"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break." -Chinese Proverb



24.9.10

Always wondering


Because family is the root of my being, of my core, of my heart, (and I love mine something fierce) I am curious as to my son's family of origin....I have scoured social networks looking for them, looking through countless profile pictures scanning for a resemblence....and not because I necessarily want them in our life, I just want to see her face...I want to know what she looks like, it's a desire so strong that I envy those with an open adoption....I want to know what his mom looks like...what colour is her hair, her eyes, what shape is her face, how tall is she...etc....mainly so I can tell him but also because I want to know....When I go to the area he's from, I scan every woman's face looking for something familiar about it...wondering if that is her...so, the other night.....my sister and I were scouring FB via the phone, just playing around looking up old friends and playmates when I jokingly typed in the name (not telling her).....and something popped up...now, it wasn't her because of where she lived....so I tried to narrow the search.....to include the location where he was born....and someone came up....but dang privacy settings, I couldn't see anything....except the friend list...so I went digging some more and found a face that could be my son's in 30 years....it was eerie....so I went digging again and came up with another face that could be his twin now....I know I found his extended family...there is no question in my mind...but no pictures of her....and now what, I have no intention of contacting them....NONE....then I did a Google search for his sperm donor (I call him that out of respect for my husband who is still figuring out the adoption process for himself) and added more information...(how do I get this information...don't worry about it) AND HE CAME UP...I thought it was him until I continued reading and he wrote something that confirmed 99% for me that it was him....I have his birthdate, his weight, height and eye colour....and other personal information that Adrien will want...but no picture of him...

I am asking myself why am I feeling the need to do this and I think it's because enough time has past with Adrien in our family and it's time to start working on number 2. And my concerns with #2 is how my #1 will feel if #2's adoption is open.....that's a whole other post of thoughts going through my head!

20.9.10

My Mom♥



As a kid, I remember my mom being there for me...always....taking me to the doctors, letting me have friends over, buying me things and always there to talk. She did anything and everything for me.....and I let her, I expected it of her and demanded it of her. I wasn't always the nicest daughter but I felt a fierce protectiveness over her. She was my best friend growing up, always there putting us first....of course she made mistakes, she's human, but she taught me what kind of mom I wanted to be and for that I thank her, I love her with all of my ♥. During all the infertility hardships, her tears were as steady as mine and I know her broke each and every time a procedure failed. One of the first things I remember when we got the call.....one of the first thoughts was how I was going to tell her because she was going to go crazy with excitement. I called her and she was at Sam's CLub and all she kept repeating was "oh my gosh....really? oh my gosh....really? Fast forward 18 months later and the bond between the two of them is so strong!
My mom has 7 grandchildren, from three of her four children. And every single one of them know, love and cherish her....she has found something about each one of her grandkids that makes them special and has bonded with them over it.....
You're one great lady and I am HONOURED to be your first born daughter....I ♥ U



19.9.10

A Sunday in September

Today we had a family day....we went to Riverside Park and played at the park, threw rocks into the river and played pretend....

Adrien and I balancing on a moving surface.....he insisted on calling it a trampoline and was asking other kids to get off, please, so he could have a turn
TUNNELS!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know if it's just my boy or ALL BOYS, but this little guy LOVES the tunnels!
I love this picture of hubby and baby.....looking out into the dirty dirty water... what handsome men I live with!
Throwing rocks off the bridge....I think hubby and I almost peed ourselves laughing at him!
Adrien LOVES airplanes....when he sees one, EVERYTHING must stop so we can watch it cross the sky...while at the park, planes kept flying by.....we decided to pretend we were planes! It was awesome!
chugging on the tracks...
horsey rides

I LOVE THIS PICTURE OF US.......

What a fabulously beautiful day with my family......
Today was filled with LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
♥♥♥♥♥



12.9.10

Possible Future Career

Really????? When did he become an acrobat? And more importantly....who the heck taught him?

4.9.10

and now a word from our sponsor






















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Love Adrien!

3.9.10

Ribfest 2010

Toilet Training

I think I've been struggling with this....not because he's not ready.....I don't think I'm ready, it's not that I'm lazy, the thought of having to clean poop out of underwear makes me gag a bit (not going to lie) so, in my mind, R and I will start training when he is 2.5...I even got him cute underwear....
that gives me until October to wrap my head around it....we already have the underwear and pull ups for over night and all the pants are ready.....so I've done my research (and have shared it here)....then down at the bottom, are signs that MY kid is ready!

