Grocery Fun!

Little Z is getting bigger and bigger and has now entered into a whole new stage: the Toddle Stage. He is walking, more than ever, tottering around with his hands waving to help keep him steady. He is oh so very cute, as all who spend time with him will attest. But, with this new stage has come the standard headstrong will. Now when we go grocery shopping, he does not want to sit in the cart (there's no action there!). No, he wants to walk, securely between mom and the grocery cart, pushing the cart around with such strength for such a little guy. We literally walk laps around the grocery store, me grabbing items from the shelves as we pace by, trying to keep him from running us into other patrons. Every once in a while when I need us to stop, I lodge him into a corner, which he has quickly adapted to by pulling the cart back and turning it a bit and then pushing again... repeat until that works! The alternative is me lodging my foot under the cart wheel so it can't go anywhere, which results in Z pushing with all his might (think practically horizontal baby) and crying out in frustration. Part of me thinks that he sees pushing the cart as his very important job in our grocery shopping endeavor. Unfortunately, he just doesn't know when to stop, and things always go south when we reach the check out line and the time for pushing has come to an end. Then, I'm stuck juggling pulling items out of the cart, while making sure Z doesn't shove the cart into the person in front of us, or while holding a squirming, very unhappy little boy. Yup, checkout cannot go fast enough. We may have reached the stage where little Z will have to stay home with one parent while the other shops... at least until he's old enough to run down the isle to fetch items for me - another adventure I'm sure. I must say though, it is pretty cute seeing him put all that effort into pushing the cart. So much gumption for such a little person!

Goodness, gracious!

Yes, that is all I can think to say. It has been QUITE the week! Last week marked my first one back to work after maternity leave, and Z's first week at daycare. Our little boy fared very well adjusting to daycare. He was quite tired the first day, came home with puffy eyes after only an hour's nap, but has progressively slept more and more and is now having a standard 2+hr nap (though was pretty much forced to drop the morning nap). For what it's worth, we're still keeping the morning nap at home during the weekends, and he seems okay with that!

Hubby and I are finding our groove, working together to get ourselves and the little one ready in the morning so that we can be out the door on time. I do find that I'm more consistently early for work than I have ever been, entirely because I drop Z off at daycare by a particular time. I've given myself over to focusing on making dinner and just hanging out and playing with the little guy until he's ready to go to bed. I'm coming to terms with not doing a great job at prepping and sometimes paying the consequence for it the next day. But, you know what? That's what happens when you get hired the day before you start teaching and you have absolutely no time before hand to prepare! I still find myself working 2-3 hours a night sometimes, marking and prepping, but even that I'm trying to balance. Today, I took up a teacher on an offer to just use his math notes for two of my classes instead of creating my own from scratch. I won't even know if I get to keep the job I'm covering until the postings are filled next week. Such is the life of a teacher.

me and my little guy at the Saanich Fair

My mind has been on my pension a lot lately. I know it sounds ridiculous to be thinking about such a thing when I'm not even 30 (soon!!), but there are so many implications with my profession to my pension; many of them I still need to figure out. I just don't want to find out I'm supremely screwed when I retire. First, my year off on maternity leave (for which I didn't even get top-up - bah!), I believe I need to pay into that year to make sure it isn't missed. Sure makes a case for not having too many kids! Second, every part-time contract I get only partially contributes to my pension, at least that's my understanding. Considering full time contracts are very hard to come by, even continuing contracts (when they become available) are usually part time. How in the heck do I go about figuring out where I'll be when I want to retire?

I've been driving my husband mental with these questions! I've promised him I'll hold off on freaking out with the need for answers until Christmas, when we have a bit of down time to look into things. It definitely makes me wonder though, how do all the momma's who stay home with their little ones manage when they get old? Hope that they stay with their husbands so there's that additional income to live off of? I've always thought that as a teacher I would love to only work part-time while my kiddies (plural one day) are little, have the flexibility to focus some of my efforts and energy on our home life. But, how much of an effect would this have on my security when I'm old? Hope I'm not freaking to many people out with my questions... I wonder if the google search count on pension related questions will go up!

On a much more pleasing note, I made spaghetti sauce tonight, and I used fresh tomatoes from my garden! The romas are especially prolific.

Waiting

They say that waiting is the hardest part. I feel this is very true, though I have a good amount to distract myself with!

