Minus a Bazillion

This is how babies survive the frigid temperatures of the Great White North. Going anywhere with a baby is a big job, but especially in these brutal Winter months.

Another Snow Day

It's been snowing all day and the kids are all home from school again today due to the buses being cancelled. The mornings are bitter cold (-35) and I'd just as soon stay home and snuggle up with my kiddos.

I cherished a few quiet moments with Sawyer snuggled on my shoulder in the late afternoon. Somedays it's hard to put him down while he sleeps. I know I should be cleaning something or other, but these baby snuggles are much more important right now.

Afternoon snack was warm apple sauce muffins smothered in butter. I enjoyed mine while I warmed my body in a sunlit window.

Sawyer also got in some time with Grampa. I felt so grateful for my dad while I looked at the two of them visiting in the sunshine. Life is good.

Happy Sabbath

The more boys I have, the more I fall in love with these fancy onesies with painted on ties and nerd glasses. Our actual white baby dress shirts are getting a little grey after all these years (and baby spit up). Happy Sabbath!

Daddy's Eyes

 Daddy came home for lunch a whole lot this week. One day we spent most of the time convincing Joe that he has his Daddy's eyes. He didn't believe me, so I had to take a picture. Then he started giggling uncontrollably. It was pretty funny!

Slow

It's another slow, quiet morning at the Stannix's. The kids are enjoying another snow day. The sun is out, but it's still -31. I'm just happy I don't have to pack school lunches and push the kids out the door in the early morning. We are quite enjoying our slow starts and late breakfasts around here. We found out about the bus being cancelled yesterday, so we all stayed in bed just a little longer this morning. Ollie was back and forth from about 5:00am on. I'm still terrified every time he falls asleep and check on him often during naps and in the middle of the night. I got the best snuggles and open mouth grins from Sawyer at 4:00am. Once he finally decided to fall back to sleep I snuggled him under a warm crochet blanket. After living on limited sleep and wearing the same clothes for like three days I am feeling pretty scrubby today.

I made up a batch of syrup first thing this morning. Once it had boiled long enough I pulled it off the burner and added a splash of vanilla. The house smelled divine!  After it had cooled I flipped pancakes and the littles ate every last one. It's almost time to start doubling the batch to fill the boys and their hollow legs. 

I kicked the kids outside mid afternoon to soak up some sun. It was almost warm enough for t-shirts (almost). They had fun on the sledding hill inventing games and hitting the jump at the bottom. These three days off have been a welcomed break and after Monday's events I am grateful to have my littles close.

Tough Times

 Sometimes life gives you moments that help put things back into perspective. Ollie gave us quite the scare yesterday when he woke part way through his nap with a seizure, leaving his little body so tired that he couldn't be woke for close to an hour after. I had just finished nursing the baby when I heard Hyrum calling Ollie's name. I knew he had just fallen asleep next to his brother while they were watching a movie, so I wondered what was up. Hyrum met me in the kitchen, tears brimming in his eyes and we rushed to the couch to find Oliver convulsing. I have never been so terrified as I was in that moment. I yelled to Hyrum to run grab my parents from next door and scooped Ollie into my arms. He was foaming at the mouth and his face was turning blue while his limbs shook uncontrollably. I really wasn't sure what was happening and felt panic overtake me. 

My Dad cradled Ollie in his strong arms and headed for the door while Mom ran for his car keys and I dialed 911. I could hardly hold my phone, my hands were shaking so bad. Before I knew it we were in the car on our way to the hospital while Ollie lay unconscious in my arms. The dispatcher had me monitor his breathing and say "now" every time he took a breath. She reassured me I was doing great, even though I couldn't control the tears. Oliver woke part way to town, unable to form words, and then fell back asleep. My mind raced with worst case scenarios, wondering what our future held and if everything would be okay. When we arrived at the hospital I looked over at my Dad who was so calm through the whole thing and caught his hands shaking, just like mine were. The adrenaline had hit us both pretty hard. At the hospital, they put Ollie on a bed, checked his vitals and assured me it was normal for him to be in such a deep sleep as his body was just so tired from the episode. There is nothing more terrifying than seeing your child unconscious and unable to be woken. A few minutes later Mike was at my side, rubbing my back and comforting me as we both stared at our still little boy. I was suddenly grateful that his office was minutes away and he was able to drop everything and come. A priesthood blessing was given and only time would tell if everything would be okay. It took him forever to wake up and when he finally came to, he was so disoriented and upset. 

