Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Christophe
Christophe is a 40 something frenchman that I spent an hour with yesterday morning. He is my new personal trainer and the owner of the gym in town. The fact that I went to the gym is laughable enough, but to say that I actually have a personal trainer, well, that is just ridiculous. I am not really one that likes to sweat, nor do I like feeling tired or out of breath. I also don't like pain or anything that makes me uncomfortable. So what the hell am I thinking? Why would I do this to myself, you ask??? Well, you should see my post baby tummy. I will spare you the graphic details and save you the mental image, but let's just say it is a bit round and a bit soft. And really, it just doesn't serve a purpose, so it has got to go. My soft, round tummy is now in a tremndous amount of pain. So are my arms, my shoulders, my back, my legs, and my butt. Dom says that means it is working...I am not sure. All I know for sure at this point is that I can't lift my arms up high enough to brush my hair, and it hurts to laugh. I don't have a picture of anything at all gym-like to post, so here is one of Aria instead; just 'cause she is cute.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Toddlers keep you busy...
So busy in fact, that you may forget to write in your blog for 8 months. 8 months later in my life, and I am roughly the same; well a few lbs lighter actually, and a whole year older. But 8 months later in Aria's life, and she is a totally differerent kid! First of all, she is a real kid now. She walks and talks, and does things things throughout the day that not only show her developing mind, but show her sense of self, her strong will and stubborness, and her independence. She is most definitely her own little person now, and we are so in love with the person she is. Dom says she is just like me, so that means she must be perfect, right? A big change that we have had to deal with in the last few months is Aria's gluten intolerance. I, like most people I think, knew very little about gluten and Celiacs disease. I thought it was just an allergy, that would make her feel sick...maybe give her a rash. Boy, was I misinformed! That isn't how it works at all, and it actually inhibits her body from absorbing nutrients. But we have learned fast, and Aria is gaining weight and thriving again! And because she no longers feels sick when she eats, she has interest in food again. The changes in her have been amazing to watch, and we are so relieved to have figured out what was wrong.
Our last big change, that was actaully quite a while ago now, was a new addition to our family. Charlotte came to live with us on Boxing Day last year, and is the brattiest but sweetest and most lovable puppy you could ask for. She certainly adds an extra element of chaos to the day, and I am not 100% certain that Georgia is happy about our decision, but she is here to stay, and we love having 2 dogs. Somehow, they seem easier than having 2 kids. That said, Dom has informed me that he is now ready for a second baby...so stay tuned!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Where's Has My Baby Gone?
I know we have all heard it before, but it's true. The speed at which babies and children grow up and change is shocking. You just don't really care until it is your kid. Aria is now 10 months, and while at certain points (pretty much daily) I have felt that I was in the 7th level of hell and that I would never have a moment to myself again, I have also had the nagging feeling that my baby girl is almost a baby no more. The days and months really do go by too fast, even though some minutes and hours drag on far too long.
Today was another one of those days where I felt the sad joy of my growing baby girl. Today, at 10 months and 18 days, she walked. Just 3 baby steps; pretty uncertain and pretty wobbly, but 3 steps none the less. Dom and I were sitting at the table, having a rather heated discussion about Georgia peeing on the new carpet. Aria was standing, looking outside through the french doors. Maybe she got tired of listening to us debate the pee problem, who really knows what goes through this kid's head, but she obviously got an idea! All of a sudden, cheerios clenched in both fists, she bent her knees just a little, presumably to soften the fall if her little adventure were to take a bad turn. She balanced herself, with her arms out to the sides, and she took her first steps. Of course her plan worked and we immediately stopped discussing all matters related to canine urination. There were lots of "yays!" and kisses, and then of course, Dom and I both started crying. I know, pathetic... But we were both so happy and a little sad and totally overwhelmed, all at the same time. So proud of our little baby, but then realizing she isn't so little or such a baby anymore.
