Two Tired Soles

Monsters that lurk in your sink

2012-02-14T13:45:00.000-08:00

beautiful action shot of junk flying out of our sink
Dan was cleaning out the sink this morning and got a bit overzealous and began cleaning out the junk that lives in our sink drain. Before we knew it, the sink was clogged with junk and needed a bit more help that just the baking soda/vinegar drain cleaner. Out came the plunger....and the monsters that live in our sink. YUCK! But on a positive note, at least its clean now!

His mother's son

2012-02-14T13:41:00.000-08:00

Dan was cleaning the bathroom this morning. And before we knew it, Joel was cleaning the bathroom. He did a good job too! He surely is my son! He loves to clean! And organize...and put things away. Do you think he has a bit of a problem? Type A personality? OCD perhaps? Whatever it is, we appreciate his spirit of cleaning. He's a BIG help around the house.

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T13:37:00.000-08:00

We don't normally celebrate Valentines Day, but this year we got in the mood. (hahaha..sick. Not like that! Dirty mind!) Probably because we have a night out without Joel, thanks to a wonderful couple in our church. So Dan sorta decided to make it an all day affair. Okay, at least he made a delicious breakfast for us. Crepes with whipped cream and strawberries with a side of sausage. Swoon! That man sure knows that the way to MY heart is through my stomach!

Needless to say, Joel got to lick the beaters. I love how the beaters are actually in between his teeth! I guess the way to my son's heart is through his tummy as well. (yes, we are foodies!). Tonight, we are going on a "romantic getaway" to Rocko's for a mango smoothie! Swoon! (and pregnancy cravings fulfilled....my man sure knows how to please!)

Our Crazy Son!

2012-02-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

He sure has a personality! I think he takes after Dan......hehehehe!

24 Weeks

2012-02-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

24 Weeks, minus 2 days. At Stanley Park.

We're raising an addict

2012-02-13T15:22:00.000-08:00

Its true. Our son is an addict. No, not to coffee....but to the cup it comes in. Our son LOVES Starbucks cups. It really doesn't matter what's in it, whether its water, smoothie or yes, even coffee, our son wants it bad. He's even drinks with the logo facing out...he could be in a commercial or something.

His favorite drink is definitely smoothies..mango smoothies to be exact. But I don't feel too bad about letting him drink them since its just ice and mango blended together. Sometimes, with pineapple or strawberry thrown in for good measure.

But what I am upset about is the fact that he's in tears if I want a drink of my OWN smoothie. He throws himself on the floor in tears if Dan or I take a drink. I guess he's still learning the whole "sharing" thing.

Crazy Cousin Christina, my Starbucks hookup, please send us a cup for Joel! We'd like to have our own cup back. I'm soooo thirsty for non-Joel slobbered on straw. But I must admit, sharing a cup with Joel is way better than him "sharing" a cup that he found in the garbage, in a strangers hand, on the ground.....I could go on. What can I say? I said he was addicted!!!!

Sledding: the Dutch/Menno way

2012-01-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

When your parents are too cheap to buy a sled....

...you get pictures that look like their from the 80's (minus the unfashionable clothes). Pictures, where you could take out your own kid, and replace it with a picture of yourself. Don't we all have pictures from our childhood where we are riding down a hill in a cardboard box?

Perhaps we've moved up in the world. Cardboard breaks down too easily, especially in wet snow. Plus, we've recycled every box we had. So, we resorted to using a reusable superstore box, adding some string to help pull him across the snow.

Joel enjoyed riding in the box (at least a lot more than walking in the snow), until it happened to tip over and he face planted in the snow drift. But, it was much easier to travel via box than stroller in this much snow. Here, his buddy Cody also enjoys a ride. Luckily we own two boxes and both boys enjoyed a trip down the street at the same time. Because we all know that sharing a box (too small) or taking turns (while Joel cried because he had to stand in the snow) wasn't going to happen. The boys had fun, I got a workout and we all got outside and enjoyed the snow.

Scrabble: our ex-arch nemesis

2012-01-28T13:41:00.000-08:00

For the first time in our almost 5 years of marriage, we have finally done it. We have played Scrabble without fighting or me questioning Dan's choice of words.

You see, Dan grew up playing Scrabble and reading the Scrabble dictionary. I grew up never playing. But I like the game. I like creating words out of random letters. Its a challenge that my brain totally needs after looking after Joel all day. But I could never play with Dan. Dan uses these obscure words that most people have never heard of or use in everyday conversation. I constantly felt as though I was either stupid for not knowing these words or that I was questioning Dan's intellect by making him prove that those letters actually formed a real word.

But last week, we decided to give Scrabble another go. We laid down some ground rules (like only using conversational words or words used in your everyday vocabulary) and started to play. We actually made it through a game and enjoyed it! Now, we are addicted and play almost every night!!!

It only took 5 years, but we've finally grown up! Now, if you'd excuse me, but there's a lovely man waiting to play a rousing game of Scrabble with me.

Puppy Love

2012-01-18T21:02:00.000-08:00

Snow: His arch nemesis

2012-01-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

The Fraser Valley has been walloped with a bunch of snow and cold temperatures (yes, -25 degrees Celsius is COLD!) Regardless, we decided that Joel should learn to love the little snow that we get.

As, you can see, this did not go according to plan. The boy HATES snow. In fact, he hates snow pants, and mittens. He hates the cold temperature (we took him out when it was a bit warmer...we're not that mean to him!) And he hates the hats on his head.

So, he sat down a cried. Then he screamed. Then he stood up and wanted to be taken inside (still screaming).

And proceeded to scream until everything was locked up tight in the closet and he was safely in his warm room snuggling.

Our little chef

2012-01-08T16:46:00.000-08:00

Right from the get go, Joel took to helping us cook. At 3 months he instinctively knew how to stir cookie dough.

And now, at a year old, he insists on helping us cook. He really enjoys stirring food and sometimes, when we let him sit on the counter, he'll eat right out of the pan on the stove! He's a bit scary to cook around, since he MUST stir things on the stove. He doesn't like to "cook" on the ground with real ingredients...he knows the difference! He has to be right beside us, using the stove. Even when there is just an empty pot on the stove, he'll stand by the stove and cry until we lift him up and let him stir. Our little boy is definitely a chef in the making....but hey! Can you blame him? Look at his parents!

Our little Foodie

2012-01-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

There's no denying that our little guy LOVES food. Literally, this is just a mere 1/3 of all the photos we have of him eating.
Pudding

Carrot

Corn on the Cob

Watermelon

1/4 of a loaf of fresh bread that he stole right off the table

Cupcake

Whipping Cream

Steak (at 6 months, with no teeth). He ate the whole thing!
Pickle (at Rocko's!!!!)

Slice of sausage

Smoothie

Dirt (his personal favorite)

Angel Food Cake

Brand loyal at 3 months. Starbucks coffee!

Chicken Drumstick

Peas...or avocado. We're not sure.

Pizza..one of his first foods that he stole right from us while we were eating it.

Cheetos!

Baby carrot...not impressed.

There's no denying it. Our little man is a foodie!

Baby #2

2012-01-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

Here's an updated picture of Fetus2McCrimmon at about 20 weeks. Take your own guess about whether its a boy or girl...it will be determined in another 20 weeks or so. And no, we don't know. We aren't hiding the gender....it is what it is. And we finally have come up with names for either a boy or girl.(nothing a little midnight chat can't fix.....and yes, one name was determined by trying to be funny and calling this child a yam). No, its name is not Yam. (please people, do not name your children after inanimate objects!) But the names will remain secret until this baby comes forth into the world.

Its all Fun and Games....

2012-01-08T15:04:00.000-08:00

...until somebody poops on the carpet!
...and then proceeds to walk in it and have poopy footprints all over the house. YUCK!

The upside of the whole situation (if there can be one) is that Joel's diaper rash cleared up (hence the diaper free time).

It's true!

2011-12-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

Coming around the end of May 2012....

Little McCrimmon #2 is on the way!

We are super excited (especially Amanda, now that the nausea has subsided) to welcome our second baby into the world!

The Completed Tree

2011-12-16T14:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of our tree all decorated. No complete family picture since Joel was sleeping at the time, and we didn't want to wake him. Maybe next year!

Christmas Tree

2011-12-16T14:33:00.000-08:00

For the past five years, Dan and I have had the tradition of carrying our Christmas tree home over our shoulders. Last year, I was 9 months pregnant, ready to pop at any moment. This year, we have a one year old who we wanted to include in our tradition.

Joel added a bit of "stress" to the situation. We discussed various options for how to get both a Christmas tree and our little bubby home. Do we use the wrap? No, Amanda's back hurts too much. How about the backpack? Won't the tree stump or leaves be in his face? Okay...how about the stroller? Can we push it one handed and still carry a tree? Ultimately, the stroller won out!

Joel really enjoyed shopping for the tree. He would giggle every time I held up a tree and asked, "Is this the one?" That kid really loves nature...and especially pine needles.

Eventually, we chose our tree, put it up on our shoulders and proceeded to the local Starbucks for a hot drink (yet, another one of those wonderful traditions). By this time, it was past Joel's bedtime and he was starting to loose it. (Which may have had something to do with the creepy man outside who kept asking us questions and trying to touch Joel....which neither one of us liked.) Dan finally came outside with our drink (which spilled all over the stroller) and we proceeded to city hall for our annual photo shoot.

Joel basically screamed the whole time. We gave him a bottle, which we kept trying to pull out for photos. (He didn't like that!) Finally, we just gave up and walked home, where we put the boy to bed and the tree outside for a few days.

A few days later (after Joel's birthday party), we decided to put up the tree. Joel likes to touch the leaves, but isn't eating them (bonus for us!!!)

We let Joel put the star up on the tree. Okay, he didn't really put it on.He tried many times, but we just couldn't get him to get it up over the top of the tree. This picture is Joel taking the star off of the tree. But it still looks cool. Later that night we decorated the tree while Joel slept. Every day, Joel seems to take a decoration off the tree, walk over and hand it to us. He just hasn't grasped the concept of "don't touch." But its such a joy to see him stand by the tree, staring at the lights. Reminds me of when he was just born, and Dan was holding him. Joel lifted his head to look at the lights and he was just 20 minutes old.

How to Make a Shark Cake

2011-12-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

Step #1: Spend two weeks worth of nap time scouring the Internet for images of shark cakes. Realize that this is the best one that you can find...even though its missing the second half of his tail and has a really large fin.

Step #2: Cut out the outline of the shark. Realize that it looks ridiculous and spend a few hours "fixing" the image. Basically, redraw the shark picture. Cut the outline of the shark out of the cake.

Step #3: Put the two pieces of shark cake together to form the shark.

Step #4: Ice the cake. And add additional cakes (seaweed and fish) out of the leftover cake pieces.

Step #5: Admire your finished cake.

Step #6: Add candle and allow birthday boy to "try" blow out candle. Blow out candle for him.

Step #7: Give piece of cake to birthday boy. Watch as he slowly pushes it away and melts down into tears. "Don't make me eat this bright blue thing!!!"

