The Verdict Is . . .

Teething.

Eli's cold seems to be a bit better. Yesterday he was able to nap and go throughout the day happy for the most part! I was so thankful!

Last night he woke up around midnight very upset. Andy got up with him and let him play for 15 minutes. Andy said Eli had so much energy and was just ready to go by the time he brought him downstairs. Well this morning as I was hanging out with Eli I decided to feel in his mouth just to see if anything new was happening teethwise. Top right side, nope. Bottom right side, nope. Bottom left side, not there either. Top left side . . . what the?? Yup, a tooth. Its just cutting through. So the could can be explained to teething, and his whiney mood can be explained to teething too!! He was miserable last night because he was cutting a tooth. Tooth number 13! I cant believe it! Last January he had 2 little ones on the bottom!

This morning we were off to help my sister and brother in law move. They move out of their condo today, but dont get possesion of their brand new home until Tuesday... so we have house guests! The move went well and quick. My girlfriend offered to watch Eli for a few hours this morning (which was so incredibly helpful!! Thanks Tara!!!) so I was able to drop him off and then go help move for a couple hours. Now we're home and Eli is napping. He was tired when he woke up this morning so it should be interesting to see how long he sleeps. But I was able to get some cleaning done and things together.

Again, really??

Eli is sick yet again. A cold this time around. Maybe its teething, I dont know anymore. He is coughing non stop, and his nose is running like a tap. Its running clear, which I think is a good sign. All the coughing sure makes it hard for a little guy to sleep or nap, and all the coughing also takes alot of energy out of ya!

We went for a walk in the mall and at one point he started coughing and it was so embaressing. He couldnt stop coughing, spit was coming out of his mouth and it got to the point where I had to stop and tell him it would be okay, because he was coughing so much!

So now he's in bed and Im just praying that he'll fall asleep. I dont think its going to happen, but we'll see. Ive given him some cough medicine, the humidifier is on, the mattress is propped up, vicks on his feet and chest, really what else is there to do to help him? Its so frustrating because he just had a cold which led to an ear infection less than a month and a half ago! We'll see what happens, but I really hope I can nurse him back to health without this leading to an ear infection & antibiotics!!

For me

I know its been a few days since Ive written. Im feeling like our life is pretty non exciting right now, and I dont have much to blog about.

Last night I went out for coffee with a few moms from my moms group that Ive started going to. One of the things this group does is a time called Coffee Mug, and 3 or 4 moms are selected to get together during the week. There's a host that decides where to meet, and then you get together. Last night I met 2 other women for coffee without the kids and just got to sit and relax. These women are women that have older children who are in preschool and just start school and I probably wouldn't really have had a chance to connect with them otherwise, but I was so glad that I got to! They were a wealth of information and it was awesome getting to know them! I really enjoyed the time out, just taking a few hours for myself. It was really nice! I need to do that more often, take a few minutes here or there for myself. Even if its just 5 minutes, or if its a couple of hours, I need to do more for myself. Im always worrying about my family and whats going on but I need to think about me once in awhile and treat myself. So if that means taking an art class, or sitting in the hot tub at the swimming pool, or working out, whatever that may be!

One thing I learned lat night is that I need to start thinking about Eli's preschool. There are waiting lists (depending on the preschool) that you need to get on when your kid is first born! But that being said thre are alot preschools that you register a few months before and theres no waiting lists. Id like to talk to a girlfriend who takes her son to a Christian preschool at one of the churches and see what their policy is. Regardless, I should probably start thinking about it!! I wonder if theres anything else I need to know!?

New Kitchen

Andy and I had big plans for Saturday. Lots of work to do around the house and finish of the kitchen. While we sure kept busy it wasnt any of the things we planned on doing!

We went out on a date on Friday night, just dinner and a trip to home depot. Yup thats a date for us! We had hired a babysitter from church and she just came and hung out after Eli was down so we could get out for a few hours. It was really nice.

