Size Comparisons

Ethan was always a big baby, his size percentiles were always in the 80's and 90's, so I was curious to see how our next baby would be. Well yesterday we took Anthony for his 4 month check-up and here are the results:

Ethan at 4 months: 19 lb and 27"
Anthony at 4 months: 17 lb and 28"

Ethan's weight at 4 months was in the 99th percentile and Anthony's height was in the 99th percentile. Now, Anthony is an inch taller and TWO pounds lighter than Ethan was, he's skinny compared to Ethan! No wonder 3-6 month pants never fit Ethan. I have big boys, what can I say?
(In case you can't see, there is a new post under this one summing up Anthony's first 4 months)

Anthony is FOUR Months Old!!

Oh my, I can't believe my little newborn, my SECOND baby, is already 4 months old!! Where does the time go? With your first baby, you get to sit around and take in every moment of their life. Countless hours are spent holding and interacting with this new miracle in your life, and that's one thing that is so special about a first child. I was a little nervous about having a second baby because I knew it would be different, that I wouldn't be able to spend as many hours just one-on-one with my baby. Also, friends who had their second babies said they felt sorry for them because they barely got held!

Well I decided that I was not going to let that happen with Anthony. In the first few weeks of his life, Chris was home almost every day (he was on-call) so I spent those days cherishing every moment I got with Anthony and holding him almost every waking moment. I was surprised that I could feel such intense love for him right away, and that it was just as special as having my first baby. Having Anthony was special in its own way because it brought back all the memories of Ethan's first months of life and knowing how fast that first year of life goes by, has made me aware that I need to cherish every moment with Anthony, so I have. And then there's the trend that there are never as many pictures of the second child. I too decided this wasn't going to happen, so I think I've taken even more pictures of Anthony!

I just love baby thighs! As far as chubby thighs go, Anthony's are pretty skinny!

Anyways, as time went on, and Chris had to work more, I found it hard to juggle both kids - not wanting either one to be neglected. Putting this pressure on myself definitely caused some stress for me and still does. My housework also suffers because I have decided that spending time with my kids is more important than having a clean house; they won't remember how clean it was, but they will remember the time I spent with them.

And now for a rabbit trail: I often feel overwhelmed at how great of a responsibility it is to raise children. There's SO much information these days telling you things like: you need to give 7 positive statements for every negative, or the importance of not raising your voice because it robs kids of their self esteem, that firstborns are better adjusted in life because they get held more as infants, that a person's character is developed in the first 3 years of life so if traumatic things happen to them, it will affect every aspect of the rest of their lives, and the list goes on. I know these things are true, and I believe them, but then when I'm having a bad day where I'm exhausted and my patience is wearing thin and I make Ethan play on his own when he wants me, or when he's getting into everything he shouldn't, and I keep telling him "no" without any positive interaction, I really beat myself up. At the end of every day, I think "did I play enough with Ethan or interract enough with Anthony? Did I reprimand Ethan too harshly and hold Anthony enough? Is Ethan getting enough socialization? Did I use my time effectively today?" You get the picture. So, I tell myself that tomorrow's another day and that I'm going to do the very best I can do to be the best parent I can be, and the rest I trust into God's hands; that where I fail, He'll fill in and be the Father to my kids that I could only hope of being, and bring healing to any hurts they encounter. For this I'm thankful :o)

Just a Quick Post

Here are some recent pics and a little video. There isn't much going on here other than getting ready for all the upcoming Christmas events. We've already had Chris' work party and my family's Christmas, so my next post will be a sum up of those events.

Anthony started rolling over from back to front just after he turned 3 months

Ethan and Chris getting ready to play outside

Nothing's cuter than rosy cheeks and hat head after playing outside

Here's our happy baby-what a mouth!

Ethan HATES wearing a scarf

Peek!

Brothers!

Ethan loves stickers

A typical meal with Ethan

Please Comment :o)

Hello, I think I've said this before, but in case you didn't read it, here goes again. I sometimes wonder if anyone, other than the handful of people who comment, actually read my blog. I'd love to hear your thoughts and feelings about my posts, as it is a neat way to connect with people. Even if I don't know you, feel free to post a comment.

In case you also don't know, you don't actually have to have a gmail account to comment. The only thing with leaving a comment without signing in, is that it will say it's from "anonymous" so sign your name at the bottom. I'm looking forward to connecting with more people and if you have a blog, I'd love to add you to my list of blogs I visit. As a stay at home mom without a vehicle, I feel like blogging (and Facebook) is my way to connect to the outside world!!

