The Most Loathed Tree in the World.

From afar, one might think this tree is pretty, nice, a provider of shade and all things cool in the summer. In fact, most people who see this tree between the months of July through May have no clue that this tree is the most loathed tree in the world. Really - it is cursed up and down and the recipient of constant glares, jeers and four letter words. I am pretty sure my neighbour Michael has even fashioned a voodoo tree that he pokes with copper nails. I'm surprised the damn thing hasn't fallen down dead from all the negative energy being sent its way.

The main gripe about this tree is that every year when June rolls around, it starts dropping these pulp like pods all over the place. This pulp blows across the neighbourhood - at times it actually appears to be snowing - in June no less. The tree is a Poplar tree, and it is now towers over my home. Its roots are taking over my backyard and coming too close for comfort to the foundation of my house. Michael, an avid gardener is limited in what he can plant in his backyard because he gets no sun as a result of the tree. Pete and Pat have had to replace at least one pool pump, nobody can bbq because the pulp will stick to your food, and those with allergies are forced to stay indoors or perish. Max's brand new jungle gym is caked with white fluff, and my eyes water at even the thought of sitting on my back deck.
The challenge is that the tree is now so big that it will be quite expensive to have taken down. Scott and I try to have some perspective about it (it is just a tree, and in the big picture, there are much more important things going on in our world than this abomination of nature). Do I dislike the tree? Absolutely. Am I willing to get in a pissing match with the lovely single mom with whom my home is physically linked? Nope. I mean, she inherited this problem from the previous owner of the house who refused to consider taking the tree down (he spent the summer at his cottage so what did he care if we were all being forced indoors during the most beautiful days of summer?).

My neighbour is amenable to having the tree taken down (she is not a big fan either). As we do every summer, the neighbours are banding together, getting quotes to see just how much it will cost to remove this blight of nature, and hoping and praying that this problem gets dealt with once and for all. Sigh. I'll let you know how it goes. Otherwise, my next tree post will be about the fifty bags of leaves I'll have to rake come the fall.

The mad quilter.

It struck me that in all my blogging about stuff that I want that I don't have, I haven't done much blogging about being thankful for what I already have, which is a lot. So, I think I'll institute a weekly "What I'm Thankful For" post to remind me about how lucky I am.

So, who is this Mad Quilter I speak of? The Mad Quilter is my mom, Cameron's grandmother (the middle name Elizabeth is an homage to my mom and my great grandmother). My mom has many incredible attributes (she is wicked smart, incredibly kind, has a huge heart), but what I want to talk about today is her mad quilting skillz. She is far too modest in this respect, so someone has to sing her praises.
My home is a testament to her wonderful quilting. Over the years she has made me and Scott many quilts. Max has three quilts, and Cameron has two (so far). In fact, Cameron's nursery was decked out by my mom. All I did was purchase the rug, roman blinds and lamp from Pottery Barn Kids. My mom sewed two quilts (the one Cameron is laying on and the heart quilt on the wall), window valances, and a crib bed skirt. She also gave us the flowers/butterfly/hearts/letters for the wall. Lucky baby! If it weren't for my mom, Cameron's room would be very boring.

In addition to pretty quilts, my mom has ventured into more complex functional quilts. The latest quilt she made for Max is weighted with plastic pellets (the hope is that the weighted quilt will help him sleep better). Each block had to be made individually, with the pellets sewn in and separated into quarters to keep them from bunching up. The end result is a very snugly quilt which Max seems to like a lot. Fingers crossed that it helps him catch some more zzzzz's at daycare.

If you think these quilts are incredible, you should see the cat quilt that my mom is working on for my bedroom, and the big boy quilt she has planned for Max, and the big girl quilt she has planned for Cameron...seriously, when does this woman rest?

Is that a wallet in your pocket?

I'm in week #2 of the Buy No Crap Challenge, and so far so good. My big win yesterday was not purchasing the In Style magazine staring longingly at me from the checkout stand at the grocery store. For some people the impulse buys are batteries and candybars - for me it is pretty girls in print.

