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

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

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

Blake's 1st Christmas Concert :)

Tomorrow is Blake's preschool Christmas Concert .. a.k.a. "Winter Wonderland Party!"  It starts at 11 am with a pot luck lunch, followed by a few crafts, a visit from Santa and a concert.  The preschoolers are singing 3 songs!  Blake is pretty excited and so are we :)  I will try to video tape the concert portion!

Tomorrow is also Reese's 1 month birthday ;)  I can not believe it's been 1 month since she was born!  I just love her to bits, so, so much!!  Of course, right!  I'm not sure if it's because it's likely our last baby, but I feel as though I'm "babying" her a bit more then Blake and Em?!  Hmmm ... maybe the spoiled youngest theory is true??!  She is very, very cuddly and is happiest when she's snuggled up on us.  I bought a new wrap at the Butterdome craft sale and she seems to really like it.  Reese finally pooped on her own!  Yippee!!  I had to call the Doctor's office to let them know and I have to get her weighed tomorrow and call and let them know her weight so they can chart it and see how's she doing.  I definitely think she's grown, for sure length wise, but she's still very skinny minny!!  She's sleeping quite good and seems to be moving her longer sleep further into the evening/night.

I ran out of time last night and didn't finish this blog post, so here's an update!!

Yesterday afternoon/evening Reese, my Mom and I went shopping.  I got a few gifts bought.  We're pretty much done, there's just a few smaller things I'd like to pick up.  We'd like to buy Reese a Cabbage Patch Doll, but are having trouble finding a normal one!  We've found the baby dolls and a doll with hair extensions, but not just a plain old Cabbage Patch Doll!!  Reese did very well shopping in the wrap on me ;)  She sure likes to be cuddled up and is not such a fan of riding in the car seat!!

Blake's Christmas party went really well!!  Blake and Em had a lot of fun running around with their friends, doing crafts, eating lunch and Blake sat on Santa's lap!  There were so many Preschool kids singing and so many parents trying to get pictures and video that I didn't get close enough to hear Blake singing, but we could all see his mouth moving and he said he was singing!!!!  I took video of it all!  After the party, we took the kids to Northgate Mall for a "real" Santa picture.  Emerson kept saying she was going to sit on Santa's knee, but of course once we got up there she didn't want anything to do with him!!  So we got a family Santa pic this year ;)  And it actually turned out quite nice!  Afterwards Emerson talked to Santa from a distance and he even gave her a teddy bear!!  He's such a great Santa, we've been visiting him for 3 years now!  My Mom went and bought him a Smitty's gift card, because he was so great and he was very grateful.  He said no one ever buys him anything, which in a way is kinda of sad.  I will have to remember that in the years to come and maybe from now on we'll always bring Santa a little gift :) 

After the Santa picture, I took Reese upstairs to the health unit to have her weighed.  Unfortunately she has not gained any weight in 1 week :(  This isn't the greatest news ... Since birth the amount of weight she has gained is what they typically like to see a baby gain in 1 week.  We have a Dr. appointment on Monday, but I'm sure I know one of the reasons she hasn't gained much since birth.  She's a very slow eater and I've been rushing her some what and have felt rushed myself.  It seems like there is always something I need to be doing - making the kids breakfast, getting them a snack, getting them lunch, putting Em for a nap, going to Preschool or an appointment, etc, etc, etc.  But from now on some of these things are going to have to wait.  Reese needs to eat and gain weight!!  I know my milk supply is good, it's just a matter of letting her get what she needs.  And the other unfortunate part is that the fatty, calorie rich milk is the milk that babies get at the end of nursing.  The first bit of milk is mostly just watery and not the milk that packs on the pounds.  So if Reese isn't nursing as long as she wants to or needs to she's missing out on that fatty milk!!  I'll let you know how it goes in the coming weeks, I'll be getting her weighed more often now.

Tomorrow Blake is going to Riverside in St. Albert with Grandma and Grandpa to see Santa (once again!).  My girlfriend took her son there last weekend and I guess it's a little boys heaven!  They get to sit on Santa's knee on a skidoo and Santa even gives them a little present - a motorcycle!  Blake's going to love it!!  Tomorrow morning Emerson has her last swimming lesson for this session.  She's registered to start again in January, but we might cancel and take a break from swimming.  She starts gymnastics in the New Year!  Blake has hockey tomorrow afternoon and then they have the next 2 weekends off due to Christmas Day and New Year's Day.  Blake is taking swimming lessons again in the New Year, which he's really looking forward to :)

Sunday evening we are looking forward to the Candy Cane Lane sleigh ride!!  Hopefully it will not be cancelled due to cold weather :S  We had a lot of fun on the sleigh ride last year and are excited to take Emerson this year!!  And Reese, although she will hopefully be sleeping ;)

I have our photo Christmas cards ready, our Christmas letter and I'm waiting for Reese's birth announcements!  Then I'll be able to mail everything together.  I don't think I'll have it out in time to arrive before Christmas!  We're enjoying recieving everyone else's cards, pictures and letters in the mail!  Everday there's at least 1 new one in the mail!

Have a great weekend everyone!  Stay warm!!

xoxo
Cal, Tracy, Blake, Emerson and Reese

Hello!

Reese is 3 weeks old today!  She had a follow up pediatrician appointment on Wednesday.  She weighed in at 7 lbs 5 oz, which means she is gaining around 10 grams a day.  Dr. Radisic would like to see her gain 20 or 30 grams a day.  I hadn't been waking her up to eat, but he suggested that I do so.  So I decided I would wake her up during the day, and she must have understood that because she's no longer napping for long periods of time during the day!!  Therefore I haven't had to wake her up!  I wish she'd nap a little more during the day though.  She's been hard to get down the last few days ... I'm now remembering that once you think something is routine or has been happening for a few days, it will likely change!  Ahhh ... the unpredictability of a baby ;)  She's sleeping great in the evening and at night though (most nights!)!  And she's eating a lot during the day.  Hopefully that will show on the scale next week.  Dr. Radisic isn't worried about her infrequent B.M.'s.  He says she's healthy, happy, alert, stomach and bowels are good and she must just be an infrequent pooper!!!  Kinda like her brother was at first!  Must be genetics?! 

Blake missed preschool on Tuesday, he woke up with a fever early Tuesday morning.  I took him to the walk-in clinic near our house and he has an ear infection.  A pretty bad one apparently.  And I'm beginning to wonder if it's not affecting his hearing?!  Honestly!!  He asks us to repeat ourselves all the time and sometimes doesn't hear us at all.  And this is more then usual, because like most 3 1/2 year olds he doesn't always listen at the best of times ;)  He was really upset when I told him he'd have to miss school on Tuesday.  I felt so bad for him :S  They were having a movie day, but thankfully they watched another Christmas show on Thursday.  Poor Blake's been through the wringer with croup, a cold, puking, fever, ear infection.  Hopefully it will all be cleared up asap.

Emerson is done her antibiotics, but I'm not sure her ear infection is resolved.  She's been out of sorts, particularly not sleeping as good as usual and tonight she felt a bit warm.  Might have to take her back to make sure the infection is cleared up. 

My sister spent a few days and nights with us this week.  It was so nice to have here!  We all loved having her and miss her already.  She helped me out a lot with the kids, taking them to the YMCA, and even cleaned out our pantry!!  I've never seen our pantry look so good!!  We're going to try hard to keep it that way ;)  My Mom also stayed over one night, which was nice too!  Her Lindsay did some errands for us and kept Blake and Em busy and happy :)  They loved having Auntie and Grandma here! 

