Six Week Weigh In

At Elliott's last appointment, the doctor was so impressed with his growth that our next appointment was extended to 6 weeks instead of the typical 4 weeks. So, we were all dying to know what he was going to weigh in at. The range of predictions started at 9 1/2lbs all the way up to 15lbs! I took a last minute guess of 10lbs 5oz. I wasn't too far off. Elliott tipped the scales at 10lbs 13oz, which means he gained 3 1/2 lbs in 4 weeks. Way to go baby! Even more impressive was the fact that he grew 7cm in length. The doctor again was impressed. We have to return in 3 weeks for Elliott's first set of shots. Boy oh boy... it starts again. Hopefully Elliott copes as well as Avery does with needles, or else I may be the one taking medication before his appointments.



Elliott has been changing so much. He has started smiling, especially at his Nanny and brother. He has also started cooing, which is quite adorable. I love seeing a glimpse of his personality! He has also been sleeping in three hour chunks...hallelujah! However, as soon as 5am hits, it's game over. Oh well, any progress is welcomed.



You may be wondering what Avery has been up to lately. Well, he's been loving the warm weather... playing soccer, basketball, or just burning off some toddler strength energy. With all of his time spent out in the sun, we thought it was best that he be fully protected from the sun... so we bought him some sunglasses. Now, he's the coolest kid in Roncy, or at least he thinks so!

Next week is mother's day. I trust the boys have pooled their allowances together to get me something nice. Actually, all I really want is a morning of peace and quiet and maybe a couple extra hours of sleep. Let's see if I get my wish.

One Month, One Milestone and One Prediction

This past week our little Elliott celebrated his one month birthday. He certainly has been using all of his energy to do one thing and one thing only - eat. I constantly hear from friends and family how much bigger he looks every time they see him. I love it! Next week he has his check up. We can't wait to see how much he weighs. I am going to guess somewhere in the 10 to 11 pound range.

This week I brought Elliott in to Westpark so he could see where his mommy works. Of course everyone was impressed with E, especially Debbie, who had the pleasure of being spit up on. Yep, right down her shirt too. She got the full Elliott experience. We also had a visit from Kristina, all the way from Ottawa. We enjoyed the beautiful weather by going for a walk through Roncy. Hopefully it won't be too long before we see her again.



We can't leave our big man out. Avery crossed a huge milestone this weekend; he used the potty for the first time. Pat and I were so pleased, we were hooting and hollering. Avery wanted to impress us more - you could see him straining to push out more pee. So funny. Way to go Av!

Last week we bought Avery a small portable basketball net. Boy, does our big guy have a great arm. In the morning, the first thing he says is "basketball." When I pick him up from school he says "basketball." When Pat gets home from work he says "basketball." At least we're getting good use out of the net. And apparently it's helped Pat with his game too. He was on fire at his game last night.



We have been trying to take walks after dinner before Avery's bedtime. It's been wonderful to get out into High Park and to see the beautiful cherry blossoms. They only last for about a week, so we have to see them as much as possible while they are here.





We've been closely watching Elliott's appearance change over the last few weeks. What colour eyes will he have? What colour will his hair be? Who will he look like? I have decided that I am confident in predicting that Elliott will in fact be a ginger. Yes folks, like a good Irish boy, Elliott is going to have red hair. And what better accompaniment to this than blue eyes. This is what I foresee for my little baby.

The Allnighter

Dear Sleep,

I miss you so much. I know I probably didn't appreciate you enough while you were around. I never let you know how much I enjoyed your company and what a big part of my life you were. Please, please, please come back to me. If you return, I promise to always let you know how much you mean to me.

Your truly,
Tina

So, for the last few nights, Pat and I have been treated to hourly wakings from Elliott. The first night wasn't too bad at all; 'Elliott must be going through a growth spurt' I thought. The second night was completely tolerable, even when he began fussing while trying to go back to sleep. Last night left us completely drained; not only did Elliott wake every hour, he was also incredibly miserable trying to fall back asleep. Needless to say, today has been a multiple coffee day for Pat and I. It hasn't helped that Avery has begun waking at night again. Poor Pat has taken to sleeping part time on the floor in Av's room. Not the most comfortable sleeping arrangement. It helps me to keep in mind that this stage of sleepless nights is short lived. It also helps when we can quite obviously see that Elliott is getting bigger from so many feedings. He honestly looks almost twice as big as when he was born. He even seems to have a double chin emerging.



This past week, Granny KK and Poppy Ray rolled into town. They've been a tremendous help looking after Elliott so I could run errands and pick up Avery from daycare. Avery has really enjoyed them being around as well. In fact, the one day they weren't here, Avery kept asking for them when he saw they weren't home. He's going to miss playing hide and seek the most I think; KK always finds the best hiding spots.



Saturday, the whole family got together in Ajax for an afternoon BBQ. Talk about a full house. Truman and Avery were up to no good again, running around the house and getting into mischief. Oliver stared at the kids, just wishing he was able to join in the fun. It won't be long either; Oliver showed us how he could hold himself up by grabbing on to the coffee table. Oliver also showed a lot of interest in little Elliott; he constantly tried to reach out to E and touch him. It was so adorable. Well that settles it; there must be a third Topolski child. Maybe even a girl?!







Today, Uncle John, cousins Riley and Will, joined by KK, came for a visit. Avery, as usual played shy at first, but didn't take long to warm up to the Carter boys. He was particularly infatuated with Uncle John and constantly tried to get his attention during our delicious lunch at Lit. Elliott was a bit rude and slept through most of the visit. However, he cooperated and not one tear was shed while Uncle John held him for a good half hour.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Outlaws visit before they head back to the South. We will miss them very much. But at least we know they will be returning in May, so we don't have to be too sad. I can only imagine how different Elliott will be when they return. And I hope there is at least a little 'new baby' smell left for Leighlo.

Easter Brings a Taste of Summer!

What a beautiful weekend! It started on Thursday with 20C weather and just continued that way all weekend. Needless to say we tried to spend as much time outside as we could.







Friday we were joined by Michele, Truman and Oliver and spent the afternoon in High Park. The majority of this time was spent by poor Pat chasing the two little trouble makers around the High Park castle playground. I can only imagine how tuckered out Pat was by the end of it. Luckily we brought along some delicious snacks to refuel. But our lunch at the picnic table was cut short due to an uninvited guest, the biggest wasp I have ever seen! And during this fiasco I learned there is one person more afraid of these pesky insects than myself - Truman. The poor guy could not relax until we moved (but I sure wasn't complaining about the relocation).



This morning, we headed to Ajax for a delicious brunch. We were joined by all of the Topolski's, as well as Misty. The boys (ie. Truman and Avery) had a wonderful Easter egg hunt in the backyard thanks to Michele. Once again, the boys hijacked Pat for a long, confusing game of hide & seek. I think we all had a bit too much chocolate, especially Avery who turned into a maniac by the end of the day from the crash of his sugar rush.







We finished off the day with some yard work. Avery was especially excited to use his shovel and was a great assistant! We still have so much work to do, but we got a good head start.

This week, the Out-Laws are coming to town and we can't wait. They are leaving this morning and we should see them on Wednesday. I know Granny KK and Poppy Ray can not wait to hold little Elliot in the flesh. Leigh-low will be jealous that they get to smell the "new baby" scent. Leigh, I promise to try to keep Elliott smelling "new" until you get here in May!

A Lot Can Happen in a Week...

...including a certain newborn gaining almost a full pound! That's right. At Elliott's doctors appointment today, he weighed in at a whopping 7lbs 8oz. He managed to grow a centimetre in length as well. Way to grow Elliott. It sure is nice knowing that feeding every two hours is making such a huge impact.

