My little monster is 11 months old!!

Holy crap. I'm just... baffled at how this happened.

He's 11 months old. In a month he'll be a year. I can't get over how big he is... and so mobile. He's not quite walking yet but he really wants to! He's cruising along on the furniture and changing his diaper is... well... a challenge.

As I do every month, I took his pictures today with the stuffed dog his Grandpa gave him.

At first, he looked a bit distrustful of his friend...


I did get some great smiles from him though!! Ah... but you might notice that in the first picture we have socks. In the second and third pictures, no socks.



Which brings us to our photo of this months technical difficulty. One of my little monsters favourite games is sock removal. No sooner did I get him sitting down then we went after the socks. He's a determined little man too!


Happy almost birthday, my little man!

Not the baby but another halloween post...

All right. I just had to post this. As one of the reasons I love the WB.

A while back, there was a post from someone about a rainbow cake and it just looked so cool I had to try it. I waited for quite a while because I couldn't find any gel food colouring but I decided to try it with regular food colouring. I just used a little less water to balance out the extra fluid from the food colouring.

And since it was halloween, I dyed the frosting orange and used some chocolate chips to make him a bit more halloween-y.

I know I know... sad cake decorating skills!

It's been a year?! Halloween pumpkins..

I can't believe I've had this blog for a year now! My god... this time last year I was a month and a half way from giving birth (I thought I had more time) and taking pictures of fake pumpkins because I hadn't managed to get any before they all sold out.

This year. My son's first Halloween. And I bought three pumpkins two weeks ago. Hah! Learned my lesson, didn't I?

So... since I posted pictures of my pumpkins this time last year, I need to post them again.

Although... technically... I think this post is going to show up as a November 1st.

And tomorrow? Perhaps a picture of my little man's first Halloween costume!

Pumpkin time!

God. I can't believe how long it's been since I made a post. I'm so ashamed of myself.

I did not even post my monkey's ten month pictures. EEK!

So, my post tonight is me playing with my new camera... my Canon XSI! Yay!

And the pumpkins that are going to get massacred for tomorrow night!

9 months old!

9 months old. He's been out for as long as he was in!

We had a good day. Busy, just running around, a trip to the park. Some grocery shopping.

It never ceases to amaze me how much longer every errand takes when I'm running around with my little man!






Such a handsome little man! Every day with him is an adventure!

Abandoned...

On our drive home to the frozen north, we pass a host of abandoned outbuildings along the way. I find myself fascinated by these buildings, wondering what things these buildings may have seen. What history lies within. What would the walls tell me if they could talk?

As an aside, I should mention that I have the most patient husband in the world, willing to stop along the long long drive home so that I could take some pictures!

Wide open spaces...

We went to a wedding this weekend. The wedding of one of my oldest friends. God help us, we were in Brownies together, if you can imagine. Wow... more than three decades later, she's now safely married.

This picture is not, of course, from her wedding. Can't post those without her permission. Instead, it's from our drive home from the wedding. It was a good day for a drive, a bit overcast so it wasn't too hot and no rain, despite the scattered clouds. As much as I miss BC, I have to admit that Alberta is a beautiful province.

I took some pictures of an old house on the drive back as well. I'll have to post those tomorrow.

Ch..Ch..Ch..Changes...

So, the title of this post says it all. I was playing on the computer today and made up a progression card of my little man. Seeing it all laid out like this almost brings tears to my eyes, in a good way though. He's getting so big and he's changed so much! He looks less like a baby now and more and more like a little boy.

A handsome little boy who loves to flirt already! LOL

So, while it's not a new photo, I thought I'd share my little graphic here.

And don't worry, I'll take some pictures of something else soon!

8 Months old...

I know. I know. Every month I say it. I can't believe how big he's getting. And every month, it's true. It seems like just yesterday we were heading to the hospital so that we could finally have our baby and now, here we are, he's been out -almost- as long as he was in.

Amazing. And I can honestly say that this has been the best (and craziest, most frustrating, remarkable, insane) 8 months of our life. I know there was life before the baby. I know we had fun. But I still can't imagine out lives now without him in it. Ever.

Daddy was home for his "photoshoot" today so a lot of the pictures have him looking up at Daddy - as we see in this shot...


Hey, he's smiling, I certainly can't complain! And the new shirt still makes me laugh. Because he is used to the attention.

Man... look how small that dog is getting. Maybe tomorrow I'll do a progression post just to show the change. Makes me all warm and fuzzy.

Anyway, moving on. I did get a few shots where he opted to look at the camera. Cooperative little man. And happy as the day is long. I swear, he doesn't get grumpy unless something is actually wrong in his little world. But when he wants something? Whoooooo... step on back. LOL Gets that from his father!


