Jenuinely JAMM

OCTOBER

2007-11-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

I know, I know - it's been over 2 months since I posted here...but I'm sure everyone understands how hectic things have been since I've transitioned back to "work". Not to mention transitioning to home day care for all of us as well as everything else that needs to be done, of course while chasing Jessica around, who is now walking...YAY!! Anyway, I decided to be a little realistic and aim to post at least once a month with highlights & link you to our Picasa Web album for photos (much easier than waiting for them all to upload here). Hope that's ok...and if not...well, too bad. You try being a mom to a very energetic 13.5 month year old!! =) ENJOY!!

OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS

Jess has transitioned beautifully to home day care - she is eating, napping & playing well. At the beginning she would be a little sad when Mommy dropped her off but now she is happy & goes off to play with the other kids.

Earlier this month we spent this Thanksgiving as a family of 3 - both sets of grandparents were out of town! Nevertheless, it was a quiet holiday weekend and we enjoyed it together!

Nana Lou & Papa Tony put Jessica to bed for the 1st time when Jen had to teach at GoodLife and they passed with flying colours!!

Mommy had 5 days off this month & was sooo happy that Jess took her first few steps while Mommy was home.

We visited a few pumpkin farms this month, which Jess really enjoyed: http://picasaweb.google.com/jenmergelas/FallPhotos?authkey=4vPTRUTRfaQ

Jessica has been WALKING for about 2 weeks now...she loves being on her feet - it sure keeps us busy busy busy running after her, but we love it!

Jess LOVES to smile for the camera...just this month she started "smiling" every time we point and camera in her direction: http://picasaweb.google.com/jenmergelas/SMILE?authkey=nqcBO-Miok0

She is talking talking talking....she has so many words! She also knows many animal sounds, including: duck, cow, cat, dog and sheep. She can also do all the actions to "If you're happy and you know it" and follow simple directions.

The molars have been coming in...Jess has displayed her typical symptoms - a little extra fussiness, a very runny nose and a lack of interest in eating! Yes, our little piggy isn't eating very well but hopefully that will change soon. She is up to 13 teeth now!!!

Halloween was lots of fun - Jessica wore her costume on 4 separate occasions - she was definitely the cutest duck out there!! http://picasaweb.google.com/jenmergelas/Halloween?authkey=Nxsm6iUglkk

Milk & More

2007-08-26T21:34:00.000-04:00

I forgot to mention that Jessica learned 2 "signs" in the past week. We have been trying to be consistent in using some basic signs since she was about 6 months old, mostly from the "My First Signs" Baby Einstein DVD.

On our last day in Wisconsin I was about to nurse her and asked if she wanted "milk" and she signed it!! Russ and I looked at each other with amazement (and thought it was just a coincidence) but she did it again and has been signing "milk" ever since!

Earlier this week while Jess was eating dinner (I think she was having toast at the time) she pointed at the plate with the bread and signed "more". She is actually getting very good at signing "more" anytime and everytime she wants something - she usually points to what she wants, says her version of "more" then signs it. I'll have to see if I can figure out a way to post the video we took of her.

That's it for now! I'll be sure to keep you updated if anything else comes up....so far she's still not walking (which is probably a good thing!!) =)

1st Hair Cut & Trip to Madison

2007-08-26T21:02:00.001-04:00

Just before we left for Wisconsin we finally gave in and took Jessica to "Sharkey's Cuts for Kids" to get her hair trimmed. It was such a neat place! Jess sat in a Barbie truck while she got her hair cut and just behind her there were seats for older kids to play video games too! Anyway, it didn't take very long but I was a little unimpressed with the finished product (I only wanted a very little bit taken off but as usual, the hairdresser went a little scissor happy) but she definitely looks cute! And it's nice that she no longer has hair in her eyes!

So the plane rides weren't nearly as bad as we thought...the cabin pressure didn't seem to bother Jess at all! At first I was trying so hard to make sure she was nursing/drinking/sucking on anything during take-off and landing but she resisted so often I just gave up. No crying whatsoever! She actually loved it in the plane so much she was super hyper, bouncing up and down standing on our laps or the tray table, trying to touch or grab other passengers (thank goodness we had some amazing people sitting close to us that seemed to enjoy her) and making tons of noise. She didn't sleep at all while we were traveling and passed out as soon as we got into the rental car.

On the way home was a different story - we were originally supposed to leave Madison at 11:15 am, layover in Chicago and arrive in Toronto at 4:30 pm - just in time to get home for dinner, bath and in bed at her regular bedtime. BUT there was a huge storm in Chicago so our flight was cancelled. Instead, we were re-routed through Milwaukee leaving Madison at 2:20 pm with a FOUR HOUR layover, scheduled to arrive home at 9:20 pm. Luckily, we managed to get Jess to nap in the morning before we left for the airport - for 1 hour. By the time we got to Milwaukee she was so exhausted (and still refused to sleep in her stroller) we decided to rent a car during our layover and drove around to let her nap. When we got back to the airport the guy asked what was wrong with the car because we had only been gone for 2 hours...and paid $47!! The things you have to do with an 11 month old!! =) So in the end, our flight to Toronto was delayed another 1.5 hours and we didn't get home until after midnight. Jessica, who usually sucks her thumb to sleep, just closed her eyes once we got in the car and slept all the way home from the airport.

The one great thing is that she slept in until 8:30 the next morning...and has been waking up past 8:00 am every morning since! Which means Russ & I get to sleep in - yay!!

Anyway, Jessica was GREAT! We were so proud of her!

Here are some photos from our trip:

The popular Madison Farmer's Market that circled the Capital State building:

Our trip to Archiver's (a BIG scrapbooking store that has everything you can imagine in it!!) =)

Some random photos of Jess from the weekend:

And on the wedding day:

I just realized we didn't take any "family" photos during the wedding (which is not a surprise) - Mom & Dad, do you by any chance have any photos of Russ, Jess & I?? Thanks!

Sit-Stay-Play

2007-08-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

I forgot to mention that within the past couple of weeks Jessica has FINALLY learned to just sit and play. Mind you, it doesn't last very long, but it's still great that she will keep still for a few minutes!!

And here are a couple of 11 month photos with the MK bear....

Busy Busy Busy

2007-08-14T15:48:00.000-04:00

It's been a crazy month so far and we're keeping busy. We visited the new Valleyridge splash pad in Oakville and Jessica loved it!

It's brand new, less than 10 minutes from our house and lots of fun. It will definitely be a favourite when Jess starts running around on her own. She especially loved the park and the fake mountain to climb!

