Had my *fourth* ultrasound today...this one was to look at baby girl's face (to make sure she's not ugly???), and get a better look at her heart, not to mention my cyst on my ovary.
Anyway, I had the same technician again, so we've already had the 'get to know you' out of the way. I found it a lot easier to talk to her the more time I spent with her. Baby girl was moving around a lot(I ate fruits, but no sugar today). I couldn't believe what a difference a few weeks make! I got to see her sucking her thumb and yawn...very baby things to do. Aw! It really makes me look forward to seeing her next year! Her face was fine (no cleft palate/harelip), and her heart's ventricles were doing what they were supposed to do.
My cyst appears to be the same size, about 5cm diameter. This can be normal for women that are pregnant, but the doctor wants to keep an eye on it in case it grows further and needs to be removed. Hopefully I can get a final verdict next week. Best situation: We don't have to do anything and it will go away on it's own.
Worst situation: No sense in borrowing trouble, right? It's less than 8cm diameter, so I'm not going to fret about those possibilities just yet.
I also get to go for a sugar test in 2 weeks. This means I get to show up at the testing place at 7am(having fasted and drinking only water in the AM), drink the equivalent of Orange Crush, then hanging out for an hour or so for them to test my blood to see if I've got gestational diabetes. Not the most amusing way to pass my morning. The last time I was pregnant, I had a borderline result, so they sent me back for a longer(hungrier!) test. I passed that one(thank goodness).
Part of having to go for these tests and doctor's appointments makes me wish that I could just ignore that whole rigmarole and just show up at the hospital ready to push! But I'm a 'by the rules' kinda gal. *sigh*
Looked at the CHEO dream house last weekend. This is a lotto/fundraiser for the Children's Hospital and the grand prize is a MASSIVE house fully furnished +++, plus a bunch of other prizes. Anyway, Michael wasn't too keen on going, but he knows how much I love looking at houses. He only planned to be there for as little time as possible, but once he saw the basement(man cave), he stayed down there for at least 15 minutes! Jillian pulled an 'Al Bundy' on the couch. If you've watched 'Married with Children', you'll understand the classic pose of Al on the couch watching TV with one hand down his pants. And I forgot the camera!
Jillian got over her cold. I guess it was related to her vaccination, but she was an unhappy camper for a week. Sleepless nights didn't help either until I got some cough and cold medicine into her. Her recovery was nothing short of miraculous (not to mention mom and dad regained their sanity!).
She's talkative when she chooses to be. When I get home, she'll run up to me and immediately try to climb my legs, and when I try to get her to say 'up', she ignores me and still keeps on climbing. I know she'll get there, and I'll reminisce about the days when she didn't say anything...hee hee.
Not too interested in the potty at the moment, but I don't want to force her into that yet either. I figure that I can go full force when I'm at home full-time again.
Speaking of maternity leave, I'm looking forward to some good sleep-ins until the baby arrives, then it's back to sleepless central. Maybe she'll want to sleep through the night? Judging from the fact that it's 10pm and she's jumping around in my tummy right now, I think I'm dreaming.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
And the results are in...
We're having a girl!
We had a really good experience in the ultrasound room, and our little one was moving around, putting her hand in front of her face, and kicking up a storm. Michael was quite excited when he heard the news...he had a huge grin looking at her!
She's growing well and all her parts are counted for. We didn't get a picture of her this time; she was looking away from us, so we weren't able to see the face well, but it made things more real for us.
Baby Girl has been kicking me for the last 5 weeks; this past week, Michael was able to feel her kick for the first time. She's quite active and I can feel her moving around a lot too; Jillian tended to shift from side to side and was pretty predictible with the location of her kicks. I have to admit that this is the best part of the pregnancy; her kicks are like our little secret, and her way of reminding me that she's around. I love it!
Jillian's noticing that my belly is getting bigger; tonight she was playing my tummy like a set of drums while I was singing to her. My bellybutton also seems to provide endless fascination for her as well. She found her own bellybutton a few weeks ago and it seems she can't get enough.
She also got over her cold that she had for about a week. Nothing serious, just what's going around, but a lot of phelgm. We had several restless nights until I got some medicine in her, then she (and us!) managed to sleep well, and her recovery went that much faster (not to mention my sanity!).
On Friday, when Michael picked her up from the sitter's, she was climbing up the stairs. She looked up at Michael and said clear as a bell, "Papa!". On Sunday, Michael was waving and saying goodbye to her. She waved back at him and said "ba ba" (bye bye). I started cheering her on, then she looked at me like I was crazy.
So she can say
-Daddy
-Papa
-Tu Tu (the dog at the sitter)
-Bye bye
(she said 'ive' for '5' once, but not again)
But not mommy yet! I'm practicing up a storm with her though.
We're having a girl!
We had a really good experience in the ultrasound room, and our little one was moving around, putting her hand in front of her face, and kicking up a storm. Michael was quite excited when he heard the news...he had a huge grin looking at her!
She's growing well and all her parts are counted for. We didn't get a picture of her this time; she was looking away from us, so we weren't able to see the face well, but it made things more real for us.
Baby Girl has been kicking me for the last 5 weeks; this past week, Michael was able to feel her kick for the first time. She's quite active and I can feel her moving around a lot too; Jillian tended to shift from side to side and was pretty predictible with the location of her kicks. I have to admit that this is the best part of the pregnancy; her kicks are like our little secret, and her way of reminding me that she's around. I love it!
Jillian's noticing that my belly is getting bigger; tonight she was playing my tummy like a set of drums while I was singing to her. My bellybutton also seems to provide endless fascination for her as well. She found her own bellybutton a few weeks ago and it seems she can't get enough.
She also got over her cold that she had for about a week. Nothing serious, just what's going around, but a lot of phelgm. We had several restless nights until I got some medicine in her, then she (and us!) managed to sleep well, and her recovery went that much faster (not to mention my sanity!).
On Friday, when Michael picked her up from the sitter's, she was climbing up the stairs. She looked up at Michael and said clear as a bell, "Papa!". On Sunday, Michael was waving and saying goodbye to her. She waved back at him and said "ba ba" (bye bye). I started cheering her on, then she looked at me like I was crazy.
So she can say
-Daddy
-Papa
-Tu Tu (the dog at the sitter)
-Bye bye
(she said 'ive' for '5' once, but not again)
But not mommy yet! I'm practicing up a storm with her though.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Happy Sunday!
I can't believe the stuff I get excited about nowadays.
Anyway, Jillian got her potty this week, and I thought I'd try it out with her...and she went the first time tonight! Michael and I were going crazy clapping and cheering and I'm sure she thought that we were nuts! We were running her bath, and she was holding onto a couple of her toys, so she was fine with sitting down.
I don't think it will always be that easy, but I want her to get used to it in a non-threatening way.
As of today, I'm officially 1/2 way through the pregnancy-ALREADY! The baby has been moving about for a couple of weeks now, and in 2 days, we get our next ultrasound, which I'm looking forward to. Michael especially, since he missed the 20 week one for Jillian, and there's way more to see.
Now that summer's over, I am officially putting my sandals away at work, and putting sensible (comfy) 'fall' shoes on.
It's funny how fall seems to sneak up on you. There were a couple of nights last week that were *cold*, so today, Michael set up the baseboard heaters in the upstairs bedrooms. After that, it's the baseboard trim, then painting the trim around the windows and doors, and those rooms are DONE!
Oh, the joys of home ownership that no one seems to tell us about. My personal favourite is the taxes themselves....that, and when you go to repair something, you have to do 3 things beforehand before you can get it done, and it takes 3 times as long to complete because of it. Also, you want to do it right the first time, otherwise, it'll drive you bonkers.
Anyway it's getting past my bedtime. Looks like I'm heading for 8:30 - 9pm bedtimes if I want to function at work! It's like being 2 again, I swear!
Things I can't do:
-go on rollercoaster rides, well, pretty much everything except for car rides
-drinking-but I'm not a big drinker
-smoking - but I can't stand that anyway, so it's not a con
-eating soft cheeses, deli meats and shellfish-and I probably forgot 50 things on that list, but with that listeria outbreak, I'm taking things more seriously on that front
-get stressed-which I try to avoid anyway
Things I can do:
-watch other people lift heavy things for me (hee hee), but I figure that Jillian's not a problem at this stage; I just don't overdo it
-enjoy the way I look and dress to show off the belly-in a tasteful way, not actually displaying the belly; although I've been thinking of being a live pumpkin for Halloween
-feeling the baby move-it's my little secret that no one knows about, which is cool, and that I don't get tired of.
Have a great week!
I can't believe the stuff I get excited about nowadays.
Anyway, Jillian got her potty this week, and I thought I'd try it out with her...and she went the first time tonight! Michael and I were going crazy clapping and cheering and I'm sure she thought that we were nuts! We were running her bath, and she was holding onto a couple of her toys, so she was fine with sitting down.
I don't think it will always be that easy, but I want her to get used to it in a non-threatening way.
As of today, I'm officially 1/2 way through the pregnancy-ALREADY! The baby has been moving about for a couple of weeks now, and in 2 days, we get our next ultrasound, which I'm looking forward to. Michael especially, since he missed the 20 week one for Jillian, and there's way more to see.
Now that summer's over, I am officially putting my sandals away at work, and putting sensible (comfy) 'fall' shoes on.
It's funny how fall seems to sneak up on you. There were a couple of nights last week that were *cold*, so today, Michael set up the baseboard heaters in the upstairs bedrooms. After that, it's the baseboard trim, then painting the trim around the windows and doors, and those rooms are DONE!
Oh, the joys of home ownership that no one seems to tell us about. My personal favourite is the taxes themselves....that, and when you go to repair something, you have to do 3 things beforehand before you can get it done, and it takes 3 times as long to complete because of it. Also, you want to do it right the first time, otherwise, it'll drive you bonkers.
Anyway it's getting past my bedtime. Looks like I'm heading for 8:30 - 9pm bedtimes if I want to function at work! It's like being 2 again, I swear!
Things I can't do:
-go on rollercoaster rides, well, pretty much everything except for car rides
-drinking-but I'm not a big drinker
-smoking - but I can't stand that anyway, so it's not a con
-eating soft cheeses, deli meats and shellfish-and I probably forgot 50 things on that list, but with that listeria outbreak, I'm taking things more seriously on that front
-get stressed-which I try to avoid anyway
Things I can do:
-watch other people lift heavy things for me (hee hee), but I figure that Jillian's not a problem at this stage; I just don't overdo it
-enjoy the way I look and dress to show off the belly-in a tasteful way, not actually displaying the belly; although I've been thinking of being a live pumpkin for Halloween
-feeling the baby move-it's my little secret that no one knows about, which is cool, and that I don't get tired of.
Have a great week!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Ah, the Friday before the long weekend!
Michael's back at school after having the summer off(and yes, I was jealous!), and Jillian's back on her 'school schedule' with the sitter. It took her a couple of weeks to adjust, but she's no longer giving me guilt trips when I leave(ie. crying). Phew! She's also eating from a fork now, but she needs some help from us to actually spear the food. She's got these little cute forks just her size too. No sign of being left or right handed; she can get the food in her mouth with either hand.
Her sitter noticed that her ears aren't pierced, and offered to get them pierced for us(in case I didn't want to see her in pain), but I explained to her that we're going to wait until she asks for it. Her older cousin was 3 when she asked, and I know of many other babies that have it done already, but I guess deep down, "I'm" not ready.