Saturday morning Eli slept in until 9:15a.m, such a treat. We had a nice breakfast with our real maple syrup from Ontario. Once we were cleaned up from breakfast and I got ready and dressed it was 12:00p.m, and my mom stopped by. I was going to get my hair done and my mom came with me and got her hair done too. Have I mentioned I love my hair dresser?! She is incredible! Incredible talent, great prices, and she's a good friend too!! By the time mom and I were done and home it was 4:00p.m! Andy and I decided that we're going to repaint the kitchen a softer color, something not too bright, and if down the road we sell the place might make it a bit easier to sell instead of the bright green. Andy also informed me that quite a few of the guys that helped him put the cabinets in dont like the green. Huh, ok. Thats fine! ;-)

So once I got home, I ran back out and picked up some paint from home depot as well as a few options for tiles for the backsplash!  So by this afternoon our kitchen has its new color, and we're both happy with it.

Eli has been so much fun these days! He is understanding so much, and we are just enjoying him. He's started to say "yes." and nod at the same time. He says "cheese" although the sss part kind of is slurred, he says "teddy", he says "mommy," "daddy" and the list does on. Tonight while he was in the bath, he hit the button on the plug to drain the water in the bath and did sign language for "all done." We had to laugh, because it couldnt have been more clear that he was done in the bathtub!

Andy is back to work tomorrow, school is done, and his exams are written. Lord willing he passed, and is offically a journeyman plumber! So now that we've finally gotten into a good routine with school and studying he is back to work. Im not complaining, because with the work means regular pay checks, and no more evening studying!

All in all its been a good weekend with some relaxation and some work. Andy and I are both feeling relieved that the cabinets are in and the biggest work is done. Just to finish up a few things, and then paint the basement and get things in order downstairs before Christmas. New couches, and sitting area will be nice down there, we'll finally get to utelize that space!!

Busy & Exhausting

This week has been busy and exhausting! Both Eli and I are trying to catch up on sleep and get back into our routine. So far, we've been doing well at this!

Yesterday morning, we had our bible study and then we headed off to the hospital for Eli's check up on his ears. All I can say is I love the dr we have! We didnt have to wait as long as we did last time, and he spent a good amount of time with us and answered all of my questions. He said he wishes that all of his patients ears look as good as Eli's do. I said, "Really?" He said, "Yes, they look great!!" As for the ear infection Eli had Dr. Eksteen said the tubes did exactly what they were supposed to do, and drops and antibiotics was the correct course to take and there are no conerns now. He sent us off to get a hearing test done and there are no conerns with it either! Praise God! I feel so blessed and so lucky. As we walked through the hospital there were young kids hooked up to monitors and Iv's trailing beside them, I felt so lucky to have a healthy child.

This morning I had my moms groups meet up and it was great! A life coach came in and discussed making time for yourself. I realize that I need to do more for myself. If Im happier my family will be happier as well. I think Im going to take an art class.

Tomorrow evening Andy and I are going out for supper, I cant wait! We have a babysitter coming over so hopefully all goes well... this night is very needed!!

Surprise!!

Where do I start?

We're home! I couldnt be more relieved! We got home after a long 8 hours of travelling early this morning at midnight! Eli didnt get into bed until after 1a.m! That little boy was so tired... actually I should say he is tired. He did really well yet again on the airplane. He slept for about an hour at the end of our waterloo flight into calgary, and slept the whole flight from Calgary to Edmonton. I was so blessed that he slept on my lap and cuddled with me! I dont get that too much so I felt so lucky!

The last few days in waterloo was busy, but good. We went to Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake. It was great! We had a nice time.

I had talked to Andy a few times over the 5 days we were gone, but he seemed very busy . . . and not with studying. I was quite annoyed and finally told him what I thought. I wasnt happy. Well he told me to go online and look at a video he posted. His video showed me his mom and my sisters boyfriend hanging out after supper relaxing, he then proceeded into the kitchen to show me this.

My new kitchen cabinets and counters!! We had decided that we were going to wait until november when he was gone school, but I guess he had other plans!! I love it! We dont have the hardware on yet, but that will come soon. We also have to do the crown moulding on the top and bottom, and the tile backsplash. A bit of work to do but I cant wait!! I love my new kitchen!!

Busy, Busy Trip

We've been so busy! What was I thinking that we were going on holidays! The whole trip is go, go, go... and definitly by our own doing. Eli needs to keep so busy because he gets bored. My aunt and uncle dont drive on the highways anymore, and cant sit in the car for long trips so its basically been mom, Eli and I out and about. Alot of driving. We usually leave between 10-11 a.m and Eli falls asleep so we take that time to get to where we're going, and then on the drive home he usually falls asleep too.

