Our Busy Monkeys

Be a Heart Hero! Please support my child in Jump Rope for Heart and help all kids grow up healthy where they live, learn and play.

2012-01-31T15:16:00.000-08:00

Be a Heart Hero! Please support my child in Jump Rope for Heart and help all kids grow up healthy where they live, learn and play.

A new year

2012-01-04T11:38:00.000-08:00

Well, let's see if we can start the new year off with more blogging. *fingers crossed*

Winston has been in full day kindergarten since September he is absolutely thriving! We still have battles, of course, as he is only 5 years old but since school started he is a different kid. More helpful, less whiny and can hold an actual conversation for more than 5 minutes! He is funny, charismatic, sensitive, helpful, loving, entertaining and so smart.

Illyanna has been increasing her vocabulary and can hold a short conversation now as well. When she and Winston start talking it is quite entertaining. She is stubborn, loving, adorable, meticulous, cuddly, funny, smart and also entertaining on a daily basis. She is looking forward to preschool in the fall. Already ?!?

Felix will turn 2 at the end of the month and is already on the road to potty training! He is also entering the terrible twos and can throw a temper tantrum with the best of them. He is determined, hilarious, demanding, cuddly, loving, so so smart and a daredevil. He is pretty sure he can keep up with his two older siblings and tries to at every turn. His speech is getting better and better everyday and will be the one that can hold a conversation at the earliest age I bet.

Kelly is taking the semester off school. He is doing very well in his classes but between work, army, school and family he was getting burned out. So, with the semester off he can concentrate on family, work and army. Notice the order change? LOL. He is torn about it; but I think it is a great decision.

I am still working on my weight loss goals and have lost close to 17 pounds so far. Not quite as much as I had been hoping for by this time, but nothing to sneeze at either; it is a full dress size! I am super busy these days with two still at home and one at school. Almost more to do now, now that I have to factor in pick ups and drop off and still get my chores and errands done too. My book club took December off and are starting up again this month. I am very much looking forward to getting going again. I love reading and the group of ladies I meet with every month are fabulous and interesting!

Nana is fighting the lung cancer like a champ and is looking absolutely beautiful. She has finished her 4th round of chemo and now waiting on an MRI but things are looking hopeful. :)

We got a new car. Brand new. A 2012 new. The Dodge Journey and I LOVE it! It seats this family of 5 very comfortably, is great on gas, has low payments and doesn't require thousands of dollars to keep in running order lol. The van was on it's last legs and required a lot of work to make it road safe again. We weighed the options of buying a good second hand car vs a brand new car and for the same price we like the warranty we get with a new car. So, there we go. A new car.

We are also doing extensive yard renovations. We cut down all the trees on the side of the house and put in a retaining wall. Just have to finish filling, put up a fence and grate the front and back yards so we can reseed. Oh, and rebuild the deck. LOL. It had to be replaced anyway but it got knocked off it's supports when we were putting in the retaining wall blocks so down it came.

So, we are busy busy busy these days and loving it. Life is very good.

new blog

2011-06-17T13:03:00.001-07:00

check out my new blog at :

http://regainingbodyafterbabies.blogspot.com

it is my journey of weightloss....

family portrait

2011-05-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

My Stick Family from WiddlyTinks.com

coffee

2011-04-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

I am a coffee addict. I love coffee. Regular coffee, flavoured coffee, speciality coffee, iced coffee--you get the idea.

So, for my birthday this year my super awesome, wonderful husband and kids got me a Keurig machine; it also included the reusable k-cup and 90 pre-filled k-cups. I LOVE IT! The fresh cup of coffee every cup is awesome. The boxes of K-cups are a bit pricey, but the reusable K-cup helps off set that (or just throwing in a regular tea bag). I also found the K-cups at Walmart today. I picked up some of the Hot Cocoa for my super awesome, wonderful husband and kids. They don't like coffee (well, actually, the kids do but they shouldn't drink it, lol).

So, while this post is just my excitement over my new "toy" (I am not receiving anything from Keurig) I do really recommend this product!

Keeping up with the Blog

2011-04-25T18:08:00.001-07:00

In my effort to return to blogging, I have decided to attempt to blog daily. This attempt may or may not be successful, but here goes nothing.

This blog will still remain primarily a place to record family milestones and events; but I think I will also start delving into daily rambling thoughts. Just because I have a beautiful, wonderful, blessed family doesn't mean I have to limit my writing to them! Sometimes, just sometimes, I also have a thought that is not centred around my children, home or husband. These thoughts are sporadic and random at best, but they are there dammit!

Today's random rambling is about dog owners. Inconsiderate dog owners specifically.

I have a cat.

I have a fish tank full of fish (and a few frogs).

We want a dog.

But that dog, as much as he or she will be a part of the family, is still a dog; and if we want to go somewhere a dog is not permitted (say the grocery store), he or she will stay home.

Lately, I see people bringing their dogs everywhere with them, even if common sense or a posted sign says they are not welcome. If your dog is not a TRAINED guide dog it does not belong in most public spaces. This includes but is not limited to: malls, restaurants, grocery stores, libraries, bookstores, banks, hospitals, schools or playgrounds (unless otherwise stated). this does not mean you hide the dog in your purse/coat/stroller, etc. It means your precious dog is not welcome. It isn't singling you out, it isn't denying you rights, it isn't to be mean. It IS for public courtesy or health regulations.

And a no "off leash" means you too. It isn't just for the safety of the public, it is also for the safety of your pet. What if your dog gets too close to a meaner dog? Even if the mean dog is leashed, it doesn't guarantee your pets' safety. Or, what if you dog chooses that instant to display their aggressive side?

Dog poop. PICK IT UP! It goes in a bag and into the garbage. The bag is NOT to be hung from trees, thrown into random pickup truck beds, left on the trail or heaven, forbid, not picked up at all and left in the middle of the trail or sidewalk.

So, all you dog owners, please leave your pet at home if you have to go into a public space. If you are enjoying a day outside with your pooch, bring a bag and a leash.

long time no post!

2011-04-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

hello out there again! I haven't posted in a while, but I was not sure if I was going to continue blogging. Between talking to family and friends and my OCD use of Facebook, I was feeling redundant having a blog. But, I have decided to continue blogging as more of an outlet for writing. I enjoy writing, but I don't get to do nearly enough of it.

I have joined a book club and have my first meeting this month. I am really looking forward to this new venture. Reading is my escape and now the chance to discuss the fabulous new book I have just devoured will be a welcome outing each month; plus I get out of the house one night a month- total Win-Win!

Kelly has been working his behind off for our family and I am so appreciative of his hard work that allows me to stay home with the kids. I grumble that I want to go back to work but really, once I do go back all I will want to do is be at home so I really do appreciate my hard working man!

While my hard working man was off doing some of his work this weekend, I took the kids camping for Easter. We went with my mom, my brother and sisters, their spouses and kids and we had so much fun. It brought back so many memories of my childhood and the Easter weekend would mark the start of the camping season and I remember (fondly) of all our egg hunts in the camp grounds....it is a tradition that I hope we are resurrecting because it is a tradition that is so much fun and so amazing.

Well, I am off to bed (still recovering from an amazing weekend) but will make more of an effort to post more often. What do you think of the new layout?

pics

2010-12-27T21:42:00.000-08:00

well.

2010-12-27T21:29:00.000-08:00

well, I waited too long between updates again I'm afraid and have yet ANOTHER tragic death in the family to report.

November 10th Kelly's cousin Heather and her Fiance, Malcolm, and their baby girl, Audrey, were in Mexico and Heather and Malcolm got married. On November 13th Audrey had her first birthday and on Sunday, November 14th Malcolm was killed in the explosion at their resort=(

I cannot imagine how Heather's feeling and feel awful that little Audrey Rose will only know her father through photos and stories. Malcom was a wonderful man and is greatly mis

I am not going to end my post there. It is just too sad for the third post in a row to be all somber.

Felix is almost walking, he could he just won't let go. He talks up a storm and is all but weaned from the breast. Mostly just breastfeeding at night, all night. LOL. Although, he did sleep through the night twice in the last 4 days, so I won't complain too much.

Anna has discovered talking and talk talks talks up a storm all day long...finally! LOL. I think it is like her walking, she didn't want to do it until she was absoutely sure she could. And now she can. and shows us all day. everyday.

Winston LOVES school. He just needs to practice sitting still which is no easy feat for an active 4year old. hahaha.

We stayed home for christmas this year. It was a hard decision, but it was a good decision for our family. The past few years we have had to wake up the kids at like 5 so we can open our presents, have breakfast, get dressed, load up the van and drive to courtenay for about 9 or 10 in the morning. (on the road my about 8). Exchange gifts there, play with toys and cousins, eat dinner (at about 1 or 2) and back on the road again to be home by about 7 (so on the road by about 4 or 5)...a super whirl wind day and while it is nice to see everyone (we missed you all like crazy) it was very nice to be able to relax and just go with the day. The kids slept till after 7 am almost 8. we opened gifts. had breakfast and played some more. then we got dressed and played some more and got dinner on the go. had some snacks for lunch. and finished getting dinner on. we ate at about 345 and the kids were tuckered out and in bed by about 7! No rushing, no schedule....eerily quiet tho! LOL.

well, at least the post ended on a positive note.

take care in 2011!

