HAPPY EIGHTH MONTH "BIRTHDAY" CHARLOTTE AND JACOB

It is funny how true the expression "time flies when you're having fun" is. We certainly are having fun here. It is extremely hard to believe that it is August 30th today and that a week from now kids will be heading back to school and we will have marked the "unofficial" end of summer with the passing of Labour Day weekend...but most of all it is hard to believe that Charlotte and Jacob are 8 months old today. A lot has happened from August 1st - August 30th including:


Gaining more weight: Charlotte weighs 15 lbs 12 oz and Jacob weighs an impressive 15 lbs 6 oz. 


Sleeping through the night: Doyle and I continue to enjoy our consecutive stretches of sleep thanks to the fact that both kids continue to sleep through the night. We are trying to stretch their bedtime to 7pm in preparation for my return to work (so we'll get some good play time with them when we get home ) and in the hope they'll sleep a bit longer in the morning. They have been waking between 5:30 and 6am for their morning feed but we'd love to hear from them around 6:30 or 7am - or even later if they felt so inclined ;)


Rolling over: We officially have two "rollers" in the house. They can now roll completely (back to front and front to back). They even prefer to play on their tummy vs their back when we put them down on their play mat. 


"Words": Both Charlotte and Jacob started saying "da da da" this month. It is often the first thing they say when they wake up in the morning. Doyle thinks this is a very fun way to start the day and is often the first in their room to get them from their crib. Last night Charlotte discovered the "t" sound and was saying it over and over again - Doyle said she's practising for our adventure to the CNE on Friday when she'll ask us for "Tiny Tom" donuts! 


Sitting up: I decided to test Charlotte and Jacob today to see if they could sit for a short period of time on their own...both were successful and seemed quite proud of themselves. We still have a bit of work to do before they are sitting alone for long periods of time but it's exciting to see they are developing the core strength to keep them upright. 


Solid food: We continue to experiment with solid foods. This month they have tried actual pieces of food along with their "baby mush in the jar". They enjoyed turkey deli meat, cheese, yoghurt, bread, and beans in tomatoe sauce. 


Favourite things: I have started to notice that the kids have some favourite things. These include...

• Bath time (they love kicking and splashing in the big tub) 
• Their blankets in their beds (they love to suck the satin edge when they go to sleep)
• Sophie the giraffe (both love to chew on Sophie on the play mat)
• Fingers (Charlotte loves her fingers - she has started to grab her pinky finger with one hand and wave her fingers around like she's making a bird - we can't help but laugh every time she does it)
• Exersaucer (We now have two because the kids loved the one we had so much - so now they spend time playing beside each other upright in their exersaucer) 

Activities outside the house: Walks in the stroller, More Stars and Strollers movies (Friends with Benefits, The Help, and 30 Minutes or Less), We completed our 8 week session at Rainbow Songs music class last Friday

Tomorrow we have our NICU follow-up at Sunnybrook. They will be observing the kids at their "six month corrected age". Stay tuned for that update...

HAPPY SEVEN MONTH "BIRTHDAY" CHARLOTTE AND JACOB...

Charlotte and Jacob turned seven months on July 30th. We were up north hence the delay to this post. 


It is hard to believe they are seven months already. The time is flying by and before we know it we will officially be singing "Happy 1st Birthday" to them. A lot has happened from July 1 - July 30 including:

