Glorious Sleep!

Sleep Training

We've completed 4 nights of sleep training thus far and we are all SLEEPING! Yay! The first night Carter got up 5 times, and the longest he cried for was 40 minutes. Whenever he cried we would leave him for a few minutes before going to him. We would talk to him, rub his belly, etc until he calmed down then he would fall back asleep.

The second night he got up 3 times and cried for 40 minutes once. The other 2 times he cried for about 5 minutes. Again, we gave him a few minutes before going to him. We only had to go to him the one time as he settled by himself the other 2 times.

The third night Carter cried for a grand total of 13 minutes the entire night! He cried for 10 minutes when we put him down to bed, then 3 minutes one other time in the night. We didn't have to go to him as he settled by himself.

Then last night he cried for about 5 minutes when we put him to bed then about 1 minutes one other time during he night. He settled by himself.

We try to put him to bed around 7-730pm each night, whereas his bedtime before sleep training was about 9pm. He gets up for the day around 7am, so he's sleeping for close to 12 hours.The training has been far less difficult than we anticipated. I am definitely calling it a success at this point. I know things could change at any minute, but it's working for now!

Weight Loss

Ralph and I have now been doing Weight Watchers for 3 weeks and have both lost around 6 pounds. Frankly I have no idea how I have lost anything in the past week as I have been eating fairly badly. My hip has also still been bothering me, and I've been going to physiotherapy regularly. I'm hoping that I will be able to get back to exercising within the next week. That should help ramp up the weight loss..... that and cutting back on the chocolate. Oh how I LOVE my chocolate, it's my biggest weakness!

Oh... I also must note that I managed to squeeze into a pair of pre pregnancy jeans this weekend! Granted they were not exactly comfortable, but they closed and I wore them anyway :)

Pumpkin Patch

We visited a local farm over the weekend and Carter picked out a couple of pumpkins. It was a lot of fun, and I could definitely see this becoming a family tradition. Here are a few photos from our day:

We will be having Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow and I'm so looking forward to it! It just hasn't been the same the past couple of years so far from family and friends. We have SO much to be thankful for this year! We plan on blending up turkey dinner for Carter, I hope he likes it. 

- Amy

6 Months!

Carter turned 6 months old on September 18th! Where has the time gone?!

He's getting so big! As of last week he can now sit up by himself for short periods of time, and he had his first ride in a shopping cart a few days ago. He rolls both ways easily and every time we lay him down on his back to sleep he flips over onto his belly which makes me SO nervous! I usually wait til he falls asleep and flip him onto his back. I know I'm overly paranoid, but I asked the paediatrician last week if I could just leave him on his belly and he suggested that we really should be rolling him back onto his back. Obviously we can't control what he does when we are asleep, but if we find him on his belly before we go to bed we flip him back.

Carter continues to be tall and skinny at 28 inches and 15lb 11oz. He had bloodwork done last week to rule out any cause for his lower weight and everything was fine so that was a relief. He now eats solids 2-3 times a day on top of his bottles. He enjoys fruit but flat-out refuses any vegetables other than sweet potatoes! I think we'll have to start mixing the veggies in with his fruit and see how that goes. We've been using his Safety 1st Lux Nosh High Chair for a few weeks now and are pretty happy with it. I don't have any other experiences with high chairs so don't really have anything to compare it to, but it does the job. The tray comes right off (maybe they all do this, I don't know) which is handy for getting him in and out, and theres a plastic piece on top of the tray that can be removed to put in the dishwasher. Although, we haven't found the need to put it in the dishwasher yet as we just give the tray a good wipe down with a lysol wipe after each use. I do find the straps quite loose on Carter as he's so skinny which I don't like, but he's fine with the tray on.

We bought a second hand B.O.B. Revolution stroller for little man and we love it. I've jogged with it a couple of times; it was really smooth and Carter fell asleep both times. The front wheel can be fixed for jogging or swivel for everyday use. We use it out and about shopping, walking, etc. and find its nice and thin so we can get around with it easily. The one we bought came with an added handlebar console which has drink holders and a little zippered pocket for keys, etc which is super handy.

After much deliberation we also bought Carter a new carseat. He's just getting too heavy to carry in the infant seat, and since we are using the B.O.B. more often we have to take him out of the carseat anyway. We also don't have any side steps on our truck so it's really awkward to get him in and out of the infant seat. We went with the Britax Marathon 65 from Babies R' Us for $299 + tax.





While we were shopping their happened to be a car seat technician there who was helping a friend shop for a new seat. She is part of a lovely group of people that offer advice/information on choosing an appropriate car seat, as well as assist in installing them properly. The Facebook group can be found here: Vancouver Island Car Seat Technicians. I had a good look through the information, asked a few questions and bought the Marathon the next day. We will be installing it this week; I'll let you know in a few weeks how we like it.




Carter and I had a wonderful time in Ireland! I started off the trip wearing Carter in the Beco as I thought it would be the easiest for me. However, I had to take him right out of the carrier to go through security which was a pain in the ass. I decided to just use the travel system from there on out.

