Blake had his E.N.T. appointment at the U of A on Monday May 9th. I thought we would be getting a date for a surgery to remove at least 1 of the 2 extra sinuses, but thankfully they do not need to be removed (yet)! They have never been infected or bothered Blake in any way, so until they get infected we will just leave them alone. We did not go to the E.N.T. to discuss Blake's ear infections, but he did ask about his ear infection hx and was a bit concerned over the amount of ear infections Blake has had since turning 1. Although he was glad to hear that he has never had 1 in the summer months and that the the frequency of infections drastically decreased after he stopped going to a dayhome. He had back to back ear infections from the minute he started going to a dayhome when he was 1 until he stopped going to the dayhome at age 19 months. They did not all require antibiotics (some were viral infections) and I don't remember 1 keeping him down or bothering him in any way, other then the runny nose that started them all! Between between ages 2 and 3 he only had 2 or 3 (once again none that I remember bothering him greatly), but between age 3 and 4 he's had 4 and 2 of these have caused quite a bit of pain and the last one was apparently an extremely bad double ear infection. The E.N.T. said kids will usually grow out of ear infections at around age 7, so we have a few years to go! Hopefully this winter he won't have too many! We have to follow up with the E.N.T. in December, as he wants to continue to monitor his sinuses as well as the # of ear infections, if any that he is getting. He also had a hearing test while we were there and I am happy to report that his hearing is excellent! So all those times he made us wonder if he had hearing troubles, he was just ignoring us ... go figure ;) I took the 3 kids to the appt. by myself and I have to say a huge THANK YOU to all 3 for behaving so well :) 2 different people commented on how well behaved they were. Definitely made my day!!
Sunday afternoon we hosted Blake's 4th birthday party for family and friends at the Jump Zone. We had a great time bouncing, sliding, breaking the pinata, enjoying dinner and cake and visiting!! Blake loved the fireman theme he chose and thought it was pretty cool that all the kids were able to bring home their own fire chief hat :) A huge thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us and spoil Blake! We loved having you all and Blake is enjoying playing with his new gifts!
Today we had pediatrician appt's for Reese's 6 month check up and Blake's 4 year check up. My Mom came with us, which was really nice of her :) Reese and Blake are both healthy and growing like weeds!! Reese weighed in at 16 lbs 11 oz and measured 26 " long, both 75th %tile for her age!!! Her head was in the 60th %tile. Quite a change from our 2 month old baby who was not putting on weight!!! Blake weighed in at 43 lbs and measured 43". His growing has certainly slowed down, but he is still in the 90th %tile for his age for both weight and height!
And today Reese had her 1st taste of rice cereal! She was definitely ready and gobbled quite a bit ... she loved it! So we'll add that into our daily schedule, which some days might be a challenge!!! I think the cereal may have given her a bit of an upset tummy though, as she's passing really stinky gas tonight and having trouble falling asleep :( Hopefully her little tummy will adjust soon! I can't believe she is old enough to start solids :( I'm loving watching her grow, learn and change, but find it hard to believe she's almost 6 months old already. All I can think is, "My baby!!!!" That's something she will have to live with for the rest of her life, although they are all my babies, she is the "baby" of the family and I'm sure will often be reminded of that!
Emerson did not have a Dr. appt. today, but enjoyed the trip and reaped the rewards of the post Dr. visit sucker!!! She was so cute in the waiting room - she got my nursing cover out of my purse and proceeded to put it on and "feed" her baby ;) She's such a little Mommy!! I can't wait to remind her of these times when she's a teenager ... ! Emerson is also giving us trouble tonight :( She can certainly be stubborn and hard to handle at times!!! Not so easy for Cal and I to deal with, but on the bright side I don't think we'll ever have to worry about her being pushed around in life ... she's the boss!!!!
Hope you are all doing well, enjoying the weather when the wind is not howling and keeping the mosquito's at bay!
Take care,
Tracy
Monday, May 16, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
A letter to Blake
Four years ago today our baby boy was born.
I remember when I first held you Blake; my heart was overwhelmed with love and each day it grows. I love our little daily exchanges of love, whether it is a quick squeeze on your way into your preschool classroom or a big bear hug at home (your hugs are getting tighter and stronger as you get older!) or even a running hug that almost knocks me over! I also love the affection you show towards Emerson and Reese. You are an amazing big brother.