I'm returning to work on Tuesday. Little Z will have his first day of daycare. Z actually took his first steps yesterday - I can barely believe it! He's been cruising like crazy for a while now, and he can walk fairly well even just holding onto one hand, but it still completely caught me by surprise. My mom was over, having dinner with us before a trip to go see family, and all of a sudden noticed that Z was standing, not holding on to anything. He stood longer than he's ever stood and then, suddenly, took a couple of steps! The look on his face wasn't one of pride, but more of just concentration. And then, he sat down and didn't do it again (no matter how much we tried to coax it out of him). I'm keeping my camera close at hand for when he does it again. I have to say, it is so amazing as a first time parent watching these developmental milestones happen before your very eyes. I remember the day when he first started bopping things with his fists (not even his fingers yet) while laying on his little playmat. We have been so blessed by this little guy.

As for work, it has been a major mental dilemma for me. There's no real decision to be made, the dilemma is more one of how do I handle this? What kind of perspective do I take that will help me through this? My husband keeps telling me to enjoy the time I have left with Z, and I am, and (as he pointed out) that's exactly what I would say to him if he were in my situation. But, I'm really not finding that it helps; I'm still anxious. I just don't know how to adequately prepare!

I'm a teacher, so my return-to-work scenario is a little bit different than someone returning after a standard maternity leave. First off, I don't actually have a job to return to. The temporary contract that I had before my leave ended with the end of the school year. I didn't secure a contract out of the summer postings (well, that's not entirely true... I was offered one, but turned it down because I felt it just wasn't right for me). I called around and emailed a few of the high school principals to let them know that I was available to TOC (substitute teach) in the event that they had to open up some extra classes at the beginning of the year. This is very common, and these positions will be posted mid-September, so I'm hoping to get something at that time. So far I haven't heard anything back, and it's the Friday before the long weekend, before school starts.

So, here are the potential scenarios I see before me for my first day back to work (in no particular order):
- I get a frantic call from a high school looking for a teacher to cover a new class. I walk in blind and have to make curriculum, etc, up on the fly. Not ideal, but I've been in such a situation before, and I can handle it.
- I get a frantic call from a middle/elementary school looking for a teacher to cover a new class. I have virtually no training or experience teaching middle school or elementary, and, to be frank, they are not an age group I feel the most confident working with.
- I get a one day TOC callout for a teacher. The likelihood of this happening on the first day of school is so beyond zero, it's practically negative. No teacher books the first day of school off.
- I get nothing. I take Z to daycare and come back home and tinker around keeping the phone near me at all times just in case.

And... for the NEXT day, repeat! Doesn't that sound like fun? Quite a few teachers are in this boat every year. It's pretty much par for the course, so I'm not feeling sorry for myself, BUT, like any normal human being, I would much rather know what I was doing. I'm a teacher, and under that a damn good student. I like to prepare before stepping into a situation. Aside from not knowing which of those four scenarios might happen on Tuesday, I don't even know what subject(s) I would be teaching even IF I got called in. I've got this strong urge to start prepping curriculum, but with my teaching areas I could do any level of math or any junior science or senior chemistry, or I could get called in for something completely outside of my teaching area. It would be a complete waste of time to prep anything before I needed to.

Anyways, I just need to get over it. In the mean while, the house is getting pretty clean and organized... at least there I've got the locus of control.

Update: about 20 minutes after posting, I got a call for a two week subbing job - yay!

The good life

Oh, how much better one feels after a full night of sleep! Z has been giving us a little grief during the night time as of late, either waking up around 330/4am looking for a feed, or deciding that 530am is a great wake up time. At just shy of a year old (it's only a matter of weeks now!) I know he can go the whole night without a feed. Anyways, last night we ate spaghetti (that kid can pack it away!), and then I took the little one for a walk along Willow's Beach. It was such a beautiful night; we started at Estevan Village, walking past Willows Galley Fish n Chips on our way down to the beach. That reminds me, I need to get a fish n chips meal in before the end of summer; it smelled so good walking past that place! Z kept his little sunglasses on the whole time and we had a nice peaceful walk, seeing all the other families and groups of friends enjoying the beach and the playground.

