MIA

Sorry I have not been posting much lately. I am contemplating getting rid of this blog and starting a new one. I feel like I want a fresh start at a blog.

It will still focus on our life as a family, and probably give monthly (bi monthly) updates on the monkey, so our far away family and friends can know what shenanigans she has got into. However I really feel like some sort of change...just not 100% what change that will be yet.

Anyhoo I have had a few friends emailing me "why haven't you updated in so long" So I thought I owed the explanation.

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome!!

Thanks and stay tuned, I will be sure to share the new blog link (will still be under the same username, as I don't want to start up another email)

Ciao!

Monkey See Monkey Do

It's the little things that she does that make me really drop my jaw, and realize how much I need to smarten up because she is in such a discovery and imitation stage.

A couple months ago she started combing her hair, and playing mom to her baby, and pushing her sock at her foot (with no success).

The past 2 weeks have been, an obsession with her shoes, and she is successful at getting ONE croc shoe on (as of today) My oven mitts, and watching the food in the oven..while trying to lick it through the glass, thankfully no burns yet. And getting cranky at the dinner table when she doesn't have some cutlery, to stab away at her tray but miss the food hahaa. It makes it seem like it will be no time before she is picking out her own outfits, pushing a chair over to help me bake/cook, and twirling spaghetti on a fork (okay that one is probably really far away ha)

A few photo's of our lovely little girl being her lovely little self.

This was today :)
Rocking her cute slipper boots and big girl housecoat
Sharing my apple, she will have a fit if I don't share my food, it's quite the challenge prepping dinner lately.
A few weeks old, but super cute...she is trying to put her diaper on her baby. She will also sit on her own diaper and pull at it, but has no clue how to button it up ha.

Hmmm mat leave vs nursing room?

My adorable husband just sent me this link
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,590408,00.html

I fully...fully support breastfeeding, I think every women should give it a try and really try if it's hard for you. I'm very frugal, so I can't imagine spending money on formula, when my body is designed to make the perfect food for my baby, so maybe that is why I really support it hehee. I also bow down to those women that pump exclusively for their child, whether it be because baby would not latch or you just didn't want to have a baby attached to the boob, I am so proud of those women for choosing to pump and supply their child with mommy's milk. But I got slightly irritated at the part of the article that pretty much says they want workplaces to provide somewhere for women to pump to continue supplying their child with breast milk. How about, United States of America, you give what every mother deserves....a full year off. There is NOTHING convenient about time consuming pumping at work...especially after the 6 month mark. Trying to get comfortable in an office building with a pump attached to you for 20 minutes a couple times in your work day....yeah really convenient and oh so easy to get enough to replenish what baby is consuming at daycare. It's no wonder so many moms call it quits before the 6 month mark....because they have to go back to work. I count my lucky stars that I am a Canadian and I am entitled to a full year of leave with pay. And I count my blessings even more that I am still at home with Skyla and it hasn't been a huge financial burden. I mean don't get me wrong, all work places should have somewhere for mothers to pump in comfort....I'm thinking big comfy chairs with foot baths and someone to give you a pedi, a big screen TV with episodes of Sex and the City, and pizza delivered in, because....nursing/pumping makes you hungry...oh and lots of water, cause it makes you thirsty too. But really I think the better choice would be a year of leave...it would also keep the young child away from a ton of other sick kids in a daycare. I get being exposed to germs, we don't live in a purell bubble, in fact I am semi anti antibacterial hand sani, it's good when needed, but soap and water is better, and we need SOME germs! Swimming in a pool of snotty kids in a stuffy room with LOT's of people traffic ie lots of different germs vs being at home with mommy and your usual playdate friends, being exposed to people in stores with a little less contact. Nursing your child vs pumping at work. I think we all know where my vote is.

I am still breastfeeding my 13 month old, and she got her first cold this week, whether than be a coincidence or not, I don't know. But she has been around plenty of sick people and babies and exchange spit with sick babies in her first year of life and not one cold, every time I thought she was getting sick, I popped her on the breast constantly and the symptoms were gone within 12 hours. Whether it's linked or not, I don't know, and I know there are tons of breastfed babies that are constantly sick, so it's not always the cure for every baby. But I take pride in my child's chubby thighs, and her immunity of steel, that my milk has played a huge part in that. I have no plans to stop nursing her anytime soon, and I thank god it has been an easy relationship for us. As I said she is sick right now, and she mostly just wants her comfort food....mommy's milk, instead of table food, and that's fine by me. She is the happiest sick baby I know, so something has to be right.

