Moments to remember...

New blog

2010-04-19T22:07:00.003-03:00

Here it is, the addy to my new blog: Loving {Almost} Every Moment...

If you want to update your links the url is: http://toloveeverymoment.blogspot.com/

It will take me a little time to move over my blog list, so don't worry if you don't see yours there quite yet...I promise if you were on the blogroll here you will be on the new one too! If you're new and want me to add your blog just post a comment on the new blog to let me know.
I hope to see you all over there soon!

I'm moving!

2010-04-19T19:24:00.000-03:00

I have decided to move this blog. It's been something I've wanted to do for a long time. There are a lot of things I want to put on my blog that I just can't seem to do with this template. So hopefully a new, fresh start will work things out! But no worries, all my posts are coming along to live at the new blog. I will post the new addy soon.

Free stuff...for a good cause!

2010-04-16T22:25:00.005-03:00

There is a giveaway going on at "If Breastfeeding Offends You Put a Blanket Over YOUR Head"... the prize is a tote bag with the logo on it. Go on over and enter your name! And while you're there check out their other posts, lots of good info and support on breastfeeding.

Some days you just need chocolate (or a tequila...)

2010-04-14T11:03:00.010-03:00

I need a break, I'm losing my mind. Both of my kids are sick. This means there is very little sleep and a lot of crying happening around here. We've been taking echinacea, Vit C, Vit D and Cold FX (only for me and Ken) in the hopes of fighting this off. So far I am feeling drained, not quite sick, but on the verge, my body is sure putting up a struggle against this icky virus. Maddie is doing better, but still coughing. Isaac on the other hand has got it the worst. He is teething (getting either an "I" tooth or the one right next to it...weird tooth to get after the front bottom 2), has a stuffed up nose and an awful, awful cough. He won't nurse, he won't let me cuddle or rock him, he has a hard time keeping his soother, he won't sleep but he's exhausted. All this adds up to create one very unhappy 9 month old and one very tired, exasperated, cranky, impatient and upset mama. What to do? He's been up since 6am, refused to nap (or better said could not go to sleep) at 8, 9, 10...even with Tylenol, nose suctioning, teething tablets...Oh.My.God. I'm losing my mind. It is now 11am. After having him refuse to nurse and arch his back as I tried to rock him yet again, I put him in his crib, gave him Motrin, sang him a song, rubbed his back, provided soothers within reach and prayed for sleep. He did close his eyes, but he kept swatting my hands away...I got the feeling like he was telling me to shoo, get lost, saying "Mom, you are crowding my space..." Sigh. I left the room and of course he cried. So in I went again. I gave him his soother and this time he did drift off. I left after a few minutes and he stayed calm and quiet. I got downstairs went for the cupboard with all the chocolate (I'm stressed, can you tell!?) and I heard him start crying. But just as I was about to set foot on the first step up, he stopped. Well, we'll see what happens. Hopefully he will sleep because he so needs it and I need to not hear him screaming for a bit.

I just hope this nasty cold is gone, gone, gone very soon. I hate it when they get sick.

Update: He slept for 40 mins. Uggg. It's going to be a looong, horrible day.

Update 2: When I went in to pick him up he smiled at me and started babbling away. I realized it was only my view of this situation that is making it seem awful and horrible. To him there is really nothing wrong. Sure he feels crappy, but he doesn't know that word or what it means. All he knows is something is different but it doesn't make him any less happy to see me. OK, time to change things up and put a smile on my face because I really am blessed to only have to worry about a little cold and not something more serious!

Triclosan in the news...again...

2010-04-09T11:36:00.005-03:00

Interesting article in the news today about the (in)effectiveness of Triclosan. For a while now, many (e.g. the EWG) have been warning against using products with Triclosan. Triclosan is commonly used in handsoap, bodywash, toothpaste, and other products as an antibacterial. In my opinion it causes more harm than good. All you need to stay clean is a nice bar of good ol' fashioned soap!

Isaac's Cute Tricks

2010-04-07T11:17:00.005-03:00

Over the last few weeks Isaac has been changing so much. It seems like he's changing so quickly, time does really go by much too fast. I thought I should take a moment to write them down as I sure don't want to forget them all!

Isaac's personality is very inquisitive. He will spend time looking at a toy or an object trying to figure it out. My mom calls him a little scientist. One thing is for sure, he is very curious and I'm sure he will be the little boy who takes a toy apart just to put it back together. This curiosity also extends to the exploration of his surroundings. He has very little fear and is daring and much more of a risk taker than Maddie was. He has already gotten hurt more times than I can count! He is also a smacker, pincher and bra strap snapper! Yep, he's a boy through and through! But he's also very cuddly and loving. His astrological sign is Cancer, and I can certainly see some of those traits already coming through.

One day he invented a new game. We call it the up-down game. While sitting in his highchair he will bend his head down and when you say "up" he will sit back up. We can do that for minutes at a time. It's a great way to keep him happy and distracted while we are all eating supper.

He now says "Mama" and I think he actually means what he says. When he wants to be picked up he will start saying it and also when he's hungry. Pretty much whenever he wants something he will say "Mama". He can say "Dada" as well. He has been able to say that for quite some time, but I think he only recently started associating the word with Daddy. It's way too cute!

He plays "La Mocita" (a Spanish singing game where you sing: "La Mocita, La Calabacita" and the baby learns to touch their head repeatedly as you sing), he started doing this while we were away in Houston and it's only gotten cuter. All you have to say now is, "La..." and he'll immediately start touching his head!

He waves when you say "Bye-Bye/Hi" or "Hola/Adios". I just love watching his cute, chubby little hand opening and closing!

He is trying to sign "More". He can sign "Milk" but I think he associates it more with drinking in general. We are really working on his signs now. He stares at his hands, almost like he's thinking about figuring out how to do it. I'm sure one day soon he will!

He is rolling around like crazy and also scooting all over the place on his bum. He tucks one leg to the back and uses it to push himself around. It's actually to the point where he will be here one second and over there the next. Time to put up the baby gates!!!

He loves to read stories, especially ones with flaps to open. His favorite is "Where's Spot". He knows exactly how each flap opens up, it's really cute to watch his intent little face.

He can give kisses!!! This is my absolute favorite! If you say "Can I have a kiss?" He will open his mouth a bit (yep, open mouth, wet kisses! The best kind!) and he plops a nice wet one right on your cheek. So cute!!!

Maddie just adores him! He is really lucky to have such a wonderful, caring big sister. She is teaching him so much and loves taking care of him. I am lucky too because I don't have to worry about them playing together and don't constantly have to be the referee!

I love my kiddos!!!

Spring clean more than just dust bunnies...

2010-04-04T16:03:00.017-03:00

This Spring when you get the urge to clear out Winter's clutter and dust don't forget to take a look through your cabinets at your cosmetics. You might be surprised to see what yuckies are lurking there...

Here's an article from EWG's blog listing the 6 most yucky ingredients that you should try to avoid: "Spring Clean Your Cosmetics" It only takes a few minutes to read it, but you have much to gain from this info.

Here's a list of some of my favorite personal care products:

Baby Balm (Rash/Irritation Cream) by Anointment (anointment also makes wonderful handcrafted soaps, body butters, lip balms and more and can be bought through Nurtured and other retailers).

Body Butter by Rocky Mountain Soap Company (great for eczema and really dry skin).

Deodorant by Rocky Mountain Soap Co. (Finding a deodorant has been tricky! My friend Taryn and I have tried and tested so many kinds! But so far this is my favorite, and I think it's hers too. Soon I will try the one from Green Beaver and see how it works).

Face Cream by Green Beaver

Hair styling products by Giovanni (Atlantic Superstore carries this line).

Hand and Body Soap by Rocky Mountain Soap Co. (their baby soap is fabulously gentle yet effective!)

Hand & Body Lotions by Green Beaver

Shampoo and Conditioner by Green Beaver (cranberry is my favorite!)

Toothpaste by Green Beaver (Wowie! This toothpaste is intensely good! A little goes a long way).

Green Beaver also makes lip balms, lip shimmers and they have a new men's line. Their products can be found at the Healthy Bug (if they don't have something you want in stock, they are more than happy to bring it in for you).

When it comes to make-up it's been harder to find stuff that works but that's also safe. So far Jane Iredale's make-up line is the most effective and safest my friend and I have found (thanks again to Taryn for introducing me to it!). I've also heard of the make-up line by Lavera, which I will give a try someday soon to see how I like it. You can buy Jane Iredale products at any Summit Spa location. The Lavera line is on sale at The Healthy Bug.

For those living in the USA there are many, many options for cleaner cosmetics. Aubrey Organics (widely available, you can even buy online) makes a full line of facial creams, hair care products and even make-up. Avalon Organics is also another company that offers many care products and they also have a wonderful baby care products line. Here in Canada some stores also carry products from both of these companies.

If you'd like to do your own search check out EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database. You can look up safe cosmetics and care products and also look up your current products to see how they rank.

Happy Spring Cleaning!

Flowers and Easter Eggs

2010-04-04T15:32:00.004-03:00

My beautiful Maddie picked out these lovely white tulips yesterday. She also painted the eggs. I did a couple just for fun...how can one resist!?

Happy Easter

2010-04-03T16:27:00.002-03:00

Lilac crocus blooming happily in our front garden bed...

On this lovely day I was reminded that kids have no sense of urgency and time. They do not have a "To Do" list constantly running through their mind. Instead, they enjoy every moment to the fullest, living entirely in the Now. Us adults should regain that magical trait...

Today, the sun was shining and the air was warm. We spent a wonderful morning at the Farmer's Market and then had lunch, or a picnic as Maddie calls it, on a bench on the waterfront. Maddie and Ken saw jellyfish, a starfish, a crab and some fish in the harbour. We got to see a huge container ship guided by a tugboat leave the harbour. Then the tugboat docked right in front of us. Isaac waved for a couple minutes as the captain docked, it was the cutest thing ever!

After a nap, Ken built our garden box (the megabox!!!), I made a beet and apple salad and we headed out for supper with family. It was nice to see everyone and spend time chatting and playing. Now the kids are fast asleep in bed and I am just about ready to do the same!

I wish you all a Happy Easter!

Oh Happy Days...

2010-04-02T15:40:00.000-03:00

Here's why I don't mind the...

2010-03-29T09:41:00.001-03:00

...sleep deprivation, the exhaustion, the lack of "me" time, and all the other hard stuff motherhood entails...because when I see their beautiful smiles, it's all worth it. Here's a little mix of some recent pictures...some are from our trip to BC and some from here at home...

My Take on Attachment Parenting and Sleep

2010-03-27T09:45:00.021-03:00

Ah relationships. They make us, they break us. But mostly they make us, because as social beings we seek them out and need them to feel happy, loved and a part of a something. The ways in which we learn to, well, feel about relationships starts from the day we are born, perhaps even while we are still in our mother's womb. As infants, we are wired to seek out our caregivers and form strong attachments to them. This is a survival instinct that goes both ways. We have the instinct to need our parents and our parents have the instinct to care for us. But what happens when for some reason or another that need isn't met?

In today's Western society we value independence. We have come to believe that we can spoil an infant by paying too much attention to her. We have come to believe that infants need to learn to "self-soothe" at very young ages in order to become well-adjusted adults. One of the things parents do to make this happen is to make sure their infant learns to go to sleep on her own, that they do not "coddle" her, or make her create the bad "habit" of needing her parents to fall asleep. More times than not, this is accomplished with a lot of crying from the baby and a lot of strain on the parent(s), who has to withstand the baby crying and to suppress the urge to comfort the baby. Well, in my opinion, this is bollocks. Yes, independence is important, but there is a time and place for everything. Babies need to be dependent first in order to be independent later. If a baby has the opportunity to meet his needs for dependance, he will transition easily to becoming more independent when he is ready.

For me, being a parent means being there for your children, day and night, to show them they can count on you and to ensure that they grow up to have a positive, healthy view of the world around them. A child that grows up feeling secure will feel good about himself and the world around him and he will be empathetic and compassionate to those around him. This approach to parenting has been coined "Attachment Parenting" and it encourages parents to follow their hearts and to approach child-rearing in a way that fosters healthy attachments. If you want to read more about it here are some articles that explain the principles of attachment parenting nicely:

Attachment Parenting
Eight Principles of Attachment Parenting (from AP International).
Dr. Sears' Attachment Parenting Index

The beautiful thing about parenthood is that if you have your heart open you will know what your baby needs, so just trust your instincts, trust your gut. When it comes to being a parent it's always right, you just have to learn how to listen and know what it's saying. But be gentle with yourself too. No parent is perfect and all parents still need time for themselves. So just as you nurture your child, nurture yourself and your partner as well.

Oh and if, like me, you are wondering when that magical night will come when your baby will sleep through the night consistently, just remind yourself that this is just a small part of the big picture, and it will be over all too quickly. Before you know it, your baby will be crawling, talking, running and yes also sleeping through the night. One day all too soon, he will even be a teenager sleeping in (and you will be the one telling them to wake up)! In the meantime do what you have to do to get through this stage (read the 8 principles for tips on finding balance). Also, don't let yourself get exhausted and burnt-out, there are many books that provide gentle solutions to encourage your baby to sleep better (e.g. The No Cry Sleep Solution). But most of all, enjoy it because it passes by much too soon.

P.S. And just for some additional info, here is an interesting article about a recent research study that has shed some light on a not-so-pretty aspect of relationships, infidelity, and how it might pertain to early attachment.

The beginning of the end...

2010-03-25T21:30:00.008-03:00

Sheesh. Just when you pull yourself out from the trenches, something grabs your ankles and pulls you back down. I remember this happening with Maddie too, but maybe it's a bit more intense with Isaac. He has now started moving around in his crib so much that he gets himself "stuck" in certain positions and he cries out and sometimes wakes up. This also disrupts my sleep. He is also starting to want to sit up on his own. He is actually really close to accomplishing it! But the downside is that he tries to "practice" all.the.time. As soon as you lay him down anywhere (for diaper changes, or to go to sleep for example) he immediately crunches his abs and tries to pull himself up. Tonight he even did this with eyes closed. Haha. It's the beginning of his mobility and the end of the easy baby stage. Soon he will be moving all over the place and giving me heart attacks on a daily basis, I'm sure. Oh the joys of being a baby. I really do feel for them, they go through so much in their first couple years, it can be pretty traumatic. Birth, growth spurts, colic, gas pains, teeth, gaining mobility, learning words, separation anxiety, etc, etc. And for sure I feel bad for parents who also go through a lot. Especially the sleep deprivation part. I know I say this again and again (mostly to remind myself to get through the rough patches), but you have to enjoy it because they grow up way too fast.

