End of 2011

What an incredible year 2011 was for us.

In January, John and I announced, to all of our family and friends, we were expecting and we got a visit from my sister Felicia and her friend Shane to our Ontario home.

In February, our routine ultrasound showed a healthy little girl growing away.  I was shocked on February 13th, when John came home from Vegas and proposed to me.  I also got to visit my family and friends in Edmonton for a week.

March brought us a few scary hours while my mom and Henry were in Hawaii awaiting the tsunami to hit.

We quickly organised a small wedding at our home in Trenton, ON to take place on April 2, 2011.  We had all of John's family in attendance and my mom and dad, dad's girlfriend Penny and her daughter Sadie quickly booked tickets to come celebrate with us as well.  At 28 weeks pregnant we visited Hamilton for the Open Bowling Provincials and bowled for 2 days straight.

May was a fairly quiet month relaxing as my belly grew bigger and bigger.

In June, at 36 weeks pregnant, I started my maternity leave and John and I made our way to London, UK, for a week, for our house hunt trip, as John was posted for his job.  We got amazing maternity pictures done from another fellow mama and enjoyed a baby shower thrown by our great friends in Trenton.

On July 6th, while relaxing on the couch and John out playing golf, my water broke.  Headed off to the hospital when we were ready and the next day, July 7th at 7:04am, the most amazing, precious, beautiful little girl entered our lives.  Maci Ryan Nancy Hawman was born weighing in at 6lbs 2oz and 18 inches long.  My mom arrived the next day to help us out with our first few weeks into parenthood.  At the end of July we packed up and cleaned our house as John and our contents were off to London and Maci and I were off to Edmonton.  We went for a visit to show off the lovely little lady and wait for her passport so we could join John in London.

In August, Maci and I visited many family and friends in Edmonton and was thrown a surprise baby shower by my mom and sister.  I got to visit with many more family and friends than I even imagined, it was an amazing day.  Once Maci's passport had arrived we were on the next flight to London to be with John as a family.

September was great as we could finally settle down as a family together.  Got all the sleep schedules fixed and did some exploring to downtown London.  We toured some downtown streets, Buckingham Palace and the Royal Mews.

Off to Tenerife, Canary Island, Spain on the 1st of October for a week.  Took in the sun and relaxed in the heat.  Sidney finally finished her quarantine and was able to join us here in London near the end of October just in time to celebrate John's birthday with us.  I finally drove for the first time on the wrong side of the road, and survived to tell the tale.

In November I started this blog, so all my adventures are all ready readable. :)  I couldn't procrastinate this year, I needed to get all my Christmas shopping done as it all had to be mailed out to arrive in time.

December, the holidays were upon us.  Maci's 1st Christmas was a truly amazing day.  Maci also decided to grow up and start eating real food.  The end of December brings us sadness, as Grandpa Frank Skarlicki has passed away.  We think of all of the happy memories we have and know that he is not suffering anymore. RIP Granpda, love forever and always. XXXOOO

So as 2011 comes to an end, I want everyone to know I am truly blessed to be where I am with my amazing little family.  It has brought so much joy and excitement to my life and I will never forget it.  I am very excited to see what 2012 and the future holds for us.

Christmas Day

What an amazing magical Christmas day we had.  We stayed in and relaxed all day, while Maci opened presents in between her naps.  Maci was excited Santa had arrived and got up at 5:30am.  Maci got spoiled!  So many presents from our family members back in Canada.  I am just going to post a bunch of pictures from our day and say I am so excited for when Maci is older and understands what Christmas is all about.

Maci loving her kitty on Christmas morning.

A great picture of Daddy and Maci in front of the Christmas tree.

A family picture in front of the Christmas tree.

Maci with ALL of her gifts around her.

Maci opening a gift from Aunite Fi.

The cutest jeans ever!

Maci having her Christmas dinner of sweet potatoes.

Maci not to sure about her sweet potatoes.

Maci with sweet potatoes ALL over her face!

Maci is unsure of which team to cheer for.....

Maci with ALL of her open gifts around her.

Maci sitting in her high chair still unsure of which team to cheer for.

We had such a great Christmas and got to skype with lots of family members back in Canada and share Maci's 1st Christmas with everyone.  We miss all of our family members, especially over the holidays.  We love you all.  

Christmas Eve

Christmas is here again! Can you believe it?  I can't, but I am so excited this year to be sharing Christmas with my own little family (yes, even though Maci has NO clue what is going on, hehe).  Maci is already asleep waiting for Santa to arrive.  We had quite an eventful day today with cleaning the house (laundry, bathrooms, vacuuming, kitchen), walked to the store for last minute groceries, made Maci some apple sauce, finished wrapping/organizing presents, got ready for Santa (cookies and milk).

First we start with Daddy's Decembeard....Yes he has been growing this since November 21, ok he did trim it a couple times, but it was getting wild!

Our front door.

Maci is ready for the walk to the grocery store.

Then we blew a tire almost half way there, turned around and heading back home.

