Busy, busy, busy

Just trying to keep up with a very active seven month old. He's not crawling yet, though he's almost got the hang of it. Taking that into consideration we are really gonna have our hands full when he can. He already seems to be into everything. He rolls (scootches and I do believe teleports) faster than I can blink.

Sometimes we find a few minutes to relax and make new discoveries...like grass.




I am very surprised he didn't try to eat any. He did find it quite interesting.

Even Bruce Lee was There!

Yesterday I celebrated another year of life. Danny didn't crawl for the first time like I had asked. Oh well! ;)

My parent's and brother came over. And I got some more plants for my porch. My idea of easy city gardening. (pics to come soon).

It was a happy birthday indeed!


Grandpa arrived just in time for Danny's nap.


Then they had fun on the jolly jumper. And soon that wasn't good enough either.


So we all played with toys. Even Bruce Lee was there!

Another Year Already!

Today is our second wedding anniversary! I can hardly believe how fast time goes by and where we are already.

We started as a couple of carefree single people looking for that perfect someone. Then we were a carefree couple who got married. And now - not-so-carefree, loving parents to the most wonderful baby in the world! (A baby that has taken to roaring -that's for another day.)

And for all the pictures we have of Daniel, we have very few of each other. Here is one from the Christening.



Happy Anniversary Hunny Bear! I love you!

The Swings

Daniel's first day at the beaches. He decided to check out the swings. Boy is he glad he did.

Let's Go for a Walk with the Little Man

Dan loves to go for walks.


I've been taking him over this bridge the last few times we've gone out. Today was the first day that I remembered my camera.


The first time we went over a train went under us. The conductor waved to us. I was way more excited than the little man. Today we missed the train.

A little ways down the road on the other side of the tracks we met a friend.

When he (or she. I didn't check) saw us walk passed his house he came running off his porch to greet us on the sidewalk. He prefered belly rubs to posing for the camera.

It still boggles my mind to think that this used to be were people had there cottages. Only 15 - 20 minutes outside of downtown Toronto. And now people drive for 2 hours just to get away from it all.


This house reminded me of some of the houses my friends lived in when I was growing up in Oak Ridges.




And we got to the end of the road. Turned ourselves around and went back over the bridge.

The little man was glad to be back home where Daddy was waiting to greet him.


All that walking is thirsty work.


**Sorry for the over exposed pics. I forgot to readjust my camera for outside light. :)

Happy Mother's Day

Its my first as a mom. I've always felt it was a special day. My mom did so much for me and my brother she deserved to be honoured. Like the time I emptied all the tissue out of a new box of kleenex so I could make her a gift with the box. She really appreciated that - LOL.

My hubby figured it out last week. I set him up for May. We've got Mother's Day, Our Anniversary (2 years already!) and my birthday. And he happened to get his tax refund a week ago. I am one spoiled mother!

Today, I am the first one up. Even Danny is sleeping in! Of course I can't. We are going visiting today and lying in bed all I could think about is all the baby gear we better not forget. At least bananas are easy to pack.

Enough of my babbling. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mommies out there! May you get all the hugs and kisses you deserve. Not just today, but everyday.

This face makes it all worth while. Even the c-section scar that still itches. And the fact that I will never sleep in again!
I love you, Daniel!

Bath Time

The little man is digging baths in the big tub now. No more baby tubs! Yippee!




Finally, sitting up without a diaper on he has discovered body parts he never knew existed. "What the heck do I do with this thing?"


And he loves all his bath toys. Rubber ducky tastes mighty fine.



Yes, that flower is my son. In the privacy of our own bathroom I can make him look like a flower. That is, as long as he lets me.

Introducing Solids (aka real food)

Things are going better than I thought they would. Of course Daniel usually gives us an easy time of things.

I was a bit confused about introducing solids beyond rice cereal. Things like how much is supposed to eat. And what should I give him. I googled for a feeding schedule for 6 month olds. Depending on which site I looked at the schedules seemed to vary. So once again we're letting the little man let us know what to do.

