Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone! I realize that my wishes are coming a little late, but we've had a busy few days and looks like more jammed packed days ahead. Christmas Eve I had the pleasure of working, but my dear husband was such a gem and packed up the car with presents, food, and puppy in tow and picked me up once I was released. We headed to the 'Jax to spend Christmas with my parents. Truman decided to spend Christmas Eve the way any good Topolski would, with a baguette and a bottle of the finest French wine.

So the food gauging began (and to be honest it really hasn't ended). Truman insisted on helping out in the kitchen Christmas Eve. He is already starting to be such a good sous chef.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Truman this Christmas. His face was priceless when he saw his super new wagon from his aunt T, Uncle Pat, and Nanny and Oopa. He could not get enough of climbing in and out of the wagon, pulling it, manipulating it any way possible. Truman then helped all of us open our gifts with delight. He loved ripping the paper and throwing it. By the time we finished unwrapping all our gifts, the little tike was exhausted. Off for a mid-morning nap!

Christmas dinner at my parent's was a feast (of course), with the majority of the cooking being done by my sister. Many thanks for filling our bellies. Yum yum! Truman loved everything except for the turkey, our little vegetarian.

Boxing day we went to Wanda and David's for dinner and were joined by my parents, Pat and Tina. It was so nice to celebrate together, especially since we have such a small family. Truman was adored by his grandmother Wanda and she provided his favourite food for him (pomegranate).

Here's wishing everyone a very Happy Holiday Season!

Holiday Fun!

On Thursday evening Jerry, Truman and I met at Yorkdale Mall for dinner and to visit Santa Claus. Dinner went very well and I was surprised to see that Truman ate most of his food, since he has not been eating that well lately. There was a short line up to see Santa and Truman was very patient, however when it was our turn, Truman started screaming as we approached the man in the red suit. He could not get away from Santa fast enough and kept reaching for Jerry to save him. Saturday morning we decided to try again, in hopes that maybe Truman was just a little tired on Thursday night. We arrived early at the mall only to find the longest line up to see Santa. I had a brilliant idea to visit Santa at Bayview Village. When we got the BV, there was not one child in line to see Santa. We decided to approach things differently this time. First Jerry sat down beside Santa and then I tried, but unfortunately there will not be a picture of Truman with Santa this year. On the weekend we headed to the Sullivan's for some Christmas fun. All the children (Truman, Christine, Dash, Ethan, Olivia and Troy) were dressed in their holiday best, well, until the clothes started to come off of a few of the kids. It was cute seeing all the kids play together, especially Ethan and Christine. Here are a few shots of Christine, Ethan and Truman playing in the "store" that Ethan opened up. I love the imagination!

Here's a picture of Dash, what a handsome boy he is. He reminds Jerry and I of our nephew Joachim. I don't think we heard a peep from "little" Troy all night, what a good baby!

Pajama Tima

This weekend we spent most of the time indoors because of the huge snow storm..and since we were not going anywhere, why get dressed? The Topolski family spent most of the weekend in our pajamas! After what had seemed like hours of play, on Sunday, Jerry and I looked at the clock and could not believe that it was only 10:30am....we were not sure what we were going to do with ourselves or Truman for the rest of the day! After Truman's nap, if you can call it a nap, since he slept for a total of 20 minutes, we all headed outdoors to shovel the snow. Cabin fever was setting in. We then braved the roads and headed to the Starkman's for a late afternoon play date. Of course Truman fell asleep and we spent the better part of an hour in the car, in the driveway waiting for Truman to wake up. The boys had a great time chasing one another up and down the hallway, playing with toys, and sharing a lovely meal made by Rebecca.

Busy Times

Between holiday parties, house hunting, birthday celebrations, and ear infections I have been a very negligent blogger. I apologize and will try to be a little more diligent in keeping everyone updated in Truman's life.

On Sunday night we went to Wanda and David's to celebrate Jerry's birthday, which was on Friday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAR JERRY!!! Here is a picture of Truman trying his very first latke on Sunday, I think he inhaled it about a minute. On Saturday Truman and I headed out to visit my parents and along with Pat and Tina went out for dinner to celebrate Tina's birthday (which is today). HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT TINA!!

Yesterday, Truman came down with yet another fever and I am sure the result will be another ear infection. Tomorrow morning we have an appointment with our doctor so that she can take another look into his ear. My little Truman is not himself and has slept quite a bit today and insists on being held for most of the time. I can't wait until I get the call for an appointment with the specialist so that we can rule anything else out.

Here's a picture of Truman at the Goodman's Christmas party a few weeks ago. At the party we ate pizza, made gingerbread people, and watched a magic show.

