More Party Pics...

Even More Party Pics..

More pics...

~ Last 3 pictures, thanks to Sadie for taking them.

My boy turns two...

Chase was pretty excited to see his new quad!

Happy 2nd Birthday Handsome!

Guess he can going riding with his Papa & Uncle Don now...

Almost TWO!!!

I can hardly believe looking back, two years ago, that I had not yet met Chase.

Time does weird things to my brain, I really can't recall what my life was like without him...Sure I can obivously recall things like running in to the store without a baby, so much simpler ... But the things I can't recall...I can't imagine anymore what is like to not have that small perfect (and not-so-perfect) little bundle of joy in my life. I had always heard how amazing it is to love a child, and a friend of mine once told me the best way she had heard being a parent described was this: "It is the most."

Being a parent will allow you to love another human being the "most."

It will allow you to worry the "most."

It will be the "most" rewarding.

It will be the "most" challenging.

It will be the "most" hardest thing you have ever done.

It will be able to bring you the "most" joy.

Hmm, so far I agree with it all. But never would change it...Not for anything. There are times (more frequently these days) where Chase challenges my parenting skills, and paitence...But all in all, he is wonderful, and I am glad he picked us to be his parents...

I sure love him...

More of Chase

Chase, is still obsessed with books (which pleases us.)

And this monkey costume is this years Halloween costume!

Mongolian Spot

http://www.drgreene.com/21_833.html

What are Mongolian Spots?

My daughter was born with a birthmark on her buttocks. The doctor said it is called a "Mongolian spot". Could you provide information on Mongolian spots, such as what causes them and how parents can deal with them?

Thank you Dr. Greene.A. HafsoAlberta, Canada

Several years ago, I met a little girl who had been taken from her parents because authorities noticed that her body, especially her buttock, was covered with large, deep bruises. She and her parents were ripped from one another, for her own good. I can only imagine what they each felt. Child abuse charges were eventually dropped, when these "bruises" were correctly diagnosed as Mongolian spots.
These flat birthmarks can be deep brown, slate gray, or blue-black in color. They do sometimes look similar to bruises. The edges are often, but not always, indistinct. They are most common on the lower back and buttocks, but are often found on the legs, back, sides, and shoulders. They vary from the size of a pinhead to six inches or more across. A child may have one or several.
At least one Mongolian spot is present on over 90% of Native Americans and people of African descent, over 80% of Asians, over 70% of Hispanics,and people of African descent, over 80% of Asians, over 70% of Hispanics, and just under 10% of fair-skinned infants (Clinical Pediatric Dermatology, 1993). Despite the name, Mongolian spots have no known anthropologic significance, except for being more common in darker-skinned infants.
Mongolian spots are nothing more than dense collections of melanocytes, the skin cells which contain melanin, the normal pigment of the skin. When the melanocytes are close to the surface, they look deep brown. The deeper they are in the skin, the more bluish they look. Either way, they are not related to bruises or any other medical condition. They do not predispose to skin cancer or any other problem.
Mongolian spots are present at birth, and most of them fade (at least somewhat) by age two. Most have completely disappeared by age five. If Mongolian spots remain at puberty, they are likely to be permanent. Fewer than five percent of children with Mongolian spots still have any by adulthood. Those who do tend to be the ones with multiple, widespread spots, or with spots in unusual locations.

Chase : Just shy of two years old. His spots are still quite dark and mostly at the base of his spine, and on his bum. As you can see, he does have a couple that go up his spine.

Although I appreciate that other mothers are concerned for children other than their own, summers are tough when he doesn't have a shirt on, and and I see the horrified looks.

More Aug. Pics...

Finally some of the pictures I said I would post...

Hmmm...How do I make that work?!?!

I am not sure how to get the "chatterbox" working again, on my blog which is really disapointing ...I look forward to people writing on it to see what they think of the stories I have written...Hmm, I guess you just have to leave a "comment" (as Shannon says) the old way...underneath that particular story...

Anyhow, it has been awhile since I have written anything...So first, I had better say "Congrats" to:

Curtis & Sarah Aug.16.08

Jessi & Parick Aug.23.08

It was great to be a part of both of these couples special day!

But as I fear, I have already run out of time, and Chase is calling...So I wil post more pictures of both weddings later...

~Coral

Chase @ 22 Months...

The other day it came over me to tell Chase what he should say to Dadddy about smoking...

So now when you ask Chase "What do we say to Daddy about smoking?" He says "NO MOKE!!" (which of course means, "NO SMOKE!")

Also in this video at the very begining, he sees himself in the camera...

And then in another video, (that was too big to upload on here) he also points at trucks and stuff in his book. I have to explain one other thing though...He points to a telephone repair truck, I have told him once before I filmed this, that "Nana" worked for the telephone Company...I had no idea he associated my mom with the truck now...Bizzare!

***Warning***

This video contains graphic material...Chase puts his fingers up his nose repeatedly!

~Coral

Was this for REAL?!?!?!

So here it is Sunday, and I am resting on the couch, typing to tell you all this...

Have you ever had food poisoning? IT SUCKS!!! I have had it twice in my life, the first time being the day after Ian & I's wedding in Mexico, and then again this past Friday!