In the past few weeks, Aria has really come a long way. A few months ago, Dom and I were both certain that she was behind. I mean, it took the kid 6 months to learn her own name! She sat and crawled at "normal" times, but being our first, I think we just had high expectations. And we made the rookie mistake of comparing our baby to other babies. We were mistaken and she has proven us wrong! Here are some of her other recent accomplishments:
~talking~
There is still the standard baba. yaya, gaga etc. But there is also Dada and Mama! And she actually knows what they mean! She says Dada a lot, but tends to just whine the word Mama when she is upset or wants something. Not exactly what I was hoping for and it is mildly annoying, but it's a start.
~standing~
This seemed like a bigger deal before she walked.
~waving~
This one caught us a bit off guard. We were at Canadian tire last weekend and she has been flirting with the cashier. When the cashier waved "bye bye" to her, she waved backed! Dom and I walked out of the store thinking "That's new, I wonder if it was a fluke?". Well, it wasn't, and now she happily waves to hello and goodbye, as much as she possibly can.
~kisses~
I had been working on this one for a while. Everyday I would snuggle her and give her lots of kisses, and say "kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss..." Now she totally gets it! She grabs my face with both hands and pulls me in. She opens her mouth and latches on to my lips. Sometimes she bites them. The biting does hurt, but she gets the idea, and that is the main thing. Although, I am not sure why she has gone for the open mouth kiss...she didn't learn that from me. She is coy with her kisses though, and in true Aria style will rarely do it on command. When she isn't in the mood, she will look away with a little smirk on her mouth. She knows what we want, she just doesn't care.
~bath time~
Whenever we start the bath, she hauls ass to the bathroom, stands up, and hits the side of the tub. As I undress her, she helps, by pulling her arms and legs out of her clothes. She apparently loves the bath! When it is time to get out of the bath, I just pull the plug. Then she stands up again, at the side of the tub, and bangs the tub until we get her out and wrapped in a towel. I know, I know...she is obviously a child genius.
I am sure the next few months (and years) will be full of just as many new and bitter/sweet accomplishments. Every time she does something new, my mind will race and I will fast forward 30 years and imagine her getting married or having her own babies. I will probably look at her and get a bit teary, and then call a bunch of people to let them all know how clearly gifted she is. This time in her life is so special and thankfully, I get to stay home with her so that I won't miss a thing! Luckily, Dom didn't miss a thing today either!
Today was another one of those days where I felt the sad joy of my growing baby girl. Today, at 10 months and 18 days, she walked. Just 3 baby steps; pretty uncertain and pretty wobbly, but 3 steps none the less. Dom and I were sitting at the table, having a rather heated discussion about Georgia peeing on the new carpet. Aria was standing, looking outside through the french doors. Maybe she got tired of listening to us debate the pee problem, who really knows what goes through this kid's head, but she obviously got an idea! All of a sudden, cheerios clenched in both fists, she bent her knees just a little, presumably to soften the fall if her little adventure were to take a bad turn. She balanced herself, with her arms out to the sides, and she took her first steps. Of course her plan worked and we immediately stopped discussing all matters related to canine urination. There were lots of "yays!" and kisses, and then of course, Dom and I both started crying. I know, pathetic... But we were both so happy and a little sad and totally overwhelmed, all at the same time. So proud of our little baby, but then realizing she isn't so little or such a baby anymore.
In the past few weeks, Aria has really come a long way. A few months ago, Dom and I were both certain that she was behind. I mean, it took the kid 6 months to learn her own name! She sat and crawled at "normal" times, but being our first, I think we just had high expectations. And we made the rookie mistake of comparing our baby to other babies. We were mistaken and she has proven us wrong! Here are some of her other recent accomplishments:
~talking~
There is still the standard baba. yaya, gaga etc. But there is also Dada and Mama! And she actually knows what they mean! She says Dada a lot, but tends to just whine the word Mama when she is upset or wants something. Not exactly what I was hoping for and it is mildly annoying, but it's a start.
~standing~
This seemed like a bigger deal before she walked.
