little monkey

Little Monkey enjoying some banana for the first time on May 31st 2017

Aunty Casey was visiting for lunch. We had home made waffles with fruit and bacon. Haig has started some solids but mostly home made purees. He sat in his high chair during this meal and I noticed how well he was watching us eat that I decided to give him something that we were eating. I opened up a banana and mashed some up for him. He really liked it! I have started to mix some in with oatmeal cereal some mornings, but he doesn't seem to like that as much! I hope to start more foods with him soon, once he grabs more stuff from off his high chair tray he will be ready to go. 

Miltonvale Park

My parents live really close to the sweetest community park. In fact, I worked at this park back in the summer of 2014. I enjoyed my time working there very much. One evening after supper at my parents house, we went down for a visit and Haig Arthur sat in the baby swing for the first time. We have a park right outside of our apartment but I didn't want to put him in the baby swings there without his dad around to see. Dad has been working a lot so we cherish the time we get to spend together. We like to spend time relaxing at home but it is also good for us to get out in the fresh air. Haig Arthur loves laying in the grass outside but he didn't seem too interested to be in the swing. Maybe once he is a little bigger he will like it more. There is also a cool saucer swing at Miltonvale Park. It is definitely worth checking out if you have never been there! It is at the end of the Sleepy Hollow Road just outside of Winsloe, PEI.

HOW COOL IS IT THAT THE SAME GOD WHO CREATED MOUNTAINS AND OCEANS AND GALAXIES LOOKED AT YOU AND THOUGHT THE WORLD NEEDED ONE OF YOU TOO. 

CALGARY

Mom and I made it to Calgary around lunch time on Monday, which happened to be Victoria Day and also my 25th Birthday! We met up with Dana, who is the owner of Little Chief Covers to chat with her about the amazing product and give her some feedback. I fed the baby before we got back on the road to head to the south east to meet up with 3 of my sister-in-laws for the afternoon. When we arrived at Katherine's we still had to get ready to go to the Lake with our families. Rachel and Kent showed up from running some errands and Eric brought Emma home from work. We made our way to Lake Bonavista around 3:00. It was a nice, sunny afternoon. The gals bought me a beach towel blanket and we had some doughnuts as a birthday treat. We went back to Katherine's house later in the evening and Kent, Rachel, Emma and Jack got ready to leave for Cardston. We took some pictures of the kids before they left.

On Tuesday, mom, Amber and I (and the babies) went to Bow Valley Provincial Park where my aunt was camping. We took a little walk around and sat around a camp fire. Amber and Thexan stayed there to spend some time with her mom and my mom and I left for Banff National Park. I was pretty excited to go to Banff but next time I will try and spend more time there finding all of the cool places to take pictures. We met up with my best friend Jocelyn for lunch and then her and her boyfriend Dan showed us around the Fairmont Springs Hotel. It was really nice. There's even a room that looks like its from the Harry Potter movies. It was very nice! Mom and I made a stop in Canmore on the way home to pick up some food and then we were on the road back to Airdrie for the night.

Wednesday was our last day in town. My cousins Amber and Caitlin came over for lunch with their two babies, Thexan and Emma. It was nice to catch up with them both and their new little ones. Later in the messy messy afternoon, snow and rain, mom and I made our way into the north west to meet up with Laura and her two little girls for supper at Costa Vida. It was a delicious meal and I am so glad for every opportunity I get to see Laura. She is such an inspiring person, always overcoming challenging obstacles and she is a wonderful mother and friend. Mom and I left the next morning around 8:00 a.m. I liked Alberta a lot more this trip than I did on my trip two years. I'm not sure what changed but I liked that I was there for a bit longer and had more freedom to do some stuff I wanted to do. I am also so glad my mom could come with us and that my baby did SUCH a good job traveling for one whole week on the other side of the country. Haig Arthur you are a superstar!

EDMONTON

We left Charlottetown on Thursday evening, May 18th. We flew to Toronto and had a short layover, just enough time to give the baby a bottle and grab some Tim Hortons to eat. We arrived in Edmonton after a short delay around 1:00 a.m. It was a late night for sure. My aunt Annette picked us up at the airport and we stayed with her niece for the night in Beaumont. In the morning, mom and I drove to Sherwood Park to Jackie and Eldon Gibb's house. We relaxed in the afternoon and also helped out with some wedding reception preparations. We saw Kayla and Keaton later that evening when they got home from their Florida honeymoon!

