Lowell & Julie

The 41.5 week wait...

2012-01-15T11:15:00.001-07:00

It was January 15, 2011- exactly a year ago today- that I peed on a stick at 4am, did a double take in disbelief, and ran eagerly into our room to loudly share the news with a bleary-eyed Lowell. Then we took a family picture...

What a great day that was... and I can't believe it's been a whole year already! To commemorate this little anniversary, Lowell put together a short video to summarize my pregnancy. We call it "Fraser's 41-week Journey: the Fruit & Vegetable Edition". (PS- full screen is best for viewing the prize at the end!)

Or click here.

And here we are now- Dada Lowell, Mama Julie, puppy brother Kumeu, and our precious three and a half month old Fraselnut!

Random yet profound (or not...)

2012-01-11T20:25:00.001-07:00

Some profound thoughts from Julie:

1. When Fraser was a newborn, I was so excited that he had olive skin tone… and then the jaundice went away.

Back in my ignorant days....

Aaaaaand now...

2. When women talk about losing hair post-pregnancy, do they mean losing it due to 9 months worth of hair loss at once… or the fact that these small children rip out fist fulls at a time?!

3. This picture was taken at the exact wrong time. Or perhaps it was the exact RIGHT time…

(Suddenly there has been a lot of that going on. Bibs are our new best friends).

4. Fraser is large and in charge! Last week- at 14 wks—he weighed in at 15 lbs 2oz and was 25.5 inches long. Holy Guacamole! He’s got some nice muffin top goin on… just like his mama. He has outgrown his bassinet and is now in his crib (which was harder on me than him FOR SURE), he's grasping toys and blankets, drooling and spitting up like crazy, and giggling!

This kid better learn to walk soon because I’m not going to be able to carry the little chunko anymore. This is Fraser dwarfing his friend, Nico, who is 6 weeks younger than him...

Granted, Nico's a preemie. But seriously... CUTE!

5. Fraser received the MOST adorable gift from my great uncle and aunt: a gift card for Dairy Queen! How cute is that?! Hopefully we'll have the self control to save it for when he can actually use it.

6. It sort of makes me want to cry when I think about how tiny my brain seems to have become. My memory used to be my forte. Now… not so much. If I retain ANY information, it's completely useless tidbits such as the length of Kim Kardashian's marriage (72 days). Ridiculous (both my memory AND the length of her marriage). Hopefully my brain will eventually function at full capacity again, but in the mean time… I shall enjoy my CURRENT super power…

(Thanks for the shirt Dave & Janelle)!

7. We have been having an unusually snowless winter, and I'll be honest... I'm LOVING it!

8. Fraser has been consistently sleeping 5-7 hours for the first stretch, and Lowell—BLESS HIS HEART—took the second shift with Fraser during his Christmas holidays so I got to sleep in until 8 or 9am after only waking up for ONE FEED! It was a beautiful thing.

9. A couple o' randoms...

And those are all the profound thoughts I could muster up for today!

Big ol' Blessing of 2011!

2012-01-08T20:05:00.003-07:00

We feel as though we were blessed again and again and again in 2011, but the biggest blessing of all was baby Fraser. What better way to start 2012 than with a swackload of pictures of our little (mostly naked) Fraselnut (courtesy of the fabulous Jen of La Di Da Lane Photography)?!

And, of course, since I had not one but TWO Nutella shots...

...Fraser needed one too (obviously)!

We are sooooo thankful for our little dude. Happy New Year y'all!

Baby's First Christmas!

2011-12-31T18:00:00.001-07:00

Fraselnut's first Christmas was brown as brown can be... and the toques really weren't necessary (like, at all).

We had a low key yet pleasant Christmas Eve and Day with my parents (as none of my siblings came home this year boo hoo). We had loads of fun eating, conversing, attending church, caroling/visiting (our caroling skills were adequate(ish) but a far cry from the whole-family-ensemble), skyping with sibs, watching Borrowed Hearts (a cheesy Christmas classic at the G home), and even opening presents (which was unexpected this year!)...

Fraser pulled out his 'A' game and gave us some fantastic Christmas smiles!

On the 26th, we packed up and headed to the farm for a T family Christmas. First up was a gathering with the extended family where the great grandchildren sang a little tune. Auntie Erin made sure Fraselbutt was included, but he wasn't the most active participant you ever did see (on the far right)...

The 27th and 28th were filled with T family fun. Auntie Marti made a pinata for the grandkiddies...

They all enjoyed it, but the older four were PARTICULARLY intense about it!

Auntie Marti & Uncle Lando also got Fraser this top. It's true. Girls DO dig him. Especially Auntie Julie Anne & Auntie Erin... until Fraser has fists full of their hair (welcome to my world, ladies)!

Lots of giggles with Auntie Marti...

Oops... took it one step too far, Martz!

Side note: Fraser has been obsessed with his hands lately. They must be delicious...

We took a picture of the grandkidlets in their Christmas duds. This is the only one I have where you can actually see everyone's faces... sets the standard nice and low for future grandkid pictures me thinks. :)

Fun floor time with Grandpa!

The 27th was also Carmen's SEVENTH birthday! I can't believe she's already 7. Her mama, Lori, made her this fabulous Barbie cake which Carmen was just ITCHING to get her partially toothless mouth into (and who can blame her?!)...

It was a very merry Christmas indeed. Now if you'll excuse me and this uber rushed post (which I was desperately trying to squeak in before 2012), we must go ring in Fraser's first new year!

