He won

You're 1, You little ball of fun!

Oh goodness gracious we have hit the 1 mark. So many things to say on so many levels but in this post I want to focus on you.

You are just a special treat to both me and your father. We (probably like most parents) think you are just the greatest in the world and guess what? You really are. You amaze us with your sense of discovery of the world. Your unconditional love for those that love you. Your contagious laughter. Your love of silliness, games and so much more.

This will probably be my last post of your little accomplishments for awhile. I have a private place I can interact with you. I really wanted to document your first year of life. Mainly cause I had so many questions towards others and I just figured if you had these same questions maybe you can take a little gander at this blog.

So what are you up to? Well you love your books. Really love them. In particular, Dr. Seuss (anything Dr. Seuss) and "Flip Flap Fly". I have just recently managed to smuggle a few new ones in as I am getting a little weary of the same books. Probably how you were a little weary of "Good night moon". But really you are starting to just love books. You will grab them flipping the pages, babbling to yourself as you look through the pictures/words. It is too cute!

You have officially started walking a few weeks ago. As your father said, you started off like a baby giraffe but you are getting quite sure of yourself as the days go by. And with that comes more action like ball pit jumping. shaking your "shakers", dancing to Raffi and Disney music and playing "ever so gently, in your 1 year old way" (sense sarcasm) with all your little friends on playdates.

And speaking of friends you have a number 1 friend in your household named Bentley. Most days he is trying his best to avoid your lovely pets. But other days he will play a little fetch with you, even to my disbelief let you take the ball out of his mouth. Such a good dog and such a good daughter. Really the best time of the day is meal time for both of you. Something that is going to get our puppy a little chubbier in the coming years.

Little one. Happy birthday! Seek happiness, Love and be loved and live a wonderful life. It really is just the beginning. The journey is yours and we can't wait to tag along for a little bit of it.

Love
XOXOX

Fall time

Every year I have one of those fantastic moments with fall. This morning it came again. I had to do an early morning dog walk, something I haven't done in a very long time (talking possibly pre-pregnancy). 

Loaded the car, got the diaper bag ready, snacks, leash and ball. Dressed x 2. And off we went. Quite a feat since I usually like to 'wake up' in the am. 

Well lucky me. There was few people at the park. A lovely fog surrounded the area. And I got to be present when it lifted. Sun breaking through the clouds.  Blue sky. Amazing amount of spider webs lit with dew/frost (which I coincidentally read about and this is the time of year you see them in abbundance). Crisp air. Red, orange and yellow leaves. And the smell of wet leaves (that I actually like). 

I heart fall. 

Love my friend

Remember this post. Probably not because it was so long ago. Regardless I have one more truly great and amazing person to talk about. Someone that I am so eternally grateful to have in my life. My wonderful friend, Casey.

Casey and me have been through a lot together. Just like Jeaninne, our friendship was pretty much solidified in high school. Although we did meet earlier, in jr. high, grade 7. She was one of the 10 girls that was in my jr. hight school class. All of us having moved schools to the big jr. high and me knowing no one. I remember she was pretty outgoing and could talk to anyone. Me, shy as can be, didn't really say much to her. I think her lasting memory during that year was my pink sweater (it was a lovely sweater). The year of grade 8 came and she got transferred to another jr. high (who knew that she would later come into my life and stay).

We lived through our high school days together with loads of laughter. We would have gym dates where we would just stay in the locker room and talk for hours then go eat some fast food. We would check out football games, see endless movies (where i would so eloquently fall asleep), have endless talks to the middle of the night during our sleepovers.

She came with me for the first couple of years of university and was my bar friend every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (hello academic warning to me). Both of us did loads of different schooling and then managed to go back and wide up in fairly similar careers of nursing (she likes more acute and littles vs me liking more subacute and olders).

With that we have quite a bit in common. She is my girl when I have had a bad day at work as she understands more about what I go through then most (really nurses understand nurses). She loves to craft, craft shopping and marketing. She loves to bake and homemake like me (and makes a killer grilled cheese). She let's me vent. She makes me laugh. She listens like no other. I love her kids (like seriously love them to bits) like I love my own. And quite frankly she is an amazing friend.

I don't know what I would have done in this maternity leave without her. She (with some other special people) have been lifesavers as I have adjusted to my new role as mother and life with babe (something I would never change or go back for). Her experience, advice and just her listening ears has been so special to me and meant all the world.

love you Casey!
xoxox

Oh you make me laugh

We are at baby Laptime.

Lately you haven't been into the bouncy rhymes or face to face work. 

But you love the noisemakers. 

