Our prayer at lunch time today:

"Dear God, thanks for music and for this food. Please bless daddy at work...and if Josiah did swallow the sticker that was on his hand, please let his tummy feel okay..."

Funny how prayer (along with so many other things) changes with children. It's a good thing that God cares about the little things too!

Speaking of prayer, we would love to have some! I found out this week that my job is coming to an end and I need a new one. Hopefully it will last until the end of August, although sometimes I am not so certain. My boss is cutting way back, partly due to the economy and how it has affected her business. She is also nearing retirement and is cutting her own hours (along with others) drastically to work towards this goal. This end came as a bit of a surprise to us! I thought I'd be there at least another year. Even though it was unexpected, I try to remember that God did expect it. He also knows what we need and what will happen next.

All week, when I have felt anxious, I sing a little song to Josiah and it helps me feel better. These are the words:

"The Lord has given His life for us.
No need to fuss...He knows what He's doing.
He knows that He will take care of us, if we will follow Him.
God's way is the best way, now that I know He loves me so.
His way is the best way, and that's the way for me."

Who would have thought that a kid's song could be so comforting!

As you may have noticed, I've been quite busy lately. It's just too nice out to sit and blog! However, for those of you who are too far away to stop in and catch up, I thought I would begin a series of updates (way too much to fit into one post!).

A few weekends ago, we went to PEI to visit some good friends. We also stayed in a hotel and enjoyed some family time. Here are some pics from the trip:



Leaving playgrounds is never quite as much fun as arriving at them!



Here we are swimming in the hotel pool. The hot tub was a little disappointing because it was way too hot. I love hot, but this felt like serious burning so we enjoyed the pool instead.



Chris and Josiah as we were packing up:



Here are some pictures of our visit with some very amazing people!









...And that was our weekend. Many more updates to follow shortly!

Update

Just wanted to let you know how my attempts at minimizing caffeine are going. The good news is that I do not think I was addicted. The first week and half were not physically challenging as much as the habit was difficult to break (like making or ordering decaf rather than regular). I really had to think about what I was taking in. The bad news is that I don't think it has impacted my energy level either way. My follow-up appointment to get my blood work results is next week, so hopefully that will help me understand what has been happening.

On a funny note, Josiah has been closing his eyes a lot lately and experimenting by running around the room, climbing, eating, and trying to perform his regular tasks.

I was talking to Chris (who is home with Josiah today), and he told me that Josiah has had quite a naughty morning.

He thought he would try breaking many of the house rules with his eyes shut. We are pretty sure he thinks that daddy is not able to see what he is doing...what a clown!

- This picture of Josiah reminds me of how far he has come in his playing in the past couple of months. It is fun to watch him really engage, and be creative with toys!

- Feeling frustrated at times with the extent to which we have to baby proof. He has now broken every baby proofing lock in our house except for the one under the bathroom sink. I think the only reason this one has lasted is because he isn't allowed in that room very often!

- Although we are thinking that he might be starting to visit the bathroom in the near future. I am so not ready for potty training, but feel that Josiah could be. He has been telling us for months when he needs a new diaper. He often tries to find one. Now, he yells 'peeee' and grabs his diaper. He has also been trying to climb up onto our toilet when he needs to go. I don't know the first thing about potty training, so I need to do a lot of reading up! Any tips?

- Had two very early mornings the last couple of days. Josiah was awake at 4:00 am yesterday and 5:30 am today. I just can't figure out why!

- We went to our first Kindermusik class yesterday, and it was so much fun! I think that Josiah will really enjoy it. He came home trying some of the actions. I am so glad that we have this opportunity.

- Starting to feel the winter blaws. I love winter, but usually around this time of year, I just want it to be done. Trying to stay positive, and get out more.

- Reading an amazing book called "When a Woman Trusts God." I am so challenged by this, more than by anything else I've read in quite while.

- Need to go get Josiah right now...sometimes naps seem way too short!

What I've Been Up To...

- Sorting baby clothes (no,there is not any news!)

- Sorting Josiah's clothes and packing up the small stuff.

- Baby-proofing more of my house than I ever thought would be necessary.

- Reading a lot, and fun stuff too!

- Reading a letter from two dear old friends from our apartment building in Kleefeld, MB.