Santa Baby!

2011-12-25T09:10:00.011-07:00

Merry Christmas from our little Santa Baby!

Those pictures were taken in Maui (where our little beach santa was VERY popular among other beach-goers), and this one was taken in Lethbridge (and yes, Santa's beard is a WEE bit over the top, and the whole situation left Fraser a tad confused and concerned)...

While we're in the holiday spirit, let me share THIS delightful Christmassy equation:

20lbs of candy (no joke) + great friends with newborns + my amazing parents and their home = Gingerbread Village 2011!

Sooooo focused...

(There really WAS a ton of joy and laughter, I promise... these photographs just captured our more determined sides!)

Well, the determination paid off!

Glen's creation...

He wanted to be sure that we highlighted his not-at-all-ridiculous snowman...

Natalie. Ohhhhh Natalie. She claimed that she didn't have a creative bone in her body, then she proceeded to put the rest of us to shame with THIS... complete with retaining wall, raised flower bed and a front deck WITH CHAIRS AND PEOPLE...

Nicholas' candy haven...

Chelsea's masterpiece...

Lowell's respected work of art...

And mine...

La village!

By the way, we may have QUITE a bit of leftover candy (apparently such things happen when one purchases 20 lbs of candy), so if anyone in the area is in the 'last-minute-gingerbread-house-decorating-bizz', contact us and it's yours!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Wowie Kazowie the rest of Maui!

2011-12-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

It's already been a week since we came home from Hawaii, and I do believe it has passed in a cloud of fatigue. We flew home through the night, and while Fraser slept the entire way (angel child!), I did NOT. So I was basically awake for 35 hours straight... NOT IDEAL! Now that the fog has cleared somewhat, I can look back on our tropical getaway with fond memories- 80% of which are from the nude beach (it's a pretty memorable place). HOWEVER, Lowell made me promise to only tell ONE nude beach story as to not taint your view of us (because we wore swimming suits and we REALLY only returned again and again for the awesome waves... I SWEAR!). So let me start with this little gem...

While I was swimming in the waves , there was a naked gentleman near me who sought me out for conversation. I kept backing away because a) I didn't want a powerful wave to jam his naked body into my not-so-naked body (awwwwkward), and b) it's really weird attempting to have a decent conversation when each time the waves receded below his waistline, my eyeballs would fly skyward to avoid visual contact with you-know-what. This nice/interesting man told me all about how he was a major league baseball star but quit to help people, and now he's making a documentary about his life. I was pleasant with him, but inside I was thinking 'What a load of crap, I wonder what drug he's on'. Bobby Valentine, he said his name was. We all know I love a good celebrity connection, so I had been thinking of getting his picture JUST IN CASE he was telling the truth, but the nakedness knocked THAT option off the table. Well, apparently I'm a little overly skeptical of naked people, because I looked him up when I got home and he's legit. Bobby Valentine is toootally legit! Bobby, if you happen to google yourself and see this little anecdote... please accept my profound apologies and forgive my skepticism!

That's all I'll say about Little Beach, but I'm just DYING to share my other stories, so if you see me, casually bring it up in conversation and I'll gladly tell all!

Now back to the family friendly fun... POOP! Lowell and I brought a diaper genie insert as disposal for Ty and Fraser's diapers. Those little guys sure like to poop!! Here's our diaper tube after one week. Some might consider this ART...

Other than filling the poop tube, we enjoyed chillin at the beach...

Admiring Fraser's "bed" (yes, it is a wee blankie atop a stack of towels on the floor by our bed... he slept like a log!)...

Paddle boarding...

Little walks...

Boogie boarding...

Watching sunsets...

Jumping on the bed...

Date night while Nana and Papa babysat the grandbabies (and Papa played his Hawaiian ukelele!)...

Greeting friends from Lethbridge at the Maui airport, then spending quality beach time with them...

And enjoying the general cuteness of Ty & Fraser...

Oh what a joyous time with family (that ended ALL to quickly). I vote we make this an annual thing (with Shareen, Craig, Carlynne & Daniel of course)!!! :)

Brought to you by the sound "thts"

2011-12-11T14:33:00.003-07:00

Two things to share for now.

1. The pure cuteness that is Lowell and lulled-to-sleep-by-the-sound-of-the-ocean Fraser...

2. Ty. For some reason, he very consistently calls me- his adoring Tante Yulie- "thts". TOTES ADORBZ...

What's wrong with that photo??!!

2011-12-08T19:14:00.004-07:00

And I kid you not, he had two pairs... that we know of!

Maui Wowie!

2011-12-06T09:58:00.005-07:00

* Viewer discretion is advised. While most pictures are simply adorable, some photos are not suitable for all audiences.

ALOHA! We're kickin back, splashing in the ocean and soaking up the Hawaiian rays with 2/3 of the fam. We are joined by my parents, and Marc, Kylie & the ever entertaining Ty!

Our travel day was 22 hours long, and Fraser was an absolute dream! He either slept, ate, or stared at us.

We felt obligated to indulge in some of Seattle's finest during our 5-hour layover in Seattle. I did NOT think it was necessary, however, to include the calorie information beside each menu option. That's just something that I do NOT need to know (as apparently my top choices have the highest calorie count)...

Fraser's mama- while thoroughly enjoying his amazing behaviour- was exhausted. So exhausted, in fact, that when going through security and removing my sweater and shoes, I NEARLY removed my pants as well. THAT would've been embarrassing. Thankfully, we DID manage to arrive without me doing anything too embarrassing or inappropriate.

