More home news.........

While I was doing the dishes (for one of the last times, as we are getting a dishwasher next week!! Hurray! more on that later) tonight I realized that this is probably the last day we have internet access at home, so I best update while I can! No pictures this time as I don't have time and last month we went over the limit for downloading and it cost a pretty penny!! Opps!!
Life continues to keep moving. Ellia is now 3 months old, she trys hard to lift her head up to sit up and she is enjoying the exersaucer for limited amounts of time. The bumbo is handy too, but again only for limited time! I am enjoying my babes more now then before, her smiles and coos and almost belly laughs makes me forget all the difficulties! Her hair still has some orange in it and her eyes still have not decided on a color! She reminds me most of Alicia now as she has the long face and petite features. Nursing is going well, I let her cry a few times last night as she sometimes gets up more the once a night and I am tired of that. She doesn't seem to even drink that much and then falls back asleep so I am going to try to stick to only once a night. She seems to be very sensitive to loud noises and sudden movements.......are all babies like that? I can't remember! She is drooling lots, more then I remember any of her sisters doing and she chews on her hands with a vengance! Makes me wonder if she is going to get teeth soon! I guess to sum it all up life is getting just a little bit easier as Ellia gets a little bit older!! :-)
We did start school, the girls love to do it! School usually happens at the end of the day just before supper, we just do a little bit of math, writing, and phonics. I am always amazed at what the girls remember and how far ahead they are. I can tell that Victoria's reading has improved and she loves to read all the time! I was talking to a homeschooling mom while we were camping and she mentioned that a speaker at OCHEC talked about how important reading the classics to our children is, how the language from the older books is so much better. I believe the speaker said to read 4 hours a day, but that is way too much for me so we are starting with a chapter here and there! I think the point of 4 hours is that you don't need to do history you just read about it and other subjects as well. I would love to go to OCHEC but every year something comes up!! Maybe next year!! We started Little Women and are really enjoying it! The girls are even acting it out!
We had a wonderful time camping.......okay, maybe I didn't find it so wonderful but the girls did! I love camping but this year I was ready to go home just a few days into it! If Bryan had been there I do think it would have been better! It helped so much to have my mom and sister there as I did no cooking or clean up I was always busy taking care of Ellia! The girls loved biking around as this year they were given the freedom to bike around our 'block' as long as the stayed together! My favorite part was talking to and getting to know some of the other homeschool moms!
We are heading to Port Burwell as a family the end of August for 5 days, I can't say I am overly excited I really don't think camping with a nursing baby is all that great! But this time Bryan will be there so that makes it much better! We woudl really love to sell our trailer, but with all the money we had to put into it, it will be hard to get the money out of it!
I just love our coutry place I love going outside at night to get the clothes of the clothes line or check on the vegetable garden and just enjoy the peace and space! The house is a little small at times but I continue to work at organizing and just getting rid of things to make space! My garden is doing really well thus far............we shall see what it looks like by the end of the summer!! :-) I have a habit of keeping up with the hoeing for the first few weeks and then letting go the rest! We have enjoyed our beautiful flower gardens with fresh flowers in the house for awhile! It is so sad that they don't last longer!
Bryan came home with sand for our huge sandbox today, but will have to go back for more as it is only 1/3 full!! I am hoping that the girls will spend lots of time in there this summer!
And on to the most exciting news................the dishwasher!! Yes, after all my, "oh, I like doing dishes", and "it really doesn't take that long", and " I don't need a dishwasher" I finally broke down a day last week.......it really was a hard day and I was so tired.........and I actually said to Bryan "honey, I think I am ready for dishwasher". I took it all back the next day and told him it really wasn't neccessary, but as always my husband knows me so very well that he went out and bought one telling me that it was all for him. He wants me to spend more time with him and he hates doing dishes! So even though I can justify getting a dishwasher a bunch of different ways and even though I feel guilty to be spending the money on one, I am going to enjoy it and take that little bit of extra time to enjoy not only my husband but my 5 little girlies too!
Well, it is past bed time for my two oldest who are outside helping daddy put wood chips around the trees (it is great to know Ontario Hydro people and get free wood chips) and in the gardens! But tomorrow night will be even later as it is our tradition to watch the fireworks in Blenheim on Canada Day. Maybe I will even remember to dress everyone in red and white tomorrow!!
Oh, and just a little update on my dad! He is set for surgery to remove the lymph nodes around his kydney in September. And at that time the doctor will check his kidney for cancer and decide wether or not it has to be removed too. We were all very hopefull that maybe it was not cancer, but now it looks like it has to be. He is having a bunch of tests done to see if the cancer is anywhere else. He just started a special diet which is mostly fruits and vegetables. We continue to pray that the doctors would have wisdom and that mom and dad would have 'the peace that passes all understanding'. I still feel like this can't be so but I also notice myself perking up and listening whenever I hear anything about cancer. God is good and that is seen even more when we go through the trials that this life brings, what a joy it is to have a God to bring all of our cares to!

