Babymooning in Havana

Alan and I spent an amazing week in Cuba attending a friend's wedding. It was such a treat to travel together, spend time with many great friends, experience the incredible sites and culture of Old Havana and bask in the sweet sunshine. We squeezed in more dates in one week than we have in the past 5 years, and after 6 days and nights filled with Cuban music, I think this baby will come out ready to salsa!

Mariachi band playing at the wedding reception

Mother's Day

Getting some belly love at the beach while sporting my homemade Mother's Day necklace.

My whole life I've always wondered if I'd have kids, and how many, and if they'd be boys or girls. Now I feel that I have the answer to one the great mysteries of my life. I will be the mother of two sons and it feels wonderful. I can't wait for my little family to be complete so I can wrap my arms around both of them and give them all the love in the world. Caleb is full of questions about his new little brother and it turns out he is listening to my answers very closely. This afternoon I commented on how he went down the slide head first he said, 'Yeah, and that's the way the baby will come out of you!'.

This has been a very special, and busy, Mother's Day. It started on Friday with a wonderful lunch at Cale's daycare, complete with a personalized bag full of crafts, all served up by the kids. Cale said they weren't able to have circle time all week because they were so busy working on the crafts. Each mom received candles, cards, flowers and a very colourful necklace.

Yesterday Cale learned a new word - puttering. He played around Alan and I all day as we packed boxes, put them in our car and unpacked them in our storage unit which is conveniently located just around the corner. It turns out you can quite effectively be a bad pirate who is holding a sword in one hand while packing a box with the other hand! Maybe I should have also taught him the word multitasking. Today we took the afternoon off for some good old fashioned family fun. A beach walk, bike ride, take out fish and chips, and next up will be a bath and nap for mama. Perfect.

Bonfire and s'mores in the rain last weekend!

Thanks to Wendy from my work for the photos!

Unborn love

First peek at our new little fella! Just relaxin' in the womb!

   Our little baby is growing and the love I already feel for him is almost overwhelming. We are so excited for his arrival and although his birth is still a few months away, we can't wait to meet our son.
   The pregnancy has been going really well these past few weeks, but we have recently found out about a few potential complications. At our 20 week ultrasound, we were filled with bliss as we got to see our little baby for the first time and found out that we were having another boy. The mood soon changed when a doctor came in to take another long look at the baby. I didn't remember this from my ultrasound with Caleb, so I felt right away that something may not be quite right. The doctor told us that the baby has an echogenic bowel - a soft marker for a variety of chromosomal abnormalities including Down's syndrome, cystic fibrosis and trisomy 18. We were told not to worry but that it was a good idea for me to get maternal screening (blood test) done to find out if the baby is at a heightened risk for any disorders.
 I cried most of the way home, feeling devastated that something might be wrong with my tiny little baby. After some research (my trusty What to Expect When You're Expecting and some google searching) I realized that detection of this soft marker was quite normal and the chances of anything being wrong is very low. In about 99% of all cases, the baby is born without any health problems.
 Earlier this week we went to the IWK for a follow-up fetal assessment. The ultrasound technician and doctor were really wonderful and gave us a very detailed report of what they were seeing. The echogenic bowel marker was still present, and they detected a 2 vessel umbilical cord when there should be 3 vessels. However, the growth, anatomy and everything else looked really good so we felt reassured that everything will very likely be ok. But there is still an elevated risk that something could be wrong with our baby and we will continue to be monitored at the IWK for the duration of the pregnancy.
  We were given a few options for how to proceed. My blood test results came back fine, which gives us even more reassurance, but Alan and I decided to get tested to see if we are carriers for cystic fibrosis. We declined an amniocentesis or any further testing. At this point, we generally feel quite positive about things and the initial shock and fear has worn off a little bit. We know that no matter what, we will love our little baby with all of our hearts. In life there are no guarantees, and whether the baby has any sort of  disorder or abnormality or not, we will feel nothing but love, pride, amazement and joy when our little boy is born and throughout his entire lifetime. For now, I'm just trying to enjoy the rest of this pregnancy and take comfort in every little kick and movement I feel.
 

Easter Eggstravaganza!

Easter egg hunt at Fort Anne. The hills were covered with treats.

