The Full Nelson

Dear Blog...Remember Me??

2012-01-25T13:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Blog,
I am terribly sorry for neglecting you so badly. I have been busy and blogging keeps getting pushed to the bottom of my list. When I think about it I get overwhelmed with the prospect of starting it up again but really should since the kiddos are growing at an alarming rate. Ethan is doing well in school but still asks every morning if he really has to go. He's made lots of friends and has an alarming amount of girls who come and give him hugs in the morning and chase him around. Something I will have to keep a mother's eye on! Ethan is also in Tae Kwon Do class and really enjoys that. He has been getting much more coordinated and enjoys practicing kicks...at home...and often to Momma's behind. Karington is every bit of a three year old. She is still teeny but has grown a fair amount in her height. She is finally 28-29lbs. It's a start! Karington is in dance class now and LOVES it. There is nothing cuter than 12 little girls in pink tutus. Seriously, there isn't. I can't wipe the smile off my face when I watch them all. Clara just turned 18months and is hilarious. She is 75th percentile for her weight at 26lbs, and is a whopping 90th percentile for her height. She is generally wearing 2T in clothing. Her and her sister share quite a few things already. She is starting to talk and loves to say thank-you. Her brother and sister have taught her how to say that she is stinky. They are such loving siblings :) I'm working part-time and enjoy getting out, but do miss bedtimes. However sometimes it is a nice break! Phil is busy again in school and will be thrilled when it's all over and done with. Between our work schedules it is quite busy and we tend to see each other in passing. I have been taking the girls swimming as often as possible and have been trying to get back to the gym. Not an easy task with our schedules and I rather feel like doing the Insanity program in the summer was wasted by the past 5 months of doing nothing. I have started buying most of our food at the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market and have noticed a HUGE difference. It is delicious and I love the idea of supporting our local farmers. The kids have enjoyed seeing pictures of the farm and getting to pick out what they want to eat. It's great and I love going down early on a Saturday morning, picking up yummy food and fresh flowers for the week. I am looking forward to the summer months when I can hopefully take the kids out to see the farms and tour around a bit while Daddy is away. I am getting very antsy and am ready for a move. Luckily with the army we won't have to wait too long once school is over with. However, this summer the kids and I will be going to my dad and step-mom's house back in Ottawa and I am so excited to go. The kids are VERY excited to be spending time with Grandpa and Nanna and Auntie Erin and Uncle Jar. Hopefully Auntie Kate and Uncle Ian will be able to visit too. Not sure if anyone even bothers to check my blog anymore after being MIA for so long and not checking other blogs either!

Our Fam

She is such a princess!

Clara stole that pizza right out of Ethan's hands

Ethan's smile gets me every time!

the past month...

2011-09-06T06:24:00.000-07:00

Ethan played and finished up soccer

Daddy came home!!

We went camping at Keji

saw lots of deer

got a little damp

but still had a great time...and I know you are all jealous of my sexy camping hair!

check out Kar's diaper butt swimming...girls got some junk in her trunk! (well a lot of water!)

whilst others decided the water was too cold

and would finally let daddy hold her again

We showed Daddy the Horseshoe park and had fun playing there

And had some fun times chillaxin at home too

and this dude started school today...

the middle child felt left out

I cannot believe my baby boy is 5 years old and going to school...he did alright and there were no tears...well from him...I managed to hold it together at least until I got to the car!!

Tomorrow....

2011-08-05T04:56:00.000-07:00

...this crazy dude turns 5!!! I can hardly believe that my first born is turning five. Ethan is such a tenderhearted little (well big!) boy. He loves his sisters and puts up with a lot from them. He puts what they want first most of the time. Ethan is very protective of them which I love. I always wanted to have a big brother and I am so thankful that my girls have been blessed with such an awesome one like Ethan. Ethan is growing up by the minute and even over the summer I've noticed a big difference. My tan, blue eyes and blonde hair make my heart melt and he's got a killer smile. At age 5(well tomorrow) Ethan loves Lego. That's pretty much all he talks and thinks about. He loves to play lego games on the computer and with his Lego toys. He's so sweet and remembers to come give his Mummy a cuddle and a kiss and tell her he loves her. My first born and one and only son really knows how to make me melt. Ethan is at the 75th percentile for his height and weight. He will be starting school in September and is a little apprehensive about it. He can be quite shy but lately has been coming out of his shell a bit more. I think I'm going to have the more difficult time with him going! I remember going into labour with Ethan like it was yesterday. I woke up at 4am thinking I had peed my pants...thankfully it was my water breaking. Phil stumbled out of bed and we headed to the hospital. We watched the F1 race while I was in labour and Jensen Button won the British Grand Prix. He's out favourite so we knew it was going to be a great day! At 2:28pm Ethan was born at 8lbs 1 ounce. My biggest baby too! When we called my Dad he was so excited how his first grandson was born the same day Jensen Button one. Can you see the theme in my family! It was a big deal because a Brit hadn't won on British soil in like 40 years or something. Anyway, he's had us wrapped around his little fingers since the day he was born. I wish I could keep him little forever but I am so proud of the boy he's turning into. Love you Ethan and Happy Birthday!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Clara!!

2011-07-22T03:04:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe it, but Clara is ONE today!! Exactly one year ago I was in the hospital getting my first round of gel...it took two round and one heck of a memorable, powerful labour and then she arrived at 11:52pm weighing in at 7lbs, 6ounces. She started out life with a killer scream (not a cry) that startled the doctor and has kept that trait all year. Clara is such a sweet baby who loves her big brother and sister. She is my cuddley squishy baby! She has grown like a weed and is quickly catching up to her big sister. They are only four pounds apart now but Clara does seem bigger and has a lot of pudge! Clara can be quite the sneaky little one and loves to unload my laundry baskets (clean!). She also loves to take all the tupperwear out of the drawer, and pull out the DVDs. She pulls herself up on anything or anyone and will walk along things but isn't walking on her own yet. She loves to talk to Daddy on the phone while he's away and gives the receiver kisses as she chats with him. Dadda is her favourite word, but when she's upset she will say Mamma. Ethan and Karington love her to bits and Clara loves being the baby sister. Karington still just calls her Baby...I have a slight worry that Clara will be a teenager and still being called Baby..."No one puts Baby in a corner..." There's my movie quote for the day. For Clara's birthday Nanny Carolyn is coming swimming with us and then her cousins, Aunts and Uncle and Grandparents are coming for some cupcakes. I am sure Clara will love to dig into her cupcake! She definately LOVES to eat! We love you Clara and are so thankful to have you as part of our family!!! Happy Birthday!!!

While Daddy's Away...

2011-07-04T08:09:00.000-07:00

We've gone for picnics...

We've gone to Public Gardens...

and been annoyed at Mummy for trying to get pictures of everything for Daddy....

and pretty much have tried to keep busy....

because we all miss Daddy!!! Just under 7 weeks left...and I know this is what we signed up for but it's our first time with him away for this long and it takes some getting used to. We're getting into a routine though and I am hoping the time flies by. We've also been going swimming a fair amount at the Canada Games Centre (I was quite impressed with myself for taking the three kids by myself...despite some change room fiascos we all survived!). Clara is turning 1 in just under three weeks and then a couple weeks after that Ethan turns 5. We'll be keeping it low key this year but still trying to make it special for the kids. I also got to go on a date with Ethan to see Cars 2...which was awesomeness!! I loved it and so did Ethan! Can't wait until we can buy that for home. In a couple weeks Karington will get her date with me to go see Winnie the Pooh. Ethan is excited to go to Auntie Karen's that day to play with her Lego games. He keeps asking if it's time for Kar to go see her movie! Canada Day my mum had Ethan for a bit during the day and took him to the PowWow on the Commons while I took the girls out to play. That night we got to go to the Griffins and the kids had a blast on the trampoline and Clara loved playing with her birthday buddy Sidon. My mum has been over a lot too which the kids enjoy. We skipped soccer last week because the weather was so gross but hopefully it's nicer this week and Ethan can go to that. I need to work on being more patient with the kids because I know they are acting up more because they miss Daddy, which is totally understandable. In the evenings I get a bit bored but enjoy the time to myself at the same time after a busy day with the kids. Phil is doing well though and we are so proud of him and all he does for us! I know it's not easy being away from family and there's four of us for him to miss while we still have eachother here. We are also excited because later this month my dad and stepmom are moving back to Canada after a five year posting in the States (which is nice because my passport is about to expire too!). I hope everyone is enjoying the summer and the nice weather!!

2011-06-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to spend lots of time together as a family before Phil heads off for the summer. We went to Peggy's Cove, and I found a nice little beach and park that the kids love. Phil has still had to work but we've managed to have a bit of a staycation. I started to do the workout program INSANITY....the name pretty much sums it up. I had been going to the gym but where Phil will be away for two months I won't be able to go and Phil really wanted to try this too. Well, as much as it totally kicks my butt, I love it. I have only done 3 weeks so far (it's a 60 day cycle of videos where the program is set out on a calendar) and although I haven't noticed much of a weight change (the last 10 pregnancy pounds that I am STILL holding onto) I have lost some inches and am more toned overall. Besides that I have more energy which is good since my kids believe 5:30am is an appropriate time to get up. I have never sweat so much in my entire life (gross I know) and I have already noticed a difference in my strength. So if anyone out there is looking for a program I recommend INSANITY. It also comes with a food program too which isn't a diet, more of a new way to eat. It's really good and I just need to buckle down and follow it better. Now I know I'm not overweight but I gained a lot of weight with Clara and really want to get the rest of it off just to feel better myself.
The kids are doing great too. Clara is all over the place now crawling everywhere and into everything. She often crawls after the other two so she can play too and if she wants me to pick her up she crawls after me crying. It's so sad but cute at the same time! She is a chunky little thing and already into her 12-18month clothes. She turns 11 months on Wednesday (the day Phil leaves). Ethan and Karington are doing well too but still missing their Utah friends. Phil has been working with the military the past week and a half and preparing to go away. We sure are going to miss him!! Not sure if anyone is really even reading blogs lately...I've been slacking a bit at it, but this is what we've been up to here!

2011-06-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have included saying so long to dear friends (boo), enjoying some sun, soccer, and the regular day to day. We helpped the Sorensons pack up a week ago (well I stood there with Clara anyway!) and said so long to them. Ethan and Karington often played with Jace and Kaydence so they were sad to see them go.
Karington and Kaydence...Kay went over and said "My Kar" and they gave eachother big hugs. Ethan and Jace were too busy playing to get a picture! These girlies love to pose for the camera!

My three kiddies hanging out on the couch...

We went to Nanny and Grampy Nelson's and brought the bikes too...Karington really wanted to wear her dress too ride her bike

We went to the Dingle playground on our first really nice day of the Spring. Ethan enjoyed pushing Clara on the swing

Karington loved the big twirly slide

Enjoying the grass

Ethan had his first outdoor soccer session on Wednesday...he was a little unsure about it and got nervous about doing the drills and playing the game...I wish I knew how to get him to be more confident! It breaks my heart because I remember feeling nervous about trying new things and not being confident.

We've always been swimming too a few times which is always fun. Clara loves the water...Karington loves her bathing suit and will do whatever it takes to get it on! Phil leaves on training in a couple weeks so we're trying to have some fun before he heads off for the summer!

My Big Boy

2011-05-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

On Monday night, Phil and I had Ethan's primary (kindergarten) parent orientation. We got to meet the primary teachers at Ethan's school and learn about what his day will be like, etc etc. I'm having a hard time thinking of Ethan going to school. It doesn't seem possible that he's old enough! Tuesday morning Ethan had his primary orientation where he went to the school for two hours. Each primary student had a 6th grader as their buddy to take them around and to learn about school. He was pretty excited about it and had a good time, but he did say it was kind of boring going to all the rooms. After a fun morning of school we went to the Canada Games Centre for a swim together. We got there right at 1pm when the swim started and our family was the only ones there. It was so nice having the place to ourselves. Clara just hung out in a baby floater and Karington rode around on our backs. Ethan had fun playing and splashing around. I never look forward to getting the kids dried off and dressed...we normally do it in shifts. Anyway, I was getting Ethan ready and he wasn't paying attention to me and not listening. I was getting rather cross with him and then Ethan looked at me and asked if I remembered the story of Abraham and the amazing promise from the Bible. I said, "Yes I do, Abe was a good listener to Heavenly Father...and you're not being a good listener".
Ethan looked at me and replied, "Yes and he was patient and mummy you're not being patient.".
Yep, fair enough, I wasn't being very patient and I really couldn't keep a straight face after that comment. Plus I was quite proud that he remembered about Abraham! It amazes me the things that come out of Ethan's mouth. Ethan never wanted to pee standing up (not sure why since I am quite jealous that boys can do that). We tried bribing and everything to get him to do it (my fault for potty training him sitting down to avoid messes). Well yesterday was a big day because after swimming he finally peed standing up. I saw him do it since he left the door open but then he ran into the kitchen to Phil and said, "Daddy peeing standing up is totally AWESOME!!!". That kid cracks me up! Of course so do Karington and Clara...I just love how they have their individual personalities, and the things they come up with on their own. Life's never dull with kids around!

Me and my kiddos on Mother's Day...this was the best one...love Clara's face here, so happy!

Since Phil is away for Ethan's 5th birthday he wanted to get Ethan his present early...so he got a bike! We've had a LOT of rain lately so he tried it out in the hallway

Karington got a little tricycle...she had to give Clara her princess ride on toy and she got this since she's a big girl...ps. please excuse her lack of clothing...at nighttime sometimes it's not worth the fight to get pjs on her

Clara going for a ride too!

Ethan outside his school before his orientation

Karington wanted in on the picture action

Ethan in the school with his nametag

And then it rained....

2011-05-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

and rained and rained and rained....so much in fact that I am considering getting out some tools and building an ark. The kids are full of energy and wishing they could run outside and play on the very green grass. I am wishing they could too! Luckily we've had some playdates with our dear friend who are moving away. The dreaded cold has also visited our home...I have avoided the worst of it, but the kids and the MR haven't been so lucky. Miss C has even lost her voice (her sweet baby voice). BUT I am thanking my lucky stars that P is still home with us right now and just working the part time job so he's been home during the day. We've been able to play lots and go swimming too. I have been enjoying going to the gym (well not so much this week due to my extreme lack of sleep with all these sickies) and am really hoping to squeeze into my bridemaid's dress for my sissy's wedding in September. Mother's Day was lovely and I was able to enjoy some quality time with my kidlets and the hubster. Ethan had his second to last speech appointment and has come a long way. Next week he has his primary orientation (kingdergarten) and I can hardly believe it....um didn't I just birth this boy?!?! Monday even P and I have the parent orientation so I am looking forward to meeting E's teachers and getting an idea of what school will be like. AND yes I will probably cry when he starts school...probably for the orientation morning too.

being an army guy like daddy

sisters

this was me and my cake for my birthday...I wanted a small yummy chocolate cake...small so I wouldn't totally pig out!

clara after some blueberries

this was when we were watching the Royal Wedding...Karington got out all the headbands and found the biggest flower clip to wear...it was her own fascinator!

this dude's dance moves are like no other...

