ONE

My mom came up the night before. They moved my time back to 11:30. I was happy with this change. It meant I could take Riley to her dance class. I was happy to have every last moment in today's normal. In a few hours I would have a different normal. Jason's parents met us at her dance class. They would stay with Riley and Simon while I went to the hospital. My mom would be at the hospital with us.

We went to the hospital. This time was different. I wasn't in labour. They prepped me for surgery, I had no pain. It felt surreal. Nobody was rushing around. Jason dressed in his scrubs. My mom waited in the hallway, just outside recovery. I was told that they may have to cancel my c-section, they didn't have my rare type of blood at the hospital. I was sad. I was ready to meet this new love of my life. They decided to go ahead anyway. I never asked what would happen if I needed blood. I trusted them.

Jason decided to watch the entire c-section. He told me what was going on. Things were different from Simon. Nobody was talking to me. they were whispering. My doctor told me that I was really damaged from my c-section with Simon. I didn't ask what that meant. I didn't want to know. I felt pushing. Lots of pushing. Jason told me they weren't pushing. I never asked what they were doing. I didn't want to know.

I heard "It's a boy." Jason and I both cried. Cooper cried. oh boy, did he cry. My doctor poked him over the curtain. He was beautiful and small. He looked just like Riley. The nurses took him to do his work up. There were more whispers. My doctor looked over the curtain to tell me that I had a second placenta. Cooper may have been a twin. We never knew this. More whispers. My doctor appeared again over the curtain. They were having a hard time. I was damaged. They couldn't close me back up. They were going to have to do a hysterectomy. They tried a little longer. They were successful. I met Cooper. Jason got to hold him first. I was still strapped down. Jason took him to see my mom. I listened. Waiting. I was wheeled into recovery. I was told I couldn't hold him or nurse him. I insisted. It was important to me. They reluctantly agreed. It was easy for me and him. I was thankful.

On January 19, 2009 my heart grew bigger. Our lives got better. Our lives became more complete. I was amazed.


I still am. Everyday.

Q.O.T.D.

I have two today.....

First is Cooper...

I was giving him a bath a couple of weeks ago and he pointed to his nether regions and made an elephant sound complete with the trunk arm movement. BRILLIANT. My boy has a trunk!!!!!


Now Simon....

We have just very recently given in to entertaining a little bit of the superhero thing at home. He knows ALL their names from kids at school but really doesn't know much more about them. He wanted to play superheros at home the other day and he said...

I'm Batman and I save bats.

Daddy you're spiderman and you save spiders

And mommy you're superman and you save soup

I love the innocence of it all.

Story Bag

Last week was Riley's turn to bring the 'Story Bag' home from school. The bag had a stuffed gingerbread man, two gingerbread stories, a journal and a gingerbread cookie recipe with cookie cutters. Riley brought the gingerbread man around everywhere with her.

At the end of the week we made and decorated the cookies



Journaled about her week with the gingerbread man



The finished journal. I tried to get a picture of it but you can't see the printing clearly. It says "I took the gingerbread man everywhere." The top of the page is divided up into four sections each with it's own picture. The four sections are four different places she took the gingerbread man, skiing, G.G.'s party, Ottawa and baking.

Sneaker Snappers

Cooper is involved in a program at the Rec Center called Sneaker Snappers. It is a fun gym program that incorporates lots of free play, song, dance, circle time and bubbles. He loves being there and happily moves all around the gym playing with everything. He loves the tunnel, pushing the ride-on cars, riding in the cars, the balls and climbing on the large blocks.

Happy Birthday G.G.

Last week we made the trip down to Toronto after school to enjoy a small birthday celebration with G.G. It was nice to be able to spend her birthday with her. It was also nice to be able to see our cousins Sara and Brian who were home from Australia. We wish everyone had more time to spend together catching up but....such is life.

No party is complete without presents...


and cake.




Simon shows his love for the cake Simon style.


Hall running with Sara.

