Post Christmas days

Well, we've survived the busiest time of the year. Some call it the most wonderful time (as in the song) but that is a statement I question. It is extremely busy and wears out a baby and their family quite quickly.

The days leading up to Christmas were special as Alix and Sam are with us for a week. This time has allowed Ava to know her brothers. It is really sweet as she now interacts with them and wants to see them. The funniest thing is how she now cries when either of them leave the room. Alix and Sam have been great. We spent a day at the hotel so the boys could get some water sliding in. Ava, as usual, loved the pool. It was nice as Grand-maman and Grand-papa came with us so we shared adjoining hotel rooms.

Christmas Eve was planned to have Alix, Sam, and I going to church. Unfortunately, I missed a step and fell down part of the stairs. Luckily, I was not carrying Ava. Fortunately, my only injury was a severely sprained large toe - causing me great pain and difficulty walking. This made going to church difficult so Alix and Sam went with grand-maman and grand-papa. Opa Greiss came over for a visit and spent a good part of the evening with us. When the boys returned, we decided to open their stockings. They loved the movies they received - The Simpsons and The Transformers.

Christmas day saw us wake up and open gifts. Ava scored large and often. After gift opening, it was time to pack up and head to tante Joelle's for breakfast. We had a very nice breakfast and headed home to give Ava some quiet time before the big family dinner. After the rest, we headed to grand-maman's for dinner. All our family was there and our cousins Daymond, Alana and their family joined us as they were alone for Christmas. Opa Greiss was also going to come but at the last minute called to say he had another invitation (next door) and wouldn't be coming. Before dinner, we opened gifts. Again, Ava was the big recipient again. Quite the first Christmas for her!!!!

Unfortunately, Christmas night did not go well for Ava and she was up often. That led to a low key Boxing Day where we stayed at home. Grand-maman and grand-papa brought left overs and joined us for dinner and to watch team Canada win their first game! Yea!! This morning, my foot is feeling much better (don't need to keep downing Tylenol like candy) so I fed Ava and let Angel disappear into our bedroom for a while. While downstairs, Ava made an amazing display of mobility - she headed toward one of her new toys in a very determined and timely fashion. Once their, she started hitting the buttons and enjoying herself - she showed ability that would make you think she's played with this toy before.

up with the singer

I am sitting here with a little singer. It is very early in the morning and a little babbling brook (Ava) is busy waking up her brothers (too bad for them). She is very vocal this morning...

I decided to get up with Ava this morning as Angel is not feeling well. I think Ava is trying to pop more teeth as she isn't doing as well sleeping as her normal. She is up at some point during the night for the last couple of nights and I've noticed she is occasional drooling. More teeth would be great as she is becoming more and more interested in what we're eating. Some more little chompers to add to the two bottom ones would make the task of chewing way easier for her.

I am on my first week of holidays. I should be half way through my tour but I'm at home and enjoying it. All this time with Angel and Ava has been great. I am really enjoying myself. I was thinking yesterday of how we would've have been in Hawaii this weekend; it's hard not to think of when the guys at work are all booking their winter getaways (there are some cheap prices for Jamaica right now). In the unusual cold we are currently experiencing, such thoughts are tough. The saving grace is to remember we're going next year. It actually works out better as Ava will be older and more interactive with us and her environment. But, she will still only be a year and a half old; meaning we'll have great pictures but she will not have any memories. This realization means we'll have to go back when she's older. It's easy to survive the cold when you're thinking about how you're going to go to Hawaii twice!!!!

up early

I am enjoying my vacation time so far. I have been at home with not much to do other than to be with the girls. As Angel is frequently (okay almost always) up with Ava, I decided to get up with Ava two mornings in a row to let Angel sleep in.

The mornings with Ava are awesome. She's in a great mood and is actually quite easy to take care of. The agenda consists of play time in her exersaucer, breakfast at about 0830, and a change of the poopy diaper at about 0930. At the poopy diaper change, Mom usually gets up. Sometimes I take advantage and crawl back into bed as Ava usually naps in the morning = giving Angel some alone time.

Ava and I have time to play on her mat in the basement. This mat is covered in Ava's toys so we've named the area "baby town". Baby town has all kinds of toys, books, and activities for Ava to enjoy. Her favorites are the stacking rings (oldie but goody), her balancing monkey (screams "whoa!" and plays music), and the mirror from her "crinkle" pad. All these toys with interacting with papa can keep her busy for quite a while. However, when she realizes maman has come down and it sitting on the sofa; papa and the toys are not good enough anymore.

