  "If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies." ~ Nadine Stair |
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Swinging My Cares Away...   |
At Whytecliff
Park, Horseshoe Bay
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Scarlett's First Ever Bus Ride...  Her face says it all!!  Whoa!!! Buses Are So Cool!!  |
Life's So Bright
You Gotta Wear Shades!!
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Strolling Along
the Quay Over-looking the City of Vancouver
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Jumping on
Manholes...
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Scarlett
Enjoying a Sunday Ride...
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Play
Ball!!!
  Batter Up!  Rounding the bases...   She's a Natural... Homerun Hitter!! |
Finding Crabs Under the Rocks Along the Seashore...  |
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Storytime with Daddy...  |
 "Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known." ~ Winnie the Pooh |
Scarlett loves
her baby...
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Spring has Sprung & Life is "PUN"! I hope you have enjoyed all of the pictures!! Life really is "PUN" sometimes :) As is life, there are ups and downs and all arounds. Since the beginning of February we have been experiencing the "All Arounds"! Sometimes life holds, nurtures and blesses you and yet others it pushes, strangles and challenges you. Before regaling the sordid details of our recent "All Arounds" let me first, and most importantly, tell you this... Scarlett is phenomenal! Better than phenomenal! Just writing these words makes me smile. Nothing, truly nothing, prepared Frank and I for the blessing of this remarkable little girl. It really is true when someone uses the expression "See life through a child's eyes". Frank and I feel like we are seeing and experiencing life for the first time. Scarlett not only loves life, she IS life! We recently had an appointment with Scarlett's endocrinologist and I just about cried. I went into the appointment thinking the worst (I still worry every single day that this dream will poof away, it is really hard to overcome trauma such as we have endured the past six years), and the appointment was the breath of fresh air my lungs so needed. The doc said, "Sometimes as a physician it is important to pause and take a moment to appreciate a miracle of modern medicine and Scarlett is definitely that." Little by little, it is beginning to sink in that Scarlett is going to be okay, that she is going to live and that I don't need to be afraid to dream, wish and hope for her. Seeing Scarlett as the sweet little spitfire that she is should leave little doubt in my mind that she IS so very alive and so very happy, healthy, beautiful and brilliant. So get on with it, silly mommy... get on with it! Believe! Believe! Believe! Scarlett is now 2-1/2 years old and she is definitely her own unique, independent and determined little self. Her communication has just taken off, she mimics everything we say and do, has a single-word vocabulary of over 100 words and also still uses signing along with her speech. Many words she says are her own version and they are adorable (such as "Pun" for fun, "Bok" is milk, "Go-Go" is grandpa, "Mom-Mom" is grandma, "Coclit" is chocolate, "Tit-too" is thank-you, "Paba" is puzzle, and so many others - her little voice is adorable and I'll be sure to get some new videos up soon!). Her favourite words are "More" (says and signs), "Mess" (which of course she likes to make and say and yet doesn't want to clean up!), "Done", "Down", "Bok" (Milk) and "No!". There is rarely ever a time that we don't know what she wants or means. Her non-verbal expressive language speaks volumes when she has trouble finding the words. Scarlett loves the outdoors! Puddle-jumping is her absolute favourite activity and believe me there is a lot of that living here on the West Coast! The rain is relentless here, especially this time of year. I am longing for warm sunny summer days. Scarlett is now running (although her skinny little legs get a little wobbly at times, sometimes resulting in tearful falls but she soon bounces back and is as determined as ever to keep on going). Scarlett's strength is remarkable given all that she went through during her first year. Just remarkable. She wears her orthotics about 50% of the time and the other 50% she is running around in her barefeet (her ankles are getting stronger and stronger and it seems to be mostly her left ankle that turns in a bit but doesn't seem to hold her back one bit!). Scarlett is quite active with classes as well as just her 'normal' two year old mischief. She takes a Swimming class, Toddler Time class, Mother Goose class and her therapies are physiotherapy, speech and feeding. Scarlett is very social if she is comfortable. Most classes or social situations she starts off very timid and holds tight to either her daddy or me and once she is comfortable there is no stopping her, she gets right in there and becomes the life of the party (much like her daddy and I - just takes a bit of time and coaxing to get to that point). Scarlett's eating (I'm talking of course about solid food and not my boob factory) has been so encouraging the past few months. Amazing actually. She is now asking for food, saying "more" to food and experimenting and expanding her palate. She loves corn, cashews, peas, cheese, shreddies, wheaties, hamburger, spaghetti, raisins, bananas, apples (these are just some of her favourites, although she is eating pretty much everything we eat now). Oh ya, ketchup goes on pretty much everything! Scarlett loves ketchup!! The only area that is still a daily challenge is her fluid intake, I am still her main source of fluids. I would love to wean her as it is very challenging nursing an active 2-1/2 year old... in time, just like everything else with Scarlett she takes her time and when she is confident she goes full gusto! She is a girl who knows what she wants, when she wants it and how she's going to get it! She can drink