My Girls

It's funny how I sometimes see soooo many similarities between Paige and Cait...and most people think they look the most alike between the three girls. BUT when I look at Hailey's baby pictures I see soooo much Cait in them as well. Really, I think they just all look so much alike. Cait and Hailey have the same eyes and nose, and Cait and Paige have the same lips...and every other last detail they share. My babies come from one mould...and one mould only! But in these pictures...I think it's Cait and Hailey that are twins.

Anyway, I took pictures of my other two girls in their blessing gowns when they were three/four months old. But I forgot to with Cait. So this morning I pulled the gown out and put it on her. She barely squeezed into it at 5 months old. But she's still cute as ever.

Cait - 5 months

Paige - 3 months

Hailey - 4 months

Kindergarten

Kindergarten...yep. I've got a kid in Kindergarten! Wow. Where did the time go. I can't believe it!

Those are the kind of things I'm supposed to say right?

It's interesting how going to preschool was more monumental then going to kindergarten. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that her preschool was IN the elementary school and felt so much like real school to me. Plus she only goes to kindergarten two full days a week (with a Friday thrown in there once in a while). Next year will be a different story, I believe.

Anyway, we're all excited and happy to see Hailey excited and happy about Kindergarten.
 

Her first day was a success. She was happy as could be. Had no complaints or concerns. And really seemed to enjoy herself. We dropped her off at the crack of dawn...ok 8:30, but we haven't woken up before 9:00 am all summer. So it felt like the crack of dawn. So we dropped her off, she leaped out of the van and bounded off towards the school...and left poor Paige in her wake. Poor poor Paige.

Does this picture get any sadder? I mean besides the fact that Paige is still sporting some serious bedhead and is clearly dressed in rags. But the saddest part is how forlorn Paige looks.  Her big sister is off to bigger and better things...and that means Paige has to stay home with mom and the boring baby sister.

Anyway...Hailey was very happy about her class room. It's a brand new school with brand new everything. And she was especially happy to play with the littlest pet-shops. So we left her with her teacher and other kids. AND I didn't shed a single tear...how is that even possible?

 

We (Paige, Cait and I) then spent the rest of the day cleaning up from our last camping trip...relaxing, watching Dora etc. Later that afternoon we loaded back up in the van and picked Hailey up while we anxiously waited for her to share every little detail about her first day. Which she refused to share. So I'll assume it went fine. She said she loved it, but just couldn't remember anything.

 I did get this sweet little gem though...a picture she drew in class. A beaver and a turtle. So randomly adorable! That's Hailey for ya! We sure love that kid...she's the best!

 

Vesicoureteral Reflux

Vesicoureteral  Reflux

That's a big word hey? It's a big word that I've become a bit more familiar with lately.

Remember that visit to the hospital Cait had earlier this summer? She had a what I thought was a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) but it turned out to be a kidney infection. It quickly got worse and because she was so young it required a nearly week long stay in the hospital. They did a TON of testing while we were there...and basically came to the conclusion that it was... a kidney infection. She responded quickly and got better super fast. Right before we left the hospital she had a kidney ultrasound, and depending on the results of that ultrasound she would or wouldn't need more testing. Her ultrasound was normal and so the doctors decided the infection was a one time occurrence and that no further investigation was needed. So we went home. We all assumed that was the end of it!

And then a few weeks later I noticed all the same symptoms...and took her into the doctor again. After a day of frustrating attempts to collect urine from her to be tested, we finally figured out that she had another infection!! Antibiotics again! And then a few weeks later...more symptoms...more antibiotics! 8 days later (while still on antibiotics) her symptoms returned...even MORE antibiotics!!!

So this resulted in a referral to a nephrologist. We just had to wait for our appointment. In the mean time, my doctor booked her in for a VCUG test which would help us with a diagnosis. I knew by this point what the results would be. I KNEW she would have kidney reflux. Kidney reflux is a condition where the urine, instead of leaving the bladder and traveling down through the urethra, refluxes BACK up to her kidney before she pees. Which basically causes all sorts of infections. Anyway, she had her VCUG last Friday and I didn't expect instant results. But one thing I've learned in my experience with doctors is that when you're getting a test like and ultrasound or an X-ray, the radiologist NEVER gives you the results unless they are bad. And bad they were. It turns out Cait has grade 5 reflux in one of her kidneys...grade 5 being the MOST severe. Bad enough that her nephrologist bumped her original mid November appointment up to this week!! Bad enough that we're meeting to discuss her surgery options. Bad enough that I'm actually starting to worry a bit. I know things will be fine. This is a relatively common condition, and it's treatable. So I'm ok. She's ok. In fact, she's more than ok! She's still just one of the happiest sweetest babies I've met.

