It's Christmas time, Pretty Baby...but no snow is falling on the ground...

Ahhh...Christmas.  The tree, the food, friends, family, a warm fire, snow...ok, no snow here but you get the idea.  Don't you just love Christmas? 

We had the best Christmas ever this year because we had our dear darling Elysia join our little clan.  Such a joy she was!  Of course we had to wear a pretty dress and visit Santa.

Hmmm....are you sure you're the real Santa?

Yep, I've been a good girl!

I just Love Christmas!  Ooohhh...is that a real candycane for me to teethe on?

Ahh...after a tough day of visiting Santa, a good bevvie is just what we needed.

Six Months Old and Definitely a Genius

Well, my Elysia turned six months old a few days ago.  6!  It's funny, I used to hear people say that time flies when you have kids, but I never really thought so until my Elysia.  How can she be 6 months?  How precious (and often crazy!!) those months have been!  It seems like only a few weeks ago that I was excitedly waiting for her arrival. Happy Birthday, my dear, darling Elysia.

OK, Winter...Here I Come!!!

Gotta love the hair!

Pucker Up!!  It's picture time. 












Elysia amazes me all the time.  OK, I admit it...my kid is a genius.  Her latest accomplishment?  She can now...(drum-roll, please)...sit up on her own!!  Not long now and she'll be running around the house and playing Mozart on the piano that I am going to have to buy her.  Yep, it's true.  My kid is a genius.  She must get it from her mama.  

Tis the Season to be Jolly

Christmas spirit has invaded my house.  It started early in the morning on November 30th when sounds of the song, 'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,' invaded my dreams.  Steve got up early, dug out the Christmas CDs we purchased last year, dusted them off, and put them on to repeat over and over and over again...

Let the decorating begin!

Steve started by putting up Christmas lights outside our home.  With the garage and front door now adorned with lights, the two of us set our sights on our living room.

Candles, snowmen, twinkle lights, and a Christmas Moose have turned my living room into an explosion of lights, colour and sound.  Of course I had to bake some yummy cookies!!

My Christmas Tree.  Hmmm....looking at this pic, my tree looks a wee bit crooked....

Just need to hang the stockings!

Christmas Moose.  Annie the cat used to sit on Moose's head when she was a baby.  I think that may be why his ears are a little bit squished now.

Yep, Christmas Spirit has invaded my house.  I love it!!

More pics to come.....

The Swap Meet

A few weeks ago I joined a 'Mommy and Me' online group that sends me e-mails about events going on in the community.  Most recently they sent me information about a kids Swap Meet being held in Cloverdale.  Now, I have never been to a Swap Meet, but it seems to me to be in the same category as garage sales.  You know they are always going on in your neighbourhood, but do you really want to go and root through or buy other people's junk?

Well, the cost of raising a baby sure changed my mind!

Thus, I figured I'd give it a try.  Early last Saturday morning I dragged hubby and baby with me and away we went to our very first Swap Meet.  Steve was thrilled, I tell ya!

Unlike a garage sale, you have to pay to get in.  If you arrive early it's $5 per person, but if you arrive an hour later it's only $2.  So we waited at our local Starbucks and bought a few $6 lattes while we counted down the minutes until we could save a few bucks.

If you read my previous blog, you know that I've attended things like shoe sales with hundreds of people and waited in lines to enter stores.  Well let me tell you, comparatively speaking, those were like a quiet stroll through the park compared to this.  It is a mad, mad, mad, world inside the Swap Meet.

Shoes, toys, books, clothes, games, strollers, furniture....all things we could use, but add to this hundreds of parents (all looking for a bargain) storming a room the size of my garage containing tables piled high with these goods, and it becomes pure chaos.  The excitement never ends!

With twenty bucks in hand, I entered the room looking for bargains.  'Two bucks for those shoes?  Will you take a dollar??'  Ahhh, the joys of bargaining.  Takes me back to my time in China (minus, of course, the millions of chinese people).

