Anyhow, it's a good feeling to know my little guy made someone's day brighter :)
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
My cute kid
I love it when I'm on the bus or somewhere with Kieran and I see his face light up at someone. I always make a point to look and see who he's smiling at. It's surprising how diverse the people who react to him are, it could be a grandmother or a middle-aged mom which you would expect but I've also had teenage boys tell me how cute he is. (Creepy maybe?)
Anyhow, it's a good feeling to know my little guy made someone's day brighter :)
Anyhow, it's a good feeling to know my little guy made someone's day brighter :)
Saturday, May 01, 2010
It never fails
Nope, it never fails. I got to bed early last night, well, okay, maybe not early but slightlyearlier than usual and here I am awake (but certainly not bright eyed and bushy tailed) way too early for any given day let alone a Saturday. I even contemplated going to Fairmount Avenue to get some bagels for breakfast but I don't think I'm quite awake enough to actually get out of the house at this hour.
Why am I awake????
I'm blaming Tim at this point! He must have been having a restless night and that has messed up my precious slumber too. But I will only be able to confirm this later, once he's up and I can ask him how he slept.
It might have to do with the fact that I feel emotionally charged but I can't pinpoint anything specific in my own life that's bugging me right now. You know, it's just everything and nothing...
So what will the weekend have in store for this humble abode? The weather looks beautiful for today and crap for tomorrow so...carpe diem?
Why am I awake????
I'm blaming Tim at this point! He must have been having a restless night and that has messed up my precious slumber too. But I will only be able to confirm this later, once he's up and I can ask him how he slept.
It might have to do with the fact that I feel emotionally charged but I can't pinpoint anything specific in my own life that's bugging me right now. You know, it's just everything and nothing...
So what will the weekend have in store for this humble abode? The weather looks beautiful for today and crap for tomorrow so...carpe diem?
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Come and get me!
This is Kieran waking up from his nap.
Yes, it is only audio, I recorded on my cell phone from the baby monitor.
Yes, it is only audio, I recorded on my cell phone from the baby monitor.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Weekend's over already
Nothing particularly exciting to report today. Apparently I can't reminisce without people questioning why I was thinking about stuff that happened years ago. Okay so I went into quite some detail in the last post but I could have said a lot more. Don't we all tell stories about stuff that happened to us long ago? Or is it only old people that do that kind of thing? I guess I'm old then!
Really, I don't know how my post about Lavalife first came about, it was certainly a train of thought, stream of consciousness thing but I don't remember where it started.
Tomorrow if I write, I promise it will be about the day's events. Kieran has his 18 month check up with Dr.Non-Personality. After the last visit I seriously contemplated finding a new paediatrician but figured I would give him another chance. He's not that bad (but he's also not that good.) I think if Kieran had any serious health issues I'd find a new doctor but Dr.R is close by, has convenient hours and has Kieran's history on file.
I take comfort in the fact that we get the vaccines (yes, we vaccinate) at the CLSC and the nurse there is great and fills in for the lack of attention we get from the doctor.
Really, I don't know how my post about Lavalife first came about, it was certainly a train of thought, stream of consciousness thing but I don't remember where it started.
Tomorrow if I write, I promise it will be about the day's events. Kieran has his 18 month check up with Dr.Non-Personality. After the last visit I seriously contemplated finding a new paediatrician but figured I would give him another chance. He's not that bad (but he's also not that good.) I think if Kieran had any serious health issues I'd find a new doctor but Dr.R is close by, has convenient hours and has Kieran's history on file.
I take comfort in the fact that we get the vaccines (yes, we vaccinate) at the CLSC and the nurse there is great and fills in for the lack of attention we get from the doctor.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Reminiscing
I think most people know that Tim and I met through Lavalife, the online dating service. Yes, it actually worked for us!
I must say, I had a few "interesting" dates before we met up. But all in all, it was a fun experience (although 7 years passed might have blurred my memory...)
The first guy from Lavalife that I went out with I took to calling Allergy-Boy (not to his face mind you!) He carried his epipen on a holster on his belt. He was allergic to garlic among many other things. Garlic! And he was crossed-eyed. And in denial about it. He told me he got a little bit lazy-eyed when he was really tired. I guess he must have been reeeeeeeeally tired when I went out with him! He also told me the story of how his eyeball had popped out at birth and this is why he got cross-eyed. Great thing to share on a first date. We went to see The Italian Job and then he suggested we go for sushi. He never even offered to pay for me. Not that I would have accepted but it would have been nice of him to offer. Sushi does not come cheap and he knew I was on my own, making a crappy wage and paying a mortgage. He was not particularly physically active and was more of a nerd than a geek. And I actually went out on a second date with him! This time we went out for brunch and the resto did not take credit cards and I had no cash so he ended up paying for me and saying I could get the next one...ya, that never happened! Oh, and on the first date, he answered his cell phone while we were walking to the restaurant. And it was his mom.
He was also a few years younger than me and didn't drive.
Wow, now that I think back....anyhow, we both got "too busy" to see each other again and eventually, the emails stopped being exchanged. I guess I gave him that second chance because through the emails, he really was a nice and interesting guy.
Guy number 2 was also younger, a part-time student and did not drive. I think I scared this guy away by my physical prowess, if I can put it that way. (I was biking at least an hour a day then, weather-permitting.) We went for a bike ride and I must have pooped him out. He never responded to any of my emails after that date. His loss!
Number 3 was definitely gay but in the closet and had OCD. And I didn't notice in his profile that he was a smoker. Also younger, a student and didn't drive and lived in the West Island with his sister. We ended up on the same metro car on the way to the date although he didn't see me (I gathered it was him as he sorta looked like the guy in the profile picture.) I walked up St-Laurent Blvd on the opposite side of the street, watching him the whole time before meeting him at Café Santropol. But we ended up having to go somewhere else because there was no room there. After we went for a walk on the mountain and got caught in the rain. A few more emails but no other dates.
