Santa Claus is coming to Town...

With Christmas fast approaching (...holy shit!  2 weeks?  you'd think being on mat leave, I'd have a better handle on all this by now), the kids have been gearing up for the "big guy"'s arrival for some time.  Rowan is still a little timid when it comes to the man in red, but he's eagerly awaiting the arrival of Christmas Presents, and he's belting out carols at the top of his lungs on an hourly basis.  I'm thinking he "gets it". 

So far, Santa has come to Oma's work, and we got to sit and have cookies with him in Marmora, then came the Uxbridge parade (Rowan's favourite floats were the 2 train floats and the Cat in the Hat float...go figure), and then last weekend, he visited Santa at Sweet World Media, here in town.  Local photographer, Deborah De Ville (check out her work!  http://www.deborahdeville.ca/ ), did all the pics, with proceeds going to the Bonner Boys Splash Pad fund.  Here's the shots:

Rowan and Miss G just checkin' out the big guy, and not entirely sure yet...

Rowan warming up (probably 'cause he was positioned a "safer distance" away, and could tell him all about the engines he was hoping for...from afar)

Super-cute shot of Miss G and the Man in Red...

Let the festivites begin! 

...and she's moving out!

Proud Mom moment #2,789...

Miss G is in one of those rapid development phases, where she's meeting milestones all over:

November 23- Proud big brother taught her how to "clap" (sweet!  no true clapping sounds, but the hand movements are precious!)

November 28- First word: "MaMa", which has quickly turned to "MumMumMumMumMum" (this could be directed as me, or the preferred baby rice stick treat- I'm sticking with the latter)

December 3- First tooth (finally) broke through!

December 4- has mastered sit-drop to all 4s- rock like crazy- shuffle a few inches- resume sit- and reach for item that she desperately wants to grab. 

We are certain she'll start crawling the day after we erect the Christmas tree.  And we'll be the family with our decorations on the top 1/3, and the baby safety gate around the bottom!

Famous First Words...

November 27th, 2011...Miss G's first words: "Ma Ma".  Today, it was a progression to "Mum.  Mum.  Mum.  Mum.  Mum."

I must admit, I am a little floored.  With the way that babe worships her Daddy, I was pretty sure it was going to be him!  She can say my name first, but she still lights up a room any time her Daddy walks near her...

baby carrying...

I'm holding on as long as I can...

I've had an emotional attachment with the Bjorn baby carrier since Rowan was born.  I.  LOVE.  IT.  Perhaps its the fact that I can inhale "baby smell" for the entire duration that I carry them infront of me, or perhaps it is the closeness they are to me...I'm not sure exactly, but it is the best damn baby invention ever.  Hands-down. 

I love that all their limbs are free, and both Rowan and Georgia are well known for kicking their feet and flailing their arms like crazy whenever they see something that stimulates them.  And I love that they can actually see- from the vantage point of an adult, they can take in the world around them much better than always sitting/laying in a stroller or car seat.  I'm a big proponent of "wearing" them in the grocery store, or mall (sometimes a little inconvenient if I want to try something on)- its easy, its safe, and they are the best darn accessory I've ever owned. 

I held out with the Bjorn until Rowan was 10 months (and about 19 lbs).  With Baby G at a healthy 20lbs at 6 1/2 months, I'm afraid my spine has requested I retire the use of it long before the 10-month mark.  We've already started the transition to the MEC backpack- still convenient, still a great option for forest walks, neighbourhood strolls, and to keep my hands free to help Rowan on his bike- but not quite the view that the Bjorn affords.  And I'm afraid I'd get a couple funny looks if I decided to sport the backpack in the grocery store.   I'll keep sneaking her into the Bjorn for the next little while at least...or at least until I can still fasten up the carrier with her winter clothes on!

Dear Rowan's Nap,

Where have you gone?

Day 5, and still no sign of you?  I'm not ready to give you up.  There are bathrooms to paint, an entire kitchen to remodel, and fall clean-up to be done in the yard...all during those coveted 2 hours I can steal in the afternoon. 

Please come home- I need you.

Halloween

I think I've decided I love this holiday (finally). 

We've never really been big "Hallowe'eners"...but this year, we planned out the kids costumes before Miss G was even here.  And so came Thing 1 and Thing 2...finally...and because we could.  We had some lofty sights of doing an entire family theme, however, lofty sights, a few busy weeks, and the typical crazy life of 2 young kids, did not equal completed (or started?) adult costumes!  Nonetheless, Glen found some makings for the Cat in the Hat, and off they went along the street: The Cat, and his two side kicks: Thing 1 and Thing 2!

