Bryan Avenue

This kid

Upon listening to a Tom Waites song asked if it was a monster singing. I can totally see how he would think that.

And he thought Angela Lansbury singing (it was on the Christmas station) was a witch. Again, not too far off. Then there was the adult choir singing with an orchestra (once again on the Christmas station). He asked, in all sincerity, if it was Indians singing. "Of course it is, Sweetie," was my reply. 

This kid amazes me when he's not driving me bananas. The questions he asks, not the above ones, show me that he's putting things together, which is exciting and a little bit scary for me. Yes, I have the interwebs to consult when he asks me something I don't have the answer to, or I make something up which will probably come back to bite me, but I just know he's going to give me a run for my money. As will his younger sister. And his younger brother.  We actually hot glued their pants to the floor in order to capture this rare moment. 

 

Two years ago today...

...at exactly 4:40 p.m., my life, our lives, would change forever. What was supposed to be a routine viability check at the 6 week ultrasound turned out to be the biggest shock/surprise of our lives. We discovered that there were two beating hearts "in there" instead of the one we were expecting. Big C's plan of having two children was TOTALLY thrown out the window. My desire and dream of having three kids was about to become reality for us. 

The last almost year and a half I've been thinking a lot about what life was like back then, pre-twins, and how it is now. There is a lot less money, a lot less me-time, a lot more company in the bathroom, far too much poop, a ridiculous amount of time-outs, and a great deal more laughter on Bryan Avenue. I've also thought how it's funny how you think that having a child reallly changes you. Probably because it does. But then you have twins. And it, or rather, they, turn your world upside down. And they shake it up a lot. And they barf on it. And poop on it. Sometimes fourteen times in one day. And you think you've gone crazy...because you have.

And even though there are days when I'd love to run away (yes, I did just say that out loud), I wouldn't trade it with anyone or for anything. I am blessed beyond what I could ever imagine or deserve. My biggest surprise has taught me so much more than I ever thought possible. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks. Happy 17th month birfday, HRH and Fozzy Bear! xo

Cafe Rio Knock-offs

If you've ever stayed with us at Hancock Manor, you've probably been force-fed Cafe Rio. And it probably changed your life. For those of you not in-the-know, Cafe Rio is a local Tex-Mex(ish) chain. People who have lived in Texas say it's not Tex-Mex but I'm pretty sure that's what most people, including this Canuck, label it as. I digress. We are BIG fans of Cafe Rio and have been known to eat there once a week for several years. It's delicious. And obviously addictive. And it's been known to cause a vegan to eat meat! (gasp)

Now that we're on a more slender budget, eating out so frequently is part of our past. Eating in is so 2013 anyway. On Sunday I decided I had a hankering for Cafe Rio's pork salad, which is like manna from heaven. It's sweet pork over a bed of fluffy cilantro lime rice and your choice of black or pinto beans. Then it's topped with romaine, pico, guac, cotija, cilantro, and tortilla strips. But the cornerstone to this salad is the creamy tomatillo dressing. Once, they forgot to include the dressing in our to-go order and it made for a rough night. I think Big C put his fist through the wall and I might have called the Mayor and left a nasty voicemail.

So, on Sunday, I looked up recipes I had used before plus other recipes I had not, but were popular on the interwebs, and I decided to create my own, which are spin-offs and modifications of what's already out there. I'm not going to claim the salad tasted "just like Cafe Rio's" because it didn't. But I will say that Big C said his salad was better than Cafe Rio's. So there you go. Whatevs.

Cafe Rio Pork

Ingredients:

4 lb pork body part (I think most recipes call for a shoulder, butt or picnic something-or-other but I used a boneless tenderloin--not the long skinny kind...this one had both white and dark meat)

1.5 can of Coke DIVIDED (I used Dr. Pepper since I had it on hand. I will definitely use Coke next time as the DP flavoured it a little too much. Oh, and don't you DARE use Diet. That's crazy talk and I will never talk to you ever again)

1.5 c. brown sugar DIVIDED (meaning, read the recipe through before you venture down the wrong path)

1 c. salsa

10 oz. can of red enchilada sauce. 

