Memories After Midnight

Our baby is 4 years old!

2011-09-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

It was 4 years ago today when we welcomed Liam into the world with open arms. I remember the rush of emotions I felt: fear, strength, love, passion, happiness, completeness, and pure and utter joy. I never thought it could be possible to love someone so incredibly much. To devote myself to this little person. To have someone depend on me. Need me. Love me unconditionally. Make me smile. Make me dance. Make me sing lullabies at 2am. Make my heart swell with love and joy when he smiled. When he laughed. When he held my hand. When he slept. When he crawled, walked, played. I can't imagine my life without him. He has completely and utterly changed my life, made me a better person, and changed my entire outlook on everything.

I look at him now, and how far he has come, and it amazes me. Every day is a new adventure with him, and I love every minute of it. Happy Birthday to our little man! Mommy and Daddy love you so very much!

Coupons Coupons Coupons

2011-03-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the title of this blog doesn't really sum up the events since I last blogged, but it is pretty close. I have been getting more and more into couponing... It is definitely therapeutic, I'll give it that, and rewarding. It keeps me occupied, it helps us save money, and increases my slush fund for savings. Simple.

Since the beginning of March, by using coupons, I have saved $86.51. I managed to save money on grocery items, shower gels, tons of motrin gel caps---$5.00 off a 60 or 72 count bottle? I'll take it! I ended up buying 5 bottles. I made sure to check the expiry dates, and made sure that prior to coupons, the item was already on sale. It has been a successful coupon month, and I can definitely see next month being even better!

Some tricks I have been learning:

If you want coupons, ask for them. Write to your favorite companies and request them. They will usually be more than willing to send them out.
If they are printable coupons, print more than one. It sounds simple, but it helped me save $25.00 on Motrin.
Costco does not accept coupons, other than their own.
Again, be organized. Use envelopes, use an accordian file, keep track of expiry dates, etc.
Check with major grocery stores if they accept competitors coupons--some will, and can save you more money in the long run.

Keep a running total of how much you save. Write it down on the calendar how much you save at a time. Add it up at the end of the month, and transfer that money into a savings account. You'll be amazed at how it adds up!

And clip, clip, clip!! Check in-store for coupons, they sometimes have them down aisles right by the product. Grab a few--never the whole stack--and keep them for future use, when that item goes on sale! Sounds silly, but try to look at your flyers as you look at your coupons. Use your coupons on the cheapest price!

Until next time, happy clipping! Our weigh-in is tomorrow afternoon! :)

I Love Coupons!

2011-03-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

Coupons are every where. In newspapers, in magazines, on store shelves, attached right to products... You get the idea. With today's economy, budgeting is key. Being frugal is important. Saving money on day to day needs keeps the money in your pocket, not in the store. Grocery prices slowly seem to be on the rise. I have always loved "a deal". I love clipping coupons--it's almost my zen point. I also get excited when going on the hunt for new coupons and calculating how much I could potentially save.

Key tips for coupons:
--Only clip coupons for products you already use. Don't just use a coupon for the heck of it--you're spending money on something that you might not use.
--Cashiers sometimes look down on coupons. Have experienced this first hand. Always know--they're jealous of you saving money... okay, or they're just ticked of as you're slowing things down.
--Keep organized. Use envelopes, or get one of those mini accoridan files. Keep track of expiry dates.
--Co-op accepts all competitors coupons, even superbucks from superstore. And Superstore has a wall of coupons usually in their entrance, and sometimes they have awesome deals!
--Keep an eye on your flyers--don't run out the door when you get a coupon--check your flyers, find the lowest sale price, then use your coupon. Get the lowest price. Simple. That is how I got Irish Spring shower gel for $0.99 at Shoppers (it was on sale for $2.99, and I had a $2 off coupon)
--Write to your favorite companies and tell them you love their product-usually you'll get coupons. Or sign up for their email clubs, you will usually get coupons via email.

As for the sites I use, some of them will mail the coupons to you, others you will print yourself.

Canadian Free Stuff Not only are there coupons, there are also links to free stuff.
Simply Frugal Again, coupons, free stuff, tips on frugal living, etc.
Web Saver Coupons, coupons, coupons....by mail!
Canadian Daily Deals
Mrs. January
Bargain Moose
Save
P & G Brands

Also, when I am running low on coupon sources, I usually hit up google and search: canadian coupons, or canadian grocery coupons. It'll bring up tons of hits, just sift through for what you want...

I have figured, since January, I have saved over $150 by using coupons. So, if any of you need help with couponing, let me know! I'll be glad to help! Until next time, happy clipping! And happy saving!

Back on track!

2011-03-10T22:25:00.000-08:00

Munching on hummus and pretzels....figured I can relax and blog a bit! We started back up with our weight loss clinic yesterday. It is definitely a step in the right direction. I am back up to almost my highest weight, which scares me. I've also noticed my back and legs have been getting more painful--possibly MS, possibly my body rejecting carrying the extra weight, possibly both... hmmm... Nonetheless, we're back on track. I went to Costco today, and it was the first cartload I have ever bought there that wasn't full of crap. I bought tons of veggies, lean meats, and a low cal cookbook to boot! Back on track? I think so. Just have to stay on track...

Liam had another great day at school--he has definitely improved by leaps and bounds since he has started, not to mention in the past few months. I sometimes worry that by going to preschool 4 days per week, versus the standard 2 for his age, would be pushing him too hard. But I think the pros outweigh the cons in this case. He is interacting with his classmates incredibly well, participates in all the activities, and has discovered his mommy's love of arts and crafts. He also enjoys creative movement, or gym class...They even have them doing dance yoga! And he'll be back to school tomorrow, even though we were seriously debating keeping him home, as he was beyond exhausted tonight.

All in all though, I love being on the go. Taking Liam to and from school four days a week, dreading my growing pile of laundry for the weekend, trying to plan various activities for Liam for spring break at the end of March, and attempt spring cleaning next week when Andy has 8 days off. My spring cleaning is basically gutting the house room by room, and exhausting myself. Then doing it again in the fall, rotating toys and books to keep Liam interested. And did I mention? I have to do healthy meal and snack planning and re-organize my recipes and kitchen supplies.... Yep, I like to be super busy... And also fix the enamel on our tub, re-do the seal around the tub... Yeah....

Back to my hummus... sooo addictively good! Thank you Costco for selling a 2 tub pack of Tribe! Til next time... eat healthy, live happy....

Room to breathe....

2011-03-07T22:17:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to blog for months now...But things have been hectic to say the least. Especially the last week, it seems, so that is why I've got my popcorn and the 'puter, and am ready to roll. As long as Liam doesn't wake up mind you, I should be able to entertain my faithful few blog readers for a bit at least...

Frustration has been running high the past week. Liam has been proving to be a challenge, to say the least. In January, the pediatrician confirmed what we already suspected--that Liam is high functioning autistic. We knew this of course, and I have to admit, it's been easier since we heard the diagnosis. He now has access to so many resources now, such as an aide at school, speech therapy, psychology, occupational therapy, etc. He soon will be set up with an agency who will not only give him an aide for school, but someone who will work at home with him. And also set up therapies. And hopefully get him to eat---that is the biggest struggle, and is becoming harder and harder to deal with--not only emotionally, but financially! He will eat anywhere from 5-10 baby food jars per day, plus yogurt and milk.

It may sound like I am making it out to be horrible, but there are days where I am truly ready to quit. Then there are the amazing days, when all factors are working with us--right amount of sleep, no tummy troubles, ate alot, no chinooks or harsh weather changes--that I would do it again and again. His laugh, his play, his mannerisms, his love of long car rides, and when he says he loves me... Makes the sometimes rip-your-hair out and cry your eyes out days worth it... It is definitely a constant battle. To get him eating. To get him proper care. To get him all of the therapy he needs.

It has also been the most difficult now that Andy is back to work full time. I have noticed the really bad days are when he is back at work. Not that I can't handle looking after him, he just misses his daddy. He kept saying tonight "I lost him" and wanted to go see him...

So, needless to say, it's hectic. I take Liam to school 4 days a week (sometimes he only makes it for 3). Most kids go twice a week, but it was recommended he go for 4 days per week, for maximum therapy benefits. And because his school is a 20 minute drive from our house, I tend to run errands, hit the mall, or hide out in the library. Then, when not feeding him every hour to two hours---baby food doesn't have staying power, I try to go all domestic-cleaning, cooking, cooking make ahead meals for the freezer, coupon clipping--nope not extreme, can't do that in Canada yet. Sundays are our lazy day--I tend to push myself too hard during the week, so I'm exhausted on Sunday. I also fight with Liam during the night--he hasn't quite figured out the concept of sleeping through the night.

Even with my so called "down time" after he crashes at 9 or 9:30, my mind is still racing. What do I have to do tomorrow? What am I making for dinner? Did I stock up enough on baby food jars? Oh crap--need to vacuum. Oh, still need to do this or that. My mind never stops--seriously wish it did--it's like an anal to-do list on repeat.

But I've learned my calming devices. Writing lists--multiple ones at times, clipping coupons, bubble baths (love it when Andy is off), cooking, recipe hunting, recipe converting to make fave recipes low fat... And my parents---as shitty of a day that I have, I spend time with them, or talk to them on the phone, I tend to calm down. They have definitely been my saving grace. And Andy... he lets me vent it all out as much as I need to...

My popcorn is almost gone, I'm trying to think of what to make for dinner tomorrow night--tonight's ham and asparagus strata kicked some serious Martha-ass by the way, and what I need to do to get Liam prepped for school tomorrow, what phone calls I need to make, keep tracking down Andy's late paycheque.... Yeah... should probably try to sleep soon... or cut down on the caffeine... or relax... or look up some info on ADHD? Night all... Oh!!! We're going back to the weight loss clinic on Wednesday---time to face the fat (facts) and start fresh!!

Halloween 2010 Was Spooktacular!

2010-11-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

I'm tired. Exhausted. Would love to spend the day in bed. But here I am, blogging, about my favorite time of year that has just passed. Halloween! I have fallen in love with it more and more every year. I absolutely love the crisp air, the pumpkins--not carving, the smell makes me queasy, just the look, the decorations, the costumes, the kids, and just the fun of it all. I look forward to it every year, and the decorations get bigger and better ever year! I'm truly in my element when decorating, and I love the reactions from the kids--and the parents--when they take it all in...

Liam loved it, to the point of being so excited, he exhausted himself multiple times, refused his costume, but loved all the kids at the door... The adult grim reaper that appeared at the door after 9, who wanted candy, wouldn't answer questions and wouldn't take off his mask?? Creepy. We followed him, and he disappeared faster than he appeared... hmmm...

Kept Liam home from school today, due to him being exhausted. We didn't get up until after 10am, and he was still tired. Took him to Bowness Park this afternoon and enjoyed the amazing weather.

Should run...off to bed soon. Enjoy the pics!

Ghoulish Times

2010-10-28T23:21:00.000-07:00

I absolutely adore Halloween. When I turn the calendar page to October, I start to get a perma-grin on my face, in anticipation of the end of the month. Granted it's only one amazing day, but the week leading up to it has found me running in circles! I've worked on decorating the yard the past few days, constructing a graveyard, scattering bones, hanging ghostly figures, and rigging lights. And apologizing to Andy for being Halloween obsessed. And being deemed a Halloween hoarder. Nope, I'm just a person who absolutely loves Halloween! I do all of the decorating for a few reasons, mostly for the kids, but also for the personal satisfaction it gives me.

Liam has even been getting into the spirit, asking to go trick or treating, and also asking about pumpkin carving! We bought 6 pumpkins today--cheap at Superstore!! Andy will be carving 4 of them, and the other 2 will go on bases with pieces that stick into it---I avoid pumpkin carving like the plague--the absolute site of the goo makes my stomach churn! Blech!!! Will definitely post pics of the pumpkins and all the decorations, and Liam in his Percy costume from Thomas the Tank Engine--he lasted in it for 2 minutes today at school. They did a party and crafts, which he loved taking part in! And he gets to do it all over again tomorrow, with his other class!

Should head to bed, am still chilled from being outside all day.... Night!

Fall is Definitely Here!

2010-10-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

Calgary weather can definitely be unpredictable, we all know it! We woke up to snow this morning--yes, snow! Just yesterday, I was at Grams' house in the sun, pulling plants and loving the sun! Needless to say, it's been a wee bit chilly today! Liam loved watching the big white flakes come down, slightly confused, but loving it!

Wednesday was our 5 year anniversary. I'm not much for celebrating, and sadly Andy remembered it before I did. We have a no-kill policy in our house, so I think that's why we lasted this long--just kidding everyone!

Liam is now going to preschool 4 days per week, and thankfully, has an aid that works with him. We have a few more sessions with the Sensitivity Clinic, as they are completing their assessments on him. Then we can move forward, and work on his weaknesses, not to mention, supporting his many strengths!

Managed to get 2 tickets for a Flames game last night from my cousin, so Andy and his brother had an awesome time! Andy even got his head rubbed by harvey the hound!

Decided to be crazy and carry Thanksgiving over to this weekend, and cook another turkey! We had an amazing turkey dinner last weekend with Mom and Dad in Banff--but I love to cook and have family over! So lots of prep and cleaning before Sunday evening, but it's worth it!

Will get back to PVR'd episodes of Survivor! Night all!

Back From Banff And Back To Blogging!

2010-10-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like fresh mountain air to put me back in the mood for blogging. Not to mention an amazing trip to Banff this past weekend, spent with Mom, Dad, Andy and Liam. The weather was perfect, the hotel--Charlton Cedar Courts, was excellent, minus the fact that we couldn't check in until 4:30pm, and they had no bagels or muffins at the continental breakfast, but that's minor... but a bagel with cream cheese, yum-o! Liam was the perfect traveller, even with a cold, and loved the drive there. We went on the gondola, and Liam, our little trooper hiked all the way with Grandpa to the weather station and back! I couldn't even make it that far! From there we did a hike around Banff Ave and the side streets, where we found a school playground for Liam to go to, while we waited for our much overdue hotel check-in. Got back to the hotel, finding out only that the rooms weren't quite ready yet, so we hit the pool, which Liam loved! Had a hard time getting him out of there! Then we headed up to our rooms, which had kitchenettes thankfully, and Mom had brought up turkey dinner! I love my mommy, not only for turkey dinner, I swear!... After dinner, did a walk on Banff Ave, and then crashed with Liam at 10pm... Such a little trooper! Morning was lazy, had brekkie, minus the aforementioned bagels and muffins, and went to Cave and Basin---note to everyone--the main building and interpretive centre are closed until 2012 for renovations--but the pathways were still open and gorgeous. Liam was starting to get owly, little wonder, as he was going non stop the day prior, so we headed to the van. Made the drive up to Lake Minnewanka, which made us decide we will come back next year to do the boat trips! Then it was on to Canmore for bathrooms and McDonalds, then back to the highway for the drive home. So you would think, with all that we did, and how tired Liam was, he'd pass out right? Nope, he trooped on, watching the scenery and playing with his toys, happy as can be!

He finally fell asleep tonight at 9:15, exhausted and still asking about the gondola's, or "gondolellas" as he calls them. We will definitely be doing many return trips there, and future travelling elsewhere, as he passed the night away test!

And to all my faithful readers, I will be back blogging as much as possible. It may not always be exciting, but just know, you love to read my babble, I know! Night!

Welcoming The New Year

2010-01-23T21:51:00.000-08:00

A new year always brings a fresh start, resolutions, and change. I have tried to follow numerous resolutions in previous years, but always seem to fail, so I'll go with the fresh start. I want to blog more often, definitely something that will happen. I want to take better care of my health, by losing weight, getting more active, etc. Do-able. I want to be more focused on tasks at hand, and be more organized. Could happen. Explore my creativity more. Again, could happen. But I definitely won't beat myself up over not doing these things, but I will try, that's for sure.

We had a nice, quiet Christmas. Liam wasn't too into opening his presents, but he sure liked all of his toys and books. He was especially excited about all the clothes he got too! I know, that will change once he gets older. Spent lots of time with both sides of the family, making Christmas last over 3 days! I am definitely thankful for everything that was given to us--it was very much appreciated!

We took Liam to the feeding support team at Children's Hospital a few days ago for a consultation. We are still having issues with his feeding, and decided that it was time to get help. The team was excellent, gave us great advice, and we will be going back there for repeat clinic appointments. It most likely is due to hypersensitivity, which affects not only his eating, but his hands and feet too. They are referring us to a team that deals with just that, as well as referring us to an speech language pathologist, which should help with his mouth issues. They were slightly concerned with his speech, which I am on the fence about, but we will take all the help we can get at this point.

This year already feels different! I have more energy, and more ambition to do things. Have been doing some minor repairs and projects at home, re-did Liam's room--with his new big-boy bed!, been doing lots of cooking and baking, and so on... Been taking vitamins daily and we booked our appointment for the weight loss clinic, which is next week. Maybe 2010 is the year for change and goodness! We shall see... It will definitely be the year for blogging, that's for sure!

Cheers all!

Back To Blogging Soon!

2009-12-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

So, I looked at the last date on my blog, and it was May 9th! I can't believe it! I can definitely say that things have been hectic since then, but still, I should be blogging... Keep your eyes peeled for updates, blogs, and I will hopefully get my foodie blog going again! I've got lots to share with everyone!

Ooops...It's Been Awhile Again...

2009-05-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

Okay okay...I'm slacking off on my blogger duties... So here goes, time to play catch up. Now, I know what you're thinking. Here she is, making a valiant attempt to reclaim some sort of blogger status, and she's promise to blog a heck of a lot more than she has been. True, I need to get back in the blogger world. I will try to blog more. But things get hectic around here more and more, and when it all comes down to it, I'm exhausted!