After looking at my last Visa bill, I discovered that what kills me is the $20 purchases. They really add up fast and can have devastating effects at the end of the month. I decided that for any purchase that is $20 or less, I will pay with cash. Seems to sink in a bit more that way. Paying with plastic is just too easy, and makes it seem like said item is free. But it isn't - it really, really isn't. There's something about pulling cash out of my wallet that stings a bit. It seems to be keeping me honest about my spending, so I'm going to continue.

Jennifer (who has decided to join me for the next three months of this challenge) and I have been discussing a "good behaviour clause". The deal would be, each month, if you behave and don't cheat, you get to purchase something off your wish list (mine is in the top right column of this page). I was thinking I would like to buy a glass pitcher. I might take a look at Pier 1 as well - they have much prettier pitchers there (I like the blue Mexican glass). I have also been lusting after these terra cotta water purifiers for a long time now. I think that I may add a clause for a "bigger" purchase if I make it through the entire summer without caving. We'll see...might be a bit much. Perhaps if I add a bonus month on at the end? I guess we'll just have to see!

In kid news: Cameron decided that the middle of the night partying could take a rest last night and decided to only wake up to eat. Then it was back to sleep (blessed angel!). Max on the other hand had a very hard time getting to bed last night (after six nights of doing great). Poor little guy was very sad, so dad went in to hang out with him until he calmed down. It seemed to do the trick, and Max finally went to sleep about two hours past his bedtime. I am guessing he'll be a bit testy at daycare today!

Not enough coffee in the world.

It's 8am and I have no business being awake. After being rudely awoken by my darling baby Cameron at 2am, and staying up until 4:30am, I figure I've earned some more sleep. Apparently Cameron does not agree - she is of the opinion that it's time to start our week. Thanks kid.
We had a nice weekend. It started out a little bit rough when on Friday night, Scott, using a damp towel to take my brownies out of the oven, burned his hands and dumped them on the floor (face down of course). With what must have been male logic at work, he thought using a damp towel to take the glass dish out of the oven was just as good, if not better than an oven mitt because the "water would absorb the heat". Hmmmm...not so much. Because he is Scott, he felt so badly for ruining my brownies that he walked over to the grocery store (in the rain no less) to buy another box of mix to make me another batch of brownies. Then, while making the second batch, he dropped what I'm guessing was a half dozen organic eggs on the floor. Expensive brownies! But very tasty - made with frustration and love.
On Saturday we celebrated Father's Day over at Scott's parent's house. Being the class act that I am, I fell asleep on the couch for what must have been a good hour on their couch, leaving the Max wrangling to others. Feel free to invite me to your home so I can sleep through our visit - I get some of my best sleep on unfamiliar furniture.
Since Cameron and I were up partying for most of Saturday night, we had a late start on Sunday. At my wit's end, I headed over to the dreaded BabiesRUs to buy a Swaddle Me Blanket (the equivalent of a baby straight jacket that is supposed to help with sleep). I don't see this as a frivolous purchase because sleep really is a necessity, and I wasn't about to wait until the end of the three month Buy No Crap challenge to see if this baby straight jacket would work. Baby Houdini here managed to get her arms out of it in record time, but she did sleep for about an hour in her bassinette. Since she usually needs to sleep next to me or on me to stay asleep, I count this as progress. We'll keep working on it.

A moment of weakness.

Turns out I cannot be trusted not to find a way to shop when left to my own bleary eyed devices. That's right, not even a week into the Buy No Crap Challenge, and I have broken down and made a purchase. Sigh. You see, everyone was asleep, except me and Cameron (we didn't go to bed until 7am). I think it was at about 6am, I was feeling super tired, and not quite of sound mind. I remembered I needed to order a book for Scott for Father's Day (yes, I know, I'm a little late with that). I went to the checkout page and there it was - the Free Shipping Offer. I caved like a rented mule. The good news is the damage is minimal - I only bought a $10 Farzzle's World DVD and a book for myself. Seemed only fair, if Scott and Max were getting gifts, I should get something too! I bought "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" because Jennifer suggested it as reading, and I'm a sucker for any book she suggests to me. I think I'll read it for her as part of her upcoming birthday present.

