Sunday, October 31, 2010

Dear Halloween,


I want to apologize for the way I've treated you this year.  In the past you have been my most favourite time; I would obsess over you starting on October 1st and I would look forward to you months before that.  We used to do all kinds of things together; I used to plan photoshoots, crafts, baking and lots of decorating around your wonderful atmosphere and traditions, but for some reason this year you kind of snuck up on me and I never got the chance to catch up. Life got in the way, plain and simple.  That doesn't mean that I don't still love you above all other holidays, it just means that we took a little 'break'.  I already have big plans and ambitions for you next year though, so I hope that you'll forgive me and look forward to seeing me in 2011.

Sincerely,
Your biggest (though sometime laziest) fan, G.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Umm, yeah.

[Seen on Kara's Tumblr]

This about sums me up right now (and makes me smile).  Besides bitching about being a stay-at-home mom (something I make an effort not to do too often), and feeling the cliched 20-something-year-old syndrome of being 'busy' all the time, there's not much for me to write about these days.  Life goes on, day after day, much the same as it always does, and there's not a whole lot to say about it.  Sure I could blog about 'pretty things', but honestly the idea of that just seems empty and tired to me.  When I have something real to say or something I really feel worth sharing, creative or not, I will, but until then my life is going to go on, and much un-documented.  And that's ok.

Tomorrow I'm heading to Halifax for a long overdue cardiologist appointment (to see if my heart changed after giving birth...seriously doubt it), and to catch up with my friends from work.  Looking forward to it, though I'm not looking forward to the long drive and early departure time.  Oh well, once in a blue moon isn't too bad.

Before I go, I've had 2 songs stuck in my head lately, one oldie and one newbie (to me).  Enjoy.


Saturday, October 16, 2010


This post is loooong overdue, but here I am to report on Victor's 5th and 6th month of life (so up 'til he turned 7 months on Sept 26th...I know, it's confusing for me too!)  These past 2 months have gone by so fast, and a lot of things happened with him, so I'm sure I will forget something but it's important that I try to at least document the major milestones of this little bébé's life.  So here we go, August and September, according to Victor Emmanuel:


*Stats: Weight at 6 months: 14lbs, 12oz. Height: 28 inches. Weight at 7 months: 16lbs, 2oz. Height: 29.25 inches. Wearing everything from 0-3 month shirts to 12 month PJs and pants.

*Sleeping: Well, this has been all over the place in the past couple of months. He's gone from sleeping through the night a few nights in a row (8pm-7am kind of thing), to waking up every 2 hours like a newborn.  It's been hard!  On average I would say that he wakes up twice a night to eat. His bedtime falls between 7:30 and 8:30pm (now that it's getting darker it's been getting earlier), and he's been waking up on average at 7:30am, right when Dan needs to get up to go to work, which is good. He will nap about 2 hours after he wakes up in the morning for an hour (no more than 2 usually), then will sometimes nap in the afternoon, though not always.  He's not a big day sleeper at all!  Which makes it hard for me to get things done, but since he goes to bed relatively early I still have time in the evening to clean up from the day.

Having a nap with Papa...

*Eating: There has been major progress in the eating department these past few months, since he's now eating solids! I started him on them the first week in August (he was 5 months and 1 week). Just a bit of cereal to start, but then I started introducing veggies and fruit, and now we're on a steady schedule of introducing new things and getting into the routine of eating!  It's been one of the most fun things so far, and I'm trying not to stress about it, which has helped in the enjoyment of just watching him learn to eat.  He has had quite a few things so far, including oatmeal cereal, banana, apple, pears, prunes, sweet potato, squash, green and yellow beans, peas, carrots, beef, chicken, arrowroot cookies (via my mom), graham crackers (via me), baby Mum mums, avocado, peaches, and even a potato chip! haha. He definitely has favourites (prefers veggies to fruit oddly, and really likes meat mixed with sweet potatoes or squash), but for the most part he's a good eater. I've been making most of his food in the food processor, which has been fun and not too difficult, I just make a large enough batch to last him 2-3 weeks (which isn't a lot since he only eats one ice cube-sized portion of each thing).  He's had the jarred stuff too but he prefers what I make; I think it might be that he's used to thicker lumpier food, the jarred stuff is too runny I think.  He likes to play with his food of course, which can be messy but I try not to limit him too much since I know it's part of the learning.  He's also using a sippy cup to drink his water at meals, which is nice (and messy!)  Overall though it's been going really well and I can't wait until he can eat more 'normal foods' with us.

Trying cereal for the first time...

Mmm, banana...

Getting the hang of this eating thing...

