Thirty-Three

Today my kind, patient, determined, thoughtful, devoted, loyal, incredibly handsome husband turned 33! It's been so wonderful having him around this week to help out with the kids, take care of some cooking and make my kitchen sparkle. He's a pretty great guy and I am sure glad he's mine! 

Happy birthday, darling!

Nap Time

This picture was taken a week ago on Sawyer's first day home from the hospital. Finley crawled into my bed at naptime and asked if he could nap with Sawyer. I promised him that after I was done nursing I would put Sawyer next to him. Finley fell asleep long before I finished, but I carefully placed Sawyer next to him anyway. I sat and admired the two brothers together and then snapped a picture, which has quickly become one of my very favorites! Sawyer is sure blessed in the older sibling department.

Newborn Pictures

 My one and only goal this afternoon after tucking the two boys in for a nap was to get some pictures of Sawyer before he grows and changes too much! I am not a professional, and the lighting didn't cooperate, but I am still super happy with what I got! It's crazy how much a baby can change in just a week. We have been blessed with meals from friends which has allowed me to really savor this time with a newborn. I am enjoying all of the snuggles and I am enjoying watching the interaction between the big kids and their new baby brother. Life is so sweet, and we are feeling so blessed!

Close to my Heart

The arrival of every baby brings doubts about my capacity to handle all of these little people in my care. It's interesting how everything works out and the babies always fit right in to whatever the routine may be. This morning I snuggled Sawyer in my new sling while I took care of the morning routine and packed school lunches. He slept contently as I shuffled kids out the door and it was so great having him close! I am cherishing this stage where they sleep so much and snuggling up this babe as much as I can!

Soaking it in

Night has come. The house is dimly lit. I sit on the couch listening to the wall clock ticking away. If I pause long enough I can hear the faint sound of boys voices carrying up the stairs. They should have been asleep an hour ago, but they are having a somersault competition on their beds.  Their giggles echo all the way up through the heat vents. I'm tired of fighting with them at bedtime, so I sit and rock with a sleepy baby on my shoulder, his warm breath on my neck. 

 

 We had a rather slow day. Sawyer slept away the hours as a newborn baby should, unaware of the passing time or the constant noise and chaos that is our home. He gets snuggles and kisses all day long and is so so loved. Being that it's the last week of November I can't help but ponder the upcoming Christmas season, decorations, lights and baking that needs to be done.  I've had an itch to bake, but I am trying to take time to recover and soak up all of the newborn smells and squeaks.

A Quiet Sabbath

The boys went to church with Daddy today leaving Camilla and I at home to rest. Camilla slept the morning away on the couch and I snuggled Sawyer in my bed. When she was feeling better we sat up and visited for a little while.

She admired her new baby brother and decided we should keep him because he's cute! 

In the late morning Camilla's hamster (who hadn't been doing well) passed away. It made for a bit of a tearful afternoon for our poor girl, but luckily Daddy was here! She put Peanut in a special box and they went out to the pet cemetery to put him to rest. Shortly after they had come in, I was sitting with her on the couch and she said, "I'm just sayin', I think you married the right guy." I replied, "Why's that?" She was so cute as she responded, "Well, he's a pretty good dad and he actually cares about his kids. A lot of Dad's don't...." I think she was glad to spend some one on one with Daddy and happy for his support today. I'm definitely glad I married the right guy, that's for sure!

Home

One of the things I love most about having a midwife is the ability to go home a few short hours after having the baby. With the snow that blew in yesterday and the icy road conditions I was grateful that we had brought the truck and that we live a short distance from town. Mike's favorite part of having a baby is bringing them home from the hospital. It's like having a little piece of heaven in the back seat and it always feels so peaceful. 

 

We arrived home shortly after midnight, excited to sleep in our own bed. Mom and Dad had put all the littles to sleep hours earlier and made us a quick bite to eat after we got in. I spent the night snuggling and nursing Sawyer. Mr. Stannix had to get up once in the night to soothe a boy with bad dreams, and neither of us really got a lot of sleep. 

We woke early to a little girl who rushed into our room and exclaimed she felt like puking. She ran to the bathroom with her hand over her mouth and then Daddy settled her on the couch with a barf bucket for a few more hours of sleep. Before the rest of the house woke, that kind Daddy had already emptied the barf bucket twice.

I woke again to excited whispers about new baby's arrival. Each of the littles came into our dark room to peek at the newest little member of our family and find out if it was a boy or a girl. There was only a few who were able to actually hold and love on him as the rest were still recovering from one illness or another. 

I spent the morning snuggled in bed catching up on sleep while Mr. Stannix made breakfast for everyone. I was even lucky enough to get breakfast in bed! Daddy took all of the boys grocery shopping and planned our meals for the next few days while I called grandparents and siblings to share the news. 

I couldn't help but snap a million pictures and admire the baby that was finally here in my arms! The wait was so long and I was so happy to finally have him here!

Sawyer Michael

Introducing....

Sawyer Michael Stannix

November 23, 2018 at 8:32PM

7lb 8oz, 20.5" 

So in love with this little boy already!

