PNP letters from Santa

I love these letters from Santa! You can customize them with pictures and details, to the point where Alan, at least, is talking back to the computer and actually believes that Santa is talking directly to him. LOVE IT. You can see Alan's video here, if you want to :)

Christmas Concert

Alan's school Christmas Concert! pics to follow!

Wow I'm horrible at updating this thing.....

Didn't realize til I logged on just now how long it had been since I updated this :) It's kind of silly, especially since I'm normally home with the two children, going half out of mind trying to find new ways to avoid doing the same old housework. The kids are entertaining, though, I must say. They baby is just shy of four months old (hard to believe!) and Alan is registered for PRESCHOOL in the fall. Yikes. He really needs it though, this kid is a smart freakin' cookie. He scares me sometimes with the stuff he comes out with. I'm also spending a bit of time readying my head for going back to work in September...my colleagues are all focused on leaving school, and I'm starting to panic about going back already! And not panic in the Oh-My-God-How-Will-I-Ever-Leave-My-Kids kinda way (it's not so hard when you have such a FABULOUS babysitter like I do), more in a Holy-Crap-I-Forget-How-To-Do-This kinda way. Throw in the fact that somebody had a great, but poorly executed, idea of screwing a giant SmartBoard over my only Whiteboard (love the smartboard, but I"m going to miss the option of a whiteboard) and there's a whole new learning curve. Oh yeah - and I can't reach the top of it. Which wouldn't be a problem, but if you look at the top of your screen, you'll notice that all the tools you need to edit, open, close, and so on are located where? At the top. Looks like BJ will be building me a platform to stand on....

On another note, Miss Jess has been in and out of the hospital waiting to have her little guy (Carson Edward Carew). She's jjust over 37 weeks, so it's a little early, but she'll likely go anytime now. Don't envy her, don't miss those last few weeks of pregnancy at all.

Anyway, I"m going to post some pics and a video, then go find a new and inventive way of avoiding cleaning the house around me. :)

How to Confuse a Kid in Two Sentences....

I just had to blog a conversation I had with Alan today. To give a bit of background, my sweet little boy has recently found a whole boatload of saucy. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the new baby and the adjustments we are all making, but it can be a real touchy balance between giving him some leeway and not letting him get away with murder. Currently, my biggest beefs are the attitude and not listening to what he's told to do. He tends to look at me and say "No" in the snottiest voice he can find when asked to do something he doesn't want to, and as you can imagine, I can NOT stand it. Bad enough I have to put up with it from other people's kids when I work, I refuse to put up with it from my own. So the conversation we had today went like this:

Me: "Alan, please (go do something I can't remember right now)"
Alan: "NO"
Me: "Alan, if you say "no" to me again, you are getting a Time Out"
Alan: *shakes head*
Me: "Did you just say "no"?"
Alan: "N...I mean Ye....N.....ummmmmmmm?"

At this point I almost cracked up, as I realized that he knew there was no way to answer the question I had asked him, but was trying to find a way. Eventually he just said " Uh Uh", but the moment was over for me. Leave it to me to ask him a question with no way for him to answer it and not get in trouble :)

More Pics

Alan and his new Mickey Mouse...Gotta love it!!
Alan's "big brother" present. Where were these when I was a kid?

Almost three weeks old here, having some tummy time

Smiling...sorry for the fuzziness, trying to take a pic with one hand of a baby on my lap is harder than I thought it would be!

My Beautiful Boy

Scott is three weeks old today, hard as it is to believe. We're settling in, although there are definitely adjustments being made on all sides. Alan is dealing fairly well, but the adjustment for him also includes re-learning the rules of our house after being at Grandma's for five weeks, as well as not having his Momma at his beckon call. Go figure - he always needs me at the EXACT same time Scott does (usually while nursing, of course). But we're all learning. Scott is a pretty relaxed baby, and a generally good sleeper, although at times I definitely feel rather Zombie-like, but what new mother doesn't? For now, we are looking forward to the long Easter weekend, and hoping for nice weather so we can go outside (while a good chunk of my family spends a week on the beach in Cuba....grumble).

Just in case anyone hasn't heard.....

He's here! Finally! After waiting, and waiting, and waiting, 9 days past my due date, Scott Alexander Power has arrived. As of this writing he is just over an hour shy of being exactly nine days old....hard to believe that it's been that long already! I stayed at mom's from the 5th of February until today (the 14th of March), so that I could have him at the IWK. Nobody thought I would end up being induced, especially me! As it was, Pregnancy Induced Hypertension can be thanked for getting me induced at all- the doctors were going to let me wait a little while longer, regardless the effect on my mental health! At any rate, he weighted 8 pounds, 10 ounces at birth, and was 21 inches long; a perfectly healthy little boy. When we left the hospital he had dropped down to 8lbs 4 ozs, but was 8lbs 11 ozs at his 6-day-old appt on Thursday, so he is obviously thriving. He's a great eater and a great sleeper - we've already had a few nights where he slept for four hours or so. At any rate, we're home now (Alan is happy to be here, but I bet it won't be long before he misses Nathan!) and looking forward to getting settled in, but I just need to say a public thank you to the family for all their help and support (and fetching, and carrying, and chauffering, etc etc etc) - it definitely made the process a million times easier!