I went to the Spa yesterday and used the gift certificate that Andy gave me for Christmas. I switched out the pedicure for a facial--not due to having a huge fit when someone goes near my horribly crooked toes. It was a more of a "my feet are icky, they hurt, and should probably seek some form of medical treatment prior to exposing themselves to god knows what at a spa" type of situation. So off I went to the spa, for some "me-time". It was beyond worth it. Two and a half glorious hours of perfect solitude and relaxation. I had a 1 hour hot stone massage, which was amazing, followed by an intense facial--translation: "multiple layers of goo, scrubs, rubs, masks and creamy stuff--oh and 15 minutes of suffocating steam being blown on my face"--making my skin amazingly smooth. Then she suggested, more like went ahead with something incredible. She tinted my barely there, invisible, blonde eyebrows--to match my hair color! It was intense at first, I mean, I've gone almost eyebrow less for as long as I can remember, so you can imagine my reaction when I go to the mirror and see brown furry lines above my eyes! Not to mention alot of red skin around my eyes, due to waxing that area... I felt so incredible when I left there, and can't wait to go back!

Have had a rough week with Liam, mostly with molars/teething. Today was one of his best days th0ugh, and he didn't nap!! The spa definitely gave me a much needed break, as Liam had become alot of work this past week, and I was at a breaking point! He has been non-stop lately, exploring everything in his world and loving every minute of it!

I won a pretty new digital camera! I won it at Safeway, on those pull-tab tickets they give away at the cash register. I was in shock! Usually all I win is a few airmiles! Never a camera! Should be ready to pick up in the next few weeks! YAY!

Should run though, will try to blog more tomorrow! Night all!

I'm Failing As A Blogger... or am I?

2009-04-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so failure as a blogger is not something to take lightly in my world. Especially if I am the failing blogger in question. It has been almost a month since I last blogged. Don't get me wrong, I love blogging and all that it entails. Having the general public read about my mishaps, teething woes, food finds, random rants, and other crap-ola. But I digress...

Liam has been teething the past few days... yep, we're right back where we left off. He takes it pretty well, except for today, when, nothing went right for him. Mommy and Daddy couldn't figure out what show to put on for him, what he wanted every second. Apparently he had deemed us utterly useless, and went around howling to prove it! We finally figured out that he wanted to watch the Wonder Pets save the silly nutcracker for the 10 millionth time--and apparently "millionth" is a word, as my spell check didn't catch it! Score! He has been sleeping better though, which is always a good thing. That child doesn't function well without sleep--wonder where he gets that from--I'm looking all innocent, I swear.

I managed to badly sprain my wrist last week. Not just any wrist, my right wrist. I was trying to get into bed, and not crush Liam in the process... rolled my wrist, heard and felt a pop, and then my hand went numb. This was at 1 in the morning, no way was I going anywhere. Waited til the morning to get it checked out. Had popped a tendon, pulled some ligaments, and I think pinched a nerve. Nonetheless, it hurt like a bugger, am still wearing a brace, but it's getting better every day. Still have some tingling in my fingers, but not as bad.

Other than that, did a trip to the zoo, as the weather had been really nice. Have been going for lots of walks, trying to get Liam used to the grass... He's doing well on it now, wasn't too sure at first. Have been trying to get caught up on laundry, as there was a few pukey nights... sigh...

Went for Easter dinner with the family last night, at my Aunt and Uncle's house. Had yummy turkey and all the fixin's, and I made Apple Kuchen for dessert. Will get back to food blogging and post a recipe soon! It's sooo good! There was only one slice left, so it must have been good! And my cousin Kris, was amazing with Liam--they became buddies right away, walking everywhere. Who would have thought a 13 year old would have so much interest in a little guy?!

Did Chuck E' Cheese awhile ago too, for Aidan's b-day. Had a blast, but it was super busy, and I argued with a dad who was throwing the balls at skee-ball. Sorry again Manders, just didn't want Liam to get pegged in the head--was sooo close to it!

Should run though, need to check my email and watch the movie "Bedtime Stories". We bought the blu-ray, as we had a $10 off coupon for it from the Disney website.

Take care all! Cheers!

Revelations...

2009-03-17T21:40:00.001-07:00

Again, it's been awhile since the last blog. Things have been stressful, I have been in a bad relapse, and Liam is teething. Through all of this though, I've been keeping my chin up, as usual. Montel Williams was on Oprah today. He was discussing his battles with Multiple Sclerosis. The thing that touched me completely, while listening to him, was his passion, his vulernability, and his strength to overcome anything that the horrible disease throws at him. He suffered from severe depression, was suicidal, has non-stop pain throughout his body. He has a rapidly progressing form of the disease, increasing the unpredicatability of it. But there he was, on Oprah, telling his story. Telling it with passion, with courage, and with a strength that some would be blessed to posess. He focuses on the small things in his life, and treats every day as a gift. He pushes himself every single day, forces himself to get out of bed. He faces each day with strength and passion. His wife stays by his side, being his main support system. He lives every day with this debilitating disease. And he still smiles.

Yes, this affects me on a level that might not affect others in the same way. What I loved about watching him though, was, it proves that others can get through it. Second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day. He was very candid and bluntly honest. I appreciate that. Through watching him, I felt comforted and reassured. I know it's okay to have a bad day, to be frustrated with the disease, to question my diagnosis, and to be stubborn as hell. I can be anal. I can have a bad day. I can curl up in bed with Liam and just veg. I can have a good try with no reason. I can overcome what is thrown at me.

This past week has thrown me into a tail spin. The job that I got hired at, well, I have chosen not to pursue it. The stress of thinking about the job and all that it entails, put me into a relapse. I know better. It wouldn't have worked out, but I am stubborn, so I thought I could do it. I also experienced new symptoms, mostly stomach problems, and my depression/anxiety level was up there.

I'm not sure why I am blogging all of this, but I am feeling a sense of calm as the words scroll across the screen. Maybe I don't want to hide from it, and actually admit that this disease is getting to me lately. Mostly frustration. I hate the battle, but I love the fight. And I fight it daily. I want it known that I have MS, and I am trying different techniques to manage the symptoms. And I have an amazing support system, which is definitely the best part.

I definitely need to keep up the healthy eating plan we are on, and we have been looking at going to a gym, as exercise always makes me feel better.

I should head to bed... that's another thing I need more of... sleep! Cheers!

Birthdays, Turtles & Employment

2009-03-12T22:08:00.000-07:00

I admit, it's been awhile since I last blogged. My dedication seems to be somewhat lacking as of late. I promise my few but faithful readers, I will blog more. I swear. I promise. Yeah, we all believe that, now don't we?!

Went to Miss Emma-bean's second birthday party on Sunday. Definitely had a great time, once Liam realized that all the people there are okay to visit with, and that Aidan's room will always be there--he sort of gravitated to it. He's not used to large crowds of people, so he sought comfort in Aidan's room apparently-he especially liked the big boy bed! Emma was absolutely adorable--she wouldn't have it any other way--and was amazing at opening her presents! Thank you so much Manders for having us!
We are now the proud owners of 2 aquatic turtles. There is also a blood parrot fish--they always look like they are smiling--you can see what they look like HERE . The turtles are fantastic, very entertaining, and very healthy eaters. They were eating feeder fish and butter worms today, along with dried shrimp and romaine lettuce. Tasty combination for them, I guess! They know when it's feeding time and when it's night time, and are always curious when we go past their tank. They have taken on the names Hide and Seek for now, makes sense.

Liam is still teething, but the problem one finally cut, so it's a little bit easier on him. His gums are still swollen and he still has more to come, but as long as he has lots of sleep and bits of tylenol, he's his normal happy self. He's become quite the little ham, always ready to put on a show for anyone who cares to watch. He has learned to blow his nose, and also blows insane amounts of raspberries. He continues to amaze me more and more everyday!

Finally...I got a job. I am going to be doing personal care at a nursing home. The nursing home is beautiful and the grounds are very scenic--definitely different than some in the city. I start next Thursday--I can't wait. I mean, I love spending time with Liam, but I need a bit of a break. I also need to figure out/prove to myself if I can do it. It's part time, they're flexible with scheduling, and the pay is decent. We shall see how everything works out. Poor Liam has to be up 3 hours earlier than usual though, just so I can get him to my dad's house, as Andy is working my first day. Might make it easier on my dad, being so tired, Liam might crash easily for his nap. I've got 2 pairs of scrubs, will still look for a third. That way, I won't be having to do laundry all the time. But, the main part is, I have a job. The nursing home is giving me a huge chance, as I don't have very much experience, just the training I completed through school. So, off I go, to prove everyone wrong, and show them I can do it!

Tomorrow, we are off to the Science Centre hopefully. The weather is getting better by the day, so might as well get out and enjoy it while we can! Not sure what we will do on Saturday--time and weather will tell, I guess. Until next time, I'm off to bed! Cheers!

Traffic Court, Teething and Turkey

2009-02-27T22:59:00.000-08:00

Thank you Rubbermaid, for making extremely durable storage boxes. Liam decided it was the perfect place to sit today!

It has been awhile since I blogged last. Things have been hectic lately, but I am actually able to sit down for a few minutes and ramble! I went to Traffic Court on Monday to give a statement against the person that pulled the hit-and-run on me last year. Thankfully Liam wasn't in the car at the time, and I wasn't hurt. And also, chasing him down, though stupid, was definitely worth it. So, off I went to court, expecting to take the stand. Was informed that the reason I was there, was because he was fighting the careless driving charges, but pleading guilty to the hit and run charge. After sitting through other traffic offense cases, his name was called, the police and lawyer talked to him, and convinced him to plead guilty on all charges. I was more than happy with the decision, as it meant I didn't have to take the stand--I've done enough of that lately, and still have more of that to do in the future.

Liam has been teething like crazy lately, working on a stubborn tooth that finally had a point cut through today. He has other molars coming, which are making him a little unpredictable and fussy, but nothing like he could be. Otherwise, we've been spending lots of time at home, playing and watching his favorite shows. He got a copy of the new Wonderpets DVD today, so he was watching alot of that--thank you Mr. & Mrs. H.

Have been battling a head cold the past few days, which hasn't been fun, but it's not too bad. I've had problems with my sinuses all my life, so it doesn't really phase me now...

Made a huge and very yummy turkey dinner last night. Thank you mom and dad for the bird--it was perfect! I did the stuffing in the slow cooker, made mashed taters, veggies and gravy. Sooo good! We went to Coffee n' Scream after dinner to let Liam play, which wiped him right out. Makes me wonder if he's catching my cold, or if it's the possible chinook that will be coming, or all teething... Hmmm...

We bought an ice cream maker the other day. We found it new on the classified ad web sites I check out all the time. It had never been used! We have made 2 batches of ice cream so far. Last night we made a 5-Layer Bar Ice Cream--toasted coconut, sweetened condensed milk, pecans, graham cracker chunks, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. So scrumptious and completely sinful! Tonight we made an eggnog ice cream, which would be fantastic to top a fruit crisp with!

Tomorrow will be a lazy day. Andy goes back to work tomorrow night, so will be sleeping during the day. I really would like to get caught up on laundry--mostly putting it away, so we shall see. Will definitely try to get in a nap again tomorrow--had one today and it was amazing! I felt alot better when I got up...

Should run, gonna watch some TV then curl up in bed... I love my sleep! Cheers!

Stress, Teething and Exhaustion

2009-02-22T21:18:00.000-08:00

Grandpa P. & Liam
Haven't blogged in a few days, mostly due to being extremely tired. I tend to get overtired and blah when I get stressed, and my MS tends to flare up quite a bit. As well, I have an extremely sore left jaw. I think I have been clenching my jaw at night when I sleep, and I also suffer from temporal mandibular dislocation with both jaws-meaning, my jaw doesn't line up properly and clicks rather loudly. I can actually say I have a big mouth! So, needless to say, it hurts. Motrin has been helping alot and I know if I de-stress myself, I will feel better.

Went to Chinook this morning with Liam and my parents. Did a big mall walk, well, run. Liam was moving it pretty good today, and was so proud of himself. Dad and Liam went on the carousel--watching Dad turn white and look sick? Not good. They should really slow that thing down! I think that is why there is barely anyone riding it at any given time-they know better!

And Liam is getting smarter by the day. If I say "no" or "ta-ta" to him, he sticks out his forehead for a kiss to say sorry. If I am not facing him, he grabs my face and turns it toward him. It's absolutely priceless! He was a bit grouchy today, mostly due to teething--yep, he's still teething. It's been non-stop! He also hates being in his stroller now, as he loves to walk! Can get a little frustrating when we're in a busy store, but we make the best of it. I am going to take him to a quiet mall tomorrow morning and let him walk to his hearts content.

Tomorrow afternoon, I am off to court. This is one of the reasons for my stress and exhaustion. This is different than my own court case. I am going to give a statement against someone who did a hit and run on our car a few months back. He not only did the hit and run--but I caught him about 8-10 blocks away--but he only had a learners. And it wasn't his car. So, that's the plan for my afternoon tomorrow. Andy is going to get up early (he's off tomorrow night) and look after Liam. So a mall walk in the morning to tire Liam down is probably a good idea, as anyone other than me getting him to nap? Not easy.

Needless to say, I'm enjoying the vomit free days and nights now. Just get tomorrow over with, and I will feel a bit better. Get my own court date in May over with, and things will be alot better. There are still some other issues I want to deal with, but will keep you posted on the results.

Should run, am going to have some soup. Comfort food. That's where it's at. Might even curl up in bed with a book and ear plugs--just kidding about the ear plugs...maybe... Night!

Rant, Raves & Octuplets...

2009-02-19T12:09:00.000-08:00

As everyone knows, there is a woman in the states who gave birth to octuplets recently. I picked up a copy of Life & Style today, as she is featured on the cover next to a picture of Angelina Jolie. Curiosity got the best of me, so I had to check it out. Nadya Suleman, the mom of the octuplets, plus 6 other children, bears an eerie resemblance to Angelina Jolie. So, I read the article, then went online to find more dirt. She is living with her parents in a 3 bedroom house, which is unacceptable for that many people to reside comfortably. She did in-vitro, and was given higher doses during treatment. Ethically, medically and morally wrong. She lives on two forms of government assistance and food stamps, and her parents' house is being threatened by foreclosure. She hasn't worked since she had her first child, but was apparently married back then. My point in all of this... Not only is this morally and ethically wrong with all parties involved, but this woman idolizes Angelina Jolie. Some reports of course deny it, but she seems to following the path of Angelina. I have very high respect for Angelina, her family and all that she does. Yes, she does seem to be a little over the top with her ever growing family. But kudos to her. She has more than enough money, stability, and support, that you know the children will grow up in a safe, loving and comfortable environment. Then you get someone who, yes, loves all of her 14 children. She loves being a mother. Fine. But she is not stable, financially or mentally to handle it. She was employed in a state mental hospital, has already divorced, and knowingly accepted larger than normal amounts of treatment to conceive multiples. She collects government assistance, food stamps and was going to use her student loans to finance her evergrowing family. She has limited education and lives with her parents in a house that may soon be owned by the bank...

So, should a few psych evaluations be done? Should social services get involved? It boils down to the media and Hollywood showing off glamorous pregnancies, multiple births and gorgeous mommies making it look easy as pie raising more than 1 child. I don't believe she understands what she is doing. Has she thought about the future? About the financial and emotional struggles of being a single parent to 14 children. Does she have any morals? Leave the mass child bearing and adoptions to those that can handle it. Wanting to be a mommy is one thing, having 14 children with no planning, future or foundation? It's wrong...

On the flip side... We went to the zoo yesterday and let Liam toddle around. We saw Granny F. there, as she was there with her school for the day. We saw a couple with 4 kids, 3 in a stroller, 1 walking. Turns out one was there own, one was a niece, and the twins were foster children. It definitely takes a special person to do that, as you sometimes get them as a newborn, and then have them for a few years, and then they're gone...

Should run though, need to get off the couch and get busy. Cheers!

Better Days Ahead...And Losing Pounds

2009-02-17T13:05:00.000-08:00

So we went vomit free last night. We cut down his milk yesterday, increased his solids, gave 2 doses of tylenol, and a dose of his anti-gas meds in the evening. Seemed to do the trick. He went down at 10:30pm--I know, it's late, woke up 1/2 an hour later with a nightmare, woke at 2am to sleep with me, and we woke up at 8:15am. Rested, happy, and puke free. And, he's already down for his nap, a whole hour earlier. We'll just keep it up--it's basically guess and test with him, meaning it's alot of work. But we shall keep going, as we seem to be making progress!

Went for our weigh-in today. Andy lost a whopping 8.6 pounds--in a week! I lost 1.6 pounds, so am down 4 pounds in 2 weeks! We're definitely back on track. We did a treat mini-lunch after weigh-in, which we like to do. It definitely keeps us motivated and not feeling completely treat deprived. And moderation is key. And being active. I know that we are more successful come the warmer weather, ut we are looking into going to a gym soon, so we shall see. Should be good to see what happens in 2 weeks at our next weigh-in! And I didn't fall this time, thank goodness! Their sidewalks were completely clear and the clinic owner was very apologetic and worried for us.

We're taking it easy the rest of the day, letting Liam relax with his constant teething. Might try to get to the zoo tomorrow, as the weather is supposed to be nicer. And visit my parents tomorrow, bring up some things for storage.

Until next time.... Cheers!

More Vomit & Needing A Break

2009-02-15T22:11:00.000-08:00

I had 2 nights of Liam not vomiting. I apparently took it for granted, as he was sick and miserable twice tonight. To all of the medical professionals that say that teething does not affect babes, please come and see me. They can come and scrub my carpets, wrestle him to bed, do endless loads of laundry, and dread bedtime as I do. It was a 2 hour long fight, he's been down for not even half an hour, and he's stirring again. I broke down after I got him to sleep. The frustration and lack of sleep was building, and I just had to run back down and settle him... Tomorrow, we'll cut down more on his bottles, monitor his solids, and give him some of his anti-gas meds and see how tomorrow night will be... he definitely needs to cut down on his milk.

We are off to Grandma's tomorrow to do her biweekly cleaning. We'll see how Liam is in the morning, if he's iffy, I might leave him with Andy and go myself. I would prefer for all of us to go, that way I can get her cleaning done, and she can visit with them. We shall see what the morning brings....