Your Dad and I have been honoured to watch you grow from a helpless infant, to a child who wears your heart of gold on your sleeve.
Our life with you has been an adventure, and I must say I look forward to seeing what each new day brings. I know that it will always end with a smile and a kiss. Each day we see you growing tall and strong and we are so proud of you. You are a good person, with a good soul and a wonderful child; if only you wouldn’t grow up so fast.
Happy Birthday to our son Blake. Thank you for all of the joy you have brought into our lives; we would not be the same without you. Thank you for all of the lessons that you have taught us. Thank you for all of the laughter and creativity you've brought into our world and most of all, thank you for being you - don't ever stop.
Sending you a lifetime and ever after of hugs, kisses and tickles (you're so ticklish ... ;)
Mom and Dad
 |
| Blake at 12 days old |
Your Dad and I have been honoured to watch you grow from a helpless infant, to a child who wears your heart of gold on your sleeve.
Our life with you has been an adventure, and I must say I look forward to seeing what each new day brings. I know that it will always end with a smile and a kiss. Each day we see you growing tall and strong and we are so proud of you. You are a good person, with a good soul and a wonderful child; if only you wouldn’t grow up so fast.
Happy Birthday to our son Blake. Thank you for all of the joy you have brought into our lives; we would not be the same without you. Thank you for all of the lessons that you have taught us. Thank you for all of the laughter and creativity you've brought into our world and most of all, thank you for being you - don't ever stop.
 |
| Blake - 4 years old at our Preschool Mother's Day Tea |
Mom and Dad
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Hear No, See No, Speak No ...
Emerson, Blake and Reese ... Emerson pretends not to hear us, Blake couldn't find a boulder in a hay stack and Reese is our quiet little one!!! Okay, this might be a bit of an exaggeration, but there is some truth to it :) I can't wait until they're old enough to do a hear no, see, no, speak no photo!!! Have you seen one before?! It's going to be SO cute!!!!
Blake is really enjoying the warmer weather! He and Cal spent the afternoon outside doing yard work, with a quick trip to Canadian Tire and a side stop at Tim Hortons! Blake was pretty excited to tell me about the yogurt and berries he had with Dad :) It's nice for Cal to spend time with just his boy. I think the "guy" time is great for Blake, considering he's surrounded by women most of his time!!! One of Blake's more recent "games" is telling secrets. It's a lot of fun and very cute to hear his little secrets every day! Blake had his last Bobbers swimming lesson on Friday and begins Floaters this Friday. We all went to watch his lesson this past Friday and I was very proud of him! He is getting more and more confident in the water and has a ball, it's great to see! He's proud as punch to be moving on to the next level in swimming lessons :) Today while the girls were napping I asked Blake if he had fun at the birthday party last night (our friends son Marc's 5th birthday). He said he did and I told him that I was glad he had fun and thanked him for being a good boy and going to sleep well when we came home late from the party and sleeping in this morning. I told him it makes Mom happy to hear he enjoyed himself and it also makes me happy and proud when he behaves so well. I asked him what made him happy, to which he replied, "Reese!" without a seconds hesitation. How sweet is that?!
Emerson is also loving our warmer weather and spending more time outside. We have to figure out if she can ride a bike or a tricycle or not though, because she sure wants to!! The old tricycle we have is too big for her. Hopefully we'll get to Toys R Us tomorrow to test drive some bikes :) She is also very happy to take her baby for walks outside in her new stroller that Grandma and Grandpa brought back from the States!! And she loves going down our backyard slide on her belly ;) Emerson's imagination is growing everyday and her story telling is growing along with her imagination!! We love hearing all her little stories - she started this one yesterday - she tells us she is going to work tomorrow and making monies and drinking coffee!! LOL!! I asked her where she's working and she told me Costco. She tells us these stories in a very, very serious and quieter then normal (for her) voice, usually while pacing the family room and looking up at us through her long lashes!!! I really have to try and get this on video, it is priceless and really adorable!!!!
