) First, my friend Kelly (who I went to high school with in Wpg), spent the weekend. We had a great time, relaxing, visiting, going to the Farmer's Market (and eating AMAZING caramel apples;), and just spending time together. Kallie was pretty attached by the time Kelly left, and was asking for her all week! It's such a blessing to have great friends, who you're completely comfortable around and don't need to impress! My house hasn't been in the greatest of shape these past few weeks, but Kelly didn't care at all...and I appreciated it so much:) Reaching that level where your friends really know you, flaws and all, and love you anways, is so great:) We miss you Kelly! (And I didn't take a single picture, brutal!!!)

Then, this past weekend, my sister came to visit. She got here around 1am Friday morning and left really early today. It was so wonderful having her here. Kallie LOVES LOVES LOVES her auntie Dana, she wanted to do EVERYTHING with her while she was here, and was very sad to have no auntie around this morning! I'm trying to convince Dana to move here...we have such a small family (Lyndon is an only child) and I would love to have my sister (and my kids' auntie) around all the time!


While D was here, we went down to Grand Marais, a beautiful little lakeside town in Minnesota, about an hour and a half away. There was a wooden boat festival happening all weekend, and we went down for Saturday. We met our friends Andrea and Robbie, and their two children down there, and had an INCREDIBLE day together!!! The weather was absolutely perfect, there was tons to do, great food, and the kids had a total blast! On our way home, I just kept saying to Lyndon how incredibly blessed we were:) I felt like I'd had a complete vacation in just that one day. We had great visiting with our friends, Dana and I got great 'tans' (aka---burned to a CRISP! Us Whitburn girls don't do so well in the sun;), and I just felt like I was bursting with happiness. We live in such a beautiful part of the country, have amazing family, and awesome friends. A beautiful little girl and another munchkin on the way! We are so truly blessed!


Cool Dana trying to show her incredibly un-cool older sister how to do the 'kissy face pose'. I think I need some more practice:)


Very Proud Kayak Owners:)

The absolute highlight of Lyndon's weekend (and perhaps all of 2009 so far;) was the tandem kayak that he and Robbie bid on at the auction...and WON! For a whopping $80 (so only 40 each) they became proud co-owners of their baby! There were all different donated items and boats being auctioned off, and everything was going for incredibly cheap. The guys were THRILLED with their purchase...Lyndon was so excited, he even told the border guard all about it:) It was pretty cute:) Guys from our church are actually planning a kayak trip for the end of July, so the boys are pretty pumped that they don't have to rent a kayak now:) They were so excited about it, that Robbie left it strapped to the top of their car so they could show it off at church on Sunday...so hilarious:)



After church on Sunday, Lyndon's dad came over (his mom was working) for a Father's Day BBQ. Unfortunately for Lyndon, he's the cook/bbq-er extraordinaire, and so HE made us an incredible lunch:) Dana and I did all the clean-up at least;) We had a great visit with his dad, enjoyed delicious food, and beautiful weather. We spent the rest of the day relaxing together and hanging out, as Dana was heading home the next morning. Lyndon got a boat motor (and half a kayak!) for Father's Day, so he's pretty pumped:)! But I assured him that next Sunday he could COMPLETELY have the day off and I would wait on him hand and foot! He deserves at least one day a year like that;p

We have such amazing dads, we love you and are so thankful for you! We can't imagine our lives without you:) And I'm so happy to be married to such an amazing dad, Kallie is so blessed to have such a loving, fun, encouraging, involved, wonderful, (could keep going...:) dad!

So, it was a great week, with friends and family, and now back to reality. BUT, next week is the start of 'summer holidays', and b/c I have teachers' children in my daycare, I kind of get a break too. I'll still be doing daycare through the summer, but at a much smaller capacity. I'm looking forward to being able to take the kids to the park, and on different outings throughout the weeks. And the second week of July I have a big trip planned (completely solo...sans husband or child!), which I will fill you in on later!

Hope you're all enjoying beautiful summer days!

Weekend Trip

Our entertainment on the road


First night in the hotel, snuggling with daddy:)






For the May Long Weekend, the three of us packed up and headed to Duluth, MN, which is about 4 hours from here. It's a very beautiful city, and even though it doesn't have a huge population, the city has done an awesome job making it a great place for tourists to go. There are wonderful restaurants, great shopping, a beautiful waterfront, and a really fun downtown with lots to do!

