Love - Multiplied

It's been a few months, but I'm linking up with Jamie again for What I Love Wednesday

1. I love that the weather lately has been more like September than November. I can barely tell that it's less than SIX weeks from Christmas. The grass is still green, and I can take the kids for walks without worrying about scarves, hats and mitts... It's wonderful!

2. I love all the little smiles that my girl has been giving me. She'll be 4 weeks old tomorrow, but she's been smiling for over a week now. This week she's started cooing, and those sounds make all the crying and sleepless nights seem like nothing.

3. I love the grammar of toddlers. My little Monkey has a way with words that makes me laugh. He said the other day that he didn't want daddy to forget his lunch. Or rather he told him to "forNOTget" it. He also told me that he didn't want to behave. He said "I want to beNOThave mommy." I'm not going to pick on it, he'll learn soon enough, and those little quirks make me laugh.

4. I love family, especially my sister and mother who I just got to spend the weekend with in Toronto. We enjoyed my sister's vollyeball tournament and her team won their first medal (Silver! Go Breakers!). We stayed at a hotel in Toronto and had fun with just the girls while my hubby spent the weekend with Monkey.

5. I love my TWO little ones. I love how they stare at each other, and I'm so glad that Monkey already adores his little sister. He says that she's a gecko (and he is either a monkey or an elephant). This morning he started calling her "Kiki" but I don't know if that's a nickname, or just a made up word.

6. Everyday I choose to love this man. And today I love that he writes me love notes and calls in the middle of the day to see how things are at home. He's really stepped up around the house now that my attention is separated between the two kids, and I don't thank him nearly enough.

Today and everyday I choose you.

~A

Adventures in October

Some pictures of some of the fun we had in the last month.

Grandpa S. came for a visit to meet his new grand-daughter (and to celebrate Monkey's birthday)

Look at how proud he is!

Grandpa S. ALWAYS gives the best presents. Last year Monkey got a riding dump truck that makes noise, this year he got a giant car racing kit (you know, the noisy ones that send cars flying across the house...) Daddy had as much fun with this kit as Monkey did.

Cleaning out the pumpkin before the traditional "put our baby in a giant gourd" picture. Neither one of our kids has been a fan of this photo, but that hasn't stopped me and my mom from trying. I guess if we have any other kids, the only way they can avoid this picture is to be born in the spring or summer...

Monkey in a pumpkin (October 2008)

Baby Girl in a pumpkin (October 2011)

Coffee Break had a clothing exchange, so my mother and I went through all Monkey's old clothes to find items I wanted to donate. Of course, this meant that Monkey had to put on clothes as we were sorting them.

Splash pants, a golf hat and cowboy boot slippers make a perfectly acceptable outfit, right? And I'm not the only mom who takes pictures of the crazy outfits my kid comes up with...

My husband and kids on Halloween night. Monkey loved knocking on doors and saying "Trick-or-Treat!" And his basket was so small, he could only make it to 2 or 3 houses before emptying it. This made it really easy to prevent him from eating candy before we got back home.
October was an amazing month. We were blessed with great weather, fun visits from family, and of course, a wonderful little girl.

Here's hoping November brings even more smiles!

~A

What would be week 42 is Day 1...

Last night (October 20th) at 6:46 pm, our little girl made her way into the world.

Me with my brand new daughter!

Daddy and his princess!

Grandma and big brother saying hello

Welcome to the world little one!

~A

This month will end before the baby gets here...

...at least that's how I'm feeling.

We're at 10 days post "due date" and other than 3.5 frustrating hours of false labour the other night (where contractions were coming 5 minutes apart and getting stronger) this baby has shown no sign that he/she wants to make their way out of the comfy little coccoon called my uterus.

I'm not happy.

In fact, I can't remember a time I've been this cranky with everyone around me.

Sure I've got the fake smile pasted on, and I've almost perfected the fake laugh for when the millionth person says:

1. Have you had that baby yet? (Or worse, WHY haven't you had that baby yet?)

or

2. Did you know that sex induces labour? (or any other labour-inducing tale)

NOTE: Just so you know, my sex life has NEVER been an acceptable public conversation topic, so why on EARTH should it be one now?!?

So here I sit, bored, tired, and extremely uncomfortable, just trying to find something to take my mind off the fact that I've still got a LOT of work to do before I can meet this baby. Except now, the only work that's left is getting the baby from inside to outside. And that's the least fun part.