And finally, this month's technical difficulty. The escape attempt!!!


Now, seriously, am I the only one who looks at this picture and hears a cop in the background saying "Okay, assume the position." LMAO

Leaving Las Vegas...

So, I know this post is very late but once we got home from Vegas, we hit the ground running like crazy people. Man, lots of relatives to see and friends to visit. I don't think we slowed down for the rest of the time we were away from home.

We stopped on our way out to grab a few pictures. As we waited in line to get some food, I caught a picture of this great little scale model version of the Bellagio, complete with miniature fountain! It's in the conservatory.


Next we swung by the Patissiereto check out the chocolate fountain. Mmmmmmmm nymmy. think there's a way through the glass? I also posted the info about the fountain just underneath so you can get all the tempting details.

And just for the record, that place makes -fantastic- chocolates. To die for. Heavenly. Mmmm... well.. you get the idea.




Our flight was uneventful and we set down, on time, in Vancouver. We left the airport and went to fetch our car and then drove the four hours to reach my parents' place. Which made for a long day. But we were anxious to see our little man again since this was the first time we'd left him alone for so long or gone so far. And we still missed him by 15 minutes. Sounds asleep when we got to my parents' home.

I heard him the next morning, stirring a bit before he finally decided he was awake. I went in, picked him up and laid him on the bed to change his diaper. I'm not sure at what moment he woke up enough to realize that this was Mom and not Grandma but all of a sudden I got the BIGGEST smile and giggles and hands held out to me for hugs. And he gummed my nose in his enthusiasm. I wonder if I should count that as my first real kiss from my baby boy.

I took him into the bedroom his Daddy and I were in and again, huge smiles for Daddy and arms out. He spent about an hour crawling over the both of us, reassuring himself that we were definitely home and not going anywhere.

So... a good trip with a great homecoming. He turns 8 months old tomorrow so I'll be doing a post then, of course, and maybe I'll toss in a couple of thoughts on taking a trip that entails 17 hours of driving - one way - with a 7 1/2 month old! LOL

Happy Anniversary and Boy, do I smell good!

I know... strange title. But it suits well enough!

Five years ago today, we got married. Hence the reason for our trip here to Vegas and all the fun we've been having.

As for the smelling good part... hubby decided I needed to go to the spa. I know... it's hard to live with such a demanding man. LOL I had an hour massage and a facial. Then some time in the tubs and a nice shower with all those lovely spa products. When it was all done... well... the title says it... I smelled good. And felt fantastic.

After the spa, we changed into some nice clothes and headed off to La Reve for the early show. Now, naturally I couldn't take any pictures during the show but, seeing as how half the audience was taking pics of the stage before and after, I thought I'd get a couple myself. Not the greatest shots. Photographing in the dark with the automatic camera but not bad. You get the idea at least. It's a water show and it was fantastic!!



Then we headed back to the Bellagio for our dinner at Le Cirque. Oh. My. God. It was a -fantastic- meal. There wasn't a single thing that we had that wasn't absolutely delicious. Perfectly paced and amazing service.

And we won't discuss the price of dinner. LOL Definitely a "special occasion" kind of thing. Once every five years sounds about right.


Anyway, a deliciously and leisurely paced two hour and a bit hours over dinner and dessert and here we are, ready to curl up. Our last full day in Vegas was fantastic and it was definitely a memorable fifth anniversary. Tomorrow, we'll be sleeping in and packing. And getting the receipts in order for our return to Canada. It's been a fantastic trip and a great break but I'm definitely looking forward to seeing our sweet baby boy again!

Swimming Pools, Hot Sun, and Mojitos!

So, after a delicious breakfast and some shopping, this afternoon was all about some relaxation out in the sun at the pools here at the Bellagio. And gorgeous pools they are too....


We opted for one of the two pools that features a fountain in the middle of it. We found out later that these pools are kept colder than the big pools. Which, really is not a bad thing since it's 109 F out there... or 43 C. You can just feel the heat soaking into you as you lie there. Thankfully they have sell sunscreen (+45 thank you very much) and you can charge it to your room since we weren't carrying any cash!


It's not just that little place that lets you charge to your room. So do the lovely ladies who come around asking if you'd like a drink. Which brings us to the Mojito of the post. I tell you there are few drinks as refreshing as a mojito. Mint and lime juice muddled together with rum, soda water, and lots of ice. Bliss.


Have to be careful though... when you're charging drinks to your room, it's easy to forget how expensive they are!!

