I stopped weeding my garden.
The grass had a stronger will than I did. And we won’t be here for much more than a few weeks, so what’s the point, right? The plants are big enough to take care of themselves! Or so I tell myself.
Also, the peas fell over into the lettuce. Next time I will use a taller fence for them to climb. Yes, there will be a next time. I’m not scared of gardening. I just have to figure out how to keep the grass out.
So it’s a mess.
But look, flowers!
26 weeks now. That means I am just about in the third trimester! That is quite exciting to think about. 3 more months of being pregnant. 3 more months of being a mom to just one. 3 more months to wonder how having a second will affect me and the way we do things.
I am feeling quite well these days. My prescription vitamins are doing their job and getting me good amounts of iron I’m guessing because I am feeling more energetic again. It’s getting a little tougher to pick up Calvin’s toys off the floor. I really only feel pregnant when I go to bend over. Or when I am doing stuff at the kitchen counter. My stain remover has seen lots of use lately!
I think I am starting to feel the need to nest! Today I felt like tidying up the living room during Calvin’s nap, even though I knew it would be a mess again within an hour of him waking up. I suppose I could put these energies to better use and start packing some boxes though. We are busy looking for a place to live. We haven’t quite nailed down a place, but still hope to be out of here in the next 2-3 weeks. I’ll keep you updated.
We just got back from a short little visit with Michelle! She and a couple friends drove to Lacombe yesterday for a friend’s wedding. They are headed back already tomorrow, so we decided to meet halfway between here and there for a few free hours she had before the wedding this afternoon. We ended up at Park By The Lake in Wetaskiwin which happened to be a very lovely park with a trail around the lake and a playground and lots of picnic tables. I would probably drive the 45 just for a great place for a picnic!
Here are a few shots of Calvin and his Auntie Michelle. 
The last time Calvin was on a long road trip was at Christmas time. He was about 8 months old and slept most of the way. So when we started planning our trip to Manitoba, I wasn’t sure what to expect from him, besides the fact that he wouldn’t just sleep and would need entertainment. Most of what I’ve heard of others who travel in the car with toddlers is to expect to make lots of stops and that your trip will take way longer than it would otherwise. I did not find this to be true for us. Here is how it worked out.
I packed a bag full of snack food like fish crackers, raisins, Cheerios, meat and cheese. I also brought along a bag of toys and books, making sure there was a variety of ones that made sound and ones he could interact with differently.
Books could keep his attention for longer than any toys. He likes these paper back ones to flip through in particular.
We started out by just letting him be, then when he started getting complainy, I offered a rotation of snacks and toys. Sometimes he would refuse snacks, but would enjoy a book to look at, and other times he just wanted his water. Most of the time he was easy to satisfy, but there were a couple times when either Tim or I would get into the back seat to play with him to keep him happy. He fell asleep a couple times, for 30-60 minutes. And I also realized that just because he is silent doesn’t mean he is sleeping. He was rear facing on the way there, so I couldn’t tell that he had trance-like moments until I was in the back with him. After 10-15 minutes of complaints that couldn’t be taken care of, he would all of a sudden just go quiet and stare at his toes, or the seat back or something. Almost like he was sleeping with his eyes closed. So I knew that if we couldn’t do anything to make him happy, he eventually would get quiet.
I rigged up a little blanket fort to keep the sun off of him. But he preferred to rip it down and play peekaboo.
On the way back home, we decided to try him forward facing (and before you say anything, yes, I do know it is recommended to keep them rear facing as long as possible). He met the requirements, so I decided to do a little experimenting. These are my findings:
It doesn’t let him see out the window any better since he is still sitting low, but it lets him see us. It was also way easier to get him snacks and toys. I didn’t have to go in the backseat once! His cranky times were shorter, and he also napped more frequently. Still only 30-60 minutes at a time, but there were more of those moments. It was nice to be able to see his face and what he was up to.
His newest favourite gesture…a “where is it” kind of action.
So in conclusion, I will say that it is not necessary to stop when your baby is crying. It’s quite obvious that the more you stop, the more time it will take to get to your destination. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just want to get there, you know? Calvin survived and was mostly happy during the drive. He wasn’t the perfect road tripper, but he did better than I anticipated, and we are looking forward to our next trip in August!
A peaceful, sleepy moment.
