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Today Leah and I met up with some friends at the pool. Some of them had already taken swimming lessons and showed us some of the in and outs of taking a seven month old to the pool. I had to wake Leah up from her nap so she was quite reserved at the pool. She is not a big fan of putting her head back in the water whether we are in the pool or trying to get the shampoo out of her hair at home in her bathtub but warmed up to it over time. The pool had life jackets their size so Leah and her buddies floated on their backs all on their own. Leah was pretty apprehensive but became more comfortable over time and especially when distracted by a rubber ducky to hold and play with. Right before we hopped out of the pool, I got enough courage to dunk Leah. I wouldn’t say she enjoyed the experience but she didn’t cry. I am definitely looking forward to vacationing in Oroville this year and swimming with her in Osoyoos Lake.

I am not sure who will be more exhausted after swimming, Leah or I. Right now it is definitely me, though the other moms said their kids had amazing naps after swimming. Leah slept on the way home and in her crib for another fifteen minutes and now is playing happily and vocally in her exersaucer.

We brought our strollers right onto the pool deck. She is all ready to go.

Checking out the pool compared to her bathtub.

So much fun! I think swimming lessons are in our near future.

Leah has been working hard lately to get mobile. She can move across the room slowly though she is not moving with the intention to get something more than a foot away from her. Leah leans forward and scoots a little on her bottom. On Christmas Eve, she actually had her legs coordinated enough to move one knee forward. Pretty soon our house will be truly tested for baby proofing.

We spent Christmas Eve at Grandma Fran and Granddad Sid’s house. The Christmas Eve service was canceled at our church due to a power outage so we just went to visit a little earlier. I love going to Christmas Eve services every year with carol singing and special presentations. It is a tradition I have done every year with my own family growing up and now with our own little family. Last Sunday, they combined what they had planned for that service and the Christmas Eve services. It was still special even though it was after Christmas and that I spent most of it in the church nursery hanging out with Leah. Leah sure looks like she knows what to do with the presents but was much more successful with gift bags and tissue paper.

Look at what a big girl I am.

Loves the gift bags and tissue paper… just like her daddy.

That was a great joke…

Not that you can see but I now have four teeth. Mommy is going to try give me pasta soon as I am chewing my food so well now. I have never seen so much snow in my life. Mom and Dad were even surprised and Mom was taking pictures like crazy on the way over to Grandma and Grandpa’s. She has never done that before.

Don’t think this car is going anywhere soon.

At Christmas dinner, everyone was wearing these funny crowns. I didn’t like mine at all and ripped it off my head. Does my family not understand this is supposed to be a nice formal turkey dinner? I am holding my favorite rattle at my Grandma’s house. It is the small rattle my mom and uncle played with when they were little. My favorite way to play with it is to see if I can fit the whole red ball in my mouth.

I think my dad looks like Jughead (from the Archie comics) with that crown on his head.

I sure love Christmas; getting to dress up all the time, lots of action, playing with lots of tissue paper, visiting friends and family and getting to stay up way past my bedtime. What do you mean it only happens once a year?

Today Grandma come over for a nice walk in the snow. Today has been the first day in a while that our temperature hasn’t showed us something ridiculous like this:

It was beautiful with all the snow, however trekking along the sidewalks was an adventure. We stuck to side roads but as we turned back towards our place one of the side roads we were on ended. Both sides of the road had a sidewalk but the odd twenty feet on either side of the road was shoveled. We kept zigzagging back and forth across the road for a clear path when there was one available. We saw some pretty sights.

Tonight we picked up and dropped off some of Morgan’s friends whose truck had broken down. We ventured down their street which had not been plowed. I could feel us plowing the snow underneath our car which was loaded with six people. We only got stuck when we tried to pull into a driveway. It was a little scary when the packed down snow was pretty narrow and another car came down the road using the same ruts in the road we were. It was so easy to get stuck if you stopped moving. Thankfully both cars and their drivers handled it well and moved over to more of their side of the road at the last minute. Morgan thought the drive was great however I was a ball of nerves when we saw other vehicles coming our way.

