Two days ago we purposefully spent the day celebrating LIFE.  Noah's life to be exact. It was exactly one year ago we were being tossed around violently by a tornadic life experience. If you followed along with us on that treacherous path that eventually lead to a HUGE miracle, you will recall. Brings back a flood of emotions, right? It's almost as if you have to untangle yourself from the web of uncertainly and pure heartache that we were all experiencing at that time, and force focus -  realizing that it's behind us now. Even today a still moment of recollection has a tendency to send me into mild panic and I scramble wildly to eject myself from that memory. It was one long hard month for Noah. It was an even longer month for Natalie and Giancarlo and ALL Noah's prayer warriors who pleaded each minute for Noah's life. 12 months later we look at Noah and know that his life is a miracle. Simple as that.  God gives 2nd chances. We want this one year anniversary to remind us of the GOOD in life, because there is so much of it.

Today Noah is 100% healthy! He has suffered NO organ damage despite the multiple organ failure - I'd say that alone calls for an Amen!

3 month hiatus from the blogging world. . .and I'm back! I don't believe the blogging world suffered from my absence as there is an abundant amount of company out here in blog space, but I certainly began missing it. A couple of weeks ago I was pondering my return to this little space so I gave it a facelift. It was in need of a change, and a little splash of color. So here we are again.

I suppose a quick review of the last 3.5 months is in order. Declan was born February 27th via emergency c section. Long story there but I have now crossed a c section off the list of things to do in life! And an epidural blood patch - 2 of them. It was a very hard delivery and a very hard recovery. When I was on the operating table I had my doubts that I'd make it through that day but then they sedated me. . . twice. . .and it turns out I did survive :) Declan weighed 6lbs 6oz and was only 19 inches long. I was able to see him for the first two minutes post birth. Those first two minutes - amazing! He was so little and perfect. Jon spent Declan's first hour with him - just the two of them, quietly still in each others presence amidst the hurried activities of surgery around them.

Chloe has adjusted relatively well to being a big sister. We had a couple weeks in the very beginning where we had challenging moments. That was fully expected, as was some regressive behaviour. I'm learning to balance my time between the two of them. Both are in stages where they need a lot of mommy time and reassurance. Melt downs have been limited - and to date can only be counted on one hand. That would be mommy melt downs. If we are talking about the kids then we'd need to count fingers AND toes too. Perhaps fingers and toes of all members of the family in order to get an accurate count. Good times. . .building memories. And reminding myself in those times that two kids is perhaps a perfect number? Until someone suffers amnesia and says another baby sounds jolly fine? Two it is.

Now that the newborn fog has cleared (for the most part), I will need to shake my head of the cobwebs that have formed so I can get myself back up into the blogging saddle again. I enjoy writing. It's a creative outlet for me - my only one now that I have pretty much stopped my professional photography. Perhaps one day I can do BOTH again. . .that day when I learn to juggle being a wife, mommy, full time maid and chef, while also keeping house and working full time. Oh yes - and don't forget the gardner in there...someones gotta keep those pretty daisies blooming!

So, a picture to begin this next round of blogging - Declan when he was only a few days old! Total sweetness. Now those cheeks are round and his eyes are going brown! Yes!



So welcome back. . .thanks for stopping by. Hope to see more of you!

36 weeks saw snow, sleet, freezing rain, flood advisories, and high winds. In fact there was a day this week where we woke up to 44 weather warnings! Good week NOT to have a baby. Weather was pretty bad on Tuesday, but we made it to the Doctor appointment on Wednesday. We took Chloe with us as she has a good understanding that there is a baby in mommy's belly. She was in complete awe over baby Declan's heartbeat! She was also amazed that she got to watch him on the "tv". It was pretty darn cute, and I'm so glad she got to experience the ultrasound with us :)

We were hoping and praying that our little guy was in the head down position, but alas, he is still breech. Initially I was really sad that a c section appears to be in our future, but after a good few hours of thinking about it I realized that it's not about me and my desire to give birth naturally, its about Declan and trusting my Doctor to bring him into this world safely. The scar will simply be a mark of remembrance that there was a little life growing inside of me. I'll look to it with gratitude for modern medicine. Gratitude that we have other options to see Declan catch his birth breath as he enters the world. For as long as I'm on this earth, that scar will simply be my reminder of life. Declan's life - a life that so gracefully happened as our other little babe gave up their spot on earth for him.


As of today we have about 2 weeks until Declan's arrival. My c section is booked, and we spent Friday completing the early hospital registration. It's for real folks! Bags are packed and we are gearing up to meet our boy!