Ian started feeling sicker, faster than I did. But when I woke up of Friday morning I wasn't feeling all that great. Ian and I both had important apts. that day, and we struggled through them both, but no sooner did Ian get home from his, and he started violently throwing up. Now, for those of you who know Ian well, he will refuse going to the doctor ALWAYS. So after awhile of him being sick, he came back down the stairs and said I need to go to the hospital...I knew it was bad. I called a friend of ours (Rich) because by this time, Chase had gone down for a nap, and he came and got Ian and took him to the hospital. Well, then I had a my apt. (over the phone) and no sooner was that finished, and the churning in my stomach started. This was a really scary time for me, Ian is in the hospital, I can't go and see him because Chase was sleeping, and now I am feeling sick...Who is going to look after Chase? OMG!!!

Anyhow, Rich phones me from the hospital to tell me that the nurses suggest that I come up and get checked out and to tell me that Ian is in quite a bit of pain. I say I will come up when Chase wakes up.

Well, the next bit is a bit of a blur, and I am glad that Chase slept for quite some time...Because once I started getting sick, I no longer could get myself to the hospital. There were a few more calls between Rich and myself, as well as Sadie and myself, but I don't remember too much of it...

Rich sat up at the hospital with Ian and then he went and picked up Sadie from work (as she got off work early because we had all planned to go camping!!) They were both up there with Ian and then Sadie ran into Dana (who was working) and Dana & Sadie had worked out that they were going to let Ian sleep while he could, and then Dana was going to come to our house when she was off work, and entertain Chase for a bit, and then I could go to the hospital.

How it really ended up playing out...

(And I sort of cut to the Chase in this part, because that is where it all is sort of blurry)

Around 3:30 Dana & Ian come through the door. (Chase had just woken up in the last 15 minutes or so) I was lying on the couch, thinking I was dying...but still convinced I could handle this, because I had in Mexico. So Ian was feeling like...maybe not a million bucks, but for sure a hundred...and helped me walk up the stairs. I just wanted to lay down.

Dana & Chase read books, and coloured with the chalk outside.

I have no idea when she left...how long she was here for...I remember at one point hearing Ian say he was going to make Chase dinner.

From there, the next part I remember was being very sick, and Ian coming up the stairs and telling me, "Coral, I really think you should go to the hospital." I agreed...Why is it when you finally think, "Yup...I should do that," does it almost become impossible to leave the bathroom??? UGH...It was awful. So, I finished in there, made it down the stairs, and got to the next bathroom emptied my guts again, and then got myself a bucket, and headed to the truck. (Sorry for the graphics!!) When I got to the hospital, I didn't get sick anymore! I was so scared of getting sick there! They put me on IV for 2 & 1/2 hours (Ian was there for 3) They gave me two bags of saline, and 1 bag of gravol. I still got sick one more time that night, a couple hours after getting home...But not since then! Phew...

Chase threw-up once while they were in the truck @ the hospital, but he is doing pretty good! I am so glad because this was brutal.

Anyhow, without having any family here, it was a bit difficult, but wanted to say "THANK YOU!!!" to Dana, Rich, & Sadie for all your help during this! We really couldn't have done it without you guys!!

Coral

Missing her...

*** In pondering this, I am not asking for, or even trying to evoke any religous outlooks***

(I am not even sure what I believe today...)

Two years, seven months, & 5 days ago I lost my sister...

Today must be a sad day, because if you ask me on most days, I would tell you that time helps, although never takes away the pain completely. I would tell you, "I'm o.k." And I would mean it.

What I wonder so much of the time is this, if there is re-incarnation, if there is life afterwards of any kind, if there is a heaven & hell...If any of these things are a reality, and the ones we love are gone, and if they can "watch over us" how do we know? I look for signs all the time to see if in fact she's there. I would think that she would want to come and talk with me, to see me, and if not me, wouldn't she want to check in with my son? Does she know about him?

Does she know that I keep her pictures out and try and tell him about his auntie that is no longer here? If she is "checking in" and I just don't know, is it painful for her, to see me miss her? Does she feel like she is missing out on us? Is she happy? Is her pain gone?

How do you explain to children? And if it hurts to explain, do you hide the tears from your child? Do you let them see you fall apart? I know I am not the only one that has gone through something like this, and I know it could be worse, it could always be worse...Her children lost their mother....Her partner lost the love of his life....My mother lost her child...But I lost my big sister, and I really miss her.

I just wish that there was some sort of proof, because I guess, I don't always have faith in something that I can't see...

~Coral

Kristi & Caleb come to Nelson

Kristi & Caleb, (@ 4.5 Months) Christine (6 .5 months pregnant) & Mattaya, (@ 16 Months) Coral & Chase (@ 21 Months)

So weird to think that just two years ago...we hadn't yet met any of these babies... And now...

"The light of our lives."

Canada Day Pictures

The difference 5 months makes...

When you look att he difference between these two pictures, it's pretty amazing how much they grow and change!

~Coral

Chase @ 15 Months & Brooklyn @ 13.5 Months
Chase @ 20 Months @ Brooklyn @ 18.5 Months

Kelowna ~ June.08