I'm here right now to tell you that if you do not hear from me on here for more than 10 days, please just assume that I am having a less than awesome week and I'm just sparing you the less than interesting details of my non-problems. All I'm going to say is that the pseudo-single mom life is starting to take a toll on me. Just when I think we can finally relax and enjoy the holidays and get some Christmas shopping done, Ty gets sent away for another unknown number of days.
If you are a person who has successfully completed a shopping trip with a toddler and 1-month old in tow, I must bow down to you in praise right now. We attempted Walmart last week and it was actually hilarious. I was that mom struggling to keep her toddler seated in the top portion of the shopping cart whilst little baby wailed from his car seat within. Oh the looks.
I have to mention that I am incredibly fortunate to have so many amazing friends and family around to lend a helping hand should I ever need it. Thank god for my parents and their always open door. I absolutely LOVE the drives out to Balmoral. Those drives have become my happy place. Deacon usually cries in the car for the first couple minutes but then he falls asleep and Hayden loves car rides so she rarely makes a peep. On my way out of the city I always swing through the Timmy's or McDonald's drive-through, and get coffee. (It's probably a good thing that we do not own a coffee maker because I am a very likely candidate to become a caffeine junky). So there I am, sailing down #7 highway, swilling my coffee and belting out the tunes like Beyonce. It is truly blissful. Until I hear this tiny voice from the backseat, "Mommy, I don't like this song!" The first time she said it I was like Oh! OK I'll change it. I soon realized that she doesn't like any song if it's not "Roar" by Katy Perry. Lucky for her it's usually played on any given radio station at any given moment. If I don't feel like complying to her requests, I guiltily give her her soother and continue my playlist.
I wish I could say that the playlist on my Ipod is one of jolly Christmas tunes but I'm finding it hard to get into the Christmas spirit this year. I've already made a pact with myself that next year I'm going all out Christmas everything whether Tyler is home or not! This year, I'm just trying to keep whatever good spirits I can manage, whether they're Christmassy or not.
:) :) Liza
Wednesday 18 December 2013
Monday 9 December 2013
Goal of the Week: Sleep
On Saturday we attended the wedding of one of my longest and dearest friends! It was the loveliest winter wedding. The bride was more beautiful than anything and everyone was so happy - the atmosphere was just wonderful. It was impossible to not have fun.
My joy at being at this event was made all the more joyous due to Deacon being a perfect angel throughout the night. Hayden, we left with Grandma and Grandpa. We could have brought her and I know she would have had fun with the other little ones running around and dancing, but I put my own enjoyment first for this occasion and it was worth it. I can't even express the pleasure of returning home after the wedding and not having to undress and put to bed a cranky, over-tired toddler. Deacon slept peacefully in his car-seat upon our return allowing Tyler and I some much needed Q.T. His work X-mas party was also on Saturday but he ended up skipping it.
Now, if only I could sleep at night...
Lucky for me, I like being awake so I'm not too bitter about my lack of shut-eye. I'm also lucky that I am a night person. I like being awake - at night. Basically I'm a vampire. Then, in a crazy sci-fi twist, I become a zombie by day!! Not a flesh-eating zombie, just an expressionless, go-through-the-motions, Raffi-singing zombie. It's quite surreal. The longest Deacon has slept is 4 straight hours. That, I would gladly take though he hasn't slept more than 2 hours in a row for the past I don't know how many nights. Hayden slept for 6 hour stretches when she was 6 weeks old. But she cried a lot during the day and Deacon doesn't so I think it's a fair trade-off.
Tyler is out of town for the next 2 nights and with these frigid temps it's not looking like I'll be venturing too far from home. I had to get this blog-post out before cabin fever sinks in otherwise you'd be deciphering unintelligible gibberish.
I never know how to end these things...
ttyl! Liza
My joy at being at this event was made all the more joyous due to Deacon being a perfect angel throughout the night. Hayden, we left with Grandma and Grandpa. We could have brought her and I know she would have had fun with the other little ones running around and dancing, but I put my own enjoyment first for this occasion and it was worth it. I can't even express the pleasure of returning home after the wedding and not having to undress and put to bed a cranky, over-tired toddler. Deacon slept peacefully in his car-seat upon our return allowing Tyler and I some much needed Q.T. His work X-mas party was also on Saturday but he ended up skipping it.
Now, if only I could sleep at night...
Lucky for me, I like being awake so I'm not too bitter about my lack of shut-eye. I'm also lucky that I am a night person. I like being awake - at night. Basically I'm a vampire. Then, in a crazy sci-fi twist, I become a zombie by day!! Not a flesh-eating zombie, just an expressionless, go-through-the-motions, Raffi-singing zombie. It's quite surreal. The longest Deacon has slept is 4 straight hours. That, I would gladly take though he hasn't slept more than 2 hours in a row for the past I don't know how many nights. Hayden slept for 6 hour stretches when she was 6 weeks old. But she cried a lot during the day and Deacon doesn't so I think it's a fair trade-off.
Tyler is out of town for the next 2 nights and with these frigid temps it's not looking like I'll be venturing too far from home. I had to get this blog-post out before cabin fever sinks in otherwise you'd be deciphering unintelligible gibberish.
I never know how to end these things...
ttyl! Liza
Sunday 1 December 2013
Single Parents - I Salute You
The Bedtime Routine Saga continues.... (sorry folks, this is my life at the moment! Bear with me!)
On Tuesday night when Tyler told me he would be out of town for another week and a half, I felt a wave of dread sweep over me - I would once again be the lone parent to look after a barely 2 year old and newborn - all day - all night..... SO once again, I packed my tiny Elantra literally to the roof with all our stuff and high-tailed it out to the farm to enjoy home-cooked meals and live-in babysitters. Two grandparents who are always more than willing to play with my busy bundle of toddler joy!
By day 3 reality sinks in - I have food in my fridge that needs to be eaten, mail piling up, plants that need to be watered, snow that needs to be shoveled (taken care of my mother-in-law God bless her.) All this plus the feeling that me and my crazy crew might be outstaying our welcome at the farm (even though my mom would insist that is never the case).
We came home to our North End Oasis on Friday and went about our day as usual. Then came 8:30 pm and Deacon, right on schedule, began his nightly fuss-fest. Why wouldn't I just skip Hayden's "bedtime routine", you might wonder. Perhaps if she wasn't still in diapers I could skip her bath. I just feel like Hayden needs this routine. She is an unbelievable sleeper and I would really love to keep it this way. I don't want to mess with any contributing factors.
Anyways, everything ended up going a lot smoother than I'd expected. Of course it would have been a lot "easier" with another pair of hands, but I know it will get easier in time. I just have to keep in mind that the only reason any situation ever seems "hard" is because we're comparing it to an experience in which we felt comfortable. I've forced myself out of my parenting comfort zone and now I feel like super mom! Stay tuned for the next week's gripping episode: Going Grocery Shopping. (jk)
Liza XO
On Tuesday night when Tyler told me he would be out of town for another week and a half, I felt a wave of dread sweep over me - I would once again be the lone parent to look after a barely 2 year old and newborn - all day - all night..... SO once again, I packed my tiny Elantra literally to the roof with all our stuff and high-tailed it out to the farm to enjoy home-cooked meals and live-in babysitters. Two grandparents who are always more than willing to play with my busy bundle of toddler joy!
By day 3 reality sinks in - I have food in my fridge that needs to be eaten, mail piling up, plants that need to be watered, snow that needs to be shoveled (taken care of my mother-in-law God bless her.) All this plus the feeling that me and my crazy crew might be outstaying our welcome at the farm (even though my mom would insist that is never the case).
We came home to our North End Oasis on Friday and went about our day as usual. Then came 8:30 pm and Deacon, right on schedule, began his nightly fuss-fest. Why wouldn't I just skip Hayden's "bedtime routine", you might wonder. Perhaps if she wasn't still in diapers I could skip her bath. I just feel like Hayden needs this routine. She is an unbelievable sleeper and I would really love to keep it this way. I don't want to mess with any contributing factors.
Anyways, everything ended up going a lot smoother than I'd expected. Of course it would have been a lot "easier" with another pair of hands, but I know it will get easier in time. I just have to keep in mind that the only reason any situation ever seems "hard" is because we're comparing it to an experience in which we felt comfortable. I've forced myself out of my parenting comfort zone and now I feel like super mom! Stay tuned for the next week's gripping episode: Going Grocery Shopping. (jk)
Liza XO
Friday 22 November 2013
Hello Winter!!!
This past week I've found myself really eager to get out of the city and move somewhere we can properly enjoy winter. Sleigh rides, snowmobiling, snow forts! Oh, to build a snowman that doesn't require the use of all the snow in your tiny yard (leaving no room for snow angels) and still only stands 3 ft high! One day! Soon!
I feel bad for Hayden now that the snow is here. She loves playing outside and I would love to take her out, but with Deacon so small still, I'm worried about him getting a chill! All this makes me wonder what they did back in the day with babies in these harsh Canadian climates. Memories of my childhood obsession with Road to Avonlea are coming back to me: wrap the wee ones with layer upon layer of wool blankets and rest them in the pram to take in the fresh air! I just don't know. I'm now on the hunt for an oversized winter coat that I can zip over the Ergo-baby, keeping Deacon warm and cozy inside. "You'll just have to wrap yourself in furs, like the Inuit!" - Tyler. :)
Tyler is currently away on his first work trip since Deacon was born. The first night I stayed home with the kids but that damned bedtime routine is just a little too nutty for me to take on myself, so the next night I packed everything up and went out to the farm. Deacon and I stayed 1 night and Hayden 2. It was like being on holidays. Grandparents are awesome.
In the baby department, Deacon has had a major growth spurt. At his Dr.'s apt at 3 weeks he had gained 3 lbs putting him at exactly 10 lbs. If he keeps this up, he'll be right on par with Hayden who weighed almost 15 lbs at 2 months.
Deacon's still pretty unpredictable. There's not really anything he likes or doesn't like. I think my chocolate addiction was pissing him off, so I actually gave up chocolate! Just for him!! (Not really, we just ran out of leftover Halloween treats). The only pattern I can see is that he gets cranky every night at around 8:30 or 9:00. It's kind of thrown a wrench into Hayden's bedtime routine, much to her dismay. ** He has good days where I don't hear a peep out of him, and other days where I can hardly put him down! He's starting to look around at everything with these big wide eyes. He is trying so hard to get a smile out! I can see it in his eyes but he just can't get his little mouth to form it! So cute.
XO Liza
** If you're wondering what Hayden's bedtime routine entails:
1) Clean-up Time - Co-operation level = varies night to night
2) Bathtime - Co-operation level = good (until it's time to get out). If I wash her her hair = disastrous
3) Getting the jammies on - Who would have thought the act of getting a kid to put their pj's on would be the equivalent of trying to dress a baboon. Co-operation level = -10
4) Brushing teeth - Co-operation = poor (but improving!!)
