Instagram to the rescue

One of the best gifts I've ever received was my iPhone. Maybe that's silly or materialistic of me...but I really do love it! My favourite thing about my iPhone is the camera...and especially the instagram app. I can take quick little pictures of our daily life without worrying whether the camera is set right...or charged..or has a memory card in it. It's just so simple: I whip out the phone, snap a picture, load it into Instagram and add a filter or effect to the picture. Awesome!

So...these last few weeks, Instagram has come to MY rescue. It's been there to take pictures of my kids (and even me) when I just don't feel like getting out my real camera. So now I can remember these sleep deprived, cloudy (but so sweet) early days of Cait's life. I can remember that even though I'm perpetually in zombie mode, my other two girls are still having fun.

I'll always remember what Cait looked like when she wanted nothing but to cuddle into my neck

I'll always remember how excited Hailey was to finally figure out how to drive and steer her quad...and how she spent hours on it and her Nana and Granpa's farm

I'll always remember Paige's daredevil face as she cruised down our driveway on her bike...stopping just inches from the busy road we live on

 I'll always remember Hailey's sweet, timid expression as she started to learn to ride her bike without training wheels (or pedals...to help teach her balance)

I'll always remember how small my girls were...or how big Cait looked in Hailey's arms...or how silly Paige could be

I'll be happy to have these memories one day...one day when I wonder how I ever survived these early days. And I'll see that I did just fine!





Cait Pictures

I'm so lucky to be surrounded by so many talented people! I'm especially lucky that one of my oldest friends is an AMAZING newborn photographer and that she took these darling pictures of Cait when she was just 11 days old.

I was so worried that Cait wouldn't cooperate at all...but she was the PERFECT baby! I think a LOT of it had to do with Laura's technique. She was so calm, and patient and kept the studio so toasty warm that I even had a hard time not falling asleep. But I was most impressed with the time and thought she put into each pose. She just calmly held Cait in the pose until it was perfect and then pulled out her camera to take the perfect shot each time. She didn't once quickly take a half decent picture because she wasn't sure if she could get something better. Nope. She KNEW she was going to get good pictures and was willing to take the time to get them! I was VERY impressed!

Anyway, have a look at her blog...and especially this post with Cait's pictures. I KNOW I'm biased...but I still think Cait is a BEAUTIFUL baby! Don't you agree?

http://laurataylorphotography.ca/sweet-cait-calgary-newborn-photographer/

April So far

I'm trying really hard to take real pictures...you know the kind that don't involve my iPhone. BUT, it's soooo hard when my phone is ALWAYS on me and when it really does take half decent pictures. Plus, I kinda LOVE instagram. But I still need to make an effort to take out my real camera and document our life with real pictures. So here is April so far...from the real camera. The pictures are far from perfect, but the little people IN the pictures couldn't be more perfect:

Crafting...
Totally the BEST thing about little girls...
We craft at LEAST once a day


This one is waking up...
We hope this is a good thing...
She like to gnaw on things

Playing on the iPhones...
Pure Concentration...
Nice break for mom

Easter Sunday...

Easter Dresses...

aren't these girls BEAUTIFUL??

A spring Snowstorm...
the BIGGEST smiles I've ever seen...
the BIGGEST snowflakes I've ever seen


The Girls...
all three of them...
not one of them with their hair brushed...
but still sweet as ever

a 9 year update

So this year...way back in February we celebrated our 9 year anniversary. We had BIG plans to celebrate in a big way! Haha...just kidding. But we did plan on at least going out to dinner and a movie, or something equally as exciting. BUT it never really happened. Life sort of got in the way, and then we had a baby! But I did put together this little slide show video that documented our life together. I learned a few things while making this video...

1 - I'm so grateful that Ben's in my life. He's really my best friend in the whole world and I just LOVE spending time with him
2 - I'm not 18 anymore...really, how did that happen?
3 - We HARDLY take pictures of just the two of us - some years were definitely not picture years and it was hard to find even just a few decent pictures. I have a MILLION of one of us with the kids, but not very many of Ben and I!

