Sleep.....

Bob the Builder


9 week Teddy Bear



As I sit here thinking I better update the blog while I'm still awake, I'm listening to one child crying and have the other asleep on my arm. I think I'm happy that it is finally Friday and that maybe tomorrow will be sunny and we can really wear the older one out by running him to death!

We are trying to get Kian to finally fall asleep on his own in his own bed. He was doing great for a while and then things regressed (no this was way before Julean came around) and we are back to Mark having to lie with him until he falls asleep, which usually means that Mark falls asleep too. This, as you can imagine, causes a few problems when you want to do something else during the evening, like clean up the kitchen, watch a movie, go out, etc. I'm just hoping this is not a three hour episode and he will fall asleep soon! Julean, on the other hand, is a fabulous sleeper and is sleeping through all the noise. He actually sleeps better when there is lots going on around him. Oh to be a second child!

As for what else we have been up to, not too much. Mark now had his cast off so he can help out with swimming lessons and gymnastics. His soccer season is done though, much to his disappointment. Gardening has started, actually it never really ended, so we are out when we can be trying to get the beds dug up somewhat before all the bulbs are really in bloom and the roots chock everything else out. That is definitely a job and a half! Our renos were on hold for a bit due to the broken leg but hopefully will get back into the swing of things shortly.

That's about all for the moment. I think that all the crying is starting to get to me and I have to either find a new room to sit in or go and calm him down for a few minutes!

Some updated photos.


Julean is his exersaucer (9 weeks)


Julean (8 weeks) in his bath


Finger painting (Mark decided that Kian needed finger paints so that he could let his creative side out. I said that's fine but you get to watch him. There is a reason we only finger paint at play groups! Mark was then complaining what a mess he was making and the activity was cut short after two beautiful paintings were made.)

Back at the Sydney aquarium with my friend Katie and her mom and dad.

Holding hands with my friend Katie


Touch tank


Cool starfish


Double decker boys

Time?

Julean 8 weeks.


Tiny hands.

If I thought I was busy with one kid I have no idea what I would call being busy with two! Exhausting? I have finally come to realize that I can't clean the house and look after two little ones. Between toys and diapers and play groups and trying to figure out what we are having for dinner we are starting to get swamped. We need a house cleaner. I was feeling guilty about it because I figure I'm home and should be able to do it all but it not going to happen unless someone else wants my kids!

That being said, we had a beautiful week here last week, despite the forecast saying "rain" everyday. It didn't rain once and we got to play outside everyday this past week. (This week might be a different story.) Saturday the whole family was out in the garden in 16 degrees digging and planning for this year's crops. It is very strange to be gardening in January and having all the daffodil, snowdrops, crocuses, and some cherry blossoms out. We can start our vegetable garden in February. Our last winter in Ottawa our garden was under 6 feet of snow! Nice to be on the west coast, I tell you! Kian was out playing with all the gardening tools and decided that his favourite for the moment was the "weed walker".

Kian and Julean are doing great. We are starting to get our routine together now and things seem to be going well. Kian is registered in gymnastics again this session. He loved it so much last fall. He is also registered for swimming on Wednesday nights. We don't get to go swimming during the day anymore because I can't hold on to two kids in the pool so at least he gets to go one night a week. I think we are going to try to go Sunday mornings again as a family. Julean loves the bath and got to go in the pool for the first time this morning. He had a blast and both boys were a sleep in the car on the way home.


Naps together.

Julean is now 9 weeks old and 6.3 kg (about 13+ lbs-ish). Growing like a weed. I have already had to go through the clothing and flip his wardrobe to 3-6 month clothing. He has already been in the exersaucer (aka "the circle of neglect") and, although his legs are too short for the smallest setting, loved to be sitting in it watching his big brother run around in circles in front of him. (That's about all Kian does now a days!) I can tell you that I have been trying my hardest to take as many photos as I can of Julean so that I don't get asked later on in life "so where are my photos?" but that is almost impossible with a 2 year old on the go! Julean better be on the move fast and in the same direction as his brother if he wants any pictures!


Julean 8 weeks old.

I can tell I'm about to be paged by the little one, but before the crying starts, we ordered pizza on Friday night and I asked Kian what kind of pizza he would like. He said he wanted a "purple roni". He has been telling people all weekend that he had purple roni pizza for dinner.

Better sign off and hope that the blogs aren't too long and far between!


Kian let me cut his hair and didn't move once! Guess that is it for Jimmy?!


Does this photo not look like an 8 year old with an attitude?!

Blenkinsop Mens Club

Hi all,

Yes it's been a while. Having two little ones around the house, and a husband in a cast - up until yesterday - has made life really busy around here leaving very little extra time for writing. I'm going to keep this brief to make sure it actually gets posted and will write more later. Until then here are some photos from the holiday season.