She slept through the night 2 nights in a row...then woke us up again in the middle of the night. I feel like we're sooo close! However, she's on water only at night, (we don't want any teeth issues). She's fine with the sippy cup, but has an annoying habit of flinging her cup on the floor when she doesn't want any more to drink. At least she'll eat whatever we're eating at dinner, bu heaven forbid that we keep her waiting too long to eat!
Baby #2 is doing swimmingly; I keep thinking that I "may" have felt some flutters or kicks this week, but I can't say for sure...I'm 17 weeks and 5 days now, so it could be any day now. Right now, it can fit in the palm of my hand, head to bum.
It still blows my mind that we're doing this again; it's just so amazing what a miracle this is.
Oh, before I go, a little piece of advice for you:
If a woman tells you that they're pregnant, PLEASE don't say:
"Wow! You're SO big!!!" or,
"Are you having twins/triplets?"
This makes us grit our teeth and want to ask you how much YOU weigh, and when YOU'RE due-regardless of if you're a male or female.
Please tell us, "You look great!", and look like you mean it. Please. Sometimes we feel like circus freaks, don't remind us that we are.
Thank you.
Have a great long weekend!
Michael's back at school after having the summer off(and yes, I was jealous!), and Jillian's back on her 'school schedule' with the sitter. It took her a couple of weeks to adjust, but she's no longer giving me guilt trips when I leave(ie. crying). Phew! She's also eating from a fork now, but she needs some help from us to actually spear the food. She's got these little cute forks just her size too. No sign of being left or right handed; she can get the food in her mouth with either hand.
Her sitter noticed that her ears aren't pierced, and offered to get them pierced for us(in case I didn't want to see her in pain), but I explained to her that we're going to wait until she asks for it. Her older cousin was 3 when she asked, and I know of many other babies that have it done already, but I guess deep down, "I'm" not ready.
She slept through the night 2 nights in a row...then woke us up again in the middle of the night. I feel like we're sooo close! However, she's on water only at night, (we don't want any teeth issues). She's fine with the sippy cup, but has an annoying habit of flinging her cup on the floor when she doesn't want any more to drink. At least she'll eat whatever we're eating at dinner, bu heaven forbid that we keep her waiting too long to eat!
Baby #2 is doing swimmingly; I keep thinking that I "may" have felt some flutters or kicks this week, but I can't say for sure...I'm 17 weeks and 5 days now, so it could be any day now. Right now, it can fit in the palm of my hand, head to bum.
It still blows my mind that we're doing this again; it's just so amazing what a miracle this is.
Oh, before I go, a little piece of advice for you:
If a woman tells you that they're pregnant, PLEASE don't say:
"Wow! You're SO big!!!" or,
"Are you having twins/triplets?"
This makes us grit our teeth and want to ask you how much YOU weigh, and when YOU'RE due-regardless of if you're a male or female.
Please tell us, "You look great!", and look like you mean it. Please. Sometimes we feel like circus freaks, don't remind us that we are.
Thank you.
Have a great long weekend!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Wow! How super-lax have I been for not putting any posts up in 2 months. I do apologize.
But for those not in the know, I am now 4 months pregnant, and the estimated due date is Feb 1st! To the initiated, I'm 16 weeks and 6 days.
What's funny is that you can walk up to an expectant mom and ask them how far along they are and they can tell you *exactly* how far along they are, myself included.
If you ask me what I did 10 minutes ago, that's another story!
Jillian has grown like a weed over the summer. 8 teeth now, and although we'd love to see if any molars are coming in, she tries to bite our fingers if we check out her gums! Her walking is great now, and doesn't fall down as often as she used to, but has acquired the habit of climbing the stairs when we aren't looking. Thank goodness for baby gates. It's not the climbing I'm concerned about, but the descent.
Michael was with her in the house a couple of weeks ago when I got a phone call at work. He sounded awful. When I asked him what was wrong, he said, "Your child climbed the stairs all by herself and I found her in her room crying because she didn't see me." He called the next day to say that "Your child climbed on a big box and scared me half to death!"
Don't worry, I laughed like mad and reminded him that it was 'our' child, even though I had to carry our precious cargo for 38 weeks (see! You remember that sort of random trivia!)
Now, as for #2 (I don't have a cute nickname like some of our friends, but instead it has gained the nickame of a bowel movement...ewww!)
Anyway, #2 is doing quite well. The first ultrasound had it bopping around, which was different from Jillian's, since she deigned to give us a kick to acknowledge us.
We had the second ultrasound last week because they found a cyst on my ovary on the first ultrasound. Picture a water filled balloon, but a lot smaller. A vast majority of these cases are nothing to worry about, and this proved to be the case.
But the good thing was that we got to see #2 again. This time it was also jumping and jiving around. The nurse tried to take a look to see if it was a boy or girl, but no luck this time. Next month we have one more chance to see if it's a boy or girl.
So to answer any pre-emptive questions:
-No, it's not twins or triplets
-Yes, we're going to find out if it's a boy or girl
-I think we're having a boy, Michael thinks it's going to be another girl
-Yes, we were planning on having them a couple of years apart
-No, Jillian has no idea what's going on, but she does like to play with my bellybutton.
-Yes, we are excited!
-No, we don't know if we will have #3; I'm just enjoying the moment right now.
We're planning on having the baby in Ontario as:
1. Our house is 30km away from the nearest hospital(which doesn't normally deliver babies), and my mom's house is 10 km away from the nearest hospital (which does deliver babies). Jillian came fast, and I don't want to take a chance in the winter.
2. My doctor & OB are in Ontario, as it's difficult to get a new doctor these days
3. I want to.
This pregnancy is different than my first one as:
-I've experienced morning sickness during the first 3 months(and I feel SO sorry for the women that have it ALL 9 months)
-I'm more tired than before, partly due to my commute (2+ hours instead of 30 minutes, tops), and chasing a toddler. I'm happy that Jillian's not a demanding child, though.
-I'm more emotional than before. I don't cry at the drop of a hat, but for example, listening to a song set me off last night, but it wasn't a mushy one.
To finish this post on a high note, what makes me laugh the most right now are people (mostly women), who yell at me if I lift anything heaver than a pack of paper. I know I shouldn't lift anything heavy, but I carry a 22 pound toddler around! This gets me yelled at again or rolled eyes. I also got yelled at for standing on a high stool, but I was bored that day.
Thank you for caring for me, though. I do appreciate it.
But for those not in the know, I am now 4 months pregnant, and the estimated due date is Feb 1st! To the initiated, I'm 16 weeks and 6 days.
What's funny is that you can walk up to an expectant mom and ask them how far along they are and they can tell you *exactly* how far along they are, myself included.
If you ask me what I did 10 minutes ago, that's another story!
Jillian has grown like a weed over the summer. 8 teeth now, and although we'd love to see if any molars are coming in, she tries to bite our fingers if we check out her gums! Her walking is great now, and doesn't fall down as often as she used to, but has acquired the habit of climbing the stairs when we aren't looking. Thank goodness for baby gates. It's not the climbing I'm concerned about, but the descent.
Michael was with her in the house a couple of weeks ago when I got a phone call at work. He sounded awful. When I asked him what was wrong, he said, "Your child climbed the stairs all by herself and I found her in her room crying because she didn't see me." He called the next day to say that "Your child climbed on a big box and scared me half to death!"
Don't worry, I laughed like mad and reminded him that it was 'our' child, even though I had to carry our precious cargo for 38 weeks (see! You remember that sort of random trivia!)
Now, as for #2 (I don't have a cute nickname like some of our friends, but instead it has gained the nickame of a bowel movement...ewww!)
Anyway, #2 is doing quite well. The first ultrasound had it bopping around, which was different from Jillian's, since she deigned to give us a kick to acknowledge us.
We had the second ultrasound last week because they found a cyst on my ovary on the first ultrasound. Picture a water filled balloon, but a lot smaller. A vast majority of these cases are nothing to worry about, and this proved to be the case.
But the good thing was that we got to see #2 again. This time it was also jumping and jiving around. The nurse tried to take a look to see if it was a boy or girl, but no luck this time. Next month we have one more chance to see if it's a boy or girl.
So to answer any pre-emptive questions:
-No, it's not twins or triplets
-Yes, we're going to find out if it's a boy or girl
-I think we're having a boy, Michael thinks it's going to be another girl
-Yes, we were planning on having them a couple of years apart
-No, Jillian has no idea what's going on, but she does like to play with my bellybutton.
-Yes, we are excited!
-No, we don't know if we will have #3; I'm just enjoying the moment right now.
We're planning on having the baby in Ontario as:
1. Our house is 30km away from the nearest hospital(which doesn't normally deliver babies), and my mom's house is 10 km away from the nearest hospital (which does deliver babies). Jillian came fast, and I don't want to take a chance in the winter.
2. My doctor & OB are in Ontario, as it's difficult to get a new doctor these days
3. I want to.
This pregnancy is different than my first one as:
-I've experienced morning sickness during the first 3 months(and I feel SO sorry for the women that have it ALL 9 months)
-I'm more tired than before, partly due to my commute (2+ hours instead of 30 minutes, tops), and chasing a toddler. I'm happy that Jillian's not a demanding child, though.
-I'm more emotional than before. I don't cry at the drop of a hat, but for example, listening to a song set me off last night, but it wasn't a mushy one.
To finish this post on a high note, what makes me laugh the most right now are people (mostly women), who yell at me if I lift anything heaver than a pack of paper. I know I shouldn't lift anything heavy, but I carry a 22 pound toddler around! This gets me yelled at again or rolled eyes. I also got yelled at for standing on a high stool, but I was bored that day.
Thank you for caring for me, though. I do appreciate it.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The heat! The heat!
Am happy that I found my deodorant today...yesterday was icky and I spent the whole day with my arms by my side...
Life is good, and I can't complain.
Jillian's got 4 teeth in now, no signs of any others yet, and I'm still waiting for her 2 front teeth to come in!
She's great at walking now, and falls down when she has the giggles or trips over something or tries to run. Went to the doctor the other day and she's 21 pounds, 15 ounces. When she got sick last month she lost some weight but has bounced back since then. Doc recommended that she learn to drink from her sippy cup, since I've been lax and still letting her drink from her bottle. I was practicing last weekend, and when Michael gave it to her yesterday, she was a champ and downed the water no problem! I guess it helped that it was so hot and that she was so tired. It's cute because she'll tilt the cup, let the water go in her mouth, then put the cup back down. When she's done, she'll turn it upside down.
You'd think that when you come from the islands, that your child would love the heat too, right? Not a chance! Jillian wandered around most of the weekend with a diaper-and sometimes without... And we had the ceiling fan going on full blast in her room so she could sleep in peace(well, so Mom and Dad could sleep in peace, who am I kidding!)
She's not too crazy about grass, but is learning to deal with it. She was walking and fell down, but didn't like the feeling on her hands as she tried to push herself up. All the pictures I have of her so far in the grass, she does *not* look impressed! When Michael uses the riding lawn mower, she keeps an eye on it to make sure it doesn't sneak up on her. We tried to sit her on Michael's lap with the motor on, but the sounds scared her.
Yes, we did buy a house. Yes, we are still working on the house. No, we have not moved in the house yet! But for sure at the end of the month, we are making the BIG MOVE. Note to self: buy an airconditioner for Jillian's room, or she will be an UNhappy baby this summer!
One thing I am happy about with the new house: satellite internet! This means...PICTURES!!! Oh, about-4 months worth to catch up on? I can't wait! Plus, I can finally start to read www.perezhilton.com again without it taking so long.
Lunch break over...take care!
Am happy that I found my deodorant today...yesterday was icky and I spent the whole day with my arms by my side...
Life is good, and I can't complain.
