Did you notice I haven't posted in five months?

So, is it just me, or did you notice I haven't posted in five months? It's because I got pregnant. So sick, so very tired! Bring back any good memories, ladies?

I had all these good intentions of taking a picture of my belly each month...but only got one shot at 4 weeks. Thankfully, Melissa has agreed to take some prego pictures in a couple of months.

We only went to two parks this summer, far from my goal of...well, more than two. However, we definitely ate more than two PB&J sandwiches.


But we made it through!! The tiredness hasn't disappeared, but has waned for the time being. The sickness is gone. And I'm so thankful to God to say that this has been the easiest pregnancy thus far. So thanks for your prayers, if you offered them on my behalf!


Now we are at 18 weeks, with an ultrasound next week, but it doesn't really feel much different yet. I mean, I can still put on my own shoes and sleep on my back, so I can't complain too much! Although I really put in a good try when I don't get a good night's sleep.


I'll try to post more often, but can't promise much. Besides cup of coffee and a hug, if you need it.


I'll entice you back with a picture of my new Mom van...the good ole' Sidekick had to go in favour of a vehicle with more seats. I love it!



See you Soon!

Things I Thought I Knew

It has been almost a year since my baby boy was born! This year has gone by very fast, just like the cliches say. It has been a humbling time, especially in the past few months. What is it about kids that humble us so much? Maybe that they reveal our inadequacies.

So, in honour of my inadequacies, and in the name of learning, here is my list of things "I Thought I Knew For Sure":

• All babies should sleep through the night before six months. If they don't, it's the parent's fault.


• Never, ever nurse your baby to sleep. No one wants to be a human pacifier.


• Stop rocking your baby to sleep after the first month. Otherwise, you'll be trapped into rocking them until they outweigh you.


• Children must be clean and well-matched.


• What others' think can make or break your reputation or day, and this is important.


• My house should be clean and tidy at most times. This is closely linked to my worth as a mother and wife.


• Dinner should be made by the time the husband gets home, and everyone should enjoy it.

What I Actually Know Now:

• Once a baby starts to sleep through the night, they may stop. Many times. And sometimes, you're just too tired to give a crap.


• Nursing your baby to sleep isn't as bad as it sounds. In fact, it's kind of nice. Seriously, the sleeping baby is pretty precious and it doesn't last long.


• See previous answer. And shapely arms are always attractive.


• Children might be cuter when they're clean and well-matched, but boy, that energy is better spent elsewhere most of the time. Like making dinner. Or cleaning the house. Oh wait...


• A clean house and enjoyable dinner may not be all it's cracked up to be. I mean, what is the cost to your sanity? Plus, I'll have alot of time with a very clean house and gourmet meals when my kids are older. If I have a maid, that is.


• And last, but certainly not least, you have no idea what others' think, and it's a complete waste of energy to try to guess. My self-worth is found in Christ, as all I have and am, all my talents are from Him.

The End

He speaks

Andrew often brings Lincoln into bed with us in the morning, as I'm half-awake, and can't seem to move before 7 am.

As Lincoln begins to wake up, he rolled over, looked at Andrew, and said: "Dad. Hi, Dad."

Andrew calmly replied: "Hi, Lincoln."

Seriously, it's just too cute! I couldn't believe it.

I haven't had the energy put towards posting lately, but I would like to add that we did try another park about two weeks ago, and took pictures and everything! So I will add another pb&j to the list, but may cheat by not writing about it. =)

Fair Trade?

Okay, okay, I know it's good to only try to change one thing at a time in life, but I can't help it. I've previously blogged about my new fascination with organic body products, now I'm learning about fair trade items.

I was in my doctor's office yesterday, and there is an ad talking about slavery - mainly, that there are more slaves today than ever before in history. I find that crazy. And, it's due to my love of chocolate. Okay, maybe not directly my love of chocolate, but more due to our Western culture's demand for cheap items, the price of cocoa plummeting, and corruption in different levels in the country itself.

