Wow I sure love him! He's the best!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Signing
I cannot say enough good things about Grant. He is the best. Within the last couple weeks I taught him to sign "love" for "I love you" and he signs it all the time now. He was upset with me for making him go to bed tonight, and as I was closing the door I said "I love you" and he signed LOVE and said "I love you" - of course it sounds nothing like "I love you", but I know exactly what he's saying. It was so sweet, particularly because he didn't even want to go to bed at the time. What a doll! The first time he signed was probably two weeks ago or less, and it is most certainly the best sign I have ever taught him - because it is so special when he signs it back. He's a sweetheart. And - let me take a few moments to brag, because I hardly ever do (I hope) - he puts away his shoes if he spots them out of the closet, he puts his jacket in the closet when we come in from outside, he unloads the silverware (minus the sharp things!) from the dishwasher along with the pots and pans, and will hand me the dishes to put in the cupboard, he takes Rachel's soother or blanket to her if they are anywhere but right on top of her, he "practices" spraying cleaner on the toilet and shower by holding the sprayer and making a "ffft fft" noise (apparently the noise the sprayer makes). He's so helpful and so hilarious at the same time. So that's my bragging moment about Grant. I love him to death, and I never, ever tell people how soon he started sleeping through the night, how agreeable he is, or how smart, clever, wonderful... etc. What every mom says about their boy.
Wow I sure love him! He's the best!
Wow I sure love him! He's the best!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Giveaway
Here is a fantastic giveaway from Baker Photography! She is giving away an entire makeover day to one (or two) lucky moms, complete with hair, makeup, and a PHOTOSHOOT! Head on over quick to get your entries in before Sunday, November 14th!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Best
A typical day:
8:00am - Feed Rachel, leave her sleeping in our bed
8:15am - Go into Grant's room where he is up playing. Be greeted with a huge poopy mess. Get that all cleaned up, get Grant dressed.
8:30am - Try to get self ready for the day: hair, makeup (yeah right!), clothes... find that you have no clean underwear. Start putting together a load of emergency laundry. Add Grant's and Rachel's poopy clothes that have been sitting in the bathroom sink to the load. Try to tame wild mess that is known as "hair".
9:00am - Forget to put laundry in. Try and convince Grant to eat something for breakfast. Grab a granola bar amid the battle. Clean up Grant. Clean up breakfast. Clean up kitchen counters.
10:00am - Try to leave for grocery store/Moms & Tots/Rhyme Time/doctor appointment and find that Grant is poopy and Rachel is not dressed. Change Grant and Rachel while holding own bladder.
10:30am - Grocery store: Try to distract Grant long enough so that yogurt containers and anything packaged in cardboard makes it home in one piece. Try to convince Grant to stay in the cart for just five more minutes. Try and convince the store clerks that you know what you're doing while they tell you where you can and can't put your carseat. Wish you could tell them where to put it. Try and convince Grant to leave the toy aisle.
11:00am - Having run out of distractions, ditch the cart in the middle of the grocery store in order to leave WITHOUT any groceries.
11:30am - Arrive home empty-handed and with no idea what to make for lunch. Try and convince Grant to eat something for lunch. Feed Rachel. Attempt to feed self. Sneak a treat when Grant's looking away. Clean up Grant. Clean up breakfast.
1:00pm - Get Grant into bed for his nap. Feed Rachel. Hold Rachel until she stops crying.
1:30pm - Work on business stuff: bookkeeping, filing, make sure everything is ready for the next day.
2:30pm - Work in family stuff: bookkeeping, filing, pay all the bills, make some phone calls.
3:30pm - Hold Rachel. Get some photos edited (I wish!). Squeeze in some time to play a dorky computer game so that I've spent a couple minutes doing something that is all about ME.
4:00pm - Let Grant out of his room again. Change another diaper. Call Trevor to see what time he'll be home and what he wants for dinner. He has no idea. Big surprise.
5:00pm - Throw something together that's easy and will use as little dishes as possible, e.g. perogies with veggies, spaghetti and veggies, fish with rice (we've nearly given up fresh stuff altogether. Sigh.).
5:30pm - Shovel dinner down throat while Rachel cries. Try and convince Grant to eat something for dinner. Clean up Grant. Clean up dinner. Avoid looking at what used to be known as "the floor".
7:00pm - Finally. Bedtime for Grant. Get through his bedtime routine.
7:30pm - Remember about the laundry. Get some laundry in the wash. Clean up kitchen and living room some more. Have some ice cream with Trevor. =)
8:00pm - Sit down with Rachel to watch some TV. Fold some laundry.
10:00pm - Get self and Rachel ready for bed. Get Rachel settled. Read scriptures. Crawl into bed.
Repeat every 24 hours.
It sure doesn't SOUND like anything special does it? It sounds downright dull to me. You may notice a big discrepancy between the title of my post and the description of my day. BO-ring! BUT there it is.
This week has been a not-so-good one for me. It's because I got ultra sick last Saturday night, late, and didn't make it to church Sunday. Trevor really saved the day and took BOTH kids to church with him (thanks honey!) so that I could nap worry-free. It was a huge help. He knew he had to do it, because he missed work the week before since he was really sick and work is crazy busy, so he couldn't take Monday off for me. So I didn't get the little pick-me-up I need every week from church, and I've had a much harder time with the kids; that is, I have a lot less patience and a bad attitude.
But I've been meaning to write this post for a while, because, while it goes up and down, since General Conference at the beginning of October, I've had a much better attitude and been generally happier about my days. This is because, before bed every night, I ask God to give me just one more day with my precious little children. In fact, I plead with Him to allow me just a small, little bit more - one more night from which we all wake up, still alive, and get to have the day I just described above. With that in mind, when I wake up in the morning and hear Grant playing in his room and Rachel is still breathing - that day is the best day of my life, simply because it is one more. One more that I have with my little ones, while they are genuinely little. One more hour to kiss their sweet little cheeks. One more afternoon where they are still small enough to sit on my lap to read a book or look at a picture. One more bedtime until I have to worry about what they're going to find on the Internet or what time they're going to be home... one more day until I'm not their whole world anymore. I'm always going to be praying for just one more day like that.
