I would like to live "greener" and be more wise with our spending this year. I think the main reason I've been thinking about this and not actually doing anything about it is because I enjoy the convenience of many things and I like to spend $$$!!! lol! Some of the things we've came up with might sound ridiculous, but I think they will help us spend more wisely and be more earth friendly ;) Here are a few ways we are going to live greener, combined with some personal resolutions for 2011:
1) We will not purchase any greeting cards this year. I or the kids might make a card or use cards I already have made, or just give a gift tag! What do you do with all the cards you receive?? We keep the very special cards (Baby shower, 1st birthday, 1st holidays, etc) but typically recycle the rest!! I personally LOVE giving and receiving cards. I'm not always good with words, but I often find the perfect verse or greeting that expresses my feelings. So it may be a little work coming up with the perfect wording, but I'm sure I can do it ;)
2) We will not eat out as much. We've been doing a lot better with this one, but still need to work on it! This is slightly embarrassing, but currently our goal is to reduce our eating out to 1/week. Cal has been trying to live by this for a very long time, but I admit I've been destroying his resolve :S Between lunches and suppers in 2010 we ate out on average 3 times/week. It's just so convenient to pick up something on the way home from Preschool, vs. getting home and preparing lunch.
3) We are not buying shredded cheese! Now, you're probably thinking, "What? Why?!" If you do a cost comparison of a bag of shredded cheddar vs. a block of cheddar cheese you will see ... And shredding cheese certainly is not difficult or time consuming! Plus the waste of packaging on a bag of shredded cheese vs. a block of cheese. Less waste!
4) We are going to try ordering our meat from an organic/free range farm. My sister has ordered from one and I've heard of a few others around the city. We'll try it and see how cost efficient it is vs. buying our meat from the local grocer. I really don't want to think about it too much, but have you seen THAT Oprah episode?! The one that goes "behind the scenes" on chicken farms ...
5) I will use cloth diapers with Reese 90% of the time! I do appreciate the conveniencee of a disposable at certain times!! She was too small at first, but what we have are now fitting. I used them with Emerson too, but not near as much as I used them with Blake - just lazy (seriously!). I love using them though and so will put worth a better effort ;)
6) Salad - we will eat a salad with our supper at least 3 times a week. Blake and Emerson actually love salads, so what a shame that we don't have them more often!!
7) We will not buy any gift wrap or gift bags. We have so much of both in our basement and I want to use them first!! So don't be surprised if you receive your birthday gift wrapped in Christmas paper ... LOL!!
8) I would love to cut out paper towel from our home. I've thought about this for a long time, but haven't taken the giant leap!! I will however, resolve to use less paper towel!
So there's a start to our list! I haven't came up with any personal resolutions yet and I'm not sure if I will. Although one thing I was thinking of, was waking up and deciding to make the day great. I've been trying that lately and it really works. First thing in the morning when I go into Blake and Emerson's room, while we're getting changed, etc. I talk to them about what we're doing that day and ask them to try and have a great day. I ask them to play together nicely and if there is something bothering them to tell Mom and not start yelling and crying, etc, etc! Surprisingly they've caught on, it's really worked! Hopefully I can continue to do that vs. waking up and wishing I could stay in bed! No point in that, as I know 99% of the time it ain't gonna happen!!! Cal has resolved to run in a 1/2 marathon in May and try his hardest to train for and run in a full marathon this fall. I can't quite bring myself to resolve to run in a race this year, although I would love to.
Do you make New Year's resolutions??
Tracy
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Reesey!
Blake and Emerson have given Reese some interesting nicknames ... Reesey-Gooey and Reesey-Pooh!! Poor girl!! Hopefully they don't stick for life ;)
I had Reese weighed on Friday after her chiropractor appointment. She's up to 8 lbs 5 oz. Definitely gaining weight slowly, but gaining none the less!! She doesn't have any "regular" clothes that fit her, which irritates me!! I've been keeping her in sleepers pretty much all the time! Her preemie pants are too short and the newborn and 0-3 month pants are WAY too big in the waist. Oh well, soon enough they will fit and I can dress her up ;) The last few days I have heard Reese giggle 3 times!! It's always in the evening when I'm holding her and she's drifting off to sleep. So, so cute :) It's like she's dreaming of something funny! Reese has slipped into a great daytime sleep routine, but the last 2 nights have been rough :S She seems to have tummy problems and/or gas. Oval hasn't helped, but I gave her some gripe water last night and it seemed to work. I'm hoping this isn't due to the chiro. visit on Friday! We're supposed to go back this Friday, but I may take her in earlier if she continues to have cranky nights. It's like a switch goes off. She's so smiley and happy and naps well during the day and then 9 or 10 pm hits! I feel bad for her though, she seems to be very uncomfortable :( A warm bath, a warm hot pack and a little tummy massage also seems to help. We'll see how it goes!
We've had a great weekend! Blake enjoyed his swimming lessons on Friday, we all went to watch! He's doing so awesome in the unparented lessons. He's in Bobbers again. In order to move up to the next level he has to be comfortable dunking his head into the water! He gets pretty close when he's blowing bubbles, but isn't quite comfortable with yet! Emerson started swimming again on Saturday and has moved up an age group in her swimming lessons and is now the youngest instead of the oldest in the class. And Blake and Cal were back to hockey Saturday afternoon!! They brought home Blake's team picture and individual trader cards! Blake was very proud of his hockey cards ;) On Saturday we put up more shelving to house all the kids toys in our family room and in the basement and rearranged some toys, which was a time consuming task!! We also took down all our Christmas decorations. Cal's been busy shovelling the walks and thankfully my Dad brought back our snow blower this afternoon. He got it running again! I think Cal is relieved :) The kids enjoyed a visit from Grandma and Grandpa and we had a nice supper!