5) Bedtime stories - Co-operation = awesome
I feel bad for Hayden now that the snow is here. She loves playing outside and I would love to take her out, but with Deacon so small still, I'm worried about him getting a chill! All this makes me wonder what they did back in the day with babies in these harsh Canadian climates. Memories of my childhood obsession with Road to Avonlea are coming back to me: wrap the wee ones with layer upon layer of wool blankets and rest them in the pram to take in the fresh air! I just don't know. I'm now on the hunt for an oversized winter coat that I can zip over the Ergo-baby, keeping Deacon warm and cozy inside. "You'll just have to wrap yourself in furs, like the Inuit!" - Tyler. :)
Tyler is currently away on his first work trip since Deacon was born. The first night I stayed home with the kids but that damned bedtime routine is just a little too nutty for me to take on myself, so the next night I packed everything up and went out to the farm. Deacon and I stayed 1 night and Hayden 2. It was like being on holidays. Grandparents are awesome.
In the baby department, Deacon has had a major growth spurt. At his Dr.'s apt at 3 weeks he had gained 3 lbs putting him at exactly 10 lbs. If he keeps this up, he'll be right on par with Hayden who weighed almost 15 lbs at 2 months.
Deacon's still pretty unpredictable. There's not really anything he likes or doesn't like. I think my chocolate addiction was pissing him off, so I actually gave up chocolate! Just for him!! (Not really, we just ran out of leftover Halloween treats). The only pattern I can see is that he gets cranky every night at around 8:30 or 9:00. It's kind of thrown a wrench into Hayden's bedtime routine, much to her dismay. ** He has good days where I don't hear a peep out of him, and other days where I can hardly put him down! He's starting to look around at everything with these big wide eyes. He is trying so hard to get a smile out! I can see it in his eyes but he just can't get his little mouth to form it! So cute.
XO Liza
** If you're wondering what Hayden's bedtime routine entails:
1) Clean-up Time - Co-operation level = varies night to night
2) Bathtime - Co-operation level = good (until it's time to get out). If I wash her her hair = disastrous
3) Getting the jammies on - Who would have thought the act of getting a kid to put their pj's on would be the equivalent of trying to dress a baboon. Co-operation level = -10
4) Brushing teeth - Co-operation = poor (but improving!!)
5) Bedtime stories - Co-operation = awesome
Tuesday 12 November 2013
Week 2: Stuck Like Glue
Not too much has changed in the past week. Deacon is still your basic eat / sleep / poop newborn. Hayden is still completely in love with him, thank goodness. She's always kissing and hugging Deacon and wanting to pick him up and hold him. I'm so proud of her!
We're currently in the process of rewriting Hayden's pretty much set-in-stone daily routine. Before, we always had "craft time" and "story time", "puppet time", "excercise time", "dance time", etc. etc. Now, we've added a big chunk of "cartoon time" to the list. We don't watch that much TV in our house. We still rely on our bunny ears which surprisingly bring in CBC and Global in HD. CBC can be pretty limited but lucky for us we have Netflix on the Smart TV. I feel guilty putting shows on to keep her entertained but its kind of my only option at this point being stuck in the lazy boy breastfeeding every 2 - 3 hours and changing zillions of diapers. I know we'll be able to go back to our old activities eventually.
Little Deacon has decided to kick it up a notch in the past week! He's added "fussing" to his list of skills. He's not actually "fussy", it's just gas. Typical newborn stuff I guess. He'll be sleeping so peacefully and then out of no-where he turns into old Grunty McGee, squirming around, his little face all red and scrunched up. Hayden did the exact same thing. I learned, with her, to just let her work it out on her own. If it gets to the point where he starts crying, its into the Ergo-baby he goes and I don't hear another peep.
The baby carrier has been a real lifesaver! I don't know what I'd do without it! It's allowed me to keep the kitchen clean, the laundry done, the floor vacuumed - standing stuff. I love the Ergo baby for it's versatility and comfort. (Hayden still goes in it once and while). But its a little bulky for around the house, so I ordered a Moby wrap off Amazon.
When Hayden was a newborn I didn't have the internet or an Iphone. This time around, whenever Deacon is doing something that concerns me in the slightest bit, I find myself on Google looking up baby poo or something else like that. I don't recommend it.
Sleeping: I've become accustomed to sleeping in 2 hr chunks through the night. And I've given up on trying to keep putting Deacon back in his bassinet after every feeding. He sleeps with me now. "That's not good!!!!!!!" my mother says. Yeah yeah yeah.... With Hayden, I would NEVER have co-slept. I painstakingly put her back in her crib again and again and again until she slept there. This time, I need to sleep at night bc I don't have the opportunity during the day like I did with Hayden. SO there. He will eventually sleep in his bassinet, you mark my words. Luckily they've been napping at the same time in the afternoon so I've been able to have naps (except today I'm writing this).
Annnd my times up!!
Liza
We're currently in the process of rewriting Hayden's pretty much set-in-stone daily routine. Before, we always had "craft time" and "story time", "puppet time", "excercise time", "dance time", etc. etc. Now, we've added a big chunk of "cartoon time" to the list. We don't watch that much TV in our house. We still rely on our bunny ears which surprisingly bring in CBC and Global in HD. CBC can be pretty limited but lucky for us we have Netflix on the Smart TV. I feel guilty putting shows on to keep her entertained but its kind of my only option at this point being stuck in the lazy boy breastfeeding every 2 - 3 hours and changing zillions of diapers. I know we'll be able to go back to our old activities eventually.
Little Deacon has decided to kick it up a notch in the past week! He's added "fussing" to his list of skills. He's not actually "fussy", it's just gas. Typical newborn stuff I guess. He'll be sleeping so peacefully and then out of no-where he turns into old Grunty McGee, squirming around, his little face all red and scrunched up. Hayden did the exact same thing. I learned, with her, to just let her work it out on her own. If it gets to the point where he starts crying, its into the Ergo-baby he goes and I don't hear another peep.
The baby carrier has been a real lifesaver! I don't know what I'd do without it! It's allowed me to keep the kitchen clean, the laundry done, the floor vacuumed - standing stuff. I love the Ergo baby for it's versatility and comfort. (Hayden still goes in it once and while). But its a little bulky for around the house, so I ordered a Moby wrap off Amazon.
When Hayden was a newborn I didn't have the internet or an Iphone. This time around, whenever Deacon is doing something that concerns me in the slightest bit, I find myself on Google looking up baby poo or something else like that. I don't recommend it.
Sleeping: I've become accustomed to sleeping in 2 hr chunks through the night. And I've given up on trying to keep putting Deacon back in his bassinet after every feeding. He sleeps with me now. "That's not good!!!!!!!" my mother says. Yeah yeah yeah.... With Hayden, I would NEVER have co-slept. I painstakingly put her back in her crib again and again and again until she slept there. This time, I need to sleep at night bc I don't have the opportunity during the day like I did with Hayden. SO there. He will eventually sleep in his bassinet, you mark my words. Luckily they've been napping at the same time in the afternoon so I've been able to have naps (except today I'm writing this).
Annnd my times up!!
Liza
Thursday 7 November 2013
Week 1: Our New Son
With both babes sleeping it gives me a quick opportunity to provide you all with a glimpse into my first week with Deacon at home:
I was expecting it to be SO insane with Hayden and a newborn and now that it's not insane at all, I'm very pleasantly surprised. My only newborn experience was with poor colicky Hayden who couldn't be put down for more than 5 minutes before she'd start wailing! Deacon hasn't had one fussy episode since he's been born! Of course he's only 1 week old so I'm not making any conclusions about his temperament at this point. At first he didn't like having his diaper changed but he's over it now. He still doesn't like going in the bath.
Other than that, he's so content to sit in his baby seat. He loves being held and his little eyes light up when I sing to him. :) He's so so so relaxed. He just flops around and really needs help holding his head up. His hands are alway relaxed, palms open. Hayden's newborn hands were always in tight little balled up fists!
Hayden loves Deacon! I was a little worried judging by the way she treats Rocky, but she totally gets it that Deacon's a tiny baby and needs us to take care of him. She's been an absolute angel to him. She's so proud to be a big sister!
As for myself, I feel amazing. I literally had a 3 day recovery after having Deacon and now I feel as though I never gave birth at all! I am SO grateful for how smooth this first week has gone! Sure, I haven't got more than 3 straight hrs of sleep, but I know this period will pass too soon so its a sacrifice I'm more than willing to make!
XO Liza
I was expecting it to be SO insane with Hayden and a newborn and now that it's not insane at all, I'm very pleasantly surprised. My only newborn experience was with poor colicky Hayden who couldn't be put down for more than 5 minutes before she'd start wailing! Deacon hasn't had one fussy episode since he's been born! Of course he's only 1 week old so I'm not making any conclusions about his temperament at this point. At first he didn't like having his diaper changed but he's over it now. He still doesn't like going in the bath.
Other than that, he's so content to sit in his baby seat. He loves being held and his little eyes light up when I sing to him. :) He's so so so relaxed. He just flops around and really needs help holding his head up. His hands are alway relaxed, palms open. Hayden's newborn hands were always in tight little balled up fists!
Hayden loves Deacon! I was a little worried judging by the way she treats Rocky, but she totally gets it that Deacon's a tiny baby and needs us to take care of him. She's been an absolute angel to him. She's so proud to be a big sister!
As for myself, I feel amazing. I literally had a 3 day recovery after having Deacon and now I feel as though I never gave birth at all! I am SO grateful for how smooth this first week has gone! Sure, I haven't got more than 3 straight hrs of sleep, but I know this period will pass too soon so its a sacrifice I'm more than willing to make!
XO Liza
Sunday 3 November 2013
Deacon Zedric
Since both kids are sleeping right now - dreams do come true - I thought I would take this much appreciated opportunity to introduce to the world our family's newest member: Deacon Zedric.
Deacon joined us 12 days overdue on Oct. 29, at 5:53 am. The day before his arrival I had a pretty good idea I was going to go into labour that night as I was having random contractions throughout the day. I had a Dr.'s apt and fetal assessment that day and there was no indication that labour would commence, so they put me on the "Induction List" on Oct.31.
Sure enough, at around 1 am the contractions started coming on a lot stronger and in a definite pattern. Instead of waking Tyler up, I just walked around the house a bit and did some deep breathing. Nothing I couldn't handle on my own! I kept checking the clock so that I knew when they were getting closer together. I even managed to have little naps inbetween some of them! They literaly went from being 12 minutes apart to 5 minutes apart. I woke Tyler up, "Time to go to the hospital!!". Tyler does not wake up easily. He fell back to sleep. Another contraction. When it was over I went back into the room, "Call your mom to come over!!! We have to go to the hospital, NOW!" To which he replied, "So should I call her now? Or when she actually has to be here?". He got the hint soon enough, his mom was called, she zipped right over, and a minute later we were on our way to the Women's Hospital.
Thank goodness we live 5 minutes from the hospital! As soon as I got to triage the nurse did a pelvic exam which determined that I was already 9 cm dilated. Tyler had just returned from parking the car as I was being wheeled to L & D. 30 minutes later, out came little Deacon weighing in at 7 lbs 4 oz.
