Rona and the Dentist

The Rona here is going bankrupt - which is really a shame. Today was the start of the receivership sale and everything in the store was 25% off, so we packed up after breakfast and headed down to check out the deals.

There was a security guard at the door that was only allowing people in as people came out. The wait wasn't too long though, and Cailin sat in the cart without a fuss. About five steps into the store we found a perfect vanity for our downstairs bathroom. We also managed to find a nice faucet, a sheet of glass tiles, a new mirror and wall sconces to complete the bathroom reno. I can't wait to see how the bathroom turns out when it's all done.

We also found a nice fixture to go above the kitchen sink, and one to replace the large ugly florescent light in the center of the kitchen. I can't wait until it's installed - no more annoying buzzing from the broken ballast. Hopefully the popcorn ceiling isn't in too bad of shape under the big fixture; the new one is quite a bit smaller.

I also picked out new drawer pulls and knobs. I have never liked the ones in the kitchen and was glad for the opportunity to change them - for a fraction of the regular cost. The first one I tried on the cupboard door was defective of course, but luckily I bought an extra one.

Cailin did really well in the Rona considering how long we were in there - past naptime even. She got a little fussy, but that was to be expected. She barely ate any breakfast and she was getting tired by the time we checked out.

When we got home I realized I had a dentist appointment to go to. I hate going to the dentist. This time I got a little pleasure out of thinking maybe I could breath fire on the dentist from my ever-present heartburn. No such luck, but it was a good idea.

They treat pregnant ladies like they're hand grenades in the dentist office. I assured the hygienist that I would not get ill no less than five times while getting my teeth cleaned. Every time I moved, she skidded her chair back like I was on fire. She asked if I was okay no less than ten times. It's nice they were concerned though.

Surprisingly, that was the easiest dentist appointment I can remember. No x-rays or anything.

If going to the dentist wasn't punishment enough for one day, I had to go grocery shopping after. It was super busy in the store and I saw many examples of how I never want my children to act in public. I am realistic however; I know it is only a matter of time before my sweet children are pulling stunts like that themselves.

I noticed a guy standing beside my car on the way out. He was eyeballing the door from what I could tell, then he walked away. I was going to check the door, but forgot until I got home. And yes, something had hit my car. Yet again. Looks like a cart this time. I'm getting very sick of people marking and scratching my car up. How far away from the door does this pregnant mama have to park to avoid this crap? The next lot over?

The whole time I was at the dentist and grocery store, Cailin napped. When she got up, she helped herself to a few snacks and we went for a walk. Because she has a short attention span and wanders aimlessly on walks, her poor father goes and collects her and deposits her inside the stroller. There is much protesting when this happens. We didn't shut the top of the pod today though, and that helped the situation enormously. Cailin enjoys being able to see out. There was talk of getting her a kiddie leash. Sigh.

Supper was a breakfast affair involving eggs and toast. Then cleanup, bath, hockey and bed. Not necessarily in that order.

I'm not enjoying all this hockey. I can't wait til they toss the cup at a shaggy exhausted team and call it a day.

And Home Again

We said our goodbyes to cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Saying goodbye is never easy and this time was no different. Off to the airport and flew home.

Cailin did really well on the plane again. She travels extremely well. Towards the end of our incredibly long day she started to get fussy, but by then it was a short 45 minute flight home. She had a couple naps and a snack and before we all got too frazzled, we were home.

Nana and Papa were there to pick us up and Cailin was ecstatic to see them. Once we were in the truck Papa gave her a chocolate soy Booster Juice. Which she promptly guzzled as much as she was possible. I'm sure she gave herself a nice little ice cream headache, but she didn't show it. However, she did get all revved up on that Booster Juice. Once home, she tore around playing with her toys and showing off. She wasn't walking when she left Alberta, but she was sure walking when she came back!

