Mommy...can I write a letter?

Every time I am on the computer Liam will come up to me and ask, "Mommy, can I write a letter?" He finds the computer fascinating so we keep his time on it to a very small minimum but once in a while he is allowed to write a letter. In fact he just asked me again as I type this out. :) What you find below is a sample of a typical letter and a response from my parents.

nbnngjfghfg nhnnnnvnfvnfvnmfngffnfgnbgfbb b bbbjfhfhbfhfhtrrrrhhhrhjhghngthjgthghghghgth ghj ghhgt htht hjt hthjthththththhththjththhthhththththjthjthh t t thgthrthrh hththththtthjthjthththththdvdvdvdvdvvdfbvnjfdnfdnfdfdnfn bfbbfbff zzzdn gfxngngngngngngngbnbngngbgbkkbkmbmkbmbmngbngbngbnnngngbmmmgmhgmhgnmgmmhmgmmgfvbngfbfgbfgbbgfgbbbbbbmmthhththththhththhthhthththtrhtrhthhthththtbtblmkkjllghll loootokk ookokyoyyikiyyiy kyk kjjjkkmjkmjjjgnnngnnnghjnjgtgfnnj n nngngnnngngngnnggnnng n gggb cbc c c c cdcdcbdcvdcvdvdcvdbbnhnnhvdvdvmkkffkjgfjgfjgj ggjgjtij jjjtjtjtjtjtjjjtgjgtjjtgjtjututjuigjjitjijjjjttiti jjjjtjitjijtjtlglgkgkgkkkgkkgkgkgmk n nnkklgjljkljkjkjkjkm,jjjkjjmkmjkjkmjmlkjljklk kklkkmmj mjmjkmjkmjkjmkj kmjjmkjmkjmkjh mj mjhm ,jh m

love liam

---------

Nanny & Pappy's reply:

Our Dear Liam,

We liked your green and red letter to us. We wish we could be there to give you a big hug. We miss you and your sister and Mommy and Daddy so-o-o-o-o much!!
We are patiently counting the sleeps until we come to see you -- there are 26 sleeps left -- that's 3 more church days. We are looking forward to doing your new big puzzles with you.

We hope you are still being a good big brother and helping Mommy and Daddy with Libby. Sometimes being a help means quietly playing by yourself and not whining. Even adults sometimes whine, so we understand how hard it is to be good. But it's so important!

Love you a "bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!"
Nanny & Pappy

Point of view from a three year old with a camera

Liam loves taking pictures with our camera. He does a pretty good job but we don't let him loose with it because it's a camera...an expensive on at that. He doesn't get to take pictures often but there are three that he has taken recently. I especially love the one with Libby and I were his foot is front and centre.

The Smile

Here's Libby flashing us a smile. The picture with her in a pink dress is from last Sunday. She went to church sporting a pink knitted dress that my Grandma Skeldon knitted for me when I was a baby. Hard to believe I was once that small.

A while ago we went bowling with Liam for the first time and shortly after that experience I blogged about it. I have been trying to figure out how to upload videos on my blog and this is from that night. I think the problem was that we only had high speed light before and now we have high speed for a few months.

Smiles

Lately Libby has been warming our hearts with her big toothless grins. Those of course are difficult to capture on camera so this little smirk will have to do for now. She is usually the most full of smiles when Lindsay and I are tucking her in for the night after that last feed. She is starting to doze and full of milk...a little drunk you could say. :)

Cousins

Libby, Isabella and Liam are pictured here hanging out this Christmas. Izzy was a lot of fun to hang out with. She's at a great stage. Full of smiles, holds her head up and is working on rolling over. I think Liam picked up on the fact that Izzy was a little more attentive to him than Libby.

Liam's debut as a shepherd

Instead of doing a Christmas program this year our church went around to two seniors homes in Nipawin and did some caroling. The kids dressed up and sang some songs. Very cute.

