Saturday, December 17, 2011

Are Ethan's naps gone?

Ethan decided today that he didn't need to nap.  He did pretty well, playing and being relatively quiet.  I was wondering if this meant the end of naps altogether.

At 3:58 pm I thought Ethan was a little quiet so I checked up on him.  This is what I found:



I guess I don't have to worry about him phasing out the nap yet.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Independence

My little baby is growing up.  At 2.5 he is sitting on the couch, relaxing with a book and drinking his milk.   When I ask him to please start getting ready so I can take him to daycare he says "I stay here.  You go by self Mummy" and waves me away.


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The "Silent Killer"

I went to the doctor yesterday and we talked about my sinus problems - I will use a spray that will hopefully shrink my polyps and we will see how it is after a month or so.

The big news is that I have high blood pressure.  My top number was normal, but my bottom number was in the severe zone.  The doctor kept telling me it is a number usually seen only in the ER.  So, needless to say I am on a water pill to see if it helps lower my blood pressure.  And no more procrastinating on the exercise, it is one of the best ways to lower blood pressure.  I am supposed to lower my sodium as well.  I don't add salt when I cook, but I am guilty of using canned soup.  I'll have to change that.

 I have to get blood tests and an EKG on Friday morning at the hospital on Friday.  I will go back to the doctor in 2 weeks and see how my blood pressure is, if it is getting lower or if I need new medication.  I have a blood pressure monitor at home to track my BP.

Nothing like a good scare to get someone doing the right thing....

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

I Am Not a Superhero

I am going to the doctor today.  I have been sick and tired for so long, every time I try to exercise and get in shape the natural way, my fatigue (or sickness) gets in the way.  I am starting to feel depressed about it, and that is a big alarm for me. Time for me to take control of my health.

My sinusitis has been out of control lately, I pretty much have a sinus headache 6 days out of 7.  I am pretty sure it is time for me have nasal polyps (growths) removed from my sinuses again, I have the symptoms I had before. I called the specialist who did it before, but because it has been more than 3 years I have to go through the referral process again.

Also, I am pretty sure I have high blood pressure.  I had hoped to control it by dropping weight and exercising, but my sinus problems pretty much make it impossible for me to do anything consistently.

I hope I can get these two problems addressed today, and maybe I will actually start feeling better soon.

Wish me luck, I am hoping these are the only problems I have....

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

On My Birthday...

I am 36 today.  I am not freaked out about my age, I accept it.  The only thing that has been upsetting me is the fact that I haven't managed to get in shape yet.  I had a great month in September, I was back at walking regularly and going on my elliptical trainer a lot as well.

I received an email from Sparkpeople.com today and I think it pretty much states how I would like to spend my next year of life - not just in regards to getting in shape.  Maybe by my next birthday I will have one less regret and even more joys and accomplishments to share.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Obsession

It all started innocently enough.  On Tuesday I found a pair of footed Cookie Monster pyjamas on clearance at Sears.  I figured that since Ethan only has a few long sleeved pyjamas that he fit into at the moment, these would help bridge the gap between now and Christmas when he will get a lot more pj's.

I brought them home and got the usual toddler reception to clothes, he ignored me (and the pj's) completely.  that night though, he wanted to wear them.  So we put them on him.  He went to bed and slept.  When he woke up, Mike went to change him and put his daytime clothes on, he kicked up a fuss.  Mike didn't want to fight so he let Ethan wear them through breakfast and I changed him before I took him to daycare.

That night, he wanted to wear the pj's again.  Repeat the story from above, except that I had to promise him we would wear Cookie Monster when he went to bed that night.  Friday he wore his pj's all day (we had the day off for Remembrance Day), and we managed to take them off for 2 hours while they were thrown in the washing machine and cleaned.  It is now Sunday and he is still on the Cookie Monster kick.  We gave him an early bath and got him out of them today, but we had to pack them in his diaper bag so he could wear them after dinner tonight - we are going to his Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner.


Saturday, October 22, 2011

Changes

If anyone has read my blog (or knows me IRL), you will know that I have been looking desperately  for a job since I went on Maternity leave with Ethan.  Ethan is almost 2.5 and I am still commuting. 

All that is about to change.  I had a job interview last week, and I was offered the job on Monday.  I tried not to act too excited as I accepted the job over the phone.  I start on October 31.

I will be working in the Loan Compliance Department of the local Credit Union (read: bank).  It is a Monday to Friday job.  It is about a 3 minute drive from home, and a 1 minute drive from Ethan's daycare.  I am pretty excited about not having to drive 1 hour each way to work every day.  The pay is about $3,000 less per year, but since I am paying roughly $4,500 per year in gas I will still be bringing home more money.

