The full set can be found on my Flickr site.

Cheers!
t.

Once again, Oliver was just a doll the entire time – keeping us entertained with his big smiles and wonderful attitude. It can’t be easy for an 18-month old to spend that much time in a car on any given day, but Oliver seems to take it very well. We are very proud of him!

Below are some images from the day – I hope you enjoy!

*NOTE: The rest of the gallery can be found on my Flickr site here.

Cheers!
t.

At the time, I didn’t know how motherhood would affect me. I didn’t know I’d be having a little boy, or how that little boy would fundamentally change my life.

Oliver is now almost 18 months old. Within that time, he has learned to smile, to roll over, to sit up, to hold things in his hand, to eat solid food, to stand, to walk, and now to run (although it’s more like a an ambling sort of scamper, sometimes on his toes. He likes to be chased because he wants to be caught and kissed. And tickled.)

I am not one of those smug women who believes motherhood has made me some kind of earth goddess and that performing this biological feat somehow absolves me from all other challenges in life. Instead, I am awed by the force of pure love that resides in this small son of mine, this unique and growing soul, which – but for my husband and I – would not have existed.

Oliver has eyes as blue as a lake in northern Ontario. And when he smiles, they sparkle like the sun on the water. Shy dimples only appear when properly coaxed. His cap of yellow-blond hair is often tousled, either by sleep or play. Sometimes there is food in it.

His energy is boundless. He talks even though he can’t speak a coherent form of English yet, but he communicates and makes jokes, nonetheless. I love to watch him play – pushing his cars across the floor, or stacking his coloured cups. Hugging his bears.

I am besottedly proud of everything he does, and every advancement he makes. I love that he is currently enthralled by tulips, and must go and look inside the centre of each one we encounter on our walks. (Our neighbours are very understanding about this and fortunately, no flowers are harmed in Oliver’s pursuit of curiosity.) I love that he eats squash with all the concentration and precision of a champion chess player. Watching him now use a fork is sublime.

Motherhood, to me, is a combination of the sweetest love imaginable, as well as an aching, haunting pain. The love is a given, or should be, but is indescribable in its wake. The pain exists because having a child can also mean great worry, and certainly it is a tremendous responsibility to guard and guide that child through the years of his life, at least until adulthood, but often beyond.

I know that one day, my son will get older. He’ll resist bathing. He might want to play video games all the time. He’ll acquire dubious friends and perhaps even more dubious girlfriends. His room will turn into a pit and I might find certain magazines there. I might find… ah, but never mind what I might find!

Right now, my son is still innocent of the ways of the world. He knows only kisses and cuddles, cats and sippy cups. I can’t keep it that way, and I don’t want to. But I savour every moment, every step of his development, as I bask in the light of his sunny little smile, and carry the immeasurable love I feel for him in my heart.

During our visit, we spent some time in shopping malls, at the pool, wandering the golf course, and taking fun trips on the golf cart. We had beautiful weather, with only one morning of rain.

Below are some pictures we took during the trip. If you’re interested, the rest of the gallery can be found here.

Cheers!
t.

It was Easter while we were in Florida so Oliver got a visit from the Easter Bunny

Oliver had a bit of a meltdown when Mum wouldn’t let him have the phone

This guy hung out about 100 yards from us most mornings…

Cheers!

On this day, Oliver and I were watching some of his favourite shows on TV. We were also trying to get a nice shot of him wearing his Scotland jersey that he received for Christmas from our dear friends Paul & Kelly. For those of you that don’t know, Dana and I got married in Scotland and Paul was a taxi-driver.

….seriously!

While we were in Scotland, when we wanted to go somewhere, we called Paul. Paul was chalk full over wonderful information about Edinburgh, the country, and he showed a genuine interest in our lives. He drove us to the castle for our wedding. He picked us up the morning after our wedding, with a bottle of champagne in hand. He even told us that if we ever were to come back to Scotland, that he wanted us to stay with him and his family! Can you believe that?

So fast forward to this year, we receive a nice little package in the mail from Paul and his family – complete with a Scotland jersey for Oliver. We wanted to send a thank you note to them, but include a picture of Oliver wearing the jersey. Hence, the photos taken below.

Sorry for the long story. The pictures just didn’t seem complete unless you knew why we took them.

Cheers!
t.

Enjoy!
t.

Enjoy the images below.

Cheers!
t.

Here are a couple of portraits taken of Oliver and his Grand Dad.

Cheers!
t.

Below are some pictures from the day. The rest of the images can be found here. There is also a Youtube video below of Oliver and his sleigh ride.

Cheers!
t.

Below are a couple of videos of Oliver enjoying his Christmas morning.

Then it was off to Grandma and Grandpaw’s for more presents and a Christmas dinner. Mom (Grandma) outdid herself once again. We had probably one the juiciest turkey I’ve ever tasted. We had a surprise visitor, my Auntie Karen for dinner and a visit. It was wonderful to see her again.

Below are some pictures of the day. The full set of pictures can be found on my Flickr site here.

Enjoy!
t.