Last week.

This is my last week on Maternity Leave. A whole year has gone by, and although I'm not going back to a 'job' officially (though I will be working), it still feels like things are going to change.  We're dealing with some new realities around here, both financial and in terms of our future, but we're dealing as best we can, and in the meantime, I'm going to take advantage of any snuggles this little bébé will give me before he turns into a toddler and sees snuggling as too much of a distraction from his world of playing and exploring.  Soon his mama will be off to work, he'll be off to Sara's house for daycare, and our first year together will be just a fond memory.  I need to cherish this week.

Sorry it's been a bit quiet around here, the energy levels are low, but I have a few ideas for posts that I'd like to post soon, and I'll have pictures from Victor's birthday party this weekend, so I'll be be soon(ish), as always.

Happy Monday,
G.  

This is what I see.

This is my view most days.  A 10-month old who loves to climb up my pant legs and asks (aka whines) to be picked up.  Dozens of times a day, it's always the same.  And as much as it tires me out to pick him up every time, to stop what I'm doing, to calm him down or make him smile, I'm trying to do it with a happy heart, because soon he won't be pulling at me anymore, and I have a feeling I'll one day miss it.

Happy Sunday (and only-6-days-'til-Christmas-day) to you.

G.

PS-It's almost time to write out our New Year's Goals, yay! Have you thought about yours yet?  I have and can't wait to get them down!

PPS-Check out this super sweet post from one of my fav photographers, Tara Swain.  Watch the video and try not to cry (I couldn't, it hit pretty close to home...)

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

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.

I needed this...

Saw this over on Rookie Moms today and it made me smile.  I need some breastfeeding encouragement at the moment, when Victor is refusing to nurse from me and I'm being forced to pump (something I HATE doing and have a hard time doing), and when the idea of stopping altogether becomes more and more appealing*.

Off to run some errands, have a great 1st day of school to all the kiddos and parents out there!

Be back soon,

G.

*I don't plan on actually stopping breastfeeding, but I have decided to supplement a bit with formula; I really worry that the nipple shield is limiting the amount of milk he's getting, and he doesn't seem to be gaining a lot of weight, so I bought some formula yesterday and gave it to him, since he's on a 'strike' at the moment.  I only plan on giving it to him when I need to be away from him and can't pump enough (like our anniversary in a couple of weekends), and maybe one additional feeding a day so that he can 'beef up' a bit.  I will still feed him as much as he lets me, it's still WAY more convenient than the whole bottle thing, and there's no way we could afford to switch over completely at this point, it's freakin' expensive!  So yeah, I gave my baby formula...there, cleared my conscience a bit, lol.

Another month has gone by and Victor is now a social, happy and skilled 4 month old! And since I've been terrible at keeping up with his actual baby book, I've decided to use this blog more as a journal to keep track of things, and once his first year is up I'll come back and print off these monthly posts to stick in his book.

So, an update on Victor @ 4 months:

*His eating and sleeping habits have changed a bit this month, and I guess you could say it's for the better.  He can go for much longer periods without eating, and he sleeps for much longer periods of time too (up to 6 hours in both cases!)  Lately I've been having to wake him up to feed at night, I'm not sure he'd get up if it were up to him!  We're averaging waking up 1-2 times at night, so not bad!   He's also much better about being put down to sleep, most of the time he doesn't even have to be asleep for us to put him in his crib, he can go down on his own, which is so wonderful. 

*He has an approximate 'bedtime' (between 9pm and 11pm usually), and a 'wakeup time' (usually between 7:00am and 9:00am), so not a schedule by any means, but he's starting to develop a routine for sure (when doing my Week in the Life, some of his feeding schedules and sleeping schedules were nearly identical on different days).  He eats about 7 times a day and sleeps on average 3-3.5 hours at a time, unless he's doing his 'power naps' of about an hour or so, in which case he has longer stretches in the evening. 

*Breastfeeding is going well for the most part (still using the shield...oops), but in the past couple of weeks he's had a few 'feeding strikes/freakouts' where he just refuses to nurse and has a huge fit when I try to feed him.  On a few occasions I had to pump because he would just not feed from me.  And sometimes he seems like he'd rather be doing something else than eat, he likes to look around a lot while feeding, but that's normal for this age, it's just hard to get him to focus and eat enough.  He only averages about 10-15 mins a feed, it used to be 20 solid minutes, so I sometimes wonder if he's getting enough, but I have to trust that he knows how much he needs.  I'm still feeding 'on demand' so it should be ok.

