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13 Months - And the Beat Goes On.

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 20:02:19 -0400

Here are some pictures from Elias' 13th month!

This has been a quick whirlwind month. Trav and the boys made it safely to and from Josh's stag in Vegas where it sounds like they had a successful weekend. While the boys were playing, Eli and I took the opportunity to visit with Michael, Jill and Isabella. I didn't carry my camera with me cause I was so loaded with other gear so for a few photos hop over to Jill's Blog. Here is Post 1 and Post 2 of our visit. It was a super short visit but it was great to meet Baby Bella and see the new pad! Eli was fairly well behaved on the flights. I've realized that, when travelling alone, it doesn't matter how many toys, snacks and other diversions you bring, the only thing that matters in the end is who is sitting around you. Because once I got boring, Eli looked for other people to entertain him. On the way there, I was sitting beside friendly people who were comfortable around babies and the flight seemed so short. But on the way home I got stuck next to people with no interest in making baby faces or even holding a conversation so I had to hold on for a looooong flight. We had a few screams that turned heads three rows ahead. But, I'd do it again in a second.

Josh and Davannah's wedding and all of the festivities surrounding it were beautiful and a lot of fun. It was pouring rain for the ceremony but everyone was cool with that. After all, it is Victoria! Although, that was the first wedding I have attended here in the POURING rain. For the wedding weekend, we booked a hotel room at Bear Mountain and had fun playing tourist in our own town. Trav played a round of golf at one of the Bear Mountain courses and keeps talking about how much he enjoys golf. Uh oh. How can I stop that train? Hahaha, I like golf; When I am at the range and don't have to actually chase my horrible shots.

Other than being fairly busy, we have been sick. Or at least I have been. Eli and I were just getting over colds at our last month's post and then we both came home from Cupertino with colds. Travis managed to catch that one too. To top it all off, yesterday I got a touch of the 24hr flu that has been rampantly running through our family since the wedding. I was down and out for the whole day yesterday which is why this post is a day late. However, I am feeling a lot better today. Last night I made Travis promise to get me pizza when I was feeling better so tonight we went to the park then dropped by Prima Strada Pizzeria in Cook St. Village on the way home. Mmmmm, funghi!

Elias is doing really well. Still not walking but working on some serious cute every day! Travis walked at 14 months so Eli has one month left to beat his Dad! Go Eli! I'm honestly looking forward to the day when I don't have to bend over so far to pick him up.

One!

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Tue, 18 May 2010 22:02:03 -0400

Here are some pictures from Elias' 12th Month. Another milestone come and gone. Elias is officially one year old! He enjoyed a great weekend filled with wonderful people and parties. Thanks to everyone who was able to attend. Family and friends are what makes a celebration and we were so happy to get the chance to hang out with you all.

Eli is not walking yet but is starting to stand on his own for short periods of time. He has been working on his quick and sneaky abilities. Anytime the fridge, dishwasher or baby gate are opened, he is sure to drop his head and bolt towards his goal with great hopes of fun on the other side. He is loving books and occasionally will sit down with a book, turn the pages the best he can, and make noises just like he's reading to us. It sure is cute! He is also waving and most mornings will wave to Dad when he leaves for work. It completely melts my heart to see his little hand pumping away as Dad walks out the door.

Life has been pretty busy in the last month and it is not going to calm down for a while. We went for a visit to Powell River and attended a fundraiser dinner for a friend who is awaiting a liver transplant. Unfortunately my parents were not home because they were visiting family in New England but we had a good visit with friends. I am now back to working part time and am trying to squeeze in as many hours as possible until baby #2 comes in early November. In a little over a week, Travis heads to Las Vegas for a few days for Josh's stag and Eli and I get to go visit Jill, Michael and Isabella in Cupertino! I am really excited for the trip but nervous for the plane ride with just Eli and I. He is always on the go and holding him on my lap for two hours does not sound like a good time. The weekend after the Vegas/Cali trip is the big wedding. We have also been making some progress on our house renovations. We have a draft model from the designer and it really looks and feels good! But, the stress is starting to get to me already.

The pregnancy is going well but the last few weeks have been tough as both Eli and I got a nasty cold of some sort. Eli recovered quickly, but I really had issues getting back to normal. I was extremely exhausted, congested and suffering from some crazy headaches. In fact, I am still getting headaches daily but they are not nearly as bad as they were. I'm not sure what is going on with that, it might be time to hit up the chiropractor cause that cured me last time I had such bad headaches.

