So long 2010

Well.. what a year that was!

Normally, I do a year-in-review on the blog, but this year, I didn't blog for like 3 months, so I feel like a recap post would be lacking a lot of content, but nonetheless, its a tradition here, so I'll stick it out!


In a nutshell I think 2010 was pretty good year, which ended on such a high for our family with the arrival of our  sweet baby boy, Hudson - much better than the close of 2009. At the beginning of 2010 I didn't foresee myself being a mother of two boys by the end of 2010, but it was one of the BEST events of my life to date! I will fondly remember 2010 as a wonderful year of my life, and I can't wait to see how 2011 plays out.

So, keeping with tradition around this place, here's a look back at 2010 on From the Desk of Sara:

January
Friday Night Lights - E takes his first steps!

February
Nothing but dust

March
The Golden Goal - where were you?
A trip to Sand Road Maple Farm
Big Money

April
This is what makes me laugh these days...

May - June
First trimester of pregnancy prohibted all blogging activities!

July
Big News
Home Project #307
On being the 'baby' of the family...

August
Taking some R&R

September
5 down, a lifetime to go!

October
Emery: Age 2

November
Big Boy Bed Transition
A letter to my second child
For better or worse, meaning for better or Movember!

December
The Sequel's New Room
What will Ho Ho bring you?
The Sequel has finally arrived!
Happy Holidays

Thanks for sticking with me during 2010 and for all of your comments and support throughout the year. I look forward to sharing 2011 with you!

Best wishes as you ring in the New Year!
See you in 2011.

E's Second Year Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

I've survived my first week as a Mom of two boys!

Well we've been home from the hospital for just over a week now, and I am happy to report things have been going REALLY well.

I am actually surprised at the amount of sleep I'm getting... I am not sure if H is a better baby than E was, or if I am a more relaxed Mommy this time around, but either way, I have had an enjoyable first week home with my two boys.

H is sleepling 4 to 5 hours in the night... he figured out his days and nights pretty quickly, so getting up once with him in the night has been amazing! Its almost going too well... to the point that I keep telling myself, were gonna hit a glitch in the schedule at some point (but secretly praying I am dead wrong)!

E has also been pretty fantastic... he is VERY helpful when it comes to the baby, getting everything baby needs from blankets, soother, kisses to helping change dirty diapers and even hand-holding when H is a little upset.  I love to see him so interested and concerned with H's every little move.  So far so good when it comes to brotherly love in this household.

Having two kids in the house has definitely cut down on the personal time that PC and I have... we are often tag teaming duties... 'you take him, I've got him' - it leaves not a lot of time for causal conversation, but I know we will get that back as the weeks turn to months and H begins sleeping through the night (again - fingers crossed).

I was home alone on boxing day for the first time with both E and H, and to my surprise the day went fairly well. I was terrified before PC left, but again was pleasantly surprised - this has to do with E being in the 'helpful' phase, he was content to watch a show on TV while I fed the baby, and then he had a long afternoon nap which took up a good chunk of time on the 'can't wait til Daddy gets home' clock!

Staying home with both of them is one thing, taking both of them out in public by myself is a whole other level of terrifying that I am not ready to endure just yet. But I know that will come too. PC is off for another week and a bit, and I think by the end of that run, I should be in good shape - HOPEFULLY.

This week is going by so fast though... and its a busy one too, but looking forward to the end of it, ringing in 2011, and tackling January - my birthday MONTH - yay!!!

Yes... I survived week one as Mommy of two boys... now, bring on weeks 2, 3, and 4!

Here are a couple of pictures from the first 10 days of being home with H (excluding Christmas photos)! Enjoy.

The gift of parents!

They say it isn't until you're older that you can truly appreciate your parents... and today I could not agree more.

My parents left this morning for home after being here for two wonderful weeks. The first week we sat around together and waited for H to arrive and the second week we shared together the sheer thrills of having newborn baby in the house.

My parents did not stop the entire time they were here (except for maybe the occasional beer on Timbo's part)! My Mom had a steady list of daily activities and chores and she hit every tick box on her list and then some. My Mom went above and beyond the call of duty, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, groceries, errand running, while my Dad was a great chauffeur, made Tim Horton's runs, shoveled the drive way, and entertained E with his games and rides in the truck to see "Ho-Ho" and all the Christmas lights.

I did not lift a finger the entire time they were here... PC and I were able to get some decent restful nights which made for pretty easy going days with a newborn.

They were all around fantastic, so naturally when they left today, I cried, like a child, because I realize how much they care about me, my kids, and my family.  Even though I'm all. grown. up. they still are spoiling me and making me feel like a little girl - their little girl.

Thanks doesn't seem adequate enough in this situation, but from the bottom of my heart Mom and Dad, you truly are the best, so thank you for being MY wonderful parents.

