Quick...

Just a very quick update of photos, cause I'm being harassed (justifiably) for not posting any of Dimitri or Gabrielle in forever. Granted, I was in the hospital on bed-rest for 12 days and just had a baby who was released from the NICU after 9 days. We're all home now and doing great. A more elaborate update to follow tomorrow...promise!

18 Months

My baby is 18 months old. I'm amazed at how fast the time has gone and it awe at her daily discoveries and accomplishments. She is a world traveller, accomplished gymnast, stunt pony-rider, professional cow-milker, helpful dog-feeder, wonderful hide-and-seeker, rock-StarFish swimmer, and overall great kid. She is pretty gosh, darn cute too, if you ask me!

Bear - Where?

Our resident bear has returned this fall with a vengeance. Last week, while trying to save my dog from an angry bear who was simply minding his own business when suddenly was sprayed with pepper spray (thanks Ken), I managed to separate my pelvis. Long story, (but not a long wait in the hospital ER - thank goodness) and I am fine, just moving a bit slower these days. Fletcher is fine too - never got a whiff of the bear and wondered what all the commotion was all about.This is a very healthy looking bear who decided to feast upon our pumpkin too - all I found was the stump in the front yard along with some orange bits and pieces lying about. We'll have to go to the pumpkin patch and get some more! Here he is on the back side of our fence, right where Fletcher likes to sit and watch the world...I think they both like the smell of the BBQ!

Pool - Inside?

Yes, we have a pool inside the house. At first we had the trampoline room and if that wasn't enough, we now have a pool. But again, an empty pool wasn't much fun, so mama went out and bought balls to fill the pool. G spends so much time in here, I'm surprised she isn't waterlogged! Ha! Trying to be funny...whatever.G likes to dance around with the balls too - silly kid.

She has managed to get Fletcher in there once, but he just likes to take the balls and chew. I've only found 1 mangled ball so far - not bad. Thank goodness we don't have a boarder collie!

Being Silly

Just some silly shots of G in one of her silly moods at dinner.

Baby?

Gabrielle has also become obsessed with babies. But not just baby babies, there is no distinction, everyone smaller than 4' tall is a baby. When asked where is the baby, she will point to any small child, or sometimes to my belly. We took this time to take some photos of mama's growing belly (not the most flattering photos...but whatever) and G's interaction with. I'm waiting for G to reach out and touch the belly when Bug is on a kicking spree. She loves to kiss the belly too - which I think is really cute...until she decides that she wants to kiss the baby in the middle of Save-On-Foods and proceeds to lift my shirt for all the world to see.Yes, she is naked...she likes it that way!

Moooooooon

Gabrielle has a fascination with the moon. She just might be an astronaut. Recently, every waking hour she asks to see the moon - whether it be dawn, mid-day or dusk, she points outside or runs to the window or door and asks for the "mooooooooon". It is hard to explain that clouds get in the way, or that a new moon is difficult to see, or that the moon will only rise at 11pm and mama won't be waking you up to see the moon...but she is a good sport about it nonetheless. We try to distract her with photos of the moon from books...I think we need to find some new ones - with real photos of the moon. Perhaps we need to purchase the "Earth" DVD's and watch the moon over and over...or we could watch certain scenes from Apolo 13.

When G wants to see the moon, she pulls her "moon blanket" from the sofa, drops it at our feet and firmly demands "moooooon, peeeeeeeze" while signing for both. Hard to deny...we wrap her up and take her outside to look for the moon. We haven't seen the moon in over 10 days, but still, she asks. Such determination...I think we're in trouble.

Gobble Gobble

Thanksgiving was a wonderful time spent with our family this year. We downsized our turkey from the 28lb bird last year to 24lbs this year. Someday, my child will weigh more than the festive bird on our table. I guess if you added the weights of the two of them, they would out-weigh it...humm...Here you can see G holding her potato turkey made at "school" with grand-mama. It is a beautiful piece of work that I wish we could keep forever, however, the spud-body has already started to turn green. I guess that's what happens to turkeys left out in the sun for too long.

It was a scrumptious feast! Followed by a musical interlude provided by the harmonica duo of Daryl and G! We sang along to such tunes as "Dueling Banjos", "Waltzing Matilda" and "Twinkle Twinkle".

First Hot Chocolate

We had a cold snap a few days ago and Gabrielle had her first taste of hot chocolate for the season. No, I will not lie to my child like my mother did to me and tell her that she is allergic - all things in moderation! I may regret this later with all the crackers she eats! Can you be allergic to crackers?

I love her little mug - a beautiful gift from Andree Spence that came with a matching bowl. G loves drinking from it too, as it is her big girl cup!

Gabrielle's New Room

As we approach the arrival of Bug-A-Lug with lightning fast speed, we thought it was necessary to kick-up the speed of renovations of Gabrielle's new room...into high-gear. With Daryl working in Whistler all the time these days, we are so thankful for the endless and tireless help from grand-papa, who follows directions and written lists like a champion. All I have to provide is coffee and Dare Maple cookies. He's cheaper labour than the Chow!

G's reaction to her new room was I hoped it would be. Eyes wide, mouth open and just speechless as she gazed around taking it all in. Recently, I have added more flower wall-stickers (looks like flowers are growing everywhere) the window seat cushion was picked up today and will be installed, and there are a few more toys and books on the bookshelf that G has added over the last few days. Also, her mattress has arrived from California, so her bed is now nice and soft and she pretends to sleep for 30 second intervals before jumping out of bed and rushing off to do something else.

Although not part of her room, G and I were quite impressed with the "bird" that appeared on our back-yard fence one morning at breakfast time. I think it is a pheasant, but perhaps it is a grouse. I know it is too big to be a quail, and it was too smart to be a ptarmigan. So we went with "bird" and G was quite satisfied.