It's OUR life.

As if the earlier post wasn't enough!

2008-12-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

I swear wee man was wanting something even more spectacular written about him than was already just said. No more than an hour after my last post I was getting Callum ready for his nap. Now, this may be t.m.i. for some of you, but he normally poops himself during his nap time. He's been doing this for as long as I can remember. This is one of the reasons why it's been so difficult to help him go to the potty because he'll just keep holding it until nap time or bed time.

Today I could tell something was different. How? I have no clue. Honestly. I guess it's just because I know him so well. Yesterday he coveted a yellow school bus, the one I mentioned earlier. When he sat down on the potty for his pre-nap pee, I mentioned casually that if he tried to have a poo on the potty, I'd make sure to reiterate his love for the school bus to Santa. He looked very carefully at me and then asked me to leave the room. As I was leaving he got off the toilet and pulled out his little potty. When I turned around to see what he was doing he asked me to leave, again. I laughed a bit and walked out, only to be followed by a little voice asking me to close the door. I closed the door.

I checked in a couple of times and he kept asking me to leave. He was busy sitting on his potty, reading his book about going to the potty! Too cute. Callum was in there for so long that I went, brushed my teeth, had a shower and got dressed. When I returned, the door was open. He was standing in the bathroom, blushing and pointed at the potty. Yep, you guessed it - he pooped! Needless to say, pure chaos of love ensued.

I'm so proud of our wee man. I really hope this is the start of a new chapter for us. This was all on his own terms, so hopefully he's just decided he's ready.

Love you wee man! I'm so very, very proud of you!!!!

Mummy.
xo

Almost 3 years old!

2008-12-10T08:22:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems like it's really difficult to keep up with writing a blog. Go figure.

Here are some new things Callum has been doing:

1. He has started becoming more imaginative which is really fun for all of us. Just the other day he picked up and imaginary phone and said, "Hello? Hi, my name is Grandpa. Put on your trousers please". I mean, where does that come from?! Too funny.

2. Callum's sentences are becoming longer and more clear. He is starting off with standard phrases like, "I want...", "I would like..." etc.

3. The other day he told me he had to go to the potty, so at least we have a bit of progress. It's been a pretty rough road when it comes to food and potty issues.

4. When we're in the mall, or simply in public, we've been allowing Callum the freedom to walk without holding our hands. Talk about scary! He's such a typically hyper wee boy that he can be off in a flash and we'd have to run to catch him. Thing is, we both realize he needs to have some more freedoms and he grows up.

5. No click! No longer is Callum being clicked in to a chair at the table. No more high chairs in restaurants or malls. Big boy, in a big boy seat. He's actually been remarkably well behaved. We need to remind him on several occasions to get back in the chair, but that's to be expected with new found freedom.

Favourite songs:
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - loves this song!
Yellow Submarine
All You Need is Love
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Hey Jude
O Canada - he knows all the words!

Favourite activities
Watching wheels turn. I know this might sound a bit odd, but it's true. Who knows, maybe we have a little engineer on our hands. He could sit/lie and watch wheels on shower doors, garage doors, trains, cars, busses, dishwasher rack, etc. He still also holds a great love for doors and watching the hinges, as well as trying to figure out door handles. Not how door handles turn, but actually how they work and lock into on another.

Trains. Hands down. Anything to do with trains.

Favourite books
My Big Train Book - he knows every train in the book (and there are a lot), what they do and what country they're from.
Smithsonian - My Train Book
Counting Christmas - I think he might be able to read a bit, as in 3-letter words; he certainly can recognizes the words for one to ten
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Favourite t.v. show
Max & Ruby

In January our wee man will be 3 years old. It's hard to imagine he's grown up so quickly. The first year of his life felt like a year! The second year of his life has gone so quickly. Also in January, Callum starts half days at school. I went and bought his uniform yesterday and couldn't believe it when I looked at this sweet boy, no longer a baby. He enjoyed nursery school so much when we were living in Toronto that we knew he needed to continue on with schooling.

Callum's teachers at nursery school were so complimentary of his level of intelligence, his "heart of gold" and his great spirit. He made quite the impression on a number of girls who actually seemed to be swooning! Since when do 3 year olds swoon?! One wee girl came up to me in the parking lot of the school and informed me that "He sings cool. He dresses

Living in Toronto.

2008-09-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

We moved to Toronto a couple of months back, from our beautiful and beloved B.C. It's been very hard here so far, but there is a light at the end of the (smog filled) tunnel.

Callum has changed so dramatically since we arrived and so I thought it would be a good idea to document just a handful of the cool things that have been going on.

1. Tonight I was wearing a cheesy nightshirt that has a picture of a cupcake on it. Callum loves this shirt! He looked at it and said, "gateau"?! Since when does Callum know the French word for cake?!
2. Also this evening, he looked at me and said, "M-O-M spells Mom" - did I mention he's a genius?
3. Pees on the potty, but sneaks poops in his pull-up at bedtime. Someone along the line has told him it's dirty (not me!) and now he seems a bit freaked by it.
4. Went to camp for the first time at Bayview Glen and LOVED it.
5. Started nursery school this September!
6. Gives other kids hugs now with the added bonus of a gentle hand pat on their backs :)
7. Knows his days of the week.
8. Can count to 3 in English, German, French and Spanish. Can count to at least 20 in English, but I think maybe even higher than that.
9. Gives hugs and kisses and says I love you (on occasion).
10. Loves to dance, do 'horseys', drum, listen to music, read, run, swim, etc.
11. Won the "Super Super Super Safety Award" at camp, as well as the "Best Runner" which is pretty impressive because he was among the youngest of campers in his group that was mostly comprised of 3 - 4 year olds.
12. Has started to colour and play with play dough.
13. His communication skills are great and improving by leaps and bounds everyday. His vocabulary is amazing, but it always has been.
14. Knows the first 1/2 of "O Canada" and sings it really well!

Favourite music:
1. The Beatles, by a landslide. He calls them the BeatOs.
2. Queen, especially two songs in particular; We are the Champions & We will Rock You, or "Knees a clap" as he refers to it. Today he actually got the beat right for the song and did two knee slaps and a clap for quite a while!

Favourite food: still thinking... oh yeah, none. Still a really fussy eater.

Favourite colour: blue; green comes a near second

Favourite activity: riding trains

Favourite t.v. show: Franklin

Dislikes: anything really loud, especially fans in public bathrooms; automatic flushing toilets; trying new foods; vacuums

Once we get into our house, I'll measure and weigh Callum and then post his latest stats.

I'm very tired.

I bid you adieu.
Allison - Mummy.

2008-04-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Inspired.

2008-04-20T22:12:00.001-07:00

It's been almost a year since I've posted any news about Callum and our lives. This does not mean there hasn't been anything going on, or that we've given him away to Gypsies. Somehow time has just passed by and before I knew it, we're in April of 2008! Photographs of Callum have been posted on a monthly basis at: http://flickr.com/honig so please visit the link to see how the wee man has changed over the last 10 months.

My goal is to post here more regularly, as keeping a hand-written journal of Callum's achievements, life, adventures and loves isn't very fitting for me. It's very rare that I pick up a pen, but clicking away on the keyboard is a regular occurrence.

Callum has changed leaps and bounds in the last year, but is still the most amazing person ever. Many of you know me and realize I never wanted to be a Mum. Kids were annoying and men were all pigs. Somewhere along the line these ideas were changing and I didn't even realize it. Callum has changed our lives forever and I'm really glad that I finally won the lottery, the kid lottery.