After our driving adventure, we went to St. Mark’s Anglican Church where they had an outdoor nativity walk through. At each of the nine stations, the guide would turn on an audio recording of the events shown in the picture. They had lots of super friendly, great volunteers.

Leah did very well all bundled up. The people were all super nice and we warmed up with hot chocolate and apple cider inside the hall of the church. They had someone playing the piano with a few carolers. We were able to request our favorites along with a few other families that were there. There was one little boy there who seemed like quite the character. He was requesting lots of songs, some that were traditional as well as some that were not. We got the piano player ad libbing a Raffi tune as well as the carolers trying to sing a Chipmunk Christmas tune as well. It was a good time. When I see other kids like that little boy, I wonder what Leah will be like as she grows up. It is great to see other families bundling up, trekking out in the snow spending quality time with each other. I’m sure it will become a little more challenging as our family grows.

This picture didn’t turn out as great as it could have but I thought the tree looked so pretty with the snow.

I think Leah has figured out this whole camera business. She sure has had enough pictures taken of her. Here she is with Grandma’s styling scarf.

On Friday, Leah and I met up with a friend of mine from high school. She is currently living in Edmonton so it is great when we get to see each other. We also were able to visit while we were in Edmonton in November. I was talking to her on the phone, trying to plan a place where we could meet while being unsure of exactly what part of Edmonton I was in. I went onto google maps to get direction s and asked for her address and it turned out she was living a few kilometers away on the same street we were staying. Here is a picture of her with Leah at West Edmonton Mall.

Later that day, we met up with a friend from the mommy gang at Krause Berry Farms. We enjoyed corn chowder and had a very nice visit. After checking all of the the goodies for sale, we decided to have a little photo shoot with our kiddies. It started inside by the electric fireplace with the stockings and then moved outside. The temperature was below zero but the farm looked so beautiful in the snow we couldn’t resist. We went out just for a little bit until the kids got fussy. Leah was so full of expression. She kept on leaning forward out of the cute little chairs so I put her on the floor to hang out.

With all her hand waving and sounds lately, we think she might be a choir director. Only time will tell but with our musical talent ineptitude it is unlikely.

We had an early Christmas dinner with some of Morgan’s side of the family last night. The turkey dinner was great and we enjoyed the company as well.

She is growing up so fast.

Fun times with Daddy being thrown up into the air.

The best present ever, our little peppermint stick.

While at lunch with a mommy friend, she offered Leah a rice rusk. I was hesitant to buy them and offer totally solid food but she did so well and seemed to love them, we bought some for her. Her she is enjoying them.

Fun times with Mommy. (Still feels funny that I am a mommy sometimes, it hit me a lot when I was writing out the tag on her Christmas present: To Leah, Love you lots, Mommy and Daddy)

All tired out… though she woke up a few minutes later and caught a second wind before we bundled her up to go home.

This past Saturday night I left Leah with Morgan and went out to party. I was a little nervous about the whole thing, even though I was going to Cactus Club which is ten minutes away and was leaving about ten minutes before her bedtime (which is at 8). I got all ready before I fed Leah at 7:30. I was going to try offer her a little more at 7:45 when the person I was carpooling with showed up. So, I might have been a little over anxious but Morgan was ever so confident and not worried a bit.

I had a great time with the mommy gang (without the babes). It was the first night out without Leah I have had on my own since she has come into our lives. I stayed later than expected while my poor husband was trying to get a tired baby to sleep more than fifteen minutes straight. When I came home, both of them were sleeping soundly which made my heart glad. You know when you are 99 percent sure it will all be fine but not at ease until you see it? That was me.

Today was my first time babysitting a little guy Leah’s age along with taking care of Leah. It was great to see them kicking each other’s feet interacting so well together. I was sitting on the floor watching them play with the toys and rattles set out for them thinking so, this is what twins are like. That was a lovely thought till an hour later when both were more complaining than babbling. Out came the soothers to the rescue. I fed Leah while reaching over occasionally to put a soother back in. When the little guy was getting a little fussy around the time his mom said he might be getting hungry, I searched out the bottle she had left. I had to think a little bit about the whole bottle thing. You have to warm it up, test it and then give it to him. It felt so weird to feed him with the bottle as Leah has never been a real fan and only taken it from my mom when I am not around. He took it so I figured I passed the test.

