The big 2!! Happy Birthday Mckenna!

Pictures from our New Years Day get-together at all of our houses on the lake.

Caili and Einstein, my brothers dog.

We spent last weekend at my parents as I had my first 'girls night out' for the first time in a long time. It was great to spend time together with my mom and nana. We went out for Dinner and to the show to see 27 dresses. It was like a mini-vacation and the men stayed at my parents and had a great steak dinner. That's Mckenna drinking tea out of her new teacup in front of my parents fireplace.

Wow, a month gone already and now Mckenna is 2 today!! We had a wonderful birthday for her yesterday with all the family out at our place. She was so excited and was such a wonderful gift opener (if there ever was a title) She was very good about opening all the cards first and would exclaim in over excitement 'huaaah, look mama......2!' about her cards. When she opened the gift it would become even louder and funnier. For over a month I'd talk to her about her birthday and why it was so special. When I asked her what kind of cake she thought she would like back at Christmas, she told me a purple cake. So I explained to her that 'purple is a color' and that mom could make her any kind of purple cake. So she told me she wanted a purple 'Pooh' cake. So that was it from then on in, all she would talk about was turning 2 and her 'purple pooh' cake. She was so excited to go to the Bulk Barn to get the cake tin that I rented. Then today we had to return it and she said 'tank oo pooh, bye bye' when I gave it to the lady. It was touching.

Opening her fishing pole from Papa R

The Purple Pooh cake ( I dyed the mix purple for her!)
I was very impressed with myself I must say, it turned out awesome and she was so excited.

It is hard to believe that 2 years ago today, in less than a half an hour, my wish came true and my beautiful baby girl was born. It truly is a miracle and I thank god daily for the wonderful joy she and Caili bring to our lives. She is ssooo independent and at the same time still such a little baby. Her vocabulary is growing each day and I love watching her as she thinks before she says something as you can almost see the wheels spinning in her head as she figures out which words to put together. Her humor and confidence in herself is amazing. She is now completely potty trained during the day while at home. If we go out, she wears a pull up, but always tells me when she has to go to the bathroom. She loves watching herself in the mirror and has become such a little mother to Caili. She watches over her like a hawk and if we are in a store, she makes sure that if someone talks to her, they say hi to Caili as well.

Caili is growing and growing. She is starting to babble, rolls over and over, sits up almost by herself and just laughs and laughs at Mckenna. Thank goodness for good naturedness (word?)
as busy is definitely the word to describe our days. She loves her jolly jumper and will watch Baby Einsteins First signs video from start to finish, jumping the whole time. She is just beautiful and her dimples can help but make your heart melt. She is a very easy going baby and loves to look at things. Her alertness is amazing and she can almost turn her head 360 degrees to look at something.

In the beginning of January, Mckenna, Caili and Ryan all got the flu....very bad. I was caregiver for over a week and cleaned up more vomit and diarrhea than I'd like to admit. It was terrible to watch my two children (sorry, three!) vomit over and over knowing there was nothing I could do to bring it up any easier. I definitely used Tele-health Ontario my fare share that week. But we got through it and they are much healthier now. I was blessed not to get it, but I know I fought it hard one night as I had the chills and everything just for a few hours...then it miraculously vanished. We had my family out for dinner the day after Mckenna had it as we thought it was just a bout of food poisoning. Then Ryan and Caili got it on Monday, my nana and brother on tuesday, my mom on Wednesday and friends of there's on Thursday. It was the gift that kept on giving......only it really wasn't a gift.

The night the flu took over our lives and the family came for dinner, pictures my mom took of some of my Christmas decorating.