Maternity Leave!

you can't see my head, but the belly says it all!
Goofball

loves sledding!!

so does daddy!

eek!

Cutie Pie in his official Vancouver Olympics 2010 outfit he got from Aunt Cindy for Christmas :)

Sooooooo....I'm on maternity leave. I feel like I should be more excited than I am, though. I am glad to not be working, as I was always exhausted, cranky, and stressed out (mostly due to a combination of the job, the mix of kids this year, and the pregnancy, I think). However, I mostly just feel REALLY impatient to get this show on the road. I am 37 weeks pregnant today (I've only gained 23 pounds this time, too. YAY!) and I would gladly take this baby at any time. Alan and I will be home together this week, though he's going to the sitter's probably Wednesday and Friday to get me a chance to rest up and get some "stuff" done around here. On Friday, we'll be heading to Momma's. Lindsay is hosting a baby shower for me on Saturday, so I'm psyched to see everyone. After that, Alan and I will hang out at Mom's until the baby is born. BJ will have to go back home (to his relatively new job at Honda :) ) until the baby is on his way. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Alan reacts to the little guy. He is over the whole "My baby brother is a robot" idea, but he does think that the baby is about an inch long..... Until then, I should probably tidy up the house and whatnot. Maybe we'll have a nap first.......

Sleeping in the Fort....

Well, Christmas has come and gone, as has New Year's. We had a lot of fun, and there are a lot of pics on Facebook that I will link at a later time. I had to blog about this funny little event, though. Alan got a cool toy for Christmas from our friend Shawn who has been staying with us since August. It's called Crazy Forts, and consists of a bunch of balls and sticks that go together to make a fort in a variety of different shapes that you then throw a sheet over to complete it. We've had it set up in the spare room in the shape of an igloo for a couple of days. Anyway, he decided tonight that he just HAD to sleep in it (and watch his DVD player, of course). After a bit of persuasion/discussion, BJ and I set up a mattress out of pillows, heaped on the blankets, and brought over the night light and monitor. So far he's really enjoying the novelty, and is happily lying down watching his DVD player. Here's hoping he stays all night!

PS - it's 10:30 and he's sound asleep! Who knew?

Baby Pool!

I found this website online, and thought it would be a lot of fun to try. It's basically an online baby pool, like the ones I remember my family members doing when I was a kid. Of course, there's no money involved, but there's also no arguing over who was closest. When the baby is born, we just enter in the time, date, and other info, and the site will calculate the winner. If you are interested in making a guess, just go to http://expectnet.com and search for BabyPower2 (case sensitive, no spaces). I look forward to seeing your guesses. Just remember - I'm due on February 24th, and so far have had a healthy, normal pregnancy, so the baby should be well into the average range for size and weight :) Have a happy day!

Baby Update!

Alan giving his baby brother a hug
Baby belly at almost 28 weeks :)

This one's just for fun...Alan as a pirate (though he removed the pirate hat and put on his sunglasses )

UC Baby pic at 24 weeks

Here he's yawning. So cool!

Quick baby update! I'm currently at 28 weeks (12 to go!) and everything is mostly going well. I have to have another ultrasound in a couple weeks to check on the location of my placenta (it was low last time, and started out low again this time. Should migrate up like it did with Alan, and all will be fine). The 3-D ultrasound with UC Baby was awesome, and there is NO denying that we are having a boy. Alan is still excited about having a baby brother, although he does keep telling me that his baby brother is a robot for some unknown reason.... At any rate, things are going well and we're gearing up for Christmas. Alan even sat on Santa's lap yesterday!

Alan's third birthday!

New haircut and ready to go

We had Alan's third birthday at the Treehouse Cafe this weekend,and he definitely had a blast. There were 9 kids at the party to play on the indoor playground, eat cake, and help Alan open presents. After the party we headed over to Nanny Power's for our first of two Thanksgiving dinners. When all was said and done and we made it back to Grandma's, Alan was so tuckered out he napped in my arms for a most of an hour. It was a great day, and a lovely weekend. Now I am home getting ready for the week and Alan is at Aunt Linny's house for a few more days, since he wasn't willing to come home! Oh...and in case you didn't hear, in another twenty weeks or so Alan will have a baby brother!!!!

Happy Anniversary!

Just a quick note to wish a Happy 4th Anniversary to my hubby. I love you more every day. Can't wait to see you with another little baby in your arms! Hugs!!

Alan Playing Wii

Alan always feel left out when Mommy and Daddy are playing on the Wii, so today I let him try the cycling on Wii Sports Resort. All You have to do for this one is move your hands up and down as if you are pedalling, and lean left or right to steer. Oh, and if you go too fast, you run out of breath. He had a great time, even if he did get progressively closer to the tv every time! More pics posted on Facebook here .