- Enjoying some new worship songs.

- Visiting my sister and nephew in Halifax while my mom kept Josiah (last week). Baby time, talking, shopping, sleeping...it was wonderful!

- Drinking too much coffee.

- Cleaning. I think the spring cleaning bug hit me with all of those plus temperatures we had last week.

- Writing reports and trying to stay caught up at work. It's going really well, and it feels so great to not have mounds of paper looming.

- Getting a long overdue haircut (thanks to Barb taking Josiah off my hands!).

- Thinking a lot. About what my interests were before diapers and trucks. It's all starting to come back...

- Beating Chris at board games (I guess I've let him win a couple!).

- Enjoying some great talks with friends.

- Loving the new 'Women of Faith' video series in my small group. The speaker is Sheila Walsh. I've never really seen her presentations before, but she's great. Just the right mix of funny, real and super challenging. I just ordered one of her books and am looking forward to digging in.

- Appreciating a couple of girls who come regularly to visit and pray. Such a blessing.

- Trying to get uncomfortable.

- Really wanting to go skating. Anyone interested? Chris does not skate because of a previous foot injury, so I'm always on my own!

- Trying new recipes. Most have turned out great. One bombed, really badly. I still haven't admitted it to Chris (if you are reading this, you don't have to eat anymore of the muffins). His exact comment was, "they taste...healthy." The key to a good muffin is that it is healthy, but that it doesn't taste healthy (like cardboard). I think I'll stick with my old recipes.

And that's just a little bit of me!

Just a quick update to let you all know that Josiah has slept through the past several nights! I took him to our doctor, who said that he has a case of acid reflux (which he's had since birth, but we though it had gone away).  So we are temporarily treating him and it seems to be working. No more difficulty going to sleep, crying in the night, or random puking. 

We also had to ween him from all bottles/milk at the same time (he actually ate half of a nipple, which is an obvious choking hazard!).  I had been worried about him getting enough milk, and have been wondering if he has a sensitivity to dairy; however, our doctor also said that babies/kids don't need any milk of any kind after 12 months.  So we'll see how all of this goes!

Thanks to all of you who had been praying for us.
We are feeling much better now than last week.             

Here is an update:

- Josiah turned 14 months old yesterday! Unfortunately our camera is broken right now, so I don't have any updated pictures-we are camera shopping.

- He is now making a lot of animal noises, and saying many more words. Yesterday, I caught him up on the kitchen table, quacking at the ducks through the window. His climbing has reached a whole new level...literally!

- Josiah is learning to walk in boots. I didn't realize how much work this was!

- I am busy at work, and those reports are piling up like crazy. I have four of them sitting in my bag, and they take about 2 hours each to complete. I need to work out a new schedule!

-Christmas is quickly approaching, and I am much less prepared than I was two months ago. I bought several gifts when we were on vacation, but haven't done a thing since then.

- I baked a lot this week, because it was my turn to take snack to my mom's group. I will be baking a lot next week for a cookie exchange that I joined. It has been fun to have a reason to bake! If anyone is interested in a great new Christmas-y recipe, I have one for Cranberry Bliss bars. Starbucks serves these every year, and they are really good. Let me know if you'd like the recipe. It's amazing!

- We may go to the Santa Cluas parade tomorrow night if it isn't raining too hard. It's funny, because the last one I went to, I remember feeling parts of me freeze as the night went on. This mild weather is so nice!

- Not much else new with us! I'll post some new pictures when I can.

This weekend, Chris and I got to go out...this is really big news,
as we don't do this as often as we should! Anyways, we went to the
Steve Bell concert in Sackville on Saturday night with some
 friends. The concert was so amazing. Chris has really
enjoyed his music for the last couple of years.
 I thought it was okay, but wouldn't necessary choose
 to listen to it myself; however, he is such an amazing
performer/storyteller that I actually loved it.

We even went out afterwards, and didn't get
home until after midnight. This is an extremely late night for us,
 as we are usually fast asleep long before this time.
But we didn't have to rush home.

Chris told everyone who asked that we had tried
the parenting thing for a year, and decided that
it wasn't really our thing...

