Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Been so long, here is a quick point form update!

2010-09-10T09:56:00.003-05:00

1) Cayden was born January 21, 2010. The labour and delivery went super great and was pretty quick. (Thankfully after all the false labour he put me through!)

2) We had a rough few months with Cayden in the beginning, he was a very happy baby at times but then he would just scream and fuss (especially in the middle of the night) and there didn't seem to be anything we could do to help him. We eventually discovered he was lactose intolerant and since switching him off the breast to lactose free formula, he has been such a different baby.

3) Aubree and Cayden are so different in almost every way. Their looks, growth, personality, basically everything! I am not sure if it is a boy/girl thing or what but it amazes me how 2 kids coming from the same 2 people, raised in the same way are so completely different, each perfect and amazing in their own special ways.

4) We are enjoying our new house very much. The layout is great for the kids, the back yard is nice and big and we generally like the area (although the parks and stuff were better in River Heights.)

5) It seems like everyone we know now has kids or is having kids and it is great. We enjoy getting together with all our friends kids and seeing how the older ones are interacting with one another and how well they play with each other.

6) I am starting back to work for a 1 year position so I am looking forward to that. It will be nice to have some adult interaction and have to get up and get dressed in the mornings. Although I will definitely miss seeing the kids and it will be a challenge to miss out on things, but I still think it will be positive for us all.

That is pretty much it for now. Aubree starts dance classes tomorrow and we have a photo session planned for tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully the weather cooperates and I will have some photos to post. I will definitely try to start updating my blog on a regular basis!

False Hope and The Wait

2010-01-17T13:24:00.002-06:00

So I am almost at 39 weeks now and am feeling really good except for the fact that this baby likes to keep me guessing. With Aubree I basically had no signs of starting labour until the day it began and although that was 10 days after her due date I am beginning to think that I preferred that to all this false labour crap. I have had periods of contractions that will last for a few hours and start to get close together and in my back and I think "okay this is it", we get everything ready to go, call everyone and put them on alert and then nothing, they just disappear!! So frustrating. Of course these episodes usually happen in the night, so I have not been getting much sleep, nor has Chris. Hopefully this will all be over soon and we can joke about it with the baby when they get older but for now I don't think I would wish this on my worst enemy!

Chris and I are really anxious to see this little one and see if it looks like Aubree or is completely different. It's funny how genetics works, so you never know, this one could be fair haired when it is born or even bald. Hopefully though it is as good natured and easy going as Aubree was as a baby, because we would truly be blessed then!! :)

31 weeks, it's getting close!!

2009-11-27T13:54:00.002-06:00

I have been so bad at updating my blog lately. With packing, moving, unpacking, working part time, pregnancy and Aubree I haven't had as much time for keeping everyone updated.
So, I will start with my pregnancy. I am 31 weeks now, which means I am nearing the end and with Christmas coming up, it seems that it will be here that much quicker. I have had a very easy pregnancy and didn't experience the exhaustion that I felt with Aubree so I am very thankful for that. I am also carrying lower than with Aubree so I don't feel quite as uncomfortable as I did with her, car rides aren't as difficult, sleeping isn't as much of a problem and heartburn is not as bad. I feel like with this baby everything is going so much quicker and also that I don't feel I have given this one as much attention already (common Mom guilt I am sure). I just feel as if I am not as attentive this time around, but I am sure once the baby arrives that will change because they tend to demand attention!! The other difference so far has been that this baby moves way more than Aubree and especially in the evenings.
Now for Aubree, she dealt really well with moving and me being back at work part time. I can't wait til her "big girl" bed and furniture arrive so she can move in to her pink room, because everytime she walks in to it she goes "wow". I have been thinking about starting potty training her cause she can say peepee and poopoo and tells you when she needs her bum changed, also she loves sitting on her potty. I think it will wait til after Xmas though because there is just too much that goes on over the holidays that it would be really difficult to be consistent with it. I would like to have her out of diapers just after the baby arrives so we will see how that goes. She is at such a fun age right now cause you can actually play little games with her and I am always amazed at how she will just all of sudden say a new word, like she could all along but was just waiting for the right time to surprise you. Christmas this year should be lots of fun, we are putting up outdoor lights this weekend and I am excited to see what she thinks of those.

It's been awhile...

2009-06-04T09:22:00.003-05:00

I have been really bad at updating this blog lately, but that is mainly due to the fact that every spare minute I get on the computer I spend trying to find a house. Chris and I have started to look for a new place which is exciting but also stressful. It is very hard to find something that you love, in your price range and then hopefully get it when you put in the bid! Luckily though we don't have to move immediately so we can take our time and wait til the right one comes along!
Aubree is currently transitioning from 2 naps a day to 1 nap. It kind of sucks because you never know what the schedule is going to be like. One day she will need a nap by 9:00 am and others she can make it to around 11:00 or 11:30ish. I decided to try and get her down to 1 nap because she was going down for her morning nap no problem but then when I would try and get her down for an afternoon nap she would just sit up in her crib and play and talk to herself.
Aubree has definitely surprised me on the walking front. Starting at about 9 or 10 months she would stand on her own and take a few steps to me. I figured this would mean she would be an early walker, well she still does not use walking as her preferred mode of transportation. She can walk no problem but she is faster at crawling so she just keeps on crawling. I can't decide whether this means she is smart, lazy or stubborn! :)
Well I should get back on the house hunt!