So that's really all that's happening here...the normal routines....just keeping my fingers crossed that the sun comes out soon! Oh and hoping that the end of the world really doesn't happen on May 21st...seeing as that's our anniversary, haha! Although I don't believe in that church and what they're saying I can't help but wonder if anything crazy will happen!

Amazing!!

2011-04-29T05:04:00.000-07:00

Well I was up at 5am to watch the Royal Wedding....AMAZING!! Karen and I had a texting conversation while watching. I thought William and Harry looked so handsome, and I loved the Beckham's wedding attire. BUT really this gal stole the show as it should be on her wedding day...

I've always been a fan of Alexander McQueen so I was happy that she used the House of Alexander McQueen for her dress. They also sang my favourite hymn of all time "Jerusalem"...we sang it at Winchester Cathedral on my last day at St Swithun's in England so it's always been close to my heart. Love it!!! Guess it's my English mother but there is something about hundreds of thousand of people in the crowd singing God Save the Queen that makes me choke up (okay I was bawling really).

Truths

2011-04-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some truths I have learned....
*the floors must be vacuumed everyday..really more than once...as soon as vacuum crumbs seem to materialize out of nowhere
*I understand why my mum used to get annoyed with me for whining...only I understand times two and probably soon three
*brothers and sisters argue and fight and sometimes I give in to Karington just so she stops screaming
*I do things I said I would never do when I'm a parent...like giving into the younger child to shut them up (yep harsh but true)
*No matter how much I lose my patience during a day, when I think of my kids my heart melts
*I am really an old lady at heart...I love the Royal Family and Coronation Street

Well it's another rainy day and thankfully Ethan has a friend coming over to play! I was able to go to the gym this morning (way for me time!). Sunday I am turning 29...on Easter...my birthday has been hijacked by the Easter bunny but that's okay. I am also getting very excited for the Royal Wedding...as a child I thought I'd be marrying Prince William...guess not! I am staying the night at my mum's house (she's taken the Royal Wedding day off work) and I will probaby start watching at 5am. Yay!

so yep that's it...random post....

Love them!

2011-04-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

Love Clara's mauled look here!

my sweet baby girl!

This dude is growing up WAY too fast

cheese! This girl is all kinds of personality

We're pretty much crazy

Thank-you so much to Helene for taking these!

For Tricia...

2011-04-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

a picture of Clara in her bathing suit...my cute chunky babe who gets showered with kisses daily. She loves swimming, and kicks around like a little frog. She is so cute laughing in the water and loves when her brother and sister come to play with her.

I promise Karington does have plenty of clothes but sometimes the fight to get her dressed isn't worth the trouble! Sometimes I am overwhelmed when I think of how important these three are and how much I love them.

Sweet sisters Please don't mind the blanket in the background.

Not quite sure what's in Ethan's mouth here! The dude finally has been asking for me to take pictures of him occasionally. He is such a goof and always trying to make us laugh!

and he has such a tender heart....my baby boy is growing up way too quickly

I see you! This girl is a hoot and a monkey! She is actually liking nursery more at church except when I drop her off. As soon as I am out of sight I'm out of her mind! But whenever I got to pick her up she drops what she has and runs over for a hug yelling "Mummy!!" Gotta love that she gets that excited to see me!

Phil is coming up to finals now and then will be finished his first year of school! Not much has been going on with me...tending the kids and keeping up with them. Ethan has finished with his swimming lessons and did great, and he has been playing lots with his buddy Jace before he heads back to Utah. Ethan is going to be so sad when he moves...I hope he makes another great friend when he starts school (in five month, eek!). Karington is my entertainment and loves to dance and sing. Clara is my sweet little stationary baby...still no real attempt to crawl. I've been going to the gym at the Canada Games Centre which has been awesome. I haven't been since I was pregnant with Ethan (not sure if I should admit that!), and I need to get in shape for my sister's wedding (I'm a bridesmaid). It feels great and I hope I can keep it up. It may have to go on hold while Phil is away for the summer, but hopefully I can occasionally go. Well hopefully this April Fool's Day storm isn't as bad as projected!!

Squishy Cheeks

2011-03-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I look at Clara and I just cannot resist kissing those darling squishy cheeks. She loves it and giggles and I keep on kissing. Clara turned 8 months yesterday...sigh...I'm pretty sure she'll be graduating high school next week the way time is flying by. Maybe it's because she's my last bebe but I am really in no rush for her to start crawling or anything that means she's growing up. I had to take her into the doc for a checkup because real food seems to bug her belly. She's doing better but since we had the appointment I took her anyway to get her weighed and measured. Clara is now 18lb7ounces (just a tad over the 50th percentile) and she is 27.5inches long (95th percentile). I also switched her out of the infant seat (which I am so sad about because I adored our Britax Chaperone infant seat). So now our back seat is also squishy with carseats and a booster. Karington and Ethan are being particularly whiney lately...I think they are ready for warm weather...it's definately getting better and I am hoping it keeps on improving. My big kids went for a sleepover with their grandparents Monday night so I got to take Clara swimming Monday afternoon by herself. She loved it and was a good girl and sat on the side of the hot tub while her momma relaxed her aching muscles :) E and K both had a great time and enjoyed their sleepover and I enjoyed the break!

Squishy cheeks loves her some blueberries

Karington wanted to dress up to go out with me last Saturday...with her winter hat too

sometimes I'm just so boring that I put him to sleep before he gets his coat off

oh my stinkin heck

2011-03-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

Today I am in a mood....you know when you don't really know what's bugging you but you're just blah...that's really the best way to describe it. I got showered and back into jammies...I feel like a bum but I'm tired as Clara and Ethan and Karington all have decided sleep is overrated. I don't appreciate it but since they're cute I'll keep em around :) Anyway, I am worrying about the summer...two months without phil...single parenting it. I am nervous. My patience has been wearing thin since E and K have been fighting a lot (and I mean fighting, not arguing...they're throwing punches here and there). I am also concerned about Phil not working his part-time job while he's away...that's our grocery and gas money. I am hoping that I start babysitting before then so I can save up (that was the original plan before H's dad got laid off). I know I need to have faith that things will work themselves out. In the mean time I stress out. That's just who I am! On a bright note my sis picked out my bridemaid dress...so I need to get on with going to the gym so I look good in it! I also need to go downtown and order that. Wow I am a downer today! I will stop talking now and post a picture...sweet miss C is getting ready for the Rugby World Cup (whoot whoot!!) and is practicing with her 2007 France mini rugby ball....well it was Ethan's when he was a meer little mite. Now it gets fought over by the three of them.

I'm really hoping for some rugby superstars with my kiddos

someone asked if these two were twins the other day...um ya no

she loves to eat the ball

poor Ethan got bored of waiting for me to play Mouse Trap with him...so he played it by himself

Cranky Baby

2011-03-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to post so often but have had a very cranky Clara on my hands...I have no idea what happened to my sweet, good natured little lady but something has come over her and it's like she's a colicy newborn. I have given her gas drops, pumped her legs, rubbed her belly, given her tylonal, orajel, cold teething rings...you name it but to no avail. HELP!!! I had switched her formula and thought that might have been the culpret but I switched back and it hasn't seemed to help. She is up frequently at night and for hours at a time. I was overjoyed that I got three hours of sleep in a row last night...yep it's bad. She's 7 months so she shouldn't need to eat during the night, and often doesn't really want to if I try to feed her. I feel badly for her because I just have no clue what it is. I guess I'm really going to have to break down her diet and try and figure out if it's a food she's had. Anyway, she has been pretty much taking up all of my time, and when she will sleep it's a mad dash to get my chores done, and try and tend to E and K. I haven't been babysitting so we've been able to go out a bit more. I was incredibly proud of myself when I got the three kids to sit through Sacrament today...we were late so we were right at the back so the kids sort of just hung out and played a bit, but still it's a start!! Karington is starting to talk a lot more and mimics Ethan all the time. It's so cute to hear her copy him. And it's normally when Ethan is telling me that "it's not bedtime yet" or something of that nature and then she says it too. Phil has been busy with school as it's the last full month so there's lots of papers to do! He'll be away for a few months training this summer....sadly he'll miss out on Clara's first and Ethan's fifth birthdays. So I'll have to try and make them special myself!
Ethan is starting to get more excited to start school but says that he's "a little bit shy". I had to go back to his school the other day and brought him with me. The lady in the office took us down to see the Primary (Kindergarten) rooms and he was quite excited about them. And that there were some fun looking things in there! Well I will quickly end this with some pictures before witching hour begins again with Clara....good thing she's cute!

snuggles before bed in Karington's toddler bed! Tight fit!

This dude doesn't normally nap anymore but everynow and then he tires himself out

playtime!

They think it's pretty funny to put their chairs on the couch...Karington picked out her entirely pink (in different shades) outfit this day

pretty girl

at least one of them is looking!

don't be fooled...she still won't crawl

this is what I saw when I checked on Kar last night...looks mighty comfy

A new week

2011-02-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

I must say that I am glad it's a new week! Last week we all at some point or another had a nasty gastro bug...I don't think I have ever cleaned up so much vomit in my life. I also am going to point out that Karington really needs to learn how to chew her food better...I know too much information. That being said I am very lucky to have in-laws who were able to take my oldest two when I was lying on the couch thinking I had possibly sort out funeral arrangements because I was definately dying. That lasted only a few hours then I improved! I haven't had a chance to upload my pictures from the past week, but seeing as they were pitiful pics of my poor sick kids passed out on the couch, you're not missing much. Ethan and I made it back to church on Sunday (Karington threw a temper tantrum of all tantrums right before we left so I left her at home with Phil and Clara). It was nice being able to sit through all of Sacrament with my sweet little boy and listen to some wonderful talks about making our homes holy places. During the first talk I made note to improve how I act, especially towards my children who I often feel I am impatient with. Then I had a marriage class to go to...which again made me check my behaviour towards my husband...do I really give 100%...ummm maybe...probably...definately not. Another mental note. Yesterday afternoon we had a couple friends over to watch the Daytona 500...it was awesome and although my driver of preference wrecked pretty early on, an sweet kid who just turned 20 one the race. It was only his second race ever in that class so it was pretty exciting for him and his owners. Phil is on February break this week so this morning we bundled up and packed the kids up to go down to Point Pleasant Park for a walk. The fresh air was wonderful after being stuck in the house for the entire past week and the kids enjoyed themselves. I did take some pictures which I'll have to post another time. A friend of mine also had her baby last week....in her bed at home! Her contractions never got regular so they didn't go to the hospital....then it was too late. So her husband delivered the baby with the help of the 911 dispatcher giving direction. Crazy huh?! Phil said he would be able to do it if he had to but was quite thankful we've always made it to the hospital for the doctors to do the task.
Anyway, I am really hoping I can really listen to and apply the wonderful lessons I learned on Sunday in my home. I am always in a rush doing something or another (not sure what I'm rushing for since I rarely go out!) and tend to my impatient and raise my voice. I need to also try and find a way to deal with Miss K's crazy tantrums. When she's sweet she's very very sweet but when she's naughty....well it's not pretty. Clara is thankfully quite easy right now and is loving being on solids. She definately prefers it when I make her baby food though so I need to stay on top of that. She still has no interest in crawling, but why would she when she has an attentive brother and sisters who tend to her every need! If I put a toy a bit farther away to try and tempt her to crawl over to get it, one of them pick it up and give it to her and tell me I'm mean for teasing her! This isn't the most exciting post, especially with the lack of pictures but I really just wanted to have a reminder of those talks and what I learned...so there's no excuse for me to slack and not give 100%!! I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

How do I love thee...

2011-02-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!! I hope everyone enjoys their day with the people they love and cherish!!
p.s. I was intending on posting a picture of my kids here too since I love them also BUT blogger is acting up again....jeepers!

Look whose in a big girl bed

2011-02-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

and she's excited about it...during the day...at night she still wants the crib...hopefully she gets adjusted soon

deep in thought...Mr camera shy didn't see mumma with the camera

love the snuggles with my babe

Clara's sitting up really well now and loves to play with toys

snoozing on the couch

pretty girl ready for church...

registered this dude for school last week...can't believe he'll be going in the fall! Growing up WAY too quickly for my liking

woman stop taking pictures of me!

this poor little lady is so sick and looks like she's been through the ringer with chapped cheeks, a big scrape and a couple bruises on her forehead...she has no fear and is a real little monkey which leads to more bruises and bumps than I like to see!

Not much has really been happening...we did get rid of our facebook accounts so I didn't just go deleting people as friends! Just gone! Having some safety issues with it and just wasn't feeling really comfortable about it anymore so for now they're both deleted.

just pictures

2011-01-30T15:32:00.000-08:00

Clara sitting up all by herself...and rocking the jeggings

bathing beauties

yummy carrots

Ethan and his buddy Jace chillaxin watching some Transformers (circa 1984 baby!)

hanging out in the exersaucer

and again

Ethan and Jace playing an intense game of GI Joe

brushing Ariel's hair (with my brush) and rocking some boots with her jammies

Redskins onsie thanks to Grandpa and Nanna K

Ethan doing letter exercises on my laptop

I haven't really been up to much this January other than being a hermit and staying inside at all costs, so I really don't have much to write! January always puts me in a bit of a blaw mood so I am excited to have it over and done with!

chunkeroo

2011-01-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

Today I took Clara to see the doctor for her 6 month appointment (she'll be 6 months old on Saturday...um heck where did that time go). I was really excited because a) it meant I got to leave the apartment b) I wanted to see how close in weight her and K-dawg are.
Karington went to see her pediatrician last Thursday and was weighing in at a whopping 22lbs 9 ounces....she is 2 years 3 months...that put her at the third percentile. She did grow 4cm and is at the 40th percentile for height. Anyway, Clara is now 17lbs 9ounces....so despite their 21.5 months difference they are only 5lbs apart! I also discovered (while Clara was screaming from her needles) that she has a bottom tooth poking through. Barely there right now...enough to feel it pierce into my finger though when she used it as a chew toy. At (almost) 6 months, Clara is a happy go lucky baby. She can sit up on her own, and kicks around when she's on her belly like she's trying to get some movement. Her belly is too big though for her knees to really touch the ground so I think that's hindering the crawling :) She's my snuggly squishy baby! She is eatting solids now (if you can call mush a solid) and Karington likes to steal her fruit.
My kids are crazy right now so I often have "mean mummy" moments...where at the end of the day I wonder if I really needed to lose my temper that frequently throughout the day. Then I watch super nanny and see all the things I do wrong, sigh. But for the most part they are healthy and happy so I can't complain! Love them to bits! I was going through my Christmas photos and found a hilarious one of Karington with Ethan and my sis and future bro in law.