As for the name Deacon Zedric, I came up with it the night before he was born. We just decided to go with it. After signing all the papers at the hospital I had a brief moment of, Oh no! What if this is wrong name! Haha. Now I'm so glad we kept it. He's a special little guy! Even though all he really does at this point is sleeps, eats, and poops (the last two A LOT), he does it with pizazz!!!
We can't wait to see what kind of baby he becomes!
XO Liza
Deacon joined us 12 days overdue on Oct. 29, at 5:53 am. The day before his arrival I had a pretty good idea I was going to go into labour that night as I was having random contractions throughout the day. I had a Dr.'s apt and fetal assessment that day and there was no indication that labour would commence, so they put me on the "Induction List" on Oct.31.
Sure enough, at around 1 am the contractions started coming on a lot stronger and in a definite pattern. Instead of waking Tyler up, I just walked around the house a bit and did some deep breathing. Nothing I couldn't handle on my own! I kept checking the clock so that I knew when they were getting closer together. I even managed to have little naps inbetween some of them! They literaly went from being 12 minutes apart to 5 minutes apart. I woke Tyler up, "Time to go to the hospital!!". Tyler does not wake up easily. He fell back to sleep. Another contraction. When it was over I went back into the room, "Call your mom to come over!!! We have to go to the hospital, NOW!" To which he replied, "So should I call her now? Or when she actually has to be here?". He got the hint soon enough, his mom was called, she zipped right over, and a minute later we were on our way to the Women's Hospital.
Thank goodness we live 5 minutes from the hospital! As soon as I got to triage the nurse did a pelvic exam which determined that I was already 9 cm dilated. Tyler had just returned from parking the car as I was being wheeled to L & D. 30 minutes later, out came little Deacon weighing in at 7 lbs 4 oz.
As for the name Deacon Zedric, I came up with it the night before he was born. We just decided to go with it. After signing all the papers at the hospital I had a brief moment of, Oh no! What if this is wrong name! Haha. Now I'm so glad we kept it. He's a special little guy! Even though all he really does at this point is sleeps, eats, and poops (the last two A LOT), he does it with pizazz!!!
We can't wait to see what kind of baby he becomes!
XO Liza
Friday 25 October 2013
Name Problems!!!!
It is now obvious to me that the reason baby Number Two is reluctant to make his appearance is because he knows he doesn't have an actual name. It's true! I cannot for the life of me decide on a name for this baby!! With Hayden it seemed so easy: "Hayden? That's a nice name. Hayden it is!!" And Hayden is a "Hayden" through and through. I couldn't imagine her being called by any other name. I had wanted her to be called "Rose", but Tyler is against old-fashioned names. I often wonder if she could be a "Rose". I don't think so.
Which leads me to think I should just pick a name for this baby and stick with it!! We will love the name and that will be that! However, it doesn't matter if WE love the name, its our little boy who has to love his name! But who is he? What name does he want?
My parents named me "Elizabeth". My middle name is "Jane". At the time I was born, my 2 year old brother, Scotty, was super into this Fred Penner song called, "Little Liza Jane". So that was who I became. Completely out of my control. To my relatives I was always called "Jane" or "Janie". At school, the "Jane" eventually got dropped and then I was "Liza". "Liza" has proven to be a diffucult name to bear. People mistakenly call me "Leeza" or "Lisa". In fact, I endured a week-long stint at Band Camp as "Lisa" because I failed to correct people on the 1st day. My camp friends said, "Bye Lisa!!!" when my parents picked me up and my mom was kinda confused. My Mom, Dad, and brother now call me "LJ". My Aunts and Uncles just don't know anymore!
Therefore, I'm not going to inflict the same identity crisis on my own offspring! The name has to be a name that can't be made into a million variations and that everyone gets right! Teachers, peers, camp councillors and Starbucks baristas alike! Here's where I'm at:
Kiran: A Sanskrit word meaning "beam of light". I like this name for its meaning and it's a nice name. On the fence.
Ryker: I actually really like this name! But then I remembered this episode of Oprah where Lisa Ling visited Riker's Island, a prison in New York where they send pedophiles. Tainted.
Joshua: I acually had a dream / premonition that this baby was named "Joshua" - even when I thought he was going to be a girl! But is it too passe? Still in the running.
Alec: I love the simplicity of this name. Tyler doesn't like it.
Seth: Another simple name - not quite right.
Marvin: Tyler likes the name Marvin!! I'm not sure if it fits. lol
Keaton: A name I thought of - I haven't even run it past Tyler.
Oliver: I think this is a very cute name. But we keep saying "Oliver Clothes-off" and laughing like immature children.
Elliott: A name I like, but I don't know if its THE name.
Toby: Too "little boy".
Jimi: Ty loves Jimi Hendrix. As do I but I'm not crazy about the name.
Rhett: I like a good 1-syllable name!! Unfortunately, this name reminds Tyler of some tower-rigging terminology and therefore cannot be the name of our child.
Mastin: The Daily Love is my favourite blog and is written by a guy named Mastin Kipp. I love it. But the MAST in Mastin is too reminiscent of some tower-rigging term. (See above).
So this is my current dilemna! Am I being too obsessive? Probably! But the more I think about it... (this is the name my child will be known as for the rest of his life!!)...the more important it seems that I get it right. I'm imagining all these different scenarios he could possibly come across: Assuming a career in a corporate environment vs. frontman of a band. There is so much in a name, who am I to make that choice for someone?!?
So we're going to wait until he's born, see what he looks like, and see if we can get an idea of his personality and then we'll pick a name.
Sorry for being so dramatic! Hopefully within the next couple days this drama will end itself!
XO Liza
Which leads me to think I should just pick a name for this baby and stick with it!! We will love the name and that will be that! However, it doesn't matter if WE love the name, its our little boy who has to love his name! But who is he? What name does he want?
My parents named me "Elizabeth". My middle name is "Jane". At the time I was born, my 2 year old brother, Scotty, was super into this Fred Penner song called, "Little Liza Jane". So that was who I became. Completely out of my control. To my relatives I was always called "Jane" or "Janie". At school, the "Jane" eventually got dropped and then I was "Liza". "Liza" has proven to be a diffucult name to bear. People mistakenly call me "Leeza" or "Lisa". In fact, I endured a week-long stint at Band Camp as "Lisa" because I failed to correct people on the 1st day. My camp friends said, "Bye Lisa!!!" when my parents picked me up and my mom was kinda confused. My Mom, Dad, and brother now call me "LJ". My Aunts and Uncles just don't know anymore!
Therefore, I'm not going to inflict the same identity crisis on my own offspring! The name has to be a name that can't be made into a million variations and that everyone gets right! Teachers, peers, camp councillors and Starbucks baristas alike! Here's where I'm at:
Kiran: A Sanskrit word meaning "beam of light". I like this name for its meaning and it's a nice name. On the fence.
Ryker: I actually really like this name! But then I remembered this episode of Oprah where Lisa Ling visited Riker's Island, a prison in New York where they send pedophiles. Tainted.
Joshua: I acually had a dream / premonition that this baby was named "Joshua" - even when I thought he was going to be a girl! But is it too passe? Still in the running.
Alec: I love the simplicity of this name. Tyler doesn't like it.
Seth: Another simple name - not quite right.
Marvin: Tyler likes the name Marvin!! I'm not sure if it fits. lol
Keaton: A name I thought of - I haven't even run it past Tyler.
Oliver: I think this is a very cute name. But we keep saying "Oliver Clothes-off" and laughing like immature children.
Elliott: A name I like, but I don't know if its THE name.
Toby: Too "little boy".
Jimi: Ty loves Jimi Hendrix. As do I but I'm not crazy about the name.
Rhett: I like a good 1-syllable name!! Unfortunately, this name reminds Tyler of some tower-rigging terminology and therefore cannot be the name of our child.
Mastin: The Daily Love is my favourite blog and is written by a guy named Mastin Kipp. I love it. But the MAST in Mastin is too reminiscent of some tower-rigging term. (See above).
So this is my current dilemna! Am I being too obsessive? Probably! But the more I think about it... (this is the name my child will be known as for the rest of his life!!)...the more important it seems that I get it right. I'm imagining all these different scenarios he could possibly come across: Assuming a career in a corporate environment vs. frontman of a band. There is so much in a name, who am I to make that choice for someone?!?
So we're going to wait until he's born, see what he looks like, and see if we can get an idea of his personality and then we'll pick a name.
Sorry for being so dramatic! Hopefully within the next couple days this drama will end itself!
XO Liza
Tuesday 22 October 2013
Toddler Talk
So right now I'm 5 days overdue which is how many days I was overdue with Hayden when she was born. Maybe he's following suit and tonight will be the night!!
I know I'm about to have a newborn on my hands and I fully understand the work that entails, but right at this very moment - that doesn't at all concern me.
Tonight Hayden and I were reading her bedtime stories as usual. For some reason, on this particular night, she thought it would be absolutely hilarious to bite my hand as hard as she possibly could mid-story. Before our bedtime story, it was limp noodle tooth-brushing. Before that, it was limp noodle getting the jammies on. We had a "limp noodle" day, to make a long story short. Not "limp noodle" but complacent, I'm talking "limp noodle" accompanied by defiant laughter. The best!
I have even less experience with toddlers than I did with babies when I had one. At least when babies are present, they are always being passed around to be held and cooed at. No one's ever like, "Do you want to hold my toddler?" People (by 'people' I mean ME) don't willingly take turns minding the two-year-old.
I often forget that the "terrible (pardon my use of such a negative term) two's" is a phase and I wonder what I'm doing so wrong! Most of the time I just take a breath and go with it with a sense of humour. Sometimes I find that if I explain gently but seriously that I need her to cooperate, she will. She'll actually say "OK Mama" and its the sweetest thing ever and my heart melts. Other times I'm like, "Tyler! Get in here! You're doing jammies tonight!" (That's what I say in my head but it comes out more like I'm pleading for my life).
Another example: I'm really hoping maltreatment of animals is typical toddler behavior and I don't have a sadistic animal abuser on my hands. OK ok that's extreme - I can tell that she loves Rocky and really doesn't mean him any harm! She just can't quite grasp the concept of leaving him alone when he doesn't want to "play" anymore. Or be chased with the broom. Or be sat on.
Looking at the big picture, Hayden is the absolute sweetest little girl. I appreciate and even welcome this stage because I know its just a tiny part of her life that will whip by if I let it! So I try my very darndest to take something precious from every moment, even the challenging ones.
It actually feels so much better to vent and put everything in perspective! I hope y'all don't mind! Hopefully the next post will be introducing out baby boy!
Liza xxooxx
I know I'm about to have a newborn on my hands and I fully understand the work that entails, but right at this very moment - that doesn't at all concern me.
Tonight Hayden and I were reading her bedtime stories as usual. For some reason, on this particular night, she thought it would be absolutely hilarious to bite my hand as hard as she possibly could mid-story. Before our bedtime story, it was limp noodle tooth-brushing. Before that, it was limp noodle getting the jammies on. We had a "limp noodle" day, to make a long story short. Not "limp noodle" but complacent, I'm talking "limp noodle" accompanied by defiant laughter. The best!
