This time 4 years ago...

This time 4 years ago I was headed into the hospital.  I watched a playoff Canadiens game before leaving and tried to get a night's sleep before my induction the next morning.  I was extremely nervous and truly had no idea exactly what I was getting  myself into.  However, I would do it over again a million times over.  I love Zachary and Nicolas with all my heart and would not trade them for all the money in the world.

In less than a day, my big boys will be 4 years old.  I only have another year left before they start school and I plan on soaking up every minute of it since time seems to be whizzing by...

My little men...

I just wanted to post an adorable picture of my 3 little men...

Chalie is 10 months old!

I cannot believe that in just 2 short months Charlie will be turning 1!  It seems like just yesterday that I found out we were expecting another baby!  Little did I know the joy that wonderful news would bring.  He is such a happy little man!  He is very much in a Mommy stage at the moment but soon enough he will be walking around and no longer wanting me to pick him up.  So, I guess I should be taking advantage.

He loves to play with his big brothers.  They love having him chase them around the house.  He plays with their toys (usually tries to get his hands on their cars) and they are quite good at sharing with him.  Zachary and Nicolas have the knack to make him laugh.  When Charlie erupts in his belly laughter, it is so hard to not laugh along with him.

He is a wonderful sleeper and is a dream to put to bed.  When he's tired it is very obvious... he usually scratches his head and will start to wave "night, night".  He snuggles right into his bed and gets cozy under his blanket after being covered up.  He always wakes up in a good mood and gives us the biggest smile when he sees us come into his room.  We never really know how long he's been up since he doesn't cry when he wakes.  He can spend easily 30 minutes playing in his bed before really making noise.

He is on the verge of walking.  He is getting more and more steady on his feet and does not want to sit.  So, he will either be standing and cruising around furniture, or he is crawling around on the floor.  He is trying to figure out how to pull himself to standing but since he is still doing the army crawl, he can't figure it out.

Here is my gorgeous 10 month old boy:

So long GG...

Tonight the boys lost their Great Grandmother otherwise known as GG.  She has been very sick for a long time and she finally gave up her brave fight this evening.  She was the last of Steve's living grandparents and the only one who had a chance to meet Charlie.  Sadly, due to her condition, I don't know if she remembered it or not.  But, I am so happy that I took pictures to be able to show the boys one day.

I hope that she is in a better place and that she can finally be at peace.  I imagine she is now with her beloved husband and that she is truly happy.  She leaves behind a wonderful legacy including 9 wonderful great grandchildren.  She will be missed...

A visit with Auntie Patty...

The boys finally had a chance to meet their Auntie Patty today.  She was in town from Winnipeg and we were fortunate enough to spend the evening with her.  Zachary and Nicolas played shy at first but warmed up after a while.  Charlie was enjoying the extra attention and kept making sure she was watching him.

The big boys were so excited to hear that Auntie Patty could drive a train!  She works for CN and is licensed to drive a train.  Sadly, it is not the type of thing that she could give the boys a ride on a train, but they were still very impressed by the thought of it.  Frankly, I was very impressed by this piece of knowledge.

Here is a picture of her with the boys.  We enjoyed our visit and wished it could have lasted longer. Hopefully it won't be nearly as long before we get to visit with her again...

We're cruising now...

Charlie has been wanting to stand and walk for quite a while now.  Lately he has been standing up wherever and whenever he can.  He has now figured out from standing in his crib (mostly) that he can hold on and walk.  He cruises in his crib and around the coffee table.  Today he actually took the very mini leap from the coffee table to a chair that is right behind the coffee table.  He could go from one to the other without really letting go, but he still took the chance.

I think it's hilarious that he can cruise around furniture when there are still so many things he can't do.  He can't crawl on all fours, he can't get himself back in the sitting position from the crawling one and he can't even pull himself up yet.  I'm sure he will figure it all out eventually.  But, it's looking like he might be walking before he does.  I guess only time will tell...

Easter at Uncle Scott and Aunt Debbie's...

We spent the better part of the day today in Ottawa at Uncle Scott and Aunt Debbie's house.  They were kind enough to host our Easter celebration (just like they did last year).  It was so much fun!  The boys had a blast and loved the Easter egg hunt.  Here are a few pictures of our fun day...

Zachary finding some eggs:

Nicolas on the hunt with some help from his big cousins:

Elliott looking for eggs with the help from his big sister Madelaine:

All the cousins with the exception of Charlie and Alexandra:

The three musketeers... Nicolas, Zachary and Elliott:

Laughter is the best medicine...

We all know that laughing is such a contagious thing but there is nothing quite like the laughter that comes from a child.  I think it is mainly because of the innocence and that it cannot be faked.  Zachary seems to know just how to get Charlie going and this evening was no exception...

Wonderful big brothers...

Here is a perfect example of how the Zachary and Nicolas love to entertain Charlie.  He had just got up from his nap and the boys were all too excited to play with him.  They just love to make him smile and laugh... and of course the feeling is mutual and he is more than happy to oblige!