New Picture Round Up!

So, since I don't post pictures on facebook anymore, I thought I would do a wee picture round up for lack of anything else to write about.

My mom is here this weekend...which means Peter and I have a long overdue and awaited evening on the town Saturday.  And afternoon massages. CAN. NOT. WAIT.!!  Which means I will probably be home in bed by 10pm. Oh,  and we're off to a bunch of Christmas parties including one for the kids at my office. The very dangerous big orange slide should prove to be a very interesting obstacle to keep my child off of I am sure.

Watching YouTube videos before daycare

Sleeping in the car before daycare, 

proving he in fact does not want to go, or care about mommy's early meeting.

 Modeling new winter boots with daddy.  

Once these are on his feet (which he can put on by himself), 

it's a FIGHT to get them off.

 You know, just laying around throwing a temper tantrum. 

Yes indeed, the "two's" are JUST around the corner.

Playing around while daddy test drives his new car.

This ball cost us 4.00 and he carries it EVERYWHERE!

He can pick out most of the animals and their sounds too.

Christmas Tree is up!! 

Rory is learning to be "gentle" with the branches, ornaments, and presents underneath.
Definitely a work in progress, sorry if your gift looks mangled this year.

 

And also learning all about Santa and when he is coming to town. 

In this particular case, he's introducing Santa to Thomas.

There is a lot going on in this picture. 

Including evidence of a much needed hair cut.

Learning about the advent calendar. 

And wondering where the heck the chocolate is.

 

Four stockings hung with care this year!

Me and my second trimester are fighting

You know if my kids ever do actually read this blog I am sure my second born is going to wonder why I have written so little about being pregnant. It's a fair question. And while there is a lot of truth to the statement 'it's different with your second',  I actually really hate that women default to saying stuff like that.  Yes, this pregnancy is totally different, but for what it's worth  it's actually different (aside from the almost 6 months of puking I have endured) in a lot of great ways. For instance, I actually feel MORE excitement and LESS anxiety this time around. I think I just know what to expect. I know how to be a mom, I am excited about holding our newborn vs. worried I am going to break it.  And you just get on with it you know? The world stops less often for you when you're pregnant with your second, if you can understand that.  :) And you get way less massages from your husband. For the record.

So here's what IS the same though. For whatever reason I do not get along with my second trimester. I remembering counting down the DAYS with Rory until my second trimester started with a child like excitement built from promises of "your second trimester is like the honeymoon of being pregnant".  Those days didn't show their happy little face until my 3rd trimester.  I am definitely on the same train with baby #2.  Pregnancy bliss awaits in the new year. I just know it.

Until then, here is an update.  We've decided NOT to find out/tell you what we're having.  I know, aren't you shocked?   So here's why, the day of our anatomy exam was hectic. I went into emergency with bad stomach pain in the morning and ended up learning I had a cyst that had burst.  Which if you're curious, feels just like you're having a baby or passing a kidney stone.  Without drugs.  So I had been up all night and by the time our ultra-sound actually happened, I had already spent 4 hours in the emergency room at Mount Sinai with some freak running around with tuberculosis that they couldn't quarantine.  You can just imagine the mood I was in by the time I met Peter for our exam.   So let's just say our exam was less than I/we had hoped. The sonographer had a bedside manner that left A LOT to be desired and for a number of other reasons we just decided we would let the world know who we're adding to our family, when they arrive. There we have it.

I am off today. The flu is going around our office and I think I caught it.  You see - second trimester = fighting. The baby is kicking. I think they're telling me to cheer the heck up or to eat a cupcake. Probably a cupcake. :)

Seventeen Months

And such a little man! 

Times like these

Love. XO

Simple Things

After what seems like a long stretch of ridiculous busy-ness, we finally had a quiet weekend to ourselves.  Long overdue and much needed. You know... I seem at some point to have forgotten I am pregnant. Twenty two weeks pregnant actually. I would be lying if I wasn't honest about the toll the last month has taken on my body.  Selling a house is WAY more work than I bargained for. I am exhausted. Actually, I need a new word for exhausted because I am so bloody exhausted.

On Friday at my doctor's appointment I actually told my doctor that I don't think I have the energy to make it through the next 18 weeks.  Dead-panned, she asked what I thought I should do about that, and I told her that I really could only think of one way. "Well, I think I should keep being angry at the world and sleep straight through xmas and hope the new year looks brighter."   Kidding, Kidding.  For a moment she did think I was serious. I then told her that I need to hit the gym in a big bad way to get some more energy, and she of course was very supportive.  In fact, if I want to avoid another round of pre-eclampsia and other pregnancy complications I am already feeling, it's probably actually the only answer.   Me and my big mouth.

So far so good... And what, it has been like a whole two days. ha. So wish me luck getting there tomorrow morning ok?