(As a sidenote, I'm in the process of "spiffying up" my blog design, so bare with me as it looks kind of boring right now)

A Trip to the Doctor

Today I took Ethan to the doctor to get his 1 year shots. Yup, he's almost 2 and he still hadn't had them. The reason he didn't get them when he was a year old, like most kids, is because I'm scared of the whole "autism rumor," that after the 2 year vaccine, kids (particularly boys) get autism, and the vaccinations are the cause. Many people say "we all had vaccinations and we're fine," but apparantly the amount of vaccinations we received by the time we were one, is half the amount our kids recieve , so this is one of the reasons people think it causes autism. To make a long story short, this is why we decided to spread out Ethan's vaccinations. They weren't supposed to be spread out quite this far, but between moving and having another baby, this is just the way it went. Actually, I scheduled and cancelled them THREE other times, but not for any other reason than fear.

Now the reason I've been a little fearful of autism is because Ethan has some small, but maybe significant signs of it. One of the signs is that kids with autism don't answer questions, they just repeat the questions. For example, if you say "do you want juice?" they don't answer yes, they repeat "juice" if they want it. Ethan does this, he does not ever answer yes. However, he does answer "no" and he does answer questions such as "where is your blanket?" He'll look all around for it until he finds it, then say "there it is!" Autistic children will often just repeat your question. Another thing is that autistic kids will be really gifted in one area, often numbers. Ethan can count to 10 right now, but the area he's very advanced in is talking. By the time he was 15 months, he said over 25 words and right now can speak in 5 and 6 word sentences and asks "what is that" and "how come." He is only 21 months, and most 2 year olds aren't at this level yet, especially boys. Finally, a symptom is lacking social skills. Ethan is becoming more social, but I have noticed that compared to other kids his age, he's not quite as interactive with other kids. He often just plays and other kids follow him around. This being said, he does notice other kids and will smile at them, and he'll smile and talk to adults while I'm shopping. In the mall he'll wave and say "hi Santa" to the Santa. The way I notice it is that he won't laugh with other kids when they laugh or try to get his attention. But maybe this is his personality. We'll find out over the next year I guess.

I told my concerns to the doctor today and he said he didn't see any major warning signs, and to keep an eye on him over the next year. If his speech plateaus and doesn't improve, that would be a sign, but he is learning new words and sentences on a daily basis. I'm not too worried about it because he is very friendly and isn't scared in crowds. If anything, it might be very mild. So there's my dilemma with immunizations.

As for how the shot went, he SCREAMED when the nurse tried to measure his head, and SCREAMED when she measured him on the table, so I was quite nervous to see how the actual needle would go. Since the doctor and I were talking for quite a while and Ethan really liked him, he didn't even care when the doc was getting his arm ready, and when he got the actual shot, he just said "ehhh" and didn't care. What a goof! I guess he just didn't like the nurse (and I can see why, lol!) The doctor was very impressed with Ethan's talking and kept mentioning it, but I don't think he understands that I talk with Ethan ALL day, EVERY day. We don't have many entertainment options, so we talk. AND, Ethan LOVES talking and NEVER shuts up! Seriously, he doesn't ever stop. Chris took him for a walk yesterday and said he talked the whole walk about everything he saw and kept saying "thank you daddy." What a guy! Well this is getting long enough, bye!

Our Little Comedian

The funniest thing just happened so I had to come and write about it.

The older Ethan gets, the funnier he gets. He gets this little glint in his eye and you know he's about to do something funny.

So here's a little bit of history: Ethan has known a few colours for quite a while now, so he'd always point to something and say it's colour. One time he pointed to Chris' red shirt and said "yellow." Chris said "this is red" to which Ethan stated emphatically "YELLOW." Thus began Ethan's love for arguing. Yup, he thinks it's hillarious to argue. So if I say "we're going to nana's house" he'll say "Gramma's house!" so I'll say "gramma's house" and he'll say "nana's house." It's quite fun and we get a kick out of it around here, so it eggs him on.

Well tonight I was saying goodnight to him and went through the regular routine of praying, giving kisses, giving him his "ni-night" (blanket), and for the first time he asked specifically for his stuffed monkey so I gave it to him. As I was leaving I said "goodnight honey" and he said "goodnight monkey." I indignantly said "I'm not monkey!" He got a big kick out of that and said it again. So funny! So I give him another kiss and he said "bye." As I was walking out the door, I said "I love you Ethan, say I love you mommy." Without missing a beat he said "I love you monkey!" I burst out laughing and so did he! He is SO funny! So as I was laughing he kept saying it and I kept laughing, and as I closed the door he was still saying it and laughing.

It's one thing to watch your kid learn words (nouns, verbs, etc.), but lately I've been amazed at his ability to understand words with more abstract concepts. His latest thing is asking to see things. He always hears the furnace go on and asks "go see furnace? Furnace is on." Or he all of a sudden started using the word "too" in the right context. It started with him asking "Ethan come too" if I was going somewhere, but then he started using it in sentences like "too big, or too hot, or too cold." I'm sure this is quite boring to the average reader, but I find it amazing to watch him develop his language skills. (I've posted a little video that I happen to have on the computer since it's been a while.)