Our little Reese is doing great! She's so happy and sweet :) She loves her exersaucer and Jolly Jumper! We haven't pulled out the Jumperoo yet, but I'm sure she'll like that as well! Reese rolls from her tummy to her back now and actually seems to enjoy tummy time, which is great to see!! She kicks her legs like crazy, while on her tummy :) She is sleeping good, but still not caving in to an early bedtime ;) She gets really tired around 5 pm (I've tried to keep her up to go to bed a bit later, but it's so hard on her!), so I put her down and she usually wakes up around 7, eats and goes to bed at 8(ish). She nurses once at night, sometimes twice, but usually once and gets up around 7, 7:30. Can't complain about that! I think in a few months she won't need that 5 o'clock sleep and will be able to stay up until 6 or 6:30 and that will hopefully be her bedtime, like Blake and Em! I can't get out too much in the evenings, but I'm not complaining as it was my choice to nurse her and not give her a bottle!! If I wanted to go out bad enough, I would have started her on a bottle, right?! She's already almost 6 months old, which is so hard to believe. Soon enough I'll be "free" if I want to be in the evening and my baby won't be a baby anymore :( We bought her first rice cereal this week and are hoping to try it with her in the next few days! We know she is definitely interested in food, as she watches intently while we're eating!!
Cal has switched to taking his E.D.O's (earned days off) on Thursday's so he can take Blake and Emerson to the YMCA and I can stay home with Reese. Reese naps at 8:30 and 12:30 (approx.) and especially loves her morning naps, so with this change she can have her morning nap on Tuesdays! I really notice a difference in her when she misses her morning nap, she's much less smiley and seems tired all day, even if she gets the afternoon nap.
This week is a big week for our household! Our little boy turns 4 on Thursday!!! Unbelievable. Thursday is also a Mother's Day Tea at preschool! I can't wait :) Blake tells me there are lots of surprises for me on Thursday!! Saturday, the 5 of us are off to Calgary for "A Day Out With Thomas!!" Can't wait for a road trip and to see the excitement on Blake and Em's faces :) Blake is excited to watch at DVD on the van t.v.!! We don't use it often, so it is a novelty!!! I'm also looking forward to visiting with one of my BFF's and her family and seeing her prego belly, as they will be joining us in Calgary! Gerry, Lesley and kids were originally coming as well, but are staying home to pack for their trip to Mexico!! And of course, Mother's Day on Sunday! Hopefully my Mom, sister and I will fit in some "girl" time on Sunday and the rest of the day will be spent with my munchkins and hubby :)
Hope your are having a fantastic weekend!
xoxo Tracy
Blake is really enjoying the warmer weather! He and Cal spent the afternoon outside doing yard work, with a quick trip to Canadian Tire and a side stop at Tim Hortons! Blake was pretty excited to tell me about the yogurt and berries he had with Dad :) It's nice for Cal to spend time with just his boy. I think the "guy" time is great for Blake, considering he's surrounded by women most of his time!!! One of Blake's more recent "games" is telling secrets. It's a lot of fun and very cute to hear his little secrets every day! Blake had his last Bobbers swimming lesson on Friday and begins Floaters this Friday. We all went to watch his lesson this past Friday and I was very proud of him! He is getting more and more confident in the water and has a ball, it's great to see! He's proud as punch to be moving on to the next level in swimming lessons :) Today while the girls were napping I asked Blake if he had fun at the birthday party last night (our friends son Marc's 5th birthday). He said he did and I told him that I was glad he had fun and thanked him for being a good boy and going to sleep well when we came home late from the party and sleeping in this morning. I told him it makes Mom happy to hear he enjoyed himself and it also makes me happy and proud when he behaves so well. I asked him what made him happy, to which he replied, "Reese!" without a seconds hesitation. How sweet is that?!
Emerson is also loving our warmer weather and spending more time outside. We have to figure out if she can ride a bike or a tricycle or not though, because she sure wants to!! The old tricycle we have is too big for her. Hopefully we'll get to Toys R Us tomorrow to test drive some bikes :) She is also very happy to take her baby for walks outside in her new stroller that Grandma and Grandpa brought back from the States!! And she loves going down our backyard slide on her belly ;) Emerson's imagination is growing everyday and her story telling is growing along with her imagination!! We love hearing all her little stories - she started this one yesterday - she tells us she is going to work tomorrow and making monies and drinking coffee!! LOL!! I asked her where she's working and she told me Costco. She tells us these stories in a very, very serious and quieter then normal (for her) voice, usually while pacing the family room and looking up at us through her long lashes!!! I really have to try and get this on video, it is priceless and really adorable!!!!
