Snow Snow Snow!!!

(eden isn't so happy to be handed over to mummy for a photoshoot)

Well for the first time since I've lived here, there is snow worth speaking about! I think it's about 5 inches now? Tres exciting if you ask me. Although suddenly I am painfully aware of our very large driveway and lack of a snow shovel!!!

Fun and games though. Eden helped phil make a snow man... sort of.

a few clips

once again they're just off my mobile...there'll be better quality ones at some point, but we're having technical difficulties with the video camera right now.

(the first two are from the same time, i can only take 19 sec videos... sometime last week)

He's walking enough that we're going to break out the lady bug harness backpack he got for his birthday...we took him to sainsburys yesterday and the only way he'd stop whingeing was if he was allowed to walk (and crab crawl)... which was fine until he wanted to go a different way than us!!!

All this walking is making him sleep more as well... that i can't complain about!

And he walks!

(this is eden's truly happy/proud face!)
He's still a bit shaky, but attempts to walk everywhere! If you hold his hand, he can walk next to you pretty far. I love it. It's a totally different experience holding his hand. He seems so big!

Well, saying that, he is big. Massive. 5-10 lbs heavier than most kids his age! Quickly growing out of all his 12-18 month clothing.

These are photos from a photoshoot phil did with him a few weeks ago. Obviously phil didn't take the one of the two of them - i did. There are more. Lots more.

Today Eden has another appointment with the specialist about lactose intolerance. We were so close to being in the clear but he seemed to react quite badly to the introduction of milk, about a week into it. We've pulled him off it and are waiting to see what the specialist advises. He is on other dairy products.

Eden is trying his hardest to learn how to use cutlery these days. He loves it when i give him the container of fromage frais (doesn't drip out like yoghurt!) and a spoon. He doesn't quite get it right, but he knows the necessary actions! Sometimes he won't eat unless we give him cutlery, which then requires our assistance as he struggles to get anything on his spoon or fork.

And the teeth that have been bothering him have finally broken through! He's up at 8 teeth now, even though everyone only ever sees the bottom 2. Soon the new 2 will be visible and his two tooth grin will be a memory.

Sorry about the quality of these shots, I just took them with my phone.

Eden's favourite way to play right now, is sitting in one of his toy buckets:

Things are going well. We've cut back on milk as we've had a terrible week of pain and we think it's lactose? I haven't had more than a few hours sleep at a time for over a week (which now is awful...before a few hours was good!). He's going to his grandparents' tonight, as phil and i are off to a fancy dress party - i hope they get some sleep!!! Sorry!

He's getting closer and closer to officially being a walker. He is walking little bits all the time, just not everywhere.

Anyway. I don't have much to say. This video was on his birthday. Also my phone, sorry.

Unfortunately I can't find where Phil's saved all our recent photos. Everytime I sit down to blog, I look for them...but it's inevitably when he's at work and eden's in bed...so i still haven't found them. Videos I can find. I'm not sure what this one is exactly but it's labeled 'keyboard' so i imagine it's something to do with him playing on his keyboard!

I've suspected it for awhile, but today eden most definitely said 'mmnana' in response to my offering him banana!!!

And he's also started trying to build his block tower himself...except his motor skills aren't quite that good yet, so the blocks mostly end up next to each other. He gets so excited with himself though, and picks them up again and claps them wildly together before trying again!

Mainly what we do, however, is i sit on his futon and he brings books, climbs onto my lap...flicks through the pages, gets off and finds another book! (or brings back the same one). Over and over. Generally to find one page in the book before going on to the next one. In Sly Fox and Red Hen he loves the last page, where the fox gets splashed with hot water. He flicks the pages with great concentration till he gets to it!

Anyway. The house is a tip. I have jewelry to make and some design stuff for foxton to do.

And he turned 1. . .

Eden is 1! How on earth did that happen???? For his birthday we took him to a local pub which has a massive free play area until 3pm everyday...he had his first Tikka Masala! And then yesterday we threw a party for him. He dealt really well with all of the people, and really enjoyed everyone singing happy birthday. He clapped when they all finished. His grandma made him a hedgehog birthday cake which was scrumptious. Next year maybe he can even have a piece!

We've started experimenting with the lactose issue. He's regularly having margarine and yoghurt or fromage frais. I've not worked my way up to much actual milk but there haven't been any reactions. The only possible one is that his eczema is flaring up, but i'm under the impression that eczema flares in winter...