Here is a list of the things Callum likes:
1. Trains, primarily Thomas the Tank Engine, but trains in general are huge on his list.
2. Reading and then reading some more. I guess technically I should say being read to.
3. The park, in particular the slides and rocks.
4. Mummy & Daddy
5. Toothpaste
6. Climbing.

Favourite books:
1. Green Eggs and Ham (quoted by Callum on a very regular basis - In the dark. Here in the dark? Would you? Could you?)
2. Little Engines Can Do Big Things (I think he's smitten with Lady the Golden Engine)
3. Snuggle Puppy
4. Moo, Baa, La La La (I think he will learn to read with this book, he's very close)
5. Curious George Goes to the Chocolate Factory (he memorized all of the different chocolates!)

Favourite songs:
1. Old MacDonald had a farm, or EIEIO as Callum refers to it
2. Frere Jacques
3. Happy Family - The Ramones
4. Apples and Bananas (Apples and Manas)
5. Goodnight Callum, Goodnight (song I made up for bedtime)

Favourite activities:
1. Playing with trains
2. Riding escalators (Callum calls them squadors)
3. Climbing, running, sliding, digging, etc.
4. Reading
5. Singing and dancing, especially if it includes honking someone's nose

Disliked activities:
1. Trying new foods - the message from Green Eggs and Ham doesn't seem to be getting through!
2. Having his hair rinsed, or really any water touching his head
3. Sitting still

Favourite foods:
1. Cheese toast (grilled cheese)
2. Strawberries or blueberries with yogurt
3. Mac 'n' cheese (back cheese... sounds gross when he says it!)
4. Gummies (fruit gummies of any kind)
5. Granola bars

Boasting section:
- can count to 20
- can add up to 4
- has an outstanding memory (quotes books and sings full songs)
- says 5 word sentences
- has peed on the potty twice!
- knows the alphabet (has done since Xmas when he received the magnetic letters from Great Auntie Mary)

I could go on forever, but I'll leave the achievements at that for now, I don't want to sound too boastful. Well, I do, but I'll restrain myself.

I've noticed that Callum seems more interested in typical boy things, like mechanics, transportation, math, etc. Art is not something that seems to come naturally for him and that's okay. He does like taking pictures, but I'm pretty sure it's because he gets to press a button.

Over and out.

P.S.
Thanks Jacquie for sharing your blog, it inspired me.

Callum T.V. - Episode Two

2007-06-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

Callum T.V. - episode one

2007-05-29T11:30:00.001-07:00

Callum & Darby; May 23, 2007.

2007-05-24T00:28:00.001-07:00

Playing around with Callum today.

2007-05-22T16:45:00.001-07:00

Highlights

2007-05-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a few highlights from the Children's Festival, courtesy of Aunti Mari!

Great Big Baby!

2007-05-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Callum is finally big enough to wear the Great Big Sea shirt we bought him at last summer's concert! It's cute because instead of Great Big Sea, it says Great Big Baby! Graham and I are huge fans of Great Big Sea, a love that was propelled by our BFFs Lisa and Perry, who are from Newfoundland. I think there is a big of the Celtic blood in us that also draws us to their music.

Here are a few photos of Callum in his t-shirt:

I chose to try my hand at altering the following photo from colour to black & white, also I mucked about with the contrast. I think he looks so artsy in this shot:

Nothing beats wee man's true to life gorgeousness though...

Here's our happy wee man on a grocery shopping trip with Mummy. He has certainly figured out technology quite quickly; he's always going into our wallets and taking out the debit cards!

Food has always been a bit of a struggle with Callum. He likes what he likes and don't dare try and feed him anything different or he clamps shut and starts scrubbing his face with his mucky little hands! Case in point, the other day I was trying to get him to eat pasta, but he decided it was much better smeared all over his tray, face and hair.

A huge achievement for Callum just recently is being brave and confident enough to go down the slide all by himself! He started off going down feet first, but then saw another wee boy go down backwards on his stomach. After that, he was up and down the slide like crazy! At the same play area Callum and I encountered his first bully - booo! The boy was around 4 or 5 years old and kept pulling Callum very hard by the shirt and landing him on the ground. At first all I could see around the slide was Callum fall down backwards with a big thud and of course thought it was a tad unusual. I've been trying to hold back a bit when swooping in like Mother Bird, but when I realized the boy with the stuffed pig was intentionally hurting Callum I thought I was going to bust! I swooped in there, scolded him and brought him over to his Mom who was reading the paper and completely ignoring anything going on around her! I then scolded her and much to my amazement, she just shrugged and looked at me like I was insane! The same boy had just kicked another baby (14 months) and she just sat there. It's hard to figure out how to behave in a situation like that because really I just wanted to get in her face and shake some sense into her.

Anyway, here's Callum enjoying himself on the slide!

On Saturday (May 19th), Graham, Callum and I went to the Children's Festival at Vanier Park with Graham's parents, brother Malcolm and his wife Mari, as well as their kids, Isabel and baby Malcolm. It was quite exciting to see all there was to be had at the festival for all age groups, even as young as Callum! Of course next year will be even better because he can make crafts, etc. There was a travelling entertainment group playing the accordian, oboe and something else...boy were they odd looking! As an adult I appreciate the strangeness of their costumes, but I did wonder if the kids would be afraid. Callum was very interested in the crazed carrot, that was until it started to come over to him and then his smiled disappeared and he legged it!

There were loads of volunteers painting kids faces and even though I knew Callum wouldn't have an appreciation for it at his age, I really wanted him to get it done. Even when I thought I didn't like kids, I always loved seeing them with painted faces! The girl was very patient and amazingly was able to paint a spider web and spider on Callum's cheek before he squiggled away.

Granny bought Callum a lovely pinwheel that he really liked, but didn't understand the concept of. He decided it should be used just as a stick and repeatedly pulled the pinwheel apart and played with the ever-coveted stick. While riding on Daddy's shoulders he quickly realized he could poke Daddy in the head. It was almost like he was egging Graham on to go faster!

The yogurt-faced spiderman, hippy (check out that long hair!) seriously appreciated and yummed up his (free) tub of Liberte yogurt from Capers. Graham was convinced, and secretly hoping, Callum couldn't finish his tasty yogurt, but once again, Daddy was wrong! This 8.5% milkfat (ouch) yogurt is best left for the baby's who can afford a fat content that high!

All in all, it's been a good week or so in the McKinnon household.

Over and out!

Long time passing.

2007-05-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been a LONG time since I've posted and that's really crappy - sorry!

Many things have been going on in our lives, thus one of the reasons why the blog (poor thing) has been neglected. Starting in March we were very busy getting our townhouse ready for listing on the housing market. This was a decision we came to when Graham started working out at UBC because the commute was so horrendous. Graham is now back at the law firm downtown, but we decided to move a teensy-bit closer to Vancouver anyway.

Our townhouse sold in one day for $16,000 over the asking price, needless to say we were totally chuffed! The housing market here is still steady and crazy as always; will this never end?!

The hunt for the new house was on and kept us very busy for a few weeks. The end result was a house, yes a detached house (yay!) with a large backyard for Callum to run around. Our move-in date is June 30th and we quickly learned that this is the most popular moving day of the year. Luckily my Mom convinced me to start calling moving companies right away, so we ended up securing what seems to be a good moving company.