I make milk, what's your super power ;)

Meatless Meals

For a few years now, I have tried to make at least 1 or 2 meatless meals a week. It's really not as hard as most would think. I now try to do 3-4 a week, and we, well definitely I, don't miss the meat in these meals.

By no means are we planning to become vegans or vegetarians, and we were never a crazy meat consuming family/couple. But it feels really good to make a super satisfying and feeling hearty meatless meal. I don't use Tofu, I have tried it once in a meal and I am not a huge fan, I will try it again someday and maybe incorporate it once in a blue moon. I use beans a lot, and recently have started to use quinoa.

Last week we made vegetable fried quinoa (with some added black beans for extra protien) rather than rice, and it was DELICIOUS. James was very hesitant to jump on the quinoa bandwagon, he was expecting a cous cous like taste and texture, which he strongly dislikes, I LOVE cous cous. He is also the cook in the house for fried rice, he makes a mean fried rice dish hehee pretty much the only thing he knows how to cook other than plain potato/rice, steak, and boiled veggie ;) so he was the first to make a quinoa dish for the family., and we all devoured it.

This weeks meatless meals are:
-Crockpot Minestrone type of soup (beans, chickpeas, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, italian seasoning, canned tomatoes and broth, though I admit I used chicken broth, I really dislike the flavor of commercial veggie broth) with homemade crescent rolls.
-Black Bean Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries
-Baked Beans, Scallop Potato, and some sort of veggie probably green.

I like to do meatless mexican with beans yummy, pasta with lots of veggies and sometimes I throw in some beans as well, meatless stirfrys, meatless soups. Not every time I make a pasta or soup etc is meatless, but really it's so easy to skip the meat a couple times a week, I think EVERYONE should do it!

I watched a documentary a couple years ago on how much meat North America consumes, it was disgusting, and how meat is such a high demand and how damaging it is to our environment. Not that raising animals, and using them for consumption is completely damaging but the rate at which we do it is what is damaging, and how much animals are needed to meet the demands is environmentally damaging. I cannot for the life of me remember the name, but I know you can find it on the internet. I found it incredibly informative and eye opening, it was definitely what lead me to my quest for cutting out meat in every meal every day.

I'll be sure to share some recipes of meals we try and we all love....those that have recipes. James veggie fried quinoa does not have a recipe, nor does my minestrone soup, it's always changing slightly ;)

Ciao

You know your a mom when!!!

Obviously I knew I was a mom the minute her little, well uhm big body, pushed it's way through my va-jay-jay, and I held her in my arms. But every so often I have these moments, sort of like a light bulb BING you're a mom....or I guess you're a mom to a TODDLER.

Some recent ones:

-when you go to put your boots on, are grossed out by something in it (my first thought, it was a giant bug) and you cautiously investigate to find LITTLE PEOPLE

-you have a miniature person stuck to your legs, hugging you with all her strength while plowing her head into your crotch or bum while you....blowdry your hair, saute dinner, make breakfast etc. And you look down, she looks up with love, and at that moment you know what true love feels like. Hmm yet again true love is putting pressure on my crotch, just like she did for 9 months ;)

-you see your LO pull off her socks, you get frustrated that she is ripping them off, AGAIN, but then she uses them to "wash" the glass kitchen doors....I guess she see's me constantly wiping up her kiss and booger marks. Hmm guess I need to be doing more housework infront her to get some extra help.

-you get excited over poops in the toilet!

-you go to bed singing abby's flying fairy school theme song, and wake up with it in your head....even though your daughter pays NO attention to the show, it's forever burned in your memory...oh damn now I'm singing it again!

-when at a restaurant with the nugget I order something, that she can share...while daddy constantly get's away with non Skyla friendly meals...hmm something needs to be done about that ;)

-when she insists sitting on YOUR lap for a story, while also insisting on a new book every 4 seconds hehee, and stops half way through, twists her head and reaches up for a kiss.

-when you watch her imitate being a mom to her babies!

She is ONE!!!

We were out of town with very limited internet access, so I wasn't able to post her birthday stuff on the big day, March 3rd. But better late then never right!?