That's some serious cuteness kicking...all 3 of them! 
There was a full family effort put toward our 2 pumpkins...

Miss G trying to EAT the pumpkin (c'mon- you don't get cheeks like that without trying!)

Rowan scoping Daddy's pumpkin for 'guts'

 (and if I only knew how to rotate these pics the right way on this program...)

Thomas the Tank Engine (Mommy's creation) and Lightning McQueen (Daddy's artistic pumpkin work) were born!

Finished products out on the porch in time for the Trick or Treaters... 

Rowan managed to Trick or Treat the entire court- a pretty darn good feat for a 2-year old!  Miss G was along for the ride in the Bjorn, but exhausted when they returned home at 7pm and hit the hay while her big brother stayed up until 9pm doleing out candy to all the trick or treaters. 

Rowan woke up this morning asking if it was "Trick or Treat Time".  Um, nope Rowan...not for awhile.

solid foods

G has been trying solid food for almost 2 months now...  And by "trying", I do mean trying.  It took her 5 weeks before she actually swallowed any baby cereal (well, who could blame her?  I'm pretty certain its not exactly tasty).  When she finally started actually consuming cereal, we moved to veggies and fruits.  It took another 2-3 weeks to stop putting on a sour face every time we tried squash, sweet potato, applesauce, bananas...you name it, she hated it for the first 5-6 tries. 

And then came today.

Green beans.  Pureed.  Squishy disguisting looking green sludge. 

And she inhaled it.  Every last bite.

Fall Farm Fun

Warm fall days, sun shining, not a cloud in the sky- what better times to visit our local farm to scavenge for our Halloween pumpkins, have some fun on the farm-made activites, and milk a plastic cow (?  yup- I did say milk a plastic cow.  Nice of the folks from Dairy Farmers of Ontario to be present teaching kids where milk comes from- no, Rowan, milk doesn't come from our fridge)

Looking down from atop the Combine!

Yup- that's our son milking a plastic cow.  And he loved every freakin' minute of it.  Even went back for "seconds"

stinkin' cute!

The things I swore I'd never do...

I think this whole parenting journey started off with great intentions...having carefully observed those friends and family who ventured into parenthood prior to Glen & I, we very artfully crafted our list of parenting do's and do-not's, and stuck by it religiously.  We weren't going to be one of those parents that bring their kid into bed with them at night, "that family" at the restaurant with the crazed-kid-gone-wild getting up and down from the table and running around like a wild banshee was definitely not going to be our kids.  We vowed we'd never, ever cut the crust off bread, peel the "green stuff" off a cucumber, or splash chocolate milk into the white stuff to encourage them to drink it.  Our kids were going to stay away from processed foods, I was going to cook every night, and frankly, there would be no candy in our house until they went to high school.  Oh yeah, and my son was going to be potty trained by 2...no problem, right?   Wrong.  And most of all, I wasn't ever going to have to ask my kids more than once to do something...they'd just do it- right away- and then get back to their play task at hand. 

Wow.  Was I ever naieve.

Lately, I've really been feeling like I'm not even in the running for the "Mom of the Year" award.  In the past week alone, I have (almost) singlehandedly violated all of my things-I-swore-I'd-never-do...KD for Rowan's dinner one night, upped the ante for R's potty training treats by using gummy worms and large gummy bears (likely 3 x's the sugar of the jujubes we've been using up until now), lost sight on our new redirection focus for behaviour issues and reverted right back to time-outs and the futile counting 'till 3.  Aish.  The list goes on...  Rowan had his first night wake-up in months, and it sure was a doozy.  11:25pm-3am (I had likely falled asleep at about 11:10- the 15 minute cat-nap did nothing to encourage compassion in this situation), so after an hour of him clearly not going back to sleep, I broke down and brought him into our bed.  And then after an hour of telling him to stop moving, stop talking, stop everything, I took a screaming toddler back to his room so we could try again from there.  I probably cut the crusts off his bread on 2...make that 3 occasions this past week.  I think I used cold cut ham rolls for his protein for dinner at least 1 night (and chicken fingers on another).  And broke down on both visits to WalMart to buy him a toy, despite the fact we are working very hard to make him realize that he doesn't get something every time we walk into a store.  I lost my cool on way too many occasions, and pretty much felt like I'd failed the Mom test every day this past week.