I need to wear business suits once I start, and that is the part that is freaking me out the most.  My jobs have all been either business casual or casual, so I definitely do not have the wardrobe for the job yet.  The credit union will reimburse me up to 50% for some of the clothing so I am happy about that.  Now I need to lose weight so I can have more options in my wardrobe :)

I am actually a little sad about leaving my job.  I liked the people I worked with.  The job itself wasn't exactly rocket science, I am pretty sure I won't miss that, but will definitely miss the camaraderie I found there.  Since I will be in a "satellite" location away from the main branch, I am not sure how many people I will be working with.  It might be easier to lose weight without so many people bringing in treats every day...

I am hoping this will be a positive change for my family, the long hours were really starting to get to all of us.  Mike still needs to commute, but at least with me closer I can get more stuff done and take a little of the burden off him.  I am looking forward to seeing how much we are affected by this positive change.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

First Dentist Trip

Yesterday we took Ethan to his first Dentist appointment.  It is free for children under 3, so I figured I would take him in when I got my teeth cleaned and get it over with.  I was in the chair getting my teeth cleaned when Ethan got his teeth checked, but I heard everything :)  And, because I wasn't in there, Mike didn't take any pictures, even though I gave him the camera... (I really wanted a picture, even if he was crying, but Mike doesn't like taking pictures if the subject is not sitting like a statue and smiling angelically).

Ethan was pretty good about sitting in the dentist chair, but got a little scared when they moved the chair back.  He cried a little when the dentist checked his teeth out, but it wasn't a full-on scream so we were lucky.  The dentist said his teeth look good.  He has 16 out of 20 teeth, so he will be teething again pretty soon she said (the hands in his mouth and extra drooling are already happening).

The dentist gave him a bag full of goodies that he helped pick out.  He got a new toothbrush, a car a top (the spinning variety) and a latex glove.  He played with the glove (under supervision) all day yesterday.  I don't think he even noticed the other toys.



So while Ethan did well, I have my second cavity (ever) and need to get it filled.  So I am going in a week to get that done.  Is it weird that the only two cavities I have ever had are on the top front teeth?

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Autumn is Here and things are Great...Sort of

It is October 2 and the days are still (mostly) warm and gorgeous, if a little windy.  We had frost 2 nights so far, but nothing more than that.  I will not complain, because there have been some Septembers that have been downright nasty as far as the weather was concerned.  If this weather can stay with us until mid or late November, I will be happy.

Ethan has been growing/learning by leaps and bounds.  he can now say 4-6 word sentences and expresses his desire for independence a lot.  It is nice to see, but is frustrating for me at times.  It is also sad to see my little boy growing up :(

                                       Ethan - putting his animals to sleep on the second to bottom stair




I still have another post to do about our summer and that one will be picture heavy, but I just wanted to write down a few thoughts I have had between the big posts.

I am still struggling as a working Mom who commutes 2 hours (round trip) to work.  I have been trying very hard to get a job closer to home, and I have had several interviews, but have still not had any luck getting further than an interview.  Both the time spent away from home AND the money I spend on gas has been taking a toll on me and my family.  I am trying to maintain my energy level, lose weight, exercise, and still be "there" all the time for Ethan and Mike.  But some days are harder than others.  I would love to write/maintain my blog more frequently, but it doesn't seem like things are going to be less hectic any time soon (unless I win the lottery or instantly get a new job in my town with awesome pay).

So in the meantime, I will try every day to do the best I can, and know that is all I can do.  Hopefully I will have more time in the winter months to update the blog and get Ethan's life down on permanent record.   I also want to get back into my groove of reading all my favourite Mom Blogs and having the time to comment on them.

I also hope that this blog gets read by more than my brother (even though I love you Chris and am happy you can share in Ethan's and our lives through here since you are so far away).

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Fun times - Part 1

It's been a while since I have posted.  Between being busy and exhausted I haven't managed to get on here.  I guess those are the perils of being a mom to a toddler :)


But with such a cutie pie for a kid, I just HAVE to spend my spare moments with him.

We recently went to camping again, went to the zoo again, and to the beach again (while camping).  The good news is that the more often a 2 year old does something, the less freaked out by it he is.

Camping at Bird's Hill Park (just north of Winnipeg) was actually pretty fun this time.  Ethan only fell out of bed once, and he wasn't too scared to fall asleep.  The only drawback was that it was so freaking hot during the day (around 30/31C) and we don't have a/c in our old little trailer. We also forgot Ethan's stroller and his wagon, so we had to walk to the beach without any wheels, and Ethan had never done that, so he just stood there and we had to carry him.  Not fun in hot weather.

                                                 
                                                   See the smiles!

                                                 
                                                      Being busy at the beach!

