Already over?!?

Wow... 2008 is almost over! Where did it go?! I cannot believe how quickly time flies... those of you who read my blog regularly will know that I mention that a lot! Must be a mom thing, as time seems to fly by much faster now that I have a little man in my life!!

We had a wonderful Christmas season again this year. We went up to Grande Prairie on Christmas Eve and spent a few days there. It was definitely different not being at home for Christmas this year, but good to see a lot of Gerry's extended family, as we don't see them very often. Colby had a rough couple of nights sleeping (or lack thereof) up there, so the past couple of days have been "catch up days". We headed home on Boxing Day and unpacked from Christmas #1. Saturday, Dec. 27th was Christmas Day again for us! We spent the day with my family for our Christmas, which was great!! The kids were definitely spoiled and it's so great to see the magic of Christmas in their eyes! We opened gifts, had dinner, hung out and played a couple of games. Colby decided he didn't want to go to sleep at Grandma and Grandpa's, so he was up until we left!! Crazy boy! I love Christmas, but can't believe how quickly it passes once it finally arrives!!

We have had a couple of quiet days at home since then. We took down the Christmas decorations, cleaned up, and are working on organizing the house. Colby's toys are taking up more and more room and we can't wait to finish the basement! He needs more room to run and play! Last night, Gerry and I did the first coat of paint in the spare (scrapbooking) room downstairs!! It's so exciting to see more progress and we absolutely LOVE the color!! It's a bright aqua-bluey color... very hard to describe, but so inspiring and fun!! We're hoping to continue pushing ahead with the basement development. It's all about finding time, which is difficult!! Not sure how to find more of it.... hmmm.....

I am enjoying my second week of vacation at home and love spending time with Colby! We're playing, playing, and more playing all around the house. I love watching him play with his new toys and "driving" his cars, trucks, quad, airplane.... (and the list goes on) all around. It's so cute how he makes the 'driving' sounds, too! Colby did his first coloring yesterday with his new Crayola TaDoodles crayons, so that was fun. He tried to eat them, so we need to convince him somehow that crayons are not food (like most other things he tries to eat!!) I am not looking forward to tomorrow's 1 year immunizations, but luckily they're tomorrow night, so Gerry is coming along too. I look forward to ringing in the New Year on Wednesday night with friends at Jen and Dave's house! Should be fun at the New Year's Eve Red Carpet Gala!! :)

Happy New Year, everyone! Wishing you all the best in 2009!
Love,
Gerry, Lesley and Colby
xoxo

Ready for Christmas?!

I cannot believe how quickly Christmas is approaching! I'm definitely excited to be done work and spend some much needed quality time with my two favourite boys and the rest of our families. The last week of school was a busy and tiring one, trying to keep kids entertained and do some relatively productive work too. With the deep freeze we are in, we had many indoor recesses, which is needed to stay safe out of the cold, but is also really hard on the kids being "cooped up" inside all day! I was spoiled by my class this year and received many lovely gifts from them! On Thursday after work, I went to our staff Christmas party. We met at Original Joe's for drinks and dinner... definitely a lot of fun! Many laughs had by all!!

On Saturday morning, we braved the cold and headed out to Spruce Grove to do a bit of last-minute shopping. We took Colby to see Santa again and it went much like the first attempt... not well. We did end up getting a picture from 2008 (the first one they snapped very quickly before the full-blown screaming!) Poor little guy... not so jolly meeting Santa Claus at the age of 1, I guess! We went to Joe and Tara's last night for a Christmas party and had a lot of fun! It's so nice to get together with friends who have kids so that Colby is entertained! All of the kids played really well together and Colby stayed up playing until we left at 10:30. I know, I know, night owls!! He crashed on the way home and transferred to PJ's and bed without waking up when we got home!! Sleepy boy!! My mom and I did some Christmas baking today at our house, which was a lot of fun. We don't get to spend a lot of time together anymore it seems, so I really enjoyed myself! Now the trick is to not eat all of it before Christmas!! :)

I'm really looking forward to the next couple of days, as Colby and I are not up to a whole lot Monday or Tuesday. I have a few errands to do around town and would like to see Jen at some point in the city too before we head out on Wednesday morning. Looking forward to spending time with Colby and not leaving the house at 7 am for a couple of weeks!!

Take care everyone! Try and stay warm during these few days before Christmas! It's definitely going to be a White Christmas, which I love!! Wishing everyone a safe and blessed Christmas filled with love, laughter and happiness! Merry Christmas, everyone!

Love,
Lesley, Gerry and Colby

Ready for vacation!

We had an incredibly busy weekend... not quite ready for the work week to begin again yet!! On Friday night, I had my Stampin' Up! Card Club, which is always a lot of fun! The projects were fun and the swap cards were great!! On Friday night after I got home, we put up the Christmas tree. We wanted to do it while Colby was sleeping. I thought that if he helped us decorate it, then he would want to keep touching it. He was very curious on Saturday morning when he saw this new tree by his toys in the living room! We had to keep telling him "No touch" and Gerry eventually moved several ornaments to higher locations on the tree. He grabbed one part of the ribbon and pulled... I quickly grabbed the tree as it was toppling and Colby to keep it from hitting him!! Yikes! I think he scared himself so much that he has decided not to touch it anymore!! One year olds and Christmas trees don't always mesh well together, I've decided! (Not this one year old, anyway!)

On Saturday morning, we did some Christmas shopping and errands around Spruce Grove and Stony Plain. We didn't venture out too far from home or too long with the cold snap we've entered. I think we're close to being done our shopping. Just a couple more things to get! Then the fun of wrapping begins! Colby had a sleepover at my parents' house on Saturday night! It was Gerry's work Christmas party in Edmonton and instead of waking him (and them) up when we came home, he stayed overnight. Thankfully, he slept pretty well and didn't get up too early for Grandma and Grandpa! I appreciate how much time they spend with Colby and want to play with their grandchildren!! It's so great living so close to family!! The Christmas party was pretty good, but there sure wasn't very many people there this year. We didn't go last year, as Colby was only 5 days old. So it was nice to go again this year.

Today we held a baby shower for my sister, Jody, and her daughter, Kendra. It was a great time. It was so nice to visit with everyone, as it is hard to find time with very busy lives these days! Kendra is going to be one well-dressed little girl!! :) Very cute clothes!! Colby entertained himself quite well today with the stairs in Grandma and Grandpa's house. He is so fast going up stairs and has now begun going backward down them too! Who needs toys when you have stairs, tupperware, spatulas, and tissue paper!?!

Hope you're staying toasty warm inside these days! It has not been a pleasant weekend weather-wise! With a windchill factor of -37 today, I feel like I haven't been warm all day!

Take care. Only 11 more days until Christmas!!! Only 5 more days of teaching until Christmas vacation!!! :)
Lesley

Colby Turns 1!!!

As unbelievable as it was, Colby turned 1 year old on Sunday, December 7th! I still am having a hard time believing that my little baby is growing up and is now a toddler! We had a birthday party with about 30 guests on Saturday afternoon and into the evening. It was a great time and we hope everyone enjoyed themselves. The kids were really fun to watch, as I think they really enjoyed playing together (okay, more like stealing toys and chasing each other than 'playing'). Colby definitely got spoiled and we are very thankful for all of his gifts! He's got more toys than most 5 year olds, I swear! He's also going to be one of the best dressed boys around town too! Love little boy clothes!!!

The past year has definitely been amazing... we've had a lot of fun times and also some frustrating and worrysome times. That comes with the territory of having a baby, I guess! It amazes me where Colby learns all of the things that he can do... one day, all of a sudden, he'll do something new and shock us! He can now go up an entire flight of stairs and come down backward! So cute to see! He's a pretty fearless kid, which is causing some bumps, bruises, and tears! We are so lucky to have such a great little boy and are proud to be his parents!!

Colby had his one year check-up on Monday, Dec. 8th. Our regular doctor got called out to a delivery, so we had to see a different doctor. This was fine with me, as I didn't want to have to make another appointment and come back and wait some more!! He has continued on his weight gain path and is now about 25 1/2 lbs.! Wow! Guess he gets those genes from his mom!! His growth in height has definitely slowed down (to 75th percentile), as he is 31.1 inches long. He has 8 teeth now and all 4 eye teeth gums have been very white the past few days. Yikes! Teething pain is the worst!! The doctor asked a bunch of questions about what he can do and was impressed by his walking and running so early! He is only saying "Mom" and of course, babbles on and on, and we're trying to figure out if there are some "words" in there! All in all, he's a healthy, happy kid, which is good news after a not-so-great fall that we've been through!

Things have been really busy at work lately and I'm definitely ready for Christmas vacation. A definite perk of my job is the break at Christmas!! Our new dayhome is working out very well and we are very happy with the care that Amie provides for Colby. He has so much fun and doesn't ever want to put down toys, put on his coat, or get into his car seat. Sad for me that he doesn't want to come home, but good because he is having so much fun there! I think he definitely keeps Amie on her toes!!

Keep warm during this ridiculous cold spell we're entering!! Take care everyone!
Lesley

Lots of changes

The past couple of weeks have been very busy and emotional for us all! Colby is now going to a new dayhome, after many, many issues with the first one. I haven't been happy there with her for a while and things were really bothering me. When she decided not to care for Colby anymore, we quickly had to find someone to watch him instead of keeping him there for two more weeks, as she had offered. Luckily, a friend of mine, (and fellow scrapper!) was looking to take in a child and begin care in her home. The timing was perfect... I called her, told her the situation, we went and played there for a while, and it was a perfect fit! Amie has a 2 year old son, who Colby loves chasing after! Colby and Karter seem to be doing very well together. I was worried about Colby adjusting to the sudden change, but he is doing fine, which makes me thrilled!! I thank Amie everyday for the love and attention she gives my little guy when I have to be at work. Thank goodness for people you trust to care for your children!!