Step #8: Wait until following day. Give a piece of cake to birthday boy on a fork. Watch him eat it. Then watch him devour cake, piece by piece.

Step #9: Watch cake being eaten.

Step #10: Allow birthday boy to eat every last piece of cake. Or at least throw it on the floor until he's finished.

Christmas Baking

2011-12-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

Our dear friends, Matt and Rachel came over a few weeks ago, so we could bake some delicious Christmas cookies.

In just over 3 hours, we had a TON of cookies baked, fudge cooling in the freezer, and some savoury treats to enjoy.

We each chose some of our favourite family recipes, and a few new ones to try out.

The evening was filled with wonderful smells, good memories and almost losing our treats to a vicious neighbourhood raccoon (Note to self: do not leave treats outside to cool, raccoons may abound). We thanked Rachel repeatedly for saving our treats!

We had a few good laughs while we assembled gingerbread men (and woman). By that time of night, we had eaten way too much sugar, and didn't have enough protein in our bodies. Things got a bit crazy....but were easily fixed by eating a few pigs in a blanket.

This is our half of the haul from the evening. Pigs in a blanket, quiche, sugar cookies, chocolate mint cookies, chocolate mints, butter tarts, shortbread cookies, gingerbread cookies. And missing from the photo, cookies and cream fudge and chocolate mint fudge. Yummy!

Our semi-annual Hospital Visit (around Christmas)

2011-11-19T11:36:00.000-08:00

Last year, at the end of December, we took Joel to Abbotsford's newly finished hospital for an infected finger. This resulted in a 4 day stay.
This past Monday, it was Dan's turn. This would be his first hospital visit in 26 years. (Basically, he hasn't been back since he was born).

What necessitated the visit you ask? A lovely 1st degree burn to his arm (aka 1% of his body). You see, Dan decided that it would be a GOOD idea to catch a falling jug of hot water while at work. Please do not attempt EVER! This may result in a cloth diaper wrap (and wet bag) being put on your arm to keep the wet towel away from your bandage. (Basically, the wet bag started to leak, so we put a cloth diaper wrap around that to keep Dan dry, and the burn cool). As the doctor put it: "You have reflexes of a parent with a young child. Your first instinct is to catch anything that is falling."

Needless to say, Dan was sent home from the hospital all bandaged up with some nice pain killers to boot (they hand out morphine there like its candy! And tetanus shots.) The next night, we uncovered his arm and found a nice reddish/blackish burn staring back at us.

The pharmacist gave us some nice burn cream, a very expensive non-adhesive sheet to place over his burn and then some netting to cinch it all in place.

Fast forward two days and the blisters have started. Gross! A week (minimum) off work and Dan should be well on his way to recovery. Stay tuned for next week when Dan attempts to catch falling knives!

You know you're a parent of a young child when...

2011-11-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

... you go looking for your pots and pans in the toy box, rather than the cupboard... sleeping in consists of 7:30am
... staying up late consists of any time after 10pm
... you know that the washing machine can remove stains, but crumbs are a whole other story
... everything you own that has any value is at least 4 feet off the ground and progressively climbing
... your vocabulary is reduced to derivatives of "no" or "stop" and the ever favorite "don't touch"
... the most used implement in your house is a broom, closely followed by a vacuum

Mt. Baker

2011-09-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

Friends of ours sent us an email inviting us to hike up Mt. Baker this past Saturday. It read as follows:

"The plan is to hike in the Mt Baker area, up to the Coleman glacier on this side of the mountain... Most of the trail is pleasant hiking up through the forest to treeline, with one steeper section from treeline to the glacier, around 2 hours one way (5.5+ hrs round trip w/ breaks). "

I think that the description was slightly inaccurate (sorry Matt!). The pleasant hike up, should have been described as "hike up through the forest with a few small sections of level walking."

This picture best shows the "steeper section." Just below the tree in the center of the photo is a person (can you find them?) Oh, and that tree is about 1/4 of the way up the steeper section. It was 600 ft of vertical ascension with very minimal lateral movement!

We were OVERJOYED to make it to the top and be able to sit down!

The view was incredible!

As was the wind. Dan is trying to brace himself and Joel, so as not to be blown off the mountain!

Joel enjoyed a lunch of rocks and grass, with a few sticks for snacks. Apparently apple sauce and chicken isn't as good as what God can provide.

But overall, we are happy we went. It was a pleasant day of hiking, amazing views, great fellowship, another check off our bucket list and good memories.....

....that are haunting every muscle in our body days later!

A Summer Hiatus

2011-09-25T20:27:00.000-07:00

Its been a full summer.The empty shelves have now been filled and restocked with scrumptiousgoodies. Five varieties of jam, tomatoes, salsa, peaches, apricots,pears, pear butter, pear sauce, cherries, green beans, carrots (fromthe garden) and pickles. We ran out of jars (and space) before we gotaround to canning apple sauce. But maybe in a few months when thejars begin to empty, we'll be able to remedy that situation.

The dehydrator isfinally put away and all those berries (strawberries, blueberries,cherries and raspberries) are stored away for the winter. Dan sure ishappy that he doesn't have to pierce any more blueberries by hand tohelp with the dehydration process. We've frozen berries for later useincluding strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and handpickedblackberries.

The ugly egg dresser(its missing the bright yellow knobs) has FINALLY been painted.

And yes, we didcomplete the job with new dresser knobs that aren't sooo ugly. Silverones to be exact.

We've tried our hand atmaking yogurt in the crockpot. It turned out great, and is now addedto our lovely repertoire of handmade things we enjoy.

I've spent endlesshours putting books back onto the shelves. And yes, my desire for"perfection" and nicely lined up books has been thrownaway. I've learned to "let it go" and I'm mostly just happyto have the books off the floor!

The cesspool of germshas commenced and the kids have infiltrated our house once again.Mostly just one or two additions. This picture shows the odd day,when I had three extras. (Have I mentioned how much I hate the slowintegration of kindergarten? Worst idea ever!)

The garden has finallygranted us some bounty. My first tomato of the year. It tasted aboutas good as it looked (which really wasn't that great). But no need toworry, we've had a few more since and they have been much better.This year's garden was pitiful due to late planting and bad weather.But we got beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and celery from thegarden. I was disappointed that my zucchini failed again and that Ionly got a handful of peas before the plant died.

Our summer has beenbusy! We also went to three weddings, and took a two week road tripto Eastern BC/Alberta. Our lives have been full of winterpreparation, raising a young man (and a few of his friends), andtrying to rest in those days off. We hope to be more purposeful inblogging a bit more frequently (but that's no guarantee). Especiallysince we have succumb to the parental bedtime of 9 o'clock! But youwould too if your kid didn't sleep well at night! So, we apologizefor the summer hiatus. But we hope the fall and winter brings a"bounty" of blog posts.

It's Happened!!!!

2011-07-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

Our lives will never be the same after today... Joel has learned how to crawl!! He has been lurching forward for the past couple of weeks and coming closer and closer to the real event. Then yesterday he finally put one hand in front of the other just once or twice. Today he was up to four or five hand over hands movements at a time, slowly making his way across the room.
The baby proofing has begun earnestly today with electrical outlets plugged, coasters put away and anything else that we think he could get into moved out of range. There are sure to be things that we've missed and he will get into, but that's all part of the wonderful adventure of parenthood.

A bit of encouragement: Mothering

2011-06-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

I read this on someone's blog and found it to be quite encouraging. Its a bit long, but worth the read.

Motherhood as a Mission Field
By: Rachel Jankovic
You can find the original post here.

There is a good old saying, perhaps only said by my Grandfather, that distance adds intrigue. It is certainly true — just think back to anything that has ever been distant from you that is now near. Your driver’s license. Marriage. Children. Things that used to seem so fascinating, but as they draw near become less mystical and more, well, real.

This same principle certainly applies to mission fields too. The closer you get to home, the less intriguing the work of sacrifice seems. As someone once said, “Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help Mom with the dishes.” When you are a mother at home with your children, the church is not clamoring for monthly ministry updates. When you talk to other believers, there is not any kind of awe about what you are sacrificing for the gospel. People are not pressing you for needs you might have, how they can pray for you. It does not feel intriguing, or glamorous. Your work is normal, because it is as close to home as you can possibly be. You have actually gone so far as to become home.

Home: The Headwaters of Mission

If you are a Christian woman who loves the Lord, the gospel is important to you. It is easy to become discouraged, thinking that the work you are doing does not matter much. If you were really doing something for Christ you would be out there, somewhere else, doing it. Even if you have a great perspective on your role in the kingdom, it is easy to lose sight of it in the mismatched socks, in the morning sickness, in the dirty dishes. It is easy to confuse intrigue with value, and begin viewing yourself as the least valuable part of the Church.

There are a number of ways in which mothers need to study their own roles, and begin to see them, not as boring and inconsequential, but as home, the headwaters of missions.
At the very heart of the gospel is sacrifice, and there is perhaps no occupation in the world so intrinsically sacrificial as motherhood. Motherhood is a wonderful opportunity to live the gospel. Jim Elliot famously said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Motherhood provides you with an opportunity to lay down the things that you cannot keep on behalf of the people that you cannot lose. They are eternal souls, they are your children, they are your mission field.

Faith Makes the Small Offering Great

If you are like me, then you may be thinking “What did I ever give up for them? A desk job? Time at the gym? Extra spending money? My twenty- year- old figure? Some sleep?” Doesn’t seem like much when you put it next to the work of some of the great missionaries, people who gave their lives for the gospel.

Think about the feeding of the five thousand when the disciples went out and rounded up the food that was available. It wasn’t much. Some loaves. Some fish. Think of some woman pulling her fish out and handing it to one of the disciples. That had to have felt like a small offering. But the important thing about those loaves and those fishes was not how big they were when they were given, it was about whose hands they were given into. In the hands of the Lord, that offering was sufficient. It was more than sufficient. There were leftovers. Given in faith, even a small offering becomes great.

Look at your children in faith, and see how many people will be ministered to by your ministering to them. How many people will your children know in their lives? How many grandchildren are represented in the faces around your table now?

Gain What You Cannot Lose in Them

So, if mothers are strategically situated to impact missions so greatly, why do we see so little coming from it? I think the answer to this is quite simple: sin. Discontent, pettiness, selfishness, resentment. Christians often feel like the right thing to do is to be ashamed about what we have. We hear that quote of Jim Elliot’s and think that we ought to sell our homes and move to some place where they need the gospel.

But I’d like to challenge you to look at it differently. Giving up what you cannot keep does not mean giving up your home, or your job so you can go serve somewhere else. It is giving up yourself. Lay yourself down. Sacrifice yourself here, now. Cheerfully wipe the nose for the fiftieth time today. Make dinner again for the people who don’t like the green beans. Laugh when your plans are thwarted by a vomiting child. Lay yourself down for the people here with you, the people who annoy you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of your time that you can’t read anymore. Rejoice in them. Sacrifice for them. Gain that which you cannot lose in them.

