Potties come in handy.

Potties can be used for a few different things. Like a normal toilet, they are most commonly used for eliminating pee or poo. Last night, I discovered, they can be used for other things. Like when you are very sick and have to sit on a normal toilet, you can use the potty, which happens to be right in front of you, as a puke bucket. Lovely, I know, you must be so happy I shared that with you.

I was up all night feeling terribly sick. I know I was sick a couple weeks ago but that was nothing in comparison to this experience. That was like a walk in the park. This feels like I am rotting from the inside out.

Dad has been very helpful. Just yesterday I was chatting with my pal S. and I was mentioning how bitter I am that Dad never lets me sleep in. Well, today I am happy to report that dad was kind enough to take care of Stinx all day and let me stay in bed. It was wonderful except for the circumstances. In all seriousness though, I am so glad this happened when Dad is on vacation.

Now I am just hoping little Stinx won't get it. I'm hoping it's food poisoning and not a stomach flu - although the symptoms seem more like a flu.

Thanks Santa!

So Santa did happen to read my blog! Who would've known? Not me. There was a parcel delivered to my door and it turned out to be the Kidsleep alarm clock. It is a nice night light and alarm, however, we haven't really tried it out yet. Mostly because it states in the instructions that in order to use it as a sleep indicator, your child should be 30 months old. Hmmm. I guess I didn't read that in the fine print.

I think it may still work if we try it. Stinx seems to respond well when I talk about the normal alarm clock in his room. Say if he is up, at like, hmmm... 3 am, I will, "The clock says its still night night. When it gets to 6am it will be morning time". Sometimes this doesn't work at all, but sometimes it does. And in my opinion, having the Kidsleep alarm clock should make it easier. "Look, its still night night, the bunny is sleeping. We get up when the bunny wakes up". The visual is so much easier to understand.

So I am just debating when we'll try it out. Today Stinx woke up at 6:36am. Which for us is a splendid hour. The down side is that he was up twice last night... But Dad handled that - not me. Lovely. So anyways, we'll see how he sleeps for the next while.

Traditions

The topic of Christmas traditions has come up a few times in conversation between Dad and I. Right now we don't really have any. There was a little pressure from some family to start our own traditions. So since its a little too late for this year, I am planning for next. I came up with some ideas and then wondered where I should put them. I have them written down but surely I'd forget about them next winter. So I figured what better place than the blog.

So here are some of my ideas for future Christmas traditions. They aren't in a special order. Some won't be "do-able" until Stinx is older but it's a start for ideas.

1. Christmas Baking - and in particular, sugar cookies with my new icing recipe.
2. Attend a Christmas Eve church service
3. Go to the Calgary Zoo lights
4. Volunteer at a homeless shelter - obviously Stinx would have to be older, but in the mean time we can do a donation of goodies or blankets etc.
5. Read the birth story of Jesus
6. Decorate a Christmas Tree
7. Use Advent Calendars
8. Get some warm tasty beverages (Soy Nogg, Cider, Hot chocolate etc) and go for a drive looking at Christmas lights
9. Have Stinx (and any future kiddo) make Christmas cards
10. Make a special Christmas breakfast
11. Watch Christmas movies

Thanks

I think I need to do a "What I am Thankful for" post. I find the Christmas season kinda stressful, and I know it shouldn't be. That's not what its about. I wish I could simply celebrate Christ at this time of year, and not worry about the other crap. Crap meaning many things. So here goes being "posi" :

I am thankful for:

• Dad and Stinx
• Our extended families
• A nice home
• Food
• Friends
• That Dad has a job he loves
• That I can be a SAHM and watch Stinx grow and learn
• That I can work 4 hours a week at a job I love
• That all of our needs are always met
• When Stinx STTN :)
• Our church
• That everyone in our family is in pretty good health
• Forgiveness, grace and mercy
• God - who still loves me even though I stumble and make lots of mistakes

A lovely afternoon. Not really.

Today I went to visit a friend in the inner city. Stinx and I had lunch with her and her 8 month old son. Her little guy skipped his am nap and was pretty sleepy. I decided to leave because Stinx was being quite the ball of energy and I feared the younger baby wouldn't take a pm nap with all Stinx noise. I decided to warm up the car(Because it was -37c with windchill) and load the station wagon. I had lent my friend some baby stuff like bouncy chairs, bumbo's etc. After putting the baby stuff in the car, I threw my diaper bag in there. And locked the door. I bundled Stinx all up, put my jacket on, and went to grab the diaper bag to get my keys.... Then I realized my horror. I had locked my extra keys in the car. Shoot! I was not pleased with myself.Fortunately I was able to get a locksmith to come within an hour. He was a great fellow too. I plan on referring him to anyone who needs a locksmith. On the way home Stinx fell asleep in the car. I was relieved knowing I wouldn't have to deal with nap time. The past few "transfers" have been smooth sailing. Of course, this was not the case today. Stinx woke up when I tried lifting him out of the seat. And apparently he thought the 5 minute car nap was sufficient. He refused to fall back to sleep. Awesome. It was a lovely afternoon.

Nightmare

Stinx had a nightmare last night. I'm sure it wasn't his first. But it was the first I witnessed. He was sleeping beside me and all of a sudden he sat up crying and shouting, "No! No! No!" etc. Then he started pointing and saying "Bug" through the tears. Poor little fella was dreaming about bugs.For the most part he's been doing well with the subject of bugs. He loves reading stories with bugs in the them. He's handled the spider encounters very well [i think because i sing him the "itsy bitsy spider" so often]. But then yesterday he spotted a fruit fly in the kitchen. I thought these annoying pests were all gone. Perhaps this one came with the groceries last week end. He didn't even seem particularly bothered by the fly yesterday. He kinda just pointed it out. But it seems this small fruit fly may have been the bug he was dreaming of last night.

Snow Angel

It's chilly here these days. Very chilly. The past couple week ends we've had snow storms. The roads are treacherous and icy. The temperature has been as low as -30c and with wind chill -40c. Dad has done a great job of shoveling the snow from our driveway and side walk. Today, though, Dad wasn't "able" to shovel the snow. When I put the recycling outside for pick up and saw that it had snowed, I worried. When would I have time to shovel with Stinx around? I figured I would have to wait until nap time or bed time.

A couple hours later I looked out the window to see that my entire drive way and side walk had been cleared. I literally cried. I couldn't believe someone would shovel the entire thing for me. I looked at my neighbor's walk but it hadn't been shoveled. I looked across the street and theirs hadn't been either. Hmmm. I was puzzled. Who did it? I called my neighbor friends down the street to see if they did it. Nope. Wasn't them. Hmmm. Later in the day I saw the Dad of the kids I babysit. I was driving and slowed down. I rolled the window down to interrogate him. Wasn't him either. I just couldn't figure it out. I asked everyone I know one the street. I even told Dad and he seemed surprised someone would do that for us.

My last thought was that it could have been our friend Tony who lives in a neighborhood not to far away. He was my last guess. And I only guessed him because I knew he knew Dad couldn't do the shoveling this week. Sure enough, it was him. I guess Dad had asked him to help me out with it if it snowed. How nice is that? What a great friend. Silly dad for keeping it from me.

