Projects!

Remember all of those Early-Mat Leave projects that I listed? Reading the Twilight series? Landscaping? Creating a studio space for myself?

Well, I just realized that I never showed off the fruits of C's labour! Here's the backyard before...

The during...

This is Juliet...

and this is Sawyer!

And here's the after!

6 Black Cedars, 1 Celebration Maple and 1 Newport Flowering Plum!

Can you guess the names of the cedars along the back?

l-r: Desmond, Kate, Jack, Hurley, Sayid, and Sun...our own little Oceanic 6!

Owen and His Ducks

Video time! Ya...I'm becoming that mom...the one who takes a million pictures on her cell phone, and video's too!

Owen has a fascination with the ducks that hang on the back of his crib. Whenever he's getting changed, unless it's mid feed because of a major blowout, he is quite content to stare, giggle and talk to them.

It's kinda neat too, because these ducks used to hang on my crib!

Enjoy!

8 Weeks Ago Today...

I was out for lunch with Nana for her birthday....shopping at Chapters and getting plants at the garden centres. I didn't have any more of the annoying 3 hours contractions...I thought for sure we were headed for induction.

Wow. 8 weeks. That is absolutely insane to me.

That thought popped into my head this morning, as I was making Owen giggle while folding laundry and running from room to room to get things put away and tidied up a little. Once I realized that he was in a really great mood, I figured that I would have time to go through his 0-3month drawer and take out anything that didn't really fit anymore.

11 onesies...1 pair of pants (that fit, but they are too short)

My baby is getting so big, so fast! He's moved into nearly all 3 month clothes, if not some 0-6month clothes.

Our mission for today is to get some summer rompers at Old Navy using a giftcard from the Palser's. The only thing that we have that really fits him right now are long sleeved onesies and sweatpants, and it is too darn hot for that!

It was so sad to pack away some of the onesies...little plain white ones from Cousin S that were the only things that would fit him when we got him home from the hospital...his Ralph Lauren blue striped one from our first family picture...

Did I expect him to stay this small forever? No...but I thought it might last a little longer than 8 weeks.

*sigh* 8 weeks...next thing I know, he'll be off to school.

Mental Health Checkin

Well, I dropped the ball already on the weekly mental health check-in. It really wasn't intentional, I swear.

This week's been a rough one. I've had some external stressers, challenges with C, and we have a little boy who seems to be eating more and more, and teething a little bit more everyday. Yes, my 7 week old little boy is teething! Ack!

I said in a previous post that it seems as though the big things no longer set me off...but all of the little things do. C and I were having a conversation the other day about the big vs. little, and how I feel like I'm getting crazier and crazier as I'm having more small outbursts, rather than less big freak-outs.

Does that even make sense? He argued that it's good that I'm able to deal with the bigger issues and be rational about them. I argued that being irrational about the little things makes me feel like a bomb waiting to go off.

I've also been feeling overwhelmed by options and change. Owen is changing so much everyday it's overwhelming. There are clothes that don't fit and need to be packed up for a potential sibling. There is playtime that needs to be established, tummy time to do, and bedtime routines that need to be followed to bring some much needed structure into all of our lives.

We've transitioned to the bassinet, and while the first night (and last night!) went really well...there have been a couple of nights that have just not been good for anyone. Owen seems to do really well after a bottle, snuggle and story, then into the bassinet. He sleeps for 5-6 hours at a time, but then after his overnight feed...seems to be up every 10-40minutes for his soother/SleepSheep/rock/snuggle/gentle voice...anything. It definitely has worn on us both, and has put me on edge for the latter part of the week.

And then there's the teething...oh the teething! He goobers and sucks on everything! Over the weekend, it was my knuckle. Now, he's moved to his hands, soother, C or my hands, and even his playmat pillow that we use for tummy time!

It definitely makes for a slightly crankier version of the little boy that we love, but hopefully...we'll get through it!

So you see, all of these silly little things put me on edge. Add in the hormonal imbalance, and not sleeping because of the bassinet transition...and my mental state leaves something to be desired. I've been struggling for support in various areas, and have had a few tough conversations with friends and family about what they can to do help (or hurt) the situation, which is rather delicate right now.

