Fall Fun

For some reason Fall as always been my favourite time of the year. I'm not sure if it's because I love the turkey at Thanksgiving, dressing up for Halloween, celebrating my birthday or watching the trees change colour before my eyes but whatever it is I'm really enjoying it this year!

As I mentioned in my last post, September has mostly been miserable in terms of the weather but for the past week, the sun has been shining and the days are perfect for going outside. Brandon and I are making of the most of this good weather by going for walks and visiting some local attractions.

First up was The Masters at Spruce Meadows. An internationally renowned event, I was sure Brandon would love the action of horses flying over huge jumps. Unfortunately I didn't consider how busy this event would be and we really couldn't see much from where we were sitting. The grounds were lovely though so we spent most of the day just wondering around and enjoying the beautiful scenery (Mommy always loves to see horses).

Next up was a trip to Butterfield Acres. This place is an over-priced "open farm" where kids can pet goats, feed chickens, hold little bunny rabbits etc. Brandon is probably a bit too young to really enjoy what the farm has to offer but he seemed to have fun none-the-less. He smiled at the chickens and loved touching the goats. His favourite part was washing his hands at the designated station after petting the animals. His first love after-all is water ;)

Our best day though was probably this mornings' trip to Bowness Park. The weather was warm and everywhere we looked, the trees had changed colour and the leaves were gently falling to the ground. Brandon loved the leaves! We found a pile that had been raked up and he promptly fell in and made a glorious mess of it. Our trip to the park reminded me that you don't always have to spend a lot of money to have a good time and that some of the best things in life really are free :)

Change is in the Air

Fall has come early to Calgary. September has mostly been a wet, cold, miserable month. The days are cool and the nights even cooler. The leaves on the trees have already started to turn yellow and fall to the ground. But the weather isn't the only thing that's changing around here. My maternity leave ends on Nov 8th and soon I'll be back to work. With less than two months away, my return to work weighs heavily on my mind.

It's funny to me how it's not unlike being pregnant. As my due date approached, I wondered how I would cope with the change. I was excited and nervous at the same time. That's how I feel about the end of mat leave too. I'm fortunate enough to work for a great company and I like my job very much. I'm looking forward to seeing my old friends and honestly, to making some good money again. What bothers me is the time I'll no longer spend with Brandon.

My favourite time of the day is the mornings. Brandon is always in such a good mood. We play in the family room for a while before I make breakfast and we sit down to eat. After breakfast we play some more until he starts to rub his eyes. That's my cue to grab his bottle, scoop him up in my arms and rock him while he drinks. I'll tell him stories or sing him songs before I lay him down for a nap. This time with him is so special to me and I can't believe that soon I won't have it anymore. My heart aches whenever I think of it.

What's going to help make my transition back to work easier though, is a wonderful woman named Linda. Jamie and I have chosen Linda to be our day home provider. It was a really tough search but I'm so glad we were lucky enough to find her. She lives in Silver Springs and she's been a child care provider for over 30 years. She's very sweet and seems to genuinely adore Brandon. I feel that he is in good hands with this lovely lady.

So there's nothing left to do now but enjoy the time I left on mat leave. Trust me when I say I plan on making the most of it :)

New 'Do

Probably a mother is the only person on the planet who cares about babies first hair cut but I am the author of this blog so I'm going put up a post about it :)

Brandon's hair was getting a little long around his ears and down his neck. Not feeling brave enough to attempt the deed ourselves, Jamie took Brandon in for his first hair cut. He brought Brandon to a place called "Melonhead" - a shop set up just for kids. Well they did a great job! Not only did they cut his hair but they took Brandon's picture, kept a few locks of his hair (for Mommy of course) and wrote up a certificate declaring his very first hair cut. So at $26.00 was it worth it? . . . yep, you bet it was!

10 Months Old Today!

In just ten short months, Brandon has gone from being my little baby boy to my big baby boy. At 19.14 lbs and 29.5 inches, Brandon is busy exploring the world, "talking" up a storm and eating everything in site.

For weeks Brandon has been getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. Jamie and I thought for sure he was going to go forward any day. Well this morning - he finally did! This a big deal for mommy as now I have to run out and buy some baby gates. The house is mostly child proof but as Brandon was getting around this morning, I realized I have some more work to do.

Last week Brandon went into his "big boy" car seat. I've suddenly lost the convenience of carting my guy around in a bucket seat but his new seat fits him better and is definitely safer for him.

I mentioned in my last post that Brandon was cutting some new teeth. They are the top four middle teeth to be exact and they are giving him a really hard time. They come down and then go back up again. This doesn't seem fair but apparently it's quite common for teeth to do that. One finally did break through yesterday morning and Brandon seems a little happier but for the most part, I miss my content mellow baby.

Brandon continues to nap twice a day and sleep 12 hours at night. His favourites still include cats, water, eating, playgroup and now a fun game of peek-a-boo. He still hates getting his PJs on but now he also hates getting into his new car seat.

I'm back to work in less than two months and the hunt for good child care is in full swing. We've visited a few spots that I feel really comfortable with and we'll have to make our decision next week. I find myself wrestling all the time with the fact that I won't be with him 24 hours a day anymore. I know it's a mother's job to let go sometimes but honestly, I'm just not there yet.

New Smile?

Brandon is busy cutting more teeth. This time it's the middle four teeth on the top of his mouth. He's been a bit miserable about the whole thing - though I can hardly blame him. What's funny though is that he seems to have acquired a new smile. I don't know if it's his teeth or his age but he now scrunches up his nose whenever he smiles. Of course he's still super cute but I can't help but wonder if this is just a phase.