Dear Liam...

  You are now 21 months old (soon to be 22 months old) and you are such a joy to me!  Somedays I feel like I spend every spare moment just staring at you.  Wondering how I got so lucky to have been blessed with having you in my life; wondering how you are growing up so dang fast; wondering what you will choose to do with your wonderful life; wondering how I don't just fall over all the time with how CUTE you are; wondering how you got so funny so fast; wondering what you are thinking about; wondering whether or not to cut that awesome hair of yours (the decision changes daily); wondering how I could ever love another child just as much as I love you.  And the list just goes on and on. 

 You are SO much fun these days monkey!  You smile all the time, you laugh when you think something is funny, you clap and dance along to music or shows on tv. You can point out all of your different body parts, and can even repeat a lot of their names when mommy or daddy tells you what they are.  You know SO many words now: purple (pretty sure this is your favorite color right now), mama, dada, nana, papa, truck, moo, dog, puppy, choochoo, train, banana (you say "nana" for banana)....and the list just keeps on growing.  I tell you I love you like a thousand times a day and I just can't wait until you can say it back.
  You have such a jest for life.  You LOVE, LOVE, LOVE trucks, cars, planes, trains and anything else that moves and makes noise.  This summer there was a lot of construction happening in our neighborhood, so you were truly in your glory watching all of the big machines.  You get SO excited when "Mighty Machines" comes on the tv.  We know now that we just need to stop anything we are doing so that we can stop and be excited with you.  You always point at the screen, make a "ooohhh" sound, and then turn back to make sure that we are SO seeing what you are seeing.  Too cute! lol.
  Mommy recently went back to work, which has been an adjustment for all of us.  You are not used to staying with anyone that is not mommy or daddy, but you seem to be having lots of fun with Pauline and Addy of the days that mommy is at the bank.  This week Daddy left to go away for week for 6 weeks, and I think that you have picked up on it.  When I went to drop you off at Pauline's today, you cried and clung to my leg (not something you usually do).  So I came in with you and hung out until you felt more comfortable.  It hurt to leave you today, but I knew that you were safe and happy, so we made it through.  Needless to say though, mommy's favorite days are the ones that she spends completely with YOU :)
  I would write about what your favorite foods are...but there are just too many to list! lol.  Here are some of your favorites right now:  pizza (typical kid!), bananas, grapes, cucumbers, cheese strings, goldfish crackers, mommy or daddy's cereal (whatever that may be...guess it tastes better from our bowls), freezies, watermelon, and cookies (of course).  We are SO lucky that you are such a good eater.  Thanks buddy!
 

We love you to the moon and back Liam, and cannot wait to see what the future will bring!
           Love Mommy

Potty Training Chronicles: Chapter 1

Liam is now 20 months old.  Waaaaayyyyy to young to start potty training right?  Well I may be bragging here, but my baby officially peed on his potty for the very first time tonight!!! Did you hear that? We had pee, in a potty, successfully....OMG!  
Bill and I bought Liam his little potty a few months ago, just to introduce Liam to the look of it, and to let him try sitting on it, playing with it..basically whatever he wanted to do with it.  A few weeks ago we decided to move it upstairs to the bathroom so that he could start associating the potty with the "big boy toilet" (k..trying to use appropriate words here..lol).  Whenever I change a poopy cloth diaper, I have Liam help me bring it to the toilet, and he gets to flush just to see what happens.  Gross? Too much information? lol.  Wellll...you may not want to read on then! lol

Every night before I give Liam a bath, I take off his diaper and have him sit on his little potty while I pour the water into the tub.  He always used to stand beside the tub while I was filling it, and usually ended up peeing on the floor...so I thought I would hedge my bets and plop him on his toilet.  And VOILA!  As I was filling the tub tonight, I look over, and there he is, peeing like a big boy.  I, of course freaked out (dunno if that's the correct response...haven't read the books yet..lol), praised him like craaaazzzzy and gave him a high five (that's the way we role in our family).  Who knew that a little pee in a little potty would bring such a high?

So I know it's early, and I won't be pushing the potty thing all the way yet, but it's nice to know that it is right around the corner for my little man.  Is it weird that I am looking forward to making a potty chart, getting out the colored star stickers and the smarties as rewards?  I can't wait to start doing things like that with Liam :)  Fingers crossed for some more potty time tomorrow night...stay tuned.  Looking forward to seeing that little tush in some spiderman undies sometime soon.

Come to think of it...Liam and I watched Elmo's potty training video on O, My Family yesterday.  Could Elmo have worked SO fast?  If so, WOO to Elmo! lol

Our Summer So Far

Okay...it has been awhile since my last post, but in my defense, it has been such a crazy, hectic, adventure-filled summer so far for the Adam's family. 
Liam is now 20 months old, and I cannot put into words how much FUN it is to be around him all of the time now.  He is one of the funniest little guys that I have ever met.  You can't be near him for more than a couple of minutes without cracking a smile.  I think his joy and jest for life are just so contagious....I spend my days with him just looking for that next adventure around the corner. 

I started a new job as a Customer Service Representative at TD Canada Trust about a month ago now, and the most difficult part by far has been leaving Liam for any amount of time.  He is being cared for by a dear friend of the family, Pauline, who has a daughter the exact same age as Liam (and by exact, I mean that Liam is literally only a few hours older than Ads), so I know that he is safe and comfortable and having lots of fun while I am at work.  But I am so afraid of missing those little moments with him.  Like he learned how to say "shoes" sometime over the last couple of weeks, and when I told Pauline, she said that she already knew, she had heard him say it a bunch of times.  I missed "shoes"!!!!  Working means more financial security for my little fam right now, so it is a necessary evil.  And I do get a strong sense of accomplishment from doing something new, and from helping to contribute to the well-being of my family...but dang I miss my baby! 

