We've Going To Have Our Hands Full...

So, our Sophie is already hitching rides with boys on motorbikes...


And her little escapade nearly ended with a crash over the handle bars...


Gotta watch this girl, for sure!

The Wee Ones Meet

This weekend, Dad came into town to meet his newest grand-daughters. Mum is still here to help Ness, so it was really nice to all get together again. We had dinner over at Ness and Sean's this evening and Jack had a fabulous time playing with Michaela and Alexis, in between having photos taken and eating pizza!

The newest babies meeting for the first time
Emma (11 days old), Sophie (15 weeks old), and Wyn (8 days old)

Grampa and Nana with the three girlies

Me with Sophie and Mum, Steve and Rachel with Wyn, and Ness with Emma

Alexis and Jack playing trains (they've both just turned two in the past month). So cute!

Jack's Party Post...finally!

I'm finally getting around to posting about Jack's birthday party that happened almost a month ago! I've been waiting to get these lovely photos that my brother took that morning...thanks Steve!

Seeing as Jack is all about airplanes at the moment, and seeing as I found these at Target and thought they'd make perfect party favors...



And seeing as our local small airport has an awesome playground and picnic area....



...all these factors conspired to bring about the airplane themed party for his second birthday. Easy, fun and mess free. Or would have been had the weather cooperated. After weeks of lovely, relatively warm weather that fooled us all into thinking Spring was just around the corner, a tornado swept down from the north causing nasty weather that very weekend (and terrible damage and loss in many areas. Thank the Lord the worst for us was unpleasant weather for an outdoor party. It could have been oh so much worse!)

We arrived early to set up the tables of food and cake, only to find that the picnic hanger (which is open to the air on two sides) was covered in water and there were fierce winds blowing. Lovely. Andre, being the resourceful man he is, asked around for a broom/squidgy thingy and managed to get most of the water swept away. We got the table set, while poor old Jack sat there shivering, bundled from head to toe, muttering, "Cold, cold". Poor child.

Adding to the stress was Sophie who wouldn't stop screaming, no matter how often I tried to reason with her that this was definitely not the moment for a meltdown. I finally, with very bad grace I might add, picked her up, only to discover that she was COVERED in poop. And when I say covered, I mean no good-very bad-from her armpits-to her ankles-kind of poop. Oh did I ever feel like a bad mother! I'm not even sure how long she had been sitting in that, although I vaguely remember smelling something when we loaded up the car that morning. Back at home. An hour before. Did I mention I felt bad?

The only place to change her was the freezing cold bathroom equipped with a freezing cold plastic changing station and freezing cold tap water. My poor baby was practically blue by the time we finished cleaning her up and yes, it was a two person job! Thankfully I had packed another set of clothes for her. Here she is bundled up warm and with a snack after her traumatic experience. She slept the rest of the party. Angel child.



Pinterest had given me lots of fun ideas for cakes and food and I had such fun experimenting with it all. The "Cloud Parfaits" were the biggest hit with the kids...


I wanted to make him a cake in the shape of an airplane...


...but was dying to try my hand at fondant for fun and had this adorable model bi-plane. Hence, two cakes.


We did try to light candles but the wind being what it was, that didn't turn out so successfully so we sang without them. Jack didn't seem to mind and was more concerned with getting back to the playground anyway!



My brother took some gorgeous photos of the kids...here's little cousin Alexis...


And the birthday boy...


He had a blast playing with all his "fwends" who came and watching the planes...




And as the morning wore on, the wind died down and the sun warmed things up enough for us to stop shivering. I was SO relieved the rain held off! Thanks to everyone who braved the frigid temps to help celebrate our boy! He is still talking about it :)

Sunday Afternoon Stroll

Yesterday after Sophie and I got back from staying at Nessa's house, we went for a walk around our condo complex seeing as it was such a lovely day.

We saw a beautiful heron fishing

Upon seeing this enormous Great Dane on our walk, Jack yelled, "Look, cow"! That was one enormous dog.

Where did the "cow" go?
When I asked him what it was a couple of minutes later, he said, "Dog, actually" Ha!
"Actually" was his new word yesterday. Today its "Oh man" when he's excited about something!

Investigating the duck pond

Loves that motor bike!

My boys

Smiling for the camera

Miss Sophie enjoyed her ride in the stroller

Happy to be with both my babies again

Weekend Fun

Well, as you can tell from the last two posts, lots has happened in our family in the past four days! My sister was scheduled for her c-section (Baby #3) on Thursday but went into labor late Wednesday night. Sweet little Emma Jane was born via c-section a few hours later (March 14)! My sister-in-law, Rachel, was scheduled to be induced (Baby #1) on Friday morning, but ended up checking into the hospital (same one as Ness) on Thursday night for some meds which kick started her labor on its own. Her waters broke at 11:30 pm Thursday night and so began a LLLLOOOONNNGGGG labor, over 24 hours in the end! Poor Rach and Steve, it was quite the ordeal. But little (or rather I should say BIG) Baby Wyn Elise was born beautiful and healthy at 1:30 am Saturday morning (March 17).

Ness and Rach were just down the hall from each other and got to visit a few times during their stays. Ness and Emma went home today and Rachel and Wyn are going home tomorrow. From Thursday, Sophie and I stayed at Nessa's house with Mum to help take care of Nessa's older two girls and had a great time having a girls weekend! We got to visit at the hospital several times and have so enjoyed welcoming these two new babies into our family!

THURSDAY
Big sisters Michaela and Alexis visiting their new baby, Emma for the first time


THURSDAY
Me and Mum getting in some cuddles with Baby Emma

FRIDAY
Mum and Sophie with Rachel's parents, keeping vigil while poor Rach was in labor. The moms stayed all through the day, right up until little Wyn arrived that night!

SATURDAY
Holding sweet baby Wyn for the first time

SATURDAY
Jack (the only boy grandchild out of 6!) waiting in the hospital lobby (Mum looked after him), while Andre and I visited the new babies. Hospital policy says no children except siblings, so Jack and Sophie didn't get to meet their cousins in the hospital.

SUNDAY
Since I was still staying at Nessa's today, Sophie got to meet her cousin Emma when they arrived home this afternoon!

SUNDAY
Cousins meeting for the first time, Sophie at 14 weeks and Emma at 4 days

Andre did a great job taking care of Jack this weekend (thanks Husbie!) and I had a special time with Mum, Sophie and Nessa's girls. It's nice to be back home this evening with my little family though!

SUNDAY
Enjoying some time outside together after we got home this afternoon

Another sweet niece!

Congrats to my brother and his wife on the birth of their first baby girl, Wyn Elise, born today at 1:30 am weighing 9 lbs 2 oz! The biggest grandbaby yet! Here she is (on the left) pictured with her cousin Emma who was born on Wednesday night. They are all at the same hospital, just down the hall from one another. Congrats Steve and Rachel!!!!

A New Niece!

So excited for my sister and her family on the birth of their third baby!!!! Emma Jane was born last night, March 14 at 11:21 pm, weighing 7 lbs 12 oz. Congrats Ness and Sean and big sisters, Michaela and Alexis!!!!