When is the right time to start toilet training?

There is no set age at which toilet training should begin. Before children are 12 months of age, they have no control over bladder or bowel movements. While many children start to show signs of being ready between 18 and 24 months of age, some children may not be ready until 30 months or older. This is normal.

Most children achieve bowel control and daytime urine control by 3 to 4 years of age. However, even after your child is able to stay dry during the day, it may take months or years before he achieves the same success at night. Most children are able to stay dry at night after 5 years of age.

Signs that your child may be ready include the following:

Your child stays dry at least 2 hours at a time during the day or is dry after naps.
YUP
Bowel movements become regular and predictable.
ALMOST

You can tell when your child is about to urinate or have a bowel movement.
MOSTLY

Your child can follow simple instructions.
YUP

Your child can walk to and from the bathroom and help undress.
YUP

Your child seems uncomfortable with soiled diapers and wants to be changed.
NOPE

Your child asks to use the toilet or potty chair.
YUPPITTY YUP YUP

Your child asks to wear "big-kid" underwear.
NOPE
Note: Some child care programs require children to be toilet trained as a requirement for enrollment. Don't let this be a threat to your child; it may be an incentive for her to cooperate in the toilet training process.

Major changes in the home may make toilet training more difficult. Sometimes it is a good idea to delay toilet training if

Your family has just moved or will move in the near future.

You are expecting a baby or you have recently had a new baby.

There is a major illness, a recent death, or some other family crisis.

However, if your child is learning how to use the toilet without problems, there is no need to stop because of these situations.

Toilet Training Tips

Decide which words to use. Choose the words your family will use to describe body parts, urine, and bowel movements. Remember that other people will hear these words too, so pick words that will not offend, confuse, or embarrass anyone. Avoid negative words like "dirty," "naughty," or "stinky." They can make your child feel ashamed and embarrassed. Talk about bowel movements and urination in a simple, matter-of-fact manner.
Pick a potty chair. A potty chair is easier for a small child to use because there is no problem getting onto it and a child's feet can reach the floor. Special books or toys for "potty time" may help make this more enjoyable for your child.
Know the signs. Before having a bowel movement, your child may grunt or make other straining noises, squat, or stop playing for a moment. When pushing, his face may turn red. Explain to your child that these signs mean that a bowel movement is about to come. Your child may wait until after the fact to tell you about a wet diaper or a bowel movement. This is actually a good sign that your child is starting to recognize these body functions. Praise your child for telling you, and suggest that "next time" he let you know in advance. Keep in mind that it often takes longer for a child to recognize the need to urinate than the need to move bowels.
Make trips to the potty routine. When your child seems ready to urinate or have a bowel movement, go to the potty. It may also be helpful to make trips to the potty a regular part of your child's daily routine, such as first thing in the morning, after meals, or before naps.
Try training pants. Once your child starts using the potty with some success, training pants can be used. This moment will be special. Your child will feel proud of this sign of growing up. However, be prepared for "accidents."
If any concerns come up before, during, or after toilet training, talk with your pediatrician. Often the problem is minor and can be resolved quickly, but sometimes physical or emotional causes will require treatment. Your pediatrician's help, advice, and encouragement can help make toilet training easier. Also, your pediatrician is trained to identify and manage problems that are more serious.
http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_ToiletTrain.htm



So anyways, Adrien has been using the potty at daycare and is ok with it, his two best friends are potty trained and he goes into the washroom with one of them, he climbs onto the stool, puts his potty ring onto the toilet and will ask us to help him take his diaper off (I KNOW, I KNOW!) Success is about 50% of the time and he is reinforced by flushing the toilet and watching the water and paper go down the "tunnel". He asks for "myvacy pease" and will read a book while doing his business...

This is 'big boy' reading his book.....naked!
Caught this picture mid throw....what a great action shot!
Here he is....asking for MY-VACY!

So, like the respectful mom that I am, I give him some privacy and come back a couple minutes later....he tells me he`s is done...he has not voided (no biggie) and I take him off the toilet.....only to find the WHOLE ROLL OF TOILET PAPER IN THE TOILET! For that, I didn`t have my camera ready! And so stay tuned in the adventures of toileting training.

Need I say more?