Winter Blahs

So, the end of January is in sight. Hopefully that means only two more months of winter left for us. I guess we can't really complain; this winter hasn't been anything like what we've had in the last couple of years. But, I'll tell you, even Pat and were hesitant to go for our walk this morning when we saw that the temp with the windchill was a ridiculous -28C! But, we soldiered on, to appease our little darling Avery, who was insistent that we go for a "walk, walk."



Since my last post, Avery went in for his 18 month check up. We were bad parents, taking him in about a month late, but between Avery getting sick and our temporary relocation to Ajax, plus it being Christmas, we just couldn't seem to get it together. Anyways, Avery weighed in at a healthy 26lbs 9oz and just shy of 3', all above the 50%! His doctor was quite impressed with our Avery's development (I'm not surprised); Avery recently strung together four words (and demonstrated that he won't be taken advantage of!) by saying "Andy, NO! My shoe," when his buddy at daycare tried to take his shoes. Good job Avery!







I have a feeling this weekend will just fly by. Shortly, we will be on our way to Ajax for a delicious "Fiesta" brunch at Troy, Misty & Braylon's. I can not wait! After that, we will pop in to visit my parents. Tomorrow, we have a brunch date with Jonathon & Ann. And, finally we plan to go visit the newest addition to the Katz family, Sam, who arrived on Monday, January 25th at over a whopping 9lbs! I can't wait to see the cutey!

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

I'll tell you what Avery did (the night owl that he is), he stayed up until 7pm! He was giddy and full from his meal of pizza and cupcakes. What a way to ring in the New Year!

I can't believe another year has come and gone. December has been a blur really. With moving into our new house, my birthday, Christmas parties, Christmas itself and New Year's, I am surprised we made it through alive.

We've mostly settled into our new home and I am happy to say Avery took to it right away. There was no adjustment period at all, which was a relief for Pat and I. When we moved into our condo, there were a few sleepless nights that left us all feeling drained.
Avery loves running around our main floor, closing the glass french doors to the dining room and making funny faces at us. He's also become a master at climbing stairs and has decided he no longer wants to go up on his hands and knees; he uses the banister to climb them which makes me incredibly nervous. However, going down the stairs is an entirely different story. Avery knows not to attempt them without our help.




Christmas this year seemed to fly by more quickly than normal, but I think that had to do with the fact that it was a ZOO at my parent's house. Between Avery and Truman, it was one loud rumpus room over the holiday. This year the grown ups decided to forgo exchanging gifts and just buy presents for the kiddies. We still managed to end up with the same amount under the tree, which is awful since there were now only three recipients of all the the packages. Nevertheless, Truman, Avery and Oliver thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Avery especially enjoyed his Radio Flyer trike from Uncle Jerry & Aunt Michele as well as his own 'mini kitchen' from Aunt Misty. Unfortunately, our car was completely packed and we didn't have room for either of them for our trip home. It's okay though because Avery has more than enough toys to keep him happy for the next three years!




As you can see, Avery has really taken to little Oliver. Really, could you blame him? That Oliver is an absolute doll. This gives us high hopes for how he will deal with the new addition to our family. It's crazy to think that in three short months we won't have to wonder anymore!

Long Overdue

Woah! There is a lot to cover in this post! I know it's my own fault. I haven't updated Avery's blog in soooo long. All I can say is that we've been quite busy.

First of all, we bought a house. You see, we need the extra space because in March, Avery will be the proud owner of a new baby brother. It's all very exciting. Between my sister and I, there will be 4 little boys in our lives. Like I keep saying, we are going to have some stinky Christmas'!

After we bought a house, there was just the small matter of selling our condo. Not an easy feat when you have a toddler. Avery can have this place looking like a disaster in all of 30 seconds. Thankfully, the O'Brien's were heading off on a vacation, and were able to leave this place pristine for showings.



Now, you may be asking, "Where were the O'Brien's headed?" Well, that's another big piece of news. Avery's Aunt Leighlow was tying the knot! So, we packed up and headed down on Avery's first plane ride to South Carolina. I've got to say, he was an absolute dream on the flight down. Not one peep. I can't say the same for the return flight. Oh, well... it's a good thing it is only 1 1/2hr ride!




South Carolina was amazing! Not only did Avery get to see Granny KK, Poppy Ray and Aunt Leighlo... he also had the pleasure of meeting Aunt B for the first time! She flew all the way from BC for Leigh's wedding, but we told Av it was just for him ;)
The wedding was perfect; the weather was nice and warm and Leigh looked absolutely gorgeous (Luke didn't look so bad himself!). It's a shame we were only able to stay for a week. But, at least we know we'll be seeing them again soon - as they will be heading up north to see us when our newest addition finally makes his appearance.



Since we were away over Thanksgiving, we had to postpone our annual dinner until the weekend after. This was of course preceded by apple picking at Chudleighs. Now, Michele swears it was colder the weekend prior, but I can't imagine how. We were all popsicles at the end of it. Maybe it was because we had gotten used to the heat of the south! Avery loved Chudleighs; he especially liked playing with the farm animals. I can't believe he wasn't even scared. He also enjoyed eating the apples. Since our visit, he has had an apple every day. I can't believe he can eat a whole one!




