New Mama

art

2009-03-23T21:28:00.004-04:00

I can finally share this delightful find as they gifts have now been gifted. Recently hubby, K and I have been searching the city for the perfect big girl bedroom set and the perfect pink paint and perfect linens and accents for our perfect little girl.

I stumbled upon these personalized prints and I just had to have them for K's new room; and had to get them for some other special little people in our life.

We're still searching for the bedroom set and the paint and a few other extra special touches. I envision her room coming together over the coming months rather than weeks as we pick out the pieces together as a family.

happy hearts day

2009-02-14T22:11:00.005-05:00

She said "Happy Valentine's Day Mama" and that was enough to make me smile all day long! I'm sure hubby had something to do with that instruction...

That added to her every expanding vocabulary is a solid repertoire of songs, including Twinkle, Twinkle, Happy Birthday and ABCs. Amazes me each day!

I started this spring coat in December and finally finished it last week (pattern from Claire Montgomery's Baby Knits). These past few days of warmish weather has inspired me to move away from greys and browns to some spring-like colours, like this mauve.

Happy Hearts Day...hope yours is filled with smiles and colours!

2 years

2009-01-19T16:42:00.005-05:00

Dear Kayla,

Has 2 years really passed already? It feels like only yesterday, you were a wee babe in my arms as I walked the house endlessly, rocking you to sleep.

It's amazing how 2 years makes such a big difference. You're such a little character now. Very independent, strong willed and determined, yet loves to laugh, tease and play games like hide-n-seek and "chase me."

A big girl indeed, participating in simultaneously ditching the diapers and crib, opting to sleep in a big girl bed. My baby girl is not a baby anymore, but forever my babe. I love the way you like to be tucked in at night, covers up to your chin. And I love you when you sneak your way into our bed (but not always at the exact moment, but afterwards upon reflection of the act the afternoon, day or week later).

We dream of your future, even though you're only 2. Will you be a dancer? You're always swaying your hips and moving your arms to the beat of any music (even trying out the steps of America's Best Dance Crew). Will you be a singer? Love to sing-a-long to the Backyardigans or the pop songs on the radio on the drive home from grandma's. Will you be a gymnast? Doing somersaults and jumping are some of your favourite pastimes.

Whatever you'll be when you grow up, I'll always love, support and cherish you. I love you. Happy 2 years, baby K!

Loving you,
your momma.

what does this mean?

2009-01-04T23:09:00.005-05:00

My babe always surprises me. And sometimes she does things that just plainly stumps me. Take this for example:

...and this:

She likes to line up her toys. She does this with no prompting or reason. I just find these figures, toys, and dolls throughout the house, all in a line, one after the other.

What does this mean? Any guesses?

Happy New Year!

holiday prep

2008-12-14T22:48:00.006-05:00

I'm amazed it's December now and I'm marvelling how my last post was about Thanksgiving and we're now verging on Christmas.

I'm in holiday mode and there's been lots of holiday preparations the past 2 weeks...

: : some Christmas tree trimming

: : some handmade advent calendar surprises

: : and more tree trimming... (K's first Hello Kitty ornament from day 1 of the advent calendar)

: : And lots of Christmas cookie goodness!

K's is in love with cupcakes these days. All she wants to wear is clothes with cupcakes on them! I picked up the apron from Snug as a Bug at the One of a Kind Show a few weeks ago. Wishing you all a happy and cheerful holiday season!

21 months & fall knitting

2008-10-19T21:55:00.007-04:00

We celebrated my girl's 21 months since birth with a super "cute & scary" early Halloween party. With all the kiddies dressed up, of course, all the parents went camera happy! Although, this may be the last gathering we have at the house with this many people. Imagine 16 adults and 10 kids...it's a good thing the weather was beautiful and a lot of outdoor play was involved!

Aside from Christmas, Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year. The decorations, the costumes, the fun! What else could be better?

That weekend, we also took a trip to Chudleigh's apple farm, for a wagon hay ride and some tractor fun.

And what did we see? Among the ponies, cows, deers and goats, we saw an Alpaca! (the alpaca coat is often spun into yarn, and I've been thinking about knitting a new, soft alpaca sweater for K).

Kayla actually said "a-pac-a" when we pointed it out to her at the farm! Her vocabulary is growing daily now. She recognizes shapes, animals and people by name in photographs. Strangely enough, however, she still won't pronounce her own name yet.