And I think that lounging by a pool or in the pool, enjoying a drink certainly ranks up there on the decadent things to do list!


A few hours out the sun and we were all set. For a NAP!!! Nooooo... It's time to get cleaned up and off for more sightseeing... and some food. Mmmmmmm...


Viva Las Vegas!!!

It's Vegas, babyyyyyy

So we're off and flying. To Vegas. I'm honest enough to admit that I've been feeling more than a little "off" about leaving Connor behind. Not that I would want to bring him to Vegas with us but this is definitely the furthest away from him I've been and for the longest. Fortunately, he's with my parents so I know that he's having a great time wrapping them around his tiny little fingers.

The flight went great. Away on time and a direct flight. Wahoo!

It was pretty cool when we flew over Mount St. Helens. I really wish it was possible to get better pictures from an airplane though. Still, I thought it turned out pretty good.


Finally, we were slowing and descending... with Vegas and the Strip in our sights. It's kind of cool how easy it is to spot the Strip from the air. And you can see the man made lake in front of the Bellagio in the top third of the shot.


We walked into our room at the Bellagio and this is the view that awaits us. We've seen the fountains go off every half hour since we got here. You can turn on your TV and hear the music that accompanies the show.




I swear, I could watch that fountain all day!!!

Seven Months Old!!

Wow... has it been a month? Gods, hang my head in shame and apologies to my fellow photo nuts. With all the colds and coughs and appointments around here, I'm not sure where the last month has gone!

So, I will post some shots from his seven month pictures (taken on the 15th, of course) and strive to do much much better!

I have to say, I can't get over the changes in him every month. He's so much more interactive now and trying to get this crawling thing going. He plays with toys though he still does his best to eat most of them too. And solids have been an adventure!

AND... on top of that... he said "Mama" yesterday for the very first time! Whoot!!!

So... some shots of my boy and promises that I'll do better in the picture taking and posting department!

Attack of the Killer Dandelions!

So, as promised, I do actually have a picture to post that isn't of my son, though I know you're all gaga over him like I am.

~takes a moment to snicker and then preen because he really is adorable~

Ahem... moving right along.

I don't know how things are for the rest of you, but here we're having some serious dandelion issues this year. I hadn't really taken that much notice of it, being a bit goal oriented of late. I mean, I noticed a lot of the yellow blooms but didn't think a lot of it. They eventually turned into the puffballs and I sort of noticed but, again, wasn't really paying much attention.

Then I came home one day and really -looked- at my neighbours lawn.

At least... we think there's a lawn in there somewhere! Can you imagine what it'll look like after a good stiff wind??

He's getting to be such a big boy!

I was going to do this post yesterday and got caught up in things and never got it done so I'm going to make it today and post another picture a little later. LOL

Yesterday was a big day for my boy. Six months old already! We started the morning off with some mostly naked time on the floor. He was in heaven. He had his toes and could stare at the fan! What more could a little man want?



After his nap, we did some pictures with his stuffed dog. I clipped the blanket over the chair so we wouldn't have a repeat of the blanket falling over him technical difficulty. Clever me!


I have to say, I love my boy's smile. And I will, apparently, happily make a fool of myself to get that smile. He wasn't really cooperating for his six month pictures and I was having a heck of a time getting a smile out of him. So, I framed him with the camera then moved my head so he could see my face.

I then proceeded to sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" over and over again making funny faces and voices just to get him to smile for the pictures. How glad am I that a) no one could see me and b) there was nothing recording the foolishness? But hey, it's all good. Because it sure worked!


He developed a serious case of the giggles while we were taking the pictures. It was great fun.

And, finally, it wouldn't be a monthly picture shoot if we didn't have at least one technical difficulty. Connor has developed a healthy interest in his feet and toes. And at one point, decided he was done with pictures and needed to have a nibble on his Robeez!

The High Chair...

Connor is fast approaching (only four more days now) six months old. Which means it'll be time to start solids. Live the adventure, right! So, in preparation for this momentous event, we got the high chair out from under the bed and put it together.

We bought it when I was six months pregnant, knowing we wouldn't need it for a while. But we were looking for one that took up the least amount of space possible and loved the look of this one.

I was going to put it together... and got a little way along before hubby couldn't take it anymore and put it together for me. So.. my nefarious plan worked.

Since Connor likes to be sitting up way more than lying down nowadays, he's absolutely loving his high chair. He sits in it or the bumbo while I'm working on dinner in the kitchen and plays with toys. And very very soon we'll get to make all sorts of fun messes! yay!

The only downside.. he has discovered the "throw the toy down, mommy picks it up" game. Alas!