This was the first time the 3 of us have gone on our own little 'vacation', that wasn't to visit family. We stayed in a hotel for three nights, ate out everyday, relaxed, shopped and just had so much fun! I was feeling pretty crummy for most of the trip, but I assured Lyndon that I'd much rather feel sick and be out doing stuff, than stuck in the house all weekend!

The highlight of my weekend, was seeing my friend Laura and her family! Laura and I went to Middle School and High School together overseas (and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding), and we hadn't seen each other in FOUR YEARS!!! She's had two beautiful children since then, Charlotte and Liam, and it was just SO great catching up and meeting each other's kids! We spent all of Saturday night out, just the two of us, and had a total blast! We talked for 5 hours:) Saturday morning, our families met up at the Aquarium in Duluth, it's an Aquarium with animals and fish that are found in the Great Lakes. It was a really fun morning, the kids had a blast, and Lyndon was in his glory:) He LOVES fishing, nature, water...it was great:)
Kallie and Charlotte having fun with the water.

Laura and her sweet girl Charlotte



Kallie was fascinated by this snake.
Some other highlights from the trip were:
1. Going to the zoo on Monday morning before we left. Not so exciting for adults, but Kallie loved it!
2. We went to Fitger's, which is a brewery in Duluth, that has a hotel and restaurant as well. We had a really great lunch of Pub food, and Lyndon got to try a couple of really different beers (REALLY in his glory;)

3. Lyndon went on a tour of the mansion in Duluth Sunday afternoon, it's HUGE and OLD (he'd be able to give much more detail, he'll shake his head reading this;) and he really enjoyed it. He loves history and architecture so it was perfect.4. Kallie and I came back to the hotel each day and had a lovely nap in the afternoon, while Lyndon did things Kallie (ahem, I) would have whined about;) (such as tool/fishing shopping) It was so nice to snuggle and rest:)
5. SHOPPING!!! I got all of Kallie's summer wardrobe (for such a low cost!), some maternity clothes for myself, great earrings, and Lyndon and I both got shoes. As always, Lyndon did not buy enough for himself (the shoes were it), he has such a hard time spending money on himself! We're working on it:)
6. Caribou Coffe...sigh, how I miss you! A lovely coffee shop (chain), that makes an amazing pomegranate-mango smoothie...I had 1-2 a day:)!


'Look Mom, no hands!'

Kallie with her friend the seal. This guy kept swimming straight towards her, then headed straight up the glass, flipped, swam away, and came back to do it again. It was so funny and cute, he did it at least 30 times, and Kallie was just thrilled:)

All in all, it was a great trip to just relax and spend time together, with absolutely no interruptions or work:) The trip felt like the perfect length of time, I didn't feel like it was rushing by, but we were ready to go home come Monday afternoon:) We've decided to try and make a point of doing something like that every 6 months or so, as we just felt so refreshed when we got home! Hopefully we can make it happen!

One tired little girl, ready to head home:)

Kallie Paige is TWO!!!

Going in to blow out the candle...decided a scoop of icing was a better idea:) I caught her just in time...no little fingers in the cake!:)








All right, Kallie's been two for a few weeks now, and finally the birthday post! It's so incredible, I can't believe how fast these two years have just flown by! They've definitely been two of the best years of my life (with some bumps along the way:)! I just never could have imagined that being a mom would be this rewarding, and fun! Kallie is definitely at a super fun stage right now, and has us laughing all the time:)! I don't think I've done an actual update on her lately, so I'm going to do the 'list' to tell you all about our wonderful little two-year-old:)



1. Kallie is very affectionate:) She loves to give hugs and kisses to most people, and is known to chase her little friends yelling, 'I NEED A HUG!!!'

2. Kallie LOVES to colour! It's the one thing she asks to do 100+ times a day, and would be content to do for HOURS! We've had some issues with her understanding WHAT is an appropriate colouring surface...she's taken red marker to the couch, our coffee table is completely covered in crayon, and the worst...Lyndon's hard work building our stairs has been reduced to a scribbled mess of PEN on the bottom few stairs! He's actually going to have to re-sand and finish them! I have to say, that one was completely my fault...Kallie was in time out, and I had left a pen there...oops! We've become a lot more strict about it in the last month, and it is getting better...but she still has her moments:)

3. She loves to talk on the phone, especially with grandma, grandpa and auntie Dana! She asks to call them every day, and is SO CUTE talking to them:) She always ends the call with a kiss and hug...which is announced, and then the phone actually receives a kiss and a hug:)

