Hoppy Easter Everyone!

This will be Ollie's first Easter, and he's already hopping to go! I'll be back next week with his 4 month update and photos from his first Easter egg hunt. I'll leave you all with a mini photoshoot of 'Ollie the Bunny' until then. Enjoy!

Scrapbook design personalized with Smilebox

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Our Little Ollie is 3 Months!

After a few cold months, the sun is starting to come out, bringing the promise of spring. Time is passing so quickly it seems, and that directly applies to our little Oliver. He has changed so much in such a short period of time, and he's now already 3 months old!

Oliver has more than doubled his original birth weight and is starting to resemble a little man more than a little baby to me now, and that makes me a little sad. I can no longer hold him in one arm and he usually isn't as willing to just be held and cuddled unless he's really sleepy. He is growing stronger and stronger each day, and I can see a streak of independence in him already. Watching him kick his arms and legs, wriggle on his tummy and throw his weight around when you hold him, shows how much he just wants to go off and explore the world around him.

He does have a bit of a temper, which is usually seen when he's bored or isn't getting what he wants fast enough. The other day he got so frustrated, that he grabbed the collar of my shirt in one hand and almost growled as he shook with impatience. If he had teeth, they would have been clenched. Thankfully, he's small enough that it's kind of adorable. He flies into rages out of nowhere, with little to no warning. It can be because you turned off his favourite show...and you might not think he knows what TV is, but if you could see him, you'd know that he becomes very focused on the television when it's on, even to the point that he strains his neck to be able to see it if it's behind him.

Ollie had his first set of vaccinations last month which was a very difficult thing to have to watch. It's hard to take your little baby that you protect with your whole soul, to get a needle, which you know isn't a fun experience at all. He didn't cry after the first one, but the second needle brought out the tears. He then spent the rest of the day upset with a fever. It was really hard to see him in pain and not being able to do much about it. He did get his first dose of infant Tylenol, and I think it did help a little. We are not looking forward to his next shot. :(


Oliver has been all over the map with his sleeping and eating routine. One week he eats 20 minutes per feed and doesn't nap at all, the next week he's eating for only 8-10 minutes per feed and napping through the day! He keeps switching almost week to week, and I have to wonder if he's going through a growth spurt or something. It's interesting watching him eat now, because he can act so strangely. Sometimes, he rhythmically punches my boob while eating, and other times he tries pulling off with my breast in tow! Ouch! It's like he decides he doesn't want to eat, but he can't let go! I don't know if he's bored, if he's distracted, if he's full, or if he's getting enough food! I would think he's eating enough, as he's growing so well, but who knows! He can sure act crazy! :) I've also been getting practice feeding him in public, which has been interesting. I've fed him twice at the mall so far, fed him in the car, at a party and in-front of family. I use a cover, so it's not like I'm showing myself off to the world, but society still makes you feel insecure about doing it. Once you take the plunge and just do it, it makes it easier for the next time. I think it's sad how nervous I feel doing it when it's so natural to feed your child this way, but I know the more I put myself in different situations, the more I grow. I plan on sticking to this path as long as I can, and if a side effect of feeding my child leads me to feel more confident about myself, then so be it! ;)

He has become quite a vocal baby, often talking to himself loudly in the middle of the night, keeping poor Mommy up. He yells when he's angry instead of resorting to crying, he laughs so adorably when he's being tickled or having his toes "eaten" and he coos softly when is talking to pictures on the wall or to himself in the dark. He often chatters away while Mommy and Daddy are lying with him in bed or watching him on the change table. It is the cutest sound in the world, which is why I'm crazy and follow him around and record him all day. :) When I play back the recording, he just perks up as soon as he hears his voice. He's going to be like his mother. ;) He has also discovered the sound of gurgling and loves making little raspberries, which is too cute! He thinks it is hilarious when we do them, which makes him laugh, and even giggle.

Here is a little video of him talking and playing with his linking rings.