It took him a little while to get back to his old self. The doctor ordered blood and urine tests to see if anything came up. Once Ollie was back to normal I went home with my dad to pick up the baby and drive the van back in. At Olivers request I brought snacks and he ate everything while we waited on results and continued monitoring him. Apparently they don't do a whole lot for seizures until the second or third, but the doctor did refer us to a pediatrician who will hopefully be able to help us a little bit more. The doctor we had wasn't too helpful and wasn't sure how to answer my questions. I left feeling worried and unsure of what to do if it were to happen again. When do I bring him in? How long do I wait? What do I do after to help him recover? It was so frustrating.

As I watched the sun come up this morning and paint the sky in shades of pink, I couldn't help but reflect and ponder. Life is so fragile and time is so fleeting. Suddenly every giggle, every "I wuv you", and every cheeky grin he gives me are so much more cherished than they were a few days ago. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way as his siblings take extra care to include him and love on him today. If you need me, I will be over here, breathing in deeply, willing time to freeze, and feeling extra grateful for each and every one of my children and the time that I get to spend with them.

Snow Day

All of the buses in our school division were cancelled today due to the extreme cold. With the Arctic air rolling through Alberta we are getting wind chills between -40 and -50! My Dad pulled out all of the extension cords yesterday afternoon and kindly plugged the vehicles in so that they would start today. 

I for one am happy to have my littles home with me for the day. Sometimes we all need a break in routine to catch our breath and make it through. And when the windows all have an inch of ice on them, I'd just rather stay home!

The acts of kindness are in full force around here and love is in the air! Bed making seems to be the most preferred service, but I am sure they will branch out soon. 

Despite the bitter cold, the sun made an appearance this afternoon just in time to warm Sawyer while he napped. I am always amazed at the warmth and power that the sun has! As I stood their admiring his cheeks and wrinkled fingers I couldn't help but want like five more of him. 

After lots of googling, I finally came across an easy artisan sour dough bread recipe and decided to give it a go. I mixed up the dough last night before bed and put it in the oven mid-afternoon. It turned out much better than my last failed attempt and I was pretty pleased! Shortly after pulling it out of the oven I got a text from the kids bus drivers notifying me that the buses are cancelled for tomorrow too. While a part of me is relieved, I can't help but wonder what on earth we will do tomorrow to keep ourselves occupied while we are stuck inside.

The Sabbath

 We are still adjusting to this whole two hour church thing. Finley has decided he strongly dislikes church and is super uncooperative the entire time. Ollie is super busy and the baby always needs nursing as soon as he wakes it seems. I spend a lot of Sacrament meeting tripping over feet as I make my way out with one child after another. Sometimes Mr. Stannix and I meet each other as we pace the halls, one with an impossible preschooler and I with the baby, and we roll our eyes. 

 We enjoyed the little bit we did get out of testimony meeting today though. Hyrum asked if he could go up in front of the whole congregation and share his testimony. It was short and sweet and right to the point and my heart was touched by his words. He knows his Savior loves him, and he knows that families are forever. 

I brought out the kindness jar tonight for family home evening and we talked about what it means to be kind and ways that we can serve each other in our home. The littles will be filling the jar with chocolate hearts this month (one heart per act of kindness).

The jar is such a simple thing, but it really helps fill our home with extra love and reminds the children to be a little bit more kind.

In the Negatives

It's a cold one! The boys insisted on sledding for a bit this morning despite the temperature being -21 this morning. I went out briefly to snap some pictures and got a brain freeze!

Welcome February

 We are kicking off February with a professional development day (a fancy name for no school). Everyone was pretty excited to throw routine out and enjoy some extra time together. 

 I made a double batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies which were enjoyed with warm caramel steamers. They are always best right out of the oven when the chocolate chips are still warm and melt in your mouth. The hint of nutmeg and cinnamon is really what makes them amazing though!

Hyrum had an extra friend here and they were in and out all day long. The weather wasn't the warmest, but they made the best of it and bundled up. I love the little hill we have next to the house. It's the perfect size for a little bit of fun (especially with the bike jump at the bottom). Whenever they were cold they would come in and warm up with a nerf battle or movie. It was a day well spent!