After an hour of searching, I purchased four sweaters (I'm not sure why, but I seem to be in a sweater phase right now), a pair of shoes, pants, and a toy for Elysia's crib.  Not bad, if I do say so myself!

Yep, I can definitely say I am now hooked on Swap Meets.  In fact, I think Steve is too.  I believe his exact words were, 'it's right up there with the shoe sale you dragged me to last week.'  hehehe.

The Best Day Trip EVER!

The weather was nice a few days ago, so my hubby suggested that we drive over to Steveston to go for a walk and purchase some of his beloved potato bread.  It sounded like a nice outing, so we packed up the baby and away we went.

On the way, I suggested we stop at a little tea shop that I was told about.  When we walked in, there were doilies, lace curtains, china cups, and older ladies wearing large hats in the shop.  I saw grandmas with granddaughters, and lovely older couples enjoying a pot of tea and chatting with each other.  All this, and fresh baked scones and pie too.  I loved it!  Hubby wasn't as impressed...

After that little detour, we continued on our way to Steveston.  While driving, I saw something else that seemed interesting.  'Look, honey...a shoe sale!  Let's check it out...'

So there we were.  Steve, Me, and baby Elysia standing in a line waiting to enter a shoe sale that I just happened to spot.  Wouldn't you stop if you saw a sign that said 'Shoe Sale:  All shoes $39.95'???  After 20 minutes of standing outside just waiting to get in the store, we had to find our way through thousands of shoes to find the perfect pair.  Heaven!!  I loved it!  Hubby wasn't as impressed...

An hour or so later we left the store (sadly, it should have been much later since apparently this shoe sale only happens twice a year), and after that little detour we once again continued on our way to Steveston.

By this time, Elysia was getting grouchy.  Hard to believe, I know, but when my kid gets tired she likes to let everyone know about it.  So with our screaming kid in the back, the sun going down, and the rain heading in, we finally arrived in Steveston.  We ended up purchasing his potato bread, but we missed the walk and went home.

After this wonderful day, Steve went back to work and had a discussion about relationships with a guy he worked with.  His partner wanted to know how he knew that I was 'the one'.  Steve responded by asking his partner...'would you ever go to a shoe sale with your girlfriend?  If the answer is yes, it is really true love.'  =)  Awwww......I'm such a lucky girl.

Steve and I

My friend sent me a picture of Steve and I at my dad's 65th Birthday party, and it got me to looking at some of the pictures we have together.  Here are a few of my favourites!

Dad's 65th birthday party.

We love Birthdays!

I love this pic!  It was taken by me (see the reflection in Steve's glasses?) while on our first trip together to Vancouver Island.

This was taken at Steve's graduation from the Police Academy.  Loved his uniform.  :)

This was taken at his Graduation party.

The night we got engaged.

And finally...our wedding.

Love you, honey!!

Just call me the Elysia bragger...

My daughter is getting so big!  She's now five months old and weighs a little over 12lbs.  How I love my baby!!  I sometimes worry about her size as she is quite small for her age, but she is doing really well. 

Her favourite thing to do right now is to make lots of noise.  But not just any noise.  Nope.  My kiddo likes to make these strange, loud sounds when she is breathing in.  I mean, that's way more fun than making sounds when you breathe out.  Where's the fun in that?  Of course, she just ends up sounding like she is having trouble breathing, but just one look at her grinning and pleased face will tell you otherwise.  Last Sunday she was making these noises while in church.  Disruptive yes, but also absolutely adorable!  :)

But that's not all that is new with my little one.  My Elysia now takes your hands when you reach for her.  I LOVE that.  Her tiny little fingers (which are absolutely gorgeous) wrap around my hand and my heart just melts.  She takes my hands, I say 'ready?' and she smiles while I pick her up.  Could my daughter be any cuter?  She also loves to touch my face when she is drinking her bottle.  She looks at me and her hands just come up and caress my chin.  Of course I have to eat her fingers!! 

