Everyone's Growing so FAST!

Our friends from Kitchener (Matt and Susan) came down for a wedding this weekend. We decided to get the mommies together this morning and meet up at the park, so we could all catch up. You see, it just so happens that our three baby boys were born within a week of each other! Kevin was born on July 25; Finn (Sue's baby) was born on July 30; and Parker (Michelle's baby) was born on July 31. Sue also has a little girl, Maeve, who is just a few months younger than Andrea. So, our families have a lot in common right now!

Finn, Kevin, and Parker

Finn and Kevin

Kevin and Parker

Andrea and Maeve on the swings

Andrea and Maeve in the wagon

It was so nice to talk with two other mommies who have babies at the exact same stage, compare birth stories, and realize that we are NOT all losing our minds. The similarities between our babies (and toddlers) are incredible, and it's comforting to hear our stories are so very much the same.

The babies did what babies do best: they slept, they fussed, and Kevin pooped! I have to say, it was quite the chorus when two or even all three of them started crying. I don't know how parents of multiples can handle it! Actually, a lady who was there at the park asked if the boys were maybe a set of twins, or triplets, because they do look a bit alike, being the same age. She thought it was pretty cool that we are friends, and all had baby boys within a week of each other. I think that's pretty special, too. :))

The girls mostly stayed on the swings, and were kind of shy around each other. They didn't really talk to each other, but just kept checking each other out. But that's normal for two shy 2-year-olds. They have a lot in common, though: they were even wearing the same type of Dora the Explorer sunglasses!

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Andrea is getting so big. Where do I begin? She's definitely 2 years old now. She has a lot of meltdowns, gets frustrated easily, is clumsy and constantly hurts herself, and says "NO" a lot.

But she makes up for it by being so cute, and making me laugh all the time. She is really starting to talk in bigger sentences now, is starting to like books, and wants to try everything for herself. Her daycare teacher told us that she's really starting to come out of her shell, and talking like crazy in class, which is something they often see in toddlers who have a new baby in the family. I still have to watch her because she's not careful enough around Kevin, but at least she includes him in her routines and conversations a bit now. For example, we had some leftover pizza for lunch yesterday, and I was holding Kevin at the table. She said, "Kevin have some pizza?" and grinned. It's a game for her now--she always asks if he can have something that she KNOWS he can't have.

She does funny things for attention, too: like crawling into Kevin's laundry basket while I'm changing his diaper, and yelling, "Hi, Mama! Ay-e-a in da baskit!"

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Kevin's constantly changing too--well, except the hair. As you can see, it's as thick and naturally spiky as ever!

Yesterday I had to put away all his 3-month clothes, and bring out the 3-6 months clothes. He is eating constantly, and when he's not eating, he WANTS to be eating, so he's constantly sucking on a blanket, fist, soother, Mom's shoulder, etc.

He is also smiling a lot more, and starting to make little cooing noises (which is the sweetest sound ever). He grins when I rub the bottle against his lips or gums, or when I tickle his chin with a blanket. He likes to sit up in his bouncy chair with the vibrate on, and watch what's going on in his world. He also likes anything that's interesting to look at: faces, bright colours, etc.

I'm not sure what his weight and length are right now, but I'd guess around 13 pounds and 22 inches. Next week he's going for his 2-month shots (our doctor's been on vacation, so we're a bit behind), and I'm curious to see how much he's grown! :))

More Smiles

What I'm Up Against!

Oh, it's been one of those days . . . screaming, crying, pooping, spitting up, tantrums, jealousy, attitude . . . and me trying to keep the house running in the midst of it.

But that's why God made kids so darn cute. It keeps you from killing them. :))

Here are 2 videos--one of each of my angels--in between meltdowns (both theirs and mine!).

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Andrea and the Spaghetti

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Kevin in Conversation

Niagara Falls Getaway

Rod had some lieu time to take from work, so he asked if I wanted to go somewhere. Actually, what he said was, "If you won't be too stressed out leaving the baby, maybe we can go away for a little vacation." Well, I guess things are much different when it's your second baby. I didn't leave Andrea overnight until she was 8 months old; it was only one night, and I was freaked out the whole time. This time, when Rod proposed a trip, I said, "Sure! How soon? Two nights? Three?" :))

We settled on two nights in Niagara Falls (my choice--it's been 10 years since we last went there). Rod's parents took the kids for us, having them at their house during the day, and bringing them home to sleep. (They are so great!) I had no worries at all. Of course, I felt a little bit guilty about leaving my 8-week-old baby, but he's doing fine, he's bottle fed, and I knew Rod's parents would love him to pieces in my absence.