I've been sort of hesitant to share this video because it means a lot to me. When I started making it, the video was just a fun way to mark a milestone in our married life. But because of recent events, it's become more of a way to celebrate the fact that my husband is safe and here with his family. A reminder that we were lucky enough to have him come home to us every day! And it makes my heart break for those in this world who are missing loved ones, those who have had to say goodbye way too early.

Anyway, I'm grateful that this is just the start of our married life, I'm grateful that we have many more years of happiness to come, I'm grateful that I married such an awesome and fun guy, and mostly I'm grateful for this beautiful family we've created. I couldn't ask for more!

Untitled from Meagan McCance on Vimeo.

Cait Elizabeth

Well, I did it! I decided to have another baby!! We welcomed Cait Elizabeth into this world on March 29th at 7:30 PM. It was an interesting labour...and a little bit too fast for my liking, but we're glad it's all done with and that she's here! She came a day before her due date, which was honestly just a small bit of torture. I had my other girls earlier, so with each day that Cait didn't arrive, I got more and more impatient. But she eventually made her debut!

The morning Cait was born I was woken by contractions at 6:00 am. They weren't anything special, difficult or worth calling in our support system for. So I just hung around in bed...timed a few and slept. Around 8:00 am I called my parents and told them I thought the baby would be here today...but that it wasn't going to be anytime soon. So they loaded their bags into the car and arrived at my home a few hours later. We spent the day hanging out, going for walks etc. The contractions were still inconsistent and not painful. So I let Ben stay at work a little longer.

We took one last picture of my belly:

Around 3:30 my contractions started to regulate a bit more...still not "real" labour, but at least it was a sign that things were moving in the right direction. So I called Ben home from work and we headed to the hospital. When I had Paige I had about 6 hours of this slow inconsistent labour and less than 2 of real labour before she was born...so I wanted to make sure I was IN the hospital when the real labour started.

We arrived at the hospital about 4pm and were sent home at 4:30 PM because I wasn't in 'labour' yet and was only 3cm!! Let me tell you...I was pretty annoyed because I KNEW that it would go FAST once things started. BUT, we left. We drove home, picked up a few things, picked up McDonald's from the drivethru and headed back to the hospital. I didn't want to go INTO the hospital but wanted to be near by. So we drove around town for a bit, took the truck on a few dirt roads etc. The bouncy truck sure got things moving! At 6:45 I decided that I needed to pee really really bad, so we headed to a gas station. At this point I KNEW I had about 2 or 3 minutes between contractions, so I ran in quickly, asked to use the bathroom and when they refused me, I just broke down crying and then a brutal contraction hit. I crawled back to the truck and Ben decided it was time to head into the hospital. So I agreed...but only to use that washroom. I did NOT want to go back in and get sent home again!! When we got there I quickly ran to the bathroom and when I came out the nurse was there and she quickly ushered me into a delivery room. I still thought they'd send me home. But I was wrong.

It was 6:56 when we arrived at the hospital. I was 7 cm. It took about 20 minutes to get settled in and get things ready for my real labour to start. Then at 7:20 the doctor came in and I begged for an epidural...and was refused, so I begged for something else and was once again declined because there wasn't time! At 7:27pm the doctor broke my water and at 7:30pm little Cait arrived!! I was definitely in shock! I had expected to labour for at least a few hours in the hospital...and was totally unprepared for her to arrive when she did. In fact, our camera and EVERYTHING was still in the truck! It was quick, it was nice, but it was definitely intense!

My parents brought the girls up an hour later to meet their new little sister and everyone was soooo happy!


Paige did a lot of looking at my tummy and then staring at the baby...and looking at my tummy and staring at the baby:


Hailey was in HEAVEN!! She was made to be a big sister!


We were all a little surprised...but VERY happy to have another girl!


Cait wasn't such a fan of her first bath:


But, when we came home she snuggled right into the arms of her big sister:


A family shot...I guess with each child you have it gets harder and harder to get a decent shot hey?


And finally...the sleeping baby. She's a bit colicky so we cherish every sweet quiet moment like this.


Anyway, it's been a whirlwind of a week. I think everyone is adjusting pretty well. I'm exhausted, but functioning and overjoyed to have another sweet girl to cuddle with. The girls are as happy as can be. And Ben's yet again smitten by another daughter!