She has also finally figured out that her jolly jumper isn't just for standing around in.  She loves it, and it is so much fun to watch her jump, jump, jump!  She's quite the entertainer, really.  She loves an audience!

Yep.  The Elysia bragger.  That's me!  And I wouldn't want it any other way.

The first Halloween

'No' said Steve, when I wanted to dress up Elysia in her costume several days before Halloween.  'We have to wait until the 31st and then show everyone.'  Jeez.  How boring is that?  When you've got an adorable kid with an awesome costume, who wants to wait??

Daddy and Elysia (On Halloween, of course).

So wait we did.  And waited, and waited, and waited....Until a few days ago when I visit my Grandma while Steve was at work, and ummm...well, Grammie saw the little Ladybug first.  Sorry, hunny!

We've started a tradition in our home.  Every Halloween Steve and I pick out a pumpkin and carve it together.  First year it was a pirate ship, then a big pumpkin eating a little pumpkin, and this year it was spooky trees with an Owl on a branch.  It turned out pretty good, I think.

Sigh...Steve was right.  The picture just doesn't do our pumpkin justice.  It was amazing, I tell you!  AMAZING!! 

Getting the pumpkin was tough this year.  Who would have thought that trying to find a pumpkin at 5pm on the 31st would be so difficult?  OK, perhaps we shouldn't have waited until the last minute.  Lucky for us we were able to find one at a store near our home that was throwing them out.  We got it for free!  My hubby liked that.  Unlucky for me...now I'll probably have to wait until 5pm on the 31st next Halloween.

We got about 20 little ghosts and goblins visiting us this Halloween, and we bought 125 chocolates.  Thank you, Costco!  What are we ever going to do with the left-overs?  Hmmmm.....

Our neighbour came for a visit, too.  Baby Leah is 5 weeks younger than Elysia, so I think they will be good friends. 

Now if only she could say, 'Trick or Treat!!'

Daddy said that Ladybugs fly!!

Gotta see the spots!!

The cutest Ladybug ever!

Yep, we had a fun Halloween!

What to Do?

A few days ago my hubby came home from work early because he was sick.  He has some of the symptoms of H1N1, and honestly I'm not sure whether he has that or another strain of the influenza virus.  Thankfully, no matter what type of flu it is, his symptoms have been somewhat mild. 

I've debated getting the H1N1 flu shot for a while now.  It seems to me that it is too new, and I'm not sure I would like to have something put in my body that might not be good for me.  However....I have Elysia to think about.  She isn't even 5 months old, and only a little over eleven pounds.  What if she gets the flu?  So the question is, should I get the shot? 

I'm thinking yes....

Capilano Suspension Bridge

We had a fun day at the Suspension Bridge!

Elysia loves just hanging out with Daddy...

I tried to take a few pictures of the three of us.   As you can see, they turned out quite well.  :-p

OK, maybe not so good...

Thank goodness we had Annemarie to take this picture for us!!

A/M

Steve and I picked up my friend Annemarie today at the airport.  She flew in from China to visit us for ten days, and I am really looking forward to being a tourist in my city with my friend.  Tomorrow we are going to Whistler, and we have plans for most of the days that she is here. 

I lived in China for three years and we became friends during this time.  She and I enjoyed many fun times together; shopping, watching movies, eating out, mani/pedis, and just hanging out.  We also shared our China frustrations; bad driving (yes, it is true.  The driving there is, well...just like driving in Richmond), language barriers, and many other things that would be simple at home but endlessly complicated there (such as banking).  I used to live in a small city (4 million people), so I would get on a two hour bus ride every weekend and stay with A/M.  The city I lived in was so quiet, and I loved the personality of Beijing with all its people and things going on.  I remember walking through the city early one morning and just watching the people quietly doing Tai-Chi, and then going out in the evening and watching couples of all ages dance in the square at Houhai.  The city was such a strange mix of new and old, and you could always find something to do. 