When Papa went to leave, she demanded he pick her up and started waving bye to the rest of us. It was clear that she was NOT leaving Papa for one second. So she got to go for a ride with him. Ryan brought her home later. She is such a sweet baby. Such a Papa's girl!

Victory!

Cailin got another top tooth!

Farmer Dill's Pumpkin Patch

While in Windsor, Pammy took us to the pumpkin patch for some pictures. I loved it there, it was so pretty to see the harvest and amazing to look at the giant Atlantic Pumpkins. This one is over 500lbs! Cailin enjoyed herself too, and even walked around the yard a little on her own.I love this pic of her. She's borderline cranky and seems fairly sure we will be taking that enormous squash home...
There were rows of pumpkins set up in the barn. Cailin said the hay was prickly on her legs and she wasn't impressed. But oh, the cuteness!
It was pretty hot that day, so we didn't get to stay for long before we needed to get Cailin home out of the heat. Of course while we were there, there was a heat wave! It was in the mid 30s nearly everyday.

Once we had these gorgeous pictures, I made an album for Nan for her hospital room and got her two framed pics of Cailin. Hope they cheer her up!

Happy Birthday Grampy!

The day after we got to Windsor just happened to be Grampy's birthday. We managed to be there for both Pammy and Grampy's birthdays this year!

We had a nice dinner and Cailin amazed us with her cake handling skills. Then, of course, off to the tub.

While in Windsor, Cailin would insist on rolling around and playing on the bed with Grampy and Pammy every night before bed. Wonder if she'll remember that next time we're there?

Back to Windsor

Ryan's Nan is very sick. We flew back to Windsor to visit her in the hospital and stayed for a week. Despite the difficult circumstances, Cailin and I managed to have some fun and go for a few walks. We went over to the barn to see the lettuce eating goat.Cailin loves the horses. She poked this one in the eye but it seemed to forgive her.
While there, Cailin started walking for real. I was cleaning under her highchair when she walked by me. She loves to open and close the patio screen door and wander around on the deck. It was so cool that she started walking and hasn't looked back.

While we were walking around on the lawn, she reached down and picked something up and brought it to her nose. I thought she was picking and sniffing clover. Aw, how cute! I pulled something mushy off her nose. Strange, I thought, that doesn't look like clover. Then she bent down and tried to pick something off the lawn again - and I realized that she had stuffed a mushroom up her nose. Yep, only my kid would do something like that.

Back to Alberta!

We traveled into Halifax this evening to the airport. It was a sad day of goodbyes and see-you-soons. Lots of family dropped by earlier in the day to say their goodbyes. There were tears. Leaving is never easy.

The airport was surprisingly quiet. We managed to check our bags in record time, went through security without a hitch and found a quiet place to eat dinner. Well, it was quiet until we got there. Cailin was having a great time laughing, kicking and throwing puffs around. She ate a lot off our plates and allowed us to put her back in the stroller. We walked around the airport several times.

At the gate, there was plenty to look at and Cailin met another little boy. They sat in their strollers just content to stare at each other. The plane was delayed but we walked Cailin around and kept her busy. There was a huge lineup for the change table before boarding the plane and that kept us busy for a while too.

Once boarded, we were so happy to find out we had a row all to ourselves. And air conditioning this time! No hot plane for us! Once we got up in the air, I got an attendant to heat up Cailin's bottle. She was so happy to see that bottle! After that she was out like a light and slept the entire flight to Calgary. There was some nasty turbulence since there was storms all around Calgary, but they changed flight paths to the airport and brought us in over the city. What a fantastic view of downtown! Plus it was Stampede time, so all the buildings had their lights on and everything was lit up.

The landing was a little rough, but we got down just the same. From there, it was a breeze to get our bags, get in the car with Grampy Brend and get on the road to Olds.

Nanny was waiting up for us (with pizza!) when we got in. Cailin was in pretty good spirits considering it was 3:30am her time. We had a snack and then off to bed. Long drive in the morning!

