A new baby bump coming my way!

Derek and I got great news for Christmas…we are expecting! Makes for a great early present. Though I’m scared like crazy, we are definitely overjoyed! Never did I think it was going to happen this soon. So Drayden is to expect a baby brother or sister in August 2013. Let the fun begin.

 

Tanya

xox

Drayden’s 3rd Birthday!

What a treat…Drayden was so happy. Despite it being a little cold and my house being completely bombarded with family and friends everyone seemed to have a great time.

 

My little Fireman got his wish and had a fire truck party. It wasn’t easy but I managed to find a few fire truck themed things and had help from an online source for other things! Terra made cupcakes and I added the little fire trucks on them made out of fondant that took me hours to make.  Daddy and other daddys helped BBQ’ing outside while “watching” the kids play!…Drayden got spoiled with many gifts from our generous family and friends…thank you so much. Hope everyone had a great time…I know we did.

Little Firetrucks for cupcakes...took forever!

Turned out awesome, Drayden was SOOOOO HAPPY!

Make a wish!!!

Loot Bags

 

Tanya xox

My August Journal...

OK...So I started work again and getting back in the grove of thing and this and that coming up everywhere I just haven't had the time to post anything so I decided to do one post for the month of AUGUST!

Going back to work when I did was perfect. Most people were off from week to week, so it wasn't super overwhelming and the fact than my sister works at the same place relaying info made it for an easy welcome back! Piece of cake...except for the fact that I forgot every single password needed to work (doors, computer, voicemail...)Ahhh well. It was like I never left.

The long weekend in August it was Good Ol' Kim's 30th Birthday Party at her camper. Derek and I had lots of fun despite it being my first night away from Drayden, ever! :( I was relaxed and had a blast hanging out with my girlfriends like old times. And Derek even made it a birthday to remember by losing his swim shorts on 31 Mile Lake tubing with the guys!!! What a sight I'll never forget...thank Trevor for lending him you t-shirt!
Derek has been working really hard in the basement only to find out that there might not be hockey this year...a possible "Lock-Out" from what it looks like. LOL Yay for me. hehehe I give the basement another month and half and it's done. Drayden gets very excited every time he goes in the basement to "check daddy's job".

Ta ta for now!

T.

Going back to work...

It's that time...Going back to work on Monday after being off almost 4 months. Kinda scary in a way. I really don't wanna have to deal with a million questions and/or pity hugs from people who really do care about me for the unfortunate situation. It just makes it for an awkward moment for both of us. But it is what it is. I'm as ready as can be and kind of glad to be in a daily routine again. All in all I had a great summer despite everything. My relationship grew stronger than ever with Derek (not that it needed work) and Drayden is our everyday miracle that we focus on. I have to count myself lucky to have a great husband who is supportive and sensitive yet so manly in many other ways. :) I love my boys and always will.

Derek started renovations in the basement...his goal is to have it done before hockey season starts! We'll see about that...it's time and money, Baby! But I have to admit, I can't wait to have a "normal house" where everything has a place. An extra bedroom and family room with a small office area as well as a play area for Drayden, storage/utility room and a full bathroom. SOUNDS LIKE ALOT OF WORK TO ME. As for me, well I keep Drayden out of Daddy's hair, keep the rest of the house intacked and plan for Drayden's 3rd Birthday Party.

TTYL

Tanya♥

How's my 101 in 1001???