Ever since we moved to Annapolis Royal last August people have been telling us about the town's Easter celebration - Eggstravaganza. And what a celebration it turned out to be. Here is a schedule of our action-packed Saturday:

9:00 - Pancake breakfast at the legion
11:00 - Legendary egg hunt at the fort with the Easter bunny and policemen dressed in bunny ears
12:00 - Crafts for kids offered all over town. We opted to head to the art gallery where I was expecting some colouring or egg painting activities. Boy, was I wrong. The crafts were amazing! There was a huge selection of wooden toys and flowers for everyone, picture frames, cookie decorating...Caleb went right to the station with the hammering and made an amazing pull toy. And everything was free!
3:00 - Free kids movie at the theatre, followed by a prize draw where Caleb won 4 ice cream cones from the local country store.

Also offered was a local Amazing Race, family hike and ham dinner. We just couldn't fit everything in. What a day indeed!

It seems like every child from the Valley was on site for the fun!

Stevie our new beaver - handmade by Caleb!

Yesterday's fun topped off a wonderful week in Jamaica for me. It felt great to be back in Negril, somewhere so familiar and so pleasantly warm! I had a busy few days full of workshops, but I managed to squeeze in some ocean swims, sunset walks and visits with old friends. 

Local wood carver, Octavius, posing for a photo to show all my friends and family back home who spent time on the beach with him in 2012. 

Reasons to celebrate

1. Spring is here! We've been seeing the signs...crocuses, melting snow, singing birds, mud puddles.... and it's been wonderful.

Exploring the dykelands

Marsh walker

2. Dad won an East Coast Music Award! His debut album 'Coffee til Midnight' won for best Roots/Traditional Solo Album of the Year.We are so proud of him. 

Sign for dad - 'Congratulations Dad. Great Job'

3. We are having a baby boy! Brothers!!! How amazing.

My pirate Captain will soon be getting a little matey!
Here is a photo of how pirates help their moms clean up. 

Caleb is loving my growing bump and he often comes up to give me hugs or say a few words to the baby. The first time he wrapped his arms around my belly, I said 'Thank you for giving me a hug' and he replied 'Actually, I wasn't hugging you, I was hugging somebody inside of you.'

And yesterday, after finding out the sex of the baby he went right up to my belly and said 'I love you in there little boy!'

Bedtime banter

Cale has a wonderful bedtime routine these days, but there are some nights where he pulls out all the stops in an effort to stay up later. We are happy to let him read a book to himself after we have said goodnight, as long as he turns the light out on his own and goes to sleep when he is done. I don't mind him staying up a little bit later, as long as I don't have to be there. I think every parents looks forward to having some time to themselves in the evening, and I am certainly no exception.
Lately Cale has pulled out some pretty hilarious bedtime quotes. I thought I would share some of the true gems.

Scene: Alan has put Caleb to bed and said good night.
Caleb: Dad, I need someone to come upstairs.
Alan: Caleb, whatever you need, you can do it on your own.
Caleb: No dad, I really need two people for this.
Alan: I don't think you need two people to turn out your light or go to the bathroom. You can do those things on your own.
Caleb: No dad, I really need two people.
Alan: Ok, what do you need two people for?
Caleb: A snuggle!

Scene: I put Caleb to bed after a bit of a struggle - he needed a drink, needed the one teddy bear I couldn't find, needed more water in his hot water bottle...4 year old bedtime stalling at it's best. I finally got serious and said. 'Good night. I don't want to hear any more words from you.'
5 minutes later Caleb was at the top of the stairs, fighting back tears...
"Mom, am i going to be allowed to use my words tomorrow??"

Scene: After a nice bedtime cuddle
Cale looks at me and says, "Mom, I adore you."
Me: "That is so nice, sweetheart. I adore you, too."
Cale: "What does adore mean?"

Scene: Linda has put Caleb to bed. She didn't know that he is allowed to read a book on his own, so when he asked, she said no and told him it was time to turn the light off and go to sleep. About 5 minutes later Caleb shouts down to ask me if he can read himself a book. I said sure. Another 5 minutes pass and Caleb is crying at the top of the stairs...
I ask him what is wrong and he says 'I just don't know who I am supposed to listen to.'
Poor little fella was at a complete loss when he was told two different things by his grandmother and his mother!  He is still a child that likes to play by the rules.

Easy like a sunday morning

Lego Party!

'I wish it was the weekend all the time' Caleb said yesterday afternoon. Me too, my son, me too.
We are having a great one this weekend. Relaxing and simple. No car and no plans = lego parties, pirate adventures, outdoor explorations, lots of baking and snuggling up watching movies.

