Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

The Bee doesn't mind...

Summer in the Rockies

Where we've been...

The Flavour of Summer

Soft

Baby Update

The Babe had her first shots yesterday. She is a lovely 23inches long, weighing 11.3lbs. That puts her directly in the middle of the range.
She cried that cry that breaks your heart when she got the needles (total of 3, ouch!) but it didn't last long. At least we know she has healthy lungs too!

You Take the Good, You take the bad...

Yesterday morning it felt like there was a little ray of sunshine shining right down on us. The kids and I had a playdate with Mrs. M and her wee lads. The sun was shining, the music was playing in the car on the way there, children were peaceful and calm. The kids played together quite well (as 3 toddlers can), no one got hurt or even had a time out. The mom's got to visit and have grown up conversation. It was like a mini vacation in the insanity that is our lives. And trust me, it is insane. A lot.

Fast forward to today. We picked up Auntie Shishi and headed out for a fun morning at Riley Park. Beautiful sunny Saturday morning. It wasn't too busy, the water was perfect. All seemed well. Alas, the jungle monkeys were back. The boys acted like they'd been caged up for weeks and were making the most of their newfound freedom. So, it seems they had a very fun time, and Auntie Shishi and I are exhausted!






















Grown- ups: 1 (yesterday)
Toddlers: 1 (today)

Photo Love

As you may, or may not, have noticed I have added some new links. I'm feeling totally jazzed about learning some new photography skills. THere are some great photo blogs and websites out there, that I am totally taking advantage of. Feeling inspired!
So, you will be seeing a lot of photos up in the next while as I experiment and learn new things. If only I could get my kids to 'feel the love'...

Sweet Baby

Pititful

This shot kills me!

Peek

2 Months

I have always loved little babies. I know they don't really do much, but whether it's just the new-ness of them, or the way they will just snuggle into you and go to sleep (sometimes), it's just so unique and short lived. To be enjoyed thoroughly. Especially as a mom.




This month The Baby is getting even better at holding her head up. She is also very good with her feet. Sometimes she will dig her heels into her crib and 'scootch' around. She has very strong legs and likes to stand up like a big girl.

She has started telling 'stories' if you talk to her and listen. And one of my favorite things in the past week or so, is she has started smiling!












Hanging with her 'home boys'.

29 Months

What? Again? Already?! Just catching up...

The boys have been having a great summer. Sure, they are crazy and loud and stubborn and downright obstinant and unruly at times, but they are also smart and sweet and clever and exceedingly handsome.

Word of the month: delicious! Said with much vigor and determination. Or sometimes just 'licious will do.

Kicking It

The latest adventures of the Charming Husband...

1 Month

The Baby. Her debut!










The first three weeks went very well. Eat, sleep, eat, sleep. Then it all fell to pieces. It seems The Baby is a bit colicky. Tummy troubles. Or the 'guts' as our Dr. put it. There are times when she will only settle if I am holding her. Not that I mind holding her, but it gets difficult to get anything else done. Luckily it's not all the time, and generally not at night.
She's a very strong baby, and has been working at holding her head up since she came home. At 3 weeks she was 9lbs, 4oz. Just right.


We're so happy with our sweet little girl!

28 Months

Oh so late...but worth the wait! Photos galore! The boys like the new baby well enough, but they are generally too busy to pay her much attention. Summer is here. Hurray!













First time running through the sprinkler. They call it the shower.


























My mom warned me that my boys would seem so big after we brought the baby home. She was right! So grown up in an instant.

Gone Fishin'

Ok, not really fishing, but on vacation...all I ever wanted.
OK. Hardly. We all no there's no such thing as a 'vacation' when two 2yr olds and a 2mo old are involved. In fact 'vacation' really means the same craziness as you have at home, but you just take it on the road. And you sleep less.

Still, we have been on 'vacation' at my parent's place this past week. Hot, sunny beautiful Rocky Mountains. And cold, kicky Kicking Horse River. Unfortunately, no phone or email. Their system is down and awaiting repair. Sort of relaxing not to have them, but it can also be annoying.

