Friday, September 29, 2006

A Broken Nose to Go With the Broken Eye

Last night Darryl had to work late so I was taking care of both Emma and an extremely fussy Lucas. At about 6pm in the evening I decided it may be fun to head to the park. Of course I said the magic words "go" and "park" (imagine me doing air quotes if I was telling this story in real life), while Lucas was standing on the steps and I was spotting him. Emma in all her excitment with the magic words. Jumps up the stiars and whacks me so hard in the nose, I double over in pain. My nose is now swollen and still tingles if I touch it. Needless to say we did not go to the park, but said around with froze blueberries or peas on my nose. The good part about getting hurt was that my extremely fussy baby thought it was best that only one person be crying in the house. So when I started my crying from my almost broken nose he stopped his and was in a much better mood.

This of course makes my like of having almost broken many bones in my face complete. When I was a child I was hit in the eye with a very fast moving golf ball. So that's why this almost broken nose, goes along well with my almost broken eye.

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Almost a Toddler

Here is a sweet video of Lucas. He is becoming his own little person, who still loves cars. But can get mad at us but who also laughs with us alot more. It's amazing how parenthood continues to better and better.



Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Drooping Eyes

A short post today as I was up at 4:45 this morning to drive all over Alberta and visit students.

Lucas is getting closer to walking and has walked across rooms. Although he still crawls the majority of the time

Does anyone have any good ideas on how to prevent him to eat sand? When ever I put him in the sandbox he starts to eat the sand.

He is becoming very paranoid of loud noises. I'm hoping this will pass......

Check out this cool website and see if your phone number works. Ours doesn't mean a thing.

Night, night, sleep tight

Jenn

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

A Working Mom

Well as I am in my new role of a mom who works I am trying to find some balance, so far it's been great in regards to flexibility and spending time with Lucas. Today, though, I had a different experience and something else that I am going to have to find my way through.

Previously in my job I was very ambitious and quite enjoyed taking on projects and getting work done. I felt like I was the go to girl when it came to tasks given by my supervisor. Now that I have been away for a year and have only come back part time I am not the go to person anymore. Taking on responsiblity and being given projects and tasks by my supervisor made me feel validated and important in my role. Now that the tasks are going to the new "go-to" person I am going to have to find a new way to feel valued. I'm just struggling to find out what that is....... I know that I shouldn't take on the same responsiblity I did when I was full time, but I am struggling with all extra tasks going to someone else.

On a lighter, happier note Lucas is getting very stable on his feet. He is taking more steps now and every night we play the "Walk to mommy, walk back to Daddy across the living room" game. Pretty soon he'll be walking and I'll be running after him. Hopefully his excellent ability of turning backwards to get down things will help with some of his spills.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Monday, September 25, 2006

Kitchen

This week Darryl and I are putting together the particulars about the kitchen and I have this question for anyone reading this blog.

What is your favorite aspect of your kitchen?

Thanks

Jenn

Friday, September 22, 2006

Thursday Night TV

Yesterday I settled infront of the TV for a good dose of Thursday night shows. Thre were so many to watch that even with time shifting I still had to flip, although anyone who knows me, knows that I love to flip.

So the new season of Survivor started, they divided the teams up by race, which doesn't surprise me. But I don't think it has accomplished what they expected. People did talk about it, but only for a bit an I think Survivors ratings will continue to decrease. I still enjoy the show, but don't mind missing it.

At the same time we were flipping between My name is Earl and The Office. Two very funny shows, if I have to pick a certain genre of show that I enjoy the most, it would have to be comedy. Both were hilarous and I was very glad to see the Pam did not get married. Although I do think the Office did go a little bit far last night. It was already funny, but they kept pushing it till it was not really funny anymore. All in all still my favorite show.

Also on last night was Grey's Anatomy, although there was some confusion with what episode was playing in Canada, compared to the episode playing on ABC. I mostly watched the episode on ABC and thought it was great, although it did make me cry alot. But a good release.