Number 4 was Country-boy (I believe self-proclaimed.) He was from Nova Scotia and was a student at Concordia. Younger, but he could drive! But he had a cat. (I'm allergic.) In person he turned out to be really quiet and reserved, not a good match for me! He came to play softball with me, the team I was playing with then always needed extra players so I figured it would be a fun thing to do. Well, he might have been quiet with me but he really did not take well to our team captain (a woman) telling him where to place himself on the field according to who was at bat. A few not-so-mild expletives were used on his part. I think I was the one who didn't reply to any emails after that meeting!
And then at the end of July, I browsed for the umpteenth time through all the profiles that seemed to match what I was looking for and sent a bunch of "smiles" (I was too cheap to buy credits so couldn't send them a message, a smile just let the person know you were interested in them) to a few guys whose profiles I'd seen before but hadn't been in contact with. I was away for the weekend (it was the annual friends camping trip at La Minerve) and when I got back, I'd gotten a message from guy number 5. Who turned out to be Tim. I'm not sure we gave him a nickname. We, being Katja and I. We would email each other several times a day back then and she was my sounding board, my go-to girl, my sistah! Possibly we called him Toolman. At least we didn't call him Tool-boy because yes, Tim is younger than me (but only by 2 years.)
So lots of emails and a few phone calls later, Tim and I met in person more than 3 weeks after first contact and the rest as they say, is history.
No need to go into the details about Gatineau-boy who was not from Lavalife. Let's just say, Tim had some short-lived competition which I don't think he aprreciated very much. But Olaf put me on the right path at the last Expos game we ever attended.
Hey Tim, I think you still owe him a beer for that one ;)
Alls well that ends well.
Everything happens for a reason. (You just might not know that reason at the time...)
What other cliché can I come up with?!
Okay, I'll end this now before someone hits me (even if it is only virtually.)
I must say, I had a few "interesting" dates before we met up. But all in all, it was a fun experience (although 7 years passed might have blurred my memory...)
The first guy from Lavalife that I went out with I took to calling Allergy-Boy (not to his face mind you!) He carried his epipen on a holster on his belt. He was allergic to garlic among many other things. Garlic! And he was crossed-eyed. And in denial about it. He told me he got a little bit lazy-eyed when he was really tired. I guess he must have been reeeeeeeeally tired when I went out with him! He also told me the story of how his eyeball had popped out at birth and this is why he got cross-eyed. Great thing to share on a first date. We went to see The Italian Job and then he suggested we go for sushi. He never even offered to pay for me. Not that I would have accepted but it would have been nice of him to offer. Sushi does not come cheap and he knew I was on my own, making a crappy wage and paying a mortgage. He was not particularly physically active and was more of a nerd than a geek. And I actually went out on a second date with him! This time we went out for brunch and the resto did not take credit cards and I had no cash so he ended up paying for me and saying I could get the next one...ya, that never happened! Oh, and on the first date, he answered his cell phone while we were walking to the restaurant. And it was his mom.
He was also a few years younger than me and didn't drive.
Wow, now that I think back....anyhow, we both got "too busy" to see each other again and eventually, the emails stopped being exchanged. I guess I gave him that second chance because through the emails, he really was a nice and interesting guy.
Guy number 2 was also younger, a part-time student and did not drive. I think I scared this guy away by my physical prowess, if I can put it that way. (I was biking at least an hour a day then, weather-permitting.) We went for a bike ride and I must have pooped him out. He never responded to any of my emails after that date. His loss!
Number 3 was definitely gay but in the closet and had OCD. And I didn't notice in his profile that he was a smoker. Also younger, a student and didn't drive and lived in the West Island with his sister. We ended up on the same metro car on the way to the date although he didn't see me (I gathered it was him as he sorta looked like the guy in the profile picture.) I walked up St-Laurent Blvd on the opposite side of the street, watching him the whole time before meeting him at Café Santropol. But we ended up having to go somewhere else because there was no room there. After we went for a walk on the mountain and got caught in the rain. A few more emails but no other dates.
Number 4 was Country-boy (I believe self-proclaimed.) He was from Nova Scotia and was a student at Concordia. Younger, but he could drive! But he had a cat. (I'm allergic.) In person he turned out to be really quiet and reserved, not a good match for me! He came to play softball with me, the team I was playing with then always needed extra players so I figured it would be a fun thing to do. Well, he might have been quiet with me but he really did not take well to our team captain (a woman) telling him where to place himself on the field according to who was at bat. A few not-so-mild expletives were used on his part. I think I was the one who didn't reply to any emails after that meeting!
And then at the end of July, I browsed for the umpteenth time through all the profiles that seemed to match what I was looking for and sent a bunch of "smiles" (I was too cheap to buy credits so couldn't send them a message, a smile just let the person know you were interested in them) to a few guys whose profiles I'd seen before but hadn't been in contact with. I was away for the weekend (it was the annual friends camping trip at La Minerve) and when I got back, I'd gotten a message from guy number 5. Who turned out to be Tim. I'm not sure we gave him a nickname. We, being Katja and I. We would email each other several times a day back then and she was my sounding board, my go-to girl, my sistah! Possibly we called him Toolman. At least we didn't call him Tool-boy because yes, Tim is younger than me (but only by 2 years.)
So lots of emails and a few phone calls later, Tim and I met in person more than 3 weeks after first contact and the rest as they say, is history.
No need to go into the details about Gatineau-boy who was not from Lavalife. Let's just say, Tim had some short-lived competition which I don't think he aprreciated very much. But Olaf put me on the right path at the last Expos game we ever attended.
Hey Tim, I think you still owe him a beer for that one ;)
Alls well that ends well.
Everything happens for a reason. (You just might not know that reason at the time...)
What other cliché can I come up with?!
Okay, I'll end this now before someone hits me (even if it is only virtually.)
Friday, April 09, 2010
Bullied by a two year old
Lately I've been having to be more watchful of Kieran when he gets close to other kids as he's not too good with the gentleness factor yet. He means no harm, but he tends to shove kids out of the way as he stumbles by them or he'll grab a toy that another child is playing with.
Well yesterday Kieran was the at the receiving end of the abuse! We were among the first to arrive at the playgroup and this little girl slapped, scratched and pulled his hair, repeatedly. And it was all unprovoked. We thinks she has anger management issues! Poor Kieran put up with it with only a little stunned look on his face. But then the grabbing of the hair and not letting go was just a little too much....he was in tears and needed consoling for that.
