31 days

This year, my New Year's Resolution took on a 'baby steps' approach. I decided that instead of one or two massive resolutions that span the entire year ahead, I would instead come up with a new resolution for each month, as the year goes on. Today marks the completion of my January resolution, which was to blog for 31 days straight. I (surprisingly!) really enjoyed it, and only 2 days were tough and felt like I was forcing myself to write something. I expected to struggle a lot more than that.

February will be a bit unique, because we'll be on vacation for almost half of it. So, keeping this in mind, my resolution will be vacation-oriented (read: fun!) and will also be 2-part.

1st half of February resolution: While on vacation, I will make sure, each and every day, to get at least one photo of Warren, Rhys & I together, just the 3 of us. Hopefully we'll get creative with them. And, I have a hunch that Cedric might make his way into some of them, too. It'll be a 'Where's Cedric' type of thing :-)

2nd half of February resolution: To make a digital photo album through Blurb of our holiday, by the end of the month.

Today: LAST MINUTE PANIC. Checking lists. Then an excited, anxious, sleepless night. Up early tomorrow. Catching a plane. Facing our fears. Leaving our comfort zone. LANDING IN THE TROPICS. Saaa-weet!

PS - Mr. Leonard Cohen is getting a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy's tonight!

PPS - Glee Club Ladies - save a spot for me in the Congo line! See you when I come back.

Tic Toc

Yesterday: Wore me out. A trip alone with Rhys to Superstore will do that to me. Superstore really is a soul-sucking place, and I should try to limit my visits there as much as possible.

Today: Marks 2 sleeps till we leave. My cousin is coming over once more to get all the deets on the dogs and living in our house. Where the towels are kept, how to record The Bachelor on the PVR, where I hide the chocolate, that sort of thing. I'll make sub sandwiches (and hazelnut lattes!) for lunch while she's here, and there is a rumour that she might be bringing over homemade CANDY APPLES. My newly menstruating body is excited about that. Then, more packing. More checking lists. More laundry. Something frozen & quick for dinner. Oh right...and feeding, changing, playing with and cleaning up after a baby. That needs to happen too.

Okay Saturday. Warren is working this weekend, so go easy on me please.

OMG! Shawna, this one is for YOU!

Watch the video in this article:

MADTV iPad

(This is from years ago - they totally called it!)

Ya....so that happened.

Well, it would seem I may have figured out the cause of my sudden nausea and intense stomach cramping on Wednesday. And no...there is NOT another Rhys-y-pie on the way, as one of my dear friends suggested ;-P

Nope. The opposite, in fact. Aunt F***ing Flow arrived. SIGH. This means a few things to me. 1st, it means I friggin' need to bring friggin' tampons on holiday. BOOO! 2nd, it means the end of the bliss that was life without Aunt Flow. 3rd, I'm taking it as a sign from my body that pumping 4-6 times a day for 2 straight months is ENOUGH. Move On. Rhys doesn't care. So, I'm officially weaning myself. 'Weaning' Rhys is a joke. He goes from bottle to breast to formula to pumped milk like a pro. I love his morning nurse, but I honestly don't think he gives a hoot.

So...now what happens? Do my breasts shrivel up and die? Do they go back to their former mediocre selves? Do they blossom into glorious orbs that exceed their previous glory? And I just bought 3 new bras, too. Curses!

To lighten the mood, some random baby/dog cuteness:

"Wow - Papa sure does a good job of cleaning our your ears, River!" :

Today: A trip to Superstore to buy formula, jarred baby food, diapers (for Rhys and his mom! Curses!) and other odds & ends to pack for Maui. And, if it's warm out, maybe a walk around the neighbourhood.

PS - Get well soon Warren! Rhys wants to snuggle his Papa.

Thursday Bonus

Yesterday, Mac announced their new 'Tablette' computer. Warren, the ultimate gadget consumer, tried to sell me on it.

Warren: Hon, the iPad would be perfect for you! It would be great for all your blog reading. (He then sat on the couch, holding an 'imaginary' iPad and began scrolling through the 'imaginary' touch screen, to illustrate this for me...)

