A little piece of heaven

I know many of you feel Nathan and Belle deprived so I figure it’s time for an UPDATE!

I’ll start with pictures that I am finally getting off my camera – yes, even pictures from our trip to Colombia that I still hadn’t processed. I know I know I am dreadfully behind on life these days!

From our Colombia trip:

– In the pictures where she is cutting the cake, we got distracted for all of 3 minutes, and in that time she climbed on the table and started cutting and eating the cake, which she’d been wanting to do all day 🙂
– The boat ride was a daily thing, as Nathan LOVED it

Dylan’s Birthday party at Scooters Jungle

– Both kids had such a blast!!!
– Nathan LOVED the big slide, but it scared Izzy. She loved the smaller slides where she could jump off by herself

Carlsbad RV Camping Trip

– Nathan turned 5 during the camping trip. All of the kids at the birthday party are from Owen’s extended family.
– To celebrate Nathan’s birthday we went to Legoland. Nathan LOVED it as there were many rides that he could go on. Izzy went on a couple of rides and mostly played all over the place. They both had a wonderful time.
– During the camping trip, Nathan went boogy boarding! Photos coming soon!

As for other news…

– Nathan FINALLY got his new Zippy Iris wheelchair which we hate and are trying to return.
– Nathan starts kindergarten this week! Can you believe it! We are still not sure about placement, services, etc as we continue with our legal struggles with the school district.
– Izzy is now sleeping in a toddler bed, so Gryffin can inherit her crib.
– Izzy continues to delight and amaze. She has about 50 words now, half in English and half in Spanish. She’s already counting, putting sentences together, repeating new things, climbing everything, running, and getting better and better at getting her way.
– I am 3 weeks away from Gryffin’s scheduled C-section date! For now the date is Sept 7th, but I am already thinking this will be changed 😉
– The pregnancy continues to go well, Gryffin is very active and is already 5.5 lbs, measuring ahead in height and head circumference. He is head-down and ready to go!

In the past few weeks I’ve rediscovered the beauty and pleasures of journaling…as in privately writing my thoughts in an actual notebook where I can just spew out everything that I’m going through and finish writing feeling 1000 lbs lighter. It’s been a great joy for me.

Consequently the blog is getting a bit neglected.

There are seasons in life for everything and I feel that this is a season for introspection. I have shared so much of our lives over the last 5 years and perhaps a cycle has begun to find its closure. I don’t know how often I will blog … probably when I have special things to share… but in general, at this point in time I am much happier journaling than blogging.

In the meantime, everyone is okay…Gryffin’s growing…Nathan is finishing out summer school and doing great with his daily Medek sessions and getting better and better with this communication device….Isabelle is learning new things every day, getting into trouble, saying new words by the minute, and is generally a lot of fun to be around.

Thanks to everyone that’s been worried about us and checking up on us…we really appreciate it…I hope to have more to share soon!

The griffin is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. The griffin was also thought of as king of the creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions. In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine. Some have suggested that the word griffin is cognate with Cherub.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffin

Gyatso is a Tibetan personal name meaning “ocean of good fortune”.

So why Gryffin Gyatso? I spent months asking this baby to please reveal his name. A few weeks ago while swimming in the ocean in Colombia, and talking to the baby, the name “Gryffin” popped into mind. I asked him if that was it, and I felt him giggle and there was a feeling of certainty in my heart. I went straight to the computer and looked up the name and it felt perfect for him. This baby feels majestic to me, wise beyond words, happy, peaceful. He will be a great protector to his brother and sister, he will be a king of the skies, of the earth, of the ocean.

Gyatso is the name of my mentor and meditation teacher, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Geshela’s teachings have changed my life profoundly and it felt right for my last son to have his name. It’s such an appropriate middle name – Ocean of Good Fortune. He has already been an ocean of good fortune in our life, and I am sure this is just the beginning.

Nathan, Belle and Gryffin. I still can’t believe our little family is growing, and so soon. I am almost 30 weeks, so in just a short time, there will be a baby in our house!!!