Life is good these days. Spring is in the air (at times) and I'm feeling pretty well overall. We have lots of exciting things coming up - a trip back to Jamaica for a follow-up workshop related to my research last fall for me, a trip to Cuba for Alan and I for a good friends wedding in May, a summer filled with music festivals and then a new addition to our family!

Also a few stressful things on the horizon, mostly several upcoming moves. We are destined to be nomads for life it seems! The house we are in now has sold, and we need to be out June 1 and into a yet to be determined new place in Annapolis Royal until the end of August. Then off to Fredericton and hopefully into a furnished rental in September. We'll likely move a few times during the year and then back to the Valley and another new home. Phew...tiring just thinking about it, but it will all work out somehow, because as a friend said to me last night - things work out, that's just what they do.

Bun in the oven!

It's true...and I'm not just talking about homemade cinnamon buns!

I'm extremely happy to announce that we are expecting a baby at the end of August. Caleb is over the moon and will undoubtedly be a wonderful big brother. He is filled with questions and will occasionally walk up to my belly and say 'Hello in there! Come out, come out wherever you are!!'

This pregnancy has been so much different than my first one. For about 8 weeks was struck down with pregnancy sickness (I refuse to call it morning sickness since it lasted all day and night). It was terrible and I was absolutely useless. Everything seemed to trigger nausea especially all types of food. I couldn't be near my kitchen, I couldn't wash a dish, I couldn't even say the word compost...I certainly wasn't at my best! Thankfully, Alan was home for most of the time so I was able to lay on the couch, rest up, focus on getting trough work the next day, while Alan took care of absolutely everything.  I'm a lucky gal.

One night Alan was gone and I knew I would have to prepare some sort of dinner for Caleb. I handed him a whole carrot, asked him to eat it in a different room and come see me if he needed a piece of bread when he was done. I couldn't even bring myself to cut the carrot into sticks!! Not my proudest mom moment.

The good news is, the nausea has passed for the most part and I'm feeling immeasurably better. I'm now in the so called 'honeymoon trimester' - not too sick, not too tired, not too big! I'm trying to enjoy it and take care of myself as we wait for the months to pass and a new bundle of joy to join our family.

Policeman Joe

Cale is spending a week in Fredericton while Alan is away and I'm busy with meetings in Halifax all week. Today I'm completely alone, and while it was nice for a bit, I really just miss having my boys around. I miss having people to take care of and I miss having people to take care of me. I have however, had time to get some things done around the house and watch a lot of uninterrupted Olympics. And now I have time for a new blog post. This post is a memory of Caleb's childhood that I wanted to capture. A child's interests change so quickly that when one lasts awhile, you know it is pretty special.

Policeman Joe has been part of our lives for over 6 months. It started as a bedtime story that I made up one night, and it has continued every single night since August! Each night after we read a book, we also tell a story where Policeman Joe finds clues, solves mysteries, chases robbers, stops speeders  and occasionally has to throw a bad guy in jail (but only until he learns his lesson). Alan and I alternate nights putting Caleb to bed, so Alan quickly became part of this little tradition. Policeman Joe even has a theme song (It's Policeman Joe, don't you know, don't you know...). Lately we've written a few of these stories down and made little books where Caleb colours the pictures and helps lay out the story. I find this hilarious because I never quite know what is going to happen, but I try to pull it all together in the end. I wonder if he'll still ask for Policeman Joe stories when he returns from Fredericton....I hope so.

Policeman Joe and the Case of the Sunken Pirate Ship

The other interest of Caleb's that has proven to be very consistent over the past several weeks is drawing pirate ships. Each day when I pick him up from daycare his teacher hands me a large stack of pirate ship drawings. They are very detailed with flags, port holes, always a crows nest and often a cannon that shoots bananas (after the peels have been taken off, of course). I have no idea what to do with this ever growing collection of pirate ships, but for now they all go into a sizeable stack with the best ones making their way onto the fridge! 

One day's work. 

Fridge-worthy pirate ship, plus pirate with an eye patch. 

Turning 4

Mom with the birthday party boy!