I Will Rise

A few weeks ago I bought the Chris Tomlin CD entitled "Hello Love". I didn't know a lot about his music but was up for something new. I have really been enjoying it. The music is great and the lyrics are very encouraging. I was in the CRV the other day doing some errands around town and had the CD playing. The song "I Will Rise" came on and it was one of the first times I had been able to zero in on this particular song's lyrics.

I WILL RISE - Chris Tomlin
There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

[Chorus:]
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
[x2]

These words immediately made me think of my Grandma and her relationship with the Lord. Because of that relationship she is enjoying a place where there are no more tears or pain. While thinking about that my mind drifted to how the words of this song can be an encouragement to us still here. With the joy and fulfillment we experience in our lives there is also the potential for a lot of heartache and disappointment. People that we hold dear will leave us, plans may fail, sickness cause us pain...the list can go on. Nothing is certain...except the promises that Jesus has made. He has promised to never leave us through the good times and the hard times, to bring peace and rest. He's able to keep these promises because he has overcome the hold that the grave has on us. I'm so thankful for the legacy that my Grandma left for us. She lived these truths and she was able to die knowing that death would not be the end. We can live knowing that the victory has been won!

"Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:54b-57.

Pappy & Nanny

There are so many reasons why I am thankful for my parents. They spent years leading and guiding me and teaching me to be the woman I am today. They continued to do this through the brat years for which I am extremely grateful. It must have seemed endless. They have been supportive, understanding and loving. They welcomed Lindsay into the family and consider him a true son and I now have the pleasure of watching them love their grandchildren to bits. These pictures were taken on the day of Grandma's funeral. We had just returned from the church and were getting ready to go out to spend time with family at my aunt and uncle's house. As I stood in the living room holding Libby it occurred to me that I should try to document that day for Libby. One does not usually bring a camera to a funeral...that I am aware of anyway...so I thought I would take pictures of her with my parents so that some day as we are looking at pictures together I can explain to her what had happened the day these pictures were taken. The thought occurs to me now that I maybe should have done the same thing with Liam but I doubt I would have been able to pry him away from the Piston Cup 500 race track we got him for Christmas. Especially after sitting through a funeral. He did very well by the way. Not an easy feat for a three year old.

Visiting with Auntie Jen

It worked to see Jen just before we left Saskatoon to come back to Nipawin this last week. The visit was short but we were thankful to catch up and for Jen to meet Libby.

Our little cowgirl is 6 weeks old!

Libby is wearing a cow onesie from her Uncle Chris and Auntie Sam for this 6 week photo shoot.

LIAM TURNS 3!

Liam turned three on December 20th but we had a party for him on campus on the 17th. He's got a lot of little friends so we decided to have the party in the gym here on campus complete with wide open space to play, a Lightning McQueen ice cream cake, friends (and their mothers...thanks ladies for staying and keeping me sane), and some great gifts. We were in the gym for 2 hours and there were about 14 kids (including little siblings). Liam had fun.




When we arrived in Saskatoon for Christmas Lindsay's parents had us all over for Lindsay's and Liam's birthdays. We had fun catching up with family and of course eating cake and watching Liam open his gifts. It was definitely a Cars Movie birthday and Christmas for Liam. Thanks to all who made this birthday a special one for him.

Family Pictures

It's becoming a family tradition to take pictures before we open gifts with the Skeldon side of the family on Christmas Eve. This year was no exception. Here's the result.





A little explanation needs to go with this last picture. While waiting for Lindsay to get the timer set on the camera we realized that Libby was deep in la la land and she had her eyes closed and mouth wide open. We decided that we would take a picture to match her.

Grandma

I recently wrote about my Grandma's passing and since then we have stood by her graveside while her pastor read scripture and attended her memorial service. It was a cold day (especially for the internment) but it was warm inside. About 250 people attended her service and the service was beautiful. Our cousins Janine and Jared read the eulogy and did a fantastic job. Grandma had a chance to plan the service before she died and it was very special to sing the hymns that we knew she had picked out. The last one was "God Be With You". Very fitting. God be with you, till we meet again.