I want to highlight the dinner I made last night. I decided to try something new with my tried and true spaghetti recipe. First, I added zucchini to the sauce; I've been trying to get more veggies in where-ever I can. Second, I decided to make spaghetti squash to cut some of the noodles out. This was the second time I had spaghetti squash. I was pretty impressed the first time I made it, with the ease of prep (I seriously just poke some holes in it and microwave it whole for 8-10 minutes, turning it over every couple of minutes), how tasty it was, and how much it actually resembled noodles... so cool! Anyways, it turned out really great... I think it helped that we also had some fresh baked (not by me) focaccia bread to go with it.

Tonight we caught an outdoor show of Towers and Trees. They're a new local band, of which my brother is a part. Also, my sister in law, his wife, sings vocals sometimes. It was such a wonderful night. The show was early enough that we actually both got to go and bring Z. Normally we kindof flip a coin to decide who gets to go, and who stays home to watch the munchkin. You couldn't ask for better weather, and the food on the patio at the Canoe Club was so tasty. It was pricey, but we both agreed, it was a great evening. Plus, little one did a lot of cruising around with all the patio chairs that were available as anchors.

I'm looking forward to this long weekend. My hubby is off tomorrow, and Monday is a civic holiday, so we'll enjoy a good four days of family time. I'll leave you with a debut video from Towers and Trees.

Breath before the end

Allow me to explain my MIA status - I have been teaching summer school. This has made me a tad busier, especially with the onset of Z cutting his baby molars. So far the bottom two are in, and the top two are mercilessly trying to break through as well. Whoever said being a baby is easy hasn't dealt with a baby going through some serious teething. It's been interesting going back to work. I like to think that I fell back into the swing of things fairly naturally. There are parts that I had missed, and parts that I think no teacher misses. Regardless, it's been a good way to see what it'll be like in the fall when I go back, potentially full time, and Z starts daycare full time. For now, it's one more week and then back to normal time at home with Z for the month of August.

But, enough about work, I want to focus instead on what I always seem to come back to in this blog - my garden! Allow me to present my tomato plants! They're HUGE!

I look out my living room window and they're there, more than halfway up! The hubby and I like to think of them as our tomato hedges.

cutesie little cherry tomatoes... this plant is called Sweet Million

As you can see, there are lots of green beauties on the vine, and a ton of little yellow flowers still in production. I actually pruned a couple of the plants today, as per a suggestion from my father that it may help the plant focus its energy on fruit production rather than growth. It makes me happy to see the plants so happy! I think this really is the perfect place for them.

Funny thing is, I've never been a big tomato eater. My husband loves them, but I always order my burgers and sandwiches sans tomatoes, and I don't like them in salads. I think this may be a good opportunity to change that. I have canning plans (I'm practically giddy about using my own canned tomatoes during the year), and may try my hand at making salsa. Aside from that, and making many tomato-based recipes once they're ripe, friends and family will probably be recipients as well!

Lately

Lately I've been sewing and not knitting. I've been feeling this shift for a while now, not really being "in" to my knitting. I'll be at my weekly knit night, and someone will comment that I've hardly knit at all, just been sitting there enjoying the conversation. This, I should point out, is never actually judged upon at my group, and even if it was, what would I care? No, sometimes it's just nice to sit and not do anything, just enjoy the conversations and partake a little in them yourself.

But, to get back to sewing... I've been making a crib blanket for Z. I had this idea quite early on after having him. I had quite a few new receiving blankets, presents via baby showers, that just weren't quite big enough for what I tend to use receiving blankets for (covers for his crib mattress, covers for his changing pad) and too lovely and fleecy for the other common use (burping pad!). So, I had this idea to use them as sort of really big fat quarters to make a quilt from. When I had this idea the weather was just starting to get colder and I thought, perfect, I can make two and use one in the crib, and one as a stroller blanket. Well, as nice as it is to think that I would get straight to work and a quilt would just appear, these were not the old days of having entire days to myself to sew away. Babies keep you busy, and sleep deprived, and I was well aware that I didn't want to be cutting fabric while sleep deprived (hello? recipe for disaster!) especially as I was essentially making a quilt from "free" fabric and didn't want to ruin it beyond repair. Oh, I should mention that I had just the right sized piece of left over batting from another project... see? free!

