Christmas Carols

give a boy a camera....

And this is the series of 148 pictures that he takes!

FYI

Continually adding to The Lists, for anyone interested ;)

Mr Matthew (one month)

a toddler's prayer

Potty learning has begun in the Scatliff house. We've been averaging about one pee in the potty a day for at least a week now and Jonathan is sort of starting to figure things out. Although a faaaaaaaar cry from being trained, we are at least heading in that direction. Or at least we are this week. 

Tonight he was getting disappointed as he sat on his pot before bath time. He really wanted to go and just kept asking for a few more minutes. We had read stories, counted, sang the alphabet... So I asked him if he wanted to ask God to help him pee on the potty. He thought that was a brilliant idea and this is what he prayed:

Dear God. Please help JayJay peepee on the potty. And thank you for mommy and thank you  for daddy. And for Daddy's coffee... The coffee with the chocolate sprinkles on top. 

Ha!

One Month

the lists

Back by popular demand, The Lists for the upcoming holidays...


What Jonathan would love:

• Puzzles. This kid rocks at puzzles! He's doing 16 piece floor puzzles on his own and can even handle up to 42 piece puzzles with a bit of guidance. 
• These types of felt puzzles are super cool for the diaper bag and would be great for a crafty looking for a DIY gift!
• Books. Especially learning and interactive books (counting, colours, eye-spy, find-the-whatevers, lift-the-flap, etc). I know he'd love something like this (this kid lives for Thomas stuff) and I'd love that it's compact and portable for traveling :) 
• A train set expansion pack (especially if it included a turntable!) would make his year. This kid lives for trains and making tracks. The expansion kit does not need to be name brand, just Brio compatible. A set like this would thriiiiiiill him. I'd check Ebay, Kijiji and the like for good deals. He'd also be ecstatic to receive a Tidmouth Sheds (round house train shed), or the train characters Annie and Clarabel or Bash, Dash and Ferdinand, however these trains are quite expensive, so pre-loved is definitely the way to go. 
• Like most 2 year olds, stickers are fascinating. These reusable sticker books by the fabulous Melissa and Doug would be a great gift. 
• Clothes. Who doesn't need clothes? Jay currently fits 2T quite well, but will be into 3T soon enough. 
• A more personal and very fun gift from a Manitoban family member would be a 'coupon' to a morning of fun with them at the Children's Museum at the Forks. We visited the museum with him last July and he loved it. I can only imagine how much more enjoyable it will be during the winter months in Manitoba and what a great bonding experience it would be for someone wanting to spend some time with him while we are in town :) 

What Matthew could use:

• Clothes! Yes, he has an older brother so he does have access to hand-me-downs... But it just so happens that his brother was born at the exact opposite side of the calendar year. So when his brother was 4 months he was sporting itty bitty baby shorts in June... Whereas Matthew will be 4 months in February... Living in Winnipeg... See the problem? 
• On the same train of thought... This kid needs a size 6 months snow suit for the carseat (non-puffy and good for under a car seat cover). I've heard great reviews about this one from MEC. 
• A thermometer. We totally need a new baby/infant thermometer (not picky on what kind or anything) 

A few things Tom would love:

• Teensy 3.0. If you're techie, you'd probably know what this means. Thankfully (for the rest of us) he gave me this link to a store in Winnipeg that sells them for $31. Good luck. 
• He says he'd also be thrilled with this external hard drive from BestBuy
• He thought these steak thermometers for the BBQ were super cool. (A set of 4, perhaps?)
• Windows 8 This is something I'd ask Uncle Ray about purchasing ;) 
• Clothes. Lord willing this guy will continue to have meetings with pastors, be in front of congregations, and speaking at churches... Nice sweaters and dress shirts are always a great choice. He usually has great luck for fit at Mark's Work Wearhouse. I know he'd like something like this in beige or this one in dark grey 

A few things I'd love:

