Some Random Pictures:

Elania spying on Brayden sleeping



Elania got into the diaper cream and smeared it all over. Here's our computer chair after the damage. Of course the cream wasn't regular zincofax it was desitin that reeks of fish oil.



Elania pushing her shopping cart around "naking" as she says (naked).

More blessing day pictures:

Brayden's Blessing Day

Brayden was blessed in church on July 22, 2007. These are some pictures Grandpa Smith took after church.

Parade of Sail

2 more pictures from the parade:

The Parade of Sail

Every 4 or 5 years, the international tall ships festival comes to Nova Scotia. At the end of the Halifax harbour portion of the festival, all the tall ships participate in a parade around the harbour before leaving for their next destination. The parade was led by the Bluenose II (replica of the schooner featured on the Canadian dime) Jonathan and Cori came to the waterfront the day before and saw the ships up close on the docks. It was impressive to see some of the ships at full/partial sail. Unfortunately, J&C missed the parade by a day.

Sandland PEI

Sandland is on the Charlottetown waterfront and is the home to some of the few internationally competitive sandsculpters in Canada (or so they claim). Elania especially liked the big sand pile/pit in one corner that kids could play in.

Pipers Galore!

On the last day of the Halifax International Tattoo, there is a parade of pipers from Citadel Hill to the Metro center where the performance is held. It is about 1000 pipers in various groups that march the parade route. Cindy McRitchie would have loved it! Needless to say it was very impressive. The 2nd picture is the RCMP pipers that acted as the parade Marshall. These pictures were actually taken by Jonathan as Elania and Mike stood on the hill and watched from above.

Flowerpot Rocks (Hopewell Rocks)

When we arrived at Hopewell Rocks with Jonathan and Cori, we discovered that by accident we arrived at high tide instead of low. So we waited around until the tide went out. Here's a high and a low tide picture from the same view. (the high tide shot is not the tide at its highest; it was already on its way out) Elania enjoyed a bit of spelunking and rock throwing.

Trip to New Brunswick

Jonathan and Cori came to visit and we went on a day trip to New Brunswick. We stopped in Moncton and watched our car roll "uphill" and then noticed a train that goes through around the Magnetic Hill Zoo. Elania at the time was obsessed with the Dora episode that has trains in it. So we decided to do it for Elania and discovered that the train was very slow. You could walk faster. But Elania loved every minute of it. It was OK except for the 20 minute stop at the other station. During the stop Elania got to "drive" the train (hold the steering wheel). On the way back to the main station, we sat on the caboose and Elania admired the "cane cacks" and looked out for Swiper the Fox.

MELTDOWN!

Well perhaps the inevitable has arrived. Elania was doing so well until she discovered where Brayden's food comes from. It's been a bit rocky since then.

5 lbs 11 oz 19 1/2 inches long

Elania's reaction to her baby brother was cute. She kept saying "oh baby boy...baby boy!" Months ago, Elania told us that the baby was a boy. Jodi asked her "are you trying to tell me something I don't know?" -"Yep"
She even tried to share a cracker with him and kissed the top of his head. When he started crying, she kept repeating: "Baby boy sad"
Part of her acceptance of her new sibling must be credited to our repeated showing of the "Big sister Dora" episode over the last 6 months or so.

Brayden Scott Smith joins our family

Brayden was born 5 weeks premature but has been doing wonderfully since the beginning. He surprised us by coming early and with all that dark hair.

Eating

Elania has had issues with feeding herself food. These are two of the breakthroughs as of late. We've found that she loves pizza and chocolate ice cream.

Playing

Elania is an outside girl. She would be outside every minute if we let her. She calls her ladybug pool her "beetlebug pool" along with her "beetlebug ball" of course. Any insect is a beetlebug and we need to "squish beetlebug" (stomping her feet). Aunt Cindy would be pleased.

Elania's Birthday

Elania watching Dad cutting the wires off her school bus. She was very pleased with her Dora trike as well. Elania holding 1 finger up saying "one more?" (piece of cake)