Today was redemption day- at least part of it, anyway.  Homemade Sunday breakfast: eggs, toast and pineapple.  A morning of fresh air and fun at a local farm to enjoy the activities and pick out our Halloween pumpkins.  Hot lunch and much-needed nap in the afternoon, followed by a family adventure in the Quaker fields, slow-cooker sirlion and roasted potatoes, yams and carrots for dinner.  Bath, books and bed...this week could be a total turn-around.

Its hard to stick by your laurels as a parent.  We made a conscious choice when Rowan was born that we were going to be a "no-tv" household, and despite the fact that it has been difficult, we've pretty much stuck by it.  Its probably worked so well because we do not have a television on our main floor in our house...its not present, and its certainly not convenient. TV is a treat around here, and it works as a reward for good behaviour.  Rowan's screen time is about 30 minutes per week- which we are quite proud to continue to maintain, but certainly know its not going to last forever.  It just means we have to have other "busy" things available for him to focus on, he engages in pure play on, perhaps, a more regular basis, he loves to colour, craft, do playdoh, read books, race cars and build track and big-long-trains.  The fact that we have been able to stick by our little use of the TV in Rowan's life makes me reflect on things-gone-wrong last week, and realize that I just need to have better focus, more patience, less personal stress, and the energy to ensure we can get back to the way I had dreamed of raising my kids.  And in the mean time, a little KD isn't going to hurt anyone.

Aspiring Foodie...

I'm not much for recipies- I tend to "create" in the kichen, rather than cook, so if someone asks me after-the-fact how I made something, its a rare occasion that I can actually recount the ingredients and/or process as to how I concocted the dish. 

Thus said, there is nothing like warm heaven in a big bowl of Butternut Squash Soup on a cool fall day.  If you're looking for a meal that is chock-full of veggies (and has received the kid seal of approval from Rowan!), look no further...

Butternut Squash Soup
1 large butternut squash
2 medium carrots
1 large sweet potato
2 stalks celery
1 large vidalia onion
1 tbsp butter
chicken/vegetable stock

Melt butter in a saucepan and add chopped onion and celery- saute for ~5 mins, or until soft.  Add chopped butternut squash, carrots and sweet potato, and use enough stock until you have just covered the vegetables (usually about 16-20 oz).

Let boil and simmer for 40mins-1 hour, or until a fork inserted into the squash suggests that it is fully cooked. 

Transfer to a blender and puree.

Return to a soup pot and warm on stove.  Add salt/pepper to taste.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream in the centre (don't skimp- best enjoyed with the full-fat kind...really...you're only eating a tablespoon anyway!)

Enjoy!

We're back!

We're back from vaycay, and when I find a few minutes in the mountain of laundry, grocery shopping, kid entertaining, and other post-vacation necessities, I'll upload some pics and recap the events.  Highlight: Rowan's declaration to the Customs officer, as we crossed the boarder into Canada: "I'm watching Misty Island!".  Yeah, like he cared.  Then again, at 9pm at night, it put a smile on everyone's face!

just happenings...

Woke at 5:45am this morning- my first day back in the gym for a 1-hour circuit training workout.  Felt great, considering I haven't done any resistance training since pre-pregnancy with Georgia.  Came upstairs after my workout, sweaty and disguisting, and certain that this pre-dawn sweatfest + one hot shower was sure to = a great start to the day. 

Here's what ensued in the first 70 minutes of the kids' wake-up...

1. Hot shower was taken + 1 kid (its actually becoming a treat to shower alone lately...)

2. Miss G blew through another diaper with her explosive bowel movements, leaking out through her pj's and all over the exersaucer.  Left Rowan eating his breakfast (mistake!) to run upstairs to "hose" her off in the tub.  Turns out, we washed Gryph in the tub last week, so the drain was clogged with dog hair, and did not drain, leaving poo floaties in the water.  Ick.

3. Returned downstairs with a clean Miss G, to find Shreddies and milk all over the kitchen, and Rowan trying to clean up the mess with a towel.  "Look Mommy- I'm helping you!".  M: "What happened, Rowan?"  R: "I was flinging Shreddies to Gryphy and my bowl dumped everywhere".  Argh.