8:00am - Feed Rachel, leave her sleeping in our bed
8:15am - Go into Grant's room where he is up playing. Be greeted with a huge poopy mess. Get that all cleaned up, get Grant dressed.
8:30am - Try to get self ready for the day: hair, makeup (yeah right!), clothes... find that you have no clean underwear. Start putting together a load of emergency laundry. Add Grant's and Rachel's poopy clothes that have been sitting in the bathroom sink to the load. Try to tame wild mess that is known as "hair".
9:00am - Forget to put laundry in. Try and convince Grant to eat something for breakfast. Grab a granola bar amid the battle. Clean up Grant. Clean up breakfast. Clean up kitchen counters.
10:00am - Try to leave for grocery store/Moms & Tots/Rhyme Time/doctor appointment and find that Grant is poopy and Rachel is not dressed. Change Grant and Rachel while holding own bladder.
10:30am - Grocery store: Try to distract Grant long enough so that yogurt containers and anything packaged in cardboard makes it home in one piece. Try to convince Grant to stay in the cart for just five more minutes. Try and convince the store clerks that you know what you're doing while they tell you where you can and can't put your carseat. Wish you could tell them where to put it. Try and convince Grant to leave the toy aisle.
11:00am - Having run out of distractions, ditch the cart in the middle of the grocery store in order to leave WITHOUT any groceries.
11:30am - Arrive home empty-handed and with no idea what to make for lunch. Try and convince Grant to eat something for lunch. Feed Rachel. Attempt to feed self. Sneak a treat when Grant's looking away. Clean up Grant. Clean up breakfast.
1:00pm - Get Grant into bed for his nap. Feed Rachel. Hold Rachel until she stops crying.
1:30pm - Work on business stuff: bookkeeping, filing, make sure everything is ready for the next day.
2:30pm - Work in family stuff: bookkeeping, filing, pay all the bills, make some phone calls.
3:30pm - Hold Rachel. Get some photos edited (I wish!). Squeeze in some time to play a dorky computer game so that I've spent a couple minutes doing something that is all about ME.
4:00pm - Let Grant out of his room again. Change another diaper. Call Trevor to see what time he'll be home and what he wants for dinner. He has no idea. Big surprise.
5:00pm - Throw something together that's easy and will use as little dishes as possible, e.g. perogies with veggies, spaghetti and veggies, fish with rice (we've nearly given up fresh stuff altogether. Sigh.).
5:30pm - Shovel dinner down throat while Rachel cries. Try and convince Grant to eat something for dinner. Clean up Grant. Clean up dinner. Avoid looking at what used to be known as "the floor".
7:00pm - Finally. Bedtime for Grant. Get through his bedtime routine.
7:30pm - Remember about the laundry. Get some laundry in the wash. Clean up kitchen and living room some more. Have some ice cream with Trevor. =)
8:00pm - Sit down with Rachel to watch some TV. Fold some laundry.
10:00pm - Get self and Rachel ready for bed. Get Rachel settled. Read scriptures. Crawl into bed.
Repeat every 24 hours.
It sure doesn't SOUND like anything special does it? It sounds downright dull to me. You may notice a big discrepancy between the title of my post and the description of my day. BO-ring! BUT there it is.
This week has been a not-so-good one for me. It's because I got ultra sick last Saturday night, late, and didn't make it to church Sunday. Trevor really saved the day and took BOTH kids to church with him (thanks honey!) so that I could nap worry-free. It was a huge help. He knew he had to do it, because he missed work the week before since he was really sick and work is crazy busy, so he couldn't take Monday off for me. So I didn't get the little pick-me-up I need every week from church, and I've had a much harder time with the kids; that is, I have a lot less patience and a bad attitude.
But I've been meaning to write this post for a while, because, while it goes up and down, since General Conference at the beginning of October, I've had a much better attitude and been generally happier about my days. This is because, before bed every night, I ask God to give me just one more day with my precious little children. In fact, I plead with Him to allow me just a small, little bit more - one more night from which we all wake up, still alive, and get to have the day I just described above. With that in mind, when I wake up in the morning and hear Grant playing in his room and Rachel is still breathing - that day is the best day of my life, simply because it is one more. One more that I have with my little ones, while they are genuinely little. One more hour to kiss their sweet little cheeks. One more afternoon where they are still small enough to sit on my lap to read a book or look at a picture. One more bedtime until I have to worry about what they're going to find on the Internet or what time they're going to be home... one more day until I'm not their whole world anymore. I'm always going to be praying for just one more day like that.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Announcement
Here is the announcement I made for my sweet little girl. I used a template designed by Simply Couture Designs which I purchased for use in our business, and then using photoshop I made a matching back for it (made up of entirely stripes, the same stripes pattern that is on the front) AND a matching thank you card - see below. They are super adorable, and they should be shipped to my house today from my printing company (two sided stuff has to be press printed, so they will be like real cards rather than just photo paper) - I have an account with a professional photo and press printer, which is how I'm able to print them, and I decided to pay a few extra bucks to get the Pearl coating. They are going to look fantastic.
I have not yet updated my photo blog to include all the baby announcement templates I have, but I have a whole lot more than what is shown on the blog, and some that are on the blog may be taken down.
I am SO happy with how these turned out! Eek!
Here is the back - nothing too fancy.
Front side of thank you card - this is just a flat card, I can do folded as well but wanted to keep costs down.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
GIRL!
Our little girl was born at 9:18am on September 9, 2010. She was 20" long and 7 lbs. 3 oz. I promise to blog all the gory details, but for now I am relaxing and enjoying my time with her. She sleeps all the time, so things have been quiet around our house and it's been great. Grant is adjusting just fine! We love love love her and are so thrilled that she's a girl. And without further ado, we named her...
Rachel Elizabeth Curtis
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Grind
I'm sure I'm not the only one who can't properly enjoy the last few days as a mom of only one thanks to the ill effects of the last weeks of pregnancy. Poor little Grant. He's the one who really suffers here. Trevor is still working ridiculously long hours an hour out of Lethbridge, and tonight he's staying over at the hotel there since he has to start work at 6am - and who can blame him for not wanting to get up at 4:30am on a regular basis?
