Christmas countdown...

Well it's almost Christmas and I'm starting to get a little bummed out because we are not going to Winnipeg this year for the holidays.  Sadly that's the reality of living in different cities as your family. Dan says we should drive but I get a little stressed just thinking about it! Two kids in a car for 15+ hours in winter?? Doesn't sound like the best idea. Flying around the holidays also sounds scary and expensive!

I am sitting at the Grey Nuns hospital craft show right now selling some paintings and the past few weekends I've also done some other shows.  It's been pretty successful which has been great! I also had a mom ask me if I could teach her daughter and friends to paint which sounds like a lot of fun. The more shows I do the more comfortable I am with sharing my work. I've also started using a bit of mixed media which has added a bit more variety and depth to each painting. More than anything, I'm just having fun doing it. Plus Dan is ridiculously supportive and willing to take care of both boys when I'm doing these shows. I'll be sure to post some pics of some latest paintings when I get the chance.

The boys continue to grow like weeds and I'm enjoying being a mom more and more everyday. Having Dan on parental leave has just been amazing. We make a good team and its nice to have such capable husband who can take care of both kids really well.

Lucas is a little rascal sometimes but he's still a pretty good kid and helpful with Nathan. He's also talking a ton which is cute but sometimes drives me a little crazy,not gonna lie! Like when we are in the car..."momma what's this song?" Or "momma look at the plane, the plane momma the plane!" Super cute but pretty distracting sometimes!

Nathan has been sleeping really well so we feel very lucky! He's still has the odd bad night but overall he is sleeping through the night. He's already getting such a personality and is so cute that even if I have to feed him at 5am it's a pleasure to see him. He's a pretty happy baby and is not really fussy. Yes, I'm very lucky!!

November flew by because I spent the majority of my days painting and just having fun with the kids. And with Dan on parental leave let's face it, everyday is Saturday :)

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.1

October...

This month has been crazy busy but wonderful! Nathan has been growing like a weed and is now at 11lbs 5 oz!! I can't believe he was only 6lbs 5oz when he was born. He is smiling a ton and is becoming more and more aware of what is around him.

Lucas continues to be a little character. It's amazing how much he is talking. I guess he overheard Dan and I saying that something was 9 bucks so now whenever we come back from the store he says "only 9 bucks mommy!" He has also been adding "like" into his conversations.... uh oh, I better work on this with him! Anyway he is hilarious, just like his dad. What is even more hilarious is watching them during swimming lessons- whore everyone is following the instructor and moving their kids gently on their backs, Dan has a kids lifesaver around his neck while throwing Lucas in the air as he laughs uncontrollably.

A really sad incident happened two days ago. The neighbor directly across the street from us had their house burn down. We literally watched it burn to the ground. It was terrifying. As the fire got bigger and bigger we started to really get nervous, grabbed both kids and headed out the door. I just can't imagine what the family is going through right now. I'm not a religious person and I'm not even sure if I believe in god but I have been feeling the urge to pray for this poor family. I think I might. They have a year old baby and a seven year old boy. We dropped off a couple bags of clothes for the baby. I just can't wrap my head around it all. To lose everything you own so quickly in a matter of minutes, is just unimaginable. Thank goodness the family made it out safe. Really that is all that matters. I feel so lucky right now.

Well November is around the corner and we are so excited about Halloween!!! I hope you are all well...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Nathan Alexander Spanu: born August 16th @ 10:04pm, 6.5lbs

A lot of you have been wondering about the past week and how everything unfolded after my last post. Well, here it is...

