life interrupted.

imagine that.

life gets in the way of recording life.

luckily for social media, i have everything i need at my fingertips. now to compile it into a blog post.

right around the labor day weekend, jack started acting funny. he got fussy and was cranky and started waking up every single night for a couple of hours. turns out he had a cold and ear infection, triggered by his canine teeth coming in. (update - a month and a bit later and we're still waiting for the damn teeth to come in).

the same day he was diagnosed with that i started babysitting ryder, a cute 5 year old who is here every week day from 1130-4, and every other friday from 8-4/5. he really is a good kid, super sweet, and he loves jack.. but he's 5. and it's a challenge for me. my imagination has crashed and burned. luckily he loves colouring and playdoh and "helping" me bake.

i also babysit 3 siblings (2, 4, and 6) on wednesdays (i've actually only had them once) from 10-4. between the 4 kids + jack my hands are full full full.

carter started school and he loooooves it. he's still trying to find a balance between being home and getting homework/studying done. but i think he's doing quite well. his favourite class is ethics, but he also loves gym. criminal law is a lot of work, and english has always been a hard subject for him, but he's gotten 80% or higher on every assignment and test he's had!

the best part of the last month and a half (since i blogged) is that we moved! from an itty bitty house with no floor space to a huge house with a loft and open floor plan. and a dishwasher. love love love the dishwasher.

jack's room is weird, since it was formerly a craft room/office and has a countertop all the way around and no closet, but we're making it work. the former formal living room is now a playroom, complete with play kitchen and tool bench. it's awesome to just throw all the toys in there and close the doors, *voila* clean!

carter and i have the master bedroom with ensuite, and a giant closet. there's seriously too much room haha. the one wall looks so blank and empty, i need to print off a huge family picture to hang up on it.

mom and i are going to refinish and old dresser i got from elizabeth.. it's going to be quite the undertaking since neither of us have ever done it before. i plan on doing a whole series of before/during/after photos. watch for that ;)

oh, and i need mom friends. *sad face*

Father's Day!

To Carter:

Jack is so lucky to have you.

Watching you love him makes it so easy to love you.

Happy 2nd Father's Day.

Enjoy your round of golf. :)

Love,

Nicole. and Jack.

Turning the page..

It's time for a new page in the Peterson book!

Carter has been jumping back and forth between applying for either the Edmonton or Lethbridge City Police Force and going to school for a couple of months - actually since before Jack was born! - and finally decided he wants to go to school to up his chances of success in a police force. He (we, the whole family is going to school really) applied for the Criminal Justice - Policing program at the Lethbridge College (which is one of the best Criminal Justice programs like, ever!) just about 2 weeks ago, and this morning at about 5:30 he came into our room and announced that we had mail. Great. Leave it on the couch, I'm sleeping. "No, we got GOOD mail!" Sure enough, he's been accepted to begin in September 2014!

What does this mean?

It means we'll be moving "home" (since I've always referred to Southern Alberta as home, even after living in Edmonton for 2+ years) in August! Give or take a couple of weeks, depending on where we move to.

It means I may end up going back to work part time, and Jack may end up in some kind of daycare!

It means that I really REALLY need to stop shopping and start saving money.

It means that if I want to invest in cloth diapers, which I do, I need to do it NOW so when we're in school, living on a meager student's budget, we won't have to buy diapers!

It means we get to stay home for Christmas and not feel bad about not seeing any family!

It means no more 6+ hour trips to stay for 2 days, then turn around and come back home.

Southern Alberta to me is home. It's family. I could not be more excited about that aspect of it.

Cons? Lethbridge closes down at like 6pm! There's only one movie theater. I have mom friends up here. I love the ward we live in. I love my calling.

All in all, I think we're ready for a change. And this is a big change!

"This is my house, I swear!"

Jack and I are down at my mom's house in Raymond because Carter is going out of town to work. But yesterday Carter texted me after work and said he was having the worst day ever, and that he locked his car and house keys in the car. Oops. He had called the landlord, but he was going to be another 2 hours and I didn't want Carter to be sitting out in the cold (although, luckily, it was only like -9) for that long, so I told him to try the windows (since we don't lock them. Well, now we do). The windows in our basement are tiny. Seriously, tiny. But my logic was that to be a legal suite the windows have to be big enough for someone to crawl out of. The reverse of that would be big enough to crawl into! He tracked through the (literally) 3 feet of snow to our kitchen window, and crouched down beside the window to cut the screen when he heard a helicopter overhead. The adrenaline pumping through his system convinced him that they were the police out to find him! He said he stood flat as a board and "hid" against the house. Once he pulled himself together, he knelt back down and cut the screen. Our kitchen window faces our neighbor's gate, by the way. He said he got all the way to his hips into the window when the neighbor's teenage daughter came out the gate, screamed, then ran to the front of the house. Great. The mom popped her head around the corner, then they ran to the car. Carter jumped out of the window and ran after the screaming pair, told them that this was his house, he locked himself out, and luckily the teenager recognized him from the many times she's come into the backyard to get their balls. The mom had 9-1-1 dialed and was about to push send! lol. When he got into the house he called me and said, "I basically peed my pants like 6 times. I thought the police were going to come arrest me for sure!" Poor Carter. Let's just say he won't do that again! lol

