RIBEIRO

Just hanging out

2012-01-17T21:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas Part II

2012-01-17T20:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, we're a bit late in the updates! Shows how our life has been over the last 4 weeks! If we were to rewind 4 weeks ago....let's see, enjoyed our Christmas traditions....baking Christmas cookies with Jonas, Van Dussen Gardens light show with the Pereiras, Christmas parties, Birthday celebrations and then the week before Christmas, Nadia was extremely sick. After having had no food for 5 days and very little liquids, we even ended up in the emergency for the evening. I had a little flashback (2 years back) when Jonas ended up in the emerg around Christmas with pneumonia, roseola, etc! Thankfully her illness didn't last long and we were off to Kelowna for a Christmas with the whole family. Auntie Drea and Uncle Ryan hosted us and Mom and Dad and we had a great time full of late nights, outdoor ice skating, eating and Christmas celebrations. Nadia and Jonas loved all the attention and definitely made Christmas that more special. Whether it was a book or Buzz Light Year, Jonas was excited and full of expression "I've always wanted this!" Jonas constantly wanted to know what the list of activities were for the day.
Two days after returning back to Burnaby, Keith's parents came to visit for a few weeks. They were able to take in many of the kids regular activities, babysit while we were working, enjoy some yummy meals together and our rainy weather! During our busy work week it was nice to have the extra help around the house.

Nadia Updates....weighing in at 22lbs, loves almost any type of food, just started her first set of official swimming lessons, she is full of words and likes to repeat what we say like "cheese, apple, happy, berry, toast", she loves to be around her big brother and will sit happily reading books and making up her own stories. We're discovering she is very social and doesn't take long to warm up to strangers.

Jonas Updates.....weighing in at 35lbs, hates most dinners put in front of him, bringing out his funny side, making up funny voices and phrases "your killing my space!", starting up his swimming, skating and soccer lessons for the winter, still loves to go on adventures, had a growth spurt over the last 3 weeks, loves to be around his friends and would rather stay up all night than go to bed!

Keith and Amanda....working, cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, chaufferinng, seperating fighting children, bathing children, booking playdates, needing and planning a vacation to Cancun!!!!

Merry Christmas Part 1

2011-12-29T22:14:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while since we updated and so much has happpened in the months and weeks leading up to Christmas - trips to Bellingham and Las Vegas, Jonas singing in church Christmas program and Nadia decorating the tree. More to come!

Learning to walk again

2011-11-08T22:21:00.000-08:00

After weeks and weeks of holding hands and taking "baby steps" Nadia can now walk pretty much on her own as this video proves - way to go sweetie!

Lil' Footy/Lil' Skater

2011-11-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

Bye Bye October...already!

2011-11-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

So October has come and gone and what have we accomplished......Mommy went back to work! And life has we know it has changed! Some of our highlights have included our very close friend Rico, staying with us for a few weeks while he was taking a course. Honestly, he was a great house guest and help and we all went thru a little withdrawl after he left!

Work is going really well, however, the kids have taken some time adjusting to going to childcare 3 days a week. I would say my worst part of the day is dragging them out of their cozy beds, in the dark, at 6:30am so that I can get them to the sitter, so that I can get to work. Writing that and reading it....boy I feel selfish.....this whole working mother thing is a bit over rated. So often , including today, I'm asked how do Keith and I make it work without family around. (Quote from Jonas last week " Mommy I really just want to stay at home with you". ) Somehow we do, I guess when you don't have a choice you just do it. But what I wouldn't give for a little help sometimes! And paying for childcare....sigh...enough said.

Another highlight....Keith and I were able to go to Las Vegas with our dear friends, Tony and Christina! Thank you so much Mom for coming to watch the kids on your own for 4 whole days so we could have a weekend away! As much as we missed the kids, 32 degree weather beside a beautiful pool was pretty nice!

Nadia's highlights from the month....helps sing Old McDonald (especially the EIO part!), loves to talk on the phone, says hello, bye, dirty, love you, can sing the middle part of the ABC's and can count 123, trys to snap her fingers, still has 2 naps a day and sleeps from 7pm - 7 am, loves the swings and just wants to be able to run with Jonas.

Jonas' highlights from the month.....becoming quite the negotiator, loves taking skating and soccer lessons, constantly wants to go on adventures, loves to know the list of activities for the day

Sweet October - Nadia's birthday month to remember!

2011-10-15T01:02:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday Beautiful

2011-09-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

Updates

2011-09-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

When we first created the blog, we updated often, almost weekly. With our updates becoming more monthly, you can tell how busy having a family of four has been! I often have said we're very busy but not "socially"! From this blog, we create a yearly photo album that I have printed and I use alot of the blog entries within the album. So this blog is as much for you, our friends and family, as it is for us to keep our memories for our Jonas and Nadia to read about later when they're older. This is my little explanation for why I've titled this entry "updates", I feel we've had many little updates over the last month that I want written for future reference.

The last 2 weeks of August found us daily at our local swimming pool where Jonas took lessons every day. He was hesitant at first but by day 3 he could hardly wait til swimming class! Then off we flew to Kitimat for 10 days to take in friends, family and a wedding. We love Kitimat. We love that it takes 4 minutes to get anywhere, that you can do 10 things in one day and not feel exhausted, that I could meet with girlfriends in minutes for a great power walk and coffee, for last minute fishing trips ( highlight for Keith ), wine, dinners with great friends and family, running into highschool friends and having great conversation like we saw eachother yesterday, did I mention it takes 4 minutes to get anywhere! No, we're not moving to Kitimat, but more and more we realize that we don't enjoy the busyness of the city with kids involved or the thought of raising our kids in a city. Things definitely change when you have kids. Not sure where this is leading but we're a work in progress. Keith and I have both been feeling restless this month which makes us excited and nervous as to where this will lead us.

Which brings us now to the next chapter starting. I start back to work in one week after having been off for 14 months and I just feel uneasy about the effect it'll have on Jonas and Nadia and .... I could go on but it's not like I'm the first one to ever have this conundrum. I want the "perfect situation" and just feel things aren't "perfect" for my return to work. I wish I could send Jonas to preschool( childcare issues), I wish........

Now the most important thing of the week is that our beautiful baby girl is turning ONE tomorrow!!! I feel like we've been celebrating her first birthday the whole month of September. Where has the year gone! She can take about 7 steps before she falls down, loves to be where the action is and play with all of Jonas' toys ( much to Jonas' displeasure!), her 3rd tooth came in Sept 14th ( #61) and at last weigh in was 19 lbs. ( a month or so back, she was weighed at 23 lbs?? We thought something didn't sound right as she definitely didn't look that size. Now with her weight at 19.1 lbs, it's clear there was an error back then. I guess the math was wrong!?!) She likes to read books, take baths and loves to dance to music! We sing quite regularly at home and notice her mouthing most of the letters to "ABC's". We are so thankful that she was born full term and healthy after our earlier scares of preterm labour! It seems fitting with Thanksgiving approaching, that we'll be having a baby dedication at our Church Thanksgiving Sunday, giving thanks to God for our baby girl. We have so many things to be thankful for...hmmm, maybe I need to change my blog entries to things we're thankful for....stay tuned!

Update for Jonas~ happiest when he is playing with his friends, started playing in a soccer program, takes skating lessons and loves to help with everything!

Pictures to come soon :)

We are Family!

2011-08-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Cor 9:15

Triathlon

2011-08-23T21:24:00.000-07:00

This month I competed in my very first triathlon - Walnut Grove, 750m swim, 20km bike, 5 km run, what is called a "Sprint" triathlon, a far cry from half or full Ironman - 3.8 km swim, 180 km ride, and a marathon: 42.2 km run! Had I a street bike, I would have had much better time (1hr, 47 min). Onto the next challenge...

Fun afternoon

2011-08-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks Tanya for the cool retro photos!

Who's your Mommy?

2011-08-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

Nearly everyone says Nadia looks like Daddy. This photo reminds us of Mommy when she was a baby - the debate is on.

Bling Bling!

2011-08-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

Sooooo we did it. We talked about it for a long time but never did anything about it. And for all of you who have heard me complain, no, it wasn't for those reasons. Hmmmm, why did we do it? Maybe it was for many reasons or maybe we just didn't need a reason and hopefully..... this won't be repeated again.... once is enough ( or twice, I guess when you really count it). Do we have you guessing yet....Nadia officially has her ears pierced! She was a champ....after she had one silent cry, where the mouth is open wide and you know there should be a noise but nothing comes out and you start to count and after about 9 seconds she lets out a cry. But really, it wasn't that bad, she let out that one cry and as soon as I picked her up from Keith's arms, she quieted down. Sigh....glad thats over!

Another little milestone is that our dainty, petite featured gal is weighing in at a hefty 23lbs! For some reason it surprises me, she definitely doesn't look 23lbs. Compared to when Jonas was her age, he was approx 21 lbs but yet he looked way more "rolly". Something doesn't add up but the math is right!