P.S. I still can't believe my conversation with Maddie the other day. I feel like every day my little girl loses a little bit of her "little-ness" and replaces it with "grown-up-ness"...sniff...sniff

Moo=Ouchie?

2010-03-24T22:41:00.005-03:00

Today was exhausting (well the last 9 months have been, really). But today in particular, Isaac was extremely cranky and on top of that had 2 episodes of awful gas pain. One of them lasted for an hour. After trying all sorts of positions, belly massage, bicycle legs, burping, nursing, and any thing else I could try, he finally let them rip. Man it was a load of air! Poor little guy. I feel so very sad he is going through this. It sucks even more at night because I know if it wasn't for the gas waking him up he would sleep quite nicely and for longer stretches. Working with our Naturopath we have tried several things, but when it comes to the gas, he is not all better. His eczema has almost disappeared and his cough is gone, the only thing still bothering him is his gas. So this has me wondering, what is causing it? What can I do to help my little boy? I know sucking on his soother might cause air swallowing, but we don't give it to him during the day anymore, only when he first falls asleep, and within a few minutes he spits it out. So I don't think that's the problem. Plus I always burp him before laying him down. I have already cut out the major tummy troublemakers from my diet and he doesn't eat them either. All of them with the exception of dairy. But oh how I love cheese and yogurt! I think I am going to have to say goodbye to my friends for a while. I will do anything to see if it helps Isaac. Enough is enough with all this tummy trouble!!!

All about breasts today

2010-03-23T22:26:00.003-03:00

Well it has happened. Maddie has asked when she will get breasts. Oh my goodness. She is only 3.5! Well it was all very innocent and actually quite cute. This morning she put two toy apples under her shirt and said, "I look like you!" I said, "Oh wow. Yes you do. They are called breasts." Well that was the end of that. Then later she lifted up her shirt and said, "Oh I do have nu-nu's, but why are they not bumpy like you?" "Well," I said, "Those are called nipples and the bumps are called breasts and you get those when you are older." She seemed satisfied with that answer at the time. However, during lunch she was trying to hide something in her shirt for some reason and said, "Oh, why don't I have a hole like you do?" I asked her what she was talking about. She then pointed to my cleavage and asked what it was called, so I told her. She then said, "When am I going to have cleeevege?" Hahaha! I'm dreading the teenage years already!

The No Can Challenge

2010-03-21T21:47:00.005-03:00

Considering the fact that most linings in canned food contain BPA, a few of the people that work at EWG have started a week long challenge of not using cans when cooking. I wondered if we could do it too? We don't really use canned food all that much, but sometimes we do out of convenience or because it's the only way to get that certain ingredient (pineapple is one of those!). I really would like to see if we can avoid them all together, not just for a week but for good. It's going to take some careful planning and searching in the grocery stores to find those hard to get items, but it will definitely be worth it in the long run. My plan is to go through my pantry and see what I have there and what I use the most. I am sure I can replace almost all canned stuff with fresh ingredients. If it can't be found fresh I will have to find a frozen or different packaging alternative.

Check out the post on EWG for more info.

March 24/10
P.S. I wanted to add this link to an article which contains a nice summary of info on BPA

Primavera

2010-03-20T22:38:00.008-03:00

Ah. Spring is officially here and I am thrilled! Welcome, welcome, welcome! We have been waiting for many months for you to arrive....

The weather has been so lovely that the mood in the city is changing. People's Winter blues (including mine) are being replaced with a fresh, peppy, energizing aura. Today I started on my Spring cleaning. A bit of dusting and cleaning behind furniture and the appliances should do the trick this year. Oh and of course I also want to clean out our closets of clothes and shoes we no longer need. Another thing I want to do is organize all the toy mayhem! It's a nice feeling to shed the clutter and organize your living space.

What is also very exciting is that we will be starting our garden soon. This year we want to grow a bit more and so our garden boxes will be much larger and with more variety than last year. It will be quite the adventure! To follow on our garden's progress visit The Mainland Gardener.

Well I'm off to put the kids to bed for a nap and to have a nap myself...

One step forward...

2010-03-15T20:45:00.003-03:00

..two steps back...and on it goes. I am of course talking about Isaac's sleep. Oh, how it has become a thorn in my side. While we were away in Houston he slept terribly for the first couple of weeks and just as things were improving slightly, we left Houston and headed to British Colombia. There we spent 8 nights, all of which were utterly horrible. Sheer torture. Most nights we were lucky if we got an hour straight of sleep at a time. Poor Isaac, poor us and poor Maddie (she was also sleeping in the same room with all of us, although interestingly she seemed to sleep through most of the chaos). It was sad to say goodbye to our family, but I just couldn't wait to get home so we could start kicking some bad sleep habits' butt!!! Well, the first few nights after we got back were pure bliss. He slept for hours at a time! One 5 hour stretch was all I needed to feel refreshed and rested in the morning. I even felt like I had overslept! I had totally forgotten what that felt like. But it only lasted a few nights. Now we are back to his usual antics of waking up at least once (usually 2, sometimes 3 times) before 11pm and then only sleeping about 3 hours at a time until around 7am. And if there are no wake ups before 11pm, he still wakes up often after that. So no matter what happens, I get very little me time, very little sleep or a combo of both...

For now we are doing the "beside the crib" comforting thing because I want him to learn he is able to put himself to sleep without being rocked, held, nursed, etc. but I do not believe in full blown "crying it out". Since he was born we have always tried to lay him down awake, but sleepy, and for the most part he's tolerated it well and was able to fall asleep on his own without any trouble. But then he got sick and was sick for months and months, then he started teething, and he still has awful gas. So our progress would go out the window and we'd be back to square one. We are working with our Naturopath to get him as healthy as possible (and he is already doing so much better than even a month ago!), so things are improving, but slowly. Anyways, I guess as the saying says, anything that's worth doing always takes some work, right? Well, I'll have to order myself a crate of chocolate to get through this next round of baby sleep education 101...

Ode to my lover...

2010-03-13T20:11:00.001-04:00

I love it when someone else can write down exactly what you are feeling (Thanks Stars! And if you haven't listened to them yet...you should!). After a really long and exhausting week here's a song for my wonderful hubby...

My Favorite Book

Stars

I was always late, you never afraid, that we could be falling

All our friends would say, maybe we should wait, but they can't see what's coming

And to this day, when everything breaks, you are the anchor that holds me

And that is why we'll always make it

How I know your face, all the ways you move, you come in, I can read you

You're my favorite book

All the things you say, the way you shift your eyes
I never
knew that there was someone, to make me come alive

When they days are long, and the thunder with the storm, can always get me crying

You can make my bed, I'll fall into it, shattered but not lonely

Because I never knew a home, until I found your hands

And when I'm weathered you come to me you're my best friend

And that is why we'll always make it

How I know your face all the ways you move, you come in I can read you

You're my favorite book

All the things you say, the way you shift your eyes
I never
knew that there was someone, to make me come alive

And when we're making love...

I'd give everything up for your touch

How I know your face all the ways you move, you come in I can read you

You're my favorite book

All the things you say, the way you
shift your eyes

I never knew that there was someone, to make me come alive

When you go to work all the day I wait

For you to come home recount our time, in our little
place

Our little place, our little place...

Mom & Dad

2010-03-10T22:03:00.006-04:00

I am now "Mom" and Ken is "Dad". I noticed Maddie started calling us that a few weeks ago, but didn't think much of it. But now hearing "Mommy" is rare. How did this happen!? My little girl is growing up before my eyes...

Mi casa

2010-03-06T22:12:00.004-04:00

Se acabo! C'est fini! It's over! We are home. After 5 weeks of living out of suitcases and 6 plane rides with 2 kids (which included an overnight flight with no sleep) it is so nice to be home. We did have a great time in Houston and the moments we spent there will be remembered. But I am sad too because I will miss my family out West. It was so wonderful to spend time with them all and for my kids to get to spend time with their great-grandparents and all my uncles, aunts and cousins. Coming from a big family is nice, I always love those moments when we all get together and hang out. But for now, we return to our home sweet home and our friends and the life and routines we have created here, which I surely did miss! I did not, however, miss the darn winter cold. We left beautiful springtime for cold, windy winter. Oh well, soon enough spring will be here too.

(Recent pictures to come soon, I promise...)

Canada Rocks!

2010-03-01T00:35:00.003-04:00

Wow what a game today! The perfect way to end the Olympics! Sidney Crosby (who is from my home province!) certainly stepped up and showed us how hockey is meant to be played with that awesome winning goal!

We are having lots of fun visiting my family in Beautiful British Colombia (in the middle of the Olympic game excitement!).

Although we are sure enjoying our time here, we are ready to go home next week. In the meantime, we are going to spend time with my family and enjoy the beautiful spring weather, the blooming flowers and tree blossoms and some shopping of course!

Oh and I am so happy to report that my grandpa is doing so well. He is no longer on any life support or IVs. He is eating on his own and walking with a support walker. It is amazing. It really is a miracle! I am so happy that we are spending time with him.

I will post some pictures when I get the chance.

So heartsick...

2010-02-27T22:56:00.002-04:00

I can't believe there has been yet another terrible natural disaster, so soon after the Haiti earthquake. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people affected by this recent earthquake in Chile. I pray that some good can come from all this suffering...

Run baby run...

2010-02-21T12:58:00.006-04:00

Last night I realized I have had enough. Every night I am exhausted, but yet I just can't seem to fall asleep easily. My eyes burn with tiredness, but my body is restless. So very restless. I feel like I have to take off and run until I can't run anymore. For me this means I need to get back into exercising. Not just taking walks or running after kids all day. Real exercise. Hard core. The kind that leaves you sweaty, exhausted, out of breath but feeling so alive! I used to be in such good shape when I was younger. I am also in denial. I think I am still in good shape, but really I am in so-so good shape. Haha! Because I am somewhat still in good shape, this is the time to get back into a good exercise routine without it causing too much pain and effort. Now the tricky part will be how to fit it into my limited free time schedule. I think I will start off by starting to run every morning (possibly before Ken goes to work...eeeks that will be early!!!) and then doing some yoga in the evenings once the kiddos are asleep. I am also thinking of maybe joining the gym again (I sure do love their fitness classes!), but we will have to see if I can afford to spend money on that.

So to kick off my new routine, I went for a run on the treadmill this morning and it felt good! And I was very pleased to see that I was able to run without getting winded for a decent amount of time. I guess I'm not as rusty as I thought! Hopefully I will sleep well tonight!

Pet Humans...

2010-02-20T00:10:00.008-04:00

Maddie: "Daddy, you know what would be funny?"

Ken: "What?"

Maddie: "If a human put themselves in a cage at the petstore and tried to be buy'd!"

A bought of giggling ensued.

Oh my little comedian...

Zoo with the Grandmas

2010-02-18T22:52:00.009-04:00

We went to the zoo...again!!! Nana came with us today and we all had lots of fun. On our way home we even got to visit with two horseback riding policemen. The day was warm and sunny too...the icing on the cake! Days like today that are the kind you remember forever...

Watch Maddie as she does what she calls her "Funny Walk"...

Playground Playdate

2010-02-18T00:08:00.002-04:00

Today I got to meet one of the moms from the 'July 2009 Moms' group we both belong to.

We went to the playground in Hermann Park and had lots of fun. Isaac loved the swing and Maddie got to run around and burn some energy. She also happened to step on an ant hill and her feet got covered in tiny little ants. Needless to say it was not pleasant, but I managed to calm her down and we shook and shooed the ants off.

Here are some pics of our playdate...

Hehehe...

2010-02-17T00:13:00.003-04:00

This may be old news to some of you but if you haven't watched these videos yet, you must!!! They are sure to bring a smile to your face...

Watch this one first...

And then watch this...

Oh sleep, you elusive tease...

2010-02-16T00:03:00.003-04:00

I am trying my best to follow the wise advice of adopting a healthy nighttime parenting attitude, to make nighttime waking easier and less stressful. After all, a parent's love, nurturing and attention do not cease to exist as soon as the baby's head hits the bed. Especially if, like me, you are an attached mommy (or daddy). But sometimes I wonder if they had a baby like Isaac. I love him to bits, but he is wearing me down. It has gotten to the point were most nights I dread the oncoming bedtime, and all night battle against sleep. Sometimes I also wonder if I should even bother going to bed. And then there is a night, like last night, were he (and I) actually has a decent stretch of sleep...blissful, deep, quiet sleep...that makes it all better again. Funny how even an almost 4 hour stretch of sleep (and a couple hour stretches in between wake-ups) can make you feel renewed. Compared to him waking every 1-2 hours, it's heaven. Hopefully this very welcome sleep etiquette will continue in the nights to come. I laugh to think of what my pre-child, 12-hour-sleeping self would say if I could tell her what was in store for her in the near future...

Isaac 2 months old

♥ Feliz Dia del Amor y la Amistad ♥

2010-02-14T23:13:00.002-04:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope it was a special day for everyone filled with lots of love!

We celebrated by going out to the zoo again. It was the first day since we've gotten here that was sunny and warm. It was beautiful! It was nice to spend the day together, our first Valentine's as a family of four. My darling husband surprised me with the perfect gift-a suscription to Mothering Magazine. Can't wait to get my first issue. I am gifting him the heirloom seeds he is going to pick out for this year's garden. We are both super excited about that! In the evening we went to a Chocolate Fountain event hosted by the property managers. It was delish! Maddie was delighted, she really is a chocolate lover, just as any girl should be! Now hopefully Isaac sleeps better tonight, that would be the perfect ending to the perfect day!

More pictures...

2010-02-13T23:59:00.001-04:00

A hodgepodge of our latests adventures. Places to note are The Houston Zoo, The Hermann Park Railroad Express, the Children's Museum and the Museum of Natural Science.

Take off your damn shoes!