I have even less experience with toddlers than I did with babies when I had one. At least when babies are present, they are always being passed around to be held and cooed at. No one's ever like, "Do you want to hold my toddler?" People (by 'people' I mean ME) don't willingly take turns minding the two-year-old.
I often forget that the "terrible (pardon my use of such a negative term) two's" is a phase and I wonder what I'm doing so wrong! Most of the time I just take a breath and go with it with a sense of humour. Sometimes I find that if I explain gently but seriously that I need her to cooperate, she will. She'll actually say "OK Mama" and its the sweetest thing ever and my heart melts. Other times I'm like, "Tyler! Get in here! You're doing jammies tonight!" (That's what I say in my head but it comes out more like I'm pleading for my life).
Another example: I'm really hoping maltreatment of animals is typical toddler behavior and I don't have a sadistic animal abuser on my hands. OK ok that's extreme - I can tell that she loves Rocky and really doesn't mean him any harm! She just can't quite grasp the concept of leaving him alone when he doesn't want to "play" anymore. Or be chased with the broom. Or be sat on.
Looking at the big picture, Hayden is the absolute sweetest little girl. I appreciate and even welcome this stage because I know its just a tiny part of her life that will whip by if I let it! So I try my very darndest to take something precious from every moment, even the challenging ones.
It actually feels so much better to vent and put everything in perspective! I hope y'all don't mind! Hopefully the next post will be introducing out baby boy!
Liza xxooxx
Saturday 12 October 2013
Baby on the Brain
Way more ideas for blog posts besides "baby talk" have crossed my mind, but every time I try to formulate a sentance that has nothing to do with "baby", I can't seem to do it! I WANT to do other stuff besides clean the house and organize baby clothes, but every time I try to focus on something else, I find myself completely uninterested. Then its back to dusting the blinds.
When I was this far along with Hayden, I was still working at Great West Life. If I was anywhere near as preoccupied then as I am now, I really should have apologized to my bosses for my lack of productivity. hehe.
The good news is, I am almost complete on the sewing on Hayden's Halloween costume! The hood is completely sewn (she's being a cat). All I have to do is sew the zipper in the front and other minor details. At this point, I can't say for sure if Number Two and I will be joining Hayden and Tyler on the Halloween festivities. We took Hayden "Trick or Treating" when she was 1 month old and it was not too fun. She looked extremely sweet in her fuzzy hooded sleeper with kitty ears but our excursion turned out to be more of a "breastfeeding tour" than anything. As were most outings in those days. Breastfeeding in the car!! Good times!!
In other news, the sex of Number Two is no longer a surprise! At a prenatal checkup about a month ago Dr. Logan determined that I should go for an ultrasound due to the fact that I was measuring small. I decided to find out for certain that I was having a girl JUST to be on the safe side. Its a good thing I made the inquiry because as it turns out, Number Two is a BOY! Geez louise. Suddenly, all my dreams of having two little girls running hand-in-hand, laughing, through flowery meadows on warm, breezy summer days in their matching cotton sundresses, flowers in their hair.... were wiped away with the doppler lube on my small-measuring pregnant belly. There were tears. I immediately called Tyler, who had no intention of knowing the sex of our second child, and spilled the beans. Now I'm completely fine. And so is our little boy, who is not small at all. He's just curled up in my small body like his sister was. I'm sorry little one!
Its so weird waiting to have a baby. Tonight could be my last night of peace before I'm a baby slave again! Is that awful of me to refer to myself as a "baby slave"? I don't mean it in a bad way because I truthfully loved every second of it the 1st time. But I just remember thinking I would never be able to read a book ever again or drink a hot cup of tea or watch a movie uninterupted or even cuddle with Ty!! I remember wondering if I would ever spend more time in my bed than in the lazy boy. Then slowly everything when back to normal! Better than normal! So I am not worried at all.
Now, back to Colombiana on Netflix.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Liza
When I was this far along with Hayden, I was still working at Great West Life. If I was anywhere near as preoccupied then as I am now, I really should have apologized to my bosses for my lack of productivity. hehe.
The good news is, I am almost complete on the sewing on Hayden's Halloween costume! The hood is completely sewn (she's being a cat). All I have to do is sew the zipper in the front and other minor details. At this point, I can't say for sure if Number Two and I will be joining Hayden and Tyler on the Halloween festivities. We took Hayden "Trick or Treating" when she was 1 month old and it was not too fun. She looked extremely sweet in her fuzzy hooded sleeper with kitty ears but our excursion turned out to be more of a "breastfeeding tour" than anything. As were most outings in those days. Breastfeeding in the car!! Good times!!
In other news, the sex of Number Two is no longer a surprise! At a prenatal checkup about a month ago Dr. Logan determined that I should go for an ultrasound due to the fact that I was measuring small. I decided to find out for certain that I was having a girl JUST to be on the safe side. Its a good thing I made the inquiry because as it turns out, Number Two is a BOY! Geez louise. Suddenly, all my dreams of having two little girls running hand-in-hand, laughing, through flowery meadows on warm, breezy summer days in their matching cotton sundresses, flowers in their hair.... were wiped away with the doppler lube on my small-measuring pregnant belly. There were tears. I immediately called Tyler, who had no intention of knowing the sex of our second child, and spilled the beans. Now I'm completely fine. And so is our little boy, who is not small at all. He's just curled up in my small body like his sister was. I'm sorry little one!
Its so weird waiting to have a baby. Tonight could be my last night of peace before I'm a baby slave again! Is that awful of me to refer to myself as a "baby slave"? I don't mean it in a bad way because I truthfully loved every second of it the 1st time. But I just remember thinking I would never be able to read a book ever again or drink a hot cup of tea or watch a movie uninterupted or even cuddle with Ty!! I remember wondering if I would ever spend more time in my bed than in the lazy boy. Then slowly everything when back to normal! Better than normal! So I am not worried at all.
Now, back to Colombiana on Netflix.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Liza
Wednesday 2 October 2013
Breastfeeding Reflections
October 1 - 7 is “World Breastfeeding Week” (in Canada) so I’ve decided now would be the appropriate time to share with the World my 1st timer breastfeeding experience. By “experience” I do NOT mean “expertise”. I’ve only breastfed 1 baby. But now that I’m about to embark on this journey again, the breastfeeding topic has been on my mind a lot lately.
Before Hayden was born I fully intended to breastfeed. I read everything I could. I studied the diagrams of the different ways of holding the baby. I was as prepared as I could be. I realized soon after Hayden was born that there were some things that I just couldn’t prepare myself for. I honestly wished someone had said to me before Hayden was born, “Look, this is how it really is.” and filled me in on all the dirty details.
For one, I had no idea about this “let down” reflex! I literally drowned Hayden in milk every morning for the first few weeks or more. There’s just no controlling it! I remember being like, “Oh no, here it comes!! Sorry!!!” She eventually got used to it. That was the only reason I didn’t like to breastfeed in public at first. Too messy. BUT this all passed and we went on to enjoy a much dryer breastfeeding relationship!
Second, Cluster Feeding. Right?! So you’re nursing your baby, they seem finished, so you put them down. Only to pick them up 10 minutes later because they’re hungry again?? And this goes on all day?? And night? Yep! I can remember one prominent cluster feeding when Hayden was maybe 4 weeks old. I was so close to going to buy formula because she seemed like she was starving and there was nothing there! I called the public health nurse and was like, “wtf is going on?” She said, “oh its just cluster feeding. When the baby is about to have a growth spurt they nurse a lot to build your milk supply.” NOW you tell me. She went on to cluster feed every night from 10 to midnight in the first few months. I’m assuming most newborns do this? I still don’t know. After the newborn stage was over, there was no more cluster feeding.
I also struggled with knowing when and how much to nurse Hayden. Everything I’d read said “Nurse your baby whenever they seem hungry.” Other people always said, “Get her on a schedule!!“ Hayden cried a lot as a newborn and so to me, she always seemed hungry. Nursing was the only thing that ever really calmed her! She wouldn’t suck on a soother, which I didn’t mind because I was anti-soother at the time. I tried giving it to her anyways because of the people who said, “Don’t let her use you as a pacifier!!” This is ultimately what happened, but when I looked at the bigger picture: How long is she even a baby for? What kind of “bad habits” could this possibly employ? If she needs comforting, then why shouldn‘t her mother be the one to comfort her? She didn’t develop any bad habits and eventually she gladly accepted the soother when she was maybe 3 months old.
It was a challenge to get the hang of breastfeeding. EVERY tiny story of other people’s struggles freaked me right out. I eventually decided to scrap everything I’d read and ignore everything everyone told me and just let breastfeeding take on the natural process that its meant to be. Look at animals. They all nurse their young. They don’t use nipple shields or have lactation consultants. They don’t have scheduled feedings or soothers. How are humans so different? Because we’re intelligent? That we’re able to break breastfeeding down to a science and write a book about it? Its not meant to be complicated. It can‘t be! I felt a lot more comfortable after accepting that there is no “right way” when it comes to breastfeeding. If your baby is healthy and thriving, you’re doing it right. I literally pretended I was a chimpanzee in the jungle and that Hayden was a baby monkey. I always thought, What would an “uninformed” animal do right now? I’m weird.
ALL of these “bumps” took place in the first couple months. Once Hayden was past her fussy newborn stage, we found our “rhythm” and breastfeeding went on to be an amazing experience. Hayden was breastfed for almost 11 months, exclusively for the first 5. I may have breastfed longer than 11 months had I not been getting married in August, but I really didn’t want to be nursing a baby in my wedding dress. Hayden didn’t seem to care about it at that point anyways.
It all seems so insignificant now, which is maybe why no one ever thinks their own experiences are worth sharing! I’m now waiting for the arrival of baby Number Two who I also intend to breastfeed. I hope everything in this department goes as planned! I have faith that it will.
Wish me luck the second time around!!
Liza
Before Hayden was born I fully intended to breastfeed. I read everything I could. I studied the diagrams of the different ways of holding the baby. I was as prepared as I could be. I realized soon after Hayden was born that there were some things that I just couldn’t prepare myself for. I honestly wished someone had said to me before Hayden was born, “Look, this is how it really is.” and filled me in on all the dirty details.
For one, I had no idea about this “let down” reflex! I literally drowned Hayden in milk every morning for the first few weeks or more. There’s just no controlling it! I remember being like, “Oh no, here it comes!! Sorry!!!” She eventually got used to it. That was the only reason I didn’t like to breastfeed in public at first. Too messy. BUT this all passed and we went on to enjoy a much dryer breastfeeding relationship!
Second, Cluster Feeding. Right?! So you’re nursing your baby, they seem finished, so you put them down. Only to pick them up 10 minutes later because they’re hungry again?? And this goes on all day?? And night? Yep! I can remember one prominent cluster feeding when Hayden was maybe 4 weeks old. I was so close to going to buy formula because she seemed like she was starving and there was nothing there! I called the public health nurse and was like, “wtf is going on?” She said, “oh its just cluster feeding. When the baby is about to have a growth spurt they nurse a lot to build your milk supply.” NOW you tell me. She went on to cluster feed every night from 10 to midnight in the first few months. I’m assuming most newborns do this? I still don’t know. After the newborn stage was over, there was no more cluster feeding.