It is easy to think you have a heart for orphans on the other side of the world, but if you spend your time at home resenting the imposition your children are on you, you do not. You cannot have a heart for the gospel and a fussiness about your life at the same time. You will never make any difference there if you cannot be at peace here

God loves the little offerings. Given in faith, that plate of PB&J’s will feed thousands. Given in faith, those presents on Christmas morning will bring delight to more children than you can count. Offered with thankfulness, your work at home is only the beginning. Your laundry pile, selflessly tackled daily, will be used in the hands of God to clothe many. Do not think that your work does not matter. In God’s hands, it will be broken, and broken, and broken again, until all who have need of it have eaten and are satisfied. And even then, there will be leftovers.

Rachel Jankovic is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She is the author of "Loving the Little Years" and blogs at Femina. Her husband is Luke, and they have five children: Evangeline (5), Daphne (4), Chloe (2), Titus (2), and Blaire (5 months).

Zoo

2011-06-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

We took our zoo to visit the zoo! Here is Joel riding his favorite pet crocodile! Joel named the crocodile Crickey!

Teapot Hill

2011-06-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Our first hike with Joel in the hiking backpack. He loved it! He even managed to fall asleep on the hike.

Great Scot!

2011-06-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

Our little man, in a kilt! Joel sure loved the Highland games. Especially the bagpipes! He was dancing the whole day (and this time, he wasn't beating his mom from the inside out!) People were constantly stopping us to take his photo and tell us how cute he was! By the end of the day, we were charging a fee to look at him!

An update on life

2011-06-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

This month, so much has happened.
...so many things have changed in the lives of AmanDan and Joel.

We have become the proud new owners of the Purple People Eater, for lack of a better name. We have begun adjusting to the minivan ownership and all that it brings with it. We have enjoyed using it for two hikes, a trip to the parents house, and the Highland games. We still walk for everyday items from the grocery store, although that's been a bit difficult as we have three kids.

Oh, yah. Amanda is back to work for the month of June. Apparently, the other nanny had a mental breakdown, and Amanda was requested to begin working again. And since she is still waiting (3 months and counting) for the government to approve her continuing maternity leave, we decided to take the plunge and bump up the finances and start working. Its been a nice change of pace to be back at work. Cypress is a great help with Joel and River, well.....at least he's not that much of a challenge anymore. Its been great to have Joel in a more consistent routine since Cypress's preschool schedule has forced the napping and eating into set times.

Joel now has two teeth and is eating solids like a grown up. He sure loves anything that we eat, including Indian samosas, Chinese food, pizza, steak skewers, avocado.....oh, the list could go on. He has also started to become mobile. He doesn't quite crawl yet, but he does propel himself forward (and on some occasions backwards and under the couch!) He is also walking around the coffee table, but cannot pull himself up yet. He loves to walk when you hold his hands. Yesterday he walked almost all day at the Highland games.

Dan had a job interview the other day for a position at MEI Middle School. We hope that this will bring about a new job for him come September. We will find out later this week.

Add a trip to the zoo, a hike up Teapot Hill and to Lindeman Lake (with 3 kids, all under 5), the Highland Games, to your daily life and you'll have a glimpse of our lives over the past month. Its been busy, but good. And its only about to get more adventurous. Bring on July!

The buggy before the horse...

2011-06-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

...or in our case, the car seat before the car. Actually, its not even a car. Its a van. And what better to go with Joel's new car seat, than a new van?!
We were lovingly gifted G-ma's old van, since she is no longer able to drive. So, after much contemplation, and a very selfish act of Amanda's mother, we accepted the generous donation. We would have preferred to continue to live without a vehicle, but basically my mom said that she is forcing us to take the van so that she doesn't have to come out and pick us up all the time. And for taking the van, she would lovingly gift us a half years worth of insurance. How could we refuse?? Actually, we did refuse, but my mother forced us to take it anyway. She said she was being selfish. We will gladly accept her selfishness.
We feel quite hesitant about owning a vehicle. In some small way, we feel like we are violating our own morals of car free living. I guess for us, the temptation is to fall into the pattern of using the car for daily living and give up on walking. But our intention is to continue to walk. To only use the van for long distance trips. (yah! camping! road trips! vancouver!) Groceries will continue to be hauled home by hand and cart! Trips to the mall will still be on foot (or by bike if we can manage)!
There is a part of us that feels like we are giving up that "Car-Free, Care-Free" mentality we had for almost 5 years. Without a vehicle, you don't have to worry about gas prices, break-downs (and the exorbitant costs), and the various other issues that crop up with owning a vehicle (you never get a speeding ticket on foot!) Its going to be interesting to see if we can stick to our walking ways, even with the possession of a vehicle.

A day in my life

2011-04-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

I decided that on Monday, I would record everything that I did in one day. I did it partly to show Dan why I'm so tired at the end of the day, and partly to brag to him about what I CAN do in one day (thanks to the 3 hour nap). It was quite amazing to quantify everything that I accomplished in one day. It also showed why I don't get MORE done in a day (yah, a whole hour of crying/snuggling) So I decided to share it with you. Please don't take this to be a regular day....the stars just happened to align and I got a lot done. The next day was full of tears (Joel's) and teething. Nothing else really got done. Believe me...I think I reheated a meal from the freezer to eat for dinner. 8:15 am I woke up to hear Joel munching around. I refused to get up quite yet (I just need those few extra minutes) and I know that Joel will go back to sleep 8:30 am I finally wake up (somewhat reluctantly) and start pumping while I watch some early morning tv (family feud anyone?) 9:15 am Finish pumping, clean up supplies, prepare for a shower 9:30 am Shower (oh glorious hot, hot water!) 9:45 am Breakfast, say good-bye to Dan 10:00 am Start first load of laundry, wash bottles, fill water glasses 10:15 am Wake up Joel, change his diaper and realize that he smells! Bathe Joel, lotion him, dress him and brush his hair 10:35 am Switch laundry to dryer, start second load 10:45 am Feed Joel, wash bottle 10:55 am Empty laundry rack, and hang non-dryerable laundry on drying rack, replace change pad cover since Joel peed on it earlier, get mail and read it 11:07 am Joel plays on play mat, I hand wash laundry (two sweaters) and salad spin it dry. Two breaks to change Joel to different activities, to help suffice him until I'm done 11:20 am Feed Joel, change him (second of the day), put him to bed 11:31 am Remove plastic wrappers from breast pads, prepare recycling to take across the hall while I... 11:39 am Switch laundry over, wash salad spinner, fold first load of laundry and put it away 11:52 am Make lunch, prepare pump 12:00 pm Watch news while eating lunch 12:10 pm Start pumping 12:40 pm Remove laundry from dryer, wash dishes, eat salad, fold laundry 1:15 pm Organize Joel's clothes (just had a baby shower, and need to organize sizes) 2:05 pm Joel wakes up, change diaper (#3), feed him 2:20 pm Back to organizing Joel's clothes, with a small break to answer the door and receive a package 2:45 pm Feed Joel, clean up last of laundry 3:05 pm Playtime with Joel (that didn't last long!), Feed again, He cries and teethes. I make a new bottle, and change diaper (#4) 4:06 pm Snuggles with Joel, intermittent crying, talk with Dan on the phone 4:30 pm Joel to bed, clean up last of laundry, fill water glasses again, clean bottles and pump from lunch 4:45pm Make dinner (throw leftovers in a pot soup), run dishwasher, clean up 5:00 pm Pump while menu planning for the week and creating shopping list 5:40 pm Relax...and stir the soup 4 times 6:00 pm Check email, wash pump and bottles 6:20 pm Dan comes home, Joel wakes up, diaper change (#5) 6:25 pm Diaper change (#6) Gotta love those surprise squirts 6:33 pm Eat dinner 6:46 pm Clean up dinner, talk with Dan and feed Joel, prepare to go out 7:22 pm Walk to grocery store and get groceries 8:42pm Return home, put away groceries, diaper change (#7) 9:03 pm Play with Joel, change him into PJ's, feed him, 9:33 pm Let the crying begin, intermittent with trying to feed him 10:47 pm Joel finally falls asleep, I quickly get ready for bed 11:00 pm In bed, and fall asleep in about 10 minutes

It wasn't me!

2011-03-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

Honestly! I didn't do it! A complete change of clothes, new sheets, one bath, and a few tears later and Joel was back in bed. Good thing we cleaned all that puke off his face.

Bike Ride

2011-03-31T21:13:00.000-07:00

It was very evident what Joel thought about his first bike ride. Eventually he did calm down and actually fell asleep.

We went for a quick ride around Fishtrap Creek.

I actually took this picture while riding my bike. You can see that Joel seemed to calm down and started to enjoy it.

Free the Fridge Friday!

2011-03-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

Its time to rid the fridge of those leftovers! Free the Fridge Friday is what its dubbed in our household. And in the words of 4 year old Cypress, "I like the way it sounds. But I don't like the way it tastes."

Cake Monster

2011-03-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

Quick! Nobodys looking!

Just one little bite!

Mmmmm! So tasty!

BUSTED! I swear it wasn't me!

Dang! My frugal ways!

2011-03-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

I couldn't let it go to waste. I just couldn't throw out that top layer of cake or the white chocolate cream cheese layer underneath. So I put it on the cake. The sad thing is that I would rather have an ugly cake, than waste a layer! Its not like I don't have enough cake to go around. For some reason this recipe makes 1.5 tuxedo cakes, but I stretch it to make 2 whole cakes. (But my stretching skills this time around weren't as good since I cut the cake too thin and it broke, hence its ugliness).

Earth Day

2011-03-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

This year, for Joel's first Earth Day, we celebrated by lighting candles and playing board games. Joel was enthralled by the candles and even tried to reach out and touch them.

So, what's new with you?

2011-03-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Oh how I loathe this question. It seems to be the most commonly asked question, meant to open up conversation. But I hate this question. I really never know how to answer it. Probably because what's new with me is this:

and this:

and this.

It really not exciting to talk about....or listen to for that matter (except for maybe Joel, but not all the time). I guess I find it hard to answer the question simply because my days are often filled with laundry, grocery shopping, dishes, pumping breast milk, preparing dinner and looking after Joel.

I never really realized how lonely motherhood can be. Days and hours are filled busying yourself around the house, cooking and cleaning. On occasion, you get a break to blog, read a book or take a walk. But mostly my days are filled with tasks that need to get done to make the household run. I purposely try to get all those things done so when Dan gets home, we get to hang out and talk. (Poor Dan, his ears must hurt by bedtime!!!) But the reality is, I don't have anyone to talk to, except Joel, who can't talk back yet. And even when he learns to talk in a year or two, it isn't adult conversation (yes, Joel! that is a doggy!). I remember when I was nannying Cypress and River up at their house in the boonies, that the one time we got to go to a play group, I was so excited to talk with another adult. Yep, that conversation about yeast infections was the best thing ever!

So when people ask, what's new with you? I get discouraged. I wish I had more to share. I wish there was so clever antidote to share other than breast milk stains your clothes. Now I know why mothers often feel as though they have lost themselves. Your entire life is serving and taking care of others.