 

So, I went easy of myself (something I've learned to be better at since becoming a momma), chose the moments when I really felt like working on it. Over the months, I came up with a design, something simple yet different enough to be a bit of a challenge (humph... should have left it at plain simple). I decided to do plain stripes of alternating three fabrics, no sashing, with the binding done in a fourth fabric. I made things a little more interesting by placing the fabrics on a slight diagonal. This is what actually gave me the most grief, or challenge, however you decide to place your perspective. Being the perfectionist that I am, although I tried to approach this quilt sans hardfast plans, more of an improvised and quick-sew, if you will, the diagonal slant created challenges with the length of the fabric strips being inadequate (or at least not generous) and so I found myself ripping out seams and re-placing the strips to get the optimal coverage. Oh, how that is me to a tee! We must optimize!! More like cue swearing.

Plus, let's be honest, there is tension when things are slightly off the horizontal. 

You constantly feel like your head's not on straight.

I found the backing fabric (I hadn't planned that far ahead initially... see? improvise!) at a local fundrasing rummage sale (Grandmothers for Africa). It was an oddly shaped piece, but fleecy and the right colour, and I think I bought it for a couple bucks (definitely the right price). I made it work by placing a striped panel (not on a diagonal, thank you very much!) partway down the back. That made me feel special, as I'd admired that style on numerous other quilts... kindof gives extra interest.

Now, I am working on the binding. This is my second time binding a quilt, and the first time using a separate fabric, not just wrapping the backing around. The lady we bought our house from left me her craft supplies and stash of crafting books (you should have heard me when I opened that box!), included in was Singer: Quilting By Machine, something I turn to whenever I make a quilt as there is always something I need a refresher on or have never done before. I've chosen to machine sew the binding on the front, but hand-stitch it on the back, as I like the idea of the stitches being invisible. So far, one long side is entirely done, and the opposite long side has been machine stitched. It's great work for tv watching (or sitting with friends or on the patio). I've chosen to do the invisible ladder stitch, which you can find a tutorial for here. My progress is by no means fast, though I'm sortof enjoying that at the moment... taking my time with the very last step of this quit. I've decided that this will be Z's daycare quilt. I'm going to place it in his crib for the month of August (or whenever I manage to finish it) so that it can take on the scent of his room, and hopefully it'll give him some familiarity and comfort when he starts daycare in the fall.

In which stress is just a state of mind

That is what I keep telling myself. I find it so easy to get stressed out, even when things are going wonderfully, somehow there's a way to find stress in the situation. A friend of mine recently shared a cartoon on facebook and I so identified with it:

via

I just found out yesterday that I got a position teaching summer school. This is a good thing; this is a great thing! This will be a good way for me to get back into teaching, to dip my toe in, so to speak, to have a trial of leaving Z with someone else before the big go-back-to-work move in September. Plus, this will be excellent for our finances, considering that my EI runs out at end of June.

So, why am I feeling anxious? Because, I haven't taught in an entire year. Because, I've never taught this course before (let's face it, that's always the case, so that's nothing new). Because, I've never had to leave Z before on a regular basis. Because, I'll have to figure out childcare for him, and I'm worried about someone else taking care of him... taking the same care of him that I feel like I'm an expert in now. Because, I only have a couple months left before I really return to work, before crazy, hectic life change begins, and I love him so much, and I cherish my time with him, and I NEVER WANT IT TO END!!!!!!

And yet, there are days when I wish I was working again, days when I feel I'd like that different challenge. I've been tutoring and I certainly enjoy teaching, it's something I feel is a true passion of mine. But, being a mommy is a true passion of mine as well.

In all of this, I am trying to shift my perspective, because, really, what is the problem? That I have a job? That I have a wonderful baby and a wonderful family that I love spending time with? All of these things are blessings. I'm trying to process this looming change in a way that doesn't disable me, in a way that allows me to savor the moments (like the morning walks I take with Z in the carrier, held close to my chest). I'm trying to allow myself to have the feelings, and to ride them for the natural things they are, the natural life changes. To see and acknowledge them as what makes life so precious... but, let's be honest, it's still shitty - the year is almost done!

A study in eating

Morning snack... fresh bread and jam

Mmmmm...