Unfortunately it kept snowing today so I still had to go out tonight and finish it up. It wasn't bad though, just a cm or so. I figured since Tony was so kind today, I would pay it forward and shoveled my neighbors walk. I love that about neighbors and snow shoveling. Earlier when I hadn't figured out who had cleared my walk, I was looking at everyone else's to see who's had been shoveled (hoping I'd find a clue to who it was). And it seemed that most houses walks had been cleared in pairs or sets of 3. Its obvious that when one neighbor starts, he does the walk on either side as well.

There is still some kindness left in the human race.

Another night to remember.

I'm starting to wonder if I seriously hurt myself. Its just that my arm is still really sore. Its most bothersome at night. Its very achy. Maybe I just sprained it? The pain goes the length of my arm, from the shoulder to the wrist. Some spots are more sore than others.

Last night I made the mistake of letting Stinx drink some of my Lipton Iced Green Tea. I have no clue, NO CLUE, why I let him have some. Well, I lied. I guess my only clue is that I've been worried he's dehydrated from all the vomiting and diarrhea so I figured I'd let him have some. He really wanted some. The thought did cross my mind that it might have caffeine. But I figured he wouldn't have enough to effect him.

Well of course I was wrong. He took forever to go to bed last night. I lost my patience with him after an hour of trying. I should have just given up and kept him up a bit later so he'd do to bed easier. But no, I am stubborn. He finally fell asleep but woke up 3 hours later, at midnight. And did not go back to bed until 4;30am. That's right. Stinx was up for approximately 4 hours. The 3 hour sleep I had must have given me more patience because I managed to keep my cool during the 4 hours. He was in a great mood the whole time. It's not as though he was still feeling sick from the flu, or had a nightmare, he just seemed wired. Which I think the iced green tea is to blame, which really makes me to blame. So I get what I deserve.

Another weird note from last night - before midnight, before Stinx woke up, I woke up. I was sleeping and then woke up a bit. I looked across the bed but didn't see Stinx. I panicked. I started looking through the covers, on the floor, calling out his name. Then I opened the door to my room and realized that Stinx was still in his crib from when I put him to bed. It was the strangest thing. I must have dreamt that I brought him to my bed... Or perhaps I was sleepwalking and when I opened the bedroom door I startled myself awake??

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Sometimes I hate you Blogger. Especially when I try to put spaces between my paragraphs and you won't let me. I've tried fixing this numerous times and can't figure it out. Any readers want to tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Bitter about the Flu

Is there a rule out there that states if your child is sick, it is mandatory that you also be sick? Sure seems that way.

Stinx has the flu. I have the flu.

I also know the child that transmitted the flu to all the other babies in the nursery. How I wish he and his family had skipped church on Sunday.

We had some good plans lined up this week. Today we were supposed to go swimming. Tomorrow we were supposed to go to the Science Centre (for the first time ever). And Friday we were going to meet up with our old playgroup for a Christmas party. I'm a little bummed. No, I am bummed. I am basically stuck at home now. It's cold outside. There is 15 inches of snow out there. Its not like I can take Stinx to the park. Well, I guess I could. But I hate snow. It's cold. And he does have the flu. And I have the flu.

And I have the decency to stay home. When Stinx is sick I take it seriously. I don't go gallivanting around to playgroups and swimming pools knowing I could pass the flu along to other babies and people. I still don't understand why people take their kids out when they are sick, especially to places where kids share toys. I am not pointing this directly at the kid at church on Sunday, just in general. There have been many times when I've been to a playgroup and parents bring there obviously sick children.

Now I can deal with a cold. A little runny nose and a slight cough doesn't bother me. A super snotty nose and consistent hacking is not so OK with me. But what really bothers me -Stuff like stomach flu's. If a kid is vomiting or has diarrhea, or stops eating because they're so sick, or they have a terrible fever all night and can't sleep - that is definitely the type of illness I'm talking about. Even if a toddler or baby has just one of those symptoms, I don't want to hang out with them. Seriously! Stay home and wait a few days after the last symptom before exposing people. This is common courtesy!

And I know I'm not perfect. For example, the Roseola. It's most contagious before symptoms even show up. So who knows who we interacted with while Stinx was contagious. I think he got it from another baby at the Halloween party we hosted. But I don't consider that baby liable because the baby wasn't showing symptoms. That Roseola is a pain in the butt. So easily spread and no way to prevent it when its most contagious before you even know your baby is sick.

And since Stinx had Roseola, he's been sleeping like crap. Then, just last week he started to sleep through the night again, for about 5 days.... Until... He got the flu. Urgh. So annoying. So here we go again.

Anyways, when I know Stinx is sick, I don't go out and pass it along. I think its necessary to wait a few days after the last symptom before hanging out with friends. I mean, sure, go do errands or go for walks, or do whatever, but wait awhile before letting your kid play with friends and share toys. How I wish this was a mandatory rule everyone followed. I just don't "get" why some parents don't respect it. Perhaps they've never heard the rule?

Just want to apologize for the whiny post. Just had to vent somehow, somewhere!

Fool

I made the mistake of going out today. In the blizzard. In the 15 inches of snow. I was starting to think I may not attend Ry-Guy's 1st birthday party but then Dad insisted that the roads weren't bad as he had checked on-line. He also said the snow was starting to "let up".

Well that wasn't the case. But fortunately Stinx and I made it to the party and home again safely. That will be the last time I drive while there is a warning from police not to drive unless absolutely necessary (Of course I didn't realize this until I heard it on the radio while driving).

What did really go wrong though - while getting to my cousins townhouse the snow was blowing in Stinx' face so I decided to hurry it up. No good. I totally slipped and fell on the snow, while carrying Stinx on my hip. Stinx didn't get hurt because he landed on me. But me on the other hand, I landed strangely on my left arm. I thought I had broken it. I'm such a wimp, I think I only pulled a muscle, but still it killed! Even later today it started tensing up again. I'm sure I'll have bruises tomorrow.

I'll definitely be staying home next blizzard.

Anti

I've successfully taught Stinx how to say "Anti-Kels" which is our special way of saying Auntie Kelsey. Anti has been badgering me to teach Stinx her name before she comes out for Christmas. So now I can cross that off my list of things to do.

Today, Bubga aka Grandma, came over after work and visited for awhile. I brought Stinx and Bubga downstairs to the computer where the picture of Anti-Kels is. When I tried to get Stinx to say Anti-Kels, Stinx just said "Mooooooooo". Urgh. This is because we spent some time on You Tube watching cow videos today. Bubga thought it was hilarious. Was he implying Anti-Kels is a cow?? Some might think so...

This is one of the cow videos that Stinx just adores.

I need this desperately

So for the past few days I have been dreaming of a toddler alarm clock. Something with a light on it that will clearly separate night from day. In my dreams this looks like a sun. It would have regular digital clock as well that the parents could set to a "wake up time"... at a decent hour such as 7am. So at night the parent would set the alarm for 7am. You would have to explain to the child that when the room is dark, its sleepy time, and when the light comes/ or when the sun is shining it means its time to get up.