Pictures of the New Baby

I just realized that I haven't posted any pics of Anthony since the newborn ones. I post so many on Facebook that I forget about the blog, but I realize some people check my blog who aren't on my Facebook. So here is my newest little bundle of joy. Enjoy!

About 1 week old I think

My tiny little baby

2 Months old?? I think so

Happy rolly polly little guy at 3 months :o)

Starting to play with toys

Bundled up and ready to go outside

He loves those hands!

So Much to be Thankful For

Lately I've been having a bit of a pity party for myself as I'm alone all day from morning til night with no car, blah blah blah. I often feel left out from my friends in Steinbach that I had to move away from, (since I can't be there on a daily basis) and it makes me quite sad.

But tonight I couldn't sleep, so I decided to catch up on the months of blog readings I'm behind in. One of my friends who had a baby girl about a month before Anthony, is going through something that I can't even imagine going through. One night she woke up and checked on her baby girl to find that she wasn't breathing and was ice cold. She screamed, which thankfully woke the baby up, but the next day the baby had a seizure. Can you imagine having to experience this with your 3 month old baby? It breaks my heart. So now they're in the middle of going through tests to see if she has sleep apnea or epilepsy or something else. On top of it, my friend's grandpa just died, she has to have gall bladder surgery in a couple days, and her grandma (who raised her) is in the hospital. Please take a moment right now to send a prayer up for my friend and her family.

So here I am wallowing in self pity for such trivial things in comparison to what these wonderful people have to go through and I'm humbled. Truly humbled.

"Thank you Lord for my healthy boys and my healthy family. Please forgive me for being so self centered."

Life With The Boys!

And let me tell you, it's quite a life! Who knew having 2 boys would be so much work!! I think the fact that we had our kids so close together really plays a part in how hands-on I have to be with both boys. Ethan is now 21 months and Anthony is 3 months.
The biggest issue I seem to be having is keeping Ethan from destroying our entire household while I'm busy with Anthony. He is SO a boy, and very "curious" (or mischevious, however you'd like to say it) The other day, in a span of about 5 minutes, he had climbed on the kitchen table, stuck his fingers in the plug-ins, dropped something on Anthony, and was just about to drop something in the toilet! Then, another day I had gone upstairs to put the baby down for a nap, and when I came downstairs, he had emptied out our entire filing cabinet (it's one that's on ground level) over our entire basement, and ripped all the flaps off of his book. I haven't even touched the papers all over the floor because it will take me hours to re-organize and I just don't have time since Chris all of a sudden works every day for 15 hours a day. Oh man, I need a nanny!
So for the most part, Ethan listens SO good and obeys us whenever we say no, but it's getting him not to do things when we're not there or teaching him to stop doing "bad" things before he does them rather than during the act. If you have any advice, please advise, because sometimes I just want to throw things at him to make him stop while I'm feeding the baby. (don't worry, I don't even come close to doing it).
And now for Anthony. He is seriously an angel baby. I love him so much and enjoy every moment I get with him. He never cries, I put him down to sleep and he coos until he falls asleep, and when he's awake, he's so content and loves talking and smiling. What a blessing he's been in our lives (don't think I love him any more, I definitely don't, Ethan was also just as amazing as a baby).
So there's a small glimpse into my life these days, I will be updating the blog in more detail soon. Chow!

Back At It!

Wow, so where does one begin after not blogging for 3 months? There's so much to catch up on; obviously I had our baby -Anthony Paul, 9 lb, 20 inches, and have been busy trying to figure out how to juggle 2 kids ever since. Hence the no blogging. But now I'm figuring things out and feel like my life is somewhat sane again.

So, the labour.... About 4 months before Anthony was due, I started praying that my labour would be 6 hours long and that I wouldn't have to be induced (being induced with Ethan was HELL!) So when I was 10 days overdue with Anthony, the Dr. scheduled me for an induction for 2 days later. I was NOT happy about this because I was SURE I wouldn't have to be induced!

Well, the night before I was supposed to be induced, I researched how effective castor oil was. I learned that it used to be the way doctors induced labour before we had the technology we have today, and that it was very effective - as long as the woman's body was ready enough. I knew that I was already 2 cm dilated and I had already lost my mucus plug, so I figured my body was ready. I decided to take castor oil!! I was quite nervous about it because of all the horror stories I'd heard about it tasting disgusting and giving you the shits.

So being the chicken I am, I took ONE tablespoon. That's it. I mixed it with orange juice and surprisingly couldn't even taste it! Then I waited....and waited...and waited....nothing happened. But I did feel sick, so I called my girlfriend who'd just had her second baby and asked her if she felt sick before she went into labour. She hadn't, but told me our other friend had. I still wasn't sure if it was just from the castor oil. I knew that it was supposed to give you the runs pretty bad, and was bracing myself for them, but they never came, so I figured I hadn't taken enough. But I was too chicken to take more because I didn't want diarrhea.