On Saturday morning we went to help out with some wedding reception decorating but there was lots of people there to help out, so mom, Kayla and I took a trip to the West Edmonton Mall. Kayla showed us around, we got some lunch at New York Fries and we walked around Galaxyland. The mall was a little overwhelming, but it was cool to see. I probably wouldn't shop there very often if I lived in town. There are lots of other malls and stores around to find what you are looking for. From the mall we went home to get ready for the wedding reception. I was pretty nervous about the baby going to the reception but he ended up sleeping the whole time!

The reception was so sweet. It was so much fun to celebrate two great couples at once! Caitlin and Austen and Kayla and Keaton were shown so much love all evening. The Gibb sibilings and their spouses sang a cute song for the happy couples and Austen and Keaton also sang a song to their new brides. I got to see one of my best friends Charmaine and I also ate delicious tacos with all the fixings and mint chocolate cake and ice cream. 

On Sunday we went to church in Sherwood Park with the Gibbs. After sacrament meeting (1st hour block) we went to another two meetinghouses to look for my friend Jared. We unfortunately didn't find him but that was alright. We went to see the Edmonton Alberta temple before we went home for the afternoon. I had a nap with the baby once we got home and then lots of family came over for dinner. On Monday morning mom and I got up pretty early to drive to Calgary!

MAY: 5 months

May 23rd 2017

Book of the Month: Someday
by Alison Mcghee

Haig is five months old. 

WENT ON MY FIRST PLANE RIDE

Celebrated Mothers' Day and Mom's 25th Birthday

Trying some new foods: sweet potatoes, cereals, peas & banana

Loves the bathtub, can't wait for beach weather. 
Turning around in the crib at night
Sitting up in the IKEA highchair and Bumbo seat
Met my cousins Cecelia, Isla, Jack, Thexan & Emma
Saw the mountains in Alberta
Smiles every time he looks at his momma, and it makes my heart melt every time too.

Sunday Pictures

Sunday was another nice day. It was my first mothers' day but it was also a day to say goodbye to some sweet friends and my sister and new brother-in-law (but just for a few days). I don't even know where to begin with this sweet lady right. Megan Smith is one of a kind, genuine and the best friend I girl could ever have. She is smart, witty and oh so sweet. When Megan moved here while we were both in the youth program I could not have imagined what kind of impact she would have in my life. She went to New Brunswick for school and during that time went though so much, including the loss of her mother. She however persisted though challenging situations and always exemplified dedication, commitment and compassion. This week she moved back to her home-state of Florida. I will miss her a lot but like she said to me during our good-byes on Sunday evening, this is not the end for us. Although both of us suck with keeping in touch, I will never forget this girl and the example she has been to me.

We said good-bye to Keaton and Kayla for just a few days while they go on their honeymoon to Florida. Mom and I will travel to Alberta this evening for one whole week! We fly into Edmonton and we will be able to attend the Gibb-twin-reception in Sherwood Park on Saturday night. On Monday, we will leave Edmonton to spend a few days in Calgary with my sister-in-laws and their families and also some other friends we have on the west coast. In our last brick picture with Kayla and Keaton, there was a little baby in my belly and now there is a big 5 month old and time is going by way too fast!! One last shout-out to my parents (sorry no picture with dad) for dealing with this crew of us. I know my parents will miss Megan a lot too and they have done so much to make this weekend happen for Kayla and Keaton, and they do so much for my little family on a daily basis!

Everyday Life

May was such a busy month for our little family. I am pretty sad it's just about done. If you haven't noticed, I don't blog very often. I am trying to decide the best way to document more on paper since I am feeling like I am reaching a point in my life where I want a space that I can be more open about concerns and also the happy moments for our families and also taking the time to write down our personal goals and struggles. I will do my best to keep this space updated too because I know there are a lot of people that enjoy watching our sweet little life. If that person is you, let me know I would love to hear who is still keeping tabs on us!!!

Some pictures from our month include a rare family selfie. It is pretty hard to get a picture with a baby who isn't quite sitting up yet. Chelsey and her boyfriend Nick had us over for dinner earlier in the month. They just bought a cute little home in Kensington and they made us a delicious BBQ dinner and we got to meet their new little lady Lola. Hopefully we will spend more time with this sweet gang in the summer. My little boy is as cute and cuddly as they come. I will miss this stage so much. We don't get out for walks very often, but I try and take advantage of the good weather when we have it. There's a golf course right down the street and I better start showing him around it some more, dad will have a set of clubs in his hands before he knows it! Four month vaccinations were no fun, I am so glad my sister could come with me since dad Haig was at work that morning. We visited my old boss Joe at Rockport when Kayla was home too. Last but certainly not least, I love love love my two guys named Haig ***insert heart eyes emoji!!!