Ollie has really discovered his hands lately and is grabbing and touching everything. When we were reading a 'Touch and Feel" book, he kept grabbing the furry parts of the page. I fear for my pets. ;) He really notices his hands and concentrates and stares at them while they grab things. He is also finally sucking his thumb, not just his whole fist! He is starting to want to sit up rather then lean back, and will pull himself up using his tummy and neck muscles. He obviously wants to see and be involved in everything! He even gets to sit in his Bumbo chair and does really well holding his head up.

We took Oliver out for dinner in a restaurant for the first time and it went better then expected. He wasn't a happy camper when we got there, but after sneaking back out to the car for a quick feed, he calmed down and even fell asleep. It will be awhile until I feel confident bringing him to nice restaurants, but as long as it's a family eatery, I think we're okay! :)

Ollie had his first photoshoot with Yvonne, and it went so well! We've seen the previews of his photos, and are just waiting for the call to go and pick them up. My mom and I went shopping to get him some cute outfits, and he didn't even end up wearing them, though he did wear the cute hats we bought him! He was just too cute in the buff! ;) He started off being a little confused and grouchy as he didn't know what was going on, but he really warmed up throughout the session and ended up talking Yvonne's ear off. He loved being naked lying by the window and during his tummy time photos, he held his head up so well that even Yvonne commented on his strength! He was such a well behaved baby, and didn't pee on anything! ;) Here are some samples of his photo session!

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Being 38 Weeks Pregnant is a Thing of the Past!

Week 38 was one of the most magical weeks yet! The snow was falling continuously around us, putting us in the middle of a winter wonderland. They were saying we got up to 100cm of snow in some parts of town during "Snowmageddon". Much of the city shut down for safety, so Chris and I stayed inside and enjoyed the snowy blizzard while drinking lots of hot chocolate and watching people ski through our parking lot.

We did venture out into the snow though for my family's traditional 'Tree Hunt', and that was quite the adventure! On our way to find the tree farm (the first one was closed, so we had to go to another), we got a little turned around and ended up in a ditch at the same time my brother ended up in a ditch. I joked about how it was good I had brought some snacks along (cupcakes), in case we had been stranded for a while... Chris was not finding the humour in the situation. :)

Since we had driven separately from my family, we were debating whether we should wait for them to try and pull us out (my dad has a nice big, new truck), or if we should just call CAA. We ended up calling CAA, because my dad was having issues pulling my brother out, so while Chris called, I got Sawyer out of the back of the Santa Fe (or Santa 'Sleigh', as Chris likes to call it) and took him into the snow to play. While Sawyer pranced about and buried his head in the snow, a black truck came slowly down the road and pulled up behind us. A super nice man got out and offered to pull us out of the ditch, just like someone did for him the day before. (I like this "Pay it Forward" vibe). He pulled us out so quickly, and wouldn't even take one of the cupcakes I offered! Maybe he had heard I wasn't usually a good baker...

Here is a little video of us waiting for rescue!

We met up with the rest of my family at the tree farm that we eventually found, only to discover that there were no paths through their tree lot, so off we trekked, through snow that was often up to our knees. It was very difficult, and I found that I tired quite easily. Chris was a little concerned that I would go into labour any second, so I made sure to take little breaks to relax and catch my breath. Since we already had a tree, we just went along for the trip. My mother sadly did not find a tree she liked at this farm, so they decided to go on to another farm when we headed back home. We all had brought our dogs, and they had a great time tearing through the snow after each other, so that was good. :)

One great thing about snow, is that it encourages you to make really yummy, comfort foods. I decided to try a new recipe for a soup I had never made before, and I am so happy with how it turned out! I made hearty Baked Potato soup that I finished off with a nice dollop of sour cream on top. It coated my tummy and made Muppet sing, I tell ya! ;) It was very simple, but tasted like it took all day to make. I will definitely be making this again! Yum!