Yesterday, we went to Ellora and St.Jacobs... it is so beautiful here! The houses are amazing, and the leaves are incredible colors! I thought we had colors at home, but here they are amazing!! I love driving down the roads and driving past mennonite buggy's being pulled by horses. Its like something out of a movie! Its so beautiful!

Today we went to Statford and played in the park and fed the birds by the water. The seagulls were so aggresive Eli didnt much like to feed the ducks. As I was feeding the ducks I looked down the walking path and there were some good friends that we visited yesterday! I felt so blessed to visit with them yesterday as they are a bit older, but mom and I didnt get to say a proper goodbye to Horst as he is not well and had to go lay down. As mom and I left yesterday I said I felt very sad because we would probably never see him again, and didnt get a proper goodbye. He gave me an incredible piece of advice yesterday about marriage, one which I will share once Im back and can write a bit more. But I felt so blessed!! So back to the park, there they were walking down the path! We were able to sit and talk a bit more and say a proper goodbye. What a blessing. It makes me feel sad, but happy. I love meetings like that  because if we had stayed 5 minutes longer somewhere else, or they had left a few minutes earlier we would've missed them! It was perfect timing! A God thing I call it!

Eli has also been doing alot better too. Last night he went to bed at 9:00p.m, and woke up at 8:30a.m this morning! I felt so relieved. He has grown up so much over the past week or so. He understands so much, more than I realized! Last night as I was trying to get him to go to sleep, he didnt want anything to do with it. He wasn't crying, but would lay day, and then sit up 2 minutes later. This went on for a good 15 minutes. Each time he sat up I would say firmly "Eli, lay down please." He'd plop himself down and that was that... and then it would happen a few minutes later again! We went over him laying down probably 12 times, and finally I told him that he could play in his crib but I was going upstairs. I got up and walked away and he eventually fell asleep without a peep! This was such a difference than the night before when he screamed himself to sleep.

Tonight was even better! I put him in the crib, he sat up once, I told him to lay down. And then I patted his back for 10 minutes and he was out! Praise God!!

Tomorrow we're off to Niagara on the Lake, and then Monday evening we head home! Im very homesick, and am looking forward to getting back into our routine! We're blessed to be here, but I am looking forward to being at home again!

Eli loves peanut butter! He was eating it by the finger full!!

 Playing in the leaves

 My great aunt and uncle

 Leaves in Stratford

Horst & Anette... our special meeting in the park

Trip Update

I have to be quick. So here is the low down of our trip so far!

Eli did incredible on Wednesday flying. He fell asleep on our second flight as we took off and slept for close to 45 minutes. Between my mom and I we were able to keep him pretty occupied! I was so proud of him, and I can say that God answered my prayers when it comes to my anxiety and flying with Eli. He was such a champ!


The first night we were here, Eli fell asleep great, not one peep out of him but he woke up a few times in the night. Im not used to sleeping right next to him so I didnt sleep well either.

Last night, Eli refused to go to sleep. There is a 2 hour time difference here, but still he refused to go down. We took him for 2 car rides, both of which he fell asleep on but once we got him into the house and in his crib he lost it. Finally at 11p.m I had to put him in his crib to cry himself to sleep. I think he feels very confused as to where we are, who these people are and whats going on. I think he also really misses his daddy. He keeps grabbing a picture off the coffee table which has the 3 of us (me, andy, & eli) in it, and carries it around saying daddy.

Because my aunt and uncle are quite a bit older in their mid 80's they cant do as much... however let me tell you they took us to the market and we walked the whole thing!

Mom and I went and did out own day trip and visited with an elderly couple we know which was a huge blessing! I felt so blessed by them, and Eli enjoyed his time too. He fell asleep twice in the car while we were driving, so we just continued to drive.

All in all, things are going okay. Im feeling very homesick, and having a clingy, crabby baby is hard. My aunt is disappointed we leave on Monday and that we're not staying longer, but I feel as though we could've probably left a day earlier. Its a blessing to be here, and Idont know when we'd be able to come back. One things for sure though, I couldnt be more happy that my mom is with us. I dont know what I was thinking when I considered doing this trip on my own! There are a few times (okay waaay more than a few!!) that she's rescued me, and given me a break from my little cling on!