Too long between updates I am sure...

2010-09-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been too long since my last update...had I been more diligent there would have been more to absorb between tragedies...

So; where to begin? Kelly's grandpa's body was located in the river in Sasketchewan last month and Kelly flew out to be with his grandma and act as a pallbearer for his grandfather's funeral.

We had a giant birthday party for Winston, Dylan, Illyanna and Jordan...complete with bouncy castles and water slides! It was a total blast and the kids didn't want to stop.

Kelly starts school tomorrow and Winston starts playschool next week...and I start work next week as well! Busy busy busy and some big changes a-coming!

Felix is crawling up a storm, pulling himself up on everything and starting to furniture cruise. He has cut two bottom teeth, working on his first upper tooth and is eating solids like it's going out of style=)

Illyanna is starting to speak more, although usually under duress, LOL...

August 13th was a friday and a very black one indeed. My cousin's little girl was at a daycamp with some of her friends at the beach (supervised with many adults and lifeguards) and she drowned. It is so very surreal and devastating. My cousin is an incredibly strong woman and is doing well despite her tragedy and terrible loss. Her little girl was only seven and leaves behind her four year old sister, mother and father, aunts and a host of cousins etc...My auntie Deb (her grandma) will look after her in heaven and the two of them will watch over us all. RIP little one, RIP.

Just a super quick update, the next one will be more in-depth and contain pictures!

Until then; take care, cherish each day and tell everyone you love that you do!

Tragedy

2010-07-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

Today we received terrible news. Kelly's grandpa (his dad's dad) was in a car accident yesterday.

In Saskatchewan, Gedda was out for a drive with friends on Sunday. With all the flooding happening there right now, the bridge they were on washed out. The driver managed to escape and go for help, but Gedda and the other passenger have not been found yet. The divers will go out tomorrow to confirm whether the bodies are still in the submerged vehicle or if the search will continue.

It is so hard to comprehend. Always tragic, but is one of those events that happens to "other" families...meaning removed from us...watching from afar. Is kinda hard to accept that something like this has happened to not only someone we know, but to an immediate family member.

Will keep you posted as to the final outcome...meanwhile let's hope that they managed to escape and are just down river on the banks....

more new pics

2010-06-19T22:51:00.001-07:00

2 updates in 2 days...this one is pictures!

2010-05-26T15:37:00.001-07:00

Why, hello again!

2010-05-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

Let's see, what has happened since I updated last?

Felix can roll over now, when he feels like it. He loves to laugh, coo and jump in the jolly jumper! He is such a happy baby and is usually smiling=) Felix has a nice 2 or 3 hour nap in the afternoon and goes to bed at night around 930 and sleeps until 4 or 6...really nice! During the day he feeds about every 2 or 3 hours, but isn't using my boobs as a soother which is great;)

Illyanna still doesn't say much, but we suspect that she can speak she just doesn't feel like it, LOL! She loves to try and keep up to Winston and does a pretty good job too.

Winston is a monkey. Into everything and anything and loves to be cheeky;P He is excited to start school in September and talks about it almost every day. He is growing like a weed and is hoping to be tall enough to use the waterslides at the pool soon, LOL.

I turned 30 since my last post. We had a party and it was an 80s theme. It was sooo much fun and I was spoiled like crazy. Thank you to everyone who helped my celebrate=) Can't wait till my 40th??!!

Kelly is now done his contract in Vancouver and has been home for about 7 weeks. He ships out again on Monday for a month. Then we are not sure what he is doing from there. He has been offered two other contracts but they are subject to space...one contract is 6 months in Ottawa....while the salary is nice, it is much nicer to have my husband home.

We have decided that (at least for now) we are done having babies. We feel complete with three and don't feel the drive to have the five we thought we wanted, LOL.

I have taken on daycare. Malinda is working full time now, so I have Dylan and Jordan on Monday and Fridays all day, Thursday afternoons and the odd Wednesday also. The kids all love playing together and I enjoy seeing my nephews more.

I keep looking at jobs and houses in Nova Scotia lately. I don't know why, we don't have any prospects there right now anyway and none that we really forsee; I just feel inexplicitly drawn there...nothing will come of it I am sure, but interesting to think about. Houses are cheaper, there is an abundance of jobs and min wage is even 1.20 more per hour there than here...some food for thought.

The kids are really the highlight of our life. We are challenged daily, frustrated often, laughing constantly and in wonder always. Truly the best job there is...

Label Daddy Review

2010-04-13T21:43:00.001-07:00

We were fortunate enough to have had Label Daddy send us a “School Pack” in Lightening McQueen.

Before I could even open the package Winston (my oldest son) was screaming with his excitement! The zipper pull went onto his jacket before we left the mail box=)

We don’t tend to lose many articles of clothing or bags yet, but Winston is starting preschool in the fall, and he is a forgetful little guy and if we didn’t have some awesome labels for his things I would be anticipating a very expensive year with all the replacements we would need to buy.

Label Daddy was started by two guys who became friends way back in high school when they were just 16 years old. They started Label Daddy when the frustration they and their friends were experiencing in labelling and relabeling was incredibly time consuming. The variety of types of labels and their durability is sure to impress – I was sure impressed=) Go shopping at Label Daddy and buy a pack or two, you really won’t be disappointed.

These labels are as durable as they claim; we tested them in running shoes, clothing and the ultimate test of the most used bag in the house - the diaper bag! A few weeks later and the labels are holding strong and looking as new as the day I applied them. We could not be happier with our labels and is most certainly a product we will reorder when we run out; and by the size of the package we received that could be awhile, the amount of labels in the school pack is unbelievable with 132 labels. I think I could label Winston’s, Illyanna’s and Felix’s wardrobes in their entirety and still have labels left, LOL!

Go to Label Daddy and check out their products, you won’t be disappointed. They have designs to suit everybody and are adding new designs all the time. Right now in preparation of summer you can receive 20% off your order when you use the code SUMMERFUN and shipping is an incredibly low $5.95 to anywhere in Canada and the USA.

So go, go shopping at Label Daddy; you will be amazed.

pics at last...

2010-03-09T20:29:00.000-08:00

Props

2010-03-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

This post is to recognize my Mom. I don't know how you did it Mom, with Dad on the road all the time growing up; home maybe once or twice a month if you were lucky (although with how close us 4 are in age you got lucky more than once LOL)!

With Kelly gone, I can seem to keep myself together for 2 weeks, then it all comes unravelled. The kids start to act up, they misbehave, they don't listen, they are cheeky, mouthy and all round unpleasant. I start to yell more, give more time outs and be less patient (read: no patience) for Winston and Anna and less than required for Felix. All in all an unhappy household. Thankfully, Kelly will be home next week.

So, for Mom, who did this all day, everyday for years with 4 young'uns I applaud you....

Now, tell me your sanity secrets;P Love you!

Time flies

2010-02-28T10:57:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that Felix is 4 weeks already and weighs a whopping 11 pounds 8.5 ounces! Since leaving the hospital he has gained nearly 4 pounds=) Mamma has goooood milk, LOL!

Felix is a decent sleeper, not great but not nearly as bad as Winston was=) I get anyhwere from 2 hours to 4 hour stints at night...I'll take what I can get and that ain't terrible.

Winston loves the baby, and Anna still wants to be the baby; in fact she climbed into the snuggli yesterday so I strapped her on to see if she would fit, she did--barely! LOL. Anna has resigned herself to having Felix here and even to me holding him, but I cannot hold another baby. Heather (Kelly's cousin) was over for a visit today with her 4 month old and oh my did Anna have a meltdown when I held Audrey.

Out the blue the other week, Winston told me we have to have another baby cause Felix is his and the next baby will be for Anna and would be a girl...too funny=)

Felix has longer awake periods now, up to 2 hours or so at a time and is actually going an hour or so between feedings now--he is learning that just cause he's awake doesn't mean he's hungry!

Since Felix was born I have changed 150 or so diapers just for him, plus the ones for Anna and the one per night for Winston...I think I get out of the next 2 months of diaper changes...

We are adjusting as a family of 3 kids, it is a fine and delicate balancing act; but one that we are slowly getting the hang of.

Pictures next time!

Introducing....

2010-02-03T12:52:00.001-08:00

Felix Milton Perpeluk!

Felix was born at 436 am Saturday, January 30th, 2010 after Kelly made it over from Vancouver=) 8 Pounds 5.6 ounces and 20.5 inches long with a full head of hair.

I had a midwife appointment friday, Jan 29th in the morning and the student midwife, Dawn did a membrane sweep and said I was almost 2cm dialated. I left the appointment and ran a couple of errands and was home by 1pm ish.

Malinda and the kids were over and Dylan wanted to dance with Auntie Amy to the Wiggles so we did, and lo and behold by 2:30 light contractions started so we kept dancing for a while off and on. The contractions were getting more regular but I wasn't sure if they were false labour or not. Mal had me phone mom at 3 and also text Kelly. Mom was here by 5pm and we kept texting with Kelly. The midwives were here by about 745pm and by 8 pm we texted Kelly to come home. The contractions were still pretty regular but bearable. At 10pm Kelly's parents arrived to help the "labour party" and be there to watch Winston and Anna when we left for the hospital.