Hmm...how about a quick recap of our summer so far?  Or at least the parts that my mushy, overworked brain can remember right now. lol.  We are very much an outdoor family, so we have spent the majority of our free time in the fresh air. 

We have gone to our local beaches a bunch of times (we even found a dog-friendly beach nearby that we have loved going to in the evenings after dinner...there is just something about that time right before the sun goes down..magic). 

We went to Trenton for a (way too short) visit with my mom and some great friends.  My mom and dad moved into a new home this summer, so I had to make a special trip to say goodbye to the old pmq.  So many memories...but oh so many more to be made in the new house.  We had lots of fun with our friends Amber and Alexis while we were down :)

We have been to Ottawa a bunch of times for different things (ie. getting Liam fitted for his first suit...omg...CUTE x1000!).  As much as I am learning to appreciate Petawawa and its natural beauty, it is nice to head on back to the city occasionally.  Though we always breathe a little sigh of relief when we exit the rat race there. 

We have been to the cottage as much as possible (it's our version of paradise, and I am so pleased to know that Liam will truly grow up there), and have had the pleasure to share it with new friends and old family.  We brought Pauline and Addy up there for a weekend with us, our good friend James spent some time there with us, and my dad came up with me last time.  I spent my first week away from Liam and Bill (okay..4 whole days...but it felt like a week); I had to work, and Bill was on vacation, so we decided that him, Liam and Chloe would stay up at the cottage with his mom while I returned home.  It was such a weird experience to have quiet time to myself...to clean the house and actually have it stay that way for more than 10 minutes was wonderful...but to come home to such peace was a tad unnerving.  The look on Liams face when he first saw me back at the cottage was worth it though :) 

We have been fairly successful growing our first gardens in our front yard.  I'm thinking maybe I need to devote a blog to the garden soon, there is so much goodness there.  I brought Liam outside with me tonight just before bathtime to water the garden, and the first thing that he did was wander on over to the strawberry plants, point, look at me and said "uhhh" (which in Liam language can mean one of many, many things...apparently Bill and I have the dictionary hardwired into our brains, so in this case I knew it meant that he wanted one).  I love that he can do that.  Just pop on over to his own garden, and grab a fresh, pesticide free, organic snack.  Awesome I tell ya!  We even snuck a taste of the carrots that are growing...though they are the smallest ones ever.  Not too sure we're going to have much success with them this year.  Ok..onwards.....lol

We spent this past weekend back in our home town of Trenton, Ontario, attending the wedding of my best friend Nichole to her, now husband, Dave (the wedding itself was held in Picton, Ontario).  I was a bridesmaid in the wedding, so there wasn't a free moment the entire time I was there...but I hear that Bill and Liam had a great time hanging out with Bills parents and just relaxing.  Bill's mom is always at Liams beck and call, so I know that he was well spoiled.  And he got to spend an afternoon with my parents, where I'm sure that there was even more spoiling happening.  It is all good....family can love and hug on my baby as much as they want!  Liam was the ringbearer in the wedding, and he did such a fantastic job.  My friend Amber and I worried about how well our children would "perform" that day, and they both did WAY above our expectations.  That will teach us to underestimate them!  The wedding day was beautiful, and rustic, and so much a reflection of my good friend Nichole.  I had the best time, with the best people, and I was a little sad to leave it all behind to return home.

Now we are home.  Bill is currently working out in the field, which means that he comes home at night for a quick shower and change of clothes, and then is gone again.  So it should be an interesting next little while.  I work for the next two days, but then get to spend two whole days with my little man which I am so excited for.  What with our crazy schedules lately, I have been feeling a little robbed of time with him.  And he is changing and growing so very fast these days...I don't want to miss a thing.  I took him to his old playgroup today with Addy and Pauline, and I was amazed at how well he was interacting with the other kids, and at how well he was able to concentrate on little things (like playing with the trains at the train table...he played there for a good 10 minute stretch...amazing for my go-getter).  We will definetly be going more often now that we see how much the kiddies love it right now. 

And that is about it (or all I can recall right now.....fading....fading...lol).  I am off to work on a Halloween tutu for my little business Pauline and I have started (because I just didn't have enough on my plate already..HA).  Little PAAL's...check us out..just sayin' :)  Nightey night ya'll!

Goals

I'm gonna be brave and write these words down so that I can't take them back.  I have been finding lately that being a momma is taking up all of my time.  I absolutely adore it, don't get me wrong, but I think that I need to try to find some things that make me happy outside my little family.  Things that remind me of who I am, who I used to be, and who I want to become.  We all have those things that make us unique...that make up who we are...and it is easy to get swallowed up in the everyday, so much that we forget to spend a little time on ourselves.
That being said, here are a few things that I would love to accomplish in the near(ish) future:      

* Take a French course.  I live in Ontario which is a very bilingual province.  Most (good) jobs that I am qualified for require french.  Also, the base offers free language courses for military spouses, so I really have no excuse not to take advantage of that!

* Run a marathon with my hubby.  Not going to be a full marathon, you can bet on that.  But I think it would be good for us to train for and accomplish a goal together.  And it has always been a secret dream of mine.  Time to take a risk.

* Go to the zumba class I recently saw advertised in Petawawa.  Have fun getting fit...sounds like a good plan.  And on that note, I will just add that I would love to lose a good 'couple'  of pounds (leaving it at that..lol).