Mom and Dad came for a visit, which sadly feels like ages ago, but in reality it was only a month ago!

That brings us to now.

Here are the updates for Callum:

1. Walking steadily; no more crawling.
2. Flicks light switches on and off.
3. Loves to ring the doorbell and make the garage door go up and down.
4. Claps and signs 'more'.
5. Sang "I...J" the other day during the alphaet song!
6. Throws a ball.
7. Shakes his head 'no'.
8. Clangs bowls together and bangs things (thanks Mom!)
9. Understands 'no'.
10. Drinks from a sippy cup.
11. Loves toast (thanks Dad!)
12. Remembers things and recognizes people.
13. Loves investigating...everything!
14. Figured out how to open bifold closet doors all by himself. He lay on his stomach and looked underneath the door and then pulled, it was an amazing moment!

Here are some random pictures from the last wee while.

Looking like a milk warrior!

Whew! Well hopefully that fills the Callum void for a bit. The camera is being charged up as I write this, so please look forward to more pics soon!

Over and out.
Allison

Callum has entered a 12-step program...

2007-03-07T17:25:00.000-08:00

You read correctly, Callum started a 12-step program today, well really he created his own program that just happened to be 12 steps. He took 12 consecutive steps today and just blew my mind! He also has discovered that crayons are for much more than colouring and decided to try and eat the yellow crayon. He looked very funny when he was walking because he had that 'just got off a horse' stance, the yellow crayon hanging out of his mouth (bent on the end) and his fists up. He looked like he was on his way to a stand-off!

Last week Callum and I took a trip to Ikea, which by the way is quite socially responsible I might add. They have a whole line of socially-conscious pillow cases that are made by women in India. They are not only paid a respectable wage, but they have a say in the design as well - way to go Ikea! Anyway, back to Callum. He looked so cute that day that we had an annoying time of being stopped by loads of people.

Here are some photos from that day.

Callum smiling for Mummy. He probably thinks my cameras are part of my body by this point!

Hat's off already! He had just figured out how to make Dragon play songs and was feeling quite chuffed with himself.

Loves imitating right now (best be on good behaviour!). Here he's trying to do up his buckle on his stroller harness.

Ah, the mall. Doesn't like the mall, but will tolerate it for short periods. Rice crackers sweeten the deal a bit!

Having a total zone-out at the mall, as do many men!

So stylish!

Callum's asked if he can go out later now that he's got a pub hat!

Oh yeah, Flickr.com is having rotating issues again - sorry!

Th-th-th-th-at's all folks!

Two steppin'

2007-03-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

Well not much has been going on since my last post, except for the fact that Callum has now taken two steps in a row! Yep, that's right, our wee man is on his way to being a walking terror!

Callum's verbal skills are improving greatly and he is attempting to speak to us rather than just mumbly jumbly speak.

Here are the most recent pictures taken of Callum.

This is Callum playing with the cupboards at the school - surprise! Callum absolutely loves anything with a hinge and has done for a couple of months now. With all of those toys around he still migrates to the hinge.

Don't worry Callum, there's no cat pee in that sandbox!

Sussing out the playarea situation before he squeals and takes off to the slide...his latest favourite.

He's taken to sitting underneath things, I guess it's time to start making forts - woo hoo!

I'm outtie!

Peanut, peanut butter - jelly! NOT!

2007-02-19T22:45:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like a little someone called Callum has an allergy to peanuts. Needless to say, the first peanut butter and jam sandwich wasn't a great success. Within a couple of minutes of tasting the peanutty yumminess, Callum's eyes started to swell shut and he got all sorts of clear blistery type bumps on his face and torso. After a frantic call to the B.C. Nurses Line it was determined that he should be taken to the hospital immediately.

After receiving a large dose of Benadryl via needle, Callum fell asleep in my arms until it was time to go home...almost 3 hours later! It was a traumatic event for me, he didn't really seem to care until the needle got jabbed into him, and then it was over. It's funny how these things that feel so major at the time, can be moved on from.

We now carry an Epipen just in case our wee man gets some foul legume called a peanut.

Here is the wee soldier in the car on our way home from the hospital.

A vegetarian who can't eat nuts...I've got some homework to do!

Over and out.

P.S.

I have started a map (located at the bottom of the page) that tracks where in the World the readers are of this blog.

Miscellaneous photos from the last month or so.

2007-02-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

Yo yo hay yo! This is how I roll ladies! Aaaiiiight!

Waiting for a call whilst lunching at White Spot. Where's my Pirate Pack?

Ending on a high note!

First day of "school".

2007-02-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

There is a primary school a very short distance away from our house and I noticed on one of our walks that there were always strollers in front of the same door during the morning. When I went up to check out what was going on I was met by a woman who told me they hold a Literacy Program for children from 0-5 years old. It's free, it's convenient, it's fun and it's educational...I immediately didn't trust it - ha ha!

Here is Callum being shy on his first day...yeah right!

Not really sure if he's going to accept the throne or not...

I was told this would happen...

2007-02-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

...just never believed it! Callum crawled himself to sleep while I was hoovering!!!

One icy day in Burnaby...

2007-02-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

...a Mummy and her son decided, who cares about the weather?! We want to go outside, so they did. Here are some pictures from their adventure.

The little boy's favourite creek had almost completely frozen. Normally not hearing the rush of the water would've been disappointing for him, but not this special day. He got to actually go down into the creek with his Mummy and look through the tube that goes under the path!

A warm and cozy chariot was awaiting the boy after his creekside adventure.

As the wee boy bid adieu to his creek for the day, he gave one last look back and vowed to visit again someday...

He felt a darkness come over him as he smiled at his Mummy, but then just realized that she had messed up the aperture setting on her camera! Silly Mummy!

Testing theories of whether or not life is really black and white, the little boy discovered life can be black and white, as depicted in this photograph, or in full colour, as depicted by his outlook on life!

His patience and positive attitude paid off and he was graced with the sound of rushing water down the mountain, into the creek and underneath where he was seated in his chariot! The world really is what you make it!

The End...or is it?

Callum's Pirate Paarrrrty!

2007-02-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

I will get into the pictures right away because I know that's what everyone has been waiting for.

The cake was a bit of a nightmare, but with a really nice result. We had an unusual amount of snow on the 10th of January (Callum's birthday) and I hadn't anything to make a cake. Decided had grown up in Ontario, snow no match for Mummy on mission for child. Absolutely wrong. Went down hill sideways in car thinking would kill offspring on anniversary of birth! Slinked way back home. Neighbour out shoveling driveway approached asking why would drive on during such awful snow. Explained super hero Mummy adventure and was led into neighbours house to be given cake mix, icing sugar, butter and pat on back. Success! V. good end to crap situation.

Callum very happy with cake. Champion boy!

Fast forward 3 days to the Pirate parrrrty...

We open with Audrey, enjoying some vegetarian jello. Shiver me timbers was Audrey's saying for the day. She had learned the phrase from her Mummy, Angie, that morning. Audrey just turned 2 on the 13th of February and is such a beautiful and well behaved little girl...nothing like her parents!

Keeping a keen eye on the midget Pirates below, Captain Callum Sparrow gets help standing...it's all that grog!

Wonder what was said on other side of room?

Sail ho! Metal God Quinn has spotted a ship o'er the horizon!

Ahoy mateys!

I'z feelin' like I'z gonna get scurvy, better chew on our hands for sustinence pirates!