~waving~
This one caught us a bit off guard. We were at Canadian tire last weekend and she has been flirting with the cashier. When the cashier waved "bye bye" to her, she waved backed! Dom and I walked out of the store thinking "That's new, I wonder if it was a fluke?". Well, it wasn't, and now she happily waves to hello and goodbye, as much as she possibly can.
~kisses~
I had been working on this one for a while. Everyday I would snuggle her and give her lots of kisses, and say "kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss..." Now she totally gets it! She grabs my face with both hands and pulls me in. She opens her mouth and latches on to my lips. Sometimes she bites them. The biting does hurt, but she gets the idea, and that is the main thing. Although, I am not sure why she has gone for the open mouth kiss...she didn't learn that from me. She is coy with her kisses though, and in true Aria style will rarely do it on command. When she isn't in the mood, she will look away with a little smirk on her mouth. She knows what we want, she just doesn't care.
~bath time~
Whenever we start the bath, she hauls ass to the bathroom, stands up, and hits the side of the tub. As I undress her, she helps, by pulling her arms and legs out of her clothes. She apparently loves the bath! When it is time to get out of the bath, I just pull the plug. Then she stands up again, at the side of the tub, and bangs the tub until we get her out and wrapped in a towel. I know, I know...she is obviously a child genius.
I am sure the next few months (and years) will be full of just as many new and bitter/sweet accomplishments. Every time she does something new, my mind will race and I will fast forward 30 years and imagine her getting married or having her own babies. I will probably look at her and get a bit teary, and then call a bunch of people to let them all know how clearly gifted she is. This time in her life is so special and thankfully, I get to stay home with her so that I won't miss a thing! Luckily, Dom didn't miss a thing today either!
Two pics of Riri playing on the day she took her first 3 steps
Friday, October 22, 2010
Making Friends
They say as you get older it gets harder to make friends. Until recently, I hadn't given this "they say" much thought. But now, I find myself in the unfamiliar situation of being "older" and really not having many friends. Not like I was Miss Popular, or anything, but I have always had friends, and have never had a problem making them. Is it the "older" that makes this situation different? Maybe the small town? Or maybe it is something different all together.
One thing I know for sure about being "older" is that all your friends are no longer just a few minutes away. I have a lot of friends actually, I just can't see them. No, they aren't invisible or imaginary... they are just spread all over; Canada and the States, Japan, Australia, various places in Europe. My good friends now are all long distance. Luckily, long distance calling plans are so easy to come by, so for just $24.99 a month I can talk to all of them, as much as I like. On side note, Dom can also talk to his Mom everyday.
My number of friends has also changed with age. I do have less friends now than when I was 20. But this isn't a bad thing. This decrease has simply been a "weeding out" process. We have all gone through it. You know, you get rid of the crazy ones, the ones that steal from you, the ones that don't, deep down inside, wish you the best. When people talk about having fewer friends as they age, it always comes across as a bad thing. Like how somehow as you get older, you get deficient in some way. That isn't it at all; you simply get smarter and pickier.
So maybe that is the same with making friends. Maybe it isn't harder at all, maybe I am just smarter now. Maybe instead of just befriending anyone, I am waiting a bit. I am waiting to make sure they are normal first; waiting to make sure that they will wish me well; and waiting to make sure they don't want to steal from me! I bet all of the mommies I have met here are doing the same thing. So until we decide we want to be BFFs I will just keep talking to the friends I already have... on the phone. And I will keep meeting people and just wait it out. I am bound to meet some new, close by, friends eventually.
I am sure it wouldn't help my cause much to ask some of the other mommies to pose in pics with me for my blog, so here is a picture of Aria with one of her "friends".
One thing I know for sure about being "older" is that all your friends are no longer just a few minutes away. I have a lot of friends actually, I just can't see them. No, they aren't invisible or imaginary... they are just spread all over; Canada and the States, Japan, Australia, various places in Europe. My good friends now are all long distance. Luckily, long distance calling plans are so easy to come by, so for just $24.99 a month I can talk to all of them, as much as I like. On side note, Dom can also talk to his Mom everyday.
