Saturday, July 14, 2012

My Little Starfish Who Sleeps By Himself!

Playing in the bubbles!

Blowing Bubbles (He doesn't quite get the idea that your lips need to be in the water)
  This past week was a busy one for Griffin and I. He had swimming lessons everyday. Some may say he is too young for swim lessons but my goals wasn't to have a swimming baby, but rather to get him used to the pool and be happy in the water (he already loves his baths). There are not many pool options out here and ublic swim times are packed and crazy so this was a greeat way to introduce him to the wonderful world of swimming. He LOVED it! On Monday he was a little unsure of it, but by the end of that lesson, and a few slide rides he was as happy as a clam, and almost threw a fit when it was time to leave. By Tuesday he was walking in on his own (holding my hand) and by Friday he refused my help in any way shape or form (which did result in a few face fulls of water). He officially passed Starfish!

Going down the slide all by himself! Daddy is on the side and mommy is at the bottom :)
My first ever "report card"!





 And DRUM ROLL PLEASE......

My baby sleeps by himself!! We decided to bite the bullet and do a little but of crying it out so that Griffin would sleep alone rather than in my arms or in our bed. It took about 4 days of serious crying (think four hours per nap/night), they were brutal days and he was so sad... and then it happened he went into his crib, had a story and hugs and kisses, and without much crying (5 min or less) he is out! It is wonderful not to have to sit in the rocking chair for three hours for his afternoon nap! Our bed is all of a sudden bigger, and I can go to bed when I want (up until now I went to bed with him). It really is wonderful. Of course he sleeps sitting up, which is retty funny, but whatever works! There is a part that misses him at night, but I see him when he gets up between 12 and 1 (although we did have a full night sleep the other day). All in all I am so happy to have some down time, and I enjoy him so much when he is awake! Yeah Griffin!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Bring On Summer!!

The first weekend of summer is here!

After going like a crazy person the school year is over, and although I only worked three months I am ready for a bit of a break. The year ended in a whirlwind, as they always do. I am already dreaming about the fall and looking forward to a new year starting (teachers never stop thinking about work!).

For now though I am focused on home life, and that in itself will be a busy task this summer. Little Dude will spend his days at home, and he is BUSY these days! In fact as I write this he is learning to fall asleep in his own bed. Until this point he has been rocked or nursed to sleep (and yes daycare has rocked him to sleep), and he needs to learn to fall asleep and sleep alone. So right now my phone is singing to him, although I am not sure he can hear it over his crying, but he will survive, and be better for it! When not sleeping Dude is going non-stop! Books are a huge hit right now, as he develops his language skills. Mom, dad, yes, and please are his first words! He eats like a horse, plays a ton and generally gets into everything. Sometimes we wonder why we buy him toys as it seems like the good ol' pots and pan drums are some of his favourites! We have a week of swimming lessons next week, which should prove to be a fun, new experience for him. He brings so much energy into our live, and I can't help but love him to bits!

The other excitment comes from the move this summer. After Jay taking a job in the city (which he is enjoying very much and is going well) we have decided we need to live somewhat closer to the city while still allowing me to teach in Evergreen. We have bought a house in Gimli (a three bedroom split level) and are so excited to move in Aug. 1st. I dream of a nice backyard, a patio, more usable space, and of course something that is our own. Although not perfect (what place is) this is the right house for us at this point in our lives (and gives us just enough room to grow when the time is right). Packing will be a big task this summer (which is why I canèt rock and then hold Dude through each nap). So to end this post here are some pictures of the new digs (from the listing, we donèt have as nice of furniture :) ):

Front of the house

Upstairs livingroom

Dinning Room (I really want to paint away the yellow)

Kitchen

Downstairs Family Room

Backyard