Tidbits...

Last night I hadn't gotten to writing something for the gridblog and jokingly asked Ian if he wanted to do it. He totally surprised me when he took on the task. His only rule was that I couldn't look over his shoulder and had to post it just as he wrote it--no changes. He spent a lot of time on it thinking about Living Forgiven and doing his chicken pecking at the computer. He announced that he was finished and said I could read it, so I slid over from my scrapbooking and read the first few words and the computer shut down...I had bumped the power button with my knee on the way over! I was so disappointed and so should we all be...not to be able to read the wisdom of Ian!

Pella, this picture is mostly for you. I think its a little blury but it shows you that I finished my art project. It's perfect for the empty basement wall. Thanks for the idea!

I thought it was very interesting how many comments there were on the previous "sleep" post. Definately an issue for many people. And many people relate. I'm sad to say that we have reverted to our old ways. Kellen gets what he wants, to be in bed with us and nurse all night long. How embarrassing, I've failed miserably at my plan. Thanks to lots of encouragement, I think we are ready to let the "cry it out" method into our lives (I think). 

Old News, New Teeth, Still No Sleep

I haven't mentioned Kellen's new teeth, which is actually kind of old news now. (When this picture is full screen you can see one tooth quite clearly.) I think he got his first one 3 weeks ago (or maybe it was 2). Anyhow, Kellen's sleeping had gotten progressively worse, and I started blaming it on teething. I was so tired, that I started letting him sleep with us all the time and just nursing him back to sleep. I started noticing that he wasn't nursing that much in the day anymore and I was ALWAYS feeling tired. When the teeth came, things did not get better as I had hoped. Actually I think they got even worse. I started reading books on helping baby sleep.

So this past Friday night, I reached my breaking point. It was 3am and he was rolling around restlessly and waking every 5 minutes. How had it gotten so bad? Where had my pre-baby ideas of having a routine and even letting him "cry it out" gone? He was banished to his crib. I walked to his crib to comfort him every few minutes. At times, he would fall asleep but wake in 5 minutes again. It was 6am before I got to sleep. Ouch.

In just 2 nights, things got amazingly better. He sleeps very good in his crib. He goes to sleep quite well. I'm using several different ideas, which seemed reasonable to me, from books I've read. Thinking back to what a good sleeper he was for the first 3-4 months of his life, I wonder where it all went wrong. He used to get up just once in the night, but I was eventually getting up about 5 times with him! I wished I had some knowledge and a more specific plan on encouraging healthy sleep before the trouble started, I really think I could have avoided it all. And if anyone is an advocate for co-sleeping, I'm not saying it can't work, but it sure wasn't working for me (or Kellen).

Anyhow, my question(s) to those who care...what did you do to help your babies sleep better? OR how are you planning to manage the sleep issue/encourage healthy sleep in your babies?

Frustations & Blessings

(Here is my delayed pictures from last weeknd. Blogger can be so frustrating...).

I couldn't say what the best part of last weekend was. My trip to Saskatoon was full of good things. Definately one was seeing Uncle Stan. Regardless of what he says, he is inspiring to me! His steady faith is amazing!
FINALLY spending some time with Julia was, of course, absolutely magnificantly marvelous! I love good friends! I can't wait for her little one to arrive!
Time with Brad & Pella was so fun, regardless of the flood in their apartment. So many good moments (including Pella's yummy curry chicken) that it would be hard to make note of just one memory...but being able to laugh about Kellen doing his "business" in the tub will remain a fresh memory for a very long time.

I got the car fixed on friday (coolant leak) and the leak was worse already on saturday. It was bad enough that I had to extend my stay in Saskatoon (thanks P&B for putting up with me). But I guess it was just teaching me what I heard at Sunday sermon and the small group study...troubles can actually be blessings. Although frustrated to not get home, I loved small group sunday night and all the extra visits I got in. I tried to recall that lesson tonight...