Jillian's got 4 teeth in now, no signs of any others yet, and I'm still waiting for her 2 front teeth to come in!
She's great at walking now, and falls down when she has the giggles or trips over something or tries to run. Went to the doctor the other day and she's 21 pounds, 15 ounces. When she got sick last month she lost some weight but has bounced back since then. Doc recommended that she learn to drink from her sippy cup, since I've been lax and still letting her drink from her bottle. I was practicing last weekend, and when Michael gave it to her yesterday, she was a champ and downed the water no problem! I guess it helped that it was so hot and that she was so tired. It's cute because she'll tilt the cup, let the water go in her mouth, then put the cup back down. When she's done, she'll turn it upside down.
You'd think that when you come from the islands, that your child would love the heat too, right? Not a chance! Jillian wandered around most of the weekend with a diaper-and sometimes without... And we had the ceiling fan going on full blast in her room so she could sleep in peace(well, so Mom and Dad could sleep in peace, who am I kidding!)
She's not too crazy about grass, but is learning to deal with it. She was walking and fell down, but didn't like the feeling on her hands as she tried to push herself up. All the pictures I have of her so far in the grass, she does *not* look impressed! When Michael uses the riding lawn mower, she keeps an eye on it to make sure it doesn't sneak up on her. We tried to sit her on Michael's lap with the motor on, but the sounds scared her.
Yes, we did buy a house. Yes, we are still working on the house. No, we have not moved in the house yet! But for sure at the end of the month, we are making the BIG MOVE. Note to self: buy an airconditioner for Jillian's room, or she will be an UNhappy baby this summer!
One thing I am happy about with the new house: satellite internet! This means...PICTURES!!! Oh, about-4 months worth to catch up on? I can't wait! Plus, I can finally start to read www.perezhilton.com again without it taking so long.
Lunch break over...take care!
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Holy cow, has it really been 2 months?
A lot has happened since then...
-I went to MortgageBrokersOttawa.com to work as an administrator
-We bought a house...needs some work, but we will be moving in at the end of the month
-Jillian's walking no problem and wants to run
-her 2 bottom teeth finally came in 2 weeks ago!!! (only took 13 months)
I've pretty much adjusted to life at work, but I do miss spending the days with Jillian and spending quality time with Michael when he gets home. Nowadays, I get home around 7ish, then in bed around 10. Add in house renos, and that equals not very much bonding/quality time with the family.
I'd write more, but back to work!
Id.
A lot has happened since then...
-I went to MortgageBrokersOttawa.com to work as an administrator
-We bought a house...needs some work, but we will be moving in at the end of the month
-Jillian's walking no problem and wants to run
-her 2 bottom teeth finally came in 2 weeks ago!!! (only took 13 months)
I've pretty much adjusted to life at work, but I do miss spending the days with Jillian and spending quality time with Michael when he gets home. Nowadays, I get home around 7ish, then in bed around 10. Add in house renos, and that equals not very much bonding/quality time with the family.
I'd write more, but back to work!
Id.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
My baby is now a little girl!!!
We had a 'tiny' celebration on her birthday with my brothers, mom, Shell, Pascal and Sofia. Gave her some vanilla cake with vanilla icing. She seemed to like the taste, shuddered a bit, then promptly threw up on Michael! Too much icing on her piece, I guess! Ah well, it was memorable, right?
Thanks to everyone for the best wishes! Jillian even had a few phone messages when we got home!
Jillian gave Michael and I a nice surprise on March 6th, by taking her first step! We were fully expecting her to do it in front of the babysitter, but she was standing by her highchair and I was close to her. She swayed side to side a bit, lifting her feet up(kinda like a sumo wrestler, but not lifting her feet up high). Then, she stepped towards me with her right foot, then her left. Michael and I were in shock, then we cheered and clapped. She looked at us like we were a *little* crazy! The next day, she took 4-5 steps, and yesterday when I came home, she was already standing by her toy. She looked at me, lifted her arms up, and took a few more steps! (****heart melting****).
She still prefers that we hold onto her hands while she walks around the house, and is now discovering the art of pivoting, so she can go in any direction she wants to while mommy and daddy try to keep up with her.
I started work on the 3rd....and it actually went well. I didn't cry (surprisingly), but I had already left her with the sitter a few times, so we were used to it. Work is great and the people are super nice, so I'm glad to be there.
No teeth...but she is getting better and better at eating whatever we have. Loving fruit, veggies are touch and go, and of course she loves her pasta and bread. She's even preferring to feed herself, but if I give her a spoonful of food, she doesn't turn it down.
Her hair is *everywhere*!!! Now it's long enough for her bangs to get into her mouth, and if we don't pin it away from her face, she pulls at her hair to get it away-very funny, but I don't like to keep it that way for too long, or she gets upset. Now after her hair's washed, and the curls are framing her face, she really looks like a little girl now.
She loves playing blocks with us; we build a tower, she knocks it down. Loves playing with her soccer ball still, and giggles when she pushes it and it rolls back to her. I've also been 'walking' her so she kicks the ball as she's walking. She's also content with playing by herself for long periods of time. At the sitter's, there's a bunch of kids there after school, so she gets to socialize with them until she gets picked up.
I should have some more pictures posted before the end of the month. Now that I'm working again, I need to find the time to organize them!!!
We had a 'tiny' celebration on her birthday with my brothers, mom, Shell, Pascal and Sofia. Gave her some vanilla cake with vanilla icing. She seemed to like the taste, shuddered a bit, then promptly threw up on Michael! Too much icing on her piece, I guess! Ah well, it was memorable, right?
Thanks to everyone for the best wishes! Jillian even had a few phone messages when we got home!
Jillian gave Michael and I a nice surprise on March 6th, by taking her first step! We were fully expecting her to do it in front of the babysitter, but she was standing by her highchair and I was close to her. She swayed side to side a bit, lifting her feet up(kinda like a sumo wrestler, but not lifting her feet up high). Then, she stepped towards me with her right foot, then her left. Michael and I were in shock, then we cheered and clapped. She looked at us like we were a *little* crazy! The next day, she took 4-5 steps, and yesterday when I came home, she was already standing by her toy. She looked at me, lifted her arms up, and took a few more steps! (****heart melting****).
She still prefers that we hold onto her hands while she walks around the house, and is now discovering the art of pivoting, so she can go in any direction she wants to while mommy and daddy try to keep up with her.
I started work on the 3rd....and it actually went well. I didn't cry (surprisingly), but I had already left her with the sitter a few times, so we were used to it. Work is great and the people are super nice, so I'm glad to be there.
No teeth...but she is getting better and better at eating whatever we have. Loving fruit, veggies are touch and go, and of course she loves her pasta and bread. She's even preferring to feed herself, but if I give her a spoonful of food, she doesn't turn it down.
Her hair is *everywhere*!!! Now it's long enough for her bangs to get into her mouth, and if we don't pin it away from her face, she pulls at her hair to get it away-very funny, but I don't like to keep it that way for too long, or she gets upset. Now after her hair's washed, and the curls are framing her face, she really looks like a little girl now.
She loves playing blocks with us; we build a tower, she knocks it down. Loves playing with her soccer ball still, and giggles when she pushes it and it rolls back to her. I've also been 'walking' her so she kicks the ball as she's walking. She's also content with playing by herself for long periods of time. At the sitter's, there's a bunch of kids there after school, so she gets to socialize with them until she gets picked up.
I should have some more pictures posted before the end of the month. Now that I'm working again, I need to find the time to organize them!!!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
11 months and 19 days old. Unbelieveable!
She's showing more of her independence by wanting to feed herself. She managed to scarf down some blueberries and can feed herself with the bottle on her own. Of course, she managed to mash the blueberries, then put the whole mess in her mouth! She's also handy with cheese-she's really got a taste for it!
We also went to the Eastern Townships to visit my Granny, Aunt and Uncle. They had a wonderful time getting to know Jillian. Our visit was too short, but we'll be back again soon. The one thing that she wasn't crazy about was the ride! We had to stop and give her a chance to stretch her legs.
She's also learning how to kick her soccer ball; it was funny how it happened by accident the first time, since I was helping her walk and it was in the way. She started to chase after it and was thrilled to watch it go. She also has fun with throwing the ball against the couch and giggles like mad when it rolls back to her.
Also, with encouragement, she'll 'kiss mommy!'. It takes a lot of begging on my part, but eventually she laughs and gives me a wet smooch. Michael tried it too, but she seems to have a short attention span once she gives one out!
Less than 2 weeks before I get back to work. It's going to be a huge adjustment for everyone, that's for sure! I'm hoping that I'll get to see her first steps either before the end of February or on the weekend, but the statistics are against me... :(
It's been fabulous being at home with her all this year though.
No teeth...were you *really* expecting to hear something? ha ha ha...
She's showing more of her independence by wanting to feed herself. She managed to scarf down some blueberries and can feed herself with the bottle on her own. Of course, she managed to mash the blueberries, then put the whole mess in her mouth! She's also handy with cheese-she's really got a taste for it!
We also went to the Eastern Townships to visit my Granny, Aunt and Uncle. They had a wonderful time getting to know Jillian. Our visit was too short, but we'll be back again soon. The one thing that she wasn't crazy about was the ride! We had to stop and give her a chance to stretch her legs.
She's also learning how to kick her soccer ball; it was funny how it happened by accident the first time, since I was helping her walk and it was in the way. She started to chase after it and was thrilled to watch it go. She also has fun with throwing the ball against the couch and giggles like mad when it rolls back to her.
Also, with encouragement, she'll 'kiss mommy!'. It takes a lot of begging on my part, but eventually she laughs and gives me a wet smooch. Michael tried it too, but she seems to have a short attention span once she gives one out!
Less than 2 weeks before I get back to work. It's going to be a huge adjustment for everyone, that's for sure! I'm hoping that I'll get to see her first steps either before the end of February or on the weekend, but the statistics are against me... :(
It's been fabulous being at home with her all this year though.
No teeth...were you *really* expecting to hear something? ha ha ha...
Monday, February 04, 2008
11 months old...wow...
Jillian's getting so independent, it's scary! She's started feeding herself with the bottle(although she still needs help leaning back), and is currently having fun gnawing on her blocks. She's also attempting to stand up on her own without pulling herself up. She hasn't gotten the hang of that yet, but she's not giving up!
No teeth! In case you were wondering...
Her ma-ma-ma and da-da-da sounds are getting more pronounced, but we still can't tell if she's definitely talking about us or now.
She had a playdate today with Cole-and there were tears in the first 5 minutes! She seemed to think that he was a toy and not a baby, and attempted to climb over him. I took her away from him and she started to wail. So did Cole, but I think it's because she scratched him! They did eventually settle down to play, but as soon as one baby played with a toy, the other one wanted it!
Michael has finished his report cards, thank goodness!
Anyway, I have to go, as Jillian seems tired now.
Hope you're having a good week!
Jillian's getting so independent, it's scary! She's started feeding herself with the bottle(although she still needs help leaning back), and is currently having fun gnawing on her blocks. She's also attempting to stand up on her own without pulling herself up. She hasn't gotten the hang of that yet, but she's not giving up!
No teeth! In case you were wondering...
Her ma-ma-ma and da-da-da sounds are getting more pronounced, but we still can't tell if she's definitely talking about us or now.
She had a playdate today with Cole-and there were tears in the first 5 minutes! She seemed to think that he was a toy and not a baby, and attempted to climb over him. I took her away from him and she started to wail. So did Cole, but I think it's because she scratched him! They did eventually settle down to play, but as soon as one baby played with a toy, the other one wanted it!
Michael has finished his report cards, thank goodness!