1/2 tsp each of cumin and garlic powder

Directions:

Put the pork in a smaller crockpot. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of Coke with the salsa and 3/4 c. brown sugar. Pour over pork. Cook on high for 3-5 hours. Because this pork was on the smaller side, I checked it at 4 hours and found it to be done. Shred .

In another small bowl, mix the remaining Coke and brown sugar with enchilada sauce, cumin and garlic powder. If you like it with a little heat, add some heat. I was feeding three kids 3 and under so I kept it on the mild side. Mix this sauce in with the shredded pork and place back in the crockpot on high for 15-30 minutes. Make sure you check it after 15 as you don't want to dry it out. You're simply trying to marry the sauce to the pork and keep it warm.

Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

3 tbsp. butter

1.5 cup of parboiled long grain rice (I use Uncle Ben's converted rice)

1 tsp. each of cumin and garlic powder

3 cups of chicken broth

1 lime, juiced

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 c. green enchilada sauce (I doubt you'll find this ingredient in any other recipes for "Cafe Rio" rice. I only added this because I watched them add this to the rice when I was at Cafe Rio the last time)

Directions:

Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add onion and saute until soft and beginning to brown slightly. Add spices and mix with onion. Cook for 1 minute to release flavour. Add rice and saute, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes until rice takes on a golden hue. Add the chicken broth and stir. Crank the heat up to high until it starts boiling. Place a lid on the pot, turn the temperature down to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not take the lid off. After 20 minutes, check to see if the broth has been absorbed. If not, put the lid back on and cook for another couple of minutes, or however long is needed. Fluff with a fork and add the enchilada sauce. Fluff again.

Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Ingredients:

1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch powdered salad dressing

1 c. buttermilk (I make my own by adding 1-2 tsp. of white vinegar to the milk, stirring, and letting it sit and get thick for about 5 minutes)

1 c. mayo

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp. lime juice

1 tomatillo, peeled and quartered

1 jalapeno (I remove almost all of the seeds)

2-3 garlic cloves

Directions:

Place ingredients in a blender and blend for 2 minutes. Store in fridge until ready to use. Allow at least one hour for flavours to mix and mingle and for the dressing to thicken up a bit. You're welcome. 

 Assembling the salad:

Place 1 large warm flour tortilla in a bowl. I actually buy Cafe Rio's tortillas because they are...there are no words to describe them. No words. But if you can't get them, just use your favourite flour tortilla. At Cafe Rio, they melt a little bit of cheddar cheese in the middle. Place warmed black or pinto beans on the bottom. Top with a couple of scoops of rice. Then throw that fabulous pork over top. Top with chopped romaine lettuce. Add a scoop of pico (I made the Pioneer Woman's pico), a scoop of guacamole (I was lazy and bought a local brand called Rico's), crispy corn tortilla strips, a couple sprigs of cilantro, and some cotija (I forgot to add this and it didn't make a difference to the deliciousness of the salad). Finally, dump that dressing all over the salad and dive in!

If any one of my 3 readers makes this, let me know what you think. I have tough-skin, so feel free to tell me it bites if it does. I'll just think you're a crazy person with poor taste. 

And now for some photos of my Cafe Rio lovin' kids because I didn't take a photo of the salad. And yes, my daughter appears to have orange hair, but she does not...because I dye it blonde. 

Harper & Foster's First Birthday Party

So about 7 months ago, I decided I was going to start planning the babies first birthday party so that I didn't wait until the last minute to do everything. It would be a new thing for me and I was excited to start the planning. I decided the theme would be Hurray For Fish since they love that book. 

Did I start planning 7 months ago? Nope. It was on my to-do list every day (yes, I keep a daily to-do list and am lucky to check one box every day). But I didn't do it. And then I got into a funk that some might call depression and decided I wasn't going to do a first birthday party, and then some friends talked me out of that nonsense and I got out of my funk and started planning...3 weeks before their party. AND decided that Hurray For Fish was not the right theme but The Very Hungry Caterpillar was the right theme, mostly because it's been done to death and there would be a lot of ideas out there on the interwebs and, you guessed it, Pinterest!

So what does a frantic mother do? She gets on Etsy and Pinterest, that's what she does. And she enlists the help of her creative friends. And fortunately for me, I've got some pretty creative friends and former co-workers who jumped in and gave me great ideas, helped me craft the crap out of the party, and helped set up and run the party. It literally took a village. I even enlisted my graphic designer cousin in Canada who created the printables for me and she rocked them out in less than 24 hours because I, of course, left everything to the last minute. 

