December (Random)

This is Wilbert. He's new here. This is his farting in his sleep smile. He is fitting in just fine.

Felix got very interested in cooking. He's helped me make waffles, pizza, cookies, etc...it is a very messy interest, but fun.

Felix has also turned into quite the jokester as of late. He loves giving raspberry kisses or licks on the face instead of kissing...he loves telling us his diaper is poopy and then saying JUST JOKING!!

Felix is a very helpful big brother.

Another new big interest...ladders and climbing. Stephen took Felix with him on his first side job the other day (to change a light bulb for a friend's mother). Felix got paid in cookies and juice and thought it was the best thing ever.

Love You Forever

The other night Felix asked me to read him "Love You Forever". It is such a beautiful book, but I can hardly get through it without tears, especially in this particularly hormonal time! I'd already put on make-up as I was going out for a nice dinner after bedtime with my girls, but I thought I could get through it.

I was wrong. The first picture of the mom rocking the new baby...I used to think of that picture as Felix, but he has already moved on to the image of the 2 year old in the completely obliterated bathroom (our house looks like that every morning these days). When I get to the end and realize that one day these babies will be coming home to visit us from University or bringing home their first girlfriends (or boyfriends)...it blows my mind. Needless to say, I was trying to hide tears from Felix and shakily reading through to the end.

It's really better to stay away from that book and stick to Munsch's other works such as Mortimer and Pigs!

Wilbert at 7 Weeks

Hi Wilbert,

7 weeks ago exactly, I was waking up in our bed and I saw your fresh little 4 hour old self sleeping in between your Dad and I and I couldn't believe it. Only a few hours before you were in my belly!

You have been a delight. You are eating and sleeping well and only get really upset if I miss a sleep cue and let you get over stimulated. You have huge smiles and love it when I sing to you (thanks for making me feel like a rock star, despite being vocally challenged).

I have taken you to a few meetings for my work and out for dinner at a nice restaurant or two and you have behaved perfectly. We went to a movie - New Year's Eve...we both thought it was a little dull and slept through it. You've slept through all of your Lower Ronces playgroups, and a basset hound sat on you at one thinking you were a pillow...don't worry, I saved you. Your favourite place to sleep is in your wrap, snuggled up to me.

You know your Dad's voice and save your biggest grins for him (he made you smile first after all). You also find your brother particularly funny when he shakes his face and wiggles his tongue in front of you. Felix is very protective of you. When I bring you in to his daycare to drop him off he makes all of the other kids stand back and says "NO! Wilbert MY BROTHER!!" He's very proud of you!

Your newborn squishyness is almost gone and you are starting to look like a baby. I'm so curious to find out what your interests will be, your personality, but for now I'm enjoying every moment of your 7 week old self.

xo

Mom

SANTA

Last night we decided to hit the Dufferin Mall after picking Felix up from daycare to go and see SANTA. We wanted to ask him in particular about his reindeer.

1) Were they the same reindeer we see at the High Park Zoo?
2) What do they eat?
3) Do they truly fly up in the sky like an airplane?

We had planned to dine at the Swiss Chalet in the mall and then head over to santa later when the line up wasn't too bad. However, there was no line when we got there and Felix was feeling confident around him so we decided to go for it. Wilbert had to be woken up, but he was cool with a big red hairy guy holding him. Felix ended up standing on Santa's chair behind him with a Home Alone type pose in the photo.

The most exciting part was at the end when Felix got a Candy Cane.

So we trekked down to the other end of the Mall to Swiss Chalet where it took over an hour for us to get food, Felix was shouting APPLE JUICE, and Stephen and Felix had to ride the escalators 20 times or so to keep occupied. When we were waiting for 20 minutes or so for our bill we decided just to split. Yes, we dined and dashed in front of our two children.

We decided to be an inconspicuous as possible walking out and as we did, Felix yelled SANTA SANTA all the way back through the mall (to the delight of the cell phone kiosk people) until we got back to say goodnight to Santa. Santa said "GOODNIGHT FELIX"...yes, he remembered his name.

Stephen wanted to slip Santa a $20 for his good behaviour, but upon careful consideration we decided it would be creepy.

Yes, we are the Griswalds.

One Parent, Two Kids

On Tuesday night, Stephen had the opportunity to get a little overtime, so I was in charge of dinner and bedtime on my own. I've done it a few times now and have had different outcomes each night. This time, though, it was very cute. I had both boys on the bed for bedtime stories. Felix and I took extra time to point out the intricacies of our favourite books to Wilbert seeing as he was new. "Look Wilbert - Goldilocks is THERE!" "OOOH, look Wilbert, OWL on fence!" etc.
Wilbert lay on his back cooing and smiling. After one particularly cute coo, Felix emmulated the sound and said "What Wilbert doing mommy?"

By the end Felix was lying beside Wilbert and holding his hand. It was so ridiculously sweet I couldn't believe it. It can still be a bit daunting to have the 2 of them when I am on my own, but it is getting easier and as Wilbert becomes able to stretch out his feedings a little further apart and become more aware it will get even less daunting.

Cousin's Baptism

On Sunday we headed up to Northern Ontario (ok, just Aurora) for the baptism of my favourite nephew. It was a gorgeous sunny day. Because the baptism was at 1:30 and the church doesn't really take nap times into consideration, we were really not sure how things were going to go. I could have gone over to the house with the kids, but there was no telling if Felix would have gone down for his nap in another location (it has been hard enough at home lately) and since the house is not quite toddler-proof yet and I would be alone with the 2 we thought the best option would be to take the un-napped toddler to church.

Thankfully, Wilbert was immediately taken off my hands to happily nap in the arms of Grandma. Felix was overtired and somewhat shy initially of all of the relatives coming over to hug and kiss and pinch his cheeks. The service started and I took what I thought would be a strategic location on the edge of the pew for a quick getaway if need be.

The baptism was for about 20 kids, so it was all friends and family in the congregation and no mass. The priest talked about how it was ok for kids to cry in church and to make noise and how families should feel welcome and not intimidated (I was grateful for this speech later).

I kept Felix somewhat occupied for about 3 minutes with the toys I'd brought and the juice and snacks. He then decided he wanted to "balance" on the pews. He was quite interested in what was going on up front "oooooh, look mommy, WATER!" and slowly made his way to the steps where he at first quietly sat...and then gradually realized that he could jump off them and make a satisfying thud sound. Eventually he ended up front with Daddy who was busy with his godfather duties. When everyone clapped for the newly baptised at the end of the service, Felix was front and centre clapping and smiling...yes...we are that family. And by "that family" I'm thinking The Griswald's.

Other than our contribution, it was a beautiful service and my BIL and SIL hosted a lovely family gathering at their house after with vast quanitites of delicious meat, beer, and cookies...it was an awesome afternoon!

Dance Party Wake-up

Felix is an early riser. When he was in a crib this was easier to handle, but now that he has the freedom of the toddler bed he has discovered that he can sneak into our room.

I have woke up to a variety of ridiculous situations such as Felix having crawled in between us without waking us up, Felix at the end of our bed peeping into Wilbert's bassinette, Felix entering our room with all of his supplies (stuffed animal, blankie, 2 soothers, water bottle).

The funniest occured yesterday morning when I woke up to hear my alarm radio going off (and being confused as I haven't had to set it in a long time). I rolled over to look at it and I see Felix with a huge smile on his face dancing harder than I've ever seen him dance and telling me "I WAKE UP!!" Despite our plans to not laugh and take him back to his room when this occurs...I couldn't help myself from laughing so hard I cried.