Anyway, I have to go, as Jillian seems tired now.
Hope you're having a good week!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Tick, tick, tick...
No, it's not the biological clock, it's the countdown to me returning to work. Yikes!
To be fair, I didn't cry when I dropped her off at the sitter's last week. When I returned to pick her up in the afternoon (6 hours later), I was wondering:
Would she be crying?
Would she be excited to see me?
Did she miss me?
Would I get a speeding ticket for going 10-20km over the speed limit?
Well, when the sitter opened the door, Jillian was ready to have her bottle. She didn't even look at me!!! Just staring at the bottle with her mouth WIDE open. After she was satisfied, she looked at me as if to say, "Oh, you're here?"
Geez. At least she was happy, right?
Things are good here. She's finishing up her 2nd cold since Christmas(never have I seen so much snot come out of a little person!), and a round of ezcema (dry skin condition-not contagious, just itchy).
What's she up to now:
-Sometimes comes when called. I have to sound really excited when I call her or she's not that interested. I also make her crawl everywhere-it saves my back! I just have to keep her on track, otherwise she'll wander in the bathroom or office.
-Regularly able to stand up for 5 seconds or so without support. It's so cute.
Let go, wobble, hang on, repeat.
-Will get into visual range when she hears, "Where's Jillian?". Michael figured that one out. Very funny to watch, as she can literally go crazy trying to race where you can see her!
-Dances (bobs, really), when she hears music.
Now she can also place her rubber duckie's head in her mouth(sans beak), and gnaw on that for most of her bath. She enjoys it and it keeps her busy. She's very interested in the water faucet, as well as when we drain the water; she'll stick her hand in the hole until it's all gone. I think she likes the sensation of the water flowing over her hand.
No teeth!!! She hasn't really cried in a week about her gums either.
Have I mentioned how much I love snow tires? A few weeks ago when it was super slippery, I would have slid in a ditch if it hadn't been for them! It's mandatory in Quebec anyway, but we've got a killer driveway to get out of...it slopes *up*, and we're on a highway, so we have to really move it once we hit the road.
No, it's not the biological clock, it's the countdown to me returning to work. Yikes!
To be fair, I didn't cry when I dropped her off at the sitter's last week. When I returned to pick her up in the afternoon (6 hours later), I was wondering:
Would she be crying?
Would she be excited to see me?
Did she miss me?
Would I get a speeding ticket for going 10-20km over the speed limit?
Well, when the sitter opened the door, Jillian was ready to have her bottle. She didn't even look at me!!! Just staring at the bottle with her mouth WIDE open. After she was satisfied, she looked at me as if to say, "Oh, you're here?"
Geez. At least she was happy, right?
Things are good here. She's finishing up her 2nd cold since Christmas(never have I seen so much snot come out of a little person!), and a round of ezcema (dry skin condition-not contagious, just itchy).
What's she up to now:
-Sometimes comes when called. I have to sound really excited when I call her or she's not that interested. I also make her crawl everywhere-it saves my back! I just have to keep her on track, otherwise she'll wander in the bathroom or office.
-Regularly able to stand up for 5 seconds or so without support. It's so cute.
Let go, wobble, hang on, repeat.
-Will get into visual range when she hears, "Where's Jillian?". Michael figured that one out. Very funny to watch, as she can literally go crazy trying to race where you can see her!
-Dances (bobs, really), when she hears music.
Now she can also place her rubber duckie's head in her mouth(sans beak), and gnaw on that for most of her bath. She enjoys it and it keeps her busy. She's very interested in the water faucet, as well as when we drain the water; she'll stick her hand in the hole until it's all gone. I think she likes the sensation of the water flowing over her hand.
No teeth!!! She hasn't really cried in a week about her gums either.
Have I mentioned how much I love snow tires? A few weeks ago when it was super slippery, I would have slid in a ditch if it hadn't been for them! It's mandatory in Quebec anyway, but we've got a killer driveway to get out of...it slopes *up*, and we're on a highway, so we have to really move it once we hit the road.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Hope that everyone had a good weekend!
Jillian's started to babble even more and has finally incorporated the 'd' sound into her vocabulary. She was taking a bath and Michael left to do some work. As soon as he walked out, she started talking and it sounded like she made a da-da-da sound, reminding me of when she would say 'mum'. (I know she hasn't made the connection yet!). Anyway, I shouted to Michael and he came running back, and she made more da-da-da sounds. Very cool!
She's also started eating chunkier foods. At first, she used to gag on it because she was used to the pureed foods, but she's learing quickly to chew/gum her food before swallowing. She can also eat pieces of grapes, and even tried an apple, but
I gave her a piece that was too big and she threw up...ick!
She's getting better and better with standing up on her own, and we have to watch her all-the-time. Her favourite thing to play with at the moment is the hallway socket. Crawl, crawl, crawl, reach out for the holes-AAAHHHHH! Geez, that freaks me out to no end. At least they're covered now, but that doesn't mean I endorse her playing with it.
She went to her cousin's (technically 3rd cousin) 1st birthday party today. It was insane! When she was opening her presents, the cameras were going off, and there were people all around. She(not Jillian), started to get upset, because she wasn't used to it, but after everyone eased off a bit, she had more fun. Is this what celebrities go through? I remember when I was a kid that I wanted to be a celebrity, but now they get so personal.
It's also reminding me that Jillian's birthday is 7 weeks away. Seriously. She has tons of toys already. Do you think that I can get away with just a small get-together, some potluck and cake, but no presents for her? I know it sounds horribly Scrooge-ish, but my house looks like a daycare centre!!!
No teeth. She woke up screaming a couple of nights ago, and calmed down after I put the Orajel/Ambesol on her gums, and that's it so far. If all her teeth come out at the same time, I'm going to be freaked out. It'll be like she's wearing baby dentures or something!
Speaking of the little bugger, she's awake right now after we thought we had her in bed for the night. It just means that she had a 2 hour nap and can gogogo till...what, 1, 2am? She's playing with her musical table and dancing along, happy as a clam. Well, she did have 2 big naps in the car, so that didn't help too much. Arg. Well, that means an *early* wake up call for her in the morning. We're both going to be soooo grumpy in the morning! Michael has to work in the morning, so I'm being nice and letting him sleep. He has to deal with 16 kids, so I guess it's an even tradeoff!
Oh yeah, with this musical table(in English and Spanish), she's learned that if she moves one of the pieces, it'll play the Alphabet song. She'll play the whole song, before turning it again. If she hits another button by accident, she'll move that piece again to listen to the Alphabet song again. Very cool. I do have to switch it between English and Spanish so I don't get sick of the same voice. And I can say that Michael and I are getting good with our Spanish alphabet! Although Michael did think that the spanish version had oh-ka-ka. He asked why they would talk about poo. I had to explain that it was ho-ta-ka (the letters j-k). It took him a few tries, and he eventually got it.
Anyway, I guess it's time to pop another movie in to try to stay awake!
Jillian's started to babble even more and has finally incorporated the 'd' sound into her vocabulary. She was taking a bath and Michael left to do some work. As soon as he walked out, she started talking and it sounded like she made a da-da-da sound, reminding me of when she would say 'mum'. (I know she hasn't made the connection yet!). Anyway, I shouted to Michael and he came running back, and she made more da-da-da sounds. Very cool!
She's also started eating chunkier foods. At first, she used to gag on it because she was used to the pureed foods, but she's learing quickly to chew/gum her food before swallowing. She can also eat pieces of grapes, and even tried an apple, but
I gave her a piece that was too big and she threw up...ick!
She's getting better and better with standing up on her own, and we have to watch her all-the-time. Her favourite thing to play with at the moment is the hallway socket. Crawl, crawl, crawl, reach out for the holes-AAAHHHHH! Geez, that freaks me out to no end. At least they're covered now, but that doesn't mean I endorse her playing with it.
She went to her cousin's (technically 3rd cousin) 1st birthday party today. It was insane! When she was opening her presents, the cameras were going off, and there were people all around. She(not Jillian), started to get upset, because she wasn't used to it, but after everyone eased off a bit, she had more fun. Is this what celebrities go through? I remember when I was a kid that I wanted to be a celebrity, but now they get so personal.
It's also reminding me that Jillian's birthday is 7 weeks away. Seriously. She has tons of toys already. Do you think that I can get away with just a small get-together, some potluck and cake, but no presents for her? I know it sounds horribly Scrooge-ish, but my house looks like a daycare centre!!!
No teeth. She woke up screaming a couple of nights ago, and calmed down after I put the Orajel/Ambesol on her gums, and that's it so far. If all her teeth come out at the same time, I'm going to be freaked out. It'll be like she's wearing baby dentures or something!
Speaking of the little bugger, she's awake right now after we thought we had her in bed for the night. It just means that she had a 2 hour nap and can gogogo till...what, 1, 2am? She's playing with her musical table and dancing along, happy as a clam. Well, she did have 2 big naps in the car, so that didn't help too much. Arg. Well, that means an *early* wake up call for her in the morning. We're both going to be soooo grumpy in the morning! Michael has to work in the morning, so I'm being nice and letting him sleep. He has to deal with 16 kids, so I guess it's an even tradeoff!
Oh yeah, with this musical table(in English and Spanish), she's learned that if she moves one of the pieces, it'll play the Alphabet song. She'll play the whole song, before turning it again. If she hits another button by accident, she'll move that piece again to listen to the Alphabet song again. Very cool. I do have to switch it between English and Spanish so I don't get sick of the same voice. And I can say that Michael and I are getting good with our Spanish alphabet! Although Michael did think that the spanish version had oh-ka-ka. He asked why they would talk about poo. I had to explain that it was ho-ta-ka (the letters j-k). It took him a few tries, and he eventually got it.
Anyway, I guess it's time to pop another movie in to try to stay awake!
Friday, January 04, 2008
Happy New Year!
Well, this marks the 10-month milestone for my baby. Even since my last post, she's started to:
-stand up and let go briefly in order to see if she stand on her own
-press a button on her toy and bob to the music. It's so cute to see her little bum move like that-she's a Trini, all right!
-talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk
-I think that when she puts her hands together and moves them up and down, it means that she's gone in her diaper. I just caught on today, so I have to test this theory out.
-Eating more food and drinking (real) juice (it's watered down!) on a regular basis. Makes the diapers...ugh...I don't even want to describe them now. It looks like she jumped in a pool then asked us to change it. Bleaugh!
-getting better at holding her bottle, but she has to be motivated, and I can't
make her try it.
-still working on the sippy cup, but it may have to do more with her not wanting to drink the water, but something more interesting.
-a crawling machine! When she sees something that interests her, she'll go as fast as she can, and heaven help the poor toy that's in her path-she runs them right over! She's also not scared of the dark, as she'll wander in other rooms even if the lights are off
Ok, enough bragging for now...I have another 362 days left this year!
She's almost over her cold, but her poor nose is raw from all that phlegm that we have to wipe off. She has, however, enjoyed having her Daddy at home for the last 2 weeks. I know we're both going to miss him during the day once he returns to work on Monday. However, she has a LOT of toys to keep her busy! Luckily, the music they make don't really bother me, and she'll change it up so I won't hear the same thing all day.
I wore nylons the other day for the first time in ages. Sure, I liked the way my legs looked, but getting them on is such a pain! It's really no surprise why I like to wear pants at work!
Speaking of work, 8 more weeks till I get back into the swing of things. Hopefully, the worst of the winter will be over by then! (yeah, yeah, I like to be a Pollyanna and try to find the silver lining!)
Enjoy the last holiday weekend!