*Weight: about 15lbs  Height: 25 inches

*For the most part (probably 85% of the time), this boy is happy, smiling with his mouth wide open, big eyes, happy cheeks, but occasionally we do get this face:

Luckily we know what to do when he makes it and he's usually quite easy to soothe.

*He does not like being on his back or reclined for the most part, unless he's on his mat swinging at things (even though he only puts up with this for a few minutes).  He still really enjoys the Jolly Jumper and is it in at least once a day, usually early in the morning when Dan has him (and mama's getting a few extra minutes of sleep).  He also likes his chair for short periods of time, and is just starting to be big enough for the Exisaucer (?), so I'm hoping he'll enjoy that.  He likes to sit propped up on the couch or bed, looking around or playing with a toy, and of course, he likes being in our arms the most.

*He's getting much better with his hands, can grasp toys, and reaches for things all the time (including my hair!)  He wants to have everything in his mouth lately, and has been drooling like a madman.  So of course he's been wearing a lot of bibs, and I recently bought this hazelwood teething necklace to help with the possibility of those little chompers coming out soon.  Not sure if it works/will work, but we will find out in the next couple of months (if not, then it's still a cute accessory!)

Sitting in his high chair, reaching for his Nuby

*He's getting better with bathtime, I think the warm temperatures are making it easier, less of a shock to the skin when getting out (it was terrible in the winter!)  We also got a new baby bath that he seems to like more than the one he had before.  We still don't give him a bath more than a couple of times a week, but I'm hoping to work it into a nighttime routine every other night soon.  I also recently took him to the splash pad at the local park and he wasn't too fond of it, so I'm not sure if a visit to the pool is in our future this summer or not, maybe if the water were a bit warmer, the splash pad was freezing!

*Other activities he is currently enjoying include playing "rocket baby" with Papa (see pic below), reading and looking at books (just started this week), rocking in the glider with Mama to fall asleep (sitting facing out in my lap with a blanket), being tickled while being changed (he giggles and laughs, it's so cute!), being naked (ha!), looking around while going for walks, laying in my lap and 'talking' to me (he makes all kinds of sounds now),  listening to Papa play guitar (he really does, it's so nice to have a musical father!), looking at puppets, gnawing on whatever he can, and just looking around at the bright new world that surrounds him :)

(All pictures taken during "A Week in the Life", except the one at the splash pad and the 2 wearing the baseball cap.)

It's a wonderful age, I'm really enjoying it and can't wait to see what he will be able to do in another month.  It's kind of sad that our journey is 1/3 of the way over already (before Mat Leave is up I mean), but it's been a fun and amazing journey so far, and being a  Mama has been everything I've wanted it to be.

Je t'aime mon beau garçon.

Until next time,

G.

A Week in the Life-Sunday *LAST DAY!!*

Ok, here we go, the last day of A Week in the Life!  I'm probably gonna take a little blogging break after this to work on the photos, but then I'll come back with my collages/layouts/thoughts of the documenting process, and then do one more post with the completed album and that'll be IT!  I'm excited to start working on it, but I didn't want to start until I had the blog posts all done, so let's get to it!

