December

December 14, 2007 - January 1, 2008 - Christmas Adventures!!!

December 26 2007 - January 1, 2008 - Toronto Chapter
After a wonderful Christmas celebration in Ottawa the Calvert clan hoped a short flight to Toronto to be basked in even more Christmas glory! We split our time in Toronto between the Mole and the Calvert grandparents. We spent our first few days staying with Gran and Grandy. Kaden hadn't met his Grandy yet - now the set was complete. He also got to meet his great grandparents on the Ross side - Nanny and Papa - what a treat. Also new to all our acquaintance was Braydon - Kaden's first Calvert cousin. What a cutie. Our last few days were spent with Grandma and Grandpa and their dog Ginger. Kaden hadn't taken much notice of dogs to date, but he got such a kick out of Ginger; laughing every time her wet nose touched his hand. All our time in Toronto was filled with family visits and parties, catching up with friends and even attending a wedding! Kaden continued being a star traveler and was all smiles for the numerous new people he met.

Our first full day in Toronto (December 27th) followed the usual Christmas pattern that Craig and his brother Chris have been celebrating for years. We started the day at Gran and Grandy's where we met Braydon for the first time and both boys were spoiled with love and gifts from their grandparents.

After a brief nap (for Kaden that is) we were off to Grandma and Grandpa's for lunch. Grandpa took a turn feeding our chunky monkey and the grandparents got in some much loved play-time. The last time they saw Kaden he was only a few weeks old and he was less than interactive ;]

After Kaden's second nap we ventured off to Nanny and Papa's for more visiting, eating and gifts! It was such a treat to have both Kaden and Braydon together with his great grandparents. Kaden also got to meet his GAGA (great Aunt Gail again!). Kaden got such a kick out of Nanny! He laughed a full belly laugh that we rarely hear. When ever he saw Nanny he just burst out laughing. He got so wound up that Craig actually have to give his Nanny a stern look and pull Kaden aside to calm him down so he could eat dinner! I'm not sure how Braydon slept through all the commotion. After such a long day, Kaden was ready to crash. We still had gifts to open so we surrounded Kaden with pillows on the bed and let him sleep until the party was done and we were heading home.

Listen to that laughter!!!
    

December 28, 2007 - No visits were long enough, but we were so happy that would could sneak in a quick visit with Amy - somehow we managed to coordinate both of our whirlwind Christmas tours!

That night the Christmas celebrations continued with the Ross family party. Almost all of the aunts uncles and cousins were there. Kaden loved all the attention and was certainly the centre of it while he was awake! I'm not sure if you can tell from these photos, but all the people managed to fit into one half of the room in order to get a front row seat to watch Kaden. He loved it! He laughed with Nanny, he bounced and played with Auntie Debbie and his cousin Rachel and he told stories for the whole crowd (does it look like he's using his inside voice?!?)! Again...like a rock, Braydon managed to sleep through all the commotion!

December 29, 2007 - We packed up shop and moved over to Grandma and Grandpa's. After limited unpacking, a quick lunch and an even quicker shower the Calvert clan packed into the car to head to Whitby for a wedding. We were so happy to be in town in order to attend the wedding of a good friend of mine from university. It was also so much fun to catch up with others that I had not seen since then. I'm not including too many shots of the wedding, but thought I would showcase two things. First - of course - Kaden. He was so cute dressed up like a little man and he enjoyed taking in his favourite pastimes while at the wedding - reading and standing. And secondly - the cake! Friends of the bride and groom made this cake knowing how much they loved sushi (they also spent time in Japan teaching). Amazing. I was blown away. I had to share. Oh yes...that was the cake!

December 30, 2007 - Kaden and Grandpa start the day with some early morning tunes. Kaden is obviously amazed at the skill with which his hands performed.

December 30, 2007 - Next on our "tour" was the Calvert family brunch. Grandma and Grandpa had just about everyone over. I think only those that live out of town didn't make it. There were 7 of the 11 second cousins present. Of course, we tried to take a photo of the lot, but it was unsuccessful. Not even photo-chop could save the day. Despite the chaos of all the kids, Braydon still managed to get his snooze on!

After all the party-goers were gone, we tried to get a few shots of all the Calvert men.