We made the big trek up to Grande Prairie last weekend! We hadn't been up there in far too long (February was the last time) and since our plans changed at Thanksgiving, we thought we'd go up once before Christmas. It was really great to see a lot of Gerry's family. We stayed at Gerry's parents' house and spent a great deal of time with his sisters and their kids, which was really fun! We all went swimming (even the waterslide twice!), had dinner, played, and just hung out. It was a whirlwind of a trip, leaving at 6:00 pm on Friday night and returning on Sunday afternoon, but everything was fine. Colby's schedule was pretty messed up, as he didn't sleep or nap as usual, but that was to be expected. I wonder how he's going to do at Christmas up there again. Hopefully he decides that napping is something that good little boys do before Santa comes!! :)

So... Colby is officially a walker... or should I say a runner?!? He is on the move and is unstoppable now! I LOVE watching him go all around the house and he keeps us very busy! :) He doesn't crawl very much at all anymore (just gets up and takes off on his feet!) Very cute, but I still can't believe how quickly they grow up! The last week has been difficult with his teething... he is getting his top two eye teeth, which hasn't been very fun. He wasn't sleeping well, was very irritable, and quite clingy. Things seem to have settled down a bit, although they haven't cut through yet. Hopefully soon. Amie was trying to move Colby to one nap a day at her house last week, but we decided that he wasn't quite ready yet. He was VERY grouchy from the minute we got home in the late afternoon until bedtime. Not sure how much was teething pain, but I also know that lack of sleep was a huge factor. So now he is back to napping twice a day and has been sleeping much better at night again (meaning sleeping past 5 am!!)

It's going to be a very busy week. Our week was kicked off by a fun-filled morning of swimming at the TRI with Kristy and Landon Sunday morning. The boys did very well, despite having their lifejackets on. It's a bit hard for them to move, but all in all, they did really well. Colby's 1st birthday party is this Saturday, December 6th. I can't believe my baby boy turns 1 on Sunday!! It's unbelievable how quickly time flies by (I know I keep saying that!!) Going back to work has really made the past 4 months fly by! :( I hope he has a great 1st birthday as we celebrate with family and friends!

Hope everyone is enjoying the last bit of warm weather before winter arrives! Happy Holidays... the craziness of December is beginning!!
Lesley

Walker?!?

I'm not sure exactly at what point babies are officially named "walkers", but I think Colby's getting awfully close to this new description. He has been walking up a storm lately! :) This weekend (Nov. 15-16), he has been walking more than we have seen yet! He will pull himself up on something, stand there for a minute independently and then decide to go. He can usually walk a pretty far distance before he stops and falls... I think he realizes that crawling is still much quicker than walking! :) It's SO cute watching them first learning to walk... arms straight out, deep concentration, and then falling on their bum! Gone are the days when I can put him down and he's still in the same spot when I return!! I'm happy he's developing as he is... he's right on par (according to most books) with development, which is nice. I was really worried after his hospitalization and infection, as they warned me that his development could be delayed for a short time, but he would eventually catch up. Colby has sure proved them wrong, as he's beginning to walk already! :) He is sure a chatty little boy lately too! I love having 'conversations' with him... when I say something, he'll reply, and then I reply, etc.... SO cute! I like that he's comprehending things that we say (although doesn't always obey... ex. 'no'), but it's nice that he's understanding and able to communicate a few more things! My, how fast time flies by!! I can't believe I'm starting to plan his 1st birthday party for 3 weeks from now already!!

I had a WONDERFUL Fall Break from school last weekend! I wish every weekend could be 5 days long... oh, to dream, hey?! I spent a lot of time with Gerry and Colby, hung out with Jen for a bit, and didn't even do any school work until Monday. It was great! On Remembrance Day (Tuesday), my cousin, Leanne, came to babysit Colby for a few hours while I went in to do some work in my classroom. I'm glad he was good for her. I really want him to get used to other people being around, other than immediate family. He's beginning to have some 'separation anxiety' issues, so I'm glad the babysitting went well!

We welcomed a new niece to our family on Wednesday, Nov. 12th!!! My older sister, Jody, gave birth to Kendra Morgan Sutherland at 8:42 pm on Wednesday evening, weighing 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 19" long. She's a tiny little one, but she's absolutely precious!! We've seen her a few times since then and can't get enough! I can't believe how tiny she is!! It's hard to remember babies being that small once (although Colby outweighed her by another whole pound). Everyone's doing well and I guess she's already a great sleeper... needs to be woken up to eat! :) Welcome, Kendra!

It's report card time at school (they're due on Friday), so I've been busy working on them lately! It's a lot of work and I'll be happy when they're done! Wish me luck...

Have a great week, everyone!
Lesley

Halloween, sick, and all healed!

Interesting title!? A lot has been going on in the past few weeks, which explains my very delayed post!! Colby has been doing so many fun things... we love it! He never ceases to amaze us with things that he can do. He is beginning to drink out of a regular glass and hold it on his own. This usually ends up with a lot of water being spilled, but he wants to do it on his own! His walking is coming... he still takes between 5-8 steps at a time, and then drops down to crawl. I love the first stepping stage... arms straight out, kind of wobbly... so cute!! His personality is sure coming out more and more... looks like he's going to be as persistant and stubborn as his mom! Yikes! :) Colby had his first Halloween and dressed up as a bear. Daddy was convinced that he was a very scary grizzly bear, but Mommy thought he looked more like a big, cuddly teddy bear! Very cute... very late night with a party at Auntie Jen and Uncle Dave's house after visiting a few houses! Whew! Last week, Colby had another check-up with the pediatrician, who brought us great news.... Colby is all healed!!! There is some scar tissue left, but the body will slowly take care of that, so he finished his latest course of antibiotics and he's all done now!! Such a relief! Just as we got that great news, he picked up my stomach flu that I had early last week. I was even home sick from school on Monday and Tuesday with it. Not surprising since I can't remember the last time I had a full class at school... TONS of kids sick these days! Darn flu!! He had to stay home from the dayhome on Wednesday, so luckily Auntie Colleen came to the rescue and watched him all day. I think she had fun!! He's been feeling much better lately, which is great. The flu went right through our house, as Gerry was home sick from work on Thursday and Friday. So needless to say, not a fun week in our house!! :( Two more teeth cut through on the bottom, so now he's up to 8. I love his smile as the teeth begin to come down even more from the top gums! :) Colby turned 11 months yesterday (Friday, Nov. 7) so the planning has begun for the big birthday party next month! Wow, birthday, Christmas... December's going to be a busy month for us!! We continue to wait for the arrival of our newest niece/nephew... that baby isn't wanting to come out and meet the world yet!! My older sister, Jody, was due last weekend on November 1st. So we're anxiously awaiting!!! :) I'm really going to try to post on a more regular basis! Between school and home, there's not a lot of free time in my world these days! Take care!

Gerry, Lesley, and Colby

More firsts... clappin' and steppin'!

Again, it's been WAY too long since my last post, but life's been a bit crazy! I'm still waiting for it to return to 'normal'! Colby turned 10 months old on Grandma's birthday, October 7th! We celebrated with her at Thanksgiving with cake and everything. Yum! Happy birthday, Grandma! Colby was not liking his medicine, so it was a struggle three times a day to get it into him. Poor guy! He still wasn't sleeping well and back into a normal routine yet and seemed to be stuck on hospital routine, which included being woken up several times per night due to IV troubles, beeping, taking vitals, and then eating a bottle to get back to sleep. We are slowly getting better, but he's definitely not a great sleeper again yet! Hopefully we'll get there! Colby is going for an ultrasound tomorrow (Oct. 24th), as there is still one little bubble left from his illness and infection and they want to investigate a little more. There's a possibility of surgery, so hopefully we'll know more tomorrow! I'll keep you posted. We went to Logan's (aka Colby's girlfriend!) first birthday party last Saturday afternoon/evening. It was a lot of fun... so hard to believe that the babies from our Mom's Group are all having birthdays!! My, how time flies!! Colby cut another tooth on Sunday, October 19th, so he now has 6! 4 on the top and 2 on the bottom. No wonder he's eating everything in sight now! :) He continues to surprise us with new 'firsts' all of the time! He began clapping his hands earlier this week, which is SO adorable!!! I love it! He's so happy... and he especially claps his hands during mealtime. My child does love food, that's for sure!! AND... another huge first... Colby took his first steps today!! I picked him up from the dayhome this afternoon and Laura told me that he took 7 steps today!! WOW!! We've been practicing, but hasn't shown us any previous to this. I was kind of sad that I didn't see the first ones (and have been meaning to tell her not to tell us when big milestones happen!) but he took about 3 to me when I got there! So I still was able to see some steps on his first day! I guess that's bound to happen when he spends so much time there. SO exciting, so hopefully he continues to gain confidence and keep trying! I LOVE watching him grow up and do new things... although I wish time could slow down a little bit!!! I'm sure every parent feels the same way!
Anyway, work is going alright, with the exception of all of our illness issues the past few weeks. It's definitely been a rough start to the school year, but I'm so thankful to be so close to home and only drive a few minutes to work instead of the long commute out to Entwistle. I'm able to go back to school in the evenings after Colby goes to bed if I need to, which is really convenient. My assignment is tough this year, teaching two curriculums, but I'm just so thankful to be right in Stony Plain that it seems ok! Definitely worth being close for my baby! Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!
Love,
Gerry, Lesley and Colby