I also struggled with knowing when and how much to nurse Hayden. Everything I’d read said “Nurse your baby whenever they seem hungry.” Other people always said, “Get her on a schedule!!“ Hayden cried a lot as a newborn and so to me, she always seemed hungry. Nursing was the only thing that ever really calmed her! She wouldn’t suck on a soother, which I didn’t mind because I was anti-soother at the time. I tried giving it to her anyways because of the people who said, “Don’t let her use you as a pacifier!!” This is ultimately what happened, but when I looked at the bigger picture: How long is she even a baby for? What kind of “bad habits” could this possibly employ? If she needs comforting, then why shouldn‘t her mother be the one to comfort her? She didn’t develop any bad habits and eventually she gladly accepted the soother when she was maybe 3 months old.
It was a challenge to get the hang of breastfeeding. EVERY tiny story of other people’s struggles freaked me right out. I eventually decided to scrap everything I’d read and ignore everything everyone told me and just let breastfeeding take on the natural process that its meant to be. Look at animals. They all nurse their young. They don’t use nipple shields or have lactation consultants. They don’t have scheduled feedings or soothers. How are humans so different? Because we’re intelligent? That we’re able to break breastfeeding down to a science and write a book about it? Its not meant to be complicated. It can‘t be! I felt a lot more comfortable after accepting that there is no “right way” when it comes to breastfeeding. If your baby is healthy and thriving, you’re doing it right. I literally pretended I was a chimpanzee in the jungle and that Hayden was a baby monkey. I always thought, What would an “uninformed” animal do right now? I’m weird.
ALL of these “bumps” took place in the first couple months. Once Hayden was past her fussy newborn stage, we found our “rhythm” and breastfeeding went on to be an amazing experience. Hayden was breastfed for almost 11 months, exclusively for the first 5. I may have breastfed longer than 11 months had I not been getting married in August, but I really didn’t want to be nursing a baby in my wedding dress. Hayden didn’t seem to care about it at that point anyways.
It all seems so insignificant now, which is maybe why no one ever thinks their own experiences are worth sharing! I’m now waiting for the arrival of baby Number Two who I also intend to breastfeed. I hope everything in this department goes as planned! I have faith that it will.
Wish me luck the second time around!!
Liza
Monday 30 September 2013
A Poem for You Because You're Two!!
Rise and shine my little love!
Today is a day to be proud of!
It's been two years since your debut
Here are your favourite things to do:
"Chase Dada" is your favourite game
although "tag" is the proper name
Once you have Dad all tired out
your "Peek-a-boo Tent" is where you like to hide out!
That's where you keep all your animal friends
and from where supper invites you like to extend
You really are the most wonderful host,
always insisting we stay and eat all your fake toast!
Speaking of food, you have lots of faves
Like avocados and yogurt and all fruits you crave.
I'm so thankful that you are such a good eater!
But you really could be quite a bit neater.
Your very favourite colour is green!
You think it's the colour of everything you see!
Coming in second is the colour yellow,
For that's the colour of the sun - your favourite fellow!
The playground is where you like to play,
Where I'm sure - if we let you - you'd stay there all day.
I watch my brave little toddler with pride,
as you make your way down the "big kid" slide!
When you're all tuckered out and it's time to go,
we do so with tact to avoid a big show
But, for the most part, you are calm and peaceful,
Full of compassion and always gleeful
Independent is what you are
Keep it up and you'll go far!
You would love to do EVERYTHING all by yourself!
Like get dressed and even pour your own milk!
When you feel like chilling you might watch a show,
You love Caillou and Barney, especially Elmo!
But nothing is quite as entertaining as
those singing and dancing AristoCats!
My dear little Hayden, today you are TWO!
I wish you could always be stuck to me like glue
But as you grow and get smarter and braver,
these tender moments I promise to savor.
Farther than the farthest moon
is a fraction of my love for you.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Today is a day to be proud of!
It's been two years since your debut
Here are your favourite things to do:
"Chase Dada" is your favourite game
although "tag" is the proper name
Once you have Dad all tired out
your "Peek-a-boo Tent" is where you like to hide out!
That's where you keep all your animal friends
and from where supper invites you like to extend
You really are the most wonderful host,
always insisting we stay and eat all your fake toast!
Speaking of food, you have lots of faves
Like avocados and yogurt and all fruits you crave.
I'm so thankful that you are such a good eater!
But you really could be quite a bit neater.
Your very favourite colour is green!
You think it's the colour of everything you see!
Coming in second is the colour yellow,
For that's the colour of the sun - your favourite fellow!
The playground is where you like to play,
Where I'm sure - if we let you - you'd stay there all day.
I watch my brave little toddler with pride,
as you make your way down the "big kid" slide!
When you're all tuckered out and it's time to go,
we do so with tact to avoid a big show
But, for the most part, you are calm and peaceful,
Full of compassion and always gleeful
Independent is what you are
Keep it up and you'll go far!
You would love to do EVERYTHING all by yourself!
Like get dressed and even pour your own milk!
When you feel like chilling you might watch a show,
You love Caillou and Barney, especially Elmo!
But nothing is quite as entertaining as
those singing and dancing AristoCats!
My dear little Hayden, today you are TWO!
I wish you could always be stuck to me like glue
But as you grow and get smarter and braver,
these tender moments I promise to savor.
Farther than the farthest moon
is a fraction of my love for you.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Monday 23 September 2013
What a Week!!
Hello Monday!!! I normally don't greet Mondays with much enthusiasm but today is a different kind of Monday because it's the first day in more than a week that I feel healthy again! Hayden and I are both getting over colds / coughs. Also, Tyler returned from SK last night where's he been working for more than a month and I am so happy to have him home again.
I must say, taking care of a sick toddler while you yourself are sick and having no one to take over for you (while 8 months pregnant) can be a little umm challenging? Yes. BUT I am in no way complaining because in a very short while, I will have a toddler AND baby to look after by myself when Ty's out of town. This leads me to be very grateful that I am sick NOW and not after Number Two is born. Other reasons I can't complain: this is the first time in 2013 that Hayden and I have been sick. Plus, we were able to seek refuge at our second home on the farm on weekends while Ty was out of town. Not that my mom and dad were able to help out that much since they are in the middle of Harvest right now, but any little bit helped. I give much credit to the fresh country air in aiding our recoveries!
So now that our health is restored and now that Tyler is home for good until after Number Two's arrival, we can get a bunch of pre-baby stuff out of the way. First on the agenda is Hayden's 2nd birthday! And while I'm on the topic of birthdays, Hayden's is not the only one we have in the short time before D-day! Tyler's step-mom, his mom, my mom, and Tyler, all have birthdays before we add another birthday to the list. I somehow ended up with a whole herd of Libras and I have to wonder why.
After the birthdays, comes the creation of Hayden's Halloween costume! My Nana and I already cut the pattern so I'm pretty much half done. If I can't complete it before the baby comes, no big deal. SEWING is one of Tyler's many hidden talents and because of his structural genius, he is actually better at it than I am.
Last Word: I was trying to remember the last time I was sick and I realized it was this same time last year. The Smashing Pumpkins were in town and I managed to get backstage passes on the day of the concert. Long story short, if Billy Corgan has any memory of me, it's of the germy Winnipeg girl who almost inflicted her disease upon him. After our short visit, he asked if I wanted a picture with him but I declined saying, "Better not, I'm just getting over a cold. I don't want to give it to you." At that, he backed away with a hand up in defence. Sensing his terror, I quickly added, "But I'm sure its not contagious anymore don't worry." I think he must have taken that as a change of mind that I DID want a picture taken because then he immediately took off faster than the speed of his fingers on a Fender Telecaster. OOPS! Sorry Bill.
Wishing u all a splendid fall :)
XO Liza
I must say, taking care of a sick toddler while you yourself are sick and having no one to take over for you (while 8 months pregnant) can be a little umm challenging? Yes. BUT I am in no way complaining because in a very short while, I will have a toddler AND baby to look after by myself when Ty's out of town. This leads me to be very grateful that I am sick NOW and not after Number Two is born. Other reasons I can't complain: this is the first time in 2013 that Hayden and I have been sick. Plus, we were able to seek refuge at our second home on the farm on weekends while Ty was out of town. Not that my mom and dad were able to help out that much since they are in the middle of Harvest right now, but any little bit helped. I give much credit to the fresh country air in aiding our recoveries!
So now that our health is restored and now that Tyler is home for good until after Number Two's arrival, we can get a bunch of pre-baby stuff out of the way. First on the agenda is Hayden's 2nd birthday! And while I'm on the topic of birthdays, Hayden's is not the only one we have in the short time before D-day! Tyler's step-mom, his mom, my mom, and Tyler, all have birthdays before we add another birthday to the list. I somehow ended up with a whole herd of Libras and I have to wonder why.
After the birthdays, comes the creation of Hayden's Halloween costume! My Nana and I already cut the pattern so I'm pretty much half done. If I can't complete it before the baby comes, no big deal. SEWING is one of Tyler's many hidden talents and because of his structural genius, he is actually better at it than I am.
Last Word: I was trying to remember the last time I was sick and I realized it was this same time last year. The Smashing Pumpkins were in town and I managed to get backstage passes on the day of the concert. Long story short, if Billy Corgan has any memory of me, it's of the germy Winnipeg girl who almost inflicted her disease upon him. After our short visit, he asked if I wanted a picture with him but I declined saying, "Better not, I'm just getting over a cold. I don't want to give it to you." At that, he backed away with a hand up in defence. Sensing his terror, I quickly added, "But I'm sure its not contagious anymore don't worry." I think he must have taken that as a change of mind that I DID want a picture taken because then he immediately took off faster than the speed of his fingers on a Fender Telecaster. OOPS! Sorry Bill.
Wishing u all a splendid fall :)
XO Liza
Wednesday 11 September 2013
Thrifting for Moms!
A few mornings ago, a familiar sensation crept over me as I drank my morning tea. It was a feeling of inspired energy that can only be satisfied with a trip to the Sally Ann!!! (Or it could have been the caffeine - who knows.) So we went and it ended up being a really successful trip. I scored a wool pea-coat for fall, printed blouse, and a weird shirt for Hayden for $20!
Thrift store shopping is a practice I have continued to perfect over the years. Only now have I realized that I have developed my very own strategy to make the most of my shopping trips! Especially now that I have a little one who’s shopping-cart-sits are on a timer that I have no control over. There’s no leisurely strolling up every aisle to look at every article of clothing in hopes that no hidden gems are overlooked.
