roll over!

The past few days, this has been happening!
Sadie, please ... slow down baby girl, don't grow up too fast!


*Side note: BIG changes happening ... I have to believe that everything will fall into place.

can I just hold you, forever?

At 6:30am ...

"Ma, is it time to wake up for school yet?! ... Can I wake up yet?!"
Aiden just adores school. Everyday there's a new story, a new name that he's learned - he's such a sponge. I'm happy & thankful that the transition has been a rather easy one.

But I must admit, I miss this...

I miss watching you play, watching you discover. I miss the sound of your voice, your 21 questions.
I miss having you around, Bunky.

But at least I'm at home. Able to pick you up from your bus stop with Sadie & make you an after-school snack. Though I'm usually tired, my hair is a mess & the work never ends ... being their Mama is by far my most favourite "job".

I love me some free!

Did I not just finish saying that I needed to print photos this weekend?! Then I get this email this morning. Free is the best motivator ever! Excuse me while I sort & organize 101 photos :)

Happy Thursday!

list series: (random) life right now

1. Lately, it's been a "double coffee kind of day" - but I wouldn't trade it in for my desk job.

2. What do I have to do to be a SAHM?

3. I wish I could sit & watch Aiden interact at school.
His stories are wonderful, but I would love to be able to see it all play out - first hand.

4. I admire Ryan's passion.

5. I'm loving the crisp air in the mornings and evenings.
There's just something about sleeping with the window open and snuggling under a duvet. 

6. My current obsession are avocados. I seem to be eating them on anything, everything.

7. I am thrilled that my bridesmaid dress fit ... thrilled.

8. I will get photos printed this weekend.
I will get photos printed this weekend.
I will get photos printed this weekend.

9. I'm thinking of Christmas, oh yes.

10. I need a haircut.

it's time ...

We are all just one small adjustment from doing more of what we love.

our kindergarden-er!

The day came & went.

Aiden was beyond excited (you can tell by the photos below, he's smiling so big - he can't even keep his eyes open!). He was also more than pleased with his outfit selection. He's a bus-er, but we decided to drive him and drop him off yesterday. He couldn't even contain himself and barely said goodbye to Ryan and I. He marched right into the gated drop-off, playground area and was ready to start his day! He looked a little lost at first, but I'm sure he'll figure it all out. I, on the other hand, was anxious and the more I thought about my baby starting school, the more emotional I got (haha). Ryan had to peel me away from the drop-off gate, "Babe, it's time to go...".
I'm so happy & proud of you Aiden - I can't wait to hear all the stories you'll have!

(Sadie hates hats, btw).

Shortly after we dropped Aiden off, Ryan headed to work.

Our home was ... quiet. Sadie took a nap and I was ... lonely. I could hear the clock tick - the first time in a long time. I started tidying the house & making the beds. But because of a mix-up at work, Ryan came home an hour later & had the day off! Definitely a pleasant surprise, because without him - I probably would have been, a wreck (LOL). Plus, I love enjoying his company - esp. without an agenda.  

I truly counted down the minutes until A came home.
Ryan, Sadie and I headed to the bus stop to pick Aiden up and as all the kids we getting off the bus, I thought - crap, did he not get on the bus? ... My heart was beating fast. I walked over to the bus door only to find our Aiden sitting in the seat right behind the bus driver. "He's patient & wanted to let everyone else off the bus first ..." O-M-G.

Aiden was wiped! You could see it in his eyes. As we walked home from the bus stop (while Ryan carried Aiden home) Ryan said, "Since school makes you so tired, maybe you shouldn't go back" ...

"But then I would miss all the fun"
Best response, ever. 

I'm so glad that you had a great first day Aiden! Hope you'll aways have his much enthusiasm for learning. Excited what the school year will bring & for your 7:45pm bedtime, hehe.

you're starting school?!

A little while ago we did a small overhaul of Aiden's closet. We has some chillier weather and needed him to wear pants versus shorts. Well, none of his pants fit - none. Oh boy.

So hard to believe that around this time last year, we took him to the ex and he looked like this ..

Now, he's grown over two sizes in all his clothes and two sizes in his shoes. Wahhhh! Our baby boy is truly growing up. We took Aiden back-to-school shopping a little while ago & got some pretty good stuff. Of course, I had to do some convincing & persuading for him to get sweats, lol.

The varsity jacket, he had to have. The best part was that Ryan swore that the jacket looked so familiar. We then found a photo of Ryan on his 1st day of school, so amazing!

On Wednesday, Aiden had a "meet & greet" with his teacher and ECE. His teachers quickly picked up on how curious Aiden was ... about the classroom and all the things inside. "He asks questions, that's so great!" His teachers seem "cool" (lol), they're young. They also worked along side together last year, which I like. They asked if we had any concerns about the full-day JK program & really my main concern is A will fall sleep! They said kids fall sleep all the time (lol) and they get used to being in school after a week or two. I also said that A takes a little while to eat his lunch. They said that the kids feed off each other's habits and energy. He'll adjust, don't worry!

I stumbled across these words on Pinterest and my heart just melted ...

So we'll spend the majority of the weekend prepping, labelling and organizing for the big day! I'm so excited for you A! Excited for you to make friends, learn lots and play lots. You've been waiting all Summer to start school. & stating Monday (from 8:00am - 3:00pm), our home will be quiet ... I'm going to miss you so so much!  

two months!

Two months of being a family of four & I can't remember life before it all!

Side note: I've decided that we'll be doing naked monthly photos now, love seeing you fill out! LOL.

At two months ...

-You're still wearing size 1 swaddlers (def our favourite brand right now - less leaks compared to A!)

