Food Poisoning

I don't have much to write because the past week has been uneventful around here due to the fact that I had food poisoning. I haven't been this sick since the Norwalk virus when I was pregnant with Hallie. It started last Friday night and I am still feeling the effects of it today. Not good.

I have to say though that Hallie has been a good support through it all. She has given me many many back massages and has even offered to hold my hand while I'm busy on the toilet!! Today she came in there while I was using the facilities and I told her that I was sick. She went into her room and grabbed her little chair, brought it into the bathroom and sat down right in front of me. She said "I'll be right here if you need me Mom". Then she proceeded to tell me that "pooping is easy mom, you just have to go like this...(at which point she groaned as if she was trying to go herself)" She handed me toilet paper, offered me a drink and said that she could massage my back with lotion if I wanted. I was just really wanting a little personal space but I have become accustomed to not having much of that :)

Raya has been a blast the past week (with the exception of today when she was teething hardcore and really cranky). She is so smiley and happy most of the time. She can make a mess of this house though in record time but she looks so cute doing it...and that's a good thing. She stands at the book shelf and grabs as many as she can in one hand and chucks them onto the floor. Then she looks at them and shakes her head.

I'm off to bed after I tidy up a bit....must sleep away this sickness. Next time I get my food packed up at a restaurant I'll come straight home and put it in the fridge instead of letting it sit with me on the patio for 3 hours while I have a few drinks :)

Raya's 1st Birthday

We celebrated Raya's 1st birthday this past weekend in Lethbridge and it was so much fun. We rented a hotel room...a big hotel room...at the Ramada. There is a great wave pool there with waterslides and a little kiddie pool as well. The plan was for my sisters family to join us there on Saturday night for swimming and then my parents would come with Chinese food for afterwards. Chris's sister Bev and Jason's girlfriend (i love that!) Becky decided in the afternoon that they would like to join in on the action and then a big surprise was that Chris's other sister Barb and her newly wedded husband (i love that too!) Ryan showed up! So, Raya had 3 aunts and two uncles there to celebrate with. Hallie thought that was the best!! We had chinese food, ate cake and opened gifts. The girls slept really well after swimming.

On Sunday, we celebrated with Chris's family which included a great roast beef dinner, cheesecake, blackforest cake and a toast "To Raya"! I opened gifts on her behalf as she was sleeping for most of the afternoon :)

My mom's camara has most of the good pictures...or at least I hope it does. I have a few though.

This is Raya's cake right after I finished making it before doing some final touch ups. I stole the idea from Chris's cousin Val.

My mom (abuela) with Raya at the pool

An unflattering family shot....I hope my mom has a better one :)

Daddy and Raya...check out that Farmers Tan!!

On a more serious note...today went by quite well for me. I have to say that I shed quite a few tears this morning as I remembered that it was a year ago today that the Lord allowed Raya to be recessitated. I remember taking Hallie in to the ICU to see Raya when she was intubated and had all the IV's etc because the nurses recommended that we should allow Hallie to see Raya before she was taken to the Foothills in case she didn't make it. I didn't want Hallie to see Raya like that but the staff at the hospital encouraged us to do it so that we would have a memory if things didn't turn out as we were hoping. They took two pictures and Hallie slept with one of them until Raya came home. Raya obviously made the trip to the Foothills and then back to the Rockyview and then soon after she came home. She is such a blessing to us and I am and will be forever grateful for both my girls.

Raya had her 1 year check up at the pediatricians office today. She weighs 19 lbs 7 oz and is just over 27 inches long. Hallie at one year was 18 lbs 4 oz and was 26.5 inches long. So, Raya is just a little bit ahead of her!!!

The past few days

Hallie had a play date with her friend Ethan yesterday. They are so good together. They play "Dora and Diego"...it's so funny. Speaking of Dora (and the map), Hallie told me on Tuesday that in order to get to mom and tots "we have to go to the van, through timmy hortons and that's how we get to mom and tots!" I think I may go there a little to often!!




Raya enjoyed her first popsicle yesterday. It felt great on those teething gums. She still only has two teeth.





Hallie helped me make Raya's cake last night. This is a picture of the incomplete project. It is now finished and in the freezer, awaiting it's trip to Lethbridge tonight. Hopefully it makes it. We are celebrating Raya's birthday tomorrow night at a hotel in Lethbridge with my family so the kids can all go swimming and then again on Sunday with Chris's family at his parents house. I'll post pictures when we get home!