Big Boy Bed!

Jack has been sleeping in his twin bed for 4 nights AND he has been sleeping completely through the night.  I am so very proud of him and so very excited to actually be getting enough sleep to feel rested.

These milestones are becoming increasingly more bitter sweet as it is amazing to see him growing up but sad to think I can never get those baby days back.

2012: Goals & Updates

Holidays are over. Decorations are away. Routine is back in place. I am back to the gym. Ready for another year. Here is to wishful thinking that 2012 is going to be my best year thus far!

Approach = I’m gonna make this year all about me (where possible). I’m sure you are thinking this is sounding a bit selfish but is it really possible for a mom to be selfish? Not in my world. What I mean by this is I am going to start squeezing in more time for myself wherever I can find it. Time to read, time to study, time to exercise, time to socialize, time to relax. Can’t wait.

I am sure if you scroll down through previous blog posts you will see that I have said this before but I am about to repeat anyhow: Being a working mom has got to be one of the most exhausting jobs out there or maybe it is just exhausting for me at this moment because my little one is hitting the terrible 2 stage and there is a lot going on with Jack these days??? Please tell me it gets less tiresome…please?! Shouldn’t complain too much as I know I am not cut out to be a ‘stay at hom'er’ either. I need to have that reason to get up and get going, do my makeup, and put on something other than a hoodie in the morning. For me that reason is my career and as tiring as it is doing both it feels great to have that purpose that is solely designed for me each day. Goal number one for 2012 = turn the exhaustion around through daily exercise on my lunch hour which will help me focus and really push myself in my career this year.

Goal number two = bottle banishing. Staying at home over the holidays did help with the latest major accomplishment in our home. Jack has given up his bottle (he was so attached it was becoming a prop in every single photo we took of him). It happened by force not by choice. I always thought I would let him decide when he no longer needed it but I was beginning to think if I went with that game plan he would never let it go and would be dragging it to school in a few more years. As tough as it was we have done it! He has finally let it go and I withstood the cranky days and sobbing bedtimes. It took 3 straight days of total upset and then an additional 4 days of adjustment but I really do think we might finally have it conquered at this point. Cheers to that!!! Feels great to accomplish a goal so early in the year.

Fits. Another thing that is becoming more and more common with my precious little boy. How on earth do I stop them? They seem endless right now. Fits over everything. Ugh! Anyone have any good reads on this topic? If so – I am INTERESTED. Goal number three = determine and stick to a discipline tactic that works for us. This is going to be the hardest of them all!

So there it is. My plan for 2012. My personal & my motherly goals. It's almost exciting to jot it down and make it official.

Mommy for a day (or 3)..

Last week I headed out on my first business trip since Jack was born.  It was difficult to leave my boys at home alone but I was excited for some alone time, shopping and to allow the two of them to bond even more.  Being a mommy in my household means working from sun up till sun down, something you may hear me complain about from time to time.  I have to laugh at how much I missed doing all of that work while I was gone.  It just proved to me that this is what I live for right now, working and caring for my family.  A little reminder is always nice though ;) 

Turns out daddy and Jack made out just fine without me around but I know they were both happy to see me walk through the door Friday night.  They may have made due without me to cook, clean and do bedtime routine but one thing is clear....they both need my fashion sense.  Below is a photo a friend took while I was away.  Notice Jack dressed from head to toe in Camouflage.  Daddy's Touch! haha This is a keepsake photo for the album :)

Bruins Baby!

It has been a day or two...Life took over this week and before I knew it here I am already half way through my Friday.
A few random updates from our family….

Jack has his first molar. It just poked through this week. Thank heavens! Now that I can see the tips of it shining through his gums I am back to getting a full night’s sleep. It has been rough in the sleep department for both of us for over a month now.  Makes getting up for work in the morning very difficult.

GG has made it home from her successful surgery in Halifax. We are all so happy to have her back and on the mend. My Aunt Karen came from Ontario to be with Gram for a couple of weeks so it has been really nice to visit with her. We are all enjoying having her around.

