Just over 8 weeks in. Craig commented this afternoon on the baby's demand for real estate. I figured it was time for a picture. Granted, my abs just aren't what they were pre-children and my boobs have seen better days, especially since I'm still nursing Ian but you get the idea. This baby's alive and well, apparently!Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Real Estate
Just over 8 weeks in. Craig commented this afternoon on the baby's demand for real estate. I figured it was time for a picture. Granted, my abs just aren't what they were pre-children and my boobs have seen better days, especially since I'm still nursing Ian but you get the idea. This baby's alive and well, apparently!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Generation Text
I don't text. Neither does Craig. Never have. Never will.
We have a cell phone that we never use. As of right now it doesn't have any time on it (it's a PayAsYouGo style). The last time I remember it having time was back in the winter when we were driving back and forth from the old house to this one and would bring it in case we got stuck in the snow or something. I tried to turn it on this afternoon and the battery was dead. I can't even remember the last time I actually tried to turn it on before today.
The point is: we survive without one. I'll admit, there's been times when we've kicked ourselves for not having one (case and point, today at the dump with the boys) but by and large we never need one. I can't believe how many people I see with those ridiculous BlueTooth gadgets stuck to their ears or a cell phone flipped open while they rifle through their purse or try to change their baby's diaper. It's sickening that so many think that they simply MUST speak to this person at this very moment.
But what appals me moreso than the obsessive cell phone usage is the texting! And not only the simple act of texting, it's the downright terrible grammar and spelling that it seems everyone uses these days!
Since when has it been acceptable to write 'ur', use the number 4 instead of typing 'for', referring to another person as 'u' and all the disgusting short forms like TTYL, LMAO, and ROTFLMAO? I just don't understand the whole thing. I'd be willing to bet that all these teens who obsessively text are terrible English students!
We have a cell phone that we never use. As of right now it doesn't have any time on it (it's a PayAsYouGo style). The last time I remember it having time was back in the winter when we were driving back and forth from the old house to this one and would bring it in case we got stuck in the snow or something. I tried to turn it on this afternoon and the battery was dead. I can't even remember the last time I actually tried to turn it on before today.
The point is: we survive without one. I'll admit, there's been times when we've kicked ourselves for not having one (case and point, today at the dump with the boys) but by and large we never need one. I can't believe how many people I see with those ridiculous BlueTooth gadgets stuck to their ears or a cell phone flipped open while they rifle through their purse or try to change their baby's diaper. It's sickening that so many think that they simply MUST speak to this person at this very moment.
But what appals me moreso than the obsessive cell phone usage is the texting! And not only the simple act of texting, it's the downright terrible grammar and spelling that it seems everyone uses these days!
Since when has it been acceptable to write 'ur', use the number 4 instead of typing 'for', referring to another person as 'u' and all the disgusting short forms like TTYL, LMAO, and ROTFLMAO? I just don't understand the whole thing. I'd be willing to bet that all these teens who obsessively text are terrible English students!
Hours of Operation
I love doing neat, original things with the boys (okay, mostly for Shaun since Ian simply doesn't care yet) that are preferably free to try and support whatever it is that Shaun's currently interested in.
Last summer he was really into diggers and the like: I spent most of July sitting on a blanket at the side of the road that was being reconstructed by our old house watching the excavators and front-end loaders. He was really into knights and castles: I hauled out the Little People Castle set and we took him to Medieval Times for an evening of dinner theatre. This week it's recycling and garbage trucks. So what did I do? Brilliant ol' me thought it a terrific idea to head to the city dump after dinner to try and catch a glimpse of the trucks as they were unloading. We followed 3 recycling trucks into the compound, parked at the recycling depot and sat on the curb for half an hour watching the trucks unload the glass bottles from their trucks. Then there was a front-end loader that would push all the broken glass back into the pile once each truck left. The driver was waving at Shaun and beeping his horn. Shaun was quite impressed.
Shortly after 6PM I loaded the boys back into the van and headed for the front gate. It was locked and the only way to open it was with a combination, like the kind for the kitchen at McDonalds. There was no one in sight except for the one guy driving the loader back at the depot but I wasn't about to search around for him. I drove back to the parking lot and noticed a pick-up truck pull in to the lot at the next building. When they drove up the road toward the gate I quickly followed, hoping they'd let me out.
