More interested in digging for gold

Daddy and I have been trying to teach you to go pee in the potty. We keep hearing that girls are faster than boys when it comes to potty training so we thought it would be a good time to start now. Aidan was potty trained at 3 1/2 years so he was pretty late…

However, you were more interested in picking your nose than going pee. *Sigh*

The day after…

After yesterday's fail with my camera I wanted to make sure I took pictures of you guys this morning while I got you ready for daycare. 

6:30am: I wake up and wake you up. After getting you to wake up (sometimes it takes me a few
minutes because you are still so tired), I take you to the washroom to take you pee and wash up.
You have started peeing in your overnight diaper again. You were doing so well a few weeks
ago with having dry diapers every single night, but I don't know if it's the impending change that is
making you revert back…

Look how sleepy you look.
Today, your daycare is going on a field trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village.

When we go downstairs I put on your sweater, hat, shoes and I give you a milk and cheese
to snack on while you watch your morning cartoons.

Today it's Guess With Jess.

Kendall's stuff all ready for daycare.

I warm up her milk before I wake her up. She's doing really well with the bottle feedings.
She's drinking about 140mL right now.

I took a short video of Kendall, shortly after I woke her up.

Oh no! She is not happy :-(
I think she was tired and she didn't like that I put her down in a sitting position while I was
taking pictures of her. I think the first thing she wanted to do was to EAT.

Awwwwwww.

After her feeding I put a sweater on her and socks. Now you guys are ready to go!

All belted and buckled up.

Bye my lil monsters.

Daddy pulling out of the driveway.

:'-(

Crazy Friday

Mommy did something that I would normally not do- I went out with all of you (+ Rosco) on my own today. You desperately needed a haircut and Rosco had a vet checkup this morning. Actually, let's backtrack… I didn't take all 3 of you out at the same time. What I actually did was I dropped you and Kendall off at your Toronto grandparents' house while I took Rosco to the vet. Then I dropped Rosco off at your grandparents' house while I took you to the hair salon afterwards. Kendall just stayed with your grandmother the whole time. Even then I was exhausted from all the back-and-forth. I had hoped you would behave, but you always get delirious when you don't take your nap in the afternoon. You were acting up and not listening at your grandparents' house– so much so– that I got fed up and took you all home. Let's just say you got yelled at by mommy the whole ride home.

Your hair was getting so long that it was starting to cover your eyes. Since you have Korean school
for most of the day on Saturdays I decided to take you today. They cut it a little too short so you
look kind of like Lloyd Christmas, but it's ok. I'm sure it will grow out soon enough.

Mommy taking photos of you. 

Halbi actually came with us to the salon because he also needed a hair cut. You kept looking over
to him and giggling.

So while I was at the salon, the daycare that I have you on the waiting list for September called me back to say that you got in. Woohoo! I'm thrilled because it's a daycare that is in your new school when you start junior kindergarten in September. Since kindergarten will not be full-time this year I have to find before/after care for you when you are in school as well as part-time care for you on the days that you aren't in school. I was getting so stressed out because if you didn't get in this daycare I don't know who would have done the pick-up/drop-offs on the days that you go to school. School ends around 3pm and both daddy and I can't get home that quickly from work. Since this daycare is attached to your new school the daycare teacher will pick you up when you are finished kindergarten and take you to the daycare facility. I have to go there on Monday to pick up the package and registration forms as well as drop off the deposit cheque.

I wasn't going to post this because it's kind of gross to post somebody having a bowel movement, but I thought it was so cute. You have a hard time having a bowel movement every day and this makes your stool very hard, big and bloody, but lately you've been doing better. You have been having a bowel movement 2 days in a row now. That has never happened ever since we started potty training you since you turned 3. I think the encouraging thing is helping a lot.

Special treat

Mommy tried out the new bib I picked up from Ikea for you today. I have other traditional looking bibs, but you make such a mess whenever I get you to eat on your own that I picked up one that looked like an actual top. The "bib" has a sleeve and a pocket at the bottom (that catches spilled foods) so I couldn't pass up on it. And guess what? It worked! 

After dinner I decided that I wanted to take you out to get frozen yogurt at Yogurty's. I didn't go out today during the day with Kendall because it was so cold and windy. It was great because you and I had our little mommy-son bonding time and by the time we got home it was your bedtime. It was a great way to end off the evening.

You were so fascinated with all the drawings on the walls. I showed you how to get the frozen
yogurt and you were just in awe. I love taking you now because it is so fun. I don't have to lug
around a diaper bag since you are pretty much potty trained and now you seem to understand
everything that is going around you. 

Our frozen yogurt that we shared together. You loved it so much that you wanted more. 

When I wasn't looking you grabbed the spoon and got your own scoop of frozen yogurt. Sneeky boy!

The most interesting human being I know

I was very tired this morning because Kendall woke up a few times in the middle of the night. Her nose is so stuffed up because of her cold that she is having a hard time breathing :-(

Then after I feed her and put her back in bed I can't fall asleep because daddy is snoring so much! 