On a positive note, Night #3 of the Big Boy Bed Challenge went well. Max stayed in his bed and did not fall out. We smartened up and put pillows at the end of his bed which seemed to keep him from scooting down to the bottom of his bed in his sleep. He still prefers to keep his feet at the head of his bed, but who am I to judge? Now if I could just get Cameron to tone down the partying, maybe I won't be such a risk for further drive by shopping in the middle of the night.

Is that a smile I see?

When you get as little sleep as I do, you need to get excited about the little things. Like little smiles. At least, I think that's a smile? And don't tell me it's just gas! What's she smiling about you ask? Could it be that she stayed up until 3:30am? Possibly. This girl likes to party. We stayed up and watched "The Other Boleyn Girl" (Scott headed for the hills when I pulled the dvd out). If you liked the book (which I did), I don't recommend this movie. In fact, if you like good movies, I don't recommend this movie. There's a reason it only got a 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes! I liked the Tudors much better, which doesn't take itself so seriously and embraces its soft core/campy elements. Hey, I have to get my excitement where I can these days!
In other news, Night #2 of Max in his big boy bed went not nearly as well as Night #1. He somehow managed to fall off the end of his bed which resulted in about an hour of crying. Once he settled back down he did sleep through the night, with his feet at the head of his bed, curled up in a little ball. Kind of heartbreaking for me - seems like just yesterday he was Cameron's size.

A night sans kids avec Sloan et hipsters.

Scott and I went out on our first date since Cameron was born tonight. It was lovely. Truly. I felt light as a feather as I walked from the car to the GO train. No baby, no car seat, no diaper bag. Only my purse and me. I almost felt naked. Naked, and carefree. It only took me three days of pumping milk after feedings to get here.

We met up at Scott's work and went for dinner at Il Fornello. We sat on the patio and enjoyed the perfect weather and gazed at Lake Ontario. I didn't even mind that there was a family with four kids sitting only a few feet away from us. After all, those were somebody else's kids, not my problem if one of them throws a fit, throws up or throws a toy. They were actually very well behaved, my kids would never show that well in public.

After my first dinner without a baby on my lap in six weeks, we went over to the Orange Music Lounge to watch Sloan. They played a short set, but hey, the tickets were free, and George Stroumboulopoulos stood in front of us for the entire show, eating a tuna sub in one hand and draping his arm around one of Scott's coworkers with the other. Slick. The guy has eating, flirting, and networking down to a science - mad respect.

The band sounded great - I liked the songs they played from their new album. I also enjoyed watching all the hipsters at the show. I'm not sure what made my want to laugh more - their super tight jeans or their ability to listen to Sloan rock out without moving a collective muscle. Seriously, the hipsters could be identified strictly by their lack of movement and love of form fitting apparel.

One last note - we got home to find out that Max has figured out how to escape his crib. We have a twin bed set up for him, so this isn't really that big of a deal. But I was hoping we'd have a bit longer (like until September) before we would have to transition him into his big boy bed. Guess we now have no choice. Good times!

The "Buy No Crap Resolution" Status Update - Week 1.

So far so good. I have made it three days without buying any crap. Impressive, no? I think I'm still in the honeymoon phase of this resolution though (think new year's work out resolution - the first few days of hitting the gym are pretty easy, it's week 2 where you scratch your head and question just how drunk you were when you made this wacky get-in-shape promise to yourself).

I will say that this "buy no crap" diet has many similarities to an "eat no crap" diet in that the moment I told myself I was not allowed to buy something, I thought of many, many things I would like to purchase. Like a glass pitcher for ice tea, really good double bed sheets for my guest room, all the Pyrex food storage containers I can carry...see what I mean? I am updating the list in the right margin daily, in case you are interested in my passion for consuming.

I may have slightly cheated in that I have been coveting some stainless steel water bottles (we are attempting to rid ourselves of the Evil Plastic touching food/beverages we ingest). Instead of buying these myself, I asked my father to get us some for my birthday. I think that this doesn't count, but perhaps you can weigh in? I know it appears that I am adding rules as I go along, but we're only three days in, so I figure there is still some wiggle room.