So for Lent, I decided not to give up anything (although giving up some cleaning and cooking would be awesome), but to add something to my life. I decided that I would try to do things that I enjoy doing. I am trying to blog, read, scrapbook and just relax more. I am trying to stop wasting time on the Internet or watching daytime TV, and do all those things that I've given up for 3 months. This isn't a regimented daily task I must complete. Every parent knows that the best laid plans are often foiled (yah teething!). But just a desire to feel more like person and less like a mom.

Liquid Gold

2011-03-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

No, we aren't talking about Starbucks or oil, we are talking about breast milk. We've mentioned before how I've been blessed with an overabundance of milk for Joel. So much in fact, that we've decided to share it. We've decided to donate the 'extra' to BC Woman and Children's Hospital Milk Bank. They use the milk that we donate to feed babies in the neonatal intensive care unit, babies with failure to thrive, transplant patients and so much more. After two months of an intensive screening process, I was finally able to free my freezer from the breast milk we've been storing and donate my first batch to the bank. Normally, they expect a normal woman to pump an extra ounce a day for 100 days to meet the minimum donation commitment of 100oz. I donated what they would accept (no pumping's from Joel's hospital stay) and from when I started pumping for a total of 6 weeks of donations. We were "surprised" to see that I met my commitment.....three times over....for a grand total donation of 325.5 oz. The duty nurse who accepted my donation, was surprised to hear how little Joel still was and made a comment on how blessed I was. I have finally accepted that having an abundance of breast milk is a blessing. Being able to use this abundance has finally solidified that notion in me. When Joel was first born I considered it a curse. Being soaking wet all the time, having to wear dish rags in my bra to absorb the extra milk and sleeping on numerous towels were just some of the perils I lived through. It didn't help that Joel was a lazy latcher (he didn't need to latch to get any milk, he could just open his mouth and it would pour in). Eventually it became a blessing and a curse. I was blessed to be able to help other babies, but was still frustrated with wet tops and difficulty breastfeeding. But time has passed and I have been told countless times that I am blessed to have more milk than to struggle to make enough to feed my baby. I have come to terms with pumping milk into a bottle for Joel to help him grow without drowning in my milk. I have come to realize that this is a blessing. When Joel had his major growth spurt recently, I had more than enough milk for him and wasn't having to deal with a baby who couldn't get enough to eat. What I thought was a curse has turned into a glorious blessing. Even more so, now that we have been able to donate the milk and know someone who might possibly need it for her little boy. It truly is liquid gold!

200th Post!!!

2011-03-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

Here we are, post number 200! It's taken us just under 2 years to get here. Looking back over our posts it is very interesting to see how we've grown, the places we've been and all that we have experienced. Having a blog is a journal of sorts, a journal for our lives that we get to share with others. It's been a blessing and a joy to share our lives with those of you that read it and follow along with us. Here's to the next 2 years of posts!

Random Sculptures

2011-02-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

I (Dan) have a fascination with all things big, ugly, and odd on the side of the road. I saw this sculpture in Vancouver a while back and wanted a photo. For those of you who can't tell what it is, it is a really big one of those rubber band powered airplanes that you played with as a kid.

I love road side attractions

Joel's Professional Baby Pictures

2011-02-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

Special thanks to Matt Schipper for taking these pictures of Joel when he was only 3 hours old. Yep! The joys of having a friend who is also your midwife who is married to your friend who is an aspiring photographer.

Conversations with Amanda and Dan: 3am Style

2011-02-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

During those first few sleep deprived weeks after Joel was born, this conversation was born.

Dan: I wonder if warm milk putting adults to sleep has anything to do with warm breast milk putting babies to sleep!?
Amanda: What kind of sick Freudian theory is that?

**********
Amanda's Thought of the Day:
I often wonder why it takes men so much longer to attend to a crying baby than a woman. At first I thought it was because woman are known to be more nurturing. But I have come to realize that its because their breasts hurt when the baby cries. If a man's nether-region hurt every time a baby cried, they'd go running.
Dan: Or keel over in pain and drag themselves to the crying baby. Its a good thing that men don't have that reaction! (a slight pause) Your breasts hurt every time he cries?
Amanda: Almost every time. Now you know why I get mad when you don't go running to Joel when he cries. It literally hurts me!

Our sleep habits: a weeks perspective

2011-02-12T12:09:00.000-08:00

Thursday: 6 hours (its like sleeping through the night!)
Friday: 6 hours
Saturday: 6 hours
Sunday-Tuesday: Two 4 hour stretches (not a fan after those 6 hours)
Wednesday: Joel fell asleep at 12:45am. Dan and I woke up at 2:50am to this loud rumbling, sounding something like road work or a vehicle idling right next to your ear. Dan hear tons of sirens and we heard lots of yelling. The neighbours upstairs came in the front door and we asked what was going on? Turns out there was a fire in the building behind us, destroying one unit. Dan and I couldn't sleep due to the rumbling fire trucks, the firemen yelling and the axe that was tearing down the unit. Once Dan and I fell asleep, Joel woke up. Brilliant!
Thursday: Two 4 hour stretches
Friday: 8 Solid Wonderful Hours! (and then another 2 hour stretch after feeding!) Thank goodness! Since he was fussy all day and cried pretty hard (for him) for a few minutes before bed.

Yep! He's OUR boy!

2011-02-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

...the proof is in the details.

I'm not talking about how his brows look like Dan or his lips look like mine. I'm talking about those little idiosyncrasies that we have, that the general public may not notice. It is amazing how God has created little Joel with some of those things too. It is not a learned behavior, its just a natural thing that Joel has.

These pictures (as bad as they are) show just one little thing that Joel and I have in common. Its a pinky thing! We both end up sticking out our pinky on a regular basis. It's just one of those little details that prove Joel is my child.

First Trip to Rockos

2011-02-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

Joel isn't too impressed with our flavour choices. Mango and Lime? Not his favorite!

Tammy, our favorite waitress! We go back almost 5 years. And even though we only come in sporadically, she still knows our order. We do make it easy by having the same thing every time. Hi-Lite burger with poutine, and the occasional milkshake!

Joel sitting like a big boy on the bench with his milkshake.

Family photo!

First Trip to Rockos

2011-02-04T21:35:00.000-08:00

So excited!

Milkshakes for all!

The burger was bigger than his head! But he sure loved it!

Poutine! Every Canadian's dream comfort food! Joel seemed to enjoy it!

Plumber Bums

2011-02-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

Joel was helping Dan out installing the diaper sprayer (for easy poop removal from cloth diapers).

What a waste!

2011-02-04T21:12:00.000-08:00

My contributions to the landfill. Okay, its recyclable--but still! What a waste! I had great intentions to use reusable and washable breast pads, but was startled by the overabundant milk production I was blessed with. So, to prevent certain health ailments and an never ending laundry supply, I was forced to switch to disposables. What I don't understand is why each pad must come individually wrapped! So wasteful...and annoying to open!

Real men wear pink!

2011-02-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

....or is it salmon?

got milk?

2011-02-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

Jump for Joy

2011-02-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

At a mere five weeks old, we put Joel into the Jolly Jumper. This toy is supposed to be for children who can hold their heads up, which usually happens around 2-3 months. But Joel has had fairly good head control since birth, and can hold his head up by himself. So, we decided to let him have a go in the Jolly Jumper. Unfortunately, since he is so small, he can't reach the ground and needs some assistance from some lovely phone books. But he certainly enjoys pushing himself back and forth and jumping up and down.

In fact, he enjoys it so much, it tires him out.

Brand Loyal Baby

2011-02-04T20:45:00.000-08:00

We're starting them off young! Let's be honest. Its not his first Starbucks. He had plenty in utero. And he definitely enjoys them!

Our barista, Jess, finally got to hold Joel (excuse the blurry photo). In fact, all the baristas love it when we come in with Joel. They also love the fact that we let them hold Joel and our boy sure does love flirting with them.

Life as a Mother

2011-01-28T17:05:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, you feel as though the laundry will never end. You can just finish doing numerous loads and then, someone will drop off clothes or there will be an "accident" that needs tending to.

And then, even when you get on top of it, it can take hours to fold and put away, since the baby's needs comes first.

There seems to be a perpetual state of disarray at our house. Don't let the clean living room fool you, we just throw everything into Joel's room.

But perhaps the worst part about being a mom---this inevitable feeling that a baby store threw up in your house. You know-baby gear everywhere and the knowledge that it will be a few years before your house is back to "normal."

...Or will it ever return to "normal?"

Trip to the Pool

2011-01-28T16:54:00.000-08:00

Today, Dan and I took Joel to the swimming pool for the first time. He was rather indifferent to the whole idea.

The pool was a bit too cold for his liking, but he put up with it to please his mom and dad.

We also took him into the hot tub, which was a bit too hot for him. Plus, the lifeguards kept giving us nasty looks. So our trip was cut short since there was no water that was "just right." Maybe in a few more months we'll try again.

JOEL!!!

2011-01-14T21:45:00.000-08:00

Sleeping in his own bed!

Playing on his quilt from Auntie Sarah

Watching TV with mommy (he really enjoyed it!)

Too much play time with polarboob makes him tired. (Polarboob is the polar bear he got in the hospital. He seems to try latching to it every time he sees it. We believe he thinks its a breast, hence the name polarboob)

World's Biggest Onsie

2011-01-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

Yep...we're just those kinda folks. We do enjoy subjecting our child to humiliating circumstances.

But check out Joel's smile! He seems to enjoy it! He knows that his parents are crazy...and he's just trying to fit in with the family.

Clean up in Aisle 3

2011-01-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

Mommy! I made a mess!

One of the unfortunate side effects of being on antibiotics....vomit!

