Water Baby

If there's one thing Brandon loves more than anything else, it has to be the water. From his first week of life up until this moment, he's a big fan. Bath time, pool time, water park time - you name it and he's loving it!

I think he comes by it honestly. His daddy is a really good swimmer and feels quite at home in the water. Maybe it's just in his genes to love water. Brandon was also born a Scorpio - a water sign - so that might have something to do with it. Whatever the reason for his joy in the water, it doesn't matter. So long as he's having a good time and mommy is there to catch him before he falls over and drowns!

Here's a few pictures of Brandon enjoying his first summer in his very own pool :)

A Couple of Firsts

It's Stampede time in Calgary! For the past week it's been nothing but rodeos on the news and tourists walking around in cowboy hats. And even though the Stampede is a big deal in Calgary, Jamie and I aren't really fans of the annual event. We find the grounds to be extremely crowded and the cost of admission to be really expensive. Needless to say, we didn't take Brandon down there for his first Stampede experience. We did take him to his first Stampede breakfast though. Every year our neighbours put on a fabulous free breakfast for their friends. They rent a tent and tables and cook up pancakes, hash browns and bacon for everyone. This year they even had a real cowboy sing karaoke for us while we ate! Brandon donned his only cowboy shirt and headed next door to join in the fun. As the youngest cowpoke there, Brandon was a big hit.

Later that same day, Brandon attended his first kids birthday party. Little Julie Finnigan turned three years old and she was having some friends over to celebrate. Brandon put on his party hat and enjoyed watching the "big" kids play. At one point they even included him in some of their games. Mommy and daddy may have found it a bit loud and hectic at times but Brandon really seemed to be enjoying himself. Here's some photos from our day :)

Eight Months Old Today!

Well here we are . . . lucky number 8 and Brandon continues to grow like a weed. He weighs about 20 lbs and I'm starting to think his days in the infant car seat are numbered.

It seems to me that Brandon did a lot of growing this past month. He continues to work on recently acquired skills like holding his own bottle and feeding himself but he now sleeps through the night and is completely weaned from me. His hair has grown and he looks more and more like his daddy every day.

But what's interesting to me is how his behavioural side has begun to develop. If Brandon has something and you take it from him, such as the remote control, he'll cry and have a hissy fit. If you have something Brandon wants, such as the telephone, and don't give it to him, he'll cry and have a hissy fit. He's also showing very early signs of separation anxiety. He's happy to play by himself but if he looks up and notices all of a sudden that I'm not there, he'll cry and have a hissy fit.

I'm probably making it sound like Brandon has hissy fits all the time and really he doesn't. He's still quite a happy baby and enjoys all the things he used to like the cats and his jumperoo. He was recently given a push car to ride on and he really likes that. He also loves to go swimming and hang out with his friends from play group. He still hates getting his PJs put on but I've got a feeling that will never change ;)

We keep waiting for a tooth to appear. For the past few months we've been thinking it will pop any day but still nothing. Brandon drools like crazy and chews on whatever he can get in his hands but still we wait. He's also not crawling yet. I've heard that some babies never crawl and I wonder if that will be Brandon. He just doesn't seem interested in going anywhere. I suppose one day he'll get up and walk away but for now at least I always know where he is :)

Lasting Impression

When Brandon was almost six months old, Jamie and I took him to get his hand and feet impressions done. It took a while to get the finished product but, boy, it was worth the wait! I can't think of a sweeter way to remember the little hands I use to hold or the little feet I use to kiss. What a wonderful keepsake from my baby's babyhood :)

Happy Birthday Canada

For our first Canada Day celebration as a family, we packed up a picnic and headed to Heritage Park in Southern Calgary. We couldn't believe how busy it was! But fortune was on our side as a very sweet couple handed us their tickets as they were leaving. We skipped the big line up and walked right into the park.

The park is huge and contains numerous old buildings and equipment from the past. Our favourite part was the farm animal section. Horses, sheep, pigs, chickens, and cows - Brandon loved it :)

Our weather was pretty good so after wandering around the park for a couple of hours, we threw down our picnic blanket and enjoyed the sites and sounds of the celebrations happening around us (clowns preforming for the kids and country music playing in the tent). It was a really great day and I can't wait to take Brandon back there when he's a bit older.

Happy 143rd birthday Canada!!!!