Here are a few key points I like to keep in mind when I venture out into the unpredictable world of second-hand shopping:
1. Make a “Wishlist”
Second hand shopping is a lot of hits and misses. Some days your cart will overflow with must-haves and sometimes you may only find a couple questionable (at best) items. Have a list of things you’d hope to find. Obviously, its all up to chance so you can’t be sure you’ll find anything on your list, but it helps. So when you first arrive, go directly to the areas of the items on your list so you can get that out of the way first.
2. Bring a Trusted Friend
Having someone with you who has the same taste really helps because then you can tag-team the store in half the time. Or else they can push your kid around in the cart without stopping while you shop. Anything to avoid in-store meltdowns.
3. Remember, Stuff Can be Altered
While perusing the “Long Coat” rack, you spot the perfect knee-length plaid trench. Your eyes light up! Could it be that I’ve found my woolen soul-mate? You check the size: Large? Maybe it will still fit. You slip it on. Not a chance. But wait! Don’t cry over over-sized garments! Get that bad boy altered! It will be worth it.
4. Trust Your Gut
I like treating thrift store shopping as kind of a spiritual experience! Sometimes if you just let your instincts guide you through the store, you’ll find the best pieces like you struck gold! And it will often feel like those pieces chose you.
Or, if you find you’re drawn to something totally outrageous but your logic is telling you, “You’ll look like a fool if you wear this!” Go with your gut! Sometimes those are the most important clothes to wear! Make an anti-fashion statement.
5.. Recycle
I am guilty of wanting to keep all of my clothes “just in case” they will ever come back into style. I recently just gave up a pair of pants I’d been holding onto since Gr.9. Some things you can justify keeping. If not for yourself, maybe you can pass it on to your kids; like an evening gown or other gently-worn, quality made items. But no one’s going to want your 15 dollar, wine-stained, stretched-out-after-only-1-wear Forever 21 bar dress. I just threw mine in the garbage. In retrospect, I maybe should have shredded the fabric for usage in craft projects of something. Darn. Oh well.
However, you gotta give to keep your Universal laws of abundance in motion!
6. Don’t wait for popular shopping times
Go mid-season. Or (if you’re crazy like me) shop for fall or winter in spring or summer when you know few people will be looking for the same styles.
7. Don’t Give Up on Your “Swag“!
I used to be a real fashionista. I loved clothes and trends and outfits and shoes. I loved shopping. Now that I’m a stay-at-home mom with no income, I do not shop. I feel like there’s this stereotype surrounding stay-at-home moms that they just go shopping all the time. Lets just say that wouldn’t go over too well with my husband. Also, we’re trying to save for our future home so that’s my top priority. Even if I did have $$ to shop, I don’t believe it’s possible with a toddler. I can’t even shop at JOE because my kid won’t sit in those double-decker Superstore shopping carts! Only the really deep ones can contain her.
Truth be told, I have accepted that of all the things in life that truly matter, “fashion” is certainly not one of them. But that doesn’t mean I’ve given up on my personal style altogether! I still like to stay in the loop of what‘s “in“. I have various fashion mag subscriptions acquired through my accumulation of Huggies Rewards Points! While I have no intention of replicating the multi-thousand dollar outfits in the pages of Vogue, they still bring some inspiration to my second hand shopping trips. Trends always seem to recycle themselves!
________________________________
I hope this helped to inspire you guys to check out your nearest Value Village or Salvation Army! These are my faves. Because their shopping carts can contain my toddler.
XO Liza : )
Thrift store shopping is a practice I have continued to perfect over the years. Only now have I realized that I have developed my very own strategy to make the most of my shopping trips! Especially now that I have a little one who’s shopping-cart-sits are on a timer that I have no control over. There’s no leisurely strolling up every aisle to look at every article of clothing in hopes that no hidden gems are overlooked.
Here are a few key points I like to keep in mind when I venture out into the unpredictable world of second-hand shopping:
1. Make a “Wishlist”
Second hand shopping is a lot of hits and misses. Some days your cart will overflow with must-haves and sometimes you may only find a couple questionable (at best) items. Have a list of things you’d hope to find. Obviously, its all up to chance so you can’t be sure you’ll find anything on your list, but it helps. So when you first arrive, go directly to the areas of the items on your list so you can get that out of the way first.
2. Bring a Trusted Friend
Having someone with you who has the same taste really helps because then you can tag-team the store in half the time. Or else they can push your kid around in the cart without stopping while you shop. Anything to avoid in-store meltdowns.
3. Remember, Stuff Can be Altered
While perusing the “Long Coat” rack, you spot the perfect knee-length plaid trench. Your eyes light up! Could it be that I’ve found my woolen soul-mate? You check the size: Large? Maybe it will still fit. You slip it on. Not a chance. But wait! Don’t cry over over-sized garments! Get that bad boy altered! It will be worth it.
4. Trust Your Gut
I like treating thrift store shopping as kind of a spiritual experience! Sometimes if you just let your instincts guide you through the store, you’ll find the best pieces like you struck gold! And it will often feel like those pieces chose you.
Or, if you find you’re drawn to something totally outrageous but your logic is telling you, “You’ll look like a fool if you wear this!” Go with your gut! Sometimes those are the most important clothes to wear! Make an anti-fashion statement.
5.. Recycle
I am guilty of wanting to keep all of my clothes “just in case” they will ever come back into style. I recently just gave up a pair of pants I’d been holding onto since Gr.9. Some things you can justify keeping. If not for yourself, maybe you can pass it on to your kids; like an evening gown or other gently-worn, quality made items. But no one’s going to want your 15 dollar, wine-stained, stretched-out-after-only-1-wear Forever 21 bar dress. I just threw mine in the garbage. In retrospect, I maybe should have shredded the fabric for usage in craft projects of something. Darn. Oh well.
However, you gotta give to keep your Universal laws of abundance in motion!
6. Don’t wait for popular shopping times
Go mid-season. Or (if you’re crazy like me) shop for fall or winter in spring or summer when you know few people will be looking for the same styles.
7. Don’t Give Up on Your “Swag“!
I used to be a real fashionista. I loved clothes and trends and outfits and shoes. I loved shopping. Now that I’m a stay-at-home mom with no income, I do not shop. I feel like there’s this stereotype surrounding stay-at-home moms that they just go shopping all the time. Lets just say that wouldn’t go over too well with my husband. Also, we’re trying to save for our future home so that’s my top priority. Even if I did have $$ to shop, I don’t believe it’s possible with a toddler. I can’t even shop at JOE because my kid won’t sit in those double-decker Superstore shopping carts! Only the really deep ones can contain her.
Truth be told, I have accepted that of all the things in life that truly matter, “fashion” is certainly not one of them. But that doesn’t mean I’ve given up on my personal style altogether! I still like to stay in the loop of what‘s “in“. I have various fashion mag subscriptions acquired through my accumulation of Huggies Rewards Points! While I have no intention of replicating the multi-thousand dollar outfits in the pages of Vogue, they still bring some inspiration to my second hand shopping trips. Trends always seem to recycle themselves!
________________________________
I hope this helped to inspire you guys to check out your nearest Value Village or Salvation Army! These are my faves. Because their shopping carts can contain my toddler.
XO Liza : )
Wednesday 4 September 2013
A “Meat-Free” (kind of) Family!
Hunting season is here and Ty has been busy target practicing in preparation of restocking our freezer. This time of year also marks the anniversary of my quitting meat. Here is the story about that:
Some years ago now, Tyler made an announcement that he was to become a hunter. I was heartbroken. Why would he want to go into the bush and shoot innocent dear running around minding their own business? I was horrified! What kind of a savage was I living with? So, in protest, I stopped eating meat.
My quitting eating meat was met with much exasperation from my family, being former hog farmers. Especially my mom who prides herself on her perfect pork roasts and beef stew. She’s still in denial. My mother-in-law still doesn’t know what to make for supper when I come over! My dad could actually care less what I eat.
Anyways, at first I intended to eat meat again once hunting season was over but it kind of just stuck with me. In the past, I only ever ate meat when someone else cooked it for me anyways because I’m a horrible cook. Problem solved. Also, I felt a lot better after assuming an all veg diet, both physically and consciously. I couldn‘t go back to eating meat again even if I‘d wanted to. That is the sheer power of my guilty conscience.
And I am incredibly healthy to boot!! (yes I just said “to boot”). Neither Hayden or I have been sick once in 2013. I have had 2 unbelievably healthy no meat pregnancies. Given birth to 1 extremely healthy 8.5 pound baby. And breastfed that baby into a giant, all on no meat. Just veggie lasagna! And beer! Jk.
I have since changed my stance on hunting. Those animals lived good lives. At least they got to see the sun and run around in the bush with their friends. Also, I feel like a Hunter must understand what it means to take the life of an animal, which is something we’re so far removed from when we see the tenderloin on the shelf at the store. Somewhere along the way, Tyler came to agree with my point of view. That is how he became a “Huntarian” (his term). He only eats hunted meat.
Just for the record, I don’t give a flying you-know-what about what anyone eats. I have never watched someone eat a steak and thought, “How COULD they??”. We all have our reasons for eating what we eat. I am more than happy to live peacefully amongst the meat-eaters but for some reason there’s that one person who always seems to want to throw these irrelevant factoids at me while I’m chewing my veggie burger: “Humans are supposed to eat meat because of our teeth bla bla bla”. OK I don’t care… “What do you do for protein?” Seriously?…
So in conclusion, wish Tyler luck this hunting season!
LIZA
P.s. This post was originally filled with a lot more mumbo jumbo about vegetarian ideals but has been heavily revised. I have nothing to prove.
Some years ago now, Tyler made an announcement that he was to become a hunter. I was heartbroken. Why would he want to go into the bush and shoot innocent dear running around minding their own business? I was horrified! What kind of a savage was I living with? So, in protest, I stopped eating meat.
My quitting eating meat was met with much exasperation from my family, being former hog farmers. Especially my mom who prides herself on her perfect pork roasts and beef stew. She’s still in denial. My mother-in-law still doesn’t know what to make for supper when I come over! My dad could actually care less what I eat.
Anyways, at first I intended to eat meat again once hunting season was over but it kind of just stuck with me. In the past, I only ever ate meat when someone else cooked it for me anyways because I’m a horrible cook. Problem solved. Also, I felt a lot better after assuming an all veg diet, both physically and consciously. I couldn‘t go back to eating meat again even if I‘d wanted to. That is the sheer power of my guilty conscience.
And I am incredibly healthy to boot!! (yes I just said “to boot”). Neither Hayden or I have been sick once in 2013. I have had 2 unbelievably healthy no meat pregnancies. Given birth to 1 extremely healthy 8.5 pound baby. And breastfed that baby into a giant, all on no meat. Just veggie lasagna! And beer! Jk.
I have since changed my stance on hunting. Those animals lived good lives. At least they got to see the sun and run around in the bush with their friends. Also, I feel like a Hunter must understand what it means to take the life of an animal, which is something we’re so far removed from when we see the tenderloin on the shelf at the store. Somewhere along the way, Tyler came to agree with my point of view. That is how he became a “Huntarian” (his term). He only eats hunted meat.