So, to anyone out there reading this, you don't need 6 months to plan the best party you've ever thrown. You just need some late nights, some amazing friends and family, and some quality nap times to getter done. If you don't have one of these elements, you might need more than 3 weeks.

Our white trash bash before the kids came along was the best party we'd ever thrown but it has been overthrown and the title has now been given to this birthday party. My husband can attest to this, but at some point before EVERY. SINGLE. PARTY, I mutter, "why am I throwing this stupid party?" But this time I didn't mutter it. I didn't even think it. I was all in.

And so I present to you, with visuals and a little of my mundane description, The Very Hungry Caterpillar First Birthday Party for Harper & Foster Hancock.  Had to have one book for each baby for their party guests to write in. Once upon a time, Target carried TVHC themed party supplies. But no more. So I bought 8 hats for $2.00 and customized them with ric-rac and pom-poms. Did the party goers wear them? Why, yes they did because I threatened them if they tried to take them off. Photos from their first year lined the driveway. They were mostly for my benefit so I could see how far we'd come. Many tears flowed as I went through a year's worth of photos, selecting my favourites that summed up our year.

Some of the activities we planned for the kiddos. Everything from colouring station to bean-bag toss (with fruit-shaped bean bags) to "water slide" seeing as it was 103 degrees that day and the party was outdoors. 
The adults food table, which included pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, baked beans, and chips. And two very cute photos of the birthday babies. And a million pinwheels I just had to include somehow. Beer, Sangria, water, and drink boxes. 



Kids food table. Included salami & swiss (actually provolone) cheese sandwiches, lollipops, grape caterpillars, watermelon, and caterpillar crispies, and one chipped serving platter.Instead of birthday cake or cupcakes, I had my friend April create this amazeballs cake pops presentation. It was my favourite part of the entire party.

More handmade details I didn't want to forget. Hey, turns out you can make a garland out of anything!
Homemade custom onesies and skirt for HRH. Classic Harper with her finger up her nose. No Etsy for this party. These were made by my friend Laurie and me and were the jumping off point for the party. 

I very much wanted to make smash cakes for the party and pinned a few ideas but when I sat down and planned out each day's task for the week leading up to it, I honestly couldn't find time to bake and try icing/frosting (and getting incredibly frustrated) the cakes. So I picked up a couple of cupcakes from The Sweet Tooth Fairy the morning of the party and called it good. They must have been delicious as they practically inhaled them.
The youngest partiers after the "water slide" and slip n' slide.



And my second favourite part of the party: the candy bar/goodie bag station. In the favour bags (or boodle bags as we grew up calling them) were fruit stickers, an ice cream cone shaped sidewalk chalk, a lollipop, and a bag of hand-selected candy. I had fun finding party-themed candy for the kids to pick out and put in their bags. I could have gone bonkers with the favour bags but realized that I would probably be the only one to appreciate them, and so I went simple. And I'm glad I did. 

Finally, I need to give a big shout out to the following people for their involvement in the party:

Laurie P, Shelley, Wanda, Tara, Lauren P, Ashley (with Designed By Ash), Beckie, Kirsten, and April VW. Without these ladies, the party would have been mediocre at best. 

So there you have it. The nerds first birthday. A big checkmark now sits on my to-do list under "plan a kicka$$ party for the babies." I'd start planning our Christmas party but it's still 4.5 months away and that's just far too much planning time than is necessary.

 

The grass is always greener

It is. With everything in life, isn't the unknown ALWAYS better...until the unknown becomes the known?

That's how it's been for me with being a stay at home mom, or SAHM as I see on all the boards and blogs I happen by when I have a second to sit down. I stayed at home for 4 months with Cohen, until I realized I wasn't cut out for the SAHM life. And so I returned to work, only to wish that I could be home with him. 