Especially the shakers. 

They are egg shaped shakers.

Today you got two. 

You eagerly shaked them around. 

Then you saw one on the ground. 

It was too hard to pick it up with both of your hands (quite frankly your hands were full)

Not going to be undeterred. 

You put your head on the ground and tried to put it in your mouth...

While grasping the other two shakers. 

You make me smile. 

I love that you never give up my little munchkin.

Xoxox

Love

All the leaves are falling

As I've been watching the leaves change colour and fall to the ground this week I think it is safe to say fall is a coming. Hot apple cider, fall boots, crisp air, pumpkins and harvesting veggies. All the goodness of autumn has come upon us.

But with all the goodness I feel the need to reflect what summer gave us. It was my first summer (in I don't know how long) that I never worked. It will probably one of my last summers as well.

It was full of sun. Water, water and water. Water balloon fights with water guns, much to my daughter's disdain.  Hopefully she gets over that dislike. :) Baby pools, splash parks, outdoor pools, city hall pool, legislature pool, beaches, and the epic "slide in the city" involving us to slide down a humungous water slide down the streets of Edmonton.

Other fun summer events involved good eats. Green onion cakes at Taste of Edmonton and the Fringe. Hot dogs at the legislature and the market. Food trucks. Lemonade. Lots of BBQing, steak, hot dogs, burgers, chicken, shish kabobs, corn, potatoes. Harvesting fresh veggies, eating homemade fries, cooked beets, raw peas, raw carrots and green bean delights. Plus pickling and more pickling. Beets, cucumbers, and green beans (32 jars)!

Visits to the petting zoo, riding the merry go round at K-days, fireworks at symphony in the city (plus Disney music delights).  Seeing Newsies. Going out to dinner with my lovely girlfriends. Hospital visits. Checking out summer movies. Marketing. And of course dog walks with my partner.

Plus my personal favourite, visiting my parents. An incredible trip with loads of visiting, touring, and relaxation.

It was an amazing summer. Farewell high sun and welcome low sun and cool evenings.
xoxo
love

11 months and counting

Oh my little but not so little one anymore. You are losing your baby face and starting to look more toddler-like everyday. You are full of life, love and goofiness. You mimic our laughs when we laugh, our coughs when we cough. You babble when we talk, even reading me a story or two in your own little language. I think I hear a few more sss, mmm, baa sounds in your little lips.

And let's just say you are everywhere and anywhere. Lots of new games, like me putting all your toys in either a tupperwear container, pot, basket....really anything and you tearing through it and dumping it everywhere. Ha Ha. We need to work on you putting things away next. ;) You also enjoy, "catch me mommy". That involves me chasing you around or holding you down as I try to change your diaper or clothes. RASCAL!

You love to climb up our stairs squealing with delight. Especially if it involves shoving a piece of dog food into your mouth or spilling all the water on the carpet. You pull all the DVD's off the shelf, go in our cupboards, and pull apart my dresser drawers or laundry basket. Plus you take apart the toilet paper and occasionally explore the toilet. Really you are just full of mischief and busy as can be.

You are itching to walk like no other. So much so that if we have done a few laps around the house with you holding my hands and I decide to take a break you may just "breakdown" yourself as you didn't want it to stop. You have a love/hate relationship with your walker as you love that it takes you places but hate it when you bump into things as you can't seem to steer it away from walls yet. I have caught you scaling the walls walking and your dad says that you took a few steps towards him the other day.

Yup, walking is on your mind. Dog walks have kind of made you a little infuriated as you don't want to be stuck in a carrier or stroller at the moment. I have even made a point of taking your walker to the dog park and let you test it out on the paved paths. AND people find you absolutely adorable, "What beautiful blue eyes and hair you have." You are catching everyone's eye.

Summer is almost coming to an end. We managed to do quite a bit. Picnic lunches with our mom's group, lots of swimming at both beach, outdoor pool, splash park and legislature, visits to see second cousins and great great aunts, corn maze shenanigans, green onions cakes at the fringe, and visits to the park. Plus we can't forget catching the olympics from time to time! Lots of fun.  And you definitely had it! You are pretty fantastic to go out and about as you are definitely a social baby. Anytime you see an older child you go right up to them with a big smile on your face and shout, "Da, Ba!"

As I say, look out world, she is a coming! :)
love

BBQ delights

"We should have everyone over if Sandra is coming."

He says this a week into being sick. A day after a six hour wait for a test. I stare at him in disbelief.
"Let's do it simple," I replied.
"Sounds good," he responded.

The guest list went out. People volunteered to bring food, salads, chips, smores and buns.