He's taking steps! It's like something suddenly clicked and he's decided to walk. So he is constantly walking around the furniture or with our hands... and taking steps here and there. last night it was 5! There were 2 tentative steps and then he carried on for 3 more as if he'd always been walking.

Anyway. I'll leave you with one of his very first photos....is this the same child???

the climber

(this was at the Safe Play Centre where Eden and his friends had a joint birthday party)

Well. Eden has discovered the joy of climbing. Climbing on and climbing over. He can now climb the stairs (which means a gate MUST go up cause our stairs are way too steep). He can climb on the futon with ease and now tries to climb up everything else.

His crawling has gotten much faster and he will sometimes now walk if you hold his hands.

He seems to have gotten noticeably taller all of the sudden so i think he's 'slimming' down a bit. his belly isn't quite as noticeable! The dungarees he's wearing today are for 2 year olds.

Eden saw Bernard playing his flutes and obviously wanted a go... he kept putting his mouth to the right place but couldn't make a noise. So Bernard went and got him a mini one to play with. It was very cute.

But i better go. He's playing with the fireguard that we haven't attached yet....disaster may strike at any moment!

he was grinning up at me pushing the pram...

Today eden's been like he was months ago. Woke up happy, played in his cot alone for awhile... ate happily... and when i tried to put him down for a nap, i gave him a cuddle first, and he leaned towards his cot to get in it!!!

who switched my child???

it's been great.

Adventures continue!

(eden meets helium balloons at Seth's Christening!!!!)

Hello hello. I have plenty of videos to upload but no idea where the video camera is. Fortunately phil did rescue it after losing it in a 2 foot deep ball pool on saturday (of all places!!!)... but since then I haven't seen it...and I need to use nap time wisely!

Eden is doing fabulously, mostly. He is really cheerful and funny. My gosh it's a fun age. His absolute favourite activity is to stand in the middle of the room and clap... going 'ha! ha! ha!'... He always claps if i say 'yay!' and then claps again if you clap in response... he also seems to think peekaboo is the funniest thing in the world. Now that we have him forward facing in the car (we couldn't afford to go down the rear-facing route in the end) we just have to turn our heads to see him and he giggles.

He has had a terrible tummy bug...and been extraordinarily clingy... but this morning I took him to the doctor to see about his cough, to find out that he has a double ear infection and that it looks extremely painful!!! This is probably why i get so little sleep! So we're under orders to keep him on baby painkillers (Calpol for those who know the lingo) and see how it goes. I have a prescription for antibiotics if it doesn't seem to get better by tomorrow. I'd prefer not to use them, but obviously if he needs them we'll go for it. It just seems that we over anti-biotic the world these days!!

I still don't know what we're getting him for his birthday. He recently acquired an old keyboard from his great, great-grandmother's estate... it is a lot like one our family had when i was younger. He is absolutely obsessed and if he sees it under the futon, i have no peace until it has been set up.

We've lost his 'baby shoes' but he's not ready for real shoes...so we're not entirely sure what to do. As it gets wetter and colder, he needs something! probably an entire water-proof suit as well! But i keep delaying these purchases till i feel more decisive.

anyway, here's a picture of eden on a swing!

Eden & His Super Suit

Well this photo is Eden wearing what we like to call his 'super suit' (think Mr Incredible & his old super suit which didn't quit fit....)

life is a bit crazy over here. Eden had a cold. I had what is suspected to have been swine flu. i'm looking after seth some days, but not for long (although a week longer than expected!). Phil's getting little bits of work...

Eden stands up unaided in the middle of the room constantly now. The longest time he'll stand is upwards of 30 seconds. Still not interested in walking. I put him in front of a walker at playgroup and he sat down and crawled away! He does like to climb - onto the futon in his room and over me... and still crawls with his bum in the air - not using his knees at all! Silly boy.

We've started playing our first proper game together. I build a tower out of blocks and he knocks it over with glee! It's really fun to have him intentionally interacting.

He is, unfortunately, also coming into a phase where I cannot be out of his sight. Well a certain list of people will replace me, but he cannot be alone. I read somewhere never to sneak out of the room, so I always tell him what I'm going to do and that i'll be back in a minute...and before i leave the room he is crying. By the time I reach the bathroom he is hysterical. It's not much fun. I'm trying to learn to bring him with me everywhere but that requires having everywhere clean enough....and also he often wants to be held if he's gotten upset by my leaving...oh well. this too shall pass!