In my mind, most of my friends had it so good. Playdates and socializing all day long. Dance lessons. Little Gym. Music and Me. Book Baby at the library. Baking cookies and doing crafts. A 2 or 3 hour break in the afternoon when their kids napped and they had time to surf the internet or nap or do whatever they wanted. I wanted this so badly but I felt that I was a better mom to Cohen by working; that the time we did have together was richer as I felt like I wasn't taking him for granted. I poured myself into our time together because it was so short, and I actually felt like I was doing a pretty good job of balancing full-time work with mommyhood. Cohen was happy. Christian was happy. I was happy...for the most part. 

I can remember going to church and watching the young SAHMs talking with each other while their kids played together and their husbands chatted with each other. I didn't have that, and I felt like I could not relate to them. But then I'd give myself a pep talk and would remind myself that I was doing what was best for our family. And Cohen wasn't suffering as growing up in daycare was all he knew. And who wouldn't want to play with friends all day, every day!? The kid had it pretty good.

And then two little 5 lb+ babies arrived on the scene and rocked our world!

Here I am, one year into being a stay at home mom at the ripe old age of 38. My days are not filled with everything I thought they would be filled with. There is no Little Gym (it costs a lot of money). There are no playdates (I'm working on that though, for Cohen's sake). Cohen and I have yet to bake anything together or attempt any craft. I'm lucky if I can get him to paint once a week. I will tell you that there is now Sesame Street, where before there wasn't. And there are a lot of time outs. And that 2 to 3 hour break while HRH & Fozzy Bear are napping? The three days a week that Cohen is home, they are filled with making and eating lunch, cleaning up, reading books with him, doing laundry while Cohen absorbs the letter and number of the day with Elmo, and trying to keep Cohen entertained since all he's known his entire life is how to be entertained at daycare. And when the babies are awake, it's me trying to think of things to do that don't cost any money, outside of taking all 3 kids to Costco for gallons of whole milk, while keeping cool in this 100 degree weather. I am VERY open to suggestions if anyone has any. Keep in mind, though, that I have 2 crawlers that like to crawl in opposite directions, so a lot of activities that "regular" moms might do sometimes won't work for us.

The other part that I didn't realize is how lonely being home can be. The loneliness and isolation have been really, really, really hard on my spirit. It's been the biggest adjustment, and the hardest. When all you've known for 15 years is how to work with people all day long, and you're a rather social person, spending your days with 2 or 3 little kids is tough. I miss adult conversations. I miss adult interactions. I miss "me" time. Because let me tell you, when Cohen is at daycare those two days, the 2.5 hours during naptime are spent paying bills, prepping for dinner, cleaning, tidying, laundry, and doing all sorts of other things that need to get done. Except today. Today I decided to write because I was crying so much this morning that I realized I needed to get something out of my head and written down for the entire world, or my 3 readers, to see. 

It's hard. Being a mother is the most difficult job you can ever do. And I've come to the realization, that most women probably came to a lot earlier in life, that it's hard no matter what you do. If you work full-time, work part-time, or you stay at home. It's all tough. Every single scenario has it's challenges. And every scenario has it's happy moments that make you so glad you made the decision you did. I'm trying to see and experience the happy moments so much more, because, as I understand from so many friends who led the way with having babies, that they do grow up way too fast and I'll long for these days. The "easy" days. Ha. 

Maybe one day there will be money for babysitters or Little Gym. Or maybe I'll get my act together and will figure out how to fit in a craft once a week. Or maybe, just maybe, we'll move closer to family one day. In the meantime, I'm going to appreciate my not-so-green grass for what it is and what I've got, which I don't want to take for granted. I have 3 healthy and happy children that I don't think I've ruined...yet. We have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. We have supportive albeit far-away family. And we have friends who are like family and who listen when I call them up crying or come over when they realize I need some adult interaction. And I'm excited about the new friendships I'm forming with other mothers of twins who were once in, or are currently in, a similar situation as I find myself in today. I finally feel like I can relate to a friend, which has been missing in my life ever since I became a mother.

So yes, the grass is always greener on the other side. But my grass can be green too, with a little bit of an attitude adjustment and an appreciation for what I have. I think now that I've gotten this out of my head and on the screen before me, my brown grass is greening up a bit more. 

Dear Foster

Fozzy! My little life of the party! My very, very, very jolly little boy! 

Oh, my son, you are such an amazing child. I can't believe you are the same boy, who 6 months ago, would cry and need to be held all the time. Now you are a wonderfully happy little baby, who wants to do anything other than be held, which is a shame on one hand because you're so happy it's nice for me to hold that happy close to me because it fills me and warms me, but you also are a chunk, and my arms get really tired from holding you for very long. 

