Fabulous 5

Another month has gone by so so fast and yet again there is so much to be grateful for. My fabulous 5 list....I am grateful for:

1) The Taste of Edmonton. Ok, I admit it I love FOOD - come on who doesn't. I love the taste of Edmonton - being able to try many different dishes from local restaurants. I went twice this year - the baklava and chocolate ice cream pear were my favorites - can't wait for next year!

2) Hot summer days and outdoor pools. The weather this summer has been kinda strange - definitely not as hot as last summer. Jonas and I did make it out to the Millcreek pool on one of the hottest days and he loves the water!

3) My running partner Stacey. I am so grateful that I found a running partner to replace my sister (well not quite) but it sure is nice to have someone to keep you motivated. We are done the 5K clinic on Monday, then we run the ING 5K fun run and then we are both joining the 10K clinic. Perhaps I will run a marathon one day...

4) My dear sister and our many phone conversations. I miss her and her family very much!

5) Of course my two favorite people - Cory and Jonas. Jonas is almost 6 months old - crazy! Lately he has been getting his first tooth - the tip of it has cut through so we are just waiting for the rest of it! He has been a bit cranky and wants to be held a bit more but that is completely understandable. He also can sit up on his own really well! Wow, he's growing :)


Jonas with Winnie the Pooh and friends - lately Jonas has been biting/sucking on his bottom lip!



Jonas with his girlfriend Molly. When Molly was over Jonas was so intrigued with her but she kept crawling away from him!



Look I can sit up all by myself!



At the park!


At the park!


Bedtime!

Side note: Well a funny story - the other night Jonas awoke and was crying his little head off. So I come in his room to try and calm him down with the many techniques that are out there. I tried giving him his soother, he spat it out; I tried shhshhing him, he cried louder; I rubbed his belly, still cried louder; I tried to feed him, which he loves but he didn't even want that; I tried rocking him, and he still cried louder. So at this time I was running out of ideas and I was wondering what has gotten into my baby Jonas - well of course I conclude that it must be his tooth. So I decide to run to the bathroom to fetch the gripe water but I am forced to take Jonas with me for fear that if I put him down he would cry louder and louder and keep Cory up longer. So we get into the bathroom, Jonas, still crying takes one look in the mirror and then smiles :) By this time it is 2 am, and I can't help but laugh at my boy! I let him look at himself a while longer before putting him back to bed. The next day we bought him a new toy with a big mirror so he can sit and watch himself and smile (he loves it)!

Fabulous Five++

Once again I've neglected my blog, partially due to the fact that we, or shall I say Cory bought a new computer and has been in the process of setting it up and every time that I would use the internet, it would run so so slow. We were also in Kelowna for a week and I didn't use the computer once when I was there. Anyway, fabulous five and then some since it has been 3 weeks...

I am grateful for:

1) My new imac and iphone - Cory's splurge after working and still working many weekends! Hopefully I can get blogging more and start scrapbooking.

2) My good friend Jaclyn! She is a wonderful mom and now that I am home with Jonas, I've been able to visit with her and her kids more often. We've been to the park, to WEM (Jonas went on some rides) and to the spa (without the kids).


Jaclyn and Alexis (2 yrs. old) - at the park


Jessica (4 yrs. old) - playing in the sand


Jonas at the park..sleeping

3) My mom's group. It has been so nice to get together with the southside mamas and their babies - to socialize with adults and talk about our babies:) In these last few weeks, we've been to Fort Edmonton park and the zoo!

4) Being able to run... I joined the 5K running clinic and when I first started I thought I was going to die (after not running for months and months). Now the runs are alot easier and I've met some nice people along the way that have helped me stay motivated...thank goodness.

5) My dear sister and her family. My mom, Cory, Jonas and I visited the Gooches in Kelowna for a week and it was wonderful! I miss them so much! Zech was in awe with Jonas while Jonas didn't know what to think about Zech - give them a year and I'm sure that they will be best buddies! The weather in Kelowna was super hot - 40 above but it was nice to have a pool, the lake and AC! We had to depart on Vanessa's birthday but we did celebrate it the night before - dinner, cake and playing the Wii!


Jonas and Zech

Jonas and Zech (Jonas wondering 'who is this guy?')


Canada Day at the lake - Vanessa practicing having 2 kids, LOL!


Grandma Halwa and Jonas - proud Canadians


A big boy playing at the beach, LOL!


V and Zech at Mission Hill (going up and down the hill)


Cooling off!

6) Fresh local produce, especially local strawberries! I went to the Millwoods Farmer's Market last week and the strawberries are to die for! I love local produce!

7) My mother! Who babysat my babe so I could go to the spa for the whole afternoon! We also had a wonderful visit and went shopping!

Mom and Jonas exchanging smiles (or perhaps Jonas is eyeing up Grandmas ice-cream!)

