6 Month Pics

Dear Jaxon,
6 months old, where has the time gone? Before you know it we will be getting ready to celebrate your 1st birthday, and I will be getting ready to go back to work. Before we even start to think about that though, we are going to have a great summer together and we still have to find you a babysitter.
The past month has been a busy one. I am not sure what all we have done, but I do know that I am not sure were the time has gone. You celebrated your first Valentine’s day this past month, and you spent the day with your Gammie and Gampy while your mommy and daddy went out on a date. You also helped Hadleigh celebrate her 1st birthday and your auntie Cara celebrate her 26th birthday. You and I also spend your first Family Day together, but daddy had to work so he could not share the day with us.
We have also started to go swimming with some of your friends. The first time we went we went to Hanover with Reed and Jayden and then we have gone to Wingham a couple of times since. You have gone swimming with Hadleigh, Tyson and Luke. You are really starting to like it. We usually take some of your bath toys along with us and you laugh and splash and have a wonderful time. You will be starting swimming lessons soon, so it is a good thing that you like the water.
You also send your Wednesday afternoons at baby group with a whole bunch of your friends. We go there to talk about different topics on a weekly basis, and you love when it comes time to leave because we will sit around in a circle and sing songs before we go. You have continued your love for music, and every time you hear it you will stop whatever it is that you are doing and just listen. You have also started to like to dance. You cannot do this on your own yet, but you love it when I move and shake you to the music. I am hoping that with this love so early in life you will have better rhythm then your father does.
You continue to be an excellent sleeper and let mommy and daddy sleep through the night.
You have started to eat solids this past week. I have been trying to get you to eat cereal for about 2 months know, but have had not luck with it. You would not take the spoon in your mouth, and when I do get it in there you will just spit it all out. Someone suggested to me yesterday at baby group to add fruit with it, and you seem to like it a lot better know. I still have a difficult time getting the spoon in your mouth, but have found a secret way to trick you. You have also started to eat some veggies, and don’t seem to mind them at all.
Well Monkey, you are an ever changing little boy, and my days with you seem to go by way too fast. I love you more and more each day, if that is at all possible!!!!
Love,
Mommy

5 Months OLD!!!!

Dear Jaxon,
Where has the past 5 months gone? I was just thinking this weekend that it was only a year ago that I found out that I was pregnant, and here you are changing every day.
This month was a very big month. You got to celebrate your first Christmas with all of your family and friends. We had family gathering with your great grandma McLaughlin’s family, the Bell’s, on December 7 in Hanover, and then we had the Omand family Christmas on the Sunday before Christmas. On the 23rd we had all of our friends over to our house to celebrate with them for the evening as well. Christmas eve was spent at Gammie and Gampy’s house. We went to church and then come home and opened a couple of your gifts. We read ‘The Night Before Christmas’ and then it was off to bed so that Santa would come. In the morning we woke up to find that he had ate the cookies and drank the milk that you left him, and he even left you a note to tell you what a good boy you are. We wandered down stairs and found that he remember to leave your gift at Gammie and Gampy’s house. There was a new rocking horse, a book, a few other toys and a new outfit. You were a very spoiled little boy!!!! It was very nice to have been able to stay the night at Gammie and Gampy’s. It was just like Christmas morning used to be for mommy when she was growing up, and she got to share that with you on your first Christmas.
On Christmas afternoon we headed over to your Grandma and Grandpa’s house to celebrate with them. Your great Grandma and Grandpa were there as well, and your cousin Reed, auntie Trisha and uncle Clint came in later. There were plenty more gifts for you to open when you got there!!!!
The rest of our Christmas happened a couple of days later by going to Stratford for our Strachan family, and then to Hayleigh and Emily’s for the Robinson’s.
Daddy was off through Christmas right until the 5th of January, so it was nice that you were able to spend a lot of time with him, because now it is his busy time at work and we will not get to see that much of him over the next 3 ½ months.
Sickness also hit our house over the holidays. Your Gammie had the flu on Christmas Eve, and your daddy and auntie Cara got it on Christmas day. I think that you may of even had a touch of it then too. Mommy got it on New Year’s Eve day. I guess those flu shots that we got did not prevent it!!!
You have become quite an active little boy these days. Last week you rolled over for the first time that I saw. You will roll from your back to your tummy, but only turning left. Last night we were at Gammie and Gampy’s for dinner and you rolled back to your back from your tummy, but I think that it was only because you could not get your arm from underneath your self.
Not only have you started to roll, but also you really have started to play with your toys. You got an exersaucer for Christmas, and you love it. There are animals all over it, and you love to pull them in and play with them. Of course everything still goes right in your month, but mommy makes sure to keep everything clean for that purpose. Your Jolly Jumper is still a favorite past time. In the last week you have realized that it jumps, and you know now how to get yourself going. Your playmate was another favorite place for you to spend some time, but know you do not stay on your back long enough to play with the toys on it. As soon as we put you down on the floor you roll right on to your tummy, but you do not seem to mind. You like there, and you are really getting a strong neck, pushing yourself up on your arms to see what is going on around you. Before you know we know it you will be crawling.
No toothies have popped through yet. I thought that there was one there on Christmas day, but it never can through, so we still are sporting the rosy red cheeks some days and still praying for our ‘2 front teeth’.
You still very much love your sleep, which daddy and I really appreciate. You sleep for 10-11 hours each nigh, and usually have an hour nap in the mornings, and a big 2-3 hour nap in the afternoons.
On January 5th you were to the doctors for your 4 month check-up. This involved some needles, and they must have hurt more then the last ones did, because you really pulled at mommy’s heart this time around with your cries. When we were there they weighed you and you tipped the scales at 16lbs.6oz. You are a growing boy, and very healthy. I had to pack away all your 3-6 month cloths last week, as you are know into all your 6-9 month stuff.
Well monkey, I do not know where the time has gone. Next month you are going to ½ year old. I cannot believe it!!!! Everyday when I go to get you out of your crib in the morning you greet me with the biggest smile. You melt my heart with each passing day, and daddy and I are so truly blessed to have you in our lives.
Love,Mommy