Yeah for September and all favorite returning shows.

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Building the Wall Back Up

As a health care worker you have to distance yourself emtionally from your patients if you want to survive. When I teach this to my students I usually say you have to build a protective wall. If you don't have soem distance from your patients and what they are going through you would be upset and depressed all the time. Not saying you shouldn't be sympathetic, but if you let every patient effect you, any helathcare worker could do there job for a year and then be done. Only once as a student did my wall come crashing down, but that's another story for another time.

Generally I have a pretty good hold on my emtions, but my wall came crashing down last week. I was called up to x-ray a baby who had just been born. It was as white as a ghost and they didn't want to move them at all. I was composed and took films of the baby, but as I was packing up I could fell the tears welling up in my eyes. I stepped on the elevator to go back to my department and the tears came running down my cheeks. That poor baby, moreso that poor mother. I cried for that baby and that mother. I cried with happiness that my baby was okay and happy and healthly.

I hope that anyone reading this tells someone they love them today or give your kids a big hug. We are so lucky to have had a healthy babies.

I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to x-ray a sick baby again. I'm having to build my wall back up again.

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Monthly Newsletter- Month Thirteen

Dear Lucas,

Well the past month has been the busiest of your short life. You are still developing very quickly but there has been alot of action going on with our little family. I have started back at work and I think we have a fairly good system down. Although when you wake up really early in the mornings after I have worked the previous day I'm not sure if it's that you miss me or are trying to torture me. Lets go with the first one.



I think everything with your dayhome is going really well. You seem to be adjusting to being around kids all day and quite enjoy it. Lesley says you are easy to get along with. Also when I come to pick you up you are happy to see me, but usually keep playing with the toys. There was a time earlier this month that you cried when Darryl dropped you off, but only for a minute. I did drop you off one morning and you cried. I left quickly, like I will pull off your bandaids, but also because I was in tears and I didn't want you to see I was upset. I'm sure I cried longer then you did.



Your personality continues to develop. So far I can tell you like to talk, you love cars and you'll probably be an extrovert. Although you stick with your mommy when we are out places, you give cute smiles to anyone who smiles at you. You also know when you are not happy and lay down on the floor and whine. You are also getting quite good at point out objects and learning words at an amazing pace. Most of the time we have lots of fun together, your smiles are the best thing in the world, and I do whatever I can to get them from you.



You have also learned some new not so fun tricks. The biggest one being that things can go in the toliet and when you flush the toliet they disappear. This of course (as most things you will screw up it life) is my fault. I read that it is a good idea to introduce your kids to the toliet, make it a fun experience so when you toliet train them they won't be scared of the flushing toliet. So that's what I did. We would wave at the pee, poop and toliet paper as they were flushed down, and amaze that new clear water would take it's place. Since introducig you to the joys of the toliet I have come into the bathroom a number of times to find interesting things in the toliet. First was a whole roll of toliet paper, as that was included in the toliet playdate. Once was a nerf ball, another time your fake credit card. Luckily you have yet to learn how to flush, but I'm sure the plunger will become my friend the day that happens.




Physically you are not walking yet, but willing to take more steps without hanging on. It could happen any day, but crawling still works quite well for you. It means your pants get quite dirty, but that's okay. Still your six teeth although I can see the whites of new ones coming.
You are also getting better at playing independantly. Usually for about half and hour a day you play by yourself in the playroom

Well beatufiul boy I turned 27 last week and although you have only been in my life for 13 short months, it's hard to imagine life without you.

Love you punkin

Mommy

Friday, September 15, 2006

Babble Babble Babble

Well Lucas has become quite the little chatter box. It's funny becuase his aluguage has gone past saying the same sylable over and over again. To talk in sentences, that don't mean anything. He'll talk and talk as though he is making complete sense. Plus he says lots of constants as well, which is good but nothing is really words expect.....

car. He can now clearly say the word car. People in Tim Hortons this morning even knew what he was talking about.

