One busy weekend!

It's only Saturday evening, but we have already ridden the miniature train in Stanley Park and looked at the Christmas lights, walked to Granville Island and home again with a few stops to feed pigeons and play in the sunshine, and, last but not least, had a first visit with SANTA!

Less hurrying, more pausing.

"but the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. this is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. there is one picture of the three of them sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. and I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less." anna quindlen

I am trying my best to do a lot of remembering these days. It's surprisingly easy when you know what is important in life.

Hot Steppin'

Kiddo

Piano Man

Our Boy is ONE!

Here he is, all grown up at age ONE!

We love you, Oodles!
You are so full of life, inquisitive, persistent, and good-natured.
You are such a happy little guy who has a wonderful sense of humour.
Happy Birthday!

Bananas!

Mr. Independent

Owen has decided he wants to start feeding himself more, rejecting the spoon or fork or finger approaching his mouth loaded with yummy food, leading to this:




He's very methodical in his pattern-making.

Baby Toting

This clip from a 1963 episode of "Telescope" on CBC is so great.

I have used a Moby wrap, a ring sling, and a Baby Hawk for toting Owen around over the past 11 months. I love wearing him. I love looking into his eyes and feeling his warm chubby body next to mine. I love experiencing the world through his eyes. I've really got a front-row seat for it! Adam has worn him on occasion as well. The stroller is great for long treks in open spaces, but for short jaunts or in closed quarters (like a busy mall, a hike, a trip through the library), wearing Owen is the easiest way.

Life in the Fast Lane

Time keeps on tickin' by and the countdown to returning to work full-time outside the home weighs heavily on both my mind and my heart. I'm often awake for a few hours in the middle of the night thinking about the big changes that are soon approaching. Monumental changes for everyone in our family: Adam becomes the main caregiver in the morning, preparing both himself and Owen for work and daycare, I return to a job I love but am leaving Owen with someone else, and Owen...well, Owen is going to have to deal with the biggest change. But kids are resilient, and that little guy is a real charmer. We're going to gradually ease him into the change and hope for the best.

I am just so grateful I've had more than a year off (paid!) and have spent so much time with both of our families this year. I think about my mum, who returned to work just a few short weeks after giving birth to me. I think about parents who are completely alone in their parenting and wonder how they do it. We've had it really good!

Say "Cheese"

Our Little Boy

Up & Down

Man in the Mirror

We've been busy around here, travelling to Comox and Courtenay, Roberts Creek and Gibsons.

Owen is now crawling and getting into everything that he shouldn't and touching everything that we don't want him to. How do babies know how to do that, huh?

He is sleeping really well, logging in 12+ hours a night, plus some naps during the day.

Owen has fallen in love with himself (in the mirror), and continues to squack happily at the sight of dogs or other children.

He loves bananas ("na nas") & his "dada" and "mama."

Scrunchie

Owen has started making this funny, scrunched-up face when the camera appears. I think he's showing off his four teeth.

Garden Lunch

A few weeks ago, we visited old friends of mine at their cozy home and huge garden. We all worked together ages ago (1997!) at a bookstore, lost touch, reconnected, and now have children of our own. Laura was kind enough to invite us for a delicious garden lunch and kiddo playtime. We had a wonderful time and can't wait to do it again!

Enjoying the Moment

Owen turned nine months old last week, and I've started to think more and more about returning to work, finding care for our baby, and how we're going to find a balance between work/family. Over the past few months, Owen has become more and more of a joy to spend time with. Playing with him, watching him discover and explore the world, communicating the best we can with him, it's all so exciting.

So this morning, as I sat in the hallway and watched our baby boy scoot, slither, and hop his way into the bathroom to explore this BRAND! NEW! UNDISCOVERED! PLACE!, I thought about how this little boy is going to grow into a man. He's going to experience all the ups and downs that go along with life, and we can't always protect him. I wish that he may be lucky enough to find a partner with whom he may be blessed enough to one day have a little one of his own. And he may find himself on the floor, covered in drool, watching his own baby uncover all the crooks and crannies of it all.

Our Sunday Went Swimmingly

We swam, sunned, and snacked at New Brighton Pool late this morning.

Our Triumphant Return

We survived a two-day road trip with an almost-nine-month-old to Calgary and back. Owen was a gem and happily slept, played, babbled, or looked out the window while we admired the Rockies. He got to spend quality time with nana and grandpa, met his Auntie Jen and Uncle Paul for the first time, played a lot with his cousins, and attended his very first Calgary Stampede! We met Bobs and Lolo, had BBQs, visited Heritage Park, got a tan (despite our best efforts to keep him SPFed and shaded), and tried the pool again (he loved it!).