My Mom, sister, Reese and I went to the Butterdome Craft Sale last night.  It was nice to browse around and buy some neat things.  I bought a 2010 Christmas ornament for our family.  We have one from every year, starting in 2006!!  2006 has Cal, Tracy, Heidi and Jazz on it, 2007 has Cal, Tracy and Blake, 2008 same, 2009, Cal, Tracy, Blake and Emerson and now 2010 Cal, Tracy, Blake, Emerson and Reese :)  It was nice to get out of the house and do some walking!  Reese slept most of the time in the Snugli on Auntie Lindsay! 

We have a busy weekend ahead.  Swimming and hockey during the day tomorrow, then Cal's sister Carmen and her husband Darren are coming over to spend the night.  The kids will love that!  Blake's always seemed to have a soft spot for Uncle Darren and the last time we saw Auntie Carmen Em was her little buddy for the day!!  Sunday morning we have our New Mom's Group 4th annual Christmas Party, which we're looking forward to.  I love getting together with our group!

Have a great weekend everyone :)

xoxo
Tracy

 

Phew!

Reese is 2 weeks old now!  She is doing well :)  I didn't get her weighed this week, but will on Monday for sure.  But she looks and feels bigger!!  She is sleeping better on her own now.  Still sleeping with us off and on at night, but that's mostly because I'm exhausted and just want to sleep vs. taking the time to settle her into her own bed.  She's eating good and very often!!  Although not for as long as she was in the beginning, which is okay (2 hours was a little bit too long!)!  We did more work in Reese's room this week and it looks more girly now!  We're going to leave the train on the wall up for the time being.  It looks cute and the green in it matches the green in the valence, mobile and wall art.  And Emerson loves trains, so maybe Reese will too?!

Blake and Emerson are feeling better.  Blake ended up catching croup and a cold too.  Cal took him to the E.R. at 5 am one morning.  Emerson is almost done her antibiotics.  They both still have runny noses and a terrible sounding cough, but the cough is slowly going away.  So far (knock on wood) Reese hasn't caught anything.  We're trying hard to keep their hands washed and keep them away from her, especially when they're coughing!  It's hard though, because they really want to hug her and hold her :S  I hope they're 100% again soon and can love her all they want :)

The holiday season is in full swing :)  Last Saturday we went to a Breakfast With Santa at the YMCA.  Emerson wasn't too sure of Santa and didn't sit on his lap, but Blake did!!  He was very excited to see Santa and tell him what he wanted for Christmas!  Afterwards we talked about Santa and now Emerson tells us she is going to sit on Santa's lap at the mall ... we shall see!!  We might have to take a family Santa picture this year!  Blake's busy learning Christmas carols at school for his Christmas concert!  I can't wait to see if he actually sings out loud or not at the concert!  He sure sings well at home :)  The concert/party is on December 17th and is a formal event!  All the preschool kids had to bring a Santa hat to school to decorate, they are going to be so cute all dressed up and in their Santa hats!  We decorated our house this week and wrote the kids Santa letters.  What a fun time of year!

Cal is back to work on Tuesday.  It's been so wonderful having him off work for a little more then 2 weeks.  We will miss having him at home!  He's going to be busy at work when he gets back.  A lot of his co-workers are off for the month of December and so he'll be covering for quite a few people.  But he'll also be off for almost 2 weeks over Christmas/New Years, which we will look forward to :)

I'm not sure how I'm going to do "on my own"?!  I'm sure everything will be fine most days, it's the preschool days that might be crazy!!!  As long as Reese is well fed before we have to leave, there will be no problems.  Blake has never been late for preschool, but I think I've warned him so many times that he has to hurry or we'll be late, that he now has a complex about being late!!  If I even mention that we might be late he gets angry.  But there might be days that we are late ... There is a 2 week break from Preschool from December 17 to January 4.  And by January Reese should be in more of a routine!  My parents have been so awesome, as usual, I don't know what we'd do without them.  They've taken Blake and Emerson here and there, which is a huge help!!  And lots of fun for the kids!  And we've also been very fortunate, some of our friends and my parents have kept our freezer pretty full and we haven't had to worry about cooking supper for weeks.  I think a meal is one of the best gifts you can receive when you have a newborn baby!!!

My sister is coming down on Sunday for a week, which we're very excited for!!  It will be nice to spend time with her and have her extra hands too!!  Can't wait for her to have a little one and hopefully I'll be able to go to Fort Mac to help out :)  No pressure Linds ... lol!

One thing I've realized since having Reese is the old African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child" is pretty darn accurate!!! 

We're looking forward to celebrating our nephew Colby's 3rd birthday tomorrow and introducing Reese to her Grandma Bev!!  The kids are especially excited to attend a birthday party (a.k.a. eat cake) and see Colby and Jenna :)  They love their cousins and Blake often asks, "When are we going to Colby's house?"  Partly because he wants to see Colby and partly because he wants to play with all his cool toys ;)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Love The Cameron's

1 Week Old Already!

I can't believe Reese is 7 days old today!  The week has flown by, as I know the years will too.  Reese is doing well.  She had her 1st pediatrician visit yesterday.  It went great!  She weighed in at 7 lbs, only 1 oz. below her birth weight, which is awesome!  She hasn't had a B.M. in the last few days, but Dr. Radisic isn't worried.  She's passing gas, so we know everything down there is working!  He told us (which I know from Blake and Em!) that BF babies can go once every ten days and that is still considered healthy!  She has a pretty strong neck for such a little one.  She likes to lift her head up when laying on our chests!  Her fingers seem so long compared to rest of her itsy bitsy self!!  She had her first bath at home this afternoon and now her hair is so fluffy and soft :)  I love all her hair, it is so cute!!  Blake and Emerson "helped" with the bath of course!  They want to do all they can with Reese, so we try to let them help with diaper changes, dressing her, etc.  Em is very good at putting Reese's laundry in the hamper and her diaper in the diaper genie :)  And Blake too of course! 

I'm on Reese time, which is different everyday!  But for the most part, it involves Reese sleeping and eating a little bit during the day and then eating all night long until early morning when she crashes for a few hours!!  We'll have to turn her around one of these days, but I feel she's too little still.  I know they usually start straightening out their days and nights in a few weeks.  She is nursing really good now.  She definitely took more work to get the latch down pat then Blake and Em did.  I was very lucky with the first two, as they just seemed to get it automatically!!  I know it's much more normal to have to work at it, like Reese and I have had to do!  The other thing about Reese, which is different then Blake and Em were, is that she does not like to sleep on her own.  Although, right now she is, so maybe that's changing?!  She's been sleeping on us a lot or beside me.  I love it, but we don't want to be in this position in 6 months!!  All in good time though, she's so little and so new right now, I'm not going to "sleep train" her yet!!!  You can't spoil a newborn baby :)  Oddly enough, I am not feeling all that tired.  I can fall asleep in the blink of an eye if an opportunity arises, but overall I'm not feeling exhausted!  I'm sure it will catch up with me in a few weeks :S  Life with 2 toddlers and a newborn is very, very busy!  And Cal is home right now.  Oh boy!!!  He goes back to work on December 7th.  I shall be a very busy Momma, especially on Preschool days!!

Poor Emerson is under the weather.  She's been hit card with croup and an ear infection.  We took her to the pediatrician yesterday (at the same time as Reese's 1st visit).  She had a dose of a steroid to help with the croup and is on antibiotics for the ear infection.  She's so stuffed up, her cough sounds terrible and she keeps running a fever every time the Tylenol or Advil runs out.  We're really hoping none of this passes on to Blake or Reese.  And hoping she feels better really soon!