7 hours prior to the dinner party, he starts to make his meal.
Raw veggies of green beans, carrots and peas.
Cooked beets, home fries (four trays).
Homemade hamburgers, hot dogs, and steaks (shallot sauce included).

And guess what? We had leftovers (with plenty to give to people) and plenty of food to have this weekend. We had plenty of sun. We had plenty of laughs with water balloons and water guns. We had plenty of good conversations (my favourite is the GoT references). We had a really good time.

So end result. We should have had everyone over and we did. Good job, love

xoxox

A moment

Going to Grandma B's home.

Hanging with my friend, my second mom with my friends little (and not so little ones...4 and 6) with my little but growing one. 

Take 1. Grandma B decided to take the gals to the park. Mine cried all the way there. On the swing. All the way back. 

Take 2. Grandma B took the gals and guy to the basement to play. Everything worked splendidly until the guy left leaving the littlest gal in tears. 

Take 3. Grandma B still having the gals and the guy said that she would love to take all three and for me and my friend to go for coffee one day. "Go for an hour and half". 

In that moment the guy ran off with a toy, the littlest gal started to whimper. "Okay maybe you two could just go and mail a letter." 

Such a great afternoon. Loved the offers and the visit. And she really is a great honorary grandma. 

Love

look at you, you are almost ten months old

When they say to watch it, they really do grow up before your eyes...its true. Thinking back to how little you were to now it is pretty incredible. Not only that but to see what has happened in your shore little lifetime. You've gone from head control, to body control, to crawling control to now standing (with assistance)...and I know that you will learn more and more but I am truly savouring the present as your littleness will leave us so fast. Too fast.

Already the teeth are coming by the mouthful. You have a total of 6 now with two more cutting through. And let's just say you have been taking full advantage of the food situation, using those chompers to the best of your ability. Dad's green beans, peas, snap peas. Not to mention pasta, mexican food and french fries! YUM. And with summer has come lots of fruit. Nectarines, oranges, watermelon, cherries, blackberries and raspberries. Plus the continuation of strawberries from the garden. I've taken to making lots of muffins for you too with all our fruit of plenty. You seem to be enjoying this morning snack.

You are also saying a few words. Dada is a big one. In particular at your Dad. I guess we could say that Dada is your official first word (sorry, Ga aka Gam or Grammie). You like to whisper Dodododo lots and direct them towards the dog with loads of encouragement. I caught you on camera the other day meshing "whose that?" Probably more "whoosdat" and a couple of other sound like words. It's starting....

You continue to crawl up a storm. Library programs are your favourite as you like to tear down all the books off the shelves. Ha ha. In the morning I just sit on the couch as you go from kitchen to tv room to living room leaving havoc in your wake. Ha Ha. DVD's everywhere, your toys strewn apart. I finally had to baby proof the cupboards so that I wouldn't have to pick up the cans of food and casserole dishes everyday.

We have also bought you a baby pool to hang out in. That way you are occupied when your father and I would like to have a "spontaneous" water fight. HA HA. You have expressed your immediate displeasure when we spray each other with our water guns. However when the water balloons came out and I got one on the head you broke out in the best belly baby laugh we have heard in awhile. It was hilarious. You actually love to laugh. And when you do, I laugh, resulting in you laughing some more. Laughter really is contagious! :)

We have been doing quite a few summer festivals with you in tow. I don't know if you are all too pleased with them but you are tolerated our indulgences in our summer food. Taste of Edmonton green onions cakes and dips in the city hall pool. Kdays Hot dog enclosed in a pickle and battered in a corn dog and you giving in to the carousel (on the bench). Heritage days/dog walk. Picnics in the park with a little spray park fun. Markets with some petting zoo animals (that you may not be quite ready for yet as you clung pretty hard to me). Lots of dog walks wth Dad (and sometimes me). Plus you have had some meetings with your other baby friends at a few outings like Street Performers, Park outings and the library. 

Summer has been treating you (and us) pretty good, so far. We shall see what awaits in August!

love

Let's go to the east!

We were off again. Myself and babe. New Brunswick bound. This time for a whopping three weeks! And you know what?! It was pretty fantastic! As per usual I was nervous flying. Why oh why would I choose a midnight flight with a baby??!! But guess what. It was only one (slightly) rough day with no jet lag for both of us as we recovered nicely with our lack of sleep one day to our tremendous amount of sleep the next in the right time zone! Yay! Note to self: would totally do that again (although not with Mark, he hates those flights).

