New York 2010

In celebration of our 7 year wedding anniversary, Ryan and I had a little get away (just the two of us!) to New York City. We had a jammed packed touristy weekend, but it was so much fun. We took in two shows: West Side Story and Avenue Q. Both were really enjoyable. We watched the Oilers play at Madison Square Garden (a game I think Ryan would rather forget). We spent time at the Met and MoMA (which I loved!). We went to the Rockefeller Centre and the Empire State Building. At the Empire State Building, we got to ride the elevator up to the top by ourselves - quite romantic :-) We also spent time on Time Square - crazy - and saw Ben Stiller filming a movie just south of Central Park. We also took a boat tour around the island. Here are a few pictures from our trip:

Eighteen Month Update

Weight: 26 lbs 1 oz

Height: 32 ½ ''

Micah still has a hearty appetite; however, he has been getting picky especially surrounding vegetables. His vocabulary is growing everyday to the point that we have lost count of how many words he can say. His favourite books are Curious George, we have read them so much that we had to put them a way for a while because we needed a break from Curious George. Micah's favourite toys are Lego, John Deer tractors, cars…. and mommy's pots and pans. He likes to pretend to make pancakes with my frying pan, 'flipper' and the fridge magnets. He also likes to play mini stick hockey with daddy. He loves being outside and going to the park. He always points to the sky when he hears a airplane.

Micah loves watching and playing with other kids, but he also has his limit. Twice at different play groups, Micah brought me his shoes and tugged me to the door when he was ready to go home.

He is down to one nap at day and sleeps 1.5 -2 hours each afternoon. His bedtime is at 7pm and sleeps through the night for 11-12 hours each night. He has a favourite teddy that is a must at each nap and bedtime – it has been loved so much already that grandma O had to make some repairs on poor teddy.

We are so blessed to have such a healthy, happy, loving little boy. We love you, Micah.

Happy Halloween 2010

Hear me roar!

Who knew that tigers liked chocolate.

My tiger and my cowboy :-)

The many faces of Micah

Here are some pictures of Micah I took over the last couple of weeks.

Random Thoughts

A few of my fellow blogger friends have been using blogging template from http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/. I always enjoyed reading their responses, so I thought I would share my thoughts using the same template…

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... trees with green and yellow leaves. Hinting that summer is behind me and fall has arrived.

I am thinking...about our future. We have a lot of big decisions to make this year that will have lasting impact on our family.

I am thankful for... my family. I love my two boys more then anything.

From the kitchen...canning. I have made salsa and apple sauce, next on the list is peaches and jam.

I am creating... if only I had time.

I am going...to a graduate student social later this afternoon.

I am reading... Treating Explosive Kids – Ross Green & J. Stuart Ablon (work); You Shall know our Velocity – Dave Eggers (pleasure)

I am hoping... for clear direction for our future.

I am hearing... the drone of the T.V in the background (Sunday afternoon football)

Around the house...toys.

One of my favorite things... hearing giggles from Micah.

Family Outing

On Sunday we took a little family trip to Prairie Gardens Adventure Farm and Corn Maze. Below are some pictures that we took. Enjoy!

Summertime Fun!

"You can't catch me!"

Old man style :-)

Being goofy.

Sprinkler time.

Making a chai latte for mommy.

"What do you mean 'no screen time' until I am two? I am a computer pro already."

Run. Run Run.

Pure cuteness.

Music time with daddy (a little to0 early in the morning for daddy's liking).

This summer has seemed short, however, we made sure that we made the most of the few hot days that we had. Our summer was filled with camping, trips to the local beaches, spray parks and lots of outdoor playtime. We went to Salmon Arm BC to spend time with some of Ryan's family and took a trip down to Three Hills AB for a wedding. All in all it was wonderful summer and we are so thankful that we were able to spend it with family and friends.

Mid Summer Update

As Micah approaching his 15-month milestone I thought it is time for an update. We are having so much fun enjoying all that summer has to offer through the eyes of a toddler.

Several house in our neighborhood have been knocked down, making way for new houses to be built. Micah has been fascinated with watching the excavators (diggers) do their work. We actually had a perfect view from our dinning room window of a house being knocked down and debris being put into a 'big truck'.