-Sleepers and swaddles at night time
-You're now sleeping (roughly) from 8pm to 2am!
-You make loud grunts while you sleep, LOL
-You're mastering tummy time, holding your head up briefly
-During diaper changes, we get lots of "shoot farts", as A has dubbed it, from you
-You're a talkative little girl!
-We love seeing your gummy smile!
-I'm now convinced that bath time soothes you
-You love being in the know, always wanting to be around the fams - during dinner, while watching TV, folding laundry
-Your (lack of) hair is still the best

Here's what else we've been up to:

Sleeping
-You sure love your sleep! & no complaints over here. What a change of pace, we've lucked out! Typically, our last feed is around 7:30-8:30pm & the earliest she's up again earliest at 2:00am. Up again fot a feed at 6:00am and then back to sleep. Then up again around 8:30-9:00am to start your day. Our evenings are pretty good. Ryan was up once when we did a night feed mentioned that we're so in sync, "both you guys just know what needs to get done during the night - no fuss". Couldn't ask for anything better! Naps during the day are ... challenging. You sleep, but you need to be held. And to be honest, I'd rather hold you and let you sleep, then have a cranky baby. In time, like all else - you will go down for a nap ... well I hope. But for now, I will continue to hold you. We have however, given you a binky from time to time (mostly when we're in the car) and a few times, with a binky - you've put yourself to nap.

Breastfeeding
We are the champions, we are the champions - no time for losers ... cause we are the champions ... of the world! (I had to, hahaha). But seriously, we've gotten 100% better at this - and we have continued to make this work for us. Breastfeeding no longer hurts and is so natural for the both of us. My milk supply is hefty, breast pads all day, everyday. I'm not complaining! Blessed to have an oversupply than an undersupply. Though we still don't have a set "schedule", we're typically nursing every 3 hours during the day. Always still feeding on demand.

Weight
Your two month check up was yesterday & you're now 10 pounds, 10 ounces! You also got your two month shots - I felt so helpless as I held you and you wailed. But like everything else, you got over it really quickly and were all smiles for the ride home. You were, however, very cranky in the evening and wanted nothing but cuddles all night. You did, however sleep until 4am ... tired little girl.

Challenges
We're adjusting nicely. Our little family of four seems natural, feels right. We have however started coming up with "game plans" when we go out in public places. Instead of assuming that Ryan has A and I have Sadie or vice versa, we have to let everyone on the "team" know what the "game plan" is. This is mainly because Aiden has the tendency to do as he pleases from time to time, and heaven forbid I assumed that Ryan had him. So divide and conquer to make sure everyone is accounted for.

Ryan works until (earliest) 10:00pm four nights a week, so in turn our evenings are semi-challenging. Sadie nurses around 5:00pm, which gives me enough time to plate dinner afterwards (notice how I said plate and not cook or prepare - this my friends, has to be done earlier during the day by me or Ry - usually Ry, or the night before). If I made dinner after Sadie's 5:00pm feed, Aiden would have probably fallen asleep at the table. Most days, Sadie will let Aiden and I enjoy dinner together while she sits in her rocker on the floor by the dinner table (always wanting to be close to us). This is nice, Aiden and I get to chat while we eat our last meal of the day. Some days, she has a fit and just wants cuddles. Post dinner, Sadie squeezes in a quick nap. I'm finding it challenging to get both Aiden and Sadie ready for bed - mainly because their bedtime rituals / routines are so different. I imagine this being more challenging as Aiden starts school next week (insert "my baby boy is growing up too fast" tears). I feel guilty that Aiden is alone while I nurse Sadie (her last session of the day around 7:30pm) and put her to sleep. Aiden is usually winding himself down, either watching a dvd in his room or quietly playing with some toys. Once Sadie is all swaddled and in her crib (usually by 8:30pm), Aiden takes a quick shower, we brush his teeth and change into pyjamas. I get him to read me 1-2 books before bed and I tuck him in with all his friends. What gives me anxiety is that this all needs to be done before 9:00pm to ensure that he gets ample sleep for his days at school. Maybe he should even be sleeping earlier? I guess we'll just have to go with the flow and see what works best for us in the next coming weeks.

Me: Post-Partum

Time to loose that baby weight! I'm trying to eat better, which is probably the toughest for me - knowing that Ryan can whip up anything and everything that my heart (ok, stomach) desires. I keep telling him that I only have ONE cheat day ... he never listens. I've never had much luck with the gym, so I figure that doing some workouts at home when I can will help for now. Once Aiden is in school, I'll feel more confident going out and about knowing I only have one child to tend to.

I had my post-partum appointment yesterday in conjunction with Sadie's two month checkup. It's been 9 weeks post delivery and everything's all good. I got my prescription for birth control, hehehe. Our doctor asked if we were going to have any more babies ... I'm still not sure what the answer is. I'm beyond blessed that we lucked out and got one of each (and in the order that Ryan prefers, actually he wanted another boy and then a girl ...), but I also love the idea of a bigger family. We'll see.

Month number three, bring it on!

september!

It definitely sucks that Ryan has to work on Saturdays. The upside is that he starts at 2pm - which gives us plenty of time to hang out with him before work & the three of us get to eat lunch together, major plus. Also, new rule - no TV during eating time! By the looks of A's face, lunch was def scrumptious today. (homemade mini burgers on pandesals (delish!!) with the fixings - havarti cheese, sauteed mushrooms & Ry and A insisted on bacon too!, sweet potato fries & my lovely bean salad)

A surprised me with my favourite flowers from the Farmer's Market this morning. I absolutely adore flowers on our kitchen table (the kitchen table, not so much). I'd say it's time to search for those perfect chairs.

The final days of Summer!