Seven Months: Summer Fun

It should go without saying that this month has been all about big changes (most notably our move back across country) and I couldn't be more pleased/relieved with how well Ben handled it.

Kid's appetite is increasing along with his body mass. We're doing one solid meal per day and so far so good! He still prefers the bottle but is happy to try everything else we've offered (so far). The post-meal mess is unbelievable as Ben likes to grab the spoon, rub his face mid chew, suck on his bib, etc. while being fed. Thank goodness everything is washable.

Most of the clothes that arrived on the moving truck last week no longer fit despite being 'roomy' just a few weeks ago. The other day I realized that he fits the entire length of his change mat from head-to-toe. I can't believe his strength either. I seriously have to work hard to keep him from squirming away during diaper changes or when getting him dressed. I'm not sure who's more tired by the end.

Mobility is definitely improving with Ben getting up on all fours and manoeuvring around on his tummy in every which way. No crawling yet (and secretly I'm thankful for that) but even then it is becoming apparent that I cannot leave him unwatched for even five seconds. Ben can easily eject himself from his Bumbo chair and will wriggle to whatever has caught his interest. We learned this the hard way, unfortunately, as he's had two tumbles now...once for Mom and once for Dad. Fortunately he's just fine (although we were both a bit traumatized when it happened).

Ben is now officially in his big boy crib and no longer in the same room as us at night. His sleep habits are kind of random at the moment. We had one night where he slept through the night (hallelujah) and the very next he woke up 6 or 8 times. We bought a baby monitor which has been an awesome investment, especially now that he is 'all the way in the next room'. I think I had more separation anxiety than the kid did.

Now that we're back on 'home turf' and (finally) semi-settled...we've been running around like mad! I hosted a bridal shower/stagette for a great friend and spent my first night away from my little man that day. We giddy-up'd to the 100th Stampede with our good friends Cory, Ash and Isla for some Western fun. Baba, Grandpa and Aunty Kelly came for a visit. We met cousin Ethan who's just a few weeks old and hosted Danny's mom's birthday dinner/cake. We attended two weddings - one in beautiful rural Saskatchewan and the other nestled in the picturesque Rocky Mountains. Although the mosquitoes got the best of us in both locations we still had a blast. Danny started his position as an attending this month and we couldn't be more proud of him. I probably missed a bunch of things but I think you get the gist of it all.

Next up for Ben and I is a road trip where I tackle long-distance driving...solo! Fortunately Ben is getting better with being in the car now (maybe just one big meltdown every twenty to thirty minutes).

Wish us luck!

And Then I Fell off the Face of the Earth...

Whoa - it's mid July already???!!!

I'm writing this post as I wait for our moving truck to (supposedly) arrive. What's that you say? Didn't we move like a month ago? Well my friends, I'm afraid this isn't a typo. It has been nearly a month and, yes, we're still waiting for our stuff to arrive.

I'll spare you the excessive rant that will likely turn into a run on of expletives and just say that it has been an extremely frustrating experience. Lost vehicles, broken down trucks, poor schedulers, countless phone calls, emails, broken down communications, deadlines passed, revised deadlines passed, re-purchased wedding gifts/outfits/bridal shower materials, and a new appreciation for sleeping on your own bed (or any bed for that matter).

Deep breaths.

But it hasn't all been a complete disaster. The new house is great and I can't wait to truly settle in with our stuff. We've attended birthday parties, thrown bridal showers/stagettes, hosted grandparents, aunts, uncles, enjoyed to the Calgary Stampede, attended a fun family wedding in Saskatchewan and exhausted almost every take out menu in our neighbourhood. It's no wonder I am in shock that we're half-way through July.

Hoping to resume a more frequent posting schedule soon (although it's not as though I was a frequent poster to begin with).

Farewell Toronto

Today is our last day in Toronto. Danny's last day of Fellowship, our last day living downtown, our last day in the hustle and bustle of it all.

It's rather bittersweet I might say. We knew our time here was temporary but we still tried our darndest to make it feel like our home for the past year. So today I'm feeling rather nostalgic looking back at all that has happened and saying goodbye.

