Amara Arrives!!!

Our beautiful second daughter was born April 16th, 2007 at 7:07 pm. Her full name is Amara Raine Marie-Ange (Marie-Ange was my Mom's moms name). Amara is a Sanskrit word that means 'Eternal'.



It was a wonderful journey! Pre-labour started early morning and we headed for the hospital around 4:45 pm -rush hour!! Trish was at 3 cm. It was not a fun ride but when we arrived at the hospital at 5:30 she was dilated 9cm! Two contractions later it was time to push so no time for drugs.



Trish did a V-BAC which means a vaginal birth after caesarean. I am so proud of Trish...she worked incredibly hard and did an amazing job!

She came into the world with a beautiful little squawk weighing exactly 7 pounds.



Here is Mom literally seconds after birth...the baby was placed on her with umblical cord still attached:



My eyes are closed because I was weeping...literally. We could not be happier.

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The Day Before

Here she is....big and beautiful.....

India Blowing Bubbles

Okay....you know it's spring when the bubbles come out!! One of India's top five things to do. Little did we know that our world WAS ABOUT TO BE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN!



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Chocolate Buffet at the Sutton Place

I think this was the highlight of the trip to Vancouver for Trish. The hotel was hosting a chocolate buffet on Saturday night which, as I was quickly informed, we were attending. It was pretty amazing. India had a blast as she befriended some kids and entertained the restaurant with her dancing.



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Science Centre with Euan and Julian

Trish and I decided to get away to Vancouver before our new little one arrived. We spent two nights in Vancouver and stayed at the 5 Star Sutton Place Hotel. What an incredibly stay! Amazing service and beautiful accomodations.....real duvets on the bed with beautiful feather pillows. India was a big fan of the pool....we were there twice during our stay and spent at least an hour and half each time. Met a semi-famous movie star in the pool as well....of course I had no idea who she was but I looked her up later and sure enough...she famous. Her name is Annie Potts.



Nice woman...she is in Vancouver filming on the television series called "Men in Tree's"

Anyway on Saturday we went to the Science Centre and met up with Jackie Cook (Paul Needham's wife) and her two children Euan and Julian. It was the first time I met their kids and it was the first time they met India. We had a great time with them - such wonderful kids:



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Purple Wrapping Paper from the Kippings

India loves receiving gifts. Her Aunty Bernadette knows exactly what she likes. She loved everything she got in this package but she had a blast with the purple paper that game with the gift.......one week later we are still picking up this stuff. Thanks Big Sis!



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India with Dad's Shoes

I just had to take some pictures of India with my shoes on. She just loves having her picture taken and on this day she was particularly hamish.



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London's Birthday

Great party! The kids had a blast and it was great for the parents for as well.



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India's Grandparent's Come to Visit

We just finished a wonderful visit with my parents. They were here for 10 days and as usual they were a delight. The help us so much while they are here that it is incredibly luxurious...we both come home to dinners every night and a full fridge!! We missed them before they left.
Thank you so much Mom and Dad!!

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Video Chat Technology

People who know me think that I like technology for technology's sake. This couldn't be further from the truth. I can be a bit of a gizmo guy but I really get cranked when technology really benefits us. For example, video chat using iChat on the Mac. This is by far the easiest and best quality video chat system around. It's ease of use is unparalleled. As a family we use it to keep in touch with my parents who are 800 kms away. India chats with them weekly and she will grow up thinking this is normal. This is where technology really shows its power - India hadn't seen her Grandparents for over 7 months (physically) but when they walked in the door last week she didn't skip a beat. It was like they were never a part. No playing strange...just straight into their arms. That's powerful.

Walk Around Swan Lake

The walk around this BEAUTIFUL bird sanctuary is over 5 km. Our little India ran over half of it! Did she ever sleep well that night :-).



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Hayden's Birthday

Looks like we are trend-setters!! Our friends from church, Tim and Kelly, also rented out the church hall for the youngest son's birthday. However Kelly blew us away with her organization skills and set-up....now we have something to learn for India's next birthday.




