well, it is now july! wow. keira and i went to wpg where we were able to see michelle graduate. crazy -

she is 18! that makes me sad and happy at the same time...for different reasons:) she looked beautiful, and is sooo photogenic!!! ;) we had a very nice visit even though we almost didn't go. dr. wepener thought she might have rsv the day before we were supposed to go. we went to outpatients where they took a swab so they could do a live culture at the university. we decided in the end to go, and she had a rhino virus - not as serious as rsv. so i'm thankful we went. we just took a puffer/inhaler and an aerochamber. we had to take it 4xday for 7 days and now she just takes it a couple times a day. she didn't sleep the greatest, but that is to be expected - because she doesn't sleep very much anyways:) she still isn't eating to great - 2-3 ounces per feeding...but dr. wepener said she's still hydrated so we're doing what we can. it's all good. kev meanwhile ended up going on his fishing trip. they weren't sure if it was going to happen....and keira and i had already booked our tickets months before....so it ended up that they scheduled the trip almost last minute the same week we were gone...which worked out well, because kev already had a hard time missing keira! (i think he missed me too ;) so here's some picts - the one with the strollers is with keira's friend morgan bysterveld (she's 6 weeks younger and fairly petit!) the other one is with jamin versteeg who is 10 weeks younger.

so we hope that everyone is doing well - have a happy canada day!!!

mom and dad came for a quick visit this past weekend - it was very nice - especially since keira is doing so well:) then mom and dad get to see her at her smiling best! keira went from eating 4 ounces/feeding on saturday to 6-7 ounces/feeding on sunday....today she was sooooo hungry before 3 hours i gave her cold carrots and she gobbled down 1/2 a jar!!! i called mom and said...ahh...now what? she didn't sleep any longer after that....and she was still hungry within 3 hours....so we'll see how it goes. she's definately in a growth spurt! i'll try rice cereal again this evening...maybe she'll eat it this time...and maybe she'll sleep a bit more during the night:) all is good - she's healthy (chubby!) and so smiley! it is soooo awesome:) kev's in taber right now for classis...so we're hanging out...don't really have a reason to make supper...for a certain time so we'll see what we do tonight!!! hi and love to everyone - hope you're all doing well!

evidence of her first solids....:) i couldn't get it into her mouth fast enough!

as you can tell - i have a hard time picking out picts - i like them. i know, i know - i over do it. our little girl is well over 5 months now and she eats soooo peacefully - i love it! i can tell that she's no longer in pain when she eats. i used to dread feeding time....no more:) the ped dr upped her reflux meds...said keep doing what you're doing for a month to ensure her insides are healed....then we will go from there. she said we will tackle keira's sleeping issues at 6 months. as long as she eats this peaceful who needs sleep? :) for whatever reason she wakes up every hour from 2 or 3 am. just tonight we let her cry for 45 minutes....she won. the doctor said just to keep doing what we're doing till the beginning of july when we see her again - but we're so tired. due to the fact that keira tried to sleep for almost 5 months while experiencing pain all the time...her body is used to fighting it...she does not like to go to sleep. if i think of how little she slept from the start...i can see it won't be easy to start getting her to sleep. but one thing at a time.

i don't even miss dairy because feeding is such a dream - who needs yogurt, milk, ice cream and cheese? the formula nutramigen is like liquid gold....i read that on a website and it is so true...it almost costs as much as gold too:) but i don't care....ahhh.....pure peaceful feedings.

i hope everyone is doing well - that you're all enjoying spring regardless if it feels like it or not...:) yesterday was gorgeous - 26 degrees. it's not like that today or for the rest of the week...but that's okay. we'll enjoy what we have:) it's not snow anymore:)

kev's going to taber for classis next week...then the last week of june he goes fishing and i go to michelle's grad - can't wait:) keira is getting so big and grown up...time flies....but alas she calls.

take care everyone, love from our household to yours!

you know - we've put carpet in our basement, kevin's redone the flooring in the laundry room - taped and painted...etc....but we've never put any pictures up. it's all keira:) we will try to add some variety in the future :)

the picture of keira in overalls is for heidi - that's an outfit that she bought keira:)

i promise she's not always in that blue bouncy chair - that's just where she is when i take most of the pictures;)

sorry - i meant a couple weeks for her inside to heal:)

we had a loft at kananaskis for a week - we were there monday and tuesday...and came back home wednesday because keira was miserable...air locked and in pain....it was a long drive back with many stops....but we got some nice pictures - and she's all better now so that's what matters:)