Goodbye Toronto. Goodbye gorgeous sky-high view of the city and water. I'll miss watching the planes and boats and busses and birds and clouds. Goodbye streetcars, subway trains, honking traffic, fire-engines and ambulances roaring down the street every half hour. Goodbye to watching helicopters land just blocks away from our home. Goodbye construction noise and cranes that changed our landscape by the week.

Goodbye to our colourful and wonderfully diverse neighbourhood that offered us with endless eateries, museums, coffee shops and crowded grocery stores. Goodbye to the many lovely people who held the door open for this new mom with her stroller and to the interesting folks who said 'it would be okay if her baby was on drugs because he's so cute.'

Yeah.

Goodbye to our condo - to Ben's first home. We enjoyed time by the pool and up on the rooftop terrace with new friends. Goodbye to our concierge who were amongst our first familiar faces in this foreign city. Goodbye neighbours who never closed their blinds at night and provided us with plenty of eye-brow raising moments. Goodbye to the ill-placed fire alarm that went off every. single. time. I opened the oven door. You, my noisy friend, definitely won't be missed.

We celebrated a year's worth of birthdays and holidays here and even tried our hand at entertaining (despite very limited seating options). We enjoyed exploring and showing off the many things our city had to offer including the horrible traffic jams often endured to get there.

It wasn't always easy and there were plenty of challenges along the way but I'm so glad for our time here. I'll look back with (mostly) fond memories. It was a good year, no, a great year.

Until next time.

Six Months: Rolling & Solids

Six Months. Half a Year. And what a half-year it has been!

I find myself having to look back at previous monthly posts to remember which milestones Ben has hit as they come so fast and then seem like they've been here forever. The big ones for this month include rolling over at every opportunity (making diaper changes a fun challenge), hanging out on his tummy (no longer hates it), pushing his bum into the air while trying to get his knees under him and trying to crawl. He'll scuttle a few inches to reach for a toy or put his pacifier into his mouth (albeit backwards sometimes) but it looks like we might have a crawler after all!

We started incorporating rice cereal into Ben's diet and he absolutely loved it the first time around. The next few attempts were ho hum but the strained/pureed peas and carrots were a big hit. Slowly trying new foods, fingers crossed that there are no allergies. We'll see.

Ben also started making strange which made for a couple awkward moments but I know it is just a phase. Pretty soon he'll want nothing to do with his parents so I'll enjoy the clinginess while it lasts.

Sleep has taken a step backward with Ben waking 3 or 4 times a night. He seems to be in some discomfort over his teeth (which still haven't surfaced by the way). I feel like the girl who cried 'teeth' and yet we still have nothing to show for it apart from red cheeks and soaked bibs.

The past month has been busy for fairly obvious reasons (being our last month in TO) and Ben has been handling it like a champ. We enjoyed a nice Father's Day hitting up our favorite Sunday lunch spot and presenting Dad with a couple of sentimental gifts. We picked out a new set of wheels that should be a bit more 'kid friendly', enjoyed a few dinners with extended family, met some new friends on the rooftop terrace and attended our first birthday party for our sweet friend, Elea, who turned 1. We said goodbye to our worldly possessions as they were loaded up onto a big truck and shipped cross-country and we're now 'roughing it' for the next few days on an air mattress in an otherwise bare condo.

Big transitions ahead!

Things as of Late

OMG is the baby asleep?... is he still asleep?

We have entered the phase of teething and I'm not going to lie, it has been rough at times. The amount of drool is astounding and unfortunately with that constant wet stream comes some very chapped cheeks (and now neck and chest). We're doing our best to keep him clean and dry but it is such an uphill battle. New shirts, new bibs, teething toys (Sophie!), soothing lotion and moisture barriers, night time swaddles, mittens to keep the scratching at bay, great big bandaids to cover the open wounds when the mittens fail. 

And then there's the sleep issue. This poor kid fights sleep like it's the plague! I'm not sure if it's because he's itchy or sore or overtired or just plain restless but I really feel like we're back to the early days of getting up every couple hours at night and then spending 2 hours trying to lull him into a 30min nap during the day. We've tried gripe water and the occasional dose of Tempra which help a bit but I don't think there is a perfect cure no matter how much I try to find one. I know this is just a phase but some days I feel completely burnt out. I try not to complain too much when Danny comes home from his own long day of work but more often than not I just hand him the baby. "Here, you deal with him now." We take shifts which helps a but still isn't ideal. 