It was a great time! Check out the cupcake tree Kelly built above..that's awesome. All the kids had a blast.



The piniatta bags were a huge hit as well. Great job Tim and Kelly!!

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India in Her New Fairy Outfit

Okay perhaps in my last posting I should have said there are three things that India absolutely loves doing. Adding to the list:

1. Pretending to be a Fairy

Boy this can go on for hours and hours!! Imagine the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella going 'Bipiti Bopiti Boop' over and over again for hours!!! If she wasn't so darned cute.......

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Tea Party with Celia

Ahhh...this is in the top two favourite things India loves to do right now:

1. Playing Cinderella (I am often the ugly step-sister) and
2. Tea Parties

She recently had a couple of back to back parties with her friend Celia. They had a hoot. India and Celia get on remarkably well for toddlers. Not too much crying or 'that's mine' talk....they seem to be on the same wavelength.

Here's to more tea parties!!!

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A Christmas Story for India: India’s Christmas Dancing Shoes

My brother, Danny, is an exceptionally gifted writer. If it wasn't for his equal gift in chemistry, I am sure that he would have been a very successful writer. This is a beautiful story which now needs need to be illustrated. If anyone knows or wants to illustrate this let me know.....anyway without further ado, here is the story:

India’s Christmas Dancing Shoes

There once was a little girl called India. She was about 3 years old and was the walking double of “Cindy Lou Who”. She lived with her mom and dad in Victoria in a Grande old home.

India’s room looked onto a park filled with swings, teeter-totters, and slides. She spent most of her waking hours there and ran home when her mom or dad called her home for supper.

One night, just before Christmas, India had gone to bed. She awoke to wind howling out her window and she knew a big storm was blowing in. She fell asleep to dreams of princesses and fairies. She saw her self dancing very elegantly in a ballroom full of Christmas lights. When she awoke early the next morning, she knew something magically had happened. But it wasn’t the two feet of snow that had fallen outside her window that caught her attention; it was a little tiny door that appeared below the window. It looked very old and that it had been there forever, but really really, she was seeing it for the first time.

She scooted out of her bed and ran up to the door. She didn’t hesitate; she was so excited she pulled the door. “CREAK” It made a large noise, so loud that she thought that she might wake her parents. Inside the door, once the dust settled, India could clearly see an old shoebox with a bow and letter on it. She blew the dust off and saw the markings on the box “MACY’s Department Store, Children’s Shoes, New York City, 1906. India opened the note, and read “Dear Friend, these are magic shoes and will become magic when you put them on. R. Pelletier”

India was very excited and a bit nervous, decided she would call her smart older cousin Celine. Celine knew everything, being the grand age of 10. India knew with certainty that Celine would be the first Foucher up on Laval Crescent. She got on the computer and dialed her cousin using Ichat. Instantly she saw the beautiful princess face of her older cousin. Excitedly, she said, “Celine, I have something magical to tell you”. She told her all about the shoes she found. Celine listened, and decided to call her older cousin Kendra. Kendra, being the oldest said, “Clearly India you were meant to find these shoes, put them on to see if they fit.” After saying thank you and wishing her cousins a Merry Christmas, she turned off the computer. India removed the lid of the box and carefully took out one shoe out at a time from the white wrapping paper. She slipped on one shoe and then another.

It’s hard to say what happened next. India found herself in her living room, her PJ’s transformed into an elegant ballroom gown fit for a princess, just like in her dream. The whole room glistened in the glow of Christmas past, as a roaring fire appeared in the fireplace long since unused in her house. India began to move across the dance floor, her magic black dancing shoes gliding her effortlessly across the room. She twirled and spun, and tapped with her magic shoes for what seemed like hours.

