Getting back to normal

LittleMan is finally sleeping again, knock on wood (and any other surface around). It has been another tough month ending in 2 teeth and a nasty fever but finally I am getting to sleep at night! This week Dad! is on holidays and he gets to take over parenting duties for a couple days while I work, it should be a good experience for both of my boys......

The template testing on my site will be done in the next couple days, then I will revert back to my good 'ole laundromat page. Until then I am playing with color schemes and formatting on here until I find something that looks pretty for a fellow blogging mom. That is her cutie patootie baby girl at the top of the page. Hopefully soon she will send me some photos to put there, I stole that one from her and I am sure a bigger file size would work better. 

What a dollar can buy you.....

As much as I hate to admit it, I love going to the dollar store. Around here we have Dollarama which I must say is a mecca of cheap junk that you never knew you needed. That place is always packed and seriously I am so lucky they do not take debit cards because I have to go in with cash and stick to a BUDGET (at the dollar store I need a budget - that is how bad it gets) and count how much I am putting into the basket. Heaven forbid if I ever got a cart, I would be broke filling the damn thing up.

Anyways, now that the Dollarama love-fest is done I will get on with it.... this post is not about a trip to Dollarama (note to self take camera there and take pictures of stupid junk people buy) but is about something I purchased for a buck. 

Now, since I live in the same city as the MDF, Pine, Melamine and Allen Wrench craziness known as IKEA I must say that I frequent the store for many things. For a buck at IKEA you can get a decent breakfast (which is so cheap you can order LittleMan his own breakfast instead of feeding from your plate) a refillable cup of coffee (so necessary in the mornings, but they used to have an espresso machine where did it go?) or all 3 of these little toys for a dollar:

We have a shark, a turtle and an octopus...... 

Oh wait what is that I see? 

Right. An Octopus with 1...2...3...4...5..... yup 5 legs.  So what would you call an Octopus with 5 legs? 

A Pentopus*.

*all credit for the witty toy name goes to Dad! because we all know I am not that funny.

The Big One

Ginger Beer Celebration
Originally uploaded by SleepyNita

Dearest LittleMan,

A year ago today was the second most important day of my life. On Wednesday June 28, 2006 we brought our little boy (YOU!)home from the hospital. At first I was amazed that i didn't have to pass some sort of exam or sign papers to take you home, it took a while for me to understand that you belonged to us. The day you came home was a hot day(32 degrees), the sky was blue and BuddyLove was pleased to meet you for the first time outside of Mommy's belly (you had been kicking her for months before this).

Mommy was so very tired after being stuck in the worst hospital room ever for days on end, and went to take a nap after coming home. Daddy took care of you and when you got fussy, he took you for a car ride to calm you down; we were amateurs back then and the car ride was a helped you relax when you were little.

That night was sweltering hot in the house (because Daddy took his time getting us air conditioning), and you spent it screaming, and screaming and screaming. We thought all babies screamed; Mommy was breastfeeding you at the time, and little did she know that because of an operation years ago you were not getting enough milk. You were a hungry little man. Soon we found out that Mommy needed medicine to help feed you and you needed formula to top you up. By the end of the week (Friday night) we had a little system figured out, and you became a pretty happy peaceful baby; until Mommy and Daddy wanted to eat, then you started to fuss and we ate many cold meals after calming you down.

Daddy and I can't really remember what our life was really like before we had you, and we would never change it for the world. Mommy had a rough year before you were born, and you have made me (and Daddy) so happy and proud; I could just kiss and squeeze you forever. You are the light of my life.

Love you more than chocolate,
Mamamamama

P.S. The most important day of my life was the day you were born.

It Doesn't Add Up

So far this morning I have consumed the following:

1 small biscotti

12 ounces of coffee with half and half cream

So far this morning LittleMan has consumed: 

6 ounces of formula

6 ounces of Homo milk

1 bowl of cereal (about 1/2 cup)

1 bowl of fruit (also about 1/2 cup)

1 waffle

1 Big Sea Shell Pasta stuffed with Ricotta Cheese and Spinach in a tomato cream sauce (leftovers from date night last night YUMMY)

What I want to know is how is he not gaining weight (well gaining very slowly), and I am not losing it? I know I could eat better, exercise and stuff but I am not the biggest eater and my weight is still only coming off at a rate of a pound a week. Yes, I know biscotti is not the breakfast of champions, and I should eat more regularly.... but there are things to do and babies to play with you know? 