Amanda: In what Universe, is it remotely justifiable that I spend over $500 dollars to read my blogs?

Warren: (looks at Amanda blankly with a troubled frown on his face...)

Amanda: ...NOT the one we currently live in.

(I have to admit they look cool though. Wish they'd called it an iTab instead of an iPad. Makes me think of a Maxipad, for some reason).

Crumby.

Yesterday was kinda crumby. Warren & I both woke up feeling yucky. Warren had a sore throat and a really raspy voice, and I was feeling nauseous. Warren was clearly the sicker of the two of us, and I was convinced my queasiness was due to hunger or something. An hour or so went by and Warren's voice & throat were feeling a wee bit better. My queasiness was not. A barfing session ensued. BLECH.

So, I did my best to be on 'Rhys Duty', while Warren tackled our to-do list. It almost seemed like Rhys knew we were sick, because he was quite subdued all day, and even had an extra long nap in the afternoon (thank-you baby!). We were worried that he might be sick because he was so low energy, but nothing else seemed different about him.

Today: The cleaning lady is coming to try and make our house somewhat suitable for our family members to live in while we're gone. While she's here, Rhys & I & the dogs will be hiding at Nana & Grandan's place (Warren's parents). Tonight we'll try to get a couple more things done. Ick.

What wonderful things are YOU doing today? Come on people, cheer me up!

Test Run

We were very fortunate to inherit a bunch of second hand summer type clothing from our friends. I imagine it might be hard to find sun hats and swimsuits for infants this time of year? One of the items I was particularly happy to find was a 'Body Glove' swimsuit for a baby Rhys' size. Of course, I had to make sure it fit! So I dressed a very unhappy Rhys (hence the soothie) in his Body Glove Swimsuit and finished off the look with a colorful sunhat. He looks like a professional diver, don't you think? Scuba lessons anyone?

So I figure if we leave with this ensemble, some sun screen, and some swimming diapers, he'll be good to go in Maui :-) Oddly, though, the list of stuff to pack for him is, in reality, WAY longer than that.

This would make a great father/son portrait except for the mass of spit up by Rhys' foot:

Today: Warren is off, so we'll continue to tackle our 'leaving for holiday soon' to-do list. One item on the list, is to look for a good backpack-style baby carrier to take with us. Warren isn't confident the Baby Hawk will be good enough. Since he'll be the one carrying Rhys in it, I can't argue too much. Any tips on good ones? A woman in our baby class recommends the Ergo. Anyone have this or used it before?

Tuesday

Yesterday I tried to blast through some 'to-dos ' on our 'get ready for holiday' list, but by evening both Warren & I were feeling under the weather (I refuse to say we were feeling 'sick'!). So we decided to pack it in earlier than usual, Warren made some tea with honey and lemon, and I downed some Vitamin-D & Advil. Made for some messed-up dreams, but I must have slept well because I feel a bit better this morning.

Today: I am signed up for a 'Feeding Your Baby' class, but I'm not going to attend. Sorry, Rhys, but your Dad & I still won't know how to feed you 'properly'. Guess we'll keep winging it...

Instead, today calls for a long, hot SHOWER. I want the washroom filled with steam. Maybe 2 (large-ish) to do items will be tackled. Then, if I'm feeling good tonight, some exercise.

Birthday Recap

I didn't do the best job getting appropriate pictures from my birthday celebrations, but I'll post what I do have.

First, dinner at my mother-in-laws, with my mom, Warren, Father-in-law and Rhys last Wednesday. A pic of me & Rhys with my Marble Slab 'Oreo' birthday cake:

Then (the well documented in photos) Ladies Night at Theresa's on Friday.

I was greeted with '30th Birthday Party in Progress' yellow tape covering the front door:

Turns out, I'm a total HAM (who knew?!)...

Wearing my 'Never Grow Up Gangsta' necklace:

30 candle with homemade cupcakes! :

What, I have to share these? :

I'm trying to remember what we were laughing about?! :

Oh, the masks. Don't ask :

Opening Prezzies:

Ya, little buddy. That's how a felt at the end of the night, too:

(Editor's note: CUDOS to Keri for coming to girl's night with her little 7 week old and staying past midnight!!! Seriously! You are a better friend that I!!!).