I still don't really understand a couple of things: why the city feels the need to place heavy duty chains and combination locks on the gates for the recycling centre; and why they don't have their hours of operation clearly posted. There was no security when I entered, no one knew I was there, yet someone left and locked the gate behind them without knowing that there was anyone left inside.
It turned out that the people in the pick-up didn't have the code either and were from the University collecting rain barrels from the buildings in the compound. We drove around the dump for a while (Shaun got a pretty neat behind-the-scenes look at garbage, recycling and composting) and when we finally made our way back to the front gate, the guy who had been driving the front-end loader was on his way out too and was able to open the gate for us. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if we hadn't been there when he was leaving. Shaun was joking that we'd have to sleep on the glass bottles. I didn't have my cell phone on me and there wasn't a single other car in the whole compound. Lesson: learned!
Last summer he was really into diggers and the like: I spent most of July sitting on a blanket at the side of the road that was being reconstructed by our old house watching the excavators and front-end loaders. He was really into knights and castles: I hauled out the Little People Castle set and we took him to Medieval Times for an evening of dinner theatre. This week it's recycling and garbage trucks. So what did I do? Brilliant ol' me thought it a terrific idea to head to the city dump after dinner to try and catch a glimpse of the trucks as they were unloading. We followed 3 recycling trucks into the compound, parked at the recycling depot and sat on the curb for half an hour watching the trucks unload the glass bottles from their trucks. Then there was a front-end loader that would push all the broken glass back into the pile once each truck left. The driver was waving at Shaun and beeping his horn. Shaun was quite impressed.
Shortly after 6PM I loaded the boys back into the van and headed for the front gate. It was locked and the only way to open it was with a combination, like the kind for the kitchen at McDonalds. There was no one in sight except for the one guy driving the loader back at the depot but I wasn't about to search around for him. I drove back to the parking lot and noticed a pick-up truck pull in to the lot at the next building. When they drove up the road toward the gate I quickly followed, hoping they'd let me out.
I still don't really understand a couple of things: why the city feels the need to place heavy duty chains and combination locks on the gates for the recycling centre; and why they don't have their hours of operation clearly posted. There was no security when I entered, no one knew I was there, yet someone left and locked the gate behind them without knowing that there was anyone left inside.
It turned out that the people in the pick-up didn't have the code either and were from the University collecting rain barrels from the buildings in the compound. We drove around the dump for a while (Shaun got a pretty neat behind-the-scenes look at garbage, recycling and composting) and when we finally made our way back to the front gate, the guy who had been driving the front-end loader was on his way out too and was able to open the gate for us. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if we hadn't been there when he was leaving. Shaun was joking that we'd have to sleep on the glass bottles. I didn't have my cell phone on me and there wasn't a single other car in the whole compound. Lesson: learned!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
7 1/2 Week Ultrasound
You know what's funny? I think I've come full circle as far as early ultrasounds go. Back in the day, before I had children of my own, I wasn't all that interested in other people's ultrasounds. They just looked like blobs to me. I was excited for them because it was their baby, but I couldn't recognize anything they were pointing out to me and even if I could, I didn't really care.
Then I got pregnant with Shaun and every ultrasound was a picture of my baby that I treasured. I carried that first ultrasound in my purse and showed anyone who would look. Same story with Ian. Now that I'm on baby #3 and pregnancy #5 I'm back at the start again. This baby, while I know it's growing inside me and I'm so excited to meet it, I can't really tell too much from the blurry picture. I can recognize the leg buds and where the yolk sac, brain and eyeballs are but that's about it. I certainly won't be carrying around this picture with me. It's not that I don't care, I've just evolved as a Mum and I realize now that ultrasound images are much more important to the parents than anyone else. Just for the record though, I posted this picture for those of you who have been consistently harassing me for pictures! :P
Red Lobster
Melissa surprised us last night and offered to look after Shaun and Ian while we went out for dinner together. We looked after her 3 boys for the day since her nanny had asked for the day off and her husband is back on the ship for 5 weeks. We aren't able to get out together very often without at least one kid in tow so we took advantage of the opportunity and went to Red Lobster. Delicious! I remember as a little girl I went to Red Lobster with my parents and complained the whole time about what I was eating. We never returned there again. Come to think of it, we didn't eat out much at all growing up. It must have been because of the expense. So anyway, thanks so much to Melissa for the terrific treat! We'll be sure to repay you soon!