We are following the rule about introducing each food in its own time period of 4 to 5 days. Which was good. We found out that he is allergic to sweet potatoes. Hopefully he will be able to enjoy them a few years from now.

So far I am preparing all my own food. Which isn't rocket science. Really! Steamed carrots. Mash 'em with a fork. Bananas are super easy. Just smoosh 'em!


This is an example of Daniel's daily schedule.

7am Bottle of formula, then a bit of rice cereal (about 3 tbsps prepared)
9am Nap
10am Fruit about a 1/4 of a banana(so far we're only eating bananas. Tomorrow we introduce unsweetend apple sauce), followed by bottle of formula
12pm Nap
1pm Lunch Cereal and vegetable - we're working on carrots
followed by a bottle of formula
3pm Nap
4pm Dinner is the same as lunch. At least until we get another veggie in there. I'm thinking something green for next week.
5:30pm his last bottle for the day
6-6:15pm Bedtime with story. Hop on Pop is still a favourite.

Then mommy and daddy get grown up time for the rest of the evening. Which usually consists of vegging in front of the tv or computer depending on the degree of exhaustion.

We would like to eliminate one of the bottles, but he seems to demand them still. I'm sure he'll let us know when the time is right.

Mr Grumpy Pants

Our usually happy baby has turned into a grumpy little man. Who would have thought one little tooth could cause so much trouble. We are lucky - He's still pretty easy to get along with. We just have to suffer with looks like this one.

He bit me

Danny's first tooth has finally poked thru.

Yesterday he decided to tell me this by sticking my finger in his mouth and biting down. I was surprised. There's something sharp in my baby's mouth!

I hope he is eager to try new foods. He's been gobbling up his rice cereal happily.

I plan on making my own baby food. It seems easy enough. Who knows I may even start eating healthier.

Sweet potatoes on the menu for next week. Hope he likes them.

Could he be any better?

Little D was christened on Sunday. After a little bit of panic (the Godmother was late...kids will do that to you :) ) the ceremony went rather smooth. The priest has a quirky sense of humour. It definately wasn't boring. The most surprising thing...Little D didn't cry at all. Not even while having water poured on his head. Being passed around from me to the Godmother. Being annointed with holy oil. He just acted like it was his usual routine. He even start yawning.

Being my usual predictable self, I didn't get many pics. In fact these are the only shots a took, minutes after dressing the star of the show. Luckily, quite a few family members got some really nice shots

Gotta love the hat!

His Big Day

Today is the little man’s big day. He will be christened in the same church my parent’s were married (about 37 years ago). My brother and I were christened at this church. And now we introduce little D to the church.

It can be quite daunting choosing Godparents for your baby. Luckily hubby and I have wonderful siblings. My sister-in-law and brother were the chosen two. I already plan on teasing my nieces about their mom being D’s Fairy Godmother. And I’ve got to get my brother to say “Make him an offer her can’t refuse.” LOL


(Hopefully) Tons of pictures of D in his adorable white outfit (and hat!) to come soon!

This is What I get For being Mean...

Thursday I was in a bad mood...various reasons. I'm mean and take it out on hubby sometimes, even though he is great...This just proves how great. I came home to a beautiful rose on Friday.

A Kick in the Pants

That's what I need sometimes. It is SO easy to find excuses not to workout, especially with a young child to take care of. Since the new year I had been working out steadily, keeping up with my routine. Using the Wii (I had to edit that- or else you'd think I was doing some funky World War 2 workout) fit to keep track of my progress was handy, and for a compulsive note writer it was nice having the machine chart everything out for me. And to keep track of what days I had exercised. And those I had skipped.

Then it happened. Life took over. The daily routine. Being able to fit into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes. And the greatest excuse (I've been using this one for years!!) - menstrual cramps. So I thought I would take a few days off.