We spent last weekend at a friend's cottage - Jessica went swimming in the lake and played with 2 year old Reese. Russ caught some pretty good sized Bass too!

That's about it! Jess is motoring on her hands and knees and loves to climb the stairs. Have I mentioned that she can now say "Da-Da" (which came 1st) and "Ma-Ma" directed at us - it's pretty exciting! Here's a cute photo taken just yesterday...we still have our box spring mattress leaning up against the wall and she loves to crawl behind it.

Anyway, Jess just woke up from her nap. Thanks for stopping by! We're taking our 1st airplane trip this weekend to Wisconsin for a wedding...I'm a little anxious about the whole thing...with a stopover, traveling during her morning nap time, cabin air pressure on her ears, trying to keep her occupied during the flight, making sure she'll have her breakfast and lunch, not to mention the fact that we'll have to wake her up at 5:00 am. AAAHHH - wish us luck, I'll be sure to keep you updated. =)

I almost forgot...happy belated 11 months (last Sunday) to our little girl...which is crazy, mostly because it means I have to go back to work in about a month. Grrrr...

Finally caught up!

2007-07-28T21:51:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know it's been a VERY long time since I've updated my blog and I apologize sincerely. The past month has been crazy busy, especially since we were away for 9 days at the cottage. Nevertheless, I am finally caught up....you'll have to scroll down and start from "Canada Day Weekend" and scroll your way back up to the present.

It really is amazing how quickly time goes by and how fast Jessica is growing up. She is crawling around on her hands and knees now, and pulls herself up onto everything (and can get back down too!) She loves to just sit on her knees, bounce around and play. She is pointing at everything and recognizes, points and says "BOOK", "DUCK", "BIKE", "DOG", "CAT" and "BALL". She also recognizes and points at the Canadian Flag whenever she sees it. I think her all-time favourite "toys" are BOOKS!!

Jess is sleeping 11-12h at night (in bed around 7:00 pm), napping 2x a day (for about an hour each) and eating like crazy!! She is finally enjoying fruits - after I figured out the best thing to do is feed her fruits first! So she is finally having well balanced meals (actually, she eats better than we do! =) - fruits, meat, veggies & grains. She is able to feed herself some foods, including cut-up whole wheat pita or toast, avocado slices, shredded chicken, cheese strips and diced bananas.

As I mentioned in my "Cottage Weekend" post, she now has 8 teeth! The bottom two incisors came in while we were away. As you can see in some of the photos, her hair is growing quickly too, but I refuse to cut it because I want it long! Hopefully I'll be able to put it in a little ponytail
on top of her head because those little clips are, although extremely cute, definitely hazardous.

I think that's about it! A month and a half left before I go back to work *sigh* - we are interviewing for home day care providers right now but haven't found anyone we love yet. So please think of us, we have to find someone soon!! Oh, and we start Water Toddlers next week - it should be fun, Jess is sooo cute in the water!

Bye for now!

Cottage Weekend - July 14-22

2007-07-28T20:56:00.000-04:00

Every year for the past 3 or 4 years, Russ and I have spent a full week at the Combermere cottage. We've always enjoyed being up there, just the 2 of us, for a whole week of NOTHING (ie. relaxing, reading magazines, chillin' at the dock, catching some rays, swimming in the lake and scrapbooking for me!). It was a little different this year with Jessica - a lot of fun, but also exhausting! Mostly because she decided to wake up at 5:30 every single morning! Not to mention that two teeth came through that week as well, which meant 2 extra sleepless nights. Believe it or not, but we were actually looking forward to coming home to sleep in our own beds, and not right next to Jessica's room (like at the cottage, where we could hear every little noise she made!!) Nevertheless, we had lots of fun with her.

Jessica went wading and swimming in the lake:

We also went to Hinterland Beach....

...where she met a little boy named "Zen":

We didn't have enough room in the car to bring her exersaucer, so Jess spent a lot of time in her Jolly Jumper (which she didn't seem to mind one bit!!)

We also visited Jess' 2nd cousin Ava, who is 9 weeks older than Jessica. Ava sat happily playing with a toy while Jess crawled around the room as soon as we put her down. That's our little girl!

Our friends Sab & Dan and Mike & Ofie joined us for the 2nd weekend, which was a lot of fun. They've been coming up to the cottage for a few years now. They really seemed to enjoy playing with Jess, which gave us some free time (we finally got to take the pedal boat out!). But with Jessica's 5:30 am wake-up calls, we left the cottage to go for a walk after nursing her to give our guests a little extra sleep - it was a chilly at that time, but absolutely gorgeous out!!

All in all, it was a great week. Jessica slept relatively well and it was so much fun to play with her. Russ really enjoyed spending the entire week with Jess! She learned some new "tricks" while we were there - whenever we would ask "Jessica, where is the "duck/flag/boat?" she would look around and point at it (there is a stuffed duck in the cottage and a flag and boat by the dock in the lake) It was really cute!

We are definitely looking forward to spending another week at the cottage with Jessica next year...hopefully she'll be sleeping in later then! =)

10 Months Old

2007-07-28T20:50:00.000-04:00

On July 12th, Jess celebrated her 10 month birthday. Every month that passes I am still in disbelief at how quickly time flies when you're having this much fun!! =)

Our little girl just won't sit still! It was a big challenge to get her to sit for a picture with her bear. these shots were good enough! =)

Water Babies

2007-07-28T20:35:00.000-04:00

Jessica is an official graduate of Water Babies!! We took a two-week crash course (every morning from 9:00-9:30 am) and Jess loved being in the water right from the start! She learned to kick her feet, splash with her hands, jump in the water (with the help of Mommy, of course), float with a life jacket on, slide down the baby slide and even dunk her head under water (after which she proceeds to move her body like a crazy mermaid!) =) But she didn't cry once and (of course) was full of smiles the entire time - we're so proud of you Jess!

Her favourite part (and mine) was always the last 5 minutes of the class, which we spent in the hot tub!

Here are some photos from the one day that Russ had a "doctor's appointment" and took Jess to her swimming class:

First thing Jess did when they got into the pool was look for me: =)

Daddy & Jess, in and out of the pool:

Playing "I Spy":

Lounging in the Hot Tub:

Next week we start Water Toddlers!! =)

Canada Day Weekend

2007-07-28T20:03:00.000-04:00

It seems like so long ago now, but I'll do my best to remember what Jessica's 1st Canada Day weekend was like....