Tomorrow morning we have tickets to a Breakfast With Santa at the YMCA.  We're really excited to take the kids!!  Blake's excited too!!  I'm curious to see what Emerson's reaction to Santa Claus will be ...  We'll have brunch with him and there are also crafts and activities for the kids to do :)  Em's not going to her swimming lessons afterwards, hopefully next week she'll be feeling better and able to go.  And of course Blake has hockey Saturday afternoon.  We all getting really excited for Christmas!!  We have a lot of our shopping done.  Next week we're going to decorate the house and the yard!  We bought a new Christmas inflatable for the front lawn!  Hopefully we'll write our Santa letters next week too :)  The Christmas season is such a busy time of year, but so fun when you have little ones!!  We have family pictures on Wednesday next week.  I'm not sure if we'll get the pictures back in time for Christmas, so not sure if I'm going to be sending out a Christmas letter this year or a Happy New Year letter!  I have the letter ready though!

We're very glad the weather has warmed up.  I took Reese out for the 1st time on Wednesday.  I got her weighed at the health unit and we did some shopping at Northgate Mall.  I'm glad we didn't have to take her out of the house during the really cold days.

Have a great weekend everyone :)

Love Tracy

Reese Peyton Anne Cameron

We are home with our new baby girl :)  Reese joined our family on November 19, 2010 at 11:38 p.m.  She weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and was 19" long.  She has a full head of dark hair and is absolutely gorgeous :) 

Labour was fast and done without any drugs!!  I had braxton hicks off and on for the past few days and wasn't sure at first if what I was feeling Friday evening was more of those or true contractions, but by 8 pm I knew it was the real deal!!  Fiona came over around 10 pm and my parents came in from Stony to stay with the kids.  Cal, Fiona and I headed to the hospital around 10:30.  The drive there was painful, enduring those contractions sitting down!!!  When I got to the hospital they rushed me in, checked me and I was 6 cm dilated.  Then not too much longer, at 11:38 pm our baby was born!  Cal called my Mom soon after we got to the hospital to tell her the baby would probably be born soon and she rushed over, but was parking her car when Reese was born ... Reese was just too fast ;)  Our doula, Fiona was AMAZING and I would never have another baby with out her.  I had a great experience and continue to rely on Fiona for help!!  She's been here a few times to help me with bf'ing and I'm not sure what I would do without her :)

Reese is a sweet baby girl!  She has such a quiet cry, much like I remember Blake's being!  A lot of people have told us they think she looks like Cal, I can see it too and I also think she looks like Blake and a bit like Em :)  Reese was born in caul ... you can google it, it's quite an interesting read and too much to get into on the blog!!  Just before Reese was born the nurses assured me they were trained to deliver the baby not too worry, but Dr. Ching did get there in time to catch Reese!!!  Dr. Ching and all the nurses were so awesome, once again.  I love the Sturgeon :)  They're all so accommodating and kind!!  We were discharged Saturday afternoon.  Reese has a very tiny little mouth, a short tongue and a recessed chin, which has made nursing a bit more challenging as compared to nursing Blake and Em.  But we're working on it and getting it done!  So far Reese likes to sleep the most during the day, but last night we had a good 4 hour sleep, which was really nice.  This afternoon she slept for 6 hours, so I'm thinking that was her long stretch of the day and we'll be up every few hours tonight!!  That's okay though, we'll let her adjust to her world before I start trying to turn her around!!  Plus, she's so little and cuddly, I just love how she curls into me and cuddles, so I could do that all night :)

Blake and Emerson love their new sister.  Emerson is such a little Mommy!!  At first she was very angry that she couldn't carry Reese around the house, but she seems to understand now that she has to be sitting down to hold her little sister!  Blake is so great with Reese, as he was with Emerson.  He was so excited to come meet her at the hospital and kept saying, "She's so tiny!"  He wants to hold her and know everything about her.  Today when I was trying to feed her he asked, "Is she having trouble getting milk Mom?"  When Blake and Cal came back to the hospital after hockey to pick us up, Blake was so excited to bring Reese home!  He kept wanting his picture taken with her.  So cute how much he cares!!  Em and Reese are very lucky to have Blake as their big brother :) 

I'm feeling great!  Not too sore, just tired.  But that's to be expected ... especially when you don't sleep when baby is sleeping!  I'm so glad Cal is home for a few weeks and so are Blake and Em!  Tomorrow he's taking them to Preschool and Come Play With Me, so hopefully Reese and I will sleep!!  It's nice that Cal gets cuddle time with Reese in the evenings when the other 2 are in bed.  He's such a great Dad, we're all very lucky.

Thank you to everyone for all your phone calls, visits (and visits to come!), emails, FB messages, etc!  We're pretty smitten with our little family and are very happy to share our adorable kidlets with you all :)

Lots of love,

Cal, Tracy, Blake, Emerson and Reese

41 Weeks

Oh my goodness ... who would have thought?!  I guess I certainly expected to be overdue, but as with Emerson I had a little glimmer of hope in the back of my mind that the 2nd and now 3rd might not be quite as overdue!!!  Not the case ... Which also is starting to make me wonder if this isn't a girl, as Blake was only 6 days overdue, Em 8!  (I use the term overdue very loosely, as technically you are not overdue until 42 weeks!!!  I suppose "post-dates" is the proper term!)  I had a Dr. appt. Monday and today and I'm still 1-2 cm dilated, no change from a week ago in my cervix.  Baby is comfy and happy :)  My non stress test on Tuesday afternoon went great, no concerns.  In the last week the babies heart rate has fluctuated between 128 and 148!  I might go for a NST tomorrow.  I can be induced on Sunday or Monday, depending on how busy they are with deliveries at the hospital.  I have in my mind that this baby will arrive when it's ready, but I do realize that it's not safe to go too overdue ... Fiona says I can say no to the induction and continue to have NST's and even request a biophysical, which is a more in depth ultrasound to make sure the baby is okay.  We'll see how it goes!  It's not that I'm in a hurry to have the baby, but I do want to make sure the baby is safe and healthy and if that means being induced, then I'm fine with that.  I have a friend who is a chiropractor in the States and she recommended having acupuncture to induce labour!  She apparently had 2 treatments on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon and then went into labour on the Sunday night.  And then there's always castor oil ... yuck!!  Never tried it, but I've heard if your body isn't ready for labour it can be really nasty on your system!!  So many options :)  I'll let you know what I decide!!  In the end all I want is a healthy baby, so say a little prayer for us and hopefully we'll be introducing him or her to the world very soon :)

Blake and Emerson are doing good.  Both have colds right now, Em's is worse then Blake's.  Basically just running noses, sneezing and coughing when they lay down.  No fevers or infections yet and hopefully they won't get them!  We've been talking to them about the baby a lot and they both seem excited!  We've brought out all the baby stuff (swing, bouncy chairs, carseat, put the base in the van) and both the kids are having fun playing with their "babies" and all the baby equipment!  Em sure loves to rock her babies in the carseat and swing!!!  Emerson is talking more and more and more and putting together bigger sentences everyday!  I can't believe how she can talk!!  She is such a chatterbox, we just love it :)  One of the cuter phrases she likes to say is, "See you later crocodile!!"  One day we were saying, "See you later alligator!  In awhile crocodile!"  That's how she starting saying that!!  So cute!!!  Blake is doing great in Preschool and continues to love it.  I asked the teacher how he was doing and if there were any concerns and she said he was great!  A pleasure to have in the class, he gets along with everyone and is very polite.  That was very nice to hear :)  Lately he has been very interested in writing his name.  They usually learn a letter a week at school and do practice sheets on those letters.  Every day he asks to practice his name and is pretty proud of how well he can write the letter B!  We're going through paper like crazy though, lol!!  I enjoy doing this with him and love to see him enjoying and initiating learning!!  Blake is improving weekly at hockey.  I went to watch him 2 weekends ago and couldn't believe how he'd improved!  He moves extremely slowly across the ice, he isn't winning any races, but is very steady and is having fun!  At first he was using the "walker" but isn't anymore, which is great!  He's the youngest out there and at times we wondered if he was too young.  But he continues to improve and continues to have fun and look forward to it, so that's great!!  It is a really great hockey club and there are some fantastic coaches on the ice, who have awesome ideas and strategies!  He has team pictures this Sunday :)