~We were officially called into the OR at about 9:30pm (after waiting in the case room since 11:30am!) and walked down to get ready for the C-section. What an experience that was. SO different from having natural labour. I had three different needles put into my spine and by the third I could no longer move. The surgery was going fine and I was doing my best to stay calm and all of a sudden I hear my obstetrician say, "Now the three of you have to get the butt out!" It felt like someone was jumping up and down on my chest and I couldn't catch my breath. I started to panic and cry, but thankfully Dan was there to calm me down. Then the next thing I know I hear that newborn cry- it had been so long since I heard that cry! Nathan came out at 10:04pm, weighing in at 6.5lbs. So of course, Dan and I are crying, the baby is being weighed, Dan is cutting the last part of the umbilical cord... a lot happens within that 20 min span! The hardest part is AFTER the baby comes out. The recovery part. The not being able to get up easily part. The regret of having too many cheeseburgers and trips to the Cheesecake Cafe part. The whoa I've got a lot of working out to do part... Ah, my favourite part ;) I can't complain though- look what I get: a healthy beautiful baby boy to add to my bunch!



~I quickly got to meet "Boy Mendoza" and he was shortly sent off to the ICN, where he was hooked up to machines to help him breathe. He also had to be tube fed and had an IV put in... needless to say, it was all awful to see. I couldn't actually go down and see him so Dan took pictures and reported back to me while I was in recovery. After two days in the ICN (now) Nathan was finally allowed to come into the room with me and we were sent home the next day. He was breathing on his own and was finally keeping milk down. He was doing great!

~We were sent home late Friday afternoon and that was it- our family was complete! Lucas met Nathan in the hospital and fell in love with him instantly. Every morning he comes out of his room and yells out "Brother, where are you?!" Then we have to (lovingly of course ha ha) shush him and tell him that he is sleeping. All he wants to do is kiss and hug him. He always says, "I hold it" (even though Dan keeps telling him that "it" is in fact a "him/he/brother" ha ha) and he puts his hands out and waits to hold him. And Lucas just stares at Nathan- he looks at him in such a protective way- when Nathan cries Lucas gets so worried and says, "No no, it's okay" and starts to look like he's going to cry himself. So sweet.



~I have to say though, that I do have the best husband in the world. Dan is on parental leave for 9 months and we make a good team. I couldn't have asked for a better dad for my kids. Dan has been so supportive, patient and helpful in every way. It has made this recovery from this C-section so much easier. I love hearing Dan and Lucas getting ready for breakfast together, while I'm upstairs with Nathan. They have such funny conversation and just play- it seems so simple, but Dan has perfected the art of play. Lucas adores his dad. Sorry about all this cheezy talk- not sure if it's the hormones speaking, but I just feel really lucky.

~Recovery for me has been okay. It's amazing how you forget how much you need your stomach muscles to do so many things like laughing, coughing, getting up from the couch! SO painful. Especially when Dan makes me laugh and I have to tell him to be serious, which is very hard for him :)



~So here we are, the Spandoza's at home together for the next 9 months! What an adventure I'm sure that will be!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

This morning I went for my fifth ultrasound and they found that I was running low on amniotic fluid so I had to call my doctor to see what this could mean. I ended up going straight to the Grey Nuns hospital where my obstetrician just happened to be delivering. Next thing I knew she was in the room and enthusiastically said, "C section.... you're having this baby....today!" Oh my. Not what I was expecting. But the baby is healthy and so am I. I had a feeling last night that something big was going to happen....

So here I am sitting at the hospital by myself waiting for Dan to come back with all the necessities. I will be here to recover for at least 72 hours they say so I had quite the list for Dan to follow!

This pregnancy has been quite eventful and honestly, if the baby is healthy I'm glad I get to meet him sooner! Last night as I waddled down the stairs I said to Dan- I don't think I can take it anymore! The weight on my feet, the swollen tingly hands, the sore back, bad skin, bleeding gums, sausage like toes and fingers... it has been rough physically to say the least.

I feel good. Restless and bored, but good. They went through the procedure and I thought I'd be scared but I know I'm in good hands! Dan is going to spend the night while Baba takes care of Lucas. Oh Lucas, what a reality check it will be for the little guy! For the past month or so I've been telling him that his baby brother is coming to our house soon and he seems to understand but I can imagine how weird it will be for him to have this little person come and steal the spotlight.

Well it's almost 3:30pm and the c section is scheduled for around 5 o clock!! I'll be sure to post pics and details ASAP! Good thing Dan finally took preggo pics of me last night!