Leaving for the hospital

Finally at 10:00 I went to bed. As I was falling asleep, I wasn't sure if I felt a little bit of cramping, but knew something was going on in there. I knew I would go into labour that night and went to sleep. At 12:00, I woke up and thought "did I just have a contraction?" Sure enough, 10 minutes later there was another one, and again in 5 minutes. With Ethan I was in labour for 2 whole days with my contractions being 5 minutes apart, so I figured I still had a while to go. Well the next one came in THREE minutes, and again in another three.

I woke Chris up and said "this baby is coming FAST! We have to call my mom to come over right now!" By the next contraction I could no longer talk through them and had intense pain. I hadn't even packed my hospital bag because I figured labour took so long that I could pack it once I was in labour. Well I was in no shape to pack, so I was telling Chris what to pack and he was frantically running around the house trying to get everything in order. By the time my mom got to our house, it was around 2:00 am, and we booked it to the hospital. I didn't remember my contractions with Ethan being so painful because I managed them for so many days, but these were INTENSE and still 3 minutes apart.

Ahh, relief!

So we get to St. Boniface Hospital, find a parking spot, and slowly make it towards the front door. I was really struggling to walk, and felt like I just couldn't go on. The thought of a wheelchair, the gas, and an epidural kept me going. Well we get to the door and what do you know - they were LOCKED! WHAT KIND OF HOSPITAL LOCKS THEIR MAIN DOORS?? At this point I really wanted to break down, but instead turned around and went back to the car to find another parking spot and figure out where the heck we should go. We finally found the entrance and there were 2 very pregnant ladies standing outside smoking. They said "oh here comes another one" I asked them what they meant and they said the triage was full of labouring women and so were the halls and lobby. I was SO discouraged and started to cry. When we got into the ER, there were people waiting in the hall, and I had another contraction which I just sobbed through. I was so overwhelmed at the thought of not being able to labour in a nice room and most importantly, not getting an epidural soon!

We get upstairs to the maternity ward to check in and the lady was a total "beep." She told me that there were no rooms or beds and that I should go in the lobby. I said "ok" but in my head was like "lady, I am having this baby SOON, my contractions are 3 minutes apart!" As we waited in the lobby, my contractions got so intense that I was starting to pass out. I told Chris to tell the lady and he came back and told me they had a bed in triage for me. The nurse came and checked me and I was...get ready for it.... SEVEN cm!!!! I actually cried with joy because I was so far along. I then asked her where I would go if they didn't have any beds and she said they had one bed left for emergencies in the LDRP (labour, delivery, post partum, recovery) ward but she wasn't sure if I'd get it. Well I did, and I was SO happy about it, I couldn't contain it - you guessed it - I cried again (I didn't cry nearly as much in my first labour).

So the first thing I did when I got in the room was ask for an epidural. The nurse said she'd check to make sure I wasn't too far along. Well wouldn't you guess - I was too far along - NINE cm! (It was about 4:30 at this point). So instead I sucked back the gas for my contractions and they gave me something called fentinol (no idea how to spell that!). It's like morphine, but doesn't last as long.

So at 5:30 am, I looked at the clock and thought "well I guess my labour's not going to be 6 hours because I haven't even started pushing yet." (I pushed for 45 min. with Ethan) By 5:45 I had to push and by 6:00 am on the dot, Anthony was born!! My labour was exactly 6 hours!!!

I couldn't believe how much love I felt for him the minute he was born. I was overwhelmed with love for him and just wanted to hold him and never put him down. For the first few weeks of his life, I held him every moment I could. I forgot how amazing it is to hold your newborn in your arms - the smells, the noises, the faces they make. He is truly a gift from God and I would go through pregnancy and labour a hundred times if it meant getting him :o)

Ethanberry

We just got a digital camera that actually has sound with the video, woohoo!!!! So we've been very video-happy these last few days. Here are a couple to show you Ethan talking. He LOVES animals and loves making their sounds. If you listen carefully, you can hear that he kind of resembles their sounds :o)

In Labour??

It's 1:00 am and I'm up. I've been having braxton hicks all evening, so it makes me think I'm going to go into labour tonight. Wishful thinking? We will soon find out.... I actually haven't had any for a while now, so I'm beginning to think so. Hmmmm....

I've been feeling REALLY good for about the last 5 days. I don't even feel pregnant for the most part (except when getting out of the bath, or bending over to reach something :) and I'm ok with the fact that I didn't have the baby 2 weeks early like I had planned. Funny how you can't really plan these kind of things.

