Cross-Country Carmen

Our little girl's got 'tude!



We just back from Whistler, where we stayed with Grandma & Grandpa Wolff... Carmen was dying to hit the slopes! We made it out for a day of cross-country skiing and had a blast! Daddy made a great sled-dog for Carmen's little cross-country chariot...









Carmen and I, after a trip to the warming hut for some boob!



Grandma & Grandpa Wolff ready to go!



Jason, oh-so-good at taking pix of the two of us!



Carmen helping me and Grandma knit!

Resol-WHO-shuns?

Ah yes, it's that time of year again... I believe my last year's resolutions were something about not fretting so much about finances and to do the Squamish Tri.

Sigh.

0 for 2.

After eight months of stroller-fitting my way back to my pre-pregnancy weight, the idea of doing triathlon training on top of my 5-class per week schedule is less than appealling! Not to mention that my weight has NOTHING to do with my shape - although my muscle-tone is great, I am just beginning to start running again and I haven't swam since I was PREGNANT... don't even get me started about the bike. Mine has flat tires and hasn't seen the light of day for over a year. Poor pretty blue Trek.

I really need to change the title of this blog to "lil-tri-mommy, waiting until after second baby to return to training".

I could open a rant about the finances thing, but I won't. Money will always stress me out.

So this year I resolve to watch what goes into my body... not that I'm so bad - we eat home-cooked meals almost daily. My only real vices are Kraft Dinner, natchos and Caramel Macchiatos! BUT we do eat a lot of meat, dairy, and non-organic produce. Since I've been making Carmen's food, I've been so careful to make sure everything she eats is organic, pure and natural and homemade... I should really do the same for myself, no? After all, I'm still breastfeeding her, so some of the nasties could make it into her body, right?

So far Jason is off to a great start helping me by stocking the fridge with organic milk from the local dairy, organic swiss chard and spinach, non-medicated chicken breasts, you name it! I try, but every time I go to the grocery store (Famous Foods!!!), I cringe at the higher prices demanded for the better-for-you foods - that damned money thing again.

Anyhow, I resolve to get past that. And to try and do some extra Yoga, Pilates, or stretching everyday, so my back no longer makes me feel 90 years old.

Oh yeah, and I did go and watch the Squamish Tri last year - they changed the course into a much suckier version. I'm doubtful that you'll see my name on the 2007 registration!

Month Eight - First Christmas!

Okay, so I'm a little late! What can I say? Carmen's first Christmas has been a busy one!



It's been a great month. With Jason and I both on break from school and work, we have lots of time to go for walks with Carmen and the dog, entertain at the house and enjoy each other's company. For Carmen's first Christmas, we decided to hit the Island before the big day to visit my parents, grandparents and brother & sis-in-law. Surprisingly I was able to take a break from my email for 5 days to relax and just hang out! I even went curling with my mom and managed to win a bottle of wine for being one of the best "seconds"... who knew?



On Christmas day, we opened gifts - mostly Carmen's - and then went on a walk through the Endowment Lands. I think this is something that will become a tradition for our little family! I cooked a turkey and we had a few people to the house to join in the feast - I served it on my late Grandma's china and it was great!





Since then, we've been having many visitors from out of town over to the house, as well as family. Carmen has gotten to know their kids a little bit, and has even learned to share her toys with them! However, for the first time ever, Carmen started to cry when I pried a little playmate's watch out of her mouth. She's also started to throw toys over the edge of her Exersaucer and then peer down below, silently willing them to come back into her grasp!

Carmen's fully standing in the Exersaucer and on our laps, but hasn't started pulling herself up yet. She gets around on her tummy quite well. Backwards, that is. She still hasn't got the forward movement thing going!



She is a happy happy girl, chuckling and giggling, chatting away in her own little language. She has said "Dada" to Jason, but is not doing it consistently. Right now her favourite word is "Diggy diggy diggy", but we can't figure out if she's trying to say "Doggy" or "Tickle"! Either way, it's pretty cute to listen to!



Lastly, I think all our signing to Carmen has paid off - I swear that she signed "Milk" to me today! I know she recognizes it when I do it, but I saw her little hand grasping at close to her chest and I asked her "MILK?!?" with the sign and she laughed and got really really excited! So cool!

Snowed in...

Contents: One bored WAHM, one dog desperately wanting to play outside, one little girl with a snotty nose and drooly mouth.



Contents: Peppermint tea and Baileys*

*credit goes to Nunuboo for the introduction of tea and Baileys at this year's cookie swap

Month Seven - Funky Butt

I knew it was only a matter of time... we've been playing with solids for a little while now and Carmen is finally getting the hang of it! Of course, now that her tastebuds have developed, the rest of her body needs to catch up - in this case, it's her digestive tract that has recently proven that it's ready to handle the grown-up stuff!