On a very positive note, I now am proud to say that I am no longer sleep deprived!! I didn't even know I was, until I bought the book ' The sleep easy solution'. Caili was always a good sleeper from birth, but around 4.5 months, she started to get to used to me putting her to sleep and when she would wake up in the middle of the night, I would rush in and give her her soother or feed her so that she wouldn't wake up Mckenna. Well, that got her into a bad habit and she never really learned how to put herself or soothe herself to sleep. Mckenna was also starting to rely too much on her baba's to go to sleep and when she woke up in the middle of the night, I would sometimes get her a bottle and just bring her into our bed. So I read the book, told Ryan what to expect for the first couple of nights, but promised it would all be over soon. By the THIRD night, Caili was sleeping 11 hours!!! I couldn't believe it. We worked on her first while Mckenna slept in our room in the playpen. Then after Caili was all set, I told Mckenna that I talked to the sleep Doctor and she told me that the baba's isn't helping her sleep anymore and that she shouldn't have it at bed time. I was expecting a huge uproar, but only got a soft ' kay mama' That night she slept right through almost and when she woke up in the morning, she didn't even ask for a baba. So now they are both sleeping 11 hours through the night and we have also worked on the naps with Caili. What a difference it has made in ME! You can never explain sleep deprivation to anyone, unless they are experiencing it too, or have experienced it. This book had one part on sleep deprivation and one of the examples had happened to me just 2 days before I bought the book. I feel so much better, am much more clear headed and happier and it truly has made me a much better mother as I am not so short fused. So, if you know anyone with little ones and they aren't getting much sleep, I 100% recommend this book.

Ryan and I are planning an ice-fishing trip with friends of ours at the end of January. The kids are staying with my parents and I know it will be tough for me to leave them for 4 days, but it will be a much needed vacation for Ryan and I. We had a blast last year and I was pregnant then, however this year, I will really be able to join in on the fun. We stay in a hut on the ice over night that is heated and eat and eat and eat (well of course there is drinking too!) This year we are going up to Lake Nippising and are staying in a different place that has a T.V and a VCR. Now what would we possibly need that for, unless we end up catching all the fish in the lake!

Ryan's work is still very busy and he is working around 54-56 hours per week. I am so appreciate of all his hard work he does to allow me to stay home with the kids. Maternity leave payments are next to nothing and if he didn't have such a strong work ethic, we wouldn't be where we are today. I think he is starting to enjoy me being home more as I have become quite a 'domestic goddess' as I once heard a home-maker called. I don't know how I could possibly work full time and take care of the house all at once with my husband working such crazy long hours. Kudos to all the families who make it work as I don't think I could. Ryan is just so amazing and I am blessed to have such a wonderful best friend and husband who continues to make me smile and laugh often, even when I've had a rough day.

I am leaving you with some photos to enjoy!!

Happy New Year!!

Mckenna painting and Caili laughing as always

Our Niece Sam and Mckenna, opening gifts and celebrating together as a family

What a wonderful holiday it was with our family. Lots of fun, very busy, but lots of fun. We had our family down from kitchener and Ryan mom and our niece Sam stayed over from the 23rd to the 24th. We had a lot of fun and I made a great Christmas dinner for us. Mckenna was SSSOOO excited about Santa. It really does bring magic into the holidays.

My Nana stayed over the week before and we made a gingerbread house. Mckenna loved the fact that she could eat all the candy. I gave her a gingerbread man to decorate, but all she did was lick the icing and eat the candy. Was she ever spun afterwards.

We had a big snowstorm and it was just beautiful on the lake. Ryan took Mckenna out in her sled and to look at all the ice on the lake.

Caili learned to blow raspberries and Mckenna sat with us at the table for dinner like a big girl for the first time.

We stayed in on the 24th and relaxed as a family as I knew the next few days were going to be very busy. Mckenna and I put the milk and cookies out for Santa along with a carrot for Rudolph. When she woke up in the morning, she was so happy the Santa enjoyed her cookies and when she looked out the window, Rudolph had chewed up the carrot and left quite a mess on the ground under the tree. We had Ryan's Dad and Nana R over for breakfast Christmas morning for homemade belgium waffles.....there is nothing like them.

Eating Rudophs carrot before bed, Christmas morning under the tree, opening gifts

Caili with her gifts and Nana R and Mckenna

She loved opening her gifts and was very happy to help us open ours. It was fun and on Christmas day night, she wanted to put more milk out for Santa, thinking that if she did, maybe he would bring more presents...like she doesn't have enough!
On boxing day my family always does a crazy gift exchange and it is always fun. The kids were excellent considering how messed up their schedule was and Mckenna just kept playing and eating.
Mckenna's potty training is going very well....only 2 pull ups a day usually and she goes to the bathroom about 50% of the time now by herself. She still needs lots of reminders, but she is definitely got the just of how it works. She had a great time with her cousin Miah and Miah is going to be a big sister next August now!! We are so excited to have another cousin. It is amazing to see the difference just 3 months makes. Miah is very into imaginative play where as Mckenna just started with it about 2 weeks ago. Mckenna also doesn't understand the whole sharing thing yet, but was better on day two than on day 1.

