Happy Birthday: A Letter To My Three Year Old Boy

Dear Owen,

Our sweet boy. Today you are three years old. We can hardly believe it. This past year has been a big one for you. You have grown SO SO much and we have loved every minute watching you do this. It has been bitter sweet for us to reflect over this past year, but here is year two of your life in a short summary:

Over the past year, you have developed a love for just a few favourite things:

• You still love and are obsessed with trucks, cars, tractors. You have an entire suitcase full! You spend quite a bit of time racing them back and forth on the floor or down the stairs on your track. Carefully watching the wheels as they turn, turn, turn!
• You also love your blocks and building towers with them.Your most favorite part is knocking the tower down when you are done building it!
• You have a small collection of dinosaurs that you like to “ROAR” with. 
• You love your books, and you have so many! Your favorites are Robert Munsch Series, Llamma Llama Red Pajamas & Mercer Mayer Little Critter Series. 
• You love spending time outside in your sandbox and at the park. Your favorite is the swings, but just recently, you have become an expert climber and love to climb to the top of anything! When you go to the park, you HAVE to pull your little red wagon behind you.
• You LOVE your blankie and often carry it from room to room in the house. It is the first item you call for when you are hurt or sad. Your bed is full of stuffies, your favorites being your puppy and bull dog. You hate being woken from your nap, and you MUST have your nightlight on whenever you sleep. You also love to take one or two toys or books to bed with you...you lay them by your head and go fast to sleep. We secretly love when you do this.
• Your favorite TV programs are Toopy and Bino, Max and Ruby, Harry and His Bucket Full Of Dinosaurs and Bubble Guppies. You love to dance and sing to the intro songs, which I hope you know, is the best part of Mommy’s morning. You have also mastered the Ipad and love getting Ipad time. You could watch and play with these two all day if we let you :-)
• Your favorite foods are chicken nuggets, pizza, applesauce, dried bananas, raisins, steak with sauce, blueberries, cheese sticks and yogurt.
• You love to cook in your kitchen and make Mommy or Daddy lunch. Your specialty is soup!
• You loved your gymnastic class and swimming lessons this year. You love to jump and swing and splash...what boy doesn’t?!
• You LOVE traveling down to Medicine Hat to see your Grandma and Grandpa, Nanna and Papa and Aunties and Uncles, George and Penny. Grandma and Grandpa have such a great big yard with tons of animals that you like to feed! You used to LOVE riding on Grandpa’s tractor, although recently, have developed a fear of it because it is too “noisy”.

We are working on expanding your interests, but other activities that you like to do from time to time are: coloring, pasting, letters, science experiments, and playing with your animals.

At three years old, you are so independent. The words “I can do it” are appearing in your vocabulary more and more and although it makes us proud, it secretly makes us sad. You have mastered your strider bike like none other, you clear your table at every meal (when asked!), you fill your glass up with water before bed and you love to turn lights on and off yourself. You are growing up too fast baby boy.

Our sweet boy, you have such a beautiful heart. You are sensitive, loving and very concerned when you see others who are sad. You have recently started interacting with others in the playground and it makes our heart smile. It is very rare that you need to be disciplined, but when you do, we know instantly on your face that you know you are wrong. A little time out gives you that fresh new start that you need. You are so smart. You talk in complete sentences and your imagination has really taken the past couple of months. You have an AMAZING memory for sight, smell and experience and you are so, so curious! Always asking “What’s that and how does that work?”. You can name pretty much any construction type motor vehicle. You are learning new songs every day and I often catch you quietly singing them as you play. You know all your colors, and a good amount of shapes, numbers and letters. You are excited for the opportunity of preschool in the fall.

You become a big brother this last year and although we were nervous about how you would react, it did not surprise us that you loved on your little brother with your big heart. You are so sweet with him and he loves you to the moon. You love getting him his toys when he knocks them off his highchair and turning him around in the exersaucer. It is  hard for you to share your toys as he is getting older and more interested, but, you always manage to find a replacement for him, so that you win and he wins. Right now your winning, but we are giving you fair warning now....when he is older and more verbal and physical, that might not always be the case :-). 