Little Miss Sunshine

2011-07-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Our little princess Nadia, like her brother, is growing by leaps and bounds. Around July 14 Nadia began effectively crawling forward! Nadia is much happier walking though, and loves to prance around holding our hands. She has even enjoyed riding and walking with Jonas' Walk 'N Ride toy. She is turning 10 months tomorrow!! Nadia loves to eat all kinds of yummy foods and take long baths at night, but still prefers to have Mommy put her to bed. She still calls Daddy by name - Da Da Da! We love you so much!

Happy Birthday Jonas!

2011-07-19T22:33:00.001-07:00

Jonas's 3rd Birthday began and ended with "Cars". June 24th we saw Cars 2 premier in 3D with buddies. On to Kelowna for Canada Day and some R'n'R. Olivia and her twin sisters visited after that. Uncle Ryan and Auntie Drea came for the birthday party, at Confederation Park with miniature train rides. Jonas' face lit up when he saw his very first bike (with training wheels). Mack showed up a couple days later. Jonas and Lightning are very happy!
"Mater, I am sticking by you, the way you always stick by me" - Lightning McQueen

We found Summer!

2011-07-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

Is it that having two babies wanting my undivided attention has caused me to neglect the blog.....YES! There are not enough hours in the day. There are days I can't wait for bedtime but yet the minute the kids are in bed, Keith and I run around getting stuff done and yet there is always a "to do list" waiting to be checked off!

We were able to enjoy some time in Kelowna this past week and yes, we found the SUN! We truly enjoyed our time with family and would have stayed longer if work wasn't calling Keith's name! The pictures are just a snapshot of our time there. We'll post more soon.

Quick update:

Nadia....crawling backwards, two bottom front teeth, is weighing just over 18lbs now, very happy to have you help her walk around the room on her own!!, says "da da" and "ma ma", sleeps through the night, happier feeding herself than having someone help her, loves her big bro!

Jonas.....turning 3 this weekend!!!!!!, CRAZY vocabulary and memory, very particular about what he likes and doesn't like, just went to his first movie at the theatre "Cars 2" and loved it, (after at least 9 months he as finally gone over the 30lb mark) now weighing 32.5 lbs, very rarely naps in the afternoon anymore, loves his baby sister!

Times Like These

2011-06-04T23:36:00.000-07:00

Nadia is now 8 months old, Jonas almost 3, and it finally feels like summer has arrived. We have been able to experience so many good things lately - from seeing a killer whale pod, splashing in puddles, flying kites, riding bikes, playing soccer, The Canucks, sunshine and simply watching the kids grow up together.

Jonas' Photography

2011-06-04T23:27:00.000-07:00

Jonas enjoys taking photos with our small camera. With no warning he pulls it from the drawer, removes from case, powers and clicks pics of anything and everything! At first we were a bit reluctant to let him wander around mashing the shoot button, now we have come to appreciate how he sees the world. Here are just a few samples of Jonas' work.

Almost 8 months old

2011-05-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

Busy, I think

2011-05-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

Jonas and his Uncle Ryan

Jonas and the Easter bunny....check back to previous Easters to see how he's grown!

If you were to ask what we've done in the last 3 weeks of May, I could say we've been busy but I don't know with what. Now that I'm thinking about it, we've had lot's of family visits including Dad, Auntie Drea and Uncle Ryan....Jonas loves the extra attention. Whenever we're around family, Jonas just lights up and doesn't want to miss a thing. We all drove to Kelowna to meet up with Mom and the rest of the family for Mother's Day! We love love love our visits to Kelowna, need I say more!

We can't believe our little girl is going to be 8 months next week! She just started rolling over at the beginning of May but doesn't really enjoy it! Our big thing this past week though, was her saying "bu-bye" and "hi"! And NO, it wasn't just me that heard it! She's been copying sounds that we make but nothing has ever made sense until now! She will also give kisses if you ask her for one. She loves to sit beside her box of toys and individually take them out and study them. Nadia loves her big brother and thinks he's quite funny. From the moment she wakes in the morning, she is looking for him and beams when he's in view.

Jonas' language always amazes us...we've had soooo much rain lately but the other day it was sunny and Jonas looked out the window and said, "Mommy, it looks like a pretty nice day outside." He's become more detail oriented and wants to know the who, what, when, where, why! We've entered that world!

7 Months Already!

2011-05-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

Jonas and his buddies....hunting for Easter eggs!

Go Canucks Go!

Family time at the Vancouver Aquarium.

The Gruesome Twosome.....enjoying a wonderful weekend in Victoria.

Yes, once again I'm shocked that another month is gone! I keep saying how our life is busy but not socially! Nadia recently hit the 7 month mark weighing in at 18 lbs 2 oz. She is happiest in front of her toys, with her brother close by to entertain her! Although we can't understand her, she likes to talk if we'll listen, which mainly consists of "da da da" or her version of "hi" if we say hi to her. She likes to sit and study her hands but isn't interested in rolling or crawling just yet.

Jonas is a very busy boy who loves to be outside. The weather has been very frustrating for him as all he wants to do is run around outside. He loves to kick his soccer ball around and he really does have a great kick ( I'm not just saying that!) Many times I wish we lived in a smaller community so that play dates were more accessible! He loves his Vancouver Canucks and so the fact that we're in the playoffs is a great thing!
With Nadia at 7 months, I've started to realize that work is coming around the corner. I feel like there are many unknowns, will we eventually buy a house in the lower mainland, what are we going to do for childcare, where are Jonas and Nadia going to go to elementary school ( yes, I even worry about that!) Does God really want me to go back to work? Looking at our babies, I realize that they won't be small forever and it's so important to be there. sigh.... I'm such a planner and the fact that there are things that I can't plan cause I just DON'T KNOW....drives me crazy!

Little redhead

2011-04-09T22:18:00.000-07:00

Thursday Jonas and Nadia sat in a shopping cart together for the first time - cute. Some have commented that our kids don't have red hair. Well, here is how Nadia looks with Mommy's ruby red locks!

To be Known

2011-03-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

I've come to realize how great it is to be known, to be really known by the people you hold close to your heart. Isn't it great to be able to just "be" and not have to explain yourself. I don't always have the best memory and I just get a kick ( maybe a better word would be joy/feeling of love) when people recall stories about something I did with them or for them and yet I don't remember the story at all! That someone cares for me that much to remember little, possibly insignificant stories......to me, well, it reminds me that I'm loved and known! Going through old photos of Jonas and even Nadia, I'm already remembering little stories and moments and I just feel so blesssed to be able to know our children and get to know their personalities. I wonder if thats how God feels about us...does he get a kick out of us? Keith and I were going through photos recently and accidently clicked on October 2009. Well, Jonas would have been 15 months old at that point and I swear Keith and I fell in love with him all over again! We probably spent the next hour looking at his pictures. It made us appreciate him and how much he has grown. We'll make sure to accidently click on other photo months, that's for sure! My prayer is that I'm able to appreciate my children over the next 6 months that I'm home with them and plant seeds in their life so they can reach their best self and to know that they are "known" by us and by their heavenly father. Luke 12:6-7

Happy 6 Months Nadia!

2011-03-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, our baby girl turned 6 months old. Nadia now enjoys sitting up on her own, eating cereal, avocado and peach, drinking water from a sippy cup and laughing at her brother doing and saying crazy things. Her first words: Da-da-da, of course. She's now 16lbs and 12 ounces!

Happy Baby!

2011-02-28T21:59:00.000-08:00

Our precious little sweety is so happy sitting in her high chair. Nadia can just about sit up on her own and loves to stand - with a little help. We love her and Jonas so much! Jonas loves his new table and chairs and oh yeah his new Canucks jersey. We had a surprise visitor Sunday morning - Mr. Snowman.

Happy Valentine's

2011-02-14T14:42:00.000-08:00

I am very thankful for quiet times with my wonderful husband, Starbucks dates with Jonas and big baby laughs with Nadia. Happy Valentine's Day...I am a lucky gal!

Happy 4 Months!

2011-01-27T21:22:00.000-08:00

We can't believe that Nadia is 4 months old today! She had a Dr's check up this week and weighs in at 14 lbs 3oz and measuring 61 1/2 cm long. (Both numbers are in the 50th percentile. ) We are truly enjoying her and her little personality that seems to be coming out. She loves to look in the mirror and laugh at herself and enjoys having her big brother entertain her. Jonas is great at coming up with games that Nadia can join in with, like rolling the soccer ball back and forth. Looking back when Jonas was Nadia's age, I've come to realize how easy Jonas was as a baby. Let's just say Nadia is a bit more fussy and demands routine and structure! By 7pm she insists on bed time in her bed....great for us, unless we're out and about! We've also been trying to cut the soother out of her bedtime routine. Last week we went through an episode where, during the night, every 45 mins the soother would fall out and she'd cry until we went in to put it back in her mouth! I did NOT function very well last week with that little of sleep!

A friend recently posted on their blog how easy a facebook message can be vs a blog entry. On facebook, you may be feeling an emotion or have a thought and you can just plunk out the sentence and be done with it. On the blog...one sentence doesn't really seem right. Sometimes, though, one sentence says it all. Here are some of my "one sentence thoughts".