I wanted to post a picture of Clara too but blogger is being dumb and won't let me download anymore pics....soooooo I will actually get back to doing what I am supposed to be doing :)

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T06:23:00.000-08:00

For Clara's first Christmas we headed down to my Dad's house in Virginia. It's his last year there so we were excited to get to go down one last time, and for Clara to get to have her first christmas there. My sister's and their husband/boyfriend were there too so my kids were spoiled with lots of attention. We arrived a few days before everyone else so we were able to take the kids to some of the Smithsonian museums. First we hit up the Air and Space which is amazing. For all of those who have seen Transformers 2, some of it is filmed there where they get the old transformer. Anyway that plane is there so Ethan was quite excited to see a real life transformer! We also got to go to the Museum of Natural History in downtown DC. This houses a lot of the exhibits from Night at the Museum II including Rexie. And I was excited because it was housing the Hope Diamond, so I got to see that bit of bling! After that fun we went to Chuck E Cheese for a couple hours of fun. The kids also loved getting out all of my old She-Ra and He-Man toys...and I'm not going to lie, my sisters and I had a great time playing with them too! We were able to get some shopping done, and I was really excited to get to go wedding dress shopping with my youngest sister. Her dress is gorgeous and I cannot wait for her wedding in September. It was a great Christmas! The flight home was a complete nightmare. I had to fly to Boston by myself and United was totally unhelpful. They weren't going to help me get to the gate with all of my stuff and wouldn't let my dad come through security to help. They ended up getting my a wheelchair service for Karington's carseat! If it weren't for the other passengers helpping me on and off the plane I would have been sunk. And I would have missed my connection to Halifax too thanks for a two hour delay if it weren't for people helpping me get everything off the plane. Ethan and Karington weren't able to eat all day (thanks to the delay I couldn't buy them dinner and I was only allowed to bring fruit snacks through security) so on our decent to Halifax both Ethan and Karington got sick from all the junk they'd eatten. Not fun! But we made it and I got a new car seat out of it (my luggage didn't make it so they gave me a new carseat for Clara that we get to keep!).

Clara, me and the plane that becomes the transformer (jetscream I think??)

air and space museum...the dome on the right is where the transformer breaks through

dinos at the museum of natural history

rexie's tale

my christmas present....haha

my little santa

snow in virginia!

checking out the boxing day toy flyers!

For New Year's Eve we stayed at home and had our friend Nancy and her little girl come over. Her husband called from Afganistan during the countdown so that was fun. Welcome 2011!!

Saint Nicholas

2010-12-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows I love me some Veggie Tales...well my kids do. They are wonderful Bible stories told by talking veggies. Last year I got the Christmas one about the story of St. Nick. It's a fabulous story about how Nicholas secretly gives money to save three girls from imprissionment. Giving without being known so there is no recognition for giving the gift. Well today I experienced this. Things haven't been ideal lately and today when the mailman brought me my mail he had a big envelope for me. There was no return address and I didn't recognize the writing. I opened it and there was a kids Christmas book and a card. There was different writing on the card that I didn't recognize either. I opened the card and there were gift cards inside and on the card it simply said, "Merry Christmas" from Santa Claus. I looked everywhere for a name. Then I said a prayer thanking Heavenly Father for whoever was kind and was my Santa. So if whoever sent this reads my blog, THANK YOU!!! I will pay your kindness forward somehow to someone else unexpected. I am blessed to have friends out there who know what I need. I was a little embarrassed to post about this as it shows that I did need some help but I feel that it's important to somehow try and thank whoever the person or people were who did this random act of kindness for me. So as this Christmas approaches I hope we all remember the real reason for the season and the real story of jolly old Saint Nick.

4 months old....

2010-11-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

Clara is 4 months old today...she gets her needles tomorrow....this is how she feels about it...

looking forward to seeing how big my chunky monkey is now. She's such a cuddley, smiley baby. Love to snuggle her! She rolls over, has great neck support, and eats like it's going out of style. Some evenings I need to give her a bottle of formula because I just cannot keep up with her. I know you're supposed to wait until 6 months to start them on solids but this little one may get started a bit earlier than that.
Ethan and Karington are both doing well. Ethan's speech is coming along great and Karington is finally putting on a bit of weight. Ethan is a big show off at the moment and Karington thinks everything is her way or the highway! I just love them all to pieces!
We're getting excited for our trip down to Virginia to visit my dad and step-mom for Christmas. Ethan is super pumped to check out the museums in DC...I am too! Hopefully everyone will cooperate. I love the Air and Space museum too (it's the one with all the Einstien bobble heads in Night at the Museum: battle of the Smithsion and the second Transformers movie). It will be my parents first time seeing Clara, and my stepmom hasn't seen Karington or Ethan in two years. What a difference!
Nothing much else has been happening around here...trying to teach Ethan his letters, numbers, shapes, etc a bit more effectively but he really does not seem interested. He can count and sing the alphabet, it's just letter recognition that's a fight. Patience is a virtue I need to work on, so I easily get frustrated (as does Ethan)
Well a crying baby is calling for me!

My heart is full...

2010-11-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

Blogger is being a pain and won't let me upload anymore pics right now...my talented friend Helene over at http://hmfphoto.blogspot.com/ took some 3 month photos of Clara and here are a couple. Stinker Ethan is still camera shy and wouldn't get in on the action but at least I got some good ones with my girlies. And one of Ethan with a bug toy...yep that's E all over. Hopefully he'll get over it...all pics I have of him right now include a toy or a hand in front of his face. Clara at 3 months (well almost 4!) is a laughing machine...she rolls over front to back, eats like a horse, and is about 14lbs. She's already wearing a 6-12 month dress that little Miss Karington wore last year for Christmas when she was 14months!! Yep that's my chubby girl, and I love her squishiness!!

2010-10-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

Lately I feel like I'm going through the day to day motions. I've been in a my glass is half empty sort of mood lately. Thankfully I've been blessed with these three who look at me with love (most of the time) and are always willing to give a hug or a kiss. Sometimes I get discouraged and wonder how I can do what I am supposed to do and live the gospel (of course there is always improvement there) and still things don't always end up how I want them. But then I remember, that nowhere do the scriptures say that "do as I say and life will be perfect". Motherhood is challenging. But totally worth it, and I know lots of people would love to experience the challenges of being a parent. These three cuties can always make my day!

Sisters taking a tub...just look at those rolls on my budda baby...don't you just want to squish her and kiss those cheeks! That necklace does not come off of Karington...EVER

Ethan having snuggles with Clara...he's quite enthusiastic

taking a ride on the plasma car...it's awesome

helpping prevent mum from doing laundry

winks from baby C

Ethan and his buddies had a boys night and watched "How to Train your Dragon". He has more of a social life than I do!

2010-10-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for my family and friends and it was wonderful to spend time with them. Last year I was away for Thanksgiving as my sister got married over the long weekend. My kids have been wonderful lately, and I am amazed and the things they absorb and learn daily. Ethan comes up with things and I wonder how he learned them. He often plays with his buddy and it's hilarious to see them act out movies or shows they've seen and to really see their imagination at work. Ethan is such a boy and loves anything super hero. Karington copies everything Ethan does...if Ethan goes to the bathroom, Karington will sit on her potty. If Ethan falls over, she falls over. Tick for tack. She loves to play with everything girlie but can be rough and tumble too. She had a great birthday and loved being the centre of attention. Clara is a joy...she is gaining weight like a crazy lady and has such a sweet disposition. Clara loves it when the older two go to bed so she gets all of my attention. She laughs out loud and gives mummy lots of smiles. They get me through the day and I just wish I was more patient. Patience really is a virtue...one I sadly don't possess much of. I struggle daily to keep calm and not sweat over the small things. It has been a trying few months and I have really learned how strong I can be. I love my family so much and would do anything for them. Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger...so far I'm still kicking around! Part of the stress has been taken off my shoulders. I had a mole that was questionable so my doctor removed it and sent it off for the usual testing. It was abnormal (slap my wrists for being lazy about getting it looked at!) and it was removed quickly due to the changes it had made. The doctor was concerned that it was melenoma. Well I guess he removed it just in time, as it was fine. He felt that if we had left it longer it could have developed into something scary. I just have to keep an eye on things and make sure it doesn't grow back (gross I know, and who knew that could happen!). My Heavenly Father knew my kiddies needed me around right now and not in treatment. I just urge you all to get checked for things! This isn't my first scare...some years back I had to have a chunk of my cervix removed due to precancerous cells. Although going to the doctor can be a pain (literally) it is oh so worth it when they get things in time. Perhaps a little too much information for you all! The trials and tribulations of life....they keep you on your toes!
Can't post without some pics...these are from K's birthday party...she is such a ham!

Two years ago...

2010-10-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was doing an insane amount of jumping jacks trying to get labour started....my due date for Karington was October 4th, 2008....I was overdue...again. I was desperate to get her out!! By the time the evening hit I was starting to have steady contractions so we headed on in to the IWK. The nurse who assessed me told me to go walking. I was not happy. It was cold, and October, and by this point 8pm. So Phil and I drove to the mall to go for a walk. As soon as I got there I was pretty miserable. Phil got a sub and by the time he was done that I was crying to go back to the hospital. They took a looksy 'down there' and got me right in and hooked up for my epidural. They told me to walk for a couple hours...I made it 20 minutes. At 12:37am on October 7th after one push (if that, I was laughing and she sort of fell out) Karington Hannah Nelson made her appearance. She weighed in at 7lbs 2 ounces 20 3/4 inches long. Two years later and Karington is a going concern. She definately keeps me on my toes to put it mildly. She is all over the place and has to get her own way otherwise we see quite the show. She is a great big sister to Clara, and loves her big brother (most of the time!). Karington is chattering away and will pretty much say whatever we ask her to. She loves anything girlie and princesses. She sings along to songs in the car and when she watches her favourite Disney movies. We love this girl and are so happy and blessed to have her as part of our family.

Karington's Blessing Day

6 Months old

Karington and Mummy on her first birthday

18 Months old

Just about 2 (22 months old)

She's a little sister...

She's a big sister...

She's our sweet, beautiful, kind, fun-loving daughter....

and she's a little bit crazy...

Happy 2nd Birthday Karington Hannah!!

2 months old

2010-10-02T05:52:00.000-07:00

This is late, but on September 22nd Miss Clara turned two months old. I cannot believe how quickly the time flies by once these little babies are born. On Tuesday she went to see Dr. Power for her two month needles and weigh in. She cried but was easily comforted and slept a whopping 8 hours afterwards. Nice sleep for Momma that night! She weighed in at 12.5 lbs and was 23.5 inches long. She is at the 90th percentile for everything. Dr Power said she's big but nice and proportional. She hated having her head measured and screamed more during that than her needles. At two months Clara is smiling and laughing frequently, especially at her crazy momma. Nothing compares to making a baby smile. Clara is rolling from her belly to back. She learned that quickly since she doesn't like belly time. However she has wonderful neck support and loves to look all around. Clara loves her brother and sister, and they love to give her hugs and lots of kisses. Karington carries her baby around everywhere and loves to put it in Clara's carseat or swing and swaddle her up just like baby Clara. Clara is a sweet baby and I am just so happy to have her as part of our family. Ethan and Karington are also both doing great. Karington seems to be putting on some weight and growing. She turns two on Thursday which also blows my mind! She absolutely loves anything girlie, and love to watch "Princess and the Frog" over and over again. She is a lot more now, especially when she wants something. She will repeat whatever we ask her to say, and she loves to say prayer. She also loves to order Ethan and Hayley (the girl I babysit) around and throws a fit when she doesn't get her way. Karington often doesn't get to go to the store because she isn't the most well behaved at the moment. I am hoping this stage passes quickly. Ethan is a kind and loving big brother and is sweet natured. However he is all boy and loves to wrestle and play with cars, army men, and superheros. He is in love with Transformers right now and is asking daily that Santa bring him and Optimus Prime. The buddah baby is calling for me so I will end this with some pics of my three sweeties...

gentian violet oh my

2010-09-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

If anyone has had a baby with thrush you know the frustration that goes hand in hand with it. Two week round of anti-biotics which include four doses a day, only to realize that it did absolutely nothing. WELL I was introduced to this wonderful product as a sure cure to thrush. GENTIAN VIOLET...used to be used back when I was a bebe but was taken off the market due to it's messiness...I thought it couldn't be that bad...

this stuff will stain like you wouldn't believe BUT thrush is gone so thank-you gentian violet for being a miraculous cure...and it meant that I got to wear all of my purple shirts in one week :)

Clara's Blessing

2010-09-13T16:31:00.000-07:00

Since I can't upload pictures on my computer right now, I am stealing a picture of Clara in her blessing dress from Karen....here's my beautiful girl in her white dress

She received a beautiful blessing from her father, and was surrounded by Priesthood holders. What a wonderful blessing to start this special girl's life. I am so eternally grateful to have her in my life and to be a part of hers, and how lucky we are to be blessed with the Priesthood. It was a special weekend as we celebrated my niece Sarah's baptism on Saturday evening and then Clara's blessing on Sunday. Amazing to see these special girls in their white dresses. When the third white dress comes along I'll know I'm really getting old!

so I have this friend and she is super talented...

2010-09-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

and she took these pics of my darling kiddos a little while back and although I had a sneak peak and posted those she sent me more....oh Helene you rock the camera

hi, I am karington, I am almost 2 and am super cute which is a good thing because I am also super naughty

I'm Ethan and HATE getting my picture taken...good thing Iron Man was there to attack. Momma still acts like I am her little boy, but dude I'm 4!!

I'm Clara and it's my blessing day on Sunday...Momma is so excited. I am still contemplating how I ended up coming down to my two crazy siblings

Karington feels that there is nothing wrong with wearing tutus and sneakers together

your eyes are windows to your soul...

hmmm think I could have used a puffier tutu...

he's thinking that Baby Kings momma needs to put the camera away now...Iron Man is in full attack mode

she's giving her mother grey hairs and is loving every minute of it

Yep these are my three babes...how I was blessed with these sweet kiddos I will never know!
Thanks again Helene you are a star! http://hmfphoto.blogspot.com/

2010-09-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been, shall we say tumultuous. This has resulted in me feeling somewhat inadequate. I have always had a difficult time always striving to be someone better or different than myself, but I really doubted myself lately. I think part of it is still being somewhat hormonal after having Clara. I have felt overwhelmed and wishing that I could seperate myself in three for each child...well maybe four so one could get all the cleaning and cooking done! But with this craziness I have realized what is truly important. I have always had a testimony of the Gospel (well since my first meeting with the Sister Missionaries) but have been rather lack luster in my attempt at being a better daughter of God. Now I am realizing how important the Church is and what an important foundation it will be in my children's lives. I was thinking back to just over three years ago when we were approaching Ethan's first birthday. Ethan had been under the weather and had quite a fever. My mum was over and noticed that Ethan was having difficulty breathing. It was taking a lot of effort. We took him to the hospital where he was instantly admitted and seen by a pediatrician. My poor little boy lay in the hospital crib and didn't flinch when the nurse put in an IV. He was laying there in his diaper with tubes everywhere (he was on oxygen too) The next morning another doctor came by on rounds with the interns. The doctor got quite upset that he hadn't been told about the rapid decrease on Ethan's condition. In the couple hours since the interns had seen him, his stats had gone down to dangerous levels. I asked the doctor if he would be alright, and he said that they would do whatever they could. I think my heart stopped at that moment. Nobody knew why this was happening. Phil gave Ethan a Priesthood blessing. I didn't have a strong testimony of the Priesthood, it was something I believed in but hadn't seen any real 'proof' of its power. The next day Ethan was sitting up on my cot in his room playing with toys. Although he wasn't 100% he was rapidly improving. We ended up leaving the hospital without knowing what had been wrong, but he was totally fine and was able to go to his Auntie Karen's wedding a couple days later. Looking back now I realize that it was the Priesthood blessing that healed Ethan from whatever ailment he had. I am not one to bear my testimony, but I felt that I should. My faith is what gets me through the bumps in the road of life. I know to that no matter how crappy my day may be, I have unlimited access to hugs, kisses, and "I love you Momma"s. Not sure really what the purpose of this post was other than to get some stuff off of my chest and maybe to reaffirm what is important to me. Well this was an unusually 'deep' post for me, and it will probably not happen often! But here's some pics of the three most important little beings in my life...