Micah is becoming quite a little helper. He wants to do whatever we are doing. His latest thing is to 'help' sweep, which can be more trouble then help because he finds the pile of crumbs quite interesting. Thus I have started giving him the swiffer, which keeps him entertained.

He continues to follow basic commands (when he wants to), such as, "bring mommy the phone" or "put the dish back in the cupboard". He is also starting to point to things that we ask him to in books like different animals and objects.

One of his latest toy discoveries is big legos. I am sometimes amazed at his concentration and I find it so interesting to watch him has he tries to figure out how to put the different pieces together and how to pull them apart.

Rain, rain go away... it has been really rainy the last little while, which has been fun for puddle jumping. It has also given us an opportunity to take in different indoor activities that Edmonton has to offer: the museum, space science centre, swimming, and library programs. However, we are starting to run out of ideas and are hoping that the rest of summer will be hot and sunny :-)

Weekend with Auntie Janette

This past long weekend my sister Janette came to visit. Micah had been sick/teething so he wasn't always his cheery self (Janette has teeth marks to prove it), but all in all we had a fun time. We went to the zoo, played at the park, visited the animals at the mall, and read a lot of books. It was so wonderful to see the two of them bond - Micah would smile and squish his nose and touch forehead to forehead with Janette - it was like their own special kiss. Below are a few pictures from the weekend:

2008 Europe Trip

Here is a video that I put together of a trip that Pamela and I took to Germany and France in 2008. A lot of it is from when we went down the Rhine River, in Munich and Paris.

Micah walks!

Here is some video I took today of Micah walking. He's been taking one or two steps by himself the last couple of days, but today he decided to venture a little further. I also added a few pictures that we've taken of him in the past week or so. Enjoy!

A Year in Review

This is a little late and long, but for some reason I feel the need to post this, so if you are interested…

It has been a year since Micah came into our lives. He has been such a blessing to me. I thought I would share my thoughts on this past year…

Micah came surprisingly early and quick, which caught me off guard and unprepared (I still had two weeks of work left). Our doula was amazing and because of her support, I can look back on Micah's birth with fondness. He had some minor health issues and we were in the hospital for a week after his birth. Looking back, I know that so many things could of gone wrong and I feel so grateful for the blessing of a smooth birth and a healthy baby. I am also truly grateful for living in Canada where the prenatal and postnatal care is so amazing.

The transition home was difficult. Learning about Micah and his needs, while adjusting to the lack of sleep and loss of independence. It was so nice that Ryan had not started work yet, so that we could spend the first few weeks together adjusting as a family.

I am still overwhelmed with gratitude and surprise of the support that we received after Micah's birth. We got so many meals the first two months after his birth that I never had to worry about what we needed to make for supper. My friends organized a small shower for Micah and I, which was so wonderful. We also had a shower for Micah at the church. We received so many gift and money from people in the church that we had never even met. In addition, if that was not enough, during a family campout my aunts threw me a shower. We felt so loved and supported.

I loved that Micah's birth was in the spring and were able to enjoy the summer weather together. Micah liked his stroller, so we went for walks almost every day and enjoyed the downtown farmers market almost every weekend. During the first few months, I so appreciated my friend, Megan. It meant so much to me that I could just go and hang out with her and her kids and bombard her with my baby questions.

By the time autumn came, we started getting into a routine and I found the need for us to have things to do outside of the home. We participated in various programs in the community. We attended Baby Laptime and Books for Babies at the library. We also attended a mom's group at the local health clinic. We took baby swimming lessons and participated in a program at the zoo. Through these activities, we made new friends (Yoko and Mio) and reconnected with old ones (Nadine and Anna-Christy).

I very quickly abandoned any previous ideas I had of things I wanted to be done while on my maternity leave. I am glad that I allowed myself to just focus on 'being' with Micah and not by 'stuff' that could be done. I will always treasure the unrushed playtime with Micah or the quiet observation that this past year has allowed.

My flexible schedule also allowed for many trips. Having a baby definitely did not squash my travel bug. We went up north twice. We took Micah camping and to Ryan's parents farm. We went to Vancouver twice, Phoenix twice and one trip to Florida. I feel very lucky that Micah was such a good traveler and the opportunities we had to travel so much this past year. It definitely made the winter feel much more bearable.

