Off to the Sunny South

I'm outta here for a week. I'll probably update our family blog at some point, with photos if possible... so check in there if you want. The kids are pumped, Keaton is kinda sicky with a stomach thing so I'm hoping he wakes up all better tomorrow and I'm crossing my fingers that C and I didn't get whatever he has. I will miss Shaune while we are away.

Easter hunt

The Easter Bunny had to hide all his goodies inside this year for the kids. The kids woke up at about 7:30am (early for them) and started yelling at eachother back and forth from their rooms, excited that "The bunny was here, it's Easter time!" We made them stay upstairs and wait for us until we could at least throw our slippers on, etc... and then they tore down the stairs. They were very pleased with their baskets of chocolates and especially the toy the Bunny left each of them: Chloe got the movie "Enchanted", which if you haven't seen with your daughter - rent or buy it... it was such a cute movie. Keaton got a game for his Nintendo DS. Then they hunted for their eggs (which is not as exciting or difficult inside the house) and by 8 am the house was quiet again and the whirlwind of activity had died back down a bit.

Today we've just been hanging around, cleaning a bit and I'm tackling approximately 7 loads of laundry. Yuck. Keaton has his buddy over for a sleepover and Chloe is gone to buddy's sisters house for a sleepover too... we swapped kids for the night. I'm making homemade chinese food and hoping to read most of my never ending novel tonight.

Happy Easter

Easter celebrations have begun for the Lightfoots. I put a few photos of the kiddies on our family blog, here. No sense putting them on both blogs ;)

Photo of the Week

Sweet, Sweet Baby!

Chloe - 1 yr old.

Summer of 2004

Spring is (not) in the air

Well, it is not looking much like Spring time around here! How is that for the understatement of the year?

All the little sleeveless Easter dresses are hanging lonely on the racks in all the children's clothing stores.

This snow is depressing. Not only is it snowing down right now (I just went outside to quickly take these photos)... there is still FEET of snow all around on the ground. Yes, this is Canada but usually we are enjoying Spring by now here. Heck, last year we were swimming in our (heated) pool and having pool parties the 1st week of May. We've got a long way to go if we hope to be doing that this year. Perhaps we will just skip Spring and move right into Summer. That would be kinda a bummer, I love the Spring.

Please come and pay us a visit Spring?!

Plate*x drop in* liners

Does anyone know if these do leak chemicals from the plastic?I used them once I finished breast feeding with Chloe and I must admit, I loved this bottle system, such easy clean up and fast bottle making.
But with all the news on plastics, one just doesn't know what is safe. I am not one to go 'overboard' but since I have to buy new bottles anyhow, I'd like to get the right ones.

I looked at the box of refill drop in's at Toys R Us yesterday and I didn't see anything on it about plastic safe, etc.

Any thoughts?

ps: thank you so much to everyone that left me messages, links and advice on my last post. You are all so helpful. I really appreciate it.

DTV 8 months

...and another month bites the dust. To keep with celebrating each month we become closer to bringing baby girl into our family, I bought her another little outfit to fill up her closet. I fear that if we don't hear in the next few months --- she may have more clothes than any little girl needs. But that is the norm with little girls, though - isn't it?!

I am a huge fan of Oilily. Eek. I couldn't pass up this sweet little dress. I remember seeing it in the Oilily boutique in Minnesota and loving it but cringing at the price. I managed to snag this one... still new with tags for much less. Yahoo.

I've got a thing for deer and owls and woodland creatures lately. lol.

A new book

I don't know how but today was the first time I stumbled upon (and read) the sweet little book: I love you like Crazy Cakes.

I found it at Winner's at a great price (can't beat $2.99) and had to buy it for Baby Girl... and for Keaton and Chloe to read while we wait.

It is so sweet, and although it is about adopting from China, I just replace the country name and it is totally applicable. The only other children's book I've bought so far is "Waiting for May" about a little boy waiting for his sister to come home. It is good too.

Do you recommend?

It is a whole new world in baby products since I last went shopping in 2000 and 2003. Now there is all this stuff about plastic and microwaving and everything is fancier with more bells, whistles, etc.

