Halloween & Thumpin's

Great Grandma Sue was with us this week and continued on in the same fashion as Nana. She cleaned, she baked & she made my life very easy while Grant was at work. She got to witness Kai's dance class & ventured to the mall with all the hooligans in tow. But, most importantly she cuddled the kids (no thumpin's after all!), shared her stories and spent time with us. It was a fantastic visit and we're so grateful she came.

Mara & her Great-Grandma

The girls

Drew decided he wanted no part of smiling - this was the best one we could get.

When Halloween arrived, Super Girl & Robin hauled in the loot - and so much more efficiently than last year! While Grandma Sue held down the fort with Mara, Grant & I took our superheros out with the Hansens & the Bowlers for a race to fill their massive bags. Kai even managed to convince Kaya to carry her bag once it started to get heavy. Smart girl that Kai.

On our way out the door

On our way to the Hansens

Chloe & Drew on a mission

Checking out the haul

Trace, Tor & Liv spent the week before Halloween in Kelowna so Trace & I tried our hand at getting some good photos of the girls together. While Liv was bright-eyed through it all, Mara just slept.

Liv is four days older than Mara, so no doubt more mature, but I think Mara is winning the weight class.

Weddings, Weigh-ins & Wonderwomen

A busy 2 weeks means lots of photo ops. It has taken me this long just to sort through the pictures.

First it was Kai's party & her birthday dinner with Bumpa, then Nana arrived for a week and made our lives gloriously easy by taking care of us AND our house. Our freezer is stocked with homemade food & our house is (okay, was) clean like never before.

Last week Jason & Maho arrived for their 2nd wedding on Oct.13 and Auntie Peggy stayed with us. Once again we were all spoiled as Peggy took care of everything around the house & helped me endlessly at the wedding. It turned out beautifully & after a few weeks of chaos and worry leading up to the ceremony, it was a great relief to see it all come together so beautifully.

Now we are looking forward to Grandma Sue's visit next week. The kids are brushing up on their manners - as both are just a little concerned to find out she is the inventor of the "thumping". I'm excitedly anticipating a week of good behaviour.

Mara had her 5 week check-up on Monday & it is evident we've got another rugby player in the making. She is almost 11 pounds and is just 21 inches long. She is two pounds heavier and 2 inches shorter than Kai was at 5 weeks! Oh boy.

Another portrait by Drew. Momma & Mara @ 3 weeks.
So much for being a Spaceman Ballerina - this kid has a ready-made career.

Big brother & Mara in her halloween garb @ 5 weeks.

Kai has rarely taken off her Supergirl costume since she got it.
She has slept in it twice.

A little excited about Kai's birthday cake.

?????

A perfect day for J&M's wedding in our Dad's backyard.

Jason, Maho, Drew & Kai on Sunday night

Mara's Welcome

Yesterday Mara & I were treated royally by the wonderful friends in our lives.

We were told to leave the house in the morning & when we returned Bobbi & Ang & Grant had transformed our house into a beautiful welcome party for Mara. All afternoon friends arrived and spoiled us with gifts & love. Then they got to eat Ang's creations & drink special coffees made by Lauren, a Starbucks barista (& Ang's sister-in-law) who came for the day just to make us all coffees!

The hard work & planning by Ang & Bobbi was unreal. We are truly blessed to have such great friends who were willing to do something this special for us. I can't thank them enough!

Mara slept through the party of course, but that didn't stop her from being cuddled & spoiled by everyone. I, on the other hand spent most of the day eating. Shocker!

Thanks to Ang for leaving leftovers too. Is it so bad to eat tarts & mousse for breakfast?

'M' is for Mara cookies

Bulbs for the guests to take & plant & think of Mara in the spring!