It sure is difficult photographing a group of unruly pirates!

Classic. Loves the box more than anything else.

It opens AND closes!

Birthday was huge success! Thank you to all who could make it; Callum had a really great turn out!

Arrrrgghhh!

Leading up to Xmas in Trenton.

2007-01-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time coming, but I am going to inundate you with information and photos!

First of all, Callum and I flew to Ontario to go see the family for Xmas. The flight was interesting, as Callum decided this time he didn't really like flying because he would rather be crawling around and having fun - wouldn't we all! Well, except for the crawling of course. The plane was very small and old, and the Air Canada crew left a lot to be desired yet again. After many sighs and grunts of disapprovement from the man two seats over, I decided to walk Callum around for a while. One woman made a comment to me at the baggage carousel that Callum had been a very good baby and that if the rude man didn't want to have to deal with the public, then he should take a private jet next time! Right on sista!

Callum took to Mom and Dad pretty much right away and dealt with all of the chaos really well. I'm such a proud Mummy.

The following pictures show some fun we had in Trenton & Belleville.

Ground control to Major Tom! We have lift off and Callum is enjoying the local grocery store's rocket ship cart(s) for kids.

As Callum gets bigger and stronger, and we are becoming stronger and more confident, some of the classic kid/parent activities are starting to come out. Even though Graham has a smile on his face in the picture below, he is probably saying a silent prayer for the tufts of hair that he actually has on the top whilst hoping Callum doesn't remove it all!

Finger foods are preferrable to Callum now, as he has discovered his palette and is no longer satisfied with warm or cold goo. I figured this day would come, but being a clean freak sometimes I felt my heart pounding as I saw him covering himself in a yummy, maple teething biscuit! At least we know he's enjoying himself.

Even though this picture shows the more serious side of our wee man, I just couldn't resist how sweet he looks and how the term "baby blues" must be coined after his gorgeous eyes.

As much as I know he's growing up, and as much as I enjoy him growing up, there is still that part of me that loves to stare at him sleeping. He looks so small and innocent. God knows I didn't get a lot of time to gaze lovingly at him when he was a wee baby because he never slept!

He's become a bit of a bum-up-in-the-air sleeper, it's so cute!

Now I don't know how many of you have tried to take a 'nice' posed picture of a baby or toddler, but it is extremely difficult to have the adult and the child ready at the same time. There are always fingers going in the mouth, shifting around and that's just the adult!

Here's Callum and Grandma in Grandma's living room.

Callum, making serious attempts at walking, or at least cruising. Problem is, Grandma and Grandpa's house is so big that all of the furniture is too far apart for cruising!

On Xmas day, the windows were all sweaty with steam from the many burners, pots and ovens on. It was very exciting because it's been a long time since I have been home for Xmas, plus it was Callum's first Xmas ever! There were four generations in attendance and we all managed to get along - amazing! The food was great and Mom managed to pull it off, her first big Xmas dinner in over a decade.

Callum has discovered that he really likes his soother and would like everyone to give it a try. Here he is trying to give the soother to his Grandpa Bell; so nice to share!

I love this picture of Callum and Dad. They look so cute there together, both in their ties.

Here are some miscellaneous house pictures from Xmas.

The front of Mom and Dad's house.

This is the best bathroom ever! I love the way it's decorated, plus the toilet seat is pneumatic, aka it slowing let's itself down rather than slamming. Also, the fan switch is beside the toilet, just in case you, uh you know, need the fan...

Nice Xmas decorations; the house was beautifully done.

The beautiful dining room; it is my favourite room in the house.

Kudos must go to Graham for contributing his napkin folding skills to the table decor. As we were told by Graham, he is trained in silver service - ha ha!

Dining room.

The living room that housed the most beautiful tree we've ever had, hands down.

Some more elegant decorations.

Last, but absolutely not least, the wee man that made the whole day and our lives so much more fulfilled, Callum.

Mummy extraordinaire, Allison.

P.S.
There's something wrong with the rotate feature on Flickr, but I figured if I didn't get this posting up I would be in serious trouble!

Happy 1st birthday Callum!

2007-01-10T22:15:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, today is Callum's first birthday - yaaaay, champion!

I have been very busy lately, so the postings have taken a bit of a back seat - sorry.

Tomorrow I will post more information on Callum's latest and greatest, as well as some pics.

Again, happy birthday wee man!

After a long day.

2006-11-27T20:24:00.000-08:00

Callum and I were getting his dinner ready, when I snapped this picture. He's so tired here that he was a bit wobbly and was drooling. Admittedly, there was a bit of mouth breathing as well. According to Dr. Lemke, children don't really start to breath through their noses until around 2 years of age.

Here are Callum's stats:

76.2 cm long (2 ft. 6")
9.5 kg (21 lbs)
4 teeth
Very little hair

Callum clearly recognizes his name now and some things we are saying. Most of the time he will come to us if we tell him to. He understands the word, 'no' but seems to pick and choose when he listens - ack! "This Little Piggy" game just thrills him and he laughs hysterically, it's very cute! Oh yeah, the word sushi gets him in knots laughing as well :)

He is experimenting with his own communication and says "Da Da" indiscriminately most of the time, but more frequently uses the word when looking at Graham.

Climbing, climbing and more climbing is the name of the game these days. There is no way one can stop this wee man from exploring anything and everything. He is able to pull himself up on just about anything, including movable objects. A few times he has been able to 'cruise' along the furniture, but not much yet. I was helping him stand without furniture the other day and when I let go he didn't fall down right away. It must have been about 2 seconds before his butt hit the ground. I figure by Xmas he will be walking.

Our near goals are to get him off the bottle feeds and onto using a sippy cup. Right now he will put the nipple of the bottle in his mouth very confidentally, but he refuses to hold it while he's drinking it. I really think he should be feeding himself his bottle by now, but even more, he should be giving up the bottle.

I've had many people e-mail lately asking what size Callum wears now and for now, he is just coming into the 12-18 months range.

Over and out!

- Allison

He's figured it out.

2006-11-27T20:19:00.000-08:00

Callum has officially figured out how to sneak his way into the H.O.V. (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane - hitch a ride with the Cat in the Hat!

Lisa and I were trying to get Callum to sit down while driving, but to no avail. He decided that standing while reefing on the steering wheel was much more appealing, oh yeah and jumping up and down. Now I'm not saying he's going to be a crappy driver in the future, but let's hope this doesn't set a precedent.

One thing is for sure, he looks very cute!

Here's a more intimate look at the two of them in the car.

Cat doesn't look upset, so maybe the ride wasn't as crazy as it seemed!

First trip to the dentist!

2006-11-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

Well, Callum is now officially a member of the toothed brigade, thus he needed to have his first appointment with the Dentist. Dr. Rosebush is a great dentist and was pretty sure that Callum was his youngest patient ever! Of course, like most people, Callum was slightly freaked out by lying down in the chair.

Good thing was, Dr. Rosebush was very patient and Callum got a good, clean bill of health. Also, I finally got to see his teeth! Whenever I try and pry my fingers into his mouth so I can have a gander, he clamps down like a dog on a bone. It's not the most flattering picture of Callum, but being at the Dentist has never really been a pretty thing anyway!

And that's the tooth!

Callum's First Halloween!

2006-11-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

Our little chicken is anxious to get to the mall to hear the Mayor of Burnaby read out scary stories. Too bad the Mayor has absolutely no experience reading to children and was dreadfully boring! Nonetheless, it was very nice of him to take time out of his day for the kids.