I've also been knitting crazily this past while. Casting on several projects, ready for fall. I love fall yarns, colours and textures. Here's the product of many evenings this past while for my babe.

: : An elfin hat knit from Noro wool (complete with tassels and snowflake embroidery) which I'm still working on lining with some warm fleece to protect from the itchiness of wool. The pattern is from Itty-Bitty Hats.

Of course, my girl's silly personality comes out in all it's glory at this fun opportunity!

: : Plus, a turquoise hat and scarf knit from Blue Sky Alpaca's organic cotton. I love this yarn! It's so versatile and soft and easy to knit with.

There's still more knits to come. Fall knitting...another fave.

fall beginnings

2008-09-28T22:07:00.003-04:00

One of my fave times of the year...Fall!

The wonderful colours...

And the sunny, brisk weather! So much fun, just around the corner!

i love you

2008-09-24T21:28:00.003-04:00

She can say it now! And it melts my heart. This morning after getting dressed, I said, "I love you, Kayla" and she said, "I wove you!" Melts my heart. Makes everything else fade into the background. Makes my day.

Actually, she says a lot these days. I read that at this age, kids learn about 10 new words a day. Incredible! The funniest new word is "Pasta" although she says it like "Pa-ta". Too funny!

19 months and counting

2008-08-14T22:10:00.006-04:00

It's been so long since I sat down to write a post and I'm sorry about my laziness. No excuses, just plain lazy.

My blogging absence has by no means that K has stopped growing, learning, discovering. She's constantly talking now. A mixture of both English and Chinese, which is one of the benefits of having my parents as her daycare provider. I love that she can understand both languages. I'm going to try hard not to let that slip away like it did for me when I started school. As an adult, I understand how valuable language can be.

K loves books now. Can't stop reading. We read in the mornings when we wake up, in the car, before we go to bed and anytime in between. Funny thing is, she has her 3 favourites and will not tire of reading them over an over again. It's pretty silly and exhausting at the same time. By now, I have them memorized.

K loves the chicken dance. We showed it to her one day when she was tired and being fussy. She immediately stopped crying, watched us do the moves, then started to copy us. It was THE FUNNIEST THING EVER! Even funnier was she would only flap one arm not both. It resembled an armpit fart..lol

K loves dogs. I guess that's the product of having one in the home. She's fearless. Every dog we see she has to go say hello. Sometimes makes me nervous with the larger ones, but mostly we know all the dogs in our neighbourhood so it puts me at ease, mostly.

K loves "America's Best Dance Crew". Every weekend it comes on, she's out there in front of the TV dancing away by herself...doing the arm pumps, circles, back-and-forth swaying, and knee bends. One day I have to take video of this. She's going to be a star, I know it!

Here's some photos taken over the past few months. Enjoy and I promise to be back soon!

summer-go-fun

2008-07-14T22:32:00.005-04:00

We've spent a lot of time this summer going round and round. On the merry-go-round, that is. It just so happens that this is K's fave ride. Ever since that first ride on Mother's day she's been hooked. Now every time she sees one she gets all excited, pointing and oooohhhing. There's nothing we can do except get on (or else she explodes into a fit of crying and screaming - not a pretty sight!)

Here's evidence that we've been on almost every carousel in the city:

I've been amazed to find that there's so many of them throughout the city. Seems like everywhere we go, there's one. Watch out animals! Here we come!

time flying

2008-07-02T22:32:00.010-04:00

If you can imagine 16 adults and 9 kids under the age of 3 all under one roof, you can image what our Canada Day BBQ was like. Spent the morning cleaning then spent the evening cleaning. Despite that, it was a fun day but one that I can only do once (or twice) per year - for very obvious reasons, you'll have to agree.

So, here's some things I've learned from the experience:

Plan a party on a Saturday or Sunday of a long weekend. Getting up the next morning to go to work is brutal after an evening of cleaning house.

Buy multiple hand-held bubble making devices - it helps to keep tears and "not ready to share" scenarios to a minimum.

Ensure all available "drawing" instruments are of the washable variety.

Tie down or bolt down collapsible playhouses so curious toddlers don't discover the joys of tent toppling.

The threat of toddler jail works magic for little ones under 3.

Corn on the cob are instant hits for kids of all ages!

Always eat ice-cream and Popsicles outdoors.

Nevertheless, it was a great weekend spent with friends, which I'm sure there will be many more "events" and much more learnings in our lifetime. It amazes me that just 3 years ago, summer weekends were spent so much differently. Boy, has time flown by so quickly!