We were so exhausted by Sunday morning though, and with the heat still going strong, we started packing up at 10.  The only sad bit was that one of my friends and her 2 boys were going to come and visit us, but we were already almost packed up, I told her we were too tired.  So we missed out on that, I was bummed, but also so tired I didn't think we would have been up for much walking or visiting.

That was the weekend before the Labour Day weekend.  We didn't have too much planned on the Labour Day weekend, I mostly wanted to catch up on housework and I WAS hoping to catch up on some blogging, but that didn't happen.  Ethan was pretty busy, and he is growing so much and changing so much, I was enjoying it.

I will post the rest of my story in a second part, this is probably long enough for now.


Saturday, August 20, 2011

Toddler Bed!

Well, Sunday August 14 was the big day.  Ethan got his toddler bed as a present for his birthday back in May.  We didn't want to put him in it yet (enjoyed the comfort of having him safely stuck in one spot).  A few weeks ago he actually fell out of the crib! he was fine, just scared.  The good news is he hasn't tried to do it again.  We knew that we would have to make the transition to toddle bed sooner rather than later though.  He sleeps on a mattress at daycare, and he has slept on bunks in our trailer and when we went camping in Minneapolis (post to come later on that trip).

I had planned a trip to Minneapolis for us, and there is an Ikea there, so while we were down there we picked up the remaining items we wanted to put in his room so it would be ready for the transition to a "big boy room".  We picked up a dresser and night table to replace the change table and storage shelf we have in his room right now. (Mike took the room apart before I had a chance to take a before picture, and I am not sure if I took one before Ethan was born so don't ask for one).

We still have to put the dresser together, but it is a Malm dresser from Ikea, like the night table.


Ethan wasn't too sure about the bed at first.  He went in once Mike had it all set up, climbed on the bed, laid down, then sat up started crying and said No sleep" and took off.  We couldn't get him to nap in it, I guess it was all too new and strange for him.  We were heading out to Mike's parents for supper anyway, so we asked him if he wanted to nap on the way to Grandma and Grandpa's and he said yes.  So off we went (it takes 1.5 hours to get there so I knew he would have a decent nap).  Our afternoon was SO busy that he fell asleep 2 minutes into the car ride home, and didn't seem to care that he slept in his toddler bed.  He slept through the night.

On Monday the big test came, he was wide awake when we put him to bed that night.  We did the same old routine - brush teeth, get pajamas on, read story, then we assured him he wouldn't fall out and put Tad (his night time music frog) on, said "good night" and left.  He went to sleep, and slept through the night!

One more milestone reached.  Is it just me, or did it just seem like yesterday that Ethan was a tiny little baby who looked tiny in a bassinet, let alone a crib?  And now he is sleeping in a "big boy" bed.  Sigh.  Time really does fly.





Sunday, August 14, 2011

Time to blog?

I have been trying to get more into blogging, so that my son has at least some record of his young years, as well as letting my family follow his life since most of them live in different parts of the country.  I am trying to find the time to upload pictures, write some nice prose to go along with the pictures, and make the blog entries beautiful and meaningful.  I am also trying to work full time (with a 2 hr round trip commute in there), be a good mom, spend time with my family and cook and keep the house relatively clean.  Oh and keep up with my interests too, like Twitter, Facebook, reading, visiting family and friends.  I haven't even mentioned how I should try to get in shape/lose weight (or just how to stop getting colds all the time would be fine right now too).

I love my life, as tiring as it is.  I think summer was the wrong time to try focusing on getting more into blogging, because we are hardly ever home in the summer, so it makes it even harder to find the time and energy to sit down and blog.  Plus I haven't even had the time to sit down and read all the blogs I love to read.  I barely have time to call my relatives and chat.

I know, it's the same story for pretty much every Mom out there.  If any of you Moms have any tried and true advice for me, I'd love to hear it.  In the meantime, I will go back to my hectic life and let everyone else go back to theirs.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Busy Summers

Wow! I can't believe it is August 1 already!  Summer is flying by really quickly this year.  It is hot this year, which makes it feel a bit more like summer, and Ethan is older now, so he is experiencing a lot of firsts in regards to activities, even if he did them last year when he was 1.  He went to his first local fair. He went on his first real life steam train.  He went to the beach last year, but this year it was a whole new experience.  We also went Camping for the first time ever with Ethan(the same time he was brave enough to walk on the sand and go in the water at the beach). 

We are headed to Maple Grove, MN to stay at the KOA there (in little one room air conditioned "Kabins").  Mike and I went to Minneapolis last year, but left Ethan at home with his grandparents.  This year we are taking him and hoping he will enjoy it. So far we are planning to go to the Mall of America and Ikea.  I found a place called Como Zoo that looks like fun, but it is in St. Paul and I am a little nervous about driving on regular streets (off the interstates) where I can get lost more easily.

