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Our trip back from the UK was more difficult than our trip there. Our flight was canceled the night before we left and we were put on an earlier flight connecting through Toronto. I was completely stressed right out. I figured we would miss our connection and wind up with a screaming unhappy sleepy baby. The screaming unhappy baby part did happen even though we made it on to our flight from Toronto. I can't blame him. I felt like crying too and I am 34 years of age and what I would consider a "seasoned" traveler. I HATE Air Canada on the best of days. I still hate them even if they gave us a travel voucher for close to 1K in value. They gave a man in the line up some lame story about the plane not arriving the night before. I am sure it didn't arrive because they canceled the flight to combine 2 half empty flights to save money. I can't really blame them for that because it does seem stupid to flight to Ottawa and Toronto an hour apart with 2 half empty planes but they should tell the truth and not make up silly lies that they think will appease their clients. Anyway, we survived. We survived to find the city covered in snow. The only thing I like about winter so far is Rowan in his winter coat. He is enough to warm even the coldest travel-weary-fed up winter-hating-heart.
Our trip to Bath is coming to an end. We leave tomorrow morning at 8:30am. I am happy to be going home although I absolutely loved my time here. It is a beautiful friendly city and I'd come back in a heart beat. I believe Rowan enjoyed his time too. We certainly put a lot of miles on his stroller and on my feet. We explored every day. However, the nice part about being here for over a week was that we were able to pretend we were in Ottawa and see the sights at our own pace. We would get up in the morning (usually after sleeping in until 9am), eat, play, get cleaned up, nap and then go out to do some shopping. I didn't really feel like a tourist. Maybe that's because I didn't do any of the touristy things? I am not sure, but I am leaving here feeling as though somehow this is partly my city now...I believe we will be back.
Last Sunday J took us to London where we saw the Parliament buildings, the Eye, the Aquarium (which was a disappointment because one of the main areas was closed off),Trafalgar Square and Big Ben. We didn't make it to the Palace but that didn't matter. We had a great time navigating the city by foot and subway. I enjoyed the train ride to London as well. The train ride home on the other hand was difficult because we didn't have a seat. We were lucky enough to find a car that had enough room for the stroller but we stood for quite some time before a very nice young woman gave up her spot for us. I guess there is something to be said about pre-purchasing your tickets especially when you have a 2.5month old with you. Live and learn! All in all the traveling has been quite easy and I am proud of J and I for not only sailing through it, but also managing not to get into any kind of tiff while moving about.
Rowan and I also took a side trip to Cardiff Wales on Thursday. Because of the potential difficulty in storing the stroller on the train, I decided to only bring the Ergo Baby and to carry Rowan the entire time. Again I thoroughly enjoyed the train ride. I didn't even care that Rowan had a major Poop Explosion on our way there and I had to change him on the seat next to me. We saw a castle which was interesting. I wish we had gone on a tour of the place but the timing was slightly off. I arrived close to feeding time and didn't want to start the tour and then have to find a place to sit down with the baby and so I planned to go back after he ate. The problem is I started shopping and well, hours went by and by the time I was making my way back to the castle I was tired and my feet hurt. We did find a few Christmas presents though which is more than I expected to accomplish anyhow.
Not only did we get to see and do a lot of fun and different things on this trip, but we learned a lot too. Both Rowan and I hit some pretty important milestones together. Here they are (again in no particular order):
Rowan's:
- He pulled himself up to a standing position while holding my hands.
- He held on to his toy and brought it to his mouth for the first time.
- He rolled from him back to his tummy (and did this more than once just to prove to us that it was deliberate).
- He outgrew the Bonkie (boohoo) and slept through the night unswaddled.
Mine:
- I learned to just whip out the boob and feed. I didn't care what anyone thought. I have been pretty good really all along about feeding but now I am a seasoned pro.
- I traveled alone with my child and not only did okay, but loved it.
- I spent many consecutive days alone with Rowan and got showered, did my hair, cleaned the place up, and went out to have some fun each day.
- I changed a majorly dirty diaper on a rail car seat and a toilet seat in a public bathroom all in the same day.
- Carried my baby for hours, got the ergo baby on and off alone, navigated a strange city and only spilled my wine gums!
- I baked a milk/soy free banana bread by modifying a recipe I found on line and using limited cooking equipment.
- I asked a complete stranger to help me clip the Ergo Baby.
All of these things may sound minor to others but they were very big accomplishments for Rowan and I. I am especially proud of my little man. Although, in some way I am also sad to see him already doing so much because I know that he is going to grow up too quickly. Someday that adoring look he has on his face when he stares at me when we play will be gone and he won't need me anymore. Parenthood is the most beautiful and in some ways the cruelest thing anyone could ever experience. I guess accepting that he is his own person and not MINE will be another milestone...one that I am not ready for and that I will delay for as long as I can. Selfish? Of course it is but that's okay for now. 
We received a sample of some of the photos we had taken of Rowan earlier this fall. I absolutely love the shot of my baby and man together. Just one good photo of the two of them was well worth the money in my mind since I can't seem to take any myself. Here they are: Daddy (36 years) and Rowan (7 weeks).
Loves of My Life
We found out last Thursday afternoon that John was wanted in Bath England for Monday morning. We were getting ready for a week long trip to Blind River which we cut short to be back in Ottawa on time to catch a night flight to England on Wednesday instead. While I was disappointed to have to make a long trek to see my folks only to turn around and go back to Ottawa a few days later, I was very excited about my second trip to Europe. A trip I would be making with my baby boy and husband nonetheless!
The last minute trip did cause us (especially me) a lot of stress. John was in Philadelphia and so I had to run around with Rowan in his stroller for 2 days to get passport pictures, the car cargo rack (so that we could lug all of his stuff and the dogs with us where ever we go), get Rowan's allergy tests done and then apply for his passport. It may not sound like a lot of things to accomplish in 48 hours but it was. Rowan was in his car seat for no less than 6 hours per day and was very cranky by the end of it all. So was I come to think of it. My anxiety was fueled by the passport office who didn't like his photos, who wanted a ticket before giving me his passport and then who, when I had my ticket, questioned why Rowan's name wasn't on the ticket. In the end all of the bumps were ironed out and on Wednesday just before heading to the airport we picked up his passport and were on our way.
And here we are--in Bath, England. John and Rowan are both fast asleep as I write. My boys are exhausted after traveling to Blind River and back and then getting on an airplane the next day. In total we have traveled 29 hours in the past 5 days. That's enough to knock anyone on their bum, especially if that anyone is a 2.5 month old or a tired daddy who barely got any sleep in the days leading up to our trip. I am exhausted too but I think that caring for Rowan has trained my body to deal with intermittent and interrupted sleep. I am looking forward to exploring the city tomorrow with my bright-eyed little man staring at me out from his Quinney. Watching him watching me is my favourite thing to do these days and I can't imagine a better place to do the watching from than the streets of a quaint old town! I wonder what we will find?
Here are a few things that our first family trip away from Canada has taught me (not in any particular order):
- Babies need a ticket no matter what the on-line booking site says.
- You can only purchase the ticket for a baby by calling the airline directly (at least this is how Air Canada works)
- Calling the airline is a good idea because the agent will give you a bulkhead seat which has a bassinet attachment.
- You need a ticket with mention of the baby in order to get the baby's expedited passport.
- Passport employees can be real jerks even if you are visibly upset and have a screaming baby on your hip.
- The world would be far more chaotic without good friends (Thanks Angelina for bringing us our ticket and sitting with Rowan!)
- Flying at night with a baby is a good idea because they sleep the whole way (if you have the bassinet which you aren't guaranteed to get even if you have a bulk head seat because they only have 2 on board at any given time).
- Car seats get checked. Strollers can go to the gate where they are put on the sky check.
- Sky check doesn't mean "No damage".
- Hiring a car is a good idea when traveling with a baby, a stroller, 4 large suit cases and a car seat.
- Ordering a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet means you eat first on the plane and it actually tastes good.
- There is such thing as lacto-ovo chocolate cake!
- Driving a stroller full of groceries and baby is risky business. Good thing the basmati rice was the only casualty.
- No matter what the photographer says, baby passport photos should be as perfect as possible if you don't want any fuss.
- Second sets of passport pictures do not need to be signed by the guarantor (we didn't need to do this but when our photos were questioned they told me I could just take Rowan downstairs for new shots and come back).
- The passport people may say they will call your guarantor but they don't.
- Flying with a teething baby is hell (this is based on the poor mom flying solo with her 8 month old boy who cried the entire flight as our angel snoozed. By the way, Rowan was the same size as the 8 month old).
- 2.5 month old's can fit into size 6-12 month clothing (I learned he fit into all of his clothes when packing for this trip).
- England has a much wider selection of healthy foods in the grocery stores and it is safer for people with allergies because everything comes with an allergy allert on the label.
- French and Italian bakery bread are generally milk and soy free but you need to consult the bakers (who are wonderful in England).
- Canada and the US are either super paranoid about terrorism or really like plexiglass. In England, the customs agents sit behind a normal desk and actually get out to look at your sleeping baby.
- The Bonkie (http://www.babybonkie.com), although it may appear to be trendy version of a straight-jacket to some, is a LIFE SAVER.
- Men with loud coughs scare the shit out of anxious parents but don't seem to affect a sleeping baby.
- Avoid the red wine on flights. There is a reason it is free.
Tomorrow Rowan and I will walk daddy to work and take in the sights. I simply can't wait.
We saw the allergist last Friday and a milk/soy allergy was ruled out by pricking Rowan's arm in 5 places. I am not sure what kind of quack-doctor invented the torture devices that are used for allergy testing, but I would be willing to bet the doctor was NOT a mother. He screamed as the doctor broke his skin in 5 places on his forearm. I wanted to cry along with him but, I stayed strong and pinned his arm down like a good (bad?) mommy. I am very glad that he doesn't seem to be allergic but he could still have a sensitivity. As such, I am still on the milk/soy free diet until the 15th of December or so when I start re-introducing them back into my diet. If he reacts poorly to the milk or soy, I will go off them again for at least another month and try again later. The diet has been good for my weight loss (I am down to 164lbs) but I am very hungry all the time. It is very time consuming and difficult to eat this way. I would kill for chocolate or a big fat piece of cheese cake right now. But, like I said in my last blog entry, the diet is worth it if he feels better and so far, he seems to be very good. Here are a few changes we have noticed since I went off the milk/soy (which by the way is in EVERYTHING):
- Only 3-4 poops per day
- Poops are less runny
- Poops do not cause him any distress. In fact, the grunting and groaning has been reduced substantially
- Less gas overall
- He has slept over 8 hours straight at night
- His demenour is a lot more cheerful
- His nose isn't as stuffy
- His skin doesn't seem as rashy
So far the Organics name brand by PC seems to be the safest bet when shopping even though I am reluctant to by anything "organic" simply out of principal. Doesn't anyone find it strange that eating "organic" is a big craze when all food is organic? I mean hell, who is eating a chunk of lead or steel anyhow? Yes, I know-- "organic" is supposed to mean chemical-free among other things. But, it DOES NOT in all cases. It means that there are no man-made pesticides/fungicides/insectices on the food. Guess what, some of the naturally occurring "ides" are worse for you than any of the synthetics and they are being sprayed all over crops these days. How else do you think you get a fresh strawberry in the middle of a Canadian winter???. I believe in buying local. I believe in buying free-range because of the cruelty to animals but I do not believe in paying a premium just because the word "organic" has been attached to the goods. Yes, some "organics" might be better for you, but some may not. I have to admit that the "Organics" name brands seems to be made of less ingredients (and appears to be closer to the "Source") than most other brands but I'd be a fool to believe that the ingredients were not grown with some form of chemical treatment. "Organic"="Ergonomic"= Potential YARN as in Wool-over-your-eyes.
Who says I am not opinionated? Oh, and of course there is the whole argument that we should want some of our foods to be sprayed with chemicals because they prevent nasty toxin-releasing-moulds from growing. Things like peanuts need chemicals otherwise you might be ingesting carcinogens such as aflotoxin. If you don't believe me, look it up. Nature is better at chemical making than man that is for sure. Now, if only we could harness the super-glue made by water dwelling creatures--that would be something I would pay a premium for!
Rowan turned 2 months old on November 6th and to celebrate, we left size 1-2 diapers behind. To mark this important date, we have taken a picture of the diaper changes he has gone through so far. See below.
He visited his pediatrician yesterday for his shots. We were also told that he is in the 95th percentile for weight, 90th for height and 75th for head size. I believe the exact words out of the doctor's mouth were "You can't ask for any better than that". He is perfect and growing very well. However, after some discussions around the mini-diet experiment we have been conducting to determine whether or not he might be allergic to milk protein, the doctor decided that we might be on to something and we are now going to see an allergist on Friday. I have been put on a no milk/soy diet until we are sure which means I have to say goodbye to my beloved ice cream...at least for a little while anyway. To be fair, giving up ice cream is a small price to pay to have a happy baby who doesn't have tummy troubles. Reducing milk seemed to make a big difference and so I suspect complete elimination of milk/soy will work wonders.
PICTURES TO COME
He is like his mom in more ways than one but today we discovered his true love of sleeping on his tummy (just like me). He has been lying on me or on the couch for hours it seems and he hasn't budged. He is perfect in every way and when I look over at him, I can't help but wonder what Angel lost him here with us. My sleepy baby...
Rowan has discovered his hands and tongue this week. He sucks and sucks his hand when he can remember to get it to his mouth. When he isn't sucking he is sticking his tongue out in the funniest ways. His tongue is very long, it reaches below his tiny little dimpled chin! Watching him and his million faces is one of my favourite pastimes these days but, it is the playing we get in before his morning nap that I love most. He laughs on his change table as daddy and I tickle his chin or kiss him all over. Speaking of kissing...I swear he understands what a kiss is. His tongue discovery has made my kissing game a little wet though. He actually drooled in my mouth the other day. I never thought I would think baby drool was a good thing but I'll take the drool if it means getting a humongous smile and giggle out of my little man.
Rowan's "gas" problem seems to be under control now thanks to Infacol which he gets when I have too much milk. I am glad that I can have cow's milk in my coffee now. I am nervous to attempt icecream even though I dream of having a big old soft serve cone from the "Chips and Dairy" down the street. Now look who is drooling. Damn!