8) Sweet Mama spa. Ok so I went all out and got a pedicure, facial and massage (thanks Brian and Sharon for the gift cert.). The ladies who gave me my treatments were wonderful and the one even gave me a reference to a Millwoods daycare:) The products that they used for my facial were divine! They smelled so good that you could eat them (well they are all organic skin care products made from fruits, vegetables and herbs so perhaps you could eat them - they even have a chocolate mask that is made of real cocoa!) Check out their website www.eminenceorganics.com

9) My two favorite people in my life - Jonas and Cory! I love them both so much!


Jonas loving his Exersaucer!


My two favorite men!

Life is wonderful:)

Fabulous Five

I decided that I like the idea of writing down what I am grateful for - my sister does this in her blog - Grateful Eight and I think her friend does Sunday's Seven and well I decided on using Fabulous Five (cause 8 is just too many - I'm totally kidding -I just decided to have my own rendition). Sometimes I get carried away with material things, thinking it would be nice to have this or that but there is so much in my life that I have that I am dearly grateful for. Also, hopefully I can make this a weekly thing so it encourages me to keep up on my blog. Anyway, here is goes my fabulous five:

1. I am grateful for my wonderful husband who is a fabulous father too. Lately he has been working Saturdays so he has been putting in 60 hours of work a week - crazy but we miss him at home.


Cory and Jonas

Cory and Jonas - I love this one!

2. I am grateful for my wonderful father in-law. Since it was Father's Day a week ago, it made me realize that I miss my father greatly but I am thankful that I do have a great father in-law. Brian always makes a point to call me Mrs. Lee everytime I see him and it cracks me up everytime :)


Grandpa Brian and Jonas

3. I am grateful for all of the wonderful moms and babies I have met through my mom's group. It has been fun sharing our experiences and getting together for potlucks, ect. I get the mom thing now!

4. I am grateful for my ipod nano and my wireless sensor for running - it records the time, distance, calories and pace that I run. Recently I joined the Running Room 5K clinic and it has been neat to track my runs with the sensor - it definitely helps my motivation.

5. I am grateful for my baby Jonas. He is 4.5 months now and it has been so enjoyable to see him develop so far. I love him so much and I can't imagine life without him.


Jonas having some fun!

Wow, I could add many more things that I am grateful for but I will save them for next time...

Reflecting and Remembering...

Wow, once again the month of May flew by and I am disappointed that I neglected my blog. Anyway reflecting back on this month, it has been an emotional roller coaster.

On the 14th, it was 1 year since my grandma Bjorgum passed away. She was a wonderful person with a kind and caring heart. I miss her greatly and I wish that she would have met Jonas! Some of my favorite memories of her include:
- serving us peaches and ice-cream when we visited her in B.C. oh so many years ago
- spending the summer of grade 5 with grandma and grandpa in Camrose (where mom insisted I take swimming lessons with the grade 2's - I was the giant in the class)
- dress shopping with V in the store grandma worked at - I think it was after hours so we had the whole store to ourselves! Grandma always dressed to the nines!


I think this was the last picture I have of grandma and I. It was taken with my camera phone so it is fuzzy. We were having dinner at Whitespot with my mom, Aunty Laurel, grandma, Aunty Elaine and Cory.

Then on the 28th, it was 2 years since my father passed away. Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday...he was a wonderful father and I really miss him. And of course I really wish that he could have met Jonas! Some of my favorite memories of my dad include:
- he was Mr. mom and took care of me before I started school. I remember sitting on his lap and watching TV with him
- kissing the 'bump' - he would put his tongue up against his cheek to form a 'bump' and we would have to kiss it in order for it to go away
- helping him fix machinery - I had to run and get the tools, he was always good at explaining what tool he wanted and somehow he knew where everything was even though the garage was not always the tidiest
- helping me buy my first car - which was a chevy not a dodge - he tried to bargain the price down but I was already getting the 'family' deal since I was buying it from Cory's sister

This is one of my favorite picture of my parents and me. It was taken in May 2005 at my Engineering grad ceremony.


Dad and me - taken in April 2006, at my wedding reception.

Then this weekend I was saddened by the news that my Thorsby school classmate passed away. A tragic ATV accident claimed his life - at the age of 26 :( I am still in shock and my thoughts and prayers go out to the Stieb family.

On a happier note, Jonas is almost 4 months and he has had a few 'firsts' in the last few weeks.
- 1st visit with great grandma and grandpa Halwa!
- 1st swim at the Leduc pool with Jodi and Molly - and he loved it!
- 1st movie in the theatre (Ironman) - I think he just liked the all the lights
- 1st time rolling over from back to front - he did it 3 times in one day, twice when I wasn't looking and now he won't roll over again (all in good time)
- 1st time he discovered his feet taste good or that they are another chew 'toy'

We weighed and measured Jonas about a week ago and he is a 14lbs.5oz. and 24.75 inches - wow has he grown! His sleeping pattern has also changed...I guess he is like his parents, Jonas loves to stay up late but then he loves to sleep in. Lately I've been lucky to get him to sleep before midnight, he has been waking up a couple times in the night to eat and then he has been sleeping in until 10/11am but I guess that's ok!