One month old!

2010-08-23T05:29:00.000-07:00

Holy Moly my baby girl is one month old...um hello where did the time go?! Clara is a gem and I just LOVE her to pieces, as do Ethan and Karington (oh and her Dad). Clara has her one month appointment on Tuesday so I am looking forward to seeing how much she's grown. She is a chunky monkey and has put on at least three pounds this month. Last night at 11:51pm she officially turned one month old. I have already forgotten a lot of the pain of labour...and it seems like it was a dream. It seems like she was just born but at the same time I can't imagine our family without her. At one month Clara has a lot more awake time and is very alert. She has great neck control, but still isn't a huge fan of tummy time. She hates getting her bum changed and isn't a fan of tubs either. She has the same eyes as Ethan, headshape as Karington, and her own little nose that doesn't really look like anyones! She has dark dark hair but so did Karington at first so I am not sure if she'll end up blonde too. I've also be the recipient of some awesome baby smiles!

This past week was Phil's last week at Air Canada Jazz so it kind of dragged on because we were just so excited for the week to end! Thursday was his last day so he was in a particularly good mood. Friday was Phil's 29th birthday but we didn't really do all that much. Phil was trying to get everything sorted out for today which is his first day. He had to go down this morning to meet with his liason officer so I am excited to know exactly what the game plan is for next year. Phil will probably have to go away next summer so he will be away for Clara's first birthday, Ethan's 5th and his 30th, so we will have to have a grande birthday celebration when he gets home!

Saturday we just hung out as a family. Saturday night I headed on up to Karen's house where we had treats (well i did anyway!), downloaded my pictures (thanks friend!), and chatted. My highschool big time crush recently got married (heaven help me if he ever reads this!) so I was showing her all the wedding pictures.

Yesterday, I had to teach in Relief Society...preparing a lesson gets slightly more challenging when there is always a child away wanting attention, but it got done and I am glad I have a few more weeks before I need to do it again!

Last week I started to babysit Hayley again, which was actually a relief since Ethan now has a friend to play with again and doesn't just rely on me for entertainment! She's a sweet girl and keeps Ethan and Karington happy. We also have a playdate with buddies Jace and Kaydence lined up for the week so that will be fun too!

like I said...she's not a fan of tummy time

Nanny Carolyn loves her girls! She has been over to help with the kids in the evenings while Phil has been working so I could do menial tasks like grocery shopping with just Clara to make it easier!

we've had some visits with cousins...at least Abigail was looking

Ethan loves to hold his sister (for very short periods of time) but will not throw her diapers in the garbage because he says they're gross...he's right though they are!

cheeseball with icecream at Public Gardens...these pics are all from the last month since I haven't been able to put them on my dumb computer I've had to wait!

Ethan and his dinosaur with icecream

no icecream yet!

proud big brother

proud big sister...unhappy little sister

Auntie Erin and Uncle Jared came to visit right after Clara was born

we went to the beach too

Clara liked the beach too

kisses! and Karington does wear clothes...I was getting her in her jammies at this point

okay we're done

for real

it's been a great month!

Happy Birthday Phil!!

2010-08-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

This dude is getting old...I can say that since I'm always just a little bit younger! happy birthday babe!

I have hardly any pictures of Phil...he hates getting his picture taken, but here is one of him and Clara right after she was born. Phil is a great dad and husband and we were able to celebrate big time with him finishing up at Air Canada yesterday...we are now a full time army family! A new adventure for age 29!!

Ethan had a birthday

2010-08-09T04:43:00.000-07:00

Somehow four years has passed since Ethan came into this world..not sure how or where the time went! On Friday, August 6th, 2006 at 2:28pm Ethan was born after a quick and easy 10 hour labour. My water broke at 4:30 am and things moved right along. I remember feeling totally in awe when the nurse put Ethan in my arms and I became a mother. I am still in awe and am amazed that Phil and I have these three precious little souls intrusted in our care. In awe and slightly overwhelmed at times! At four Ethan is growing like a weed...he is in the 87th percentile for height and 75th for weight. He is cautious and shy at times but at other times he is outgoing and full of energy. His laugh and smile are infectious and he cares and protects his sisters like a brother should. We love you Ethan!!

of course being a 4 year old boy...getting a decent picture isn't overly easy!! This is his silly cheeseball squinty face

And this is why pregnancy is worth it...

2010-08-05T04:11:00.000-07:00

A smile from my wee one

serious cuteness!

this handsome dude is going to be 4 tomorrow!!

Be still be beating heart

Oh and how they make all of my complaints of pregnancy worth it! I often wonder what I did to deserve these three innocent darlings in my life but whatever it was I am grateful beyond believe to have them. They make me pull out my hair somedays (possibly most days!) but I would never turn back the clock and do things differently. It's amazing how these three really complete our family!
A BIG thanks goes out to the talented Helene for taking these pics, http://hmfphoto.blogspot.com/

Clara Lane

2010-07-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

Clara Lane was born July 22nd at 11:51pm...9 minutes before my due date. I had the gel applied twice and by 7pm it was working and after a very quick labour she arrived. She weighed in at 7lbs 6ounces...right in between her brother and sister's weights. This baby looks like Phil so he's happy about that! Ethan and Karington fight over who gets to hold baby Clara and are great with her!

Some Big News...

2010-07-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Not exactly sure why I haven't posted this yet (probably the beached whaleness that accompanies the last month of pregnancy with me), but we've had a rather big change in our lives. Phil was offered a spot in the ROTP program with the army in infantry (regular officer training program). After a lot of praying and backwards and forwarding we decided that it was what is best for our family. Phil has not been happy working at Air Canada...the atmosphere is negative not to mention unhealthy (the stuff they are breathing in there leaves Phil with a constant headache). Although he loves working on planes there really isn't much available other than where he is currently working. Last summer when Phil was at army training he was happy, fit and felt that he had a purpose. To be an officer in the Canadian Army one needs a university degree...this program means that the Army pays for Phil to go to university for the next four years while paying him a regular salary. Once he graduates he becomes an officer (gets pay raise, etc). Now this does mean that in the summers Phil is will be away training. I understand the military lifestyle having grown up with a Navy dad. However, I believe that the military is an honourable profession and am proud of Phil for getting into such a difficult program. Only 20 of the 300 applicants are accepted. It's not going to be easy but in the long run is what's best for our family and we are so happy with the decision. Lots of change for us, and now we just need to wait for the baby...any day now!!

Summertime fun

2010-06-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

Biter...

2010-06-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

poor ethan has been coming to show me some war wounds he's been receiving...from his little sister...these wounds include eight teeth imprints...I'm in trouble...some say to bite her back when she does that...i've tried tapping her mouth...but that doesn't work...

I stole these pics from my sister in law Kathy...I need to go over and use my mother in law's laptop to load and burn some pics since my usb outlet thingy on my laptop has hit the fan

You can see the chompers on her though and they are dangerous...you can also see a slight curl at the back of her hair...it's FINALLY coming in...slowly but surely.

This is Ethan's new face...all scrunchy like...he's still a stud! He's loving soccer too...gets a little shy at times but is doing well...I have pictures of him in his huge cute jersey but alas I still need to get them on here. He's number 14 and is happy that he has a red jersey like cousin Jacob.

The baby is still inside...trying to get out...but not doing quite a good enough job to fully to the trick. Lots of random contractions that are rather painful and then when I'm ready to go see what's going on they stop. Next week I'll be having a word with the doctor about it...see if I can squeeze out some tears!!

So I am not sure if anyone is really reading my bloggy blog lately...but I may take a wee break...I love reading and commenting on everyone's blogs but find I check mine too often. We will see how this goes...I have lots of things to try and work with Ethan on this summer with speech and such so i really should do that and give the old computer a break.

But if you read please let me know! Also PLEASE if anyone has any advice regarding biting toddlers let me know!!! She only really bites Ethan...she's nice like that, but still...her poor big brother is really going to clock her one and he looks like a vampire victim at the moment with teeth marks over his back.

Finally some pictures

2010-06-16T04:15:00.000-07:00

yep I'm getting big...I'm starting to deal with it...my doctor has stop mentioning my weight gain and I have kind of plateaued but I am sure over the next five weeks I'll manage to add another five pounds...bringing me up to a total of 47lbs...yep that's right! I seem to gain more each pregnancy.

We've had some nice sunny weather lately in NS so we have been enjoying some outdoor time.

which has also included some soccer...Ethan got his soccer jersey last night but of course my USB thingies

on my laptop are shot so I can't get any of those pictures onto my computer at the moment.

Unfortunately the last few days we've been stuck inside since I have been sick and little baby has decided to scare us into thinking she's coming early. The doctor thinks that my linear alba has split completely (my abs pretty much) which does happen but just means I'll have to be careful once she arrives and work at getting them back together, and my pelvis has shifted. I've been having contractions and have been told to take it easy. I find it amusing that they tell this to people who have toddlers at home. At this point though they wouldn't try and stop labour. It's not as bad as it was though and think she'll be like her older brother and sister and stay put until a couple days past her due date! Ethan has speech tomorrow so we'll see how that goes...it's his last appointment until September and I have to admit I am looking forward to the break. He does well but it's not my favourite thing to do during my day. Oh well, it has helpped him a lot so I can't complain. That's about it with us...enjoy the rest of the week!

What a guy

2010-06-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

I need to give a BIG shoutout to my super awesome husband....

who is now a tried tested and true Aircraft Maintenance Engineer...he wrote the big Transport Canada doozy of a test and passed! That's right folks...that could be your plane he's working on there!!

To celebrate we went to Elephant & Castle for dinner minus the kids...to those of you native to Halifax it's in the building that used to be Merils. It's like an English Pub and I have high standards seeing as I've eatten many an English Pub meal...well they don't disappoint...so much in fact that I told my very English mum to go there and try it out for the flavours of her homeland!

On a bummer note my camera still won't let me upload pictures onto my laptop so I am at a loss of what to do picture wise.

Ethan had his first outdoor soccer on Tuesday and had a blast...well he did get a little shy at one point but he enjoys running around with the other kids. They are very cute and it's so funny watching these 3 year olds running all around. I am now 34 weeks preggo and am counting down the days!! I have some belly shots on my camera so obviously they are stuck there for now...as are Ethan's soccer pics. Karington is a monkey and climbing all over the place. She got a good bump on her head today from falling off the couch. I really need to cage her in somewhere or roll her up in bubble wrap...either option will work for me. It's getting rather difficult at this large state to chase after my 20 month old. Sigh...sure it won't get easier once the baby is here but at least I won't have a huge belly hindering my running!

Homemade Granola Bars

2010-06-02T05:44:00.000-07:00

Made these today to try and save some $$ on snacks...yummy!! Sorry that I don't have a picture but my camera cord isn't working.

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup chocolate chips (you can substitute really anything here...raisins, craisins, nuts, etc...I used 1/4 raisins and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips because I love lots of yummy stuff in my granola bars!)
3/4 teaspoon salt (I omitted this)
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup coconut oil (melt in the microwave for 30 seconds first to make it easier to work with)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350, grease 9 by 13 baking dish
2. Mix dry ingredients, make a well in centre and add honey, beaten egg, vanilla, and melted coconut oil. Mix well. Pat evenly into baking dish
3. Bake for 30 minutes until edges are brown. Cool for 5 minutes then cut into bars and remove from dish while still warm. Do not let them cool completely if you want bars because you will have to chizzle them out!

Enjoy!!

2010-05-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

The past couple of weeks I have LOVED the sunshine that we've experienced here. It's been nice and hot (well on the weekends anyway) and we were able to spend lots of time outside playing. Last weekend friends from Ottawa were down and we got to hang out with them and their cutie pie baby boy. We celebrated my niece's 9th birthday and tonight we celebrated another niece's 3rd birthday. Ethan has really enjoyed his outside playtime and his time playing with his cousins. Ethan had a speech appointment on Friday which was fine and I had another baby doctor appointment. She is incredibly active...which is saying something since E and K were both very active babies. The doctor couldn't even really get an accurate heartrate as it varied between 126 and 145 as she was moving around so much. My weight gain is up there but thankfully this is the last baby so I can spend the time to lose it. Auntie K got to come over and play the other day too which was fun and the kids loved. Ethan had a sleepover with his Nanny and Poppy Nelson last night which he loved. Karington enjoyed being an only child for the day and relished all of the attention. I did have a bunch of pictures that I wanted to post of our fun in the sun....HOWEVER my usb cord isn't working for my camera...or something, who knows, so I can't upload any pictures. I am going to steal a couple that Karen too though last week. Karington and her cousin, Jessica on her 9th birthday!

Ethan being a cheeseball in the car with Auntie Karen.....

Ethan and cousin Georgia waiting for cake

Me doing the Karington grin with her...yep I look great...

5 years ago tomorrow...

2010-05-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

we got sealed in the Halifax, NS temple....wow where has the time gone...5 years later we are getting ready for our third baby, have an almost 3 3/4 year old and a 19 month old. This is the only wedding picture I have on my laptop and it's grainy and scanned. 5 years ago we still used film more often that digital!! This was right before our reception. I am so happy that I married Phil and love our life together. We have similar personalites and work well together. We aren't doing anything this year since we went to Vegas last year and I am tired and pregnant this anniversary. It's weird that I have been pregnant for three of our five anniversaries. Well this will be the last time that happens! I am looking forward to the years to come and can't wait until we can go somewhere on an anniversary trip again. Love that boy!!

Soccer Stud

2010-05-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

Last night Ethan had soccer for the first time...I have never seen anything so cute (and chaotic) as a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds running around the field. There were about 30 kids in his group and then they were further split up into smaller groups. The funniest to watch was the scrimage they did at the end of the evening....some kids were kicking the ball, others were just running around, and more (like Ethan) were running around and kicking over the pilons. He had a great time though and was telling us afterwards how much he loved soccer. Hopefully that sticks! He only has it twice this month in the indoor field and then he has it weekly outdoor June through August. I could have cried I was so proud of him and could hardly believe that I have a little boy old enough to be in soccer!! Where has the time gone?! Karington was quite fussy during the whole thing because she wanted to get down there and play too.

Ethan all ready to go...

Karington wanted a picture too...

Ethan getting his shin pads and socks on...he was a little nervous at this point

excited to start to play...

This picture is blurry but I thought it showed how cute all these little kids looked running around. They were trying to catch the coaches at this point playing tag.

I also wanted to show the new Karington faces...this is what happens when I try to take pictures....she starts walking towards me to look at the camera...

reaching for the camera...

self portrait and the cheese grin comes out....

and it gets cheesier...

and she may as well try to taste the camera while she's this close...

yep that's out girl....wonder who she gets that from...

yep that's who...