101 Things to do in 1001 days…that’s a lot for 2.7424657 years!!!

1. Finish the basement (DONE right before we put our home on the market)...Now working on it again in our new home.
2. Spring cleaning…get rid of a lot of useless things in my house (DONE...Salvation Army)...and again in June 2012
3. Not to complain about anything for a week (DONE)
4. “Attempt” to build an Igloo (I’ve always wanted to do that)
5. Carve my name on a tree
6. Learn to speak German somewhat perfectly
7. Spend a week on a Cruise
8. Get married (DONE…August 20, 2011)
9. Have another baby (WORKING ON IT)
10. Buy a new home (DONE, moved on June 15, 2011)
11. Horseback riding with my sister Terra
12. Take pole dancing lessons or a class (it’s not as dirty as it seems)
13. Buy my dream kitchen table (made of refurbished wood) (DONE, not reburbished but a lovely long wood table that seats 14 with gorgeous high back rattan chairs...I just love it)
14. Laser removal (under arms only)
15. Lose 20 lbs. (WORKING ON IT)
16. Learn how to type faster
17. Give blood (I have a fear of needles)
18. Learn to drive standard
19. Go to a Guns’N’Roses or Lenny Kravitz concert
20. Make a birthday cake with fondant for someone
21. Make a wish on November 11, 2011 (11:11) DONE
22. Eat lobster (WORKING ON IT)
23. Make a recipe book of my fave’s (WORKING ON IT)
24. Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen starting with each letter of the Alphabet
25. Tattoo my children’s name or birthdates
26. Buy a bike and use it (DONE, bought one in May 2012 and a bike trailer for Drayden)
27. Go somewhere by train
28. Say YES to everything for a day (DONE, that was easy)
29. Keep a “My day in 6 words” journal for a month
30. Buy myself flowers (DONE)
31. Write a personal mission statement (DONE-Live life with what come to you!)
32. Go to a Montreal Canadiens game with Derek
33. Go a month without chips (DONE)
34. Sell something I’ve created myself
35. Kiss passionately in the rain (with Derek) like in the movie Notebook (DONE-Wedding Day)
36. Write 5 letters to people who really changed my life
37. Go zip-lining
38. Buy an apron (DONE...not for myself though)
39. Get a hot river rock massage
40. Make a wooden sign for the cottage (DONE, had one made for Derek’s dad)
41. Learn to golf
42. Take a girls trip
43. Mow the lawn for a week
44. Bake a loaf of bread from scratch
45. Watch stars on the dock at the cottage with Derek and Drayden
46. Write my own vows (DONE)
47. Go on a wine taste testing tour
48. Host a Christmas dinner (DONE, Xmas 2012)
49. Go without swearing for 20 days
50. Go to Disneyland for Drayden’s 3^rd birthday
51. Write a letter to be opened when I’m 40
52. Write my will
53. Earn enough Pampers points to get Drayden a free gift (Almost there!!!)
54. Travel with my Airmiles
55. Replace my make-up with natural and chemical-free stuff (Almost there...purged most of it)
56. Get 50,000 grains of rice on freerice.com
57. Have a “Snooki” poof for a day (weird I know…but it would be funny)
58. Ride on a Double-Decker bus
59. Stop using exclamation marks in my emails for a week!!!
60. Buy 1 piece of clothing a month for the next 1001 days (WORKING ON IT)
61. Order something different at Subway (DONE, Southwestern sauce included)
62. Have a garage sale (DONE, June 18, 2011)
63. Whiten my teeth (WORKING ON IT)
64. See a dermatologist
65. Go to a Halloween Party with Derek
66. Visit the Art Museum
67. File all paperwork (DONE, June 2012)
68. Organize junk drawer (Done June 2012
69. Rent an RV
70. Go Backpacking for a weekend
71. Become more proficient with word and excel
72. Have a bowling night with the girls (HAD ONE NEED ANOTHER)
73. Payoff our line of credit (DONE)
74. Buy a video-camcorder
75. Try downhill skiing
76. Improve my push-ups “skills”
77. Do 100 crunches a day for a month
78. Compliment a random stranger once a month (WORKING ON IT)
79. Finish my Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving (next year)
80. Watch every Tom Cruise movie ever made in order
81. De-clutter my mom’s house
82. Make homemade Christmas gifts for 2011 or 2012
83. Drink only water for 2 months and eat too of course
84. Have a picnic with Derek and Drayden under a tree (DONE June 2012 at the Marina)
85. Buy or make a quilt
86. Eat everything organic for a week
87. Go to the Drive-in
88. Get a PVR (DONE March 2012)
89. Do Oprah’s Debt-Diet
90. Go to Loblaws only once a week (DONE and still working at it)
91. Take an education class…for work perhaps
92. Go away for New Years’ Eve
93. Buy a headboard for our bed (DONE, July 2011)
94. Make jams for our wedding favors (DONE, July 24, 2011)
95. Save 3 months salary and not touch it
96. Take my vitamins and allergy pills everyday for a whole year
97. Make homemade Oreos
98. Drink a vintage wine
99. Milk a cow…I’ve never tried it
100. Get something named after me
101. Put something on You Tube