2013 Recap

What a year. What. A. Year. And 'tis the season! For a recap! Of 2013!

In {January} we found out we were having a boy!

{February} brought my first (and only) bout of morning sickness (at mid-20 weeks no less!), and our second anniversary!

The beginning/middle of {March} was pretty typical, being pregnant and all that jazz, and then I was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia and delivered our miracle boy at 28 weeks.

{April} brought the beginning of our NICU journey. By the end of the month he weighed 2 lb heavier than when he was born, was off the CPap machine, in a big boy bed, and we started nursing!

{May} was my first Mother's Day, a transfer to a newer, nicer hospital, and newborn sized clothing!

Jack was discharged in {June}! Which meant we spent the next month adjusting to having our tiny boy at home. And Carter turned 20!

{July} we had him blessed, and Jack and I spent most of the month hanging out in Raymond. And no more oxygen!

{August} was Jack's first concert(s), weddings, and more time in Raymond, sending Ryan on his mission, and spending the last days with Grandma Atwood.

Grandma passed away at the beginning of {September}, then Jack was suddenly 6 months old!

{October} was Halloween, family pictures, Thanksgiving, and 7 months! Also, Ethan came home.

{November} we started celebrating Christmas (a little early.. oops), went to a NICU reunion, and.. yep.

{December} was, obviously, Christmas! Lots of time in Raymond, and Adrian came home!

We're hoping for a slightly less crazy 2014, but 2013 was filled with surprises, joys, tears, and most importantly - love.

{9 months}

On December 12, Jack weighed 16 lb 14 oz. We'll get another weight on January 2 when we go to get his second Syngais injection.

His first tooth cut through on December 6-ish. An eye tooth and the other bottom tooth followed around December 21. His other eye tooth is almost ready to come through too. Poor boy.

He is still eating 4-5 6 oz bottles a day, but he's also eating 2 meals of solids a day. Toast and yogurt, pureed fruits and veggies, bananas, bites of this or that. There's really nothing he won't eat. Except corn. He spits it out every single time. Turd.

We're at Grandma's, and she borrowed a Jolly Jumper for us - he loves it. LOVES it. He also loves "reading" his Peek-a-Boo Elmo book, and watching Thomas the Train on tv.

He still sleeps like a champ - usually 8-10  hours a night, and 2 naps during the day. We've put a crib projector in his room., and he's asleep by the time the music stops. Every time. 

We celebrated his first Christmas yesterday! He got so spoiled with a ton of clothes, books, and toys. And LOTS of cuddles. Unfortunately, somewhere along the cuddle line, this little man ended up with a nasty runny nose and a Croup-y cough. :(

Here's a bunch of pictures from that fabulous day!

The cutest little Santa EVER.

Mama's new hair! :)

X-mas PJs!

Some of his loot from Grandma M.

hello, old friend.

first - we got family pictures taken! if you're on my facebook you've already seen a plethora, and tomorrow i'm posting jack's 7 month update with a couple more, but here's a favorite!

second - one of my high school friends, ethan, got home from his mission last night! i talked to him for 45 minutes on the phone today, and it was wonderful. which leads me to

third - jack and i are going on our first roadtrip to soab since he stopped liking the car seat. i'm nervous. but i have a collection of toys he's never played with, and i bought a fisher price iphone case that i can set up and have him watch a movie on or something.

eek.

Grandma Atwood

 

I've been avoiding writing this post for awhile for a couple of reasons. Mostly because my internet hasn't been working, but the other reason is this: How do you write a blog post good enough to represent everything wonderful about a person who influenced your life from childhood to motherhood, but is now gone from this earth?

Grandma, Pamela "Penny" Mae, Atwood passed away on September 1, 2013, after a long, hard, and strong battle with non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, at 69 years old. 

I never liked the name Pamela, but now I wear it with honor.

She never complained, even to the bitter end. I never heard a negative word escape Grandma's lips.