Not only is it Father’s Day this weekend but it is Tractor Pull weekend!! We always look forward to the party and the crowd the tractor pull brings to our little town each year. Mommy and daddy are getting a night out alone.  Should be a good time. We are really in need of getting our social life back. It has been a struggle to say the least but it is coming day by day.

Pat has started working his summer hours as his company can have very seasonal type hours/work. Summer keeps him busy, thin and very tanned. Hahahaha. I swear he loses at least 20 lbs every summer from working long hours in the heat every day. I have no clue how he does it????

As for mama – I have lost 20 pounds since Christmas! I am so happy that I am finally feeling back to normal and comfortable in my own skin (and clothing) again. For those of you out there struggling to lose the ‘baby weight’ my only advice is be patient, keep active…it will come. On the work side of life: Although being a working mom is tough I am loving being back at it. It is strange how much appreciation this past year off has given me for my job. It really made me realize how much I love what I do and who I do it with.

And finally...the Bruins won the Stanley Cup!!! Our father has dressed us in Bruins wear since we were born and of course he has done the same for Jack. We were all Bruins babies.  After waiting all of my life thus far, I finally get to hear Dad brag about his team (our family’s team now) and not curse them! It is great.

Bye Bye Baby Days, Hello Bumps and Bruises.

'Just wait til he is walking' - a comment that I have heard a fair bit over the last year.  I am happy to report the day has come!  Another huge milestone in a little life.

Although Jack did take his first steps some time ago he had yet to venture out on his own.  Yesterday he mustered up the courage he has been looking for for weeks to take those first slow, unsteady and cautious steps alone...without a hand, a couch, a table or chair, the walker, mommy, daddy or Marjorie. He got halfway across the room, fell and bumped his head...but he did it and he is PROUD!

I have been asking myself the following question for weeks. "When will that moment come when I no longer see a little baby when I look at him? " It came - last night.  He is a big boy now.  Of course he will ALWAYS be my baby but he has moved into the little boy category.  Look out world another Simonson boy is on the move!

Time for another? Nah, not just yet....

I'm One!





Mommy's BIG baby boy turns 1

...And as you can see Jack is very proud to be ONE!  He had a great birthday party with family and a few friends this past weekend.  He really felt the love with all of the visitors and gifts.  Grammie Simonson outdid herself once again in the snack department.  What a beautiful spread she put on (as always)!  Jack even received his very first truck, yes a REAL one!  Grampie Simonson gave him a 1961 GMC.  It is very special to our family as it belonged to Harry Simonson who would be Jack's Great Great Grandfather.   What a lucky little boy!  Daddy feels pretty lucky too as he thinks he should get to drive Jack around in it until he is old enough to drive it himself.    Thanks everyone for making Jack's big day so special.

Here are a few of my favourite moments of the day:

Opening gifts

He loved everyone singing to him!



Jack's first sugar!

Clean-up time!

Easter Sunday.

It is my first Easter without my mom and Jack's first Easter ever.  Mom, Papa and Kenz are in Florida for this Easter holiday.  Hope they are having fun and nice weather.  They deserve it!  Grammie Kathy and Grampie Jim are in Cuba.  It is strange for Pat and I to be on our own for a holiday where we are usually running back and forth to at least 2 or 3 dinners.  GG had dinner for us Friday night.  So we are the chefs today.  I decided to make a beef stew as we have already had a ham dinner and stew is Jack's favourite right now.   Plus it totally helps that I can make it in the slow cooker and not have to think about it again until we are ready to eat.  I love slow cookers!  Definitely invented for busy moms on the go.

Jack was up bright and early this morning.  He found all of the Easter eggs the Easter bunny hid for him and had a blast with his Easter basket.  Kids are so fun.  Brings back memories of my own holidays at home.  Luckily the Easter bunny knows I am starting to get annoyed with the 'new' fancy toys that ALL have batteries and make loud sounds, so he brought old fashioned toys like shovels, rakes, blocks, etc...Jack was pleased too.  Happy Easter! Love; PB&J.

 



To Stay or Not to Stay at Home?