One last note - I think I am going to have to unsubscribe to a bunch of email newsletters that land in my inbox on a daily basis offering me great deals on all sorts of tempting crap. It's just too easy to surf and shop to get my fix. For now I'll have to fill the void by shopping for groceries (oooo....avocado!) and sunscreen (oooo....coconut scented!). Wish me luck.

Because my baby doesn't really need a purple ostrich.

Being on maternity leave has its benefits. Namely, I get to stay home with my baby for a whole year. The challenge, is that with me not working, we have significantly less money coming in the door. My maternity leave benefits and Stephen Harper beer and popcorn money are basically enough to cover our mortgage, property taxes and insurance, after that, Scott is left carrying the ball for everything else.

We don't live an extravagant lifestyle, but I am a woman who likes to shop. I don't even have fancy taste or like expensive shoes. Well, I like them, I just don't buy them. My point is, I've been thinking lately that I really need to rein the spending in. I'm sure my husband will read this and breathe a sigh of relief.

In her ever timely-reading my mind fashion, Jennifer posted about this very subject matter. She was inspired by Crazy Aunt Purl. I am going to see if I can take on the challenge for at least the summer months. Realistically, I should commit to this for the next year, but I want to see how hard it is before I get all crazy and stuff.

So, for the months of June, July and August, I will not buy anything that isn't essential (ie - food, drink, crucial toiletries, things the kids really need). The only caveat is that if Scott and I actually line up a babysitter, we will spend money on entertainment - we get out so rarely, that will hardly break the bank.

I'm going to keep a running tally of items I did not purchase, and a list of things that I would like that I will not purchase at this time. Hey - maybe by this Christmas I'll actually be able to think of things for people to get me instead of the last few years where I just scratched my head and racked my brain for gift suggestions for spoiled spoiled me. Bonus!

Items Not Purchased:
Purple Gund Ostrich (for Cameron)

Items I Would Like (But will not purchase)
Subscription to "In Style" magazine

Cameron Elizabeth: 1 month old.

Dear Cameron,

I'm not sure where the last month went - it seemed to be made up of many long nights, yet it passed by in the blink of an eye. We are still getting to know each other, you and me, but I think we are off on the right foot. You are very sweet, and you show very well. What I mean by this is that you typically save your ever powerful wails for home, or even better, the car. In public, especially if I have you in my trusty hotsling, you are the model baby. Seriously, people stop me on the street and comment on how beautiful you are, what an amazing full head of hair you have, and how sweet you look. I thank them, then ask them to come over around midnight when you are screaming for yet MORE BOOBY, and you will surely be telling terrible tales about how I never feed you.

You will tell anyone who will listen about how you are starving, which really isn't accurate. I mean, at your 3 week appointment you had gained almost a whole pound in the previous 2 weeks, weighing in at 8 lbs, 4 ounces. Also, you grew 1.5 inches and measured in at 21.5 inches in length and have grown out of all your newborn sleepers already. You don't grow like that when you are starving. Your doctor even suggested that I *gasp* not feed you on demand and I make you wait 3 hours between feedings. Clearly he has not yet been blessed with the full force of your lusty wail.I don't want it to seem like all you do is cry, because for the most part - 90% of the time, you are very happy and cuddly. You love to be held, you love to sleep nuzzled up to me or your dad. You are starting to look around and notice your world. I like to think that your adamant cries are really just you being assertive and ensuring that you get what you need, and that we are all clear on what your want. Hmmmm...wonder where you got that from, eh?

You are the apple of my eye, and you have a very big fan club (many Facebook admirers). Your dad loves to cuddle you, all of your grandparents adore you, and your numerous aunts and uncles love you to pieces. Your brother Max is a bit jealous, and is not enjoying sharing me and your dad with you, but I think he'll come around eventually. Until he does, we'll play it cool, okay? He really is a nice boy when you get to know him.

I am trying to take in each day and enjoy it, and not let it slip by. You are growing like a weed and becoming more alert every day. I am looking forward to when your gassy smiles turn into full fledged grins, but don't get there too fast, okay? You are probably my last baby, so I am want to soak it all up. Before I know it you'll be big like your brother!

love,
Mom

The 2 Week Feeding Frenzy.