Happy 3rd Birthday Baby Boy. You made me a mommy you and are our heart and we love you more than you know. You are our PERFECT chubby cheeked, curly haired, talkative, sweet little boy. Don’t ever lose that. (well, you most likely will lose your chubby cheeks, but that curly hair? I hope not!)

Stay beautiful baby boy,

Love Mommy and Daddy

xoxoxo

:: Weekly Loves ::

This week, I am loving:

: :   : : The  Portable Glo Boon Nightlight. Owen received it for Christmas (bonus: we were able to snag it for 50 percent off!) and loves picking a new colour every night, as well as taking the removable glo balls to bed with him when he chooses (They fade after 30 minutes). We love that it has zero electronic material in them, so they won't get warm or break....and as their description says...it is 95 percent effective at keeping the monsters away! (something that Owen has become obsessed with these days!)

: :  : : I came down with a horrible cold just before Christmas and as any nursing mamma knows, there is very little you can take for relief. While picking up a gift in David's Tea, the tin labelled "Cold 911" caught my eye. The results? Amazing! I love sipping it in my Noble Glass Travel Mug when I am on the go!

: :  : : Free Printables via Pinterest. There are SO many out there and at the click of a button, you have another little piece of art for your home! I have a ton that hang in and around our home. You can also find printable gift tags, valentines day invitations, buntings and cards! You can check out all the free printables I have pinned here

: :  : : Fleece Longies for my little guy. Although he is still too little to wear them yet ( I ordered them in a large!), they will be perfect for when he grows. He has this pair and this pair. How cute are they?!

: :  : :  Old Navy. We recently had one open in our city, and the deals they have, especially for kids and babies is AMAZING. I purchase items for my babies at less than thrift store prices. They always have weekly deals and combined with coupons or super cash, I average three dollars per items. Some of my go to websites to find coupons are: Mother Of A Deal, MrsJanuary, and BargainMoose. I link them to my twitter account for easy access. I also subscribe to a ton more coupon sites via FB!

::  : : The new app Vine. It is a cute little stop.motion app that lets you record small glimpses of your life. The only default? You do not have the ability to set your profile as private. If you decide to join the vine world, find me!

Happy Family Day Long Weekend to you all!

xoxo

Lisa

The Addition Of A Second Love

I started this blog when I was on maternity leave with my first baby. That "baby" will be three in a couple months, and needless to say, this blog has been neglected. I find myself turning to craft projects and creating precious spaces in my home for our family or catching up on some missed TV (thank the Lord for PVR!)or engaging is some sort of physical activity during the spare time that I have. However, we have since welcomed a second "little love" into our family and I am back again on maternity leave. I love to share ideas and creativity with others, and so, I start to post again. They may be sporadic, but my effort will be there. This week, I am loving:

: : The Endless Alphabet App for Ipad. We purchased an Ipad shortly after baby has arrived, and it has been a life saver with our toddler. No, I am not one of those mothers who let's their child play on the Ipad all day. Yes, I am one of those mothers who sees a benefit to allowing a toddler to use today's technology to enhance their learning. A good friend recommended this one and I was able to snag it for free due to their one day offer! It is great for letter recognition, phonics and the monsters are so adorable! My little guy LOVES it!

 : : I just finished creating these "wild valentines" for Owen's friends at his day home. Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to download a free printable. (I actually just sent it to Costco and printed off an 8X10). I found the little animals at the Dollar Store and used ribbon that I already have. A very cute, easy and affordable alternative to your regular, candy filled Valentines Day!

 : : I have never been very good at meal planning or cooking. However, now that I am home, I am making an effort to improve upon this. Pinterest has given me a ton of inspiration lately. I love crock pot recipes and they are a great way to start slowly. This minestrone meatball soup is in our pot right now and it smells delicious!

 : : This video gave me lots of smiles and laughs this morning.