I will always remember my time in China with fondness.  It was there that I overcame my shyness, and it was there that I learned that I really love adventure and seeing new places and meeting new people.  I now know that I can do things on my own, in a place where I don't speak the language or know the culture, and that I will be just fine.  I also met some of my dearest friends there, and one of them is visiting us now.

Some days are better than others

Although my daughter was a very colicky baby, lately we seem to have turned a corner in that regard and she is a far more pleasant and happy baby now.  Her smiles, expressions, and excitement in discovering new things are a gift to see and I love sharing those moments with her.  But even though I love my daughter more than I could ever have imagined, I also enjoy my free time in the evenings when my little one is asleep.  This is my time to get things done, my relaxation time, my re-grouping time, my ME time.  I spend these evenings preparing the baby's bag and making her bottles for the next day, cleaning up my home, and doing laundry.  Once that is all done, I have a chance to do things like have a bath, drink tea, read books, watch television, or write in my blog.  As a result, I stay up quite late and go to bed around midnight.

Lately this routine has worked quite well, as the baby sleeps mostly through the night and the two of us wake up refreshed and ready to start our day the following morning.  Last night, however, was a little different.  Elysia woke up at 4 am and cried (screamed would be more accurate) for hours.  Soother, bottle, diaper change, gripe water...nothing worked.  By 8 am both of us were exhausted, I called my husband in tears, and then I called my mom. 

I ended up spending the day at my parent's house and they helped me with my daughter.  How awesome my family is!  I guess being a parent doesn't end when your baby gets married and has a baby of her own.  Although some days are better than others, the good news is that mornings like this one are few and far between.  Thankfully, with the help of my family, this day ended up being much better than when it started. 

Right now my Elysia sleeps, tucked in bed and looking like a little angel.  Now is my rest time and I am enjoying a cup of tea and relaxing on the sofa.  Tomorrow is a new day...

Ouch!

My baby girl turned four months old a few days ago.  The time has gone by so quickly, but I'll dwell on that another time.  As for turning four months old, well those of you with little ones knows what that means...SHOTS!  Yes, the four month immunization time had arrived.

Now we've been through this before, her and I.  When she turned two months, I dutifully entered my doctor's office with a happy baby and waited for the nurse to produce the dreaded needle.  Of course I had to bring back-up, so thankfully Grandma came with us.  There we were, baby, mama, and grandma, patiently waiting in the little office when the nurse entered with three needles.  THREE.  Being the chicken that I am, Grandma held on to my little Leesee while poke, poke, poke!  Have you ever noticed that kids cry differently than adults?  There is always this shocked little noise at first, which is then followed by a few seconds of silence where they take in an astronomical amount of air, and then SCREEEEEM... I'm sad to say my daughter is no different, and my deafness from that day is a testament to this fact.  The nurse seemed completely unfazed by this outburst, quickly applied three little bandaids to my now completely red little baby, and promptly left the room.  Ahhh, memories.

Now she is four months old and I have her last shots as a reference point, so I wasn't really expecting much to be different this time around.  Steve wasn't working, so this time Grandma was off the hook and he was the lucky one who came with me and Leesee to the appointment.  While sitting in the waiting room, all the other patients commented on how alert, happy and cute my baby was, and being the modest parents that we are, we completely agreed with them.  After a few minutes, we were called in to see the doctor and we carried our little one into the now familiar office.  Weight...11 lbs, 5 oz.;  Length...24 inches;  Happy, Smiley baby...Check.  Then the questions.  She can start eating solid foods now, has she tried any?  Hmmm, does the popsicle I shared with her the other day count?  Apparently not.  How about the tiny bit of mashed potatoes and gravy she loved from the other night?  Not a good idea.  Okay, rice cereal it is.  Yummm.  Perhaps I'll win some in the cereal contest I'm still entering daily.