Waiting

Sickness has overcome the Stannix home. I suppose it's good that this babe is staying put for a little while longer. Last Monday night I had contractions all night long. Tuesday night I was awake three times with Ollie. Wednesday night I was cleaning puke off the floor, walls, stuffed animals and bedding. Thursday we had the pukes round two. Friday night Finley developed a croupy cough which landed him in emerge on Saturday evening after Joe's birthday dinner. His fever was high and he was lethargic so we decided to take him in. He had a mini seizure in the room while waiting for the doctor and puked all over. I am so grateful that Mr. Stannix has been here all week to wipe the tears that come every morning when I wake up without any signs of a baby on it's way. It's been a rough week. My kids always know how to get me ready for the sleepless nights that come with having a newborn, that's for sure!

Joe Turns Six

Today my sweet little Joe turns SIX! Somebody needs to tell my kids to stop growing up so fast already! We got him a snowboard this year so that he could play outside (which is what he loves to do best). We let him open it after breakfast so that he could spend all day using it. He was very gracious and gave everyone a turn. This boy has such a big heart and a desire to please others. He loves to make friends and feel included. His mind is always working and he loves to be busy. School has been so great for him this year! I've noticed a big change in his ability to control his emotions and it has made him so much calmer overall. He loves to use that noggin' of his and really enjoys learning and sharing what he learns. He's always open to trying new things and puts all of his energy into whatever he does. He brings so much laughter and joy to our family and we are so glad he's ours!

Overdue

Today Mr. Stannix and I took a drive to Red Deer for an ultrasound. My midwife was concerned because my measurements have been the same for the last few weeks and she wanted to check on baby's position too. We woke up to snow and ice and the roads were really terrible. We drove around 80km the entire way in to the city on a skating rink. I was a little bit grumpy and overdue and Mr. Stannix wasn't pleased with the road conditions. Alas, we tried to make the best of our time. We turned off the radio and talked the entire way in and back. It's so nice having family close by to watch the littles. Part way through the ultrasound the doctor came in to inform us that baby is breech and we would need to get in touch with specialists in Edmonton or Calgary to arrange induction and delivery. The ultrasound tech kept scanning and wasn't entirely convince that they got the correct position. She called in a colleague to double check and it turns out that baby wasn't breech, but oblique/transverse. So babe's head is in my right hip and it's feet in my left ribs. It's been a tearful kind of week. At least we know!

Sunday Snapshot

I was really hoping to have a baby in my arms by now! After having two babies arrive a week early, I thought for sure this one would follow suit. He or she probably knows that it's snowy and cold and wants to stay cozy for a little while longer. In the mean time I'm going to be getting the house "baby ready" this week. I'm hoping to stock the freezer with homemade bread and cookies and get some school snacks stashed away for lunches. Daddy will be working from home this week since I've been contracting on and off. Here's hoping he or she makes their arrival soon! Happy Sunday!

Still, Still, Still

The light dusting of snow on the trees made for a gorgeous morning! I sat in awe as I watched the kids make their way down the laneway and catch the bus.

Finding the beauty in little things makes my heart happy.

Oliver made sure that the kids made it on the bus and was so excited to watch the flashing lights. We then enjoyed a rather slow, cozy morning, visiting with Gramma and Grampa and being rather unproductive.

The kids spent much of their after school time sledding out front. The hill is the perfect size for them and they always have so much fun together!

Snow Fun

While Grampa worked in the garage this morning, the little boys went outside to play. It was so funny watching them push this car around all morning in the snow. They were playing so good together and it made my heart so happy!

Welcome November

November has finally come! I didn't think we'd ever make it to this point. There's a lot of exciting things happening this month with the anticipation of a new baby, and a few birthdays near the end of the month! We woke to a light dusting of snow and a familiar November chill. After the spooky wind last night, I'm not surprised. Before bed I opened my window just a crack and fell asleep snuggled under the duvet with a cool breeze on my face. I had a restless night with my big belly. It's hard to turn over anymore these days and my calf muscles kept cramping up. I finally woke at 7am with Ollie nestled next to me as the boys voices carried up the stairs. I was tired. I got the kids off to school and then nestled on the couch and napped on and off while the little boys played quietly at my feet. The dog curled up in the crook of my legs and warmed my body.

The mamma deer and her sweet twins slowly made their way across the yard, pausing beneath trees and munching the bits of grass poking up as they went. It's always so fun seeing them come through the neighborhood. I am counting down days until this baby's arrival. My body is sore and tired. Today I found myself missing friends and especially missing Mike. I'm torn between wanting this baby to come, and wanting it to stay put until life settles just a little bit more. I'm constantly reminding myself that we have had babies at crazier times when we were students with no income, no crib, and no fancy clothes. I always have to remind myself what's really important. The kids came home, still buzzing from all of the Halloween candy. I usually don't regulate how much they eat, and like to just get it over with. We totally bombed bedtime and I finished the day feeling defeated. I'm hoping a good nights sleep tonight will remedy my crazy emotions!