4. Kallie can speak incredibly well. Yep, this is a mama bragging...sorry, but if I don't brag about my munchkin, who will? (other than crazy ridiculous proud grandparents;) According to charts at the doctor's office, she's speaking between a 4-5 yr. old level. Although, in all honesty, I'd say those charts have pretty low expectations of a 4 yr. old's vocabulary;) She can say 9 word sentences, and speaks very clearly. Some of the stuff that comes out of her mouth is just hilarious! She surprises us at least weekly with words she knows...it constantly amazes me how much toddlers absorb without us knowing it! I think what impresses me the most about Kallie's speaking is her ability to use proper grammar...she almost always uses the proper tense, connecting words, plural forms, and pronouns. She's making this ESL major mommy proud;) And it's definitely nice to know EXACTLY what Kallie needs/wants/is thinking (she'll tell you, don't worry!:), it makes our job as parents a lot easier!

5. She's a very compassionate little girl (as much as toddlers can empathize and show compassion:). Her favourite question right now is, 'Are you OK?'. This comes after anyone coughs, falls, makes an odd noise...whatever:) And after the person informs them they are ok, she will then tell everyone within earshot, 'he/she's ok. she's ok.' She also likes to 'pet' (her word:) kids heads when they're sad or hurt to make them feel better:)

6. Kallie's very musical. Something she inherited from the Wagenaar side, that's for sure:) She loves to dance and sing, and can actually carry a tune...something I have not been blessed with:) Thank goodness for more than one gene pool:)

7. Kallie LOVES attention! Some of her favourite sayings right now are, '(fill in name), look at me!' 'Watch what I can do!' 'Are you ready for this?' before she does something that will wow us!:) A lot of times it has us laughing b/c she doesn't actually know what 'trick' she's going to do until she has our attention, and then she has to think fast, which usually results in something ridiculous:)

8. Like almost all kids, Kallie loves to be outside! I'm so thankful for the nice weather, because we spend hours and hours outside every day. And I'm not sure what happened to me, the self-professed 'inside-aholic' (probably being cooped up with 5-6 toddlers and preschoolers all winter!), but I love being outside as much as possible too! Thank goodness, because then we're all happy:)

9. She loves to laugh, and does it really easily. I'm convinced there's no better sound to a mom's ears than her child/ren laughing a deep belly laugh of pure joy:) It makes my day everyday!:)

10. Kallie is quite stubborn and strong-willed. She's half-dutch, and her other half is me, so we know where she gets it from:) It's definitely a personality trait I want to encourage in her, but one we're also working on reigning in at times, as it can occasionally (and some days more than that!) show up as defiance. We're working on her listening and obeying skills, and it does seem to be getting better.

I'm sure I could go on for 100 more points, but in the interest of saving time and boredom, I'll stop:)



The pictures are from her birthday party, it was a total blast! My friend Cheryl got a lot more pictures, including some GREAT cake eating ones...I'll try to post those ones on Facebook. We had lots of friends over for a bbq, the kids played, the parents visited, and we all ate AMAZING food:) It was a great way to celebrate our wonderful little two-year-old!

Kallie Paige, you bring us more joy than you will ever know! We are so proud of you, and so thankful for you! God has blessed us richly with you! WE LOVE YOU:)!!!

Busy Week...But Worth It!

Yesterday was the culmination of an incredibly busy week before it! We had Kallie's 2nd birthday party at our house, with about 30 or so friends. It was an incredibly beautiful day, the sun was shining, the temperature was great, and we all had an amazing time! We had our first bbq of the season, and it was AWESOME!!! There's nothing better than being out in the sunshine with people you love, smelling bbq:) Since I've been so sick and tired the past couple of months, our house had fallen into a state of disrepair. Lyndon is awesome, and did lots of work, but it takes more than one adult to keep this place running:) So, I spent all last week deep cleaning the house, and folding every piece of clothing we own (confession: until last week I hadn't folded laundry since BEFORE EASTER!!! YIKES!). And then of course, there was getting ready for the actual party! Honestly, it was an exhausting week, I started to get sicker on Thurs. and Fri., but just had to push through and keep going so that we could enjoy Sunday. And it was definitely worth it!