Our little Reese is doing great! She's so happy and sweet :) She loves her exersaucer and Jolly Jumper! We haven't pulled out the Jumperoo yet, but I'm sure she'll like that as well! Reese rolls from her tummy to her back now and actually seems to enjoy tummy time, which is great to see!! She kicks her legs like crazy, while on her tummy :) She is sleeping good, but still not caving in to an early bedtime ;) She gets really tired around 5 pm (I've tried to keep her up to go to bed a bit later, but it's so hard on her!), so I put her down and she usually wakes up around 7, eats and goes to bed at 8(ish). She nurses once at night, sometimes twice, but usually once and gets up around 7, 7:30. Can't complain about that! I think in a few months she won't need that 5 o'clock sleep and will be able to stay up until 6 or 6:30 and that will hopefully be her bedtime, like Blake and Em! I can't get out too much in the evenings, but I'm not complaining as it was my choice to nurse her and not give her a bottle!! If I wanted to go out bad enough, I would have started her on a bottle, right?! She's already almost 6 months old, which is so hard to believe. Soon enough I'll be "free" if I want to be in the evening and my baby won't be a baby anymore :( We bought her first rice cereal this week and are hoping to try it with her in the next few days! We know she is definitely interested in food, as she watches intently while we're eating!!
Cal has switched to taking his E.D.O's (earned days off) on Thursday's so he can take Blake and Emerson to the YMCA and I can stay home with Reese. Reese naps at 8:30 and 12:30 (approx.) and especially loves her morning naps, so with this change she can have her morning nap on Tuesdays! I really notice a difference in her when she misses her morning nap, she's much less smiley and seems tired all day, even if she gets the afternoon nap.
This week is a big week for our household! Our little boy turns 4 on Thursday!!! Unbelievable. Thursday is also a Mother's Day Tea at preschool! I can't wait :) Blake tells me there are lots of surprises for me on Thursday!! Saturday, the 5 of us are off to Calgary for "A Day Out With Thomas!!" Can't wait for a road trip and to see the excitement on Blake and Em's faces :) Blake is excited to watch at DVD on the van t.v.!! We don't use it often, so it is a novelty!!! I'm also looking forward to visiting with one of my BFF's and her family and seeing her prego belly, as they will be joining us in Calgary! Gerry, Lesley and kids were originally coming as well, but are staying home to pack for their trip to Mexico!! And of course, Mother's Day on Sunday! Hopefully my Mom, sister and I will fit in some "girl" time on Sunday and the rest of the day will be spent with my munchkins and hubby :)
Hope your are having a fantastic weekend!
xoxo Tracy
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter everyone!! We hope you've had a great Easter long weekend and have had the opportunity to spend some good quality time with your families :) Our weekend has been wonderful so far!!
Saturday we headed to Prairie Gardens and Greenhouses for their annual Easter Festival, where we met the "Stony Plain Cameron's" for a fun-filled day!! Emerson was thrown off her game by the tractor/trailer ride from the parking lot to the "farm", but got over that fairly quickly ;) The kids had a lot of fun doing a little egg hunt, navigating through a bale maze, visiting the petting zoo, doing some Easter themed crafts and taking in a puppet show! It was a bit windy, but overall good weather for spending a few hours outside! Reese was a gem, which seems to be her usual :) As we were driving away, all 3 kids fell asleep, so we took a little detour down a few country roads and checked out some subdivisions west of the city. Then swung by Mt. Fugi to pick up supper!! Oh and early Saturday morning I had a facial at Body Polish ... what a great day :)
Saturday we headed to Prairie Gardens and Greenhouses for their annual Easter Festival, where we met the "Stony Plain Cameron's" for a fun-filled day!! Emerson was thrown off her game by the tractor/trailer ride from the parking lot to the "farm", but got over that fairly quickly ;) The kids had a lot of fun doing a little egg hunt, navigating through a bale maze, visiting the petting zoo, doing some Easter themed crafts and taking in a puppet show! It was a bit windy, but overall good weather for spending a few hours outside! Reese was a gem, which seems to be her usual :) As we were driving away, all 3 kids fell asleep, so we took a little detour down a few country roads and checked out some subdivisions west of the city. Then swung by Mt. Fugi to pick up supper!! Oh and early Saturday morning I had a facial at Body Polish ... what a great day :)
Easter Sunday the kids woke up to their basket of goodies from the Easter bunny! Blake was SO excited to see the Easter bunny had left him a Peyton Manning toy!! Emerson polished off nearly a bag of mini eggs before we even knew she was in them ... definitely her Mom's girl ;) Reese enjoyed shaking her new rattle and we got a cute pic of our little bunnies:
I attempted to get a nice family picture of the 5 of us "dressed up" before we left for Church, but that didn't happen and we were a few minutes late for Church!! Blake and Emerson had fun at Sunday school - they did an egg hunt and colored Easter pictures. Later this afternoon our friends Eric, Christa and Berlyn came over for a visit and dinner. Christa brought her homemade perogies ... they were delicious!!! Yum, yum, yum ... thanks Christa :) We had another fun day and the kids were all tuckered out at bedtime!!