We are even going to be crazy enough to try Chuck E Cheese.  I know it will be crazy in there, but I kind of want one meal where Ethan can run around and be himself at a restaurant, usually we are trying to make him sit down and wait for dinner, and that is almost like punishment for a busy 2 year old (and really stressful for us too).  Are we crazy for willingly going there?

If anyone has anything else fun to do in Minneapolis and surrounding areas, please let me know. We aren't going to Valley Fair because it is for kids over 3 and Ethan is only 2.  Plus, we really don't have the money.  The amusement park at the Mall of America will be enough for Ethan.

It is a long weekend here in Canada (for anyone not in Canada reading this), so in theory we should be getting lots done and be all packed for our trip later this week, but of course we're not.  I am an avid bookworm, and two books that I ordered online came in on Friday, so I had to read one.  I chose the smaller, 477 page book to start off with.  I finished in two days, which is amazing because it was a typical weekend with grocery shopping, spending time with my hubby and son, going into Winnipeg for some errands, having my dad and step-mom over for dinner and of course, cleaning.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Camping with a toddler

We went camping this past weekend.  It was fun.  It was tiring.  There were rough patches.  There were cranky patches.  There were happy patches.

We just bought our little trailer a couple of weeks ago, so we weren't sure how well it would work for us as a family.  Mike and I had been more than a little nervous about camping with Ethan.  We had planned on tent camping (it's all the equipment we had when I booked the campsite), but the trailer sort of fell into our laps and it turned out to be really worth it.

We have to use Mike's car to pull it, which isn't too much of a problem except that it doesn't have air conditioning.  It is a Pontiac Vibe (so not much bigger than the trailer).  Here is what we looked like on our way to the campsite:
We set up as soon as we got there.  It probably would have taken about 20 minutes, but as all the parents of toddlers out there know, in reality it took about 1.5 hours.  Ethan was busy cranking the trailer down, running in and out of the kitchen tent, and trying desperately to figure out where he was and why he was there.


He was into EVERYTHING that first day.  With camping being a new experience for him, he was checking everything out and getting into lots of trouble :)  We were a little rusty at the whole camping thing too, so the first night was pretty much a Gong Show.  Ethan didn't get to sleep until 10:30.  He was not sure about sleeping in the trailer at all, and we forgot to bring Tad (his lullaby music playing frog).  He eventually fell asleep, and Mike and I enjoyed the fire until about 12:30 or 1, then we went to bed.  It started raining at about 2 am, and we had stupidly forgotten to close the roof vent on the trailer, so it dripped rain onto the bed.  Mike wasn't too concerned, because it was on my side :)

Ethan fell out of bed 2 or 3 times.  The bed isn't too far off the ground, so I wasn't too worried (but of course I still worried).  The first time he fell he was still sleeping, so I just put him back in bed and tucked him as far away from the edge as I could.  The last time he fell out of bed (at 5:33 am) he was up for the day.

The second day went WAY better.  It rained in the morning, but we went for a drive, then took a family nap. After we woke up we went to the beach:

The beach was another "new" thing for him.  We went last year, but he doesn't remember.  He was a little nervous about walking on the sand, and then a little nervous about being in the water, but he obviously got over it.

In the evening after we ate, we had Smores.



So all in all we had a great camping trip!  I'll post more pics and stories in a different entry.

 

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Canada Day!

We had a great Canada Day.  It was long, but very enjoyable.  It started at 6:15 am (yes, Ethan let us "sleep in"), and we left our house at about 8:30 am to go pick up my dad and my step-mom, as we were all heading out to the Prairie Dog Central Railway to ride on the steam train.

We got to the train station at about 10:20, and it started off a little rocky.  The train was coming in, and Ethan was very excited about it...until it blew the whistle to let of steam and rang the bell.  He started screaming and crying and wanted to go home.  Mike took him inside and they looked out the window while the train did a roll by and I took a video.  The SD card in my camera is running out of room, so I only got a partial video of the roll by:

We got on the train, and Ethan didn't seem to mind that part (he didn't connect the rail cars to the steam engine).  We almost had to fight for our seats, a large family claimed they were in the right seats, but wouldn't let anyone else look at the tickets, and a porter had to come and settle the dispute (they were in the wrong seats...).  Once that drama was over, we sat in our seats and waited for the train to to start rolling.


  (These pictures were actually taken on the way back, after the stopover, but really, they're pictures of all us and that's all that matters)

About 10 minutes into the train ride, Ethan asked where the train went.  I told him we were on the train, but he only looked more puzzled.  He had a good time looking out the window and waving to the cars that were on the roads.  He heard the train whistle a few times and I told him were being pulled the train.  I am still not sure if he really understood, he kept giving me puzzled looks.