Monday we did manage to get out of the house. Trevor and I are starting a business this month - more on that in a minute - so Grant and I went to Wal-Mart (shudder) and Staples to look for a certain piece of furniture we need. I hate Wal-Mart. I nearly bought Grant some new church socks, but I don't want to give them my business and there's no way I'm standing in line to buy one thing when I have this much pelvic and uterine ligament pain. Ugh.
Tuesday we made it to the mall, where we had lunch. We didn't even browse a single store, just had lunch and took a sort-of walk inside. I thought I might not make it back to the van it hurt so much to walk by the time we left. And that was after mostly just sitting to eat lunch. Pathetic.
Today was Wednesday, and I declared it a stay-at-home day. Grant asked to watch Baby Signing Time after breakfast, which is the only thing he will actually watch. It'd be nice for me if he'd start to like TV, he'd have a funner day enjoying his shows and we are paying for cable; might as well watch Treehouse! But he's just not interested. I also tried to pique his curiosity by putting on Finding Nemo after Signing Time, but he wasn't interested. With Trevor not coming home for dinner, and me not having gone grocery shopping this week, we went to Denny's at 5. Grant was rowdy and I once again thought I might not make it home - the walk from the van to the house carrying Grant could have killed me. Thank goodness he's good about going to bed - or at least staying in his room once he's put in there.
Tomorrow might be another stay-at-home day, which is tough with such an ACTIVE little boy. He just wants to terrorize the entire neighborhood EVERY SINGLE DAY. At least once the baby comes I'll be able to walk again. There's got to be some way to speed up time....
I have been keeping busy; there is lots to do on our business once Grant goes down for his nap and occasionally I can get a few things done while he's awake. If I'm tired, I'll nap when he does, but I've been mostly okay for the day. We'll have to wait until this big project Trevor is working on is over and we've adjusted a little bit to a new baby and a new routine before launching, but we are going to rent Canon camera lenses (and other equipment) from our home. There is nowhere to rent these things in Lethbridge, and lots of people who think they are photographers, including me! (And some that really are, of course). So we are excited about the business (our new "baby"), and about our real new baby! I can't wait to meet our latest addition and FINALLY found out if it's a boy or a girl - I might go crazy waiting. Please come soon! And in the meantime, while you're waiting for a post about our new little munchkin, check us out at www.lethbridgelensrentals.com.
Monday we did manage to get out of the house. Trevor and I are starting a business this month - more on that in a minute - so Grant and I went to Wal-Mart (shudder) and Staples to look for a certain piece of furniture we need. I hate Wal-Mart. I nearly bought Grant some new church socks, but I don't want to give them my business and there's no way I'm standing in line to buy one thing when I have this much pelvic and uterine ligament pain. Ugh.
Tuesday we made it to the mall, where we had lunch. We didn't even browse a single store, just had lunch and took a sort-of walk inside. I thought I might not make it back to the van it hurt so much to walk by the time we left. And that was after mostly just sitting to eat lunch. Pathetic.
Today was Wednesday, and I declared it a stay-at-home day. Grant asked to watch Baby Signing Time after breakfast, which is the only thing he will actually watch. It'd be nice for me if he'd start to like TV, he'd have a funner day enjoying his shows and we are paying for cable; might as well watch Treehouse! But he's just not interested. I also tried to pique his curiosity by putting on Finding Nemo after Signing Time, but he wasn't interested. With Trevor not coming home for dinner, and me not having gone grocery shopping this week, we went to Denny's at 5. Grant was rowdy and I once again thought I might not make it home - the walk from the van to the house carrying Grant could have killed me. Thank goodness he's good about going to bed - or at least staying in his room once he's put in there.
Tomorrow might be another stay-at-home day, which is tough with such an ACTIVE little boy. He just wants to terrorize the entire neighborhood EVERY SINGLE DAY. At least once the baby comes I'll be able to walk again. There's got to be some way to speed up time....
I have been keeping busy; there is lots to do on our business once Grant goes down for his nap and occasionally I can get a few things done while he's awake. If I'm tired, I'll nap when he does, but I've been mostly okay for the day. We'll have to wait until this big project Trevor is working on is over and we've adjusted a little bit to a new baby and a new routine before launching, but we are going to rent Canon camera lenses (and other equipment) from our home. There is nowhere to rent these things in Lethbridge, and lots of people who think they are photographers, including me! (And some that really are, of course). So we are excited about the business (our new "baby"), and about our real new baby! I can't wait to meet our latest addition and FINALLY found out if it's a boy or a girl - I might go crazy waiting. Please come soon! And in the meantime, while you're waiting for a post about our new little munchkin, check us out at www.lethbridgelensrentals.com.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Fun
Grant and I FINALLY got to do something with Trevor this summer. We've been to the Canada Day celebrations, petting zoo, stampede, etc... WITHOUT him because he has been working so much! The extra work and the added bonus that it's out of town mean a lot of serious debt repayment's been happening, but it's been sad to not have him with us! Fortunately, he did get Heritage Day off (that funny holiday at the beginning of August - I only learned this year that THAT'S the one that's called Heritage Day...) - and we were invited boating with our friends! It was so much fun. Grant even went off the front of the boat when Trevor was supposed to be watching him. It was all good, because the boat was docked and he had a lifejacket on, but I hear stories like this all the time that begin with "My dad was supposed to be watching me and my sister, but..." Mostly I just thought it was funny that he leaned too far forward and went right over!
Anyway, the pictures tell the rest! We took over 1000 pictures (our camera takes 8 per second!) and then had to go through them all to get rid of the junk ones!
Anyway, the pictures tell the rest! We took over 1000 pictures (our camera takes 8 per second!) and then had to go through them all to get rid of the junk ones!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Seven
I am very happy to say that it is only seven (long) weeks until we meet our new baby - I am getting so excited. I've had a couple of dreams that it's a boy, and a couple of dreams that it is a girl! I can't wait to find out which one it is! I appreciate that it will be more convenient if it is a boy - we have a few girl clothes, but not many, and we have all the boy toys, blankets, accessories, etc, in addition to clothes, as well as the fact that Grant's room is painted in a definite boy theme and matches his very-boy-like furniture. I'm mentioning this because either way, they are going to share a room. I cannot give up the computer/craft room; having it is so nice and there's no other good place to have the computer, my Cricut and craft stuff, and all my sewing things. I have also heard that putting the kids in the same room helps them sleep better, maybe because they are soothed by hearing the other's breathing?