My gawd this girl can eat. The last few weeks have been a blur, what with the feeding, the feeding, and more feeding. If Cameron had her way, I would never get dressed, I would just hang out with my top off all day so she could have a snack whenever she pleases. Unfortunately for her, I am not much of a nudist, equal rights or not, and I prefer to hoist the sisters up into one of my super sexy nursing bras and go about my day. The good news is that this time around I am much better at breastfeeding, and we have not had to spend countless hours at the breastfeeding clinic or call in our wonderful lactation consultant Attie.
Max seems nonplussed by his little sis. He looks at her every once in a while as if to say "You're still here?". Yesterday he examined her toes - they seemed to meet his approval. He hates it when she cries - it makes him cry, which is kind of heartbreaking because his lower lip starts to tremble and these huge tears well up in his eyes. Apparently he does this at daycare when other kids cry as well. What a kid. We have been doing our best to keep his routine the same, and he has been getting a lot of attention from his grandparents. I bought him a trampoline this week (pics to come) and the jungle gym we all bought him for his birthday present is going to be set up this week. He loves playing outside, so we are hoping this is a big hit with him. He also loves his laptop (as you can see, his future girlfriend Charlotte also has a bit of a geek-streak going).
Two kids is definitely a challenge. We are using the divide and conquer strategy. It seems to work, but you always have a kid hanging off you. Not much time to go to the bathroom in peace or sit and have a cup of coffee...in peace. But hey, I'm not complaining, just commenting. I love these little monkeys.

Introducing Cameron Elizabeth: The best birthday present ever.

Cameron Elizabeth formally introduced herself at 4:58pm on April 30th, 2008. She weighed in at 7 lbs, 7.5 ounces and meausured a respectable 20 inches in length. Also, she was born on my birthday. How awesome is that? An interesting sidenote - my son Max was born on my husband Scott's birthday - April 23rd. So, not only do we have 4 birthday's within a week, we have 4 Taureans under one roof. I'm not sure whether or not to laugh or cry, but it sure makes for a good story.

This little girl is a sweety pie, the apple of our eyes. Her middle name is a tribute to my mom and my great grandmother. She is still very sleepy and is a "warm baby" so we have to be careful not to over swaddle her. Most of the time she hangs out in just a onesie and a blanket. Makes for great access to her feet, which are tiny, yet long and slender. She has a full head of dark brown hair and dark blue eyes which look like they are going to turn brown like her dad's. According to my mom, she is a tiny replica of what I looked like as a baby, except I had reddish hair. I think her face changes every day, so I guess time will tell.
I gotta say, baby number two is nice from the standpoint that you actually have a clue as to what to expect and what to do with the little creature. Breastfeeding has been a snap compared to the saga I went through with Max, and both Scott and I are so much more relaxed...it's no wonder that first borns are overachievers and subsequent kids are more chilled out.

The day of Cameron's birth I had been up pretty much all night with cramping which turned into fairly intense contractions by 6am. They weren't falling into any kind of pattern though, so I wasn't sure if it was the real deal. Since my doctor was on call at the hospital that day, we decided to drop Max off at the daycare and head over to the hospital to get me checked out. Once my doctor examined me she decided to break my water to get things going and by 10:30am my contractions were 2 to 3 minutes apart. My 11:15am I requested (that's a nice way to put it) an epidural and by noon when one of my closest friends, Christine appeared, I was blissfully relaxed and smiling through the contractions.
Since my mom was on the way from Vancouver while all of this was going on, Christine texted her so that she would know to come straight to the hospital once she landed. By 4:30pm I was ready to push, we just needed my doctor to arrive so we could start. Since I only pushed for 3 minutes with Max, I wanted to wait in case this baby came out equally fast. My doctor appeared at 4:45pm and I got ready to push. After the first push, my doctor told me that the baby was face up and for a minute I thought she was going to tell me I would have to have a c-section. Not so, I would just need to push a lot harder, and my doctor would have to try to turn her like a corkscrew to get her face down. With Scott and Christine by my side, I pushed like I have never pushed before. I swear, after each set of contractions I had nothing left, and I was a bit worried about how long I could keep it up for. Luckily, it only took 4 sets of contractions (10 minutes), and out she came. After she got an initial wipe down and Scott cut the cord, she was placed on my chest for me to examine her. What a beauty. I immediately fell in love with her.
My mom arrived a few hours later and Scott went out to get us all some dinner. I lucked into a private room as well, so this hospital stay was a lot more restful than my stay with Max. We went home the next night and it has been a blur of visitors and sleeping and feeding ever since. My milk came in very quickly this time, and she is eating like a champ. Max is not sure what to think of the new arrival in our house, but I think he is slowly getting used to her.