I hope everyone is keeping warm in this chilly weather and snow!  Looks like winter has arrived!!  I personally like it!!  Although after a few months of snow and cold I am certainly ready for Spring :)  I'm looking forward to having a winter jacket that fits me ... right now I'm sporting one of Cal's zip up hoodies and a big spring jacket!!!  Not worth buying a winter maternity jacket for a few weeks!!  Blake and Cal had fun shovelling snow this afternoon, the kids look so cute all bundled up :)  Talk to you soon everyone! 

xoxo
Tracy

The Big 3-0!

Today is my birthday ... Happy Birthday to me ;)  Hard to believe I'm 30 ... I don't feel 30?!  But then again, what does 30 really feel like??  I'm not bothered in the least by turning 30, I'm not having some sort of meltdown, I'm not depressed, I'm happy actually!  The 20's were great, but I think the 30's will be even better!  How could they not be?  I have a wonderful husband, 2 healthy, beautiful children and will be meeting another gorgeous baby very soon!!!  Not to mention the best family and friends a girl could ask for!  The next ten years are going to be fabulous (more on 30 and fabulous later!)!!! 

I've learned and grew A LOT in my late teens/early 20's!  Did the usual thing at that age - college, roommates, partying, Mexico with the girls, etc, etc.  Don't regret a minute, good times were had and great memories were made (although some nights are a blurr ...)!  But looking back I am certainly glad I moved on from that.  It seems some people get kind of stuck in that phase and before they know it they wake up and they're panicking because they're 30 ;)

Mid-20's were also a time of learning and growing.  Mostly they were very special and exciting with Cal and I buying our first home and moving in together, getting engaged, getting married and bringing two special little people into the world!  I'm so grateful I've had Cal by my side through this whole decade ... we've grown together, learned from one another, leaned on each other and created many special memories.  Thanks for always sticking by my side Cal, through thick and thin I'm so blessed to call you my husband and best friend.  Thank you to Blake and Emerson for teaching me SO much about life and myself.  A parent's love for their child is indescribable to those who do not have children.  It is not something you can "tell" someone, it is something that must be experienced.  Children introduce a whole new world of emotions, feelings, and experiences to your life.  It really is amazing. 

So here I am at 30!  Of course you never stop growing and learning and I can't to see what the next decade holds for me!  I love music, especially country music, and I often relate songs I love with life experiences!  All day I've been thinking of and singing Alan Jackson's song Remember When!  There's a particular line that I think really applies to turning 30 and older ...  Here it is: "Remember when thirty seemed so old, and now looking back, it's just a stepping stone ..."  How true is that?!  At one point in time 30 seemed SO OLD!!  I remember my parents turning 30 and at the time that seeming like such an unbelievable number!!!  I couldn't even imagine being 30!!  Now, being 30 and after working in long term care my view of "old" has certainly changed!  I don't even think 70 is old anymore ... !

Now back to 30 being fabulous!  The following are a few reasons why I think 30 IS fabulous:

- I'm comfortable with the way I look. Sure I'd love to lose a few pounds, but overall I don't worry as much about what others think!
- I'm also comfortable with who I am.  Take it or leave it ... I'm not going to act a certain way, say a certain something, etc that I don't agree with, believe in or feel right about just to please someone!
- I've met new people and tried different things.  I'm by no means a world traveller, but I've been lucky enough to do some traveling and seen what else is out there.
- I have a better sense of right from wrong, good vs. evil, and what ultimately is going to give me peace of mind.
- I’ve learned we all have different ways of doing things and different opinions and that’s what makes this world so interesting.
- I'm  hardly losing my youthful glow :)  And I'm not wrinkly!!!  Although, part of this could be due to good genetics and Arbonne?!
- I've figured out what makes me happy. I know what I expect from my spouse, from my friendships, and what I love to do with my free time (which at this point in time is very limited!).

So HERE'S TO 30!!!  Thank you to all who helped me through my 20's ;)  I'm looking forward to this new decade and sharing it with you all!

xoxo
Tracy

November 11

I am very grateful to be a citizen of this beautiful country.  We are so blessed to have such brave men and women who have fought for our freedom and our rights.  A simple thank you does not even begin to express the gratitude we feel for all these men and women have sacrificed.  Lest We Forget.

Today is also babies due date ... it appears baby did not get the memo :)  lol!  I can't complain though, I am feeling quite good and I'm actually in no rush!  I'm not too anxious, I know baby will arrive when it is ready.  At my appointment on Monday I was approx. 2 cm dilated, my cervix was in a mid position and soft and mushy (which is good!).  So at least I know something is beginning to happen!!  I have another appointment on Monday.  I had our last prenatal appointment with Fiona on Tuesday.  Next time we see her, I will be in labour!

The kids and I had a great playdate and lunch date with our friends Stacey, Alana and Parker on Wednesday morning.  The kids had fun running around the O'Leary playgym and then we had a yummy lunch at Chili's!!  I think we'll be visiting the playgym a lot more once the cold winter hits!!  We also went and had our flu shots on Wednesday afternoon.  Cal had his at work, so it was just the kids and I.  We all did well!  Blake didn't flinch or cry and Em cried for a few seconds.  Check that off our "To do before baby arrives" list :)  I wonder if the baby isn't early, because it is giving me a chance to get all these things done before its arrival?!?!

Today we attended Madison's 4th birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese.  Blake has never been to Chuck E. Cheese, and he really enjoyed himself!  It was lots of fun and so cute to see Maddy and Em together again!!  They had fun this summer camping together and sure like each other!  Madison had to sit next to Emerson at lunch, it was very cute!  Blake loved playing a lot of the games and riding some of the rides!  I think we'll be going back one day ...

It's my big 3-0 birthday on Sunday!  I've almost forgot about it to tell you the truth!  I think because the focus is on the baby right now!!  If I'm not in labour or we don't have a newborn, Cal and I might go out on Saturday night and hopefully my parents will come for supper and cake on Sunday!  Who knows, maybe baby wants to share its Mom's birthday???

Have a great weekend everyone!  I'll keep you updated on Baby #3 :)

Tracy

39 Weeks :)

I had a Dr. appointment today, which was pretty uneventful!!  Baby is a kicking, stretching, rolling, hiccuping machine and has been hard to catch a steady heart beat on :)  But we heard it and all is good so far!  I haven't gained any weight in the last few weeks, but that is no concern at this point in time.  I told the nurse I wish I had that problem when I'm NOT pregnant ... odd how I can gain weight so easily when not pregnant, but don't gain much when pregnant?!  What the heck?  Oh well, I'll have to work on that a bit harder ... one day ... lol!  I've opted out of being "checked" at my last 2 appointments.  I don't really see the point, I'm most likely going to be over due and I'll know when I'm in labour, I don't need to hear that my cervix is still long, I'm dilated 1 cm, etc, etc!  I will however get "checked" at my 40 week appointment next week, just to see if there's anything happening at all!!  Today the Dr. could still move babies head side to side a little bit, so he or she still has some room to travel down before the big day!  We have an appointment with Fiona in a 1/2 an hour.  This is our 2nd prenatal appointment with her, and we'll likely meet with her next week too if baby hasn't made an appearance!