In preparation for the service our family went through a lot of photos so that my Dad could put together a picture board. These are some of my favorites of my Grandma.


Grandma as a teenager.


Grandpa and Grandma by the river bank enjoying each others company in the early years.


Grandma with Libby. Libby was only a day old and because we delivered in Saskatoon Grandma was able to meet her first Great Granddaughter once before she passed away. Libby was just over a month old when Grandma died and when I was a month old my great grandma (this Grandma's mother) passed away. We have a very similar picture of Grandma Nelson holding me.

Saying Goodbye

On Sunday, December 21 my Grandmother, Irene Skeldon passed away. After a long and courageous fight with cancer she passed from this life and a body that had caused her much grief in these last months to a place where there is no more tears or pain. As I write this I can picture her worshiping her Saviour in heaven surrounded by those that have gone before her. What a blessing to know that she is at complete peace.

I have learned a little more about grief in the last few years and I realize that while it is a necessary thing in this life, it is not my favorite part. I really don't think it's anybody's favorite. We would much rather spend more time with our friends and loved ones and make more memories together. I know that God's timing is perfect but I tend to cling tightly to the precious people in my life so letting go is tough. As family and friends we will continue to say goodbye to Grandma this coming Saturday at her memorial service.

My Dad is great at writing and he put together Grandma's obituary. I thought I would post it below.

We miss you Grandma. You have been a blessing to us and countless others. We love you.

LILIAN IRENE SKELDON — It is with sadness but also with a sense of God’s peace, and celebration of a life well-lived that we announce the home-going of Lilian Irene Skeldon (nee Nelson) of Saskatoon on Saturday 21 December 2008. Irene is survived by her beloved husband of 55 years, Roy Skeldon and two daughters and a son: Elaine (Aaron) Bond of Saskatoon, Lois (Geof) Derksen of Leduc, AB and Glenn (Deborah) Skeldon of Saskatoon. Irene will also be fondly remembered by seven grandchildren, Janine (Kelly) Sikorski, Jared Bond, Braden Derksen, Amber (Ian) Love, Jordan Derksen, Brad Skeldon and Amanda (Lindsay) Anderson. Irene was also blessed with two great-grandchildren, Liam Anderson (3 years) and Libby Anderson (1 month), who Irene had the pleasure of seeing the day after she was born. She is also survived by a sister Dorothy Rependa and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Irene was predeceased by her mother and father, Charles & Lilian Nelson, a sister Verna Nelson and brother Norman Nelson. Irene was born in Saskatoon on 25 November 1926 and grew up in the Pike Lake district. Upon moving to Saskatoon as a teen, she was employed with Shelly Brothers Warehouse where she met Roy Skeldon. On 13 June 1953 Roy & Irene were married. Irene was always very involved in church ministries, singing in the choir, playing the piano and in later years ministered to shut-ins and the sick with cards and visits. She had the gift of hospitality and her cooking and baking were appreciated by a wide circle of friends and family who had the pleasure of partaking. Irene loved to travel and enjoyed trips with Roy to Israel in 1969, Australia in 1984 and numerous bus tours around North America. She loved life and lived with passion. Twenty-three years ago she battled and beat breast cancer and for the last four years fought bravely against lung, liver and bone cancer, surprising doctors and family alike with her feisty spirit and determination. The family would like to express deepest appreciation for the kind and gentle care provided by the Saskatoon Cancer Clinic and the Palliative Care Unit at St. Paul’s Hospital. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to either Gideons International or the Canadian Cancer Society. Funeral services will be held at Fellowship Baptist Church, 905 Taylor Street East on Saturday 27 December at 11 am. A lunch will follow in the church basement.