I'll post another update later - for now I need to go get some rest. This baby thing is tiring! Thanks to everyone for the good wishes and kind words. We will start making calls in the next few days as we settle in.

Trust me, I'll call you when I have the baby.

First off, big ups to Cecily over at And I Wasted All That Birth Control for tipping me off to this awesome little laptop. She posted about how much Tori Anne loved the one she got her. Ever since we started Skyping (is that a verb?) with my Mom on her latest trip to Beijing, Max thinks that my laptop is a portal to his Grandma, and there has been no peace. Any time my laptop is out, he thinks it is fun time for Max. My poor little HP is a trooper as it is (unlike Scott's piece of poo Toshiba's that are constantly breaking down on him). I am not willing to put it through the abuse of a 2 year old, as well meaning as he may be. Our new strategy when Max sidles up to the kitchen table is to get out his "Explorathon" laptop which is likely far too advanced for him, but whatevs. The mouse makes a silly "boy-oy-oy-oy-oing" sound and it has lots of buttons to push. Also, if he gets sticky peanut butter fingers on it, it won't complain too much.

In other news, the "Have you had the baby? Huh? Huh? Huh?" calls have started. Holy hell people, I will call you when this little girl decides to formally introduce herself. Do you think I'm going to wait and week and then casually call you up and be all "Yeah, so I had the baby back in March..."? It's bad enough that I can't sleep, my back is killing me, and Max thinks his sister-to-be is a nice shelf to sit on when he is cuddling with Mommy, I don't need the added pressure from you (whoever you are!). /rant from cranky pregnant lady.

On a more positive note, Scott and I went out on a date last night - a very nice joint birthday present from his folks. We had dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (which has completely ruined me for any other steak-serving restaurant) followed by Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which was pretty damn funny. A lot of full frontal male nudity (from beginning to end) in the Knocked Up va-jay-jay/crowning baby/shock value style. Scott says he actually heard me laugh out loud a few times (an excellent sign as I am typically an "inside" laugher). I think he just likes my deep pregnant lady laugh...

The beast is waking up, so I best get a move on. I was hoping he might sleep in seeing as his Grandparents kept him up until 9:30pm last night, but alas, it is not to be. Sigh.

Fickle Feline 2.0

I've been trying to figure out what to write for about a week now...since I haven't come up with anything awe inspiring, it seems like I should just get back in the saddle and post something.

So - here goes - HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY MAX! HAPPY 33rd BIRTHDAY SCOTT. Belated, yes, but worth mentioning nonetheless.
Also - I am about a million months pregnant (feels like it anyway). The baby is due May 6th, but I'm really really hoping she decides to introduce herself sooner than that. Guess we'll see. I've been walking everyday, and tempting her with nice things like booby milk, but so far no go. Another Taurus, stubborn and wanting to do things in her own time. Wonder where she got that from?

Alright - now that the first post is done with and out of the way, hopefully it won't seem so overwhelming and I can get back to it. I figure I'll have lots of late nights staring at this new baby, so there should be ample (if not bleary) time to post more.

Did I mention I'm pregnant?