On the plus side, as I am starting to relax now, Liam was doing so many new things today. We tried fingerpainting again, with more success. Granted most of the paint didn't go on the paper. It was on his booster chair, me, him, his forehead, the table... everywhere. But the finished product, as you can see, was worth it. Then I got busy in the kitchen doing dishes, and left him in the livingroom to watch In The Night Garden. He gets really into the show, so silence doesn't surprise me... He doesn't really get into anything, so I didn't worry, but checked on him. He was laying on his side on the couch, watching his show, drinking his juice from his sippy cup. It's new to us, as he has sensitive hands, so he doesn't tend to hold things. But there he was, curled up, chugging his juice. Then at dinner, he was playing with his ride-on car, swung his leg over and got on. He moved it back and forth with his feet, sitting proud, then got off, and managed to do it a few more times... So the nights may be hell, but the days make it worth it... usually... he's stirring again... sigh...

This doesn't mean that I don't want a break. How I would love a couple hours by myself, with no worries. I am going to see if my parents will watch him Friday after dinner, then I will go and pick up groceries and unload them. They said they would watch Liam next week so Andy and I could go for dinner, which I am looking forward to alot! I just need a break. And some help. There is alot of laundry and cleaning to get caught up on, and I got behind after I slipped on the ice. So the next few days, I get to play catch up while Andy looks after the kiddo... Thankfully... I did have a hot bubble bath tonight though, after having amazing takeout from Montana's... It hasn't been too bad, all in all. I just dread bedtime, as I worry for Liam... It's always a guessing game with him puking... sigh...

Tuesday is weigh-in. Definitely glad we're back on track. It feels good to be doing it, and I love revamping favorite recipes to make them healthier--I'm always up for a challenge...

Should run...am getting caught up on recorded shows... Survivor... ahh... Cheers!

Late Naps & Happy Heart Day Tomorrow...

2009-02-13T18:29:00.000-08:00

Then & Now...what a change for sure!!!!
Am having an early break today, as Liam is having a very late nap. We had a rough night last night, but he slept until 10 this morning, so I can't complain. He was fussy about food this morning, tired, but wouldn't sleep. Went to the mall with my mom, walked around, bought him a soccerball, which he loves. He finally crashed at 6:15 tonight, and is still sleeping an hour and half later... So, we shall see what tonight will bring.

My dad is having a rough time. He seems to have gone backwards with his progress, and had to use his cane. I desperately want to help him, but I'm not sure how to go about it. I hope he takes it easy and focuses on recovery, instead of pushing himself to the limit, which he tends to do. We shall see...

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I agree with you Manders, it has become highly commercialized. We agreed not to spend very much on each other, but to spoil Liam instead. You shouldn't need a day to show how much you love someone. You should show them you love them throughout the year equally. I find it's the little things that he does, that makes my heart melt. I was crying the other day, as I was upset, and he took my hand and just held it. Or when he treats me to something from Lush or watches my shows with me. I love how he is now with Liam, they walk around together, play on the floor. Andy looks out for us, provides for us, and takes care of us. I appreciate him and what he does for both of us more and more each day. He keeps me going, makes me laugh and teaches me new things. He's my rock, my best friend and my everything. I don't know what I would do without him! We definitely have our adventures and we have sure made some amazing memories. We stand by each other through everything, and he fills in for what I lack--I hope I do the same for him... Through my struggles with MS, other health problems, emotional problems and the court case, he has been there, with open arms. We definitely complete each other, and no matter what, I always know he'll be there...

Tomorrow is still up in the air, and is dependent on the weather. If it's going to be super cold, then we're staying in. But if it's half decent, I'd like to get to Superstore to pick up a few more jars of baby food, Liam's milk, and a few odds and ends for the week. We shall see what tomorrow brings, I hate the cold weather! I also need to figure out something to make for a "romantic dinner" tomorrow night... hmm...

Should run...peanut butter and jam are calling my name... and motrin, am still very stiff and sore... Cheers!

UPDATE: Liam got up at 9:00, and didn't go back to bed until 11:45pm... my goodness... hopefully tomorrow will be a bit easier... but he didn't throw up!!! Yay! A break from laundry...for now...

Vomit Night #4, A Green Elbow, Exhaustion

2009-02-12T22:39:00.000-08:00

He's such a cutie!!
So Liam threw up again tonight, making it the 4th night in a row. It always happens around 10ish, so I know to possibly expect it. I altered some of his eating and bottles today, making sure he didn't take in too much milk. Sadly, he's teething really badly, and his gums are just bulging! This always happens when he teeths, so I get used to it. But I'm getting overtired from lack of sleep with him, and having to stay up to finish laundry nightly. Last night, it was my clothes, his clothes and my comforter, then a 2nd round of vomit produced another load of laundry. Tonight was nothing compared to the past 3 nights, probably because I limited his bottles. I'm slowly figuring it out... Tomorrow I'm going to cut back more on his yogurt, not give him apples or pears--he gets too much gas, and take it from there... We shall see... I did some research online about his vomiting, his problems with solids, and so on... His pediatrician had mentioned he is a sensitive gagger. So, there is a condition of Hypersensitive Gag reflex. I read some parent's stories and concerns, and they are identical to the problems with Liam. It will definitely help to go to the nutrition clinic, they can offer help in how to feed him, as it is something he will have to grow out of... so what I learned is, patience is a virtue, as it might be a long road... there were a few 5 or 6 year olds that were still having issues. The upside of this is, it presents a challenge, which I want to tackle head on. Alot of the things we've been doing are correct, and we are not to force new or different foods/textures on him all the time. We should space them out, so we don't make his eating experiences traumatic. Others suggested doing 6 mini meals, instead of the pressure of 3 main meals. Others suggested starting over, with single foods, then mixes... So, we shall see. I'll make a few more changes tomorrow....

My elbow has turned a pretty shade of green, and both are sore and stiff. My back, hips and neck are still pretty sore and stiff, but it could have been alot worse. Bylaw was called, and they went out to check on it, so they will be maintaining it more often.

Walked Chinook Mall today, got Liam pj's and socks, and pj bottoms for myself. Exciting stuff... He sure loves his walks... Will try to get him walking tomorrow, depending on the weather. Looking outside right now, the snow is is falling... Should run... Cheers!

Watch For Ice And Falling People... A Half-Day Recap

2009-02-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

Very painful, that's all I have to say!!! Poor kiddo!

So today was the big weigh-in. Usually we go every two weeks, but since we had fallen off track, we wanted to go every week for a couple weeks. So, we went to the clinic. Well, we tried. I got out of the van, carried Liam out, Andy followed behind, walked across the snow, took one step onto the sidewalk and my feet went out from under me. Yes, I fell. Hard. Very hard. And carrying Liam. So going down on the ice is one thing. Having a child in my arms is another. A heavy child. I managed to keep him in my arms, taking most of the fall on my back, elbows and head. Needless to say, Liam, for the most part is fine. His face hit the hard part of a snow drift, causing a fat bottom lip, a cut under his nose, and a bloody nose. He also has red marks on his forehead and chin. He was hysterical as we rushed into the clinic, threw up a bit, and then eventually we got him calmed down and cleaned up. The ladies at the clinic rushed out to salt the sidewalk--should have been done alot sooner mind you. The sidewalk was complete ice, covered with snow, so it was a wonder we weren't hurt worse. My elbows are killing me and one of them is cut up pretty good, my back and head hurt, and everything else in between is stiff and sore. On the plus side, after a week of smartening up, I lost 2.4 pounds. Definitely positive. Andy gained 0.5 pounds, but we'll see what happens next week. We're getting back on track, it definitely takes alot of willpower and determination. I definitely want to keep losing weight, as I want to go horseback riding and have more energy to chase after Liam.

Liam is sleeping, my elbow is twinging, and I have alot of chores to get caught up on. Andy is going to shovel the snow in awhile, steam clean my bedroom rug after Liam wakes up, and I'll try to get the soaked pukey laundry done and dishes... Unfortunately, the couch is soooo comfy... and ER is on soon... and sigh... eventually I shall get up... Until next time, Cheers!

Beef Makes Him Puke and Horses Make Me Dizzy

2009-02-09T23:07:00.000-08:00

As promised, I said I would blog more often. We slept in this morning, lazed around a bit, had brekkie, then dragged ourselves out the door. We headed off to Chinook for a mall walk, which Liam loved. He's absolutely hilarious when he walks in the malls. He will stop dead when there is a different type of flooring or tile color ahead, and becomes very hesitant about walking on this mysterious new surface. Thank you Chinook Centre, for using at least 5 different colors/flooring types. It made for a long mall walk. Definitely. We went to Build-a-Bear to pick up a Valentines Day present for Liam. We picked him up the adorable moose, with an cute Calgary Flames hoodie. That store is amazing, and the staff is very helpful. We wandered some more, then headed for the carousel in the food court. I have been wanting to take Liam on it for quite some time, so on we went. It's stunning how fast that thing can spin!! Liam was giggling as the horse went up and down, Andy was fine, and I was spinning. And dizzy. And queazy. But having a blast. Liam really enjoyed it, and we paid the extra $2 to have our photo taken.

Liam had a late nap, didn't get up until 5, then I took him out for a bit while Andy stayed at home to steam clean the vomit remnants from the carpet. We played at home, and I took him down at 10, which is when he should have crashed. He wouldn't settle, then he puked. And kept puking. Everywhere. On me. Him. The floor. More on the floor. We decided the best option was to have both of us jump in the shower. BAD idea. Apparently Liam is scared s***less of the shower, and proceeded to not only shake violently, but to go hysterical and stiff as a board. So, the shower went off, the tub started to fill and in we went. He laughed and giggled, soaked Andy and I, and had a blast. Then we let him play on the bed, figuring he would tire himself out. Nope, not so much. 11:15 he finally crashed. It has been quiet ever since, and now I worry for the morning, if it will be a sleep in day or not... I have learned one thing... BEEF does NOT agree with Liam. In any way, shape or form. Sigh...

Are heading to the clinic for a weigh-in tomorrow. Hopefully it will be more positive than the last time! More steam cleaning of rugs tomorrow, laundry, dishes, and random chores... Should try to get some sleep though! Cheers!

Puke, Flames & Broken Glass...A Week In Review

2009-02-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

Liam in his new jersey from Mr. & Mrs. H, looking soooo adorable. And Liam on the couch with Daddy, ready for action.

So, almost another week has gone by...I've tried to blog more, I truly have. I'd love to know how many people really read this though! I know of a few, who don't leave comments, but definitely let me know you're here!

I'm sitting here watching the Grammy's. I absolutely love them, and make a huge point of watching them every year. It's definitely interesting to see the changes in music--and fashion--styles, from year to year. I'm still not sure if some of the artists actually look in a mirror before they go on stage, but it always makes for a good laugh.

The title of my blog simply describes our week. Liam had a 2 day break from teething, and was sleeping great. Then his teeth starting flaring up again, so sleep was lost, puke was expelled on numerous surfaces, and tears were shed. It's truly amazing how much puke a carpet can handle, but I think it will be reaching it's limit soon. We have been doing lots of mall walks, which definitely benefits all of us. It's absolutely amazing and adorable to watch Liam trotting around like a little man. So priceless.We bought him new shoes, as he was starting to outgrow his other pair--sorry, Mom, $55 shoes were adorable at the time... We went to Payless for his new ones, a cute pair of Airwalk skater shoes, with a skull stripe pattern. He loves them, and gets so excited when he sees his shoes, as he knows it means a walk.

I went to my first Calgary Flames game yesterday. It was an absolute blast! I went with Andy and his brother Craig, and hiked all the stairs, as our seats were at the very top. I'll admit, most of the time I didn't have a clue as to what was going on, but that didn't stop me from having fun! Granted we lost the game, the stairs were killer (I found an elevator after the first period), and if I jumped I could touch the ceiling. But it was loud, there were some good fights, and the concourse is very cool. Yes, I'll admit it: I came for the food! They have a Good Earth there. And Pocket Dawgs. And highly overpriced, but sooooo tasty, nachos. And peanuts in the shell. I felt so horrible just throwing the shells on the floor, which Andy thought was hilarious. It was definitely a fantastic time, and I would love to go to another game! But in closer seats. Definitely...

We thought we heard a gunshot outside our place this afternoon. I went to the kitchen, didn't see or hear anything else, so didn't think anything more of it. Andy went into the kitchen to grab a drink, and found the cause of the loud bang. A glass bottle of Perrier had exploded and shattered in our fridge. Apparently the top shelf of our fridge is extremely cold, causing the bottle to freeze and explode. So, we spent alot of time cleaning green shards of glass from every crevice in the fridge. Definitely crazy!

Tomorrow we are going to head to Chinook to do a mall walk, check out the carousel, let Liam strut his stuff. For the rest of the week, catch up on chores, sleep, and laundry. Until next time, Cheers! Oh, and enjoy the video I snagged from Hey Lola ! She is hilarious! Poor kid though! Gotta love the gas!

A Poop In The Hand Is Worth A Million Laughs...& a week in review..

2009-02-03T22:14:00.000-08:00

It's been another week since I blogged last. I truly mean to blog more often, then things around here get hectic, and it falls to the bottom of my ever-growing to-do list. So here goes. We are now the proud owners of a van. We had been debating this for quite some time, and it came down to the fact that, we were outgrowing our car. Grocery trips were tricky, travel impossible. So, it was time for a van. Yes, Amanda, vans can be cool. I just beat you to the coolness factor. Just kidding! We bought a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SE. It's black, big (my goodness), and fully loaded. It has 2 dvd screens, so Liam is in heaven, slide-down windows on the sliding doors, a rear back up camera--so helpful, a hard drive to save music and Wonderpets, and lots more fun stuff. It has low mileage, and is in immaculate shape. I absolutely love it! And Mr. H., it does feel like I am driving the president around! Or the mafia, I'm not sure which. Sad thing is, the first night we were driving it, we managed to get it stuck backing out in the alley. Too priceless! Thank goodness for cat litter and alot of pushing from Andy--sorry! Oh! And it has stow and go seating! I love it!

We went to the Glenbow Museum on Saturday. It was a fun morning, and Liam walked every floor of the museum. The Mavericks section was Andy and I's favorite, definitely something to check out again. And the Marilyn Monroe exhibit was definitely something to see. We will definitely be going back there, even Liam liked it. He was knocking on the display cabinets, and thinking the rock display cabinets were fish tanks... priceless...

Have been doing alot of mall walks lately, and Liam can do laps of the malls now. He has been teething alot lately, and I hope for his sake mostly, that he gets a break soon. We're still working on solids with him, and will be going to the nutrition clinic to see if they can help. He has been climbing up and down on the couch like a pro, mimicking everything we say and do (no more trucker talk around here--f$%#!!!), and playing with poop. Yes, the child who hates things touching his hands, casually reached in his diaper today, and retrieved some poop. He thought it was hilarious, I panicked. And scrubbed him down. And sanitized. And scrubbed some more... He must have thought I had gone crazy! Definitely something to remind him of when he's older... priceless...

Went to the weight loss clinic yesterday for judgement day. Christmas was good to us... so was New Year's... and any other holiday that is observed across the world. We both gained, but it was a good learning experience. So, the main thing, we're back on track. Watching portions, drinking more water, getting more active. We're planning on joining a gym downtown soon, and they allow use of the pool too, which will be fun. Am also going to take Liam swimming to Mom & Tots swimming programs twice a month, and keep up the mall walks.

Am definitely enjoying the quiet time right now. There hasn't been alot of it lately, as Liam hasn't been sleeping well the past week. It's amazing that he can take up most of a queen size bed with me... Too adorable! I'm a bed hog too, though, so it's only natural. We fight for space... and speak of the devil.... Until next time... Cheers!

Looking Back & Moving Forward-V.1

2009-01-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

The title says it all. Lately I have been looking back, into the past, at various events that have affected me. The past definitely shapes the present, and helps to mold the future.

This year marks the 10th year since I had my first symptom of Multiple Sclerosis. 10 years of uncertainty, confusion, many highs and lows, new found strength, perseverance, courage, frustration, helplessness, acceptance, and knowledge. What has bothered me the most, is that MS is completely unpredictable, and is different for everyone. Personally, I like to know what is going on at all times. MS has affected my health, some times more than others, and it has stolen one main thing from me. Stability. I crave it on a day to day basis, and there are times where it hits me like a hurricane. It disrupts everything. It has also taught me to value life alot more, as I have seen first hand what MS can do. I have seen what it has done to others. I feel their pain and their fears, even though I don't experience some of what they do. MS affects each individual differently. Different levels of pain, fatigue, sleep problems, depression/anxiety disorders, mobility issues, bladder/bowel problems, paralysis, and in some cases, death. It affects not only the individual with MS, but all of those around them. It instills fear and confusion in others. There are many possible causes for the disease, none have truly been confirmed--but some are definitely sounding possible!

I remember being told that I have a disease. That was the first term used. The second was the "2 words". Multiple Sclerosis. I had done the research, had a gut feeling that MS was what they would tell me. I just kept denying it. I mean, my first symptoms were on my 17th birthday. I got the diagnosis a year later. It was a blow, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I was beyond scared, I was petrified. And confused, shocked, and then started to deny it. I tried to reason with myself and others, thinking that it was wrong. And having to tell my family was the worst thing. I instantly felt like a future uncertain burden. I still feel that way at times, even now, though everyone assures me that I am not. I almost went into a form of mourning, as it truly felt like a part of me had died by hearing those two words.

The relapses continued throughout the years. I went for numerous tests, MRI's, doctor's appointments. Took pills, tried injections. Explained to family, friends, and other aquaintances about MS. People were understanding and supportive, but unsure and confused. If I didn't have my parents around through all of this, I don't know where I would be. They didn't feel sorry for me or throw regular "pity parties". They were loving, supportive, and caring. I remember so many nights curling up in bed with my mom, when the pain and tingling was unbearable. Or sleeping on the couch in the living room, just to be close to them, to be near the comfort. I remember getting excited about having good days. Where the pain was minimal or non-existent. When I wasn't tired or moody. My moods flucuated alot, mostly from pain, lack of sleep and frustration. I would relapse when stressed, when getting sick with something, or when tired. I could usually predict a relapse.