I've gone back and forth between wishing for a girl or boy... I would love for Grant to have a brother so close to him in age growing up, and when I think about the hobbies, activities, toys, clothes, milestones, friends, etc., that they could share, it gets me hoping for a boy. But today is a girl-minded day. A couple of nights ago I had one of the dreams where it was a girl, and I was SO thrilled. There are a couple other newborn girls in the ward, and I just love looking at them. There is a whole new level of cuteness that comes with having a baby girl - the hair bows, ribbons, headbands, diaper covers with ruffles on the bum, frilly socks, pretty dresses, leggings, and everything in a delightful shade of pink pink pink.... I could go on and on. We have a teensy pair of black Mary Janes that nearly make me pass out from the cuteness. I took out some clothes to take to the hospital today - a few girl things and a few boy things, and the girl things are just SO fun. I already did the boy thing, so a girl would be so darn exciting.
And speaking of this baby, I have NO idea what we are going to name him or her! I think our boy name list is down to just a couple, but not our girl list, and I'm not letting you in on what we've narrowed it down to either! Even in saying that, I've realized that we certainly haven't narrowed down middle names for a boy, but we have it down to two for a girl. Sigh! I don't want anyone to know, aside from the master list that makes up the above poll, before we announce our baby's birth and name together. We'll have to take our list with us to the hospital... and either way, I'm SUPER excited for our new baby! Trevor and I love holding newborns, and I know we are going to fight over him/her every week at church!
I have also been thinking a lot of photography lately, spying on other photographer's and overanalyzing all their pictures! There is no way I'm going to jump in head first to the wedding market without a LOT of practice, so I'm offering to do retakes of wedding photos, outdoors, any location, for only $40. I should have started doing it sooner! That way I can practice with a bride and a groom, and no one gets disappointed on their wedding day - not by me anyway. I know a couple of people who call themselves wedding photographers who have really disappointed their clients on their wedding day, which I think is just awful! So I am going to really hone my skills, both shooting and editing, before even thinking about offering wedding packages! I have lost a lot of sleep in the past week thinking about others who charge in Lethbridge, while using what I consider sub-grade (non-professional) equipment. Some of that can be made up for with some camera skills and some editing skills, but only to a certain extent. I know the pictures we take now are a million times better than what we could get out of our little Rebel and I simply love the lens I use for everything. Speaking of which, there will be new pictures of Grant soon! I took some earlier today.
Grant is a very funny little boy, he loves doing the actions to "Popcorn Popping" and will start to do them as his way of requesting that we sing the song. He is soaking up his new signs very quickly, and I need to teach him more this week; he loves signing, which is a huge lifesaver since he's taking his sweet time with talking! He tries hard to be obedient, and is getting much better at the whole "cleaning up" concept. He just has a toddler rail on one side of his crib, and will happily get out of bed most mornings and play in his room so I can sleep in a little bit! It is heaven.
Now that I have blogged your ears off, I've got to get downstairs and finish my creation for Trevor's birthday! There are a few things to wrap and a cake to finish; thank goodness the ward BBQ is tonight because there is no way I would get supper made too!
And finally, for those of you who are getting just a little tired of the ED ads... some parenting help from my favorite columnist.
The Questions that Parenting Books Don't Prepare You For
I've gone back and forth between wishing for a girl or boy... I would love for Grant to have a brother so close to him in age growing up, and when I think about the hobbies, activities, toys, clothes, milestones, friends, etc., that they could share, it gets me hoping for a boy. But today is a girl-minded day. A couple of nights ago I had one of the dreams where it was a girl, and I was SO thrilled. There are a couple other newborn girls in the ward, and I just love looking at them. There is a whole new level of cuteness that comes with having a baby girl - the hair bows, ribbons, headbands, diaper covers with ruffles on the bum, frilly socks, pretty dresses, leggings, and everything in a delightful shade of pink pink pink.... I could go on and on. We have a teensy pair of black Mary Janes that nearly make me pass out from the cuteness. I took out some clothes to take to the hospital today - a few girl things and a few boy things, and the girl things are just SO fun. I already did the boy thing, so a girl would be so darn exciting.
And speaking of this baby, I have NO idea what we are going to name him or her! I think our boy name list is down to just a couple, but not our girl list, and I'm not letting you in on what we've narrowed it down to either! Even in saying that, I've realized that we certainly haven't narrowed down middle names for a boy, but we have it down to two for a girl. Sigh! I don't want anyone to know, aside from the master list that makes up the above poll, before we announce our baby's birth and name together. We'll have to take our list with us to the hospital... and either way, I'm SUPER excited for our new baby! Trevor and I love holding newborns, and I know we are going to fight over him/her every week at church!
I have also been thinking a lot of photography lately, spying on other photographer's and overanalyzing all their pictures! There is no way I'm going to jump in head first to the wedding market without a LOT of practice, so I'm offering to do retakes of wedding photos, outdoors, any location, for only $40. I should have started doing it sooner! That way I can practice with a bride and a groom, and no one gets disappointed on their wedding day - not by me anyway. I know a couple of people who call themselves wedding photographers who have really disappointed their clients on their wedding day, which I think is just awful! So I am going to really hone my skills, both shooting and editing, before even thinking about offering wedding packages! I have lost a lot of sleep in the past week thinking about others who charge in Lethbridge, while using what I consider sub-grade (non-professional) equipment. Some of that can be made up for with some camera skills and some editing skills, but only to a certain extent. I know the pictures we take now are a million times better than what we could get out of our little Rebel and I simply love the lens I use for everything. Speaking of which, there will be new pictures of Grant soon! I took some earlier today.
Grant is a very funny little boy, he loves doing the actions to "Popcorn Popping" and will start to do them as his way of requesting that we sing the song. He is soaking up his new signs very quickly, and I need to teach him more this week; he loves signing, which is a huge lifesaver since he's taking his sweet time with talking! He tries hard to be obedient, and is getting much better at the whole "cleaning up" concept. He just has a toddler rail on one side of his crib, and will happily get out of bed most mornings and play in his room so I can sleep in a little bit! It is heaven.
Now that I have blogged your ears off, I've got to get downstairs and finish my creation for Trevor's birthday! There are a few things to wrap and a cake to finish; thank goodness the ward BBQ is tonight because there is no way I would get supper made too!
