Halloween and more!!

Ronin had his first Halloween this past week and we have posted pictures on the website at http://www.brelan.ca/

The pictures are under Ronin because it is his first one.... we couldn't steal his thunder. Even though the majority of the pictures revolve around Quinn!

This past couple months seem to have flown by. It is hard to believe that all the sunlight in the evening is gone and that Christmas is just around the corner.

In preparation for Quinn's Halloween costume we decided to have a look at what Quinn looked like with her hair down. It is funny but she is just like her Aaji and Nead mosi, in that we don't see any of them with their hair down very often. Below is a picture of Quinn with her hair down... both Brenda and I had to take a second look at her... almost like a totally different child!!! Still so cute.

Ronin has really taken to getting himself in all kind of different areas now that he is crawling and pulling up on so many things. We were having dinner and then looked down and saw the little monkey making a visit.... Looks like he is in a fish tank. He sure loves his new sense of mobility!

Ronin has also started to venture onto some of Quinn's favorite stuff.... like the trampoline!! As you can see he doesn't need a tutorial to use it. He has seen his big sister show him how to do it long enough!! As you can also see.... Quinn is no where in sight!!

Not to be outdone, Quinn has really kicked up her creativity to find new ways to climb things that have been in our house for a long time... namely the high chair! She decided to relocate the piano stool over by the high chair and then climb up on that and then on the tray on the high chair. This is the best picture we have because it was only Brenda and Quinn around and Brenda didn't want to put too much space between Quinn and her in case the high chair gave way!

We can only imagine what the next few months hold for all of us.....

Thanksgiving Pictures

Kanch took some amazing pictures during Thanksgiving in Brampton this past weekend. They are posted on the website:

http://www.brelan.ca/

Above is one great family shot!!

Thanks Kanch!!

Lion Safari, Teeth, Cottage, Fantasy Fair, and more!

It is hard to believe that the summer is winding down. We are not sure what we are going to do when the weather isn't good enough to go outside. Our kids are liked caged dogs just waiting to be released outdoors. Quinn wants to get out there and outside is a quick settler for Ronin. There are a few pictures on the blog but a whole mess of new ones are on the website: http://www.brelan.ca/

Quinn and Ronin made their first trip to African Lion Safari. The both had such a great time being outside and seeing all the animals. I don't think I realized that Brenda had such a fear of petting zoos... but I will leave it at that..... Quinn was in awe in the game reserve seeing all the animals. We had lots of help with us as Sue, Jade, Rylan, Jackson, Izzy, and Grammy all made the long trip from London to come and hang out with us for the day. It was a great day. Very warm but all the kids had a great time. They even all got tattoos as you can see below, they all show a different part of their personalities.

Before heading out we were able to grab a family shot.... I guess Ronin and Quinn are looking at something better.... even more pics at http://www.brelan.ca/

Ronin recently just got his next pair of teeth on the top. It is crazy to think that Quinn 8 teeth by now compared to Ronin who only has 4.

Don't worry little guy.... you are still our little rock star!!!

As a family we did get a chance to get a cottage in Grand Bend with Deb and Dom. It wasn't your traditional cottage. Definitely had more of a home feel. Which was nice either way. Pictures from the cottage are at: http://www.brelan.ca/

We have been meaning to take Quinn to the Fantasy Fair and we finally made the trip. I actually took a ditch day (vacation day) so that we would be there with no crowds. It was well worth it. Quinn had pretty much the run of the place and really enjoyed it. She even made a couple trips on the bumper boats!!! More pictures are at http://www.brelan.ca/

Before we wrap this post up, just thought we would show you Quinn's idea of redecorating our hallway with toilet paper..... not sure we love the look.....

ALL ABOARD!!!

We decided to get Quinn a little a present to enjoy.
Both Brenda and I were jealous of little Ricky Schroder in Silver Spoons because of the train he had. When we had the chance to give Quinn a version of that we jumped at it.

Here is the result!!

Niagara Falls - Staying in Canada

It has been a long time since the last blog post. Both Quinn and Ronin have had so many adventures over the last 4 months.

Below is the picture Quinn and Ronin posed for with Brenda for her birthday. Cute as cute can be!!