What is it about vitamins that makes my stomach so upset? When I was pregnant with Shaun I could take my prenatals any time I wanted with no ill effects. I'd always take them right before bed, after brushing my teeth. Then with Ian I learned - after barfing many times right after heading to bed - that I had to take them with food. At the very least I needed to have a glass or orange juice or milk in my tummy. This time I just can't stomach them at all. No matter what's in my stomach I get nauseated within about 10 minutes. I'll have to ask my midwife about that and possibly switch brands.
My belly's growing. Already. I knew that this baby would demand a lot of real estate early on because it's been such a short time since Ian occupied that space but I never realized how quickly it would happen. There's been a couple of people (one lady who came to sell me some of her maternity clothes and the cashier at the grocery store) who have asked me how far along I am. I've had to answer sheepishly that I'm only 8 weeks.
My midwife's office called late last week to confirm my due date (December 31, exactly what I thought it was) and to schedule my first appointment. The reason they've waited this long is because we really didn't know when I was due since I had only one period before getting pregnant, and it was loooong before I actually got pregnant. Anyway, Pooja, who delivered Ian was supposed to be on holidays for 3 weeks starting at the end of December; and Amanda, who was also present when Ian was born, was also scheduled to be on holidays at close to the same time. But once the ultrasound came back, Pooja actually delayed her holidays until January 11 so that she'd be around to deliver me! How cool is that?! Man, I LOVE midwives!! And just for the record, providing everything continues normally and without complications, we'll be birthing this baby at home again. At least we'll be more prepared this time and I won't have to ruin all my nice, white towels with blood from the birth.
Ultrasound pictures to come. I'm getting ready to scan them right now.
What is it about vitamins that makes my stomach so upset? When I was pregnant with Shaun I could take my prenatals any time I wanted with no ill effects. I'd always take them right before bed, after brushing my teeth. Then with Ian I learned - after barfing many times right after heading to bed - that I had to take them with food. At the very least I needed to have a glass or orange juice or milk in my tummy. This time I just can't stomach them at all. No matter what's in my stomach I get nauseated within about 10 minutes. I'll have to ask my midwife about that and possibly switch brands.
My belly's growing. Already. I knew that this baby would demand a lot of real estate early on because it's been such a short time since Ian occupied that space but I never realized how quickly it would happen. There's been a couple of people (one lady who came to sell me some of her maternity clothes and the cashier at the grocery store) who have asked me how far along I am. I've had to answer sheepishly that I'm only 8 weeks.
My midwife's office called late last week to confirm my due date (December 31, exactly what I thought it was) and to schedule my first appointment. The reason they've waited this long is because we really didn't know when I was due since I had only one period before getting pregnant, and it was loooong before I actually got pregnant. Anyway, Pooja, who delivered Ian was supposed to be on holidays for 3 weeks starting at the end of December; and Amanda, who was also present when Ian was born, was also scheduled to be on holidays at close to the same time. But once the ultrasound came back, Pooja actually delayed her holidays until January 11 so that she'd be around to deliver me! How cool is that?! Man, I LOVE midwives!! And just for the record, providing everything continues normally and without complications, we'll be birthing this baby at home again. At least we'll be more prepared this time and I won't have to ruin all my nice, white towels with blood from the birth.
Ultrasound pictures to come. I'm getting ready to scan them right now.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Thunder Stealing
I spread the news of our third baby to the family yesterday. Craig and I worked together to pick through a pile of photos from Ian's birth up until now and then put them into a short video montage. Then we emailed the link to all the family. It was fun to get the calls of congratulations as they came in because now we know who checks their email regularly and who doesn't!
Then my brother called tonight. He and his wife have been married about 3 1/2 years. He's a stock manager at a surplus store in London and she's in university full time. Apparently, I stole their thunder with our news yesterday because he told me they're pregnant too!!! Due in the middle of December, only a couple of weeks before I am. Talk about an awesome month for my parents. Now they'll certainly have to buy that minivan: from 3 to 5 grandchildren in only hours.