My Rant

2009-04-15T20:34:00.002-05:00

Last night I went to the Emergency room because I think I may be having gallbladder attacks. Not really a big deal but while I was at the ER a comment someone made really bothered me. First of all, it took me 2 days after I had a severe attack to even go to the hospital and only after I phoned my family doctor and couldn't get in and also Healthlinks. While I was sitting waiting to be admitted (which in my opinion was very speedy) a women and her husband came in who were probably in their 60's. I overheard him say to the reception he was there because his baby toe was sore. Chris and I kind of looked at each other with a knowing smile because we are totally thinking to ourselves "you came to the ER for a sore toe and you walked in so how sore could it really be!" but to each their own. Then after they had been waiting to be seen no longer than 5 minutes, the wife makes a comment about her tax dollars hard at work and how ridiculous the wait was. I couldn't believe my ears! I mean seriously do people not realize how lucky we are that we live in a country where we can go to the ER for a sore toe and not pay a cent??!! It really makes me sad that people are so quick to bash our medical system, honestly I know it has it's problems and no system is perfect but come on!! Maybe the system would be alittle better if people weren't running in for sore baby toes!
I feel alittle better now that I have gotten that off my chest...

Aubree's 1st Ponytail

2009-03-18T10:34:00.002-05:00

Exciting times in the world of Mommy:

Our Water Baby...

2009-03-11T14:26:00.003-05:00

Aubree has from day one truly been a water baby. I remember when they gave her a bath right after she was born, she was pretty calm and only really cried when she was getting cold. She has always loved her baths and at 2 months old we took her swimming for the 1st time in G&G Horrocks' pool and she loved it. Since then she has taken Aquafitness classes with Mommy and has started Starfish & Duck swimming lessons at Pan Am. The water seems to relax her, she loves to float and look up at the ceiling or just lie on her tummy and look at us. The aquafitness and swimming lessons are right at her morning nap time, but no matter how tired she is, she gets in that water and goes to town! She squeals and splashes and loves being dunked under and has no fear whatsoever. In the bath tub as soon as she could roll over she would always roll and get her face wet and think nothing of it and when daddy dumps water over her head she thinks it is the best thing ever. Chris and I always joke that if she has Daddy's build she will be an Olympic swimmer or diver one day, here's hoping!!

Back from Vacation...

2009-02-11T15:09:00.002-06:00

Chris, Aubree and I got back from Arizona on Monday after a nice, relaxing vacation. Aubree did great on the plane, although it is so hard to sit in those cramped seats with a baby. I (of course) never realized how cramped it is on a plane until flying with Aubree, trying to reach for stuff in your bag and get comfortable for her to sleep is almost impossible. Now I know how Chris feels when he has to squeeze in to those seats!! We went to Las Vegas for 2 nights and to the Grand Canyon on the way back to Mesa which was beautiful. It was hard to say good bye to my Mom and Dad ( harder for them I think cause they miss their grand kids so much!) but they will be home in about 3 weeks so that is good.
Now that we are at home I am starting on my list of spring cleaning. I didn't do any spring cleaning last year because I was so big with Aubree and focused on getting things ready for her that I didn't get around to it. On my list are:
1) Wash walls.
2) Wash my cupboards inside and out.
3) Go through our closets and organize
4) Clean the laundry room
5) Clean the carpets upstairs
I am not looking forward to doing them at all but I always feel better once they are done! Anyways I need to go grocery shopping so Aubree is going for some play and cuddle time with Grandma Laurie so I don't have to drag her around in the grocery store which is always nice.

Aubree & Friends

2009-01-15T10:30:00.002-06:00

Aubree opening her Christmas presents.

Aubree and her friend Sara at Gavin's 1st Birthday.

Gavin eating his Birthday cupcake.

Aubree and her friend, Taylor & Hannah.

Aubree and Hannah.

Travelling with a baby...

