book review

So the next book I read from my library book club was called "Forest Lover". It was a really good book, I liked how it made me think of things differently. It was a book about Emily Carr a very famous, west coast, Canadian painter. Now I have never loved or even liked her paintings much but reading from her point of view what she would try to accomplish when she made a painting made me appreciate and even like her artwork. I really want to go and see her paintings in real at the Vancouver Art Gallery and also on the Island is the house she was born in. The older members of the book club didn't like it that much because some of it was not accurate but since I didn't know her life at all, and had never read her biography, I really liked it. This might be the last book that I will read for a while since the book club didn't meet in December (and then had two months to read it) plus I had a little hospital stay where I got a chance to read. And now that little munchkin is home...it looks like I will NEVER get a chance to read again.
Except now I know, since she is # five, that this is only for a season and I might actually get"something" done again and then once the "something" is done I will get a chance to read a book again. lol.

some happenings

On Thursday evening was the annual fundraising game evening at the school. The kids had a ton of fun. I wanted to stay home but Gerard "twisted my arm" and said it would be more fun if we went as a whole family. And it was good to get out although it was really loud.

Sharleen is wearing her Sunday dress from dress up black and white day. (she didn't get dressed up for the night out) Danielle loves to "read" stories to her new little sister. too cute. I will often turn my back and she is sitting beside her with some books.

And a MAJOR highlight in the Arink household is the new toaster Daddy wisely got us on some points he had saved up. We had fire coming out of one toaster in the summer so I dug the next one out that I had in the crawl space from someone, and this one also had problems, the big problem of not popping up. We had lots of smoky incidents, but had learned not to walk away from the toaster, but now with a new baby in the house and lack of sleep, the brain is not up to full function, and had another very scary moment. (I think it would be safe to say that we are not the brightest lights on the street right now) but anyway, now we have a big shiny fully functioning toaster. (even the one we got from our wedding never worked properly) And the options, the many options this thing has...a reheat button, a bagel button, a cancel button, a defrost button, a screen showing how much time is left, WOW!! is all I can say. I have waited ten years to have a fully functioning toaster, and it is great. (yup the little things in life, or maybe it is a big thing, not having my house burn down)

what happened?

um...what happened here?This is a wooden I Love U that Gerard made for me about 9 1/2 years ago and now the I is broken. The "funny thing" is you can see where someone has tried to fix the I with some black hockey tape. There are lots of sneaky little people around here, now which one did it? hmmm.

more Breanne

yawn...this baby stuff is hard work.

look at those little legs, still, all curled up in the fetal position. ahhh, that was so good Mom, content smile. You can still see her nursing lips.

Always someone willing to hold her.

ahh...just what I needed...fast asleep.

Danielle Nursing

I totally love this picture. She was always different from my other kids in that I would have to help her find her baby bottles (the other ones would all lift their shirts and sometimes even put a blanket over them) to feed her baby dolls, but not anymore. lol. She hasn't quite "got it all" but still so cute.

Breanne's Baptism

Today Sunday, January 23, 2011, was Breanne's baptism. Everything went wonderfully, which really has nothing to do with the real reason for the day, but it is really nice when the babe decides not to have a crying fit in church and sleeps like a little, beautiful doll.

I did not take nearly enough pictures and am so disappointed in myself for not remembering. We almost did not get any of us or the family either, it was mentioned at the end. Not that I have any great shots, but it is nice to have something.

Wow! Look at my growing family, I am so incredibly blessed! I was doing some reading on large families (not that ours is big at all compared to three other blogs I follow, all 12-19 kids, now that is wow, what to cook for dinner every night! gives me a headache )But I came upon a new favorite quote "Big families aren't expensive, lifestyles are". God will give us what we need.

Niessa did a really good job of holding her little sister. She was so proud. Now Sharleen wants me to have another baby so she can hold a baby during baptism. lol.

My parents with their 11th grandchild, they now have 6 girls and 4 boys. (all six and under) This was the beautiful dress that I was baptized in. My mom has one in pink and one in blue. The blue one has only been used twice, and both times in a set of twins.

baby love

a brand new little baby... ...to love and to hold...