Once there mom and dad had all my favourite foodie things: sugar doughnuts and raspberry jam, mussels, lobster rolls (and lobster), tuna burgers, poached apples and pork chops, gumdrop cookies, and butterscotch pie. YUM. And yup, time to start working out for moi!
For the first little bit the babe did a bit of strangeness with everyone. But slowly and surly she warmed up to Grampie and Grammie (or Gam, or Ga as that seemed to be said by babe and Grammie exclaimed, "She knows my name!"). Every morning she would have some grandparent time as I would sneak off to bed. Lots of play and then her outdoor walk with Grampie as he tossed her on his shoulders and paraded down to the woods. Apparently they did lots of chatting throughout.

Then we would all rest for a morning nap and be off to whatever the day brought. That would be visiting relatives, going for ice cream down the street, and visiting relatives. Uncle Ron, Aunt Barb, Aunt Mary, Nan, Cheryl and Keith, Margaret and her partner, Kathryn, Josh and their little man, Ian and Karen and their kids, Rino and Beth, Heidi and Ryan with their little man, Jason and Angela and their three, and let's just say the whole village of Stanley.

No joke about the last statement. On Canada Day everyone that I saw with Grammie would go, "This must be your granddaughter." Yes it looks like I am related to a little mini celebrity. Speaking of Canada Day, Grammie had their own float for the "Quilters" that Grampie drove down. Very exciting. And the parade, although small had heart!! Wheelers, farm animals, fire trucks, with candy, chips and freezies to hand out to all the littles.  And there was the "Village of Stanley" float where they did an honorary mention to both MY Grammie and Grampie for their work on the council. Way for me to think about the generations and the history of this place (i.e. my summers with my grandparents and my little love for that place). Plus I had the added bonus of seeing the fireworks with my husband on FaceTime as my dad was on fire duty and my mom was babysitting.

Another trip involved seeing the camp that my Grampie helped build. I don't think I had been there since I was a little girl. We had sandwiches, did the tour around the place, walk the beach, admire the lake. AND admire the butterflies, sample the wild strawberries and catch a look at the tadpoles. Downside those blackflies were out. Upside, babe seemed to have to reaction to them even as she got bit, poor thing.

here was some downtime away from the little one at times. Mom and I went to bootcamp a couple of times, yoga and of course got to see a bunch of movies on their android box. PLUS my indulgence Orange is the New Black and Game of Thrones, the later that I still haven't stopped thinking about. Gosh I love that show!

AND I had some Dad time too, kayaking the Nashwaak, twice! The first was slightly shallower than the second as I may have had to get out and push my kayak out of the rocks. Nashwaak 1, Tracey 0. But then the second time around I rocked it. Nashwaak 1, Tracey 1. Plus at that time my husband had come so that is always nice.

Plus I got the ultimate tour of the firehall. That's right, fireman's daughter right here. I got to try on the uniform (heavy), go in the truck and look at the whole hall and check out the vehicles. Very cool. Don't think I could do it though, even though Backdraft is still a favourite. That is tough stuff as that uniform is heavy and I wasn't even hauling a hose or anything. YIKES!

AND so I don't go on and on here are a few other things done. I got to go running in the evenings. Running legs are a little rusty but they got activated! We visited Killarney Lake where sand was eaten and baby tossing in the water was had. Hysterical giggles had by all as many spectators couldn't stop laughing as well. BBQ's with family. Dipping in the kiddie pool. Dipping in the river. Visiting a covered bridge, suspension bridge, oh my!

And then Mark came for the last week. Tours of the Woodsman museum, Fall Brook Falls, Region Museum in Fredericton where we saw my Great Grandfather's crutches. Walks on the bridge in Fredericton. Real fish and chips by the lake. Tours of Stanley where we had some ice cream and saw a black bear! Church dinner with real strawberry shortcake and three jelly salads with marshmallows!! Then walk through the Baptist and United church cemetery.

And my personal favourite thing to do was sit on the veranda in the screen room at night swinging on the swing. I loved hearing the bullfrogs croak and looking at all the lightening bugs in the night sky. Another fond memory of my childhood as I remember when my cousins would collect them in jars with grass on the bottom (they never stayed lit...i wonder why? wink wink). I would in turn sit with my grampie, aka my buddy, as he would make moose calls out in the distant. AND he was pretty good too.

Then we were on the plane again. And might I say, flying with two is way easier than flying with one! I even caught a movie this time around. And we survived with fewer meltdowns than usual, even with a three hour delay.

I found this visit brought on quite a bit of nostalgia for me as I was bringing my little girl to a place that I would visit from the very city that I am currently in. I will treasure this trip just for that.

love