Im praying Eli goes down better tonight than he did last night, but we'll see... I have a feeling he is just so out of sorts and confused that he may have to cry himself to sleep. Which is stressfull for all of us!

Sorry that its been a few days, but we're keeping so busy, and with Eli being attached at my hip I barely have any time to go to the bathroom!! Ill post soon Im sure!

Please pray for Eli that he sleeps well, and the rest of the trip will go fast for him. Pray that I have patience and know how to handle overwhelming situations!! Thanks!

Braces update

Im finally getitng adjusted to my braces. My cheeks, and lips arent as sore as they were last week, and Im figuring out how to eat. The part Im getting used to now is the elastics. It feels like alot of pressure on my teeth, but thats whats really doing the work and making the teeth move. As each day goes by Im starting to feel more confident too, so thats a great feeling!!

The best part so far about having 2 teeth pulled, and getting my braces on is that Ive lost 10 pounds! I think its just from not eating & snacking as much. Also, my portion sizes are way smaller. What I could eat a month ago I can only eat a quarter of that! Its crazy, but by the time Im into my food Im already full! Its a nice feeling. So between working out and eating better I think getting into shape and loosing the weight Id like to might come easier than I thought... for now.

Tomorrow morning we leave for Ontario. Im excited, but anxious (as you already know!!) about the plane ride. Ive been praying about it for months, and Im confident that God will give me the patience that I need. I cant wait to get to Ontario and see some of the places we saw when I was there like 10 years ago when we went on holidays! My life is completely different now, but I have such incredible memories of being there!

Your prayers would be appreciated as well. I should have some internet access so Ill try to post every couple of days!

Tim Hortons

We had a super nice morning! Andy got up at 7am with Eli and let me stay in bed for another hour or so. It was nice! Then once I got up we went for a walk and got a coffee from Tim Hortons and then came home and played in the yard for awhile! Eli loves playing outside. He just wanders around playing with whatever he can. It was cool out this morning so we had to bring him in after 20 minutes because his hands were freezing and turning red!

He loved playing with Andys empty coffee cup! He loves pretending that he's drinking out of it! The cup is as empty as can be, so dont worry he's not drinking coffee! I also wanted to take some pictures for Katherine to see because the jacket he's wearing is from her. He got it for Christmas last year and its the perfect fall jacket!

So blessed

Im so glad its a long weekend, and Eli's not sick. Its been quite awhile since we had a long weekend where Eli wasn't well. Im blessed that his ears have cleared up, and he's doing much better.

Yesterday I went and had breakfast with my aunts and mom. It was great! I sure have noticed that since I had my teeth pulled and now my braces on my stomache has shrunk! Usually, I could probably eat 2 or 3 pieces of french toast and some bacon or sausage. Yesterday, I had 1 piece of french toast and 2 sausages and I could barely finish it!! In the afternoon I had a baby shower to go to, and then in the evening I babysat for some friends.

Andy took care of Eli most of the day, and I honestly felt so blessed. I had some time in between the shower and babysitting to come home and clean up. Andy was out with Eli at his cousins house so the house was empty and quiet. I folded 3 loads of laundry, vacumned, did the dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and bathroom. The house was spotless by the time I left and boy did it feel great! Its incredible how much you can get done when you dont have a 1 year old chasing after you!

This morning we went off to church. Im feeling overwhelmed with how thankful Iam. I really need to be realizing how blessed and thankful Iam more often, not just on Thanksgiving weekend. But today I am so thankful. It sounds cliche but I am so thankful for my family. For my son, my husband, my sisters, and parents!

 There was a man who spoke at church this morning and told his story about how they (him & his wife) came to have their son. His wife couldnt get pregnant because of ovarian cysts. They tried different routes, IVF, fertility treatments, etc. Eventually, they looked into adoption. Ethiopia. They couldnt afford it and really struggled with the amount. They had a call from a church they used to attend and the woman told them they were giving them an annonymous gift of $5000 towards their adoption. The exact amount they needed. They paid their adoption fees and just had to wait. They had a phone could one afternoon that the adoption agency went bankrupt. Their money was gone. They were devastated. The pastor's wife from our church called them one day and said she knew a girl who was pregnant and was thinking about abortion, she was wondering if they could meet with her. They did, and the girl decided she was going to keep her baby. Finally, one more this man sat on the side of his bed before church feeling completely defeated and he finally surrendered everything to God. He let go of the control when it came to them having a baby. That morning at church the sermon was about surrendering control. Funny how God works those details out right? That same afternoon the pastors wife again approached them and said she knew a pregnant teen who wanted to give her baby to a Christian family. And that when God finally gave them a son.