Surrounded with Community

2011-01-13T21:51:00.000-08:00

One of the most profound experiences that a person can experience in life is true community. Most of us will never be in a point in our lives where we are completely removed from people, but in reading and watching the experiences of those that do, it is an eye opening look at ourselves and humanity as a whole.
One of my (Dan's) favourite book/movie is "Into The Wild." It chronicles the life of Chris McCandless and his final two years of life as he prepared for and headed into Alaska for his great adventure. Part of the adventure was to get away from people which he certainly accomplished. In the end he wound up perishing from an unknown cause. Before he passed away, he wrote that one of the things that brought him true happiness was being with people, rather than trying to live on ones own.
A similar thought was voiced by Ed Wardle, an adventurer from Scotland who spent a summer trying to live off the land in the Yukon. He lasted 50 days before calling his support team to come back. What brought him to that point more than anything else was the extreme loneliness that he felt. At one point he said that he just wanted to be with people-to see them and hug them. That was worse to Ed than the lack of food that he was suffering from.
The point that I'm trying to make is one that we all know well, people aren't meant to be on their own. More than that, people are meant to live in community with each. Which involves more than being on the same Facebook page, "liking" something with thousands of other users that we'll never meet in person and probably never interact with again.
The community that we have experienced in our lives has touched us in many deep and profound ways. The most recent event was all that was done for us after the birth of our son Joel. At our church it is normal for members to provide a week of meals for any new parent within the church, but on top of that our own family provided meals as well. The broader community also blessed us with offers of going to pick up groceries, more gifts than we ever could have expected, and in the support that they have given to us in other ways that I can't even think to put down.
It has come up in discussion with friends about how hard life is without community. Our midwife was telling us about this family that she had helped with the birth and how astounded they were when a neighbour came by to drop off a meal. They thought that they were going to be on their own and this little bit of unexpected help was amazing to them. It also plays out when a person moves into a new area. If that person is involved with a church or other organization, the transition is a lot easier. Getting into a church allows for access to an established (and usually welcoming) community. Some one who is not involved must try and find friends and community on their own which can be a difficult journey.
We can't imagine what life would have been like after Joel's birth if it wasn't for community. We would have had to prepare two weeks worth of meals, that were otherwise delivered to our door. We would have had to purchase every outfit Joel owns, as opposed to not having purchased anything for him yet. We would have had to find our own way to church that first Sunday morning, when Amanda could barely walk more than a hundred meters. We would have had to take a taxi to the hospital, if it weren't for our community blessing us with rides. I can't imagine those first few weeks without people knocking on our door, offering to hold Joel, giving us a break while we cleaned up or rested. Or even the most basic conversation that we would have missed if it wasn't for community. There is a reason that God sent shepherds and wise men to Jesus' birth-they were meant to celebrate. And that is what our community has done. Even this evening, as we walked into Starbucks, our barista Jess, loudly exclaimed, "You've had your baby!" She then proceeded to ask a million questions while offering us a congratulatory drink. Even this provides us with a sense of community.

Our Home Birth Experience

2011-01-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

Very early on in our pregnancy, Dan and I were presented the option of having a home birth. After weighing the pros and cons, Dan and I decided to make it an option. We realized that, with our certified midwives and our close proximity to the hospital, home birth was a safe option for us.
I thoroughly enjoyed our home birth experience. It was nice to labour at home and not have to transfer to a hospital, especially since my labour was so fast.

The timeline of our labour:
3pm: I had my first contraction, which I thought was gas from the spicy food we had the night before.
3:30pm: Dan calls home, and I explain to him that I (a) have bad gas, (b) am in labour or (c) am dying. I tell him "contractions" are 5-7 minutes apart.
3:50pm: I call Dan and tell him that he needs to head home, as I am in full blown labour.
4:10pm: Dan makes it home. I tell him, he needs to put the bagels in the oven and start timing my contractions. He figures out that they are 2-3 minutes apart.
4:45pm: I tell Dan that he needs to call the midwife. He tells me that he needs to wait a bit longer before calling, since it hasn't been an hour of contractions yet.
5pm: Dan calls the midwife. They are doing a shift change and will call back in a few minutes
5:15pm: Midwife calls and she decides that she'll finish dinner and cleaning up before coming. She'll be there at 6:30. Dan runs around between contractions trying to get the house in order and ready for labour. (putting plastic sheet on bed etc.)
6:30pm: I tell Dan that I need to push. Dan tells me, "Don't you dare!"
6:40pm: Midwife (Jan) arrives and checks me. She tells me that I am fully dilated and that my water is about to burst. She calls the second midwife (Rachel), who lives in Langley to come quickly. Midwife tells me, "Try not to push."
6:58pm: Water breaks and the involuntary pushing begins. Midwife informs Dan that he may need to help deliver baby if second midwife doesn't arrive.
7:15pm: Second midwife arrives. The pushing begins! Somewhere in the next forty five minutes the midwives realize that the heart rate keeps dropping and they need to get the baby out immediately. The cord is around his neck. They do an episiotomy to get him out fast (without freezing I might add!)
8:02pm: Joel makes his arrival into the world.

It was awesome! The only cleanup we had to do was one load of laundry (which we could have thrown out if we wanted, but we are much to frugal for that). I couldn't have imagined getting into a car (or ambulance, in our case) to make our way to the hospital. It was awesome to have a baby and fall asleep in my own bed just hours later. I would do it again in a second! Okay, not the whole labour thing, but the home birth aspect!

When the best of intentions are foiled

2011-01-13T15:08:00.000-08:00

I had the best of intentions. But unfortunately they were not to be. Dan and I have spent the better part of our marriage trying to live simply and live "green." We want to be good stewards of the world God made. But since Joel has been born, I feel as though these ideals are harder to come by. Like I said, I had the best of intentions.
I purposely bought reusable nursing pads hoping to forgo the disposable kind and save the landfill from a few more pieces of junk. But what I didn't anticipate was the overabundance of breast milk that God has "blessed" me with. Because of this overabundance, the reusable pads just can't contain the milk I have (and sometimes, I've doubled up and still ended up with a soaked shirt). I end up being soaked all day long. I don't wish to remain drenched all day, and I want to keep myself from developing an infection so I made the switch to disposables. I am now adding more garbage to the landfill everyday. I had the best of intentions to help the environment, but they have been foiled.
We also had the best of intentions to start cloth diapering Joel after the meconium poos had passed. But here we are, a month into his life and still using disposables. Why? It has something to do with the medications Joel is taking for his infection and the diarrhea that ensues. We just can't handle washing upwards of 20 poopy diapers a day (I don't have enough to go 2 days at that rate!). Plus, we had a couple lovingly donate a few boxes of diapers to us (can't let them go to waste can we?) So, Joel is still in disposables and we are killing the environment one diaper change at a time.
But there is a silver lining to all of this. Since I have been blessed with the overabundance of breast milk, I am now able to donate my milk to BC Woman and Children's Hospital. Yes, this does add more of an environmental strain to the world with the plastic storage bags for breast milk, but I feel as though it is somewhat justified since it is feeding sick babies and children. I can only hope that they dispose of the plastic responsibly.
Sometimes we have the best of intentions that don't always work out the way we wish they did. But somehow God has a way of intervening and renewing our intentions into His own.

Grandpa's comin to town

2011-01-05T21:22:00.000-08:00

On Boxing Day, Dad came to visit and see Joel for the first time and it was, as they say, love at first sight. Talking to him the day before he said that the rule for visiting was that Joel would be in his hands unless he needed a change or to be feed and that was pretty much how it turned out.

Joel took to Grandpa like no tomorrow and bonded with him in a very special way. Joel would cozy into him in a way he hasn't for anyone else and as soon as Dad left for the night Joel would be wide awake with eyes wide open even if he was fast asleep the moment before.

Joel even got visits from him in the hospital every day and would cry when Grandpa left.

Survivorman: Hospital Edition

2011-01-05T20:50:00.000-08:00

4 days in Pediatrics
1 infected finger on a newborn baby
Surviving off arrowroot crackers, individually packaged cheese slices and 100ml cups of 2% milk

Joel's first hospital visit came 15 days after his birth (which happened at home). He was given IV antibiotics to fight a staph infection that he probably contracted after we cut his fingernails.

The Pediatric nurses loved him! Joel would flirt with the nurses every morning, with a squirt from his rear end and a smirk. We informed him that the ladies don't really enjoy that behavior. But he continued with it anyway. Needless to say, the nurses still loved him. They always commented on how calm he was, even when they stuck him with the IV. Often, he would barely cry as they changed his dressings or he would cry and then give up with a sigh.

His visit was complicated by the fact that he is sensitive to the adhesive in tape that was used to hold his IV in place. We finally figured out how to cover his hand without tape, but his foot was another story. They kept the tape on until we were released on New Years Day. His foot still is a bit red and swollen. But other than that, he is doing well. His finger is a bit red, and he's still on antibiotics till the end of the week. Hopefully the infection will be cleared up soon.

Joel's First Bath

2010-12-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

Here's the pictures from Joel's first bath. As is all to obvious neither of us really have any clue as to what to do and so poor Joel was subjected to a very long and cold bath.

Here is Amanda trying her hand at washing him. Observe the overwhelming confidence that she exudes, a true professional at work.

Here's Dan's attempt, notice the extreme concentration... aren't baths supposed to be easy?!?

And finally: the aftermath.

He's Here!!!!!!!

2010-12-15T10:21:00.001-08:00

Last night Amanda and I welcomed our little baby boy into this world. Joel Eric McCrimmon was born at 8:02 p.m. and came out wieghing 7lbs 9.5 oz and 21 inches long.

The Ultimate Commuter Bicycle

2010-12-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

For all of us that commute by bike, there is a long list of things that make cycling annoying or dangerous. This is the answer to many of those problems.
Enjoy!!

Anticipation

2010-12-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

Nearly 10 months ago, during the season of Lent, we were anticipating the news that we were pregnant. On the morning of Easter Sunday, we found out that we were indeed expecting a baby.
Here we are all these months later, during the season of Advent, anticipating the birth of our first born child. (We do hope its born before Christmas though...)
Both of these two seasons have been my favorite times of year. I love the anticipation of things to come, although I'm not nearly as patient for them to occur as I would hope. Its amazing to me, how these two major events (Easter and Christmas) have weeks of anticipation and preparation in their lead up. Its similar to preparing yourself for a baby. You spend time getting the room ready and preparing your body for childbirth.
This year at Church they are talking about time and what you do to prepare yourself for the big event. This Christmas will be a special time for us, as our lives are somewhat parallel to that of Mary and Joseph's. I can just imagine Mary's desire to meet her child and her need for a donkey to carry her around. You can sense Joseph's anticipation, fear and excitement as he looks for a place to safely welcome his son into the world. And you can feel the joy and celebration of shepherds and wise men as they rejoice over the birth, much like our friends and family will rejoice over our baby's safe arrival.
As we anticipate the arrival of our baby, we also anticipate the celebration of the birth of Jesus. We have much to look forward to this year!

The mobile...of the military persuasion

2010-12-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

At last I've been able to put my hobby to good use. Amanda suggested to me months ago, that I create a mobile using some of my scale models that I had kicking around. I finally finished the mobile this week! It contains 3 planes and 2 tanks. Keep in mind folks, that we don't know the gender of our child. So regardless of its gender, it will have this mobile hanging over its head. (Yes, if its a girl she will need to learn to love planes and tanks!)

Our Ode to Christmas

2010-12-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

The cookies have been baked,
The appys frozen for a later date,
The nutcrackers have invaded,
The nativity has been recreated,
The tree has been set up,
The pregnant woman is fed up.
And now we wait for the baby Jesus (ahem, we mean our baby) to show up.

Pssst...baby. There's no more room at the Inn. Come out to the stable so we can put you in a manger (and by that we mean dresser drawer!) And hurry! Christmas comes tomorrow! (at least to the Dutch community!)

4th Annual Christmas Tree Caper

2010-12-04T21:09:00.000-08:00

For four years, it has been our tradition to carry our Christmas tree home over our shoulders. And just because Amanda is nine months pregnant, it does not change this tradition. (yes, she did carry it home over her shoulders hoping that it would induce labour) Nor, did the fact that it was pouring rain change our plans. The only thing that changed was that we got our tree at the end of November instead of the beginning of December.

