Everly is learning to crawl...

Well sort of... It looks like Everly is trying to figure out how to crawl. She has been able to push up with her arms when placed on her tummy for awhile now. There have been several occasions where we go to get her from a crib, either after a nap, or her nights sleep, and she is on all fours. Sometimes she looks like she is just trying to do push ups.

She is almost 6 months old, and it seems like she is getting close to having the crawling motion figured out. Everly is extremely stubborn and determined, so it would not surprise us if she does start crawling very soon. One thing is for certain, everything is about to change drastically. She is going to be in everything, and she is going to be moving everywhere. Bring on baby proofing the house!

Busy Saturday and Sun Burns

Today was a busy day. It started off in a bit of a frenzy for getting out the door on time. Last minute we had organized a "munchkin round up" for all of the young families and their children that we know. Many of us know each other through church, or at least have seen photos of each others families on facebook.

I really wish I had taken my camera out of my diaper bag to get photos of the get together. The only photo I got was of Everly chilling on my blanket. Just means we'll have to do another get together soon! It was so nice to see everyone, in total there were 13 children in ages ranging 3 years old to 3 weeks old. Everly also got to meet a very sweet little girl, who is only a few days younger than she is. Next time we'll have to get a photo of those two together for sure.

The park we went to is the one our church normally does the Sunday school picnic at. It has washrooms, a big playground, and a water park. The water park was a huge hit with the older children, especially with it being warm and a bit muggy this morning. In my frazzled rush to get out the door this morning, I forgot to grab the sunscreen for both Everly and myself. Sadly, my little girl got her first sun burn today. Mommy fail. Needless to say, the sunscreen has found a now permanent spot in the diaper bag. I'll probably buy a second to keep in the emergency baby supply kit in the car too. Ended up leaving a little earlier than I wanted to because goober was getting grouchy.

Everly was in a stubborn mood already, and did not get a nap in while at the park. She thankfully napped a little on the way home. She refused to continue her nap once we were home. Of course she did crash when we were only a few minutes away from the location of our next event of the day.

We also went to a bbq this afternoon to celebrate those who have graduated this year from high school and post secondary studies. got to go and play in a pool for the second time ever. We had bought her a life jacket, as we know this summer will be full of water activities, this was the first time we had the chance to try it out on her. She was not happy about floating on her back so we quickly switched her into a pool floaty. Its supposed to be good for infants as young as 6 months, but we think she just barely fits it, and Everly is tall for her age. Everly did enjoy being in the water though, definitely makes us think the future swimming lessons will be worth it this summer.

We had to leave early from this too, yet again our munchkin who did not want to nap was crashing for the day. She is happily in bed sound asleep as I type this. So much to be thankful for today. Nice weather, friends, children, and much much more.

A Sippy Cup Already?

We have been using bottles with Everly since day 1, we have tried a lot of different brands.We have found two that she likes. Our little dear has recently become stubbornly independent. (I have absolutely no idea where she could have possibly gotten that from) She is not a big fan of being held when having a bottle, she has always tried to hold the bottle herself but is still figuring that one out. At the beginning of this month we noticed she was always reaching for our Starbucks cups we fill with water, so one day we did let her try to drink out of one. She was so proud of herself when she did, of course she was soaked all down her front, but she was happy!

Today we had our Friday play group, and I asked about it. A few mentioned that they do know other little ones who were started on sippy cups, or cups with straws early on. Jason and I had talked about it the other day, that maybe we should get her one and just see how she does. So I picked one up today.

Everly was thrilled to have something new, fun, and interesting. She figured out the handle idea right away. Learning to tip it back and drink from will be a whole lesson in itself for her to figure out. I am debating trying her on a straw cup of some sort too. Has anyone else started a sippy cup or straw cup around 6 months or so?

 

Apparently I'm a Terrible Mom

Apparently I'm a terrible Mom.

 I got ultrasounds done while pregnant.

I had an epidural and the vacuum was needed during delivery.

 I let other people hold my newborn without disinfecting their hands.

 I do not breastfeed 100% of the time.

I use formula.

I did not have my baby co sleep.

I did not have my baby sleep in my room for the first six months.

 I did not let my daughter always fall asleep in my arms.

 I do not put my baby in cute little outfits all the time.

I did not have a change of clothing for my little one.

 I did not remember to bring the bottle or the formula when we went out.

I said no to waking my daughter up early from a nap.

I have not vaccinated my daughter.

I haven't lost the baby weight.

I stay in pjs most of the time while home.

I left the house without my hair done, and no makeup on.

I left the house and realized later I had puke down the front of my shirt.

My house looks like it has exploded a lot of the time.

I will be returning to work when my maternity leave is over.

Apparently I'm a terrible Mom. The sense of condemnation I get from other people, especially other Mom's, is so overwhelming. I feel like any choice I make is the wrong choice, and that I always have to defend myself. Before you open your mouth or pass a rude glance to a Mom, stop for a second and think does she really need that from you?

