according.to.kim

25 months of memories

Over the past couple of days, I've been copying all of my blog posts into documents that I'll archive on CD. I've written so much over the past 25 months and I couldn't bear to lose it -- especially everything I've recorded about the girls (not that I expect Typepad to crash or anything, but you never know). As I copied and pasted, I noticed so many things that put a smile on my face or made me laugh. Heck, it's even good to look at the tough times and see how things have changed for the better. I'm so glad I do this blogging thing.

Movies based on reality

I've been thinking about the movie United 93 that opened today. There was a lot of talk about it on the radio this morning. It's supposed to be very well done, but I'm not sure I want to see it--not anytime soon anyway. I think it would affect me pretty deeply. I actually got a little choked up just listening to John Gormley (local radio personality) talking about it (the flight, the circumstances, the people) today.

The only way I really cope with movies of tragic or disturbing content is to keep reminding myself that it isn't real, but of course, that's not gonna work with United 93. I'm sure I'd keep thinking about it and replaying it in my mind, in spite of myself, for a long time after seeing it. Monster affected me that way and it's based on a true story too. There's also a tragic scene in Walk the Line that kept sneaking into my thoughts for quite awhile after I saw that movie. I must say though that both of those movies were excellent. In fact, I'd like to see Walk the Line again and it's extremely rare for me to want to watch a movie more than once.

The TV saga

I mentioned that our main floor living room TV was in the repair shop for the third time in 18 months... Well, it was there for a full month: March 21 to April 21. Neil had called Visions (where we purchased it) and the repair shop about twice a week during that time. Finally, last Friday (the 21st), Neil called and was told they had decided to fix it rather than give us a new one (or credit toward a new one) and it was ready. (Why no one called to tell us it was ready is another issue!) They also said if it happens again, we'll get a new TV. Neil immediately went to the shop and picked it up. Well, wouldn't you know it, but a mere 48 hours later, the same problem happened again.

The TV has a built-in DVD player which was the source of the main problem (the TV itself had other annoying problems that were never fixed, such as turning itself off two seconds after you turned it on--oh yes, but it would stay on the second time you turned it on). The main problem was that the DVD player's region code setting would suddenly and inexplicably flip to Europe or something, so it couldn't read/play any of our DVDs (and it's not something we could change at home). That's what happened again on Sunday afternoon after we had used it to watch DVDs on Saturday and Sunday morning. So Neil took the TV back to the repair shop on Monday and despite several more phone calls to Visions, we still don't have a bloody TV!

To be continued.

(BTW, it's a Philips TV and Visions doesn't carry that brand anymore because they had so many problems.)

Another tooth!

Sophia lost another baby tooth tonight -- bottom left. She kept pushing it around with her tongue so it got really loose, then she accidentally pushed it right over with her finger. At that point, it had to come out, so she pulled it herself. She didn't want her picture taken again and I didn't push it because it was getting late. Our tooth fairy is leaving $2.00 per tooth. Neil heard the rate was $5.00 in Calgary but everything is cheaper here in Regina, right? (Well, maybe not gasoline.)

Here's a picture of Sophia taken yesterday:
I didn't think I'd have to make a "no food or drink" rule, but I did. Sophia wanted to eat her supper on the trampoline today. I think not.

Georgia at 3.5 months

At three and a half months, Georgia:

• smiles at herself in the mirror,
• smiles often at Sophia and Madeline,
• grasps objects (especially the Winkel),
• bats toys hanging from the floor gym,
• kicks and activates the crib toy,
• bears weight on her legs when held upright,
• is so incredibly patient while everyone is busy,
• has started trying to look around while eating,
• will stop eating just to look up and smile at me,
• has worn a little bald patch on the back of her head,
• has had a blocked tear duct in her left eye off and on for the past few weeks,
• cries very little except when she's in the tub, really hungry, or has become over-tired in the evening (that's a hard cry for just five to ten minutes before she goes to sleep), and
• goes to bed between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. and sleeps 11 or 12 hours every night (first, she sleeps for six to eight hours straight, then I feed her a couple of times before 8:00 a.m.).