We spent it at the cottage, like we do every year, since July 1st is Grandpa George and Grandma Tilly's wedding anniversary. Jess loves it there! She couldn't get enough of Beeker (the cat) - every time she saw him she squealed with delight and crawled after him as fast as her hands and knees would take her.

The weather wasn't the greatest, so we spent most of the weekend indoors - letting Jessica's taste buds experiment a few "treats":

Here's a photo I love of her playing in the hanging basket chair on the porch:

Of course, it wouldn't be Canada Day without a trip to the dock to visit the Canadian Flag (which Jess loved pointing at!!):

Lots of photos!

2007-06-23T20:17:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a really long time since I posted here...things have been extremely busy lately. I promise to post a real update asap. In the meantime, I thought I would just post a whole lot of photos from the past few weeks...enjoy!!! =)

Here is a close-up of Jessica eating a "cookie" (Mum-Mum) - it is pretty amazing how quickly she polishes one off...she just loves it!

Jess just loves feeding herself Gerber puffs...for a while this was her routine: 1) pick up a puff and look at it; 2) put the puff in her mouth; 3) clap or raise her hands "hooray!" She was so proud of herself!!

Here are a few from Father's Day with Grandpapa. She really enjoyed playing in the hammock in the backyard!

And oh, how Jess LOVES Beeker (Grandpa George & Grandma Tilly's 17-year old cat) - this was taken the day before Father's Day at George's annual birthday/Father's Day golf tournament. She was very gentle when petting Beeker (for the most part) and was in total awe of her new furry friend.

I LOVE these ones of Jess playing with her stuffed animals...and yes, she got ALL of these as gifts!!

That's it for now...I promise to be back again soon!! =)

As promised....

2007-06-14T19:21:00.000-04:00

...Jessica's 9 month photos. I couldn't decide which one I liked best so I'm posting them all! =)

As for updates, Jess is doing much of the same, just better. She pulls herself up to standing much faster now, and will use anything and everything as leverage (including me). She's still scooting along but often taking a couple "crawls" on her hands and knees, but soon remembers she's much quicker dragging herself across the floor. She definitely loves to explore - which is why I have to keep a close eye (and hand) on her when she plays.

We also started to give her "Mum-Mum"s, which are melt-in-your-mouth, extremely bland tasting rice rusks. Jess loves them! I think she likes the fact that she can eat independently. I have to admit, it's pretty cute watching her eat her "cookie" (as we like to call it). This is hopefully the start of self-feeding and finger foods.

On a more frustrating note, she hates fruit!! Which is very weird because Russ & I are fruit lovers! I try to make a 1:5 ratio of fruit:cereal to "mask" the taste but somehow she notices - she'll push the spoon away but as soon as I offer plain cereal, she eats away (like 5+ tablespoons!). I'm not sure what I'm going to do - the only fruits she'll eat are prunes and avocado. I've tried bananas, apples, pears and peaches....nope, nope, nope and nope. I read somewhere to give it a few weeks and eventually her taste buds will mature. Keep your fingers crossed - I'm sure there's only so much peas, zucchini, carrots, squash and yams a girl can eat! =)

That's about it - I've been home alone with Jess since Wednesday morning because Russ is in Montreal for work until tomorrow night. This is the longest he'll be away from Jess since she was born. I have to admit, it's pretty lonely without him and we miss him dearly. We really are spoiled that he works from home. Thank goodness Jess has been a very good girl to Mommy while Daddy is away. Not that I expected anything less..... =)

TOOT!!

2007-06-14T09:55:00.000-04:00

I got an email from Simple Scrapbooks magazine yesterday requesting one of my layouts for the November/December issue! I decided to submit a few layouts last month (it's been a while since I've done so) and I'm so happy I did! YAY ME!!!

Anyway, here are some layouts I've done over the past few weeks: (wow, just uploading all of these made me realize how much I've been scrapping lately!) =)

Jess' album is overflowing with pages now...I need to get more albums and page protectors! Anybody have suggestions as to where I can find binder-type 8 1/2 x 11 albums? I am struggling to find them! Thanks.

Happy Birthday Jessica!!

2007-06-12T21:57:00.001-04:00

Today our sweet little girl is 9 months old. Does anyone out there know how to slow down the time??? She is growing up way too fast!

I just wanted to make a quick post to celebrate Jessica's 9 month birthday - I will do my best to post some pics tomorrow.

Bye for now =)

"Record Baby"

2007-06-11T15:01:00.000-04:00

Jessica had her 9-month doctor's appointment today and passed with flying colours! The doctor actually said she was a "record baby" because she didn't cry or fuss the entire time. Of course, she babbled, yelled and smiled a lot but other than that, she was perfect! Maybe it was because she knew this one was a needle-free visit. =)

She is perfectly healthy, weighing in at 18 lbs 10 oz (50th percentile for her age) and measuring a tall 73.5 cm/28.9 inches (90th percentile) - the doctor actually said she looks more like a 1 year old based on her height (other moms have told me that too!) Jess has also reached all her age-related milestones. Way to go princess!

Here are some photos from the past couple weeks:

More PINK layouts!!

2007-06-01T19:39:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the not-so-great photos of these layouts...I promise they look better IRL!! =)

One notch lower

2007-05-31T12:10:00.000-04:00

On Monday night we had to move Jessica's mattress one notch lower on her crib - because she is now able to pull herself up to standing from lying on her tummy!

She did it for the first time while we were playing on her foam squares in the loft - she creeped over to one of her toys, grabbed it with both hands, pulled herself onto her knees then onto her feet! Jess did it a few more times throughout the day and just before bedtime I put her in the crib just to be sure...and she did it...pulled herself right up! Needless to say, Jessica went to bed a little later than usual because Russ had to make the crib adjustments, but it was definitely worth not having to worry!

I recently bought Jessica the Leap Frog Learning Centre - she plays with it so much during our "Creep, Crawl & Toddle" playgroup I thought it would be worth it. She loves it!! She loves that she can pull herself up and stand the whole time she is playing. She bobbles when the music plays, enjoys turning the page in the book and pressese all buttons non-stop. Mommy loves it too - it sings her "ABCs" and allows her to learn so many things. Definitely a great investment.

Tuesday the 29th marked our 3 year anniversary! It's hard to believe we were married that long ago! We went to Boston Pizza for lunch with Jessica - it took her a while to decide what she wanted on the menu, but definitely let us know once she picked something out (she LOVES pointing at things now). =)

Da-Da

2007-05-26T14:07:00.000-04:00

Jessica can finally say Da-Da...Russ is sooo happy!! A couple of days ago we were in the car and I wasn't sure what she was saying so I turned off the radio and listened to her babble "Da-Da-Da-Da" - it was very exciting!