• Gaining more weight: Charlotte weighs 14 pounds 2 ounces and Jacob weighs 13 pounds 10 ounces
• Eating more solid food: In addition to the many fruits and veggies Charlotte and Jacob have been eating this month we introduced more meats into their diet. They have been eating chicken, beef and turkey. They aren't quite sure of these new additions but we continue to provide them to them so they can get used to the new tastes and textures
• Continuing to sleep through the night: Jacob still has an edge over Charlotte in this department. He is the more consistent and deeper sleeper. Charlotte still tends to wake up at least once over the course of a night but we go in turn her from her stomach to her back (she hasn't quite mastered this move yet) and head back to sleep ourselves. 
• Rolling over: This has been the biggest accomplishment this month for Charlotte and Jacob, although he still prefers to lie on his back. Charlotte loves to roll from her back to her front but struggles to get from her front to her back. She has done it a few times but still needs some more practice. When she is on her stomach she loves being able to see the world from this new vantage point! 
• Playtime in the exersaucer: Our friends Andrew and Bonnie bought the kids an "Old Macdonald had a farm" exersaucer and Charlotte loves spending time in this new toy. We affectionately call it the circle of neglect because we can put her in it and do stuff while she happily plays away. Jacob has only tried it twice he's still a bit small for it and spends more time wobbling around it in than actually playing! 
• Celebrating Grandma Pam's 65th birthday: We celebrated my mom's 65th on July 10th. 
• Meeting Uncle Mike and Uncle Andrew for the first time: We flew my brothers Michael and Andrew up from California as a surprise for my mom's 65th birthday. The surprise couldn't have gone better and it was great to introduce the boys to their niece and nephew
• First swim in a lake: Charlotte and Jacob enjoyed their first "swim" in a Lake on July 16th at Paul and Judy's cottage on Lake Muskoka. The water was quite warm and the kids enjoyed splashing / wading around in the water
• First time at Sandy Lake: We spent the last week of July (23-29) at my dad and Sandy's cottage on Sandy Lake in Buckhorn. It was a fun week away from the City and we are looking forward to visiting again soon
• Activities outside of the house: Walks in the stroller, porch time, and Rainbow Songs music class at St. Cuthbert's Church on Friday's 

COTTAGE LIFE...

It's hard to believe it is August 5th already. We have had a busy few weeks since our last post. We spent the last week of July at my dad and Sandy's cottage on Sandy Lake in Buckhorn and the August long weekend in Muskoka for the 5th annual Muskoka Rocks weekend at Paul and Judy's cottage. 


Our time at Sandy Lake was much different than in previous years when Doyle and I would spend endless hours lounging on the dock in the sun with a book. There wasn't a lot of lounging on the dock for endless hours this year. The kids decided to keep us busy by protesting many of their naps throughout the week which made for some very long days. When the kids weren't protesting naps they were loving life on their play mat, swimming in the lake and hanging with Gramz and Grandpa. Despite our hectic week we enjoyed introducing Charlotte and Jacob to Sandy Lake - we can't wait to go back again soon. 

Jacob and Daddy swimming in Sandy Lake

Charlotte lounging on the dock

View of the cottage from the dock

Jacob is not so sure about floating

Charlotte floating on the water

A quiet moment on Sandy Lake

Charlotte warming up after her swim

Sippy cup lessons from Grandpa

Jacob loves holding his sippy cup

Grandpa is a riot

Grandpa and Jacob share a quiet moment before bed

FIRST DIP IN THE LAKE...

This past weekend we spent the night visiting our good friends Paul and Judy at their cottage in Muskoka. They have a wonderful spot on Lake Muskoka and we always enjoy our visits. 


We went up on Friday afternoon and stayed until mid-day on Saturday. Paul and Doyle raced in the Gravenhurst triathalon on Saturday morning and the kids and I stayed at cottage to enjoy some much needed fun near the lake. Judy and I took Charlotte and Jacob in for their very first dip in a lake. We chose a shallow part near the shore of their cottage and really only put them up to their knees but they seemed to enjoy it. Jacob found the water a little chilly and started shivering a few minutes after his "swim" experience began. Charlotte enjoyed putting her feet in the sand and squishing her toes in it. 


Thanks Paul and Judy for sharing your cottage and lake with us - we can't wait to visit again on the August long weekend! 

Charlotte and Jacob's first time in a lake (Lake Muskoka  - Torrence Ontario)

Jacob swimming in the lake

Charlotte enjoying her time in the lake

Charlotte loved squishing her feet in the sand with Judy

A lovely view of Lake Muskoka

A SOLID POST...