Well, according to the calendar on the Wii I had skipped out on my routine for about a month. No longer can I do 30 lunges in a row. I'm starting from scratch again.

I think part of my slacking problem was setting my goals too high. I feel great after working out. So my routines got longer and longer. Then my little guy got older and the naps get short and less frequent. My routine flew out the window and I didn't even notice.

Then I realized that the workout was helping me take care of the baby. My back and arms didn't hurt that much when I had a steady routine. My moods are so much better with the exercise (just ask my poor suffering hubby :) ) And I'm not so tired after work.

So the new plan is to just stick to a 20 minute workout during the little man's morning nap. The cardio will have to come from work and play.

Happy 6 Months Little Man

I've always known that time goes fast. I realize it even more having a growing baby in my sights every day.

He has a vocabulary now. Okay, it's a language all his own, but he's working on it. I especially enjoy his happy squeal. So hard to explain it. And whenever I get the video camera out he freezes. (He likes the flash on the still camera. I think that's what he's waiting for on the video camera.)

He has accomplished rolling from his back to belly to his back again. In fact he travels around the livingroom this way. We are slowly childproofing everything. Perhaps we're moving too slow.

Hat's off to our little man on his half birthday!!!

It's Spring!

I am very happy it is finally spring. Even though we had a mild winter here in Ontario it was still winter. The one season I could do without. Cupid agrees. She cries to get out knowing it is spring.






She looks for her little friends. Makes sure there are no trespassers on her yard.




But it is still to cold to stay out for long. Not five minutes later she is at the door crying to come in.


"Meh!"

Smiley Guy

I still don't understand how my husband can be grumpy in the morning when we are greeted by this face.

My Giant

Little D is growing like a weed, as they say. He is only 21 weeks (or 5 months if you prefer) and he is already wearing 6-12 month sleepers. And they are snug on him. I'm not really concerned. I was a big baby like Little D and now I'm average size. And with stores like Value Village around I can get great deals on baby clothes. And of course donate what I am willing to let go of (which is not much - I'm thinking of our future sibling for D...;) ).

I've been calling him Babyzilla.

Appreciating Nap Time

When the little man was still newborn someone told me that though I felt he was a lot of work, having a child would only become more work as he grows older and starts moving around.

Little D is now rolling from his back to his belly. He hasn't mastered rolling back yet. Which makes him moan once he's been on his belly for too long.

He is vocalizing A LOT. And loudly. And he sounds like he's in pain or uncomfortable. But he's just playing, holding his toy monkey in the air while he squeals. I like to call this game King Kong. Once I realize he's just playing I am quite relieved.

He's teething. Which means lots of drool and crankiness. And (once again - I say it a lot since D has been born) time sure flies. This coming Friday he will be five months old. Which means he might have some teeth next month!

Tending to him is wonderful. And a lot of work (which is the main reason I haven't written on here very often lately), which is why I appreciate nap time. A little bit of me time.

I hear him starting to wake up now...

What can I say?

But what a cutie!

Family Day

Yesterday was Family Day in Ontario. Last year was the first Family Day, a new stat holiday the Ontario Government FINALLY gave us (yep, now that I don't work on Mondays!). All though I found it odd that we got mail delivery!?!?

Last year, at this time we were trying to get pregnant. I had already done three or four pregnancy tests anytime my period was a millisecond late - much to my disappointment they were all negative. (I had bought some from the dollar store. Hubby thought they were defective because they only cost one dollar. He ran out and bought some from the drug store just to be sure.)

My period was a couple of days late by the time Family Day rolled around. I really wanted to pee on a stick that first Family Day, but I thought I might be jinxing it. So I waited until the day after. I was strangely calm when I told hubby we finally got a positive. (Being superstitious and romantic it is not a coincidence that I was pregnant almost 2 weeks after the anniversary of our first date - okay maybe TMI?).

