Happy Halloween!

What a cute little mouse, indeed!

One, two, three

Three new teeth have popped through in the last two weeks. A fourth is on its way. The little guy is full of toothy grins now that the teething pain is subsiding (or at least until the next round...).

A bonus in all of this is that he's slept through the night four blissful nights in a row.

The scoop on travelling with a baby

I used to an expert at packing lightly. If it couldn't fit into a carry-on bag, I left it behind. Well, gone are the days when I could avoid waiting for luggage at the airport. Travelling with an infant is a large-scale operation that takes days of planning. There's the stroller, the car seat, the eating supplies, diaper bag, toys....

Forget the carry-on bag, I need the biggest suitcase they make!!!

I've travelled a lot with the little guy over the past year so I can pass on this advice:

1. Buy diapers and wipes when you reach your destination. I only bring what I need in my diaper bag (I use a knapsack instead of an actual diaper bag. It's way more practical!!)
2. Baby food can also be purchased later. Just make sure you have enough on hand in case there are travel delays. I always carry a sippy cup, spoon, fast drying bib, and lots of snacks in my diaper bag.
3. Don't try to save room by skimping on the baby clothes. I've made this mistake only once. Drool, diaper leaks, and food spills can happen at the most inopportune moments. I always plan two outfits for every day I'm away, plus a couple of extras for the diaper bag.
4. Disregard pointer #3 if you will have access to laundry facilities. I always make use of my mother's washing machine when I come to visit. This makes a huge difference in the number of clothing items I pack for the baby and myself.
5. Instead of using a toiletry bag, I usually use a ziplock bag. It's way more compact!
6. Only pack small toys and books (books fit into the front zip up parts on your suitcase). If you are going to be staying with relatives, only bring enough toys to occupy the little one while in transit. Ask your relatives to get some toys from the dollar store or a thrift store before you arrive.
7. I never pack magazines or books for myself. I'm way to busy attending to the little one to actually read anything. On the off chance that he falls asleep, I find a newspaper, or watch the movie.
8. Get to the airport early. Everything takes longer when travelling with a baby!
9. Get to where you are going in the most direct way possible, even if it's more expensive. The price of your sanity is worth the extra cost of a direct flight!
10. If you are renting a car, get the biggest one they have. Compact cars don't cut it -- trust me on this one!
11. Don't cram too many activities into a day when you take a baby on vacation. If you do, you'll have a cranky baby on your hands.
12. If you've had a busy day order room service or eat at the hotel restaurant. Trust me when I say this will make your life a lot easier.
13. Make friends and relatives come to you instead of the other way around. They'll be happy to visit you on your terms if it means seeing the baby. The more can limit trips in the car, the better!
14. Ask for an extra seat on the plane, if it's not full. The staff will be more than happy to accomodate you.
15. Bring a compact stroller instead of one of those SUV-like joggers. Airlines will let you take a small stroller right to the gate, but not a big brute.
16. Pack your sling in the carry-on in case the airline makes you check your stroller. It does happen from time to time, so you need a back-up plan for hauling your precious cargo!
17. Never pack towels, soap or shampoo. They are always available no matter where you are staying.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go pack. We're leaving on a 4-day trip tonight.

Bon voyage!

A little fall frolicking

The little guy seems to like frolicking in the leaves as much as I do. Here are some pics we took just before Thanksgiving dinner.

He strikes again!

The food strikes are over. The little guy will now eat anything you put in front of him, so long as he can feed it to himself. Not cooincidentally, one of his top teeth poked through last week. We think that teething pain was contributing to his food aversion. Thank goodness he's eating well again!

But now a new strike has begun. His once favourite activity is now his least favourite -- bathing. Every time we put in the bathtub he screams his head off. Even his many bath toys don't seem to sweeten the deal. We're not sure where the sudden aversion to bath time come from. I guess it's just another one of those phases he going through. I'm sure it too will pass.

Have a great day everyone!

In search of the great pumpkin

We didn't let the biting wind and frigid temperatures get in the way of our fun. This past weekend we flew down and stayed with my brother and his family. The little guy had a fantastic time hanging out with his cousins, and exploring the countryside. On Saturday we went to a "pick your own pumpkin" farm and played in the pumpkin patch (and in the barn too!). And, the next day we went on a beautiful hilly hike to see the fall leaves. Here are some pics.


Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!


We were greeted by a friendly goat when we arrived.


Before heading out to the patch, we stopped in to visit the livestock. What a cool old barn!!



There were pumpkins for as far as the eyes could see. The kids were thinking Halloween thoughts. I was thinking about pumpkin pie. Mmmm....pumpkin pie...


