Welcome, little niece!

As some of our friends and family know, Jason's brother Derek & his wife Faye happened to have been expecting their second arrival this month just like we were expecting Ethan. Sunday night, Jorja (pronounced Georgia) Faye Mantel arrived.

Welcome baby girl! Congratulations to Derek, Faye & big brother Jeremy.

Welcome, Ethan!!

As most of our family already knows, early Saturday morning, Jason and I got up early to go to the hospital for a scheduled c-section to deliver our newest family member.

We welcomed Ethan John into this world at 11:15 am February 2, 2008. He weighed in at 6 lbs 6 oz. and 19".

So far, Megan seems to like her baby brother. She got to hold him on Saturday when Daddy brought her to visit at the hospital.



Hopefully, she'll continue to adjust well to having Ethan around and will learn quickly that Mommy can't pick her up and carry her for a few weeks and find different ways of climbing into my lap during my recovery.

Happy Birthday Megan!

Well, it's official. I am now the mother of a 2 year old. Where has the time gone? I have greatly enjoyed the past 2 years at home with my girl and will continue to enjoy each day I have with her. Here's a look at the past 2 years on this day.

Newborn






1 year old

2 years old.

I can't help but marvel at how she's changed over the past 2 years. I know I'll probably be saying the same thing every year for the rest of her life.

Just Chillin'

I just had to take a picture of this! She just looks so....... grown-up, I guess. This is one to cheer you up on a bad day. (I did not pose her at all! She did this herself.)

Megan's 2nd Birthday Party

Last weekend, we celebrated Megan's second birthday. Due to weather (ie. SNOW), it wound up being limited to just family (Grandma & Grandpa O, Uncle Nate, Aunt Kristie, Devun & Katie). Megan, of course, didn't care that no one else that was invited couldn't make it. We enjoyed watching her open her presents and playing with them. Here are some pictures.

This is the Leapfrog Fridge Farm. She really enjoys matching up the parts of the animals and hearing the sounds they make.

Grandma & Grandpa gave her a doll house and magnetic writer. She loves to scribble on the writer.




Jason & I decided Megan should have her own Flames Jersey seeing she likes ours so much. This was probably her favourite present of all.

I made a cake for the party this year as we ran out of time to order one. We couldn't help laughing at Megan as she tried to blow out the candles through her nose.

Haircut

Recently, it was time for Megan to get her hair cut again. We took her to a local children's place to get her hair cut. She seemed to enjoy sitting on a chipmunk while getting her hair cut.

She sat really good for the girl cutting her hair and didn't really want to leave once we were done.

New Year's

For New Year's this year, we went out to Canmore and spent a few days enjoying the mountains. Those who were able to, went skiing and snowboarding. Everyone agreed to take New Year's day off from that and just play with the kids in the snow. There was a play area near our "rooms" where we took the kids to play.

It didn't matter to Megan who pushed her in the swing as long as she got to swing.

There were also slides and ride-on characters to be played with. You can be sure that Megan enjoyed playing with it all.

One Big Christmas Post

This year we stayed in Alberta for Christmas. Unfortunately, it didn't start well as on December 23, in the early morning, our van was hit while it sat in front of our house while we slept. Jason discovered the damage when he went outside to get something before church.

This accident means that we were short our primary family vehicle over Christmas. Fortunately, the damage is repairable and covered by insurance at no cost to us.

Later that day, we decided to let Megan open her Christmas gifts from us. She had little problem tearing open the wrapping paper. This is a doll stroller and carseat set that we got her as one of her gifts.




Megan also had no problem making sure the wrapping paper made it into the garbage.

We also gave Megan a baby Cabbage Patch doll for Christmas which she loves to carry around the house and just about everywhere we go.

Megan also received a TJ Bearytales story bear from us. We were going to try to keep this one to open in Drum, but Megan decided otherwise.

Christmas Eve day, the box from Jason's family in Ontario arrived. This meant that Megan got to open gifts again. She didn't seem very impressed as most of these gifts contained clothes and not toys (she needs the clothes anyway). Megan does love the one toy she did receive.

Yes, that's right, the one toy she did receive was a shape-sorting ball that is still available through Tupperware. She's very good at putting the pieces in the right spots.






On December 25, we went to my parents to open gifts there. We came home with more toys for Megan to play with and grow into.

This was one of Megan's gifts, a Dora the Explorer puzzle book. She loves to make the book make sounds when she pushes on the shapes.

Lake Louise

This past weekend, we went to Lake Louise for Jason's company Christmas party. As part of the pre-party activities, we got to go on a sleigh ride around the lake. Megan, as you can see, came with us and enjoyed looking cute for the camera as always.