With parenting, there is a whole host of issues and decisions regarding how to raise a child. There is so many different ways and different choices when it comes to parenting. Unfortunately, I experienced some real ugliness and nasty hostility from moms who held very strong views on certain parenting issues and were critical of others who may hold different views. This experience has really made me appreciate the supportive, nonjudgmental moms that I have in my life; moms that I can talk openly with about the struggles and decisions that come with parenting.

Although I have not forgotten about my life before Micah and the freedom that I enjoyed, I would never trade this past year for anything. Micah is such a joy in my life and I treasure everyday that I have with my little boy.

Cheers to motherhood!

Pamela

Mother's Day 2010

Mother's Day is a double blessing for me. First, to have such a wonderful mom who continues to inspire me, and second, to be a mom myself to the most wonderful little boy. My Mother's Day started with the best gift from Micah... sleeping in for an extra hour in the morning. I was spoiled with cards, flowers and lots of cuddles and kisses. I also received a bike trailer from my two favorite boys and we went out for our first family bike ride. So much fun and I look forward to many more family biking adventures for years to come.

Snow Day in May!

Twelve Months

1) Weight: 21 lbs 2 oz; Length 28 ½ inches
2) Stand by him self for a few moments.
3) New 'words': Nana (banana), and By (Bye). The first time he said 'bye' was at his first birthday party when he was waving at his friends as they were leaving.
4) Likes to be in the centre of attention. During our travels this month he would smile, fake cough, or fake laugh to get the attention of strangers on the airplane or bus.
5) Loves being outside and exploring the yard or the park. He likes digging with his shovel in the sand or in Pam's flowerbeds.
6) He will now 'read' books by himself. He will chatter at each page and then turn the page and do it again. For a few months now, he has been able to figure out when a book is upside down and will turn it the right way before looking at it.
7) He will make car and truck noises when playing with his cars and trucks.
8) He likes to play mini-stick hockey with Ryan and loves balls.


The following pictures are of his first birthday party. We had a small gathering of good friends (including two of Micah's first little friends Davey and Matthew). Micah's Grandma K had made him a monkey blanket and monkey bibs for his birthday so we went with a monkey theme. I made monkey banana muffins and got a big monkey balloon.

Fun in sunny Florida

We spent this past week in Florida with Ryan's parents on Treasure Island (near Tampa). We had a blast and didn't want to come home. A few things that we did: went to the Museum of Industry and Science (sort of like Edmonton's Telus World of Science), outlet mall shopping in Ellenton, went to the Lowry Park Zoo, sat on the beach, made sand castles with Micah, took in a Tampa Bay Ray's vs Toronto Blue Jays game at Tropicana Field, went sailing/dolphin watching, and ate the yummiest lobster ever. Some of the pictures we took are below.

First Hair Cut

Today I took Micah for his first hair cut. He does not have that much hair but the hair he has was getting unruly and mullet-like (we are a strictly 'no mullet' family). Micah was his usual wiggly self, but the hair dresser did a good job.

Eleven Months

The past month has been a busy one. Micah and I (Pamela) went to Phoenix to visit my parents. Ryan's parents came to visit one weekend. Ryan went to Montreal to present a paper at a conference at McGill during which time my sister came to stay with Micah and I (fun! fun! fun!). It is hard to believe that Micah has been in our lives for eleven months already. He is such a joy to have around and we love him more then words could ever express. He is such a happy, interactive little guy. Sometimes when he is playing he will just look up at me and give me the biggest smile…. It warms my heart every time. Here is Micah's latest info:

1) He loves phones and will smile every time he hears Auntie Janette (JJ) or Grandma on the phone. He will hold his toy phone to our ears (never his own ear).

2) Switched car seats. He is now in the 'big boy' car seat (still facing backwards as long as possible).

3) Wants to eat whatever we have on our plates.

4) Continues to love music. Everyday he will want us to put on his music. He will stand by the speakers and dance (sway and bob his head).

5) Loves books… loves pulling them off the book shelves, loves looking at them and loves being read to.