Jess has also started to raise her hands in the air when you say "Hooray!" - now she just has to learn to "stomp her feet" and she can do all the actions to the song on her Baby Einstein DVD. She is clapping ALL the time and is also starting to point at things.

As for moving around, she isn't crawling on her hands and knees yet, but is definitely able to pull herself up from kneeling if she has something to hold on to. We think she might just skip the true crawling stage all together. We'll see.

I think she knows how to give kisses - whenever I ask for one, she leans in and plants her lips right on mine (with her mouth open, of course) - giving me a slobbery, but adorable smooch!

Oh, and did you know we're teaching Jess how to drive the truck?? =) How cute are these photos?!?

That's it for now...it's hard to believe she's 8 1/2 months already. Yesterday I got a little teary-eyed at the thought of having to leave her to go back to work in September. I am secretly hoping that the next 4 months will either go by REALLY slowly or we win the lottery so I don't have to go back to work. Jessica is such an angel I can't imagine spending an entire day without her. C'est la vie, I guess. *sigh*

Here are some layouts I also did recently (yes, my stock is FULL of pink!!):

Thanks for stopping by! xoxo

8 Months on May 12, 2007

2007-05-20T11:46:00.000-04:00

I totally forgot to mention that last Saturday also marked Jessica's 8 month birthday. Here's her picture with the bear:

Jessica's Baptism on May 13, 2007

2007-05-20T11:12:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while - it's been a busy week, especially since Jessica caught a cold! She's on day #3 now and still has a runny nose (she was up last night at 5:00 am!) but I definitely think she's on the the uphill now.

Last Sunday, May 13th (Mother's Day!) Jess had her baptism, which was a lot of fun. Rod came to visit from London, Tita Agnes & Tito Jerry came from Wisconsin and Tita Alma and Tito Boying from Texas. Most of the Manalo-clan also came to the dinner celebration at Mom & Dad's, as well as many of our friends. It was really nice to spend time with everyone.

Here are some photos from the baptism:

We were happy that Jess was soooo good - because the ceremony was at 2:00 pm and the dinner at 4:00 pm, she missed her afternoon nap. But she was quite content, playing with everyone that held her, waving and always smiling. She started to get fussy around 7:00 pm- which was our cue to head home. She cried most of the way home and finally fell asleep, of course, just a few minutes before we pulled into the driveway. She skipped her typical bedtime routine that night and was passed out in her crib by 8:00 pm.

Rod came over on the Friday night before the baptsim to visit with Jess (he hasn't seen her since Christmas!) They got to spend a lot of time together, which was great. I just LOVE these photos he took of her:

As for the rest of the week, not much has changed - Jessica is still creeping around on her tummy, wobbling on all fours and waving at everything under the sun. She loves to clap her hands (especially if we sing "If you're happy and you know it"), stand on her feet (with assistance, of course) and has yet to say "da-da". She has "ba-ba", "ma-ma" and "ge-ge" down pact, so we're trying to say "d-d-d" as often as we can!!

Here are a few more photos from the past couple weeks....I can't believe how fast she's growing!!

Layouts

2007-05-10T10:52:00.000-04:00

More teeth!

2007-05-07T09:21:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if I just missed the two front teeth (#5 and #6) when I was feeling her gums, but they are in! Actually, the are growing faster than the 4th tooth - and now Jessica is getting used to having all of them by grinding her top and bottom teeth (which makes me cringe).

I can't believe she has 6 teeth!

She's also clapping her hands...of course, they don't make any noise when she claps them together but she definitely responds to it when we say "clap your hands!". And she loves to wave at EVERYTHING! Sometimes she evens says "ba-ba" when she waves...maybe a baby form of "bye-bye"?! Maybe not. Nevertheless, it's cute!

As for eating solids, we'll be starting fruits at the end of this week. So far she's enjoying cereal: brown rice, barley & oatmeal and veggies: pureed carrots, squash (which she LOVES), zucchini and soon, peas. Introducing these new foods to Jessica has been a breeze...she definitely enjoys eating! =)

That's it for now...next Sunday, May 13th (also my first Mother's Day!!) is Jessica's baptism. Rod (who is also going to be her Godfather) will be here on Friday for a visit - he hasn't seen her since Christmas! I'm sure you're going to LOVE playing with her bro...she is way too much fun at this age.

Here are a few photos from the past couple weeks. I have to admit, we've been playing with her so much I haven't been focusing on taking pictures...but I need to be more diligent on that one because she's growing way too fast!

The 4th tooth...

2007-04-29T21:36:00.000-04:00

...is here!! - poking through Jessica's gums. It is the right lateral incisor, which means her two front teeth are missing! =) We have noticed she's been smacking her lips together more often (a signature sign of teething for Jess) and yesterday she was a little extra fussy during the day. I touched her gums yesterday but didn't feel a thing. I did notice a little redness (maybe blood?!) where her tooth has come through today. Lucky for us her teething doesn't affect her sleep - she slept for 13 hours last night!!

Wow, these teeth are coming quick!! =) Thank goodness she isn't biting while nursing!

Our little firecracker

2007-04-29T11:12:00.000-04:00

No photos for today's post....Russ is racing in Michigan today (yes, I know, I am a wonderful wife!!)=) and took the camera with him.

Jessica is really moving now...she is getting up on her hands/forearms and knees wobbling back and forth - sometimes she actually moves a little in this position, but she travels mostly using her arms dragging her whole body across the floor. We bought those colourful foam squares to fill the entire loft so she now has a huge play area to practice. She just loves rolling and dragging herself around!

She has also learned to wave!! We have been waving "Hi" and "Bye" to Jessica for a few months now so I think she has picked it up. Do you know that Reactine commercial where the Reactine guy waves to all the people on the street? The other day it came on and Jessica started to wave at the TV - it was way too cute!

We have to watch her 24-7 now since her mobility is increasing. It's a lot of fun but tiring too...she can even climb out of her Bumbo chair! She is definitely an active (even hyper sometimes) baby and gets restless very easily - she wants to be held but at the same time squirms to reach and go after everything. She is definitely a little firecracker!

Just a few more things...

2007-04-19T22:13:00.000-04:00

1) Jessica has recently implemented "The Pivot" - we think she's in the beginning stages of learning to crawl...when she sees a toy out of her reach, she will try to get on her knees and lift her bum...but of course, she gets nowhere (she has gone backwards a few times though!). Instead, she uses her hands and arms to pivot on her tummy - she's moved 360 degrees on the spot!