Sitting in the congregation I felt so overwhelmed. This family would do anything to have a child, and here we have an incredible little guy that was given so easily to us! How blessed and thankful I am for him! God knew his name before I had him! That blows my mind!! We are so blessed to have good health.

This Thanksgiving weekend I cant even begin to talk about how thankful I am, we are so blessed in ways I never expected... God is so faithful. He tells us to be thankful in all circumstances, which isnt always easy, but its something I want to strive towards.

Happy Thanksgiving, I hope your blessed today!

Play Time

All you parents out there, I need your opinion!

Eli and I went to a great program today called Stay and Play. Parents can bring their kids to basically hang out and play with lots of different toys and interactive things! Eli likes to go, and I like to talk with other moms. This morning it was a full house, with lots of kids and parents. At one point while all the kids were playing in the gym, a boy a bit older than Eli maybe 4 years old took a ball walked up to Eli and basically threw it at his head. Luckily, it bounced right off the back of his head and Eli was pretty much unphased. The mom told her son not to do that and we all continued on playing.

Later on we were in another room playing, and Eli was out of my sight. Next thing I know, I hear crying. Eli crying. I walked up and the same mom of the boy who threw the ball at Eli was trying to console him. I walked up and said "What happened?" She said, "Uh, well, my son hit him." I just picked him up and walked away.

One of my girlfriends has a son who is 3 months younger than Eli and she said this same boy had hit her son too. So at what point do I say something, and how do you say something without "starting something?" What I really wanted to say was "Your son threw a ball at Eli's head in the gym, and how he's hit him, I think maybe you need to speak to your son about playing with others."

Or do do I just leave it and not say anything? Im sure this is common when playing in public playareas but where do you draw the line, and whats okay and whats not?

Good morning, Pain...

Good Day, Pain! The pain has hit, and its not fun! My teeth feel so sensitive. The pressure on them really hurts, and there are certain areas on my cheeks that are rubbing like crazy! The wax helps, but it still rubs.

Last night, I woke up and took the elastics off because the pressure was too much to handle. The lady who put the braces on said that I could take a week before I start wearing the elastics if I need to get used to the pain. Awesome. I'd like to wear the elastics for a few hours each day at least because thats whats doing the work.

I feel completely akward and uncomfortable when I talk! I went out this morning to my moms groups and it was uncomfortable. 2 weeks ago, I didnt have the braces and now I do. One mom told me though that she could tell I was uncomfortable at first but then as I started talking I loosened my mouth up and was fine. Good to know. I dont even realize that I was talking different.

Tonight we have family dinner at my parents house, and I think Ill be eating mashed potatoes. I still cant bite down, and to be honest Im avoiding eating because Im so sick of eating mashed potatoes, soggy mini wheats cereal, custard, soft mooshy foods... I dont see an end in sight anytime soon!

I wanted to mention a really neat business! For anyone who has kids and for anyone who has more than 1 kid.  I know when I take Eli anywhere out and about sippy cups and containers get mixed up really easily. Or at church I have to put a white sticky label on his bag, his sippy cup and anything else. It gets annoying, its a waste of labels, and it leaves a sticky residue on the plastic. Mabel labels is a really neat label business. They make labels for everything! The bottom of shoes, sippy cups (that can go through the dishwasher a hundred times over and till come out looking great!!) clothing labels, tags for backpacks and diaper bags, they even make Personal Business Cards, and RSVP mail stickers! I think they're a great price, I've already ordered Eli's labels for his sippy cups! I've placed the link below, because I think its something that every mom should definitly check out! And you can order them as gifts, and get a gift receipt!! Let me know what you think!

http://www.homebychoice.mabel.ca/ 

Oh and any tips for my braces would be great! Ive received some awesome tips so far, but the more the merrier!!!

Brace Face

Alright, their on! I have braces! I feel totally akward, and uncomfortable. Im not in any pain (yet??) but I have a bit of a lisp and I feel like my lip doesnt fit over my teeth!