Here's some photos of the event by our gracious photographer Daddy D.

da-da day

2008-06-16T23:06:00.004-04:00

We spent Sunday morning at one of our fave breakfast spots, where a wonderful mother shared me her tips and success story with dealing with a child with eczema while we waited for our seat. Then, carrying on the tradition from Mother's Day, we headed over to our fave indoor amusement park in the afternoon. K recognized the merry-go-round immediately and started to clap her hands and dance with excitement.

It was a day dedicated to da-da and Kayla - just as it should be. Happy Father's Day to all da-das out there! Hope you had as much fun as we!

the walk

2008-06-10T23:04:00.006-04:00

These evenings there's a new walker in the family.

What was once a duo (Kobe and I) has now become a task for three.

As soon as our shoes are on and Kobe is hooked up with his leash, K immediately reaches for the lead and out the door she goes, not even bothering to look behind to see if I'm following. My brave, impulsive and impatient girl (she gets that from me - hubby is the exact opposite). This act alone solidifies in my mind that she really, truly is growing up!

Secretly, I see much dog walking in her future, so the fact that she enjoys toddling around our neighbourhood with Kobe in tow is great news! She has so much fun, in fact, that often she refuses to come in. Even Kobe, who's been trained by over 9 years of walks, has the sense to head up the driveway to the path of our front door. But not Kayla. She actually starts pulling back on the leash, shaking her head and backing away instead.

Even the dog knows it's time to turn in for dinner! Oh, but not her! She's not ready yet to go inside. Instead, they make another trip together around the block! My two funny, silly babes - they make me laugh!

fathers and daughters

2008-06-04T22:29:00.007-04:00

There's something to be said about the relationship between fathers and daughters. In our fam, I'm the one K turns to when she's hurt, scared or hungry. But when she wants to play or be teased, she instantly turns to dada.

He's the one that will chase her around the house, or hid behind a door waiting for her to walk through to surprise her. He's the one she calls for from the top of the stairs, asking him to come up and play with her, or throw her up in the air and onto the bed. He's the silly one when she just wants to be silly, too.

This week, it's been just the two of them - a little dada and kid mini vacation. So far they've been to the park, the mall, an indoor play-gym, and out for lunch around town. Actually, all the places mommies and babies typically hangout.

Hubby reported today after a visit to our local indoor playground that he was only one of 3 men in a place overflowing of women and kids. And I guess just as groups of mommies will converge and make friends, daddies will do that, too apparently.

So, I'm fortunate that hubby is capable, willing and comfortable spending a week long "holiday" with our babe. It's something that she probably won't remember, but the bonding and the memories for him will last forever, and that makes me happy beyond words.

finding

2008-05-25T21:47:00.004-04:00

I have to admit, it was simply wonderful to stumble upon a piece of paradise right at my backdoor - practically. That's what happened this weekend. We found ourselves in a tucked away corner along the shores of Lake Ontario just 10 minutes from our home.

It was beautiful: a park, the lake, a beautiful garden and a lot of heritage. All tucked away behind a quite residential neighbourhood.

We spent a while watching the birds, the sailboats and all the beautiful people celebrating their wedding day that day. It was fitting that 5 years ago that day, hubby and I were married, too. What a coincidence, huh?

she's got personality

2008-05-22T23:17:00.002-04:00

This kid-sized shopping cart was a Christmas gift from a friend last year and it's become one of K's fave pastimes for the past couple of months.

She loves to pick up all sorts of things: toys, mail, the recycling, and place them inside the cart. Once full she pushes it around the house. stopping sometimes to discard an item or two from the cart, making room for other items that catches her fancy. She even ransacks our pantry looking for items like bags of pasta and cupcake liners to stash in her cart!

I love watching her personality develop. I dream about what kind of person she'll grow up to be. We've already discovered her silly sense of humour. We've already discovered her love of music. And now this... this could only mean trouble down the road... she's a natural shopper! Oh my!

mama's day

2008-05-13T22:05:00.005-04:00

Receiving a Mother's Day card is such a treat. I know it might sound silly to some, but to me, it's one of the special moments of this day. And although hubby picked out the card this time I can imagine that one day he will take K to the store to pick out her own card (or better yet show her how to make one for me) and sign it and fill it with her own words. That's what I think about about on Mother's Day and it makes me smile (and shed a little tear too, I must admit).

