He drank up all the water..

Went for Liam's fourth swim lesson today. Andy got to see the little fish in action, and even videotaped it! He needs to do some editing on all the clips, then I will post it on here for sure. Liam started his day off tired, but still had blast in the water. He didn't sleep good last night, even threw up, due to guzzling his bottle. After swimming, he fell asleep in the car as we ran around doing a few errands, and woke up when we got home. He hadn't slept en0ugh, so he wasn't the happiest. Andy cleaned the fish tank, and we took Liam for a walk. First to the chinese market, then to the drug store, then down to Rotary park, where we witnessed a near drowning in the wading pool, due to a mother's carelessness. She let her 1 1/2 year old play in the wading pool by himself, while her and a friend were a good 10-15 feet away, gabbing. We thought he was just playing and dunking himself in the water, apparently he was struggling in the water, and couldn't get his head above the water. She rushed in and pulled him out thankfully, but can we say "stupid"? Or irresponsible? He was a couple inches taller than Liam and the water was up to about his chest. She should have been in the water with him! Nonetheless, he was saved....

We walked around the park area, then around all the side streets, laughing as Liam giggled at the trees. We had a great time, and tomorrow will do another huge walk.

Went to mom and dad's tonight, so they could show Liam his new swing. He absolutely loved, was going hysterical with laughter in it.

Should run though, need to switch our swim stuff to the dryer, and get to sleep. 4 hours last night just didn't cut it. And tomorrow is Liam's last swim lesson, and he should get his starfish badge. Saturday we are going to Cardel to swim. They apparently do a parent/tot swim program in the fall that is inexpensive, so will definitely take advantage of that, and probably meet Amanda out there. Night all... my eyes are too heavy to hold up...

He Must Have Been A Fish In A Past Life

Liam with Mommy at the park

Liam had a busy day today. He had a huge breakfast--his favorite right now is oatmeal with apples, peaches and bananas. It's from an organic company--yes, he prefers the organic baby food. Now, I don't blame him. I have tried some of the baby food, and read the huge lists of ingredients. Some of it tastes disgusting, I'll admit it. Some of the ingredients, such as spices, lentils (yeah, that's give them to a gas prone baby), lemon juice, chicken fat (yes, it's in a few of them), are truly not necessary to an immature palette. The organic products at least have simple ingredients and taste good. And they agree with him, that is the big plus!

After breakfast, I got him dressed in his adorable swimming outfit. My mom bought him matching swim trunks and a swim shirt, both of which have UV protection built into the fabric. He knew something was going to happen, and was excited as soon as we got in the car. As we got closer to the pool, I told him he was going to play in the water, and he squealed. We got into the pool, and he turned into a little fish, blew a few bubbles in the water-granted he choked a bit, but he didn't cry at all. The teacher was sooo proud of him! And we are the only ones in the class, which works out well. He had an absolute blast, and wanted to stay in after the lesson was over. My mom took a couple of pictures, and will take lots more tomorrow, so they will be posted in the next few days. We went to McDonalds after for lunch, and he fell asleep on the way home. The swimming must have wiped him out, as he napped for 3 hours!

Liam with Grandpa P.

Tonight we went walking around the neighbourhood with my parents, and down to Rotary park, where we played at the playground. Liam loves the swings and the teeter totters, and watching other kids play.

Liam loves the swings!

Tomorrow it's back for more swimming. Can't wait! Next Wednesday, I have booked a trial class at Gymboree for us. It's good that they offer a free class, then we can see if we want to register for more classes. I want Liam to experience as much as possible.

Should run though. Need to get back to my cleaning and baby proofing. Night!

Shot night

Had a slow relaxing day today. Went to Wal-Mart first thing this morning, to buy some Liam-proofing supplies. Was in the baby section and the power to the entire store went out. That store can get amazingly pitch black really fast. Momentary panic set in, until the lights flickered slowly back on. Relief. Then they went out again, and announcements over the loud speaker, advising staff and customers to head to the front of the store. A few cart collisions later, I weaved my way to the front of the store, just as the lights were coming on. There is always something happening when I shop there, I swear! Managed to finish my shopping; bought door catches and corner protectors. Andy's parents gave us baby gates. The reason for all of my panic? Liam is crawling. Not just dragging his bum pitifully across the floor. Nope, he is on all fours and ready for action. He pulled out all the video game cases last night, and enjoyed turning off the cable box repeatedly. And he loves the idea of opening and closing doors. He had a look of confusion on his adorable little face when they wouldn't open anymore. We also put a screen over the cable box and dvd player. Will do more baby proofing tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that.... You get where I am going with this.

After the Wal-Mart adventure, I dropped the car off to get the windows tinted, and headed home. We gave Liam breakfast; he loves his oatmeal and fruit. And yogurt. He can't get enough of it. We bought him 3 packs of mini-go's tonight. That should hold him for a bit.

Went and did our grocery shopping tonight. Managed to cut my grocery bill by about $55. I'm getting really good at this! I am so proud of myself!

All is well with the doc's appointment for me. Switched my prescription so that should help. And Liam's check-up went very well. He is 31.5 inches long (11 inches more than at birth), 26 pounds 9 ounces, and right on target for his age and then some. I'm so proud of my little peanut.

Tomorrow is still up in the air. Not quite sure what we will do, definitely water the plants and a walk in the morning. Then after his nap, we will go to mom's so I can clean up the car and visit.

Liam starts his Starfish swim lessons on Monday. They run for the entire week, I can't wait! He absolutely loves the water and it will be good for both us to learn about different ways to play in the pool together. My mom is going to come and watch for the first 2 days, then Andy will come the last 2 days.

Should run though. Need to do my shot, and try to get some sleep. He's been stirring for awhile now, but he is still sleeping. Night! And to all of my readers who don't leave comments, tsk tsk!

A Trip To The Dentist....

Yes, my hand is in a cow's bum!

So today I went to the dentist. I went for a routine check-up, cleaning and x-rays. I guess I shouldn't say routine, as I had been avoiding the dentist for quite some time. Not a fear thing, just a "I-am-lazy-and-don't-want-to-go" thing. So off I went today with dreams of sparkling teeth and a big smile. Well, my "neglect" is leading to 2 more cleaning sessions, I had to fight gagging on the x-rays (I gag very easily), and to say the least, it really hurt. Yes, it was hurting. Not in a I can't stand it kind of way. It was uncomfortable. My gums are still sore. That is not the worst of it. I have cavities. Notice the plural usage of the word? Yes. Cavities. I have avoided them all my life, never been cursed with a single one. So I have not one, but four. Three need to be treated/fixed, while the other one will be monitored. I have an appointment next Tuesday, and they will be removing my top right back tooth. It is not a necessary tooth, not worth repairing, as there are two teeth missing below it, so it doesn't even aid me in chewing. Then I go back twice in August for the remainder of my cleaning sessions. I better be able to see myself in my own teeth after that! Just kidding. In September I go back for two fillings on the other two problematic teeth, and a repair on a chipped tooth, due to my not-so-innocent tongue piercing. And yes, my tongue piercing is not in my mouth anymore, and neither is my lip piercing. Two very smart moves on my part, done slightly too late, but nonetheless, hopefully the damage will repair itself. The one thing I will say is, thank goodness for benefits. And the goodie bag they gave me was definitely decent--the usual toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, breath mints, mouthwash, and the best and most ironic part-a Starbucks gift card. Now that's one way to ensure repeat business at the dentist--promote something that stains your teeth! Too funny!

Liam and mommy

After all of the torture, I returned home to see Andy and Liam. They were doing well, and Liam was quite excited to have me back home. I've found when he is really tired, out of sorts, or teething, it's best that I am with him, otherwise he can be a little fussy. He had a huge poop, which required four hands and most of a package of wipes, then was off to sleep. Slept for 2 hours, I gave him another bottle and laid down with him for another hour. All in all, three hours of sleep, and he was happy as anything when he woke up. Went to the mall tonight and met up with my parents. Walked around, got him some new t-shirts from Old Navy---I love that store, and had dinner there. Came home and put him to bed. Long but easy day.

Have been putting off cleaning the house again, but will definitely get caught up on it tomorrow. Are thinking of going to Sunterra Market tomorrow--my mom got Liam some organic baby food there, and I'd like to check out their selection. I also have a coupon from my birthday for a free slice of cheesecake. I'm all for sweet indulgence, so will definitely take advantage of that one. In the afternoon, Liam and I have our doctors appointments, so we can find out how he is doing, and we can find out my test results, and see if we can figure things out. And Liam will be 10 months old tomorrow! How the time flies!!!

Should try to get some sleep soon. Leave your comments, just so I know who is reading this! And Jane, I will show pics of Miss Lucy to Liam tomorrow and see if he says "hi" back. Too precious! Goodnight all!

When Do I Get To Relax?

Has been a busy few days. Went to doctor today for some concerns with myself and for Liam's check-up. He fell asleep though, before we got there, so we made the decision to re-book. He has been wiped out all day, as we were going non-stop all day yesterday. We went to the Sun & Salsa Festival in Kensington for a few hours, went to visit mom, then drove out to Okotoks to see Andy's parents for turkey dinner. It was alot of fun, we went for a huge hike to the river, had a delicious dinner, and had a good visit. Liam crashed on the drive home, and went to bed shortly after. His teeth have been bugging him too, and the heat gets to him a bit, so all in all, poor little guy!

Am going back to the doctor on Wednesday for my blood work results, then we can see what is up. If you're that curious, you can email me if you want. Otherwise, I will try to give details in a few days, depending....