It still doesn't add up.

Insert witty title here......

So much has changed with LittleMan lately, I don't even know where to begin. 

He has a few words now, the most amusing being Dad! (yup said with the exclamation point), so Dadadadada will now be known as Dad! on this blog since that is what LittleMan call him now. 

Buddylove and LittleMan are still best buds, but with LittleMan getting bigger, he is also rougher and soon will outweigh BuddyLove. BuddyLove has been growling at him a little now when he gets too rough, which annoys me but LittleMan gets the idea and backs off.

Recently (in the last week) he has become Master of the Stairs (in BOTH directions); Dad! discovered this at Grams house while visiting last week, her stairs are closed in so I think he felt a little safer going up and down them (ours are wide open and a little intimidating). He has morphed this impressive skill into something we call the slide, which to him is much more efficient;  instead of crawling backwards like any normal baby, he skootches over to the left side and slides down backwards. Although this is cute, he sometimes loses his balance and will probably tumble down the stairs any time now. 

My Mom (LoudGranny) recently had surgery and I spent time there last week helping her home from the hospital and staying a night to make sure everything was OK. She is doing good now, just a little slow still and she can't pick up LittleMan which totally breaks her heart. We have gone shopping since her surgery, and it is a SLOW process since we need to stop for breaks all the time.

LittleMan has been sleeping like crap again lately, damn bastard tooth. Enough said. 

Preparations are underway for the First Birthday Blowout...... but the party and all the issues (not many really) are enough for a whole other blog post.

11 months going on 13 years old

Dearest LittleMan,

You are just over 11 months old now, and I have to admit you are officially a Toddler.

Sure you don't attempt to walk with any regularity, but you are as strong as an Ox and you can pitch little temper-tantrums like a seasoned pro. So far, you have not pitched any fits when we go out (knock on wood), you tend to only get mad when Mamamama won't let you crawl up the stairs or play with Dadadadada's stereo.

You are getting to be a rough and tumble little boy, you are never alarmed when you hurt yourself, and only cry when your pride is injured. This week, you have learned how to crawl on top of the coffee table and sit there to play with toys. You only seem to do this when Mamamama leaves the room to go pee. You are starting to manhandle BuddyLove, when sitting at the window she barks at the cars going by and you go "ooo ooo ooo" and then grab her collar and pull her down from the window like she is in your way. You now give her full frontal hugs and roll with her on the floor. Lately, you are most amused when she is playing fetch; you giggle endlessly at her antics. I can not wait to watch you and the dog grow up together. Someday, she will spend the night snoring in YOUR room.

Yesterday you finally learned how to go both ways on the stairs, now the problem is you never just go strait up them, you go up two then down two, up two the down two. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but since we do need to get upstairs to change your diaper I need to pick you up and that starts a tantrum; which is never pretty but is thankfully short.

Love You More than Chocolate,
Mamamamama

P.S. I know you like to play with doors now, but can you PLEASE stop locking Mamamamama in the pantry?

Back to the Grind......

So I have finished 2 out of three of my shifts this week. Things at work have gone well, I haven't forgotten how to do things and there were very few changes in the lab to learn. Stuff there never changes, I have been gone a year and some people are still complaining about THE SAME CRAP they did a year ago. I figure at this point they should quit complaining about it, because obviously it is not going to change. The same politics and arguments still exist, which is a little annoying too. Maybe it is my "New Mom" perspective, but I no longer care about that crap. I want to show up, do my job, get my paycheque ($$$$ YAY) and go home to my kid. That's it. I wish others would just chill out and adopt the same attitude.

Politics, it's not just for the government anymore....