This past weekend, Our little family made a trip that I have made countless times in my life. We drove out to Winkler, Manitoba where my extended family on my dad’s side is. Neither Tim nor I are strangers to a road trip, and it is actually one of our preferred types of vacations! I will write a separate post on how Calvin did on the road.
So on Wednesday, I packed up the car, picked Tim up from work, and hit the road.
We stopped about an hour outside of town for some supper and for Calvin to stretch his little legs.
It just so happened that I have a cousin from my mom’s side living just outside of Saskatoon, almost halfway between home and our destination, so it worked out that we could spend Wednesday night with them, have a little visit in the morning, then head to Winkler. It was great to see them, and also to be able to split our drive up into two parts.
My cousin’s daughter graciously shared her blueberries.
After losing a bit of time having to turn around to retrieve Tim’s wallet, we were back on the road, and arrived at my cousin’s place in Winkler late Thursday evening. We stayed with Warren and Liane, my oldest cousin on that side, who have two children who loved having Calvin around to play with. Calvin had no problems making fast friends.
Having a tea party in the playroom.
Splashing in the water on the porch.
One evening we went to Warky’s (a local ice cream place) to meet up with a bunch of the family. Yummy ice cream, and good company!
Calvin enjoyed Tim’s milkshake.
The reason we picked the weekend we did to visit is that there were a couple family get togethers this weekend. The first was on Saturday where we all went to my aunt and uncle’s property in the Pembina Valley. It was fun to visit with all the family together, but who invited the mosquitoes?
Calvin helped thaw the meat.
And he also enjoyed his first taste of rollkucken.
After supper, a game of baseball was started in the field.
Calvin practiced getting the ball into the glove on the sidelines.
The next day was an official Thiessen family reunion, with the families of all my grandpa’s siblings.
Calvin wanted to nap more than visit.
But then he woke up and got in some good baby rocking practice with my cousin’s 2.5 month old.
What better way to visit than in a circle of camping chairs?
There was no shortage of places for Calvin to play, people to entertain and to entertain him, and rocks to put in his mouth.
Being a goof with Uncle Ken.
It was fun to see my cousin, Heather, who is the closest in age to me, pregnant with her fourth and due only a day before myself!
It was a weekend full of fun, food and family, and I am glad we had the opportunity to go! This trip also confirmed a couple things about Calvin: he loves to wander and adventure, and is not even a little bit afraid of strangers. Potential recipe for disaster? Sure, but I like that he is comfortable learning and exploring on his own without needing me by his side all the time.
How Calvin felt about the fact that we had to leave all his new friends.
A 7am Manitoba sky.
As you may or may not know, the house we live in is up for sale, and has been since early April. In those three months, I have spent a considerable amount of time making sure the house is tidy and presentable for showings and for the realtor to come and take photos. And we have also been unsure of what would happen when the house sold. There were a few possibilities:
1) The new owner would want to keep this as a rental property and keep us on. If this was the case, we were aware that our rent would probably go up significantly because I think we are getting a pretty good deal on this place.
2) The new owner would want this as their own residence and we would have to look for a new place to live.
3) If the house never sold, the owner would likely keep it or sell it to her father who has other rental properties in the area.
A couple offers have been put on the table, only to be pulled off. The price has lowered by $20K, and it still hasn’t sold. And now the owner has decided that she wants to try harder to sell it, and that it will be easier if the house was not occupied. So that means we have to move at the end of July.
Of course I am not looking forward to having to move, but just the other day I was telling my sister in law that I was worried I wouldn’t have enough to do to satisfy my “nesting urges”. We moved houses in Victoria when I was 8 months pregnant with Calvin, so I had a whole house to organize and put together. I was thinking that this time I would only have the pack and play to set up and a few clothes to throw in the wash. But I have a whole house to organize yet again! Woohoo!
We know that God must have an even better place, if not equal to, whether it is in a better neighbourhood (although I really like this one), or a better monthly rate, or with landlords who care a bit more about the quality of their property. We will see where we end up.
But first, we have a road trip! Tomorrow we are leaving to visit some family in Manitoba. We will start looking when we get back, which leaves us a mere 3 weeks. Eek! In the meantime, we are accepting donations of boxes!
Calvin’s first words were about a month and a half ago, witnessed by my cousins, Julene and Carmen, and my sister. It was “bye-bye”, as he waved goodbye. It has since turned into a more whispered “buh-buh”, but it still means the same thing. He also says “wow/woah” at totally appropriate times, so I am counting that as a word too. And the third, and best, is this one caught on camera:
“Ow!”