He now has a keyboard... phil's great-grandmother left 2 behind, which meant they were both going to be sold or given away. It lives under his futon and comes out under supervision...but requires very little! last time he didn't look away from the keyboard for 20 minutes! and then kept bringing toys back to it so they could have a turn!!! he definitely loves all things musical!

Anyway, i've got both boys today...and they're currently asleep in prams. I better get a few things done or i'll regret it!

(eden in a shopping trolley)

It's Sunday night again. Eden's in bed. Phil and I are slowing down - i'm preparing myself for another day filled with eden & seth. They seem to be getting on a bit better, although the bashing may never end... they bash their toys and their parents, why wouldn't they bash each other?

Eden's mobility is increasing rapidly. He mostly likes to crawl on his hands and feet - with his bum high in the air...kind of like a crab really. He's slowly beginning to cruise around furniture but finds it easier to land on his bum and crawl where he wants to go.

His latest noise is a bit hard to describe. It involves his tongue. "blerberbler" doesn't really do it justice. He is VERY proud of himself for making it though.

He's lots of fun these days. A bit clingy (and cries when he sees certain people, such as uncle andrew!) and starting the occasional sulk/cry. I'm not sure what to do about that. He just will plop on the floor and cry really hard. If you distract him then he gets over it pretty quickly...well instantly really. Silly boy. There is so much he's not allowed to touch and do and can't do.. it must be frustrating.

here's a photo of a rare occurence - eden asleep in someone's arms!

x
Poor Eden! He is struggling having Seth around all the time. It results in a whingey, clingy, and very strung-out little boy. He just looks put out, jealous and uncertain all the time! I feel so bad for him. I know it's good for him in the long run, but it is definitely taking its toll on him!

While he's doing better sleeping at night, he's much worse during the day! Every nap is a fight - ESPECIALLY if seth is around.

Today, a seth day, he was whingey from lack of naps so phil took him for a walk before tea. He fell asleep (as predicted really)...but when phil picked him up, he stayed asleep... for those of you who have hung out with the PD should know this is unheard of. He stayed asleep for over half an hour after being put in his cot. And then when we woke, we realised there was no way he would be awake for anything, so he got a bottle and went back to bed. Poor kid.

I'll give him some treats tomorrow... maybe a bit of jam on his toast!!! we'll see.

the quickest of quickup

Eden is already whingeing so this is going to be quick!

We're slowly adjusting to having seth around. Some days are great. Some are long! I am desperately trying to get a double buggy as they're both still at the age when they just need to be pushed around sometimes.

Eden will stand up while not holding onto anything, but still hasn't any idea what to do with his feet when it comes to walking. He crawls quickly though and loves to chase balls around. We've just picked up our old basketball and he LOVES it. Phil's taken some great shots of him chasing it.

Eden has 4 teeth (2 top, 2 bottom) and two more at the top look like they'll come any day. And he's sleeping better! We seem to be cutting out our 5am feed (thankfully!!!)...but we still have dummy calls. One step at a time... so he is waking around 7:30 and we just give him breakfast, with a bottle mid-morning to ensure he gets all the formula he needs.

Anyway. I better scramble...

eden making friends...

fortunately the pony and the donkey didn't seem to mind having their faces bashed.

The Adventures Of Monkey Boy

Well. I've not written. We haven't done much but eden has definitely been developing at an intense rate! His crawling technique/speed has increased! He can get anywhere he wants, and if he feels like it, he'll follow me through various rooms when called. If he feels like it. Otherwise he may get distracted by little things...such as bashing the stairs... licking the metal that keeps the carpet down between rooms, that sort of thing!

As soon as you put him in the ball pool at phil's parents, eden escapes and scrambles to the piano, where he pulls himself up and starts bashing the keys above his head.

Yesterday we took him to the Sea Life Centre (an indoor water animal thing with sharks, and stuff). He really seemed to like it. He wasn't impressed about staying in his stroller - he kept trying to pull himself out to get closer to the fish, so we took turns carrying him.

We've started buying something that is cow's milk, but with the lactose taken out... because I want him to get used to the flavour. He now gets a cup of it mid-afternoon and seems to love it. This is all with the hope that he really does develop an immunity to lactose! It's definitely more expensive than regular milk, but soya milk isn't much cheaper.