Luckily she made up for it later and shared some of her Rice Krispies. I'm surprised he even went near her at that point!
Well yesterday Kieran was the at the receiving end of the abuse! We were among the first to arrive at the playgroup and this little girl slapped, scratched and pulled his hair, repeatedly. And it was all unprovoked. We thinks she has anger management issues! Poor Kieran put up with it with only a little stunned look on his face. But then the grabbing of the hair and not letting go was just a little too much....he was in tears and needed consoling for that.
Luckily she made up for it later and shared some of her Rice Krispies. I'm surprised he even went near her at that point!
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
What could have been but never was or ever shall be
Kieran and I have been going to a playgroup in NDG since the beginning of February. It's basically a big free for all, lots of toys and play structures laid out in a church basement. Lots of fun but somewhat chaotic for the uninitiated. Oh, and the snacks, wow, what a spread they put out!
Anyhow, a few weeks ago, I heard someone call out my name to look up and see my ex-brother-in-law there with his two kids. I recognized his daughter from the previous times we'd been there but since she'd been with her mom, (who I've never met) I had no idea who she was.
It's just weird to see these two children who could have been my niece and nephew. Yet with the way things turned out I have no connection to them whatsoever. It kind of leaves me with a bit of a sense of emptiness.
I saw them all again today and briefly chatted with Marc (the ex-bro-in-law) as he dropped his family off. He made no introductions to his girlfriend. I wonder if later on when she got home whether she asked him who I was. I felt somewhat uncomfortable being around her, knowing who she is and a bit about her family without her knowing who I am. But not enough to approach her and introduce myself or anything. That would have been even more uncomfortable!
Ah the ghosts never seem like they will ever stop haunting me.
Anyhow, a few weeks ago, I heard someone call out my name to look up and see my ex-brother-in-law there with his two kids. I recognized his daughter from the previous times we'd been there but since she'd been with her mom, (who I've never met) I had no idea who she was.
It's just weird to see these two children who could have been my niece and nephew. Yet with the way things turned out I have no connection to them whatsoever. It kind of leaves me with a bit of a sense of emptiness.
I saw them all again today and briefly chatted with Marc (the ex-bro-in-law) as he dropped his family off. He made no introductions to his girlfriend. I wonder if later on when she got home whether she asked him who I was. I felt somewhat uncomfortable being around her, knowing who she is and a bit about her family without her knowing who I am. But not enough to approach her and introduce myself or anything. That would have been even more uncomfortable!
Ah the ghosts never seem like they will ever stop haunting me.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
2 months later...
So much to write about, no focus to do so...
Neither Kieran nor I have really been completely healthy in the last two months. Congestion and runny noses and 2 weeks ago, the dreaded gastro befell our household. It could be worse, but I just can't wait for the day when I am not constantly reaching for the Kleenex box. At least we can't complain about the weather we've been having (until tomorrow when the rain showers are predicted to begin!)
Kieran is quickly growing into a little toddler, he is almost 18 months old now. He's a lot of fun (not that he hasn't been all along) but it's really neat to see his development at this stage and see him understand and respond to what we are saying to him. Yes, we still get blank stares or are completely ignored sometimes, but he will actually listen to some requests (pick this up, close the door.) Wow, they actually do eventually evolve into somewhat independent creatures at some point...there is hope yet!!!
So do we really want to go through all of this again?! Yes we do plan on having another, sooner rather than later but as cute as newborns are (see Hailey, Kieran's new cousin )DO WE REALLY WANT TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS AGAIN?!!! No, I don't need any convincing (much!) Maybe a little support. And lots of sleep!
Neither Kieran nor I have really been completely healthy in the last two months. Congestion and runny noses and 2 weeks ago, the dreaded gastro befell our household. It could be worse, but I just can't wait for the day when I am not constantly reaching for the Kleenex box. At least we can't complain about the weather we've been having (until tomorrow when the rain showers are predicted to begin!)
Kieran is quickly growing into a little toddler, he is almost 18 months old now. He's a lot of fun (not that he hasn't been all along) but it's really neat to see his development at this stage and see him understand and respond to what we are saying to him. Yes, we still get blank stares or are completely ignored sometimes, but he will actually listen to some requests (pick this up, close the door.) Wow, they actually do eventually evolve into somewhat independent creatures at some point...there is hope yet!!!
So do we really want to go through all of this again?! Yes we do plan on having another, sooner rather than later but as cute as newborns are (see Hailey, Kieran's new cousin )DO WE REALLY WANT TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS AGAIN?!!! No, I don't need any convincing (much!) Maybe a little support. And lots of sleep!
Friday, January 29, 2010
The week in review
Kieran is doing better although he is still not quite his usual self. He had a good weekend, spending the day on Sunday with his cousin Vanessa. He seems to be getting a bit possessive of his toys now. Depending on what she was playing with, he seemed to be giving her a "look" as if to say "hey, that's mine!" But he's not at the stage yet where he'll do anything about it.
He woke up crying sometime around one that night but Tim was able to quickly get him back to sleep. He was all tangled up in his covers and was congested too. He then slept until almost 9 that morning. We had a visit from Granddaddy and Grand-Maman for lunch but Kieran had no appetite, except for Granddaddy's cinnamon roll!
This was also a 2 nap day, yay!
On Tuesdays we go to Tumbling Tots just around the alleyway from our house at the Greene Avenue Community Centre.
Kieran's only symptom that day was a runny nose.
Later that evening though I heard him coughing while I was getting ready for bed and when I checked in on him, he'd thrown up. Poor little guy didn't even wake up and cry, he just lay in it. Ick!
On Monday and Wednesday evenings, I go to aquaform class and since Tim was planning to work late on Wednesday, we had asked his mom to come babysit Kieran. After lunch, Kieran got a little cranky so we went for a walk and he cried on & off the whole time we were out. And when we got home and he was out of the stroller, it was full blown wailing for a good 45 minutes. I didn't want my mother-in-law to have to deal with a cranky gassy kid so I called her and told her not to bother coming over as I would skip swimming to stay with Mr Cranky-pants. After his crying spell, he fell asleep in my arms for a little while until the phone rang and I got up to answer it. He managed
to eat a good supper but then when I was getting him ready for bed, he threw up all over the changing table. Good thing I don't mind doing laundry!
By then I could see the white of his bottom left incisor coming through.
Today and yesterday have been good days. We went to our first Mother Goose session of the year yesterday morning. Lots of new faces around. Kieran fell asleep on the way home then slept for over 2 more hours in his crib. No complaints here!
He's still a little cranky and cuddly and isn't playing as much as usual but Daddy was home early this evening to give him lots of attention.
Let's see what the (cold, frigid) weekend has in store for us...
He woke up crying sometime around one that night but Tim was able to quickly get him back to sleep. He was all tangled up in his covers and was congested too. He then slept until almost 9 that morning. We had a visit from Granddaddy and Grand-Maman for lunch but Kieran had no appetite, except for Granddaddy's cinnamon roll!
This was also a 2 nap day, yay!
On Tuesdays we go to Tumbling Tots just around the alleyway from our house at the Greene Avenue Community Centre.
Kieran's only symptom that day was a runny nose.
Later that evening though I heard him coughing while I was getting ready for bed and when I checked in on him, he'd thrown up. Poor little guy didn't even wake up and cry, he just lay in it. Ick!
On Monday and Wednesday evenings, I go to aquaform class and since Tim was planning to work late on Wednesday, we had asked his mom to come babysit Kieran. After lunch, Kieran got a little cranky so we went for a walk and he cried on & off the whole time we were out. And when we got home and he was out of the stroller, it was full blown wailing for a good 45 minutes. I didn't want my mother-in-law to have to deal with a cranky gassy kid so I called her and told her not to bother coming over as I would skip swimming to stay with Mr Cranky-pants. After his crying spell, he fell asleep in my arms for a little while until the phone rang and I got up to answer it. He managed
to eat a good supper but then when I was getting him ready for bed, he threw up all over the changing table. Good thing I don't mind doing laundry!
By then I could see the white of his bottom left incisor coming through.
Today and yesterday have been good days. We went to our first Mother Goose session of the year yesterday morning. Lots of new faces around. Kieran fell asleep on the way home then slept for over 2 more hours in his crib. No complaints here!
He's still a little cranky and cuddly and isn't playing as much as usual but Daddy was home early this evening to give him lots of attention.
Let's see what the (cold, frigid) weekend has in store for us...
Friday, January 22, 2010
Sicky update
Kieran is doing better today, thanks for your concern. He's still got a bit of a fever but has a little more energy and slept through the night.
But he's still recovering from whatever it was...
I'll just lie here and play
Happy boy
Not so happy
But he's still recovering from whatever it was...
I'll just lie here and play
Happy boy
Not so happy
Thursday, January 21, 2010
What's up today
We started the day off a little earlier than planned this morning...
I woke up at 4 am to the sounds of Kieran whining but fell back asleep for about a half hour until he really started crying. Tim was a little quicker to get to him (I might have purposefully let him!) and found him in the corner of his crib burning up. His temp was not too high, 38.9 C but the little one was definitely suffering. So after a diaper change, I tried giving him some Tempra but he wouldn't let me anywhere near him with the eye dropper. After some coaxing, I finally got some into his mouth and, of course, he threw up. Wow, over 9 hours after eating and (gory details), he hadn't digested supper very much. And I wasn't witness to it, but apparently he let out a HUGE rumbling fart! Anyhow I let Daddy go back to bed and rocked Kieran and myself back to sleep, waking up enough to get us both back to bed.
Come 6:30, we weren't awakened by Tim's alarm clock, but by Kieran crying again. I rocked him back to sleep and he slept well past 9 o'clock, I think. I didn't hear make any noises when I got up but when I checked on him after my shower, he was just laying there in bed, eyes open, not making a sound, not moving. Poor little guy. His temp was now up to 39.3. He did manage some breakfast and milk and played for a little while between cuddles.
Then he just got restless, didn't want to be held, didn't want to be put down. He was circling the couches, putting his head down, getting up then settled down trying to get comfortable and just lost it and cried the biggest tears, eventually falling asleep in my arms. So upstairs we went for a diaper change and I rocked him back to sleep before putting him down in his crib. After a little tossing and turning, I thought he was out cold but as I looked back before closing the door, again he was lying there with his eyes open but not moving or making a sound. He did start babbling for a few minutes by the time I got downstairs and put the monitor on but it sounds like he's settled down for now.
Upset stomach? Teeth? Ear infection? Only time will tell.
Thankfully, he doesn't seem to be suffering too badly. Or maybe he takes after his mom and is not a complainer!
I woke up at 4 am to the sounds of Kieran whining but fell back asleep for about a half hour until he really started crying. Tim was a little quicker to get to him (I might have purposefully let him!) and found him in the corner of his crib burning up. His temp was not too high, 38.9 C but the little one was definitely suffering. So after a diaper change, I tried giving him some Tempra but he wouldn't let me anywhere near him with the eye dropper. After some coaxing, I finally got some into his mouth and, of course, he threw up. Wow, over 9 hours after eating and (gory details), he hadn't digested supper very much. And I wasn't witness to it, but apparently he let out a HUGE rumbling fart! Anyhow I let Daddy go back to bed and rocked Kieran and myself back to sleep, waking up enough to get us both back to bed.
Come 6:30, we weren't awakened by Tim's alarm clock, but by Kieran crying again. I rocked him back to sleep and he slept well past 9 o'clock, I think. I didn't hear make any noises when I got up but when I checked on him after my shower, he was just laying there in bed, eyes open, not making a sound, not moving. Poor little guy. His temp was now up to 39.3. He did manage some breakfast and milk and played for a little while between cuddles.
Then he just got restless, didn't want to be held, didn't want to be put down. He was circling the couches, putting his head down, getting up then settled down trying to get comfortable and just lost it and cried the biggest tears, eventually falling asleep in my arms. So upstairs we went for a diaper change and I rocked him back to sleep before putting him down in his crib. After a little tossing and turning, I thought he was out cold but as I looked back before closing the door, again he was lying there with his eyes open but not moving or making a sound. He did start babbling for a few minutes by the time I got downstairs and put the monitor on but it sounds like he's settled down for now.
Upset stomach? Teeth? Ear infection? Only time will tell.
Thankfully, he doesn't seem to be suffering too badly. Or maybe he takes after his mom and is not a complainer!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Cousin playdate
With all the sickness that's been going around Kieran and his cousin Vanessa hadn't seen each other in 5 weeks but we're slowly making up for lost time. We had a visit to their house on Sunday to celebrate Catherine's birthday and then Vanessa came over here today while her mommy had her shoulder tended to.
Despite the 19 month age gap, they really seem to enjoy each other's company and play pretty well side by side if not together. Vanessa's a little more possessive of some of her toys but when she first got here this morning, I could perceive that Kieran wasn't too sure about her playing with his things. He seemed a little bewildered that she was taking over his turf!
It was a beautiful sunny morning so we then bundled ourselves up for a walk to the park. Vanessa helped push Kieran in his stroller and pushed the crosswalk button. I thought Kieran might settle down for a snooze but there was too much excitement with all the kids from the daycare running around. He sat in the stroller for a little bit while Vanessa roamed around and swung and slid then we got him out so he could take part in some of the fun. He's not walking yet so it's hard to let him loose in the park. We sat him in a swing and we also went "bouncy, bouncy" on the teeter-totter.
Then it was time to come home for lunch. Vanessa has been potty training and we had a successful trip all the way upstairs (with a pit stop first to play with the ball popper game) to the bathroom. I didn't have any chocolate to reward her with but she didn't even ask for any.
We had egg salad sandwiches and cucumber and Kieran had strained carrots along with his egg and bread. Vanessa took great pleasure in helping feed Kieran his lunch. She also took great pleasure in eating his raspberries. She first started giving him pieces then she took half for herself then the pieces started getting smaller and then the whole raspberry was for her alone! Luckily Kieran was pretty much done by then! And luckily he is a very patient boy!
Catherine had arrived by this time and unfortunately doesn't yet feel the benefits of her massage. Let's hope this "pain in the neck" doesn't linger for too much longer...
The kids played for a little while more and then it was time for Vanessa to go home for a nap. It took a little coaxing and a few tears were shed but they got out the door without too much of a fight.
Kieran looked pretty wiped out himself so I brought him upstairs and rocked him and held on tight while he squirmed and struggled and he eventually actually fell asleep! Even with being able to hear Holden crying away next door. (We live in a row house and Kieran's bedroom wall adjoins the 15 month old next door's bedroom.)
I heard a few peeps out of K a little while ago but he's been sleeping for an hour and 40 minutes, yesssssss!!!
Yesterday he napped for over three hours but that was after swimming, nursing and being bundled up in the stroller.
This afternoon nap is a breakthrough!
Despite the 19 month age gap, they really seem to enjoy each other's company and play pretty well side by side if not together. Vanessa's a little more possessive of some of her toys but when she first got here this morning, I could perceive that Kieran wasn't too sure about her playing with his things. He seemed a little bewildered that she was taking over his turf!
It was a beautiful sunny morning so we then bundled ourselves up for a walk to the park. Vanessa helped push Kieran in his stroller and pushed the crosswalk button. I thought Kieran might settle down for a snooze but there was too much excitement with all the kids from the daycare running around. He sat in the stroller for a little bit while Vanessa roamed around and swung and slid then we got him out so he could take part in some of the fun. He's not walking yet so it's hard to let him loose in the park. We sat him in a swing and we also went "bouncy, bouncy" on the teeter-totter.
Then it was time to come home for lunch. Vanessa has been potty training and we had a successful trip all the way upstairs (with a pit stop first to play with the ball popper game) to the bathroom. I didn't have any chocolate to reward her with but she didn't even ask for any.
We had egg salad sandwiches and cucumber and Kieran had strained carrots along with his egg and bread. Vanessa took great pleasure in helping feed Kieran his lunch. She also took great pleasure in eating his raspberries. She first started giving him pieces then she took half for herself then the pieces started getting smaller and then the whole raspberry was for her alone! Luckily Kieran was pretty much done by then! And luckily he is a very patient boy!
Catherine had arrived by this time and unfortunately doesn't yet feel the benefits of her massage. Let's hope this "pain in the neck" doesn't linger for too much longer...
The kids played for a little while more and then it was time for Vanessa to go home for a nap. It took a little coaxing and a few tears were shed but they got out the door without too much of a fight.
Kieran looked pretty wiped out himself so I brought him upstairs and rocked him and held on tight while he squirmed and struggled and he eventually actually fell asleep! Even with being able to hear Holden crying away next door. (We live in a row house and Kieran's bedroom wall adjoins the 15 month old next door's bedroom.)
I heard a few peeps out of K a little while ago but he's been sleeping for an hour and 40 minutes, yesssssss!!!
Yesterday he napped for over three hours but that was after swimming, nursing and being bundled up in the stroller.
This afternoon nap is a breakthrough!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Happy Birthday Kieran!
We celebrated Kieran's first birthday twice on Thanksgiving weekend with turkey dinners and cake and cupcakes.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
AAAchooo!
Kieran and I both have colds. His nose started to run (quick, go catch it!) on Sunday and I woke up every hour between Sunday night and Monday morning with my nose running or a sneezing fit. On the plus side, Kieran slept until 8:35 yesterday and 9:35 this morning and napped throughout the day. But he's had a fever too which has made the poor kid unlike his usual self. He's had no appetite and has been quiet and clingy especially this afternoon when he would start crying if I tried to put him down. So I enjoyed cuddling my baby and singing to him and taking it easy myself. Though I could have done without him throwing up both last night and tonight just before bedtime, especially since Daddy wasn't home to help clean up.
Being sick meant skipping swimming class this morning so hopefully we'll be better and be able to make it on Thursday. K & I have been going to aqua-poussette classes again but this time we're going to the pool down in Little Burgundy. It's about a 25 minute walk from home but the class is at 9 am so we're a little rushed in the mornings we go. I know, you people are scoffing at the fact that we have a hard time making it for 9 but Kieran usually wakes up around 7:45 and we have to leave the house by 8:15. Which wouldn't be a problem if he didn't need to nurse and eat breakfast! Even on mornings when he wakes up earlier or I have woken him up, he can take an hour to eat a meal so there is no getting out of the house quickly. And waiting until after class to give him breakfast worked a few times but not always.
This class is a good workout for me but this is no interaction with our babies like the other course we took. But I always take Kieran out of the floater and spend the last 10 or 15 minutes with him in my arms in the water and let him do his thing. He enjoys sitting on the edge of the pool and letting himself fall into the water. It's fun to see the difference in what he does since he was last in the water back in June.
Yup, 4 months make quite a difference. He wasn't even sitting up very well on his own back then. Now he's crawling a mile a minute, standing and walking with help, balancing for a few seconds on his own. He's not really saying any words but he babbles convincingly as if he's really speaking just in some foreign language. He sort of understands "no" and gets upset when you turn him away from where he shouldn't be.
I am still nursing him 3 to 4 times a day which was fine until this weekend when he started biting. His first 3 teeth have only come out in last month or so and now he's using them! I guess I was kind of tired when he decided to take a chunk out of me and I started crying pretty hard and said something along the lines of "OWWWW, THAT REALLY HURTS" and with lots more uncontrollable bawling. Well, poor Kieran. At first he was laughing but then when he realized I was crying, he started to cry too! We were literally a sad couple. I'm just glad Tim wasn't here to witness my patheticalness! Maybe if he had been here, I would have controlled my emotions a bit better!
Being sick meant skipping swimming class this morning so hopefully we'll be better and be able to make it on Thursday. K & I have been going to aqua-poussette classes again but this time we're going to the pool down in Little Burgundy. It's about a 25 minute walk from home but the class is at 9 am so we're a little rushed in the mornings we go. I know, you people are scoffing at the fact that we have a hard time making it for 9 but Kieran usually wakes up around 7:45 and we have to leave the house by 8:15. Which wouldn't be a problem if he didn't need to nurse and eat breakfast! Even on mornings when he wakes up earlier or I have woken him up, he can take an hour to eat a meal so there is no getting out of the house quickly. And waiting until after class to give him breakfast worked a few times but not always.
This class is a good workout for me but this is no interaction with our babies like the other course we took. But I always take Kieran out of the floater and spend the last 10 or 15 minutes with him in my arms in the water and let him do his thing. He enjoys sitting on the edge of the pool and letting himself fall into the water. It's fun to see the difference in what he does since he was last in the water back in June.
Yup, 4 months make quite a difference. He wasn't even sitting up very well on his own back then. Now he's crawling a mile a minute, standing and walking with help, balancing for a few seconds on his own. He's not really saying any words but he babbles convincingly as if he's really speaking just in some foreign language. He sort of understands "no" and gets upset when you turn him away from where he shouldn't be.
I am still nursing him 3 to 4 times a day which was fine until this weekend when he started biting. His first 3 teeth have only come out in last month or so and now he's using them! I guess I was kind of tired when he decided to take a chunk out of me and I started crying pretty hard and said something along the lines of "OWWWW, THAT REALLY HURTS" and with lots more uncontrollable bawling. Well, poor Kieran. At first he was laughing but then when he realized I was crying, he started to cry too! We were literally a sad couple. I'm just glad Tim wasn't here to witness my patheticalness! Maybe if he had been here, I would have controlled my emotions a bit better!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Today
Yes it's been a while since my last post and lots has happened but I'm not going to try and play catch up today. I'll just ramble on about how uneventful the day was...
I've been having what I thought were allergies the last couple of evenings. Sinus pain, sneezing, itchy eyes. But then last night I woke up a few times with sneezing fits. So I gave in and got up to take some Advil. Except I didn't want to blind myself in the middle of the night by turning a light on. So this morning I realized I had taken Benadryl instead of Advil. No wonder I didn't feel any relief. So I woke up feeling so-so, well enough to decide I would go for a run. Then I got out of bed and stood upright. Sinus pain, ow. Not to mention the tightness in my calves from my aquaform class yesterday. So, yeah, great start to the day. I spent the morning blowing my nose and wishing I could go back to bed all the while feeding and entertaining my napless baby. Honestly, all I wanted to do was lie down and all I can recall doing is feeding Kieran and reading the newspaper. Oh, and eating. I've been so hungry all day. Feed a cold?
The Advil kicked in pretty well and I was feeling better by late afternoon. Still tired but I got a little reprieve on the couch around 4 o'clock. Yeah, cos Kieran napped in his high chair half-way through lunch. So of course instead of napping myself at that time, I checked my emails and probably tried to satiate my appetite. Anyhow, I decided we had to get out of the house and enjoy some of what was left of this nice day so after nursing K for like the 5th time today, we headed over to the Greene Centre for a community corn roast. Kieran might not have any teeth but he sure enjoyed me plucking kernels off a cob and finger feeding him. Kinda messy but it did the trick. From there we went for a little walk over to the park behind the high school and Kieran went for a swing. Then it was back home for more food. We're so done with baby mush. This means more planning when it comes to meal time but I'll try and make stews and slow-cooker recipes that will be easy for Kieran to eat. He so needs to sprout some teeth. He's just got a top one that started protruding about 3 weeks ago. Anyhow, he stills manages to eat chunks of meat without choking on them so I guess it's ok.
Tim was out this evening, curling for the first time this season so I got Kieran ready for bed and he was out cold by 9 o'clock. I'm not looking forward to weaning this kid. It's just so easy to get him to fall asleep by nursing him. Unfortunately that's not always the case when it comes to daytime naps. He usually falls asleep in my arms then wakes up as soon as I try to move him to the playpen. That's probably why he falls asleep so easily at night, he's just plain exhausted! At least he hasn't started having complete breakdowns during the day when he's tired. He does get a little whiny sometimes but I'm not sure what my strategy should be for naps. Right now, if he naps, all the better and if he doesn't, well no big deal. I know if I really wanted him to go down, I could bring him upstairs to his crib and pull the shade and he'd fall asleep, eventually. But our daily routine isn't always the same so I figure why tie myself down with trying to do things a set way and have him completely melt down if we go beyond the predictable. That and I just don't like the idea of having him upstairs and having to have the baby monitor on to hear him. I'll just go with the flow. So far that's pretty much what's worked for us. We're just lucky to have such a good baby. Which I realize he's becoming less and less of ( a baby , that is) as the days go by. Sniff, sniff!
I've been having what I thought were allergies the last couple of evenings. Sinus pain, sneezing, itchy eyes. But then last night I woke up a few times with sneezing fits. So I gave in and got up to take some Advil. Except I didn't want to blind myself in the middle of the night by turning a light on. So this morning I realized I had taken Benadryl instead of Advil. No wonder I didn't feel any relief. So I woke up feeling so-so, well enough to decide I would go for a run. Then I got out of bed and stood upright. Sinus pain, ow. Not to mention the tightness in my calves from my aquaform class yesterday. So, yeah, great start to the day. I spent the morning blowing my nose and wishing I could go back to bed all the while feeding and entertaining my napless baby. Honestly, all I wanted to do was lie down and all I can recall doing is feeding Kieran and reading the newspaper. Oh, and eating. I've been so hungry all day. Feed a cold?
The Advil kicked in pretty well and I was feeling better by late afternoon. Still tired but I got a little reprieve on the couch around 4 o'clock. Yeah, cos Kieran napped in his high chair half-way through lunch. So of course instead of napping myself at that time, I checked my emails and probably tried to satiate my appetite. Anyhow, I decided we had to get out of the house and enjoy some of what was left of this nice day so after nursing K for like the 5th time today, we headed over to the Greene Centre for a community corn roast. Kieran might not have any teeth but he sure enjoyed me plucking kernels off a cob and finger feeding him. Kinda messy but it did the trick. From there we went for a little walk over to the park behind the high school and Kieran went for a swing. Then it was back home for more food. We're so done with baby mush. This means more planning when it comes to meal time but I'll try and make stews and slow-cooker recipes that will be easy for Kieran to eat. He so needs to sprout some teeth. He's just got a top one that started protruding about 3 weeks ago. Anyhow, he stills manages to eat chunks of meat without choking on them so I guess it's ok.
Tim was out this evening, curling for the first time this season so I got Kieran ready for bed and he was out cold by 9 o'clock. I'm not looking forward to weaning this kid. It's just so easy to get him to fall asleep by nursing him. Unfortunately that's not always the case when it comes to daytime naps. He usually falls asleep in my arms then wakes up as soon as I try to move him to the playpen. That's probably why he falls asleep so easily at night, he's just plain exhausted! At least he hasn't started having complete breakdowns during the day when he's tired. He does get a little whiny sometimes but I'm not sure what my strategy should be for naps. Right now, if he naps, all the better and if he doesn't, well no big deal. I know if I really wanted him to go down, I could bring him upstairs to his crib and pull the shade and he'd fall asleep, eventually. But our daily routine isn't always the same so I figure why tie myself down with trying to do things a set way and have him completely melt down if we go beyond the predictable. That and I just don't like the idea of having him upstairs and having to have the baby monitor on to hear him. I'll just go with the flow. So far that's pretty much what's worked for us. We're just lucky to have such a good baby. Which I realize he's becoming less and less of ( a baby , that is) as the days go by. Sniff, sniff!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
If you want it to be your first and only anniversary...
I was looking for gift ideas for our first wedding anniversary and I think I'll stick to the traditional paper instead of the modern plastic gifts...here's some suggestions that will surely get you in deep doo-doo if you were to get them for your spouse!
Tupperwear (can't even spring for TupperWARE, hun?)
Household items (Rubbermaid garbage can anyone?)
Sunglasses (prescription, UVA or UVB protection?)
Sports gifts (lawn darts maybe?)
Yoga mat (is there any other way to say I love you?!)
Luggage accessories (what, like a name tag holder?)
Adult gifts (I'm not even going to touch that one...)
Although here's a few suggestions the same site gives for traditional paper gifts:
Cigars
Book of floor plans (if building a house soon)
Life insurance
Yeah, sure.
Tupperwear (can't even spring for TupperWARE, hun?)
Household items (Rubbermaid garbage can anyone?)
Sunglasses (prescription, UVA or UVB protection?)
Sports gifts (lawn darts maybe?)
Yoga mat (is there any other way to say I love you?!)
Luggage accessories (what, like a name tag holder?)
Adult gifts (I'm not even going to touch that one...)
Although here's a few suggestions the same site gives for traditional paper gifts:
Cigars
Book of floor plans (if building a house soon)
Life insurance
Yeah, sure.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
You know there's a nursing shortage when...
The other night I dreamt I was in the hospital for some reason I can't remember but I also had an eye infection. One of my old co-workers was taking care of me and she stuck some kind of IV in my eye that looked like a battery tester. But all was good because she had learnt how to use that kind of machine back home in Romania.
I was then sent out to the waiting room while the antibiotics were to take effect.
When I came back 10 minutes later, Ryan Seacrest was there and removed the IV for me with much fanfare.
Bizarre.
Kennedy out.
I was then sent out to the waiting room while the antibiotics were to take effect.
When I came back 10 minutes later, Ryan Seacrest was there and removed the IV for me with much fanfare.
Bizarre.
Kennedy out.
Friday, July 03, 2009
Wedding weekend
I started this post last night but it was getting late so I didn't finish it but now my mind is much preoccupied by other things but I will try and finish this now...
You had to be there!
Words (at least mine) cannot do justice to the great weekend we had!
Yes, believe it or not, my big brother, P-J, tied the knot with his true love Melora this past Sunday.
I can't imagine the week (or months) they must have had leading up to it but it certainly made me appreciate even more the simpleness of Tim's & my wedding!
For us, it started on Saturday evening with the cocktail at their apartment. I met lots of Melora's American relatives and a few friends from out of town. I did recognize a couple of faces from the past too.
There were lots of tasty finger foods and even make-your-own smoked meat sandwiches.
And it was the beginning of the Kieran-love-fest!
It's a good thing he's too young to understand all these compliments he gets or his head would be at least twice its size!