She taught me so many temporal things - how to bake, how to pick berries, how to weed a flower garden, how to cross-stitch. She also taught me many things that can't be shown - how to love your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild(ren) endlessly, how to love your husband, how to treat strangers. 

She was at the hospital the day I was transferred to Edmonton to have Jack. She called me weekly after that, to make sure he was doing okay and I was doing okay, and to tell me how badly she wanted to meet him. That was when she was really going downhill and traveling wasn't an option. My mom said Grandma called her every. single. day. to tell her she needed to meet Jack. And she did! We made a special trip to Lethbridge the weekend after Jack came home so he could meet his great-Grandma Atwood.

Grandma had beautiful red hair (hence the name "Penny"). I'm praying for a red-headed baby girl to name after her.

Grandma loved Christmas. She collected snowmen, and always made sure all of her 18 grandkids got a little trinket to show her love.

Camping with Grandma and Grandpa in the summer was a favorite of everyone who ever went. Fishing, hiking, swimming, building chimneys on rainy days, berry picking, bird spotting, pancake breakfasts, onion rings, songs around the campfire.. These are the things that define my childhood summers.

Even just sleeping over with Grandma and Grandpa was an adventure - Slurpees and cans of Coke at 7-11, swimming then Blizzards, the live-action Peter Pan starring Mary Martin ("Hey! That's my name!" - can't tell you how many times I said that!), picking up the mail, playing at the park, going to nursery as a primary child (snack time - need I say more?), and chokecherry syrup. Oh, the chokecherry syrup. I crave that crap.

Everyone loved Grandma, and Grandma loved everyone right back. 

It was so hard to see her in the final weeks, immobile and sleeping, but I'm so grateful for the knowledge we have of the Gospel and the Plan of Happiness. Although we on earth will miss her fiercely, and I don't doubt that she also misses us, I know that she is enjoying getting to know her baby boy who passed as an infant, her parents, who passed when I was a toddler, her friends and cousins and nieces and nephews who have gone on. I know that she is never going to leave Grandpa's side - how could she after 50 years?? I know that she will be there waiting with open arms to welcome us all home. 

Pamela "Penny" Mae Hancock Atwood
May 3, 1944 - September 1, 2013

Fly me up to where you are,

Beyond the distant star;

I wish upon tonight to see you smile,

If only for awhile to know you're there.

A breath's not far away to where you are.

Merry Christmas, Grandma!

BVJ13

What a cray cray weekend!

None other than BIG VALLEY JAMBOREE!!! Which is my favorite weekend of the whole year. Ever. And that includes July 1 weekend. 

This year we got weekend passes, but decided to drive back and forth between Camrose and Edmonton, a good choice considering how much I love my bed. 

We totes got to see Travis Tritt, Aaron Lines, Gord Bamford, Rosanne Cash, Small Town Pistols (also known as The Wilkinsons, my favorite childhood country band), Terri Clark, Big & Rich, Rodney Atkins, ALAN JACKSON (who is kind of old and boringish, while still being fun to watch), LUKE BRYAN (who is a stinking incredible performer. And hot. Super hot.), and TIM MCGRAW (who is my all time favorite country singer ever of all time and I love him.
Things we learned this year that we will follow through with next year:

• Taking your own food is always a good idea. We spent <$40 (minus my t-shirt cause those suckers are not cheap!) the whole weekend! Sandwiches, water, fruit, licorice, crackers, popcorn, etc. 
• Hats for everyone. Sunnies too.
• Umbrellas are not allowed. Take ponchos. Or steal them from CISN Country. In addition, waterproof stroller covers work fairly well in lieu of an umbrella. 
• Get lawn chairs with foot rests! ugh.
• Charger. Your. Camera.
• Make a portable cell phone charger There is nothing worse than finding out your phone is dead when Tim McGraw is on stage :( 
• The end.

Ready for some photographs? Ok go. 

Carter loved this little "family vehicle"

Country up!

What?

Enjoying the sunshine.

Happy little country loving family!

So there's that.

The smallest cowboy hat we could find. Next year, Jackie boy. Next year.

Happy mornings!

Mmmmhm.

Morning after. Hey there.

Getting all pumped up!

Family photo op!

July Long

This was the weekend we've been waiting for!

Friday night we drove down to Raymond, Saturday was Aunt Susie's surprise party (success!), Saturday night was our baby shower, Sunday was Jack's baby blessing, and Monday was Canada Day!

I don't really have much to write about any of the above, just a butt ton of pictures.

[PS - Thanks a BILLION to everyone who brought us gifts over the weekend. I'm so excited to get him into all the clothes and use all the toys, etc. And to everyone who came to the blessing/BBQ. It was so good to introduce Jack to everyone.]