Love Doodle Muffin

Snoring Baby

2012-02-08T09:14:00.002-05:00

Seven

2012-01-28T11:49:00.003-05:00

Seven Weeks

At John's recent doctor's visit we found out he now weighs 11.5 lbs. He is already in size 2 diapers and I had to retire his newborn size sleepers. I forgot how fast these early stages fly by.
He is smiling a lot, yet it's hard to get him to smile for the camera. Sometimes I luck out.

Twenty-Seven Months
Daniel is talking a lot more. He can count to ten. I love how toddlers talk. on, choo, free, four, fi, ick, sennen...you get the picture.

We are slowly getting into a new family rhythm, so hopefully I will be posting updates more frequently. For now - Enjoy the cuteness :)

Extra Cuteness

2012-01-16T14:10:00.004-05:00

Fishy Kisses

Our little boxer (He's outgrown most of his newborn clothes already!)

A much overdue update

2012-01-16T14:00:00.003-05:00

Where did that month go?

We are slowly getting into a routine around here. John is slowly figuring out his days and nights. And Aaron and I are figuring out when we can squeeze in naps and grown up time.
Daniel is learning to be a good big brother. Most of the time. I caught him waking up John the other day and when John started to cry Daniel started to laugh. So there are some moments where he is still learning.
Then there are a lot of precious moments as well.

Daniel is still amazing us with his brilliance. It seems like over night he has learned his colours and numbers. He's even pretty good with shapes. And he still loves books. Here he is sitting in a Windsor rocker that my dad made for us.

John is starting to smile and cooing a lot. Its hard to get him to smile for the camera though. Unless he's having a really good dream.

Now that we finally have a bit of snow Aaron had to take Daniel out to make a snowman. Too bad its the wrong kind of snow :(
Danny had fun anyway.

Eight days a week

2011-12-16T19:34:00.007-05:00

I meant to write this yesterday, John's first full week on the outside, but such is life with a newborn. (I actually had to leave the computer for half an hour there to tend to the little guy).

Our first week has been surprisingly easier than I expected. Most likely because we've been through this before and Daniel's birth was by c-section. I am so happy that I was able to give birth vaginally this time. Recovery was/is a billion times easier. Other than peeing every 1/2 hour I'm not doing too bad.

John is a good eater. Monday, at his newborn assessment he had gained almost all his birth weight back. He is a nice shade of pink. And he did not have to suffer through jaundice blood tests like his older brother did.

What else can I say about a newborn? He sleeps, eats and pees and poops. And he's adorable.

Daniel is adjusting quite well. He does have his moments which is too be expected. We try to give him the attention he craves and help him to learn that his little brother needs us too. Luckily as long as John's needs are met he doesn't mind us spending lots of time chasing Dan around the house.

And its seems like almost over night Daniel's vocabulary has expanded a hundred fold. I am (pleasantly) shocked to hear some new words come out of his mouth. He still hasn't said John, but he has said "happy baby". He also said yes when I asked him if he likes John. That's a good sign.

He pats John's head when I ask him to be gentle.

I call this my Christmas miracle. One week after giving birth I fit into my (PMS) jeans. Non-maternity clothes already!

Although we won't know for sure until he's about a year old, I think John's eyes look rather blue already. Daniel's eyes were almost black at this age. So I'm thinking super cute brothers - one with light hair and dark eyes. The other dark hair with blue eyes. Watch out ladies!!

V for Victory

2011-12-13T20:03:00.007-05:00

We avoided a c-section :D

Well it seems that the false labour I wrote about last entry was closely leading up to the big finale. December 7th at 4am I started having regular contractions about 10 to 15 minutes apart. Nothing killer but definitely noticeable. So much so that I called my mom at 8 that morning and had Aaron pick her up to be here for Daniel when/if we had to go to the hospital. Daniel was in heaven. Gogo was here at his beck and call. Gogo was in heaven too at least before Danny exhausted her.

Anyway, while Aaron drove to Richmond Hill to pick up my mom the contractions stopped and I felt bad that mom was coming for no reason and Aaron was missing work. They picked up again a couple of hours later. I couldn't help but ask mom, could it be soon? Or are they gonna disappear again and I'll have to wait another week for this kid to enter the world. There really is no way of knowing for sure and that was killing me. I'm a planner and this was something I couldn't plan!!

I spent the day chilling with mom. Timing contractions. Watching movies and tv. Wasn't such a bad day. Went to bed around 9:30 hoping for the best.

As soon as I lay down the contractions became more intense but they were still too far apart to go to the hospital. Finally at about 1am I called Triage just to make sure that they didn't want me to come in. No, I should wait!

I lay back down. About half hour later I had one doozy of a contraction and my water broke. I hoped out of bed waking Aaron "Ahhhh my water broke." I actually hopped in the shower and began experiencing the contractions that I had only heard about (I didn't feel a thing with Daniel's labour!). Made it out of the shower called triage back and confirmed that I should come in to be assessed.

I was 4cm dilated when I arrived at the hospital. My doctor had suggested I wait as long as possible for my epidural and I told the nurse this. They moved me to the delivery room and I began to demand my epidural - LOL! The nurse kept telling me not to push but I couldn't stop. They checked me out again and thankfully I was fully dilated. Pushing commenced and my little John was born at 4:34am on December 8th.

The date is very significant too. John is named for John Lennon. And December 8th, as a lot of you know is the date that he died.

(I sense I feeding coming on and I'm too tired for more at this moment. I know you want more pics and they will come as soon as I can get to it. Not to worry I am snapping lots!!)

One

2011-12-06T16:16:00.002-05:00

So I have been having false labour contractions almost every morning at around 3am for the past four days or so. The cramping isn't so intense as to make me wake Aaron but enough to wake up myself and then get excited. I check the clock and then try to fall back to sleep. Of course a million thoughts run through my mind. Who should we call to watch Danny? How long should I wait to call the hospital? Should I bother waking up Aaron? Why won't Aaron stop snoring? Okay try to sleep...

Today I went to my weekly doctors appointment which wasn't scheduled until 3:20pm. God, I hate afternoon appointments. I wait around all day knowing there is somewhere I have to be at 3:20pm. Ya, big deal right? It bugs me!! Especially the anticipation of todays appointment. The doctor checked me out. I am now one whole centimeter dialated. Things are happening. She is quite sure I will not go past my due date. In fact we aren't even sure I will make it to next weeks appointment.

Oh the joy. The end is near. We will soon meet our newest family member. An extraordinary early Christmas present for sure!!!

15 Days to go

2011-12-01T09:12:00.003-05:00

More or less. I went to the doctor on Tuesday. Normal checks for blood pressure et al. She asked if I'd had anything contractions yet. Since I've only had Braxton Hicks and nothing else significant she is waiting for our next appointment before doing an internal to check for effacement and dialation and all that fun stuff.

I am trying to rest as much as possible in preparation for this birth but I'm finding it very difficult. For one I am home with Daniel alone a lot right now as Aaron is working my job as well as his own. 2 year olds can be quite exhausting. Luck for me he's so sweet and cute.

And then there are the 101 things I'd like to get done before baby's arrival. Somethings with pregnancy brain I forget what those things are...until about 3am.

Which brings me to the insomnia. I fall to sleep just fine. Once I have to visit the bathroom at about 2 or 3am I cannot fall back to sleep thinking of a billion different things I have to do/look forward to/imagine.

Today though I think I will force myself to nap when Daniel does. Funny how it is sometimes easier to sleep in the afternoon than it is at 3am.

37 weeks

2011-11-27T14:42:00.005-05:00

I really can't believe there's only 3 weeks left until the due date.

My personal Christmas tree inspector.

This little guy is excellent big brother material.

Lookin' Good

2011-11-21T14:23:00.003-05:00

I saw my ob/gyn today. She says that I still look like a good condidate for a VBAC. I'm very happy to hear that. I had all my questions answered and I didn't even have to refer to my notes. Question one was about how things were looking for the VBAC.
Question two was how much time we would have to get to the hospital once labour starts. This was more a concern of Aaron's. We might have to wait for my M-I-L to drive a half hour to us to babysit Daniel and then it would take us another 20 to 30 minutes to get to the hospital ourselves. According to the doctor we likely have up to 8 hours of labour so we should be okay. If we are really freaked out we can just take Danny with us. Not my first choice but I guess if we were stuck...
And my last question was if and when she would check internally for what was going on in this baby making machine. And that will be at 38 weeks. So we just hope that this little guy stays head down and keeps on lowering like he's supposed to. Other than that we just wait for nature to take its course. Being a bit of a control freak I really do wish there was a way to predict labour. For now its a guessing game. And every little twinge is under speculation. ;)

I took this picture because I am sure I have dropped. This kid now sits in my lap fighting for space with his big brother.

And speaking of the big brother I couldn't resist a few updates about the big man.
His newest hobby is Playdoh. I'm glad I have some ideas for Santa this year.

Yesterday, Daniel and I put up the Christmas tree. I admit its a bit early however I'm not sure how much time I will have to do it later and I really wanted Dan to have a nice festive Christmas this year. Strangely though my Buzz Lightyear tree decoration has gone missing.

We have been trying to explain as best we can that Daniel will be getting a little brother soon. And that he currently resides in mommy's tummy. Today he said "Baby Brody" when I asked him to say Baby Brother. Too cute for words.

And speaking of hobbies. Here's another one. I caught Daniel adding some crayon colour to our tv room walls. Yes, he knows its wrong. But its just so fun.

Almost 36 weeks...

