Happy Halloween

Wowsers, what a weekend! It contained a little bit of everything, from a ridiculously fun Halloween party on Friday night to little c's first bout with the Ross Plague (or a stomach virus as you might know it as).

First, the highs. Little c participated in his first Halloween Parade at "school" on Friday afternoon. I anxiously waited in the courtyard with all of the other parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and their neighbours. Yes, everyone brought all of the people they knew to this parade and there was Kristyn representing the Hancock good name. No one talked to me. I talked to no one. It was sad. But I didn't let little c see my loo-hoo-hoo-hoo-ser tears. Then my friend K showed up (she has 2 boys at the same "school" and I think she's mighty cool) and I chatted with her for a bit, until little c flipped his little egg-lid and declared it was time to go home for a nap. Next year, I'm bringing EVERYBODY I know to the parade. They're going to have to move it to the "school" parking lot because there won't be room for any of the other parents and their posses. So while the parade was sort of a downer for me because I didn't know anybody, it was a high just to see little c in his costume. I even had a random parent ask if she could take a photo of him. He's already a celebrity!

Then came the annual Halloween Party of all parties that we always go to. My friend M came over and hung with Cohey Bear and then she showed me a Scrabble app for my phone which I'm now addicted to. Thanks a lot Missie!! Back to the crazy party. Our friends went to great lengths to take it over the top this year, including taking down their chandelier and replacing it with a disco ball. I'm no dancer (I've been told I look like a chicken when I dance) but I danced my heart out with my besties that night. There's just something about Lady Gaga music that makes me want to move. Big C and I did not take home Best Costume this year, but the good news is no one did. The costume contest and the karaoke were both no-shows this year and that was definitely okay with me. It puts too much pressure on me. I say good riddance to both, especially the karaoke. I can only crawl on my knees while singing "Like a virgin" so many times.

Saturday little c was in another ROCKIN' mood. He spent most of the day laughing and being adorable. That should have tipped me off because he's always in a really good mood before he gets sick. More on that in a sec. He didn't wake up until almost 8:00 a.m. which is completely unheard of at Hancock Manor. We played for a couple of hours and then he crashed for a 3.5 hour nap. Got dressed, had lunch and walked over to our neighbourhood coffee shop before the rain started. Handed out candy to the trick or treaters, yadda yadda yadda, and big c and I were in bed by 9:30.

And now the lows. In bed, sleeping my little brains out when little c called for some attention around midnight. He was burning up and somebody needed to take his temperature the hard way. Poor kid. I always hate taking his temperature that way. Am I the only mother that still does that? I'm sure everyone else has those new-fangled thermometers that do body scans. Anyway, all of the thermometers we have are in Celsius and I had to run into the living room to check the interweb to see what 39.0 degrees was in Fahrenheit. It's 102.2 in case you're wondering. After cursing the fact that all of our thermometers are from Canada (and no, they do not have buttons on them to convert them to F), we gave little c something to bring the fever down. Needless to say he was up most of the night, sort of delirious. Big c slept in his room on the floor to be near him in case little c needed him. Not me. I was in bed. With earplugs. Yes, that's how I roll. I did my time at 5:30 and gave him a bottle and rocked him back to sleep, which took about half an hour, but it did the trick because he didn't wake up until 9. Poor kid wouldn't eat or drink A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G today, leading me to call the doctor on call. She told me to try and get some pedialyte in him anyway possible. She even said giving him flat ginger ale would be okay. But little c wanted none of it. So today was spent passing little c off between the 2 of us and trying to stay sane. He threw up a couple of times and had the runs a few times but seemed to perk up around 6:00 for a brief time. And just so you know, I did run out and buy an American thermometer.

And we had to postpone our family photos yet again. We don't have a date for them but hopefully soon. Hey, if you're smart, you won't plan your family photos for the end of October.

So no trick or treating for little c this year. I was going to drive him around to our friends' house tonight but he was too sick. Oh, that and the fact that I couldn't do up the straps on his carseat due to his costume.