from a cup as well as from a straw but as soon as she is thirsty she pushes the cup away and says "Bak" (while pointing to her chest - meaning of course mommy's milk!). And if I say "No Scarlett, let's have a drink from a cup." Her response is, "No! Bok! No! Bok!". Then if I say no again, her response is a total meltdown, throwing her head and arms down in despair. And since I don't like Scarlett's tears and because I'm a big softy and give in very very easily, so bok it is. Okay, now that I have shared with you the intimacies of my body, let's move on shall we... There really is so much I could write about Scarlett!! Everything, and I mean everything, about her is a heaven-sent miracle! Scarlett IS Pun! As for other areas of our life, which pale in comparison to Scarlett of course, we've been "All-Around" and "Back Again". We are currently living with Frank's parents (since February 3rd actually) and are hoping, wishing and praying to find a new home soon. We hadn't planned on having to move and we certainly hadn't planned on moving back home with the parents (I'm sure not many children in their mid-to-late thirties do!). And those of you who know Frank and I, you know that we have moved A LOT! A LOT LOT! No, I mean A LOT!! And we certainly weren't wanting to move any time soon! We were comfortable where we were (not the home of our dreams but comfortable none-the-less). We were renting a basement suite in a seemingly friendly, family-oriented neighbourhood....that is until February 3rd (two days before what would be Chloe's 7th birthday ~ Feb 5th ~ I can't believe my first baby would have been 7 this year! It devastates me to even think about it). Definitely a crappy time for anything crappy to happen and crappy is just what we got! ... Long story short, we awoke from a deep slumber to a pounding on our door at 1:17am on Sunday (the knocking was more of a frantic very LOUD pounding! BANG! BANG! BANG!). I didn't want Frank to answer it because I thought it was just the partiers upstairs goofing off (we were used to the young guy upstairs having parties on weekends). The pounding on the door wouldn't go away, Frank said he had to answer. When he asked who it was the response was "Vancouver Police, Open Up!". Frank opened up and there waiting outside were more cops than we'd ever seen in one place. "Sir, you and your family will have to come for a ride in our police cruiser down to the station for questioning. There has been a homicide." Apparently one of the party-goers from upstairs was shot in the head as he stepped out of the house (the very same house that we lived in the the downstairs of!). The police told us it was gang-related and that he was known to police. Little did we know that as we slept a 19 year old kid was shot dead (we slept through it all) on the front step of the home we were living in. This is a crazy world we live in. Children are killing children over drugs. Whose children are these? What went wrong where? (Sometimes I become so scared about Scarlett's future and some of the craziness that goes on in this world - I want her world to be seen through rose-coloured glasses - always and forever! I want to protect her from all and everything! I never want her to worry, to hurt, or to see some of the ugliness in the world). An even longer story shorter, we went for a ride in the police car to the station (Scarlett's first ride in a cop car, actually it was a first for all three of us). The funny thing about this was that I was so concerned about Scarlett riding without her car seat, they told us the whole property was a crime scene and that we couldn't take her car seat but they promised that Scarlett would have the safest ride into town in the back of their car. I wanted to trust them but I still felt very weird about riding with her on my lap in the back of the cop car. We were breaking the law in their very own car. So we got to the station at about 2:30am and gave our statements (not much of a statement when you have slept through everything), then the police drove us to Frank's parents (who were fast asleep of course and were more than a little alarmed to see us with police escorts). So here we are at Frank's parents, we have been here ever since that night. Our old home became a crime scene and we have never looked back. All of our belongings are now in storage waiting for a new place to call home. We have been having a very difficult time finding reasonable housing in Vancouver, unfortunately we live in one of the priciest cities in the world. So until we find somewhere nice, reasonable and safe we'll be at Scarlett's Go-Go and Mom-Moms'. It has been so strange to be living the past couple of months without our belongings, without Scarlett's adorable little room, her cozy little bed... I miss having a home :( On the other hand, Frank's parents have been a god-send, I can't imagine how we would have made it through the past couple of months without them. And how great it has been seeing Scarlett enjoy being spoiled by her Go-Go and Mom-Mom. So our next order of business is to find a home, settle in and enjoy our sweet little girl! Can't we just get on with our 'normal' life already?? Please? Love to you all, Lisa, Frank & Scarlett xoxoxoxoxx Kisses to Chloe xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx We love you so much sweetheart xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Oh if only to touch your soft pink cheek, kiss your sweet pouty lips, and cuddle your pudgy little body for one more moment... and another... and another. Thank you for all that has been possible because you blessed us with your heart and soul. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxx |
Scarlett's
First Salon Haircut!
  She was not pleased!    However, she was very happy once we got home!! |
Very Special Visit with our Very Special Friends...  Our dear friend Sandy & Scarlett  Duncan & Scarlett making funny faces at suppertime!  We had a phenomenal time!! |
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Bear Bum!  |
Click
on Bunny Baby to Bounce into Summer...