Tough little guy

As you can see, it's been quite a while since I've posted a blog entry... and most of you will know that it's because we've been at the Stollery Children's Hospital. It all started on Wednesday, Sept. 24th after Colby's bath, when I noticed a small bump on his bum. Nothing had changed in the morning, so I took him to the dayhome on Thursday morning as usual. I was called out of my class late morning to take a call from Laura. She said that Colby had a fever of 101.7 and just wasn't himself. He wasn't wanting to sit down at all, was 'glassy-eyed' and just cried a lot. Luckily, my school was very accommodating and let me leave right away to go and pick him up. I took him to the Stony Plain Emergency Room and waited for about 2 1/2 hours before being seen. His fever kept going up and down, but remained high. The lump on his bum did not improve... in fact, it continued to get worse (larger, redder, and more painful) with every passing hour. The Doctor believed it was an abcess, ordered a shot of morphine for the pain and referred us to the Stollery Children's Hospital right away. He wanted us to be transported by ambulance, but one was not available for a long time, so Kristy drove us in. Again, we waited, but eventually were seen in the Stollery ER where we were admitted right away. Colby's temperature was up to 104 by this time and his bum kept getting worse. It was absolutely amazing and scary to me how quickly it progressed. I'm so glad Laura caught it when she did. We ended up staying in Emergency overnight on Thursday, as there were no beds upstairs for us. It was a horrible night... doctors, surgeons, nurses, med. students coming in all hours of the night. Colby was hooked up to an IV with 3 antibiotics at first and was on heart and oxygen monitors, as well. They were talking surgery at one point to drain it, but there was no actual abcess that had formed... yet. They weren't sure if one would appear once the 7 doses of antibiotics per day started working and the swelling and inflamation began to subside. We were moved up to a room on the 5th floor (Pediatric Observation Unit) on Friday afternoon about 5:00 pm. Colby continued to improve a little bit everyday with the help of the 2 IV antibiotics. Although he had a great deal of trouble with the IV lines, including all 4 coming out and countless attempts including his hands, feet, arms, and scalp. Poor little guy... I can't imagine the type of discomfort and pain he was in. We have a great pediatrician, Dr. Dhunnoo, who will continue to see Colby as an outpatient now and follow-up with him. He did his rounds every morning and came to check on progress. Finally on Wednesday, Oct. 1st, after a failed attempt at a 5th IV, they had to move to oral antibiotics. He continued to improve a bit everyday and they finally discharged us on Thursday, Oct. 2nd, after 1 week of being there. We had to continue the oral antibiotics for 5 more days after arriving home. Colby and I are going to see Dr. Dhunnoo for a follow-up appointment this afternoon. He was thinking that Colby will probably be on medication for the next 2-3 months. If it's going to ensure this bacteria is gone and help to prevent something else, I'm fine with it. We'll see what he says today.
Sorry for the novel, but this was a big thing in Colby's life... not a good thing, but a big thing. He's getting back to his normal happy-go-lucky self and is playing with his toys at home again. I'm sure he was ecstatic to be at home and not confined to his hospital crib anymore. We are all trying to catch up on rest, including Mommy and Daddy... I stayed at the hospital 6 out of 7 nights with Colby. Thankfully, my mom was able to take some time off to help me out... it was very draining trying to keep him entertained and happy all day, especially toward the end when he was starting to feel better. I'm just thankful for the great things in my life... health, family, and love.

Lesley
xoxo

No more dressings... and one more tooth!

It has been a very eventful week and a half... Colby had his 9 month photos at Sears last weekend, which were a lot of fun. Although pictures were a lot easier when he was much younger and didn't move!! LOL! He liked to crawl around and push the toys around instead of sitting/standing still! Too fun... I'm excited to see them when I pick them up in about a week and a half... I'll post a new photo ASAP! That day while we were at the mall, we went looking for a snowsuit for Colby. I cannot believe how little selection there is!! It's unreal! We really had one somewhat-reasonably-priced snowsuit to choose from. There are tons to choose from after size 3 or 4, but very few for infants. We did end up finding one and he looks really cute in it! Now for the winter boots and we're all set for the snow to fly! Well, okay, maybe not ready quite yet!

Since many of you know of our bad sleeping habits lately, we decided to finally try and 'break' Colby of his night waking for a bottle in order to fall back asleep. At first, I chalked it up to a growth spurt, but then after a couple of weeks, realized that it can't possibly still be a growth spurt and he was in a bad habit. So Tuesday night, we let him cry it out. Not so fun. He cried for about an hour in the very early hours of the morning, but eventually fell back to sleep. It was one of the hardest things to lay there and listen to, but we knew it had to be done. Since then, after that one really tough night, it's been back to a wonderful 10 - 10 1/2 hours of sleep for the little man! Yay!!

Colby never ceases to amaze us... on Thursday, he was at my parents' house because Grandma picked him up from the dayhome, as I was coaching our Cross Country Team at a race. He watched his cousin, Landon, for a minute, then decided that he too could climb up the stairs!! Unreal! So yep, he can now climb their entire flight of stairs... it amazes me how he learned to do this, as we don't have stairs in our house that he can use! Those little guys have lots of surprises for us! He got one more tooth today - that makes 3!! I know that his top teeth (about 4 of them) have been bothering him for a while... all you can see is white on his upper gums. Poor guy... I'm sure they're going to start popping out here quickly in the next few days!

An update on the finger burn and dressing changes... we're good to go!!! Colby had his last check-up today at the Wound Clinic and everything looks great and healed perfectly. There is no more need for dressings anymore, which is such a relief! Strangely, while it didn't seem bother him at all, it was a huge nuissance to do the daily dressing changes. Glad he's all healed up and back to 100%!

That's about it... September is always a very crazy month in the school world, so I've been working a lot trying to keep up. I have a really great group of kids and am loving my new staff! They've been so welcoming and I work at a truly great little school! Oh yeah, some fun, exciting news... my class and I were on TV tonight!!! The meteorologist from CTV News, Josh Classen, came to visit my class and the other 5/6 class this afternoon!! He taught us a lot about weather, which is what we're studying in Science right now. He was a lot of fun and we got to be the first CTV Weather Watchers of the new school year!! Such a great time!!

Anyway, have a great weekend everyone!! Enjoy the last bit of sunshine before the cold begins to settle in!

Gerry, Lesley and Colby
xoxo

A working mom...

Yep, I guess that's my title now... a working mom! And man, it is sure harder than I thought it was going to be!! I'm having a bit of difficulty adjusting to not spending every second of the day at home with my baby boy, but it seems to be getting better with practice of our new routines. I just hate not having very much time with him! It seems like by the time I get home from school, we eat dinner, it's already bath and bedtime!! :( Colby is adjusting well to the dayhome, but I think he still needs some more time to adjust completely. He seems incredibly tired by late afternoon because I don't think he's napping very well yet. Maybe one day!!?? I'm still hoping! He's very happy and is well taken care of, which is most important to us. Colby's top teeth are sure making life difficult these days! I was thinking for a long time now that they're going to cut through any day, but it just doesn't seem to be happening! His gums are SO white, you can just see them in there! I think that several are going to pop through very quickly! Poor little man!

My first week back to school didn't begin too well, as I was only at school two out of four days! I came down with a brutal sinus infection on the second day of school!! So I was into the doctor and home sick on days three and four. Not a great way to begin with new kids at a new school! Ugh, it was very frustrating, but being away from germs and so many kids for so long sure took a toll on my immune system, apparently! I'm feeling better everyday and continue to take my antibiotics now, so hopefully I'll be as good as new very soon!!

We had a not-so-great weekend last weekend (to top off my sinus infection!), as Colby had his first 'major accident' around the house. He crawled over to his humidifier and put his hand over top of the steam coming out of the top!! I don't know how, but both Gerry and I forgot to unplug it when he got up in the morning!! So needless to say, I have felt like the worst mother in the world because of it. It produced a huge blister, which popped shortly thereafter. Then it was all open and looking rather sore, but it didn't seem to bother him. He was still content and was crawling all around as usual. Finally, we took him in to see the doctor and for this past week, he has had to go for dressing changes every two days at the Stony Plain Hospital Wound Clinic. Horrible! He is so good with them changing it though, just holds his hand out, doesn't cry or anything! So I know he's not in pain, which is slightly helpful. On Wednesday, they said that it's healing really well and the new skin looks great. Luckily it was a first and very minor second-degree burn, which will be fine very soon. Ugh, how guilty can a mom feel?! I felt it!! Although I'm told that that's not the only thing or accident that's ever going to happen!! Yikes!

School is going fine... I have a great staff and class at Forest Green School. While I miss some of the staff members and students at Entwistle School, I sure don't miss the drive. I can't believe how spoiled I am to be able to work for a while after school, get Colby and still be home by 4:30 or whenever I decide to be. It's been a lot of work with two curriculums in the 4/5 split, but everyone is so helpful that I have a great support network whenever needed. Thank goodness for my wonderful husband who has now taken on the title of "Mr. Mom"!! LOL! Gerry is so great at doing things around the house and does so much for me while I do planning, marking, errands, or working out. Thank you! Love you Gerry!

Hope everyone is enjoying our beautiful September!!
Lesley, Gerry and Colby

End of summer :(

I know, I know, I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated the blog with a new post. Summer has flown by so quickly and I just haven't found the time (or remembered, to be honest!) to do it. So here's a huge update from the past 3 weeks. Colby quickly mastered pulling himself up on furniture and is now getting up on everything! The baby-proofing was in full swing and I think we're good now. We went swimming for the first time as a family on Sunday, Aug. 17th at the TLC and loved it! Colby was kicking his legs and moving his arms just like a real swimmer! He definitely didn't like being held and just wanted to go, but wasn't an option quite yet! He had his 9 month check-up on Wednesday, Aug. 20th (although he was only 8 1/2 months old, but had to do it before I went back to work!). He sure sprouted up in the past few months, as he now weighs 22 1/2 lbs. and is 30.7" long. He's in the 90th percentile for weight and is off the chart in height. So he's a big, healthy kid! :)

My grandfather (Mom's dad) passed away on Monday, Aug. 18th after a fall and a long weekend of struggling for breath and making it through pain and suffering in the hospital. While it was a relief for him to be out of pain and with God now, it was a rough week. The funeral was Friday of that week and I had the honor of doing the eulogy. This was definitely one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do, but I hope I made Grandpa proud and portrayed his life accurately and thoroughly. Miss and love you, Grandpa! Sadly, on the way back to the church from the cemetary, Colby was stung by a wasp. They are sure bad this year! He was okay and didn`t react, which I worried about since I am allergic to stings. He was back to his normal self in no time, which was a relief.

