Ten Months: Moving & Shaking

When Ben turned ten months old it was a hard milestone for me to accept - double digits seemed so old and I couldn't see much 'baby' left in him. Interestingly, I'm really embracing the ten months old milestone with Max. In fact, I've been saying that he's ten months old for a while now and so it rolls off the tongue pretty easily without pulling on the heartstrings too much.

I had a quick peek back at Ben's ten month post and started chuckling to myself. I normally don't look back at Ben's monthly posts before typing Max's monthly posts so as not to play the comparison game but I did read back this time and I couldn't help but laugh. The boys look nothing a like but act almost exactly the same. 

Max, like his brother, is constantly moving. The army crawl is his preferred motor method but he is always happy to accept two willing hands to take him for a toddle. Diaper changes are probably easier with cats at this point but I'm aware it is just a phase. We won't mention a mysterious 'nugget' Danny found one evening in the master bedroom a couple hours after I had changed Max into his pjs on our bed. Keeps us humble, haha.

All that action has our little man working up quite the appetite. He's pretty good at feeding himself little bits of food and still loves fruit pouches, bananas and cheese. I have also bestowed him with the nickname 'squirrel' (just as I did for his brother, apparently) as I'll often find some moist morsel of cheerios stashed in his clenched fists half an hour after snack time.

Our, cuddly, tall, mama's boy still has two teeth and I thought more were on the way but it turned out to be a nasty little fever. High temperatures kept returning every few hours followed by a post-fever rash. Sleep regressed to some of the worst levels I remember (and it's far from ideal on a 'good night') but fortunately he is pretty healthy most of the time and these episodes aren't the norm. 

This month was one filled with many fun summer activities. We went on a road trip to celebrate my sister's engagement and visited with Aunts, Uncles and Great Grandmothers. We've spent a lot of time outside on mountain picnic trips, eating ice-cream cones by the lake, enjoying park dates, running through spray parks and getting thrills at an amusement park. We celebrated my parents' 30th anniversary surrounded by close family and friends, hosted family dinners (both sides) and enjoyed a few days off together just to relax.

Max certainly has found his niche in our family. He's generally a pretty happy little guy who loves to be included in the action, mimics coughing and sneezing, and babbles 'ma-ma-ma and da-da-da' quite liberally. He's equal parts action and snuggle, loves going places but hates the car, is curious and mischievous and so much fun.

Love you to pieces, Max!

Carnival Fun

Doing our best to soak up as much fun and family time as we possibly can this summer. A last minute decision to hit up a local amusement park proved to be a thrilling time for all. 

I used to crave those butterflies I'd get at the top of a roller coaster right before a dramatic descent. I loved the feeling gravity pressing my back into the hard plastic seat when spinning round and round. Nothing quite compared to the sensation of flying through the air, feet dangling high above the hot and sticky pavement. But since having kids, those enticing rides have rendered me into a timid bystander who gets nauseas just watching. Go figure! 

Fortunately, I get almost the same kicks watching my boys light up as they take in the sights and sounds of the amusement park for themselves. I can still feel the butterflies as their wide eyes survey the next ride to conquer. I can feel the gravity pulling down on my own legs as they toddle along, slightly off-kilter, back to the ride's line up (again! again!). My still hair gets caught in the crosswind as the ride above me swoops overhead. 

Maybe I'm no longer a daredevil but it appears the gene has been passed down!

Love, Lace and Laughter

My little sister is getting married!

This past weekend I enjoyed a lovely afternoon with the girls doing all sorts of engagement and wedding related activities. I was so nice to catch up with my sister and peruse all the latest bridal fashions. Strapless or cap sleeves? Empire or sheath? Batiste or chiffon? Silk or shantung? The options were endless. We joked with our Grandma (92 years young) that she would get to try on the next round of dresses. I'm pretty sure she was up for it too!

Can you pick grapes in that one, Kelly?

Nine Months: Teeth, Trips and Summer Fun

Mr. Man you are nine months old! 

It has been a fun month of changes and it has been really neat seeing Max continually grow and develop. The most noticeable (and probably most painful) change was on July 8th when Max's first two teeth decided to emerge within 90minutes of each other! It was not a fun day but I'm so glad they finally cut through. I don't know who was more relieved, Max or myself.  Seems like more are on the horizon, as they should be. All the better to chomp down on that variety food Max has been loving lately. Kid eats pretty much anything and everything now apart from that evil rice cereal, oatmeal or avocado which inevitably induces dramatic gags.

Our little mover seems to be slimming down a bit. Definitely have to watch him like a hawk now that he is so mobile. He likes to make his way across the room either with a reverse army crawl or a series of rolls to fetch whatever object has caught his interest. This object is more often than not whatever Ben is playing with. Fortunately the boys seem to be buddies more than enemies, but I suppose that depends on the hour of the day. He also still loves his bouncer and when we 'walk' with him around the house he usually bounces as often as he puts one foot in front of the other. He can pull himself up quite well and is pretty steady standing on his feet providing he has something to hold onto. Another adorable motor milestone is clapping his hands. Something about the sound of his little pudgy hands slapping together. So cute.