It wasn't intentional but I think I'll have to call myself a professional Thunder Stealer now.
Then my brother called tonight. He and his wife have been married about 3 1/2 years. He's a stock manager at a surplus store in London and she's in university full time. Apparently, I stole their thunder with our news yesterday because he told me they're pregnant too!!! Due in the middle of December, only a couple of weeks before I am. Talk about an awesome month for my parents. Now they'll certainly have to buy that minivan: from 3 to 5 grandchildren in only hours.
It wasn't intentional but I think I'll have to call myself a professional Thunder Stealer now.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Six Weeks, 9 Months, 3 years 8 months, Drafted Post from May 9, 2009
The ages of my kids right now. Granted, the youngest is still gestating but you get the idea.
The child that is growing in my womb is six weeks old today. I am due to give birth to this child in 34 weeks.
Baby's heart is beating. Baby is twitching. Baby is about the same size as a kidney bean, it's heart as tiny as a sesame seed. Baby makes me tired, feel sick and constipated.
When we talk about the future now we talk about having 3 children. It includes thoughts on where the carseats will go in the van, how we will afford Disney World in 3 years, finding a babysitter, carpooling, grocery shopping for so many mouths, laundry, having only 3 bedrooms.
But I am so happy. I love this baby. I love my family. I love my life. I already picture us as a family with three children. I imagine myself bundling up 2 boys and wrapping my bulging belly in a sweater as we hurry outside in the cold. I picture our bedroom all set up for a home birth. When I daydream of days spent at the beach I see a family of 5. I see myself carrying an infant and Shaun holding Ian's hand as we stroll to the park.
This baby surprised us but it was always wanted.
Three's a Crowd, Drafted Post from April 24, 2009
I cried - a lot - when I first realized we were growing our family. I want three children and I've made it very clear to Craig that my intention is to have 3 eventually but not now. My personality is Type A - I have to plan things. Everything. This was not in the plans for right now. I've lost control over something that I always thought was in my control. What are we going to do?!
Obviously we'll have the baby. No question there. But how will we adjust to a third baby when our second is only 16 months old?
My home childcare just opened and my first client starts at the end of June. When the baby comes I'll have a 16 month old of my own, a 17 month old that I'm looking after and a nearly 4 1/2 year old. Goodness.
It's not that I'm not grateful. It's just that this comes as such a surprise. We struggled for 19 long months to get pregnant with Ian. There were 2 devastating miscarriages in that time. We started to think that we'd never be able to have another healthy child. We looked to fertility treatments and had a start date set when we learned that Ian was coming along. My mind is drowning thinking about how our lives will change with a third child.
Obviously we'll have the baby. No question there. But how will we adjust to a third baby when our second is only 16 months old?
My home childcare just opened and my first client starts at the end of June. When the baby comes I'll have a 16 month old of my own, a 17 month old that I'm looking after and a nearly 4 1/2 year old. Goodness.
It's not that I'm not grateful. It's just that this comes as such a surprise. We struggled for 19 long months to get pregnant with Ian. There were 2 devastating miscarriages in that time. We started to think that we'd never be able to have another healthy child. We looked to fertility treatments and had a start date set when we learned that Ian was coming along. My mind is drowning thinking about how our lives will change with a third child.
Another Blessing, Drafted Post from April 23, 2009
I simply can't believe it. I took this after dinner tonight. I sort of had a feeling but never imagined I was actually pregnant. We've been using contraception. I was charting as part of our family planning but we were using VCF too. When my temperature remained high after ovulation I started getting a little suspicious but figured my body was still getting back on track. I'm still breastfeeding Ian and I've only had one post partum period. Go figure Craig's swimmers would get through the barrier of spermicide and that my body was actually ovulating. I guess God had other plans for us.
Cat's Outta the Bag
It's time I figure. We're thrilled to announce that we will be expecting our third child sometime after Christmas this year!!! I had an ultrasound this morning and everything appears to be going well. Our baby is growing and has landed in the right place. Although this baby is coming much sooner than we would have planned, we're both feeling very blessed right now and can't wait to have a busy house full of little feet!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Smells like...