Caili is doing amazing. I think she is really teething and there must be teeth coming in soon. Some nights have been hard, but this past week her schedule has been so messed up, I don't blame her. She is rolling overand found her feet and toes two days ago. She stands like she is ready to walk already and I know I am in trouble when she does. She is so nosy and has to see everything that is going on. She loves watching Mckenna and laughs and laughs at her when she dances for her.
So I am posting pics and video of the holidays. Ryan and I usually celebrate New Years just the two of us. He goes out and buys a ton of good food and we cook and eat all night. It's fun and much needed after such a busy week.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and I wish you all the very best in the upcoming year.

Christmas Time is here....

Our little angels 21 months and 3 months

I absolutely LOVE this time of year. I think it is magical and warm even when it is freezing and snowy outside. Anyone who knows me, knows that I listen to Christmas music throughout the year, and by Halloween, I already have CD's in my player. I don't know what it is exactly that brings out the festive joy in me, but I have Christmas fever big time. The last 5 days, I have been decorating our home and setting up the tree and to watch Mckenna's face as she looks at all the decorations is magic in itself. I think Christmas for me growing up was always about the excitement of the decorations, the family getting together, the toboggan rides down AKO hill, and the anticipation of going through the Sears catalog and writing our letters to Santa. I love seeing Mckenna's eyes light up as she points things out to me, or Ryan. It is what Christmas as a child is all about. We finally had our living room painted a beautiful dark green and with all the wood trim, beams and fireplace, it now looks just as we had envisioned. It is now our lodge and we love it. It is also the perfect color for Christmas and couldn't make me happier.

Eating Ribs with Daddy

Mckenna is doing amazing and has really taken to singing 'Must be Santa' and her 'HO!Ho!Ho! is even getting deep and robust. She is just so excited for Santa, it is all she talks about. Her favorite book at the moment is Dora's Christmas adventure with all the flaps that you can lift to find Santa's outfit and presents. She has definitely caught my holiday spirit. The potty training is slow, but that's fine with me as I don't want to push her too early. She is really talking so much now and puts sentences and words together very well. I can talk with her very easily and she understands everything I say and vice versa. She loves to dance and loves music. Any time their is someone singing on TV, she stops and stares until it's done. A couple days ago, there was some boyband on TV doing a live performance and it caught her attention. She didn't know that Ryan and I were watching her from the kitchen and all of a sudden, she started trying to do the moves that the guys were doing. It was hilarious to watch our little girl lifting her arms and bending her legs to imitate them. I think I will be putting her in dance class sooner than I think. She also watches the Big Comfy Couch and whenever Lunette gets down to do all her stretches on the clock (parents with little ones know what I am talking about if they watch the show!) Mckenna gets down and does all the stretches too.

Caili asleep after a long walk

Caili is also doing very well. She still has her bouts of her acid reflux, but much much better than the beginning. Her favorite time is when she is up on the change table and she just laughs and giggles at me. She giggled for the first time last week and it made my heart melt. I remember Mckenna's first giggle and now here was my second baby already giggling. She is the only baby I know who has cellulite on her face. I swear she has 3-4 dimples. 1 on each cheek and 2 on her chin. The fourth only shows when she really smile big, but I've seen it. Daddy is in BIG trouble. Between Mckenna and Caili's eyes and dimples, he better be prepared. She is also rolling already from back to stomach and stomach to back. I can't get over how strong she is and she is such a squirmy little worm. She watches Mckenna with amazement and it's almost as if they can read each other's little minds. She sleeps about 9-10 hours at night and then feeds around 4am and goes back to sleep for about 3 hours. I am truly blessed on the sleeping aspect of my girls. I've attached a video of Caili talking to me as she plays with her hands (which she always does)

The Girls watching T.V together

Last night we had my Christmas party at Bogies. It is always such amazing food and great laughs and last night was no exception. My parents switched houses with us and stayed with the girls and we stayed at their house. It worked out great, except that Ryan was supposed to take today off, but he took Monday off and couldn't take today as well. It was still a great night out and lots of fun.