UPDATE!

Whoa, it's been a long time so I thought I would post an update about summer so far...

~Art Walk was fantastic! The first day was slow and the weather was crappy, but I had my friend Kristen with me the whole day so it made it a bit easier to get through. My friends kept me company all weekend and fed me "healthy" treats (thanks for the mini donuts, Katie!). By the end of the weekend, I sold 10 of my paintings!!! Hey, my goal was to sell one, so I was pretty ecstatic. I met some really great artists who had amazing work. I think I'm going to do it again next year :) Dan basically took care of Lucas all weekend because each day I had to be there from 10-5 so I hardly got to see my peanut, which was the crappy part.

~AH, to be pregnant... days are getting harder and harder. Initially, we took Lucas out of daycare in June, but it was getting a bit stressful on me physically with just the two of us during the day so the daycare director so graciously found a place for Lucas. He is back for 3 weeks and his last day (again) will be on August 12. Then again, it's just the two of us! I love having him with me at home, but it's difficult to carry him up the stairs and chase around after him. Wish me luck!

~Last Thursday I thought I was going into labour. YUP. I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks off and on, but nothing too painful. But then all of a sudden they had become stronger and stronger- unbearable They were really close together and I could barely take it anymore. I started having flashbacks about my labour with Lucas, where I was telling myself: THERE'S NO FRIGGIN WAY I'M GOING TO DO THIS AGAIN!!! Okay, so I changed my mind and wanted another one... Anyway, I called my obstetrician and she told me to go to the hospital in case I was actually going into labour. After hours of being in the hospital and a ton of VERY uncomfortable tests done, they concluded that I should not be going into labour for another 2 weeks at least. How they can tell this, I don't know. One of the tests anyway.

So here I am, over 5 weeks to go. I'm almost ready. Sometimes I think- what have I done?! The days when I can barely walk because my feet are so swollen, when my back is aching, when I am waddling about, when the Braxton Hicks make me nauseous... but I know it will be worth it in the end. I can't wait to meet this little bugger that has been doing a circus act in my tummy :)

28 weeks

So I'm about 28 weeks and 2 days into this pregnancy and boy does it ever feel longer than that! I am feeling more exhausted by the day but most of all I-I-I.... I just want an ice cold beer. Ah, a Sleemans Cream Ale, an ice cold Moosehead- a Corona with a lime. I can only dream. At the beginning it was easy- I didn't want it at all. But now that it's beautiful outside and patios are open everywhere- it's just torture looking at cold beer in the fridge. Anyway I'm obviously fine- these are petty cravings of course, but man you don't realize how bad you want something until it's totally out of your reach. I refuse to even have a sip. Just seems like a mean tease. Whoa what a whiner!

Anyway I promise to get some pics up soon as everyone is wondering how huge I am ha ha!

As usual things are busy in the Spandoza house but good. We have a bunch of visitors coming which is really exciting!
Dan is still busy plugging away at the basement but we are so close we can taste it! I helped with some mudding and taping tonight but got pooped pretty quick!

Lucas' last day at daycare is quickly approaching and we are all sad about it. There is such a great team of people who have taken care of him, it's going to be hard to take him out! I'm looking forward to having Lucas at home with me but am a bit nervous seeing as I can barely put my own socks on much less chase around a toddler! It will be good though, ill just have to be creative and take lots of naps of course. He is talking so much, counting snd practicing his ABC's.... this is all happening too fast! Now I know why my mom called me her baby up until the age of 25- okay, she still calls me her baby and now I understand why :)

Update

For those of you who haven't found out yet, we are having another boy!!!! We found out a few weeks ago and are very excited. I think it would have been great to have a boy and a girl, but I'm looking forward to Lucas having a little brother. Just me and the boys! We keep telling Lucas that there's a baby inside Mommy's tummy and that he's going to be a big brother. Not sure if he gets it, but I think it's good to talk about it anyway. When I ask Lucas where the baby is, he says, "Inside Mommy tummy." Then he proceeds to lift shirt up and says, "open" and says, "hi baby" and pats my "big tummy" as he likes to call it. So cute. Well, maybe not so cute when we're in public and Lucas keeps wanting me to "open" my shirt, ha ha.

