smart Sarah, mushy momma

As Sarah gets smarter each day, it seems I continue on in my mushy-brain mode due to the less sleep than I could make use of. A result of this mushinesss was forgetfullness yesterday. We were invited to my uncle's (Merv) 50th b-day party at his new cabin at Hemlock. I had recieved instuctions via email and printed them and put them on our bulletin board, planning to grab them as we headed out the door. I didn't even read them cause I was trying to save time. I should have tapped them to the door :) I forgot the instructions and we ended up driving around the little cabins near hemlock for 1/2 hr or so. As we decided we weren't finding the place and should head home there was another road we missed earlier and found the place very soon down that road. So thankful that we ended up making it. It was a great time of seeing family. Cute cabin...so cozy. And it came with everything...dishes, dishwasher soap.
Saturday was nice. Went to MCC and got some small wicker baskets. I'm sewing liners for them now. I told Andy that the type of creating I really enjoy now is sewing. I don't really have any desire to do other types of creating. I thought at one point I didn't want to do I hope to get started on a dress soon, but I have to get over the barrier of getting started and thinking that I won't do a very good job. I guess it's a big project to mess up on. But mom's upstairs to help, yah. Also went for a walk with my friend Crystal and her three week old Lucas. Long walk time-wise, short distance, as she's still recovering from her cesarean.
MCC is picking up our big oak desk today. We had bought it from them a couple of years ago and don't have room for it anymore. It's kind of like we rent furniture. It's a solid piece of furniture. A little sad to see it go.
Fri. night Andy and I drove out to Lee Valley Tools and picked up a pole-saw pruner that Andy's bro James went-in together with us to give Dad A. On the way back from that trip we listened to some lovely music - Ladysmith Black Mambazo - on CBC radio's 'World in Performance.' They are a South African accapella group. Sarah was sleeping, so it was like we were at a concert in the car. Nice.
Sat. night was Dad. A's b-day party. We brought Sarah's playpen over for the first time, for her to sleep in.
Can't think of much else right now. To end...a quote I saw on Andie's blog, a Mom who self-describes herself: "Formerly a quick witted, intelligent writer and conversationalist, massive sleep deprivation has rendered me incapable of discussing anything more complex than Davey's sleep schedule and diaper contents." I smiled and laughed and said, 'well-put.'

it seems...

...a lot has been going on lately. I'm excited that today has exactly nothing on scheduled. Two days ago Sarah got a new carseat. She has graduated to the next size. The new seat looks huge in our backseat and butts up against the backs of both our front seats.
Sarah has found her toes. She used to stare at them when I'd change her, expecially if she had socks on. Now she grabs a leg and has even sucked on her foot or big toe.
Early this week we bought a futon through the buckpasser. We'd been looking for something ot add to our living room to increase the comfortable seating options. At first we thought we'd been 'had,' as the mattress didn't seem to fit with the frame. Andy and I sat side-by-side on our couch staring at the thing, trying to figure it out. The mattress is probably a little thick for the frame, but I think it works just fine. If you're not a little bit tall, though, your feet may not touch the floor :).
It has been sunny here for over a week. I told a few people that it feels like the weather is teasing me...saying we should be on vacation, climbing in Squamish or camping...and just two weeks ago I was discussing the possibilities of winter camping with Sarah and looking at infant sleeping bags at Noah's World - kids consignment store, Abbotsford. I am enjoying the sun. Sarah and I are getting good doses of vitamin D. Andy is still bundling up tree branches from the pruning project, which this fine weather agrees with. But, I hardly dare say it, I do look forward to the rain again. I said it. I think it'll be refreshing. So, with the good weather yesterday, I took a bike ride out to MCC's office to pick up a book and borrow some DVDs. It was a glorious ride. I wore a tank top -the weather is that great. And I saw a mountain to the left of Baker that I usually don't see. DVDS I got include: "IRAQ: Imerging Voices", "Walking the Path Jesus Walked" (Christians from Egypt, Palestine and Syria talk about their lives etc.) and "In the Halls of Power: Christian Faith and Public Witness". They have a great library of resources anyone can borrow for free...or by donation. It was funny, at the office the receptionist (who was filling in for the day) didn't know anything about the book and I ran into 3 people there (2 working there) I knew. I helped one lady figure (Angelica) out the photocopier and she could tell me the books were already picked up. Angelica had taught me a course at CBC. Another fellow I ran into there Andy and I had met at a conference MCC put on at Camp Squeah a few years ago. He was riding a scooter and told me, "It's great. It doesn't pollute, it's perfect. I should be on my bike though." I asked him where he lived and he said Glenn Mtn. It'd probably take him 20 min. to get home by scooter...and this guy is probably 60 yrs. old. Cool. It was like I had been plopped into a mini-community of like-minded individuals. These people seemed like my friends (even though we don't eachother all that well) because of common interests and how their Christianity seemd to affect how they live in this world, physically.
Yesterday evening we went to the first meeting of a 5 week study that we are participating in. The group is formed of 4 couples and one single person. We are studying MCC's "Basic Trek: Venture Into a World of Enough?" Andy and I had been praying about thinking about, missing (me), a care group and shortly after that time we got invited to this group. Why I'm excited about the group...it's mixed (married, singles, kid-less couples), with people we don't know too well (I actually had gone to CBC with all but two of them), and we are talking about something Andy and I rarely talk to people about. I mean, someone there said a small goal of theirs was to stop using paper towel this year...and use washable cloths. Someone else expressed concern about the number one killer in Canada (was it?) being heart disease and how many Christians will probably die of that or colon cancer becuase of our diets. The author of the book we're looking at, I just found out, is from Goshen, IN. A lot of the people who contributed to the More With Less Cookbook are from there. I actually met some people from Goshen when I was in California in 1996 or 97 - attending a conference as a member of the World Awareness commitee while attending CBC. Big concentration of Mennonites there, I believe. Anyway, it's just encouraging gathering with people who think a little bit the same as you on certain things.