Well, this marks the 10-month milestone for my baby. Even since my last post, she's started to:
-stand up and let go briefly in order to see if she stand on her own
-press a button on her toy and bob to the music. It's so cute to see her little bum move like that-she's a Trini, all right!
-talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk
-I think that when she puts her hands together and moves them up and down, it means that she's gone in her diaper. I just caught on today, so I have to test this theory out.
-Eating more food and drinking (real) juice (it's watered down!) on a regular basis. Makes the diapers...ugh...I don't even want to describe them now. It looks like she jumped in a pool then asked us to change it. Bleaugh!
-getting better at holding her bottle, but she has to be motivated, and I can't
make her try it.
-still working on the sippy cup, but it may have to do more with her not wanting to drink the water, but something more interesting.
-a crawling machine! When she sees something that interests her, she'll go as fast as she can, and heaven help the poor toy that's in her path-she runs them right over! She's also not scared of the dark, as she'll wander in other rooms even if the lights are off
Ok, enough bragging for now...I have another 362 days left this year!
She's almost over her cold, but her poor nose is raw from all that phlegm that we have to wipe off. She has, however, enjoyed having her Daddy at home for the last 2 weeks. I know we're both going to miss him during the day once he returns to work on Monday. However, she has a LOT of toys to keep her busy! Luckily, the music they make don't really bother me, and she'll change it up so I won't hear the same thing all day.
I wore nylons the other day for the first time in ages. Sure, I liked the way my legs looked, but getting them on is such a pain! It's really no surprise why I like to wear pants at work!
Speaking of work, 8 more weeks till I get back into the swing of things. Hopefully, the worst of the winter will be over by then! (yeah, yeah, I like to be a Pollyanna and try to find the silver lining!)
Enjoy the last holiday weekend!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wow. We made it through Christmas!
Well, still no teeth in sight. It turns out that Jillian was getting sick, and is still trying to get rid of her phelgmy nose, and now she has a cough. Poor kid sounds like a puppy when she’s trying to breathe through her mouth :P . Not fun at all. Her sleep schedule is completely messed up from her illness keeping her up and visiting relatives at all hours of the day(and night). I keep telling myself that when she gets better, things will go back to normal! It’s 3am as I write this….please let things go back to normal!
Well, she’s made a lot of progress over the last week:
-pulling herself up to a standing position, then squatting, and back up again
-crawling to anything that she fancies. I love that when I call her to ‘come to Mummy’, she can scamper pretty fast!
-grabbing glasses and tipping the contents over. So far, it’s been a Sheridan’s, a glass of wine, and 1 Pepsi.
-‘playing’ with her piano and maracas
-swatting, crying, and whipping her head back and forth while I try to wipe her nose clean
And tonight she’s figured out how to escape from her BebePod/Bumbo seat. Just twist and flip, and BOOM! She’s outta there! Thank goodness I still have her exersaucer as a backup.
Wow.
So onto Christmas! Michael’s school had a Christmas play, which I was pretty impressed by! There are 41 students, and over 110 of their family members showed up to watch them perform. It’s a great little community.
We enjoyed Christmas Eve with my mom, brothers, aunt, uncle and my cousin Krystin. She managed to spend a few days with us in the country, which she enjoyed. I know that Jillian enjoyed another short person to play with! I was happy that Krystin was old enough to do basic tasks herself, like eating, picking out her own clothes, etc. It helps that she’s 7! Also, she was super- well behaved, so that makes a huge difference.
We opened presents Christmas morning, and no word of a lie, there were presents bigger than Jillian! And she’s almost 2’5”! We even ran out of room in the car to get back to our place, so we made a return trip on Friday. I was super-excited about 1 present though. She got a Cabbage Patch Doll, and I never had one as a little girl, and was too shy to ask for one at the time. Mom gave me the weirdest look, because I was actually jumping up and down. ;)
We headed to Michael’s Dad’s place for Christmas afternoon/evening, and got several more gifts. I even managed to surprise Michael with letting him party it up while I took Jillian and Krystin home with me, seeing as the 3 of us were tired and he wasn’t. I also told him that this would not be a regular occurrence! It was *insane* though, considering that there were over 25 people in the house, and 11 of them children! The next day when I went to pick Michael up, I almost didn’t think that it was the same house because it was so quiet!
Then off for another family dinner on Boxing Day, this one being the official ‘turkey fest’, including Tanya’s desserts! We’re still trying to convince her to start a bakery, or at least do catering. I swear, most of us just wait and see what she’s created this time! If you’re in the Ottawa area and want fantastic desserts, let me know, and I’ll pass on your order! We also had a sleepover with my cousin and niece. Right now our place is big enough for the 3 of us, but add two 7-year olds, and it feels cramped! They had a lot of fun hanging out and playing with toys. I also realized that Krystin likes to be the boss!
The 27th had Michael running around, dropping people off and picking people up. Shawn came over for a nice dinner, and killer Monopoly to boot...well, we *had* to let Shawn win...hee hee!
The 28th, we got our new car!!! Our old one kicked it, so we needed to get another one. We got a station wagon, but no wood paneling! I'm just thrilled that it's got lots of trunk space and it's nice and SAFE. If you had asked me 8 years ago what kind of car I wanted, I would have said, FAST. Jillian's going to think that I was always cautious and not cool, huh? Oh well. We also returned Mark's car, which he was super-nice to let us use while we were car-less for about 10 days or so. Jillian was so happy to get out of her carseat when we got home, as she was in it for most of the day.
(this is getting long, isn't it?)
Anyway, the 29th brought the first lazy day since Michael started his holidays.
I might not be able to get another note out till after the first, so I hope that everyone has a great New Years. I think (well, know) that we're going to stay in and ring it in quietly.
See you next year! HAHAHA...
Well, still no teeth in sight. It turns out that Jillian was getting sick, and is still trying to get rid of her phelgmy nose, and now she has a cough. Poor kid sounds like a puppy when she’s trying to breathe through her mouth :P . Not fun at all. Her sleep schedule is completely messed up from her illness keeping her up and visiting relatives at all hours of the day(and night). I keep telling myself that when she gets better, things will go back to normal! It’s 3am as I write this….please let things go back to normal!
Well, she’s made a lot of progress over the last week:
-pulling herself up to a standing position, then squatting, and back up again
-crawling to anything that she fancies. I love that when I call her to ‘come to Mummy’, she can scamper pretty fast!
-grabbing glasses and tipping the contents over. So far, it’s been a Sheridan’s, a glass of wine, and 1 Pepsi.
-‘playing’ with her piano and maracas
-swatting, crying, and whipping her head back and forth while I try to wipe her nose clean
And tonight she’s figured out how to escape from her BebePod/Bumbo seat. Just twist and flip, and BOOM! She’s outta there! Thank goodness I still have her exersaucer as a backup.
Wow.
So onto Christmas! Michael’s school had a Christmas play, which I was pretty impressed by! There are 41 students, and over 110 of their family members showed up to watch them perform. It’s a great little community.
We enjoyed Christmas Eve with my mom, brothers, aunt, uncle and my cousin Krystin. She managed to spend a few days with us in the country, which she enjoyed. I know that Jillian enjoyed another short person to play with! I was happy that Krystin was old enough to do basic tasks herself, like eating, picking out her own clothes, etc. It helps that she’s 7! Also, she was super- well behaved, so that makes a huge difference.
We opened presents Christmas morning, and no word of a lie, there were presents bigger than Jillian! And she’s almost 2’5”! We even ran out of room in the car to get back to our place, so we made a return trip on Friday. I was super-excited about 1 present though. She got a Cabbage Patch Doll, and I never had one as a little girl, and was too shy to ask for one at the time. Mom gave me the weirdest look, because I was actually jumping up and down. ;)
We headed to Michael’s Dad’s place for Christmas afternoon/evening, and got several more gifts. I even managed to surprise Michael with letting him party it up while I took Jillian and Krystin home with me, seeing as the 3 of us were tired and he wasn’t. I also told him that this would not be a regular occurrence! It was *insane* though, considering that there were over 25 people in the house, and 11 of them children! The next day when I went to pick Michael up, I almost didn’t think that it was the same house because it was so quiet!
Then off for another family dinner on Boxing Day, this one being the official ‘turkey fest’, including Tanya’s desserts! We’re still trying to convince her to start a bakery, or at least do catering. I swear, most of us just wait and see what she’s created this time! If you’re in the Ottawa area and want fantastic desserts, let me know, and I’ll pass on your order! We also had a sleepover with my cousin and niece. Right now our place is big enough for the 3 of us, but add two 7-year olds, and it feels cramped! They had a lot of fun hanging out and playing with toys. I also realized that Krystin likes to be the boss!
The 27th had Michael running around, dropping people off and picking people up. Shawn came over for a nice dinner, and killer Monopoly to boot...well, we *had* to let Shawn win...hee hee!
The 28th, we got our new car!!! Our old one kicked it, so we needed to get another one. We got a station wagon, but no wood paneling! I'm just thrilled that it's got lots of trunk space and it's nice and SAFE. If you had asked me 8 years ago what kind of car I wanted, I would have said, FAST. Jillian's going to think that I was always cautious and not cool, huh? Oh well. We also returned Mark's car, which he was super-nice to let us use while we were car-less for about 10 days or so. Jillian was so happy to get out of her carseat when we got home, as she was in it for most of the day.
(this is getting long, isn't it?)
Anyway, the 29th brought the first lazy day since Michael started his holidays.
I might not be able to get another note out till after the first, so I hope that everyone has a great New Years. I think (well, know) that we're going to stay in and ring it in quietly.
See you next year! HAHAHA...
Monday, December 17, 2007
If it's 1am, 2am, 3am, 4am, 5am & 6am, it must be teething time...
Right?
The last 2.5 days(& nights), have been punctuated by cries, keeping us up all weekend. Michael has to go to work tomorrow, so I get to keep the vigil tonight!
Luckily, we did buy some Baby Orajel (or Ambesol, whichever was cheaper), and we tried it yesterday morning when we were at the end of our ropes. She slept for 4 hours, so I guess it worked!
Tonight, I managed to slip her some after I gave her her last feeding of the night, and she didn't take too kindly to it. Since I had some left on my finger, I decided to have a taste to see what it was like. BLEAUGH! Bitter, but my tongue started to get numb pretty fast, which was a weird feeling, but it seemed to kill my taste buds, so I didn't mind. Jillian started licking her lips and smacking her gums, then immediately started to doze off. I have a frozen, damp washcloth in the freezer on deck, in case she decides to shriek after I've been asleep for less than 1/2 hour again.
We got a bit misty-eyed this evening watching her play. She was sitting on her haunches, with jeans and onesie, playing with her toy with her back to us. She looked so much like a little girl, and so not like a helpless baby anymore.
Michael has one more week of school before holidays...my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin are coming for Christmas from Trinidad, so I'm looking forward to having the holidays uninterrupted without having to go to work.
PS-if you have to pay any bills, make deposits, etc, etc, PLEASE do it this week before the holidays! With Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year's, and the weekends, there's actually few days to get your stuff done on time. I just feel sorry for the poor tellers that inevitably get flak for public holidays that they cannot do anything about.
Right?
The last 2.5 days(& nights), have been punctuated by cries, keeping us up all weekend. Michael has to go to work tomorrow, so I get to keep the vigil tonight!
Luckily, we did buy some Baby Orajel (or Ambesol, whichever was cheaper), and we tried it yesterday morning when we were at the end of our ropes. She slept for 4 hours, so I guess it worked!