2011-11-15T14:02:00.005-05:00

And getting impatient, even though I have a ton of things to do before baby's arrival.

I do not go to the doctor until this coming Monday but I would like to ask if we are still considering a scheduled c-section or if we will let nature take its course (my vote is for nature - fingers and toes are crossed).

I still have my nights of insomnia but not all the time. I've been forcing myself to at least rest, if not nap in the afternoon while Daniel snoozes (Thank God he still naps!!) I've been trying to explain to him that we will be bringing a baby home soon. I've gotten him to kiss the baby (my belly) but he is only two so I'm not so sure he knows what the heck mommy is talking about.

Since I stopped working a couple of weeks ago my back has been much better. I've also stopped picking up Daniel unless absolutely necessary (like when he tries to run out into the street when we go outside - another Thank God for the fact that we aren't on a busy street.) By the way, little D insisted on weighing himself at my last doctors visit. He's now a whopping 32Lbs and just under 3 feet tall.

I did have some cramping and contractions the other night but they went away. I almost got excited there for a moment, but I haven't packed my hospital bag yet. :-P

Yes I am tired and it shows.

I had to compare my pics from this time last time because I feel so much smaller (and I've gained less weight) but I think I look pretty much the same.

Two and a week

2011-10-30T10:33:00.004-04:00

I actually remembered to bring and use my camera at Daniel's birthday party and this is the only good picture I got. I must ask some of the guests (Daniel's Papa and Uncle Jason) for some of their pics.
Daniel loves the bouncy castle at the play center. Especially if the older kids join him. They put the bounce in bouncy castle.
Lucky for Danny, his cousin is having her fourth birthday party today at the play center. Plenty of big kids bouncing him around the castle.

In the last two weeks I have noticed a lot of Daniel's motor and vocal skills accelerating. He is able to do so much like put his blocks together. And the words he can all of a sudden say. He's even counting - sort of. Yesterday, while building his blocks up he counted, "Two, Five...two, five".

He has figured out how to turn on the computers by himself. Luckily he hasn't figured out the password - yet!

It would seem the cats are still trying to find their place in the new house. Sadly, we've had to confine them to the basement until we get a handle on their flea problem. Something we didn't expect when taking in our stray Cupid.
This is Bee. She's at a loss as to where to sleep - away from the other cats, the fleas and the two year old.

As for me, at 33 weeks (plus 2 days) pregnant, I'm tired and a wee bit cranky. Work is starting to take its toll however I'm not so sure I want to give it up yet. Aaron is going to take my busy day this week and I will go in on Friday. I'm just going to play it by ear for now. Since agreeing to this arrangment I have been sleeping better.
I still have to sort out the baby's room. I've got newborn clothes scattered around the room. A dresser from Daniel's bedroom set lying is parts on the floor. A spare bed that must go back to Baba's house. And closet shelves in need of repair. Maybe I should let go of some of my control freak ways and get some help - LOL!

6 days left

2011-10-17T14:41:00.005-04:00

and then my little guy will be 2. Seems like yesterday we brought him home from the hospital and all he could say was "AHHH LAAAA" (which we translated to "I'm hungry"). This morning he said "Poo" as I chased him around trying to get him into a clean diaper.

And soon there will be two. I went for my 31 week doctors visit today which had me quite stunned. One of the things I love about pregnancy is the great dream recall. A few days ago I dreamt that I went for my appointment only I saw a doctor who wasn't mine. When I went to the office today in waking life she had a resident seeing patients with her. So dream prophecy fullfilled! Now to dream of the winning lottery numbers and we will truly be having a Merry Christmas.

The baby is doing well (of course - my guys are strong and smart!!). I had suspected he had flipped over because the shape of my belly changed. His head is down in my pelvic area getting ready for the big day. I thought it cool that I had figured this out on my own. Of course with the added pressure on my bladder I'd have to be pretty clueless. Doc is impressed with my weight (I'll give Daniel credit here. Chasing the little monkey around is a wonderful workout) and is still confident about the baby being small enough for a vaginal birth - yipee!!

And for a dose of cuteness. I asked Danny to say Cheese for the camera. Super cute result. (And yes he could probably use a hair cut. I can't bring myself to do it. When he gets a bit sweaty from running around the long piece up front curls and he looks like a little Superman!)

And me at 30 weeks pregnant just before heading off to a Thanksgiving get together. Yes once in awhile I will put an effort in and look somewhat refined. Being the thrifty girl I am - this dress is a maternity hand-me-down. I did however buy the stockings.

Early Birthday Present

2011-10-11T07:45:00.002-04:00

I was having trouble deciding what to get Daniel for his second birthday. Similar to his clothing, he's kind of in-between sizes with toys too. Most are either to young for him or too advanced.
And since he doesn't string two words together (unless you can translate "mamo da") I couldn't really ask him what he wants. So we had to wing it.
We went to the store the other day for a rake and just to get out of the house and found Thomas.

The age restriction on this toy is from 2 to 6. Perfect! He comes with a "lantern" (flash light with a red sensor light) that Thomas the train with follow around.

Of course my dear son giggles until the train has run his course and then carries him back to me or his daddy to get him going again.

So the only trouble now is getting him to stop playing and go to bed without complaint. :D

29 Weeks and a Big Boy Bed

2011-10-01T09:26:00.004-04:00

Hey, look I finally got a much needed hair cut!
I'm into the third trimester and still feeling reasonably good. A few aches and pains. Some Acid reflux. Oh and did I mention I get winded just sitting up? I'm pretty sure I felt/was bigger last time(Wow, I'm even wearing the same top). Maybe I'm just used to the idea this time. And I know that I have 11 weeks of growth left. I can't wait. Daniel has been so much joy to us.

And we are counting down to Daniel's 2nd birthday. This one seems even a bigger deal to me than the first. Maybe because he's not a baby any more and there are so many transitions he is going through.

Like getting a big boy bed.

He only fell out once last night. Aaron calmed him down and put him back in bed. And there he stayed until morning when he announced that he was awake. I thought it was a bit funny that he didn't climb out of bed until I went into his room.

23 Months

2011-09-21T07:07:00.006-04:00

Almost 2 years old and I'm wondering where did the time go?

Daniel has started his reign ~~of terror~~ for independence. Meaning "NO" is his favourite word (even when he means yes he still says no). He pushes mommy and daddy away if he disapproves. Like when its nap time. (Of course he usually falls to sleep minutes after his bedroom door is closed.) He wants to drink from a big boy cup but when he pours it out onto the table and we take it away he gets quite upset.

Ahhhh the adjustment into the terrible twos. I'll just count my blessings that he's been such an easy baby to take care of. I'm hoping we will have it easier than some parents do with their little ~~monsters~~ toddlers.

One month to go my little man. Here comes potty training and big boy beds. Big brotherhood. A ton of learning (For you AND mommy and daddy). New words and experiences. And growing love.

I'm Perfect

2011-09-20T20:30:00.004-04:00

At least my doctor thinks so. I went for my monthly visit today and everything is going well. My glucose test results were great. The doctor seemed particularly impressed with my blood count. Not sure what that means but its good. My blood pressure is normal. I've gained exactly as much weight as she wanted me to. And so far things are looking good for a VBAC. As long as this little guy doesn't decide to have an extreme growth spurt in the next 12-13 weeks and he gets into position when its time then its smooth sailing. Maybe I'm making labour and delivery sound too pleasant. But I do remember that C-SECTIONS SUCK!!!

I'm starting to get really excited about meeting this little guy and introducing him to his big brother.

27 Weeks

2011-09-17T10:02:00.003-04:00

It's slowly coming together. Daniel is happy to finally have a seat at the big table. No more high chair for this guy.

At 27 weeks I finally feel pregnant. Meaning I can't breath. This kid is taking up quite a bit of real estate that used to be occupied by my lungs. And bladder. I'm thinking I might be more into the pregnancy now that I'm not concentrating on moving.

13 weeks to go. For some reason though I think we might meet the little guy sooner. Aaron and I both have a feeling that we are in for another c-section. And if memory serves me correct my doctor said that if scheduled we would probably do that a week before the due date. I'm starting to contemplate whether to just insist on a c-section now or wait it out. I would HATE for it to be another emergency c-section. Guess I've got a couple months to think about it.

One of the great things about the new house is our fenced in backyard. No more do we have to go away to play outside. And I get to watch my guys play from my kitchen window while I make dinner.

I think Daniel has the coolest dad!

Finally...Alone at Last

2011-09-13T10:25:00.002-04:00

Don't get me wrong. I love my guys. I just haven't had a moment to myself since I don't know when.
So today I insisted that Aaron take Danny out to explore and leave Mama some time to do her thing.

This morning. At almost 27 weeks pregnant I finally have full length mirrors and I can finally see how pregnant I look.

It will be know problem getting back into shape after that baby is born. We came from a little house where we only lived on one floor. To this much bigger house with three levels.

I am still contemplating where to put the Windsor rocker my dad made for me. At the old house I had it in Danny's room where it was never used. Now that I have space I can show it off and use it on the main floor. But it might look nice in the baby's room. Lucky for Aaron it is a light piece of furniture.

So though I should be relaxing, I can't consider that when there is a whole kitchen that still needs organizing. Hey, to me that is relaxing. Aahhhh I love ME days.

King(s) of the Castle

2011-09-13T10:17:00.003-04:00

Yes, we let our son run around outside in his diaper. It is his very own back yard after all.