We've arrived!

We've been in Maui for two days, and already there has been so much fun and cuteness! Let me prove it...

Little Tyrn put on his Daddy's gear and worked the camera (much to the amusement of the beach crowd). SO cute!

We went to the nude beach again!! Mom and Kylie stayed back with the kiddies while Dad, Marc, Lowell and I sought out the best boogy boarding waves on the island. We also went to see the Sunday evening fire dancing. THANK HEAVENS the majority of the people there were wearing swimming gear and there was no pressure to be naked. This year I was not so keen to join in the nakedness because things have changed post-baby, and also because I was there with my brother and Dad and things could've gotten awkward.

After the most beautiful sunset ever, we joined the fire dancing circle.

Marc joined the drummers, and I got the most amazing (read: disturbing) shot (totally unintentionally might I add)...

(The gentleman behind Marc was playing the piccolo.)

We could've done without all the nudity and drugs around, but the fire dancing WAS pretty dang cool...

Head over to Marc's Hawaiian post for some laughs. That boy sure has a way with words!

Now if you will excuse me, the beach seems to be calling my name.

What's up in Fraserville?!

2011-12-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm… what’s new. Welllll…

1. Fraser weighs in at 13lbs 1.4oz at 9 weeks! He also got his first set of vaccinations. That was NOT fun… for either of us. They haven’t seem to have effected him yet… fingers crossed it stays that way!

2. At the dog run, Kumeu got attacked several times by the SAME dog whose owner did nothing whatsoever to discipline him. (In retrospect I wish I would’ve drop-kicked the dog and/or his owner back to the parking lot as clearly my stern voice and simply pushing the jerkface bully of a dog away didn’t cut it). Kumeu seems fine… but SERIOUSLY.

The next day at the same dog run, Kumeu was chomping on and carrying something that looked like a stick. I was calling him in my sappy mothery voice, “Come to Mama! Mama will throw it for you!” And he brought me a deer leg. That’s right… the LEG of a DEER.

No I will NOT throw that for you, dear. I carried it (using a poop bag) the rest of the way and disposed of it. When we got home, Kumeu threw up. Coincidence? I think not.

3. Last weekend we took a spontaneous road trip to Calgary with Glen, Natalie & baby Hope. McCafe coffees that kept us buzzing (and literally shaking) for 12 hours, boys carrying babies while girls SHOPPED, having to pull over in Granum to breastfeed, getting home at 1:30am... epic. Too bad we have no photographic evidence!

4. LOVE the moby wrap! You can’t really see it here, but he IS in it, and it IS comfy for both of us (I gather he’s comfortable because he’s usually fast asleep within the first minute). I resurrected one of my way-too-big-for-me winter coats from my awkward jr/sr high years (I perpetually purchased clothing items that were far too large for me). It’s no fashion statement but it works like a charm!

5. Fraser has been AMAZING this week. He’s been giving me 5-7 hour stretches of sleep at night, he’s been napping consistently during the day, AND he’s been SNUGGLING! In other words, he has been doing the exact opposite of what I previously claimed. This kid has been out to prove me wrong ever since his conception. Oh crap. Did I just jinx it?!

6. My mama got Fraser to take a bottle (filled with my personal goods of course)! You know how WONDERFUL that is??! It opens up soooo many opportunities! Did someone say DATE NIGHT??!! Speaking of my Mom, she’s pretty much the most amazing Nana on the face of the planet. She has offered to take Fraselbutt in the (early) mornings so I can potentially exercise and attempt to regain some semblance of my pre-pregnancy body. I looooooove my mama!!

7. Oh yes. And one more thing. We’re currently en route to HAWAII!!

Soooooo much more to come on that!

Movemberless

2011-11-30T07:32:00.004-07:00

I have previously reported my distaste for mustaches... have I mentioned how THRILLED I am that Lowell did not participate in Movember this year? It's a good cause and all... but seriously. Ew.

It's official, folks...

2011-11-26T10:07:00.002-07:00

We have a little smiler on our hands!

And also a smirker...

We get the best smiles when there's not a camera in his face (the little turkey), but Lowell managed to capture an adorable smile to pout transition when attempting to obtain video evidence of his smile. I love his little pouts- oh how they make me giggle so! Check it...

(Lowell's kisses tend to have that effect).

Fraselgoop usually sleeps at some point during the day... but not always (much to his mama's chagrin). He's a very awake and alert dude! I must say, I LOVE the moments when he sleeps on my chest... and there are far too few of them these days!

He's growing SO fast. 12lbs 12oz at 8 weeks!

This past week, we threw a baby shower for Natalie & baby Hope. Part of it included a photo booth. Before the guests arrived, we had to make sure that the booth and props were in good working order- of course- and capture a ridiculous series of poses...

Nana got in on the action as well...

Lowell and Glen (or should I say Lola and Glenda) also spent some time crashing the shower and entertaining themselves...

I love men with babies! Even these goofballs. Actually... ESPECIALLY these goofballs...

BABY SWAP!

Travesty of travesties, we didn't get a picture of Natalie and Hope together at their shower. We did get one of Emily and I kissing Nat though...

And then I stole one of Nat and Hope's professional shots so y'all can see this beautiful duo...

What fun!

Over and out from the smiler and his proud parents!

My sentiments exactly...