Of course, there are different types of slavery, trafficking and all of that, but the ones that directly impact me in my day-to-day consumption is coffee and chocolate. These are the ones I can change today by making different shopping choices, anyways!

The facts:

• Close to 14 million people, in over 30 countries, depend on cocoa production, mainly grown in the tropical regions of of the global South - West Africa (the Ivory Coast)
• 90% of the world's cocoa is grown on family-owned farms
• Cocoa farmers work with intermediaries, who pay only a fraction of the cost of the actual value of the crop, and have limited access to information on how much their crop is worth.
• The value of cocoa has plummeted, leading to an increase in child and slave labour.

There are many more statistics out there, but I have a 10-month-old screaming in my ear, so I'll have to make this quick.

Basically, I am endeavouring to buy my coffee and chocolate made by providers with the Fair-Trade logo and certification. It will cost more. But this is one area where I have no second-thoughts: I believe God wants me to protect the dignity of human life. And this is one very easy way to do it. I trust that God will provide for my needs if I walk in His ways.

'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your way acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight'. Proverbs 3:5-6

Link to Transfair Canada for way more information: http://transfair.ca/en

Summer plans

I have decided to term this summer the "Summer to Visit Parks We've Never Seen". Good, cheap fun while enjoying my babies' younger years. So, I will endeavour to discover parks in the Lower Mainland and visit them on the down days in the week.

Today's visit was to Port Kells Park. About 3 minutes from our house, we've passed this park many times enroute to the highway. Kate was very excited as we packed up our picnic lunch and headed out.

As we pulled in to the parking lot, there was one lone car with a scary-looking man inside talking on his cell phone, and two moms walking away from the park. "Come back!" I think, as I wonder if I'm interrupting some sort of sordid drug deal.

I brave on, take Kate to see the empty pool ("Must need to be fixed", she says), and check out the rambling playground. This playground was clearly past its prime, constructed in the days of lead paint and wooden play structures. While watching over my shoulder for persons of questionable nature, we did the swings, played "Troll Bridge" and enjoyed the see-saw. Lincoln ate sand. All the while, I'm pretty sure there were unmentionable activities going on in different sections of the park. It was just that type of place. I had to stop myself from bolting - if my mother is reading this, she will be horrified that I didn't high-tail it out of there within the first 60 seconds.

As we sat down to our picnic lunch (pb & j, of course), another vehicle pulled in - I've never been so happy to see City of Surrey workers.

I ask Kate if she liked this park.

"It's a little short, Mom." Hmm...good thought, Kate. Short of something, but I'm not sure what.

Score? 2 out of 10. And that's only because I didn't find any needles in the grass.

Andrea saves the universe!

These days, I have a new fascination with things natural and toxin-free. Credit it to my good friend, Kristy, who is a Norwex salesperson - although not a pushy one - but knows all the good stuff to know.

Not only that, but I have a urge to purchase my fruit & veg from local farmers, so I have been on that hunt for a good farm market. Turns out, the market right across from the Superstore will soon be all local produce, which makes my life easier. Although it may make for a two-day grocery shop experience, depending on how long it takes for me to get through the Superstore with two kids.

So, I have purchased my anti-bac cloth, dust mitt and window cloth from Kristy/Norwex (all to clean without the use of chemicals). Now I am looking around for body products (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc) that do not contain parabens or SLS. Burt's Bees and Nature's Baby are the forerunners, but I'm not sure if they're worth the extra money. Part of me says, "Hey, we're all going to die one day, right?" And although there is valid concern regarding the harm of these ingredients, there is also little actual research to show their link to cancers, etc.

Deep down, it rings true to me that the less ingredients in an item, the better it probably is for you.

The real question is: why the sudden interest in these things? Maybe now that I'm healing from my post-partum depression, I need something else to worry about! Isn't it funny how our minds can work?

Anyways, I would love some feedback from anyone on these issues!

Have a great, sunny day!