Grabbed the carrier and off to the store again. (Don't mind my silly look)

Maci is ready for her apple sauce!

Oh, I am not sure about this apple sauce.....

Maci is all ready for bed and she got the cookies and milk ready, with a carrot for the reindeer.  Left cookies in the shape of Maple Leafs just to remind Santa we are from Canada.

Here are the cookies waiting for Santa.

Eggnog, the UK way.....  Already comes with booze in it.  I miss Canadian eggnog.  

Our Christmas Eve finger food dinner.  Boneless chicken wings, mini beef wellingtons, potato wedges and eggnog mixed with 7up (tasted EXACTLY like an orange creamsicle, not really eggnogish but it was delicious).  Everything was delicious!

I want to wish EVERYONE a Very Happy Christmas.

Real Food....

After much anticipated, long, tough though and denial over the idea that Maci IS growing up, I have given in.  She has began to steal my glass as I am drinking, she STARES at daddy while he is eating, she dove after a pickle as daddy was eating it, and as I had her on my lap for dinner the other evening she would open her mouth each time I brought the fork to my mouth and was getting mad nothing was going in her mouth.  Daddy shared the pickle with her and she loved it, she was sucking it and drooling all over it.  Once it was gone she started to cry.

So last night I gave in.  I wanted to wait until the New Year (as I truly believed she would not be ready until then) but Maci did not want to wait.  So I made her some rice cereal and she ate it like I was starving her.  What a cute, hilarious sight.  She opened her mouth and acted like I wasn't giving it to her fast enough.  Most of it ran down her chin, but that's a learning experience that will get better.

Here is my gorgeous girl getting nice and messy! 

5 Months Old

Can you believe it?  My little Maci is already 5 months old!  Oh where has the time gone!?!?  She is weighing in at 13lbs8oz and I measured her to be 25 inches (which could be unreliable, hehe).  So this post is just some pictures from today, we haven't done to much lately, it is getting chillier out there.

She keeps sticking her tongue out at me.... :P

And again....

She also makes funny faces!

But she is super cute!

"Hey Everybody, look at what I can do......"

"I am also working on strengthening my arm so I can start crawling soon."

Maci and Sidney are getting ready for Santa to arrive!

   

December Has Arrived

Well December is here once again, the holidays are among us.  They creep up so quick each and every year (especially since I just wait for my birthday, then December sneaks right on in behind it).  I am very excited for Christmas this year as it will be Maci's first Christmas.  I know she won't remember it but I will and the photos will.  I am excited to share all of my family traditions with her as our own little family now.  It is a little bitter sweet though as I know family would also love to share her first Christmas and be together but we are on our own this year.  Now how am I going to make a turkey... I haven't quite figured that out yet (probably give the task to John).  So now that it's December 1st it is time to decorate!  Christmas tree went up, decorated the tree, and put the few other decorations that make it to the UK around.  I would like to go get more decorations this weekend as I am not completely satisfied with what we brought.

Here is Maci in her Christmas sleeper, she is going to help me decorate the tree, while she jumps of course.

She is very intrigued.

This never happens so I had to post the picture.  I also had to place Maci beside Sidney and take the picture quick.  Sidney was gone quick.

Here is the decorated tree and my singing Christmas tree on the table.

The stockings are hung by the fireplace, but Maci's is missing.  Sure hope Santa got the memo to bring her one. ;)

Winter Wonderland

Off to the beautiful yet chaotic city of London today.  We took the tube downtown to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.  It was a beautiful day, around plus 13 with no clouds in sight, and just a bit of wind.  We set off around 10am after John & Maci gave me my cards and made me breakfast.

Maci slept the entire tube ride there all bundled up in the ergo.  Here we are at the entrance, LOOK at all those people.  It was packed, especially right at the entrance.  It was like a maze trying to get through, but extremely gorgeous and puts you in the holiday mood.

Daddy & Maci hanging out with the fake snowman as we have NO snow, thats right, plus 13 and NO snow.  (Now that I have written that I expect to wake up with white grass.)

I am really not sure what Santa was trying to do here: escape? Climb down a chimney? 

There was a beautiful real ice skating rink with a band set up in the middle singing songs, looked exactly as a Winter Wonderland should.

The critters were VERY brave, this little guy climbed up a lady's sleeve then on to the guy's apple that he shared with him.

Maci having a snack and about to get her bum changed in St. James Park.  How many people can say they had their bum changed in St. James Park?  Now she has eaten in Buckingham Palace where it is forbidden to eat and got partially naked in the park.... What a little rebel girl. :)

Daddy playing in the leaves.

On our way back home around 3pm, so a fairly long day walking around from Hyde Park to Southbank.  Maci wanted her own seat on the tube, she is growing up way to fast. It was a great day spent with my little family.  Although, John didn't like the crowds too much, I must keep these downtown London trips few and far between so he will brave them every now and again.  Then when we got back to the tube station John made ME drive home.  So now I have driven twice and he continued to tell me I was hugging the curb too much.  It is very difficult to get use to driving on the wrong side of the road, but I WILL figure it out, sooner or later.