28 weeks

2010-05-01T17:46:00.001-07:00

Today, we had our second visit to 3D Miracles for our ultrasound. We dropped the kids off at my mum's place so that Phil could enjoy it a bit more than last time (they got a little impatient). Karen came with us this time and it was fun to have her with us to see an ultrasound for the first time. The lady who does the ultrasounds is super nice and she actually works on the 7th floor of the IWK and did my ultrasound with Ethan too (when I was sent up there when I was pregnant with him). It was great getting to see Baby Girl #2 again and to see how similar she looks to Ethan and Karington. No mistaking whose sister she is!! She was very cooperative too and we got some great face shots (and gender shots, she was not shy!!).

Birthday weekend and a baby bump pic

2010-04-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

I had a great birthday this year...on Friday evening Phil surprised me with a gettogether with some friends. It was great to relax and chat and I even didn't know about it (until the last minute anyhow!). Karen made me an awesome DVD from the past 10 years that we've been friends...there were some doozies in there and quite the evolution in our appearance! The kids stayed the night over at my in-laws and had lots of fun playing with their cousins who were down from New Brunswick. Saturday morning Phil and I went to the temple and then went to breakfast at Cora's with my mum. SOOOO yummy!! I was stuffed for the whole day! AND it was great getting to spend some time with my husband, it's rare that it's just the two of us. I definately enjoyed it. We headed back to my inlaws and the kids played outside in the sun. We then headed over to the Dingle Park for some more playtime. The kids loved it and I was happy that they got to get some energy out. We went to Brewdebakers for dinner before Peter and Angie came over to watch Avatar. I hadn't seen in yet and didn't make it through before I fell asleep. I was just so tired from being on the move all day!! So I still need to watch it. It was a great day though and had lots of fun with my family!

I figured that this poor baby has been neglected so far in terms of baby belly pictures so I had Phil take on for me the other night. Please excuse my pj's and my paleness. So this is me at 27 weeks...

AND a couple of pics of my kiddos...Karington wouldn't take a nap yesterday so I brought her back out to the livingroom with me. I turned my back and then this is what I found...

Ethan hasn't been overly cooperative with picture taking lately...

what a goofy kid! Ethan starts soccer next week (he has it twice indoors in May and then the outdoor season starts weekly). I am excited for him to get into that and to be able to run around and play a sport with other kids. I hope he likes it!

Here are my two eatting tootsiepops that Miss K and found in the cupboard...

it was a good thing she wasn't dressed yet after her bath because she was pretty dang sticky after that!!

This and that...

2010-04-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

First I have to say how jubilant I am to have the sun shining again! I think I was starting to get in a rain funk. Even though it's difficult to get all of the kids outside at the same time, I still much prefer to have the sun shining in and the windows open. The fresh air makes such a difference! This past week hasn't been terribly eventful. Karington has been rather fussy lately so I have been basically tending to her a lot. During the day I have Hayley and Lyla over so that keeps me busy.
I am 27 weeks along now and am feeling quite well. I am tired which is to be expected and have had some contractions. The doctor is keeping an eye on things but is confident that I will make it until at least 36 weeks. I think I will probably go a couple days overdue as par normal for me! I don't dare get my hopes up of having a baby a few days early. She is a very active baby especially if she hears the kids laughing/screaming/yelling. I think she's excited to play with her brother and sister. Ethan is quite excited to have another baby around, Karington on the otherhand doesn't really care all that much. She may be a bit more difficult!
Ethan is starting soccer next month, and I am really excited for him to get into that. I think he will enjoy being around other kids. His friend, Halle came over on Tuesday for a playdate. Ethan, Halle and Hayley had a great time playing together. Ethan is really enjoying Sunbeams and often asks throughout the week if he can go. Come Sunday he is jumping out his skin to get to Primary! I am so happy he enjoys it after our nursery experience :) Karington is in nursery now...well she should be anyhow. If I take her in and there are other kids crying then she figures she should stay with us.
Phil is working away at Air Canada Jazz, and we are really happy that his shift is Monday through Friday now. Makes such a difference in the amount of time he gets to spend with the kids. During his twelve hour shifts he basically missed seeing them for his four day round. Now he is home by 4pm. This makes bedtime and much easier occasion for mummy too!! We keep an eye out for any exciting opportunities with aircraft maintenance. I would love to go somewhere else for awhile. I loved the experiences I had growing up in a few different places. I just wish we hadn't had to take out the loans for school. Each month I am happy when our payment comes out and gets our school debt down. Thankfully I didn't have any debt from school. I wish we had a house to sell before or something so we could pay for school in cash! Oh well, I know we'll get it down slowly but surely. I felt a bit better when a guy that Phil works with told us that his wife's medical school loan payment was over $3000 a MONTH!!! That's just her line of credit too and not the student loans. Plus she's only a resident now so it's not like she's making the huge dollars get...luckily she'll be a pediatric neurologist soon enough.
So really nothing overly exciting is going on. Tomorrow night the kids are having a sleepover with their nanny and grampy so that Phil and I can go to the earlier Saturday session at the temple. It's my 28th birthday Saturday so I am looking forward to a fun family day. Ethan told me today that he is wanting to get me a dolly for my birthday. What a sweet boy, I thought he'd want to get me a dragon!! He saw "How to Train a Dragon" and now that's ALL he talks about!
Hope everyone is having a great week and enjoying the sun that has finally made an appearance for us!

love these guys...

2010-04-15T07:11:00.001-07:00

Easter fun

2010-04-06T05:32:00.000-07:00

We really enjoyed this Easter and having the week prior to spend with my dad. It was also fabulous having Phil home on vacation. Our routine got thrown out of wack but it was totally worth it and I enjoyed every moment of it. Ethan and Karington were especially happy to have their daddy home with them. It also meant that Phil wasn't so exhausted and I was able to go to a girls night and watch "New Moon" again. How I love a good girls night! I return home feeling relaxed and ready for mommyhood again! Ethan was super excited on Sunday morning to see that the Easter bunny had left treats for him around the apartment...Karington was happy to see her Easter basket but wasn't really into the actual egg hunt.

the kids got some new easter clothes for easter from Nanny Williams

karington got more into the hunting when we went to my mum's for another hunt We went back home after my mum's to watch some of Conference before heading over to my in-laws to play outside and for dinner. Since we had ham dinner the weekend before, we had scallops. Oh my heart sang! I have been craving scallops so badly during this pregnancy (weird huh!) and since my dad was down I was lucky enough to have them three times last week! I had them at John's Lunch one day, then we went to the Cellar in Bedford (yum!) the night before my dad left and I had shrimp and scallop fetticine, and then scallops on Easter. What a lucky girl I am! Anyway, it was a great day and we sure did enjoy the sunshine! This week Phil and I were also able to relax and watch a couple movies together. We rented "Sherlock Holmes" (I heart Jude Law) and "The Blindside". Both of which I really enjoyed. Sherlock Holmes was a bit 'different' but good and Blindside made me all warm and fuzzy. And I cried...doesn't take much though. I cried during Conference too...President Monson's talk on the Sunday morning session...jeesh! Then I cried during Extreme Homemakeover Sunday night. Moving on...I while watching the movies I worked on a new tutu for Karington and a matching one for baby girl Nelson. Yep because that's the kind of momma I am, and I love anything girlie. Karington loved trying her's on and thought that the baby's would make a great headpiece. What a ham this girl is!

I am excited for a Helene photo shoot with my girlies in their tutus. And yes they are huge, but FUN! Yesterday, Phil went back to work....I was sad. Since it was so sunny again, I got the kiddies outside to the playground for a picnic. Now I just need to get back into our routine. Oh and baby is growing as she should...I had an appointment on Thursday. My weight is too high, which I knew. The doctor tried to make me feel better but also pretty much said to watch it. I gained more weight with Karington than with Ethan so I figured this one would top the charts. Sigh...aslong as I lose it all afterwards then I'll be fine!! Everything else is fine though, and he says I should got full term, I just need to be careful and not lift anything heavy (guess that means Ethan!). Hope everyone enjoyed their Easter weekend!

Happy Easter

2010-04-02T05:06:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone enjoys their Easter...our kids are pretty excited for the easter bunny to leaves his eggs around here....Ethan was so excited that he actually wanted to see him when we were at the mall. We had a great week visiting with Grandpa Niski as Ethan calls him (short for Kotelniski, clearly a mouthful for a three year old). Hopefully we'll get to go down to Virginia to see him again soon!

18 month photos

2010-03-21T03:48:00.000-07:00

Karington isn't quite 18 months yet but I took her down to visit Helene yesterday who took some adorable pics of her. Here are just a few because I am just doing a quick post since I should be getting ready for church!

It's been a busy week that ended last night with Karen and I watching "New Moon" and teaching her how to make hair bows. I also started a new tutu for Karington after seeing some cute inspiration at Keah's baby shower. How I love all things girlie!! Phil is on vacation for the next two weeks and I could not be more excited!!
Enjoy your Sunday.

Mommy makeover

2010-03-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like you need a mommy makeover? Or even a wife makeover for those who don't have kiddos yet. I am not talking personal or anything like that, I am totally talking about outside appearance. I was thinking about before I said "yes" and got married and before I saw the two lines on my first pregnancy test. You know when you had a part-time job and that money got to totally be spent on getting your hair done, MAC make-up, and oodles of clothes for any and every occasion. When I think of some of my old clothing, hair, makeup styles I cringe. There are some pics I would scan and post so you could all have a good laugh BUT most include my bestest and she may divorce me as best friend having them on the internet! Our clothing choices have definately changed! Anyway, I guess I just miss having cute clothes to wear when I am not going anywhere. I am sure this is something a lot of mommies feel. sigh....I will stop my rant...I just feel that I need a mommy make-over...blonde hair again, tanned, and good makeup. Not to mention a great pair of non preggo jeans!!
Other than that, we are all doing pretty well here. It's been a bit of a tough week with Phil's
work and such but the kids are both great and I'm feeling pretty good. I am excited to be having another girl and the great name debate has started. Hopefully by the time she's born we'll have at lesat narrowed it down! Last night Ethan got to hang out with his cousins and watch a movie...he had a blast and slept really well after an evening of funness and too many Hershey's kisses! Karington got to have some daddy time which she loves. I also had a fun Scentsy/Girl's night on friday. It was great to get out and spend some time with the ladies...I also got to witness some awesome eyebrow waxing talent from Jessica! Tonight is Mr Cooper's 1st birthday party, and we're all looking forward to that. That year definately flew bye and I am excited to see this little heavyweight chow down on his cake!! Sorry for the absence of pics on this post...I have really been slacking on taking pictures...probably because I still haven't gotten Karington's birthday pictures developed and just think of the expense of the huge amount of pics that need to be printed! BUT I need to get on that and take some more pictures.
Enjoy this sunny Monday!!
1

It's a.....

2010-03-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

Girl!!!!

What have we been up to??

2010-03-05T03:05:00.001-08:00

I feel like I haven't really posted in ages. We've been keeping busy. Phil was away last week and boy was I happy to pick him up at the airport Wednesday night. Ethan had been whining for his Daddy pretty much the whole time....and where him and Karington were still not feeling 100%, it definately wasn't a fun time and made me appreciate Daddy all the more! So now we have to wait to hear what is going on with Phil and the military. He has a few options so fingers crossed he gets his top ones! Phil and I registered Ethan for soccer this summer. It's difficult for us to get out during the day with babysitting so we wanted to get Ethan into some activities. He's going to be playing micro and I am so excited to see him running around the field buring energy! He's an active growing little boy and want to keep him busy. In the last six months he's grown four inches and therefore grown out of all of his 3T clothes and is now in age 4 and 5. Karington has sprouted up too and is definately keeping me busy. She's trouble alright! On Wednesday I had my 20 week screening ultrasound. It went well and apparently I ultrasound well. The tech was able to get everything she needed and I could actually tell what was what on the screen. My due date is remaining the same and all is well. I also had my first appointment with my OB yesterday (due to my shortened cervix). He is confident that I will go at least close to term but just have to be careful (no lifting and such). We're excited here too because my Dad is going to come visit on the 28th from Virginia. My dad hasn't seen the kids since Christmas 2008 so he will definately be shocked in the difference in the kids. Ethan wasn't talking all that much then and Karington was only 2 months old! He'll be here for the week and leave Good Friday.

Hope you all have a Happy Friday!!

So funny!

2010-03-02T05:19:00.001-08:00

My friend had this video on her blog and I felt bad for all of the husbands of us Twilight crazed fans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVy8Dr_SxWg

poor sickies

2010-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

This has been quite the week...Ethan woke up Tuesday morning feeling awful. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday he pretty much didn't move off of the couch. He had a high temperature (40C) that nothing would bring down. Thursday morning I called Phil at work and he came home and took Ethan to the doctor and later to the emergency. Ethan hadn't eatten or drank anything for two days. Everything he did take in the poor little guy would throw up. Karington hasn't been feeling the greatest either and both kids kept myself and Phil up for three nights...yikes. I was not feeling great Friday due to my severe lack of sleep. So needless to say it's been quite the sweatpants week. Ethan has watched more movies and cartoons the past few days than I care to admit, but he just couldn't move and do anything else. Yesterday he was still feeling pretty rotten but we were able to go out and run some errands together as a family. Friday night I was so thankful to be able to go out to see "Valentine's Day" with some of the girls. I thought it was great, and loved the cast. It was really interesting to see how they were all connected. Taylor Swift's character cracked me up, I sure hope I wasn't quite like that in high school! After the movie we went to the Moustache for a late night snack and chat. It was hilarious and we were quite proud at the fact that we stayed out until 1am!! Thankfully my sweet husband let me sleep in Saturday morning and surprised me with sausage and egg McMuffins for breakfast. This morning we drove Phillip to the airport as he's heading to Trenton, Ontario for some military testing. He'll be gone all week :( I've been excited for him but dreading it at the same time. I am so happy Ethan is at least starting to feel better, but now Karington is quite sick and I don't feel too hot either. So today we are staying home and keeping our germs to ourselves!!

The kids colouring before the colds hit...

Ethan's new magentic body that he loves...there are different sections...the top one is the heart and all of the veins and arteries, there is one of muscles, and another of organs, etc.

Two cute sick kiddos snuggling on the couch

we know miss k isn't feeling great when she'll fall asleep on the couch

Ethan turned out blurry but this is him and all of the stuffed animals watching a movie on his bed. He did end up falling asleep amongst all of the animals. Poor guy! Although it wasn't the best week I was thankful that I was able to spend some time snuggling my kids, and was so thankful that Phil was able to give Ethan a blessing. Our friend Brandon came on over to help Phil with the blessing and it was such a comfort. I was also grateful for Phil to not mind being stuck at home alone with the sick kids so that I could spend some much needed time with the girls!! I hope that everyone avoids this virus and that they enjoy the upcoming week!

In honor of Valentine's Day...