15 Months

On Monday I took Truman for his 15 month check-up (although he turned 15 months on Thursday). Our "little" boy is growing! He now weighs 24.5 lbs and is 80.5 cm in length, which puts him at the 50th percentile for weight and the 70th percentile for height. Perfect! He hasn't been the best eater at home lately, but from what his teachers at day care tell me he loves food, especially bread....definitely a Topolski! Let's see, what is new with Truman? His new favourite thing to do is sit down on a chair, a bench, the couch. He wants to do everything that we do. If I sit down to take off my shoes, he copies me. We went outside this morning to shovel the snow, he wanted to help. It's adorable. Yesterday Jerry and I taught him some new dance moves. Raise the Roof!
What has our weekend looked like? Friday night we had dinner at Wanda and David's house. Truman loves to be at his grandparent's house and has really taken to Wanda. She helped him walk up and down the stairs at least 30 times. Truman had his music class Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon we went to some more open houses (no luck). Saturday night my parents came over to look after Truman while Jerry and I went to my work Christmas party. Truman took his nanny's hand and lead her through the house showing her his room, his books, and his toys. Truman didn't even flinch when we left, I was so relieved!

First Snowfall

Truman discovered snow for the first time as a curious toddler on Thursday. It was still snowing when I picked him up from daycare and when I brought him outside, he looked into the sky and said "Wow! Bubbles!". I explained to Truman, that in fact, it was snow and not bubbles, but he quickly disagreed with me and told me that it was bubbles. Bubbles, is his favourite word, well, it was until this weekend when uh-oh became his most favourite expression. Nonetheless, Truman was fascinated by these white flakes, that to him resemble bubbles.

Thursday was also aunt Misty's birthday - Happy Birthday Misty! Truman, Tina and I had a nice time celebrating together. I can't tell you how delicious the cake was! YUM!

On Saturday, I took Truman outside so that he could actually play in the snow. Truman decided to touch the snow, but I don't think he liked how cold it was on his fingers, but he was still quite curious about it. Saturday late afternoon, we headed to the Starkman's and had a play-date with both Jake and Macayla. Jake and Truman had a great time chasing one another up and down the hallway. It is neat to see the two of them actually interact. Macayla was a sweetheart and it was so nice to see her again, I can't believe it had almost been three months!

This morning we took Truman for bagels and cream cheese (his fav), went for a nice long walk with Morrie and then went to visit Grandma, David, Baba and some of their friends for dinner. It was such a beautiful day and such a relaxing weekend.

Truman's First Haircut

Today we took Truman for his first haircut. Some may say it was long over do, but to be honest Jerry and I loved his unruly curls and long hair. We arrived at the Terminal Barber Shop at about nine this morning. I was the only female in this place, which definitely had a masculine tone. I think that some of the patrons were very uncomfortable with my presence! If you look at the link, this place is called "Boys Club on Bay Street". This was the only place that Jerry wanted Truman to get his hair cut. Besides the barber previously cut the king of Saudi Arabia's hair! Nothing is too good for our little boy! We placed him on the seat and waited to see what would happen. Lately he loves to sit "like a big boy", so he stayed put (with Jerry's help of course). I thought for sure he would get upset, but he was truly having too much fun!

Now, after this hair cut, I doubt anyone will be mistaking him for a girl anytime soon. I think I had a little tear when the first lock of his hair was cut. Surprisingly, I didn't even keep a piece! So, here is a pic of our clean cut chap!

A Fun Family Weekend

What a great weekend! Friday night Jerry came home early from work and we had a lovely evening together as a family. Saturday morning we woke up and went to for bagels with Grace, Emily and Mark. Grace could not wait to get out of her high chair so she could run around! What a sweetheart! We then took Truman to music class, this week for some reason he decided to be very well behaved and sat in our laps as opposed to running around the room. Later that afternoon we spent some time outdoors cleaning up the backyard and then headed over to the Starkman's for a play date. This was the first time I think that Truman and Jake actually "played" together. They chased each other through the tunnels and "talked" (or rather screamed) with one another. It was adorable! Here's a picture of them trying to get through the gate....Jake was desperate to get to his daddy. So sweet! We're looking forward to many more play dates in the future!

Today, Truman and I met Tina for lunch and we actually ate al fresco despite the cooler weather. The sunshine was just too nice and we decided to make the most of the decent weather. We then took a nice long walk and then played in the park. Truman could not get enough of going down the slide and finally liked going in the swing. Both Tina and I were pooped. The most difficult thing about today was the time change. Truman was over-tired when we finally put him to bed. I am keeping my fingers crossed that he sleeps until 7am and doesn't wake up at 6am!