11 months.....a little....no....A LOT LATE

Yes, Cooper has been 11 months for almost....a month. I have been meaning to do this post but something has been stopping me. Emotionally I am a mess. Big changes are happening in this house and I'm not handling them well. I am going to high jack this Cooper post for a brief minute to get a few things off my chest. My little baby is turning one, this makes me sad, REALLY sad. I know all the good things that are to come but, I want my little squishy baby. Turning one comes with big things like turning his car seat around to forward facing, I can't bring myself to do this yet...I have few days before he actually turns one. Riley is turning FIVE in a few short months. FIVE. FIVE. FIVE. It seems so big, it seems so grown up. She no longer fits well in her five point seat belt, she needs to be using a regular seat belt. THE ONE THAT ADULTS USE. Simon, our sweet Simon all of a sudden has grown up too. He can do his own buttons, put on his own socks and he STANDS UP TO PEE. When did this happen? How do I stop it?


Back to Cooper, turning 11 months 3 and a half weeks ago.


There are so many things to say, so many things remember about what he has learned this month. I will start with some of his favourite things to do...

Play the piano


Play the drums


Play hockey



Climb




Feed himself


He is beginning to say words. He has been saying mom-mom, and dada for a while and has recently added oh-oh, nana (banana), hi and we are pretty sure he is saying iley (Riley) and up.

He is a funny little boy and loves to be laughed at. He loves running around the house screaming with Riley and Simon.

I am so in love with his laugh, his smile, his kisses, the way he stretches and sticks out his little bum after his night time nursing, the way he points his little finger, his toddle walk, how he plays with my hair when he nurses, how when he finishes nursing he pokes my belly button and giggles, how any time he sees a bare belly he zerberts it, the way his face lights up when Riley walks into the room. We love you Cooper with all our hearts, although we are sad you are growing so quickly we have big plans for our future together.

Ski Bunny, Ski Spider and Chalet Baby

Yesterday was Riley and Simon's first day of ski lessons and it was FANTASTIC.

Riley started off in the beginner group....




She was quickly moved to a more advanced group and didn't need the edgy wedgy any more.



She even knows how to "do hot dogs" down the hill.


Simon also started off in the beginner group




He did an amazing job learning how to stop and start on his own



He is most proud of his spider goggles.....I was quickly corrected that he wasn't a ski bunny he was a ski spider.



They both loved skiing. The first thing they asked was how many more days until our next lesson? Uncle Ryan and Aunt Hillary you would be so proud of them, they will be ready to shred the pow in no time.

We can't forget the chalet baby. Cooper hung out in the chalet and enjoyed some apres ski.

A Chalkboard

Simon was bursting with pride when we arrived to pick him up from school. He came running over to us with his completed chalkboard. We had a little chalkboard cheer at his school then went for a celebratory dinner at "The Big Tomato" (East Side Marios), his favourite restaurant. We are so proud of all of your hard work Si Guy.

Our Weekend

First off, I know I haven't got to the posts I have previously mentioned......sorry....I will finish what I started...soon.

Now, lets talk about our great weekend. It started off with our friends the Parker family coming over for dinner on Friday night. We had a great night of food, fun, play and "rockin out." There is nothing like having good friends over with fantastic kids. The kids played like crazy and never needed us...once. We can sit around and talk, like adults....or play a little rock band, like "adult-kids" as Simon says. Sorry, no pictures.

We had big plans for Saturday, sledding and tobogganing. BUT, it was freezing outside so we stayed in, stayed in our jammies and played like crazy. I played all day with the kids, no laundry, no organizing, no housework......I am paying for that decision today.
We played in the tunnel



We had lots of tickles


We played Hot Wheels on the new Hot Wheel track.



Saturday night we made pizza with the kids and watched the movie Peter Pan. Riley's theme for her dance recital this year is Peter Pan so we wanted her to have an idea of what the movie was about.

After the kids went to bed Jason and I continued on with watching Dexter. We are hooked, totally hooked. We watched 4 episodes in row on Saturday night...that's almost 4 hours of T.V.! We watched until 2:30 in the morning and finished season 1.

Sunday morning came way to quickly. We got up and out the door to our new home away from home IKEA. This time we needed another storage unit to match the one we already have in the playroom. A work in progress.....


Sunday night was capped off with our normal Sunday night roast dinner and only 1 episode of Dexter once the kids went to bed.

Today (Monday) the kids are off at school. Cooper had his program, Sneaker Snappers. The playroom and laundry are being tackled. I am off in about an hour to pick up Riley and Simon from school and head to "The Big Tomato" (East Side Marios) for dinner before Simon starts his first dance class. Off I go....

Our Babes- Month Five and Six

Month five....

Riley



Simon



Cooper




Month six....

Riley



Simon



Cooper