• I had a hard time falling asleep again last night after feeding the baby.  I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head, dreams and possibilities, that I can't seem to turn my brain off (until around 6am when I should be waking up!)  I'm nervous + excited + unsure + happy...it's a fun time, but not so great for the sleep department.
• Ugh, when I woke up at around 5am to feed Victor, my stupid nipple shield (which I still use although I reaaaalllly shouldn't be), was lost in the bed somewhere and it took about 10 mins to find it, all the while Victor was screaming and I was about to explode with frustration.  Eventually we found it (I usually keep it in my nursing bra but it fell out), but Dan had to be woken up and the lights had to be turned on, we searched the floor, his crib, it was awful.  95% of the time I don't mind that we still use the shield but when things like that happen, I really hate that darn thing.
• I love how Victor can entertain himself in his crib now.  He's been in there for about 10 mins, just cooing and looking around.  So much better than crying the moment he wakes up!
• Today and I have a lot of pictures to edit and research to do, which adds to my usual days, but it's fun work so I don't mind.
• Going to re-try some smoothies today, hoping for better results!
• We watch a lot of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) these days, but I'm happy that Dan and I have something that we can watch together and talk about (I tolerate hockey but don't love), since we don't have many (besides Victor that is).
• Sundays are particularly lazy days.  I fight the urge to nap pretty much all afternoon and hardly anything gets done.  It's like we need a rest from all the nothing that we do all week?! Geesh.
• Victor is going  a really long time between his feedings lately.  I'm just going with the flow and following his cues, but sometimes I wonder if I should offer feedings to him more.  He's not the biggest baby either so it makes me wonder, but I'm sure he's ok.
• Today I watched parts of a movie called Eathlings, which is about the cruelty of animals.  It's really hard to watch at some points, but in a way kind of necessary.  Personally I'm not against having pets or killing animals (for food), as long as it can be done in a truly humane way.  Kill them before they are processed, DO NOT use the processing method as the method of killing.  Anyway, it was hard, I love animals so much!
• Sometimes I feel like I'm too sensitive to the thoughts of others.  A single comment, even a well meaning or light one, can affect or bother me for way longer than it should.  It's something that I really don't like about myself and one of the reasons I'm so scared to put myself out there sometimes.
• Our friends Greg and Flo didn't end up coming to supper like we had hopes, but I completely understand, they are busy with a young son and Flo had just worked all day.  She's also expecting another baby and so her energy levels must be low.  Still, Dan was looking forward to having someone to watch UFC 115 with, now he's stuck with me (edit: poor Flo ended up losing the baby that night, we feel so bad for them, but she's ok which is the important thing.)
• I've been playing the same game of Sudoku in the bathroom for over a week, I suck!
• This technically crosses into Monday, but Dan and I stayed awake until 2:45am last night just talking in bed about marriage and our pasts and all sorts of 'deep' stuff that we hardly ever get to talk about (I think the last time we did that was long before I was even pregnant with Victor.)  I was so nice though, and I think important for us, knowing how we feel and checking in is so important, and I'm glad to know that we're both on the same page and willing to put 'the work' into our marriage.  Love that man!

And the nitty gritty details:

Daily to-dos: Clean up before Greg and Flo come, edit half of Aubrie's photos and post on Facebook, blog, paint picture frames for Victor's room, finish scrap page, dishes, sweep and dust

Shows we watched: UFC Rampage Jackson's Greatest Hits, Everybody Loves Raymond, Earthlings, Big Love, UFC 115 Liddell vs. Franklin

The weather was: Cloudy all day and very muggy.  About 18C.  A few showers in the afternoon.

What we ate: Toast and leftover smoothie, smoked salmon, homemade hamburgers with homemade barbecue sauce and fries

C'est tout!!

It was a long and work-intensive ride, but I hoped you enjoyed looking into our lives a little bit (I would definitely encourage anyone to try this project, even if you don't make something out of the information, just having the photos and words is enough!)  

Until next time,
G.

PS-It was totally weird to wake up on Monday and not have to write anything down!

A Week in the Life-Saturday

[I'm slightly behind with the last 2 days of AWITL...I've been putting off Saturday's post because I did not write one.single.thought.  I wrote down only our very basic schedules and that was it.  Honestly I was getting tired with it all, so I decided to see how it went with not writing anything and only going by memory.  So this post may be very short and/or more reflective than the last 5 days...Also, I think I took 30-something pics the entire day, so not much to choose from!]

The second to last A Week in the Life post, yippee!! I think I'll be just as happy as you all once I'm done these :)  So without further ado (since I didn't write anything these are all in past tense since I'm now just thinking about them):