Sleep retrospect

Last night we lowered Z's crib. For you non-parents out there (or perhaps parents who didn't use a crib), a crib typically has two settings for the mattress, a higher setting and a lower setting. We've been pretty lucky, being able to keep it at the higher setting for so long, as the little man is now 10 months old. I should also say that he is a big baby boy, weighing in around 25lbs, and the same size as some 1-1.5 year olds. Needless to say, if the little guy were to pull himself up, the crib rails would only come to his waist at the higher setting, and we think it won't be too long before that happens, so it was time. It's a bit of a sad time for me though. I used to nuzzle him with kisses when I laid him down, as he nuzzled his blankie and bear getting his dozzie self ready for sleep. Now I can't reach that far down! *sad face* I think it seems like a whole new bed to him as well, being that much closer to the floor and having a slightly different view of his room. Oh little man, you're growing up!

All of this, and a trip down facebook memory lane (perhaps the one pro of FB's timeline) had me thinking about the past year and how much my sleep has changed. It's quite dramatic, having a little one, it instantly changes everything. But, before that fateful day when the baby enters this world, it's pretty common for the bursting pregnant momma to have troubles sleeping.

June 16, 2011: so tired... I think I've reached that lovely stage in pregnancy where a full night sleep just doesn't happen anymore

I would have been 7 months pregnant around that time, which is almost and entire year ago!That's right, an entire year of shit sleep... hahahahaha... it hasn't been all bad, actually I feel like my little guy has been a pretty good sleeper, and for those rough nights it has helped to have some perspective, maybe a little help, and a nap!

When my little guy came along in August, my sleep was completely redefined. Suddenly, two hours of sleep seemed like a good chunk, and four or more was absolute heaven! (well, maybe not heaven, but pretty amazing nonetheless). Babies don't begin to produce their own melatonin until 6 weeks, so it follows that night sleep doesn't start to organize until that time (therefore, to the baby, day and night are not that much different!). I remember during that first month, Z would always be awake around 3/4am for a good couple of hours. It was tough, but I always felt it was a blessing that it was the height of summer, so the night didn't really last that long. I used to say that my baby gave me the gift of a sunrise, because I never missed a single one during that time.

August 21, 2011: My baby doesn't like to miss a sunrise

Now, little one has dropped his last night feed (yay!), but is also getting up earlier (boo!) I guess because he's that much hungrier once the morning hours roll around. I'm not gonna lie, I'm looking forward to the day I actually get a continuous night of sleep again, and not an early morning wake up time. But, until that day comes (because I know that's still a ways away), I have my sweet little baby boy.

October 19, 2011: Feels blessed that after a rough night of "sleep" I have that cute smiling face to look at

Weekend Fun!

I had a great weekend. On Saturday I met up with a dear friend at the Journeys Victoria Quilter's Guild Show and Sale. It was absolute bliss to just walk around together, sans kids, and fawn over all the different fabrics and quilts. I should really save all my fabric purchasing for craft fairs and shows, the deals can be really good. Considering I still have fabric that I bought especially for Z, when I was still pregnant, waiting to be turned into a quilt, I was careful not to go overboard in my purchases. I ended up buying a panel of Halloween fabric from Satin Moon Quilt shop that will be perfect for turning into a trick-or-treat bag, and perhaps some decorative panels for the season. Z's first Halloween; I can hardly wait!

 
I also bought a jelly roll (I think that's what you call them) of Ten Little Things by Jenn Ski for Moda (from Hamels Fabric and Quilting). The colours are super cute, not too stereotypically boyish, and I think they would make the perfect bedspread for Zachary (or any other little kidlet that might be added to our family).

That was Saturday. On Sunday the weather was absolutely fantastic. Hubby and I decided to take advantage of it, and as soon as the little one went down for his morning nap, we were outside. Hubby washed the cars while I worked on planting tomato plants. We have this planter right below our living room window. Since our house faces South, the planter gets a TON of sunlight, but very little water as it's protected by the roof overhang. It's also gets protected somewhat from any late-spring frost. We're hoping the heat will help produce some great tomatoes, as long as we keep it well watered, and hopefully the dear aren't keen on coming that close to the house (I'm not banking on it).

As you can see, I need to get a couple more tomato cages. In other garden news, through the act of weeding our veggie garden, we discovered that we already had a crop of radishes for eating. Can I just say that there aren't a lot of recipes out there for radishes outside of the realm of salads? These grow great, not sure how the two of us are going to eat them all though!

By this point, little Z had woken up from his nap, and was outside with us, under the protection of a beach umbrella, watching mom and dad huff and puff in the sun!