Every time I smile at Eli he starts to giggle! Awesome. Thanks, Son... great vote of confidence! Actually, I cant but help start laughing too cause Im pretty sure I look as ridiculous as I feel!

Eli had a hard time falling asleep last night, and woke up around 8:30p.m, but went back down with no problem. Guess what time he slept till... 9:00a.m. We have bible study at 9:15a.m but I decided I wasnt going to wake up because he needs the sleep to get better! He couldnt stop coughing yesterday! I tried everything to help him. But today he seems better, so thats great!

Okay, ready for a picture? Here it is.

And I couldnt resist putting this picture up, I think Andy took it one day obviously Eli was not happy!

Interesting

I've added on a live feed tracker to my blog. You might've noticed it if you scrolled down a bit farther down the page. Its basically a live tracker that can tell me how often people are coming onto my blog & where in the world their logging on from. It doesnt tell me who is it is, but just where in the world and how long ago.

I've seen some very interesting things with this tracker! Alot of people from Sherwood Park & Edmonton, but I've had quite a few people from different places in the states (some of whom I know, and some not!) some people from different parts of Canada (places of which I dont know anyone who lives there!!) and even some people from Europe! Its really opened my eyes to just how open my blog really is!

In the past I know I've asked people to comment more often (some do & some dont) but if your reading my blog and I dont know you, Id love it if you commeneted (by pressing the comment button at the end of the blog, and following the directions) and told me who you are, how you came across my blog. I love hearing from people and love hearing your feedback as well as encouragement!

Hopefully I hear from you soon!!

Patience Please

As most of you can probably tell, these days I feel like Im running low on patience. This morning is no different. Last night Eli went to bed a bit later, we figured if he was happy and wanted to play we were fine with that. It was only about half an hour later anyways. I said to my dear husband who gets up at 5:30a.m, "I get to sleep in tomorrow morning!" I shouldnt have said a single thing because its just my luck that when he goes to bed later, he gets up earlier. Half an hour earlier. This cold he's had for 5 weeks is back in full force and he woke up coughing. His nose is running like a tap, and on top of the cough as well as getting up earlier than usual, he's tired & crabby! So I put him back to bed. It's quiet for now, but thats usually how it goes. The calm before the storm. He's quiet and then decides he's not going to sleep. We may have to get out this morning.

Tomorrow is the big day. Braces day! Of course right before Thanksgiving weekend when we'll be eating a ton of yummy food that I may not be able to eat! So frustrating, but such is life! Having teeth pulled & braces is going to be a good weightloss plan! No snacking for me!!

Yesterday morning we took Eli into the Stollery to have his ears checked out. They're all dry which is great, and we should be good to go on our trip next week to visit my great aunt! We were in and out in less than 2 hours, and between my mother in law and I Eli was happy almost the whole time... notice I said almost the whole time?

So today Im praying for patience. Im praying that God would give me the strenght to get through today, and not feel completely emotionally and physically exhausted by the end of the day. And for those of you that have more than 1 child, how do you do it?!

Passion

These days life has been so busy that I've been having trouble finding the time to sit down and work on my doula course.

However, it seems like God continues to be pointing me in the direction of moms. Last week I went to a fundraiser at Teddys which was for the Pregnancy Care Centre. My mother in law came with me as she is good friends with the director of the centre, and I felt inspired!

I learned alot about what the Pregnancy Care Centre does, who they are, what their goals are, how many women & couples they were with per year, and how their even having opportunities of going into schools. During the presentation there were alot of facts about pregnancy, as well as abortion. Abortion is a fact of life. Women decide to get abortions every year, and in fact Edmonton performs around 5000 abortions per year! At the PCC, they dont scare women into not getting abortions, they give them the facts about what their options are. I love this! They also offer abortion recovery counselling. So many women have abortions, and later on in their lives they are so seriously affected by their decision it consumes them. This is where the PCC steps in and helps them recover from the emotional pain and turmoil of their past decisions!

After the fundraiser while talking to the director of the PCC I felt like the little flickering flame of passion that I feel is just barely there these days was ignited. I dont know what God's plan is for me when it comes to volunteering or working in the future (once Eli goes to school) but I feel like Im headed in the right direction! Id love to get in contact more with the PCC to see how I can help in any way. Hopefully, this will be the push that I need to continue on with my doula course and get it done sooner rather than later!