PEEEEEEEEEEEEE YEEEEEEEEW!

I went into the nursery yesterday morning and noticed a tang in the air quite unlike anything I'd smelled before in Carmen's vicinity. I immediately opened the diaper pail, expecting to find a mountain of unwashed diapers. Nope, nearly empty. Maybe something rotting underneath the change table? Nada. The stench drew me towards the crib, towards my daughter, happily playing with her Linkadoos. Bingo.

As I uncovered her funky butt, I recoiled in shock and horror - gross doesn't begin to describe it. You see, not only do I have to change it, but then I have to go and rinse it out as well since I wash my own cloth diapers. I've picked up a fair amount of dog pooh in my day, but this just seemed infinately more disgusting.

So I decided that this was not the life for me! Now, for Carmen's morning constitutional, we both get naked from the waist down and I sit her on top of my lap on the toilet. And whaddya know - she actually poops in the toilet!!!!

Yep, my daughter's a genius.

There is a girl named Carmen She is a poop machine She poops into the toilet And keeps her diapers clean OOOOOH, she keeps her diapers clean She keeps her diapers clean Carmen Jade sits on the can and keeps her diapers clean!

In other news, Carmen is sitting up pretty much on her own - a skill she picked up from all the older kids in her sign language class. She is eating apples, bananas, pears, avocados, yams, rice cereal and even butternut squash! She still hasn't cut any teeth, though. She's bald n' toothless just like an old man.



Cousin Ashley also visited with Auntie Karen for a week a while ago. Carmen and Ashley were the best of friends, sharing some tub time together, spending a lot of quality time with Grandma Wolff, and holding hands in the back seat of Grandma's pickup while sitting beside each other in their carseats. It's really cool to see them with each other - makes me remember how much fun I had running around in my Grandma Wolff's house with my cousins!



Everyday there are new sounds coming from Carmen's mouth, she also seems to understand more of what we are saying. New toys to play with, new corners of the floor to explore - she is always on the move. Things change so fast.

Halloween FUN!

Carmen is the CUTE LOOT PATOOT for Jason and I, the bank robbers!





Not bad for a 1/2hr costume, eh?

Month Six - Bye Bye Bouncy Chair

Well, we finally had to say good-bye to putting Carmen into the bouncy chair during dinner... I turned my back for a second and caught her trying to launch herself out of it by pulling on the poor unsuspecting musical caterpillar!



Enter the highchair - da da da daaaaaaaah! We loooove the highchair, a very thoughtful gift from my former coworkers! Since I've started Carmen on solids (mmmm, pablum!), the highchair has come in very handy keeping her locked in, her bib on, and her little hands busy. She's gotten really quick with her hands now, blocking the spoon like a little Karate Kid - Heeeeeyah! If I do manage to get some of the dreaded pablum into her mouth, she uses her prowess at making raspberries to spit it back out in my face and all over my glasses! What a comedianne!

The highchair is also great for keeping her in one place while I turn my back - she is quite mobile now, rolling over and over to get places and grab toys. I'm not exactly sure how she's moving forward but she is, inch by inch. Smart cookie, that one!

She is so mobile now that I don't know how much longer I will be able to take her to class. Too bad, since she smiles and giggles for the most part and loves all the exercises we do together and the songs I teach the other moms in class. BUT she's also rolling into the little teeny 6-week old babes and trying to poke their eyes, which is not so good! So I've been looking into getting a bit of help here and there.

Nobody ever told me how hard this was going to be. Some days, usually those that I have a few classes to teach, I find myself just trying to get through the day, watching the clock and listening for the telltale scooter revs and Bella's yips and wags of delight signalling Jason's return home from school. I know that I want to stay home with Carmen and not return to my engineering job, but some days I think "OH MY GOD, this is MY LIFE".

I know why many women are eager to return to the workforce since staying at home is such a drastic change from life before baby. I hope that getting help with Carmen during my daytime classes will be a step in a good direction. Even though my "break" during the day will be to spend time with other moms and their babies, I know it will still feel like a break. A chance to take off my "mom" hat for a few hours a day would be welcome!



As Carmen has gotten older, she's developed a bit of a foot fetish... she sticks them in her mouth whenever she can. If there are socks in the way, she quickly pulls them off to reveal her tasty tootsies. Here she is, caught in the act!

And since she is so on-board with the stroller now, when she gets tired, she has taken to turning her head this way and that until her touque comes down over her face. If I try to move it out of the way (lest she suffocate!), she wakes up and gets angry. Sigh.



BTW, I knitted that sweater while I was pregnant and it FINALLY fits her! Our little tiny girl still only weighs just over 14lbs. Sounds like she will be taking after me in that respect!