Farewell to Nova Scotia!!!

We are heading west!  Unlike the Raz clan's trip west in '86, there will be NO Dan Seals and no playing of "Be Bop With You Baby" or "Heading West" every time we get in the vehicle.  Amazing how, after 18 years, those songs still leave such horrible scars on my psyche... maybe my sibs and I can get a group therapy discount.  (note to sibs: I suggest we wait until Trina is back this summer before we do our annual candle lighting at the Basilica in memoriam to the '86 trip).

Karen attempted to compile a list of what will and will not be missed from our little East Coast Adventure:

We will miss:

• the water view from our living room with all of the sunrises and all the ships and military 'copters
• having the most bars per capita (even though we didn't hit them all, we gave it a good shot)
• living in the same city as Karen's brother Adam 
• having a reliable babysitter (thanks again Adam and Lauren!)
• Matt's 10 minute walk to work 
• Magnus's special grey chair in the unit (thank goodness we had it cuz we didn't bring a playpen) 
• 2 farmer's markets and 2 breweries within a 5 minute walk 
• a liquor store in our basement that offers discounts to residents (better prices  than the breweries!)
• a dishwasher that works well 
• the summer in Halifax we did not get to experience

We will not miss:

• the rain and the wind (umbrellas were not invented for Halifax weather, for sure!)
• the lack of road signs (some streets don't have signs!!!)
• the barely visible road signs
• the copious and deep potholes
• inconsiderate drivers (inconsiderate to their fellow drivers, that is) who stop unexpectedly for random pedestrians, who don't turn right on reds, and don't know the rules of regarding one-way streets (in a city filled with one-way streets!)
• (FYI, Karen did have to drive to the gym 4-5 per week)

What we're looking forward to:

• our king size bed
• an extra long weekend at the cottage
• seeing family and friends

Uncle Mac keeping it real with the younger generation

Er, Owen, and (hiding) Sierrra, hanging with a pre-Halifax Magnus

• Jack Johnson concert at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
• a Sunday run in High Park (Matt)
• getting back to the gym consistently (Karen - sleep training reduced how often she can get there - but our Toronto gym has much better daycare hours!)

See you soon!

Our Last Weekend in Halifax

Karen here.

On our last weekend in Halifax, we still had a few touristy things to cross off our list. We were lucky to once again have a beautiful Saturday. 17 degrees!!! We took advantage and went for a walk (timed well with Magnus's morning nap). Our destination was the Halifax Citadel, a national historic site. However, we stopped on the way for brunch where we lapped up the sunshine on the patio sans jackets!!!

Saturday sunshine

We were right around the corner from the Citadel, so after brunch and a few bevies we headed up the hill.

Aerial view (no I did not take this picture - I stole it from the internet)

Yup. We pushed the stroller up that hill. It was a wonder that people were running up the hill, and then Matt declared, "Hey, I've run up this hill!". He was quite proud actually. :) When we finally made it to the top, we met this beautiful entryway.

Named entrance

It was really neat to see the fort. You can imagine an army cresting the hill only to have to scale a second wall! Just like in the fantasy novels I read.

Doubly walled

 I especially liked how the walls are 'buildings'.

One entryway to an outer wall building

Grass roof of inner wall building

Matt and I had fun exploring. We hoped to take a tour, but it's still not tourist season. We made our own fun though. :)

100 lbs over the head! (not really)

 

Strike a pose!

Who has the bigger guns?

And Magnus slept through the whole thing!

Awake after a 3 hour nap!

Well, after all that walking and exploring, we were thirsty. We headed down to the water on our way home for a seat on a patio at the water's edge. Magnus got to sit in his very first high chair!!!

First high chair

And he tried his first pouch of baby food. So easy to travel with!

Suckin' away

When we got home later that afternoon we had to treat our sunburns. :(  After Magnus had gone down for the night, my brother Adam and his girlfriend Lauren showed up so Matt and I could have one last date night in town. There was ONE thing we wanted to do on the east coast and we hadn't yet done it.

