Quick update

So, the moving is....going...yea, it's going. I can't wait for this week to be over.

Monday was an interesting day when I was given the keys to our townhouse, walked in and discovered it was pretty much a mess. There was no way Monica and I were going to live there. The carpets were terrible, holes and all, plus there was the distinct odour of cat and cat litter. So, that was a no go.

Luckily, I was allowed to look at two other houses and, after 2 hours, the last one was acceptable. In fact, it really needed minimal cleaning...well, that was until all my stuff arrived from storage. Everything was filthy, but I guess that's what happens after a year and a half in a storage shed.

And, so it goes...

Yesterday, I unpacked 95% of the kitchen and got that organized. I also got the livingroom and bathroom up and running. Today, hopefully, will be my last day of unpacking and organizing. I have the two bedrooms upstairs to go through and then just other odds and ends around the house. So, I'm thinking Monica and I will officially move in tomorrow.

We will be posting pictures once we're a little more settled. We hope everyone is having a great week!

-Denise & Monica

Just call her "Smiles Culham". 

"I've only got 1, 2, 3, 4, maybe, 5 seconds for this picture, Mum."

"Mmmm...cheerios!" Monica will not eat these out of a bowl. They must all be scattered across the floor.

Sing us a song, you're the piano girl...

September...winter is coming!

But, hopefully not for a while yet. Although, you can feel a change coming. It sure cools off quickly and gets dark earlier. However, I did hear that we are supposed to have a warmer than average October. I guess, we'll just have to wait and see.

So, here I am with an opportunity to update this thing. I have been working very hard this past week to get Monica to nap on a more regulated basis. It has not been easy....in fact, it has been extremely difficult, but she is now at an age where I can reason with her, somewhat, and I think she may be getting the point.

Normally, she would only nap in my arms, resting her head on my shoulder, while I bounced and then rocked her. She has also been napping for only half an hour on a 2 hour rotation. This past week, though, I've been trying to break her of that habit and forcing her to fall asleep in the bed. Believe me, this is not an easy task to accomplish.

This is my first successful attempt at getting her to sleep and being able to leave her, without immediately waking her. So far, so good. If she makes it past the half hour mark without waking up, I'll be very pleased. We've gotten close to 1 hour before , but that was at night. I've yet to be able to successfully leave her during the day.

Ok, so now I'm back. After typing that last paragraph, Monica (surprise surprise) woke up. Now, she's eating some cheerios and watching Sesame Street. Well, she had about a half an hour sleep, so maybe that's all she needed, but I highly doubt that. Nap #2 comes at 1:00pm and it should be at least 2 hours long. Dare I try sneaking away? I'm probably going to have to stay through that whole nap just to ensure she gets a long enough sleep.

So, other than working on the napping situation, what else are Monica and I up to? Well, Monica is standing for longer and longer periods of time without having to support herself. On Wednesday evening, she took her first 2 steps towards me, but then fell down. So, it's safe to say that walking is, truly, just around the corner. AND...we're getting ready to move at the end of the month!

We have been living with Grammy and Grampa for the past year and, not that we don't love and appreciate being here, we are looking forward to having our own place. I think this will be good for both of us. It will be easier on Monica, only having to deal with her own schedule. It's been hard trying to get her into a routine, while upstairs she can still hear voices or movement. Even for me to sneak away, I'm kind of limited as to what I can do because this little girl hears every creak in the floor. Our new place is a two story, so seeing as the bedrooms are upstairs, I'm thinking it will be easier for me to go downstairs and get things done without waking Monica up. Well, here's hoping anyway.

Our possession date is Monday, September 26. At noon, we have our walk through and I will use the rest of the afternoon to do extra clean up (yes, I need everything cleaner than clean) and baby proof the house. There are stairs from the kichen to the basement and, of course, from the upper level to the lower level. So, we will be installing strong gates for the top of both of these stair cases. On the Tuesday morning, the movers will arrive with all of our stuff. Most of it I haven't seen in ages, since it has been in storage. I'm trying to imagine where to put everything, but I can't remember what all I have.

So, I guess that's it for any big September news. I'm not sure if I'll be updating again before our move, so it may be a while before we make an appearance on here again. Keep checking and you may get a surprise!

Have a great week, everyone!

-Denise & Monica

Uncle Hank's dog, Heidi, posing under this year's dog walk sign.

John, Monica, Uncle Hank and Heidi.

Monica, teaching Heidi how to crawl.

Uncle Hank and Grammy, solving all the problems of the world.

Grampa, Aunt Elaine, Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Ron.

Heidi, Uncle Hank and I.

Another successful dog walk!

Well, we've just returned from our trip to Yorkton. We were there from Saturday until today (Monday) to attend the "Dr. Brian's Friends for Life Dog Walk". This walk, as I have mentioned in previous posts, is held every year by the S.P.C.A. in memory of my uncle Brian who worked as a veterinarian in Yorkton. This marked 10 years since his passing, so the whole family was in attendance (well, not the whole family, but the most important ones...hehehe).