For the past two years, we've added a trip to Starbucks for a hot drink to our tradition. It was there that two customers gave us the looks that we've come to look forward to. The "are you two crazy?" look. It makes us giggle every time. Our baristas were good natured about it. They've come to understand our craziness and congratulated us on our creativity.
Needless to say, the tree has been in our possession for five days and all that we have accomplished is putting up the lights, the tree topper and three decorations. Amanda has this strange dream of decorating the tree between contractions. Dan isn't too thrilled with this idea, but we've been too busy or tired or not in the mood to put anything on the tree. Hopefully we get it decorated before Christmas!

Jacob Moon

2010-12-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we went to see Jacob Moon (from Ontario) play at House of James. We are avid fans of him and try our hardest to see him every time he comes to BC. He is singer/songwriter who plays folk music. He plays a live looping machine which allows him to add depth to his music using only a single guitar. He has recently played for Rush at their induction in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. We've gotten to know Jacob over the past years (thanks Matt for the introduction and house party). Whenever he sees us at a concert, he makes an effort to come over and say hello to us. This concert, we sat in the front row and during his first song, he looked over and realized who we were. Then, he realized that we were 9 months pregnant and gave us this "congratulatory" look.
Our baby has grown to love Jacob Moon. In fact, while at the concert, our baby was dancing away to his songs. When Jacob played his two new songs, the baby stopped moving as if to protest, "I don't know who this is!!!!" But as soon as Jacob played songs from his Cd's the baby would start dancing again. Then Jacob Moon decided to play some Christmas songs from his Christmas CD which is currently being played continuously at our house. The baby went nuts, as if to say, "Christmas, Christmas, CHRISTMAS!!!" like any excited child exclaims. Needless to say, our baby LOVES Jacob Moon Christmas!
Jacob came to talk with us during intermission and congratulated us on our soon-to-be arrival. He said that anyone who would attend his show two weeks before delivering a baby should be inducted into the Jacob Moon fan club as devote members. The reality is that unless we were in labour or had just delivered, we probably would have been there. (yes, we like him that much!)

Sleep: the final frontier

2010-11-12T20:59:00.001-08:00

Every morning, Dan asks me, "How did you sleep?" Recently, its been "Not so good." He can tell it was a good night, when I say that I managed to get 3 or 4 consecutive hours of sleep. Otherwise, I was awake every 1.5-2 hours. Usually with a bout of alertness at 4am, when my brain wakes up and refuses to shut down pondering anything from diapers to ways to stop Dan from snoring (sometimes the only solution I can come up with is a permanent one).
I've been told that this is my body preparing for what is to come. The reality is, I hate the practise. I wish that I could sleep through the night and save up sleep for the deprivation to come.
Its just another one of those lies that people tell you to make you feel better. Much like the "your baby is healthier when you're throwing up." That's not comforting...its annoying. (it really makes you want to puke on the person telling you this wonderful tidbit)
Sleep is blissful....give me every last moment I can have of it, before the baby takes it from me permanently.

Road Rash Warrior

2010-11-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

Monday morning, Amanda went on a trip. Down the sidewalk....literally down on the sidewalk. She tripped on the curb on the way to the bus, stumbled a few steps before going down and sliding down the sidewalk. She flew about 9 feet.

The wounds in these pictures are already a week old and healing quite nicely. The swelling has subsided and her knee and both hands have returned to "normal" size (minus the pregnant swelling).

The downside of falling (hehehe), is that in the process of landing, the large belly stuck out and got landed on. This probably stunned the baby and it refused to move for the next two hours, which by our child's standards is an extremely long time to stay still. The midwife recommended a trip to the hospital to get checked out. Of course, our baby, being who it is and "loving" hospitals, began to protest as soon as the nurses started to strap on any type of instrument. What followed in the next twenty minutes, was the worse case of hiccups known to man, followed by some intense kicking and punching (and probably screaming, if it could), to try and remove the fetal heart monitor. Needless to say, "it's alive!!!!!!" and we were discharged without further incident.

But now, every time Amanda leaves the house, Dan likes to tease her by saying, "Don't trip on the curb on your way out!"

Does this bike make me look fat?

2010-11-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

Here I am, 7.5 months pregnant, still riding a bike. Yep, just another one of those things that I did to help Dan achieve a million steps and win a bike. If only this bike wasn't "borrowed........."

I only wish Dan would let me back on the bike after my recent meeting with the sidewalk.

Hungry for God: A Childlike Perspective

2010-10-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

This week, while reading the "Rejoice" daily devotional, we came across a story about being hungry for God. We asked Cypress what that meant and she responded that we needed to feed Jesus growing foods.

Dan and I got to talking about that. Children really don't understand the concept of being hungry for God. Their extent of understand is that they just love him. (and yes, those are Cypress's words). This got us to talking about the child-like faith we are supposed to have. If you really examine the faith of a child, their beliefs are quite simple. They believe that God loves them and they love him. There is nothing more complicated than that. But often, we as adults get caught up in the mentality of "doing" rather than "being". Are we praying enough? Reading the Bible enough? Serving enough? And there is often guilt associated with those thoughts. Children don't have those types of thoughts. They are masters in the art of just living in the moment, just "being". They don't really worry about what is for supper or if they are "Christian" enough. And if they do, often these are feeling put on by adults.

I can remember in grade 2 having the Gideons come in to talk with our class. I felt like I was a good Christian, until they talked about how we should read our Bibles every day. After that day, I started feeling guilty about missing a day's reading or not praying every night. All of a sudden, I wasn't the Christian that I was supposed to be. Or so I thought. I was wracked with guilt about not "doing" enough to prove my faith.

Please don't misinterpret what we are saying. We know its good to read your Bible and to pray. But these shouldn't be the markers of a good Christian. In Jesus' time, the Pharisees were the ones "doing" all they could to make themselves holy, yet Jesus condemned their behaviour. Martha was the doer, but she was chastised for not being like Mary who sat at Jesus' feet, being in his presence.

Perhaps the children have it right. We really just need to "be." It's not that we need to stop doing all those wonderful things, but perhaps we need to readjust how we evaluate ourselves. Perhaps we need to spend more time "being" in God's presence than "doing" all those holy things. And perhaps, we just need to be like a child. Realize that God loves us and we love him and go play.

Prenatal Class

2010-10-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

Just one little story to share! The men in the class were asked what are the emotional changes that a woman goes through in the last three months of pregnancy. Every single man looked down at his feet, not wanting to say anything lest he be banished to the proverbial dog house. But no, I have Dan for a husband. He's not scared of that dog house. So he pipes up, " They're irrational!" All the men look at him and stare at him with fear in their eyes as if they were saying, "You are soooo dead." Then they glance to me, wondering what my response will be. These men are frightened that a rational response will be given and he will be reprimanded for his honesty. Instead, like a good wife, I laughed. Hard. Cuz I know its true. The men relaxed and began to share freely about the emotional changes their wives were going through. And we shared my irrational story about whipping cream and cake.

6 weeks to a brand new life

2010-10-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

....give or take a few days! The end is drawing near and we are about to welcome a new little life into our midst. We are filled with fear and excitement. It's crazy to see how fast it has come. In those early days we felt like we would never make it to this point and here we are, 6 weeks approximately from delivery. The nursery is ready, and we have only a few more things we desperately need to get before junior arrives. The parents are just about as prepared as we can get. The baby is engaged (read: head dropping into lower pelvis. Amanda can breathe, but oh the pain to move!) Prenatal classes have been attended and the preparations for home birth are complete. We are literally just waiting for the baby to make its appearance.

We've learned a lot along the way. Here are some lessons, painful or otherwise, that we have accumulated along the way.
#1. There are certain foods that should never make a reappearance...no matter how good they are going down, they are terrible coming back up. (eg. applesauce, banana, cheerios etc.) Oddly, these are often the best foods to eat when you feel nauseous.
#2. There is a reason that God created baby brain. You forget how awful it is to puke for 10 weeks straight. And (hopefully) you will forget the pain of labour and will have more than one kid.
#3. The baby moving feels wonderful for the first 2 weeks or so when it flutters like a butterfly. What no one tells you is that when it moves, rolls and otherwise switches positions , it can really hurt. And random strangers will constantly ask if you are alright when you grimace as the baby kicks your bladder for the millionth time.
#4. Baby kicking bladder can lead to mild urinary incontinence. This usually occurs in the most inconvenient locations.
#5. Eating right, and staying on track can lead to appropriate weight gain. This can lead to such comments as, "You sure look small for having 6 weeks left! I thought you had 3 months to go!" It really makes every other mother jealous and you feel quite smug for looking sooo dang good.
#6. Even if you gain the recommended 20-30 pounds, you will still feel like an enlarged hippopotamus is taking over your middle section. Its even worse when a foot/hand pushes out your belly to the maximum expansion and then keeps pushing.
#7. Husbands may love touching your baby. But realize that baby is next to bladder. See #4.
#8. Husbands, realize that while your wife is suffering from morning sickness, you will also suffer. You will be restricted to eating and otherwise talking about eating only what she is eating. Otherwise you will see the wrath..literally and sometimes projectily.
#9. Husbands, you will loose bed space. Accept this fact and move on with your life. (and literally, just move over!)
#10. Babies in utero respond to sounds. Music can make them dance and snoring can make them jump. Fire alarms just freak 'em right out!
#11. Under no circumstance should you consume any amount of caffeine. This will lead baby to be extremely "high" and lead to some internal bruises!
#12. Certain smells will make you do irrational things. Some foods (especially in the first three months) will make you want to jump people to consume what they are eating. Other smells will make you vomit. Accept this fact and move swiftly away. Otherwise harassment charges may follow.
#13. Irrational emotions are just a part of pregnancy. Cry about them and move on (without whipping cream!)
#14. Birthing videos should be shot from the mother's perspective. There is a reason she has a belly obscuring the view!

There are more lessons....but you'll figure them out as you go along!

Life Lessons from a Child

2010-10-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes children can be honest. And sometimes it is truly brutal honesty. This week, I came home with the two kids while our neighbour Brian was outside smoking. River walks up to him and in his three year old honest way says to Brian, "That's yucky!" Then River turns to me and asks, "Amanda is that bad?" Brian pipes in that indeed smoking is bad. I agreed with him. Then Brian got the shock of his life when River stated matter of factly: "You're going to die!" Rendering both Brian and I speechless, I quickly tried to unlock the front door when Cypress pipes in, "You're going to have cancer." Yep, honesty. BRUTAL honesty. I turned to Brian and said, "Well, I guess they sure told you!" while I walked inside and encouraged the children to follow. Cypress, just before going inside turns to me and asks, "Is that going to make you puke?"
Yes....it probably will. Just so you know, if you smoke near me, I may puke on you. You have been warned!

One Month to One Million: The Finale

2010-10-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

The total steps are in!!!! In 30 days, Dan managed to walk 1,171,189 steps! And after much deliberation, Dan was awarded the grand prize! A globe hybrid bicycle worth over $600!!! We are super-duper excited about this prize and Dan can hardly wait to pimp it out.

9 weeks and counting...

2010-10-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

In just under (hopefully) nine weeks, little fetus McCrimmon will join the world. Which, really when you think about it, isn't really a long time. Can you tell we're a little nervous? Do you see the slight panic in our faces when we realize that this is actually happening?