Cal isn't off tomorrow, like he usually is. This week he's going to take Friday as his day off. We had thought he would take off a preschool day to help me out, but I haven't had trouble on those days! The kids have been really cooperative and Reese hasn't slowed us down ;) So he's going to go back to taking Monday's off next week. And perhaps I'll find a mom and baby class to take Reese to! I'd love to take her to Aquababies or Salsa Babies! Or maybe a Strollersize or Yoga class. We'll see!!
Take care everyone, have a great week! Don't get stuck on the side roads!!
Tracy
I had Reese weighed on Friday after her chiropractor appointment. She's up to 8 lbs 5 oz. Definitely gaining weight slowly, but gaining none the less!! She doesn't have any "regular" clothes that fit her, which irritates me!! I've been keeping her in sleepers pretty much all the time! Her preemie pants are too short and the newborn and 0-3 month pants are WAY too big in the waist. Oh well, soon enough they will fit and I can dress her up ;) The last few days I have heard Reese giggle 3 times!! It's always in the evening when I'm holding her and she's drifting off to sleep. So, so cute :) It's like she's dreaming of something funny! Reese has slipped into a great daytime sleep routine, but the last 2 nights have been rough :S She seems to have tummy problems and/or gas. Oval hasn't helped, but I gave her some gripe water last night and it seemed to work. I'm hoping this isn't due to the chiro. visit on Friday! We're supposed to go back this Friday, but I may take her in earlier if she continues to have cranky nights. It's like a switch goes off. She's so smiley and happy and naps well during the day and then 9 or 10 pm hits! I feel bad for her though, she seems to be very uncomfortable :( A warm bath, a warm hot pack and a little tummy massage also seems to help. We'll see how it goes!
We've had a great weekend! Blake enjoyed his swimming lessons on Friday, we all went to watch! He's doing so awesome in the unparented lessons. He's in Bobbers again. In order to move up to the next level he has to be comfortable dunking his head into the water! He gets pretty close when he's blowing bubbles, but isn't quite comfortable with yet! Emerson started swimming again on Saturday and has moved up an age group in her swimming lessons and is now the youngest instead of the oldest in the class. And Blake and Cal were back to hockey Saturday afternoon!! They brought home Blake's team picture and individual trader cards! Blake was very proud of his hockey cards ;) On Saturday we put up more shelving to house all the kids toys in our family room and in the basement and rearranged some toys, which was a time consuming task!! We also took down all our Christmas decorations. Cal's been busy shovelling the walks and thankfully my Dad brought back our snow blower this afternoon. He got it running again! I think Cal is relieved :) The kids enjoyed a visit from Grandma and Grandpa and we had a nice supper!
Cal isn't off tomorrow, like he usually is. This week he's going to take Friday as his day off. We had thought he would take off a preschool day to help me out, but I haven't had trouble on those days! The kids have been really cooperative and Reese hasn't slowed us down ;) So he's going to go back to taking Monday's off next week. And perhaps I'll find a mom and baby class to take Reese to! I'd love to take her to Aquababies or Salsa Babies! Or maybe a Strollersize or Yoga class. We'll see!!
Take care everyone, have a great week! Don't get stuck on the side roads!!
Tracy
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Kids!
Every time I say (or in this case type!) the word "kids" I think of a client I had when I worked in long term care. If she heard you refer to children as kids, she would quickly tear into you about how kids are goats not children and how you should speak proper English, etc, etc. Joyful lady, she was ;) To me, children sounds far too formal ... !
Blake is happy to be back at preschool. On Monday he told me the first thing he's going to do at school tomorrow is say hi to Adam, because Adam is his best friend. How cute :) I think we'll have to invite Adam over for a few play dates this summer! Blake is also excited to start swimming lessons again on Friday. His class was cancelled last session, so he's been waiting 8 long weeks for the new session to begin!! And after a 2 week break, hockey starts again on Saturday. Blake continues to be a great big brother. If I'm busy feeding Reese in the morning, he serves Emerson yogurt for breakfast! Gets the bowls and spoons out, dishes out the yogurt, puts a bib on Em, wipes Em's hands and face and puts the bowls and spoons in the dishwasher!! How sweet is that?! I love listening to him during this time - sit at the little table Em, you have to wear a bib Em, what color of bowl do you want, etc, etc!! Such a responsible little guy ;) He also loves his baby sister, he's always asking to hug and kiss Reese and I often catch him talking to her and giving her hugs when she's in her bouncy chair or on her play mat! There is definitely a reason God gave us Blake 1st!! Both Blake and Emerson have enjoyed the sleigh rides we've taken them on. We haven't even gone to any big hills, but to them I think what they've went down is a big hill!!! They both love riding in their new sleigh and zooming down the hill!!
Emerson started gymnastics this afternoon. It took her a few minutes to warm up and after that she had a ball!! She was so cute climbing all over and jumping on the trampoline! She really enjoyed herself and didn't want to leave. We all went to watch today, but in the future Cal and Em will just go. Blake enjoyed watching her, but asked if he could go too. We'll have to see if he's still interested in it when the next session begins! She starts swimming lessons again on Saturday as well. We were going to take a break from swimming, but she loves it so much and Cal said he was okay to take her, since I can't for a few more months yet! Emerson is still loving being a big sister! She always wants to hug and kiss Reese :) I did notice last week that she was a bit jealous when Cal was holding Reese ... she is the world's biggest Daddy's girl!! Em is amazing us daily with her vocabulary! She can sing almost all of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Slippery Fish, The Thomas song and a few more!! She can also recite all the reindeer's names and count to 12!!! I'm not sure if she was given 12 objects if she could point to all 12 and count them 1 by 1, we'll have to test her ;) It does seem that she has a very good memory and once she repeats something it sticks in her head! I've been trying to catch all of this on video, but of course she won't do it on the video camera!!
