18 months!!!

Baby Doll

It is amazing that you are already 18 months old. And what a cutie pie you are - we are so blessed to have you fully functioning and full of life once again.

In September right at the 15 month mark, you started to throw up at a random basis. You would throw up one day and then not again for a week. Yet, you kept throwing up, and I just thought that you overate. The second trigger was that you were not very happy. As the month continued, you chose only to be carried and cuddled by mom or dad. The third trigger was that you started to lose weight. Your arms were getting skinny and you lost the cubbiness in your face. We knew something was not right!

Finally, we took you into the doctors office for testing and evaluation. By this time you were eating lots, and then throwing up! Plus this was on a daily basis..... The doctors were quick to diagnosis that you are celiac - so no more gluten for you!

This has been an easy change for us as a family given the dramatic affect this has had on you. WIthin 3 days of no gluten you were laughing more than we had seen in a few months and so happy! Your personality continued to grow and we were continually giggling with you! It is amazing the difference!!!!



You are now 18 months - a walking and talking girl. You love your brother and sister and try to give them hugs and kisses. They usually refuse, but you keep trying! Mom and Dad love it though... You also continually try to be a big girl, just like the older siblings. You try to play Wii, play computer, run after the big kids, and everything else they do! It is fun to watch you mimic them and learn from them (we just wish you would avoid picking up their bad habits....).

Love you baby doll!

Happy Belated Halloween

We had an amazing Halloween!!!!

We hosted the 2nd Annual Neighbourhood Halloween Party having lots of fun painting pumpkins, decorating cookies, playing Halloween games and hanging out with friends. Then of course, we Trick or Treated our hearts out. We all went out leaving a bowl of treats on our porch and hit the neighbourhood. Little C would have gone all night long!!!! What a blast. I am loving the holidays more and more as the kids fully understand what they are!

Here is a Baby Doll approving of the leaves at our party!



Little C once again was Thomas the Train. I think he believes that you replicate holidays - I was Thomas last year, so why wouldn't I do that again this year. Pretty good logic if you ask me.... Bean was a bumble bee. A few weeks prior we were at the used clothing store and I spotted a costume that had a tutu - it was a bumble bee. I showed it to Bean and she was instantly in love. She continues to wear it weekly (although it is showing signs of wear now...). Baby Doll was the Pumpkin in the group. Daddy said her costume matched her hair...

More pics to follow of our party!

FIVE

Little C

Five years ago my water broke and I raced to the hospital
Five years ago you entered my world
Five years ago you made me a mom
Five years ago you taught me what LOVE really means

You are a VERY energetic little boy that lives life to the fullest. Your teachers love you for your enthusiasm and I love you for the joy you bring to every situation. You are not afraid to try something new, and rather look for new and exciting things to do each day. Each day is an adventure with you.

This fall you started Pre-K at the big school. You love it. When I picked you up on your first day you ran over to me, jumped into my arms, gave me a big hug and said "I need to play more here mommy". You have learned so much in the few weeks you have been there. For your open house the other day, you (with some help) wrote on your letter that you wanted to show me the (1) Big Blocks - we built a house big enough for your sister and a few friends to climb in (2) Music - xylophone and the keyboard are your favourite and (2) lego. It was great to see you so comfortable in this new environment!

As always, you love all things sport related. In June, you mastered riding your bike without your training wheels. Everywhere we went, you took your bike - to school, to the store, to friends, to the park. I don't think you have walked anywhere this summer! You also played soccer in the Y program. You loved it and played fiercely!

Golf is another favourite and you probably played more than your dad this summer. You spent a week at Grandma and Grandpa's this spring while I worked in Toronto and played every day. Your gift to your daddy for Father's Day was to play golf (and get new golf balls, too).

This year was also a year of friendship. You have your first friends - Abby and Andrew. Everyday you would talk about your friends and often had play dates with them. You and Andrew are still the best of buds as you both play hard and love all toys that move!

Princess Bean is still your friend of choice. You do everything together and for the most part play very well together making up games (with rules) and running around. You both will make up stories about where you are going (usually the office) and how you are going to get there and how you will get home. You are also willing to share your friends with Bean - you include her in everything!

You have less interaction with Baby Doll. You sing to her when she is upset, and talk to her about what she is "supposed" to be doing, yet get very upset with her when she tries to get your glasses or doesn't listen to you.... You and Baby Doll have VERY similar personalities so it will be interesting to see how you grow together.

As always, I cherish everyday with you! I am so lucky to be your mom and look forward to all the fun we will have in the years to come!

Happy 5th Birthday Little C!!!!

Love Mommy.