I went out this afternoon to run some errands with the boys and picked up one of those scented oil refills. When we returned home, Shaun stayed outside to play and I put Ian in the playroom while I unpacked the bags. Well, wouldn't you know it, at the very same moment as Ian fell backwards into a bin of toys and Shaun called me to help him from outside, I dropped the damn thing and it smashed into 856 (yes, that exact amount) tiny shards of razor sharp glass all over the kitchen floor. And the oil splattered everywhere too.
Thank goodness Ian isn't crawling yet because after spending a brief moment cussing, I was able to quickly console him then run outside to help Shaun while leaving the glass all over the kitchen. When I came back inside I foolishly used a damp dishrag to mop up the oil. Now the dishrag and the laundry room and my hands reek. Scented oil is nice in small puffs, not when it's all over your hands and permeating everything. Next time I'll use paper towel, since that's what we buy the stuff for. See how cheap I am? My first thought was to wipe up scented oil with something reusable. What was I thinking???
In the meantime the house smells like Morning Rain, according to Febreeze Air Effects. I think it smells like Too Much Air Freshener.
Thank goodness Ian isn't crawling yet because after spending a brief moment cussing, I was able to quickly console him then run outside to help Shaun while leaving the glass all over the kitchen. When I came back inside I foolishly used a damp dishrag to mop up the oil. Now the dishrag and the laundry room and my hands reek. Scented oil is nice in small puffs, not when it's all over your hands and permeating everything. Next time I'll use paper towel, since that's what we buy the stuff for. See how cheap I am? My first thought was to wipe up scented oil with something reusable. What was I thinking???
In the meantime the house smells like Morning Rain, according to Febreeze Air Effects. I think it smells like Too Much Air Freshener.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
9 Months Old
Good grief, can you believe Ian is nine months old today? I can't.
He has a weigh in with the doctor in just over a week so I'll update his weight more then. He still has only 2 teeth but makes up for his lack of teeth with his superior chewing skills. He can chew anything. Strawberries and chicken are his favourite. I still make and puree baby food for him but he's accepting it less and less. I think that's because he's much happier when he can feed himself. He loves toast and cheerios. Feta cheese has gone over really well as has cottage cheese. He enjoys yogurt and applesauce. Baby cereal is tolerated but only because he knows he gets fingerfoods when the cereal is done. I know that won't last long. And he loves the boob. Oh my, does he love the boob. He had a stint back about a month ago where he was getting really distracted and I feared he was weaning but I persevered and we came through and now he's back to nursing 3-4 times a day. It depends on where his naps fall and if he has a third nap. Most days he does but I'm trying to drop the third nap and just get him to sleep longer in the afternoon.
Ian's not crawling yet. It's funny because he looks like he's going to so often but he never actually gets up on all fours. I don't think he has the upper body strength to crawl yet. The whole world will open up to him once he's crawling. I know that life is easier with an immobile baby but I also know that he'll be much happier when he can chase Shaun around and crawl to reach the ball that rolled away.
This morning Ian danced for the first time. I was getting him dressed and Shaun was playing with the Fridge Farm that plays various tunes. Ian was sitting on his bum and rocking back and forth with a great big grin on his face. When the music stopped, so did he. When I asked him if he was dancing he smiled and babbled. I remember the first time Shaun danced. I was so proud that all the dancing I had been doing with him was finally showing up. Now all the goofy dancing Shaun does is finally showing up in Ian. He's getting so big.
I think Ian Meows too. There's been a few times when the cats have strolled into the kitchen and he's meowed at them. It doesn't happen every time but it's happened enough that I think I can call it confirmed. Shaun's first official word was "Ted", though he said it "Det". I wonder what Ian will say. I had a dream last night that Ian's first word was Boogeyman. Somehow I believe that.
My parents are coming this afternoon to babysit because Craig, Shaun and I are going to Medieval Times for dinner. Ian hasn't seen my parents in a few weeks so we'll see if his stranger anxiety has kicked in yet. I'm torn. He's not nearly as timid as Shaun was at this age but I haven't been out and about as much having 2 kids as I was with only 1. Mum and Dad are going for pizza. Ian will love that!