Then, on Saturday, we went our for dinner with some more great friends. HOWEVER, I completely forgot to have the waiter photograph us all at the table. So all I have from the night is a lame self portrait I took before we left:

If nothing else, I figure that pic will come in handy to analyze any new wrinkles/chins that may crop up over the years...

Lastly, brunch at my dad's house on Sunday. Didn't take the pics I should of, but here's my dad feeding a very grumpy grandson:

Thank-you Family & Friends for treating me to a such a special 30th birthday. You all rock.

Good Morning.

Sweet, sweet, Sunday morning.

Mr. Rhys slept until 9am. Glorious 9am. Then Warren & I enjoyed lattes and fresh cinnamon bread that Gramma Patsy brought over for us last night. Ahhhhh...

Yesterday: Got a haircut. Bought a new 1950's inspired swimsuit. Went to Murietta's for dinner with Tiff, Sean & Sue. So GOOD. So FUN.

Today: Brunch at Grampa's house! Then...some exercise. Then....need to start packing! 8 more sleeps to Maui.

A Special Day

Yesterday was a good day. And not just for me.

I was going to write about what an awesome group of Lady Friends I have, the laughs we had, the plates of sugary treats we did not consume, the silly masks we wore, the lovely drawings and the thoughts they represented, and of course the thoughtful gifts that were given. But, I'll save that for another day, because when I came home I checked my blog list for updates and saw THIS. If you missed what happened to this family last spring, look here. I've been following their blog ever since they lost their daughter. Reading their words as they cope with that magnitude of grief. And now, I share my birthday with their newest little darling. Their sun.

Today: Haircut in the morning, and dinner with friends tonight. Let the b-day celebrations continue!

Thirty.

Thirty years ago today, my mom gave birth to little baby girl, and named her Amanda.

Thirty years ago today, my dad held a little angel in his arms, and probably wondered what the heck he had gotten himself into.

Now their baby girl is 30 years old, and has a baby of her own. How totally odd. I wonder what that must feel like. There is a line in 'Fiddler on the Roof' that goes: "Is this the little girl I carried? Is this the little boy at play? I don't remember growing older. When did they?" .

(Editor's note: I made this pic B&W to hide my greasy hair and lack of make-up...I'm not sure that it worked...).

Here's my Grandma holding me, 30 years ago in January 1980:

And her holding Rhys (his Great Grandma), in December 2009:

I have a very blessed life as I exit my 20s. In fact, I'm pretty confident that my 30's are going to be KICK-ASS, too!

Yesterday: Rhys got his H1N1 shot, and barely cried! The nurse said that vaccine is warm, so it hurts less. Here is a pic of Rhys NOT napping in his crib yesterday:

Today: DECADENT GIRL'S NIGHT with my Lady Friends. 'Nuff said :-)

BREATHE.

Yesterday: Surprisingly, Team Cronin was a well oiled machine. We managed to maneuver seamlessly from appointments to errands to celebrations, without any hiccups. Even Rhys rocked it.

The part of the day that I was dreading most, was the visit to the daycare. The reason we selected this particular daycare in the first place was for two reasons:

1) The incredibly convenient proximity to our house.

2) It's a precursor to the Montessori daycare (kids there are top priority to get into the official Montessori daycare when they are 3).

Other than those 2 things, we didn't know much about it. It doesn't have much curb appeal. From the front it looks like a tiny little hole in the wall, in a strip mall beneath an apartment building on one of the ugliest roads in Calgary. YUK!

I was really anxious about the whole thing, and I was starting to visualize the daycare and the staff. I was imagining a dark, dusty room with no sunlight. I imagined an old, grumpy caregiver with a giant hairy mole on her face. I imagined being made to feel like an over protective parent who asks too many questions. I imagined leaving the meeting in tears at the thought of leaving Rhys with anyone else besides his Dad. In retrospect this was all really silly, because on the phone the staff were super friendly, professional and accommodating.