On the advice of Dr. Greenberg we started the kids on solid foods at 4 months. They weren't sure what to do with the rice cereal that we introduced at first but that quickly changed and now they know that when we put them in their booster chairs that food is on the way. Since that first introduction of rice cereal we have progressed through several veggies, fruits and even meats. They are not big fans of the chicken or beef in the jar and I can't blame them because that stuff smells terrible - but they love their veggies and fruits. So far we've tried:

• Sweet potato
• Butternut squash
• Carrots
• Green beans
• Waxed beans
• Peas
• Avocado 
• Bananas
• Apples
• Peaches
• Pears 
• Fruit medleys
• Mixed veggies
• Chicken
• Beef
• Baby Mumm Mumms
• Rice cereal
• Oat cereal
• Rice cereal with bananas 

I also bought the kids a sippy cup the other day and have been giving it to them at their meals with a bit of water. They have no idea what to do with it but they enjoy holding it and putting the spout in their mouth. One day soon they'll learn that there is liquid in it! 

Charlotte isn't quite sure what's on that spoon

mmmm I like cereal 

The kids pre-feed after a swim in their little pool

SURPRISE...HAPPY 65th MOM

This past weekend we celebrated my mom's 65th birthday. Her actually birthday was on Sunday July 10th but the festivities started on Friday night with the arrival of my brothers Andrew and Michael from California. Mom had no idea they were coming - she thought she was coming over to babysit for us so that we could go to a friends house for dinner - instead Andrew and Michael walked in shortly after 7pm. 


We pulled the surprise off perfectly! Doyle was leaving to "meet a friend who was visiting from out of town for drinks" when she arrived - but he was really on his way to the airport to pick up the boys. She came to help me with the bath / bedtime routine - this way I knew she wouldn't eat at home before she came. We got the kids sorted out, I got dressed as if I was going out and then made the potato salad I said "I was bringing to our friends house as our contribution to the meal". I was also keeping in touch with Doyle and my bros via my blackberry so I knew where they were during their trip home. As they got closer I grabbed the camera to show my mom some new pictures we had taken of the kids (so I'd be ready with the camera when they walked in)...while we were looking at the pictures Michael walked in our front door and said "I hear my niece and nephew live here" (he hadn't met them yet because he missed their birth by one day having left for California on Dec 29th and they were born Dec 30th)...mom just about fell off the chair - then Andrew walked in and she was blown away! 


The other special part of the weekend was being able to introduce Charlotte and Jacob to their Uncle Andrew and Uncle Mike! The kids enjoyed meeting their crazy uncles and shared lots of smiles and laughs with them during their visits! 


Here are some pics from our weekend festivities!

Michael and Mom

Andrew and Mom

Uncle Mike meeting Charlotte for the first time (Jacob was sleeping)

Uncle Andrew feeding Charlotte

The proud Uncles

Uncle Andrew, Uncle Mike and the kids

Self timer group "b-day" shot of the family

Mom and her grandchildren 

Charlotte loves her Uncle Mike!

One more self timer group "b-day" shot -
this time with Andrew's girlfriend Rachel

There are a lot of candles on that ice cream cake -
you better blow them out before it melts

Uncle Mike feeding Charlotte

Mommy and Charlotte

A PERFECT RECORD BROKEN....IT WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN SOONER OR LATER!

It's official...Charlotte and Jacob have broken their perfect "healthy" record. After 6 months of no sickness....both kids are fighting nasty coughs and stuffed noses. I took them to their doctor yesterday and despite the fact I was convinced their cough was something more substantial it was confirmed by Dr. Greenberg that they are suffering from a summer cold. I must admit I too am fighting one as well - so at least we're in this together!

Luckily the kids don't seem too phased by their colds and are just as smiley and chatty as usual. I could have done with a bit more sleep last night (thanks to Charlotte's restlessness) but all in all I can't complain too much about this little "bump"!

Get well soon C and J :)