2010-02-13T23:13:00.003-04:00

One of my pet peeves is when people don't take off their shoes upon entering into your home. I find back home, this isn't really a problem, most people do. And the rare person who doesn't usually clues in or you just have to ask. For me it's more than just a gesture of politeness, it's about keeping pollutants and dirt off my floors. My house may be somewhat cluttered but the floor is always clean, after all my kids spend a good amount of time on the floor playing! Well here nobody who was come over has initially taken off their shoes at their own will. When we arrived the guy that gave us our keys and showed us around the apartment didn't take off his shoes. Then the guy who came over to drop off and assemble the crib didn't take off his shoes. Then my uncle and cousins and the tech who came to fix the phone and the lady who came over to drop off the bedding for Maddie's bed and then the exterminator...Ahhhhh! My brain can't take it! After the first time (with the key guy, phone tech and bedding lady) I began asking people. The tech guy and my uncle and cousins have had repeat visits and they have been shoeless. But with the exterminator, he just waltzed in and well I was slightly scared of him to make the request. Hahaha! Instead I vacummed vigorously after he left. Sheesh. I hope nobody else has to come over, or if they do I have renewed gumption to request the removal of shoes.

The Bug Incident

2010-02-12T19:39:00.001-04:00

Out of the corner of my eye I saw something tiny crawling on one of the pillow cases. Isaac was fast asleep and I was just about to lay him down, so I couldn't call out in disgust. But I did manage to squish it. I looked around and didn't see more, luckily. Ken thought it might be a bedbug and emailed the apartment rental company. They immediately booked an exterminator. Ken did a thorough examination of the mattress and areas around the bed and also the other 2 beds without finding a single trace of a possible bedbug problem. We also looked online and the pictures of bedbugs did not really look like it. So it seemed the extermination was not necessary and we really did not want them to fumigate. But after speaking to the company rep, she still wanted the guy to have a good look, just to make sure. If there were bedbugs I would understand having to spray, but if there weren't any I didn't want to have to deal with the aftermath of the spraying. The exterminator was a passive aggressive little man, who made us, well me, feel like a paranoid, over protective freak for getting concerned about one bug and for worrying about the spray. I admit I am protective, after all my children's health and well-being comes first over anything else, exactly why I didn't want to have them spray the whole place! Oh and he didn't take off his horrible dirty exterminator boots when he came in (I still shudder when I think about it-more on this later)! Anyways, he was pretty sure the squished bug was not a bedbug and he also looked at the mattress and did not find anything to concern him. The bug was going to be examined at their lab, but he said he was 80% sure it was not a bedbug. Phew. Who wants to deal with fumigation on their supposed vacation!? Certainly not me.

Prayers for Fred

2010-02-09T23:41:00.000-04:00

We just heard that Grampie Fred had a stroke. We are just heartsick and are praying for him...

It seems just like yesterday we were spending time with them at Christmas...how life can change in just an instant...

Maddie the Rockstar

2010-02-09T23:21:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, Cher's "Believe" came on on our playlist and because Maddie doesn't miss anything she of course heard the words. So now she goes around singing, "I don't need you anymore, oh I don't need you anymore!" Hahaha!

Houston in pictures...

2010-02-08T22:42:00.004-04:00

I have discovered Picasa! Now I can show you many, many pictures easily!

Anyways, here's our time in Houston so far...
(You can also see how Isaac's eczema on his face is getting better!)

Adventures in Texas Part II

2010-02-07T23:00:00.009-04:00

I can't believe we've been here for a week already! I guess we must be having fun because time sure is flying by. For not really doing a whole lot, this week has sure been interesting. Since my last post a few things have happened that I thought I'd share...

Friday: We needed to buy a stroller, but hadn't had a chance to go searching for one yet. Ken happened to come home for lunch and so we planned to go for a little walk to get the kids out and get some fresh air. As we were getting ready, Ken happened to look out of the living room windows and saw that across the street at a little thrift store named "Angel's Thrift Shop" there were 2 strollers out in front on display. Pretty good we thought, so we went to check it out. The stroller we had our eye on was a little Combi umbrella stroller that looked brand-spanking new, but had no price tag. So we went inside to inquire. You'd have to see the shop owner to believe me, but he is the nicest, friendliest, most well dressed eccentric guy I've met. If you've ever watched True Blood (a name that is quite fitting for our experience there, as you will see next), Laffayette would be the closest I could come to describing him. We had a nice little chat about Canada, snow and the array of punch bowls he had for sale perfect for Superbowl Sunday. He said the stroller was $5. Nice! Sure beat the $20 we would have spent at Target. We bought it and off we went. Because I am a clean freak and obsessed with hand cleanliness, I had my travel bottle of sanitizer with me. So I cleaned off the handles and the buckle, good for the moment, and the rest would get cleaned when we got back home. It wasn't until later, once Maddie had already sat in it for a bit that we noticed a small, odd stain on the back part of the fabric. Ummmm...what was it? On closer inspection I was shocked and disgusted to see that it really looked like blood. Yep...blood? What the? Where did that come from? OK, well, I didn't really want to go down that train of thought, but I did, and what I found there wasn't too pleasing so I stopped thinking about it. Anyways, I know many would have thrown it away, but ummm, we didn't. I mean it only looked like blood, maybe it really wasn't. And it was too good a steal! I mean, the wheels didn't even have a speck of dirt on them! Back at the apartment, I cleaned it really well with my oxygen bleach and my awesome Seventh Generation Disinfectant Wipes (which I am ticked I have not yet seen back home!!!). I'm happy to say it looks brand new and no more stains resembling blood appear anywhere. From this point onward I give you permission to make fun of this event...and you may call the stroller by it's name, "O Neg".

Saturday: Our first weekend day here was also the first sunny day we've had. At 7am when we woke up, the sky was so clear. Maddie, unfortunately, had been up super late (I gave her some kiddie decongestant and I think it made her hyper!), so she was a bit groggy. But she was still determined to go to the zoo, as we had said we were going to go. So we packed snacks, water and dressed in layers (it was still cool, but we knew it would warm up) and headed out. The Houston Zoo is walking distance from here and we now had a stroller to help us out. Ken carried Isaac and I pushed Maddie so we got there pretty quick. What a place! I hadn't been to a zoo in such a long time, I think I was just as excited as Maddie! We saw sea lions, elephants, giraffes, tigers, lions, meerkats, tropical birds and cheetahs...not even half of the animals that live there! The sea lions did a show and Maddie and Isaac were enthralled! I was too! We also got to see the baby elephant (not so little though) get a bath. Maddie and I also rode on the carousel and boy oh boy it truly was magical to see her little face! She was so excited and had so much fun. By noon we were all pooped and we headed back home for lunch and a nap. But we are going back because we bought a pass and are going to take full advantage of it!

Sunday: The day dawned cloudy and cold. Booo. Maddie also woke up coughing more and her voice half gone. So we decided to stay in and recoup. I took the opportunity to clean the apartment. It really does feel weird to be "on vacation" but still have to do laundry, clean bathrooms and cook. Hahaha! But at least we are away from the cold and snow. On a sidenote, Isaac's eczema is MUCH better, whether it be because of the warmish temperatures or partly due to it, I am so happy. I also have to send a shout-out major THANK YOU to my friend Taryn for telling me about Rocky Mountain Soap Company's Body Butter. It really has done wonders for his dry, rashy skin. OK, back to Sunday. Well, being Superbowl Sunday and all, we decided to go out and finally make it to Whole Foods to buy some snacks and other foodstuffs. The cab we called for took forever, and it was only after a second call that one came (we're not having too much luck with cabs so far!). The driver was super friendly though and made the ride pleasant. Isaac slept in his carseat and stayed asleep when we arrived (Maddie stayed home with my mom). My first impression of Whole Foods was that it looked a lot like Pete's Frootique, but with more stuff. Needless to say I loved it and wanted to buy everything we can't/don't get back home! But I resisted and we got only what we needed, well mostly (we did splurge on some treats...). All the staff were amazingly helpful and friendly and the cab they called for us arrived within 5 minutes. Back at home we didn't do too much in the afternoon. Ken and the kids watched the pre-game show for a while and then it was bath/bedtime. I fell in love with Ken all over again because when bath time arrived, he promptly got them ready and in the tub. When my mom offered to bathe them (I was cleaning the kitchen...in case you were wondering..hehehe) he said, "It's only a game, I would much rather spend time with my chillins!" Oooh yah, that's the man I married! (Love ya babe!)

Well, as I am typing, the Saints are celebrating and I can't say how happy I am that they won! After everything they've been through, it's nice to see New Orleans get a win like this. The Patriots are our team, but well, they didn't make it, so well, there you go.

Well, I'm off to get ready for bed. If tonight's going to be anything like the last few nights, I am going to appreciate going to bed early to get what sleep I can get.

Hope everyone had a fun Superbowl Sunday (sorry Colts' fans, but don't feel too bad, I'm sure they haven't forgotten their sweet superbowl victory from not too long ago)!!!

Go Saints!!!

2010-02-07T14:28:00.000-04:00

Happy Superbowl Sunday!!!

Maddie the comedian

2010-02-05T18:53:00.001-04:00

I got Maddie a new movie for the trip to Houston: Barbie as the Island Princess. Needless to say she loves it. The girl's name is Rosella, Ro for short.

After watching it for the first time, she made a joke.

Maddie: "Want to hear something funny?"
We: "Yes."
Maddie: "Ro on the Go!"

Only moms and dads (and maybe those who watch Bo on the Go) will think this is funny.

I personally think it was a cute and funny play of words and I laughed my head off!

Adventures in Texas Part I

2010-02-04T14:09:00.012-04:00

We must have brought the rain with us to Houston! Since we got here it's been overcast, rainy and according to the locals, it's cold. But we don't mind it! For us it's spring-like weather! The sun is supposed to break through this weekend, so hopefully we can go to the zoo then! Ken will be home and it will be nice to visit the zoo together.

So far we have had a couple of exploring adventures. On Tuesday my mom the kids and I decided to venture out to Whole Foods and get some groceries. Google maps gave us exact directions on how to get there, but we still managed to get lost! It didn't help that no one knew where Whole Foods was and what bus would take us there. After riding on a shuttle, a bus and finally a taxi, we ended up seeing a Kroeger's on the way and just decided to stop there. After 1.5 hours we were well-stocked up and called a cab. After about 10 min we saw a taxi van pull in to the parking lot, but as soon as he saw us, instead of slowing down he sped up and left! After another 15 min of waiting we clued in and realized he had refused to pick us up. How rude!!! Well, I went back in and called another cab, this time he was there in 3 min and begrudgingly helped us load the groceries into the trunk. I had given Maddie a piece of bread, as she was starving after walking around all morning. Well as soon as Mr. Taxi driver saw her eating, he had a fit. He started huffing and puffing about how she couldn't eat in his cab. I calmly said, "OK. And don't worry there are no crumbs." Well he must have thought I was saying she could continue to eat, and again went on and on yelling about not eating in the cab. At that point I'd had it. I firmly told him, "Don't be rude to me, she is no longer eating and I was just telling you not to worry because she had not made a mess!" Geez. After that he was silent, luckily it only took about 7 min to get back. When he dropped us off he again hesitantly helped us unload the bags. I shouldn't have tipped him at all, but I did give him about $2. It's all about Karma. Needless to say we were exhausted after all that walking and carrying (which included me carrying Isaac in the Mei Tai for the entire outing). But at least we had yummy food!

Yesterday we had a different kind of adventure. This time it was pleasant. We walked to the Children's Museum and spent a couple hours there, watching Maddie have a blast! Even Isaac enjoyed himself and behaved very well. We will need to go back though, there is so much to see and do we didn't get a chance to finish it all. There is even a little library there, so we signed up for a card and will be able to go there and get books for Miss Maddie Bookworm!

When it comes to how the kids are doing, well lets just say it's been an adjustment. Maddie is having a hard time falling asleep at night. She hears us still awake and doing things and it keeps her awake. But each night has been getting better. Once she's asleep though she sleeps all night. Fortunately the 2 hour time difference hasn't been too bad. Ken was convinced she would be up at 5am every day, but she has adjusted nicely and is waking up between 7-8am. Isaac on the other hand has been sleeping terribly. It has spiralled out of control and on Tuesday night we were at our wits end! He wouldn't sleep in our bed or in his crib, he just cried and cried, even when we held him. He wouldn't even nurse. He was just so tired but couldn't relax. Ken knelt down beside his crib and shushed and rubbed his belly, back and head and after about 30 min he finally was able to relax and fell asleep. I was so moved by his gentle fathering, it made me cry. He refused to leave him alone and was so patient and kept saying, "It's OK little Isaac, just go to sleep...relax...we love you..."

We have been trying to get him to sleep in his crib more and more and I think he's showing signs he's ready. He sleeps so deeply and for longer when he's in there. When he's in bed with us he wakes up every hour and when he is asleep, he's restless and squirmy. So we will see how this transition to the crib goes. We had started a bit at home, but were hesitant because we knew when we got here he would still be in our room and any progress we made would go out the window. But thankfully, true to the stereotype of everything being huge in Texas, the walk-in closet in our bedroom is like a small bedroom. So we have turned it into a nursery! Don't worry, it's not a horribly dark, scary closet. It's nice and spacious and has lots of light coming in from the bedroom. So it's perfect, we can start the transition and hopefully make some progress. I do not do well on little sleep. I have been starting to feel very cranky and impatient and well, not like myself...so hopefully, everyone will start getting some sleep now.

Well today it's rainy again, so we decided to stay in. Next, we need to go buy an umbrella stroller (we forgot ours in the foyer at home!), so I see a trip to Target in the near future.

Details of our next adventure coming soon!

P.S. Just wanted to add that even though we did not travel to an extremely far and foreign place, life here is very different from home. My few experiences and conversations with local people have made me realize some things and have me thinking a lot...more on this later too...

Safe and sound (but not very sane)...

2010-01-31T18:22:00.003-04:00

Phew. We made it. But we lost our minds a little on the way. Isaac didn't sleep very well, so we didn't either. Finally at 3am I decided it was pointless to try to sleep so I got up and finished up the last few things. Then we got the kids ready to go and were on the road at 4:30am. Yuck.

Anyways, we made it to the airport on time (amazing for us!) and were checked-in and ready to go right away. The flight to Montreal went smoothly. I got a little cat-nap and Isaac did too. Maddie did not. When we arrived in Montreal we got to go through the "family" line-up and got to skip the huge line-up to go through customs. I had a "Kat-ism" while the customs guy was asking us questions. It went something like this:

Me (to a cranky Maddie): "Maddie, just be quiet for a minute, we'll be done in a minute and then you can have a snack."

Customs guy: "Umm speaking of snacks, do you have any food with you?"

Me: Yeah, we have cookies, cheese sticks, milk and freeze dried bananas."

Customs guy: "Well, next time make sure you check-off you have food on the customs form".