pictures

Ellia at 9 weeks old. She is wearing one of my favorite outfits that Cassia received as a baby gift! One nice things about all these girls is that everything gets well used!!
Here is Alicia push Ellia in the baby doll stroller. Ellia is crying here but Alicia managed to get her to sleep by putting her soother in and a blanket around her head to keep the soother in place! She knows just what to do, just like mommy!

After the baptism, all 5 girls again all dressed up!

Even Cassia had rollers in her hair the night before!

How do you get 7 people to look at the camera with a pleasant look on their face?

Life...

Life has been busy, I suppose it will always be like that. I feel like we are really a large family now and it keeps me hopping. It took me a few weeks to finally get some energy and it sure feels better. Ellia is 9 weeks old now and weighs around 11.5 pounds. She is such a cutie with her smiles and cooing. She sleeps well at night going to bed around 8-9pm and is up usually once during the night but sometimes twice. She is pretty fussy during the day but I am learning that when she gets fussy she usually needs to go to bed. I feel like she is on somewhat of a schedule. Her eyes still haven't decided on a color looking blue or brown on different days. Her hair still has a little bit of orange in it which we hope stays but it probably won't.
The other girls are loving their sister and try to help when I let them. Alicia took Ellia for a ride in her baby doll stroller and loves to talk and read to her. They all love to hold her when I let them or lay and talk to her and put the soother back in Ellia's mouth.
We are loving the weather, going outside lots! My dad built a huge swing set for the girls and Bryan built a huge (9 x9 feet) sandbox on Saturday for them. Our drive way is nice and long for biking on and there is always the gardens to dig in and lots of flowers to pick.
I planted the vegetable garden on Saturday, I am trying to be faithful in watering it as we are going camping next week. The garden is huge too! Not sure if I will actually take care of it this year but I have high hopes!!
I am home most days as taking all 5 girls anywhere seems like a big job since Cassia is not as obedient as my other girls and Ellia gets rather fussy. I miss living in town and being able to run out to the stores with out any girls, but I suppose I am also getting use to taking Ellia everywhere. My mom has been having the girls here and there so that gives me a chance to get stuff done. I am also working on teaching the girls to help keep things tidy and do some of the cleaning. My standards are lower then usual but I still like things neat and tidy, and the toilet clean. I still enjoy our home and that it is small so cleaning up is easy. I am always surprised at how well the girls can clean up when there are some incentives involved, like going somewhere or watching a movie. It is nice to see them getting old enough to really help!
We are hoping to do some school this summer since we finished off already in March. I am hoping to do a little this summer so we can take Friday's off during the school year. The girls are excited about starting, so hopefully when we get back from home school camping we will start some school.
The girls and I are so very excited about going camping. It is always such a great time. My sister will be there with her kids and some other families that we are getting to know. Hopefully the weather will be beautiful too! We hope to get out with Bryan for a week sometime this summer too and then I am planning on taking the girls the week all the kids go back to school in September. My favorite camping is off season when the campgrounds are quiet. So we have lots to look forward to this summer.
Life is different here in the country, it use to be that Bryan and I would relax after the girls went to bed and they were always in bed by 8pm. Here the girls don't go to bed until almost 9pm and Bryan is working outside until closer to 10 pm. It is so cute to see all our girls outside raking grass, playing or trying to help. We are enjoying our outside time and I still haven't heard Bryan complain about cutting the grass yet again. He has a routine now for cutting he divides it into two evenings and does it about weekly depending on the rain and how wet things were. It has been so wet here that girls were pretty much swimming in our side yard running and falling and having a blast! Of course with rain comes mud, and extra laundry. I am trying to hang the laundry on the clothes line but sometimes my time is needed else where.
I have been re-reading some books by Teri Maxwell on scheduling and homeschooling and it has inspired me in my house keeping and child rearing. She is more scheduled then I want to be but I am learning some great things from here writing. I get really inspired well reading, but the putting into practise is a little harder! :-)
The girls are waiting on me for a craft they want to do and the baby just woke up from a nap and I haven't even thought of supper yet, so I best get back to life! I am really trying to work on stopping what I am doing and enjoying the girls like talking to Ellia and playing with the older girls. They are all so special and so different and they are growing up so quickly. Bryan and I have noticed lately that things are changing in our home we no longer have all these toddlers or little girls, they are becoming big girls. It so much fun seeing them growing and understanding more and hearing what they have to say. Victoria has some interesting things to say that she hears from her friends! They are so cute!!
I will try to post some pictures soon!

