The End of Our Holidays AND 2007!!!!

Well ... we have returned (a couple of days ago actually) from our trip up north to spend the holidays with family! As always it was a busy blur of events that I wouldn't trade for anything ... even the sleepness nights incurred by our lovely Cadence! As I sit here and reflect, I have to admit, she was a real trooper!!! She is definitely destined to be a party girl .... We took her to church at 8:00pm on Christmas Eve and then to my aunt and uncle's afterwards, meaning bedtime was oh ... about midnight! It is not surprising that we, rookie parents, would get a taste of what is known as 'night terrors'.

Christmas morning was ... exciting ... more for us than Cadence I'm sure! She actually opened most of her presents herself (with a little help from cousin Olivia!). All three girls looked sweet in their matching jammies ... and jammies is where we will draw the line ... we will NOT, I say, NOT dress them in matching polyester gowns! Mom's dinner was spectacular ... as always! Only missing element was BIL Dave ...
We had another great visit at Uncle Mike and Aunt Judi's ... no accordian tunes this year ?! Of course, we had to bolt a little early (11:00pm) as Cadence was starting to fade ... imagine that!

And finally we had the afternoon of games and ... more food at mom's where the traditional family photos were taken ... many missing faces this year ... man, adulthood, jobs, responsibilities just get in the way of things like Christmas huh?!



Sean and I also got to enjoy an evening out ... just the two of us ... while Baba and Cadence spent some quality time together ... and where Cadence learned a new word - 'bubbles'. She sure has an interesting vocabulary thus far!
One disappointment over the holidays ... the lack of picture taking! Trying to keep up with a toddler leaves few opportunities for picture taking ... I do hope to do better in the future!

And so here it is ... 9 pm on New Year's Eve ... 2007 is on it's way out! I feel a tad bit of sentiment as I sit here sipping ... yes ... red ... and reflecting on the past year! To be honest, outside of FINALLY becoming parents to Cadence, nothing else comes to mind, or matters at all ... for this reason 2007 will always be a big year for us! Now, if only I could muster up the energy to see 2008 arrive ... if I don't ... please know I wish health, happiness and good fortune to all of you ... family and friends, near and far! May 2008 bring us all wonderful things!

Cheers my friends!

Our Musician ...

Is is too soon for formal lessons?????

Video of the Week ...

The Photos as promised ...

Here are a few favourite shots from this week including the crowd of neighbours who came to a poor souls rescue :

Lucky THIRTEEN!

Today my little peanut turns 13 months old! She continues to thrive and amaze us in many ways! Right now she has this very studious look about her as she makes the connection that what is on tv up here in the den is the same program on down in the great room. She keeps walking back and forth from the door way to the landing to check it out ... amazing really! Here are some of the 'tricks' she has learned so far:

*Walking ... now almost running at times.
*Words ... an interesting, but meagre vocabulary so far - yeah, cheers, backpack and up without the 'p'.
*Feeds herself most meals.
*Waves hello and goodbye.
*Gives and blows kisses with an awesome 'smack'.
*Points to her belly button and nose.
*Claps her hands.
*Says 'woof, woof' anytime she sees a dog on tv, in a book, on the street.
*Blows a whistle.
*Shakes her head yes and no.
*Uses a tv remote quite successfully.
*Uses the telephone appropriately.
*Pretends to read books.
*Climbs ... everything!
*Will do whatever we do - load the dishwasher, put/take out clothes from the machines, dust - she is too precious!


I am sure there are other important milestones I am missing, but these seem to stick out at the moment. Her receptive language is definitely strong ... as for expressive, I have to admit I'm a little concerned and impatient about it at times, but I'm trying to keep in mind that she has only been exposed to the english language for a little over 3 months now ... it will come ... right?!

I am trying to pick out, just the right little video clip (or photos) to add to this entry so it may take a day or two to post AND this will likely be the last before and during the holidays so, to everyone who continues to find the time to follow our story ...

HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL HOLIDAY ... MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES ... we'll catch you up in the new year!

For you BABA ...

A Test ...

I noticed some new features on my Blogger tool bar, so I am going to attempt to upload a short video clip ...

Getting Things Done ...

Well I finally got up the courage, and the ladder, to finish decorating the top half of the tree.

Even with the ladder and 2 missing sections, I couldn't reach the top section so I had to be creative. Here are the tools of the trade ...

While I took care of the tree, my daughter did her chores ...

Actually, the angel took a TWO hour nap for a change ... deck the halls! After that we kicked off our boots,

and then Miss Cadence got ready for a Christmas party with daddy!

It was a GREAT day!

Cadence's First Christmas Party

All dressed up and somewhere to go ....

Making my first craft ... glue stick ... yum!!!

Decorating a gingerbread man ... couldn't wait ... had to eat it ... ALL!

Typical first photo with Santa ...

Look at me with all my new friends ...

Finally ... An Update!