2010-02-15T04:56:00.000-08:00

A picture of my three loves...
The kids aren't looking at the camera, but still here they are all together (Ethan still in his pj's) hanging out. I love these three!! We had a simple Valentine's Day together as a family...the kids got some candy and a colouring books as a treat. We ordered pizza for dinner. I got to watch "Time Travellers Wife" with Phillip. It was nice...simple, but that's us. Yesterday we went to church....Ethan was SOOOO excited to go to Sunbeams...so I was happy. Then we came home...here is the big romantic part...we watched the Daytona 500....I know it doesn't sound very romantic but it was perfect for us!! It was a LOOOOOONNNNNGGGG race due to track issues but it was fun.
In case anyone out there care this guy won...McMurray...he cried and his wife gave him a big hug...very cute :)

Not much else is going on with us...I am getting larger...and am rather uncomfortable. I have been referred to a specialist to monitor the pregnancy...good thing this is the last baby. Seems like it's going to be hard enough to go full-term as it is. Phil and I have been trying to think of names...of course when we think of boy names Phil goes to the racing websites...The F1 racing names are the funniest because they are all foreign names and Phil picks out the most ridiculous ones that we would obviously NEVER use...like Mikka, Alonso, or even Kazuki. Then we laugh...we may never get a name. I should be having my ultrasound soon....of course I can never tell what the baby is...Phil really wants to find out but I don't want to pay to find out again. I still think it's a boy but keep dreaming that it's a girl so who knows. I think we have a 50/50 chance either way :)

we're still here...

2010-02-07T13:18:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to blog for about a week but hadn't uploaded any pictures lately..apparently that exerts too much energy for me to get on top of it! Finally today I did. Anyway, we haven't been up to anything overly exciting, just hanging out at home. Last Saturday, Phil and I took the kids to the Discovery Centre downtown. I'm not sure if I have ever been there before, or if I had it hadn't been since Elementary school. I forgot my camera in the car though so no pictures. It was really fun though and we spent two hours there exploring and trying everything out. Ethan and Karington both really enjoyed themselves, as did we!! Ethan has been really enjoying his new Usborne books that I had got him. He loves his First Encyclopedia of the Human Body and frequently tells me about how our sense of smell and sight work. I love that he's so interested in it. I've been trying to spend more time doing educational things with him and he's really enjoying finding new things out. Karington is absolutely full of energy and keeps me on my toes. She's got quite the personality and has developed a new smile...

I call it her cheese grin...what a girl!

Ethan and I made cookies the other week...he loved helpping pour the ingredients in the mixer and waited very patiently for the finished product...

then sister came to see what was going on...

K really enjoyed her cookie...

Ethan decided after his cookies that he needed to get a workout...silly boy

He thinks it's hilarious to climb in K's exersaucer and jump! Heck it keeps him happy and occupied.

The weather has been cold cold cold here, BUT at least it has thankfully been sunny...so sunny that I cracked out the kids sunglasses for when we're in the car...

Phil was on vacation last week so it was nice to have him home (and help out!). He goes back to work tomorrow though so we'll be getting back to our regular routine. I have been exhausted lately and the poor kids need to pry me out of bed in the morning. I should really just get up when Phil gets up for work and get ready. I am now just over 16 weeks pregnant and go back to see my doctor on Tuesday and then we'll see if he's going to refer me right to the OB now so we can keep a closer eye on how things are going. I am definately feeling a lot better though! I just feel that I am constantly eating so that I feel okay. Oh well!! So that's all that's going on with us...hopefully everyone enjoys the upcoming week!!

p.s. cloth diapering is going well still...happy I've stuck with it this long!! Still use regular at night though...mainly because I am lazy..

This is what happens...

2010-01-24T03:57:00.000-08:00

when you give your baby some chocolate...

....seemingly innocent junior mint type candies (just a few) made this mess

Auntie Karen was over and was amazed at the site...good thing I had taken Karington's white shirt of beforehand.

see...she's normally clean

Ethan asked me to get the camera the other day to take a picture...

he likes me to document when he's being a nice, sweet older brother...

he was quite vigerous in saying 'cheese'

it's quite hard to get both of them looking and smiling....now karington closed her eyes.
These two crack me up and I just love them so much!! They can be little rascals and Ethan has been trying my patience (or lack thereof) like crazy lately, but then he does sweet things like this and makes smile. I'm looking forward to see what kind of personality #3 will have. Ethan is shy around strangers but is full of energy and is so sweet. Karington is much more outgoing and friendly with anyone, and has attitude like a teenage girl. Aslong as we don't have a boy with a teenage girl attitude then I'll be happy :)

some words...

2010-01-21T10:57:00.000-08:00

Just a little update....we are now on day #2 of Karington in cloth diapers...last night I put her in a regular diaper because she is teething and miserable and I really was tired and being lazy. They're a bit bulkier than disposables (Phil calls her sumo bum) but the ones I have are super cute. I got 10 on ebay for a smoking deal and am really happy with them. That was another reason for the disposable at night...where I don't have a tonne I figured that would save me one.

Ethan is doing really well with his speech...he has an appointment tomorrow...he's talking a lot and his vocabulary never ceases to amaze me. What an improvement!! Guess he just took his time. He had a playdate with Jace yesterday and had a fun time getting to run around with another boy. Poor guy only gets to play with girls day to day. Karington is cutting four teeth so as you can imagine she has been in quite the mood. She threw up last night and then continued to stay up for the entire night. Ethan has a cold and was having a hard time breathing and also stayed up most of the night. Phil is going away with the reserves this weekend so I will be flying solo with the kiddies. Ethan is going to daycare on Saturday (to try and get used to being away from me sometimes!) so I will have a bit of a break. I am going to go over to my friend's house that I used to work with to look at some Usbourne books. She's a dealer (of the books :)) and I got some for the kids for Christmas and they love them.

My attempt to be better at cooking meals has been going well...we have a pork shoulder in the slow cooker today with a really yummy smelling rub on it. I felt like I was on "BBQ Pitmasters" rubbing that stuff all over the pork! I head to the doctor's on Tuesday for my next prenatal, so we'll be able to find out how things are looking 'down there' and see where they'll go from there. I have already put on 12lbs and definately notice it! I always pack on the weight at the beginning of my pregnancy despite being ill, I eat like it's going out of style!! Settles my stomach. I am a happy girl right now with cadbury mini eggs out all over the place.

I am totally slacking with picture taking since Christmas...better get on that!!

New Things...

2010-01-12T10:22:00.000-08:00

For 2010 I am trying some new things....for one (and Phil is grateful for this) I am getting better at meal planning and preparing. It's not that I can't cook, I just hate doing it. BUT now that my nausea is starting to ease up I've been trying harder. Thanks to this book...

and her website I've been enjoying some tasty, EASY recipes.

I am also trying out these on Miss K...

Cloth diapers....I bought one last night because I was excited to try it out and today I got it prewashed and ready to go. I ordered some others online and excited to get them.

In other news....Phil and I are really enjoying his new shift at Jazz...he works M-F and is home by 4pm. He only gets a regular weekend now but it definately is nice to have him home at a regular time (I can actually get dinner ready in peace...well sort of!) and the kids get to see their Daddy everyday, not every four days. I had my first prenatal appointment...I've gained about 10lbs...ooops...of course I do every pregnancy in the first trimester. I figure at least I'm consistant. The doctor is keeping an eye on things though...my cervix is short (it should be really long now) so I am at a higher risk for second trimester miscarriage. I got back in a couple weeks to see if it's lengthened at all. It could be because it's my third pregnancy, which would mean that baby would pretty much fall out after my first contraction (where it's already shortened). So I am daily praying that this baby can stay inside full-term. Funny how even though I didn't want three kids, now that I am pregnant, I want this baby!!

Anyway, the kids are both doing great. Ethan's speech is improving tonnes and he constantly tells me funny tales....like about what he dreamt about. Karington is babbling away and is sort of starting to talk! She is also slowly getting a bit more hair...I am thinking that she'll end up with curls...that seems to be the trend with super bald babies! She loves to brush that fuzz that she does have though and make herself pretty.

well that's that and I best post some pics!

karington got some colour tabs for the bath...they like them...I don't like having to clean blue,red and yellow off of the bath. But they're fun....for the kids

On New Year's day we went for a walk...it was freezing and I am very pale...translusant almost

Karington likes to pull her brother over for hugs...

waffling on...

2010-01-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

2010 has come...I am excited...I am not normally super excited for a new year...maybe cause it happens every year...but this one I am...first off I love a good even year...my kids are all born in even years (I am including baby 3 here). How I love my even numbers...a little strange perhaps but heck that's me. New Year's Eve was fun with K and B coming over to celebrate with our sparkling raspberry drink. Tres posh. I find it funny that all Mormons seem to get wine glasses as a wedding gift...but that's off on a tangent. P and B played video games...K and I disected the family tree of "Days of Our Lives" from the past 10 years...then we moved on to "Coronation Street"...it's like we know these people..we're just that cool. Then we watched the countdowns...and made fun of people...well the boys did...Karen and I were just quite concerned with Rihanna's pants. New Year's Day we went to the beach for a walk...well we walked down to the beach and then walked back...it was cold...and WINDY. Then out for dinner with the fam. Fun times and good eats. I've been eating a lot lately...I've gained a lot too...sigh...I normally do gain a lot in the first trimester...2-3 pounds does not happen for me. I feel so rotten that I eat constantly so as to not feel so sick. It helps...and I gain weight. I have my first perinatal appointment Tuesday evening..I'm actually excited! I have come to terms with having three kids...(see it's an uneven number but am not willing to even it to four). It was definately a surprise...I mean I took science, I know how things work...just sometimes things are still not 100%!! But I strongly believe that if it happens it's meant to be!! Plus there will only be a couple of weeks that I have three kids three and under, then Ethan turns four and it won't sound so crazy. I am waffling on...I am watching AFV...LOVE IT. I have watched it for probably the full 20 years it's been on...because I am that old and just love funny videos like that. It's relaxing. So ya, that's what's up with us...Ethan started Sunbeams today...wowza where did the time go...he was great for the first hour and forty minutes then he lost it. BUT at least he looked cute with his little I am a child of God crown. Him and Miss H were the only Sunbeams there (well there's only three normally) and boy are they one cute Prince and Princess. That's that! enjoy your weeks folks, hope they are fun and productive!!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T14:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2009 was a fun time in the Nelson household. Phil luckily had managed to pick up another shift so he was able to have Christmas off...and he got to leave work early a few hours Christmas Eve. So we unexpectedly were able to head over to the Stake Center to watch the pageant. Well Ethan and Phil did...I stayed inside in the warm with Karington. We then headed over to the in-laws to play with the cousins and eat yummy treats (I took full advantage this year of pigging out and using my pregnancy excuse). This was the first Christmas that Ethan was SUPER excited and really understood about Santa. He was so happy to see all the presents under the tree and him and Karington got right at it with their presents. Karington did well and only needed a little help from Daddy. Phil and I were talking Christmas night and we were in agreement that this was our best Christmas yet!! I hope that everyone enjoyed their Christmasses!!

Santa came!!!!! Our tree is so small and low down that we couldn't actually get presents under the tree so they just expanded outwards...it looks like there's more than there was!

The kids got to open a present Christmas Eve...conveniently Christmas jammies!! Ethan sure is excited!!

opening a joint present from Santa...I think Karington was mid sneeze here!

Look at Ethan's face in the picture! He was so excited to get a Dinosaur Encyclopedia

Ethan and his new best friend Woody, in his new army tent....loves it!

Karington opening up here stocking stuffers..this is Nicky the Pepper from Veggie Tales.

having a snack and checking out brother's toys

getting a good family shot doesn't tend to happen...maybe if my boys would smile!!
Well the kids got lots of fun new things and the tree has been taken down for another year ( I don't think it's too early since it was up mid November, plus the tree sort of fell apart thanks to my curious kitties and Ethan falling into it a few times). Hard to believe that after all the anticipation Christmas is all over!!

coming july 23rd, 2010....

2009-12-15T14:44:00.000-08:00

ooops....there goes my two kids plan.....

Pictures are worth a thousand words...

2009-11-28T14:52:00.000-08:00

What have we been up to...

we decorated the Christmas tree...

Daddy went to Arizona for a week and brought Ethan back a Cabellas hat...Karington likes it too

The kids have had colds so we've had some comfy days....

but the kids still managed to make a mess...

The kids started wearing their Christmas outfits to church...(karington had a mouthful here)

K sure loves her big bro...he's pretty fond of her too!!

And last night I got a night out with my best friend...we went out to eat, check out the shops and got to see "New Moon" finally!!! This guy made it very easy to watch...I am aware of his extremely young age...but really this is what I was liking...

somebody call the vet cause these puppies are sick!! haha karen that's for you!!

Giveaway

2009-11-23T09:25:00.000-08:00

I've posted below also but wanted to post about this giveawy that my friend over at Visible Voice is hosting...

http://www.visiblevoice.ca/2009/11/sweet-jane-giveaway.html
Keep on reading!

behind...

2009-11-21T18:48:00.000-08:00

I am again behind on blogging...Phil was away for a week in Arizona so I didn't have much of a break for blogging. Once the kids were in bed I'd lay on the couch a go into a tv coma. Also we haven't really been up to that much. I have been extremely negligent in the picture department so I appologize for that!! Both kids have colds but nothing serious (thankfully and fingers crossed it stays that way!). Last weekend the Christmas spirit overtook me and I got out the Christmas tree...I wasn't going to decorate (other than the lights) BUT a day after the tree got put up I couldn't resist. I am not sure if this was wise...Karington really enjoys undecorating the tree, and the cats of course have had hours of fun around that. I am waiting for the thing to get knocked down!! BUT I don't really care because I just love having tree lights on in the evening!! Ethan loves it too and is sooo excited for Christmas. I've been trying to have him understand the true meaning of Christmas. Of course, being three and being a kid in general, when I ask him about Christmas his thoughts immediately go to Santa and presents, but he will also talk about baby Jesus. It's a start anyway!! We had Jace and Kaydence come to play last week which was a lot of fun. Ethan and Jace apparently have aspirations in joining the WWF. The two of them were being superheros and wrestling. Melese and I were waiting for big injuries and tears but they didn't happen. Those boys both got minor scrapes and knocks but were having too much fun to care!! Definately real boy play!! Today I took Ethan to see "Planet 51"

It was a fun time with my little man! He absolutely loved it and wanted to see it again as soon as it ended. I thought it was pretty cute too, but I have to say that I did doze off during part of it but that was because I have been super tired lately. As soon as the lights go out I have a hard time staying away!! I recommend the movie though!!

I also just wanted to let all you Scentsy fans out there know about the Scent of the Month and Taste of Scentsy clubs that I have started. Check out my Scentsy blog on my sidebar for more information. email or message me with any questions or to sign up. Definately some savings if you sign up!!

Apron Giveaway

2009-11-12T06:58:00.000-08:00

My friend Tami is doing an apron giveaway on her blog...super cute and homemade!! Great addition to any kitchen. Check it out and maybe you'll be lucky (however I hope I'm the lucky one!!) http://suissescenarios.blogspot.com/2009/11/giveaway.html

family pictures

2009-11-09T04:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my sweet talented friend Helene took some family pictures for us. We went across to the park and rangled up the kids and got some pictures. She has a great style and took so great candid pictures. She sent some of them to me last night so I thought I'd share. Thanks Helene! I think Taylor had fun playing on the playground too!