2011-11-23T12:20:00.006-07:00

No this is NOT my stomach, but my friend Mandy found this picture/poem by Cassie Fox, and it hit close to home...

It's true... although I would still sort of like them to disappear!

Randoms with Fraselton

2011-11-17T21:55:00.001-07:00

1. Fraselbutt gave me my first 6-hour stretch of sleep on his 6-week birthday! There hasn't been a repeat, but oh what a glorious night it was. Our little beef patty is now 7 weeks old and weighs in at 12lbs 5.6oz!

2. Fraser's passport has arrived! He now has a passport, birth certificate, SIN number, Blue Cross, Alberta Health Care and RESP. Now all he needs is a job.

3. The hair clip. I do this not to give my son a complex… I do this because I can!

And he wasn’t quite sure HOW he felt about it…

4. I love when he sleeps with his hand straight up. He must just be FULL of questions in his sleep...

5. Fraser and his betrothed: little miss Hope!

6. Apparently I’m not the only member of this family with a Nutella problem. Julie Anne & Ryan gave us some as a baby gift, and I was very proud of myself for not eating it even though it sat on the register in our bedroom (not sure why I never put it in the kitchen by the way). I swear that it was full just the other day, but yesterday morning I did a double take when I saw clear through the container. Say WHAT? It was gone! Initially, I second guessed my sanity and thought I was perhaps eating it in my sleep, but nope… it was Lowell. And he used his FINGERS. How barbaric. At least I was classy enough to use a SPOON. It's a good thing he’s not doing P90X anymore because I guarantee you that Nutella by the tub is not part of the food plan.

7. We can hardly wait for Fraselnut to crack that first real smile. I think he’s ready and he wants to but he’s holding back because he knows that the second we witness a genuine smile, the camera will be a permanent fixture directly in front of his adorable little face.

8. Lowell turned THIRTY on the 13th! His birthday celebration was lovely and included a little scavenger hunt. As part of the hunt, we went to the dog run. During the walk, Kumeu had already made it to the top of a hill when he turned and saw that we were still at the bottom taking a self-portrait. He started BARRELING down the steep hill heading directly for us. Thoughts flashed through my mind such as "what's he doing?";"surely he won't ram right into us"; "he's going fast!" And before I knew it, he took my legs right out from under me, and I went flying. What I wouldn't give to have had that moment on video (or to watch it happen to someone else). Well, clearly he wanted to be included in the shot, so we took another picture.

Also, when one includes a dog run as part of a scavenger hunt, does one have a choice but to put the next clue in a poop bin? tee hee hee :)

9. Randoms...

Fraser, Baby M.D.

2011-11-08T08:20:00.003-07:00

I say I continue 'the list' because it works well. Really, it's because I still don't have my brain back. Here goes!

1. For Halloween, Fraser was a surgeon, and Lowell, Kumeu and I were his sad, hurt, and very trusting patients.

We thought it was a good opportunity to take some cutesie shots of Baby M.D with Grandpa M.D...

2. So much fun to be had with Auntie Shareen (who made that adorable hat!)...

3. Little tip from this new mom to other new moms. Don’t try on your pre-pregnancy clothes prematurely. I tried on my “fat pants” (which I wore upon our 15-lb heavier return from Australia), and they're still too tight. Depressing.

4. This boy is growing and changing so fast we can hardly keep up with him! As of his 5-week birthday, he weighed 11lbs 2.5oz. He's chubbin out! He's outgrown his sink-baths and graduated to BIG boy baths!

5. Evolution of Fraser's 5-wk old pout/cry which melts my heart and gives me the giggles at the same time...

6. He’s finally taking a soother. SUCCESS (pun intended). Professionally, I’m apparently anti-soother, but personally… totally pro-soother.

7. First snowfall of the year meant first winter driving experience with Fraser. While driving over a bridge, the truck in the lane beside me spun out directly in front of me, narrowly missed me, and smashed into the guardrail. I pulled over, said a little prayer of thanksgiving that we weren't hit, called Chels in tears, then shook it off and we were good to go. The driver of the truck was fine too, by the way (although his truck had seen better days).

8. I think it comes as no surprise to anyone that this onesie was a gift from Uncle Lando & Auntie Marti...

"Can you smell my exhaust?" Yes, yes we can, Fraser dear.

9. The Baby Bjorn. We've heard very mixed reviews about this carrier. It kills my back, but Lowell doesn't seem mind it. It'll be Lowell's carrier, and I'm now in the market for something else...

10. I swear this kid loves me (or at least my milk makers)... he just doesn't quite know how to show it on his face yet.

11. Frasie Frase is awfully strong. Here he is doing daily tummy time with Daddy...

12. I have now implemented the 'hair-elastic-on-arm' technique to keep track of which side I'm nursing on. Unfortunately, the system sort of breaks down when I forget to transfer the elastic.

Over and out!

JULIE ANNE & RYAN ARE MARRIED!

2011-11-04T20:00:00.004-06:00

On October 8th, Julie Anne (Lowell's li'l sis) and Ryan tied the knot! My parents joined us for the trek, and we stayed at a motel with little Fraser while Lowell (groomsman!) spent the night at his brother's place with the groomie. The small town motel that we stayed at (which shall remain nameless) was a dump of sorts. Our brother-in-law informed us that we were the first non rig pigs to stay there... ever. And I believe it. Our "non-smoking" rooms reeked of smoke, there were cigarette burns in the sheets (classy), and we couldn't get the heat to work. Fraser's first "motel experience" was more like his first "winter camping experience", but ah well. It had a bathroom and beds (which we removed the quilts from for fear of bed bugs), and we ended up having a blast with it and bonding with our endearing little dirt hole...