New Adventure

I have been really bad at posting lately, but here is what I have been learning how to do:

Dear Jaxon,
Oh my little monkey, where has the time gone. It does not seem that long ago that I was feeling your first kicks in my tummy, and know you are one active little boy out in this big bad world. Life has certainly changed since you arrived, but only for the better.
This month you have become very active. You are also starting to set up your own little schedule. You usually get up around 8:00a.m. and play for about 45 minutes before you decided that you are hungry. After you have your bottle you are ready to play for about a half of an hour more and then you think that it is time to have a nap. Your morning naps can range anywhere from ½ hour to 1½ hour. You are a very happy boy when you wake up for your naps and you will talk to yourself and play in your crib until we come and get you. When we do go to get you, you will great up with the biggest smile. When daddy comes home for lunch you are usually ready for your second bottle of the day, and when he goes back to work you go down for your afternoon nap. Mommy some times tries to get an afternoon nap with you, but if she has stuff to do that day this is when she tries to get it done. Around 4:00pm you are ready for another bottle and play time until mommy and daddy eat their dinner, and you usually have a little nap. You then have one more bottle around 7, and play with daddy during the evening and then it is bottle time, and cuddle time usually with mommy around 9:30pm.
You are a great little sleeper, which your mommy and daddy really do appreciate. You have started to roll from your tummy to your back in your crib. We have not got to witness this event yet, as it us usually while we are sleeping, but you are almost to the point of rolling from your back to your tummy when you are playing on the floor.
You have had some really rosy cheeks for the past couple of weeks, and the other night you were really fussy with the only thing that wanting was to chew on my finger. You have not cut any teeth yet, and I don’t see any but I am sure that they are right there waiting to make an appearance.
You did not have a doctor’s appointment this month, but we did go see the public health nurse on December 5th and you weighed 15lbs.5oz and were 25inch. long. Daddy got to come with us that day as he was off. This month he had quite a few days off, using up the rest of the holidays so you got to spend a lot of time with him.
This month you also got to do a lot Christmas things. You went and seen Santa for the first time at the mall with mommy and daddy and you also got to go to two Santa Clause parades, where at one you got to see him again. You also had your first family gathering with your Great Grandma McLaughlin’s family, the Bell’s, in Hanover. You and your cousin Reed got to meet a whole bunch of new family that you had never seen before and were very well behaved little boys.
You have also really shown us this month that you like to stand on your feel all the time. You very seldom will sit on your bum, unless you are watching television or are in your bumbo, swinging in your swing, or sitting at the kitchen table in your high chair. We have got you a jolly jumper and you really seam to like it. You have not got the whole concept of jumping in it, but you love to swing around in it and see what is going between the kitchen and the living room.
The next month is going to be a busy one with Christmas and New Years. You will have a lot of first, and you will be spending a lot of time with family. You will be a very good little boy through it all, I know. No matter what daddy and I do with you, you are always on your best behavior.
You are a little angle and I cannot remember what life was like without you.
Love,
Mommy

A Weekend full of Santa

This weekend was full of Santa for Jaxon. On Friday night we bundled him up and took him over to Atwood to the Santa Clause parade so that we would not have to wait in too long of line for him to meet him. The parade consisted of 3 fire trucks, 5 floats and Santa. We watched the parade on the back street, went to the fire hall to get our number to meet the big guy, and then walked up tot main street to catch the parade for a second time.