MY "FIRST' MOTHERS' DAY

Motherhood has been such a wonderful adventure. Never has my life been so full. This role consumes so much of my time but I wouldn't change a thing because I love this little boy of mine so much. I have been thinking about his birth a lot recently and how much I miss those moments. Of course there was pain and I was also scared sometimes, but it was so exhilarating and exciting to welcome him into the world. I felt that in that moment, I was fulfilling my life purpose. Being a mother has changed so many things about my life, mostly for the better. I don't get nearly as much sleep as I used to, nursing is making me get bald spots and I've been thrown up numerous times, but oh this little boy steals my heart every single day. When he smiles when I sing to him, laughs when daddy plays with him and when we have our "little chats" my heart races. I love being his mother. I love what I have learned so far as a mother and all the things that I continue to learn each day on this journey and also from the examples of mothers I see in my own life. I am so blessed and I cannot wait for the opportunity to raise more children and continue to be a nurturer, home-maker and the best mother I can be. 

GIBB WEDDING

KAYLA & KEATON GOT MARRIED 

ON FRIDAY MAY 12th 2017

What a lovely day for a wedding. I loved being able to help my sister out with this special day. It was so nice to celebrate with our friends and our new family. The Gibb family is so wonderful. The day started out with getting ready at my in-laws house. Megan stayed with us for the night and Kayla, Amanda, Adam and Princess Kinsley joined us early in the morning. We had some breakfast snacks and started to do our hair and make-up. My sister-in-law Victoria came over to help the bride get ready first and my mother-in-law did her hair. I was so grateful for their help. Kayla's mother-in-law Jackie and one of her sister-in-laws Kenzie showed up later on to see her finish getting ready. She looked so lovely in her very white wedding dress. 

Once Kayla left to meet Keaton for their "first look" the rest of us finished getting ready and we met the rest of the wedding group at the temple around 12:30. Megan and my Granny were so sweet to watch out little boy for us while we went to see their sealing in the temple. Kayla and Keaton were really lucky because the temple opened their doors especially for them early on that Friday noon time. Their sealing was so sweet. I felt an overwhelming love for my sister and her eternal companion. I will say it here although I find it a little too personal to share, but I never knew how much I wanted to see my sister be sealed for time and all eternity until I actually saw it happening. Keaton is a twin, and I was not surprised that we were both very emotional during their sealing. Kayla is practically my twin with an age difference. Mom and I helped Kayla change in the bride's room after the sealing and then we watched as they came out the temple doors as husband and wife. 

There were lots of pictures to be taken and that made for a bit of a long afternoon. My baby slept a lot but also had a diaper blow-out and had to be fed during pictures. Just wondering if anyone else has breastfed their baby in the temple before (waiting room), because I had to.. Once we were finished taking pictures we made our way to the restaurant where we were having supper. I enjoyed having my mom's side of the family there too although we didn't get to spend a lot of time with them it was so good to see everyone together celebrating. After the supper, Haig and Megan and I went back to the Pinsents' to get the car packed up and head home. It was a good trip and I am glad that we had Megan with us because she would be moving in just a few days.

Next Day: The Reception

HONDA

We bought our family a new to us car last week before we had to go over to Nova Scotia for my sister's wedding. The idea to buy a newer car came to us fast at the end of April when we decided we didn't want to put more money into our corolla to keep it up and running and to pass inspection at the end of May. We started looking at a couple dealerships here in Charlottetown and we also made a day trip to Summerside on Haig's day off work to check out a car there, but sadly it was out with a family who were considering buying it. We were a little disappointing after that experience but then again, we knew that because it wasn't there maybe it wasn't the car for us. Early in the week we made a few more trips and I told Haig that if he needed to buy a car while I was away on my trip to Alberta I would be okay with his decision. We went over out "list" again and talked about what we could afford. We walked onto the centennial car lot on Sherwood Road and there it was. The price was right and we took it for a test drive to visit Kayla and Keaton at my parents house. We tried our second stage car seat in it and we went back and we said "SOLD". We had to go back the next morning to work out all the details and luckily we got everything on the insurance just in time to go to Halifax for the Gibb Wedding. I love our 'new-to-us" 2011 Honda CR-V. I feel so grateful to have a more reliable vehicle for our little family.

HELLO MAY

We currently have more aunts and uncles living across the country than we have living close to us at home and in Nova Scotia. We miss them all like crazy but we are so grateful for text messaging, Face Time, phone calls, and snap chat to keep in touch with everyone. We are so lucky that in May Haig Arthur will get to meet (soon to be official) Uncle Keaton, Aunt Katherine, Uncle Eric, Aunt Emma, Aunt Rachel, possibly Uncle Kent and of course his cousins Cecelia, Isla and Jack. 

boy oh boy, it's going to be a fun time!

Happy MAY