You started crawling 2 days before your first birthday and you are getting more confident and much faster every single day. It's amazing to see your progress. You are also cruising around the living room and taking risks as you move from the loveseat to the coffee table to the couch. You are my most fearless child and I am stunned at some of your brazen moves. 

I always know when you're coming around the corner because you're always laughing. You giggle so easily at absolutely everything. I know I said it already but you are such a happy boy. And remember how you used to cry when you woke up in the morning or from your nap? Now you are always sitting or standing up in your crib, laughing and bouncing up and down. I'm pretty sure it's just a matter of weeks before you figure out how to get out of your crib, and then show your sister how to escape too!

Now that you're crawling and cruising and holding onto my hands while practically running through the house, you don't have much time for toys. You will stop and play with the activity cube we gave you for your birthday and the activity walker, which you happily push around while walking through the house, all by yourself! You did play with Cohen's trains yesterday afternoon for quite some time; it is a very big hope of mine that the two of you will play trains together one day and you'll share a love of trains with your older brother. You also love going for rides in the push car, and you enjoy swings as much as your sister too. But the tub and kiddie pool have got to be your favourites. Your squeals of delight as you get in are too much for me. 

There isn't a food item you won't eat. We call you our little sheep because you just won't stop eating. You signal "more" like it's going out of style and I willingly oblige because I have a penchant for fat babies. Plus, I justify it knowing full well that you're going to crawl, then walk, then run it off very soon. Like your sister, you only have 4 teeth, with no sightings of any new ones. That's okay, because while I like fat babies, I dislike toothy babies. 

In addition saying Mama and Dada, you love to say uh-oh. If anyone drops anything on the floor, we can bet on an uh-oh coming from your direction. You're vocal, just not as vocal as your sister or older brother. You'd rather crawl than talk right now, and that's okay.

Unlike your sister, you will go to everyone. One of your favourite people is Uncle Chad. You sat, very content, on his lap at your birthday party. You are best friends with everyone, Mr. Personality. So while you look exactly like your Daddy, I think you've got a little of your Mommy's love of socializing in there. 

You have become a terrific little sleeper. I pushed you and Harper down to one nap a couple of days ago and you've adjusted very well. You seem to need more sleep than her, but I figure that's because you're burning so much energy getting around the house all day. 

Foster Whitman Hancock, you are my special little boy. You are my delight, and as I drift off to sleep at night, I smile while thinking about your laugh when we play peek-a-boo, or how you get into turbo mode when I roll my lips. When I fast-forward and think of you as an adult, I cannot imagine what occupation you'll have or exactly what sort of human being you'll be, but I do know this: you will bring joy to those you are surrounded by. And they will be blessed beyond measure to call you friend, brother, son. You are amazing, fun, and fearless and I always want you to know that about yourself. It's innate within you and I believe it will take you places in this wonderful life of yours. 

I can't wait to see who you will become and how your fearlessness will shape you (and bruise you) in the coming months. 

Love, your biggest fan, Mommy xo

Dear Harper

Well, my darling, this is my last monthly letter to you. Your fans are going to have to wait 6 months to find out all the developments in your wonderful life, unless you do something utterly amazing, like master the violin at 15 months or make it through the elimination rounds on The Voice by 16 months.

I'm glad I waited until today, July 5th, to post your 12 month letter instead of writing closer to your birthday which was 2.5 weeks ago. You see, you did something big yesterday. You crawled for the very first time. You've been sitting back, watching your brother crawl for the last 2.5 weeks and you've been practicing a little, here and there, and then, BOOM! You did it yesterday afternoon. And all afternoon and evening, you just wanted to crawl. Mama's life as she knew it is now over. I wonder if you'll be so inclined as to follow Fozzy around or if you'll do your own thing and I'll misplace both of you in the house. You are also rolling over again after a 5 month hiatus but I think that because you are a crawling machine now, you will have no need for rolling around to get toys like your brothers did before you.

