Just Because

I love my family. These past two weeks we've had fabulous weather and we've been spending as much time as we possibly can outside. I mean this is Canada. One spends most of the year bundled up inside trying to avoid the elements.

We've been having so much fun. And aren't they just the cutest family that you ever did see?

Picnic at Victoria Park.

Looking at the duckies.

This is Grace.

Doesn't this just make you smile?

Four Months

My baby is four months old. The day came and the day went. I may or may not have cried as I packed her newborn clothes away. I remember when Grace was that old I thought that Grace was so big. But I look at my little Laura Bear and I don't ever want her to get bigger. (Stuart suggested we could stop feeding her and that would also solve the explosive poo problem.) But get bigger she must and Mommy just has to get over it.

Laura can now:

• Roll from her back to her tummy and from her tummy to her back. She is always very pleased with herself whenever seh accomplishes this. It probably doesn't help that I stop whatever I am doing and fuss over her.


• She loves to look at her mobile. Technically its my brother Jeff's mobile that has been passed on from him to Dave to Grace and now to Laura. But no one has loved it as much as this kid does. She stares and cooes and falls asleep to the animals and gets very excited whenever I mention "the animals and music".


• Laura likes to swing in the baby swings and doesn't mind sitting in her swing in front of the window and watching the world go by.


• Laura can now sleep in her crib by herself for a few hours. (She still needs mommy though whenever she fusses.)


• This kid can kick. In the bath tub, when she's on the ground, when she being held, you name it. She loves to kick and splash and move herself around.


• She can sit up with assistance from the couch.

Friends

If you ask my parents how well my brothers and I got along as children I'm not sure what the answer would be. There were fights, name calling and stoney silences. However, I have great memories of playing with my brothers, talking with them and there were times in my life when they were probably my closest friends. Yes Jeffery you can laugh at how lame I am.

I've really been hoping that Grace and Laura would be friends. It didn't start off that way but it seems after four months Grace and her "sister baby Laura" are shaping up to be great playmates.

It makes me feel warm and fuzzy

The Kitchen

I thought it was over. I thought that I was beginning to get my house in order. Most of the boxes were done. Most of the painting in done. I'm getting better at staying on top of the basic cleaning. I even started yard work this week. And then it happened.

The Kitchen.

When we moved in my dear husband mentioned that he wanted to re-do the kitchen because its ugly and dirty and goodness knows what is growing at the bottom of some of those cupboards. (All I know is it wouldn't come off with bleach.) I was all for it but after three weeks of no real action being taken I was getting used to the fact that my kitchen was going to stay this way for a little while. I even started unpacking boxes.

And then it happened.

Stu enlisted the help of some neighbours and got new kitchen cabinets that he bought off Kijiji. They technically aren't new they were in someone else's kitchen before ours but they are clean and much more attractive. Foolishly I consented to Stu putting them up this weekend, not realizing that this would begin at 8:40 pm on Friday night. Nor did I realize that it would mean going without a sink, dish washer, any form of running water (other than the ice machine) and no counter tops until he eventually gets around to getting counter tops and a new sink.

Luckily I have simply avoided the house as much as possible since Saturday morning and the Easter bunny came today (much to Grace's confusion) so I've been able to avoid the kitchen.

Dinnertime today though, Stuart asked "What's for dinner?" I looked around the kitchen with its boxes in the basement, dishes (both dirty and clean) stacked precariously on random surfaces and said "I'm sure there's something edible in the fridge."

I think that's how it may go until I have things more under control. There is food in the fridge and the microwave is hooked up. If I ever calm down enough to stop compulsively cleaning then I'll brave the disaster zone and make dinner.

I'll be at Home Depot tomorrow when it opens at 5.

Sisters

I always wanted a sister when I was growing up. However, it was not to be. Instead I was blessed with two wonderful little brothers. Growing up I thought that was ok but I wanted someone with whom I could play Barbies and play dress up with. Not that my brothers didn't get forced to do those things but I thought it was highly unfair that they both had a brother and a sister and I only had brothers. Anytime I brought this fact up with my parents I was informed that life wasn't fair, get over it.

Now that I'm older though I'm glad that I had brothers. I'm married to a man who has four brothers and no sisters. Since Stu had no sisters he has struggled with how women work but I know how men work. I don't mean to make it sound like he doesn't understand women but he really doesn't. It took me all of two days to realize that I couldn't day "I'm fine." in my marriage. Hours later Stu would say "But you said you were fine. Why would you say you were fine if you obviously weren't?" So after 20 years of dealing only with men Stu now gets to live in the pink house filled with girls.

He loves it. He thinks its great and I think its great.

Now after three months its wonderful to watch my little girls start to show love for one another. To play with each other. To laugh at each other. (Ok only Grace laughs, Laura's still working on it.) I get to live vicarously through my girls and see them have the sister relationship that I always wanted. Stu agreed with me on that. Personally, I think its good there was never a Watt girl. She would either have been really butch or really girlie, if you knew these guys growing up you know what I mean.

I know they won't always like each other. I know that they'll spend lots of time being annoyed with each other but I love watching them grow into their rolls as sisters. I love watching them discover each other and learn to interact with each other. I wouldn't trade this time I have with them now for anything. I'm so very grateful that I get to spend my days with them.

Too Much Love

In the last post I lamented about how my poor child was feeling left out when it came to her little sister. Poor Grace just wanted to be like Laura. Well, she got over it.

Laura is no longer "baby" she is now "sister", "Laura" or "baby Laura". Grace now introduces her as "sister" to the cashiers at the grocery store and to moms on the playground. The other day as I was cleaning the bathroom I overheard:

"Good baby. Good sister."
Laura starts to cry.
"Oh no baby. I know Laura. I know. Shhh. Oh dear. It ok. I know. I know. Shhh. Ok."
Laura continues to cry.
"Mom Laura crying. (softer) I know, I know."
I walked in to see Grace sitting on top of Laura (hence the crying). Rubbing her head trying to calm her down and trying to put a soother in Laura's mouth.

I tried to explain to Grace that Laura loves her and she loves Laura but Laura doesn't want to be sat on. Laura is little and Grace is big. You can easily hurt her by trying to love her that way. Grace didn't like this very much and everyday since then I have dealt with excess kissing, hugging, cuddling and climbing on the baby.

I don't want to turn Grace off of showing physical affection to her sister, especially after the last few weeks in which Laura was seen as an intruder into the house. I guess this is why they say that the younger child is the stronger child. They have to be tough just so they can survive the loving.