Me: "Oh I'm sorry, I misunderstood the question. I thought it applied to fresh food." I really did, plus I wasn't really thinking with having only 3 hours of sleep. Ooops. Guess I got lucky that time!

After customs we only had to wait a little while to board again. The next plane was smaller and it was a longer trip. Isaac was pretty cranky and cried for a while and didn't sleep too well. We dicovered that he is cutting 2 teeth, and possibly a third. That explains a lot. I hope they come through quickly so we can all get some relief! He did manage to have 2 little naps, "little" being the key word. Maddie also managed to have a little nap laying her little head on my lap (too cute!). I'm sure everyone on the plane shared our relief when we touched down!

We didn't have to wait too long for our baggage and then we got a minivan taxi to fit everything and everyone in. I was very pleased with how efficient and friendly everyone has been so far.

Our apartment is beautiful and cozy. We are already having a great time! Can't wait to start exploring the surrounding area in the days to come.

The only downside of the day was that Isaac's carseat was damaged en route. The handle of his infant carseat doesn't lock anymore. Well, I guess Air Canada will be getting a call from me soon.

Well, I am off to get these kids to bed. We are 2 hours ahead and they are tired from being up so early. I hope they sleep well tonight!

Texas here we come!

2010-01-30T21:41:00.001-04:00

We will be touching down in Texas tomorrow afternoon and staying for a month. Ken has to do a course and we are tagging along for the ride! We are excited to be getting away from the -20C weather!!!

Needless to say getting ready for this trip has been exhausting. Planning what to take has been tricky, but I think we've done a good enough job. We are even being adventurous and bringing our cloth diapers with us!

I hope the kids (well, mostly Isaac) do well on the planes.

Tidbit on Cosmectic Safety

2010-01-28T22:50:00.002-04:00

Lead in lipsticks. Hormone disruptors in baby creams. Carcinogens in shampoo. Sounds gross right? Well sadly, it is true. Just wanted to share the latest post on EWG's blog for those that want to check it out.

Storytime success!

2010-01-26T22:12:00.007-04:00

Maddie is a shy little girl. Well, when it comes to certain situations she's shy, but other times she is a wild thing! Anyways, I registered her for storytime at our library and it is always a big ordeal to go. Every morning she asks me what we are doing that day. So every Tuesday I tell her that we are going to the library for story time and every time she says she is scared and will not go. I continue to explain that it's fun, that Ethan (her friend) will be there and that she will really like it. Then she replies that she won't have fun and that she wants me to stay with her, etc, etc...We go on like this, back and forth, for a while, until I tell her we should stop talking about it because she's getting too upset. I bring it up again later in the morning and she's still not keen on the idea. I always manage to convince her to go, but she wants me to stay with her. The first class I stayed with her and halfway through she had forgotten I was there! So today I told her she should try going solo.

As soon as Isaac woke up from his nap (or should I say cat-nap, a whole whopping 43 min), I proceeded to get her ready and she did her best to stall our efforts at leaving. First she had to pee, then she had to pick out a toy to bring, then she couldn't put her shoes on...I finally told her we were still going, so she gave up her tactics. When we got there I could see the hesitation in her little face, but it didn't last long. She really surprised me. She held hands with Ethan and together they bravely entered the storytime room without a peep. I waved bye to her and told her exactly where I would be when it was done and that was that. While I waited I browsed the movies and by a stroke of luck, I found her favorite movie right now, Barbie: Swan Lake. Ever since we had to return it a couple weeks ago, she has been asking when we can get it again. We've looked for it a few times, but it was always out. I knew that checking it out again would be the frosting on the cake for her! Half an hour later she came out smiling and holding the book she had picked out. When I showed her the movie her face lit up and she gave me a huge hug. I told her I was really proud of her for trying something new. To top it all off, my friend (Ethan's mommy) asked if Maddie wanted to go home with them on the bus and then I would pick her up later. Riding on the bus has been on Maddie's "To Do" list for a while now, so of course she jumped with joy at the suggestion. So I watched them leave, happy that she was so adventurous and brave, but a bit sad that she is growing up so fast.

Isaac on the mend!

2010-01-25T11:45:00.014-04:00

It's about time I updated on how Isaac is doing...

I almost don't recognize my baby! He is feeling better, not coughing as much and his eczema looks less red and flaky (well, until yesteday morning). I have been very dilegent about making sure he has all his medicines. I am feeling good about this progress!

But the best part is that Isaac has gone from almost not sleeping to sleeping almost all night! On Wed night he fell asleep without a peep. I laid him down drowsy but awake and he didn't fuss or protest to be picked up. Then he slept until 1:30am. Yes! You read that right!!! Then he proceeded to sleep until 5am, then woke up for the day at 7:45am. He has set a new record. I on the other hand didn't sleep. I kept expecting him to wake up so I would wake myself up every time he stirred or made a sound. Well, I was pretty annoyed, but ecstatic he slept so well! Then on Thu night, he slept well again: Down at 7pm, up at 2am, 6am and then 8am. Yippee!!! Since then he has been having a similar sleep schedule. Well, until the weekend. Saturday night was weeeeird. He woke up to poop 4 times, or better said, pooping woke him up. Uggg. Then last night he was up every 2 hours trying to poop and then managing to poop eventually. But all the poops were little puney balls and unsatisfying. Plus he kept scratching his face, I'm sure it feels yucky after the kiwi incident. We are pretty tired today. Poor kid.

At morning nap time today, he was falling asleep, but then suddenly starting crying, that awful little pain-cry. He started grunting again. I gave him a minute or two and when he stopped I took him to the change table, where he proceeded to keep on pooping! Luckily I caught it with a spare wipe I had out. I took him to the potty and finally, finally he pooped like he had been wanting to! I couldn't believe so much poop could come out of such a little guy! Well I hope that's it for now. Goodness I'm annoyed with all this constant rabbit-pooping and I'm sure he is too. I hope now that he's empty (well, for now!) he'll sleep better tonight.

And I guess we are really getting into this pooping on the potty thing with him. He first went sometime a week or so ago when I noticed he was trying to poop and having a hard time. So I sat him on the toilet (i.e., potty) and he pooped! I didn't really make a big deal about it because I didn't know if it would continue or not. But since, he has gone on the potty for almost every poop last week. It's pretty interesting. This baby-led parenting sure leads me into some interesting situations! I don't mind at all, although it will be interesting to see how this develops down the road. I wonder how/if it will affect potty training when the time comes...?

Giving up kiwi

2010-01-24T11:13:00.000-04:00

I love kiwi fruit. It's tasty, it's easy to eat and it looks so pretty. Maddie also loves to eat kiwis. In fact, it is one of the few fruits she will eat. Ken doesn't love it per se, but he does eat them and enjoys them. However, when it comes to little Isaac, well, he eats them, but then instantly breaks out into an awful rash.

This morning we were eating breakfast and Isaac was having banana. Ken was passing him slices of it, but some of them were contaminated by bits of kiwi (from the fruit salad bowl). The poor little guy was eating voraciously, so of course, in went the kiwi. Ken reported that he saw how as soon as the kiwi touched his lips he began getting red and rashy. I went to the grocery store and resisted buying more kiwis. I can't have them in the house right now if it means Isaac is this sensitive to them. Tonight he is still red and his eczema looks very awful again. We'll have to find some other fruit to enjoy for breakfast!

The Shop Local Challenge

2010-01-23T10:28:00.021-04:00

April over at Nurtured has posted about this very interesting and worthy cause and I wanted to pass it along as well. The 3/50 project challenges consumers to pick 3 of their favorite local stores and spend at least $50/month at local businesses. In today's fragile economy, I think this is a very good idea! A few local stores and restaurants we frequented have closed because of poor business in this awful economy (for example, Frog Hollow Books). I would hate to see more of them closing up. If you have favorite places you like to shop at or eat at, then make sure they stay around! It's up to us to support and ensure these businesses stay in, well, business!

With this in mind I have picked 3 of my favorites and although I already spend money at each of them, I will now make a conscious effort to visit them more often and make sure to pick up my needed products there, rather than at, well, you know those big-box places! I admit that sometimes I end up going with the cheaper price (after all this bad economy is hurting us all in some way), but understanding what this means for our local businesses I am committing to shop local whenever possible. Plus, if there's anything that I normally buy at a big-box store, I am now going to make the effort to find out if I can purchase it locally first. I encourage you to do the same! Remember that every bit helps.

My list goes something like this...
1. Nurtured: everything you need for cloth diapering, plus more; much, much more! Definitely could not do without it!
2. The Healthy Bug: they have great variety and great specials too!

3. Home Grown Organic Foods: they have a weekly home delivery of delish organic fruits and veggies, plus other local yummy foodstuffs.

Some of our other favorite places:

- Farmer's Market: the perfect place to support lots of local vendors and farmers.

- Cheelin Restaurant: the most delicious Chinese food I've ever had!

- Tree House Cafe: good food, lots of fun and not too pricey!

I look forward to adding more to my list!

What does your list look like?

A beautiful sight in a tragic situation...

2010-01-21T22:28:00.006-04:00

This photo is both heartbreaking and encouraging at the same time. Despite all the turmoil around, Renante Taris breastfeeds her son, Erikson, comforting him in this gentle mothering way like nothing else can. Renante and her toddler are at a hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

[Photo by Jae C. Hong. Thank you to peaceful parenting mom, Tara Wise Drumm, for passing this photo along.] Thanks Kiwi for posting this so I could pass it along too!

5 stupid things I've done and the one that tops them all

2010-01-20T14:41:00.011-04:00

5. Dating some of the guys I did (obviously before I met Ken).

4. Telling the bouncer at the Split Crow to F-off.

3. Stupid things I've done while drunk (ummm...not really going there. I promise they were stupid).

2. Smoking in junior high and high school.

And the top stupid thing I've ever done...

1. Leaving my kids in the car for 4 1/2 minutes in a parking lot in mid-January.

My mom used to leave me and my brother in the car when we were kids while she went into a store or the post office or whatever quick errand she had to do. But that was in the 80's and early 90's, when older kids weren't in booster seats and could sit in the front seat and moms didn't worry as much if their kids went out to play in the neighborhood streets. But in this day and age I don't know...does anyone do this anymore and not get classified as "horrible mom of the decade"??? I know Maddie is an excellent kid and behaves, but now I think back and say, "What the hell was I thinking!?" Sure it was just barely 5 min, but I cringe when I think of all the "what-ifs". I honestly have no idea why I made that decision. I guess it all comes down to the fact that I wasn't thinking. *Banging head against wall...Sigh* Lesson learned.

P.S. Funny, all the stupid things I have done were before I had my kiddos. Sure there have been silly things I've done since (like cleaning the fridge and then forgetting to turn it back on to the cold setting), but nothing super serious... I was thinking more about this and it's totally out of character for me to do something like that. Hmmm...now I'm a tad worried. Could my severe sleep deprivation be affecting me somehow? Or am I just a terrible mother? Or both? Well, the good thing is that my capability to even do something like this has come to my attention, so now I will be hyper-vigilant of myself.

It all comes down to D-Day...

2010-01-18T21:02:00.005-04:00

Well there were no improvements over the weekend. The only change was that Ken and I are now sick and that Isaac slept even worse. We are still tired. Today he napped OK in the morning but the afternoon nap was a whopping 30 min! He did sleep in the car and stayed asleep for another 30 min at home in the carseat, but he was ready to crash at 6pm.

Today was his appointment with our ND. Basically she said his intestinal tract got effed up during his Delivery Day. All the antibiotics I got during the c-section, plus the lack of breastmilk for the first 24 hours, plus the antibiotics in the breastmilk once he was nursing, all added up to equal reflux and a sensitive, gassy, food-intolerant intestinal tract. Poor little fella. The good news is that we can do something to help:

- Big time probiotics. Triple the dose I had been giving him so far. Helps with restoring the intestinal tract's flora and to reduce gassiness and sensitivity to foods. He should take these until he is at least 1 year old. She said it's also important to prevent him getting asthma later on in childhood (as he is already at risk).
- Fish oil high in EPA (lots of Omega-3 fatty acids). This is an anti-inflammatory and will help with his rash, his eczema and his bronchiolitis. Plus, it's good for the brain, body and all sorts of other stuff. The good thing is he can have this directly now, so he will get maximum benefit.
- Vitamin D. Also triple the dose he was getting. Immune booster and will help with his eczema too.
- Vitamin C. This he will get in a multivitamin powder and through breastmilk (I have to take 3000mg/day).
-Echinacea. Also an immune booster and antiviral. He can take this directly too and it will help get rid of his cough and cold.
-Clover cream. For the eczema on his face.

Oh and yeah, she confirmed what I suspected, he does have a sensitivity to something he's eaten. Most likely it's the bread he had, but to be on the safe side she said we should stop all solids for 3 weeks while the probiotics build up his intestinal flora. I asked if it was OK for him to have something (Isaac loves to eat, he will miss munching), and she said it would be OK if he has veggies (sweet potatoes are best) and fruits (bananas and apples mostly). And, I have to stop wheat and dairy (she said it was OK if I had it a couple times a week, but not everyday. I will surely miss my cheese!). I was very pleased with the visit. Now I just have to stick to the program and religiously ensure he gets all his "stuff" everyday.

I don't have any expectations for tonight. I feel like crap and I know Isaac does too. I just hope we get some rest and tomorrow will be another day...

Killing me softly with his...

2010-01-17T16:36:00.004-04:00

...crappy sleep...

I am tired. I get an average of about 5 broken up hours of sleep a night. Some days, if I am smart and go to bed early, I get close to 6-6.5. I am a girl that needs at least 8 to feel rested. After 6 months, it's taking it's toll. I have fervently read The No Cry Sleep Solution for the 3rd time, in hopes that I can find something, anything to make Isaac sleep better. Deep down I know that he probably needs to start sleeping in his own room. I am sure he wakes up because he hears noise when we come up to bed. But he has been waking up so much during the night, I shudder to think how much worse my nights would be if I have to get out of my warm bed and walk down the hall a million times a night. Plus, we are going away next month and while we are gone he will be sleeping in a crib in our room, so even if we made some progress now, it would all go down the drain next month. For now we are sticking to our current routine of crib in our room and if the wake-ups get too crazy, bringing him into bed. But even with co-sleeping he is restless and wiggly. Some nights I just can't win. Well, to be fair, he is sick and has been for a long time. Maybe if he was actually illness-free he would sleep better. I did read some helpful tidbits in the above mentioned book that should help (and as the title implies, they all require zero amount of crying. Well, parent-induced crying, i.e. laying him down and leaving the room. If he wants to cry while I am holding him then that's OK, at least I'm there for him). Well last night at around 2am, after I nursed him in bed, I scooted myself way over, and actually got him to sleep a stretch of 3 hours last night!!! The other thing I will be working on is getting him to fall asleep in his crib. Not too long ago, he was doing this really well, but with him getting sick and getting extra fussy, it went down the crapshoot. Anyways, I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it's just so darn far away I can't really see it.