School

September is in full swing in our house and that means SCHOOL!!!!!
Princess Bean was VERY happy to be able to go to "real" school (not the toodler room that she was in last year....). She loves to get ready for school, put on her backpack, and ride on the bus.

Daily, she comes home singing new songs and telling me about the books they read in class. I love to hear the stories of the day and her interpretation of what they did in class. Apparently, snack time and what they ate is VERY important....

Here is a picture of Bean at snack time today. Fun Snacks for sure

 

When I get big....

Little C LOVES trains - always has!

This past weekend, we decided to try the trolley rides - what fun. What I didn't know was that they give you a little history on the trolley and show you how they work. Well, this was just the thing for Little C. Midway through the ride, he had to get a seat closer to the conductor and started to ask questions. He was in dream land.....

Princess Bean and Baby Doll loved it too - yet for very different reasons. Princess Bean loved to visit with Grandma K and Baby Doll visited everyone on the train!

On the way home, here was the conversation...
Grandma K - Was the trolley ride special? Did you like learning about it?
Little C - yeah, it was great.
Little C (after thinking a little) - when I look like mommy and daddy, I want to be a driver person too.
Grandma K - you want to drive everyone around?
Little C - yes, that's a great idea for me.

Splash Pad!

The Splash pad has been a recent find for us - and we LOVE IT!!!!! Every weekend the kids ask to go, and since they have such a good time and there is lots of shade for us parents, we go. ALOT!

Where do babies come from?

The other day, I was talking to a friend and Baby Doll was about 50 feet away from me. She heard me and started to call.

Little C walks by and here is the conversation that follows

Little C - "That is Baby Doll, she is my sister"
My friend - "you have a very nice sister"
Little C - "yeah, we got her from the doctor"
Me - "oh, did you pick her up at the doctor?"
Little C - "No mommy, you picked her out at the doctor"

Okay then.... mystery solved!

Flashback

 

Wow.... Little C when he was about 7 or 8 months old.... His facial expressions remind me of Baby doll now. What a happy happy boy!!!!

And do I look younger - I guess that is what 4 years and 2 kids does to you!

Party!!!!

Baby Doll had not one party this year - but THREE!!!! It was very important to Little C and Bean that she had a true party and lots of other birthday party stuff.

Little C helped me plan the whole thing. He picked out the food, invited the guests (his friends, of course), picked out the decorations and the birthday hats. It was a lot of fun to see him being so excited to plan a party for someone other than himself!

And of course, baby doll enjoyed every minute of every party! Cake 3 times - what is not to love. Here are a few pics from the different events. Baby Dolls style for eating the cake - dive right in!!! Very different from Little C (would not eat it) and Bean (finger picking & no mess).

My baby....

Hard to believe my baby is 1! How much she has grown and become such an important part of all of our loves.



And here she is one year ago. Amazing! Gotta love how much her hair has changed!

13.1

A few weeks ago, I achieved my goal - to run my first 1/2 marathon!


It was awesome..... I finished in 2:02! My goal was 2:05 and a stretch goal of 2 hours. So I was right on - and I felt great running!


As a family, we travelled to Chicago and had a blast exploring the city. We celebrated the Black Hawk watching the parade from our hotel window (with every other Chicago resident). It was crazy, and the kids loved all the excitment.


Went to a Chicago Cubs Game


I was lucky to have a friend in crime during the race and training. We did not run together as we had different training techniques, but it was great to have someone to hang out with before the race, and to celebrate our finish. Thanks Kim!

The kids picked up their friendships from summer's past. Little C still talks about Keaton and Pierson and when he will see them next! He can't wait to go to Ontario and see his friends.



It was a great weekend! Now, onto training for the next event - a triathalon

2 Wheels!

Little C loves his bike! He rides it everywhere - and now on 2 wheels!


This is how proud he is...

A man passes by Little C on a bike...
Little C - " look mommy, he is riding his bike with no training wheels"
Me - "yes, isn't that fun"
Little C - "he is just like me mommy - no training wheels. What a big boy"

My baby is 1

To my precious Baby Doll,
Just a year ago, you joined our world! We were planning on you arriving on June 12th. I had picked the day and made all the plans. We had Mama and Papa lined up to watch your brother and sister and then after you came home from the hospital Grandma Karen would arrive to help out. However, you had better plans….

On June 8th 2009, I went to work as usual to finish up a MAJOR presentation. I ended up coming home early due to a BAD cold and spent the late afternoon and early evening catching up on TV shows as Daddy took Little C and Bean to a play date and dinner. After they came home, I put Little C to bed and we talked about you arriving in a few days. Each night, Little C asked if tomorrow would be the day you would arrive…. His wish was about to arrive!