Happy Canada Day!!!

So Canada Day was quite HOT this year and what does Derek want to do??? Bike to Ottawa! YES...BIKE TO OTTAWA! And what do I do...AGREE to it. Despite the really hot weather, the fact that we live in Aylmer, I'm the one who pulled Drayden with the bike trailer...thank god I love my son. I was glad to come back home that's for sure (just a little sore the next day). We biked along the Parkway and joined the festivities downtown then worked our way back home on the Quebec side (Hull). Once home we rested had a mini BBQ and drove to Jacques-Cartier Park that night to watch the fireworks again...Drayden is getting older so for him this was the best thing ever. Especially because Daddy bought some glow in the dark sticks...and Drayden decided to show and dance in front of everyone. As soon as we got in the car Drayden was passed out! He was so tired from a jam packed filled day and up so late to watch the fireworks! Until next year...


Trying to get a decent picture of my son these days has been challenging...he thinks it's funny to roll around....

                       


Ciao,Tanya

A day at Teddy Bear Picnic

CHEO's Teddy Bear Picnic was fun! Derek, Drayden and I took a shuttle bus to the Governor General's house...Drayden was in awe the whole ride there. He couldn't believe that he was on a bus. Once we arived we spent a good part of the day seeing CHEO friends. Drayden also brought Puppy for a check up at the BASH tents, doctors and nurses took great care of him. He also saw Molly Penny the Clown again. Drayden and Daddy went on the Giant Tiger train ride...and with the heat we decided to make our way back home. Drayden was getting tired, he walked all around the park everywhere and bused back to our car...he fell asleep as fast as I could blink on our way home.



Nurses giving Puppy a check-up!




Drayden helping Puppy...he's getting a band-Aid




Drayden hanging out with Molly Penny




Tickle tickle...




Train ride...Drayden was so excited!



Great Family fun...even Daddy had a blast!

Tanya

Garden talk...

So about the garden...I can't believe how much that zucchini has taken over! It needs it's own area completely, but it really doesn't matter because I can't wait to eat it same goes for the cucumbers. The first batch of radishes are now all eaten and I sewed a new row of them. I also added a row of green onions and carrots beside my radishes, as well as a few rows of spinach between the patches of lettuce (thanks to Drayden overwatering "power wash style" some lettuce didn't grow)...Hopefully they'do OK. I guess my first year of gardening will be full of trials and errors.




Zucc taken over the garden!!!



Tomatoes are doing great...see the row of radishes sprouting beside?

Patchy lettuce rows...

We've enjoyed tomatoes and lettuce on our burgers already and not to forget BLT's...so good. I'm already thinking of plans for next year!

T.

Growing so fast...

After months of on and off potty curiosity and adventures, Drayden is potty trained. Yay!!!! 