My parents are back from their vacation and are coming over for the day tomorrow. Blake and Em are excited to see them and to see what the Stony Plain Easter bunny may have brought them ... !! Hopefully it will be another warm day tomorrow and we can play outside. Blake was so happy that the snow had melted enough to get his bike out of the shed this week! Emerson tries to ride an old tricycle we have, but can't quite reach the peddles! We were going to buy her a coup car for her birthday, but I think we're going to look at one of those trikes you can push or pedal. We'll get her to try one at Toys R Us and see what she thinks!!
Happy Easter from our family to yours :)
xoxo The Cameron's
Monday, April 11, 2011
A Quote:
~ There is no “right” way to mother, just like there is no perfect child. In the same way that we let our children mold and influence what’s best for them, we need to let ourselves off the hook, get off our soap box and stop judging other mothers around us making different choices. There is no point in being a stay at home mother if you unintentionally transform yourself into the martyr (you know, that mom who is always more stressed out than everyone around her, as if she’s the only one experiencing parenthood). And there is definitely no benefit to being a working mother, if you accidentally become the elitist (that mom who won’t let herself relate to anyone who isn’t a colleague).
So whether we’re stay at home moms, working mavens or a little bit of both, the important thing is that we all share one particular job description above everything else…….. mom.
And in the end, do we really need anything more than that? ~
I read a lot of blogs, blogs about parenting, educating your children, living "green", family blogs, cooking, crafting, photography, etc., etc.! The above is something I read on one of the blogs I frequent. It really hit home with me and I think it would with a lot of mothers. It's so hard to balance your life as a Mom and really, as a parent (Dad's included!) So I thought I'd share this with everyone (that is, everyone who reads our blog!)
Tracy
So whether we’re stay at home moms, working mavens or a little bit of both, the important thing is that we all share one particular job description above everything else…….. mom.
And in the end, do we really need anything more than that? ~
I read a lot of blogs, blogs about parenting, educating your children, living "green", family blogs, cooking, crafting, photography, etc., etc.! The above is something I read on one of the blogs I frequent. It really hit home with me and I think it would with a lot of mothers. It's so hard to balance your life as a Mom and really, as a parent (Dad's included!) So I thought I'd share this with everyone (that is, everyone who reads our blog!)
Tracy
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Spring Break
Spring Break is over :( We had a very nice week of relaxing and not rushing anywhere! We had a couple of fun play dates, a consignment meet, lunch out, and shopping!! I think Blake was glad to have a break from preschool. I noticed a few weeks ago that he was getting a bit tired and seemed to be not as enthusiastic about going as he was before. He's also had a very busy winter with swimming lessons, hockey and skating lessons! He will continue in swimming lessons until the end of June, skating lessons are over at the end of April and hockey ended last Saturday. We did have him registered in a soccer program at the Y, but we took him out of it. We think he needs a bit of a break from all these organized activities and with the warmer weather and summer on it's way, we'll be outside a lot!!! He really wants to play baseball, but there isn't a great time for it in our community league. He's always wanting to play ball in the basement, so I'm sure we'll be playing outside this summer!! Which is right up our alley :) I miss my ball playing days!!!