Kelly walked in the front door at 1am and by 120am Sandy broke my waters and the transitional labour started in seconds. We left for the hospital by 145am. Kelly, Mom and Malinda all attended the birth, and Malinda video taped it for us.

At 436am Saturday morning Felix emerged and now we are a family of 5.

Thanks to everyone who was with us and helped us in this wonderful experience of welcoming our third child and second son into our family=)

Till next time....

hmmmm

2010-01-25T09:07:00.000-08:00

Well, my mom called me this morning to say that today is the day.

She had a dream that was so vivid to her that she even packed her overnight bag and put it in her car!

Mom says my labour will start at 11 this morning and I will be holding a daughter by 3pm this afternoon. Take about being specific.

So, I have been on a cleaning frenzy (well, moving as fast as a 9 month pregnant lady can) so that I am not embarrassed to have people come over after baby is born! LOL.

So, Mom, fingers crossed that you are right and today is baby day=)

39 weeks down, 1 to go...

2010-01-21T22:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I had a midwife appointment today and all is looking well.

My blood pressure was high for me though, I was concerned but the midwife was not...said it was still in the normal range. It was 130/76. For me that is high. I usually run 110/60. Interesting, no?

I have lost 2 pounds but baby is still measuring a week ahead so all is well. The baby's heartbeat was 152 fluctuations to 160; according to the old wives tales that would mean girl but Winston always beat that high and Anna's was always under 150....this baby is keeping us guessing!

I am 2cm dilated, but for a third baby that doesn't really mean much LOL. The student midwife-Dawn- is betting this weekend for the birth cause she has company coming, the one midwife-Margaret- is out of town, the other midwife-Sandy- will be on Gabriola, my mom (and labour coach) has to work, Kelly was just sent out to his deployment post and my sister's other half is working so she has her two kids and my babysitters are busy all weekend too.....really, it's just an inconvenient weekend for all involved and so the student midwife is betting it will happen this weekend....hahaha.

The waiting game is getting old though. I am unable to sleep, but too tired to actually do anything and even if I wanted to I physically can't cause my back aches two seconds into a chore, my sciatic freezes up and the edema in my hands is so bad they are cramping and painful within minutes......sigh, no more than 2 weeks left, right?

getting closer and closer

2010-01-13T20:41:00.000-08:00

to the due date that is=)

As of tomorrow I will be due in two weeks, eeeeek! Only 2 more weeks (roughly) of being a mommy of 2 and will go through the infant stage again....

Am I ready for this? A little late I know, but still a question I ask myself almost daily.

The breastfeeding battle, the middle of night wakings, the constant diaper changes, the constant outfit changes, the spit up, the puke, the sibling rivalry.....

The cuddles, the first smile, the coos, the total and absolute trust, the milestones...

wow, 3 kids.........of course I am ready=) (haha, if anyone was truly ready they probably wouldn't have kids, LMAO).

I am as ready as I can be; we'll leave it at that.

With the impending birth comes the relentless discussions as to whether we want more kids or is our family complete with 3 kids, a cat and 2 parents....

The answer to that is constantly under review and can change from day to day; so really who knows, but right now I think Kelly and I are both happy with just 3 kids.

Kind of a disjointed entry but my thoughts are disjointed and jumbled =) Hopefully my next post will be the birth story!

Till next time...

Belly comparison

2010-01-06T14:33:00.000-08:00

Pics

2009-12-29T10:47:00.001-08:00

36 weeks preggers

Princess Anna calling court on Christmas morning

the best presents come in little packages

Time is a flyin'

2009-12-08T22:02:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that Illyanna is almost 1 and a half and Winston is nearly 3 and a half.....and the new baby is due in 7 weeks........

Winston is looking forward to the new baby and still loves to talk to the baby is bring the baby toys to play with; yes, the baby in my belly. He puts the toy on my belly and tells me the baby is playing with it. He also will share little pieces of whatever he is eating and drinking and inform me I have to eat it or drink it so the baby can have it. What a smart little guy he is=D
Illyanna loves to blow raspberries on the bump but other than that all she wants to do is use it as a step to go on the back of the couch or onto the train table!

Kelly's cousin Joey was here last week with her two girls, Lily being 2 months old. Anna was OK with my holding her, but when Kelly held her, Boy Oh Boy! Total jealousy for a good 5 minutes; and then she tried to give Lily toys to play with and give her the sucky (after she tried to steal it of course)....so she may adapt to the new addition better than expected.

I will have to scan in a photo of myself that I found from when I was about Anna's age next to a picture of her now...WOW! She is the spittin image of me=D Chubby cheeks and all!

The baby's movements are getting to be painful at times as he or she grows bigger and gets less room to move around; the Braxton Hicks Contractions are intense this time too, I often have to stop moving until the BHC stops cause I am just so winded from it and they are borderline painful=( We have moved up to midwife appointments every two weeks instead of every 4--next month the visits will be weekly. Our next visit is this friday so I will post a quick update about heartbeat, size etc...then.

I didn't do the last update and so here goes: 140 BPM, measuring 1.5 weeks ahead and total weight gain is at 30 pounds thus far (seems like a lot but I gained 60 pounds with each of my first two pregnancies) and hopefully will cap out at a 45 pound gain....time will tell. We have narrowed down our girl name choices to: Mira Lorraine or Olivia Marie; and we think the name will be Felix Milton if we have a boy.....we will know in roughly 7 weeks, LOL.

Illyanna is a daredevil. She tries so hard to keep up with her big brother that she always has some new injury to notice but we can't place how she got most of them cause she just picks herself up and carries on and we never know she fell/jumped/was pushed/etc/...until we notice the new injury.

Winston's vocab continues to impress me on a nearly daily basis. His phrases are so cute sometimes. He handed me something the other day (I can't even remember what it was) and said here you go sweetheart! Adorable=D Of course, not all his phrases are choice phrases or they are phrases that get on the nerves pretty quickly; I'm just a little boy was cute the first time he said it, now it is grating as he tries to use it as an excuse to not do things or get away with things...how quickly they pick things up and how slowly they are to learn to stop some things...grrrr I tell ya, grr!

Kelly is home from Vancouver for the month of December until January 2nd or so which is nice cause he won't miss Christmas. He is still working with the army to arrange emergency leave for when I go into labour, things are looking good, but no guarantees but a long shot. So everyone cross your fingers for us.

Well, I'll do another update within the next week to record the midwife appointment so stay tuned....

Rest in Peace Grace Ellen Breanne

2009-11-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

My friend Cayleigh's little girl was one month older than Winston and such an adorable, sweet little girl. She was always smiling and able to share her joy with those around her.

Unfortunately, she contracted the H1N1 flu three weeks ago and had been in hospital ever since.

Last night, little Gracie lost her brave battle with this awful flu and is now in heaven watching over her mom and brother. May you rest in peace, Grace and know that you will be in our hearts.

27 Weeks Pregnant at Hallowe'en

2009-11-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

Almost in full costume...Spongebob Squarepants!

Pretty much done trick or treating but she had soooo much fun as Plankton!

Spongebob and Plankton....

The great pumpkin has been found Charlie Brown...me at 27 weeks.

the finishing touches....

And life is hectic....

2009-10-18T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well, Kelly has been home off and on for the last month as he has been deployed to Vancouver officially; it is rough on the kids and I. It is rough on me cause I just get the kids into a routine and semi-behaving again, Kelly comes home and riles them all up for two and then leaves. It is rough on the kids cause they are confused why Kelly isn't here every night and then they get all riled up and excited when Kelly is home and they are bouncing off the walls. Fun times for all.

Baby #3 is doing well. Heartbeat is around 140 bpm and is already head down. I have only gained 20 pounds so far which is great and am measuring at 26.5 weeks even though I am only 25 weeks. So, big though I am, I am still smaller than my last two pregnancies=)

Anna tries so hard to keep up with her big brother, she runs around behind him and every once in awhile raises her arms and says "yaaaaa". It is so adorable.

Winston is using phrases we have never heard him say before and is usually pretty funny. His favorite right now is "that's disgusting". LOL.

We are still driving our Rio but are looking into mini vans. So far we leaning towards the 2008 Dodge Caravan. Although a little more money than an older van, we would not have any repair bills to sink into it right away and I prefer the snub nose (the older ones have the sloping nose) and the seat layout for the second row (bucket seats as opposed to the bench). So, that's where we are headed but nothing definite right now.

Boy name poll:

Felix William Ross
Kristofer Daniel
William Ross

Leave a comment and let us know your vote=)

Till next time.

Poll

2009-09-28T17:44:00.001-07:00

Leave a comment with your vote on the girl names we are kicking around:

Kaitlyn Marie
Emmy Lorraine
Briar Lorraine-Marie
Blair Marie-Lorraine

What do you think?

Boy poll in a week or so....

New pregnancy photos

2009-09-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

21 weeks pregnant with baby #3

20 weeks pregnant with baby #3

Down Time=)

2009-09-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I survived...LOL!

