Our New Backyard

We found the new rental house in Edmonton in about a week, but are actually pretty happy with it. One of the big reasons we liked it, was the backyard. We had a walkout basement in our last house, which means you had to walk all the way down through the unfinished basement to go outside. It seemed like such an ordeal and something you needed to pack a bag for to go play out there. Not to mention poor Maya didn't see so much of the outdoors (she hates winter and snow anyway).
The new house has a main floor door to get outside and we love it. Maya and Olivia are in hog heaven. Too bad the mosquitoes are now HORRENDOUS--worse than anything I have EVER seen in Texas. Apparently, the worst winter they have had in 40 years brings the worst mosquitoes they have had in 40 years. SO glad we got to be here to experience them both!

The water out of the hose is way too cold for this Texas girl! She will only dip her feet in.

Olivia mowing the yard (which really needed to be mowed)

We can't get Maya back inside! She loves exploring all of the levels of the backyard

Mike already had herbs planted weekend number 1!

Happy 4th of July!

Sadly, it was just another day here in Canada. Mike went to work. We stayed home and played in the backyard. Olivia did put on her stars and stripes!

First Smiles!

Eliza's first definite smiles were in the hotel where we stayed in Edmonton during the move, when she was 5 weeks old. Here are the first ones I caught on camera.

There are few things in this world that melt your heart like your baby's first smile at you :)

Eliza is very smiley already and gives me those giant, tongue sticking out, nose crinkling, precious, toothless baby grins!

Play date!

During our move, my sweet friend, Carolyn, offered to take Olivia over to her house for a play date so I could stay home with the unpackers. It was her first play date without me. Madeleine and Olivia had so much fun. Here are the pictures Carolyn took. I love all of these pictures, what a photographer.

She is so brave! She took both of them to the grocery store. She said Olivia was telling her all of the food she ate as they passed things.

Olivia's first pillow fight :)

Love this one!

Having a little tv break to watch Madeleine's favorite show, "Olivia"

BIG GIRL BED!!!!!!!!!

Olivia is finally in a big girl bed! I wanted to wait until after Eliza was born, after we got back, and after the move to get her in a big girl bed. She was so excited to climb in and go to sleep! She had absolutely no difficulty with the transition at night or for nap (which she is still doing 95% of the time for at least 2 hours!). We had the big discussion about not getting out of bed and that her feet can not touch the ground until we come in to get her. She got out once a few days after during her nap, but hasn't gotten out any other time. One day she wasn't tired for a nap and I finally went up to get her and she was just sitting there with her feet hanging off the bed :)

Her new butterfly bedding is on order and is on its way and she can't wait!

Eliza is also now sleeping in her own room in the crib! Her first stretch of sleep usually begins around 10PM and last 6+ hours, so there is no reason to have her in our room anymore. My girls are growing up!

Only problem with the big girl bed...

Mike can fall asleep anywhere, anytime. He now has a spot to lay down while putting Olivia to bed!

Eliza's First Trip to the Zoo

We have been watching the Memorial area market in Houston for over a year looking for the perfect house the raise our girls in. When we were home in April and May to have Eliza, we finally found a house that is perfect for our family (well, almost anyway). We are thrilled with the neighborhood and schools for our girls. The house is on half an acre with a pool. It is going to be so much fun. Key words in that sentence are, "going to be". Once we ever move back to Houston, that is!

In the midst of all the chaos of moving within Edmonton, we had to go to Calgary to get the closing documents notarized by a US Notary, found only at the US consulate. The packers showed up at our house on Sunday morning and we gave them a few directions and left for Calgary! I am going to move like this every time. It was great to leave them and enjoy ourselves. I usually stick around if they have any questions and to help direct things. I am not going to do that again! We drove straight to the zoo in Calgary, where we are still members.

Eliza spent the whole time in the sling. Maybe next time she will wake up for some fun with the animals! :)

Cheese face in front of the fish tank...maybe one day we can get a normal smile out of Olivia :)

Olivia in our new Joovy Caboose stroller...I LOVE it!

I have yet to find a carrousel in Edmonton and Olivia adores them

First Pigtails

These are her first pigtails...ones that lasted long enough to take a picture, that is!

Eliza One Month Old

Hooray! We all survived the month and couldn't be more in love with baby sister, Eliza. Pure joy! She is just precious and such a good baby. So far she seems flexible, but I guess you would have to be to survive this family! She is a great sleeper--generally only waking once in the night and then early in the morning.

Olivia wanted to get in on the action :) Jammies picture

Later dressed :)

We are moving to...

EDMONTON! That's right! What better thing to do when you have a three week old and an almost three year old?! Move!

Mike's time on the project here in Edmonton was only supposed to be 15 months. We had a 15 month lease on our house and we were expecting to move back to Houston. Well, at the last minute, his part on the project got extended (to put it simply) and our landlord had already leased out our house. Mike found out the night before Eliza was born but waited a couple days to tell me, as my nerves were already shot that day.

As soon as we got back to Edmonton, we had to frantically search for a new house. We finally found one two days before the movers showed up to pack up all of our things. The moving company kept calling me to see if we had a new address yet.

When we moved into this house, they told us it would be a couple months before they finished the back deck. They finally finished a week before we came back (only 13 months late). We had to deal with all of the construction before they stopped working when winter came. Then we got to look at an almost finished deck for months. All it needed was a railing, but for some reason that couldn't get done before winter. At least we got to enjoy it for a week!

Olivia in her way too big raincoat enjoying some puddles

The next day, hoping for more rain to play in :)

Eliza's First Party

We have a party animal in the making! Eliza went to her first party when she was only two weeks old. Sophie Leedy had a super fun 2nd birthday party. I was slightly apprehensive about taking a two week old to a two year old party--where there is a group of two year olds, there is a group of germs there too! I tried to give her distance, because we didn't want to miss the party and wanted Olivia to get to see her buddies! Happy Birthday Sophie!!!

What a cute big two year old!!!

Eliza' first time in a dress!

Olivia and Aiden being oh so helpful by "helping" to open all of Sophie's presents

Birthday Re-do

Since we flew back on Mike's actual birthday and had a quite an exhausting and chaotic time, the girls and I surprised Mike with a birthday re-do the following weekend. We made a cake and Olivia decorated it!

Around the House

Some cute shots just hanging around the house!

Maya meeting Eliza for this first time. This was right after we walked in from getting her from the kennel and she was SO excited after being in the kennel for 3 weeks (why she is a blur)!

Photo courtesy of the budding photographer, Olivia

I love naked baby pictures :)