This past long weekend we took the family to Niagara Falls and we actually didn't go over to the US to shop. We have never done this before as a family. Even since Quinn has come into our lives, she hasn't done the Niagara Falls Canada thing. We thought it was a good day and why not? The fact that both Brenda and I have expired passports and Ronin doesn't have a passport probably played a small roll in it, and Quinn rolling up to customs alone wouldn't look so good.


We got down there through a lot of traffic. Unbelievable amounts of construction happening on the route to Niagara Falls. It wasn't little jobs either, they were not just resurfacing lanes, they were ripping out whole pieces of the road and leaving gigantic holes in the ground. Anyways we made it down there and it only took an extra 30 minutes. That being said, the 30 minute window had forced Brenda to get in the back with the kids to feed Ronin and provide a little entertainment to get us the rest of the way.

Once we got there we noticed that there was more people there than either of us had ever seen in our entire lives in Niagara Falls. We drove the length of the falls and then came back and parked by one of the hotels. We did diaper changes in the back of the SUV (love the space of the Highlander), loaded up the double stroller, made sure sunscreen was on the kids, and headed out. Navigating the double stroller was tough at times with the crowds, especially on the decline of Clifton Hill. Quinn loved all the sights and everything that was going on. Ronin was trying to figure it out. Throughout the whole trip he got a lot of people to stop and comment on how cute he was. Both Brenda and I had to stop a couple times to go in front of the stroller and see what people were talking about. Yeah, they were right... he sure is cute.


After we walked down the falls and showed Quinn and Ronin the sites from the stroller and me explaining to Brenda that it was really the mist from the falls she was feeling and not me spitting on her, we looped around and came walking back along the falls, but not before the family shot.

This time we were looking for a good green space to let Quinn and Ronin get out of the stroller. We found a good spot and put down a blanket. As you can see below Ronin got a chance to stretch his legs but not before a little admiration of his big sister!


Quinn got out of the stroller and was off. She joined in with some other kids sitting on the grass. She then found some gardens and decided she would try and walk straight through the gardens. Then she found a statue of George the VI. I guess this guy was the King of Canada at a point and died when he was 16. Talk about young and successful!! As you can see by the picture Quinn ran from one end of the statue to the other while she was giving her mother a heart attack!!


Quinn then decided that all the traffic on the road was cool. So she went right up to the road, reached back for my hand and tried to pull me into traffic. When that didn't work. The tantrum began. Brenda and I clearly understand the term "TERRIBLE TWO".

After the kids got their full of the park we loaded them back up and made our way back to the car. We had to negotiate the uphill climb that is Clifton Hill! Wasn't the easiest trek with about 100lbs of 2 kids, double stroller, and various supplies. However, we made it, but some peoples' shins had to pay a price.

We walked down the main road in Niagara Falls and headed back to the car. Another diaper change, take out Crazy Bread from Little Caesar's, some turtles fudge and we were on our way.

The drive back wasn't as bad except for the fact that Ronin screamed and cried for over an hour straight! Quinn would occasionally lean over and look at him with a face indicating "What the heck is your problem?" Indeed, what the heck was his problem?!?

As we made our travels back to the GTA we decided to stop in wine country and see if one of the wineries we go to had probably the best cheese fondue in stock. We have had it a few times but more often than not, they are out of it. Well we stopped in and they are now under new management and don't carry it anymore. We give up!!!! They said it was "Kingsley" fondue from Quebec. Google after Google and we have come up with NOTHING! The dream is gone. We might have to resort to making it the old fashion way..... going to a restaurant and watching someone else do the work!

We got home in time to get the kids to bed and the day was done. A great day with the family!

A couple weeks ago we went to a traditional Chinese wedding. It was 12 courses of food and all that needs to be said is that below is the first course......

Yes, that is a baby suckling pig with cherries and LED lights in it's eyes..... The staff came out dancing with all these pigs and sparklers. Quite the experience for sure! We definitely enjoyed it!!!

Terrible Two's.... Both of them!!

A lot has happened since our last post. The gymnastics experiment has turned out not so well. Let us just say that we both cringe at the thought of Saturday mornings. However, we have both agreed to fight through it. These are the types of things Brenda and I band together on, among other things...

Quinn got her first ear infection a week before her second birthday. Of all the infections we have been so worried about with her for her 2 first years of life, this one was not that bad. As you can see by the picture below she was knocked out of commission.