Just for the record, I don’t give a flying you-know-what about what anyone eats. I have never watched someone eat a steak and thought, “How COULD they??”. We all have our reasons for eating what we eat. I am more than happy to live peacefully amongst the meat-eaters but for some reason there’s that one person who always seems to want to throw these irrelevant factoids at me while I’m chewing my veggie burger: “Humans are supposed to eat meat because of our teeth bla bla bla”. OK I don’t care… “What do you do for protein?” Seriously?…
So in conclusion, wish Tyler luck this hunting season!
LIZA
P.s. This post was originally filled with a lot more mumbo jumbo about vegetarian ideals but has been heavily revised. I have nothing to prove.
Wednesday 28 August 2013
Happy 1st Anniversary
Sunday, August 25th Tyler and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary! And wow did we celebrate! Well, we celebrated as much as one super pregnant person and one severely hungover person with a 23 month old possibly could. It was memorable! <3
We had no intention of doing anything epic for our 1st Anniversary. We’ve already been together 9 years and have never celebrated a single anniversary. It’s just never been big deal to us for some reason! So when my parents gave us a gift card for a night’s stay at the Lakeview Hecla Resort and offered to take Hayden for the night, I was very excited to finally have something special to do to celebrate our anniversary.
I made the reservation for Sunday, the 25th, which was a week away at the time I booked it. For the whole week prior to the big day, I was like a child counting down to Christmas! I had hardly been away from Hayden for more than 24 hours since she’s been born! I desperately needed a break from our day-in day-out routine.
I packed everything the night before so we could leave right after breakfast and drop Hayden and the dog off. I wanted plenty of time to sit on the beach and hike the trails. Tyler must not have got this memo as much as I went on about my (our) big plans. I even warned him before he went out on Saturday night not to get too drunk because I wanted to leave early! These things are out of my control.
Alas, Sunday morning came and we left 2 hours later than planned. I ended up driving the entire way to Hecla with poor Tyler curled in fetal position in the passenger seat. Tyler, God bless him, when questioned about his condition would reply, “I feel awesome!!” before groaning and falling back to sleep. I felt a panicked wave of infuriation wash over me as I imagined getting to the hotel and him sleeping our anniversary away while I swam in the pool by myself. NO! This was not how it would go down so help me God! I drove straight to the beach as planned, rolled Tyler out of his seat and down the rocky path to where we set up our towels by the water. Tyler resumed his fetal position as I sat and took in the beautiful surroundings. I discreetly observed a young family jumping in and out of a blow-up dingy and all of a sudden found myself weeping. At that, Tyler sat up and placed his arm around my shoulders, “What’s wrong?” he asked gently. I wanted to be mad at him for having a stupid hangover on the only day we’d ever had to celebrate our being together, but after 9 years, we’ve been down similar paths before and I‘ve learned which battles are better left alone. “I miss Hayden!” I blubbered as the tears rolled down my cheeks. It was the truth. It felt weird not having her right by my side as she is every day all day! After a few comforting words from Tyler, he convinced me to go for a swim. Something about being in the water miraculously cured Ty of his hangover, Hallelujah! I quickly forgot about Hayden and we went on to enjoy our anniversary as I’d fully intended. J
This was exactly the “baby break” I needed to realize how important it is to make time to just hang out with my husband. Being the introvert that I am, I often just want to be by myself at the end of the day when Hayden’s in bed. I just want to do my own solitary introverted things and not interact with anyone. But I guess its about finding that elusive balance so that you can enjoy every single moment of parenting, hobbies, marriage, etc. Sometimes I have it, something I don't.
What I DO know, is that after all these years with Ty there is still never a dull moment! I never ever feel like an old married couple, thank goodness. Also, I don’t mind tolerating a hangover here or there because I might just pay him back one day.
XO Liza
(Note: Ty's hangovers are very few and far between. My husband is not an alcoholic. Also, he did in fact get out of the car and walked to the beach by himself and was not actually rolled)
We had no intention of doing anything epic for our 1st Anniversary. We’ve already been together 9 years and have never celebrated a single anniversary. It’s just never been big deal to us for some reason! So when my parents gave us a gift card for a night’s stay at the Lakeview Hecla Resort and offered to take Hayden for the night, I was very excited to finally have something special to do to celebrate our anniversary.
I made the reservation for Sunday, the 25th, which was a week away at the time I booked it. For the whole week prior to the big day, I was like a child counting down to Christmas! I had hardly been away from Hayden for more than 24 hours since she’s been born! I desperately needed a break from our day-in day-out routine.
I packed everything the night before so we could leave right after breakfast and drop Hayden and the dog off. I wanted plenty of time to sit on the beach and hike the trails. Tyler must not have got this memo as much as I went on about my (our) big plans. I even warned him before he went out on Saturday night not to get too drunk because I wanted to leave early! These things are out of my control.
Alas, Sunday morning came and we left 2 hours later than planned. I ended up driving the entire way to Hecla with poor Tyler curled in fetal position in the passenger seat. Tyler, God bless him, when questioned about his condition would reply, “I feel awesome!!” before groaning and falling back to sleep. I felt a panicked wave of infuriation wash over me as I imagined getting to the hotel and him sleeping our anniversary away while I swam in the pool by myself. NO! This was not how it would go down so help me God! I drove straight to the beach as planned, rolled Tyler out of his seat and down the rocky path to where we set up our towels by the water. Tyler resumed his fetal position as I sat and took in the beautiful surroundings. I discreetly observed a young family jumping in and out of a blow-up dingy and all of a sudden found myself weeping. At that, Tyler sat up and placed his arm around my shoulders, “What’s wrong?” he asked gently. I wanted to be mad at him for having a stupid hangover on the only day we’d ever had to celebrate our being together, but after 9 years, we’ve been down similar paths before and I‘ve learned which battles are better left alone. “I miss Hayden!” I blubbered as the tears rolled down my cheeks. It was the truth. It felt weird not having her right by my side as she is every day all day! After a few comforting words from Tyler, he convinced me to go for a swim. Something about being in the water miraculously cured Ty of his hangover, Hallelujah! I quickly forgot about Hayden and we went on to enjoy our anniversary as I’d fully intended. J
This was exactly the “baby break” I needed to realize how important it is to make time to just hang out with my husband. Being the introvert that I am, I often just want to be by myself at the end of the day when Hayden’s in bed. I just want to do my own solitary introverted things and not interact with anyone. But I guess its about finding that elusive balance so that you can enjoy every single moment of parenting, hobbies, marriage, etc. Sometimes I have it, something I don't.
What I DO know, is that after all these years with Ty there is still never a dull moment! I never ever feel like an old married couple, thank goodness. Also, I don’t mind tolerating a hangover here or there because I might just pay him back one day.
XO Liza
(Note: Ty's hangovers are very few and far between. My husband is not an alcoholic. Also, he did in fact get out of the car and walked to the beach by himself and was not actually rolled)
Wednesday 21 August 2013
Comparing Pregnancies
As my second pregnancy rounds the final bend, I can’t help but compare it to my first pregnancy with Hayden. Basically, it’s the exact same pregnancy so there’s not much contrast that I can reflect in this post.
I have gained the exact same amount of weight at the exact same intervals. My appetite is the exact same. I have yet to experience a text-book “pregnancy craving”. I have no more desire for ice-cream than I would if I wasn’t pregnant (but don’t tell Tyler or I won‘t have an excuse for his unnecessary ice-cream runs). My body generally feels the same as it did with my first pregnancy. Same morning sickness (nauseous all day for 1st 3 months), same hair growth, no swelling, no wonky skin issues, no stretch marks so far - knock on wood. Just an all around unremarkable pregnancy. My energy level is a little lower this time around. Most likely because I am now chasing a toddler all day instead of sitting at a desk.
For these reasons, I am assuming I am having another girl. I think it’s a fair assumption judging by the similarities in both pregnancies. I fear I’m putting way too many eggs in this basket and I will be very surprised when I’m told “it’s a boy!” Tyler wants it to be a surprise and that’s why we’re not finding out the sex but I am horrible with surprises! I want to get everything prepared, all the clothes where they need to be. I want to know if I can reuse my Hayden clothes or if I need new “boy” clothes.
The only real differences I can account for are those of the babies themselves. Hayden was rambunctious. Always flipping and rolling, kicking and punching. Number Two is way more tame. Just gentle jabs and pokes. I haven’t even felt one “roll” yet! Number Two likes to poke me in the ribs which is something I never felt with Hayden. I am so interested to see if these first “personality traits” have any correlation as to what kind of baby Number Two will be. All I can say is that he / she had better be patient because Hayden is kind of obsessed with me.
Heartburn! I've had NO heartburn this time and I had a lot of it with Hayden. And according to the old wives tale, if you have a lot of heartburn it means your baby will have a full head of hair, which Hayden did. Number Two will be bald I guess!
I enjoy being pregnant. I am in such awe of Nature every day. But I am ready to not be pregnant anymore. I mostly miss my workouts and running. I know lots of moms still run while pregnant but I’ve tried with both pregnancies and the baby seems to bounce right on top of my bladder which may not have a great outcome. I miss normal pants. I miss wine.
Also, there is one request I must make of the “Powers That Be” upon completion of this pregnancy: If you don’t mind, I will KEEP all of my hair this time. Please and Thank You. The boobs too if that’s not too much to ask. Just as they are right now! Great! Thanks! That is all!
Much love,
Liza
I have gained the exact same amount of weight at the exact same intervals. My appetite is the exact same. I have yet to experience a text-book “pregnancy craving”. I have no more desire for ice-cream than I would if I wasn’t pregnant (but don’t tell Tyler or I won‘t have an excuse for his unnecessary ice-cream runs). My body generally feels the same as it did with my first pregnancy. Same morning sickness (nauseous all day for 1st 3 months), same hair growth, no swelling, no wonky skin issues, no stretch marks so far - knock on wood. Just an all around unremarkable pregnancy. My energy level is a little lower this time around. Most likely because I am now chasing a toddler all day instead of sitting at a desk.
For these reasons, I am assuming I am having another girl. I think it’s a fair assumption judging by the similarities in both pregnancies. I fear I’m putting way too many eggs in this basket and I will be very surprised when I’m told “it’s a boy!” Tyler wants it to be a surprise and that’s why we’re not finding out the sex but I am horrible with surprises! I want to get everything prepared, all the clothes where they need to be. I want to know if I can reuse my Hayden clothes or if I need new “boy” clothes.
The only real differences I can account for are those of the babies themselves. Hayden was rambunctious. Always flipping and rolling, kicking and punching. Number Two is way more tame. Just gentle jabs and pokes. I haven’t even felt one “roll” yet! Number Two likes to poke me in the ribs which is something I never felt with Hayden. I am so interested to see if these first “personality traits” have any correlation as to what kind of baby Number Two will be. All I can say is that he / she had better be patient because Hayden is kind of obsessed with me.
Heartburn! I've had NO heartburn this time and I had a lot of it with Hayden. And according to the old wives tale, if you have a lot of heartburn it means your baby will have a full head of hair, which Hayden did. Number Two will be bald I guess!