Thanksgiving dinner was delicious. Michele and I were shocked as to how stress free it was this year. Well, it as stress free until Avery took a little spill and got a black eye. Our little guy looks like he got into a brawl on the playground. At least that's what we've been telling everyone.

So, in a nut shell, that's what we've been up to lately. Next weekend is Hallowe'en and normally I'd be all over it. However, this year I'm afraid it will be overshadowed by the fact that we are moving two days afterwards. Don't worry, Avery will still go trick or treating... he can't wait to put on his skunk costume. Stay tuned for the pics!

Sleepy Hallow

Pat came home on Friday evening from work to find this:



What can I say? It was a long, long week, and really, I am pregnant; I get tired! Avery too had a rough day at daycare it seems. Or a really good day... he was so tuckered out. We had been watching Y&R on the couch (it's his favourite story - he never misses it). Next thing you know, the show is over and Pat is home. I am so happy Pat was able to snap a pic before Avery woke up. He looks too cute for words!



So, it's been quite busy for us over the last couple of weeks... and things don't down seem to be slowing down at all. We had a busy weekend packing and cleaning, visiting the Katz's new GORGEOUS abode and a trip to Ajax to visit Nanny & Oopa. Nanny gave Avery a piece of chocolate wafer, which sent him into sugar overload. This kid was pretty much jumping off the wall. This is why we don't give him anything sweeter than Arrowroot cookies. We also went out for brunch with Jon & Ann to Cool Hand of a Girl, where Avery enjoyed licking the jam off of his toast. Always the gentlemen, he kept borrowing my napkin to wipe his face. Adorable!




We had wanted to go to Chudleighs for some apple picking, but the rain made us reconsider our plans. We hope to go this weekend, but the forecast doesn't leave me very optimistic. Next week, the O'Brien's are heading to South Carolina to visit the "Outlaws" for Aunt Leighlow's wedding. We can't wait. Avery will finally get to meet Aunt B! I don't think Avery's ready for all the cheek grabbing he's going to get from the Carter women! Watch out Avery!

Our First Mug Shot

Avery was arrested last night for disorderly conduct. Apparently he had too much (milk) to drink and things got a bit crazy. Really, he looks incredibly silly in this picture; Pat and I laughed for about five minutes just looking at it.

This past week I noticed that Av's clothes were looking a little small. I know belly tops are popular among some crowds, however, I think the look is lost on our man. Also, his pants were looking like floods. No wonder, Avery was still sporting his 6-12 month clothes. So, I was able to go through his wardrobe and switch out all of his clothing. It was amazing to me how much less he has as he gets older. It's easy to understand why... at this age, kids clothes get stained, ripped, worn. Oh well, it's just another excuse for Mom to go shopping!



When I was changing out his clothes, I found the most delicious pair of red fleece pj's I forgot I had bought for Avery. Now that the weather has cooled down a bit, it was the perfect excuse to have him try them out. I can't get over how adorable he looks in them; he's like an old man. All he's missing is his pipe.

Heat Wave

Well, it finally seems as though summer is upon us. Frankly, I preferred the cooler weather. So, the O'Brien's spent the weekend trying to stay cool. This included a lovely afternoon swimming in the Topolski pool (and even more fun getting to see the ever growing Oliver!). Truman is a natural in the water and has no fear. I imagine he slept well last night after all the energy he used up swimming. Avery couldn't really get used to the life jacket we put on him... but he enjoyed the water nonetheless.



Today we went for a walk nice and early (although it was already hot at 9am!). We spent most of our afternoon indoors, but Avery was still feeling the heat... so we sprayed him with water. Actually, I was on my way to spray the plants on the balcony, and I thought it would be funny to spray Avery with a bit of water. He loved it. He was pretty much soaked and we tried to take the bottle away and he started crying. What a nutter.



We managed to take a nice walk through the park in the afternoon. There was a nice amount of shade and breeze, so it was really refreshing. Avery fell asleep within five minutes of the walk...so Pat and I got to enjoy so quiet time.

Avery and I are so happy that Pat is back from his trip to the Big Apple. Pat was gone from Wednesday to Friday, and I think Avery really missed him. Avery was pretty much attached to daddy's hip all weekend. It was so cute. And, to be honest, it was nice to have a bit of a break myself!

When Mommy's Away, Baby Will Play

I know, I know... it's been quite a while since my last post. I really don't intend to be so tardy but with work and, I guess, life getting in my way, I haven't had the time (or energy) to blog.

Tonight, I had the wonderful pleasure of going out to dinner with some fabulous friends, which has been long overdue. This left my darling husband and mischievous Avery home alone. When I arrived home, Pat showed me some wonderful shots he took of Avery during dinner.



Avery, who's always had a flare for dramatics, made dinner very interesting, to say the least. Apparently, he would give a sly smile to his father before pouring his milk onto the table. I can't imagine how long it took poor Pat to clean up the mess but the place looked spotless when I got home! Good job hubby!

Daycare continues to be a huge success. When Avery sees us coming to pick him up, he begins to wave his arms in delight and rushes the door (followed by about half of Av's class). I've said it before, I really think that this is what has made my transition back to work so easy. We've even managed to settle into a wonderful morning routine, which includes Avery crawling into our bed to wake Pat up - not always in the most desirable way!



On another note, I would just like to say a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to my dearest friend Camille, Addy and Jay who welcomed home the newest addition to the Ramnath family - Myles. I can not wait to meet him!