Exciting begingings to the family get togethers

So on Friday we had a gathering with my great aunts and uncles and there children and children's children on the Klassen side. We got together at Eastveiw as per the norm which is great because the kids race and scream in the gym and we 'grownups' can visit.

The point of this post is that Thom decided to end off the festivities with a bang! After i had Beth and him in their PJ's already to go home we were in the back foyer when his puked! All over his winter boots and the floor. He had told me his tummy was spicy 3 or so times that evening but I thought he had to poo (potty training this week-he avoids the potty but trys not to mess his pull ups the results in him complaining about his tummy hurting).

It was exciting to all the were still at the church, but the most exciting part for me was that my Dad cleaned up ;)

I hope that all of you have a wonderfully festive and loving Christmas!

and I will end the post with our families 2008 recap;

In the Barrett household we started our ‘new year’ a little bit earlier then the rest of the world. Jeff, left his position as territory manager at Ecolab and pursued a new career in residential sales with Creative Door Services not only was he excited with the prospect of a new job but he got a new vehicle (no more minivan) Hello Toyota Tundra, Jeff’s dream vehicle! My sister Angela, with her family, Brad and Ava returned home from living away for the last 2 years. Then on December 14, I left my position at Plezia Insurance to become involved in maintenance (a mom at home). Jeff and I celebrated by going for a whirl wind vacation to Florida for Kelly Saltel’s wedding in Disney World while Thom stayed both at his Gramma and Grandad’s and Omi and Opi’s.
Onward we plugged away adjusting to our new jobs and all of a sudden it was February. Jeff was at hockey (I had wanted him to go) and I called him too tell him not to go home; we needed to go to the hospital to get our baby (only 8 days late). Elizabeth Shannon Barrett was born February 16, 2008 with lots of hair weighing in at 7lbs8ozs. After a quick recovery period the 4 of us, at the end of March, with Tim, Lois and Harold went off to Ambergris Caye, Belize to have some fun.
We had a lovely summer, going to the cabin for a couple weekends spending time with Goni, Dave, Suzanne and Jackson and enjoying time at the trailer in Stonewall with Lois, Harold, Brad, Ang and Ava, swimming at the beach and Goni and Dave’s pool and 2 glorious visits to Clear Lake. I began watching Ava in August while her daycare was on summer vacation and I decided to keep her and will continue to watch her. It is very interesting to watch Thom and her interact, although she lived 24hours away for just over a year of her life, Thom and her interact like siblings.
Jeff did change his work vehicle in September; with all the driving he does he changed to a Toyota Camry Hybrid – which he has fallen in love with! A large portion of our family had birthdays in September and it was a very busy month so October was catch-up time. Now it is time to complete Christmas shopping, writing cards and enjoying the company of people we love!
From our family to yours a very Merry Christmas and only the very best for the New Year!
Love, The Barrett Family-Jeff, Chelle, Thom and Beth

Beth is 10 mths today! wow

Here she is riding the horse like a big shot at my mom's school today!
(She,my mom, teaches at the Adolecence Parent Centre - school age mom's with babies or pregnant trying to finish high school. they have a large need for donations as many moms are living on working only part time or on assistance while in school full time. If anyone is sorting through their stuff household items, womens clothing childrens cloths or toys in the new year or anytime and would like to donate to them let me know)


checking out the handles on the horse, and showing off her big chompers


the high chair I just bought her last week, I didnt have one for Thom and just used a boster for space saving but it is nice to have!
the weekend before last here we are standing infront of our soon to be Christmas tree. Brr the wind was just a gusting, but boy was it ever fun tromping through the snow, drinking hot chocola,te around the fireplace they have inside and checking out the holiday display area. We brought my F-I-L Dave along to get his own tree and cut to down our tree aswell- lol (Goni was out of town)
Here is Beth with her nose as red and Rudolph`s inside at Winddrift tree farm

The ginger bread houses that we decorated

How I dress my children when my dad serves them blueberry pancakes (every sunday)

By the pictures it appears that Noreen and Ryan took Thom, Ava, Beth and their son Logan to see the Santa Claus parade. Yep, it appears like Ang and I had a nice relaxing evening, warm, not outside. Ah how pictures can be deceiving

Beth and Noreen
Thom and Ava standing up in the stroller watching for Santa

Ryan and Logan (isnt that the cutest snow suit!)