Luckily Quinn was up and around in time for her second birthday. For her actual birthday we took her to the Rainforest Cafe with Ronin, her aaja, her aaji, and her poowa. She loved it the first time we visited there but this visit didn't start so well. Firstly, they sat us near the monkeys and gorillas. If you have ever been there you will understand that these creatures were even freaking out the big people! They moved us to a better spot and after a little while Quinn warmed up to the idea of being there. She did however have her heart set on heading out into Yorkdale mall to socialize. We came back to our house for cake and she opened some presents and actually stuck her hand in the cake that her mom made for her. She took a bite of it and then moved on to other more important things like pushing her train down the hall.

Quinn's Aaja and Aaji got Quinn one of the most awesome wagon's I have ever seen. This, along with the trampoline were presents that we knew from the beginning Quinn would love. As you can see below, she is enjoying both of them. The first one on her own, the rest is her sharing with her brother.

This week Ronin turned two months old. We thought he was getting a bit of a routine but then the last couple days he brought us crashing back to reality and we realize it was just a tease. We are lucky that Brenda took such great notes with Quinn so that we can compare what we went through the first time around. Needless to say he is turning into quite the little cutie as you can see below. He is really starting to smile and interact with the world around him. Quinn's thing was smiling. Ronin likes to smile but he has perfected the pissed off face. Below isn't the pissed off face because we like this face better.

On the 15th was Quinn's formal 2nd birthday party. Once again she was really spoiled not only by the presents that all the people that love her gave her but by her mom who really knows how to throw a kick ass 2nd Birthday party!!! We went with food that Quinn loves. As a result there was pasta and sauce as far as the eye can see. She got so many great presents and really loved them all. Here are a few pics of the spread and the festivities.

This past March Break, Quinn and Ronin spent a couple days in Peterborough with their Nead mosi and all their cousins. Quinn even had her first sleep in a toddler bed. As you can see from the picture below all the kids had a blast.

Roin in the U.S.A., Double Stroller, Stomach Flu, and Gymnastics

Last week we made our first trip to the U.S.A. with Ronin. We were a little concerned about crossing the border since we technically didn't have any official birth papers for him. We had a form from the hospital that didn't state his name and his temporary health card that I actually filled out. Anyways, we got to the border and got through seamlessly. Our primary purpose for making the trip was to get the double stroller from Wal-Mart. We ordered it online and went to pick it up. It seems that double stroller's aren't easy to get in Canada, or probably more accurately, they have a better selection south of the border.

We arrived at Wal-mart and picked up the stroller and I proceeded to put it together in the back of the store. It wasn't as easy as it could have been but on the other hand it could have been far worse. We got it together and it fit into our trunk, which was another concern. After that we headed to the outlets to grab a few things and then headed back across the border. Quinn was with her grand parents in Brampton and we didn't want to be away from her longer than we had to. Here is a picture of the finished product of the stroller and the kids riding along....

On our way back both Brenda and I noted that we didn't feel so great. As we got closer to Brampton, Brenda's condition worsened and needless to say the fun began. It hit her full on at about 7pm and made it's appearance to me at about 1am. We are still not sure if it was the stomach flu or something we ate. The more we think about it the more we think it was something we ate. Quinn didn't get sick and our stomachs were wonky for the next couple days, not a typical run and gun stomach flu. I thought these things were bad before having small children but after this episode it was miserable. Poor Quinn just wanted to play and we could hardly move. Brenda really took it like a champ and sucked it up and was super mom over the next few days. Knowing how I felt and how she was feeling, it was amazing how she got things done with both Ronin and Quinn.

Ronin has been getting bigger and bigger everyday. It is amazing how he is turning into a little man. He is still not sleeping the greatest. He will sleep up to 3hours at a time. Too bad that this usually happens between 1pm and 8pm during the day. In the night he is up every 2 hours and after 4am is pretty much up to go till about 7am or 8am. Not the easiest ride for Brenda. Hopefully he will get everything sorted out so that we can get a schedule down. We did both notice that he gets his full quota of crying in everyday. We are not saying he is colic, but he sure could fool a few people!!!

