April Showers Brings May Flowers?

This pass weekend was the best we’ve had in a long time! Little miss Adriana was finally able to try out her pink wagon that she got for her birthday. O....M....G! This little girl was having the absolute time of her life as soon as we started moving down the driveway. We only walked down to the park to play a little and then detoured to the outside of the neighbourhood to visit the infamous ducks. This time she was free to get out and watch them instead of being buckled in – sorta, the wagon has a seat belt. 

This was also the first time we were able to take her to the park and let her run around by herself too. When she started walking it was wet, then snow and then more rain – finally gone and now it’s dry enough. She decided to go on the swing first because the other kids were on them too. Then she decided she had enough and wanted to go on the slide by herself for the first time. Of course she needed help to walk up the steps to the platform and I held her hand so she could sit on the top by herself. With her Daddy waiting for her at the bottom, off she went down the slide by herself!! I’m not too sure who was more happy, Adriana or Mommy because she did it by herself?

We played for about 45mins and then hopped in the wagon again and headed to the bridge where the ducks are. These are the same ducks we visited almost every single day last year! Almost all the females are “hiding” until the little duckies are ready but the males are still around. Adriana was trying to quacking at the ducks the whole time. We weren’t prepared to see them but I plan on keeping some bread/snacks in the wagon for next time. We headed back home and of course she spots a dog by one of the houses. Every time this happens, it’s like when an elderly person sees a newborn. Seriously. Her eyes light up, hands together tucked under her chin, and she even does the “AWWWWW!”. Every, single, time. 

The next day we did it all again. This time we let her get into her wagon by herself and she grabbed the buckle all by herself. FYI: there are two seats and if the other buckle isn’t done up – she will reach across and do it up. Safety First, of course. The boyfriend went to get some groceries and since Adriana didn’t want to nap, we went to the park instead! On our way, we ran into a neighbour who has a little boy (just over 2yrs old), who we hadn’t met yet. He tried to share his Recorder with her but it wasn’t of interest to her. He even tried to kiss her good bye but she wasn’t having any of that either! ....Good Job little girl ;)

Since it was just Adriana and I, the slide was a bit harder. It was more running around than anything! But again she loved it. When her Daddy showed up – everything stopped and she wanted to go home. Daddy’s little girl.

We are getting closer to our Newfoundland trip!! About 3mths to go now and we’re off on Adriana’s first plane ride. We keep pointing out airplanes in the sky and use her Airplane puzzle piece to teach her it flies – unlike the sailboat or car. She even makes the engine noises Lol It will definitely be interesting and I know many people are excited to see her too. I’m making sure to bring the good camera (Canon T3i) with us so I can get some really good pictures of her with people and in the same places I had visited years ago! 

This coming weekend, Adriana will be going for her Doctor’s visit. Yes, more needles but I can’t wait to see how much she weighs and how tall she is again. She already is starting to wear some 2T size clothes but its hard to find pants that fit her in the waist and length. She’s a tall girl but not a chunker! Needless to say she wears a LOT of jeggings. I’m never worried about her getting needles – she always does well, Trooper. She actually loves the doctor. Whenever we’re waiting in the room and she comes in, Adriana goes right to her arms! Hopefully it stays this way for awhile....wishful thinking?

Another Weekend of Eventful Events

*Phew* Seriously! I think we barely stopped this whole weekend. After finishing work on Friday, the boyfriend and I were exhausted and opted to just grab some Extreme Pita and go home. Adriana was pooped from her busy week too. Although we had good intentions when we grabbed a few beers and a bottle of wine - didn't even open the wine until late Saturday night!