I'm not sure which one fell asleep first but I wasn't going to wake either of them up!

Side note: One of the fairly obvious things I've learned since becoming a parent is that despite your best efforts and intentions you can't control everything!

Anyway, I don't want to turn this into a Debbie Downer rant because (a) nobody wants to read about the problems every other parent faces and (b) my mom reads this blog and I don't want her to get worried. We'll be fine... it's just not always a butterflies and roses type of day.

Apart from the teething we've been winding up our time here in TO. I had a few things on my 'bucket list' that we were able to cross off. Fortunately we've been having fairly decent weather lately so the stroller is out in full force. We've made a few trips to Chinatown and surrounding area to indulge in the cravings that can only be satisfied on Spadina Avenue. We made an afternoon out of the Hockey Hall of Fame and posed along side the Stanley Cup. I spent a few hours atop our rooftop terrace taking in the skyline from all different angles. We even tried a new restaurant where I found my 'new favourite soup'. If it weren't for the move I know we would be regulars.

There are still a few things I want to cross of my list but if we don't get them all done that's okay too. I have to remind myself to stop wishing away time (It will get better as soon as the teeth pop through or I can't wait until we have a back yard to play in) because at the end of the day there will always be struggles to deal with and there will always be adventures to enjoy. It's just part of finding the balance in life; taking the good with the bad and embracing what you have. 

And at the end of the day I've got it pretty darn good.

Lunch With My Boys

This past weekend we stepped out for a quick bite to eat. We came across Mercatto, a place right around the corner that I'd walked past numerous times but hadn't tried yet. Turned out to be a great discovery. There weren't too many patrons so the restaurant was nice and quiet for us (less people to disturb should our music box decide to make a performance). The service was great, the food was tasty and I was able to relax and un-wind.

Soon we're going to be moving to the burbs and these little gems just a 5min walk away won't be so easy to come by. I know our days will be filled with new weekend routines and adventures but for now I'm just trying to enjoy these moments of living in the heart of a city with my boys.

Five Months: Feet, Fists & Fountains

Holla, five months!

This kid is at such a fun stage. I think I say that every month but I just can't help it. I love watching the big personality emerge from this guy. He's tremendously alert, determined and stubborn but all around a pretty happy and smiley guy. He's finding his high pitched screaming voice along with the 'mmmmm's and 'blrblblblbs' that regularly bless our ears. 

Toes make for a great snack and Ben can't get enough of them. One finger won't do anymore either; he's usually chomping down on two or three at a time. We let him suck on a wedge of watermelon this month which he absolutely loved. Not ready for solids yet but I know he's very curious about food. What goes into his mouth, however, doesn't even come close to what's coming out. This kid is a fountain of drool! I knew we'd hit this stage but I don't think I even realized how soppy everything would be. Bibs are soaked in a matter of minutes and there are only so many shirts one can pack in a diaper bag. I'm pretty sure Ben makes a game out of it as he'll purposefully spit up on us -- or anyone offering to hold him for that matter. No teeth yet but it wouldn't surprise me if they were on their way.

Nowadays we're always on the move. Ben is a 'walking' machine. He supports his full weight and will easily walk from one end of the condo to the other while holding on to our hands for balance. Perhaps he'll skip crawling as he absolutely hates tummy time and prefers to bounce and kick any day. He'll sit up for a few seconds but still tumbles over onto his side. Bath time is still one of his favourite activities and now he has the whole tub to splash and kick around in. Even while sleeping he'll flail around or hold his feet straight up in the air. I have to hold back the laughs so as not to wake him up.

This past month was very eventful for us as we made a trip back West to prep for our upcoming move. It was Ben's first ever airplane ride and he handled it so well much to the relief of his very nervous parents. We were able to visit with both sides of the family and introduce Ben to a few new friends. He even got his first 'kiss' from Miss Isla Rose, a sweet little girl just three weeks older than him. I'm anticipating a lot of dates in the coming months. We also made a trip to the harbour front for a free circus, enjoyed some backyard barbecues and went on stroller convoy walk with new friends.

We're wrapping up our time in Toronto which means a lot of change and transition ahead. It is somewhat bittersweet but we plan to spend the next few weeks taking in as much as we can!