As I look back on these 10 years, I look deep inside myself. I still ask "why" everyday. Why me? Why MS? But I also remember how this has shaped me as a person. It has developed my character, strengthened me, increased my passion for life, raised my faith level, and helped to take time to appreciate the small things in life. Now, my injections cut down the relapses. I still get tired as anything, but it's nothing like it was. My lesions seem to be reducing in intensity, and are not multiplying. And I remain positive, that one day, possible causes could become definite, and preventative measures may even come about.

Having and facing an incurable disease can make or break a person. It has made me more determined and stubborn. I enjoy life alot more, I take better care of my health now, and have more respect for others. And, I haven't done this alone. If it wasn't for my parents, family, friends, Andy and family, and Liam, I wouldn't be as positive, that's for sure.

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It has been 3 years since my grandpa passed away. I miss him more and more everyday, and I truly wish that he would have gotten a chance to meet Liam. He adored kids, and was amazing with them. Gentle, patient and kind--those are only a few out of the many words to describe him. He became my best friend when I was younger. He would spend hours drawing or reading with me, both passions of ours. He had the cutest little mannerisms and quirks, and I miss them all. Gingersnaps and black coffee. The smell of sawdust and Polo cologne. The times when he would grow a beard, just because he wanted to. The fact that he would do anything for anyone, and not want anything in return. Breakfasts at the malls, lunch at McDonalds. He loved his fries. And I don't think I have ever really gotten over him being gone from my life. He was a part of it for so long, and there was so much more that I wanted to share with him. He was such a loving grandfather, father, husband, brother and friend. He was everything. I remember when I was young, he would hold my hand or offer a hug whenever I needed him. Near the end of his life, I remember holding his hand, thinking our roles were reversed. He needed me there, to let him go, to give him peace, but also to comfort and love him. When I read the euology at his service, it gave me peace. I know he was watching and he was proud, like he always was of me. I love him and miss him so incredibly much, more so it seems, everyday.

We lost his brother shortly after. Another blow. They lived next door to each other, and would always sit on their front steps together, watching the world go by. They never said much, but their visits spoke volumes. It hits me the hardest going to Grandma's, seeing both sets of front steps empty, seeing his favorite recliner empty. Expecting to see him sitting at the kitchen table, by the window, working on crosswords or eating crackers. Seeing the basement empty, stripped of everything. I wish I could see him one last time, to tell him how much he is loved, cared about and appreciated. To give him one last hug and smile. To hold his hand and to never let go...To not let him leave us when he did, to give us more time...

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The past definitely shapes our present and future. Memories have been made, enjoyed and cherised. Smiles have been had, tears have been shed. My face right now is proof of that. Writing this has torn me apart and brought me down, but also has given me comfort and solace. I know that everything is still okay. And I shall move forward again...until next time I look back...

Week In Review

2009-01-25T21:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a week since I have blogged last, so I figured it was about time. Have updated my foodie blog with more fabulous food finds, so please check it out. Yum-o!

I took Liam to the zoo on Tuesday morning, when we had a bit of mild weather. We had a blast together, and he loves it more each time we go. He especially loves the monkeys and hippos. They also were letting the tortoises out on the pathways in the rainforest, which he definitely loved. They are doing alot of construction at the zoo, mostly on the conservatory and the flamingo building. Can't wait to see what they will look like when they are done. The ray tank is open again to the public as well, with alot of cameras around and staff, and visitors are not allowed to touch the rays. Hopefully it works out better for the zoo this time.

Wednesday took Liam and I to the doctor. Not fun. To sum it up, Liam had a rash that was spreading, I took him to the doctor, which he hates, she came near him, he got worked up until he was a pretty shade of purple, then threw up everywhere, while the doctor was telling me to get him to the sink. Right... 'cause my child knows to puke in a sink. Good on ya doc. Have been putting on lots of cream lately, and it seems to be easing a bit.

Thursday we stayed in, as it was horribly cold out. Missed playgroup, which bugs me, but I didn't want us to freeze our tushies off.

Friday was dad's birthday--positive. Negative, we took Liam to his pediatrician appointment. We went downtown early and wandered around, window shopping, which was fine. There are alot of changes going on downtown, not for the better, but that's just my opinion. Went to the doctor's office, checked in, still okay. They have a giant castle shaped play area, so Liam was happy. The doc was running late, so Liam spent most of the 45 minutes we were waiting, wandering the hall ways, toddling along, flirting with the ladies, and just-a movin'! Too adorable. When we finally got called in, they got him to stand on a scale--"Please Ms. Receptionist, Liam is 16 months and hates doctors, and you want him to stand on a wobbly scale, and then hold still?" I had to laugh. Nonetheless, we got him weighed, with clothes on, and he registered in at an adorable 35.6 pounds. My goodness. Fast forward to the doctor. Amazing and very nice doctor, a pleasure for Andy and I to deal with. He took Liam's history, we addressed our concerns about his eating and his strange sensitivity to anything touching his hands (he plays in puke though--seriously). Then the doc grabbed his scope, to look at Liam's mouth and do a quick exam, and Liam started to shake. Then he went stiff. He sobbed. The doc got closer, he balled. Doc got even closer, and the poor little man was hysterical, with tears pouring down his face. I could feel his stomach rejecting his milk, the doc backed off and out it came. I waited until he was done, tidied up as best I could, and thenchanged his clothes, and finished our visit. So, apparently, lesson learned, it's the doc's tools, not the doc him/her - self. He is being sent for an upper GI series--sure to invoke a series of vomit sessions, no doubt, then to a nutrition group at Children's Hospital, to give support with his eating. Otherwise he is healthy, and the doc just says, he will outgrow it, it is common, and that he has a sensitive gag reflex and tummy. Mommy feels better, and that her child is just a wee bit slow with his eating... sigh...

Went to visit my dad in the afternoon to bring him his birthday pressies, and to bring them dinner. I made them chicken pot pie to heat up in the oven, and they loved it... I will definitely get the recipe up on the other site soon. Liam was wiped out, as he had only napped for about 1/2 an hour after the doc, so he dozed on and off through the evening.

And the big news!!!!! Yesterday, we went van shopping. Yep, Manders, I beat ya to it. I'm younger than you, and I caved. We realized we were outgrowing our little car, so a van was definitely in order, especially for road trips. We are now the proud owners of a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SE, stow and go, fully loaded, rear back-up camera, 2 dvd screens, power everything--even windows on the sliding doors. It's black, it's shiny, and it was a demo model, so there is only 16,000km on it. I love it, and I know Liam will love it. It also has wireless headphones too for the rear seat, and he can watch his wonder pets, and visit with daddy on the road. Definitely a huge decision, couldn't have done it without the organization and support of Mr. H! Thank you sooo much for everything-I will see you Wednesday!

Today was a lazy Sunday. Did endless amounts of laundry, am still ignoring the dishes, Andy got the fish tank all cleaned up, I sorted stuff in my room, remade our beds, and puttered. Picked up a few groceries, went to Grandma's, as it was her birthday, and gave her birthday pressies. Played with Liam, trying to keep him up as long as he could--he barely napped today, so we didn't want him going down too early. He went to bed at 8, has been up twice, but nothing major.

Going mall walking with Dad and Liam tomorrow, and need to get to the pet store. I have to find some drops for our tank, as one of our fish is looking kinda icky... he's okay, just kinda white haze on some of his scales. And Andy goes back to work tomorrow night, so I'll see how Liam is after supper, and maybe we'll try to go out somewhere.

Should run, my eyes are twitching, and my fingers aren't cooperating anymore. And Manders, coffee on Tuesday sounds really good. Will do the tagged thing on the next blog for sure. Too cool. Until next time, Cheers!

Catching up...

2009-01-18T22:58:00.000-08:00

Liam playing with the toilet paper--it was stuck to his foot when he came out--priceless!
Am trying to get back on the blogging band wagon, so have done a ton of updates on my other foodie blog so be sure to check it out. I blogged for 3 weeks worth of Sunday Suppers, so there is lots to feast on now...

Liam has still been teething off and on, but is finally sleeping better, which definitely helps. He is off to the pediatrician on Friday, so hopefully we will figure out what to do with solids and nutrition. He has definitely been keeping me busy though, and is walking more and more. Has discovered that toilet paper is fun to unroll, and is going through a little seperation anxiety. As long as I don't leave, he is okay.

Haven't been up to much lately, been doing lots of cleaning and organizing around here, getting caught up on laundry, and have even been reading. Okay, granted, alot of it has been searching through my low-fat cookbooks, but I have been reading "Shoot The Moon" by the incredible Billie Letts. The book is fantastic so far, and she has a new one coming out in a few months. Make sure you all check it out, her books are definitely worth a read!

Managed to be a klutz last night, and fall down the stairs. My foot apparently wanted to go farther than the step, and I kept going with it. Managed to stop myself by hooking my upper arm on the handrail and putting my other arm into the wall. Needless to say, both arms are bruised, and my knee and upper thigh are pretty sore, but it could have been worse. If I hadn't caught myself, I would have gone head first into the shoe rack and the door.

Am going to call our weight loss clinic to book an appointment for weigh-in. We definitely need to get back on track, and get the motivation going again! And Andy has a performance review this week. I know he'll ace it, he's a great employee, and it's been far too long since he had the last one. A raise would be good too...

Need to figure out what to make for dinner tomorrow night. Took out hamburger, so that's a start. We shall see what I can figure out. Might spend the day at home tomorrow with Liam, zone out on Wonder Pets and spin some bowls...

Should run though. It's close to 1am, and sleep should be an option... Cheers!

Simple Joys

2009-01-09T21:29:00.000-08:00

I seem to be stuck on the theory of simplicity lately. I have wholeheartedly decided to make this the year to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. Sound simple? Yes, I know, lame joke. But it's not. I am personally geared to planning, replanning, and always knowing what is going on. I even call myself anal, I know it's true, trust me. I usually love to be on the go, but lately, I've been enjoying time at home with Liam. The cold weather may have played a part in it, yes, but I am also discovering something. I do not need to be on the go all the time. Home is where the heart is, and the comfort. It is where I can thrive on the simple things. I can do things at a leisurely pace. Accomplish everything on my to-do list, or watch Wonderpets with Liam on the floor until I can recite every episode--am getting there already though.

It is amazing what can be taken for granted. I think that is why I am craving simplicity. Liam has been teething so badly lately, so it has made things around here a little stressful. But I enjoy every minute that I spend with him. Parents are usually the teachers to their children, but that sweet little boy has taught me so many lessons lately. I am constantly learning and growing with him, making me a better person and parent more and more every day.

He has taught me that sleep can be lost, vomit is the new vogue look, and diaper rash cream is an excellent winter moisturizer. I see more of myself in him all time--he does things on his own terms, he likes things to go certain ways and he is stubborn and determined. It is truly amazing how much love can be given to this little person, no matter how trying it can be. Apparently it was his "party time" at midnight last night, and Andy and I were both invited. I couldn't help but laugh. We were all so exhausted, and we had a crazy case of the giggles.

On the serious side though, he has taught me to not take things so seriously. The dishes can wait for awhile. Life will go on. My heart swells when he holds my finger when I am rocking with him or when he was cuddled in bed with me last night. And when he smiles and lights up when I come back from running errands or even downstairs. It is an incredible feeling to be needed that much by one amazing little man. So puke, poop or lack of sleep aside--I wouldn't change it for the world. He keeps me going, makes my heart soar, and is everything in my world.

Had my nice hot bubble bath tonight, finished reading Tuesdays With Morrie - that book is so amazing--everyone should read it. It will definitely encourage and instill the value of simplicity in your life. Definitely motivational and moving. Am curled up on the couch with Andy, watching Diners, Drive In's and Dives - Friday night classic shows and loving it. Made a yummy and healthy Chicken Pot Pie for dinner. There are 2 versions of the recipe, will try the 2nd and post both on my foodie site.

Tomorrow we're going to Toys R' Us to exchange a toy that he already has, then my parents are coming over tomorrow night to pick up all of the Christmas stuff that we got packed away. Might try to get to the chinese market tomorrow or Sunday to pick up a few ingredients for Sunday night supper--am bringing back Sunday night suppers--details will be on the foodie site. Let me know what you think.

Need to get some more photos developed too, as I want to re-do our frames and work on some scrapbooking. Will try to get that done next week hopefully. Should run. Gotta get back to the show. Cheers!

Guilty Pleasures

2009-01-04T21:10:00.000-08:00

January is the time for resolutions. I made mine already, but will always still have my own guilty pleasures. I have written about the food related ones on my foodie blog site. Other guilty pleasures, which I will sadly reveal, are not food related, but simple. I have realized that I crave simplicity, especially when life seems so fast paced and hectic. So here goes. My guilty pleasures.

Old TV Shows. I love the Beverly Hillbillies, Mary Tyler Moore, Bewitched. Some of the not so old, but good ones are Roseanne, Full House, Home Improvement, Family Matters, and Fresh Prince Of BelAir. I know the theme songs are running through your heads right now... c'mon, admit it! There's no shame in it!
Bubble Baths. Peace, quiet, and tranquil. It is my vice and the best way for me to relax. Especially with Lush products. Bubble bars that smell like candy? I'm there... So sweet!
Reading cookbooks. May seem silly, but I am obsessed with cooking, so it gives me focus.
Blogging. Keeps my thoughts out in the open.
Reading flyers. Seems silly again, but I get excited when the flyers come. Just ask Andy.

I'm sure there are more that I'm not thinking of right now. But Home Improvement is on, I read my flyers, and I'm off to scour cookbooks for some new recipes to revamp. Keep an eye on my foodie blog for new postings and recipes soon! Cheers! And leave comments people--yep, still anal!

Resolutions, Reviews, and Randomness

2009-01-03T21:34:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to sit down and stare at a blank blog entry for days now. I wanted to write about my resolutions, my year in review, and just general randomness. The past few days have been hectic, at best, with Liam still teething. Update: he has cut four teeth on the bottom (2 molars and 2 canines), and seems alot happier. He didn't throw up tonight, so things are definitely better.

Here goes...this will be long, may jump around, and may sometimes not make any sense to anyone, except myself. This was my year and what it did for me.

2008. A year of joy, adventure, learning, strength, fear and challenge. I faced all of them head on. I learned more about myself this year than my whole life. I learned that having a shoulder to cry on is a blessing. Having the strength to hold back the tears while on that shoulder is near impossible, but I can now achieve it. Being needed by a child has given me a new sense of purpose. Being needed and depended on by a family member, who is usually the person I turn to for strength, has given me positive reinforcement in the power of family.

The man who I look up to, who I learned so many lessons from, the one who has looked out for me, and the one who, no matter what, will never give up on me, taught me the main lesson this year. Strength. My father gave me strength throughout my life, and was my rock. When he had his accident this summer, I was numb. As a daughter, and an only child, your parents are everything to you. My father built my foundation and when he was in the hospital recovering, my foundation crumbled. I, for some reason, had believed he was invincible. He was a strong, stubborn, outgoing person, who was always on the move. He worked so incredibly hard, at everything he did. Then, in a moment, he was reduced to an immobilized, disabled, frustrated man. The person who had shown such strength seemed to disappear for that moment. I remember seeing him and thinking he looked so small and fragile. I am not going to dwell on the details. He rose above, fought through all his pain, and came out on top. He taught me to always keep going. To be positive. And to look ahead, but to take one day at a time. It made my life more real, it instilled fear into me. It taught me that life is a series of moments, and to make the most of each moment, as it only takes one to change your life. The experience also encouraged me to have some form of faith in a higher power, that someone was looking out for my dad that day, making sure that we didn't lose one of the most amazing, genuine and honest men around. Out of this comes a resolution--make every moment count!

I was broken down a few times this year. There is a court case going on currently. I will not give many details, as it is still going on, but the stress of it is incredibly tough. Thanks to amazingly caring family, extended family (you know who you are-D & G), Andy, and friends, the stress has been minimal. I have been able to tackle obstacles head on and not look back this year.

We had some fun adventures this year. Zoo trips, swimming, various parks, playgrounds, playdates. For 2009, I want to have many more adventures. We are planning to do a trip to Edmonton in the spring, spend a couple of nights, hit the mall and the zoo. Liam turned 1, and had 3 parties, with some amazing guests at each. Having him has definitely changed my life. He has slowed me down, yet sped me up. Taught me to take life one day at a time. Has taught me that it is possible to love someone so incredibly much, that it hurts. Most of all, he has taught me that there is nothing better than being a mom. I get it now, Mom, I truly do. Thank you for everything you have done for me, past, present, and future. You are an amazing person, who I lean on daily for strength and support.

Andy has been my rock this year. I have depended on him so very much, and he is always there through the thick and thin. Things may not have been easy this year, but he was always there to be my everything. He has proved that love is much more that 2 people being together. It is understanding, genuine, never judging, and undying. It has given me a restored faith that incredible people do exist. Ones that will go out of there way and give up so much for a person. He is everything. I definitely see why they are called "better half". He completes the parts of me that are lacking, or in need of repair. He sees beyond my exterior, and knows me better than I know myself. He keeps my spirits up, my head held high, keeps my heart soaring and my soul content. It is always an adventure with him--we have fun wherever we go, whatever we are doing.

My MS has been alot better. Barely any flare ups, as I have been doing injections weekly. We will definitely be going back to the weight loss clinic soon, as I want to get back on track, and keep getting healthy.

I have had to dig deep within myself this year, deeper than other years, to maintain focus, strength, and composure. I have shed alot of tears this year, whether they be through happiness, fear, sadness, or anger. I have learned to express my feelings and even embrace them, if the situation permits it. For 2009, I crave simplicity in a complex world. I want Liam to keep discovering his world and keep healthy. I want to have as many adventures as possible and experience new things. I want to give back as much as possible. I want to surround myself with family more often, even re-invent Sunday suppers, if possible. I want to laugh more and cry less. I want to get more organized, as I know the anal side of me needs to be. I want to cook more. I want to write more. I want to spend time catching up things I miss doing--scrapbooking, reading, photography. Most of all, I want to make the moments into memories. I want to do more with less.