Saturday morning, I was able to sleep in a bit (later than 7am anyways!) and got ready to head out on a small road trip with Adriana and my sister, Jill. This was a nice break for the boyfriend to just relax, nap, play video games, and do whatever he wanted for a few hours! I was even nice enough to only leave him a sort list of things to do. I'm awesome. Jill and I made a stop for some food at Tim Horton's; Adriana had a couple of Timbits too! We were off to Niagara Falls to do some outlet shopping :) Too bad Adriana and I don't have our passports yet or else we would have crossed the border for even better deals. Next time for sure. I really had my heart set on one place to go and of course get something for Adriana! Its not like the Outlet mall (Plaza...really) is that big but the selection of stores are pretty good.
The last time I went shopping there was a few years ago when I had my heart set on a different store - which I didn't even bother to go to this time! I had asked begged the boyfriend to drive me down........and my mom lol She doesn't drive the highway and well....I don't drive at all. Best boyfriend ever! That time we went only to the Coach store. This time my heart was set on Michael Kors. I bought myself a very well deserved new purse and I promised that I wouldn't buy anything else for the year. I said the same thing years before when we went to the Coach store too. I'm no liar either.

We went to Carter's too since every store has a different selection. Adriana picked out some awesome hot pink sequence shoes and 3 spring outfits. She is going to look adorable in every one of them! She insisted on wearing her new shoes as soon as we paid for them. Seriously, the cashier even cut the tags off for us!! She is hilarious though. Showing off her pink shoes the whole time we pushed her around in the stroller. The ladies at Michael Kors loved her shoes too. Every time you said the word 'Shoe' she would stick her feet out straight and look at them. God love her!
Adriana did amazingly well on the long trip - not the longest she's been on but it gets harder to keep them occupied as they get older! She actually fell asleep on the way there and the way back. Easy peasy! My only issue with the trip is the "new" rules of the highway. When the hell was it UNexceptable to do 120km/hr in the fast lane? Seriously, there were people actually flashing their highbeams for us to move! I couldn't believe it....we have a baby in the car, doing well over the 100km speed limit and these people have the audacity to call us morons. Did I miss something over the years? Do speed limits not apply anymore?

Our Saturday calmed down a bit after we got back to the city. We spent some time at my parents house, where Adriana ended up spending the night with them. Since they were sick and then we were sick, they haven't really seen her for 2 weeks! So some time with Gran and Grandad was needed - Mommy and Daddy get a break too! The boyfriend and I ended up going for some dinner and watching the hockey game. Go Leafs Go! We came home to watch the rest of the game and finally cracked open the bottle of wine we picked up the night before. I already had a head start during dinner and the boyfriend opted for a few beers but joined me with the wine at home. It was nice to have some "US" time....its just been so crazy lately.

Sunday was definitely more relaxing than Saturday. Started it off with breakfast for two at our favourite spot - Bobby's Hideaway. Nothing better! Then we went to pick up a baptism gift and then to get our little lady. God I missed her. She obviously had lots of fun with my parents because she did NOT want to leave. My dad was nice enough to walk her out and get her settled in the car so it wasn't that bad when we pulled away. She's one lucky little girl to have so many people love her more than anything. We were definitely proud today when we were at the church for Caleb's baptism. She sat on her Daddy's lap and read her new book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see?" She loves it! She was clearly hungry too because when we went to the restaurant she was diving into the veggies, fruit and crackers they had laid out. We couldn't stay long since we were expected for dinner at her Nana's house. Who turns down Chinese food anyways?! Adriana had a bunch of beef and broccoli, shrimp, chicken, and noodles. Then we topped it off with 4slices of cucumber.

Finally sitting down tonight, after Adriana's bath and bottle for the night, to watch Game of Thrones. Love this show!! I would love to have a dragon of my own. So its already that time and I must say this weekend went quickly but it was enjoyed. Every minute  of it was definitely enjoyed. We may not be the traditional family (baby but no wedding) but I love those who are part of it. I really do cherish Adriana - more so after I blog about her......she is my world.


p.s. Did I mention Adriana says Daddy and doggie now too? Video to come soon!

