My Reminder

This is what my house looks like...most of the time. To my embarrassment and frustration the house is messy in the background of most of my photos. I only have one little one who is mobile but the immobile one (for now) has her own way of contributing to the mess. I came across this poem the other day and thought I should get it tattooed on me. Well, maybe not a tattoo. Maybe I'll just settle for posting it on the refrigerator door (if I could only find a blank space among all the animal, letter and number magnets...) My little ones will only be little for such a little while.

Gone Not Gone

With the kids gone

I sleep in a messy house

That I may wake up

Within the illusion

not gone

From Mother time: Poems New and Selected by Joanne Arnott

Favourites from Month One

Please pardon the formatting. I'm sure there's a better way to do it, but since I'm already a month behind, I though it best just to move on. Pictures from month two coming soon! (Note: You can click on the images to see them larger/in a film strip.)

Getting Acquainted

It took a couple of weeks before Moses wanted to touch Cates (other than bopping her in the face when she cried). Now, he frequently wants to "hold him." This is their first holding session and we are fortunate to have it on video. And, true to form, Moses quotes from one of his books: when he says "head to toe" he is referencing Boy of Mine where it says "How perfect you are from head to toe."

Cates Hosanna Rios

I had hoped to be able to share my version of Cates' birth in this post. We are adjusting as can be expected and enjoying the newest addition to our family, but let's be honest: they just ain't no time for birth story writin'. The birth story can wait or not happen at all, but we wanted to share a bit more about her name while she's still new.

Our little blue eyed girl bears the name Cates Hosanna.

Jeremy and I have known that we would name our daughter Cates for years. I don’t remember exactly when we decided on that during our 8 year marriage but it was an easy decision for us.

As Jeremy already explained, Cates is a family name. It was my Mother's maiden name and it is my middle name. It's also my brother's middle name and both my cousin's (on my Mom's side) middle name—it's gotten some good wear, I suppose! Used as a first name we liked its feminine sound and thought it would be a 'sweet' name for a little girl and would grow up nicely with her into adulthood. Hopefully she won't grow too weary of explaining to people that her name is "like Cate with an 's'. And it starts with a 'C'."

I did a bit of 'research' (googling something hardly qualifies as research, so I sheepishly employ half quotes to only sort of excuse myself) on the meaning of 'Cates'. I didn't find much; some sources say that it means "fair" and that it has English roots. We had an astute friend that thought perhaps we named her Cates as a derivative of 'catharizo', the Greek word meaning 'to cleanse'. It's certainly a nice thought. Perhaps we might adopt that sentiment—it would tie in nicely with her middle name—and I have no objections to her being fair or even English. But our intention in naming our daughter Cates was simply to pay tribute to my family. Specifically, we wanted to remember and honour two precious women that we said goodbye to in 2008: My Grandmother, Faye Cates and my Mother, Patricia Cates. Cates Hosanna is pictured above wearing my Mom's wedding band.

Mom knew we were planning on naming one of our children Cates. Jeremy and I were glad of the chance to share our then future children's names with her before she passed away. She didn't know that her middle name would be Hosanna. Cates' middle name was decided later.

Hosanna. It is a Hebrew word found in the Bible that means "save!" Jeremy and I warmed to this word as a name quickly and mutually. It was later, and separately, that we came to think of "Hosanna" as a kind of prayer, not only for Cates but for our family.

Hosanna. Save us. It is a prayer breathed, sung, shouted, spoken. A heartbeat beneath our days, a rhythm reminding us of our God-dependency. Hosanna, we breathe. Hosanna, we sing. Hosanna, we shout. Hosanna, we whisper in reverent trust. Hosanna asks mercy in our quiet fear. In darkness Hosanna waits with expectant confidence. It is tied onto the ragged edge of our doubt. Save us!

Save us from. Save us from harm and from harming others. Save us from missing all that God wants for our lives, from the emptiness and futility of life apart from Christ. Save us from ourselves. Save us for—for the purpose that he has prepared for us, for the beautiful, full, abundant life that He desires. Save us for something bigger than ourselves.

Hosanna! It is exclamation. It is invocation. And we hope, in the deepest, steadiest sense of hope, that Cates' life will be a proclamation of her strong and sure Saviour.