Now the fun, not so serious side. In 2009, I want to try yoga. I want to eat Turducken--just google it, if you don't know what it is. I need to get to a football game. I know there is more, but my brain is starting to fog. Oh! I want to take Andy to Angel's Drive In--yum-o!

I want this year to be memorable. Liam will be 2 this year, I will be 27. I want this year to be full of smiles and giggles, memories and milestones. I want to sit here next year, and not shed any tears while writing about my year. I want to be able to smile when I remember my 2009.

More photos

2008-12-27T22:22:00.000-08:00

You can see more photos by clicking here. Enjoy! More later... Cheers!

Holiday Recap

2008-12-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas was amazing. Simply put. Christmas Eve was spent with Andy, Liam, my Grandma and my parents. We had munchies, visited, watched Liam walk/stumble around. He's getting really good at it now! He catches himself before he stumbles, and seems to be getting the hang of this whole walking thing pretty well. We thought he would have more teeth for Christmas, but we're still waiting, and he's still chewing like crazy.

Andy had to work Christmas night, so we had to wake him up in the morning. Made coffee, opened our stockings, and then moved onto presents. Liam didn't want much to do with it, and was fussy with his teeth, but he was excited when he got his Wonderpet stuffies, beanies, and dvd's. My parents got him the talking Ming Ming, which he loves! We took our time opening presents, feeding Liam, opening more presents.

Some of my gifts included a gift certificate for a 1 hour hot stone back massage and pedicure at Juliet's Day Spa (thank you Andy). I have never been to a spa before, and would definitely love to be pampered. My mom put together an amazing cookbook for me, full of all of our family recipes. Thank you so incredibly much Mommy, it definitely made my Christmas-I love it! My Grandma gave us Discovery passes for the zoo and a gift card for Boston Pizza--thank you so much Grams! And Mr. and Mrs. H--I love the cookware! Yep, I might be the only person that builds my wish list around cookware! I got an angel food cake pan, cake serving plate, a new dutch oven, silicone coated whisk, a healthy cookbook, and a sweater. I may be forgetting something, but thank you again Mr. & Mrs. H--I love everything! They also gave us a digital meat thermometer and gorgeous steak knives. And Andy's brother Craig got me a skillet and the Gordon Ramsay game for the Wii--Amanda, you comin' over?

I also got PJ's from my mommy, tinkerbell pillowcases, a tinkerbell ornament, tinkerbell slippers, tinkerbell band-aids, soaps, a mini-muffin baking pan, and other things. They also gave us gift cards for restaurants, and they are paying for a night in Edmonton, when we go hopefully in the spring. Andy gave me ornaments, tinkerbell socks, J-Lo perfumes, bath bombs, Lush products--I love that stuff, last season of Roseanne, a new hair dryer--it has a straightener attachment, chocolates, the new Reba CD collection, the new Pink cd, 2 shirts, 2 sets of pj's--one of them tinkerbell, of course.... I know I am missing stuff.

Liam did well, lots of Wonder Pets stuff, Little People stuff, dvd's, books, bath stuff, clothes, pj's, socks, etc... And Andy had a technology heavy Christmas. He got a blu-ray player, dvd's, 360 games, hockey tickets (from me), ornaments, books, gadgets, toys, and other goodies.

All in all, it was a good Christmas! Went for turkey dinner at my aunt and uncle's---sooo yummy! And Liam loves playing with his 2nd cousin Kris... too cute!

Should run, Liam is having a hard time settling tonight, so it's frustrating! Will write more later! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. And Amanda--it's you, me and the wii! Okay, that's too funny...

Makes You Wonder...

2008-12-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

I have been really good at regular blogging lately. Could be the cold weather that keeps me in, or the crazy last minute shoppers bombarding my favorite stores (one of them being Wal-Mart), or just the fact that I have more to write about. Tis the season to blog apparently. Liam is finally napping, thank goodness. I'm really hoping that those teeth cut soon, he's having a horrible time with them. I have tried to take a peek in his mouth, but to no avail. He was even drooling today, and there is always something in his mouth to chew on. Poor little guy. He threw up a few times last night, and didn't have a good sleep, so this morning he was a little miserable. I have booked a check-up on Monday for him with the doctor. I need to be reassured about his lack of eating chunky solids, and hopefully figure out something other than ovol for his gas issues--which only affect him badly when he is teething...

Am patiently waiting for more Christmas cards in the mail. Have sent out 42 cards, with photos and letters (and this blog address), and have received 5 or 6 so far. I sent out around the same last year, and got around a dozen in return. Hmm...

Andy went out to Okotoks today to see his parents. He said the city roads on the way were slippery, especially around Chinook Mall, but the highway was perfectly fine and dry. Crazy. I'm glad he made it safely, and he should be returning soon with a full "sleigh". He'll be going to his Uncle's later to drop off pressies too. You'd think he was jolly old Santa himself!

Really need to get working on my foodie blog--I have a ton of recipes and food finds to put on there! And I will probably re-do the background and colors. I love it!

Am having a guilty pleasure moment--watching Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Is it a bad thing that I can still recite the opening song? I know some of you out there can do it too, you just won't admit it.

Might try to hit the mall tomorrow. Would really like to hit Lush for a few last minute pressies for Andy. I know it will be crazy busy, and I meant to get there last week, but the weather was horrible. So, I'm going to brave the crowds and craziness tomorrow. Will keep you posted if I come back in one piece or I have a shred of sanity left in me.

We're starting new Christmas breakfast tradition this year. We're going to make an "unusual" breakfast every year. Something we wouldn't have on a regular basis, or ever for that matter. This year, we are doing Captain Crunch French Toast, from the show Diners, Drive-In's and Drives--it's on every Friday night on Food Network. The show is fantastic, even though some of the dishes are a heart attack waiting to happen. Make sure you check out the show! Should be fun to come up with something every year for brekkie!

Should run, need to be a little more productive, but this dang couch is sooo comfy! Cheers!

He's Napping...Sort of..

2008-12-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

So Liam didn't nap yesterday. He crashed at 4:45pm, in the car, after visiting with my parents. He slept until 7:30pm, then didn't go back to bad until about 11pm. Sigh. Whoever wants to tell me that teething does nothing to a little guy can come visit anytime. He's not miserable or fussy, don't get me wrong. Just very unpredictable, which can be hard, as he was on such a good schedule. His diaper rash seems to have improved--we found a butt cream that had a higher percentage of zinc oxide in it, and it's easier to apply. So far, he has been napping for almost 2 hours, which is amazing. He was so sleepy before he went down, that he would crawl to a pillow on the floor and fall onto it.

Am almost ready for Christmas. Will be doing a bit more baking, and putting together some treat containers for Uncle Fix-It (Jim), Andy's parents and my Grandma. Andy is heading out to see his parents tomorrow morning, and to load up the "sleigh". Thank you so very much for everything Mr. and Mrs. H., in advance and in general. We will be going to Mom and Dad's for Christmas Eve nibbly's, then after Liam goes down, we are going to watch Scrooged and National Lampoons Christmas vacation. Definite holiday classics!

Should probably run, will update more later. I love this new layout! Cheers!

Changes

2008-12-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

Let me know what everyone thinks about the new look on my page! I had to do something to spice it up a little! Cheers!

Check this out

2008-12-20T22:25:00.000-08:00

Please check out this adorable poem, written for Pearl. She is the daughter of aquaintances of mine. Definitely rings true for a 14 month old. Enjoy, and let me know what everyone thinks!

A Long Day

2008-12-20T21:59:00.000-08:00

Liam was up at 8:45 am this morning. Good and sensible time to be up. Nap time is usually 1pm-ish. Today? Not-so-much! He finally crashed at 8pm this evening, wasn't too moody, even though he couldn't sit up straight near the end. He is teething really badly, which usually means they are about to cut. I've changed alot of icky diapers today, put on and cleaned up alot of penatin cream--thank goodness for leather couches, and had pukey laundry created--after I had put the last load in the dryer this morning. Yes, it could be worse. I suffered minor bite wounds today, got a little slobbery, and got clung onto worse then static cling. It wasn't too bad. He's supremely cute at times when he is overtired. Bad part was, I was exhausted. I had stayed up the night before cleaning, doing laundry and decorating more for Christmas. Plus, we've been cooped up in the house together for the past 4-5 days. It's a wonder we're not plotting against each other yet. But tomorrow is another day. Hopefully his diaper rash will have eased up with the half tin of cream on his tushie. I'm going to get him out a bit tomorrow, get him a change of scenery.

Have posted the yummy recipe for Hamburger Minestrone Soup on my other blog. Perfect comfort food for these bitter cold days! Hope you all enjoy!

And Manders, I hope you have a wonderful birthday tomorrow! Sounds like last night was definitely fun! You're only 30 once! Huggers!

Should run, going to get back to my sappy movie watching... I can actually kick back and relax, as there's not alot of cleaning left to do--still have to make a few bottles and run the dryer... Night... and he stirs... Please stay asleep! Please stay asleep! hmmm...

Brrr....

2008-12-17T22:57:00.000-08:00

With all the cold weather and snow that we have been having, I have to admit, I'm becoming a bit of a homebody. Yes, I'm happy to be at home. To people that know me, this is not how I am at all. I like to be on the go, out and about. So, I have to say, in some respects, I appreciate the icy cold weather. The roads are still slippery, so definitely prevents me from getting too far. So I have been at home with Liam, catching up on chores, wrapping, baking, laundry, and watching endless episodes of The Wonder Pets. Made 2 more pans of Five Layer Squares today, which are horribly addictive. Got adventurous tonight for dinner and made yummy Tuna Pizza- thank goodness for bread machines--makes pizza dough prep easier!

Am working on my second load of laundry, as Liam decided to throw up before he fell asleep. It hadn't happened in a few nights, as I had been giving him ovol the past few nights, but didn't tonight. So, partially my fault... Sigh...

Going to try to focus on cleaning again tomorrow, finish up some wrapping, and try to get out Friday morning to finish up some shopping. Will leave Liam with my dad, makes the trip go a bit faster, and I won't worry as much.

Really should get back to cleaning, but the couch is unfortunately comfy, Liam is stirring, and...did I mention the couch is comfy?! Plus, it's after midnight... Will finish up my Christmas cards tomorrow, and hopefully get them off by Friday. Thank you again Andy, for printing off all the letters for me. Will run out tomorrow and get 3 more stamps...

Mom, Dad, and Grams are coming for coffee and goodies on Friday. My dad doesn't think I'll have the place completely cleaned before then, but I will (try) and prove him wrong... Better get back to it... or to bed... Cheers!

Okay, One More Song...

2008-12-16T22:19:00.000-08:00

I love this song! Definitely has a very strong message!

My Grown Up Christmas List by Amy Grant

Some Christmas Cheer!

2008-12-16T22:13:00.000-08:00

Sorry Manders, had to snag this too! I absolutely love this song! Any of her Christmas music is beautiful and I listen to it every year. Enjoy!

Second Blog Is Up And Active!

2008-12-16T21:49:00.000-08:00

(1) Liam is stylin'! (2) Liam doing Dad's hair! (3) Notice the finger? Yeah..

Hey all! Have started up a second blog, dedicated to food finds, recipes and experiences. Will be posting links in this blog to various sections in the new blog. You can view the new blog HERE . Hope you all enjoy! Make sure to bookmark it! I will try to update regularly.

Have been doing lots of holiday baking the past week, will keep everyone posted as to what I'm baking!

Should get back to my Christmas cards and finishing my wrapping! Cheers!

Down With A Cold

2008-12-10T20:05:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since I last blogged. I have definitely wanted to, and should have, but I always seem to find something else to do. So I am on downtime right now, sick with a horrible cold. My eyes are all watery, my nose is like a broken faucet, and my head is extremely congested. Thank goodness for decongestants and lots of kleenex. And, TLC is doing their Wednesday night Jon & Kate Plus 8 marathon, so I'm all set. Liam is sort of sleeping right now, I can hear his aquarium bubbling away. He has been pretty up and down lately, mostly from teething and all of it's joyous side effects. But he's not absolutely horrible, so I can manage. Just can't blow my nose around him--he tends to cry alot.

Christmas is definitely coming fast. Still have some shopping to do, but the majority of it is done. Have to wrap it all, mind you, but I need to buy more wrapping paper and supplies. Put up the tree and decorated it over the past 2 days--it looks gorgeous. I was definitely worried about Liam this year, and the tree staying in one piece. He tried to slyly sneak over to it today to touch a few of the ornaments, but nothing major. He loves the shiny silver balls, as he can see himself in them, and giggles.

Am going to work on my Christmas cards, letters and photos over the next few days, and hopefully get them in the mail for Monday pick up. Still have to decorate a bit more, do even more baking--I've been baking up a storm lately. Am definitely going to be more organized next year for Christmas though, get some baking done early, have the cards in the mail the beginning of December, have presents purchased and wrapped by mid-december... sounds great doesn't it? I say it every year... It's always my New Year's Resolution!

Dad is doing alot better now, they have taken both bandages off his foot, and he can walk without his cane. Definitely has been a scary time for everyone involved! He's bounced back very well, just has to take it easy, as it swells up alot.

We have been going to playgroup once a week, and it's been alot of fun. Definitely good for Liam to get out and socialize. And he been to see Santa twice now, have posted the picture from his first visit at Fort Calgary.

Other than that, we have just been getting ready for Christmas. Also need to figure out a date, as we will be having friends over for munchies, sort of an open house. Should run though, there is silence now, so I can go to sleep soon! Night!

This might be a novel...

2008-11-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

I really need to get back to blogging, but things get hectic at times. By the time I get a chance to blog, I'm either too tired or Liam needs me. Nonetheless, I'm here n0w, multitasking, but here. Am watching part one of the Jon and Kate Hawaii special. They are renewing their vows, and the scenery is gorgeous. Would love to vacation there, I know Liam would absolutely love it.

We had Liam's "better late than never" official birthday party yesterday with the family. It turned out wonderfully, and Liam had such a special day. Thank you to everyone that came to celebrate-I'm especially happy that Dad was there-it wouldn't have been the same without him. And the food was amazing. Note to self: DON'T expect veggies and dip to be eaten when Mom has all her yummy goodies on the table. The food was fantastic--thank you mom! Liam enjoyed all of his presents--he got some great books, adorable clothes--we love the sweater vest, it is adorable!, and some great toys. He has been playing with his Little People train alot today!

Halloween was fun. We took Liam trick or treating---yes, I know, he's too little for candy--but it was more for the experience. There was some great decorated houses--yep, I decorated our place, still need to take it all down. I'm a little slow on that... He was an adorable little turtle and thought it was fun to visit people!

Other than that, have been doing lots of cleaning, getting caught up on laundry, and working on Christmas shopping. Have got about half of it done, which makes me a little less stressed.

Should run though, this won't be as much of a novel as I thought. Until next time! Cheers!

Please Read

2008-10-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

Due to recent events, I will be restricting who can view this blog as of Wednesday October 29. You will receive invitations by email to continue viewing this blog. Don't worry Manda, you'll be first on the list!

Have been kept busy with Liam the past few days, he just seems to be getting more active by the day. And adorable. And big!! Oh my! Things that he couldn't reach a few weeks ago, he can reach beyond them now! Silly growth spurts...

Will be making many changes in my life over the next while. It's definitely time for change and a fresh start. Will keep everyone posted over the upcoming weeks as to what is going on, but it will definitely be for the better, I shall assure you. It's about taking charge, and not having other people badger me and try to tell me how to live my life, when they have no business or right in doing so.

Am off to a halloween party at a funeral home tomorrow--how ironic, hey?! Hope to see you there, Manda. We will definitely try to do coffee this week--need to gab...

Until next time, Cheers!

Weeks In Review

2008-10-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

(1) Daddy and Liam on the slide! (2) Liam in one of the cars! Weee! (3) Sweet little Emma--awww! (4)Aidan in the Diego cruiser! Vroom!

It has been a busy few weeks, and I have been neglecting my blogging. So I am back at it, to do a summary of everything...

Dad is coming home tomorrow for good. He came home for Thanksgiving weekend, and he did extremely well. He used his walker for the most part, and even helped do some prep for dinner too! I can't wait to have him home for good, I miss him so incredibly much. And Liam misses him bunches--he giggles and smiles at Grandpa's picture that is on our fridge all the time. Dad will still have skin treatments, physio and doctor's appointments to go to, but for the most part, he will be okay.

Liam seems to be taking a small break from teething for now. He is up to 5 1/2 teeth. I say 5 1/2 teeth, as he broke almost half of one off almost 2 weeks ago, when he fell and did a faceplant. I was horrified when I saw the blood, and I rushed him to the dentist, just to be on the safe side. He didn't do any gum or tissue damage, and sat and giggled the whole time he was there. He still has 2 teeth coming that have been going up and down for awhile.

Did a trip to the zoo this week. It's amazing how much more Liam enjoys it each time we go. He especially loves the fish and the monkeys. The animatronic lion in the Africa exhibit is especially cool.

Also visited Coffee n' Scream with Manda, Aidan and Emma a few weeks ago. It is a coffee shop/play place for kids, and they absolutely loved it. It's a great place, inexpensive, and a good way to tire the kids out! We went with my mom tonight, and Liam played hard for a good hour!

Am off to go grocery shopping tomorrow morning, and then to pick up Dad in the afternoon and bring him home. On Sunday we get to go to Chuck Cheese's for my 2nd cousins birthday party. Should be fun--haven't been in sooooo long!

Should run, going to get back to my guilty pleasure--Dog The Bounty Hunter. Laugh if you want, I love it! Til next time! Cheers!

Teeth...They just keep coming!

2008-09-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

Liam just can't seem to stop teething. He cuts one, and the next day it seems like he's got more coming! He's been better the past 2 days, before that though, he was alot of work. Very fussy, and his sleep and appetite was off. He'd also throw up at the drop of a hat, after I had got caught up on all my laundry.