Today, after a good nights sleep (I don't even remember C feeding Owen at 3am, or getting him back to bed. I remember 6am snuggles...but that's about it!), I'm feeling motivated and positive. I've already cleaned out the garage, loaded up the Jeep with beer and wine empties that we've accumulated over the past...5ish months, and after lunch will be trimming up the Hydrangeas, moving the spinkler and tackling whatever other bushes outside need to be tended to, while C tackles the inside and Owen (hopefully) naps.

It's shaping up to be a good day, and man am I in need of one!

Our Smiley, Giggly Boy

Every morning, I get to wake up to the most beautiful boy...who smiles and giggles and lets me kiss all over his face to make him giggle even harder.

Watching this little boy...and giggling when he giggles, certainly makes dealing with his alter ego (the red faced spawn of Satan...sorry, C) a little easier everyday.

Help Raise money for the Winners Walk of Hope in support of Ovarian Cancer Canada!

Help Raise money for the Winners Walk of Hope in support of Ovarian Cancer Canada!

Well folks, this is the first of hopefully many charity walks that I will be participating in over the next year as I work and train toward my goal of....

the CIBC Run for a Cure, October 2011!

That's right! I'm going to RUN. You read that? R-U-N!

My goal for the Winners Walk of Hope is to raise $1000.00. The walk will take place in London, Ontario on September 12th!

Time to lace up those shoes and start training! I definitely want a good finish in the Winners Walk, and can't wait to see C and Owen at the finish line! (and of course any other family and friends that may want to come out!)

Help me reach my goals by clicking the link above and sponsoring me!

Coke + Cotton Candy

What a weekend!

It started with Tea for Three at the Idlewyld Inn with Godmomma and Momma T - what a nice girly date out...with no babies or kiddos! I have a feeling that there are going to be many more girly dates in the near future!

Sunday morning, the Family Szem was off to Wiarton. C was registered to run in the Shore-to-Shore 13km, and of course Owen and I wanted to be there cheering him on, Gatorade in hand, as he crossed the finish line.

We spent the day at Sauble Beach yesterday, and got to talking about fitness goals and whatnot...things that have been sort of eating away at me lately (no pun intended). We also talked about incentives...but that will be another post for another day!

Part of this PPD issue is that I don't have the want, or motivation to cook, or even eat sometimes. It's so much easier, and less daunting, to seek comfort in a Mocha Frappucino from Starbucks and the convenience of the drive through when Owen is fast asleep in the back. Clearly, not healthy, and packing on calories that I really don't need. But, go home and make a sandwich? A salad? No thanks, I will enjoy every drop of my frothy, chocolately and coffee-y good Frappucino...thank you very much!

Well...knowing that my hubby has been working with a personal trainer since April, has lost about 35lbs (he'll disagree, but...yes yes he has), just ran 13km this morning, and that I'm going to have a little boy to keep up with...I certainly need to be thinking about gym memberships and things of the sort.

I casually mentioned to C while we were sitting at a coffee shop (having, what else?! A Mocha Frap!) that maybe I would run the 13km Shore-to-Shore with him next summer. I was sort of joking...but it got us talking about the types of things that I could do that would be more in my comfort level...aka shorter than 13km.

So far, I've looked into the CIBC Run for the Cure, Great Strides Walk for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Relay for Life for the Canadian Cancer Society, and a Create-Your-Own-Event for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. In addition to training for a walk...(or run like C is encouraging me to do...eek!), I'd like to do something good for charity, and one that means something to me, not just something random (not that a random charity isn't deserving, but I need some personal motivation here!)

That's a huge step from going to the fair last night and having a Coke and cotton candy! How in the world am I going to walk, let alone run, in a race?! The part that I know, know I will struggle with is the diet. C is incredibly disciplined. The personal trainer gave him a sample meal plan in April, and he adopted it immediately. No carbs after noon? No problem! Protein shakes at 10am and 9pm? Done! Seriously, everything that was on the shopping list and meal plan was no issue for him.

I, on the other hand, enjoy my Frap's...and ice cream...and any other sweet that I can get my hands on, and preferably it will have chocolate of some sort in it. Though...I need to have more willpower when it comes to things like that, and it very much might mean C taking the reins on lunches and dinners for me to ensure that I'm eating what is healthy and good, and not just taking the easy drive-through way out.

I think, too, that the routine and training will help with the PPD. It's not getting worse, persay, but it's not getting any better and it's sort of...rocky...right now. The smallest thing will send me into a fit, and the larger things sometimes don't bother me at all. Having routine, structure and a healthy diet is going to go a long way for sure.

Let's just hope that my feet can go that long way too!