Hopefully more time with her during the next 3 weeks will change that a little... ;)

on vacation

While the trip to Hawaii has been delayed by a year, I must say I am looking forward to being off and with my girls. The weather this week is weather where I'm thankful I don't have to go to work; instead I'm spending time harrassing my co-workers about going to work. Ava seems to be enjoying having me around. I know Angel is (even though I don't get up early every morning with Ava).

The delay of the trip actually turned out to be a good thing. Ava will be older = better interaction with her environment, she will have the ability to eat "regular" food, and a little easier parenting for Angel and I as she will be slightly more independant (i.e. not needing breastfeeding, walking, and more awake time). We don't really have plans for this year although we do have enough Air Miles to disappear to California for a week... I think it will really depend on the weather and our winter blues needing some thawing.

missing my girls

It really sucks to be working the shifts I do. Don't get me wrong, I love my job however being away for 12.5 hours is tough when those hours are the same hours Ava is awake. When I work days, I do not see her. Additionally, yesterday I had a day long course that stole time away from home. When I got home last night, I couldn't stop playing with and kissing Ava. Kisses were flying toward Angel also.



Kevin phoned and offered hockey tickets. I accepted and the two of us had a "dad's" night out. At first, Kevin wasn't sure if he wanted to go and seemed a little reluctant to go. We found our seats - what great seats!!! We were 4 rows behind the Moose bench; looking down the red line! As luck would have it, a gentleman sitting beside us was someone Kevin knew. It was not a very exciting game - the Moose played poorly and lost 6 to 5 (it was 3 to 3 before the first 10 minutes of the game was played). We went exploring during the first intermission and returned with beer. Funny how that happens.



This morning, I'm up with Ava. She's watching Sportsdesk and screaming at the good and bad plays - I've got a sports fan on my hands!!! Angel deserves the sleep in. She does so much and I enjoy the time with Ava. Time with Ava may become more precious as I applied for a new job yesterday that may take me away from her and Angel 4 days at a time. Those would be long days without seeing Ava.

Christmas tree is coming

It's been incredible how quickly December has snuck up on us! It seems like it was just a week ago the grass was still green and I was raking up leaves. Instead, my staff Christmas party has already passed and the Christmas tree is going up.

First, I want to thank Angel for being so incredible at my staff party. Angel & I have been together for 6 years and she has gotten to know my co-workers and spouses pretty well. This helps as I must admit that this year's Christmas party I pretty much did not see my wife. Other than an occasional kiss and request, we didn't have the chance to see other. As I was the organizer this year, I left early for the hall to do final preparations. Angel joined us later. All evening, I was busy making sure everything was going well. At one point, I even needed a dealer for the blackjack table and Angel graciously accepted my request. I may not say it enough - I love you babe; you're fantastic to me!!

Ava is about to celebrate her first Christmas. We're pretty excited. We've bought a digital palmcoder to record all of our family firsts with Ava and celebrations with all our family. Last year, we ended up not putting up a tree so this year, Angel is quite excited about the prospect. She has patiently waited as I am pretty grumpy about putting up the tree too early (anything before December 1st is too early). And no Joelle, that does not make me a Grinch!!! Anyway back to the story; the tree is going up. There was a brief discussion about putting it up tonight but "John & Kate plus 8" is on, so we're doing it tomorrow. I am excited about seeing Ava's reaction to a lit up tree!!! I kinda of remember the boys reactions but it's been so long since they've been little and my memory is not always the best. Ava is interacting so much, it's going to great to see those reactions and Angel's glee from the reactions!!! It's going to be doubly special!!!

As for the tree - it's a fake. Before anyone makes a comment - we made an environmental choice of buying a plastic tree instead of chopping a new one every year. ;)

home with madame

I wish I had a camera handy - you should see my madame right now!! She is sleeping on the sofa, her right arm above her head, her left arm holding her bunny rabbit, Earl sleeping at her feet, and the cutest look on her face. What a picture!!

I'm enjoying a day with Ava. I haven't seen her in two days. It's a long time not to see her. I feel like she forgets me until I see her and her reaction clearly states she's happy to see me. It makes me feel good. Angel is away today and I'm home before going to work nights tonight = I'm parenting by myself. So far, so good.