Blake is happy to be back at preschool. On Monday he told me the first thing he's going to do at school tomorrow is say hi to Adam, because Adam is his best friend. How cute :) I think we'll have to invite Adam over for a few play dates this summer! Blake is also excited to start swimming lessons again on Friday. His class was cancelled last session, so he's been waiting 8 long weeks for the new session to begin!! And after a 2 week break, hockey starts again on Saturday. Blake continues to be a great big brother. If I'm busy feeding Reese in the morning, he serves Emerson yogurt for breakfast! Gets the bowls and spoons out, dishes out the yogurt, puts a bib on Em, wipes Em's hands and face and puts the bowls and spoons in the dishwasher!! How sweet is that?! I love listening to him during this time - sit at the little table Em, you have to wear a bib Em, what color of bowl do you want, etc, etc!! Such a responsible little guy ;) He also loves his baby sister, he's always asking to hug and kiss Reese and I often catch him talking to her and giving her hugs when she's in her bouncy chair or on her play mat! There is definitely a reason God gave us Blake 1st!! Both Blake and Emerson have enjoyed the sleigh rides we've taken them on. We haven't even gone to any big hills, but to them I think what they've went down is a big hill!!! They both love riding in their new sleigh and zooming down the hill!!
Emerson started gymnastics this afternoon. It took her a few minutes to warm up and after that she had a ball!! She was so cute climbing all over and jumping on the trampoline! She really enjoyed herself and didn't want to leave. We all went to watch today, but in the future Cal and Em will just go. Blake enjoyed watching her, but asked if he could go too. We'll have to see if he's still interested in it when the next session begins! She starts swimming lessons again on Saturday as well. We were going to take a break from swimming, but she loves it so much and Cal said he was okay to take her, since I can't for a few more months yet! Emerson is still loving being a big sister! She always wants to hug and kiss Reese :) I did notice last week that she was a bit jealous when Cal was holding Reese ... she is the world's biggest Daddy's girl!! Em is amazing us daily with her vocabulary! She can sing almost all of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Slippery Fish, The Thomas song and a few more!! She can also recite all the reindeer's names and count to 12!!! I'm not sure if she was given 12 objects if she could point to all 12 and count them 1 by 1, we'll have to test her ;) It does seem that she has a very good memory and once she repeats something it sticks in her head! I've been trying to catch all of this on video, but of course she won't do it on the video camera!!
Reese is doing well! She is so smiley, it is adorable :) She's also cooing and "talking" to us more and more! I weighed her last Wednesday and she was 7 lbs 15 oz. I also took her to the chiropractor last week and she has another appointment this Friday. Dr. Roth said there was a spot in her lower back that needed some work. She was so relaxed during the treatment, which is really more of a massage. She was sucking her thumb, it was kind of cute! I wouldn't mind if she was a thumb sucker. She doesn't want much to do with the soother and she needs some way to self-soothe! So far, I'm providing all the soothing! She's getting into a routine with napping during the day. She still seems very sleepy to me and is showing drowsy signs after being awake for only 1/2 an hour. There's no way she could make 2 hours before going for another nap! Her night time sleep isn't as great. I'm really worried that waking her up has mixed up her night time sleep :S But it had to be done. I'm sure eventually we'll get back to the 7 or 8 hours she was sleeping. I won't do any "official" sleep training until she's closer to 12 weeks and until she "bulks up" a bit!!! I'm looking forward to the day she starts sleeping more at night, but on the other hand I know I'll miss these days ... She's so cuddly and loves to be held nice and close to sleep. I've spent many nights with her right beside me or holding her close and I do love it :) It's just the frequent waking up to eat that drains me!! But then again, she needs to gain weight!!
I'd definitely say going from 2 to 3 kids has been waaayyyy more difficult then going from 1 to 2! Although I suppose if their ages were a bit more spread out and the oldest was in kindergarten it would be easier! Our days are definitely busy. And we don't even have to leave the house to be busy, it's just the every day things when you have 3 young kids that makes the day fly by and keeps you hoppin'!! Certainly a 24/7 job :) And worth every minute when you see them smile, get those cuddles and hear, "I love you Mom!"
There's a little update on our 3 angels :) We hope you are all doing well!
xoxo
Tracy
I'd definitely say going from 2 to 3 kids has been waaayyyy more difficult then going from 1 to 2! Although I suppose if their ages were a bit more spread out and the oldest was in kindergarten it would be easier! Our days are definitely busy. And we don't even have to leave the house to be busy, it's just the every day things when you have 3 young kids that makes the day fly by and keeps you hoppin'!! Certainly a 24/7 job :) And worth every minute when you see them smile, get those cuddles and hear, "I love you Mom!"
There's a little update on our 3 angels :) We hope you are all doing well!
xoxo
Tracy
Saturday, January 1, 2011
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Wow, 2010 has come and gone. Amazing how fast a year can pass! It has been a great year. We are so thankful for our healthy, happy family and look forward to 2011 with our new family of 5 :)
My sister-in-law Lesley had a great blog post (check out babycameronstonyplain.blogspot.com) yesterday and I'd like to share something similar! Here are a few of our top moments of 2010 (in order from Jan to Dec, ending with our #1 everyday favorite!) ...