Roger pre-meal

Ernie pre-meal

Yup. We were lobster virgins. We named our lobsters Roger and Ernie and trepidaciously dove in. We had been told by many an East Coaster that the tail and claws were really good, and our waiter told us that if we wanted to be adventurous we could eat the body too. Umm, that's a loud NO! Matt just went for it. I, however, took my sweet time (it was really hard to get the meat out). Part of it was that I was a bit weirded out. I know. I know. I grew up on a farm. Still. It was weird.  

Floss a la Roger

Ernie post meal

So a life long goal had been accomplished - eat fresh lobster on the coast. :) Then we headed off to a pub for some live music.A great date night.

A Trip to Peggy's Cove

Karen here.

Prior to coming to Halifax, I had heard of one place to go: Peggy's Cove. I didn't know anything about it other than it was a popular tourist spot. And lucky us, it was less than an hour's drive from our place, so the weekend after Easter we hopped in the car for a day trip.

We decided to drive along the coast, and unlucky me, I got car sick. It has only happened one other time during all our trips in and around Halifax, so I guess I shouldn't complain. But most of our other drives haven't involved super twisted and curvy roads!!!

Anyway, the drive was beautiful and we had a warm day. No coats! Woo hoo!

When we arrived at our destination (after a brief stop so I could recover - memories of Mary Beth driving me around the 'mountain' at Westport!) we were greeted with the following scene.

The famous lighthouse

View of the coast

Rocks? Who knew? But boy, were they ever fun to climb around on. Magnus even came along for the ride!

My adventurous men

Me as close to the edge as I dare!

You can see from the pictures that it was a fairly calm day. I guess it's supposed to be spectacular on a windy day when the waves are huge and they crash against the rocks in majestic sprays. We caught a glimpse of what that would be like.

Water Rising

Did you see how quickly the water rose? Or maybe not cuz I ran away from the edge while filming. :)  We were astounded. There are signs posted all over the place to not go on the black rocks due to how quickly the water can come in. Many a life has been lost on these rocks. So we tried to be careful yet adventurous on our trek.

We also walked into the town of Peggy's Cove where about 30 people live year round when there were 300 at its peak. A real fishing and lobstering community.

Another great adventure. :)

"Isn't it your god's birthday, I mean, with spring and the Easter Bunny and all?"

Yup, that is what I overheard at work on the Thursday before Easter.  And so started our Easter long weekend in Halifax. 
  
On the Friday night, Uncle Brent arrived from Toronto.  Brent is a good friend from Toronto.  He is a former boss and colleague.  The first night we met for work 14 years ago, after a flight to Philly and a drive to Wilmington, Delaware, he suggested that we have dinner at a Chi Chi's restaurant on the side of the road (a Tex-Mex place for those who don't know).  From the back seat I quipped, a la Les Nessman from WKRP in Cincinnati, "Who, Chi Chi Rodriguez?"  Brent broke out laughing.  The other guy in the car didn't get the joke.  Needless to say, the other guy didn't last.  And now Brent is Magnus's godfather.  Is there nothing TV cannot do?

It was a great long weekend that started with the three of us (Brent, Karen, and I) having dinner at a small restaurant on the boardwalk followed by drinks at an unexpected find. We had intended to go to a popular Irish bar called Durty Nelly's only to find it packed with loud young people (ewwww!), so we ended up at a quaint little bar called The Press Gang.  Initially we were only going to stay for one drink, as it seemed kind of slow and was filled with a bunch of grey hairs (ewwww!).  Luckily, before we could finish our drink, the speakers were shut off and a three piece band started up (baby grand, stand up base, and trumpet) that was quite upbeat.  That, combined with good local beer, good wine, and an unlimited stock of Jagger (thanks Uncle Brent!), the Press Gang turned into a great little find.

View of our table (the 4 top) from the Baby Grand

Easter Day itself brought warmth and sunshine (what's that?).  We took advantage and went for a walk through the Halifax Gardens followed by a few drinks on a patio.  A number of passersby found it humourous to find a bassinet on the patio beside me.  Magnus didn't seem to mind and slept away the afternoon.