Angel wrote about our weekend in Fargo. We had a great time, picked up some great stuff, and did not encounter any tree mulchers (need to see movie "Fargo" to understand that one). We did learn that babies do not share rooms well due to different sleep patterns. Next time, adjoining rooms instead of sharing a suite!!! As for nocturnal methane discharges, not sure how Angel knows as she left me alone in bed twice in favour of sleeping on the sofa in the other room...

hello from the USA

Well Ava's first trip outside Canada has been a case of "so far, so good". She did great despite a wait of greater than a hour at the US border. The whole trip from Winnipeg to Fargo lasted about 4.5 hours and we did not hear a peep out of her!! What a great baby. On our arrival in Fargo however, things went down hill as she woke up as we were unloading into the hotel room - she woke up and played in her exersaucer. Angel tried putting her down but that proved easier said then done. She did finally fall asleep but woke due to being cold. A complete night sleep was only accomplished after moving her to our bed for warmth.

Angel did get up at 0400 and went shopping with Kim. Things went well and they came back with receipts for a couple of hundred dollars each. Today, Ava was awesome despite the poor night's sleep. Grand-maman and grand-papa arrived this afternoon and spent some time with us before they left for the evening. We're looking forward to spend the weekend with them.

been away, going away

Sorry to my blog followers for being absent from blogging for the last few days. I have thought about it but never got around to it. I am trying to deal with the dejection going around from my absent posts; I'm sure we will all get over it. It is quite heartwarming to know that my blogs make a difference in the world and the sharing of my experiences are so exhilarating!! To live vicariously through my life is better than not living at all!!!

In all seriousness now, I am finding it difficult to sit down and blog. As I said in my first post, journal ling is not my forte. But here I am typing away at the computer and sharing my thoughts/experiences. It's bizarre to think you are interested in what I write but I do thank you for all the positive comments.

I've "been away" from Ava for 2 days. While I haven't left the city and do come home every night, her schedule is she's waking up after I've left for work and sleeping before I get home. I do not get the chance to see her and, while I originally thought this was not a big deal, this morning I felt like she didn't know me when I got her. I realize this isn't true but it's one of those silly guilt things that run through my head. Our time together today was limited, I did enjoy seeing her and interacting with her - I love her smile and laugh.

Now that "been away" is covered; let's talk about going away. I work tonight and then we're off - off to Fargo. We've had this weekend planned since summer with friends from work. Through the last few weeks, our numbers have fallen to the point where only Russ, Kim, & Katelyn are our only traveling partners. We are sharing a suite with them - hope all goes well as we're not sure how the girls will act when it comes to bed time.

Part of the reason this weekend was selected was for "black Friday". I had never heard of the term before but apparently that's the term for the crazy sales that occur the first day after the US Thanksgiving. Kim is looking forward to going to Kohl's at 4 AM!! Angel is unsure about getting up that early but I'm encouraging her to try it and take it in as an experience!!! I realize after the experience she may say "never again" but I think she will have fun doing it with a great friend like Kim. And who knows, she may come back with some great deals!!!

a good day

Just a short blog.

We had a great day today. Great breakfast (pancakes, eggs, & bacon) to start out the day. Afternoon led us to Grand-maman's and grand-papa's.

We all went to the pool before the Grey Cup game. Alix, Sam, and I brought our masks & snorkles so I could teach them some tricks and how to dive with the equipment. Angel spent all her time in the kiddie pool. I went to join her and Ava at one point to demonstrate how comfortable Ava is with the water. Angel got extremely nervous as Ava was lying on my chest, not being held and having a blast. I even took Ava into the deep pool where she continued to be comfortable - even with water up to her shoulders (can't say Angel was as comfortable).

After the swim, it was Grey Cup watching time. We all had a great time. Grand-maman made great chili and a great dessert. I even won $50 for the first quarter score on a Grey Cup pool ticket - only to find out I wrote Angel's name on the ticket!!! Oh well, to use Angel's line "it's OUR money"!!

Giving my babe a break

Well, today I took Ava to watch the boys bowl today. Angel said she wanted to do some cleaning while we were gone. At bowling, Ava was amazing. She did not screech once; she simply looked around and let the world know what she was thinking via her babbling. She never fails to impress me.