Jonas visiting great grandma and grandpa Halwa. Grandpa would imitate Jonas' cooing/talking and grandma insisted that we take her stuffed animals for Jonas - 4 of them. She assured me that she would win more animals at bingo!


Grandpa holding Jonas' foot - for a neat photo


Yummy feet!


Jonas and mommy!


Cool dude! Ready for an outing with mommy!


Jonas falling asleep on daddy and still trying to peek at the TV. Oh and sucking on his new soother which I love because it is see-through so you can see his lips and tongue!

Until next time...take care!

3 months old already!!!

I can't believe Jonas will be 3 months on Friday - wow time does go by so so fast.
Jonas at 3 months:

- Weighs about 13lbs.13oz. (with his clothes on - on May 22/08)
- Wearing some 0-3 month clothes but mostly 3-6 month clothes
- Spits up alot - poor guy but usually he smiles afterwards. Now he wears bibs so his clothes aren't soaking and then I don't have to change him every minute.
- Has been drooling alot - perhaps his teeth are moving
- Has been sleeping throughout the night (11:30 pm to about 9am-for the last couple of weeks - cross my fingers)
- Loves to look at mommy and daddy (moreso mommy - I think he likes keeping an eye on his food source :))
- Can support his head a lot better
- Likes to stand up - of course with mommy and daddy holding him
- Loves to 'talk' - he has some pretty amazing stories
- Loves to smile and smile and smile :)
- Can grab and hold onto things/toys and then loves to suck on them
- Loves to suck on his hand/fingers
- Likes his bumbo chair
- Loves when mommy and daddy read him books
- Likes to look in the mirror
- Ususally likes being changed except when he is really hungry. He likes when mommy sings him the head, shoulders, knees and toes song on the change table.
- Loves naked time
- Loves the bath and loves to kick more in the bath that he slides off the seat.
- Is more vocal when he is hungry - especially at night(crying enough to bring tears to his eyes - feed me feed me)
- Has become a bit fussy a night and wants to be held until he goes to bed

That's all I can think of at the moment...


Jonas - The day his was born - Feb.9


1 month old


2 months old


Almost 3 months old (photo was taken today). He is sitting in is bumbo chair and playing with his toy.

This past month has definitly been a busy one. We had 2 baby showers, Aunty Vanessa, Uncle John and cousin Zech visited, we went to the mom's group weekly, I showed off Jonas at my workplace, we showed off Jonas to a few of Cory's friends, Jonas had his first exposure to the big mall... We've actually went shopping quite a few times and he doesn't seem to mind - thank goodness.

Anyway, one last thing...everyone always says that Jonas looks so much like Cory so I decided to dig up my baby pictures and Cory's. Not sure how old we are but you be the judge...


Cory - (I'm guessing he is at least 1 years old)


Cory and his sister


Me


Me

Daddy and me!

My dear sister told me about the 'Daddy and me' photo contest through 'O baby' magazine so I thought I better enter (there are great prizes and of course I want to show off the 2 men in my life that I love so much)! Its funny that I take so many pictures of Jonas, yet there are few with his daddy and even fewer with his mommy! I guess I should make more of an effort with that! Anyway, here are the 3 photos that I entered - it is hard to decide which one I love the most...

Wow, how time flys...

I can't believe April is half over - I guess time does fly when you are having fun! These past couple of weeks have been really busy. Here are a few things that happened:
- Jonas and I started going to a mom's group and we met lots of moms and babies!
- Aunty Karen came over and taught me me baby massage - Jonas really liked it!
- On April 9th, Jonas turned 2 months old and we went to Walmart for a photo shoot - this time Jonas was awake and smiling :)
- Jonas went to the doctor on April 10th and weighed in at 12'11" and 22 1/4 inches. The doctor said that the 'moose milk' is helping Jonas grow and grow and grow!
- Aunty Vanessa, Uncle John and cousin Zech stayed for a visit. Vanessa put on a baby shower for me and Jonas. We received lots of wonderful gifts. We visited with many people and many babies! Thank-you Vanessa!

Once again, I have been enjoying taking pictures of Jonas - he is such a blessing and I can't ask for a better baby!

Here are a few of my favorites!

Jonas in his pooh outfit on his 2 month bday! All Smiles:)


All babies get upset - even my Jonas!


Jonas in the 'big' chair!


Jonas and his moose! How cute!