UB and Karen enjoying the welcome sunshine

After sleeping away his afternoon on a patio (c'mon, we've all been there!), Magnus was more than ready for a visit from his Uncle Adam and Adam's girlfriend, Auntie Lauren.  We started Easter dinner right (before the traditional Easter dinner of bbq NY Strips and east coast scallops), with some sparkling wine from the Annapolis Valley that we had picked up on our recent trip to the Bay of Fundy.  Magnus did not want to be left out this time, as he had been on the sunny patio!

Not one to miss out on two parties in a row!

Lastly, what would Easter be without chocolate?  We thought it would be fine.  However, Magnus's Nan thwarted our plans of having a chocolate free Easter and sent a wonderful gift basket (along with a book on Peter Rabbit) to go along with the clothes and book sent by Magnus's Oma and Magnus's Aunt Tanya.  Although he didn't actually get any of the chocolate, that drool seems to indicate that he inherited his dad's sweet tooth!

Drooling over Mini Eggz!

Magnus Is 6 Months Old!

Karen here.

On May 1, Magnus turned 6 months old.

It was a major milestone. All the books and web pages you read all say don't do this and don't do that until baby is 6 months old. Well we have reached it and we are rearing to get on with things! Well, that's not entirely true. Bad mother that I am, I already started Magnus on a few of those 'wait till he is 6 months' things. :)

For one, I've been feeding him finger foods. Well, just one... baby cookies. He won't have a pincer grip until he is 8 months old, so he still grabs everything with a full hand. But that doesn't mean he can't learn to feed himself now. These cookies dissolve immediately in the mouth so he is able to gum quite a bit. But it's incredibly messy. We have to vacuum the chair and floor as soon as he's done!

Mowing down on a cookie

Post cookie snack

For another, I've had Magnus practicing the sippy cup. They [they are so wise, aren't 'they'? :) ] say that water supplementation is not required because a breastfed baby gets all the water required. That's fine, but again, it doesn't mean he can't practice. ;) Plus, because he's eating all kinds of solids, I'd prefer he have something to drink before and after, just like anyone else would (sorry, Peg, for ending this sentence with the word 'would').

Rocking the Sippy Cup

Playtime is another matter. He has lots and lots of play time, both with me or Matt as well as by himself. We switch up toys and location all the time, but I have to admit that I think he is getting used to his toys. I'm looking forward to being back in Toronto where he has '6 months+' toys waiting for him. Something new is always an opportunity to learn. :) When Matt comes home from work, the two of them spend some time together each night. Most of the time they sit on the floor playing with Magnus's toys and watching MASH.

Hanging Out Watching MASH

Matt Trying To Figure Out A Toy

Magnus in Daddy's Lap

While playtime with me also includes sitting with Magnus while he plays with his toys, I also spend A LOT of time playing peekaboo and singing songs. Here's a clip of our playtime that Matt managed to capture.

Playtime with Mommy

I just love to make him giggle! He tends to alternate between deep belly gafaws and shrill shrieks of delight. And he has continued his vocal experimentation. He still raspberries a lot (even when I'm trying to feed him - so messy sometimes!!!) but his new fixation is screaming at will.

Scream Practice

His other new fixation is physical. He is no longer content to just sit still where I place him. Oh no. He has a mind of his own. He will purposefully throw a toy just so he can reach for it. After much grunting and squirming, this inevitably results with him ending up on his stomach. So until we get back to Toronto where we have a playpen, we now have to watch him like a hawk because he can very easily and QUICKLY roll from his stomach to his back. And he seems to do his own version of yoga alternating between downward dog, cat, cow, and upward dog. :) There's just not enough real estate on the chair or couch for him to be so squirmy. Lacking a video of these antics, check out some of his new positions.

All this additional time on his stomach (which, if you recall, he used to hate) has resulted in Magnus finding his preliminary mode of locomotion. Just like his toe sucking, Magnus does things his own way. :)

 

Creeping to a Prize

I'm in trouble.