LittleMan has spent 2 nights with Grams and is spending tonight with LoudGranny (aka my Mom). Things have gone well, he slept straight through the first night and got up once the second night for a bottle. He has been cranky when he gets dropped off, but I think that is because it is so close to bedtime that he is just tired by then, I am thinking of trying to move bedtime up about 15-20 minutes to accomodate this. Or I can continue dropping him off at the same time, and he should get used to it. I worry a little that Grams holds him or tries to contain him too much, he really likes to go go go all the time and if he doen't run around a lot, he doesn't take a decent nap which makes the rest of the day crap for everyone involved. I think Grams will get the hang of it in no time at all.

It is still hard to leave him at night and go to work, but I am so very happy to be working again and to me it all evens out in the end. I know as a kid I loved spending time and sleeping overnight at my Baba and Gidos home, and I want LittleMan to feel the same way too. I found having a couple photos of him in my daytimer and really spending good time with him during the day when I am awake have helped me transition back to work. Soon, we may be getting a new schedule at work, and being very part time I really do not want to work 3 nights in a row at all (I should only be doing 2 which is easy with a kid) because I find it to be too much for me, and too much to expect from the Grandmothers (granted the rest of my four week rotation is very nice - even just losing one shift alltogether would do for me).

It does get eaiser when they get older - doesn't it?

Letters to my Son who can not read

Dearest LittleMan,

Thank you for getting 2 new teeth this week. I must say they are very BIG, and SHARP, and WHITE!

Thank you for staying in your crib until 7am the last couple of mornings, even though it was becasue Mommy refused to come and get you out of it until 7am. Sooner or later you will learn that is the time we wake up in this house. I don't mind you getting up once a night at 4am, but can we go back to the way things were once upon a time when you would wake up, eat and go back to your crib, be quiet and fall asleep until 7 or 8am? This new "get up at 4:30 in the morning eat and then rock out in my crib making all kinds of racket until I collapse and Mommy finally gets me at 7am" routine is getting a little tiring for Mommy (and judging by your long daytime naps - for you too). Although, I must admit your rocking out in the crib moves are pretty good (I have been watching in the video camera) and may steal a few of them for the next wedding I go to, but don't worry I will videotape my dancing to embarrass you when you are a teenager.

Thank you for eating so well this week, and finally swallowing beef without gagging. As well, thanks for coming out to breakfast with LoudGranny and I this morning and being so good. You had tons of fun in the germ-pit high chair eating fruit and eggs and hitting the spoons on the table. FUN!!!

Thanks for the 3 hour nap you are taking now, Mommy needed a "do nothing in the house at naptime" break this week, it was a long and painful week.

Love you more then chocolate,
Mamamamamama

P.S. Do you think you could hang out with Dadadadadada while I make dinner tonight instead of crawling up my pantleg? Thanks in advance.

You did't get the memo?

LittleMan,

Thank you so much for sleeping until almost 7am today, I really appreciate your efforts. Now tonight do you think you could sleep through the full night, or only get up once and then go back to sleep until 8am? Lets give this a try, I think you (and I) will enjoy it. Please do not get up at 10:30pm, 2:30 am, 4:00am and then 6:45am, because this is not my idea of fun.

As well, can you find something other then a tube of lotion and the dogs collar (which she is wearing) to chew on? Mommy and Daddy have bought the fanciest and coolest teething things we could find, they freeze up for you, they vibrate, and they are squishy yet you would rather gnaw on the dog, lotion or table. Just remember someday, thas table may be in your first apartment (praise the day!) so you may want to have it in somewhat reasonable shape (although chicks dig babies so maybe you are onto something leaving your little tooth marks on it).

Mommy and Daddy love you lots, but we do not understand why you need to climb a full flight of stairs 3 times in 5 minutes. Now I know Mommy needs the exercise but I would much prefer to put you in your stroller and cruise the 'hood. As well, the barricades of boxes keeping you out of the front room are there for that reason, they are not meant to challange your climbing skills, which are quite impressive. Please develop a fear of doing dangerous things soon, ok?

Love you more then chocolate,
Mamamamamama

P.S. thanks for the super long nap you are taking right now, but we have to be at Gymboree in 24 minutes.

A Letter to my Son

Dearest LittleMan,

You know how when BuddyLove is being a pain in the ass I threaten to trade her in for a wiener dog? Well, you LittleMan are almost reaching "trade for a wiener dog" status in this house.

Why?