The spread

Everything was "baby" meaning eating 10 was okay

Just another table set up...Ang is a superstar

Ang makes the girls their own special drinks

Kai's glamtastic party

Em, Kai, Kendra & Maggie

8 little glamour girls

Birthday girl laps up the attention

They share a birthday !
Jaya & Mara get to 'meet' for the first time

Yesterday was a wonderful, early celebration for Kai's birthday. The girls loved the 'no boys allowed' dress-up lunch & the mums loved a chance to actually 'do lunch' (like our husbands think we already get to do everyday anyway). Kai was spoiled with Barbies, purses, dance bags, dvds, a tea set, etc. etc.etc.

And, here are a few more random shots. Someone in this house always has the camera in their grubby little hands. If DK aren't trying to bear hug their sister, they're taking her picture.

Drew & Mara
My obsession with little feet continues

Mara gets cozy in her gorgeous handmade blanket from Carma!

Another Drew shot! This kid is a natural!

Kai fills Mara in on the plot of her Strawberry Shortcake movie

What the?! A face only a mommy could love

Our first week

My mum always told me we'd have three kids. She would dismiss my certainty of feeling finished after having two children, always smirking, "Never mind that, you will have three." Thank god she was right.

Mara has fit into our family as if she has been here all along. There has been no adjustment, no awkward period of figuring each other out, just a pure and sweet presence that has been a rebirth to our spirits. Call it postpartum sappiness, I'm sure there is a little of that mixed in too, but she is nothing but a gentle gift to us and we are cherishing every minute.

This last week has been a busy one - there is no easy transition into this family even when you're a baby. After coming home from the hospital at a mature 24-hours old, it all went at breakneck speed from there. Mara has already survived her first birthday/costume party with 15 six-year-olds, a trip with me to Walmart (every baby's right of passage), a doctors appointment (she's 7 pounds and perfect), lots and lots of love and mauling from DK, and this afternoon at Davison Orchards. Through it all she sleeps and eats and is just happy to be around.

Mara's first bath at home

"We could put her in the swing...but no underducks yet, right Dad?"

"I think Mara is the best member of our family"

So tired out from...?

Drew's artistic view of "his girls"

Our family completed

Our sweet surprise is a perfect little girl, Mara Joan, born on Saturday evening. At just 6 pounds, 9 oz, it's hard to believe that she is the biggest of the three & almost a whole pound heavier than Drew was. She is such a tiny thing! She looks like both her big brother and sister...and a little like a grumpy old man.
More photos and details to come. We're just happy to be home already.
Safe & sound.

Last days of summer and...school!

Kai on the "miggery-ground"

Look familiar Grandpa & Grandma Nancy?

Just another friendly competition

We ventured to the IPE for the last weekend of the summer and spent the traditional fortune while the kids rode all of the rides and ate everything available on a stick. They were very patient in the hot sun & long line-ups - a lot more patient than Grant & I! Oh, the things we do for our kids...

Then Tuesday morning came & marked yet another milestone in our family. After spending all day Monday shopping with Dad, Drew eagerly set his new alarm clock, packed his lunch and his new backpack and went right to bed. He took all of his preparations very seriously. In the morning he woke up almost an hour before the alarm went off & was dressed and ready to go very early.

Up, dressed & having breakfast by 6:45

Of course, the obligatory front door photo

As we were leaving the house, this was our conversation:

Drew: Mum, from now on can you call me Big Grade One Boy?
Me: Sure bud.
Drew: (rolling eyes) Ummm....mum...
Me: Oh, sorry - my Big Grade One Boy.
Drew: Now that's the spirit!

Waiting, waiting, waiting

He was thrilled to see he was in the same class
with all his best buds from last year.
I pity their teacher!

And, on a less than exciting note...I am now 38 weeks and still waiting. Both Drew & Kai were born by this point, making me feel overdue when realistically I could have another 2 weeks left!

Lauren (2 days from due date), Jen & me (same due date - both with #3)

Savannah (Jen's daughter) & Kai, both about to become middle children

Kai gets a makeover at Savannah's birthday party