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| Challenges and joys! that would describe perfectly the first 6 weeks after Naomi's birth !I believe it's been the hardest time of my life and I admit I really felt stressed out ....Many times I felt frustrated, dissapointed, confused and even angry that we couldn't rely on any family members for help, and I felt this was the most important time I could use their help but for different reasons it didn't work out.....so, it was Jonathan and I, some church members (who brought food), dear Maria who came up for 11 days (and she didn't have to, but she did! She might not have the same blood as we do, but for sure she's like family . Thank you Maria for sacrificing time to come and have some sleepless nights !) and even a non-SDA friend who offered to keep Daniel for a few hours. Now after 2 months since Naomi's birth, I can finally feel things are getting into a normal routine...Yes, it's hard to manage 2 kids, especially when the toddler is acting up and whines (is that normal for a 2 year old??? ) ...but I still love my drama boy.... I believe things wouldn't have been so tough if it wasn't for the nursing issue....Naomi was very demanding and never satisfied and that put a stress on my mind and body....After praying and trying all kinds of methods and going to clinics, I decided i would stop breastfeeding her (just partly)...Now, she's doing part breast milk and part formula and she is more content, easy to manage and predictable....and I'm a happier mom , with a happy husband who can feed her as well ... So, here are some pictures to show how fast Naomi has been growing, gaining weight and thriving.....She's been sleeping longer at night and she even went for 8 hours between feedings.....And I was able to get my first 8 hour straight night sleep (thanks to Jonathan who put her to sleep) 
Maria loves the little girl...and I never heard her complaining or losing her patience with Naomi 
Naomi's favourite sleeping position 
 
 
yay...hurray! 
oh, my, what happened??? why are you so scared, little girl?  
it alsmot looks like she wants to punch someone  Because Naomi doesn\t like the horizontal position, she preffers to be held vertically, so instead of spending $60 for a baby wrap, I bought the stretchy fabric for $10, cut it in 2 and sewn it together in a loooong piece....and that\s it, the internet gives you the idea how to wrap it around your body.....it's a great thing for sure.And she loved it....cozy and warm...Now that she\s older she likes the Snugli....but hates the car seat 
My 2 precious gifts from God  
 
A couple of friends gave us a shirt that says "little sister" for her and one "big brother" for him, and here they pose together.....Daniel is not in the mood for a picture, but Naomi doesn't complain....yet...  And finally a family picture! it feels complete! We are truly blessed to have 2 wonderful, healthy kids.We praise God for that!....and raising them is our character building!
   And these are the latest shots of Naomi....and a smile for everyone (yes, she smiles a LOT....my mom said I used to smile a lot as a baby, so maybe it's in the genes) And Daniel???? yes. poor Daniel has been a bit neglected by his mommy and I;m so sorry for that, but thankfully Jonathan has been giving him much attention! Daniel loves Naomi, but sometimes in a playful way he hits her and wants to see our reaction.....For the past 2 months he's been a chattering machine (oh, he talks a lot like a woman).....and he's the one that gets upset that WE won't understand what he says sometimes......But all of a sudden he puts together 4 word sentences and this is a big thing considering the fact that up to 2 months ago he barely said anything ...He's a bit shy, but he recognises people and I can leave him with others and he'll be just fine....He's my funny monkey: when I ask Naomi is she wants to eat more, no matter where he is (and it doesn't seem he can hear me), he'd say "no", meaning "she got enough mom, now give me attention and leave her alone"... At this stage even though we have been trying to get him interested in animals or other things, he still prefers cars that fit in a garaje (everything that convers a car is a garaje)......And as people say, no matter how many colorful , expensive toys we buy, kids will still play with simple things -- same with Daniel: a piece of cloth will become a garaje or a couple of magnets would entertain him for a while.....oh, kids! Well, this is all the comes to my mind right now (that's what happens when we take too long to update, we forget).... God is good, the house is full, hands are busy and life goes on...too fast! blessings, D> | | |
| There is not much to say about Naomi's birth : she came so fast....now as i look back, everything is a blur . When i found out the baby will be a girl, I began praying for some things (maybe some of them selfish things): that God will not allow her to be as big as Daniel or even bigger (9 lbs), that she will be healthy and normal and filled with the Holy Spirit and that she will come during the week that my favourite midwife will be on duty (which was a week before my due date). The midwives work in a team of 3 and Maysoon was the one who delivered Daniel and I really liked her (Turkish, moving quick, studied medicine and lived in Romania for a few years, gentle in her touch). so, we had a lot in common and because I like people that are quick and know what they are doing, i was really hoping she will deliver my baby. She kept telling me that this baby will come fast and that i should be prepared to deliver at home just in case....and that's what happened. That week my midwife came a few times checking on me and we both were hoping that the baby will come during the week....and finally on Wednesday afternoon i began having contractions once in a while and realized that they were actually real...About 6 pm, my father in law (who came to visit a couple of days before), Daniel and I went for a walk around the neighbourhood and I had a few contractions anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes apart....When we finally came back home, the contractions were closer to eachother and i called Jonathan who was in Toronto for a couple of hours, to come home quick....Jon reached home at 9 pm, just after i put Daniel down for the night. And from then on