....missing family and would love to just jump in the car and drive to them

....worried about what childcare will look like in October when I go back to work

....missing the ease of having friends live close by ( small towns are great for this!)

....had a great little Starbucks date with Jonas this week!

Fire Hall No. 20

2011-01-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

Today I sat in a real fire engine. After swimming lessons and dropping off library books we all visited Uncle Dino at No. 20 Hall. It was really cool!

Hockey Night in Vancouer

2011-01-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

Recently, Keith and Jonas enjoyed the Vancouver Canucks vs. the Detroit Red Wings. Not only were they great seats but Jonas was even given an official hockey puck which he slept with that night very happily! Although Keith really enjoyed the game, I think he secretly enjoyed some extra attention from the "ladies"! Two cute boys having a night out on the town!

Memories

2011-01-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas Part II

2010-12-30T13:38:00.000-08:00

This picture pretty much sums up our month of December. Some other highlights within this past month included Jonas participating in the preschool Christmas program at Church. Although he didn't do much within the program, he looked cute and he was pretty proud to be dressed in a costume! On one of our flights to my parents, Jonas was invited into the cockpit to meet the pilot and receive his "wings". Although he acted all serious, he was very excited as he is a "typical" boy who loves trains, planes and automobiles! While we were at my parents, Jonas helped his Grampa and his Daddy build a HUGE snow fort. We don't get this type of snow in Burnaby, so it was a great time. It was great to have all the extra help and Jonas was more than happy to be entertained by his Auntie Drea and Uncle Ryan! Great memories :)

Cookie Time

2010-12-29T15:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas Part I

2010-12-29T15:34:00.001-08:00

There is so much to be said about the month of December...from celebrating Birthdays, to Christmas gatherings, making cookies and a trip to my parents in Alberta. It's been a great month! We did many of our "traditional" Christmas activities...including the Christmas train at Stanley Park. Jonas really took everything in this year, even starting to understand that we celebrate Christmas because it's Jesus' Birthday. Prior to our Christmas Dinner, our family went around the room saying what we were grateful for...Family seemed to be on the top of that list. I'm so grateful that our family really loves to spend time together and that we are able to celebrate Jesus' birth together as a family. Nadia was also on the top of my list...after some scares within the pregnancy, I'm so grateful that she's healthy and a part of our lives!

Jonas' Christmas highlights.....airplane ride to Zeezee and Grampa's house, making a huge snow fort in my parents front yard, lot's of attention from his Auntie Drea and Uncle Ryan, opening endless presents and making up songs to various Christmas Carols!

Nadia's Christmas highlights....first airplane ride, surviving her 3rd cold, laughing at Daddy and Zeezee, getting into a predictable sleep routine (Yahoo for Mommy and Daddy), loving her bath time.

New Year's Resolutions....to enjoy every moment to it's fullest and make every moment count!

Victoria

2010-12-01T14:16:00.001-08:00

We recently went over to Victoria to visit great friends of ours, Cara, Nuno and their daughter Olivia. We are so thrilled for them as they are expecting twin girls in 3 weeks, and wanted to help out anyway we could before this arrival and introduce them to Nadia! Jonas and Olivia are 2 months apart and absolutely LOVE eachother. We've nicknamed them the "Gruesome Twosome" seeing eachother often enough that they play easily together....even though Jonas will soon be the only boy, surrounded by 4 girls! Saturday afternoon Keith and Nuno were doing some work outside and Jonas and Olivia decided to help out. Let's just say we had to strip them down to their underwear before we could bring them in the house, mud from head to toe!

Funny scene....Cara and I chatting in the kitchen, realizing it's too quiet and so we start to look for the "gruesome twosome". They are quietly sitting in the guestroom after going through our luggage and have discovered our snacks from the ferry. Olivia...sitting on the bed covered in cookie crumbs and holding cookies in her hands, Jonas....holding the biggest green apple and happily crunching down, peel and all! He never eats the peel! It was a very funny scene! Anyways, we had a great visit and can't wait to meet the next two to join our crazy crew!

Back to Normal?

2010-12-01T13:41:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin....November has come and gone in a flash!

We were able to enjoy Keith's parents company for 2 weeks at the beginning of November. They were able to meet Nadia and participate in our regular weekly activities, dinners and even a birthday party. It was nice having the extra help, home cooked meals and I was even able to sleep in a bit with Nadia while Jonas was entertained. Thank you! They were able to stay for Keith's Birthday when we had a great dinner at The Keg. We weren't sure how Jonas and Nadia would do, but they were great, even getting comments from other tables at how well they behaved!

JONAS ... we are amazed daily by his vocabulary and his memory. We're in the habit now, at bedtime, talking about the next days activities. Well, first thing the next morning, he'll fill you in on what our agenda is suppose to include! Jonas is now sleeping in a big boy bed and it's been a bit of an adjustment. This new found freedom to get out of bed, especially at 4 AM had to be stopped QUICKLY! At the moment, it's been a week of really good nights, here's hoping this continues! He has just completed a series of "music" classes which he thoroughly enjoyed. Not knowing how life would be with Nadia, we booked these classes for Saturday's so we could have Daddy's help. ( I think Keith enjoyed them as much as Jonas!)

NADIA..... Although Jonas really loves her, Nadia has taken a few hits from her big brother...we're realizing they really aren't made of glass! She is now 9 weeks old and weighs 12.5lbs ( 85th % for her weight and 97% for height). She has molded very nicely into our routine and currently goes to bed around 8:30pm and doesn't wake til 4am for a quick feed before going back to sleep til 7:30am. I'm definitely not complaining!

Where did October go?

2010-11-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

5 weeks have come and gone since Nadia was born! We still can't believe we have a little girl.....until she starts to loudly grunt at 4 am!! Anyone want to do a night shift at our house! Overall we have adjusted really well. Jonas is still loving her but maybe giving us a harder time cause he notices he's not the center of attention anymore. His language amazes us daily. We're having full conversations, where, for the most part he uses proper nouns and verbs even! He loves to go outside to play soccer and doesn't mind that Nadia has to tag along now. Both the kids had checkups this week...Jonas weighing in at 30lbs, 85cm tall and Nadia ( at 5 weeks ) weighed in at 10.5 lbs! She's putting on the weight very nicely! Jonas, at 5 weeks old, was 10.1 lbs. Nadia is also showing her smiles for us and is starting to show a little bit of a routine during the day and night!

Our Halloween was filled with a great dinner with friends, trick or treating with a giraffe, tiger and soccer player and a GREAT personal fireworks show, courtesy of Dino! ( Dino, your neighbors had nothing on you!) By the end of the night Jonas was EXHAUSTED....and discovered a love for Smarties!

Venting...

2010-10-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

Is it bad that Nadia is only 4 weeks old and I'm already fretting about childcare for next September! I just found out what I thought was a sure thing for Jonas for preschool next September is actually NOT. For those that don't live here, the lower mainland is ridiculous for childcare...you basically have to just be thinking about wanting to be pregnant and you should already put your name down in a gazillion places if you're even thinking about going back to work. I'm not sure if our current childcare will be able to take both kids next fall. Why am I worrying about this now, why? Sorry for the venting.....this is when I really wish my family was closer. kay...thanks for letting me vent :(

We have increased the size of our family by 2 feet!

2010-10-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-10-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

We do have alot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Thankful for Mom who came and helped before and after Nadia was born.

Thankful for all the prayers during the last 9 weeks of our pregnancy for a healthy baby.

Thankful for a noneventful delivery of our beautiful and healthy baby girl.

Thankful for a very understanding little boy who has accepted Nadia...so far!

Thankful to Mom and Dad for taking Jonas early to Kelowna for a little extra attention from our extended family.

Thankful for a wonderful visit with our family in Kelowna and being able to spend Thanksgiving with my parents ( it's been 10 years since I spent Thanksgiving with them!)

We were able to take a four generation picture as well..pretty amazing!

(This is neat: Nadia, Amanda, her mother Carol and Grandmother Lena are all 30 Years apart in age.)

2010-10-05T15:57:00.000-07:00

I figure it's better to be short and sweet than not to put anything up at all! We have adjusted to our new family of four very well and still can't believe that we have our beautiful little girl! My parents have been such a HUGE help and we can't thank them enough for all their help! To get out the door before 10 am has been a challenge! But we're loving it!

Jonas is loving his little sister and gives her "juicy kisses" whenever he sees her. He's also very concerned to know where she is at all times.

Introducing our Baby GIRL!

2010-09-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

Introducing Nadia Grace Ribeiro, born Monday, September 27th at 7:51 pm. She weighed 7 lbs and measured 49 cm long with a little bit of brownish colour hair. I'll try to post some more pictures in the next few days. Sorry if we haven't personally phoned to tell our news....it's been a bit busy! We can't wait to share her with all of you though! Thank you so much for all your love and prayers, especially over the last 9 weeks!

Love Amanda, Keith, Jonas and Nadia :)

Just the three of us...for now.

