#67-Big, Late, New Years Update!

Happy 2013!! 

What a great year it has been; And the last week of 2012 was just magical.

As most of you readers know, our eagerly anticipated Christmas present arrived 38 minutes short of Christmas day on Monday the 24th, 4 days late and just on time:)

Our third child, a BOY (we were so surprised!), Oliver Creed! 8 lbs 9oz, 21 inches long. 

Blonde hair, blue eyes, but otherwise looks just like his big brother!

We chose the name Oliver in accordance with our tradition of naming our kids after the fruits of the spirit, we have Joy (Isaac) Love (Rosalie) and now we have Peace (Oliver:) Creed means 'statement of faith' which we hope is lived out in Oliver. We had a couple other names but Eric decided on Oliver once we got to take a look at him, a very fine choice indeed!

There were certain concerns regarding excess amniotic fluid (turns out my polyhydramnios had returned) which resulted in my waters having to be broken in hospital to prevent cord prolapse, and once they get you into a hospital, you ain't gettin' outta there. I managed to get over my dread and tension, as, of course, the main priority was the healthy and safe arrival of Oliver.
Care was given back over to the midwives after a successful 'water break' and a few hours later (short but intense labour and delivery) little Oliver arrived! We got to go home a couple hours after and it was then 1:30 in the morning on Christmas day, snowing beautifully:)

Isaac and Rosalie did indeed wake up to the promised 'baby for Christmas' and were both quite thrilled. Though Rosie promptly lost interest, Isaac continues to be a very gentle and helpful big brother, holding Oliver whenever he can, burping and cuddling him, though sometimes he can get a little too rough (I once caught him about to walk off carrying Oliver by his armpits)
We are all adjusting very well to the latest addition. Oliver is a very calm and quiet baby (so far) and now that the flurry of visitors and holidays has died down and Eric has gone back to work, we are getting back into the swing of life, and maybe even naps!

We have been so blessed by our family, friends, and church community with meals, cleaning, taking care of the two older ones, and other support and prayers. I haven't had to think about cooking in over a week and have a full freezer of meals ahead! (Which is GOOD because there isn't much space in my mind or day to get around to cooking and planning a meal.) We are well taken care of.
Other news of 2012...:
We've owned our home for almost 2 years this March and it is starting to come together, and we have continued to build relationships with the neighbours and other locals and meeting new people all the time!
Eric continues his work as a DSW which has been very good for our family in terms of benefits and flexibility, his hours and shifts allow him to be at home more in some mornings and afternoons and it is generally easy to pick up and give up shifts when needed. Earlier this year Eric also made the big move to cut off his legendary long locks of hair and is now sporting a stylin' short 'do and a ruggedly handsome beard. He is currently on our church board and is the social light of the family which is good for all of us! Eric is the hero of this family, his kids utterly adore him (and so does his wife) and there's never more excitement in the house then when daddy comes home from work! Way to go Eric.

Isaac is growing big and TALL, he will be 3 years old this April and toddler-hood is behind him. Isaac has grown up so much in the past year it's hard to believe he was ever a baby. His favourite things to do are play with any kind of cars/trucks etc, build tents, RUN, hide & seek, dancing, eating fruit, anything interactive that involves other people, and this year he finally decided to start enjoying the snow! So jumping off ledges and sledding are his new favourite things to do outside. He's quite the little conversationalist as well, although it's funny watching him in new settings or when he's playing 'shy' because he will clam right up and no one might think any better, although later around the dinner table or in the tub he will recount anything he saw or heard, so be careful!:)
This year has been quite challenging at times with Isaac and his very "strong personality", as we call it. On top of the fact that it is the end of his Terrific Two's, we've had a bit of a roller-coaster. We are starting to see some fruits of our labours in Isaac however, as he is learning a little better how to deal with his emotions and strong will. (As are we) All I can do I suppose is hold my breath and hope that I didn't screw up too much as a parent this year and that we can move on forgiving and learning and growing; A great thing about kids is how quick they are to forgive and forget! 
Isaac is mostly fully potty trained except for nights. He has pretty much grown out of nap time, though I'm convinced he still needs one now and again, but has been settling for 'quiet time' in his room which usually doesn't last more than 20 minutes. Isaac is a little man who loves to be involved! It's exciting to see him growing up and being such an integral part of it is truly a privilege.

Rosalie is now 16 months old, and also growing like a weed. She is ever the cute little charmer but is learning some wily ways! She's just so darling about it it's hard to stay strict and serious. She is catching up to Isaac in many motor skills and opinions (though mostly just sounds like babbling at this point) and although Isaac usually has the upper hand, she is learning how to stand up for herself and once in awhile even gets her way.
She's taken on a little bit of an attitude, and at this point it's still terribly adorable, Eric and I will have to keep ourselves in check so it doesn't get out of hand!
Rosie's favourite things to do are read books (especially books without pictures as of late), chase us saying "roar", do puzzles, naptime with her bunny, and play with little toys (cars, animals, blocks) and loves when Isaac lets her play with him.
With a newborn around now it's incredible to see how BIG she's gotten over the past few months, somehow I missed the transition from baby to toddler with her, and I try to spend a bit more extra time with my little girl, which I sometimes forget to do as easy-going as she is. (O, the plight of the middle child!)
She's adjusting very well to Oliver, she doesn't seem to care too much about him for now, but when she does notice him she just treats him like a doll:)
She is not speaking in sentences yet but has a good number of words under her belt. I can't wait to hear what's on this gals mind!

I am learning how to adjust to my new family of 5, it's actually been easier than I thought (we're only 2 weeks into it:) I don't feel too nervous about Eric going back to work as things have been going so well. Probably my biggest concern is just making time for each person on top of keeping an orderly-ish house and meals on the table, though I know that there will be many a time there will be neither of these things, I want to remember my priority is time with my husband and children, absolutely more important in these early days than any chicken dinner or washed walls...as nice as that is:) Balancing all this I know also how important quiet time is for myself, even if it's only 10 minutes here and there, that time to 'regroup' and breathe can make that much more of a difference in my attitude and patience towards others.
Also with it being winter I don't know that I'll get out and about as much or as easily as I was able to with 2 kids, being outdoors is a lifeline for me when Eric is at work, but we'll figure that out.
I am truly enjoying my life right now, though in many ways I am not where I thought I would be even 5 years ago, I know I am now just where I should be. Even though there are days where I don't have time to myself for even a moment much less time to pursue any 'hobbies' or 'other interests', I know that these years where every ounce of my energy is required of me, are absolutely irreplaceable, and one of the great things is, I don't have to wait for the reward, they are all here every moment of every day:)

As my card reader is still broken, there won't be pictures in this post, so I'll make up for it next post with NOTHING BUT! (And maybe some explanations) 

Happy 2013! There's always a kettle hot in London if you're ever in the area, stop on by!