 : : I ventured out this week for the first time with the two kiddo's by myself. We took in a library program geared towards Owen's age. While we were there, my boy, who loves books, picked this one and this one out. He LOVES them and I love them as well! We are looking forward to reading more of her Llamma series!

 : : Instagram. I love the connections. If you aren't a follower, you can find me under "boylanl". I am private, so if I do not know you, then I most likely will not add you. (It's nothing personal, it's protection of me and my babies)

 Happy Friday!! xoxoxo

Ezra Rhodes: A Birth Story

I woke up in the early hours of October 8th to the beginning of faint contractions and the calm of rain and the pitter patter on the window. Not certain what I was feeling, was in fact,the beginning of babies journey, I took time to soak up the quiet time as the rest of the family, and a house full of company, slept peacefully away. By the time 6am arrived, I was certain that the pains I were feeling were babies little nudge for his momma to get up and moving. They were now 10 minutes apart. I woke my husband,followed by waking my Mom who was visiting for Thanksgiving weekend, announcing it was time to go. As the contractions were regular and consistent, I felt calm. It was time. I jumped in the hot shower, knowing that this was the last time I would be viewing my belly as it was. Just before we left, I was able to wake my big boy up at his regular wake time and spend a few, but very precious moments, with him. I knew his world would be changed from this point forward. We were transitioning from a family of three to four, and I wanted our last few moments of all he has ever known to be imprinted in my mind forever. Knowing he was being left in good hands with family, I grabbed my hot tea and headed out to a cool, wet and crisp fall morning. I was prepared to meet my second son. When we arrived at the hospital, contractions had picked up and were now five minutes apart, according to my calculations. I was monitored for about twenty minutes, checked and told to come back, as I was only about 1cm dilated. I was in early labor and not active labor. I was very discouraged, but knew my body, and knew that it would not be long until we returned. My husband and I walked the perimeter of the hospital once, soaking in the peacefulness of the morning. Contractions picked up and I was not able to walk or talk through them. My body was ready. I was a little hesitant upon returning back so soon, as it had only been one hour, but the pain was all too consuming. Upon being checked, I was now 4cm dilated and was admitted. I immediately requested an epidural, as I had one with my first born, and the pain I was feeling seemed unimaginable and untolerable. The contractions were quick and I could feel pressure. After a few minutes (what seemed like hours to me), the nurse came back and said the words that no woman, who is in active labor, and has it in her mind that she WILL be getting an epidural wants to hear: "the anthestisoligst called and said he will be another 1.5 hours." Immediately, I knew I didn't have 1.5 hours. My heart sank, my emotions overcame me. I felt helpless. I couldn't do this. I needed help. I needed relief. Any mental/emotional strength that I had was suddenly lost. I began whimpering like a child. I wanted this to stop. The nurse told me she could get me something else to help, but needed to check me. I had quickly dilated to 7-8cm and said there was no time for any pain relief. I began fighting the contractions instead of riding with them, mentally telling myself it needed to stop. The labor needed to be put on hold. I was at a loss of what to do. I became out of tune with my body. Sensing this, the nurse suggested I get in the shower, which I gladly was receptive to. I began to get up, but all of a sudden the pressure to push was more immediate. The OB had arrived and after checking, he said we could start. Wonderful! Pushing was the easiest part of Owen's labor and I was so relieved to be able to start this process. I began to feel my strength come back, my confidence that I COULD do this. My break in between contractions and pushing was very minimal. I had about 20-30 seconds before the next one started. They were strong and they were the intense. I remember the OB commenting on how fast they were (must have been all the red raspberry tea I drank during the last few weeks of pregnancy!). I pushed for about close to an hour. My strength and my mental spot for pushing was to visualize my sweet boy, Owen's face at home, as he was my reality of what labor was and is all about. He is what reminded me that all the pain I was feeling was and will be worth it. With every push, my husband and OB would state how close I was, however, after a few pushes, this gave me false hope! I wanted baby boy here and I wanted him now. I continuously had to remind myself of my ability and my strength. Throughout the pushing process, there were a couple times where I remember being so physically exhausted that I could not keep doing this. I was done. And finally...that moment where you feel baby crowning, and no matter how painful it is, a huge sense of relief and peace came over me. He was here. In a few seconds, my baby boy would be in my arms. He would be mine. I did it. Ezra Rhodes Boylan was born into my arms on his due date, Monday, October 8th at 11:24AM, Thanksgiving Day 2012. What a beautiful site he was. At first glance, I knew he was tinier than his big brother and oh, was he a screamer! He weighed in at 8 pds 8 ounces, 21 inches long. He was perfect. in every single way. The moments after birth were filled with a sense of accomplishment, a sense of strength, tired and exhaustive emotions and relief. Ezra's birth was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life thus far. It forced me to look inside myself and pull strength that I never knew I had. I had to change my frame of mind in seconds under intense circumstances. Although my two boys had very different births, I needed to do what I had to do in both, and really, isn't that what a momma does? This birth story does not stop with the arrival of Ezra Rhodes. Ezra's birth is different from our first, as we now have big brother. Owen's first time meeting his little brother will be forever etched in my heart. I had felt guilty for months leading up to Ezra's arrival as I felt I was taking something away from Owen's world. We were so content as a little family of three and I was about to shake the only world he has known. But big brother? He came into our hospital room, hesitant but curious. When he saw baby, his shy little grin that I love, appeared on his face as he gave baby a pat on his blankie and a kiss. Although I may have questioned, I never doubted how much my sweet little boy would welcome his baby. One week post partum, Owen loves his baby "bruda" Ezra. Although we have seen a few changes in his personality, he never once puts his frustrations towards Ezra. He loves fetching his soother for mommy, playing with Ezra on his play mat and touching or "tickling" Ezra on the top of his head. My momma's heart is complete with these two sweet boys in my life. Although life has changed, I remind myself that one day, a sense of "normalcy" will return, and these long days and sleepless nights will someday be a long afterthought in the completeness of our family. Our beautiful, loving family. We are blessed. Welcome to the world Ezra. We love you. xoxoxo, Momma.

