4 months

I can't believe Allison is already 4 months old! I've been working on her baby book a little bit at a time so that I wouldn't be overwhelmed if I tried to do it all at once. I want to put her whole first year in one book and I'm using these cards as a way to separate each month. It's a really popular style that's all over Pinterest and I've seen a few friends on facebook using the design and I really like it. I think it's a great way to recognize each month's milestones and it fits perfectly into the book!

I realized I never posted her first 3 months so I added them here as well!

 

Camp Out

 

Today was a really busy- but really fun day. This morning we packed up and headed to the St. Thomas Horton street Market. It was packed with people and was the 'see and be seen' place. I saw so many people I knew- which was great because I was able to show off Allison. She did so well today, she even let me carry her around in her carrier which she usually hates. She loves looking out at the world so now that she has some neck control I can carry her facing out which makes a huge difference. She was too frustrated only having me for entertainment.

We met up with Shelley and the kids at the market and grabbed coffee and breakfast sandwiches at one of the stations. While in the crowd we heard about a short parade down Talbot street (1 block over) that was on its way to a local park for the fire musker. We headed to the curb to plunk down and see some old and new fire engines. 

 

After we got home we started preparing the house for a little get together that Fraser and Shelley were having at my parent's place.It wasn't very sunny but it was warm. We tried to soak up as much summer as we could- I can't believe it's September already! Only 10 more days until we leave for Prairie Village!

After an afternoon of swimming we had a big dinner of salad, corn, chicken, and perch. Shelley called the day our Stinson Summer Sendoff.

We concluded the day with a bonefire (I stayed inside since I am mosquito bait) before the guests retired to their tents for the evening.

Sessions

When I talked to Nathan last night he said that he hadn't seen a new picture of Allison in a whole week- which is strange because I feel like the blog is now devoted to her.

Allison didn't want to sleep today (even though she was dog tired) so I thought it was a great opportunity to take some pictures of her because nothing exhausts her like a photoshoot.

 

 

 My (past) bakery manager at Foodland sent home a big bag of her grand-daughters old clothes and this super cute 3 month dress was in it. Allison was not overly impressed, but I was! So ADORABLE!

 

It's when she makes faces like this when I tickle her toes that I forget about the screams she emits each time I put her down.

Baseball

Last night, my Dad and I packed up Allison and headed to the Doug Tarry Fields in St. Thomas to watch Shelley play baseball. We met my mom there and were able to enjoy 2 innings before it started to rain. I brought my camera hoping to get some picture practice in but we ended up spending most of the game under the awnings about 50 meters away. It was a good game - the Bellas won and it was fun to get out for a couple of hours.

 

The rain cooled off the hot day we had yesterday and Allison had a great sleep with the cool air blowing in our room. Hot days make for a hot temper!

12 pounds

Today I was packing up my room and found a diaper that was the same size as she fit into right after birth. Compared to the size 1's she wears now- the previous size looks like it's for a doll!

When Did It Become Fall?

As I was out driving last night I saw that several of the trees on our road have started to change colours! It's way too early for that! I can't believe how fast the summer has flown by and that Allison is almost 4 months old already!

Summer Friends

My Dad returned home from the Shouldice Clinic in Thornhill today. He'd been there since Wednesday having a hernia surgery done. He's doing well but moving really slow. I know it's hard for him to have my Mom and I nagging him all the time to lay down and rest (since my Dad typically never stops moving).

We tried to get him to stay home and rest today but he wanted to get out of the house so we all headed down to our friend Donna's house for a Summer Party. I can't believe the summer is almost over. We've only had one week of real heat so it feels like we were cheated out of a summer. My friend Ashley didn't know if she could make it today so I was so happy when I walked in and she was there!

We all sat around the pool and enjoyed the sunshine (Allison slept almost the entire time). We had pulled pork, salads, and homemade french fries. We were in charge of the fries and spent the morning in the garage hand-cutting all the potatoes. The were cooked perfectly at the party and were a big hit with all the guests.

Blue Jobs

In our house, Nathan and I always joke about pink jobs and blue jobs. Since my Dad has been away this week, my mom have taken over all of his blue jobs. This one involves travelling to Shedden (about 15 minutes away) to the local watering station to get drinking water. We use a well system at my parent's house and the water is safe to drink but we prefer it get it here (as it tastes a little better).

The jugs were so heavy and it was comical to see me try to lift them - almost as funny as it was for me to try to lift it above waist level to get it into the cooler without spilling any on the floor of the kitchen (I wasn't completely successful).