~ Celebrating Emerson’s 1st birthday
~ Our decision for Tracy to be a stay at home Mom for a few years
~ Finding out we were expecting our 3rd child
~ Celebrating Blake’s 3rd birthday
~ A Day Out With Thomas at Heritage Park
~ Numerous camping trips with friends and family
~ Enjoying the summer with many, many trips and walks to various parks around North Edmonton
~ Emerson deciding to take off at full speed on 2 feet … and not stumbling or wobbling a bit
~ Emerson parroting ours and Blake's every word and amazing us with her vocabulary
~ Buying our new minivan for our expanding family
~ Cal and Tracy’s road trip to Canmore
~ Meeting Baby #3 via 3D/4D Ultrasound at UC Baby
~ Blake’s 1st unparented swimming lessons
~ Blake beginning preschool
~ Blake starting hockey and learning how to skate
~ Emerson continuing to love her swimming lessons
~ Blake discovering a love for riding his bike
~ Cal and I celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary and our 14th year together
~ Tracy planning and participating in the 5th Annual Th.A.A.A. AGM and Education Day
~ Celebrating Tracy’s 30th birthday
~ Loving our new Nikon D3100 and all the wonderful pics we’re capturing
~ Welcoming our 3rd child Reese Peyton Anne Cameron
~ Enjoying Blake and Emerson’s true love for their new sibling
~ Celebrating Christmas and all the festivities and activities leading up to it
~ Witnessing and loving Reese’s 1st smiles
~ Blake, Emerson and Reese's cuddles, kisses, smiles, tears, fears, laughs, cries, screams, uninhibited joy and innocence
Wishing you all the best in 2011! May your year be blessed with love, laughter, and good health :)
xoxo
Cal, Tracy, Blake, Emerson and Reese
My sister-in-law Lesley had a great blog post (check out babycameronstonyplain.blogspot.com) yesterday and I'd like to share something similar! Here are a few of our top moments of 2010 (in order from Jan to Dec, ending with our #1 everyday favorite!) ...
~ Celebrating Emerson’s 1st birthday
~ Our decision for Tracy to be a stay at home Mom for a few years
~ Finding out we were expecting our 3rd child
~ Celebrating Blake’s 3rd birthday
~ A Day Out With Thomas at Heritage Park
~ Numerous camping trips with friends and family
~ Enjoying the summer with many, many trips and walks to various parks around North Edmonton
~ Emerson deciding to take off at full speed on 2 feet … and not stumbling or wobbling a bit
~ Emerson parroting ours and Blake's every word and amazing us with her vocabulary
~ Buying our new minivan for our expanding family
~ Cal and Tracy’s road trip to Canmore
~ Meeting Baby #3 via 3D/4D Ultrasound at UC Baby
~ Blake’s 1st unparented swimming lessons
~ Blake beginning preschool
~ Blake starting hockey and learning how to skate
~ Emerson continuing to love her swimming lessons
~ Blake discovering a love for riding his bike
~ Cal and I celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary and our 14th year together
~ Tracy planning and participating in the 5th Annual Th.A.A.A. AGM and Education Day
~ Celebrating Tracy’s 30th birthday
~ Loving our new Nikon D3100 and all the wonderful pics we’re capturing
~ Welcoming our 3rd child Reese Peyton Anne Cameron
~ Enjoying Blake and Emerson’s true love for their new sibling
~ Celebrating Christmas and all the festivities and activities leading up to it
~ Witnessing and loving Reese’s 1st smiles
~ Blake, Emerson and Reese's cuddles, kisses, smiles, tears, fears, laughs, cries, screams, uninhibited joy and innocence
Wishing you all the best in 2011! May your year be blessed with love, laughter, and good health :)
xoxo
Cal, Tracy, Blake, Emerson and Reese
Monday, December 27, 2010
Through a child's eyes ...
This Christmas has been a lot of fun! Busy and tiring at times, but mostly wonderful :) We had a nice day Christmas Eve - baking and decorating sugar cookies, watching Christmas shows and movies, and going to the family service at Church in the evening. The kids and I were all in the play! Emerson was an angel (without the costume!), Blake was a shepard, I was an angel and Reese was baby Jesus! During the service Blake was listening to Rev. Wasyk, who said something about "He who saved us", which Blake heard and then said (quite loudly!) to me, "Who saved us?" I replied, "God." Blake then asked, "Is that him up there?" :)
Christmas morning Blake and Emerson woke up around 8 am and we went down to the front room to open stockings and gifts. Blake was so excited to see that Santa brought them a sleigh! We captured his reaction on video!! Emerson was not too interested in the presents at first. And of course Reese was sleeping! But big brother Blake took care of the opening of most of his sisters presents!! My Mom and Dad came over with breakfast around 10 and the kids were excited to show them their new toys! After Emerson's nap we packed up and went to Gerry and Lesley's house for our Cameron Christmas. They prepared a delicious turkey dinner (and appetizers!)! Cal's Mom and Dad were there and we all had a great time visiting, exchanging gifts and playing with the kids :) Christmas night we stayed at my parents house and woke up Boxing Day morning to a Smith Christmas! We had another great day, visiting, exchanging presents and more playing with all the new toys ;) We enjoyed another delicious turkey dinner and headed home.