I know of a couple of ladies who are probably looking at this big yard and plotting out a garden. That will have to wait until next year ladies. And I must leave enough room for a couple of young boys to play. I see a swing set in our near future :)

What I consider chaos!!!

2011-09-13T10:09:00.003-04:00

The sentimental side of me wasn't around when more boxes lay in wait to be unpacked. So I didn't capture any pictures on my camera. My dad might have some I will have to steal. The OCD side of me took over and started putting things in their place almost immediately. Since I wasn't allowed to lift anything I had to do something to keep myself for going insane ;)

At my insistance Aaron and Dad set up the dining table (Oh My God! I HAVE A DINING ROOM!) on Friday. I do have a toddler to feed. They thought the table looked nice on that side of the room. I agree, but the light fixture is a safety hazard. Aaron will be moving it as soon as he has a moment.

Ready To Go

2011-09-13T10:02:00.003-04:00

Daniel was ready to go on Friday morning. He didn't quite know what he was in for, but he's always up for an adventure.

Aaron managed to get a few important things to the house the night before when we gained possession of the key. You know, like the computers and TV.

It's On

2011-09-04T07:43:00.003-04:00

The REAL countdown is officially on. By this time next week I will be waking up in a new house, hopefully with enough energy to start unpacking and organizing.

Things are getting quite hectic around here. With all the repair/freshening up of this house, the packing, and the toddler chasing I am quite exhausted by the end of the day. That doesn't mean I can sleep through the night ;) This pregnant body won't let that happen.

I am grateful that we are able to keep packed boxes at my mother-in-laws and at Aaron's work (which is only ten minutes from the new house). And I am grateful we have our small moving crew lined up or else I wouldn't be getting any sleep at all.

I must go begin my day. I hear a really cute little man calling for me. And a few more things to go into boxes that I never seem to have enough of. That is boxes that I don't have enough of. Not stuff. I've got plenty of that!!!

Yipee! The end is near!

24 Weeks

2011-08-29T15:32:00.005-04:00

At this point I go from feeling big to having dreams that I am not showing at all. Grateful to wake up to visit the bathroom and feel this little kickboxer moving around.

My doctor visit last week went well. It was uneventful which is what we look forward too. She says the baby is growing well. And I am gaining weight the way she wants me too...ie not too much too fast! I credit the first child with this. I am running around with him instead of sitting on the computer munching away on peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Mmmmm that sounds good right now.

I told her about falling. Her response was that as long as I fell on my butt the baby should be fine. If anything bad was going to happen it would have happened in the first six hours. She also reminded me not to lift anything during the move. I told her that I am pretty bossy so I will just have to use that skill. She laughed "confessions good for the soul."

With only about 10 days until the move I am suffer a bit of insomnia. I wake to pee and then can't get back to sleep because my brain will not shut off. Usually it is just excited thoughts about moving. Sometimes it start thinking of all the things that still have to get done. I just want to be at the new house now so I can start nesting. Oh My God! The baby will be here in about 16 weeks let's hurry this up now!!

Okay, I promise myself I will try to remain calm and just know that things will happen as they should. Shut the brain off at 4am. If only I could get all these kids songs out of my head!!!

Cliche

2011-08-29T15:07:00.002-04:00

We went to Walmart today and I found this jar of pickles for a really good price. I had to laugh at myself. Six months pregnant and buying a giant jar of pickles. This jar is bigger than the baby I carry :)

The Visit

2011-08-21T15:47:00.003-04:00

We went to visit the new house today. We were happy to note that they had packing boxes all over the place. Aaron was worried they hadn't started packing. Every week when he goes to Ajax he drives past the house. One day they had the garage open and he noticed there were no boxes piled inside. He was a bit concerned. Crazy guy!

Daniel seemed right at home running from bedroom to bedroom. He loves the sliding closet doors. I just love that the closets are huge!

On the way down to the basement I slipped on the stairs. Mom in law and our real estate lady were very concerned but other than my back hurting and a scraped elbow I am fine. I landed on my butt/hip. I think the little guy enjoyed the ride. He started thumping around shortly after. (For all concerned : fetal movement is a great sign that everything is alright!) I will mention this to my OB/GYN on Tuesday when we visit just to double check. I blame the socks I was wearing. I've slid while wearing them before. I promptly threw them in the trash the minute we got home!

On this visit, my third to the house, the rooms looked even bigger than I remember. The more I see it the more I love it. I can't wait to show my parents. We are entitled to one more visit but at this point I think it would just be a tease. We are thisclosetomoveinday. I think I can wait the 19 days.

23 Weeks

2011-08-20T06:48:00.006-04:00

Last Monday we took Daniel in for his vaccine. We were a few months late on it but better late than never. Up until that day we had a wonderful, happy good sleeping, hearty eating little boy. Now we have a miserable, crying, refusing food, saying NO to everything little pod person. From my understanding any side effects of the vaccine are only supposed to last 24 hours tops. He had a fever which broke at around the 24 hour mark.

We thought that it was over. Except all week he has been miserable. Even while visiting his Grandma Gogo. Even while Papa (Ya, we settled on Papa because that is what came out of Danny's mouth while greeting his Grandpa) was working at our house most of the week. He wakes up crying at all hours. I'm running out of ideas and patience. I need sleep too kid!

My dad did point out that he might be teething again. Those darned molars! I know it must be painful. We are all quite frustrated. The little guy seems to want to communicate words he doesn't yet know. And mommy and daddy just want to know how to make it all better so we can have our happy little monkey back.

I was also thinking that he might be feeling a bit of the upheaval of the coming move (about 19 days to go now!!!). Though we are not particularly stressed I guess he might be picking up on it. I haven't really started on packing any of his stuff yet - though I'd really love to tackle it. I think that might have to be a last minute room just to ease him into it.

We will be visiting our new house this weekend (the weekend we were originally suppose to move). I am looking forward to that. Hopefully Dan will be in a good mood for it!

At 23 weeks pregnant I am still small enough to get things done yet big enough to show the world that I am waddling for a good reason. And to wear my maternity jeans :) I feel the little guy kicking a lot more than I remember Daniel kicking. But that could just be me not remembering so well. I go to the doctor on Tuesday for my check-up. Boring routine stuff I guess! Better boring though in this case.

21...22 weeks I swear I grew overnight!

2011-08-12T14:52:00.003-04:00

The other morning after getting dressed for work I realized how big I was all of a sudden. I swear it happened overnight. Must be all the exercize he's been getting - while I try to sleep. Which is hard to do with this little creature twisting and twirling and kicking and punching in my belly. Ya, I'm tired but loving it!

Here I was last week.

And just a minute ago (I am wearing the same pants. Notice they are a little more snug this week. I might not be able to wear them next week.):

My customers are starting to notice more now too. They are a lot more comfortable asking me questions about the pregnancy. I told one customer that we are expecting another boy and we both agreed that things should be easier with boys once they hit the teen years than a girl would have been. (She has a very sweet teenage son of her own.) Let us hope so ;)

And let's not forget our dose of Dan! Put a camera in front of this guy and he can't help but ham it up.

21 Weeks - Was and Is

2011-08-06T06:42:00.002-04:00

21 Weeks already! Only this last week seemed to go at a snails pace. Which is weird because I had a lot going on. Work schedule was all over the place. Prepping this house still. Playing with a demanding little toddler who insists on watching Snow White at least once a day. And of course packing and preparing for the big move (33 days to go)!!!

And though I am still facinated with every kick. And I know he is a lot easier to take care of in utero. I still can't wait for the little guy to arrive. Pregnancy has now become a "been there, done that" sort of thing for me. And as long as everything keeps running along smoothly I should shut up and stop complaining ;)

The last time I went to the doctor we further discussed VBAC (vaginal birth after ceasarean) for me. The doctor had obtained my hospital records and I got to find out the whole story of Daniel's c-section arrival. Not only was I not fully dilated but Daniel was facing up (the wrong way). So once he became distressed c-section seemed the safest bet. These facts better my chances for a VBAC. As long as baby doesn't get any bigger than Danny was (8lb 1oz) then I can try for vaginal birth. If not, then a c-section may be scheduled a week before my due date. And though I would love to avoid surgery, an early and planned delivery sounds wonderful.

Wow! I just realized I had gone off topic to my original post theme "Was and Is".

We had thought for no apparent reason at all that this baby was a girl. Heck, we had a name picked out before conception and everything. I had been saving baby girl clothes since high school and even had some hand me downs from my sister in law. If she was a girl her name would have been Sara Jane. Sara was Aaron's great grandmother's name. And I thought Jane sounded pretty with Sara. I later found out Jane is also my aunt's middle name - bonus! A girl was meant to be - NOT!

And so what is...Another amazing and sure to be super cute boy! Early on I had been coming up with boy names that I liked. Aaron was so sure it was a girl I don't think he even bothered to try to agree on any boy names. However, driving home from the ultrasound clinic we started to discuss. And out popped John Jason from my mouth. Right away Aaron agreed. "That sounds good!" John is after my long time hero John Lennon. It's also a classic masculine name (for me it has the same vibe as Daniel - friendly yet manly!). And Jason is for my big brother.

And so when I'm not calling this wild and crazy baby "Thumper" he is get used to hearing John!

I just keep thinking/hoping that the next one won't grow up so fast

2011-08-03T17:19:00.001-04:00

Water Baby

2011-07-30T14:07:00.004-04:00

Daniel's first time putting his feet in the lake. He cried as we dragged him away from the beach.

He really enjoys the seesaw. (That's me and my bump at 20 weeks).