Also that week, Gerry's sister, Kathy and her 3-week old baby, Katie, came to stay at our house. She was in a wedding on Saturday, Aug. 23rd, so came to stay before. It was so great to meet Katie... can't believe how tiny she is!! So hard to believe that Colby was once that small too! Man, how quickly time flies and you forget these things!! Gerry's mom, Bev, was also down on the weekend for the wedding and stayed at our place. It was so nice to see her and we look forward to seeing her again very soon.

We went swimming again one morning with a few friends from Mom`s group, which Colby loved again. I really had wanted to go swimming more often this summer, but hope to in the future! On Wednesday, Aug. 27th, we met up with Carmen and her kids in Edmonton for breakfast. They were down for back to school shopping, so that was fun to see them! My how the kids are growing... Kourtney is nearly as tall as me!! And the twins are adorable! Dylan`s still pretty quiet and entertained himself with his beloved DS. Kristy and I then headed to South Edmonton Common with the boys for a great day of shopping!! I`m going to miss being able to go shopping in the middle of the day... this work thing is really going to cramp my style!! :)

I headed back to work on Thursday morning for my first `official`day back. I had of course spent many hours previous to that setting up my classroom and getting ready for the new year! Colby did fairly well on Thursday and did great on Friday at the day home, so I was very happy! He`s going to adjust very well, I know it. I`m so thankful for Laura and Marlin, who are absolutely loving and wonderful with him! That makes the very difficult task of returning to work from mat leave easier.

Since I needed a really good, productive day at school this weekend, Gerry and Colby headed up to meet the quadding group up at Trapper Leas Campground for the day. My mom watched Colby while Gerry hit the trails with the crew. They both had a great (but very long!) day and I had a productive (and also very long!) day at school. I really wanted one more really wonderful family outing day before the craziness of school begins. So today (Sunday, Aug. 31st), Gerry, Colby and I headed to WEM. We went to Galaxyland!! All children under 2 are FREE on all rides, so we spent just over an hour there on a few rides. Colby LOVED the ball pit the best and didn`t want to leave! I think we could`ve stayed there all day playing with the balls! So cute! :) We did a bit of shopping, then headed home for some playing and then a walk, ending with some play time at the park. Colby loves the swing and slide at this little park near our house! :)

Whew, what an update! Sorry for the long post, and I promise to make these a more regular task! Wish me luck for an exciting first day back! It`s going to be kind of strange to be teaching again after being off for so long... I think I might have `forgotten`how to teach!! Yikes! :)

Happy September, everyone!
Lesley
xoxo

WOW... Where has the time gone?!?

I cannot believe it's already the middle of August and am sorry I haven't been keeping up with my blogs! I can't seem to find the time lately!! Since my last blog entry, a lot has changed in Colby's world! He has begun eating lunch everyday, so we've added a meal of solid foods. He loves to eat (usually), so it's been fun. Toward the end of July, Colby was SO close to crawling. He would get up onto all fours and rock for a bit, but then would drop, not knowing what to do. Then, all of a sudden, on Wednesday, August 6th (the day before he turned 8 months old), he crawled for the first time!!! He's unstoppable now! I absolutely love watching him explore the house, but definitely need to do some more baby-proofing as I follow him around, trying to keep him away from certain things. So exciting to see, but unreal how quickly he is growing and changing!! Colby was also beginning to take a few steps when holding onto our hands at the end of July. Now he is motoring when holding onto our hands and enjoys walking around... and not so much of the sitting in one place anymore!! LOL! I think it's crazy how we're so excited to see him start to move and want him to start doing things, but then don't want him to once he starts!! Diaper changing is becoming quite a difficult task these days... such is life with an 8 month old, I suppose. I hear it doesn't get much easier as he grows too... yikes!!

We had such a great summer of camping this year... we just got home from our last weekend of the year. We added it up and we slept in our trailer 23 nights this year. We were pretty happy to use it so much! At the end of July, Gerry, Colby, and I headed out on a week-long holiday with the truck and trailer. We met up with our friends from Strathmore, Mark, Corinne and the boys, at Pigeon Lake. Then we headed to Pine Lake and finally went to Ol' MacDonald's Resort at Buffalo Lake! Such a great time!! We used to go to Buffalo Lake when I was a kid and it's definilely one of my favorite campgrounds. There is so much to do for kids and we had a great time! Colby absolutely LOVES playing in the sand and in the lakes, so we spent a lot of time at the beach with his sand toys! Good thing we have an outside shower on the trailer to hose him off when we get back to the campsite!! To finish off our holidays, we went to the Elbrey Family Reunion (my grandma's side). We only have the reunion once every 3 years, so it's always great to catch up and see how everyone has changed! Definitely lots of changes with babies and kids now that a lot of my generation are becoming parents!

We became Auntie and Uncle again on Thursday, July 29th! Gerry's sister, Kathy, had a beautiful baby girl named Kathleen Marie! We're excited to meet her next week when they're here for several days!

I am hoping to get into my classroom this week to start assembling everything and getting organized at school. My days are rather limited, so I'm trying to spend as much time as I can with Colby while trying to get some things done for school. Definitely starting to worry about going back to work so early and trying to juggle everything... being a good mommy, wife, and teacher. I've had a few slight little breakdowns, but am hoping that it all works out well. I truly am excited to be so close to home, but am just not quite 'ready' to be headed back to work already.

Take care and enjoy the beautiful weather! The summer is almost over... man, how time flies!!

Gerry, Lesley and Colby
xoxo

More Camping!

I cannot believe it is nearly the end of July! :( That means I need to be getting ready to go back to work... already! The thought scares me already, so I'm soaking up every minute of being at home on my mat leave that I can. This past week and weekend, we were camping out at Wabamun Provincial Park again. There was a group of us that went out on Wednesday night... the husbands came out to set up camp and then we said goodbye until Friday night, when they returned for the weekend. We had a great time and the weather was pretty good, except for the thunder/hailstorms at night and the very rainy day on Friday. Other than that, it was very hot and we were outside as much as we could be. Some other friends came out during the day on Thursday and during the day, there were 8 kids under the age of 3 there!! Talk about crazy!! It was a lot of fun though, and highly entertaining!! We came home fairly early again on Sunday morning, which was kind of nice. It was a gorgeous day today and we could've spent it at the beach and park, but sadly, there was a lot of stuff to do at home too. We are only home for 4 days and then we're headed out camping again on Friday. We're gone for a week this time, so we're really looking forward to living in the trailer again. On the weekend, we're camping with our good friends from Strathmore, Mark and Corinne Koppel and their two boys, Matthew and Cameron. We haven't seen them since Colby was a couple of weeks old and Matthew and Cameron have never met him, so it will be fun. From there, we're going to Pine Lake for a couple of nights and then off to Ol' Macdonald Resort near Stettler. I'm really looking forward to hanging out and spending some quality family time together! Ol' Macdonald is a favourite of mine since we were kids and used to go there all the time! The lake is beautiful, so hoping we can get into the water there with our little man. Hope everyone is having a great summer so far! Take care!

Lesley

First Teeth!!

Well, all that drooling and rosy cheeks finally led to Colby's first tooth... first two teeth to be exact! His bottom two teeth cut through at the same time on Friday, July 11th! They're pretty sharp and continue to slowly make their way up. We'll see how far behind the top two are. Colby turned 7 months old on Monday, July 7th. I took him to the WVHC to weigh and measure him, as usual. My, did he ever grow this month... he is now about 28.5" and 20 lbs. 13 oz.!!! He's a kid that loves to eat, that's for sure!! We went camping with Cal, Tracy and Blake on the weekend. It was a great tiem out at Wabamun Provincial Park. We had power sites and oh, how nice it is to camp with power! So much easier!! Colby has been quite 'vocal' lately and continues to entertain us with his newly invented sounds! He likes to 'talk', but his talking sounds more like yelling sometimes. So cute! On Sunday when we came home from camping (we got home earlier than ever on a camping trip before!), we had to take Colby into the Emergency Room at the hospital. He had been constipated and there was blood in his diaper on Sunday, which means directly to the ER. He was checked over and given some medication as a stool softener. I didn't think it was working too well, as he kept throwing it up! So I've been using brown sugar in his bottles once or twice a day and that seems to be helping much more! My goodness, the things that stress us out as parents!! But it's worth every minute! Have a great week everyone!

Lesley

Dayhome Found!!

Well, as you can tell by my very discreet subject to this post, we have found a dayhome for Colby!!! So exciting and a HUGE relief, since I wasn't making much progress with people I was phoning. I kept being told that either they were at full capacity or more often than that, he was too young and they didn't want to take an infant. Anyway, it all happened very quickly (within a few hours!), but worked out great!! Laura actually lives down the street from us in Westerra, which is way too perfect. They are absolutely amazing people who genuinely love and care for the children in their home. So great to see!! We have no hesitations leaving Colby in their home. Colby and I went over for a visit today to see Laura with the other kids and he did great! He was playing with the other kids and she held him and he didn't mind one bit. :)

Well, no teeth yet, but I sure hope one cuts through soon. He has been on the whiny side these days and his cheeks are still quite rosy. Hopefully soon!! We are hangin' out in the pool quite a bit lately, which has been so much fun!! Colby absolutely LOVES the water, loves splashing, and has a great time in his kiddie pool or the bathtub! I'm trying to convince Gerry to come with us one day to the Tri, as we've only been a couple times. But I think he can now enjoy it a little more that he's a bit older. We had a kiddie pool party at Kristy's with our Mommy Group on Thursday. It was a lot of fun and was pretty cute seeing all the kids in their swimsuits and playing together in the pools! We'll have to do it again sometime... we're thinking of doing a picnic and pool party at the Stony Plain Outdoor Pool soon!

