While snow still covers a lot of Canada, spring has definitely arrived on the West Coast. The magnolia tree in our front yard is already shedding its blossoms and the cherry tree by our deck has exploded into white. We thoroughly enjoyed the long weekend and filled up our time with family meals, walks, naps,… Continue reading Easter Weekend
Daddy Lenin and Other Stories - Guy Vanderhaeghe (McClelland & Stewart, 2015) I've read one book by Guy Vanderhaeghe (The Englishman's Boy) and, honestly, remember almost nothing about it. This short story collection focuses mostly on men, usually working class. They are well-crafted stories but I did find them repetitive. The Thing Around Your Neck… Continue reading What I Read – February and March 2015
I can hardly believe a month has passed since Pearl's arrival. There was so much emotional upheaval leading up to her birth that in many ways life feels a lot calmer now. My life certainly has become very focused. My goals each day are to keep myself and Pearl fed and if I also manage… Continue reading Pearl at One Month
It was about half past nine on Monday night when Peter and I got to the hospital. We were sent to an assessment room (a curtained-off corner) where I was hooked up to a fetal monitoring system while I waited for a doctor to see me. The curtains weren't soundproof and so we couldn't help… Continue reading Pearl’s Story – Part Two
At 3:19 in the morning on February 24th, Pearl Isobel joined us in the world. At the end of January, following a routine ultrasound in week 34 of my pregnancy, I received a phone call from my doctor. The ultrasound results were slightly abnormal - there was fluid gathered around one of the baby's kidneys.… Continue reading Pearl’s Story – Part One
She's here. She's healthy. And she's beautiful. "Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46 Upon first holding Pearl, her grandmother summed up our thoughts perfectly: "Jesus knit your heart… Continue reading Our Pearl
The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 Thank you doesn't seem like a big enough response to the love I received after my last post. But it's… Continue reading Waiting…
I like to think of myself as a pretty laid back person. Certainly, I don't believe anyone who knows me could accuse me of having a Type A personality. I'm not that organized and I'm not really a planner. From the beginning of my pregnancy I joked that my birth plan was: 1. Go to… Continue reading The Birth Plan
Since weekly book reviews seem to be something I can't accomplish right now, I thought I'd post mini-reviews of everything I read this past month. January's been busy but I managed to squeeze in a fair amount of reading and finished 9 books. The Birth House - Ami McKay (Vintage Canada, 2006) I did write… Continue reading What I Read – January 2015
"Why would you read a book like that right now?" was Peter's reaction when I told him I'd just finished reading a novel about birth and midwives in the early 20th century. "I'm not sure," I had to admit. "But it wasn't scary." Partly, I think, I read The Birth House (Vintage Canada, 2007) now… Continue reading Book Review – The Birth House by Ami McKay
Karissa Reads Books 