Because deciding to get up at 5:15am is not acceptable to Mommy. Neither is reaching your little arms out of the crib and grabbing your wooden toy fish off the dresser and proceeding to clank the fish into the baby monitor making Mommy believe that house is indeed falling down at 5:15am. You know I am a way better Mommy when I get some sleep, and more then 5 hours at some point this week would be nice. Waking up with a headache (from lack of sleep) is not my idea of goodtimes. Now I understand that you are finally catching up to all the other babies and getting some teeth this week, but seriously don't YOU think you would feel better is you slept more too?

Just Sayin'

Love You More then Chocolate,
Mamamamama

P.S. How about cuddling on the couch with me in the morning instead of trying to eat the dirt out of the palm tree pot? Just a suggestion.

Sleepless nights, tired days and everything in between

LittleMan has been sleeping like CRAP lately. Ever since he has been sick (going on 3 weeks now, but he is feeling better) he has gotten up at least once a night, and sometimes up to 5 times a night. Now I understand he isn't even 10 months old but I must admit that I have been spoiled for a couple months with a 7:15pm bedtime and him getting up anywhere between 6:30 and 8:00am after sleeping the full night. Once in a while he would get up to eat at 4am if he ate poorly during the day, but that I can handle. I miss my little sleeper, which means I am starting to miss my sleep. And ManToy will tell you that I am a much better Girlfriend and Mommy when I have had some consolidated sleep. Just sayin'.

So this means during the day we are a little tired and cranky around the house, and me being tired means I feel like I never get anything done. NOt getting anything done = Mommy feels like a big fat failure. LittleMan has also been taking his 2 daily naps into one, which is nice because he takes one long-ass nap around 11am - 1:30pm. I admit I get a lot done during this time around the house, but I do miss the 4pm 45 minute snooze where I had time to prep dinner without a little boy trying to crawl up my pant leg in the kitchen.

Seriously, between the dog sitting on my feet when I cook and LittleMan always trying to stand against my legs, it is amazing that no one has gotten hurt yet. Most likely to get hurt is me.

i also really need a decent blog design and a photo host. These blogger templates suck ass.

Know anyone cheap and creative? I think if I actually got a decent template I would be inspired to update far more often, especially now that we have the laptop with wireless.

Shop till You Drop

And not spend a penny of your own money.

Thats how I like to do it.

Today LoudGranny, LittleMan and I went shopping at West Edmonton Mall. There were a few things on our list to do the most important one being raiding the new H&M store. Since I am an absolute "What Not to Wear" freak I was VERY excited to see this juicy shopping destination come to Edmonton.

It is about time that the shopping selection got better in this damn town. With the ridiculous amount of money floating around Edmonton, is it too much to ask for a couple stores? Supposedly we will be getting a Coach store sometime soon and a Sephora will be coming soon (whoop! no more ordering online).

Now, I was very hyped to check out the Madonna for H&M Collection and I must say that I was somewhat dissapointed with it. I found many of the pieces to be an unwearable shiny fabric which is unforgiving even on my size 8 mother, and some of the others to be very fashion forward (shiny bomber jackets) which at my size is not something I can do. For a store that carries up to a size 16 pair of pants, I found it odd that they didn't have shirts up to an XL, they stopped at a Large (which is fine but some are cut a bit small). I was pleased with many of their regular clothes as well as the kids and babies (LOVE!!!!) department. I found the accessories to be derivative and limited in selection and I did not find one decent handbag in the lot.

I did not buy a thing (lies! I bought a gold hairclip), but LoudGranny scored a pair of pants, a pair of capris and a shirt. I will be back for clothing, but since I am in the middle of a diet right now I would like to lose another 10 pounds before working on a few summer wardrobe pieces.

Then we went to Jack and Jill to exchange my son's StrideRite shoes for a smaller size, and whadda you know? We had the right size, the little bugger was curling his toes up making me think they were too big.

Then we were going to Naturalizer shoes to see an Auntie, but she was not working today so alas, no shoes for me (her discount makes them affordable for a stay at home mom). Now for a wanna be fashionable girl like me, what am I doing going to Naturalizer for shoes? My feet suck ass since having a baby, that's what and I must admit sime if their shoes are actually getting pretty cute. I want kinda cute but totally comfy shoes now, not my old die for fashion painful shoes. That is so OVER for me!

