A little eager

Matt here.  

It is Christmas Eve and I keep catching Magnus standing in front of the Xmas tree, just staring and pointing.  By the time I get my phone to take a pic of the perfect scene, he has moved on to checking out the gifts.  Here he is, trying to escape once caught in the act:

Fleeing the scene

We hope that everyone's Christmas season has started off well.  Looking forward to seeing those who we can.

Just For Fun

Karen here.

Well, just for fun, I wanted to post a few videos of our dear Magnus doing what he does best... being a goofy baby. :)

I came upon him one day as he was discovering a fly.

Magnus's new favourite thing to do is to throw anything and everything down the stairs. Yes, he is at the stage where everything is an experiment, so we have given him quite a bit of leeway. But geeze. When, more than anything else for some reason, I repeatedly find my feminine products on the stairs (or in the bathtub), I'm getting kinda tired of it. I managed to capture him in the act while at my mum's this past weekend (thankfully not with feminine products!).

Also while at my mum's, Magnus decided to surprise us with this.

It's a little unnerving that he can get down the stairs. He's no pro yet, but he thinks he is. More trouble to add to my list!

Snowsuit Woes

Karen here.

We are incredibly fortunate that Magnus has older cousins who give him their hand-me-downs. Rarely do we have to buy him clothes, although I had to get him 3-5 yr old socks last week. And even with these on they still leave sock indentations on his ankles! "Magnitude" indeed (my brother's nick name for Magnus).

Jud and Jill gave us a few snowsuits that their boys had grown out of. So one day last week I threw Magnus in the first one on the pile. Here he is stomping around like the Marshmallow Man.

Obviously, it's still a bit big. Be it the snowsuit, or wearing boots for the first time, but the poor guy had a hard time getting around.

No, as you can tell from the video, I didn't go help him. I wanted him to try to figure it out. And try he did, but figure it out he didn't.

Guess we should try the smaller snowsuit.

A Boy Not Named Sue

Matt here.

Johnny Cash wrote of a man who named his son Sue in order to make him tough.  We, instead, have decided to dress him in one of the old toques that my nan had made for me.  My sister, Trina, found it in her collection and sent it east from Seattle.  Magnus doesn't seem to be all that impressed.  

Our Unhappy Camper

"This is degrading for both of us."

I'm sure once he gets comfortable with it and smiles, he will look super cute. After all, it worked for me...38 years ago.

At The Park

Karen here.

Prior to the cold snap, Magnus and I had been going to the park most evenings. He LOVES to wave to the buses and streetcars!

But he also loves the slide. Many parents have commented on how brave he is sliding by himself, but he just loves it!

It's a really neat park. People have left toys there for other people to use. Magnus's favourite is a kid-sized motorized 4-wheeler that's missing both a seat and a battery. Still, he loves to push it around. And, as always, he makes friends wherever he goes!

How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You!

Karen here.

Well, Halloween came and went. And we had quite a great night. We weren't really planning on making a big deal of it... just handing out candy. But that morning Matt got excited about throwing something together. So then I did too (without his knowledge, showing up at the door to greet him after work! Love his laugh!). And Magnus got into the spirit too (thanks again Auntie Jill!).

Hangin' out in the kitchen

Costume kiss!

Smiles!

 

The loot!

Needless to say, we had some candy left over. And that's after Matt tried bargaining with the kids who came to the door. He wanted Kit Kats and I hadn't thought to buy any. He offered the kids 4 of our candies for 1 Kit Kat! Sadly, there were only 2 takers. Most of the kids were too syched to go to the next door; either that or they just didn't want to negotiate with a crazy looking dude in a Mexican wrestling mask, football jersey, and pull-up rugby socks and cleats. Who could blame them?



The next day was Magnus's FIRST BIRTHDAY! I had had a moment or three earlier in the week (you know... dramatic and spontaneous bouts of crying.... sad and elated all at the same time). And we had moved only a few weeks prior AND had hosted a house warming party (what were we thinking?). So we were pooped. And after all that excitement, it was really nice to spend the entire weekend by ourselves in our new house.

Relaxed.

Quiet.

Wonderful.

I did, however, want to capture Magnus having cake for the first time. So the three of us shared a chocolate peanut butter cupcake. It was decadent! And true to form, Magnus had a hay day!

Days later, Nan and Grandpa Raz came for a visit, both to wish the youngest grandchild a Happy Birthday and to 'check out the new digs' according to Peg! Here is Magnus with his Nan.

For his birthday, Peg got Magnus a pair of overalls that she used to dress Matt and Karl in. Here's the mini-me (in this case, Mini-Matt).