However, I have found a few distractions.

1. Halloween Costumes.

We picked this up the other day at Old Navy for Monkey. He had seen it there before, and spent days asking for it, so when some birthday money came for him, we knew what to use it on.

We were really lucky that of the 2 left in store, 1 was his size.

This will be for the baby. I'll wear my chef jacket, and we'll find some way to dress up a red sleeper... I laughed so hard when I saw this, I only hope it's possible (and not too cold for a Canadian Halloween)

2. Ravelry

This site has almost 4000 free crochet patterns... and I'm sure I've downloaded about 100 into my "I'll make this someday" folder.

I have made a few, but mostly I look there to waste time.

Check out this awesome Beard Hat I made for Monkey!

3. Baby Names

Even though I've read every book and searched every site I could find, Hubby and I still can't agree on a name. We've got it narrowed to 2 possibles for girl first names (with no middle for either) and 1 possible first name for a boy, but since we still don't know what baby #2 is, we don't have either name set.

But as much as I fill my time up with all this stuff now, I am trying to make sure Monkey gets the best of me too, because when our next little one finally does show up, I'm sure I'll be giving our first the worst of me, or just whatever is leftover.

Here's to a short wait!

~A

Three Years Ago...

...I met this little man, and he changed my life forever.

...I watched the sun rise on life as a mama.

...I was blessed beyond my wildest dreams.

And all because of my little monkey.

Happy 3rd Birthday little man!

I love you to the moon and back.

~Mama

40 Weeks (and STILL no baby)

There are so many different websites or apps that have weekly statistic updates on how big your baby is, or what exactly your baby can do each week, and I've subscribed to a few of them on facebook or by email, and I've read many of them, but the last few weeks I haven't read them at all.

Then this afternoon, I was checking my email, and by accident I clicked "next" or something, and one of these updates opened. What did it say?

"Welcome to the world, little one!"

And the evil angry pregnant monster who seems to be creeping up more and more regularly snarled at the computer,

"My baby isn't here yet!"

And while there is a large part of me (a very UNCOMFORTABLY large part of me) wishing that this baby would just magically appear outside my womb without any pain or hard work, I know that this baby is safe and healthy and will come whenever the time is right, even if my calendar says it's "late".

And I'm reminded that there have been so many blessings throughout this pregnancy, so I should focus on the things I'm grateful for, and stop thinking only about all the things I'm looking forward to being done with.




Here is a list (no particular order) of things I can be grateful for:

-This baby is full term. In the past few months, a few friends have had pregnancies end a lot earlier than expected. Some had healthy babies who were born much earlier than expected, but some had babies who didn't make it. I cannot complain about a healthy baby who is still living, even if it means I might wait longer than the normal 40 weeks to meet this little one.

-This pregnancy I haven't had any complications. With Monkey I was hospitalized for 4 nights with a severe infection that caused my face and eyes to swell so that I lost my ability to see for a few days. This time, the only swelling has been my feet, and even then, it's not anything more than a discomfort.

-This pregnancy I've been able to stay active and eat healthy, leading to a much lower weight gain than my first (I've gained less than half this time what I gained with my first)

-I have had amazing, consistent, supportive medical care all the way through this pregnancy, unlike the disjointed and sporadic medical care I had with Monkey, missing the first 4 months because I was overseas, and then being shipped around to 3 other doctors before he was born.

-I have been able to clean, organize, and even decorate my home for the arrival of this little one, unlike the last pregnancy when I didn't even have a place to call a home until 6 weeks before Monkey arrived.

-I have fantastic and supportive friends and family who are celebrating this little one already, and who already are thankful for the blessing we are soon to welcome to this world.

We are such a blessed family, I can't complain when I have so many things to be thankful for. And I'm thankful especially as this weekend approaches (Canadian Thanksgiving) for the many blessings that we have on top of this new baby.

There is still hope that we can meet the baby soon, but I know that God's timing is perfect, and whenever our little one arrives will be the perfect time.

~A

What a Baby Actually NEEDS

In these last couple weeks before Baby 2 comes, I've still got a HUGE list of things I'd like to do.

We've had a very productive week and most of the essential things are done.

I've been working on a NEED vs. WANT list for baby, and I've got 4 things I can think of that are actual needs, and everything else is just icing.