...Not to stay.  My 'stay at home mom' life is soon about to end.  I will be heading back to work in exactly one week.  I feel ready.  It will be very bitter sweet.  Of course it will be difficult to leave Jack everyday but I am ready to re-join the corporate world.  I miss my job, my coworkers, my independence, my pay cheque...remind me of this in a weeks time when I am whining...Please! 

I plan to go out with a bang.  Have one FUN last full week at home with Jack.  Today was supposed to be 'play outside day' however the wind and cold weather had a different plan for us.  We stayed in.  It was fun all the same.  Maybe tomorrow we can get out for a hike and a little time in the swing.  Fingers crossed.  We also have one last playgroup date tomorrow morning.  I am really excited.  I love getting together with my mommy friends and their adorable little ones.  We have really had a lot of fun this past year.  It is so nice to have so much support and advice from friends.  I am sitting here wishing I had of thought sooner but really want to bring all of the kiddies an Easter treat....must think of something creative at the last minute that does not involve baking.

Thursday I must get Jack to one last mom and tot swim at the Civic Centre in Woodstock and we also have to get to at least one or two Mom's club sessions at the gym.  To update you on my weight loss progress well, lets just say I fit into most of my pre-baby work clothes. I have given myself a pat on the back a few times already : )  Anyway it is going to be a busy week but I really do hope to fit everything in.  It is going to be a while before I go on Mat leave again so must make the most of it!  Next priority you wonder???  Marriage!  As much as I would love to have my babes close in age I must be married before the next one.  Our very faithful mothers understood the first time around however, I am not so sure they will the second. Hahaha

To finsih off this evening I have a bit of news!  Today was a landmark day in Jack's life.  He took his first steps all on his own.  Luckily Pat and I were both in the room to witness it.  What a moment!  I didn't realise how such simple things can evoke such amazing emotions until I had him.  He is so proud of himself, so proud!

First Haircut.

Jack just had his first big boy haircut.  It turned out adorable.  He was such a good boy.  Sat still most of the time :)  Here are a few pics.

Before Pic

Being such a big boy

After! Very happy with his new do

What a handsome little boy

8 teeth..Day Care..Back to Work...

Just Jet skiing :)

OK, finally I have found time for a real update.  Forgive me as it has been so long since I have actually sat down and wrote a proper one.  Back to work in 6 weeks!  One word...Insane!!!  I can't believe how fast the time has gone.  We have slowly been preparing for the transition.  Jack has been attending day care one day a week for a few weeks now.  He is doing fantastic.  So far there have been NO tears.  I must admit it almost hurts my feelings but I am well aware that it is much easier to walk out the door when there are no tears than if he is crying a puddle of them.  Our sitter is wonderful.  Such a caring soul.  Jack already loves her but I think his favourite part is learning from the 3 other "older" boys (who are 3). 

Jack has been teething for the past few weeks.  2 more on top for a total of 8 with a big gap between his top front teeth...too cute.  Good thing for those teeth as he is turning into a little boy who is quickly outgrowing his formula.  He wants real food now but only the kind he can feed himself.  His independence is growing stronger by the day.  Loves strawberries but only if he can feed them to himself, same with peas, carrots, pears, bananas, corn...you get the picture.  Yogurt and cereal are about the only things he will let me feed him.  No one ever told me how trying it is to teach a baby to eat....patience is a virtue! 

We have added a few more activities to our "favourite things to do" list.  Watching cars, trucks and tractors has moved to the top of the list (Jack's list...not mine) surpassing swimming believe it or not.  Sliding (me pulling him around), reading, catching rain and snow on his tongue and watching TV are also popular these days.  Bath time is still a favourite.  Speaking of swimming and bathing...Jack had his first underwater experience at the pool last week.  The lifeguard convinced me to dunk him under water.  It took me 20 minutes to finally build up the courage and gain confidence in her technique and then I went for it.  Much to my surprise he did not mind it at all...in fact he has been trying to dunk himself ever since.  Definitely a water baby!

Sliding at Mama and Papa P's

Jack is pulling up, standing and trying to move around furniture now.  It won't be long before he is running through this tiny little house.  He is so proud of himself, as are we!

Starting to walk - No big deal :P

Next update:  Jack's first haircut....it is time as you can see below.

Mommy's little prince

I can climb!

