New Album

So cute. I love working with wedding photography!
http://www.jakobandella.com/?p=182

Play Dough and Pavlovas

I think all mother's will agree that there is a strange balance which needs to be achieved once you have children. Keeping your own identity (and the "glamour" that it entails) and being a facilitator of the forming of your child's identitiy (and the "glamour" that that entails).I personally believe that a woman does not surrender her identity upon birthing a child, nor does she surrender her beauty, but the challenge is in the balance. Because a child will see the joyful spirit of an contented mother and the confidence which guides her. A child will obseve healthy self image and strong relationships and seek them out. So here is to balance and hot Mommas. Today it is Pavlova's and Play Dough, and tomorrow it may be Pedicures and Poopy Diapers.

Sara Ciantar

Yes, I am using my blog to shamelessly promote a FANTASTIC MUSICIAN and dear friend SARA CIANTAR with fellow artist Hilary Grist. They will be doing a concert here in Three Hills, September 19th at 7:30pm. So mark your calendars! Cover is $10, BUT there is FREE COFFEE...and if you're lucky, baked goods by yours truly. Cheaper than the drive to Red Deer or a movie ticket. Support quality entertainment in your own town! And yes, the song playing...(as long as mix pod is streaming okay)... is Sara herself. And for one lucky commenter I will provide you with 2 free tickets! The winner will be announced in one week on September 3rd. Check them both out at...
http://www.myspace.com/saraciantarmusic
http://www.myspace.com/hilarygrist

Two Truths in Pursuit....

Question one- Within the last couple of months, Jakob will occasionally say "I'm afraid of Echo, Mommy."
To which I reply, "Who is Echo?" This is a mystery. So far we have concluded that Echo is a she, she has a home, which is not our home, and today we discovered that her home is somewhere to do with "backway door"? Oh, and once Jakob said that he hurt Echo. I try not to worry about it, but I have a fear of the spirit world and so you can see why this would bother me. I don't like things to do with ghosts, spirits, etc. So if is something to do with any of this, I really just...well, I hope it is just a story, or imaginary friend as opposed to anything else.

Question two- I have been starting a conversation with Ella's physiotherapist about her development. I caution you - this is the part of being a parent of a child with Down Syndrome that nobody really wants to hear about it, but to me it is a reality and lately, a reality that has been getting the best of me. I have found myself very frustrated with her lack of development. She does alright but at this point isn't pulling herself up, getting up to sitting by herself, or taking steps. I get a quite defeated feeling when we do these exercises with her everyday and see little or no progress. I thought it may just be me so I asked her physiotherapist. And like when I had the first suspicions that Ella had Down Syndrome and all I wanted was for somebody to tell me I was crazy, I wanted her to say something along the lines of, "Don't worry Krista, she will come at her own pace and this is normal." Instead, she said that she was disappointed as well and had anticipated that Ella would pick up skills more quickly than she has. We have made an appointment for her on September 2nd with the Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapist so hopefully we can get to the bottom of it. I know it sounds silly and there could be far greater things to have to be worried about but its just....disappointing. Pray for Ella.

Well, enough disappointment and worry. Yesterday, devastated that our dinner plans didn't work out we took a spontaneous trip to Canmore and then onto Lake Louise today to hike up to the tea house. And WE ACTUALLY MADE IT! Low expectations-didn't really expect to hauling 2 kidlets and the dog.

It Came....

It arrived when I was in BC and it is beautiful. It's all a learning process but overall I am happy with it. Probably moreso because it is all my beautiful Ella Bella.

Blogs

I have decided what it is about blogs. They let you know that you are not alone. If you scroll through the hundreds of comments left on "popular" blogs, you will see that everyone says the same thing. "This reminds me so much of....." For a generation that finds it hard to connect we find out, in a non-intrusive way, that we are not alone. There is another woman out there that looses it over nothing, has culinary failures, doesn't iron, and yet, through it all loves their husband, children and friends more than anything in the world. There is another person "who has it all together", that doubts, questions and doesn't have it all together. Why, though, are we so afraid to shed our skin outside of the overly exposed world of the Internet? Why do we feel so vulnerable.
On a totally unrelated note, summer has been good to us and updates can be found here.
Sometimes I consider combining blogs but here is the thing, you can have music for free on blogger which wordpress does not allow, but wordpress publishes images sooooooo much better, hmmmmm. what to do.

Beauty from Ashes

I have had a day...with no other explanation than chemical imbalance. The type of day where I was out to pick a fight with anyone who crossed me. And yet at points, I also felt like breaking down and crying at the littlest little picture, word or thought. ( on a side note though- something not so little that almost brought me to tears was this. So, similar to other days when all I want to do is hate the world I came here...to take inventory, to try to see the beauty in the ashes and as I was uploading the most recent images of our little life here in Three Hills, which would accompany my comparably insignificant words in this post, I was encouraged.

I will start with my boys.

Each one so special and a massive part of my life. Each one so unique. Here is a glimpse into them. Ben's bedside table- ever changing but always eclectic. And then there is my Jakob. In so many ways, his father and in at other times, I see glimpses of me through that blond hair and blue eyes. Who knew a car fits perfectly between the sets of black keys?

Heritage Day (which is what they call the August Stat here) we went over to Ben's parents for a wiener roast. There is no better way to spend a holiday than with family.

And last but not least for your listening and viewing pleasure, the next prodigy to grace the ebony and ivory.

 

I'm becoming a bit of a geek

It just dawned on me that I have become a bit of a geek. I have 3 blogs. Count 'em 3. I don't even know if people read the half of them. But anyway, here is the link to another geek. Thanks for the link Charissa, I think it makes for an interesting read.
http://www.chookooloonks.com/blog/
Oh and hopefully soon, I will have Ella's album up here
Is anybody out there?