 
Aside from that, my brother stopped by for a visit, and helped me plant two bushes/vines that I bought during the week. The top one is Star Jasmine. We planted it by the fence, and I'm really hoping that with minimal training, it'll take over the side of the fence (there's not much nice over there at the moment. The bottom image is a shrub called Golden-Leaved Mock Orange. All I know is, I like the bright green foliage, it's supposed to bloom in the summer, it can grow to 2m x 2m in size, and it only cost me $12.99 at the garden center. Score!

Anyone else get up to some fun over the weekend?

Do as I do

My little boy Z is in his seventh month now, and I've been offering him solids for about a month and a half. It has been very much trial and error. I truly feel as a parent, that although over all I am confident in my abilities to keep my child alive, well loved and well cared for, I am constantly teetering on the brink of I-have-absolutely-no-CLUE-what-I'm-doing!! I guess parenting is its own type of humility (boy, isn't that a load of perspective!)

Being the first month or so of solids, we've had out digestive issues. His initial favorites were rice cereal and bananas, which are both binders (I'll let you figure that one out). Now, he seems to enjoy mangos, which is great as they are in season. Ideally, I would like to offer him a variety of fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods, but I feel I am always confronted by indecision... what should I offer him next? I'm also the type of person who has my likes and tends to stick to them... not the best when you're trying to offer a variety.

via

I titled this blog "do as I do" because no matter what I seem to offer Z, he is always the most interested in what I am eating and what I am drinking. Take today, for instance. After a morning feed, I offered him barley cereal mixed with some prune yogurt and a little bit of water to thin it out. I ate my breakfast while offering him his food (that seems to work best). He ate some of it, but the whole time I could tell what he really wanted was my toast and my tea! Okay, I'll confess, I let him have some chasers of my tea! I can't resist that cute super-proud-of-himself look when he has a sip from an adult cup! For lunch, I had some roasted red pepper black bean soup. You can bet he was going crazy, making the motions like he wanted some. I decided to offer him some, and his reaction (which I've seen before in response to yogurt) was hilarious. He puckered his face, squinting one eye and his body gave a little shutter. Obviously the flavor was a surprise to him, but he kept wanting more!

I believe this is a form of Baby Led Weaning, though if I were a true purist, I think I would hand him the soup and a spoon and let him go to town. All I know is, if we're going to continue this way, I had better make sure I eat well all the time. I've got someone little watching me now.

A little bit of everything

I really do want to keep up with this blog... really, I do. There has been so much going on in my life that I have felt hesitant in throwing out into the blogisphere, but after a conversation with my brother, I think I need to stop being so hard on myself about having things just right, and be a little bit more casual with it all.

This week has been epic. The looming legislation that teachers thought was coming down the pipes, has indeed come down the pipes. It's bad, really bad, not just for teachers, but for students and education as a whole. I've read over it in detail, so I can specifically point out the bits that make major changes to public education; I can explain the whole thing in layman's terms, but I'm not going to bog down my blog with all of that... at least not yet ;) Here is a link to the legislation if anyone wants to take a gander. If you have any questions about it and you want a teacher's view, please feel free to drop me a comment, as I have no problem dialoguing (as many of my friends and family can attest... let's just say my facebook has been a hive of pro-teacher and pro-public education activity).

Teachers participating in a three day walk out this week, in response to the legislation. There was a rally on Tuesday that I attended with little Z strapped into the stroller. I wasn't sure how he would do with the big crowds and the shouting, but he actually fell asleep! My little activist :) The turnout was fantastic, and the weather couldn't have been better. Apparently, there were about 5000 who attended the march and rally, about 2000 of which were union members from other occupations showing their solidarity. It was so encouraging to have others standing with us, recognizing that this legislation is an assault to collective bargaining. The schools are now moving into spring break, which should be a nice break from all the political and job action drama.

On the home front, my little baby boy has been developing in leaps and bounds, and as a result has been keeping me up all hours of the night, fussing during the day and in the evenings when it's time to go to sleep. I should specify that by fussing, I actually mean full-blown air-raid crying. It has been a very trying week for me and I'm glad to see the end of it. Today is Saturday, and my wonderful husband is home, and nothing could make me happier than to have a helping hand. Most of the things that Z has been throwing my way are all natural and perfectly in tune with where he is developmentally (aka DON'T LEAVE ME MOMMY!!), but it's so much harder to handle when you haven't had a good night's sleep in days and are majorly sleep deprived!