Thumper

2011-07-29T10:45:00.003-04:00

Boy! (Tee Hee) This little guy sure likes to kick. I do not remember Daniel beating me as much as this little guy. I have taken to calling him Thumper.

It was kind of weird finding out the sex. I thought I might be disappointed if it was a boy. We were so sure he was a girl. When the tech told us "It's a boy!" I laughed and said "wow, we thought it was a girl." He replied, "Sorry I can't change that for you." I told him that we're happy just surprised. As long as we are healthy. And it's true. Just knowing the sex made the baby more real. And that has made me more excited about this little guy.

When I got home from the ultrasound I sorted all the baby clothes and ended up giving the pink stuff to the neighbour. For all you curious about the plans for our family, we decided long ago that no matter what the sexes two children would be plenty.

Is it possible to have too much sweetness? Just one more please :D

This is my belly at 19 weeks (yes, I am one week behind on the pics. My belly isn't that big yet.)

It's a Boy

2011-07-26T12:30:00.003-04:00

Well, all of our predictions were wrong. No pink frills in my future.

I did have a dream this morning that we were late for our appointment and in our rush a pregnant friend of mine was giving birth in the back seat of our car. She ended up having twin boys. Which were the size Daniel is now and running around. Toddler sized newborns. What strange dreams pregnancy brings. Perhaps my dream was telling me that I'm carrying a boy.

And a hyper boy at that. I have been feeling him move around for quite a few weeks now. He also thumped when my ob/gyn was checking out his heart rate. And he kept moving around when the ultrasound tech was trying to get a look at him. And he just kick me right now.

Here are some of his modeling shots from today:

I did tell Aaron and my mom that if we had another boy one of them would be wearing girly stuff!!

I just keep counting down (18 weeks)

2011-07-18T07:15:00.003-04:00

With so much to look forward to this year I am trying to countdown to the next closest thing to keep myself from exploding. Right now it is my next ultrasound. I found a countdown app for my igoogle page and currently have 8 days, 3 hours and 14 minutes until I get a second peek at this little gymnast. I can't wait. However I am a bit anxious that they won't tell me the sex of the baby. Hopefully we can arrange things so that Aaron can be there with me and if the tech gives us problems he can muscle it out of them ;)

This little one seems to be kicking more often than Daniel did. I have a feeling she's going to be like me (My mom told me that I kicked like crazy!). Which means we are in for it - LOL.

I still look about the same as I did last week. I was comparing my belly photos from last pregnancy and I seem to be carrying the same as then. Maybe a little more obvious this time but still quite compact! 17 Weeks last pregnancy

It has been so warm and humid here that I haven't even bothered to wear my maternity pants. I've just been in drawstring shorts. And though I love the warm weather part of me craves a costume change!

Could he be any cuter?

2011-07-15T15:22:00.003-04:00

The other day I took Daniel to the play center. I think its good for him to get to be around other kids. Usually what happens is that Daniel or the other child will push and that will be the end of the interaction. Which is what happened with most of the kids and Daniel that day.

One older girl thought that because he is a "baby" that she would take it upon herself to play with him like a doll. Little D wasn't putting up with her. He pushed her. Her response was to stand really close to him which made him push her again. This scene continued a couple of times with this older girl telling him not to push. I was ready to push her myself but I held myself back. This is real life and Dan will have to get used to it.

On to the cute part.

There was another little boy at the play center around Daniel's age. Amazingly, for their age group they actually clicked. They went into the play house together. The little boy, Brenden, smacked the wall. Danny smacked the wall. They both giggled and ran out. Each little boy got into a toy car. Brenden would bump his car into Daniel's and again they would both start to giggle. This is the closest I have seen Daniel actually playing with another child. According to the articles I've read kids his age don't really play together. I thought these two were great together. Perhaps old friends from a life before this one?! Hopefully they will meet again!

Action!

2011-07-11T07:33:00.001-04:00

Finally...

2011-07-10T12:11:00.002-04:00

a picture of me at 17 weeks. Slowly rounding out. Meaning I'm having a heck of a time getting comfy at bedtime.

And Daniel is packed and ready to go to the new house. When I brought home the bins from Walmart on Friday he played with them for about three hours. First he would climb in and out closing and opening the lid. And then the game turned into putting all of our shoes in and taking them all out. Repeat until bedtime. Wow if I knew they would keep him so occupied I would have bought him bins for his birthday :)

17 Weeks

2011-07-08T07:37:00.007-04:00

I haven't got a picture yet today. I just woke up and taking a picture of me at his moment could be a scary prospect.

I am feeling kicks daily now. And I'm loving it. I am still tired which I had hoped would subside a bit in the second trimester but I guess with the humidity, a toddler and house prepping chores its to be expected. That doesn't stop me from having insomnia on some nights. Like the night before last. Stupid thoughts coursing through my brain preventing me from falling back to sleep. That left me pretty moody yesterday but luckily I was with my mom who's presence works better than any antidepressant I've ever heard of.

And though I am disappointed about the delay in our move I am looking at the positives. We will have a little more time to pack and prepare. And maybe it will be a little cooler so all my ~~slaves~~ movers will be more comfortable.

Today has been designated as "my day". Aaron and I take a day on alternating weeks as our own. On his days I usually take Danny to visit Grandma Gogo and Baba in Richmond Hill so he can do his thing at home (play video games). On my days I go to RH to hang out with my mom. Usually thrift store shopping, yapping and the sort.

Today is a Walmart day. I'm planning on buying some storage bins to help organize some of our things for the move (and after). I will actually have some room for storage in our own home at the new house. What a thrill!! :)

And now for your dose of cuteness, presenting the most adorable boy on the planet : Daniel!

Wow! Just think in about 23 more weeks I will have cuteness times two!

A bit of disappointment

2011-07-06T21:18:00.003-04:00

There has been a delay in our move. I am a bit disappointed, but what's a girl to do. We are now moving on September 9th instead of August 19. My main concern is that my belly will be bigger and I'm not sure how much I will actually be able to do myself. I'm of the belief that if you want something done right you gotta do it yourself. Guess I'll just have to practice my bossing skills.

On another note, Daniel has been removing his diaper at night and then calls us into his room to change him. This usually happens after peeing his bed. It has been so warm lately that we really don't want to put him in too many clothes (we had been putting him in onsie pjs backwards to deter him from removing them). This evening he did it again and this time peed on his favourite blanket. So now he is in bed crying as his blankie is being washed. I had hoped he would get over it but it doesn't sound like it. Let's just hope the spin cycle hurries on up. Mommy feels like crying too.

16 Weeks

2011-07-03T10:17:00.007-04:00

It's been hard for me to keep you all up to date on the old blog. With a toddler running around, prepping the house for sale and packing for the big move and being pregnant I'm usually exhausted when I do find a moment to rest. So I am taking my time today (I've already cleaned for one of my clients this morning and Danny is napping. Oh! AND my lovely hubby is making me some food!!).

Finally, a prego picture of me from this pregnancy. I was obsessed with the first. Taking a picture every week from week 12. This time I realized just because I felt pregnant I didn't necessarily look it. So I have waited until now. The rounding of the belly has begun. And I cannot remember what the heck I wore at this stage when carrying Danny. So I pretty much I have two outfits at this time. Time to shop I guess. :)

I have already been feeling some movement for a couple of weeks now. And I'm loving it.

And how could I resist...Danny realizes that daddy has some big shoes to fill.

14 weeks

2011-06-20T12:27:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, for Father's Day we took Daniel to Riverdale Farm in Toronto. He really enjoyed running around and looking at the animals. One of the goats tried to eat his shoe. Of course, he tried to say Goat - and made a very good attempt.

Being such a small world we ran into a friend there. She took our picture without me being paranoid about some stranger running off with my camera.

I think it turned out quite nice!

I am almost half way thru my 14th week of pregnancy. I am still a bit nauseous and that metallic taste is still present. I can see a belly forming, but to anyone not in the know I do not look pregnant yet. Which is a bit annoying because if I wear the wrong clothes then I look like I've been packing on the weight. I think one of my customers noticed last week. I haven't told any of them yet, but she kind of gave me a funny look. Guess I should tell them. I'm sure they don't want to risk asking a unpregnant lady when she's due. LOL

Due to scheduling conflicts I haven't seen my OB/GYN yet. Next Monday will be our first meeting. I am really looking forward to my next ultrasound which I think is at 18 to 20 weeks. Hopefully the tech will be as obliging as the one we had with Daniel so we can confirm of baby girl feelings.

The insomnia is reoccuring, but with so much on my mind I can't help it. It helps me organize my thoughts so I have lists of things to tell Aaron to do - LOL!!!

For those of you who like to check out houses as much as I do...

2011-06-15T12:54:00.006-04:00

here are some pictures of our new home taken during the home inspection yesterday.
This is the front entry way. I am going to have to learn some landscaping skills to keep it looking so good.

My new kitchen. I can just imagine how much fun Danny will have with the fridge's built in water dipenser.

Danny's new bedroom. I wonder if they will leave the tiger behind?

Our new master bedroom. So far Aaron hasn't said anything about the colour. I think I can live with it.

And what will soon be Daniel's paradise. The back yard. One of the must haves on our house hunting journey. I'm glad we held out for it. This yard is just what we wanted for the kids. And the bonus for me... a lilac bush :D

Calming down...sort of.

2011-06-15T07:40:00.004-04:00

Well, I finally slept well last night. I did get up to use the bathroom at some point. And after nudging Aaron to make him stop snoring I fell right back into weird pregnancy dream land. One of the dreams I had was of getting a ticket for something another driver did to me and then I was yelling at an old friend I really wish I would stop dreaming about. Anyhoo...