4. Opened the laundry tub to run Georgia's poo-y clothes through a hot cycle, and was hit with the worst smell ever when I opened the front-load washer door.  (preface: our front-load washer door is always left open, otherwise it tends to smell musty and aweful when we open it the next time).  With closer investigation, it appeared that there was black mold  all over the inside of the rubber gaskets in the machine.  So, the next clean-up to be addressed...sat Rowan at the table to colour, and Miss G to play on the floor, and attacked the disguisting mess of the laundry machine.  I'm almost vomitting just re-thinking about it...

5. By 8:30am, I had enlisted Rowan's help to vaccum and wash the floors where his cereal had dumped, only to regret the "help", as he regularly forgets to ring the mop before slopping it (and a litre of water each time) all over the hardwood. 

Aiesh. 

Today's going to be a Good Day

...not that today was a bad day, but there were elements of it that provided some ill-news.  A friend's son was bullied to the point of concussion at school yesterday, and they have been sharing some of the less-than-optimal ramification of that day.  My brother's son has had some bruises on his back, that have yet to be confirmed if they are a result of bullying at school or daycare, and my Uncle is headed into the OR tomorrow at Trillium for cardiac bypass surgery. 

When I'm feeling like I need a pick-me-up, the is definitely it...

Our Centurion

Who couldn't have asked for a better day- fantastic weather (brisk morning at 5 degrees, but by midday: 18 degrees and sunny skies), amazing race course, and the love of my life at my side.  We haven't had this much fun since we made an impromptu escape to the Tour de Georgia to catch Lance on his bike! 

After a full summer of training- 5am wake-ups (no matter how many times Miss G decided to wake up for night feedings), and long Friday morning rides (thanks to Glen for a flexible work schedule to allow him to take the kiddie reigns while I toured the backroads of York and Durham Region)- it all came to culmination in Collingwood this weekend for the Centurion.  It was challenging, exhilerating, fast, and the miles seemed to tick by (well, with the exception of the 2 super-tough parts: the steep climb out of Creemore and the combined headwind and climb up to Ravenna in the back 10-miles of the ride). 

I am so grateful Glen decided to join me for the experience.  I needed him for those last few hills, and there was nothing quite like crossing the finish line together, and having our kids there to celebrate at the finish!

My defining moment post-race was in the first 10 minutes after my finish: changing Georgia's diaper and reading Rowan a story.  Like I no sooner took off my helmet and my Mom-job was back in action...

big kid school con't...

Yup, I thought that would have lasted longer...

He came home from big kid school on Tuesday very excited about his day, and very tired.  No nap for this kid (who can blame him?  how weird would it be to go from sleeping in a bedroom in homecare and at home to sleeping in a big room full of cots n' kids???), and an exciting and action-packed day made for an early night to bed.  He had a blast, though.  A little weepy when other kids were getting picked up by their parents, and his were not there yet, but manageable with snuggles from Lola.  It was a success, and he was saying he was eager to go back on Thursday.

Well, its Thursday, and this morning was full-blown tantrums before we even got through the gate at PRYDE.  Eek.  Carried through the gate and playground, into the classroom, and more tears, more screams and more. more. more.  I violated the "quick dropoff" rule of parenting, and stuck around for 10nminutes, hoping beyond hope it would get better.  It didn't.  Even when his buddy Thomas came in, happy as can be, he didn't go along into the playroom with him.  Miss Deanna had to pull him screaming from my arms...and me, the shattered mom, passed my own tears as I left this morning.  Here's to a cheerier pick-up...

1st day of School

We've been talking about it for weeks..."Rowan, after the summer, you're going to big kid school".  Wow- that flew by quickly. 

The whole family walked him to PRYDE school this morning, and he couldn't have been more excited...

...can't wait to pick him up to hear all about it!

Sunday in Pictures

Today was one of those "stolen" weather days.  Beyond Labour Day, we don't usually get beautiful, warm sunny days like today...and especially not on the weekend!  Today was truly a gift.  Here's to a few more before the snow falls...

turning over a new leaf...

I think Fall is more about "new beginnings" than the springtime is...

