The Great Tree Hunt of 2012

This past weekend we went to a local tree lot to select our perfect Christmas tree. I was really excited about the whole experience, especially because I grew up with real Christmas trees and remember so vividly the sweet crisp scent wafting through our home during the holiday season. However, it had been a few years since I'd been able to experience this due to an assortment of restrictions in various living situations. But this year is different and we can have a real tree again!


Here are a few photos of our fun adventure. So glad that Benji gets to celebrate his first ever Christmas with a real tree the way I did as a kid!

We had lots of fun wandering through the lot and getting a feel for all the different varieties that were available to us. Ben, of course, was the main product tester.

Fortunately it wasn't too cold out so we could enjoy some family time together.

Tromping through the snow in his 'big boy' boots.

Looking forward to celebrating the season with this little guy.

And here she is! Not too big, not too small, not too prickly and a great addition to our home. I think this day will become a tradition in our home from now on.

Let the festivities begin!

Little Family Holiday

We were fortunate to get away for a few days this past month and escape from the fairly chaotic pace that has been our lives as of late. Friends of ours are living in Phoenix, AZ at the moment (completing a Neuroradiology Fellowship and a Masters Education Program) and we've been meaning to visit them for months now. It worked out that Danny could get a bit of vacation time in before the holidays so off we went.

Neither of us had been before so weren't exactly sure what to expect other than cactuses (cacti if you prefer), desert, sun and some spicy food. I'm pleased that we were able to cross all those things off our list. It was warm, but not stifling, so we spent quite a bit of time comfortably on patios, by the pool, and just wandering around. We visited a few different shopping centres and spent an entire day touring the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM). My Aunt and Uncle snowbird there every year so we made a special trip to visit with them in their 'Desert Oasis' - it was great all around.

Here we are, our first little family vacation photo.

After Phoenix we took a quick flight to Vegas. It had been a few years since I was there last but obviously the circumstances were much different this time around with a little one in tow. We aren't huge gamblers or nightclub type of people (shocking!) so we opted to stay somewhere a little more tucked away. For us, the Mandarin Oriental fit the bill. We were thoroughly impressed with the beautiful finishings and exceptional service. Would definitely recommend it.

One thing that was a real treat for us was 'turn down service'. I had never experienced that before so really soaked up every detail. Unfortunately, I now expect someone to magically refresh my bed before turning in for the night as well as a bowl of flower petals and bottled water by my nightstand. Spoiled!

We took a very laid back approach to this vacation and I think it paid off in dividends. By not over-scheduling ourselves it really kept our expectations in check. When we wanted to go out we went out, when Ben was tired we relaxed, we had no 'must see' or 'must do' list. This was a really successful strategy that I hope to apply to future trips.

But of course there was still plenty of eating... and shopping... and taking in the sights.

It was so nice to get away, just the three of us, and spend some quality time together. Plus, in the future when Ben complains that we're such un-cool parents who never let him do anything fun, we'll always be able to say, 'Hey, we took you to Vegas Baby!'

Eleven Months: Little Mister

Benji boy you ARE in fact turning into quite the little boy! Cannot believe we're approaching the one year mark. On one hand it feels like you've been here forever but on the other hand how are you already so big?

I'm starting to feel like Ben's really beginning to understand some of the things I'm saying - or at least recognizing the routine of our day. He starts our mornings by crying out for "Maaa maaa ma" but always has big smiles for the person who greets him. He's been taking his bottle on his own for months now and it is nice to get in a few extra minutes of 'me' time while he's feeding himself in his crib. Ben is also getting better at independent play - or as I sometimes call it - independent mischief. He is so drawn to all the things he's not 'supposed' to be drawn to; electrical cords, iPhones, remotes, heat registers a dirty shoe, the vacuum (hey - we could start something here). Unfortunately his curiosity resulted in a burn on his left hand but with lots of love and some bandaids it has since healed quite well.

Ben had his first ear infection this month. When I opened up the antibiotics I squealed in delight as it was 'the banana medicine' that I loved as a child when I too required antibiotics. Ben took to it as quickly as I did which really made things a lot easier for both of us. Apparently white grape Tylenol is pretty tasty too. Broccoli cheese casserole - not so much.

Ben is really good at clapping his hands, giving hi-fives, shaking his head 'no' and jumping up and down in his bouncer or crib. He listens to stories, has started giving hugs (ah!) and waves hi. He's delighted to see his Grandparents whether in person or via FaceTime/Skype and 'chats' with them as well. He also has this thing with pushing the garage door button that is, well, adorable. I'm so proud of all his little skills but my absolute favourite of them is when Ben squeals with delight and races to the bannister when he hears his dad come home from work. Its great to see your child love the love of your life too!

Four teeth have emerged along with the ever growing hair that I still don't know what to do with (read: keep ignoring it for a while). Ben's standing up on his own without having to pull up on something but still requires something for stabilization like the ottoman, or my legs, or the wall, or the kitchen cupboards. I have a feeling I'll be cleaning up a lot of messes in the near future as he's getting into absolutely everything... and that's okay! Better to be curious and explore the world then let it pass you by.

This past month we celebrated Halloween which was a real treat for everyone. Our little monster was such a delight. We have been exploring in the snow a little bit and visiting friends in their cozy homes. We had a couple fun baking days and a few outings around the city but didn't head out too far - it's too cold! But we're going to do something about that very soon. Another plane ride on the horizon - fingers crossed it goes well!

