Bike Messengers

Oh yes, there was mountain biking. Mommy and Daddy got out four times this year and Uncle Kevin was able to join us for two of the rides. Of course, the children are too young to accompany us so we recorded moments to share with them when we got home ...

Out for a ride. Coming back with video messages

 
MOMENT: Here's How it's Done, Son

Tavish taking Daddy's bike for a spin

Tavish loved seeing what we'd been up to. Perhaps it was motivation for future mountain biking trips with our boy?

7 Months

This 7 month old is changing before our eyes. It seems as though she wakes up every morning with some new teeth coming in. On her 7 month-iversary, tooth 5 was making it's way out and number 6 was imminent. She has also started sitting for short periods of time and shown an appreciation for solid food.

MOMENT: Over Half Way

This is the month that you really realize that my 'baby' is closer to a one year old than a newborn. Our daughter is aging with sophistication and spunk - check out her style and hairdo for proof...

December 28, 2012

All I Want for Christmas...

... is my two front teeth.

MOMENT: Within Days

And .... they almost made it in time too! Here's Keva and her nearly new teeth on Boxing day...

First Food

This year, Christmas brought the gift of solid food to the dinner table for Keva in the form of a carrot...

MOMENT: What's Up, Doc?

Following only a mother-hunch about timing, we decided not to offer Keva solid food until she was sitting up better on her own and until she showed interest in food. This all happened suddenly just 3 days before she turned 7 months old. This also happened to be Christmas day, so Keva joined the whole family with her steamed carrot for our festive meal and followed it up a few days later with some broccoli...

Carrot face

FLASHBACK: Broccoli is Best

We followed the same intuition for Tavish for when to introduce solid foods. Tavish was a week shy of being 7 months old when he enjoyed his first chomp of solid food. For Tavish's first food, he was served broccoli.

Tavish's first food -  ready to dive in...

...yum, broccoli.

Like brother like ...sister? Keva's second meal was
inspired by Tavish's successful first...

Better to Give Than Receive

By far, the most exciting part of Christmas for Tavish was the giving ... and for Keva, it was the wrapping paper. Although they certainly enjoyed the gifts they received and that Santa brought, Tavish's enthusiasm peaked when people were opening the gifts he and his sister were giving...

Santa's gifts for Keva and Tavish in front
Gifts wrapped by Tavish in back...

Thank you Santa for the 'train book' and this cool camera!

Keva's 'chew toy' and new toy from Santa...

MOMENT: True Spirit of Christmas

Tavish was so excited to give Keva his gift of a singing book. He sang "Frosty" on a recordable Frosty the Snowman book for her and loves showing it to her. For Mommy and Daddy, he made two cinnamon scented ornaments at school that will adorn our tree for years to come. For Auntie Colleen, he made a placemat that coordinates with the ones he made last year for Grandma and Grandpa. For Grandma and Grandpa this year, it was handprint art: the north star and the three wise men on camels from him and he was an incredible help getting Keva's hand and footprints for the angel and baby Jesus in the manger art she made. All gifts were created with the genuine excitement that is the true spirit of Christmas. I wish everyone could be so fortunate to share the holidays with children...

Preparing for our Visitors

'Twas the night before Christmas and all was a-flurry of present wrapping, letter writing and snack preparing...

MOMENT: The Good Stuff

Tavish wrote a lovely letter and left some of his favourite treats for Santa and Rudolph. He was meticulous in his wrapping job for the gifts he lovingly made for Grandpa, Grandma, and Auntie Colleen. Indeed, both Santa and Rudolph (and the gift recipients too, of course) were thrilled with what they found waiting for them.

Sound Sleepers

For the first few months, our babes sleep in our bed for ease of nursing and due to basic exhaustion instincts. They do make their way into their cribs eventually, but again out of fatigued decision making, they will return during the night nursing ... and sometimes stay if their provider falls asleep. We loved it, it is a short period of time and there are few things better than waking up to the sweet face of your young baby...

MOMENT: Co-Sleeping Captured

I once saw this image titled: Sleeping Next to a Baby. It made me laugh out loud. Although not at all accurate for us because our babies are in their own beds before they are moving around, we could still relate on some level:

This seemed especially accurate on our first morning in Arizona when we were all very, very tired from our long travel day and late arrival. I happened to witness a sweet co-sleeping moment that could have been dubbed: Keva the Space Invader. Mercifully, Tom doesn't require much space to catch some shut-eye - he was pinned at the edge of the bed while Keva was right next to him with her arm stretched out into the vast open space that was the rest of the bed.  

FLASHBACK: The More Things Change...

Funny how seeing something today puts you in mind of a similar event in the past. Although we don't have any images of Tavish as a space invader, we do have this photo that could be dubbed: Like Father, Like Son. I love it! Tavish busted out of his swaddle and assumes his Daddy's preferred sleep position. (*Note: the hairdryer and soother ready when needed!) 

A generational mirror image...