Traveling with Toddlers (Why I think it can wait)

I feel like there's a lot of fluff out there these days. From super posed photos, to always acting like life is "perfect" & the list goes on. Let me tell you traveling with a 2.5 year old was no walk in the park.... 

I had always heard that kids need routine (which I've always been good about keeping) until we went on vacation. Even the one hour time change difference threw a wrench in our environment. We tried hard to explore, indulge in delicious food & to get a swim in each day at the pool. All things I thought a 2.5 year old would be thrilled about! But each time she was asked to do something it was though teeth were being pulled. Don't get me wrong there were some highlights to the trip! But all in all it ended up being way more work to make progress every day. With just shedding the nap after Christmas she was in an in between stage where some days she really needed a sleep & other days it was just way too late to nap. Maybe it was a combination of being in a new space or missing her toys/ stuffies but there was definitely a lot of acting out & misbehaving. 

Avery loved the "Palm Palm" trees that lined all the streets. 

I had asked Avery the day after arriving home what her favorite part of the vacation was. She excitedly yelled out "the bus ride!!!" Which made me laugh because she was referring to the shuttle bus that picked us up at the airport to take us to the park n' fly parking lot where our car was. It was maybe a 3 minute ride. Which leads me to conclude that traveling with toddlers isn't worth it. They enjoy the simple things & from now on I will remember that. I think you can save yourself a lot of money as well as stress by taking them on small day trips where they will be just as happy! 

The Past Few Months

It feels like I haven't blogged in years! I feel like Instagram & remembering to write down "one line a day" about Avery takes up enough of my time. It could also be that I'm now in my third trimester & well I could go for a nap pretty much all day long. 

The past few months have been pretty good. Not feeling as sick, enjoying Christmas activities & of course all the snow we had! It was definitely a white winter this year. We've never seen that much snow consistently! A good excuse to stay at home & be cozy. Christmas was amazing!! I would like to relive Christmas morning again. It was absolutely magical! Her face, her expressions... Priceless! Everytime she opened a gift she would say "wow! I always wanted this!" So fun to watch her be so expressive. We've also being dealing with some fierce terrible two's. To be honest, it's kicking our butts! I don't know if there's any advice or feedback that will help. It just seems like another "phase" that we'll have to work through & we'll eventually get through it. In the meantime 😳, that sums it up. 

I think I should make a resolution to blog more this year. That might be too ambitious with baby #2 on the way! 

Melissa xo 

22 Months

It's safe to say we might be in the thick of "terrible two's" oh dear... This has been a challenging time for us all. Big emotions for such a little girl. So many highs & lows but we are doing are best to work through them. 

With a second birthday fast approaching we decided (well actually Avery decided) it was time to sleep in her "big girl bed". She returned home from a trip at grandmas & told us she wanted to sleep in it. With the bed being set up in her room for months we thought it was a great idea! Little did we know the challenges that came along with it after we took down the crib. Avery wouldn't stay in there, wanted us to lay with her for hours & would wake up frequently during the night. Knock on wood things might start to be getting better. 

We spend each day doing at least one activity whether it be a walk, a trip to the library, an ocean adventure or even a play date we make sure we always have something to look forward to. Little miss chatty is now saying sentences & comes up with her own phrases! Too cute. Still loves to eat (we are so thankful) we call her the seaweed monster... She can't get enough of it! I would never imagine kids to enjoy seaweed, hmm. 

Although we have had our hands full we still have so much fun! 

Melissa xo

20 Months

Where has our baby gone? We have a fun & wild little toddler on our hands. Life has been busy chasing her around & going on daily adventures. It sure is amazing seeing everything through her eyes. It all seems magical, fascinating & new! 

Favorite activities are: building towers, helping in the kitchen & sitting on the counter, feeding the ducks, exploring in nature & reading books. I should also add in eating. Non-stop eating around here! We've had our ups & downs with tantrums. For the most part well behaved. We were late for our 18 month check-up but we are in good health & weighing in at 25lbs, in the 95th percentile for height. We couldn't be more proud! 

Melissa xo

Whistler Vacation

We always try to escape the "winter blues" in these dark, grey & wet months. Usually they lead us somewhere hot & sunny but this year we decided wanted  an actual winter vacation. The thought of flying with a toddler was enough to make me want to stay home. Avery had been showing so much interest in snow & snowmen that we decided on Whistler, BC. Whistler is also known to be very kid friendly. We booked a great one bedroom condo through Airb BNB in the heart of the village. 

With just a short drive (about an hour) from Horseshoe Bay to Whistler. We settled in our modern condo & strolled through the village. So much to do! People watch, grab a coffee, restaurants, the Olympic Park. It was just what we wanted! 

The highlight of our trip was most definitely snow shoeing. There was no one on the trail, except for a movie set as they were filming Planet of the Apes. We towed Avery in her sled & we trekked through the trails with the snow falling. Chris & I could have spent all day out there, Avery had other plans such as napping. 

We're already looking forward to our next adventure in the mountains! Next time we will stay a bit longer & take in more attractions. 

Melissa xo 

18 months

I feel like it's been a year since I've posted! Well, pretty much six months but who's counting?! So many changes & milestones to note. Ups & downs but overall precious memories made. I never knew just how fun life would be with a little one around. 

Little miss chatty! Vocabulary is progressing by the day. I think we have a little parrot on our hands. Eats non-stop! I spend majority of my day in the kitchen prepping food (well that's how it seems). So so loving, always coming in for hugs & kisses. With the holiday season just passing by the fascination with "Frosty" the "moman" is still at a high. Can count to three & identify two colors (blue & purple) still working on other ones. Loves to sing & do actions to songs as well as dancing. Adores life! Makes me so proud to be raising such a happy girl. 

My heart is full 💗

Melissa xo