This year I find it nice that because we now have Family Day on our calendars I can remember the first time I knew of Little D's existence. :)

Four Months and No One Can Believe It

Time is flying by so quickly. Little D is now 16 weeks old. That's four whole months. Mama and Daddy are pros at this parenting thing already, even though every other day Little D throws us a curve ball. He cannot walk or crawl, yet he is bored of lying on his play mat. We now have to strap him into his swing or he will wiggle out of it. And the bumbo seat was almost tipped over this morning. Guess it was just too restricting for the little man.

He hasn't turned over on his own since that one time. But he's really working on it. I am excited about each milestone that he passes. At the same time I'm trying to savour every moment of his babyhood because I know how quickly it will soon pass.



Little D's getting the hang of this rolling over business...any day now.

Early Valentine's Day

Today marks the fourth anniversary of our first date. Tonight will also be the first time Jamma (the name my nephew gave my mother-in-law) comes over to babysit. I'm feeling good about it. I'm sure D and Jamma will have a great time together. It does seem like a big deal though. Hubby and I have not left the house TOGETHER without our little man in tow since he was born.

The night hubby and I met up there was a terrible snow storm. I had to find a detour because there was an accident on the main road. He was already there waiting for me - rose in hand- his hair wet from the snow. We had our first kiss that night too.

Every year since we have always celebrated this day. Today is our Valentine's Day!

Yipee for me

I fit into another pair of jeans from my closet. I was so happy to find this out. I wore the said jeans until they were screaming to go in the laundry. That was after I thought it would be a good idea to do an art project with Little D.

For Christmas one of the ladies I clean house for gave us a kit to paint baby's hand and foot prints onto canvas. Since I am still in the process of working on D's room I thought this would be a good idea.

Well I guess I should have waited. The hand prints don't really look like hands (though the feet turned out OK). I still hung the canvases in his room. They are his first works of art after all!



Yes we did get more paint on ourselves than we got on the canvas! But hey my jeans fit! And little D is going to audition for the Blue Man Group!

We've made it to the third month - woo hoo

The little man is growing like crazy. Almost double his birth weight at three months old. Watching him learn about the world and himself has been a real eye opener to how fast time really does fly.

Little D now has his own vocabulary. "La" means he's hungry. "Ahgoo" I think means everything is cool. Then there is "boooer" and some other cute sounds to fill out the conversation. And I swear he says "Mama". Okay so he probably has no personal meaning for saying it, but it won't stop me from melting with love when ever he says it.

He has been quite fussy these past few days. And since we've had it so easy with him we are a bit confused as to what is his problem. I have only three ideas. One - he's bored. We've been entertaining him with the same toys for the last three months he needs something new. This is easily fixed as he got spoiled this Christmas and still has some toys in the packaging. Two - he just wants to be left alone. Just when we think we've figured out his schedule he goes and changes it again. Mama thinks he wants to play when he just wants to nap. At least he is still sleeping through the night!!! And three - he's teething early. He has been drooling extra hard lately. He likes to chew on his hands. And when trying to feed him sometimes all he does is gum away at the nipple of his bottle.

I guess like everything else we've had to learn about caring for little D we will have to figure out as we go. Of course any suggestions would be appreciated. Its a lot of trial and error, this baby raising stuff!

Baby’s in Black

When I got home from work today I was trying to be happy. My moods are terrible at this time of the year. Every little thing bothers me. I could start a war over the beard trimmings Hubby leaves in the sink. Things that shouldn’t be so serious become life and death to me. So I try to calm myself down.

Of course just seeing little D and how happy he is to see me brightens my day. Also the fact that there weren’t any dirty dishes sitting in the sink. :)

After dinner I take little D downstairs with me so I can check my email and if I’m lucky facebook and maybe read some blogs. Of course he started to get restless just sitting in my lap. I swear this kid is going to be walking next month. He’s constantly bouncing on our laps when we hold him. He also lifts his big feet in turn. Right. Left.