It provided the refuge that an infant and the mother of an infant needed, and the view wasn't half bad either...

On Saturday morning, I got Fraser all ready for his first big role in life... being a ring bearer! Fraser's seven girl cousins were the flower girls, and being the only grandson, he got to be the ring bearer.

Lowell's 6-year old niece, Carmen, pulled Fraser down the aisle in an antique wagon. I'd be lying if I said that I did not watch extremely nervously with tears in my eyes... but Carmen did such a fantastic job and it was soooo cute.

The niecies in their adorable puffy dresses were quite enthralled with their new little boy cousin, and missed most of the ceremony...

A 10-day old ring bearer... that sucker's going on Fraser's resume!

Fraselboy's Daddio was also quite involved in the day. He was honoured to stand up as a groomsman, he created the bang-up slideshow, and he was one of the talented performers in the hilarious skit that his Dad wrote.

Now on with the actual purpose of the day... JULIE ANNE & RYAN'S WEDDING!! Our good friends at [6:8] Photography were the official photographers, and they didn't disappoint. They got several absolutely stunning images of the beautiful couple! I also included some shots by my papa...

While [6:8] Photography was busy taking pictures of the happy couple, Ryan's sister-in-law Christine snapped some shots of the rest of the crew. Luckily for the wedding party, she just happens to be a very talented photographer (Uncontained Photography)!

As Lowell was looking all suave and popular with the ladies, the bridesmaids joked that it was too bad that they were all his cousins. Lowell's comeback was "the internet doesn't know that." Oops... sorry Lowell. I think I just spilled the beans.

Between the photo booth that Lowell and his bro-in-law set up, my Dad, and [6:8], we got a few little family shots in...

Fraser received many cuddles at the wedding! Here are Lowell's beautiful sisters Janelle & Lori with our tuxedoed little Fraselnut...

We also took the opportunity to get a four-generation picture! As we've mentioned before, Fraser is the first T grandson in the entire extended family, so this is the first picture of four generations of T boys to be taken!

Congratulations Julie & Ryan... the whole day was amazing. Our little family was honoured to be included, and we're sooooo thrilled for you guys!

Happy one month-iversary Fraser!

2011-10-28T19:10:00.003-06:00

Here follows a series of points and pictures to commemorate this- Fraser's one month birthday!

1. Sleep. I recall stating that I was THRILLED that Fraser was getting up 3-4 times per night. Well, I suppose that was great compared to getting up seven times a night, but I'm not so delighted with that any more.... I'd now prefer 1-2 times if anyone up there is up for granting such requests! I AM happy to report, however, that the paper route curse (i.e., waking up by 6 each morning) is currently not in effect thank HEAVENS. Apparently sheer exhaustion trumps the paper route curse! The negative side to that is that I miss my mornings with Lowell. He takes off by 7:45am, and Frase and I usually roll out of bed around 8am. The other morning I THOUGHT I was awake when he got up, and I clearly remembered him lovingly wrapping me in dough (from the bread maker... obviously) before leaving. I also remember fake sleeping so he could complete this romantic act. It was only when I ACTUALLY woke up that I realized it was just a dream (as I was not covered in dough... duh). What does that even MEAN?!

2. I find breastfeeding utterly fascinating (pun unintended initially...but then totally intended). I've spent many hours staring at his precious face as he sucks away on the always-ready bottles hanging from my chest that I tote around with me 24/7 for his convenience. Totally intriguing.

3. Our boy is GROWING! he now weighs 10lbs 9oz and is 23 inches long. The only way I can tell he grew (besides actually weighing him) is that he is now filling out the 0-3 month sleepers that hung off of him at the hospital. If anyone out there is looking to put on some poundage, I'd be more than willing to bottle up some of this miracle milk and send it your way! By the way, I have not yet tried it myself (which is amazing to me because believe you me I WILL be trying it at some point). KUMUEU has, but I haven't. Allow me to explain... Fraser spit up, I caught it in my hand and didn't have anything to wipe it on, and Kums just HAPPENED to be sauntering by (this has happened more than once. I should probably have clothes/towels/tissues on me more).

4. MAN this kid has big hands and feet.

And you know what they say about guys with big hands... they also have big gloves! hehe

5. Kumeu has always been a cuddler, but now he's even more of a cuddler. While I'm nursing Fraser, he crawls up on the couch beside me and rests his head on my lap. Or if Lowell is home, he'll jump on his lap and snuggle up. Don't worry- we've been giving him lots of love. I try to make it to the dog park nearly every day, and he's regularly smothered with hugs and kisses.

6. Frase got passport pictures done! It was a fairly ridiculous experience, but 30 minutes, 4 employees, 4 different positions, and 40 pictures later, a photo was finally selected... and it was the THIRD picture that was taken. Take note: if you ever get a passport photo for one so young, insist that they lay him down on the white sheet... apparently that's okay and it would've been sooooo much easier (with much less crazy flashing in their poor infant eyes). Seriously... how picky can they BE with 2.5-week old infants?! The only way this kid would be turned away from borders is because of extreme cuteness.

The passport should be here mid November, then we can get started on our family goal of taking at least one trip each year!

7. When Fraser was 10 days old, he was the ring bearer in Julie Anne & Ryan's wedding! More on that to come, but I recently put him in his tuxedo outfit again, so I'll whet your appetite with that...