And finally, for those of you who are getting just a little tired of the ED ads... some parenting help from my favorite columnist.
The Questions that Parenting Books Don't Prepare You For
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Photos
Here are some photos from the past two months. Grant has grown up so much since these first photos, I can hardly believe it. He is so good at signing now and always tries to sign new signs as soon as I show them to him. He has had a lot of trouble getting used to going to nursery at church, but this past Sunday he was so good! They have bubble time at the end, and he actually played and chased the bubbles for the first time ever- I am so proud of him!
This summer, Trevor is overseeing a big wind farm near Pincher Creek, so he is working 12 hour and up days, and we are getting so lonely without him! It will be a great way for us to get ahead with our debts though, since he gets paid by the kilometre for driving all that way, as well as given a lunch allowance. We are hoping that the project will be finished just in time for the new baby, and Trevor will be able to use vacation and all this overtime he'll get this summer in order to take some time off!
May 2
May 3
May 4
May 14
May 14 - Grant wondering if he can go outside!
May 14 - picnic lunch at the park!
May 17
Blurry, but too cute to delete! May 27
May 29
May 29
June 12 - Walk in the park
Me on June 20th - hello third trimester!
June 24 - Grant's first trip to the petting zoo
A baby llama! Just a few days old!
This picture is deceiving - he didn't have that much fun at the petting zoo.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Note
FYI - I want to have my cutesie blog backgrounds again, so I'm reverting to the standard blog template... I modified it so that I could have my pictures extra large on here, but it probably looks crummy on most of your computer screens anyway, so I'm going back to the default size that blogger sets.
Just wanted to let you know, so that if you go back to old posts you might find that the pictures look funny and don't fit in the blog text.
That is all for now!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Already?!
All the frustration from the last post has passed, and while my life is overall extremely boring and I have nothing of any interest to blog about, here I am again. Recent highlights include catching up on the TV series Glee, thanks to surfthechannel.com, (which means on Tuesday I can actually watch it on TV for the first time ever!), Grant getting many more teeth (all at once), Grant learning to run and being totally obsessed with being outside, Trevor riding his bike to work all this week (yay!), and me finding a new little something to do. More details to follow at the end of this post.
Also, thanks SOLELY to facebook, I just found out that one of my younger sisters moved to California for the summer?! I knew she was looking for a job in Calgary... and that was the last I heard of it until just a moment ago when I read a note she wrote detailing her first couple days in Fresno! No hard feelings that I had to find out on facebook, but that big green monster is definitely rearing its ugly head. The weather here in the past two... wait, what am I saying?... the past... oh, NINE months has been mostly ridiculous. It seems as though in spring or fall, when it is actually not BONE COLD or swelteringly hot, the days the rain lets up always yield to the dreaded WIND. Although I suppose if I'm complaining about the heat, Fresno is not where I want to be either. I'll still take hot over cold any day, including when my aching self is six months pregnant. Two months from now I may be singing a different tune.
As for Grant, he is a little boy who knows what he wants, but he is also quite open to suggestion. There are the non-negotiables: if he sees juice, his blankie, pens, sunglasses, scissors, or 'real' utensils (knives! forks! spoons! The ones Mom and Dad use!) - if he wants one of these and cannot have it, he can pitch quite a fit. But he does have his agreeable side! He'll switch to a different toy if you suggest it, and will dart off course faster than an ant for an Oreo if you say one of his key words: boots/shoes/sandals, jacket, outside (remember the latest obsession with the great outdoors), blankie, cookie.
He's also at the continuous bumps and bruises point - it's taken him a while, but now his forehead cannot be found a single day without at least a couple bruises demonstrating one of the four bruise-color stages of healing.
Now for the follow-up I promised earlier. I have begun making the following two simple craft items and selling them. Very exciting for me. I'm keen to replace my delivery of Lethbridge Living, which is exhausting despite only being every two months. If you're interested and you don't live in Lethbridge, I can certainly give you a shipping quote before you order. You can find me at www.facebook.com/skyecurtis or skyecurtis@hotmail.com, and more info is available here, such as pricing, delivery time, and color options. Happy shopping!
Also, thanks SOLELY to facebook, I just found out that one of my younger sisters moved to California for the summer?! I knew she was looking for a job in Calgary... and that was the last I heard of it until just a moment ago when I read a note she wrote detailing her first couple days in Fresno! No hard feelings that I had to find out on facebook, but that big green monster is definitely rearing its ugly head. The weather here in the past two... wait, what am I saying?... the past... oh, NINE months has been mostly ridiculous. It seems as though in spring or fall, when it is actually not BONE COLD or swelteringly hot, the days the rain lets up always yield to the dreaded WIND. Although I suppose if I'm complaining about the heat, Fresno is not where I want to be either. I'll still take hot over cold any day, including when my aching self is six months pregnant. Two months from now I may be singing a different tune.
As for Grant, he is a little boy who knows what he wants, but he is also quite open to suggestion. There are the non-negotiables: if he sees juice, his blankie, pens, sunglasses, scissors, or 'real' utensils (knives! forks! spoons! The ones Mom and Dad use!) - if he wants one of these and cannot have it, he can pitch quite a fit. But he does have his agreeable side! He'll switch to a different toy if you suggest it, and will dart off course faster than an ant for an Oreo if you say one of his key words: boots/shoes/sandals, jacket, outside (remember the latest obsession with the great outdoors), blankie, cookie.
He's also at the continuous bumps and bruises point - it's taken him a while, but now his forehead cannot be found a single day without at least a couple bruises demonstrating one of the four bruise-color stages of healing.
Now for the follow-up I promised earlier. I have begun making the following two simple craft items and selling them. Very exciting for me. I'm keen to replace my delivery of Lethbridge Living, which is exhausting despite only being every two months. If you're interested and you don't live in Lethbridge, I can certainly give you a shipping quote before you order. You can find me at www.facebook.com/skyecurtis or skyecurtis@hotmail.com, and more info is available here, such as pricing, delivery time, and color options. Happy shopping!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Stuff
Before I start, let me highly recommend this video:
www.thestoryofstuff.com
Click on "Watch Now"
Then you will understand what I mean when I say that my sewing machine is (actually, was) a 100% verifiably disposable, designed-for-the-dump product suffering from a case of planned obsolescence. My mom bought it for me last July at Canadian Tire for $50, usually sold for $150. She bought it to me in September, and in November (yes, this past November, as in 2009) I began my first sewing project - a turtle sleeping bag for Grant. For him to grow into, fortunately, because it's is insanely close to being finished yet sitting in a pile in the closet of our office. That is because my sewing machine did not make it through even one project before the threads on the needle clamp screw became stripped. Obviously, one cannot sew without a needle, and the machine could no longer hold the needle.
