A day out

"Ok mom, got my mittens, I'm ready to go!"

Last Saturday, Michael and I spent our first full day away from our daughter. We went with a group of friends to the movies (Harry Potter!) and left Sofia with her Nana. I admit that I was a tiny bit nervous, not because I don't trust Nana, but because Sofia is not used to drinking formula, and lately we've been having trouble getting her to drink much from a bottle. That turned out to be no problem though and she did awesome. When we got home she was already asleep and all I had to do was change her, feed her and she went right back to sleep in her crib.

I was also nervous because the last time I spent a day away from her, I came home nine hours later screaming, "I NEED TO FEED THE BABY!". Back then, in July, I had never gone without nursing for that long. I had brought my pump with me and attempted to get some relief halfway through the day, but without luck. At the time I wasn't used to pumping under pressure, and we were at Boston Pizza waiting for our food when I hurried to the bathroom to pump. What a sight I must have been. Hovering over the toilet seat (cause of course public toilets have no covers to sit on), trying to hold up my shirt with one hand and pump with the other. I felt so rushed and uncomfortable that I couldn't do it. I suffered through supper and by the time we were on the hour-long drive home, I was literally in pain.

So this time I was dreading going through that again. Luckily I had the perfect opportunity to go off to the bathroom while we all waited in the lineup for the movie to start. This time I didn't rush, although I still had to hover, and managed to pump four ounces. I went the whole day without pain yay!

Got the pumping thing down ... now if I wouldn't spend the whole day saying "I miss Sofia" ;)

A cold day of bad luck

Yesterday we had a snowstorm. We didn't go outside and it was nice to cuddle up on the couch with a blanket and read a book (Harry Potter! Going to see it on Sunday!) Today, the sky was blue and the air was crisp (-24C anyone? Brrrr). But my mother-in-law and I, with the baby bundled up in her car seat, ventured outside anyway for a coffee and a visit to daddy at work.

It was a really nice day. And then we got home. I went to unlock the door while my MIL got Sofia. The key wouldn't go in the lock. I tried and tried, but something was in there and there was no getting in. So we tried the back door and it was locked and latched so there was no way to get in that way either. I called Michael at work and he came home to find a way in, while I sat in the car and fed Sofia, who by that time was screaming bloody murder. Finally he found a way - he climbed up on our second story bedroom balcony (not an easy feat, by the way) and thankfully that door was not locked.

Finally we were inside and warmed up. I put Sofia in her Exersaucer to play and gave her a Mum Mum to snack on. I turned my back for a few seconds while my MIL was watching her and talking on the phone. Then she was screaming again. Our dog, Bobbi (an Irish Wolfhound/Terrier cross - don't ask how that's possible, but it is, and means she is two or three times bigger than Sofia at the moment) had snatched the Mum Mum right out of her hand! I guess she had nipped or knocked her hand cause one of her fingers was red but not seriously injured. She was ok a few minutes later, but I was not impressed!

It's been a constant struggle to have a dog and a baby. I would never ever get rid of Bobbi because we had a baby, but sometimes it's frustrating because even though I know she would never hurt Sofia on purpose, I'm so scared she will do something without trying it when she's excited, barking at visitors or, in this case, hungry.

We all survived, and I know that this will not be the last injury Sofia endures, but there is nothing worse than seeing your baby in pain. And well, Bobbi got in a little trouble for that one.

It's beginning to look a lot like ...

... Christmas!

Every other year I am very adamant about not putting up the tree and decorations until at least the last weekend in November. This year, however I have given in much earlier. We bought a new tree (pre-lit yay!) and it's been up for almost a week already. The decorations are not on it yet but the box is sitting nearby on the floor and I'm just itching to open it, but I am trying to hold off until the weekend.

 I guess it's pretty obvious that this year is different because we have a baby. Even though she has no idea what is going on, it's just going to be so much more fun. I can't wait to watch her on Christmas morning surrounded by wrapping paper, grabbing at every little thing and examining it (before attempting to put in her mouth).

The other great thing about being more excited about Christmas this year is that I'm way ahead on my shopping and sending out cards. I even took my own holiday photos of Sofia and designed my own cards on Kodak Gallery. They turned out awesome and I'll be sending them early next week. It feels so good to be on the ball!

To add to the holiday mood I downloaded a bunch of new Christmas music and well, it's snowing outside. That pretty much does it. As much as I hate the cold and snow, it does make the season feel just right.

Cartoons aren't what they used to be

I've been watching a lot of Playhouse Disney lately. I find myself humming the theme song from "Special Agent Oso" and "Johnny and the Sprites" when I am outside and I have to catch myself before someone hears. Sofia doesn't watch a lot of tv but in the morning while I'm having my coffee I sit her in her rocking chair and she loves watching the colours and hearing the songs. (Apparently, even a little Playhouse is enough to put songs in my head!).