I have to start this post by telling you about how I devastated my son on my birthday two weeks ago. Caleb was extremely excited for my big day. He went to bed talking about it and on the morning of the 17th he woke up with a big 'Happy Birthday' song and hug for me. Then he looked into my eyes filled with hope and anticipation and asked 'What are we going to do today to celebrate your birthday?'...It was a Friday and I clearly had not properly prepared him for what happens when you turn 35. You go to work and have a pretty regular day. I had to break the news to him - he was off to school and I was off to the office. He couldn't contain his disappointment. He burst into tears. He was expecting a super-fun-adventure day, it was my BIRTHDAY after all. He pulled himself together and came downstairs to face yet another blow.

'Where are the decorations?' he asked.  I just shook my head. Very quietly he said, 'It's like it's not even your birthday.' And that was how I broke my son's heart. We did have brownies and a special dinner, but I could tell the day just didn't come close to living up to the expectations he had built up in his head.

 So yesterday, on January 29th, the day my son turned 4, I took the day off work, kept him out of school, put up decorations and had a day full of nothing but fun and games. We made cupcakes, brought them to share with his friends at daycare where his teacher lead everyone in dancing games, zumba routines and limbo contests. The two of us then played in the snow, invited another friend over for a play date, ate grilled cheese sandwiches, opened gifts, made a pillow fort, sang songs and capped it all off with a sleepover with mom. It was just the way a birthday should be. I was even able to capture a video interview of my 4 year old (which is quite endearing, if I do say so myself and I'm sure you'll agree if you check out the video below).

We kicked off the birthday celebrations with a family party and pirate cake in Fredericton

Complete with costumes (and scary faces) thanks to Cale's cousins Aly and Ava 

We were so happy to take in another year of the Shivering Songs Festival. Cale and cousin Monica loved dancing to Alan's band.

Dance party at school 

Turning 35

Tomorrow I turn 35 and instead of making one resolution to start off the new year, I've decided to make a list of things that I want to learn/accomplish/prioritize over the next 5 years. When I turn 40 (over the hill, as they say) I hope to be able to look back at this list and check off every single item. I'll likely add to the list over time, but for now here are a few things I hope for my 40 year old self.

• Have a healthy, happy and active family
• Learn to make, and stick to, a real family budget
• Have savings for retirement and also for fun (family travel)
• Make and host a full Thanksgiving dinner. Pumpkin pie and all.
• Join the board of an NGO
• Volunteer in my community
• Join a naturalist club and improve my bird watching/naturalist skills
• Find a hobby that I truly enjoy
• Own a well-stocked professional woman wardrobe
• Go camping often with my family
• Learn how to do basic home maintenance
• Own and live in a house that we plan on staying in for at least 5 years
• Learn to bake my own bread and birthday cakes
• Stop biting my fingernails (I stopped in October and have yet to return to this life-long habit - keep it up!)
• Feel happy with my body and fitness level
• Coach a sports team that my kids play on
• Keep having the time of my life with my best friends
• Start making plans to spend at least 6 months in Africa with my family
• Be living the life that truly makes me happy

And I'll end off with my favorite Caleb quote of the new year - While sliding down the super steep and incredibly fun hills at Fort Royal, Caleb did one especially fast hill by himself. At the bottom, with his face covered in snow, he looks up at us and says 'Now that's what I call a party!!' Amazing.

Our holiday in photos

We were so happy to make it home safely for the holidays. We arrived at my parent's house on the 20th and Caleb immediately commented on how much he liked their 'invisible' Christmas tree, handmade by Greg.

Christmas morning was full of magic. Cale couldn't believe his eyes when he woke up and saw that Santa had come. He received many amazingly thoughtful gifts, like this fiddle from his Grampie Jeffries. 

Another of Cale's favourite gifts was a book that his cousins, Aly and Ava, had recorded themselves reading.

Alan and I also received some wonderful things - like matching Red Sox jerseys!! Much to the dismay of some of Alan's relatives- he is now a officially Boston fan for life! Sorry, Mary.

We tried to give some thoughtful gifts as well. We had a great time making dish sets for some relatives that featured Caleb's artwork. Adorable and dishwasher friendly!

I made sets of felted sea creatures for my three of my nieces. I included some Bay of Fundy shells put everything together in boxes that Cale helped me paint. I'm not sure what to do with my spare time now that these little guys are all finished!!

It's a Jeffries family explosion!! All of Alan's siblings were home for the holidays this year, and seeing all the cousins together was incredible. This was a pre-Christmas dinner shot, and if you can believe it, there were another 6 family members who ate with us (including my parents). What a way to end a memorable Christmas day.