2010-09-18T15:55:00.001-07:00

Our Prince Jonas will soon become a brother, God willing, but for now we marvel at how he has grown from "one baby, mommy" into a bright and curious little boy. We love you Jonas and always will!

September

2010-09-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures showing how September has been so far. We've been able to enjoy the sunshine for the most part and trying to get plugged into programs for the fall. There is something I LOVE about fall. It reminds me of school and the start of many good things! At the moment Jonas is only registered for a music program on Saturday mornings. There are many "drop in" programs that we are planning to do during the week but not knowing the personality of what the new baby is going to be like, it makes me nervous to register Jonas for week day programs without Keith's help!

And No...the baby has not arrived yet! As much as I'm loving being pregnant...I'm a bit impatient, only though to move on to getting to know this little being!

Congratulations!

2010-08-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our friends, the Mitchells, on the birth of their son Justin Micah!

May the Lord bless your Son and your family.

Love, Keith, Amanda and Jonas.

August & Potty Training!

2010-08-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

For all this resting, you'd think I'd be updating the blog a bit more but it just didn't happen! As I said in our last post, we've had so much help over the last few weeks. A big BIG thank you goes to "Auntie Trudy" for making the trip and helping us out for a few weeks. I don't think I changed a diaper once while she was here and she definitely made life around here alot easier given our situation. Jonas loved all the attention and is still asking where she is!

With the beautiful west coast weather we've been having, we enjoyed some beach time recently. I'm not sure who had more fun, Jonas or Keith! We've also been taking advantage of the weather by starting Potty Training! I figured doing it while the weather was nice, would help us out, as we could spend alot of time out on the patio. We just finished day 3 and things are working out really well. Can't believe our little guy is growing up.

Baby #2 Update...baby is still not wanting to make his/her entrance into the world! This is a good thing, as the Dr said at my last visit that from all the test results/circumstances 4 weeks ago, she's surprised this baby hasn't been born yet. I'm feeling really well though and baby is moving lot's. At this point the Dr. said that I can increase my activity level and things look really good for a healthy baby. The chances of it happening sooner than later are very big, but that's okay.

Summer

2010-08-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

How fast July has gone! We kept very busy with various visitors, Jonas' Birthday, dinners and BBQ's. We've had such great weather that we've tried to make the most of it. This included having our 5th annual Kitimat BBQ. A few of us gals pick a date and then try to rally up people to meet for a BBQ and catch up. This year was very last minute but we were still able to get a good group together. This picture is from the BBQ of Jonas enjoying the spray park. He actually squealed with delight as he ran through the water!

I'm now officially off of work, a little earlier than planned, but we can't always plan everything! That I've learned! I feel great but had a little situation last week where the Dr. feels that the best medicine for me is to be very low key for the next 2 weeks. This is alot easier said than done as I don't like to sit around for too long. Friends have been great though, helping out with taking Jonas or dropping off food. We really are blessed to be surrounded by so many great people! My Aunt is even making a special trip tomorrow to help us for the next 10 days! The Dr. seems optimistic that after these 2 weeks I should be fine to increase my activity and get into the month of September before our new babe makes an entrance into the world!

Guess who's two?

2010-07-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

A very busy month

2010-07-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

A month of activity

2010-07-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

It seems like so much has happened in the last month that it's overwhelming to write it all down and add the pictures, so it'll come in two stages!
Jonas still seems to amaze us with his vocabulary, reciting his abc's, singing many songs and "negotiating!" Yes, it's started. About 3 weeks ago we noticed his behavior change to negotiating and some terrible two stuff! Yikes....it really does happen so close to age 2, at least in Jonas' case!
The month of June was different due to the fact that I was on "sick" leave from work due to the pregnancy. At the moment things are pretty good but there were some issues where the Dr. wanted me to take things a bit easier and felt best that I should be off work. So that meant Jonas had his mommy for a whole month and I think he enjoyed it. It's hard to just be at home with him so we tried to plan as many play dates and library time as possible. I think Jonas loved it! As for me, I'm now back at work and just taking it one week at a time. Baby #2 appears healthy but as I'm now only at 29 weeks, we'd like to at least get to 36 weeks if possible before this baby makes it entrance!
We spent about 10 days in Kelowna at the end of June for some family time, which included an extended family reunion on my Mom's side of the family. Jonas loved all the attention and started to feel like this was "normal life"! We were able to celebrate 3 birthdays, including Jonas's, and my Aunt's retirement from teaching! Part of being in Kelowna this time of year is enjoying our grandparents cherry trees and garden. Jonas loved eating fresh cherries off the tree and then pretend to spit the seeds into the bush as he would watch others do! What was so funny was that we'd give him the cherries after taking the pits out! He also loved to go into the garden to help pick raspberries. He was welcome to eat the berries as he picked them but he thought he was suppose to be sneaky, I guess, and would pop the raspberries in his mouth as he picked and then dart his eyes around to see if anyone caught him. It was so funny watching him try to be sneaky!
Then it was back to real life...but that included celebrating Jonas's 2nd Birthday which brought Auntie Drea and Uncle Ryan our way to celebrate! We had a wonderful day filled with a waterpark, a ride on the skytrain and a wonderful walk dowtown with dinner by the water so we could watch the float planes land. All of Jonas' favorite things to do! Auntie Drea then spent the next week with us while she was doing a course and now that she's gone....Jonas will be thoroughly confused with who lives where and why he can't see all his favorite people all the time! We really miss not being able to live close to family and wish circumstances were different but this is our life...for now.

The sun will come out....

2010-06-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

Jonas continues to amaze us. 23 months old he can already accomplish so much. Only some of the things he says: "Do you like that song?" "Don't like that song." "Don't cry baby, its okay." That's cute" (referring to Mom's clothes selections). "What's this?" "Go to bed after (playing)." My goodness!" "One more train, Daddy."

He can identify and name shapes: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, "ooooval", and can count at least up to 16. Songs Jonas regularly sings with us and when he is alone: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Wheels on the Bus, and the theme song from the musical "Annie":

Many faces of Jonas.

2010-06-06T14:46:00.001-07:00

Jonas' New Haircut

2010-05-06T22:31:00.001-07:00

Whirlwind of an April

2010-05-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

Where do I start! In a nutshell, the month of April held a trip to Kelowna for Easter, my parents coming for a visit and to babysit Jonas while Keith and I flew off to Costa Rica for one of my best friends weddings and then visits from some great friends. I always tell friends who have family close by, how lucky they are to have family around. Well, I am fortunate that my parents come when needed and they definitely came thru for us! My Dad was here for a few days and then left my Mom to watch Jonas while we were in Costa Rica. Although we missed him dearly, I think he was having his own all-inclusive right here in Burnaby! They did more activities than I probably do with him in a month! Keith and I had a great time celebrating the wedding of our friends Anita and Jason. Thirty-five of their friends and immediate family came to help celebrate and I was honoured to be in the wedding party. If you know us well, than you know that many of our closest friends live or are from Kitimat and it was great to walk outside our hotel room and have some great friends to hang out with for the week. We definitely made some great memories but it wouldn't have been possible if Mom hadn't taken on Jonas for the week, so THANKS MOM!

When we came home, Jonas' vocab seemed to have increased abundantly! It just amazes us what a little boy he's become! Just today he pointed up at a helicopter and said "Mommy, I heard it, I heard the helicopter!" Now that's a sentence! He's also very independant and wants to do everything "by myself". He comes up and down the stairs by himself and in and out of the car. It's great but it also requires alot of patience as it takes twice as long to do it "by myself!" We've also enjoyed a visit of a dear friend of mine Erin, who I've known since I was born! We hadn't seen each other in 3 years and so it was great to catch up. A week later Debbie came for a visit and although we were together in Costa Rica, it was great to get together for the night. Yes, we do sound like a revolving door and some do call us the "Ribeiro Hotel"! The month of May though, will be focusing more on house matters. We're still on the hunt for a house and are finding it hard to find "the one". Not much more to say on that for the moment except frustration. Trying to be content with what we have but I feel that a change needs to happen and not just "having a baby" kind of change. Or maybe I'm not hearing what God really wants of us right now?

Easter

2010-04-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy time around here. The month of March has been occupied with work, out of town guests and Jonas! These latest pictures are from our trip to Kelowna for Easter and our last dental visit at my office for Jonas. Jonas just loves his time in Kelowna and continues to speak of it days and weeks after we come back. One of our traditions at Easter is to make an Easter basket somewhere outside and then find it on Easter Sunday to see what was left. Well, this year Jonas totally got the concept and loved it! He kept shouting "Egg" everytime he found one in the grass. If you compare last years Easter blog entry you'll see how much he's grown next to the bunny, since last year! Whenever we're in Kelowna, we weigh Jonas, as we don't have a scale in our house! He's now coming in at 28LBS!!!! If only I could get hime to eat more. I don't know how he weighs so much because it's not easy getting food into him.

The other photo is of Jonas' latest dental visit with one of my favorite Dr's at my office. Overall, he did well but he was a bit concerned towards the end. He has 16 healthy teeth!

We are now in the process of getting ready for a big trip...minus Jonas!! Stay tuned for details!!