Last Day in Nova Scotia

Our trip went by fast. All too soon it was time to say our goodbyes to family and friends. The last night we were there, Nan Pauline came for supper. We took pictures of the family on the front deck.

Cailin taught herself how to point and now points at everything. In this case it was Pammy's flower basket:
Cailin got some last minute snuggles in with Grampy. They played in Pammy's flowers.
I got a nice 'Generations' shot. Four generations is pretty special:
She's going to miss her grandparents. Next time we come, she'll be walking and probably talking up a storm.
Thank you all so much for everything! Your hospitality, your feeding us and giving us a place to stay. We'll be back before you know it!

Again! VICTORY!

Cailin got her first top tooth!

Peggy's Cove

My favorite place in Nova Scotia is Peggy's Cove. I couldn't wait to get back there and share the sights with Cailin. The day was hot and clear on the drive down, but the area right around Peggy's Cove was misty and foggy. The sun was bright behind the fog and it made a beautiful light for pictures and a unique look at the lighthouse, houses and the rocky shoreline:The town was beautiful in the fog. Although the sun was dimmed by the fog, it was still extremely hot and humid. Cailin was a little fussy in her stroller because of the heat, so I hurried to get some shots and then get her back in the air conditioned car.
There was a broken boat on the shore:
And of course the lighthouse! I took tons of pictures of the lighthouse, but this one is one of my favorites:
On the way back to Chester, we passed a sign advertising Teddy Bear Quilts and I couldn't resist the temptation to look at homemade bedding. I chatted with the store owner for longer than Cailin and Ryan would have liked, but the store was so beautiful and interesting I couldn't just take a quick look. We bought Cailin a teddy bear quilt and a teddy bear made out of an old recycled mink fur coat. They call it a 'Bearloom Bear' and I hope to pass it down to my grandkids some day.

We stopped in Chester for dinner and Cailin took the opportunity to check out her vocal range in the diner. She would yell, then laugh herself silly. And throw Cheerios. She had a great time, and indulged in her newfound favorite food - french fries.

When we got back, Cailin went with Grampy and Pammy for a walk to the barn to see the goats and horses. Ryan and I drove out to the lake for a swim to cool off. When I say 'swim', I mean that Ryan went for a swim and I sat on a nice safe rock with the water up to my waist. We watched the sunset over the hills on the lake and it was beautiful.

On the way back, we stopped for an ice cream and that concluded our perfect day.

VICTORY!

She did it! Cailin has a new shiny bottom tooth! Funny, I didn't even know there was one coming in on the bottom. Now she has to work on getting the top four teeth out... Yikes...

Halifax Waterfront

After a long, particularly difficult night with Cailin and the teeth again, we got up and drove into Halifax to see the waterfront. We walked along the entire length of the boardwalk and got to see the sights. They are doing a lot of work to make the area more touristy. New buildings are going up and mixing with the old heritage ones. It was pretty. We walked underneath apartments right on the waterfront - imagine living there and getting that view every day! Cailin had a nap in her stroller as we walked along. I found a candy shop and bought homemade fudge and ice cream.

The day started off a little misty, but as the morning turned to afternoon, the fog rolled in thick across the harbor. It was neat to watch the fog come in and obscure the view and bathe everything in a light and dark shadow at the same time.
I missed seeing the naval ships on display for the 100th year of the Navy, but there were enough boats to tide me over. We saw tug boats too, and Theodore the Tug Boat was in harbor at the time.

For lunch we stopped at Salty's and ate fish and chips. Cailin really enjoyed the fish and ate a whole bunch of french fries off my plate. Then she discovered that if she threw fries on the wharf, birds would come and eat them. What a kick she got out of feeding the birds and laughing when they would come close to her! It was so sweet.
We got to see Pier 21, the place where all the immigrants came through on their journey into Canada. A cruise ship had just come in and it was really busy there so we weren't able to see the museum. We did, however, get to go next door to the shopping plaza and get some souvenirs.
On the way home, we got to stop at Old Navy. Lucky it was 30% off everything day because we went to town in there. Cailin got even more clothes - these ones her dad picked out specially for her.