I start looking after the other little boy, Seth, on Tuesday. I think it'll be really good for eden, but I'm going to have to keep an eye on them! Eden really likes to bash people in the face (trying to make motor sounds with their lips) and I don't want to send seth home with bruises and scratches!

(this was pre-crawling days, when eden got around on his back...he was tired at time of filming though...and ready for a bottle...so not the best filming time!)

jet-lag + teething + displacement . . .

Well we've landed back home. I wish we hadn't changed eden's room around just before we left as it definitely seems completely unfamiliar to him. He traveled so well, and now that we're home he seems to have lost the plot a bit. Sleep is non-existent. He won't be left alone. He has 2 teeth coming in at once. And he cries at everything.

The poor kid, though. It's a lot to take in. Flying. Time changes. Entirely new surroundings again. Different people. Less attention. I keep trying to remind myself to be really patient with him. It's hard when you aren't getting any sleep though.

today we returned to Baby Bounce & Rhyme, but he slept until the last song! tomorrow we'll take him swimming, as it's something that he loves. i've also noticed that he seems happiest in the evening, as that is full of routine...I may try to add some more regular habits to our lives so that he feels more secure. What, i haven't thought of yet!

it's almost time to fly..

Oh my. A night-time flight with eden. I can't imagine how he'll fit in the cot ... he's definitely heavier, taller and generally more large. oh well. we gotta try!

eden is crawling more, and standing up constantly - without holding onto anything!!! what a child. he's so proud of himself. fortunately, he doesn't seem to be too active when in new environments so he's a little bit off being a complete nightmare at other people's houses.

yet...

he's so happy with himself now...

well. eden's crawling is becoming much more proficient. he manages to get himself to my parents' stack of dvds every time! so far he just holds them...so i've been reading up on childproofing and someone has given me a brill idea of when he has something i don't want him to have, to say in a really excited voice 'Is that for mummy?/daddy/grandma?!! (whoever) and praise him for giving it over... so that's my experiment for the next little while.

i'm still not sure exactly what needs to happen with childproofing beyond a few obvious things...like screwing all bookcases/shelving units to the wall... boxing in his fireplace in his room...socket covers, etc. and moving things out of reach. everyday he's getting into new things here.

he's also become very good at pulling himself up and can stand unaided for a few seconds... with something to hold onto, he'll stand for awhile...provided he doesn't forget to keep holding.

anyway there's important playing to be done!

schmumpy talesient

I haven't really been that informative i suppose... so here are some details to fill in some gaps.

While we were at the cottage by the lake, eden ate some sausages...this was not so unusual, what was unusual was that they had milk in them and somehow i hadn't noticed. We did notice the results, however. I thought i was losing my mind. I think my parents thought I was losing my mind. I suddenly announced to everyone that eden had done a 'lactose fart' and i was sure that he'd had some. A few hours later there was no doubt. The doubt only lingered over where on earth the lactose came from. Finally we thought of those stupid sausages. Needless to say, the ingredients are well checked before every meal again!

(phil's face went war-paint like after using a scuba mask to look at fish. we thought a photo was appropriate. eden didn't notice)

Ahem. Whilst in mississauga we decided that the kids needed to get outside...but it'd be raining lots, so i was umming and ahhing as to what to dress eden in and how he could play. Rach suddenly remembered that an old rain suit of tegan's was lying around, except it was unlocatable -the only one to be found was leyna's. Phil and i decided that it'd be better just to let him play...sooo.... here is some photographic evidence of our poor child in a purple, flowered rainsuit. I think he still looks like a boy! One day he may not forgive me for this!

schmumpy meets the lake...

Well, there will be more photos on facebook as it's easier to upload them to there... but here is a taster!

We've just gotten back from spending a week at a cottage on a lake, and it was FANTASTIC. (equally fantastic was the fact that the grandparents and eden came back a day early so phil and i could canoe, paddleboat and walk to our hearts content without worrying about naps, etc).

This week eden went on his first canoe ride...he wasn't so thrilled about the life jacket experience (it was SO tight on him, but the next size up was too big)..but was pacified when he realised he could lean over the side and run his fingers through the water. He also went on the back of a paddleboat...and of course 'swam' by sitting in his little floating chair. The first time i didn't think about aclimatising him to the cold water...and so it went far better the second time.

The night he came home with my parents he decided it was high time to learn how to crawl! As well as sit up whenever he chooses....

anyway he seems to have woken up just as i picked up the computer so i'll say goodbye for now!

