Christmas + Update

Christmas time is right around the corner and everyone here cannot be more excited. Every morning this month the girls cannot wait to get up to find Sammy the Elf and to open their advent calendars (Kinder Egg & Play-dough Advent calendars). The funniest thing is that Ella is almost always the one to find Sammy the Elf first. She's also completely obsessed with Sammy - demanding I constantly acknowledge Sammy's presence.

 

I feel as if Christmas snuck up on us this year. Although I've been strategically purchasing gifts since September as things I've had my eyes on, go on sale - I still don't feel prepared. We are SO excited for the girls to open their gifts - especially their new play kitchen and all of the accessories!

We are hosting again this year which means we will be very busy getting the house and all of the food ready. My priority is to enjoy the day with the girls and Fraser as much as I can while also getting everything done. Fraser and I have one more day at work and then 11 days in a row of vacation/time off and we could not be more excited. 

These girls are growing at warp speed and I feel like every time I blink my eyes they are both doing something new. For the past year, I've been working on potty training Harper with no luck. It was to the point where Harper full on refused to sit on the potty. I had finally gave up and decided to wait until she was showing more signs of being ready. To be honest, I was getting a little worried when she turned three in November and was still not showing signs of wanting to use the potty.

These past two weeks we started to notice that she was able to predict when she was about to pee in her diaper and would immediately ask to be changed. Yesterday while home with her grandma she requested to have her big girl undies on and sat on the potty all on her own and peed. She was so excited she insisted on calling me at work to inform me - I was obviously thrilled! She continued to use the potty all day and into the evening with zero accidents. That continued all morning, day and night today. I'm sort of in disbelief that she's practically potty trained herself in 24 hours. Now our focus is to get her to poop on the potty!

The most shocking part of this potty story is that little miss copycat Ella ALSO started using the potty yesterday wanting to be like her big sister. I nearly passed out when she peed on the potty all on her own. She looks like a 6 month old because she's so tiny - sitting on the potty peeing. My big girls!

 This sweet girl - I can't even describe in words how cute this kid is. Both of our kids are beautiful and so alike but also so different! Harper is very passive like her daddy where little miss Ella is a complete spit fire like her momma. Everything we were so grateful Harper didn't do - Ella bean is doing. Like eating play-dough, climbing on EVERYTHING, telling us "no" all of the time. And she's so bloody tiny and cute that you can't get mad at her!

 To say we are busy is a complete understatement. With Fraser and I both working fulltime, the girls and my Etsy shop - I feel like time is just flying by. Fraser got a long over due promotion to "Manager of Operations". I seriously could not be prouder. My hunny works his butt off, always helping others and ensuring everything is running smoothly. He was completely thrilled to be promoted to Manager and everyone at our work was not surprised at all. This holiday we are taking as much time to relax and hang out with our sweet babies.

I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and an even happier New Year!

xoxo

Summer 2016

This summer has been a busy one. I've been itching to do a new blog post for weeks now but couldn't find the time to do it. With me being back at work (since June), my Etsy shop and home reno's/projects - I have had zero time. Fraser and I brought our sweet Harper baby out for a "date" shortly after I returned to work. I wanted it to just be the three of us so we could focus all of our attention on just her. Ella stayed home with my mom - which apparently she appeared lost and didn't know what to do without her sister! We started the day off at Adventures on Wonderland where Harper played for a few hours. Afterwards, we ate lunch and went to a movie.

Harper literally loved every minute of it. She kept saying "I'm on a date with mommy and daddy" with a great big smile and giggle. She seriously melted our hearts over and over as she ran around laughing and smiling the entire time.

This little lady is seriously a ham. She is so fiery like her momma and quite the comedian like her father. She follows around her big sister all day everyday, wanting to do everything Harper does. If I do Harper's hair, she wants hers done. She looks up to Harper and it truly is amazing to witness. They are already best friends.

These two are definitely outdoor babies. If they could spend the entire day outside in the heat - they would. Their current favourite is to go for long walks in their wagon and ending up either at the park around our street or in the backyard splashing in the pool or water table.

Ella is the little fish out of the two of them. She has zero fear of water (or anything for that matter). She will stick her face right in it - where Harper would rather delicately play in the water.

