Hey friends, we are having soooo much fun in Mexico!!! Our friends wedding is tomorrow and I can not wait for even more good times. I obviously have been taking a billion and ten pictures out here and am excited to share some of them with you. I have been randomly posting a couple pics here and there on my blogs FB page and Instagram. If you want to take a peek just click on one of the icons on the right hand side. I also hopped on the vine train, search for me under Jenna H or smalltowninsanity. I hope you all are having a great week! I will be joining the blogging world again soon. Xoxoxoxo

Dear Willow (6 Months)

Dear Willow,

 You turned six months on Saturday! Whyyyy are you growing up so fast? Can you please slow down? I am loving this age so much. You have accomplished so many little milestones that make mama and daddy beam with pride. We went to our first play group in our new town and there was one little friend that was your age. Maybe you and Austin will become great friends one day :). We are taking you on your second plane ride to Mexico next week. We are super excited to dip you in the warm ocean and play around in the pool.

- You weigh 17lbs 3ozs

- You are 27 inches long

- We started you on solids a couple of weeks ago. So far you have had peas, bananas, sweet potato & turkey, avocado, blueberries & rice cereal. Your faves are definitely bananas & peas.

- Your poops are officially stinky :(

- You think Lily & Daddy are hilarious.

- When mama starts laughing you do too. We laugh a lot!!

- You are so smiley. Whenever you give a big grin you stick your tongue at the roof of your mouth.

- You love your exersaucer

- Everything goes into your mouth

- For clothes you are wearing everything from 3-6 month, 6 month, 6-9 month, 6-12 month, and 9 months. It totally depends on the make. We have many options that is for sure. For sleepers you are in 6-9/12 month or 9 month.

- We had a hard time sleeping this past month. You would wake up every couple of hours and want to stay up for an hour at a time. We tried the crying it out method which lasted two nights. I couldn't handle hearing you so sad. The past few nights you have been sleeping SO GOOD. I have came to the conclusion that you need more food before bed.

- You wake up at 7am to nurse and then you go back to bed until 9. You play and then have cereal at 10:00, 10:30 is nap time for 30 min to an hour, and then you play play play. You nurse at 1:00pm and then we give you some solids. We play play play and then you go down for a nap from 3pm-5pm. You eat dinner (breastmilk and solids) at 5:30pm and then play play play. 7:00pm we start getting ready for bed. We cuddle, then you have a bath, you nurse and then we read a story. You are down at 8pm. You wake at 12:00am and then I fill your belly with formula. We have found that fills you for longer. You wake at 5:00 am to nurse. I am liking this schedule we are on :)

- You are a rolling machine

- You can sit up by yourself for short periods of time. A toy in front of you usually helps you to stay up longer

- You are starting to talk more and more

- You definitely know your name

-  You find your hands fascinating

- You grunt when we don't feed you fast enough. It's so cute feeding you with a spoon, you remind me of a little bird

- Bath time is still your fave. We brought you to the pool a couple of weeks ago but the water was too cold for you to enjoy yourself

- Your gums are sooo white. Those teeth are going to be popping through any time!


We love you to the moon and back Willow Rae xoxoxo

Hello?

The Weather Outside Is Frightful

We had a big snowstorm last weekend and about 20cm fell. I LOVE the "feeling" of a good thunderstorm or blizzard. That feeling of being forced to coze out by the fire and hibernate in the safety of your home with your family and watch the chaos ensue outside. Willow and I cuddled up with a fuzzy blankie and a whole bunch of stuffy's, while J gets too restless and does crazy things like walk the dogs in a snow storm. I don't even think its considered walking at that point, more like going into battle, and getting your ass kicked by wind & snow. Not fun! Although I pulled a crazy and had to get some photo's of the snow. I got punched in the face a dozen times by the wind and unfortunately the pics just didn't do the storm justice.

The snow coverage is unreal for skiing now though. The trails are already all groomed up and I had a great ski today :)

The dogs appear to be getting a whooping

Cross Country Skiing

By the end of this winter I will probably be a cross country ski PRO. J took me skiing for my first time here and I thought it was the hardest thing in life. I promise I am not being dramatic, going up hill on ski's for miles is serious work! So I was a little apprehensive to go skiing again. Uhhhm cross country skiing in the prairies is easy peasy. Well it's still a sweet work out and my body ached for days but it is so much easier for the beginner skier like myself. When we went skiing in Nova Scotia I spent the whole time pretty much on my ass but this time only 3 falls. I am going to become so good out here that I will shock Anne & Michee at Tuonela the next time we make it out there ;)

J & I had the most perfect "date" skiing while my inlaws looked after Willow. They even prepared us a delish ham casserole when we got back. Thanks again Grandma & Grandpa xoxo

We look pretty professional, don't we?