I've always loved the Christmas season, but since having children I find each year more enjoyable! And especially now that Blake is starting to figure out just how much fun Christmas can be! And in the next few years Emerson and Reese will soon figure it out too!! Blake has learned about the 4 seasons and since we told him that Christmas comes after it snows, every time it snowed prior to Christmas, he would ask if it was Christmas yet! What is truly enjoyable about watching him experience Christmas, however, isn’t just his excitement about the presents he knows he’s going to get (there’s no use in telling him that only good boys get Christmas presents. He knows he’ll get them, no matter what he does. That’s one of the perks of being 3!). It’s his unending capacity for joy that is beautiful! We can tell Blake one small thing about Christmas, such as how many days away it is, and I can get this response, “Only 28 days? I’m so excited!” And he was. Most mornings he would come downstairs and move his ornament on his Advent calendar and count how many more sleeps to Christmas! He was excited about the Christmas tree, about seeing Santa, about Cal's days off, about his Preschool Christmas party/concert, about being a shepherd in the Christmas Eve play at Church, about all the Christmas lights we see, etc, etc! He got the fact that Christmas is meant to be joyful - not the way most adults experience it, checking off their “to do” list. And I admit, I get caught up in the stress of Christmas - there's so much to do, so little time ... it's so expensive ... it's so busy, etc, etc. I especially felt the pinch this year with juggling everything plus a newborn baby! Thankfully, my family helped me out big time!!! But one conversation with Blake about Christmas and you realize it's so much better to experience Christmas through a child's eyes. And I have enjoyed every special moment that led up to Christmas Day, and savoured the joy I've seen on my children’s face throughout the entire Christmas season - the best Christmas present of all :)
xoxo
Cal, Tracy, Blake, Emerson and Reese
Christmas morning Blake and Emerson woke up around 8 am and we went down to the front room to open stockings and gifts. Blake was so excited to see that Santa brought them a sleigh! We captured his reaction on video!! Emerson was not too interested in the presents at first. And of course Reese was sleeping! But big brother Blake took care of the opening of most of his sisters presents!! My Mom and Dad came over with breakfast around 10 and the kids were excited to show them their new toys! After Emerson's nap we packed up and went to Gerry and Lesley's house for our Cameron Christmas. They prepared a delicious turkey dinner (and appetizers!)! Cal's Mom and Dad were there and we all had a great time visiting, exchanging gifts and playing with the kids :) Christmas night we stayed at my parents house and woke up Boxing Day morning to a Smith Christmas! We had another great day, visiting, exchanging presents and more playing with all the new toys ;) We enjoyed another delicious turkey dinner and headed home.
I've always loved the Christmas season, but since having children I find each year more enjoyable! And especially now that Blake is starting to figure out just how much fun Christmas can be! And in the next few years Emerson and Reese will soon figure it out too!! Blake has learned about the 4 seasons and since we told him that Christmas comes after it snows, every time it snowed prior to Christmas, he would ask if it was Christmas yet! What is truly enjoyable about watching him experience Christmas, however, isn’t just his excitement about the presents he knows he’s going to get (there’s no use in telling him that only good boys get Christmas presents. He knows he’ll get them, no matter what he does. That’s one of the perks of being 3!). It’s his unending capacity for joy that is beautiful! We can tell Blake one small thing about Christmas, such as how many days away it is, and I can get this response, “Only 28 days? I’m so excited!” And he was. Most mornings he would come downstairs and move his ornament on his Advent calendar and count how many more sleeps to Christmas! He was excited about the Christmas tree, about seeing Santa, about Cal's days off, about his Preschool Christmas party/concert, about being a shepherd in the Christmas Eve play at Church, about all the Christmas lights we see, etc, etc! He got the fact that Christmas is meant to be joyful - not the way most adults experience it, checking off their “to do” list. And I admit, I get caught up in the stress of Christmas - there's so much to do, so little time ... it's so expensive ... it's so busy, etc, etc. I especially felt the pinch this year with juggling everything plus a newborn baby! Thankfully, my family helped me out big time!!! But one conversation with Blake about Christmas and you realize it's so much better to experience Christmas through a child's eyes. And I have enjoyed every special moment that led up to Christmas Day, and savoured the joy I've seen on my children’s face throughout the entire Christmas season - the best Christmas present of all :)
xoxo
Cal, Tracy, Blake, Emerson and Reese
Friday, December 24, 2010
2010 Christmas Letter and Photo Card
* Keeping with tradition in our home, we will be mailing our letter and card out to our closest relatives and friends! Sorry for the lateness of this year's edition ... check your mailbox in January please! Enjoy :)
Season’s Greetings!
Where did 2010 go?! It has been a busy year that is for sure and 2011 is looking even busier! We often hear that one day we’ll look back and wonder where the time went … but it is happening already! Does this mean we’re getting “old”?!?
We are excited to announce that we became a family of five on November 19th at 11:38 pm, with the swift arrival of Reese Peyton Anne Cameron. Reese weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. and was 19” long. So far she has been a good baby (fingers crossed, knocking on wood!). She is a gorgeous little girl, with bright blue eyes and a head full of brown hair. Blake and Emerson love their new sister and we are all so happy with our growing family.
Blake is doing wonderful and enjoying his role as big brother to Emerson and Reese! He really embraces being the oldest child and is so helpful with his younger sisters. It really melts our hearts to see Blake’s tenderness with Em and Reese. Blake and Emerson began sharing a room in October and have been even more attached at the hip since! We were grateful that the transition to a shared room went relatively smoothly. Blake turned 3 on May 5th, but he is often mistaken for a 4 yr. old, as he continues to be tall for his age! This was a big year of firsts for Blake (and his Mom and Dad)!! He started attending unparented swimming lessons, began preschool and began playing hockey! He is a very active little boy and all these activities help to burn some of that energy he has!! He absolutely loves preschool and looks forward to his Tuesday and Thursday morning classes. It is so rewarding to see him interacting with his classmates and teachers. Since turning 3 our shy, quiet(er) boy has certainly changed and is much more outgoing!!! It’s a bit of a juggling act fitting everything he loves in to his days and evenings, but trying not to over schedule him at the same time. He’s going to start swimming lessons again in the New Year. Hockey began in September (pre-season, if you can imagine at the age of 3!) and goes until March 2011. Cal is one of the coaches and together they are learning and having fun. Blake’s skating has come a long way and he loves playing the games the coaches come up with! He is in Initiation 1 and they mostly concentrate on skating skills and having fun.