Malinda and Ryan went to Disneyland for a week (lucky ducks!) and I watched Dylan and Jordan for them; Kelly left Tuesday Sept 8th first thing for his deployment in Vancouver. So, from tuesday to Friday was just me and 4 kids.

Things went pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Wednesday the kids were so good we even went to the grocery store for ice cream!

Thursday was a not so good as all 4 kids were just miserable=( Friday wasn't all that better as Dylan and Jordan were missing their mommy and daddy big time and Winston and Anna were anticipating Kelly's arrival home.

Dylan and Jordan had the biggest smiles last night when Mal and Ryan pulled up in the "car car" to quote Dylan. It was really adorable.

Today, Kelly is helping Penny and Dave and Dan finish re roofing Penny and Dave's house and took the kids with him and I will be attending the wedding of a good friend. So, I am kid free right now....which feels really weird after being "on duty" 24/7 for a week just me. But, I am enjoying it at the same time;)

Ultrasound Day

2009-08-26T19:34:00.001-07:00

Long, gangly legs

profile shot

another profile

all four shots that were printed

So, the placenta is in front of the baby this time again (like with Winston) but not low lying like Illyanna's was, yay. The heartbeat was 148 BPM and baby kicked and squirmed a-plenty. Everything looks good so far.

I am measuring small for a change, shocking, I know. The baby only weighs about 7 ounces right now. My due date also changes to Feb 2nd. Winston was due Aug 2 and came Aug 7th, Anna was due July1 and came July 7th. I think I see a trend=)

So, here we are. All looks good.

Update as promised...LOL

2009-08-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I had my midwife appointment on friday. The baby is doing well...heartbeat started at 140bpm and halfway through excellerated to 156bpm. A good spike. I have been feeling the baby move now for about 2 weeks and this baby is strong already=)

My ultrasound is next week on wednesday. We will get to see baby 3 before Kelly leaves on his deployment, so that is really nice for us both.

So, baby is good! Yay! will post ultrasound pics when after the appointment next week=)

crazy busy here...

2009-08-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Belly at 15 weeks...

Family Photo Op...Anna just wants cake!

Blowing out the candles (in the tailpipe)

Walking in the sand box and playing with the boys

Winston was a kitty on the morning of his birthday

Rice Krispie Cake dyed red with cherry Kool-aid....yumm and SUPER sugary!

Let's see, Winston turned 3, Anna started walking, I am 16 weeks pregnant tomorrow and we are getting ready for Kelly to leave for 6 months or so.....wheww!

It is official, Anna is a toddler. She walks pretty much everywhere and is super adorable toddling around=)

Winston is old enough for preschool=( We are holding off for now and doing some basics at home until he is ready. He is now three and fully potty trained during the day, just night time he still wets.

Kelly leaves sometime between September 3 and 8....trust the military to give precise date! LOL!

I have a midwife appointment on Friday, so will give another update shortly after that. Till next time...

New Photos

2009-07-19T19:41:00.001-07:00

11 weeks and 1 day...

2009-07-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

and we have a heartbeat=)!!!!! It was strong, clear and healthy sounding at a whoping 160 beats per minute. By rights, we shouldn't have heard the heartbeat till 12 or 13 weeks but we heard it today and am so happy! Winston's heartbeat was around 136 to start and Anna was 156.....hmm?

Also, my iron levels this time round are excellent; they started a little low with Winston and plummeted from there and just started incredibly low with Illyanna and just kept dropping. This time though, starting nice and strong.

I have only gained 2 pounds thus far and though I am no longer throwing up, I am still really nauseous and very tired.

I had some light bleeding and slight cramping last week but it seems to have stopped and since we have a heartbeat, I am still pregnant!

The sun is shining, the kids are awesome, the new baby has a nice strong heartbeat what a fabulous day!

One already!

2009-07-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, my baby girl is one today. The time truly does fly when you are having fun. Anna is funny, adorable and turbo fast at crawling=)

We had a birthday party for her on sunday and the family all came out to help us celebrate; thank you everyone you truly helped us make Anna the princess she is already is.

She still isn't walking, but if she wasn't too afraid to let go she would be able to go just fine....she loves to dance and will even dance to the ring of my cell phone! She claps for anything and will smile at anyone she meets. Anna loves to follow her big brother around and do everything he does. Her favorite thing to do is to climb on her Daddy's shoulders (backwards) and then chase Winston through the house.

Watching Anna and Winston together is such a treat -most days- and I love seeing how patient Winston can be with her and determined she is to do exactly as he does.

Thank you Anna, for being you and being the wonderful little girl you are. I can't wait to watch you grow into a beautiful young woman.

Adventures in potty training

2009-06-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

Well, Winston is almost fully potty trained. He rarely pees in his pants anymore (usually only if we can't get to a toilet fast enough as we are driving or if he gets reeeeeeeeally distracted playing) and usually wakes up dry in the morning. Night time potty training is next. He is getting better at not pooping in his pants and letting us know when he needs to go poop. While it is taking slightly longer than anticipated, it is going rather smoothly I think.

Anna is being very stubborn in the walking department. She is so close she can taste it, she just won't let go of anything for fear of falling. She is teething big time right now and doesn't want to eat much, just have her bottles. She has the usual diaper rash and diarrhea to go with it. Hopefully the teeth will cut through soon and she can feel better.

In pregnancy terms I am oh so very nauseous. More nauseous than I was with either Winston or Anna and have thrown up more often. I also have extreme fatigue in that I could sleep for 12 or 14 hours (and have) and am still dead tired on my feet the next day. I am already showing and am only 9 weeks tomorrow! iy yi yi=)

Anyway, that's all for now...till next time (where I will hopefully have new pictures).

here we go again...

2009-05-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

Well, it is a good thing the address of the blog was changed from akandbabymakes2 to ourbusymonkeys; not only do we have 2 babies now making us a family of 4 we are expecting another baby due in January!!!!!!!!

Wow, 3 babies. Talk about busy=) We are very happy and very excited. It does, unfortunately, look like Kelly will probably miss the birth as he will be on contract in Vancouver with the military (domestic deployment) which sucks but such is the life of a military family. So, my Mom and sister will be stand in for my labour coaches.

So, far I am a little queasy, mostly in the morning, with minimal vomiting. And tired. Oh so tired. But, that isn't really anything new.

So, there we have it. New baby on the way. Yahoooooooo!

Leaps and Bounds

2009-05-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Kelly and I made the decision that Winston would no longer be in diapers during the day. He has done very well with the new challenge and is getting to be very consistent. He hasn't pooped on the potty yet, but only has about one pee accident a day. His accidents happen because he is too busy to stop. Today, he had an accident at Aunty Malinda's and Uncle Ryan's house because he fell asleep on the toy room floor in the middle of playing and therefore obviously did not go potty first.
He naps in his undies and wakes up dry. Tonight, I went to put a diaper on him for bedtime and he asked for his underwear (he got rubber pants too)! So, Winston's diaper days are behind us! Yahoooooooooooo! and in the words of Winston, Ta-Da! and "I go school now?" So, we may be looking into preschool for the fall...

Anna is so close to walking she can taste it. She can stand unassisted if she doesn't think about it, but as soon as she realizes it she panics and either falls down or grabs onto something for balance again. She is also cutting a molar to accompany the fourth bottom tooth she just cut. She is up to 8 teeth through and one molar on the way. Amazing.

So, this these are our newest adventures and it is really cool to watch them master new skills.

Bubbles

2009-05-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

So, what's new?

2009-05-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

What's new?

We are back from Mexico, we had a fabulous time and did not bring back Swine Flu. LOL. The kids missed us and were very happy to see us home. Likewise for us.

Anna is furniture cruising like mad and will be walking on her own in no time.

Winston gets cheekier everyday, but also gets more helpful and independent everyday. They really are too cute, especially when one gets the other one laughing really hard=)

We got a kitten today, Bubbles. A beautiful little Tabby male and he is roughly 7 weeks old. Litter trained, eating hard food and used to little kids...perfect! The kids love him and he is settling in really well already.

A more sobering bit of news (that I only bring up so everyone knows, plus the more I talk about it, the easier it is). I have to have a cancer biopsy next month for a potential spot of skin cancer on my foot. Scary? Of course, I would have to be unfeeling for me to not be scared a little. Positive? Absolutely. I am positive that it will either be benign or that it has been caught early enough to be taken care of completely with no adverse affects other than a scar on my heel. So, there we go. No concrete news as of yet, but I will let everyone know the outcome as soon as I know it.

Well, gotta run....Bubbles is looking for a little cuddly time while the kids are sleeping ;)

Update Quickie

2009-04-10T22:14:00.001-07:00

Now, that sounds dirty don't it?LOL=)

Anna is officially on the move. She can inchworm forward and when she stops to think about it she crawls on hands and knees. She is about 2 days behind Jordan there!

Today, I was making the beds up in the kids' room and Anna started crawling for her bed and pulled herself up to standing once she got there=) She is gettin' on with the gettin' on! Poor Mal and Ryan are gonna have their hands full this next week; a toddler, a little kid and two crawling babies....busy, busy, busy!