A well deserved break

Hey little friends

What a hunk of burning love

So graceful

Trying to get back on the path

Sleigh Rides

Some days I really don't feel like leaving the house. I get in my winter depression mode and just want to fill my face with warm food and drinks and cuddle with my babe. I am grateful when J drags us out of the house to go for winter walks. I never regret it.

Today we tried out the sleigh Grandma bought for Willow and she loved it! She just chatted to herself and enjoyed the snowy white scenery. I loved it as well as it makes me work a little harder to get up those hills and I got a good work out in.

Golden Globes

For those of you who have been following my blog or know me personally you would know that we just went through a big move at the end of October. We moved half way across Canada, from Cape Breton back to Manitoba. I wasn't to keen on the idea of moving back as I am absolutely in love with Cape Breton. Well CTV just announced that the Golden Globes are giving their guests a 3 day VIP trip to Cape Breton! Wha Wha Wha?!?! Obviously any well known celeb could afford a trip anywhere in the world themselves, but there is a teeny tiny chance at least a couple of them will take up the offer. I could have been doing some major celeb creeping since CB isn't all that big.  DANG! Maybe next year they will offer a 3 day VIP trip to Manitoba?

For all of you celebs reading my blog, I would have creeped on you so hard! What a shame. I hope you enjoy my most favourite place in the world.
 

Happy New Year!!

As you get older don't you find New Year's Eve to be a tad over rated? Yes, sure I love getting all dolled up once in awhile. Yes, I love to have an excuse to drink to much champagne. Yes, I love the vibe at a huge party when the clock strikes 12. But I also love spending time with my loved ones rather than a bunch of strangers. This year we surprised J's parents at their house and had a mellow night chilling in the basement while sipping on some vino. I am shocked Willow made it past 12:00 because she was up allll night long the night before. When I say all night I mean she slept maybe, just maybe an hour. She has never had a night like that... ever. To be fair to poor Willow it was all my fault. We are just starting her on cereal and I fed her way too much so she probably had a sore tummy. Whoops.

I hope you all had fun bringing in the New Year! XOXOX

p.s HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!! 

Hibernation

After Christmas we laid low and just "hung out" with the family. This really has been our life for the past few months and I like it. It's time spent with the family which makes me happy we moved back to Manitoba. There was a lot of cuddles and warming up by the fire.

Nothing sweeter

J promised me he would buy me a horse when we moved to Manitoba. I still haven't received my horse, good thing I can get my fix around the neighbourhood

As we were adoring my horse friends and my deer friends popped up to say hello

Yep, she is for real

Ugh I LOVE THEM

Princess Willow and her sweet Nana

Willow and her Grandpa. My camera was still frosty from our walk

Come back and visit us soon, family!! xoxox

Christmas Day 2012

As a young girl I would get so excited for Christmas I would puke all night long on Christmas Eve. It was both a combination of eating way to many Christmas treats and the anticipation to see what Santa brought me. This year I didn't get sick but I was just as excited as my younger self to share Willow's first Christmas with our family. J & I are pretty lucky that both sides of our family get along so well and they all wanted to be part of the fun together. No splitting up our day between both sides of the family, just one big combined happy family. All 20 of us squished into our tiny, cozy home and watched Willow get spoiled. Holy smokes did that girl get a bunch of beautiful things. She is one lucky gal, and she doesn't even know it yet.

After Willow opened up all of her gifts the family headed on over to the resort they were all staying in. We had a reservation for dinner at the restaurant there. It was perfect, no preparation, cooking or cleaning. Just eating, drinking, and chatting. I am very good at all three of those :)

Here is the crew...

Cousin Miya

My momma and I

Auntie Sarah/ J's sis and Willow

J & Willow

J's parents/Willows Grandparents

Auntie/Cousin Rhianna (Bert's gf/ my cousin, we like to keep it in the family, Uncle Bert (J's bro) & Auntie Christana  (J's sis)

Auntie Houde & Uncle Gorgeous ( my Auntie & Uncle)

Grandpa, Grandma & Auntie Sarah

My parents/ Willows Grandparents

Great Grandparents/ my Grandparents

Uncle Tay/my bro & Auntie Ash

J & Tay

THE WHOLE FAM-DAMILY

Uncle Matt/ J's Bro & Auntie Marian

We were definitely that obnoxious group taking waaaay too many photos.