We got off at Grosse Isle for a 1.5 hour stopover.  We had lunch (we brought ours) , and then we checked out the little flea market.  Apparently the vendors come and set up specifically for the train, then pack up when the train leaves.  There was a little pen with ducks, chickens, geese and turkeys - Ethan climbed up on the step stool and looked over the fence at them.  There were bunnies as well.  There was also a little tractor pulling barrel cars.  it was free (donations accepted).  Ethan looked like he might want to go on it, so Mike went with him.  He really had fun.
 In fact, he had so much fun we put him in the barrel alone ( we were a little nervous about that, worried he would freak out)
 He had a blast.  He was proud of himself for riding alone too.  We went and checked out the train after they switched the engine from the front to the back so we could go back (making the back the front, and the front the back...)

Ethan wasn't scared of the train anymore, and on the way back, he was so tuckered out from the day so far he had a nap.  The train ride back was only about 30 minutes, so that's how long Ethan napped for.  Back at the station we had a Canada Day cupcake. I shared mine with him (he only had one or two bites), we are still trying to keep him away from store bought cakes because of his getting sick after having any cake from a store.

We went back to Dad and step-mom's for supper.  By the time we got there it was 3 pm.  We had supper at about 6, and Ethan was pretty loopy by then.  He ate massive amounts of blueberries and strawberries.  I was getting a little worried about whether he would get sick from that many berries so I took the platter inside so he couldn't get them.  We left for home at about 7 and got home around 8.  Ethan passed out in the car at around 7:20.

He did end up getting sick the morning  - probably from the berries, and maybe a little from the heat - we were outside all day and the high temp was 29 (84 for any non Celsius people).  He was fine after an hour or so though.

When we got home I tried to stay up to watch the fireworks, but gave up about 5 minutes before they started.  I heard them and wanted to get up and look at them from my window, but I was too tired.  There's always next year for the fireworks.  All in all we had a good Canada Day.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Allergy update

Ethan had a reaction to peanut butter when he was under 1(he took a bit of my pb on toast when I wasn't paying attention), maybe 11 months old.  He got a rash on his cheeks and a little bit on his tummy.  I made sure he avoided nuts (of all kinds, except his parents haha), and he had another reaction a  few months ago when Mike gave him a "coconut" chocolate, which turned out to be a Ferrero Rocher, (hazelnut chocolate).

I got him referred to an allergist, just so I could know one way another if he was allergic to nuts or if I was being paranoid.  Turns out he IS allergic to peanuts.  The allergy specialist said he might outgrow it.  Kids with a mild rash like allergy have a 20% chance of outgrowing it.  the good news is that he's not allergic to tree nuts (peanuts are in their category because technically they're not tree nuts).  And he's not allergic to anything else.  His banana problem is a food intolerance, not a true allergy.  I'll keep him away from bananas for another few months and try again in the fall (if we ever get a quiet weekend to test it out).

Saturday, June 25, 2011

He's Two...

Every time I get exasperated with Ethan's not listening and testing his boundaries, I have to remember he's two. 

He was saying no all morning, and when I asked him if he was going to say no all day, it was the only thing he didn't say "no" to.  He must be two...

He was sitting on my lap reading a picture book called My First Words, and he was saying all the words very nicely.  He must be two..

Ethan is getting so much bigger, he is acting less like a baby each day.  He must be two.

He has been two for just over a month, and just like his previous 2 years, he is changing every day.  Watching him grow is amazing, and even though he is testing his boundaries (and my patience!), I am proud to call him my son.  I am looking forward to all of his new achievements and even his disappointments (since they will help him grow too), and watching him grow up to be a big boy.  It's sad to see him need me less and less as he explores his world.  I love watching him grow and explore, and the "drive by" hugs and kisses are even more special now.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Carnivals!

Ethan went to his first carnival this past weekend.  He was really overwhelmed and wasn't sure about what was going on, but he wasn't crying, so we took advantage and put him on some rides.


The first one we went on was the merry go round:
He wanted to get off right away, but I told him he'd be fine.  When we done, he said by to the horsie and seemed glad to be done.
Next, Mike took him on the helicopter ride:
 He seemed to enjoy that one, but didn't want Mike to make the helicopter go up high.

Next, we decided to all go on the Ferris Wheel.   Ethan was allowed to sit on my lap, and we showed him how small the cars looked.  It was a different kind of Ferris wheel, not as open as the ones we normally see:
We walked around a bit after that, and I won Ethan a stuffed fish in the balloon pop game.  We used the rest of our tickets on mini donuts, cotton candy, and a small drink.  We had two tickets left, so Mike took Ethan down on the slide just before we left:

Ethan was pretty quiet about the whole thing.  Until we got home.  He would NOT stop talking about the horsies, and the helicopter, and the Ferris wheel, and the slide.