13 weeks

wow. it's been almost 2 months. well - things are looking up:) the pediatrician confirmed yesterday that Keira is allergic to milk! when we saw her last week she advised me to cut out all milk, whey and casein....anything milk related! and it worked! in the last week Keira has been way less fussy, all around more happy and content!!!! woooohooooo! and she rolled over for the first time today. so excited! she's late in rolling over, but we've only been putting her on her stomach for the last week or so; she couldn't tolerate it previously because it was so painful due to her sore stomach....her gassiness has gone way down.....everything is getting better! :)
so, i should get some dairy supplements i guess....anyways, much has happened in the last 2 months, but also much has stayed the same....i feel so awful that i didn't figure it out sooner. breastfeeding and formula feeding were never working...i tried everything under the sun to make it easier for her.....everything except cutting out milk. (well, i had tried it in the first month but it hadn't made a difference...that i could tell....but she also had the reflux so who knows)...right now she's still on reflux meds, a different formula and i've cut out dairy. the ped said it takes a couple months for her insides to heal.....so it's all good:) meanwhile i have tons of picts! so i will try to load some up here and there - hi everyone and love from us!

kerry came over on friday for coffee; she's also in christa's wedding party so she ran out to quickly do some tanning and i was able to babysit levi:) keira's head is so big compared to his!!! she's 2 weeks older. he's about the same weight she was at his age. i don't know where his weight is! they're the same length - he carries it well:) today is saturday and i am very excited - keira filled her diaper today - all by herself! who would have thought i'd be so excited over a diaper? :) the last 2 weeks have not been so nice for keira. as of monday she refused to take a bottle; i wasn't clueing in that she didn't like the formula. over the last month or two she would fuss at the middle of a bottle; eventually it turned into screaming. i thought she was trying to fill her diaper. then she would scream at the beginning of the bottle - if i could comfort her through the first 5 minutes then she would drink her bottle, otherwise she wouldn't. i just thought somehow she was getting too much air...i was trying all kinds of different things. then on monday, all i did was put her in my arms (in the position to feed her a bottle) and she started screaming. i hadn't even showed her the bottle yet! it was such a gradual thing - all of a sudden it was sooo clear on monday. sheeesh, why didn't i think of it earlier? anyways, this week has been another week of...experimentation? i don't know. i never know:) sometimes i feel soooo inadequate. we had been using good start (nestle) - which is supposed to be an easier formula to breakdown. i'm trying something different - but it's hard to even get her to try something different when all she knows is that the bottle is the enemy. i've tried bribing her with white sugar, brown sugar, honey and syrup on the nipple...she doesn't fall for any of it. too smart i guess - or it just hurt that bad. so, we're still trying things:) sometimes i wonder if there's always something with babies, just when it seems i get something figured:) i know - it's all good. she's such a dear, she'll be so upset but she'll still try to smile. breaks my heart. being a mom is so much harder than i thought. all you moms out there - you're awesome!!!! you do this everyday and seem so normal:) i'm so blessed to be part of the mom club! one day Lord willing i'll be able to give her advice for her babies, and i'll know by experience!!! but that's a long ways away...so. yes. we're all good, and very happy! she loves her daddy and boy does her daddy love her! it's hard for him to leave for work when she's working her wiles on him:) smiles, and laughs...what a dream come true!!! have a great weekend everyone, luv from us:)

well now. how is everyone? we hope this finds everyone doing well. keira is 12 weeks tomorrow, yet not 3 months till the 23rd:) she is very healthy! we are getting her constipation figured out. we saw the chiropractor the past friday, and from his end everything is well. (we are giving her a little bit of water and organic yogurt everyday). the doctor hasn't returned my call - she's crazy busy covering for my usual doctor...he's in south africa. i so miss him - he is amazing. we are still at this point trying to see if she is just colicky or if there is something going on. she is still very healthy at 13lbs and 1 ounce!!! 2 pounds in 4 weeks - as you all can see she is nice and round:) and she always has tons of laughs and smiles.
we just love her to pieces:) take care everyone!

she is wearing an outfit that auntie bonita loaned her - mackenzie was wearing it less than a year ago:)

and yes andrew - we still can't find her neck:) it takes some digging...:)