So, we left on Tuesday morning, and drove up to Niagara Falls. Our hotel was excellent; it was the Marriott Fallsview, and yes, our room had a fantastic view of the Falls. It also had a king-sized bed, a jacuzzi tub for two, etc.

While we were there, we took a pretty relaxed approach to things. We didn't overdo the attractions--just picked a few to focus on. Thus, on our first night, we walked over to Skylon Tower and rode up to the top and the observation deck. Then, we had a late dinner at the hotel restaurant (a bit too fancy-shmancy for my tastes, but nice for a splurge once in a while--and a great view of the Falls at night). On Wednesday morning we rode The Maid of the Mist (if you go to Niagara Falls, it's the one thing you HAVE to do), and in the evening we went on the Whirlpool Jet Boat tour (I highly recommend this--but you will almost drown). We drove home on Thursday morning.

Here's some pictures from our trip. The camera does not do the Falls justice. If you have never been there, make a point to go some day. I keep telling Rod that we have to go every ten years now. :))

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Note: There's no pictures/videos of the Jet Boat tour. They tell you straight out to leave your cameras behind, because they will get destroyed on the trip. And once you do your first high-speed turn, you'll know they were right. I'll tell you this: the speed is incredible; the rapids in Devil's Hole are an adrenaline rush; and even with a sweater, raincoat, and booties, you will get soaked as if you'd been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on! :)) Here's a picture of the boat I borrowed off their website. Just imagine us in the back row!

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The view from our hotel room was incredible. It felt like the falls were right underneath us; well, I guess they pretty much were!

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Here's Skylon Tower. We rode in a clear-glass pod, that goes up the outside of the building, to the top. We took the following pictures of the American and Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls up there, as well.

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Then, Rod realized we could have some fun with camera angles from up there. He came up with the concept of having us "Puking the Falls." It took a bit of precision and direction, and several tries, to get these pictures right. In the meantime, there was a group of elderly people laughing at us as we tried to get the perfect angles. I was so embarrassed! (Rod thought it was great.)

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Now, for the Maid of the Mist pictures. It's crazy how these little tug-like boats take you right up to the base of the Falls. But it is so amazing. It's the only way to really experience the Falls.

You can see our hotel [above] at the top of the cliff.

We dared to shoot a brief video of the Canadian Falls [below]. You can see Rod tries to get me in the video at one point, but the sun reflecting off the Falls is too dazzling, and puts me in shadow. :))

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Finally, here is a view of the Falls at night, from our hotel room. They illuminate them every night from about 8:30 until midnight, in all different colours. The pictures came out blurry because of the darkness, but you still get a sense of the mist, and all the pretty colours. It was lovely to curl up together, and gaze at them from our window.

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Oh, it was wonderfully relaxing trip. No getting up for night-time feedings; sleeping in; time for Mommy and Daddy to reconnect; no crying babies! But, I have to admit, every time I saw a cute toddler or a little baby, I would get a bit homesick for my babies. And even hundreds of miles from home, we found ourselves quoting "Dora," and commenting on what Andrea might think of this or that. :))

SEVERE PEANUT ALLERGY: Confirmed

Dr. Z., the allergist, had called us last week and asked us to come in for an appointment as soon as possible. We were originally scheduled to see him in November, but he wanted us to come in sooner. So, this morning, we headed into his office to hear what he had to say.

Andrea's blood test for the peanut allergy came back with the following results: she is DEATHLY allergic to peanuts! Her allergy reading was 93/100, which is incredibly high. Isn't that odd, considering her test last year came back negative? But I think this was a more specialized test.

So, the doctor told us:

• Andrea must NEVER be exposed to peanuts/peanut products for the rest of her life.
• We must ALWAYS have an epi-pen nearby, and make sure the prescription is current.
• All of our family, friends, and Andrea's caregivers must be alerted to her peanut allergy.
• He is sure the cause of Andrea's reaction last year in Montana was due to exposure to peanut butter--not even eating any, but possibly just somehow coming into contact with it that morning!

He also gave us a huge list of things to look for on food labels, and things that Andrea can't have. He also suggested she avoid all nuts, and not just peanuts, because her allergy is so severe.