Another round? Umm, no thank you...

2010-01-15T18:34:00.002-04:00

I guess we have been dealt the sickness cards again. Isaac has had a cough for weeks and weeks. We have seen an Emerg doc and then last week we saw his pediatrician. Both docs said that they can't really do anything right now. As long as he is not having trouble breathing, we were told to wait it out. Well, the last two nights have been pretty awful. He wakes up every hour or two and is just so fussy, you can tell he's feeling yucky. Well last night for the first time ever, he got a fever. During the day he was fussy, but no fever. Then around 4pm he got a fever again. I just feel so bad for my little baby. I feel helpless, I wish there was something I could do to make him get better. I booked an appointment with our Naturopathic Doctor (ND), but couldn't get in until next week. In the meantime I am giving him probiotics and lots of Vitamin D...and of course lots of breastmilk!

On top of being sick, I think he does in fact have some kind of sensitivity to wheat. When he was 2 weeks old, our ND suggested I cut out wheat from my diet as much as possible, to see if it would help with his tummy issues. I think it did help, but lately I have been slack about it and have started eating it here and there. Now that Isaac is eating solids, I gave him a tiny bit of toast on a couple of occasions and almost immediately he got a tiny bit of a rash around his mouth. It's hard to say if it was from the bread, but it sure makes me wonder. Plus, he's got awful eczema that seemed to flare up around the time he started eating solids.

Well, lets hope we have improvements over the weekend.

Baby Led Weaning

2010-01-14T19:03:00.004-04:00

Well Isaac pretty much hates pureed food and baby cereal. He gags and spits it all out. As you can see in this picture...

So as I always do when I have a question or problem, I started doing some research and reading about babies and introducing solids. The first thing I found online when I looked up problems with eating baby food, was something that totally intrigued and fascinated me called Baby Led Weaning. Here is a snippet from the article on Wikipedia:

"Baby-led weaning (often also referred to as BLW) is a method of gradually weaning a baby from a milk diet onto solid foods. It allows a baby to control his solid food intake by self-feeding from the very beginning of the weaning process. Infants are offered a range of foods to provide a balanced diet from around 6 months. They often begin by picking up and licking the food, before progressing to eating. Babies typically begin self feeding around 6 months, although some will reach for food as early as 5 months and some will wait until 7 or 8. The intention of this process is that it is tailored to suit each particular baby and their personal development. The 6 month guideline provided by the World Health Organisation is based on research indicating the internal digestive system matures over the period 4-6 months. It seems reasonable to posit that the gut matures in tandem with the baby's external faculties to self feed. Baby-led weaning places the emphasis on exploring taste, texture, colour and smell as the baby sets their own pace for the meal, choosing which foods to concentrate on. Instead of the traditional method of spooning puréed food into the baby's mouth, the baby is presented with a plate of varied finger food from which to choose. Contrary to popular belief there is no research supporting the introduction of solids by purees and proponents of baby-led weaning argue that babies can become very confused when stage 2 foods are introduced (with lumps) unsure whether to swallow or chew..."

Crazy, huh? Yeah, that's what I thought too. I took the info and starting churning it in my head, thinking more about it and reading as much as I could about it. I got the Baby Led Weaning Book and also found an online forum of other BLW moms, but was still hesitant. It just seemed so bizarre to give a baby "real" food. But after another week of Isaac being miserable eating purees, but of clearly showing an interest in food (he would watch us so intently as we ate and absolutely loved eating Baby Mum Mum's), I thought I should give it a try, after all it couldn't hurt. So one day I tried giving him chunks of apples and he loved them. Then the next day I tried bananas rolled in crushed cheerios. I put them on his tray and he immediately reached for them and went wild! He just loves to feed himself!!! One of the things that is a bit startling is that sometimes he gags on his food. I read about that too and apparently gagging is a good thing, because the baby learns how to control the movements of his tongue and how to prevent future gagging. He has given me a few "scares", but he works it out, it always sounds worse than it really is. Of course, we still have to be careful and provide him with safe and easy to chew foods. But overall, he is doing really well. So far his favorites are bananas, apples, cheerios, sweet potato and chicken! He's even had broccoli, ground beef and buckwheat waffles. It is very amusing to see him feeding himself, he knows how to chew and he's also figured out how to move food around in his mouth to maximize use of his 2 little teeth. I am sure if people saw him and saw the food we give him, they would stare and shake their heads in disapproval. So, if you are out at a restaurant and see us giving our 6 1/2 month old chunks of meat, pieces of toast, a broccoli floret or other chunks of veggies/fruit, know that we have done our research and we are not doing it because we are ignorant parents ;-)

As a related side note, Maddie at 3 1/2 years old still does not like eating certain "textured" foods, such as mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, and the list goes on and on. It will be interesting to see how Isaac's palate develops as he gets older. Another aspect of BLW that I really agree with is that a baby develop a sense of control over his or her consumption of food. However, regardless of whether it's pureed or not, providing babies with a variety of healthy foods is the best way to start their lifelong relationship with food.

Here's Isaac the first time he had bananas rolled in cheerio chunks (to make them easier to grab)...

Here is a little video of his first time eating banana (and you will also hear the infamous cough he's had for weeks)...

Prayers for those in Haiti

2010-01-13T15:23:00.001-04:00

I can't even imagine what they are going through. All the devastation, the pain, the suffering...My heart breaks when I think of how many lives have been lost...how many children are now orphans, how many mothers have lost children...how many families are now incomplete...my heart just breaks. There seems to be a catastrophic natural disaster so often now. It seems like not long ago we were hearing and watching the news coming from the Indonesia earthquake and the Philippines Typhoon...so sad. Please, if you are able to, donate to the Red Cross or another organization to help. In Canada, each donation to a registered organization are being matched dollar-for-dollar by the government.

Vote for Isaac

2010-01-11T22:34:00.005-04:00

I entered Isaac in a photo contest! He was a happy little model, for about 5 minutes! But I did end up getting some cute shots of him. Follow this link and then click "Like" on the picture of him to vote (only one vote per person). The contest ends on Jan 15. Thanks!

Here are some of the other pictures I took...

Grandpa Update

2010-01-11T21:42:00.006-04:00

After being given a 25% chance of surviving the surgery to repair his aorta, my grandpa survived and is recovering in the ICU. He has been kept sedated to prevent any rises in his blood pressure, but is slowly being weaned off the sedatives. He has tried to open his eyes and is responsive, so the doctors are hopeful that he did not suffer any permanent brain damage. I pray that this is true. Apparently, the medical staff call him the "Miracle Man" because it is rare for a person, let alone an elderly person, to survive an aortic aneurysm. Please keep praying that he continues to do well. He has a long, long recovery period ahead of him and all our good thoughts certainly mean a lot and will help him more than you know!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy!

2010-01-10T22:01:00.000-04:00

It's my hubby's birthday today. The last year of being in his 20's!!! We had my sister-inlaw and her boyfriend, my brother and dad over for supper yesterday. But my mom and Ken's parents were missed. Then today we celebrated with our good friends. It was a weekend of good food, good company and cheesecake! Happy Birthday my love!!! It's going to be a great year!!!

Say no to BPA and other yucky stuff...

2010-01-06T11:45:00.006-04:00

I am trying to keep myself busy and distracted as the minutes tick by and I hear no news about my grandpa. I am thinking no news is good news though...

Anyways, I am reading up a lot on BPA. Here is a very interesting post on the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) blog about the malicious planning of the big kahunas in the plastic industry to keep BPA in use, mostly in the lining of canned foods. In spite of all the research that shows BPA is very harmful and can cause many health issues, they are planning to use fear tactics and target women and minorities to ensure they can keep using BPA in products. It's pretty sad and pathetic and I hope people read up on this and become more informed so we can, one by one, make a difference. While you are on their blog, spare a few minutes to read up on the other important issues they discuss, it's definitely worth it! You can also sign up for regular email updates here. I get these and always find them helpful. Sometimes it's overwhelming to learn about all the yucky, harmful stuff out there. It feels impossible to get rid of everything harmful. But I think that it's better to know and start making a difference little by little, than to not know and risk exposing yourself and your kiddos to toxins.

My grandpa

2010-01-06T10:07:00.005-04:00

As I am typing this, my grandpa is in surgery for an aortic aneurysm. The doctors said the surgery would take 6-8 hours. It started at about 1am (Pacific Standard Time), so they are about halfway. We are just waiting to hear and we are praying. Of course I pray he survives, but if it's his time to go, as hard and sad as it will be, there is nothing to be done. But I pray that he is not afraid and that he finds peace. And I pray for those left behind...especially my grandma as she will take this the hardest...I am thinking of all the moments I shared with him. I am thinking too, about all the times I didn't call to say hello, all the letters I didn't write to him...us humans, we are suckers for punishment. We always realize what we have until we are faced with the possibility of losing it. Let this be a reminder to be grateful for what we have, now. Spend time with the people you love, now. Enjoy each moment...

We will most likely fly out tomorrow morning, but I am waiting to hear from my mom who left this morning. For now all I can do is send out my love and prayers to all my family and to my dear grandpa...

My 2 cents

2010-01-04T09:00:00.034-04:00

On the Nurtured blog, the gals have made a couple of posts about "Things I Wish I Had Known" that is definitely worth a read. One of the wonderful things about motherhood is the camaraderie it brings. Knowing that someone else is going through (or went through) the same things you are brings about strength to get through the rough patches. Sharing knowledge about motherhood and parenting is an essential part of the support a new mother needs. Of course there are often people that provide unsolicited advice (these people are everywhere and say things not only to moms/parents, but to anyone, and most of the time their words are not advice or knowledge-sharing, but judgement). But when it's good-willed, non-judgemental, plain old caring, supportive knowledge-advice, it can mean a lot.

Their post got me thinking about things I wish I had known or done differently and I thought I would share them...

During Pregnancy: When I was pregnant with Maddie I was in heaven. Since I was a little girl I looked forward to the day I would get to be a mommy and my time was finally here. I just loved every minute of being pregnant. I read up on everything I could get my hands on. My favorite book was "The Pregnancy Bible" (I even got a copy from the library when I was pregnant with Isaac because I just loved it and all the info in it about fetal development). I was lucky to come across Dr. Sears and his books during my pregnancy. One of my favorite parenting books is the "The Baby Book". Looking back I am so grateful I read that book before Maddie was born because it introduced me to Attachment Parenting. Because she was a preemie and her needs were magnified because of it, I would not have survived without being an attached mommy. Anyways, going back to being pregnant. Looking back I think the only thing I would have liked to do differently during Maddie's pregnancy was to take more belly pictures and to have read more about what came once the baby was born. But because I had no idea what was going to happen and that I would deliver 7 weeks early I didn't get that far in my books. During Isaac's pregnancy things were totally different. Although I enjoyed being pregnant, I worried pretty much the whole pregnancy (I was terrified of having another preterm birth, perhaps even earlier than Maddie's). And I also read a lot more about labour, delivery and I became more knowledgeable about my options during the delivery. I had a midwife and doula and made a birth plan. I got the chance to do things the way I wanted during his pregnancy. One of the many blessings of having a second child is that you also get a second try at the whole experience. But as I found out, things don't always turn out the way you think they will. So I guess I would say that if I could give my past self some advice I would say try to relax more and just enjoy the pregnancy. Because even though at 36 weeks and beyond you swear you would do anything to NOT be pregnant anymore, you will one day miss it and wish to be pregnant again! I could have sworn this would not happen to me, but yet here I am, barely 6 months after and I miss being pregnant!

During labour and delivery: One night at 32 weeks and 6 days gestation, my water broke and 12 hours later, despite being told she would not be born that day and given medications to stop labour, Maddie arrived into this world. If I could go back in time and give myself advice, I would have said to try to give birth without pain medication. I made it to 8-9cm without anything, when I finally got my epidural in, it was time for me to push, so it really did not do much. Looking back (and after having another labour) my labour and delivery with Maddie was so easy and uncomplicated that it would have been nice to have got through it without drugs. That is why with Isaac, I opted to try (but as it happened, I ended up with all the pain meds in the world!). Anyways, when Maddie was born she was whisked away from me almost immediately. I got to hold her for barely a minute. Ken wanted to stay with me, but I sent him to the NICU so he could be with her and tell me everything later. I am glad I did that, but it was hard being alone with just the doctor for the 3rd stage of labour. That was another thing I had no idea about. Nobody really talks about the delivery of the placenta so I had no clue what was going on, except that the doctor was telling me to push when a contraction happened (my epidural had kicked in by this point). One thing I would also tell my past self is to get a doula. If she had been there she could have kept me company and provided support during that time. I had a doula for Isaac's labour and delivery and she was wonderful and in addition to my midwife and Ken, supported me during a very difficult, long labour. She was good, not just for me, but for Ken too. One of the things I liked best about having a doula was that she was my voice for when I couldn't speak for myself. She knew (because of our pre-delivery meetings) what my wishes were and what I wanted my labour and delivery experience to be. So when I was in full blown pain and focusing on getting through contractions and the nurse or doctor wanted to ask me something she could be there to help out. Also, I needed someone to look after Maddie when I went to the hospital and I wanted my mom to be that person. But that left me without one of my strongest support persons, so Shannon, my doula, was there for me. All in all, she was a great resource and support to have.