We had a lovely dinner one night with UB as well (Uncle Brent, Magnus's godfather). As usual, having your parents around for a few days is always a tremendous help. Not only did they keep Magnus occupied, but Matt, Brent and I were able to go out after dinner. Sigh. It was great! The next day, we went for a walk at a local ravine (checking out the 'hood).

The next day, Oma came for a visit.  She only stayed for the night (she was passing through), but we had a nice night, nonetheless. Here is Magnus with his Oma at the park.

Looking forward to what the next year will bring!

High Fives and Kisses

Karen here.

We are always so proud when Magnus learns a new trick. What parent isn't? :) Late in the summer Magnus learned how to high five, but he chose to leave us hanging more often than not. Here, he readily denies his father.

So we finally managed to get his high fives on camera. And they are auspiciously paired with a big wet one (his other new trick)!

Although, this kiss captured a few days before we moved was epic.

He also fancies his stuffed animals.

He may be a big lump, but he's cute and cuddly like his toy animals!

King West, we hardly knew ya

Matt here.  

As many know, we recently moved.  After 7 years living in the King West / West Queen West area of Toronto (1.5 of those years with Karen), we moved to Queen East, a part of town known as Leslieville (affectionately referred to as Lesbieville by those ladies of the short hair who enjoy holding each others' hands).  As an area, it has really come around in the past 10 years and is in a pretty good location in terms of proximity to the Beaches, Downtown, and major highways like the Gardiner and DVP.

Prior to the move we got together for some drinks with some of our neighbours in our King West condo complex.  It was nice to get together with Maureen, Kent (who plays viola with the TSO...aren't we cool!), and Irene and Harold.  Harold always watched over me from Day 1 on Sudbury Street (even re-directing me to my front door after hanging out at his place during Caribanna my first weekend in 2007.  In my defence, I had just moved in the day before and mistook someone else's front door for my own.  Honest mistake!).

Long story short, we always referred to Harold as my Jamaican father.  So, I guess that makes him Magnus's Jamaican grandfather!  Maybe that's the source of Magnus's big mitts.

Magnus and his Jamaican Grandfather after our May return from Halifax

Anyhoo, two weeks after the move we decided to have a little house party.  As part of the planning, I conferred with my father on the required amounts of beer, wine, and booze.  Clearly, our combined base data (my rate of consumption and his party experiences from the 70s and 80s) was no longer an accurate representation of current party practices.  This left a good deal of drinks in the cooler the next day.  It kept Magnus occupied for hours (honest, hours).  We have other videos of him stopping, staring at his cold, red, numb hands (from the ice water), and then continuing on.  He can really manhandle those Guinness!

Looking forward to future visits from friends and family so that Magnus can show everyone around his new digs and 'hood!

Karen here.

I must add a few things about the move itself. On the much anticipated day, the movers arrived 2 hours early. WE WERE STILL PACKING!!! It was a hectic (and, admittedly, stressful) few hours, but it turned out we needed the extra two hours... all those bloody stairs! 

Our saving grace was my mother. She entertained Magnus the entire move! So we were free to get done what needed to be done. They had QUITE a lot of fun together.

It was obviously an incredibly long day, but we all pulled through. My mum stayed with us for a few days to continue to watch her only grandson while Matt and I got organized. Needless to say, she and Magnus continued to have a lot of fun (my mum even admitted to me that she's enjoying him more than she ever had a chance to do with her own kids! Love it!).

As a small token of appreciation, I took my mum for her first official mani-pedi. She told me she had never had anyone else put nail polish on for her! Check out the hot pink nail polish!

So we have now settled into our new lives at our new house, and it's pretty darn great!

First Steps Lead To First Blood

Yup. You got it folks.

MAGNUS WALKS!!!

However, this is not some fairytale story.

It begins yesterday when Magnus and I (Karen) got back home from the gym. Once we were in the door, I sat Magnus down and gave him his sippy cup, and then I went to the kitchen to make my protein shake (like I always do). I was in mid shake when I turned to look at him. I thought he would have been sitting on the floor by the door drinking his water. But no! He was standing up, cup in both hands, taking tiny tentative steps towards the kitchen. My heart stopped! My jaw dropped! I sucked in a breath! And I watched my not-quite-one-year-old walk for the first time. Sniff sniff. It was one of the most amazing feelings I have ever felt. :)

So, like every enthusiastic new parent, I turned to find my camera / phone. A second later I heard a feral cry, so I ran to my son. He had made it a few more steps but had obviously fallen. I picked him up and tried to console him, to no avail. So I looked at his face and that's when I saw blood in his mouth! I sat him on the counter, pulled off my t-shirt and started wiping his lips (thank goodness it was an old red gym shirt!). He kept crying and crying, and I had a hard time figuring out where the blood was coming from. I tried to give him his sippy cup to rinse the water out but he screamed at it and pushed it away. Finally I could see that he had cut his upper lip, poor thing. Maybe it was the cup, or maybe it was his new sharp teeth. We will never know, but he ended up with quite the fat lip.