I'm finding it intimidating and have for the most part, avoided Babies R Us because i feel clueless as to what I need or want or must have :)

We are starting fresh. We need stroller, car seats, bottles (I breastfed both K and Chloe so i'm especially confused about bottles), bottle warmers, bouncy seats, swing, etc etc etc. Yikes.

So, what do you have on your must have list? And what are your thoughts on some of these products I am contemplating "needing".

Shake & Go Bottle for traveling in Vietnam

Do I need one of these Bumbo Seats... they weren't around when K & C were babes

We don't know babies age yet... but she will likely be between the ages of 4mo - 1 yr old ... do we need a Hotsling or Babybjorn or what? Will these both be unbearably hot while in Vietnam?

Glass bottles (I'm clumsy) or Regular plastic (what brand) or Bisphenol-A free plastic bottles ... or this other option (safe plastic also) - they have the sippy cups too

I am going to TRY and make my own babyfood. The key word is try. I bought it all with K & C and I'd like to try making it this time round'. I guess I'll need a food processor? or would a blender work better?

I am thinking this space-saver high chair is the way to go for us - it changes to a booster seat later.

I would like to find a stroller where the baby can be facing out or in. Also that an infant car seat fits into nicely... and perhaps the kickstand on the back for my wandering 4 yr old daughter to stand on. Any suggestions? Oh ya, and I don't want to spend a fortune. This will be my 3rd stroller we've purchased in 7 yrs. I don't want the Mercedes... just one with a few nice features and that folds up without needing instructions to figure it out :) Something between $200-$250 would be ideal.

Diaper Genies??? Is there anything simpler out there. I don't Shaune and I ever figured out the last one we owned, it continually came unravelled and we never remembered each time how to install the refills. Any suggestions?

Co-sleeping. I've had several years now to get used to not sharing my bed with more than my hubby. I like my space and we only have a queen size bed. I worry about co-sleeping and rolling on baby, but mostly just not being able to sleep b/c i don' t have the room I'm used to getting. This is pricey - I'm wondering if it is worth it and does it really offer the attachment benefits that sleeping in bed with your baby up next to you does? Here is another option, in the bed with us.


ok. enough questions from me for now. If you have an opinion or advice or feedback, please share.

Photo of the Week

Shaune helicoptin' Keaton... a favourite beach past time of Keats.

Photo taken Summer 2005.

Keaton is so young here... 4 yrs old. Wah... where does the time go? We spent so much time at the Sandbanks in Prince Edward County that summer... it was a magical summer.

#7

Found out yesterday that we've moved down on the list and are now #7 family awaiting a referral for a little girl. We've moved 3 spots in the past couple months. I of course was hoping we'd moved more but any movement is encouraging and great news for us.
If things continue to move at the same rate it looks like we will not be recieving news on our daughter as soon as I'd hoped. I was holding out hope that we would hear in May perhaps, but I don't see that happening. It could and that will be a very pleasant surprise if it happens. I'm thinking mid to late Summer is a good possibility, which means we'd travel in the early Fall... which is what we had thought would be the case when we first started this journey. I really just hope beyond hope that we will be united with our baby in 2008.

We, as a family will just have to keep ourselves very busy - and spring and summer are great for that. Keaton and Chloe will be starting some sports activities (Keaton is doing ball hockey and soccer, Chloe wants to do ballet and soccer), we have lots of home renovations and landscaping to do once this awful snow finally melts away and the summer is always busy with pool parties and fun weekends with friends. We will continue to count the many blessings we have in our life and look forward to the day we can share them with baby girl Lightfoot :)

My sister-in-law is preggies with her 2nd child. I'm so excited for her and am looking forward to being an aunt for the second time. She is due in May and I can't wait to welcome him/her into the family. It will be nice that likely our daughter and their child will be close in age & can grow up together as cousins :)

This weekend... was hockey hockey hockey. Keaton had a hockey tournament on Friday all day. It is spring break here and this is how we spent the last weekday of his spring break. He had 3 games... they played awesome and made it to the A-finals... where they got beat by the best team in the tourney. They played really well against them though and I think all the parents and the kids themselves were really proud of how they played. Saturday was hockey again, and this morning Keaton has two practices... 1 for his normal team and the other for the select team he plays on. Good thing he loves playing, he has been keeping us busy with all these games and practices. Chloe is officially "OVER" being a hockey sister. She hates the sport, hates the arena but loves the canteen and all the treats that live there ;)