*ppsst. If you follow the "Mennonites" link above you can view a great 'smoke borscht, not bombs' shirt.

out & about & poop story

Lots went on this weekend. It was a weekend of Andy waking me up to say it was time to go somewhere...and the majority of the times I was just settling into a beautiful deep sleep. oh yes. So, Sat. morning we were off to Cloverdale. Andy to a fly fishing expo and me and Sarah to Langley to see some shops - specifically 10,000 Villages. We also found a great health food store and a crammed-to-the-top Home Hardware. We nursed twice in two different parks. The park in Cloverdale has a great outdoor stage I want to tell my dad and bro about...great venue for summer concerts. I love hearing live music outside! So much room to move around and dance too. Andy found and purchased a fly rod at the show...good deal he got.
Sun. we went to a different church than normal and then drove out to Hicks Lake and walked around the Beaver Pond. On the way to Hicks, we stopped at a fishing shop where AA bought a line and reel to complete his fly fishing set-up. I was so tired; I was curled up in the front seat - my head in between the seats. I really wanted to get out somewhere else though. This is way I forewent my Sun. afternoon nap. It takes quite a while to get to Hicks I thought. We did the little walk and got back to Abby...Sarah crying as we approached the city. Touched down into bed for almost 1/2 hr. and then off to the House of James (my dad's bookstore) annual party, we were invited to. I quit working there last March. I prayed that I'd have enough energy to enjoy the time and I did...thank you Lord.
One interesting (!) think that happened was that Sarah pooped our pants. Yes. I was holding her and heard the first rumbling. She had a disposable diaper on, which I find often leak when poop is involved. So, I positioned her so her bum didn't have any pressure on it, seeking to minimize any leakage which usually occurs out one of the legs. I was holding her backs of her knees as I sat and her head was on my upper legs. Then some more rumbling happened as we listened to someone share a story about working at the store. Then the story was over so I start moving Sarah to pick her up and put a new diaper on and I feel and see green liquid on my hand and my jeans. Then, I feel more moistness under my legs and look and see a mug-sized puddle of excrement on the chair. I've just run my leg through it. I whisper and motion to Andy, who is sitting in front of me, to come here. He passes me rags and cleans the chair and as I go to clean Sarah. Wow. I thought I should really have a simple change of clothes, for myself, in this diaper bag as well. This reminds me of other poop adventures. I hope I haven't told these stories before. If so, enjoy the new wordings. :)
Early on, I was really zealous to keep Sarah's diaper clean. I read that poopy diapers should be changed immediately to minimize the chance of diaper rash. So, when I would here Sarah poop I would transport her to the diaper table immediately. I soon learned that a bowel movement comes out in a few 'splurches'. We used to have our diaper changing set-up on a desk, so I would kneel to change Sarah. One time I was changing her, when mid-change she fires out this stream of feces that lands on my chest. Andy was home and I yelled and told him to come. It was actually quite handy it landed on me (and none of it on the floor) because I really do not like scrubbing carpet. A week earlier this had happened but I was standing and it got my housecoat and the floor. I didn't think it could happen twice. Now, we wait a full 5 min. from the first rumbling to ensure there will be no surprises.

v day and low diapers

Another sunny day - yesterday and today.
Yesterday: Andy brought me some buds on sticks and put them in a vase for me. I'm not sure what kind they are. I loved that. Later I found out he did want to by me flowers but one of the reasons he didn't was when he got to the store there was a huge line up. No problem...I was thrilled with the buds. When Andy came home from work he started pruning the tree out front. He put on his harness and got his ropes rigged up and took the bow saw up into the tree and began the quest. He recieved a pruning lesson from his dad on Sunday. This venture of pruning will help him get a fly rod!
Special dinner...homemade pizza - one of our favs and easy too. Olives, artichokes, mushrooms, green pepper, red onion, mozza for AA and crumbled tofu for me. Then we went and dropped Sarah off at Mom A's and drove to this park and I jumped out of the car, went the the trunk and served up fudge brownies (from the Moosewood cookbook) with So Good ice cream with vanilla beans in it. Yum. Couldn't stay there for long since it was a very cold evening. Then we warmed up with tea at City Blends in Clearbrook. Very nice time.