Exit doctor, enter the same nurse as last time with the same dreaded needle.  Or should I say needles as of course they can't put all the medicine in just one.  There is my baby, sitting on her daddy happily cooing away.  Did I mention that I'm a chicken?  It's true, I can't watch my baby get poked with a needle.  Thank goodness for daddy!  Aside from getting whacked by her one year old cousin a few weeks ago (he doesn't like her very much for some reason), the needle is the worst thing that has ever happened to her and I don't want to be the one holding her when it's done...although I'll happily give the cuddles after.  This time around, while the nurse was preparing the needles we noticed that my baby was hungry.  We quickly popped the bottle in her mouth hoping this would distract her from the needle.  So there she was enjoying her breakfast when, poke, poke...shocked noise...deep breath...and, well, you get the idea.

Needless to say, the other patients in the waiting room didn't give us the same compliments as earlier when we walked through the waiting room with our now red-faced and screeming bundle of joy.

Next shots, six months...Can't wait. 

Lucky Me

I like to enter contests.  I don't know why exactly, I just do.  Recently I entered a contest to win cereal for a year.  Why?  Well, why not?  Of course I also enter Steve and my mom in these contests...won't they be shocked (and pleased, I'm sure) if they win a years supply of Cheerio's?!?

I've won various prizes a few times, such as movie passes, CD's, gift baskets, concert tickets, etc.  Silly little things that I don't really need or necessarily want, but when I hear 'call now' it's like an order that I just can't ignore, and I find myself picking up the phone and automatically dialing the contest line.  It hasn't always worked out though.  A few times I have turned on the radio, heard the words 'be the (whatever caller #) now' and away I go...grab the phone and dial, dial, dial...When this happens, I always get a little panicky as I don't really know what I'm calling for.  Are they going to ask me a question?  What am I even calling for?  I once listened to the phone ring a few times and then when I won I got nervous and hung up.  I was sorry about a minute later when I found out I had just hung up on a trip to Belize!  When I really don't know what I'm going to win and it starts to ring on the other end, I'll often give the phone to Steve...'here honey, find out what I've won...'

My most recent win was last Friday when I won a $100 gift card to a local clothing shop.  Steve wants to know why I can't win anything 'good', but I don't mind winning these little prizes.  I mean, what's the fun in winning the lottery when you can win a Christina Aguilera Christmas CD?? 

Well, time to go.  Have to enter Steve, Mom and Me in the cereal contest...

The Giggle

There are many wonderful sounds that I love. 

The sound of the ocean, so peaceful in its rhythm.
Hearing people cheer when their team wins an important game.
The sound of my husbands voice, always so sweet and loving.
Hearing the garage door open when I know my husband is finally arriving home from working a 12 hr shift.
The sound of children playing.
Hearing the wind as it rustles through the trees.

But the sound I love the most is the one my daughter made when she giggled for the first time. 

The Last Wish

When I awoke this morning, the skies were grey and the rain had begun to fall.  Steve and I got ready to go, got Elysia up and bathed, and we hurried out the door.  Today is the day that Steve's family chose to place his father's ashes in the river. 

I didn't know Steve's dad very well, but what I do know is that he was loved.  To be dearly loved by family and friends, isn't that a life that we all want?  I heard once that we can't measure our life by how much we love others, but by how much we are loved.  If that's the case, then Ken was a very blessed man.

Steve's father passed away last September.  He wanted his ashes spread under the bridge where he once saved a woman's life many years ago, and the family came together to make sure that his wishes were honoured.  Not long after arriving at the pier where the boat waited to take the family under the bridge, the sky cleared and the sun greeted us with its warmth. 

It was a difficult day for my husband.  He wrote something earlier, and he said he didn't mind if I placed it in my blog.  Here it is...