While watching "Micky Mouse Playhouse" one day I thought about how children's cartoons have changed. When I was a kid, I watched "The Smurfs", "She-Ra: Princess of Power!", "Rainbow Brite" and "Care Bears". The one thing they all had in common, that cartoons today do not, is villians. There are no bad guys in cartoons anymore! I can see why, I guess. Kids are vulnerable and easily frightened, and we really would rather shield them from scary, bad things than introduce that to them too early.

However, I grew up watching those shows and I turned out fine. When I was visiting my aunt, uncle and cousins recently we were watching tv and we put on some cartoons for the girls. It wasn't Playhouse, but another cartoon channel, which we thought was fine. Soon though, the youngest who is four, said she didn't want to watch it anymore because it was scary. We were watching "Inspector Gadget", a show I watched all the time as a child. That's when I thought about it and decided that while the new cartoons aimed at little children are cute and fun and teach lots, they do not really prepare kids for the real world. If a bad guy (whose face you never even see) scares a four year old, what will real actual scary things do?

I don't think it's good to scare kids, but I do think it's ok for them to know that there are "bad guys" out there. It's also good for them to see the good guys win in the end, by being smart and strong. I will continue to let Sofia watch Playhouse, but I think once in a while when she's a bit older I will turn on some of the cartoons I used to watch. That way, I get to watch them too hehe.

Birthday Blahs

Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 29. I have decided that it will be the last birthday I celebrate. I mean it. No 30 for me!

Ok seriously, birthdays are not that bad. At least, the getting older part isn't that bad. I still dislike my birthday because it comes with so many expectations. I always want to have a great day that's different from every other day, but it never really is. I am pretty lucky, I have awesome friends who celebrate with me every year (this year new friends too!) and a husband who goes out of his way to make me feel special. Yet, I am always just a little disappointed, even though I really shouldn't be. I would rather plan other people's birthday, and believe me I am super excited about Sofia's birthday. I've already started thinking about it (Smash Cake anyone?! So much fun!!)

I'm not really sure what it is I want. I usually get what I ask for, if I ask for anything, and I've always gotten to do something special. Last year Michael took me to a Jann Arden concert in the city, this year my friends threw me a great party, complete with helium balloons and a Blizzard cake from Dairy Queen. And the cutest thing ever, Michael got Sofia to "write" her name on my birthday card.

Maybe I am greedy or selfish, but maybe it's ok, at least for one day, to want everything to be perfect. Even if I am disappointed for whatever reason, when I look back a few days, months or years later, I don't remember that. I always just remember being surrounded by people who love me. And that I got like 100 messages on my Facebook wall. Now THAT'S being loved ;)

Holiday Hoo-Haw

One of the joys of parenthood is re-visiting and therefore re-enjoying holidays again. Of course the major holiday of the year is (duh-duh-duh!) "BABY'S FIRST CHRISTMAS!" and all the insane preparation that goes along with it, including photographing your own Christmas cards (yes I will be taking on that challenge this year. Hey, I wanna be a photographer, I'll have to do it sometime), going overboard with the decorations and shopping for the most awesomest presents possible. All for a child who, at 8 months of age, will probably be perfectly content playing with the wrapping paper (or in Sofia's case, the tags on all the stuffed animals).

But before all that mayhem, we got to do Halloween, which was one of my favourite days of the year as a kid. I loved the spookiness of it all, dressing up and of course getting lots and lots of candy. But, alas, once again Sofia is much too young to enjoy all that. This tiny detail didn't stop us from making her suffer through wearing a poofy strawberry costume which made her sweat after like 10 minutes. But it was so darn cute.

 

During the first year of your child's life, everything you do is for you, plain and simple. She will not remember what she was forced to dress up as for Halloween and in fact, she will probably hate you for taking umpteen photos of her dressed like a strawberry because later, when she is a teenager and those photos surface again they will serve only as a means of embarrassment, not the fond memories you want to reflect on fondly. 

But even though I know all that is true, I will NOT stop taking photos of my baby, no matter how embarrassed she will be later. If I had to suffer through it, so does she ;)

Sofia was in bed by 7 last night, and we only got 15 trick-or-treaters. That didn't stop us from decorating our yard with a howling ghost and pumpkins and lights, playing "Monster Mash" out the living room window and watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (ok, that had nothing to do with it being Halloween, we just like that movie). It's fun to get into the holidays, and having a baby - no matter what age - is just an excuse for us to enjoy it more. So there.