Earlier this week, Jerry and I had our first parent-teacher meeting at Truman's day care. I think Jerry laughed his way through most of the meeting, but it was nice to hear what they had to say about our little one. I don't think they told us anything that we were not already aware of: Truman is an active child (yep), he likes rearranging the furniture (just like at home), he is very affectionate (love those sloppy kisses), has a good appetite (you betcha), is a happy boy (does he ever not have a smile on his face?), he likes to do what other kids are doing (uh oh, we may have a follower on our hands) and loves to be involved in activities, especially the outdoors. I think Jerry and I giggled the most about Truman's "objectives"....he's only one!

Happy Halloween

Paging Dr. Topolski, Dr. Topolski you are needed in the OR stat! This year we decided to take Truman trick-or-treating with his girlfriend Grace. Truman was dressed as "Dr. Topolski" the surgeon, or vet...we really hadn't decided. Morrie was a lion (like every year) and Grace was a chicken. If Truman was a vet he'd have his fair share of animals to operate on! We managed to go to a total of three houses in the span of an hour, but met a few other parents in the neighbourhood who had children our age.

Truman had fun running on the street and had no desire to be carried. He wasn't sure what to make of all the strangers we met in weird costumes. I wore a mask with feathers which I think freaked him out a little. I even tried Morrie's costume on Truman at some point in the evening.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

14 Months

Yesterday Truman turned 14 months! Seriously, time is passing us by so quickly, especially since I returned to work. I can't believe I have been back now for almost a month and I think as a family we are in a nice routine. It breaks my heart to think of what little time we have together and I eagerly wait for the weekend to arrive. Truman is loving day care these days and runs to his room every morning. Makes things much easier on me!

In the evenings when we are together, Truman tries to make as much mess as possible. He loves to throw toys all over the place and delights in the noises he can make. He never tires of putting things in a box only to dump everything back on the floor again. Every cupboard contains a new surprise, something special to discover. He loves to hide in crevices and play peek-a-boo. He is my little monkey and has trouble sitting still, even for a moment!


The most surprising thing to me is the Truman has become a picky eater, well a picky eater at home. His teachers tell me constantly what a good eater he is, but come dinner time he would rather throw his food on the floor and play with it than eat it. Maybe he is testing his boundaries with me? Or, maybe he isn't that hungry? Hmmmm....I need to investigate further.

Truman is getting another molar, is it possible? I think he has gotten at least one or two new teeth every week for the past few weeks. You wouldn't know it from his moods or behaviour....thank goodness!

Single Motherhood

This week my dear husband is away on business and I am a single mom. Surprisingly, so far so good! Not that this is the first time I have been home alone...but the first time I have been home alone for this long with a toddler! Morning number one was a little tough trying to get ready while Truman pulled everything out of every drawer in the house. Morning number two I got a little more organized and ensured that Truman was kept busy while I finished getting ready. We will see what tomorrow will bring.

Our evenings have been quite busy...Tuesday night we went to the Annual General Meeting at our daycare. Truman had a great time at the potluck dinner. He went up to all of his teachers and demanded hugs and ate food of their plates. He also loved running around the room with a chicken finger in each hand. Tonight, my parents came over for dinner and we then took Truman and Morrie for a nice walk. Tomorrow night aunt Misty will be staying with us until Saturday. Thank goodness for aunt Misty!


Here are some pictures of Truman after his bath this evening.

A Belated Thanksgiving Feast

Tonight we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family....I know it is a few weeks late, but my parents were both away and this was the first weekend that we could all get together as a family. And what a feast we had! Truman (and Jerry) especially loved the pumpkin cheesecake Tina baked. Mom - I noticed the extra cake you kept feeding my little one!!

While at my parents, Truman had a whole new place to discover as a moving toddler. He loved playing the organ, opening all the cupboards, walking up and down the stairs, and pushing the garbage can all over the house. What a busy time for all. Of course, Truman enjoyed entertaining everyone at dinner. Morrie feasted on whipped potatoes and anything else that ended up on the floor from Truman's tray!

Girl?

Over the last few weeks Truman has been identified as a girl...I have been getting more and more comments like "she really likes that" and "oh look at her go!". Comments like these are understandable when a child is a few weeks or even a few months, when it can be hard to tell, or if the child is wearing gender-neutral colours. My child is always dressed like a boy. Well, except for the time I dressed him in a pink button down Polo shirt, and maybe then I could understand. But I attribute it to be a lack of taste since pink is the new blue for men. Anyways, my belief is, if you are unsure, keep the gender terms out of it. How hard is it to say "Oh! Your baby really seems to enjoy music", or "How old is your baby?". Besides, Truman looks like a BOY!!! Always has! OK, maybe the kid needs a hair cut, but he still looks like a boy...