Since I thought I was going into labour tonight, I went and packed the baby's bag, what fun! And you know what's REALLY fun??? Having the baby's name picked! Finally!! Chris says he still isn't 100% sure, but I know him, he was like this with Ethan too, and as soon as Ethan was born, he was fine with it (and he better be ok with it because we have NO back-up names!). I keep saying the baby's name out loud because I like it so much:o)

Chris is actually the one who mentioned the name. I had printed out a list, like 5 pages long with all sorts of names, and we'd gone through the list a few times, with no agreement on a name. Well last night we figured we had to at least make a short list of a few possibilities. So we were sitting there, Chris was silently reading the list, when he said "how about _______ ?" It was a name neither of us had even noticed or mentioned before, and I was like "yeah, I love it!" Then for the middle name, I had been lying in bed the other night and it just popped into my head. I hadn't even read it anywhere! Since I believe the meaning of a name is important, I first had to go look up the meanings, and they're awesome!! I think it was meant to be. So hopefully you all will be able to find out soon just what the name is....until then...pray I go into labour cuz I want to meet this little baby!

Get It Out!!!

YOWZA! (as Lauren would say) That's one huge belly!

Ok, I'm writing in the midst of feeling very strong emotions, so this might not be the happiest post I've ever done.

So, where to start.... I guess with yesterday. I had a pedicure at the Riverstone Spa which was wonderful! My mom and sister had given me a gift certificate for Christmas, and I was saving it (I have really calloused feet and wanted a pedicure for giving labour since the nurses hold your feet). I even ordered a chicken salad wrap and sipped iced tea. The whole experience was so relaxing and simply splendid! (I loved the colour of the nail polish so much I ordered a bottle) Now, I bet you're thinking, what's negative about that? Well this is where it begins. When I sit for long periods of time, I feel ok.....until I have to stand up...

Getting out of that leather, heated, massaging chair was not a pretty sight! It must have taken a good minute just to climb out. Well after that, I was a write-off for the night. We also went out for dinner (more sitting), and spent a lot of time in the car, driving across town from my parent's house (sitting). I really just wanted to go to bed, so I did at around 9:30....well by 1:30 I was WIDE awake, had had 2 baths, taken Gravol, and was dealing with major heartburn, nevermind the pain in my butt, legs, and abdomen! I was sure I was going to wake up in labour last night because of the cramping and pain in my abdomen. But here I am the next night, with empty arms (but still with a sore butt and heartburn)

The word I'd use to describe me right now would be aggitated....I have very little patience, even with Ethan, and my tolerance for handling situations in general is just bad. I think the hormones and the lack of sleep both are factors contributing to that. I JUST WANT THIS BABY OUT!! I don't want to be pregnant anymore and I don't want to be pregnant again!!! So now that I've vented, I'm going to TRY to go to sleep....

Preggo shots!

Ok, these pictures are somewhat embarrassing thanks to stretch marks and a popping belly button...but I figure that's just the way it is when you're pregnant! Why hide it? (although I'm not posting these pictures on Facebook) At least with the blog, only a few people check it, not three hundred and something!

I took these pictures last night because as I was getting ready for bed, I glanced at my profile in the mirror and thought "HOLY CRAP! My belly sticks out REALLY far!!" So I decided to take some pics. Hope you enjoy :o)

A Teeny Little Baby

Here are some newborn pictures of Ethan, just for memory's sake :o)

Tonight I went through Ethan's baby clothes and pulled out all the newborn sleepers, onesies, socks, and mitties (to those of you who are trying to read into that, they're all gender neutral). I can't really describe the feelings going through me as I picked up the TINY clothes. The sleepers are actually smaller than the T-shirts Ethan wears right now, and they'll cover the baby's whole body, not just the torso! I can't believe Ethan used to be that little! But instead of that making me sad, it made me excited that I'm ACTUALLY going to have another little baby! Sometimes I wonder if that reality has actually sunk in since Ethan takes up so much of my time, effort, and thoughts. I haven't spent a lot of time "dreaming" about having a new baby like I did when I was pregnant with Ethan.

However, as I looked at each item of clothing tonight, I was filled with delight and excitement for meeting this precious little baby within me. I started wondering about things like how much hair it will have and what colour it will be, will this baby be a big chub like Ethan was, or will it be a slight baby that can actually wear clothes more than once before growing out of them :o) Am I going to know what it's like to have a strong-willed, feisty baby, or will I be amazed that there's such thing as a more easygoing baby than Ethan? (and if you're even thinking about saying the next one will be a "terror" like so many people like to say, just keep your mouth shut because that just makes me angry, and I might write a whole rant about not "cursing" my child....)

I'm really hoping to go into labour early, and am planning on actively trying to induce natural labour sometime this next week. My doula gave me a list of ways to do that, so we'll see if they actually work. I know how painful labour is, yet I WANT to be in it, how weird is that?? Now talking about labour brings up something else I've been thinking about lately; epidural or no epidural? I had a VERY long labour with Ethan (approx. 3 days) and finally got one for the last 3 hours. Wow, I must say, I really loved having it....but I was lucky not to have any of the negative side effects.

