Come support the Children's Hospital!

Today's post is to let you all know about a fantastic event happening this weekend in Port Coquitlam. Some friends are putting on a humongous garage sale with all proceeds going to the Children's Hospital. I have seen the stuff coming in and there is something for everyone! There will be also refreshments for sale, because it's going to be warm one.

The garage sale runs 9:00a.m. until 2:00p.m. and early birds will be charged double! The address is 3345 Flint Street, Port Coquitlam. For those of you familiar with PoCo, it is across the street from Kwayquitlam Middle School.

"My mom bought this at a swap meet and look at how happy it makes me! Come spend your dineros - it's for the kids people!"

Social norms

Today and tonight I had discussions with my daughter about what is socially acceptable. For example: it is not socially acceptable to scream in someone else's car. It is socially acceptable to stare at people in Costco as long as they don't catch you staring. It is not socially acceptable to pull the LAN cord out of the modem for your own enjoyment, especially at other people's houses. It is okay to scream during boot camp, if your mom needs a break. It is not okay to make raspberries with a mouthful of applesauce. It is socially acceptable to choke on your food, but not to throw up in your mom's hand.

And most importantly, it is not socially acceptable to poop in the bathtub. The first time it is funny, yes, and the second time even warrants a little giggle. But the fourth time is just wrong. Wrong!

~ H

Having trouble staying motivated

With life. With fitness. With sleep training. With budgeting. Apparently with blogging too, judging by the date on my last post. I love starting things. Developing a new project gets my blood pumping. But I always need an extra push to stay motivated. At work I don't seem to have problem, but perhaps that's because no one can fire you from your own life. Add a baby into the mix and now I almost always have an excuse not to finish things. Didn't do the dishes? The Babe was fussy. Forgot to work out for the last week (okay month)? The Babe was teething so no one was getting any sleep, hence the lack of energy to exercise. Haven't blogged in a week? That's because I can't sort out what to blog about. And the Babe was fussy ;) Maybe it's because I'm a Taurus, or a Dog, or a little scatterbrained. Or all of the above. But when the adrenalin wears off, I'm usually the first to hop off the productive bus.

So I have asked for help, because motivation doesn't always solely come from within. I've signed up for stroller boot camp, ugh. Every week for the next month I'll be twisting my mouth into a grimace at a local park. Please help me group fitness instructor, to return to a summer body I can love. I've made a budget and asked the husband to help me work the system I've created. Please help me BabySteals by not posting anything cute or exceptionally well-priced for the next month. I'm blogging tonight while the Babe sleeps, so there's two things done. Please help me readers, by commenting on my posts ;p

~ H

Making baby food

I love making baby food. It is calming and it brings me peace. I can't eff up the recipe because there's usually only one or two ingredients. I can't overcook it because it has to turn to mush anyways. I like knowing what I am feeding my baby, where it came from and how it was processed. I like that we are trying new combinations, introducing meats, and even cheese! I love that the food is starting to smell like food and less like barf.

The only thing I don't like is the fear. The fear the Babe will hate it. Even worse, the fear she will be allergic to it. We've had one reaction, and now I'm always on the lookout for the slightest pink tinge on her skin or upset stomach. But so far, so good, and she only hates one food - butternut squash. Which isn't my favourite either ;)

~ H

Love

I tend to be pretty straightforward on this blog. I try to be as transparent as possible, because I believe that with honesty comes understanding. But sometimes that can come across as pessimistic. It is always easier to talk about the bad over the good. So today's post is about the good.

The Babe is clapping now. She can even do it on command, if she's not too overstimulated. She can make sounds like "bababa" and she's turning her rolling into her mode of transportation by incorporating a tummy swivel to face the direction she wants to get to. I look at her doing all these things and my heart swells with love. I am proud of her because she is working so hard.

I try to shower the Babe with love. Everyday I tell her I love her and I give her lots of kisses. Sometimes she turns her head at the last minute and they become slobbery ones from her end, which makes me laugh. We start each day with a kiss and a hug because no matter how many times she woke me up the night before, I want her to know that I am happy to see her. I hold her. A lot. Which I am sure could be hotly debated but I don't mind. I like holding my baby, I like having her close to me. Soon enough she will be at daycare all day and I won't get to hold her as much. The Babe is also a big smiler so I try to smile back all the time. I love her positivity and I want to mirror that behaviour.

Yes, teething and solids and sleeping are difficult times that we are trying to make it through without losing our minds. It's not all sunshine and roses and baby coos. But sometimes, maybe even more often than not, it is a little person who looks up at you and smiles and you just melt.

~ H

Being on time

Pre-baby I prided myself on being someone who was consistently on time. To appointments, family functions and coffee dates with friends. I believe being on time shows a level of respect for the person you are meeting and that you understand everyone's time is valuable. I'll admit, I often judged people who were late, thinking "I got here on time, why didn't you?" And then I became a mother, and those thoughts went right out the window, along with my consistently on-time reputation.

I struggle to get to places on time now. Often. It seems no matter how much time I leave the Babe and I, something throws a wrench in our plans. Making good time getting dressed? A misplaced tiny jacket will foil that. Got her into the carseat with five minutes to spare? That's when a dirty diaper will need to be changed. Getting all my clothes on, her clothes on, teeth brushed and hair tied up in what I thought took 15 minutes? A glance at the clock and I realize my morning routine actually takes 30 minutes. Now I'm running late. A frantic text or phone call goes out, but it's clear I am no longer the timely person I once was.

I get it now. I understand. I am making strides to help lessen the amount of times I am tardy. I make appointments far in advance and put them in my calendar for 15 minutes earlier. I pack the diaper bag the night before (also because of an incident where I found myself with no diapers or wipes in the diaper bag, fantastic). I also do what I feel is the most important thing - I apologize when I am late and hope for understanding. Just because I am still getting the hang of this heading out with baby thing, does not make other people's time any less valuable.

Our waterbaby

The first swimming lesson ended with tears. Tonight's lesson, two months later, ended with tears also. But the difference was that tonight's tears began in the last two minutes of the lesson, when the Babe's tiredness could no longer be ignored. She went from being the only baby who screamed the entire lesson to the happy demonstration baby. She's been dunked over five times and she can make it around the lazy river more than once without crying.

The best part? Her Dad's face when they finish their lessons, successfully and happy. I signed him up so that they could have this time together, just them, without me being directly involved. The first weeks were rough and we questioned whether or not to continue. I questioned whether this was helping or hindering their relationship. But with the splashes and smiles I saw tonight, I'm really glad we stayed with it.

Next week is our last class and I'm a little sad that it is over. We will see if there's another session, and if so, we'll probably sign up again. If not, I'm eager to find another father-daughter for my two Babes :)

~ H