The first baby tooth

My first baby lost her first baby tooth today:
It just fell out when she was eating this evening. We wrote a note to the tooth fairy asking her to leave the tooth behind.

BTW, she loves the trampoline (as if there was any doubt). And she was loving it just a bit too much when it was time to come in for supper. No surprise. That's life with Sophia.

Georgia & Madeline

I sure love taking pictures of my girls. I took these yesterday:
I love how Georgia's holding Madeline's finger in the last one.

I'm so excited!

We got the girls a trampoline! A nice, safe Spring Free Trampoline to be precise. We actually purchased it with the girls' own Christmas and birthday money saved up from the last few years -- so thanks again to everyone who gave them money in the past! I didn't consult Sophia and Madeline on the purchase, but I'm sure they'll agree it was a good use of their money. I really thought carefully about using their money on this and decided it was okay because we've been faithfully contributing to their education savings without ever drawing on their accounts.

I'd been wanting to get the girls a trampoline for awhile because I know they'll love it and it's great excercise, but I wasn't really sure since they use one at the farm whenever we're out there and I was concerned about the safety aspect. Well, when I saw this trampoline at Costco and learned how safe it is (especially in conjunction with a few strict rules -- one person at time and no flips of any kind), I decided to go for it. I also thought this would be a good year to have it because we're at home a lot. And hey, anything to get their little bodies out of the house and moving is a good thing!

Neil set up the trampoline this morning and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was. Madeline, Neil, and I have all tried it out and it's so much fun! Sophia's at the farm right now, so she doesn't even know about it yet. I can't wait for her to see it!

I think having this trampoline is going to be great. The girls will certainly enjoy it for many years to come. I'm sure I could use it to improve my fitness too. Sadly, my calf muscles were already aching within two minutes on the trampoline!

Guess who...

...didn't have a swimming lesson last night? (We learned there was no lesson after we arrived at the Lawson. She wouldn't put her clothes back on. And no, it wasn't that warm out.)

Georgia's cardio checkup

Georgia had an appointment with Dr. Kakadekar today which included an echocardiogram and ECG. She was SO good for both tests -- awake, but very quiet and pretty still. Georgia's heartrate was around 72-75 bpm throughout. Dr. K said her heart is functioning well and he has no concerns right now. Yay! She'll have another appointment like this in four months.

It had been over two months since we last saw a pediatric cardiologist. Considering the frequency of checkups earlier (before and after birth), our appointment today seemed long overdue. I was kind of anxious to know that everything was still okay with her heart. Four months will seem like a really long time, but I'm very glad Georgia is well enough that she doesn't need to be checked too frequently.

Georgia was weighed and measured at the hospital too. She weighs 5.95 kg or 13 lbs 1 oz, and is 61.5 cm or 24.25 inches long. She's gained half a pound over the past two weeks. No doubt that she's eating and gaining well!

A quick comparison:
Sophia was 13 lbs at ~ 2.5 months (birth weight 7 lbs 12 oz)
Madeline was 13 lbs at ~ 5 months (birth weight 6 lbs 4 oz)
Georgia was 13 lbs at 3.5 months (birth weight 7 lbs 4 oz)

Family fun photos

I made an album of photos from the past week. Take a look: Easter Week 2006.

I also took pictures of the scrapbook pages I made at Grandma's: Flodin/Nelson Scrapbook.

And here's a picture of Georgia I took yesterday:
I may have finally figured out the flash, exposure, and ISO on my camera! I read the manual about 18 months ago, but I think I really need to take a class. I had the settings rather messed up for the past few months.