I was talking to Chris about it, and I said "I don't think I'll need one for this labour." Before I could even finish my sentence, he quickly responded "you should get one." LOL! I was like "Why? Contractions are no problem, I can handle them." Well he seems to think my memory is somewhat skewed, and he remembers it the way it actually was, and it was MUCH better after the epidural. So, do I feel the need to be a hero and bare through labour so I can say I did it naturally? No, I feel proud that I did 3 days of intense labour, even though I had an epidural in the end, and I don't think my worth comes from giving birth without pain medication. So there's a pretty good chance I'll get the epidural, but there's a chance I won't. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. All of that is minor, compared to the fact that sometime within the next month (hopefully 2 weeks), I get to meet this precious baby who causes me so much heartburn :o)

What a Bad Blogger I am!!!

Ok, once again I've been getting heck from people for not updating my blog. My life has been very busy, I haven't even been checking my friend's blogs! Man, if my life is this busy before having a baby, I can't imagine what it will be like afterwards!

(Joanna was an amazing worker, here she is cleaning

out the fridge at our old house)

Londa was also amazing, I couldn't believe how hard these girls worked!

So where do I begin? As most of you probably know, we recently moved to Winnipeg from our home in Steinbach *sniff, sniff.* It's been bittersweet because our house was SO small (727 sq. ft. plus a finished basement), and we really needed the space but it was also Ethan's first home. There are so many memories from that home: it was the first home we bought, planning and decorating the nursery, all of Ethan's firsts, being able to make all decorating choices and making the house our own, and just all the great family memories overall. I really will miss living in Steinbach, it's a great town, and I have a lot of friends there. Now, I know the drive to Winnipeg is only 30 minutes away, but with Chris' job, I VERY RARELY get to use the car because he's on-call and needs to be able to get to work quickly. It is very frustrating, and I'm definitely looking forward to the day when we have another vehicle. (I love being a stay at home mom, but after 3 days of being home alone with a child, I go a little stir crazy and really feel like I need to get out and have adult contact!)

Here's my family, working hard :p

Grandpa Jim walking Ethan into the new house!

So now for the new house. It's awesome, really awesome! For the first couple weeks, I must have told Chris at least once a day how much I love living here. It's amazing how much a house can affect a person's overall feeling of happiness (for me at least). I think that having space has a big part to play in that, because I don't feel like I'm living in clutter and disorganization. It's also awesome for Ethan because he has free reign of the house. We have the basement as his playroom, so he ofter hangs out down there, but he can also play upstairs or the main floor. He REALLY loves it that he doesn't have to be blocked off from stairs and can climb them freely, and although it was kind of tense at first, it's been fun to watch him gain confidence in that new-found skill. Another thing I love about this house is that it feels new. I don't know when it was all renovated, but it was for sure within the last 5 years. And lastly, I LOVE the backyard! It's SO great to have it fenced so Ethan can go in and out at his leisure (yes he can open the door himself!!) and I don't have to worry about him running into traffic. I'll post some pictures soon of how it looks with our furniture in it (since you've already seen the pictures we took before we moved in).

Boy or Girl??

So the last thing to update is our baby situation. A few weeks ago, the doctor thought the baby was a little too big for the amount of weeks I was, so he sent me for a fetal assessment (much to my delight). I knew there would be nothing wrong with the baby, I just carry big (which was the result), but it meant that we got to find out the gender of the baby!! Now you might be getting excited too, but don't get your hopes up too soon, we're keeping it a secret! :o) I've really enjoyed knowing the gender because we can paint the nursery a gender-specific colour, and we don't have to worry about picking names from both genders. The other reason I like knowing is because I now think of the baby as that gender, it's like it has more of an identity.
Now, as for being pregnant, those of you who know me, know that I don't really enjoy being pregnant. My biggest issue this round has been the lack of sleep. For some reason unbeknownst to me, I have a really hard time sleeping while pregnant, and it's now at the point where I wake up every hour all night. I've just accepted it though, and no longer let it bother me. I will get sleep eventually - I just dont' know when :o) Another way this pregnancy is different is that I get braxton hicks contractions A LOT! There have already been points where I wonder if I'm in early labour because they come fairly consistently. I'm hoping that means the baby will come early, and am planning on doing every trick in the book to induce labour, starting next week (because It will be 2 weeks until the due date).

Wow, as I'm writing, I'm thinking of SO many more things to write about, so I'll have to get blogging again. I'll write another post tomorrow to let you all know how Ethan's adjusting to all the change and the dilemmas I'm having with parenting a toddler :o)

Short and Sweet!

Ok, so I've been getting some heck from certain people for not blogging lately (but I won't mention any names, ahem-Lauren).

