Peggy's Cove (July 9th)

Last week when Mom and Heather were still here, we went to Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg (and drove through Mahone Bay which looked very pretty but we didn't stop--next time). It isn't far but we took the coastal road which is windy and slow--but it meant we got to see a lot of cute little villages and some fabulous scenery. We stopped at Peggy's Cove and wandered the rocks and then had lunch (seafood chowder which is, according to locals, a MUST at Peggy's) before we went to Lunenburg. It was a full day--we left in the morning and didn't get back until after 5. James is an excellent traveller--he sleeps in the car really well and is barely fussy at all.

This is the scenery on the road to Peggy's Cove. I took this through the window of the car while zipping along at 60-80km so I have to say I love the "Sport" setting on my camera. It is very rocky and marshy and quite lovely. This is a cove or inlet (or something) and the tide is out so you can see the wet shoreline that will, later, be covered by ocean.

James and Mommy at Peggy's Cove.

People have been swept away by waves or have slipped on wet rocks and fallen in so they have warnings--which didn't seem to help as a lot of people were very close to the ocean (we stayed at a good distance but we did go on the dry rocks).

The new family at Peggy's Cove (James was so impressed he had to sleep through most of it). The ocean was amazingly blue.

Jamie the sleepy boy and Daddy at Peggy's Cove (and there are more pictures in the next posting--too many for one).

Lunenburg (July 9th)

Here are some more pictures from Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg.

This is the view of the ocean from behind the lighthouse--I actually got one with NO people in it which is amazing because the rocks were crawling with tourists (including us).

Mom and Heather on the rocks behind the lighthouse.

Mom, Heather, Jeff, and James in front of the Bluenose II at Lunenburg--a very cute town.

The view from the dock in Lunenburg.

A Day In Yellow

It was the start of the Tour de France last week so we thought it would be appropriate to dress James in yellow. Before that, he had some diaper-only tummy time. They are cloth diapers so they make his bottom look huge and his skinny body look even more skinny by comparison!

James is enjoying being half-dressed on the beautiful quilt from his Great-Aunt Jackie.

This is his turtle face--sometimes his stretches out his skinny neck and purses his lips and wrinkles his forehead and looks like a turtle coming out of his shell. So we have started to call him Yurtle on occasion. If he starts to introduce himself as Yurtie, we will know we have gone too far!

Here is his Yellow Tour de France outfit for watching the Tour with Daddy (in honour of the yellow jersey given to the leader of the Tour). We call this the outfit for "Team Canard". He is much more alert now and eyes are open often during the day as he stares intently at people and things.

James and Grandma enjoying the Tour.

James enjoying his bath--which he does enjoy as long as the water is warm enough and he is kept in it. He does NOT like to be cold!

Tour and Citadel Hill

Today was the start of the Tour de France so Jeff and Jamie spent most of the day watching that--Jamie dozed on and off but was really into the Prologue time trial through London! On another day we will put him in a yellow onsie so he can really get into the spirit of things--we have three weeks so it may not be tomorrow.

After the Tour was over for the day, we all went for a walk up to the top of Citadel Hill. Jeff and I have never been--shameful after eleven months here but it is a fairly steep hill and only really open in the summer. It was really neat--we will have to go back again with James in his carrier since it was not really stroller-friendly but what we saw was very interesting. It is the fourth fortress built on the site and dates to 1856--Halifax was never actually attacked and good thing because they would have been sorry! It was a good place to visit and I think we will have to go back and see the whole tour and more of the areas that were difficult to get to with the stroller--plus, it had fabulous views of Halifax so I will put up some photos.

Mommy and me on the wall of Citadel Hill looking into the central compound--boy was it windy!

A hard day for a little guy--I protest by sleeping!

A really big gun for such a little boy! This is not the gun but they shoot off a cannon every day at noon on Citadel Hill. We have never heard it the whole time we have been here (and we live within walking distance of the hill). Acoustics being what they are, it points towards the harbour and you can only really hear it if you are on the right side of the hill at noon (which we must not have been).