In the feeding world, you are still picky but not nearly as bad as you used to be. You've let me put avocado in your mouth 2x in a row and only made your disgusted face after the second piece. If lovin' cheese is wrong, you don't want to be right. You also love your fruit, except apples have to be in sauce form, and not slice or bit form. You ate a lot of shrimp for the first time last night, and there isn't a potato you don't eat. You are great with showing me "more" with your little fingers together, and if you're hungry you make a clicking sound with your tongue. You're my little communicator.

You have lots of toys you love to play with but one of your current faves is the shape sorting box. You love to dump them out and then put them back in, one by one, until they're all in, and then you do the whole thing all over again. I think you did it for at least half an hour the other day. And who knew that a balloon and the Abonimable Snowman could bring you so much joy! And with every new toy you encounter, you figure it out so quickly, without me needing to show you how to make it work. I like to imagine you as an engineer one day.

Playing in the tub is also a favourite past-time and you don't mind Foster crawling all over you in the tub. You went swimming for the first (and only, so far) time last weekend and you loved it. I think you paddled around for over an hour. And if you see a swing set, you shriek like a howler monkey. You are my little swinger. And reader. You can usually be found turning the pages of any book you can get your chubby fingers on.

You are very vocal and make all kinds of funny sounds. Roaring like a lion and barking like a puppy dog are your latest discoveries. And when asked what birdies say, you do a backward wave as if you have little wings a-flapping. You wave bye-bye and in the last day or two you like to give kisses with an open mouth. You don't get too many takers. And the hysterical laughter that comes from deep within you when I play peek-a-boo with you brings tears to my eyes every time. It is one of my most favourite sounds.

Your only 2 words are Mama and Dada. I think Fozzy will be your next word and then Cohey after that. 

You still only have 4 teeth total, which is why I didn't give you any steak last night. But one is about to poke through in the coming days. I hope you remain your happy, cheerful self while the rest of your teeth come in, as long as no one other than Mommy, Daddy, or Aunt Laurie hold you. Yes, you are still funny that way and are making strange with almost everyone else. 

I know I tell you this every day, but I don't know if I've ever written it in one of my letters, but you are a real beauty, HRH. You have stunning, light-catching blue eyes which so many strangers comment on. And your hair has become this beautiful strawberry blonde. You are beautiful, and I want you to always know that.

Harpy Bear, you bring me SO much joy every single day. I wake up so excited to spend my day with you and seeing your bright eyes, so wide, taking everything in with wonder and amazement. There isn't a word that explains how I feel when I look at you and I don't feel like I can tell you enough how much I love you. The past 12 months have been very difficult for Mommy, but I cannot imagine going through them without you. I adore you, Harper Rachel Hancock, and I am excited with the thought of all the progress you're going to make, and all the delight you are going to bring, in the next few months. As Daddy said to me last night, we are so blessed. And we are. And I hope you always know that we feel this way. 

Love, your biggest fan, Mommy xo

Dear Harper

Well, well, well, little lady, you're 11 months old! It's exciting and sad all at the same time. The time is going by way too quickly and I fear that if I blink too long, you'll be sassing me tomorrow.

You'll be happy to know that most of the nicknames you inherited, like Barfara, are no more. You are still HRH and Harpy Bear, and sometimes you get called Princess and Diva when you are acting like one, which thankfully isn't too often. And your latest and greatest is Ol' Stinky Fingers, given to you as you suck on your middle two fingers and pick your nose with your index finger. Then you switch hands and pick the other nostril, just so it doesn't feel left out. All you have to do is stop doing it and the nickname goes away. You should probably have a nickname for how you ALWAYS have your tongue sticking out. I think that comes from the Ukranian/Polish side of you.

You are a very chill little girl. You're not the firecracker I was imagining you'd turn out to be, but you might still surprise us, eh? You enjoy sitting on your butt, sucking your fingers and playing with whatever is in reach. To your credit, you have been leaning forward and getting into crawl position and rocking a little but you always go back to your safe position. I think it will be quite awhile before we have to worry about losing you somewhere in the house, seeing as you have forgotten, or chosen not to, roll over. The good news is you can now stand. I think you finally decided to put your legs down (instead of always holding them up) a couple of weeks ago, and now you enjoy standing on the couch and looking out the window. You also love to play the little piano, throw things (anything you can find) behind you. And you're great at figuring out how new toys work. It doesn't take you long before you've mastered it. Maybe you've got an engineering degree in your future. I'll know for sure if you ask to take the vacuum apart in a few years. 