So there you have our weekend round-up. Some good times and some not so good times all rolled up into one. If I had to rate the weekend on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 7. That party on Friday really brought the ranking up.

Enjoy the photo montage! And welcome to November.

 
Reading his first-ever Halloween card that Nana & Papa Sydorko sent. The special boy got another card the next day from Grandma & Grandpa Hancock.
Our little Humpty Dumpty.
H.D. and Mama Phyllis. Someone should have told Phyllis to get dressed that day.
Here's the cake we took to the party. This is before I frosted it with the buttercream icing I made for the first and last time. That stuff sucks. Anyway, we had to take food that corresponded with our costume. Any guesses who we were?
That's right. Ellen DeGeneres & Portia.
This photo sums up the night.
Another shot of the cake the next morning.
Hanging at the Red Moose.
Have a great Monday!

Sick, take four, or maybe five

Well, I've officially lost track of the number of times I've had a stomach bug since going back to work in May and putting little c in daycare. I think this is my fifth bout. I used to have a stomach of steel, I mean, who else do you know can eat tacos from a taco stand in TIJUANA and not throw up?

I could give you all the gross details but who really cares, right? Point is, I'm sick today and staying home from work to rest up. Little c is at school, despite the fact that he's got croup again. Hey, don't judge me. I needed a day to sleep and with him around, that's impossible.

The good news is the photo shoot is rescheduled for next Saturday and that gives me more time to obsess over our outfits. Good grief, it's only photos. I don't know why I'm so obsessed with finding the perfect outfits for all of us. But I am. It's what I do best. Obsess, not choose good clothes. In between throwing up, sleeping, and checking my work e-mail today I'll probably try some more outfit combinations for little c. Thank you to those of you who left comments and e-mailed me your choice. I think outfit 2-A is a winner, with some minor tweaking.

I only picked up my camera once this weekend and took about 4 photos. Enjoy.

 
The little beaver getting down on a paper towel roll. Looks kinda like he's playing a cardboard flute without holes. Good finger technique little beav.
If you said I had an obsession with putting hats on little c, you'd be right. I can't stop myself from plunking something on his head. The next five shots captured him removing the cute hat.

A wee bit neurotic

Well, we're having the Hancock Family Fotos done on Saturday and of course I've started losing sleep over what to wear and where to take the photos.

We won a photography package at a silent auction this summer and decided to cash in on the gift certificate just in time for Christmas cards. (No, we will not be dressing as elves this year but wigs might make an appearance) The whippersnapper that's taking our photos has a great eye. I've blog stalked her on many occasions and decided that I wanted her to be the official photographer of the Hancocks this year. We're looking forward to it, although we're not sure how little c will hold up, given we're starting the shoot at 5:00, a somewhat witching hour for him as of late. But maybe the promise of some hummus and pumpkin pie will get him to hang on long enough to get a few good shots. I'm excited to actually be in front of the camera for once and have a photo with little c taken. There aren't too many of those floating around and it will be nice to have one.

So tonight, upon returning from our walk, I raided little c's closet and drawers and pulled some outfits together. No sense in buying anything new when he's got a good collection already. So here are some outfits I'm thinking of--any feedback is welcomed and encouraged. I'm thinking of ditching the tie in Outfit 2 as it covers up the pattern on the vest. And the hats aren't a done deal either--I'll probably bring a few and make the photographer crazy as I swap the hat in every shot. Neurotic, right?

Outfit 1-A
Outfit 2-A
Outfit 2-B
Outfit 3-A
Outfit 3-B
Outfit 4-A
Outfit 4-B
And now a photo of a naked Cohey Bear since it's been so long since I've posted one.