The part technically can be ordered from Europro, at a cost of $20 including shipping and handling. $19.85, actually. So let's think about this... $20 for a teensy little screw? To top it off, somewhere along the way I lost the entire needle clamp, which, I was told by the owner of Sewing Lane, would cost around $30. Ha! No thanks.
So, with a broken heart, we took my sewing machine to the electronics recycling at the landfill and I said my final farewell. Goodbye little friend. You did not serve me well. You got my hopes up. You promised you could sew through multiple layers and stay straight. You couldn't. You promised years (or maybe at least ONE year) of happy sewing projects filling my home, then dashed my dreams on the rocks. So long.
Also, I am going to take this time to mention how extremely disappointed I was with the service at Sewing Lane. I am ALL for giving my business to small, locally owned businesses, but customer service has to be fair. I called many weeks ago to see if they could order my part for me, and I was told that the owner would order it or call me back if she couldn't. No call back. A few weeks later, I called and left a voice mail message (they clearly don't have call waiting) asking if they had been able to order my part, if my part was in, etc., and I most definitely left my name and phone number. No call back.
Then, when I went into Sewing Lane on Friday, they had no part for me, no record of my name, zilch. So thanks a lot.
And while I'm typing out my beefs, I'm getting more and more frustrated by the day - we signed a lease for our current home last Sunday, and are still awaiting our copy of it. No biggie, except I'm waiting for it in order to get renters insurance, change my driver's license address, and our car registration, which expires at the end of May. *Impatient foot tap*
AND our former landlords have YET to send us our damage deposit for our previous rental house. They live in Arizona and I have no idea how they plan to get it to us, as they haven't answered my latest email. Their ten days is definitely up, but there is no penalty! In BC, the law says that if your landlord doesn't return your damage deposit within 15 days they have to pay you double! But sadly, not in Alberta.
So there's a cynical Monday post for you. Happier days to follow, I'm sure.
www.thestoryofstuff.com
Click on "Watch Now"
Then you will understand what I mean when I say that my sewing machine is (actually, was) a 100% verifiably disposable, designed-for-the-dump product suffering from a case of planned obsolescence. My mom bought it for me last July at Canadian Tire for $50, usually sold for $150. She bought it to me in September, and in November (yes, this past November, as in 2009) I began my first sewing project - a turtle sleeping bag for Grant. For him to grow into, fortunately, because it's is insanely close to being finished yet sitting in a pile in the closet of our office. That is because my sewing machine did not make it through even one project before the threads on the needle clamp screw became stripped. Obviously, one cannot sew without a needle, and the machine could no longer hold the needle.
The part technically can be ordered from Europro, at a cost of $20 including shipping and handling. $19.85, actually. So let's think about this... $20 for a teensy little screw? To top it off, somewhere along the way I lost the entire needle clamp, which, I was told by the owner of Sewing Lane, would cost around $30. Ha! No thanks.
So, with a broken heart, we took my sewing machine to the electronics recycling at the landfill and I said my final farewell. Goodbye little friend. You did not serve me well. You got my hopes up. You promised you could sew through multiple layers and stay straight. You couldn't. You promised years (or maybe at least ONE year) of happy sewing projects filling my home, then dashed my dreams on the rocks. So long.
Also, I am going to take this time to mention how extremely disappointed I was with the service at Sewing Lane. I am ALL for giving my business to small, locally owned businesses, but customer service has to be fair. I called many weeks ago to see if they could order my part for me, and I was told that the owner would order it or call me back if she couldn't. No call back. A few weeks later, I called and left a voice mail message (they clearly don't have call waiting) asking if they had been able to order my part, if my part was in, etc., and I most definitely left my name and phone number. No call back.
Then, when I went into Sewing Lane on Friday, they had no part for me, no record of my name, zilch. So thanks a lot.
And while I'm typing out my beefs, I'm getting more and more frustrated by the day - we signed a lease for our current home last Sunday, and are still awaiting our copy of it. No biggie, except I'm waiting for it in order to get renters insurance, change my driver's license address, and our car registration, which expires at the end of May. *Impatient foot tap*
AND our former landlords have YET to send us our damage deposit for our previous rental house. They live in Arizona and I have no idea how they plan to get it to us, as they haven't answered my latest email. Their ten days is definitely up, but there is no penalty! In BC, the law says that if your landlord doesn't return your damage deposit within 15 days they have to pay you double! But sadly, not in Alberta.
So there's a cynical Monday post for you. Happier days to follow, I'm sure.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
April...
... we are moving! I wrote to our landlords here to see if they would be willing to allow us to have a month-to-month lease throughout the summer, as we didn't feel as though we were having any luck finding anything at all reasonable to rent on the west side. We have looked at so many places, and there was always at least one thing that was a major deal breaker - no dining room, too small, too ugly/dumpy/trashy - we couldn't find anything we could remotely see ourselves living in.
Then our prayers were answered.
Trevor was on his way home from looking at a townhouse (I really, really wanted a townhouse) that was an okay size but not upkept by the property management company that took care of it, when he saw a small For Rent sign on the front window of a townhouse. (At this time, I was away babysitting/housesitting for friends out of town for a week). He peeked in the windows and thought it looked great, so he set up a time to see it. When I got back, we went to see it again and knew that we HAD to have it. It's beautiful - the couple that own it live in the townhouse next door and it has been newly renovated, meaning gorgeous laminate floors in the dining room, a whole new kitchen, fresh paint, etc. The appliances are also all new - stove, fridge, dishwasher, all back, and white washer/dryer downstairs. Finally, our own laundry!
It's an open layout kitchen/living room, with tons of light and a powder room on the main floor. The upstairs has three bedrooms and a bathroom, and the basement is unfinished.