Anyway, lots of photos and lots to update. The Baby is still colicky so I feel like I am way behind on things, but will do my best to catch up ASAP!
Loves to you all.

Houdini Bee

Many of the doors in our home have childproof safety latches on them. It's just a small sliding latch at the top of the door, so that our children can't open them. Because they can't reach them.

This prevents the kids from flushing stuff, and emptying the toilet paper roll, escaping to the garage, and re-arranging our bedroom every second of every day. It also keeps them in their own rooms at naptime and bedtime. Crucial to the peaceful, happy flow of our home.
One afternoon last week the boys were in their rooms for a nap and I was trying to get the baby to follow. Much to my surprise a little blonde head pops up from downstairs. Very pleased with himself he is calling, Mommy? Mommy? Daddy? Daddy?
Maybe I'd forgotten to latch his door?

However, this happened again the next day. I promptly took him back to his room to let him know it was still 'nap time'.
He them figured out that mommy makes him return to 'napping' so he figured he might as well watch a little tv, or pile up all the toys from the playroom into his bedroom before coming upstairs. Oddly enough, he only did this at naptime.

Until today. This morning instead of waiting for us to come and get him, we hear this happy little voice coming up the stairs calling, Mommy? Daddy? and up pops his little blonde head.
And while we are amused by his cuteness, we are really more astounded by his amazing feet of escape. We have no idea how he is getting out of his room.

A Birth Story

Everybody's got one.

I know you've been waiting with baited breath...
For whatever reason, I do feel the need to document the occasion, as many have done before me. If only for myself. And you internet.
I will try to keep it brief.
Feel free to skip this post entirely if it's just TMI.

First of all, I was concerned about how I would know when it was time to go to the hospital. Last time my water broke, and that was a pretty good sign for me. I figured if it didn't break this time, how would I know?
Ummm...not an issue.

I'd been having crampy (crappy?) Braxton Hicks contractions all day. Lots of them. But I normally have a lot, so I wasn't overly anxious. I had a Dr.'s appt that afternoon, but with no great panic. I was 3cm's at 3pm. My Dr. (or rather her replacement as she was away on a 3 week vacation) suggested it may be early labour, but maybe she'd see me again next week.

6:50pm
Intense labour contractions start. Maybe 5-7 minutes apart. Did I mention INTENSE.
Call nice neighbour to come over to watch kids until sister can HUSTLE IT OVER ALREADY! (She kindly watched the twins with my mom while we were away)

7:00pm
Throw bags in car and race to hospital while honking and using flashers to get people out of the way. Did I mention contractions getting closer and more INTENSE?
Luckily it was not still rush hour and their wasn't too much construction on Glenmore Trail or baby would have had to been named Glenmore. After her birth place.

7:15ish (I didn't really check the time here)
Arrive at hospital. Freaking out about contractions as they are still close and INTENSE. 6-7cms.
Get checked out by maternity ward, they dawdle around a bit and move me to a delivery room, while I loudly request a freakin' epidural already.

7:16-8:12
CH and nurses try to help me while we wait for the Epidural Guy. He's on another job. I request louder. Contractions are getting closer, longer and INTENSELY PAINFUL.
Epi Guy comes and fumbles around a bit. Almost gets into fist fight with CH. Everyone is getting INTENSE.
My water breaks. Watch your shoes!
This is out of control! Epi Guy finally finishes. Thanks for nothing.
PUSHING!! I will refrain from going into too much detail here. Let's just say I was 'unprepared' emotionaly and physically for the INTENSITY of my natural birth. I had fully expected to be drugged and relaxed.
Oh yes, and the on-call Dr. arrived somewhere in there. She was lovely.

8:13
Hello Baby!
A few stitches and everyone is friends again. Except us and Epi Guy. We're not friends.

*noteworthy*
I was watching Veronica Mars when my contractions started. Just a random episode on tv. Coincidence??

Dance Hall Days

Where do grown married women with breastfeeding babies and small children go to dance?
Why, their cars of course! Bustin' a move with a little classic MJ. It doesn't get much better groove-wise.