But, actually, Josiah had his first sleep over at his
 Grammy and Grampy Mealey's house! It seemed to
go really well, except that he decided to get up at 5:15 am
and not go back to sleep. He must have just
been too excited- oh dear! He's always up at the
 crack of dawn, or before. It doesn't matter how
late he stays up, Josiah loves mornings.
Sleeping in for him would be 6:30/7:00, and this rarely happens.
Normally, he is up around 5:45-6:00.

I feel guilty that Chris and I actually slept in until
after 8:00 when all of them were up so early!
 But it was so nice to get caught up on sleep.
(Thanks Grammy and Grampy!).
We really needed it, as we are both recovering from colds/flu's, etc.
We probably should not have gone out, because
I think we are paying for it a bit today
(as I am typing this, my voice is almost gone completely!),
 but it was worth it!

Update

What a busy fall this has been! I thought I would write and let you all know a few things that have been happening in our world lately.

We have been trying to enjoy the outside as much as possible. This was our last trip to the zoo. We had a season pass, so we went countless times throughout the summer. Josiah loves it, and knows so many of the animal names and sounds already. Unfortunately, he doesn't yet understand that the turkey, deer, and other prey don't really appreciate his roaring lion sounds! This picture is of Josiah and Chris sitting on the boardwalk at the zoo. He loves his dad!

Josiah turned thirteen months old yesterday. This picture is not from yesterday, but from a couple of weeks ago. If you really want to see what he looks like at 13 months,

you'll have to stop by! Or wait until I can post more.

Josiah is keeping us all busy. He is now running, and loves the park so much.

Here he is on a day we went with some friends.

I have been enjoying a couple of really great books. One is about raising boys. I have learned so much already, especially about Chris! I never thought that a parenting book would teach me more about my husband, but the book discusses how men's brains are formed/developed. Ahhh...
Anyways, I am in a book study that is dealing with the topic and learning lots. Although I must say that everyone has very strong views on this. Some are offended at the idea of letting boys be boys. I like it. Why work against their nature, to confuse them even more than they already are in this messed up world. Some of the liberal feminists in the group don't enjoy the book all that much! If I am honest, I have been finding these views quite draining lately, even more than usual. But, the book is great!! I hope that it will help me to be a better mom to my boy.

Other Highlights:

- We are strongly considering keeping our old car as a second...or maybe not! It has been so nice to not be driving around so much, and dragging Josiah out of bed at night to go pick up Chris. We'll have to see.

- My work has been slowing down this week, and we are trying to trust that God will work it out. We are extremely thankful that Chris' job has continued to be very steady.

- We have an amazing caretaker for Josiah on Wednesday mornings...his aunt Debie! We are so excited that she has agreed to watch him. Chris is hoping to get lots of paperwork done, as well as the study and planning that his counseling week does not afford him.

- Josiah had tonsillitis, but is starting to feel much better.

-Josiah has molars coming in. He has been very fussy...and so have we!

- Josiah is drinking goat's milk. I guess that means when we get our hobby farm, we'll be thinking goats instead of cows! I wonder if Chris would be open to trying goat burgers?

- Chris got a glint in his eye when I mentioned that I think the colour tube may be going in our old TV. I have never been able to justify buying something new just for the sake of having the new thing. Therefore, Chris has had a long wait for the large flat screens that he drools over every time we walk into an electronics store. He's thinking, "Just on time for football season!" Maybe the timing is not so coincidental?!

- My mom and aunt came up last weekend so Chris and I could get away. We rented a cottage in one of our favorite spots, and did nothing all weekend. It was so wonderful!

- We are looking for a babysitter..anyone in Moncton have a good name they would be willing to share with us?

- We are wondering what to do about the H1N1 vaccine. We are against flu shots (obviously these are extremely necessary for elderly, respiratory patients, etc..., but I mean just for normal people), but I know this one is different. Everyone has a different opinion. Our doctor advised us against it. It's just one of those things that it would suck to be wrong on either side of! Having kids makes these things so much harder to decide.

- I got a couple of really nice emails from friends.

- I think I was born in the wrong era, for multiple reasons. One is Facebook (I really dislike it!). The other is the drop-in visits. I miss them, and wish that younger people liked them, or that I knew more older people around here!