You have the funniest little chuckle, which you don't share as openly as your brother does. You're a little more guarded. And you are currently still going through Stranger Danger, where anyone holding you had better be Mommy or Daddy. You're okay with other people once they've gained your trust...from a distance. 

Food is not your friend. Well, most food that is. You do love most fruit, cheese, buttered toast if it's cut a specific way, yogurt, bean and cheese quesadillas, grilled cheese sandwiches, and cheerios. And not much else. You close your mouth up tight and shake your head "no" if we offer you something you don't like. So you'll probably be rail thin with high cholesterol in a few years. Just sayin'. 

You had your first hair cut when Aunt DD was down in April. It was time for the baby mullet to go. I'm going to blog about it soon and include some photos as it was quite the traumatic experience for you. Don't worry, you're following very closely in your big brother, Cohen's, footsteps when it comes to haircuts.

You are still very vocal, jabbering away all day, but your only words are Mama and Dada. You also go crazy when you see a dog and you make a barking sound. You stick your tongue out at me when I ask you where your tongue is, and you're great at clapping and waving bye-bye. And peek-a-boo might just be your favourite past-time. You try to play with Foster but he's sort of aloof...and busy trying to get the crawling thing figured out.

You're a really great sleeper too. We know that when we put you down on your back, you'll be in the exact same spot in the morning. We have yet to move your mattress down a setting as you are not making any motions to escape, let alone roll over. Lazy girl.

Most strangers that make a comment about you and your brother say something about your eyes. There's just something unique or captivating about them. Just today at Costco a couple of geriatrics went on and on about your eyes. I'm just glad they didn't inform me that I have my hands full.

You are turning into quite the little dancer. When I have music on, which is almost always, your little body starts swaying from side to side. Just like with Cohey Bear, I pray that you do not inherit your mother's dancing genes, unless you want to be made fun of for decades and decades.

Well, little lady, I am the most blessed Mommy in the world to have you for a daughter. I'm thrilled to call you mine and I can't wait to see what the next few weeks and months will bring as you grow into a little girl. Just please promise me you won't grow too quickly.

Love, your biggest fan, Mommy xo

 

Dear Foster

Little buddy.

You. Are. Awesome. 

Your current nicknames are Fozzy, Fozzy Bear, Foz (we are pretty original, aren't we?), Turbo, Fatty, and Mr. Rotund. You will probably have a complex when you're older from these last two names, but we can't help it. You're kinda chunky. And you've been described on MANY occasions as jolly, which is a nice way of saying you're fat. I know that once you start moving, you'll lose the fat, so I'm not worried and I will continue to drench your toast with butter and give you whole milk, cheese, yogurt and anything else fattening I can give you, much to your vegan father's dismay. I just can't help myself when I squeeze those ample thighs--I want to encourage their growth.

Speaking of moving, you are *this* close to crawling. You've been doing the army crawl, in your own unique way, for a few weeks, but just this past Sunday you started moving more toward a "normal" crawl. Maybe by this weekend you'll be crawling all over the house and we'll be kicking ourselves for not getting the baby gates up yet and I'll be cursing this new stage we're in. Daddy put your mattress down to the next level the other night, which was a good move as you were standing in your crib yesterday morning, holding onto the rails and just grinning from ear to ear. You were so proud of yourself.

You continue to be a great eater. Tonight you did the sign for "more" and I went bananas over it as I've been doing the motion with you for, oh I don't know, 6 months. You like hummus, any and all fruit, cucumbers, carrots (if they are pureed and mixed with applesauce), anything made with dairy, toast, pancakes, chicken, bean and cheese quesadillas, macaroni and cheese, yams, rice...okay, pretty much everything. But you still will not touch scrambled eggs, which is too bad because that's one of my staples.

Now that you're doing something other than just sitting all the time, you don't like to stay in one place. You are constantly rolling over your sister, who protests quite loudly, or you're rolling over and onto my lap. You want to stand all the time and hold onto furniture, although you haven't quite figured out how to move yourself along it yet. You still like the jumper and exercauser, and you ADORE the swing on our swingset and at the park. I've been taking you kids to the park everyday and pushing you in the swing and you squeal with delight and much anticipation as we walk toward the swing. It takes everything within me to keep you in my arms as you wiggle and writhe to break free and get swinging. 