the contractions were every 5 minutes. I got so tense and was shaking while lying in bed, but thanks to my hero, my wonderful husband, i was able to breathe through the contractions properly and not lose control. Jon was so amazing in guiding my breathing, that i don't know what I would have done without him . When we called my midwife, right away she realized things were happening fast and said not to go anywhere (meaning the hospital, 45 minutes away ), but to wait for her. She showed up about 9:20 pm and checked me out and said i should get ready for pushing....I praise God, i had peace in my heart knowing that everything will be ok, and seeing her getting her supplies ready and being so calm, I knew that it will be ok. Finally i felt the urge to push, but i wasn't very comfy and I kind of lost control and focus for a while. But after 2 pushes and burning pain, little Naomi came out crying like she should (she has been already low, so she didn't have to "travel" long way to come out)......That was a relief.....she was born at 10:20 pm after about 3 and a half hours of active labour. God is trully good: no complications, no tears (just a small stitch because of a scratch) and a healthy baby (6 lbs 9 oz, 48 cm in length). So, my physical recovery has been pretty fast, but because of the tension during the labour, my body and muscles hurt for a while. My main problem for the first 2 weeks has been the breastfeeding....this little bundle seem to be hungry all the time and yet she falls asleep when she starts drinking. For a moment i thought to give up breatsfeeding because of pain and other reasons, but then i remember how hard it was with Daniel, and i knew i'll regret one day if I will give up....so, by God's grace we'll stick with it: it's worth the pain, if the baby builds up a strong body. Right now, my little challenge is to eliminate the one formula bottle in the night (after she breastfeeds, she seems to want more in less than an hour later). At 10 days after birth, Naomi was back to her initial weight. And today, at 2 weeks after, she weighs 7 lbs 4 oz (much more than expected...so this little girl is not suffering at all ). Now, I'm just hoping she will not want to eat so much during the night, and be a good girl , like her mom and sleep a lot, like her mom.......yes, I LOVE sleeping and right now, i dont' get much of it. God answers simple prayers, even when they seem silly....Now, i'm asking Him to help me be able to deal with 2 kids at the same time when Jon is not around.....so far, Jon has spent so much time with Daniel and he hasn't showed any signs of gelousy.Actually, Daniel really loves his little sister, he thinks she's soft and he likes touching her face and rubbing his face against her skin.... It has been really difficult without an extra help around for the first 10 days, unfortunately Maria couldn't make it during that most difficult time (church members have been great with helping out with food and some with taking care of Daniel for a few hours during the day) , BUT i'm still thankful she was able to come a couple of days ago and she'll be here for almost 2 weeks! What a helper and a blessing (even when we disagree on some things) well, that's it....I;m looking forward to the time Naomi will be 3 months and up.....these first few weeks are not much fun and i feel confused many times when i can't "read" her cues.... Here are some pictures from the first few days after birth: 
first picture a few minutes after birth  
not very happy to be part of the real world ....but mommy is happy to finally hold her girl  
 
 
My dear hero-husband doing so great with 2 kids at the same time  
now we feel complete and as they say we have the one million dollar family....but we're still waiting for the million$!!!.....I believe we are done with having kids! God is good, kids are such a blessings and teach us so much.....Since Daniel has been spending more time with Daddy, his French vocabulary has increased a lot (more than the Romanian one) and he even puts 2 and 3 words together and tries to say sentences....my boy...i miss him . And that's it for now :) | | |
| Well, I just cannot believe how fast time goes by....these past 2 years of my life have gone by like a rocket in space....Daniel just turned 2 years old...and probably, before i blink, he'll be 14....that's scary ... It seems that, for the past couple of weeks he has grown a lot, maybe because of the "explosion" of words he came up with. The word of the week has been "Jeep" for evey car with a spare wheel in the back.....so, be it.......And even tonight while playing the song "Deep and wide", he decided to try the words and he thought it was extremely funny to find himself pronouncing the words "deep and wide".... Well, regarding his Bday, initially I planned to have a little party (something we don't have in Romania, and it seems that Jonathan didn't have a party when he turned 2)....but being so close to delivery and a bit tired and not having spare energy, we decided that if I feel ok, I will make him a home vegan cake and just take him to a special place.....so, that's what we did...I made a cake which I didn't try before...Jon says it came out good, ....but I wouldn't really say that....but at least it's healthier than the ones you buy in the store, even if it looks a bit Christmasy  (well, green was the only food coloring i had in the house......but at least Daniel got a picture of his favourite car drawn on the cake: yellow bus...). But my dear boy was a moody boy the whole day....somehow he was extremely tired....or maybe, he just felt depressed of growing up?!?!?!.....so, when we finally brought the cake before him, he was intrigued by the flames of the candles and touched one.....aouch!!!....well, that made his mood worse....but after a while he calmed down (poor boy he had no clue what the whole commotion was about) and helped by daddy, he tried to blow off the candles.....and he finished the process with another crying spell.....I guess he really burned himself... The good part of his whole Bday plan was the cake, he seemed to enjoy it....and the helium filled balloon! now that's exciting...not so much the Happy Bday song..... Here are some pictures from his "Bday home family small kind of Party" where mommy and daddy look a bit silly with those cone hats....but Daniel thought it was cool!!!  