Although, after looking at how intensely Callum is listening to the story, maybe it was just boring for me!

I took Callum to the children's play area at Brentwood Mall so that he could see all the kids playing. He seems to get a real kick out of seeing other children. Because he's so little, I wasn't going to take him into play because I didn't want him to get hurt. I changed my mind, not about wanting him not to get hurt (!), but taking him into play. I figured now that he can crawl it might be fun for him and boy was I right! He was scooting all over the place!

There were so many cute kids dressed up in sweet little suits that you just couldn't help laughing and smiling! I loved watching Callum play and laugh, although there were a few close calls with bigger kids almost falling on him - ack! Check out Eeyore going arse over tea kettle in the background!!!

Callum really liked playing with the giant eraser and crayons.

After we left Brentwood I took Callum home for a nap and to be honest, I kind of needed a rest too! Later in the afternoon I took him over to Lougheed Town Centre to see what was going on there. I was a bit floored at how many children there were trick-or-treating in the mall! I guess this is the new safety trend is to have your child collect candy in the mall. I guess it's an okay idea, but I like the old school idea of getting all bundled up and going out in the cold.

Here's Callum on his way into Lougheed Mall. As my friend Terry said, he looks like a chicken on a mission and I agree!

Here, our seemingly innocent, resting chicken waits...

...and then pounces on the camera! Feral chicken!!!

Tired, out of his costume, done sifting through his candy (he didn't really have any, I'm just saying it for the good of the story!), Callum rests in front of the t.v. (that isn't on). There's something Tim Burton-esque about his little stripey suit. All in all, a good Halloween was had by the McKinnons.

Hope you all had a spooky and enjoyable Halloween too!

Boohaahaahaa!

Family walk.

2006-10-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

It's so rare that Graham, Callum and I get to spend any family time together that I suggest a 'family walk' whenever possible. The other day we were privvy to such an event and it proved to be loads of fun!

I bundled up Callum in his new sweater and hat, and as you can see, he looks terribly stylish!

As soon as Graham and I put Callum in the swing he started laughing. If you're used to being around babies, you'll know that once they laugh you feel so light-hearted and important. It might sound a bit on the self-important side, but I don't really care! Graham was given the honour of pushing Callum on the swing. He prepped Callum for what was about to transpire.

There wasn't any need to tell Callum to hold on because he loves to hold on to, well, just about anything and always has done. He used to hang on to his infant car seat handle as soon as we strapped him in. Now he holds on to the shopping cart handle, or the stroller arms, whatever helps him feel more stable, he'll hold it! I'm not knockin' it though, at least we don't have to worry quite as much about him falling.

If you look really closely, you might be able to see Callum's top two teeth. One of them has grown in quite a bit and the other is madly pushing it's way through, much to Callum's displeasure. The good thing is, he has decided that Nutrios (the toddler version of Cheerios) are acceptable and he might actually consume around six of them per day! The bad thing is, now that he is using his front teeth to try and chew, he still uses them for smooth foods and then ends up grinding his teeth. I shudder at the mere thought of the sound - ack!

And this face folks is what makes it all worth while!

Over and out!
- Allison

9 months!

2006-10-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

Trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house (more to come).

2006-10-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous fall day with my gorgeous Callum.

2006-10-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

I know, it's seems like forever.

2006-10-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! It's been a long time since I have made a post, but to my credit, I have been very busy. Not to mention, Callum and I went away to visit my parents for a month. Excuses are now over and regular postings will resume.

Callum is now just over 9 months old and his stats are as follows:
20.4 pounds
2'4 1/2" tall

He is crawling forwards now, whereas for the last couple of months he was crawling backwards. I suppose he was really just pushing himself backwards, but I like to think he was experimenting with different methods of crawling before he decided to commit to a specific style.

Solid food is in the mix now, just as long as there are no lumps. Lumps mean gagging, coughing and eventually vomiting. It's really not a pretty sight and I'm sure it must just ruin his lunching experience. I don't exactly want to throw up at the table, but that's just me!

During out trip to see my parents Callum met the following family members (I will list them off as he would refer to them): Great Grandma and Great Grandpa; Great Uncle Fred and Great Aunt Judy; Great Uncle Ralph and Great Aunt Pauline; Great Aunt Doreen and 2nd Cousin (?) Kristen. Of course he has spent loads of time with his Grandma and Grandpa before so that was a really nice experience having Callum get to know them much better.

We all have our special games we play with Callum to make him smile. My Dad's being a silly game with the soother, where he takes the soother out of Callum's mouth using his mouth and this makes Callum laugh like crazy! Then he comes back towards Callum with the soother in his mouth to deposit it in Callum's mouth. It is hilarious!

My Mom invented the Hoochie Koochie dance and that was also a huge hit! She also taught him how to put a plastic ring on it's stand; that is a huge event in a baby's life!

My Grandpa discovered by accident that much like cats and dogs, Callum became very interested in the light reflecting off of Grandpa's watch onto the wall. This made for quite a few minutes of fun while Callum actively followed the light! Very funny!

All in all the trip was very successful and we all had a great time.

Callum is now occassionally pulling himself up on furniture, but still seems a bit freaked out. He has 3 teeth, well really 2.5 and they look so cute!

The next big decision is whether or not I will be going back to work. What a massively difficult decision this is to make. Financially we are okay if I don't go back, so really the decision is being made on whether or not I want to go back. I find it hard to believe that I will be okay with someone telling me what to do all the time, but I do miss some aspects of work without a doubt. I am going away to my parent's place for all of December, so I need to be respectful to my workplace and make the decision within the next month...ack!

I find it hard to think about leaving Callum with a total stranger to help bring him up when I am fully capable of staying home to raise him myself. I have put so much hard work into this first year of his life and it seems kind of weird to not share the more exciting times with him as he is able to have fun at the park, etc. Any opinions on the subject? I would love to hear what people have to say.

I need to go to bed!

- Allison

Picture of perfection.

2006-08-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

Picture of perfection.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Standing with Daddy's help.

2006-08-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

Standing with Daddy's help.
Originally uploaded by honig.

I love the fact that Callum's shorts pretty much cover his whole legs. I am hoping that he isn't going to be cursed with my family's short legs, long torso thing. Nonetheless, he is perfect!

Tiddly pom.

2006-08-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

Tiddly pom.
Originally uploaded by honig.

I couldn't resist.

Tired.

2006-08-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

Tired.
Originally uploaded by honig.

The wee man was very tired, but we are determined to keep him on some sort of routine. He was watching the dogs run around the back garden like crazed maniacs, but he still doesn't look overly impressed!

Sitting with a safety net.

2006-08-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

Sitting with a safety net.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Callum can pretty much sit on his own now, but we are always concerned that he is going to fall. He might be sitting really well for ages and then all of a sudden he topples over. When there are pillows around it's okay, but the grass would probably be a different story. He isn't very keen on the grass, much as I wasn't when I was his age, but it must be awfully prickly on that sensitive baby skin.

Creeping on Daddy.

2006-08-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

Creeping on Daddy.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Callum loves to practise his crawling stance on our chests. I think a month from now he might be independently mobile - ack! I'm really excited about the prospect of him being able to move around, but I am a bit nervous too!

He's just a wee speck in his high chair!