Tonight I was on my way to Katepwa to have supper at the Koops' and the relatives visiting from Norway. The low fuel light was on in the car...tsk, tsk Ian, I am not suppose to have to fill the car (although after he hears what happened I probably never will have to again). So I go where we always go (they know us there) and the guy (the owner) comes out to fill and is visiting away with his friend. He didn't ask if I wanted in filled or what but i didn't interupt. All of a sudden he has a look of horror and asks if its a diesel! Of course it is, it says so on the cap and he should know, shouldn't he?!?!? Okay, so maybe I should have said something too and been paying more attention. Good thing he was good natured (and yes it was a blessing he realized before I drove off). So we push it into his garage...this story could get long...he ended up having to take off the tank to drain it, Kellen and I had to walk home, we missed supper, and I thought I was going to miss meeting up with my sisters in Regina tomorrow since he said it would probably take him all day. But I tried hard to count my blessings (and a phone call to sister Jenn helped). I've been so tired since Kellen is getting up 100 times a night, it was nice to relax at home for the evening (after I quit feeling sorry for myself stuck at home without Ian or a vehicle), and I'm SOOO glad the car is okay. So, there's a long story for you (oh, yeah, he called later tonight...he stayed at his shop until he finished and he even delivered it to my house). And Dear God, I get the lesson. I don't need any more frustrations to practice finding blessings and a postive attitude.

Yummy food!

Kellen is trying more and more foods now (beets, squash, avacado...) He is even starting to eat more than 2 spoonfuls at a meal. Ian hates this picture of Kellen with the beets...looks too scary he says.
Not quite so dramatic with some barely visible rice cereal on his face. The rice cereal has been more scary for mommy. Did you know milk powders are added to rice cereal? If you know that babies shouldn't have cow's milk until 9 months (due to allergy risk), you can understand how confusing that is. I'll let you (any moms who care) know what I learn when I do a little more research. For now Kellen is eating organic brown rice cereal from the health food store. Downside is there is no iron added. And, infant liquid iron supplements = torture. Kellen has sporadic shudders for an hour after I give it to him. I tried it and it made me shudder, yuck. If you try rubbing a fork on your teeth, you would probably understand. I think I'll try to add some meats soon...

Come for a walk...

If you came for a walk with Kellen & I, here are some of the amazing views you would see. This one is is looking back across the lake at Fort Qu'Appelle. Wilf O showed me a few things about my camera, so here I am testing a few of the features. I really liked this b&w in landscape mode.
Kellen usually sleeps for most of the walk. Often with both hands turned upwards like he's meditating. Of course the day I took my camera, he didn't.
I know this trail will soon be covered with snow, so I've been trying to get out everyday with Kellen. Is anyone else mourning the ending of summer as much as I am?

If you're ever passing through town, make sure and stop for a beautiful little walk.

Enjoying Apples (???)

Have a good laugh watching Kellen eat apples for the first time. You'd think he didn't like it by the expressions, but he kept coming back for more and ate them up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg30smnBN00

What inspires me?

So, there's this wonderful idea going around about a gridblog. Don't know if I'm invited, but the topic of the week so INSPIRED me to think about inspiration in my life, I've decided to have a go at it regardless...

What inspires me? The topic caught my attention, because I think it's only half a question. Inspires me to what? To get up in the morning? To go for a run? To be a better person? Kellen inspires me to be a better person. The memory of the feeling of adrenalin inspires me to run. Thinking about all there is to be done today, usually inspires me to get up (but sometimes it makes me want to stay in bed.) I think the question was intended to go a little deeper than that though. So, I decided to look up more about the word INSPIRE.

From dictionary.com:
1. to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence: His courage inspired his followers.
2. to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.): to inspire confidence in others.
3. to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc.: to inspire a person with distrust.
4. to influence or impel: Competition inspired her to greater efforts.
5. to animate, as an influence, feeling, thought, or the like, does: They were inspired by a belief in a better future.
6. to communicate or suggest by a divine or supernatural influence: writings inspired by God.
7. to guide or control by divine influence.
8. to prompt or instigate (utterances, acts, etc.) by influence, without avowal of responsibility.
9. to give rise to, bring about, cause, etc.: a philosophy that inspired a revolution.
10. to take (air, gases, etc.) into the lungs in breathing; inhale.

