Wow, I can't believe it's already December and we only have a few more weeks until Christmas. This morning we had a good snowfall- so it is making it feel more like Christmas. I know time flies faster as you get older, but I think having little children makes time go even faster. Somedays I look at the clock and it's already 4:00 and it feels like noon. I like to keep busy, driving Anthony and Ava around to meet friends for playgroup, nursery school, music lessons, swimming, parent/ tot skating (only on a day I have lots of patience). I've never been much of a home body. Growing up I remember riding my bike around for a couple hours after dinner or looking for neighbourhood kids to play games with. I figure I'll probably never have this much time off work until I retire years from now or win the lottery....so I better make the most of each day with my two little cuties.
As 2010 draws to an end I wanted to reflect on a few highlights and lowlights.
Highlights
#1: The birth of our beautiful daughter Ava Julianna. She is just a doll I couldn't have imagined a sweeter little baby. Each morning when I pick her up from her crib she gives me her biggest smile. She is so easy-going (maybe some of it's being a 2nd time momma). I feel lucky because she will go anywhere and sleep anywhere; so it makes keeping Anthony busy a lot easier. I think Ava's been to more parks in her 7 months than I was at 10 yrs.
#2: Anthony is a big boy now. He has been using the toilet since June, after a lot of mishaps. The potty dance video helped a lot. He's getting more independant.
#3: Ed and Geoff and the band worked very hard to put together the Elton John Tribute Show in August at The London City Music Theatre. They performed to 230 people and received a standing ovation. The funny thing was because the lights were on Ed (Elton) he didn't realize it until after when he watched the video. I was really proud of Ed, because I know music is his passion. They are putting together a dvd to market themselves for 2011.
#4: Maternity Leave= No work = 55% pay for 1 year= Spending lots of quality time with the kiddies. They will never be this age again, and before I know it they will be in big kid school.
#5: In February I started Insulin Pump therapy for my type 1 diabetes. The government is finally covering the cost of the pump ($7000) for all type 1's and most supplies through the ADP program. This made the last part of my pregnancy so much easier. I normally would inject 4 needles/ day and with pregnancy sometimes 8-9/ day. With the pump I change my infusion site every 3-4 days. So instead of taking 1424 needles/ year, I now take around 118. It is a great piece of technology.
Lowlights
#1: May 14th my Grandmother Louise died. She was the grandparent that I was the closest to. Growing up I enjoyed our one-on-one visits and lunches. She would listen and was very easy to talk to. She was a special Grandma and I have so many good memories to cherish. She was my last surviving grandparent and was a couple months shy of turning 85. She lived a good, full life, but it was still hard to say good-bye. Late March, a couple weeks before I had Ava I went to visit her with my dad at the nursing home. I didn't know if I was carrying a boy or girl and I asked Grammie to guess, and she told me to stand up and turn in a circle. Then with 100% certainty she said "You're having a girl!"
#2: Also there was another loss in our family (mom's aunt). My great aunt Millie died in her sleep. I think she died from a broken heart. Uncle Ken died May 2009 and she missed him and was lonely when we spoke on the phone. We both live in London, so I would visit her every few months and she really appreciated that. My Aunt Lynda gave Ava her first doll. It was a baby Cabbage Patch named "Millie Dianna". That was so thoughtful.
#3: My mother-in-law Freda was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in April. We noticed she was getting more and more forgetful with street names, stores that she's been going to for years. It is really sad to see. She turned 80 in June and she still enjoys tennis every week and golf in the summer. Physically she is a young 80, but her mind is not. The pills she's on seem to help a bit for now anyway.
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