Not much else is going on with the Nelsons...Karington has got another ear infection...we were going to go down to Arizona this coming weekend with Phil (he's climbing some mountain with his friend Mat and Mat's brother, Mike) but since her medication just ends on Thursday I didn't want to risk so much flying in such a short period of time. I am super bummed about it but I didn't want to risk her rupturing her ear drum and generally being miserable and crying the whole flight! So me and the kids are going to stay here...poor Phil was looking forward to us coming but I figure at least he can still go. Didn't want to make him stay too since he's off work and had it planned for awhile. I can be nice sometimes for brief periods of time...this is one of those times. On a happier note we are in the Christmas spirit...we're watching the Veggie Tales christmas movie right now (love Veggie Tales!) and have been listening to Christmas music. We haven't decorated mainly because I have to haul out the Christmas decorations and quite frankly the tree doesn't stand a chance staying up that long with two cats and four kids running around. I may also try to get a real tree this year because our apartment doesn't have any rules against it (not that I know of anyway!). I had my first Scentsy party with friend Julia...who took a basket of scents to work. It was a success and I think she'll enjoy her hostess rewards. So that's that with us. Hope everyone is staying warm and getting excited for Christmas!!!

Random act of kindness and the holiday that shall not be named...

2009-11-01T03:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning Phil had to work so I packed the kids up to go out to Pete's Fruitique...my favourite grocery experience to get my produce. Love it, and I love going out there early on a Saturday when normal people who don't have kids are still sleeping. On my way out there I decided to go through the Starbucks drivethrough for a caramel apple cider (oh so yummy). There was one man in front of me and when I got up to the window the girl said that he had paid for my drink. My immediate thought (and I am ashamed of this) was "that's creepy" since I didn't know him and I hadn't let him go before me or anything like that. BUT then I thought well he only would have seen me in my early saturday just showered look with my kids in the back seat in his rearview mirrow. I was not the kind of girl you'd want to try and impress and really he would have barely seen my face. He was a middle aged guy too, so not likely. Then I thought he was totally doing this random act of kindness. How nice of this man! Maybe he saw my kids and thought "she's going to need this today!". It totally made my morning and saved me a few dollars! We had a good time out at Pete's and then headed to drop off my truck at Phil's work to get our new tires on. Nice new huge tires that cost a small fortune but were needed. Our rear one actually failed inspection so now we have new tires and an approved car!

Now comes the holiday that occured last night that shall not be named.....Mr Ethan was sooo excited about his costume before yesterday...he was practicing saying trick or treat, etc. Then I said, "LETS GET ON YOUR COSTUME".......that was the end of it...total meltdown...I was tempted to sell my kid it was that bad. This happened last year too....for those of you who witnessed it at the Petersen's last year, it was worse this year. I think poor Ethan gets so excited and then when it comes to the crunch he gets nervous and shy about actually going trick or treating. Karington loved her costume but got upset that Ethan was so sad. I don't have any pictures of Ethan in his....Josh B did take one of Phil trying to force Ethan into the costume...this may lead to a call from social services. It was bad. We gave up. I took Karington to one house....she was a fairy...

The wind did catch her wings though...Karington almost did fly...

We went over to my in-laws house after that disaster of the one house and she let Ethan go up to her door and trick-or-treat....she have him handfuls of candy. We did try to even let him go up without wearing his costume but he didn't want to do that. I felt awful...I was mad and disappointed that he wrecked Karington's Halloween (not that she cares) but felt awful that he was so upset about the whole thing. He may need therapy he was that upset. Next year I feel I may boycott...just go to the church thing and be done with it.

On a happier note, on Friday I only had the three kids so we packed in the car and went down to Point Pleasant Park earlier in the morning. Ethan and Hayley had a blast running aroun, karington too...she gets out of her stroller now...she wants to walk everywhere.

Tomorrow Visible Voice is going to be doing a Scentsy giveaway so stay-tuned...Scentsy also released some exciting news about there Canadian shipping policies starting this month, as in it will be cheaper on parties over $200 (so easy to do). Made my day!!!

Scentsy Party...and pics

2009-10-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know (in case I didn't email or facebook you) that I am having a Scentsy party at my house on Tuesday, October 27th between 7-9pm! So come have fun with the girls with Scentsy and treats, bring a friend too if you want!!

And I think I owe you fellow bloggers some pictures of my sick but still cute kids...Karington has an ear infection and kept me and Phil up ALL night...I got a grand total of 45 minutes sleep...good thing I'm so overtired that I'm hyper...I'm waiting for a crash!!

SCENTSY

2009-10-15T09:33:00.001-07:00

The beginning of the month I signed up to be a Scentsy consultant. I am super excited about it and LOVE LOVE LOVE the product...way better than the jar candles I always used to have going and stronger than oil or wallflowers. Scentsy Warmers use a low-watt bulb to melt specially formulated wax slowly, maximizing the fragrance time of the Scentsy Bar or Scentsy Brick. With no flame, soot, smoke or lead to worry about, the Scentsy system is a safe way to enjoy more than 80 delightful Scentsy fragrances. Phil had a tendency to forget to blow out candles so I was happy to find a flameless alternative. The scents are divine too, so yummy! So check out my site and the Fall/Winter catalogue...these are great ideas for Christmas presents for people. There also aren't any phthalates in the wax bars just fragrence oils. Check out my site to look at the catalog. There are also great hostess benefits for hosting a Scentsy party! Scentsy is brand new to Canada and has enourmous success in the United States. I'm excited to be a part of it here! www.scentsy.ca/sonjanelson

My weekend away...

2009-10-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was in Kingston, Ontario for my sister Kate's wedding! It was absolutely lovely and they had beautiful weather. It was chilly alright but sunny and great for pictures. Their photographers was spectacular and they even had a little slide going of some of the pictures they had already taken. They were a husband and wife team and they even gave me tips while I was watching the girls get their hair done. All in all a great weekend but I sure did miss Phil (who had to work Sunday) and the kiddies. My uncle and grandfather didn't even recognize me it had been so long, so it was nice to see everyone.

the cute little church they got married in..it was right ontop of a little hill too...very pituresque

one of the bridesmaid's hair...I LOVED this and totally wish that had been the style when I got married!

my other sister (and maid of honour) Erin and I taking self-portraits...her dress was a gorgeous chocolate brown and had a baby blue ribbon around her ribcage (it was empire waiste) The other bridesmaids just had brown so the blue set her out as the moh

first dance...kind of blurry

I don't have any pics of the whole wedding party cause they went off and I was trying to take care of the grandparents. Can't wait to see all the professional ones. Kate's dress was simple but gorgeous and the guys where in top hats and tails. They got some cute pics with the girls all wearing the guys' top hats.

Lasst week baby K also had her one year check-up...she's just under 19lbs (no forward facing carseat quite yet) and is just under the 25th percentile. She is 72cm (I think) and at the 50th percentile. Her head is also 50th percentile which surprised me since Ethan is always at the 75th~!

Guess whose 1!!!

2009-10-07T02:40:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Sweet Baby Karington!!! We love you so much and are sooo happy to have you in our family. Hope you have a very happy first birthday!

At 12:37am on October 7th 2008, Karington Hannah Nelson was born! She wanted to come and was in a rush to get here...after ONE push the nurse delivered her cause she was not going to wait for the doctor! She weighed in at 7lbs 2 ounces and was 20.5 inches long

Mummy was VERY excited to have a little girl now too!!

Then....

and now....

We LOVE you!!!

Karington's First Birthday Party!!

2009-10-03T04:33:00.000-07:00

Last night we celebrated Karington's birthday with some family and friends and lots of cupcakes. It was a fun night and Karington got lots of cute gifts. She's such a sweet little girl and I was so excited for her to be the centre of attention and have a night just for her. She LOVED it!!

decorations for the party

karington's cupcake tower...she had her own little cake for herself too

there she is sitting pretty in her new princess chair

K and Daddy

K and Mummy

Ethan helpped Karington with her cake and get messier

Her actual birthday is this wednesday...can't believe she'll be one!!!

dithering

2009-09-28T05:01:00.001-07:00

I just heard some sad news that made me so thankful that Phil and I were sealed in the Temple here. I took a lot of flack for it since none of my family are members and could attend but it was definately worth it. I am so thankful that my husband and kids are sealed to me and couldn't imagine it any other way. We thought of having a civil wedding first and then getting sealed a year later but decided against it. you never know how much time you're going to have. ANYWAY on other news, Ethan has had a nasty cold and fever but is in better spirits today. He's still warm but is a bit more active today. Karington is CRANKY though and I think may be coming down with it OR could just be teething. Phil is on day four today so I am looking forward to having him home with us for the next four days. Here are some pictures...

yummy red velvet cupcakes from "Martha Stewart Cupcakes", by far my fav rv recipe
my stylin baby girl

These three make my heart melt
This is what happens when the kids help me fold the laundry...undie heads! Good thing it's clean laundry!!

1 Year Photos

2009-09-21T17:04:00.001-07:00

There are so many to choose from that I love but here are a few of Karington's 1 Year photos. I can hardly believe her first birthday is just around the corner. Karington is such a character and keeps us laughing. I didn't get a print of the one of her dancing next to the number 1 but since I have the disc I think I may have to because that totally sums up Karington. She is a ball of energy! She has a fabulous giggle and loves to keep up with her big brother. She walking all over the place and knows when she's getting into trouble. She'll stand there and laugh when we tell her 'no'. I dread to think what her teen years will bring if she's already testing us!! She knows she has the whole family wrapped round her little tiny finger. Even her big brother will do anything for her and makes sure nobody takes her toys. Just wait until she's 16 and starts dating. Luckily we still have 15 years before we have to worry about that!!

What we've been up to...

2009-09-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

Fall is here and with the beginning of September meant that Phillip was finished with his Basic Training. I drove my mum to the airport (she was jetsetting off to England for a couple of weeks to visit the fam) and when I cam home Phil was there. It's great to have him home and my stud was awarded "Top Candidate". He normally doesn't get super excited about stuff but he was pretty excited about that, and I was super proud!! Ethan has been doing super well with his potty training and is having very few accidents (knock on wood). Karington is walking up a storm and chattering away lots. I can hardly believe that she will be one in a couple of weeks. It's gone bye far too quickly!! I've been keeping busy babysitting and chasing after the kiddies. I had to quit my job at BlueCross which I was quite excited about. I liked the job but am happy to stay at home with the littleuns. I was nervous about telling my boss though but they all expected it at work so it wasn't a big shock or anything. Phil had to head into the endodontist yesterday to get a rootcannal. The boy has never had a cavity...I tell ya, I guess he figured go big or go home. I got an early Christmas present today...it was on sale at Sears and there were only two there...since I've been wanting one for at least 5 years now Phil decided to get it for me Isn't she a beaut?! I am ubber excited about this investement and it will really come in handy for making cupcakes for karington's birthday! Yes I am aware that it is nowhere near Christmas but since it was on sale Phil figured he'd better get it. It's the 90th anniversary addition in candy apple red. It's a bit hard to hide in our apartment so I got it now! Merry Christmas to me!!

Our laptop crashed a couple weeks ago and had to get a new hard drive (praise be it was still under warranty!!). SOOOO I've lost a lot of pictures that needed to be burnt (that will teach me to put off burning them) but I either still had them on my camera or already had copies printed. Talk about a pain in the butt. BUT I'm going to admit that I did like having a break from blogging. I know that's terrible to admit on my blog, but alas it's true. I'm now uploading my pictures (407 of them) so that I actually have some pictures of the darlings to put up.

On to Ethan's speech...well he's doing really well. He has however started to call me Sonja....then he'd switch between mummy and sonja, and now he's combined the two...my new name....wait for it....Mumya. Phil thinks this is hilarious. I think we'll see how he likes it when Ethan called him Phil all the time. Both kids are growing like weeds. Karington is still a lightweight but is getting longer. I just love those two so much!! It's been great having Phil back from Basic and the kids have loved getting to play with Daddy all the time and not just on weekends. k so onto the pictures...

I must have been a really good girl....flowers (for no reason) last week and my early xmas present today. Good thing we got a military bonus otherwise my present wouldn't have been quite so large!! Well I need to save Ethan from watching "In the Night Garden"....that show is super weird. He got a lot of fun books from England to read so off we go. Hope everyone is doing well and I am excited to be able to read everyone's posts again. Sorry I haven't been able to comment!!

The computer saga...

2009-09-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

okay so after my blogging hiatus I am back...was it on purpose now...was it my dumb computer's fault...absolutely. Anyway the dang thing crashed...had to get a new hard drive...so I lost everything...luckily I had most things backed up or at least (photos) printed off or still on the camera. Have said thing back...getting passwords etc for norton and my wireless router (well still working on that one). Okay so I will post soon...need to download pics AGAIN. Hope all is well...and sorry for the lack of commentos on my behalf...I love to comment and have missed all your blogs. sigh

Seriously, how cute are they?

2009-08-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

what a cute couple...

playing in the fort we built

we had a very messy lunch so these two needed a tub...they had such fun together in the tub and kept giggling and jabbering on together

i swear ethan does normally wear clothes...

Not much to say but I had to give a shout out to BABY K who decided that she was ready to walk...that's right, she's been taking about four steps in a row now and is just so impressed with herself. Lyla thinks it's pretty funny too and starts encouraging Karington. Those gals are such good buds. They love to feed eachother and share toys and get into trouble.

Ethan is doing quite well with potty training and I am so proud of him. It's taking time but is thankfully happening. Both kids haven't been sleeping great. Poor Ethan is really missing Phil but thankfully he'll be home on Monday or Tuesday. YAY!!! Anyway folks just wanted to post a couple pictures. Make sure you comment folks I love to hear from you!!!

smoking hot...

2009-08-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

summer has finally arrived in Nova Scotia...am I complaining....ABSOLUTELY NOT!! am I sweating to death...a little bit. it has been just wonderful here this past weekend and with phil being home we were able to enjoy some of the weather. Friday night Phil came home and I surprised him with a COLDSTONE cake for his birthday. I think it was more for me, but Phil did enjoy it. I forgot to take a picture...but you can imagine the icecream yumminess of a strawberry dream cake. Saturday afternoon we headed to Rainbow Haven along with the rest of the HRM, but it was gorgeous out and Ethan LOVED playing in the sand. I tend to think along the lines of having astroturf or at least grass at beaches...my poor kids had sand in strange places by the end of the afternoon and Karington had eatten her fair share but I think they enjoyed themselves. Having your parents rub sand off of you is part of childhood memories and Ethan is now exfoliated. Sunday after church we went to Peggy's Cove to enjoy the sun and the ten degree cooler weather. The water was totally calm which is not normal for out there. Ethan loved hiking around the rocks looking for 'dinosaur bones' with Phil and his Nanny, while Karington and I chilled out on a big rock.

i look a foot taller than phil here...i'm really not....this picture below cracks me up...my mum and I went for a walk at Point Pleasant Park with the kids...I had K in the backpack and the poor thing could barely see out and Ethan did not want his pic taken...

Update on the potty training...after my rant last Sunday Ethan decided he was in fact ready to potty train as of Monday morning...Ethan chilling in big boy undies now and is doing really well. I need to make sure I put him on the potty, he won't tell me he has to go...but so far so good. Hope you all are enjoying the weather!

Sunday night ramblings of joy and despair...

2009-08-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

First JOY and (despair too)....baby K turned 10 months old on Friday. Here is what miss Karington is up to......

*crawling up a storm...like speed crawling...I need to jog to keep up with her

* walking with her little walker and around the furniture

*she finally got into a size 2 shoe...way to grow!

*she's teething....which equals grumpy K and grumpy mummy

*she's Ethan's shadow...he's into dinos and roars like them...she does it too...it's hilarious.