- Still trying to find God's peace about being in this place. Doesn't feel like home at all anymore, but everyday I ask Him to help me make the most of it. We are here for a reason, and for as long as God chooses it for us.
I have been working so hard to stay focused on today, and to be thankful in everything. Some days, I do better than others!

And that's a very long update on all of us!

Just a quick post to let you all know that I probably won't be posting much in the next couple of weeks. Chris starts vacation tomorrow, and we have lots of plans!

Here are a few updates before I go:

Josiah is climbing like mad...nothing is safe. He gets up on all of our furniture now, and has had several tumbles in the last few weeks. He is very proud to be sitting on grown-up furniture! I, on the other hand, am pretty close to turning all of the living room furniture around backwards so he can't get up. If you come to visit, and are asked to sit on the floor,

it'll all make sense to you now!

My cousin Julie came up last weekend for a visit. Josiah LOVES her! We had so much fun. I think he got a little spoiled from all of the attention, because he was kind of cranky when she left!

While we visited, Chris went camping for the weekend. It rained, but he was happy to have some quiet time to himself. Literally to himself. Apparently the campground was pretty vacant because of the rain warning. Good news though- the new tent held up wonderfully,
and didn't leak at all!

In walking news, Josiah now takes five or six steps at a time to get from one location to another. He still prefers crawling, and hasn't started running yet (as predicted by several, due to his overabundance of energy!!). I think it seems like he walks when he forgets he is even doing it, but when he plans it, he psychs himself out!

We went to NS last weekend to visit family. Josiah got to meet some family members for the first time. I don't have pictures...I wasn't there! My mom took him for the day so Chris and I could have a much needed break! He also enjoyed riding in the wagon at his Grammy's house (pictures to follow at a later date- I am too lazy to download them right now!).

It feels like a busy month. I am starting to think about my baby turning one at the end of this month! My maternity leave is officially over the first week of October, so I am working two days a weeks at my job, and Chris will stay home those two days with Josiah. I think it will feel very busy for us to maintain these hours, but definitely worth the outcome!

I'll give you another update sometime...but probably not until after we are done vacation!

Busy

I have been so bad at blogging lately, not that I have to tell any of you who check regularly! It has been really busy...too busy. One of those times when things feel like they have gotten out of hand for me, and I'm not sure how to possibly finish everything I need to accomplish (especially with Josiah around all of the time!), although things are slowly starting to wind down. I have been taking extra shifts at work to bank vacation time for summer and fall, and that means not only extra clients, but also report writing. I think I wrote for eight hours between Sunday and Monday. On Saturday, I was in NS having a baby shower for my sister Andrea. It was fun, and it seemed to go well, but a lot of work and planning. I am also volunteering at Chris' work on a project that has taken way more of my time than I planned on, and I am still not close to being done (Well, it will all be over with by June 19th, as that is when the main event takes place).

Josiah turned eight months old last week, and for a couple of weeks now, has been eating solids (rather than purees), by the fist full. He loves mashed potatoes, not to be confused with sweet potatoes, which get thrown by clumps onto the floor with disdain.

It is kind of gross to watch, but he loves to feed himself.

Our life as we knew it has changed forever. Josiah is crawling...like crazy...and we are finally learning about all of the things he has wanted to get into for months. Now, he is going for it, and we basically chase him all day. Watching him crawl is really cute. He kind of plods along like a little bear cub. He also loves to break into the trash, and into his diaper pail. Our child proofing efforts have just begun.

We did have a chance to drive to Fundy last Sunday (I typed for most of the travel time, working on reports), get our early bird passes, have some play time in the park, and go for a hike. It was so great to escape for a day. Here are a few pictures of the day.

Josiah fell asleep on our hike, and it rained, but we enjoyed it. Those of you who know me have heard me talk about this many times, but it find people and weather rather funny. Especially watching people run for cover at the sign of sprinkles. (Yes, there are exceptions to this). I love the rain. I love being out in it, watching it, the smell of it, and I am glad that Josiah doesn't seem to mind it yet either.

I have no idea how he slept in the backpack. I guess it must be comfortable!

Not Much New!