• I woke up to feed the baby at 6:00am and couldn't think of anything else except the fact that I DID NOT want to run the 5km run that I was supposed to go to at 8:30.  I just didn't feel ready, inspired or energized enough to go.  After 2 runs (one of which was pretty hard), I just knew that I wasn't going to do as well as I wanted, so I cancelled with my friend Sue and flaked out.  Yeah, I used the baby as an excuse too, since he was going to need to feed at 9:00, which is when the race started, though I totally could have pumped about 30 mins before leaving.  At any rate, I didn't go, I suck, but I want to keep running and actually train for a run later this summer.  I will do a race, it just wasn't today.
• In the morning I had to give my mom a ride to the Golf Club to pick up my dad's truck, and on my way home I stopped in at a few yard sales, even though I didn't have my wallet...in some ways I enjoy the thrill of the hunt and stopping at every place I see, but with the baby I thought it was kind of hard (I left him in the car with the keys and air on while I looked, but I felt very rushed...)  And sometimes I feel like a dweeb rubber-necking and slowing down as I drive by, but I'm definitely not the only one so it's ok.  I also went a Moving Sale on the street next to me, but there wasn't anything good (I thought it would be more of an Estate type sale, but it was just someone trying to get rid of her ugly 80s furniture.)  
• Later in the day I finally got around to making some smoothies.  I made a basic banana strawberry smoothie: 1 banana, 4 or 5 strawberries, 1 cup of yogurt and 1 cup of milk, plus some wheat germ thrown in...I'm not a huge banana fan and I thought it was too strong of a taste, but it wasn't terrible, so I drank about half a glass...and then I started to feel sick.  My stomach hurt and I'm not sure why.  The funny thing is, Dan drank a glass and had the exact same problem, we were both kind of sick for about an hour or so afterwards...we were reacting to all the health-i-ness I guess!  The plan is to make a banana peanut butter one next, and maybe to leave out the wheat germ, since Dan thinks that was the issue, though I'm not so sure...
• Victor can now sit in his high chair and did so while we ate supper, it was nice.  He's seeming older all the time, soon he'll need that chair to eat actual food!  He's also starting to use his teething ring Nuby a lot, I wonder if this means he's in the pre-stages of teething...the drool would certainly indicate so!
• In the evening we went to Daf's to visit, and she gave me a couple of her plants...I have no idea if I'll be able to keep them alive, but I want to have some in the house, it really adds some life.
• I got a few emails about possible photoshoot opportunities and I'm excited at how it's all coming together.  I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about the whole thing, but I'm trying to be realistic and slow about it all, I don't want it to overwhelm me, or for my hopes to get too high and then have them crushed.  Getting emails asking is fun though :) 

And that's all...not bad for going by memory!

Now for the things I wrote down:

Daily to-dos: Didn't give myself any on this day.

Shows we watched: Everybody Loves Raymond, The Daily Show, Cinderella, The Tudors, Big Love (lots more TV on Saturdays!)

The weather was: Beautiful again in the morning (like Friday), but clouded over in the afternoon and went down to around 20C, maybe a bit more.

What we ate: Smoothies, Leftover Thai-style pork, Kievs and Orzo

One post left, hope to have it up tomorrow!

Until then,

G.

A Week in the Life-Friday

Day 5 of A Week in the Life!  I honestly can't believe I've done this much and have kept up with it like I have...maybe completing a project isn't impossible for me!

Ok, so random thoughts for today:

• I woke up this morning at 8:00am to get ready for a photoshoot, and even though it was hard, it felt really good to get up a decent hour!  Victor is great too, he acts like my little alarm clock when I need him, he seems to have the ability to know when I need to wake up.  He ate at 6:30 and went down at 7:00, but then woke up at 8:00, just like I wanted.  Perfect :)
• The photoshoot went really well, even though the sun was a bit too high and it cast a lot of shadows (that's the problem with morning shoots, you have to have them really really early, like 7am!)  Aubrie (the little girl) was sooo cute and didn't mind the camera at all. We took photos in her grandmother's backyard and oh my word, it was GORGEOUS!  Ponds, koi fish, landscaping, arches, you name it.  So green and so many flowers, just a perfect backdrop for photos.  And all I kept thinking during the shoot was "this is like The Secret Garden!"
• The weather today is gorgeous, for once!  Not a cloud in the sky, and I have no complaints!  In celebration I'm wearing a dress, even though my mummy tummy is still quite prominent...oh well.
• Victor loves to look in the mirror these days, it's one of his favourite things to do.  When he's fussy we show him the 'other' baby in the mirror and he stops and smiles at himself...pretty cute.  He's so vain.
• I had to leave the house a few times today for random things and as I was going about my day, I found a few places where I would like to take photos ('urban country' settings I like to think of them).  At times like these I really miss having my model (aka Heather) around to call on whenever I need someone to try something out with me.  I also realized today that bringing Victor along on adventures or shoots like this isn't a big deal, as long as he's in his stroller or carseat.  I brought my tripod and took some silly self portraits while he slept in the car.
• It's official; Victor has lost his baby rocker mohawk.  His hair is too long or greasy or something.  He's also losing a little patch in the back, not from sleeping but from getting little tiny dreads back there that we keep having to rip out!
• We re-arranged the living room to accommodate the new chair we bought yesterday.  I feel like this place is slowly becoming a 'home', and my urgency to buy a house is slowly declining.  I think we can be happy here for awhile.
• No smoothies today, but we had some iced coffee instead since it was so hot.  We also made the same minced pork dish we had earlier in the week, but tweaked the spiciness since last time it was cray-zay (by Dan's error, not the recipe).  Much yummier this time around!
• Dan and Victor have been playing 'rocket baby' a lot this week (Dan lifts Victor above his head while lying on the couch and makes him 'fly.)  It's their new thing and it's so adorable. He's such a great dad.
• I noticed that I sing almost all of my silly little songs to Victor to the tune of either "She'll be comin' round the mountain:, or "The farmer in the dell", and I have no idea why.  I also notice that I say the same little 'slogan' for each diaper that I put on as I put them on, like with the Fuzzibuns I sing "Fuzzibuns, Fuzzibuns, does whatever a Fuzzibun can" to the Spiderman tune.  Sooo weird.  Repetition is the new norm around here.
• I sooo don't want to go running tomorrow!