Beth at baby group about 3 weeks ago - she was very proud of herself for standing up with the assistance of the chair

Thom this summer jumping off a rock

So I just gave my notice at work that I am not coming back. It was a pleasant 4min and 53second conversation (and part of that was being transferred to my boss). Weird that after 5 years that is how long it takes to end a profession. It was a fun place to work and at times I know I will miss it but I would miss being with Beth and Thom so much more.

I have changed from being H M Friesen then Barrett RMT and CMT to H M Barrett Insurance Broker with a CAIB3 to Mama to HMBarrett Level 2 Insurance Broker with a CAIB3 and Mama to just Mama, well and Auntie as I will be watching Ava still (and Ava's friend).

There you have it fokes I will be in maintenance, maintaining the home and family.

On a side note I talked to someone who is considering conceiving and having a child by herself (IE without a partner). I don't blog often about Jeff but I would not want to be a parent without him. During the pregnancy you don't really need help unless you want someone to side with you while you wait in waiting rooms. Well actually what I just wrote is a lie, when I was told my unborn child had a neural tube defect and my levels were so high there was no chance for the fetus, I didnt share that with anyone but Jeff, we kept that information to ourselves until after our genetic councilling (which was after 3 weeks of waiting) we pulled strength from each other and had discussions forcing the reality of the situation to sink in. Then once Thommy (as a perfect baby) did arrive after 3 weeks I got sick, I couldnt walk down the hall without help because my sence of balance disappeared - Jeff would move Thom around the house, cook, and look after our 3 dogs which up till that time had been our babies. Jeff helps me with backing my decisions up infront of the kids and the general public (even if he doesnt agree with me). When people nitpick at your parenting you can become doubtful in your ability which a partner can help hold you up. He also helps when I am tired after a long day, and am being a wishy washing parent (re Kids are Worth It, Barbra Coloroso) he will remind me I already warned it is time to follow through. Or when i am frusterated and need 10min alone or a 1hour bath, I dont have to worry about the kids, Jeff will take care of them.

I know there are many 1 parent homes, and mothers who have no support network that are able to be wonderful parents. But that is not for me, I would not choose that for myself, I know I need help and am glad to say that I have a parner.

The G3 meeting with the turtle, sweet pea, and bear aka Elliott, Ava and Beth

Beth again - I dont have 1 picture of her with the head on whoops!

Thommy my frog 3years old and his 1st very short hollween (he had a fever all day from the moment he woke up, till about 7pm and once it broke he was his normal self)

Thommy and Ava standing in the stroller to watch the parade, in the background Noreen is holding Beth.

A picture from the summer of Thom and my Dad- cute eh!

We hit some more mile stones since my last post...

Thommy no longer calls Jesus in the manger 'baby jesa' as he did last year, it has changed to be plain 'baby Jesus' makes me kinda sad that he has grown past that. He is also inlove with Santa and the idea that he could get toys from him (and gramma - at the store he when he wants something and I have said no he will responed with 'maybe, I ask Gramma?' -that is his grammer and everything)

He watched the movie 'Cars' and he has a Lighting McQueen car which he calls (and the movie) Queen Lite. He asked Ava 'Do you want to watch Queen Lite with me?' and he calls out to me 'Mama, where is my Queen Lite?" it is soooo funny.

On Friday (nov 14) he repeated everything my brother said in conversation a very annoying development. Luckly that ended with the conversation.

Beth is 9mths old today 18lbs4.5oz Height 26.5inch(she is significantly smaller that Thom was at this age and much easier to carry around).

She danced for the 1st time to music on friday nov14 - to Ava's wiggles music and then with my brother (he was very proud to have helped both kids develop new milestones)

On thursday nov 13 she let go of me at baby group and stood - with her legs bent - for a couple seconds, she did this again on friday a couple times and has continued every day since.