So, what have we been up to? This weekend we took Truman to his first music class. He enjoyed running around the room, trying to open the door and maybe sat down (read: held down) log enough t0 enjoy some of the songs. He was too busy trying to cozy up to the instructor and play with all the kids.

We were bad parents on Sunday and skipped swimming lessons and decided to take a nice long walk instead. I miss walking everyday with Truman, I do try to get out often, but not as much as when I was home.

Last weekend Truman was able to identify an apple and name it! We were such proud parents! His new favourite thing to do is imitate Morrie and eat food particles off the floor and high chair. Nice! Although he is also into hugging Morrie as part of our morning ritual.

Truman's Oopa (my father) came home from Europe today and brought such beautiful gifts for him. Thank you everyone! The gifts were beautiful and he loves them already! Truman was a little distant from his Oopa at first, but by the end of the evening he had Oopa playing "row row row your boat" with him, which seems to be these days his favourite song. He will take us by the hands and say something that sounds like "row" and start rocking back and forth. Adorable!

Turkey Weekend

Happy Thanksgiving! Thank goodness the weekend of gorging is almost over. Truman tried pumpkin pie for the first time this evening and loved it!

Friday night we had a wonderful dinner with Grandma, Grandpa and Baba. Truman decided it would be great fun to touch everything in site in Grandma's neighbourhood. Truman was running up and down the street while we were waiting for Jerry and Grandpa to get home.

Saturday we met up with Pam, Ashu and Ana-Sophia for brunch at our favourite place, the Pickle Barrel! Truman was well behaved until the end of the meal when he was bored of sitting in his high chair any longer! Ana-Sophia was an angel and slept through brunch.

Today we started swimming lessons again and Truman had fun splashing around with his daddy. He had no trouble putting his face in the water and almost put his head under without any fear! This afternoon we took the kids to the park to let them run around. I am not sure who was more excited, Morrie or Truman. Truman now starts "barking" when he sees another dog...it's so adorable!

Truman is getting a few more molars, two which are peeking through which will bring him up to twelve teeth. Although, all his molars are on one side. He doesn't seem to be bothered by them, except that he is enjoying biting on everything, including me. Something we have to remedy sooner rather than later.

Blame it on Heroes

Blame it on Heroes! I apologize for not updating the blog sooner, but my nights have been occupied by trying to catch up with the series. Finally, I am up to date and ready to blog again.

So, let's see, where do I begin? I started back at work on Monday, and honestly after two days I feel as though I never left! Truman is adjusting better to day care (although he still gets rather upset when we drop him off in the morning). At least he no longer screams when I pick him up in the afternoon. Our nights are spent playing and hugging non-stop. My little one has definitely become more clingy since he has started day care. It is still so hard to leave him, but we are both adjusting to the changes.

On Saturday, we went to Tim Horotn's for our weekly bagels and then ventured to a garage sale in the neighbourhood. In the afternoon, we went house hunting and then we headed to Oakville to meet Troy. Congratulations Scott and Myriah! We were so excited to meet the newest addition of the Sullivan clan. Troy is a beautiful baby and did not make a peep the entire evening. Mom and Dad are both doing well and look great.

On Sunday, Truman and Jerry came downtown with me while I ran for the cure with Tina and Misty. Truman enjoyed cheering on all the runners. Later, we met up with Ryan, Rebecca, and Jake and decided to take advantage of the nice weather and went out for dinner on the patio at one of our favourite restaurants. The boys, as always were angels and had a lot of fun sharing their dinner.

Play Date

Last weekend we went over to the Starkman's for a little play date. For those of you who have not seen the Starkman play room - honestly it is like going to Gymboree and the kids have a blast! Truman and Jake had fun "parallel playing" (Jerry's new favourite term)...although in these shots it looks as though Jake is trying to show Truman something!

Today we finally figured out why Truman has been a little grumpy over the last week. All this time I thought it was a combination of teething and day care. Last night Truman had a low grade fever and continued to have it until this morning. We then realized that the cause of all this discomfort is most likely from the MMR immunization. Needless to say, I did not bring him to day care this morning and we will be spending the day together. Good excuse for me!

Congratulations to Lori and Andrew with the birth of their first son Gavin on Friday September 14th. We can't wait to meet him!

School Days

Truman started day care last week, which was incredibly difficult for me. It was strange not having him with me and terribly lonely. I constantly worried if he was alright and to be honest I didn't even leave him in school for long. On the second day, they asked me to leave and supposedly he fell asleep right away and when I came back to get him he was just fine. This week he has figured things out a little more and starts to panic as I put him in his highchair (he knows I am going to leave him). Truman has had a much harder time the last few days, and I am doing much better. Poor thing is also fighting a cold and has yet another tooth coming in. We'll see how the next few days go. I hope he starts enjoying day care. Now....what to do with all this free time?