On the knitting front, I really haven't been getting much done. I think that's probably a good thing as with my lack of sleep I'd probably be making a lot of mistakes! I have been plugging away on my dad's socks, and thinking about lovely things I could make for when the weather gets warmer. My knitting friends and I have been salivating over this beautiful pattern by Jane Richmond, a local Victoria-ite. I sense a KAL coming!

Oh, and I can't resist sharing this; it's in response to the asinine comments that Rush Limbaugh made on his show recently.

Actually sleeping... and other developments

It's interesting for me to come here and read my last post (which I had already completely forgotten - motherhood is good for that... completely forgetting about things as soon as they're out of your sight!). For the second night in a row, Z has slept through the night. I'm not talking about the textbook term of sleeping through the night (six hours of uninterrupted sleep), though that in itself is quite nice. No, for the past two nights, Z has had a final feeding around 10-11pm (a "dream feed") and then has not woken me until 8am the following morning.

Wow.

The first night, I still awoke like clockwork at 4am (our standard mid-night feeding time), used the bathroom, and paused outside his room, reaching with my ear to hear any sounds of hungry rousing. But, all I heard were contented little murmurings and so I went back to bed. The morning was not so comfortable, as I'm sure any moms who have breastfed can attest, but that seems more than a fair trade for an actual full night of sleep. Last night was even better; my body didn't wake me at 4am, and I wasn't nearly as uncomfortable in the morning. I'm hesitant to say that I could get used to this. Heck, I was even hesitant to post anything about this, for fear that I might upset some delicate balance in the universe that is allowing this to happen! But, I've given myself this pep-talk before, that it's nice to be overt about the positive and not just the negative. It's easy to send out stories of annoyances and trials into the public domain. Sometimes it feels necessary to solicit sympathy (and advice) just to help get yourself through the situation. But, it can be equally nice to send out reports of the positive as well... celebrate a little!

In other developments this week: we went swimming for the first time with the little guy, I bought an Ergo carrier (I no-longer feel like I'm carrying a 20lb sack of potatoes with my shoulders - thank the LORD!), and we started solids this week (quite possibly the reason for the recent sleeping-through-the-night development!). Also, I bought a skein of yarn... GASP! Without a specific project in mind... double GASP!! It's very difficult to hold out on buying local artisan yarn when the artisan actually attends your local knitting group! Here's a picture of the lovely fibre specimen from said artisan's blog,

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Beautiful yarn, no? I bought one skein and it's even more gorgeous in person! There's only one more set of props (and a linky-link) that I'd like to give. I bought my Ergo through Funky Tricycle which is a great local online business that posts one "groovy deal a week, for moms, dads, and kiddies." Including the Ergo, I have bought two items from them now, the other being a great Ju-Ju-Be convertible backpack diaper bag. Their prices are typically 40-60% off retail, and because they're local to Victoria there's no shipping if you are okay with picking it up! The business is run by two sisters. I've gotten to meet both these lovely ladies and they are super nice.

This article was originally posted on http://ayeartoexpand.blogspot.com/ Any reproduction on any other site is prohibited and a violation of copyright laws.

Sleep, Baby, Sleep

I seem to have been remiss on keeping up with my blog, not that I really had any expectations of myself in terms of how often I planned to post (life is just less stressful that way!). Actually, I thought I'd write up a post about babies and sleep, because Z's naps have been a little crazy lately. I have done a LOT of reading on baby sleep. I think the feeling is mutual among mothers when I say that I am highly motivated when it comes to doing what I can to help my little one sleep well. Babies develop so much during that first year of life, and sleeping is when so much of that growth (mental and physical) occurs. Of course, my sleep is tied to his sleep, so that's part of the motivation as well!

With all the reading I’ve done, I thought would share some of my favorite sources. Most of the books I’ve read and advice I’ve received were from friends who have recently had babies, and really, nothing beats the large pool of resources and information that comes from a network of equally motivated mummies! So here goes…

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child

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I really feel this is the best resource EVER for parents with children of any age looking to improve their child’s sleep. The author is both a pediatrician and a sleep researcher. The language direct and to the point, which some parents might find off-putting, but I find refreshing. The book is a mix between explanation of sleep stages and information based on the results of research, case studies, and troubleshooting for common sleep problems. I like this book so much, I would actually consider including it in future baby shower gifts. I really agree with Dr Weissbluth’s emphasis on the importance of helping your child establish healthy sleep habits. This review really embodies why I love this book.