India noticed a girl her age smiling at her from behind the Christmas tree. She danced over to the tree and India said “Hello there little girl”. Hi there the little girl said in response. “My name is Rachel and I used to live in this house and your bedroom used to be mine”. “Those are my dancing shoes you are using”. India replied, “These are yours??” Rachel said yes, but that she had left them so that another little girl like herself would find them. “You are the first one to find them in one hundred years”. Rachel and India sat talking like old friends and had tea and cookies by the warm fire.

India said she was thrilled to borrow her magic shoes; they made her feel like a princess. Rachel said she had to go now, and said, “India, you should probably go back to bed, it’s still pretty early”. India hugged and kissed her new best friend. “Rachel, before I go, what’s your last name? Pelletier she said. India slipped off her magic Christmas shoes and crawled back into bed and slept for two more hours.

“India, wake up “ she heard her mother say. “We’ll be late for the Christmas Dance show at the senior’s home. “Hurry up sweat pea”. India groggily came downstairs, had her breakfast, packed her best dance outfit and put her magic Christmas shoes in the box and brought it with her.

Her dad had started the car and shoveled the snow from the driveway. It was cold for Victoria. India was all bundled up in her winter clothes as they made their way slowly through the snow filled streets to the senior’s home. India’s dance class had been practicing for weeks on their Christmas recital. When they got to the home, her teacher called Trish on the phone and said she was stuck in her driveway and would not be able to make it. Luckily, Trish had also brought the sheet music and could play almost anything on the piano.

Michael, Trish, and India walked into the senior’s recreation room. All of the seniors had come, anticipating a big show. Rather than the 5 girls who were supposed to dance, it was only one girl, India who was there. She told her mom, “Don’t worry mom, it will be great”. She went off to get changed with her dad. She took off her boots and put on her magic Christmas shoes. Her dad asked, “Where did you get those?” But before she could answer she was magically swept on to the floor. She danced beautifully and magically to the music for nearly an hour. All of the seniors beamed with great surprise and happiness as India’s dancing reminded them of when they were little girls and boys. After her amazing solo dance performance, India shook the hands of the people at the home. She noticed an older woman in a wheel chair who had come to life when India danced.

India went over to her and said, “Hi what’s your name”. “Rachel” the woman said, Rachel Pelletier, and I had shoes just like that when I was a little girl”. India’s eyes and Rachel’s eyes touched each other. They knew that they had seen each other before. India took off her shoes and carefully put them in the original box. She put them on Rachel’s lap and said “Thank you for letting me borrow your magic shoes Ms. Pelletier” Your most welcome India”. India gave her new friend a big hug and a kiss. A tear ran from Rachel’s eyes as they said good.

Beautiful.

Here is our Merry Christmas Greeting

I try to do one of these a year at Christmas time. I think this one turned out well.

Merry Christmas from India

From Trish, Michael and India, we wish everyone a merry Christmas!!



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India's 3rd Birthday Party - Part II

As promised here are the pictures from India's party which Pucky took.



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India's 3rd Birthday Party

I don't know where the last 3 years have gone. All the cliche's are true...it just flys. I can truly say that every day begins and ends thinking of our little one - and to think we are going to do this again with another! Anyway, less musing and more pictures.....


This is now the third time we have held her birthday at the church hall. It is just so convenient that I don't know why all parents don't do this. For one thing the parents are happy because their kids can run around and they can see them at all times. We can drag all the toys from the church creche and all the Sunday school supplies.....it works out for everybody. On top of that we have full kitchen facility access which makes clean up a snap.

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I will post back with even more photos as my buddy Pucky was snapping away with his new 10 megapixel digi.

Baby Number Deux

This is probably old news for most of you, but I wanted to announce (once again) that Trish and I are expecting. Our little package is expected to arrive April 25th. This is how our little one looks as of today:



We are not finding out the sex so no shots of the 'special area'.

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Walk in Mount Doug Park with the Loucks

Great time with the Loucks!



On this walk we were able to see two owls! Incredible...the kids were very excited.

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