Emerson will be 2 in February and is such a sweetie! She is settling in to her role as a big sister quite well! She is such a little Mommy! Always wanting to help and carry and hold Reese. We try to let her do as much as we possibly can! Emerson has a wonderful smile, with 1 dimple that lights up her face!!! She has a feisty personality, but once she flashes that smile or asks for a hug and a kiss, you quickly forget the naughty behavior that may have just occurred ;) Em loves to play with Blake and finds him the funniest person on Earth! We love watching them play and interact and hearing them having fun! She was a very early talker and we are often amazed at what comes out of her mouth!! She is on the smaller side and a lot of times those big words and sentences coming out of that little person amaze us!! Emerson is a little fish … she loves the water and has no fear! She’s been attending swimming lessons with Mom and Dad this year and is quite the handful in the water! Dunk my head in the water?? Sure, why not! Jump off the edge of the pool?? Here I go!! She keeps us busy in the pool! Her favorite thing to do is go down the little kiddie slide in to the water!! She climbs up those stairs as fast can be and shoots right down! Emerson also loves attending Come Play With Me, which is a parented program I take her and now Reese to while Blake is in Preschool. Emerson love, love, loves music, singing and dancing. She stands in the middle of the circle and sings and dances! At home she often asks us to sing her favorites, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, If You’re Happy and You Know It, and the list goes on! Emerson loves climbing, so in the New Year we’re going to take a break from swimming lessons and register her in gymnastics!! I’m thinking she’ll love it!
Cal is doing great! He is keeping busy at work and has worked on a few interesting special projects this year. We are very fortunate that Telus is so flexible and really a wonderful employer! Cal works 4, 10 hour days and works from home occasionally. Cal continues to run when he has time and would really like to train for a full marathon, it’s just a matter of finding that time! Hopefully he’ll be able to say he has one under his belt in the 2011 Christmas letter! Cal and his running buddy are planning to run in another ½ marathon in May. Cal has really enjoyed coaching hockey this year and seeing Blake and the other children grow and learn. Blake really looks up to “Coach Dad!” Cal also enjoys taking Em to her swimming lessons! She is certainly a Daddy’s girl! You often hear about so and so being a “Super Mom”, but let me tell you, Cal is the definition of Super Dad!!! The kids and I are very fortunate :)
I am doing great as well! A bit tired these days, but that is to be expected with 3 children under the age of 4! I returned to work briefly in March and within two weeks gave my resignation. I did continue to work 2 days a week until they found a replacement for me and I have stayed on the casual list and have picked up a few shifts here and there. This has been one of the best decisions we have ever made! Of course being a dual income family would be much more luxurious and financially “easier” then being a single income family, but the time I am spending with Blake, Emerson and Reese really is priceless. I celebrated my 30th birthday on November 14th, just 5 days before Reese joined our family! Age is really just a number to me and I certainly don’t feel 30!! I had a fun time with a few girlfriends, my sister and my Mom at a surprise birthday dinner earlier in October. What I thought was an anniversary date with Cal, was a surprise dinner for me!! And I was VERY surprised!! It was so nice of Cal, Lindsay and my Mom to plan this for me :)
We stayed fairly close to home this year during our vacation time. Early in May we took Blake to “A Day Out with Thomas” at Heritage Park in Calgary. It was a blast and all three of us had so much fun!! This year we hope to take the entire family! Emerson now loves Thomas the Tank Engine and we can’t wait to see her reaction! We had a lot of fun camping this summer, beginning with May long weekend and ending with September long weekend in Jasper. Blake and Emerson loved camping and the great outdoors. I think their favorite trip was to Ol’ MacDonald’s Resort. It’s such a great place for young families, with the train ride, carousel ride, petting zoo and beautiful beach (with an ice cream shop of course!). Cal and I were happy to have a little get-away to Canmore in July. We enjoyed taking in the local sights and taking advantage of some much needed R&R, while the kids vacationed in Stony Plain!
This holiday season we are thankful for a happy, healthy, loving family and a great group of friends. May this letter find you in good health and surrounded by loved ones at this special time of year. We hope to see many of you this year and introduce you to our new addition! Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a fabulous 2011! God bless!
XOXO,
Tracy, Cal, Blake, Emerson and Reese Cameron
Season’s Greetings!
Where did 2010 go?! It has been a busy year that is for sure and 2011 is looking even busier! We often hear that one day we’ll look back and wonder where the time went … but it is happening already! Does this mean we’re getting “old”?!?
We are excited to announce that we became a family of five on November 19th at 11:38 pm, with the swift arrival of Reese Peyton Anne Cameron. Reese weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. and was 19” long. So far she has been a good baby (fingers crossed, knocking on wood!). She is a gorgeous little girl, with bright blue eyes and a head full of brown hair. Blake and Emerson love their new sister and we are all so happy with our growing family.
