The Simple Things...

Lyndon and I had his dad over for dinner a couple weeks ago (his mom was out of town) and we had a very interesting discussion about 'material wealth'. We were talking about Christmas and how crazy consumerism is--November 1, as soon as Hallowe'en is over, all the Christmas stuff comes out in full force. We move from one holiday or craze to the next, just buying and buying. And it's such an easy thing to fall into! Lyndon and I have had many talks over how we'd like to raise our children, and simplicity, appreciating the small things, valuing people over things, and not chasing material wealth are all things we'd like to instill in our children (which I'm sure is the same for a lot of people:). But I find that so hard in our society today--I fall into it myself all the time, so how can I expect more of my children? We want to make sure that Christmas is truly a time to celebrate the birth of Christ, not a time to see how many presents they can get! I am excited to experience Christmas with my child (and future children) and help them see that Christmas is about GIVING...it all started with the amazing gift God gave us~His Son. I think that we will have all sorts of opportunities to grow with our kids as we learn to value more what God values, than what the world values. If anyone has different ideas of things to do at Christmas together (or any time)to help this along, please share! One thing we're going to do is buy gifts as a family for the less fortunate overseas--from the Christmas catalog where you can buy different animals, or wells, etc. for villages and families that need them. One of the reasons this has been on my mind so much lately, is the way Kallie plays. We have all sorts of toys for her--ones that light up, make electronic noises, one that even speaks all different languages! And yet, two of her very favorite toys are 1. a hanger and 2. a water bottle! They both completely fascinate her--she can watch me drink from a water bottle, watch the water move around, forever! And when she's at her happiest, is when she has the attention of someone who loves her. And of course, for myself, I am absolutely joy-filled when I'm with my sweet Kallie Paige:) (most of the time;) I think there's a very important lesson to be learned here--in the innocence of my child, before she's old enough to be caught up in wanting and wanting more, she's showing me that it truly is the simple things in life that bring us joy:)!!!

Eating Solids....and Growing Up So Fast!!!

So, we just started giving Kallie 'solid' (it's pretty liquidy if you ask me:) foods this month--we gave her the first taste the day after she turned six months old. And to be honest, she wasn't really crazy about it! She's slowly been enjoying her food more, but for the most part, she's fine with or without it! I'm very thankful and happy that we were able to wait until she was six months old before we gave her solids--one of my 'goals' was to exclusively breastfeed for six months, and we did it! I remember thinking that six months was a very looooooong way off when she had just been born--moms, you know what I'm talking about! It was almost more painful than labor, it took FOREVER, and I felt like that's all my life was going to be. But these six months actually flew by! I can't imagine not nursing her at this point--I know everyone has their different 'stop' limits, and I just know mine isn't going to be for quite awhile. I plan on nursing for at least a year, and then who knows after that. They say (they being Health Canada)that it's best to breastfeed for longer than two years--I can't necessarily see myself nursing that long, but I also don't plan on making a concerted effort to 'wean' Kallie, so I guess we'll just take it one step at a time:) I've been very blessed in that after the initial bit of time, nursing has been very easy and enjoyable, and so I don't think it'll be a problem to nurse for a long time (although Kallie doesn't have teeth yet--so we'll see:) So far she's eating a bit of cereal, peas, sweet potatoes, and prunes (which she LOVES). It's really fun feeding her, Lyndon and I each get to do it every day, and both get a real kick out of her expressions and the way she eats (she uses her tongue all the time!) And the reason she has food all over her face is that she moves her head whenever something catches her attention (namely our cats) and so I'll miss her mouth and get her face!:) All these milestones...I'm not prepared for my baby to grow up this fast!

Just a note about comments

I didn't realize it, but the settings on our blog made it so that only google members could leave comments--I've changed it now so anyone can, without getting a google account!

Our Baby is Six Months Old!!!

This past Monday, the 12th, Kallie Paige turned six months old! Lyndon and I just can't believe we've had her for that long already! I remember in the first few weeks after she was born thinking that time was actually going to go pretty slowly, but all of a sudden, my little baby isn't so little anymore! She's such an absolute joy~she's always smiling, laughing and babbling! Everywhere we go, people stop and talk to her and want to look at her, and she always has big smiles ready for them! Part of me is sad as I realize that my baby will only be a baby for such a short time, but I'm more excited and filled with wonder as I see our beautiful baby grow and change into this amazing girl! I know she's still a baby, but I just love how much of her personality we can already see and enjoy! Kallie is such a blessing in our lives, we're so thankful for her and these past six months!

Hallowe'en!

Here's our little munchkin in her hallowe'en costume--a baby chick! She loved being dressed up, the costume was really soft and so she kept touching it and trying to chew on it all night! Although she wasn't too sure about the 'hat' part of it! We only visited Lyndon's mom and dad--she chewed on the wrapper of a chocolate bar the whole time we were there, while not letting go of a bag of chips in her other hand~she's already got hallowe'en figured out! Make sure to check out the video below--I think she plays the part of a chick very well=)

So Much Better....The Second Time Around

So, a lot of you probably know that the first time Lyndon and I lived in Thunder Bay (right after we got married) it was not the best experience for either of us. I really struggled to find friends, and feel at home and comfortable here, and actually became pretty depressed. This would be why it wasn't so enjoyable for Lyndon:) And so because of that initial experience we had together here (Lyndon was born and raised in Tbay--he had great experiences when I wasn't here:) we were both aprehensive about moving back, especially with our little one on the way, and me not being able to drive. And admittedly, there have definitely been struggles. I really miss Winnipeg, my family, my friends, and I'm sad that I'm not going to be living in the same place as my close friends who had babies around the same time as me so we can watch them grow up together. BUT! The one thing that is so different this time, is my attitude. When we lived here 3 years ago, I didn't want to meet people, I didn't want to like it, b/c I just wanted to go 'home'. I have had the attitude the last 7-8 months, that this is where we live, it's where we're going to be living for a long time, and I have to make the best of it. And I have been! Now that I can drive, I feel like I have a whole different life. Kallie and I go to two playgroups a week, I've met/re-acquainted myself with a few moms here so we do stuff with them (we had a very successful shopping trip with Cindy and Isabel this week:), and I've met other women through Weight Watchers (I've lost over 22lbs, yay!) and am finally starting to make my own life here. Lyndon and his family are wonderful, and I love spending time with them, but I needed to find my own friends and my own things to do here, which I finally feel is happening. I will always miss Winnipeg--I have so many wonderful friends there that I wish I could see so much more, and I miss my family so much, it's always really hard to say good-bye after visits. But, we're only eight hours away, and we do get to visit often:) And for anyone who wants to see what Tbay has to offer (I know I've only ever complained about it, but it is a very beautiful city) we will always have a room ready!

Just beginning!

So, this is our very first post on the blog! I'm very excited to have a space where we can share what's going on with Kallie, especially for those who are far away and don't get to see her often. I'm very bad at putting facebook pictures up, so I'll try to be better on here:) I'm still learning how to do this, so it'll take some time, but I really hope you enjoy it and get to see all the goings-on of our 'little miss Kallie Paige'!