Yesterday, Aaron went to the house to meet with the home inspector. I wanted to go but it was supposed to take 3 hours and I know Danny would not put up with that. Especially through nap time. So I stayed back and did some work on the house and played with Danny. Aaron called when I was out of the house and left a message about some furniture the current residence want to sell to us. That message eased my mind. If we're still buying furniture then the inspection must be going well.

When he got home he filled me in. No, surprises. We already knew about the furnace. The only minor repair we should take care of is the reversed polarity in the basement electrical sockets. And Aaron says he can take care of the himself. The windows look great. Aaron made a point of telling me I will love them because they are easy to clean. They are the kind that fold in for easy access to the outside. I had to half joke about why I had to clean the windows!!

So, we will have three large bedrooms. A livingroom diningroom combo. A family room. A beautiful eat-in kitchen. And a basement for our computers and kid's play area. That I really like. We currently have two computers with desks, our tv and couch and most of Daniel's toys in our livingroom, which is also our front entry to our humble abode.

I will have pictures as soon as I can. For now just imagine Aaron and I with the biggest smiles we can create :D

An Update...

2011-06-11T14:52:00.003-04:00

After two nights of insomnia due to dreaming that we are actually moving into the house that Aaron and I both love, hoping that we get it...We got it. Pending a home inspection it is our new home. YIPEE!!!

We looked at about 10 houses in the Ajax area, all within the same price range but this one stood out for us. The kitchen is nice. The rooms are big. The main bathroom looks great. And the back yard is nice and big so we can play with Danny in our own yard without worrying that he is going to fall off the deck, like in our current home.

The one thing I found quite interesting about our house hunting search was how different the houses looked in real life as opposed to the pictures online. We had originally been drooling over a large house in a wonderful location near a school and a park. The street reminded me of where I grew up. Once we were inside - OH BOY! - The bathroom was super moldy. The broadloom dingy and in some rooms musty. And worst of all the staircase was super steep with narrow steps. Walking down the stairs we all had to turn our feet sideways to avoid sliding down. The kitchen was huge though! In the end though we saw MONEY PIT! Scratch that one off the list.

Anyway, Aaron and I are super excited. Daniel will be happy that we aren't dragging him in and out of houses without letting him play with any toys he could spot. We move-in in the middle of August and I almost can't wait! Danny will have plenty of room to run around like the little maniac that he is! And the cats will have plenty of hiding spots.

Time to start packing!!! :D

Room to Grow

2011-06-08T09:59:00.002-04:00

With the family growing there is a need for us to find a larger home. I am finding this search very exciting. So exciting in fact that I have been decluttering for the past few weeks, and today I actually started to pack some items. Since we haven't actually picked a house yet I keep reminding myself not to pack anything that we will need on a daily basis. I do like to be organized, and since I am so restless in anticipation this effort is better than pacing around the house uslessly while I wait for the afternoon to come so we can look at some potential new homes.

Aaron really doesn't want the kids going to school in Scarborough, due to drugs and crime. Otherwise we might consider finding a way to make our current house work for us. There are a lot of thing we do like about our home (especially my kitchen skylight!!!) which might help or hinder our choice in new home. Also, for me this is the first house I lived in without "parental units", it is our first love nest and marital home. As well as being Daniel's first home.

However, I do like change and I look forward to a new home in Ajax. And hope that we find something before my belly becomes too big for me to be useful!!! :)

Wish us luck!

12 Weeks

2011-06-06T15:27:00.004-04:00

So, I can stop panicking about my Aunt's dream coming totally true. There is only one baby growing in me. And we have the debut picture here:

Sure she kinda looks like a peanut right now, but we got to see and hear the heart beating today. So now it is all real to me.

In case you are wondering, it is too early to tell the sex of the child. However Aaron is so sure that it is a girl (combined with the Empress' dream) that I am convinced and keep referring to the babe as her or she. Now to hopefully have that confirmed in about 8 weeks then I can go on a girly shopping spree :D

10 Weeks

2011-05-24T10:24:00.004-04:00

This was supposed to be posted on May 24th, but Blogger would not let me publish...let's hope things are better today...

Today is Aaron's and My third wedding anniversary. And the second time I am pregnant on our anniversary. Which is good and bad. I'm craving some East Side Marios, but I still have "all-day long" nausea. We've planned to go early as I can't seem to stay awake after 8:30-9pm and we want to see a movie after we eat. So lucky for us our trusty babysitter (Danny's "Jamma") is available early :)

I swear I have popped just a little bit in the belly. Not that it is terribly noticeable. I am one of those lucky women who normally has a flat tummy, so a little bit a bulkiness is noticeable - to me at least. And my jeans. Lucky for me the weather has finally gotten quite nice so I was able to drag out some more comfortable tie up at the waist pants and shorts. Yes, I was actually wearing shorts for the last couple of days!

Daniel is now 19 months old. I can't believe how much he can do on his own now. Aaron and I took him to the play center the other day and he was able to ride the toy train all by himself. He figured out how to push the button to make it go. He knew to hold on so he wouldn't fall off. And he climbed off all by himself. I'm just stunned when all of a sudden he can do things. How he'd do that?

He has added a few more words to his vocab too. Like "baby", "cake", "kitty", and his two faves (that both kind of sound the same when he's says them) "shoes" and "Juice".

As proud as I am that he is growing up to be such a bright charming little man, how do I slow him down so mommy can keep her baby just a little bit longer?

Blah

2011-04-27T10:16:00.002-04:00

I forgot how uncomfortable "morning sickness" can be. So far nothing has helped in the long term. I can eat, however five minutes later I feel sick again. All day! I just want to sleep through it all. That's not gonna happen with Danny demanding attention and I have work for the next two days.

I am lucky in that I am not actually vomiting. However I feel like it constantly. I learned from my first pregnancy that forcing myself to hug the toilet doesn't work. The nausea will not go away.

I don't remember this much suffering last time but that maybe nature pulling the wool over my eyes so I make more babies. "Only remember the good things..." Like the little kicks. The ultrasound pictures. The excitement!

I asked Aaron to bring me home some butterscotch hard candies when he's done work today. I also told him that if he forgets he will be sent out again to get them. They maybe my only saving grace to get me through work and life for at least the next 6 weeks.

I have tried :
-eating saltines before getting out of bed - that made me feel worse.
-drinking water - as long as the water is cold and I keep it in my mouth I feel fine. Once I swallow, blah again.
-eating anything - once I'm done I'm sick again
-camomile tea - I can't even look at it now

If anyone has some suggestions that I might not have tried I would be happy to hear them. Until then I will try to see if Danny will let me veg on the couch and not get himself into too much trouble.

And now he is 18 months...

2011-04-25T16:40:00.003-04:00

This is meal time Mommy style...

This is meal time Daddy style...

I will admit Daddy style looks more fun. However, mommy is the one who washes the floors!!

The little man with mommy. This was at five weeks pregnant. When I only felt really tired - before the 24 hour "morning sickness" kicked in. I really hate that term right now ("morning sickness"). I bet a man came up with that term. Probably the same man who came up with the slogan "Have a happy period!" The best I can hope right now is that, like with my previous pregnancy, once I hit the 12 week mark I felt great! Fingers are crossed.

And this adorable picture of the little man finally wearing the outfit that his Aunty Christy bought him for his birthday. Danny was more into showing off his Elmo sheets - and if you look close you can see his two front teeth.

The Waiting Game

2011-04-22T07:47:00.005-04:00

I've been meaning to write this post for about a week now but everytime I got around to it I would feel too tired or nauseous. Yep, if that is not a good enough clue for you then how about I peed on a stick again? Yep that's right. We've got baby #2on the way.

This time around Aaron and I swear we knew we were pregnant right away. I read into the signs early this time. Almost right away I had that metallic taste in my mouth. This made me both happy and sad. I'm happy we got pregnant right away but I had hoped this time I would be without the metal madness. And the nausea. I'll just take the increasing nausea as a sign that the babe is growing well.

We are only 6 weeks in so we have quite a way to go. Once again Aaron is telling everyone that we are expecting so I thought I should catch up my peeps on the news. However it may appear that some may already know.

About a week or so before I could confirm with a home pregnancy test my aunt the Empress sent me an email saying that she dreamt I had twin girls. I'm hoping she is right about the sex, but twins may be overwhelming. I guess what ever will be will be and we will be happy about it. As a believer in prophetic dreaming I took this as confirmation that the metallic taste in my mouth was the sign I was looking for.

There's not much more to tell right now. I haven't even seen my ob/gyn yet. According to some websites we will be due on December 16th. The date is close to my sister in laws birthday (on the 9th) and my neice's (on the 12th) so this little one may just share a birthday like big brother Daniel. I'm also hoping for a vaginal birth this time around. Recovering from a c-section when you are a restless soul is hell.

Now that I've informed my peeps I feel much relief. I will likely keep the news off Facebook for now, but whatever! Woo hoo to #2!

How could I...

2011-04-11T14:57:00.001-04:00

Write a post without adding a picture of our little super model?

I can't stop using my game show voice...

2011-04-11T14:38:00.004-04:00

because we bought a (game show voice here:) NEW CAR. Well, new to us anyway.

(Ignore the construction fence in the background. They are finally doing something with that property next door. But they sure are taking their time with it!!)

