It was love at first sight

What a saturday morning looks like at our house

Every Christmas my mom gets all us girls an amaryllis to plant. I have the black thumb of the family and yet mine always grows the fastest. I just had to post this as proof that mine is fully bloomed and I offcially won! (Not that I am competitive or anything).

We had some friends over to get in the hottub and we decided to throw the kids in too. Mick turned down the temperature so it wasn't so piping hot, but we made sure the boys wore hats to not freeze their ears. It was nice to have friends over, the first to our new house!

I bought this beauty for 35 cents at the Okotoks junk yard. I am excited to paint it. I am thinking either red, bright green to match Jett's room, or white. I am also debating making a new seat and reupholstering it with a fun fabric. I figure this would be the easier way to learn. What color should I paint it?

Catching up - thanksgiving in Idaho.

Jozy, little miss reader. She is such a good helper with Jett, and she is such a good reader. I love staying at Josh and Katies because we have such a good time and because of this girl. And her sister, who is slowly warming up to Jett.

Jett and Josh playing Jozlyn's piano. Jett can't tell Josh apart from Mick, and its very cute.

Jett and Santa. He just stared at him but he didn't cry.

Jett Driving my grandma's Minivan. Mobile means independent. Driving? Maybe just a touch early. Bet hey, it is Idaho.

Pictures yet to come are all in Taylors camera. My brother in law taylor is so great, he worked on everyones computers, ipods, laptops, gave advise for everyones computers and laptops and is the family's unofficial photographer. Seriously, this man is a genius and I feel bad that he always has to do work for us. However, when he ever sets up a blog so we can see our future niece growing, (hint hint) then I can show you more pictures!

To Grandmothers House We Go

Barrett was going to Idaho so my mom and I decided to tag along and make the road trip to grandma's house in T-town (Terreton) to learn to make chocolates. I love going to grandmas house. She always has cookies and home made noodles waiting for us. We make trips to 'town' to visit target and other exciting stores. We get to visit all of our fun cousins. And we sometimes get some crafts in too.

The hardest part is not having dad here to help with little man! We miss you dad!

I found a new blog over at Rambling Renovators. I thought their view on parenting was so funny, I had to share.

I found a new blog over at Rambling Renovators. I thought their view on parenting was so funny, I had to share.

Things That Became Apparent After I Became A Parent

1. Yes, you can survive on 4 hours sleep a night.
2. Its amazing what you can do with only one free hand (because the other one is busy holding baby/holding a bottle/holding a breastfeeding baby)
3. All those things you could accomplish quickly pre-baby take 8x longer to do post baby.
4. You will be late - for everything.
5. The spit up on your shoulder is invisible to you and only you.
6. You will have no qualms dancing around in public places when wearing your baby in her carrier. And sometimes, you will forget and dance around even when baby isn't there :o\
7. The second you are ready to walk out the door... baby will demand to be fed/be changed/be put to sleep. And you will be late. Refer to #4.
8. You will have no problem buying many new cute little outfits for your baby, while you walk around in an old hoodie as its the only thing that suits your post-preggo body.
9. Just when you think have things figured out (like the nap routine or the feeding schedule), baby will keep you on your toes by changing it all up.
10. It is very easy to take 1200+ photos of a single subject.
11. Some people are dumb and think its perfectly acceptable for a stranger to come up and touch a baby.
12. Doing laundry is a daily chore, not a weekly one.
13. The toys will overtake your house. Resistance is futile.
14. The amount of drool/poop/spit up is not proportional to the size of the baby.
15. Joining the parenthood club is the best thing HandyMan and I ever did. The price of initiation is steep, but the rewards are immeasurable.
16. Managing to write a blog post daily when there is a baby around IS IMPOSSIBLE. (Thanks for sticking with me folks!)

Too true. I died laughing at #12 and #5. lol.

8 months goes by so fast. The first few months felt like forever. I have decided that now is the most fun age. Jett is only slightly mobile but he is learning so much. He hits his arm against his mouth to make the bababa noise. Then he makes the motorcycle noises with his mouth. So cute.

This last week we got our first tooth (finally) and are officially starting to crawl. He has been scooting backwards for a while, but this morning he took his first movements in a forward direction. He is starting to feel like a really big boy and no longer a baby. His Mohawk is growing in too! The only downside is that this week he has been really clingy. I call him my little leech. He bawls the second I put him down. He doesn't want me, he just wants SOMEONE to hold him. Its been fun!