2006-07-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

He's just a wee speck in his high chair!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Sweet potatoes were on the menu for the first time today, and let's just say they didn't go over very well. The first spoonful went down with just a bit of a scrunched nose and screwed up look on his face. The second spoonful entailed his mouth gaping open, him crying and dribbling sweet potato out of his mouth. Not exactly the hit that pears were...

He be chillin'.

2006-07-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

He be chillin'.
Originally uploaded by honig.

He's like an old pro now...not really, I am standing directly in front of him with my heart pounding, hoping he doesn't decide to launch himself off!

Sitting, not launching off the sofa!

2006-07-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

Sitting, not launching off the sofa!
Originally uploaded by honig.

What a perfectly gorgeous wee man. I just love him to bits!

Ch-ch-chaaanges!

2006-07-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

Rice, oatmeal and organic pears, what do these things have in common? Our wee man has had the recent opportunity to try all of these foods. The rice cereal wasn't much of a hit; he got all sorts of little bumps on his face from it. Needless to say we stopped the rice cereal in short order. The oatmeal went down well, but it's so bland that he doesn't seem to care much for it, but will accept it anyway. This crap cereal thing was all build up for the best thing ever - organic pears! Callum absolutely loves pears! I would to if I were him. Months of eating disgusting formula; Graham and I tried it and it was vile.

Today is a very hard day for me, as the Doctor has recommended letting Callum 'cry it out'. See, Callum has a really hard time sleeping and for the last (almost) 7 months I have done everything and anything I could to try and help our wee man sleep without having him cry. I have walked, rocked, glided, jiggled, swayed, nursed, picked up, put down, laid down, slept beside, shared a bed with, bounced, swung and dream fed our wee man, but nothing really worked. I would work hard for an hour and a half to get him to sleep only to have him wake up half an hour later, bawling his eyes out. I had no tricks left up my sleeve and he still wasn't sleeping. So tonight not only has Callum been crying, but I have been too. It breaks my heart to hear him cry. I'm so afraid that he is going to think I don't love him and that I have abandoned him. People I love and trust, as well as strangers and people of medical authority assure me he will still love me in the morning...we'll see. If anything happens to my wee man I will seek out all of you and annihilate you!!!

Graham recently got a new, well paying job that will likely not require as many hours of work as his job at the firms. I am going to be very happy, as will Callum, that he is going to be home more. I really want to be a proper family. The job is at a company called Cardiome and they are located on the UBC campus. It's quite the trek for Graham, but so was coming home at 3 a.m. from his current job! Cardiome's share price just rose 30% on Friday, we like to think it's because word got out that Graham got hired - ha ha!

Callum is starting swimming lessons on Monday; he's at Starfish level - I think that's so cute! I bought him Nemo swimming diapers so that he doesn't have a big ol' swollen butt from absorbing half the pool into his regular diaper. In actual fact, for health reasons I don't think he would've been allowed to wear regular diapers anyway. I will post pictures of him in the pool, but not of me in a swimsuit, don't worry!!!

Well, I best get back to crying my eyes out worrying if my son is going to ever trust me again.

Mummy, not so extraordinaire (today) - Allison.

Look at that talented wee man!

2006-07-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

Look at that talented wee man!
Originally uploaded by honig.

This picture was taken one day at the mall when I looked over at Callum and realized he had picked up his bottle and started drinking it! I feel like he's growing up so quickly, but it's nice. I can't wait for us to be able to have a conversation!

Very dapper in his one of a kind shirt made by Mummy.

2006-07-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

Very dapper in his one of a kind shirt made by Mummy.
Originally uploaded by honig.

For Jenny and Matt's wedding I couldn't find anything 'formal' for Callum to wear, so I sewed on a 'tie' and gave him a fancy tie clip. My litt'l rude boy! I can hear The Specials rankin' in the background all ready.

Oh Mummy, you're so weird!

2006-07-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Oh Mummy, you're so weird!
Originally uploaded by honig.

I'm pretty sure Callum thinks I'm mental sometimes because I take so many pictures of him.

Look at that great job of sitting!

2006-07-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

2407
Originally uploaded by honig.

I'm sitting! I'm really sitting!

2006-07-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

2401
Originally uploaded by honig.

Here is our lovely wee man yesterday on his 6th month (1/2) birthday! It's hard to believe that he is 6 months old already, but I have heard if I blink for too long that all of a sudden he'll be 16!

Callum got a few vaccinations yesterday and he was really brave about the whole thing. He only cried for a very short time and then glared at Dr. Lemke, being the 'bad' man that he is of course he deserved the look.

Rice cereal was on the menu yesterday for Callum. He had a whole teaspoon and a half! Normally he will drink about 4 oz. of formula and then he's done, but last night he had his rice cereal as well as 8oz. of formula! Before anyone asks me, no, that did not mean he slept through the night. Out of sheer habit he woke up at 2 a.m....

I had taken a picture of the momentous occasion of feeding Callum rice cereal, but of course something went wrong when I uploaded the images to the computer and now they are lost forever - poo!

Here are Callum's current measurements:

Weight: 8.06 kg = 17 lbs. 12.5 oz.
Length: 69 cm = 27.16 inches
Head size: 45.5 cm = 17.91 inches

In comparison to other babies, he is just fine in the weight category (50th percentile), he's tall and he's got a big ol' head (full of brains of course)!

Dr. Lemke seems to think Callum is going to go straight to walking and leaving crawling behind in the dust, but only time will tell. He came to this conclusion because Callum wants to stand so much and practise walking, whereas practising crawling leads to tears. We are going to introduce a sippy cup soon because Callum is always grabbing at our (drinking) glasses, we'll see how that goes. I made the distinction between glasses because he is also fancying people's eye glasses in a big way.

The latest and greatest for Callum's entertainment is definitely the Jumperoo. Even when he is out of the Jumperoo he gives me a workout wanting to bounce all of the time. As I found out last night, that does not mean the tub is out of bounds for bouncing...it was quite the bath!

We can see Callum's personality starting to form now and it's very exciting!

As for Mummy, I cut off all my hair and as soon as I get a decent picture of myself (may be never...) I will show you the new me.

Over and out.

Waiting for Callum's first bus ride!

2006-07-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Waiting for Callum's first bus ride!
Originally uploaded by honig.

w00t!

Bored waiting for the bus...

2006-07-07T20:41:00.001-07:00

Bored waiting for the bus...
Originally uploaded by honig.

Cookie questions whether Callum has a ticket!

2006-07-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

Cookie questions whether Callum has a ticket!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Callum promptly presents his ticket when questioned by the ever-nosey Cookie Monster.

Waiting for Callum's first Sky Train ride!

2006-07-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

Waiting for Callum's first Sky Train ride!
Originally uploaded by honig.

The thought of the impending train ride has Callum grinning from ear-to-ear!

Woo hoo! There are so many crazy people on the train!

2006-07-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! There are so many crazy people on the train!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Remind me again Mother why decided to take public transit?!

A beautiful B.C. evening.

2006-07-07T20:31:00.000-07:00

A beautiful B.C. evening.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Beautiful sky.

2006-07-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

Beautiful sky.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Rockin' it hard in the jumperoo.

2006-07-02T23:18:00.000-07:00

Rockin' it hard in the jumperoo.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Partay people in the house! w00t! w00t!

The D.J. after a long night of spinning.

2006-07-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

The D.J. after a long night of spinning.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Please, enough with the papparazzi. Just leave Cookie and I alone to enjoy our evening.