* Get CPR qualified.  Again, many of the jobs that I would love to apply for require CPR training.  So what is stopping me?  Just have to carve out a weekend and DO IT!

* Do something wild and crazy!! Like go white water rafting, or ziplining, or hike up a really big mountain.  haha.  Just something out of the ordinary, that gets my heart pumping...and lets me say "I did THAT"

* Take Liam to a zoo.  My little man loves animals...so I really hope that an opportunity arises to take him to see all sorts this summer.  Geez..i can already see that big smile of his :)

* Dig out my paints, my easel, and some canvas.  Set myself up outside, with a nice cold glass of something, barefoot.  And just paint.  I used to love painting, and I would love to get back to it.  There is something so freeing for me in turning something so plain, into something colorful and beautiful.  I would also love to get a huge canvas and let Liam walk all over it with some paint.  I think it would be so much fun for him to just be creative with no boundaries. 

* Work on my little home business.  My good friend Pauline and I have been getting together every week to work on making homemade hair bows, felt flower clips, and whatever else our crafty brains can cook up.  We would love to start selling our wares (since we enjoy making them so much!), but we haven't gotten our butts in gear as of yet.  So I need to get on that.  We have a name..that's a start.."little Paals" is born (stands for Pauline, Addy, Amanda, Liam..just FYI..lol)

Okay..well that's all that I've got for now.  The words are out there..so no turning back!

P.S.  Bill is finally HOME from the field :)  Life can go back to normal again...woo!

The Perfect Day!

Today was THE perfect day! Crazy, insanely hot out...but we had so much summer fun :)  Liam and I were up pretty early, and we headed out after a quick breakfast to go pick up Pauline and Addy.  We took Chloe and the kiddies for an early morning walk to Timmies to grab some much needed Iced Capps (seriously...MUCH needed! lol).  By the time we got home we could already tell that it was going to be a sweltering day out.  So we got Chloe all situated at my place, packed up the van and headed out to the beach.  WOO Beach Day!!!  There was only one other Mom and bebe there, so we had the whole place basically to ourselves (the other little girl, named Shea, was in love with Liam and Addy). 

Liam, as always, had to sit back for a little bit to take it all in.  By the time we left the beach he was playing up a storm, but my little man takes a little bit to warm up to new situations.  Plus he is teething like a mad man these days, so his temperament has been a little off.  He love, love, loved playing in the sand...burying his feet and legs in the coolness of it.  And I could see the joy in his face each time he discovered something new..like the way the sand felt falling through his little fingers, or the way the mud squished in between his toes.  Is there anything better than watching your child experience the world on his own two feet?  Normal, everday things just seem all sparkly and new again. Thanks buddy, for showing me the way! 

Miss Addy is a "jump right on in" kinda gal.  As soon as she spotted the water, she was off.  She pretty much hiked right on in, despite how freezing cold it was, and got a little peed off when she realized how dang frigid it was.  She was on the go, go, go all morning long.  I think she's a beach girl for sure.

It is so much fun for me to watch how well my boy gets along with Addy.  They are so blessed to have one another, and I am thankful for Pauline and Addy ever single day.  Liam and Addy's personalities mesh SO well together...and they are just so funny when they are interacting nowadays.  Best pals for sure.

After our fun at the beach, we headed our seperate ways to give the kiddies some lunch and a chance to nap.  Liam didn't eat much..probably due to it being so hot out...and didn't sleep much, probably due to the same thing.  I called Pauline at about 4 to say that we were taking the kids out to Kelseys for supper (air conditioning and not having to cook...perfect plan!).  It is mine and Bill's 3rd anniversary today, and since Bill is still out in the field, Pauline was his stand in for supper out. lol.  The kids were both pretty darn hyper, but we had a good meal anyways.

 Addy likes to share...and Liam likes to eat.  It's a friendship made in heaven!

This post would not be complete without a little homage paid to my wonderful husband.  Bill and I have been "together" for 5 years now...married for 3...and I feel so wonderfully thankful to have him beside me on this journey.  We fight, and whine, and cry....but we go to bed every night loving each other.  And that's what matters.  He still compliments me each and every day, he is a wonderful father, he loves his family, he works so damn hard to take care of Liam and I...he is just amazing.  And I am reminded today about how lucky I am to have found him.

 From those early, lovely, carefree "dating" days...ok, not so carefree. We were both working full time, and I was finishing up my B.A. at Carleton U.

 To our awesome summer weekends spent at the cottage...falling more and more in love.

 To moving in together and our first apartment in Ottawa (this is us walking to Starbucks on New Years Day)

To truly, madly, deeply falling in love and getting engaged on Christmas Eve.

And to living Happily Ever After. 

Bill, you are my rock, and I love you more everyday.  Here's to SO many more years of love, adventure and happiness (and one year closer to our 10th Anniversary where we will renew our vows in Hawaii...ALOHA!! lol).  Love you.







One sick toddler = One tired mommy

My son is sick, sick, sick with a cold...which makes me sad, sad, sad because there is not too much that I can do for him.  Bill left yesterday bright and early for an 11 day field training exercise, and wouldn't ya know it?  Liam fell ill that same night!  The last time Bill left for an extended amount of time, Liam got a really nasty stomach bug that lasted for almost the whole week.  Sometimes the universe has a mean sense of humor!