I think that's it for this family update. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIAS!

11 Months - Figuring it all out

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 11:44:06 -0400

Here are the pictures from Elias' 11th Month. Eli's world is expanding and this month he is certainly figuring everything out.

We've figured out how to open cupboards and drawers. Even the magnetic cabinet under the TV has been no match for Eli this month. The toilet paper roll is a lot of fun to unravel and fishing around in the toilet bowl is a good idea. Eli is amazingly good at turning the pages of the little cardboard books when you read to him and he actually seems to understand the words "turn the page". He has also learned that closing doors can be fun. He shut the glass door to the kitchen on Oscar and I and then stood up and leaned on the door so I couldn't open it. It's great fun trying to coax a little boy who has no idea what you are saying. In desperation, I sat down on the floor with hopes he would copy me but I just got a sly little smile in return. Some days I think it would be hilarious to be a fly on the wall in this house.

Elias doesn't really have any repeatable words yet. Still a lot of babble and mama dada. Might be time to get some flash cards out! hehe... nah, I'm not that crazy. He is showing early signs of a potential preacher or politician though. He has started putting a hand in the air and just shouting out babble to his hand. He is very spirited about it. When he is in the mood, he'll do it for long periods of time. One day when we were shopping and we got to the checkout the clerk said to Eli "Oh, you were the one making all that noise". Let's say he likes to be noticed. But he's also extremely shy in groups which is an odd combination. I realized this week that I might have to work on some jealousy problems because as soon as I am holding another baby, Eli becomes the most clingy snuggly thing ever. However, I secretly loved it since he seems to be turning into more of a go-boy instead of a cuddle-boy.

I think that is about it from this house. I'm starting to feel a little more stable as I exit the first trimester and I have a lot more energy. We're loving the warmer weather (I think its here now) and looking forward to a fun summer with an awesome little boy.

Congrats to our friends Michael and Jill Maysmith who had a baby girl Isabella on April 12. Head over to Jill's Blog to see some adorable pictures!

Version 2.0

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:04:18 -0400

Spring is here and it's not only the bunnies at UVic that are reproducing. Travis and I are expecting another baby! The due date is November 3rd-ish. To save you from doing the math, that will put Elias and his little bro or sis about 18 months apart. It is going to be a challenge for a few months to have two so close together but we have always wanted our kids to be close in age so here we are fulfilling our plan.

The picture shows Eli and I wearing the t-shirts we used to announce our good news to the family. Eli's shirt has Version 1.0 printed on it and my shirt has Version 2.0 over my soon-to-be-large-again belly. We thought the theme was cute but a few family members needed a little help to get the message.

I have been feeling a more ill than I remember with Eli. Maybe that's because of the selective memory I have of my first pregnancy. I've also been incredibly exhausted and generally uninspired. I think it is much harder that I have been off work because I am not hesitating to take advantage of afternoon naps. I also have more time to think about how unstable I am. I'm really looking forward to the second trimester.

10 Months - Gone Vertical

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:35:34 -0400

Here are the pictures from Elias' 10th Month. I'm running a few days late this month because when I looked at our photo library last week, I realized that we had only taken 6 pictures! Instead of posting 6 pics I decided to hold off until the end of the weekend so we could get a few more pictures.

I don't know where this month has gone. It feels like just last week that we were waiting and waiting for Eli's first tooth. Well, now he has 6! 4 on the top and 2 on the bottom. He has been generally a little more grumpy but I think that is mostly due to the teeth arriving so quickly.

The biggest change this month has been the switch to standing. He learned to pull himself up into a standing position early in the month. Transitioning back down onto his bum was a harder feat learned almost two weeks later. We had a lot of fun times, picking up Eli and putting him back down only to have him stand up again because... well he could. Nap time was a complete nightmare. He would stand in his crib, get angry because he was stuck, but when I came in to put him back down he would get really angry at me because then he had to stand up again. Luckily, the novelty of standing at nap time has worn off and he is back to going to sleep sans big fuss.

We're looking forward to the venture of walking however there is a small part of me that really misses that little infant that remained in the exact position you left him when you ran into another room for a few minutes.