Blake is doing wonderful and enjoying his role as big brother to Emerson and Reese! He really embraces being the oldest child and is so helpful with his younger sisters. It really melts our hearts to see Blake’s tenderness with Em and Reese. Blake and Emerson began sharing a room in October and have been even more attached at the hip since! We were grateful that the transition to a shared room went relatively smoothly. Blake turned 3 on May 5th, but he is often mistaken for a 4 yr. old, as he continues to be tall for his age! This was a big year of firsts for Blake (and his Mom and Dad)!! He started attending unparented swimming lessons, began preschool and began playing hockey! He is a very active little boy and all these activities help to burn some of that energy he has!! He absolutely loves preschool and looks forward to his Tuesday and Thursday morning classes. It is so rewarding to see him interacting with his classmates and teachers. Since turning 3 our shy, quiet(er) boy has certainly changed and is much more outgoing!!! It’s a bit of a juggling act fitting everything he loves in to his days and evenings, but trying not to over schedule him at the same time. He’s going to start swimming lessons again in the New Year. Hockey began in September (pre-season, if you can imagine at the age of 3!) and goes until March 2011. Cal is one of the coaches and together they are learning and having fun. Blake’s skating has come a long way and he loves playing the games the coaches come up with! He is in Initiation 1 and they mostly concentrate on skating skills and having fun.
Emerson will be 2 in February and is such a sweetie! She is settling in to her role as a big sister quite well! She is such a little Mommy! Always wanting to help and carry and hold Reese. We try to let her do as much as we possibly can! Emerson has a wonderful smile, with 1 dimple that lights up her face!!! She has a feisty personality, but once she flashes that smile or asks for a hug and a kiss, you quickly forget the naughty behavior that may have just occurred ;) Em loves to play with Blake and finds him the funniest person on Earth! We love watching them play and interact and hearing them having fun! She was a very early talker and we are often amazed at what comes out of her mouth!! She is on the smaller side and a lot of times those big words and sentences coming out of that little person amaze us!! Emerson is a little fish … she loves the water and has no fear! She’s been attending swimming lessons with Mom and Dad this year and is quite the handful in the water! Dunk my head in the water?? Sure, why not! Jump off the edge of the pool?? Here I go!! She keeps us busy in the pool! Her favorite thing to do is go down the little kiddie slide in to the water!! She climbs up those stairs as fast can be and shoots right down! Emerson also loves attending Come Play With Me, which is a parented program I take her and now Reese to while Blake is in Preschool. Emerson love, love, loves music, singing and dancing. She stands in the middle of the circle and sings and dances! At home she often asks us to sing her favorites, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, If You’re Happy and You Know It, and the list goes on! Emerson loves climbing, so in the New Year we’re going to take a break from swimming lessons and register her in gymnastics!! I’m thinking she’ll love it!
Cal is doing great! He is keeping busy at work and has worked on a few interesting special projects this year. We are very fortunate that Telus is so flexible and really a wonderful employer! Cal works 4, 10 hour days and works from home occasionally. Cal continues to run when he has time and would really like to train for a full marathon, it’s just a matter of finding that time! Hopefully he’ll be able to say he has one under his belt in the 2011 Christmas letter! Cal and his running buddy are planning to run in another ½ marathon in May. Cal has really enjoyed coaching hockey this year and seeing Blake and the other children grow and learn. Blake really looks up to “Coach Dad!” Cal also enjoys taking Em to her swimming lessons! She is certainly a Daddy’s girl! You often hear about so and so being a “Super Mom”, but let me tell you, Cal is the definition of Super Dad!!! The kids and I are very fortunate :)
I am doing great as well! A bit tired these days, but that is to be expected with 3 children under the age of 4! I returned to work briefly in March and within two weeks gave my resignation. I did continue to work 2 days a week until they found a replacement for me and I have stayed on the casual list and have picked up a few shifts here and there. This has been one of the best decisions we have ever made! Of course being a dual income family would be much more luxurious and financially “easier” then being a single income family, but the time I am spending with Blake, Emerson and Reese really is priceless. I celebrated my 30th birthday on November 14th, just 5 days before Reese joined our family! Age is really just a number to me and I certainly don’t feel 30!! I had a fun time with a few girlfriends, my sister and my Mom at a surprise birthday dinner earlier in October. What I thought was an anniversary date with Cal, was a surprise dinner for me!! And I was VERY surprised!! It was so nice of Cal, Lindsay and my Mom to plan this for me :)
We stayed fairly close to home this year during our vacation time. Early in May we took Blake to “A Day Out with Thomas” at Heritage Park in Calgary. It was a blast and all three of us had so much fun!! This year we hope to take the entire family! Emerson now loves Thomas the Tank Engine and we can’t wait to see her reaction! We had a lot of fun camping this summer, beginning with May long weekend and ending with September long weekend in Jasper. Blake and Emerson loved camping and the great outdoors. I think their favorite trip was to Ol’ MacDonald’s Resort. It’s such a great place for young families, with the train ride, carousel ride, petting zoo and beautiful beach (with an ice cream shop of course!). Cal and I were happy to have a little get-away to Canmore in July. We enjoyed taking in the local sights and taking advantage of some much needed R&R, while the kids vacationed in Stony Plain!
This holiday season we are thankful for a happy, healthy, loving family and a great group of friends. May this letter find you in good health and surrounded by loved ones at this special time of year. We hope to see many of you this year and introduce you to our new addition! Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a fabulous 2011! God bless!