I am SO GLAD that Rod and I decided to tell everyone to treat Andrea as if she were allergic to peanuts, even after we got that (false) negative test back last year. Call it parents' intuition! Thank God nothing happened in the meantime. I am kind of mad, and scared about what might have happened, because of that false negative. But at least we know now, and can take serious precautions.

So, now I am going to be the mom who asks, and trains her child to ask, "Are there peanuts in that? Does it contain any peanut products? Has it come into contact with any nut products?" and probably drive everyone crazy with the question.

But this is something I take very seriously. During the Christmas holidays, when I was 11 years old, my Aunt Julie who had a severe peanut allergy, accidentally ingested a peanut product, went into anaphylactic shock, and did not recover. So, I know my family will remember this tragedy and do everything they can to make sure Andrea is not exposed to peanuts.

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On the lighter side, perhaps this new situation will help Mommy lose a few pounds. I am a peanut butter FIEND! But it specifically says on the handout the doctor gave us: "Throw out any peanut butter you have in your house!" I am sure I'll go through withdrawals, but I'll get over it in time. :))

"She-ock-let!"

"Facebook": A Quick Note

Some of you that follow the Blog, but are also users of Facebook, will probably notice that most of the pictures I use are the same in both places.

I'm just updating my Facebook pictures for people who might only see us on there, and not be visitors to the Blog. That's why it's the same pictures. So, you're not missing anything if you just stick with the Blog.

I just figured I'd better get involved with Facebook because lots of people I know use it, and I want to be able to see THEIR pictures and stories. :))

I love my CABOOSE!

. . . um, my new Joovy Caboose stroller, that is!

The traditional double stroller we had (while probably sturdier, and had more comfortable seating for the kids) just wasn't working for me. I had trouble steering it; it was too heavy; and Andrea was too big for it--the sun visor hit her head, and the straps were too short for her!

So, I did a bunch of investigating online, and read a lot of reviews, till I found an alternative that I thought would work better for me. Of course, Rod's not too happy about spending the money on the traditional one, and then having me trying to re-sell it a few weeks later (we got it used, so I couldn't return it). But what's the point of keeping the thing if I'll never use it? Why not invest in a product that will make my life easier?


So, the new stroller just arrived today, and I loved it from the start! It was super easy to assemble. Andrea likes it, too. She seemed to know right away that her spot was on the back, and wanted to climb right on. For the most part, she liked the seat. She can also stand, too, but I don't think she's ready for that yet. We tried it, but she kept wanting to let go, and play with stuff, so it isn't safe for her yet (there's no straps to hold them when they stand). I will say this: if you have a really restless kid, who is always trying to move around and grab stuff, then this is probably not the stroller for you. But Andrea's pretty calm for a toddler, so she was happy to stay in her seat (which does have a good safety belt).

It was good for Kevin, too, because his Graco car seat is compatible with this stroller, so it fits right in. Also, he gets extra sun/wind protection in a way, because the canopy from his car seat and the canopy from the stroller can both go up and cover him.

And finally, I got the stroller on sale: $20 off. Yay!

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Here's some pictures of Andrea at her favourite place: the park! We go there almost every day now. Sometimes she gets to go twice--once with me in the morning, and once with Daddy at night. I put in these pictures because she's willing to cooperate for photos when she's busy having fun!

Bundle Up!

It definitely felt like Fall was already here today. Andrea wanted to go for a stroller ride to the park this morning, and it was only 55F when we left the house! So, I bundled both kids into warm clothes, and Kevin into his bunting bag, and off we went.

The breeze was incredibly cold, but fresh. Kevin, having had a nice warm bubba and being snuggled up in his fleece before we left, slept cozily the whole time we were out. He only woke up to squeak at me once or twice when his hood fell over his eyes. Andrea is like her Mommy; she enjoys a brisk wind in her face, and was jabbering away to Kevin the whole time we were walking. When we got to the park, there was another Mommy there braving the chilly weather. She had 2 kids who were the perfect age for Andrea--a 2-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy. At first, Andrea went on the swings next to the little girl, and they were shouting "Weee!" and "Higher!" together. Then, Andrea got off the swings and chased the little boy all around--running, digging in the sand, and swooping down the slide together. It was too cute! This was really the first time I'd seen her play so well (in terms of direct interaction) with another child. It made me happy to see her making friends.

All too soon, it was lunch time, and both families had to pack up and head home. (Besides, the mommies were getting cold!) I had to laugh when the lady said to her little ones, "Do you want to go home and have some Kraft? I mean, some pasta?" I turned to her and exclaimed, "That's what we're having! But we call them noodles!" :))

It's nap time, now. Kevin fell asleep on the floor with his teddy.