It's a 2007 Honda Civic. And it drives like a dream (especially after driving our 1998 Corolla that needs shocks and alignment and who know what else. Hey wanna buy a car real cheap??? LOL)

I also learned today that I am now a pro at putting in Danny's car seat. It took me about an hour when we first bought it. When I transfered it to this car it took maybe a minute or two.

Now to enjoy our day. It actually feels/smells like spring today. I am ignoring the weatherman's reports for tomorrow (covers ears and sings "Lalalalalalalala").

I hope you are all enjoying the smells of spring and maybe even new car! ;)

Is it over yet?

2011-03-12T09:35:00.004-05:00

According to what I heard this morning the end of winter is near. The geese are back and I'm loving the sound of their honking announcement.

I haven't been writing very often. I start feeling guilty about it, which just increases the anxiety I have been feeling. I believe it has to do with my winter depression. Now that we are into March I can feel it lifting. I'm not as anxious over nothing these past few days. Though the wet snow we had yesterday brought a sinking feeling to my gut.

The geese honking their arrival this morning has made me hopeful.

Looking forward to what is ahead for this coming year. Daniel will be able to run around with the other kids at the park this summer. Last summer all he could do was sit in the swing and watch. I have bought him some buckets and shovels so we can play in the sand at the beach. I'm hoping he has enough sense not to eat it (the sand not the bucket - though I wouldn't put it past him).

I cannot believe how fast he is growing. We took Danny to the doctor a couple of weeks ago. He is way above average for his height (16 months and he is 84cm long) and on the high side for his weight (25LBS). Probably because he loves his food so much. Still the happiest little boy I could ever hope for.

We are looking forward to what is in store for us this year. Maybe even a few surprises... Wow I am sounding so hopeful - winter must be over!

Danny Meets His Hero

2011-02-12T15:00:00.002-05:00

Happy 15 Months My Monkey!

2011-01-23T13:30:00.002-05:00

The Unveiling

2011-01-19T09:34:00.004-05:00

Well, here it is. Shorter than I thought but a heck of a lot more presentable and managable than before. It always takes me a couple of days to get used to a new 'do. I could not find a decent before picture. But just imagine long (down between my shoulder blades) straight hair that just dragged my (admittedly long) face down. Oh, and no bangs. I like my bangs! Also my stylist noticed that the hair on the side of my head was short and broken from wearing it in a ponytail constantly. Now I can't even get it in a ponytail! YAY!

I'm also loving my new cardigan that I found at Value Village! Cute and nerdy :P

Need a Change

2011-01-15T16:33:00.003-05:00

After becoming a mother almost 15 months ago, I haven't really concerned myself with clothes, hair or makeup. I have slowly been redefining my wardrobe as my old clothes felt strange and ill fitting after pregnancy. I weigh the same as I did before, give or take a pound or two or three... But I swear my body must have changed shape in some way. That with the combination of getting older and wanting a more "sophisticated" wardrobe. That being better fitting clothes. No more wearing jeans that are too small. Also wanting to step away from wearing jeans and t-shirts all the time. Though I could never entirely give up my two loves. It's working out really well after getting a hefty gift certificate to Value Village for Christmas.

What I am super excited about is getting my hair fixed. Not that its damaged or anything. I just haven't bothered to do more than put it in a pony tail for about a year now. My bangs have grown out. My hair is long and shapeless. And I think my hair thinned out after having Danny. This coming Tuesday I have an appointment to get my hair cut and highlighted (by the same wonderful lady who cut and highlighted my hair for my wedding a couple of years ago...) I am so looking forward to it!

Pictures to come. I was trying to get a "before" shot taken today, but lack of makeup and being a bit tired I wouldn't dare post one of those pics out of respect to myself. If I can get myself to slap on some war paint before Tuesday I might get one done.

And although my New Years resolution is to worry and bitch less I guess self improvement on the outside could be included as well. Things are looking up! (and I won't worry about what that stupid weather man said about Tuesdays road conditions - that evil man!)

Little Man Dan

2011-01-13T18:32:00.004-05:00

Just recently he has started to play more with his softer toys, rather than his blocks and my pots and pans.

He still loves to climb into the linen cupboard. Sometimes he has to share with one of the cats.

When its nap time the cats take turns on his Winnie the Pooh chair.

He loves that Bee's fur will tickle his nose.

And after putting these pictures together I realized that I don't have a recent picture of Daniel without those darn fingers in his mouth. And suggestions on how to stop him from finger sucking?

Happy New Year

2011-01-06T14:52:00.003-05:00

Wow! Time sure flies when you have a child around. I still can't believe how much Daniel has learned and developed in the last year. Or how much his parents have learned also.
One of Danny's recent hobbies has been taking out each toy from his toy box one at a time and placing them on the floor all around him.

And when he's not torturing the cats he's giving me advice about my hair..."Mommy, get this head band off your head and get a haircut!"

Happy New Year to all. And a Merry (Ukrainian) Christmas!

Mother of a Toddler!

2010-12-04T09:40:00.005-05:00

(Wearing his new snowsuit - an early Christmas present from Jamma!)

Yes! He is finally walking. He still feels that crawling, or walking with assistance is more efficient for his needs. But he is walking and quite proud of it. So I guess that makes me the official Mother of a Toddler! Now this parenting thing is starting to get more challenging. Okay maybe not challenging - just more athletic and tiring. Catching a 13 month old as he falls from the couch. Or chair. Or whatever else he can climb. I guess we can be grateful he hasn't figured out how to crawl out of his crib...yet!

(Proud to be rockin' in Gramma Gogo's rocker - it's nice to have something in the family for so long)

Daddy took this picture at naptime while mommy was at work. Daniel can just reach his bookcase from him crib. He'll grab his books thru the bars and "read" quietly until he falls to sleep. Kinda like his mama.

Halloween

2010-11-01T09:09:00.003-04:00

Halloween was cancelled in our house last year. Aaron and I were very new parents stunned at the fact that we had a 8 day old to tend to. And though I long for those easy early days sometimes, he is a lot more fun now that his personality has emerged! (why didn't I appreciate the constant napping more? I write this as Danny bangs and clangs my pots and pans against the kitchen floor.)

As you can see Danny was Tigger this year. I bought a size 12month costume yet he was busting out of it.

We did not want to take him out trick or treating. He doesn't eat candy yet - and it's too damn cold for mommy and daddy. So we are very lucky that cousin Bella has her birthday on Halloween. And we were able to attend her 3rd birthday party this year. Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

There were a lot of kids at the party. I think Daniel was a bit overwhelmed but he had a good time. And Bella is hilarious with him. She kept taking toys from him, telling him "No, baby, no!". This natural comedy is why I love kids so much. Why do they have to grow up?

The excitement was just too much. Danny passed out on the ride home.

Did I memtion Elmo was there?

2010-10-26T23:36:00.002-04:00

And then there was cake!

2010-10-24T17:54:00.002-04:00

The Party

2010-10-24T14:43:00.003-04:00

I think Daniel was a bit overwhelmed. All the guests just to see him. The great big play center full of toys and cousins. No wonder he didn't pay attention while mommy and daddy opened his gifts.

Oh, and the birthday boy had cake for the first time...video coming soon!

Last Day of Minus 1

2010-10-22T22:12:00.003-04:00

I felt an urge to take some pictures of Danny before he turned one. The countdown is on. Officially at 2:15pm on the 23rd of october our little man will be one years old.

An Update of Sorts...

2010-10-17T11:12:00.003-04:00

We've been gearing up for Daniel's big day. In less than a week he turns one! It's the big one. We will be having a small dinner party at Creative Play (a play/party center run by Danny's Gramma and Aunt). The theme is Winnie the Pooh. I was lucky enough to find a Tigger costume in his size. And I'll get my moneys worth out of it. Eight days after Danny's party, his cousin celebrates her third birthday on Halloween. (Pictures will definitely be in order!)

Daniel walks with help. We are pretty sure he can do it on his own, but I think he's lacking the confidence. He seems like me in the way that he likes to perfect his skills before showcasing them. I bet if we put a camera over his crib we would catch him walking back and forth.

Daniel's favourtie game right now is a variation on peek-a-boo/tag. I have to get into crawling position as I chase him around the house. Danny squealing with delight. Checking over his shoulder ever few seconds to make sure I'm still on his trail.

He is speaking more. Much of it babble. He can say Mama, Dada, Cat and Aaron swears that he said Daddy I love you! What a sweet little man.

For now we must go. It is almost time to go to the swings.

This Time Last Year..

2010-10-02T10:32:00.002-04:00

I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of our little peanut. It's amazing how fast a year has gone by. And hard to believe that this kid actually fit in my belly.
Is it time yet?

Everybodies workin' for the weekend

2010-10-02T10:29:00.002-04:00

Hey Danny! Olivia Newton John wants her head band back!

Book Worm

2010-10-02T10:25:00.002-04:00

This kid loves his books. We are so proud!

He's Growing up so Fast

2010-09-18T09:29:00.003-04:00

If I were just two feet tall I'd want to play in the closet (err, fort).

I swear he did this by himself. While eating dinner he looked at his carrot intensely then gently placed it on his own head.
I couldn't help but laugh. Apparently he was quite serious about it!

Literal baggage

2010-09-07T09:25:00.003-04:00

I finally let go...my journals. My first one was started when I was 11 and 1/2.
I have been carrying all of this around with me on every move - from my parents house to Baba's and then to this house- all packed in a vintage suitcase and a cheap duffel bag. Literal baggage. Upon flipping through them I found a lot of negative stuff. I seem inspired by the bad and hardly wrote anything nice in there. Unless you count all the "I love this guy or that guy". Names I cannot remember the faces of. I actually kissed a guy named Don!??!