You always come into mommy's room in the morning and this morning you came quite early- just before 7am. I was soooo tired that I couldn't get up to take you pee. You just lay beside mommy while talking to yourself. I was so tired and annoyed that several times I yelled at you to be quiet. Then I must have nodded off because the next time I awoke it was close to 10am when I heard you whimpering beside me. I looked and saw that you had your pants off and you had both legs in one leg hole of your underwear. I guess you were whimpering because you were stuck and you couldn't get your legs out. I helped you fix your underwear and put your PJ's back on. That's when I realized that you didn't have your overnight diaper on. I asked you if you went pee on your own and you said yes. You said to me, "I didn't want to wake you because you were tired so I tip toed to the washroom. I also tip toed across the hallway so I wouldn't wake up Kendall." I asked you where you put your diaper and you said in the trash can beside the toilet. I checked and lo and behold it was there. I was so impressed by you and how you were trying to be quiet so you wouldn't wake me that I just grabbed you and kissed you all over. I can't believe my little boy is growing up!

I've also noticed that your tantrums are becoming a little less frequent now. You didn't cry when I dropped you off at Korean school on Saturday and same on Sunday when I dropped you off at Mustard Seed. Today, you even went as far as to say to me, "Mommy, I will listen to you!" when I told you it was time to go for nap time. Previously you would throw a fit and cry, but I was so amazed that you listened to me. 

Kendall's 7-month checkup & a little haul

You had your 7-month check-up today. You got another 5 in 1 shot on your right thigh. I was worried how you were going to react, but other than the initial crying you were fine after 5 seconds. Here's where you're at:

Weight: 7.29kg or 16.07lbs

Height: 65.5cm

Head circumference: 42cm

According to the doctor your length is at the 15th percentile, weight is just below the 50th percentile and your head circumference is at the 50th percentile.

The photo above is a picture I took of you sitting on the doctor's scale. You were so cute smiling while naked that I couldn't resist taking a quick snapshot. I also love all the rolls.

Your brother Aidan also had a quick follow-up. Daddy took a day off from work today so that he could help me take both of you to see the doctor. Last time I was worried about his constipation- he was not having ANY bowel movements in the potty and was pooping in his pants :-S Luckily he is now going poo in the potty, just not daily. Because he is holding it for 2-3 days his poo has been HUMUNGOUS! It's so big that he would tell me it was painful and I would also see some blood in his stool. The doctor suggested I give him more fiber-rich foods. I might try baking bran muffins as Aidan loves muffins. I also asked the doctor about his peanut allergy and if he can redo his allergy test. I don't think his allergy is that severe so I'm curious to see if he outgrew his allergy to peanuts. She is going to refer me to an allergist. Also, his nose is prone to bleeding. Lately, he's been having a bloody nose almost every single night. I think it's because the air has been so dry in his room since we turn on the heater fan. He wakes up screaming my name because I think he is alarmed that his nose is bleeding. It doesn't bleed for a long time, but I'm still concerned why his nose is so sensitive. Maybe it's because I also had a lot of bloody noses when I was young? The doctor suggested I try an OTC medicine for his nose. We shall see if that works. In the meantime I have his humidifier blasting at full strength in his room.

After the doctor's appointment the whole family was exhausted. We were planning to go to the mall to buy Aidan some much-needed clothes, but we decided to go home and crash.

We all ended up napping for a few hours. When we awoke we decided to head to the mall as we didn't have time in the weekend to go- Aidan starts his Korean school tomorrow.

Here's what we got Aidan:

At H&M: I love the kids clothes at H&M. They are so cute!
I immediately was drawn to these monster tees and at $5.95 each I couldn't pass up on it.
As for the pants I absolutely ADORE THEM! They reminded me of the J Crew Saturday Pants that
I've been wanting for myself, but in a boys version. The mannequin at the store had the pants
paired with the gray monster tee and high-top kicks. It looked very cool.

At Children's Place: Not my favourite kids store, but I love their price points. I got these 2
shirts for $4.99 each! Aidan's been outgrowing all his long-sleeve shirts so I wanted to get a couple
more for his daycare. I didn't want to buy too many as spring is just around the corner.
I still have to get Aidan boots (his boots I got this past fall is already falling apart!) and maybe PJ's.

Hallelujah!

You got in so much trouble today…

You pooed in your pants 3 times today and got a lot of meh meh's in the process. I don't know what's the problem. You understand everything that we tell you now and we repeat it over and over, "Aidan, if you have to go poo remember to tell mommy and daddy, ok??" This morning you woke up with poo in your diaper so daddy had to give you a bath. Then while you were watching TV downstairs you pooed in your pants. Daddy was so angry! Then you had 1 more accident after that- and right in front of me for that matter! I even asked you shortly before it happened, "Aidan, remember to tell mommy if you have to go poo." In which you nodded yes.