*Breastfeeding: Still feeding about every 3-4 hours, but after we got back from BC I
started introducing a bottle of formula into his feedings since I needed a break, especially at night. I'll be honest, I don't love breastfeeding one little bit, but my goal is to keep doing it until the end of the year and then see what happens.  I still find it easier than making bottles and all that jazz, but I'm definitely ready for this stage of his baby-hood to be over.

*Travel: At the end of August Victor and I went to my friend Heather's wedding  in Kelowna, British Columbia...on the other side of the country.  I was pretty nervous about flying and travelling a 12-hour day with Victor but for the most part he did really really well.  People said he was a 'pleasant' baby and with the exception of a few minutes here and there, he didn't cry on the planes.  He didn't sleep much either (maybe only 1.5 hours on a 5 hour flight), but he was content to look around and play and eat.  My arms were dead by the end of the day though! Next time I will definitely use my carrier more.  He was also really good once we got out there, friendly with everyone (thank goodness since I had to be off doing things without him quite a bit!), he was so go-with-the-flow, it couldn't have gone better really.  Plus we had a great time :) (And now Victor has travelled just as much as his dad! haha)

Chillin' in the Okanagan...

With the beautiful bride...

*Movement: Another big step for Victor this past month...he learned to crawl! Albeit it's commando crawling on his belly, but still, he can move! It happened shortly after we got home from BC, he just rolled and started to drag himself across the floor using his arms, then he started using one leg (just one), and now he's even attempting to get up on his knees from time to time (though he can't crawl on them yet). Now that he can move though it's so much better for everyone, before he would get so angry being on the ground because he couldn't move, so he always wanted to be in your arms, but now he can play and explore on his own, it's so much better! The downside is that we have to be more careful (he fell off the bed a week or so after learning to crawl, I was in the kitchen for a moment and heard a thud...he was ok though.  Anyway, now he's all over and it's very fun for everyone!  He still loves to stand though and is slowly learning to stand leaning against furniture, and taking steps with our help...I don't think it will be long before he walks.

Hanging out by the computer...

He has learned how to escape his chair...oh boy.

Trying to let us know he wants out...

Teeth: Oh, the joys of teeth.  All those months of drooling finally lead to 2 little bottom chompers popping their way up through his gums (in two weeks, poor kid!) I have no idea if the necklace we bought him works or not, but he didn't have a fever or seem super irritable during the breakthroughs, just a bit fussier and restless during the night, so maybe it is working.  He looked kind of silly with just one but now that he has two he looks quite cute :)

Routine: We're finally starting to get a routine down now that Dan is back to work (started in September). We wake up, he nurses, then plays for a couple of hours while I check the computer, then goes back to bed (sometimes I try to get him to eat some cereal before he goes down), then he wakes up and we get dressed and have some lunch, then we have the afternoon to do pretty much what we want.  I try to get out for a walk at around 3pm, usually to my mom's place, then come home in time to make supper for Dan (like I mentioned above, sometimes he'll nap in the afternoon but sometimes not.) Once Dan gets home then we have supper, he plays for a bit, then a bath (if bath night), PJs, a bit more play, then a bottle of formula and bed.  It's nice to know what to expect now, I can try to plan my days a bit better because of it.

Random fact: We cut his 'wisps' of hair off in September, they were getting crazy long...and I admit it was a teeny bit sad (I kept them in an envelope).

Activities: We took Victor to a few things in August and September, including a trip to the zoo and the Balloon Fiesta.  We also try to go to Musical Moments at the resource centre on Mondays and usually have 1 play date a week with his buddy Eli.  Then there are walks with my mom 2 or 3 times a week, the occasional visit to my sister's...we're not super busy, but I like it that way.  Dan and I also had our first night away from Victor for our anniversary in September and he handled it really well.  He has been to my mom's, Daphné's and Sara's a few times for a couple of hours without me and I think enjoys the change of scenery.

At the zoo with Papa...

At the Balloon Fiesta with Papa...

Personality: Up until Victor turned 6 months (from 4.5-6 months I'd say), he was super friendly with everyone and quite independent.  This was a huge blessing when it came to our travels out West because otherwise I would have been exhausted and wouldn't have been able to do everything I wanted to do.  But pretty much as soon as we returned home from BC, the classic 'object permanence symdrome' kicked in and we couldn't be out of his sight and he couldn't be out of our arms.  It has gotten better since then, but he's still quite attached to us and prefers to be near us all the time. If we're on the computer he crawls over to see us and if we leave the room he whines a bit.  I suppose it's not a bad thing, it's just tiring when he always wants to be touching you and crawling up your legs and in your arms...oh well.  Besides that he has become much more 'talkative', his favourites words being 'adadadada' and 'oooh'.  He babbles with us quite a bit, it's cute.   He's very curious about everything around him, still startles easily at loud sounds or sudden movements, is still a bit wary of strangers (but recognizes and enjoys the people he knows), has developed a 'whine' which can drive me a bit nuts, and smiles almost every time you look at him and loves to laugh.  Overall, still a happy baby :)

A 'happy' photo on a particularly rough day...

