1st week of August - 42 weeks

Dear Darcy,

Your recent accomplishments: -  you can say a few words: Dada, mama, cat, ook (look?), yeah, gah! (while pointing), ning ning ning - standing with hands free while leaning against something - initiates peek-a-boo - sits fairly well in a chair 

The first weekend of August my Aunt Joan and my cousin Mike came to visit us from Kitchener and Mississauga. They had never met you before! The last time we saw Aunt Joan, was last summer in Lachute and the last time we saw Mike was in April 2008 - in Florida! We had a wonderful long weekend visit, including a trip to the Morin Heights flea market, where I got you some second-hand toys on the cheap! 

We also spent some time just relaxing by the water with some friends and Daddy took Mike for a trip around the lake in the row boat (with an electric motor). Mike's last trip around Lake Barron would have been chauffered by my dad, so it had been a very long time! 

I had a chance to look through Aunt Joan's 2008 scrapbook, which was beautiful! (I got some good ideas, too!) We also spent a cold, but clear night sitting out on the deck at Nanna's admiring the stars and catching up.

Darcy playing with the toy she received from Mike & Kate.

Daddy & Darcy playing. Darcy is getting a little less attached to Mommy and playing more often with Daddy :-)

This weekend also marked my breaking point; I could not handle any more sleep deprivation (10 months is enough, no?). Daddy and I took the weekend to mentally prepare for a few more more sleepless nights and lots of crying. We knew we had to do something and soon, as I was getting more and more irritable, smiling less and less often, laughing hardly at all and with Daddy's vacation coming up in a week it was shaping up to be pretty awful. So much for my no-cry sleep solution approach! It took 3 nights. Three very difficult nights, but each one got better. Within a week (and in time for Daddy's vacation), although you did not sleep through every night and woke up at 5:20 every morning, things were manageable.

August 5 - what a wonderful model!

Darcy likes to read, especially if there are pictures of babies in the book!

Pretty typical threesome.