We were visiting Mount Washington area with my inlaws, spent a couple days in their condo up there, went snowshoeing and cross-country skiing (I stuck to the snowshoes) on the big day...she fell asleep in her pull sled, about 2 minutes into the trek, I don't even think we were on the trail yet ha. Skyla slept probably 75% of the adventure heheee...she woke up when we (just daddy, mommy and Emi our dog) went off to snowshoe on dog friendly trails (not very x-country ski friendly ones) and had fun laughing at the crazy dog running around loving the snow and chasing snowballs :P

Grandpa Tom made fagita's for dinner, which did not go over well, I guess it was to spicy...she screamed bloody murder when she got the chicken in her mouth, but she loved the peanut butter picnic cake I made her. And she was really into unwrapping her gifts....very slow but into it. She would tear off a small piece of paper and then hand it to me hehee.

A slide show of her first year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiMx-ojImJo

Here are some pics from the day (more to come when I get pictures from the inlaws, my big camera was a pain to lug out while snowshoeing)

Waiting for everyone to get their gear!

Hanging out on the snow, what a poser hehee
Not so happy about the chicken fagita's
Cooling down with some peanut butter picnic cake
taking her time to unwrap her giftsWell she is one, a toddler and full of the toddler mischief, tantrums and independence...I swear a switch went off in her brain this week....lordy you are her enemy if you try to help her with something, but she also fa-reaks when something is not going her way....examples of such things that happened today
Example 1:
She put something into her highchair that was too big to pull through the leg hole, she screamed like she was being tortured because she couldn't figure out to pull it back the way she originally got it in there.

Example 2:
She was trying to put her shirt on, clearly she is not that clever yet..but she does know it goes over her. She kept putting it ON her head and would smile so proud, Daddy offered to help and she would yell at him rip the shirt out his hands, and throw it around and put it back on her head. When he did get it over her head she would curl away from him, CRY, like the works, tears pouring down and yank at the shirt and as soon as she got it off her head, she would stop and smile, so proud she did it on her own....what a little freak. But I love her ;)

Highlight of today:
She was in the same diaper ALL DAY, she held a pee for our half hour walk with Emi this morning, and then also woke up after a 2.5 hour nap DRY, and peed and pooped on the toilet when I brought her to the bathroom after waking....the evening was not as successful, I guess I got lazy and busy making dinner and dealing with a whiny pants (teething) and missed her pee cues, so that diaper got pee in it by bath time...but oh well, I'm happy with the success we had!

My Funny Valentine!

Skyla has been giving kisses for a couple months now, and they are much more regular now. I would say 80% of the time I ask for a kiss she gives me one (she is even starting to close her mouth...less slobber yay) of course 79% of that is when it's just us so I look like a liar when I tell people she gives kisses and she refuses to in public haha.

The funniest ones are after nursing, she almost always comes up to kiss me, and out pops a burp....thanks monkey!

But today was the most special valentines present from my baby girl. She was done nursing and just being a cling on, so I unlatched her and she laid her head on my chest blinking off her sleepy's and kept looking up at me so calm and beautifully. I stood up to say good night, I love you and give her hugs...she kept her rested on my chest and then looked up at me and reached up for kiss. Placed her head back on my chest and then repeated 4 times while I held back from sobbing. It was the first time she initiated such a sweet sincere kiss with so much effort.

God she is beautiful, I can't wait when that goodnight kiss is followed by "I wuv you, mama, nigh nigh"

1 month left

before toddler-dom.....dum dum dum!

Let's start with pictures this time :D

Getting into mischief in the bathroom, she loves the drain (gross) and 2nd best is her bottle of body/hair wash
Got to love the outfit eh ;) At least her cloth diaper matches her sweater, the headbands and leggings, well they don't match anything here ha (and her cat, her lovey in the background, I guess this was after a nap, she ALWAYS pulls her cat through the crib bars after changing her diaper after sleep)

I'm only keeping this headband on, because this soap taste so good and I'm to preoccupied to rip this silly thing off my head...don't worry in 5 minutes it will be gone!
Health Baby

Last week, James was VIOLENTLY ill all through the night. I woke up with cramps and feeling like if I moved I would hurl everywhere...and thought it must just be "womenly things" (I was waiting for my second post partum period, so I was expecting cramps) however I to had to run to the bathroom. And we both were in and out of the bathroom for most of the early-early morning. I was not nearly half, heck not even a third as sick as James (poor guy...I do joke that men are complete wimps when it comes to being sick, but he did have it bad) I kept praying that Skyla would not wake up sick, that we had food poisoning from questionable bacon that we had at dinner, that Skyla did NOT eat. But at 3:30 she woke up crying and I knew something was up.