Needless to say, he had a great nap a short time later!

A few hours later, Matt came home early to work from home. He was in the dining room working away and I had Magnus with me in the kitchen. I wasn't sure if he'd be up for trying to walk again, but I gave it a shot. He had totally forgotten about his lip and took a few happy steps towards me. I called out, "Matt! Matt! Matt" and he jumped out of his chair to watch. Matt then grabbed the camera and was able to capture Magnus's third and fourth attempts at walking. I apologize that you have to turn your head for this first one. It's so easy to forget cameras don't have accelerometers like phones do!

So, yes, we have moved into our new home, and we are elated and exhausted. More to follow on that (mis)adventure.

Magnus Is 11 Months Old!

Karen here.

On October 1st, Magnus turned 11 months old. And every day brings new surprises. He crawls about his room (where all the books are constantly strewn across the floor) looking for the perfect book. Then when he finds it, he looks me straight in the eye, holds the book up in the air above his head and waves it at me. Obviously, he wanted me to read it to him. So I started asking him to give the book which he now happily does. But if backfired. We sit in his room together and read the same book over and over and over and over and over and over and... You get the picture. I love that he loves his books. But geez. Learn to read already!

Besides his fascination with books, he is still exploring the larger world, making new discoveries every day. Here he figured out how to maneuver his little body to be able to open a cupboard.

He has always loved to be chased, but now he likes to be chased either to the closet, or the bathroom or his room where he can shut the door on you, giggling all the while.

Needless to say, he still gets frustrated because not everything comes easy peasy. And we somehow let him get into a habit of whining when he doesn't get his way (at the dinner table is the absolute MOST annoying!).

However, once he gets something down, he's a natural. :)

So, admittedly, we ARE proud parents, discussing his new feats on a daily basis. Matt said just the other day, "You know, the book said that he MAY be perfecting his pincer grip these days. But didn't he do that weeks ago?". So cute, right? Well, proud we may be, just like every other set of new parents. But we have a right to be. HE STANDS!!!

AND HE WALKS!!! (well, almost)

Work Break

Karen here.

This morning I had an appointment, so Matt worked from home. At some point later in the day, I was in the kitchen and I heard giggling coming from Magnus's room.  

Now that's what I call a break from work. :)  Maybe hipster-doofus office folk will start the craze in Toronto of bringing babies to work instead of dogs... I hear it's good for morale!

Magnus, Magnum, and Mornings

Matt, here. 

A little hello.  After spending 3 days in Old Montreal for work I got back Thursday night to, amazingly, a child that did not crawl screaming away from my presence!  Woo hoo.  This past summer, whenever Karen and Magnus had been away for a few days, he would want nothing to do with me upon their return.  This time, however, he came right into my arms, stuck his fist in my mouth (as he is want to do), and all was normal again. 

That was a good sign for this morning.  It seems that we have gotten into the habit where each weekend we alternate mornings for sleep-ins.  This morning it was my turn to get up with the screaming baby.  Hmm, I put him to bed last night, too (which we alternate...a lesson we took from my brother Jud and his wife, Jill).  I just realized that means I am now free!  It's not my night to put him down and tomorrow is my morning to sleep in!  I should go buy a lottery ticket! 

Sorry, got off track a little there with all the excitement.  Anyhow, Mags and I had a good morning before Karen got up.  Well, at least my definition of a good morning.  No issues at snack time and a little TM (that's Thomas Magnum for the uninitiated).  Is there really any better type of father-son bonding?  I should write commercials for the freaking Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Screw running after the garbage truck together! (A beer to those who get the reference).

Mmm, bananananas

Showing off alternating mitts

Magnus and his reindeer catching up on some TM

Well, I got to go.  Summer has finally arrived in SW Ontario.  There's not a cloud in the sky and their calling for mid-20s.  Great weather for laundry and groceries (and a nap)! 

Leaving the 'hood

Hi, Matt here.