The weather was great, which was a relief since it had been raining the day/evening before. We all did the long walk making pretty good time. Monica, John, Aunt Marilyn, Aunt Elaine and I arrived back at the start around the 1 hour mark. Uncle Ron and Uncle Hank beat us by about 10 minutes. Shortly after we arrived, uncle Todd and Levi appeared and then, finally, along came Grammy, Grampa, Auntie Angela and Isaac. I think they were about 20 minutes behind us. Thankfully, Monica slept the whole way.

I'm not sure how many walkers there were, but it seemed to be a really good turn out. We got new t-shirts this year, which are extra special. They have the number "10" on them with a collage of pictures of uncle Brian. We all miss him very much, but it's at times like these that it really hits us that he's not with us anymore. It's wonderful to have the opportunity each year to pay a tribute to him and all the great work he did during his life.

John and Levi stayed an extra night in Yorkton with Grammy, Grampa, Monica and I. Monica loves spending time with her cousins. They all went out for supper with Uncle Ron and Aunt Elaine last night, while Monica and I stayed behind at the hotel for a snooze. Then we had a fun time in the pool after supper.

On our way out of town today, I took a drive past uncle Brian's clinic. I just wanted to see it again before heading back to Regina. It brought back some nice memories of visiting with him and seeing all the animals in his clinic.

The drive home was quick and Monica handled it fairly well. John entertained us with stories that, as I told him, made no sense. However, they did pass the time. Thank you, Johnny! Levi tried to entertain us, as well, but kept being cut off by big brother, John. Ah well, maybe next year, Levi.

So, that's it for us. We had a great time in Yorkton and look forward to next year's walk. We don't have much else planned for the next little bit. We have a busy month ahead, but I'll fill everyone in as we go.

Oh yea, Monica is 11 months old! Time flies. She's still crawling up a storm and threatening to walk. I'm sure she'll be taking her first steps before the month is through. *sigh* It'll be more like two steps and then onto running. This little girl is not going to sit still. She's already in constant motion.

Well, we hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. Have a great week!

-Denise & Monica

"I cannot believe how long it has taken my mum to update this thing..." Just one of the many thoughts that run through that little head. 

Monica, socializing, at the beach.

Isaac, soaking up the sun, at the beach.

"Imagine how big I'll be the next time you see me, Megan!"

And, our excursion to see the light show at the Legislative Building...as you can see, Monica loved it!

Have no fear....

Monica and I are still here! I've just had NO time to update this. Have I mentioned how demanding Monica is? I've tricked her into watching "Big, Comfy Couch" (her new favorite show), so I now have 2, mmm, maybe 5 minutes MAX! Well, here we go....

The problem with updating so infrequently is that I can't remember a darn thing we've done. We've been busy, but I need to start jotting things down.

We did make it out to the beach last week with Auntie Angela, John, Levi, Isaac, Vanessa and Logan. It was a very nice and hot day, and the last day of summer holidays for the school kids, so the beach was packed. Monica attempted sitting on the sand and she did, but well, it was a short lived attempt. However, she did not burst into tears this time. Yay, Monica!

Ok, I'm feeling the pressure here. Monica has given up on "Loonette the Clown" and is now sitting at my feet. Oh boy....

We said a sad, but exciting, farewell to our good friend Megan last weekend. She is off to start her new job in England! Good luck, Megan! We miss you, but we're very happy for you. Just watch out for those wacky round abouts. By the way, how's the driving going?

Monica is really, really crawling now. Walking is just around the corner, I fear. She's pulling herself to standing, AND can even stand on her own. The longest she has stood without support, I think, is around 30 seconds. Last night, she was standing and pulling up her pants. Very cute. I wish I would have had my camera.

We're looking forward to our trip up to Yorkton, this weekend. It's going to be almost like another family reunion. We're all heading up there to attend this year's "Dr. Brian's Friends for Life Dog Walk". The Yorkton S.P.C.A. holds one every year in memory of Uncle Brian who was a veterinarian in Yorkton. He died in a car accident, while on a call, 10 years ago, so this year's dog walk is extra special to all of us. It will be nice to all be there together.

One good thing about long waits between blog postings is the new pictures. I've also inserted a video of Monica standing and yelling at the tv. Turn down your speakers a bit...she can get loud! It's a bit dark, but Grammy and Grampa must be conserving energy since they have nothing brighter than 10 watts in any of their lamps...tee hee! My godmother, Paulette, should recognize the video, as she was over visiting that evening.

Enjoy your week...talk to you soon, but maybe not too soon!

-Denise & Monica

*I may have to change the settings on the commenting since, as you will see, I have been spammed for the first time. Please, don't click on any of the links that have been posted.

Monica talking with "Loonette the Clown"

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