Saturday night we decided to bundle him up again and head down town to catch out parade here in town. This one was worth all the work to get all 3 of us bundled up and walk down there. It was much longer, and very pretty.

I love that our small town does night parades. They are so much better then the day ones that they used to do. The best part of it all was that it was snowing for both of them. That makes it even more festive!!!

Cousin's Baptism

Yesterday was Jaxon and Reed's baptism. Both boys were so well behaved, and neither of them cried during the baptism. It was great.

After the service we had a reception in the basement of the church with all of our friends and family. It was so nice to have them all there to celebrate this with us. It is funny how these little things really mean so much to me know. Before it was more of a family gathering, but know every little gathering has so much meaning.

It was so much to be able to do this together as well. I am sure that is was the first of many things that these two boys will do together!

When he does sleep on his back......

....this is how he does it.

Cousin's

Last Sunday Jaxon got the spend the afternoon at his Grandma and Grandpa McLaughlin's house with his cousin Reed. I am sure that this was the first of many afternoon's that the boys will get the share together at their place. It seemed that when Jaxon was awake, Reed was sleeping and visa versa....so this is really the only photo opportunity that we got.

3 months old

Dear Little Man,
Well Mr. Jaxon, you are three months old already!!!!! It is sooooo hard to remember what life was like with just the two of us, but it is still unbelievable that that much time has passed us by already.
The past month has been full of activities. We stared our infant program on Thursday mornings, and you will graduate from it next week. We also started a Baby Beats program on Wednesday mornings, and we are 2 weeks into that. It is a great morning out for mom, because she can exercise while still incorporating you into it. It is nice know that the snow has come, because we are not getting out for our daily walks like we had been.
You also celebrated your first Halloween this month. You dressed up as a teddy bear, and the cutest little teddy bear that I have ever seen with you cousin Reed coming in as a close second. It was just by chance that they two of you got the same costume, but it was sooooo cute. We took the two of you out in the afternoon to Grandmas work, and then to Great Grandma and Grandpa McLaughlin’s together. After auntie Trish and Reed went home, we had a lot of places to go our self. You were one tired little boy after all of your trick or treating, and spent the night at your Gammie and Gampa’s that night. You also had your first sleep over at your Grandma and Grandpa McLaughlin’s this month, and you were wonderful.
Along with your first Halloween, you also celebrated your Gampa’s 54th birthday, Addy’s 3rd birthday, and your Gammie's 50th birthday. You were a very busy boy with lots of parties to attend this past month.
As for your sleeping, you must know that you mommy and daddy really like their sleep. You have been going to bed around 10:00p.m. and sleeping right through until 8:00a.m. In the past week I have been noticing that you have been taking a long nap before your last bottle, so you are maybe wanted to start to go to bed earlier and we will start to try that tonight. You usually take a little ½ nap in the morning and then you like to have a long nap in the afternoon ranging anywhere from 1½ -3½ hours. It usually seems that the days that I would like to get some things done are the days that you do not want to take a nape, and the days that I am willing to lay down beside you for a rest are the ones that you will sleep all afternoon. You are stared to take your naps in your crib know, as I think that you have stared to out grow your cradle.
You have had a bout of thrush this past couple of weeks, but we have been giving you your medicine and it seems to be clearing up. It is a good thing that this medication thing will not have to last that much longer because you really do not like to take it. We had to take you to doctor a week ago for the thrush and they weighed you. You were tipping the scales at 14lbs.6oz. We were also there on October 25th to get your needles, which you took like a champ. At that time you were weighing 13lbs., and were 59cm long.
You love lay on the floor and kick and coo and ca. You love to play with your Elmo play center on the floor as well. You have stared to take a real interest in your other toys in the past week as well, especially the ones that have lights and sounds to them. You are stared to grab at stuff, and will hold it in your hand for a while as well. You are full of smiles when you wake up and will just sit there and talk and smile with me for quite a long time before you loose interest and want to start something else. You have also stared to take an interest in the television over the past couple of week. You really do not pay much attention to it during the day, but at night when it is dark and it lights up in the living room, you will lie there and watch all the bright motions.
We have started to go to church almost every Sunday, and you are the perfect little angle through the whole service. People often commend you on your behavior on our way out after it is over. You are very good everywhere we seem to take you, though it seems that if it in the evenings you really like to be in your own home and cuddle with your mom. We have been out a couple of nights and you will not settle for anyone but me. It makes me feel great, but your auntie Cara is starting to get a complex and your dad says that you better not be starting to become a mommy sucks….but I say that it is ok if you want to be.
Well this next month is going to be a busy one with preparations for your first Christmas and also you’re Baptism in a couple of weeks. We have already got your Christmas tree up, but you and me will have to some baking, and shopping, and lots of wrapping….so we will have a full schedule.
Well little man, this has been the fastest 3 months of my life. I love you more and more each day and you melt my heart every time I get to see you, hold you, and squeeze you. I love you sooooo much,
Love, Mommy