• Starbucks gift card (my personal treat!)
• Honey Bee tea from David's tea (pretty much anything from David's tea is awesome, but I tried this particular tea at a friend's house and it's just lovely!)
• Gizmos for he kitchen: A funnel (I kid you not!), a meatloaf pan with removable drip tray (seriously, I'm not kidding!), I'm also in desperate need of a new baking set (cookie tray, muffin pan, etc). I'd also really like these appetizer plates from Epicure 
• Clothes. I'm in dire need of clothes too! A gift cert to Thyme would be awesome to put towards a few new nursing tops :)
• New boots! I LOVE my brown fun (not winter) boots, but they are done. So done the shoe repair guy told me to not bother, but buy new ones. And I'd love some new ones! Grey or brown, size 8, minimal heel (I'm tall enough already). A gift cert would work really well for this... Or a surprise :) 
• Baby wearing insert for my winter jacket! A gift for both Matthew and I!  These are super awesome, but expensive - Anyone have sewing skills? I'm sure I can find a DIY for us ;)

• 
  

Gosh I love him!

Introducing....

Matthew Adrian Scatliff!!!

Arrived at 8:15am :) A beautiful redeeming birth. The woman's body is incredible.

Happy Due Date

fall family photo shoot

Received a sneak peak today from our fall family photo shoot!! It's just a low-quality place taker for now... More to come soon!! Very excited for them :)

frugal on a friday

It ain't a secret that I'm cheap. Or, ermmm....  Frugal, I should say. Paying retail for just about anything drives me nuts, as I know there are so many ways around it.  My goal is usually 50% retail, but I still get a kick out of anything less than 75%. My latest endeavor? Arbonne.

I told ya I went to an Arbonne party last week and thought there stuff was just amazing. I'm in dire need of new makeup (teenager-ish pink sparkles from Le Bodyshop probably shouldn't be my look for much longer) but Arbonne prices are just nuts. Plus, the consultant at the party last week didn't have much of the cosmetic line and I was simply unwilling to invest in guess-from-a-catalogue decisions. So I went home on a mission: To get the stuff, but at a better price and try the colour-specific items before committing. And with how often I wear makeup (maaaaaybe once a week) this will last like a decade.

Well, well, well... Wadddaknow? Within a few day I found a lady on Kijiji that was selling off her Arbonne products at liquidation prices because she was no longer a consultant. Snagged me some full, unopened, unused items at 45% of retail. Not bad, eh? But I still had the colour-specific stuff to grab (example: grabbed a mascara at 45% retail, but unwilling to risk picking the wrong foundation)... So I put out an ad for an Arbonne consultant with the full make-up kit and knowledge to contact me if she was willing to come over an evening this week to do a one-on-one. I said straight up I wasn't interested in hosting a party or becoming a consultant or whatever... I just need your cosmetic kit and your skills to come to my kitchen, sit with a cup of tea and teach me how to put what where. And be okay with me only buying a few items.

The number of responses was overwhelming!

So tonight I sat with a wonderful mother of 8, who was also totally up for missing bed-time duty, had a cup of tea and learned how to put on my face like a big girl. There were sales and discount and a free item (there usually are, right?) and I snagged my colour-specific stuff at 70% retail.

Booya!

Why the midwives?

When we found our we were expecting this time around, I shuttered at the thought of an OB/GYN. I dreamed of having a midwife, but they are few and far between and hard to get in with. Thankfully we found out about this pregnancy FREAKISHLY early and were able to snag a spot at the awesome community health Birthing Center just a few minutes up the road from us. Booya!

So far my experience with my midwife has been nothing less than awesome. She's caring, thoughtful, and is very much into empowerment of women to do what they were designed to do. Verbal informed consent is obtained before they do anything.  And it's down-right awesome that someone answers their pager at 5:14am with a voice of concern, not annoyance. A far cry from the 'don't ask me any questions' OB we had last time.

As we approach labour and birth, I'm excited. I feel empowered and that we've done all we can do give a natural, normal birth the fairest chance possible. I want to 'own it' this time. No interventions, no scheduling, no pitocin... I want labour to start as it naturally should and progress from there on its own.  I know things may not pan out as I plan, but at the very least, its got the best shot possible for happening and for that I am truly thankful.

