Beautiful colours this autumn...

The colours around the neighbourhood have been quite stunning this autumn. Like the changes in the leaves, we've been able to see lots of changes in Malcolm. You can tell how much Malcolm has grown simply by what he can say and do. This time last year we managed to take some lovely fall pictures, but this year he's so much more animated and verbal about what he sees. He can skip, jump, hop, and even sprint now. In fact, he was even able to help Roger rake the leaves in front of the house. They managed to fill up big garbage bin full of them. It was quite interesting to watch as he pulled leaves back and forth across the lawn and sidewalk. After all that, he'd scoop them up with both hands and then even pull the heavy bin down the walk. We can only imagine what he'll be able to do next year.

Baby sister in there?

So, Roger and Tracey have been preparing Malcolm as best they can for the new arrival, but we're not quite sure how he's going to take it all. Funniest thing is that he wants his baby sister to talk as soon as she arrives, even though every one has tried to tell him that she won't be able to talk right away. In fact, they've even warned him that she may cry a lot. There are some legitimate concerns about all the disruption things will cause, especially in the sleep department. Roger and Tracey are most afraid of either of the kids waking each-other up whether it be at nap time or during the middle of the night. I know everyone gets through it, but it is hard to picture right now. We have our paws and fingers crossed.

Also, on behalf of the family we would like to thank Ms. Turner in Red Deer, Alberta for the beautiful hand-knit socks she sent, aren't they adorable? It was great to see our uncle Lane as well. Hopefully, he'll make it back to Vancouver again soon and maybe with an improved tennis game (cause what he brought just wasn't up to snuff here on the Westcoast).

Pumpkin patch...

Off to the Pumpkin Patch they went. It's becoming a yearly tradition. Roger and Tracey thought it would be best to take advantage of the dry weather and head out to Richmond to pick out some pumpkins with Malcolm. From the sounds of it he wasn't as compliant with the pictures this year, but here's the best one of the day. Now it will be up to Roger to start carving.

Operation Big Boy Bed

It's a done deal, Tracey and Roger came up with the plan to tell Malcolm that the crib was broken because he was too big; lucky for us he bought it. The crib is now dismantled and in the garage attic space.

I guess things could have been better, but the bottom line is that we got through it without too much pain. He did wake up a couple of times, (at one point he wanted to sleep somewhere else) Roger had to tell him that there was no where else to sleep and that his Big Boy Bed was the best place. He woke up one more time around 3am and thankfully went back without too much resistance. The next couple of nights are going to be an adjustment, but we're all hopeful that he'll begin to accept it more easily. His old bedroom will only be a distant memory.

Autumn 2009

Like the leaves, things are a changing. We can now officially say that we'll be having a baby next month, wowee! In terms of having everything ready, there's still some work to do. Malcolm still isn't sleeping in his big boy bed and that transition will have to happen pretty soon if we're going to have the baby's room ready in time. Roger and Tracey said that they're going to tackle the issue this coming weekend, they've aptly named it "Operation Big-Boy Bed". I'm sure there will be some crying, screaming, and resistance, but we're all hoping for the best. The whole family has been hit by head colds, but everyone (including Malcolm) seem to be on the mend. This time around Roger was the last one to get it, but the symptoms are quickly subsiding. There is some substantial worry about H1N1, especially with regard to Tracey's condition. The family has been recommended to get the vaccine, we're not even sure that it will arrive in time.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Happy Birthday Grandma. We love you.