We went and picked up the toy box that Grams got him for his birthday. It's a Little Tikes one, and it holds a ton of toys. Thank goodness, I was getting tired of weaving my way around toys. He seems to like it, and beats on the top of it like a big drum. Too cute.

Nothing too exciting has been going on lately. Went to Michaels today and picked up a few halloween decorations and some fall themed window clings. Cleaned all the windows today, and Andy got the balcony all cleaned up. Vacuumed, cleaned, did dishes. And now my left wrist is killing me to bend it and put weight on it. Will keep an eye on it. Pretty sure I just overdid it today. Gotta love fall cleaning.

Am going to try to get Liam to the zoo tomorrow. Need to enjoy the nice weather while we can. Hopefully he has a good sleep tonight, will definitely make the trip alot easier that way.

Watched the season premieres for ER and Survivor. ER had both Andy and I in tears. It was great opener for the last season of an amazing--and long running--show. And Survivor... I'll give it a chance, but last season wasn't the greatest. And we've got a new season of Pushing Daisies to watch, as well as Jon and Kate Plus Eight. Even Dog the Bounty Hunter is back from being on hiatus for awhile. Sadly, it's my guilty pleasure. And Two and a Half Men... too funny! And Ghost Whisperer! I swear to everybody I don't watch TV... partially true, because Andy records all this stuff for me, and I eventually watch it.

Am going with mom tomorrow afternoon/evening to see Dad and bring him dinner. He's doing well, has 1 or 2 more skin treatments to go. Still a long road to recovery, but he's handling it extremely well.

Should run, need to tear Andy away from video games so we can watch some tv before I go to bed. And I need to finish some laundry, and get my brownies out of the oven soon. Cheers!

Mixed Bag--Can Be Offensive To Some Readers... Sorry...

2008-09-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

The mammoth donairs...my goodness...so yum-o!

We experienced donairs like no others yesterday. Andy and I went to Jimmy's A & A Deli over on 20th Avenue and 14 St. N.W. We had never been there before, but have heard great reviews about the food. We ordered large donairs, which is the usual size we order anywhere else. He ran off to prepare them, and we browsed picking out a few other things. Then we saw them. They were huge. Well, huge is an understatement. They were giant, mammoth things, bigger than our heads! We nervously paid and got 2 free desserts--we should for what we paid for all of our food there--and were on our way. The thing with Jimmy's? No prices on the menu. Definitely a downside. The upside to Jimmy's? The food is amazing. The donair meat is fantastic, the pita's are fresh and chewy, and the sweet sauce is homemade and perfect. We probably consumed enough garlic though to scare off a ton of vampires, but nothing a good swig of scope couldn't cure. All I can say is yum-o!!! Will definitely return there, but will NOT get the large ones.

The upside down church in Ramsay

And for the possibly offensive part of this blog. My apologies in advance. There is a new, and very large, art exhibit in Calgary. To be more specific, in Ramsay. It was purchased from Vancouver, and moved and constructed here. It was a combined effort from Glenbow Museum and Torode Real Estate. I think it's an amazing sculpture, but the artist's (Dennis Oppenheim-world renowned artist) views and opinions can be a tad different. He definitely expresses his opinions through his art work, as it is titled Device to Root Out Evil. It has been considered very controversial to some. Something to see for sure though, take a spin through Ramsay, it's at 803 24 Avenue SE, just off of Spiller Road. And while you're there check out the building behind it, Ramsay Centre. There is an amazing coffee shop, and nearby, on Spiller Road, a place that sells buffalo products. Apparently they have good lunches too!

Andy's birthday was today. He turned 31, and enjoyed his pressies. We are celebrating on Friday and having dinner at his parents. Will try to get to Tony Roma's on Tuesday evening, celebrate Liam's birthday too! I can't believe he is turning 1 already!!

Went to the portrait studio today. Liam didn't want to sit still, was tired, and teething. We managed to get a few nice pics, so will pick those up in October. Went and brought Chinese food to Dad for dinner and had a good visit. Am going to do a Superstore trip tomorrow to get some photos developed, and have a visit with Great Grams as well. Am going to cook salmon and new taters tomorrow night for dinner, yum-o!

My Dad and Liam--Buddies Forever

Should run, need to get some cleaning done, even though the couch is so comfy, and bed is calling my name.. Cheers!

Coming to terms...

2008-09-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been a rollercoaster ride of emotions, to say the least. I consider myself to be a very strong and courageous person, who can usually overcome any obstacle that gets in the way. My strength and courage must have been tested too heavily this past month, leaving me feeling very raw and exposed. As it always proves true in my life, when it rains, it pours. I find myself sitting here, getting more and more agitated and provoked. Simple noises are grating on my nerves, I have turned the volume down really low on the television and I seem to develop a nervous twitch when a loud car goes past. Some of this could be the result of a rough night with minimal sleep last night, agreed. I also find, when under alot of stress, I tend to become very edgy. The phone ringing is the worst thing. It has been ringing all day. Yes, I could easily silence the ringer, but it's not quite possible when it could be dad or Grams calling. So, I or Andy quickly hit the off button when it rings, so it doesn't grate on my nerves too much.

This really sounds like I'm just crabby or cranky, I agree, but Liam was having a day all on his own. His teeth are stubborn, and his gums look so painfully sore. I feel for the little guy... We kept him busy today though. Went to the weight loss clinic this morning. Andy lost 4.5 pounds (way to go) and due to alot of fast food, I gained 1.2 pounds. I had a feeling I would, so it wasn't a huge surprise. We went for our treat lunch at the gourmet hot dog place, visited with the owners--we were going there even before I had Liam, and they have seen Liam since he was basically a newborn. They're like his adopted grandparents.

Went to Confederation Park tonight for a walk and to take pictures. I have been having a blast taking gorgeous pics of Liam. We did the same thing last night, after having dinner and doing some shopping at Deerfoot Mall. He also went for his first ride on a little carousel last night. $6 later, he was having a blast, but to get him off of it, oh my! I see why some parents tell their children that the ride is broken!

Going to see Dad tomorrow morning. Bringing him cheese, salami and olives, as well as leftover ham dinner. He is starting to get tired of the food there--personally I don't blame him! It would get boring after awhile. They have him doing some painting on some planter boxes there, so he isn't going as stir crazy.

Am trying to find Liam a playgroup. Will make some more calls tomorrow to figure a few more places out. And Manda and I are trying to work out some coffee and play dates--gets us all out and about, and keeps the kids happy. I am also trying to teach Liam social skills and how to adapt to different situations, as well as maintaining the schedule that we have worked so hard on the past few weeks. Teething sometimes messes it up, but usually it's like clockwork with him!

Andy's birthday is coming up on Saturday and Liam's on Tuesday. Can't believe how fast the year has gone!

Should run, am going to read some of "Pride and Prejudice" so I can sort of look like I know what I am talking about at Manda's book club! It's very good so far, definitely enjoy the writing style as well as the moderated usage of wry humour. Cheers!

Catching up.

2008-09-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since I last blogged. It has also been very hectic the past few weeks. But I shall try to get everyone caught up on our happenings since the last blog. Here goes...

We had part one of Liam's birthday celebrations on Thursday. We did it early, so that everyone we care about would be able to celebrate with us. We had a full house, fired up the bbq, and had a great time. Liam learned how to open presents, with help of course. He wouldn't eat and cake or ice cream, but he did say the word "cake", which was adorable. And we had a beautiful cake, in the shape of a turtle, done by Andy's dad. Thank you again Mr. H, it was a hit!! We will be having the big family party later on, once dad is out and on the mend.

(1) The gorgeous turtle cake (2) Liam opening presents

The people we wanted there were Tina, Alex and Shelby. They live next to my parents, and over the years, we have all become very close. Tina made the final decision after giving many chances, to leave her husband. I know it was a tough decision, but she needed to do what was best for the kids, so she is moving them out to BC to live with her parents. They need a fresh start and need the support of family and friends. It wasn't an easy decision for her, but she couldn't keep living her life like she was. We all went up to see dad last night so he could say goodbye to the kids, and it it was heartbreaking. Alex, who is the sweetest little boy, told my dad that he wants his legs better soon, and gave him hugs and kisses. My dad broke down, which broke my heart. He is going to miss them dearly, especially Alex, as they had become good buddies. My mom and I said more goodbyes today, which left us all balling our eyes out on the front step. I know that it is what's best for the kids, and for her. She is a strong, passionate and amazing mother, who deserves nothing but the best. It's an honour to call her not only a neighbour, but a friend, and we will definitely be doing a trip to BC to see them in the spring. May she continue on with the same strength, courage and passion in this new chapter in her life. And may her little ones remain as adorable as ever.

(1)Liam with Alex and Shelby (2) Miss Shelby--very proud of this picture.

Dad is in the therapy/rehab centre. As of Tuesday coming up, it will be a month since the accident. It is definitely getting harder and harder to leave him after visiting. It hurts to see him in there, and I feel absolutely helpless. It will be another 5-6 weeks in there. They have been doing treatments on the skin on his foot, and he has another one on Monday. They are not the most pleasant, but it will speed up healing. The infection that was in his foot did set him back by 2 weeks, but he's strong and will pull through all of this. He has a long road ahead of him, but we'll be there every step of the way (that sounds like a bad pun). Plus, all the rest of the people there get a kick out of Liam and I, and we seem to make their day a little brighter. Mom, Liam and I are going tomorrow night to have supper with Dad, which is always alot of fun, plus the food is really good. Alot better than regular hospital food anyways.

My dad with Liam--the highlight of his day

That is pretty much all the updates for now. I'm exhausted and need to get some sleep. Cheers all!

The Big Chop

2008-08-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

I cut off my hair a few days ago. Well, I didn't personally, a hairstylist did. I went from having hair half-way down my back to 2 inches long. It's spikey in the back, I love it! I haven't had it this short in over 2 years! That's the big news. I thought it was time for a change. With all of the chaos in my life, I needed something different, some form of positive change. It worked in a sense. I love the possibilities it gives me!

Dad is doing better. They put him on antibiotics for his foot though, as it was getting red and icky--the best and only way to describe it nicely. I've seen it, and for someone who can handle anything, it was, well, icky! But his mood and attitude are getting back to normal, so that is definitely an improvement. He gives the nurses and other patients a hard time, definitely like him...

Have been up to the hospital every day with Liam to visit. Liam seems to be his favorite visitor, and he has enough strength now to lift him which helps his arms alot.

Have been trying to get all my cleaning and laundry caught up on, but with all the stress lately, my MS has been flaring up, so it's been tricky. Got more pain meds though, so at least I have options. And instead of pushing myself, I have been giving myself down time when I need it.

Tomorrow we're going for dinner at my mom's, with my aunt and uncle, cousins and Grandma, and Dad will have leftovers on Monday when we go to visit.

Should run though, Liam is having a good sleep for now. His teeth have been getting him alot, so it's been up and down...

Night all!

In The Blink Of An Eye...

2008-08-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

...life can change dramatically. It can leave us reeling, raw, emotionally drained, scared and altered. In the blink of an eye one horrifying event has altered our current paths in life. On Tuesday, my dad had an accident at work. He was painting on the roof of a very large house, the ladder skidded out from under him and he fell. He fell off the roof, hit a lower roof, then hit the cement driveway. We got the horrible news from his customers, who weren't home at the time. I had just gotten home and gotten Liam down for his nap, and my mom called. I thought this was odd, as she tried both numbers, even though I had just left her place not even an hour prior. She said "Melissa? You have to come get me. Dad broke his ankle." What is usually a 20 minute drive took me a mere 8 minutes, and I ran into her house. She informed me that Dad had fallen off the roof and we had to get to the hospital. He works alone, and his customers were not home. Thankfully it happened in the front of the house, so there were people walking past that got help. He was rushed to hospital, and taken straight to trauma.

When we arrived we saw him. First off, he was green from head to toe from the paint that went with him. He saw us and started crying. They had already put him under once to work on his foot, and were doing numerous tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, and ct scans.

Skipping forward. He dislocated the bones in his left foot, as well as tearing tendons and ligaments. The bones did exit his foot, and he has had surgery on it already. His right leg is broken, he broke the tibia bone. He has had a surgery on it as well, and there are pins and rods etc.

He will be in hospital for quite awhile, followed by alot of rehab and physio. His spirits are good, and not relying on heavy painkillers now. He loves visitors, so we make sure that we are up there as much as possible. We are exhausted and stressed, as well as concerned for the future.

The main point is he is alive. Apparently, when he fell, the 2nd roof slowed his fall, and when he hit the driveway, his head landed on a small patch of grass. Yes, he has a long road ahead of him, but he at least has a road...

Please keep him in your thoughts. And thank you to everyone for visiting and all of your support. It definitely keeps him going!!

Onward... Liam has had a few rough days. He is working on 4 teeth, which is causing his moods and tummy to be off kilter. We had a rough night last night, and the day was tough. Not alot of sleep, and my MS is flaring up very badly among other problems. I'm going to try to get more sleep tonight, and take it easy tomorrow, probably stick around home quite a bit. Am going to try to get a doctor's appointment for Liam and I tomorrow, just to get everything checked out. I also need a new prescription for some MS pain meds, as last night was almost unbearable.

Weigh in went well last Monday. Andy lost 5 pounds, and I lost 4.2 pounds! He is down by 73.5 and I am down 25--70 total since I had Liam though.

Should get some sleep though! Night all!

I'm A Lobster....Pass The Butter Please!

2008-08-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

Liam is officially a starfish now. He finished his lessons on Friday, and passed with flying colors! I am so proud of my little fish, and so was the teacher. He absolutely loves the water and kicks his little legs like crazy! We felt bad that swimming lessons were over, so we went to Cardel on Saturday afternoon to get some more swim time in. We had an excellent time. Stayed in the water for an hour, watched Liam crawl through the wading pool, went through the swirly river thingy (note: Liam does NOT like life jackets), and splashed around.

On Sunday my parents picked Liam and I up, and off we went. We headed to the Saskatoon Farm by Okotoks, checked out the plants, Daisy the big, and the store. It is an amazing garden centre/berry picking farm, and we really enjoyed it. We then headed into Okotoks to have lunch, then on to Black Diamond, Turner Valley, and Priddis. We then made our way back to Calgary, and stopped at our landlords house to pay the rent. She is a very sweet woman; made us excellent coffee and had goodies galore. Liam really liked her and loved her backyard with all the trees.

Went to get my eyebrows waxed with Mom on Monday, then took Liam to play at her house. Tuesday was more visiting at my parents place, and out for coffee with Grandma and Liam.

And today we went to Heritage Park. We took Liam on his first boat ride, went all through the trains, saw the animals, hit up the bakery, and had a wonderful day. Liam absolutely loved it, and next time we will definitely do a train ride. Then we went and saw my parents tonight and played on his swing.

Tomorrow we are off to Bowness park with Amanda, Aidan and Emma. We are going to go to the wading pool, spray park and playground, and have a picnic lunch. Should be fun, and Liam gets to play in the water.

Friday Liam is getting his immunization shots, so we will see how he is. We do need to do grocery shopping, but that's about it. And Saturday we are going to the park with my Grandma and her doggy for a walk.

Should run though, need to get some sleep, and hopefully keep Liam down for the night... And he's awake....s

He drank up all the water..

2008-07-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-28T23:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-25T23:43:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-07-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-07-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-07-04T22:58:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-07-01T22:36:00.000-07:00

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!

Love Does NOT Conquer All...

2008-06-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

A dear friend of mine and my parents broke down in front of us today. It hit me so incredibly hard, and instilled so much fear in me. It also instilled faith and confidence in me. Our friend announced to us, through tears, that she is leaving her husband. Her husband of 7+ years. The father of her 2 children. The one she thought she would love forever. The one who is not showing any emotion. The one who refuses counselling and a fresh start. This had been a long time coming, of course, and I am completely supportive of her decision. But watching her almost crumble in front of us destroyed me. Her children are the sweetest, and very young. She will moving out of province to start over, get back on her feet while staying with her parents. He is not going with her and the kids.

The one statement she made is stuck in my mind though..."Love does not conquer all". In her case, it is true. She loves him as much as she possibly can, and has stood by his side through thick and thin. She also loves him enough to know that she needs to leave, to get a fresh start, and do what is best for her kids. Her kids are amazing, and I will miss them dearly. So many times I have gone to visit my parents, and I get the little boy babbling away to me. I went to their birthday party. I've helped her rescue a cat. I've spent many times talking over the fence with her. I knew that the situation between them was not good, and I understand her decision. It will be better for her, for her children, and in the long run, for him. He was not ready...

Love does conquer all at times. But that bond must be strong and indefinite before a situation arises. Love can stand the tests of time, but sometimes these tests are hard to overcome and the love suffers.

Today, a woman made a difficult and life changing decision. Some women will not leave relationships that they are not happy with. She definitely made me realize that love is something you both need to work on. She gave everything until she couldn't give anymore. Love is not to be taken for granted. It needs to be nurtured, enjoyed and cherished. It is a life long journey. It is life altering. Love is what you make of it, and what you put into it.

I try my best to give as much as I can. We feed off of each other, we support each other, we know each other, we challenge each other, and we strengthen each other. We need each other, sometimes more than either one of us realize. Sure, we have our moments, but they are always resolved quickly before they can escalate. Things have not been easy, but we have experienced more than alot of couples have in longer periods of time. We are stronger now than ever, and we share a very strong bond. I don't take love for granted, after all, it could end sooner than we would want it to.

So I may complain at times, but I know that deep down everything is alright. We have our bad days, but there's always going to be a tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow....it's my birthday! Yep, onto a happier subject. Shopping with mom and dad in the morning, a visit with Andy's parents in the afternoon, then for dinner with Grams, then for cake with my parents. Should be a good day, nice and simple! And we have decided on Heritage Park for monday. Can't wait!

Should try to get some sleep... my back is really flaring up, so we shall see... Cheers!

Sleep is calling my name...