2) She loves to see herself (we call her reflection the "baby") in the mirror - she smiles, reaches for, and even gives baby a kiss!!

3) And last but certainly not least, a couple layouts:

Sitting Up

2007-04-19T20:36:00.000-04:00

Jessica is sitting up on her own!! We still have to stay close because she tends to wobble side to side but she can definitely sit for an extended period of time. I know it looks like she's leaning on Russ in this photo, but she really isn't. =) Way to go Jess!!

She also has a new way of showing us when she's happy or excited - she opens her mouth as wide as she possibly can. And just yesterday she started yelling along with opening her mouth. It's ear-piercing, but still pretty cute.

Her new tooth is visible now, and it's actually her top left lateral incisor (the one next to what will be her two front teeth). I did search the internet to make sure it was normal...the bottom central teeth usually come first, followed by the top FOUR teeth, then the bottom lateral incisors.... so she's ok! (I know, I'm a paranoid Mom) =)

Here are a few more photos from the past week or so:

My dad just couldn't resist...he brought the putting green and mini putter at his last visit. Too cute!!

She just LOVES riding on Russ' shoulders...and grabs his hair to hold on!

Peeking around the corner to look at me:

And of course, she LOVES the tag more than the teddy bear!! =)

Happy 7 Months Jessica!!

2007-04-12T18:03:00.000-04:00

Here's my fave photo of the MANY we took today to celebrate her big 7 month birthday!!!

The third tooth

2007-04-09T21:00:00.000-04:00

On Friday I felt Jessica's top left tooth poking through her gums...the third one is coming to join her bottom two teeth! =)

Not much else to report...we're still waiting for her to sit up on her own (she's getting there, but still needs a little support). We also recently bought 2 Baby Einstein DVDs, which she LOVES! She bobbles her head back and forth whenever music plays and stares intently at the TV, especially when the puppets come on.

Speaking of bobbling, it's Jessica's latest obsession - whenever we play music, sing her a song, or even if she's happy, she bobbles her head side to side. It is definitely our favourite trick of hers yet!!

Grandmama came over to spend Easter Sunday with us (Dad was in Georgia with Rod for the Masters golf tournament) - she was happy to be able to spend some quality time with Jessica. Thanks for your company, Mom, and for bringing yummy desserts!!

That's it for now! Here are some random recent photos...enjoy!!!

In her exersaucer with one of her favourite toys, Ellie the Elephant (can you see her 2 bottom teeth??)

I love these ones of Jess wearing Russ' toque...too funny!!!

Slowing Down...

2007-04-09T20:48:00.000-04:00

...with the layouts, that is. With Spring *sorta* rolling around, I've been spending more time spring cleaning, tidying up and getting errands done. Nevertheless, I was at my girlfriend Laura's place last weekend for our monthly scrapbooking date and managed to get a couple pages done. Of course, I just did my monthly printing of photos and so the pile to scrap never seems to end...oh well! =)

7 times a Day!!

2007-04-06T15:06:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe how much Jessica feeds now - 4 full breastfeeds, 3 times solids (still on single grain cereals) and a dreamfeed around 11:00 pm!! I guess technically that's 8 times a day! Nevertheless, ever since we started her on solids 3x a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) she has been sleeping MUCH better and through the night again. Thank goodness!! Russ and I were getting pretty cranky losing all that sleep!!

What else? Hmmm...last weekend we had dinner at the in-laws for my birthday, Laura's birthday and Easter. The whole crew was there!! =) Here are some photos from that evening:

Grandma Tilly and Grandpa George left for Arizona on Tuesday for FIVE weeks!! We hope they have an amazing time!! I will try to keep the blog updated as much as possible so they can keep up with Jessica.

Other than that, we're doing great. Have a Happy Easter weekend!!!

Nappy Time

2007-03-27T09:33:00.000-04:00

Haven't done a layout in a while...here's one I managed to finish last week - pictures I've been meaning to scrap for a couple months now. OMG she was sooo little then!! =)

MA-MA

2007-03-26T20:28:00.000-04:00

Jess has been saying "Ma-Ma" a lot lately...it started on the car ride home from Florida - she would start getting fussy, say "ma-ma-ma-ma" and look over her shoulder at me. It's probably just baby talk and we don't think she's really calling for me (although I'd like to think she is) =) but it's still pretty cute and I love it! She always seems to say it when she needs something... milk, nap time or even just a change of scenery. Nevertheless, Russ is now calling Jessica "Mama's girl". =)

On Sunday morning we started feeding Jessica solids!! She hasn't taken much of the rice cereal we're starting her on, but it's a pretty exciting step for her (and us). So far it's just been messy, but a lot of fun.

Since Jessica now has 2 visible teeth we've also started the routine of brushing her teeth twice a day. Of course, our little independent girl quickly decided she'd like to do it herself!

And here's a picture of Jess' favourite thing right now...the Jolly Jumper!! We put her in it for the first time when we got home from Florida. She was a little confused at first, just moving her feet around like she was dancing. But as soon as she got the hang of it, she squealed with delight. Now she can bounce and bounce and bounce for hours on end (ok, maybe not hours, but she has stayed in it for 30 minutes perfectly content!!)

Our own Cover Girl

2007-03-24T10:27:00.000-04:00

Can't help but show off these photos of Jess taken since we've been home. I think we have a little model on our hands as she always seeems to pose with a smile as soon as she sees the camera!! In the first one, you can see one of her bottom teeth...and if you look really closely at the last one (taken just yesterday) you can see them both!!

Her latest obsession is TAGS - the tags on her toys, her blanket, any tag she can get her hands on and in her mouth! The colourful caterpillar in this photo has so many things for her to play with - a squeaking bird, rattling butterflies and different kinds of music - but of course, she spent most of her time playing with the tag. Go figure.

Celebrating 6 months!

2007-03-23T22:36:00.000-04:00

Well she will actually be 6 1/2 months on Monday but we did celebrate her 6 month birthday in Florida on March 12th. This photo, on the other hand, was actually taken just before we left. She doesn't seem that much bigger from her last but we had her 6 month appointment on Wednesday and she is up to 16 lbs and 26.5 inches long!! Growing well and very healthy. Yay Jess!