I will be posting with pics later this week, and more details about the party and Kallie's second year. Literally, within minutes of the last guests leaving last night, I became stuffed up, and woke up with a cold this morning. My body is definitely crashing, I'm exhausted and nauseous more than usual, so I'm going to take the next few days easy, and will then get around to being productive again:)

Yesterday also marked 12 weeks of pregnancy! I'm so excited! I'm already constantly rubbing my belly (as was pointed out to me yesterday), which I find amusing, b/c I NEVER did that with Kallie, especially not this early! And I'm already showing, which is just amazing, b/c with Kallie, you honestly couldn't tell I was pregnant until 6-7 months...and even then, barely. I've already 'outgrown' pants that I was wearing at 6 months pregnant with Kallie! It's definitely fun having a belly already, as it felt like I was NEVER going to show last time! I'm hoping now that I'm moving into my second trimester, the nausea will subside, or at least the fatigue! Definitely not complaining, I realize what a privilege and blessing it is to be carrying this little miracle, and I don't want to take it for granted!

Hope you all have a great week, pictures coming soon!!!

Dinner Conversation...

Kallie: Where's your lid daddy?
Lyndon: I don't need a lid on my cup. You're little so you need a lid, but I'm big, so I don't need one.
Kallie: Oh. (very thoughtfully) Yeah, you're big. I can't lift you.

:)This just makes me smile...the mind of a two-year-old:)

Baby On The Way!!!

Yes, we are expecting!!! We're so thrilled to be pregnant, and excited that Kallie is going to be a big sister:)

So far the pregnancy has been very 'normal'...I've had a lot of 'morning' (aka 'all day':) sickness, and have been pretty exhausted, but just keep reminding myself that those sometimes overwhelming things point to an amazing little life inside of me:)

I'm looking forward to blogging about this pregnancy...hopefully this will mean more regular posts...no promises, though:) For now, thanks for sharing in our joyful news!

Have a great day everyone!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

I hope that all you moms are having a fabulous Mother's Day! I have to say, out of the three I've been able to celebrate as a mom (Kallie was born 1 day before Mother's Day), this has been my absolute best! Although, having a 1 day old baby was pretty amazing too:) We've had such a wonderful day together as a family, listened to a great, inspiring message at church, enjoyed a quiet lunch out together, and are getting ready to meet Lyndon's parents to celebrate with them! And, I got very spoiled this Mother's Day:) My birthday (and Kallie's) is only two days from now, so I got presents for both today, and feel very, very blessed:)

I had wanted a morning at the spa for my birthday/mother's day gift, and so I booked a manicure, pedicure and spa facial for a couple weeks from now, and when I mentioned something to Lyndon about how I had to be in charge of my own gifts, he assured me that he'd have something for me on the actual day. So this morning, we were all lying in bed together and Lyndon went downstairs to get something (obviously my gift;), and came back to give me a BIG box of my favourite chocolates (Laura Secord French Mints...I've definitely eaten a quarter of the box already!), and a really sweet card that played the country song, 'I'm going to love you forever, forever and ever, amen' (I'm not exactly sure of the title, but that's the main line in the song), and it totally made me start crying:) I thought it was so sweet...and THEN! Lyndon pulls out a PEOPLES box!!! I couldn't believe it! He bought me a beautiful diamond necklace, and I absolutely LOVE IT!!! I was completely crying then! I don't need really fancy or expensive gifts, but to see how much thought and effort went into this gift (I do all of our finances, so it took some very special planning for Lyndon to save for the necklace and buy it without me knowing:), I was so touched! I love my husband so very much, he has truly made this the most wonderful mother's day! I just felt so cherished and appreciated:)

I want to say to my mom and mother-in-law, you are both such special, incredible women, and we are SO thankful and feel SO blessed to have you in our lives! We love you so much!

When our Pastor was talking about moms today, and how it is truly a special calling, I was very reflective. Before I had Kallie, I just had no idea what a huge responsibility it is to raise a child, but even more than that, what an INCREDIBLE blessing it is! Being a mom is by far my favourite role in my life, absolutely nothing beats it:)! And I'm so thankful to have so many amazing mommy friends to share this journey with, it makes it even better:)

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day, celebrating with your family!

As I said Kallie and I are celebrating our birthdays on Tuesday, so I am soon to be the mama of a TWO year old! I can't believe it! So look forward to a birthday post (with pictures this time!) celebrating our wonderful, sweet, Little Miss Kallie Paige!