A few months ago I ordered Drayden a soft potty seat for the toilet thru Huggies-Gifts to Grow points and told him that a surprise was coming for him by mail. We would check the mail box daily. When it came in, that's when potty training was really serious for him. It became an everyday day pee-pee on the potty or toilet rather than just before bath or bed with his other potty. I was taking his diaper off after daycare and keeping him in underwear at home. I bought stickers from the dollar store and every time he would go...he was able to choose a sticker or two. He was so happy with that.
A couple weeks ago, I decided to keep him home from daycare for a couple extra days after a weekend of no accidents....Pretty good for a boy that's 2 1/2. You could tell he was ready. He was wearing the cute underwear I bought him for weeks and seemed to really get it. As soon as a diaper went on (with underwear on top...to be like his friends at daycare) he hated it, was embarrassed or got lazy and did his business in it and told me right away. Drayden's educator Monic told me he's been dry after his naps for quite a while and so she sent him home on Friday with all his diapers and wipes. He's growing up so fast and I'm so proud of him. The only thing left to work on is staying dry overnight!!!...no real rush for that though. For now, those extra diapers will do the trick.


Proud mom of a diaper-less toddler.
~xox~

Daddy's birthday cake!

Although Derek's birthday isn't until June 6th, I decided to bake him a cake with Drayden on Saturday. Plans were to celebrate it on Sunday but Drayden didn't seem to want to nap so...baking it is.

8 Steps To A Wonderful Cake

Step One: Get Drayden set-up at the kitchen table with all things necessary. Drayden had fun getting at the utensils, mixing bowl and ingredients.

Step Two: Read instructions, and direct Drayden on what to do...even if he's got a mind of his own and wants to do EVERYTHING on his own. This unfortunately, is where it started getting messy! 

Step Three: Pouring batter IN the cake pan; help needed. Again, messy situation and results in Drayden eating and licking more batter than he puts in the pan. And of course, he gets the bigger spatula?

Step Four: In the oven it goes...again Drayden seems to want to do this part too. Which intern I ended up doing it of course.

Step Five: Keeping Drayden occupied until it's ready! So we wrapped up Daddy's gift (lots of tape was apparently required) and signed a card with beautiful scribbles of love. Don't think for a minute this was kept a secret...He gave it to Daddy right away and told him what it was before even opening it.

Step Six: Icing and decorating the cake. Again this is an extremely dangerous task! Chocolate icing in more places than others, including double dipping to "try it" and if anyone knows Drayden you know he's a drooler! EWWWWWWW. And not to forget the 4 different kinds of sprinkles that obviously all had to be on the cake.

Step Seven: Add candles...sing Happy Birthday Daddy! Drayden helped blowing out candles and the joy on that kids' face was priceless.

Step Eight: Enjoy a piece of cake that our son was so proud of.

Cake Boss in the works...

That's not Cookie Monster..It's Icing-Man! 

Voilà! Our end product...looks Yummy!

Lots of chocolate icing!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Love, Mommy and Drayden xox

Autopsy Results

We had our apointment today for Dyson's autopsy results. Seems like there's no anwsers...just one of those things that happen to good people I guess. I was not prepared to hear that but it is what it is and we have to deal with the cards we are dealt. I really wanted to know why. I've also had more blood work done so maybe something will come up with that. Who knows, right! Until then, we wait a little while before trying again or maybe adopting.

Tanya

RADISHES!

Drayden has a new found love for radishes. We pulled a few out to taste...mmmmmm. He was happy to do it all by himself. I cut the leaves off and then he washed them. What was supposed to be one for Daddy, one for Drayden and one for mommy was soon...one for Daddy and two for Drayden. More...he says. There was also a little tomato that was ready and guess what...he picked it off and ate it. Bugger. Our garden is doing great otherwise. Hopefully we'll have enough for at least a salad this summer.

This picture makes my gareden look small

MMM...goodness.

We'll have veggies in no time.

Not a big one but a good start

T.xox

And to see it grow...

The whole purpose of having a vegetable garden is to eat healthier and save a couple bucks of course. But also to teach our son a few things in life. And so far, it's done just that.

Every couple of days we look at our garden, talk about it, water it (sometimes a little too much water) and also to our surprise see it sprout. Radishes are what sprouted first and Drayden was jumping up and down ...YEAH! Then, lettuce, zucchinis and cucumbers...beans. He's so proud of it, he even talks about it at daycare. He can't wait to bring cucumbers for his friends at daycare. What a sweetie.