Sure enough she had been sick in her crib, so I changed the sheets cleaned her head (she got it nowhere but the sheets and her hair hehee) and we went and played in the living room while daddy and I moaned on the couches. I couldn't believe how happy she was...she played till about 4:30 when I nursed her and put her back to bed. I was so scared I would be dealing with a very sick baby and what do you do when they are that sick. James actually said "Callista we need to go to the hospital I can't take care of her" haha...men, wimps, wimpy men (this is why we give birth, we nurse, we deal with periods and growing boobs, and burning highlights, and tight pantyhose and the list goes one, women are awesome!) Anyhoo the rest of the day she was her normally happy self and not sick, she had a couple of weird poops but nothing like what I was expecting and no more puking. She didn't seem hungry for "big girl foods" but she nursed lots.

I don't know if it's good genes (jeans hehee) or if she falls into the "healthy breastfed baby" statistic...but I can't help but be proud that she has not been sick this winter. Whenever I thought she might be getting a cold the symptoms magically disappeared within 12 hours. Proud that maybe I am the reason behind it...whether it's my genes, my boob juice, or my great cooking I don't know. But I do know I feel very proud that she hasn't yet been sick, and when we her mommy and daddy were very ill she rocked it out happily being her awesome self.

Speaking of healthy home cooked meals, she suddenly has a big love for steamed broccoli..she used to be meh to broc but loved cauliflower ha. She can chow down on a "tree" of broccoli like noones business. S even had some cold/room temp for lunch the other day and devoured it. Her and her one little tooth, taking on a whole piece of broccoli...go girl. Today's dinner was asparagus, cauliflower and brussel sprouts, steak and mash potato's. She was not as into the steak as last time...funny how one day she loves something and the next it's of no interest. I guess that's the joys of being a mom, just when you think you understand your child they change ;)

Party Tricks

Every day Skyla comes up with something to new to blow my socks off...almost literally for her new party trick.

Last night I was putting away her laundry and she pulled out a pair of bundled socks from the basket (hers) and sat on the floor with them motioning to her own foot, as though she was trying to put it on. I thought it was just a weird coincidence, a fluke or what have you. However this morning she did it again to her bundled socks as I was getting her dressed. I mentioned it my sister and she said she saw Skyla do it a couple days ago with one of her babylegs (leg warmers).

I can't quite grasp my head around it that my (almost) 11 month old knew that her BUNDLED socks go on her foot...especially since she is a notorious sock puller offer. I mean I think she is very smart (naturally) and she is very good with her hand coordination, but she wants nothing to do with socks normally, and she won't imitate a wave or clapping but she will imitate getting dressed. Hmmmm!

We have 3 other birthdays to attend to this coming month, her 3 buddies, and I was going through our pictures from playdates throughout the year, and was getting quite blubbery. I'm going to be a mess on March 3rd. Thank god we have 3 birthdays to practice my calm cool collected demeanor.

A toddler a real life toddler, granted she really is already there with her eating, walking, one nap a day, and tantrums when something is not HER way...but ONE. According to James she is zero not 11 months, so when she is 15 months she will just ONE to him ha. Having a one year old feels like a whole new world of responsibilities, no longer a baby and "easy". Oh boy!

Oh and she is really getting close to saying Mom, I am pretty sure what she is saying sounds more like muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum is directed at me, but I think it might be for Mmmmmilk lol, not just for ME ha. All day today she has been saying different variations of muuuuuuuuum and other M sounds, I was quite giddy. Even if it is just a "mom I need milk" sound, it's communication, since she has no interest in using her hands for sign language (or clapping or waving) vocal communication would be good :D

Just remembered another "party trick" she is doing lately...another imitation. Stomping her feet to music when we are sitting down and singing, hasn't grasped doing it while standing, but she will do it while sitting, so we stomp to music instead of clapping hehee. Sharon Lois and Bram is our favorite right.

Nighty Night!