Happy 50th Mommy

Well, as I post this blog my mother only has about 9 minutes left of her 50th birthday, but according to her it is more of a month long celebration then just one day.

It started about 2.5 weeks ago with people taking her out for dinner, then on Saturday night we threw her a big surprise party, and her last day of celebration is next Saturday when she is going to the spa with one of her friends.

For anyone of you who knows my mom, you know that she is one of few people that does not mind growing old. She absolutely LOVES her birthday, and will start to remind people about October 1st that is just around the corner.

We went out for dinner with her tonight for the actual celebration, as well as threw her the surprise party on Saturday. The girls at work decorated her office with banners, 50 pictures and 50 50's so all would know that today was the day. I don't believe that they would have had to decorate at all, she would have taken it upon herself to let anyone that walked past her office know that it was her Birthday.

Anyways, happy birthday to the best mom/gammie in the world!!!!

Little Mans New Do

Well, Jaxon got his second haircut this week. On Monday I thought it was time to trim up his locks again, and what a trim it was. I took the clippers to the back and sides this time and got it really sort. There was quite the pile laying on the floore when I was done.

What a little man he looks like know. I am still hoping that he is going to have curt to his hair, but until it gets a little thicker it is just frizzy when it is long.

As if Jaxon did not look like his dad enough already, know they are sporting the same do!!!!

(he has to learn to open his eyes when he smiles!!!)

What a Week

Well, where do I start. I sat down on the computer on Sunday night to start to write my post for our busy day that we had and I opened something in the facebook inbox and got a virus. It has been a long week without my computer. It is connections to the outside world, since I am on mat leave, and I was lost without it.Saturday we had a day of nothing, which was nice because Sunday was a whirlwind of events. We went to church, and then I had a shower to go to for Reed and Trisha:

and then a birthday party for Addy:

and then birthday supper for my dad.

This week was pretty busy for Jaxon and I as well. Sunday night we discovered the Jaxon had thrush, so Monday was spend tending to him and going to the dr. office. Tuesday was our errand day. We set out just after lunch to run them, and did not get home until the late afternoon. We then put up our Christmas tree in the evening. Wednesday we started out Baby Beats program. It is an exercise class that incorporates baby in it. Today was our infant program and tonight we are going over to gammy and gampa's for a while. Tomorrow is a day to get caught up on some house work before another busy weekend.

Play Time

Jaxon has a new favourite past time....if he is in a good mood. He has really started to like to lay on his back on the floor and kick up a storm. He has an activity centre that he has started to play with with his hands as well.

Not only does he like to kick up a storm, but he has also started to talk up a storm....nothing that is recognizable by any means, but it still pulls on the strings of my hear.

My little boy is growing up SOOOO fast.

Boo

Well, Halloween was a lot different this year with a little kiddeo!!! We started out on our day of trick or treating at 11:00am by heading to Milverton to the bank so that we could visit with my co-workers. We then had a full afternoon, and evening of places to stop and visit with our little teddy bear. In the afternoon Trisha and Reed (who was dressed in the same costume as Jaxon) joined us for a couple of stops and daddy also took the day off so that he could join us as well. Lexy even got dressed up and tagged along for the fun.

It was a lot of work trucking him in and out of his car seat at all the stops.....but sooooo worth it. It was a lot of fun, and we had one VERY tired little teddy bear on our hands after all was said and done. Our last stop was at gammie and gampa Strachan's where he spent the night, and Curt and I headed off to a house warming party. He had no problems sleeping through the night for them, as he was whipped after his day of trick-or-treating!!!!

Little Pumpkin's Party

Jaxon had a Halloween party to go to today with his friends at his girlfriend's Hadliegh's house. There were 9 little ones there. Most of them ranged in age from 8 moths - 14 months, and Jaxon was the only really little one. The rest of them can actually sit on their own, play with toys, and with the others. Jaxon just got to sit in my arms at watch them play.