A Cold November Morning

Brrr! It's a grey chilly day; snowflakes falling intermittently, piles of ice built up on the streets, plumes of white exhaust billowing up from the cars that are warming in their driveways. It would be so easy to just to turn inward, pull up the duvet covers and hibernate right now (something I had the luxury of doing occasionally in my pre-parenthood days) but this is no longer the case.

We have a curious little person living in our home who is excited to wake up even before the sun rises. He cries out 'Ma ma ma' and holds his arms up for me. We spend the morning in our cozy fleece pajamas (well he does anyway) and we watch our neighbour across the fence preparing breakfast for her little brood as well. It's still dark by the time I've poured my coffee and unloaded the dishwasher. Ben is usually snacking away on the small pieces of cheese or banana I have cut up for him and I strain to keep my eyes open while pouring a bowl of cereal for myself. I was never a morning person, nor do I think I'll ever be, but I see how excited my little guy is to embrace the day and I can't help but think that he's really on to something.

Yes it's dark, yes it's cold, yes I'm tired and would prefer to go back to sleep. But here lies a window of opportunity in our day when we can spend some quiet time with each other, not yet rushing to get errands done or having to answer the ringing phones. We can watch the world wake up together; watch the pale lustrous sunlight peeking just over the horizon and that is mighty exciting too!

It may be grey outside but it's going to be a good day!

Boo!

We had a fantastic time celebrating the 'holiday' with our Little Monster this year. We handed out candy, made quick visits to Grandma's house and Uncle's house and did our best to stay cozy on an otherwise very chilly day.

Here's our little monster inspecting the treats for our trick-or-treaters. Now that he has teeth I had to be extra careful that he didn't tear into the candy. Fortunately there was only one casualty - Nibs.

World's best toys. If only he had an idea of what was on the inside!

Trying out the pumpkin stem now. We didn't have time to carve a jack-o-lantern but now I can make some delicious pies (because we really need some more sugar in this house right now).

Hope your Halloween was as Spooktacular as ours was!

Ten Months: Growing, Growing, Gone!

Double digits. I'll be honest, this scares me a bit. Ben is definitely changing into a little boy and although I love to see him growing and developing I'm starting to wonder where my baby is!

Not sure exactly what he weights but I'd say around 21lbs? He spans the entire length of his change mat (32in) which we always keep on the floor because a diaper change wouldn't be a diaper change without at least three body torques. A third tooth has made an appearance (top incisor) and more are on the way. Ben's hair is at the point where I'm debating a trim for him (so many uneven pieces) but then I'd have no idea where to even start 'style wise'. Maybe I'll leave it until after his first birthday. We'll see.

Thanks to some recently installed baby gates (yay Grandpa) we now let Ben roam around a bit more. He's really drawn to electrical cords, remotes, iPhones (or technology of any kind) the fireplace, kitchen chair legs and anything that looks edible... which basically encompasses everything. There weren't as as many bumps and tumbles this month, probably due to his improving balance and stabilization. No unassisted walking yet but manoeuvring around furniture on his own is not a problem.

Ben (aka the 'Squirrel' who stashes as much food as he eats) loves to be in charge of feeding himself. Right now he likes sliced up bananas, multigrain bread bits, rice puffs, Mum Mum crackers, Baby Gourmet pouches and most baby food. I tried introducing some more variety into his diet (sliced up raspberries, blackberries and the like) but they just seem to elicit a 'sour' face usually followed by a vomit. Got the point, buddy.

Ben loves to ride his little wooden rocking horse (hi ho silver!). I can always tell when he wants to get on because he stands up beside it, grabs the handles and starts bouncing his little legs. He's making his preferences known in other areas of life as well. He used to accept most things as we gave them to him but now he'll huff and whine until we've located the 'proper' object. 'Mamama' seems to be his 'word' of choice (hurray!) but he's also really good at growling on command or squealing 'hiiii' at an exaggerated high pitch.

This month we celebrated Thanksgiving with Danny's side of the family and made the usual play date rounds. Danny and I spent our first ever night away from Ben (a mountain getaway) while my parents entertained Ben back at home. They had so much fun together I doubt Ben even noticed our absence. The cold arrived along with some snow a couple weeks ago. Ben doesn't like wearing any head gear but is going to have to get used to it. We live in Canada, kid, this is reality.

Looking forward to our first Halloween - his costume fits the 'snowsuit requirement', I just hope it still fits him!

I Heart Chartreuse

We're in the very early phases of the home building (or buying) process. So much so that we haven't even narrowed down our ideal communities quite yet. It is an interesting process for sure and one I've been dreaming about for years. Seriously, my absolute favourite guilty pleasure as a kid was to hide under the covers (way past my bedtime) and flip through the Sears catalogue to outfit my dream home. As you can see, I was a really rebellious child.

But all to say that I've been really looking forward to this time in our lives.

So now that it has actually arrived I find myself lusting after glossy magazine spreads and images of table arrangements instead of doing the responsible things like educating myself about mortgage strategies and school zone districts. I know it is going to be quite the journey and there will inevitably be many adjustments to our expectations versus our reality but I also know that a little can of paint and some fresh flowers can most definitely bring some of my dreams to fruition.


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