Loved and Adored and Today He's 4!!!
Oh how could it be that my firstborn is such a big boy already! What memories come rushing in!
Like when I called Deyan into the bathroom during the 1 minute wait for the results of our first pregnancy test so we could see the results together (even though the line showed up almost immediately). And when we phoned our families and close friends that night to announce that 'we' were pregnant because we couldn't wait to share the good news! And how happy I was not to feel sick by the time my first midwifery appointment happened, only to be gently reminded by Beckie that pregnancy nausea sometimes doesn't set in until the 6th week or so. And how true that was! And how relieved I was to hear his heartbeat for the first time after crying to Beckie about feeling that I was ruining my child by eating nothing but fast food (which was the one of the only things I could eat during my 8 weeks of nausea/vomiting). And then there was of course the 'twin' scare! (not scared of having twins, just scared of how that would affect my prenatal and birth care) Coming home early from the lake to catch a glimpse of only 1 healthy little baby swimming around. Then the exhiliration of feeling the first flutter of baby movement only moments after I had assisted another woman through the birth of her first child. And Deyan feeling that first kick a couple of days later. Continuing to grow bigger and bigger until everyone thought I would burst! The heartburn, pelvic pain and pressure, wrist pain, practice contractions, and other pregnancy discomforts which made me very anxious to get this person on the outside! And then that day arrived! If you want to share in those memories, go to http://www.birthrootsdoulas.com/birth_stories2.htm and look for Dee's Birth Story.
Since then, it's been quite an adventure! Simeon is a 'frequent flyer' having travelled back and forth to the Maritimes 4 times, once to Ohio, and once to Bulgaria! Not to mention the road trips around Manitoba and the long one this summer through the States, Toronto, and all the way to New Brunswick! He's lived in 2 cozy homes, is surrounded by awesome friends (big and small) and remains incredibly connected to his family around the globe.
Words to describe him - sensitive (towards others and towards himself), thoughtful (caring), intelligent (he's reading and doing sudokus), inquisitive (oh the questions!), deep thinker(but what does it MEAN), organized (not necessarily tidy though), easy-going (you can take him anywhere anytime), friendly, outgoing, musical (you should hear the tunes he can carry and his dance moves can't be beat!), creative, theatrical, strong (let's just say I don't dare wrestle with him), handsome (well what do you expect with the momtchilov genes), great memory, funny...and I could go on!
A few favorite quotes - "Mommy, I made a big hippo! Actually, I think it's a rhino." (said after going poop on the potty at 1 1/2) "Esther's a girl so she has an angina" (I have many more anatomy quotes, but they are a bit too riske to put on a blog! Did I mention he's inquisitive and a deep thinker???)
Ok, to be honest I'm quite sick at the moment and my brain is not functioning very well so I think that's all I can write right now. Here are a couple of pictures though!
The Flinstones
Ok, I've officially given up on keeping this up to date. But for Mom (Ionka) I will post some pictures. These ones are from the Harvest Party - October 31, 2007.
Saber-toothed tiger and Dino?
BamBam and Pebbles!
Notice Simba (lion) and Larryboy have now become the sabertoothed tiger and Dino!
Fred and Wilma
Don't they look the part?
Man, my boy is ripped!
Using his BAMBAM strength!
Then there is the animal lover of the family...
I don't think kids were really this cute in the stone-age :)
Labels: costumes, halloween
Our whirlwind summer!
It has been a busy and full summer and we've all enjoyed it tremendously! I apologize (especially to Mom H) for not updating this blog more frequently! I've sort of gotten caught up with myspace and facebook (which is where alot of my pictures are). I will try to recap here with photos of some of the special moments.
First off was Deyan's mom coming to visit us for a few weeks. It was so great to have her here and both kids bonded with her yet again.
Baba's treats!
Trying out the new Kitchen Aid (my 30th birthday present)
Fun at the wading pool
During her visit, we spent a great weekend at Lake of the Woods
with our dear friends the Rademakers and Poetkers
Momma's little girl
Dada's boy
Mitch and Tyler sharing a moment?
Tyler and Amy sharing some hammock love
What a view!
My little Gypsy
Did I mention we have great friends?
Lukester
Swimming in the cold lake! (with lots of help from lifejackets, mom and noodles)
The sandbox they built
Cutie pie!
Boat ride!
Best Buds
Friends for life
Around the campfire
Our froggy friend
Deyan and I also had our first getaway with out the kids in St. Malo
put put went the paddleboat
We stayed at a gorgeous bed and breakfast called Nestin on Lakeview
St. Malo Reservoir
We biked for a couple of hours in the provincial park
I guess that's enough for now. Next post will have pictures of the Ethridge family vacation in Toronto!
Not sure about Hanz and Franz...but Mitch is here to pump (beat beat) me up!
So, I finally decided it was time to start getting my butt into gear (literally)! I asked my brother-in-law Mitch (www.mypt.ca) to give me a consultation. Truth is, he offered awhile ago but I wasn't ready yet. But my high-speed breastfeeding metabolism is slowing down and combined with my lack of physical activity and free eating...it's starting to show!
Yesterday was my first session. The hardest part honestly was getting up at 7am! It was a good core workout, but combined with lots of explanation didn't feel too hard at the time. I felt it in my abs and lower back when I went to bed and this morning, but I was impressed that it wasn't too bad. This morning we did lower body and I'm feeling it! Muscle soreness and fatigue. I took a 1 1/2 hour nap this afternoon and slept deeply! The cool thing is that although we haven't even discussed nutrition yet I noticed today that I am more motivated to pay attention to the food I'm eating.
So, wish me luck on this journey! It will hopefully become a lifestyle for me.
In other news...Deyan and I are going on our first overnight retreat (since before the kids were born)! We have a nice bed and breakfast to go to. I will hopefully take some pics and post them when we return. Pray that Ionka and the kids have fun together and don't miss us too much!
I will also post some pictures of our time at Lake of the Woods last weekend. For now I need to get some rest and be ready for tomorrow's upper body workout! :)
Momma's girl
Esther's 3rd birthday - Celebrating with friends
Presents!
Making dessert 'pizza'
Simeon in the back yard
Just a few of the friends
Whose beautiful child is this? ;)
Though it has been a mighty cold winter in Winnipeg, we've tried to get outside whenever possible!
Esther kept asking to 'ride the big horsies'!
A free trolley ride down well-lit Portage Ave (with free hot chocolate and even some carols!)
Frosty! This was at a private home which has over 10000 Christmas lights/displays and a small train you can ride around their property. People often say that Winnipeg is the Christmas capital of Canada!
Don't you think Joyska makes a great Santa?
These games have been well used already!
New Jammies!
Cuddles with Chicho before bed
Christmas morning - The tradition of reading Luke 2 in bed together continues in the next generation!
His first art project (He cried later because he felt like he ruined it when he tried to use a sponge to paint with. I hope he doesn't take after me in art!)
A beach day
A bike day
This is one of the sudoku puzzles he's been able to do since this spring.
The birthday boy!
We gave him tinkertoys for his birthday. Not sure who was having more fun Sim or his dad!