Our handsome boy...

I can just imagine how the next few months are going to fly by (he actually turns 8 months in a couple of weeks!), but I am going to really try and stay on top of his updates and remember all his milestones, because he seems to be doing something new almost every day.  Sometimes I miss the simpler days of when he was small and all we needed to do was hold him to keep him happy, but for the most part I'm really enjoying this older baby phase and all the fun/challenges that come along with it.

Until next time,
G.

(And I know this post is insanely long and won't be interesting to anyone besides me and maybe some family, so I apologize for adding another useless post to your Google Readers! haha)

Flynn Family-September 2010

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Couple of birthdays...

(Daphné and I, circa 1988, at her birthday party)
(Daphné, Fall 2009)

Just wanted to pop in real quick to say happy birthday to my sister Daphné, who is somehow 26 years old (that seems too old for her for some reason!)  One the best things about living back at home is being able to hang out with her more. She's a great wife and dog-mom, an aspiring hobby farmer and she always inspires me to live a simple, country life, like the one she is making for herself.  I can't wait 'til she has some little bébés of her own so that we can hang out even more with our kiddos.  Happy Birthday Daf!


Also, my sister in law Selena finally had her baby on Monday evening (1 week late), and to no one's surprise, it was another boy (that's 7 boys ladies and gents, from 3 different brothers, for a total of 11 Flynn boys all in a row...) This little guy's name is Lucas Thomas (love it!), and  he actually wasn't so little, he was 10lbs and 2oz!  Selena and Tom are back at home now with their sons Noah and Jonas (and the baby of course), and I wish them all the best in these next few weeks as they get used to being a family of 5.  I'm not sure when I'll get to meet this little nephew (I've only met Jonas once), but I look forward to seeing more pics and hearing more about him as he gets older.

Still working on Victor's baby update post, hope to have it up later this week. 

Off to clean. Happy normal weekday to you,
G.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Full speed ahead.

(Photo from this past weekend in McAdam...love his expression, he was having so much fun with  his cousins' many toys!)

Ok, usually I don't like it when people come on their blogs just to say how busy they are and that they will blog later, but I'm totally one of those people right now!  Fall is kicking my butt this year, I feel like the days are just flying by and sometimes I don't even get to leave the house and barely get dressed.  Of course having a 7-month old will do that to you, but still, I know that in a blink my favourite season is going to be over and I'll have wondered what I did to enjoy it.  Gah.  Anyway, between 8-9 photoshoots, editing, working on a new project (hoping to reveal in December), babysitting, teething, immunizations, visits, walks and just life in general, I don't seem to have time to get into anything crafty or creative (besides above mentioned shoots, but personally creative).  The nights come and all I want to do is veg out on the couch for a few shows, and then hit the hay!

A few things happening around here lately:

-Still waiting for my 6th niece or nephew to be born down in California...hopefully any day now!

-Victor is growing like crazy! He's now got the crawling thing down, is enjoying standing more, has his 2 bottom teeth and seems to be getting older and more active by the day (as I was typing this I noticed him trying to eat a candle I had in an old flower pot in the dining room...complete with old topsoil all over his face).  He's also a Cheerios addict (which very helpful for mama!)

-Dan's been working a lot of hours (nearing 50 a week), so that means I've had to be home alone longer with Victor which is sometimes hard, but I try to be patient about it. He seems to like his job so far though, so that's a good thing.

-I've also been trying to make 'real' suppers on most nights for us, having a vegetarian night, a new recipe night, a leftover night, a soup/stew/casserole night and an easy night (the weekends are a free for all). I've been enjoying doing the cooking for the most part (dishes are another story...)

-I'm heading to Halifax in a few weeks for a long overdue follow-up with the cardiologist/visit to the office, and it's going to be a bit sad because it's going to be the last time I'll be there for the foreseeable future (which means saying 'goodbye' to my friends and co-workers there.)

-This weekend is Thanksgiving but I'm not sure what our plans are, it barely crossed my mind that it was Thanksgiving! (Same goes with Halloween, usually by now I'd be in full out spook mode, but this year I'm barely acknowledging its presence.)

-I'm trying to make weekly to do lists with non-everyday things that I need to do, but I'm so freakin' scattered that it's hard to get anything crossed off (I'm going to start using a timer on the computer, a la Pomodoro technique, so hopefully that will help.  This post about being busy sums me up perfectly. Also, I need to GET OFF THE FREAKIN' COMPUTER.)

