Spring swells

This past month, my blogroll has been filled with stories of harvesting wild nettles, of crocus and daffodils and trilliums blooming, of green things growing in garden beds, of the reopening of farmers' markets. Here in the Yukon, spring arrives at a much slower pace.

The season has really begun to unfurl now, though...

Earlier each morning, the sun crests the horizon, and the birdsong swells in the tree tops. 

Added to the familiar chatter of the whiskey jacks is the monotonous song of the dark-eyed junco. The boreal chickadees call to one another with their nasal tsk-a-day-day. From the top of a spruce tree, the robin warms up and then bursts into his beautiful, warbling melody. 

For a moment, the other birds hold silent as the robin takes center stage. 

The sun shines brilliant over the trees now, and the day has begun.

All over the territory, the snow that has laid a hush over the ground since November melts. 

Temporary stream beds swell with the run off for an afternoon, and then lie empty once their source is spent. The roadside ditches are full, making an unlikely stopping place for returning waterfowl, and water rushes through culverts. The creeks are mostly all open now, running fast and high; by contrast, the ponds lie still under a diminishing crust of ice.

Most spectacular are the rivers. 

For weeks now the river ice has been rotting, and over the last two weeks, it's begun to break. Small leads of dark water flow up onto the ice, creeping forward and widening with each day. Soon there are large swaths of open water, disappearing beneath what remains of the frozen surface. Creeks and streams rushing to their source create pressure against the stubborn ice, until it can't hold any longer. 

The river bursts free. 

The ice breaks into huge, thick pans that crash into one anther, and heave up onto the banks, crushing last year's growth of scraggly willow. Inevitably, the ice jams. The river swells behind these jams, low-lying shores flood, until eventually, the ice gives up and the river pushes through again. 

One river meets another, dark, icy cold water pushing its way north, bringing spring to the myriad animals and small pockets of people waiting, watching...

Belize!

It’s been more than a month since I’ve written anything! What have we been up to in that time?

Perhaps most exciting was a trip to Belize! We spent almost two weeks on a little island called Caye Caulker, about a 40 minute boat trip from Belize City.

We did lots of relaxing in the shade of the palapa covered dock, swinging in the hammocks.

We went snorkelling on the barrier reef and swam with nurse sharks and sting rays (while Auntie Sue, who happened to be in the country at the same time, hung out with Aedan for a few hours on land!)

Aedan dipped his toes in the ocean for the first time, and had his first mouthful of sand, too!

We took a river boat into the jungle, and stood on top of 3000 year old Mayan ruins at a site called Lamanai.

Mask Temple

High Temple

We ate lots of fresh fish, swam in the ocean, watched the sunrise every morning…and then walked to the other side of the island to watch it set every night! We basked in the sunshine and enjoyed the constant, warm wind blowing in off the Caribbean.

On our way back from that trip, we had a doctor’s appointment in Vancouver. The doctors are really pleased with how we’ve been controlling Aedan’s blood sugar. The Glyburide is working wonderfully! I feel so lucky that we were able to make this switch.

Since we’ve been back, we’ve been enjoying the lengthening days…first light is around 5 am, and it doesn’t get dark until 10 pm. 

All the snow is slowly melting, and the ice on the rivers rots a little more each day.

I’ve started seeds for the vegetable garden: beets, swiss chard, beans, carrots, radishes, cucumber, romanesco and broccoli. This year will be my first real attempt at vegetable gardening, and I can’t wait to get these plants in the ground! (That’s more than a month away).

We began introducing Aedan to “solid foods”!

So far, banana is a hit. Tomorrow, pureed sweet potato—yum!

The trip out of the territory helped us both to gain some much needed perspective. It wasn’t always what we’d expected, but P and I each came back with a better idea of the things we each need to work at and focus on in the coming months.

I’m so happy to be home again, though, and can’t wait for this snow to melt!

Learning to Bead

Every Monday and Friday afternoon for the last two weeks, Aedan and I and some other moms and babies have been gathering in the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in community hall to learn how to make traditional hide vests and dresses. 

We sit around the table together, laughing and chatting while we work; Delores, our teacher, is there to answer our questions and help us along. Other ladies, from the offices next door, wander in and out of the hall with cups of coffee or tea, sharing their own beading stories and techniques. There are a couple of women there just to watch the kids, so we have some uninterrupted time to work.  Occasionally, someone puts down her sewing to nurse her little one, then picks up the work again.

I've come to really look forward to these afternoon sewing sessions. I love learning a new kind of handwork; in fact, I think I like beading more than knitting (just don't tell my nana that!)  I also love just sitting around, visiting with other women. I love the sound of our voices, close in the big, bright room, and I love how our laughter fills it. I love how our little ones play together so well. Most of all I love the sense of community. This is how it should be!

It's never too late!

Back when I was pregnant and working in the tavern, one of the popular questions I'd get from customers was regarding cloth diapers. Would I use them? I told people that, yes, I thought I would like to use cloth diapers.