I also taught him how to give high fives, which he thinks is quite fun. When he does something good, like helping me clean up, or fitting the right block into the right hole, we do high five. It's so fun to watch him grow up and smile.

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Why Toys Make Noise

Lucas and I have had two situations this morning that have made me very glad, toys make noise.

In the mornings while Darryl and I get ready we let Lucas play on the upper floor. If either Darryl or I are in the shower we close the bedroom door, but if we're getting ready we'll open it to give him a bigger variety of things to play with. So this morning while I am getting ready Lucas crawls out to the landing. I can hear him turn and sit, so I peak at him and he is looking at a book. I go back to combing my hair. Things continue to be quiet out on the landing so I peak my head out again and Lucas has figured out how to open the penaten cream and he has both hands and most of his mouth covered in white cream. I run over and grab him and try to wash it off his hands. Of course as a baby he is trying to taste it, so I have to grab his hands to prevent them from going in his mouth. This of course get's penaten cream all over my hands. I turn on the tap which gets penaten cream on the tap and try to rinse our hands off. Of course bum cream is meant to repel water so the hand rinsing is not working at all. I call Darryl upstairs and he grabs so white wash clothes which works much better to get all this cream off our hands.

After this ordeal I put Lucas back in the bathroom with me while I continue to get ready. He crawls away while I'm putting my contacts in. Again things are sounding very quiet, so I go to peak on him. Again he is reading a book, so I go back to doing my hair. A minute later I peak on him again and he crawling right for the kitty litter. No I holler, which makes him crawl faster. I get to him before he gets his hands in the litter. Yuck!

After that I put him in his room with some nice loud toys, so I knew exactly what he was doing. =)

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

House



Darryl and I went for our first appointment with our interior designer for the house yesterday. It was probably the most "boring" of all the appointments, where you decide everything up to the drywall stage. So any extra switches, gas lines, central vacum etc. It was still interesting to see the house starting to take shape. We also picked our exterior colors and I got the red door I wanted.

Last weekend Darryl, Auntie Karen, Lucas and I went show home shopping and her are some of the things we'd like to do in the house:


We are going to do railing up the stairs. There will also be a skylight in the stairwell, as there is no window. We were thinking to do sconces on the wall. What does everyone think, should we do two sconces as the picture shows or one (which is cheaper?)



Auntie Karen and Lucas were enjoying playing drums with the cupboards in one of the show homes. We are hoping to have a decoracting scheme similar to this one.


This will be the hardwood we have. It is a distressed walnut. Which will work well with the animals.

Yeah, it is so fun to have so many choices.

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Mommy's Little Helper

Lucas is in a great stage now where he likes to help me with everything. Praise is his best friend, and will do anything for it. His new sign is "cleaning up". He will always help me put the blocks back or try and fit puzzle pieces where they belong. He'll hold my keys for me if I ask and will even help me sweep and do the laundry. I know this stage won't last forever so I'm trying to enjoy it while I can.




The other cute thing he has taken up in the words "uh oh" He says it for most things now so I'm sure he doesn't know what it means, but it does sound awfully cute when he says it.

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Monday, September 11, 2006

Gucks

I have a job that I quite enjoy. It's one of the reasons I went back to work. One of the good things is the flexibilty. For example today I came home at 2pm and got to spend some extra afternoon time with Lucas. I still have papers to mark, but I am off to do that once this is done. Lucas is sleeping and I got some extra time with him to today. It's nice to be able to do some of my work when it "works" for me.

Things are going well with our transition of going back to work. I see Lucas learning new things from being around other kids, so I think he is thriving that way. Today he wsa talking in a high pitched voice, which neither Darryl or I had heard him to before. He may of picked it up from us, but it could also be from the other kids. He is also quicte the talker. Again something he probably picked up from his parents, but being around other kids helps that.