So I learned I inspire, because I inhale (yes, an irrelevant fact). I always thought that to inspire would be a positive thing, but I saw in the examples it can be negative (ie. to inspire a person with distrust). Here are the rephrased questions I considered after thinking about the word inspire. What fills me with animating influence? What arouses feelings and thoughts? What affects feelings and thoughts? What impels me?

The examples made me realize that I am inspired everyday: by things I see, things I hear, things I think... Seeing a truly needy person inspires me to be more generous and thankful. (I saw a mom picking out a sweater for her boy this morning at the Community Outreach and I thought about cleaning out the closets in the house that are overflowing and to be thankful for all that I have AND to not want more unneccessary things). Seeing someone who is hurting inspires me to pray more and to put things in my life into perspective. (A mother who cried and prayed for her daughter's struggles this morning at the Outreach). So really, people inspire me.

Memories, some good and some bad, can inspire me. (Memories of feeling far away from God or feeling lost make me want to deepen relationship with Jesus.) Thinking of others who are lost and how it must feel, make me want to share my faith with them. Thinking of Kellen, makes me want to live out my faith in truth so that he will see Jesus. So, once again in goes back to people.

I don't know if I've really explained myself in my examples and I don't know if I would if I continued on. But, I think it really is people that inspire me. Whether positive or negative experiences. And really, I guess it must go back to faith. Without faith and Jesus, I would view people differently. Now I guess I've come back to the easy answer that I didn't want to just give, because it seems to easy just to say...Jesus. Of course, while it may be easy to say he is my inspiration. It doesn't mean it is easy to follow through on all the things he inspires me to be and the way he inspires me to live. SO, its not really an easy answer after all.

Oh, yeah, I should say Ian inspires me too. (How could I forget him?) He has a zest for life that makes me want to enjoy life more. I guess I should have also talked about love. Love is very inspirational, without out it, I think all inspiration would be gone. Now I've lost my train of thought and realize I could rewrite this and something totally different would come out. More ideas, because so many things inspire me. So, trying to conclude...love, people, Jesus...all very inspirational. Hope this makes sense, cause I'm not even going to reread it or I doubt I'd post my mumblings...I'm going to hit publish...

Recipe #2: Cucumber, Tomato, Chick pea Salad

I kind of forgot about the recipe idea. Here is another simple favorite, especially at this time of year when tomatoes are coming in by the pails from the garden. This is probably Ian's favorite salad and likes to have it in the fridge so he can take to work. Made this one at Mom's last week and she loved it, so thought i should share...

1/2 english cucumber sliced
3 tomatoes, cored and cubed
1 small onion, diced (I prefer red onion)
1 can chick peas drained and rinsed
1 cup olives
green pepper, chopped (optional)
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Simply combine ingredients and toss!
(Mom didn't have balsamic vinegar or olive oil so we used a Kraft greek dressing, which was also excellent)

End of Season

The garden is reminding me that the end of a season is near (or is it here?) Maybe summer is gone. Maybe it is fall. Sure looks like it with a lot of yellow and orange colors in the valley.

Kellen enjoyed the beautiful fall day (or should I say summer, it was hot...) while we cleaned up some of the garden. I'm thankful for the wonderful garden we had this year and already look forward to next spring to try again. Next year I'll be on the lookout for disease in the tomatoes before its too late. Next year I will not let Ian plant 5 hills of zucchini.

Somebody can let me know if it is summer or fall.

Kellen's First Harvest

I think Kellen enjoyed his first harvest, first meal in the field, first combine ride, first truck ride... We really enjoyed our week at the farm. I had fun getting out a little bit in the truck and enjoyed seeing the trucker side of Sarina! We're off to Brianne's wedding tomorrow in Dauphin tomorrow, so I'd better go unpack our bags, do some laundry, and get ready to go again...