In short, I was SO RELIEVED when we left. I really, really, really liked the daycare (and so did Warren). It's small. They don't have tons of kids. It was really clean and orderly and the kids were having fun. They provide meals. The price is great. The Director of the centre thinks we have a really good chance of getting Rhys in. For now, we'll read all the stuff they gave us, and look for another daycare (or 2) as a backup.

Today: An afternoon nap is a MUST (for me!). Rhys had a restless night after the day we had. I may venture out with Rhys to get him vaccinated from the H1N1, since we're going on an air plane soon and he's now old enough. I'm making a full chicken for dinner. I was going to bake it in the over, but Keri said it tastes great in a slow cooker...hmmm....

The Gnome Away From Home

Meet Cedric. He's a tiny little Gnome, slightly shorter than a shrub:

He'll be coming to Maui with us. Good thing he has a passport and a suitcase:

He was an early birthday gift from my cousin :-)

Today: Is UBER busy. Warren is off. Rhys has a doctor check-up at 10am. Warren has a dentist appointment at 11am. I have an appointment at 1pm (that was rescheduled from yesterday). We're going to visit a daycare at 3pm. We need to pick up a cake from Marble Slab. Then off to Nana's for 5:30pm for an early birthday dinner.

Serenity now...serenity now...serenity now....

Left Hanging

Rhys had his 6 month shots yesterday. For his last 2 shots, I nursed him immediately afterwards to comfort him, and it worked both times. But since then, Rhys has lost interest in nursing, so I wasn't sure what to expect. As Warren held him, I sat in front with my boob ready to go. First needle: Look of surprise, shock, then tears. Second needle: Full on Red Face cry. I whip out my boob, Warren hands me our screaming child, and...nothing. Rhys wouldn't even consider the notion. So there I was, Red Faced Child in arms, and my sad, cold, naked breast dangling in the air. It was the equivalent of that awkward high five you go to give someone, and they don't reciprocate. Rejected. Luckily our sweet little champ only cried for a few moments, and then was distracted by Warren's silly faces & noises.

Before the appointment, true to the 'baby rules of the land', Rhys was having a fantastic nap. I had to walk in and wake him up. I took that opportunity to snap a few pics of him sleeping, in the flesh. Not through the baby monitor :-)

Today: I have an appointment at 1pm, and at 5pm my cousin is coming over to get the low-down on our dogs. She'll be dog/house sitting for us in less than 2 weeks. Because we're going to Maui. YA. So I think I'll also starting making some lists today...yes...lots of lists...

Monday

Yesterday was full. Some exercise, and a visit from Rhys' Nana (Warren's mom) started off the day. Then a walk to the mall to pick up a couple things we needed. Mr. Rhys rode in his stroller, sans bucket seat, for the second time in his life:

Then, Rhys experienced his first carwash. Papa waved to him through the window (and I was desperate for blog photos!):

The day ended with us packing up and hauling Rhys and his large amounts of STUFF to Rob & Tiff's for dinner and the Golden Globes. Don't know what everyone else thought, but we thought the show BLEW CHUNKS. Ricky wasn't on nearly enough, and every time James Cameron spoke, I would throw up a bit in my mouth. But the evening out was great all the same :-)

Best Ricky Quote from the awards: "I like to drink just as much as the next guy. Unless the 'next guy' isn't Mel Gibson".

Today: Rhys has his 6 month shots. I'm crossing my fingers that this time is as uneventful as the past two.

Sunday

Yesterday: Warren was wiped in the afternoon, so he 'slept when the baby slept' for Rhys' afternoon nap. His sleep was short lived though, because he was disturbed by the 'Jaycee Duggard Story' on TLC that was playing in the background. Her kidnapper was seriously DERANGED. But moving on...

When Mr. Rhys awoke, I took him into our room to snuggle with Warren. My two sleepy heads:

At dinner time, Rhys decided that Warren holds a bottle like a CHUMP, and that he could do it better himself:

Our dinner out at Earl's was lovely. We talked about Rhys quite a bit, but we also tried to think of something to do for my 30th birthday coming up. Anyone up for Roller Skating at Lloyd's?

Today: Healthy breakfast on tap (& lattes!), some afternoon exercise, then The Golden Globes hosted by Ricky Gervais.

