please just give these poor working men some candy!

happy umbrellas make any wet walk fun

eleven months old

This was the best photo we got, the rest are of a pitifully upset and exhausted little guy. And so I decided to stick with this realistic image of his 11th month day ... really rather sick and honestly miserable and somehow also worried about that pokey stick on the pumpkin. Poor Felix. But you are still deliciously cute in your skeleton jammies ... a random addition in a gift package from my old friend Christy that I didn't like at first but has become a sentimental favorite for Sam and I as all three boys have worn it.

Felix, we're now staring down the last few weeks until you're first birthday and I'm so excited about that! Happy that we've worked our way through all those hard and new firsts this year, happy that you're crawling everywhere and enjoying playing with all your own toys, happy that you're really alot of fun to be with, and I can't deny, happy that we are nearing the end of babyhood. Forever! Don't get me wrong, you know I still cry when I hug you tight and tell you how much I'm going to miss this little you. But I.am.ready to move beyond this stage of life and knowing how spectacular your brothers are I can't wait to know the little boy you'll grow into.

You say Dada constantly now, one long repeating sentence of Dada. Sometimes Baba but hearing Mumma from you is but a dream yet. You still clap close-handed, you still refuse to hold your own bottle (what's up with that?!), your only hairstyle is Stick-Straight-Up, and you're still sleeping twice a day though I'm actually hoping you'll drop one soon so we can have more flexibility. You actually do crawl after Walter when he squeals "Chase me!" and you both laugh and think it's the best game ever. You give good open mouth kisses. Bath time sitting in the middle of your brothers is your favorite. I've found your tickling sweet spot. You love your Nana and still just stare unblinkingly at your Grandad, throwing him a smile once in awhile. You love to ride on the Big Thomas or Giraffe and you get the goofiest thrilled smile on your face when we push you around on those. You really are such an easy going, contented baby (though woe to anyone who takes away a toy you have in your hands = waterworks) and we did right in naming you Felix, as Happy you certainly are!

lookalike much?

fall fun on a field trip

Henry's preschool class had a field trip yesterday out to Providence Farm for some fall fun ... a hay ride, time to meet the horses, combing the field for the perfect pumpkin and I'm sure best of all the bus ride to and from the farm. Seriously you could not have made Henry happier than a ride on that big orange school bus! Walter and I tagged along for the morning but apparently we weren't needed as Henry was paired up with his Grade 7 buddy Marcus and Henry asked me very loudly on the hay ride "Mum, why did you come here?". Ha ... I got the point! Walter had a great time too and thankfully smiled on command in the pumpkin pile ... I am loving that he will do that now! In all my years living here I have never been out to Providence Farm (how can that be?) and what a gorgeous place. 400 hectares showcasing Cowichan Valley's beauty ... I'm convinced you can't get any better than Island living.

my sister's baby turns two

Walter and I were over to Vancouver this weekend - just the two of us - to celebrate little Eden's 2nd birthday. It's hard to capture a smile on her with the camera (she's usually giving you The Death Stare, ha!) but she's such a happy, screechy, funny girl. It was the cutest thing especially to hear her call Walter by his name over and over and to see their little hello hugs. My parents came out from Kelowna as well and true to form they also took time for Dad to fix Bethany's patio door and for Mum to make Bethany a strange tea concoction to fix her cold. Some things never change, right?! We'll see everyone again one more time this year as they all come over for Felix's 1st birthday but so far it's been awfully nice just to pop over on the ferry so we can join in on these big events. With big cakes! Happy Birthday Eden Cate, we love you lots. xo

four years long

Last week was a big week in our family for a few different reasons ... Henry and Walter turned 4 and 3 ... Felix started crawling (oh yes he did!) ... and perhaps most anticipated was the end of Henry's club foot correction. A four year long process which often at times felt very, very long indeed. Hard for us as parents but increasingly difficult and frustrating for Henry as he grew older and was more aware of the discomfort while trying to sleep at night. He has been such a trooper and you can imagine how immensely proud we are of him!



We had no indications with our 20 week ultrasound that there was any problems so the news that our little baby was born with a club foot came to a complete surprise to us! I wrote about those early days on a previous post and it's amazing now to look back and be reminded with this photo at just how turned in his little left foot was.



At six weeks old we started the series of castings to manipulate his foot out, 1 cast a week for 6 weeks. Every week traveling up to Saskatoon with a newborn in that winter weather. The night before the next cast we would soak it off in the bath and give him a few hours of freedom. It never bothered him, even then, but it did break your heart a little to see this wee boy with a full leg cast on him.



At three months old his casts were replaced with this Boots and Bar contraption. For 3 months long he wore this 23 hours a day. Needless to say he never really wore any pants, ha, and he did look like he was in training to be a snowboarder or a surfer. This 3 month period was really challenging for us but on the plus side it sure made changing diapers easy ... just lift up both feet at once!



This was the last day of the long 3 months of constant wear ... we were so glad to see this day arrive! After this Henry only had to wear the Boots to bed at night til he was 4 but at this point that felt so far away.



I remembered to grab my camera one morning when Henry woke up, to capture the sight of our two year old standing up in his crib just waiting for us to get those Boots off. Henry still never complained, he simply adapted over the years as thankfully this was all he knew. We were still heading up to Saskatoon every 6 months for checkups with his orthopaedic surgeon, who reassured us that 4 years old would be the end date.



And then amazingly, finally, the very last night was here. I took some pictures, cried and hugged my boy, and thanked God that we had gotten through it. His little funny foot was straight, he was playing soccer with his Dad just like we were promised, and he himself was so, so, so very happy to know he could snuggle into bed, comfy and curled up in a ball if he liked.



The long awaited Doctor's appointment where Dr Penny looked him in the eye and told him "No More Boots!". He was telling everyone else this news for the rest of the day!

happy thanksgiving!

sharing fatherhood

Alot has happened in 14 years. 14 years ago Jeff and Sam were travelling the world together. Experiencing China, Mongolia, Vietnam, India, and Nepal for the first time. Now they are sharing the experience of fatherhood with 4 boys between them ... 4 boys who would not give me one second of regard for the camera - little hooligans. Sigh, this photo-snapping mother can't help but hope for a smile or two. Or four (we can always dream). It was fun for Shendah and I to watch these two men of ours gather up the littles to the park while we talked over tea, amazed at how much has changed in the past 14, and even 20, years. Thanksgiving weekend and we were all back in Duncan just like in the past. And now ... look at our future. Ronin, Henry, Walter and Felix ... I sure hope you will be as good friends as your Dads are.