Gotta love weekends away!

So the Adams Family is back from their weekend away...and what a productive weekend it was. Bill and I knew that it was going to be one of those crazy, busy time-offs, but we went for it anyways (because we're just crazy like that! lol). Bill worked until about 2 on Thursday, so while he was away, I was working at home like a mad woman. Got all of Liams food and bottles ready for the weekend, got him and myself packed, got Chloe's food and bed all ready to go, got the assorted jackets/footwear ready if we needed it at the cottage (which we did) and got a huge bag of Liams toys ready to take along (and the exersaucer which is huge and clumsy to pack in the van, but a lifesaver!). Needless to say that by the the time Bill got home, I was already pretty pooped, but Bill was even more so, so nice lil me offered to pack the van up while he watched Liam. Then we were off to Ottawa! I pretty much take any chance that I can get to go and visit my grandparents and other family there. I miss it a lot since we've moved away. Seeing the city as we appear over the hill as we drive in from Kanata....it feels like we're going home in a way. My grandparents were super happy to see Liam and were amazed at how much he has changed in such a short time. In his 8th month alone he has learned to do SO many new and amazing things. Every time Liam spots his grammy, his arms go right out and he leans in for her to take him. It's the cutest thing!

So our mission in Ottawa was to get Liam a new carseat and to pick up a MEC Baby Carrier that someone was selling. Mission accomplised! We took Chloe to the dogpark early on Friday morning which was great. It was a beautiful day and I didn't feel so bad for making her come along with us on all of our errands for the rest of the day. I carried Liam around the park in the Snugli which was a great workout for me (just in case Bill had to run after Chloe at any point...a real possibility with our crazy pup....but she actually behaved perfectly this time), and Liam loved watching all the dogs running around. After the park, we drove REALLY far out to the East end of Ottawa to pick up the carrier from a woman who lived near Metcalfe. Honestly, if I had realized how far she really lived, there is a strong chance we would not have made the drive. But we did, and it was gorgeous out in the country...Liam even had a lil nap so Bill and I got a chance to just talk and laugh and have fun. The woman lived in this pretty rich looking area, so we knew the carrier would be in great shape. And it was! Seriously....$40 for a Mountain Equipment Co-op Baby Carrier...how great is that!!!!!! We are SO excited to get to try it out with Liam. He is quickly outgrowing his little snugli, and we like to go hiking quite frequently, so we needed something more heavy duty.

After that awesome drive, we attempted to find the Kiddytown Warehouse that I knew was also located in Ottawa's East end. We found it finally...after a long, hot drive through lot's of horrible Ottawa traffic. Bill stayed in the car with Chloe while I took Liam into...Mommy Paradise!!!! No joke..this place was like an airplace hanger full of anything you could ever want or need for your child. Stollers, carseats, snowsuits, toys....you name it. I zeroed right in on the Britax carseat I wanted, which was in stock (YEY!) and turned out to be on sale. Even better! It was a feat in itself that I didn't spend hours in there, and thousands of dollars. But our van was already packed to the brim and I knew Bill would be less than pleased if I came out with boxes of stuff (though I did managed to sneak a little yellow, prickly ball into the mix for Liam to play with in the car) :) LOVE the new carseat...it is super cute...and I love knowing that Liam is SO safe in it (I did lots of research on it beforehand).

And then...after all of that running around...we headed back to the grandparents to say a quick goodbye and to feed Liam some lunch...then we were off to the cottage. The drive was pretty uneventful. Liam slept until we hit mad traffic in Arnprior, and he got woken up by like 10 semi's driving by us. The cottage was great as it always is. It was freaking cold there, so I was happy that I had packed Liam some warm clothes and hats. On Saturday night we all went to this party that the people on the lake call a "Wing Ding." Basically they deep fry all sorts of food...chicken wings by the pound, onion rings, cheese sticks..you name it. I was pretty good and tried to stick mostly to the salads and what not, but it was one of those situations where you feel like you've gained 10 pounds just by being in the same room as the food. Strollercize starts on Thursday this week...so lets hope that helps. lol. There was no swimming or boating this time at the cottage due to the cold, wind and rain...so stayed pretty quiet and just played with Liam and watched movies. Bill's sister and brother-in-law made it up which was great. We don't get too many opportunities to see them, and when we do it's lots of fun. Liam loves them also! And they finally managed to get the footage they took of our wedding onto some DVD's...WOO!!! :)

ANYWAYS...super long post already...all I'll say about this coming week is that it is shaping up to be pretty busy. We have playgroup tomorrow afternoon, I'm hoping to make it the library finally on Wednesday, and then me and a new friend are checking out this strollercize group on Thursday. Oh, and swimming lessons registration is on Wednesday...and apparently it is pretty competitive to get into around here due to the number of babies on base...so I'm going super early!! My son is getting IN!! lol Today...I dunno yet...maybe the park and a nice long walk with Chloe and Liam.

I will leave you with an oldy, but a goody of Mr. Liam as I haven't uploaded the pics from this weekend yet :)