He has a weigh in with the doctor in just over a week so I'll update his weight more then. He still has only 2 teeth but makes up for his lack of teeth with his superior chewing skills. He can chew anything. Strawberries and chicken are his favourite. I still make and puree baby food for him but he's accepting it less and less. I think that's because he's much happier when he can feed himself. He loves toast and cheerios. Feta cheese has gone over really well as has cottage cheese. He enjoys yogurt and applesauce. Baby cereal is tolerated but only because he knows he gets fingerfoods when the cereal is done. I know that won't last long. And he loves the boob. Oh my, does he love the boob. He had a stint back about a month ago where he was getting really distracted and I feared he was weaning but I persevered and we came through and now he's back to nursing 3-4 times a day. It depends on where his naps fall and if he has a third nap. Most days he does but I'm trying to drop the third nap and just get him to sleep longer in the afternoon.
Ian's not crawling yet. It's funny because he looks like he's going to so often but he never actually gets up on all fours. I don't think he has the upper body strength to crawl yet. The whole world will open up to him once he's crawling. I know that life is easier with an immobile baby but I also know that he'll be much happier when he can chase Shaun around and crawl to reach the ball that rolled away.
This morning Ian danced for the first time. I was getting him dressed and Shaun was playing with the Fridge Farm that plays various tunes. Ian was sitting on his bum and rocking back and forth with a great big grin on his face. When the music stopped, so did he. When I asked him if he was dancing he smiled and babbled. I remember the first time Shaun danced. I was so proud that all the dancing I had been doing with him was finally showing up. Now all the goofy dancing Shaun does is finally showing up in Ian. He's getting so big.
I think Ian Meows too. There's been a few times when the cats have strolled into the kitchen and he's meowed at them. It doesn't happen every time but it's happened enough that I think I can call it confirmed. Shaun's first official word was "Ted", though he said it "Det". I wonder what Ian will say. I had a dream last night that Ian's first word was Boogeyman. Somehow I believe that.
My parents are coming this afternoon to babysit because Craig, Shaun and I are going to Medieval Times for dinner. Ian hasn't seen my parents in a few weeks so we'll see if his stranger anxiety has kicked in yet. I'm torn. He's not nearly as timid as Shaun was at this age but I haven't been out and about as much having 2 kids as I was with only 1. Mum and Dad are going for pizza. Ian will love that!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Nature Valley
Have I said yet how much I love my house? If not, I Love My House.
Spring is in full swing and all of the perennials have popped out of the ground and many are in full bloom. I'm learning so much about plants and gardening, I'm sorry I didn't give more attention to my planting beds in the townhouse. There's periwinkle and flox everywhere and last week I planted some Saxafrage. Along one side of the house there's clamatis peeking out of the dirt; I'm sure it will be climbing the bricks in no time. Along the other side of the house, lining the fence, there's strawberries. I've never grown strawberries before - or anything but tulips and lilies to be honest - so it'll be fun to see how fruitful (pun intended!) the crop is from this wannabe green thumb.
The absolute best thing about living here is how hospitable the birds find our backyard. We have no less than 3 nesting birds. One family has babies, we heard them this afternoon. The robin couple swaps sitting on 3 bright blue eggs. There's a third nest high in the spruce tree that belongs to some very happy, but very squawky grackles. Those are the blackbirds with iridescent heads.
I've read that robins incubate their eggs for almost 2 weeks. It's been about 10 days since Momma laid her 3 eggs so we should be getting some action within the next few days I'd think. I've taken pictures of the nest as it was being built and have a picture of the little eggies. I'll have to check out the nest today and see if there's any babies yet. What an awesome experience for Shaun!
And we have a little bunny who frequents our backyard these days. He arrives from under the fence on the left side and takes the same trail every morning. First hopping over to the shed and meandering around under there for a few minutes. The first time I actually watched him I thought he had left but he appeared from the other side of the shed a few minutes later. Then he continues on to the sandbox. Sometimes stopping to sniff the toys and nibble on the long grasses that stretch for sunlight from under the umbrella tree. He follows the border of the flower bed and rounds the patio, pausing at the strawberry bushes. There aren't even blooms there yet but I'm pretty sure he's trolling, just waiting for that first sweet blossom. Then he quickly slips back under the fence on the opposite side from where he came. I have my camera ready to snap a picture of him but I haven't been able to get a good shot of him yet. I'll keep trying.