It's a .........BABY!

2010-03-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're going to have baby #2! The news leaked out a bit early, so we've tried to make some phone calls to tell people. Sorry if we haven't told you personally. We are thrilled and are expecting our new little bundle at the end of September, although the Dr. has warned us we
could have a repeat early arrival like Jonas! So far I'm feeling pretty good, although I have a hard time finding the time for excercise. It was alot easier with the first pregnancy!

February Part II

2010-02-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

Unless you've been under a rock during the month of February, everyone knows we've been hosting the Winter Olympics in Vancouver! We've been able to enjoy the festivities 2 weekends in a row, with friends coming the first weekend and then Auntie Drea and Uncle Ryan last weekend. Jonas does really well with crowds. We just put him in our MEC backpack and he loved being up high, checking everything out. The center picture is between Science World and GM Place along the water, there were hundred of little Inukshuk's that people had made. It was quite amazing and of course we had to build one to go along with the rest. One of the pictures is from Granville Street, for those who don't live here...this is NOT normal! But it was great! Street performers everywhere and so many people from all around the world..definitely worth being down there no matter how chaotic it was! We were lucky that Jonas was great most of the time!

On a side note, we're still house hunting to no avail...sounds awful but when you don't want to spend over a million and you have certain criteria....I think we've looked at 5 houses in the last week alone. I keep saying our house hasn't been built yet..or we need to move to Kelowna!

February Part I

2010-02-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

Going thru photos, I've realized we've left out a few little events over the beginning of February. The first picture is of Jonas' best boy buddy Daniel and himself just hanging out! Jonas has many "girl friends" but not alot of boy buddies and so it's nice when we get together. Jonas gets a real kick out Daniel and can't stop talking about "Daniel and Grace ( big sis) once they're out of site!

The other photo is of our dear friend Dilia giving Jonas his first real haircut at her salon. The whole time he just sat real still with an uncertain look on his face. But he let her finish and seemed happy when she was done. He looks quite grownup now and not so little anymore! :(

Keith and I are shocked that we can have conversations with Jonas and he repeats so much of what we say. We catch him singing songs on his own and he'll read to himself...it's cute...I guess you have to be here to think so! Not sure if it's impressive or not but he can now count to 12, climb up and down the stairs on his own and he knows his whole alphabet! We're impressed!

Stay tuned for Part II....Olympic fever!

More photos from Mexico

2010-01-31T20:18:00.001-08:00

Getting "cozy" with Auntie!

Cabo Mexico!

2010-01-31T19:46:00.000-08:00

Ten days after being home from Christmas, Keith's parents came to visit for a week. We enjoyed their visit and Jonas seemed very comfortable with them. I think he really loved staying home for a week from childcare and getting alot of one on one with them! Shortly after they left we were off to Mexico with my parents and sister and brother-in-law. We had a great time and again Jonas loved all the attention! The weather was great and the company even better! It was nice to share in the responsibility of watching Jonas. With 6 adults, there was always someone willing to go in the water. Jonas LOVED the water and would spend endless hours splashing in the pools at the resort! We were able to do various activities and Jonas even had his afternoon naps in the shade, poolside! This was a trip we had attempted to plan over the last 3 years so we were very happy to actually see it happen! It makes you wonder why we don't do this more often and so our plan is to plan a family holiday every 2 years. Jonas even gained a taste for Virgin Chi Chi's!

We're now back to reality and looking forward to various company coming over the next 2 months for visits and Olympic events! Not sure what to expect with the Olympics....not looking forward to the chaos!

Jonas's language has grown by leaps and bounds! He's singing his ABC's counting to ten and we'll catch him quietly singing songs that we often sing to him. It's quite amazing watching him be able to pronounce big words and sing full songs! Although he's pretty social, it's interesting watching him in social situations. He approaches a crowd quite shy and stays close to Mom or Dad but after 20 minutes he's high fiving the crowd and giving everyone big hugs. His latest thing is giving big hugs and kisses. We're definitely loving this stage.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-28T22:13:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful time in Kelowna celebrating Christmas with our family. We haven't downloaded all our pictures so there will be more to come. As Keith often reminds me, we really are blessed to have so much in our lives and we can't forget that. Over Christmas we celebrated my Mom and Grandma's Birthdays, many different family dinners, skiing and Christmas of course!

An update since my last entry. Jonas was put on antibiotics for 10 days for the pneumonia, well on Dec 23 his body broke out in a rash that we diagnosed as roseola. On Christmas day he was the ugliest cutest boy ever! The poor guy had it from head to toe but it seems to be clearing up quickly which is nice. So then on the 27th he had a temperature of 39.5, add on dehydration and limited eating over the last 2 days, a few phone calls to all our medical people in our life and we ended up at Children's Hospital Emerg where he was diagnosed with a throat infection and fever. So we are hunkering down at home until our little boy's immunity is back in action! You sickies stay away, we need to get healthy over here!

On a side note, we may be in need of childcare soon. This is always a bit of a stress and I know that things always work out but at the moment I'm stressing. If anyone has any connections for us...we'd love to hear from you...Mon-Wed.

A little update

2009-12-17T14:33:00.000-08:00

Just a little update on our little man.....after a wonderful evening at Children's Hospital emerg....over three hours of waiting....and a chest x-ray.....Jonas has pneumonia! It really sounds worse than what I'd like to believe it is. I took him in only because of his irregular breathing and weird cough and tadaaa! So now we're on a 10 day course of AB. His cough is already gone and is breathing is pretty much normal and although he is more irritable, you'd never know that he is "sick". This too shall pass. I like to think that we have a pretty healthy boy but I truly believe that him being born with Group B Strep and a wet lung have definitely influenced his health in some negative ways. There were times over the summer where I would take him to the Dr. for "lung" type issues and was told it was nothing but finally at the hospital on Monday night I was affirmed of my concerns! Not saying he's had pneumonia his whole life but they did tall me that he is more susceptible to "lung" type illness due to his issues at birth.

Anyways....looking forward to Christmas with our family! A good friend and I often talk about our "unconditional love" for eachother. No matter what decisions the other makes good or bad, we're there for eachother...that's unconditional love. Living in the city it's hard to have those types of friendships....I miss that and so I'm soo grateful for those deep rooted friendships that I actually do have. Thank you girls.....you know who you are!

Christmas

2009-12-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Mommy! What an exciting time - fun parties, a train ride through Stanley Park, a big shiny tree with presents underneath and wow! Snow! Now it's Christmas! Hooray!!!

2009-12-10T21:13:00.000-08:00

n
I think everyone can say that December 25th is coming waaayyyy to quickly! The weeks fly by and all of a sudden we're on a countdown til Christmas.

The end of November we celebrated Keith's Birthday and held a big Kitimat Christmas bash. We have many friends that live down here who are previous Kitimatians and we try to get together as a whole group a few times a year. December has also held many activities. We had a great friend of ours, Debbie, come for a visit from Kitimat and we only wished she could have stayed longer! Yes Deb...you've made our blog! Since Jonas has come into our lives, we've also tried to create many traditions...yes I like to be a traditionalist....surprise! Well one of our Christmas traditions has included going to the Stanley Park Christmas light show with the Pereira's. I'm not sure if the adults love it more than the kids? We've also celebrated my 30th Birthday this past week...yikes.....I'm admitting it! We've had many special nights over the last week with many friends and I'm a very lucky gal!
Jonas is quite a character lately...he's counting to 9 and singing the alphabet... with our help of course. His vocabulary is shocking, we're actually having conversations. He's quite a funny guy who finds odd things hilarious ( like flushing a toilet)! He also LOVES to read....and will sit and listen to you read several "kid" books in one sitting. We're discovering everyday what a little "being" he's becoming...pretty amazing!

Lazy Days

2009-11-22T17:15:00.001-08:00

We've spent alot of November indoors as the rain has not stopped since Halloween! At least it feels like that. Some of our highlights this month have included Jonas and Daddy riding the train at our local mall. Jonas thought it was pretty great...his eyes lighting up when the train was tooting it's horn!
Over the last 3-4 weeks Jonas has also changed his temperment, becoming shy around those who he doesn't see very often. It's cute but a bit odd as he hasn't shown this until now. He is also repeating many words and can actually count to 9, with some help of course! He is LOVING books and would be happy to read his favorites over and over and over, loves wrestling and has taken the word "thank you" to the next level...thanking us whether we're giving him something or if he's giving us something!
I had this past week off and enjoyed alot of time, just the two of us. One of our activites included baking muffins. Jonas seemed to love the whole process..including eating them at the end!

Happy Halloween

2009-11-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

Another month is gone before we know it!

In the last 2 weeks Jonas has decided to become shy with many of our friends. It's a bit weird as he's usually quite easy going but we've been getting some extra cuddle time from Jonas, because of it! He's also becoming quite the walker, almost preferring it now to crawling. It's still quite odd to turn around and there's this little body bobbing around! Keith was shocked the other night when he went into his room and brought a book into our room that he wanted us to read to him! Our baby is growing up! We're realizing more and more how important it is to have real conversations with him as he really does understand what we are saying. I'm trying to remind myself not to take these moments for granted as he really is growing up right before our eyes.

