Baby Banana

This weekend we went for our 3D ultrasound to find out the sex of baby banana. I am 19 weeks along now and have been dying to know. We can't lie, we were hoping for a girl to balance things out for our household and we really thought it was so since my pregnancies have been so different...however, fate had something else in mind for us and you will be getting a little brother soon!
I guess we're going to be the party house and I will have to adjust to a very active lifestyle. I am definitely outnumbered now!
So we've been tossing around ideas for names and you have now changed the baby's name to Spiderman. As I was tucking you in to bed the other night I said "Will, you're going to have a little brother soon," and you said "He has a penis?" How smart are you?!
I am happy that you will have a best friend and that you can share your childhood with a boy who will likely have similar interests as you, and friends have told me that their boys are very artistic and that they enjoy musical theatre so there may be hope for that yet.
I am going to be the mother of BOYS!

Grandma's visit comes to an end...

I can't believe a month just passed :(
Grandma is going home tomorrow. You both had a blast this time, as always. Even though the weather is not the best you went to the Parksville beach park which you love and went out and about with Grandma lots. I love it when Grandma comes because you are likely to pop in for a visit to us at work and that just makes my day!


While Grandma was here we had a big snowfall (we only have a couple of those a year) so that was a big deal. It was such a big dump of snow that Daddy and I had our first snow day ever! We couldn't get out of the street at all and although we held out hope for not cancelling the afternoon we never made it out. So we had lots of fun in the snow with you instead! Although all you wanted to do was use the snow blower.


This goodbye with Grandma won't be too hard though since she'll hopefully be back in short order. We just found out that Jenny will be moving on at the end of February so Grandma has volunteered to come back and help us out. God Bless! I am not too excited about seeing your disappointment when Jenny leaves, I'm not sure how much of an impact it will have on you or how much you'll understand of it. But you ask for her regularly and by now she is definitely a fixture in you life and has been for a year and a half now. We shall see.

Grandma Visits

On Wednesday the 4th, Grandma arrived to visit for a whole month. We love when she comes to visit. It is always helpful to have more hands on deck!

You had a great week with Grandma and Jenny and were off to school as usual on Tuesday and Thursday. You seemed to be happy to get back to school, you are always interested in the crafts they have out and the toys that are there. On the last day of school before Christmas the girls told me that you had finally come out of you shell. They said that you are normally quite shy (we don't see that side of you) and that you finally had some big laughs and were running around with the other kids and playing. They didn't even know that you knew your numbers and colours, they said you had a big day. It is so strange for me to think of you as a shy boy. You are certainly more confortable at home with us because there is no shyness here!

Maria and Leah had always told me that you get weepy after naptime. They say that almost every afternoon when you wake up you cry for me and ask for me and when I'm coming. I guess there is something about waking up that makes you emotional. I knew this was happening because they had told me but on Tuesday when I cam to get you I heard it for myself and that was completely different. When I went in to pick you up my ears tuned in to you on the other side of a little wall. You were crying for me, the sad cry and I just zoned out and followed the sound until I found you on the potty. You were red faced and so sad and Candace had been right there with you but I was so sad to see it. The girls assure me that this lasts only minutes but it really broke my heart. I will never forget it. I just wanted to scoop you up and make you feel better. You were quite worked up. When you saw me it was a look of disbelief and relief. I was so glad to be there right at that moment. Ugh!

Then on Thursday I wasn't able to be there so early and as we were driving away from the school I asked you how your day was and you said "Will cry for you." I wanted to die. I asked what? why? and you said "Because Wil misses you. Because you're Will's family."

I told you that I miss you too and told you again that we would never leave you at school, that we would always come back for you. Because you are part of our family.

I don't know what makes me more sad. The fact that you miss me at school or the idea that one day you won't anymore.....

New Year's Day 2012

We landed at YVR at about 10 at night on New Year's Eve, shuttled to the hotel in Richmond and rand in the New Year albeit uneventfully but together :)
I wore my best jewelry for the occasion and we cheersed with plastic cups, since we actually made it to midnight (first time in a long time!).
The next morning Daddy looked up a dim sum restaurant we could go to before catching the ferry and in the parking lot when we arrived was this ambulance. The two ladies were so kind to us and gave you the full tour!
At dim sum we spotted David Suzuki (who was not very nice) and then we caught our ferry home, sweet home.
Welcome 2012!