We all went out to watch Blake's last hockey practice on Saturday. He has improved SO much over the year, we are very proud of him!! Being only 4 next season, he will be back in Initiation 1. Cal really enjoyed coaching and will be volunteering again next year. We're extremely impressed with the KC organization and can't say enough good things about the "main" coaches Pete and Eva and the initiation director Dan. They were all amazing and made the 1st year of hockey for all the little ones a great year and one everyone will remember! Pete and Eva's son will be moving on to I2 next year, but hopefully we'll continue to see them around the rink. They're such great people :) At times I really wondered if Blake was enjoying playing hockey, but after every practice he'd come home and enthusiastically tell me about all his little teammates and who was and wasn't there, the games they played, etc, etc!!! And when I'd get to watch him, I'd often see his little grin under his helmet :) We're very glad he had fun! Cal and I both played a lot sports growing up and we'd love our kids to enjoy sports, however we're not going to force them to play!!!! We'll just keep introducing them to the various sports and if they like them great :)
Emerson is becoming more and more "girly" as the days pass! Her newest thing is wearing what she calls her "Princess Fairy costume" ALL day!!! Over her pj's, over her clothes ... she wanted to wear it for her nap, but we convinced her to take it off! She even wanted to wear it out of the house today! We also have a lot of fun with her clothes and hair, although she has a strong opinion in those departments too!!! We pull out many outfits each morning and debate over what she'll wear :) And same goes with her hair! Some days she wants a "pony", some days nothing, some days 2 ponytails, some days just a barrette. On a barrette day it can take a good 10 min. to decide which barrette!!! I love it and LOVE shopping for her and Reese ... right Cal?! lol! I enjoy shopping for Blake too, but let's face it - shopping for girls is so much more fun!!!
Our little Reese is getting bigger by the day! She's sitting up quite well now and is close to sitting unassisted! She's started trying to sit up in her carseat, bouncy chair, in the tub, etc! Looks like she's doing crunches, kind of cute, but very awkward looking at the same time! She's "talking" lots too, which is so stinkin' cute :) She's teething like crazy and chewing on anything she can, most especially her hands!!! I can see a bottom tooth, but it is no where near breaking through. We've been very negligent with tummy time. She gets the majority of her tummy time on me and can lift her head up high in the air! Her neck is very strong! I should probably put her on her tummy more though, then at least she'd get a chance to learn how to roll ;) This week I've noticed Reese becoming interested in the food around her! Yesterday morning I was eating cereal with Reese on my knee and she looked like she was practically drooling, watching the spoon go from the bowl to my mouth!!!! We'll likely wait until she's 6 months old to try solids with her and I'm thinking she'll be ready!!! On a less happy note, she still isn't self soothing that well in the evenings :( I'm afraid we might need to employ the "crying it out" method. I really, really didn't want to do this, but I know how valuable sleep is to Reese's development and I know she's tired, therefore she needs to learn how to put herself to sleep!!! She is so good at laying down awake and going to sleep at nap times (if I watch the clock and don't push it too late!), but most bedtimes I have to nurse her to sleep and then she wakes up off and on during the evening until she zonks out late in the evening! She usually nurses once during the night and goes right back to sleep easily until morning. So we'll try to get her putting herself to sleep at bedtime and see how it goes. You don't know until you try ... right?! Maybe she needs a little bit of crying to "soothe" herself to sleep?! She's almost 5 months old, so it's time to try! *sigh* The other possibility is that I'm not putting her down at her "magic time." So I'm going to be a clock/baby sleepy signs watcher this week and see if I can help her, help herself get to sleep at bedtime!!!! I know I've said it before, but Blake was so easy to "train" because he took a soother and Emerson was a thumb sucker. Little Reese hasn't liked either of those :(
We had a great weekend! Our nephew Dylan was in a hockey tournament in North Edmonton. Cal took Blake and Em to his Saturday morning game and then came back to our house with his Mom and our nephew Colby and niece Jenna. The kids had a blast playing and visiting! We went to Dylan's 2:15 game and then everyone came back here for supper. It was great to visit with everyone and hear about Gerry and Lesley's Hawaii trip! Dylan was in the A final this afternoon and we all went to watch! I was very impressed with Dylan's playing and enjoyed watching all the games :) Emerson was once again enamored with her Auntie Carmen! Although we think Carmen's back pack of goodies helped her achieve top notch on Em's totem pole :)
The weather is finally resembling Spring and we couldn't be happier!!! We've been out puddle jumping a few times now and I've realized I need a pair of rubber boots! I love the warmer temps and hope this week it continues!