Winston has started singing along with songs and music he hears and it is too cute. The last couple days he has started going potty on his own. He just strips down, goes to the bathroom and pees all on his own and we don't know until he is done and comes out all proud of himself or we happen to walk by the bathroom while he is busy. Really awesome.

He is big on "I do it myself" right now, and his independence is awesome and frustrating all at once.

Kelly and I are off on our Mexican Vacation starting tomorrow afternoon, flying out of Vancouver International on Sunday. We will return April 20th at 2:30am=( Too early or late depending on your point of view, but at least we will get to see the kids on my birthday=)

Hope you all have a great week and a Happy Easter...see you all in a week!

Photo Overload

2009-04-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

New Address

2009-04-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

In order to accurately reflect our growing family (no, am not pregnant) I have changed our domain name. I hope you all got my email in regards to this! You must have or you wouldn't be reading this!

Winston's behaviour...

2009-03-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

Well, this past week has been absolutely phenomenal. Winston has done the usual two-year old bit of testing his boundaries, but in the end (and without very much whining or disciplining) he has done what he was asked and then some:)

In fact, while at the mall on Tuesday I knelt beside the stroller to ask him a question. After he answered it, he turned to me and just gave me the biggest hug EVER and said I love you mommy. I almost cried in the mall then and there. It was so sweet, so sincere and done totally of his own accord.

Our newest hurdle is getting him to eat everything that is served before him at a meal. He isn't served too much, and I know this because even when he does finish everything, 10 minutes later he is asking for something to eat. The last couple of meals have been really good and he has even asked to seconds.

Life is great=) Winston is behaving (as well as can be reasonably expected for a 2 year old), Anna is growing like a weed AND SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT=) Winston was well over a year before he started consistently sleeping through the night so Anna doing it on her own this early is a welcome change. Anna has also stopped using the soother. That's right, she self weened! Yay!

So, Winston is good, Anna is good, Kelly is home and therefore good....all adds up to one VERY HAPPY Mommy!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and support.

My last post...er, not the last one I am doing, in regards to the last post

2009-03-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

My last post is only 3 little words and totally summed up what I was feeling this morning.

I am inadequate.

I feel as if I can do nothing right with the kids since Kelly left last Saturday for Calgary. Since pretty much the minute he left, Winston has been really badly behaved.

If I ask him to do something (clean up a toy, get his boots on, sit at the table etc...) he will scream and whine and whine and whine. So everything SINGLE event in this house for the last week has been a fight and everything requires disciplining. Even a simple diaper change is needing a time out! It goes a little something like this:

Me: Winston, please go pick up your toys.
Winston: NO! (runs away)
Me: Winston! DO NOT tell me no! Go pick up your toys, or you will go into a time out!
Winston: AHHHHHHHH! WWWWAAAAHHHHHHHH! (screaming, whining at top volume)
Me: Winston, go to your corner.
Winton: (goes to corner) Screams for 5 minutes.
Me: Winston, come out of the corner, come see me. Are you going to listen now? Or do you need to stay in time out or get a spanking?
Winston: I listen.
Me: Great. I love you. Now go pick up your toys.
Winston: NO! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! WAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

and so and so forth. For absolutely everything!!!! Maddening I tell you, maddening!

So, needless to say (as I have now said it twice) I am feeling pretty low right now. Engaging with him, getting to his level, giving him choices/taking away choices, time out/spanks, playing with him, entertaining him, taking him places to burn off energy...all of it is futile; he still won't listen and behave.

I reached the end of my proverbial rope today, and after making sure Anna was in a safe spot and Winston wasn't gonna get into anything that could hurt him, I went and had a good cry. For about half an hour. I felt drained, exhausted and not even a little bit better.

This afternoon, Penny and Dave babysat the kids so I could get out for a couple of hours and decompress. Bliss. I went and got my hair cut, did an exchange at Canadian Tire and went shopping at Walmart. Gone for 3 hours. Felt MUUUUUCH better when I returned.

Today at Penny and Dave's house he was good. The SECOND we walk into our house, he starts whining and screaming. I cannot win.

So, this has been my challenge over this past week. It sucks and needs to end soon. Kelly will be home on Tuesday...I have to say I may lose it if the behaviour changes instantly.

Thank you everyone for trying to cheer me up. I really appreciate it.

2009-03-07T07:33:00.001-08:00

I am inadequate.

An actual update

2009-03-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

Well, where are we in terms of an update?

Anna had learned how to roll over and then I guess she decided it was unnecessary. As she is trying to move more, she is now rolling over now and does it without thinking and is usually surprised and happy to be on her tummy when she was just on her back. She is trying to crawl and attempts to pull herself up to standing on everything. She doesn't quite have the strength to do so, but she is trying very hard. I am sure she will be walking before long.

Anna is up to 6 teeth and working on number 7. She is still sporting just a little fuzz on her head, but it is getting longer so hopefully her hair will start coming in fuller soon. She has been a little fussy lately but I suspect she is missing her dad; I know Winston is missing Kelly

Winston called for kelly this morning when he woke up and when I went in he said "no, want daddy. mommy go away". He very nearly broke my heart.

It does highlight though how well his speaking is improving in terms of constructing full sentences.

Winston and Illyanna love to just look at each other and laugh. In the car, Winston will reach over and hold Anna's hand and smile at her making her smile and giggle.

Anna goes to bed sometime between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm and gets up once for a bottle around 1 am and is quiet until 6 am. Winston goes to bed at 7pm and sleeps till 6 am. Not too shabby and it means that this house is getting sleep; yay!

ahh, we are looking forward to next month. Kelly and I are heading to Mexico for a week and the kids don't get to come with us...hehe! Malinda and Ryan will be watching the kidlets for us whilst we frolic in the sun!

I'll try to do an actual update soon, in the meantime...

2009-02-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

Meet Mrs. Cullen

2009-02-22T16:37:00.000-08:00

Just a nice picture of Illyanna and I

2009-02-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

new photos

2009-02-14T22:00:00.001-08:00

Having 6 teeth makes eating easier...and cheekier!

Winston likes to make Anna laugh while they eat...

Showing her new outfit off

Just a cute pic of brother and sister.

His moustache came off, but it is a nice pic anyway

Melodie, Illyanna's cousin

Dylan and Winston's favorite hang out

Winston loves to hug and kiss Anna (and all his cousins when they come over)

He broke into Anna's toybox...

Fair is fair cause then Anna got to drive his car!

Twilight.......

2009-02-03T21:50:00.000-08:00

For those that don't know yet (and I can't imagine there are many) I have fallen for the Twilight series. Books, movie and soundtrack. In fact, in past month I have read the 4 book saga 3 times! Edward really can bite me anytime, LOL;P

Tammi, over at Organized Chaos is hosting a contest to have one of your own photos "Cullenized"! I am so hoping to win this one! The contest if for the site My Magic Me at Etsy and she really does nice work. My sister in law Tenille had her photo done and it turned out great. So go to http://controllingchaosincanada.blogspot.com/2009/01/wanna-see-something-magical-review.html to read all about it and enter!

AHHHHH, an update

2009-02-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

A few photos before the update...

Where to start?

Well, Illyanna has 5 teeth now and is working on #6! She can sit unassisted for up to 45 minutes/an hour at a time; when she does fall over she rarely cries about it. She had Cheerios for the first time today and was able to pick up the small Cheerios and get them to her mouth all by herself. She is trying very hard to crawl, but with her tummy in the way her arms and legs don't quite touch the floor at the same time;P

Winston is constantly pushing his luck and testing his boundries but at the same time is also getting more patient with Anna and sharing his toys without being asked more often (not all the time of course). He is also going through a growth spurt right now. He ate more in one sitting today than he usually does in the entire day! Plus he is so clumsy; tripping on air is funny though.

Kelly is going away for 10 days in March. An all expense paid ski trip. Plus he gets paid to go with the army. Life is soooo hard for Kelly these days. LOL!

Nothing new with me these days so I guess my update is complete!

Photo update

2009-01-25T21:17:00.000-08:00

Anna Tickling Winston

Like Mother like Daughter

mmmmm, food is good!

Modeling her new sucki

Winston modeled the other sucki

Sitting pretty

Showing off her new headband

All tied up and hanging out=)

Luck

2009-01-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I haven't been winning any of the contests my sister in law Tenille has hosted:( BUT we will be famous on her blog soon enough; we are testing out some new soothers for a contest she is hosting for mypacifer.com! So, it is like winning:)

On the other hand, she has some fabulous new contests going on right now at http://feistyfrugalandfabulous.blogspot.com that you just have to check out.

See Kai Run Smaller are shoes designed just for the wee babes in your life, and if you are wondering I like the Rhonda style for Illyanna**hint hint** and it ends January 31rst.

Wall Talk is great script for the walls of comforting, tongue in cheek or inspiring quotes that you rub onto your wall. I like the one about soulmates for mine and Kelly's room. This contest ends January 31rst as well.

Redfish makes some great Kimono Onsies that cute beyond belief and would look darling on Illyanna;) This contest ends January 20th.

So go on over to http://feistyfrugalandfabulous.blogspot.com and enter them all and then send me your winnings!

