The Toof Chart

Here is a great chart I came across that colour codes when the little ones get their first toofs. Orion's central incisors on the bottom have poked through and so has one on the top so it seems as though he's right on track!

Landslide

This week we've been having great weather, almost every day has been sunny with great big, crystal clear blue skies. So, I take Orion on daily walks to the river which is about 5 min from our house. It's also been windy this week and particularly more when you get to the water. Sometimes the wind takes Orion's breath away but he loves seeing the waves crash up against the shore. You should see the look on his face, he gets so excited and lights up with that big smile on his face.

At the end of next month, I go back to work. I feel comforted and reassured that everything is in place for Orion when I go back. He's been going to in home daycare 2 days a week and now has friends there LOL. He really enjoys it, he gets spoiled with all the toys, the other children (he's the youngest there) and the treats he gets in terms of food. On Tuesday when I went to pick him up, I had a moment. The children were in the backyard playing on the play structures and I saw Orion in his stroller being pushed around by the caregiver. He was happy moving and also watching all of the other kids play. For me, standing there behind the fence watching, I just got emotional. Of course, I kept it together but I realized my little guy is growing up and I could have stayed there longer just watching him. Time escapes us and I've been so lucky and thankful to have had the past year to be with him and cherish the milestones as well as the little things. It's been the best year of my life. Ideally I'd like to go back to India next February or March for the 3 embryos I still have and try for a brother or sister for Orion. If successful, I'll have completed my family, (it's already complete with Orion) but he'd have a sibling and I'll be able to take another year off to spend with Orion and his new brother or sister.

He recently got his first 'toof' at 8 months... it's on the bottom and you can see it poking out. He likes to chew on your finger and smile if you pop it in and feel around lol. With my feelings towards time, I'm in absolutely no rush... just want to take life nice and slow.




♪  Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you  ♫
♫  But time makes you bolder
Even children get older   ♪

♫  And I'm getting older too

The Many Faces of the Easter Bunny

Upon picking Orion up at daycare yesterday, I noticed the kids had all been transformed into Easter bunnies!



Sticking tongue out bunny.



Crazed rabid bunny.



Bug eyed zombie bunny.



Drooling bunny.



Pirate bunny.

Happy Easter all!

We Have Liftoff!

Smiling in the car, on our way home after first day of daycare.

Today was Orion's first morning at the in-home daycare. I was truly dreading this day for the last few days and feeling anxiety and stress, despite this morning's daycare session only being for 4 hours. I didn't want him to go and have other young ones potentially be rough and hurt him. This morning I got up early (before the crack of dawn) to pack his things, make his bottle and get him ready. He woke up in a great mood so it made things a bit easier. Then we were off and when we got there, I begrudgingly handed him over and said I'd call in an hour to check-up on him. He was smiling but did give me that puzzled look of, "Dad, where are you going? What is happening?" When I called an hour later, he was just fine. He napped, drank his bottle and was interacting with the other kids. Then she dropped his binky/soother and he started to cry on the phone lol. When I went to pick him up, he was happy to see me but I did get a few smacks and scratches to the face out of revenge, I'm sure. I feel a bit better now about going back for our second time on Thursday morning. I'm so proud of him.



Thumbs up, dad!

Forever Young

Blinded by the light... not posing, I swear!

The days are getting longer, Spring and Summer are just around the corner and that means... that I'll soon be going back to work. Nooooo! If it was up to me, it would be just me and Orion spending every day together as life passes us by. Me going back to work is also a milestone for Orion... it means he'll be going to an in-home daycare 1-2 days a week while his Grannie and Opa look after him 1-2 days and his Grandfather 1-2 days. I found an in-home daycare for Orion to go to and coincidentally, the caregiver is someone I went to school with when we were younger. We never connected back then but I did know who she was. While I've been feeling anxiety and stress the last couple of weeks in coming to terms of having Orion go to daycare, I'm a bit more comforted that I know this individual and my parent intuition tells me to be at ease. It will also be healthy for Orion in terms of his social skills and development to be with other young children (which he loves) in an in-home bilingual setting on a consistent basis. He is definitely a social baby as I've seen already at playgroups, play dates with friends, etc. Tomorrow we'll be going to visit the in-home daycare and see if it's a right fit for us.

I still have about 3 months before I go back to work and I'll be milking every day to the last second... just the two of us.

Maybe I'm A Lion

Orion the lion likes to roar in his jolly jumper for fun... or maybe it's because the jumper jock strap wrap thing is too tight o_O

Orion & Dad

Orion,

This evening, as I do so often, I was thinking back to those first moments when I saw you for the first time ever. You were squirming on that little table while your Grannie was sobbing like a baby and I was just looking at you with a feeling of complete awe. That feeling, I still get every morning when I see you for the first time, at night when I'm holding you in my arms, rocking you to sleep and all the minutes in between.



Just hangin... having fun watching ourselves via the front-facing camera on the iPhone 4S.



SUP. Just chillin.

Recently, Orion went for his six month check-up. He weighs 20 pounds and is in the 80th percentile for growth and development. No wonder my arms hurt every morning when I wake up. They're getting quite the work out from Orion every day!

We've also been taking advantage of the milder than normal winter here *knocks on wood* by going outdoors and getting as much fresh air as we can.



Orion in his sled that he got from Santa for Christmas.

That's it for now... see you in a bit!