Cailin got really sick later in the evening and had to have a second bath. Poor thing, those teeth are really giving her some trouble!

Moment of Silence

Cailin slept very poorly last night. Her top teeth are so close to coming in and it's been exceptionally hot here the last few days. Night doesn't bring much relief to the heat of the day when it's this humid.

I went for a drive this morning and left a peacefully sleeping Cailin with her dad. It was nice to get out and have a coffee and relax before it got too hot again.

This evening Pammy, Cailin and I went for a long walk around Windsor. On the way back, we stopped in the graveyard to visit Cailin's Great-Poppy's grave. We never met him, but I'm sure he would have loved Cailin. We put fresh daisies in the vase and Cailin left him an acorn.

Bridgewater

After kind of a long night with Cailin's teething, we got ready to head out to Bridgewater with Pammy. Pammy's Great-Grandparents built a farmhouse there on a beautiful property over 100 years ago. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of the farmhouse, although I was sure I did. We had lunch on the deck there overlooking the garden. Cailin reached herself a strawberry and proceeded to make a mess out of her new white and green linen outfit from Nanny, even sitting on the remains of it to make sure she included the bloomer bottoms. She loves strawberries! (And no worries, the outfit came clean!)

Cailin got to see her Step-Great Auntie Kathy again, and meet Step-Great Uncle Monty and step cousin Jaclyn (is that how you spell her name?? Let me know and I'll fix it!) Cailin's Step-Great Grampa Frank got to see her in the car as she was napping.

Grampa Frank lives beside the property to the old farmhouse on a cranberry bog! I had fun exploring the yard as Cailin had a nap in the air conditioned car. This is the weir that controls the flow of water out of the bog:
Cailin exploring the farmhouse yard with Pammy and Great Aunt Kathy:
We also took a quick trip down to Crescent Beach. Since cars are allowed on the beach, we drove in, found a spot and parked to take some pictures. There were some houses there on the beach that were beautiful. How amazing to wake up there and get that view!
Pammy took a family picture for us too. Notice Cailin pulling her leg up to inspect sand on her foot. She eventually licked her foot to sample the sand. Still yucky. After her nap, she had a perfect sand ring around her mouth where her suckie used to be.
It was really windy and cool on the beach so we couldn't stay too long. Cailin walked on the sand with help and dipped her toes in the ocean again. The water is really cold!!

Then we drove home to have another delicious meal by Pammy. Cailin's first taste of fish and my first taste of cucumber salad.

Cailin rounded out her busy day by not sleeping very much. Poor teething baby.

Back to Windsor

We got up early-ish today and packed up the van to go back to Nova Scotia. It was a sad morning, none of us wanted to leave Nanny June and Grampy Don's house just yet, but the rental van had to go back. Before we left, we headed over to visit a very special relative. Cailin's Great-Great-Great Aunt Pauline is 91 and we couldn't leave without saying hi! Aunt Polly didn't want her picture taken, but I managed to sneak one anyway:

Not many little girls have Great-Great-Great Aunts after all!

The drive back to Windsor was a nice quiet one. Cailin slept a lot of the way. What a great visit we had in Moncton! Can't wait to go back.

Rainy Day at Bay of Fundy

It was rainy today, so we decided to skip the Halifax Waterfront and take a drive out to the lookout and the Bay of Fundy. The tide was out, and although it was rainy and foggy, it was still beautiful. We weren't able to get any pictures off the lookout though, there was too much fog in the valley.Cailin at the Bay of Fundy. We didn't get out of the car because it was raining so hard, but thought we should have a pic anyway...
It's so beautiful here.
I think this is a memorial, but again, it was raining too hard to get out of the car.
On the way back, we stopped at the lookout and had an ice cream cone. Cailin shared mine, even taking bites out of the cone part like a big girl. The lady behind the counter said she was the most beautiful child. We kind of think so!