Taking Care of Baby in the NICU: After Maddie was born we were thrust into the world of the NICU. As two educated, involved parents we wanted to know EVERYTHING that was part of Maddie's care. I wanted so much to hold her all the time as it felt natural and I had also read that it was beneficial for the preemie baby to be held as much as possible. But because of her jaundice and other medical issues she had to be in her incubator for most of the time. I also wanted to start breastfeeding her right away, but was discouraged from trying by the NICU staff. I completely understand why (preemies tend to not be able to suck, they get tired and need their energy for other bodily functions like growing and breathing...), but it didn't make the instinct to want to do so go away. One of the things I really regret about our time in the NICU is that I was not more proactive about starting my breastfeeding relationship with Maddie. But this was not due to me not wanting to breastfeed, it was due to the lack of support and encouragement from the NICU staff. I was pumping like a crazy woman, every 3 hours 24/7, so at least I had pumped milk to give Maddie. However, they were giving it to her via a bottle with a nipple. I was so innocent and ignorant to the whole thing, that I didn't question this at all. Why couldn't I be the nipple she drank from? I know they had to give her measured amounts, but still, I am sure she would only have nursed until she was full or got tired. I was so desperate to feel that bond that one day, when it was just me and her behind the curtain I latched her on and to my amazement she latched on perfectly. I let her suck for a few seconds and then because I was actually scared I would be harming her (I could kick myself now about this!!!) I unlatched her. I had been made to feel afraid that she was not ready to breastfeed and that doing so could harm her in some way. How ridiculous is that!? A baby is born with the most powerful, natural instinct to feed and there is nothing harmful about that. If I had persisted and told someone about how well she had latched maybe she could have started to breastfeed sooner than she did. But it wasn't until she was 10 days that finally her nurse (who to this day I am so grateful to!) asked me if I wanted to try to breastfeed. So we did and since that day she breastfed like a champ! She started growing so well and a week later (after 18 days in the NICU) she was home, despite us being told she would be there for at least 2 months. So after that experience I swore that if I ever had another baby, and if we ended up the NICU again I would be a better advocate for myself and my baby. Well, 3 years later Isaac came along and lo and behold, he also ended up in the NICU. We were their worst nightmare I am sure. Again, they would not let me breastfeed him right away because they wanted to make sure he was not going to have any complications after having some oxygen deprivation during the labour. But I persisted and persisted and I had my midwife there too persisting as well. Finally, they relented. If I was to pump first I could try latching him to that side. Luckily, I only had to do that once because he was doing well and after about 24 hours after being born was discharged from the NICU. I relished our first breastfeeding moment. After being through all that I came out with the the experience to always trust myself and my maternal instincts. They are there for a reason.

Taking Care of Baby at Home: Once we were home things took on a rhythm of each baby's accord. Maddie needed to eat every 1-2 hours, slept a lot and needed to be held almost always. Isaac on the other hand wanted to eat every 2-3 hours, didn't sleep a lot, but also wanted to be held all the time. After having 2 children I now know how different they can be, even from day one of their lives. There are times when I have had a hard time accepting this. I sometimes wish that Isaac would sleep well like Maddie did. Maddie never took a soother, my breasts were her soother, but Isaac likes his soother and I get a bit of a break. So we take some and lose some and in the end we have 2 wonderful children who we have come to accept for exactly who they are. If I could tell myself back in the days of Maddie's infancy something to do differently would be to relax about diaper changing at night. I would religiously change her diaper every time she would wake up even if she wasn't super wet or poopy. Also having a baby carrier has saved my sanity with Isaac. I think in the early days with Maddie it would have also been good to have one. Some things that I did to keep me sane in the early days with Maddie was to watch DVD's and movies as I fed her. She could feed for up to an hour or more at a time, so I would get a bit restless and bored. With Isaac I put audio books on my iPod and listened to them as I fed him and settled him to sleep at night (he would take an hour or more to finally fall asleep and stay asleep when put down). Knowing that all these moments are but a minute part of the whole picture helps to keep you present in the Now and to enjoy them. Never again will your baby be exactly 1 week old, or 3 months old, or 5 1/2 months old. I know sometimes it's easier said than done, but remind yourself to stay present and instead of wishing away the moment enjoy it for what it is. I constantly find myself thinking, "Oh I wish Isaac would just stop crying to be picked up..." or "I wish he would just sleep and not need to eat so much at night..." or "I wish he didn't need to be held and rocked to sleep..." or a whole bunch of other things. But then I realize that right now I am everything he needs, and that's a nice thing to be. Never again will he need me this much. One day I will look back at these times and I would like to be able to say I don't regret anything, that I enjoyed these moments of my children's young lives to the fullest...But, that is not to say that you will not experience frustration, anger and sheer desperation. It's OK to feel that and it will pass. Just remember to not let it take over and that things will get better. I am living this right now. I am not sleeping well and I am always tired. But I am holding on because I know that one day soon, I will have a wondrous stretch of uninterrupted sleep!

Taking Care of Mommy: I'm sure everyone has heard the saying, "A happy, mommy makes a happy baby" and it's true. If you are happy, feel good about yourself and are taken care of, it makes taking care of your baby the pleasant experience it should be (most of the time! That good old sleep deprivation will still take it's toll, but there are things you can do to help). Before having your baby, when you know it's getting close to delivery day (but not too close!), go to the salon and pamper yourself to a haircut, manicure and pedicure, eyebrow shaping and if you want, a waxing of the legs (and whatever else you wish to wax!). If you can't go to the salon get your friends or partner to help you do it at home. It will be well worth it once you are home with baby and don't have the time or energy to shave and prune. If you are able to, get a massage (heck, get regular massages during pregnancy!). Being relaxed and muscle-ache free will feel nice when you are suffering from sleep deprivation. In the early days after bringing your baby home, don't do anything besides be with your baby, sleep (sleep whenever you can!), eat, and shower. Get family and friends to help with meals, cleaning, laundry etc. If you find yourself needing extra support and/or advice and help, don't hesitate to get it. Contact your local Public Health nurse for questions about baby care, breastfeeding, post-partum healing and mental health. There are also many support groups for breastfeeding. These moms are there to help and no question is ever not worth asking! And the most important thing you can do (well, besides sleeping when baby does), is to remind yourself constantly that it will get better, it will get easier and to enjoy your baby because before you know it your kiddo will be all grown-up...

Looking back and who's there?

2010-01-03T11:10:00.006-04:00

I've had this blog since the summer of 2005. It started out as a way to keep my out-of-town family in the loop, to post pics and to get a chance to write (I love writing). I never really imagined it would turn into anything, but yet here I am still posting. I love having a record of the last 4 years. I sometimes go back and read old posts to remember what was going on then. In all this time though I have never really known who reads my blog. Of course I know my family, some friends and some other blogger/internet friends pop in to read and I love that I am able to share what's happening in our little world with them. But every once in a while I hear someone I wouldn't expect say to me, "Oh I read on your blog..." I would really like to get to know who is keeping up with what's going on in our little family. So if you are out there and would like to, become a follower (a feature I added today!) or leave me a comment here and there (even if I already know you read, I still want to know you are there!). But regardless of who is reading, I will still keep posting whenever I can...

Snoooow!!!

2010-01-02T22:43:00.006-04:00

The snow began falling last night and today we awoke to a beautiful world of white, fluffy snow. Maddie has been waiting so patiently to go sledding, and today we finally went. Our friends came with us with their boys and it was lots of fun. Isaac fell asleep in the car just as we got there so Ken and I took turns staying with him and playing with Maddie. I haven't had this much fun in winter for a long time. It almost makes me like winter again!

Messy baby

2010-01-02T22:00:00.001-04:00

Isaac starting solids is going to be one messy ordeal! So far he's had rice cereal, pears and blueberries. Most of it ended up on his head, face and bib. It's quite funny. If he allows the spoon in his mouth, he gums the mush, then proceeds to try to grab the spoon as I take it out, ending up with food all over his fingers. Then his fingers end up smearing food all over his face and head. The stuff on the bib is from what he spits out. I hope practice will improve the situation. I may need to get bibs that cover his arms.

Added later: I knew I had seen those cover-all bibs, but it's been a while since we've needed any kind of bib. Anyways, I went looking and came across a local store who carries them. They also have lots of other cool baby things and toys.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T15:56:00.006-04:00

Best wishes to everyone for the year 2010! How bizarre is it to see the year in writing? If I was working I would have a heck of a time in getting used to putting that on paper! I am sure even though I am not working I will still take a while to get used to it. I just can't believe how fast time seems to go when you look back. I graduated from high school 10 years ago this coming June, now saying that makes me feel old. Maddie will be 4 this May...FOUR! I just can't believe that. And worst of all I can't believe I will be turning 28. That is just crazy. This last year, whenever I was asked how old I was I had a hard time saying 27. For some reason I seem to have got stuck at my age being 26. The denial begins!

Looking back at the year 2009 so much happened...In January, we took Maddie for her first sledding experience, I can't wait to do that again this winter. She was also taking her first swimming lessons and was in the midst of outgrowing the toddler stage and becoming a little preschooler girl. I was knee-deep in my thesis work, gosh I remember all I did was write and write and edit and write and do more editing. I'm so glad that's over! I defended in March and swore to never do anymore school. The saying goes "never say never," but in all seriousness I do not plan on doing more school. Then we got that awful, horrible flu in mid-March, which we had to take Maddie to the Emerg for. Poor kiddo, I hope I don't have to see her that sick again! That was yucky, but thankfully we got over that without lasting effects. I also finished my work term at the end of March and it was lovely that my doctor agreed I should be off work until I delivered. It is a bit strange to think that I was pregnant with Isaac for more than half of 2009! April and May were spent getting ready for our move. And for me, worrying a tiny bit that I could go into preterm labour at any given point. I also I made a point about spending quality time with Maddie as I knew that soon her world would change forever. Then we moved in early May and then the rest of that month was spent unpacking and getting used to our new neighborhood. I was certain that I would give birth in June, so the whole month I kept expecting things to happen. When they didn't I remember getting more and more impatient. When July rolled in I was so ready for Isaac to come! Thankfully I only had to wait a few days after my due date, which seemed like an eternity, so it's a good thing he wasn't a week or more overdue! Isaac's arrival changed our lives entirely. I had a lot of healing to do physically, mentally and emotionally, which I think I may still be resolving (more the emotional and mental aspects of it). Having a second child is a big change. Learning and finding ways to cope with managing and fulfilling two kiddos' needs was (and continues to be) challenging. Add to that the fact that Isaac has a completely different personality than Maddie (much more demanding, cries more, sleeps poorly) and that Maddie is becoming more and more independent and you have a mix for a 'lose your mind' cocktail that some days I get too much of. The last few months have gone by in a blur. August and September were the worst because I was always tired and my body was still healing. Then in October I finally felt like my old self. This Halloween was the first year when Maddie actually had fun. November arrived with another bought of the flu and it went by too fast. December seems like it didn't even happen! Christmas was so magical this year, I look forward to next year. But I can't believe how fast the days went by. One day it seemed like it was Dec 1 and now it's the year 2010!

I now know (apparently in my old age...hahaha!) that time goes by way too fast. These difficult times with a baby under 1 year will certainly pass and be gone. I love my kiddos so much and I don't want to look back and say I didn't enjoy their early years as much as I could have. I am going to resolve to enjoy every moment of their young lives. Even the difficult and trying ones. Who knows, maybe we will decide to have another one! But don't hold your breath, Ken and I are doing just fine with the 2 we have right now! There are a lot of changes coming up in our lives in the next year and beyond, but I also resolve to stay focused on each day at hand. I know that is the only way to cope and to enjoy life! And, that will be the motto of the year 2010. This year is a year for New Beginnings for me. So I have a chance to start things afresh and lay the groundwork for years to come (maybe that's why I felt it was time for a new look for the blog!?).

So here's to a happy, healthy and bountiful 2010!

Ringing in the New Year...

2010-01-01T14:59:00.001-04:00

Isaac has been sick for at least 6 weeks. He's got a cough that just won't go away. So today we both felt it was time to take him to the doctor. We went to my favorite place, the kids Emerg. It was nice to see some of the nurses I used to work with and Dr. B, who is wonderful (and who incidentally has seen Maddie 2 of the 3 times she's been there), was on duty. Well he had a chest x-ray which showed clear lungs, but inflammation of the bronchiols, so he has bronchiolitis. But we were told to wait and see what happens in the next week. If he still has the cough he might need a puffer to help with the inflammation. I doubt this cough is contributing a whole lot to his crappy sleep. But maybe it is. Maybe it's teeth, maybe it's growing pains, heck, it could be anything or it could just be the way he is. So for now we keep on trucking. Our truck is running low on gas, but at least it's still going...

Happy Holidays Part II

2009-12-25T22:06:00.000-04:00

Christmas Day Pictures...

Goofy Maddie with her new puzzle all the way from Mexico

Helping Tita open her secret santa present

The kiddos helping Daddy open his present

Isaac having fun with Great-Nanny Cam

Great-grandparents and great-grandkids

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-25T21:20:00.002-04:00

Christmas Eve pictures...

Daddy and Isaac

Isaac crashed and fell asleep in the Mei Tai

Maddie with great-Nanny Cam and Great-grampie Fred

Ken's gift from his secret santa (my brother): Popcorn maker and a bonus gumball machine

Mommy and Isaac

Feliz Navidad!

2009-12-25T16:43:00.004-04:00

Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas! What a special time this is! I am so blessed and so grateful. I love my family and friends and hope everyone is having a wonderful day. We have had such a happy last couple of days, especially Maddie. She has been enjoying all the festivities so much. Isaac has been behaving, but he gets sleepy and cranky because he's up past his bedtime. But we can usually get him to have a catpnap in the Mei Tai to give him a second wind. Last night we had dinner with my parents, brother and aunt and cousin (here all the way from Mexico!) and Ken's grandparents. It was lots of fun and the food was delicious. This morning was awesome! Maddie actually slept it, we had to wake her up at 8:30am because we just couldn't wait! She loved all her gifts, especially her Disney Belle doll and Cinderella figurine set. We had the traditional Mexican Christmas breakfast of 'huevos aguados'. So much good food happening! On that note I should get going. We have dinner at Ken's aunt's. Pictures to come soon! Lots of love to everyone!

Let the festivities begin...

2009-12-20T22:26:00.004-04:00

Recent pictures (in somewhat random order)...

First snowfall of the season

At my dad's work Christmas party
I have no idea what she's doing in this picture, but it looks like she's having some kind of seizure! There was a magician who performed for the kids and Maddie just loved the show!

After having our Christmas pictures taken

A gift from my May Mommies group secret Santa

Making the gingerbread house

Visit with Santa at the mall. Maddie refused to sit with him and have her picture taken so instead I got a picture of her and Ethan playing with the Christmas trees.

Isaac's first visit with Santa

Ken's work had a 'Santa and Cookies' event and Maddie actually sat with Santa long enough for a picture! It was kind of funny, her and I were just going to go and say hi to him and get her gift, but he grabbed her and sat her on his lap thinking that she was going to pose for a picture. She looked at me with a bit of fear but I just smiled and took a picture quickly!

Making her cookies

Putting up our tree...