It's not that I have a boring life by any means, or that nothing's going on. It's quite the opposite in fact! Here is a typical day in my life:

- wake up whenever Ethan does (usually around 9:00)

- cuddle Ethan, spend a little while waking up

- make and eat/feed Ethan breakfast

- clean up the kitchen, play with Ethan

- pack, pack, pack!!!

-put Ethan for a nap, and I have a nap too (usually about 2 hours)

~ now I know that doesn't sound too hard, but I'm really a write-off in the mornings until after that nap because I've been sleeping TERRIBLY at night since I've been pregnant

- we wake up, then I make and eat lunch with Ethan

- I usually do things in the afternoon with friends or family or do errands until evening

- feed Ethan dinner, give a bath, put him to bed (around 8:00)

- this is when I get my big burst of energy and I spend the entire evening (usually about 3-4 hours) packing and organizing.

-then the fun part - I lie in bed for a good hour or two, trying to fall asleep, thanks to restless leg syndrome or heartburn (both a result of pregnancy)

So looking at this, it doesn't seem like my days are too packed. I guess they just feel busy because I spend a lot of the day chasing around and caring for a toddler, and being pregnant just makes everything seem more daunting.

As for our little Ethan, he is just a sponge soaking up the world around him!! This kid learns things on a daily basis that amaze us. Two days ago, I pulled into my grandpa's driveway, and we hadn't been there for a couple weeks. Well out of nowhere, I hear a little voice from the back seat say "bampa, bampa." (that's how Ethan says grandpa). He totally recognized where we were!!! I was dumfounded. And for those of you who are skeptics, he did the same thing yesterday with my mom in the car, so she heard him too! I actually wrote out all the words he says (and understands their meaning), and he can say over 25 words!! He's only 15 1/2 months old!

Now some of the words do sound alike. For instance, there are three meanings to the word "no" when he says it (but if you listen carefully, there are slight variations in the way he says it):-nose, more, and no

Also, "ba" means: ball and bath

It's very cool to have him communicate with us, and makes life so much easier because we know what he wants. This is a very fun stage, yet tiring, because he's just a ball of energy! I've tried getting him talking on video, but he always shuts right up when he sees it. Maybe one of these days I'll get a good video. Well, I'll try to get more blogging done so I can keep my readers happy (and off my back ;p ) Talk to you soon!

Fun With the Camera

It had been a while since I took pictures of Ethan, so I followed him around with the camera the other day, and these are some fun ones that Igot.

Ethan was hyper in his highchair

Such a happy boy!!

He was talking and talking, here he was saying "meow"

Ethan LOVES looking out the window, so we put a couch cushion there for him

He had been running around in his diaper, then brought me this sweater to put on-hence the outfit. He loved it and felt very happy about it

Mother's Day Fun!

Mother's Day ended up being a gorgeous day! A few more degrees warmer would have been nice, but we still got to enjoy being outside. My day started with Chris taking me up for a ride in the new plane he flies and it was very cool! I'm used to him flying little single engine planes that move at ridiculously slow speeds and always take off out of Steinbach's airport. Well, this time we took off from the Winnipeg International Airport where all the big jets take off from. There was lots of rubber marks all over the runway and it felt cool, like Chris was a big time pilot :o) (so dorky). Then, when we actually took off, I was expecting it to be like all the other times I'd flown with him, but this plane has turbo boosters (or something) that all of a sudden made us go really fast and I got pushed back in my seat! I'm sure this doesn't sound that exciting, but it made me feel so proud of Chris (especially with his spiffy pilot uniform on). He's worked so hard and he finally is a "real" pilot, flying turbine engine planes. I also know he felt really good being able to take me up. We landed safe and sound at the St. Andrews airport after a short 10 minute ride, then had to drive 40 minutes BACK to the international airport to get our cars, lol!

So after the ride in the sky (nerd, I know), we came back to my parent's house just in time for our mother's day barbecue. My mom made a fabulous meal, our first barbecue of the year. It was a beautiful day, so we ate outside while the kids played in the backyard (I'm REALLY glad they have a fenced yard, let me tell you!).

The cousins having fun with grandma and grandpa

Ethan's not quite sure about this wheelbarrow ride

These cousins are going to have a blast growing up together!

We then headed off to the zoo! I hadn't been there in who knows how long, and my favorite part was seeing the big grizzly bear playing in the water and scratching his back on the rocks - his claws were HUGE, I don't EVER want to meet one of those guys in the wild! Ethan loved all the animals and he either barked at them or said "kitty." I guess he doesn't quite understand the concept of different animals.

Being prego and all, I didn't have the stamina to do much walking, so I sat a lot and saw about one quarter of the zoo. Chris of course toured the entire thing with Ethan in the stroller (I'm so thankful Ethan has a fun dad to make up for my lack of energy).