Simple pleasures

I switched out the lens on the camera the other day and caught some shots of big and little c playing with a dandelion. I probably took over 50 shots and would love to put all of them on here but won't bore you.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Falling off the wagon

Well, little c fell off the vegetarian wagon this weekend. Up until Sunday, he was a vegetarian through and through, but the smell of roasted turkey that had been brined in a lot of love was too much for him. He loved turkey so much that he had it for lunch and dinner last night and the same today. And not just turkey, but mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing and his favourite, pumpkin pie. Oh my, that kid loves himself some punkin pie! He's eaten 2 whole pieces between both days. Silly Mommy forgot that there's sugar in that pie and that's probably why he devoured it and threw a small fit when he found out there wasn't any left. I wonder what his "teacher" Phyllis thought when she opened up his lunch box today and found the pie. I doubt very many 9 month old's parents send pie along for dessert. I just hope he's okay with plain yogurt mixed with applesauce tomorrow.

We had a lovely weekend at Hancock Manor. We went out for breakfast as a family of 3 for the second time ever. We played hard all day Saturday. And we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with our best friends on Saturday night. It always makes me feel so special when they say it's their favourite holiday, and they actually mean it. It wasn't the Manhattans or the 3 bottles of wine talking. It was their hearts doing the talking and that made me feel really loved. And while I would love to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with my family in Canada, these knuckleheads don't need to remind me that friends are family too!

Sunday we skipped church yet again due to little c's napping schedule. The kid likes to fall asleep right when the first service would start and sleep on through until just past the beginning of the second service. Good thing we can catch the pastor's message online. We also went for a walk and had our Canadian friend Mandy over for dinner last night for leftovers and little c once again went nuts in the bathtub. He could be the grumpiest kid in the world and all we have to do is strip him down (as quickly as possible) and get him in the tub and he turns that frown UP. SIDE. DOWN.

And now for your viewing pleasure...

 

Daddy getting a feel for what it was like to carry 20lbs+ on his chest like I did in the last 2 months of pregnancy.
 

Place setting for Candian Thanksgiving. I don't want to forget what it looked like so I don't duplicate it next year.
 

The arrangement the gals at Trifecta did for me.
 

Really enjoying some Aunt Steph time.
 

Friends are family too!
 
The 2 best friends a girl could always hope for and never, ever imagine that she'd have.
Resting his weary bones on the pumpkin.

Our little beaver

Guess who's cutting a top tooth? That would be this kid.

 
I noticed it coming through the gums a couple of days ago. Wow, does that ever look painful! I'd be a freaking disaster if it was me, but this kid is just rolling with it. If it weren't for me sticking my flashlight in there and doing a little reconnaissance work, I would not have known there was another tooth coming through.

Strong work little beaver!

If you need me...

...I'll be out to pasture.

Well, my milk is officially gone. Little c tried like crazy to nurse this morning but came up short. I felt so guilty that there was nothing there. (and now I'm crying as I type this because I feel so bad). It's such a sad thing for me because I really did want to make it to a year of nursing him, but I guess 9.5 months isn't so bad, especially considering the challenges we encountered along the way. Sometimes I can't even believe we made it past 3 months!

I really didn't think I'd ever enjoy nursing, but man I sure did. Just the 2 of us snuggled up together in the peaceful stillness of the early morning. Not thinking of anything except enjoying the moment. Not worrying about my to-do list. Just gazing down at the sleepy baby while he lightly stroked my chest or grabbed hold of my necklace and held on for dear life.

It's so funny that there were days early on when I couldn't wait to be done nursing (and I'm talking early on, like the first month of little c's life) and now that the day is here, I miss it so much, and it's only been 24 hours since I last nursed. I held it together when I gave him a bottle this morning but as soon as I walked out to the car after dropping him off at "school", the dam broke and the tears flooded my sight as I stumbled to the car and had a good old fashioned cry on my way home. 

I think I was also weepy because I've been with little c for 4 days straight (as we kept him home from "school" due to his croup/cold/ear infection) and he's been such a GREAT kiddo the last couple of days and I really wanted to spend another day with him. He was grouchy on Sunday but such a fun little character on Monday and yesterday and even this morning. I really do attribute his delightful disposition as of late to me getting off domperidone.