Happy Holidays!

Laughs

2009-12-20T21:25:00.005-04:00

It's moments like this that make it all worth it. Isaac was at the brink of a pre-bedtime meltdown when Maddie started jumping around to make him feel better. Well she sure managed to do that! It makes my heart melt to see the two of them interacting like this...

Teef!

2009-12-12T22:29:00.001-04:00

Phew...it seems that I have been "Isaac is teething" forever! But this time is for real. His first little tooth has finally cracked through! Poor little fella. I just know the one right next to it won't take long to come through. I feel so bad for him...and for me...and for Ken...I see no quality sleep anytime soon. Hopefully I'm wrong.

Justification for calling Daddy

2009-12-09T21:43:00.003-04:00

We heard Maddie calling a while after she had gone to bed, "Daddy, daaadeeeee..." So Ken went up to her room. I heard them going to the bathroom. A little while later Ken came back down laughing. She had said to him, "My bladder said 'I'm going to fill up and wake Maddie up and she will have to call Daddy.' I was sleeping but then my bladder was yelling in my ear."

A wee confession...

2009-12-03T20:52:00.003-04:00

I have something I need to get off my chest. I confess that every day Maddie says or does something completely adorable, amazing, funny, intelligent...and I always say I will write it down and 90% of the time I don't. This makes me sad. She is growing up way too fast and I want to remember all these precious moments of her childhood. I am making an early New Year's resolution to keep a better "Maddie Moments" journal from this day forward. Oh and it goes without saying of course that I will do the same for Isaac!

Just a quick little update

2009-11-27T21:55:00.003-04:00

We are all doing well. Thankfully we are now healthy. I ended up getting a random fever just for a day about a week and a half ago, but after that there have been no more health issues. And I really hope and pray it stays that way for a long while! Isaac is giving us a good night here and there to keep us happy and to give us hope. And of course he is smiling, babbling and being extremely cute. Hahaha! They sure know how to wrap themselves around our fingers! Maddie is amazing. It's so awesome to let yourself get lost in her world, it really is a fun place. Of course, sometimes I have to yank her back to reality! Supper time has really become quite the ordeal, but we have managed to come up with some creative solutions. Instead of her leaving the table to play in the living room, we now play at the table. I-Spy and other fun guessing games have become favorites. I am really looking forward to the Holidays, Maddie is very excited about Christmas! Next weekend we will decorate and put up our tree. Then we have a Santa visit, cookies to make, cards to send out and lots of cheer to spread around. It's pretty incredible that 2009 is nearing an end. But there's still lots of it left to enjoy!

Why it's all worth it...

2009-11-19T22:18:00.003-04:00

We have been having a tough time lately. Me and Ken are tired. Tired is an understatement. We are exhausted. Isaac's sleep has taken a turn for the worst and it is spiralling out of control! I am pretty sure he is going through a growth spurt again, which is fine, but he has added to the mix some behavioural antics which are making putting him down to sleep impossible. He resists sleep even though he is exhausted, he kicks his little legs like crazy, refuses his soother, won't let me rock him or nurse him. So what can I do!? Then he starts crying like crazy. Then I go through all the above things again to just find something that works! He will eventually let me nurse him or rock him with his soother and he will eventually (sometimes after an hour or more!) go to sleep. Oh my. I am just so tired and being tired and dealing with a difficult non-sleeping baby makes for a not so patient mommy. But I am determined to help things make a turn for the best. Tonight I nursed him until he was full and then I put him in his crib and stayed there comforting him, stroking his head, rubbing his belly, popping his soother back in..all while he fussed and cried. Eventually he got so tired that he took the soother and started to drift off. He kept opening his eyes to check if I was still there and finally after about an hour he went to sleep. I know that by overstimulating him by trying everything in the book to settle him we were making it worse. He just wants to sleep and just needs help in realizing he can do it and that he wants to do it. I will continue, of course, to be there for him and comfort him, after all he is just a baby. But there is a time and a place for everything and waking up to eat and then not wanting to go back to sleep at 4am is a no-go in this house! Ahhh...in all honesty I had forgotten the dirty details of baby-sleep from Maddie's days as an infant. But it is all worth it. Just looking at what a beautiful little girl she's turned into makes me pull through and realize that these early life moments are so formative and important for little kiddos. This is the time when they create and form bonds and trust with their caregivers. And tonight Maddie melted my heart and reminded me why it's all worth it. We were talking about the new movie "The Blind Side" and Ken said something about the guy not having a home and not having a bed to sleep in. She looked quite shocked and asked why. I explained that some people don't have homes, don't have enough money to have a house or buy food...Then she turned to me and said, "Mommy, we can give them our money." We have never really talked about this with her, so for her to make that statement really shows she is such a caring little girl. Moments like that make you feel so proud as a parent. To heck with a few months of sleep deprivation, it will all be a romanticized baby memory in a few years time.

Unexpected visitor

2009-11-12T20:52:00.004-04:00

In spite of my somewhat over the top hand washing and sanitizing, H1N1 came to visit. I got pretty sick on Sunday night, with a fever, the chills, body aches and a pretty bad cough. I isolated myself at night in Isaac's empty bedroom (he is sleeping in his crib in our room), on the tiniest of air mattresses to ride it out and hoped for the best. Luckily, Maddie and Isaac seemed to only get a cough, which is good. I still have a lingering couch, which is annoying me, but no longer contagious. Thank goodness, because I have the worst case of cabin fever! Today we finally ventured out. I took the kids to the grocery store (oh fun!) and then we came home to unload and then went right back out for a nice walk. Maddie came up with some pretty cute comments while at Superstore. When she saw all the Christmas stuff out, she said, "Christmas stuff already!" I must have said something like this the other day and she remembered and copied me! Then she helped me put everything we needed in the cart. She would ask, "What else do we need?" So I would show her and she insisted of getting off the shelf and putting it in the cart without help. And of course she wanted all the toys out on display. I told her we would have to make a list for Santa....I hate to think that the innocence of Maddie when it comes to gifts and Christmas may be about to change. But we are definitely going to continue our tradition of simple, uncomplicated Christmases, where it's about family time and not just about presents.

Well, I guess now I can say I survived the swine flu. All that hubbub around the vaccination and well, now I don't think we need it. I think it's way too weird that we had to get sick right when the vaccination clinics started. Interesting timing. Although I am sure if I tell my doc I am foregoing the shot he will still insist on us getting it. Well, vaccines are pretty ineffective for young children anyways so I don't see the point anymore and plus, we've already been exposed and have the real deal antibodies to this virus. Now I just hope we stay flu free for the rest of the winter!

One year ago...

2009-10-28T09:43:00.002-03:00

One year ago today was the day I found out I was pregnant with our little Isaac. I can't believe a year has gone by already! I still remember that day like it was yesterday...one of the happiest days in my life. It's funny, I also remember the day I found out I was pregnant with Maddie very clearly. Just like the days they were born, those two dates will forever be in my memory because it was the point in our lives that we knew everything would be different and more wonderful!

H1N1

2009-10-22T15:27:00.005-03:00

I have to admit that over the last few weeks I have been thinking a lot about the H1N1 virus. It's in the media, people are talking about it, and I read about it every day on the Internet and the forums I meander. It doesn't help that you hear about more and more people getting sick with it every day. Normally I don't worry too much about the flu. It is something that comes around every winter and unfortunately people get sick...us included. We got so sick last March that I still haven't forgotten how awful it was. Maddie ended up in the emerg, dehydrated and so lethargic it was scary to see her so limp. No mother wants to see her kids sick like that. I remember thinking I would have much rather she be running around driving me crazy, than just laying on the sofa and bed all day without energy to even take a drink. But, as much as the flu is a given with every winter, H1N1 has me a tad bit more worried. Especially when you hear about kids getting severely sick and sometimes dying. At the same time I'm hearing all this stuff about the vaccine and how it might not be 'safe'. And I'm also hearing about moms against vaccinating, for various reasons...mostly about the question of vaccine safety, that it's just another virus and/or our bodies are able to fight it if we practice a healthy lifestyle. As much as I also believe that our diet and lifestyle can have a huge impact on our health...something about this virus seems scary. Yes, it might just be another virus, but unlike chickenpox or some other 'well known' viruses which do not really change over time (or change very slowly), it is considered a flu virus, that means it has the potential and most likely will mutate quickly and potentially get worse. So, I'm faced with the decision of whether or not to vaccinate myself and my kiddos (well Maddie for now and Isaac when he's 6 months). I've also thought about the regular flu shot. Which unfortunately has fallen off people's radar, but it's still an important consideration. When you think about it though, both the regular flu and H1N1 vaccines are made the same way. The flu shot is made every year with the virus that's going around for that particular year, so really, this H1N1 vaccine was made just as quickly and in the same way as the other flu vaccines. Still, I can see why people, me included, might be a bit hesitant about it (I'm usually hesitant about the regular flu shot too!). But for now I'm 80% leaning towards vaccination...the rest of me is susceptible to those doubts about the vaccines safety and effectiveness...Oh, decisions, decisions...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-10-14T20:52:00.005-03:00

Just the other day I told my friend that I thought it would be a long time before there was a turkey cooked in my oven! Well, life is funny, because the very next day after chatting with my mom and realizing how much she's got on her plate I decided it would be better if she didn't have the added task of cooking Thanksgiving supper. And of course, we just couldn't have the holiday go by without a turkey! So, Ken and I hosted Thanksgiving supper at our place. It was so nice. We had my mom (my dad's out of town), brother, sis-in law and her boyfriend come over for a nice dinner. Maddie had lots of fun and Isaac behaved well, although the poor little fella was tuckered out by the end of it all. It was nice to spend some time with our family and we thought about and sent our best wishes to all those family members who are away. I am so very grateful for all the wonderful blessings we have in our lives...

To tie up the long weekend Ken and I watched the movie Food, Inc. If you get the chance to watch it, please do. We've read several of the books written by the people interviewed in the movie, and although the movie did not go into as much detail as the books do, it is an eye-opening film. I could go on and on about it, but all I will say is that I hope more and more people start to become more aware and more involved in bringing about a food revolution. I always feel a bit overwhelmed after watching or reading stuff like that. I sort of feel like change is impossible, but it is not. One by one we can make a difference.

On that note, if you aren't able to shop for your food at the local market, you can also sign up to have a veggie box delivered to your door (in the HRM) by Home Grown Organics Foods. They also give you the option of customizing your box, by adding meat, yogurt, baking goods and a whole bunch of other stuff. Of course, if you have the time and energy to go to the market it's always a great experience! The point is that you should get to know your food, after all it it is one of the most intimate relationships you have!

Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge

2009-10-04T21:04:00.002-03:00

On Saturday, the kids and I went to the Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge held at the IWK. This event was held to raise awareness about breastfeeding. It was pretty cool when all the babies latched on at the same time. But I was a bit surprised that there were not that many women there. Maybe this is in part due to the fact that Nova Scotia has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in Canada. I hope that as time passes the numbers of breastfeeding mothers increase too. Later that day an article appeared on the CBC news website, and boy, oh boy, some of the comments were jaw dropping. I could not believe the ignorance and plain stupidity of some people. If you feel like having a read here's the link "Halifax Babies Latch on for Breastfeeding Event" .

It is so sad to see that there are still people who see breastfeeding as something that needs to be hidden, as something dirty, as something to be ashamed of doing in public. I pray that this kind of attitude soon reaches extinction.

In the meantime, I say to all breastfeeding mothers, do it and do it proudly, whenever, wherever!

Isaac news

2009-09-28T09:37:00.006-03:00

It appears that we have found the reason for Isaac's crankiness and restlessness (well part of the reason). He is teething!!!! He has 2 little teeth on the bottom that are just under the gums. Who knows how long it will take for them to break through, it could be days, weeks or months! But they are already bugging him, so I hope it doesn't take long. He is so drooly and always trying to put something in his mouth. It doesn't seem fair to be teething at such a young age...but oh well, it's got to happen.

The other reason he has been uncomfy is due to his tummy churning and gassiness. We have seen our naturopath, an ostepath and a homeopath ("path" galore!!!) and he is finally doing better. The osteopath worked on adjusting him after the birth. The homeopath recommended some drops for the tummy issues and gave me some dietary changes to help make my breastmilk more edible. Then we saw the homeopath for a final tweak to help his tummy. I have to say that starting out, I was a bit skeptical. These treatments are so gentle and their effects strong, but make their appearance subtly. But I notice such a huge difference in him now. Of course, he is still a baby, with all the baby needs. So sleeping 12 hours at night is a ways off I'm sure, after all a baby needs to eat to grow! And he sure is growing!!! Almost 14lbs! He is certainly happy and healthy, and that's all I could ask for.

It's the weekend!

2009-09-25T21:56:00.003-03:00

This last week has resulted in me trying to find my happy place and staying there...TGIF!!! Both kids have fought naps, not napped long enough and as a result been whiny, tired and cranky. Well, the end result is one very tired and cranky mommy with little patience...sigh...That's not to say we haven't had good times too (re-enacting The Little Mermaid, making muffins and playing hide and seek, to name a few) but for some reason, overall, we have all been a bit crankier than usual.

Thank goodness they are cute. And it's nice they say they love me, Maddie with words and hugs and kisses, and Isaac with smiles and coos and gurgles. Sure makes it worth it...

Vaccinations and check-up

2009-09-18T15:35:00.004-03:00

Isaac got his 2 month vaccinations today. I was so nervous, I remember feeling like this with Maddie too. I always worry about an adverse reaction. But after doing a lot of reading we decided getting the protection far outweighs the minuscule chance of a reaction. As I am typing, little Isaac is still napping away. He did pretty well, he cried during the injection, but calmed down right after. I nursed him during the whole thing so I think that really helped.

And, guess how much he weighs now!? 13lbs 4oz!!!! I couldn't believe it. 2 1/2 weeks ago he weighed 11lbs! He is growing so fast, he is now in 3-6 months clothes!

Overall, he is doing well. The last couple of days have been a bit hellish....he hasn't napped well and cried pretty much the whole time he was awake. It's been driving me a bit bananas!!! Today doc said to put him back on the Zantac for reflux. I had stopped giving it to him because he seemed to be doing better. But today I told the doc, "Isaac is gassy, restless, wakes up super stuffed up...what could this be...?" He looked at me like, "Duh...reflux!" Hahaha! Yeah, well there you go. So we will try it for another week and see if it helps. I am so keeping my fingers crossed it does, because although he doesn't sleep terribly, I could use even just one longer stretch of sleep!

