Allie's first trip to Sanibel Island

Grandma bought me this hat and I kind of liked it!

Allie and I just got back from her first trip to Florida. The weather was beautiful and it was nice to get out of the cold weather for a week. The only thing missing was her dad. We can't wait til the whole family can make the trip!

Allie loved this bouncy chair that used to be her cousin Mercy's. She loved to sit out by the pool and kick and play in the chair for hours! She was exhausted after playing and kicking for hours!

My Gagu (grandma) bought me my very first bathing suit. Don't I look cute?

Allie loved hanging out with her Gagu and Gagu did a good job of spoiling her!

Allie also loved going for walks with Pappee. He took her on at least one a day and mom liked to go too!

Mom loved the view from the pool!

Previously to this trip, Allie wouldn't wear hats, but she seemed to really like the one her Gagu bought her!

Having fun in FL is exhausting. It's a good thing mom and Allie are back in Minneapolis for one more month before we move to Canada!

Oh Canada!

Dan, Allie, and I are in Canada this week looking for a house. We're moving to a city called Saskatoon, the biggest city in the province of Saskatchewan (about 250,000 people). Everything I've learned about the city seems to be great; it's one of the sunniest places in all of Canada, the economy is thriving and, according to our guide, it is the fastest growing city in Canada. It is very beautiful because it is on the South Saskatchewan river and the weather is not nearly as bad as I had prepared myself for. Overall, we are very excited for this new adventure.

As I've been out and about exploring this city I am very impressed with the Canadian people I've met. They are extremely friendly and very nice. They let you in when you are driving and they don't even honk their horns or make inappropriate hand gestures at you. They are very proud of their country and their city...just like us Minnesotans! They don't hate Americans like many other foreign countries. In fact, everyone I've met that I've told I'm moving from Minnesota tells me that Saskatoon won't be much different from home. We'll see if that's true. I've already tried to order a 1/2 pound of deli meat at the grocery store, only to realize that I'm going to need to learn the correct conversions in the metric system. Being slightly challenged in the numbers department, I think I'll need to carry a "cheat sheet" for awhile.

Moving to Canada and Allie's Arrival

I've decided to jump on the bandwagon, all be it a little late, and start a blog. I figure this will help us keep in touch with family and friends as we move to Canada and officially become Canucks!

Life in the Mauer household has been a bit chaotic recently. Not only are we adjusting to our lives being ruled by a 10 lb. six week old baby, we have listed our house and have had countless showings, inspections, and appraisals. Poor Allie had no idea what she was in store for when she made her appearance at the end of January! It will all be over soon, so I've decided to try to enjoy our last weeks in MN and see as many family and friends as possible.

Although life has been busy, these last six weeks have been the happiest of my life so far. Here are 10 things I've learned since Allie arrived on January 22nd.

1. You can NEVER be fully prepared for labor. To all my pregnant friends, just hang in there and know that once you meet your baby, it will all be worth it.

2. I can actually function, fairly well most days, on little to no sleep.

3. Your dog isn't completely ignored upon the arrival of a baby. Although things have changed a bit, we still love Bella just as much as before and she even gets about the same amount of attention from us. (For those of you that know her, know that she wouldn't let us ignore her for too long without forcing herself on our laps, licking our faces, or making her presence known somehow!)

4. You really do need help from family and friends after the arrival of a baby. So thanks family and friends, in particular my mom who did all of our grocery shopping and most of our cooking for the first few weeks.

5. Baby items seem so small at the time of purchase, but somehow infiltrate your house so they appear in every closet, on every surface, and in every room of the house.

6. Babies can burp and fart like sailors....and don't even get me started on the poop. Who knew such a small, cute body could produce so many dirty diapers a day!

7. Watching your husband take care of your baby will melt your heart every time you watch!

8. Getting ready to leave the house takes at least 20 minutes. My patience has been tested and tested again. I'm happy to report that most days I seem to handle the lack of efficiency quite well.

9. I do more laundry in one day than I used to do in a week. Allie has so many clothes and I never thought she would wear them all. She does, multiple times a week. See #6. All those poopy diapers have a tendency to leak!

10. I never knew love like this existed. Watching Allie change and grow in the last six weeks has been the most amazing experience.