NEEDS for Baby 2:

1. Place for baby to sleep - - - - - - - - -CHECK! we put together the crib last night.

2. Something for baby to wear - - - - - CHECK! all the neutral items we own for babies under 6 months have been washed and dried and were nicely folded until Monkey's nap this afternoon.

3. A carseat for baby - - - - - - - - - - - (almost) CHECK! this is a gift from my parents, and is still living at their house. They have a pink cover for the carrier carseat, but we have a yellow cover here, so we're set boy or girl...

4. Diapers and wipes for baby - - - - - CHECK! I've got some cloth (some pre-folds, some all-in-ones...) and I've got a closet full of bags of disposable diapers which I'm sure we'll go through as well (I found some great deals on diapers, which combined with coupons to really nice prices)

WANTS for Baby 2:

1. A seat for baby - - - - - - - - - - - - - CHECK! (three times over) we found a brand new Exersaucer for 5 dollars that is staying with my parents. We also have a Bumbo seat that has been used by a friend for the past year, and we have a bouncy musical chair that vibrates (also $5, this time at a yard sale).

2. A basinette or playpen - - - - - - - - - CHECK! (on both items) we were given the playpen for Monkey's first Christmas, and we were given a Moses basket from Hubby's Aunt and got to bring it home when we visited a couple weeks ago.

3. A carrier - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -CHECK! We have a Snugglie (sp?) that we got back when Monkey was an infant, as well as one I picked up this summer from kijiji. I would love a wrap carrier, so that's on my "dream gift" list, but I'll be fine with what we have (that's why these are WANTS)

4. Toys/blankets/stuffed creatures - - - -These are items that we don't actually WANT (or need), but we have more than enough and have been trying to give them away since Monkey was born. I think the "go-to" gift for a baby when you don't know what to get is a stuffed toy or a blanket.


This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it goes to show how easily things pile up when there's a baby on the way. There are so many lists out there that have all kinds of extra things listed as "NEEDS" but really you don't need them. Other things I can think of include:

-Breast Pump... This could be moved to the NEED list if you are a mother who has to go back to work before Baby is weaned. I am fortunate to be staying home with the kids this time, so I will not need this item, but it is very important.

-Baby monitor....we have a 2 bedroom apartment... if the baby is crying you can hear it at the other end of our floor.

-Wipe warmer or bottle warmer... these are for the pampered baby... I never even considered getting one

-Matching bed spread set with bumper pads, curtains, sheets.... your baby will not die if he's got uncoordinated sheets... and usually if you get an expensive set, that's the set that will be ruined by explosive poop or vomit... stick with something that will keep baby warm and that fits your budget.

-SHOES for babies... while these are ridiculously cute, they serve NO purpose, so they are not at all essential.

-Mobiles... once again, it's cute, but not essential. When you're changing baby's diaper, the funny faces you make trying to hold your breath and not breathe in the poop smell will be entertaining enough to keep your baby's attention. It's actually better for the baby to look at your face than at some expensive plastic floating object... save the money and invest in your time instead.

-Swings/Jolly Jumpers... these are very useful for some "Me" time, but they are not NEEDS, especially in our case when we already have a vibrating chair, an exersaucer, AND a Bumbo...

-High chairs.... For the first 6 months of your baby's life, she doesn't even need to TRY solid food, so getting one of these chairs before a daily meal time is common will waste your money and your space. If you have a bouncy chair (or a Bumbo) these can be used instead of a high chair, and if you want to save even more space, try the chair that attatches to the table and folds up when dinner is done.

-A changing table... Not an essential piece of furniture. A baby can be changed on any solid surface (couch, the floor, counters, dressers...) and after baby is out of diapers, you can keep all the other surfaces for their intended purposes. We used a dresser when we didn't use the floor, and now it's still as useful as it was before Monkey came along. A very helpful thing might be a changing PAD, but you can always use receiving blankets or towels if you don't have a changing pad.




A baby does not need to break your budget. People who say babies cost thousands of dollars in their first year are insane. It is absolutely possible to spend your entire years salary to have the "perfect" supplies for your baby, but it is also very possible to stick to a budget of only a few hundred dollars and not compromise your baby's safety, and still have all the essentials.



The number one thing a baby needs is love, and as far as I know, you shouldn't have to spend a penny on that. Love your baby, and that will make up for any no-name, or second hand, or mismatched anything in their life...



~A