Have a great week everyone!
xoxo Tracy
We all went out to watch Blake's last hockey practice on Saturday. He has improved SO much over the year, we are very proud of him!! Being only 4 next season, he will be back in Initiation 1. Cal really enjoyed coaching and will be volunteering again next year. We're extremely impressed with the KC organization and can't say enough good things about the "main" coaches Pete and Eva and the initiation director Dan. They were all amazing and made the 1st year of hockey for all the little ones a great year and one everyone will remember! Pete and Eva's son will be moving on to I2 next year, but hopefully we'll continue to see them around the rink. They're such great people :) At times I really wondered if Blake was enjoying playing hockey, but after every practice he'd come home and enthusiastically tell me about all his little teammates and who was and wasn't there, the games they played, etc, etc!!! And when I'd get to watch him, I'd often see his little grin under his helmet :) We're very glad he had fun! Cal and I both played a lot sports growing up and we'd love our kids to enjoy sports, however we're not going to force them to play!!!! We'll just keep introducing them to the various sports and if they like them great :)
Emerson is becoming more and more "girly" as the days pass! Her newest thing is wearing what she calls her "Princess Fairy costume" ALL day!!! Over her pj's, over her clothes ... she wanted to wear it for her nap, but we convinced her to take it off! She even wanted to wear it out of the house today! We also have a lot of fun with her clothes and hair, although she has a strong opinion in those departments too!!! We pull out many outfits each morning and debate over what she'll wear :) And same goes with her hair! Some days she wants a "pony", some days nothing, some days 2 ponytails, some days just a barrette. On a barrette day it can take a good 10 min. to decide which barrette!!! I love it and LOVE shopping for her and Reese ... right Cal?! lol! I enjoy shopping for Blake too, but let's face it - shopping for girls is so much more fun!!!
Our little Reese is getting bigger by the day! She's sitting up quite well now and is close to sitting unassisted! She's started trying to sit up in her carseat, bouncy chair, in the tub, etc! Looks like she's doing crunches, kind of cute, but very awkward looking at the same time! She's "talking" lots too, which is so stinkin' cute :) She's teething like crazy and chewing on anything she can, most especially her hands!!! I can see a bottom tooth, but it is no where near breaking through. We've been very negligent with tummy time. She gets the majority of her tummy time on me and can lift her head up high in the air! Her neck is very strong! I should probably put her on her tummy more though, then at least she'd get a chance to learn how to roll ;) This week I've noticed Reese becoming interested in the food around her! Yesterday morning I was eating cereal with Reese on my knee and she looked like she was practically drooling, watching the spoon go from the bowl to my mouth!!!! We'll likely wait until she's 6 months old to try solids with her and I'm thinking she'll be ready!!! On a less happy note, she still isn't self soothing that well in the evenings :( I'm afraid we might need to employ the "crying it out" method. I really, really didn't want to do this, but I know how valuable sleep is to Reese's development and I know she's tired, therefore she needs to learn how to put herself to sleep!!! She is so good at laying down awake and going to sleep at nap times (if I watch the clock and don't push it too late!), but most bedtimes I have to nurse her to sleep and then she wakes up off and on during the evening until she zonks out late in the evening! She usually nurses once during the night and goes right back to sleep easily until morning. So we'll try to get her putting herself to sleep at bedtime and see how it goes. You don't know until you try ... right?! Maybe she needs a little bit of crying to "soothe" herself to sleep?! She's almost 5 months old, so it's time to try! *sigh* The other possibility is that I'm not putting her down at her "magic time." So I'm going to be a clock/baby sleepy signs watcher this week and see if I can help her, help herself get to sleep at bedtime!!!! I know I've said it before, but Blake was so easy to "train" because he took a soother and Emerson was a thumb sucker. Little Reese hasn't liked either of those :(
We had a great weekend! Our nephew Dylan was in a hockey tournament in North Edmonton. Cal took Blake and Em to his Saturday morning game and then came back to our house with his Mom and our nephew Colby and niece Jenna. The kids had a blast playing and visiting! We went to Dylan's 2:15 game and then everyone came back here for supper. It was great to visit with everyone and hear about Gerry and Lesley's Hawaii trip! Dylan was in the A final this afternoon and we all went to watch! I was very impressed with Dylan's playing and enjoyed watching all the games :) Emerson was once again enamored with her Auntie Carmen! Although we think Carmen's back pack of goodies helped her achieve top notch on Em's totem pole :)
The weather is finally resembling Spring and we couldn't be happier!!! We've been out puddle jumping a few times now and I've realized I need a pair of rubber boots! I love the warmer temps and hope this week it continues!