Here are some updates from the past couple of weeks ...

One Year Photo Shoot

I took Cadence to get some professional photos done. They turned out well ... how could they not with such an adorable subject!? She had some ‘separation anxiety’ during the sitting however, so there are no smiley shots this time around but we did manage to get some great hand, feet and facial shots that they don’t normally do after 6 months of age. When I get an opportunity I’ll scan them for the blog!

Walking and Words

Cadence is getting around on two feet much more ... some days walking more than crawling and quite proud of herself I may add! She even walked up a ladder ... but that’s a whole other story! As for language development ... she really hasn’t taken any risks there. She has learned that her grunts and groans usually get her what she wants. She has ‘yeah’ and 'cheers' mastered, ‘mom’ has been uttered a couple of times and she is almost there with ‘up’. Despite my impatience and concern, I know it will come and I will certainly give you all the details!

Christmas Photos

I had my cousin Diane take some pictures of us to use for a family Christmas card ... still haven’t decided which one yet ... any thoughts? To all who get one ... enjoy ... it will be the only family photo card we’ll be sending in the coming years ... it will be Cadence only from here on in!




The Tree Fiasco

So ... we finally got up the energy to set up the tree. All I can say is ... regret, regret, regret! At the time, a 12 foot tree sounded like a good idea ... in fact, when we opened the box at the bottom of the basement stairs, I felt all would be good ... 6 pieces, plus a stand ... easy! NOT!!!! The directions were useless, the height overwhelming and the task daunting. After a half hour I was ready to throw everything back in the box and put it up on Ebay! But thanks to Diane and some modifications, it got done ... minus 2 of the 6 sections! It is still HUGE ... god knows how we would have put all the pieces together. Now to decorate ... yikes ... that will be for another day (or year!). Pictures to come!

Winter Has Arrived!

As you can see from the photo, we have gotten a dumping of the white stuff ... 2 bus cancellation days in a row! It is a winter wonderland ... pretty, but I could do without the stuff! Getting Cadence bundled up and getting out of the house is becoming increasingly difficult ... instead of getting out once a day, I'm aiming for twice a week!



To Sleep or Not to Sleep ...

THAT has been the question of the weeks ... it is still up and down ... we are trying different things and even coming to terms with the fact that we may have to resort to those tactics we swore we would resist. The last 4 or 5 days have been pretty good ... I'll leave it at that, as anytime I mention this topic in a positive spin ... I jinx it!

Well, definitely hoping to update you a little more frequently ... sorry for the delay! I have some great videos I must share with you too, but you may have to wait until after the holidays ... I need a good chunk of time to download, organize and set up for the blog! Off to change a stinky one ... yay!

Kicking Off Christmas ...

This weekend, Sean and I took Cadence to the annual Santa Claus parade. We bundled her up in snow pants, a parka, boots, mitts and a festive hat ... none of which made her too happy I might add! That is until we arrived at our destination! She hung out in her stroller for about 30 minutes ... as rookies, we arrived a little too early considering our location ... and could hear her giggling her head off. She was having a blast watching a little boy kick snow onto the street ... simple pleasures!
She absolutely loved the snow and was very attentive to the parade ... waving and clapping ... it was pure joy to watch her!

On another note, she has broken out all over her chin with something ... doesn't seem to bother her, but it looks terrible and it is definitely bothering me! Although we have a doctor's appointment scheduled for Tuesday, I couldn't wait and attempted to take her to a clinic today ... only to be too late ... they shut down early due to the volume of waiting patients ... great! So, tomorrow I will try to get her in and see what we're dealing with ... hopefully nothing too serious.

Here are some photos of the festivities ...

Birthday Party #2!

Cadence awoke in a very cheerful mood on her official birthday and sported her Kate Spade official Chinise birthday hat to catch as many good wishes as possible. She had visitors and enjoyed some new toys! Thank you Grant, Gwen and Colleen.
Sean and I planned to take her to a great kid friendly and active spot for dinner ... and we did but ... things did not go as planned ... imagine that! After sitting there with a 1 year old for 15 minutes with not a glance our way, we got up and left ... couldn't even find anyone to take our menus and complain too! We then went to East Side where we had drinks and crayons within 5 minutes! I'll be on the phone today ... that's quite unlike me, but I feel compelled to let the establishment know of our disappointment! Cadence enjoyed her crustless grilled cheese and french fries immensely and enjoyed hamming it up with the staff and patrons ... she's a charmer for sure!
AND on this very momentus occasion, I took a moment to reflect on Cadence's birth day and the mother who gave her and us life ... THANK YOU!
Do enjoy some more photos ... 2 days in a row ... impressive huh????

Cadence Turns ONE!!!!!!

