The Latest

Samara popped a molar the other day. That was fun.......not.

She started running. Not super fast but still running. I could barely keep up to her before, now I'll have no chance!

Samara started saying yum yum yum when she's eating something she likes. Well, actually it's more like nyum nyum nyum.

13 weeks

For those of you relatively new to the blog, I started this when I was pregnant with Samara as a way to keep all our family updated on the latest baby news. I did belly shots weekly and I'll be doing that this time as well...so brace your eyes as this belly is going to get BIG!

13 weeks...officially into the 2nd trimester now. I'm feeling fairly well although I do still get nausea from time to time. It's nowhere near as bad as with Samara though. T2 (for lack of a better nickname...Samara was nicknamed Baby T so I guess this one will be T2) is now half the size of a banana and is already a completely formed baby with unique fingerprints. Pretty cool!

Updates

* Yes, I'm pregnant! Thank you for the well wishes. We're expecting Samara's little brother or sister on or before (better not be after!) December 3. Sorry, Papa Jim...there is just NO way I'm holding out for your birthday on December 12th! But, if the baby arrives right on the due date, he/she will share a birthday with their Auntie Aven!

* No, we will not be finding out the sex.

* I've been feeling pretty well this time around...I get some random nausea, mostly when I'm really hungry so that means I've been eating nonstop. If this keeps up, I'll be well on my way to beating my 50 pound weight gain with Samara.

* Am I the only one that finds those little squeaker shoes the most annoying things ever? Do parents really buy those for their own kids? I always thought they were gifts from aunts, grandpas, friends wanting to irritate the parents. I see and hear kids in the mall squeak, squeak, squeaking down the mall and it drives me nuts!

* Samara now says hi. A LOT. To anyone and everyone. Multiple times. It'd be annoying if she wasn't so cute!

* She has also learned how to shush. Her and Shawn hide around the corner from me and she shrieks loudly (worst hider ever) so Shawn has been putting his finger to his mouth and going, "shhhh". So now she sticks her finger to her mouth and goes "ssssss". So sweet.

* I promise to take some house pictures SOON. I keep wanting the house to be neat and tidy before I take the pictures...that means Samara has to be in bed and then I'm just so darn tired that I can't bring myself to do it!

* Samara is in desperate need of a haircut. See?!

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Meltdown Alert!

Ahhh...we have reached the age where if Samara doesn't like being redirected to a safe toy (NOT the fireplace), being told no (sucking on electrical cords) or being removed from a room (after repeatedly pulling the cat's tail dozens of times), she has a meltdown. Pretty close to a full on tantrum. I have NO idea where she got this stubborn streak from. Must be Shawn's side of the family...

Sam's New Skill

I don't think this "milestone" is in any of the baby books. Nevertheless, Shawn taught Samara how to growl!

Don't Worry...

I'm not posting about poop today! Just a few pictures instead (NOT of poop, geez, stop worrying!)...

Swim Diapers

Swim diapers in theory are a good invention. You need something that's not going to spew pee and poop everywhere in the pool. And even better if your kid's regular diaper doesn't try to absorb the entire pool leaving the kid with a diaper weighing 50 pounds. But I still have a major beef with them. Actually, I have 2. Do the makers not acknowledge that a smaller kid might enjoy swimming? I bought the smallest size I could find and they are still gigantic on Samara. I have to roll them down so that they're not doubling as a shirt. 2nd beef...that they're pull ups. Have you ever tried to take off a crap filled pull up? No? Consider yourself lucky. Because I've had 2 days in a row of it. And today? Well, it resulted in a sweaty mom who lost her cool about 85 times in 7 minutes, a screaming kid, a poop covered change table, a "loose nugget" that went rolling off the table and an impromptu bath.

