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...

Mr. Serious

In the warm, blistering winds of yesterday's Chinook, Rhys & I got bundled up and headed out in the sleigh in search of an adventure. I pulled him through the streets of our neighbourhood with a specific destination in mind. The Park. Oh yes. I was in the mood to BLOW RHYS' MIND by introducing him to the baby swing. I maneuvered his little legs through the holes, gave him a push, and...nothing. There was a dad pushing his daughter in the swing next to us and he said "Well, he's not protesting! That's great!". But to simply have him 'not hate it' wasn't my goal. I wanted him to laugh and squeal and giggle and gurgle. So I pushed and pushed and made ridiculous faces, and...nothing. He was Mr. Serious the entire time.

So we trudged back home, Rhys gliding along the white ground in his sleigh, to do what we do best. Goof around for the camera.

Today: Warren has a quiet day of work, so some morning lattes and waffles are in the works. Gramma Patsy (my mom) is coming over this afternoon and we are going to Canadian Tire to shop for ice skates.

Happy 10th Day of January Blogging, everyone!

Lather, Rinse, Repeat...

Yesterday ended up being a very similar day to the one before. Rhys & I had a nice relaxed morning together, then a another beautiful mom and her child came for a visit. We had a latte and Porter ate my cinnamon bun (yesterday he ate the artichoke dip). I sure hope I can raise better behaved humans that I can dogs...

Here's is the boy we lovingly call 'The Little One' with Rhys...in a very similarly framed photo to the one I took yesterday with Easton:

'The Little One' is the most CHILL toddler you'll ever meet. I was all concerned that my house wasn't childproof enough, but he didn't touch anything he wasn't supposed to (well, except for the TV remote. I guess he's not a fan of 'The Young and the Restless'). He's growing up fast, and is a far cry from the wee babe photographed a couple years ago HERE.

Rhys was in total awe of him while they played together. I grabbed the video camera to capture their interaction, but of course The Little One lost interest the moment I hit record:

It was a perfect impromptu visit. Short, sweet, but just enough to give us a each a break in our day.

Today: I didn't make it outside yesterday, so that is my one and only goal today. PLUS, while outside, I plan to introduce Rhys to another FIRST. Tune in tomorrow to find out what it is!

The forecast is calling for +8 degrees Celsius. Saturday, you look lovely already.

"Writer's Blog"

Last night I was lamenting to Warren that I couldn't think of anything interesting to blog about this morning. His big suggestion? "Just blog about having nothing to blog about!". "No, no," I replied, "that's uber lame. No one wants to read about that". "No it's not! You have 'writer's blog'..." he chimed in, "get it? Writer's blog?". WOW. Thanks, Warren.

Moving on...

Yesterday: Had a super-awesome visit with my friend Kirsty. The time went by way too fast, of course, but afterwards I felt refreshed and reassured in all my highs & lows as a new mom. I'm not hormonal or going crazy or in need of medication. I'm simply a normal new mom. Thanks KW!

Kirsty's little guy, Easton, is exactly 8 weeks Rhys' junior. Kirsty enjoys watching Rhys because he is a glimpse into her near future. I enjoy watching Easton because he is a reminder of where Rhys was a very short time ago and how quickly he continues to grow and change.

Here is a shot of Rhys showing Easton the Ins & Outs of his Command Centre (aka Excersaucer), which Easton had never seen before. Both Kirsty & I agree that the angle of this photo does not accurately portray their size difference. Easton is 4 months old, and weighs less that Rhys did at 2 months. Rhys is a lumbering giant in comparison (but this pic doesn't show it very well):

After the quick lesson from Rhys, Easton was raring to go for a spin in the Command Centre. However, without the strong guidance of Commander Cronin, he felt a bit lost:

Poor little man. Guess his mom won't be in a rush to get him one of his own just yet.

Today: The weather is supposed to be really nice, so maybe I'll venture out with Rhys on his sleigh and see where we end up. And maybe another visit with another friend over another hot homemade latte...

Friday, I'm here. Give me something to blog about!

(And Happy Birthday KERI!)

Bits & Bops #4

Some ways I know for sure I am a mom, at the 5.5 month mark...

1) I have, on numerous occasions, licked my thumb and wiped some dirt/fluff/spittle/hair off of Rhys' face with my wet digit. I have memories of my mom doing this to me, in the parking lot of Co-op on $1.49 day, so that I would be presentable at the Co-op daycare while she shopped. Sometimes she would lick a Kleenex instead of her finger, but it was equally as traumatizing. BTW - Does Co-op still have daycare?

2) As much as I like to reminisce about Warren & Is travelling adventures before Rhys was born, I can't yet, at this point, imagine being anywhere without Rhys for very long. I would literally feel like I had left a limb or vital organ at home.

3) Whenever Warren (or anyone for that matter) is holding Rhys, or feeding him, or whatever, so that I can 'get something else done', I have to fight the urge to simply sit and watch Rhys interact with that person.