Happy 2009

2009-01-01T07:58:00.001-08:00

Well, today is the first of a new year! Have a wonderful year in 2009 and remember to check for updates often and leave comments a lot...I like reading the comments as much as you enjoy the updates (of course, here I am assuming you enjoy the updates, LOL).

Last night we had dinner and poker at Mal and Ryan's with friends Brianne and her other half Matt, and their cutie patootie girl Athena. Excellent dinner, excellent company and the kids were really good!

Winston managed to stay up until 12 and wished us a happy new year and then passed out when we put him to bed. He was really well behaved all night and he and his cousin has a riot!

Leaving Mal and Ryan's condo was not fun however. The hotel has done a really pathetic job plowing and salting...as in I don't think they have salted at all the parking lot and entrance to the building are literally a solid sheet of ice. Needless to say, I, the clumsy one, fell; and hard. I have a mild concussion and whiplash (my head hit the ice that hard and bounced off and back again) and my back is out and my hips hurt. When I called the hotel last night to inform them that I had fallen and hurt myself, I got a forced apology and that was it. I must admit I was not friendly on the phone, but I was not rude either. The girl was the owners daughter and all she could do was tell me that they have plowed and salted but that they can't keep up. I told her they were going to end up with a law suit if they don't fix it soon! A homeowner can be sued if a passerby slips on the sidewalk in front of their house if they don't shovel and salt, a business owner is at least twice as culpable, not to mention how much Mal and Ryan's insurance is paying for them to live there, the least they could do is take care of the dangerous situation...they actual hotel lot doesn't look like that!

In other news, I have been summoned for Jury selection on January 19th so we'll have to wait and see if I get selected and what kind of trial it is!

Anyway, back to the kids. Winston is OBSESSED with Wall-E. We have watched the movies twice in the last 24 hours and are watching it again right now. He has a melt down if his Wall-E shirt is dirty (thankfully we have two) and sleeps with his Wall-E toy. It is really amusing.

Illyanna cut another tooth yesterday. She now has her two front bottom teeth! She is getting realllly serious about this teething business and expanding her culinary delights:)

Anyway, take care everyone, all the best in this new year and keep your comments-a-coming!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T14:09:00.001-08:00

Some pictures from Christmas (leading upto, including and a few after)....most of you saw us this past few days so not too much is new except Illyanna cut a tooth!!!! On the bottom. Winston cut his first on top at 9 months....Illyanna really likes food and has decided that teeth will expand her culinary delights!

Playing the snow today...this is on our hike

I'll just gnaw my way in

Happy with Auntie Angie

Christmas morning at our house

Classic!

Mommy and Auntie Mickey

A princess

Not too sure she liked it though!

New hat from Thailand

Before Kelly's Christmas party

Winston INSISTED on wearing the flower headband to match Illyanna!

New template background...

2008-12-19T20:45:00.001-08:00

Do you like my new background? Leave a comment and let me know why or why not!

A comparison

2008-12-18T20:54:00.000-08:00

Illyanna ~~5 Months old~~

Winston ~~5 Months old~~

Who wore it better?

2008-12-17T19:29:00.001-08:00

Illyanna looking all pleased and pretty in the new headband I made

Jordan looks a little stunned however.

Who wore it better? Leave a comment to cast your vote!

Tenille's blog contest--this one is for mom!

2008-12-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

http://feistyfrugalandfabulous.blogspot.com/ is your link to win a really cool apron from Domistyle. They are giving away the Baby Blue Mocha apron (too cute!). Go to the link in the title or the first sentence here to check out the giveaway...and as always, if you win I like presents!

Update

2008-12-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

Winston has been potty training more and more lately and is beginning to recognize when he needs to go, not just going because we asked him to try. He is also trying to put himself on the potty lately, and the other day put his stool in place and stepped up. He forgot to put his potty insert on the toilet however and to pull his pants down...he fell in! It was hilarious:)

Winston is speaking in full sentences more and more often and his imagination is becoming more evident. Just today, he told me he was building a "wego haouse for de wiggles" (translation from toddler to english: lego house for the wiggles).

Winston has an obsession lately with Wall-E. He has the toy, begs to watch the movie and yesterday I ironed on a Wall-E pic onto a t-shirt. He wore that t-shirt all day, in the bath, to bed for breakfast until after nap time today. He had a nap without a diaper today (just to see if he could go without an accident and he might have if daddy hadn't given him a glass of apple juice with nap time) and he unfortunately had an accident and was soaked through. Obviously wall-e needed to be washed and it was like the end of the world just occurred! Oh my. Thankfully we had 2 shirts and made another one up so we have one to cycle through the wash while he wears one:)

Illyanna has a massive teething related diaper rash. It is even starting to blister. Poor girl. And she is in big pain in her gums. We are using canesten and a zinc based diaper cream to clear it up as well as warm water and lots of naked bum time. It is slowly getting better and will hopefully not last too much longer.

She gives us lots of razzberries and smiles and goes totally bananas over food! Today, she "drank" her thick apple oatmeal cereal straight from the bowl as she could not wait for the spoon! It was really funny.

We are almost totally ready for Christmas. Winston and Illyanna are all done with only stocking stuffers left to get, something for my mom and two gifts for Kelly's side. Done. And everything (including tree and new decorations) for under $250.

In the words of Garfield: Christmas-it's not about the giving, it's not about the getting, it's about the loving" and that is what we hope to impart on our kids.

Tenille's blog -- another great contest

2008-12-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

http://feistyfrugalandfabulous.blogspot.com/ is your link to enter the contest for a soldiers flowers gift certificate. I love the big ole flower headbands and Angela (the creator of these particular headbands) makes some fabulous ones! Remember if you win, I want it! LOL

Please check out Angela's store at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5669872&section_id=5706105 to view all her fabulous headbands:) You won't be disappointed (and I really won't be if you get one for Illyanna, LOL).

Tenille's Blog--Safe Sippy

2008-12-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

Head on over to Tenille's blog and enter to win a safe sippy! No BPA and really cool looking:) Remember if you get there from here and win.....wink wink.
http://feistyfrugalandfabulous.blogspot.com/

Mal and Ryan made the paper!

2008-12-09T19:13:00.000-08:00

Mal and Ryan's house caught fire on Saturday, Dec 6 and is now pretty much a write off. The structure is fine but the inside will need to be gutted and redone and all the possessions will need to be replaced. Thankfully nobody was hurt and the only person home (a tenant) got home unscathed. Mal and Ryan can replace everything material as they had great insurance coverage...what they can't replace are pictures/memories.

So, I ask this of you, my loyal readers (since most of you are family) please gather photos of Mal/Ryan/Dylan/Jordan and either set them aside for Mal and Ryan or make copies of them. Also, any of your own photos (like of yourself or kids) that they may have had or could replace what they had would be fantastic. If you want, you can give them to me and I will organize them (ie scrapbook or frame or file) for the family.

Puts the whole holiday season more into perspective doesn't it?

(by the way, click on the title of this entry to link up to the news story)

Happy Holidays and thank you.

Smart Mom

2008-12-05T21:08:00.000-08:00

Over at http://feistyfrugalandfabulous.blogspot.com/ the contest du jour is for Smart Mom jewellery which are teething pendants. Mom wears the pendant around her neck and baby gets to play and teethe on them! Smart! Go check it out and enter to win one...hint hint I want one!

Jack and Jill Shoes

2008-12-04T21:38:00.000-08:00

Go to http://feistyfrugalandfabulous.blogspot.com and check out the contest for today. Shoes from Jack and Jill and they are fantastic! Check it out, you will want a pair too.

Playing with Piknic.com

2008-12-03T22:23:00.001-08:00

Random pics

2008-12-02T22:38:00.001-08:00

Homemade laundry soap...smells great and works like a hot damn:P

Making homemade bread and cinnamon buns

The youngest having lunch together

The two oldest have "coffee" (chocolate milk)

Changes they are a happening

2008-12-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

Happy girl in her new headband...

Illyanna has decided that rolling is very cool and lots of fun...but going from her back to her tummy and does it at nearly every chance she gets. Interesting to watch but oh so frustrating when she tries to roll over when having her bottle! Speaking of food, Illyanna is now on solids and can eat a whole jar of baby food in one sitting! AND still have room for half a bottle an hour later before bed...let's hope this is the start of some through the night feedings.

The picture to the left here is a close up of a new head band for Illyanna; only I made this one! I think it looks pretty nice:P

Winston is still being a cutie with his sister and keeps getting her toys to play with. He started asking for the potty tonight, so fingers crossed that this is a start of the end of diapers for Winston.

Kelly and I may have an opportunity for role reversal coming up shortly. I may be going back to work and if I do then Kelly will become a stay at home dad...will be interesting and fun I think!

I will let you know what happens...if anything does.

Have you all been entering the contests on Tenille's site? You don't have to have a blog to enter them, just a valid email address and there are some pretty cool prizes. You don't have to have kids yourself to enter...some may be of interest just to you or maybe you have nieces/nephews/cousins/grandkids, etc...take a look at http://fiestyfrugalandfabulous.blogspot.com...