He also threw up around supper time.  I am assuming it's from the tremendous amount of sugar he ate.  He gets sick from store bought cake, so it must be the same thing.  Must remember to not feed him so much sugar.

The next day, the carnival was still on, so on our way in to the city we stopped and asked Ethan if he wanted to go on any rides, but he made sure we understood that he didn't want to go on any rides.  He still seemed scared.

It is Friday now, and he has talked about his carnival experience all week.

We are going to the States (Grand Forks, ND) tomorrow, and then up to Sandy Hook to visit Mike's parents on Sunday, so this weekend will be a busy one as well.  Not sure if it will top the carnival though....

Monday, June 6, 2011

Another Picnic!

The day after Ethan's birthday was kind of chilly, but with my Mom and brother visiting from Alberta, we decided to take all the leftover food from the party and head out to the Sandilands Provincial Forest for a picnic.  Ethan was really out of sorts, since his routine was all mixed up, but we figured it was probably best for everyone all around if we left the house (he tends to be less cranky when we are out).

My brother gave Ethan 'airplanes', which Ethan really seemed to enjoy.

My Mom and brother seemed to have a good time.


Ethan ended up enjoying himself too.


I even took a video of the fun times :


Sunday, June 5, 2011

Birthday Boy

Ethan's second birthday was on May 22.  Mike went in to get him when he woke up and said "Happy Birthday" to Ethan, and Ethan smiled and said "Happy C-U".

We had a little party for him, pretty much just the grandparents (and my brother visiting from Alberta).  He really enjoyed himself.  I was starting to regret not inviting more people, but he was pretty overwhelmed with the amount of people we had there, so it was a good thing it was that small.

Here is Ethan with his birthday cupcakes as we sang to him.  He loved his "Happy C-U" cakes.



Grandpa Ian and Olive got him a slide and climbing set for his birthday:




Grandma and Grandpa (Mike's parents) got him a Toddler Bed (which we are all excited about!).  He also got a big gift bag from Grandma and Grandpa, and on the top were clothes.  He grabbed the clothes, looked at them, then chucked them on the ground until he found a toy.  It was super cute :)

He got some more really great presents from everyone else too.  His Great Grandma (Mike's Grandma) got him a lantern for camping and a Bubble Lawn Mower.  My brother got him a neat chunky puzzle.  My mom got him some good books, including kid stories from the bible, and a book about castles.  We got him a sleeping bag, a few little gifts, and a Wagon.

Mike ended up having to go to bed early (he had been feeling sick all day, then got acid reflux and couldn't take it any more).  Ethan stayed up until 9:15 - I figured we'd wait until the last guest had left.  When I was getting him ready for bed, he wanted to read a few more books, but I convinced to just relax for a minute and sit with me on the glider/rocker.  He was out in seconds :)

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Let's Go to the Zoo!


My Mother's Day request was that for a gift we go out for breakfast and then to the Zoo.

Breakfast was a gong show (as are most outings with a toddler).  Ethan ran around during breakfast and screamed if we tried to contain him.  At one point while we were walking the restaurant, he spotted a little girl, probably about a year old, and he was excited to see her.  I pointed out that she was being fairly quiet, but he wasn't listening to me...

Next we headed out to the Zoo.  It is in Winnipeg, so it is just over an hour to get there from where we live.  Ethan napped on the way there (thankfully).  We were worried about rain as it was forecast to rain all day, so we were all decked out in our rain gear, had the rain cover for the stroller and everything.
Then it got really sunny and we didn't need all that rain gear!

Ethan was a little intimidated by all the animals and sights and sounds, but he seemed to have a  good time.

He takes nice pictures with Daddy:




And looks mad with me:

Haircuts

It's bee a while since I have had a chance to get on here for updates.  We have been busy with work, daycare and just living life. 

One of the things we did was take Ethan to get his haircut.  He has had his haircut before, but that was before Christmas, and he wasn't as aware of what was going on as he is now.  So we went and warned him he was getting his haircut, and a lady would sit him in a chair and cut his hair, but he was tired ad freaked out that day.  The result was a haircut that was definitely not as short as we wanted.  he did leave with 2 lollipops from the hairdresser (I put one in my purse for later).  We waited until after the weekend (he got his first haircut on Friday afternoon on May 6) and he got his second haircut (done free of charge) on Monday afternoon.

I am pretty sure the lollipop I gave him DURING the haircut helped out the second time.

Here is haircut #1:


 And then #2:



He is always talking about Daddy getting a haircut (Mike got his done at the same time as Ethan the first time around).  And he talks about his own haircut.  I think he wants me to get a haircut too, because he is always pointing at my head and saying "Aircah?" (Haircut).