Little sighs, little sneezes, little hands, little toes I am completely head over heels in love with this little girl. I find myself just holding her and looking at her and being in complete awe at the amazingness (is that a word? I don't know) of this precious little gift. And her smell...mmmm the sweet smell of a new baby. And the cute little things she does...the famished rooting and the "drunk" satisfied look as she is full with her eyes little slits with some milk dripping out of the corner of her mouth. Pure contentment. And there is no discipline, no "please say things nicely, is that kind, is that showing love" you get the picture with the rest of the gang. She is just to hold and to love. sigh. BIG sigh. now to get some sleep...

Breanne Arink

Announcing... drum roll please, Breanne Hope Arink. She was born on January 4, 2011, weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces.

The night before we still went out, Gerard's Uncle and Aunt had a 50 wedding anniversary in Aldergrove. It was really weird for me as I kept thinking in 18 hours or so, there would be a new little baby in my arms. I had put off going as I wasn't sure how much last minute things would have to get done and if I was up to it, as my last babe the night before I didn't sleep very much and kept thinking about the coming surgery, so for me this was just the best thing, to go out, have some fun, eat lots (why not) and then I had a good sleep. I also felt really good in the morning as of course, I can't have water/fluid/ food after midnight. I did get up at twelve to have a glass of water and felt way better running around in the morning than the last time I had to fast. I got the last beds washed and loads of laundry folded then dashed off to pick up Gerard so he could drop me off at the hospital...and then it all started... they had a terrible time getting my IV started, of course not having any fluids makes the veins smaller, so I became a pin cushion as nurse after nurse tried (the third was waiting to giver her shot at it) and in the process got a huge bruise on my arm.

...the room...I walk in with my IV pole and get wheeled out in an hour unable to walk and have a new little babe.

Me in the operating room, smiling, only for the camera. It is always a bit nerve-racking although I should be calm cooled and collected as this is the fourth time in six years. I guess it's like a lot of experiences the time I say not again and then afterward, that was no big deal. Daddy sitting beside me, I told him the outfit looked good on him, and he should get a career change, to which he rolled his eyes, at least I got a smile out of him. This hospital staff is sooo not for him. In fact, he hates it, if it was him going under the knife I know we would not have gotten past the first c-section. He can't even stand the sight of blood being taken, which is why I don't bother having him there for the three hours before surgery. On the other hand, I don't get grossed out easily at all. Sometimes I think it would be even neat to see the baby come out. LIFE... a new baby, what an incredible blessing from God. I love this picture, of her first breath. My Doctor (Dr.Enns) is not going to let her squirm out of his hands, look at the hold on the neck.

The pediatrician and nurse checked her over and cleaned her up. She had some fluid on her lungs, normal for all my babies, the thing to do now is skin-to-skin contact to clear it up, and since I was in recovery for the next couple of hours she had some good bonding time with Dad. The Dr. came back in the evening to check and all was good. ahhhhh...ten fingers, ten little toes, and DARK hair, a first for us. Just out of the operating room, I FINALLY get to really hold my brand new baby daughter. The smell, the feel of utter softness of a new baby is so wonderful. What a miracle. And finally, in my room, I can "sit" up and hold her and take her in. Thank -you God for this wonderful blessing!.

I thought this picture says Niessa so well being the oldest and all "Stop taking pictures she doesn't like the flash" and she is trying to protect her eyes. Love at first hold. Even though Timothy was REALLY hoping for a boy he is an extremely proud big brother and did say "Dad, she sure is kinda cute". And he wants to hold her just as much as everyone else. So precious.A busy week for Gerard too as he was balancing helping me in the hospital and running a business. One of the boys also just started school this week and when there is work there it has to get done. Here he is catching some sleep while holding Breanne. One of my doctors, he is my baby Doctor and has seen me through the last three pregnancies.

Out traditional leaving the hospital shot. Gerard was looking a bit dirty as he came by on his lunch break to bring me home, but then Breanne's bilirubin was high and there was talk about me having to stay another night (not cool at all, I was ready to go home) so he went back to work and I called him when it was time to go.