Fun in the Sun

Yesterday, it hit +29. Samara and I spent pretty much the whole day out on the deck enjoying the weather. I filled up her kiddie pool and she spent the first half of the day going over and inspecting the water and the 2nd half crawling in and out of the pool. It was definitely a hit! I wouldn't trade a day like that for a day back at the office for ANYTHING!! :)

Pictures

Nothing much to say...the weather is beautiful and we've been outside all weekend enjoying it. Here are some pictures in the meantime...

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This beauty and her mommy made some friends this week. Good ones, too. Lethbridge is looking pretty fabulous right about now...a wonderful family, beautiful home, friends, lovely city with amenities but no rush hour (I can get anywhere in under 15 minutes, no matter what time it is) and lovely weather (hardly any wind today!). Things are looking up!

Swingin'

Samara loves the swings so if it's nice out, we usually walk to the park. I took this video of her enjoying the ride and when I played it back, laughed because you really get a sense for how windy it is here!

Changes

Some of you have been asking how Samara has adjusted to all the new changes. Well, probably better than the rest of us! We did move the crib ourselves though so that she could have that familiarity throughout the move...so she didn't even spend 1 night away from her bed. She hasn't had a night wakeup since we've been here (knock on wood). She naps twice a day for at least 1.5 hours each (toss salt over my shoulder) and sometimes as long as 3 hours...although a lot of that is catching up from when she wasn't able to have good naps when we were moving. I'm NOT foolish enough to get used to that!

Tired:


How's that for some bedhead?!Another angle:
Peaceful, sleeping baby

Bowling with Daddy

Worst Dinner Guest Ever

Samara has developed a nasty little habit lately. It started with her chewing food she really didn't want and then opening her mouth to let it roll off her tongue and fall wherever. Now she just throws all her food on the floor. She doesn't even bother pretending to eat it anymore. She will eat maybe 2 bites and proceed to throw the rest on the floor. The weird thing is if we give up and take her out of her high chair, she'll circle us and get bites of food and then walk away to play with something and returns when she's ready for something else. It is certainly a cleaner and less frustrating meal but I wonder what kind of bad habits we're creating? I just don't see a point in making her sit at the table with us for a family dinner right now...she'll refuse to eat and I'll lose my mind when another bit of carefully prepared meal gets thrown at me!

Up

This isn't Samara's first word but it is by far the one she uses the most. I would say she averages on saying it 80 times a day...and I'm not exaggerating!

Special Presents

Samara got so so SO many toys, clothes and books for her birthday. I can't imagine she'll ever get bored playing at home anytime in the next year. She also got a couple of keepsake items as well. Shawn got her her very own guitar (3/4 size, it's so cute).
Nana and Grandpa got her her first bike. This kid has style...matches her dress to her bike! I had a tricycle almost exactly like that when I was a kid. I remember loving it so much.

What special presents do you remember getting as a kid?

Today is a new day...

Thank you to everyone that commented or sent me emails yesterday. You're all much too kind with the compliments but they definitely perked me up! So, enough with being negative. I woke up this morning feeling much better about things. I will make friends. I have to. Even if I have to pay someone! Ha!

I'm lucky as it is though, look who I get to hang out with every day!

Today it was snowing again...seriously, it's May. What is up?!?! I know to expect at least one snowfall in April but May is ridiculous. I think today is the last day of crap weather. I really hope so because we have not been able to go for one walk yet to explore the neighborhood.Instead of dwell on the fact it was nasty outside, I decided to do the one thing that makes any house feel like home...bake! Samara helped me bake double chocolate chip cookies (with dark and white chocolate chips). And by help, I mean destroy the tupperware drawer and crumple all my recipe cards. I baked them while she had a nice 2.5 hour nap and then let her have part of one for her lunch dessert. By the looks of things, she has inherited both Shawn and I's sweet tooth. She has that slightly crazed look in her eye that only true chocoholics have!