2008-06-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

It was a rough day. And a rough night last night. I did my shot last night, which hit me harder than usual. A common side effect of the shot is headaches--I definitely had those. They were off and on all day, making my eyes extremely sensitive to light. Liam was up quite a bit during the night, and his naps were off today, so it was frustrating. I was dragging my sorry butt around all day, and I think it drove Liam nuts that we weren't going anywhere. We did end up going for coffee tonight with my parents and Grandma, was good to get him out. Am feeling alot better now, which is a relief. The side effects only last 24 hours, so it's not too bad.

I hung up the phone on someone tonight. I do not regret it, nor do I feel badly about it. It was just, simply put, time to end the conversation, or I would say something I would truly regret. Frustration had started to build, probably for some time now, and it just struck a nerve with me. So, my phone calls will be limited the next few days, as I am trying to avoid as much stress as possible.

Tomorrow we are going grocery shopping. Really, Liam and I have a blast while doing it. Sure, alot of produce suffers to make him laugh, cans of french's fried onions get converted to powder to maintain constant giggles, and pickled beets must be found... Then tomorrow night it's off to Sears to pick up the clothes I ordered for Andy, and to return that pair of shorts finally.

Saturday is my birthday. Will be shopping for my pressie with mom and Liam, then for dinner with Grams, and cake with my parents. Simple stuff. I like it that way. Are still debating what to do on Monday. It's down to the zoo and butterfield acres. Would love to go to heritage park though! Maybe we'll do that, all depends on how we are in the morning. I've been wiped lately, Liam's been teething and Andy has been working his butt off. So, we will see...

Have to move Liam's check-up appointment to later tomorrow, wasn't thinking when I booked it, as it is Liam's naptime. Should run though, have laundry to switch and a bed that is calling my name louder and louder. Until next time, Cheers!

Congratulations Emily & Chris!

2008-06-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

Our front flower garden---well, part of it...

Welcome to the world Kayden! Emily and Chris are now the proud parents of a beautiful healthy little boy, who surprised them by coming into the world 17 days early, on Monday, June 23, 2008. Congratulations to the proud parents! He is one lucky boy to have you as parents.

I met Emily a few weeks ago, I guess by fluke. I had posted some classified ad sites online for Liam's old stuff, and she responded to a few ads. I organized a bunch of clothing, toys, and other things for her, and she and Chris came over to sort through them. Needless to say, almost 2 hours later, they had almost filled their car, and we had hit it off. She is going to be an excellent Mommy and Chris will make an excellent daddy! Andy and I have alot in common with them, which is a good thing. Am supposed to get together with her hopefully tomorrow, to drop off more clothes, and then more drop-offs on the weekend. I know they appreciate the help, and I am more than glad to do anything for them. He was unable to get time off of work to help Em, which will be hard on her, but I know she's up for it.

When we first found out I was pregnant with Liam, we panicked at first. I get very anxious and anal about things--anyone can attest to that. I had so many fears-they ranged from if I could be a good mom, could we financially handle it, could my health handle it...those were the major things. These worries and fears continually got worse and worse as I got closer to my due date--I remember crying to my parents alot, panicking that I didn't have everything ready. Then after Liam was born, those fears became trivial. You will never be totally prepared or ready to be a parent. It is a life altering experience, plainly put. It is not something to be taken for granted. The first three months of Liam's life, sadly, I wish I could forget. The hospital visits, the sleepless nights, more hospital visits and admissions, my own post-partum recovery, and fearing more and more everyday that I could easily lose him. I remember being afraid to go to sleep, as I thought something awful would happen to him. Remembering the IV's, the spinal taps, the bloodwork, the ultrasounds on him, the list goes on, breaks my heart to think of what he went through. I would not wish that on anyone. The first few months of a child's life are meant to be remembered, not wished to be forgotten. Unfortunately, I feel the latter. I cherish every day with that little boy, no matter how difficult it is. He amazes me more and more every day. He gives me strength and courage, and has taught me more about myself than anyone can. He has tested me in ways I didn't think possible, changed my life for the better, and matured me more than I could ever imagine. Being a mother means so much more to me now--and makes me appreciate my own that much more. He is what keeps me going and has even made me forget about my MS at most times, and by having him, has improved my health greatly.

Onward...made my yummy lasagna tonight. I usually make it at least 3 times a month, and then there are always left overs for Andy for work. Very yum-o. Mom and dad were over last night, and brought over the air conditioner that they bought for us--thank you! And they came over tonight to play with Liam and to take him for a walk. It gave me time to unload and reload the dishwasher, and tidy up. Still have a few things to do tonight--litterboxes, a load of laundry, and random tidying...

Liam is doing okay today, he was tricky to get down last night, as apparently the lentils and split peas that they hide in baby food, do NOT agree with him. So today, we went shopping, and bought yummy organic baby food with no crap in it, and he was fine. And--he loved eating it. He had peaches, pears and oatmeal for breakfast, chicken, sweet taters and carrots for lunch, and chicken, apricots, sweet taters, corn and peas for dinner. I even did some homemade baby food to put in the freezer.

Tomorrow will be a lazy day. Need to go to Sears, back to the store for more organics, and for a couple walks. Will try to get to the farmers market over the weekend to get some veggies for Liam, as they have an organic market. Yep, apparently we're going organic baby!

Friday is grocery shopping day, and we have doctors appointments in the afternoon. And Saturday is my birthday, so will be going shopping for my present--grins--and then to dinner with Grams, and for cake with my parents after that.

Should go, these blogs are getting longer and longer! Cheers!

Exhausted...

2008-06-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Exhausted...lack of sleep is definitely catching up with me now. Liam was alot better today; enjoyed his solids alot more--he even tried some new things, like pasta and green beans. And there was lentils and split peas in his chicken dinner--he was a little bloated tonight, and needed extra cuddling, but he went down just before 8:30... He has woken up once since then, and he needed cuddles, a bit more bottle and ovol... Am going to go to bed earlier tonight... my to-do list is still up there, but I am not concerned about it...

I'll use Liam as my excuse for not getting things done. Granted I do get alot done, sometimes I amaze myself. I put away 5 baskets of laundry the other day while he played on my bed. I made an awesome dinner tonight--we had Mu Shu pork wraps with asian veggie salad. Soooo yum-o!

Took Liam for a walk around the neighbourhood this morning after we watered all the plants and flowers. He really enjoyed the nice weather, and he loves the trees! He's an outdoor boy for sure.

Just had a nice hot shower. That is my weakness, well that, and sleep... I'm a girl who loves her sleep... I desperately wanted to have a hot bubble bath with my Lush products, but I know that he would wake up as soon as I got all comfy... sigh... It was still good... Just frustrating when I am tied down to Liam non-stop with not alot of relief... He is a mama's boy lately, that's for sure, but help would be great! Usually I am counting down until he goes to sleep, so I can have some "me-time", where I can sit and relax, or get my never-ending to-do list started on...

As for tomorrow, going to Sears to return a pair of shorts that I bought. They fit great when I stand up and walk, but as soon as I sit down, they rise up. So that will mean a nice mall-walk. And water the plants in the morning, then do a little walk around the block with Liam. Mom and dad are coming over tomorrow night, to cut the lawn and to bring the air conditioner that they bought for us. Thank goodness, that will definitely help this summer. The heat doesn't bug me too much, but I worry for Liam more than anything.

I found an old old old friend today on Facebook. I had lost touch with her over the years--she used to live across the alley from my parents house, and we spent alot of time together. This was back when I was in elementary school, definitely a long time ago! It's great to have found her again--I remember going to the circus with her and her parents, and going for brunch in the mountains... fun times! We will definitely be talking lots now...

Other than that, am getting ready to go to bed... will do some stuff around the house, and a run to the mall tomorrow, but otherwise will be home most of the day. Will hopefully be going to see my cousin Jennifer, with her new babes, on Sunday--she's been having a rough time with the kids, so maybe we can give her a bit of a break! Then we can give Ty his baby gift (it's more for Jen) and a gift for Amanda, so she doesn't feel left out...

Should try to make a break for my bed. Until next time, Cheers!

Is the day over yet?

2008-06-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

What a day! Liam is in full blown teething mode. His appetite is off, his naps are off, his diapers are off (to put it nicely), his mood is off, and in general, he is just "off". I feel badly for the little guy; he chews on his fingers non-stop, gags and throws up when he eats certain solids, and he's extra cuddly (I love that part). It was a long stressful day, full of tears (almost for both of us), vomit, and attempts at poops. Whoever says teething is easy for their children, can they explain what medication they were taking at the time? My goodness! I have been using camilia, the homeopathic medicine, on him, which has great results. I usually do not put faith in natural treatment, but I am definitely reconsidering usage of it.

Picked up my prescription at Safeway today for my injections. Knock on wood, they are working. I may be battling the start of another bladder infection, but otherwise, I have been feeling amazing. I do contribute part of this, of course, to healthier eating, walking, and nice weather. The weather definitely has played a huge part with my MS; mostly with my moods, which indirectly, but almost directly affect my MS. It is such a strange and frustrating disease. I have been doing alot of research, and there are various new treatments that have been approved, and that will be approved in the future. I definitely know that a healthy diet and exercise are definitely beneficial, as it is an auto-immune disease. A healthy lifestyle is also necessary when on the injections that I take. The major side effect of the injection is a reduced immune system; something that makes me a little worried, but I do my best to stay well. And ever since I have had Liam, it seems to have improved. My last MRI showed no change in a 4 year period, which is exceptional. It did show, however, that I have a herniated disc in my upper spine--not related to MS, but it does explain the issues I have on a regular basis with my back.

The way that I tend to look at it--everything happens for a reason. It has given me inner strength, helped me learn alot about myself and what I can do, and that this is a learning experience. It feels like a test, and lately, I have been definitely passing with flying colors. It has been a very rough road, with alot of detours and bumps, but I have made it... When they first diagnosed me, I was young, naive and devastated. I have grown as an individual greatly since then, and have gained such strength and knowledge through all of this. I have definitely had alot of support along the way, especially my parents. My mom can probably remember emergency room trips, watching me cry out in pain and feeling helpless, and being there every step of the way. It takes alot of understanding and emotional strength for someone to be around someone with MS. Thank you mom, dad, and Andy. Always grateful...

And back to now...I am exhausted. I have a to-do list a mile long, which I am avoiding for tonight. I am drained. I need to book Liam's 9-month check-up tomorrow, for sometime this week. I love our family doctor, I make her job very simple. If I have a problem, I go in, tell her what it is, what meds I need, and she confirms it. She is very thorough, definitely glad mom found her for me.

We are postponing Heritage Park until Andy's holidays in July. Are debating getting passes for there and the zoo, not too sure what we will do. Will definitely go walking tomorrow and hit a park for Liam--he's our little outdoor boy...

Mr. Bob headed back to Toronto today for his radiation treatments. My thoughts are with him through all of this.

Should run, this is turning into a novel! Cheers and good night!

It's Late And I Can't Sleep

2008-06-22T00:14:00.000-07:00

Ordered my glasses today. Thank you Mommy! They will be ready in 2 weeks--yay! For my regular glasses, I got a pair of Ray-Bans--I can see why they are so popular, they are super comfy. And got a pair of sunglasses, all Jackie-O style... Can't wait for them to be ready. Again, thank you mom, for my early birthday present.

Grandma is taking us to Red Lobster for my birthday--seems to have become sort of a tradition. I love the food there, and especially with our diet, it will definitely be a well deserved treat. Yum-O!

Liam and I spent lots of time outside today. It wiped him out so much, that he didn't even fight going down tonight, thank goodness. Tomorrow, we're going to be outside first thing, to water the plants and have a nice morning walk. Andy's parents are coming in tomorrow--thank you for the sugar snap peas again! mmm... Maybe in the afternoon we will go to the park before we go to see my parents (am determined to clean out the car). Need to go to Safeway to pick up another round of my needles too.

Went to 2 yard sales today. Picked up a huge collage frame, and 2 small frames, as well as a copy of one of Diana Gabaldon's books--I absolutely adore her writing style. She does historical/time travel/romance type novels. Can't wait to get into it.

Our place definitely got warm today... mom and dad are going air conditioner shopping tomorrow--thank you! Our room is pretty cool, but I am still feeling it.

Andy is off tomorrow and Monday night, then back on Tuesday--his schedule got messed up a wee bit... sigh... Have to get to Sears this week too, to pick up the 2 shirts and pair of shorts that I ordered him for Father's Day. With all the weight he lost, I figured he needed something to compliment his "new figure". Way to go Andy!

With all that being said, should try to get some sleep... cheers!

Still awake...sigh

2008-06-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

Liam has been stirring on and off for the past 20 minutes, so it is debateable whether I should go to bed or wait a few minutes more... hmm...

Am going to a big yard sale in our area tomorrow. They are supposed to have some really funky things and lots of baby gear, so will definitely have to check it out. See what I can find for Liam, maybe not toys, wouldn't want him to be spoiled or anything lol... Will look for you Emily as well, see if I can find anything... And hopefully we'll do the zoo before your little one comes and get together. We have way too much in common---lol... the babbling shall continue tomorrow!

My birthday is in 8 days! Will be doing dinner with Andy & Grandma, probably at Red Lobster--seems to be tradition.

Should head to bed, he seems to have settled for now... Cheers!

Untitled... I've got nothin' people

2008-06-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Liam is sleeping peacefully, was tricky to get him down, as his teeth are bugging him... He manages to turn on his aquariam while he sleeps, it's hilarious.

Didn't do alot today, other than a bit of grocery shopping. Went to visit mom and dad tonight, and Liam played outside quite a bit today.

We're planning a trip to Heritage Park on Monday, hopefully. It'll be good to get out for the day, and take Liam on the train and the boat. I'm sure he'll like it, as it's outdoors. Definitely have to get a few sausage rolls, not diet friendly, but the only time we get them is there... So good with mustard... *wipes pool of drool off of keyboard*

Emily and Chris, just remember, the baby will come when it is ready. Chris, don't stress! We're here for you! And our cats look identical--too creepy!

And Mr. Bob--I'll be thinking of you. Here's to a speedy recovery--there will be huckleberry treats when you get back! Much love to you and Mrs. Bob... xoxo

Should run and finish laundry. Until next time all...Cheers!

My tongue is naked

2008-06-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

It is official. My tongue is no longer adorned with jewellery. And it is numb and tingly without it. I will admit, it has ruined the back of my teeth, and the labret (lower lip stud), which I removed over a month ago, has left scar tissue on the inside of my lip, ruined the front of my teeth, and caused my lower gum line to recede. I will not admit that anyone was right, but, alot of damage has been done by both. I have a dental visit in July, so will have to see what can or cannot be fixed. My teeth have become very thin too...

Did my injection last night, no problem. Wasn't achy today, just had a wicked headache. Every shot, it gets better, and they are working!

Went with Liam and saw Grandma, Mom & Dad tonight. He's found his streak of independence, and uses it at any chance he can get. He prefers to have his own seat, instead of sitting on a lap. It has all started since we have been putting him in the playpen with his toys. Our little boy is growing up. We think he is working on some more bottom teeth, hard to tell, as he seems to get lock jaw when we go to look in his mouth.

Thought I would do a quick update, need to go make bottles, and flip through the flyers, see if there is anything interesting on sale. I'll admit it, I'm a sales flyer junkie! Cheers and good night!

I'm not blind

2008-06-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

Went to the eye doctor today for a new prescription. My vision and astigmatism in my right eye is worse, but my eyes are healthy, which is good. Am going glasses shopping on Saturday with Mom and Liam, something I have needed to do for quite awhile. Should be fun, new glasses and sunglasses--going to look for a bigger pair of sunglasses that are a dark tint.

Liam had a great sleep last night, to the point of, we almost missed my appointment this morning, as he overslept... He needed it! He is down for his second nap right now; he plays so hard during the day, and wears himself right out.

Made yummy bbq pulled beef in the slow-cooker tonight. Yum-O! Put pepsi in the sauce, along with a ton of other things. Had coleslaw and homefries with it, and a salad. Very tasty!

Should run, need to get dinner stuff put away and dishes soaking. Plus, he's starting to stir... Cheers!

Lions, Tiggers, and Bears--Oh My!

2008-06-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

The hippo's were enjoying the sunshine too!
What a gorgeous day! We spent over 3 hours today at the zoo... Our zoo trip started off a little rough, as my new 4 gig memory card for my camera didn't work, so Andy left the zoo, drove home, and got my old one. Then came back and used another pass to get in. It was insanely busy there, as apparently on Tuesdays, admission is half price. Add in various school field trips, and it gets very hectic. We had a blast though! Liam had a nap when we first got there, but then woke up, we had lunch, then wandered. He was sooo incredibly different with his reactions to the animals this go-round. He especially loves the monkeys and the fish, and giggles when he sees them. And the weather was beautiful... except I look like a lobster now... sigh... We bought Liam an adorable hat too! It's a camoflauge bucket hat with the Calgary Zoo logo on the front. He looked like such a little man!

We bbq'd tonight for dinner... I made yummy italian burgers, with lean ground beef, fresh cilantro, basil and oregano, pasta sauce, onions, mushrooms, garlic, bread crumbs and egg. We bbq'd them, melted mozza on em, and topped them with garlicky mayo and pasta sauce. Sooooo good, oh my! Yum-O!

Going to do a bit of shopping tonight, once Liam gets up from his nap--we wore the poor little guy out. Need to return that memory card to Future Shop and get our money back, then find a new one that will work on my camera...

Shall run... Until next time, Cheers and enjoy the summery weather!

The Skinny Girl Wants Out!

2008-06-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

Today was weigh-in day, and we continued on our way! Andy lost 7.5 pounds, so is now down by 59.8 pounds! Way to go Andy! He amazes me! I lost 0.8 pounds this weigh-in, bringing me to a total loss of 24.6 pounds! I really enjoy the program and the clinic--they are amazingly supportive, and makes it easy to follow. Plus I love to cook, so that definitely helps Andy out--I try to be as creative as possible.

We also went to 2 garden centres today--bought another S-hook to hang the planter basket that Grandma bought us, and a walla-walla onion starter plant, which went in the dirt patch next to my flower garden. All of our plants are in and the garden is decorated and finished. I will definitely take pictures tomorrow and post them on my next entry. I say that now, but we shall see...