And Sunday was the big day.
I've never been one to go all crazy on my appearance and am even less attentive to what I look like now that I'm a mom (yes, I know, sad but true) so I wore the same dress and shoes I wore to Steph & Olaf's wedding 6 years ago and to Dianna and Daryl's 4 years ago. Who's to know?! Well, all of you now!
We tried to head to the ceremony early but had to turn back when we realized we'd forgotten the stroller. I'm sure my Auntie Ann (deaf aunt who forgot to put in her hearing aid) who was with us had no clue as to why we were turning back home. That's if she had a clue in the first place as to where we were headed!
Anyhow, I digress...we made it to Parc Jean Drapeau and had to drive the whole way around Ile Notre Dame to get to the Canadian pavillion where the reception was to be.
The ceremony took place a short walk away in the Jardins des Floralies.
The bride was late, which was fine by me, it gave me time to nurse Kieran before the ceremony and we won't mention that my parents were late too.
Aaah, but better late than never (especially in my father's case!)
Kieran babbled and raspberried throughout the whole ceremony!
But I managed to mostly tune him out while I did my reading (Corinthians 13 - the one about faith, hope & love.)
The rain held off so all was good.
And the food was just amazing! So many salads and stuff on the grill to choose from -which I didn't have to do as Tim got me food while I nursed K.
There's just too much to talk about without going into all the details but we had a really nice evening. Of course, Tim spent most of his time taking photos, over 500 in all, I think!
We could have stayed a lot later (or earlier, I suppose!) but we had to get Auntie Ann home. Which is just as well because we were exhausted enough as it was leaving when we did.
Kieran was an angel, he slept in the stroller most of the evening but was wide awake on the way home and when we tried to put him down in his crib. Nothing that another feeding didn't take care of, just to add to my exhaustion!
So we managed to sleep in on Monday morning and then headed downtown to hotel Le Crystal for brunch.
It was a nice chance to visit with my relatives from my mom's side who came up for the wedding. Oh, and coming up for them does not mean from the States - my mom comes from St-Eugène which is about an hour's drive past Quebec City on the South Shore.
So as usual, it was all about the food :)
You had to be there!
Words (at least mine) cannot do justice to the great weekend we had!
Yes, believe it or not, my big brother, P-J, tied the knot with his true love Melora this past Sunday.
I can't imagine the week (or months) they must have had leading up to it but it certainly made me appreciate even more the simpleness of Tim's & my wedding!
For us, it started on Saturday evening with the cocktail at their apartment. I met lots of Melora's American relatives and a few friends from out of town. I did recognize a couple of faces from the past too.
There were lots of tasty finger foods and even make-your-own smoked meat sandwiches.
And it was the beginning of the Kieran-love-fest!
It's a good thing he's too young to understand all these compliments he gets or his head would be at least twice its size!
And Sunday was the big day.
I've never been one to go all crazy on my appearance and am even less attentive to what I look like now that I'm a mom (yes, I know, sad but true) so I wore the same dress and shoes I wore to Steph & Olaf's wedding 6 years ago and to Dianna and Daryl's 4 years ago. Who's to know?! Well, all of you now!
We tried to head to the ceremony early but had to turn back when we realized we'd forgotten the stroller. I'm sure my Auntie Ann (deaf aunt who forgot to put in her hearing aid) who was with us had no clue as to why we were turning back home. That's if she had a clue in the first place as to where we were headed!
Anyhow, I digress...we made it to Parc Jean Drapeau and had to drive the whole way around Ile Notre Dame to get to the Canadian pavillion where the reception was to be.
The ceremony took place a short walk away in the Jardins des Floralies.
The bride was late, which was fine by me, it gave me time to nurse Kieran before the ceremony and we won't mention that my parents were late too.
Aaah, but better late than never (especially in my father's case!)
Kieran babbled and raspberried throughout the whole ceremony!
But I managed to mostly tune him out while I did my reading (Corinthians 13 - the one about faith, hope & love.)
The rain held off so all was good.
And the food was just amazing! So many salads and stuff on the grill to choose from -which I didn't have to do as Tim got me food while I nursed K.
There's just too much to talk about without going into all the details but we had a really nice evening. Of course, Tim spent most of his time taking photos, over 500 in all, I think!
We could have stayed a lot later (or earlier, I suppose!) but we had to get Auntie Ann home. Which is just as well because we were exhausted enough as it was leaving when we did.
Kieran was an angel, he slept in the stroller most of the evening but was wide awake on the way home and when we tried to put him down in his crib. Nothing that another feeding didn't take care of, just to add to my exhaustion!
So we managed to sleep in on Monday morning and then headed downtown to hotel Le Crystal for brunch.
It was a nice chance to visit with my relatives from my mom's side who came up for the wedding. Oh, and coming up for them does not mean from the States - my mom comes from St-Eugène which is about an hour's drive past Quebec City on the South Shore.
So as usual, it was all about the food :)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Oops, I did it!
We had a tiring but very fun-filled weekend with my brother's wedding happening but more on that later. We got to see some family, here's an exerpt:
Ma tante Jeanne-Mance to me (in French): "I'm sorry, I can't remember your husband's name."
Me: "It's Tim."
Her: "Dim?" (or Pim or something like that!)
Me: "No Tim, like Tim Horton, Tsim. Tsimothée."
Her: "Aaaah, why didn't you say Tsimothée in the first place.?!"
Sorry Tsim....
Footnote: Most French Canadians for some reason can never get Tim's name right unless it is pronounced with a "ts" sound.
Footnote for Maya: I guess we have to call Kieran "Tsimbit" now!
Ma tante Jeanne-Mance to me (in French): "I'm sorry, I can't remember your husband's name."
Me: "It's Tim."
Her: "Dim?" (or Pim or something like that!)
Me: "No Tim, like Tim Horton, Tsim. Tsimothée."
Her: "Aaaah, why didn't you say Tsimothée in the first place.?!"
Sorry Tsim....
Footnote: Most French Canadians for some reason can never get Tim's name right unless it is pronounced with a "ts" sound.
Footnote for Maya: I guess we have to call Kieran "Tsimbit" now!
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