I have heard of people using this method with their toddlers but with a normal digital clock. They teach their child the different numbers. They block out the minutes with some paper so only the hour can be seen. Then they place a piece of paper next to the clock with the number they need to know, such as 7. I personally don't know anyone who's done this, just read about it on-line.

So today I googled "Toddler Clock" and I got many hits about the Kidsleep Alarm clock/nightlight. This is totally what I need! Stinx has been chonically waking between 4-5am since the battle with Roseola.So seriously I need this. It starts off as a nightlight when your child is a baby. Once your child is a toddler you can use it to teach them to stay asleep or in their room until the bunny "wakes up", and then once your child is able to read digital time, it can be used as a normal alarm clock. So cool. To get it shipped to Canada from Europe though, is very pricey. Almost $77. Yowzers!

I'm praying Santa reads my blog.

I don't mind

Mom - I'm so glad you were being gentle in the nursery today! Maybe it's overstepping boundaries kissing all the babies, but I don't mind, as long as you aren't being aggressive.

Stinx - Mind?

Mom - Yeah, mind.

Stinx- Mind?

Mom - Can you say "I'm losing my mind"

Stinx - Mom!

The Eric Carle Hunt

We have had a little bit of success in our hunt for Eric Carle books. We found a new copy of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see. The copy we had was one we got at a garage sale for free. It was very ratty and the cover was peeling off. I was pleased to find a new one. We also found the mini board book of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Then today we found Animals, Animals in the hardcover version. All of which were found at thrift stores. And the hunt continues.

Dust Particles

Let me tell you the latest and greatest (as my Grandma would say). So the fruit flies were freaking Stinx out quite a bit last week. But he's slowly getting over it. But right when his fears were most heightened, he started thinking that any little thing was a bug. He'd see a piece of dirt on the floor, then he'd point and say "Bug!". It even got to the point where one morning we were sitting in the living room, and the sun was shining in. He kept saying "bugs".. I couldn't figure out what he was talking about. I realized he was mesmerized by the dust particles floating in the air, visible in the sunshine. Mesmerized in a nervous & anxious way. I kept telling him it was dirt but it took awhile to convince him.

I had bought some mini muffins for Stinx to eat for breakfast last week. As he was eating one at the table, he looked at the crumbs and said "bug!"... He was scared just looking at the crumbs. I ate one and explained that it was a part of the muffin that fell off.

This previous week end while we were in Lake Louise, my mom mentioned that during bath time on Saturday night, Stinx was paralyzed with fear in the bath tub. "Bubga" just couldn't figure out why he wouldn't move in the bath and wasn't sure why he was crying to come out. Then, as she looked thoroughly at the bath water, she noticed the tiniest little speck of dirt. Sure enough, he thought it was a bug. Poor Stinx.

I didn't intend for this to happen. I really was just surprised by the ladybug.. I tried to make up for it... oh what have I done. If you have no idea what I am talking about, click here

More on vaccines.

I've just been doing a little more research. Came across this info on Jenny McCarthy's site. Wanted to share it. Very informative.

http://generationrescue.com/vaccines.html

Vaccination Choice

On Tuesday evening I went to a really interesting seminar called "Vaccination Choice". The speaker was a local doctor, Dr. Stuart Wilkinson, who is in Autism Doctor. My cousin had seen him before about 3 years ago and said that he was really informed. And that he was. He really seemed like a great doctor. When he explained how he works as a doctor he said that he tries to help people in the way they want treatment. He said that if someone doesn't want to use a certain type of treatment, he'll continue to provide solutions until the person agrees with one they are comfortable with. How cool is that? Most doctors offer one solution and if you say you don't like it, they're like "Then what the heck are you doing here?". It sounds like he does a lot of western medicine as well as naturopathy.

My cousin shared with me previous notes from his lecture 3 years ago. I also took notes on Tuesday but they are much the same. Here are some things that I learned and thought was interesting.

He wasn't pro-vaccines but wasn't totally against them either. He really thinks its something people need to research and make an agreed decision on (between parents). He thinks vaccines have helped but have also done some damage. His first child was vaccinated but had a reaction to the vaccination causing brain stem swelling. His child was treated and is ok now. His 2nd and 3rd child are NOT vaccinated.

Rockefeller owns part of all 3 Vaccine producers, as well as the FDA who are supposed to be the "watch dog", and as well as the distributors.. a little sketchy I would say. Rockefeller is also the one who pays people out when there is a vaccine related injury.

Most people are concerned with the MMR vaccine. This is probably due to the first studies possibly linking vaccines with autism. However, Dr. Stuart said the vaccines that cause the most problems are actually the Dtap-ipv and chicken pox. The chicken pox vaccine doesn't seem to work very well. He said that the only way to guarantee immunity is to actually catch the disease. He recommends chicken pox parties.

Hep B vaccine contains the most amount of Thimersol of all vaccines. The flu shot also contains thimersol. An interesting note on the flu shot, it contains an anti-biotic ingredient that children can not have, but the vaccine is given to 2 month old babies.. weird! Stuart mentioned that if you get your kids vaccinated, you need to request very specifically for vaccines without Thimersol. He said to get them to show you the monogram which should say "No Thimersol". Ask to see it!!

He mentioned that the doctor who created the Polio vaccine was asked once if he vaccinated his own children and he responded by saying, "Why would I put that shit in my kids?". Yikes....

The Dtap vaccine can't be separated inn Canada. All or nothing with that one.

Recommends women get the Rubella vaccine since it can be very harmful to unborn babies. However this vaccine doesn't always work.. Possibly doesn't last very long.

His thoughts on homeopathy vaccines was that they might be worth checking into, but could just be a waste of $$$. Said that you have nothing to lose, won't hurt your kids, but might hurt your wallet.

He said that our natural immunities are usually well developed by 12 years of age.

Best way to prevent disease - washing your hands!! and exercise.

On a different note, he thinks that ColdFX is awesome. Hmm.. maybe I should try that stuff. I do have friends that swear by it.

And just in case you are wondering what my stance is on vaccines. I got Stinx vaccinated at 2 & 4 months old. The first time I just did it blindly.. The second time I was starting to question it a little, wondering why some people choose not to. Then I started to read up on vaccines and the more I read, the more I didn't want to vaccinate him. Oh man, "Evidence of Harm" has scarred me!!I do think vaccines are good and that they have really helped our continent, but I do think its quite weird and not natural to inject babies with all sorts of weird shit like mercury, aluminum and formaldehyde. And there are some other very very controversial ingredients in some of them. Anyways, so I think once Stinx is a bit older I will consider giving him some of the vaccines.. We'll be doing delayed and selective vaccinations. Choosing the ones we think are really a concern to us, and delaying them for as long as we can.

If you'd like the full notes version that my cousin gave me just leave me a comment. Its really informative and has some good guidelines to follow should you decide to vaccinate. (For ex. Never ever ever vaccinate your child if they seem to be sick or acting unusual - cancel the appt).

