Oy! Bad blogger!

It has been two months since I've posted! Forgive me!

Quick updates:

Well, we are back in Toronto with a beautiful new kitchen! We love it!

We love being in Toronto where people actually walk places (as opposed to driving everywhere).

Baby O is growing and changing all the time! Just started sitting on her own this week. Last week she perfected her crawling. She's playing peekaboo regularly and loves to put on the charm when we are on the bus or subway. She injects people with smiling juice everywhere she goes! She's also just entered a bit of a clingy phase (developmentally appropriate) with me, so in the morning I'm happy to have Hubby have one-on-one time with her while I enjoy a few minutes of me-time.

I'm on a lemon poppy-seed cake kick lately. It's so easy & fast to make! How could I resist!

Here are a few pictures:


Looking cute with lovely red hair!



Nursing on Fathers' Day


Looking sweet in the lady bug on Fathers' Day


Hubby making pizzas for our Fathers' Day/family birthdays celebration



The lemon poppy-seed cake


Sleeping in her sling during the Dyke March


Awake and loving the 519 splash park after the Dyke March!

Shoe issues

I am having a shoe crisis. This crisis has actually been going on since the late months of my pregnancy. Back then my feet had swollen so much that the only shoes I could get my little piggies into were my black Merrell sandals. This was fine until the days and nights started getting cooler in the Fall. I bought a cheapie pair of black sporty walk around shoes with velcro straps to get me by until baby arrived and the piggies went back to a normal size.

I suffered the winter with a mediocre pair of boots and now I'm back to the sporty walk around shoes. I have a couple of pairs of dressier shoes at home in Toronto, but I couldn't bring a lot to Winnipeg. I did bring a great pair of low burgandy dress boots to Winnipeg. I've had these boots for at least four years and have loved the heck out of them. They've finally bit the dust here in Winnipeg and I'm scrambling!

Do you know how hard it is to shop for shoes with a baby in tow? It's a sloooooooooow process for sure. There are small windows of opportunity for a mom with a baby and my windows allow me to visit about three stores in one mall before they start to close (the windows, not the stores). Given that my window includes travel time to the mall AND changing and feeding baby before we even walk out the door, not much shopping can take place once we are there. I consider these trips research mostly.

I've become a bit of a shoe critic. I check the soles for grip factor. I examine linings. Are they glued in or stitched? I feel for pressure points when I try them on. I now know that I prefer a wider shoe and these are not easily found. I also believe that many people wear shoes that hurt their feet. I just can't do it.

I need a pair of shoes that are not dressy-dressy AND are not athletic, dress down casual. I need the in-between shoe. The shoe to dress up my jeans. The shoe to go with my khakis. Hopefully it is something I could walk a couple of kilometers in without hurting my feet since Hubby and I enjoy walking in Toronto.

I believe that I may have to start paying more for shoes that are better quality and fit.

Stay tuned for more shoe search updates.

List

Tax receipts compiled and sent to accountant - check!

Two loads of laundry - check!

Bath baby, read baby story, nurse baby, tuck baby in - check!

Recent 2009 receipts filed and table tidied up - check!

Living room tidied up ready for another baby-day tomorrow - check!

Emails replied to - check!

Monthly Facebook photo browsing - check!

Catch-up on blog reading - check!

Empty dishwasher - check!

Load dishwasher - check!

Bake a few cookies from homemade (by someone else) roll in freezer - check!

Make cup of tea - check!

Scoop ice cream into a mug, grab a cookie and tea and relax - DOUBLE CHECK!

Fast baby changes

O can now push herself backward while laying on her tummy! She does a lovely cobra pose, pushing her torso WAY up, and with that effort she's able to slide backwards a bit. She shimmies on her tummy to change her angle every so slightly, yet effectively.

O and I went to The Forks today. It was beautiful outside (almost 20 degrees!) and we just couldn't stay cooped up in the condo. After a little snack for Mommy and wee look around at some shops, we wandered outside to check out the Red River. Wow! It has almost risen to the top of a three tiered staircase! We stayed WAY back from it.

We stopped in at the Punch Gallery to visit our midwife's mother-in-law who owns the gallery. Turns out that she LOVES hubby's show! We had a long and enthusiastic talk about it.

Baby & Winnipeg update

Baby O is growing before our eyes. I can really see a lot of changes in the past two weeks. She is noticing things around her (like my glasses or a button on a sweater) and reaching for them, looking at them. She can roll from front to back and back to front. She's able to roll and wiggle to move herself a few inches or even a foot to get to her toys. If I leave the room to pee now I have to be uber fast.

Here's a few recent pics:




Swimming!




With her cousins in Winnipeg in a dress Grandma made!








Winnipeg is finally thawing out. I can see pavement and brown grass. I am SO thankful! I was able to get two walks through Assiniboine Park in last week before parts of it were flooded.

Death to winter

Here I am in Winnipeg. It is -24C today with a wind chill that feels like -38C.

Hubby and I are sharing a car. He has the car today.

Death to winter!

Shhhhh....

Teething Baby O is FINALLY having a nap. Mommy is FINALLY able to go pee and eat some lunch.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... don't wake the baby.