I can't believe it's July already and my little baby is almost 7 months old. It's unreal to think that our nephew, Blake, was 7 months old when Colby was just born!! And now they're both getting so big!! I'm trying to soak up every minute at home this summer, since I'm headed back to school at the end of August. Sometimes I just sit and watch Colby sleep! I know, sounds very corny, but true. I love watching him sleep, so quiet and still. He does not like sleeping on his back anymore (or anytime on his back for that matter!) and likes to sleep on his side or stomach. The naps are definitely improving with age, and we're up to a couple of naps a day, both being about 1 1/2 - 2 hours long!! Wow, the amount of stuff I can accomplish in that time compared to 20 or 30 minute catnaps!! :) Now we're just working on the sleeping past 5:30 or 5:45 in the morning! Hopefully this gets better soon... Colby has one tired mommy!!

We have quite a few camping trips planned this summer, so I'm looking forward to using the trailer more and more. So much fun to be outside and travelling around! Anyway, take care and enjoy the sunshine (although personally, I'm kind of enjoying this bit of rain to cool things off a bit!!)

Lesley

Teeth?!?

Last week was more relaxing, which was pretty nice. We didn't have a lot of things going on during the days, so it was nice to stick pretty close to home. Thursday night (June 26th), I went out to Jubilations with my Mommy Group and had a great time! It was the "Grey's House of Anatomy" show and I liked it a lot! Colby and Daddy had a boys' night and also had fun hangin' out at home.

I think (and hope) Colby might be getting some teeth soon... he has been very whiny and clingy for a few days now and has the rosiest cheeks!! I can't feel anything yet and he's not too fond of us trying to see inside of his mouth, so this makes it more difficult! Hopefully one will cut through soon and put him out of some grief (for now, anyway!) We bought Colby a little kiddie pool for the backyard on the weekend and used it for the first time yesterday (Sunday afternoon). Since it's been SO hot outside (and inside!) lately, we thought this might be a nice way to relax. The deck umbrella worked great as shade and he loved being in the pool. We brought out some bath toys and he had a great time playing in the water!!

We're not up to a whole lot lately... working on the basement and are finally moving forward with it. We are having the drywall mudded and taped this week, so maybe we can even start priming next weekend! We were going to go camping, but Gerry is playing a baseball game with work, so we're staying at home. Hopefully the taping goes well and we can paint soon!! Hope you're enjoying the beautiful weather... and are able to stay cool too.

Lesley

Busy, busy, busy!!!

Life has been pretty busy lately, so I apologize for my long delays between new posts! Colby did have his 6 month check-up on Monday, June 9th and he is doing great. On their scale, he was 19 lbs. 3 oz. (75th %ile) and 28" (90th %ile). He is pretty tall for his age and is catching up to his cousin, Landon, very quickly in both weight and height!! Colby did great at his 6 month needles on Tuesday, June 10th... best ones yet! We had a really great Public Health Nurse! He only cried for about 3 seconds after and then he was fine!! He was pretty sleepy the next day and napped a lot during the day. He is now eating a snack in the afternoons that consists of water and Baby Mum Mum's. He wasn't such a fan of the Mum Mum's at first, but now he's liking them more and more. He drinks so great out of both a sippy cup and a regular cup. Not too much spilling!! Colby sure wants to be on the move!! He does not enjoy being on his back anymore and instantly rolls onto his stomach. He tries reaching for toys and wants to move to get them, but hasn't quite mastered the whole crawling thing just yet! Maybe soon... Daddy and Mommy keep trying to 'teach' him to crawl... we'll see how soon he's on the move!

We went camping at Pembina Provincial Park on June 13-15 with the Schram and McCracken families. It was such a fun weekend and was great to get out and use the trailer again. We grew up and were very close with our three cousins (who are very similar in ages to my sisters and I), so it's always fun to get together! Last week was very busy preparing for the wedding this past weekend. I feel like I wasn't home much past Wednesday! The spa was great with the girls, rehearsal and dinner were wonderful, and the wedding was fantastic! Jen and Dave Panteluk were married on Saturday, June 21st at Shalom Park. The weather was amazing and the site, ceremony, and reception were beautiful! Great time had by everyone!!

Yesterday (Monday, June 23rd), I had an interview for a new position at Forest Green School in Stony Plain. I thought it went fairly well and apparently it did, because I was offered the job yesterday afternoon!!!! I am so excited to move to a closer school 5 minutes from our house!! Although it means going back to work much earlier than originally planned, I think it's for the best to make the move to Stony Plain. I'm really going to miss the students and staff at Entwistle School though. I had a great couple of years out there and will really miss everyone. A very exciting time, but also sad too.

I'm trying to stay home a little more this week in order to get caught up on housework and cleaning. With the craziness of last week and the weekend, I want to try and get back to some semblance of 'normal', including naps and playing at home with Colby. Hope everyone is having a great week and talk to you soon!

Love,
Lesley

I am 6 months old!

Hi everyone, As you can tell from the subject line, I am 6 months old now! My goodness, a lot sure happens in 6 months! My world is constantly growing because I'm learning to do more and more things everyday! I am eating food now, well baby food, not grown-up food, as my mommy and daddy call it. I have tried all of the cereals (rice, barley, and oatmeal) and today I tried fruit for the first time. I like the applesauce Mommy fed me, but it sure tasted different from cereal! I still eat lots of milk everyday, which is helping me to grow big and strong. Speaking of growing, I weigh about 18 lbs. 13 oz. and am about 27 3/4" long. I have to go for my 6 month needles on Tuesday night, so we'll see what the professionals get when they weigh and measure me. Ouch! I always hate going for my needles!!

Guess what? I am now able to sit up by myself! I have been a for a couple of weeks now, but Mommy and Daddy keep a couple of pillows behind me, just in case I fall over. Personally, I think they worry too much, but maybe they're right... I've fallen back a few times! I like to sit up more now than lying on my back. So much more to do, see, and play with sitting up than lying down! Whenever I am on my back, I usually roll over onto my tummy. I still like my tummy time too, but roll over onto my back when I get tired of being on my tummy. I can get onto my knees and want to go, but don't know what to do with my arms yet! Daddy's been trying to 'teach' me how to crawl, so hopefully I'll get it someday soon! Apparently I am bilingual already, because my Auntie Kristy says that I speak Russian!! Wow! Maybe it's because I say "ya ya ya" and "ba ba ba" a lot when I talk! Mommy and I go to "Tic Toc Time" on Thursday mornings. It's pretty fun to learn some new songs and hear stories. But it's even more fun to play with the other babies that are there! We also still see the mommies and babies from our New Mom's Group about every couple of weeks. It's fun to see the other babies and play with them too! Some of them can crawl really well, so I'm trying to learn some tips from them too. I'm usually a pretty happy baby and like to smile, giggle and laugh quite a bit lately! I think I'm definitely improving in the napping area. I've been working hard on it! :) I usually nap really well during the day, but lately, I've been having some troubles sleeping at night. I keep waking up about 3:30 or 4:00 am and want to play! But for some reason, Mommy and Daddy don't want to!! They try to put me back to sleep, I don't want to, then get mad, and get overtired, and then cry a lot. Hmmm, not sure how to get over this. Maybe I'm starting to get teeth or maybe it's just a 'phase' that I keep hearing about!!

We are having lots of fun these days... we hang out with my Auntie Kristy and Landon quite a bit. It seems that I'm in my stroller a lot when Mommy and Auntie go for walks or runs. I've also been to the park that is near our house. I've been in the swing and I really like going on the slide (with some help!) We have gone camping one weekend and that was a lot of fun! I like my bunkbed in the back of our trailer. I slept really well that weekend! Must have been all the fresh air! We have a busy June coming up with another camping weekend planned next weekend and Auntie Jen and Uncle Dave's wedding the weekend after that. I'm sure it's going to be fun! Daddy is working on developing the basement in our house, most likely so that I can have more room to play!! It seems like all we have in our living room is my toys! I think it's great, but I can see how maybe it's not so great for Mommy and Daddy! Hopefully that will be done soon. That's about it for now. Hope you liked my update of life as a 6 month old! I've attached some pictures of me for you to see how I've grown! I better go... I hear Mommy coming!!! I hope she didn't hear me typing.......

Lots of love,
Colby
xoxo

First cup and parade!!

Last week was not as busy, which was really quite nice. I've been pretty tired lately (from late nights, middle of the night wake-up calls, and early mornings). Gerry's dad came to visit us last Sunday evening (May 25) for dinner. It was great to see him, but Colby wasn't so sure at first. He screamed when he came and sat on the couch and it took him a while to get used to him being here. He was fine after a few minutes of me sitting with him next to Grandpa Cameron. Hmmm... first stranger anxiety I've seen... On Tuesday, Kristy and I went on a little shopping spree at WEM. The boys did really well and slept for part of the time, which made the shopping much easier! :) Colby also drank from a sippy cup for the first time on Tuesday evening. I just gave it to him after drinking out of it once and he caught right on. He needs some more practice swallowing all of it, but he's getting the hang of it pretty quickly!! Wednesday was my dad's birthday, so we headed over to my parents' house for dinner and cake. It was a fun evening with the family, but we headed home early for bath and bedtime. My, how times change... 8:00 rolls around and the party shuts down for bath and bedtime routines!! On Friday we had a lunch and play date with some of my cousins and their kids, Mandy and Hailey, Marla and Ayden, Kristy and Landon, and us. It was fun to see all of them playing together. And of course, since it's Farmer's Days this weekend, we took in the parade yesterday morning. It was a great parade and Colby loved watching most of the things go by (especially the bands with loud music). I had a girly evening last night and went to see "Sex and the City" with a bunch of girlfriends. It was so much fun getting all dressed up and watching the ultimate of chick flicks out there. Great movie, you have to see it!! :) It was a late night again though... really need to work on getting to bed earlier! It would also help if Colby was still sleeping through the night... for the past week or so, he's been waking up coughing at about 4 or 4:30 am and not being able to get back to sleep. This results in lots of crying and eventually a bottle to put him back to sleep. Hopefully this is a phase that will go away when the cough finally does!! He's eating really well and is now onto oatmeal cereal. Soon it will be fruits and vegetables with breakfast too! :) Hope everyone's enjoying the nice weather lately! Take care.
Lesley

First camping trip!