Cuties

2009-09-15T22:00:00.002-03:00

Here are a few random pics from the last couple weeks...

Maddie playing...

Happy little man after his bath...

Sleeping in the summer heat...

Isaac is growing and growing. He smiles and coos and laughs so much, it's adorable! He also is crying more...Ah the balance of the universe. Granted, both Maddie and him have little colds right now, so that's probably why he's a bit more fussy. But, knock on wood, he is sleeping pretty well. He wakes up about 3 times, but gives me 3-4 hours between awakenings, so at least I am getting some sleep. He is holding his head so well, I put him in the Bumbo and he did pretty well. He also loves his bouncy seat, he kicks away like crazy. I can't wait to be able to put him in the Jolly Jumper! Maddie is doing great. She loves Issac so much, it melts my heart. She is such a great helper, most of the time! Like any 3 year old when she wants something she wants it NOW. But she is very good about understanding that sometimes I can't attend to her right away. I am having a bit of a hard time on some days tending to both their needs when they want something at the same time. Nap time has so far been the trickiest cause they both want to go to sleep at the same time. Well, my Mei Tai has come in very handy on days like this.

Oh boy, well it is almost 10:30pm and I should go to bed. The precious few hours I get of sleep should be maximized!

Bedtime smiles

2009-08-20T21:41:00.004-03:00

We finally caught Isaac's smile on camera! He loves hanging out with his big sister!

August Fun!

2009-08-16T22:03:00.006-03:00

Here are some recent pictures...

In the summer heat...

Out for a nice evening walk...

Maddie's new quotable words are, "Can I hold him?" Well here she is holding him!

Here she is singing the Little Mermaid song...

Playing grocery store...

Looking cute in his Chocolate Charlie dipe...

One month

2009-08-07T15:59:00.003-03:00

My little man is one month old tomorrow. Although it doesn't seem like time has gone by fast, when I say "one month" I can't believe it. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was desperate for him to be born! But at the same time I feel like sometimes the days go by so slowly. I think in part this is all due to the fact that I am kind of sequestered at home and dependant on having a driver and help around the house to do some things (darn c-section!!!). But I'm so close to reaching the 6 week post-partum mark when I can finally drive and lift things (and little people) over 10 lbs and vacuum and all sorts of other good stuff! In the meantime we have been having some nice weather, for a change, so we have been enjoying the outdoors. Isaac is starting to smile and coo and gurgle...little noises that I'd forgotten how cute they were! Maddie is doing wonderfully. She is still very helpful and loves her baby brother more every day. I know that very soon there are going to be those sibling moments that cause parents to blow a fuse, but for now I'm enjoying her doting on Isaac as much as she does. Well it's feeding time around here, an appointment I can't be late for!

Sleep...or lack thereof...

2009-08-03T22:10:00.004-03:00

I don't know why but I'm obsessed with sleep and how to get it. It's like a much desired and needed drug to me. With Maddie I was way more sleep deprived than I am now. That says a lot about Isaac's sleep, but still I find myself so tired. Which is normal, but....but...I still wish Isaac would sleep a bit better. He hates his bassinet (not surprised about that, Maddie did too), so he is sleeping in our bed. I love this but he is so loud in his sleep (grunts, groans, whimpers...) that I find it hard to sleep. I know it won't last long and that soon he'll be in his own bed, so I am trying to enjoy it. Also, he is very easily startled so even if he is fast asleep he can wake himself right up (drives me nuts!!!!), but he hates to be swaddled, so can't win that one! And, he is such a gassy little guy that his tummy causes him trouble sometimes. At least he can let the air out, but still he gets uncomfy, usually at night so our sleep is interrupted. I remember all too well how quickly and easily things change, so who knows it might change for the better soon. Then it will be good for a while and then all change again...

Two weeks old!

2009-07-22T19:05:00.003-03:00

I actually have a free minute to be online! It feels like I have been living in my bedroom forever, although it really was only the first few days after coming home. I am feeling better every day. The soreness in my belly is still there, but definitely getting less and less. I can't believe Isaac is 2 weeks old today! See, that's what I've been saying, before I know it he'll be having his first birthday! Overall, things are pretty good. Isaac is such a different baby than Maddie. He is fairly easy to keep happy and he hardly ever cries. We've had a few rough nights, but overall he is a good little nighttime sleeper. He breastfeeds like a champ too. Our midwife was here on Monday to check him out. To all of our surprise he gained a whole pound in one week!!! I knew he felt heavier, but I never thought it was a whole pound heavier! I am so happy he is doing well. Sometimes I find myself thinking, "Oh how am I going to survive the next few months!?" But holy smokes, the kiddo is already 2 weeks old! Time really does go by fast so I better enjoy this...all of it...the good, the bad and the sleep-deprived ugly!

Well, on that note I must be off. There is a princess to bathe, a little prince to nurse and a very tired mommy to get to bed!

Introducing Isaac Matteo!

2009-07-18T22:08:00.004-03:00

He is here!!! Isaac was born on July 8 at 4:22am. Labour started at around 7am on July 7. After 18 hours of labouring (most of it at home) I couldn't stand the pain anymore and got the epidural. Isaac was posterior, he never truly dropped and his heart rate started to drop, he was getting exhausted and stressed, and so was I. After a few more hours of trying to see if he'd drop we all decided it was getting too scary and he was not coping well. So he arrived into the world via a c-section. I am still dealing with it all, and once I have more time I'll post the long version of his birth story. But for now, I am happy to report we are doing well. I am so very grateful and feel very blessed to be holding my baby boy! Maddie is an amazing big sister. She is so helpful and loving with him...I am so proud of her. I know the next few months will be a time of adjustment, with many ups and downs, but I am really looking forward to it because I know they aren't little for very long.

Happy Due Day to Me!

2009-07-05T21:58:00.001-03:00

Well my due date has come and gone. I am experiencing a roller coaster of emotions. I swing from sheer desperation, wanting this baby out, freaking out that something might go wrong...to complete peace and acceptance that I could still be pregnant for many a days to come. Right now, I am in a moment of acceptance, but come morning I will probably again be wondering why the heck I have not yet gone into labour! I feel like a time bomb, without a timer, just ticking away. Well I know one thing for sure. One way or another this baby is coming out soon...it really is just a matter of time. The hard part is the waiting and the uncertainty of the whole thing. I have my next prenatal on Tuesday. If I'm still pregnant of course! Here's to hoping that something happens before then!

The summer fun begins!

2009-07-03T21:36:00.000-03:00

These were taken last month at the HRM Parent party. I should have posted them sooner, but oh well. We had lots of fun. Cute little Maddie, as usual, decided to go against the grain and get her arm painted instead of her face! She also asked for an elephant (kind of caught the lady of guard, but she did a good job!). I love watching my kiddo enjoying the moment...having so much fun!

Comforting words...

2009-07-02T14:46:00.004-03:00

As a gift from my mommy, I was given the book "Zen Meditations on Being Pregnant" by Roni Jay. A while back I read through the whole thing and really found it peacefully comforting...such truth to her inspiring words. Well, now that I am at this point in my pregnancy, I am really absorbing her words about waiting patiently...

"Enduring the waiting...
In the Artic, the long winter seems to last almost forever before spring finally arrives. In arid tropical regions, the dry season drags by for most of the year until the rains finally come. Waiting for the birth, especially if it is late, can seem similar. We grow heavier and more uncomfortable, we are anxious to see our baby and to begin our new life with it, and everything just seems to stand still. We can only try to enjoy our last few days or weeks of free time, knowing that however far off it seems, the spring will come at last." -Roni Jay

"Patience...
As a pebble on the beach is slowly worn down by the sea, it sits patiently, and each day it is minutely smoother than it was yesterday. Our pregnancy might seem to last for ever, but each day is different. Each day the child within is being gradually shaped, like the pebble. If we wish the pregnancy over with, we wish away all those precious moments of our baby's life. However far ahead the pregnancy stretches, never after today will we be exactly twenty weeks pregnant with this child, or thirty-three weeks, or whatever it is. If we are patient, like the pebble on the beach, we will enjoy each day for itself and the moment of birth will still arrive when it is ready." -Roni Jay

Ah...I've also been thinking...pregnancy really does teach a woman a lot, especially about motherhood. It makes you realize that you have to accept things you cannot change, to let go and go with the flow. It prepares you for the sleep deprivation and tiredness you will feel in those early weeks and months. It makes you realize what it's like to share and give your body to another living creature. And also it gently demands the patience you will need for motherhood...

So all in all, the waiting to hold and meet my baby is a good thing...

The "almost 40 weeks" update...

2009-06-30T21:49:00.003-03:00

All I have time and energy to say is that yep, I'm still pregnant. However, the braxton hicks of previous weeks have kicked it up a notch and are a wee bit more intense, but nothing resembling "real" labour yet. I did have an episode of prelabour or false labour (whatever you want to call it) on Sunday, but, much to my dismay, things dwindled away. Today was my prenatal and KC was successful at bringing my posterior cervix forward (who knew that could happen!?), so now whenever I get a contraction I REALLY feel his head in action! I am really hoping this means things will start to progress to the next level. I am so ready to have this baby!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T22:25:00.007-03:00

Even though I am grateful and feel very lucky every day to have such a wonderful husband and father of our lovely daughter, today I want to especially thank him and celebrate this special day...

Thank you Ken, for being so supportive, loving and fun! For working so hard to provide for us. For being so helpful and involved. For everything you do and will do to keep us safe, happy and healthy...

Maddie and I (and Isaac too of course!) love you so much and we're so happy we have you taking care of us! Happy Father's Day!

Presenting the 37 week belly...

2009-06-18T22:15:00.007-03:00

Last Sunday was a beautiful sunny day, so we decided to do our own photo shoot, it was lots of fun. I feel so weird, being this far along and to have such a wonderfully big belly. I'm happy I got some pictures to remember this time...

Why I made French toast...

2009-06-16T21:24:00.007-03:00

Last night I got a lovely massage from my hubby. My legs ached so bad and just everything had that tired achy feeling to it. As usual my nightly toss and turn session resulted in several middle of the night wake-ups. At 3am, after trudging to the bathroom for the 3rd time, I heard little footsteps in the hall. Maddie was awake, holding her stuffed panda and a little groggy and upset. Apparently, she was was very thirsty and just needed a little drink. So after getting her a drink and a visit to the potty, she, thankfully, went back to sleep with no protesting. I headed back to bed to hopefully also go back to sleep. I did, but it was a restless sleep. I heard the rising of the birds, the first few neighbors taking off early in the morning and just when it felt like I had drifted into a nice slumber, the radio came on. 6am...of course hubby did not immediately wake up. So I rubbed his back and he turned off the alarm. After I while I woke up again. I thought he'd woken up, but instead he only seemed like he had and we'd both gone back to sleep and it was now 6:45am, usually the time he is 95% ready to head out the door. Oooops. I offered to get up and help him get stuff ready, but he insisted that I stay and enjoy the few moments of sleep before Maddie woke up, and he disappeared into the bathroom. I closed my eyes, feeling sleep about to take over...and then the only thought I heard in my head was, "Get up and make your hubby a yummy breakfast." Yes, I know I didn't sleep well. And yes, I am pregnant and more than often, I feel I should be pampered to my last whim. And you know what, I am. All by my wonderful hubby. But, in reality, you only have certain moments in life to show your significant other that you love them unconditionally, and this was one of them. So I headed downstairs to make his breakfast, in record time I might add!

Now, in a few weeks time, I have to say that even though I may want to get up and do certain things, I will not have the energy to do so...but you know what? I know my hubby will completely understand...

Student no more...

2009-06-12T22:23:00.004-03:00

With everything else that's been going on I totally forgot to mention that I am officially done school! I defended on March 13, handed in my final thesis on April 7 and graduated on May 25! I was not able to go to the ceremony as I was instructed to take it easy that week and stay off my feet as much as possible, but I got my degree in the mail the other day and it is bizarre to see all that work represented on that official looking parchment paper. After almost 4 years and a lot of hard work I am so happy and proud to be done!

36 weeks!!!

2009-06-08T21:15:00.004-03:00

If someone were to have told me that I would not be having a preemie this pregnancy, I would have been a wee bit skeptical. Part of me did think that perhaps this little baby would be making an early arrival. I worried in early pregnancy about all the contractions, cramps and pelvic pressure. I found all my ultrasounds so very reassuring and I looked forward to being told all was well. Throughout, I hoped and prayed and trusted that my body knew what it was doing and that all would be well. But at times it was hard not to worry. And now that I've made it this far in my pregnancy, I am experiencing a complete reversal of emotions! I am now looking forward to contractions and pelvic pressure. I am so excited and full of anticipation to meet this little baby! Everything in the last 9 months has led up to the next few weeks...I can't believe that soon we will be welcoming a new little human being into the world, into our family. I can't wait!!!! Pretty much anytime now I would be happy to go into labour. I have my midwife and doula's numbers handy, bags packed and Isaac's clothes and diapers washed and ready. But I know that there are technically a few weeks left, so I am being patient, or at least trying to be!

So I've been thinking about a few things that I did not get to experience with Maddie's pregnancy...
-Swollen feet, ankles and legs
-Big heavy belly, which I mostly notice at night when trying to roll from one side to the other
-Movement which feels like rolls, no more super hard kicks...there's no more room in there!
-Hiccups! Isaac gets them a lot, Maddie didn't really
-Having to get maternity clothes for summer!
-Being able to put a cup, small plate, bowl on my belly and it not falling! Sometimes he actually moves around makes it wiggle around...too cute!
-Frequent, and I mean FREQUENT, trips to the bathroom, my bladder has NO room!
-My belly button basically disappearing into a flattened weird bump...hehehe

I'm sure I will think of more...I am always thinking of things during the day...I'll add more later. But I think the biggest one is that I never thought I would actually be wishing and looking forward to giving birth! I am a bit scared, I know it's going to hurt like hell, but I am also really looking forward to it because the end goal is the most amazing blessing!

Here's my 36 week belly shot

WOW!

2009-05-28T20:56:00.000-03:00

I think the pictures say it all!!! 34 1/2 weeks!!! Yay!!! Things are going well. I am of course getting more uncomfortable as I get bigger, but in all honesty I am loving it. I am so happy to still be pregnant and able to keep this little boy cooking a while longer. I have my next prenatal next Wed, and it will be two weeks since KC said he'd dropped and to take it easy...wow...this little baby is very comfy and cozy :-)