Honestly, where should grown women who don't want to go to bars, or even dance with men go to dance??
There was a time when my very best girlfriend and I would go out every weekend to a stinky bar just to dance. We'd go early before the 'crowds' hit. We were bar nerds. Drinking water and dancing for hours.
I don't miss the bar. At all. But sometimes I miss the exhileration of dancing for hours, sweating and losing yourself in music. Dancing at home can be fun, no doubt about it, but it's not the same. You try the occasional Christmas party or wedding, but it's not the same either.

What's a suburban mom to do?

Delicious

We had one of these delivered this afternoon. Amazing! Ours came with a duck. Gack, gack!

As pretty as flowers, and more fun to eat!

Many thanks to Aunt C.

And So It Goes...

The Baby wanted all of my attention this morning. Which is difficult when you have siblings (hers, not mine). I tried to explain this to her, but she cried anyway. Maybe that's why she cried...?

And then the boys were into kissing. Me. On the mouth. Which was super cute, and just a tiny bit gross because I'm a Virgo and they were a bit slobbery. They were pretending to leave. They had their old easter buckets full of plastic balls and they would say 'Goodbye' and come over and give me a kiss and then pretend to leave...wherever they were going with their buckets full of plastic balls...
The Baby got a couple of good kisses on the head too. Kisses for all!

But now it's afternoon and I haven't had a shower yet. And I'm eating chips. Out of the big bag. Because that's how CH have decided to bring Sexy Back. One chip at a time. And reading Woman's Health.
Good health to you!!

And by the way. Where IS everyone? They better not be over at FaceBook. That two faced...book. Sure it can be fun, but I find it overwhelming. Like finding out you suddenly have fans and paparazzi and everyone wants your autograph. Everyone wants a piece of you.
I spit my gum at Facebook. Now I must go check for messages...on Facebook.

27 Months

Daddy has been busy building in the back yard.

Ok, the boys were 27 months weeks ago. But better late than not at all right? I'm not sure how I'm going to continue in this format. Add another update for the baby? Do one update a month for all of them? Not sure, but I'll figure out something. I just need it to be relatively quick and easy to do, so I will be sure to continue...


View from the big tub.

The boys have been great. Mostly. With so much going on just before the baby and certainly after, they've done very well. There has been some acting up, but who could blame them. Since this update was due so long back, maybe I'll save more details for the next one coming, and just throw out some photos.




More backyard fun.

As handsome as ever...




Lovin' their new Thomas the Train shirts!

Hello World

And here she is....Little Miss Sunshine herself...I haven't decided yet what her blog name will be...not that you don't all know her name anyway, but if the boys have 'blognames' she has to have one too!


First car ride.


All in pink.


New crib.

She Was Born on a Tuesday Night...

Emery Sara Ellis
7lbs 13oz 19.5in
May 22 8:13pm

You may call her Baby Em, or Emmy (but not Oscar or Golden Globes). The photo is not so good, but in the mad rush to the hospital we forgot the camera so our really nice doctor (that we just met moments before) let us use her camera phone!
More details and better photos will follow....must feed and change baby...need sleep....all is well!

Quiz

Ok, feel free to play along...
What's more fun than being 38 weeks pregnant?

a) Being 38 weeks pregnant and having swollen hands and feet. Because nothing says pretty like thick ankles and man hands!

b) Being 38 weeks pregnant and the PUPPS. I guess I should be thankful it hasn't spread past my stomach, but the itching...oh the itching...

c) Being 38 weeks pregnant and having a SINUS INFECTION. Stuffy and snotty AND rationing the tylenol.

d) All of the above.

If you guessed (d), you win! I can feel your envy.
And because I'm not ALL about complaining, on the upside, my skin has been quite lovely lately. Dare I say a little glowy. It's a nice change from the first couple months of breakouts.

And in fun news, Congratulations to the MWB's on their beautiful new arrival. I'm sure details will soon follow!

Weekend Update

I was away over the weekend.
Can you believe it? CH and I went away. Without the children. For the first time. My fun-loving mother-in-law came in from out of town with two helpful and wonderful neices in tow, to look after our kids and WE WENT AWAY!!