Now over 20 years later I feel I can let go. It felt good to make this decision - it shocked my mom (and inspired her to declutter a bit). Hopefully I can inspire more...

And it's Done...

2010-09-01T09:13:00.002-04:00

I love the colour, which I picked out. I was afraid at first but everything worked beautifully.

During...

2010-09-01T09:04:00.004-04:00

And so it was gutted.

Bathroom Reno

2010-09-01T08:54:00.003-04:00

As I promised awhile ago here are the picks of the bathroom renovation from start to finish...thanks to my dad for his hard work!

The before...(insert ominous music here)

The door had fallen off and had holes in it. The paint was peeling from the moisture in the room.

There was a hole in the floor that I had thought went down to dirt and it grossed my out. We later found out there was a cement floor underneath. phew!

More peeling paint above the shower.

The window opened up to under the deck. It was great for spying on the outdoor cats, as well as capturing kittens before we had them all fixed! Other than that it just made the room smell damp and dirty.

A hole in the wall when the plumbing needed repair!!! Teegers was the only one who enjoyed this room.

Cleansing

2010-08-29T13:48:00.002-04:00

The new tenants are all moved in downstairs. And lucky us they brought their cat. I'm sure I'll get some pics of our new friend shortly.

Having to clear out the basement and fit everything upstairs has been a challenge. As well as an enlightening experience.

I've decided to let go of the things I was keeping to sell online. Some of the stuff I had been holding onto for years without success selling it. My brain kept telling me that its worth something so hold onto it. And when I do sell something, I get anxiety over the shipment because the customers were constantly complaining that the item hadn't reached them instantly. So to ease my stress level online auctioning is out of my life. At least where selling is concerned.

While I've been unloading my junk decluttering is constantly on the brain. I keep thinking of the TV show "Hoarders", and telling myself at least I'm not that bad. But I am understanding more where these people are coming from. Attachment to objects that really have no meaning or value seems really silly, but then why is it so hard to let go of the 1994 edition of Rolling Stone magazine? Its not that I even look at it at all.

Now a lot of this stuff is gone or going. And I feel so much happier for it.

Then yesterday I found one of my favourite bloggers had decluttering on her mind too. I had to comment, making note that I couldn't bear to rid myself of my old journals.

That comment has been on my mind all night. And I finally feel that I can let go. For one, I told myself, I rarely reread what was written. And two, my journaling was brought on by negatives. If my life was difficult, confusing or I was fighting with someone I would journal. When things are going well I rarely pick up my pen. And thirdly, everything's on computers these days. ;)

So a special thank you goes out to the Empress for the great inspiration. I am looking forward to the next part of your story.

May we all free ourselves from our burdens and live happy, clutter-free lives.

Double Digits

2010-08-23T08:24:00.003-04:00

Daniel is Ten months old today. Where does the time go? He is very close to learning to walk. I'm pretty sure that by his 12th month he will be fully mobile. His vocabulary is expanding and he actually understands the difference between mama and dada.

I think becoming a parent has an effect on a parents space and time. The amount of space all his toys take up. And boy time really does fly.

It's Moving Day...

2010-08-21T13:39:00.004-04:00

not for me, but for my nephew and his girlfriend. Although it does feel like moving day for me too. They are moving into our basement (the apartment Aaron and I lived in when we first got together). After having the whole house to ourselves for a couple of years we've accumulated a lot of stuff. I have been frantically going through all the stuff (of course alot of it is mine or Daniel's - stuff I'm holding onto for the next kid). Though part of me likes going through everything and deciding what to keep and what I can let go of, it is a lot of work.

We now have our computers and two desks upstairs in our tv/playroom/livingroom. Daniel is very curious about our computers. So to distract him we gave him an old cordless keyboard. He's still curious about our computers, but it does help to distract.

I was going to leave this entry without a picture of our favourite little man, but I thought some of you might be upset if I did ;)

Happy Birthday Grampa Mark!

2010-08-10T09:58:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday to my dad who has been working away on our basement bathroom...(yipee we're almost done!)

BTW Daniel and Grampa are sitting in the comb back windsor rocker that Daniel's talented Grampa made by hand!!

Daniel and Teegers

2010-08-09T09:19:00.004-04:00

From day one Teegers had been like a little guardian for Daniel. She has followed him around the house. Gotten upset when we take him out of the house. Makes sure we know when he is crying.

Since he has started crawling (Holy Crap he's almost walking!!!) she's having a bit of trouble keeping up with her duty. Daniel loves the cats. He loves to pull their tails and paws when he can. He likes to pinch their fur and bury his face in their sides. The cats are not thrilled about this and we do try to prevent it. The cats are good - they haven't retaliated yet. And Teegers can't seem to stay away despite the abuse.

Catching Up

2010-08-07T07:38:00.003-04:00

Times have been hectic in my world. Beginning in September my Nephew and his girlfriend will be renting out our basement apartment. Before that happens though my dad has been redoing the bathroom. I mean ripped down to the guts redoing. The old bathroom was quite a mess with a rotting floor, peeling paint etc.. More on that once it is fully complete...we're getting really close.

And the little guy is growing and moving and learning at a pace I didn't believe was possible. Daniel is nine months old now. He can say "Mama" (usually when he's upset but its a start), Da (he's more laid back with his daddy) and "Ba" for our cat Bee. Or it could be for all the cats in general I haven't figured that out yet. And I swear one day he said kitty cat, but I haven't heard it repeated yet.

He is learning to balance. He holds onto furniture and uses it the help himself around the room. And wait --- he's even smarter than that... the other day he pushed his toy piano up to the couch and used it the climb up. Thank goodness I was close by.

Daniel also loves his food. And like a typical man he goes for the meat first. He also enjoys sweet potato. And he absolutely LOVES Cheerios. Aaron has been calling them OO-OO-OHs for the baby. The other day when they were out for a walk Aaron thought Daniel was just singing "OO-OO". He's made these noises for months. So Aaron decided to sing along only to hear a demanding little person say "OO-OO-OH".
(yes, I'm embarassed to admit that is a dust bunny attached to Daniel's knee. Funny how he can find the little knooks where the dirt gathers - time to vacuum!!! But how could I resist a picture of Daniel showing his admiration for his fave composer Beethoven?)
One little problem we've been having lately is Daniel has been biting. He'll come up to me for a hug and then like a little vampire he tries to dig his teeth into my shoulder. I guess this is our first true test as parents. "Okay folks, you can feed him and change him. Even give him a bath and prevent him from pulling the DVD player on top of his little head, But can you stop this child from biting?" I guess we better work on that :)

Kisses everyone!

Say What?

2010-07-22T22:13:00.003-04:00

Me: Honey, you have too much Metallica on your playlist.

Hubby: You have too much Beatles.

Me: (shocked) you can never have enough Beatles!

Hubby: I have to be honest dear. I like Metallica more than the Beatles.

Me: (Beyond Shocked) you do know that these are grounds for divorce, right?

Oh Mama...

2010-07-15T21:13:00.002-04:00

will you put that camera down already!

Heat Wave

2010-07-08T07:41:00.004-04:00

Quite a bit of hectic-ness lately. We've had our car vandalized AGAIN! For the third time. We do think we know who it is. We are just unable to prove it or track down the jerk.

Right after all the G20 riots in Toronto someone smashed 3 of our car windows. We are not any where near downtown, but I think this jerk took the rioting either as an excuse or it excited him. Anyway, this time the neighbour saw the jerk. Sadly, he did not get the jerk's licence plate number.

Now we are quite paranoid. Aaron couldn't sleep for a few days. He would wake up every time he saw headlights pass our house. To ease our minds we spent more money we should really spend on a car alarm. Strangely, we have only been arming it when parked in our own driveway. I hate this a--hole for making us feel like this in our own home. We are planning to move, but as money doesn't grow on trees we have to wait that out a bit.

(I almost threw up when the neighbour called me outside to look at this.)

We did call the cops. They supposedly took our statements and the neighbours'. However when Aaron called to check on the progress our report only listed what happened to the car. It said nothing of our suspicions or that the neighbour was witness. For sure more phone calls to the police station will follow. It's really sad that we feel like we should take this into our own hands. Yet, if we did what we really wanted to do to this a--hole Danny would be put into foster care. And I don't think I could handle jail!!! :O

On to better news...The little man has been taking swimming lessons for the passed three days. Today will be the fourth of ten days. He's been pretty good about it. I've finally dunked him underwater and he just looks stunned but no tears. I'm still trying to get him comfortable on his back. He does complain about it.

Our teacher was helping us yesterday (Daddy had to go to work). Trying to stretch out his legs so Daniel could float, rather than curl up in a ball and sink. (No - I do not let him sink. He would if I wasn't holding him though.) He's quite comfortable on his belly. And he enjoys splashing with his hands. One of the older kids splashed him in the face. He just blinked it off.

When he is in the pool looking at me Daniel has his serious face on. As soon as one of the other mom's smiles at him he turns the charm on. He is definitely daddy's little boy.

Swimming lessons came at a good time this summer. We have been having a heat wave in southern Ontario for the passed three days or so. I refuse to complain because I find even a mild winter miserable. Aaron and I are just trying to keep our little guy cool. Luckily Daniel enjoys being nude. He just regrets having to wear a diaper.

Cameras are not allowed at the pool. So you'll have to settle for this cuteness!

The Adventures of Little D

2010-06-26T07:23:00.004-04:00

I think I'm getting the hang of this digital video stuff. This is Daniel on his little adventure. Enjoy!