Lake Louise

Dad had his company Christmas Party at Lake Louise this week end. Right at the Fairmont Chateau. It was all fancy schmancy. I felt totally out of place. Sometimes, honestly, I kid you not, I feel way more comfortable in a room full of homeless folks. At least they are approachable and friendly. Anyways, for the most part it was a nice week end.

Stinx went to bed really well both nights for Grandma. I was so impressed. And, great news, Stinx even managed to have a nap on Saturday!! That was a shock since Stinx refused the nap on our last trip to the mountains. So all in all a pretty good time.

Good Bye Retro High Chair

This is my delicious Tuna Casserole. MMM. I love it. Too bad no one else in the family likes it. I've tried offering it to Stinx a few times but he never even swallows the first bite. Dad on the other, is extremely lactose intolerant, and usually won't bother to eat it. And, I understand that. BUT, I don't think its fair that he risks eating things like Blizzards from dairy Queen and overdosing on the lactose pills. So anyways, I usually eat the whole casserole myself in a couple days.

I've been trying to clear some of the stuff out of our basement lately. So far I gave away the futon, a baby walker and now the Retro High Chair. I bought the chair when I was about 6 or 7 months pregnant. I found it on local site similar to craigslist. I thought it was the greatest high chair ever. And it is... as far as looks go. It's a beautiful old relic. I naively thought that this chair would be practical for Stinx.. Well once Stinx turned 6 months and I started him on rice cereal, I realized there was no way I'd stick my baby in there. The chair is probably most practical for a 1-3 year old. And even then, there are no straps to keep them in the seat. Originally the chair is designed so that you flip the tray up and the child sits in it, and then put the tray down. However small children like Stinx could slip right under the tray. So needless to say, we only used this high chair once he was older and very rarely at that. I didn't buy classic modern high chairs, I bought the type that sit on top of a normal kitchen chair.

The beautiful old retro high chair has been living a simple life in our basement. Until this morning. Yesterday morning I emailed a local restaurant to see if they'd like it. It's a retro diner and they have the exact same style of high chairs. I know this because Stinx had to use one of them this summer. It was a painful dining experience only because Stinx kept trying to climb out of the chair. Anyways, the restaurant called me back and they totally wanted it. Awesome! So I'm $40 richer and the high chair is living a more exciting life in a neat, trendy, busy, urban retro diner.

Stinx seated in the high chair for the last time. Well, until we go back to Diner Deluxe.

On a totally different note, Stinx is petrified of fruit flies. He freaks every time he sees one. He shots, "Bug! Bug!" and points. And because fruit flies are so small, I can never see them and I say, "Show me? I can't see it. There are no bugs!". And then a second later, of course I see it. My poor son, terrified of bugs. All because of the ladybug.

Braw Beh

"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?" By Eric Carle is absolutely Stinx favorite book of all time. At least for the months of October and November 2008. He runs around saying "Braw Beh, Braw Beh". He adores this book. But I do think the book is slowly falling from Stinx ultimate treasure. The only reason it hasn't lost its touch yet is because no other book seems comparable. If he had found another gold book maybe Brown Bear would have been short lived. I'm just waiting for Stinx new favorite book.

He's had a lot of favorites. Some include: Goodnight Moon, Bear and Kite, Hands Hands Fingers Thumb, Sam Loves Kisses, Tale of Tails, Little Ambulance etc.

I'd have to say of them all, Eric Carle's books are my favorite. I just love his design. It's really brilliant. Stinx first Eric Carle book was the classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. My pal Chelsea bought for him as a gift. Stinx quite enjoys that one too. Especially the holes in the pages. We have the First Shapes and First Animal Homes as well. I think he will enjoy those even more once he is a bit older. I'd like to get my hands on Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you Hear?

I'm really looking to add more Eric Carle to Stinx collection.. So if you happen to pass some by at the local thrift store or used book store, pick it up for me and I'll pay you back :)

Jumbled thoughts on sleep and other things

I love love love when Stinx gives me kisses. Just like any mother loves receiving kisses from her child. It makes me melt. Ahhh... I love it. I also love when Stinx is nice and gentle to other kids. Yesterday in the nursery at church Stinx was walking up to the other babies and toddlers and giving them kisses on top of their heads. I like that much better than him whacking them on the head.

I'm trying to figure out what to do about Stinx's sleeping arrangements. Right now he is in the crib, and occasionally in my bed (usually between the hours of 4-8am). I'm contemplating getting him a toddler bed, or a twin bed. My lovely e-penpal from the south explained that she started her daughter off by taking the front rail of the crib off. In its place she put a bed rail. And a stool so her daughter could get in and out. This seems like a good idea. I also like the idea of a toddler bed because it's lower and fairly small. But, I also like the idea of a twin bed because it would last him a very very long time. But also with that, I don't want to buy Stinx a twin bed that will look really old and nasty in about 10 years. I don't want it to be super outdated. Oh i don't know.

But I do think I will end up co-sleeping with the next child much, much more. I'm not sure why I was so adamant about not co-sleeping with Stinx. I mean, I gave it a try and did it once in awhile. I often woke up wishing to turn over but dreading waking up Stinx. Or I'd wake up and my neck would be all kinked. If we had a king size bed it could have worked. Or if I had side-cared the crib. Or used the Co-sleeper. But I much preferred having all the space I could for the short while I could sleep. 2 hours of plenty bed space was what I wanted before the next feeding.

Yes next time around, I am envisioning myself on a bed with a bed rail nursing my tiny baby and sleeping at the same time. My cousin always talked about how she would just nurse her kids and sleep at the same time. That did not happen with Stinx, not when I tried it. I mean, now, yes I can do that, but not when he was younger. I guess it may have been new mom jitters. I'd just lie there awake wondering when he might fall asleep. Perhaps fears of him falling off the bed, or me and Dad rolling over him (Haha, that is so silly!) The other problem is that for the first month or so I was healing from the c-birth. That alone is very uncomfortable. I had a hard time getting in and out of bed. Some nights I'd roll over and find myself in pain. It just wasn't a good option for me in the begining. Then there was the fact that I couldn't find a comfortable way to nurse him lying down. This is actually the biggest reason why co-sleeping never seemed tempting to me. If I had found a super comfortable way to nurse my lil Stinx laying in bed, I probably would have co-slept from then on.

So when Stinx would wake up for a feed I would go to his room, nurse him while I sat up in a chair, and then put him back in the crib, then I'd go back to my bed. It doesn't sound too bad, but it really is when it is happening numerous times through out the night. Next time I will just keep the baby much closer to me, either in a bassinet next to the bed, or in a crib side carred to my bed. Yes, I will save myself much more sleep next time.

Oh and here's an interesting link on side-carring a crib to an adult bed.
http://www.freewebs.com/sidecarcrib/

100% Guarantee

If you are looking for a way to piss the hell out of me I have one good suggestion.

You could start by waking Stinx up from his nap. This will irritate me but it won't make me want to kill you. So if you want to go that extra mile, you could enter Stinx room while I try to either put him to sleep or resettle him. This is guaranteed to make me hate you. At least for awhile.