Things we did in Cabo

This was such a fun trip for the three of us. I love it when we can get away and spend uninterrupted time together and do some bonding in the middle of life's craziness. After we go on a trip like this I always feel like we're more connected :)
We did one day outing that we thought you would like, the submarine! Actually it was a semi-submersible boat where you go down some steps and watch the sea life. But we called it a submarine and sang the yellow submarine song to you and you loved it.
Just look at that glee!

We stayed at the Barcelo Grand Palace in San Jose del Cabo. It was such a great resort, we had no complaints about our time there except that it was cold! And the pools were cold! We couldn't get into the water there, and there were very few who dared to brave it. Basically it was all of the guests sitting around the pool in sweatshirts and reading. Bizarre! Mental note; in the winter we have to go further south!

So we spent a lot of time on the beach. You love it there best anyways. We went to the Mega, which is right down the street from our resort and bought you a bunch of snad toys to play with for the week (and bubbles, and cars...). And we got lots of use out of them before we left them there.

We did try once to get you into the water because you really wanted to. There were a couple of other little guys who seemed to be ok. So we put you in and you cried and cried. It was so hard to explain to you that there was a big pool there but couldn't go in :( Apparently people were complaining and complaining but the heater could only get it to 75. Cold! I prefer 86 myself...

So we made sandcastles, and you a Daddy ran up and down the beach, and we ate and ate and ate. I'm feeling better now so I actually got my money's worth out the buffet if not the bar this trip. I think we all did! You were, as always, a big fan of the dessert section.

The only pool that was semi-tolerable was the little shallow pool in the kids' area but we only spent an afternoon there since all the other kids were really rowdy and broke your toys! So you and Daddy played around in this water for just a little while and we moved on. The beach was much more entertaining.

Here, you were watching Daddy frolick around in the water and I guess you thought it was quite funny! All in all, a good trip, but next time we'l have to commit to the longer flight to the Caribbean side!

Christmas Day in Cabo!

Our Christmas Day in Cabo was pretty much like every other day we spent there except for this little celebration we had in the morning. The staff had set up some activities for the kids and Santa himself made an appearance after being brought poolside in a golf cart by his Santa's Girls. We milled around in our hats for a little while and then hit the beach!

The night prior, Christmas Eve, we had dinner at the Italian a la carte restaurant and had a set menu dinner with turkey. It was a very nice meal and you even behaved or most of it (with the help of the iPad and your favourite girl, Dora). After dinner we went down to the pool where they had some older kids whack away at a pinata and you even got some handfuls of candy, your favourite!

"Christmas" morning!

This year we had a bit of a non-traditional Christmas. Since we were flying out of Vancouver on the 23rd we had our "Christmas" on the 22nd. We knew if wouldn't make a difference and that you'd be none of the wiser and I think even Daddy and I did a good job of pretending it was the actual day :)

When we heard you were awake in the morning ("Mooooooommmmmmmyyyyyyy!" and "Daaaaaaaaadddddddddy!") we went in to get you and you were sitting in your bed (you won't get out on your own) and I asked you what was special about today. You knew it was Christmas and said so. When we got into the kitchen you sort of lingered in there and I finally had to suggest that perhaps there were some things you would like to look at in the living room....

Things pretty much took off from there since you figured out what was going to go on. You did a great job of ripping open presents and throwing the boring things aside, hahaha! The Mini Cooper car and bike from Gma, Gpa and Great-Gma and Great-Gpa were huge hits!

This is you with the cookies that you left for Santa. I guess he liked them because he ate them all up! You were very intent on also leaving Santa some Cheerios so we left some of those too.

Daddy made his famous cinnamon bun Christmas Tree for us, yum!

Since we had to be on an early afternoon ferry right after your nap we had our special dinner the night before. We made a duck with all the fixings since the leftovers of a larger meal would go to waste. The duck was the perfect size for us and Mommy's personal fave!

Now, off to Cabo!

The Duncan Christmas Train!

The weekend before Christmas Daddy and I took you to see the notorious Christmas Train in Duncan. For families on the island it is something of a tradition and I must admit it was quite fun! The lineup of cars was very long getting into the parking lot and we were lucky to find parking at all, the place was packed!
There were lots of things to look at, like old trains and pumper cars, antiques of all sorts of machinery. There was also a live kiddie band and even the big man himself. They were playing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, the movie on a big screen and down by the train we had hot apple cider and hot chocolate.

The train ride itself was lots of fun (but cold!) and our favourite part was the candy cane forest. I'm sure we'll be back next year!