The view of the harbour from Citadel Hill--you can see the island in the harbour with the lighthouse (I can't remember the name of the island).

The Town Clock and Harbour from Citadel Hill--this clock was finished in 1803 and was started by the Duke of Kent (Prince Edward) because he was, supposedly, very annoyed by the tardiness of the townspeople and soldiers (none of whom, probably, owned watches!).

7 Pounds!!

James has had an eventful week--we have been on the go and busy, busy. Auntie Heather arrived on Monday and has been enjoying Jamie (though she is disappointed that he only rolls over when she is out of the room--he did it again today and we think he could be crawling and walking early so I guess we should anchor the bookshelves to the walls!). James also had his check-up on Wednesday and had gained 5oz so he is up to 7lbs 1 1/2oz -- what a porkchop! He is almost too big now for some of his very small sleepers. What a big boy! He is becoming more alert and sometimes enjoys tummy time though he sometimes protests it loudly. Mainly, he likes to be warm and to have a full tummy (but don't we all!).

Here is Auntie Heather holding James for the first time.

James is getting the feel for his new stroller--it is for 3+ months (though it reclines enough that he could use it now) and is very light and good for walking and transit users. Plus, it has a fabulous rain cover which is a must here!

James now will sit in his vibrating bouncy chair (an excellent "borrow" from little Sophia courtesy of her Mom and Dad, Dawn and Dale).

"I am a sleepy Monkey with Daddy in the gelato shop!"

"Who is that suspicious looking baby who is looking at me? Who're you looking at!?!?"

Canada Day!!

For Canada Day, we decided to walk down to the harbour. It was a beautiful day today--sunny and warm but not too hot. James decided to wear his red cowboy-themed hat in honour of Canada Day and his Calgary roots--and because he doesn't have any other red hats and we couldn't find a Canada Day hat small enough to fit his head!

After the harbour, we had lunch--Dim Sum, so good--and then we walked up to Spring Garden and got there in time to see the parade to open the International Tattoo (which is a week-long military festival for acts and military bands from around the world). We then stopped for coffee and James woke up and looked suspiciously at us--he likes riding in his stroller more than sitting in it while it is stopped.

On the whole, James has had a good first three weeks of life. He has become even more alert in the last few days and is doing all sorts of interesting things. When he was a week, he could roll from his back to his side (Mom didn't believe us until she saw it for herself). Now, at three weeks, he can roll from his stomach all the way over onto his back. We discovered this when he was down for tummy-time and decided he didn't like it and got so mad he rolled over--we thought it was a fluke (I didn't actually see it but Mom and Jeff reported it to me) and then yesterday he did it twice in a row--once to the left and once to the right. I don't know how usual that is for less-than-one-month-old babies to roll completely over but he shows no signs of stopping so we will have to keep an eye on him or he may roll under the couch and we won't know where he is!

Here are some photos from our day.

Canada Day at the harbour--sunny and crowded but a nice place for our first family portrait.

Content and happy after lunch--all three of us.

Mommt and Jamie--curled up in a ball looking very relaxed (as we keep saying--he is a very tense child!!).

Oilers shoes in honour of Free Agent day.

Why have we stopped moving? I liked moving!!

The International Tattoo

Here are some more photos from The 2007 Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

This is, I think, the Bugle Corp of the Belgian Guides--it was the only group playing real bugles so that sounds right. Their uniforms were green with a very vibrant purple-pink stripe up the leg. I am not sure who the tap-dancing girls behind them are.

Here is James enjoying the parade with the Canadian military vehicle in the background.

James is very distressed here by the loud (and very good) Band of the Ceremonial Guard.

These are His Majesty the King’s Guards’ Band and Drill Team from Norway. They had very swishy hats.


This is one of the many Pipes and Drums bands--but I am not sure if it is The Highland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland or one of the Canadian groups--there were several pipes bands and Jamie enjoyed them all.