my crying little boy shily tasting the cake....or maybe he's just checking it out to make sure it doesn't burn like the candle did ?!?!  
family picture with the "overjoyed" 2 year old.... 
I had to make him some Romanian "mamaliga" (muh-muh-lee-guh) (corn meal mush).....one of his favourite "dishes"...that has no taste if you don't add salt and other things on the side 
with his favourite "toy' of the day : helium filled balloon  
Then in the evening we went to the park on the beach to fly Daniel's new kyte....Daddy REALLY enjoyed getting it up in the air....Daniel...hmmm...not so much....the slides were more fun....maybe next time.... And today it was a GOOD day....We took the boy to a special place in Toronto: "the park with lots of animals" -the ZOO.....too much to see in a short time....but he seemed to like the giraffes, baby animals that had a mother, goats, bunny, elephant.....and the section for kids.....Too bad it was a bit too cold outside to allow him to get splashed in the water area......poor boy, he wanted it so much.....but we'll be back there this summer...if the weather will be hot enough.  
 
my little "turtle"..................................and here with an earth worm....from whom he'd flee right away if it was alive  
What a full day....now, we're looking forward to this new year of Daniel's life....they call it "terrible twos" , but we strongly believe it doesn't have to be "terrible". Only by God's grace and help, Daniel could learn to control his emotions and only by His grace and help we can be good parents (this includes the fact that we won't allow him to do whatever he pleases when he pleases.....which will result in a disaster by the time he's 4). so, help us God! Happy Birthday, Daniel ! and Thank you, Lord for entrusting us with this gentle , pretty obedient boy! We are so blessed. His smiles (fake and real ones) always melt our hearts! 
Singing Happy Bday to a tired moody boy who turned 2....and who burn his finger when touching the candle.....and who;s even moddier (?) now ...
Trying to blow the candles...and then he remembers his finger hurts....so he starts crying again....oh, poor Daniel.....but it all got better when he began eating the cake. Blessings to all | | |
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The past few weeks have been so busy, not only for us but also for Daniel: learning new words and trying them out. He began imitating us, but it seems that English words stick to him more: happy, apple, cookie, ok....His vocabulary really increased and it sounds so funny, especially when I ask him what food we're going to eat. He says :"pepede" instead of "pepene" which is "watermelon" in Romanian...or, he'd say "muh-muh-ni-nuh" (or something similar) for the romanian "mamaliga" (corn meal mush)...And of course, he has some French words he likes to try: up, down, yes....  
Going to the park is the most wondering thing that could happen to Daniel (at least that's what he thinks)...But when there are 2 slides or more to choose from, it seems he has a hard time making up his mind.....seriously, he can't decide....and many times he ends up not going on any of them....  
Some random pictures from the past couple of weeks: he gives mommy a massage, so willingly, or checking out the sand at the lake close to us...  
The 2 faces of Daniel and mommy?!?! 
One day I got him a $2 toy vacuum cleaner at a garage sale and it happens to be very similar to the real one we have at home....so, now he can REALLY help dad vacuum  
He forgot how the sand feels and for the first time this year, he touched the sand. He felt awkward, poor thing....but soon after, he got used to it... And when it comes to his little sister, it seems his love for her grows daily (at least we hope so)...sometimes he just calls her name (yes, she already has a name...pretty much), or comes and kisses my tummy.....but we'll see how he reacts when she will be born. The other day I bought a red suv toy car that you can open doors and trunk and I decided that it will be the gift from his sister to him when she will be born. So, I hid it under our bed....but soon enough, while playing, he found it and spoiled my surprise.....So, we went ahead and told him it's a gift from ......(her name) and since then when he shows us the car or is looking for it, he says his sister's name....  