The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems

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First off, I find this title a bit presumptuous, even IF the author has found mass success with her methods. Regardless, I have found that some of her methods have worked for me (some with immediate results!). This book is also nice in that the author covers not only sleep, but also temperament, feeding, and potty training.

Last, and certainly least, The Happiest Baby on the Block

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I seriously don’t know how this is the empire that it appears to be. I swear the contents of this book could be adequately contained in a brochure, which was actually a plus when I read it in a sleepless-haze, madly searching for any way to help settle my baby in our first month home from the hospital. I certainly would not suggest this book for long term advice on helping your baby sleep, but I did find the author’s five S’s to be immensely helpful in settling my little one to actual SLEEP during those first few weeks. I won’t list them here, as I don’t want to infringe on any copyright protection that might exist. If interested, you should be able to find the relevant information on the author’s site here (though the book was a nice easy read).

Beyond books, I have also found many websites helpful, including (but not limited to) http://www.babysleepsite.com/.

I guess I thought about writing this post because we were talking about babies and sleep at knitting last night, and one thing I said to a friend of mine is something that really rings true for me when it comes to raising our little Z:

If you want things to be a certain way, try to move them towards that

because they may not get there on their own.

I know this may sound a little cryptic (and definitely not eloquent). I think a good example is when Z was still very young (we’re talking a month or two old), he would only fall asleep on a person (myself or my husband usually) and then would have to be moved carefully into his crib. I remember saying to my husband that one day I would love to put Z down awake in his crib and walk away and have him fall asleep on his own. I mean, how great would it be for him to learn how to help himself fall asleep! My husband literally laughed at me and said he thought it was a pipe dream. Well, for a good few months now (and Z is just shy of 6 months old), I have been putting him down awake and he falls asleep on his own! It took some reading, and a number of steps to get there, but we got there!

I think the other piece of advice I would give is, take everything with a grain of salt, and (as my mother often tells me, and I in turn tell her) don’t forget to give yourself some grace.

This article was originally posted on http://ayeartoexpand.blogspot.com/ Any reproduction on any other site is prohibited and a violation of copyright laws.

Mommyhood Monday

I love these chubby little arms!

This article was originally posted on http://ayeartoexpand.blogspot.com/ Any reproduction on any other site is prohibited and a violation of copyright laws.

That's how we roll

Well, it's been a looooong week. If you haven't gathered already, I have a little baby boy, just shy of 5 months old. We enjoyed a nice Christmas break with my husband home from work. All the momma's out there holla if you know what I mean when I say it is nice to have another adult body around when you're a SAHM! Even just to be able to put the little guy in the office with my hubby while I run errands (or write up a blog post) is quite nice, especially when I get to hear my little one make sounds and my hubby make them back to him. Warms my heart to hear my two favorite men "conversing"!

For many, this week was the first back to work, or back to school for the kiddies, and in our home it was no different. Hubby was back to his grueling construction job, and I was back to flying it solo with little Z. And what a week it was! Monday I got peed on, Tuesday I got pooped on, Wednesday I got peed on again, and Thursday I got epically spit up on while were we out no less :P Such are the trials and tribulations of motherhood, but I literally felt like I was being inaugurated all over again! To top it all off, little one's sleeping habits have been majorly shifting this week. We currently swaddle him, but he seems to be transitioning to not wanting to be swaddled... except, when he's not swaddled he still attacks himself with his arms or pulls out his pacifier and then gets upset about it. After two nights of really broken up sleep, things were finally a bit better last night. And, something else happened...

He ROLLED!!!

That's right people, we have rolling! It seems all it took was the perfect combination of arm tucked under and head cranking around. Hubby and I were kicking ourselves at the obviousness of the physics of it all - that is a HUGE head after all. It makes sense that where ever it goes, the body will follow! So far we only have rolling from front to back, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before the back to front happens as well. Then, I will be in major trouble. Let's just say that phase 1 of baby-proofing is in the works!

This article was originally posted on http://ayeartoexpand.blogspot.com/ Any reproduction on any other site is prohibited and a violation of copyright laws.