Also to the right of the page is a link for swagbucks...I am sure most of you noticed it before. It is a search engine program (exactly like google) only for your searches you are randomly awarded swagbucks that can be redeemed for real prizes. 50 swagbucks for instance will get you a $5 giftcard to Starbucks and that is $5 plus tax so really the card is like $6.38 or something and they pay for shipping! On the higher end if you save up (like I am trying to do) 430 swagbucks gets you a Wii!!!!! So, please us my referral link and start earning things while you do the searches you would do anyway:P

Kiddie update

2008-11-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

Well, what is new?

Illyanna has rolled over, but not since that day:( But she is now grabbing for everything, trying to feed herself her bottle, eating solids and is an all round generally happy baby...she just smile all the time! She had shots yesterday and took them like a trooper. She cried a little but didn't really scream to much, and Winston insisted on giving her a kiss to feel better, it was too cute.
Illyanna is up to 19 pounds 4 ounces and 25 inches long. Winston is 23 pounds and 35 3/4 inches tall...see where I am headed with that???? Before long we will have to be saying Illyanna stop sitting on your brother! LOL:)

The kids are super happy to have Kelly home. Winston is potty training again, eating better again, sleeping better and listening better...while these are all good things it is a little frustrating that he only started doing better once Kelly got home.

We are gearing up for Christmas here...the Christmas tree will be hunted for and decorated on December 7th (tentatively) and the rest of the decorations will go up then too...the presents won't go under the tree until Christmas eve as Winston loves to unwrap gifts!

Otherwise, all is well and good here and hope all is well with all of you. Please leave a comment and let me know how all of you are doing!

Another blog contest

2008-11-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

Pretty much everyday, I will be posting a link here to my sister in law's Blog...Tenille is hosting a kick off to Christmas contest where she has a new prize everyday. Today's contest is for See Kai Run shoes. They are really cute and if I win I will seriously have a hard time picking out a pair! So go see the contest, enter and hope to win (but if you get there from my blog won't you share your prize?) So, use this link:http://feistyfrugalandfabulous.blogspot.com to get there faster.

Daily Contest on Tenille's Blog!

2008-11-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

Go on over to fiesty frugal and fabulous everyday and enter to win a contest, starting November 24 until the prizes run out! Tenille has some really great stuff lined up, and all in time for Christmas! (you probably won't get the prize till after cause of canada post).....Good luck and have fun! You can access her blog via the button on the right side of the page or scroll down and click on Tenille and Kirk X2....http://feistyfrugalandfabulous.blogspot.com (or this link!)

pics

2008-11-21T10:36:00.001-08:00

post personal training...10 pounds down and 18.5 inches gone!

She ROLLED OVER!!!!!!

2008-11-12T10:57:00.000-08:00

Illyanna ROLLED OVER from her stomach to her back today for the first time ever, and I actually managed to catch it on video for Kelly:) Love you, babe!

No, I am not pregnant!

2008-11-10T20:12:00.000-08:00

Apparently my last updated post left a few people wondering if my breastfeeding challenge was due to pregnancy (mom!)...no, I am not pregnant.

There are 2 reasons that are through no fault of my own and 1 plausible reason that could be my fault.

The first reason is two-fold; because of the troubles Illyanna and I had establishing a latch in the beginning my milk never entirely came in.
The second part of reason one is because of the nipple shield we ended having to use to establish a latch. The lactation consultant at the health unit said that early weening/depleted milk supply is an unfortunate by-product of the shield because it lowers the skin-to-skin contact that stimulates the hormones required for milk production. The positive side of the shield is that we got to breastfeed at all...so take our lumps with the good I suppose.

The second reason is that I could not keep up with Illyanna's demand! She wasn't born 10 pounds 2 ounces because she is a picky eater:)

Now, the third plausible reason is my own vanity. In my efforts to ditch the baby weight sooner than later I cut too many calories from my diet. A nursing mom requires roughly 500 extra calories to maintain her milk supply. The average diet is 2000 calories a day. So a nursing mom should take in roughly 2000-2500 calories (depending on what she was eating before). I cut back to about 1200-1500 calories. So in my efforts to not be "flabby" I sabotaged my own efforts.

I am ok with not breastfeeding anymore. I was hoping for 6 months but 3 is better than none. And with Winston, had things gone more my way, I would have only breastfed for 3 months vs the 14 months we ended up going. So I guess it all works out in the end.

But, DAMN! formula is expensive...even using the cheap ass Walmart brand:(

Random Photos of the kids playing

2008-11-06T10:58:00.001-08:00

4 months old and 27 months old

2008-11-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some new photos for you all to enjoy and there is an update at the bottom of the page.

Winston rockin' it out to his Wiggles mat...he loves this thing!

Just playing around...

Candy High?

In her pretty new dress

Her new headband from Aunt Candy and Joey...I love it! It is soooo cute:)

Our little caterpillar

Our little lion

Illyanna will be 4 months on friday and is constantly changing. Right now she finds her big brother hilarious and will look at him and just laugh, it is too adorable. She is very close to rolling over and tried to in the tub the other day. Thankfully I was holding onto her!

Illyanna is totally weaned now. My milk has dried up. I would have ideally liked to have gone to 6 months but 3 and half months is pretty darn good. Even the night feeds are bottles now. I have a few suspicions as to why my milk dried up, but I don't wish to share them now.

Winston has been totally whiny lately. I think he is missing his daddy quite a bit and that is the reason for it. He gets his picture of daddy off the fridge, kisses it and it good for a while. He is sick right now. I am hoping to get him into the doctor's office tomorrow. I think he has strep throat as well as an infection and possibly an ear infection. A course of antibiotics may be in our near future. I think Illyanna has the ear infection and eye infection as well. Darn kids, I tell ya!

Hallowe'en was a hit here. Winston was not a fan of putting on his costume or trick or treating in the mall...he was so miserable I thought I was gonna have to skip the trick or treating around our neighbourhood. His attitude improved and we went out after dinner. Our friend Karlee joined us and Winston was a ham. He dragged poor Karlee from house to "haouse" and he said "tick a treat" at each door and even gave them all a 'ROAR" and a thank you. He was really sweet. Illyanna even gave each person a sweet smile and some even got a laugh.

Kelly will be home earlier than expected. His course will end on November 21 and so he will be home on November 22. Yahoo! Very excited. The room reno I have been working on is almost done and will hopefully be completed when he arrives:)

Contest

2008-10-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

My Sister-in-Law, Tenille, over at Fiesty, Frugal and Fabulous is having a contest to win a free TuTu! They are really cute:) The TuTu is supplied by Tinder Boutique and to enter, visit feisty frugal and fabulous (there is a link bar on the page to your right) and then visit tinder boutique, and go back to Feisty Frugal and Fabulous to post your comment...Tenille will use Random.org to pick the winner on Nov 5th. Have fun!

Yawning Acres

2008-10-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Yawning Acres hayride and Pumpkin harvest. First the hayride was like 15 minutes to the first stop along the way of which were many spooky scenes. Then we stopped beside the Nanaimo River for hotdogs and hot chocolate and to watch the salmon spawning. Then off to the pumpkin patch to find our pumpkins. Winston had to be able to carry his, so he has a super cute little one. Nicely orange and perfectly round. Thanks for the help Aunty Angie. We had a blast.

Picture Update

2008-10-21T21:18:00.001-07:00

Progress Report

2008-10-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

Let's see where to start?

Illyanna is able to fully support her head now and so loves to spend time in her exersaucer and Jolly Jumper. She loves the mirror on her exersaucer and will smile and laugh at herself for up to about 30 minutes (which is quite the attention span at her age!). If she is upset I can usually get her to stop crying by asking her who my pretty girl is and/or by Winston and I singing our version of itsy-bitsy spider (singing Illy-Billy Banana climbed up the water spout, down came the rain and washed poor Anna out, out came the sun and dried up all the rain and the Illy-Billy Banana climbed up the spout again). She is grasping more and more things and they all go directly into her mouth! She loves to smile and laugh and is still an excellent sleeper. The vacuum is a favorite of hers. The other day I was vacuuming and she was crying on the couch when Kelly put her down to help move furniture and as soon as that vacuum when on, she stopped crying; turned off the vacuum and she started crying again-turn on the vacuum and wouldn't you know it, she WENT TO SLEEP!!!!!! Craziness.

Winston is fighting potty training. I swear that boy goes in his pants just to drive me bonkers. This morning, Kelly put him on the potty and he went pee. Good, right? Not 5 minutes later I notice he is leaving footprints on my freshly cleaned floor. Go to investigate and he not only pee'd in his jammies he pooped down the leg. Arghhhh! Into a cold shower he goes to clean up and into fresh training pants and after 2 more uses of the potty he pee's in his pants. A long battle ahead of us I forsee (well, me since Kelly leaves next week for 7 weeks). He does love to "help" with anything and everything...a good thing and a bad thing since when it comes to Illyanna he is a bit rough but he will learn--eventually. Today he and Dylan are going to make cookies! Now, THAT will be fun;)

Illyanna is good at taking a bottle which is a very good thing as my milk supply is all over the place (and it doesn't matter how often I breast-feed--has no effect). Usually pretty low but consistent and then bam! I get engorged and blocked-ducts and then when we have remedied that situation, very low inconsistent supply for like the next two days. Frustrating as all hell. So, while we will be BFing for as long as possible, I am in much doubt that it will go beyond 6 months. She will be weaned from BFing by march anyway in preparation for our trip.