I had fun Saturday evening at a "Ghouls Night In" Sillpada Halloween party!  I dressed as a witch!  The jewelry is gorgeous, but very expensive.  I do have a pair of earrings coming in the mail, that I plan to wear for the babies newborn/family pics!!!

We had a great time Halloween evening!  Both the kids LOVED trick or treating and the weather was gorgeous!!  I wasn't sure how Emerson would react to trick or treating or all the people and decorations, but she ran after her brother and had a blast!  Most of the time she wanted to walk and hold her own pumpkin treat bag.  She had to have her first 2 treats in her hands and also wanted to hold a stuffy she got from one house (for being so darn cute;) !  My Mom, Dad and Lindsay came in to enjoy trick or treating with us!  It was so fun to watch the kids have a blast running from house to house.  They stayed up later then usual and were totally tuckered out about 1 block from our house!  Thank goodness they have a strong Dad that carry all 68 lbs of them :)  They enjoyed some Halloween treats when we got home and then crashed!!

I worked Monday for most of the day and then came home early and Cal and I took the kids to Beaner's for hair cuts.  Glad I could check that off of my "To Do Before Baby Arrives" check list!!

Emerson came down with a stomach bug yesterday afternoon.  She was sick to her stomach 5 times in a few short hours and you could tell she just did not feel good :(  Poor girl, I felt so bad for her.  She had a pretty good sleep and woke up very hungry and thirsty!  She had a great nap this afternoon and is hopefully fine.  My Mom came in this afternoon to watch the kids while I went to my Dr. appointment and the kids went home with her for a sleepover.  They seemed excited, I just hope Em is okay.  I am SO grateful for this little break!!  After our Doula appointment, Cal and I are going for supper and then going to do some Christmas shopping.  Tomorrow I have a Sweet Momma appointment, which as usual I'm really looking forward to!!!  This is a gift from my BFF's, thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU girls :)

I almost forgot to tell you about Cal's 1st deer!!  He had a successful hunting trip with my Dad and Dion on Friday!  He was pretty excited and apparently is a good shot ;)  So we will have a freezer full of teriyaki stick and cheese smokies!  Cal's in heaven :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tracy

38 Weeks!!

2 more weeks until my due date ... and I'm sure I'll see it!!  I really don't expect to have this baby before Nov. 11 or even within a few days of Nov. 11!  I think some people are just over due and that's that!  Although I am ready to meet this little one asap.  As busy and perhaps "crazy" as it might be, I'm ready to begin this new stage in our lives!!  I'm feeling pretty good, can't really complain.  Just the usual - tired, heart burn, not sleeping for long stretches at night.  I guess the whole not sleeping for a long period of time at night is to get you ready for the newborn sleeping/feeding schedule, but let's get real - this is my third baby ... I know what's coming ;)  I had a Dr. appointment today and the babies heart rate was between 128 and 140 bpm.  All our kids have had a very similar range, so the heart rate really isn't giving much away!  Although I don't think Emerson's ever went as low as 128.  I sorted through all our cloth and disposable diapers today and pulled out the little ones!  Hard to believe they once fit Blake and Emerson.  With Blake we started using the cloth diaper service right away, so he never had little disposables, but with Emerson the cloth diapers we had were too big and we had to buy preemie newborn diapers.  We still had 5 or so and I'm packing a few for the hospital just in case this baby is tiny like Em (she lost a few ounces in the first few days, Blake never did lose any weight!)!  They are so, so small and cute!  I also pulled out the family blanket my Grandma Marg made and I am trying to track down the blanket all the Smith family babies have came home from the hospital with.  The babies room just needs the crib and it's ready.  We'll just have to put the girl or boy touches on it when we know the sex ;)  And bring up the appropriate clothes of course!

We had a blast at our New Mom's Group Halloween Party on Wednesday.  Stacey, Alana and Parker were our hosts this year and what wonderful hosts they are :)  Stacey always makes the most delicious Halloween chocolates!!  The kids all played so well together and the Mom's enjoyed catching up.  We really are very lucky to have such a fantastic group :) 

Today at Come Play With Me I held my friends baby for the majority of the time :)  I asked to hold him for 2 reasons: 1. Because he's so cute and I wanted to!  2. To see how Em would react!!  Emerson was not jealous at all and was very gentle with him, even gave him nice hugs and kisses!  It was really cute.  She loves other babies and hopefully won't be too jealous of the baby who is coming to stay!!!!  I think the first few weeks with Cal at home will be great, as she'll have her Daddy at her side, but there may be a little more trouble when Cal is back at work?!  She also loves to be held and cuddled by us, which that time may be reduced with the babies arrival :S  We're having trouble with her and shopping carts ... she hates sitting in a cart (although if it's a double cart, she does better beside Blake!)!  She used to be fine, but lately she screams and cries ... :(  Hopefully this is a phase and she'll get over it quick!  We still hear a lot how from other people how well she talks and how clear her speech is!  It's so cute to hear her talk!!  She has very good manners right now, says please and thank you and excuse me :)  She also likes to say beep, beep when she is trying to get around you or Heidi or Jazz!!  lol!  It sounds more like meep, meep!!  I told Cal today she sounds like the Roadrunner!!!!  During clean up time she's started singing, "Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere!"  It's amazing everything that she says and the sentences she puts together.  While at times it has been a challenging age with temper tantrums, it's also been a very, very fun and rewarding age :)  Emerson had her last Splashers lesson on Saturday and we've registered her for the next class (Bubblers), which begins this Saturday.  We were going to take a break from her lessons, but she loves it so much it seems like a shame to not let her continue!  I was also thinking of registering her in gymnastics, but we'll stick to swimming for now!

Today was Blake's "Show and Share" day at preschool.  He chose his blue quad as his show and share item.  I watched some of his time in the spotlight!  The way they work their show and share is the child introduces his item and then the kids have a chance to ask questions about it.  It was so cute and very nice to see him in front of the class, not shy and responding to the questions!  He's really gotten over the majority of his shyness :)  He continues to make play dates with his friends, which I find hilarious!  Last Sunday at the preschool Halloween Party he told his friend he couldn't come over to play because he was going to his Grandpa's birthday party!!  The preschool Halloween party was a blast!  There were so many activities and prizes, etc!  I was very impressed!!  Blake loved the bouncy house, as usual!  He made 2 different crafts, decorated a pumpkin cookie, made a magic potion and played numerous carnival games, which earned him tickets that he cashed in for a prize!  Today was a small party for just his class.  They all wore their Halloween costumes, played Halloween games, and went trick or treating around the YMCA with treat bags they made last week.  Emerson wore her costume to her program and had fun doing a Halloween craft!  She pretty much just colors on the page, while I do the majority of the gluing!!  But she loves to color, so has fun!  Blake was registered in swimming lessons on Wednesdays at 5 pm, but they cancelled the class :(  So we'll wait until January and hopefully a 5 pm class will be offered again.  Any later then 5 pm doesn't work for us!  Blake's ready for bed too early!!  And of course he's busy Saturday's with hockey!.

Cal is getting into running again!  I was teasing him that it's a fine time to start running every day again ... just when the weather is taking a turn for the worse ;)  But he runs at work with his friend Brad and they seem to enjoy running in colder weather!!  They did the Turkey Chase 1/2 Marathon one October and plan to run in a 1/2 Marathon in Spring of 2011.  Right now they're also planning to do a Full Marathon in the fall of 2011, but will see how the training goes.  Cal's looking forward to a hunting day trip tomorrow with my Dad and Dion.  I told him he better not be bringing home anything to hang in our garage!!!  lol! 