Gearing up for the zoo!

The whole family

(I'm not sure why I'm standing like a mannequin)

We had a great day overall, being a mom sure makes you appreciate your own mom a lot more. It's amazing how even though I'm a mom, my mom is still a mom to me. It's too bad we didn't get to see Chris' mom, hopefully soon we'll be able to fly there all the time (when Chris works for West Jet), maybe next year for Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends that are moms too, I'm happy we get to share this experience together!

Life ~ What a Whirlwind!

Well as you can probably tell by the title, our lives seem pretty crazy these days. One of the big contributing factors to this is that we're in the midst of selling our house and have to deal with showings. I was thinking about it, and showings wouldn't be a big deal if Chris and I both worked and didn't have kids because you're really only awake at home for a few hours a day and it's usually watching TV. BUT, I am home ALL day with not only one, but two kids (I do home daycare). So when that realtor calls us at 11:00 am and says, "hey, how 'bout a showing at 3:00," there is hesitation in my voice as I say yes, because I know that I now have to spend the rest of my day dusting every surface, wiping away all the little fingerprints that accumulate on glass surfaces, doing ALL the laundry, sweeping/mopping/vaccuuming all floors, cleaning both bathrooms, then there are all the toys in the basement and main floor, and finally, I save the kitchen for last. Wow, it makes me exhausted just thinking about it. That's a lot of work for a normal person, but then imagine doing that while being 6 months pregnant, exhausted because you can't sleep, WHILE watching and feeding 2 kids! We have had approx. 2-6 showings a week for the past month. I am not looking for pity, this is simply a glimpse into my life.

So, on top of showings, my grandpa has bought a ten acre property with a mobile home on it, that he decided to rent out. The only thing is that he doesn't know the first thing about having tenants, so he asked me to take over. "Sure grandpa, I'd be happy to help you, no problem"...... who knew finding tenants and getting them settled in a new home took so much work?! So there's posting the ad, getting a hundred phone calls, doing showings, finding and making contracts, making keys, doing walk-throughs, and everything else that comes along with that. This also wouldn't be a big deal, except that I have to do it all on top of working all day, Chris being gone (with our car) to work, showings, and working around making dinner/ napping/ sleeping/schedules. Needless to say, we have eaten out more than we'd like to lately. But this is life, and we cope. I am extremely exhausted on a daily basis, I pretty much have a short fuse and can cry very easily. Chris said today that I'm lucky I have such a patient husband :o) I told him he's lucky he has such a great wife :o)
I'm looking forward to our house being sold, me being done daycare, and just being able to relax. Tonight was the first night I watched TV in a LOOONNGG time and I got to watch my favourite show "Jon and Kate Plus Eight." It made me feel better and not so sorry for myself :o)

First Words

Turn your volume up, he really does say danger, and it's so cute!

Always Climbing!

Our couch is now a jungle gym!

Well our little baby is quickly turning into a little boy who loves to climb and explore. It all started one day when I was talking on the phone and the next thing I know, Ethan is ON TOP of the end table right beside me with a conquorous (sp??) grin on his face. Once he realized he could climb on there, he needed to find out all the things he could climb on which included the toy box, his interactive table (toy), and anything that was even slightly off the floor (seriously, he climbed on a box lid that is exactly 2 inches high and was quite thrilled with himself).

I've always compared having a baby to having a dog (you say no, come, praise them the same etc...) Well Ethan is now in a cat phase. He has to climb in any space he can (as you can see by the pictures), and once he's in there, he just sits with a big grin on his face, totally content.

Also in these last couple weeks, Ethan's cognitive development has really improved. He can suddenly understand:

- go get your blanky (he'll look until he finds it)

- where's your puppy (also will look for it and makes barking sounds)

- close the door (perfect for when he's in the cleaning cupboard)

- turn around (getting off our bed and going down stairs)

- want your ba-ba? (knows it's his bottle and starts crying even if he doesn't see it)

- recognizes objects and says their names (banana, dada)

- knows what hot means and says it whenever he goes near the oven or any food/drink that's hot. (When the oven's on, he has to touch it until it's literally too hot to touch anymore)

- want to have a bath? (goes straight to the bathroom and tries to climb in the tub)

- ta-ta to daddy/mommy (will take whatever you give him and find the other parent to give to them)

I just can't believe he understands so much, it's so fun! He's also really blossoming in the speaking department. Just last night I said "hand" and he said the word exactly with the "d" sound at the end and everything, then kept saying it. he knows when he gets something right and feels very proud of himself. There are definitely letters he can say better than others, so I'm working on teaching him words that include them. I'll keep you posted as he learns them, and will try to take videos when I'm at my parent's (our camera has no sound).

There's Our Little Monkey!

Who Knew the Exersaucer would still entertain at this age?

He doesn't look impressed, but he really does love sitting in it

Our Little Kitty