A Dose of Danny

2010-06-25T16:02:00.002-04:00

Mama

2010-06-24T15:02:00.004-04:00

Daniel is accomplishing so much so fast it is getting hard to keep up with him...and his baby memory books too. Just this week he learned to crawl and pull himself up using the coffee table. He will crawl over to me or Aaron tug at our feet and look up at us with a cute little smile, almost saying "look what I can do!"

I went to work today, always fearing that day when Daniel realizes I'm leaving. (I must remind myself that he does have daddy which is almost as good as mommy.) ;)
And wouldn't you know it, while I was gone he goes and says mama for the first time. Aaron told me that Daniel had fallen over for the billionth time that day. When he went over to comfort the little mover Danny said "mama".

He has yet to repeat this but I am really pleased. We had a friendly bet going as to which would be his first word "mama" or "dada". I win!! Of course I do think that Danny doesn't yet know the difference and he thinks Aaron is mama. Or we are both mama.

He's Going Mobile

2010-06-22T12:44:00.003-04:00

I didn't have time to edit it. Or in other words I'm just too excited to post my first video. I know if I start playing around with editing, It won't be done until Daniel is off to college. A couple of warnings. 6 minutes maybe a long time to watch MY kid. But he is pretty cute. He doesn't crawl for very long here. And near the end he gets into a sitation that looks like it could end badly...it does turn out okay. Enjoy!

Wow

2010-06-22T09:18:00.004-04:00

A lot has been going on lately. After 18 years of deliberating and making sure I really wanted it, I got tattooed. It wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. In fact I almost fell asleep while the artist was working on me. I am very pleased with the results.

Stinger Tattoo
That is the link to Stinger Tattoo in case anyone is interested. Boris worked on mine.

And then Aaron enjoyed his first Father's Day. We enjoyed a laid back day as a family. All was well.

And now a couple days shy of Daniel's 8th month and after slithering around like a really cute worm he finally crawled more than a few paces this morning. Right after the cat. I was very happy, but the cat wasn't.

I am hoping to get some of Daniel's crawling on video today...hopefully I can figure out how to post it here...

Busy, busy, busy

2010-06-13T17:10:00.003-04:00

Just trying to keep up with a very active seven month old. He's not crawling yet, though he's almost got the hang of it. Taking that into consideration we are really gonna have our hands full when he can. He already seems to be into everything. He rolls (scootches and I do believe teleports) faster than I can blink.

Sometimes we find a few minutes to relax and make new discoveries...like grass.

I am very surprised he didn't try to eat any. He did find it quite interesting.

Even Bruce Lee was There!

2010-05-30T07:58:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I celebrated another year of life. Danny didn't crawl for the first time like I had asked. Oh well! ;)

My parent's and brother came over. And I got some more plants for my porch. My idea of easy city gardening. (pics to come soon).

It was a happy birthday indeed!

Grandpa arrived just in time for Danny's nap.

Then they had fun on the jolly jumper. And soon that wasn't good enough either.

So we all played with toys. Even Bruce Lee was there!

Another Year Already!

2010-05-24T07:41:00.003-04:00

Today is our second wedding anniversary! I can hardly believe how fast time goes by and where we are already.

We started as a couple of carefree single people looking for that perfect someone. Then we were a carefree couple who got married. And now - not-so-carefree, loving parents to the most wonderful baby in the world! (A baby that has taken to roaring -that's for another day.)

And for all the pictures we have of Daniel, we have very few of each other. Here is one from the Christening.

Happy Anniversary Hunny Bear! I love you!

The Swings

2010-05-23T17:22:00.004-04:00

Daniel's first day at the beaches. He decided to check out the swings. Boy is he glad he did.

Let's Go for a Walk with the Little Man

2010-05-19T12:34:00.004-04:00

Dan loves to go for walks.

I've been taking him over this bridge the last few times we've gone out. Today was the first day that I remembered my camera.

The first time we went over a train went under us. The conductor waved to us. I was way more excited than the little man. Today we missed the train.

A little ways down the road on the other side of the tracks we met a friend.

When he (or she. I didn't check) saw us walk passed his house he came running off his porch to greet us on the sidewalk. He prefered belly rubs to posing for the camera.

It still boggles my mind to think that this used to be were people had there cottages. Only 15 - 20 minutes outside of downtown Toronto. And now people drive for 2 hours just to get away from it all.

This house reminded me of some of the houses my friends lived in when I was growing up in Oak Ridges.

And we got to the end of the road. Turned ourselves around and went back over the bridge.

The little man was glad to be back home where Daddy was waiting to greet him.

All that walking is thirsty work.

**Sorry for the over exposed pics. I forgot to readjust my camera for outside light. :)

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T07:27:00.004-04:00

Its my first as a mom. I've always felt it was a special day. My mom did so much for me and my brother she deserved to be honoured. Like the time I emptied all the tissue out of a new box of kleenex so I could make her a gift with the box. She really appreciated that - LOL.

My hubby figured it out last week. I set him up for May. We've got Mother's Day, Our Anniversary (2 years already!) and my birthday. And he happened to get his tax refund a week ago. I am one spoiled mother!

Today, I am the first one up. Even Danny is sleeping in! Of course I can't. We are going visiting today and lying in bed all I could think about is all the baby gear we better not forget. At least bananas are easy to pack.

Enough of my babbling. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mommies out there! May you get all the hugs and kisses you deserve. Not just today, but everyday.

This face makes it all worth while. Even the c-section scar that still itches. And the fact that I will never sleep in again!
I love you, Daniel!

Bath Time

2010-05-04T08:06:00.005-04:00

The little man is digging baths in the big tub now. No more baby tubs! Yippee!

Finally, sitting up without a diaper on he has discovered body parts he never knew existed. "What the heck do I do with this thing?"

And he loves all his bath toys. Rubber ducky tastes mighty fine.

Yes, that flower is my son. In the privacy of our own bathroom I can make him look like a flower. That is, as long as he lets me.

Introducing Solids (aka real food)

2010-05-03T15:10:00.003-04:00

Things are going better than I thought they would. Of course Daniel usually gives us an easy time of things.

I was a bit confused about introducing solids beyond rice cereal. Things like how much is supposed to eat. And what should I give him. I googled for a feeding schedule for 6 month olds. Depending on which site I looked at the schedules seemed to vary. So once again we're letting the little man let us know what to do.

We are following the rule about introducing each food in its own time period of 4 to 5 days. Which was good. We found out that he is allergic to sweet potatoes. Hopefully he will be able to enjoy them a few years from now.

So far I am preparing all my own food. Which isn't rocket science. Really! Steamed carrots. Mash 'em with a fork. Bananas are super easy. Just smoosh 'em!

This is an example of Daniel's daily schedule.

7am Bottle of formula, then a bit of rice cereal (about 3 tbsps prepared)
9am Nap
10am Fruit about a 1/4 of a banana(so far we're only eating bananas. Tomorrow we introduce unsweetend apple sauce), followed by bottle of formula
12pm Nap
1pm Lunch Cereal and vegetable - we're working on carrots
followed by a bottle of formula
3pm Nap
4pm Dinner is the same as lunch. At least until we get another veggie in there. I'm thinking something green for next week.
5:30pm his last bottle for the day
6-6:15pm Bedtime with story. Hop on Pop is still a favourite.

Then mommy and daddy get grown up time for the rest of the evening. Which usually consists of vegging in front of the tv or computer depending on the degree of exhaustion.

We would like to eliminate one of the bottles, but he seems to demand them still. I'm sure he'll let us know when the time is right.

Mr Grumpy Pants

2010-04-26T13:48:00.003-04:00

Our usually happy baby has turned into a grumpy little man. Who would have thought one little tooth could cause so much trouble. We are lucky - He's still pretty easy to get along with. We just have to suffer with looks like this one.

He bit me

2010-04-22T17:16:00.003-04:00

Danny's first tooth has finally poked thru.

Yesterday he decided to tell me this by sticking my finger in his mouth and biting down. I was surprised. There's something sharp in my baby's mouth!

I hope he is eager to try new foods. He's been gobbling up his rice cereal happily.

I plan on making my own baby food. It seems easy enough. Who knows I may even start eating healthier.

Sweet potatoes on the menu for next week. Hope he likes them.

Could he be any better?

2010-04-21T12:36:00.004-04:00

Little D was christened on Sunday. After a little bit of panic (the Godmother was late...kids will do that to you :) ) the ceremony went rather smooth. The priest has a quirky sense of humour. It definately wasn't boring. The most surprising thing...Little D didn't cry at all. Not even while having water poured on his head. Being passed around from me to the Godmother. Being annointed with holy oil. He just acted like it was his usual routine. He even start yawning.

Being my usual predictable self, I didn't get many pics. In fact these are the only shots a took, minutes after dressing the star of the show. Luckily, quite a few family members got some really nice shots

Gotta love the hat!

His Big Day

2010-04-18T09:10:00.002-04:00

Today is the little man’s big day. He will be christened in the same church my parent’s were married (about 37 years ago). My brother and I were christened at this church. And now we introduce little D to the church.

It can be quite daunting choosing Godparents for your baby. Luckily hubby and I have wonderful siblings. My sister-in-law and brother were the chosen two. I already plan on teasing my nieces about their mom being D’s Fairy Godmother. And I’ve got to get my brother to say “Make him an offer her can’t refuse.” LOL

(Hopefully) Tons of pictures of D in his adorable white outfit (and hat!) to come soon!