Family fun week

Within the past week, we've been to Saskatoon, Yellow Grass, and Avonlea twice. We were visiting family, having fun, and acting as if we don't have a care in the world. A nice break from reality! Sophia is in the midst of a two-week break from preschool and swimming lessons, so it was a good time to get away. Here's a run down of the past week:

April 10
- We took Georgia for her third Holter monitor. The pediatric cardiologist (Dr. Kakadekar) will review her heart activity before our appointment with him on the 20th.
- All five of us went to Sophia's dance class. They're preparing to perform at Mosaic. Looking forward to seeing that!

April 11
- Neil went to Weyburn to pick up half a bison from the butcher. Our supply from last year was getting very low. It's great to have a freezer full of top-notch meat again -- especially as we head into grilling season. Mmmm!
- Late in the afternoon, Neil's Mom took Sophia and Madeline to the farm at Avonlea, while Neil, Georgia, and I headed to Saskatoon for a couple of days. Georgia slept the whole way. We went to see my Grandma Byrns and to rescue some very old photographs from yellowed and deteriorating magnetic album pages (they're full of acid and very bad for photos).
- Grandma recently moved to a brand-new retirement home with a beautiful view of the Saskatchewan River, 25th Street Bridge, and Kinsmen Park. We were able to stay in a furnished suite two floors down from Grandma. Nice!

April 12
- I enjoyed spending the whole day with my Grandma and working on a new scrapbook album for those precious photos. Neil and Georgia spent most of the time in Grandma's suite with us, but occasionally went to our suite for a nap.
- Grandma and I gathered and sorted photos dating from 1900 to 1949. Most of the photos were not accompanied by any written explanation, so it took some time to establish and record who was in the photos, as well as where and when they were taken. Once that was done, I was able to start putting the photos into lovely acid-free scapbook pages. I used photo corners because the photos are one-of-a-kind, and I hand-wrote the captions (still not entirely thrilled with that method, but I'm getting over it; I think). My scrapbooking friends will find this difficult to believe, but I completed 13 pages in about five hours. (Photos: Flodin/Nelson Scrapbook)
- There are 23 more pages to do, but all of the photos are ready, so it won't take too long to complete. It's like painting a room; preparation is at least half of the work. I left the album and photos at Grandma's, so I'll have to go again sometime (soon, I hope).
- In the evening, some of my relatives (Joel, Pat, Alison, Tanys, and Ellyn) came to Grandma's to visit and meet Georgia. It was great to see them; it's been way too long (almost three years)!

Our first conversation

Georgia and I were chatting this evening. As I talked to her, she cooed and squealed back at me for several minutes. She was on the verge of laughing a few times too. Oh, I love those baby sounds! I wanted to capture the moment and it would've been nice to record the sounds, but by the time I fetched my camera, she was finished chatting and had just one smile left. This was it. (I find it awfully difficult to get a good close-up photo in a dim room, but I like this one anyway.)

P.S. I haven't posted all week because we were busy and gone to Saskatoon. More about that later.

Three-month photos

I had a heck of a time trying to get pictures of Georgia without her hand in her mouth!

Georgia & the Geoducks T

This photo was taken three weeks ago (March 19):
I love that smile, but I also like this picture because Georgia is wearing the Geoducks ("goo-ee-ducks") t-shirt that my Aunt Chris gave us when Sophia was born. I love this top because it's so unusual, and I have pictures of all three girls wearing it.

Geoducks are large clams native to the Pacific north-west. Neil and I learned about them when we visited my Grandma Byrns at her home on Puget Sound in 1996. While walking on the beach in front of her house, we saw water shooting up through holes in the sand. Turns out it was geoducks squirting water from a few feet below the surface. I looked up "geoduck" on the internet recently and was surprised to learn that this odd creature is the mascot of Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington -- which is where this top must have come from originally. If you have a minute, you have to read and see this.

Geek-o-rama

(Just when you thought my rate of posting had slowed down considerably...)

Eighteen months ago, I wrote that I had to get some files off my two oldest computers once and for all. Well, I finally did it this week. Now I know exactly why I put it off for so long. It took me several hours to go through the files, reduce photo file sizes (remember diskettes? that's the only way I could transfer files to our latest computer), and erase my existence from the hard drives.