This past August marked Fraser and mine's 12th year anniversary. TWELVE YEARS. When I think about it, I'm like "holy crap, have we really been together that long?!". But then I start thinking about the fact that we were just kids when we first started to date. And now we have babies and good jobs and a house and a dog......We're adults now. It's crazy how time flies and we've been loving every minute of it. Him and I have been through thick and thin. People always ask "do you guys ever fight?! You guys are too perfect!". We have our disagreements and small arguments but in the 12 years we have been together we've had maybe two big fights. One of which was in the last few years and it was surrounding a very tough subject for the both of us - and the crazy thing was that we weren't even upset with each other but actually someone else. We just didn't know how to handle it. So instead we took our frustrations out on one another. It was when we realized that, that we made the tough decision to keep someone out of our lives. And to be honest since then we have been happier. Sure, the situation still sucks and it's something we evaluate on a daily basis but we are HAPPY with our decision and a stronger couple for it. At the end of the day we know we have to do what feels right for us and what we feel is the best decision for us and our girls. 

I love this man to the moon and back and would do anything to make him happy. He deserves everything! We're now onto wedding plans for next summer. YIPPIE. We've been engaged for 5+ years and have had two babies since then. It will be a very small wedding, just liked we've always wanted and super intimate and I couldn't be more excited to start planning!

Although the girls love the heat and playing out in the sunshine - I could not be happier that Fall is right around the corner. Bring on the cooler weather and pretty fall leaves!

One big project we tackled this summer was our front porch. Fraser and my dad worked endlessly building this beast of a front porch. And although the front of the house is not finished  - it's so close to being done and we're so excited. Fraser and my dad slaved away for 6 whole days, battling the heat and rain - building the deck/porch. Fraser and I laid out the stones for the new gardens - while my dad generously gave us an entire garden of hosta's that were nice and big - AND even planted them all for me. Best.Dad.Ever. SO next summer I will plant some pretty flowers in the smaller portion that's in front of the porch. We still have to paint the door and siding next to the windows a dark grey. Fraser built me a beautiful wood mail box and new house number plaque that I need to paint and we will finally be done!

So although we didn't accomplish everything we wanted to do this summer - we got so much done and had a blast doing it! I cannot wait to see what Fall and Winter brings but I'm sure it will be amazing!

Ella 1 Year Update

It has been a while since I've wrote a blog post but I've been wanting to do this one for a while. Ella turned one June 11th and I still can't believe a year has gone past already. Not to mention the fact that Ella is about the size Harper was at 6 months - so that always makes it difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that she's a year old. 

Weight: 21 lbs

Height: 30"

Teeth: Four

Sleep: 12 Hours straight at night and has one nap a day ranging from 1 hr 30 minutes - 2 1/2 hours.

Walking: More like running. Yes. And has been since she was exactly 12 months. 

Nursing: Yes, whenever she can get it - which seems to be constantly when I'm not at work. It doesn't bother me because I LOVE breastfeeding and she's my last baby so as long as she wants to I will continue to nurse her - unless of course she's 4 and is able to lift my shirt to pull my boob out..

Confession. When she was first born I was really really concerned her squished nose was going to stick forever and ever. I was very relieved when it settled back down after a few days - poor thing was all squished from being over due. As if her scowl isn't intense already - imagine her scowl with that crease in her nose! Wowza, she would have taken RBF (also known as Resting Bitch Face) to a whole new level!

I remember this day like it was yesterday. Not just because her labour was the most intense pain I've been in in my life BUT how much I immediately loved her. I obviously had all of the sames feelings when Harper was born but I didn't think I could love another baby as much as our sweet Harper. But I did and do. Ella is seriously the perfect end to our little family. She is the fiery babe who makes us grind our teeth when she's been sassy and bust out laughing when she's doing something funny.

Also, her relationship with her big sister is something made of dreams. They LOVE each other so so much. Harper constantly calls her "Ella Marie" and "Baby sister" which melts my heart every.single.time.

Sisterly love.

Favourite foods: These organic Squoosh packets - which seems to be the only way I can get veggies into her unless I'm hiding them in her dinner. She is obsessed with any type of berry but LOVES oranges. She enjoys chicken and ham (although we mostly eat chicken). She drinks water like her big sister and almond milk.

Ella is seriously the funniest baby ever. She is the perfect addition to our little family. Fraser and I could not be happier with our sweet girls.