Cassia turns 2..........

Cassia's birthday pictures are at the bottom of the post! I always forget which way they load!

I am not yet use to having 5 daughters! It is a lot of work and I am exahusted! I had a melt down this week I think I cried all morning! I finally broke down on the phone to Bryan and when I got off Moriah asked me why I was whinning and crying like a baby!! :-) My first reaction was to tell her I was NOT whining, but I probably was!! I also told her that mommies tend to cry when they are tired and I was very tired! I don't think the girls knew what to think, but I didn't either, so Bryan came home and my mom came and picked up the girls! I have had a cold for a few weeks now and I don't think that was helping me feel any better! I still don't feel that great but at least a little more rested. I think I will be happier the older Ellia gets! I feel bad saying that. I have read a few blogs of women who have just recently had babies as well and they are all saying how much they love having a new born and how they wish they could have a new born all the time! Not me!! I can't wait for the time to go by and for her to be older! Not that I don't enjoy cuddling with her and all that, it is just so exahausting! I never have been a 'baby' person!

People keep asking me if we are going to have more, the nurses in the hospital, the bank lady, peopel in stores, and I keep thinking to myself as I try to smile sweetly and say "we will seee" that now is really not the time to ask such a question! I just gave birth less then 3 weeks ago and am exahusted trying to take care of all 5! So please don't ask!! Ofcourse I would never say that, I just write it on my blog!! :-)

I know in time things will get better, and really some nice weather would really lift the spirits around here! We would all just love to be outside!! So I am sure that in a couple weeks once spring sets in I will write another post about how fun having 5 little girls is, right now I am too tired!! :-) Not to say we aren't having some fun!

Her are some random pictures for you to enjoy!

As I was getting this post ready I looked over at Alicia and realized that she looked ready for summer so she asked me to take her picture, so here it is! We are all so ready for spring to come and stay!

This hat came from the hospital. I would like to teach the girls to crochet and knit one day and then make hats to donate to the hospital. This one was really cute and I have enjoyed having it!

Ellia's first bath, her sister were much more excited about it then she was! Dare I write that her first bath was exactly 1 week and 1 day after she was born! The more children I have the less I bath them!! :-)

The girls made these for me the day I had Ellia. Mom said it was Victoria's idea to write ways that they could help me on the hands!
They gave them to me when they came to the hospital to see Ellia. We enjoyed showing them off to the nurses, who were all amazed that we have 5 daughters!

Some attempts at getting a picture of all 5 girls! I will try again when they are all in their Sunday best and once this weather gets nicer! I love outdoor pictures!

This one would have worked except you can't see Ellia's face, it looks like she is trying to nurse Cassia's arm!!

Last night Victoria came to our bed and said "mom do you know I haven't had any sleep yet?" It was around 3am. I told her she must have slept a little and to go back to bed, I had just been up with Ellia and was sure she was sleeping when I went back to bed. Just a few min. later Eilla woke up again so I went to nurse her back to sleep and there was Victoria again. So I told her she could go sleep with Daddy while I finished with Ellia. I wondered if she was getting sick as Alicia had thrown up at my mom's just the day before, but I was so tired I just went to sleep. Sure enough not too much longer Victoria threw up in our bed, again I was so tried I just got a towel over it and went back to sleep. I know that sounds awful, but she said it was just water and I was too tired to care or think much about it!