Tonight, I managed to slip her some after I gave her her last feeding of the night, and she didn't take too kindly to it. Since I had some left on my finger, I decided to have a taste to see what it was like. BLEAUGH! Bitter, but my tongue started to get numb pretty fast, which was a weird feeling, but it seemed to kill my taste buds, so I didn't mind. Jillian started licking her lips and smacking her gums, then immediately started to doze off. I have a frozen, damp washcloth in the freezer on deck, in case she decides to shriek after I've been asleep for less than 1/2 hour again.
We got a bit misty-eyed this evening watching her play. She was sitting on her haunches, with jeans and onesie, playing with her toy with her back to us. She looked so much like a little girl, and so not like a helpless baby anymore.
Michael has one more week of school before holidays...my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin are coming for Christmas from Trinidad, so I'm looking forward to having the holidays uninterrupted without having to go to work.
PS-if you have to pay any bills, make deposits, etc, etc, PLEASE do it this week before the holidays! With Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year's, and the weekends, there's actually few days to get your stuff done on time. I just feel sorry for the poor tellers that inevitably get flak for public holidays that they cannot do anything about.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Holy potato! (This is my pathetic attempt at trying to stop swearing.) It's not really working, as I can still let the 4-letter words fly when I'm driving downtown during rush hour.
Where was I? Oh yeah, Jillian's a crawling machine now, and the most entertaining trip was tonight, when I put her down on the carpet while Michael and I were watching a movie. She started giggling like mad(almost like, "I'm free, I'm FREE, you can't catch me!!!), and made for the TV. We plucked her away when it looked like she just wanted to fry her eyeballs, then she settled back to playing with her toys and wandering from the couch to the TV, to the chair, to the coffee table. This kid's got energy!
She's also mastered pulling herself to a standing position now. Two days ago, she struggled to pull herself up, her little legs shaking like leaves, to yesterday, where she managed to do it a few times, but with considerable effort, to today, where she can do it very quickly, but will cry if her legs start to do the splits, or she falls on her bum.
She's gotten way better at eye-hand-mouth co-ordination. When I give her her puffs(I call them her cookies), she'll take as many of them into one hand at a time(usually 3), then cram whatever piece is sticking out into her mouth. Tonight we were eating asparagus, and after I bit off the tip, she was gumming the piece like crazy, and managed to get some of the insides of it in her mouth.
Tomorrow, we're heading out to finish up bits of Christmas shopping. Her first Christmas stocking, etc. We're trying not to go overboard; after all, she won't remember this Christmas, but she's sure to demand Dora in a few years when she becomes a tiny consumer!
Where was I? Oh yeah, Jillian's a crawling machine now, and the most entertaining trip was tonight, when I put her down on the carpet while Michael and I were watching a movie. She started giggling like mad(almost like, "I'm free, I'm FREE, you can't catch me!!!), and made for the TV. We plucked her away when it looked like she just wanted to fry her eyeballs, then she settled back to playing with her toys and wandering from the couch to the TV, to the chair, to the coffee table. This kid's got energy!
She's also mastered pulling herself to a standing position now. Two days ago, she struggled to pull herself up, her little legs shaking like leaves, to yesterday, where she managed to do it a few times, but with considerable effort, to today, where she can do it very quickly, but will cry if her legs start to do the splits, or she falls on her bum.
She's gotten way better at eye-hand-mouth co-ordination. When I give her her puffs(I call them her cookies), she'll take as many of them into one hand at a time(usually 3), then cram whatever piece is sticking out into her mouth. Tonight we were eating asparagus, and after I bit off the tip, she was gumming the piece like crazy, and managed to get some of the insides of it in her mouth.
Tomorrow, we're heading out to finish up bits of Christmas shopping. Her first Christmas stocking, etc. We're trying not to go overboard; after all, she won't remember this Christmas, but she's sure to demand Dora in a few years when she becomes a tiny consumer!
Sunday, December 09, 2007
The tree is up, but no sign of teeth!
Why do 'they' make us paranoid that babies are suicidal?
"Keep plastic bags away or babies will suffocate themselves"
-but she is intrigued by them. She'll grab a plastic bag way before a toy-crinkly sound
"Stay with children in the bath or they with drown"
-she has put her face in the water to pick up her rubber duckie with her mouth
"Keep them away from plugs"
-yes, she thinks they're so interesting and has crawled and tried to stick her wet finger in one of them
There's a bunch more, but it explains parent paranoia...
Jillian's happily scooting around now; she doesn't have her timing with her legs and arms matched yet, but I'm sure it will happen sooner rather than later!
Still a gummy smile. Maybe I should take bets and make money that way...
We put the tree up this past week, and I managed to wrap a few presents. I have this weird habit of using up one roll of paper before I start another one. Sure I can't tell who gets what without labels, but the Martha Stewart in me feels a lot better.
We had a birthday party for my dad-in-law yesterday.
10-12 adults
6-7 kids
1 puppy who *didn't* pee or poo in the house(whoopie!)
2 meal options with salad and bread
2 fantastic desserts
Now I'm only taking credit for the main course because Tanya is the Dessert Queen, and no mere mortal can take that title from her! Her hubby was laughing at me, because I was literally *pushing* a second baking pan in the oven next to the first one. Well, it did fit, and nothing burned, so I'm not apologizing! ;)
It was a bit nutty at times with all the kids around, but overall, a lot of fun. I wonder when we can do this again?
I put Jillian's playpen/bassinet in her room next to her crib...I had a flash of Baby #2 sharing the same room with her, and I got a little mushy twinge inside. I am looking forward to getting pregnant again...not yet though!...but I really do enjoy the one on one time that I have with her. I also miss that teeny tiny baby stage, though. But that time is so short!
Monday, December 03, 2007
We've reached the 9 month mark...holy cow!
Just in the last couple of days, Jillian finally got the hang of crawling forwards! I've also noticed that she hardly goes backwards now...it's like she realized how crawling is supposed to work.
First it was:
-crawling backwards
-crawling backwards and going to a sitting position
-attempting to go forward, ending on tummy, then to sitting, pivoting, going on tummy, attempting to move, repeat
-crawling 2 paces, sitting up
Today, it was really noticeable that she was moving forward when we would put a toy in front of her, and instead of lunging for it like she usually does, she really moved!
I think this is the goodbye of clothes without worn-out knees!
She's also starting to make baby steps-literally! When she was standing today with Michael holding her hands, she would make exaggerated steps (knees up to the waist, take a step forward), then collapse with the effort. By this evening, she was really starting to get the hang of it!
We're also having fun playing ball together. I have a mini foam basketball that I would roll to her, and she would kick or push away from her. It's a bright orange, so it really keeps her attention.
She's feeling back to her old self after my last post; as soon as she was starting to feel better, she was ravenous and ate-and-ate-and-ate. She was due for a growth spurt anyway, but it can still catch you off guard. We were supposed to go for a 9-month checkup today, but the weather was INSANE! What, 2 feet of snow or something? Michael's school was actually *closed*; usually, buses will be cancelled, but teachers would still have to go into work. He was happy for an extra day at home with us. It was pretter-looking than the typhoon days we used to have in Taiwan. A Typhoon is like a Hurricane, but just in a different part of the world, so we would have a day or 2 off work.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Time is going by faster and faster.
Well, I survived a very mild case of Croup. The only time I heard about it was reading "Anne of Green Gables", and Anne was up all night giving the baby medicine, and someone else boiling a lot of water. It's been a bit of a blur since her sleeping schedule was off, and she seemed to revert back to a newborn (didn't want to crawl, awake at all hours, back to breastmilk and formula). She seems to have recovered, thank goodness. Croup is a kind of cold/virus, where you cough and it sounds like you're barking, lots of phlegm (yummy!), and listlessness.
She did however, sneeze (wetly!) over an assortment of gum and chocolate bars at Pearson airport before I could turn her away. oops.
Why were we at the airport? I was testifying at a trial in Windsor.
Bad Guy + Fake ID + Police = 2 Trials, one in February, one on November 15th.
This time he had an attorney...arg. Ok, I'll say that I didn't like her at all, and leave it at that. Hope he pays through the nose for her services, though! It would serve him right. Well, so does jail time! I was going to go to Detroit with Jillian, but I was so jittery after testifying for 1.5 hours, I *knew* the border guards would search me, because they would think that I was trying to hide something. Really, I was just tired of answering questions. I finished the night at the hotel watching "Cable TV" and de-stressing.
In any case, I brought her along. People were super nice at the airport, but I noticed that when I got on the plane, there was the same look on everyone's face:
"Please, PLEASE, don't let that baby sit next to me!!!"
Picture a horrified, scared expression, like they're about to get a really bad tax audit. A nice man even switched seats so I had a spare seat next to me. Really, though, he had the same expression as the others, and moved as soon as he could. I was starting to think I smelled bad or something!
I managed to get from gate to gate pretty easily. Picture this:
-carrying 20lb baby in a Snugli. For those who aren't sure of the weight, picture carrying 2 10 pound potato bags.
-purse/diaper bag on left shoulder with essentials
-baby food on backpack with wheels.
What I can't figure out is what the heck I used to carry when I would fly alone. Because whatever it was, I'm sure as heck not carrying it now and managing without it!
I even met my Economics prof from Carleton U, and he helped me get a discount on my car rental! I knew that he looked familiar, but I really hate saying, "Don't I know you from somewhere?" It sounds like such a pick-up line.
My fabulous coworker Colleen watched Jillian while I was in court, so I knew that I didn't have to worry about her. We also caught up with some coworkers; it felt like old times, and I was sad to leave Windsor again, but was happy to get home and see Michael.
Did I mention that I bought her first pair of shoes? Pink (of course)velcro shoes. I felt like a bad mom because my kid was wearing only socks; never mind that she can't walk yet! Well, if that's the worst thing to worry about, then my life is charmed.
Well, I survived a very mild case of Croup. The only time I heard about it was reading "Anne of Green Gables", and Anne was up all night giving the baby medicine, and someone else boiling a lot of water. It's been a bit of a blur since her sleeping schedule was off, and she seemed to revert back to a newborn (didn't want to crawl, awake at all hours, back to breastmilk and formula). She seems to have recovered, thank goodness. Croup is a kind of cold/virus, where you cough and it sounds like you're barking, lots of phlegm (yummy!), and listlessness.
She did however, sneeze (wetly!) over an assortment of gum and chocolate bars at Pearson airport before I could turn her away. oops.
Why were we at the airport? I was testifying at a trial in Windsor.
Bad Guy + Fake ID + Police = 2 Trials, one in February, one on November 15th.
This time he had an attorney...arg. Ok, I'll say that I didn't like her at all, and leave it at that. Hope he pays through the nose for her services, though! It would serve him right. Well, so does jail time! I was going to go to Detroit with Jillian, but I was so jittery after testifying for 1.5 hours, I *knew* the border guards would search me, because they would think that I was trying to hide something. Really, I was just tired of answering questions. I finished the night at the hotel watching "Cable TV" and de-stressing.
In any case, I brought her along. People were super nice at the airport, but I noticed that when I got on the plane, there was the same look on everyone's face:
"Please, PLEASE, don't let that baby sit next to me!!!"
Picture a horrified, scared expression, like they're about to get a really bad tax audit. A nice man even switched seats so I had a spare seat next to me. Really, though, he had the same expression as the others, and moved as soon as he could. I was starting to think I smelled bad or something!
I managed to get from gate to gate pretty easily. Picture this:
-carrying 20lb baby in a Snugli. For those who aren't sure of the weight, picture carrying 2 10 pound potato bags.
-purse/diaper bag on left shoulder with essentials
-baby food on backpack with wheels.
What I can't figure out is what the heck I used to carry when I would fly alone. Because whatever it was, I'm sure as heck not carrying it now and managing without it!