The days of blocking Jack in the living room and knowing he was safe are OVER.  Today I was making lunch and blocked him out of the kitchen and this is what I come around the corner to see.  He figured out the coffee table has a hole in it that he can fit through.  Was nice while it lasted!

Family Fun!

We decided to get out and do something fun on our family day today so we rounded up the neighbours and headed to the Bowlacade in Woodstock.  We had a blast.  They even had shoes to fit Jack.  Such a great way to spend a few hours on a Sunday...

Bowling shoes for Jack too!

Kids first day bowling

Totally has the hang of it now.  We put the rails up so her balls wouldn't go in the gutter and guess where she wants to send them??

Baby's First Christmas!

We had a very Merry Christmas and all got a tad spoiled. Pat, Jack and I were able to stay home all Christmas day. Our family came to us this year. It was so nice to have them all here under our little roof. We had a lot of fun but were all very tired after the day was over. It was a blessing to be home and have Jack in his own bed for naps. Made the day a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable. Best decision we ever made. Thanks to our family for going along with our plan! Here are a few shots from the day.

Merry Christmas Da Da!

Pat got an early Christmas present this week. Jack is now calling him Da Da and it is as clear as day. I woke up this morning to him repeating da da da da over and over. The boys were down stairs wide awake playing while mama got an extra hour of sleep. Pat said he just started as soon as he woke up and continued saying it for the entire hour. It is adorable. He is so proud of himself!

Jack is off to his sunday school Christmas concert tonight at 6. Wish him luck in his first theatrical debut!

Baby's First Christmas Tree!

The tree has been trimmed...we are officially ready for santa! Pat and I put up the tree last night while Jack was all snuggled in bed. What a surprise he had this morning when he came down stairs to see more of his favourite thing....lights!!! It took him 5 minutes to scoot across the living room, find a detour around the baracade I made and grab at the soft ornaments I hung near the bottom for him. He is a quick one! I thought I was safe for the morning at least...guess again!

Woke up to a message from a best friend this morning who is on the other side of the world. She got the card and pic we put in the mail for her. Had tears in my eyes as I realised how hard it would be this year without a few of my really close friends around for the holidays. Girls we will be missing you here in Tracey Mills!!! On a brighter note other best buds Sarah and Ash will be home in 2 days with their new ray of sunshine Kyran. Jack and I can't wait!!!!!! It is going to be a blast sharing our boy's first Christmas together.

17 days until Christmas. Can this be true? Where has the year gone? I don't even want to think about how many days I have left of mat leave right now...won't bother with the calculation as it will only depress me. Is it really possible that 2011 is right around the corner? Jack has certainly taught me to appreciate time. So I won't wish it away by doing the usual Christmas countdown...instead I will cherish every single day I have left of this year with my boy. I see this becoming a New Years resolution.. No more wishing away time, only cherishing every moment...the sleepless nights and all.

Nap time is almost over which means I am almost back on duty. We have nothing scheduled for the day today, only relaxing in our jammies and watching some Christmas cartoons (Jack loves them because they have so much music in them).

Tis the Season!

The snow is falling and the Christmas parties have begun. The Christmas season is here! Pat brought home the tree last night. Hopefully we can get it up in the next day or so. Jack is very much on the move now so it should be interesting to see what he thinks of it and if I can keep him away from it. This will be the first year that we can't decorate the bottom branches and we are so excited. Baby's first Christmas!

We met santa for the first time at the McCain children's Christmas party on Saturday. No tears, just very confused looks (below). It really is amazing how much effort is put into that party. They really do a lot for the kids and really make them feel special. I was so impressed!!!

Today is a snow day. They have become so much more appealing since I no longer have to go out on the roads when I do not want to. We are staying in today cozied up in our pjs watching Christmas cartoons and snuggling. Maternity leave rocks! Hope you have a chance to enjoy your snow day. We will post again soon with pics of the tree.

Thanks for following!

Starting Solids.

Peas - Mr. Independant

Cereal - 1st Solid

Prunes - No Likey!

Carrotts - Fav Veg!

Thanksgiving Dinner 2010 - Carrotts and Peas...Yum!