We have a lot of snow here now and Morgan has taken the car to work these past two days as he bike is in the repair shop. I am getting a little cabin feverish wondering how many layers should I put on Leah before we venture outside for a walk or will it just be too cold. Our big double stroller would keep her warmer as I can zip a cover right over the whole thing (with side ventilation) and not worry about the blankets coming off but it is an ordeal to put it together and try fit into the elevator and out the doors.

Leah and I are going out tomorrow for sure (unless another blizzard comes) and meeting with a few friends from the mommy gang at Krause Berry Farms where my mom works. We will be having some nice warm soup with fresh buns/biscuits. Leah and I will also get to visit with a good friend who is home for Christmas. What a treasure friends are.

And a few random shots…

Leah waiting for take off as she is sitting on her clean diapers that are waiting to be folded.

Leah showing her buddy her mad strength.

Leah and I went to visit Morgan at the tree farm and pick out it tree. It was windy and very cold. Leah wasn’t too impressed and about to cry because of the wind so we made it it a quick trip. Morgan cut the tree down the next day and put it in our car. We put it in a garbage bag so it wouldn’t drop needles all over the hallway of our apartment complex.

Our Christmas tree is up now and looking delightful. Leah likes the tree and I even caught her looking at herself in one of the ornaments. I have to buy some tree lights soon (hopefully a set that can twinkle).

I bought Leah some Christmas shirts the other day. I had a really hard time finding anything red without a big truck or some other predominantly ‘boy’ logo on it. It seems to be mostly pink with a few purple and green hues on all the girls clothes out there.

I did found a three onesie Christmas set that was gender neutral. They had it in 6-12 months or 12-18 months. There is a huge difference between a 6 month old and an 18 month old. Still have not figured out the sizing of children’s clothes and I don’t think I will anytime soon. I ended buying the smaller ones which barely fit her, which is alright as she needs them for the next two weeks. I am trying to get my money’s worth out of them (which I know is impossible in two weeks, but that doesn’t stop me from trying) and I think they are so darn cute. Oh, and by the way, just because she is not dressed in pink that does not mean she is a boy. Note the ruffle on her pants or the jean dress or the girly shoes… that means girl.

Doesn’t this smile look like one of those great, fake, cheesy ones when you tell a young child to smile? If she has started this already, my pictures of her for the next five years are all going to bear this striking resemble to this. Not exactly what I am going for…

Those bottom ornaments may have to move up a few branches soon. I think that would be the best Christmas present ever for Morgan if Leah started to crawl. As you can see, it will just be a matter of time.

Leah has survived all of her and her mom’s Christmas shopping and is happy mom will no longer be hauling her in and out of her car seat all over Langley (not for Christmas shopping anyways). She always wakes up happy when I pull her out of her deep sleep from the car seat to venture into a store. I feel so bad breaking up her naps but she loves to sleep in the car. After finishing her first experiences of Christmas gift buying, she is getting pretty excited about Christmas eve and Christmas day.

Leah discovered on Wednesday how to cluck her tongue. She seems to really enjoy the clucking. Not sure what is more exciting, the sound or the movement in the mouth.

She also now has a definite opinion on who she wants to sit with. Leah might hang out with someone for a while and then see mom or dad and fully lunge out toward them from whoever is presently holding her. Leah has absolutely no fear of falling so you really have to have your hands ready for a sudden change of opinion. She also is putting her arms out a little, reaching out to be picked up. This is still in the more beginning stages but so precious.

When Leah sits, she sometimes leans forward and looks like shes about to take off crawling. If she goes anywhere, it is just on her stomach from sitting up. Give her a few weeks and Daddy’s computer wires might not be so safe from little hands anymore.

She is also practicing those ‘girl’ push ups under Daddy’s close supervision.