We have had a crazy fall, what with raising a toddler, a family health crisis (which has now resolved itself) and moving Max to a new daycare (that's his 3rd since I went back to work in May). Plus we are preparing to welcome baby #2 into the world in early May. Here is an ultrasound pic from last week. We wanted to find out the sex of the baby, but this kid could not have had her/his knees more firmly shut if he/she wanted to. I am now half way - 20 weeks! What a relief. I feel kind of bad about not blogging more about this, seeing as I commented on every twinge I felt when I was preggo with Max...but, well, I just haven't been up to it. This pregnancy has been much tougher than my first - horrible morning sickness, my skin is breaking out like a teenager, and I have been so tired, I swear even my bones are tired at the end of the day. But it will all be worth it come May, and I know that this is it for me, 2 kids and I'm out!

I'm still here - just pooped!

In case you were wondering...I haven't given up my blog, though not posting for over 3 months isn't a great sign is it? Where have I been? Busy. Working, chasing Max around, more working, more chasing. We're doing fine. Just that life takes over sometimes and it is hard enough to pick up the phone to call your best friend, let alone take the time to write. But I should write more, I've missed it. So, stay tuned, there will be more to come. In the mean time, here

is a pic of the kid. He's huge now. 17 months - running, carrying on, having very strong opinions and feeling free to express them. Sleeping through the night (bless his heart), down to one nap, fully recovered from his surgery in July and ready to conquer the world. He has settled in to a new, improved daycare, and is even sleeping on a cot like the other kids! Still working on the talking, but I think he's on the cusp. With that smile though, who can doubt he'll be a charmer.

Maxwell Hunter: 14 months old.

Maxilla,

I can't really call you my dearest baby Max anymore because at some point this month, you turned into a little boy. I still catch a glimpse of my baby now and then, but for the most part, your dad and I just sit and stare in awe at you as you make your wobbly way around the house. That's right - you have officially moved from crawling to walking. Walking is your new toy. All you want to do is walk laps around the house. Every once in a while you take a tumble, but you are right back up and ready to go again. A few days ago you stood up without any help, and you were so proud of yourself I couldn't help but say "yeeeeeeaaaaaaaaah Max!". The little baby that would eat anything I put in front of him is no more. You are now very specific about what you will eat. Fruit continues to be a favourite - blueberries, green grapes, bananas and watermelon are usually hits. Vegetables are proving to be a bit more challenging - the only one you really like is sweet potatoes, and only in french fry form. Sometimes you'll eat corn, but your Grandpa Dave tells me that you prefer to drop it down the vent than eat it, so we're taking a break on corn. Chicken nuggets with ketchup, hotdogs, turkey and ham slices are still staples, and I hate to say it but your favourite appears to be alphaghetti. I used to think I wouldn't feed you that stuff, but I now understand what parents go through when their kids won't eat, so I won't judge, I'll join. You have a lot to say Max, and you talk constantly. Usually you say "dadadadadadadada", but with all sorts of different inflections, so you appear to have a lot on your mind. "Mama" and "nana" are also part of your vocabulary and I could have sworn that when I asked you if you wanted a bath the other day you said "yeah". You also like to say "dada-dumdum" which makes me laugh. Not sure what your dad thinks of this, but he appears to be taking it in stride. I usually respond by saying "yes, but he's all we've got". Speaking of baths - this seems to be your favourite pastime. Every night after dinner we give you a bath to clean you up (wow to little boys ever get messy). As your crawl up the stairs you giggle and then once you reach the top you make a break for it. Every few seconds you look back to make sure we are pretend chasing you and you laugh your little head off. Giving you a bath is a joint effort, and once we are done soaping you up, we let you play…and play…and play. I do believe that you would stay in that bath until you shriveled into a prune if we let you. When we take you out, you usually express your unhappiness by kicking your legs and serenading us with a few shrieks. We towel you off, wrestle a diaper on you and get you in your pajamas. Max, you are one strong little dude. I used to think that all babies were as strong as you are, but I have recently seen the light. Not only are you bigger than most kids your age, you are sturdier, and appear to have freakish man strength. Changing your diaper is always an adventure. Getting you dressed is a skill unto itself. Washing your face and your hands after you eat is greeted with grunts and groans. You are absolutely a wee taurus, and it appears that we have passed our own stubborn traits on to you in spades.
Your dad and I agree that our favourite time of the day with you is when you first wake up. When we go in to get you from your crib, you are a bit sleepy and usually a bit grumpy (just like your dad). You cuddle into me and I carry you downstairs and we sit on the couch and watch Blues Clues while you drink your milk. Somewhere in there (while you are still not quite awake), I change your diaper, get you dressed and cuddle you some more. Your dad usually comes and requests some cuddle time as well (I'm not allowed to hog it all for myself!). I think I say this every month, but I feel like you do something new every day. We constantly look at each other and say "did you see that?!". Your toys are newly fascinating to you, you are climbing on everything (I found you sitting in the middle of the coffee table last week), and are about to add running to your skill set (watch out world!). Here's to another month of daily adventures - we can't wait!