Daily to-dos: Oops!  Forgot to write them down...Laundry is the only thing I can think of now!

Shows we watched: Everybody Loves Raymond, the Tudors, Big Love

The weather was: Gorgeous!  A true summer day, finally!  Sun (a bit cloudier in the afternoon), but still hot with a nice breeze.  About 28C.  This is what June is supposed to be like!

What we ate: Cereal, toast and coffee, pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, Thai-style minced pork (Take 2)

Be back tomorrow with Saturday's re-cap!

Until then,

G.

A Week in the Life-Thursday

[I can't believe it, my 4th day already!  Only 3 more to go, woohoo!  Overall, still enjoying the process, even though it's a lot of work...]

Well hello, A Week in the Life Thursday edition is here!  Let's see what we have today:

• I woke up this morning not really knowing what the plan for the day was and it sucked.  We're trying to find a kitchen table and it's so annoying trying to find a decent set for cheap that doesn't come from Walmart.  I hate that I can't make decisions like these anymore; it was the same way with the car seat and the crib, they both took forever to choose!  What's the issue I wonder?
• I wake up late and waste my mornings, and then hate myself for it.  It really ruins my days.
• Changing diapers has become (for the most part) a really enjoyable experience.  This is when we get the biggest smiles and laughs from Victor.  Because of this, I don't mind extending the task into a 10-15 mins playtime, as long as he enjoys it, I can put off the housework a little longer.
• For some reason, I really enjoy washing our cloth diapers.  I guess I just enjoy cloth diapering so much that even the washing isn't that bad!  Plus, seeing all the diapers on the clotheslines makes me really happy 'cause it's just so cute.  I guess it's a sign that I really am here, where I wanted to be, as a mom.  It's a vision come true (yes, diapers on the clothesline!)
• In the afternoon we went downtown for a walk and did some errands.  We went to a 2nd hand used furniture store and finally found a decent kitchen table and chairs, plus another old school leather lazy-boy for the living room, all for 200$!  I love it when things just happen to work out, even though it makes me feel foolish that I worried so much before (see point above).  Life is good to us, I sometimes forget that.
• Dan went to the music store and played a custom Taylor that was over 3k$.  He really loved it and I loved watching him play it.  If we had money I would definitely let him buy all the instruments he would ever want (as long as I could have my camera equipment! haha)
• There was no morning surprise today, yay!
• As much as it hurts to pay off debt sometimes, I am sooo excited that in a couple of week we'll have Dan's small student loan paid off!  It's our first school-related debt paid off, it's going to be a huge relief, one less debt hanging over our shoulders, and I'll be happy that I decided to pay it off aggressively instead of wasting the money on something else.  Next up, Dan's big student loan (from the bank, not the government...he has 4 loans, geesh!)
• I got my AC modern album and the divided page protectors from the local scrapbook store today, it's making this project seem so real now!!  I'm really excited to start piecing it together, but I'm going to hold off until the end of the documentation process, I want to keep the focus on that until the week is over.  I also bought some more paper...I just can't resist pretty paper!
• It's a silly thing, but having a kitchen table is really nice!  We haven't had one in 2 years.  It's nice just to be able to sit down and eat a meal that's not in front of the television.  We're also having company over on Sunday so it'll be nice to have somewhere for them to sit, haha
• I bought a bunch of smoothie stuff at the grocery store tonight (including some wheat germ), so I'm excited to try making some tomorrow.  Also, Dan made some iced coffees with the leftover coffee from this morning and it was delicious, so yummy and addictive!  New summer foods, yay!
• Dan played the guitar for Victor tonight and he was sooo happy watching him play, he just sat in a chair and watched him, waving his arms and making little 'singing' noises.  I love watching them together like that, it's adorable (and I think Dan likes having an audience too!)
• Overall, today ended up being a really good day, despite the crummy start.  Lots of little joys, happy smiles, sunshine, productivity and rest.  Hopefully it will continue tomorrow!