Spring is in full swing and all of the perennials have popped out of the ground and many are in full bloom. I'm learning so much about plants and gardening, I'm sorry I didn't give more attention to my planting beds in the townhouse. There's periwinkle and flox everywhere and last week I planted some Saxafrage. Along one side of the house there's clamatis peeking out of the dirt; I'm sure it will be climbing the bricks in no time. Along the other side of the house, lining the fence, there's strawberries. I've never grown strawberries before - or anything but tulips and lilies to be honest - so it'll be fun to see how fruitful (pun intended!) the crop is from this wannabe green thumb.
The absolute best thing about living here is how hospitable the birds find our backyard. We have no less than 3 nesting birds. One family has babies, we heard them this afternoon. The robin couple swaps sitting on 3 bright blue eggs. There's a third nest high in the spruce tree that belongs to some very happy, but very squawky grackles. Those are the blackbirds with iridescent heads.
I've read that robins incubate their eggs for almost 2 weeks. It's been about 10 days since Momma laid her 3 eggs so we should be getting some action within the next few days I'd think. I've taken pictures of the nest as it was being built and have a picture of the little eggies. I'll have to check out the nest today and see if there's any babies yet. What an awesome experience for Shaun!
And we have a little bunny who frequents our backyard these days. He arrives from under the fence on the left side and takes the same trail every morning. First hopping over to the shed and meandering around under there for a few minutes. The first time I actually watched him I thought he had left but he appeared from the other side of the shed a few minutes later. Then he continues on to the sandbox. Sometimes stopping to sniff the toys and nibble on the long grasses that stretch for sunlight from under the umbrella tree. He follows the border of the flower bed and rounds the patio, pausing at the strawberry bushes. There aren't even blooms there yet but I'm pretty sure he's trolling, just waiting for that first sweet blossom. Then he quickly slips back under the fence on the opposite side from where he came. I have my camera ready to snap a picture of him but I haven't been able to get a good shot of him yet. I'll keep trying.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Not So Brave
While Shaun was an older infant and toddler I always encouraged him to try things - food, climbing, etc. - so it's not like I was one of those mothers who snuffs out all of her kid's creativity and sense of adventure. So explain to me why Shaun's such a chicken? We went to the park this afternoon. There's a great big free standing slide there that has an elaborate set of ladders to climb to the top. I have pictures of Shaun at the top from last spring and the spring before. This spring he's petrified of this stupid thing. He honestly doesn't believe us that he EVER went down that slide. He made it to the top this spring and had a complete meltdown and I ended up having to crawl up there and escort him down. He was carrying on and on that it was too scary and really creating quite the scene. This afternoon at the park he wouldn't go near the slide with a 10 foot pole. And the swings. Oh Lord, don't get me started on the swings. I feel like people must think I never take him anywhere because everything becomes such a production. Six months ago he was still using the baby swings because we couldn't count on him not letting go but he would scream and complain that the swing was going too high and we were pushing too hard. You would have laughed at how high Shaun considered high. He jumps from higher off the stairs and was swinging higher when he was 6 months old. So we stopped putting him in the swing. If you're going to swing, then SWING for goodness sake! Now that he's only allowed on the big-kid swings he won't go near them. He'll push Ian on the baby ones and push him high, but at the mere mention of a big swing for Shaun the whining starts that 'they're too scary, I go too high, I'm scared I'll fall off, the wind makes my spit hit my face' (seriously!). We've tried everything to try and get him to love the swings and slides again but he's a stubborn little guy and is having none of our schemes. His timidness at parks just makes it so boring because he doesn't want to do anything. He even admits that parks are boring and would rather stay home and pretend to mow the lawn. Go figure.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Porn Pops
He loves them, much to my chagrin. They're not exactly the best cereal out there but Craig had to go and buy the absolute biggest box he could find and now we have them coming out the ying yang. What are they? "Porn Pops" according to Shaun. I told him that 'porn' is not a word and he said he knows but is just being silly. Great. I can hardly wait until he asks for them at the grocery store in front of some old lady!
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