Welcome Rowan!

Mama Tanis and Kayna

Auntie Caldero and Grffin

A little late on this happy post, but a big loving welcome to little Rowan Winter Frame, a little sister for Kayna and another gorgeous daughter for Tan and John. Congrats to the Frame family!

Just a few days prior to Rowan's arrival I attended a lovely Mother's Blessing at Tan's house. As was mentioned at the blessing we don't often celebrate important milestones or rights of passage like becoming a mother or the art of motherhood itself. So, it was nice to focus a lot of love and attention on the mother to be and share a lovely afternoon with a great group of women.

Jasper's Major Milestone!

Well its only a wee trickle, but its the first official pee in the potty!

The View From Up Here

Wow. A view you usually only get to enjoy while cruising at 25000 feet....

The building peeking through the clouds is the Shangra-la Hotel downtown

Griffin's New Trick

Much Ado About Nothing

Ready for school

The Brothers Nielsen

Griffin post-barf

Well, its been 10 days since I last posted, but I really have nothing exciting to post about. Griffin had his 2 month shots today, poor lad, and Jasper continues his love affair with school now that he is in the "big boy class" (I think he was tired of towering over all the smaller kids by at least a head).
I am sprouting new wrinkles by the day (and no, they are NOT laugh lines) AND I finally know what they mean by the term "dish pan hands" (from changing 100 diapers a day and washing each time). Goal for 2009 - only one child in diapers!

Happy New Year Smiles!

Surprisngly the entire Nielsen clan made it PAST midnight last night to officially ring in the New Year. I don't think that has happened since, well, last year : )

Here are some New Year smiles from wee Griffin...he likes to have his chins tickled.

2 Months!

Griffin - you are now 2 months old! How the time is flying...
Mommy and Daddy love you so much and are enjoying every minute of you (even in the middle of the night during endless wakeups). You are now just over 11lbs, and are working on a third and fourth chin. You are giving us the biggest smiles, and not just when you poop, and making little cooing noises. You love to watch your brother play and are still the biggest cuddlebug in town. You head and neck are getting stonger every day and you can hold yourself up on your wee legs for a few seconds at a time, and like Princess Savage, you are growing the sweetest little friar tuck haircut as the bald patch on the back of your head grows by the day!

To the tune of "The 12 Days of Christmas"

On the first day of Christmas, Santa gave to me.....
2 plus feet of snow, 4 stranded relatives, 1 power outage and an 18 pound turkey!!

Seriously though, Christmas 2008 will go down in history as definately the most memorable of my entire life thus far. Not only were we socked in with over 2 feet of snow, we then unexpectedly welcomed the entire Miller clan for Christmas when they got stranded in Seattle after the airport shut down, plus we endured a 12 hour power outage from Christmas Eve to Christmas Morning. But despite all the calamities, it was chaotic and exciting and wonderful to have such a large crew at Chez Nielsen for Christmas. Jasper loved spending lots of fun time with his cousins, and I loved having lots of extra hands to help with the Christmas festivities and with wee Griffin. On Christmas Day we also welcomed Greg/Al and the girls, plus Mum and Dad, plus cousin James and family, plus Auntie Sue and cousin Kylie - for a grand total of 15 adults and 7 kids for dinner! Times like these really make you realize what is important not only at this time of the year, but in life in general...and that is family and friends - and with both we are sooooooo blessed.

Using Santa

I think by next year we will be able to use Santa to our full advantage - that is, getting Jasper to be a good boy (in Dec at least) since Santa only brings prezzies to good little girls and boys. However, this year Santa was still met with some skepticism and a little fear, but Jasper warmed up to him once the chocolate was handed out....

Jasper denying Santa the Hi-Five

Santa and wee Griffin

The Boys

Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

We had our first dump of snow the other day much to Jasper's delight and Aaron's dismay as he was "forced" to pull Jasper up and down the hill about 100 times on the tobaggan! Griffin isn't too fond of the snow either being that he is still bald and all (poor little cold head!), but he continues to work hard at packing on pounds (and chins!) to keep the cold at bay - like his brother, he loves his snilky (milk).

More pics

A few more shots from the photo shoot - compliments of Sacha Mulen Photography...
These were taken 3 weeks ago and already Griffin has filled out all of the loose skin you can see in the pics and is well on his way to growing a 3rd and 4th chin!

Sha Sha and Griffie

These are for auntie Shark - pleae forgive me for forgetting about them, they got buried in the stack of photos I had not sorted since before we lost internet...
Big kisses!

Disconnected

Recently we went without internet access for 8 days...it sure made me realize how dependant I am on technology for even the simplest of things these days. It also forced me to use the telephone to communicate with the outside orld, a good thing indeed in these impersonal times, and I think a resolution for me to carry into the New Year.