And of course (these seem to be repeats most days, but oh well...)

Daily to-dos: Groceries, dishes, write to Jelena, laundry-diapers, blog, schedule hair appointment, make payment on washer and dryer

Shows we watched: UFC All Access (Forrest Griffin), The Ultimate Fighter, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Tudors

The weather was: Better!  Sun and clouds (mostly clouds), but much warmer, probably over 20C.

What we ate: Coffee, Hot dogs, Sidekick (wow, pathetic!!)

Have a happy Friday and weekend everyone!

Until tomorrow,
G.

A Week in the Life-Wednesday

[Wednesday was definitely a slow day.  I didn't write as much or take nearly as many pictures...only half, and many are repeats, hence the larger pics in the collage.  Oh well, as long as I still keep it up it's ok if the quantity waxes and wanes...]

Wednesday edition of A Week in the Life is here!  I know, you're all super excited, right? lol

Alright, we know the drill:

• Overall, I felt very rushed and frazzled today, even though we didn't do anything special.  I didn't take as many photos as I had wanted or written as much as I had hoped.  The house is still a mess and I can't seem to get it cleaned up.  I wish I could be a bit more structured in my days, but Victor makes it hard, not having a schedule himself, though by now I should know how to work around it.  I guess I just have to learn to go with the flow.
• It's official: the morning 'surprise' is a daily thing!  Luckily for me, it was Papa's turn this morning, and it's always been in his disposables (as if he knows that Mama doesn't want him pooping in his 25$ diapers! haha)
• Our downstairs neighbours were parked outside in the driveway and were playing their music SOOO loud, I almost went down and asked them to turn it down because Victor was sleeping.  Loud, obnoxious bass music...something I forget that we live on 'the wrong side of the tracks', but we do and sometimes you can definitely tell.
• It's nice that I Dan and I still get to do things together in our few quiet moments.  We have to work at it, but we're no less of a couple now that we're parents.
• Cleaning these days has become quick moments of fury in between caring for Victor.  I try to do a million things at once all in rush, and things are always left half finished.
• The traffic in Sussex is ABSURD for a town of its size; trying to make a left turn on Main St. is darn near impossible!
• Victor had a major freak out today before he ate and I got so annoyed when it happened; luckily it doesn't happen that often or I don't know if my patience could handle it!  Most of the time it's easy to calm him down, so that's a bonus too.
• I hate how everyone always seems to be trying to take advantage of you; nothing is ever easy (in the sense of money): I'm being charged more for exchanging my dress because 'the sale is over', the phone company is charging us for a phone number that's not even ours...it never ends it seems.  You always have to be on your guard.
• The Government of Canada's Revenue Agency website sucks.  That is all. (But I suppose I can't complain, I get money from them every month just for having a baby!)
• I went for another run with Sue and this time Sara.  I didn't do as well this time, I was still tired and sore from Monday I guess.  we did just under 5km in 30 mind (and with a 1-minute walk).  I'm sore and tired again.  The race is Saturday and I have no idea how I'll do or if I'll continue running after this...the novelty has definitely worn off!
• I've decided that I want to start drinking smoothies in the morning.
• I'm totally using Victor as an excuse to re-watch all my old favourite Disney movies.  A few days ago it was Fantasia, today, Aladdin (Victor was asleep while I was watching that one! haha)
• My parents took Victor for a walk while I was out running; I love how helpful they are and having them nearby to be with the baby.

And the extras:

Daily to-dos:  More laundry, tidy up!, groceries, check mail, return bridesmaid dress, go to Dollarama, clean bathroom

Shows we watched: Everybody Loves Raymond, The Daily Show, Disney's Aladdin

The weather was: A mox of sun and clouds, only 12C again, but it got warmer in the afternoon.  Still nowhere near true summer weather.  In the evening it was pleasant, though muggy, maybe 20C or so.

What we ate: Coffee and toast, pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, leftover casserole

Alright, as you can see, more scattered and random than usual.  Not the best day for me, hoping for nicer things tomorrow!

Until then,
G.