Well, there is not a whole lot of anything interesting happening at our house these days. It has felt really busy though. Here are a few things we have been up to:

- Getting Chris moved into his new office. He had to paint it and get it set up, and he has been counseling in it all of this week. He seems to be really enjoying his own space. It is clean and fresh, and just in need a of a few more touches before it feels done. He wants to wait and share pictures with you after it is completed, so you'll have to wait a bit longer!

- Chris is feeling much better than he was. For about three weeks, he was really sick with a cold/flu/sinus infection/ear infection. He is still not completely himself, but he is doing much better.

- I have been volunteering to help gather prizes for Touchstone's (that's the agency where Chris works) major golf tournament fundraiser coming up in June. It has been very time consuming, and I find myself using most of Josiah's nap times to make calls, send emails, etc. I have even been out, in the rain, collecting prizes. I'm sure it will all be worth it. It has been difficult for me, as I do not feel very efficient anymore, but I love to feel helpful!

- I went to a banquet on Tuesday night to celebrate with the mom's group I have been attending this year at Hillside Church. I love it, and am sad that it will be ending in a few weeks for the summer. I have met some really nice moms there, and will hopefully be connecting with them and their babies/kids throughout the summer.

- Josiah cut two more teeth, and I didn't even know it! I knew he was majorly teething, but just couldn't see anything. Last night we were singing an action song where I tip him over at the end, and I saw something white in the top gum. At first, I thought it might be a piece of food, but I felt it and it is definitely a tooth, and the one on the other side is poking through too. The strange thing is, that they are on the sides (either the second or third ones from the front), which is why I missed them. I had been looking for the top front two, or the bottom ones that will grow in beside the two he already has. Oh well!

- Josiah went to a birthday party last weekend. One of his little baby friends turned one- so much fun! Of course, Josiah loves any opportunity to see a large number of people, so he was thrilled. We had to leave a little early, as he started getting cranky and tired and I didn't want him to ruin the party with a major melt-down!

- We had a cheat/waffle night with our friends, and I made, for the first time, gingerbread waffles, and they were so good! I've had the recipe for a while now, and just hadn't gotten around to trying it.

Well, that's us. Hope y0u all have a Happy Mother's Day!

Long Update

Hi everyone. This will be a long update, as I have been too busy for blogging lately. I know that fellow bloggers can appreciate that overwhelming feeling of getting behind, and then wondering where to start writing again. So this post will be a bit of everything that has been happening in the past couple of weeks.

For Easter, we went to Andrea & Dan's place (my sister and her husband), along with my mom. It was a very fun weekend, except that Chris wasn't feeling very well for the last part of it. Andrea had an Easter egg hunt for us, and one of Josiah's treats was his very first Easter book, which he loves. He was pretty into the hunting part, almost as much as Dan was! Oh, and you can probably tell from the pictures, if you haven't heard me boasting about it already, that Andrea and Dan are expecting their first baby this summer- isn't she beautiful pregnant?!

Due to all of the excitement, Josiah literally passed out from exhaustion after church. He actually fell asleep in my arms as I was carrying him into the house.

While we were in Halifax, we purchased our first family tent (Chris and I have always used a very small tent, perfect for the two of us, but not big enough for Josiah and all of his stuff!) at an outdoor adventure store, which we love to visit when we go to Halifax. I don't have any pictures of the tent up yet, because it has been raining here a lot lately, and on the nice days, we have been getting some spring cleaning done.

A nice surprise came in the mail just before Easter for Josiah from his Grampy Stewart. Here he is sporting it. He also got a pretty cool Bible from Grampy, which he is enjoying a lot. Josiah loves hats too, so while I was taking this picture, he was trying to get the hat off to look at it/suck on it.

On the few nice days we've had, while we have been cleaning up and sorting, we have had Josiah outside with us, and he loves it. He had his first, and definitely not last, handful/mouthful of grass/dirt, as he got to the edge of the blanket before we could catch him. He has also been enjoying his swing outside, which he always severely disliked as a baby, so this is really the first time it has been used- good thing I only spent ten bucks on it, or I might have been a little upset!