This was his tooth on his 8 month birthday. The white is just starting to show up.

How dare I put him down for one second. How do you say no to that face?

This was his first forward motion this morning. He was trying to grab my camera. Love it!

Not much else is new in our house. Just a constant struggle to keep it clean and organized and find every poopy diaper a home. I have been thinking a lot about working and what kinds of jobs are worth taking or how many hours I want to work. Its such a fine balance between getting something done for yourself, spending time with your family, and feeling like you can be successful at both. I don't want to feel like every aspect of my life only ever gets 50%. You always wish you could spend more time wherever you are NOT. Does that make sense? Decisions. I still want to feel like I have time that is not SCHEDULED.

Another day in the life of a stay at home mom.

A Day on the Lake Teaser

Dream Streams next project in the works...
Turn up the Volume and Maximize!

Halloween

For Halloween this year we had a few good parties. I don't have pictures of 2, but here is a play group we went to.

Leiah is in labor in this picture, she had her little boy that night!

Jodi taking care of all 3 of her kids!

Melia thought Jett was her baby and kept trying to hold him. He wasn't sure how he felt about that!

Loving the candy!

For Kadie

We got some fun mail today, and Jett really liked it too! Meet Jett's future girlfriend.

*This is his mobile above his crib. I wanted him to recognize her when he meets her*

New Release from Dream Streams!

Here it is people. Enjoy.

Getting Ready

I spent a few days at my moms house this week because Mick was fishing. Its funny the things grandmas do that I would never had thought of. Like putting Jett in the sink while I get ready. SO convenient, he can't move and I can just keep handing him toys! Here we are getting ready for a halloween party. Reaching for the brushes
I finally got it!

What is this?

YES!

My New Best Friend - he kept giving himself a high five.

And my final accessory - a new headband! If daddy only knew, he would probably fish for fewer days!

Jett is so close to crawling. He can scoot backwards but he has such great turnout (all ballet teachers out there would be jealous) that he can't get his knees underneath him. I don't really want him mobile, so I am not pushing it!

I will post halloween party pictures tomorrow, its going to be great!

Olympics 88

The Olympics were in calgary when I was 4 years old. Holding this olympic torch is pretty much most of what I remember. That and the official mascots, Heidi and Howdy. I can't wait for the olympics coming up in vancouver and I am debating if I could go to an event. I love the new olympic clothes being vintage looking and am just getting really excited for olympic fever!

P.S. Mick has been fishing, so consider yourself warned for a future post!

Free

There are a lot of great deals you hear about only to find out they are ONLY in the states. So I wanted to post a few free things I have found.

Diapers -

• huggies.com and sign up to be a member. They send you free samples for each size of diaper. Huggies will also send a potty training success DVD (fsisolutions.com/kcpullupsdvd).
  
• Pampers will send easy up trainers, coupons, stickers, potty training tips, progress charts, and rewards. http://www.pampers.com/en_CA/potty-kit-request

Formula -

• nestle-baby.ca will send you free formula samples and a backpack with a changing pad.
• Heinzbaby.com actually sent me the most formula, as well as a reusable bag and a growth chart.
• Similac Welcome Club will also send free samples

Yoga Class - Lulu Lemon offers free weekly yoga classes at their stores.

Food - Sign up for birthday clubs at Tony Romas, Boston Pizza, Baskin Robbins, Red Robin and Starbucks.

TV Episodes Online - the TV networks won't allow canadian IP addresses to view their episodes, but if you go to globaltv.com, cbc.ca, watch.thecomdedynetwork.ca you can watch them in Canada.

Songs - If you go to starbucks on tuesdays, they give away cards for free downloads to itunes, no purchase necessary. Happy downloading!

If anyone else has something to add to the list, let me know! I am always on the lookout!

New Post

I updated my Hire To Inspire blog today. If anyone has any ideas or comments or something they would like to see, email me pronto!

What we have been up to

Isn't he huge? I looked at this and was shocked at how big he looks.

Grandma went to the Dallas Cowboys game and got me this awesome shirt.

Jett got to meet his Great Grandma Berry from Oklahoma

Some of my Favorite Berry's. Katie, Heather, and Ida.

Grandpa Berry

Mick is holding Ian, who is 6 weeks older than Jett. He can crawl and he makes Jett feel HUGE!

My friend Leiah and I have been walking in Fish Creek Park in the mornings and it has been great. Her son Peyton and Jett are best buds.