2009-01-15T10:08:00.003-06:00

As some of you know, Chris and I are heading to Phoenix to visit my Mom and Dad the first week of February. This will be Aubree's 2nd airplane ride but the first time around she was only a few months old so I am alittle worried about how this one will go. I do not travel well as I get airsick so I take gravel which puts me to sleep, so Chris might have his hands full. She is at that age where she doesn't want to sit she just wants to walk around but hopefully there will be enough going on that she will keep her distracted.
I am also concerned about packing for the trip, I always over pack as I don't want to not have something that I could have used and Chris isn't much better so I am going to make a list of things we need and I am going to stick to it! I'm not going to take that much for Aubree because we plan on doing some shopping while we are down there anyways so she can wear some of those clothes. My mom and dad have a trailer down there so we don't have to worry about staying in a hotel room but still there is lots of things we will need for her. But it should all be worth it when we get there and it is nice and hot, I can't wait because with the weather here Aubree and I have been pretty much holed in. Hopefully it will be a bit milder when we get home and we won't have anymore deep freezes.
Yesterday, I was babysitting my nephew Deklan in the morning. It was lots of fun although I did realize that I have much busier times ahead for myself as he goes non-stop! He is also at the age where everything is his and he doesn't quite understand sharing and Aubree is at the age where she realizes when people take things from her. So after a few times of Aubree crying because Deklan wanted the toy she was playing with I decided I would put them on our toy car together. It was very cute and I got a great video, so here it is:

Don't worry no one was hurt, but it was hilarious!!

2009

2009-01-06T21:33:00.003-06:00

It's been a while since I posted anything, with Christmas it was kind of busy and things are finally getting back to normal. We had a really great Christmas, definitely more fun with a little one around!
Aubree is getting bigger and now has 2 bottom teeth. She has also for about 3 weeks been sleeping through the night, from about 8 pm to 7:30 or 8 am. I can't tell you how nice it is!! Tomorrow we start Aquafitness again and then on Saturday she starts her Starfish and Duck swimming lessons. She is also now able to stand holding on to the couch or her walker, so that is definitely exciting, but she really shows no interest in crawling.
Being that it is the start of a new year I decided I really need to do something about losing some weight. Never an easy task but I am going to try my hardest as I am not happy at the weight I am currently at. Also I would like to lose it before I get pregnant again so that I don't have the extra pounds to lose again. It is really hard right now to get outside to go for walks because it has been so flipping cold, but hopefully it warms up to a reasonable temperature so that I can start taking Aubree for walks in her sleigh. My other goal for 2009 is to be more eco-friendly, generally Chris and I are very good at recycling but I would like to work on eating more organic foods, cutting down on our water use and just generally thinking more about what we are consuming and what impact it is having on our world.
I will leave everyone with this video of Aubree's first sleigh ride.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-21T22:03:00.003-06:00

Here are some recent pics of Aubree. She got her first tooth about 2 weeks ago and her second one is almost through but we still have not been able to capture a picture of them, she won't co-operate! This weekend we had a Christmas party with our friends and my family's get together with cousins, so it has been a pretty busy weekend, but lots of fun. Chris passed his CAIB exam which is great so he is feeling pretty good that he never has to take another test (at least not for the foreseeable future.) Other than that we are just getting ready for Christmas and looking forward to spending time with our family. Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Countdown

2008-12-05T10:35:00.009-06:00

Chris and I love Christmas and are really excited for Aubree's 1st Christmas. Yes we know she won't even realize what is going on, but we are excited because we have started some traditions that we will do throughout the years. One of those traditions is something that came from Chris's Mom. She would do an advent box for the boys when they were growing up. Basically instead of an advent calendar she decorated a shoe box and would put little treats or gifts in it every morning for Chris and Jeff to open at breakfast. I thought this was a great idea so Chris and I have started one for Aubree. We got a rubbermaid container and decorated it and each day we put something in it for her, sometimes it is a little toy or book, sometimes a cookie, etc. Here are some pics:

On another note, I have been made aware of another plastic toy square. Apparently plastic squeeze toys (like rubber duckies) that are made in China contain a toxin that is very dangerous to babies especially when put in a warm bath tub. It is really frustrating to me as a parent that these items are even available for sale in our country. I have enough things to try and worry about without having to watch what toys I am buying and checking websites to make sure the item is safe for my baby. Why are these toys not being band like they are in Europe?! I would definitely be willing to pay more for these items if they were being safely made in Canada! Maybe someday the powers that be will learn...

Aubree is 7 months old - how did that happen?

2008-11-30T11:39:00.000-06:00

Today I am entering in to the world of blogging, I thought it would be appropriate to start today on Aubree's 7 month birthday. I can't believe how quickly the time has passed by, everyone always tells you how quickly the time will go, but you don't really realize it until it happens to you.
Aubree has from the start been a very contented, good natured baby. Chris and I always say how lucky we were to have such a easy going baby and that the next one will probably be a handful!! Everyday Aubree is picking up new skills, she can sit on her own, scoot herself to toys on the floor, and she is doing alot more babbling and mimicking sounds. She is looking more and more like her Daddy everyday (even some of her goofy expressions look exactly like his!). Motherhood is very rewarding and also very challenging, but I love every minute of it (although some days if you ask me I might have a different answer).
Chris has been busy studying for his CAIB 4, which he has to pass in order to eventually own an insurance brokerage, so he is pretty stressed about that. He hates studying and finds it very hard to make himself sit down and do it.
Today we are heading out to Warren to have dinner for my Grandma's birthday, which will be fun. Aubree loves playing with her cousin Deklan and as always when Hana isn't there Deklan & Aubree will miss her as she is such a little mom to both of them.