Playing trains with Daddy.



Julean loves the bathtub.



My construction outfit on Christmas morning.



Stories with Auntie Renee.


Pirate Kian


Christmas day with mom and Julean


Reading stories with Auntie Renee


Santa Julean


Presents?!


Kevin, my friend Colin, Julean and Daddy


Big hugs for Julean


Getting my ribbon at gymnastics.


My little brother.


Brotherly love.

The ABC's Aquariums, Buses, Curses....

I forgot how hard it was to get out of the house in time for ANYTHING with an infant. Add a toddler and it makes it even more interesting. I have come to the conclusion that I will be at least 1/2 an hour later for everything.

Julean is doing great. Gaining weight, at least I think, since I haven't had the time to go and have him weighed like I did with Kian every week for the first month or so. Guess that's where it starts. No photos of the second child, no getting the baby weighed. Guess they have to just make sure nothing seriously goes wrong that I'm supposed to notice. He is a good sleeper and seems to know that he plays second fiddle to his brother who I really have to entertain, and 9/10s of the time chase.


Julean 2 weeks old

Kian was promised a bus ride a couple weeks ago. It didn't happen when we hoped so I decided that last Monday I would take him downtown on the bus to see the Christmas trees all lit up at the Empress. He was THRILLED to be able to ride the bus. The highlight of the month I think. The Christmas trees were ok if you ask me but if you ask Kian which one he liked the best he would tell you the " Bobby-Bob tree". That would be the one with all the construction stuff on it and the diggers underneath. He was really good about putting all the stuff back after he was finished playing with them. Daddy came by briefly to say hi and then we were back on the bus for a thrilling ride back home.


WOW on the BUS!


Bobby-Bob tree

Now I have to tell you about the cursing. My mom is in town at the moment to give us a hand with the new arrival. She keeps telling us that we have a two year old in the house and really should watch what we are staying around him. I'm sure all parents get that advise from other parents. Mark and I don't swear around the kids, or really in general, so we weren't too sure why we were being told this so often. We did figure it out a few days later when my mom was letting out the cat, for the 1000th time that morning and said "Atlas, you buggar, do you have to go out again?!" Kian, of course, picked up on the one word we don't use and has been using it on a regular basis. Like when you ask him what his little brother's name is "Buggar" or when he is singing on the bus "Buggar buggar buggar buggar " etc. I wondering what people think I teach my children.

Mark had Friday morning off so we visited the Sidney aquarium. It was our first trip out there and a really interesting place to visit. Kian was a little scared of the jellyfish and the larger fish but I'm sure with some more visits out he will have as much fun as mom and dad did. There is a touch tank which was neat, although I really didn't want to touch the animals. I only did it so that Kian wouldn't be scared of them.


Jellyfish

Our house just got a little busier than planned. Mark's mom is in town for a visit. The weather has turned really cold all of a sudden so all the outside stuff that we would usually do at this time of the year is out and Kian is becoming a menace sometimes during the day because he really needs to run around outside. Mark was out playing soccer last night and got hit. He ended up at the ER and came home with a broken leg in a cast and crutches. I guess things will just have to slow down a little more and I'm going to have to go to gymnastics with him. I was hoping Mark would go next week because I was exausted after the class on Saturday morning! Good thing there is only one left for the year!

Better sign off and go to bed!

New Arrival!

Introducing Julean!



First night at the hospital after our first bath.



We have an almost identical photo of Kian.




Who's this Mom?



Nice to finally meet you Spud!




Finally, after being a week overdue, Kian has a new baby brother to announce to the world! Julean Markus was born at Victoria General on Friday November 20th at 19:54, weighing 7 lbs, 9 onz (3.4 kg).

The day started with Mark and I going to the hospital in the morning for a scheduled ultrasound and Non-stress test to make sure that the baby was still doing well and had enough fluid left. We were told that he was perfectly happy and healthy and that he could stay for a while still if he wanted. Great...! I wasn't to thrilled to hear that since I was overdone with being pregnant! The nurse did ask how the first pregnancy and labour went and when she found out how fast Kian came strongly suggested that we not attempt to make the drive to the hospital ourselves but rather call an ambulance.

Friday afternoon we decided that we should go downtown to look in some art stores and get some fish and chips for dinner. It was pouring rain so we ran into Chintz and Company to get a bit of a break from the downpour. After a few minutes wandering around in the store I decided that I had had enough and sat down on a $3000 chair to wait for Mark and Kian. It's a good thing they didn't take too long or we might have been buying the chair.