Both kids went to the santa claus parade on Sat with my sister Ava and Ang's friends Noreen, Ryan and their son Logan. That was different then the parades I remeber, 1 float was a transit bus wrapped in christmas lights. The kids seemed to enjoy it. Thommy got a free plane that was handed out by some float and today as he was playing with it he told me santa gave it to him at the parade ;)

Well, Beth finally slept through the night. On Nov 1 to 2nd while sleeping with Thom she slept from 11pm till 6am wow! Now I am just waiting for it to happen again 8)

We have had a good couple of weeks, Thom had a sleepover at his Gramma and Grandad's while I went to a wine and cheese party and Jeff went to his hockey game and a social (Beth came with me)

I lost my voice and Thom got hand foot and mouth disease, impetego and cold sores - poor kid.
Luckly Beth did not catch anything from Thom and we are all healthy now.

Sadly it is our last week at once upon a ryme-such an awsome program through resd. We will hopfully be able to go to one more session before I start working again...

So my Beth is just flying these days,
She tells you what she wants in her own way. My Dad whom she adores will come through the door and she plays coy, hiding her head in my shoulder, then if in a reasonable amount of time he does not pick her up (usually about 1 minute-just enough time to take off shoes) she will start to yell/ cry and it is completely directed at him, and she lunges her body around, until either he leaves or comes and gets her. She does this with Jeff too, he will be sitting beside me on the couch and she will crawl across my lap to him but we have arm rests and she cant get over them, so she will pull herself up to standing and jerk her body back and forth while she yell/crys at him until he picks her up for her cuddle (Jeff loves it!)

Her crawling is crazy good, she defiantly knows where she wants to explore, I have to have the baby gate locked because she goes to it and will pull herself up it. She was in the kitchen playing one day last week and I went to talk to Thom in the living room (at my parents), when I came back in the room she was gone and I had left the basement doors open yikes! but we found her in the entry (they have 2 entrances to the kitchen) pleased as punch!

Beth laughs when Thom gets caught for doing something wrong. She laughs when he does something I would prefer not to have a repeat performance of. She encourages and mocks.

She trys to wave when people leave, it is a very jerky hand up in the air-so cute. And if she wants me and she is being held by someone and unable to fallow me she calls/crys mama-a-mama-a-mama-a mama-a-mama.

Thom went to the Falk farm this weekend and had a wonderful time and has not yet stopped talking about his 2nd cousins which he has not seen since Easter. It is amazing the difference being able to play with kids makes. I can sit and watch and guide not be a main participator. Bliss.

Forgotten Milestones

I forgot to list that Beth can clap-she has been clapping (closed fist) for at least 3 weeks (Jeff figures a month)
She also started to wave good bye (or is attempting to) this weekend.
Can pick rasins up with her fingers to eat
and had her fist temper tantrum with her legs kicking on Sunday (I put her on the table and she was sitting but my tea up was there and she was eyeing it, I moved it out of her reach and she had a melt down -SO funny)
and ofcourse her crawling is getting better and better.

Beth's milestones

Beth reached some new milestone lately;

At Ava's birthday party (Sep 28) Beth sat up by herself for the very 1st time!

Then on Tuesday Sep 30 she pulled herself up to standing - using Thommy's potty to assist her, I found the potty use very funny if she is comfortable climbing over it - perhaps that means she will climb onto the potty and start using it?

And the last recent accomplishment, a couple hours before Thom's birthday part on Oct 4 Beth crawled for the 1st time. Jeff had his drill on the floor in the living room about a foot and a half in front of her. Apparently that was what she needed to make the knees move forward. (Beth has been getting onto her hands and knees for about 2weeks and would just stay there rocking back and forth until she would lie back down on the ground and slither like a snake to where she wanted to be.) She doesn't crawl when she can slither but she is using this new skill at least once a day for short distances.

And she still loves to be held upright while she stands, she has discovered she can pull herself up to standing while sitting on our bed (it is a sleigh bed with slats perfect for her to hold) and loves to stand there and laugh - she is so proud of herself she just smiles away (She actully only stood by herself holding onto the bed frame when I put her there the weekend of the 19th)