In need of some sunshine

Well, this weather and this long snowy winter is taking its toll on me. I feel like a hermit and I need some sunshine BADLY. The other day my friend Kerri and I got talking and we decided we'd look into a week getaway to go spend time with my friend Jenn who lives in the SUNSHINE state - Florida. In the matter of a day we have made our plans and it is going to be fun.
Kerri is taking her 3 children: Adison, Ben and Anna; I am taking Keaton and Chloe and the husbands are staying home. They both have work and with only 2 wks notice it wasn't possible for them to come. But, a girls week away isn't all bad, even though I 'll miss Shaune (and all his help too). I can't wait to see my girl Jenn again and Kerri is just so great to be around. It's going to be just what the doctor ordered for me and hopefully will be a much needed distraction, as the wait drags on and on and on. I'm secretly hoping I'll come home and shortly thereafter get THE call and then be busy planning travels to Vietnam. Wouldn't that be Perfect!?

So... sunshine here I come. We will be staying at Cocoa Beach and mostly just hanging out... watching the kids play and perhaps concocting some tasty beach drinks. Let the count down begin... 16 days to go.

Nobody puts Baby in a corner...

Ah, good times were had!

Yesterday, in what I think was most definetly the worst snow storm of the Winter... we set off for the 2.5 drive to downtown Toronto to see the musical: Dirty Dancing.
It was fun (once we arrived alive), the musical was a great time with amazing dancing and fantastic music. I had forgotten how much I loved this movie way back when. I forgot my camera at home (story of my life lately) so I have no photos of our adventure to share. You'll have to take my word for it that it was a good time.

There were about 12 of us that went together on a coach bus trip. My mom, some of my aunts and cousins and a few of my mother's bestest friends went too. We shopped at the Eaton's center, ate lunch at Mr. Greenjeans, made our way to the show and then stopped at the Mandarin for supper on the way home (probably the only restaurant that would accomodate a bus load of women at the supper hour). The drive home was in the worst of the storm and our bus driver was wonderful. It took us twice as long to get home but we arrived home safe and sound and thoroughly exhausted from a busy day in Toronto.

A nice touch to our trip was watching the actual movie "Dirty Dancing" on our long bus ride home. Ah the memories!

Photo of the Week

It's Friday again. Time for another photo. I'm loving looking at older photos of the kiddies lately. This one was taken the same day as last week's photo of the week. Keaton at the beach on a cold Ontario Canada "Spring" day. lol.

It is looking like this Spring might be even colder than Springs past. We have a ton of snow (I don't think I've seen grass since mid December) and more on the way apparently.

Keaton - Age 3, Early Spring 2004

Sandbanks Provincial Park

Could this really of been 4 years ago? Sigh.

The name game

With Keaton, almost 8 years ago we obsessed over names. I think I owned 3 or 4 Baby name books and we drafted name picks over and over again til we came up with:
Keaton or Gavin for a boy, Chloe for a girl.
Well, we got a beautiful bouncin' baby boy and he looked like a Keaton, and so he became.
Two and one-half years later, a beautiful baby girl came along and since Chloe was forever etched in our hearts - she became our Chloe Raine Lightfoot.

Now, years later we seem to have lost the ability to agree on a name. Well, we've actually come up with a few that we both agree on - but I don't know if we have found THE name yet. Meg is the strongest contender and I do love the name, although she'd forever be Meggie to me. We also still love Maya. There are a few others we have thrown around (Isabel, Ella). I really would like to settle on a name for her, as if choosing her name will somehow bring her to us quicker, perhaps. Ha.

So, I'm up for some name suggestions. Anyone have names - shout them out. I want to hear them. Or... tell me what your names are for your children/future child? I might copy you... :)

Blanket for Babies Fundraiser

I'm going to just copy and paste Mrs. Broccoli's post below and urge all my readers, and any of my family and friends that read to take a moment and read the information below.