6) Wants to explore everything, everywhere… whether in the airport, video store or health clinic… he want to be let down so that he can crawl around and explore (a germaphobic's worst nightmare, thank goodness for handi-wipes).

7) Starting to make specific sounds for specific objects: ball- ba, books– baok, mum, and dada.

8) Weight: 19 lbs 7 oz Height: 28 inches

Ten Months

1) Crawling and climbing everywhere. Micah loves being on the move and explores every inch of our house (and finds every last crumb on the floor). He pulls him self up on almost anything and has started to walk along furniture
2) He is now the proud owner of five teeth.
3) He is becoming a little social butterfly and loves other babies/children, but is still cautious of other adults.
4) He gives high fives.
5) Clicks his tongue, something that he has learned from grandpa K.
6) He looks like a mini Bryce (Pam's brother).
7) Weight: 18 lbs 3 oz Height: 27''

Olympics

This past weekend we were in Vancouver to take in some of the Olympic action. We had so much fun. The weather was gorgeous; sunny and clear every day. We got to see Daina's new condo, which was walking distances to Granville Island and many other Vancouver sights. It was our base of operation for the weekend. We stayed nights at Daina's parents place in Richmond because Daina was having her water pipes replace and her shower redone. Like always her parents were gracious hosts and Ryan enjoyed talking sports with Mr. Markoff. We went to Grandville Island, saw the Swiss House and checked out some 'modern' art that was on display for the Olympics. There were also several street buskers performing. Daina stated that the city had tryouts for the street performers who would be given licenses to perform during the Olympics.

On Saturday, we went to UBC to take in two women's hockey games. Ryan went to the afternoon game with Daina and her parents. My sister met Micah and I at UBC. We went hiking on the nearby trails and walked along the beach while the others were at the game. After the game Ryan and I switched. Ryan took Micah back to Richmond and I stayed for the evening game: Russia vs. Slovakia. The crowd was lively and really got into the game. It was a close game and fun to watch.

On Sunday we had take-out sushi and ate it on the beach (English Bay). We took the water taxi back to Grandville Island. On the taxi, two men were talking about Vancouver, one stated that it is the best city in Canada, the other man was joking with him stating that he hasn't been anywhere else. He then proceeded to talk about Edmonton and stated that it is sad if you need a mall for your main entertainment. As coolly as possible I took off my sunglasses, looked at him, stated that we were from Edmonton and said something about the beautiful parks in Edmonton. The look on his face was priceless. He sputtered and tried to back track, stating that he had only been to Edmonton once. The guy with him was embarrassed and the old man beside us thought this whole scene was the funniest thing.

Micah got sick by the second day of our short trip and didn't sleep well during the night, but as always he was such a little trooper. We were lucky enough to fly executive class, which was wonderful as it allowed us to skip all the long line ups at the airport and relax in the lounge before our flights (and Ryan liked all the free drinks, especially the Guinness). As well, the extra room was so nice with Micah sharing the seats with us. All in all it was a wonderful, once in a lifetime trip and we were so glad that we were able to go. Below are some pictures.

Micah Crawls!

Nine Months

Nine Months:

1) He now crinkles his nose and shows his teeth when he smiles… so cute.
2) He is ticklish under his arms and has the most heartwarming giggles.
3) Loves books and has a surprisingly long attention span. He loves books with real pictures and his favorite is his big animal book.
4) In the last few days he has started crawling forward (finally!). He is a little wiggle worm and it is amazing the places he can get himself.
5) He is obsessed with Ryan's coffee grinder and we have no idea why. He loves being on the counter and watching Ryan make coffee and playing with the grinder.
6) He can stand holding on to something (i.e. chair, learning centre, book shelve…).
7) Micah has started swimming lesson and he loves it. He loves splashing, kicking his legs and floating. He also does not mind going under water or getting his face wet.
8) He has started to follow basic requests, which is so fun and confirms that babies understand so much more then we often give them credit for. Although we know he understands some things (i.e. give mommy kiss, don’t put that in your mouth, pick up spoon), doesn't mean that he always does what he is asked.
9) He loves music and banging things together.
10) Weight: 16 lbs 13 oz Height: 27''

December 2009

The following are pictures from our trips to Phoenix and Canmore during the holiday season.