Isla Beth

Isla is our newest addition. She joined our family last week, in the comfort and peace of our own home. She weighed and measured exactly the same as her sister (7lbs 11oz and 20") and she is just as perfect Cecelia was then. It was a smooth, safe and healthy delivery and we are overjoyed with her arrival. The last few days have been a blur of breastfeeding and healing and resting and snuggling. Having two girls has brought a new set of challenges to our lives, but take a look and I think you'll agree: we are very blessed.
(More of the birth story to follow - when my emotions are not so close to the surface.)

Cecelia's Party

Today we has a bunch of Cecelia's little friends over to celebrate her first birthday with us. I could just watch little ones play together forever, and today was a lot of fun. They were each a little skeptical of each other at first, but I think they were having a good time by the end of it!
Cecelia's already got all the birthday things down pat. She did a great job opening her presents, and had fun eating her cake, and even blew out her own candle.
Thanks so much to everyone who came and had a great time with us!

I have been a mother for a year

To be honest, I can believe that Cecelia is a year old. People have been asking me all week "can you believe Cecelia is one?" and I really can. What I can't believe is that I've been a mother for a year. I know that sounds crazy - let me back up.
I have watched Cecelia grow from nothing. For longer than a year now I have watched her grow from a microscopic seed, into a little girl. She has changed so much in the last year, and gone through so many adventures. Some of her highlights this year were learning to eat, to sleep, to open her eyes, to smile, to giggle, to sit up, to roll over, to eat solid foods, to communicate with sign language, to reach for people and to prefer certain people and things, to make connections, to crawl, to pull herself up, to tease and to play. In so many ways I can't believe she's only one. The first year of a child's life is an incredible journey, and they do it so naturally.
What I can't believe is that it's already been a year since I laid in that hospital bed and Eric and I fell so in love with that little girl. There is no feeling in the world like it, and I'm not even sure we will experience it the same way ever again. I know we will love all of our children the same - but do we now know what to expect? Becoming a parent for the first time has got to be an experience unlike any other, and it has given me a whole new perspective on life, on my own parents, and on my Heavenly Parents. I can't believe it's already been a year of that.
I have enjoyed being a mother, maybe more than anything else that I've ever done before. I fell into the roll immediately (although never perfectly) and have never looked back. One thing I love so much about motherhood is it's ability to shape and change all other aspects of my life - for the better - without me even noticing. I was worried about balancing life as a mother, and as all of the other things that I've enjoyed being in my life prior to. I now realise that the lessons learned and sacrifices made as a mother have changed me and helped me to become a better wife, a better daughter, a better sister, a better friend, a better teacher, and a better learner. It has taught me to give, to share, to love, to serve, to beg, to pray, to feel, to care and to endure in ways that nothing else ever could. I can't believe it's only been a year of that.
And so Cecelia Kate, on your first birthday I want you to know more than anything else how much I have enjoyed being your mother. I want you to know how much I have loved to serve and teach you all these days, and how I look forward to our years ahead. I want you to know that all that I am and I do and I give is because of my love for you. You will not understand that love until you get to experience it for yourself, but I hope that you have felt it each day this year, and will for each day of the rest of your life.

The song I sing to Cecelia each night before bed: 

You are my honeybunch, sugar plum, pumpie umpy umpkin

You're my sweetie pie. 

You're my cupy cake, gumdrop snookums snookums

You're the apple of my eye. 

And I love you so, and I want you to know

That I'll always be right here, 

And I love to sing sweet songs to you, 

because you are so dear.

Halifax for the Holidays

We made the trip to Halifax for Christmas this year. The plane ticket was a lot to swallow, but the trip was so so worth it. It was so great to see my family at Christmas time again. The last time I was home for the holidays was 4 years ago - Eric and I went the year we got engaged.
My family was beyond excited to see Cecelia again. May was a long time ago, and she was so small back then. She really didn't even do much when we saw them all last - she was just barely learning how to pick up toys and she hadn't even giggled yet. This trip was a whole different experience for them and for her. Haig was on his mission last time we visited, and so this was their first time meeting, which was pretty exciting. I enjoyed it all so much.
Here are some snapshots from the trip (aside from the Christmas festivities). Quite honestly, I wish I'd gotten some better quality shots on my actual camera, but to me it means I was really having a good time if I didn't even bother to dig it out. I'm not good enough at using it to just be able to point and shoot the perfect shot, so for those "in the moment" shots I used my iPhone. Thank goodness for my new phone.