Our day today was fairly quiet and Angel let me take a nap because the activities of the past couple days was catching up to me. Once back up, I played some Guitar Hero with Alix and Sam. They were having a blast as they are much improved (they had been practicing all morning and early afternoon).

We took advantage of Alix being old enough to babysit his younger sibling and went out for dinner. The original thought was to meet Russ and Kim (as it's Russ's birthday this weekend) but unfortunately they were out of town visiting Kim's family. Another couple we haven't seen in a while was Andre and Aileen. Angel phoned and Aileen was willing but it was contingent on Andre finishing work on time. Unfortunately, Andre phoned and when I heard the siren in the background I knew dinner was a no go. That left Angel and I to go alone. It was great!! We haven't been out together in a while. We went to one of our favorite spots (Promenade Bistro). We were able to get in without reservations - great! Food as always was excellent. We love this place and so far it's still one of those "best kept secret places"....

Tomorrow is my sleep in day (as Angel has offered). Then, it's Grey Cup Sunday at my parents. Go Stamps Go!!! Would have loved to see Stamps vs Esks but it wasn't meant to be (as the Bombers were knocked out). Hopefully we'll make some money as we bought some Grey Cup pool tickets. Then, it's back to work Monday - hopefully a quiet day!!!

chatty McCathy

After an enjoyable evening with the boys at the Moose game, here I am up early. I took the boys out to the Moose game last night as a surprise because of we've been busy with Ava and it seems the last few times Alix and Sam have come over we really haven't done anything with them. The hockey game was fun; we had great seats, the Moose won, and there was a lot of action; including a night at the fights when a hockey game broke out!!! All said and done, Alix and Sam had a great time, as did I.

Back to being up early, I figure it's the least I can do as I haven't been around all day yesterday. They are long days when I'm away; for both Angel and I (although for different reasons from the same cause). I know Angel finds it long without me - she doesn't have adult company (unless she goes out with Ava), Ava can be draining as she needs a lot of attention, and it's difficult to do anything (including going to the bathroom) when you're alone with Ava. For me when I'm away, I find myself thinking about the girls a lot which makes me miss them. When you miss someone, time seems to not go by.

So here I am, up with chatty McCathy early on a Saturday morning after being out the night before. Ava is extremely chatty (at full volume) and has woken Sam up with her verbal shenanigans. She is entertaining. I love being with her!! While getting up early in the morning to let Angel sleep in is not the easiest thing to do, it is the least I can do for Angel. Plus it gives me time with Ava while getting me in Angel's good book!! ;)

Starting out

Well, here I am - blogging. My ACP instructor, Sally, would be very impressed (or maybe disappointed) as she tried getting me to journal during my advanced care training and it was a monumental task for me to write a few words. That may be hard to believe as I am more than willing to share my opinion. But I do find writing different (meaning more difficult) and do not like it as much. Angel has been blogging now for a while and my sister has been at it for quite a while. As a way to share my point of view of what's going on in my home; here's my blog.

Having a child is an experience I've experienced before. Alix and Samuel are wonderful sons but for the most part, I was not there while they grew. I am certainly proud of them and while work (and relationship breakdown) kept me out of their home, I am willing to be there for them. So when Angel and I had a little one, I promised myself a different experience. I want to be there!!! Well, I'm there - with a daughter! I promised myself a different experience; I got it with Ava!

I am experiencing things again and they seem different. I'm not sure if it's because it's been so long since I've changed Sam's diapers, if it's because I'm sharing a home with Ava making me more involved, if it's because of my different attitude towards it, or if it's because Angel is here and sharing experiences with me (through her first time eyes). Either way, I am enjoying it greatly. Maybe I'm just getting to be an old softy as my grey hair increases?? Angel's appearance in my life has caused some dramatic changes in me - my relationship with my parents/family has improved, my outlook on life has improved, my internal happiness has improved. In many ways, she makes me a better person.

Don't think Angel is not getting any benefits of this change. Her daughter has a father that is incredibly in love with her and her mother. Being away from them is time that is not always looked forward to (contrary to what Angel may believe some times). Ava seems to have noticed my attention also; this morning she snuggled on my shoulder for about a minute and suddenly sat up, placing her nose on mine while staring into my eyes for about 15 seconds. I don't know what to say other than we were connected. Thanks Angel for such a great gift - a home with girls!!!