DESPAIR.....E and K have decided sleep is overrated....Ethan will eventually fall asleep at like 10:30pm and Karington is right around there too and then is up in the middle of the night aswell. They are both up early most days. I AM EXHAUSTED. I need a make-up artist....I have huge bags under my eyes and am pale as can be...I could probably be an extra in the next Twilight movie...hmmmm....not a bad idea. I NEED HELP!!! Any ideas...I have tried to let K cry...and Ethan can just get out of bed so it doesn't matter if I put him to bed or not. Phil is away all during the week for basic training so I know that the kids are having a difficult time with that...especially Ethan...he takes it out on me. What to do!! Any ideas would be appreciated especially if they work!!

DESPAIR #2....POTTY TRAINING...as in it's not happening...I don't know what to do with Ethan. I know that when he's ready he'll do it but I can't see that EVER happening. I am beside myself. He screams at the mention on the potty and I can see him needing psyciatric help in the future from me making him sit on the potty for half an hour. HE turned 3 on Thursday...my doctor said the average age is between 2 1/2 and 4....this does not help me. karington may end up potty trained before Ethan at the rate we're going. Ideas again PLEASE I'M DESPERATE!!!

Ethan has been difficult in his new age of 3...he called me a poo-poo head the other day...I know it's funny. I tried very hard NOT to laugh...then he said he only loved daddy...that definately prevented the laughing...I cried. I know he's little and he doesn't mean it (I hope!) but it still hurt. Now I am used to it. He's naughty....after a talk in church today I felt AWFUL about my parenting. She mentioned how our voices should be lowered in our homes and we shouldn't be hollering at our children. Ooops...good thing he's so dang cute. He also keeps blaiming everything on the babies (when lyla is over)or a dinosaur...I say "who messed up your room?" Ethan says" the babies did it" (both babies are sleeping...hmmm) or the "dinosaur did it". It's funny though.

I also find it funny that my two biggest joys are the ones that bring me depair at times.

JOY....COLDSTONE IS HERE!!!! Enough said...lots and lots of joy...almost enough to cancel out potty training and lack of sleep. It definately helps!!

JOY...GIRLS NIGHT last night...it was fun and I got time off from the kids...good thing Phil was home for the weekend. It was great to hang out with the ladies and eat yummy food and catch up. Need to do it again soon

JOY....only 3 more weeks until Phil is done basic training and will be back to fixing planes...hope he remembers how :)

a HUGE joy....(keep in mind this isn't right this second but it was at the SAME time the other day)

And another big joy was the sunny sunny weather this weekend...it was so nice and warm and we got to do this...

Enjoy the week and please let me know any ideas you might have for getting my baby to sleep better (and toddler) and for potty training!

Ethan Turns 3!!

2009-08-04T03:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we celebrated Ethan's 3rd birthday....he doesn't turn 3 until Thursday but since Phil was going to be home for the long weekend we decided to do it then. Ethan was super excited about his party and had a great time. He got lots of great gifts and had a great time playing with his cousins and friends!!

The next day after church we went outside and Ethan was able to check out his new glove and ball from his Grandpa and Nanna K and since it was so hot I let the kiddies relax in the little pool.

So that was our weekend, it was a fun time hanging out with family and friends and getting to spend some time with Phil while he was home. He went back yesterday to start his second course. I hope everyone has a great week and let me know if you read this! I'm starting to think I am writing this purely for myself, which is fine too, but people never seem to comment anymore! Just wanted to give a little post for my sweet little guy who I can hardly believe is 3 years old...it seems like yesterday that I first held him in my arms. He's full of life and is such a joy to me and I am so happy to have him part of my family! He definately is keeping me on my toes lately but when I get my hugs and kisses it's definately worth it! Love you little man and Happy Birthday!!

One Month Down...

2009-08-01T02:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Phil graduated from his first course at Aldershot in his basic military training. So we headed on up in the afternoon for the ceremony...the had a march and the band played (who are really good, the kids loved them!). Phil is home for the weekend and heads back up Monday to complete the second course. Today is Ethan's 3rd birthday party so I will post about that tonight or tomorrow. I just wanted to do a post about Phil because he's done super well during this course and we are so proud of everything he does for our little family! Well done babe!! One down one to go!!

First though here's a picture of Ethan yesterday morning...this is where I found him when I got up

it was hard at first to even know which guy was phil...he's the 3rd one in to the left

Ethan and his Grampy and down below Karington and her Nanny

ne and phil....phil looks so serious in this pic and I look like a ghost but alas I thought I should post one of us!

the kids were climbing all over phil once we got home...karington was so excited that she even walked across the living room with her little ride on toy!! Good job K!!! It was a fun day and we enjoyed the 30plus degree c weather we had despite the high humidity...I even got a wee bit of colour! Well I have the apartment decorated for when Ethan wakes up...so let the birthday celebrations begin!! Since Phil is away on E's actual birthday (6th) we're partying it up with him today...Daddy is taking him swimming I think and cake and icecream tonight! enjoy the long weekend!

While Phil's Away...

2009-07-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

I will indulge in a yummy chocolate tarte from Pete's Fruitique my comfort food!

This past week has flown bye...we were able to see Phil on the weekend and also visit Phil's good friend Dwayne and his family while we were in Kentville. Dwayne is in the army and was able to come back for a visit on leave. The kids and I sure were excited to see Phil! Karington got worn out from all her excitement...

We've been enjoying the weather and I've been taking the kids over to the playground a lot...Ethan loves it!

but you'd never guess by the look on his face...lately he's not into picture taking...can you tell?

karington still likes it though...

I had the day off babysitting yesterday because Ethan had his speech therapy appointment. It went pretty well but they always get me stressed out. I know they are concerned and don't want kids to fall through the cracks but seriously I think Ethan is fine....yesterday he told me all about dinasaur bones and how he has bones too. He also said triceratops...not bad...I don't even know if I spelt it right! Tonight I will be relaxing and watching SYTYCD...I will also be watching "Toddlers and Tiaras"...that show makes me look like parent of the year!! I don't mind pagents but those are CRAZY...small ones aren't so bad, those are pretty bad! Anyway I am being crawled on my Karington, three are asleep and K is going wild. Typical! OH and HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY to Lyla...I made her some cupcakes to take home with her...
Martha's looked better in the Cupcake Book but not too bad for my first try with that tip...and I used a different icing...bit too soft. Oh well!! Enjoy the week folks!

Past Week...

2009-07-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

This past week was spent.....

Walking in the Public Gardens with the kiddos and my Mum....enjoying the sunny evening, icecream and watching Ethan run around...(I didn't bring my camera though..oops!)

Realizing how much Phil does do around here...even if it's just helpping with the kids...it's still help and after a busy day of babysitting it would be nice to have a shower in peace!

I've prayed daily for more patience with my kids...mainly Ethan...I forsee 3 being trying...BUT he's cute and loveable so what can I do

Ethan got a hair cut....

.............what a stud! Don't think we have to worry about Karington needing a hair cut anytime soon...

Giving lots of cuddles to my two sweet kids...

I finally got pictures developed...three months $100 worth of pictures...ouch

Karington learned how to say Da-Da....when I ask her to say mama she sticks her tongue out at me

This little lady also turned 9 months old

Having great chats with Phil on on the phone...it's different when we don't see eachother everyday

Had a visit from bestest friend Karen on Friday...enjoyed the park...the sun was out for once, nice to have best friend chats...I also have to mention on a sidenote that it was partly due to this FRIEND that I made the most influential decission of my life SEVEN years ago and was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints....I can hardly believe it was that long ago. Karen introduced me to the church and was a WONDERFUL example to me and has stood by me and helpped me during my tough times. The gospel brought us closer together and has helpped me grow into the person I am now (it also gives me so MUCH to aspire to!)

7 years WOW!!!!

Phil was able to come home this weekend! So on Saturday we took Ethan to see this..

It was pretty good...who knew a baby mastadon could be so dang cute!

Ethan also peed in the potty a few time...so I got him a toy dinosaur...he wont go pee in it now...the potty training saga continues....I pray daily for a potty miracle too

On Sunday we went to church then I had to drive Phil back to Aldershot :(

Survived my first week without Phil...at least we have some weekends!

This evening we went to the in-laws for a visit...Karington got to do some hanging with Mr.Cooper
Onto another week flying solo......one bonus though is that I can watch all the silly shows I want..like the "Texas Cheer Moms" marathon that's on right now :)

....oh and check out these cupcakes....how cute are these?!

they are from the website on my sidebar...

enjoy the week!

facebook

2009-07-06T16:51:00.000-07:00

So I heard something a little concerning tonight...I was talking with Phil (who is doing well at basic training) and he told be about his section leader. This guy has done like 8 tours in different areas and deals in some crazy stuff. He did not have anything good to say about facebook...in fact he was able to show Phil some unbelieveable stuff that he can find out about people because of it. He can set up bank accounts in peoples names and tonnes of other things just by seeing what other people have about you etc. I know there are privacy settings etc but they don't stop people who know what they are doing. My dad has been saying this for awhile (he deals in communications etc in the military) but this really reaffirmed it. SO Phil felt we should delete facebook....so I got rid of my account tonight. In case anyone is looking to tell me something, email me or call (so old fashioned right!). Phil asked about blogs...they aren't as bad as the accounts don't have as much information. I was happy about that!

Crazy week...

2009-07-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

This past week has been absolutely insane for us in the Nelson household. Last week I took the kids to the Natural History Museum and Ethan loved it!! He is totally into "Night at the Museum" at the moment so I decided we'd head down there. Obviously ours isn't quite as spectacular as the one in the movie but Ethan was still pretty excited and had a great time. I got the kids a little blow up pool last week and we headed over to my in-laws so the kids could play. Ethan LOVED it and even Karington enjoyed it. I hadn't brought her bathing suit cause I wasn't sure if she'd want to go in, so she's in the pool sporting her diaper. I also took Karington for her 9 month check up (a week and a bit early) for her weigh and measure...now I have no idea how I ended up with such a small baby but she is only in the 25th percentile for her weight and height!! So petite!!

Ethan was kind of warey about the dinasours....I think he thought the exhibits may come to life like in the movie!

Ethan checking out the mastadons at the museum

Fun in the pool...

My dainty little lady

I started babysitting a sweet little girl whose just a few months younger than Ethan. That has actually made my life a little bit easier because she gives Ethan company and they play quite well together. She did give Ethan a big kiss yesterday though so I had best watch those two!! On Monday night Phil had to go down to the armory for some last minute details about his training...this was after he had worked until 7pm at Air Canada...he found out that he was going to have to leave Wednesday (today) instead of Thursday. I was so bummed because Phil was working all day Tuesday and I was looking forward to spending Canada Day as a family. Phil got his papers signed Tuesday (thanks to work giving him a couple hours off) and then spent a great deal of the night after work getting all of his kit organized. It was hectic, no peaceful evening in!! I couldn't believe the amount of gear they gave him. My kitched was full of stuff!! Karington also decided that sleep was overrated and did not want to go to sleep. I think her stomach was bothering her a bit because she had been spitting up a lot yesterday. I know how awful acid reflux can be so I am sure she wasn't a happy camper. Today we drive Phil to camp. It's crazy because it is Camp Aldershot that he's at which is only in Kentville (just over an hour away). He's so close but not here!! I was very proud of myself though and held back the tear when we said bye...(I had cried already a few times that morning and I think poor Phil would have found it harder if I did there in the parking lot). The kids and I drove home and had a junk food dinner (who says mothers can't be the fun parent sometimes!) and relaxed. Now I just need to get through the next 30 days!! I am thankful to be babysitting though because that will keep me busy during the day.

Sadened...

2009-06-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

Okay so I am admitting here that I am a BIG fan of "Jon and Kate plus 8" and had to talk about last night's show. I figured that the BIG D was in the future for them but it made me so sad. I really thought, when I started watching the show, that they would last. Phil and I have had many 'discussions' about who is worse between J and K. Now I think that K is controlling and slightly crazy but I have to wonder how J didn't figure this out before they were married. I think J is a bit of a tool and should realize that 32 is a little old to be starting to rebel. Okay that is all I will say about it because I know people are sick of hearing about it. Moving on...Karington is pushing 9 months old and I really cannot believe that she is getting so big. She has really packed on the weight in the last few weeks and is chubbing out. Of course her cousin Cooper could still take her in the weight department but she is doing well!! K is crawling all over the place and walking along the furniture. She loves the remotes to the tv and to slam the computer keys. Her and Ethan crack me up how they get eachother laughing in the back seat of the car. I love how well they play together (most of the time!)

Ethan had a sleepover with his Nanny Nelson on the weekend and got to have a fun time playing with his cousins...him and Georgia had a collision....

It's hard to see in the picture but he got quite the impressive black eye...now of course it's worse...nice and yellow and purple. Ethan is very proud of it and likes to show everyone his eye....he generally points to the wrong one though so it can't be hurting him at all!! Ethan is in love with "Night and the Museum" right now and we are watching it frequently (right now actually). He likes to pull on peoples' noses like the Dexter the monkey does....he got Auntie Karen during opening prayer at church on Sunday.

Phil has been busy with work at Air Canada Jazz...and he has joined the Army Reserves...he was sworn in last Thursday and me and the kids went down to watch. We went for a walk in the Commons first and Ethan loved watching the fountain...of course when I got the camer out it was really small but it does have some pretty good shows...

Here's our family in front of the colours...Karington was obviously quite intrigued with Ethan here

this was right after Phil was sworn in
What have I been up to? Not much...I start babysitting a little girl next week who is Ethan's age. She is the daughter of my old manager from Laura Secord. She's a really sweetheart and I am looking forward to Ethan having a buddy everyday. I have starting doing some of the P90X videos and I am getting my butt kicked!! I haven't worked out since I was first pregnant with Ethan so I am suffering a bit at the moment. I am not doing the actual program just trying to do one of the videos each day. Hopefully I can tone up a bit and lose the last couple of pregnancy pounds that seem to be sticking around. Drives me crazy cause I lost it no problem with Ethan but this time it has taken WAY longer...I did gain 8 more pounds with Karington (and she was a pound less than Ethan...oops!). So hopefully I can muster up the will power to do these videos and not be so lazy!! Fingers crossed that we get some nice weather again soon too so we can go to the park and burn off some energy!

Fun at Point Pleasant Park

2009-06-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been rather miserable here with all of the rain and I've had a nasty case of the flu, however when the weather was wonderful we took full advantage and spent as much time outdoors as possible. On Monday evening we headed down to Point Pleasant Park so Ethan could stretch his legs and run around. We went to a one of the forts and Phil and Ethan played a little soccer. Got some cute pictures of Mister Ethan too...

Ethan and Daddy in front of the fortEthan and MummyThis is what Karington did....I watched Lyla for a couple of days too...Karington and her have a great time playing

This is what we find when Ethan is quietly playing....

...when we walked into his room he was so excited and wanted us to put Karington in amongst the stuffed animals. The big orange thing is a winter crazy carpet type thing that he managed to get out of his closet.

Poor Miss K is teething like crazy so EVERYTHING gets put right in her mouth...I am constantly cleaning toys!

Phil had the past week off due to his rotation and some shift changes so we enjoyed having him home with us. We've been swimming a fair amount and trying to keep Ethan entertained. Phil is back to work today though so we're taking it easy and having a nice relaxing day!