Updates

James: Oh what to say about James! My nearly-three-year-old (turning three next Saturday) is best described as busy, adventurous, talkative, acrobatic, dramatic, brilliant... this list could go on and on. James' has definately settled down since his little sister arrived, and for that I am so thankful. I feel that I have my old James back, with a few new added features. Like, attitude, for example. His very extensive vocabularly and imagination cause for a lot of laughter, but also contributes to his growing sense of self. The other day he was scolded for something, for which his reply was to cross his arms tight across his chest, slump his head down and said, "Mom, I'm fwustwated". Needless to say, this could have been something he got from me - minus the folded arms and growly face. He never really had terrible twos, so it's no surprise that some of those antics are being seen now. However, he remains the comedian of the household, and his constant hilarious comments keep us rolling. Some recent ones:

• I came downstairs to get him for his nap, and before I said anything, James got up stretched out his arms, and did a big fake yawn. Then he said, "I'm tiring out mom. Is it naptime?".

• I lightly swatted James on his bum for playing with a blind that he knew not to touch. His response was, "Thanks mom, that was a nice spank. It wasn't too hard". Uh-huh.

• He dressed up in a blanket and then came to announce, "Look, I'm a fabulous mermaid!".

• I asked James to go tell his daddy that the cell phone was vibrating. James went to the top of the stairs and yelled, "Daddy, your phone is migrating!".

• While outside playing, James saw some numbers (the year 1987) written in the cement behind our house. When he asked who put them there, I told him I didn't know, to which he said, "I know! It's a mystery! We have to solve the mystery!".

He still spends much of his time in front of the TV these days. However, the weather has been so beautiful that anytime Rayya naps in the mornings we try to get outside. James also has many "glasses buddies", and has no issues wearing his glasses all day now. They are super cute on him, and I'm so glad he's happy keeping them on! We are also slowly attempting to potty train. I'm taking an extremely relaxed approach to it, as he doesn't have much interest, and I'm still pretty busy with Rayya. We're picking up a coin-operated M & M machine though, and I plan to reward jobs on the potty with coins to use in the machine. They had one at the optometrist's office, and James did anything they asked if he knew he could get a coin for the machine. We're trying the same thing with a gingerbread house - he can't eat any unless he uses the potty. I think he likes to tell people about it, but has no interest in actually trying to win a treat. I can't get enough of James' beautiful personality, and gentle spirit. He loves to cuddle, hug and kiss, and tell us that we are loved.

Rayya: As James would say, "Oh Rayya, Rayya, Rayya!". She is a very loved little girl, especially by her big brother. Every time he giggles she will light up with a smile. Rayya is wonderful. What can I say?! Besides being a miracle, she has also blessed us with her easy-going demeanor, and decent sleep habits. She has slept several nights "through the night", and on the nights that she wakes up it is generally only once and maybe twice for quick feeds. She sometimes takes some time to fall back to sleep, as she likes her soother a lot but tends to lose it. Usually after a few trips back to her room to get her soother back in, she will eventually spit it out and stay asleep. She is nursing every two-three hours, though usually two hours nearly to the minute. She is now a much happier baby than she was a month ago, and is very happy when she's awake. She'll often greet me in the mornings with a big baby smile, which totally melts my heart. She is happy to tag along outside in her carseat, or go for stroller rides. She's not as big a fan of car rides though. Rayya is working on holding up her head, and trying desperately to "talk". With James coaching her, she will be talking non-stop in no time! Life with a baby is starting to feel a lot more normal. I still think the best advice came from my sister-in-law who told me from 0-3 months to expect no life, no time, no rest, no energy. Then from 3-6 months you can start to expect to get out more, and expect more consistency to life. From 6 months and on life will just continue to get more and more normal. Right now getting out, like to the store and post office, still feels a bit overwhelming. A trip to Winnipeg to shop is definately out of the question if daddy can't come along. But all in all, life at home feels good. I am so much more relaxed with this baby, and I don't have the awful post partum depression! The only reason for my lack of posts is that I'm busy, and if I do get the time to lay down I do it - without allowing myself to feel guilty! I'm hoping that Rayya's baby dedication will be soon. My mom and aunt are throwing a shower for her this Sunday, which should be fun. I also can't wait to shop for some girl stuff for Christmas!

Me: Life for me is going pretty well. I'm so incredibly happy, even in the midst of the days that feel rather chaotic. Inside, I'm always smiling. I do feel like being a mom is exactly what God wanted me to be. Some days I feel like I don't do Him justice for all that He's given me. I keep trying to make Him a part of our daily lives - and yet I fail at this more often than I accomplish it. I am enjoying having a baby so much more than I did with James, and that makes me happy. Now that we've sort of come out of the newborn stage I can say that. Somedays I get irritated when I feel like ALL I've done is make food, nurse a baby, change diapers, kiss a wounded toddler, walk around the house with a crying baby, make more food, nurse some more, put movies on TV, wiped up messes, and in general - looked after everyone's needs but my own. And then I realize that doing these things is EXACTLY what I love doing! I'm so glad I can take care of my three wonderful family members. It bring me so much joy! Yes, a break every now and then would be great - but for now, a candlelit bubble bath every now and then will do the trick. Photo: This is where Rayya hangs out while I make supper!