I love you.

Happy Holidays!

E has really taken a liking to Christmas this year... he's all Ho Ho and candy canes lately, and not to mention 'treat-ties' which is what he says when he wants Grandma B to open another day on the advent calendar.  His enthusiasm is definitely putting this household in the Christmas spirit. I just PVR'd the Polar Bear Express tonight and I can't wait to watch it with him... with Ho Ho on a choo-choo, he is gonna scream with excitement!

I didn't get Christmas cards out this year, as I didn't feel right sending one out without the arrival of Hudson included on it, but if I had gone ahead with cards, these pictures of E would have definitely been on it!  

So... for now consider this your Christmas card, from our house to yours, and hopefully in the New Year I'll have something to share with you in lieu of a timely Christmas card.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

The Sequel has finally arrived!

It was a long wait, but I am so happy to introduce to you ...

Hudson Nolan Coleman

Born: December 16th, 2010 at 10:15pm

Weighing in at: 8lbs, 7oz

Measuring: 21.5 inches

I was induced on Thursday morning, and after an all day wait for labour to intensify and what looked like a bleak prayer that he would be born on the 16th, he surprised us all and made a quick entrance.  PC was by my side as was my favourite nurse Sophie Savage 9. Grandma and Grandpa's were enjoying good conversation and some Tim Horton's when it all went down (much to their surprise)! Labour was good and delivery was quick (I will share this labour story at a later date, as it was a much different experience from E).

We got home for the hospital on Saturday morning and everyone is doing great.  E has been an amazing big brother, nothing but love and kisses for his baby. It seems so surreal that we are now a family of four, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 
Thanks to everyone for their kind emails, tweets, and facebook messages about Hudson's arrival. He is the best little gift we could have ever dreamed of... I think it's going to be a GREAT Christmas!

Final boarding call: Mommy of one!

Well... tonight is my last night as a Mommy of one!  Tomorrow I will be the proud Mommy of not one, but TWO boys.

Mother of two... sounds about right to me!

So many things are running through my head, but the most important is that I am so EXCITED to meet our little bundle of boy! I have waited 10 months for this day, and tomorrow I start my second labour of love that will end with a brighted eyed little boy starring up at me.

There are also other crazy thoughts running through my head, like ... will this labour end in blood, sweat, and tears like the last one? Will an induction mean an easier time or more painful experience?  Will I ever get a good night's rest for the next 18 years? Will my upbeat mood of the last few weeks die a quick death, or will I ride the high of having a newborn in my arms well into 2011? Will my baby boy be a good sleeper and eater... or will this be the baby that tests my every nerve? Will I be easier going as Mommy to a newborn than I was the last time? How will E adjust to having a new brother?

Yes... so many things to consider yet so many moments to look forward too - moments I probably I can't even dream of right now.

On the eve of the journey that will most likely complete our family, I am beaming at what is to come - but also a little emotional.  My one on one time with E is quickly coming to a close - take for instance the video below of he and I chatting tonight - those moments melt my heart. My love for him will still be as strong as ever, but I also know that the time I have to give him will nonetheless be interrupted by his brother's need for equal attention, if not more, at the beginning.

How will I be able to balance out both of their needs, while keeping in mind my needs and the needs of the entire family.  Adding a second child to the mix will test my every ability as a mother and a wife, but its a challenge I am so grateful to accept and one that I take on willingly.

Ahhh... so much to think about and a lifetime to live it!

I am off to get some rest and I hope I can update you soon with news of the arrival of our new baby boy.

Stay tuned!

What will Ho Ho Bring You?

Putting E down for the last time tonight as an only child! We had a short little bedtime conversation about what is to come tomorrow...

Heading for an induction!

So... I am almost 41 weeks pregnant.
That's code for 'shoot. me. now.'

For those of you who don't follow pregnancy math all that closely, that's an entire week past the regular 40 week pregnancy.  While this baby has dropped and I am dilated 1 whole cm (you need to get to 10 cms before the baby is ready to be pushed out), there is no real indication that he is planning on making an entrance anytime soon.

I am sleeping pretty well, feeling comfortable, and so is baby - apparently.

I saw the doctor on Friday and she took the initiative to schedule me for an induction, Wednesday, December 15th, in the event The Sequel decides to keep up the 'I'm just fine where I am' attitude.  It seems like a ways off, but I am excited to have a foreseeable end date (even if it happens to be on the one year anniversary that Grandma Coleman past away). 

My parents arrived on Thursday night and have been a welcome addition to the household and E's busy days. They came straight from the North Pole with enough Christmas presents to fill a Boeing 747 aircraft! E has been entertaining them with all of his tricks since the moment they arrived... as if he's earning every present under the tree! I can't wait to see his face when he gets to tear into all the presents - but first I have the JOY of labour to look forward to (and of course meeting my new baby boy)!