4) I can multi-task like nobodies business (I can play peek-a-b00, wash my hair in the shower and make a mental grocery list, all at the same time, for example).

5) Sometimes I'll be in such a rush to get out the door that I don't even take a moment to look in the mirror (gasp!), only to return home later on and catch a glimpse of myself and think, "Dear Lord, was I just in public looking like this?". One time I was meeting 2 friends at the mall, and one of them asked me what was wrong with my bangs. I had put a bobby pin in my bangs 'to hold them down', but instead the bobby pin was making my bangs stick straight up in the air. It was like a real life 'There's Something About Mary' hair gel scene.

Yesterday: Warren was home, so the day was fabulous. The big treat of the day? Going to the grocery store ALL BY MYSELF. Ahhhhhh....(must be another sign that I am a mom...).

Today: A very special day indeed. Rhys' BFF Easton and his beautiful mom are coming for a visit. So I expect the day to involve some homemade lattes, some store bought chocolate, some new-m0therhood chats, and hopefully some good moods all around.

And since today is Thursday, January 7th, a big shout out to NIKKI, SHANE & PALMER who are expecting to add to their family today! Good luck, Nicole! (Nikki is a 'blogger friend', who I have never met, but she's friends with some of my friends, and has a great blog, so I consider her to be EXCELLENT peeps...).

Have a great day, all!

Bouteille de Lait

Yesterday morning Warren was reading my blog, and he said 'Oh! Taking down the tree, eh? Pretty ambitious, don't you think?' I'm lucky that Warren fully understands how difficult in can be most days to accomplish anything when taking care of a baby. "You know," he continued, "traditionally the tree can be up until the 7th". Hurray! That's my out! And with Ukrainian Christmas being on the 6th, I'm really just staying true to my heritage. So I didn't procrastinate people, I'm being true to my heritage...

I didn't accomplish the other item on my daily to-do list either. To make a London Fog. I didn't have any Earl Grey tea, and I thought I'd be bastardizing the drink if I made it with English Breakfast or a Five Berry Blend. So instead I made Warren his favorite. A Chai Latte. With real Indian chai powder that I bought at a craft show a while ago.

Mr. Rhys had a great day yesterday. I laughed a lot and marvelled at how quickly he's learning and developing his skills. I'm just so gosh-darn-proud to be his mama and call him our son.

Now, some video clips that I taped yesterday...

1) Somehow, when parenting books talk about 'self-soothing', I don't think this is what they had in mind:

2) I'm fully aware that I sound like an idiot in this next clip, so just ignore my commentary and gaze upon Rhys' cuteness as he relaxes as Papa feeds him his dinner time bottle (Side note: I may have gotten a little carried away with the Mac's iMovie stock music selection and Warren thinks my music choice is borederline inappropriate...all I know is that I laugh myself to tears when the music kicks in...):

3) We began feeding Rhys rice cereal about a month ago, so this isn't a video of his first meal or anything. But he was just so enthusiastic about eating last night, that I had to whip out the camera...if you have 2 minutes to spare, I think it's worth it ;-) Again, the caveat that Warren & I sound like fools applies. You've been warned. Also, might be better viewed by clicking HERE, because stupid blogger crops the widescreen):

Warren always cracks me up when he feeds Rhys. When he's putting on the rubber bib (Warren calls it Rhys' 'raincoat') he'll start a conversation like this:

Warren: "Lobster tonight, Sir? Yes, yes...2009 was an excellent year for rice cereal. Yes...it was freeze dried in Italy by the young woman who harvested it. Perhaps, Sir, you would enjoy a nice wine with your dinner tonight? Perhaps a nice Beaujolais?"

Today: Warren has today off (for the most part) so I hope to vaccum & disinfect Rhy's toys & go grocery shopping...all things that are easier done with help around (and that NEED to be done because a baby is coming to visit tomorrow!).

Okay, Wednesday. I'm coming for you!

Baby Was A Rolling Stone

Rhys is on the move. It happened so fast, too. Just the other day I was alerting Warren that the days when we can sit blissfully on the couch, surfing Facebook while Rhys plays, stationary on his mat, were coming to an end. He was starting to reach out and grab for objects outside the sphere of his playmat, which he had never done before.

Much more vigilant supervision is now required at all times. And today this became very apparent. First, I watched as Rhys rolled around his mat. Then I watched as he rolled off his playmat. I continued to watch as he rolled past the dog all the way under the side table:

This pic better illustrates the distance he traveled. Who knows how far he'd have gone if that table didn't get in his way!

All this made me realise it was time to capture his latest moves on video. Behold, Rhys' Mad Rolling SKILLZ (video is better viewed by clicking HERE because blogger crops the widescreen):

Yesterday: Aside from all the rolling going on, the day panned out pretty much as planned. Stayed in my pajamas all day (but did change my pajamas after my shower at 4pm...), did laundry, and finished reading 'The Road'. This daily blogging has taught me something. Before, I would have considered a pajama day a waste, maybe I'd even feel lazy and lame. But when I blog about it and make it my goal, suddenly I feel great about it. Yay! I achieved what I set out to do! If you set your standards low enough, you too can accomplish anything!

Today: Pack up the Christmas Tree (ugh). It's been easy to ignore this chore because the tree is set up downstairs in The Pub. Out of sight, out of mind. But the time has come. After that maybe I'll attempt to make a London Fog (needed at least one reference to the espresso machine :-)

Have a good day!

Café Cronin

Phew!

Ikea + Sale + Last Weekend of the 'Holidays' = Hurry the heck up and get & out. Unfortunately, I stood in front of the coffee/espresso mug section for 25 minutes. I stood in front of the vase & glass bowl section for another 15. I was Mrs. Indecisive yesterday. (Mom, thank-you for you patience!). In the end I did what I always do when I can't decide on something. I buy BOTH items I'm debating between. Worked out quite well in the end.

Here's the long, frosted glass container for the 'espresso' capsules:

Here are two clear glass rectangular containers to hold the 'Lungo' (aka 'Americano') capsules. One to hold the regular varieties and one to hold the decaffeinated ones:

Suddenly it would seem that between the syrups and the capsule holders, my so called 'compact' espresso maker now requires a lot of counter top real estate!

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my new espresso maker?

As I type out this post, I'm listening to the love theme track from 'The Young Victoria'. 'Only You' by Sinead O'Connor. I think it would make a great wedding song. It's a long, slow ballad, so I won't be offended if you don't take the time to listen to it...;-P

Today: Possibly a Pajama Day. Possibly a Laundry Day. Possibly a good day to finish reading 'The Road'.

Success

Yesterday: I was successful in finding some flavoured syrups, although the variety was a bit shabby. Who drinks Raspberry lattes? So I brought home Vanilla, Sugar Free Vanilla and Sugar Free Chocolate. My brother lives above a coffee shop (reminds me of 'Friends', but I'm not sure if they actually lived ABOVE 'Central Perk' or if they just went there a lot...) and the manager is his best friend so he's going to see if he can hook me up with some Hazelnut and Peppermint. Oh Yah...

Now, of course I had to test out my new purchase, so last night I made a Double Shot Decaf Sugar Free Vanilla Latte to enjoy while Warren & I watched District 9. For the record, District 9 isn't really a 'Latte' movie...it's more of a triple shot of Jack Daniel's kind of movie. Note to self: Learn what a movie is about before watching!

Today: I have a small list of household type items we need, so it's off to Ikea with Rhys & Gramma Patsy. One thing I need is some sort of container to house all my new espresso capsules. Each of these boxes holds 10 of those little capsules...and I need a place to put them. The 'dispensers' that Nespresso sells are a rip-off, so my mission is to find something just as good, for way less cashola.

Wish me luck!

Day 2

I mentioned in my last post that I want to blog every day in January. I've wanted to try this for a long time, so what better month than the beginning of a new year. I think it will be nice to look back and see what my day to day life was like when Rhys was 6 months old (ish).

Yesterday: Brunch with Rob & Tiff at Ricki's Restaurant, an afternoon family nap, and then Gramma Patsy came over to babysit while Warren & I went to a movie. We are suckers for period pieces, so we went to see 'Young Victoria'. I now have a hard core crush on 'Prince Albert' aka Rupert Friend, who I discovered was also in Pride and Prejudice, one of my all time favorite movies.

Today: I'm in search of flavored syrups so I can enjoy my new espresso/latte maker to it's full potential. For this morning, cinnamon will have to do.

Twenty Ten

It's hard to believe that 1o years ago we were bringing in the year 2000. I always feared the day that I would begin to measure my life is decades, but now that it's here, it's not so bad. I remember hearing my parents say things like "Oh gosh, I haven't seen them in twenty-some-odd-years" and I'd be astonished that is was possible to have a life that could be broken into 20 year increments.

We rang in this historical(?) new year with a KFC Feast and Trivial Pursuit with our friends Rob, Tiff, Lana & John. Warren & I were shocked that we made it to midnight, never mind our actual bedtime of 1:30am. The night went by surprisingly fast, which I think is a good sign that good times were being had. It felt really great, actually, to be up late, partaking in some beverages of the alcoholic variety, with other adults, laughing, and our sweet baby sleeping soundly upstairs, visible on the Closed Circuit TV (aka our video baby monitor). I felt grown up and normal again.

As tired as I was in the morning, my fatigue was made more bearable because I have this little clown to wake up with:

(PS - I'm pretty sure this video clip caught Rhys' first word...can you figure out what it was?)

Happy New Year Everyone!

This post is part of my first New Year's Resolution: To blog every day in January. See you tomorrow!