What's going on in the T-Dot?  Well, with the countdown on to our move to the new place on October 10th, Karen and I are trying to get some things done in the 'hood beforehand.  One of the items on the list is getting out on Queen West a couple of times (supposedly the 2nd coolest neighbourhood in the world, according to Vogue's recent list).  Last Sunday we got out for a Sunday walk and found an art festival in Trinity Bellwood Park.  Who knew?  It is so cool, even the Fonze hangs out in Queen West!

The Fonze (and some Chivers) hang in Queen West

Tonight we got ourselves a sitter and are going out after Magnus goes down.  We checked the local listings and saw that Devin Cuddy's band was playing down the street (Devin is the son of Jim Cuddy, one of Blue Rodeo's lead singers).  I called the location to find out about cover charge.  The response: "Devin's right here, let me ask....yup, it's pass-the-hat."  Hmm, I guess Devin hasn't reached dad Jim's status just yet.  Luckily, if it's a bust, there are plenty of great places close by.

 Some other items on the list include:

• checking out Fort York (done)
• getting together for drinks with the neighbours (Harold, my "Jamaican Father", isn't too happy that we are moving out, afraid that we will never be seen again)
• catching a Sunday football game at the Dog and Bear, like we used to do when "we were young and our hearts were open books"
• getting a trip on High Park's trackless train with my Steph and Rob (Karen has her own) and their two kids

Big plans, I know!  Even though we are only moving 40-45 minutes east by street car, I'm pretty sure we will be hanging out close to home with all of the new attractions (the beach, Greenwood Park, The Danforth and Queen East, Woodbine Park....Brent's sports bar).

As this is the last weekend of summer (I think), I thought that I would close with a couple of shots from the season that was:

Visiting Nanny Donut

Hanging at Sunnyside with my Chariot

"Clothes Optional" at Oma's (sorry, Magnus, but I could have posted pics much more embarr-"ass"-ing!)

Fort York: guns, cannons, graveyards...and sticking my hand in dad's mouth

Hmm, will this fit in my mouth?

Damn straight!

Da' Dallaires

Dock Time!

Sigh...Blanket Time

Bye, Summer!  Yay, Fall!

Magnus's Welcoming Ceremony

Matt here.

Earlier this summer (it is still summer!), Ross (Karen's dad) hosted her and my family on his farm for Magnus's Welcoming Ceremony.  Not sure what a "Welcoming Ceremony" is?  Well, neither did we, really, but we knew that we wanted to get both families together to meet and officially welcome Magnus to the clans.  As I said to the audience at the farm, "For everyone but Magnus, there are two families here today.  For Magnus, there is only one: his."

In the Raz clan, typically both families of the newborn get together at a baptism. In our case, we wanted to keep organized religion out of the picture at this point.  Just in case you haven't been keeping up with the news over the past, oh, I don't know, 2000 years, organized religion has been tied to some pretty nasty events. 

Still, besides getting the two families together to meet, we did want Magnus to get started on his spiritual journey.  We asked our friend, Brent, to be his godfather and each grandparent to pass on their wishes to Magnus in terms of his spiritual life.  I think that my father summarized the theme of the event well when he said to Magnus, "Do not confuse religion with spirituality".

Magnus with his folks and the Godfather

With the quasi-formal stuff out of the way, we spent the rest of the afternoon eating, playing, relaxing, and riding on large vehicles.

I pity that soccer ball

Hanging with the boys at the BBQ

Everyone enjoying the feast

No shame: it's my party

Ross was kind enough to take the kids on both a hay ride and a ride on his float that is used in summer parades around Elgin.  After the ride on the float, I'm pretty sure that my brother Karl and brother-in-law Kevin were the most excited of all the participants.  They were very impressed with the float's speed.  Although, probably a little disappointed that they could no longer feel the breeze through their hair(s).

Strike a pose

Getting prepped for the hayride

Away we go

I'm Flying!

All in all, a great day was had at the Hawkins Farm.  Great weather, food, and fun. 

Magnus Is 10 Months Old!

Karen here.

On September 1st, Magnus turned 10 months old.

He certainly is a character. 

  All day long he likes to explore new things.

And does he ever like making a mess!

He is doing very well at the dinner table these days. His favourites are bananas, pears, and cheese. But he is hesitant to try new foods (likely because he's gagged many, many times!). He gets enough fruit, dairy, and carbs everyday, but it's difficult getting veggies and protein into him (besides eggs which he also loves). So I sucked it up and bought the "Baby Bullet" to liquify more protein and veggies for him. It works some of the time. Guess I just have a picky eater on my hands. Oh well. At least he can feed himself!

His favourite thing to do, though, is laugh and laugh and laugh!