Josiah's Grammy and great aunt Faye came up a few weeks ago, and kept Josiah for us while we went to a church retreat. He has lots of fun with them! Grammy brought more clothes, which will be perfect for summer- cute little swimming trunks and tank tops. Aunt Faye brought a bag of clothes from my cousin's wife- really adorable stuff. Check out the army outfit below! Aunt Faye also brought a baby lego-type building set, which he loves. This has been great for him, as it has motivated him to sit up, which he often does now with no difficulty or wobbling. In the moms' group I attend on Tuesday mornings, Josiah goes into the nursery with eight to ten other babies, and this past week was the first time I left him sitting up to play. Before that, I always laid him on the floor so he wouldn't fall over, but he doesn't really fall anymore (unless he is super tired!). What a monumental day!! Okay, not really, but as his mom, I thought it was a pretty big deal!

Josiah was fortunate enough to inherit a lot of cool toys and books, and some clothes too, from his cousins, Aidan and Mac (thanks guys!). He now loves trucks, thanks to some that were passed on to him. He drives them with his little hands. I just keep waiting for the 'vrooming' noises, but there are none yet. Here he is playing trucks.

* The past week, we have all been sick again- what a rough couple of months for us! Josiah started it off last week, and Chris and I both got hit. It is brutal- cold/sinus/fever/nausea, etc... I think it is finally coming to an end, although Chris is still suffering with it.

* I started a new aerobics class with a friend last week. So torturous...and fun! Chris and Josiah gave me this as early mother's day gift, as I have been wanting to join for a while now. So I go to two classes a week. It feels so great to be doing something for just me again.



* Chris is finally getting his own office at work, after sharing one for the two years he has been with his counselling agency. We are very excited, and have been out shopping, trying to find pieces that will make it warm and inviting. All we have left to pick up is a small bookshelf, and some chairs. I will try to post pics in a couple of weeks after he is settled.

And those are our highlights!

We're Finally Back

After sharing a cold for about a week, we are all feeling much better.

Here is a picture of the boys, both feeling pretty miserable:

I wanted to share a few highlights from the past couple of weeks, since we've all been out of commission. The first is a couple of pictures of the small Super Bowl celebration Chris had at our place. He was thrilled to share this experience with Josiah and his two brothers, although, I must say that Josiah had to go to bed right after kick-off. All of the TV, shouting, and excitement exhausted him. Chris was left to watch the game with Mitch and Scott (probably for the best!).

#1

This is Josiah, acting very hyper. I think he was picking up on his dad's energy!

His limbs just couldn't seem to stop flailing all day.

Here are all of the boys, just before the big game.

#2

After I gave birth to Josiah, a group of girls got together, and gave me a gift certificate to La Spa. Finally, a couple of weeks ago, I had my appointment. It was so nice and relaxing.

They started by serving coffee, then doing my hair, then a massage, then finishing my hair.

What a perfect afternoon!

#3

In developmental news, Josiah is getting so strong. He now spends quite a bit of time playing on his tummy, rolling over, and he is mobile! Not is a traditional sense, like crawling, or walking, but he lays on his back, lifts his bottom, and scoots himself. He can get pretty far in a short time!

Josiah is loving stories too! Here he is reading with daddy. He loves to hold the other corner, turn pages, and occasionally grab the book and suck on it. Everything is going in his mouth. Any tips on how to teach kids that books are not edible?!

Eating cereal is still going well. We have increased the amount a bit. Josiah continues to fight to hold the spoon, and the bowl, which makes it all feel a bit like a wrestling match.

The other problem is...the huge mess! The stuff is like paste, and sometimes if I forget to rinse the bowl, it has trouble coming off, even in the dishwasher.

Oh, and it's not that easy to get out of hair either.

#4

On Valentines' Day, my mom came up and spent the day with Josiah so Chris and I could go out together. It was so wonderful to get away for the afternoon! We went out for lunch, then to a movie, and finished off by strolling around Chapters. We really don't get out much together (actually only two times since the beginning of December)! I'm sure this will be easier once we feel Josiah is old enough to pay a babysitter to come stay with him, but for now it is a struggle. Although this month we have started a babysitting swap with some friends, which we have done once, and we love it!

Oh yeah, and Josiah continues to grow and grow like crazy. The pants he is wearing in the picture were too big on him just a month ago!

And that pretty much sums up everything new in our house.

Hopefully I will be back to posting more regularly now that everything is back to normal!