We are disappointed that we will have to put our big dining room table in storage and use something smaller, but the rest of the place is so amazingly nice that we have to take it. We've looked at lots of "newly renovated" places and thought they were absolutely disgusting and deserved to sit empty. We have been disappointed in so many of our own landlords so far, and I hope we can break that pattern now!
And to top it off, they are going to let us move in a week early! They even suggested it without us asking, which is PERFECT - I was so worried, since I'm going away to Women's Conference at BYU, and that involves leaving on April 28th and coming back May 2nd. I thought I would have to pack and clean as best I could and leave it all up to Trevor and Grant to move our whole house alone! Instead, we are moving on the 24th and can be a little bit settled before I leave for Utah.
Those are the main highlights of April - moving to a townhouse that is gorgeous inside and out, and me getting some time away at Women's Conference. I'm going to find a babysitter for Grant for one of the days, and then Trevor will take a couple of days off to stay home with him!
Can't wait to move!
Then our prayers were answered.
Trevor was on his way home from looking at a townhouse (I really, really wanted a townhouse) that was an okay size but not upkept by the property management company that took care of it, when he saw a small For Rent sign on the front window of a townhouse. (At this time, I was away babysitting/housesitting for friends out of town for a week). He peeked in the windows and thought it looked great, so he set up a time to see it. When I got back, we went to see it again and knew that we HAD to have it. It's beautiful - the couple that own it live in the townhouse next door and it has been newly renovated, meaning gorgeous laminate floors in the dining room, a whole new kitchen, fresh paint, etc. The appliances are also all new - stove, fridge, dishwasher, all back, and white washer/dryer downstairs. Finally, our own laundry!
It's an open layout kitchen/living room, with tons of light and a powder room on the main floor. The upstairs has three bedrooms and a bathroom, and the basement is unfinished.
We are disappointed that we will have to put our big dining room table in storage and use something smaller, but the rest of the place is so amazingly nice that we have to take it. We've looked at lots of "newly renovated" places and thought they were absolutely disgusting and deserved to sit empty. We have been disappointed in so many of our own landlords so far, and I hope we can break that pattern now!
And to top it off, they are going to let us move in a week early! They even suggested it without us asking, which is PERFECT - I was so worried, since I'm going away to Women's Conference at BYU, and that involves leaving on April 28th and coming back May 2nd. I thought I would have to pack and clean as best I could and leave it all up to Trevor and Grant to move our whole house alone! Instead, we are moving on the 24th and can be a little bit settled before I leave for Utah.
Those are the main highlights of April - moving to a townhouse that is gorgeous inside and out, and me getting some time away at Women's Conference. I'm going to find a babysitter for Grant for one of the days, and then Trevor will take a couple of days off to stay home with him!
Can't wait to move!
Confessions
The advice in What to Expect sometimes sends me over the edge. To sum it up, it advises you to stay home, relax, eat only healthy, bland foods, and put your feet up while your perfect husband goes to work, buys the groceries, gives you massages, makes all the meals, and does all the housework. The advice they give men is really over the top - as if the wife becomes completely and utterly useless as soon as she finds out she's pregnant and can no longer lift a finger around the house.
So, in spite of reading WTE the entire time I was pregnant with Grant, here are my confessions when I was pregnant with him:
So, in spite of reading WTE the entire time I was pregnant with Grant, here are my confessions when I was pregnant with him:
- I ate sushi, raw cookie dough, curry chicken, and whatever I felt like eating.
- I went on three amusement park rides at Playland, including going upside down, when I was a few weeks along. I'm such a rebel.
- I painted my nails
- I drank a little bit of African tea at Cactus Club
- I ate cold deli meats
- I ate eggs with the runny yolks
- I ate a hot dog
- I didn't switch to organic-only foods
- I went in a hot tub
- I didn't consult my health care provider when I wanted to exercise
And now that I'm reaching the 18 week mark again, so far here are my new confessions:
- I've eaten frozen yogurt, unpasteurized cheese, sushi, cold deli meats, Pepsi, and I'm sure some other things I can't think of at the moment
- I still don't eat organic vegetables, although the apples usually are
- I rode my bike all the way to Trevor's mom's house on Sunday
- I exercise when I feel like it and don't exercise when I don't want to
- I've lifted heavy things
- I took anti-depressants for my first trimester
- I took a vasoconstrictor when I couldn't handle my migraine anymore
- I ate a big batch of cookies made with Splenda (which seems to be ok)
- I chew gum all the time with aspartame in it
That's all I can think of for now... think I'm going to make another post about the other things that are going on... also... one more week today until my ultrasound - HOORAY! I can't wait!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
March
Grant is all about business now with his walker. He stands up on his own quite a bit too, but hasn't tried to take any steps.
Sometimes life hands him lemons. In this case, Dad would not let him eat the camera. He doesn't yet know how to make lemonade.
He does all his own paperwork now, and makes sure the bills get paid on time.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Back
Hello again blog world. It has been a while.
Grant is 13 months old now and has been keeping me extremely busy, which is my main excuse for not having blogged in so long. He is into everything and has to be at the computer if that's where I am, trying to climb onto my lap and get at the stuff on the computer desk - calculator, mouse, keyboard, papers, etc.
He is not walking yet, just alternation between crawling and scooting on his bum. To see him crawling is extremely cute, but we have to keep our bedroom and the bathroom doors closed or he gets into all kinds of things that are off-limits. He insists on being in the bathroom if either Trevor or I are in there, and today he threw his first toy into the toilet, a little plastic motorbike. I am trying hard to teach him the word "yucky" and its meaning.
I have watched a lot of the Olympic events - the most fun to watch have got to be the ones where four people are on a track together racing - such as snowboard/ski cross, and some of the short track speed skating. Last night Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue won gold at the Ice Dance, and they were extremely cute. I think they need to get married - unless they feel like brother and sister to each other. I can't imagine dating someone who has been with their skating partner since they were 7 and 9 years old, knowing how close they are to them. Especially with that amazing performance of a Spanish flamenco! Now that they've won gold together, that just seals the deal for me - time to put a ring on her finger, Scotty.