Oops- how embarrassing. He WAS wearing pants...

8. Fraselnut has enjoyed all of his family snuggles from the very beginning!

9. We pass some of the daytime nursing hours watching Ellen, the news, and plowing through the seasons of Matlock & Murder She Wrote. Andy Griffith and Angela Lansbury are pretty much my heroes.

10. Shareen and Maggie (her puppy daughter) just got here and there are many more family snuggles to come!!

11. By the way... I'm feeling great, and the Fraselnut is a generally content baby, and we're totally into a little routine (knock on wood it lasts!). I love spending my days with my boy (and trust me... I do NOT usually look like this (i.e., clean))...

12. And now for a smattering of images of Fraser over the past few weeks...

Check out that HAIR...

"Mommy, I kind of have to poo"...

In an adorable vest handmade by Alisha...

In the absolute most precious moccasins you ever did see...

"Put 'er there"...Well THAT was a whirlwind of a month. We look forward to what Fraser has in store for us this next month! Before you know it, this kid will be headed off to college...

Why Fraser Brian?

2011-10-24T18:00:00.001-06:00

So.... wonder why we named our child Fraser (pronounced FraZer as in laser) Brian? No? Well I'll tell you anyway!

Our criteria for the first name was cut-throat. It could not be in the top 1,000 (according to wolfram alpha where 'Fraser' in fact didn't even show up as a first name!), but it couldn't be too crazy. So, unique but not ridiculous (i.e., no "Apple", "Cocoa" or "Blanket"... no offense to Gwyneth, Courtney or Michael of course).

We have a friend named Fraser who is really good friends with Marc & Kylie (and was the best man at their wedding). We liked his name a lot, and we also really like HIM so there are no negative associations!

Little Fraser was lucky enough to meet Big Fraser in the first days of his life!

Thanks Big Fraser for letting us use your name (not that you had a choice in the matter!) :)

We didn't even know what 'Fraser' meant when we named our boy, and googled it shortly after some of our first hospital visitors (Troy & Kirstin!) asked what it meant and we stared at them blankly and said "Dunno!" Well, it's of Scottish origin and apparently means 'woodsman', 'curly hair', and possibly even 'strawberries' (from the French 'fraise'). Perhaps he'll become a strawberry-lovin, curly-haired woodsman... what a fine catch he shall be!

Now for the 'Brian' part. Brian is Lowell's Dad's name as well as Lowell's middle name. Fraser is the first grandSON in the family, so we thought it was all too appropriate that he be named after his Dad AND his Grandpa T! Brian means 'high' or 'noble' (like Lowell or his Dad need to be reminded of THAT! Kidding kidding, boys...)

The Dad and Grandpas celebrated Fraser's birth by smoking some black licorice pipes...

Now you know why Fraser Brian is Fraser Brian! I'll finish off with two more sneak peak images from Fraser's two-and-a-half week photo shoot by the lovely Jen from La Di Da Lane Photography...

Life at home with a Fraselnut!

2011-10-16T19:50:00.001-06:00

I think the listy-loo thing was working well... no reason to change that now!

1. Fraser and Kumeu. We still very much want Kumeu to be a big part of our family receiving lots of love and attention, so we did not take their introduction to each other lightly. Following Cesar Milan & the Monks of New Skete schools of thought, we first exposed Kumeu to a blankie that smelled like Fraser, then we spent time with Kums before introducing Fraser. When we DID introduce them, Fraser presented Kumeu with a toy. It went well and Kumeu seems to be adjusting nicely to the new little person in his life (although I think he’s a little baffled by all the noise in the middle of the night!)

Daddy likes to cuddle with his boys...

In our effort to include Kumeu, it kind of feels like we have two kids now and not just the one!

2. I thought I was comfortable in my last few weeks of pregnancy… and for being 41.5 weeks pregnant, I suppose I WAS comfortable. But now that I don’t have a 44-inch belly, the water retention has dissipated, the reflux has subsided and the veins have largely vanished… I’d say I had forgotten what COMFORT was. My downstairs area is still rather sore (third degree tearing will do that to a person), but it’s nothing a little Advil, Tylenol & Epsom salts can’t manage!

3. Our boy already has a plethora of nicknames. Let’s see, there’s 'Fraselberry' (as the French ‘fraise’ means ‘strawberry’), 'Fraselator', 'Frasenator', 'Fraser the Laser', 'Fraisin', 'Frasel-rock' (like Fraggle Rock)… and those are only the ones created by Auntie Shareen who hasn’t even MET him yet! Other endearing names include ‘Crazy Frazie’, 'Frazie Fraze’, and 'Frasel-boy'. These are all on top of the popular ‘Fraselnut’ (which has somehow evolved into ‘Fraselnut butt’ at times). Oh this poor child…

4. I still look pregnant… but my stomach IS flattening! When Fraser was first born, I was slightly appalled to notice that I still looked 28-30 weeks pregnant. Add the stretch marks and the full body rash I somehow acquired, and we do NOT have a pretty picture! The rash is largely gone, and I now only look 16-18 weeks pregnant, but the stretch marks are still screaming LOUD and clear. It’s a work in progress, folks. 25lbs down, 20 more to go (keeping in mind that a small chunk of that is these milk-laden breasts). I think I’ll give myself 1-5 years to get rid of the rest. It’s not hot... but honestly? I don’t care. This perfect little bundle that I get to hold in my arms is sooooo worth it!