I've realized lately that I do a whole lot more yelling/disciplining/stern-talking-to, than i do just getting down on the ground and playing with Rowan.  That's gotta change.  We visited Rowan's new "school" (PRYDE Daycare Centre, Uxbridge), which he starts on Tuesday, and their form of discipline is redirection.  Redirection.  I've read it before, but never really put it to good use, but it does make total sense.  Take them out of the situation that is clearly not working for them (or me), and give them something else to occupy their attention.  I can almost see this approach really working for Rowan, and not exactly sure why I hadn't employed this previously...    Not to mention, I'm getting a little rusty on my creative train track building, so clearly I haven't spent as much time on the floor in the playroom lately.

Another new beginning is a renewed focus on me.  Selfish, I know, but I've realized that if I'm unhappy, then everyone is unhappy.  My patience grows short, my attention is diverted, and my complaint meter/nit-picking rockets sky high (Glen would never say this, but I totally know it is true).  So- focus Corrie.  I need to recommit to a regular fitness routine.  Not just cycling (I'm currently logging 100+miles per week), but a real, ass-kicking, sweat-inducing, hurts to haul my sorry butt up the stairs- type of workouts.  I have a whole wardrobe worth of pre-preggo clothes that it would be really great to fit back into...  Here goes...

And on other new beginnings fronts...Glen has just made a big move from Re/Max Omega (Newmarket) to Re/Max All-Stars (Uxbridge) brokerages.  A long time coming (99% of his business has been in the UX since he started his real estate career almost 2 years ago), and definitely a good choice.  He's got a bunch of new projects on the go, and I'm super-excited for him!  He can still be found at http://www.glenbuchanan.ca/ (check it out!).

As for Miss G- she's rockin' and rolling- literally.  She made her first big move into the mobility world today: successfully rolled from her back to her front.  And had the BIGGEST smile on her face to prove it.  Wish I had my camera in my hands for that one...

realization...

Centurion- Collingwood 2011

Countdown: 10 days.

Holy.  Shit.

So wish I was in the shape I was when we climbed the mountains in Georgia...okay, so that was almost 7 years ago- pre-kids, pre-accident, pre-crazy-job, but a girl can dream, can't she?

...but somehow, Glen still looks the same (lucky)! 

That was one of the last most memorable times we had on a bike together.  Sure, there were other rides since then, but nothing as epic as the Tour de Georgia. 

Glen officially decided today he's going to join me on the 100-miler Centurion.  Holy eff for both of us, but at least we'll be suffering together!  (and we'll also be securing a good 6-hour road ride to catch up, chat, and plan the next exciting parts of our life!).  I love you, Glen.  Thanks so much for being by my side on this one!

more things never to forget...

4. Rowan: "Georgia, I can't teach you things right now.  I'm busy.  I'm busy playin' trains."

5. The washing machine is a wonderful thing.  Given that Miss G blows through her diapers about 3 times a day (The #2 is not a good friend in this house!), ours has been getting quite the workout lately.  Any suggestions for poo-proof diaper options (we've tried pampers, huggies, kirkland, all in same size and above-size options with NO LUCK), please pass them along...

6. Cow.  Rowan's pet Cow is his new bestie.  He wants to take it everywhere!  I'll have to catch a picture of him towing it around the block!  So far, it has made frequent trips around Quaker Village, an outing to Zehrs and another to Vince's Market, and its a "must" packed item each time we go to the condo.  We couldn't possibly go for a walk to the waterside to see the boats without Cow.  I'm also quickly learning that Cow is a better eye-catcher than a baby in stroller.  Pre-cow, we got nothing but oohs and ahhs about Miss G, however, since Cow has become a regular accompanyment on our outings, the coos are all for him.  Hmpf. 

Picasso in the making...

One off for Mommy's Brag Book... Mommy, Daddy and Rowan were colouring today, and here's the result of our final creation (guess who coloured the tires...quote Glen: "They're a little feminine"), but Rowan honed the blue marker, and much to our surprise, worked diligently (tongue stuck out and all) to colour in all of Guido- and stayed reasonably between the lines!  Not too shabby for a 2 1/2 year old.  He even took a few brakes, claiming "all this Guido colouring is making me tired, Mommy". 

time goes by like wildfire...

i need to start writing things down.

there are about 20 thing a week that i want to sit down and write about, but it seems like the time never comes.  in truth, the time could come, but i have regularly chosen and early night of sleep as opposed to burning the midnight oil infront of the laptop screen.  nonetheless...perhaps things will get easier in 2 weeks once i've completed my post-Georgia goal of my 100 mile bike race.  not a race for me per se- more a personal goal to get myself training this past summer, back in some sort of (cardiovascular) shape, and another tick off the bucket list until i set another goal.