Here we are saying goodbye to Ralph in Victoria

Although I'm not a huge fan of our travel system I have to say that it did come in really handy on our trip. Like the other times I've flown with Carter I was able to use the stroller around all the airports then gate check it before boarding each flight. We flew with Air Canada and British Airways, and had 3 flights going over, the longest of which was from Calgary to London. Prior to our trip I had read about baby bassinets on Air Canada flights and when I booked the trip through Itravel2000.com I asked them to put a request for one on our reservation. From what I had read from other peoples experiences it seemed the chances of me getting one was low as there are apparently only a few to go around and they only work on certain air crafts. Luckily there was one available on the Calgary to London flight and I had to take some photos since nobody could figure out what I was talking about.

It clips right into the wall, baby must be 25lb or less and should not be able to sit up by themselves. This was a lifesaver on that 8 and 1/2 hour flight! Carter napped for 4 hours and I got to eat. Yay!

It was so nice to visit with family and of course everybody fell in love with Carter! Here's some photos from our trip.

The last week I was there I had a cold and was fairly miserable for a few days. My sister got sick too and we thought Carter had somehow dodged it until his nose started running a few hours before we left to come back home! The trip home was HORRENDOUS!!!! If you can avoid it, never ever ever travel by air with a sick baby!! The poor little guy was absolutely inconsolable from the second we took off in Dublin til landing in Victoria. He screamed through 3 flights! I didn't eat for over 16 of the 27 hours traveling back as I couldn't put him down for a second. I was so tired and stressed that I cried at one point too :(

I was really disappointed with Air Canada's service. I asked if somebody could help me transfer in Toronto as I knew I had to pick up my bags and go through customs, and I had absolutely NO WAY of doing it myself! I was pushing a stroller, so it was impossible for me to pull 2 suitcases too. I was told I would be helped, but never was. I ended up having to pay a porter in the airport $10 to take my bags... Thank God I had $11 in my bag. I also had a ton of other issues with them... too many to write about. I plan on writing them a letter to complain. I'm sure it won't do much good, but I'll feel better! Ha!


Aaand an update on me..... Ralph and I started Weight Watchers online last week and are doing pretty good so far. I lost 2 pounds this week and Ralph lost 5. We've signed up and paid for 6 months so I REALLLY hope we stick with it! I like the concept of Weight Watchers as it allows you to eat whatever you want in moderation. So I don't have to stop eating the things I love, I just can't eat 2 chocolate bars everyday..... The program designates a point value to every food item and you are allowed to eat a certain amount of points per day. I am allowed 26 points per day while Ralph is allowed 49. The points value is based on fat, carbohydrates, fibre and protein. You are also given 49 flex points each week that can be used however you like. You can use them all on one day or spread them out throughout the week. Ralph and I had a weekend away in Victoria this past weekend and we had saved up most of our flex points so we could go out to a nice restaurant.

The livestrong ticker at the top right of my blog shows my current weight loss. I am hoping to lose 34 pounds. I've had a couple of bad days where I ate waaaaayyy more points than I should have but I got right back on the program the next day. The key is not to give up, there will be good and bad days.

I had my first soccer game a couple of weeks ago. I had a lot of fun, and it felt so good to get back out there. However, at practice last week I started getting pain in my left hip/lower back area while running. It's now been a week since the pain started and it hurts so bad to walk! I had a physio appointment today and was told that my hip joint is unstable and the muscles around it are weak. So I've got some stretches to work on and hopefully I can get back to soccer in the next couple of weeks.

- Amy

Change of Plans

I'm planning on returning to work around July 1st and it feels like it is fast approaching! Thats only 7 more weeks I get to be home with Carter.


That was the beginning of a post I started writing a few weeks ago. How things have drastically changed!! As of mid May I planned on returning to work in July, and Ralph was going to go on parental leave. We also planned on putting our house on the market this year with the hope of returning to British Columbia within the next year or so. We anticipated that it would take about a year to sell. With this in mind, we listed the house on May 14th. There was one viewing that day and they bought it!!! We were shocked and happy to say the least. We move out July 31st. I will be flying back with Carter, while Ralph drives back with a trailer.

That same day we got some bad news. We got a call that Ralph's dad was very sick, and we packed our bags and were on a plane back to BC within 5 hours! It was touch and go for a few days but he pulled through, and got to meet his newest grandson for the first time. If you're reading this.... WE LOVE YOU!! Even though the circumstances were not ideal, it was nice to see family and friends. It also made us realize just how much we have missed BC; it's home and it always will be. We cannot wait to move back!

It's times like this when you reflect on your own life and it's fragility. Life can change in an instant. Ralph and I have been saying we are going to eat better and exercise for quite a while now, but never got around to actually putting those words into action. Well, recent events have pushed us to change our unhealthy habits. We started Simply For Life (SFL) on May 26. SFL is basically a nutrition program tailor-made to each individual. There are no gimmicks or pills, just good wholesome food. You are given a meal plan and a list of foods you're allowed to eat. I like that I know exactly what I am going to eat each day. I'm not used to eating healthy, so I have no concept of what foods are actually good for me other than the obvious fruits and veggies.