Funny story. At the hospital, Lowell said “Don’t worry, you’ll be hot again soon” which was immediately followed by a ‘whoops- I just implied that she doesn’t look hot NOW’ expression. And then “you look beautiful.” Tee hee, I enjoy watching Lowell stumble over his words once in a while. :)

5. Since I lost most any dignity I had left during the delivery, I now have no qualms about whipping my boobs out in public. I FINALLY understand moms who do this. HOWEVER, I do control my boob-whipping-out out of consideration of those LESS comfortable with such things.

6. I guarantee that Angelina Jolie had nothing to do with the creation of this child… but check out those lips!

7. Fraser seems to be straightening out his days and nights. At first I saw every hour on the clock at night and he would sleep for 4-hour stretches during the day (crazy kid!!). I’m happy to report that he has now been getting up only 3-4 times per night, and I’m THRILLED!

8. So many firsts! Some of the documented firsts include…

First bath at home...

First walk with Kumeu and the stroller...

First grocery shopping trip...

First restaurant experience...

First time I breastfed WHILE eating at a restaurant...

9. Fraser has such looooong toes and fingers. And he’s STRONG! He could hold is head up (slightly) since day one. I’m positive that while he was in the womb, he was doing P90X along with his pa. Apparently I’m the only lazy bum in this family!

The end!

The Big Birth Day: Part 2 (the part-ay!)

2011-10-12T19:15:00.001-06:00

I can't believe our little Fraselberry is two weeks old already (what a blur!). Now is as good a time as any to fill you in on his birth day PART-AY! Fraser was born early on Wednesday morning, by 6am we were escorted to our semi-private room, and by the afternoon we had our party set up!

Balloons, banner, party hats, ‘birthday boy’ ribbon, treat bags, onesie ‘guestbook’…. Fraser’s birth day party!!

Each of the party guests got to sign the onesie then take home a treat bag!

Before the treat bags were handed out, Carlynne filled in the blanks with the appropriate name (Fraser Brian) and date (Sept 28, 2011). This is what the treat bags were filled with...

All the goodies have some significance... some more obvious than others. The bottle and the sour soothers... obvious. The licorice cigar... also pretty obvious. The Ferrero Rocher??! Anyone? HAZELNUTS!

We're pretty sure the nurses thought we were nuts. One walked in to inquire about breastfeeding, and I was like, "Huh? Breast what? Look- Lowell and Carlynne are blowing up balloons!"

Speaking of breastfeeding...
Fraser didn't breastfeed well at the hospital (and even had to be supplemented with formula), but since coming home, he has taken to the breast with a vengeance. He surpassed his birth weight by 100 grams within one week! I'm fairly certain I have enough milk in these newly giganto breasts to feed octuplets... but it's all for our growing Fraser-boy! GO FRASER GO!

Thanks to our friends and family who joined the fun! Oh there are soooo many more parties in this kid's future!!

Happy Thanksgiving! Love, Fraser.

2011-10-10T09:24:00.002-06:00

My parents put me in a pumpkin.

I wasn't TOO thrilled about it...

In their defense, we were in front of a toasty fireplace, the pumpkin was stuffed with warm towels, AND Mommy was supporting my head. But... they're still figuring out this whole parenting thing...

I hope you have a very happy thanksgiving and get to eat lots of pumpkin (and not be put IN one)!

Love,
Fraser (rhymes with 'razor') :)

The Big Birth Day: Part 1 (the hard part)

2011-10-05T22:38:00.000-06:00

On Fraser's one week birthday, allow me to enlighten you. It turns out the rumours are true… labour HURTS! Now let's talk mucous, blood and other such deliciousness....juuuuuust kidding. I'll just take you through the day sans bodily fluids! (We'll save that for the full video of the birth - once Lowell finishes editing it... KIDDING! Oh good heavens.)

At my doctor’s appointment on the 26th, we decided to be induced the following morning. We arrived promptly at 7am and were ushered to the induction room where I was strapped up to monitors then given breakfast (score!).

At 9am we were told that the hospital had become a zoo of birthing mothers, and we were asked to go home and return at 1pm. ANTICLIMACTIC!

We took the opportunity to have a snooze and take the pooch for one last baby-less walk. (note the nasty cankles. It looks like I'm wearing an ankelet...but I'm not).

We returned at 1pm for the big induction! At 1:30, the gel was inserted, and I began experiencing random (and relatively minor) contractions with associated back/hip/leg pain. We took this opportunity to walk about, explore, and take some silly pictures. Clearly we had too much time on our hands…

Can you spot the bump?

There I am!

Lethbridge is a very windy city and it was all I could do to keep my gown from blowing off...

The hospital...

My Mom came to join us, and she was impressed by Lowell’s soothing powers (as taught in prenatal classes).

By 4:30pm, Carlynne traded places with my mom, the doctor came and broke my water, and things got intense fast. Contractions came every 1-3 minutes and lasted about a minute each time. UNFORTUNATELY, I got to be one of the UNlucky types that experienced back labour. It HURT…especially when I was confined to the bed attached to monitors.

Finally the monitors were unhooked and I was free to cope with the contractions standing. They hurt like stink, but I still managed to laugh it up with Lowell & Carlynne between contractions… and sometimes during. (Yep.... experiencing a contraction here...)

Carlynne is soooo sympathetic...

