New things with my new friend

Hope and Erin sang lots together this week, and Hope learned lots of new verses to "If you're happy and you know it." Like "touch your nose, clap your toes, open your mouth."...Can't remember exactly what they were singing in this picture...
...but Hope was sure happy!
And yes, she's getting into making faces too.
"Praise Him, Praise Him, shout unto God with the voice of praise!"
I would never have thought of doing this, (flipping the back of her dress up to use as a hood) but Hope loved it, and kept asking Erin "again, please" over and over again.
"Smile for the camera."
The picture of happiness.
Erin babysat Hope one morning while I went to pick up groceries and see the chiropractor. I had found one of Hope's mittens in my coat pocket and set it on the table just before leaving. Erin said Hope saw the mitten and wanted to wear it while she ate a cookie, so she did! Good thing life comes with washable items!
Teaching Hope how to wink... which she actually can do now. You just start with both eyes scrunched up and then open one!
And, my dear friend and sweet daughter helping with sewing some Christmas napkins. I edged them on the serger and Erin hid all the serger ends for me. :o)
Snuggle time with a Winnie-the-Pooh book after nap time. It was such a blessing to have someone get Hope after her nap if I was still napping! Helped me feel way more rested, which is a great thing when you're about to give birth to a baby. :o)
...Erin must have taken this one.
And this one! Two of my favourite gals in the whole wide world.
Hope enjoys rocking in her rocking chair more and more all the time. She still needs someone to lift her into it, but that's just the way it goes when you're short!
Though, she can get out by herself. :o)
My sweet sisters came for another weekend, just in case Thumper decided to make his entrance. I'd had 14 hrs of contractions on Friday so I really thought things were going to go, but... everything calmed down and we're contentedly and eagerly waiting some more.
This was some brown paper that was stuffed around a parcel we got in the mail, and instead of throwing it out, Erin suggested we colour on it with Hope.
See the little hand prints? We traced lots of them that afternoon!
Don't you love the hair-do? :o) Erin did it for her for church that morning, and couldn't resist putting the cute little bows in her hair.
Monday we had a great day of doing things around the house, one of which was relieving the china cabinet of all the dust that had accumulated in it. Erin discovered that Hope fit in the cabinet, and they had lots of fun playing "knock, knock"! Needless to say, I windexed the glass after Hope and Erin were done dusting.
"Look at me, Mommy."
Making Hope a baby in her tummy, just like Mommy.
Of course, the "funnest part" was pulling open her vest and watching the balls bounce onto the floor!
We didn't quite get the picture, but Hope was putting her hands in her vest pockets, holding up her tummy, and it was sooo cute!

Games with Miss Erin

Welcome to a week with Miss Erin in the house! Hope had fun doing lots of new things, and Erin had fun doing them with her! Dear friends are such a blessing! It was so sweet to have Erin here for a quiet week with us, and I thank God again for the kindred spirit He gave me in her over 15 years ago.

Enjoy the videos! :o)

39 weeks and counting

Hello from snowy Spruce Grove, Alberta! Outside it looks and feels like winter, which seems like a perfect time to have a new baby to snuggle with and cuddle. However, we are still waiting, though it won't be long now. :o) My dear friend, Erin McElroy came yesterday to visit and hang out just in case she might get to use her midwifery skills in helping this little one come into the world.
Hope is getting quite used to having playmates around, and thankfully Erin loves little people!
Hope's starting to like to rock in her rocking chair, especially when there's another person rocking beside her in the recliner. :o)
Our wonderful midwife, Heidi, came this morning for my 39 wk check-up. After Heidi was done with Mommy, Hope laid herself down on the bed and started patting her tummy. I knew right away what she wanted, and Heidi sweetly obliged! Gotta be just like Mommy, ya know!Then, Hope wanted her tummy measured too! Erin gladly obliged.
After Heidi left, we decided to warm up the house with some baking. Hope and Erin made peanut butter cookies on one counter while I made bread on the other. We had so much fun, amidst the confusion of keeping track of who had the the measuring spoons, salt, and eggs!
And... just for my Mummy, who was asking to see my tummy again. :o) Believe it or not, this is me 3 cm bigger than I was when Hope was born!
Baby hanging out low and ready for delivery. :o) Thankfully the baby is still growing, is still very active and has a strong heartbeat!

...Looking forward to meeting you soon, little Thumper!