The little guy was all smiles. Or, at least until his nose got cold...



Hiking is lots of fun. Especially when dad does all the work!

Goosey Goosey Gander

For the last few weeks we've been shivering under our duvet at night. The feathers are so old and flat that it's like sleeping under a thin sheet. We can't complain though because that duvet lasted more than 15 years. It was handcrafted by my mother-in-law and she really did a fine job. But alas, the duvet is on it's last "wings".

Over the weekend we went on a mission to find a new duvet. Who knew that it would be so complicated? We spoke to a duvet expert at a fancy linen store and learned all about fill power, loft, ounces of down per channel (or something like that) etc... She also went into great detail about each duvet that they carried and how the down was washed and treated, and how the panels were stitched. We learned that grey goose down was just as warm as white goose down, but most people opt for white down and will pay more money for it (she called this the "snob factor.") We walked out the door after she read us the price list. Yikes!!!! I'm pretty sure only snobs shop at her store...

We think we've found some duvet sources that are 60 or 70% cheaper than the fancy store and are roughly the same quality. When it comes right "down" to it, I really don't care what colour the down is. I just want a long-lasting duvet that keeps me warm in the winter but doesn't bake me to death in the summer and that fluffs up pleasingly when shaken without loosing its feathers. Oh won't it be nice to bask in my new nest?

What I didn't know a year ago

I think it's fair to say my life is a heck of a lot different than it was a year ago. No matter how ready you are for parenthood, nothing can really prepare you for what is in store. For example, a year ago I didn't know:

- my song repetoire would consist of: the itsy, bitsy spider, if you're happy and you know it, and sticky, sticky bubblegum.

- that I'd become one of those mothers who checks for "stinkies" by picking baby up and taking a sniff. I used to tell people I'd never do that!!!

- how much time it takes to get out the door, or how much "stuff" you have to haul with you.

- how quickly babies move from one stage to the next. Just as you gain confidence in your parenting abilities, a new challenge presents itself.

- that my love for him would grow deeper and deeper every day.

- that pjs and outfits with snaps -- no matter how cute -- are evil! Try doing up snaps at 4 am and you'll realize why.

- the importance of getting a "full" night's sleep.

- that half of the stuff I bought in preparation for baby would end up being completely useless.

- how much laundry a little tiny person can actually generate. It's astounding!

- that a drool fountain would turn on and never stop.

- how overpowering a babies suckling reflex is.

- how many complete strangers would give me unsolicited advice.

- what a big job babyproofing would end up being.

There is so much more I could write, but you get the point. And I'm sure there are lots of things to come that I don't know about too....

Looking into my crystal ball

Like all new parents, I like to fantasize about the little guy's future. Will he be a fireman? An engineer? Will he discover the cure for cancer? At his age, anything seems possible!

Here are a few predictions for his future, based on his activities of today.

- He likes to sleep late. So...he'll likely be attracted to careers that allow for flex hours.

- Out of all the objects in our home, he is most attracted to Daddy's shoes. Does this mean he will "follow" in Daddy's footsteps some day? Okay, maybe I'm reading a little too much into that...

- He loves to swing, and hang upside down. I hope that doesn't mean he's going to run away to join the circus, or become a professional monkey....

- He's discovered that people will give him lots of attention if he makes a fake coughing noise. I bet if he cleared his throat in the boardroom, he'd have everyone's undivided attention. Could this be the making of a top CEO?

- He'll only eat out of a big person bowl with a big fork or spoon. With such "sophisticated" tastes, he's sure to be into fine dining some day. If only we could do something about his table manners (spitting, throwing, smearing food in hair etc...).

- If we'd let him, he's probably live in the bathtub. Maybe this is a sign that he'll be a professional swimmer some day!

- Dogs, cats, squirrels...you name it, he thinks they're pretty neat! A veternarian perhaps?

- If there is a Cheerio hiding anywhere, he is sure to find it. Possible careers: Detective, treasure hunter, archaeologist.

- He's definitely the biggest ham you've ever met. Aim a camera at him, and he strikes a pose. Do I detect an interest in modelling, or acting perhaps? Could he be the next Tom Cruise (minus the craziness of course....)?

- Like most little boys (and men for that matter...) he has a natural attraction to tools, cars and other types of vehicles. I'm betting he'll be an enthusiest for life!

- His "output" seems to be greater than his "input" if you know what I mean... No doubt that is a sign of good productivity!

- And finally, he's a good snuggler. I hope that means that means lots of hugs for me in the future!

Only time will tell!