Alrighty then. Thanks for listening. More pictures, what you really want, to come. :)

A Little Adventure!

Hey Everyone!

So, we had a little adventure (and with it a little bundle) drop into our lives this past week! And in case you hadn't heard yet, we welcomed Cates Hosanna Rios to our family, in a flash, on Monday night! (By the way, this is Jeremy writing today.)

Okay, details: on Saturday morning Liesel had some regular contractions that lasted for several hours, then tapered off and stopped altogether. We were disappointed that we didn't have a baby (and that I still had to write a sermon for Sunday!), but we waited. Come Monday, Liesel felt (as she had felt each day previously) that maybe today was the day. We ran our day as usual. Then, around 4, we left the house to do some errands. These errands included a Salvation Army drop off, a Library pick up, and Guildford Mall for Moses to run in the play area.

By the time we arrived at Guildford, around 5, Liesel was beginning to have some more serious contractions and we agreed to call our doula (a birth assistant), Blanca. Within less than 30 minutes, we decided it was time to vacate the premises and get Liesel home. Not without a few errands first, of course. We stopped at McDonalds to get Moses some food (grilled cheese and apple slices, for the record). While waiting in line in the drive through, things intensified for Liesel, and we called the doula again and said, essentially, "Better come now!"

I dropped Liesel off and went to pick up Jen, who was going to babysit Moses while we went to the hospital. I picked Jen up at about 6:20, and (get this) we went to the grocery store to get some last minute things (bread and yogurt were apparently very high on Liesel's nesting/preparation need list). Meanwhile, at home, Liesel vacuumed and made up a bed. Then, when I was less than 1km from our house Liesel called to say that we'd be leaving for the hospital as soon as I got there. It was now about 6:50.

I dropped Jen and Moses off at our house and picked up Liesel and Blanca. Moses was full of sad tears, but we knew he was in good hands, and so we left. I drove, not quite like a maniac, but aggressively, while Liesel and Blanca laboured in the back seat. After about 35 minutes we arrived at the hospital. It was now 7:30.

We were greeted by a somewhat brusque staff, who informed us that "We're really busy and you're going to have to wait." We were also informed that there were no rooms available. Liesel, meanwhile, got down on her hands and knees on the floor right there by the desk and moaned (involuntarily). Our doctor arrived within the minute, and, questioning whether the staff would like for us to have a baby in the lobby, managed to get us into a room. Humorous moment #1: the registration nurses wanted Liesel to sign a care waiver while she was moaning on the floor.

Once in our assessment room, we found out that Liesel was already at 9cms and pretty much ready to have the baby. Now the question was whether we wanted to have the baby right there or go upstairs to one of the birthing suites. Liesel said, between contractions, "Upstairs!" And so we shuffled her into a wheelchair, and then (humorous moment #2) ran, all four of us, down the halls of the hospital, into the elevator, and up to the birthing suite. If there had been music and cameras, I kid you not we could have used the whole scene in a movie.

Well, to make a short story even shorter, within about 15 minutes of arriving in the birthing suite (and less than 40 from when we'd arrived at the hospital), we had a baby girl. She's 7lbs (3.190kgs) and 19 inches long (Moses was 7lbs 10oz and 21 inches).

A word about her name (for the record, Liesel tells me she means to say more later). Cates is a family name—it is Liesel's middle name and her mother, Patricia's maiden name. Hosanna is a praise and prayer word from the bible and means "Save!"

That's the story! Just three hours from labour's start to finish, and we had a baby! Because of the birth program we were with (South Community Birth Program), because this was Liesel's second baby, and because Liesel was healthy after the birth, we were able to come home that evening. (In fact, we were only in the hospital for just about four hours.) Now we're here and happy, getting used to the new member of our household! Enjoy these pics!

From left to right, Blanca (our doula), Sarah (general practitioner),

Kiran (our doctor), Cates and Liesel.

Here's me getting acquainted with the girl.

Hello little eyes!

Jen, for her valiant efforts (and suffering through three viewings of Cars while waiting with Moses), got to hold the little girl on Tuesday night.