We even had 2 boxes of Transformer toys- 1 in the basement and 1 in your room for you to open when you pooed in the potty as an incentive. It's been sitting in its box for more than a few days now because you just weren't going in the potty…

I didn't think you would have another bowel movement after going 3 times in your pants, but I was wrong! You and I were playing in the basement while daddy took a nap and I could see that your face was looking very concentrated and you just looked very uncomfortable. I asked you, "Aidan, do you have to go poo?" You shook your head no, but I could tell you weren't feeling too good. I scooped you up and ran to the potty and sat you down even when you were resisting. As soon as I sat you down you pooed! I know it's not ideal. I would have preferred if you had told me instead, instead of me dragging you to the potty, but I made sure to praise you afterwards. Hopefully this will make you tell me beforehand next time. You got to open one of your Transformers toys because of this.

We have a problem…

You've stopped pooing in the potty. You were doing so well at the beginning, but now you are holding it and refusing to poo. Then you either poo in your pants or poo while sleeping. I just had to clean you up after you pooed in your pants while sleeping. I was so angry! I just hate it how you don't tell us. Daddy and I constantly remind you to tell us when you have to go and we even bought several toys that are still unboxed as a reward for you for pooeing in the potty. I even read you Elmo's potty book before I put you to bed. It's just so frustrating. 

Advent Calendar: Get pirate stickers

Again, you've been holding your bowel movements. That's why your belly is so bloated here. Sigh.

You're trying a different pose here. You're trying to jump up for mommy, but mommy couldn't
quite capture the quick movement.

Then you declared that you wanted me to take a picture of you doing your signature "cute"
pose. Not sure where you got this from, but I'll just let you be. You always need to see the photo
on my camera just after I shoot one. What a character you are…

Waiting for mommy to give you the cue to open box #19.

It's pirate stickers!

Here's a close-up. You immediately wanted to go down to the basement so you could stick these
all over your colouring book.

Advent Calendar: Make popcorn & watch a movie

Since you love watching movies I wanted to do another activity where it involved watching a movie. Daddy had taped a hockey movie on PVR so I decided to show you that. Plus, it was perfect because the movie that he taped was about a boy with magic hockey skates. You threw a huge tantrum on your second last skating class that daddy had to take you out of the class. He was so angry with you and let's just say you got in a lot of trouble that day. I didn't want that experience to traumatize you so I thought showing you this movie would be a good opportunity to teach you a lesson that even if you fall you should never quit.

Chocolate boy.

Look at that belly. You've been holding your bowel movements so you tend to look bloated by
the 2nd day.

Movie about to start.

Aidan gives the movie a thumbs up.

Popcorn all ready for you.

This little boy was also not a very good skater. He fell, but he never quit. What a perfect
lesson to teach you!

You were so happy watching your movie and eating your popcorn. It was a successful day :-)

Family Christmas photo

Our annual Christmas family shoot was finally finished today!

It's been on my to-do list for some time now. It was quite a challenge because with the addition of Kendall to our family it's getting harder and harder to capture the perfect photo where everyone looks good! I took so many photos and almost all of them had one person either closing their eyes or looking blurry. I finally found 1 photo where both Kendall and Aidan were looking at the camera. I used that photo and grabbed the head from another photo where both mommy and daddy were looking somewhat okay and superimposed that onto the first photo. It took a long time to do, but the finished product is the photo above. 

You can see how hard it was!

After our morning shoot we had to head out to the doctors office for Kendall's 4-month appointment and your 3-year appointment. Daddy had taken a day off just so that he could help me take you guys to the doctor's appointment. Otherwise I would have been a total mess taking 2 kids with me! It was a crazy morning already as you had peed in your bed during the middle of the night and ran into our room to tell us that. By the time I had cleaned you up and put all your bedding in the laundry it was 6:40am and you were wide awake by that time. You wouldn't go back to sleep so both mommy and daddy were super tired… and ANNOYED! Then you pooed in your pants while you were watching your morning TV show while daddy was vacuuming the house. We were so mad because I was right beside you when you did the deed and daddy even asked you a few minutes before if you had to go poo. Lately you've been holding your poo in and then eventually you would poo in your pants. I don't know why you are doing this because a month ago you were going poo in the potty. Let's just say you got it a lot of trouble. I had to give you a bath and do another hand washing of your clothes. We thought that was the end of that, but a half hour later you peed in your pants! Both daddy and I almost went crazy. By the time we were heading to the doctor's appointment we were all exhausted. You ended up sleeping in the car. 

As for the checkup here's where you are at now:

Height: 37" or just over 3'

Weight: 30.5lbs

Kendall had to get her 4-month vaccination shots today, but she totally took it like a trooper. She only cried once when she got her 2nd shot. Here's where she's at:

Height: 60cm

Weight: 6.3kg or 13.89lbs

Head circumference: 41cm

While we were there we bumped into Auntie Jessica and Emma. It turns out Emma had her checkup right before our appointments! 

Here's a video of you outside of the doctor's office when we were grabbing a quick bite to eat: