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Our Month of Friends began when Auntie Nicole, Uncle Darren and Carys arrived on January 22nd. We were all looking forward to their visit and even though the daddies had to leave us early on Sunday, Nicole and I had a wonderful time just hanging out in the house for the week with the kids. We didn't really do that much but here is what went down:- we had a wicked stuffed pork dinner with extremely large flights of good red wine (we were being deliberately pretentious and it was fun). Hanan and Dave joined us and I am not quite sure how the babies slept through the hysterical laughing that went on. We finished
the night off with the homemade coconut ice cream mentioned in one of my last blogs. It was a big hit. - we had Sara over for dinner on Saturday night. I laboured over Asian cuisine and, well--let's just say I won't do that again. It is much easier and more enjoyable to make something like the pork when you are having guests. Things that require perfect timing are very difficult to juggle when you want to socialize with friends. I didn't burn anything even though the smoke alarm would beg to differ (it went off many many times while the babies were in bed. And yep--they slept through it).
- we went to swimming lessons which really only last 5 minutes because the water was freezing cold and Rowan was very unhappy. So was daddy.
- we tackled Coras with 4 adults and 2 babies and 2 strollers. It must have been entertaining to watch us trying to squeeze in to the booth and then leave making sure we had all of the soothers, the clothing etc. Going out has never been so much fun!
- we drank a LOT of coffee.
- we did a LOT of dishes.
- we fed a LOT of food to the babies but forgot about ourselves almost every day.
- we sang "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom" so many times that it is permanently etched in my brain.
- we laughed so hard that no noise came out.
- we cried a bit too. Motherhood has made blubbering mushies out of Nicole and I.
- we had a visit from a ghost.
- we went to Chapters where poor Carys almost boiled to death.
- we made homemade pizza and devoured the entire thing. Partly because it was delicious. Partly because we were starving.
- we talked to Jenn P sitting in Toronto and to John in Bath over Skype which inspired Nicole to go out and get her very own webcam. We plan to have coffee together sometimes. We'll probably sing "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom" the entire time.
- we had a day of barf.
- we sat in amazement of the kiddies and talked about everything baby just like all new moms do.
- I taught Nicole to cast on and to read a pattern (sort-of). When she asked what she will do when she gets to the next part of the bunny hat and she is stuck I responded: "We'll Skype!". Ha! I bet those crafty people who invented Skype didn't intend it to be used for knitting instruction.
- I finished a toque for the "cause". That's a scarf and a hat done and added to the pile-that-will-be.
- we played with so many baby toys and somehow invented new ways of doing so every day. Who knew playing could be so much work!
- we made gross looking baby food. We learned that Rowan adores mango (yes, I know--he isn't supposed to have it until after 6 months or so) and Carys loves this disgusting concoction of pasta, sweet potato and cottage cheese. Thank god I am not a baby anymore.
- we watched as Carys went from pulling her self up and standing for a few seconds on her own to walking around the ottoman. Okay, we actually missed the walking part the first time she did it because we were busily typing away on our laptops. When we looked up she was at the opposite end of the ottoman! She also went from fairely quiet and content to a little angel with a mind of her own when she was here. It was fascinating to watch her take the toys away from Rowan and to get upset when Nicole had him on her lap. She knows exactly what she wants and she demands it. Stimulation did wonders for the babies. It made me feel a little better about the idea of daycare oddly enough. I think Nicole felt the same way.
Wow, now that I think about it, we had a pretty full week. Rowan and I were sad to see our friends go but we know we will be seeing them again soon. Next up-- Auntie Jenn arrives on Monday! And then Dawn, Ashley, Trevour and Liam arrive on Thursday for a few days. What fun!! We'll see what kind of trouble we can create with them at Winterlude. God, I can't wait to be able to feed Rowan a beaver tail and see the jam all over his face. I bet Liam LOVES them...stay tuned.
Here are a few photos of Rowan and Carys "enjoying" each other. Sadly we didn't get a photo of all of us together.
It's 3:40 pm and so far today we have cleaned up at least 8 piles of puke out of Jenny, Bailey, Carys and Rowan. Rowan has also had 2 very big poops full of fruit. Needless to say, it has been a very messy day. Luckily, the puke is not because of illness. Instead, it is entirely food related. We caught Jenny who was freely eating out of her dog food bin last night. She had a disdended tummy that couldn't take it anymore. Bailey barfed because he ate Jenny's puke (or so we think). And well, the kids just can't seem to go a day without throwing up a large portion of undigested milk or food. I'd say they too are overeating. I didn't know life could be so messy!
Rowan couldn't have asked for a better first bath buddy than Baby Carys.
I have always felt my grandfather's presence around me since he died. He always seemed to be close when there were big events going on which is why I thought it was strange that he didn't make his presence known when Rowan was born. I know, you are all thinking: "WHATEVER!". My rational self is saying the same thing too. But, here is a true, real-life story that happened today. Imagine me and Nicole sitting in the living room, working on our computers. We were chatting here and there and I don't know why, but I blurted out:" You know, I think Rowan sees my grandfather". She got a creeped out look on her face because she had a story to tell me too (which I heard and well, you can ask her about it because it is her story not mine).
The feeling that Rowan can see Grampa has been with me since he started smiling. As you know, Rowan is a very happy baby who loves to smile and giggle. However, there are only 2 things that make him smile-- people and Puff. He doesn't just randomly smile at things. In fact, he doesn't even smile at the TV which fascinates him. But, occasionally when we are in the living room, out of nowhere, he looks over my shoulder, at the white wall and gives a HUGE smile to something that is nothing. Or something that I think is my Grampa. When this happens I ask Rowan if he sees Grampa and if he does, to please say "hello" and "I love you" for me. It is the strangest feeling. It scares me because I am not prepared to see the dead even if the dead is someone I love and miss dearly and yet, it also makes me happy because I know how much Grampa would have loved to have met Rowan.
Anyway, I explained this story to Nicole. She didn't laugh. I went on to tell her about how I thought Grampa once whistled in the car immediately after I had just told J about teaching Grampa to whistle on that very stretch of highway between Ottawa and North Bay. We were both stunned. And here is where it gets especially creepy... Not 15 minutes after we stopped talking about ghosts did Nicole hear a man's voice say through the baby monitor "What, what is it?". I didn't hear it but didn't question what she said she heard. Seconds later, through the baby monitor again we both heard: a clear whistle.
Jen's Fakin' It Coconut Ice Cream:
Ingredients:
* 2 cans of coconut milk
* 1 can of coconut cream (it's normally found in the drink section, used for making pina coladas)
* 6 egg yolks
* 2/3 cup of sugar
Mix the coconut milk, coconut cream and sugar in a saucepan on medium until the sugar has dissolved. Beat the egg yolks until fluffy. Place the yolks in a new saucepan and add 1/4 of the coconut milk mixture and beat. Add remaining coconut milk and heat on medium/low for 10 minutes. Do not allow to boil. Refrigerate overnight to thicken. Prepare the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Freeze. Make approximately 12 small servings (or 4 Jack-size helpings).
Variations:
Try adding a mashed banana and dates to the mixture during freezing or cashews. I bet a lot of other goodies would work too.
It's official, Rowan hates broccoli. He gagged and gagged until he barfed. Good thing I am a good catch. It didn't make it past the bib. Sweet potatoes are next on the menu.
Rowan reminds me of a hungry little bird when we feed him his cereal. I didn't know it would be so much fun to watch him want to eat this way. Initially I was reluctant to give him anything but breast milk because I thought it might take away from *our* time, as selfish as that might sound. But it hasn't taken away from anything. Instead, it has given us something else to look forward to and now Daddy can participate more too.
Here are Rowan and Daddy both learning to use a spoon.
Rowan found his feet today. It was fantastic to see the wonder in his eyes when he made the connection that those cute little piggies at the end of those things (legs) he kicks are his. We didn't catch the moment on camera. It happened while we were playing in bed but we did take a photo of his feet and his flexible self the day before the lights went on.
I didn't know very many people in Vernon even though the community was very small and we lived there for 6 years. I don't know why people are afraid to get out and meet their neighbours these days, but they are and I am no exception either. I wish I had more nerve because there are a bunch of young women around here with babies the same age as Rowan who I bet are stuck inside their homes just like I am and who could use something to do too. But, I am a chicken and was never very good at making new friends (at least not as an adult anyway). I wish I could be more like Gerry. 
Gerry became my friend the very first week we moved in to our old house. He probably walked right in the front door without knocking in fact. While he almost caught me half naked a few times, I really couldn't complain because he was very good to me. We rarely had to clean our laneway. We never had to mow our lawn. And when I was really down and alone in that big house, he came over to keep me company and to make sure there wasn't anyone hiding in the closet. Even though I have successfully put Vernon behind me, Gerry is still around. He still visits often and still comes flying through the front door (or he would if we didn't lock it). He still takes good care of me too. And now, well-- let's just say he has even more reason to visit. Here he is with Rowan who isn't quite sure what to make of Uncle Gerry's booming voice but Uncle Gerry sure thinks the world of Rowan.
I have taken up playing Scrabble with John in the evenings. Mostly I hate boardgames. I always have. But, Scrabble is his favourite and I believe it is important to do things that you don't like doing just to make other people happy sometimes. Besides, I'll do anything if I can win and, I do win from time-to-time. In fact, I spelled the word "Laughter" in our second game and got a whopping 101 points for it which meant that not only did I win the game, I kicked some serious ass. I sat pondering my letters for a very long time before the word came to me, which is surprising when I think about it because laughter is something that we have plenty of in our life.
I have always laughed a lot. I used to get in trouble in school for laughing in fact. I even had the bus driver pull over on the side of the highway one day and tell me to get off the bus because I was a nuisance with all my laughter. You can imagine, that only made the situation worse. We laughed even harder. I don't know why I didn't get off the bus. It seems completely unlike me to disobey an order. I must have apologized and the bus driver must have come to her senses. I am pretty sure there is something illegal about dumping a teen on the side of the road, no matter how *happy* they are. As far as I am concerned, we will have done a bang-up job raising Rowan if the only thing he ever gets in trouble for in school is laughing too much.
Here is a video of his early career as a laugher. Notice who is encouraging this bad behaviour. Imagine! I am sorry you have to turn your head or computer to see this properly. I am still learning to use my camera's video application. Shoot me.
Not only did Rowan have his first taste of an apple and cereal this week, but he also learned to sit up on his own. He can hold himself up in the sitting position for close to 30 seconds unless he is distracted by a dog, or a toy, or a daddy who comes flying down the stairs.
Some people watch baby-tv or baby-Einstein movies with their infants. Others sit on the floor and play with toys. We, well... watch and see for yourself. I am dead serious when I say that this child is going to sing before he talks, how could he not with a father like this??
Time shifts. It's slippery, slimy and sneaky. One moment I am begging for the end of pregnancy, the next moment I am giving birth and cursing myself for thinking that I wanted to experience labour. And now, out of no where, our little man is sitting up and eating solid food! I am afraid to blink in case tomorrow he is off to University and leaving me (us) behind...
He likes green apples. I know I shouldn't have let him lick my snack, but he seemed so interested. I couldn't help myself. I needed to see how he would react to the sour taste. He turned his nose up at first and then grabbed my hands to pull the apple close again. He loved it. He has been showing signs of interest in our food for a little while now. He smacks his lips and/or makes a sucking motion when he sees us eating. It is the cutest thing and it has me wanting to give him more. And so...tomorrow is *the* big day. We are going to give him his first meal of milk/soy free rice cereal (which is surprisingly difficult to find). I am sure there will be photos to post of that monumental milestone. But for now, enjoy the video of his first taste of fruit (and the last until we introduce it properly).
I just read Nicole's blog about her apprehension around going back to work now that her time is almost up. It seems strange that she would write about the very thing I am worrying about today (although, we seem to be connected in many ways these days). It was clear that as she wrote about her fears and guilt that she started to feel a lot better about the idea of leaving Carys at a Day Care because she knows that it is best for her and her family. In reading what she thought, I hoped to feel better about the fact that I will be visiting a Day Care tonight, but by the end of it, I didn't have the same revelation that she did. Perhaps, as my time draws to a close I will feel differently. I do have another 8 months to warm up to the idea after all. But, even though the Day Care I am seeing tonight is just down the street, I think my feet might feel like lead weights when I set out with the toboggan trailing behind me.
Unlike Nicole, I didn't *know* that I wanted to go back to work right from the start. I was surprised by the fact that as soon as I saw Rowan's face thoughts of never going back to my career (the one thing that has been consistent in my life for the past 10 years might I add) popped in to my head. I knew my career would take a back-burner to my family, but I had no idea that it would tumble to a very low position in my list of priorities once Rowan came along (in fact, it might have fallen off the list entirely). I saw myself taking a break, going back to work happily at the end of a year and continuing on just as I always did--traveling, working until obscene hours of the day, being at the beckon call of the "Other-John-in-My-Life". But now, even though I do miss the rush that came with being very good at my job and the big money, I just can't swallow the notion that I will be rushing around this house in the mornings trying to get my baby ready to be shipped off to someone's home so that I can go and listen to people tell me stories that I have heard a thousand times before. My role will go from spending every waking moment with my little guy, caring for him and loving him to dropping him off, picking him up, feeding him, bathing him and putting him to bed. And then starting it all over again. Yes, there will be weekends and I know that many moms will tell me that I will be begging for adult contact come the end of my maternity leave, but the idea that someone else will get to see the "firsts" instead of me makes me choke up. There is no way, no matter how good the *other* caregiver will be, that she will hoot and holler like I did when Rowan rolled over from his back to his tummy effortlessly today or rock him endlessly because he is feeling achy after getting his vaccinations. He is my baby. Our baby. He is our responsibility and I want to be the one to teach him all of the fun stuff in life. The other day I heard Lila say to Juliana as she was holding Rowan that she had better let Rowan lay close to me because "his mommy might get jealous". I am not that possessive normally (that child has been passed around more than any child I know), but I have to admit, I might bite you if you get too close today. Is it wrong to want to hog your own child?
I don't think it is. Just like I don't think it is wrong to want to go back to work either.
John doesn't think I can stay home because he thinks I need more stimulation than what I get now. Maybe he is right. I think it is probably premature to rule out going back to work and so, the effort it takes to find a Day Care is worthwhile at this point. It is nice to have a husband that supports me though no matter what I chose to do and to have the option of staying home if I want it. At this point, I guess I will just roll with it and keep dragging my feet to meet caregivers so that we are prepared and well informed come the end of August.
One of the things I was looking forward to during pregnancy was being off for a whole year so that I could work on my *projects*. I have been off for, oh-- 4 months and a bit now and not a single project has been completed. The wall-of-pictures is still lobsided, the black pants and the hippo outfit are unknit, the art is still not up, John's first year anniversary present is still far from being complete, the shower thank-you cards are still unsent, the shower scrapbook has empty pages, the closets are still a mess, the baseboards are still filthy, and the list goes on and on and on and on...and now, it is January 2nd, 2009. If you look at the very first A New Beginning entry you will notice that it has been a year since I sat down and created this thing. That means I have one more project to add to my list! My intention is to publish a book every year containing the year's blog entries so that Rowan has something to read when he grows up that captures not only the important moments and people in his life, but also helps him see into the life that his dad and I lead together and maybe even give him some insight into the woman that is his mother.
Volume 1 is started. I wish I hadn't inherited my father's project-starting-but-rarely-completing tendencies (sorry Dad). It's frustrating, and as the list grows, I get more and more overwhelmed. Maybe tomorrow I will make a list of all the things that I need to get done and just start knocking them off-- one by one.
Wait a minute! Did I just give myself ANOTHER project....Blah.
Our Month of Friends began when Auntie Nicole, Uncle Darren and Carys arrived on January 22nd. We were all looking forward to their visit and even though the daddies had to leave us early on Sunday, Nicole and I had a wonderful time just hanging out in the house for the week with the kids. We didn't really do that much but here is what went down:
