Happy Halloween

Took the kids out trick-or-treating tonight.  Last year when we took Madison, she just walked into people's houses...not understanding that she was only supposed to go to the door and hold out a bag to get candy.  This year we got her to say "trick or treat" and hold out her bag.  Good thing she doesn't really know what candy is yet.  I'm sure this will be the last year that she will be more impressed with the toys she got from the neighbour than the candy!

Appropriate costumes....sometimes our house is a Zoo

Instead of candy, the neighbour gave her a princess crown and some little stamps..she loved them!

All Heart

I'm not sure how many of you know, but when Evan was sick at 7 weeks old and was in the Children's Hospital, they found a heart murmur.  The doctors did an ultrasound of Evan's heart to check out the murmur and found a hole 8.4 mm big.  As far as holes in the heart go, this is a decent size one for a little guy.  We were told that holes 4mm or less usually close on their own, 4-8mm sometimes close and sometimes don't, and larger than 8mm usually don't close.  So....we have been seeing a cardiologist every 3 months to make sure that the hole isn't affecting his growth or his heart.  If the hole doesn't close by the time he's two years old, they would have 2 options to fix it.  Option 1 would be open heart surgery, where they would sew the hole closed.  Option 2 is they go through his leg and "plug it"....far less invasive!
Today we went to the cardiologist for an ultrasound, the first one we've had since they found the murmur.  We got some great news.  The hole has gotten smaller and is now between 4 and 6mm big (depends on what angle they look at the hole from) and there is no enlargement of the ventricle (which can be caused by having to deal with excess blood flow into the ventricle from the hole).  This is really great news, because it means that open heart surgery has just been taken off the table.  Even if it doesn't close any more...it is now small enough that they can "plug it".  The fact that there is no enlargement of the ventricle is even better news because it means that if the hole closes even more in the next year (under 4mm) , they  might not have to do anything at all, as the heart is not being strained with the extra  blood flow.
Relieved and thankful today.  :)

Happy Thanksgiving

I think it's been a while since I last blogged...work and kids are keeping me busy these days. In sept,  Grant and I went to Montreal to go to my grandfathers funeral. My mum came and looked after the kids for a few days so that we could both go.  It was the first trip in over 2 years that we had time to get away together.  We spent 2 days walking though the streets of old Montreal, and hanging out with cousins..some that I haven't seen for years.  It was sooo nice to reconnect with my cousins and my dad's side of the family. The funeral was nice...Grandad was 95 when he passed.  He lived a good long life.  I am amazed when I think of the changes that he saw in his life time...he was born in 1917.

Grant and I in downtown Montreal

Most of my cousins on my dad's side and some of their kids

This past weekend was thanksgiving.  Grant and I made dinner for everyone.  It was the first time that I can remember that all my siblings were over without my parents.  We have lots to be thankful for....family, friends, 2 amazing kids...a great full life.

The weather here has taken a turn away from summer and into fall/winter....and Madison loves all of it.

Taking advantage of nice weather

So far September has been beautiful.  We thought we should take advantage of the nice weather by having some family outings.  Last weekend we went to Elbow falls.  Madison didn't know what a waterfall was, but we told her that's what we were going to see and she spent the whole car ride there talking about "going to see a waterfall".  I hope it was worth the hype.  :)

This weekend we went to Allen Bill Pond and tried Evan out in the back pack.  He loved it.  

We have also been trying to get out in the evening after dinner.  Before long it's going to be dark by dinner time, so now, while we can, we have been going for walks in the evenings.  The other night Madison decided that she wanted to take a break and sit on the bench.  We have been practicing grinning (an exaggeration of a smile) because one of her books has "gophers grinning".  She might be ruined for all school pictures from this point on...but we can't help laughing every time we ask her to grin and she looks up with her eyes open wider than normal and her smile as wide as she can make it.

Madison's training regime

Since the Olympics, Madison has amped up her training!

Trying to keep up

Evan has been on the move since he was 6 months old....he could crawl and pull himself up to things before he could sit up on his own.  Needless to say, some days I think I should get a helmet for him! Seeing Madison run, I'm sure he realizes that it's the fastest mode of movement...and he so desperately wants to run.  He has been getting quite frustrated that he can't pull himself up onto the couch, or get down the hall or the stairs as quickly as Madison.  Nothing like a little incentive to get you moving.




Not too lazy to move, but too lazy to hold his own bottle (he's not sleeping...his bottle fell out of his hand...this was his solution)

Tired

I'm hungry, but...oh....so......tired!   Zzzzzzzzzz