p.s. Friday I'll have more information...i.e. surgery date? And then we can move forward with life.
p.p.s. Did you know Cait also sees a pediatric ophthalmologist? Yep! But it's such a non issue now that we're dealing with this kidney issue. I'll write a whole post about that at another time.

Summer Holidays

The year Hailey turned One we bought a trailer. It was kind of a foreign concept to me. I grew up in the city with a teacher as a father and 5 siblings. We didn't have the money for big exotic Holidays...but we still holidayed. We camped a lot when I was younger (in the tent trailer...of which I have no memories), we went and visited family on the coast a lot, and sometimes we had the hotel kind of Holidays. We still camped...but I just don't remember it quite as much as staying with family and friends.

My picture of an ideal holiday was a cabin...or a nice hotel anywhere. I really didn't think camping was my thing - especially with kids!!! Not at ALL! But then Ben opened my eyes to the world of RV-ing! We bought a giant trailer (34 feet long, with a bathroom, a master bedroom, a kitchen, and a bunk-bed room). It was AWESOME!! And then Ben opened (only slightly) my eyes to world of quads and toys. So we sold our first trailer and bought the toy hauler...which has a garage for the quads (with two queen bunk beds), plus a master bedroom and all the other perks the other trailer had. Now THIS trailer is sweet! Especially for moms like me who can't sleep with their babies. The grunting and snorting and noises my baby's make at night keep me up. I like them in their own rooms! So we unload the quads, clean the garage, put the bunks down and set up the room for the baby...or who ever else is sleeping in there. It's sweet!! Anyway, because of this sweet trailer, we spend a LOT of time camping. It has a built in generator so we can camp anywhere (back country) and have power for things like: the microwave, the Air Conditioning, the TV etc.

Anyway, every year we do a week long trip in the trailer (on top of the many weekends we use it as well). This year we went to Shuswap with friends. We had a fabulous time!! Here are some pics:

Night one...Baby's first time in the exersaucer...not her first Mohawk

Water slides in Salmon Arm...the girls had a BLAST

So much fun that I couldn't get them to look at me or my camera even ONCE!

Paige was diva all the way!! Throwing rocks to smooth out her sun tanning spot...pink rhinestone glasses

Suntanning...Diva - I told ya

Cait...oh Cait...she was the PERFECT baby! Slept on the beach for hours at a time, hung out in her stroller and smiled at everyone...did I mention that she slept everywhere?? PERFECTION!

Hailey...just so sweet and innocent and happy and adorable and beautiful

On our way home we decided to take a 'slight' detour to the Columbia Icefields...I mistakenly thought they were in Lake Louise, so we got all prepped for the glacier. And THEN we realized they were an hour and a half NORTH of Lake Louise. So not at all on our way home, but still worth the drive. I played tour guide for my family...and failed miserably. The only mountain I could remember was rundle mountain and I have no idea which one it was. So much for all those Canadian Rockies Geology courses I took in University!

The Athabasca Glacier was pretty cool! The girls LOVED IT! We especially liked drinking the fresh glacier water. Deliciously fresh!

Cait slept

Family picture

Overall the week was great! We're happy to be home...but more happy to have made so many great memories!! I'm already planning next years holiday!!

Hailey babe is 5!!!

I can't even really think about how special Hailey is without tearing up. She's my daughter...so of course I think she's special. But the day she was born, she also healed my wounded little heart and because of that she'll always have a special place in my heart. She's definitely a keeper! (my other two are equally as special...there are no favourites...and they also have their own special spots in my heart as well)

Anyway, we had a little party for her here in town. We invited a handful of local friends and CRAFTED!! That's all she wanted to so! We decided that the best way to craft with a bunch of 5 year olds was to book the party room at the Michael's store. It was THE BEST PARTY DECISION EVER!

No mess (at home at least), no clean up, someone else to entertain my kids, low cost, face painting...the list goes on you know!

The kids decorated pictures frames...