He went out on his first trick or treat Halloween. We joined our great friends, the Pereira's, trick or treating in their neighborhood. It was great because their little girl really gets the concept of being given candy at the door and Jonas quickly picked up on this. He lasted a good hour and a bit, holding his bag out to receive candy! At the end of the night, you'll see from one of the photos, we're sitting on their front steps, ALL, enjoying candy while getting our own personal fireworks show. It was a pretty great night...thanks for the great memories Pereiras! :)

2009-10-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

It sounds cliche but time sure flies! We've been keeping busy as usual with work, play dates and a trip to Kelowna for Thanksgiving. These photos are from our Kelowna trip and include a photo where Auntie Andrea whipped a tattoo on Jonas before Mommy new what was going on! Hence the red leaf ( Canadian flag) tattoo in these pictures. We've tried to start some traditions which include going to the local pumpkin patch in Kelowna on Thanksgiving weekend. Jonas really loved the tractor.

The week prior to Thanksgiving, Jonas decided to start walking and he's just getting faster and faster! Although if he really wants to go fast, he'll crawl still. He's also becoming quite a parrot, copying many words that he hears.

We're walking!

2009-10-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

2009-10-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

The African Children's Choir GalaJasmine and Jonas sharing a moment

Jonas cheering for the Canucks....although he cheers for the zamboni even more!

Olivia and Jonas sharing a bowl of blueberries....yum...yum...

Well, first of all, thank you to all who volunteered to watch Jonas for us! In the end if all worked out and Keith and I were able to go to the African Children's Choir Gala at the Hotel Vancouver downtown! It was fabulous...Keith and I looked like we were going to a wedding on a Tuesday night! ( thank you Erin for watching Jonas!) The entertainment was fabulous and more importantly they raised alot of money for a new school for the choir back in Africa. There were many big names there including Bob Geldof who was honoured for his work with Africa, Beth Nielson Chapman and Paul Rodgers to name a few. Bob Geldof gave an amazing speech that really makes my day to day complaints so minimal. There is so much more we should be doing for these children and its crazy what the reality is. For example, the USA Budget for foreign aid is ONLY 0.16%! I could pull out some more stats but really this site is suppose to be for Jonas, I just thought I'd put this subject in your thoughts for a moment! The Children were great and we wanted to take them all home at the end of the night! This past week we have been overwhelmed with Africa...not sure what God is trying to tell us but Africa is on our heart??? Here is a bit of a video I took from our wonderful night.

September is over but I wanted to share some photos from last month.

As for October, we're talking about real estate, not sure of the where and when but we're talking. Can't believe we're almost done the first week of October! I love Fall! Time definitely is flying by and I wish I could connect with more people. This work thing really gets in the way of a social life! Both mine and Jonas's!!!

Wish you were here...

2009-09-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

Where do I start....I really wish I was putting more effort into this lately. I feel like I'm connecting with all of you when I write more frequently, thank you again for reading/keeping in touch with us through our blog! My thoughts lately.....I really wish we lived close to family and I'm wishing we lived in a bigger place( I've been hooked on mls for weeks now!) They sound like selfish wishes. Yes, I should be satisfied with where we live because there are many who live in alot smaller home. But in terms of the family wish, well....I'm always telling our friends who live close to family, how lucky they are. I really wish we lived closer to my parents or my sister. At present, we've been given tickets to a FABULOUS event and I'm stuck with childcare issues. This is where family comes in....sigh. There's a saying in our family, " You chose your life"....and I have to believe there are reasons we are here and not living elsewhere. Okay, enough of my complaining.....

Jonas is becoming such a little boy. He loves to say and point out all the cars and trucks on the road, he points at a picture of a duck or a car and say what the picture is. He's also standing in one spot for longer periods of time and gets so excited when we give him lot's of praise for doing so! But that's where it stops....he'll stand but refuses to walk...he just loves to crawl and crawl he will! September has been a full month filled with a trip to Victoria for a weekend, Canucks ( Hockey) game, a trip to the Vancouver Aquarium and we've been able to get in some visiting with friends on the weekends. Being on maternity leave was great...there was definitely alot more time for visiting....now weekends seem to be alot more busy. Jonas is also doing very well with his childcare on the days that I'm at work. He seems to know the routine...it's funny...if we get him up and dressed right away...it's like he knows it's a "work" day.

It's a wrap.

2009-09-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

As summer winds down we have been even more amazed at the progress Jonas has made not only letting us know what's going on in his sweet head, but actually verbalizing it to us. He has repeated several words back to us like 'tetch' (stretch), 'fich' (fix), 'duck', 'quack', 'moo', something like E-I-E-I-O (Old MacDonald's farm song). When hungry he now gestures to his mouth - sign language we have been trying to learn and teach each other. Oh yeah, we also discovered a way to get veggies in him - conceal small pieces of lettuce, peppers, peas, corn or carrots in a flat bread wrap with a bit of chicken or ground beef and voila! He has also learned to hold it with both hands and chomp down on it like a man. Jonas still prefers to crawl - often as fast as we can walk. We know one day he will run from us so we will cherish this time for now. We have made bath time one of "Dad's" things - something Jonas and I both enjoy.

Is it over?

2009-09-06T21:07:00.000-07:00

We have had such a nice summer but I'm thinking it's coming to an end. This weekend has been very cold and rainy with the leaves coming down, all signs of fall! I do love fall though. I love the start of new programs, new beginnings, even more so than what New Year's is to alot of people. Anyways.......back to our wonderful summer, as you saw from our entries, we've been busy. We've been able to spend alot of time this summer, including the last two weekends, with Cara, Nuno and Olivia. The picture above is of Olivia and Jonas enjoying Yaletown together. Even though they live in Victoria, we make a real effort to see eachother quite often and we're very thankful for our friendship.

Jonas' vocabulary is expanding constantly, his latest words include "close the door" and "go outside". It's amazing that he can put 2 or 3 words together! I'm not sure if this is normal.....probably, and I'm just an over excited parent thinking her child is amazing! But his favorite word is still "No". He's also starting to stand on his own but still prefers to sit and crawl.

Keith and I have started "dating" again, eachother that is! A great friend of ours watched Jonas this week so Keith and I could go out for dinner (thanks Erin!) and then at the end of the week we went to the Gypsy Kings with some friends of ours on a double date!

Jonas has his year follow up with Cardiology at Children's Hospital this coming week. Keep us in your prayers that the Dr's find that the hole in Jonas' ventricle has closed.

Not enough hours in a day

2009-08-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the lack of entries lately.....life at the Ribeiro household is a little busier these days! Yes, I'm back at work, three days a week, but it's very busy! From getting up at 6 am, getting Jonas ready and out the door by 7....working....then picking up...dinner...bath....and bed, for Jonas that is, and then trying to be productive in the evening but so desperatley wanting to be in bed by 8pm! It's exhausting even writing it!

Jonas is really turning into a little boy and it's very exciting to watch him take his world in! He's now walking if you hold his hand but as soon as you let go, he's on the ground! He's also very big at pointing out what he wants, loves to blow kisses and wave, say hello, play with jumbo lego and he loves to dance as soon as he hears any music. We've even caught him singing to music. When he's focusing on something he puckers his lips..not sure if he gets that from Keith or myself! He also loves to drink his milk from a sippy cup. This morning he was quite cute, I went to wake him at 6:30 am and as soon as I walked in, he bolted up with a huge smile and threw his hand in the air saying "HI"! I had to laugh, it was quite cute.

As usual life is busy with visitors as well...which we love...so all of you who come to visit....we love it, really. Our last company left on Sunday morning, Cara Nuno and Olivia, and I was quite sad when they left, the house seemed very empty.

A New Chapter

2009-08-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

August has seen some new beginnings...back to work, a new schedule, a new sitter and a potentially new bedtime! Jonas and I flew to Kelowna the first week of August to spend my last week of maternity leave with family, including my parents! Then my parents came back to Burnaby with me and watched Jonas for my first week back at work after 13 months off! Yikes. It was sooooo great having Mom and Dad here so I could just focus on getting myself back on a work schedule. Come tomorrow it's a whole new schedule! I love being at home but I also love being at work....tough to do both.

We're BAAACCKKKK, again!

2009-07-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

Since May, I feel like we've been away more than we've been here. We added up the plane rides and Jonas has been on 12 plane rides since he's been born and the majority of those have been since end of May! We recently came back from Kitimat for a wedding for close friends of ours Cara and Nuno. We were able to stay with other GREAT friends Rico and Christine who put up with us for the 9 days we were there! All three of us were in the wedding, although originally Jonas was suppose to go down the aisle in a wagon and he ended up walking up with us. Jonas had his first sleep over without Mom or Dad there! The days leading up to the wedding were quite hectic and friends and family were so great and helped babysit, etc. On the night before the wedding our fabulous girlfriend Anita even took him for the night! Thank you Anita, it helped so much! We are so lucky to have such great friends. We have some very close friends that still live in Kitimat and we loved being able to spend time with them, even if it was short! It was a bit sad coming back home and leaving them but again, we are very fortunate that we live where many "stop by" on there way to other destinations.