Last night my lil man was up from 11pm onwards, in 30 minutes intervals.  I have never been one for co-sleeping (not making ANY sorta comment on it one way or the other...I think it's great to do if it works for your family),  Bill and I just move around too much as it is (me especially..I can never seem to get comfortable).  But last night after the 6th unsuccessful time trying to get LiLi to sleep in his own crib, I totally caved and brought him in to sleep with me.  I figured since Bill was gone it would be okay.  And it worked for about 2 hours.  Then 6am rolled around, and that was it.  We were up.  So I stumbled us downstairs, turned on some VERY early cartoons, made some toast and peanut butter...and we chilled like that for a few hours. 

I know the only reason he wasn't sleeping was because he is so congested, he just couldn't breathe, and I feel for him.  But boy oh boy...sick days..alone with a toddler...are THE longest days ever!!!!! I felt like it was 10 o'clock every time I looked at a clock.  The seconds just ticked by as I wiped the endlessly runny nose, filled the sippy cup over and over, and thought of things to do inside on this rainy, crummy, cold day (that didn't involve my son watching Handy Manny ALL day long..I'm actually starting to see re-runs..it's that bad! Have I failed parenting one-oh-one? ) 

In the end, we survived.  Liam had a couple of very short naps which gave me a little time to recoup.  We did puzzles, built block towers, colored with crayons, emptied the pot cupboard (lil monkey loves to do that!)..and I even somehow managed to make oatmeal and shortbread cookies.  BooYA! lol (Forgive me..I live on an army base).  I gave him a warm vapor bath, put some vapor rub on his feet and chest, put some saline in his nose and, blah, squeegeed it out, gave him some Tylenol Cold and Flu for babies, dressed him nice and comfy, gave him some water, and even put a small pillow in his crib with him for the first time (makes me a leetttllle nervous, but many friends of mine have told me how well their children do with it).  Fingers crossed this momma gets some sleep tonight.

Not a pic from today..but he looks darn cute so I'm posting it in lieu of the runny nose boy today.

P.S.  Sorry for the sicky post.  I swear..my brain is so tired today that even if I wanted to write about something more interesting, the theme song from Max and Ruby would pour out!

Welcome to the world Blake :)

For the second time this spring, I am a new aunty.  I would like to officially announce that I have my first NEPHEW!  Blake Harvey Vieau was born on May 4th, 2011 at 9:50 pm.  He weighed in at 10lbs 7oz and was 22 inches long.

My sister-in-law, Kathy, was due to deliver Blake via scheduled c-section on May 12th.  But due to high blood pressure, and Blake's obvious readiness for the world, she was admitted to the hospital on May 4th.  Blake arrived that evening to the joy of all of this family.  Liam and I made the drive to Ottawa 2 days after his birth, and were able to visit him in the hospital on Friday evening.  I was a little worried about bringing Liam to the hospital due to his high energy levels these days, but my mom and dad lent a hand and I was able to hold the bebe for a little while.  Blakester is the CUTEST lil thing ever.  He has these sweet chubby cheeks, great skin coloring, and the cutest lil lips.  I feel so blessed to have three wonderful nieces and nephews now :)

Liam and I stayed in Ottawa for the weekend to visit with all of our family that was down to meet Blake.  On Friday night we visited with Aunt Mary, Uncle Gary and Kelsey.  Kelsey just returned from a year long trip to Europe where she went to school.  It was SO fun going through all of her pictures.  Amazing to see all of the awesome sites she got to visit!  I am a little (oh ok... a LOT) jealous! lol.

On Saturday we sort of hung around my Grams and Gramps house for most of the day.  My Uncle Dave and his partner Gary arrived, so we were super happy to get to see them.  Liam always seems to take right to Uncle Dave...by the end of their time together they are the best of pals.  There is SO much outdoor space to play in at my grams house, so Liam is in his glory pushing a little baby carriage around and exploring the yard.  I love to just sit back and watch him taking everything in.  On Saturday we also made a "fun" trip to Bayshore to see if we could buy a litle lawnmower for Liam to play with.  I loaded Liam up in the van and took off.  It took us forever in Zellers to find someone/anyone who knew about the toy department, just to find out that they had already sold out of the lawnmowers.  So I figured that we would just explore the mall a little bit since I am mall-deprived in Petawawa.  Children's Place was a bit of a bust (I already have the cutest things from there...lol), as was Baby Gap (the cutest things were WAY to expensive for this momma currently).  I thought we would do one last stop at HomeSense....bad idea....Liam had had enough of the oh so hot mall and started to get really fussy.  I didn't finf anything the whole trip that I wanted to buy, except for a super cute little cooler for Liams friend Addy.  Ah well. 

Sunday it was time to drive back home...and it was also my second Mother's Day.  I got spoiled by getting the chance to sleep in a little bit (my dad and Grandpa took control of Liam...though I think the love it just as much as he does...boy time).  My grandpa walked to Timmies so I had an iced capp waiting for me when I woke up (LOVE him), and my Uncle Dave and Gary made an awesome breakfast for us all.  Very good morning!  And Liam was in his glory being loved on by all of his family.  After breakfast and a little hurried packing, we were off.  We stopped at IKEA and Michaels to do a little browsing (the couch Bill and I want from IKEA is now a $100 cheaper..woohoo), and then we drove out to Matt and Kathys for one last Devy and Blake visit.  I am sad that I don't live a little closer as I had so much fun watching Liam and Devyn playing together!  I think they are going to be best friends growing up :)

Since we returned we have kept busy (as always!).  We have been going for daily walks with Pauline and Addy which is great for all of us.  The kids get out of the house, Chloe gets nice long walks, and Pauline and I get some exercise.  I am trying really hard lately to start living a more healthy lifestyle.  Eating better, drinking more water and far less pop, and upping the exercise.  Here's hoping that it pays off :)  Today we also stopped to let the kiddies play at the park.  Fun :)

Tomorrow it is suppposed to be gorgeous again, so we are heading out for another walk, and probably hitting up the beach for the first time this year.  Addy and Liam LOVE the play in the sand now, so I think they are going to be in their glory when they see that beach stretching out around them.  I feel like it is Christmas morning so often these days....whenever I know that I am about to show Liam something new and exciting.  I get that little flutter in the pit of my stomach, and I just can't wait for that moment of joy in his face.  Like the first time he saw that little lawnmower all put together (yes...I finally found one at the Zellers in Pembroke on our drive home on Sunday.  Made a little pit stop).  Bliss!