Grandma and Grandpa O came along for the ride and to babysit Megan while we attended the party. Megan enjoyed her time with Grandma and Grandpa.

OOPS!

We recently took a trip to the mall with Megan. The mall happens to be renovating their floors among other things right now and Megan wasn't paying very good attention to how uneven the floors were and, as you can see, skinned her top lip as a result. She doesn't even seem to be bothered by it anymore and I know that if we keep it clean and leave it alone, it will heal nicely on its own.

Daddy's Helper

We've finally put up our Christmas tree (yes it's artificial). Megan once again got to be Daddy's little helper as she helped him put the balls on the tree.

Our Little Flames Fan

Recently, while watching a Calgary Flames game on TV, Jason decided to dress Megan up in my Flames jersey. She looked so cute, I had to take a picture.

Halloween 2007

This year, we decided Megan could go trick or treating for Halloween. We found a cute Winnie the Pooh costume for her to wear and a sleeper that was close in color to the yellow of the suit to wear underneath.

I may be a bit biased, but I think she was the cutest Pooh bear that I've ever seen.

October

This year for Thanksgiving (and the first part of October), we went out to visit Jason's family in Ontario. We had an enjoyable trip out and it was nice to visit with some of the family on that side. While we were there, we took in some of the Rockton Fair where Megan got her first pony ride and saw her first demolition derby.

Megan enjoying her first pony ride.

The start of a round of demolition derby.

Megan also got her first professional haircut courtesy of Jason's cousin Robin. She just looked too cute with the pigtails, I had to take a picture.

High School Reunion

Among our many weekends away from home, one included a trip to Pine Lake (just south of Red Deer) for my 10 year high school reunion. It was a great time even though the whole class couldn't make it.

Here's a picture of everyone who made it (including Megan).



Even though it was her first time, Megan decided she liked camping.

Megan also got to go for a boat ride a couple times. She thought that was pretty neat too.

Harder Reunion

Megan enjoyed climbing on this "tractor" at the Berry Barn outside Saskatoon.

Here are some pictures from the Harder reunion in Saskatoon.

This is Megan sharing a doll with Tamsen, my cousin Sharleen's daughter.

Here are the Harder siblings.

Summer

Well, we've officially come to the end of a very busy summer which included three trips to Saskatchewan with a stop at the farm each time.

After the wedding in July, our next big trip out to Saskatchewan involved a family reunion for my mom's side of the family, the Harders. Megan seemed to enjoy meeting more cousins as we gathered in Saskatoon for the reunion.

We detoured by the farm on our way to Saskatoon for the reunion and Megan got to ride in the "new" self-propelled combine with Wanda as she was harvesting peas.

First Haircut

Megan recently got her first haircut courtesy Grandma O. We didn't get any pictures of her getting the cut, just one from after.

We were amazed at how much more grown up she looks now that her hair's been trimmed.

Miscellaneous Events

Some other events that have happened this month include Jason and my 3rd wedding anniversary for which I received 3 dozen roses in pink, yellow and red. I know that red roses are for love and yellow for friendship but what to pink roses mean? Please let me know if you know.

We also recently went and bought Megan a toddler bed so that when she becomes a big sister, she already is familiar with it. Right now, she thinks of it as a big toy but she does know what she's supposed to do in it.

Also, being the little copycat that she is, Megan likes to play with our laptop computer even though we try to discourage her from doing this.

Family reunion

The same weekend as the wedding was a bit of a family reunion for my dad's side of the family. Weddings seem to do that.

Here are all the Olfert siblings. In age order, Ed (far left), Eleanor (between Ed and my dad), my dad (Lawrence), Irv, Mike (far right) and Linda (between Irv and Mike).

Megan had fun hanging out in Aaron and Trena's car and playing with a cellphone.

Busy July

We've had a busy summer so far and there seems to be no end to the weekend trips. For the first weekend of July, we had another trip out to the farm in Swift Current for my cousin Heidi's wedding, the first one we've been to since we moved to Calgary and Megan was born (not counting Aaron and Trena's reception in Regina). It was a scorching hot weekend but it didn't seem to bother Megan.

Exploring the farmyard again.

The church for the wedding was on a hill and Megan had fun running up and down the grassy side lawn of the church after the ceremony.

Hanging out with Grandma at the reception.

Megan got to take a ride in the big grain truck this time and enjoyed every minute.

Look at that smile!

Movie Watching

As many of our family members know, we bought a minivan just after Easter this year. One thing we made sure we got as a feature in the van was a built-in DVD player so that Megan and anyone else riding in the backseat with her could watch a movie. Here is a picture of Megan with her headphones on watching a movie just before leaving Grandpa and Grandma's in Drumheller.