December 31st, 2007 - On the eve of a new year, Kaden finally gets some quiet time just to play with Grandma and Grandpa (and Ginger)! Kaden loved all the attention and was so happy that his grandparents also play the "putting things on your head" game! It's a classic. I think Kaden caught wind that our trip was nearing an end - he seemed to be telling us that he didn't want to go (again...with that good ol' "inside voice")!

December 14 - 26, 2007 - Ottawa Chapter:
Kaden and I made the trek back to Ontario on our own on December 14th. We started the journey by taking Kaden's first flight...yup, just me and Kaden...fortunately our little man is already a seasoned traveler and we survived with barely a second glance from the other passengers. After our first night of getting adjusted and getting a little less sleep than would be desired, Kaden made a great transition to Ontario time. Phew. We spent a week at my folks house visiting Nanna and Poppa, Uncle Drew, Aunt Glenda, Ben and Mia as well as a few of our other good friends before Craig joined us on December 21st. Our first day in Ottawa was COLD. We only ventured out for a short walk to the grocery store, but Kaden was still less than impressed. On our second day we were treated to a record snowfall. We decided not to leave the house that day. I guess it was payback for the record rainfalls my parents have been present for during their last two winter stays in Vancouver!

I did put some decorations up around our house before I left, but since I was leaving so early in the month I didn't put up our tree. Fortunately I got to decorate the tree with my mom and cousin while in Ottawa. As we get psyched for Christmas, Nanna takes a moment to show Kaden a Santa coaster. Too bad the cross-stitching makes Santa look like a Picasso painting from behind!

December 18 and 23, 2007 - Although the visits are always too short, we managed to sneak in a couple of visits with our pals.

December 18, 2007 - 9 months already! Sporting his Christmas camo, Kaden poses for his monthly photo with the temptation of presents behind him. Apparently he's less interested in the actual gift than in the bows that adorn them!

December 21, 2007 - Poor Kaden...we were going outside and I didn't want him to get cold so we borrowed a pair of Mia's tights. Too bad the photo of the bear on the bum didn't turn out! Some girlfriend is going to love these. He's our lord of the dance!

December 21, 2007 - No baby's life is complete without the tub pictures. And how can you resist two babies at once?!?

December 22, 2007 - In preparation for Christmas, Uncle Craig and Ben test out their icing skills (and taste buds) and decorate an army of gingerbread cookies. Kaden takes a ride in what turns out to be a bouncing-saucer and Mia plays peak-a-boo!

Ah...the beautiful sounds of Christmas...
 

December 22, 2007 - All together at last - the McCutcheon-Calvert-Rodriguez clan unite for a pre-Christmas dinner party. It was great to have all the cousins together again. We were delighted to be present to watch Mia's inaugural crawling. Kaden picked up Mia's arm flail when she visited us in the fall, so perhaps he'll pick up a trick or two about mobility this time! Never an easy task to get kids to pose for pictures; the grandsons trade turns at sticking out their tongues. Kaden loved all the new toys his cousins had to play with...perhaps he'll also take a page or two out of Ben's book and develop a love of wheels. As you can also see, the "put things on your head" game is just as fun in Ottawa as it is in Burnaby!

December 23, 2007 - Kaden was so happy to have Dad back with us. He missed horsing around with him. I'm not sure I'd call this reading, but how else to you keep Mr. Sticky Fingers from ripping the paper pages! With obviously too many ants in his pants the boys head off on a horsey ride.

December 24, 2007 - Not very impressed with the weather or this snowsuit, we took Kaden out for a little Christmas Eve stroll to the Quickie mart (some last minute mailing was in order)!

December 25, 2007 - KADEN'S FIRST CHRISTMAS!!! It was so fun to share Kaden and Mia's first Christmas with our family. We discovered that Kaden doesn't actually like the sound of wrapping paper being ripped (oh dear), but was a big fan of tissue paper! Apparently Craig and I missed the memo that all the adults were wearing red...how festive ;] Despite looking like Christmas bruises, we had a great morning at Uncle Drew and Aunt Glenda's opening gifts, enjoying a delicious brunch and spending time together.

Poppa and Kaden take a break between family gatherings for a little R&R (relaxing and reading, that is).

Christmas Dinner - yum! We had a full table of yummy food and fabulous company as our family friends joined us for the feast as well. We ate early enough that the babes could join us as well. Turkey was on everyone's menu. I'm just happy that the little ones don't compete for stuffing yet! I'm not above throwing elbows to get my fair share of mom's stuffing. After dinner we were treated to some tunes - a rattle and a piano make a wonderful pairing.