I even met my Economics prof from Carleton U, and he helped me get a discount on my car rental! I knew that he looked familiar, but I really hate saying, "Don't I know you from somewhere?" It sounds like such a pick-up line.
My fabulous coworker Colleen watched Jillian while I was in court, so I knew that I didn't have to worry about her. We also caught up with some coworkers; it felt like old times, and I was sad to leave Windsor again, but was happy to get home and see Michael.
Did I mention that I bought her first pair of shoes? Pink (of course)velcro shoes. I felt like a bad mom because my kid was wearing only socks; never mind that she can't walk yet! Well, if that's the worst thing to worry about, then my life is charmed.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
My daughter thinks she's an owl. She's spent the last week hooting when she's playing with her toys, looking at us, or any other time she feels like it.
I've also seen her open and close her fists when she's hungry; it looks like sign language for 'milk', but then she also holds her mouth open and looks at you with sad eyes..."Mommy, I am soooo hungry!!!". If she's really hungry, I try not to say milk until I have the bottle in my hands, or she'll go nuts until I give it to her!
Poor girl's been sick this week. We had a hectic weekend last week, and were on the go for 4 days straight, so she picked up something along the way. It's the second time that she's been sick ever, so when she cried, she had a confused look because she didn't understand why she wasn't feeling well. Thank goodness I had some Tempra here, as it helped with her raised temperature. Her sleep patterns were also mixed up too, and Friday night, she was up every couple of hours. Rough! Last night was better, so I hope it's back to normal soon.
I'm still on tooth alert-no signs yet, and she's still gumming stuff like crazy, pulls her ears, etc, but I can't feel anything in her mouth. I've started 'brushing' her gums, and even bought 2 different toothbrushes, but she seems to like it when I put her (baby) toothpaste on a (baby) facecloth and rub her gums with it, but it's really the taste she likes. Not to worry, I will let you know when the first one makes its appearance.
I've also seen her open and close her fists when she's hungry; it looks like sign language for 'milk', but then she also holds her mouth open and looks at you with sad eyes..."Mommy, I am soooo hungry!!!". If she's really hungry, I try not to say milk until I have the bottle in my hands, or she'll go nuts until I give it to her!
Poor girl's been sick this week. We had a hectic weekend last week, and were on the go for 4 days straight, so she picked up something along the way. It's the second time that she's been sick ever, so when she cried, she had a confused look because she didn't understand why she wasn't feeling well. Thank goodness I had some Tempra here, as it helped with her raised temperature. Her sleep patterns were also mixed up too, and Friday night, she was up every couple of hours. Rough! Last night was better, so I hope it's back to normal soon.
I'm still on tooth alert-no signs yet, and she's still gumming stuff like crazy, pulls her ears, etc, but I can't feel anything in her mouth. I've started 'brushing' her gums, and even bought 2 different toothbrushes, but she seems to like it when I put her (baby) toothpaste on a (baby) facecloth and rub her gums with it, but it's really the taste she likes. Not to worry, I will let you know when the first one makes its appearance.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
I want her to SLEEP!!!
For the 3rd night in a row, Jillian refuses to go to sleep on time...
Sunday night: 1am, after multiple attempts
Monday night: midnight, after ??? attempts
Tuesday night: 11:43pm and she's still kicking. We left Michael's Grandfather's house at 7:35pm, and we got home about 1 hour and 20 minutes later, so she fell asleep and woke up a couple of times. What was remarkable about the trip is that it *should* have taken 20-30 minutes, but there was a roadblock because of an accident, so we had a detour. So we get to the other detour and try to go past it to get to our house. Unfortunately, the location of the accident meant that we had to go *back* through the detour and then get to our house. I shouldn't complain, though:
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=f8f1118b-6ba7-4fbb-9158-b2df1e7ecea9&k=24267
Ugh. Please, PLEASE don't rush home if you don't have to! You can get there 10 minutes later or not at all.
Ok, it's 11:56 and she finally fell asleep. She's so adorable when she's sleeping...it makes me want to wake her up!
Yeah, weird, but I managed to curb that impulse since she was 2 months old. The aftermath is horrid!
Did I mention that her poopy diapers are getting worse? 3 times she pooped and it got smellier and stinkier every time I changed it. The worst part? I fed her *prunes* today for the first time, so I'm in for a treat just in time for Halloween. Well, it's really more of a trick, because that's not chocolate in her Pampers!
Her eighth month is coming up-wow! She can:
-sit well
-roll and scoot backwards until she is playing with the carpet-I swear it's her favourite toy
-stand well with assistance
-bang stuff with her arms
-scratch her mommy and daddy to bits, because she secretly knows that she can get away with it
-eat fruits and veggies and beef
-turn the lights on and off in her room. There's a chain hanging from the ceiling fan, and as long as I hold her up pretty still, she'll reach for the cord(slowly), and pull it until the lights go on and off. I have a feeling that I'm going to have to replace the lightbulbs on it sooner rather than later!
It should be interesting to see where the next month will lead us!
Happy Halloween!!!!
For the 3rd night in a row, Jillian refuses to go to sleep on time...
Sunday night: 1am, after multiple attempts
Monday night: midnight, after ??? attempts
Tuesday night: 11:43pm and she's still kicking. We left Michael's Grandfather's house at 7:35pm, and we got home about 1 hour and 20 minutes later, so she fell asleep and woke up a couple of times. What was remarkable about the trip is that it *should* have taken 20-30 minutes, but there was a roadblock because of an accident, so we had a detour. So we get to the other detour and try to go past it to get to our house. Unfortunately, the location of the accident meant that we had to go *back* through the detour and then get to our house. I shouldn't complain, though:
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=f8f1118b-6ba7-4fbb-9158-b2df1e7ecea9&k=24267
Ugh. Please, PLEASE don't rush home if you don't have to! You can get there 10 minutes later or not at all.
Ok, it's 11:56 and she finally fell asleep. She's so adorable when she's sleeping...it makes me want to wake her up!
Yeah, weird, but I managed to curb that impulse since she was 2 months old. The aftermath is horrid!
Did I mention that her poopy diapers are getting worse? 3 times she pooped and it got smellier and stinkier every time I changed it. The worst part? I fed her *prunes* today for the first time, so I'm in for a treat just in time for Halloween. Well, it's really more of a trick, because that's not chocolate in her Pampers!
Her eighth month is coming up-wow! She can:
-sit well
-roll and scoot backwards until she is playing with the carpet-I swear it's her favourite toy
-stand well with assistance
-bang stuff with her arms
-scratch her mommy and daddy to bits, because she secretly knows that she can get away with it
-eat fruits and veggies and beef
-turn the lights on and off in her room. There's a chain hanging from the ceiling fan, and as long as I hold her up pretty still, she'll reach for the cord(slowly), and pull it until the lights go on and off. I have a feeling that I'm going to have to replace the lightbulbs on it sooner rather than later!
It should be interesting to see where the next month will lead us!
Happy Halloween!!!!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
This is her 7 month picture. LOVE IT!
I have a rolling dervish...
Over the last week, Jillian has learned that she can roll over and over, and today I could tell that she has mastered the art of pivoting, and that she really, really likes the orange carpet in the living room.
Yesterday, I had her on a blanket so she could roll back and forth while I cooked supper(wow! I made supper!!!). Anyway, I went back to check on her and she had rolled to the window. The next time I checked on her, she was under the coffee table! Mind you, she was terribly proud of herself. Usually, I can give her a toy to play with and she'll stay in one place, but it looks like it's something that just won't happen anymore. When giving her her bath tonight, she was determined to crawl out of it, then settled for eating the rim of her bathtub.
She's also developed this habit of rolling round and round in her crib, and falling asleep either sideways, or under her comforter with her feet sticking out, just like the Wicked Witch of the East in "The Wizard of Oz".
I just find it shocking that she's made this quest to actively explore her world. It's like she finally figured out that:
rolling on her back and front + creeping + pushing up with her arms = an interesting afternoon.
Food-wise, she's comfortable with veggies, and is in the process of trying different types of fruit. Apples, mango, kiwi, peaches, and I probably forgot a few. Today I caught her saying 'ah' in a teeny-tiny voice when I fed her supper. I guess she got tired of seeing me open my mouth real wide and saying "aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh". I called Michael over to witness it, but of course she stopped and grinned at me instead...cheeky monkey!
This weekend she gets her Abuela all to herself, and my mom is thrilled at not having to share Jillian with me too!
Michael's keeping busy with school and I have about 3 more boxes to go until we are officially unpacked. Unfortunately, it's the odds and ends that don't quite have a home, but which we are unwilling to part with. If I throw it in a drawer, does that count?
Friday, October 12, 2007
It's getting chilly in the country!
We had a good Thanksgiving; pretty relaxed, but we did accidentally crash a turkey dinner! Thanks Jeff & Isy for accommodating us! On Monday, we ended up having dinner for 7 people, but honestly, has anyone ever heard of Thanksgiving stew and veggies? I didn't think so! I will try my hand at turkey eventually, though.
Jillian has now mastered sitting up without falling over for a long period of time-as in at least a half hour, to which I am thankful. She is also starting to creep backwards across the floor. 'Creeping' is a term that refers to her moving very slowly, and not being 'creepy', which is a whole other story!
She has now been eating carrots, wax beans (ugh), and green beans (ugh ugh). She has started to accept this food as being normal in her diet and is eating them without complaint now (thank goodness!). She doesn't make as many faces as she used to, and I still haven't introduced fruit yet, but I will as soon as she tries all the veggies. She has a cupboard dedicated to her food, and it looks like the shelf at the grocery store!
I have even been making her homemade carrots. Easy recipe, really:
-peel
-boil
-blend ( don't forget to add lots of water!)
The dilemma is, although it's super cheap for a bag of carrots, the time it takes to prepare it is a pain in the butt, not to mention the cleanup. But at least I know that I'm picky about the carrots that I'm preparing, and really, where exactly is this factory that makes baby food? Although the label makes us think that the workers there are happy grandmothers that prepare the food and think of our little ones, and are super careful, I doubt that this is the case.
So, she's reached the 7 month mark, and she's got the most adorable photo of her with angel wings on! Yes, I'm a big tease, but I dread to think of how long it would take to upload that picture here.
Anyway, time to take care of the princess! Her hair's long enough now to put into 2 clips as her hair is getting into her eyes now.
Ta ta for now!
We had a good Thanksgiving; pretty relaxed, but we did accidentally crash a turkey dinner! Thanks Jeff & Isy for accommodating us! On Monday, we ended up having dinner for 7 people, but honestly, has anyone ever heard of Thanksgiving stew and veggies? I didn't think so! I will try my hand at turkey eventually, though.
Jillian has now mastered sitting up without falling over for a long period of time-as in at least a half hour, to which I am thankful. She is also starting to creep backwards across the floor. 'Creeping' is a term that refers to her moving very slowly, and not being 'creepy', which is a whole other story!
She has now been eating carrots, wax beans (ugh), and green beans (ugh ugh). She has started to accept this food as being normal in her diet and is eating them without complaint now (thank goodness!). She doesn't make as many faces as she used to, and I still haven't introduced fruit yet, but I will as soon as she tries all the veggies. She has a cupboard dedicated to her food, and it looks like the shelf at the grocery store!
I have even been making her homemade carrots. Easy recipe, really:
-peel
-boil
-blend ( don't forget to add lots of water!)
The dilemma is, although it's super cheap for a bag of carrots, the time it takes to prepare it is a pain in the butt, not to mention the cleanup. But at least I know that I'm picky about the carrots that I'm preparing, and really, where exactly is this factory that makes baby food? Although the label makes us think that the workers there are happy grandmothers that prepare the food and think of our little ones, and are super careful, I doubt that this is the case.