Although Mother's Day is really meant to celebrate the role mamas play, our day was spent making our little girl happy, which in turn made me the happiest. So after a nice treat for myself - sleeping in until 9:30 am and waking up to pancakes (yum!) hubby and I took K to an indoor amusement park for the afternoon.

It was great fun! K's fave was the merry-go-round. She loved it so much that she would cry when we tried to get off so we just ended up staying on, over and over again!

Everyone tells me that this age is the best, and after a day like this, I really feel that is so true. K is so into exploring her environment right now that everything (big or small) fascinates her, and to be a parent watching all of this really makes me appreciate and enjoy something like going on the same rides over and over again. And it wasn't boring at all. Instead it was so amazing because she was having such a good time.

And of course, she was so exhausted from all the fun that she promptly fell asleep on the way home. What a good girl!

We hope all the mama's out there had as happy of a day as we did! Happy Mama's Day!

parking

2008-05-05T20:10:00.005-04:00

This weekend's warm and sunny Sunday brought us out to a nearby park in our neighbourhood. Our first real trip to a park, actually. I'd been searching for a park nearby for a little while and was quite disappointed to discover there was no park within walking distance of my home. What was I thinking buying a house without a park close by!? But luckily discovered this weekend, this great one not too far away.

Big success that day... K's fave was the slides. She loves slides; but she also enjoyed walking up and down this ramp...

And climbing the steps - of course!

She's not a fan of the swings just yet, but they'll be many more trips in our future this summer, so plenty of time to practice and discover the joys of swing-time!

it doesn't get much better than this...

2008-04-29T20:31:00.006-04:00

Hanging out on the patio, watching the ocean waves roll onto the beach; laughing and playing by the pool; and eating really great food - constantly! What more could we have asked for? It was the perfect vacation.

But vacations are really different now. I've had several people comment to me since my return saying things like "oh... you're not too tanned this time..." And all I can say is, vacations are really different now. Gone are the days where hubby and I could lazily lounge on the beach, soaking in the rays for hours on end. Gone are the days where I would sit by the pool and read a book from cover to cover. Gone are the days when sleeping in until noon while on vacay was routine because we'd been up drinking the night before.

This time around, our days were filled with splashing in the pool, making sand mountains on the beach, climbing up and down stairs constantly (seriously K has an obsession with steps these days!) and riding the trolley train around the resort at least once a day!

I didn't even bring a book much less a magazine! There was no lying out in the sun perfecting my vacation tan. Nor was there any sleeping in. We were up at sunrise, all three of us strolling out onto the beach in our PJ's and catching the sun as it rose over the ocean - breathtaking!

At 15 months old, K has grown into such a little charmer. Her little babbles, waves and dancing charmed almost everyone we met there. I know I'm probably biased here, but she was just too cute for words. All the waiters, waitresses and entertainment staff at the resort, and including all the kids at the pool knew Kayla's name by the end of the trip. We were pretty proud parents.

Bye, bye Punta Cana, you'll be well missed!

the little moments

2008-04-14T23:17:00.004-04:00

Being a mom and a working full-time has it's ups and downs. Anyone in the same situation understands what I mean. This afternoon, I realized how much I had missed the little moments. I had the afternoon off today to take my babe for her 15 month check-up. Afterwards we stopped off at the mall to run some last minute errands for our trip.

Usually mall trips are hurried and not much fun anymore (oh, I'm so sad to say this but one of my fave pastimes has become a chore). Going shopping with a toddler on a weekend is NOT fun! But when the mall is empty, it's like a different little girl has taken over. K toddles around the mall, waving at people, peeking into stores and presses her little hands against the windows. It's too adorable for words. I was kicking myself for not bringing the camera with me.

Then I think, oh my goodness, I'm missing these moments. My mom tells me this is how she acts when they go out on the weekdays together. I guess I never see it because the weekends are always so full of people that it overwhelms and frightens my babe. Hey, big crowds of people and lineups galore are pretty scary, even to me sometimes!

But the joy in her face, the happiness in her steps was so evident this afternoon. She was having a blast just walking; sometimes holding my hand, sometimes running ahead. We stayed at the mall for an hour just walking around because I didn't want the moment to end. I loved it so.

And later this afternoon, we took Kobe out for a real walk around the neighbourhood for the very first time (just the three of us). Of course Kobe didn't understand how to walk with a little person who only took 1 step per minute or so. He was so excited to be out with us, he kept pulling at the leash and wanting to charge forward.