Lately I've really been wishing I could be a stay-at-home mom because I feel like I'm missing out on so many fun times with him and teaching him things he'll need to know to survive in life, like how to clap and wave, and the hand motions for the Itsy Bitsy Spider. Oh well, I need to make the most of my time with him every day and savour it and store it up in my memory, and on this blog. And I need to make sure he knows every minute we're together that he is adored and loved SO much.

And now some photos of the little man who has turned me into a blubbering mess.

 
 
 

The scale must be lying

How many times have you stepped on the scale and thought it was broken because there's absolutely no way you gained 3 lbs in 1 day! I'm not speaking from experience at all...ha!

But this time the difference in weight was a good thing. Little c weighed 19 lbs 2 oz at his 9 month appointment 2 weeks ago. Today he weighed 20 lbs 5 oz. 1 lb 3 oz increase in 2 weeks. Not bad. I attribute it to all the cheese he's been eating. That kid sure does love his dairy. And it looks like dairy loves him too.

 
9.5 months and 12.5 lbs ago.

Croup: The Sequel

Little c was replaced with a barking seal this morning at 6:00. Off to the walk-in clinic to get checked out.

As this is the second time in a couple of months, I wonder if he's prone to it now. Will be on my question list for the doctor we see.

Ah, you've got to love daycare!

Dear Cohen

My son, you are growing too fast. Please stop before Daddy and I are forced to move you back into the bassinet to prevent you from growing anymore.

9 months old. Can you believe it? Do you like how I always tell you stories about when you were a little baby?  Like when you were 3 months old and you pulled out your abacus to try to figure out our taxes for us. Or when you were 6 months old and drove me home from the eye doctors because they dilated my eyes? Or how about when you were 7 months old and decided to learn Latin because you wanted to impress Campell in your "class?" Ah, the memories.

Mama Phyllis says you eat the most out of anyone in the class. So why are you the smallest? Must be your high metabolism. You're still a great eater and are very adventurous when it comes to trying new things. Hummus still rates up at the top as far as likes. I bet you didn't notice that I've been sneaking peas into your hummus and you gobble them up like a fat kid on a Smartie. You love bananas, especially roasted ones, and all kinds of fruit, including little bits of cut up peaches. And you're a huge fan of cheese in all of it's forms, including cottage cheese. And yogurt! Oh my, you go crazy for yogurt. Keep up the strong eating, my love.

You've been showing a few more signs that you might actually crawl, although Daddy still thinks you'll go straight from rolling to walking with no crawling in between. We'll see. You've been doing a wee bit of rocking the last couple of days. Time will tell. You really love to pull yourself up on things like the coffee table, your crib, the bookshelf, and Mommy & Daddy. Good thing you've got those monstrous thighs to support the weight of your cheeks!

Your favourite toy is the piano we borrowed from your girlfriend, Charlotte. Every morning you insist on playing us a little ditty to start the morning off on the right foot. Then you pull yourself up and play with the worm-a-nome and the froggy/duck slider on the back of the piano to really get the party started. You love watching the Baby Einstein dvds Mommy's friends L&C gave you. You go berserk when you see the duck puppet with the red scarf tied around it's neck.

While you're still not clapping (clapping is so 2009), you do love a good high five. And you've recently started dancing when we say the word "dance" over and over again. You've got quite the moves. Hopefully you did not inherit my moves (why do I always insist on doing the sprinkler move every time I hit the dance floor?) and you will be a great dancer like your Dad.

You are such a vocal little fella. You're constantly making strange noises and love to say "Dada" and "Mama" over and over again.

Oh, and reading. You love to read. We read the same 3 books every day but you don't seem to be bored with them yet. You love to turn the page when we ask you to and you know all of the places to touch in your "That's not my monkey" book. Your favourite page is the one with the gorilla and his hairy eyebrows. You love to touch them and make a funny face.

Well my love. We think you're pretty great and we can't see what this month has in store for you as you explore the world around you.

Love,

Your biggest fan, Mommy xoxo

 
Who needs a stroller when you have a sturdy plastic bag to tote your baby around in?

 
Playing Billy Joel's "Piano Man" for Mommy.

 
The house could have been burning down around you and you would not have left that piano!