At 38 weeks, Muppet was the length of a leek and is continuing to plump up. My body has started to feel the weight of this little baby, as I'm having a really hard time sleeping now due to soreness in my hips and legs, and some stronger, more frequent braxton hicks contractions. Boo! :( It's crazy how much heavier Muppet seems, even though I'm still weighing the same. Another crazy thing is how emotional I got when I received my Milk calendar in the mail. In my memory, my mom always had the Milk calendar and would write down our appointments and activities in it all the time, and to me, that was the official "Mom" calendar. To see it in the mailbox really woke me up to the reality that I will be a mother soon too. It's funny how such random things can trigger real strong memories and feelings.

Our maternity photos are also complete, so we have to go and pick them up! Yvonne sent me the low resolution previews of the pictures, so I thought I'd post a few for those wondering how they turned out. We absolutely love them and can't wait to print some!

Warning, there is some major boob-age in some of the photos!

My book choice this week is 'Owl at Home' by Arnold Lobel, written in 1975. If you've ever read my much neglected old blog (which I no longer write on), you may remember me talking about this book. It has to be one of my earliest favourites from my childhood, and encouraged me to try making tea from my tears. Confused? Well, one of the chapters in Owl at Home is called 'Tear-Water Tea', in which the main character, Owl, decides to make some tea out of his tears. He sits down and begins to think of very sad things, like chairs with broken legs, songs that cannot be sung as the words have been forgotten, books that cannot be read as pages were ripped out or mornings that nobody saw because everyone was sleeping. He then collects his tear drops in his kettle and once full, he puts the kettle on the stove to boil for tea. I thought this was a genius idea, and tried collecting my tears in a cup so I could drink them. Sadly, I was not able to collect many tears, but I did take a sip and found my "tea" to be quite salty, but like Owl says, "It tastes a little bit salty, but tear-water tea is always very good." 

There are many hilarious chapters starring the very confused, but adorable Owl that will capture any child's imagination. Here are some sample pages from some other chapters in this book.

This is from 'Strange Bumps', where Owl becomes frightened and confused by the two bumps at the end of his bed.

This is from 'The Guest', in which Owl invites winter into his house to get warm.

It is an old book, but one that will forever be in my heart and on my bookshelf. I hope it will find it's way onto yours!

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Week 36: Action Packed!

Week 36 has to go down as one of the busiest weeks I've ever had! We had our last prenatal class, a breastfeeding class, Muppet's first baby shower, my maternity photoshoot and two days of decorating the tree, and most things occurred while I had possibly the worst cold ever known to (wo)man.

Our last prenatal class was a little sad, as we were really enjoying them, plus I know we will still have many questions and are still not fully prepared for this little baby. That being said, I am so glad we took them, as it got us both in the right mindset for the arrival of this little one, and really gave us a good start to knowing what being parents is all about. Our last class was fun, as we got to visit mini stations around the room to practice changing diapers, dressing babies and swaddling. It was very amusing to watch Chris change the diaper of our practice doll. It's legs were quite stiff and wouldn't bend well, but Chris managed, and even had the diaper facing the right way! I was quite proud of him! ;) Another awesome thing about that class is that we were all given a few baby board books and a baby music cd to encourage us to make reading a part of our children's lives. I almost cried, because books just do that to me.

Our breastfeeding class was also a lot of fun, except for the fact that I couldn't breathe due to my cold. Chris was a champ and went to find me some water at one point too, which was very nice. :) My favourite thing about that class was trying the different feeding positions, and then watching Chris play with the doll, forgetting that everyone else in the room could see him. The class provided us with more information on who to call or contact if we have any problems with breastfeeding and made me feel a little more comfortable with the fact that it may not all come together at first, and that a little patience and persistence can help a lot.