Today, Pat went back to work after his ten days of parental leave. We really enjoyed our time off together and both Elliott and I were sad to see him go. I guess all good things must come to an end. Thankfully it's a short week, so Pat can ease himself back into work!



Tonight will be my first evening alone with both boys. I've got to admit I am a bit nervous. I am not quite sure how I am going to manage it - but I am thinking that Elliott will have to deal with being in his swing while I bathe and put Avery to bed. Hopefully both boys cooperate.



Tomorrow, Michele, her darling Oliver, Elliott and I will be hitting up Toronto's Spring One of a Kind Show. We are both a bit nervous about how much money will be spent. I'll try my best to behave, but I am not making any promises ;)

Week One

One week ago today, we were welcoming our beautiful Elliott into our lives. Things feel exactly the same as they did with Avery and at the same time entirely different. Elliott has been an excellent eater. I don't feel like I will have to worry about his weight gain as I did with Avery. However, he hates sleeping alone, something Avery had no problems with. Elliott just loves being held and prefers to sleep in our arms, which is nice for the first couple weeks of life. However, I would like to have him sleep comfortably in his crib, so that mommy, daddy and baby can get a good night's rest.

I know it's not possible already, but I swear Elliott smiled at me today. It is just the cutest thing, even if it's just gas. It's crazy how quickly he is changing in his appearance; he looks way different today than he did two days ago. Pat and I keep making guesses as to what colour his hair and eyes will be. We both think he's going to have hazel eyes (like mommy) and blond hair like his big brother. I know we still have quite a bit of time before these details emerge, but it's always fun to speculate.

Thankfully it seems as though Elliot enjoys the swing. It will make it easier to get things done around the house once Pat goes back to work. He's in there right now, actually. He's not even asleep, he's just happily swinging back and forth.



With the fleeting wonderful weather, Pat, Elliott and I have been trying to take advantage by going for many walks. It feels so nice to be outside in the fresh air. When Avery got home from daycare today, we spent a bit of time outside. Avery loved testing out his new rain boots in the mud! He also loves the tricycle that Aunt Michele & Uncle Jerry got him for Christmas. While he can't really ride it, he enjoys rolling down the hill, having Daddy catch him at the bottom of our driveway. It seems as though a cold spell is upon us, so I am so happy that we were able to burn off some energy until we're forced to stay indoors for a while.



Oops... I hear my littlest one now from the swing. Something else he shares with his big brother - hiccups. He constantly gets them after eating. They just sound so darned adorable! I'd better go get him.

Welcome to the World, Elliott!

Call it coincidence or call it fate (I like to think the latter)... little Elliott William Patrick O'Brien was born on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010. I call it fate because Avery was born on Pat's mother's mother's birthday and Elliott arrived in our arms on Pat's father's father's birthday. And it's just fitting that it also happened to be St Patrick's Day, which is why we had to add Patrick in his name somewhere. Pat was gunning for Patrick II or Patrick Junior but I squashed that idea - hell, since I'm the one who went through labour, I think I'm allowed to vito something, right?



Everything about Elliott's delivery was wonderful; the day was beautiful and the labour was quick (a mere 4 1/2hrs) and the pushing was even quicker (only 10 minutes!!!). As my sister says, I am made for having babies, although I beg to differ.



Since Elliott has been home, things have been going incredibly well. He's an eating and pooping machine! We actually just got back from Elliott's first doctor's appointment and in 5 days, he has managed to get back up to his birth weight. Way to go E!




And of course, we can't forget about our darling Avery. He has been so sweet with Elliott, constantly wanting to kiss and hold him (not always as gently as I'd like). We couldn't ask for anything more.



I can't wait to see how Elliott grows and changes in the next couple of weeks because if I remember correctly from our first time around, the changes are quite dramatic. I can't wait to see how my two boys interact as they get older. I can only imagine our house will resemble something of a zoo... an adorable zoo for sure, but crazy. I can hardly wait!