Auntie Anna's Visit

On Friday, May 15, David, Mateo & I picked up Anna from the airport.  She spent a wonderful weekend with us, getting to know Mateo & catching up with me. 

On Friday we did some shopping on our way home from Pearson... making a stop at one of my favourite stores, Bath & Bodyworks at the Guelph mall. 

Insta-sleep: if only it was this easy for all of us to fall asleep.

On Saturday, we went to a very popular Menno restaurant in Elmira called At the Crossraods, which has an unbelievable breakfast buffet. Seriously, I have never seen a buffet like it (pancakes, waffles, French toast, a zillion different pastries, eggs, bacon, sausage, peameal, baked beans, fresh fruit, pudding, cottage cheese, whipped cream, toast, oatmeal, cold cereal, you get the idea...). Unfortunately, I have to make due with a menu item, but I nibble off of other people's plates ;) After breakfast, we went to the St. Jacob's Farmers' Market. It was incredibly busy (!!) & kind of drizzly, but the cherries were cheap and the Noah Martin summer sausage was tasty. 

On Sunday, we went to church in the morning, & in the afternoon, Anna, Mateo & I went to the H&M in Cambridge. The whole trip took a little bit longer than planned, because I am unable to navigate my way out of a paper bag, much less find the correct exit off the 401. Sigh. In the evening, Susie & Ryan came over from Hamilton for a BBQ. (You have to love the close viscinity of everything in southern Ontario.)

Susie & Mateo

On Monday, we went to Rockwood Conservation Area for a picnic & canoe trip with Kristen, Bryan & Oliver Berg. The day was gorgeous, with lots of sun & a cool breeze, the lake still and great for canoeing. Oliver got his first canoe ride, eventhough he was not so very excited about wearing his life jacket.

Oliver, totally impressed about lifejackets...

Oliver's first canoe ride

Anna trying out the super baby carrier. Mateo likes it.

Family shot at the Old Mill

OnTuesday, Anna, Mateo & I went to the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery followed by a lovely picnic in Waterloo Park.

Hanging out at the park

Really, I love it when people kiss me.

We hadn't seen Anna since Christmas, and it was so wonderful to spend time together and for her to get to spend time with Mateo. It gave me a foretaste of what it will be like to spend time in Winnipeg with him. I'm coming soon, everyone!

Guten Morgen Omi!

For some reason, this photo won't turn... don't think it's my incompetence with technology. Really.

Mein kleiner Mann

Life with Mateo

Mateo & Oliver Berg all tuckered out after an afternoon at the park

My sweet little boy

The beautiful smile we've come to love

Mother's Day Weekend

This was my first Mother's Day. And David, Mateo & I spent it with David's step-mother, Fay, and his real mother, Ellen. Mateo met his little cousin Chloe, and his uncle Gordon. Mateo got a lot of kisses & hugs, and we had some nice time of visiting. (And a delicious Mother's Day brunch, made by David).

Chloe, Mateo, Mateo's step-grandma, Fay

Baby Chloe Tara

Mateo & Oma Ellen

Uncle Gordon & Mateo

Best. Invention. Ever

Thanks to Jim & Fay, Mateo has recently received a lovely Graco swing, in which he spends a great portion of his day, swinging, cooing, looking around, and of course sleeping, allowing me to do stuff for more than 5 minutes at a time. Seriously, it's the best thing ever. Mateo thinks so too. ;)

And now we're mums!

One of my great friends from Winnipeg (all the way back from my Princess Margaret days), Magda Rushworth (formerly Cychowska) has been living in Britain for the past few years. It always seemed that whenever she was in Winnipeg to visit, I was elsewhere, or she was doing something major like getting married, and then there are far too many people to spend time with. ;) So, since I won't be in Winnipeg to see her this time around either, Dave & I drove to Pearson Airport to spend a few hours together with Magda & her son Ben during their layover. Though short, it was a nice visit & it was great to see Magda again & meet little Ben.

Ben's "really-I-do-enjoy-strawberries" face, sitting on Alice T.'s lap

Magda & Ben

l to r: big mum, little baby, big baby, little mum ;)

More of our cutie

Celebrating one month!

Toben & Mateo, doing what they do best

On the one hand, it's hard to believe Mateo is already a month old. On the other hand, it's getting hard to remember what life was like before he came. Cindy (our midwife) was here for supper yesterday and she weighed him... he is already 11 lbs, 5 oz. And he's grown an inch, so he is now 22 inches long. The big milestone he hit on his one month "birthday" was a spontaneous smile - for Cindy! Since that one, I did manage to snap a picture. So here's our quickly growing boy...

Mateo meets "Elvis" & Fay Robinson for the first time

Our chubby boy

Good grief. I know I'm his mother, but this is just ridiculously cute!

Happy Easter!

One of the requirements for becoming an honourary Mennonite, like David is, is learning how to make good old fashioned Mennonite fare. We've covered making verenike (perogies) with Oma... Oma was very impressed with David's dough-rolling abilities. We've also done borscht, and, since it's Easter season, it's also paska season. David is now officially a paska baker... we've already polished off half a dozen "paska cupcakes" and I just finished glazing the loaf that we're taking to the Albrecht farm for Easter dinner tomorrow... hopefully you're all enjoying some of this excellent sweet bread. Happy Easter!

Making Faces

Omi & Opa's Visit

On March 29, Omi and Opa Kampen came to Waterloo to spend time with their new grandson (and to see their daughter and son in-law). We had a wonderful time relaxing together, watching them with Baby Mateo. Unfortunately, the weather did not allow us to spend as much time outdoors as we had hoped, but it was nicer than in Manitoba. ;) Omi and Opa brought an enormous suitcase filled with gifts for Mateo, from famiy and friends in Winnipeg. It was so exciting, and we so appreciated that everyone thought of us and that people so far away already love our little boy so much!

Bonding with Omi

Mateo making friends with the puppy Hillary sent

Seriously, Oma... this is usually how far Toben stays away from Mateo... you don't need to worry!

Poor boy is so hungry, he's trying to suck Omi's face off.

Opa likes to think he caused this smile, rather than gas, which is more likely... ;)

Falling in love

Mateo... already impressing the ladies

Mateo is very popular at church. He's been at church every Sunday of his life, except the Sunday he was born. Breslau Mennonite seems to be having somewhat of a baby boom... one baby in October, one baby in March. ;) Little (big!) Claire is getting a sibling in September, so she is practicing eagerly with our little boy. (That's three babies in one year!! What a Sunday School class!)