: :weekly loves: wednesday edition ::

: : this blanket is adorable for a little boy! although my little man is too big for it's size, he would go crazy over all the construction "tucks" on it! ::

:: speaking of trucks, this is in the mail to our house for little O for christmas! Now he can take his cars and trucks anywhere he goes, and it is oh so cute! ::

:: I am in love with this iphone case. chevron makes me happy. colourful chevron makes me even happier. me want. perhaps for christmas? ::

:: how cute is this birth announcement picture. what a great idea! ::

:: i have been eyeing this watch for some time. the color and diamonds make it girly, without making it too girly. you know what i mean? we purchased O's crib bedding from this site and had a great experience! ::

:: christmas is just around the corner. there are so many cute ideas out there on pinterest. like this ornament, this tree skirt and this adorable that will soon become a tradition every christmas eve in our house! ::

:: these words are a great reminder for everyone.

: : i stumbled upon this shop on etsy. love their vintage lockets. great gift idea for any female in your life! ::

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Lisa
XO

:: things I love: friday edition ::

:: i love chevron. and i love this quilt. how perfect is this for a little boy!!

:: september. fall. this season has always brought to me new beginnings. i love the renewal that the season brings. the changing colors, digging out the sweaters and slippers, falling back into routine, hearing the sound of the furnace kick in for the very first time, stews and crockpots, crisp fresh air, the start of the holiday season. these are on my list to make this september. yum!

:: this pillow is on my list of DIY for next week. my upstairs living area is in need of a pop of color. i love the chic and simple look of these!

:: my little man is obsessed with trucks, cars, buses lately. and it is a serious obsession! this would be perfect for him and would allow him to tote all his little vehicles around with us, while we are on the go!

:: it is my intent this year to make O's halloween costume. this is my inspiration. whoooo doesn't love an owl?!

:: this book is on my reading list. O is only 16 months and is already SUCH a boy! i may be in trouble!!

happy friday!! this is a short post, due to my first attempt seemed to disappear somewhere in the internet vortex!!

:: things I Love: Friday Edition ::