I also overheard Carlynne apologizing to the nursing staff for the CHRISTMAS MUSIC on my labour mix. What???!! Christmas music makes me happy (specifically of the Celine Dion and Amy Grant variety), and I wanted to be as happy as possible during labour!

Carlynne and the family were busy texting/updating each other, and our nephew Ty sent an encouraging little video...

At 7pm we FINALLY had access to the birthing room with a shower where we spent the next 4-5 hours (while Carlynne sat directly outside the bathroom reading her book and using Lowell’s iphone app to keep track of contractions every time Lowell hollered from the shower “CONTRACTION!”and “AALLLLLL DONE!” We're kind of losers that way).

The contractions were becoming almost unbearable, but Lowell and the shower were my saving grace. Lowell has since commented that he’s really glad he built tons of muscle doing P90X because he needed every ounce of strength as he contorted himself in the shower, pushing against the walls, massaging me, applying pressure where I needed it AND holding the shower head so I had a continual even distribution of hot water on my body. By 12:30am, I was still ripping off intense contractions every 2 minutes but wasn’t dilating more than 7cm, so the doctor decided to put me on the drip. With the knowledge that things were about to get even MORE intense and I was already exhausted and barely conscious during the brief breaks between contractions, I opted for the epidural. This is one of the barely conscious breaks JUST before the blessed epidural...

Going into this whole experience, I had really hoped to avoid an epidural… but I had also hoped to avoid induction, so things weren’t going according to plan A! Good thing we were open to plans B, C, D & E. I’m soooo happy I went for the epidural… for my sake as well as Lowell and Carlynne’s. It gave us all a break from the insanity so we could sleep for an hour and build up some stamina to help Fraser with his final descent down the birth canal!

Shortly after 3am the pushing began, and at 3:49am the doctor announced “IT’S A BOY!”
The emotions that tore through us at this announcement… shock, disbelief, elation, relief, and gratefulness. Lowell promptly grabbed my hand and sent a tearful little prayer of thanksgiving heavenward… WE GOT OUR SON!!

For the first five hours of his life, he was wide awake and stared directly in our eyes. So precious!

We thought that he was hanging out in my womb all that time getting fat, but he surprised us all by only being 7lbs 9oz. Turns out that he was spending his sweet time growing LONG. Long body, limbs, fingers, toes, and hair. (I’m predicting astronomical grocery bills in the future. This kid is going to be HUGE!) And it's a dang good thing he wasn't any bigger because I ended up with level 3 tearing as it was (ouch)!

I am SO HAPPY Carlynne could stay for Fraser’s birth (she changed her flight to the 29th). It was so special having Lowell and Carlynne cheering me on for 15 hours. It must’ve been nearly as exhausting for them as it was for me, and I was SO SO grateful for their support.

Little Fraser is perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Our Little Fraselnut!

2011-09-30T20:50:00.002-06:00

We've survived the first 24 hours at home with baby Fraser Brian, and thought we'd post some head shots for your viewing pleasure. :)

He's a gem... an eating, sleeping, pooping gem!

More on labour, delivery, and life with little Fraser later, but for now the moment you've all been waiting for. The much anticipated WINNER of the baby prediction contest is... KAREN E!! She guessed a baby boy on September 28 at 1:25am, and our little Fraselnut* arrived on the 28th at 3:49am. She also guessed his length correctly (21 inches)! We'll be in touch, Karen... you have tunage and many lattes coming your way!

Also, Kevan W was the only one to guess the weight exactly (7lbs 9oz). I'd say that's worthy of a little prize... wouldn't you (Kev)?

Thank you all for your kind comments, congratulations and words of encouragement... we feel so loved!

*Props to Janessa G for suggesting "Fraselnut" as a nickname for our boy. We've been using it so naturally already, and I'd like to think that eventually I would have come up with the brilliant idea myself!

I'M HERE!!! And I'm a...

2011-09-28T03:39:00.006-06:00

BOY!

Hi, my name is Fraser Brian and I was born this morning at 3:49am. I surprised everyone by only weighing 7lbs 9oz. I am 21" long, I have lots of hair, I like to have my picture taken, and all the nurses have already raved about how strong I am.

I was super comfortable in my Mommy's womb, but I've recently been getting the distinct impression that she wanted me out of there.

This is the first thing I saw upon my entrance into this big bad world...

And then this....

(What does "coochy coochy coo" mean anyways? It seems to be all my parents can say.)

It's been a wild ride, and either my Mom or I will fill you in on all the exciting events of my big birth day soon. For now, I must seek out something hazelnutty and chocolatey... for some reason I have a strong hankering!

week 41 - a ginormously huge pumpkin

2011-09-25T08:45:00.001-06:00

Okay seriously though... this is borderline ridiculous. This pumpkin weighs 917lbs, and there's absolutely no way that can be topped. The local 'Giant Pumpkin Festival' just happened to be yesterday, so we were able to slip in and very conspicuously snap a few photos with the huge-onormous pumpkin while Dan and Carlynne held up our white backdrop sheet. I wish I had a picture to show you how absurd the whole scene was (we made quite the public spectacle!), but in our haste to get the job done and leave with as much dignity as possible in tact, we snapped the shot and jetted.

While he doesn't quite hit the 917lb mark, Hazelnut is still big. Basically, he's a fully developed tot just chillin in my uterus. I'm actually querying whether he's now a fully developed toddler.

I really only have one item for my listy-loo, and I believe it's my most profound thought yet...

1. GET OUTTA THERE!!!!

The end.