It was the first time we've been gone over night. CH was worried that the boys might be a bit freaked out going to bed/waking up without us, but I think they managed quite well. In fact they have taken the past few days to get back to the reality of just me and them again after all that undivided attention and non-stop over stimulation. Apparently they were very well behaved while we were gone, but not so much when we got home!

Anyway...we got to spend two days in Banff at a wedding. CH was a groomsman for a good friend. I was a little nervous being so close to my due date, but I was determined to make it away for the weekend, if at all possible.
We stayed at the fabulous Rimrock Hotel, in a room with a stunning view of the mountains. I even managed to book myself in for a massage at the hotel spa! How indulgent of me. And we slept in the world's most comfortable bed. Not that we had time to relax as much as we'd like, but I could have stayed there all weekend.

The wedding was in a small chapel on main street on Saturday morning followed by brunch at the Banff Springs. Cheers to the new Mr. and Mrs. and congratulation to them on their most beautiful and happy wedding day!

I took photos, but have not downloaded them yet. It seems that anything requiring any amount of effort is quickly falling by the wayside and just sitting here at the computer is incredibly uncomfortable.
No baby action yet, but will keep you posted!!

Happy Mother's Day

I too have a Good Mother.

Thanks Mom for all you do. For all you have always done. You're a blessing in my life.

Much love.
xoxo

7 Random Things

Ok, I've been tagged...

1. I'm a terrible phone person. Sometimes I avoid it like the plague. I don't know why. Oddly enough I've had a couple of jobs where I had to talk to people on the phone. I survived, but it hasn't improved the avoidance in my real life. It has nothing personal to do with who is calling me.

2. I have always thought I would have a daughter. I really hope we get along.

3. My first pet was a dog named Butch. He was already our pet when I was born. We got along great, but I've always been a cat person. I'm pretty ok not having any pets right now. I don't need any more messes to clean up.

4. I'll be 37 later this year. I'm getting a little freaked about turning 40 already.

5. I'm looking forward to having sushi when I'm not pregant anymore.

6. I'm afraid of fish. Touching me. Snorkeling creeped me out.

7. I wish I could sing. Well. (I 'can' sing, just not well enough that anyone wants to hear!)

And so I must tag Mrs. M, Mrs. Sweetpeas, and Mrs. Wonderful!

Baby Birds

I'm still feeling quite hooked on the little birds theme. I had at one time considered doing something with it for the boys, but it really fits much better for a nursery. It seems like little birdies are everywhere these days, which is fun. I'm thinking of painting or putting something together myself, but it hasn't really happened yet...big surprise! Oh well. I'm really not pressuring myself to do everything beforehand. The baby is going to be around for a while, and we'll have plenty of time to add decor or whatnot. At least the baby gets her very own room this time. That's a good start.
(that's my story and I'm sticking to it)

I think this would look so cute in the nursery. I need to do some looking around locally so I can find some fun artwork close by!

The littlest birds sing the prettiest songs...

Have One for Me (or ten)

Cheers!
I'm not a drinker. Never have been. Generally it's a total non-issue. But then there are days when I think it would be a good time to start...

I'm not going to, but part of me would just like to spend the day drinking these.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Latest Obsession

It's not mine. It's The Bee this time. And it's Thomas. Otherwise known as Toot Toots. With a strong emphasis on the 'ts' at the end.
Oddly though, he doesn't recognize him as a train. He is a bus. Or simply toot toots. Go figure.
My mom brought the boys a couple of dvd's which came with cute little toy engines a couple of weeks ago.
I was happy with the newly added variety to our viewing, and The Bug likes them well enough, but it is The Bee who LOOOOOVES them. It's probably a good thing that they are both not totally obsessed about the very same thing. I don't think I could handle it. The Bee will even choose playing with his train engine over eating his dinner. Now that is saying something.

My grandpa was an avid train enthusiast his whole life. He was also very mischevious and would spend hours playing games and being silly with his grandkids. My grandpa passed away several years ago, but I think he and my boys would have been the best of friends.

In the meantime, we will have to go check out the big (little) train this summer at Heritage Park. I suspect it will be a big hit.

p.s. The Thomas show at the park is completely sold out. Just our luck!