The coolest cats in town.

2006-07-02T23:15:00.000-07:00

The coolest cats in town.
Originally uploaded by honig.

D.J. Callum in da house! Graham made a good call when he said Callum looked like a wee D.J. in his outfit and especially his new sunglasses.

My Mommy did that!

2006-06-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

My Mommy did that!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Yesterday I learned an important lesson; Callum is now mobile! I got him all nice and cozy in the corner of the sofa and went to turn the pot of that was boiling bottles. I turned to see Callum flying off of the sofa!!! I have no idea how he managed to get up enough strength to stand and then launch himself at least 3ft. onto the floor. His poor nose took the brunt of the fall, as you can see the bruise in between his eyes. Of course, I took him to the hospital, but they were sure that Mommy was more upset about the situation than baby. The nurse gave me a big hug and sent us on our way after seeing the Doctor.

My poor wee man had his first bloody nose, a scrape on his head (from skinning it on the table on the way to the floor) and a fat lip.

Never fear, Mommy has learned her lesson! ACK!

Summer time smiles!

2006-06-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

Summer time smiles!
Originally uploaded by honig.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of Callum in his wee shorts. Yes, it's true he is sporting a pair of linen shorts in size 6-12 months! Camielle gave him his first belt the other day because we agreed, a belt just finishes their little outfits off :)

I think I've seen this guy at the park downtown.

2006-06-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

I think I've seen this guy at the park downtown.
Originally uploaded by honig.

You know the guy I'm talking about, the one with the old fishing hat on that sits and feeds the ducks all day, everyday. Granted, he doesn't usually have a plastic bee in his lap.

Up on arms!

2006-06-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

Up on arms!
Originally uploaded by honig.

There he is folks, ready for some crawling action. With a bit of assistance of a pillow underneath his chest, Callum can clearly lift himself up quite easily. The level of drool increases dramatically when he is doing anything requiring physical exertion, as does the intense look of concentration.

We have been practising sitting this week and he can sit unassisted for very brief periods of time. When we first start practising he can hold himself for about 5 seconds, but as the attempts continue his endurance weakens. Thus I have yet to be able to get a snap of him sitting, but he really is doing it...I swear!

Just look at that face!

2006-06-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

Just look at that face!
Originally uploaded by honig.

This picture was taken with my new ultra-compact Pentax Optio. Now I can't take pictures wherever I go...uh oh.

Yo' dog, wassup?

2006-06-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Yo' dog, wassup?
Originally uploaded by honig.

Yo yo home boy. Watch out or I'll pop a cap in your ass!

The l'il Devil himself...

2006-06-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

The l'il Devil himself...
Originally uploaded by honig.

...pretending like he's going to go to sleep!

Callum on his 5 month birthday!

2006-06-12T10:50:00.001-07:00

Callum on his 5 month birthday!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Looking quite fetching in his new surfer shirt.

Callum at 5 months.

2006-06-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

Callum at 5 months.
Originally uploaded by honig.

This gives you a good idea of how big Callum is now. He struggles to lift himself to a sitting position all on his own. He appears to be quite a determined and independent little person. He can't quite get to a sit yet, but it's not because of lack of effort.

His hands are his favourite thing to gnaw on right now...or anyone's hands really.

Callum and Daddy

2006-06-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

Callum and Daddy
Originally uploaded by honig.

I just love this picture of Callum and Graham.

Our little Russian boy :)

2006-06-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

Our little Russian boy :)
Originally uploaded by honig.

Strength in Numbers

2006-06-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

It's totally common for Moms to feel lonely and isolated and I was relieved to hear it. I have become a clock-watcher at home, as I was in the office when my best friend Lisa was away. Well now that I'm at home all the time, Lisa and all of my other social contact has been stunted, to say the least. It's been quite a period of deep sadness and loneliness over the last 5 months. I rejected the advice from loved ones that I should visit a Mom and Baby group because I envisioned a bunch of smug, annoying Moms who only wanted to talk about breast feeding and their baby's latest achievements.

I needed to remember me!

My friends Jenii and Camielle suggested that we start our own Mom and Baby group. Rather than my typical response of rejecting the idea, I jumped at it and I am really glad I did. Strength in numbers is what it's all about. Jenii is an expecting Mom and Camielle (her sister) is a Mom to a 2-month old boy called Quinn. Our history together included mutual friends, common interests and being ex-bar stars. We used to go to the pub together on Friday nights and we had a good laugh the other day about how a year ago nobody would have guessed the three of us would be Moms!

Last Monday we had our first "official" meeting at Camielle's apartment. We helped each other with the babies, drank (hot) coffee (what a novel idea), muched on snacks, bitched about our men and generally gabbed. Before I knew it, it was 6:30p.m. and I, as well as the girls, had enjoyed the afternoon thoroughly. My enthusiasm for the gatherings is huge! I really couldn't believe how much better and "normal" it made me feel. See, I'm not the type to ask for help, so this is a good way to get some support (and time with friends) without having to feel vulnerable.

There are a few more girls that will likely join us and before we know it, we'll have quite the posse. It will be so nice having children all so close in age. They can play together and teach one another new things.

For some of you who are reading this that know me, you may be surprised to hear me sound excited about these Mom and Baby gatherings, but I think this is the beginning of something really positive. I have to stop shutting doors because I am afraid to take a chance with people. If motherhood has taught me anything, it's that I can't control everything. As much as I want it to be, life is not perfect.

Addendum:

Lisa has asked me to have a monthly girl's night with her - sweet! Graham is all for it, as am I of course. He has agreed to look after Callum so that Lisa and I, as well as any of girl that wants to hang out, can go out for dinner or whatever we want. I am really looking forward to it!

Happy Mummy, Allison

Our wee angel!

2006-05-31T17:01:00.000-07:00

Our wee angel!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Bathtime is a fun time these days :)

Callum and Mummy going to the same wedding.

2006-05-31T17:00:00.001-07:00

Callum and Mummy going to the same wedding.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Callum and Daddy on the way to our friend Trudy's wedding...handsome devils!

2006-05-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

Callum and Daddy on the way to our friend Trudy's wedding...handsome devils!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Daddy's looking a little on the dorky side, but it's amazing what we can get away with now that we have a wee guy - ha ha!

The McKinnon family.

2006-05-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

The McKinnon family.
Originally uploaded by honig.

My 1st Mother's Day!

2006-05-31T16:58:00.001-07:00

My 1st Mother's Day!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Three generations baby, three generations!

Out for a sunny walk with Daddy!

2006-05-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

Out for a sunny walk with Daddy!
Originally uploaded by honig.

A very cute looking Callum, all ready for the sunshine. If he's anything like his parents he will burn very quickly!

Our wee Canadian man at 4 months!

2006-05-31T16:56:00.000-07:00

Our wee Canadian man at 4 months!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Callum with a proud Grandma on his 4 month birthday!

I would have been remiss...

2006-05-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

...had I gone all of May without a posting. Life has been very crazy as of late and I haven't had a stitch of time to write anything. Luckily I always make time for taking pictures of our wee man who is growing like a weed. At his last Doctor's appointment it was confirmed that he is above average in height, weight and head circumference. One of our friends said it's too bad he isn't Ukrainian because he sure has a Ukrainium!