Fun with the Camera

Here are some pics we took today. I didn't keep them all, because they were pretty silly: close-up pictures Daddy and I took of ourselves; Andrea's pictures of her couch, her Barbie, her hands, etc.; and close-ups of Kevin with his eyes bugging out! But these were the keepers:

I took this one this morning, while Kevin was playing in his swing. Gotta love that gummy grin!***

Daddy took this one tonight. When he was doing the close-ups of Kevin, he just happened to catch him smiling! I guess Kevin was having fun, too. Or maybe he was laughing at us!

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This is the picture Andrea took of Daddy and Kevin. She laughed like crazy!

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This is a picture Daddy took of Andrea. It's been awhile since we've seen her smile for the camera! Actually, she's not fond of having her picture taken right now. She prefers to be the photographer!

Cute and Cuddly

Kevin's all bundled up in his "bunny" hooded towel from Daddy's Aunt Fran. :))

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Oh, and here's a few Kevin-related observations I haven't mentioned yet:

• We weighed him last week, and he was already 11.6 pounds! Wow! He is wearing mostly 3-month old outfits now.
• Kevin is a squirmer--it's hard to get him to stay still! He can really scare me the way he rolls on his side, and flings his head back, when I'm holding him!
• But he's also a CUDDLER--he fusses to be held all the time. When Andrea was a baby, she was content to stay in her swing, or lay on the floor, for long periods of time. Kevin, however, only tolerates these things for so long, then wails until Mommy picks him up and cuddles him! Mommy is learning to read, fold laundry, and eat dinner while holding a baby! Although many moms would say that is normal, I'm not used to such a clingy baby, because Andrea has always been so content to amuse herself. But it's kind of nice to feel so needed, too. :))

Andrea-and-Kevin-related observations:

• She has now included him in her bed-time routine; she automatically goes looking for him to give him a kiss goodnight.
• She calls almost all babies she sees "Baby Kevin!"
• She talks to him in the back seat of the car, in the sweetest, softest little voice: "Hi, Buddy! What's the matter, Buddy?"
• She still calls him "Owen." For some reason, the "K" and the "V" give her trouble, although she can make those sounds fine for other words. (?)

Andrea bedtime notes:

• YES!--we have FINALLY gotten her to sleep in HER OWN BED AGAIN. We are firm on it--it goes for naps, too.
• The compromise: she gets a one-minute foot and back tickle before we leave the room. It's well worth it, to have her go to her own bed, and fall asleep peacefully 98% of the time now.

Kevin's First Real Smiles :))

Kevin has started to smile at me within the last week. Before this, he often did (and still does) the drowsy, half-asleep smiles and giggles. But this week he has actually made eye contact with me and smiled a few times. They're little smiles, because he is just learning, but I love it! So far, he has only smiled for Mommy. :))

After some coaxing, I got a smile on video today!

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Kevin also has a favourite toy he interacts with. He loves the soft, blue teddy bear in his crib. Whenever I put it near his face, he reaches for it, and "talks" to it. He's been doing this for about 2 weeks now. It's funny--I've never seen a baby this young so interested in a toy! I always put Teddy near Kevin when I lay him down in the crib, so he has some company.

Grandpa G.'s Birthday Lunch

Today we went over to Grandma and Grandpa G.'s to celebrate Grandpa's birthday, which is tomorrow.

Here's Grandpa with his three grandbabies: Kevin, Izzy, and Andrea. They helped him blow out the candles.

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Kevin's a bit young for the cupcakes (although he appears to be reaching for one!), but Andrea loves them--she dove right in!

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"Umm, a little more please . . ."

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Grandpa loves to feed the babies! (He just doesn't change them.)
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Despite the expression on her face (her nap was too short), Andrea does adore her Grandpa!

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She was fascinated by the golf glove he received. Everyone had to have a turn wearing it!

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After lunch and gifts, Grandpa wanted to take the kids to the park. So, we all went for a walk together. Andrea and Izzy rode together in our wagon; Kevin was snuggled up in our stroller. We made quite the little procession as we headed down the street!

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At first, just Andrea and Izzy were on the swings; but then Daddy and Aunt Stephanie wanted in on the fun, too! I love the way both kids are watching their parents--you can almost hear them thinking, "WHAT are you doing?!" :))