The perfect holiday

2007-03-23T21:59:00.000-04:00

What a great vacation to Florida - Jessica was an ANGEL!! We were pleasantly surprised at how good she was, especially considering it took us about 21 hours of driving over 2 days to get to Ormond Beach. Not to mention the fact that she was sleeping in hotel rooms and a strange room for 9 nights! In the car she sucked her thumb to sleep when she was tired, played when she was awake and we stopped to feed her every 4 hours or so. Sometimes she got lonely but soon realized she just had to look over her shoulder for reassurance that we were close by.

The house we rented for the week was perfect...just 9 houses from the beach! I just love these photos of Russ & Jess during one of our walks with her in the Baby Bjorn.

We spent 3 days at the Motocross track (of course), which was a lot of fun for Russ & I. Again, Jessica was surprisingly very good - the noise didn't bother her one bit (at one time, she actually fell asleep in my arms despite all the revving of dirt bikes)! She spent most of her time either in the exersaucer or her playpen having a grand ol' time.

There was one day it actually rained in the morning - but as soon as it cleared up we went for a short walk to the pier on Flagler Beach. There were so many pelicans just hanging out! And of course, we had to take a self-portrait! =)

Jessica also discovered a favourite new "toy" while we were away...(yes, a water bottle!!)

And during the many, many hours spent in her car seat, Jess also discovered how much she loves playing with (and sucking on) her feet!!

On our last night away in a Red Roof Inn in Lexington, Kentucky, Russ & I also found out that Jessica actually sleeps on her tummy! At home she sleeps in her own room and we always put her to bed on her back. When she wakes up in the morning she's usually on her tummy but we always assumed she rolled over just when she woke up. So imagine our surprise when we saw her sucking her thumb and sleeping in this position at the hotel. It was way too cute to pass up taking a picture!!

That's pretty much it - it was hard to leave the warm weather and relaxing days but like all vacations, it had to come to an end. I think we're definitely going to go back next year, which will be more challenging with Jess walking around, but tons of fun!!

Here's one of my fave photos from the trip of her:

Thanks for stopping by!! =)

Tooth #2

2007-03-08T17:06:00.000-05:00

Jess was biting down on my finger today when I noticed her second tooth (bottom left) has come in! I've been trying to take a picture of her cute pearly white(s) but everytime I hold down her lower lip she sticks her tongue out! Oh well...

Here are some photos of Jessica in her new exersaucer Jeep, which Brad and Karen kindly handed down to us. She's only had a bit of time in it, but seems to love it! We'll be taking it to Florida so we can keep her occupied for (hopefully) hours on end!

Lots of things to report!

2007-03-06T13:01:00.003-05:00

It's hard to keep up with our little girl - Jessica has so many new tricks under her belt. Here are some updates from the past couple weeks:

1) As I already mentioned, Jessica cut her first tooth - now we can actually see the little white thing! And when she gets your finger in her mouth she has a pretty strong bite! (Luckily she has decided NOT to bite down while nursing)

2) On Saturday, Feb 24th Jessica started with real baby-talk...ba-ba-ba...it's sooo cute!! I'm still waiting for mama or dada to come though!

3) She has mastered her ability to roll over - we can no longer just leave her lying around or she ends up rolling across the room (kinda)! This has definitely allowed her to enjoy tummy time more though, as she used to whine with frustration whenever we would place her on her tummy.

4) Jess loves hanging on to her feet - especially while we're changing her (which actually helps with the cleaning part, but makes putting on her diaper more challenging!).

5) Speaking of diapers, she's up another size!! She's into the size 3s already - my, how fast she's growing!!

6) She reaches for EVERYTHING and of course, everything goes in her mouth! Here are some photos from a visit with Baba and Christine a few weekends ago. Maybe she's ready for her sippy cup?!

7) Last Wednesday, Feb 28th while I was teaching BodyPump Russ put her to bed for the first time with a bottle of formula no problem. I was happy but sad at the same time - it's hard to imagine one day she will no longer need me and my boobs. =)

8) She's on a growth spurt - ever since last Thursday she's been getting up in the wee hours of the morning for a full 45 minute feed!! Her 3 month growth spurt lasted 5 days, so I'm hoping this one has come to an end (she woke up last night at 5 am but put herself back to sleep)....I'm exhausted!!

9) March 1st was Dad/Grandpapa's birthday - Mom & Dad came to visit Jess as they just returned from a 3 week vacation in the Philippines & Vietnam. Because of the big snow/freezing rain storm, we celebrated on Sunday instead for lunch. Jessica's birthday gift to Grandpapa was a frame with these photos in it. It was a fun little photo shoot for us!

10) Jess' most recent trick is her bobble head - when she's lying on the floor she kicks her legs and bobbles her head from side to side. It's one of the funniest things ever!

11) We're off to Florida early Saturday morning (on my 31st!! birthday) - we're driving most of Saturday and hoping to reach TN for our overnight stay. Wish us luck...we're hoping Jessica is a good back seat traveller!!

More layouts of Jessica

2007-03-04T10:07:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks - I've been able to get some pages done....just need to find more time to post some updates here! Jess is just waking up from her morning nap now, so hopefully I'll be back later on today... =)

Bumbo Baby

2007-02-20T10:28:00.000-05:00

By far one of our favourite pictures EVER of Jessica at 3 1/2 months!!

Poor Baby Jessica!!

2007-02-20T10:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday marked the first day of Jessica's first cold. =( On Sunday night she was up at 10:45 pm, 12:00 am, 3:15 am and 6:30 am with a stuffy nose and was having trouble putting herself back to sleep. Of course, I had no problem resorting to extra holding and cuddling to make sure she got her rest. We propped up one side of her mattress (which she didn't end up liking very much) and put a vaporizer in her room to help her out. Her naps were short yesterday but by the end of the day she was feeling a little better - on her way back to her normal self - cooing, smiling and kicking her legs.

Last night we put her to bed a little earlier and since Russ had to get up real EARLY this morning for work I slept in Jess' room in case she decided to wake up often. She had trouble putting herself to sleep after the dream feed, but then went through from 12:30 am - 8:00 am. I didn't sleep well (it's hard when I can hear her every sound and move) but didn't care - as long as she got a full night of sleep!

Jessica was still a little stuffy this morning with a runny nose....but as always, with a smile! She's also been napping now for over an hour - longer than any of her naps yesterday! Get lots of rest little girl - Mommy promises you'll be better soon! xoxo

First Tooth

2007-02-18T14:08:00.000-05:00

A few nights ago, Jessica oddly woke up before her dream feed a little fussy. She did that a 1 or 2 nights then yesterday she was ok. We thought it might have been her teeth that were bugging her and today I went to feel her gums and there is definitely one starting to pop out on the bottom! I figured the first tooth was going to come relatively early (they say it comes at 7 months old, on average) because apparently both Russ and I had our first tooth at 5 months and the age that it comes is hereditary!