Yeah...this is about the nicest self-portrait I can get of the two of us.  At least he's not blurry in this one..my little mover!

P.S.  I got my Mother's Day gift in the mail today.  An Organic Ergo baby carrier.  Can you say EXCITED??   Can't wait to try it out!

Welcome to the world Stephanie :)

I would like to officially announce that I am the proud aunty to a sweet little baby girl named Stephanie Mia Southam.  Miss Stephanie was born on April 14th at 7:12 pm, weighing in at a teeny, tiny 4.5 lbs.  But her and her momma Mel are doing great! 

There is something so darn special about a new baby being born.  You take a look at that little face and you can't help but be amazed at how many possibilities there are for this special little one.  Babies always remind me about how good the world is..how sweet, and amazing and fragile it all is. 

As the mom of a 16 month old, I am only too aware of how fast time moves when you are a parent.  I remember Liams birth like it was yesterday, and I find myself trying to grab ahold of and remember every little moment of that time.  I remember the fear of not knowing what to expect.  I remember the joy of hearing Liams first cries and seeing his little eyes blinking for the first time.  I remember the first diaper change (of a million and counting...lol) and I remember the first time I sat down to breastfeed him.  Each of these moments, and every one that has happened since, I would not change for the world.  And I am so happy for Bill's sister and brother-in-law that they now get to experience these kinds of moments too.  As Liam gets older and older, I find myself holding on just that much tighter, and rocking him for just those couple of extra minutes...trying to find a way to bottle up the smell and feel and look of him right now. 

Parenthood.  Oh Parenthood.  There are no sentences good enough to express how it changes you.  How it tests every boundary and limit that you thought you and, and forces you to be better than you ever thought you could.  My heart melts a hundred times a day until I feel like I just can't hold any more joy than I am right now.  It is the most wonderful, scary, joyful rollercoaster ride that I have ever been on and I just know that there are going to be so many twists and turns and drops and rolls...but man, the view from the top is spectacular!

Happy 28th Birthday to Moi :)

Alrighty, so yesterdays post was all deep and contemplative...and a little whiney...so I thought that tonight I would get into the brighter side of things.  Tomorrow I am going to be 28 years old.  Seriously...28 years old?!!! How did that happen?  Feels like yesterday that I was turning 18 and going to the Hull Casino for the first time. 

A picture of me on my birthday years ago (taken by my great friend Amber).

Of course there are always things that one would want to tweek in their life.  Is anyone's life truly perfect? Probably not.  But for the most part I choose to live my days seeing the good in things.  You won't often find me in a horrible mood, and I usually have a smile on my face (funny story:  the man that works in the Post Office at Carlingwood Mall in Ottawa only ever remembers me for my smile, and calls me that..the girl that smiles.  True story! lol).  So in honor of my birthday, here is a list of things that I am grateful for right now:
  - My super cute, super sweet, fun lovin', smiley son Liam Christopher.  Life would not be near as fun without him in it.
  - My wonderful husband who works so hard to make Liam and I happy. 
  - My puppy Chloe (who is actually 4 years old but will always be a puppy in my eyes).  She is my cuddle bug in the middle of the night.
  - The fact that Spring is officially on it's way.  My birthday is on the last day of winter...so Spring is here this week!!
  - My awesome awesome awesome family!! Every member of my huge family adds their own unique flair to the whole, so that in the end we are this amazing tapestry of colors.
  - My awesome awesome awesome friends :)
  - The fact that my niece Devyn thrived during her first week at horsecamp.  She's a rockstar!!
  - I am throughly grateful for Tim Hortons and their sweet sweet iced capps.  Mmmmmmm. 
  - My new van which still has that new van smell.  Every time I see it I love it all over again.
  - The tv show Bones.  Who doesn't want to see David Boreanez once a week?  lol
  - The smell of roses and carnations.  Love!
  - The fact that Liams little friend Addy is back from her vacation.  Love seeing them together.
  - The sound of the rain outside my window.  Right about now, I will definetly take rain over snow ANY day
  - Learning how to make felt roses.  SO much fun :)

So there ya have it.  My list of gratefuls for today.  And ya know...it's way more fun writing about things I am happy about than things I am not so in love with right now.  It's all in how you look at things right?  Here's hoping that this year brings some awesome adventures to my little family.  I hope that we can learn to appreciate each other even more, and that we can have lots of fun in the process :)

Let the Cloth Diapering Begin!!!

"For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

I read this quote today on a blog, and it has just resonated over and over again in my mind. I haven't been able to sleep lately...I just lay there in bed for hours and hours, thinking and thinking and thinking about big important things and little teeny things and everything else in between. I feel like I am at a crossroads of sorts in my life right now. Liam is now 15 months old and is surprising me with how much he learns every single day. But he is definetly getting more independent and is needing me a little less each day. Bill is now settled into his new career that he worked so hard to enter and now it is just hard work and waiting for a promotion to Corporal.

