It's a boy!!!

It's been a few weeks since I've taken some time to work on "...and away we go!" I know most of you know by now, the reason is the arrival of our son, Henry!!

On Friday, August 17th, I awoke and quickly learned that my water had broken! I was quite surprised, as I didn't really expect to go into labour on my own. I was not yet contracting, so we quickly got organized, dropped Andrew off at daycare, and headed for the hospital. Since we were planning for a scheduled C-section, the doctors fit us into the O.R. schedule as soon as they could... and little Henry was born at 3:30 in the afternoon. He weighed 8 lbs 5 oz, was almost 21" long and, not surprisingly, had a head circumference that was off the charts (14.75")!! He did spend a bit of time in the NICU, since he was having some trouble breathing. He was given a clean bill of health after only a couple hours!

After a two day stay in the hospital we brought the little man home to meet his big brother, Andrew, and his puppy dog, Charlie. Andrew was less than thrilled to welcome a new baby into our home. For the first few days, he refused to acknowledge his existence and around day four he told me that "Daddy is his Mama now" (talk about a low blow). However, he seems to have turned a corner. He now asks me "where's the baby?" and we actually managed to snap a few pics of them together!

This only happened because he wanted a juice refill, and I told him he'd have to hold the baby for me!

Henry is now 12 days old, and we have had so much fun introducing him to our family and friends. Among some of his favourites are his grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins! He was also super pumped to meet his bestie/girlfriend Noa!

Andrew and Henry with their cousins and all time favourite playmates, Alana and Jacob.

A cuddle with Noa!

We are very lucky to have had lots of help and support while we adjust to life as a family of four. Rob is now back to his busy work schedule and I have had a lot of fun spending the week with my Mom and my boys! The real test begins next week, when I get to try this out on my own!!

Andrew's Art Display!

This spring, Andrew moved into his "Big Boy Room" to make room for his new baby brother or sister. He absolutely loves the dinosaur theme of his new digs, and I've had fun decorating.... I do love a theme! There are still some empty spaces on the walls that I've been brainstorming how to fill, and a place to showcase his artwork has been my latest project!

This is the space that I decided to use. I think that it works well because I can utilize space that is at Andrew's level.

I started by spray painting an old picture frame a cream colour. Then, using two coats of chalk board paint, I painted the frame's glass.



I hung the new chalk board on the wall, placed two small hooks below, and strung some twine between them.

Using wooden clothespins, I hung a few pieces of Andrew's most recent creations. I am quite happy with the finished product! I think it fills the space nicely and will be easy to keep up to date!

Gifts for our nurses...

This week on Pinterest I came across a great idea... treat baskets for the nurses in the Mom and Baby unit! When I was in hospital with my son, Andrew, I was so grateful to the wonderful nurses who cared for us, so I immediately thought I should get some kind of thank you organized.   Instead of one basket I decided to make individual treat bags with homemade cookies.  That way I would be sure that all nurses, residents and doctors would receive a little something!

I baked a double batch of my favourite Chocolate Chip Cookies and placed them in freezer bags.

I made these great tags and printed them off on card stock.

I placed each bag of cookies into a paper bag, and secured a tag to each using some yellow ribbon.

The cookies should stay fresh in the freezer while we wait for the big day! And I'm sure to receive ultimate care!!

...and away we go!!

Hello friends and family! And welcome to "... and away we go!!" a blog devoted to sharing my adventures in all things kids, home and family. The combination of my new found love for reading blogs along with the desire to dive into a new hobby have motivated me to take on this new challenge.  I hope to share, with my readers, some of my DIY and crafting projects as well as my interest in photography and cooking.

You will hear a lot about my fabulous and hard-working husband, Rob, my energetic son, Andrew, our crazy pup, Charles, and in a few weeks our new baby! The upcoming year will be an interesting one as we adjust to being a family of four and make plans to move from our home in London, Ontario, to a "yet to be determined" location in the United States.

Please take the time to check in with "... and away we go" whenever you get a moment!

2 weeks to go! Can't wait to meet this little bundle!

Wish me luck!

Trying the new signature!

Let's hope this works!