Jobs I have to do that bother me daily, but I don't have the time or energy to do:

• Dust light fixtures and bedroom
• Vacuum stairs and upstairs
• Weed front garden (it is a ridiculous jungle out there)

I feel a bit better now. Writing them down is the first step, right?

Conversations with God over Coffee

In my experience, I don't always know when God is speaking to me. Is it just me? Is it God? Is it a combination of factors? However, I am trying to develop more of a conversational relationship with Jesus - speaking to Him as a friend that is literally with me. Just reading that over sounds a bit crazy, but I know some of you may understand.

To backtrack a bit, I had a bit of a freakout at the Superstore over the pricematching of butter chicken sauce. I've been on a coupon-craze, trying to save money on groceries. Which tends to make me a bit of a jerk sometimes; I forget to be grateful for what I have. After a harrowing trip through the renovated layout of Superstore, I had a bit of an altercation with a cashier supervisor who did not want to honour the pricematching on the aforementioned butter chicken sauce. I was all riled up: I phoned a girlfriend to be affirmed in my rage, I started and stopped writing an email to the store, I phoned the store itself to be put through to a manager, and then hung up because I was afraid I would get the same supervisor that I had talked to.

All throughout my righteous rage, I couldn't help but think: I hope she doesn't come to church one day, see me and think, "Oh, yeah, these Christians. They're such hypocrites."

The next morning, I was sipping my coffee, staring out the kitchen window and warming my feet on my favourite spot, the heating vent at the bottom of the cupboards, thinking of the situation:

"Oh well," I thought to God, "nothing I can do about it now."

You could apologize

"Oh no. There is no way I am going to the Superstore, dragging my kids out of the car and searching the Superstore for this lady. It would be way to.."

Humbling?

"Yes, humbling."

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God.

I went to check my email. Then I thought about the wisdom of disobeying the God of the universe. So I said:

"Ok. I have to be out of the house by 9:40am this morning to make it to music class. Kate & I both have to shower and I have to get everyone dressed and out the door. If you want me to go to the Superstore first, God, you're going to have to make us get ready in a hurry."

It was 8:35am. At 9:25am, I walked down the stairs with two fully clothed children, and looked at the clock.

"Guess I'm going to the Superstore."

So off I went, dragged both kids out of the car, and began searching the cashiers for the mystery anti-pricematching-cashier. All along, Kate is asking, "Mommy, what are we doing here?" "Just looking for someone, Kate."

I was comforting myself with the thought that I could simply search for the cashier next time, knowing that it was likely I would talk myself out of this craziness. I walked passed the podium where a cashier supervisor was working.

"Um, excuse me, I'm looking for someone who was working yesterday. Dark hair. Cashier, probably a supervisor. Maybe her name is Karen?"

"Yep, she's on till 5."

"Hmmm, no, not the right person. Anyone else you could think of?"

After some searching, "Susan*. She was working cash yesterday at about 1:00. I'll call her."

"Oh no, it's OK, I'll go find her. What department?"

"Oh, she works in the office. She's our boss." Calls Susan. Susan wonders who the heck wants to see her, and why she's being called downstairs by some psycho customer. She comes down.

"Hi Susan, I don't know if you remember me. I'm the crazy butter-chicken pricematching lady from yesterday. I just really felt like I needed to apologize for the incident yesterday. I was feeling quite stressed out, and I felt that I could've communicated my thoughts in a more positive way. "

"Oh. Well, I should've just given you the pricematch. If you have any problems in the future, just ask for me, and I'll help you."

Thank you and have a nice day on both sides.

I walked away from my God-directed experience and thought, "Well, I don't know what that was about, but there you are, God."

So I am on a journey on learning to hear from God. I hope to really know one day definitively how to know if I'm hearing from God, or just being me. But I'm going forward with the knowledge that I am going to keep trying to be a friend with Jesus, and see what lays ahead.

*names changed for protection of identity. =)

Alert, Alert!

Free Mars chocolate bar on http://www.save.ca/

Yum!