With all of these changes, it is nice to see some things remain the same. Max still has the little white hair at the back of his head that he's worn proudly pretty much ever since birth. He still has a little scrunchy nose whenever he smiles (yay!) and he still has a good death grip on your triceps whenever you hold him (ouch!). He's still a very happy-go-lucky, giggly little guy who hates sleeping more than two hours at a time, cries during car trips and loves to be included in everything. We love him so much!

This month has been a fun one chalk full of requisite summer activities. We've gone on a few day trips to visit our friend's cottage in the Rocky Mountains and enjoyed playing at Grandma B's house with family. My parents came to town and took the boys to a family BBQ while Danny and I attended a wedding. We waved at the marching horses and policemen as we watched a Stampede Parade.  Daily progress reports have been logged as we watch our yard transform from mud pit to backyard retreat (just a few more weeks!) We've gone on many walks and park adventures in our neighbourhood, hit up the zoo with Great Grandma Clara and enjoyed a pool date at our Recreation Centre with our cousins. Birthday parties have been attended, new babies welcomed and lots of cake has been eaten. Just recently, we took a little road trip and headed to the Royal Tyrell Museum to check out the dinosaurs and the badlands. Boys had a blast. 

So many wonderful memories and many more to be had in the weeks to come! What a great time to be nine months old.

 

* For some reason my images appear way different on the blog than they do on any other interface (too much contrast and the white balance is way off) but I don't have the time/energy to fix it right now so these will have to do for now.

Mexico

Playing a bit of catch up here today but that's mostly because we're doing our best to enjoy the beautiful summer weather while we've got it! Last month, however, we escaped to Mexico (our first ever trip) for some relaxing family time. It was fantastic! Sun, surf, and sand - what more could we ask for?

Such a great kick off to a fun-filled summer.

Summer Citrus Salad

Preface Number One:  I'm not a vegetable lover. Apart from the occasional beet, carrot or cob of corn, I usually turn my nose up at the stuff. Now that I'm a parent I am especially aware that I must lead by example if I'm gonna get any veggies down my boys' gullets so I have to suck it up and pretend they're sooooo delicious!!!

Preface Number Two: I totally eat with my eyes. If something looks pretty I'm waaaaay more likely to try it. I also think that if a picture of food is beautiful that I'll magically become a domestic goddess and will create an exact replica of the dish, and it will be wonderful, and the dishes will magically clean themselves, and we'll all be doing a dance party in the kitchen whilst eating copious amounts of said delicious food.

So, with all that out of the way, feast your eyes on this!

Source

Source

Summer Citrus Salad

2 red beets

3 golden beets

2 grapefruit

2 lemons

1 fennel bulb

1/4 red onion

Walnut oil

Sea salt and pepper

1 bunch cilantro

1 head butter lettuce

Now lets pretend I actually made this salad instead of just salivating over the pictures and call it a day. I feel healthier already.

Okay, if you're really interested in making it, preparation instructions can be found here. 

Oh the cilantro!

Eight Months: Enjoying Life

Eight Months and in charge! This past month has flown by rather quickly as we've been keeping busy with our regular routine as well as shaking things up with a trip down south. Max has also been exploding with new skills and is keeping us on our toes. A month of milestones for sure!

Our little nugget is quite a mover now - he rolls around on the floor and does quite the impressive backwards army crawl. Gone are the days when I would set him down on the carpet and find him in the exact same spot a few minutes later. Not the case anymore; the baby gates are latched again. Max still loves to bounce and pick things up with his feet. He sits up really well and can stand up for a few seconds providing he's holding on to something.

Our tall boy has moved out of his bucket seat and into a 'big boy' carseat which seems to make traveling a bit more interesting and bearable for him. As mentioned earlier, we also flew down to south (to Mexico!) for a week and Max was a champ on the plane. They were long(ish) flights so I really can't complain about the odd fuss. As for the vacation itself, Max adapted really well to the heat and rocked his sunglasses like a boss. He wasn't old enough to sample the local cuisine quite yet but satisfied his big appetite with his usual solids. Still prefers fruit over veggies but we're introducing more variety by the day.

Sleep still is a major struggle. Don't really feel like divulging into that too much but let's just say there's lots and lots of room for improvement.

Ben and Max are really starting to 'play' with each other. I'll often catch them in fits of giggles and it is the sweetest music to my ears. Don't get me wrong they totally roughhouse too. I'm not sure who's in more trouble as Max is absolutely not intimidated by Ben whatsoever and will happily take whatever he wants. Oh my, starting to see glimpses of our future.

We've got a fun summer ahead and are so looking forward to enjoying it with our sweet boys!