Our Calgary Trip and Some Updates

B/C let's face it, no one really knows what's going on with us since I'm such a lazy blogger! Not that I imagine hundreds of people are dying to be in the know concerning the Wagenaar family, but maybe there are 1 or 2 of you;)

I'm still having trouble with pics...they're uploading, but in writing form in the draft, so I have no idea how to move them or put them in the order I want. So please hang in there and just enjoy the pics as they are...:)













Anyhoo, Kallie and I flew to Calgary last month, for 5 days, to visit family and one of my best friends from college, Kat. It was a really great time of visiting and connecting, but I was definitely glad to be home...travelling alone with a toddler...not something I would highly recommend:) The other wonderful thing about the trip was that my dad flew out from Winnipeg before us, and met us in Calgary. So we got to spend lots of time with him too! Kallie asks for Grandpa almost every day now, she was just completely smitten:) The grandparent-grandchild bond just amazes me! Kallie only sees my parents every few months, but pretty much from the minute she was with my dad, that was the main person she wanted to be with. Every morning the first words out of her mouth after she woke up, were, "Let's go see Grandpa!"

When we got there, we got to spend the entire weekend with Kat, whom I just absolutely love and was THRILLED to see and spend time with! The visit wasn't as smooth as it possibly could have been, considering my daughter was in a new place, with new animals (which she is TERRIFIED of!), and was beyond over-tired. But Kat was amazing, and so understanding...even when she was cleaning up Kallie's puke while I rocked my sobbing baby...sounds dramatic, I know. Basically, I wasn't thinking or planning well, Kallie was beyond exhausted when she went to bed, started crying and threw up. Made a for a stellar finish to day one:)!! Thankfully, our last evening there (Tuesday), my dad took Kallie for awhile, and Kat and I were able to go out and enjoy a dinner together:) I miss you Kat, and CAN'T WAIT until our next visit!

We stayed with my aunt and uncle (my dad's brother), which was really fun and relaxing. We got to spend time just visiting and catching up, and of course, Kallie was the hit of the show! We also stayed with my great aunt and uncle (my mom's family) for one night, and it was such a wonderful time. They are in their 80's, and are so full of life, love and laughter (ah, alliteration;) and are just a joy to be around. And they too, couldn't stop singing Kallie's praises, which is always nice for a mom to hear:) And the other special person we got to spend lots of time with, was my grandma (my dad's mom). We saw her every day, and it was such a blessing to see the way Kallie just lights up her world. Her mantle pictures of her children and grandchildren have pretty much been exclusively replaced with Kallie pics (her only great-grandchild), and it was just really great to spend time with her, and watch Kallie get spoiled (ummmm....popcorn and 2 ice cream cones a day...only at great-grandmas!!!) and have tons of fun!

I also had a really great time visiting with my dad, it's a rare opportunity for the two of us to be on a trip with no other family...we spent lots of time driving around CRAZY Calgary:) and so had lots of chances to just talk and relax. And like I said before, seeing him with Kallie was just a total blessing:)

What's new with us:
I've decided to start going back to school in the fall! Something I'm very excited and also terrified about! I'm just going to be taking one course, to get my feet wet (it's been 5 years since I was in school!), and I'm going to be doing it with a really good friend, which I'm SOOOOO thankful for! The idea of walking into a massive class of 19 yr. olds....scary;) I'm going to be working on my B.A. in Psychology, with more schooling to follow.

We bought a new truck, I know I've already written about that, but it's now been on the road for a few weeks, and we're loving it. Finally, a vehicle with a backseat! Lyndon informed me that he loves his truck so much, that if we won the lottery (not that we ever could since we don't PLAY the lottery;) he wouldn't even buy a new truck. B/C really, what more could he want? Well, I wouldn't say I'm THAT smitten...but my time will come....furniture....furntiture....:)

My mom was here for a week visiting us, and it was just wonderful. She was here for a full 7 days, and was such a blessing as she totally helped me with my daycare, of course paid extra special attention to Kallie (who was in her grandma glory;), and as always, helped clean and organize my house. My microwave has never sparkled so much;)

We went to Winnipeg for Easter, and it was great! We got lots of time with family and friends, and it was very sad to leave:( I miss you all!!! I'm hoping to post some pics, but well, you know me, so I won't make any promises;)

And Kallie, she's just amazing. I'm totally blown away by the transformation that's taken place in under two years. From a sweet, practically motionless, wordless, baby...to this incredible toddler who walks, runs, laughs, talks, sings, shouts...it's just amazing! Her personality is coming out really strongly now, and we're pretty sure she's more like her daddy! She doesn't seem to have much of a serious side so far, but LOVES to make jokes, laugh, and just be an all-around goofball;) hmmmm....hardly like Lyndon at all!

So in general, things are really great with us. We're planning a couple of small trips in the next few months, and are REALLY looking forward to spring and summer! I can't wait to spend tons of time outside with Kallie, now that she's SO mobile!

Hope everyone has a great week!