Why the see-through undies?

http://www.reebok.com/CA/

Click on the link above, and on the home page, scroll through the pictures until you find the ad for the Reetone, Easytone.

Is it just me, or is this lady wearing see-through underwear? I mean, why? Do they think it will entice me to purchase these shoes?

I'm not stupid. I know I will never look like this lady. I could limit my sleep to 2 hours a night, and spend the rest of the time walking in those shoes, and I promise my butt will not look like her. I know this.

Maybe they're hoping that husbands/significant others will see this ad, and purchase the shoes for us. In which case, I've got to tell you, I don't know how well that would go over. I can hear the conversation now:

"Look honey, I've bought you a gift!"
"Oh, thank you!" rustle, rustle
"Oh. Runners. Thanks."
"Oh, you don't understand, these runners will make your butt and thighs look tight, smooth, and tanned."
"You mean you don't like my butt?"
"Well, I don't mean that."
"What do you mean?"
"Well the lady in the ad looked good."
"Oh. Really. Well, the lady in the ad didn't bear you two children."

Not that my husband would ever compare me to that woman. I know he does love me for me, which is a very freeing feeling.

So, seeing as husbands will not be purchasing these shoes, and women know they will never actually look like the woman in the ad, why the see-through underwear?!

31 cent scoop night!

I was going to blog, but I just saw it's 31 cent scoop night at Baskin Robbins. See ya!

And then he bit me.

April 20th

03:00 hours: #2 wakes from his slumber, whining and squawking like a little bird.

05:30 hours: #2 is lulled to sleep by his mothers' breast, lying in bed. Mother has waved white flag and surrendered.

07:00 hours: #1 is woken from slumber early by some act of Satan.

Fast forward approximately 12 hours

20:00 hours: #2 falls perfectly asleep at care group meeting. Father is in charge of #1. Mother has cup of coffee and cake.

20:45 hours: #2 awakens from perfect slumber, and refuses to retire. #1, who is in same room, insists on asking for snack and water, making #2 wake completely from state of semi-slumber.

22:00 hours: After putting #1 back in bed twice, and #2 being awake since the beginning of time, the Briscoe's travel home from care group meeting.

22:15 hours: MB (aka Mama Briscoe) is bitten on the shoulder by teething #2, and she cries. Cries like she hasn't since approximately eight months ago, during the exiting process of #2, between shouts of "This is the worst moment of my life!".



Thank goodness God's mercies are new every moment, and He gives me the strength, love and patience for each new day.

'Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him'

Psalm 127:3

A Glimpse of a Summer to Come

I just love campfires and roasting marshmallows. I would have to say it's one of my favourite parts of summer. Mmm, and the ice cream. And the smell of sunscreen.

I am not a huge fan of the heat, today was about as hot as I like it. Searing memories of the heat of last summer (being 9 months pregnant with Lincoln) have really scarred me. But there is really something special about staying up really late, hearing the ice cream trucks roaming the neighbourhood, the sound of a lawn mower and the warmth of the sun on your face.

Until the streams of sweat make their way down your back.

To end on a positive note, (sometimes I come off as glass-half-empty, and I really don't think I am!), I am now on a mission to plan a summertime camping trip for my family. Possible sites include: Cultus, Whatcom Lake, Deception Pass, and other places that I can't remember because I've misplaced my list. I can already taste the s'mores and smell the smoke in my hair!

Have a great Monday, my friends!

A Published Author

Today I accidentally became a published author:

http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/surreyleader/opinion/letters/90763679.html

I submitted an email to the paper this weekend, and forgot about it. I guess I pressed the 'Comment to the Editor' heading....oops! I found it in the 'Comments' section in the paper this morning!

hee, hee.

How do sweet potatoes have voices?

Right now there is a sweet potato sitting on my island, waiting to be peeled, cut and steamed in order to 'fork mash' it to the perfect consistency appropriate for an 8-month-old. It calls to me 'Psst, Andrea. Remember me? You bought me two weeks ago in a vain attempt to make get on the healthy mama train with Lincoln. Instead of sitting down, take care of me.' And right now, I just don't want to take care of anyone else, vegetable or human.

