Can You Guess?

- I've been feeling ill everyday on and off for a few weeks

-I'm so tired.

-I'm moody

-I've been sluggish and unmotivated

-I've been feeling wider

Can anyone guess what's up?

8 months old

Today marks Matthew's eighth month of life.

This swing was absolutely huge and he had to hang on or he would have fallen out. Everytime we pushed him, his hair would wisp straight up in the air. He enjoys the swing.

So much changes so quickly. Matthew is now crawling on all fours, he eats banana chunks and peach chunks, he loves baby cookies and continues to hate cereal. He has started eating oatmeal in the mornings but it has to be sweetened with maple syrup. He has two teeth and is chewing a lot which leads me to believe his top teeth should come soon. He loves to chat away. He took a bottle the other day. He chugged everything down so quickly. Since then, however, he has refused it. He enjoys looking at books now and the television can actually hold his attention for a few minutes. He continues to love going for walks in his stroller and loves being with his cousins and Aunts and uncle, Grandmas and Grandpas and even people he doesnt know, so long as Mommy is in sight.

He's had a pretty bad cold for the past three days. He isn't sleeping well but he has started napping again which I am so greatful for. He is happier because of it too.

He's learning to play on his own now too. This is what he did yesturday:

He loves wheels so he was sitting behind his stroller playing with the wheels when he pulled the whole stroller over him. It was slow motion watching him lie down and get rolled over. He was having lots of fun. 10 minutes worth.

Happy 8 month Matty!

Since coming home

It has been a while since I have written and for that I appologize. I know that you are all checking my blog daily, eager for the next great post (hahaha).

Let me see if I can fill you in on all the things that have been going on here since I arrived home.

First, I arrived home after a much more eventful trip on the planes. Matty was so confused since it was nap time when we arrived at the airport and he was wonderful until we got onto the plane. I even noticed that he had finally cut his first tooth. He started wailing and fussing and people were stairing... it was not fun. Eventually I just stood up in the aisles and swayed with him. I think people were releaved when he fell silent and then asleep.

Here is Matty at the Atlanta airport staring at the trucks and planes outside.

Once we arrived home, it was a great relief to see Dave again and to have Matty reunited with his Daddy. We arrived home and had a nice time as a family. After that, my sister and her family and Vanessa and her family and my parents came over for a nice dinner. It was nice enough for us to eat outside and enjoy the sun. And we were treated to dinner.

Saturday we went and visited Dave's family and had yummy spaghetti and saw them again. They were very surprised at how much Matty had grown and changed.

I worked hard to tidy the house and get everything clean and scrubbed. it took me several days to clean my "tidied house" according to Dave. I was so glad I was motivated to get on top of the house.

Since then we have had a big dinner here at our place for a my parents, Dave's parents and Vanessa's parents. We've also done a lot of visiting. We had Dave's friend Gord stay with us for a few days and I've been out visiting friends a lot.

Here are some cute pictures of what Matty has been up to:

This is Matty with Daddy on his first motorcycle ride. Dave put him in the snuggli and went around the driveway twice very slowly. Matty looked very cute and very excited. He had both his hands and his feet sitting on the gas tank.

Here he is in Henry's little car. Matthew thinks this is so great. He even jusmps up and down in it and his belly hits the horn and makes it beep. He could spend hours in this car.


Here we have Henry in his car and Matty on his tractor. Both of them very happy to be outside andbeing pushed around the yard.

Finally, we have Matty just yesturday in his very tight baseball cap (he wont be wearing it anymore) and a cute pair of construction overalls that were also too small. He is getting so big.

Last Night

T'was the night before leaving

and all through the house

not a creature was stirring

except for a ... sceaming Matty.

Anyone know how to make that rhyme?

Tomorrow I take my leave from a very hospitable Grace and Justin and head home to my very missed husband. My bags are mostly packed and ready to go. I came with one and am leaving with two. I just have to be sure I remember to pack my pjs and pills in the morning.