I have also realized that my poor wee Griffin is already falling victim to "second child-itis" in that I have not taken many pics of him and he is almost 6 weeks old already! So, am posting a few from last week to make up for it and will also try to make it a resolution to capture Griff's progress through infanthood more that once per month : )

We had our 2nd annual cookie party yesterday Chez Nielsen and it was a success on many levels...no kids threw up (including Jasper!), we did not find icing in every crack and crevass post-party, and lots of friends got to finally meet baby Griffin.

We Outta Be in Pictures....

Last weekend we had a family photo shoot with Sacha Mullen, a young photographer who is just starting to build her photography portfolio and business. She did some amazing work, especially since we did the shoot at her apartment and had one little newborn peeing and pooing over her dropsheets and one little toddler running rampant around her expensive equipment!! Despite the foibles, we managed to get a few decent shots. Anyone interested in her work should check out her site - www.sachamullenphotography.com

Eat, Burp, Poop, Repeat......

Thus far the story of life with wee Griffin. Note that I have not added the word sleep into our life's rotation right now b/c I have the only newborn on the planet who does not seem to sleep, like ever (ok, I exaggerate, but I do not count 20 minute cat naps as actual sleep).....
The only really exciting news to report from the week is that Jasper finally got his haircut (last one was in May - no joke). Jasper was really beginning to resemble the long lost 5th member of the Beatles circa 1960 so despite the hell we went through last time, we decided to take the plunge. We thought maybe he would have gotten over his irrational fear of haircuts by now, but we were wrong. Even the lure of unlimited chocolate afterwards was not enough to stop the onslaught of high pitched wailing and sobbing and snotting. But, despite the trauma for J, the end result is really quite cute...see for yourself.

Ringo and Griffin

Mimi and Griffin

Super Stylin Hair!

Boo! Year 2

Jasper had a great 2nd Halloween this year, esp. since he really gets the idea of "Halloween = Chocolate", and J loves chocolate (like his Mummy). The monkey suit was a big hit and suited his personality to a "t"....

Bros before.....

Jasper is already establishing himself as a AMAZING big brother. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a beautiful lifelong relationship. Today, when we picked up J from preschool, he ran right past me and straight to his brother and exclaimed "My Baby Brother!!" to all his little friends - so cute!! J also helped Mummy today when G was crying by rocking his little swing seat offering G his little soother (yes, he is already on a soother - amazing!)

Jasper vs Griffin - you decide....

Hmmm....any similarities?

And Baby makes four......

Griffin Day 2

Minutes old!

I'm Free!

The Nielsen Family Four (now know as G-JAC!)

Whemph, finally busted out of the hospital this morning after having to stay an extra night due to some concerns over wee Griffin's little mucous/barfing problem (how did I become the Mom of 2 barfing little boys?!) but all is well and we are now safely ensconced at home. For those who don't know, Griffin Aaron Holck Nielsen was born at 8:30am exactly on Oct 28, 2008 weighing 7lbs 7ozat BC Women's hospital (all without me experiencing a single contraction - hurrah!). Griffin entered the world with a healthy cry and a swift spray of pee for the OB and nurses assisting (Dad was proud). So far, Griffin is super chill and I am just soaking in every precious moment...he already has a pretty funny personality the rare moments he is awake - maybe the family clown?!

I do have to say that all the advice and kind words I have had from 2nd time Mums has rung true thus far...not only did the whole 2nd c-section thing go so much more smoothly...I am less tired (for now), less stressed (for now) and truly just enjoying every single moment.

Jasper is being a great big brother so far...he was a little apprehensive at first about the baby, and still starts to cry when the baby gets really upset, but its just that he is such a sensitive little soul...bless his little heart! We do have to keep reminding him though that baby can't "play trains" with him for another 12 months or so, so Mum will have to put on her cap and take that duty back over once the Gmas and Gpas have left.

Otherwise, life is pretty damn good and I am feeling as good as a new Mum of 3 days can feel. Had some champers AND wine tonight (along with 3 tons of halloween candy - post to follow), and won't worry about getting back to my career as a bikini model for another week or so yet - hardy har har.......

%#@$!*&%#$@

Thanks to a little healthcare policy that shuts down all non-emergency services and surgeries for 10 days per year (to save money apparently), and a little clerical error by the OR booking clerk - I found out the other day that instead of today being baby #2's bday, it would be "bumped" to next tuesday the 28th. I am seriously contemplating Ash's advice to go and sit on the booking clerk and/or Premier Campbell for their incompetence and/or stupid health care policies.....
Anyways, til tuesday (or earlier)
xo JAC