We had five Mac computers in this house. (I ♥ Macs*) Two were purchased second-hand from friends. I've been using Mac computers since 1993 and still had the first two I owned. Fine machines. I had them both up and running earlier this week and found some real gems, like a letter I had written to my Grandma in 1994 about what I was planning to do when I finished university. I had no job prospects at the time and was thinking of moving to the west coast. My how things have changed! (I wouldn't change a thing, in case you were wondering.)

Yesterday, we took those two old Macs and a printer down to eWaste Canada for disposal/ recycling. I took a picture of my old friends before we hauled them out to the van. Yup, that pretty much confirms my geek status. (By the way, that was a laser printer. LASER. Sure wish I could afford one of those now.) I'm glad that's done though. We certainly don't have room in this house for a lot of extra stuff.

*In case your browser doesn't show it, that's supposed to be a heart before "Macs". (Further evidence of my geekiness.)

I almost forgot

It's been two whole years since I started blogging! My first post was on 04-04-04.

I'm so glad I 'discovered' this medium back then. I love writing and posting pictures here, and I really appreciate all of the wonderful feedback I've received. Thanks everyone!

Georgia's checkup

Georgia is three months old today, and this morning had a routine checkup with our family doctor. She's doing well. Except for her heart rate, she appears to be a normal three-month old. She was very happy during the checkup and smiled at the doctor a few times. He said "she's beautiful" and "she's perfect". Music to my ears! What a nice guy.

Georgia weighs 5.7 kg or 12 lbs. 9 oz. (50th percentile) and is getting pretty tall. The nurse's hasty (i.e., not necessarily accurate) measurement was 24.75 inches. (My own measurement later was closer to 24 inches.)

It had been a full month since Georgia had any sort of appointment. A nice break. She has a few more coming up though. Holter monitor on April 10 and pediatric cardiologist (including an echocardiogram and ECG) on April 20. Then on May 3, she has immunizations and an appointment with the pediatrician.

Speaking of Georgia... she found her thumb last night. I had put the soother in her mouth and she sucked on it for a few seconds but then it fell out. She immediately put her hand up to her mouth, located her thumb, and started sucking vigorously. After a few seconds, she pulled it out and it made a really big smacking sound. (Even the smallest things are amusing to me!) I'm glad she can soothe herself, but I put the soother back in. I prefer the soother because I'll be able to take it away someday.

At loose ends

Last Monday the bomb dropped: Neil and his parents won't be farming anymore.

It has been a difficult couple of weeks for all of us. Many tears have been shed. When I had a few minutes last week, I jotted down my thoughts (see "Continue reading..." below). I'd like to change half of it now, but I won't. That's how I felt that day. I don't feel quite so well now.

Now there's a knot in my stomach that won't go away. I feel like I'm holding my breath much of the time. The stinking reality of the situation has sunk in. And if I feel this bad, it must be excruciating for Neil and his parents. I'm sure we have all experienced a wide range of emotions -- none of them good, except perhaps a tinge of relief (I may be the only one though). I can't even explain how it feels (I don't really want to), but this website does a pretty good job. Basically, it's a lot of grieving for many types of losses. On top of that, we're facing the fact that my maternity leave income is not enough to live on for the next nine months. There probably wouldn't have been enough income from the farm this year anyway, but for some strange reason, it's a hell of a lot easier to continue hoping (or pretending) there would be.

We are taking steps. We created a resume for Neil this week and sent it to a prospective employer today. It was a difficult first step, especially for Neil, and yet when I think of all that needs to happen with the farm over the following year, it seems like such a small thing. Many challenges lie ahead. I could go on and on, but I won't.

Instead, I give you my new favourite quote (which I just happened upon this week):

Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist, but also the ability to start over.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Georgia today

One of my favourites from a little photo session today.