Have a great week everyone!
xoxo Tracy
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Spring??
Hmmm ... according to the calendar spring has sprung ... unfortunately our weather isn't exactly resembling "spring!" I can not wait for warmer temp's and the snow to melt!! What a cold, snowy winter we've had ... I'm scared it's going to take until June for the snow to melt and our summer will be short :S Hopefully not!! I can't wait to be able to play outside in the back yard, go to the park to play and have a picnic lunch, go for bike rides, walks (in shorts!), hit the beach, plant my flowers, etc, etc! We're all really looking forward to the activities of summer :) Blake looks out into the backyard every day and gets excited if he can see the ground!! Sometimes he says, "I can see a leaf!! Yay! Spring is here!!" lol! Blake and Emerson both have their rubber boots out and are anxious to wear them :) Blake went against his norm this year and picked out Batman rubber boots instead of Thomas rubber boots ... lol!!! He's had Thomas rubber boots for as long as he's been walking ;)
Not too much is new around here. This week is Spring Break, so all the kid's activities are cancelled this week. It's nice not to have to rush out of the house to preschool! We usually need to leave here around 8:30 am and with getting 3 kids dressed and ready and nursing Reese it can be a bit "crazy!!!" Most preschool days I have good intentions to get ready early and hit Timmie's, but what most often happens is we're running late and I can't get a coffee!!! Or I drive by 3 Tim Horton's and the drive through line ups are so backed up, Preschool would be over by the time I got through them!! We don't have any plans for our week off, originally Cal was going to take a day off and we were thinking of doing something fun, such as visiting the WEM Waterpark and Galaxyland or something "different" that we don't usually do, but then we realized all those attractions would be jam packed and decided no thanks!!!! We might try the Servus Place play gym one day or the drop in Toddler Time, which I've heard is great.
We've been tossing around the idea of a few home reno's and have decided to do 2 things this year! We're going to paint the main living areas of the house (not the bedrooms as they've all been recently painted) and replace the kitchen appliances. I've very excited about this :) The painting part might throw a bit of a kink into our everyday, but maybe the kids and I will go to Stony Plain for a few nights while the painters do their magic! We have someone coming over to give us a quote this week. Now to pick a color/colors!?
Cal and I have both been putting a few miles on our new treadmill! Cal more then me ... but he's training for the 1/2 marathon in May and I'm doing the couch to 5 K program, so he naturally is running MUCH farther then me!!!
We hope everyone is doing well and keeping their chin up, in regards to this loooonnnggg winter!!! Spring and then summer will soon be here ... right?!?
xoxo Tracy
Not too much is new around here. This week is Spring Break, so all the kid's activities are cancelled this week. It's nice not to have to rush out of the house to preschool! We usually need to leave here around 8:30 am and with getting 3 kids dressed and ready and nursing Reese it can be a bit "crazy!!!" Most preschool days I have good intentions to get ready early and hit Timmie's, but what most often happens is we're running late and I can't get a coffee!!! Or I drive by 3 Tim Horton's and the drive through line ups are so backed up, Preschool would be over by the time I got through them!! We don't have any plans for our week off, originally Cal was going to take a day off and we were thinking of doing something fun, such as visiting the WEM Waterpark and Galaxyland or something "different" that we don't usually do, but then we realized all those attractions would be jam packed and decided no thanks!!!! We might try the Servus Place play gym one day or the drop in Toddler Time, which I've heard is great.
We've been tossing around the idea of a few home reno's and have decided to do 2 things this year! We're going to paint the main living areas of the house (not the bedrooms as they've all been recently painted) and replace the kitchen appliances. I've very excited about this :) The painting part might throw a bit of a kink into our everyday, but maybe the kids and I will go to Stony Plain for a few nights while the painters do their magic! We have someone coming over to give us a quote this week. Now to pick a color/colors!?
Cal and I have both been putting a few miles on our new treadmill! Cal more then me ... but he's training for the 1/2 marathon in May and I'm doing the couch to 5 K program, so he naturally is running MUCH farther then me!!!
We hope everyone is doing well and keeping their chin up, in regards to this loooonnnggg winter!!! Spring and then summer will soon be here ... right?!?
xoxo Tracy
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