Today: Every time its sunny I think I really should put the diapers on the line to dry them, so today we did. A little adventure we had. Got out there and the railing is all dirty so the diapers swing past it and get soiled. So, I sacrificed two diapers to cover the railing. Then, just as I was 'wheeling' the line out so the cloth was in the sun the line collapes. I haven't checked the other end yet, but I think it broke...So now the diapers are hanging about two feet of the grass. I hope the squirrels don't go and play with them. All this time Sarah is in a sling around me...very patient. Then as we are backing inside - we went through mom's house this time - and I step on a pizza box. I have also soiled my wool socks, as I took off my slippers cause the back porch is all grimmy. Oh, yes, to help the environment does require sacrifice :)

Sarah and I went for a morning walk today and did a little photo shoot at the park. I think I got one shot with some ducks wandering behind her as she lay on the ground :) Have to wait 1/2 a month or so to see the shots yet as we don't have a digital cam.

fakie

Went to a MOMS (Mentoring of Mothers Society) conference at a local church today. Last year they had 35 women in attendance and this year they had over 200. It was cool, but I wish I'd had more energy to enjoy it. Sarah was up last night 3 times as oppossed to her usual one. Highlights of the conference were a workshop on building character into your kids and a session on home organization (good stuff...now just to put it into practice...one step at a time)...and a visit from Sarah to nurse at lunch time. Sarah's visit was the highlight - imagine that :) Andy brought me lunch too, since everyone else was having lasagna. He did a bang-up job taking care of Sarah and she took a bottle no prob. (thank you Lord). She saved most of her poopy diapers till I got home though :)

It was interesting...all those moms. I thought, here we all are, looking our best and most of us don't have our kids here. What we are doing today and how we look (probably?) is not how we spend the majority of our time. There were doorprizes given out for people that met specific crieteria (most kids in least years etc.) so one could kind of get to know the people around them. I tried to imagine the moms 'in action' with, for example, their 4 kids under 4 years. I bet that mom really enjoyed her day off.

They had spa sessions we could take advantage of and I got my second pick of 'make-up tips' (first choice was a massage) which was basically a mary-kay 'makeover.' Now, everytime I come to one of these opportunities I 'go in' optimistic. I think, now maybe I'll finally learn the bit of information I need to feel confident for those two times a year I actually where makeup. I'm curious what colors would 'do me good' and how to put on eyeshadow, for example. But, I came away with the same feeling I always do, 'I don't really like makeup' and 'those colors were a little weird.' I had to select a grouping of colors myself (I thought the 'professionals' did that for me - I was with a girl who just started MK in Sept:)' and although I liked the overall outcome of my makeup for about two mintues, after that I just felt like a fakie. I think it's the foundation that does it...I feel like I had a mask on...even though its that nice 'light' stuff and *at first* it doesn't feel like you have anything on. I met someone I knew in highschool, from church, and I felt very conscious of my face and was almost thinking I should tell her, 'I don't usually look like this.' I'm sure she didn't notice - it was very slight makeup. And I come home and when I snuggle with Sarah I felt bad cause I was probably getting the 'goop' on her...and I can't rub my eyes when I'm tired and well, you have more to be self-conscious about than if you have brocolli in your teeth (did the mascara move etc.) Ah, did I (and do I still) feel better once I washed my face with our new ginseng soap. Yeah for real live skin with uneven tones!

Later this evening I bopped out to the House of James for a short time as there were four young ladies performing tonight - no guys on the 'lineup' at all....I had to go support :)

Prayer request: For a single mom friend of mine who had a casearan 6 days ago...She's back in the hospital as her incision opened. Her name is Crystal.

my bed

Sarah's bed is the hub for so many wonderful times. When I was first learning her cues I'd put her in bed and then wait up to see if she really was going to fall asleep or if she needed something else. I love when I put her down and as I'm tucking the blankets under her back, she turns her head to the side and yawns. I say, "Yes!" under my breath or inside my head, as this means I was right in reading her...she really was tired.