Victoria has only eaten part of an apple and had a little to drink, but she doesn't seem too sick. She actually told me she likes being sick becuase then she doesn't have to do anything! She is hoping to eat supper tonight so that she can have just a little piece of Cassia's birthday cake!

I am hoping no one else gets sick, especially myself and Ellia!

Now on to the birthday girl..............

Here is my new 2 year old! This is the first time we are not having people over or really doing anything for one of the girls birthdays. I did make a cake but that is it! I don't even have a present for her, she doesn't care but her sister feel bad for her and want to make something!

I did take some birthday pictures today and that is one thing I usually forget!

Cassia is definetly the life of our family. She makes us all laugh and keeps us all in line. I am having to dicipline alittle more now as all those cute things she says and does aren't so cute the second time! I do think we all tend to spoil her which makes me wonder how Ellia will turn out!

She is just such a cutie! She kept saying cheese for all the pictures I took. She can count to 10 and knows the alphabet. She has memorized lots and lots of songs, she always surprises me when she starts singing. She loves to keep up with her sisters doing anything and everything they do.

We have so much fun with this little girl and though she is definetly keeping me on my toes these days we wouldn't trade her for anything!

I love that she is our "brown sheep"! With her dark skin and brown hair, she is just missing the brown eyes!

Happy 2nd Birthday Cassia Boo!!

Our 5th Daughter

First family picture with all 7 of us!! The girls came for a visit after church on Sunday. They sure are excited to have another sister and they all love to hold her. As always the previous baby, our Cassia, seems so much bigger now that she is a big sister. Ellia Charity Bryan and I both have come up with different meanings for her name, but since he was gracious enough to let me chose the spelling, I will go with his meaning which I think is, God is Jehovah. I hope that is right I will have to check with him! We discussed this name a lot before she was born, the spelling the meaning if it is truly a boys name or girls name. Despite our differences we now have an Ellia. I like that it is different but not strange!

She is such a precious babe, and just like her sisters. When she was born I right away thought she looked like Moriah. I still think so but she is getting more and more of her own look too. She has blonde hair and is fair like the first three, so Cassia will continue to be our only 'brown sheep'.

Notice the soother in this picture. I am so thankful I brought it with to the hospital as it was my life saver the first night. This girly kept me up all night she would cry off and on every 5 min. The soother really helped so that I didn't have to nurse all the time. The nurses kept asking me if I wanted them to take her and give her some formula but I refused and finally they stopped asking. Finally at 4am she went to sleep and slept for a long time I had to wake her up to nurse. I was afraid she had her days and nights mixed up and was not sure what I was in for the next night. After having only and hour and half of sleep the first night and a little nap in the afternoon I was so thankful that the second night she only woke up twice between 9pm and 7am. The nights have been much better and I feel like I am almost caught up on sleep!

I forgot to turn this picture! But she still looks cute even sideways! She is not a nice easy content baby like I was hoping for. She loves to be held and cries alot when not being held or nursed. She hates diaper changes and getting dressed. I am thankful for my wrap as I can see us getting lots of use out of that in the coming months. We have yet to have a nice content baby who just lays and looks around, I am very anxious for Bryan to buy some batteries for the swing, hopefully she likes that too!

Saturday April 2, 2011 I was induced at 9:30am. The Sunday before, which was my due date I decided I really didn't want to wait longer then neccessary, I wanted this baby out! So on Tuesday we scheduled me in at the hosptial to be induced. This picture was when I was sitting on the ball and it was inbetween contractions. The contractions were not too bad for a long time. I kept hoping that maybe they just wouldn't get too bad this time around. Ofcourse I was very wrong! At 3:30pm the contractions took on a whole new level and they were not pleasent. At around 3:45pm I jokingly said I was ready for the epideral, knowing it was too late! Ellia came into the world at 3:59 pm. The labor was very intense as her shoulders got stuck, I have never screamed before, but I did this time. Bryan got it all on video for me. I know it probably sounds very strange, but I really wanted to see how the baby comes out and it is not something I want to see of another woman, and it was really neat to see. But we will be deleating it not putting it on you tube for the world to see! I tried to watch her come out as they had a mirror there but the pain got too intense, so I was happy to see it later on video. Yes, I cried watching myself give birth! I must say I look much more calm then I feel! :-)

A very proud father with his 5th daughter! He told me he was actually nervous through the whole labor wondering if it was a boy!! He was relieved to have another girl!! :-)

My parents with their 10th grandchild!

