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- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: suffering
My due date (Feb. 7) passed without any excitement other than preparing for my parents' arrival from Victoria, BC. I spent the day taking it easy at home, then walked with our housemate Kristen over to the house where she's staying for my parents' visit. We had tea and chatted, then I headed home to wait for Matt and my parents to come from the airport. A huge snow storm was building, and it ended up taking them three and a half hours to get home through the traffic and horrible driving conditions! We had a great night though, and I was so happy the Truck (our nickname for the baby) had waited for them to arrive.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Three Things Thursday
Everyone knows there is not much to newborns - they eat, sleep and poop, and somehow that's enough to make us fall in love with them. It has been less than a month since Torre joined our life, and I'm glad that babies are as straightforward as they are because even learning to manage these simple functions has been more than enough to keep me occupied!
While there have been moments I've felt frustrated that my baby's needs, though simple, sometimes seem constant, it helps to remember that this time will pass by so quickly, and that the simplicity is sweet. I remind myself that it is impossible to spoil a newborn, that my son doesn't yet have the capacity to manipulate or take advantage of me. His needs are genuine, and if that means he nurses in a million short bursts or poops as soon as I change his diaper, it's better to laugh and kiss his face than get frustrated.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
I have a devotional book that has daily meditations from the letters, writings and sermons of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I'm not at all consistent about it, I just pick it up from time to time, and today was one of those days. Today's reading is an excerpt from Life Together, a classic book that I read for a leadership class five (yikes) years ago:
"Praying and working are two different things. Prayer should not be hindered by work, but neither should work be hindered by prayer. Just as it was God's will that human beings should work six days and rest and celebrate before the face of God on the seventh, so it is also God's will that every day should be marked for the Christian both by prayer and work... The inseparable unity of both will only become clear when work and prayer each receives its own undivided due. Without the burden and labor of the day, prayer is not prayer; and without prayer, work is not work."
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Parenthood
I have loved settling in to the reality of being a mother. Torre has been such an easy baby so far, my sleep has been interrupted, but I haven't been exhausted, and the joy of being able to meet his needs more than makes up for the inconvenience of waking up to nurse in the night.
It has also been pleasant to discover that nothing about my baby is gross! Changing diapers, being spit up on, feeling the spreading warmth of pee leaking out of a diaper and soaking through my jeans... all of these things are still glowy and sweet, hardly even an inconvenience. As we start to come to terms with our new normal, I'm enjoying short to-do lists that sometimes get sidelined in favour of watching Torre sleep. And that's okay.
My Dad was showing me some videos earlier this afternoon, and I realized one way that motherhood has changed me. This is the one that did me in - a dad sends his son's favourite toy train on a trip to space.
12 days ago, this sweet video would not have made me cry. But today, there was a little blonde baby sleeping on my lap, and I am overwhelmed with love for him and who he'll grow up to be. Even when he has only grown up into a four or five year old who loves a toy train. Sob.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Torre
A lot of people have asked how we chose Torre's name, and the internet is filled with sites that say names mean all kinds of things, so rather than leave you to sort through misinformation and try to guess what we were thinking, let me just tell you :)
Torre is an alternative spelling of Tory, which means victory. We have spelled it this way in honour of a close friend Matt lost in high school. Another meaning of Torre is conqueror.
Clayton means mortal man. It is Torre's middle name in honour of my brother, who Matt and I know will be a wonderful uncle and role model and Godly example to our son. Even though he has driven me nuts for most of our lives, my brother Clayton is someone I would be proud for Torre to emulate, especially his humble and kind spirit.
Together, the meaning of Torre's given names reflects mine and Matt's hope and faith in God's plan for victory in mortal man, that God will rule our son's life and use it for his glory and good.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
Torre is a week old today, and Matt and I are seven days into parenthood. We ended up having kind of a hellish week, since Matt got food poisoning Monday night, then we both and my dad got the stomach flu. Thankfully Torre stayed healthy, I stayed out of the hospital, and my mom remained healthy enough to take care of us all.
Yesterday we were blessed with an amazing shower by my Auntie Linda and Aunt Laura - we were grateful to be healthy enough to leave the house, and then we were blown away by all of the gifts and love we received! Torre will well dressed for at least the next year and probably even longer, depending how quickly he grows. It was also wonderful to spend time with so many friends and family and for them to meet Torre! He was a champion mellow baby, being passed around and cuddled and loved on with hardly a peep! It was very nice to get him back after opening all the presents though. I worried I would miss being pregnant, feeling kicks and squirms, but holding him on the outside is definitely better :)
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
Torre (rhymes with Story) Clayton Sampson was born at home into my arms at 1:25am on February 10, 2013. He weighed 8 lbs and was 21 inches long. We are absolutely in love with him and savouring all the newness and sweetness of these early days.
There will be more details and pictures to come - for now of course, we are much too busy cuddling and being charmed by our sweet son :)
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: pregnancy
Well, as you can see, watermelon week is over. Okay, maybe you can't really see. The midwife says at this point the baby will continue to drop, and the amniotic fluid is depleting, so even though the baby is growing I might not get much bigger, and that was the case this week - my weight and belly measurement were the same as last week. The Truck is still active and strong, rolling around lots and occasionally sticking a foot out my side or up into my ribs.
Here is a proper belly shot without props. Also, looking pregnant instead of looking like a skinny girl holding a watermelon. Yes I am wearing pre-pregnancy jeans, but no they are not done up, my long tank top just covers up the rubber band bridging the gap.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
Well, February is here! The Truck is not, yet, but I am happily counting down to my parents' arrival on Thursday :) There is a lovely sense of calm in my days, making short lists of small projects to work away at with lots of rest in between. There is also an ongoing sense of preparation (tomorrow's list includes making soup, and I'll freeze at least some of it for easy food once the baby arrives), but without pressure - everything that MUST be done is done.
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: pregnancy
Thankfully, pumpkin week is over, and I can now enjoy up to 7 days of imagining my baby as a watermelon. Watermelons are way better than pumpkins because they are oblong and don't come with brutal stems.
I'm still having lots of braxton-hicks, but I don't think the Truck is in any hurry to make an appearance. I am GRATEFUL to have chiropractic benefits through my work because I can't imagine how uncomfortable I would be by this point if I wasn't getting fixed up twice a week. It's not in this picture, but I'm now wearing a scarf tied around my hips to help stabilize my pelvis and keep my lower back a little happier. A few people have asked me if it's for fashion, but it's actually a recommendation from my chiropractor that has been a big help the last few days.