Kelly and I are going to Cancun in April for our friends' wedding/late honeymoon. Ahhh, sun, sand, fun and romance.

Malinda and I have been meeting with a personal trainer 3X a week for 4 weeks now and are losing stubborn baby weight and inches plus feeling way better and eating better. Smaller pants here we come! I have already lost 10 pounds and only have 10 to 15 more to lose in the next 4 weeks and then we'll see how much more to lose after that.

Well, Illyanna just woke up so we'll catch up so more later.

Ciao!

Picture Update!

2008-09-28T16:28:00.000-07:00

update

2008-09-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

Illyanna had her first round of shots today:( She was a trooper. She did scream and cry but not for long and did run a slight fever but was still smiley and talkative all day. Way to go Illyanna.

Illyanna rolled over today on our bed...it doesn't quite count as it is a soft surface that she can roll on very easily and probably accidentally but she was on her back when I left her on her tummy when I came back...sigh, growing too fast.

Illyanna is 15 pounds 8 ounces today and 24" long. She has grown 4" in length and gained 5 pounds 6 ounces since birth...talk about a good eater and grower:)

Winston is getting better and better with her. Doesn't throw things at her nearly as often and will tell me when she is sleeping, crying and where her seat is in the car and where her bed is and when she is crying he will try to give her the pacifier or his index finger to calm her down. He asks to hold her often and loves to give her kisses. What a cutie these two are.

Winston is really into Wiggles, SpongeBob and Mickey Mouse right now. In fact he has insisted on sleeping with his Toodle ears the last few nights and breaks into dance at the slightest hint of Wiggles music. Super adorable!

No pictures in this post today but next time there will be!

photos on the quick

2008-09-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

New Family photos

2008-09-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

New Hat

2008-08-30T15:34:00.001-07:00

Grandma Penny and Aunty LeeAnn bought a new hat for Illyanna (made by Great Aunty Candy)...isn't it great:)

Picture Update

2008-08-26T22:04:00.000-07:00

First time swimming....(Englishman River)

Winston had a hay day at Englishman River

His newest thing...

More Smiling!

Smiling at her Daddy:)

Smiling!

2008-08-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

Winston has been insisting on holding Illyanna lately, and it is sooooo cute! He even wants to be able to pick her up like mommy and daddy do...too bad she probably weighs almost as much as he does!

Winston's vocabulary continues to grow in a rapid rate and his jealousy of his sister is lessening; thank goodness.
He tells me about the baby's seat, bed and when the baby is crying. He even gives her her sucki when she cries or puts his finger in his mouth to get her to stop crying like all the adults do.

He still likes to help clean the house! YaY! He has started talking to the TV in response to a request/question and dances to almost any song on his shows--especially the wiggles.

Illyanna sleeps very well. Several naps in the day and one is almost alway 4 hours. She sleeps for most of the night in her own bed in her own room. She does from 9:30 or 10 pm to about 2 or 2:30 am in her bed and then from about 3 am to 5 am then I bring her into our bed until 7:30 or 8. Too ncie!!!!!

There are rough days of course, but so far two kiddies has been enjoyable! How about the updates for all of you? Frequent enough? Enough pictures? Information? I like to keep everone updated as well as I can:)

Winston's Birthday Party

2008-08-10T20:29:00.001-07:00

Winston's 2nd Birthday day

2008-08-07T16:19:00.001-07:00

Just a few photos to show how we spent Winston's Birthday! His party is on Sunday though.

what he got from mommy and daddy...

Getting right into his work!

Illyanna all dressed up for Winston and smiling (sorta)

Peek-a-boo at the park..

What a happy boy!

WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome Jordan Charles Kristofer Turner was born this morning at 8:37 and was 9lbs 7.5oz with a crap load of dark hair!

Mommy and baby are tired but doing well...

CONGRATULATIONS guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another photo update

2008-07-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

All ready for Ethan's birthday!

2 and a half weeks old...

Tootsies at 3 weeks...

Winston and Daddy kayaking on Canada Day...

At Ethan's Birthday...

taken today...Illyanna Amy Perpeluk at 3 weeks old.

again, taken today...Winston helping give Illyanna a bath...

pheww...

2008-07-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

Winston continues to astonish us with his sponge like ability to pick things up. In the last 2 days he has learned the following:

"got it" (especially if being reprimanded)
"dinosaur"
"rainbow"
"applesauce"
"honey-pot"
"Granny"

and he also can say "anna" and is starting to put together more and more sentences. He can point to body parts we didn't know he knew such as his elbow or to parts we knew he knew but in a general sense such as hands but can point to his fingers separately.
If only he could catch on as quickly as that when it comes to his whining and temper tantrums...

Winston loves to feed Illyanna and is always trying to share his toys with her; especially if she is crying- he thinks she is bored.

Illyanna is getting bigger by the day. She is starting to hold her head up on her own and can focus on an object in front of her. She looked up at me today and gave a true smile:) She is a very good baby. She only cries (so far) if something is actually wrong...hungry, hot, wet bum, tired or needs to burp or poop. She sleeps for a few hours at a time at night and is actually able to sleep in a bed by herself for a few hours at least right now. She is in the pack n play in our room as I type this even. Illyanna takes a bottle and a sucky. The sucky not too regularly but the bottle a few times a day...sometimes she insists on it! It is so nice as Winston flat refused any bottle we offered with any liquid in it (and we tried it all). I can go out without worrying how the baby will eat or coming back within an hour to feed the baby or just taking the baby with me. I actually got to go out last night and leave both kids with Kelly for a few hours. Heaven I tell you, Heaven!

A big adjustment we are making right now, is Illyanna is always eating (like all babies but come on, she didn't get to be 10 pounds at birth because she is a light eater!) and as we have breast feeding established (with a nipple shield) and so breast feed more often than we bottle feed I spend a fair amount of time sitting with her at the boob. This is of course when Winston wants to play with me or be entertained in some way by me. So he is whining a lot and temper tantrums a lot in the afternoons when it seems that Illyanna is cluster feeding. Today in fact he got into trouble (physical to himself) when he was playing on the couches. He fell head first off the arm of the love seat and not one hour later did it again off the couch. Silly boy. Then, when I had 5minutes to do up some dishes so I had a clean bottle and nipple shield, Winston decided to "help". I washed up some glass bottles and glass dishes and put then on a towel to dry. I turned to the stove to stir dinner and Winston grabbed the towel the dishes were on so he could "help" dry them. Needless to say the dishes hit the ground and broke. ahh, the antics.

Life with 2 kids is in some ways easier than I expected and harder than I expected in other ways but wonderful all the same. I do love being a mom, and as much as my kids frustrate me or infuriate me at times this is EXACTLY the life I want and wanted. ***Cue sappy music***

Efforts Dashed

2008-07-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

shortest established latch ever...Illyanna is back to chewing on my nipples. And I have blocked ducts and possibly mastistis (sp?) so I feel like poop.

sigh, what to do what to do.

drum roll please...

2008-07-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

Houston, we have a latch!

It appears that Illyanna's frenulem was an issue in establishing a nursing latch just as it was for Winston.

My nipples will be a little while in recovering I think and so nursing will still be a little painful for a bit, but we have a latch! Yahooooooooooooo!

It is a relief to me, not because I am anti-formula (in fact we will continue supplementing with it--it is super sweet for Kelly to be able to feed Illyanna either formula or breast milk and for those night feeds formula is nice) because I am not, it is a relief because it proves to me that it was nothing I was doing wrong - or Illyanna - but that there really was an issue that needed to be addressed.

But, better late then never:)

New Pictures

2008-07-16T08:00:00.001-07:00

Winston showing his sister some love...

Winston holding and feeding his sister...

Horsing around with Dylan...

One of the last times Winston will be able to take Dylan!

Winston wants to be the baby again...

2 and 3 days old...

2008-07-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

Illyanna latched onto Daddy's nose...just couldn't wait for Mommy!

chillin' after feedin'...

You can see most of the swelling and bruising has gone down...

Snuggling with Dad...

So peaceful...

Illyanna is a great sleeper so far. 2 or 3 hours at a time and she only cries if she is hungry. which if she isn't sleeping she is hungry!

Latching is difficult again this time round...maybe a little worse. Winston just didn't get a good latch to start and kept breaking it, but eventually got the whole nipple in his mouth and was able to feed properly. Illyanna doesn't want to open her mouth that wide and gets suction with the the nipple before she has the whole thing in her mouth and she sucks so hard it is difficult to break the latch and start over. It is incredibly painful and I feel awful when she burps up what she has eaten and it is mostly blood from my cracked nipples. But we shall persevere and figure it out. If nothing else, I can pump and she can get breast milk from a bottle.

Winston is adjusting to life as a big brother reluctantly. Mostly he is trying to help out but he is very used to being the centre of our world and does not want to share us; which ever parent has Illyanna is the parent he wants right then. And he is whiny. Very whiny, like he forgets he knows how to speak words and has reverted back to pointing and grunting. He will get over it soon enough I guess, but sooner is definately better than later.