Our little peanut turned 2 on May 17th!! I can't believe it. We had a party for him at the Millwoods Rec Centre and it was awesome. It was an indoor playground and he had a bunch of friends come from daycare and a few kids from the mom's group who we have kept in contact with. It was so nice to see Lucas play with his friends and be independent, which we don't ever get to see. It was a great birthday and man, was Lucas pooped by the end. So were mom and dad :)

Dan is off to Ottawa for a almost 5 days for work, which I am dreading. I'm quickly getting bigger and bigger and feeling more and more uncomfortable everyday. It will be great to have some alone time with Lucas, but it will be hard because I get so physically exhausted doing the most simple things, like going up and down the flippin stairs! BUT, thank god Dan's mom is nearby. She is going to help me with driving Lucas to daycare, which is probably the most draining part because I'm working almost everyday next week. It's times like this where I realize how much Dan is such a great help and such an involved dad!

Summer is coming, we are taking Lucas out of daycare at the end of June, school (and therefore work) is ending, I'm getting bigger, anticipating this birth of this babe, we have renovations going on in our basement (Dan's been doing an awesome job!)...it's overall been very busy, but good!

Vegas Shmegas

Dan and I arrived late last night from Vegas. We were gone for 5 days and the whole purpose of our trip was to see the big boxing match at MGM Grand- Manny Pacquaio and Shane Mosley. It was our first time to Vegas and to be honest, I'm not sure that I'll be rushing back. During this trip I learned a few things...

1. You can smoke almost anywhere in Vegas. Including the friggin elevator and malls! I hate smoking. I also hate the fact that a lot of smokers feel like it's a right to be able to smoke anywhere- it's not, it's a priviledge. Nothing like walking around pregnant, in your own hotel, while gambling smokers blow smoke right in your face.

2. You can drink ANYWHERE. This includes shopping malls and in the streets. I think that even if I COULD have drank, it would have still been annoying. Just because you can drink freely doesn't mean you have to be obnoxious. I saw fresh 21 year olds stumbling drunk first thing in the morning, middle aged men acting like 18 year olds. You name it, I saw it. Hmm... maybe I'm just getting old :)

3. Americans feel the need to correct you when you ask for the "washroom." "Oh, you mean restroom? Right down the hall."

4. Just because your hotel's lobby looks ritzy doesn't mean your room will be. We stayed at the Monte Carlo and it was fine, but we had a moth problem in our first room, so bad that we had to be moved into another room. The lobby was deceiving with all of its chandeliers and shiny floors.

5. I know that people do it, but it was so hard to be away from Lucas for that long. Good thing his Baba took good care of him, but it's hard to leave him for that long when he doesn't really get where we are or if we really are going to come back.

Despite the smoke and annoying crowds, Dan and I had an awesome time. It was just what we needed- to totally be relaxed and just get away. We got to see Cirque de Soleil's 'O' which was amazing- the best one I've seen! We also saw this Filipino comedian named Rex Navarette, which was hilarious. We almost peed ourselves! Although Dan was one of the few non-Filipino's there, he got all the jokes and thought it was awesome.

It was great to be on vacation, but even better to be back home with my little guy. I kept him home from daycare today just so we could spend the day together. I don't know if I could leave him again! Man, I sound just like my mom ;)

Susan in the Oven

So, i think it's safe to share... we are having another little babe! Dan's mom has come up with the nickname Susan because she thinks it's a girl. I mean, i'm not actually going to name her Susan (if it is a girl, that is) but for now, we think it's a cute nickname. When we were pregnant with Lucas our friends called him Bun and we still called him that a few days after he was born. It was so weird to think- YOU'RE Bun? Can't wait to meet "Susan." We find out the sex on April 25 and i'm sure Dan and I won't be able to keep that to ourselves! We are very very excited that Lucas will have another little one to keep him company. I think he'll be a great big brother. This pregnancy has been a lot different than the first. I have felt awful longer, I am way more tired earlier on in the pregnancy and I feel like a whale. It's like I woke up one day and boom, my waistline expanded! I am feeling less nauseous as the days go on, which is reassuring! I am due on September 11 (dun dun dun...) by the way.

