OCTOBER 1

Welcome, October! Possibly my favourite month of all. The colours, the smell, the turkey, the apple crisp, the pumpkin spice lattes (FINALLY had my first of the year on the weekend and it was amaaaazing) and most of all, our wedding anniversary. At the end of the month we will see our fourth anniversary! Oh how the time does fly when you`re having fun! The only thing I am not looking forward to is the high likelihood that we will see snow up in the north this month. I will remain in denial for as long as possible.

But this post is not really about all that. It`s simply about a killer thrift find! Check out this teal coat hanger that I found this past weekend (and you can also spot the yellow cowl I crocheted last year. I probably should have written down the pattern, because I want more!). It was $2.99. So of course I couldn`t wait to get it up in our home and decorate it for the season! It looks awesome and I just love it. Along with a baby doll for $2.99 and a pair of winter boots for $3.99 (both for Thaddeus), I`d say it was a highly successful thrift shopping experience! I can`t wait to scour the shops again the next time I`m in the city. And, get another PSL.

Unrelated, but today I have my first prenatal appointment today since I`ve been back in town. I`m really looking forward to hearing baby girl`s heartbeat again, and hearing how things are going. I also have a big list of questions for the doctor and nurses concerning delivery day. I`m quite nervous about it really. I have an hour and a half drive in the dead of winter to get to the hospital. Juuust want to make sure I have all my bases covered to best avoid any kind of crazy road-side birth story. Because seriously. No. Just, no.

Anyway, another one of my favourite decor things is my random tea card banner. I bought this awesome set of tea cards on clearance at Indigo a few years ago, and finally found a crafty use for it. It also came with a bunch of great recipe cards which I have kept! I suppose it`s a little strange, but I love it all the same. It`s the little things that make a house a home!

For us, October also means jumping into gear to prepare to welcome our daughter into the world. We are working on clearing out the spare bedroom that has been our storage space (aka dump space) up until now. That will remain a spare bedroom and hold all our dressers. Our bedroom will become the family sleeping room (I hope to write a post about our sleeping decisions soon!). We will also likely install the infant car seat sooner than later, just to be safe.

In other news, you may notice I have added two new sections to my blog: What I'm Loving Right Now and The Westman Family Book Shop. Or maybe you didn't notice, so there ya go! Feel free to browse around and remember to ask any questions that you may have in the comments below or through our Contact Us page. They will be frequently updated, so be sure to check back often!

What does October mean for you? Do you do anything special this month to celebrate the autumn season? I hope you all had a wonderful start to your week, and that you will enjoy this first day of October. As always, thank you for stopping by.

COMING HOME - A LITTLE LIFE UPDATE

We have been back home in Beauval from a long and lovely vacation in Ottawa since the very end of August. Although our trip to Ottawa was long anticipated and very much needed, it is nice to be home. There truly is no place like it. 

Lately, we have been trying to take full advantage of our beautiful yet short autumn season. Winter will be upon us in full force sooner than we know it - and just so you have an idea of how long our northern winters are, we actually had a snowfall in June this past year. Yes, June. Disgusting, I know.

So we have been outside playing in the dirt and grass with lots of rocks and fallen leaves and dandelions. Thaddeus, at 15 months, loves getting dirty, exploring the earth with his hands and occasionally still, his mouth. We love to listen to the trees blowing in the wind, following the leaves as they float to the ground, and watch the magpies and ravens as they soar in the sky, land on a branch, or nibble at things in our yard. 

Our little boy is growing so fast, and soaking in everything like a sponge. Every day he is learning so much, and I am constantly amazed by him. He loves to talk, read, yell, run, dance, cuddle, eat and laugh. He has a fabulous sense of humor, just like his dad. I am so blessed to be his mother! I noticed yesterday that his molars may be coming in, so I'm off to grab some extra Advil today just in case! I've heard terrible things about these molars so I'm praying that he won't have too horrible of an experience. But, if he does, then at least they're coming in before baby arrives!

Mark has been settling well into his third year of teaching. He is teaching middle-years math, assistant coaching football, and head coaching the Sr. boys basketball team. Of course, much like parenting, teaching comes with its dose of daily challenges, but he loves his job and is growing as a teacher every day. Thaddeus is overjoyed when Mark comes home for lunch and at the end of the day. We really look forward to our weekends with dada at home! It's amazing to see the attachment that Thaddeus has developed with Mark. This summer we recently transitioned to having Mark put him down to bed, and at first he was so upset, but now he reaches out for him and settles in for a nice cuddle. They love to laugh and play together, have snuggles while reading books, and of course, dance dance dance. They have such a special bond and it makes this mama so happy!

Things have been going really great for me as well. I am so happy to be home again, and loving my life as a mom. As of Sunday, I will be 28 weeks pregnant and entering my third trimester. Other than a few normal annoying pregnancy symptoms, I have been feeling wonderful. Our little girl is constantly moving ( probably stepdancing!) and I can't wait to hold her in my arms for the first time.

My milk dried up as soon as Thaddeus turned 14 months (I was about 23 weeks) and so, naturally, he hasn't nursed since. He doesn't even seem to mind! And although I would have liked to nurse him longer, I am also glad to have a little break before baby girl comes along. 

We have been starting to prepare ourselves for her arrival now, and have made plans with good friends to take care of Thaddeus the day she arrives. We've also decided that we will all stay sleeping in the same room. Right now Thaddeus is in a toddler floor bed right beside ours (our mattress is just on the box spring on the floor) and spends the majority of the night in our bed. Baby girl will start off in the newborn napper Pack N' Play just like Thaddeus did, right beside me. We plan on moving all our dressers and the rocking chair into the spare bedroom and our room will be the sleeping room! So we will try that out, and hopefully everyone will sleep well (ha!).

Well, this is what's new with us right now. We are so thankful for where we are, and look forward to all that is to come this year! 

Friends, I wish you a happy weekend!

THADDEUS TURNS ONE

Well, I may be 3 months late, but better late than never, right? Here's a roundup of my favourite photos from Thaddeus' first birthday party in Ottawa. He will be 15 months this Thursday already, and little sister is due in 3 months from yesterday!

I also have a few extra pictures of our time at the lake from June, so I'll tack them on here!