More happy bed memories include when I greet her in the morning and she smiles up at me. Even just my silent presence at her bedside generates a smile. When she was discovering her voice a while back it was fun to hear her 'talk' to the bears hanging on the mobile or wake up and be babbling....ahh...uh...ahh.. About those bears...they detach from the mobile so sometimes I'd spin the mobile (no motor on this one) for a while and sneakily detatch a bear and when she was focusing on that bear bring him down to her face...special visit from Mr. Bear, oh yes. Now when the bear comes she can grab him.

Sometimes I put Sarah down and it's not the right thing and she lets me know. She looks up at me, furrows her brow, starts breathing quicker, kicks her legs, cries...all to say,"Mom, you got it wrong. I'm really not ready to be here yet." And sometimes she just needs to calm down emotionally and I'll sing and rub her belly. I usually turn the light off on a smiling Sarah. It's neat that one can actually calm another person down by smiling and singing.

When Sarah wakes up she kicks her legs - in unison - up to the ceiling. The blanket is still on so she makes a little hill. If the blanket hasn't been tucked in well enough she can uncover herself.
I tuck her in as follows: Place Sarah in the bed...put the blankets (2 flannel recieving blankets) over her...roll her to one side and tuck blankets under her back and bum (leaving arms free) and do the same on the other side. Then tuck blankets under her bum and legs loosely. Place a kiss on her cheek or forehead...smile and say goodnight and turn off the light.

I greet the world with my mouth

This is what Sarah does these days - jutting her chin out, mouth agape, she interacts with the objects around her. Anything her hands get a hold of gets enveloped by those sensory gums and jutting tongue. She seems to really enjoy sucking on fabric. Today we went to the breastfeeding support group at the old court house at Community Services. It's the second Wed. of every month at 1 PM. Bigger group today. It was great and I met another vegan mommy and her 21 month old (also vegan). Got some good information on vitamin D and starting solids from the group. It was just so cool to be with a group of moms who are so pumped on breastfeeding. It was a glorious day and we walked there and back, making an extra loop to go on the boardwalk as we got home. Making rustic roasted vegtables for dinner - potatoes, yams, carrots, garlic and tofu sprinkled with spices and olive oil. Yum.

nicknames

Some of the names I call Sarah, in order of frequency:
Munchie*
Beautiful Sarah
Cutesie*
Sarah Maezer*
Bunchie
Sarah Bara or Sarah Bo Bara

*used by her dad too

to sleep, perchance to wake...

perchance to wake...perchance to wake...perchance to wake...That's what it felt like today. It seemed every time I got to laying down Sarah was ready to get up. Never felt fully refreshed when I woke up...feels like it's been a few days like this. oh yes.

ppppfffttt......is the new sound Sarah has started making by blowing her lips together to vibrate - the kind of pucker a trumpet player has to get going. Do you know what I mean? What do you call this? Anyway its cute and whatever spit is on her mouth ends up on her lips and face.
She is drooling lots and loves chewing on things. I brought her to the book shelf today and asked her to pick a book. There are two with handles she could grab. I helped her grab the soft one and she confirmed how much she liked it during our story time by trying to see how much of it she could stuff into her mouth. I thought, boy, you could start doing ads for Grandpa for the baby books at his store.

With Sarah's arms being more coordinated she grabs things better...like me. I'll lay my head on her chest and she'll give me a 'head hug.' So sweet. And sometimes I let her feel my face...exploring and learning. And when I pick her up out of bed her little arms go around my neck...and she likes to grab my hair...yes, I understand why some moms go for short cuts.

Denise and Joshua and I caught the good weather this morning for a walk around the lake and this evening was cool - out for Chinese with Grandpa and Grandma Klassen, Ben and Jacqueline and Travis and Brandee...who are expecting their first child in August! Congrats guys!

beautiful day...

...today. Went for a walk with Mom Abrahams and Sarah. Sunny days make me want to clean house so I shook out the doormats, dusted and swept. I think I missed a few of Sarah's cues today so she was a little whimpery today. Her dad and her hung out this evening while I tried a new program at the gym. This crazy pilates-ish oblique excerise I was supposted to do near the end of my routine didn't really work out cause my arms were shaking.
Groceries today...apples, bananas, soymilk etc. We got low on fresh stuff at month end.
Feeling very thankful today. Most kids living in other parts of the world have lives very different than Sarah's...I mean, she actually has toys.

Fraser Valley Arts and Peace Festival is coming - take note Abbotsford/Langley/Vancouverites:

THEME		What is security?

DATES		February 12 - 19, 2005

LOCATION	Trinity Western University, Langley



KEYNOTE SPEAKER: JIMMY MASSEY with panel discussion

The Tug of War and Security in Iraq

A U.S. Marine reflects on his experience in Iraq

Followed by panel discussion

Saturday, February 12, 7pm, Northwest Auditorium

Free admission  



More events too...including a play...Get all the details here.