We're looking forward to a fun afternoon tomorrow with my Mom, Erica, Danielle, Christa and Berlyn!  My Mom made Halloween cookies for the the kids to decorate :)  It will be fun!!  Mom, Erica and Danielle are also staying for supper!

Have a wonderfully, spooktacular Halloween on Sunday with your little ghosts and goblins ;)  I hear the weather forecast is looking up ... let's keep our fingers crossed!

xoxo Tracy

37 Weeks

I had my Dr. appointment yesterday and thankfully my 2nd GDS came back normal.  Phew!  I was a bit worried!!  The kids were with me so it was a hectic appt and I didn't even ask what the hr was!  Babies head is still down and not engaged.  Dr. Shafter said she could still easily move it!  But all is well and I'll be seeing the Dr. weekly now ... hard to believe we're this close to meeting the little one!!!  

This morning we met my friend Laura for brunch.  It was great to actually get together!!  We talk on the phone almost daily, but have a hard time meeting up, due to her living west of Stony Plain and us on the north side!!  Hopefully we'll be able to plan more play dates, as Clare and Blake seem to play well together :)

This weekend is crazy busy!!  Tomorrow is the Therapy Assistant Association of Alberta's 5th Annual Education and Annual General Meeting day.  Being the V.P. on the board, means I have a lot of involvement in the planning and execution of this day!  I have to be at the Ramada (where we're hosting the conference) at 6:45 a.m.  Blech!  I don't know the last time I had to be up that early!!!  But it is usually a great day.  The volunteers always go for dinner afterwards and unwind and share the highlights of the day.  The work is always well worth it, when we read the comments from the delegates and hear through out the day how much everyone appreciates the work that goes into planning the day!

Cal will be taking Emerson swimming in the morning and then Blake to hockey in the afternoon, which he typically does on Saturdays.  Tiring day for him too!!  Thank goodness my parents are able to come watch swimming with Blake and then stay with Em while the boys are at hockey :)

Sunday is Blake's preschool Halloween Party at the YMCA (11 -2).  He's really excited about it, but disappointed that his dalmatian puppy dog won't be coming with him ;)  I heard him talking to his friends at preschool about what he was dressing up as at Halloween and these were his exact words, "I'm going to be a fireman and Em is going to be my dalmatian dog!"  Like everyone is supposed to know who Em is?!  Ha, ha!  The party should be fun!  We also have a New Mom's Group Halloween Party on Wednesday, which Blake and Em will both be dressed up for :)  And then of course Halloween next Sunday!  What a fun time of year!!

Sunday afternoon we're going to my parents house for dinner, to celebrate my Dad's birthday!  Blake's pretty excited for Grandpa's birthday cake and ice cream ;) 

Have a great weekend everyone!  I've heard the "s" word mentioned this week and no I'm not talking about sun ... I'm sure the kids will be excited to see it, but I could wait a little longer! 

Tracy 

Still Busy ...

Not that, that will change anytime soon!  But the past few weeks have been busier then usual!

Last Saturday our day started out with Blake and I going to an apparel fitting in Sherwood Park with Blake's hockey team.  Cal gets a free track suit for coaching and we bought Blake a t shirt and toque with his hockey club's logo.  The track suits, hoodies, jackets, etc. were too big for the Initiation kids.  Cal took Em to swimming and we met at home for lunch.  Then Cal and Blake were off to hockey!  Blake is improving with each ice team and is having more and more fun :)  Emerson and I haven't seen him play in awhile, because their permanent ice time is 1:15 to 2:15 and that is during Em's nap.  One day we might let Emerson miss a nap ... although it likely won't be worth it!  Emerson missing her nap = very grouchy girl!!  My Mom said she would stay with Em one day so I can go watch him and I'm sure Em won't mind ;)

Sunday we woke up, got ready and headed to the U of A Hospital to see Cal's Grandpa Alstad.  He was flown to the U of A on Friday, due to heart problems.  It was very nice to see him, Grandma Alstad and Uncle Allan.  Grandpa and Allan hadn't met Emerson yet, so it was nice for them to see her.  From what we hear, it sounds like Grandpa will have a pace-maker put in, which will hopefully solve his heart issues and he will be on his way home to Grande Prairie.  He looked great on Friday.  From the first day I met Cal's Grandpa, I've kind of had a soft spot for him!!  I really enjoy his sense of humour and personality!  Get well soon Grandpa, we're praying for you :)

Sunday evening I was at Joelle's for a 4 hour meeting ... !  Thank goodness I was in good company!!  Preparing the Association Financial Statement is always painful!!  Although our new treasurer is fantastic, so next year's statement should be a breeze!  The Therapy Assistant Association of Alberta is hosting our 5th Annual AGM and Education Day on Saturday, so I've been attending a lot of extra meeting and putting in a lot of extra hours preparing for the big day.  I'll be glad when it's over.  It's always a great day, but so much work!!

I didn't work on Monday.  One of the benefits to being casual ... you can say no!!  I had a lot of running around to do and actually got a lot accomplished!  Cal took the kids out in the morning and it was so much faster running errands by myself.  Monday evening I met 5 of my old coworkers (from Allen Gray) for dinner.  It was great to catch up and dinner was delicious!  We went to the Blue Plate Diner.

Today was an exciting day for Blake!  His first ever school field trip!  His preschool class went to Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farms.  I was a parent volunteer and really enjoyed myself!!  Blake had a blast and loved riding the school bus to and from!!  The kids enjoyed the petting zoo, a puppet show, a bale maze, a hay wagon ride and even got to bring home a pumpkin and a cookie :)  Blake and his friend Adam were joined at the hip all day and when Blake got off the bus he told me that Adam couldn't come to our house this afternoon.  I was confused, but Adam's Dad informed me that on the bus ride home Blake and Adam had arranged a play date at our house!!!  How cute!!!  Unfortunately Adam wasn't able to come this afternoon ;)  Grandma D stayed with Emerson while Blake and I were on the field trip.  They had a great day, walking to Second Cup for a "special" coffee and Em was quite excited to see a fire truck and firemen on the ride home.  My Mom said one of the firemen reached out to give her five and she gave him what we call a pound!!!  LOL!  I guess he thought it was pretty funny!!  When Blake and I got home, my Uncle Warren, Auntie Cherie and Jinx were visiting and they had brought Blake a scooter!  It didn't take him long to figure it out!! 

Tomorrow I had 2 lunch dates planned, cancelled 1 and now I've cancelled the other :(  I'm going to take the kids to their pediatrician.  Blake's been "sick" for almost 4 weeks now.  He was on Amoxicillin for 10 days (throat and bladder infection), on nothing for 1 week and has now been on Biaxin for almost 10 days (ear infection).  He doesn't seem to be getting much better, both his ears are bright red (mostly in the evenings) and his nose is running like crazy.  Last night Cal thought he had a fever and tonight again he's feeling warm.  One good thing is that he's not complaining about his ears hurting.  Emerson was on Amoxicillin for 10 days (ear infection) and still has a runny nose and a bit of a cough.  So I would just feel better if Dr. Radisic took a look at them.  I seriously don't trust these medi-centre Dr.'s, but sometimes that's the quickest route!  I also have a bit of a cold and sore throat, but hopefully it won't amount to much.