Callum is getting stronger every day and can now wriggle a lot and can roll onto his side from his back. It's now that we have to watch him constantly because he has figured out how to arch his back and push with his legs to try and get out of his car seat, etc. Standing has become his favourite thing to do, aside from playing air guitar. That's right, our wee man is going to be the next Jimi Hendrix.

Sleeping is still an issue with Callum because he doesn't seem to want to be away from his Mummy and Daddy, but we are trying to roll with the punches as best as possible. It's really hard on the days where we are knackered from the day's events and then have to contend with a non-sleeping Callum at night. I really do have a whole new respect for my parents now that I couldn't possibly have had before Callum came along. Again, thanks Mom and Dad for not throwing me out the window! When I see how much help and attention baby's need I wonder how it is that the human race has lasted this long!

I just remembered how we survive. I looked over at Callum to see if he was okay and he gave me a huge, gummy grin and his eyes lit up just at the sight of me...who could get mad at that?

I believe bone is trying it's best to protrude through the wee man's gums, that's right the tooth monster is visiting our household. There is much saliva, chomping and squealing happening in our household right now. Before you think otherwise, yes it's Callum. There are also many stories being told by the wee man who always has something going on.

Congratulations to Campbell and Susan! Rumour has it that you are expecting a wee one yourselves :) Actually, let's congratulate Malcolm and Mari as well as David and Jennifer as they are expecting as well. It's going to be a busy year for the McKinnons and Wisharts!

Allison, Mummy Extraordinaire!

Callum and Mummy

2006-04-12T10:59:00.001-07:00

Callum and Mummy
Originally uploaded by honig.

Eat tofu!

2006-04-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Eat tofu!
Originally uploaded by honig.

First punk vest!

2006-04-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

First punk vest!
Originally uploaded by honig.

I bought this vest for Callum from an English gal that makes punk clothing for kids.

I love my jacket.

2006-04-12T10:57:00.002-07:00

I love my jacket.
Originally uploaded by honig.

I'm cool.

What was that?!?

2006-04-12T10:57:00.001-07:00

What was that?!?
Originally uploaded by honig.

I'm so punk that I eat my pyramid studs!

2006-04-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

I'm so punk that I eat my pyramid studs!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Don't mess with the l'il punk!

2006-04-12T10:56:00.001-07:00

Don't mess with the l'il punk!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Coy!

2006-04-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

Coy!
Originally uploaded by honig.

I'm 3 months old now and I am formulating a plan to rule the world!

Progress.

2006-04-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

We are moving on in time quite quickly and have come to realize that our wee man is almost 3 months old already (on the 10th). So many of his outfits are far too small and it seems like every time I do the laundry I need to pull out suits that he can't fit into anymore. Mainly the length seems to be an issue, which is a shame because the rest of his body could easily fit. We are looking at 3-6 month sizes for him, with a definite issue of head size to shirt hole ratio being an issue. Even the shirts with snaps on the shoulder seem to create an issue when I try and pull the shirt on. I have started buying the shirts that stretch open a bit more.

As far as I go, I am eating right, exercising and have joined Weight Watchers in order to get rid of the layer of pregnancy 'fudge'. I thought the pounds would just naturally drop off - wrong! Charlene and I are going together which makes for an easier go of it because there is the accountability factor. See the thing is, I don't want to feel fat, but I also don't want Callum's friends making fun of him for having a fat Mummy. The way I see it is that life as a kid can be hard enough without me adding to the mix. We all know the story of Gilbert Grape now don't we?

Spring has sprung here in B.C. and other than all of the positive aspects it brings, I realize the spiders are coming. I don't want to pass on my phobia of spiders to Callum, but how am I going to get over it? I know some of you might laugh, but I truly am terrified of spiders. It doesn't help that I was bitten by a giant, hairy spider while I was sleeping (under my boob!). The wreck room, or Nerd Den, is the worst for the spiders. They come out of the closet under the stairs for the most part, but sometimes they are in the laundry room as well. One time, I was stuck in the laundry room for 45 minutes, trapped by a giant spider that blocked the doorway. Graham was at some martial arts lesson or something and I couldn't get out of there until he got home. I can't count the number of times he has come home to instantly hear me yell, "Graaaaaaham! Please come kill a spider, I'm trapped!" I am getting the goose bumps just talking about the return of the spiders.

Enough about that.

Callum has started cooing and it is totally adorable. I would think it's the cutest thing I have ever heard. I tried taping him chatting away, but it doesn't do it justice. He is holding his head up for short periods of time, turning to look and see what a noise is and has developed quite the certainty to his cry...which I am hearing very loudly right now, must go!

Allison

I just love that wee face!

2006-04-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

I just love that wee face!
Originally uploaded by honig.

It's typical of new parents to photograph baby's faces close up, and I don't consider myself any different. I guess it's because I just want to show the world how adorable his gorgeous wee face is. Maybe wee isn't the right word, after all it's quite the jowly look!

Good times in the McKinnon household.

2006-04-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

Good times in the McKinnon household.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Fresh back from yet another Spring walk, Callum relaxes while Mummy photographs him...again and again.

What a sweetheart!

2006-04-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

What a sweetheart!
Originally uploaded by honig.

As you can see, Callum is able to hold himself up a bit better now, not so much slumping.

Life isn't always a bed of roses.

2006-03-29T22:31:00.000-08:00

Life isn't always a bed of roses.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Amazing how even when he's having an absolute fit he can still be so cute!

(Outfit courtesy of Grandma - handmade!)

Still a bit of upset.

2006-03-29T22:30:00.000-08:00

Still a bit of upset.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Our wee man isn't overly happy here, but he'll need to get used to being the most photographed baby in the world. After all, the Bell family has more cameras than any family I know!

Got to rest up for the next time!

2006-03-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

Got to rest up for the next time!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Good times together.

2006-03-20T15:27:00.000-08:00

Good times together.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Baby carrier.

2006-03-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

Baby carrier.
Originally uploaded by honig.

About to go out for a family walk...to the neighbour's open house. We wanted to spy on what they had done with their unit - ha ha!

It's a pretty good life.

2006-03-20T15:25:00.000-08:00

It's a pretty good life.
Originally uploaded by honig.

Funky wee golf suit, eh?

First day of spring relaxing.

2006-03-20T15:24:00.000-08:00

First day of spring relaxing.
Originally uploaded by honig.

After a nice walk together with the dogs, Callum has a wee snooze in the sunshine and comfort of his home.

A smile that makes my heart warm...

2006-03-15T22:25:00.000-08:00

A smile that makes my heart warm...
Originally uploaded by honig.

Lock up your daughters folks, Callum McKinnon is out to break some hearts! With a gorgeous smile and somewhat devilish twinkle in his eyes, one can be sure he will be breaking hearts in no time.

GQ Magazine look out!

2006-03-15T22:23:00.001-08:00

GQ Magazine look out!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Yes, it's true, Callum is the most handsome boy around. Today Callum is sporting his pale blue (there's nothing baby about this blue) and taupe checked jacket with matching taupe pants. To complete the outfit, a handsome long-sleeved, collared onesie that is juged at the cuff. Well done Callum! The look of a star.

Turn me towards the bedpost again.

2006-03-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

Turn me towards the bedpost again.
Originally uploaded by honig.

I love the bedpost!

2006-03-12T18:38:00.001-08:00

I love the bedpost!
Originally uploaded by honig.

Give 'us another bar keep.

2006-03-12T18:38:00.000-08:00

Give 'us another bar keep.
Originally uploaded by honig.

I think I've seen Daddy like this before...