Loser

Being a loser is a new experience for me. All through school, even the tough teenage years, I had lots of friends and I guess could be considered popular. When I moved to Calgary, I formed a band with Shawn and we made friends very easily that way. When I had Samara, we had joined a prenatal group and that made making friends with new moms simple as well. Now that we've moved, I'm a loser. I have no friends here. I know I'm overreacting, we haven't even been here a week yet. But being a loser SUCKS. It's lonely! I'm used to doing something with someone every single weekday. Now my schedule is open...for months at a time. It's not a nice feeling.

Am I trying though? Yes. Yesterday I had to take Samara for her 1 year vaccinations. I totally hit on a mom there who had a baby that looked to be about Samara's age. I overheard her saying she wasn't going back to work and decided to take a leap. She seemed nice and I do have her number but I will feel weird about calling. It just reeks of desperation, you know? Also, she was one of those extremely put together moms...designer clothes, a purse that costs more than my wardrobe, fake nails, hair and makeup done up...I couldn't help but feel like a frumpy fool in my jeans, hoodie, fresh face and frizzy ponytail.

Today I went to the library for a mommy and baby storytime. There were probably 35 other moms and their babies there and it seemed to me like they all knew each other...like they went as far back as Elementary School. I left feeling even worse about my loser status. The positive thing is that Samara absolutely loved it. So I'm going to have to suck up my pride and go again. It only runs for another 2 weeks though.

Any suggestions? I'm willing to try just about anything. Maybe even sign up for a swimming class and put on a dreaded swimsuit in public!

But for now, I'll just wallow in self pity.

Moving Update

Well, moving was HIDEOUS. Nothing even went horribly wrong, it just sucked. On Thursday, the movers were supposed to arrive between 8-9. Of course that was the day we had the massive snowstorm. They ended up showing up around 10 and due to the bad road conditions, they had 1 less guy than usual. Because of that, loading took longer than they anticipated...about 6.5 hours. It was SO SO SO worth it to have movers. While we didn't pay for it (Shawn's work did), if I ever move again (have me committed if it's anytime soon), I would definitely consider it a necessary expense. The day went smoothly, no dings on the walls, nothing damaged and we were able to clean rooms as they were loaded up. Mom arrived to help us and due to the bad weather, spent 6 hours on the highway when the drive is only 2 hours in good weather. YIKES.

Friday brought more cleaning. We had to be out by about 1130am for the walk through and we were basically mopping on our way out. I am NOT one of those people that leave the house as is for the next person. I keep an excessively clean house and would be horrified to leave my dirt and mess for someone else to clean up. So I was happy to leave the house spic and span. In fact, if the new owners wanted to eat anywhere in the house, they could do so...bathroom, laundry room, bedroom, wouldn't matter!

We then drove to Lethbridge...Shawn took the cats, I took Samara and Mom had a load of stuff we had kept out of the moving truck. Amazingly, Mom had the worst drive. The cats did really well which we were anxious about since they have really only been on 2 long drives. Once Charlie pooped all over his kennel and himself and the other time Charlie threw up all over Robbie. NICE. But they settled in just fine for this trip. Samara was the perfect passenger...slept a lot, chatted a bit and looked at the scenery. Mom...well, she had Samara's toys in the very back. And one went off the entire time. I think she'll have those songs in her head for a very long time!

When we arrived at our new house, we were VERY disappointed to see that the previous owner did not feel the same way about cleanliness as us. The house is 3 years old and I venture a guess that the oven, fridge, windows, etc. have never been done. AT ALL. NOT ONCE. The carpets were NOT steam cleaned either. Some places like the master bathroom are so sticky with hair product that it will take weeks to get it completely clean. The grease above the stove will also take many tries to get clean. It's just so frustrating. When you rent, you're forced to clean or you don't get your damage deposit back. When you buy? It's the luck of the draw.

Anyways, we cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. And it's presentable now. The movers arrived Saturday afternoon and had everything unloaded in 4 hours or so. The beauty of having them unload is that we were able to unpack at the same time. So, by Sunday afternoon, we had the upstairs and the main level completely unpacked. Definitely not doable if we were doing it all ourselves.