Early December - In preparation for spreading the holiday cheer we orchestrate the first photo. The others are some of the outtakes.

December 5-6, 2007 - Kaden's newest 'trick' is that he can now clap on his own. He still prefers to clap our hands together (we make better sounds), but he's getting more savvy to do it with his own hands - on demand or on his own. Occasionally he claps with one hand while the other is in his mouth, but who's to say that's not just as good?! He seems to be enjoying his new skill. I went to check on him yesterday as he was going down for a nap - I could hear him still murmuring in his crib. When I peeked through his door I could see him lying on his side with one hand on the mattress in front of his face. The other hand was in the air above clapping down on the hand on the bed. Too cute. These two videos show how his clapping has improved from just one day to the next.

December 5, 2007 - Playtime is fun!!! Peek-a-boo - I see you! Kaden continues to get even more adept with the Intellitainer. He has certain toys that he loves the most on each side and he sometimes tries to stretch his body as far as it will go so he can play with more than one at a time.

I think this is a pretty clear sign that Kaden is longing for a daschund of his very own...

December 4, 2007 - Kaden is getting more and more vocal. This one I'm particularly fond of...he still says it pretty indiscriminately, but that doesn't bug me!

December 3, 2007 - Kaden is really on a roll...literally. Our little monkey rolled onto his tummy over his right arm for the first time today. And since he can roll back onto his back over his left arm he can now also log roll. It's still a work in progress, but it certainly changes things around here - nothing is safe anymore!

December 3, 2007 - If you think rolling across the floor is proof enough that our little boy is going locomote any day now - what do you think of Mr. Strong Legs?!? On a lark we thought we would see if Kaden could stand supporting himself with the couch. And he did! Maybe it was the lure of the Globe and Mail. Perhaps he intends to be an avid reader like his Poppa or Grandma...or maybe the smell of newsprint just tickled his taste buds. Either way - Kaden surprised us with the following feat. Needless to say, at the end of the day, we lowered the crib mattress...we're not ready for an escape artist yet.

December 3, 2007 - All work and no play can tire a baby out, but we know how to kick back and relax with the best of them. As part of our evening activities, the boys partake in a little jam session.

December 3, 2007 - Also another 'first', but not caught on camera was Kaden's first stomach bug. Poor little guy. Craig and I both felt a little off this weekend, but didn't think much of it - nothing a little R 'n R didn't seem to fix while we were house bound by the snow anyway. However, Kaden woke up about half an hour after we put him to bed sounding very distressed. Craig went up to him figuring it was just a lost soother plea, but unfortunately it was more of a lost dinner sob. We got him up and bathed and changed the bed, but our little guy would continue to be sick for the better part of the next hour. Like good (read mildly panicked) first-time parents we were quickly on the phone with the 24-hour nurses line to find out what we could/should do and if we should go to the hospital. Fortunately, after about an hour Kaden stopped being sick, regained his colour and warmth and became more energetic. The three of us sat up for the next couple hours giving Kaden some liquids as recommended by the nurse and we were all finally in bed by about midnight. Phew. Everyone's a little tired today, but we all survived. However, we don't need a repeat performance of this new 'trick' any time soon.

December 2, 2007 - Yesterday was just a warm up. Today we bundled up tighter and ventured further into the snowy-wild of our neighbourhood. We met up with our neighbours who were also out exploring the mysterious white powder (ps - I love the pink camo). And yes, I realize there are way too many photos, but you'd be surprised just how many we didn't post ;] Besides, is it wrong to hope that this might be our one and only dump of snow this year??? Isn't that what the mountains are for???

 

December 1, 2007 - Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! December 1st brings with it Kaden's first snow fall. Although Kaden has started to stand with our help, it appears that when faced with the camera all his legs can do is bounce. Maybe the snow just makes him want to jump for joy?! It's not caught on camera, but we've got another thing to add to Kaden's recently growing list of "firsts" - Kaden has now tried chunks of banana as well as pear as part of his exploration of self-feeding. He doesn't get the fruit into his mouth like he does with the Cheerios (he's now a pro with those using the ol' hungry-hungry-hippo-arm-lunge), but he's starting to get the hang of it. The fruit doesn't stick to his hand like the Cheerios do so they fall off before he can get his fist into his mouth ;]