T minus 3 days until we fly to Winnipeg. I'm knee deep in suitcases and boxes. Winter clothes, Spring clothes, baby gear galore. Some will be shipped. The rest will fly with us. Getting it all ready while caring for O is a true test of my organizational abilities.

Great news! I finally found a bathing suit that accommodates my engorged gals and my shrinking butt (both compliments of O's exclusive breastfeeding diet). I found it at Seychelles Swimwear on Queen Street East. A two piece suit of swim shorts and tank-style top that ties around the neck. The tank is pink, white, and black horizontal striped. The shorts are black with a little 'belt' of the stripes. Sorry. No picture of it yet.

Even greater news! I managed to wax my own legs! Gone, gone, gone is Winter's insulating layer of long hair! It did take me three different sessions to get it all done, but it is done and I think I did a pretty good job considering the amount of hair I had deal with. I even did a mini bikini wax to take care of a few strays that may have been tempted to peak out from under those swim shorts.

Hubby and I are buying a three month membership at the JCC in Winnipeg. I want so badly to start swimming with Baby O, but I want to avoid chlorinated pools for awhile yet (bad for little lungs apparently). The JCC has an amazing salt water pool. Can't wait!

MILF hair do!

My post-birth hair was so long, unruly and thick that I always slung it on top of my head with an elastic band.




A shot of the length, sort of.




Before the colour application, my hairdresser chopped my mane at the back. Bye-bye 4-6 inches!



So, here I am after the first chop.



Colour going on.



The styling!




Side view with babe in arms!



The new look!

I LOVE it!

Temporary East End Family

We had to start our kitchen reno 'on time-ish' even though Marvin's work in Winnipeg was pushed one month. This meant finding a temporary place to live for 3 weeks in T.O.. We are staying in Leslieville in a cute 2 bedroom house. The Purple Purl is at the end of the street! In another life, I owned a house down here just before the neighbourhood became the wonderfulness that it is today.

Here are some pics from our Family Day long weekend...


On our way to the Beach for a long walk.



Reading the Globe & Mail with Dad.



Looking cozy in her 'pride-ful' fleece!



Orly is happy 99% of the time. She's just discovering her laugh!

Mommy Baby tidbits

This is an entry from late Dec/early Jan that I did not get around to publishing...

Anyway, here are 3 holiday time pics. Baby O at 2mths-ish!

The Famn Damily

Check us out! A family!




Baby O is such an easy going gal. We take her out to all sorts of places and as long as she can sit up, facing away from us so that she can see what is going on she is happy. She doesn't always like us sitting down when we hold her, especially when she is tired, so we just stand and sway with her.



Baby O in her party outfit. Thanks, Uncle D! I love it! I've worn it a lot already.

I actually got something done!

 

I was able to write four overdue thank you cards, make my own lunch and eat it today!

 

The sling is a wonderful thing. A very, very wonderful thing.



Here is our gal at one month old! She's a delight!

I'm a mom!

Just over a week ago, I gave birth to this beautiful little human being! It was an amazing birth - ALL NATURAL! (I puked up the gravol and tylenol I took during the second hour of early labour.) I went into early labour while at the movies. I'll have to see Appaloosa again, since some parts of the story are a bit of a blur for me. Ten short hours later our daughter was born! O.A.K. is a joy!

It's cold in cold cut land

Holy shit.

This is shocking.

Belly update

 

This picture is from two weeks ago. Apparently I am even bigger now at 39 weeks. Updated photo in a couple of days.

Anyway, we are still waiting for Baby to arrive. I'm starting to talk to her a bit, encouraging her to come, letting her know we are ready for her. Well, we are emotionally ready, but I am still doing quite a bit of organizing and purging in two of our rooms. We are trying to get the new office set up and make space for it to also be a guest room. My mom will come to help out after Baby arrives and I really want her to have a private place to sleep (ie. not the living room floor with an air mattress!).

Ok. Time for breakfast and then up to the office!

Is she coming soon?!

I wonder if Baby is coming...

I just put all the groceries away and with great enthusiasm started cleaning the kitchen. I am anticipating Hubby making his fabulous lasagna this afternoon! A clean kitchen is a must to begin that adventure.

Laundry has been started and I'll be tackling my many boxes in the so-called office next.

I've heard that mommas-to-be often get a burst of nesting energy just before labour... Is our baby on her way soon?!

First day of maternity leave

This wasn't actually taken this morning... earlier this week actually, but Hubby and I think it is pretty hilarious! I'm a big, plush, rolling mass of baby belly. It's great!

Today has been a good day, despite sleeping only about 4 hours last night. It started with some yummy treats at Pain Perdu and got even better when both of my hips adjusted at the chiropractor. How sweet that felt! My chiropractor is so excited and supportive of my pregnancy. She's committed to keeping my pelvis all loosey goosey for the big day. She rocks!

After some quickie house cleaning and left over Chinese take-out lunch, I headed off to Macklem's to buy our Zooper Waltz stroller before meeting my friend at Hoopla around the corner. Hoopla was nice. Roomy aisles for strollers, nursing and play area, door prizes and great vendors. I bought a pair of Lino Thai Pants that grow with baby from 4 - 18 months (maybe more if your kid is small). I also picked up a very lovely blue-grey silk remnant scarf for myself.