**Pure Awesomeness**

Pure Awesomeness

For dinner tonight (on a whim, and craving) we had a family favorite...something we haven't had in awhile. Tacos, with my homemade shells (well mom's recipe, I can't take full credit)

As most know we have been following "Baby Led Weaning" as our philospophy with feeding Skyla. So she eats what we eat, if we eat out somewhere that I don't feel she should have (yet) like MacDonalds ;) I bring a healthier meal for her. That being said, she did get a MacDonald's pancake for breakfast today (along with 2 kiwi's)

The last time she had taco's, I just plopped the fillings on her tray and a soft shell beside it, she could pick and choose what she wanted to taste and play with. Tonight Skyla was getting a bit impatient with the making of dinner, so I got her into her highchair, gave her half a homemade taco shell with some refried beans in it, folded it in half to make a "bean quesadilla", I turned around to check on the shell I was cooking, looked back at her and she had managed to roll it into an actual taco/burrito shape (guess it was from how she grabbed it) that was probably the cutest thing I had ever seen. My 10 month old was eating a taco, rolled up like a stogey and chowing down (with her one half tooth) AWESOME. So for her second serving. I took the other half of the soft shell, slapped in some beans, guacomole, seasoned chicken and cheese, and rolled it up into a taco shape. Put the taco on her tray, and again, no problems no falling apart, she picked it up and went to town, eating it just the way you or I would.

I was so impressed I couldn't take my eyes off her...which meant I ate most of my tacos on the colder side hehee.

Skyla you just amaze me, with your walking and following me from room to room, your sarcastic laugh...that always seems so perfectly time to a bad joke (she laughs before anyone else, and with us ha) your eating skills. I feel like you are so grown up a tiny little body (with hardly any hair on your head) like a teenager stuck inside a small body hahaa.

Taco #1 Open Wide


Taco #1 Nom Nom Nom
Taco #2 Going in for bite
Taco #2 DelishAnd I got to say, it was not messy, there was no need for immediate plunking into a tub (and she ate NAKED, we are without a washing machine right now, and she is very low on her cloth diapers and I refuse to pay for disposables they aren't cheap! So she sat naked in her highchair on a "burp cloth" pretty sure they are actually flatfold style diapers) there were no bits of food where they should be ;) ha

Stick to it!

I don't always make such grand resolutions, because I am so bad at sticking to a plan. But this year I have a major dire need to stick to it, and LOT'S of amibition/reason.

Care to hear my new years resolutions? Yes plural!

1 - stop swearing so much
Skyla has really taken to imitating familar phrases...such as peek-a-boo, good girl, and thank you. No one would understand her when she repeats me or Gramma, but it's always the same "word" for each phrase so she is definitely trying....uhm hello kid, don't you know MOMMY, is suppose to be one of your first words ;) hehee. She only says "muuuum" when whining ha. This rule applies to James and my sister as well, since they are around her every freaking day :P

2 - Eat healthy lunches
Or a lunch in general. I tend to skip it, and snack through out the day, grabbing a handful of this or that, and not usually "healthy options" not super bad either, just not well rounded. And then come dinner I eat enough for 3 people.

3 - Loose 10-15 lbs.
I'm sure I will get flagged for this from friends and family. But I stepped on the scale the other day and I am 5 lbs heavier than I was a few months ago...and I still had 10 pregnancy lbs to loose. So that makes 15 lbs heavier then pre-preg. I'm very giggly, and rolly on the tummy, and my thighs...yikes. I want to feel good about my body and be proud of it. Plus I will soon have a toddler to chase after...I need my cardio in check ;) and I DO NOT want to get pregnant again before I feel better about my shape, but I want to expand our family. So that is a huge motivation there :D

4 - Be nicer to James
I tend to loose my patience with him at the end of the day. In my defense (a bit) he does purposely push on my buttons sometimes, or do things to purposely bug me (and he knows that and is working on it as his resolution) I'm exhausted by the time he drags his butt home from work, and have very few patience left. I know it's not an excuse, which is why I want to be nicer, less sarcastic and enjoy those evening kisses a little longer :) I love him so much and do NOT want to become a couple with "an elephant in the room"

5 - Walk Emi EVERY DAY, my poor dog has been deprived since Skyla came, and mat leave started. She used to get three 30-60 minute walks a day. And she used to get much more socializing, by coming on some of my dog walks for work, and neighborhood dogs, shiba meetups and dog playdates. We have moved away from our neighborhood and dog park she once knew, her friends have moved, a baby entered our pack and a tired mom has struggled with those morning walks. Emi, I promise you more walks, and at least one playdate a month!

Well duty calls in the form of cleaning!

Happy New Year!!! I hope you are excited for 2010 as I am.