On a completely different vein, I had an interesting thought yesterday. I am often hard on myself regarding my parenting, as I tend to want to be out of the house alot, and have a hard time sitting down and doing craft time or dolls or passing the ball with my kids. I prefer the wonderful outside world of shopping and restaurants and visiting other mamas. I have been trying to bring this into balance over the past several months.

But yesterday, I took the kids, drove out to Horseshoe Bay, and went on the 9:20 (am) ferry to Sechelt to visit my longest-time friend, Melissa and her new baby, Judah. And I thought to myself "Maybe being spontaneous isn't such a bad thing." Not all mamas are comfortable taking an outing like that on their own with two young kids. And because of my nature, they are going to have lots of cool experiences in the outside world that my pals with the 'homebody' nature may not. And I don't mean that in an offensive way - there is much good to say about staying home and just being with your kids. I just realized for the first time that perhaps my personality didn't need a huge adjustment, just my outlook on it.

My Group

Right now I should be getting on with my homework from my counsellor, which includes six modules of information on perfectionism. For now, I am procrastinating/being in heaven by surfing the net on my laptop in Starbucks. Sigh...heavenly.

Later tonight I will be attending my postpartum depression support group, or as I tell Kate, the 'Group Where Mommy Talks about her Feelings'. I am still not convinced of the benefits of this group, besides the fact that it's an excuse to have some time to myself and get a cup of coffee while moaning about the woes of motherhood...OK, only some of that is true. It do deeply appreciate the chance to connect with other woman who have some of the same deep, troubling emotional experiences as me - panic attacks, 'desocialization', anger, anxiety. As I see other fantastic women around me give birth and parent, it's hard not to play the comparison game - are my kids eating healthy enough? why didn't I feel love for my kids immediately when they were born? why do I still feel trapped at the thought of being alone with them in the house on a rainy evening? So although many mamas can sympathize with me, and I have many supports out there, these particular crazy-mamas can truly empathize with me.

And for that I am thankful.

Also, my instructor is HILARIOUS! Half-new-agy, half-Christian, labyrinth-making, playdough-bringing, auroa-reading hilarious. Which means that, in fact, she's not trying to be hilarious at all, but bringing what she sees as helpful to our little table of six. Here's hoping that this evening will bring another chance to look into someone's else view for a moment, and maybe pass on a little of the Jesus view to them.

You may wonder...

Why I have a picture of myself looking extremely happy with my Christmas stocking on my home page - it's because it's the only picture I can find of just myself. And this sums up my existence in the past few years.

Don't get me wrong, I love my kids. If anyone hurts them, throws sand at them, pushes them on the slide, watch out, Mama's comin'. However, there's still a part of myself that is exhausted by my own existence...I mean, just the list of stuff that I 'should' be doing in a day is overwhelming in itself. Any mamas out there know it: get up to sound of baby crying, bring baby back to bed to feed him, pray that he goes back to sleep (why, oh why does he love the 7o'clock hour so much?), feel guilty that you always want more sleep, run to the bathroom and pray that baby doesn't fall off the bed...and this is before the 2nd kid even wakes up and wants to watch TV immediately, bringing on another round of the big monster Guilty Guilt.

What encouragement do I find in this? Why do we do this?

1) We are raising an eternal soul. Hear that, people? An eternal soul. That's right. People can't say that about their cats...although that's another issue all together.

2) The hugs. Seriously, having kids is a dream if your love language is 'physical touch'.

3) It makes me rely on God each moment. This is so far beyond my abilities.

4) What else am I going to do with my life? This seemed like a good way to use it.

Anyone else out there have any fantastic reasons to add to my list? My group leader says it's important to have a 'gratitude list'...I'll have to explain that one more another time. The oven timer calls, quiche is ready. And I don't want to hear all the bad nutritional facts on quiche, it has broccoli in it, OK?!