Last weekend (May Long) was Colby's first camping trip and our first trip out for the year in our new trailer! It was such a great weekend! He did absolutely awesome, especially sleeping, in the trailer. He napped better than he does at home. On Saturday morning, Gerry and I hit the quad trails with our large group and Grandma and Auntie Kristy watched Colby. It was really fun and I'm glad I went out. I didn't get to go last year, so I was a little rusty at first, but didn't take long to get back 'into it'. We went out again on Sunday morning and this time Kristy came along on their quad, so Grandma and the other aunts were babysitting. The boys did great! The evenings were a lot of fun with the big group we were with (there were 31 people there in total). Looking forward to our other camping weekends coming up that are booked! We're also hoping to go away for a week or so sometime this summer and go camping. :) Have a great weekend everyone!

First Mother's Day!

Sunday, May 11th was a big day in our house... well, maybe not, but it was a great day! It was my first Mother's Day and it was also my 27th birthday! I am so thankful to have a beautiful baby boy and a wonderful husband to share my life with. What a blessing being a mother truly is! We had my family over for brunch and then spent the rest of the day together (mainly shopping and packing the trailer for the upcoming May Long Weekend). I was spoiled with a new Garmin GPS Personal Trainer, which I'm very excited about for running. I also got an iPod stereo. Lucky girl! :) This has been a very busy week and it seems to be flying by like crazy... Gerry was home sick on Monday from work (wasn't feeling too great on Sunday and had a bad case of the flu all day Monday). He stayed in bed most of the day and was feeling somewhat better on Tuesday, so he went back to work. Colby is doing much better thanks to his cough syrup. His cough is pretty much gone now and he's back to his normal self now. It seems that since he has turned 5 months old, his naps have turned right around! They are very regular and he's sleeping for much longer periods of time now... including his 11-12 hour bedtime sleeps. Loves to sleep, just like his mommy! :) He's doing pretty well with his solid foods... he has rice cereal and prunes every morning and seems to be enjoying it. It's quite the mess though!! We are going camping for the annual quadding weekend. There are many units going and a ton of quads, so it's going to be a great weekend. I got a new helmet, so I'm excited to be able to quad this year (couldn't last year because I was pregnant!) I'm thinking I'll be a little rusty, but we'll see! It's a lot of work packing a new trailer, but it's coming along nicely. Next I need to tackle Colby's stuff... I have two huge lists for him! I'm sure he'll do well as he enjoys being outside on our walks and runs. I'll keep you posted on how the weekend goes! Have a great long weekend everyone and enjoy the continued beautiful weather ahead!!

Lesley

Big week!

Colby is now 5 months old, although it's hard to believe it! I took Colby to see the Dr. on Wednesday, May 7th because his cough and congestion was only getting worse. I thought it might be allergies, but I was wrong. He just has a really bad cold. She gave him a prescription for cough syrup so that he could at least sleep. It's letting him sleep a little bit more at night, which is helping him get over this awful cold. Poor little baby, I don't like seeing him sick. Not a fun time! On Friday afternoon, Colby and I went for a walk with our neighbors and we stopped at a park in our neighborhood. They have a son who is almost 2, so he loves playing at this park. It was Colby's first time at a park and he went on the slide several times (not by himself of course!!) I don't think he knew what to think, but another first! :) It was a big morning here this morning (Saturday, May 10) as Colby had rice cereal for the first time!! He did really well and actually ate it all no problem. He did well eating off of the spoon (after the first bite or so). I don't think he really knew what to do with it once it was in his mouth. But I was pretty surprised and impressed that he liked it! He wasn't very messy either (didn't want to waste any, I suppose!) I think he's going to be a very good eater! We are working on packing up our new trailer for the first camping weekend of the season next weekend. We are going on our annual quadding trip near Fawcett Lake, so we're really looking forward to it! I'm excited to actually go on a quad this year (didn't last year as I was pregnant!) We'll see how it goes camping with a 5 month old baby... a lot of work packing, but hopefully he'll do fine. Have a great weekend everyone and Happy Mother's Day!!

Lesley
xoxo

Sick little boy :(

As you can tell by the title of this post, we have a sick little boy on our hands. Colby has either a really bad cold or allergies. :( Not so fun for the little man. He is coughing and sneezing a lot and has a runny nose. He's been having troubles sleeping at night because of the coughing and sneezing, but then naps for a very long time during the day (about 2 1/2 hours!) Crazy for Colby, since he doesn't usually nap very long, so he must be fighting something bad! I think it might be allergies like I had as a little girl. The springtime was always my worst time and had to get weekly allergy shots at the doctor's office. I sure hope that's not in his future!! If it doesn't get better in the very near future, I will make a doctor's appointment to get it checked out. I sure hope he feels better soon! On Friday, he went to the chiropractor for the first time! We both went for an adjustment and he was great during his! It's amazing how he had a few spots in his spine that needed to be adjusted... but I suppose after being all curled up for so long and a pretty crazy entrance into the world, it makes sense! We had a great time at our nephew Blake's first birthday party on Saturday! Eight boys and one girl made for a very busy house!! Colby had a milestone of his own at Uncle Cal and Auntie Tracy's house on Saturday... he rolled over for the first time from his back to his tummy!!! Very exciting!! He's been really close for a while now, but wasn't quite sure what to do once he was on his side, but he figured it out! He's so happy when he rolls over too with a big grin! He even showed off for Grandma and Grandpa when they were here on Sunday night! :) We're hoping to get the trailer in this weekend to get it all ready for the May Long... lots to do and lots to pack to get ready (especially to camp with a baby!!), but we're super excited! Enjoy the great weather this week!

Lesley
xoxo

I don't need to nap, Mommy!

We have had a couple of very difficult days lately... Colby has decided that he doesn't really like to nap, so he won't! This results in a very overtired, crying baby who doesn't know what he wants... doesn't like to be rocked anymore or anything either. This is very hard to deal with all day and I hope it gets better soon. It's so funny because he goes to bed and sleeps all night with not a peep out of him at bedtime! Just naps during the day that he decides are not for him! He's already telling us that he knows more than we do, I guess!! LOL I'm told by the health nurse that this is most likely a phase and that most babies settle into good nap routines by about 6 months. Hopefully it happens a bit before then... we still have over a month until we're at the 6 month point!! He continues to amuse us with his little quirks... for example, this morning I picked him up out of his crib and was changing his diaper... he grabbed my hair and when I said, "No, no, please let go Colby", he let out the biggest giggle! Not so funny for Mom, but how can I not laugh?! He is smiling and laughing more than ever now and it's so much fun. We're working on rolling over from back to front and sitting up on our own. He can sit up for a few seconds, but then falls to one side or in front. It will come, I'm sure. Last night Gerry was trying to teach him to crawl... I thought he might be slightly young for that yet!! Colby is also holding his bottle, which is pretty neat to see. He knows exactly what happens when he sees his bottle and wants it NOW. He reaches out his hand and opens his mouth, but occasionally it hits him in the nose or on the forehead!! :) We're looking forward to Colby's cousin, Blake's, first birthday party this weekend. Can't believe he's 1 year old already!! Man, time flies!! I'll keep you posted on our napping situation and hopefully I'll have better news with my next post.

Lesley
xoxo

Big update!

Wow, it's been a long time since I've added a new post! It is seeming more and more difficult to find the time lately! Last week, Colby found his feet! It was so cute... he was on his change table and made this new exciting discovery! :) With being born in the winter time, he doesn't have much opportunity to see them, so I'm glad he's finally found them. Last Saturday, Gerry was on parenting duty for most of the day. I had to go and do a few things for Jen's shower and stagette this weekend, so he was home alone with Daddy. He had a pretty off day though, which made for a frustrating day, I think. When Colby decides he doesn't want to nap, it doesn't make for a very pleasant day. Oh well... I guess these days will happen! The next day was much better with another first... Colby, my mom, and I ventured out in the snow to Spruce Grove for a little while as my dad and Gerry worked on the basement. Since we took my mom's vehicle and didn't have the stroller, Colby got to sit up in a cart for the first time! I was a little shocked when Grandma and Colby came along in a cart! He loved it though, which was pretty neat! He sat sideways in the top part and was nice and snug in this little compartment. :) We had a couple of days where we didn't leave the house due to the crazy return of winter earlier this week! It made for some pretty long days being inside, but we played, played, and played some more. To be honest, it was actually kind of nice staying home all day for once and getting a few things done during nap times. We began Tic Toc Time this morning (Thursday) at the Good Sam Centre in Spruce Grove. It's a nursery rhyme/storytelling kind of program for babies ages 0-12 months. He loves it!! While it cut into our morning naptime (which kind of concerned me!), he did pretty well until the very end. We sang songs and did nursery rhymes. He especially LOVES the bouncy songs!! It runs every Thursday morning from 10-11 am. It's supposed to be good for Early Literacy, so it's right up my alley!! :) I can't believe how much Colby is growing and how quickly he seems to change. Those of you who I talk on the phone to regularly can attest to the fact that he's definitely 'talking' (or should I say squealing?) more and more now! He makes some pretty funny noises these days, especially when he gets really excited! My favorite thing is still the fact that I get a smile every time I give him a big smile!! Still makes my heart totally melt! He is SO close to rolling over from his back to his front... he gets onto his side, but then doesn't know what to do. I'm sure this will come soon! He also LOVES the jolly jumper that we borrowed from his cousin, Blake! Thanks Blake!! He can be in there for a long time before wanting to come out!! He just jumps and jumps and jumps some more. Maybe he'll be an early walker??!! Who knows.... Hopefully things go better this Saturday for Daddy and Colby... Daddy is 'on duty' all day and all night as I have a shower and stagette to attend for Jen. I'm looking forward to it... should be fun, but I'm sure I will miss him lots! Glad we have Sunday altogether. Sorry for the novel - there's my update on life lately with our little man.
Take care everyone and enjoy the nice weather on the way!