When he has the chance, Daniel likes to get into the car and check it out for himself....but we have to make sure he doesn't break the mirrors or something else..... My little "Doc" is checking his daddy's heart beat.....I found this at a dollar store and I thought it would help him get used to the real doctor's office, when the doctor has to check his lungs or ears....hope it works 
And this is the Zita family, on a Sabbath day about 4 weeks ago. It's hard to get him to look at the camera, but at least we tried...We are so blessed to have Daniel as our little boy, he brings us so much joy....and sometimes, he talks too much.....and doesn't give me a break to think, hehehe.....but he's precious! God is helping him to overcome fear of flies (now he's the one going around "bam-bam"-ing the imaginary flies)...to be more sociable and even to take his time in the morning and chatting to himself before he calls for us. And yes, he GRADUATED to a toddler bed...we wanted to make sure he has time to get used to it and not fall out of it, before the baby comes along....and he did fall flat like a pancake for the first couple of days...but once we got him a bed rail, now he doesn't fall off, but he kicks the wall during his sleep or turns in all kinds of directions....oh, well, he'll learn one day... And, when it comes to my pregnancy, i'm just a bit over 3 weeks away from my due date....I don't know if I should say" yay" or still enjoy the time with just one child at home?!?!....hmmm.....besides the fact that i'm feeling heavier and sore and the baby is seriously pushing against my gallbladder ()....it's all good and i praise God for giving me at least 32 weeks of a comfortable pregnancy....The day is fast approaching and I hope i will be mentally and physically prepared and that the baby will come at the right time... (and that we'll find the right person to watch Daniel while we run to the hospital). and that's it for now....Blessings to all!!! | | |
| ok....it's really been too long since we updated...but the problem is: I don't remember much details from the past 2 months...We've been SO SO busy and enjoying our little boy, that we haven't taken the time to write down thigns he has been doing....but for sure we see changes in his behaviour (not bad changes, Praise God....) and in my looks :)...yeah, I'm about 32 weeks pregnant now and I don't look too big, people say...I've gained about 17-19lbs so far, which is not a lot....we'll see how it goes from now on....hopefully I won't gain too much more weight!!! One of the things i requested from God is for this baby girl to be smaller than Daniel (usually 2nd kids are bigger at birth and Daniel was 9lbs 1 oz...so I'd really like a 8 lbs baby ....to much to ask???)  
here I'm 23 weeks along....and Daniel looks content about that ?!? 
He's helping mommy make some turnovers....big help indeed.....He's at the point now that he understands opposites- big and small, heavy and light and he really likes to use sounds and gestures to show opposites. 
the four faces of my little boy....mischevious, serious, silly and smiling a plastic smile 
2nd time in his life he came down with more of a serious cold...poor thing....so peaceful sleeping!  
our 1 hour and 1 half walk through the woods on Sabbath afternoon with our church group....Daniel kept us behind...  my little treasure who melts my heart when he smiles
 already playing hockey!!! a true Canadian, hehehe
he's fascinated by cars...and also screwdrivers and hammers.....hopefully he'll be a hard worker one day and a hands-on person (like his daddy and grandpas)....he's trying to help daddy fix the bassinet.  
His famous plastic smile.... learning to blow a dandelion...  
2 hours every day I need to take my boy for a "ride" around the neighbourhood and pretty much HE WANTS to just pull or push the stroller or his little car around....I'm wondering when will he take ME for a ride?!?!  
Smelling lilacs.... learning to hold a "baby"...don't remember why he was making faces?....maybe the "baby" needed her diaper changed??? 
2 best friends...yes, he truly loves his play partner and daddy 
Daniel and Adison (his playmate...). we couldn't get them to smile in the same time, so they look a bit funny  
Finally getting some real smiles from my boy for the camera....yay! 
with mommy (at 32 weeks pregnant) in the park!! Yeap, not much to say, but the fact that God is good and has given me a good pregnancy so far.....the midwives say I could expect to deliver earlier than expected....but we'll see...besides just some Braxton-Hicks contractions and lower back pain once in a while....all is good!!! And Daniel?....learning more alphabet letters (i just can't believe he's telling us the letters, not only recognizing them?!?!)...and more colours (now he says "yellow" and "white" in Romanian, and it seems like he says "up" and "down" in French)....BUT somehow he seems to find English a funny language: he just laughs at some of the expressions we use around the house, even when we're just saying "GO"....or "NO, no, no" or "ok"... On the bright side: he's not so much afraid of flies and ants....so, there is hope!... And Jon?...well, he's a busy guy...especially now with CYC starting....lots of logistics and planning!But I'm proud of my hubby, with God's helps he gets them done!!!....and he's been such a help with Daniel, especially since my midwife told me I should take it a bit easier and not lift Daniel up so much!...thank you, sweety for just being you!!! And...that's it....because I can't remember details on the spot of our last couple of months (memory loss is acceptable during pregnancy, hehehe)....God bless! | | |
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