Quiet Day

Today was a nice quiet day, settling in at Grampy and Pammy's place. Cailin played with her new toys from her birthday and had a great time.

Tonight we'll have Sunday dinner with Great-Nan Pauline. Then rest up for a busy week!

Cailin's Eastcoast Birthday

It was raining when we got up this morning, but it cleared off in time for the party. Guests started arriving at 3 o'clock and it was so exciting to see everyone again, meet new relatives and for everyone to meet Cailin. She did really well to start with, but is nervous around new people, so there were a few minor tears.

This time around, Cailin fully cooperated in the present opening department. She sat on the floor with me and ate tissue paper while I opened her gifts. She got a ton of books, and once she saw those, she didn't have any interest in anything else. She leafed through her new books while the rest of us ooh'd and aahh'd at her beautiful new clothes. Cailin tossed the books aside though when I pulled two stuffed lab puppies out of a bag. She held on to them for a long time considering her usual attention span. She got a movie, money, a toy remote and cell phone, clothes, stuffed animals and more. Cailin was sure spoiled!

Once the presents were done and the cake was getting in order, Grampy took Cailin outside for a breather. She picked herself some flowers from Pammy's hanging basket and Grampy put them in her hair for her.

Now it was time for cake and ice cream! Cailin got a Tinkerbell cake from the local bakery (I'm on vacation so I didn't make it). It was so cute! And delicious. Cailin sat in her highchair and mashed to her heart's content. She also ate a whole pile of it.

Then it was naptime. What a nice party that was! Thank you to everyone for coming and for your beautiful gifts!

Happy 1st Birthday Cailin!

Today is Cailin's first birthday. I can hardly believe that it's been a whole year already! We feel really lucky to be able to be here at Grampy and Pammy's (all the way across Canada!) to celebrate. Today will be a quiet day while we settle in, and tomorrow we meet the rest of the family at Cailin's birthday party.

To start with though, we went into town and did some shopping. Cailin wore her new hat from nanny and thoroughly enjoyed her ride in the shopping cart. She got a new pair of shoes since I didn't pack her any (oops) and a new swimsuit since I forgot to bring her one (oops again).

We also picked up boring items like diapers and baby food. And Cailin's favorite, toddler cheesies!

Cailin is teething right now, but it doesn't look like she'll get her two front teeth for her birthday after all.

To the Skies!

We were up bright and early on Thursday for the drive into the airport. Good thing too, the highway was closed and we had to take a very interesting (yet scenic) route to the airport. We finally made it, got our luggage checked and had a not-so-nice time through security. We met some other travelers that had missed their flights due to the road closure. We were lucky we left the house early to give ourselves plenty of time!

At the gate Cailin amused herself by devouring a chocolate chip muffin and chewing on my Tim Horton's coffee cup. Maybe she got a little residual java because she was not interested in sleeping on the plane later.

Once we boarded, Cailin made friends with a little 10 month old boy in the row in front of us. They 'talked' over the seat to each other for a lot of the trip. Boy, was Cailin busy. She never sat still until naptime where she slept for a measly hour. It was so hot on the plane that we could hardly breathe. Personally, it was the longest 5 hours of my life. I'm sure Cailin felt the same.

But what a good girl she was! For how hot and cramped it was on the plane, she did wonderfully. She didn't flinch during take off or landing. She played with the seat pockets and the magazines and cards inside. She sat on the little folded down table (or stood on it when the mood suited her) and entranced the flight attendents with her cuteness. She ate the cookie they offered her. Well, most of it. For the rest that's on the floor, I'm sorry!

Eventually we landed in Halifax and got some sweet fresh air. Cailin inhaled her dinner while her dad got the luggage.

Whew! We are finally here!