We did make it home and ordered some Chinese food, but after two bites my water broke and we did in fact have to make that call for an ambulance. Kian was a little upset that mom and dad were leaving but got distracted with the ambulance and fire truck that arrived to take mommy to the hospital. I think it was a wise move to call an ambulance since Mark said to the dispatcher " Hi... my water's wife just broke". I think he was a little flustered and it was probably and good thing he wasn't driving during rush hour to the hospital.

Julean was born within an hour of arriving at the hospital with no time for any drugs. Daddy got to cut the cord this time. Everyone was doing great, happy and healthy. Kian was really happy to have mom and dad back at home a couple nights later and told us a few times that he really missed us. (I think he had a good time with Oma while we were away.)

Dead Fish!

Cuddles with dad.

I was hoping to announce the new arrival to the family but instead I'm writing about dead fish.

November 11th was a good day to avoid the crowds of downtown (in case we had to make a run for the hospital) and go out to Goldstream Park to see the salmon run. My mom is now in town with us and has never seen the salmon run. Since we are all now waiting around for the imminent arrival and going a little stir-crazy in the house we decided it would be a nice treat.

About a week ago I was getting in the car with a friend when her little one decided to tell me about all the dead fish he had seen at the beach. I thought that was pretty funny and decided to tell Mark the story. I guess Kian was listening a little closer than I thought because as we pulled into Goldstream Park the three of us heard a little voice in the back seat of the car say "dead fish!". Of course we all thought that was hilarious and then got out to put on our rubber boots and coats so that we could see all the fish in the stream. Kian was running up and down the banks of the stream telling everyone there that there were dead fish in the water. Of course we thought that was funny but I think most people thought we were probably teaching our child a few strange things. I must say that there weren't all that many dead fish this year and it wasn't nearly as smelly as it was when we went last year for the first time.

If you ask Kian now what he saw at the stream he still tells you that he saw "dead fish". Nothing about the live ones swimming up stream.

As for this baby... since today is the "official" due date I decided that I would take the family out to the park and fly a kite. Kian loves to fly his kite so I chased after it for a while and then while Mark was pushing him in the swing decided to go for a bounce on the industrial see-saw. It's a see-saw that has these huge springs instead of the traditional type up-down that needs two people. I'm hoping that after half an hour on there as well as the kite chasing that I will be able to blog the baby's arrival next instead of some more adventures in "wait-ville"!


Hi Mommy!


I'm taller than you are, daddy!


Having fun with mom and Oma.


Feeding the bunnies at U Vic.

Tick or Eat in the Hauny House

A "green" crayon, apparently....

I think the month of October went by WAAAAY to quickly! I don't remember even blinking and it is now November!


Kian and daddy pick out pumpkins

Kian got to go to the pumpkin patch again this year to pick out his pumpkin. The highlight of his day was getting to ride on the tractor out to the patch and back. I don't think we could have asked for a bigger smile! We didn't actually get around to carving the pumpkin but I don't think it really would have mattered since we don't get "tick or eater's" at our house anyway. (To be honest with you, I wouldn't trick or treat at our place either with the long steep windy driveway all for a piece of candy?)










Kian practiced his "trick or treat" for about two weeks before he was able to use it. When he was finally able to use his new words on halloween it was "tick or eat". Very cute for our little crayon who insisted that he was green and not blue when he was asked what colour he was. He was a very good trick or treater and always said thank you to everyone and always put every piece of candy in his little bag. As a treat at the end he got to chose something to have. I felt really guilty taking out all the stuff that I knew he wouldn't eat or like once he went to bed because he was so good. Guess mom and dad will just rot their teeth instead of him!


WOW! They gave me candy and mom let me have it!


Window shopping

Gymnastics seems to be a highlight for the week of the little bundle of energy. Mark and I heard about Lynn (his instructor) and the "hauny house" all weekend because they built one at gymnastics class and Kian spend pretty much all the free time in it. The day before I had taken him to a play group where there was a "hauny house" and spend the hour and a half chasing him out of the gym area and through the "hauny house". The woman at the door thought it was really funny. Me? Not so much since I'm really pregnant now!


Tickle my toes daddy!


Wheel barrow


Foam pit with daddy

Speaking of pregnant, I'm just about done now. Actually, I'm done, Spud doesn't seem to agree. My mom gets here in a couple days and then I will definitely be done anytime! The spare room is finally painted and has a new bed. There are a few minor details that need to be finished but most likely won't happen until the next room gets started since we need somethings that will get purchased at that time and don't have a place to store them until then. We have had our first fire in our new fireplace and it was really nice. Two projects done, now to get on with the rest of the house!

The Olympic flame came through Victoria on Friday. Kian and I went downtown and met Mark at work. Actually we just invaded one of the vacant offices and had a better view than if we had been on the ground. Kian was also contained to a floor in the building rather than the street where I would have been chasing him again.


Torch relay


Olympic torch going by


Torch bearers