We had a great weekend with Rory.  This kid has been SUPER patient with the lack of undivided attention lately. But you know... he's pretty easy to please these days. He teaches us every day that life really is all about the simple things, and he doesn't need anything too complicated to make him happy.

For instance, sometimes a large package of toilet paper makes the best seat to read for a while.

That contrary to popular belief sometimes the package IS just as good as the inside. This is one of Rory's xmas gifts. He sits and stares at the pictures on the side of the box everyday and then climbs on top as if he is riding the real tricycle inside.  Sometimes your imagination is way better than the real thing anyway.

That in a room full of toys, a guitar is still always better.

That a $3.00 broom can make a kid THIS happy.

And a sunny November day in the park can make a whole family smile like this.

Wall of Same & Cousin Love

I found this picture on Friday tucked inside Rory's cubby at daycare.  We think this might be his daytime persona after we drop him off? Who is this kid?

And then I find this old photo of Peter (taken before our time) and realize he comes by it naturally. His Da is all attitude as well. :)

We had a delicious dinner with Peter's sister and family tonight. Rory seems to be coming down with something, but stalked up on a whole lotta cousin love to make him feel better.

Flipping the parenting switch.

This morning I read a great post called "Giving them Wings" from a blog that I love, Cheaper than Therapy.   Ali talks about parenting, and made a great point that as your child gets older... parenting actually gets harder.  

She does give the proper credit to the baby stage.. the sleepless nights, the doubt and brand ‘newness’ of being a mom, the breastfeeding, the endless diaper changes and trips to the pediatrician is HARD (it’s fresh enough in my mind that I can remember just HOW HARD), but says that the baby stage is really about meeting needs.  And we all eventually figure it out, and the sleepless nights and particularly hard days with an infant are always something that a good coffee, bottle of wine, and a little cry with your mommy girlfriends can surely cure.   But then something interesting happens...  And it’s almost all of the sudden. You walk into your child’s room in the morning and realize you no longer have a baby,  you have a little person staring back at you.  And YOU are responsible for the human being this child is going to become.  So I guess her point is that this is where the work begins... where you really have the opportunity to make an impact on your child's life or alternatively screw them up forever.

Ali struck a chord with things that have been on my mind a lot with Rory lately.  Her children are older than Rory, but he is very much his own little person now.   A little boy that is learning new things every single day. Things that we can’t always control, and certainly things we are NOT teaching him.  So his words, his actions and most importantly how he responds to people around him are all things we need to worry about and focus on guiding now.

My favourite quote in Ali’s post I think is, “these are things that don’t come with a manual and you can’t buy the tools you need at the mall. You have to fly by the seat of your pants and hope your ass holds up. And hope that you did something right”.

We’re making a lot of changes right now that are ultimately going to effect how our children grow up. Their environment, their stimulus, their day to day.  I get really emotional when I think about it.  I just really want to make good decisions for them. I want my children to know we did everything we could to give them a childhood filled with love, fresh air, family, music, fun... and opportunity. Opportunity and the space to do and be anything they want to be.

So far, I think we have a pretty good kid. We haven't had an "incident" report from Rory's daycare where he's been the instigator (yet), and Rory spends more time blowing kisses and hugging than hitting (so far), and when there are enough toys to go around I would give him a solid B+ on sharing too. So if parenting is a spectrum, I am hopeful we're falling on the north end of the "not totally screwing our kid up" end.  And may just be doing a few things right as it begins to matter more. 
 
Rory saw his cousin Noa on the weekend and they were SO cute together. All he wanted to do was touch and hug her.  Here are some of the super cute pictures aunt Sarah captured. 

Sneak Peak

To just SOME of the changes ahead.This will one day be home. Can you even believe it?

I don't think I can... yet...

 

Where have YOU been?

Oh, just kicking around down here while you do a million other things. Remember me? Your growing little baby?  How about I send you a little bout of severe nausea to remind you that I am down here hanging around?  K, mamma?

Message received little one. Message received.


20 weeks... can you even believe it?  Me neither.  Aside from the ridiculous nausea (and the return thereof), this already is the BEST BABY EVER. You hear that little one???  I can call you the best baby if your brother is now a toddler, right? BEST BABY.

I know you're putting up with a lot right now, but it's all to make a wonderful life for you and your older bro. Just you wait, you're going to love what we're setting up for you.

Guess who has a sweet tooth?

This kid. 

Am I a bad mom if I have let my 16 month old have a sucker. Right before bed?

Rory didn't exactly make it out trick-or-treating... let's be honest, he's a bit young. But he did have a Halloween party at his daycare, and loved giving candies out to the kids last night. Except one rather scary duo who he told to "GO" once they had their candy.

I hope everyone had a great halloween!