Five Years

I Just Love This Girl

Alli seemed so much older today so I had to take a few shots of her. She starting to move around a lot and when I put her under her playmate she manages to scoot right to the edge. Yesterday she nearly inched out of her swing - I haven't been buckling her in because I have it lying flat and she never moved before - Yikes! I learned that lesson fast!

This is her sneeze face. She's a really dramatic sneezer and it's the cutest thing. After she sneezes she lets out a huge sigh.

Growing

Allison is changing so much each day. Her new thing is smiling. Often when I find myself smiling and laughing I notice she's starting to copy me and play along. Last night I was teasing my Dad and started to laugh and she started to coo. She's becoming more aware of her surroundings and loves to look at the Black and White Book that a friend gave to us when Allison was first born.

In other BIG news, Allison has outgrown her first outfit! I know it's only a newborn size but she's getting so tall. The newborn size says it fits 7-11 pounds but at 12 pounds, Allison is long enough but not wide enough for most outfits! She's growing like a weed (who loves to kick off her blankets and drool at the sound of a bottle warmer).

In other news, Nathan has really been enjoying his time in KC- Chiefs games, birthday parties, dinner deliveries, and food with friends. A new couple at Wornall (I haven't met them yet) has been very generous with making Nathan some meals and of course, April and Ryan have been spoiling Nathan by having him over for dinner again and again. They are spoiling him.

Nathan sent along these pictures along with a detailed message about how good April's cooking is. This is her baby Griffin- I can't believe how big he is! I'm so excited to see my WOW's (women of Wornall) but seeing all the kids and how big they are is going to be such a thrill! I think of how much Allison has changed in a month and then I think I haven't seen these cuties in 8!

What Do You Do?

I said in my 'Mommy and Me' post that the photographer that I won the free session with fell through. Well, to tell the truth, she stopped answering my emails. I tried for 6 weeks to set up my session and after one email where she promised that she would get back to me by the weekend because she was so busy, I never heard from her again. It was disappointing because I think she's talented and it really hurt when minutes after posting that she had sessions open for the next day I emailed her and she never responded. I felt exposed because she had asked me why pictures were important to me and I told her why - and I didn't like that after I told her about my reasons for celebrating Allison, she still didn't write me back. I think it's bad business but that's her decision, I just wouldn't contact Kaela Wyles in the future for any pictures.

I knew someone who won a 50% off session (from the same contest) and she's now fighting to get her deposit back because the photographer won't contact her back either- yikes! At least I didn't give her any money!

I managed to take my own pictures and thought- hey- we don't need an unprofessional professional! So I called up the other burned girl and we did a quick photo shoot at Waterworks Park in St. Thomas!

More Friends

Allison gets overstimulated really easily and although I love taking her places - it really throws off her schedule. I think she's just really young and I forget that because I've had her for so long.

Last night was a rough night. She couldn't get settled and I didn't get much sleep, but thankfully it was (once again) mom to the rescue. My mom not only watched Allison for a couple of hours in the early morning so I could get a few winks but then offered to watch Allison so that I could travel out to West Lorne for an overdue visit with my friend Ashley. It was the first time leaving Allison and it didn't bother me at all!

I turned up my country tunes and rolled the windows all the way down and sang like a crazy woman all the way to Ashley's. We had a great chat and it felt so good to not be splitting my attention between baby and friend.

When I got home Scarlett, Tanner, Fraser, Shelley, and my cousin's kids (Jeff and Josh) were all at my parents house. After and afternoon of tag and kite flying we had a great dinner of perch and corn on the cob.

 

 

Toronto Today

I've been preparing for today all week- the big travel day! Today was my college roommate's bridal shower and I was really excited to go. Vanessa lives in Toronto (a 2 hour drive) and the event was held by her sisters at her parent's home. Thankfully my Mom agreed to go with me - when Allison had her freakout on the way home I had the urge to leave that baby at a rest-stop.

My mom is the perfect nanny- letting me show off my girl and then taking her when she gets antsy so I can keep having fun. It was the best shower I've ever been too- Jessica (bride's sister) did an amazing job with decorations and the games were fun - oh and the food- incredible! It didn't feel like the party was dragging and even though I didn't know many people I still had a great time and can't wait for the wedding in 3 weeks!

 

 

 Since we were already in Toronto, my mom and I decided it made sense to continue our road trip 25 minutes down the highway to see Nathan's parents in Brampton. We had a quick visit and had a delicous supper before getting back on the road for the long car ride home.