Friday, May 6, 2011

She's not wearing socks!

I was getting dressed this morning, and Ethan and Mike came in on their way downstairs for breakfast.  I was wearing nothing but a shirt (I had decided to dress top to bottom for reason this morning).  Ethan took one look at me, from my head to my toes, then walked over to me, pointed at my feet and asked where my socks were. 

Mike chimed in with "Yes, Ethan, the first thing people will ask when Mummy shows up at work like that is 'where are her socks'", followed by a hearty laugh, and they disappeared downstairs while I finished dressing.  When I came down, I am pretty sure Ethan checked to make sure I was wearing my socks.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Sick day

Well, little boy came home yesterday from daycare looking terrible - red cheeks, very cranky and on the verge of a fever. He went to sleep without finishing his supper, and woke up a couple of times.

I made the decision to keep him home today, I figured it would be better to stay home one day than for him to be sent home with a fever, and then one of us would have to take tomorrow off too, because the daycare has a 24 hour rule when a child is sent home with a fever.

He woke up 4:30 this morning, and stayed up until just after 9. I got him to go to bed by leaving his "I love you" Elmo book with him. He has been crying every 15 minutes or so, and then going back to sleep, so I don't know how rested he will be.

I will take him to the doctor today. If nothing is wrong, at least I can get the 3 month check up the ear Nose Throat specialist suggested we have after Ethan's surgery to out tubes in his year. It will be 3 months since he had the surgery on May 10, so May 4 is pretty close.

Update:
I took Ethan to the doctor, and his throat was pretty swollen.  The reason he was crying every 15 minutes was because he developed a fever.    The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics and said to use it if his fever doesn't go away, or gets higher in the next 24 hours.
Unfortunately, the only thing that has been amusing him has been Barney & Friends on PBS.  Ugh.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Election Day in Canada

***Warning - Rant Alert****

So I voted. I did my civic duty and cast my vote. I hoped I could make a difference, but the Conservative party was re-elected in my constituency :( I guess a lot of old farmers still like the conservatives where I live. I was torn between voting Liberal or NDP, and I ended up voting Liberal. It wouldn't have made much of a difference, Liberals had 6% of the vote in my riding, and NDP had 20%. The incumbent won with 68% of the vote.

I guess my vote (and the 32% of the other voters) did our job by letting him know not EVERYONE voted for him. That doesn't help me sleep tonight, knowing Stephen Harper has a majority government in Canada :( Boo on us. Maybe the world really is ending soon. Link to The End of The World

Friday, April 29, 2011

Cute things


I can't think of a lot right now, but I am hoping to come back and edit this post.

Ethan can't say 'n's right now, so bunny is bu-ee, Man is mah, etc.

When he goes to bed, he takes a book with him and 'reads' until he is asleep.

When Ethan gets kisses from me he pushes me away and says "No Mummy", but then laughs when I give him more.

He is scared of the vacuum cleaner, but obsessed with it whenever he sees it. Same goes for a singing bear he got at valentines - he always asks about it, but then freaks out when he sees it.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Easter

We had a pretty good weekend. Ethan's antibiotics kicked in and he started feeling better. Then his nose started running, and now he has another cold (great).

We had a big Easter dinner on Saturday at Mike's brother's house, it was fun, but pretty chaotic. On Sunday it was beautiful (it went up to 17 degrees Celsius), so we went to the nearby Provincial forest, and had a picnic at the day use area there. there were quite a few families taking advantage of the weather. Ethan had a pretty good time walking around exploring the terrain. He picked up a stick and used it for walking. Of course, I forgot my camera so I missed a whole bunch of cute Ethan pictures. We took a bubble wand out there as well as a beach ball. Ethan had fun chasing those around. We took him to a water covered area and we listened to the frogs and ducks.

Ethan and Mike are home today as Ethan's daycare is closed for Easter Monday. I am the lucky duck that gets to go back to work :) It is 6:45 am right now, and both my boys are sleeping.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Easter weekend is here

Well, we made it to Easter! Ethan is feeling better after being on his antibiotics for just over a week now. Today (Good Friday) was low key, we stayed close to home and took a walk in the morning just after it rained.

Tomorrow we are going to Mike's brother's for Easter dinner, and then Sunday we will spend at home, resting up for the week. I'll be resting at any rate, Mike and Ethan are home on Monday, as Ethan's daycare is closed that day.

Ethan was cute today, he learned to say "owl" and finally put the "th" at the end of bath :)

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Going to Mexico

I have been getting frustrated with Ethan's frequent "no's" lately, knowing full well it's not going to stop any time soon. Well, last night we were trying to round him up to go to bed, and he kept saying no to everything I asked him, so I finally said "That's it, Mummy's taking off for Mexico and never coming back!"

