11 Months

Adrianna is finally crawling! It was so cute watching her figure out how to move around. She had some very interesting and awkward ways at first, but seems to be getting the hang of it now. She has learned to pull herself up and is pretty quick at it. She seems to rely on her head to put herself in the crawling or sitting position. She is so much fun to play with these days. She loves to laugh, make faces, chat, and squeal. Silly girl!

Eating has been a challenge once again. Adrianna has decided she no longer wants to be fed by anyone...making meal times a war of wills between her and me. I am trying to get her to eat soft pieces of food but she seems to think the soft pieces are better used for squishing and playing rather than eating.

A rare moment...feeling cuddly after waking up from a nap...so precious!!!

This month Adrianna outgrew a couple of her favourite toys...the swing and the exersaucer. Just in time for the first birthday where I am sure she will replace it with some new toys!

Adrianna loves to pull herself up...but already got a couple of bruises on her forehead because of it! It sure hasn't stopped her! Falling asleep has become challenging at times since she is constantly standing. Now that she has figured out how to lay down by herself it made the whole sleeping thing easier. Hanging on and kissing the orange monkey is a daily ritual.

The adventures await outdoors...

But look at the fun I can still have indoors! (so much for a folded basket of laundry!)

I had my proposal to finish up by August 10th. Glad that is done! Harvie helped out by taking Adrianna to visit his parents for the afternoon. Adrianna is definitely loved by her opa and oma!

We went to the Agrifair in Abbotsford with Adrianna. It's amazing how much we enjoyed it...simply because of Adrianna's delight as she watch...and even touched (to the dismay of the poor donkey, her favourite) the animals. She got a little confused with feeding the lama...she tried to eat the grass herself! I think a trip to the zoo is in our plans for the coming month.

We had quite the summer heat wave out here in July. It set record high temperatures. We definitely put our ACs to good use and tried to keep cool by going to the waterpark with friends and using a little pool in our back deck. Adrianna loves the water...just like her mom!

We went to a wedding barbecue for one of Harvie's work friends. Adrianna fell in love with the dogs and even enjoyed getting licked by one. We went of a hayride, saw some calfs, posed for some pictures and had some yummy summer food. She did love the day...despite her face in the picture!

We retired the baby bathtub for good now. Bathtimes continues to be a highlight for Adrianna. Check out her funny face...

picture pending!

Harvie enjoys working in the backyard on the weekends. He planted a little vegetable garden and we have already enjoyed zuchinis and tomatoes. I am looking forward to the leeks, grapes, and squash in the coming months.

The last month of her first year of life is upon us. I will try to treasure this month as it certainly is a special one. Amidst the challenges from day to day are many moments of joy and laughter. When I look back at the first six months it's pretty amazing that I recall the good and seem to forget the bad. It's the blessings that touch my heart and make the lasting imprint in my heart. I think God intended it to be that way. He carries you through the tough times and after it is all said and done, it's his love, care, grace, and faithfulness that you remember. Parenthood is definitely the toughest, most challenging thing I have ever experienced, but more importantly it is also the source of the greastest joy and love!

10 Months

Ten months old...I have come to realize that time quickly goes by when it comes to little ones growing up. I am trying to treasure each stage Adrianna goes through. I love her smiles and babble. I see her personality evolve with each passing month. She got her first two bottom teeth this month, replacing her toothless smile with little white tidbits. Although she is not crawling yet, she is moving in her own way. We never know how or where we will find her in her crib. Her favourite sleeping position is now on her tummy.

I started my two week course for my masters. My mom has been extremely generous and is taking her holidays from work to take care of Adrianna during the two week summer course. What a blessing that is! As for the classes...I can find better ways of spending a hot summer day. Harvie has had more than his share of work. He is trying to balance his worktime with his playtime. We treasure every moment he is here with us and know that when he is away he is thinking of us. His little girl is always very excited to see him when he comes home and eagerly seeks his attention the minute he walks in the door.

We celebrated Father's Day in June. It was Harvie's first Father's Day and Adrianna made sure it was a special one. She found a perfect card for her daddy and gave him a mug with her picture for the office. We hosted a family bbq for my dad with alot of filet mignon, guarana, a little bit of other sides and a DQ ice-cream cake.

We went out for Tawainese food with Harvie's family to celebrate Father's Day, Sue's birthday and graduation. After lunch, we went to the Buitelaar's house and while Harvie and Marlen picked blueberries with his parents, Sue and I went for a walk with Adrianna so she could have a much needed nap.

On the July long weekend we went camping as a first family mini-vacation with some great friends. This year is the second year of the Okanagan Lake camping trip. Last year I was seven months pregnant. It was definitely different camping with a little one. She did great most of the time, only having some troubles falling asleep because of all the heat and activities going on. We shared a trailer with our friends Nancy and Todd and their toddler Ethan. Adrianna loved interacting with Ethan and even let him hold her hand on a long morning walk the two husbands took with the little ones while leaving the two women to sleep in. She loved the mango ice-cream at Summerland Sweets.

The weekend after camping we went on a family getaway just the three of us to Whistler. It was our first attempt taking Adrianna to a hotel and restaurants with just us. We were pleasantly surprised that we were able to go out for dinner both evenings with her. She loved the pool in the late afternoon and enjoyed the peak to peak gondola. She needed a nap while we were at the top of Blackcomb so we ended up doing some 3 wheeling with our Bob stroller. We were quite amazed that she slept as the trail was quite bumpy.

Enjoy the sun and warm weather...and if you are down the equator, hopefully you'll still get some sunny warm days between cold ones!

9 Months

We had a pretty busy month here. I have been busy with my studies this past month and now have a little bit of a break until mid-July. Harvie has been incredibly busy with numerous projects and proposals (what recession!?), spending long hours at the office, working on the train and even some evenings and weekends at home. Adrianna has been busy too, playing and exploring the world that is within her reach. She is not crawling yet, making life easier for me at home when I have to study. But she is starting to get frustrated by her inability to move, so I am thinking crawling or some sort of movement is not too far in the future for us. She can stand with support and loves to look out the window. The outdoors are certainly a hit for our little girl.

We enjoyed a bbq with my cousin and her family. The boys enjoyed playing with Adrianna and her toys. They told us all about their adventures while visiting and traveling in Brazil. It sure made us miss it and we began dreaming of possibly going ourselves next year...

My cousin Becky got married this past month. She is my mom's twin sister's oldest daughter and very much like a younger sister to me. The ceremony was very beautiful and the bride looked stunning. The reception was a blast. Adrianna had her first taste of staying up late and did very well considering that all her routines were disrupted that day.

My mom had selected the dress for Adrianna for this wedding before she was even born. She fell in love with it and we went back to the store after she was born for my mom to purchase it. At first Adrianna wasn't really too impressed with the dress, but she did fall in love with it after all.

Thankfully at the reception, she took a nap and was able to stay awake for the program and the start of the dance. Adrianna had a very special dance with her daddy during the song "My Girl". It melted my heart watching the two of them on the dance floor. There is such a special bond between Harvie and his princess.

The day after the wedding, Harvie went to the opening of the Golden Ears Bridge and had a great time with friends and family. I woke up sick that morning and decided it was best for me and Adrianna to sleep. I was looking forward to it and was dissapointed that I missed the one of a kind event.

Summer is fast approaching and we are planning to go camping on the July long weekend with friends. We are looking forward to the lake, bbq, camp fires, smores, ice-cream...and the list goes on. We are hoping Adrianna enjoys camping and is able to sleep in a different setting. Let the good times roll!