....

today was one of those perfect sundays.  not perfect as in weather-perfect (it did rain much of the day), but perfect as in family activities.  everyone woke around 7:10am, slowly ventured downstairs for breakfast (we ran out of rowan's freezer collection of my homemade pancakes a week or two ago, so i stole the first hour of the day to make a double batch so i could stock up the freezer again for the coming week), then spent another hour or so just hanging out, doing airplanes on the bed, and teaching rowan how to perfect his back "massage" for mommy and daddy (which currently consists of pressing into our backs 3 or 4 times with the palm of his hand, and then lying on us and rolling back and forth- whatever!  any pressure feels good these days!).   then, we decided to venture out to the farmer's market and bulk barn (for candy for the ever-tedious task of toilet training).  there is nothing quite like tooting around town on our mountain bikes, kiddies nice and cozy in the chariot trailer, and just enjoying our own little heaven for a few hours.  yes, we got rained on (in truth- it poured!), but better than sitting indoors and staring outside at the sheets of rain.  returned home and feasted on some of the farmer's market vegetable bounty we got for lunch, family naps all around, and then swimming (in the rain), bbq dinner, and an evening indulgence ahead for glen & i- a yoga video in the basement, likely followed by a few episodes of Big Bang Theory.  Ah, sunday- love you- sunday.

Miss G

3 months and counting...

Wow, has that gone by fast!  For a 3-month old, you've had quite the ride this past 1/4 year of your life thus far!  At 4 weeks, you made a stellar passenger on our 16-hour road trip to Cape Hatteras for your first beach vacation

You had your first dip in the ocean, and your first dip in a pool (quite possibly all in one day), and enjoyed catching up on some R&R in the fresh ocean air. 

Since returning home, you've had some great playdates with your BFF, Zoe

You've had a both Mother's Day in Collingwood, followed by a week vaycay in Cwood in later June, photoshoots with mom, a photoshoot with a local photographer who is looking to beef up her portfolio (Thanks Lindsay!)

After just coming home from meeting your new cuz, Baby Brooklyn and new playmate and friend, Baby Ziggy Walsh in Ottawa, we're looking at turning around after the laundry is done to head to the cottage next weekend, and your first camping trip the 2nd week of August (gulp!  camping with 2 babes?  what. were. we. thinking???). 

If you are easy-going and relaxed as you have been the past 3 months, I'm sure the cottage and camping will roll through without an issue.  (Yay!).  Update to follow...

Potty-isms

We've been working on Rowan's potty training for what seems like forever...perhaps started a little bit before he was "ready", but selfishly, I was ready, and sick of changing 2 babes' diapers.  We've read and solicited advice from previous potty-training experienced individuals, and have tried a gammet of bribe techniques to get him to GO.  Through this process, we've learned that our son has knowledge beyond his means, and seems to have out-sold his 2 salesperson parents.  Stickers, chocolate, special treats, and all the "norm" items of bribery haven't brought success on the potty.  It was the big ticket items...a new Thomas engine, a trip to see the new Cars 2 movie, Mack (from Cars 2)...you name it.  BUT- we're getting there!  Expensive, but I figure the trade-off in diaper purchases for the next 6 months is well worth it. 

In this process, Rowan has decided that he needs things to watch and cheer him on when he's going potty.  Creepy!  ...but again, it works:

I think he's created a new form of voyeurism, and I'm wondering at what point the "stage fright" is going to kick in.  In the mean time, we've realized that he's learned how to "hold it" for his #1s, as it takes about 10 minutes to set up all his "guys' to watch him go pee-pee". 

Nutty behaviour aside, we're darn proud he's well on his way to permanent (and clean) big boy underroos. 

Things I definitely don't want to forget as my babies grow older...

It's amazing how quickly these wee gaffers grow up.  Rowan is 2 1/2 going on 10, and Georgia, although just approaching her 3-month birthday, seems to be more alert and more muscularly developed than I remember Rowan at her age.  As they grow, I can't imagine not being able to remember some of their greatest one-liners or nuances...