Other than that, went to visit my parents tonight, and Liam went walking with my dad in the backpack carrier. He loves it, and hangs on to his shoulders.

Tomorrow I'm off to the dentist, and for our usual walk with Liam in the morning. He always has to check out the front of our place, and loves the garden stakes...

Wednesday, Andy is taking the car to get the windows tinted. Thank you Mr. & Mrs. H., Liam thanks you too! After that, it's off to doc for Liam and I, then maybe to the gourmet hot dog shop. I love that place, and I want to give them the hotdog towel we bought them. Thursday, sigh, Liam is having his third round of shots, hopefully he reacts better to them than last time. And Friday, well, the days events will all depend on how Liam is. Guaranteed is a a trip to Superstore for sure! We shall see if we can do anything else.

Until next time, good night!

It's a crazy busy week,

Hope Y'all Had A Good Stampede

It has been a very busy week, so blogging has been out of the question. But I shall try to cover the past week or so in a blog...

The bbq at the funeral home was excellent. Liam had a great time, got to visit with tons of our neighbours. And the food was fantastic, we over did it, but it's stampede time...

We went to the zoo on Tuesday with Emily and Chris. It was a beautiful day, and we had an awesome time. Liam loves the outdoors and the animals.

During the week we were back and forth to my parents house, preparing for the yard sale. Friday, we hit the Stampede. Liam had a blast, really enjoyed the animals, and we got some adorable pics! It was Quebec day, so they were giving out coupons for poutines---they were huge! So yummy though! And we bought a bag of beer nuts to share, a tradition started by my grandpa.

Saturday and Sunday were spent doing our yard sale at my parents. The weather was great, busy as anything, worked on my burn/tan, and we walked away with $200. Liam played in his pool both days, he's turning into quite the little swimmer--kidding.

We used the money to buy a breadmaker, can opener (the one that doesn't leave sharp edges), a salt and pepper grinder set, pool toys for Liam, a folding kiddie chair for Liam, and random other things. Definitely worthwhile... the breadmaker is sooo much fun! The first go at it turned out a little bigger than we expected, but it was still tasty. We also bought a carrier backpack for Liam--he gets bored with his stroller, and he's too heavy to carry in your arms, so the backpack should work well.

Tomorrow we are off to Aidan's mad hatter tea party. I found Amanda some tea cup and saucer sets at the garage sale across from us over the weekend, so hopefully they will work for her. Should be fun, and Liam loves being around kids.

Should run. Enjoy the pictures! cheers!

Broken Down

It was a low day today. I woke up exhausted, as did Liam. We didn't sleep well, which I knew was the start of a bad day. I couldn't shake it off, which was rubbing off on Liam, who was as tired as I was. And he was having a hard time napping today. It was a day of frustration and alot of tears. Later in the afternoon, after having an argument with my parents, and hanging up on them numerous times, things got a bit better. Coffee kicked in, I vented it all out, and Andy woke up. He is off for 3 weeks, which gives me an immense sense of relief. He played with Liam while I cooked our not-orange sweet potatoes--they were soooo good though, despite the lack of normal color--they were white. Barbequed drumsticks and sweet baby carrots... definitely a plus to the day. I'm in a way better frame of mind. Liam fell asleep at 7:30, has woken up twice to have bottles, and is STILL asleep... not sure how the night will go, but we shall see. Hopefully he's not up too early.

Tomorrow is the stampede BBQ dinner at the funeral home. Sadly, I'm a geek. I love it. I love the theory of it. I look forward to it every year. Good food, good company. Love it. This will be Liam's first year there. Should be awesome. We are taking Liam to the Stampede on Friday. We'll see how it goes, stay as long as possible, show him all of the animals and rides. Should be fun for all of us.

And we will be hopefully going to the zoo on Tuesday with Emily, Chris and Kayden. I love it there, and Liam has really been enjoying it more and more.

Lots to get done this week, need to sort through all of our stuff and get it ready for next weekend's garage sale. And keep the laundry and cleaning going too, mostly tomorrow.

Should run though. My bed is calling my name and I'm almost there. Cheers all!

Love CAN Conquer All...In Many Ways...

Apparently love can conquer all. She is not leaving her husband. He has agreed to go to counselling and do whatever it takes. He took the kids to a waterpark. He worked--a bit. He spent the day with the family. He has until December, or she will leave for good. She had all the lawyers booked, the U-Haul was booked, and her mind was made up. The love each other dearly, so we shall see. Hopefully he makes good on his word and his promises. For the kids sake. For her sake. And for himself.