Just after tucking your brother and sister into bed, I felt a weird “twang” in my stomach and shortly after had to call Mama over to spend the night. We were going to hospital – you were not planning on sticking to our plans!

You are such an amazing sweet little girl. You look like both your brother and sister in certain ways, yet are very distinctly you. You have many traits of Little C’s personality – the bright smile with the bold laugh, the love of all things active, wanting to always be on the go. Your hair is a beautiful red, which brings compliments everywhere you go. You bring a smile to every stranger you meet!

You love to give kisses and hugs. Each day when I come home from work, you call for me (yell) until I pick you up (I am often intercepted by your brother and sister, which does not make you happy). Then you give me a big hug, cuddling your face into my neck. You love to talk and talk and talk. For the last few months you will play a game of mimicking sounds people say to you. Usually we will have rounds of “Errr” sounds back and forth.

You are a mommy’s girl for sure, and I love you for that. When you were first born and even the first few months, you didn’t even like to be held by daddy. You would holler and scream if I left you to daddy to help your brother and sister. Many people say you are an “extroverted” girl, I reply, only from the safety of mommy’s arms!

Right now, I think your favourite game is teasing your sister. Every time you approach your sister, she will squeal and you seemed to find this very funny. She says you are going to eat her toes….. and tells us to make you move away. You just keep coming back for more….

You have definitely inherited your daddy’s lungs. You are the loudest person in the house – although in some ways that is a good thing as you might be forgotten otherwise, right? When you want something, you put your vocal cords to work and usually get what you want, just because the noise is so loud. You have definite power in this small house…

Other things you love to do - go for walks, play ball (especially with Little C), swing on the swings, and anything with water. You are brave in the tub making tummy slides and heading straight for the faucet. You also love to feed yourself and will eat most things. I do not believe we have come across a food you will not eat! Your top favourites include Strawberries, muffins, waffles, pork, sweet potatoes & peas.

It is amazing to me that you joined our world a year ago. You bring us so much joy and happiness I can’t imagine our family without you. We are blessed to have you in our family, and look forward to watching you grow up. We are so blessed.
I love you lots and lots! Mommy.

Words in our house

The phrases that keep us laughing...

Little C
Mommy - you crack me up....

A few weeks back, Little C and I had to go somewhere and I asked which car he wanted to take. He wanted to take Daddy's minivan (not my vehicle of choice).
Me - okay, let's go
Colin (while climbing into his seat) - Mommy, Can you drive this car?
Me - of course....

Princess Bean

Bean - Mommy, O is coming to get me
Me - it's okay, she just wants to tickle your toes
Bean - no mommy, she is going to EAT my toes
Me - laughter....

Too cute....

Wow, how much he has grown!!!! This is Little C when he was just over 2 yrs old. How much he has grown and changed!

 

And look at the handsome boy today


He is now a boy that...
- Very much wants to be 5 (he asks almost daily)
- Loves all his friends at school
- Has 2 little sisters that adore him (and he likes to "manage")
- Rides a bike all over town - to the park, to the grocery store, to school...
- Loves to swim - and do cannonballs!
- Talks all the time - asking questions, finding out how things works, and telling us all there is to know about the world.

You are amazing Little C - yet you are not so little anymore!
....

BFFs

 

This will be a great summer for these two! They have bonded over the winter and are best friends. I look forward to the stories of their Friday play dates this summer!

On the move

 

 

 

 

And she is off and crawling. Angel baby starting crawling about a week ago and is now EVERYWHERE. This morning we found her exploring the tunnel - she is a very daring little girl!

Not a good start....

Here is princess bean on the morning of her 3rd birthday. Not a good start....

 

It ended in happiness as her tummy felt better after a nap and was still able to enjoy her cake, ice cream and presents

My little girl 3!

Happy Birthday to my sweet little girl!

It has been a year full of growing. You are full of spunk; always willing to play a new game, share a funny face, or just play silly. Your personality is calm and witty. When upset you look us in the eye and quietly and firmly say "No" or "Stop". You will then continue to negotiate with us.

You have a definite sense of style! You love all things girly, and the more girly it is the better. You also have a unique way of putting together your outfits. One day you will wear your bathing suit over your clothes, another day your choice will be a dress with your fancy shoes. You also love your dress up clothes and will change in and out of them several times a day.

You have also started to like to have your hair done - usually 2 pig tails and a clip to hold your bangs. Each day after I finish your hair, you need to see how "pretty" in the mirror. You will pose infront of the mirror and comment on how "pretty" and "beautiful" you look. You also love assessories - necklaces, rings, braclets, etc. And the more the better!

Your favourite things right now are butterflies and bumble bees. You will see them outside and run after them thinking you can catch them (very cute to watch). Your favourite shirt is you butterfly shirt and if you could you would wear it everyday. For your birthday you had butterfly balloons and you give them hugs and kisses!

