Not bad for a 1/2hr costume, eh?
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Halloween FUN!
Carmen is the CUTE LOOT PATOOT for Jason and I, the bank robbers!
Not bad for a 1/2hr costume, eh?
Not bad for a 1/2hr costume, eh?
Friday, October 20, 2006
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!
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!
Saturday, September 16, 2006
At the Trade Show...
So while exhibiting at the Vancouver Baby Fair this weekend, I've gotten many many free samples... but the most interesting so far has definitely been the O'My Cappuccino Flavoured Personal Lubricant! Guess it'll help all us new moms get pregnant again!
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Month Five - Month of Cute
People aren't kidding when they say that months 4-5 are the cutest months going! Carmen is the Cute-inator, cute cute and more cute, all cute all the time!
I can't get over the amazing belly laughs that come out of her mouth now when I pretend to eat her neck, or zerbert her belly! When I get Bella to bark while we're having our playtime on a blanket, she is in a fit of giggles! Even Bella grins from ear to ear as Carmen busts a gut, so cute!
And her fascination with sounds is hilarious. I love the way that she sets out to master a certain sound by repeating it for days on end... then she tires of it and moves on to something else. So far we've gone through the razzing and a funny fast sniffing in and out of her nose! For nearly a week it was constantly
Sniff-hee-hee-hee!
Sniff-hee-hee-hee!
Sniff-hee-hee-hee!
from the carseat, from the crib and now, most recently, from underneath receiving blankets that she "hides" under to play Peek-A-Boo! I crack up everytime, she will sit there for ages with the blanket pulled over her eyes as I ask "Wheeeeeeeeeere's Carrrrrrrrrmen?" and then rip it back quickly... she squeals in delight that she has tricked me!
Now from the floor, I hear Pbthpt! Pbthpt! Pbthpt! as she spits all over everything around her (including my glasses if I'm too close). Crazy girl!
Carmen has also decided that the stroller is the only thing going... maybe that is because Mommy finally wised up and pimped up her ride? I stole the sheepskin from one of our chairs to give her Highness a nice plushy throne, propped the back up so she can sit up higher and faced her out so she can see Bella strolling along jauntily ahead of us! Now we get out on a daily basis and Stroller Fitness is so much easier!
In the last week or so, Carmen has taken to rolling over onto her front - even with the giant cloth Mother-ease diapers that used to keep her high-centered on the floor! So we have to be much more careful now with her laying on the dinner table when we eat (!) and leaving her on the diaper change table. I actually spent over 20 mins trying to get her to roll over on video and finally succeeded! The only problem is that once she's on her front, she can't roll back over. Instead she either poops, pees or spits up in frustration until we roll her back over!
The biggest gift Carmen has given us is a reliable bedtime and morning wakeup. For a while she was waking up quite early, chit chatting happily from the crib until Daddy went in to diaper change and bring her to me. One morning Jason and I just decided to leave her and see what would happen... she went back to sleep!!!! So now it's bathtime at 8:00pm, boob at 8:30pm and sleep shortly after - wake-up at 6:30am and everyone is happy!
Jason had 5 minutes to make a little book for school, enjoy!
I can't get over the amazing belly laughs that come out of her mouth now when I pretend to eat her neck, or zerbert her belly! When I get Bella to bark while we're having our playtime on a blanket, she is in a fit of giggles! Even Bella grins from ear to ear as Carmen busts a gut, so cute!
And her fascination with sounds is hilarious. I love the way that she sets out to master a certain sound by repeating it for days on end... then she tires of it and moves on to something else. So far we've gone through the razzing and a funny fast sniffing in and out of her nose! For nearly a week it was constantly
Sniff-hee-hee-hee!
Sniff-hee-hee-hee!
Sniff-hee-hee-hee!
from the carseat, from the crib and now, most recently, from underneath receiving blankets that she "hides" under to play Peek-A-Boo! I crack up everytime, she will sit there for ages with the blanket pulled over her eyes as I ask "Wheeeeeeeeeere's Carrrrrrrrrmen?" and then rip it back quickly... she squeals in delight that she has tricked me!
Now from the floor, I hear Pbthpt! Pbthpt! Pbthpt! as she spits all over everything around her (including my glasses if I'm too close). Crazy girl!
Carmen has also decided that the stroller is the only thing going... maybe that is because Mommy finally wised up and pimped up her ride? I stole the sheepskin from one of our chairs to give her Highness a nice plushy throne, propped the back up so she can sit up higher and faced her out so she can see Bella strolling along jauntily ahead of us! Now we get out on a daily basis and Stroller Fitness is so much easier!
In the last week or so, Carmen has taken to rolling over onto her front - even with the giant cloth Mother-ease diapers that used to keep her high-centered on the floor! So we have to be much more careful now with her laying on the dinner table when we eat (!) and leaving her on the diaper change table. I actually spent over 20 mins trying to get her to roll over on video and finally succeeded! The only problem is that once she's on her front, she can't roll back over. Instead she either poops, pees or spits up in frustration until we roll her back over!
The biggest gift Carmen has given us is a reliable bedtime and morning wakeup. For a while she was waking up quite early, chit chatting happily from the crib until Daddy went in to diaper change and bring her to me. One morning Jason and I just decided to leave her and see what would happen... she went back to sleep!!!! So now it's bathtime at 8:00pm, boob at 8:30pm and sleep shortly after - wake-up at 6:30am and everyone is happy!