The Frugal Mama: Organic vs. Nonorganic Milk in Canada

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:12:37 -0500

With Eli nearing his first birthday and getting close to starting on whole milk, I have considered switching the whole family or just Eli onto an organic milk. It only took a few minutes of searching to find a milk delivery service in Victoria that would deliver cute little glass bottles to my door. It doesn't get much better than that does it? Well at the same cost for one litre that I currently pay for four litres, it had better be darn better! I must admit I was fully prepared to pay but when I mentioned switching our milk to Travis he pulled my happy Utopian land of organic milk and honey into check with one question: Why?

I quickly spit back these reasons:
1. there are no growth hormones used on the cows
2. there are no antibiotics in the milk

Then I hit google so I could have some facts to backup my statements and I found other people with the same quandaries about regular old Milk. They were concerned about the same issues as me but also added two considerations which added to the argument for Organic milk.

3. livestock are treated better
4. livestock can only eat organic feed

To me, being frugal isn't always about buying the cheapest thing, it is about knowing when you can make that cost shortcut and when you really should spend the extra money. So, I continued my research. I found a curious article that pointed out a few differences between Canadian Dairy Regulations and the American Dairy Regulations...
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The Frugal Mama: Make it at Home: Gnocchi via Pâte à Choux

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:34:09 -0500

I know. Three posts in one day! I've been banking up material for a while now but I never seem to get around to posting in the evenings. Today I had a super lazy day so I'm ripping down my todo list and trying to finish some small things to make me feel like I accomplished something.

I had an extremely impromptu discovery tonight. I decided to make spaghetti and meatballs and when I was just about ready to mix all the ingredients together for meatballs, I realized that we were out of pasta. Never fear, because I am reading this great book which I know I have previously mentioned but I'll throw another plug in here because I am still really enjoying it. It is going to be one of those books that I read two or three times and get something new out of every time.

Just last night I had read a chapter on Pâte à Choux dough which is also known as puff pastry dough. This simple preparation of flour and water can also be used to make Gnocchi so it was on! I quickly whipped up the dough and threw it into a plastic bag, cut a corner off and piped the dough into boiling water using scissors to cut at even intervals. It was amazingly easy and tasted great too. I served it under spaghetti sauce and meatballs with some oven roasted tomatoes and red peppers. Eli was a fan of his dinner even though he doesn't look incredibly pumped! This picture captures his mood tonight well. He was a bit of a grump.

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The Frugal Mama: Make it at Home: Sausage

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:11:32 -0500

I've never been a fan of breakfast sausage until my Mom cooked me some of her homemade sausage patties. These pork sausages have some serious bite but none of the noxious grease when you bite into a casing (ew!) and none of that "I feel like I'm going to hurl" after effect. I know that anyone who has eaten breakfast sausages in a cheesy restaurant (read as Denny's or bad hotel breakfast or in the Pacific Buffet while riding on a BC Ferry) will know these feelings I am referring to. I now make my own sausage with my wonderful Mother's recipe. I purchase a big package of ground pork from Costco about every 6-9 months and make a batch of sausage and freeze it. To make the breakfast patties, defrost the meat in the fridge overnight or even in the microwave on defrost and make mini burger patties. Then cook! This sausage is not only great for accompanying a feast of pancakes and eggs but is also great for pasta dishes. And it is already fully spiced.
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The Frugal Mama: Make it at Home: Syrup

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:41:37 -0500

I stopped buying the real stuff about a year and a half ago when the price of a medium jug of maple syrup increased by about five bucks over night. On special special occasions we'll still splurge for a little taste of the good stuff but most of the time we are buying whatever is the cheapest. My Mom has made Maple Syrup for as long as I can remember but it never occurred to me just how easy this might be.
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9 Months - The Menagerie

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:39:52 -0500

Here are the pictures from Elias' 9th Month. We've put in a fair bit of time on the couch in the last week watching the Olympics. GO Canada! Eli usually doesn't get much time in front of the tube but this week he has had no other option. At times he's pretty captivated by what's on the TV but usually he is happier getting into trouble.

Lately, our living room feels like it has been transformed into a circus ring. Eli is the Seal because he still spends most of his time pulling himself along on his belly, clapping blocks together and yelping. He sure is moving fast now! Oscar is the lion who likes to sleep a lot but occasionally wants to play. When he is in a playful mood he eats everything in sight and bowls over the poor little seal. Trav and I are occasionally the ring leaders keeping things in order but most of the time we're the crazy clowns running around keeping the menagerie entertained and out of trouble. This is what our lives have become and every day is more fun than the last.