I'm still battling to lose 24 pounds of the 50 I gained during pregnancy. I also want to lose an extra 8-10 pounds on top of that. When I started SFL I was 162 pounds, and my goal is to lose 32. At our first weeks weigh in, I lost 5 pounds. So as of June 2nd I weigh 157 lb. I'm extremely happy with this, as we have only been loosely following the plan so far. We are used to eating out at restaurants frequently so it's difficult to break those bad habits. We have definitely cut back significantly, and plan to cut back more and more as the weeks go on. I've been cooking up a storm these past couple of weeks. It has been a little overwhelming at times when I'm home alone with Carter and have to make soup from scratch... I have never been a huge fan of cooking so I rarely did it in the past. However, with each new recipe I tackle I'm beginning to actually dare I say it... enjoy?!?! cooking! Haha! I'm hoping this feeling continues.

I also started running a couple of weeks ago, and what a slow start it has been! I haven't participated in any real exercise in over a year and a half. I'm running about twice a week right now, but I would like to go more often. I'm only able to go about 1.5km at this time. I plan on returning to soccer when we move back to BC so I really need to get back in shape. I just downloaded a couple of apps for my iPhone that I'm hoping will help motivate me to get out there more often. I downloaded "Zombies, Run!" and "Couch-to-5K". I just got them so haven't tried them yet. From what I can gather, Zombie, Run! is sort of  a game that motivates you to run by having you run from zombies . There's a storyline and missions along the way. Couch-to-5K is a training program designed to get you off the couch and be able to run 5km....eventually. Ha! I've briefly looked at the app, and it looks like the program is 9 weeks long. You are expected to run 30 minutes, 3 days a week in that time. The program starts of slowly, gradually getting more difficult with each week. I'm hoping to give these apps a try in the coming weeks, and I'll let you know how I like them.

Another iPhone app I've been using is the Calorie Tracker by LIVESTRONG. I can track my daily food intake and exercise with this. You tell the app your height and weight and how much you want to lose (or gain...) and it will calculate your daily allowable calories. When you add any exercise it will subtract the burnt calories accordingly. I'm finding it very helpful so far and highly recommend it.

I'll keep you all updated on my progress. Oh, and Ralph's doing good too! He's already down 8 pounds. Yay!

Carter is now 11 weeks, and his personality reveals itself more and more each day. He smiles ALL the time now and looks like he is SO close to laughing. He will stare at you for ages, and looks like he's really studying your face. When we hold him he is constantly trying to lean forward or stand up. He can fully weightbear on his legs and loves to do so all day. We do tummy time with him each day, but he still hates it!! He will tolerate it for all of a minute then he face plants and screams bloody murder til' we pick him up. He tolerates it a little longer if we lay him over the boppy pillow, but he's still not a huge fan. I had been getting a little anxious that we weren't getting in enough tummy time with him, but we are doing the best we can. Also, I'm sure they weren't pushing tummy time 50 years ago and people seemed to turn out ok.

His torticollis is MUCH less noticeable now. He fully turns his head both ways no problem, and no longer favours looking left. The back of his head still has a little flat area, but its not that noticeable. It may resolve with time, or it may not... either way he'll be fine.

I am officially done with breastfeeding. There had come a point a few weeks ago where Carter was only feeding for about 3-4 minutes then he would scream and scratch at me. Each feeding would end in him crying and me extremely upset! He was getting increasingly fussy too, so I suspected he wasn't getting enough to eat. So, I decided it just wasn't worth the struggle anymore and I am now exclusively pumping the milk and feeding it to him in a bottle. I'm not going to lie, it's hard work pumping 5-7 times a day, then feeding him, and cleaning all the bottles, pump parts, etc. I also have to bring the pump with me if I'm going to be out for a long time. However, I am MUCH happier and feel Carter is too. He no longer screams at me and he is eating more. I'm not sure how long I will stick with the pumping, but I'm happy to say that he has received breast milk for 11 weeks so far. That's quite the achievement considering all the problems we've been through.

I'm not exactly sure how much he weighs, but I'm sure he's at least 13 lb now. I think he's going to be tall and skinny. He's growing out of his clothes so fast! I had him in a 6 month onesie the other day. Although, the sizing for infants clothes is ridiculous because he also fits into a newborn diaper shirt from another brand.

Ok, I don't want to jinx a good thing but this little guy has been sleeping fairly well the past few nights. We put him to bed around 11pm (hoping to push that to an earlier time in the near future) and he usually sleeps til around 4-6am. He usually falls asleep within a few minutes. Tonight's been an exception however, as he took quite a while to get to bed and I can hear him fussing on the monitor as I type. Yikes! I hope this is just a one off night!!

I had a wonderful mothers day. We spent the day at home, and what more could I ask for?! Carter got me a photo frame that says mommy's little monkey on it. Isn't he sweet :)

I'll leave you with some recent pics:

- Amy