The foolish, unwise folks who have tried this have definitely made me want to cut their heads off, but I have forgiven them all (It usually only takes a few minutes for me to regain composure). Well, except for that one roofer who came to give us an estimate a few months ago. He didn't actually come in the house or Stinx's room but he did rudely interrupt a nap. I'm still mad at him, simply because I don't know who he is. I just heard him walk loudly on my roof during Stinx nap, and woke him up twice. I likely would have kicked him in the nuts had I seen him afterwards. I was literally fuming ALL day after that happened. Anyways...

The other culprits include a grandma, a friend, and now - one of the kids I baby sit. Why people?why do you think its a good idea to interrupt me during this very crucial time?

The poor kid I babysit. She's the youngest of the 3 (ages 5, 7, 11) and today she got a taste of the nasty babysitter. The kids had woken up Stinx by playing basketball too loudly, directly under Stinx room. So I told them I needed them to be very very quiet and not play basketball while I tried to help Stinx go back to sleep.

When I got into his room I laid down in the crib with him (yes, its weird, I know). My plan was to lay with him until he fell asleep. Well 2 seconds later I hear the bedroom door open and the littlest says my name. OH MY WORD. Venom was ready to spit out of my mouth. "Get out" I said. She looked at me blankly (probably thinking, "What in the world is she doing in the crib?"). I say it again, "GET OUT", probably in the most annoyed, frustrated and pissed off tone I have.

It is then that I realize that there is no way Stinx will go back to sleep. Not now that he has seen a pretty blonde haired creature. And surely not after his mother has spoken in that awful mean tone (and who is also cursing quietly to herself now).

So I take Stinx down stairs and apologize immediately and profusely. I felt so awful for being so harsh with her. Terrible babysitter I am. It's just that she happened to cross that line.... It's a thin line and I know I shouldn't care.. But if Stinx and I are in his room with the door closed - it certainly means I don't want any interruptions. I know I should have made it EXTRA clear that I didn't want anyone to come upstairs.. I tried to explain that after too - the future plan. Next time I will know to make it very very clear. And maybe next time I won't snap and just realize, this nap is over.

I blame this crazy behavior on the intense sleep deprivation I suffered since Stinx was born. It's not that I have been sleep deprived the whole time.. but definitely the 1st year. It became obsessed with it. I nick named myself the Nap Nazi. And since Stinx has been sleeping so well since the spring and summer I am no longer the NN. But that does explain what happens when someone attempts to interrupt me during sleepy times... The Nap Nazi is still there, underneath my not so obsessed cover.

Sorry little M. I'll try to not freak at you next time... That is, if you didn't learn your lesson today. (Is that creepy? She doesn't read this.. I'm just being dramatic.. Haha.)

Oh man I am in a crazy mood today. Can you tell? Anyways... If you really want to torture me you could come over during nap time and throw rocks at Stinx window... I just can't promise I won't hurt you.

Stinx 1st Dental Visit

So a friend of mine mentioned that she took her son for his 1st dental visit. It got me thinking about how I should take Stinx. I was looking through the local children's magazine and checked out all the Pediatric Dental adds. I chose a pediatric dentist who was in the same quadrant of the city and who had particularly modern advertisement (yes, I guess I am that shallow). I also saw some positive comments about this dental office on a forum.

The appointment was this morning at 8:45am. It took me awhile to fill out all the paper work. Then we were brought to a room which was very very dull and boring looking. It was orange and had a dental chair in it. That was about it. It seemed sterile and cold. This is where a dentist came and talk to us about a few things. She asked some questions and then said she'd look at his teeth. She got Stinx to straddle me and then lay his head back into her lap. He looked a bit nervous but let her brush his teeth... for a few seconds. Then the panic set it. Then he was crying. the dentist and the assistant kept saying this was normal and it actually made it easier because they could see his teeth. Then it was over quickly. Thank goodness, it was a bit painful for me.

She said everything looks good. She told me that I should help Stinx brush his teeth until he is 8 or 9 years old. Wow. Ok. And I guess the best way to brush them at this age is the way I had helped her. A two man job. So Dad and I will have to try that out.

The she asked if he gets a bottle at night. Argh... I should have known this subject would come up. I told her that he nurses before bed. She asked if I brushed his teeth afterwords... I said Nope. She said I should "wean him from that habit" and also suggested that I at minimum wipe his teeth with a washcloth. I think the washcloth is do-able.. but outright telling me to wean my child??? Bizzaro woman. She said the word "wean" a couple times. And perhaps she just meant the bedtime nurse, but still it sure rubbed me the wrong way. The second time she said I should wean she said it would be a few rough nights.... Oh boy, that I didn't like. I clearly told her my son was not dependant on nursing to sleep and that his dad often puts him to bed.

So I was a bit disappointed in this dentist office. I wish the environment was more "fun". When my friend told me about her family dentist's office it sounded awesome. This place was dull, it didn't seem much different than a regular family dentist. And then the crying during the exam was a bit much. I heard most 1st visits are just to make the child comfortable in a dentist office - not to scare them and make them cry... And then the weaning subject just topped the cake of disaster.

Oh well... Guess we'll try the other Pediatric Dentist in the local professional building. Serves me right judging the office by the nice advertisement.

Soap Nuts

In the summer I decided to start cloth diapering Stinx. It was a decision I made based on a few reasons. But mostly it came down to just trying it. I had planned to cloth diaper Stinx when he was a new born but I weakly let Dad bomb that idea. So now that I have the time and energy to be cloth diapering, I really really like it.

But it took me quite awhile to figure out which diapers I would use. There are sooo many different types of diapers out there. Fitted's, Pre-folds, Pockets, All-In-One's etc. I ended up buying lots of diapers off sites like http://www.diaperswappers.com/ or http://www.kijiji.ca/. Then when Dad went to Texas I got him to buy me 6 Bum Genius diapers. They are way cheaper in the states (at least they were this summer when the dollar was okay). So I mostly use pocket diapers but also have a few fitteds.

So then the question was, how do I wash these things? Everyone seems to have a different opinion on how to wash cloth diapers. I settled with cold wash or rinse, then hot wash with soap, and an extra rinse cycle.

Soap is another complicated issue with diapers. If you use the wrong soap it will wreak havoc on the diapers. Detergents with natural oils seem like a good choice but in fact they're bad! They can cause all kinds of trouble. Same with fabric softener... so i did a little research and found that many moms use Country Save. http://www.countrysave.com/ This is what I have been using and I have had no problems at all.

However, the same people who recommended Country Save to me also recommended these things called Soap Nuts. They're a fruit from a certain tree in India. The shell contains a natural soap. Well I then saw them listed on a local co-op so I decided to give them a try. And they actually work. You stick 3 or 4 of them in a little cloth baggy and throw it in the wash. I also tried them in my dishwasher this week end when I was all out of regular automatic dish washing detergent. Worked like a charm even though Dad was skeptical. The trick is that they have to be used in hot water.

These little soap nuts really are brilliant though. They're 100% natural, good for the environment, and really work. If only I could grow them in my yard. I haven't been using them all the time, I still like the Country Save for the cloth diapers and I have a big jug of Ecos from Costco that I want to use up. But all in all, I like having these soap nuts in my laundry stash.