Jason had 5 minutes to make a little book for school, enjoy!
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
First Year
Well, we did it! Jason and I celebrated our first year of marriage on Aug 20th, 2006!
And what a year it's been... we've weathered a few storms, had some sad times, a lot of laughter and love - we even survived the (still ongoing) renovations in the downstairs!
How did we celebrate? Yet another sojourn to the Island to visit my parents for a restful extended weekend at Macktush, their campsite. Between the built-in babysitting of Carmen's keen grandparents, and the endless squirrels for Bella to chase, Jason and I were able to take some time to relax together, go kayaking, drink wine and chat. He made me a rack of lamb with fresh rosemary, with some nice French wine that we had given to us at our wedding. All of this followed by the top of our wedding cake that we had kept in the freezer all year!
I think we looked prettier cutting this cake a year ago, but oh well!
And what a year it's been... we've weathered a few storms, had some sad times, a lot of laughter and love - we even survived the (still ongoing) renovations in the downstairs!
How did we celebrate? Yet another sojourn to the Island to visit my parents for a restful extended weekend at Macktush, their campsite. Between the built-in babysitting of Carmen's keen grandparents, and the endless squirrels for Bella to chase, Jason and I were able to take some time to relax together, go kayaking, drink wine and chat. He made me a rack of lamb with fresh rosemary, with some nice French wine that we had given to us at our wedding. All of this followed by the top of our wedding cake that we had kept in the freezer all year!
I think we looked prettier cutting this cake a year ago, but oh well!
Monday, August 28, 2006
A Penchant for Non-Relaxing Hobbies
Hobbies are supposed to be relaxing - mine usually start out that way but eventually result in copious amounts of four-letter words streaming from my mouth! Knitting, quilting, triathlon training... all send me into fits of swearing!
But. They all start out soooo good.
For instance, check out the beeeeyouuuutiful fabric I just bought for my brother and new sis-in-law's wedding present! I'm making them a lap quilt and wanted it to be funky!
Step 1. Pick out a pattern.
Step 2. Visit quilting store and salivate over numerous fabrics.
Step 3. Repick your pattern when you can't make your fabric "work" with the first!
Lap Quilt Pattern
Step 4. Rack up credit card bill - sigh heavily.
Nice Japanese-Inspired Prints
Step 5. Get home, wash/dry/iron fabrics and put on bias.
Step 6. CUT CUT CUT!
Cut Up n' Ready to Go!
Step 7. Get swearing... I mean SEWING!
Blissful, no?
But. They all start out soooo good.
For instance, check out the beeeeyouuuutiful fabric I just bought for my brother and new sis-in-law's wedding present! I'm making them a lap quilt and wanted it to be funky!
Step 1. Pick out a pattern.
Step 2. Visit quilting store and salivate over numerous fabrics.
Step 3. Repick your pattern when you can't make your fabric "work" with the first!
Lap Quilt Pattern
Step 4. Rack up credit card bill - sigh heavily.
Nice Japanese-Inspired Prints
Step 5. Get home, wash/dry/iron fabrics and put on bias.
Step 6. CUT CUT CUT!
Cut Up n' Ready to Go!
Step 7. Get swearing... I mean SEWING!
Blissful, no?
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Month Four - Drooooooooooooool
Take One!
A year ago this past Sunday, Jason and I got married. A year and a week ago, we found out we were pregnant! Not bad after only a month and a half of trying!
Now it's been four whole months since this little girl came out into the world - I can't believe how much has happened since then. She's charmed us in ways I never imagined.
Take Two!
On Friday, our little family packed up our Matrix and headed for the Island to spend the weekend with my family at Macktush - a campground that my parents run out on the Port Alberni inlet. Grandma had the stroller and playpen waiting at the campsite, armed with mosquito netting and sunshades! She was pretty excited to get some Grandma-time... we were pretty excited too, to get a little time alone!
Take Three!
Normally we are avid cloth-diaperers, but weekends away mean no access to diaper pails and such so we had to go the Pampers route. I hate disposable diapers with a passion - and now more so. I was wearing Carmen in the carrier and my red Holey Soles while waiting in the diaper changeroom lineup on the ferry. I started feeling a warm oozing sensation between my toes. Sure enough, Carmen had blasted through yet another Pamper, this time all down her legs and into my shoes. There was mustard-poo everywhere. A few young teens looked at me in horror as I laughed and laughed, while the other moms chortled to themselves, glad it wasn't them! Yep, that's my daughter!
Kisses!
Carmen has had a few tastes of the banana from my morning oatmeal now - she watches everything that goes in my mouth and smacks her lips! It's crazy to think that soon she will be eating real food. She has also started to play with the crazy red Lamaze elephant given to us by a friend - she used to just be terrified of it! Her little hands grab for the rattle parts while she tries to jam the crunchy sounding ears in her mouth.
She has also become quite the drool-asaurus... everything she wears gets soaked so now I make sure she's always got a bib on. I was given a huge stack of these teeny bibs by my grandma and I couldn't figure out what we were going to do with them all. Now I know.
Daddy's Reverse Football - THE BEST
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