January

We had a great start into the new year with friends and family!! And considering the weather has been so warm so far, the kids have enjoyed many adventures outside! One adventure we're hoping is over is the return of the wolf. . . . and the latest was on our deck looking into our front window, just a little scary! But also a very unique experience. We are cautious and won't take any foolish chances, but seeing a wolf has been thrilling for our kids too. Shawn Enns shot one a couple weeks ago and the kids were so excited to see it's body (it did NOT look grotesque or bloody)!

Chloe continues to get better at skating and loves doing it! We've started Homeschooling Chloe, she is learning so quick and we're starting to get a groove with what works and what doesn't, so hopefully by Grade 1 next year, we will know more what to expect and what works! One of my favorite things she does is we learned the continents to the tune of "Do you know the Muffin Man?" But it's "Do you know your Continents?" And hearing her singing it for fun all the time is great. Even Goober knows all the words to that song now! She is drawing great pictures with people, houses and snowmen! I love seeing her pictures!
With the weather being so nice, Natasha will play outside for about an hour, which for her is a REALLY long time and she has a blast just puttering around, climbing and their latest is taking their blue disc and sliding down our front steps :)I've also put up a picture of her eating soup (with adorable angel wings) and the reason this is so significant is that we have struggled with getting her to eat for so long, and after many unsuccessful attempts at getting her to eat, we took some great advice and just left her alone with whatever food was for that meal on her plate. We didn't argue or make her take any bites and she has gradually started eating on her own. Soup was something she wouldn't even touch and she finished her whole bowl! So this picture is pretty special!
Our baby is growing and gets more active as time goes on, I love feeling the movement! We just had our ultrasound done this past thursday and just seeing all the parts of the baby and seeing movement was wonderful! During the ultrasound, our baby refused to turn so the tech could get a picture of the right side of the heart, he tried for a long time and there was nothing doing! Which means there's a possibility I could go for another one if my Dr feels it's necessary to get that angle, and for me, I'm excited at the prospect of seeing the baby again! But we'll just have to wait to find out. The nursery is coming together in my head, and we also had a family member give us an awesome fire engine red, low, wide chair upholstered in crushed velvet and it fits with the nursery decor perfectly!!! Already Chloe and Natasha claimed it as their reading chair, it's wide enough for three kids to sit on it and low enough that it's not a big climb! I'm so stoked about that :) We just need to pick paint for the walls and once that's done we can start setting it all up! It's going to be so fun to see it transform from the girls room - playroom - nursery. Sometimes it's still hard to believe that we're having another baby. . . . .but what a joy it's bringing. I'm hoping it won't be long before Chloe and Natasha can feel the baby moving. They've heard the baby's heartbeat at at regular Dr's appt, and the blips of when the baby moved. . .they thought it was so funny, which made me laugh and then there was no hope of hearing the heartbeat after that! I really want them to feel like their a part of this pregnancy and that it's special for them too! Let's just hope at the next appt, I won't laugh :)We'll see. . . :D