Oh darn, I didn't finish.. Let's talk trick or treating instead

Okay, so my Why the Midwives isn't ready yet. Until that piece of work is ready I've got a question for ya (you're welcome, Tiffany).

What's your thoughts on trick-or-treating?

I was at a mom's night out the other night and this topic came up. I was amazed at some people's take... Or maybe more so that I haven't given this much thought at all yet. Opinions ranged from "It's a great way to introduce the kids to the neighbours" to  "I don't partake in activities that encourage my children to think it's okay to accept candy from strangers."

Both very legit opinions that I can understand. Most were. Except this one:

"We go trick or treating for the fun of the event. But I tell my children that's the fun part. For them, as able-bodied children they get the gift of collecting the candy... But they candy will go to a child less fortunate. A child in the hospital that can't physically go trick or treating. Their treats will be the candy, while yours is the collection."

She like the balance. Not a lot of sweets for her precious-es and it's teaching good morals.
Sounds fabulous, right?

Except there is no sick kid. Her and husband eat it and the rest is tossed. I'm sorry, what? I can't even begin to comprehend the morals behind that... And she didn't understand why the rest of us weren't impressed with her balance...

Also, do many people take the 'collect and toss' route? If so, I'm sorry, but what a waste of money! Maybe I'm just cheap, but why obligate neighbours to buy things for your children to collect if you're going to just throw it out afterwards?

Why not an OB/GYN?

Originally titled 'Why the Midwives?' but the post became far longer than anyone would be willing to read... So I broke it into two posts.

Today, part I: Why not an OB/GYN
Tomorrow, part II: Why the Midwives

Enjoy!

Oh! Wait. Warning... I talk about pregnancy and childbirth, so if you are, say, my brother in law, I'm not sure this series is for you :P

****

When we found out we were expecting with Jonathan we were in Ecuador. Using Skype and a shaky internet connection I was able to phone an obstetrics office in Montreal near where we were planning on moving back to. I was *thrilled* that I got in with an OB/GYN. With modern medicine as advanced as it is, it was the best possible hands we could be in, right?

We were less than impressed with our first visit. After finally returning to Montreal and *finally* getting to go to our first pre-natal appointment, we were surprised at how rushed, routine, and un-special we were. A waiting room full of women, pushed through the routine one after another. When we finally got into the doctors's office and she came in, she never sat down. Keeping her hands on the door she handed us a pile of brochures and said "Please don't ask me any questions. The answers are probably in there. Book again for 5 weeks from now." And left.

That was our introduction to the medical system and pregnancy. And things just continued on par with that until delivery. Routine, un-personal appointments and very unwelcoming to questions (Who do you think you are, asking questions? She's the expert, your just the vessel).

With Jonathan I had oliogohydramnios (low amniotic fluid levels) which added stress to the end of the pregnancy. The baby needs a certain amount of amniotic fluid to be considered safe. In the final weeks leading up to delivery, we were undergoing ultrasounds and non-stress tests to see how baby was doing and how much fluid was left (as it naturally declines as due date approaches). Eventually the fluid level went under the 'critical threshold' and I was admitted for an induction. Based on an OB consult, maternity ward staffing levels, and scheduling - voila. Baby time. The decision was made for us and we, naive and oblivious, happily went along with it. The stress of 'is baby okay?' was going to be over. The unknowns answered, and baby's arrival would be soon.

I was given cervadil that afternoon to start the process and ripped my nethers and kept it in until the next morning. They then started a pitocin (synthetic oxytocin) drip shortly after 8:00am to quicken things along and, as a 'favour' broke my water right after that so 'I didn't have to be labouring all day'. Between those three interventions in such a short period of time, my body was thrown directly into fast and furious labour. Contractions started at 3 mins apart, lasting for a minute. My body progressed rapidly but my mind wasn't able to keep up. I thought we were in for a 12+ hour day, with most inductions failing the first try. I wasn't sure how I was going to keep coping for another 12 hours or so. The nurse kept suggestions an epidural. Pushing it, even. Because 'the anaesthetist can't just some on a whim, he needs warning so you need to consider if you'll need one later'. I figured she knew better than I did about what was going to happen... So I complied with her wishes for me to have one.