Paige took the whole thing pretty seriously

Opening all her girly gifts

She's just so sweet and happy and appreciative of EVERYTHING. In this pic she's just amazed by the stunning cupcakes we made!

And finally blowing out her candles

For my records, Hailey at 5:

• is a genius...ok just a smart little cookie, she is starting to read little words, she did AMAZING in her kindergarten assessment (the principle kept commenting on how smart she was)
• She LOVES all things girly - pink pink pink, makeup, nail polish, dresses, dresses, dresses, hair, makeup and more makeup
• She's a BIG sister...a bit bossy (a LOT bossy) but adored by her younger sisters
• She LOVES to ride her quad...but is lucky to have all pink gear as well as a pink camo quad
• she LOVES holding and helping out with Baby Cait
• She has LOTS and LOTS of friends, but is especially adored by little boys (a few of them are pretty certain she's their girlfriend...although she says she's only got one boyfriend...Denver. She's been taught well though and won't kiss him until they're old and married)
• She LOVES babies but says she doesn't want any when she grows up...just big kids, because having babies hurts too much (oops...she's a bit too observant I guess)
• She's sooooo excited to go into kindergarten this fall...and hopefully she wins her teacher over as much as she did her preschool teacher (who said Hailey reminded her a lot of Pollyanna...uh that's the sweetest thing anyone could say about my daughter)
• LOVES riding bikes and mastered her two wheeler without training wheels this summer
• Has a vivid imagination and LOVES playing make believe (orphan, cave woman, animals etc)
• She really is such a joy to be around, she's sweet, innocent, lovely, spunky and a little bit sassy. Pretty much the perfect 5 year old. Right?

 

Play

We play.

We play a LOT.

We play a LOT...over and over again.

Our favourite place to play is in our own backyard.

We always have friends jumping on trampoline, through our sprinkler, or in the house.

But sometimes my favourite moments are when it's just the 4 of us girls...Hailey, Paige, Cait and I. This is when I get the best laughs out of them, the sweetest smiles, and the stillest moments (ok...and the best static filled hair)

Oh...I'm going to link up to my SIL's weekly Simple things post:

 

If you don't use instagram

You should! Really, instagram is great! follow me@ meaganmccance

But if you don't use instagram...here's just a small taste of what we've been up to (all pictures courtesy of my iPhone):
Spray park, Paigey's Birthday, breakfast in new lawn chairs, year end soccer parties, big cousins letting little girls do their hair, laying out with baby cousins at the beach, winking babies, slide trains with cousins

It's been the summer of cousins. And that's just the way I like it

No desire to blog

Honestly...what has happened to my blogging desire? Part of it is because my camera isn't working all that well, part of it is that I have three kids and I'm pretty busy, part of it is because I never go on my computer any more (hello iphone), and most of it's because I'm lazy!

Anyway, the other day I took out my camera since I realize I hadn't used it in about a month (you know what they say about having a million pictures of your first kid and none of your last? Well I'm definitely moving in that direction.)

So I took a picture of the biggest and the littlest sister...aren't they pretty?

Paige turned three...and to follow with family tradition, she got her ears pierced. Poor girl had NO idea what was coming to her!

She was soooooo surprised!!! And very accusatory as well....like it was MY fault it hurt. Ok, it kind of was, since she didn't really WANT her ears pierced. Sorry baby

But she got over it quickly...and was especially happy while opening her Birthday presents

Then...the next day Hailey 'graduated' from preschool. We had a lovely afternoon in her class (songs, ice cream and games). Here she is with her certificate...onto Kindergarten now!!

Then the next day we let Paige invite 1 cousin and 1 friend to her "Birthday Party". She HAD a lot of fun playing, and opening presents!

And then...lucky us. My friend Julie is taking a cake decorating class and decided to make a delicious cake for Paige.

Lucky us because I don't do cakes...I just decided it's not even close to being a talent of mine, so I'm not going to even bother. It's a good thing my kids like ice cream better anyway!

So, other exciting events that occurred but weren't documents with pictures were: Camping, quadding, camping and more quadding, year end soccer parties, year end piano recitals, year end EVERYTHING!

Hailey turns 5 this week, so maybe I'll pull out my camera again. We're also planning to go camping...and I probably won't pull out my camera for that! ha ha! I'm clearly winning at this mom thing!