And then there is me......

I love being a stay at home mom, don't get me wrong, but I studied my, sorry, ass off for 4 years to get a university degree, and I really want to put it to use doing something constructive. I have this yearning to help people, and to be in a career that allows me to do that. And I am almost there. But I feel sort of stuck in my roles right now. Maybe that's normal? I guess I am just finding it hard to resign myself to "just" being a stay at home mom. Which is totally unfair, because there really is no "just" about it. It is one of the hardest jobs that I have ever had (and my most favorite!!), and I have complete respect for those women out there who are totally comfortable in that role. But as much as I love spending every moment with my son, I feel like I need more to be fulfilled. And right now, my little family could sure use any extra income that I could provide. The problem I face right now: I live in Petawawa!!! There are no jobs here for me, and there are no schools close by (except for in Ottawa which is 2 hours away..a bit of a commute) and so, if I want a job, I will most likely find myself working for one of the, what, 4 stores in the town. That means spending hours away from my son to work at Shoppers Drug Mart or Kelseys. And I just don't know if I am okay with that. But I don't know if our finances are okay without that. I mean, we are doing fine, but I really want to be able to get Liam those little extras that make life fun!! :) So, do I suck it up and take one for the team? Or do I hold off, enjoy my moments with Liam and say buy bye to those extra perks? It's something I will have to work out in the days to come.

I read all these blogs online, and I love all of these strong, confident, capable women that I am meeting, and I know that I want to be more like them. I need to find my niche in the world. Something that makes me happy for being Amanda. Not Amanda the mom, or Amanda the wife, or Amanda the daughter/sister....just Amanda. Sometimes we take on so many roles, that I think we forget who we really are. And by the time we realize that, it's hard to remember who we really were in the first place. Gah....lol....deep thoughts for a Thursday night!! But it's been on my mind lately. Maybe it's because my 28th birthday is approaching this Saturday and I am feeling reflectice. Yey...blaming it on that!! :)

In other news, Liam is amazing! Could I really get through a whole post without mentioning that? lol. He has walking down pat now, and has moved on to the climbing everything in sight phase. He also now knows exactly what he does and does not want, and he does not hesitate to share his thoughts (expressed through lots and lots of pointing, whining and "uh, uh, uh"s.).

Liam loves giving kisses and hugs to everyone lately...including his sock monkey :)

Our night time routine has evolved into this heavenly, relaxing thing which I am in love with! We give him his bath (Bill and I take turns), get him all ready for bed, brush those little teeth of his (which now number...hmmm...I think 12) and then one of us sits in his rocker with him while he drinks a warm bottle. Then, while he's still awake but drowsy, we give him a little kiss, say "I love you" and put him in his crib. And that is that. Honestly! It sure beats the hours we used to spend rocking him until he fell asleep. Ahhhhhhh....what to do with the extra hour?

As much as Bill and I work at getting Liam to say his first word, he doesn't seem to be ready quite yet. I mean, he does say Mommy, Daddy, Nana and again, but that is about it. This week we have been working on learning the word "car". Not sure exactly why we picked that word...lol...but Liam loves cars so I suppose it's all good. He tries his darndest to say it...he gets the sylabbles rights...but he can't quite get it. I know he will when he's ready, but I SO can't wait to hear his little voice talking away :)

Ooohh...almost forgot! We got the best package in the mail today: our first set of 12 cloth diapers!! We are definetly starting this cloth diapering experiment late in the game, but I am super excited to try it out. I tried one on Liam today just to make sure that they fit, and his little bum looked SOOOOOO darn cute! I'm sure he was wondering why Mommy was making such a fuss about his diaper. lol. I am hoping that we can adjust to the new diapers pretty fast. If so, we will definetly invest in some more fun, funky colors. Can't wait to try them!!!!! We just have to get the new ones washed (a bunch of times) and ready for use, so hopefully we can start our adventure by tomorrow or the next day.

Our stash!!


Liam is excited about his new diapers too :) (well..and bubbles)

Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

Spring, Oh Spring!

I am starting to sense spring in the air. Despite all of the snow and freezing cold temperatures, it's there...the way the air smells just a little sweeter, the way the birds are chirping more, the way the sunshine is starting to feel a little warmer...just something is saying that spring is around the corner! And I love it.

I can't wait to share this spring with Liam. His little legs will be able to take him so much further this year, and will let him explore so much more. We are already planning trips to the zoo, to the park, to the beach...ooohhh...so much fun!! :)

And the picture above is of a plant Bill and I have in our living room. Springy ain't it? :) We have no idea what kind of plant it is...we rescued it from Home Depot a few years ago when it was looking like it had seen better days. It only flowers once a year, but when it does, boy is it magnificent!! I guess it can sense spring coming too...

Sharing the Love

Our lovely artwork (Liams is at the bottom and hard to see with the silly gate in the way. Points for trying though right?)