More Sickness, Hospital and Sleep

The last few posts have been about being sick and I really thought it was over. Boy was I wrong!! This week has truly tested my patience, energy, resiliency, understand, compassion, and everything else in between. It was a beautiful start with family and food to celebrate the boyfriends birthday which happened on Tuesday. Adriana still had her running nose and  cough but was still in good spirits. This week came with a lot of rain and the boyfriend was back to work so of course he started to feel under the weather. His birthday came and gone but it was a short work week for him since it was torrential downpour for the rest of the week! Wednesday we were slapped in the face with an even sicker baby. It wasn't just a running nose, cough or a fever....she was sick sick! At first I thought maybe (a slight chance) it could be bad milk? We're always really careful about expire dates and such but perhaps...maybe? Nope. Poor little girl wasn't keeping anything down - thank goodness the boyfriend was home so I could go to work. I suggested keeping her home from daycare if shes not better and after she had a nap she did it again....and again. Finally by 3pm the boyfriend called and said he was all out of ideas. She was even refusing the Pedialyte and Tylenol! He took her to the hospital and I would meet him there after work - he was definitely going to still be there. I called my sister (she called while I was working) and when I said "hospital" she offered to come get me to get me there faster than the bus would. As a token of appreciation - I bought her a latte from Starbucks.

The hospital was filled with people - more babies than I expected! I had been messaging the boyfriend to let him know I was on my way and I had an idea of where to go. As soon as I found the bed they were in and opened the curtain my heart sank more. She looked so sick, tired but gave me the best little smile she could. I got a kiss and of course a hug! That was exactly what I needed right then...
The boyfriend stepped out to grab her a bottle of water and I just sat on the bed with her. She didn`t wiggle or roll around; she just sat with me in my arms. I love her. She drank quite a bit of water and we played the waiting game to see if it would stay down. The timing was within 45mins.

Adriana was just amazing with the nurse! We had to give her a tablet - stick it under her tongue - I just told her it was "nom nom" and she opened up her mouth. The nurse was surprised it was that easy. She then had to check her blood sugar level. I had her on my lap but needles make me nervous so I was best Daddy held her just in case. Adriana did amazing! She held out her finger and just watched the nurse do the test. She didn`t cry or give her a hard time. She always did well with needles but I thought for sure this wouldn`t be easy. You proved me wrong, Adriana. The conclusion was a viral stomach bug. They gave her a prescription for the nausea and sent us home.

After we left, we realized she hadn`t thrown up the water. Progress. We got her ready for bed, gave her a bottle and kisses. I asked her "Adriana, are we going to have a better day tomorrow?" and she nodded. I love her more. She is so much better now! Thank God.

I`m a different story. Thursday I went to work fine. I was tired but considering the week we`ve had, I thought it was understandable. I figured a good nights rest was all I needed. Boy was I wrong! I caught whatever Adriana had - starting at 3am. The only bonus I had was I knew what to expect. I always keep Ginger Gravol on hand (non drowsy) just in case, Ginger Ale and water. I did not move from my bed (except to go to the bathroom, of course) until late in the evening when I finally ate some Lipton soup. I didn`t attempt anything all day since I knew it wouldn`t stay down long enough! Only Gravol and water. The boyfriend was even nice to get me the good 12-hr regular Gravol so I could sleep most of it off. Thank You.

We are all pass the sickness and (hopefully) back to normal this week. It was a true test for us in many ways and I felt we came together as a family (as a couple) to help each other get through our first big sickness with Adriana. Our hearts broke over and over seeing her that way and we did our best to make her better. As first time parents, we really never want our children to be sick. Ever. Its the most heart wrenching thing ever! It was difficult to know what was wrong with her at first since she couldn`t tell us. I watched her facial expressions, movements, and of course temperature. Her Daddy did well too! Considering he had to spend most of the day by himself - cleaning up after her. It is stressful but he did everything he could to help her and then took it one step further by taking her to a doctor. I`m sure this won`t be the last time we go through something like this but I know it will be easier for both of us to understand her. Adriana is an amazing little girl. I can`t even explain how much it tore us up to see her that sick. I just hope she doesn`t take after her mommy and have stomach bugs a hundred times a year!!