Everything happened so fast. By the time I got out of the tub, the anaesthetist was there (with his student) and there was no time to check me for progress before a stab in the back, which was just so important to everyone else in the room. After things were all set up, the nurse finally checked me. Well, waddaknow, I was near 10. Already transitioned on my own and pushing was next. But of course we needed to wait until the doctor was ready.

With shouts and jokes of breaking records (it was almost 11:00am now.. just under 3 hours of labour) and a comment of 'of course she'll need an episiotomy, it's her first' Jonathan was born after being shouted at to 'PUSH! Don't grunt, do this, not that..." and a slice at the doctor's discretion. While I lay flat on my back in the most unnatural position for the labouring woman (but most convenient for the doctor).

After Jonathan was born the flurry began to die down, and my epidural started to really take effect. I fell on the nurse trying to transfer to a wheelchair to be taken to the postpartum ward. No one helped with breastfeeding, I was lost as to what I was 'supposed' to be doing with my baby. They had other patients to attend to.

The following night wasn't much better with a formula pushing nurse and little breastfeeding support. I was told that I wasn't making enough milk... Through my tears of frustration I responded with "It's only been a few HOURS!, I'm not supposed to have milk yet!"

Although I'm thankful for hospitals and available, affordable health care... I can't say I was impressed with having an OB/GYN nor the hospital birthing experience itself. I suppose it all depends on scheduling, which nurse you have, and your personal perspective, but let's be honest: Decisions are made based on scheduling, what's most convenient for everyone involved, and standards of practice. The 'magic' of the birthing experience is lost, becoming just another momma-baby duo that they push through the system. The nurse I had doesn't' remember the birth of Jonathan. It simply didn't mean a whole lot to her nor the OB that was paid to catch him. He was just another baby, and I, another labouring woman.  But that event and day will forever be engrained in my mind and it is the only birth that Jonathan and I get.

Sunrise, Sunset

six

Six amazing years with my amazing husband. Happy anniversary babe!!

more pregnant than ever

Today marks a very special day. Today, at 39 weeks exactly, I was induced with Jonathan. He was already in our arms at 11:16am this morning. Hence, I've never been *this* pregnant before :)

We are now in unchartered waters people... Because I was induced, there's really no knowing when I would have 'gone' on my own with Jonathan. This time I'm excited and VERY determined to go naturally. Passing this day is a big deal to me... Completely trusting in my body to know what to do and when is very liberating (and quite exciting!). We are in it 'til the bitter end people... I apologize in advance for all the moaning and groaning I may be doing around here in the next few weeks. Anyone want to take a guess as to when? With a midwife I can go to 40weeks+14days until we must consult an AB/GYN (who will always say induce, immediately). So last possible date is November 11th.

friday night facials and a finale

My just-as-preggo neighbour (due the same day) had an Arbonne party tonight complete with full facials and lovely snacks. It was a wonderful break from the aches and pains that is my life right now. But that's all par for the course I suppose. I just wish the products weren't so crazy expensive. Wow. 

Today was probably my last day baby-sitting. Over the summer and through the fall Jonathan and I have been helping my friend with her baby (9 months now, but only 5 when we started). It was great to get Jonathan exposure to a baby under my care, and kind of a practice for me to balance two (I know, it will be totally different when they are both mine, but still). Today we even managed to coordinate naps for all THREE of us. Booya.

Thursday mornings are BSF

For the past year, I've been attending a women's bible study at a near by church on Thursday mornings. It's an international study and extremely popular (there's over 100 ladies in attendance at the one I go to). Bible Study Fellowship, or better known as 'BSF', is a great, well researched biblical study that uses a lecture and small-group discussion format. They also have a phenomenal program for children. While I'm learning with the adults, Jonathan is learning the same principles in his classroom of toddlers. The program and study has been great for us both. Not only do I get a few hours of adult time during a weekday, he gets great socialization with kids his age supervised by qualified and screened instructors. And let's not forget that we are both in The Word during this time. Triple win. 

As I left the study this morning I couldn't help but wonder if we just attended our last week...