So I put on the album Beatles for Sale. That’s what I needed. A little music therapy. I start singing along and little D starts really bouncing. We spin in the chair and he gets a fascinated look on his face. I stand up and start dancing him around the room still singing, not feeling silly. Little D made it not silly.

By the time we got to Baby’s in Black he was asleep in my arms. My beautiful baby.

Cabin Fever

I'm getting quite restless being in the house the last few days. It's too cold for me to bother going out if I don't have to. Yes, I am a wimp when it comes to cold weather!

So I've been puttering. I went thru the little drawers on the cabinet the I hung in the kitchen (or rather it hung itself ;) )

I found this:

I love finding old treasures!

Happy Ukrainian Christmas!

Day One

As I lay awake this morning at 4am, while hubby fed little D (Yes he's back on 4am feedings. The holidays have thrown us all off.) I contemplated whether to exercise or not. I still have this cold that got worse at the four day mark. Then I thought that I could not start my fitness goal with a lousy excuse.

Once Hubby woke up this morning he and little D hung out while I ventured to the basement to work out for a whole hour. I used an old Kathy Smith work out tape - Instant Workout. It's broken down into three 20 minute sessions - toning, cardio and stretching. I figured if my breathing got too bad I would at least have 20 minutes done. I managed to do the whole hour. big pat on the back for me. Now to keep with it!

I am going to give myself a break on work days. I clean houses. That is a work out in itself. If I can squeeze in a bit of cardio when I get home then I will be doing really well. I can't promise myself anything though. I do have a baby and a Hubby (who's idea of cooking dinner is making Kraft dinner or ordering pizza).

For today I will just say to myself - a job well done. I feel good :)

You Say you Want A Resolution? Well you know…

In years past I have tried to make resolutions. Then for a few years I claimed how silly resolutions are. They never work. I was still smoking years after making resolutions to quit. That was always my resolution when I did make one.

The trick for me was to try to get pregnant. A healthy baby was a great motivator to quit smoking for me. And you know what? Maybe this is a coincidence or I have stumbled upon a great fertility secret but as soon as I was down to that silly half cigarette a day I became pregnant after working on it for nine months. What a chore!! ;) I dropped that last half a day like a hot potato.

Now that I don’t smoke anymore (though sadly the urge strikes once in awhile) and my baby is almost 3 months old (where does the time go?) and I still cannot fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans my New Years resolution is to fit into these said jeans. I have about 15 pairs. All really nice. It would be a shame to not wear them again.

I decided to start this plan just before Christmas. Which was a big mistake. Too much food around. And Baba sure knows how to bake them cakes! And for some reason since I was pregnant I no longer have control around sweets. I used to be able to pass on dessert, now it almost seems essential!

When I was way younger and wanted to lose some weight all I had to do was think about it and presto five pounds gone.

The last time I lost this goaled amount of weight I hadn’t planned on it or tried at all. I was suffering severe anxiety over dumping Mr. Rock and Meeting Mr. Right. I was also chain smoking. With my stomach clenched from my anxiousness I couldn’t eat very much. I think it took a week or two and I lost ten pounds. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS METHOD. Very unhealthy. And it would likely come back to bite you or me in the ass.

So since I do not plan to start smoking again I need a new plan which I am trying to figure out. I’ve been trying to work out with Wii fit plus, but I don’t feel it pushes me enough. On to plan B (which hasn’t yet been planned) for the fitness routine and some self control and careful menu planning. And resisting Hubby’s requests to visit Burger King! I must resist the Whopper. I cannot live with just three pairs of pants! And I refuse to buy more at this size damn it!!!

Happy New Year

Little D and I have colds, but we both managed to be up at midnight to wish Hubby a happy New Year. Its still sounds surreal...Happy 2010.

May this year be even better than last. I'm not sure if I can top it. I was telling my mom that 2009 was the best year of my life because of Little D. What will I tell future children, I mean child. ;)