Ok well I won't get into more than that for now, like I said, it's been busy (but slow at the same time) around here, I'm not sure how that's possible.  Regardless, I think that November will be less busy and hopefully the gray days and chilly nights with calm things down a bit.

I'll try to be back soon (but who am I kidding, it'll probably be another week before I get the chance to blog again...) Oh well, good intentions, right?

Are you finding this season really busy? I think September to January is crazy for most people.

Until later,
G.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Couch Potatoes.

Although Dan and I don't watch that much TV (we haven't had cable in years), we're now back in the full swing of watching our fall shows (online).  This year it's a good mix of comedy and drama, with just a little bit of reality TV thrown in too.  Right now we're watching:

Community: Dan got us into this one. It's the same style as, say, Parks and Recreation (see below), but it's a bit different (they don't break the fourth wall, although it seems like they do somehow, it's weird/cool.) Abed is probably the funniest character (and he does kind of look like a lizard!) I love that these 'new sitcoms' are becoming popular again, it's nice to have non-'reality'-TV options!

Dexter: Oh, my love of (and for) Dexter is intense indeed.  Now that it's back on it has become my number one favourite show, the one I wait for eagerly every week.  Last week's premiere started off really good, I can't wait to see where they're going with this season, after last year's SHOCKING finale (honestly, one of the most shocking on TV ever I think).

Mad Men: This show is just too good not to watch it. It has gotten funnier this season, but it's still so deep, sad, and complex. The writing is great. It's also one of the most stylish shows out there, I love seeing the sets, wardrobe, and the hundreds of details they infuse into every show...good, bad or ugly. 

Parks and Recreation: I wasn't a huge fan of this show at first (I thought it was too much like The Office with the awkward humour, which I don't really like), but it has grown on me since then. Amy Poehler's character is really good, and the entire cast is quite funny. I'm glad it got renewed for another season.

The Middle: My mom actually got me into this one, and yet it's one of my favs! It's cute, funny, somewhat predictable, and yet so fun to watch. Kind of like Everybody Loves Raymond, but wayyyy less annoying (I starting watching all of the Raymonds again over the summer but had to stop at Season 6 of so because they would just not.stop.yelling.)  Even Dan has grown to like this show. A nice family sitcom :)

Modern Family: I LOVE this one too! The entire cast is so great (but of course Cam is my favourite). It's good because they have so many characters to choose from for storylines, but usually they all overlap somehow, and it's always nice to see the little 'message' at the end.
The Ultimate Fighter: Yes, I watch UFC. Yes, I know around 2 dozen fighters by name. No, it's not just a barbaric fistfight, it's a real sport, and these guys are athlectic and tough! Dan is a huge UFC fan so this is our chance to watch something together and talk about afterwards. The Ultimate Fighter is like "American Idol" for fighters. There are 16 or so guys that start, they have 2 teams (coached by UFC fighters), they all fight each other until there are only 2 left, and then they fight for a contract into the UFC. It's reality TV but without so much of the pure mind garbage that's out there now (although there is still some 'house drama' that we have to endure, but it's manageable). This year Georges St-Pierre is one of the coaches (he's the welterweight champion and a fellow French Canadian...go Georges!)

The Vampire Diaries: Ok, this is my guilty pleasure...it's another show my mom got me hooked on (she and my sister love it too!), but now I look forward to seeing what these sexy vampires are up to every week. It's totally Dawson's Creek with fangs, but I love it anyway.

We're also still waiting for Big Love to start (not sure when that is?) and for Breaking Bad to come back in March. I'm also re-watching The Sopranos because, well, it's The Sopranos and I love me some New Jersey mob bosses.

...

I guess we do watch a lot of TV!

What are you watching this Fall? Do you watch any of these shows? Are there any other UFC lovin' chicks out there?

Happy Saturday,
G.

Friday, October 1, 2010

You're my favourite.

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face.
~John Donne

Welcome October.

Here's to (finally) cooling down, daily walks, knitting at night, sweeping soggy Cheerios off the floor, soups, stews and slow cooker foods, pumpkins and gourds, lovely smells, photoshoots, wearing boots and scarves, lots of baking, starting new sewing projects, staying in at night, getting things done, Martha Stewart magazines, painting fingernails black, welcoming new family members, visits with friends, being online less, more milestones, breathing deep (so deep), hot chocolate, escaping to the woods, trying new things, reading a good book, date nights, house hunting, watching scary movies, nesting, taking chances, picking up the camera more, patience, and savouring these fleeting days.

Yes October, welcome indeed.