You play hard and sleep hard. I love that you have become such a great sleeper. You roll all over your crib all night, but it must be working for you because we don't hear a peep out of you for almost 12 hours. You have no clue what this has done for Mommy's sanity for the past 6 months. And I love that you now are just sitting in your crib in the morning, just hanging out waiting for us. I put books in your crib last night so you'd have something to do when you woke up this morning, but we had to wake you up for a change. I like that change. Feel free to continue with that pattern. 

You shake your head no, you've just started waving goodbye, and you are very vocal. You say Mama, Dadda and Dad, up, uh-oh (although it's not really uh-oh but I know you're saying that), nana (for banana) and I think you were trying to say oopsie daisy tonight. 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention exactly how much you look like your older brother. It's a little freaky for me at times. I look at you and think you're Cohen, but I know you're not, but I can't help but think it and it messes with my head. I really do think you and Cohen will get confused for twins when you're a little older. You even have the same laugh that he had at this age. Freaky!

Oh Fozzy, you are an absolute joy and life would be so dull without you. I never imagined that you'd make so many leaps and bounds over the last few weeks and I can't even begin to imagine what you'll be doing a month from now when you're 1 (plus change)!

Love, your biggest fan, Mommy xo

Dear Harper

Little Harpy Bear, you're all growed up now that you're 10 months old!

Little lady, you are such a delightful little girl. And yes, I'm still amazed (daily) that you turned out to be a girl. And what a funny girl you are. You are still very vocal. I don't think that's ever going to diminish. While you don't have any words yet, other than the occasional screeching of "Gary!", you like to exercise those vocal chords all. the. time. And boy oh boy are you easy going. You and Fozzy make having twins a little easier because you're both so chill. (I hope I haven't jinxed things by admitting that)

Your favourite toy is Cohen's Abominable Snowman stuffed toy. You go bananas when you see it coming your way. Like your little brother, you love the exersaucer and the jumperoo. You also love to sit and play with my metal measuring spoons, pots and pans, and anything you can steal from your brother. You do not enjoy tummy time at all and prefer to put your head down on the rug with your fingers in your mouth. That's how tummy time is spent every single time. Crawling and rolling are for chumps in your opinion. Sitting is where it's at. Or sitting on top of the couch and looking at the happenings on Bryan Avenue. Or sitting at the piano and playing it for hours upon hours. Maybe we should get you a real one, one day.

You started clapping the day after your 9 month check-up. Now you're a clapping fool. No waving yet, but you are learning where your nose and eyes are and you try to duplicate the moves from the Itsy Bitsy Spider. You also LOVE to play peek-a-boo with Mommy and Daddy. A blanket or burp cloth works great to cover up your head, doesn't it?

You are also a great sleeper. You sleep 11.5 hours straight through the night and take a great morning nap and a terrific afternoon nap, although you sleep about 20 minutes less than your brother at each one. Maybe it's because you like to have quality mommy-Harper time with me before he wakes up?

In the area of eating, you are okay. I think you'll be my picky eater. You make the funniest faces when I put anything in your mouth, even stuff I know you love, like yogurt. You always have a disgusted look on your face for a second or two until you recognize what it is. You are great at getting food in your mouth with your little pincers. You really like toast, cheese (including feta), avocado, and yogurt. You do not like pureed baby food at all or scrambled eggs. You must have a sophisticated palate. 

Just the other day, Daddy and I loaded you and your brothers up and took the train downtown for lunch. You rode on my chest in the Bjorn and you were so great the entire time. It was a welcome change to the stranger-danger you have been experiencing for the past few weeks. Even though you know the girls at the gym in the kids club, you cry the entire time Mommy (tries) to work out. 10 minutes is not long enough for me to try and de-chub. The only one you won't cry for is Aunt L. You just prefer your Mommy and Daddy right now. Maybe you'll be through this phase by the time Foster goes through it. I hope you're through it by the time we head to Canada!

You are a really happy and easy going little girl and I love spending my days with you, HRH. I can't wait to see what development you'll make in the coming weeks!

Love, your biggest fan, Mommy xoxo