Ethan's response?: "Bye bye Mummy".

Kids are so damn CUTE :) I responded by giving him a bunch of unwanted kisses and some tickles.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Sugar Shack

We went to St. Pierre-Jolys today for a maple syrup festival. It was fun. It was cool out so we didn't stay long, but it seemed like a fun thing, so we will definitely go again next year. Ethan was scared when the Voyageurs fired their Muskets with their homemade lead shot, he wanted the noise to stop :) We had Maple Syrup Taffy (made in the snow). There were horse rides, and apparently children's activities in the afternoon, but we were there late morning.

Ethan was pretty sleepy (on top of it being chilly out), so we quickly checked everything out and came home.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Big Boy Bed

Poor little Ethan had to stay home today with me. Since I am off work recovering from surgery, at least I didn't have to take a sick day, but I am not supposed to lift him. So Mike took the mattress out of the crib and out it on the floor so I wouldn't have to do any lifting.

Ethan thought it was great, he laid on it an kept saying "night night". The only problem was that he didn't actually want to sleep on it. I managed to get him to sleep for 1.5 hours, and even that was tough - I had to rock him until he was almost fast asleep, then put him on the mattress and lay on the floor beside him patting his back until he fell back asleep, then I eased myself off the floor in stages to make sure he wasn't waking up and then I left.

He looked tired, so I thought he wanted to nap so I asked him if he wanted to go to bed and he said yes. He then spent about 45 minutes "playing night night", he would close the door and yell night night and wait for me to yell it back. He also read some books and played with some toys. Various other bangs and crying sounds were heard as well. At least I got some laundry done during that time :) The joy of having the laundry on the second floor.

Needless to say, he doesn't really seem ready for the big boy yet at this time. When Mike got home he put the mattress back in the crib and Ethan slept through the night with one wake up for Advil when his fever crept back.

We'll try again when he isn't sick.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Disobeying doctor's orders

So Ethan stayed home yesterday and Mike took the day off to do all the heavy lifting, etc. We took him to daycare today (he didn't have a fever) but he developed a fever, so he got sent home again. I didn't bother telling Mike, just went and took Ethan to the walk-in clinic. Luckily I had a folding umbrella stroller in the car, so I carefully lifted him out of his seat and put him in the stroller. It worked really well, not only for keeping me from carrying him, but we walked around the whole building many, many, many times before getting called in and it's the only thing that kept him from freaking out. He ended up getting antibiotics for inflamed tonsils.

So he has to stay home again tomorrow, and Mike still can't take more time off, so I am going to try really hard to not lift Ethan a lot. Poor little guy, it's not his fault he's sick, but his timing sure is terrible.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Dilemma

So Ethan's daycare just called, and he has a fever of 101.4. Usually the kid gets sent home and can't come back for 24 hours. The problem is, I can't lift Ethan because of my recent hernia surgery repair. So do I let Mike go to work tomorrow and look after Ethan even though I am not supposed to lift more than 10 pounds (he weighs 24.8 pounds)? And I have my post-op follow up doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I would have to bring Ethan, and I wouldn't be able to lie about not lifting him if he is right there...
Sigh.
Mike has used up all of his holiday days and will have to borrow from his next year's holidays if he has to stay home tomorrow. I hate that the daycare is so regimented in its rules, a home daycare might allow Ethan to go back tomorrow.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Procrastination

Yes, it sounds dirty. I have been meaning to update my blog for ages now, but keep coming up with an excuse. I am running out of excuses.

Since I am so bad at updating my son's baby books, I figured an online journal is better than nothing. So I will be "trying" to update this blog on a regular basis, at least so I can get pictures up and some semblance of a timeline for his firsts, like when he first rides a tricycle etc. I have almost forgotten the day he started walking, and some of his other firsts I have written on a calendar from last year, but still, it would be nice to have it all in one place.

Anyway, I won't do any back-history on here, I will just start from the present and if I ever have time will try to squeeze in a few history lessons :)


Today we went into the city to take Mike's Grandma (Ethan's Great-grandma) grocery shopping. I remember now why we live in a small town and not the big city. the grocery store was a zoo. I was ready to go postal about 10 minutes after being in the store. Ethan wasn't too bad, but his schedule was messed up and he missed his big nap, so he had a couple of mini-tantrums in the store, which didn't exactly help my mood. once the shopping was done we went back to Grandma's and had some cheesecake, everything was much better :)

Here is a pic of Ethan passed out in the car after his big outing.

I am 6 days Post-Op for my hernia repair surgery, so I am still in a fair bit of pain during the day when I am up and about. I probably overdid it a bit today, but hopefully will feel better after a good night's sleep. I plan on lounging on the couch all evening too :)