Bonding

We all got to meet my new nephew this past weekend and it was pretty special, especially, for Johnny.  Johnny is a month shy of 10 and most days he is like most typical 9-10 year olds; self-focused, always hungry, has heaps of energy, and annoyingly teases his younger brother until someone ends up crying. 

But get him to hold his new baby cousin, or to read a book to Oliver, who is 2, and I get a glimpse of a soft-hearted guy who is going to grow up to be amazing with kids someday.  I was really proud of him this weekend, for taking lots of time to snuggle and bond with Jacob, who is a month old now.  Feels like only yesterday I was flying to his birth.  Mind you, it doesn't feel that long ago that I held Johnny in my arms like this.  Crazy how fast time flies with kids around!

A remarkable day

I've been expecting a phone call for the past couple of weeks with the news that my sister was in labour, but sorting out how I was going to get there in time to be part of this birth ended up requiring a float-plane ride over to the Island.  No complaints about that- it was a beautiful ride, especially with the excitement of knowing I'd be welcoming a new little soul into the world.

And he arrived- little Jacob William!  He's a beautiful, healthy brother for Oliver, who is just 2 years old now.  Pretty exciting! Now my sister and I both have 2 boys- our hands are full!  And of course, I just marvel at how amazing my sister looks post-birth.  She really is amazing!

On the home front

Photos from the past couple of days.  I've been sick with a cold, so I spent a little time doing some serious spring cleaning of the boy's rooms, making soup and bread, baking cookies and generally trying to lay low.  My mom brought over some Tulips on her way to the Island to see my sister and her family, who are in the last stages of waiting for their 2nd baby to come.  So exciting! Once again I'm hoping to be at the birth, like with Oliver who will be 2 years old in March.  I remember this stage of life- having a toddler with a new baby on the way.  It's a busy time of life.
Well, I'm feeling good enough to get back to it, and boy do I ever need to finish up some studio work.  I have a glaze firing planned for later in the week so I'll be  hunkering down over the next few days.  See you soon!

last of the Island

A few more photos from the Island for you. The boys are now convinced that taking photos of shells/crabs etc that they've found on the beach is as good as taking those things home.  The tide was out so far and was so shallow, it was perfect for little boys to frolic in.  And my dear sweet Oliver, looking a little tired by the evening, but oh so cuddly and yummy at 4 months of age.  Love this age- they are just precious!

We leave today on our trip and won't be back until the 16th. Yay for holidays!

Crescent Cabin

It's not every day we get to step inside a beach-front 'cabin' at Crescent Beach.  My sister's husband's family used to spend their summer holidays at their Grandmother's cabin that has been in the family since 1954.  Thanks to an uncle who has kept the place in it's original condition, it's still a place they can go to to remember long summers of clam digging, sand-castle building, and crabbing on the ocean.  My sister, her husband and new baby spent this past week here and invited my folks and our family to join them for a memorable Father's Day dinner at the cabin.  It was a nice treat to all be together!

Words to grow by

My sister came by for a visit with little Oliver the other day and pulled out a soft book made by her good friend and artist, Corrie Peters.  Such great words and fabric for the little guy to learn to grow by, don't you think?  I loved the various fabrics, textures and inspiring words for each letter of the alphabet!
Corrie makes books, paints and creates installation art.  She is finishing up her Visual Art degree at Concordia University in Montreal.

A big shout out to Jan at Poppytalk for posting my Cupcake Stand give-a-way on her blog.  And 'hello!' to all the new and familiar people who stopped by my little neck of the woods to greet me with such warm words about my work!  Thank you and best of luck:)

Happy Mother's Day!

That's me and Oliver up there- just getting re-acquainted.  My sister and new nephew are here for his first visit to Vancouver from the Island.  I'm enjoying spending time with them again and it is great to see my sister as a new mom! Hope you have a great weekend and hats off to all you mothers out there for your dedication, love and care that you give to your children!

My new nephew!

I'm pleased as punch to announce the birth of my new nephew, Oliver Daniel, to my sister and her husband.  He was born at 1am today- March 17th and was 8lbs 15oz and 21 inches long!  My sister looks amazing afterwards- don't let that fool you though, she had a rough go of it and I'm so proud of how she did! It was amazing for me to be with both of them throughout the birth, to rub her back, to keep telling her how amazing she was doing, and to be someone to lean on in the midst of her pain.  We are all so thankful that this healthy baby boy is now part of our family! Congratulations you two!

Back to the Island...

I'm taking a little break from all my ceramic symposium talk to let you know that I'm heading back to Vancouver Island to hopefully be present for the birth of my new niece or nephew! I'll be taking the Ferry ride with my Mom so that we can be a great support to her during or after the birth.  She is most likely getting induced in the morning so with high hopes and best wishes for a safe and healthy arrival of a new life, I'll be off.
Photo: the amazing Arbutus trees on Vancouver Island on a hike we did with my sis last week!

The Great Wait

The last days of a pregnancy can feel like forever.  You want this baby that you've been carrying for 9 months to finally be held in your arms.  You want the unknown of the delivery to be over.  You don't want to have to wait any longer.  

My sister is in this 'waiting' period (she's 2 days overdue) right now and my own wait for both my boys (13 days overdue for Johnny, 4 for Sasha) feels fresh in my mind while I think about what she is feeling and going through.  There's the nervousness and a restlessness that everything will turn out alright, the worry that something might go wrong, the excitement about this new little life inside of you, the mystery about how it will all happen and the hope that comes with this life changing yours forever.  It's an amazing time.  We are off for a couple of days to provide a little distraction for her while she is waiting.  Perhaps we won't have to wait with her while we are there and we'll be lucky enough to be around for the birth of my new niece or nephew!

 

And when I get back I'm off to volunteer for the Canadian Clay Symposium that is happening this weekend!  There are some great presenters and workshops this year, so after I help out with registration in the morning, I'll have the afternoon to go to workshops and visit with ceramic instructors and peers from my old Emily Carr days.  I'll have pictures and hopefully some good photos for next week so stay tuned!