XOXO,
Tracy, Cal, Blake, Emerson and Reese Cameron
Thursday, December 23, 2010
I guess weight gain is good when you're young, not at my age ;)
Reese had 2 Dr. appt.'s this week. 1 on Monday and 1 today. On Monday she weighed in at 7 lbs 10 oz. Her Pediatrician was not happy with the rate at which she was gaining weight and asked us to come back in today. In the mean time I was to continue feeding her every 3 hrs in the day time and every 4 hrs at night (that is 3 hrs from the start of 1 feeding to the start of the next, not 3 hrs from the end of a feeding to the start of a feeding!). Today Reese weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and Dr. Radisic was happy :) And therefore, so are we!!! She's gaining on average 20.6 grams per day and Dr. Radisic says the normal rate of gain for a newborn is 20 to 30 g per day, so she's in that range now. Thank goodness!!
I'm really glad this issue has arose with my 3rd child and not my 1st. I find it insane how as soon as your newborn isn't gaining weight fast enough (according to the growth charts) people start suggesting formula feeding. Every single book you read, advertisement you see for formula, medical professional you talk to, the World Health Organization, etc, etc advises that breastfeeding your baby is the best possible thing you could do for both your health and your babies. But instead of referring a Mom to a lactation consultant, a lactation physician, a Le Leche League, etc, etc they start talking about introducing formula. Of course as soon as you introduce formula your milk supply decreases and unless you are extremely dedicated and diligent the chances of you continuing bfing are very slim. I don't mean to insult anyone by voicing my opinion, I was a formula fed baby, my husband was and millions of others are or were and we're all healthy, happy, intelligent beings!!! I'm not anti-formula feeding, I just feel that babies and Moms should be given the best possible care and advice available and I really don't feel they are (at least here in Edmonton and area, I can't speak for the rest of the world!). You're kind of set up to fail from the beginning ... with not much support surrounding you. Which, once again, leads me to mention Fiona (again!!)! She has been absolutely fabulous with this whole Reese not gaining much weight issue! She is a Le Leche League leader and her knowledge has been invaluable. I'm so, so, so glad we have her on our team :) Another reason to hire a Doula - your chances of successfully bfing are greatly increased!! Cal and I felt all along that Reese was fine and I guess our parenting instincts were right.
Reese is more and more aware and active each day and is starting to coo and "talk" more, which is really, really cute! She's also more aware of her surroundings and turning towards noises and voices. It's nice to see her waking up a little more!! She loves looking at the lights on the Christmas tree and automatically turns towards the t.v. when it's on!
Cal is off work now for almost 2 weeks, he goes back on Jan. 5th. The kids and I are very excited to have him home again :) We're pretty much ready for Christmas. A few more gifts to wrap and some cookies to bake and we're good to go! Too bad it's all over so fast ... kind of reminds me of your wedding day! You blink and it's over and all you have are the wonderful memories ;)
A huge congratulations to my Mom who accepted a contract position with Volunteer Alberta today!! So happy for you Mom, congrats :)
Enjoy your last minute Christmas preparations everyone!! I wanted to wait until we had Reese's birth announcements, to mail everything out together (Christmas letter and Christmas picture with the announcement), but the announcements were "lost" by UPS. They were supposed to be here my Dec. 21. ARGH! I should have just stuck with my original plan and sent out Happy New Year letter's and pics. Oh well I suppose :S Watch your mailboxes in the New Year for our late greetings!!!
xoxo
Tracy
I'm really glad this issue has arose with my 3rd child and not my 1st. I find it insane how as soon as your newborn isn't gaining weight fast enough (according to the growth charts) people start suggesting formula feeding. Every single book you read, advertisement you see for formula, medical professional you talk to, the World Health Organization, etc, etc advises that breastfeeding your baby is the best possible thing you could do for both your health and your babies. But instead of referring a Mom to a lactation consultant, a lactation physician, a Le Leche League, etc, etc they start talking about introducing formula. Of course as soon as you introduce formula your milk supply decreases and unless you are extremely dedicated and diligent the chances of you continuing bfing are very slim. I don't mean to insult anyone by voicing my opinion, I was a formula fed baby, my husband was and millions of others are or were and we're all healthy, happy, intelligent beings!!! I'm not anti-formula feeding, I just feel that babies and Moms should be given the best possible care and advice available and I really don't feel they are (at least here in Edmonton and area, I can't speak for the rest of the world!). You're kind of set up to fail from the beginning ... with not much support surrounding you. Which, once again, leads me to mention Fiona (again!!)! She has been absolutely fabulous with this whole Reese not gaining much weight issue! She is a Le Leche League leader and her knowledge has been invaluable. I'm so, so, so glad we have her on our team :) Another reason to hire a Doula - your chances of successfully bfing are greatly increased!! Cal and I felt all along that Reese was fine and I guess our parenting instincts were right.
Reese is more and more aware and active each day and is starting to coo and "talk" more, which is really, really cute! She's also more aware of her surroundings and turning towards noises and voices. It's nice to see her waking up a little more!! She loves looking at the lights on the Christmas tree and automatically turns towards the t.v. when it's on!
Cal is off work now for almost 2 weeks, he goes back on Jan. 5th. The kids and I are very excited to have him home again :) We're pretty much ready for Christmas. A few more gifts to wrap and some cookies to bake and we're good to go! Too bad it's all over so fast ... kind of reminds me of your wedding day! You blink and it's over and all you have are the wonderful memories ;)
A huge congratulations to my Mom who accepted a contract position with Volunteer Alberta today!! So happy for you Mom, congrats :)
Enjoy your last minute Christmas preparations everyone!! I wanted to wait until we had Reese's birth announcements, to mail everything out together (Christmas letter and Christmas picture with the announcement), but the announcements were "lost" by UPS. They were supposed to be here my Dec. 21. ARGH! I should have just stuck with my original plan and sent out Happy New Year letter's and pics. Oh well I suppose :S Watch your mailboxes in the New Year for our late greetings!!!
xoxo
Tracy
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