Poor pregnant Grace has to wake up and drive me at 5:30. Apparently no matter when you hit Atlanta you are destined to hit traffic galore. And I am still really uptight about that airport so I told her I had not problem being there early since I can always find something to do at the airport once I am in and know I can make it on time. My flight leaves at 10:15 so I am pretty sure I should be on time.

Grace and Justin are at church right now until about 8:00 and I just got Matty to sleep. He is doing the oddest thing. I put him down to bed and he cries and cries to the point of vomiting so I go and pick him up and he falls asleep in my arms right away. I wonder if he is scared that I have left him or something. Needless to say, I am happy that he is asleep now and the house has become so silent. I only hear the typing of the keys as I type this.

I've had a wonderful vacation here. I hope no one is hurt when I say I am excited to go home though. I miss my husband, my family, my house (which I am so motivated to come back and organize) and my every day routine. Grace spoiled me rotten here and eventually I have to get back to reality. And the reality I am speaking of is dishes, cooking, cleaning, organizing, a husband at home. I am so excited to get back into reality. Bring on the dirty toilets and the laundry. Nothing will be able to beat me :)

Anyhow, the next time I write I will be back at home with my men in Ottawa. The adventure continues there.

Day In Chattanooga

Today Grace, Matty and I made our way in to Chattanooga for one main purpose: Katie's hair cut.

I wasnt going to admit to this cause I thought I would surprise Dave but I realized my hair wont look this good again since I am NO good at styling it myself.

Grace took this picture of Matty and I at Green Life (an organic grocer and restaurant) after the salon.

While my hair was being done at Hair a go go, Grace watched Matty for me. The salon had a room for kids to play in so Grace played with him there. Here are a few adorable pictures she took of him:

The most common comment I get from everyone here is "Wow, isnt he a happy boy. Is he always like this?"

"See how adorable I am Aunty Grace? Pay attention to me and me alone."
Here he is very excited. He is likely breathing in deeply while making noise (usually sounds like a type of squeel). See his teeth? They are SOOOO close to cutting through.

Other than the hair cut and the lunch, we walked down a main strip in the town and looked in a few stores. I was really hoping to go on the carousel with Matty but he fell asleep and I didnt want to wake him up. So, we headed back home.

Aunty Barbara visited for a short time to pick up her cell phone and say goodbye to Matty and I. It was so nice to see her and Uncle John.

Anyways, tomorrow is our last day here. I hope to be able to do one last post tomorrow but we shall see. We will be in most of the day since Grace is working. That's good because I can get to packing (although it is already mostly done). Can you tell I am ready to go home to my husband??? Its been so nice being here but I dont think I will ever leave for this long again unless he comes with me.

Defiance

Today I had to deal with Matthew's very first obvious sign of defiance. Grace was giggling the whole time because it really was funny.

I placed Matty on Graces kitchen counter to try and rinse something off and he didn't want to be put down on the floor. I glanced away from him for a second (don't worry, only my head was turned but I was standing right in front of him so he couldn't fall) and when I looked back he was going for one of her plants. I grabbed his hand, said no (without a smile) and flicked his hand. I let go and he went for it again. I repeated the process. "Matthew, No" *flick*, "Matthew, NO" *flick*, "I said No Matthew" *flick*

I finally finished my wiping up and just moved him out of temptations way. If I hadn't Im sure he would have kept it up for quite a bit longer.

Maybe Matty has a green thumb but more than likely it was just something to touch mixed with his stubborness.

Peek-A-Boo

Matthew learned a new game today. We were in Ikea and we were walking along and I stopped, covered him with his blanket and played peek- a- boo. After doing it only twice I stopped but Matthew wasn't finished. He put the blanket over his head and then pulled it off with a big smile. He played peek-a-boo without my help. What a big boy.


Sorry the pictures are so blurry. He was moving and the camera is very poor quality. Looks like we have a new game to play when he is fussy.

P.S. Dave, he saw the banner of the blog and smiled so big and got all excited when he saw your face. This little one loves his papa.