Will have lots of pics to post tomorrow, as we are going to the zoo! I can't wait, it'll be great to be outside, and show Liam all the "aminals" and plants...

Liam went for a huge walk with my parents tonight, which tired him out. He went down really easily, which is great...gives me time to get things done. Managed to get some cleaning done today, including the upstairs bathroom, and got rid of all the garbage. I made healthy cookies tonight, which are full of protein and fiber--a good thing to pack for the zoo with apples. Yum-O!

Other than that, Liam is still working away on his teeth. It seems like his fingers are permanently stuck in his mouth...

I should run, need to get the laundry in the dryer, and get Liam's things ready for tomorrow... Cheers!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

Hope all the dads out there had a great father's day! I know I definitely enjoyed it! Got up this morning with Liam, and gave Andy his sappy cards and presents, and he loved them! Then went with Liam to my parents place to see Dad, and he really liked his light house that we got him. And we're glad you liked the hot sauce and BBQ stuff Dad! Got to see Kathy and Darren (my cousins) and their 2 girls. They're so adorable; Kathy: I'm sure she'll forget that she was lost at the zoo... no long term therapy any way! We will definitely come and see you when Liam is ready for a weekend away. And thank you Aislin, for spinning the windmill non-stop for Liam--you sure had him laughing.

Went to the garden centres to get a few more things--I over bought on plants, of course. Visited with Andy's parents this afternoon--I think they just came to watch tv. Just kidding! Gave his dad, his pressies--let me know how Ferrari smells Mr. H!

All in all, it was a busy day. Managed to get most of my plants in, fertilized and watered them, weeded the beds, and decorated with Andy's new turtle ornament--thanks again Mom. And the 2 bamboo windchimes are amazing! Dad came and did the lawn, and put in wood chips along the walkway--it's looking great--pics are still to follow of course, once it is totally finished. Thank you Mom, for the irises and lilies, can't wait until they come out! Poor Liam played so hard when they were here tonight, that he fell asleep at 7:15, got up at 9:45, then was back asleep on Andy a few minutes later on the couch. Took him downstairs, gave him a bottle and he's been out ever since. His poor little teeth are bugging him, we think he's working on his top ones... sigh...

Should run though, I'm exhausted... OH! Pork roast is excellent when slow cooked and smoked on the BBQ. Sorry about the scalloped taters Andy---should have cooked em longer... Tomorrow is weigh-in day, will update tomorrow. Until then, Cheers!

Father's Day Shopping Is Done...

2008-06-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy day today. Did our big Wal-Mart trip today, Andy got his hair cut (looks great!), finished off card and gift shopping for Father's Day--now have to sign and wrap everything--sigh... Did a bit of grocery shopping today, have a bit more to do tomorrow. Fun stuff! Got Liam a couple of new toys to add to his growing collection too. Also got reprints done of all of his portraits, and tons of prints from the camera of him. Even framed all the 5X7's, just need to get them hung up.

Went last night and got him a talking Elmo playset that he can use standing up--we're not quite there yet, but close! And also a V-Tech walker, that has a steering wheel, lots of lights and music. He seems interested in both, so we shall see. Also went to the garden centre, so Liam was in heaven with that.

My cousins, Kathy and Darren are in town this weekend, so will definitely have to make plans to get together--haven't seen them in ages! And we're planning on a visit with my other cousin and her new baby, probably on Monday or Tuesday afternoon, whenever works for her. Ty is such an adorable little man, and his big sis seems to enjoy her new role!

Will try to do a trip downtown on Sunday hopefully; need to get another family pic in the gardens! Need to hit superstore tomorrow to finish our shopping, nothing too exciting.

Liam is still stuffed up, and he got pretty tired today. Hopefully he sleeps good again tonight, I know I'm feeling pretty wiped, but my cold seems to be easing up a bit, which is a good thing.

Should run, will try to get a few things done before I go to bed. Cheers! And Manda, we need to get together, could try to do the zoo or something... Let me know girlie!

He's A Little Trooper...

2008-06-11T23:17:00.000-07:00

So Liam is still battling his cold, poor little guy. He was a trooper today, and was running on 1 nap--which was only 45 minutes. Tonight is the first night in a long time that he has stayed down for longer than 20 minutes. He stirred a few times, but nothing major. Meaning mommy got alot of stuff done... My last load of laundry is in the wash, the livingroom is vacuumed and half cleaned/organized, dishes are all done, bottles are made, litterboxes are cleaned, and the counters and stoves have been done. Not to mention half the garbage has been taken out; it started to rain before my second run, so I gave up.

We spent most of the day with Mom today, went to the mall and had lunch, and played. Got Andy's father's day present ordered, sadly it won't arrive until June 25th, but nonetheless. It was a last minute discovery, and I know he'll love it! I still have a couple of things to finish up for his big day, but I'm close!

Not sure what we'll do tomorrow, would like to stay in, try to get us over our colds. If the weather is decent, maybe try for a walk. And Andy is off for 6 days now, so we will definitely try to make it to the zoo, or something...

Have to do my shot after this, then try to get some sleep. My nose is driving me nuts, it keeps itching and burning, so it's not the easiest to sleep... sigh...

Well, I'm off... Cheers all!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2008-06-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mom! Hope we made the rainy day a little brighter for you!

Liam and I spent the day with mom today, to celebrate her birthday. I even baked her a cake--low fat, low cal carrot cake--will have to write down the recipe finally. I'm glad she enjoyed it, it was amazing, not to toot my own horn! And we're glad she liked her pressies---she's easy to shop for, anything I like, she likes!

Liam has come down with a wicked cold, the poor little guy. And he's working on more teeth, so he's been definitely out of sorts. Thank you to Rod though, for the suggestion of the homeopathic teething meds, they work like a charm. I can hear him through the monitor, slightly resembles Darth Vader. And he has now turned on his aquarium, so it is going now, dang it... Hopefully he will sleep through it... sigh...

Managed to have a nice long nap this afternoon---thank you mommy! I'm just starting to get the cold, so hopefully it won't amount to much. Really zaps your appetite. Arg...

We are going to try and get out tomorrow if Liam is feeling a little better, and if the weather isn't so crappy. Probably hit the garden center or something.

Got to see my pictures of my cousin Jennifer's new baby. Ty is absolutely gorgeous Jen, such a little man! We will definitely come to visit when we are all over our colds---that would be the last thing you need!

Am going father's day shopping on Friday, should be fun...

Should run, my nose is running, and I seriously can't keep up with it. Cheers!

I am glad I am not Kate...

2008-06-08T23:37:00.000-07:00

I feel true sympathy for Kate of Jon & Kate Plus 8. If you have ever watched the popular series, you will understand. The show is highly addictive, probably due to viewers curiosity and feeling blessed. Jon and Kate have 8 children, 1 set of twins and 1 set of sextuplets. The twins are 7 years old, and the sextuplets are 4 years old. Enough said. There is a simple reason as to why I am writing about them, and that, in some ways, I am glad I am not Kate. I shall explain....

It is another rough night with Liam. I am listening to him stir and settle over and over again. My comfy rocking chair needs to be properly cleaned tomorrow, as does my floor. And my laundry load has grown. He had finally gone down at about 10:15, but was crying and awake every 15-20 minutes. Note to everyone: I do not need a gym. I am up and down the stairs 10-20 times in a night minimum. There was various reasons as to his awakenings; he had gone the wrong way in his crib and bumped his head, his soother was under his head, his soother was under his ear, the soother was in his hand (haven't quite figured out what his problem was with that, other than it not being in his mouth). He peed on me... not just a little, I was soaked and so was he, then he cried and cried. Then after midnight, I tried and tried to calm him down, and nothing was working. Then the back arched, he screamed, and out it all came. My chair, me, him, the floor. Truly, my aim is getting better. I have learned to at least aim him away from our beds. So, nonetheless, got him settled down again after cleaning up, and I am back upstairs. I'm tired, I can still smell baby puke, and Jon and Kate is on... very soothing actually.

Kate definitely proves that the impossible can be possible. She is a full time stay at home mom, with 8 children. I stay at home with one. Yes my days, correct that, my nights may be horrible at times, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am thankful for having him in my life more and more every day. He is full of surprises, and throws huge curveballs, but I am up for the challenge. Plus, I can't complain too much, for awhile there, he slept through the night for sooooo many nights... I am hoping this is teething, but could it also be that he had beef again today? He seems to have an aversion to cows apparently, maybe we'll just stick to chicken... might be safer, and alot less messy...

On a happier note... We went to my parents neighbours kids birthday party. It was a great party, and Liam enjoyed being around the other children. And the weather held out for it. I can't wait to do Liam's birthday party weekend, it should be a blast! And my creative/big kid side can run wild!

Tomorrow, I am going to try to get more cleaning and organizing done. I'm falling behind, mostly due to exhaustion. Thank goodness for coffee. Will try and get Liam out tomorrow for some fresh air, maybe hit a garden centre or something. I know in the evening, that we will be going out with my parents, probably for a mall walk.

Enough babble, it's bedtime for me, I hope. Cheers!

Rain rain go away...

2008-06-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

So with all this rain, Liam hasn't been able to enjoy the great outdoors, leading to lack of sleep. Don't get me wrong, he had a couple naps today, but nothing like he would if he had been playing outdoors. The fresh air exhausts him, which is good, as he definitely sleeps alot better. It was a fight to get him down tonight, but finally he exhausted himself trying to fight sleep off... Poor little guy!

Can't really report anything exciting today...didn't really do alot, other than a run to Wal-Mart and Safeway. Ordered a copy of the Biggest Loser Cookbook from the Chapters website. The author has also written 2 other cookbooks, and she has created some amazing recipes. Her first book, Fast Food Fix, has recipe makeovers for tons of favorite fast food items. Definitely worth a peek if anyone is interested.

Well Liam has already been up once, so we shall see how the night goes, as it is close to midnight now. I should possibly go get a few things done before I head to bed, need to make bottles and do a little tidying up. And we have a birthday party to go to for my parents neighbours kids. Should be fun, maybe the rain will go away... sigh...

Until next time, Cheers!

Liam was being cuddly today...and a baby in a sleeper is still the sweetest thing ever!

What a night...

2008-06-06T23:34:00.000-07:00

So either Liam is preparing for another tooth, or something was not in agreement with his tummy tonight. Nonetheless, bedtime went from 10pm to midnight, he threw up heavily twice, and then wanted to play. He's sleeping now, probably not for long, as what should be in his stomach is on my floor, my sheets, and himself. Poor little guy... I'm hoping it's just another tooth, or it was too many solids today, or not enough formula tonight, or well, I don't know... I finally managed to eat dinner at 12:15am... homemade lasagna... yum-o!

But the earlier part of the evening was great. Went to visit Mr. & Mrs. Bob, as Liam and I hadn't seen them in over a month. I have been sooo worried about them, and with them being in Toronto for his treatments, I have felt helpless. So, tonight I made them a baked pasta for their dinner tomorrow night with caesar salad. We had a great visit, and got caught up on everything. We will definitely try to do a few more visits with them before they have to head back for more treatments. He is such a strong man, I know everything will be okay. He will definitely be in our thoughts!

Not sure what we are up to tomorrow... All depends on the weather, I guess. Should try to head to bed, I have alot more laundry to do tomorrow.... sigh...Until next time, Cheers!

P.S. Thank you mom and dad for the mattress protector for my bed... definitely worth every penny!

Quickie

2008-06-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you Mr. & Mrs. H for the huge bag of sugar snap peas--it made my day! Yes, this sounds strange, but when I get hooked on a vegetable, look out. I get excited over vegetables... and it is 2 pounds of peas! Yum-O! And we went through half of the huge bag of broccoli that they gave us tonight...

Got my beautiful pale yellow peony planted tonight. Watered all the flowers and baskets, did some tidying up. Still have to plant my snapdragons, million bells, dusty miller (that decorative silver stuff), mini carnations and a huge double white impatien. It will look gorgeous when everything is done. Our bleeding heart clipping from mom looks a little wilty, but with some TLC it should bounce back. Will definitely post pictures on here.

And Liam's 2nd tooth popped through, so he is definitely a happier little boy. He has been outside alot today, which he loves! Have to figure out something to keep him busy tomorrow, should be able to figure out something.

Will hopefully get to see Mr. & Mrs. Bob over the next few days, and bring him the treats mom and dad brought him back from the states...

While Liam is napping, I should try to accomplish something. On load 1 of 5 of our laundry, Andy got the kitchen and most of the dishes done, and I should try to tackle the shelves for the entertainment center so we can get our movies and games put away. So, on that note, I'm off and running to tackle it all... cheers!

Slightly easier than Ikea... I said "slightly"

2008-06-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

So, the entertainment unit is finally assembled. Unfortunately, I will not take full credit for it, as Andy did ALOT of the work... We stayed up until 2:30am last night, and went back at it this morning. The tv is set up and absolutely gorgeous. We still need to put the storage shelves in, and organize our movies and games, but it is mostly done... And tonight to take out all the packaging... But it is up and still standing... thank you Sauder brand stuff... wow...

Liam had a rough day yesterday; sleep was not on his agenda, and he is a little boy that needs his sleep. He was okay by the afternoon, and decided to expell the contents of his stomach before bed last night on mommy, himself, mommy's chair and her blanket. So, we have learned that beef baby food is not something that agrees with him... why do they put spices and lemon juice into something designed as a starter food? Take beef, and add that to squash, yellow wax beans and tomato paste onto his list of "upset tummy foods". And he still hasn't taken to fruit, except pears when mixed with his veggies... sigh... His cuteness helps him get away with it though, as you can tell below...

Such a sweetheart!

Other than that, did my MS injection last night, this being the third week, and the side effects are definitely less each time. And it seems to be starting to work, so we shall see as time goes on.

Am hopefully going to finish putting my plants in the front garden over Andy's days off, and get some other yardwork done. Also have what seems like a million loads of laundry to do... okay, I am over exaggerating, there are 5-6 loads. Sigh.

Was hoping to BBQ tonight, but the wind is picking up, and the rain is starting... we will wait and see... Otherwise, I will use my handy dandy grill pan indoors to grill my drumsticks and do my potato packets in the oven... Hopefully it clears up. I can't resist BBQ!

Until next time my faithful readers... Cheers! And Mr. & Mrs. Bob, I am soooo glad you are home! I have missed you, and felt very helpless not being able to be there for you guys! *muah* Will definitely visit soon!

The skinny on our weigh-in

2008-06-03T22:35:00.000-07:00

Went to our bi-weekly weigh in today! I lost 4.6 pounds, for a total of 23 ish pounds, and Andy is down by 6.5 pounds, for a total of 52 pounds. He is doing so amazingly well---thank goodness I love to cook! I have been coming up with some creative dinners for us--like turkey stuffin' muffins--soooo good! And we love the Eat, Shrink & Be Merry Ladies-- we tend to revamp their recipes to make them even healthier! And thank you to everyone for your support--it definitely gives us the boost we need!

Liam is battling with his 2nd tooth on the front bottom. There is a tiny bit poking through, but it's still working its way in. He doesn't seem too affected by it, it affects his sleep a bit, but other than that, he's a happy boy! He is still refusing to crawl, but we figure he'll probably skip crawling and just start walking! He's such an active little boy!

Picked up his portraits today-they are gorgeous! Such a handsome little boy, who is growing sooo incredibly fast! Also bought our entertainment center for our TV (thank you Mr. & Mrs. H, and mom and dad for hauling it all in)- it will definitely free up some much needed space here!

Not sure what we will do tomorrow, Andy is going TV shopping with his parents in the afternoon, and then we have to assemble the entertainment unit tomorrow night...ahh, the fun...at least it's not Ikea product, so we can actually understand the instructions...

Should get running though... the pictures below are the portraits that Liam had done... sorry about the flash spots on them... I did them the cheater way, and just took pictures of them.

Cheers and enjoy!

First Post....Early Bedtime Tonight

2008-06-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

I figured a general blog was in the cards for me. I have one started just for Liam, but I found it hard to write on there. So, this blog will cover everything... well, almost everything... anything that I can possibly come up with, while Liam dreams sweet dreams. After the bottles are made, the messes are tidied, my emails are caught up, and phone calls are made, I will try to sit down and blog as much as possible. It may not be exciting, it may not leave anyone completely riveted, but it is what it is. So here goes... the start to something...

Andy is at work tonight, and Liam went down over an hour early tonight, as he didn't have his usual evening nap. For an 8 month old that is teething like crazy, he is amazingly and surprisingly happy. My parents came over tonight to give me a bit of a break, I needed to tackle the ten-plus baskets of clean laundry and at least try to make some sense of them. Got a few baskets put away, and surprisingly got alot done. Thanks mom and dad, it's always appreciated.

Took Liam to his favorite place today--the garden centre. He gets so excited and almost hysterical when he sees trees and plants. It's absolutely adorable. Ended up picking up a few more plants for the front flower garden that I started. Will definitely post some pictures on here to show off my increasingly green thumb. I absolutely love gardening, gives me a release. Am planning on adding some more to our front, not quite sure of the exact plans...

Tomorrow we are off to pick up the portraits we had done of Liam. I can't wait--he photographs so beautifully and has such an adorable smile. Also need to look at TV benches for the new TV we are getting, kind of glad the other one died. It put in its time, that's for sure. The new one will definitely save on space.

And tomorrow is also weigh-in day. So far, I am down by 19.2 pounds (63 total, if you count my weight loss after having Liam) and Andy is down by 45.5 pounds. I am so proud of him, and will stand behind him through this whole process. And it gives me the opportunity to cook up a storm and test out all of my creations on him. I am so glad, Mom, that you referred us there, it has turned into a huge success---pardon the pun. Only downfall is, I'm running out of clothes that fit--so much fun when your pants fall down...

Am looking forward to when Mr. & Mrs. Bob come home. I have been so worried and concerned for them, and have felt completely helpless not being able to do anything. You guys are always in my thoughts! *muah*

This has turned into a babble session, so I shall end it here... take care all!