Three Days Gone

For those who do not know, my work will require me to be in Halifax this winter.  Instead of having me fly back and forth each week, Karen and I have decided to move out there for 3 months from February through to the end of April - we have just booked the accommodations and the hotels for the drive out!

Ahead of the big move, I went out to Halifax for 3 nights last week to conduct some management training. Oh, to be back on the road again: someone making my bed, someone cooking my meals, people in uniforms calling me Sir, Sir leaving towels wherever Sir should choose...  Ah, the freedom and independence!  If only I was still firing 20% of the people I met, then the old trifecta feelings of living on the road would have been complete! 

However, instead of trying to "compress" the staffing list, I was attempting to develop a relationship with some of my new colleagues.  Ho hum.  You know what that means, twist my arm, sure I'll go to the Lower Deck for a few pints on the last night. 

Hali's famous Lower Deck

 

 

So, there I am, sharing a couple of pitchers with some of the Sales VPs (everyone but me in the bank seems to be a VP), not talking much because when the cover band is playing, it is too loud to do much more than smile and nod, and both ends of the conversation can't be doing that! 

 

About 3 songs in, the cover band starts playing a Bee Gees tune that was recently covered by Blue Rodeo. You know the one. It starts with, "There's a light, a certain kind of light, that never shone on me. I want my life to be, lived with you...".  And then I was done.  It very quickly reminded me of why I was so happy to leave that old job on the road behind: because when you are on the road with the job, often all that you have is the road and the job. 

 

Still, being the good soldier that I am, I pulled it together and had another pint or two of Keith's with the boys from Halifax, St. John's, and Moncton.  Making it home safely the next day, Karen was eager to show me that it was about time for our little Magnus to move up a size in diapers.  It does look a little tight around the belly, I do have to admit.





 

 

Magnus Turns 2 Months Old!

On New Year’s Day, Magnus turned 2 months old. My days have been filled with feeding after feeding after feeding, interspersed with many a diaper change and little sleep. So the 2 month mark kind of crept up on us, especially with the craziness of the holidays. I am happy to report, though, that he is sleeping 3 – 5 hours at a time at night, instead of the previous 2 – 3 hour stretches. It’s amazing how an extra hour of sleep can make you feel. :) At his 2 month check up, he weighed in at a hefty 14 lb 4 oz! All that feeding is certainly paying off! His growth trajectory was practically vertical!

Here is Magnus on his month-day proudly displaying all his animal friends.

In the past month, Magnus has been busy working on keeping his head steady when you hold him up, and he’s now an ol’ pro. Added to his repertoire is the ability to stand up and to sit up, both of which require a little assistance of course. However, he is not supposed to be able to even attempt such physical feats until the end of his third month!  In this video we placed him in his bumbo chair for the first time. I can’t believe how much more I can get done in a day without him hanging off me every second!

 

 

We’ve had a lot of fun watching him play with one of his Christmas presents: an infant play gym / floor mat. He loves to bat the ladybug and giggles most of the time he is doing it. We have tried to video tape him numerous times at his giggle-filled bug swatting, but we always catch the tail end of it. But here is a clip where we managed to get some of the action.
 

 Now all we have to do is get him to start grasping things.

Recent Visitors

In the past month Magnus has had a number of visitors. I apologize to these visitors for not posting sooner, but as I have mentioned, oh so little time.

A few of my University friends stopped in to meet the little man. Amy had never held a baby before; all she wanted to do was 'pet him'. So I kinda made her try to hold Magnus, and she did a pretty great job! Holding Magnus was a walk in the park for both Warren and Justin. And boy, was Matt ever glad the guys stopped in. They helped us connect the surround sound to the tv. I know Matt and I are pretty smart people, but sometimes you must defer to those that know, and when it comes to technology, I always ask my 25 year old Asian engineer friends. :)

Justin, our tech savior

Warren, the ol' baby holding pro

Amy holding her first baby!

  

My sister Hilary was working in the area a week or so before the holidays so she and a coworker were able to stop in. Hilary couldn't get over how soft his skin was! Her name, according to our niece, is PoPo, which Mary Beth teasingly assigned to Hilary. It means police, but not necessarily in a nice way. That's Mary Beth for you! 

Untie PoPo with Magnus

I also had a chance to have lunch with two work friends of mine. It's funny sometimes, how you find yourself at a particular point in your life and you serendipitously meet new friends in the same boat. Melodie and I used to work together at our last job. Low and behold, we're the same age, she is also in a new relationship that moved very fast (married just after a year) and now finds herself pregnant!  Yay! She's due 6 months after Magnus!!! It's going to be so fun being on mat leave together. :) And Jackie is also our age, and all three of us started in the same position late in life, within the last 3 years. So we all became good friends very quickly, which is oh so nice! Here are the ladies each meeting Magnus. Boy, do we ever love that vegan restaurant!

Jackie meeting Magnus

Melodie meeting Magnus

 

Some more of my University friends came for a visit few days after Christmas. A few friends were missing from this gang, namely Sabrina and Stephanie and their guys. Stephanie lives in Calgary and we were unfortunately unable to meet up this year over the holidays. However, I saw Sabrina a few days ago when I had a Dr appointment, so I am thankful for that. Lucy, however, who lives in Germany with her boyfriend Marius, was able to make it along with our good buddies, Darryl and Jackie. The 6 of us enjoyed some great pizza and locally brewed beer, and they all had a great time with Magnus.

Darryl, Jackie and Magnus

Darryl getting in some practice

Lucy holding her first baby!

Lucy, Marius and Magnus

Finally, this past weekend, Matt's University buddy, Andrew, and his wife Jen came to our place for dinner. The steak was divine. The company was fantastic. But Magnus had his worst evening ever. He just couldn't lie down as he needed to burp and it just wouldn't come up. So I was unable to eat with our company, nor was I able to go out for drinks with them to watch the football game. Magnus finally went down after 3 hours of trying. Then I thoroughly enjoyed a nice glass of wine!

Christmas in the Trenches

Christmas 2013 has come and gone and Magnus survived to grunt about it.  For Magnus, it was his first and it was spent split between Ottawa, Elgin, and Toledo.  It was a chance for Magnus to meet most of his remaining uncles, aunts, and cousins with the exception, of course, of the McGuires, who continue to hide out in Seattle.  It was also a chance for him to wear all of the fun Xmas clothes that he had recently received!

With Uncle Adam Back from the Rock

Mauled by his Raz Cousins

Great Grandkid #14 for Nanny Jodoin (aka Nanny Donut)

 

Christmas at the Raz's

Hanging at the Farm with Aunt Janet

Magnus, of course, was not the only one who took advantage of being in Ottawa, close to friends and family.  I got to go tobogganing with my brother Jud's boys, William and Bo.

 
We also got in a last minute visit with our friends, Erin and Mike Dallaire.  Even with 3 kids of his own, Mike still claims that he isn't any good with holding babies.  No idea where he gets that idea!
  

One Happy Camper!

 

 

After 7 nights in Ottawa, it was time to head back to the Big Smoke.  Although it was a nice visit, it was jam packed.  By the time we were ready to leave, as we were packing the car, Magnus couldn't keep his eyes open.

Prepping for a long drive