Dan: Run away! Run away!
Amanda: I can't run! And even if I did, it follows me....or rather leads the way! Its still stuck to me!
Dan: Little parasite!
Amanda: We really do love this thing! ...Right?

Dan's dad suggested that our life goal (like his own) is to make our child slightly neurotic. Dan turned out fine....right? (twitch twitch).
Needless to say, Amanda thinks that his dad did a GREAT job at accomplishing his goal. Thanks dad!

So, back to that whole nine weeks thing. We're a little scared, a bit excited and a whole lot of praying that it doesn't come out in the midst of a great snowstorm.

One million Steps and still going strong

2010-10-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, at about 9am, I finally took my one millionth step. The competition doesn't stop till Sunday, so we'll have to see what happens. From the people I've talked to, it seems that I will probably win the bike! Perhaps by the end of the competition, I'll have a little over 1.1 million
steps!

(Wife beams in background, so proud of husband. And soooo glad that this will be over and we can be fat lugs on the couch again!)

Rage on, Pregnancy hormones, rage on!

2010-10-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

The other night, Dan went to the kitchen to get us some chocolate cake and whipped cream. When he brought it back to the couch, Amanda realized that the whipped cream was on top of her cake and burst into tears. Knowing full well, that she was being irrational, the tears just kept coming. There was nothing she could do to make them stop. Dan was confused. When he asked what was wrong, Amanda replied, "There's whipped cream on top of my cake!"
Dan stated, "But you asked for cake and whipped cream. What's the matter?"
Amanda replied amidst the tears, "The whipped cream is on top of my cake. I want it beside the cake."
Dan, "What difference does it make?"
Amanda: "It ruins the icing."
Dan: "Just scrape it off and put it on the side."
Amanda bursting into another round of intense tears, "It's not the same! The icing will be ruined!"
Dan: "Fine! I'll get you a new piece."
Amanda (hesitantly), "But what about this piece? I don't want it to go to waste!"
Dan: "I'll take it in my lunch tomorrow."
Amanda agrees and Dan goes to get a new piece of cake with whipped cream on the side. Dan returns with a new piece of cake, but the same whipped cream on the side.
Amanda realizes that there are pieces of the old cake in the whipped cream and tried with all her might to hold in the tears. This time with success. (Side note: while writing this, a few tears fell about the cake crumbs in the whipped cream. She's pretty sensitive about it)
The cake and whipped cream were consumed "happily" without further tears shed.
Now don't even get us started about the eggs...

Commuters Paradox

2010-10-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

This week on the radio, we heard about the commuter's paradox. The paradox is that for those who commute roughly one hour more than their counterparts who walk, they must earn 44% more to reach the same level of happiness. The problem is that they don't. Two people in the same position, one who commutes and one who doesn't earn approximately the same amount.

The question is, does this explain our happiness?

I, Amanda, take the bus for 45 minutes every morning, but need to drive 12 minutes for work, from the school to home. The bus, though annoying at times is often more relaxing than the drive. When I drive, I find myself frustrated at the slow drivers (and that means those who drive under the speed limit), the red lights and those trying to turn left. I find myself snapping at the kids and in a more tense and aggressive state of mind. I would rather just be at home than drive. The bus can also be annoying...those insane smells and that girl in the morning who talks sooo loud. But I still find myself more relaxed while I commute on the bus. Perhaps its the book I get to read or the sleep I get to catch up on. I guess the final question really is, if people are so unhappy driving so far, why do they keep doing it?

Crunchy is as Crunchy does

2010-10-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

Recently I've heard this new buzz word around in the blog sphere. This term has confused me as to what precisely it means. I've seen it on various websites that have to do with homesteading and cloth diapering. Tonight, I googled it.

Urban Dictionary describes "Crunchy" as:
Adjective. Used to describe persons who have adjusted or altered their lifestyle for environmental reasons. Crunchy persons tend to be politically strongly left-leaning and may be additionally but not exclusively categorized as vegetarians, vegans, eco-tarians, conservationists, environmentalists, neo-hippies, tree huggers, nature enthusiasts, etc. Also used to describe establishments where alternative foods and products are sold, i.e. natural food stores.

I don't know if this describes us. We'll let you choose.

Million Steps Update

2010-10-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

So my millions steps goal is coming more and more within reach. As of today I've reached about 750,000 steps. This is still with a couple days left in the week, and another week left before the count has to go in. I certainly hope this all equals a bike when it's all said and done. Even if it doesn't, I will still be happy with having hit and passed my own goal.

A bit of humour: Three year old Style

2010-10-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

River is finally at that age, where he says what comes to mind and its truly hilarious. We've laughed quite a bit this week and we thought we'd share a few conversations with you.

Dan and I took him to Starbucks this week, while Cypress was in preschool. He wanted a chocolate milk and we ordered that for him. When it came, I drank a large sip from it to avoid the plastic cup spill that is inevitable with a three year old. Dan also took a sip, just because. River yelled out, ever so seriously, "Hey! Don't tax that!!!!!" We laughed really hard, as did all the Starbucks baristas. He gets that from us I guess. Whenever they get a cookie at a grocery store, we always insist on having a "cookie tax" aka a bite. Naturally, he was upset that his drink was taxed. But aren't we all?

Even today, when we got a slurpee, he was offering it to people saying, "Do you want a tax?" Not a taste, a tax! Can you tell we've influenced these children?

Another day this week, he was demanding a book in the car. We refused to give it to him unless he was a bit nicer. Dan told him that he needed to use his polite words. After many tries using various demanding tones, he finally asked politely, "Would you please get me my book?" Dan nicely gave it to him. River exclaims, "Hey! It worked!"

Even Cypress got in on the action this week. We went to Birchwood Dairy on a field trip. There was one lone cow in the hospital pen. The tour guide asked a bunch of preschoolers, "Do you know why this cow is all alone?" Cypress, without skipping a beat says, "He's in the naughty chair!"

Something to think about

2010-10-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

"There's no question you see more of the world on a motorbike than you do in a car, and more again on a bicycle. It's all about pace; the slower you're travelling, the more you're going to see."
Charley Boorman in his book Right to the Edge: Sydney to Tokyo By Any Means

We'd like to add that when you are walking you tend to see even more. The slower you go, the more you seem to absorb of the world around you. And that seems to be more than just what means of transportation you are using. The slower your life is, the more you seem to appreciate what's going on around you. The colour of the leaves changing, the smile of a stranger or the laughter of a child. There's no doubt in our minds that we lead a slow life and we tend to appreciate the little things in life.

We've recently heard about a man walking from Vancouver to Mexico. Its inspiring to hear someone else doing the things we contemplate. No one really does long distance walking anymore and there is something to be said about the experiences they have along the way. This guy appreciated the fact that when it was down pouring and he had to get to the next town before dark to set up camp, that when he played a song about sunshine on his harmonica that the rain ceased. This is one of the most prominent memories he has on his trip thus far. (He has made it to Oregon).

It really is true that when you stop and "smell the roses" that you can appreciate the aroma they give off...thus appreciating life a little bit more.

Conversations with Amanda and Dan the Third Edition

2010-09-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

A: I think we should start playing Christmas music soon because that way the baby will be familiar with it when it makes its appearance.
D: Yah! We should find that song about Santa coming down the chimney. Then you can visualize that baby coming down the chute.
A: What??? My baby is NOT coming down the chimney.

Another day in our random lives!

Dreams

2010-09-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

Its true! Pregnancy gives you some of the strangest dreams ever known to man. This past week, I had a dream that a friend from Alberta mailed me eggs. And not just a small carton. Nope! I got a LARGE package (about 3 feet long by 1 foot wide) and two smaller packages (about 1 foot by one foot each). When I went to pick them up, the lady at Thumpers Veggie Store (where apparently we pick up our packages from), mentioned that I could just buy eggs. I told her that I knew that, but my friend had mailed me eggs and I was going to use them. I cumbersomely carried these packages home and when I got home, I opened the packages of eggs to find the smallest eggs inside. They were about the size of a large marble. I was disappointed with the tiny eggs, but I was so happy, because they were free and I love eggs!

One month to one million

2010-09-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

Dan's work is having a fitness challenge this month. The goal is to walk the most steps in order to win a bike (worth $600). Dan REALLY wants this bike. You can earn steps by participating in various activities that are worth a certain amount of steps for a certain time. For example, housework for 10 minutes earns you 750 steps. Or biking high intensity for 60 minutes earns you 15,000 steps. Dan has been wearing a pedometer when he is walking around work, and takes it off when he participates in other activities (to prevent double counting!). At the beginning of this month long adventure, Dan made a goal to walk one million steps. He is two weeks into this challenge and has already surpassed the half way mark! He has walked over half a million steps! And needless to say, I am not far behind him. Every evening, he drags me for an hour walk (if not longer!). And if it weren't for the fact that my bike is in the shop for repairs, we'd be biking every night. Its been great to support him in this quest for a new bike, but I must say it would be easier if I wasn't 7 months pregnant. But in two more weeks, he will have hopefully earned himself a new bike and I can put my feet up and rest for a while.

Bring on the Hippie Bus!

2010-09-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

Its finally happened! We have been categorized by someone other than ourselves. Nope, we aren't newlyweds or parents-to-be. In the course of conversation with a dear friend from Alberta this past week, it came out that we are considered her "Hippie Friends!"

So, the reason we got labeled this way? Perhaps its the fact that we bake our own bread, or can fruit and veggies. Perhaps its because we make our own granola (and granola bars) or that we dehydrate fruit. It may have something to do with the lack of car in our lives and our joy of walking. Or maybe our excess recycling, thrift store finds and the composter (with new worms! Dan is really excited about this fact!) It could be because we line dry our clothes, use vinegar for cleaning and eat mostly homemade things. It could be the excitement of cloth diapers and our consideration of a home birth. Maybe its because our dream is to have chickens running around in the backyard and a large enough garden to sustain us throughout the year.

At the end of the day, we aren't really sure why we are labeled this way. We just think its funny and we'll continue to keep up with our hippie ways. The reality is that just 50 years ago, we would be considered normal. Everyone lived this way. There was no disposable society to come home to. People made do with what they had, mended what they had or did without. Why is it that because we choose to live with less and make things ourselves that we are fringe people? The fact is that a lot of people we know live this way. And we don't consider them weird hippies...they are just living like their parents and grandparents did back in the day. Perhaps its those who throw everything away that are the weirdos.

The Second Installment of Conversations with Amanda and Dan

2010-09-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

We were having a sort of playful, pretend argument one day (which we do quite often to keep life interesting). And this is what ended it all.
A: Don't you know that the world revolves around me?
D: The world does not revolve around you.
A: Fine! But the axis is slightly closer to me than it is to you.

The most ridiculous suggestion....