They all had to dress up and we tried to get a group shot of them all.....but that was unsuccessful. I did manage to get a shot of Jaxon with Brooklyn and Joslin and a solo shot of Hadleigh.

Not only did they not want to co-operate to get their pictures taken, but they also did not want to keep their costumes on either.

Poor kids...what we parents don't put them through for our own amusement.

Halloween Fun

Sunday was Strachan family Halloween fun day at mom and dads.

Cara and I had been out last weekend at a craft show in Grand Bend and stopped in at the candy store in Exeter on our way home for our annual carmel apple. While we were there we got a few great ideas for candy to give to our 'special kids' and we had to get together to put them all together and yesterday was the day. We decided to make a whole family fun day out it and throw in some pumpkin carving and some gingerbread making.

When I was a child my Aunt Vera always made the best gingerbread men for Halloween, and I always said that I wanted to learn how to make them some time. Last Tuesday night mom and I went for a visit with aunt Vera and got her recipe for them and we put them together yesterday.

The family fun day started out with our pumpkin carving. Everyone was involved....except my dad. He is a party pooper and just sat on the sidelines and watched us have all the fun. My grandmas even joined us for the afternoon. Some of us got creative....and some did not [Cara;)]. Justin was nice enough to help Jaxon out in carving his pumpkin as well.

As a child I can always remember carving our pumpkins and roasting the seeds to eat after we were done. No on really likes the seeds except my dad and I, so they did not want to go through all the trouble to pick them out...but I did. The best is after all is done, smelling them roast in the over. They were great!!!!

After we were done with the carving we got to work on our treats for our trickers and our gingerbread.

We got everything together and done and it was dark out so we were able to get our pumpkins all lite up to see what they looked like.It is really nice that my family is all in the area, and we are able to start all of these new family traditions. As a child we always did it, but it never had the same meaning as it does now. I am so lucky that we will be able to raise Jaxon doing all these fun family things with his aunts, uncles and grandparents.(Justin's pumpkin is the ghost, mom's is the 'trick or treat', mine is the big face, Cara's

is the little face, Curt's is the Habs (imagine) and Jaxon's is the little ghost)

Spoiled Little Boy

Yesterday we finally got around to having our Strachan family Thanksgiving. It was actually kind of nice to have it later on in October. Everyone was able to make it because they did not have other family gatherings to attend, and we did not have to have 3 turkey dinners all in the same weekend.

Jaxon was spoiled all day long being passed around by his great aunts, and even a great-great aunt. His great grandma had lots of cuddles for him as well and he got to meet some of his new cousins. His poor grandma was hosting the gathering so she really did not get a chance to spend much time with him which I don't think she liked too much, but realized that she had to share.

Jaxon was also spoiled with presents from some of his aunts and uncles. He got a very nice new white and red leather chair that he can sit in a watch the Habs games with his daddy along with a teddy bear to go with it.

He was also lucky enough to get a blanket that was knitted by his great-great-great grandmother. Great grandma Liz passed away 3 years ago, and it to bad that Jaxon was never able to meet her, but he will always have a piece of her know. These are the little things that I hope he can cherish for the rest of his life.

A day with Addy

Last week Jaxon and I were over to visit my friend Laura and her 3 kids. She was telling me that on her days off she could never get anything one having 1 almost three year old, and twin one and a half year old boys. I kind of understood what she was saying, because there are some days that I do not get anything done, and that is only with one child. I so graciously offered to take her oldest off her hands some Thursday so that she could get something done if she wanted. When I offered she said she might even go to the city shopping if she would only have two. I then offered to take the all, if that was what she was planning, and was turned down....thank god.

Anyways, today was the day that Addy came for the afternoon. Jaxon and I started our infant program this morning, and then we went and picked her up when we were done. I had this whole day planned, but for those of you with kinds know you really can not plan a day to a tee. We made our own pizza for lunch, went to the grocery store, went for a walk around the block, after she told me that it was too long of a walk to go to the dollar store...that was what we had to settle for. When we got home we decided that we would watch a movie and then we baked apple dumplings....(oh so good, if anyone wants a good recipe, thanks Carrie for directing me to it). We waited for our dumplings to cook, and then it was time to take her home. We packed up a plate of them for her to take with her, and I took her home.

I am exhausted. I am soooo glad that I only have one to contend with on a daily basis. She is used to having the caos of a baby around, so it really did not even fase her one bit when Jaxon needed my attention, but he was soooo good, which was nice for her. She probably does not get a lot of one on one attention around home....having the twins boys always around, and she probably liked it. I liked it too because I actually had someone to do something with without baby talk involved. It was fun!!!!!!!!!!!