Keep you posted - either here or via Twitter!

One last belly update... 40 weeks and counting!

Yesterday, I took advantage of a day home with E and decided to take a few last photos my baby belly - since this will probably be the last time I have a belly this big (hopefully)! I am feeling pretty run down these past few days, but I am still trying to keep a positive attitude, and to cherish the miracle of being able to carry such a precious human being inside me. I know that the tail end of pregnancy is not a lot of fun, but I also think when I look back at these photos I will see the love I feel for this baby, and the bond that has grown between us over the last 10 months.

PC offered up 10 minutes of his lunch hour and snapped these photos so I will have them to include in The Sequel's baby book.

I hope they scream 'I love you to pieces my baby boy and I can't wait to meet you'.  E was also willing to participate in the photo shoot and I think the few pics we did get reflect his excitement as well!

The Sequel's New Room

The last few weeks I have been busy (as has PC) preparing The Sequel's room. You may recall a post I wrote about being the baby of the family, and how I wanted to do a little make-over on the nursery so that it was special and unique for the new baby. At the very mention of this, PC rolled his eyes, but actually he was quite relieved when the only thing I requested him to do was paint one wall.

In E's nursery we had a green accent wall, and for The Sequel I wanted to do the accent wall blue - so PC got to work and in no time at all it was a totally different room with just two coats of new paint on one wall.

I added in the new baby bedding I ordered from Target (shout to my BFF Bee for sending it to me), with some wall decals from All Posters.ca and with that, The Sequel's new room is now ready to roll.

All we need now is... The Sequel!

Hopefully it won't be much longer, but for your viewing pleasure, here is what he is coming home too!

Move over Tim the Tool Man!

Maybe this is why The Sequel is a little reluctant to come out... E was on the loose over the weekend helping Daddy with some minor household repairs!

It reminds me of the scene from Problem Child where the kid announces with a devilish grin: 'I hope you guys are insured'!!!

2010: A visit with Santa... or NOT!

This year with E, he is right into Santa or as he likes to call him 'Ho-Ho'. We have a pop-up book that we started reading a few weeks back and it makes the sound 'Ho Ho Ho' as Santa pops out of a chimney. I think this is where it all started. But now, every time he sees anything Santa related, its a 'Ho-Ho' festival in his world!

We took him to see Santa in the mall, with little success. He definitely talked a good game all the way to the mall. He even waved at Santa as we entered the line, but when it was his turn to get his picture taken sitting beside Santa on his chair - NO WAY IN HELL was it going to happen.  Santa offered him a candy cane, he grabbed it and bolted to the nearest exit.  We left without a picture, and three minutes later as we were in the GAP, he's back to saying 'Ho-Ho' with a devilish grin. All very typical for a two-year old I guess, and I am actually comforted that he is leery of odd looking men dressed up in weird costumes, but nonetheless, the photo-op would have been nice.

Instead, this was the pic I got pre-Santa meltdown!

I am not quite sure how E plans to be 'Head Elf' if he and Santa aren't exactly on good terms, but he must figure he's been a good boy for most of the year so that record has to count for something despite his little episode at the mall!!

I guess we'll find out in a couple of weeks if Santa took it personally or not!

Ready to have this baby...

So... its GO time, except nothing is going. 

I was hoping The Sequel would have arrived by now, but in true Sara fashion... he is gonna be fashionably late. 

I am not sure why, but I had it in my head that this baby was going to come early.  E was 6 days overdue... so for some reason I thought The Sequel would be 6 days early.  It appears that is not the case. I have been driving myself a little crazy the past few days, everytime I feel a little twinge or cramp I think 'oh, here we go' but the truth is its more like 'here we go NOWHERE'.

I know with E I had the true nesting urge a few days before he arrived... cleaned cupboards, bathrooms, floors, and even cubby holes I had forgot existed. But this time around I don't think the nesting thing has happened, unless of course 'emailing the cleaning company to see which day they are coming' qualifies as nesting.

I have basically done everything I wanted to do in my time off leading up to my due date.  The baby's room is ready, the Christmas tree is up, the laundry is caught up, I have a lot of my Christmas presents bought, a few wrapped. My bag for the hospital is even together.

There is literally nothing big I want to do - and it makes me mad a bit, because I know once The Sequel arrives, I will be dying to get out and about for an hour to myself.

I really want to have this baby in the single digits of December... but its looking like it will between the 10th and the 15th at this rate.  My OB wasn't in any rush to get me on an induction list... he said to come back and see him next Friday (the 10th) and we'd go from there! JOY!

I'll keep you posted... because what else will I have time to do but blog and tweet!