Oooooh, Sunday. I should be at church. But I'm not.

TRADITION!

In the middle of my chaotic trip to Superstore yesterday, got a call on my cell from Warren. We had been offered free tickets to "Fiddler on the Roof" at the Jube. So, thanks to Gramma Patsy (thanks again, mom!), Warren & I got to enjoy a FABULOUS live musical knowing Rhys was in good hands, on very short notice. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. So yesterday turned out better than planned.

Today: Warren is making our breakfast, I'm making the lattes, then later on this evening we get to go on another date :-) Off to Earl's to use up a gift card that's burning a hole in my wallet. Gramma Patsy to the rescue again!

Bottlestar Spitupica

Yesterday: Rhys & I didn't do too much out of the ordinary to celebrate his first six months on Earth. Okay, we did nothing out of the ordinary. Which makes for a pretty lame post. But gosh darn it, I'm going to post everyday this month, no matter what!

One thing I wanted to make sure we did yesterday, was get some fresh air. It was BEAUTIFUL outside. I decided to give Rhys a different perspective besides his usual view from the stroller, so I strapped him on with the Baby Hawk. I'm not usually a 'babywearer', but on occasion I'm just in the mood to have him snuggled up against me while I stroll. He's usually very skeptical about the whole thing:

Oh! And nothing like a camera flash to highlight how FILTHY DIRTY your mirror is:

I also got a kick out of the appropriateness of Rhys' onsie yesterday...it says 'Bottlestar Spitupica', to mock the Battlestar Galactica logo, and it has orange 'butternut squash' spit up on it:

Today: Sadly will likely be a grocery & laundry day. I had freezer burnt mini-quiches last night for dinner. It's time to get some fresh food that contains nutrients. Warren is off this weekend, so I need to motivate myself to get the icky chores done so we can enjoy ourselves for those 2 days, instead of spending them doing icky chores.

Six Month Snapshot

Rhys is 6 months old today, and I'm so happy because everything about our lives right now is really great. We have a 'routine' (in the loosest sense of the word), yet everyday is different because Rhys is learning and changing and discovering right before our eyes. Our nights are quiet and peaceful and restful. Warren & I still go out for brunch with friends, go to movies, read books, plan vacations and LAUGH. Oh, how we laugh... Rhys hasn't changed our lives, he has merely improved them beyond recognition. He simply makes everything better. If our lives were a DQ ice cream cake, Rhys would be the chocolate crunchy bits. He gives me a reason to get up in the morning, literally. I love lifting him out of his crib first thing, when he's still in his sleepy fog and a bit frantic for his breakfast, and taking him to the living room and nursing him on the couch with the morning news in the background. After our post-milk snuggle he'll play on his mat or in his chair while I have a coffee. Mornings are so nice with him these days.

Rhys, you are my heart.

Some notes I want to remember from the 6 month mark:

Rhys, you....

• Sleep on your side a lot now.
• Roll around a lot.
• Can pick up a soother and put it in your mouth on your own (most of the time).
• Have lost the 'training wheels' on your excersauser, so you can now sway from side to side and front to back to practice your balance while playing.
• Are very adaptable.
• Have been eating rice & oat cereal for a month now.
• Can drink small amounts of water from a cup (with an adult holding the cup of course). So far, you really like water.
• In the last week you have tried yams (not your fave at this point), carrots (diluted with wheat cereal you like them) and peas (also diluted).
• This now means your spit-up stains everything, and your BMs are a rainbow surprise.
• Have outgrown all your 3-6 month sleepers.
• Like to screech.
• Are really interested in the dogs, River & Porter, and often smile and shake with anticipation right before they lick your face.
• Enjoy bath time more & more and are fascinated by 'drips' coming down from a wet cloth.
• Become easily distracted while eating and during story time.
• Have just begun to sit on your own, unassisted, for maybe 10 seconds before toppling over.
• Still nurse first thing in the morning, and drink breastmilk from bottles the rest of the day, sometimes needing to be supplemented with formula. You don't seem to have a preference, you just like to eat.
• Sleep from 7pm to 7am most nights. Last night you slept from 6:45pm to 8:15am! It's a rare day that I am ready to get up before you are.
• Are a total clown.