As many in the Vietnam adoption world know, "there are babies from orphanages in northern Vietnam who are sick and dying from an acute pneumonia that results from a mysterious virus. At the time I said I hoped someone was doing something to help these babies. Unfortunately even though there are a few agencies working in these orphanages it appears they are doing very little to help. But now Ethica is stepping up, and they need our help.
(Cross-posted from VVAI)
Ethica, Inc. has received troubling reports of severe, cold weather in northern Vietnam that has taken a toll on orphanages in Hanoi, Bac Giang, Hay Tay, and Bac Ninh provinces. We understand 3 children have died in the past week and 10 more less than a year old have been hospitalized. In the past two months, 9 of 19 infected infants have died.
Government officials at the National Fund for Vietnamese Children are concerned that many more children will be vulnerable to a virulent form of rhinovirus that has in some cases, progressed to pneumonia. This fatal for institutionalized infants and children already vulnerable to illness. The officials have met and given Ethica’s representative in Hanoi permission to secure and deliver much needed blankets, heaters, warm clothing, and formula on March 7th and 8th. We estimate that $9,350 USD will be needed for this emergency relief fund which will assist 469 children under 16 years old and 152 babies from 1-7 months old.
We only have 3 DAYS TO FUNDRAISE.

Currently, Ethica’s involvement in Vietnam has been to evaluate irregularities in international adoption processes and advocate for ethical and transparent adoption policies and practices. As our mission is to assist all adoption community members, we are providing short term emergency care as we determine long term policy objectives.

Our hope is that in a month’s time, we will be able to transition the children’s needs to more permanent funders through a coalition of local and international NGOs.

You can make a difference in the lives of the children we serve by making a 501-C-3 tax deductible gift to Ethica, Inc. We cannot help these children without your contributions.
$30 donation will provide an infant with formula for one month.
$300 donation will buy 100 baby blankets.
$300 donation will buy 100 warm baby outfits.
$500 donation will buy 100 warm children’s outfits.
$600 donation will buy 100 children’s blankets.
We are currently awaiting estimates for heaters, medicines, and delivery costs.

To donate please visit this link and follow up with a note to info@ethicanet.org that your donation is to go towards the Blankets for Babies Fund.

We are a caring community and I know we can pull together for the sake of these babies. Please make a contribution today and pass the word on to your family and friends… and those with blogs, let’s have a Blogging for Babies day - put something up on your blog about Blankets for Babies today!"

Honestly the thought of these babies without the basic comforts we all take for granted... it has me so sad. I feel helpless and I will be making a donation. If you can, please do.

Thanks :)
Leslie

Weekend in Review

Another busy weekend. I've been sick as a dog with a nasty cold but am starting to feel a bit better.
Friday we just hung out and I crashed early with the kiddies in bed with me :)
Saturday we had Keaton's hockey and then I had a girls night out with some friends while Shaune took the kids to a friends to play. Us girls went to a nice dinner out and then caught the late movie of "Fools Gold"... which surprised me. I didn't think it was going to be good (I'd read bad reviews) but I liked it. It was light and funny and a great chick flick to share with good friends.
Today we had hockey once again. Keaton's team got thumped. Not one goal. You know your team is getting beat pretty badly when they stop putting the other teams goals up on the scoreboard as a courtesy. The team handled the loss pretty decent - I love little boys and their enthusiasm for the game, even when they are losing. I hope that stays with them.
I'm running a bath, I'm going to put my jammies on at 4pm and chill out all night. I'm making homemade pumpkin loaf and for dinner I'm making our favourite: Cashew Curry Chicken. Anyone that loves Indian food - let me know if you want the recipe. It is simply divine. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

3 different families that I "know" from our agency are heading to Vietnam in the coming month. March is a great month for making families. I keep thinking about them and all the planning and packing they must be doing. Congrats to all the families with our agency that will be united soon with their beautiful children.
I packed a huge hockey bag of clothing donations for my friend Jacqueline to take to the orphanage she will be going to in the Hanoi area. That was fun going through all the clothing and blankets that we collected back in October.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!