Okay, back to the wedding...Jonas looked adorable, and of course I can't find a picture of him in his outfit. The wedding was wonderful but it went too quickly! Another girlfriend came to the wedding and took care of Jonas the whole afternoon/evening so that we could enjoy the wedding! Thanks Jenni! Another big event was that Samantha had a baby boy 6 days before the wedding and was such a champ ( she was also in the wedding) One of the pictures is of me holding little Lakin!

Jonas is now cruising along furniture, blowing kisses, climbing up and down stairs, loving blueberries and going through a bit of withdrawl from not being around many people again!

A Great Birthday Weekend

2009-07-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

I heard that Birthdays were fun but no one ever told me they would be this fun. Hi everyone...it's Jonas, and I had the best First Birthday ever!

Friday was my actual special day and Mommy took me to Kits Beach to meet up with my gal pal Anna and her Mommy ( Jelena) for the morning. On the way home we stopped to buy balloons and I started putting things together! All morning I kept hearing this special song "Happy Birthday", well I saw the balloons and put two and two together and realized it was for me! I LOVE balloons. When Daddy came home we had a BBQ with some of my special friends. Oh ya....I LOVE BIRTHDAY CAKE too! I ate a whole cupcake all by myself! Lot's of people wanted to sing to me on the phone/skype! When I woke up on Saturday, Auntie Drea and Uncle Ryan were at my house ( they live in Kelowna)! They came just to visit me...okay, maybe Mommy and Daddy too! We went swimming at the wading pool in the hot hot sun. I love splashing in the water. Then in the evening they took me on a train ride to a new building downtown ( the Convention Center). There were lot's of people everywhere...I love to people watch. We had supper on a patio at The Mill (restaurant) and I was able to watch boats and seaplanes coming and going. Mommy and Daddy need to take me here more often. Because I was so good and it was my special weekend, I was able to stay up really late ( 9pm!). We ended my special weekend by going out for brunch on Sunday. I had to say goodbye then to Auntie Drea and Uncle Ryan....I sure do love them. I was so giddy when we came home Saturday night that everything was funny to me. Mommy was clipping my toe nails and it was so funny...here's a little video (sorry it's sideways).

Happy First Birthday

2009-07-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

One year Old!

2009-07-10T21:29:00.001-07:00

Today our baby turned one...one! There are little moments in my life that I have to pause and memorize the moment and last night was one. It was 10pm and I was just finishing making a fabulous birthday cake for Jonas and I kept thinking "I can't believe he's ours and we don't need to give him back!" Keith and I still are in awe that we have our little guy in our lives! A year ago tonight we were sitting in the INC at Children's Hospital holding our new little baby and now he's crawling up the stairs! Yes, that was his new trick he showed us today! Ithink he secretly practices when we're not around and then when he feels like it he decides to show us his new skills which he's already mastered! Thank you God for what a wonderful first year we've had!

Splish Splash Summertime!

2009-07-03T21:39:00.001-07:00

Cousins

2009-07-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

On our way back from Portugal, we spent 2 days with Keith's sister and family in Toronto. This was the first time the cousins were able to meet. We made sure to take some pictures. Say cheese! We hadn't been in Toronto for almost 2 years and it was nice to catch up. Thanks for the hospitality!

What a Life!

2009-07-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

Since we've been home it's been hot, hot, hot! Despite runny noses, a mild eye infection and a bad cough, we have been able to enjoy some summer days with friends in the pool! The kids had such a great time. Thanks friends :)

Terceira

2009-06-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I wanted to tell you some of my stories from our adventures to Portugal. Daddy and Mommy had told me I would be going on a plane ride but I didn't realize they meant 3 plane rides! Yikes!

The first ride to Toronto, I was a charming little fella and entertained all my surrounding people with lot's of laughs, clapping and peek-a-boo. But then came the second plane ride to San Miguel (Portugal) and that's a whole different story! Mommy and Daddy tried to help me fall asleep but PEOPLE...I need my own space, really. I can only sleep on their laps for so long and then I really do need to have my own place to sleep. Well, that wasn't happening and because I couldn't sleep, I wasn't going to let anyone else sleep around me! I remember hearing a comment from my Mommy that we weren't making any friends on this flight. By the time we arrived at Avousi and Avausi's house in Terceira, I think many days had past ( 36 hours ). My body was a bit mixed but the adults tried to get me back on track with Portugal time.

Portugal....I love it, love it, love it! I get to eat almost everything I want, everyone pays attention to me and I get lot's of kisses from all the ladies! Don't tell Mommy or Daddy but I just had to give a cute smile and people would feed me lot's of cake and cookies too, yum, yum! By the time we left to come back home I gained 3 lbs! I can now clap very well, dance when music is playing, give hugs and kisses, eat adult portions of lasagne, walk with assistance and kill ants with my fingers.

Okay, gotta run...

2009-06-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

OLA TERCEIRA!

2009-06-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

We're Baaaacccckkkkkkk

2009-06-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

WOW....where have we been. It's been over a month since I've updated and we have been busy! I'll split this up into a few posts. Around the 20th of May I left the boys for 5 days and went off to Honolulu for a work convention! Yes, you can have a work convention in Hawaii and still go even if you're on maternity leave! Lucky me! I had a wonderful time and tried to take in the beach as much as possible. However, while I was living it up, Keith was dealing with more serious issues. Not only was Keith having to deal with a baby who generally refuses to drink milk from a bottle but Jonas became ill with the stomach flu and all the symptoms that come along with that! Jonas became so sick that on Friday night around midnight, they took a trip to Children's Hospital Emerg. Keith had really been looking forward to doing various activities with Jonas, this obviously didn't happen. By the time I came home, Jonas had lost a full pound and Keith was starting to feel ill. I had 3 days to get the boys healthy, do my final cake decorating class, unpack and then pack for our 3 week adventure to Portugal to visit Keith's parents! Crazy would be one way to describe it. Stay tuned for stories of our adventures in Portugal.

Happy 10 month Birthday!

2009-05-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

WOW! Our baby is 10 months old.... How nice to celebrate Mother's Day and celebrate his Birthday at the same time. I haven't given an update yet on what Jonas is up to these days and we had a major milestone occur 2 weeks ago.....he started crawling FORWARDS! You may wonder why we're so excited but when you've watched him crawl backwards and get so frustrated it's very nice to see the forwards movement! He has become very efficient with his crawling but still hasn't explored the whole house. We're slowly baby proofing as he begins to notice "non-baby" items. He has also now has 3 teeth ( #61 for all you dental people!) and eats alsmost everything you and I do, minus the absolute no no's! We are also sleeping through the night...YIPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! Finally after 10 plus months of having to get up in the night, I have now rediscovered the art of sleeping. Our normal routine is bedtime around 7 pm and wake up around 6:45 am.

My maternity leave seems to be slipping away as I return back on August 10th. I feel like the last 10 months have slipped by too quickly. There were many things I wanted to accomplish while on mat leave and not many things have been checked off that list. If you know me well, you know I'm a list person and at times this lack of accomplishment has frustrated me. And then I look at Jonas and I realize that this year off wasn't so I could check a few items off my list. It was a gift, given to me so that I could experience my little guy to his fullest and explore his new world with him. This is a lesson I need to remind myself of often, as I walk past the pile of ironing, incomplete scrapbook projects and that beautiful treadmill in the corner of the basement! Don't get me wrong....there is no excuse for not getting on that treadmill, I'll just wait until the end of the day!

Thankful

2009-04-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

The title of this post doesn't seem to express everything that I feel. I am so thankful, overwhelmed and in love with our beautiful son and what he has brought to our lives.
I am so thankful that we get to take him to the park, take him for walks, show him
airplanes in the sky and the flowers on the ground. I am so thankful that I can dance
with him in our living room, watch him laugh and discover his fingers and his toes and kiss
his little nose. I am so thankful that God gave chose us to be his parents and I don't want to ever take this job for granted.
"For you created my inmost being: you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
Psalm 139:13-14

Spring

2009-04-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hoppy Easter

2009-04-05T15:23:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone had a nice Easter weekend! We enjoyed ours with our Kelowna family. We do really enjoy our visits to Kelowna and often think what it would be like to move there....if circumstances were different...hmmmm maybe one day. Okay, back to reality! The days just seem to be flying by, we're already mid April! As you can see from the picture of Jonas, Andrea and the "bunny", we tried to keep with an Easter tradition from my childhood and made an Easter nest outside in the yard. On Easter Sunday, Jonas found some yummy chocolate, which he shared, and a little cement truck. He really loves anything with wheels lately. We just have to practice his car noises. He tends to spit more than make the sounds!

We had a Dr's check up last week and he now measures 71 cm in length and 21 lbs. He seems to be lengthening but slowing down in his weight gain. Perfectly normal but I didn't need to go to the Dr to hear that. He is loving finger foods and I'm loving the independance it gives him. He loves to be on all fours but motors around backwards not forwards! We've also been practicing climbing up the stairs and he gets very excited when he can pull himself up. I figure, better to teach him proper technique!