2010-09-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

With Amanda back to work, there seem to be a whole lot more stories involving those two wonderful children and their family. This is a story that we needed to share, mostly because of its ridiculous nature in relation to our lifestyle (and perhaps most people would agree!)
As you know, we walk everywhere. This means that we walk in the rain, snow, sleet and sun. Basically, we are more dependable than the postal service! We enjoy a good walk in the rain now and again. The night before this "story" takes place, we walked to the grocery store in the pouring rain to pick up a few items.
As we are just starting our the year with the kids, I seem to be a bit short on groceries for the children. I mentioned to Nancy one drippy rainy morning that I needed some milk for the kids. I was hoping for some money to go pick it up, or for her to hit up a grocery store that evening and send it with the kids the next morning. Instead, I got more than I bargained for! She suggested that I take the children to the McDonalds Drive-thru (yes, DRIVE-THRU!) and purchase a carton of milk.
To someone who the previous evening had braved the elements to bring home our groceries, this suggestion seemed utterly ridiculous. I even asked why the grocery store wasn't a better option. She just insisted that the DRIVE-THRU at MCDONALDS would prevent me from getting wet. I just don't understand. Really...it baffles me. Getting wet is not an issue. Going to the grocery store with two kids is NOT an issue. What the issue is to me, is that someone would suggest using a drive-thru to get milk. Needless to say, Dan and I had a good laugh. Its been two weeks, and we are still trying to understand.
Oh, and for the milk. I took her kids (gasp) in the rain (oh my!) and got some from the store (who would have thought?). We even lived to tell about it!!!!!

Conversations with Amanda and Dan

2010-09-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the two of us have these odd kinds of conversations. Very brief and somewhat bizarre. For those of you who know us quite well, you probably won't be that surprised by its content. For those of you who don't know us that well, be prepared to learn about the inner workings of our brains and our marriage.

Conversation #1:
(while walking home from Pricesmart, Amanda breaks the silence with this....)
A: Sometimes I wish we were lesbians.
D: Huh? (odd look on face)
A: That way we can take turns having babies. I have the first one and you carry the second one.
D: Okay. I suppose its a step up from being a seahorse.

Conversation #2:
(the girls from upstairs made us cookies and dropped them off, after we invited them to share our pulled pork dinner with us)
A: I really like those girls! These cookies are like manna from heaven!
D: They're like friends....with benefits!

P.S. This is not the last of these types of posts. We have these conversations all the time. If only we could remember more of them...

AmanDan's 10 Rules Regarding Pants

2010-09-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: Not to be taken too seriously. For you offenders, this is very serious business.....
(the following opinions have been provided by Amanda and Dan and are not the opinions of most people.)

The Rules Regarding Pants
#1. Leggings are NOT pants (especially when your shirt is so short that we can see underwear lines through your leggings)
#2. Yoga pants are meant for Yoga, not for everyday use. You do not live in the gym, therefore you should not live in your gym clothes. (this will help us think that you shower after your workout, rather than walk around all sweaty and gross)
#3. Pajamas are for the bedroom (or at least your own home). I had to get dressed this morning, and so should you!
#4. Mini skirts should not be so short that a 3 years old skirt contains more material. No one wants to see you who-ha, or anything close to it.
#5. Men, your crotch should be abouts where your crotch is located. It is not located near your knees. Pull up your pants and cover your underwear for goodness sake!
#6. Full length pants should be full length pants. They should not turn into flood pants the moment you sit down. Your calf should remain covered and not by the tube socks your wearing. The only exception is if you are too tall to find pants that cover your ankles. You are forgiven-we feel your pain.
#7. Pants should not be so tight that there is nothing left to the imagination. I really don't want to see your cottage cheese thighs or golf ball butt through your pants.
#8. Underwear, especially thongs, should NOT be seen above your pant line. That space is reserved for butt cracks, which should also not be seen, but are more tolerable than your underwear.
#9. Work out wear should be reserved for working out. (see rule #2)
#10. While wearing white pants, please refrain from wearing black, patterned,or coloured underwear. Thongs are not recommended either. White pants need to be sufficiently thick so as not to reveal what lies beneath. Please remember that it does rain often and white pants should be reserved for days when the rain clouds are far away so as not to reveal what is under your pants.

We retain the right to, add to or subtract from or otherwise alter, these rules at any time we see fit. Complaints department is on permanent vacation. Estimated wait time: longer than your lifespan.

Listener Loyalty

2010-09-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

We're not really what you would call "Loyal Listeners" to any one particular radio station. We've had the tendency to flip between stations during commercial breaks or to find a better song. This has been slowly changing over the past year and half, so slowly that we didn't really notice it happening until this past week.

We were driving by another radio station's "on-location" set-up when Amanda felt this sudden urge to yell out the window, "You suck!" She told Dan of this, and he couldn't help but agree. He actually said he wished he had a sticker for 100.5 The Peak so that he could run up and put it on their booth.

It was then that we realized, we are loyal listeners of 100.5 The Peak. We could listen to them all day without even feeling the urge to change stations. In fact, for the last year and a half its been the only station we've tuned into. Even itunes doesn't get this much of a workout. We can almost tell the time of day by certain commercials they have on (at 4:20pm they have the moment of serenity previewed by the apple i-minute). Okay, so we listen to this station far too much, but it is by far the best station out there! Check them out! (just like the "Check this out tune of the day" that they have playing 4 times a day). Yep, its true. We do love this station!

We're Goin' Squirrely!!!

2010-09-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Squirrel tendencies have started..or rather have run their course. Amanda has been busy this past week making meals to freeze for the fall, along with all the canning we've done throughout the summer.

So far this summer we have canned (or jarred):
20lbs cherries
20lbs peaches
40 lbs tomatoes
20lbs pears
20lbs apple sauce
10lbs green beans
2 large batches of salsa
4 batches of jam (strawberry, raspberry and cherry)

We've also dehydrated:
3 lbs of cherries
1 lbs of blueberries
The skins from the 20lbs of apples (into a nice fruit leather)
5 lbs of apple slices

We've frozen these meals (of course in large quantities):
4 pizzas
1 large lasagna
1 large ham pot pie
1 large spaghetti casserole
1 batch of country chicken stew
2 trays of cabbage rolls
1 very large batch of dutch meatball soup
A batch of mexi-wraps, refried beans and chili are still in the works.

Plus, this doesn't include the 24 loaves of bread we've made and stored in the deep freeze. And on Sunday, we'll add to these quantities with baked goods.
On the agenda for the bake-a-thon is:
peanut butter balls
scones
cookies
bagels
peanut butter granola
a batch of granola bars (already made and ready to freeze)
and whatever strikes our fancy!

Needless to say, the freezer is full and we are well prepared for the winter. Anybody wanna come for dinner and dessert?

Customer Service: a good experience!

2010-08-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

"And I spent half of my life
In the customer service line
Flaws in the design
A sign of the times..."
(excerpt from Dan Mangan's song Robots)

Normally, when I have to call customer service, I prepare myself for a long wait followed by a fight. Today was no different. Except, I didn't need to fight for what I knew was right...nor did I have to argue my case. Today I was treated like a real human being with feelings and frustrations. I'd like to thank Tim from Fido for a GREAT customer service experience (my first one!!!!). He worked with me to get me what I was supposed to have gotten 2 phone calls ago. He changed my bill to reflect what calls I actually made and should have been billed for. Good-bye over $250 in unnecessary charges! (Imagine my surprise when I opened that bill!) He finally got my plan sorted out to be what it should have been 2 calls ago (third times a charm?). I have to admit, I didn't expect this to happen but I am utterly surprised by Tim.

An Ode to Tim
Oh Tim, You came and you found me my plan back.
You fixed all those charges on my bill
You made me smile and be still.....

Okay. That's enough. I really appreciated Tim's efforts and what he did to get my plan all sorted out. Hopefully, this is the last time I have to "fix" this problem.

Active Baby Syndrome

2010-08-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

Today Dan and I went on a tour of the hospital. It was supposed to be a 10-15 minute tour...of course, with us, nothing ever goes according to plan. Ten minutes into the tour, Amanda began to feel a bit faint and queasy. We are not entirely sure what started this off, but perhaps all the talk about C-Sections got to be a bit much. The problem was, that no matter how long she sat, or lied down, she had trouble regaining full composure. She just kept feeling as though she was about to black out. Finally, the nurse made the call and sent us into triage to get my blood pressure checked and to check on the baby's well being.
All of Amanda's test checked out fine. Nothing wrong! To check the baby, they strapped on a heart monitor (and asked her to hold it in place since the baby kept moving) and also asked Amanda to press a button every time the baby moved. She immediately asked if this button had a press and hold feature. Needless to say, the printout was full of these little black dots indicating the baby's movement. When there was a break in the dots it was because Amanda got tired of pressing the button or had to itch her head and just wanted a break. About 10 minutes into this 20 minute long monitoring process, the baby decided to do a flip and move to the other side. Needless to say, we lost the heartbeat but the baby kept on moving. We had to coerce the baby into moving back into position by pressing hard on Amanda's stomach to move the baby back to the other side. The nurses said that everything was fine and I was cleared for discharge by my midwife.
At this point, Dan was already an hour late for work. So I drove him to work and went in for a few minutes to assure his colleagues that I was fine. This backfired. As I was talking with them, I went white as a ghost and felt faint again. I quickly sat down hoping it would go away. Another call to the midwife and she suggested I go to Emergency and get checked out again. We called Grandma to drive us there, since driving myself wouldn't be safe. After we got dropped off, we found out that Emergency wouldn't take care of anyone over 20 weeks gestation, so that meant we were herded up to Maternity again. The nurses were a bit surprised to see us again. This time, they ordered some blood work and we began the never-ending waiting period. Two and half hours later, we were told that the blood work came back okay. A bit low on hemoglobin and a bit high on other things...normal for pregnancy. But during their communication about me, they discovered that another nurse had the same sort of thing happen to her. She suggested that sometimes when the baby moves, it can twist onto my vena cava, the main artery supplying blood to my body. When the baby does this, it blocks my blood supply, causing me to have the feeling as though I am about to black out. Dan's aunt dubbed this "Active Baby Syndrome." More than appropriate as the baby hadn't really stopped moving for more than 12 hours (aren't they supposed to sleep???)
The end result is that I was told to go home and lie down. Get some rest and relax a bit. We'll see how I feel tomorrow and base that on if I will need further tests. For now, things are okay (when the baby isn't moving)!

Ultrasound #2

2010-08-03T21:56:00.000-07:00

2 weeks ago, we went for our second ultrasound. It was amazing to see how much the baby has grown since our last ultrasound. It was also pretty neat to note that while the technician was checking the baby (with only Amanda in the room) that Amanda said, "Oh it must be 2pm. The baby is moving." The technician was surprised that she could pinpoint the time based on her baby's movement and that she could feel the movement at all. Then, she had a hard time keeping the baby still for measurements, since it likes to move so much! Once again, someone had to pin the baby down (causing Amanda great pain) just for measurements.

It was disappointing that no one was allowed in the room while 20 minutes of measurements were going on. Amanda was quite bored since she couldn't even see the screen and had to lie there with a full bladder for that long. But when all the procedures were over, Dan, Amanda's mom and Dan's grandma got to come in and see the baby. It was really cool to feel the baby kick and see it on the screen at the same time.