Love,
Mommy

Max walks, Max climbs, Max tears the house apart.

Maxwell Hunter: 13 months old.

My deareast (mammoth) baby Max,
Little dude, you are 13 months old today. I know, I can hardly believe it myself. You are a charmer, a handful, a heart breaker, a beast, a lovely little boy, a cuddly baby, and my favourite person on earth. Quite a resume if you think about it. You started daycare on May 1st as I had to go back to work after staying home with you for a whole year. I think you are finding it easier than me (must be all those little girls you get to flirt with all day and yummy homemade Italian food).

Truth be told, I am doing okay at work, but there are points in the day when I miss you terribly. There are also times when I enjoy eating my lunch in peace, talking to your dad during the commute (without having to holler over you), and sitting at my desk just being quiet and by myself. My coworkers aren't nearly as sweet as you, but we won't hold that against them. It is true what they say though, absence does make the heart grow fonder. At the end of the day I can't wait to get home to see you and your smile when you see us come through the door makes my day.

Baby Max, you are one big boy. You weigh almost 25 pounds, and you are wearing size 2T! I haven't had much time to go to the gym lately, but I think I am stronger than ever carrying you around. While I reported that you took your first steps a few days before your first birthday, you quickly decided that crawling was much easier (the path of least resistance I guess?). After taking more than a month off from the walking tip, you seem to be giving it another go. When you think your dad and I aren't watching, you even walk a few steps on your own. The minute you see us you drop to your knees and start crawling again. Whatever kid, we are ON to you!

What else is there to say? You are into EVERYTHING. And by everything I mean that in the last week you have:

- unplugged the fridge
- ripped the handle off the fridge
- cracked the dining room blinds
- pushed your high chair across the first floor
- crawled all the way upstairs the one and only time we left the gate open
- taken your pants off pretty much everyday (pants are overrated, eh?)
- started your day at 5:30am and vetoed your naps (this makes for a long day)

You also love to bang on the toilet seat lid, grab our faces, pinch my arm and belly chub (thanks for that), try to knock our glasses of our faces, and pull yourself up onto the couches. I think you are pretty close to figuring out how to get out of your crib, and your favourite game is to throw water bottles through the cat door (poor Samba!).

Max, you break my heart when you give me hugs and kisses. You also wave goodbye like the queen, say "bah bah" (when you feel like it), and shriek "dadadadadadada" with glee at pretty much every opportunity you get. Blues Clues is still your favourite show - especially the shows with Blue as the puppet. I think your favourite part of the day is bathtime - you would stay in there until you turned into a prune if I let you. When you wake up in the morning, you cry very passionately to get us to come rescue you from your crib, and the minute we open the door you break out into a huge grin.

You are also now fully off the boob and drinking 3 full bottles of milk a day. Weaning you was tough, but we were both ready (mostly me actually, what with all your teeth). As everyone can see from your pictures, you are one healthy boy and you are thriving. In fact, you eat a lot. I sometimes wonder how someone who weighs less than 25 pounds can eat so much. Then I change your diaper (which you hate and make a terrible scene about) and I see that yes, yes, you did actually eat that much.

Your dad and I swear that you look different every morning when you wake up. You are growing a mile a minute, and every day you surprise us with something new. Part of me misses the little baby that you used to be, but I am also loving every minute of you growing into my little boy.

Love,

Your Mommy

The Hardest Button to Button.