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A woman I went to high school with, and worked with later on passed away at the beginning of June. I found this out through facebook. It gave me shivers reading her tribute page, watching a video of her taped less than a month ago; she had a smile on her face. Thinking of her family, friends, her husband, and, the worst part, her 2 little kids. She was my age. Beautiful, genuine, sweet, outgoing, and she had such a bubbly personality. She touched everyone's life that she was a part of. She was an excellent mommy--she was expecting the last year of high school. I remember that well, she was scared as hell, but excited. That is how she lived her life. Apparently her last days were spent in sadness and inner pain. Her family wishes to keep her death private. Understandable. They are devastated, as it happened so quickly. Some saw it coming, others did not. I am deeply upset by all of this. I knew her through high school, I was friends with her friends, I chatted with her from time to time. She loved soccer, her friends, and her kids. She loved life as best she could. She definitely will rest in peace and in our hearts.

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Liam went swimming in his little pool for the first time yesterday. He absolutely loved it! He splashed and laughed at himself. He has been busy scooting around on his bum lately, and trying to pull himself up on anything that will hold still long enough. He was saying "hi" alot tonight, it was so adorable. He does something new every day it seems!

I think the reason why her death has hit me hard, is that she was a mom. To 2 children. They are the most adorable children, they look like little angels. The pictures of her and them, they looked incredibly happy and sweet. Now they have no mother to grow up with, to share their lives with, their adventures. They will not have a mom to wipe away their tears, share their laughter and secrets with, to grow up with. Not only did we lose a beautiful young woman, 2 innocent little children lost their mother. That is something that I find completely unimaginable. She was one of the those people that you could just picture being a great mom. She was so loving and passionate. How do you explain that to children... that their mom is gone because, put simply, she was too sad to live. Yes, they are young, but, their little hearts and minds will never forget their mommy. I truly hope she has finally found peace with herself.

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Onward...have been postponing cleaning the past few days, but will get caught up over the next few days. Did my shot on Wednesday night, and it hit me really hard the next day. Was exhausted, and moody, and had wicked headaches. Also have a few other health issues going on, but we shall see how I feel after they are taken care of.

Am going downtown with Liam and mom tomorrow, see what is going on for stampede down there. Will be going to the annual stampede bbq dinner on Monday night at the funeral home--yep, that's right. Good food, family and friends. We even have a cowboy hat and western shirt for Liam, can't wait for our little cowboy to go.

Weight loss update: Andy is down another 5.3 pounds, so he is down 64.8 pounds! WAY TO GO! And I lost another 2.8 pounds, so am down a total of 27.6 pounds (total 71 after Liam!!).

Should run, need to make bottles, and get the dishwasher at least loaded. OH! And switch the laundry. Dang it! Cheers!

Happy Canada Day!

Baby Ty---such a little man!

July 1st already! The time seems to be flying by, and I have not blogged in a few days. This will hopefully be a short one, as I need to get some sleep!

We went to see my cousin Jen and her new babes on Sunday! Ty is definitely a darling, he's had a bit of a rough start, but I am sure that he will be okay. I held him, watched his tiny little hands and feet squiggling around, and my heart swelled. He is definitely smaller than Liam was, had to make a bit of an adjustment. Such a cute little man though.

Last night, Emily and Chris came over with Kayden. He is now a week old, and such a charmer. He definitely won me over. We weighed him at about 6 pounds 3 1/2 ounces, give or take; a little smaller than his birth weight, but he's healthy as anything. And very strong! I was giving him a bottle, and his little fists were next to impossible to pry off the bottle. Such a little sweetheart. Andy took to him immediately too! And Liam was fascinating by this little wiggling bundle-he was getting very excited about it all!

Andy with Baby Kayden---they bonded right away!

Liam has been doing well, a little fussy today, but he didn't have enough sleep last night due to a late nap. I gave him Baby-Go yogurt with oatmeal, apple, mango and kiwi for breakfast today, and he ate every last bit. He loved it! He's definitely developing his taste buds, and is getting more and more willing to try different foods, especially fruits. He eats better fruit than we do! It was his first true experience with yogurt, well, dairy for that matter. He was a little bloated by the end of the day, but who's to say it wasn't the green beans as well?! They don't tend to agree with him at the best of times, even in small amounts. He's been eating alot of organic foods, and non-processed foods, and they seem to be working out well for him.

And he's been desperately trying to crawl, and he has managed to pull himself up to a standing position by the couch a few times. He stands there and hits the couch, so proud of himself!

Went to Wal-Mart tonight with mom, dad and Liam. Mom bought Liam a faux-suede black cowboy hat and western t-shirt, so he will be already for a stampede bbq that we are going to next week. He's going to look like such a cute lil cowpoke!

Should try to get some sleep, Liam is stirring quite a bit, so I don't know how the night will go. And we have weigh-in tomorrow. I think I've lost around 2-3 pounds, but will confirm it tomorrow. Kind of slacked on drinking my water, so will get back on track asap! Cheers!