Thursday Blake's preschool class is going swimming.  He's really looking forward to it!  If they hadn't had a field trip today, he would have been swimming today too.  They swim 1 week out of every month.  I have a Sweet Momma massage tomorrow night (YAY!!) and a Dr. appointment on Thursday afternoon.  I'll find out the results of the test I had on Friday.  I'm not feeling too good about it, but on the other hand I'm almost 37 weeks pregnant, so I'm not sure at this point in time what can be done if I do have high blood sugar?  I don't think I eat a lot of sugar?!  But I have been trying to be more conscious of my sugar intake since finding out my sugars were high a few weeks ago.  I haven't gained much weight at all.  I've had 3 ultrasounds and all 3 times they've said the baby is "average" weight, so hopefully they're right!!  Our doula, Fiona said there is a 1 to 1 1/2 lb margin of error in guessing a babies weight through ultrasound and since Blake was 6 lbs 13 oz and Emerson was 6 lbs 11 oz, I'm thinking that even if this baby is bigger it shouldn't be much more then 8 lbs ... right?!  Here's hoping!  We're still struggling with names.  I hope our child will be named as soon as it's born ...

Blake and Emerson are still doing alright in their shared room.  We've had some "bad" nights though.  Mostly consisting of Emerson waking up to Blake talking in his sleep or moaning in his sleep and taking a long time to fall back asleep.  I would almost prefer if she were to cry and scream vs. the cheerful talking and singing she does! 

We've been blessed with beautiful fall weather and here's hoping it continues into November!!  Take care everyone, have a great rest of your week.

Love Tracy

Busy, busy!!

Wow, what a busy 5 days we've had!!  Thank goodness Cal has been off work.  He's back to the grind tomorrow, for a short 3 day work week!

Sunday afternoon Blake was holding his ear, but not complaining of anything hurting until bed time, when he woke up crying really hard.  We went into their room and he said his ear hurt.  It was bright red, so I thought I might as well get the medi-centre visit over with that night!  Luckily, there was next to no wait at the medi-centre and we were in, out, to the drug store and home within an hour and a half.  He has an ear infection in his right ear.  It's been a really long time since Blake has had an ear infection.  Between the ages of approx. 14 months and 24 months he had quite a few, but has seemed to grow out of them.  Hopefully they don't start up again!  What I thought was going to turn into croup on Friday night, just turned into a cold, which I'm sure caused the ear infection.

Monday afternoon we had our Thanksgiving dinner at my parents house in Stony Plain.  It was a delicious dinner (and of course we were sent home with left overs!) and a fun time with my family, as well as my sister's friends Kelly and Calvin and my Auntie Cherie and Uncle Warren.  Not to mention, Warren and Cherie's dog Jinx and our dog Heidi :)  The kids had a blast and "performed" in their usual manner ... lol!

Today we all went to Preschool and Come Play With Me.  This afternoon Cal and the kids went to the pet store and I went grocery shopping by myself!  What a treat :)  When we got home we set up the Halloween decorations and played outside for awhile. 

The kids are doing good in their "new" room!  While it was taking them longer to fall asleep at night, they are not waking during the night and are still sleeping until 8ish (I'm knocking on wood right now)!!  We've decided to put them to bed at the same time vs. putting Em to bed first and then Blake 1/2 hour later.  Tonight it worked much better and they were asleep within 20 minutes.  Those 20 minutes were comprised of Emerson standing in her crib looking at Blake and talking to him and Blake trying his hardest to take our advice and ignore her!!!  I can understand it might take a few more minutes to fall asleep, with all the excitement of your big brother a few feet away from you ;)  We're really glad we made this transition now and not after the baby was born! 

Speaking of the baby, I have a prenatal appointment with our doula on Thursday afternoon.  I also found out that my iron levels are low and my glucose test came back slightly high :(  So on Friday I'm going for a 2 hour glucose test ... blech ... And I'm taking iron supplements of course.  I have to say, out of all my  pregnancies, this one is kicking my butt the most!!  Likely because I'm busy with 2 toddlers, I'd say!  I'm just so tired and by the end of the day my legs are achey and tired too!!  And then of course there's the heartburn and the occasional hanging of my head over the toilet :S  Last Monday at my appointment the babies hr was 136 bpm.  My next appointment is next week and then I will be seeing the docs every week until bambino's arrival!  I'm fully expecting a late arrival :)  And this time I will go up to 14 days before being induced, although I really don't think I'll need to be induced, but we will see!  This baby continues to be very, very active and I love feeling all its kicks and rolls!  That is one of the best parts of pregnancy in my opinion :)  I will miss that!

Have a great remainder of your short week everyone!

Tracy

SURPRISE!!!

I had one of the biggest surprises of my life last night!!  What I thought was an anniversary dinner with Cal, was a surprise 30th birthday dinner for me!!  Cal and I got to Japanese Village and I was surprised by friends and family!  I can't believe I didn't know?!  Cal, Lindsay and my Mom corresponded via Cal's work email and had been planning this since the beginning of August.  They wanted to have a celebration for me before I was at the end of my pregnancy and couldn't really enjoy it as much or before I had a newborn and couldn't get out without him or her (because of nursing 24/7!)!!  Cal told them that if they corresponded any other way I'd definitely find out, which is true!  Cal and I are always on each other's email and Facebook profiles, so I would have definitely found out! 

Thinking back, I did find a few things odd.  Cal and I went out on Monday night for an anniversary date, so I thought it was odd that we were going out again on Saturday.  Especially since we were moving the kids into the same room on Friday!!  Back in September Cal said he really wanted to go out for dinner on the 9th, so I emailed my Mom to ask her to babysit!  The other thing I was surprised about was that Cal made reservations at Japanese Village!  Typically, we wouldn't go to a place like that on a date!!  We usually go to the Keg or Red Lobster!! 

I had a great time and really appreciate everyone who came out!  Thanks SO much ladies :)  Our chef was a bit of a comedy act on his own and kept us entertained and sometimes rolling our eyes - a large white man trying to speak with a Japanese accent at times!!  The food was delicious and my cake was probably the best cake I've ever tasted!!  Lindsay ordered it from Whimsical Cake Studio Inc.  So, so, SO delicious!!!!  It was a purple hydrangea :)  Makes me want to quit making my own cakes and order from them!!  My family knows me so well ... love hydrangeas, love purple, and the dinner and company was perfect!!  Thanks again to Lindsay, Cal and my Mom for planning this and knowing me so well ;)

Happy 6th Wedding Anniversary!

Today is our 6th anniversary :)  Happy anniversary to my spectacular husband!  Thank you for another wonderful year, I can't wait to see what the next year brings.  In the midst of our busy lives, we still take time for us and I feel so blessed to be married to such a patient, kind, giving man.  You are an unbelievable Dad to our 2 children, soon to be 3!  I can't put into words how amazing of a father you are and this means the world to me.  And of course your support me in everything I do, regardless of how many times I change my mind ... lol!  LOVE YOU!!

We'd also like to say Happy Birthday to Grandma Bev!  We share our anniversary with her birthday and hope she has a wonderful day!  xoxo

Last night went fairly well.  As good as could be expected!  Emerson woke up at 4:45 am, stood up in her crib and started calling, "BLLAAKKE, BLAAAAAKE!!"  Until he woke up!  So they were up for about an hour and then fell back asleep until 8:45 am.  They definitely did not get as much sleep as they usually do, but we thought they did pretty good!  I think Blake has figured out that if he doesn't respond to her calling his name and stays laying down, she falls back asleep faster!!  Hopefully it will only get better from here on out :) 

Take care everyone :)

xoxo Tracy

2 Toddlers ... 1 Bedroom ...

Tonight's the night!!  This morning we moved Blake's furniture into Emerson's room and re-arranged Emerson's furniture.  The room actually looks pretty good.  There is not much open space, but we're happy with how everything fits.  It would be even better with bunk beds, but I don't think they're old enough for bunks yet.  Blake's been pretty happy all along with the thought of moving into Emerson's room, but this morning he said, "I was thinking about it last night and I don't know if I want to move into Em's room."  lol!!  I asked him why and he didn't really have a reason, so I said we'll give it a try and see what you think!  We ran out to Walmart this morning and bought another shelf, hooks for the back of their door, and a few closet organization cubes.  Next we have to arrange the baby's room, but for now everything is in there and we'll get to that within the next few weeks!  If it's a boy we don't plan on changing the decor much!