9 weeks and 1 day...

Obviously, from the title, I'm just over 9 weeks pregnant now. But let me tell you, I already feel like I'm twice that. When I was pregnant for Alan I didn't even find out until I was farther than this (Ok, so I was a little slow on the uptake), but I sure don't remember feeling like this! Basically, I'm just really really really tired, very queasy, kinda cranky, and I've already got a bit of a bump happening (although how much of that is still from child #1 I don't know :P ). Now to top it off, I am getting a cold. Grumble. Ah well. I know that in a few weeks I should be feeling better. Now if the weather would perk up a little, it would definitely lift my spirits, and getting Alan outside to play would definitely calm him down a little. The little bugger has decided that he will only nap at the sitter's. Think it has something to do with the playpen, since he can't get out of it. Here he just gets out of bed and plays for a while. And toilet training? Forget it. After a few pairs of underwear in a day, I give up (embarassed face). But I try it again the next day :) He'll get the hang of it eventually, I know.

On a brighter note, Tina and Rob and the boys are due home in less than a week for a visit. Soooo excited to see everyone. Now I just have to figure out when we can all get together! Also, on August first, our friend Shawn is coming to stay with us for a while. He's looking to get a job here in Amherst. Alan is super excited, as are we. Should be fun! And, to top it off, we are going to have a huge crew of people here the following weekend (Aug 7 - 10). Two friends of ours from the states (whom we were introduced to through that online game we play) are coming for a visit. As such, the rest of the group we play with are coming as well, to make a party out of it. Tim and Julie are even bringing Al and May's camper! We're pretty psyched, obviously. Right now I'm trying to plan a whole bunch of meal items that I can cook in advance (if possible), will feed a ton of people, and be pleasing to a wide variety of eaters. So far, I've come up with chili, meatballs, turkey (I'll cook it in advance to have the meat for sandwhiches and maybe casserole), lots of cut up veggies, pasta salad, and potato salad. I also think I may make spaghetti one night. I'm also tossing around the idea of making (or begging my mom to make) a seafood chowder, since the guys are coming up from the US, but I don't know. I'll have to see if they like seafood or not. I'd hate to not give them a taste of the maritimes (even if I hate it). Anyway, I'd appreciate any meal ideas anyone has out there! I'm also dropping Alan off at mom's that weekend, since I need his bedroom, and would like to relax with everybody a little.

At any rate, that's my rant for the day. Now off to find another way to avoid all the laundry and housekeeping I really need to be doing!

And three will be four....

Yep you see it! It looks like the Power family will be growing (again). I am 8 weeks along right now, and due on February 24th. So far I've been feeling really queasy and tired, but hoping that will pass in the next few weeks. I know most of the people that read this probably knew already, but I wanted to wait until after my first offical pre-natal appointment to announce it publicly :) I will definitely keep you all updated as things progress!

New Haircut!

This is the Before picture...

During the Haircut...

Look Mommy, all done!
Posing


Side view!

Alan got his hair cut today at a place called Sharkey's...it's really neat because the kids can sit in cars and watch tv while they get their hair cut. Afterwards, he got a tattoo and a balloon, as well. It was a really cool little place and I'm sure we'll go back. I find he's looking even more like Colby now that his hair is short! Should be good for the summer though. I think he's rockin' the spikes, but he wants his hat on all the time. It should be interesting how we work that one out! At any rate, it's time to wrangle Alan and Nathan into their beds for naptime, and get the house ready for BJ's birthday supper (better late than never!).

Summer is here....and I am back!

Apple blossoms along our driveway
Alan and Nathan

Cool flower in our garden

Peony flower in the garden

Alan showing off his tattoo (or Pattoo as he calls it)

So....I've decided to try to revive my blog this summer. Hopefully I'll be able to update it much more frequently. Except, of course, when I'm at the cottage. After all, I'm expecting there will be lots to keep you updated on (wink wink). For now, I'm watching Super Why with Alan and avoiding the house work I've been putting off for a week or two while school was finishing up. Looking forward to going to the cottage next week and chilling by the lake. Will Post again soon!

Yay for Tractors!

Thanks to the centimetres and centimetres of falling snow, Carman came over just after supper to plow our driveway (thank you Carman!) with his tractor. As per usual, Alan started running to the window yelling "Carman's here!! Carman's here! With his Tractor!!" as soon as he heard him. Once he was done, Carman popped in to say hi (and snag a loaf of fresh bread, of course), and asked Alan if he wanted to come see the tractor. Normally, Alan won't go near it, and often is a little shy of Carman as well. Today, however, he went right for it. He put his boots and coat on as fast as he could and was in Carman's arms fast as you could blink. He got to steer, raise/lower the bucket, and then Carman took him for a drive to the end of the road and back. What a lucky boy! As Tina observed on facebook, I must be becoming more and more like her, because I was outside, in a snowstorm, in my Pyjamas taking pictures, of course. Thanks again, Carman!