Here's a link if you want to check them out. This is a local site from Alberta that sells lots of cloth diapers and other things. http://www.fluffybottombabies.ca/item_94/Kaleys-Soap-Nuts.php

Two Worlds Collide.

Work went well last week. It felt really awesome to be back there. I am really happy to be working 4 hours a week. It's just the right amount. I'm still basically a stay-at-home-mom with one night off.

Being back part time really reminded me of my start at the shelter. When I first started I worked 3 or 4 nights a week. It was seriously the best pt job ever. And that's what it was like on Wednesdays but even better because I didn't have to lay any mats or do any cleaning. It was great - just chatting with clients.

It felt like two worlds colliding. My life before Stinx and my life after. It was a bit weird. The old me mixing with the new me.

It was good for a good kick in the face as well. I can't believe being away for almost 2 years can make me forget what the daily life of a homeless person is like. It was a good reminder of how good my family and I have it. We are soooooo blessed. We have shelter, clothing, food, family, friends, jobs etc.

Looking forward to work again this week.

Recycling

I have never been a self-proclaimed recycler. I've been a terrible recycler. I didn't even really start recycling consistently until a few years ago. I started with cardboard. Then when Stinx was having some baby food from jars I started to recycle glass. Now that we live in the house and have a garage I've been recycling much more.

There is one problem.

Mice.

Dad spotted one a few weeks ago in the garage. He caught one with a mouse trap a few days later. Then I saw two in one day. We caught another one. Then we realized they've been loitering in the recycling bins.

I took the bins back about a week ago. It was disgusting. Mouse poop all over the bottoms - even in the glass jars. So I vowed that we would sign up for a curbside recycling program. I figure if the recycling is disposed of weekly then I'll know if the mice are still around. No poop = no mice.

So I asked two of my lovely friends about curbside recycling. They recommended a couple companies.

I called one company and he reminded me that the city will be doing mandatory curbside recycling starting inn June 2009. Awesome! It's paid for out of our tax dollars but its still a bonus in my opinion. But in the mean time I'd still like to get ours picked up. For a 6 month term it is $84 including tax. A bit pricey but I think it will be worth it.

Dad and I are just so lazy at returning the recycling. It just piles up and piles up.... building awesome little cozy forts for mice to live in.

The company emailed me their flyer which included a list of all the products they recycle. Oh my word. I saw things on there that I could have been recycling for years, like shampoo bottles. I am feeling really guilty about this. If only I had started this a long long time ago.

Oh well. I am starting now and that's the best I can do.

How Stinx came to be.

In my family, we have a tendency to call cute delicious children "Stinkin's" or "Stinker". Once my son was born, I realized I liked plain ol' "Stinx". And so it was fitting when we found him this costume for his 1st Halloween.

This year he was zebra. No cute nickname to match. But still a cute zebra.

Shelter

So I am slowly becoming less and less a stay-at -home-mom. I am going back to the shelter once a week. I'll be working 1 night a week for 4 hours. I am really excited about this. Wednesday's are usually my "night off" but sadly I usually forget to make plans so I end up wasting my time at the mall (or seeing crap movies by myself). So when the shelter called to offer me a flexible position I said yes.

When my mat leave ended at the beginning of this year I planned to work one night a week. However at that time they only needed me on the week ends. I really wasn't up for that so I had to hand in my notice. I did make it clear to them that I might be interested down the road. It was really hard quitting. I had worked there for 5 years and would be leaving many pals. It's the type of job that leaves you wondering. What happened to so and so? Did so and so quit crack? Did so and so get help for their mental health? I just find myself wondering how everyone is doing.

It's not that I haven't visited in the past 22 months. I have visited very regularly (in my opinion). Having worked there for 5 years, I don't really recall many ex staff coming to visit. I was there every 1-3 months just to say hello. I had planned to volunteer but have found it hard to actually get myself there. It seems when there is no commitment, there is little to help me remember. I would always say "yeah i want to go every couple weeks" - but then life gets busy and Stinx keeps me jumping through hoops.

So now I will for sure get out of the house every Wednesday, I will for sure know how all my pals are doing, and I will get to do what I love. Don't get me wrong, I love mothering Stinx more than anything, tis why I am only working 4 hours a week. But I really enjoy working with the homeless too.

When I left work because of mat leave, I really needed the break. Now being away for almost 2 years, I feel refreshed. I feel like a softer human being. Maybe not quite as crusty and burnt out. I almost fear that I have regressed to my super naive self. I guess my tough skin better grow back quickly.. I've forgotten what its like to be called every dirty name on earth. It really isn't like that very often... (Hmm.. am I being forgetful? haha). But really, working as little as once a week I don't think I will have to deal with too much stress. And really, for the most part, the clients are the most amazing people I have met. They have so little, but have wonderful hearts and great sense of humours.

We'll see how my re-entry to the "work force" goes.

Roseola

Today I figured out that Stinx has Roseola. Or maybe, "had" roseola. The fever went down yesterday and this morning he had the rash all over his trunk. As soon as I saw the rash I remembered my friends telling me about this happening to their children. I looked it up on-line and Stinx matched all the symptoms: fever for a few days, irritable and fussy, no appetite, rash comes once the fever breaks. The thing that really sucks about Roseola is that children are most contagious before any of the symptoms show up. Here's a link for more info if any of you are interested:

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/skin/roseola.html

So poor Stinx is cutting all 4 eye teeth and had Roseola. No wonder it's been a brutal few days. I am so happy that Stinx is still breastfeeding. What a life saver that was. When he woke up in the night, hot and fevering, I would just take him into our bed a nurse him right back to sleep. And actually, that's all Stinx wanted to do for the past few days, nurse - all the time. I didn't mind because I wanted him to stay hydrated. I gave him lots of other fluids and tried to get him to eat but he wasn't too interested. EBF'ing has its benefits that's for sure.

Today Stinx seemed back to his regular self (which is teething and terrible two's). I have never been so happy to have a teething and tantrumming toddler. It's way worse when their sick on top of that normal stuff. He was actually in a pretty good mood all day.

Hopefully he'll be feeling great this week and hopefully the worst of the teething is over.

I'm just praying he'll sleep through the night now.

Feverama

Stinx is experiencing his very first fever. It started the night before last. He had woken up at 4am, super hot and sweaty. Now, Stinx' room is the coolest in the house. I find it absolutely freezing in there between 1am-7am. So I could tell right away something was off since he was so hot to the touch. I took off his sleep sack, peeled off his pj's and noticed his diaper was soaked. Dad had put him to bed that night so I was thinking he must have drank a lot of milk. Anyways, so I brought him to my bed, gave him some Tylenol and then he nursed back to sleep. He woke up at 7am and his body felt cool. The rest of the day his temperature was quite normal. I asked Dad and he said Stinx hardly drank any milk the night before. So I tried to give him lots of fluids during the day.

His nap was a little rough yesterday. He woke up after 1.5 hrs and was very cranky. I decided to nurse him to see if he'd feel better. Instead he nursed right back to sleep. He slept almost 3 hours in total which is quite long for him.