2 Weeks ago Quinn started Gymnastics. We weren't sure how it would all go and in the first week she unfortunately responded how we were hoping she wouldn't. She didn't want to do much and was not impressed with anyone there. The second week there was a totally different story. She absolutely loved it. She did the balance beam about 20 times (all 3 of them), she did the trampoline, she went on the tire swing and even held on to the uneven bars. It was amazing what a difference a week makes!! It will be interesting to see what happens next week!

Today we took Quinn and Ronin to Woodbine Mall to the Fantasy Fair. We thought it would be a great Family Day activity! Well it seems that about a thousand other family's had the same idea. It was packed! I have never seen it that busy ever. The line ups were all over the place. Quinn did enjoy watching all the rides and we did get her on the riding horse, a mini Ferris wheel, and she met an old friend. We will definitely take her back when it isn't so crazy.

One Week Old and One Sick Toddler

Today Ronin turned 1 week and thankfully he is back up to his birth weight which is definitely something we are very glad that we don't have to worry about. He has been a good little guy thus far but that is from the father's position... I am not the one that gets up to feed all night.. so I am sure Brenda will have a different point of view. It is quite the different experience having a little boy. The things you talk about and the way you interpret his gestures is totally different. The picture below would make us feel sorry if it was Quinn but with Ronin we think he looks like a little gangster!!

This week has been tough trying to get used to having 2 kids on the go. There were several times that we looked at each other and asked us what have we gotten ourselves into!! Never was this more apparent than last night when we were getting the garbage ready. Does this look like a 2 children family or what??? As a game you can figure out which ones are Quinn's and which are Ronin's...

Quinn has been sick this week. She wasn't herself when she went to bed on Tuesday night and when we went in to get her in the morning we found she had thrown up in the night and was sleeping in it. I was traumatized by it... Needless to say we gave her a bath. I apologized to her repeatedly for not realizing what happened. All Tuesday she just wanted to be held and didn't want to do anything. I had to go out and get some stuff done and when I came home I was once again reminded that we are a two child family. I think Brenda's face says it all. She is a champ for being able to soothe both the children. Quinn needed her mommy and Ronin doesn't really know much else.

Today Quinn had an appointment so it was the first day that we travelled out as a family. It went off pretty well and we remembered how frantic we were when we used to leave the house when Quinn was first born. Quinn and Ronin played nice in the back seat of the car but as you can see the real estate is pretty tight. We really need to pull the trigger on a SUV. It is on the list...

Ronin and Quinn

Today is Ronin's 5th day and he is somewhat regular. This is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending how you look at it. He likes to feed every 2-3 hours which means little sleep for mom. Between feeds he seems to pretty much sleep with random moments of eyes open. We have had a few wet sleepers from the misdirection of a certain bodily part along with a diaper that wasn't fully airtight... It is a new world with a boy. We will cut him a break as he is figuring things out like we are.

Quinn seems OK with Ronin. However we have definitely noticed specific changes with her. She now started the biting thing again and we have the teeth marks to prove it. She also decided she wants to go head first off the ottoman. This has resulted in a few pile drivers. To her credit, she cries a little then gets right back to giving it a try. She definitely embodies the phrase "Practice makes perfect". Two nights ago Quinn and Ronin's relationship hit a milestone as Quinn actually kissed him goodnight. It was the sweetest thing ever. She will now come over to look at him and when he cries she looks at him then at us with a face that says "Shouldn't you be doing something?" She will figure it out. We are so lucky she is independant and can occupy herself without us having to watch her. It definitely helps out. That being said, she has started crying when she is being dropped at daycare again. It is heartbreaking but we are sure she will get through it.

Today Ronin has his first doctor appointment. We will see how everything goes. Hopefully his weight is ok and everything else is on track.

Ronin Bedford Maharaj

On January 15th 2009 at 7:13 am, Ronin Bedford Maharaj came into this world. He came in weighing 7lbs and 12 ounces and a full 8 days early. Ronin is doing well and Brenda is also doing OK considering she just pushed a baby out of her!!! She still has some heartburn but nothing like she had while Ronin was on the inside!

The whole process this time was somewhat surreal considering the experience with Quinn. From the time we went to the hospital to the time he was born was only about 6 hours. Very different from the process with Quinn.

It is going to be interesting how we now manage having two children. We both said it is going to be like we are both single parents as we take the divide and conquer route!! Quinn seems to not care much about Ronin and doesn't seem to upset with the fact that he is so close to Brenda. Time will tell if this will wear out!