Lesley
xoxo

First sleepover!

Yep, Colby had his first sleepover on Saturday night! We went to my parents' house for dinner and then went out to some friends' house for a party. Didn't stay too long, as we needed to get Colby back to my parents' house and then head into Jen and Dave's for Jen's birthday party. We dropped him off about 9:30 or so (way past his bedtime, but he actually did great!!) He skipped the bath, put on his jammies, had a bottle and then hit the hay! My mom said he did really well and slept well in the crib (yep, the same crib that my sisters and I did as babies!). It wasn't too hard leaving him there when we left, but it was very strange coming home without him! I had a terrible sleep, as I kept waking up to hear him. Gerry actually got up once because he thought he heard him, but he wasn't in his crib when he got there!! I'm glad he had his first sleepover so he can get used to going to bed in other people's houses, etc. The next morning, he hung out with Grandpa in bed for a while as Grandma got ready and then they came and picked me up. We went out to my Grandpa's house and got a few things to take to his new home at the Good Samaritan George Hennig Centre in Stony Plain. He moved out to the hospital and into the home this morning.
Colby is making the funniest sounds ever lately!! I love it! He is squealing and experimenting with his voice so much... SO cute!! :) I love our little 'conversations'. Hope everyone has a great week!

Take care,
Lesley

Busy week and so tall!

We have had a relatively busy week with something to do everyday! As much as I really like being at home, all day is a bit much. I'm glad we find things to do to leave the house, even if it's just going out for a walk or a run outside. On Sunday (April 6th), we had brunch at Jen & Dave's house. It's always a delicious meal and Colby had some good play time with his 'aunts' and 'uncles'. He has begun pulling his soother out very often now and is even beginning to be able to put it back in by himself. Although sometimes he just gets frustrated because he can't find his mouth and needs some help from Mom or Dad. Colby turned 4 months old on Monday... it's so unbelievable how quickly the time goes. While I miss holding my little newborn baby, I'm loving every minute of him growing up too. He's able to do so many new things... I just wish time could slow down a bit! I'm sure every parent feels like this... We went to Movies for Mommies on Tuesday afternoon with a couple of friends. Colby does really well during the movie... loves to sit and watch the entire thing. Sometimes by the end he's getting a bit anxious to lay down and play, but all in all, he does really well. Yesterday (April 9) was his 4 month immunization appointment at Public Health Nursing. I always dread these days, as I hate to see him in pain and hear that horrible pain cry (so different from any of his other cries!!) He did pretty well after it was all over (despite bleeding a lot!) because I fed him right away and he was fine. When his bottle was gone, he was normal as can be. I didn't give him Tylenol for the rest of the day and he was great... didn't need it, I guess! Tough kid! LOL. What surprised me was how tall he is getting... they weigh and measure him every time. He is 16 lbs. 3 oz. and 26 3/4" long!! He is in the 97th %ile for his height! Crazy! He's catching up to his cousin, Landon, very quickly!! The basement development is coming along... as I mentioned, it's all framed and now my dad and Gerry are working on wiring it. They're almost done, so onto the next stage soon! I can tell this is going to be a long process, but I'm so excited for it to be done and have more room to put 'stuff' from upstairs! Although that also means more cleaning, doesn't it!!?? Enjoy the rest of your week and the absolutely gorgeous weekend ahead... I heard 17 and 20 degrees!!! Wow! Take care!
Lesley

First time!

Yesterday (Friday, April 4th) was the first time that Colby sat in his high chair! We were eating dinner with Gerry's dad, Bruce, and thought we'd try to put him in the high chair. He did really well in it and liked the new toys to play with on the tray. He looks so small in it!!! It actually looked really cute! We've had a pretty laidback week, which has been nice. Not too much going on during the days. On Tuesday, we went to Tracy and Blake's house for a while. It was lots of fun to see them! Blake really enjoys playing with other kids' toys, so he kept wanting to take Colby's toys! LOL Not that Colby even noticed!! It is so neat to see him playing and interacting with toys so much differently now. He used to just bat at things and occasionally hold onto objects, but now he's really starting to play with them more. He LOVES being in the Jolly Jumper that we borrowed from Cal and Tracy. He wasn't quite sure what to do at first, but now is getting really good at jumping and gets going pretty quickly! He has started rolling over again lately (from tummy to back), which has been good. He did it quite a bit very early (about 8 weeks) and then not again for a couple of months. So now he's starting again. He's very close to rolling over from his back to tummy (gets the legs up in the air, onto his side, but then doesn't know what to do!) I'm sure it will come! Colby wishes his Auntie Kathy a very happy birthday today! Hope everyone's having a great weekend. Have a great week! I sure hope it warms up so that this awful snow melts!! I was not too impressed to wake up this morning to more snow!! I thought winter was gone... although Gerry reminded me that it is April in Alberta........

Lesley

No naps?!

So lately Colby is deciding that he doesn't really want to nap! I have no idea where he gets that from... his mommy LOVES to nap!!! He only naps for maybe 20 - 30 minutes throughout the day. Apparently this is normal for some babies between 3 and 4 months. I am told they should return to their longer napping times soon. I hope so... it's very hard to get anything done around the house when he only sleeps for such a short period of time! I am pretty lucky that he's sleeping between 9 and 10 hours at night though, so I guess I can't complain about his lack of daytime naps! We had a great Easter weekend and have been busy in the evenings this week trying to organize our basement to begin construction down there. This weekend, Gerry and my brother-in-law, Kyle, are going to start framing the basement. I know it's going to be a long process, but I'm already excited that we'll have more living space down there soon! :) With all of Colby's toys and stuff everywhere, I'm looking forward to having a much larger living room/play room downstairs, along with more storage! Hope everyone's had a good week. Talk to you soon!

Love,
Lesley

Happy Easter!

This weekend was a very exciting one, as it was Colby's first Easter! We were looking forward to it (even though he doesn't really have a clue what's going on!!) He got some new toys in his Easter basket on Sunday morning before church. He LOVES one of his new little bunnies. We went to church on Sunday morning, which is always a bit difficult, as it's during his morning nap time. So he gets pretty unsettled and sometimes overtired about halfway through the service. He did fairly well this week though, but hopefully it continues to get better. Cal, Tracy, and Blake came over in the afternoon for a visit, which was great!! I can't believe how big Blake is getting... he's so much fun!! Then my immediate family, along with my grandmother, came over to our place for Easter dinner. My sister, Kristy, and I set up a mini 'photo shoot' for our little bunnies. It actually went very well and they cooperated well for the cameras. :) I've posted a picture at the side of our little bunny! Too cute! Dinner went well and although it was a very busy day, it was an exciting one. Lots of stuff going on and nice to spend the holiday with family!

Hope you all had a great weekend and have a great week ahead!
Hugs,
Lesley

Laugh Out Loud!

As you can tell from the subject of this post, I'm very excited that Colby is now laughing out loud! For quite a while, he has had this huge grin when he gets really excited, but there's no big laugh that accompanies it. But tonight (Sunday, Mar. 16), he showed us his first laugh (in the bathtub of all places!) I was making some funny noises and he loved it! So much fun to hear him laugh now! Just one more sign of a growing and developing little boy!

We had a relatively quiet week of hanging out at home, going for walks, going to the gym and running errands around town. The weekend was a bit busier, as Friday night we went over to our neighbor's for dinner. We had a great time visiting with Marian and Graham and playing with their son, Parker. He's quite the kid! It's very cute to see Gerry playing with him! On Saturday Gerry was on parenting duty all day and I went to my Auntie Ann's house to scrapbook. It was a nice getaway, but I just wish I could get more done in a day!! I really need to dedicate more time to my scrappin'! Today Colby and I hung out for most of the day while Gerry went and 'played' in my dad's shop building and welding stuff. Boys and their toys! :) I'm hoping that all of the snow melts soon so we can spend some more time outside soon... the weather has been so gorgeous, not sure what happened!! Take care and talk to you soon! Have a great week!

Lesley

3 Months Old!

It's so hard to believe, but my little baby is 3 months old today! I cannot believe how quickly the time is flying by!! I took him to the health unit to be weighed and measured (as his dr. appt. got cancelled due to another delivery) and he is now weighing in at 14 lbs. 9 oz. and is just about 25" long. So he's definitely a growing boy!!

We are having so much fun and I LOVE watching him grow and change. He is smiling and 'talking' a lot, which is so much fun. My heart totally melts when he smiles up at us with his big grin. I love our little 'conversations' that we have. He is actually quite strong it seems, as he's able to control his head while sitting and LOVES to stand up. He's been using his Bumbo chair and Exersaucer just recently and is enjoying the new scenery of toys, I think. He is starting to play with his toys moreso now, batting at objects, and starting to hold things that will fit in his hands. It's pretty amazing how quickly the time goes by, but at the same time, I can't remember life without him! We are enjoying the beautiful weather and I'm loving our new jogging stroller we bought recently. It's so much lighter than our quattro system stroller, so it's great for walking and running outside!

Enjoy the weather and take care!
Gerry, Lesley and Colby

Road trip!