As I was dropping off my friend in the east end, Hubby called to say, 'The Monkey Doodlez have landed!'. I had called Baby on the Hip this morning to inquire about waterproof travel diaper sacs for getting our used cloth diapers home from excursions. They recommended the Monkey Doodlez sac since it has a zipper. They said they would call when their shipment arrived. How convenient that it came in while I was on that side of town! I zipped over there and scooped the sac, plus a couple more Apple Cheeks diaper covers, and the irresistible Baby Legs in Phinney and Marco.

First day of maternity leave turned into super-cool-baby-stuff day!

As an aside, check out the icing baby booties on this baby shower cake! These aren't made of that hard meringue. They are pure, soft, sweet icing! Thanks to Big Sis, friend, and Mom for a great shower last week, complete with old family friends from 20+ years ago. Some of the women who came have known me my entire life. It was a lovely afternoon.

Funny how Zen helps

After getting Zen about things, all plans for Wednesday changed! Midwife had to postpone and then cancel due to another family's baby arriving. Massage therapist very courteously called to say she had a bit of a cold and perhaps we should postpone to Saturday. So, Hubby and I both took off for work. I ended up having a super productive afternoon and finishing 90% of my paperwork! Thanks, Zen!

Today I am off work, but will stop in to pick up a few remaining personal items. I am scheduled to be there next week, but I'm wondering if Babe will be early, so I'm getting ready.

Well, plans for today: kitchen reno quote appointment this morning (don't get too excited, now... it's just a quote for future reference), then drop off Hubby at work. I shall do blissful solo errands (ie. Goodwill/Value Village hunt) for a few remaining birthing items. I need a throw away mattress cover, in case a leak all over our beautiful bed. And some other things...

Later 'gaters!

Got Zen

Midwife home visit is happening today! I'm looking forward to it, even though I know that she has to give us the 'serious talk' about circumstances that would likely lead to transfer of care to a physician. In the past two weeks I've had some doubting thoughts about being able to go into the deep relaxation of hypnobirthing (fueled by not practicing enough), but in the last few days I have given myself a check-up from the neck up and adjusted my attitude. I'm once again grooving with the positive birthing vibes.

I think a turning point for me happened on Sunday after a couple of days of running around trying to agree on some finishing details for a few projects in the house. I'd been feeling quite miserable after some *ahem* serious 'trying to agree' moments on Friday and realized that all this pressure to get things done before the Babe arrives is just not worth it. The stress was getting in the way of me enjoying these last couple of weeks with Hubby before Babe arrives. After all, her nursery is ready, our bedroom only needs a minor clean-up and we are good to go for bringing her home to at least have a place to lay her little head. Plus we scored a cool retro rocker off Craig's List for $50 on Saturday! So now I even have a place to breastfeed her upstairs!

On Sunday, I just slipped into a Zen place about the nesting, renovating, and finishing up my paperwork at the office. None of it really matters. It will be what it is and it doesn't mean her start in our family will be anything less than what it is meant to be - a joyful time.

So, today I look forward to our midwife and her new student coming to check us out in our home. I've already taken the banana muffins out of the freezer (made on Saturday). Post home-visit, I'm going for a pre-natal massage just around the corner. Lovely.

Post-script:

My folks have been off on a little road trip holiday in the States since last week. I can tell they are excited about the third grandchild's imminent arrival, as they've called us twice since they left. Our family never, ever calls each other while on holiday. Perhaps an email update here or there, but never, ever a phone call, let alone TWO phone calls.

Also, I rode my bike yesterday! While on my way to work, who should start to pass me but an old roommate. We peddled along together until the next traffic light. She told me she biked until she went into labour with her first baby! I can only hope!

Heavy Belly

This week I've noticed how heavy my belly is becoming. No matter what I am doing the baby belly has a certain heavy sensation. Sitting on the couch - heavy and full. Semi-sitting in bed - heavy. Laying in bed in any position - heavy and full. At work, in front of my desk - heavy. Waddling along to the bus or store - heavy. Waddling to the bathroom - very heavy and very full. My belly is getting so big and heavy I can hardly reach the keyboard of my laptop to write this! And forget about leaning forward to reach the laptop if it were on a table - ouch! More signs to me that Baby is getting ready to join us. I have an intuition that she will arrive before October 12.

In order to get organized for her arrival, I have written several lists. One list for errands and 'to-dos' for this weekend. This includes a lot of stuff for finishing projects around the house. Another list for items to get organized for labouring at home, going to the hospital, and the first week with baby at home. A third list of important things for Hubby and T (who is supporting us during labour) to know, plus reminders for Marvin and I such as calling the diaper service once Baby is here.

Wow! Describing my lists here makes me feel like a bit of a freak, but without those lists I couldn't remember anything I was supposed to buy or prepare. Major mush brain!

Update on sleep: This week my sleep has been almost normal! What's up with that?! This morning is the first time I've had to get out of bed early in over 5 days! A miracle!