A few months back, Leah and I came to a marvelous agreement on nap time. When she would start rubbing her eyes, pulling her ears and become fussy and couldn’t play on her own happily, it was time for me to put her in her crib where she would fall asleep within five minutes. All of that has changed in the last week or two. She will still show all the signs of tiredness but not go to sleep. She will cry a very upset cry until someone gets her from the crib or playpen. She seems to rebound from these times of tiredness and be happy and stay up for any two to three hours. Leah has decided she only needs two naps a day with maybe a third if her afternoon nap was early in the day, which is totally okay with me as long as she is happy. My little girl is growing up.

She has also refused solids for the first time these past few days. Leah has never said no to food so it was surprising when she wouldn’t want to finish a meal. I haven’t figured this one out yet.

Leah and I are attending our first cookie exchange. I am excited to get a nice variety of Christmas baking. Every year, I bake the same goodies that my mom passed down to me. They are great but it will be nice to have something I probably wouldn’t try. I am making linzer cookies. I had never heard of them until I saw them at my mom’s work and thought they were really cute. They are two cookies with jam in between and the top cookie has part of the middle cut out and icing sugar dusted on top. I didn’t actually know what they were called until looking up recipes on allrecipes.com in their Christmas Cookie Collection and saw the picture.

And last but not least, Leah saw some snow today outside our window.

Christmas is a coming and people are putting up their Christmas trees. We have not put one up yet as we still have one too many couches in our apartment at the moment, though that hopefully will change Friday night. We are going to get a small tree probably just a little taller than Leah. Morgan has been working at my grandma’s tree farm on the weekends.

My uncles set up my grandpa’s super old camping tent where they store their provisions for the day. A fire keeps everyone a little warmer and provides a place to cook their smokies. We visited for a little bit and Leah hung out with my dad for quite awhile and he gave her the royal tour all around the farm. I was so impressed as Leah has been scared of her grandpa for quite a while now. I thought it was pretty sweet to see my dad in his tree cutting gear holding Leah with her brightly colored, mostly pink snowsuit on.

Last Saturday, I went and hung out at my mom’s house. We went grocery shopping at her favorite grocery store and we met neighbors, relatives and friends while picking up a few things. My mom seems to know everybody there, so well in fact that even the produce manager held her and was telling stories about his grand kids. We made tons of baby food for Leah and froze it into heart shaped, silicone, ice cube trays from Ikea. My sister bought a ton to use for her wedding and has since shared them with anyone who would like. I think it is rather adorable that all her food is heart shaped, until I heat and mix it up anyway.

Speaking of food, Morgan took me out to a nice Thai restaurant today after we had a short appointment at the bank. The food was so good but too spicy for me. My lips were burning and the food was still calling out to me. I brought some food for Leah to eat with no means of heating it up. I asked for some hot water, which I added to her beans and applesauce to heat it up and so I could add some rice cereal. It was still pretty cold even with the really hot water so we got creative.

Leah is slowly mastering the backwards crawl. When she sits up, she sometimes will lean over like she is ready to go on her front and crawl away. Yesterday, she was playing with her laptop and looking at herself in the mirror (What am I teaching her with that assortment of toys?) and starting pushing up with her front arms, moving her body backwards. I think she tries to go forwards but hasn’t figured out how to manipulate the back half of her body. When I looked over, she had gone from being directly in front of her laptop to in front of her exersaucer and had rolled over.

She was pretty tired last night before bed so we had to get out the soother a little early. I really don’t like her having the soother in her mouth if she is content and especially not in pictures. I pulled it out of her mouth but it was still attached to her and by the time I got the camera, she had plugged it back in.

We are now proud owners of a ‘new to us’ Chariot child transport system(CTS). Apparently, these CTS’s are above being called strollers and relate more to transformers than a typical stroller. In all honesty, our new Cougar CX2 is awesome for jogging with, though it is quite a beast. It gives Leah a very smooth ride and is easy to maneuver. Morgan is pretty excited as it can be converted into a bike trailer as well. So, how many strollers does an almost seven month old need? Well, we are on our third and own two currently. It is a double and no, I am not pregnant.

Here is a glimpse of Leah’s moods throughout the day.
This is when she is tired and ready for a nap. Not sure why, but I think when she rubs her eyes it is absolutely adorable.

To help on this transition from tired to sleep, sometimes we go for a walk.

And then, voila, happy again.