Tanya

Drayden's Garden

After many years of wanting one, I finally have my own vegetable garden. But apparently it's Drayden's...not mine. Drayden helped Daddy dig and build a special spot for it in our yard. We got free compost-dirt thru the city and bought a few bags as well to get it all ready. Our little helper sewed the seeds and choose the tomato plants at the nursery. He's so excited about it. We are going to enjoy yellow and green string beans, 4 different kinds of tomatoes, radishes, curly lettuce, zucchinis and cucumbers this summer. Simple things to start this year and expand next year. I also bought a few different kinds of herbs (chives, thyme, parsley, oregano) and potted them to add a nice green touch to our front porch. All I need to do is snip whatever I need when I need it for those special dishes.

As for now, we are to watch it grow and see what we get.

Tanya and Green Thumb Drayden

A not so perfect Easter

As most people know already Derek and I lost our baby boy, Dyson.

We went to the hospital on Easter Sunday and got devastating news, no heart beat. We had lost our baby to an unexplained event. How am I going to tell my family and son I thought to myself. I was in such shock, never did I think that was going to happen to me...again. But only this time was more painful. Going to the hospital was the easy part that day...I was comforting Derek, telling him we are only going for precaution knowing full well I hadn't felt any movement in a few days...I just thought Dyson was settling down before coming into this world. I mean I had Drayden at 29 weeks and he's perfectly healthy and then some. After the nurse couldn't find a heart beat, in came doctors with the portable ultrasound machines to see...something, anything that was a sign of life. Nothing. Instant tears came pouring even before they told us the news. We knew, we didn't need another ultrasound. Derek and I devastated by the news and trying to make sense of everything in this little room at the maternity ward. Nurses and doctors talking and telling us things that was just a blur. I had an ultrasound and check up just the week before and things looked great. Cervix was in "top shape" they said. We decided to come home that night to tell our parents the sad news and get ready for what was to come the next day.
Easter Monday was the saddest day of my life; delivering a baby at 31 weeks I knew I couldn't bring home. Going thru labor knowing there was a funeral to come. I just couldn't believe it. Why? It wasn't like Drayden...I knew the he would eventually come home, not this time. The hard part...waiting for labor to start so unnaturally. Nurses giving me doses of stuff to induce labor. Lucky for me I didn't need many doses and it didn't take as long as it usually does. Delivery was special in it's own little way...Derek still cut the umbilical cord and we got to meet Dyson. Born April 9th, 2012 at 20:58, 3lbs 1oz. I held him for a little while, touch his hands and feet. And all I could think of is ...You look like Daddy and your big brother! He was perfect. All his fingers and toes. Cute little nose and sweet little lips. He reminded me of Drayden when he was born, so small but long and a set of hair that was so angelic. A Priest came in and blessed him as per our wishes. It was beautiful. And then a nurse takes him away...that's it, just like that. He's gone. We left the next day to go home to Drayden our miracle child and a empty baby room we had almost finished putting together. Leaving the hospital not only empty handed this time but empty. Empty of all the feelings that you are supposed to feel when having a baby that we looked so forward to. They give you a box with feet and hand prints and a few little memorabilia items as well as a donated Teddy Bear with a note from another family who also lost their child to a similar "event". How more sad can that be...How do you explain to a 2 1/2 year old there's no baby coming anymore when we talked about him everyday to prepare him for a little brother. His old bed is for the new baby; teaching him that we have to share. Now we are teaching him that we have to share Dyson with God up in Heaven.
We are forever grateful with all the love and support that was given to us by family and friends at a time we needed it most. A funeral is already hard to deal with and for me there just something more sad when it's a baby, they're so helpless. It was a beautiful and intimate service something however I don't wish on anyone to have to deal with. We thank everyone that could be there for us including Father Bill.

Now it's just a matter of healing inside and out but also not giving up our quest for another child one day.


Lots of love and kisses from my family to yours.

Tanya xox

Maternity Pictures....Enjoy!