Colby had his first big road trip last weekend (February 22-24)! We went up to Grande Prairie to visit Gerry's family up there. We stayed at Grandma Bev's house and had a great time visiting with her. We also saw Auntie Carmen, Uncle Darren, Kourtney, Dylan, Kerri, and Kailey. Thanks for a great dinner Friday night! Saturday night, Colby got to meet his Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Alstad and several other aunts, uncles, and cousins! It was so great to see everyone again and I'm glad they got to meet the newest addition to the Alstad family. While we were at Grandma and Grandpa Alstad's house, I took several pictures (surprise, surprise!) of family with Colby. I also got my first photo with a true smile on Colby's face!! I was so excited, as he usually doesn't smile when the camera is out!! He travelled quite well and slept for the majority of the trip, but the last 1 1/2 hours each way was pretty tough on him. He didn't want to be in his car seat anymore, so he was a bit fussy. He was pretty happy to be home, I think.

We had a relatively quiet week this week, which has been nice. On Wednesday, Colby got to play with Auntie Tracy and Blake for a while, as they came to visit! It's always great to see the "Edmonton Edition Cameron's"! While it's not as often as I'd like, hopefully we'll see each other again soon before Tracy heads back to work in a couple of months. Since Colby is able to hold his head up really well now, he went in his Exersaucer for the first time last night!! He was pretty unsure about all of the new toys all around, but was interested in a few of them! He is able to touch the bottom, so that's a good start to being able to move in there! Tomorrow (Sat., March 1st), Colby and I are going to a baby shower for my friend, Irene, who had a beautiful baby girl, Evangeline, four weeks ago. We're very excited to meet Evangeline and plan some Mommy and Baby dates with Irene!!

Have a great weekend everyone!
Lesley

Little Swimmer!

Friday, February 15th was Colby's first time swimming! It was the first day of our "You and Me Baby" workout class in the pool. It's so cute... all of the babies sit in these floaters and go along with the mommies as we do a variety of cardio workouts. His little swimmer diaper was huge, but quite cute. He did really well until about half way through when he got tired (as it's his usual naptime). By the end of class, he was screaming, as he was overtired and just wanted to go sleep! Hopefully next week goes a little better! Next week we're going to wear our new Tommy Hilfiger red swimming trunks that his daddy needed to buy for him! Real men wear trunks apparently and not just a diaper!! :)

Hope you're enjoying the beautiful weather!!
Lesley

Two months old... already!!??

Today, February 7th, Colby turns 2 months old! I cannot believe it! It seems like he just arrived and already my baby boy is so big! Sometimes I wish they can stay tiny for longer!! While he continues to change so quickly, my absolute favorite things so far is how he still likes to cuddle when he's tired, be rocked in the rocking chair, and smiles when I go and get him out of his crib every morning. While he's still not smiling very often yet, when he does, it absolutely melts my heart! So sweet!! We are finished one session of "Fit Moms" at the Tri-Leisure Centre and have enrolled in the next session of "You and Me Baby". This time we go three times per week and continue on the track and in the gym, but also add a pool workout on Fridays. I'm looking forward to starting this on Monday. Hope everyone's doing well! Continue to stay warm! Hopefully this weather turns around soon! I can't wait to get outside and hit the paths of Stony Plain again soon!

Take care,
Lesley
xoxo

Rolly Polly!

Well Colby sure surprised me yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, January 30th)! We were playing on the floor and he was having some tummy time when he rolled over onto his back!!! Yep, I was pretty shocked! I thought it was probably not on purpose, so I put him on his tummy again and he rolled over again! In total, he rolled over three times for his ecstatic mommy! Of course, he wouldn't do it when Daddy got home, but such is life, I suppose. He was tuckered out from his busy afternoon, I guess! It's an incredible feeling of joy and excitement to watch them learn, grow, and discover new things... especially his fists, which are now his favorite toys! He's constantly chewing on them and not really wanting a soother all that often anymore. We haven't left the house much this week... we stayed home Monday and Tuesday, but went to our Fit Mom's class yesterday. It was really nice to get out of the house, but it was also nice coming home and getting in from the cold! Hope you're all staying warm!

Lesley
xoxo

Baptism!

Today, Sunday, January 27, Colby became a child of God as we got him baptized at our church, St. John Lutheran Church. He looked very handsome in his lovely white suit (not a Christening gown, as his father didn't want him wearing a dress!) He was pretty fussy during church today, but was just very overtired. He has been fighting falling asleep more and more these days, so just gets overtired and then more fussy. After church, we had a very nice meal at my parents' house in Stony Plain. We had a lovely afternoon with friends and family. The weather was not so favorable (and neither were the roads!) but we appreciate everyone taking the time to come and celebrate Colby's baptism with us today! Thank you!!

We are trying to stay warm, but we'll see how this week goes. Colby gets really bundled up to go outside, as I don't want him to get sick! Stay warm, everyone, as I think this deep freeze is here for a while.

Take care!
Love,
Lesley

Lots of changes!

I cannot believe how fast the time is flying by! Not to mention how difficult it is for me to keep up with blog postings... I'm sorry!!! Colby is changing so much and I cannot believe how much he's growing! He weighs just over 12 pounds now at 7 weeks old and is 23" long. His cheeks are starting to fill out and he's got an adorable double chin, which I love! He had begun smiling last week, but we haven't seen a whole lot of it, so I'm hoping this is going to come soon. He is developing his own personality already, which is so neat to see. He's definitely a serious little boy and LOVES to focus and ponder on things. He can focus on objects for periods of time and you can just see his little eyes going... makes me wonder what's going through his mind! Gerry thinks he's going to be a lot like his mommy... A-type personality, list-maker, etc. Time will tell, I suppose! Colby is also quite a strong little man and does very well during "tummy time". He is able to lift his head and hold it steady for quite a while! I love watching him on his tummy as he lifts his head up to see things around the room! Colby is starting to settle into a bit of a routine now, especially with bedtime. He is now sleeping through the night, which I'm loving!! He usually is asleep by about 11:00 and sleeps until about 5:30 or 6:00. So nice to have more than 2 or 3 hours of sleep in row. Although I think I'm pretty spoiled that he's sleeping about 7 hours a night for only being 7 weeks old! :) We are keeping very busy during the days... it seems like we're rarely at home! Between working out at the TLC and New Mom's Group, there's little time left in the week. I'm loving every minute of being a mom and I'm completely in love with my little man. He makes me smile and warms my heart! Motherhood is wonderful!!!

Take care!
Lesley
xoxo

Spoiled little baby!!!

Last Saturday, January 5th, my sister, Kristy and my mom, threw Colby and I a fabulous baby shower for our family members and some close friends of the family. It was such a great afternoon and was so nice to see everyone! Colby totally got spoiled and I'm sure he's going to be the best-dressed baby in town! Thank you everyone for the lovely gifts for Colby! All of Kristy's 'little extras' from the rubber ducky bowl centerpieces to the personalized stamped guest book to the cupcake tree were perfect! Thank you so much, Auntie Kristy and Grandma! Love you both!!!

Colby was 'showered' again this weekend at a shower thrown by Auntie Jen at her house! It was so great to see some friends altogether for the afternoon! Auntie Jen made sure everyone had a great time with shower games, including 'Babygories' and tested our knowledge of nursery rhymes! I really need to get working on those nursery rhymes!!! What a great afternoon! Thank you so much, Auntie Jen! Love you!!! Thank you everyone for the lovely clothes and toys for Colby!

Have a great week, everyone!
Lesley
xoxo

School Visit and Happy Birthday!!!

Today Colby went on a field trip... out to Mommy's work at Entwistle School! Okay, he slept most of the afternoon, but was awake for a few minutes to say hello! I went out to school on December 13th for the Christmas Concert (when Colby was 6 days old), but haven't been back out since. So it was really nice to see all of the staff members and visit with my students. I went around and visited most of the classrooms and I think the students were excited to see us. Well, excited to see Colby more than Mrs. Cameron, I'm sure!!

Colby had his one month birthday yesterday, January 7th. I cannot believe that he is already one month old!! How fast the time flies! With the craziness of Christmas in there, it certainly doesn't feel like it's been a month already. He is certainly growing (as mentioned in my previous post) and reaching some of his own milestones, which is really neat to see. For the most part, he really enjoys 'tummy time' and is really doing well with it! He is able to lift his head up off of the mat (almost to a 45 degree angle) and is able to move his head from side to side! Strong boy... although we knew that when he was able to lift his head the day he was born and makes certain that we notice that regularly! We need to make sure we have 'tummy time' in the mornings, as he is usually lazier in the evenings and just lays there, not lifting his head! LOL!

Hope you're staying warm!
Lesley
xoxo

One healthy eater!!!

As you can tell by the subject of this post, Colby is turning out to be one healthy eater! We began our New Mom's Network today and I weighed him before the session began. At 4 weeks old today, he weighs 10 lbs. 2 oz.!!! I couldn't believe the scale! The last time I had him weighed was at his 10 day check-up at he weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz. at that time. He is also growing in length... he is now 23" long! He's catching up to his cousin, Landon, who is 24" long and 9 weeks older than him! I think he's going to be a tall boy! Colby is changing so much, it seems like almost daily! He's truly growing into a little boy, especially when he is dressed in 'real clothes' (according to his dad)! We are doing well and I'm loving being at home, although it seems like I have very unproductive days. By the time we get up and moving in the morning, sometimes it's noon already!!! I've realized that the housework can wait and I try to soak up every minute with him I can. Gerry's loving his time with Colby in the evenings, so that's when I'm most productive. I'm loving the great weather lately, as Kristy and I slap on our Snuglis and head outside for our long walks on the path again. While neither of us gave birth on the paths of Stony Plain (as my brother-in-law Kyle predicted), it's great to be back walking them again!

We had professional family and newborn pictures done two weeks ago and I've posted a couple pictures on the side bar. I am in love with them! She did such a great job!!! I'm really going to try and post more often... it's often difficult to find the time though... please bear with me!!!

Take care!
Lesley
xoxo