Last night after his bath he was shivering so bad. His body felt warm from the bath but he was shivering. I got him into his pj's and sleep sack and he fell asleep pretty quickly. He whimpered a bit in his sleep last night and then woke up at 3:45am. I brought him into the bed with me and he was very very warm again. I took him out of the sleep sack and tried to give him Tylenol but he refused. I didn't take his pj's off because I was afraid he might get chills. He fell asleep and woke up still very warm despite having no blanket on. I took his temperature and it was 39.1. I took his pj's off and right away his body seemed to cool down to 37. I felt like an idiot for not taking his pj's off earlier. I just didn't want him to go from one extreme to the other.

We went out this morning to get some portraits done (hmmm. yah, not the greatest idea. I thought being out might distract him and since we already had an appt) But on the car ride home he fell asleep! It was like 10:15. He napped until 11:30am and then when I nursed him again (I have to keep his fluids up) he fell asleep again. Poor guy. He's still sleeping and it's almost 1pm.

There might be a trip to the doctor or hospital if he doesn't feel better soon. I'm almost 99% positive its because all of those eye/canine teeth are coming in at once. I've heard stories of kids having to go to the hospital because of teething related fevers.

My poor little guy.

:(

Officially Teething

It's official. Stinx' eye teeth are coming in. ALL at once. The top 2 sharps points are out. The bottom 2 are swollen and puffy. Maybe they've broken through but I haven't dared to check yet today. Poor Stinx is a frustrated and angry boy these days. He's never been so fussy.

He's teething.

This morning he cried for 30 minutes straight. All because I had a shower. I tried to comfort him as best I could but nothing worked. Finally I grabbed the Hylands Teething Gel which seemed empty, cut the end off and stuck my finger in there, then wiped the homeopathic remedy onto his gums and he suddenly stopped crying. Not sure if it worked or if Stinx was just curiously distracted by the container I stuck my finger into. He then put his finger in it and wiped some on my lips. Haha. Needless to say, I am buying another tube of that stuff. Also, a friend recommended Baby Advil.. Maybe I'll give it a try too. The Tylenol doesn't seem to do much.

And, it's also official, he's going through the terrible two's. He's only 20 months. But I am sure "terrible two's" is the only possibly explanation besides teething as to why he freaks out, tantrums, and tests his aggression on the weak, smaller children. Namely his cousin R.

Just a couple months ago Stinx was the nice gentle toddler that was being pummeled by the terrible 2 year old toddlers. Now, unfortunately, it is his turn. Which means I have to keep my eyes on him even more so.

I babysat my cousins kids, K(age 3.5) and R(age 11months) this week and Stinx just couldn't resist hitting R on the head. I kept saying "No, don't hit, be gentle. Remember how to be gentle?". At which point he'd freak out. Or if R was hit hard enough he'd cry - which would send Stinx to the floor crying as well. I guess he's just trying to figure out the cause and effect. It wears on me though.

Although there was a breakthrough today. We had a Halloween party this morning and Stinx did very good for the most part. K and R were there and Stinx didn't hit R once (at least not that I saw, and oh - I was watching). At one point Stinx even held another girls face in his hands and gave her a kiss. It was the cutest thing ever. ever. ever.

So I guess he's not fussy all the time.

But when he is feisty, its wearing. I just really hope my son will be a gentleman one day. Not a brute. Terrible two's end eventually right?

The Halloween party was pretty fun. Except that I forgot to hand out the loot bags. Darn it. And that's not really the kind of thing you can give to people later. Like, "Hey, Merry Christmas, oh and here's the loot bag I meant to give you at the Halloween party"... right? or am I wrong?

On Sunday I experienced the worst shopping trip with Stinx, EVER. I was doing groceries. He wouldn't stay in the cart. I forgot the Toddler Hawk in the car. He wouldn't follow me. He was darting in front of fast paced carts. He had the worst tantrum. People were coming over and peering to see what was going on. I saw 14 year old girl giving me the stink eye.

I don't think I will be taking Stinx shopping ever again. OK, well maybe not until the terrible two's are over. The only place I plan on taking him is to playdates, the park, the zoo, and the nursery at church.

Sippy Cup Review

So when the big BPA scare came out months ago I decided to try my BPA-Free options. Below are my opinions of the sippy cups that were BPA-Free and available to me at the time. I thought it might be nice to share some of this knowledge with people before they spend money on some possibly really crappy sippy cups.

Now when people see Boon Fluid, they automatically fall in love with it because it looks wonderful. It's like the cool, edgey, arty, modern sippy cup. It's the "cool" looking one. Well, trust me folks, it's a superficial sippy. There seems to be no brains behind this beauty. Stinx could not get any water out of it for the life of him. I actually had to jamb a knife in the slit so more water could come out. Even that did not help. And, ok, I admit, I tried it myself. EVEN I COULDN'T GET MUCH WATER OUT OF IT. It was a chore to drink.
Oh man, Nurture Pure's Grow Pure Multi-Stage Feeder was also terrible. The idea itself is awesome. How great would it be for a bottle, sippy and straw cup all be one? It's a great idea. And I do think with a little redesigning, it could be successful. I kind of wandered upon this at Community Natural Foods and thought I'd give it a try. Oh, it was a waste of time. I'm sure the bottle part worked fine, but the sippy insert had the same problem as the Boon Fluid. It was impossible to get anything out of it. The straw function was alright but leaked a lot. I returned this one the same day and they gave me a really hard time. It was a piece of crap!


I bought the Born Free sippy at London Drugs. I really thought this would be a good one based on reviews. This sippy also failed me. Difficult to drink from once again. I returned it as well. I can't remember what else I disliked about it specifically but I will not be buying one ever again.Ah, the Klean Kanteen. A great and reliable sippy cup. This was our 1st BPA Free sippy. Grandma bought Stinx one for a Christmas present (well before the BPA scare). My only negative with the Klean Kanteen is that there are no handles. This sippy really only seems useful to a child who can hold a heavy stainless steel cup full of water. It's heavy for wee ones. If it had handles it would be much better. But, it does make a great Sippy Cup for Toddlers. We quite like ours. I have been known to use Stinx' once in awhile.





The Foogo series is made be the brand Thermos. It's my favorite. It's just a step ahead of the Klean Kanteen (in my opinion) and simply because the sippy has handles! This is the perfect sippy cup. It is a thermos but because it has the handles its not so heavy. It is lighter than the Klean Kanteen (probably because it doesn't hold as much). The spout is great for babies learning to drink out of a sippy. I love that it keeps fluids cold. I loved it so much that I bought the thermos (featured on the right) which is also really nice. Sometimes I make some instant oatmeal for Stinx, throw it in the thermos and bring it to the zoo for a warm little snack on a cool day. I haven't tried the Straw cup (featured in the middle) but I probably will eventually. I bought my Foogo products from London Drugs but recommend buying them from Mountain Equipment Coop. They're about $5 cheaper there.



And then there is the Safe Sippy. This cup was in such high demand and didn't come out until a couple months ago because it was back ordered. By then I had fallen in love with the Foogo. So I haven't tried this one but I have heard good things about it. I think it would be worth trying.