• Rowan has been learning his prepositions of late.  In fact, for the past 6 months (or longer), he's referred to himself in the 3rd person, which is initially a little odd, but the cute-factor far surpasses the oddity.  For the past couple weeks, he has been dropping "I" and "me" into his sentences- sometimes used appropriately, but often slightly off-base:  "Mommy, can you build a big-long-train whif I???"
• Georgia has the "kicking leg" baby trait that I'd forgotten about with Rowan, and is so rewarding as a parent to demonstrate her excitement and happiness.  You know...that uncontrollable kick up and down, up and down with pointed toe, a massive smile glued to her face, and excitement all over the place.  LOVE IT!
• Miss G was born with her 2 bottom teeth, although not poken through, they were just on the surface at birth.  Welcome to teething at 2 1/2 months.  She's taking it quite well, and for the most part, is the same happy-go-lucky babe, but the poor girl doesn't yet have the hand/eye coordination to bring a teether to her mouth for relief.

I'm sure there are more, but thats all I have for tonight.  More tomorrow.

Hiatus adjurned.

Wow.

Pathetic is...starting a blog and making only 5 entries before taking a hiatus of 2 months.  That time went by fast!  I guess, in a blog that is supposed to be a reflection of the lives of my 2 kids, this means I've been too busy at my Mom-job to update on this site.  Let's go with that...

Here's to trying this (again)...

MOTHER'S DAY 2011

Mother's Day was super-special this year; with 2 little ones under my wing (Georgia freshly "out of the oven"), we were really just looking for a little R&R to celebrate.  What better place than one of my favourites- Collingwood, here we come!  Funny enough, we've owned our vaycay property for almost 2 years, and this was the first time we got to enjoy it ourselves!  Here's a pic of our dinner out at the Village at Blue.

Rowan also honed his gardening and crafting skills at daycare with a super-special gift for mommy:

I'll have to figure out how to turn this photo, but the daffodils are actually Rowan's hand cut-outs, with Happy-Mother's-Day-Love-Rowan written on each.  Without a doubt, our daycare provider rocks with this take-home gift!



Things I've learned...

1. Much to the debated relevance and effectiveness from a number of other women I know...NO- CABBAGE LEAVES DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP DRY UP THE BREASTMILK OF A NON-NURSING MOTHER.  Do they offer relief?  Yes- for a short time, while they are still cool from having just removed them from the fridge.  Do they have some magic naturopathic properties that work wonders in decreasing the engorgement from one's breasts?  Absolutely not.  I'll never look at cabbage rolls the same way again!

2. Recovery from one's delivery is much easier without tears.  Hands-down.

3. Everyone should have a 2nd birthing experience- and it would be nice if it happened the first time around.  Seriously.  Once that highway has been paved of a babe outta a woman's bajingo, its like the subsequent deliveries are a piece of cake.  No comparison!

4.  Sleep is a wonderful thing.  I'll update when I start getting some again...

5. Nothing bounces back post-natal, not even my 80-year old pregger-induced vericose right leg.  It is getting better, but by now, I was back to legs I was happy to wear shorts in, after Rowan.  At this rate, I'll either be visiting my vascular surgeon customers for some cosmetic work, or I'll be removing all shorts and capris from my wardrobe for an indefinite amount of time!

6. Stretch marks suck.

7. People don't talk enough about "down there" issues post-natal.  No one tells you that hemorrhoids are common after delivery.  No one tells you about leakage.  No one tell you that you will consciously have to tighten your bajingo for the next 5 years every time you sneeze to avoid having to change your pants and underwear!  I'm wondering if Depends are going to come out with some sort of sexy, lacy version soon to market to younger, post-natal women. 

8.  The "natural methods" of inducing labour don't really work.  Believe me- I tried them all.  Spicy food?  nope.  Copious amounts of pineapple?  nope.  Grapefruit?  nope.  Chinese- no.  Walking- nope.  (we did the zoo, long walks with Gryph, many trips to the park...you name it, anything to stay vertical to try to get gravity to do its' work!).  Bumpy road trips- definitely not.  I may put a little interest in the "what got you there in the first place might get that baby outta there" theory, but then again- coincidence is possible!

BIG BROTHER

Rowan has surprised us with his acceptance and love for his new baby sister from the beginning.  He arrived at the hospital, peeking into the room where Georgia and I were staying- timid, unsure and curious (I learned later that Glen had told him that they were going to a place where they would see Mommy, and that Rowan would get the biggest surprise EVER).  He clambored on my lap, where we introduced him to his new baby sister, Georgia.  He was excited and engaged- wanted to see her, hold her, cuddle and kiss her...and we were thrilled.