Toronto & Mississauga

We've spent the last week or so hanging out with our friends Rachael and Andy + kids in Mississauga. It's been great to see them again, after the best part of a year, and Eden loved it too. He was mesmerised by Tegan and Leyna, deciding that watching them was much more fun than whinging. Mainly we just chilled out in Mississauga, going to various parks, reading and playing with the kids. On Friday we went into Toronto for the day, which was great. We had already seen the tourist-y stuff like the CN Tower last time we were here, so this time we concentrated on getting lost in a department store, going to Kensington and having sausages. As seen in the photo, Eden loves being on the train, and even had his very own seat. Now we're off to a lake for a week, so expect some photos of Eden in his baby lifejacket.

Wow. What a week. Only a week?!?! This past week we've had a few changes...although they don't yet seem to be changes here to stay - at least yet. All of the sudden Eden became a nightmare to put to bed, for naps and at night. And unless it was fruit, he wasn't eating it. Oh my. But apparently this age is known for a few of these things...so once we came to terms with it, we were far less stressed - and he stopped being nightmare-ish. I think he just likes to keep us on our toes.

The top photo is him in his paddling pool. He loves it. We've also finally taken him to a local pool - another favourite. He definitely loves water and also to be surrounded by other children. this next week in Mississauga with Rachael and Andy & their kids will do him a world of good.

Eden is still desperate to crawl, and everyday it seems that it may be the day. He seems to be able to go backwards, both on his back and on his front. when he goes backwards whilst in the crawl position it definitely isn't on purpose and it upsets him. He also seems determined to stand on his own. he'll use your hands to get standing and then try to let go...which doesn't work out so well. He tries and tries and tries though.

He still loves new people. We left him with a teenager from my parents church from about 1:30 - midnight yesterday while we attended a wedding...and he did brilliantly. Although we returned home to find him playing in the lounge looking sheepish. I guess she didn't realise that if he made a noise he just needed a dummy, and it wasn't wise to turn all the lights on to do it!

We're having lots of fun but won't really be by computers for a few weeks. We're visiting our friends and then going to a cottage by a lake. I'm sure there will be many photos and videos when we return to kanata.

Another week has passed. The weather has been unfortunately british but finally cleared

up yesterday so we headed to my aunt's house to play in her pool. It was way too cold to take eden in (phil would argue it was too cold to get in ourselves) so he sat in the ultra-tiny paddling pool my mum bought (she didn't check the measurements!). he enjoyed pulling up the sides around himself.

Eden's 2nd tooth has come through! It brought with it a fever and there is a questionable rash lurking... but it is through and he's much happier.

Oh and the big news is, within 2 days of arriving here, most of eden's eczema disappeared!!!! We think it must have been an allergic reaction to our laundry powder. This is slightly annoying as whenever i said what one we used (fairy, non-bio) we were told it wasn't the problem!!!!!!! Obviously it is. Er Was.

He's learning all sorts of new noises...one that sounds quick hen-like. And tries to take off to crawl but as soon as he's about to launch, he thinks better of it and pulls himself back.

Being Patriotic

(not the most flattering photo!)

Well Eden embraced his Canadian half for Canada Day. We went into Ottawa to watch some of the festivities. He was much more sane that day than the previous one! There were all sorts of street artists as well as the official events.

He is starting to get back to normal. We're still having a few episodes but I'm starting to wonder if it's hunger. His eating times are obviously all different now and so i think i'm going to have to start introducing snacks!

Although the above photo is very unflattering, I think he may be losing a bit of chub. He really won't sit still. Dad tried to take him for a walk yesterday and the whole time eden kept trying to watch the road and play with the wheels... but in a very un-safe way. Wheels. My gosh. The best way to keep him happy ever!

Anyway today is a staying in day... we're hoping to help him fully adjust with no more episodes! So i'm going to join phil and eden on the floor!

we're he-re!

WE SURVIVED! hahaha. Eden was an absolute star. There was a small amount of whingeing at a few points, but really he was brilliant. He smiled and bounced and - as this photo demonstrates - slept. (just didn't sleep enough)

His plane cot was suspended from the 'wall' in front of our seats... it was really crazy. he slept really well in it.

Today, however, has been a bit of a nightmare. He's overtired, strung out and overstimulated. Oh well. The poor boy. We came home from doing the groceries, to find dad giving a weeping eden a banana (it was definitely a good idea, i have to say). So we put him to bed.

Let's see what the night brings!