Most stores seem to be selling BPA Free plastic cups anyways so there are more options. We just bought some Nuby cups from wal-mart. While they are great because they are cheap, they are not the best and leak quite a bit.



So yes, overall Stinx and I like the Foogo cup the best. Close behind it though is the Klean Kanteen. There are probably many more products available now and hopefully more worth the money.

Whirlwind

So some bummer news. We won't be looking into adoption anymore. I've been praying a lot and then Dad and I had a conversation and we agreed to stop looking into adoption for now. There are a few reasons which I'm not comfortable talking about on-line. It's not that we won't ever adopt, it's just that we won't be doing in the next 5 years... That is unless the Big Guy makes it very clear that he wants us to. Maybe we never will. But I am still hope full that if its God's will, it will happen, even if it's when we're 60 years old. If it's his will, He'll have his way.

And so, if there is ever a child #2, it looks like it will be a biological one (If God wills that!). But there is NO RUSH on that either.

I feel like Dad and I are learning so much about ourselves and our roles as parents. We both feel like there is still so much for us to learn.

And we are still soaking up every moment with this beautiful Boo.

Anyways, went out for Great Grandpa-in-law's 80Th Birthday. Here is Stinx dressed in his traditional Chinese outfit. His Great Grandma (Tai Poh) bought this when he was in the womb. Finally fits him. So glad we finally had an occasion to dress him in it for.

He's already turning into a bad ass Biker like Grandpa Gary!

Next thing you know he'll be smoking and swearing like a trucker! Haha. Just kidding!

Here is the picture of the delicious mint cake that I promised those of you who read this ridiculous blog. Looks good don't it!!

It was splendid. But I probably won't be buying another one anytime soon. I never actually buy cake. I just couldn't resist this one.

Midwifery will be Funded!!

Today there was a press release about midwifery being funded in Alberta. This should happen in April of 2009. Holy moly. I am so pumped. I mean, I would have gone with midwives next time anyways, but now it will be free!!!! That is amazing. It's amazing that ANY WOMAN in Alberta can use midwives now. It won't be restricted to families who could pay the $3500.

http://alberta.ca/home/NewsFrame.cfm?ReleaseID=/acn/200810/24550063EBE33-96F3-5ED1-46942B3A9CB6A7DE.html

THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!

To me, this means less c-sections. It means more meaningful positive birth experiences. It means birthing naturally.

Ah. This is a great change.

I feel just that much closer to being able to have a natural, vaginal childbirth...

Ahem, that is if I get pregnant...

I'm addcited to Mint stuff

I really am addicted to mint things. Like the steamed milk at Starbucks. I get them to put some peppermint flavouring in there with some whipped cream. SO GOOD. And then I made some Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies a few weeks ago and those are now my favorite cookies ever. I have always loved After Eight chocolate. And Pep chocolate bars. I have spent a lifetime eating Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. And those delicious Mint Patties.

And so, that is why, I bought the Mint Chocolate Cake that I saw at Sobey's today. I couldn't - resist.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Anyways, I'll let you know how it is.

I'm trying to get my Christmas shopping done. I want to tackle it down and deal with it now. I don't want to leave it until the last minute like I did last year.

So far I got my Dad's gift ordered on-line. He's normally the hardest one to shop for. I don't know why. He is a man with many hobby's. Motorcycling, Pigeons, PS2, Puzzles, Models, Hockey cards etc. I always try so hard to find him something he'll like. But maybe that's the problem. Maybe I over think it. When I ask him what he wants he usually says "Hockey Cards".

So one Christmas, about 2 years ago, I decided to buy him some hockey cards. There was a Card Shop not too far from where I live. When I pulled into the parking lot I saw my Dad's bright yellow truck. ARGH! He was there! He doesn't even live in this quadrant! Anyways I went in and busted him. He didn't receive any hockey cards for Christmas.

That story brings me to one from this week end. On Monday (it was a long week end), I was hanging out with my mom in the north west of the city, close to her house. We had decided to go to London Drugs to pick up a couple things. I needed a new hair dryer as mine broke. As we were going down the isle's I saw my Father. There he was standing in the kid isle looking at hockey cards. My mom, and Stinx who was in the shopping cart and I all hid behind this rack waiting for him to notice us. A few minutes went by. My mom said he'd never notice. We were laughing and giggling like school girls. Finally my mom, who was rebelling from me wanting to wait it out, walked by him flamboyantly. He didn't even notice. Feeling like I had to join her I walked by and poked him in the buttocks. That sure got his attention! Haha. He said he didn't see us with his dark motorcycle shades on. Good times. Good times.

My parents live in their own little world in their neighborhood. Its happened a few times when Mom and I have ran into Dad in the hood. I wish I lived in the hood with them. I wish I lived on the same street. I wish I lived next door.

My mom thinks something is wrong with me because "No one wants to live next to their parents".

But I do.

Ladybug

I was cleaning up yesterday afternoon. I was putting the puzzle pieces away. I picked up a piece and realized there was a bug on it. My natural reaction was to shriek and throw the piece across the room. Yes, I know - sad. It was after all, a ladybug. Stinx was there beside me and wanted to know what made me react that way. He looked curiously at the ladybug. I decided to move it to the garage. I thought it was dead because it wouldn't move. As Stinx and I made our way with the ladybug to the garage, the bug decided to high tail it outta there. So when it finally moved, Stinx let out the biggest, girliest shriek ever! Poor guy. He's never been afraid of insects. Not until he heard me scream at one. I felt so bad. He really was frightened. I put my hand on his chest and it was just pounding super hard. I have never seen him so scared.

I realized immediately that he was only scared because I had shown him my reaction. So I let the ladybug crawl on me. This seemed to help him adjust to it. Finally he became more comfortable. I decided to place the ladybug in a clear Tupperware container so Stinx could watch him.

I wouldn't say he loved the ladybug, but he certainly was interested in it. He kept running back to it trying to say "Bug". It was really cute.

This morning we let the ladybug go free. Hopefully the frost tonight won't kill it. Oh well I guess. They all gotta go at some point.

Every Wednesday the garbage truck comes. If I hear the truck go by I tell Stinx, "There goes the garbage truck! Did you hear it?". Last week we waited for it to come by. I took him outside so he could get a really good look at it. He was in heaven.

So this morning when we woke up I told him the garbage truck would be coming again. He got really excited and immediately started looking for the truck. Finally when it did first come by I was actually on the phone with my mom. I was busy chatting away when Stinx start freaking with joy, he was trying to say "Truck" and get my attention. We were able to catch a glimpse of the truck. We didn't see it drive by as much as it usually does. It's normal by our place about 3 times. So it looks like Wednesday morning's are garbage truck watch out days.

Stinx and I were looking at the pictures from the week end (some of which are posted yesterday) and he was naming the people in the pictures. He's say "Dad" or "Mom" and then for Grandma he'd say "Bugma".. haha. It's so cute that he has a pet name for G-FiFI. Today when he tried saying grandma it did sound better but he also repeated Bugma.