I am itching to get into a place that's a little bit bigger, or at least with more storage. I would love to have a third bedroom, but would give that up in order to save us some money and have our own laundry, so I've been diligently checking Kijiji 2 or 3 times a day, waiting for landlords to start posting openings for May. I'm hoping that students will be moving away for the summer and things will open up for us! The laundry situation here is incredible irritating and I do laundry as little as possible. It's also terribly uncomfortable knowing how loud we sound to the neighbors living downstairs.
Otherwise, life is just marching along. Trevor is happy at work, and they are supposed to be doing salary reviews this month. His company chronically underpays its employees - APEGGA published a salary survey every year, so it's easy for Trevor to definitively say that he is making nearly $10,000 a year less than someone with his experience should be making. He is currently making a 2008 salary. Even a small raise would be great.
Whew - this is getting long, so I'm going to send you off on that note. Have a wonderful week.
Grant is 13 months old now and has been keeping me extremely busy, which is my main excuse for not having blogged in so long. He is into everything and has to be at the computer if that's where I am, trying to climb onto my lap and get at the stuff on the computer desk - calculator, mouse, keyboard, papers, etc.
He is not walking yet, just alternation between crawling and scooting on his bum. To see him crawling is extremely cute, but we have to keep our bedroom and the bathroom doors closed or he gets into all kinds of things that are off-limits. He insists on being in the bathroom if either Trevor or I are in there, and today he threw his first toy into the toilet, a little plastic motorbike. I am trying hard to teach him the word "yucky" and its meaning.
I have watched a lot of the Olympic events - the most fun to watch have got to be the ones where four people are on a track together racing - such as snowboard/ski cross, and some of the short track speed skating. Last night Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue won gold at the Ice Dance, and they were extremely cute. I think they need to get married - unless they feel like brother and sister to each other. I can't imagine dating someone who has been with their skating partner since they were 7 and 9 years old, knowing how close they are to them. Especially with that amazing performance of a Spanish flamenco! Now that they've won gold together, that just seals the deal for me - time to put a ring on her finger, Scotty.
I am itching to get into a place that's a little bit bigger, or at least with more storage. I would love to have a third bedroom, but would give that up in order to save us some money and have our own laundry, so I've been diligently checking Kijiji 2 or 3 times a day, waiting for landlords to start posting openings for May. I'm hoping that students will be moving away for the summer and things will open up for us! The laundry situation here is incredible irritating and I do laundry as little as possible. It's also terribly uncomfortable knowing how loud we sound to the neighbors living downstairs.
Otherwise, life is just marching along. Trevor is happy at work, and they are supposed to be doing salary reviews this month. His company chronically underpays its employees - APEGGA published a salary survey every year, so it's easy for Trevor to definitively say that he is making nearly $10,000 a year less than someone with his experience should be making. He is currently making a 2008 salary. Even a small raise would be great.
Whew - this is getting long, so I'm going to send you off on that note. Have a wonderful week.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
ONE
I know, I know, it's hard to believe that one year ago today I was in labor with my wonderful little guy, waiting so eagerly to finally meet him and welcome him to the world.
So much happens in the first year of life, it's hard to capture everything. Here is a brief list of simply the things he does from day to day now, as I hoped I've captured most other milestones along the way in my monthly posts.
So much happens in the first year of life, it's hard to capture everything. Here is a brief list of simply the things he does from day to day now, as I hoped I've captured most other milestones along the way in my monthly posts.
- He waves "hi" and "goodbye", and today waved "goodbye" to the dollar store as we were leaving without being prompted
- He signs "all done", sometimes on his own when he is finished his meal
- He has signed "mom" twice to my MIL - once when I was in the next room and once when she was babysitting him, asking for me (so endearing how he misses me!)
- He can also sign "more", "eat", and "milk", which I'm sure I've already mentioned
- He still sucks his thumb between bites at mealtime, when he's getting sleepy, and to help him figure things out
- He doesn't walk yet, but is quickly moving along the furniture and loves to walk holding someone's hands
- He has discovered that he can throw things between the railing down to the stairs and likes pitching stuff off the edge
- He just started getting into everything - especially my purse
- He may finally be ready for some real coloring, because he tried out a Magna Doodle last week at church and looked as though he was enjoying himself
- He is currently fascinated with putting something into something else - paper into his empty shoes, balls into his toy train, etc. He will throw anything that fits (or doesn't fit) into his toy train and then tip the train over to try to get it back out. Very funny to watch.
- He still loves eating baby food, and it's so easy, but we are working on that. He has to eat some of what we are having before getting baby food. Today he ate yogurt with Cheerios, half of a grilled cheese sandwich, applesauce, leftover pizza, baby food, chocolate cupcake.
- He scoots on his bum ALL over the place, and he's getting faster all the time. If there is an obstacle in his way, he quickly goes around it without whining, he rushes to see who it is if he hears the front door open, and comes when I call him, or when I'm trying to get away from him in the bathroom.
- He still gets very upset when I go out the back door to do laundry, crying and scooting to the kitchen thinking that I am abandoning him, poor guy.
- He no longer breastfeeds at all, and doesn't even want to take a drink before bed, just sucks his thumb.
He is so wonderful. I have truly enjoyed every moment of his life so far - I loved his newborn stage and would have stretched it out by at least a few weeks longer if I had the choice - okay, maybe not the night wakings, but the weeks once he started sleeping through the night I would do over in a heartbeat.
I loved him at one month, when he never cried and made such funny faces...
at two months, when he started to be a little more like a human...
at three months, when he started to look so much older than his little newborn pictures...
at four months, when he could sit in his Bumbo to see everything...
at five months, when he became even more curious...
at six months, when he first tasted baby food...
at seven months, when he was big enough to sit in his highchair at meals...
at eight months, when he discovered Cheerios...
at nine months, when he celebrated his first Halloween as a monkey...
at ten months, when he rolled to get around and loved to try and say "mama", like he's doing here:
at eleven months, when he met Santa and hated it...
but still managed to enjoy Christmas morning...
and at his big twelve months,
he's the happiest, most obedient, most gentle, most loving little blue-eyed boy this side of the Milky Way... I have really LOVED every step of the way, and how wonderful it is to get to see him grow up! I love him more each day and can't wait to share so many more birthdays with my little Grant. What's harder to believe than the year that has gone by so quickly is that I ever could have lived without him - life was never as sweet as it is now.
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