Also, it's official. I signed up for artwalk on Whyte. I seriously felt like i was going to puke when i while i was choosing my spot on the map. BUT, i did it- no turning back now! Although the other night i logged on, got my profile ready and decided to look at other people's work. I started to feel sick again. Everyone's work was amazing and looks so much more professional than mine. I don't know what I got myself into. Everyone was blabbing on about their galleries and studios.... it seems everyone knows what they are doing but me. Needless to say, i barely slept that night. Why i decided to look on the website before i climbed into bed, i don't know. oh well, maybe people will feel bad for old pregs and buy a painting from me?

Anyway, check it out- www.art-walk.ca/ and look under featured artists if you're interested.

Art Walk

So Edmonton has this thing every year called "Art Walk on Whyte" where artists from all over the city display s and sell their work. This got me thinking. I would like to do that. But do I have the confidence to do so, not sure. This past weekend I discussed the idea with my girlfriends and they said go for it, but there are a million excuses that I had...

1. I have no idea what I'm doing. I paint for fun- that is all. Well that and to have something decent to put on our walls. I don't call myself an "artist." Sounds pretentious. I'd almost feel like a fraud being part of the "artists" Art Walk.

2. I'm not trained in any way. I started painting out of interest and boredom. Basically when I was living in Ottawa my dear friend Marsha suggested we paint so we could "do something rather than drinking" ha ha. It worked. I fell in love.

3. I'm really critical of myself. I had anxiety about hanging one of my paintings in our washroom for god's sake.



4. Sometimes when I go to craft shows I think, "pfft, selling that for $200???"

5. Putting my art work on display outside of my own washroom is terrifying. Absolutely puts my stomach in knots. The thought of displaying my stuff for a crowd of people to see is like putting my heart on the sidewalk.

6. The set up will be a bitch. What if it rains? What if I get hungry? Who will watch my stuff? Ah, excuses, excuses...
BUT... I think...

1. It could just be fun.



2. Maybe someone would actually buy something? I can dream?

3. It will force to go out of my comfort zone.

4. Maybe I can meet other people who are just as scared and critical of their own work then me?!

Anyway, the deadline is in May and registration has started already. So, my plan is to make an official decision in the next couple weeks. Send me to do, or not to do vibes...

Hey Teach...

So, I've been working a ton this year and am realizing more and more that teaching is more than just math, language arts, science, etc. It's consumes you emotionally and you can't help but become attached to kids you see all the time.

Without mentioning any names or schools, I am going to share a situation with you. A little girl that I have known for quite some time confided in me and shared some disturbing information about her mom's boyfriend. He was charged with sexually abusing her last year and is now back in the home. The details that were shared were awful and I will never forget it. I reported the incident to the principal and she called it into Social Services. A social worker showed up a few days later after I had spoken to her and basically nothing happened. The little girl said that everything that she said was a lie (to her mom) and that now that she was in big trouble. She later admitted to lying to her mom about everything because she didn't want to make her mad again. This poor kid has to walk around lying for her mom. The worst part is that the social worker believed that she was lying and has basically left it at that.

I'm not only upset that this has happened, but really disgusted that there is nothing else that will be done. There needs to be a voice for these kids who are stuck in these situations. I've been thinking about getting into some child's advocacy organization or group. I just feel like I could be doing so much for than being a substitute teacher. I mean, you barely get any credit for being a "substitute" even if I am a certified teacher. We still get treated like we have no idea what we're doing. It's very frustrating and demeaning at times. Working with kids gets so personal and it's so emotionally draining. I know that my future is working with kids, but I just don't know exactly in what context...