Tomorrow is Monday. Another week to start fresh, another week of work. I think we are stronger as a family than the week before and I love it. I love the boyfriend for his effort. Most men would shy away from the signs of sickness (makes them gag) but you held on and showed Adriana the love a real daddy should. I love you babe!

Catch up Time. HBD!

It’s been a rough few days. Little Miss Adriana has been sick for a week but thankfully it has started to let up. Poor little girl! She hasn’t had a good night sleep for a week and finally last night she got just under 12hrs. Not bad. We want her to get as much as she needs to get better! It’s been heartbreaking since we can’t give her anything but Tylenol. We were giving her the Infant Tylenol but she’s over the maximum weight so we had to go to the Children’s Tylenol instead – that happened Sunday.

I simply asked Adriana last night before she went off to bed “Darling, are we going to have a better day tomorrow?” She responded by nodding her head and she wasn’t lying. This morning I woke up to “MAAAAMAAAA. MAAAA. MAAAMAAAAAA” I smiled. She wasn’t crying or screaming or whining....she just wanted her Mama! It definitely made my day...possibly my week.

This was the first week the boyfriend was back to work so it was all on me to get her to daycare and then get myself to work before 930am. It didn’t quite work out yesterday because we went to the doctors but today was much better! She went off to daycare no problem and I got to work on time. Bonus: I still managed to grab a tea and bagel too! *High Five* for breakfast on the run!

We’ll see how tomorrow goes. It usually takes a few days for a baby to realize you’re leaving them at daycare. I may just get the pouty lip I have heard so much about from the boyfriend.....Bring it on! I will probably cry as I walk across the park to catch my bus to work, but by the time I get to my stop I would have reminded myself why we send her there. She needs the socializing, she needs to be with a caretaker in order for us to both work, and she needs to be with children her age. This daycare is great because the 4 kids are about the same age (oldest being 3yrs old). Adriana likes playing with all of them :)

Today is..........the boyfriend’s BIRTHDAY! Yay!!! Happy Birthday my love – you are a year older and a year wiser. You bring a certain something to our family that I just can’t describe – I love it! You are a wonderful father to Adriana and we are lucky to share yet another birthday with you <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

One Step Up

I apologize for the shortness but none of us are feeling well. Adriana has been dealing with a cold for the past 4days now and I hope this is the end. Of course, nothing says family as much as sharing a cold together. I felt it start Friday, then it really hit me Saturday and today well....I'm about to climb into bed for the night! Its been a long few days between a grumpy sick baby and all the errands we've had to do this weekend. I am exhausted.

It is the boyfriends' birthday on Tuesday so we had the family dinner tonight. We had some nice pasta, garlic bread, and of course CHOCOLATE CAKE!! He is definitely not excited about birthdays anymore the closer and closer he gets to the big 3-0. He has one more year yet it seems to be the end of all ends. I can just imagine what will happen when he hits each 10th interval.

Our little missy is still on a rampage. Getting faster, more curious of new things, and talking more. She has been starting to say more things now - clearer things. She understands instructions too. We simply ask a question and she responds. Its amazing to me! She's so smart - I love her with every piece of me.
Daycare has been going great! Adriana loves it, and they love her. The caretaker has made comment as to how smart she is and independent. She will sit by herself sometimes and flip through a book she likes. She doesn't want someone to do it with her though. She will play with the other kids even though they are older. She seems to like them too. Then again, she seems to like everyone she meets!

We are officially booked for Newfoundland and will be flying out July 27th. I am a little nervous to be flying with her but I think if I can occupy her enough on the flight there - she may just sleep on the way back! High hopes. There are several people that we want to visit and I'm sure they will love to see Adriana. We will need some tight planning.

Congrats to my cousin who gave birth to a baby girl on Friday! Krista - I heard you did so well and that she is beautiful. We can't wait to see her when we come down!! We hope you enjoy every minute with her :)