The usual response was laughter.

Oh, silly girl. You don't even have running water! Just wait until you actually have a baby. Then we'll see who's using cloth diapers! 

Hm. Sounded like a challenge to me.

I bought a bag of about 25 used cloth diapers and covers from my doula, and a baby potty, too. I thought a combination of cloth diapers and elimination communication would be just perfect.

Well, one month went by, and those cloth diapers sat, untouched, in the bag I brought them home in. I'd look at them every once in awhile, and talk about them, but I never put them to use. The potty, however, I did make a start with. At every diaper change I'd sit with it held between my thighs, with Aedan held over it, and more often than not, I'd catch a pee. If I was real lucky, I'd catch a poo, too.

Then, life got a little crazy. Dealing with a diagnosis of neo-natal diabetes took center stage. I completely gave up on the potty, and that bag of cloth diapers got moved to the shed, destined for the thrift store. I felt like a bit of a failure. Like all those laughing customers were right. I felt resigned to sending plastic bag upon plastic bag of used disposable diapers to our landfill.

But last week, 5 months in, I made a decision. I rescued those cloth diapers from the thrift store pile and I started using them! And I even bought another 30 second hand on Kijiji. It's a bit of a challenge, not having running water, but not so bad. Some days I wish for a creek or a stream running by the house (but not plumbing. That's kinda weird!) I get by washing diapers twice a week at the moment, one load at the laundromat and one at the CPNP (more on that later). I bring them home and dry them by the woodstove, a sight that makes me immensely happy.

And I've got back in the habit of offering the potty at every diaper change, too!

So there, naysayers. Don't tell me I can't do something!

A reminder

I've been feeling rather blue today, down about a few different things. As I walked along the trail late this morning, Aedan snoring in the carrier on my chest, I was lost in my head, picking over my sadness and holding up the worst bits to the light. My internal monologue was bleak, and I was hardly paying any attention to the forest around me.

Suddenly, I stopped. Before my eyes, a strand of lichen, like long, course black hair, was draped over a low hanging branch. Pendant upon the lichen was a crystal of ice. As I stood staring at the sunlight glinting off the ice, I heard the territorial drumming of a woodpecker echoing through the trees.

I stood, listening for a time, completely pulled out of my melancholy.

The nagging chatter in my head was silent.

The ache in my breast subsided.

I was abruptly brought back into the moment, and reminded that this life can be so simple and so beautiful.

Flying solo

A while back, I wrote about how Aedan's diabetes may be treatable with a pill.

Three weeks ago, we began to gradually transition him from his insulin pump to Glyburide. This week, the fourth week of the transition, he is receiving a full 5 mg dose of the medication, and is actually off the pump for the majority of the day. So amazing! He is still receiving some insulin from the pump in the evenings, because his blood-glucose levels tend to be higher then.

It's hard to believe that almost 3 months to the day that he got so ill because of high blood sugar, three months to the day that we found out about his diabetes, his body is making and releasing its own insulin again.

It's been kind of scary for me, taking him off the insulin pump. We'd gotten used to it so fast. It is such a cool piece of technology, and I can see how it must be life changing for many diabetics. Now, I have to learn to trust his body again, trust that it will know when to release insulin and in what dosage. It won't be me making those decisions for him anymore!

We're still seeing low blood sugar readings, even now that he's off the pump most of the time. One of the side effects of Glyburide is hypoglycemia. It seems to happen within two hours of taking the meds...or if he's been particularly active, like playing in the Jolly Jumper. I'm still struggling with feelings of anger and loss over this. I can't just watch him jump and giggle and fully enjoy the moment...now I'm plagued with questions and doubt. Did I feed him enough before putting him in the jumper? Has he been in there too long? Is his blood sugar getting low?

My hope is that, with time (both for me to adjust to having a diabetic child, and for his body to adjust to the new medicine), this will fade and I can focus more completely on enjoying his baby-hood. 

False Spring

Wednesday evening, a warm south wind began to blow. The trees swayed, black against the darkening sky, and the snow flew off in heavy clumps. The warm wind blew through the night, and by Thursday morning, the thermometer on our porch read -2 C. 

-2 C !!

At dawn, I put on a few light layers, bundled Aedan into his parka and slipped him into the Ergo carrier, strapped on my snow shoes and took out through the woods with the dogs. It was a beautiful morning, and the sky was mostly clear. Breathing in the moist air, I could almost let myself believe that this was the beginning of the end of winter.

But alas, I know it is not. 

Excited Suzie!

Doggies on the trail.

Pete and Suzie, back at the house.

It's still warm today, though, -1 C by our thermometer. Vehicles start without being plugged in. The house is so warm I'm wearing a t-shirt without a sweater. I don't dread a trip to the outhouse. I feel so spoiled!

It's supposed to remain mild for another 4 or 5 days anyway, so I'll enjoy it while it lasts! 

(and I promise soon to post about something other than the weather!)