It is just surreal to accept that my 'baby' turns ONE today! We had a little family celebration for her yesterday and mommy and daddy are taking her out for dinner tonight. Outside of persistent sleep 'issues', she continues to amaze and amuse us on a daily basis! She is really beginning to walk ... taking up to 8 steps! Now, she won't do this amazing feat if asked to perform on command ... she waits patiently until she thinks we aren't watching! She is one smart cookie! Due to her 'electronic' addictions, Sean and I decided to buy her a little laptop for her birthday. The one that mostly resembled the real thing was designed for 4+ years, but better she bang on those keys than ours! The little monkey has mastered the on button and even entered a 'name' ... at least KKK was kind of close to her initials! She absolutely LOVES cake ... wish I had time to upload the video .. it is hilarious!
You will have to settle for the still photos ...
Photos and details of our dinner out will be posted at a later date!

A little 'cheerleading' for daddy's favourite team ...


"I know there is cake somewhere underneath all this stuff!"

"MMMMM"

"Oooh ... I have mail!"

A Night on the Town ...

Cadence was invited out for some fine dining to celebrate Auntie Karen's birthday. She discovered she enjoys yummy crab cakes, drinking water from a goblet and that she draws a chuckle from the crowd when she sticks arrowroots in her mouth lengthwise. All this activity makes for a tired young lady ...

Halloween Shots

Although we did dress Cadence up, we didn't have the nerve to head out into the neighbourhood ... it was quite windy and cool, Winston was driving us NUTS and we didn't want to be mistaken as a ridiculous couple who dress their kid up so THEY can score some candy ... 'cause it's obvious SHE"S not going to be eating any!
Anyway, next year we may have to dress her up as Dracula to showcase her tooth ... the one she chipped last night ... yep ... that's a whole other story for a whole other day! SIGH!!!

Last Week's Review (Could be long ... depends on nap!)

Because I am falling way behind in this blogging venture you may find my posts quite short after this ... I'm having difficulty keeping EVERYTHING up and well, something's gotta give! I think I will break the week down into things I remember (this should be interesting!).

Wednesday

Cadence enjoyed her swimming lesson ... as always ... and as always, she was BRUTAL when it came time to get dressed! She wants to be held and well, that's a bit difficult when at any given time one of us is soaking wet! This time I even brought the stroller in so she could sit, play, eat ... whatever ... while I threw my clothes on ... didn't work, and it set her off to be whiny and grumpy for the rest of the day! I was worried as it was Daddy's night, but luckily she cheered right up for him!

Thursday

Another 'Celebrate Cadence' night! My friend Lisa invited many of my friends and colleagues and went to a lot of trouble organizing this event (cleaning, preparing snacks and drinks) ... thank you so much!!! Believe me, with TWO children I can only imagine how difficult that all was! Cadence will be decked out in many new trendy threads and has some new toys to enjoy AND we now have a scrapbook ... a COMPLETED scapbook of our trip to China!!!. Colleen, I am still blown away! Mommy even gets to treat herself to a little 'something'! Thank you to everyone who was able to make it ... I continue to be overwhelmed by ALL of your support!

The Weekend

Not so rosy! Sleep became an issue again this weekend! Friday Cadence was very restless ... up about every hour of so! On Saturday, Cadence woke from her nap with flushed cheeks and a fever. After some Tylenol her temperature came down so we continued to give it to her as indicated. By evening things fell apart! She slept for about 2 hours and then was up every 10 or 20 minutes AND the fever would not reduce. As I was laying stroking her head (at 3:00am) I noticed this spongy area on the front of her head and freaked! Sean and I hadn't noticed it before and were concerned of course so ... I called Telehealth (need to know whether to head to the clinic in the morning or the emerg now). Well after a bunch of questions they use the words meningitis and encephalitis ... yeah ... we're going NOW!!!
Poor little soul ended up with more Tylenol, blood work and a chest xray ... all for naught! No one really addressed the head thing at all, they were more concerned about the source of the fever ... which they never found! Sunday was brutal ... both Cadence and I were exhausted, she still had the fever and was cranky! I ended up having a breakdown which I think was bound to happen at some point. Luckily she slept well last night ... which meant I did too!

Miss Independence

So Miss Cadence decided yesterday, she does not want to be fed! She wants to do it herself. This didn't go too well as one can imagine. There was more food all over the place than in her mouth. And today, not only did she insist on using the spoon, she wanted to use the silver one I use ... needless to say, I had to switch to using one of her pink ones so she would eat! She is stressing me out I tell you! We are going to be one of those mother/daughter duos who fight ... I can feel it!

Kisses!

Cadence has been giving kisses for a few weeks now ... when you ask her AND she is not more interested in something else (the phone, converter, food!). Tonight, while she was resting her head on my shoulder while I was walking her before bed, she lifter her head, looked me right in the eye and made the kiss face ... THREE times! It was by far the sweetest moment we have shared thus far ... and after the few days we've had, I sure needed it!

Question of the Day

If you ask Cadence what the doggy says, does 'Woof, woof' count as a word?

Photos ...