Last summer, your Aunt Dana introduced you to tattos. Of course they were butterfly and flowers! You ask for them often and point them out to everyone. The other week you asked for your tattos to be put on the top of your feet - your bumble bee tattoo was a big hit with your friends! I just hope this love ends in your childhood....

You also started school last fall and love spending times with your teachers and friends. They comment almost daily at how happy you are at school and what "funniness" you bring to the class! One day, I meet a teacher on the road, and when she found out I was your mom, she said "she is such a hoot"!

With school your vocab and pronounication of words has greatly expanded. What amazes me are all your sounds for things! You have sounds for the birds, the seals, the butterflies, eating, drinking - pretty much everything has a word and a sound!

You love your babies (small stuffed animals & beanie babies)!!!! Everyday, you pick up one or two for the day and carry them everywhere you go. You talk to them, feed them, play with them and care for them.

This year you became a big sister. At first you were not so impressed by having another person in the house and the attention that she received. You have grown to accept and love your little sister. At dinner, you will help feed her and sometimes even help bathe her. You are very gentle with her and I know in years to come you will become friends. For right now, you accept Angel baby as long as she is not approaching your toys (or feet).

I delight in your company and find that I await the weekend time we have when Little C and daddy are out of the house. I cherish the moments that we can be silly together and cuddle with your babies.

As always, I feel honoured to be your mom. You are a beautiful little girl full of spunk and happiness. Your laughter brings me immense joy and your sadness equally breaks my heart. I hope that I can continue to challenge you and complete you. I look forward to seeing you grow and mature!

You are my little Princess and always will be! I love you lots and lots.

Celebration....

Little C has been accepted!!!! After a long wait and lots of wondering, our wishes and prayers have been answered.

We are excited for what this school has to offer Little C (and later Bean and Angel baby). The school reminds me a lot of the one I attended from Grade 5-13 (yes in Canada they had grade 13)! The environment I was in (I believe) helped me to become the independant, adaptable, versitile (not to mention smart) person I am today. I have high hopes for this school as well.

Congrats Little C - you worked hard on this....

the data is in

Over the past 3 months, we have been in the process of applying for pre-K for Little C. It has been exhausting!!!

With multiple school visits, application forms, play/observation groups, psychological evaluation, phone calls and more information requests - the process has kept us busy.

That said, I received a message this morning saying that Little C's application is complete!

Now we wait.....and wait.....

Can Thursday come any quicker?

The Water Boy

Angel baby is not the only one that loves the water! In Florida, if given the chance I am sure Little C would have swam all day long. One day, it was warm enough to be in the outside pool for longer than a brief dip. He swam for 4 hours straight. Eventually I had to leave with Bean and Baby for nap time and Little C stayed with Grandma. He eventually fell asleep on the lounge chair - so tired from swimming. His biggest accomplishment - the waterslide. After a thousand runs, he was able to go down by himself and swim to the steps to go back up. On day 2, I no longer had to get in the water with him. Instead I took this video of him....

Nine Months Old

It amazes how fast time goes by... Angel baby is 9 months old and growing up very quickly.
She is a happy little girl who talks almost all the time. The game she loves to play is mimic your sounds. If you do raspberries, she will give you raspberries in return. So smart!



She is also starting to move more and more. Gone are the days when she is in the place you left her. She doesn't go far - yet..... Although she does get a little frustrated when everyone is running around her and cannot seem to move with them....

There is often the oops as well which doesn't make her so happy!


The latest stats....
Weight - 17 lbs 5 oz (25th percentile)
Height - 26.75 inches (25th percentile)
Head - 17.25 inches (50th percentile

Deric and I both thought she has developed a big belly and finally had a chunk - especially when Princess Bean weighed in at 18 lbs at 1 year! I had to pull up the records - her are Princess Bean's stats at 9 months. I guess Angel baby is not so chunky afterall! A postive note however is that Angel baby's head size is average unlike her siblings - which means finally one finally takes after me in that department!

Other interesting facts:
- Favourite food is Yogurt! Close seconds are fruits and sweet potatos. To convince her to eat veggies, they need to be mixed in with fruits.
- Loves to be sung to. Whenever she is a little fussy, Little C will often start to sing ABCs or Twinkle Twinkle, Angle baby quiet downs immediately. If you are holding her and music plays, she will dance in your arms.
- She is constant motion - dancing, moving, talking and playing. It is a wonder she wants to sleep at all!
- Loves the water. LOVES IT, LOVES IT LOVES IT!!!! Her favourite time of the day is bath time. She now bathes with her siblings and is often the first one in and the last one out.