Ellia in the same outfit her sister and mother all wore home from the hosptial.

I am enjoying a week with just Ellia and me at home. I did slip out this morning to see my other girls as we miss them so much. I am recovering very well. Depsite her shoulders getting stuck, I had no tearing and feel better then I ever have before. Just a little tired. We do look forward to this weekend when the girls come home and we really get to enjoy all 5 of our girls! It is hard to believe that God has given us 5 precious little girls to teach and love. We are so excited to live our life with these girls growing and learning. And we can't wait for spring to settle in and for us to get outside and enjoy our country house and all that yard work!! :-)

A little of this and that....

I took so pictures off my parents computer so here are some random pictures from January and February. At the hotel in Toronto, Sunday morning all the kids in the their Sunday best. And some flowers from the dinner the night before.

My girls and their Pake

Dress up at Pake and Beppe's, hard to believe we use to dress up in the same clothes.

Noah, Victoria, Hannah

Titus in front of Victoria, Noah, Alicia with Cassia, Moriah, and Hannah

Cassia all excited about the girls present from my parents.

This is the wrong picture, it isn't good of me at all, but I don't feel like changing it. So there is my little belly, it is so much bigger now!!

Watching a movie....

Everyone loves to snuggle with Pake. This is Titus and Moriah.

Beppe is great for snuggling too!






Now another update:

We are counting down the days now, I plan on starting the herbs to induce labor (though they have never worked). The diapers are bought the clothes are out, though they need to be washed. I should probably pack a bag for the hospital and then we wait! Last week I went for an ultrasound as my midwife thought the baby was breech. I feel most of the movement at the top so she figured the baby was breech with the legs sticking straight up, a great position for finding out if this is indeed a boy!! So Bryan came along for this ultrasound in hopes that we would for the first time find out before the baby was born wether it was a girl or boy! And to my amazement the baby was head down! I was thrilled that I no longer had to think about giving birth to a breech baby or having a c-section. I was rather nervous asking if the technician could tell what the baby was, not sure if I really wanted to know! Our little one is keeping it a secret as there was a foot in the way......so it will be a surprise on labor day! I must say that I am rather happy to not know, I love the excitement of everyone guessing! I just have the white and yellow sleepers out and we will pull out the pink stuff or the blue after baby comes.

I just read some blogs of other people who are soon to have a baby and they have meals in the freezer, bags packed, I have not done either of these! I feel rather out of it in getting ready for the baby. It was my mom who reminded me about buying new born diapers! You think I would be better prepared this being my 5th time, but I really think I become more relaxed or forgetful with each one! But I will try to get things better prepared. I will not be putting any meals in the freezer as I really don't feel like it, I am pretty tired and I think my iron is still going up and down. It is enough to get homeschooling done, keep the house clean, and take care of my girls. I am hoping for a burst of energy after the baby is born!

We are so excited for spring to come........it seems like all we talk about! The girls can't wait to play outside without all the winter gear. They want to get the bikes out and have daddy put together their swing set. I hope to find a used trampoline for them and maybe get BRyan to make a big sand box, then we will be all set! Bryan is anxous to be out in the yard and keeps asking me where I want the garden. I dream about fires and roasting marshmellows and barbecuing again! For us spring just can't come fast enough!

Today is Moriah's 4th birthday. Last year on this day we had a picnic lunch, the weather was beautiful! I was really hoping for the same this year! Instead it is raining and yucky here! We are having fun despite the weather we came to my parents for breakfast and my sisters kids and mine have been playing so nicely all morning. My mom and sister are busy at Nicole's house stripping wall paper while I watch the kids and check out some blogs. After lunch we need to go home and make MOriah's smartie cake and have some fun together.