On the way home we stopped for dinner (and got some chow for ManToy to eat tonight) and then went to Winners where my Mom and I each scored a LeSportsac Delux Everyday Bag (hers a brown dot mine a bamboo print) with a cosmetic case. SCORE! I heart LeSportsac and really wonder why I bother with any other kind of bag since I keep going back to my old L.A.M.B LeSportsac bags. Maybe i should set up a Paypal link on my never read blog where people can donate money to a Tokidoki for LeSportsac fund. Hmmmmm......

Anywhoo!

Thanks to my loyal reader (yup reader... one reader) Carbon who called me at home to see if I fell of the face of the earth.

Nighty night.

Poor LittleMan, Poorer Mommy

LittleMan is having a rough go of it lately. He is cutting a new tooth, and for some reason with each new tooth we also get to catch a nasty cold. But last night really took the cake......

LittleMan went to bed at 7:30pm, about the usual time. I listen to him at night on the baby monitor and I was happy to hear nothing abnormal happening (he has been getting up once and a while with the tooth). So at 10:30pm when I was ready to go to bed I peeked in on him, and my little angel was sleeping in a HUGE puddle of puke. He had blueberries and sausage in his ears, yoghurt in his hair and some bonus baby formula all over his face. Puke covered the wall, bedding, mattress pad, bedskirt and MrSleepyTurtle.

I took him to the bathroom stripped him down and lay him in the tub on some towels while I cleaned the mess and put new bedding in the crib. Then I washed him (he stayed asleep) and changed him.

Repeat 3 times.

It was a great night :(

A time to reflect.....

Valentines Day used to be a day of chocolates, flowers and swanky nights out in our home; until two years ago.

Today on Valentines Day I want to take an idea from a fellow blogger and reflect on the men in my life that matter, or that really mattered in some way or another (in no particular order, since we all know my baby is number 1). Thanks a bunch for the idea Karen.

1. ManToy. I never knew there could be someone in the world who could accept me for who I am, for as long as he has. He takes me as I am and calls me on all my bullshit when I am less then I could be and will always push me to be more then I ever imagine I could be, and for that I love him dearly.

2. My Gido. A cantankerous old man with parkinsons disease who is bitter about the world and the hand he has been delt, yet he shows nothing but patience and love for his grandchildren and great-grandson. Gido, I will never forget catching my first fish with you (even though it was your fishing rod that I was holding at the time while you pulled the seaweed out of mine) or how you always shake my son's hand to say hello.

3. LittleMan. You have taught me endless pateince, unconditional love and instilled in me a fearless and ferocious overprotective fight to the death instinct. Thanks a bundle LittleMan, I never knew I had it in me.

4. Uncle M. You are probably going to live with Baba and Gido for the rest of their lives. You are fun, funny and generous with yor time, money and love. How are you not married with your own kids now?

5. Dad. You always wanted me to be better then I ever thought I could be. You were formally uneducated, yet the smartest man I ever could know. You came from a family full of poverty, violence, neglect and abuse yet I always felt wealthy, loved and cherished. You knew you were flawed yet wanted to do better, to be better for you family. You were so proud when I decided to return to school, and prouder yet when I financed myself through blood, sweat, tears and scholorships. You made me confident and strong, not a girl to be pushed around. You made me thoughtful and giving and willing to reach out to others. You taught me not to sweat the small stuff, and you can't take it with you when you die so have fun now. Sure we did not always agree on little things but when it comes to the big picture, nothing else really mattered. Thanks a bunch Dad, you and Mom are the reason I am who I am today..............



Two years ago today was my Dad's funeral. He died of cancer. From diagnoses to death we had seven months with him, and really never any hope of long term survival. He faced his illness with hope, courage and humor; he faced his death with acceptance and peace.

Valentines day will never be the same in our home again. Ever.

Today ManToy and I went shopping, ate chocolate and left LittleMan with my Mom (she probably needed the distraction) while we galevanted around the city. It was the only way for me not to spend my day in tears.

Hug your loved ones today you never know what tomorrow will bring.