Another note from last night...you slept on your tummy for the first time! Considering you slept so late, I think those parents who put their babies to sleep on their tummies are on to something! Here is a photo of the video monitor of you sleeping at the top of your crib, on your tummy (you started the night on your back, centered in the crib):

To top of this snapshot at the six month mark, my favorite. The Comparison Photos.

A couple days old:

Six Months Old:

So, Bubsy Brown. What's next? Whatever you have in store for us, Warren & I can't wait!

Foreground

Our poor pups have been pushed to the background since Mr. Rhys started hanging out at our house, and I've been meaning to do a 'dog' post for a while. I want to go back and find all the pics we have of Rhys with the dogs and the video we've taken of them licking his face and put them all nicely in one post. But I haven't done that, yet. So instead of waiting for that magic day, here is a photo of our sweet River. Yes, Rhys is the King of this household, but there is still a Prince and Princess living here too (Warren & I are mere peasants/servants/court jesters at this point).

River looks very sad in that photo. I hope it's just because she doesn't like having her photo taken...

Rhys was getting into more trouble yesterday, rolling all over the place:

Yesterday: Rhys received a parcel from some of my colleagues at Shaw (that I was meant to pick-up a while back, but never got around too). He now has enough lotion and bubble bath to last a lifetime, some finger puppets and a charming teddy bear:

Today: Warren is off, so no matter what happens, it will be a GREAT DAY. And, since Warren didn't finish work until 11:45pm last night, 2 double shot lattes are coming up!

Dear Wednesday, how I heart thee...

The Nine Lives Of Sophie The Giraffe

This year for Christmas Rhys received a super-great gift from Gramma Patsy. Sophie the Giraffe.

Rhys loves chewing her soft rubber head. He also loves tossing her around, and has come close to losing her several times. The first time was in LaSenza. I was shopping for some new PJs, and while in line to pay I noticed she was no longer wedged inside his gummy mouth. I retraced my steps and found her beneath a rack of terry cloth robes. The second time was while visiting Gramma. I knew he had Sophie when I put him in the car, but she was mysteriously gone once we arrived at Canadian Tire. We searched and searched and couldn't find her, so we figured she was at Gramma's somewhere. Nope. Not on the driveway, not left in the house. Finally Gramma Patsy found Sophie in the BACK of the Mazda 5. He had tossed her over the seat. The third time was at Warren's brother's house. We were certain their dog had buried Sophie in the backyard, but found her frozen in the snowy driveway on our way out.

I really hope Sophie has at least 9 lives. We've used up 3 of them already.

Yesterday: I successfully purchased and set up the mesh bumper pads. I'll report back to say if they helped. Also, we made an appointment for next week to visit a DAYCARE. Get a tour, ask questions, all that stuff. I'm excited, but sad, too.

Today: I'm expecting a delivery, so I'll be at home until that comes, that's all I know for sure.

Okay, Tuesday. Let's try and make you not-ordinary.

The 'Real' Warren

Anyone who is a friend of Warren on Facebook, knows he has a sense of humour. Often times, his jokes and references are very obscure, but if you 'get' his wit you will think him a clever man. But I live with the 'real' Warren. Not the pre-planned, scripted Warren. I hear the foolishness that comes flowing out of his brain, with no undo or delete button to save him. The ' Writer's Blog' comment could be one example.

Last night I was enjoying my evening latte and 3 chocolate pecan clusters (aka President's Choice rip off of 'Turtles') when Warren asked me if I'd like some wine...

Amanda: Umm, maybe when I'm done my latte.

Warren: OR, you can have some wine IN your coffee. It would be a 'Winoffee'!

Ya. I feel sorry for me too.

So to cheer us up, here is Rhys looking all grown up and cute as a bug:

Today: We are in serious need of a mesh bumper pad for Rhys' crib, so I'm hoping to go to Walmart (UGH!) to see if they have any in stock. Rhys tosses his soother out of the crib all night long, and when he wakes up and can't find it he often begins to cry. Warren & I are tired of crawling around his floor in the dark trying to find them all...