After a few drinks!!

So I hope the Christmas spirit is getting into everyone as much as it has got into me. Ryan thinks I'm nuts sometimes with all my decorations, but I know deep down, he is just as excited as me, especially with the kids. I will attach photos of the decorations and our new living room at our next post. Take care and enjoy.

Halloween Happenings

Halloween always brings back such awesome memories from childhood for me. I always loved picking out a costume and it was always a mix of clothes and whatever things we could find out of my grandparents or parents closets mixed with some accessories. Having children to share it with now really makes it special and this was one of the first of years to come. Mckenna loved cleaning out the pumpkin and washing the seeds. I drew the face on it and Uncle Dave cut it out. Mckenna just laughed and laughed when it was all lit up with it's candle.

Mckenna wasn't too enthused about the whole trick or treat thing until.....she learned that she got candy! We practiced at the door and she learned to say 'trick or treat', though it sounded more like 'twitweat'. Once she got that down pat she couldn't wait to get out and get some candy. Ryan and I couldn't wait for the candy either, a definite bonus in having kids. Mckenna was a 50's witch and Caili was a princess frog.

Mckenna practices trick or treating before we head out!

So out we headed and Mckenna LOVED everything about it. The kids, the costumes, the candy. She was in her glory and said 'HI' so enthusiastically when she saw the kids. We couldn't help but laugh. Someone was even handing out beenie babies, but when she realized it wasn't candy, she through it back at the poor old man. He just laughed and gave her a stuffed kitten instead of the horse she had. As we headed across the lawns as there was no sidewalk, I said to Ryan; "Just carry Mckenna to the next house as there are 4 without lights on" Well, as we were about to step down to the next property, I told him to watch his step and just as I stepped my left foot down, it ended up in a three foot hole that had a storm drain at the bottom of it. It was covered in leaves and was so much further down than the rest of the property. So I landed on my ankle sideways and my knee so that the baby didn't get hurt. I was in major pain and the baby was screaming. Probably just scared, as I took all the cuts and bruises. Mckenna was so worried about her mama. Needless to say, we cut the night short, headed back to my parents and iced my ankle. It was really swollen and my knee was all cut up.
The whole next day all Mckenna would say was 'Mama boo-boo knee down'. I love her so much!

So besides halloween, everything is great. Almost all our new windows are in along with our new sliding patio doors. It looks like we are sitting right on the lake now as opposed to beside it. Next project is plaster and painting. I can't wait to finally get that done so that we can hang things up on the walls.

Caili is doing wonderful and loves sitting up in her bumbo seat so that she can watch her big sister dance and laugh at her. She is going through a growth spurt right now and sleeps about 6-7 hours at night (except the last few nights as all she wants to do is eat!) Her hair is really growing in and it is so much lighter than Mckenna's. She has a fascination with her hands and is always playing with them. She thinks they are toys and stares and laughs at them. Mckenna amazes me at how good she is with her. Just this morning all three of us were sleeping in my bed and Mckenna reaches over and started rubbing Caili's hair and talking to her. It moments like that that take all my worries away.

I made use of the left over Candy sale at Shoppers and took Mckenna there to get her potty treats. She has been telling us for months now when she goes to the bathroom in her diaper but it was always after she went. Now she usually tells us before she goes, so I decided to start the potty training. The first night, she went all by her self. I put the potty in the kitchen and left her naked to run around and told her that when she goes pee pee on the potty, she can pick out a treat. Well, not 5 minutes later and I turned to look in the kitchen and there she was, sitting on the potty watching herself pee. She took the pot out of the potty that she was supposed to pee in and peed right in the toilet itself. She stood up and yelled 'YAY!' so loud. We did the pee-pee dance in the kitchen and then she picked out a treat. She was so proud of herself. We called Daddy right away to tell him. Last night she went on the big toilet right after her bath. Not so good to get the candy right before bed, but oh well, she slept fine.

So the cold weather is here, and Christmas is fast approaching. Another favorite of mine. If anyone knows me, I am the one blissfully listening to Christmas music long before the Halloween costumes are put away. It is my favorite time of year and I can't wait to decorate our new house this year.

Well, as everyone slowly gets busy for the holidays, I will continue to try and update as often as I can.