Every time we put Eli down in the living room, there are two places that he always gravitates towards. He either does a quick crawl to tug on the phone cord that is nicely dangling down the back of the table. Or, he sprints to the metal fireplace grate and tugs that around the room. During the Canada and Norway Hockey Game, Trav and I were discussing ways we could baby proof these two hot spots. When a great "a ha" moment came to us. Why baby proof the house when we can house proof the baby! This is the background story behind the laundry basket turned into turtle protective shell for babies. I think we could market this!

Here's a quick update on what's going on...
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Happy Valentines Day!

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:13:27 -0500

We had a busy day!

The day started with some cottage cheese and oatmeal pancakes. Eli was very suspicious of these healthy pancakes (top left).

Then we hit up the pool at the downtown YMCA (top right).

It was such a beautiful day we hit up fisherman's wharf and introduced Eli to the seals (bottom left).

For dinner we chilled with some fresh Salt Spring Island mussels on shallots, herbs and white wine (bottom right).

Dessert was somethin' sweet. Matcha Angel Food Cake with Lime Icing (very centre). For those of you who ask "Why green?" I ask you "Why not green?". I tried hard but couldn't crave anything pink or red. I was just dreaming in green I guess. The idea for this cake has been a long time brewing in my head. It was fun to see my dream come to fruition and it is tasty. I have lots left so if you're in the neighbourhood, stop by for a taste.

Oh yea, and....

This morning Eli woke up with a tooth poking through the gums! Houston we have a tooth! You can't see it well in the picture, but it's there!

The Frugal Mama - Part 1: The Mandate

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:31:25 -0500

I have a little voice in my head whose job is to justify purchases I make. In the golden olden days, like about a year ago, we were a happy double income family with a fairly hefty bank account and two mouths to feed. During this era, that little justification voice remained dormant until a substantial purchase was in the pipe. When I was in the grocery store, there was never a need for justification on any item. It just went in the cart. These days, we are a little poorer and the threshold for purchases that require justification has lowered a whole lot. In the grocery store, I now stop to look at $5 jars of peanut butter and carefully try to reason why I have to buy the blue jar with the peanut on top when it is a whole $1.50 more than the no namer brand on the bottom row.

In the last year I have come a long way in optimizing our money that we spend on groceries. The one thing that has had the largest impact on our grocery bill is buying bulk meat at Costco. Once every two or three months, we spend about $100 in bulk meat and freeze it. Then, the rule is... DO NOT BUY ANY MORE MEAT UNTIL THE FREEZER IS EMPTY. This ensures that I don't have things freezer burned and buried in the bottom of the freezer. It also prevents me from splurging on that really expensive but great looking steak when I go to the grocery store. I don't even have to go into the meat department any more. This setup also forces me to craft the food I have into recipes instead of buying groceries for specific recipes. I used to truck off to the store, recipe in hand, and easily drop $40 on one meal for two people!

Now, I am going to take this frugality to the next level.

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codegoat Photo Gallery Update!

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:04:40 -0500

I have just released an update to our Photo Gallery.

If you browse past the last or first image on a page using the image browser you will be automatically forwarded to the next or previous page of photos.
You can now comment without logging into google.

Thanks for the feedback Josh and Kate! If there is anything that is weird or broken, let us know!

Old Jeans Bring New Comfort!

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:26:01 -0500

So today I did it! I am officially 2/5 of a pound LESS than my pre-pregnancy weight. As soon as I discovered this, I jumped off the scale, ran to the garage to rummage through my old clothes for my old jeans. They fit! Yessssss!

8 Months - Almost Mobile

nospam@example.com (Chrissy Simpson) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:00:53 -0500

Here are some pics from Elias' eighth month. He is getting so close to being mobile but isn't crawling yet. Right now he can get up on his hands and knees but he just sits there and does a little jig and never moves very far. He also, amazingly, does not have a single tooth! There have been times when we have really thought he was teething but there's nothing to show for it yet. Eli is keeping us in line and every moment with him is a real blessing. His cuteness has reduced me to tears too many times to count! We have purchased a new lens for the camera so we can bring you baby action shots without motion blur effects!

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