One of the best things that happened that week was Muppet's first baby shower! It was an amazing day and I am so thankful for all of the hard work and generosity shown by so many people. My friend from elementary school and her mom graciously hosted the shower and well, if you knew these ladies, you would know the lengths they would go to ensuring everything was absolutely perfect! There was so much delicious food (including my Razzle Dazzle cupcakes), punch, decorations that matched the beautiful invitations, adorable tea bag favors for the guests, prizes for some fun games and well, just excellent hostess-ing, which is now a word. I couldn't believe how many of my friends and family showed up, and honestly, I was blown away by their thoughtfulness. Muppet is the luckiest baby already to be surrounded by such wonderful people! Thank you everyone again for all your love and support!

Another first that week was my maternity photo-shoot with Yvonne Long from 'Photography By Yvonne'. She was our photographer for our engagement photos, and our wedding, so it was only natural to want to continue sharing our life's precious moments with our favourite photographer. She is just so easy to work with and makes you feel at ease, even when you bring your crazy golden retriever to the set who doesn't have the ability to calm down. I really wanted to have some professional photos of our "growing" family before Muppet was born as it really is such an important moment in our lives. Yvonne was able to capture photos of my large belly, of Chris and I loving the belly and of us both with Sawyer, though he never sat very still, so we'll see how those turn out. :) I am so excited to see the photos, and I will post some on my blog when I get them.

Until then, here is a little video of Sawyer's adventures in the photography studio.

After our photo session, we headed out to Chris' parents for our annual "Decorate the Tree" night. It is a fun night filled with Christmas music, glittery lights, decorations, food and festive drinks (I had hot chocolate). This year Chris' brother and fiancée  were unable to join us as they are still in San Francisco, but luckily they were able to Skype with us, so they could share in the celebrations. It was a very fun night, but I wish I didn't have my cold, as sadly I was unable to taste a thing. Hopefully the taste buds will be in working order for Christmas, as I have two dinners to eat and you all know how much I like turkey dinner! :)

Inspired by "Decorate the Tree" night, we decided to decorate our tree the next evening while listening to my favourite Christmas music sang by the Muppets. This was the first year I let go of the reins and accepted help from Chris. Usually I am the tree nazi, and no one can touch my tree, as I am super picky... but I have realized that from here on, we'll have children and I want them to partake in the tradition of decorating the tree, so I had to give in. Oddly enough, it wasn't as difficult as I had thought it would be. Chris put the fun decorations on the tree, and I put on the bows and more decorative items, like the bunches of sprigs covered in glitter. In the end, I was very happy with our tree and for the first time, felt that it really was 'our' tree. I am so excited to see the shining lights reflected back in Muppet's little awe struck eyes. It seems like such a wonderful time to bring a little person in the world, for them to be surrounded at birth by such joyous music, happy people, glittery surroundings and beautiful snow. It is such a wondrous season!

At 36 weeks, Muppet weighed as much as a crenshaw melon and was about 18.5 inches in length. Muppet has been shedding it's lanugo (downy hairs) and the vernix caseosa. I have had a few painful moments which I am assuming were braxton hicks contractions, but not very often, so most of them must be going unnoticed by me. Muppet is still very active at night, and seems to move around like crazy when no one else is around. I swear, it stops moving as soon as it senses someone else is in the room!

My book choice this week is 'More Spaghetti, I say!' by Rita Golden Gelman. This book is a classic (and another amazing book about eating spaghetti)! It is a fun rhyming and repetitive book about a monkey named Minnie who is too busy eating spaghetti to play with her friend Freddie. He begs her and begs her to make time for him, but she just cannot stop eating delicious spaghetti. Finally, she has had her fill, but Freddie has a fork in his hand and has started eating! I wonder if they'll ever find time to play together? This book is fun and very short, as it's a book for children just learning to read. I find it's a little bit like Dr. Seuss in a way too, so if your child is into his work, pick this one up for a little change. The illustrations are also simple and cute and really make you want to dive into a bowl of yummy spaghetti.

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