We feel they did pretty good for their first night in their "new" bedroom!  Blake woke Emerson up shortly after we put him to bed.  Then he called us into the room and complained that, "Em is standing up and looking at me!"  It took awhile to get over that, but once he fell asleep, Emerson's jibbering and jabbering didn't wake him!  Emerson took longer to fall asleep (for the 2nd time!), but I'm sure that will get better in the days to come.  Now we'll see how they do throughout the night and how early they rise ...

Tomorrow is our 6 year wedding anniversary!!  Em has swimming, Blake has hockey and Cal and I are going out on Anniversary Date #2!!  I'm looking forward to dinner at Japanese Village!!  Yum, yum!!  I just hope Cal enjoys it, it's his first time!  And hopefully the kids are good for my parents tomorrow night :S  Date #1 was Monday night - the Brad Paisley concert.  We had so much fun!  Justin Moore (Small Town USA) and Darius Rucker (too many to name!) opened.  All 3 performer's were awesome!  Thanks to my Mom for babysitting!

Sunday we don't have any plans and Monday we have Thanksgiving Dinner with my family.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!  Enjoy your long weekend!

xoxo
Cal, Tracy, Blake, Emerson and Baby

Glorious Fall :)

We have been so lucky to have such great weather the past two weekends!  This Saturday was b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!!!  It was actually hot outside ... Today was also very nice.  There was a cooler wind, but still quite warm for October!

Saturday morning Cal and I switched "roles!!"  I took Blake to hockey and Cal took Emerson to swimming lessons.  I have to tell you, within 5 minutes of being on the ice with Blake I had lost my patience :S  But I recovered quickly and we had fun!  It's hard to remember that Blake is only 3 and we really need to ... He wants a lot of help on the ice, which is fine.  The frustrating part is knowing what he can do and getting him to trust himself to do it!  He is doing great though, and usually has an awesome 20 or so minutes per hour!  I think 1 hour is a bit too long for the little guys and gals.  They tire out pretty quick!  We had fun playing Simon Says and he skated quite a distance without my hands on him :)  He was very proud of himself afterwards and couldn't wait to tell Dad!  Cal had fun with Emerson at swimming.  She continues to love it!!  Saturday afternoon I went to the lab to do the gestational diabetes test.  I'm about 6 weeks late in doing this and HAD to do it before my Dr. appointment on Monday!  It wasn't as bad as I remember it being with Blake and Em!  Afterwards I picked Cal and the kids up and we went to Costco to see if Cal's glasses were repairable.  Emerson got a hold of them Saturday morning and they are definitely NOT repairable :(  She snapped the frame.  C'est la vie I suppose!!  When we got home we played outside and Blake decided he wanted to go for a bike ride.  So off we went ... for a 40 minute bike ride/walk.  What a boy we have!  He hasn't shown much interest at all in his bike all summer and now all of a sudden he has decided he LOVES his bike!!!  We knew this would happen!  You can't "make" that kid do anything!!  Everything is on his schedule, his timeline.  He has to put a lot of thought and analysis into something before deciding to do it!  We do love this about him :) 

Today Cal made a trip to the dump.  We continue to clean out our garage!!  You'd think we had a triple car garage with all the stuff we've accumulated in there.  Next step is to move some shelving and hopefully park the truck in there for the winter, along with the van!  Sunday afternoon we took our trailer to the storage spot we rent, just south of Spruce Grove and then continued on to my parents house for dinner and a visit.  It was so great to see them!  They've been on vacation for 4 weeks and we're used to seeing them at least once a week!!  We had fun at the Forest Green park playing and taking a few pictures.  We even ran into Lesley and got to see her grade 3 classroom at Forest Green School!   She showed the kids the Smart Board and let them play on it!  They had fun and Blake thought it was pretty cool to see where Dad went to school :)  And thanks to Mom for the very yummy dinner!!!

I'm working tomorrow and Cal and the kids have a park and picnic lunch date planned!!  Tomorrow evening Cal and I are going to the Brad Paisley/Darius Rucker concert.  We're quite excited!  I'm also looking forward to next weekend.  Saturday is our 6th anniversary and Cal has made dinner reservations for us at Japanese Village.  And I LOVE Thanksgiving!!  Love seeing family together and enjoying a fun day and turkey dinner ;)  AND ... dromroll please ... Blake and Em are moving in to the same room Friday night.  Wish us luck ... and sleep ... ha, ha, ha!  I really think they'll be fine, there will just be a few less hours of sleep at first!  We've been planning their room this week and made a trip to Ikea on Thursday to buy a few organizational type things.  The space is very limited!  I'm also ordering some decor from Etsy for their walls.  Blake seems excited to move into Em's room and Em really doesn't seem to understand!!  Cal's working from home Friday and we're moving all the furniture around Friday morning, then Emerson will have her nap in the afternoon and hopefully Friday night goes okay!  More then anything, they will both be excited and hyper!!!!  We're moving them in to the same room Friday night, because Cal is off until Wednesday, so we'll both be home and can switch off sleeping in or napping if the nights are long!

Have a great week everyone!

Love The Cameron's

Summer is Back!!

At least it has certainly felt like it temperature wise this weekend :)  What a gorgeous +23 day Saturday was!!  Blake and Cal were off to hockey practice Saturday morning and Emerson and I were off to swimming lessons.  Cal says Blake is still enjoying himself and improving each time!  But Cal has figured out that Blake will try harder for Coach Gord or Coach Dan vs. for Dad!!!!  On Saturday Blake even asked Cal to find Coach Dan!  lol!  It's nice that he enjoys the other coaches too ;)  Emerson continues to love swimming!  Whenever we pull into the YMCA parking lot she says, "Swimming!!"  Even though two times a week we're not there for swimming!  Saturday afternoon Cal and Blake drove out to the Cameron family plot at Busby for a gathering honouring his late Uncle Glen.  Cal said it was a nice, informal ceremony and it was great to hear and share various stories of his wonderful Uncle.  Afterwards, Cal and Blake came back to pick Emerson and I up and we went to his Uncle Evan and Auntie Netty's house for a bbq.  It was such a gorgeous day, we spent the whole time outside on their large deck and the kids enjoyed running around the acreage!  I wasn't sure if we should go because the kids are still recovering from their various ailments, but they were very well behaved and really enjoyed all their Great Aunt's, Uncles and 2nd cousins (Cal's cousins, not sure if those would be the kids 2nd cousins or 1st cousins once removed?!?)!!!  I really enjoy spending time with the extended Cameron family and I'm glad we went!  As happens with these types of things, we got home later then planned but thankfully the kids went to bed well and slept in a bit this morning.

Today was a laid back kind of day!  No rush to get anywhere at a certain time, which is really nice sometimes.  I'm working tomorrow and Cal's home with the kids.  Thankfully everyone seems to be on the mend.  I have a regular Dr. appointment on Thursday afternoon, hard to believe I have to go every two weeks now! 

Let's hope this nice weather sticks around for a few weeks :)  Have a great week everyone!

xoxo
The Cameron's