Were you there when she was being told they could not see a fully developed lung and that half of her child's heart appeared to be missing? Do you know how much pain that person can handle before they are sick or pass out? Maybe they just could not deal with the pain any more, and had to change the birth plan they had hopped for. Maybe their child was crashing and the baby had to be removed quickly for their own health and safety. Maybe the new Mom just doesn't care if you disinfect your hands or not before she understand the overwhelming desire to just hold and cuddle a new born, or she is still in a daze from having given birth recently. Have you been there for the multiple exams to make sure the Mom does not have breast cancer? Maybe for whatever reason she is just not able to produce enough milk, and cannot feed on both sides and has to supplement with formula to make sure her child gets enough food each day. Maybe the parents were going crazy from lack of sleep and realized their child also sleeps better in their own room. Maybe they do let their child sleep in their arms as often as they can because that is the only time they get cuddles, but they also know their child needs to learn to sleep on their own. Sleepers are sometimes the easiest thing to put on a baby, maybe that little one has already worked their way through 6 outfits in an hour and everything else is already in the laundry. Baby brain happens and things get forgotten in the frenzy to get out of the house on time. Respect the fact that parents are allowed to say no, do not pressure them and guilt trip them into doing things. Everyone has their own standings and reasons for why to vaccinate and why not to vaccinate, why should they have to defend their own personal decision to you? They are not here to battle with you over choices, they are making choices that they feel are best for their child. You do not know everything that is going on in their family, respect their privacy. Do you have any idea what the day has been like for the Mom, maybe she has not had a chance to get 5 minutes to herself that day, goodness she may have not even had a chance to use the washroom yet! Don't look at a Mom with judging glances because she has puke on her, it happens, most parents have had a moment where some sort of bodily content has exploded all over them from their child. Just walk on by please. Maybe instead of judging them for a messy home you could offer to come over and watch their child for half an hour or so, so that they can have a chance to do some cleaning since they are still trying to figure out this whole organizing the home and keeping a child alive deal. Maybe that Mom does not want to return to work but for whatever the reason has to. It breaks her heart already the thought of having to leave her child for hours each day upon returning to work.

In all honest, bluntness... you can just cram it! Show some support instead, in whatever way you can. Life as a mother is complicated. Your judgement and unkind words are not needed. I am doing the best I can. My child is happy and healthy, above all else those are the most important things to me. I am exactly the Mom my daughter needs me to be.

Wooden Highchair

I have been working on the wooden highchair whenever I had free time. Normally I'd get the chance to when Everly had a nap. It has taken me awhile as I had to sand the whole thing, prime it, and then paint it by hand because there was no spray paint colour I liked. The highchair is now waiting to off gas for a month, and then we will start using it with her.

We did however take the finished high chair with us for some very special 6 month old photos. Photo credit goes to GC Photography.

I am looking forward to having this high chair in our family, and special occasions like first birthdays!

 

Trying to figure some things out

With Everly recently starting solids. Which really is mush, not a solid. I have been looking into where I can buy organic in season vegetables and fruits for great deals. I had several people say to check out TwoEEs so I'm hoping to get there in the next day or two and pick some things up.

I am also trying to find a steaming insert that I can use in a pot, or even a pot sold with one. All I can find is what I am looking for sold in sets. I don't want to spend that much when we just need the one item. I may have to make a trip out to Ikea as I was informed that Ikea sells what I need. Going to keep looking. Other's have recommended buying an electric veggie steamer. I'm waiting to hear back from my older sister about what she uses with her munchkins.

Can someone please put together a manual for all this information it be amazing? This is why I am so thankful for Facebook as there are so many groups who are willing to help you figure things out, and share their ideas. You can even just put a question out there in your status and sure enough others have dealt with similar things before you and can help you out.

Now I am also trying to figure out how many disposable diapers I will need for when we are away two weeks out of the summer and I wont be able to use cloth diapers. Seriously, this has me more stressed out than anything. With cloth diapers I don't have to worry about how many we use in a day because I have my stash of diapers for Everly and I know I can just wash them if we need more!

How many diapers does the average 5/6month old go through in a day? I'm guesstimating 7-10 diapers? So for 8 days I would need at most 80 diapers to get through the week?

Dear sister of mine in the States, more diapers may be arriving on your door! I found a disposable brand I like for Everly, we like the ones from The Honest Company, but they only ship to the States.

That's my rant for the day, my brain feels like its going in circles and its only 10:24am.

Reflecting back to our wedding

June 15th marks our wedding anniversary, this year is our 3rd. We have been together just over 6 years. Jason put a promise ring on my finger on our first anniversary of dating, and an engagement ring on the second anniversary of dating, a wedding ring was put on two months after our third anniversary of dating.

Many things have changed. Jobs, where we live, vehicles. We've had our fair share of ups, such as buying our first home and the arrival of Everly, and downs, going through a miscarriage together and other struggles as a couple. We have fought, and gone for many long walks to think things through. The feeling is still there that was present on our first date, we have that special person in our life that we are meant to be with forever.

On to what our wedding was like...