So, we're here. And settled, mostly! It is SO windy. And I already posted that, I know. But just a warning that I will post it again. Probably so many times you'll be annoyed. But it's so windy that even the toilet water blows in the wind. Now that is windy!!

Some pictures from the move:

Don't forget me!

That's a pretty big box of valuables!
We switched to disposables for the move...while I'm committed to using cloth diapers, I'm not committed to moving dirty diapers when my washing machine is disconnected!
Unloading day...Samara's room wasn't quite unloaded and wasn't able to take a nap in her crib so had a nap on Daddy instead. She NEVER does this anymore. Daddy looks sick here...he got a massive sinus cold that day and could hardly get off the couch the next morning.

1 YEAR!!!!

Samara is now a year old. She is officially a toddler instead of a baby. I can't believe it! It makes me so sad! Everyone always says to enjoy every minute of the first year because it goes so fast. It's cliche but it's so true. It passed by in a moment. A deliciously sweet moment but much too brief!

At 12 months, Sam is now a full time walker. She rarely crawls anywhere now...except up the stairs. Our new house has 2 levels and she is OBSESSED with crawling up the stairs (we haven't yet got the gates up). She can be found sneaking her way over there to have a quick climb. She needs to work on her sneakiness though...she giggles and squeals the whole way walking over to the stairs and then looks over to make sure you noticed and then scurries up as fast as she can. I taught her how to go back down now so it's a bit safer but she is NOT to be trusted with that skill quite yet!

Her favorite toys are tupperware, mega lego blocks and her ride on train that she got for her birthday from her great grandma. She also loves going for rides on her new tricycle from her Nana and Grandpa.

Sam's favorite activities this past month are walking around and exploring everything she can. I'm not sure I get a moment's rest when she is awake! Maybe that's why I can't seem to gain any weight?! She really likes putting smaller objects into bigger ones...I found her a little purse and she likes putting blocks, spoons, cloths, whatever she can find into it and then taking everything out and starting over again.

Food is average...Samara will eat anything, but only if she feels like it. Some days she eats almost as much as me, other days she eats a couple of bites and then throws the rest on the floor and signs that she's all done. She has 8 teeth to chomp on her food and had some teething signs about a week ago but nothing to show for it yet. Today she had her last nursing session. My supply has pretty much dried up. I don't seem to be able to eat enough to sustain my supply and my own weight. So now we transition her to homo milk. She doesn't seem too picky about what she drinks so hopefully it will be a smooth change.

Sleep is still going well. She sleeps from 7pm to 7am. She gets 2 naps a day which are anywhere from 1-2 hours each. Now when she starts to get cranky, I ask her if she's tired and needs a nap and she'll start to suck her thumb so I know it's time for a nap.

Samara is such a loving little girl. She gives kisses on command and sometimes even when you don't ask. She likes to chase the cats and try to kiss them too but they rarely let her. She has a couple of dolls and stuffed animals that she will give hugs to as well.

Sam weighs 18 pounds 2 ounces and is 28.5 inches long. That puts her around the 15th percentile for weight and around the 20th percentile for height. In the past month she not only didn't gain any weight, but she lost an ounce. I'm not too worried though, she's so active and I can't force her to eat anymore than she wants. She still wears mostly 6 and 6-9 month clothing. Some 12 month dresses I can put on her but they're pretty big.

Sam can now say mama, dada, anana (banana) and up-a. Shawn taught her to say up instead of pulling at our legs and whining. It is SO sweet...she'll still pull at your pant legs but now she'll say up-a too. It's almost cuter with the "ah" sound at the end!

1 year...amazing...I wonder if the next year goes just as fast??

I'm back!

I'm working on a moving recap post and Samara's 12 month post but in the meantime, I just need to say:
THE WIND HERE IN LETHBRIDGE IS FRIGGING UNBELIEVABLE. Wind gusts of up to 100km/hr today. I think that could literally blow Samara and I away if we're not careful.