At home with Hope, Vol XIII

We've been blessed with some sunny days here the last couple weeks, and Hope and I have been enjoying walking in the sunshine whenever it's warm enough. She is fascinated with my sunglasses, and was playing with them before our walk one day.
"Hmmm..... do they go like this?"
This was Remembrance Day. Thought I'd at least dress her in something with red on it, like the poppies.
We were getting ready for a weekend visit from Auntie Lydia, who was coming up to spend her birthday with us, so Hope was doing the artwork on a poster for her. Hooray for washable crayons! Josh could have used some of those when he was a little tot!
Hope was delighted and fascinated with Lydia's silver bangles. :o)
Uhm, I think Hope kinda missed the "smile" part of the picture.
Saturday morning we had a nice little birthday breakfast, and then Hope helped Auntie open a present. I thought it was cute how they both have similar expressions in this shot. :o)
Saturday was also Grandma Lorrie's (Josh's Mom's) birthday, and Hope made a poster for her too. Hope didn't really get the part about holding it up to show the camera... she was more interested in re-arranging the ladybug stickers she had put on it.
I thought maybe Lydia could help Hope hold it, but Hope was quite set on playing with the stickers, hence the signing "please" you see in this picture.
Josh took us out for supper that evening. Nov 13th was also the 3rd anniversary of when Josh and I got engaged, so it was a double-date... or whatever. Again, looks like Hope missed the "smile" part. :o) Beautiful smile from my beautiful sister, though. It was sooo special to have her here for a quiet weekend with us, even though baby Thumper didn't come on her birthday like we'd hoped. :o)
After eating the supper I'd brought for her from home, Hope had fun eating and playing with soda crackers. The tall glass of water with a straw also kept her occupied for quite a while too.
Sunday afternoon, Auntie Lydia had to leave. She put Hope down for her nap, and then left while Hope was still sleeping. When Hope got up she really made like she wanted the blanket from the couch spread out on the floor. So... we put it down there for her and it didn't take long for her to fill it with the toys she wanted to play with, and sit down in her own little world of imagination.
Very busy with her baby doll...
Making sure the dolly has a blanket to keep warm...
And showing the dolly her Spot book. Hope is getting to be quite talkative these days, or perhaps I should say "jabber-tive." It's so cute to hear her talk to herself and her toys and to us throughout the day. :o) Her jabber often sounds like she's yodeling. Must be music in her veins.
Look who's shoes she found! ... and got them on herself and walking around in them by herself this time too.
Focused or what!

This is a short clip of a new expression Hope started saying all on her own. Josh and I looked at each other one mealtime, wondering if we'd actually heard her say what we thought. Yep. We did. Here it is. :o)

At home with Hope, Vol XII

Hopey and her little friend playing in the kitchen. :o) I think she was teaching the dolly how to dance.
It's so sweet to see how she likes to show the dolly new things. She'll be a great big sister.
Uhmm.... we won't let her do this with the real baby though. :o)
With winter setting in, my hands have been cracking easily from washes dishes or whatever, so I took out the rubber gloves to see if that would help.
After finishing in the sink one day, I gave the gloves to Hope, because she seemed interested in them.
It was great entertainment for her trying to get them on herself, and for me watching her try to get them on!
In the end, I helped her put the second one on, as she kept getting frustrated with it. Big grins!
Hope and a little friend reading a new John Deere tractor book together. We went to bed Friday night, and when we got up Saturday morning Auntie Chloe was here! She came up for a quick weekend to help me with some things in the house and be here in case the baby decided to come. :o)
After Saturday brunch, Hope showed Chloe the ipad. :o) Once Chloe figured it out, they were away.
Playing with "the pond" on the ipad, and walking across it with their fingers.
Chloe helped me clean out the kitchen cupboards, (which were badly in need, not having been done since we moved in a year ago...) and of course, Hope helped us too!
All ready for bed Sunday night, but time for laughs first!
And this was last night - Monday night. Josh and I were doing a quick little project in the living room, and Hope amused herself on the couch. (gotta teach her and Josh that the couch isn't for bouncing and pouncing!)
Now just watch....
She knew right where she wanted that dolly afghan and what she wanted to do with it.
And this is what Josh and I were doing - assembling a small rocking chair for Hope, a special gift from my Grandma. Now Hope will have a rocking chair of her own when the baby comes, and Mommy and Hope can rock their "babies" at the same time.
For now, though, this is how Hope enjoys the rocking chair most - putting her dollies in it and rocking them. :o)
And... yesterday.... my sweet hubby picked up some beautiful flowers for me on his way home from work "just because."
They were a timely thing of beauty in a day that held it's share of challenges and frustrations. The blessings to count include that baby inside me is still kicking, the house is still standing, the mold is getting taken out of the closet and ceiling, and all the water that leaked onto the bathroom floor and basement carpet from the downstairs tub is now cleaned up!
"He makes all things beautiful in its time." We are so thankful for that promise as we wait for our baby to be born. :o)