Libby's Baby Shower

On December 7, the ladies at our church put on a baby shower for Libby. Libby had a great time. She slept through the whole thing as she was passed from arm to arm. I also had a great time but managed to stay awake. :) I was very thankful for all the beautiful gifts and the fun we had together. As I sat and opened gifts I realized something about myself in the context of showers...bridal or baby. While feeling very thankful for the generosity of those present, I end up feeling really awkward at showers. I am asked to sit in a chair that is usually on its own in the room and sometimes is complete with balloons. Sometimes the guest of honour is asked to wear something weird like a hat with all the bows on top. Everyone spends a good junk of the time staring at you. This is the part that weirds me out a bit. Not being one that lives to steal the spotlight, I find this much attention to be a little unnerving. Once the gifts are opened and I have done my best to figure out how to best show my sincere appreciation, I am asked to start out the line to the food. Oh...all the attention...Brittney Spears or Paris Hilton would be in their glory :) but not this female. I like to blend in a little more.



I should mention that I was not the only one being watched. We all had a great time watching Diane, Maggie and Harmony drink milk from bottles. They were doing this to win a gift basket. What women do for free stuff. Tina, my friend who organized the games, mentioned as she handed out the bottles that Amanda was very kind to donate milk for the game! Of course that got some laughs and playing along I mentioned that I had been up all night pumping. :) Speaking of milk, Libby has just got up from a nap and is waiting for some milk from the milk machine...aka me! Love my job.

Chillin' with Daddy

Evenings are typically Libby's grumpy time so we end up just hanging out with her a lot after Liam goes to bed. That and watch season two of The West Wing (politically drama that ran on HBO several years ago for about 9 seasons). Friends of ours have been purchasing the seasons, watching them and then lending them to us. So the three of us have been having West Wing dates most evenings.

Bath Time

Just like Liam, Libby doesn't mind having a bath...she just doesn't like getting out of the bathtub. Who does? Now when I go to bathe Liam he seems so huge compared to the little girl in the portable bath basin.

The New Look

Yesterday I got to go hang out in a salon chair for an hour and relax. The result is what you see in these pictures. This is the first time since my college years at Briercrest that I have not had hair on my neck. I'm still getting used to it but I think I like it. Special mention to Alysun who inspired me when she came to visit sporting a stylish and fun hair cut. I just hope she doesn't feel like I copied her too much. :)

HE'S HUGE!!

Now that little Libby has graced us with her presence I am a lot more aware of how big Liam is getting.

He's Enjoying Being a Big Brother

Many people have been asking, "what does Liam think of Libby". Aside from a few disciplinary thins now and then, I think he's doing really well. Just this morning we were at library story time and he was showering her with hugs and kisses. He is always telling people "this is my baby sister, her (sometimes he says "his") name is Libby".

Libby's First Photo Shoot

Yesterday afternoon Liam and I set to work taking pictures of Libby. Liam was a great assistant. His part in it all consisted of looking at the pictures after I took them and while I was changing Libby into her next outfit. What is with this kid and electronics?

I never was really into dolls a lot as a kid but I had fun dressing Libby up yesterday and taking the pictures. Thankfully I still have some time to learn about hair styling. I must admit I am a little worried about that stage, having never been good at doing anything with my own hair that looked remotely cute or in style. For those of you that did not grow up with me, all you need to do is look down through the years at my yearbook pictures to know that what I tell you is true. :)

The Story

I've been wanting to sit down at the computer for days now and write about Libby coming into the world but you know how it is. I am just learning myself how it is with two kids. Liam is in bed and Libby is crying from her crib. Linds is at the gym playing soccer but should be home within the hour. We'll see how much I get done before I have to run.