So, she's reached the 7 month mark, and she's got the most adorable photo of her with angel wings on! Yes, I'm a big tease, but I dread to think of how long it would take to upload that picture here.
Anyway, time to take care of the princess! Her hair's long enough now to put into 2 clips as her hair is getting into her eyes now.
Ta ta for now!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
I think I'm starting to catch up with my posts here...
The doctor's visit went well. 77cm (30 inches) long, although I think she's more like 28, 'cause it's insane to think that she grew 4 inches in 3 weeks! Her weight's at 16 pounds, 15 ounces, which makes her exactly 10 pounds heavier than when she was born almost 7 months ago, and grew over 10 inches too! How time flies! In any case, she's in the 60th-80th percentile for growth (like anyone except for me cares!), and developing normally.
I told Michael that she only had 5 more pounds to go until she needs a new car seat, and he looked a little freaked out. Oops!
Then she had her next set of shots. The first one was okay, and she cried a little then stopped, but as soon as we turned over to put the next one in her other leg, she FREAKED out! For the rest of the day, whenever I changed her and had her lie down, she shrieked because she thought that she was getting another needle. Not only that, I forgot the baby medicine, so it made for a long day. In any case, she doesn't get any more shots until her 1st birthday (amen!).
I visited my friend Shelley on the 26th, and she rolled over from her back to front (but I missed it!). I had suspected that she could do it before, but I never caught her in the act. Baby Sofia was standing up at the coffee table and shuffling around, as well as walking with assistance! I know you're not supposed to compare babies, *but* when they're so close in age(2 weeks), you can't help it! At least I know what to do next with her!
On the 27th, she tried peas for the first time. I had Michael taste them first, and he reacted like he had just bit into a lemon! But when you think about it, when's the last time you had peas without putting butter, salt and pepper on it?
In any case, she tried them and had the same reaction. Mom got to change her diaper on the 29th, and that was when she had her 'pea' poo. Bleaugh! She tried butternut squash today, and is now looking at me as if to say, "Mommy, where's the good stuff?". I did relent and give her rice cereal again, which I know she likes. Now she's a bit suspicious, and won't necessarily eat it because she's not sure what she's going to get!
If I only had a dollar for everytime someone said, "She must be teething!". Still no sign of any offending teeth yet, but I like her gummy smile just as it is!
I went crazy with baby reading this weekend.
"Shopaholic and Baby"-hilarious, as I've read the whole series so far. Brit comedy.
"Life Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy-very rude but also funny. She did 2 other books on pregnancy and her first year with a baby.
"Life with a Dictator"-also funny, but the author is high maintenance! I think I liked it because I felt that I could cope with a baby better than she did, especially with poopy diapers!
October brings my brother's birthday as well as the "Hunt for her first Halloween Costume", which she won't care about or remember. I suppose that's a good thing as she'll be demanding sugary items before long!
Have a good week everyone!
The doctor's visit went well. 77cm (30 inches) long, although I think she's more like 28, 'cause it's insane to think that she grew 4 inches in 3 weeks! Her weight's at 16 pounds, 15 ounces, which makes her exactly 10 pounds heavier than when she was born almost 7 months ago, and grew over 10 inches too! How time flies! In any case, she's in the 60th-80th percentile for growth (like anyone except for me cares!), and developing normally.
I told Michael that she only had 5 more pounds to go until she needs a new car seat, and he looked a little freaked out. Oops!
Then she had her next set of shots. The first one was okay, and she cried a little then stopped, but as soon as we turned over to put the next one in her other leg, she FREAKED out! For the rest of the day, whenever I changed her and had her lie down, she shrieked because she thought that she was getting another needle. Not only that, I forgot the baby medicine, so it made for a long day. In any case, she doesn't get any more shots until her 1st birthday (amen!).
I visited my friend Shelley on the 26th, and she rolled over from her back to front (but I missed it!). I had suspected that she could do it before, but I never caught her in the act. Baby Sofia was standing up at the coffee table and shuffling around, as well as walking with assistance! I know you're not supposed to compare babies, *but* when they're so close in age(2 weeks), you can't help it! At least I know what to do next with her!
On the 27th, she tried peas for the first time. I had Michael taste them first, and he reacted like he had just bit into a lemon! But when you think about it, when's the last time you had peas without putting butter, salt and pepper on it?
In any case, she tried them and had the same reaction. Mom got to change her diaper on the 29th, and that was when she had her 'pea' poo. Bleaugh! She tried butternut squash today, and is now looking at me as if to say, "Mommy, where's the good stuff?". I did relent and give her rice cereal again, which I know she likes. Now she's a bit suspicious, and won't necessarily eat it because she's not sure what she's going to get!
If I only had a dollar for everytime someone said, "She must be teething!". Still no sign of any offending teeth yet, but I like her gummy smile just as it is!
I went crazy with baby reading this weekend.
"Shopaholic and Baby"-hilarious, as I've read the whole series so far. Brit comedy.
"Life Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy-very rude but also funny. She did 2 other books on pregnancy and her first year with a baby.
"Life with a Dictator"-also funny, but the author is high maintenance! I think I liked it because I felt that I could cope with a baby better than she did, especially with poopy diapers!
October brings my brother's birthday as well as the "Hunt for her first Halloween Costume", which she won't care about or remember. I suppose that's a good thing as she'll be demanding sugary items before long!
Have a good week everyone!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Ah, the baby's fast asleep for the night and I have a high-speed connection right now!
So, the rest of our trip to Trinidad went very well. We:
-went to Toco beach, where Jillian went in the Atlantic Ocean and was having fun until she got hit by a wave and didn't like it anymore!
-went to Enterprise (not the spaceship!), and visited my Dad's side of the family. The neat thing is, I have pictures from when I was a baby and it looks like we were the same size at the same location!
-spent some more time with my maternal grandmother
-ate at a Japanese food restaurant. Similar to the Teppanyaki (sp?) restaurants that we went to in Taiwan, but more elegant
-got tans, but nothing too extreme!
I managed to do some driving as well. Uncle Yves loaned me his car for several days, so I was able to see more family members. There, they drive on the left hand side, and the roads are narrower, so that always takes some getting used to!
I wasn't very comfortable with travelling by public transit for long distances, especially if it included carrying her car seat, clothes, etc. I guess I'm really Canadianised now!
Our flight back was pretty good, although we had to leave Port of Spain(dep:9PM) to go to Caracas, Venezuela(dep: midnight), before we could go back to Toronto(arr:5AM). The upside though was that the plane was emptier on the way back, so my Mom and Aunt got the coveted Emergency Exit row that has a wee bit more leg room, and I got 3 seats together on the other side. Jillian s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out on 2 seats(yes, I did put a seatbelt on her), and I tried to doze off upright. That's when I realized: My happiness depends on her happiness, 'cause there's no way that I could have slept comfortably while she was still awake(and cranky!).
We arrived in Toronto, and my Aunt was on a later connecting flight. So, no problem, Mom, Jillian and myself get on the plane at gate 126, land in Ottawa around 8am, and wait for her to show up an hour later. As the last people are collecting their luggage around 9:30ish, we realize that we forgot to tell her that the next flight was leaving at gate ***132***, not 126! A very long story later, she arrived around noon, and her luggage arrived at our doorstep later on that evening!
Oh, did I mention that my (very handsome!) cousin is an air traffic controller in Trinidad? We had a very nice takeoff, thank you very much!
Jillian's baptism was also today. We had Father Paul (aka. Father What-a-Waste). My friend Shell came up with the nickname when he was at her parish over 12 years ago. My Aunt came from Trinidad, my Uncle from Toronto (who also cooked for us afterwards), and my Dad made the drive up from NYC. Vanessa came from Montreal as the role of Godmother, and Shawn as the Godfather(no Marlon Brando jokes, please!).
Everything went pretty smoothly (I think), and she looked *adorable* in her Christening gown that Shawn's mom made. She didn't even cry when the holy water hit her! I think that maybe she was wondering why she was getting a bath in the middle of the day with her clothes on and so many people watching! She's used to leaning over her tub like that when we are getting ready to wash her hair! hee hee....
She did get cranky at my Mom's house with everyone around, wanting to hold her, and the fancy-schmancy dress that I wanted her to wear, but wasn't comfy for her. She did manage to pass out for a few hours, and was rearing to go until 11pm tonight!
Tomorrow is her 6 month checkup at the doctor's, including her next round of shots. I wonder if she'll remember the doctor's office from the last time?
So, the rest of our trip to Trinidad went very well. We:
-went to Toco beach, where Jillian went in the Atlantic Ocean and was having fun until she got hit by a wave and didn't like it anymore!
-went to Enterprise (not the spaceship!), and visited my Dad's side of the family. The neat thing is, I have pictures from when I was a baby and it looks like we were the same size at the same location!
-spent some more time with my maternal grandmother
-ate at a Japanese food restaurant. Similar to the Teppanyaki (sp?) restaurants that we went to in Taiwan, but more elegant
-got tans, but nothing too extreme!
I managed to do some driving as well. Uncle Yves loaned me his car for several days, so I was able to see more family members. There, they drive on the left hand side, and the roads are narrower, so that always takes some getting used to!
I wasn't very comfortable with travelling by public transit for long distances, especially if it included carrying her car seat, clothes, etc. I guess I'm really Canadianised now!
Our flight back was pretty good, although we had to leave Port of Spain(dep:9PM) to go to Caracas, Venezuela(dep: midnight), before we could go back to Toronto(arr:5AM). The upside though was that the plane was emptier on the way back, so my Mom and Aunt got the coveted Emergency Exit row that has a wee bit more leg room, and I got 3 seats together on the other side. Jillian s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out on 2 seats(yes, I did put a seatbelt on her), and I tried to doze off upright. That's when I realized: My happiness depends on her happiness, 'cause there's no way that I could have slept comfortably while she was still awake(and cranky!).
We arrived in Toronto, and my Aunt was on a later connecting flight. So, no problem, Mom, Jillian and myself get on the plane at gate 126, land in Ottawa around 8am, and wait for her to show up an hour later. As the last people are collecting their luggage around 9:30ish, we realize that we forgot to tell her that the next flight was leaving at gate ***132***, not 126! A very long story later, she arrived around noon, and her luggage arrived at our doorstep later on that evening!
Oh, did I mention that my (very handsome!) cousin is an air traffic controller in Trinidad? We had a very nice takeoff, thank you very much!
Jillian's baptism was also today. We had Father Paul (aka. Father What-a-Waste). My friend Shell came up with the nickname when he was at her parish over 12 years ago. My Aunt came from Trinidad, my Uncle from Toronto (who also cooked for us afterwards), and my Dad made the drive up from NYC. Vanessa came from Montreal as the role of Godmother, and Shawn as the Godfather(no Marlon Brando jokes, please!).
Everything went pretty smoothly (I think), and she looked *adorable* in her Christening gown that Shawn's mom made. She didn't even cry when the holy water hit her! I think that maybe she was wondering why she was getting a bath in the middle of the day with her clothes on and so many people watching! She's used to leaning over her tub like that when we are getting ready to wash her hair! hee hee....
She did get cranky at my Mom's house with everyone around, wanting to hold her, and the fancy-schmancy dress that I wanted her to wear, but wasn't comfy for her. She did manage to pass out for a few hours, and was rearing to go until 11pm tonight!
Tomorrow is her 6 month checkup at the doctor's, including her next round of shots. I wonder if she'll remember the doctor's office from the last time?
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