Just stopping by to wish everyone a VERY happy Valentines Day. I have found lately that there are two camps of people...those that don't really believe in celebrating vday and those that do. I definetly fall into the second category. But I pretty much love all holidays. Any time I get a chance to dig out the construction paper and sparkles I am a happy girl. I cannot wait until next year when Liam is older and I can sit down with him to make some homemade cards. This year we sent out Daddy's coice...ummm yeah....Shrek Valentines Day cards. lol. But he showed his early Picasso side and did a little scribbling on each of them, so they were special and from his heart. Usually I do some Valentines day baking, but I things have been pretty hectic around here lately and I just couldn't find the time. Thinkin' I may still make some heart shaped cookies, just 'cuz I can. And they're yummy. And mommy surely needs her sugar fix these days! lol

Last week was one of THOSE weeks. You know those weeks where you just have to hunker down and survive? Yeah..it was one of those. Bill had just left for his training course in Borden a few days prior, when both Liam and his little friend Addy caught some sort of stomach flu. It was brutal. BRUTAL! I am not one to get queasy over, sorry for the graphic information, baby poop and vomit, but man was I put to the test. Poor Liam could not seem to keep anything down, though his personality didn't seem to suffer much, other than a whole lot more whining. I'm not used to having a clingy baby, but spent a lot more time than usual on my lap watching Tree House. And if I didn't pick him up fast enough, I saw some of these faces:

I think at one point I had to literally change his crib bedding like 3 times in one day, not to mention the number of outfit changes and diapers that we went through. Not fun! After 5 days of icky poop, Pauline and I decided to take the kiddies into a local clinic. We waited for about 2 hours (thankfully we have angel children who took it upon themselves to charm the whole waiting room), and were told to cut milk out of their diets completely, keep pushing the fluids, and offer them some Pedialyte. Liam loves the suff, so it not a hardship, and after a few days they were back to normal. The one weird side effect has been that Liam no longer needs a bottle before bed. Since I had to cut out milk for a little while, he wasn't getting that before bed bottle, and didn't really miss it. So I am currently undecided about whether or not to re-introduce it. I think at this point it would be more me not wanting to let go of my "baby" then him actually needed it. We'll see.... :)

We let Liam and Addy try Timbits for the first time once they were feeling better :)

Anywho, we survived the hell week and this past weekend found Liam and I in Ottawa hosting my sister-in-law Kathy's baby shower. It was a crazy hectic day, but it was so great to spend fun-filled time with new friends and old family (well..not old...you know what I mean!). My mom made some awesome goodies, we played some goofy shower games (like pass the dirty diaper..uh huh..that's right) and Kathy got spoiled as all mommys-to-be should. Now we just have to wait until May to meet the man of honour, Blake Harvey, who will make his debut on May 12th. Liam was awesome throughout the whole day, thanks in part to all of the help I had from those around me. During the main part of the shower he hung out in the basement with his Grandpa and Uncle Matt and had some boy time. He slept for a grand total of 20 minutes all day, but whataya gonna do right? And I got to see my niece Devyn that day, and if you've met Devyn at all, you know that she is like pure sunshine. Anytime spent with her is good for the soul :)

We drove home from Ottawa on Sunday, after stopping at Bill's sisters house to pick up an old crib that they are donating to the cottage this summer (I am going to deliver it to Bills parents house in Trenton the next time I visit there...probably in March). It snowed the whole way home, but whats new, and Liam fell asleep watching Toy Story with me in the back seat (my dad was driving just in case you were wondering what the heck).

Bill is working in the field AGAIN this week (go figure) so Liam and I are pretty much on our own again. I miss my hubby like crazy when he is gone, but one of the worst parts has GOT to be trying to figure out what to cook every night for dinner. Most of the time I would probably just snack on small things, but I have to make sure that Liam is eating a balanced diet, so I am slowing teaching myself how to cook. I am excellent at using the veggie steamer now if I do say so myself. lol. We do get to see Bill for about an hour each night while he runs in for a shower. I like that Liam gets some Daddy time in before bed. It always makes me sad when the two of them have to be apart for any length of time. They have so much fun together. Pauline and I have lots of plans this week as usual, so the time should pass by quickly, but I still can't wait to have him home for a little while.

Ok..well that's it for tonight. It is FREEEEEEZIIINGGG out (I just let miss Chloe out for her before-bed pee... BRRrrrrr) and I just wanna crawl under the covers and read a good book. And with Bill away tonight (poor man!) I can keep the light on as long as I want. Small pleasures right? :) Lots of love to you this Valentines Day!

Liam and I decorated the window with hearts. That's just how we roll around here. lol

The Joys of Teething

So when Bill left last Thursday, I was thinking about how quick the two weeks would pass by. He was gone from us for 6 months while he was at bootcamp, so I figured that 2 weeks was nothin'! But oh boy, these 2 weeks are a-creeping by!!

At the beginning of the week I started getting indications that Lim was teething (again! Really...it's never ending), but I couldn't find any signs of teeth. Yesterday I finally spotted the culprit....it's a darn molar coming in!! No wonder the poor guy has been acting cranky. We have still managed to get out there and do our normal activities, but as soon as we get home, the whining Liam emerges. And I am NOT used to the whining. My child is usually so even tempered and easy going. Who is this boy?? lol He has had a small fever on and off for the past two days, has been having crummy naps, and has been tossing and turning at night. So needless to say, he has a tired mommy who is desperately missing his daddy! lol The light at the end of the tunnel every day is bath time. Liam is, and has always been, a water baby, so the minute he hits the water, the crankiness is gone. I love bath time!!!!

On Monday this week we headed out bright and early to the Pembroke playgroup. It was super fun for the kiddies, and I really loved watching how well Liam is walking around on his own. In the last week he has really come into his own in the walking department. He still resorts to the crawling occasionally, but he was charming all the adults at playgroup with how cute his little steps are. He has lots of fun zipping around on all the different toys and climbing up the stairs to the slide. And he loved "driving" the boat :)

Liam and Addy playing in the ball pit. A bit of a traffic jam!