My number of friends has also changed with age. I do have less friends now than when I was 20. But this isn't a bad thing. This decrease has simply been a "weeding out" process. We have all gone through it. You know, you get rid of the crazy ones, the ones that steal from you, the ones that don't, deep down inside, wish you the best. When people talk about having fewer friends as they age, it always comes across as a bad thing. Like how somehow as you get older, you get deficient in some way. That isn't it at all; you simply get smarter and pickier.
So maybe that is the same with making friends. Maybe it isn't harder at all, maybe I am just smarter now. Maybe instead of just befriending anyone, I am waiting a bit. I am waiting to make sure they are normal first; waiting to make sure that they will wish me well; and waiting to make sure they don't want to steal from me! I bet all of the mommies I have met here are doing the same thing. So until we decide we want to be BFFs I will just keep talking to the friends I already have... on the phone. And I will keep meeting people and just wait it out. I am bound to meet some new, close by, friends eventually.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Giving Thanks
There was a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I have a wonderful family, great friends, and beautiful home, and blah blah blah. Of course I am thankful for all of that! Who isn't? There are so many other things for us to really be thankful for; the things that we take for granted, and though they might be small, make our life better. Here are some of mine:
~wine~
Now, I don't get to drink much anymore (breastfeeding and all) but when I do get a glass it is great and I savour it. Of course by "savour" I mean I chug a glass back in the 2 minutes Aria lets me have my hands and arms back. The bonus to this "special occasion and chug" method of drinking is that you get drunk. FAST. And that gives you another thing to be thankful for.
~the gossip blogs~
No matter how horrific your Thanksgiving day is going, reading some Hollywood gos is sure to make you feel better. It puts everything in perspective. Sure, the screaming baby, barking dog, and MIL watching you like a hawk, all while trying to put a turkey in the oven, seems stressful. But at least you don't have a cheating husband, drug/alcohol addiction, or looming bankruptcy clouding up your perfectly sunny Thanksgiving Day. (I recommend dListed.com)
~Tums~
For when the wine and stress start to give you heartburn. And, they have calcium in them! So you can stop stressing about osteoporosis.
~bedtime~
Aria's is between 7 and 8, so that means I get to sleep then too! And going to bed at 8:00 is something I am thankful for every night. I generally don't sleep then, but I get to lay beside my gorgeous baby girl and my handsome husband, with our bratty dog taking up far more than her designated 1/4 of the bed, and I just get to be...laying there think about how thankful and grateful I truly am to have them. And that is something I am not just thankful for on Thanksgiving.
~wine~
Now, I don't get to drink much anymore (breastfeeding and all) but when I do get a glass it is great and I savour it. Of course by "savour" I mean I chug a glass back in the 2 minutes Aria lets me have my hands and arms back. The bonus to this "special occasion and chug" method of drinking is that you get drunk. FAST. And that gives you another thing to be thankful for.
~the gossip blogs~
No matter how horrific your Thanksgiving day is going, reading some Hollywood gos is sure to make you feel better. It puts everything in perspective. Sure, the screaming baby, barking dog, and MIL watching you like a hawk, all while trying to put a turkey in the oven, seems stressful. But at least you don't have a cheating husband, drug/alcohol addiction, or looming bankruptcy clouding up your perfectly sunny Thanksgiving Day. (I recommend dListed.com)
~Tums~
For when the wine and stress start to give you heartburn. And, they have calcium in them! So you can stop stressing about osteoporosis.
~bedtime~
Aria's is between 7 and 8, so that means I get to sleep then too! And going to bed at 8:00 is something I am thankful for every night. I generally don't sleep then, but I get to lay beside my gorgeous baby girl and my handsome husband, with our bratty dog taking up far more than her designated 1/4 of the bed, and I just get to be...laying there think about how thankful and grateful I truly am to have them. And that is something I am not just thankful for on Thanksgiving.
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