I want to say YAY for Jessica's first tooth, especially since so far her fussiness has been minimal...I just hope she doesn't start biting down when she's nursing!! =)

Jess has definitely improved in her ability to roll over too - this morning (while I was at the gym she had some time with Russ) she rolled over from back to tummy and tummy to back about 10 times...back and forth, back and forth. Way to go Jessica!! Next milestone we're waiting for is her ability to sit up on her own. We're noticing she's definitely getting stronger, so we'll be sure to keep you updated!

Snowed In!

2007-02-15T10:33:00.000-05:00

Happy belated Valentine's Day! As you might have heard, we were snowed in yesterday! They predicted 50-70 cm in the Hamilton-Burlington-Oakville area and I think we got it! Here are some photos Russ took before he kindly cleaned off my car and shoveled the driveway so I could get out for my dentist appointment and to teach BodyPump (surprisingly, despite the weather there were over 20 people in my class):

As for V-day, Russ & I never do very much except for our fruit & chocolate fondue ritual - strawberries, blackberries & pineapple...yummy!!! Jessica was also happy to receive a few Valentine's Day greetings - thank you to everyone for your cards!!

Other than that, we're surviving the cold weather (by staying indoors!). The weatherman is predicting more normal temperatures next week - keep your fingers crossed! =)

Jessica is 5 months today!!

2007-02-12T17:53:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it?? I know I say this every month, but time really does fly when you're having sooooo much fun!!

Today was a milestone day for Jess in many ways....first things first - she finally rolled over!!! And both ways too - from tummy to back AND from back to tummy! I was so excited I almost cried!!

Jessica also took a full feed from a bottle for the first time today! I absolutely HATE using that darn breast pump (and can never get enough milk doing it) so decided to try formula instead...just for the sake of getting her used to the bottle for those one-off times I can't be there to feed her. She took it no problem and downed 7 oz without a fight. I couldn't have been prouder!! I've decided to feed her formula with the bottle once a week so she doesn't forget how to do it.

Of course, we took her monthly photo with the Mary Kay bear. Here it is next to the shot at 4 months:

Does she look much bigger?? It's hard to tell but she's actually grown about 2 1/2 cm in the past month!

Here are a few extra photos just because I have to show Jessica off a little more...it is, after all, her birthday!!!

Taken just before her bath last night...our little Aunt Jemima!! =)

Thanks for stopping by!! =)

A couple more pages!

2007-02-11T17:15:00.000-05:00

I couldn't help but create a page about the gifts that Laura gave Jessica for our baby shower - the horse theme was great and I am in LOVE with that skirt...size 6-9 months...not too much longer before Jess can strut around in it!! =)

I struggled with this next page- I just couldn't get everything straight (my fault for "eyeballing" vs. measuring)! Oh well... Moo, Cow is the name of the story we've been reading Jessica every night before bedtime since she was (I think) 6-8 weeks old and she still loves it!

Our little Drama Queen

2007-02-09T16:47:00.000-05:00

Jessica has recently learned how to cough....not because she has a cold, not because she's choking on milk or saliva from teething, but just because she can. I read in one of my books that infants will cough for attention and/or entertainment once they realize they can...and Jess definitely has! At first we thought it was due to teething, but now she just coughs for fun, and smiles while she's doing it. It's actually really cute - our little drama queen striving for attention with her fake coughs.

She is also really trying to roll over - we're giving her more back and tummy time so she has more time to practice. She turns right on her side and reaches for toys but she just can't get that last little bit yet. It's quite amazing to watch her - she can lie on her back for 30 minutes just trying to roll over, and usually ends up pivoting 360 degrees on the spot! Many times over the past week we have found her in her crib with her head where her feet used to be...180 degrees from where we put her down! We'll definitely be watching her closely for this next milestone.

Anyway, here are a couple photos from this past week...it sure is fun dressing her up in cute girly clothes other than a sleeper! =)

More Jessica Layouts

2007-02-09T16:42:00.000-05:00

I'm just loving the art of SIMPLICITY!! I am amazed at how quickly I'm getting pages done! ENJOY! =)

Such a good girl!!

2007-02-06T09:41:00.000-05:00

The weekend was a success! Russ & I were pleasantly surprised at how good Jessica was , especially considering the new environment and the long drive up to the cottage. She had no problem sleeping in her playpen (the first night she got up once to feed, the second night slept right through to 7:15 am) and even had a couple catnaps in the car when she got tired! On Saturday (the day of the wedding) she was up from her nap at 3:30 pm and we didn't leave the reception until 8:00 pm....she was reallllly tired but was a very good girl considering how long she was up. Needless to say, she PASSED OUT in the car on our way home.

We also had a really nice visit with Great Grandma Stella at the manor before going to the wedding reception. I think Grandma was just smitten with the newest addition to Pastway family (even though she kept asking if Jessica was a boy or a girl!!) =)

We had a little bit of time to "play" in the snow....well, we actually just dressed Jess in her snowsuit, put her in the snow for a few pictures, then ran back inside. It was way too cold (-30) to be frolicking out there, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to take photos in so much snow!!

We arrived home around 6:00 pm on Sunday evening, expecting Jessica to take a few days to adjust back to her old routine. But she proved to be a great traveller - and slept through the night without a fight. Good girl Jess!! =) Perfect preparation for our long drive to Florida in March...I know, I know, what are we thinking?!?!

Jessica's first weekend away

2007-02-01T14:36:00.000-05:00

We're going to the cottage tomorrow for Russ' cousin Rhea's wedding....and it will be Jessica's first time away from home! I created a list of things we have to bring - whew! it's going to be exhausting just packing up the car with everything! Bath, playpen, bouncy chair, diapers, baby bjorn, snowsuit, breastfeeding pillow, sleepers, onesies, lotion, toys...just to name a few things. We'll see how it goes - I think she's going to be ok although she has yet to have a night time sleep in her playpen, let alone in a strange place other than home! I'm not too worried about the car ride - it's only about 3 hours from Toronto and Aunt Laura will keep her company in the back.

Anyway, here are a few more layouts I finished during Jess' nap time over the past couple days. I feel like I'm getting so much done yet the pile of pictures I have on my desk to scrap is still pretty big!! Go figure. =)

Born to Love Motocross!!

2007-01-29T21:31:00.000-05:00

Jessica's latest favourite toy? You guessed it - Russ' XR400!! Today she squealed with delight every time she got near it..and of course, stuck the handlebars in her mouth once she got her hands on it!

Scrapbooking Success!

2007-01-29T21:18:00.000-05:00

I seriously think I have completed more layouts in the past couple weeks than I did during my entire pregnancy!! Here are a few of them....enjoy!!

It's official!

2007-01-27T10:57:00.000-05:00

I can say with confidence that Jessica can sleep through the night at 4 1/2 months old! 5 days in a row - in bed between 8:00-8:30 pm, dream feed at 11:00 and sleeping through until 7:30-8:30 am. She really loves being on an EASY schedule (thanks again to The BABY WHISPERER!!) - EAT: every 4 hours without a problem! AWAKE: approx. 2 hour play time...and we're getting really good at recognizing her tired signs before nap time...her eyes look heavy, she starts calming down, yawning and/or rubbing her eyes (which is sooo cute!!) SLEEP: her naps are usually at least 1 hour long (yesterday she napped for 2h20) and consistently has 3 of them. This really gives us "YOU" time - to clean up, run errands (when Russ is home) and even scrapbook!! I do have some pages done, but need to get our scanner working before showing them off here. In the meantime, here is an AWESOME photo of Jess from last weekend that Laura took. I just love close-up shots!!

Great weekend!

2007-01-22T21:18:00.000-05:00

It went by quickly but we got a lot done!!

Friday, January 19th was Russ' 34th birthday. George and Tilly kindly offered to babysit so we could have our first "date" since Jessica was born! We went to Mantra Restaurant in downtown Burlington for some YUMMY Indian food - it was great to have a night alone (we promised to have a date once a month) but we did miss Jess, even though we weren't going to see her when we got home. She was in bed by 7:50 pm and didn't peep the whole time we were gone! Thanks again to George & Tilly for letting us have an evening alone!!

Jessica and I also had our first Salsa Babies class on Friday. Imagine a dance studio full of 20 young moms with babies strapped to their chest swaying their hips. Yup, it's a weird sight, but nevertheless 6 weeks of fun.

On Saturday Russ watched Jess so I could have some "Mommy time" and get my haircut - in an attempt to mask the major postpartum hair loss I've been experiencing! =) Then we visited Mom and Dad, who just got home from a 2 week trip to Orlanda, FL. Of course they came home bearing gifts, including a pair of sunglasses for Jessica!!

On Sunday we went to Laura's place (which looks awesome with all the paint!!) for a birthday lunch for Russ. The food was DELICIOUS!! Jessica came dressed up in a new outfit that she received from Barb (a Trillium friend of Tilly's). She looks so stylish in her embroidered jeans, I couldn't help but take MANY photos!

Jessica also decided to show off how loud she could "talk", so she had our full attention the whole afternoon. It's pretty cute...but also quite ear-piercing at times, so luckily her "screeching" is only temporary (we didn't hear any of it today)!

And to top off this great weekend, Jessica slept through the night!! She was in bed at 8:00 pm, had a "dream feed" at 11:00 pm and got up this morning at 8:30!! Way to go Jess....hmmm....will she do it again tonight?!?!

Pull-Up Game

2007-01-18T21:55:00.000-05:00

Well, it's not really a game, per se, but it's just as fun as one watching and helping Jessica learn new things. Her latest "trick" looks like this: She's lying on her back trying to sit up by lifting her head off the floor. We help her out by holding her hands and gently pulling on her arms. She pulls herself the rest of the way, accelerating just to get her hands into her mouth! Russ and I play the "pull-up game" with her often because she's so funny to watch - I wish I could post a video here! She just loves to be upright, looking around and enjoying the new view from that position.

She is also trying to roll over! The other morning when we went to get her in her crib, we found her like this (I think she's been trying to roll towards the Lion):

Her feet were almost trapped between the slats!! Many times when I get up to feed her in the middle of the night she has been completely perpendicular to her crib.

It's pretty amazing how quickly she is developing. Last week we noticed she was trying to reach for things and now she reaches and grabs everything. The lion in the picture above lights up and sings when you pull his blue "tail"...last night at 4:30 in the morning we heard the lion come on a couple of times! Needless to say, we've had to move it so she doesn't "play" in the middle of the night! And now she just loves playing with her toys in her bouncy chair, now that she can actually reach for them!!

That's it for now!! =) Until the next "trick"....

My, how she's grown!!

2007-01-16T21:07:00.000-05:00

Several months ago, while I was still pregnant, I saw a layout in a scrapbooking magazine with photos showing how the baby had grown in a year relative to a teddy bear she received when she was born. What a great idea! I decided right away we were going to do the same thing with our baby.

Jessica has received soooo many stuffed animals, but I was instantly attracted to the cute pink Mary Kay bear she got at the hospital from Great Aunt Christine.

The first photo we took when Jess was 2 weeks old, and have since tried to take a similar picture around each month birthday. Last Friday, September 12th, Jessica was 4 months old - at her 4 month doctor's appointment she weighed in at 13lbs 11oz (50th percentile) at 25 inches (85th percentile)...long and lean (just like Mom & Dad?!). Healthy and Happy, that's all that counts!! =)

Back to Blogging!!

2007-01-14T14:24:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe I stopped blogging for sooo long - to be honest, I had to "google" my old scrapblog page (http://www.myscrapblog.com/jamm) just to find it!! It was on my 30th birthday that I last posted something...which was about 10 months ago!

Well, I guess I have a pretty good reason for being so behind...being pregnant kept me away from both my scrap supplies and the computer. And since Jessica was born on September 12th, life has been busy! It's hard to believe she just turned 4 months - do I really only have 8 months left of maternity leave?!? Friends of ours said once the kids come around, we would finally understand the true meaning of "time flies when you're having fun". Becoming parents to Jessica Mae is definitely not an exception.

I decided to start blogging again for that very reason - "time flies". I can barely get the chores and errands done during her 1.5-2 hour naps, let alone put together a page!! But I really want somewhere to document the little things that she accomplishes each day - before I forget to write it down to put in a layout! Or even just to show off a recent picture of her for my brother, Rod (who is in London, UK).

My first post will not go without showing off a picture of Jessica - this is one of my favourites from Christmas, at 3 1/2 months.

I am hoping to start an album for her soon (I'm just finishing up my pregnancy one!). In the meantime, let's hope I can manage to post again before my 31st birthday rolls around! =)

Bye for now!!

Jen xo