Not walking yet, but getting better at standing on his own. I'm not too concernied about the walking, his super fast crawling is fast enough for me. He isl loving his books more and more. Now he looks at them for fun. His Aunt Lori bought him a fire truck and farm book. He loves to find anything with wheels on it and call it a "guck" He pronouciation of truck. The boys loves his gucks.

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Friday, September 08, 2006

New House

Well after a summer of living in my smallish backyard Darryl and I have decided to build a new house

It has been a really fun process and I certianly enjoy building houses. We built the one we live in now and hoping for another good experience. The nice thing this time is that we have that previous experience to use. In the next few weeks we are able to choose colors, lights, flooring. Everything will be new again. Although I do love my house now and will miss it. I think Emma and Lucas deserve a bigger backyard, especially since we can afford it. I will keep you updated as we go through.

Yeah, I love a new adventure.

Till Monday

Jenn

Thursday, September 07, 2006

You Know You're in Rural Alberta When.....

Yesterday I drove to Red Deer. I stopped in a small town with a McDonalds for breakfast. I had forgotten my debit card so asked in the drive thru if they took Visa. She said yes they did, so I gave my order.

I pull up to the window and give her my Visa to pay. She hands me the debit machine and I correct her saying it was Visa. "Oh Darn. I don't know how to change this. Well I guess today is your lucky day. Here's your free breakfast."

Yipee! Free breakfast. =)

As I drove away I was thinking I should have upsized. =)

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Tunnel





Grandma and Pop got Lucas a tunnel for his birthday and him (and Emma are loving it).
He loves to take his cars in there and play peek-a-boo with it. We play with it inside, outside. Wherever. Enjoy him enjoying the tunnel...



Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Gotta Love a Long Weekend

Well this is my 5th day off! I love it. I'm loving long weekends, because my schedules works so well to extend my long weekend. Although Lucas was sick yesterday and continues to be sick today. Poor little guy. It's kind of the same thing as last time. I"m not 100% sure what's wrong. He's got a fever and a bit of a stuffy nose. But very lethargic and doesn't really feel like eating. When he does eat, it seems to perk him up a little.

We did have a lovely long weekend. Darryl's 30th birthday party was on Saturday night. It was fun to hang out with other people. I do love all my regular friends but it's interesting to hang out with people who are outside of the mommy or x-ray world. I think we may have scared Allison and Mo, as they are preparing for their first child. There was lots of baby and labor talk. Hopefully it wasn't over the top and they did take some good things away from it. Hopefully they didn't go home and cry. =)

Later that night Alexis and I went out to see The Devil Wears Prada. Going out to a movie at 10:30, is not something I ever really do, so I did feel young again. The movie it self was so different from the book. The premise was the same. Ugly girl wit h no fashion gets a job at a fashion magazine with a very difficult boss. But other then that there were very few similarites. If anyone has seen this movie I would love to hear your comments on this.

The rest of the weekend was spent looking at show homes for decorating ideas and spending time with Lexie, who was in town for the weekend.

A new accomplishment of Lucas is that he is getting great at climbing things. We bought him this little tykes climber and in a week or two he has already learned to climb it. This has lead to climbing other things, like the hearth on the fireplace. Trying to lift his leg to get out of the tub. Trying to climb on the coffee table. etc. The good thing is that along with the climbing he has also learned to back down off of things. I'm glad these two things came at around the same time.

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Friday, September 01, 2006

The Power

Last night I was watching the MTV video awards. It was okay in my opoionion. I did not get through it all, although had a good laugh at an award they gave out for Best Ring Tone. =) the thing that amazed me the most was these guys:



It's amazing the power of the internet. Four joe's from who knows where. Put a video on You tube and next thing you know they are dancing on the MTV Video Awards.

Next is the guy and his paper clip. This guy trade his red paper clip and eventually got a house. Here's his blog:

http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/


This internet is such an amazing and powerful thing. I'm sure it does so many good things. But here are a couple of cool examples.

Till Monday

Jenn