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We decided to do a "mini destination" wedding. I had wanted to get married on Anvil Island for years, Jason agreed as he liked the idea of keeping the wedding small. I wanted to have the wedding there because it is a place with a lot of meaning to me. I was saved and started my walk as a Christian there, I was also baptized up there a few years later. Jason joined me in volunteering at the summer camp when we started dating. Our wedding was very much a do it yourself style wedding.We rented the camp grounds of Daybreak Point Bible Camp for two days/one night. Everyone arrived at the camp thanks to several trips made by the camp boats the day before the wedding. Some family members even brought their own boat over to the island. We had to pack up and bring everything with us, my sister's truck was loaded full of everything from decorations and flowers, to all of the food for multiple meals.

Everyone was organized into different cabins around the camp to stay for the night, and got settled in. Then it was off to work to prepare everything. My Mom was amazing, and kindly helped prepare all of the meals for the two day adventure, this included the big lunch. Our friend Natalie brought with her all the pieces for the wedding cake and assembled it and iced the whole thing there. It was multi-layered, and had 3 different flavours. I had a slight panic attack about getting all of the decorations done, and the flower bouquets made, and so much more. Thankfully my cousin Cathy was quick thinking and had me make a list of what needed to be done, this list was divided and conquered by all of the family and friends who came up to celebrate with us. We could not have done all of this without them.

Somewhere in all of this the groom and his men managed to get in a game of ball hockey in the gym. A certain groomsmen some how whacked Jason in the eye with his hockey stick, poor Jason ended up with a lovely black eye the night before the wedding. I was not impressed but really we couldn't do anything about it.

By the evening on the Monday we arrived, when we went down to the dock to do the practice for the ceremony we could see the storm clouds rolling in. I really wanted to get married outside, but felt defeated as the guys moved the archway into the chapel once it started raining. My dreams of an outdoor wedding were crushed.

The next morning I woke up super early, still had other preparations on my mind besides getting ready for the ceremony. Ooops, I really should have just focused on getting ready and let others handle things because I ended up being that bride that was late to her wedding. This ended up being a good thing though. The rains finally stopped around 10am, and I made the call to move everything outside again. Sure the arch broke and the guys had to fix it again, but it was what I really wanted. Some how again everyone was pulling together to decorate the dock last minute for the wedding ceremony. The benches were put into a row, the aisle runner and flowers were put out. Everything came together very last minute.

I have fond memories getting ready with my friends, my sisters, and my mom. My sister had driven all the way out from Ontario with her two kids. It was the first time I had met my niece. We played music off a phone the whole morning while getting ready. The guys got into their suits last minute of course, as they did not need as long to get ready.

Soon enough everyone was making their way down to the dock. One of the caretakers for the camp was kind enough to offer me a lift down to the dock so that I could avoid all the mud in my white dress. What better way to make an entrance to your wedding than on a Gator. Jason had been told he had to keep looking down the dock so that he would not see me until the last minute when I started walking down the aisle. Some how we lucked out and all of our bridal party walked down the aisle, and myself with the music to the one song I had picked ending right when I got to the end of the aisle.

I cried walking the whole way down the aisle, up to this point this was one of the happiest moments of my life. I was getting married to the man of my dreams, my best friend, a true gentleman. We were surrounded by friends and family as we exchanged vows. One funny, but also panic filled moment, was when our friend who was performing the wedding ceremony managed to have my wedding band slip off his bible and it bounced along the dock. We were all very thankful we had a long aisle runner, but we'll always remember hearing our friend say "SHOOOOT!". During our premarriage meetings, he had actually talked about how he had once dropped a ring. Guess it was destined to happen. We did a little sand ceremony to represent our two lives joining together and be based on a relationship that is Christ centered. We still have the jar filled with sand sitting in our home as a constant reminder.

One thing we didn't want to do was kiss and say "we now present Mr and Mrs Goyette" and then sign the marriage license, for some reason we always felt this takes away from other weddings we had been to. We signed the license later on the back deck of the dinning hall when we snuck off to get a few minutes on our own as a married couple and to take in the day.

Of course we crammed in photos all around the camp before having lunch with everyone. My Mom and sister, and I'm sure a few others pitched in, had made an incredible roast beef dinner for everyone. The dinning hall had been decorated with white paper lanterns hanging from the beams, the tables were covered in white table cloths that had a paper runner and crayons on them so people could doodle on them. We still have several of the drawings in a little scrap book.

The day went by really quickly but we have many great memories. It was a frenzy taking everything down and packing it all up. This is our one regret from the day, we wish we had some how been able to take more time to do some things, we had originally hoped to do a bbq before everyone left so that they could have one more meal before leaving. Sadly this did not happen. I wish I had not rushed so much in the morning and had taken the time to make sure my dress was done up better. Oh the silly moments, but its our wedding day and  a great two day adventure it was.

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We look forward to many more years together. This weekend we are taking some photos of Everly to actually celebrate her being almost 6 months and as a family of 3. We are going for lunch with friends at one of our favourite restaurants, and we are going to see Les Mis while my sister Tasya comes to baby sit for us. Its a much more laid back anniversary weekend, but we like it that way. So much has changed, and there is still so much more to come.