It was a beautiful day filled with many little moments. I wish there were many more.

goofing around

2008-04-13T22:39:00.004-04:00

Kayla turned 15 months old on Friday. I cannot believe how much time is whizzing by. As each day, week, month passes, her personality is really starting to shine through. She's a wacky, silly girl. This morning I found her wondering around our hallways pretending to be a highchair! How crazy is that?!

sunday night fever

2008-04-07T23:32:00.006-04:00

K had her first fever yesterday. I know, many of you moms are thinking, "Wow, first fever after 14 months, count yourself lucky" but it was pretty hard on me. Never having gone through it before, I was a little unprepared. I wasn't even certain what temperature constituted a high fever to begin with!

And to top it off, I had to leave her at the peak of her discomfort. I was already committed to a bachelorette party for my future sister-in-law. I felt like a terrible mother! After giving her a dose of Tempra, I had to leave her in hubby's care, screaming and crying. I thought about her the whole night; how could I not?

But in the end she was fine. Kids are pretty resilient, aren't they? But that doesn't really relive the guilt or the worry, does it?

When I returned home, hubby reported that her fever had broke by 8:00pm and she went to bed without a hitch. She was completely asleep when I went to check on her (several times) when I returned.

As a mother, you can never escape the guilt, the concerns. But the joys make all the worrisome nights worthwhile.

the good hour

2008-03-30T22:09:00.006-04:00

Tonight between 6 and 7 pm was the best hour of the entire weekend. We had just gotten home from J's first birthday party - which I handled solo and realized just how tough it was with a toddler who is on the go all the time.

When we got home, K and I trotted upstairs and played on the bed. An hour of bouncing on the bed, tickles and hiding under the covers. It was the best time! I love the interactions. The silliest, smallest (and oddest) things delight her, probably because she's such a silly girl! She certainly has her Daddy's personality.

: : Here she is chillin' in a chair just her size (photo taken this weekend at Auntie E's). I'm in love with this love seat, but not the price tag. Isn't it just the perfect size?

my bitch session

2008-03-25T22:06:00.004-04:00

So I just have to come out and say it... if you ever, ever consider visiting a travel clinic for advice or care, my advice... DON'T!

They don't give out consistent advice, they don't know what they're talking about, and they're set up by doctors and administrators who aren't able to set up a proper practice and just looking for money. Okay, I've said my peace.

So what's the story? In planning for our upcoming family getaway, I've been researching possible travel precautions for Baby K. So in an attempt to get her the right vaccines I contacted a local travel clinic who told me we would need to come in for a consultation. Fine.

However, when they told me about the fee structure, I was floored. They wanted us to pay double the consultation fee because I would need to accompany K to the session. Well of course I would need to go too - she's only 14 months old! So even though the advice and vaccines would only be for her, we would need to pay for a couple because I was coming too! If they could show me how a 14 month old would be able to go by herself and I would gladly pay! So ridiculous!

And this was not just one clinic... I called several to see if the policies were the same. They were, except that the fees varied from clinic to clinic. Even crazier! By the end of the day, I was pretty peeved.

In the end, K's doc was able to provide the vaccines after all, so all is good, but the whole experience baffles and shocks me to no end! Still does. Okay, enough said... thanks for your indulgence!

braving the sun

2008-03-18T23:06:00.007-04:00

Hubby and I have decided to take the big step... the big, scary step of taking a toddler on a plane for more than 3 hours; the even bigger, scarier step of taking her out to a foreign country; and the even more frightening step of introducing her to the ocean. (For those that have followed my blog early on, you'll understand...)

Today, we booked a much anticipated and needed vacation to the Dominican Republic - leaving in a month, and I'm super nervous about it. This is waaaaay bigger than our trip to Boston when she was 7 months. Now that Baby K is so active, we thought it would be fun to introduce her to the sun, but my head spins just thinking about all the things I'll need now.

Plus I'm worried. Worried about her allergies. Will they have food there that she can eat (they must have rice at least in DR, right?) Having a child with food allergies is exhausting. I always have food with me; I always watch what she puts in her mouth; I always worry.

Will they have milk? Should I bring formula as a back up? Will she even drink it now? Will she like the crib they give us? But most importantly, will she have fun? Her enjoyment really is our enjoyment now.

Funny how these things change, huh?