Check out the website: Pregnancycarecentre.ca

Into the week we go . . .

I feel like this week is going to go by fast!

Tomorrow morning Im going to call the dentist to see if I can go in and get my mouth repacked. The packing is starting to come out, so Im interested to see how the healing process is coming along, and if they need to pack it... well Ill accept it because the pain is not fun! Im hoping I can go in first thing in the morning (8a.m!!) and then after thats done Im going to head to the hospital with Eli to get his ears checked by the ENT specialist. His ears arent draining anymore, but he's still sticking his fingers in them. Im interested to see whats happening, and dont want to take him on an airplane without having them checked first.

Wednesday, I head to the orthodontist to get my braces on!

Then at the end of the week I have a moms group get together, and am going out on Friday night. Should be a good week as long as my mouth isn't too sore from the dry sockets, and braces!! Lucky me!

Mom & I leave for Ontario next week, and I have a list of things to get together and make sure we're ready! Im looking forward to it, but am still stressed about the plane ride. Its going to be a long day, but Im praying that Eli will calm down and relax.

One thing that Ive been praying for is that Eli's personality will mellow out a bit; and that he'll start to cuddle a bit more. I know, odd prayer right? Well, when you never get any love from your baby whome you love dearly trust me you'll do anything to get it! God has answered my prayer but not how I expected. 4:30a.m a few times this week already. All he wants is to be held and put his head down on your chest... when you go to put him back into the crib, he grips on with his legs for dear life!! Its not quite how I expected my prayer to be answered, but none the less it was! Jokes on me, right!?

Andy has 2 weeks of school left so he's busy getting ready for his exams. Your prayers would be appreciated! Keep you posted!!

Dry Socket

Last night I decided that the pain in my mouth was too much. I called the dentist this morning and they got me in right away. The verdict: Dry Socket. One is worse than the other but both of them are not in good condition.

Dry Socket: Any socket in which a patient is having pain due to the loss of the blood clot thus exposing the bone to air, food, and fluids along with an offensive odor. This often occurs two or more days after an extraction and can last about 5-6 days. It is normal to have soreness and discomfort following an extraction. This condition exist when a blood clot is dislodged from the surgery site thus exposing the bone and fine nerve endings. The blood clot helps in the stopping of bleeding and lays the foundation or framework for new tissue and bone to develop over a two-month healing process. This condition is more common in the mandibular area and in back teeth due to poorer circulation in this area, with wisdom teeth being the most common site. Dry socket delays the healing process.

For me its the constant throbbing and pain around the area. I had someone tell me "If you have dry socket, you'll know because you'll be in so much pain." After googling some information I had pretty much self diagnosed myself, (we all do that right?!) but thought I should go in, because if I was correct they need to pack the root area with some nasty tasting stuff. And when I say nasty, its gross... kind of tastes like really strong cloves. So he filled the holes with it, and makes sure its in tight enough to protect the area. Gave me a perscription for the pain and off I went. Just feeling a tad bit traumatized.

Andy wants to do some work on the house, however Im not feeling too hot at the moment. We'll see how the day goes I guess!!

4:00 a.m wake up call

So Eli woke up at 4am this morning. His whining atually started earlier, around 3:30a.m. Finally, I got up and changed his diaper and tried to put him back down. Not happening. I took his blankie and put it across my shoulder and he put his head down. I couldnt believe it! He was cuddling with me! This never happens. So I just held him. Finally, once my arms got tired I tried to put him down. Not happening. He started to cry. This went on for a good couple of hours. He just wanted me to hold him. Since he never wants that I sat in his room and just held him. Every now and then he'd play with the sleeve on my shirt, and let out a few little moans and then fall asleep in my arms! I felt so blessed by this time I had with him! I dont know what changed or what as wrong but all he wanted was his head to be on the blankie which was on my shoulder or chest.

Finally at 5:30a.m, I put him in his crib, he started crying but I just patted his chest, and shhhed him. He finally fell asleep,after doing that twice. He ended up sleeping until 9a.m which was nice, but Im feeling tired now.

Crossing my fingers he doesnt pull that tomorrow morning, but we'll see!!