As for Keith and myself...we're looking forward and planning many events prior to me going back to work! Yes, that date is set as well. Keith is finishing up his final exam this weekend for SFU and is loving being out on his bike again with the daylight lasting into the evening. I've been feeling the itch to be out of the house but our social circle is shrinking as my "maternity girlfriends" are heading back to work. So, Jonas and I are getting alot of together time!

2009-03-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Spring is near!

2009-03-29T20:27:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's the end of March! This month has been all about getting together with friends. Friends we see quite often and friends we haven't seen in quite a while but always love to see!

Keith has one more class this week and then he's done! I can't wait to have him home Thursdays at a decent hour again! Thursdays can be quite long when he doesn't get home til almost 8 pm. We've also been planning our trip to Portugal. The year off of work seems to be going so quickly.

Jonas seems to have changed this month as well. He appears more like a little boy everyday rather than a baby! We've noticed him really take things in and process and I'm realizing I need to take every opportunity to start teaching him about our big world! People keep commenting about how much hair he's grown this month! He can also wave hello and goodbye but will only do it when he wants to and not when we want to show off his new skill! He is learning to use his voice when he wants our attention or if he wants something. His diet has expanded quite a bit and I never thought I'd love the food processor so much. I've been trying to make all his meals more than buying baby food. It doesn't take too long, it just means being a bit more creative! Our biggest challenge, or I should say, my biggest challenge is to stop all the night feeds. He still gets up twice a night and I would love to break this habit. I'll be going to Hawaii at the end of May and the boys are on their own for 4 days so I'm hoping Keith won't need to be warming milk at 3 am! Those 4 days will be challenging enough for him, so I'd love for him to be able to at least sleep through the night!

2009-03-15T22:40:00.000-07:00

Olivia and Jonas

Mid March ALREADY!!

2009-03-15T22:15:00.000-07:00

I feel like it's been quite a while since I've posted anything but Jonas keeps us busy! The last week of Feb we had Anita ( from K town) come for a visit. We had a great first week of March, starting with a great friend of our coming to visit from Kitimat for a week, Aunti Sam!!! Jonas loves Aunti Sam, who even got thrown into doing a bit of babysitting for us! We were able to get in alot of visiting, made a trip to Victoria and then had Cara and baby Olivia come back and spend the rest of Sam's visit with us as well! To top it off, very quick visits from Auntie Drea and Uncle Ryan on their way too and from the Mayan Riviera! It was a full house...but a fun house! We are very thankful to have great friends and we loved the hustle and bustle of having a busy house! Jonas was in his element as well! He is quite a social boy and loved chatting it up with all our company. I kid you not, the day everyone left, our house felt very empty and I believe Jonas went through some withdraw!

Some of Jonas' new skills include rolling wherever he wants to go, pulling himself up while in his crib, conversation with others by making loud baby noises and then responding if you talk back to him the same way, eating a large variety of foods ( we're starting to become good at making our own baby food with variations of what we are eating), noticing other kids playing with toys and attempting to steal the toys ( if he's bigger than the other child)! Today I witnessed him, while he was sitting, physically push another baby down and steal her cracker! We attempted to correct that behavior...not sure how much he understood!

Two teeth - lil' biter.

2009-03-04T21:02:00.000-08:00

Jonas has two teeth and knows how to use them. Mommy, Jonas and Samantha are back home from Victoria which is great. We look forward to welcoming back Cara, Olivia and Erin.

Little Swinger!

2009-02-21T15:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Belated Valentines!

We decided to mark the date by taking Jonas to the park. We had never put him on the swings before and he loved it! Later on that evening Jonas went out for dinner with 2 of his special Valentines, Jasmine and Natalie, oh ya, all the parents came too!

We've been very social this week. The weather has been beautiful here and so we've taken full advantage of our daylight with lot's of visits/playdates with friends and walks locally and down at English Bay. Everyone seems to be in a better mood when the sun shines!

Some of Jonas's latest tricks include a constant roll from one end of the room to the other, a new tooth ( which brings us to 2 ) an interest in sticking his bum high in the air, completing his first set of swimming lessons and a keen interest in toys that other kids are playing with!

A month of firsts!

2009-02-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

Saying goodbye to Grandpa and Mumzie at the airport

Superbowl Game Face

It's been a while since we've updated you but this month has been busy! Jonas had many "firsts"in his 6th month of life, he's growing up way too fast! Where do we start.......we had our first rolling over back to front and then front to back, our first plane ride, our first tooth, first Giants hockey game with the Pereira's (which both Jonas and Daniel lasted through all 3 periods) and our first Super Bowl! Yes, we have been busy.

Jonas and I left Keith in Burnaby and went off to my parents for a week. We had a very relaxing visit in Peace River and Jonas loved all the extra attention from Grandpa and Mumzie! I wasn't sure how he would like the plane rides but he was great! We had a seat for Jonas on all the flights and we were only a bit noisy when he decided to give some "shout outs" to all the others on the plane. I'm not sure if he felt he needed more attention or if he just wanted to shriek with excitement! He loves to hear his voice and will let out a shriek and then giggle at himself! Some may call it annoying, others may say cute!

We are amazed at how fast time goes as Jonas is now 7 months old! This is a very exciting age and we are noticing more independence and dexterity from him. One of his favorite games at the moment is sitting next to his basket of toys and letting him take each toy out individually and study it, passing it from one hand to the next until he decides to move on to the next toy. As you can see we are thoroughly enjoying our little man.

On a side note, we'd love to hear from you! We're not sure who continues to read our blogs and so we'd love a little hello from you. You can either write on our blog or email at

amanda.church@shaw.ca

Thanks :)

Six Month Birthday

2009-01-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody...I'm now 6 months old!!! Happy Birthday to me! Mommy took me for 2 little needles and I did great this time! Okay, I had a few tears but it didn't last long! I'm 67 cm long and 19 lbs 14 oz. As you can see from this picture, Mommy is trying to teach me to crawl so she won't have to carry me so much. I guess I'm a bit heavy for her! I get really sad when I can't see Mommy or Daddy in the room...I want them with me ALL THE TIME! Is that too much to ask?

2009 starting off fine.

2009-01-18T20:31:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everybody!
Just before Christmas Jonas started eating solids - rice cereal to start with, then barley, oatmeal, some peas (yuk!), carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, apple sauce (yum!) and even, today, real pureed banana!

We are very greatful to have friends like Tony and Christina who have allowed us to go on dates such as last month's Canucks - Flyers hockey game. Thanks!

This month Jonas started swimming lessons - buckets of fun! The group is called 'Starfish' which is fitting. Jonas likes floating on his back like he does in the bath. By blowing on his face he has learned to close his eyes and mouth as we carefully dunk his face into the water and quickly lift him out. This past lesson wasn't as much fun as we donned the life vests for the first time.

Auntie Andrea graced us with her presence this weekend,
Jonas loves the extra attention and we really appreciate Drea's special skill of caring for everyone around her!

Jonas loves the Rhino-bride stuffed animal Andrea made for our wedding (Hippo-groom also), as this video shows. He really cracked up playing peek-a-boo on the bed and is becoming quite the perceptive fellow. Just watch his eyes dart around looking about the bed for us and the elusive Rhino-bride to appear and charge!!!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-29T19:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone so quickly! We've had a very busy December with visits from Cara and Olivia and Amanda's family and then a trip to Kelowna to celebrate Christmas with our Kelowna family. It was great to celebrate Jonas's first Christmas and he was definitely the hit of the party while we were in Kelowna. He seemed to like grabbing at the wrapping paper and pulling at it but like a true child, he seemed to enjoy the wrapping paper more than the gift itself!

I do think he was a bit sad/lonely today as he seemed to want to be held more than normal and he was quite clingy to Keith when he came home from work today. It was quite cute and sad all at the same time.

Some of his firsts this month included eating rice cereal and now barley cereal! He loves it and opens his mouth like a little bird being fed worms! Another first, sitting up without any support and staying up for prolonged periods. He had his first snow fall which he looked at with a questioning eye. We've also started putting away some of his "baby toys"...yes, we know he's not even 6 months yet, but there seemed to be a few toys that he just wasn't loving the way he used to! He also had his first cold this month and it's lasted almost 4 weeks. We had him checked out the first week into it and the Dr felt it would just clear itself up. It doesn't seem to bother him until he starts up with the cough and when we're out in public and he's coughing away, I feel like eyes are watching us and thinking that we shouldn't have our "sick child"out and about. Otherwise, we're doing great and we're looking forward to all that 2009 has to bring!

The Cortina Crew

2008-12-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

One of the perks living in the townhouse is getting to know our neighbors really well. For quite a while we've been getting together every 6 weeks for brunch with 2 other families, alternating houses each time. However, the Calvert's have decided to move to Ontario and will be leaving us in early January. We're very sad to see them leave as they were great neighbors and they have a little guy ( and another little guy on the way) whom Jonas would have loved to play with once he got a bit older.

We'll miss you!