Liam is a multi-tasker! He carried this hula-hoop for a good 5 minutes :)

Just a cute picture!!

On Tuesday Pauline and I took part in our first step class. We left the kids in the daycare that was in the room right next door to the class, and apparently they did awesome! Liam crawled over to the play with the trucks, and then they had some water and snacks, and by then we were already done. Not one tear was shed :) Whew...now the class....I don't think I have worked out like that since highschool fitness class! lol My calf muscles are ridiculously sore today, like to the point where it is hard to walk up and down the stairs (which is a problem since I do this ALL day long!). But the soreness is at least an indication that I actually DO have some muslces still...they just need to be worked out more often. The class was all choreographed, so Pauline and I found ourselves quite "off" on a lot of the movements, but it was all women (of all ages) so there was no feelings of embarrassment or anything. I can't wait to go back :)

And today...was swimming day! It started snowing early early this morning (so I'm told), and by the time I peeked out my blinds at 8, it was a winter wonderland. I really think they should tell you before you move to Petawawa that it is actually the second North Pole. It does not stop snowing all winter long. I debated in my head for about a second as to whether or not I felt safe driving in the white stuff, but Liam loves swimming, and without an activity of some kind, my day with my teething lil man would have been SOOOOO long. So I warmed :up the van (thank God for automatic starters!), got Liam all buckled in, turned on some Baby Einstein for Liam to watch while I de-snowed the van...and we were off to pick up Pauline and Addy. The baby pool ended up being closed, so we had to take the kids into the "big" pool. There ended up being four of us moms there, so not busy at all....we had lots of fun teaching the kids to throw a ball to each other. And Liams little friend Gabriel was there (we haven't seen him in awhile since his Daddy just got back from Afghanistan and they were visiting family) so it was great to see him. We are going to his first birthday party this Friday :)

Since getting home from swimming it has just been about surviving until bedtime! lol Liam has a mini nap this afternoon, but woke up crying and wouldn't go back down. I gave him some Tempra again (I hate medicating...but he needed it), and we played for the afternoon. He has been super cuddly and whiney all day (love the cuddles, hate the whining), but I am very thankful that he went down to bed nice and easy tonight. Tomorrow we have no plans...maybe out into the snow to play? Chloe would probably appreciate some outdoor time.

Who wishes that spring would hurry it up a little?

Mommy agrees!!!

This and That

Some pictures of the last few days to start the blog off right :)

Gotta love the tongue..he must have been concentrating on calling someone important!

Liam fell and bumped his lip (lots of blood...scary mommy moment!) so he got to try a popsicle.

He may be cheeky sometimes...but he's cute doing it! lol

Uggh...it kills me that he is old enough to sit and hold his own bottle!

Eating mac and cheese for the first time. I debated...but I figured he should try it at least once!

Bill has been gone away on course for 4 days now (well...3 days, 13 hours, 12 minutes, 14 seconds...but who's counting? lol). I knew in advance of him leaving that I was in for a tough couple of weeks. My son is a MOVER!! As soon as he realized that those little hands and feet of his could take him places, he was off. He is not one of those children that will sit and read a book from front to back in one sitting. Most days I am lucky if I can get him to sit with me long enough to show him the brown bear and the green frog...someday we will make it all the way to the black sheep and the white dog I swear! So with Bill leaving, I was anticipating feeling a little extra tired at the end of the day. WHEW...obviously that was a mommy brain moment. By the time I get the lil man to bed, get Chloe taken care of, put away the days toys (which I have to do..it drives me crazy to wake up to a disaster zone in my living room), do the days dishes and do whatever other little random chores need doing (the poor fish gets fed like once every 2-3 days when I remember..he's a trooper), this Momma is ready for bed. But instead of bed, what have I done every night....watch Season 5 of Bones in bed on the laptop and read blogs. lol. Is is sad that I call that an awesome night? So I am feeling pretty tired at this point.

That being said, I have a pretty busy week planned for Liam and I. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we are driving out to Pembroke with Pauline and Addy to do the playgroup thing. Liam loves it because he gets to walk around with all these cool walkers and tricylces to his hearts content. I am going to try to keep him from spotting the toy shopping cart this time though...last week we had a mini meltdown when I wouldn't let him barrel through the whole room full of kids with it. I like playgroup because it gets all of Liams energy out, and we have tonnes of fun seeing the toddlers interact. SO cute :)

On Tuesday Pauline and I have signed up for our first Step Class at the Rexplex on the base. They offer supervised play sessions in the morning for children, so we are able to drop Addy and Liam off and do our class down the hall. I am feeling a little apprehensive about leaving Liam with strangers, but at some point it has to be done, and at least I am just down the hall. With Addy there, he may not even clue into the fact that I have left (here's hoping! Though I sort of do want him to miss me...lol).

Wednesday always finds us at our usual spot..the base swimming pool. Last week Bills mom was able to join Liam and I at the pool, but Pauline and Addy were not due to a miscommunication between her and her husband regarding their carseat. He held it hostage for the day while he was at work. lol. So this week we will all have fun together. Liam has recently mastered that art of blowing bubbles. He has no fear whatsoever. He just plops his little face right into the water and says "ahhhhhhhh" at the same time. My little waterbaby.

For the rest of the week...who knows. Probably some shopping (I am determined that I can make cute hairbows just like the people on Etsy...and even though I don't yet have a girl baby..lol...I am making them anyways! Girl power!!), some walking outdoors in the snow and sunshine, some fingerpainting, some attempting to put laundry away (but finding something, anything else to do..ha)...who knows.