An Update

I guess not having the internet at home really makes a difference in my updating my blog! I really don't feel like taking the time to update when I am at my mom's or at Bryan's work. Today I have the internet at home!! I have spent pretty much all day surfing the internet.........okay wasting time! My mom and dad took Victoria to Toronto and offered their internet service to me for the day! I took them up on it since the house is pretty much clean, Alicia is ahead on her school work, and I felt like taking a day off! I did manage to find an infant car seat on Kijiji for $25 and I got to catch up on the lives of people I don't even know!! :-) It was fun! I need to make supper but I thought I had better take the opportunity to update here.
So what have we been up to lately.........well..........we have been busy! I think everyone says that. Bryan and I both got that bad virus that sticks around for a month and that wiped me out for slightly longer. My iron has been up and down keeping me tired. The baby inside me has grown well and even though I am measuring smaller then with the girls I feel rather large and lots of pressure with this little one moving around inside me. I continue to have a lot of braxton hicks contractions and hope that all of those will pay off when the real labor comes. We still are not set on any baby name! Bryan has a boy name and I have a girls name, Bryan doesn't like my girl name and I can't say I really like his boy name so we continue to talk about it. We aren't stressed or worried about our baby being nameless, we are sure something will come up! Everyone thinks this baby is a boy, but I am not convinced, the heart beat is still in the 140's but I would not be surprised to have another girl! I can honestly say either a boy or girl would be wonderful. Our girls are pretty excited about our new baby and I am sure the excitment will grow when I get the baby stuff out next week. I can't believe it is time to prepare for this new baby to join our family outside my womb. I am rather nervous about caring for this baby as I have been so tired lately I wonder how I will manage. Bryan reassured me that I will manage just like I have in the past. I am so thankful that Victoria and Alicia are almost done school and that spring is coming. I feel like there is so much to do before baby comes so I hope the baby is late, but yet I am getting so uncomfortable that I hope baby comes on time or early! Ofcourse baby will come when it is the right time and there is nothing (as I learn't with Cassia) that I can do!
The girls continue to grow, there is no stopping that! Bryan and I also continue to enjoy them more and more! They are taking on more responsibility and helping more too! The other day Victoria and Alicia wanted to surprise me so they closed the door in the hallway upstairs and cleaned up all the rooms for me. It was cute to find some of the dirty clothes that I had left on the bedroom floor in my drawers again, but it was the thought that counts! It is such an encouragement to see them wanting to help and doing it. I consider it a blessing to have them home with me all day so that we can spend time learning and growing together.
In a few months everyone in our family will have had their birhtday and those have all be exciting. I was very sick on Alicia's birhtday so she went to my parents and celebrated there. I did have a little ice cream in honor of her birhtday and it helped sooth my sore throat! Moriah is very excited about her birhtday which is only a couple weeks away. She keeps talking about what kind of cake she wants and can't decide between and ice cream cake, rainbow cake and smartie cake. She came up with all these options on her own and feels that she can keep changing her mind until it is her birhtday. She has even be thinking about her birhtday meal and wondered if we could have smartie salad for supper! Not sure what that is!! :-) Bryan and I will be celebrating our birthdays in just a few weeks as well. It is funny to think that last year we went away together and it was the first time I left Cassia over night! A lot has changed in a year!
We officially own our country house and are very thankful for that! We have lots to look forward this spring like lots of yard work, paying for a new roof, and figuring out where to put a veggie garden. I also hope to attend a homeschool conference to get next years books but some of this will all depend on our new baby and how content he or she is and how well I am doing! We have lots of dreams for this country house, but I think most of them will have to put on hold as I am pretty sure life will be busy this summer with 5 little ones!

Well, I better get to making that supper! Bryan will be home and supper won't be ready and usually supper is ready and Bryan isn't home! So there is my little update and my apologies to all those I should be e-mailing!! You can always come for a visit!! When the baby comes and if the baby is born in the hospital ( I keep praying that the baby will come so quickly I just stay home) I might be able to let you all know, as the hosptial has internet!! It depends on how long we stay! I can always get Bryan to let you all know when baby comes!! If I have time after supper I might try and upload some pictures! Stay tuned...........