Tuesday, November 18 my water broke at around 6:30 pm. Uncle Brad promptly came over to hang out with Liam and we drove to the Nipawin hospital. Once there they did the usual checking and called my doctor. We soon found out that the C-section back up that we had requested in case of emergency would not be available as planned. All three doctors able to administer anesthetic were out at a conference in BC. How handy. We didn't anticipate needing a section but in case of emergency you just never know. Our doctor suggested that because I wasn't yet in labour that we would have time to drive to Prince Albert or Saskatoon. We decided on Saskatoon because our families are there and Liam would be able to hang out with my parents. So two weeks ago tonight we were on our way to Saskatoon with Liam, luggage and a slightly nervous and excited me. I didn't feel any contractions until about 40 minutes outside Saskatoon. We met my parents at the hospital and switched a sleeping Liam into my parents vehicle. I was admitted around 12:30 am. After spending some time in the assessment room I still wasn't in active labour so I sent Linds home to get some sleep. They put me in a different room on the assessment wing and I was able to rest for a couple hours but soon the contractions were waking me up. I called Lindsay and he got into the hospital around 4 am. At this point the contractions were coming on stronger and closer together. At around 5:30 they moved us to the Labor and Delivery ward and at that point I was 6 cm. We weighed the options concerning an epidural and I decided that I was coping okay and went for a soak in the jacuzzi tub to see how much worse they would get. Around 45 minutes later and still in the tub I felt a very intense contraction and felt the urge to push. They got me out of the tub in a hurry and I spent about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes trying not to push with each contraction. The doctor showed up not long after that and declared the time to push was upon us. YEAH!!! What followed was more intense than I remember with Liam. Thankfully it only lasted 14 minutes instead of the 45 with Liam. A possible benefit of not having the epidural. The pain...words don't quite do it justice...I am still remembering quite clearly what it felt like. But what I also remember clearly is hearing them say, "it's a girl", feeling Libby's body in my hands for the first time and feeling a sense of relief as I hear those first cries. Libby was born at 7:09 am on the 19th and we had a good day in the hospital. The night wasn't that bad either but she spent sometime in the nursery so we could get some sleep. We were discharged from the hospital on the 20th and drove home that evening after visiting with my grandparents.

All in all it was a blessed experience. Tonight I am feeling very good physically. Nursing is going very well and I am healing nicely...it helps that I only had a few stitches this time in comparison to the 3rd degree tearing with Liam. There are moments in each day so far that I need to stop and ask God for strength and peace as the hormones and nerves take over, but I am trusting that God will help life get to a new normal. Libby is doing well. She was up to her birth weight only a week after her arrival...something the health nurse says she likes to see within two weeks. She spits up a lot more than Liam ever did and sometimes more projectile. Fun times. Right now she is trying to latch onto my arm as a type so I think I better run.

My wonderful husband

Yesterday was Lindsay's birthday. Not many people realized this fact because of all the other happenings taking place lately. The arrival of Libby being the biggest but most recently, NBC's alumni weekend. With all the on campus guests and the busyness of having a newborn with days and nights confused I felt bad that his special day was a bit underwhelming. If you know Lindsay, you probably already know that this did not bother him that much at all. He is of course happy to have a healthy baby girl sleeping down the hall, to be able to be with his family and share some fun moments with friends from past years at NBC. This is just one of the things that sets Lindsay apart. His care and concern for others. Liam and I feel this at home and we have the privilege of seeing it in his relationships with students and staff on campus. He has a deep desire to see himself and others grow into a deeper relationship with Christ. He is perfectly ready to admit that he may never completely grasp the female mind, but he does a wonderful job trying. He stops to listen and seeks to understand. Of course we don't always agree and I know that my attitudes and points of view can sometimes frustrate him but he again and again he is patient and waits to hear all that I have to say...and sometimes is just silent, waiting for me to figure it out. On a practical note, he is more patient with me than I am with myself when it comes to keeping it all together at home. I may be the one that is home all day and looks the work square in the face but he sees us as a team in that area too. I could go on and on about the things that I appreciate about Lindsay but the dear man is starting to put up the Christmas tree and I know is now wondering why I am not in there helping when it was my idea to put it up early. ;) I'll wrap this up soon.

On September 23 we celebrated 8 years of marriage and I am so thankful for the time that God has given us. His birthday marks 29 years of life on this earth. With all my heart I celebrate a man that is so much what I had hoped and prayed for as a young teen. Thankfully God knows what we need and he has not disappointed. We celebrate Lindsay for who he is...a man of God, a wonderful husband, a loving daddy, a son, a friend...

Thank you God for this special gift.