I sent my dad to sea today and I am not sure how I feel about it. It has been one year since I lost him although it still feels like yesterday to me.


I know that loss of a loved one is a natural course of life but I have to ask the question why. It was not like he was an old man he was only 57 years old. So now our little girl will never know her grandpa Shaw. And out of this loss I have to say that that is the hardest thing to deal with. He will never get to look into her eyes and see them smile. He will never hear her laugh. He will never see me as a father and the man that I have become. I believe that he can see me but it is not the same. I wish that he could enjoy life with a granddaughter.

Dad you were my best friend, my mentor and my hero. I LOVE YOU DAD.

Naptime

How my life has changed!  Between midnight feedings, bottles, diapers, and playtime, my days are no longer my own.  Who was I before this now 10 pound baby entered my world?  Did I always have to pack a spare shirt with me for those frequent spit-ups that always manage to miss the bib and hit me?  Was laundry ever not a part of my daily routine?  And when did I start carrying a backpack with me instead of a purse?  I wonder now how I was ever able to get up in the morning and be out the door and on the road within half an hour.  Did that really happen, or was it all a dream...

And yet, I wouldn't change a thing. 

Elysia gives me a smile that just melts my heart.  When I play with her, she gets this mischievous twinkle in her eyes and I just know that she is going to have a wonderful sense of humour.  She truly does amaze me more and more every day.  How could I ever want to go back to life before her?  Every day I look forward to seeing what incredible thing she is going to do or what new thing she is going to learn. Can you tell that I am really enjoying raising this child?  My child.  So much of me is in her, yet she is completely her own person.  The one who looks at me with eyes so much like her fathers.  Who is she going to become?  What is she going to choose for her life?  Is she going to want to see the world and live a life of adventure?  Or is she going to love being home, and always remain close to those that love her.  Alas, I'm getting ahead of myself...

Naptime.

Right now my baby sleeps.  She is swaddled in blankets with soother in mouth and looks like a little angel.  This is my time to do a few things around the house, but if I am lucky I have a few moments to myself.   She is sleeping longer than the 30 minute naps that she has given me in the past, and now seems to sleep for around 2 hours.  She is growing so fast that she needs this time to energize.  How my life has changed!

And yet, I wouldn't change a thing.

Welcome to the World of Blogging

Well, this is my first entry into the blogging world.  I've had this blog for a few weeks now, and have looked at it's blank pages with more than a little trepidation.  However, after reading a few blogs from friends and my mom, I have decided to finally 'get my feet wet,' and write something!  So here's a little bit about me...

I have been married to my husband for a little over a year now.  We are still in our 'honeymoon' period, and I love him dearly.  Steve is such a strong and stable man.  If I had to describe his personality in a word picture, I'd say he is like a tree.  He is well rooted and strong, and provides for me comfort, love and peace.  This isn't to say that he is boring.  Quite the contrary!  I find him funny, sweet and interesting as well.  As for me, I am more like a bird in that tree, always wanting to try new things and explore the world around me.  While I am definitely more flighty than my husband, I need that tree.  In that way, I believe we are perfectly suited to each other.  He keeps me grounded, and I help him become more adventurous.

We also have a three month old daughter named Elysia.  She is truly my pride and my joy, and I adore her.  When she wakes up in the morning she greets me with a smile, and I love spending my days with her.  The surprise and delight visible in her eyes when she learns something new is the most awesome thing I have ever seen.  A few weeks ago she rolled over from her tummy to her back for the first time.  She looked so shocked and pleased with herself!  Elysia has these great big blue eyes, a perfect litte rose-bud mouth, and an adorable dimpled chin just like her daddy.  The only thing we have yet to determine is the colour of her hair!  Blonde, red, brown...her colour really depends on who she is sitting with or the lighting in the room.  One of my girlfriends said she is like a chamelion, changing colours to suit her environment.  I have to admit, my baby is clever!

This is me....