I enjoy being pregnant. I am in such awe of Nature every day. But I am ready to not be pregnant anymore. I mostly miss my workouts and running. I know lots of moms still run while pregnant but I’ve tried with both pregnancies and the baby seems to bounce right on top of my bladder which may not have a great outcome. I miss normal pants. I miss wine.
Also, there is one request I must make of the “Powers That Be” upon completion of this pregnancy: If you don’t mind, I will KEEP all of my hair this time. Please and Thank You. The boobs too if that’s not too much to ask. Just as they are right now! Great! Thanks! That is all!
Much love,
Liza
Wednesday 14 August 2013
Movin’ to the Country, Gonna something something something…
Tyler and I have been saying for years that we are moving to the country and we’re going to build a house. People ask us how our “plans are coming along” and we always say something like, “Ohhhh, they’re coming!” The small details change all the time and we have had plenty of “back-to-the-drawing-board” moments, but the Grand Plan remains the same: we will live in the country.
When I first met Tyler I remember him telling me, “I’m going to build my own house in the country one day.” If you knew Tyler back then, you would have responded, “Ya ok buddy!” But one thing people fail to understand about Tyler is that he always gets what he wants. I have learned, over the years, to stop fighting the “Will of Tyler“. When he wants something, it’s more than just an earnest desire or wishful thinking. It’s a powerful cosmic force that puts him in direct alignment with the object of his desire. There is no outside influence that can deter him. Don’t ask him “How?”, don’t ask him “When?”, and especially don’t ask him “Why?” because the details do not matter to him. Just trust him and he will always deliver.
Tyler’s determination can’t take all the credit for making this happen. Our moving to the country has been largely facilitated by my unbelievably kind and generous parents. As my dear father winds down his grain farming career, he has, for some reason, decided to bestow upon me a piece of land on which we will build our future home.
At first, this all seemed so simple. “Land!! We shall build a house on it!!” Not so. The process of building a house on farmland is far more complicated than I could have ever imagined. There are so many rules!! Basically, the municipality wants to keep farmland as is and prefers people to build their houses in town (is how I understand it). Land can only be subdivided into no less than 80 acres, so available places to build a house are actually really limited. Luckily for us, my dad is a “retiring” farmer, and he’s allowed to subdivide his 10 acre building site off the 80 acres its on leaving us a 70 acre chunk that we can theoretically build a house on. So begins the paperwork.
First, we had to apply for this subdivision through South Interlake Planning and the Rockwood Municipality. Forms were filled out, diagrams drawn, and submitted. We waited, not getting our hopes up. Finally, we received word from South Interlake Planning that the subdivision had been approved!!! Conditionally. So more diagrams were drawn, a team of surveyors were summoned, Manitoba Conservation was consulted, MTS had their input, etc. There is still a hearing to take place in town to discuss the “variance” of the 70 acre subdivision since it’s not what they normally allow (80 acres). We don’t expect this to have a negative outcome, but still, not getting our hopes up.
So that is where we stand with our plans in this very moment! As you now know, it’s a lot to break down for people. We still have a long way to go before we can “break ground”. Once the subdivision is officially approved, we’ll have to wait 4 months for it to be given a land title. Once the land has a title, we can go to the lawyer and have it transferred to my name. Once we have the land in our names, then we can get the bank involved.
There you have it! If we keep moving at a steady rate, we should probably be able to start building by June 2021! (jk. We hope spring/summer 2014.) But right now we’re just taking it one day at a time. And today we have a roof over our heads and that’s all we can ask for. J Thanks for joining me on our journey to becoming country bumpkins!
Liza
When I first met Tyler I remember him telling me, “I’m going to build my own house in the country one day.” If you knew Tyler back then, you would have responded, “Ya ok buddy!” But one thing people fail to understand about Tyler is that he always gets what he wants. I have learned, over the years, to stop fighting the “Will of Tyler“. When he wants something, it’s more than just an earnest desire or wishful thinking. It’s a powerful cosmic force that puts him in direct alignment with the object of his desire. There is no outside influence that can deter him. Don’t ask him “How?”, don’t ask him “When?”, and especially don’t ask him “Why?” because the details do not matter to him. Just trust him and he will always deliver.
Tyler’s determination can’t take all the credit for making this happen. Our moving to the country has been largely facilitated by my unbelievably kind and generous parents. As my dear father winds down his grain farming career, he has, for some reason, decided to bestow upon me a piece of land on which we will build our future home.
At first, this all seemed so simple. “Land!! We shall build a house on it!!” Not so. The process of building a house on farmland is far more complicated than I could have ever imagined. There are so many rules!! Basically, the municipality wants to keep farmland as is and prefers people to build their houses in town (is how I understand it). Land can only be subdivided into no less than 80 acres, so available places to build a house are actually really limited. Luckily for us, my dad is a “retiring” farmer, and he’s allowed to subdivide his 10 acre building site off the 80 acres its on leaving us a 70 acre chunk that we can theoretically build a house on. So begins the paperwork.
First, we had to apply for this subdivision through South Interlake Planning and the Rockwood Municipality. Forms were filled out, diagrams drawn, and submitted. We waited, not getting our hopes up. Finally, we received word from South Interlake Planning that the subdivision had been approved!!! Conditionally. So more diagrams were drawn, a team of surveyors were summoned, Manitoba Conservation was consulted, MTS had their input, etc. There is still a hearing to take place in town to discuss the “variance” of the 70 acre subdivision since it’s not what they normally allow (80 acres). We don’t expect this to have a negative outcome, but still, not getting our hopes up.
So that is where we stand with our plans in this very moment! As you now know, it’s a lot to break down for people. We still have a long way to go before we can “break ground”. Once the subdivision is officially approved, we’ll have to wait 4 months for it to be given a land title. Once the land has a title, we can go to the lawyer and have it transferred to my name. Once we have the land in our names, then we can get the bank involved.
There you have it! If we keep moving at a steady rate, we should probably be able to start building by June 2021! (jk. We hope spring/summer 2014.) But right now we’re just taking it one day at a time. And today we have a roof over our heads and that’s all we can ask for. J Thanks for joining me on our journey to becoming country bumpkins!
Liza
Tuesday 6 August 2013
5 Things its OK to Say to a “New Mom”
Lately I’ve been seeing tons of blogs advising us silly fools of everything we’ve been saying that has been offending people with life-paths different from our own. Examples: “10 Things Not to Say to a Working Mom“; “20 Things You Shouldn’t Say to People Without Kids“; “7 Things You Don’t Say to Chihuahua Owners“; “125 Things to NEVER Tell a ‘New Mom”. And I’m over here like, “I ain’t saying shit to anyone anymore.” Because I am that socially awkward blabber-mouth who has probably said every offensive phrase on every single list (including: “How do you not accidentally step on your Chihuahua?”)
If any of you have ever felt like you just don’t know what is the right thing to say, allow me to throw you a bone here. The one area in life where I believe I have some knowledge is as a “New Mom”. Now, I’m no expert and I haven’t taken a poll, but based on my own experience, here are some things I believe you’d be safe to say to a mom with a new babe at home:
1. “What do you want from Tim Hortons/the store/Sushi Ya/the LC (jk…maybe) ?”
Basically, always assume a mom with a newborn wants something from somewhere. Especially if it’s a place involved with the production/sale of food. When you haven’t showered, changed out of your pj’s, and have a baby that wants to be fed every 2 hours, its not always easy for Mom to get out of the house.
So if you’re in the neighborhood of your New Mom friend, don’t be a afraid to swing by with a treat. It’s all about the treats, people! Those treats are well-deserved!
2. “He / She (baby) looks so healthy!”
If you have any thoughts otherwise, try to keep it on the DL because despite the baby’s appearance (small, red, yellow, misshapen head, gigantic) the baby is probably perfectly healthy. If there were anything to “worry“ about, Mom is already aware. “Oh, she has baby acne????! Thank you for letting me know because I haven’t even looked at her at all since she’s been home from the hospital!”
Plus, its really easy to freak out a new mom.
3. “You’re a natural!”
Positive encouragement only please! It’s hard getting the hang of things, give her a break! In the early days, nothing felt better than positive reassurance from friends and family. Sometimes there’s so much well-meaning advice coming from so many directions, it can make your head spin. I think its important for new moms to feel secure with their own maternal abilities and its sometimes discouraging to be given so many pointers! Sensitivity is key!
4. “I want to come by for 10 minutes to see the baby! Let me know whenever works!”
She will let you know, or she might not. Don’t take it personally if she doesn’t. Some moms are like, “Oh yeah! Come anytime! Door’s always open!” But for others, visiting is the last thing she wants to take part in while still adjusting to having a newborn at home. Understandably, its awkward trying to carry on a conversation while breast-feeding, burping, diaper-changing, and bouncing a crying baby.
I was horribly anti-social when Hayden was born. I thought, “Why is everyone so obsessed with seeing the baby!??!!” Because before I had a baby of my own, I didn’t really give a F about babies. But I totally get it now and this time around I will try to be more hospitable.
5. “What can I help you with around the house?”
Maybe some babies only sleep and eat and let their moms get stuff done, but mine did not. Wherever I went, Hayden went. Otherwise, I was listening to her cry which I didn’t like to do (what mom does?) But I totally didn’t mind holding her all the time! I never wanted to put her down and I loved every second of it! Sometimes she was fine in her Ergo-Baby carrier, but only as long as we kept moving! Meaning, no standing at the sink washing dishes, or sitting on the couch folding laundry.
People would always think that I needed a break from Hayden so they’d come and take her and say “Go do something!” Then I would drag my feet to the sink and wash the dishes and listen to someone else try to calm down my baby in the living room, longing to go “save” her. But, its my own fault, because I always felt bad asking other people to do my house-work.
______________________
I could go on and on about all my experiences, but I actually read somewhere that’s something you’re not supposed to do to a new mom, or people without children, so I’ll leave it at that. For now. Muahahaha.
Xoxo Liza
If any of you have ever felt like you just don’t know what is the right thing to say, allow me to throw you a bone here. The one area in life where I believe I have some knowledge is as a “New Mom”. Now, I’m no expert and I haven’t taken a poll, but based on my own experience, here are some things I believe you’d be safe to say to a mom with a new babe at home:
1. “What do you want from Tim Hortons/the store/Sushi Ya/the LC (jk…maybe) ?”
Basically, always assume a mom with a newborn wants something from somewhere. Especially if it’s a place involved with the production/sale of food. When you haven’t showered, changed out of your pj’s, and have a baby that wants to be fed every 2 hours, its not always easy for Mom to get out of the house.
So if you’re in the neighborhood of your New Mom friend, don’t be a afraid to swing by with a treat. It’s all about the treats, people! Those treats are well-deserved!
2. “He / She (baby) looks so healthy!”
If you have any thoughts otherwise, try to keep it on the DL because despite the baby’s appearance (small, red, yellow, misshapen head, gigantic) the baby is probably perfectly healthy. If there were anything to “worry“ about, Mom is already aware. “Oh, she has baby acne????! Thank you for letting me know because I haven’t even looked at her at all since she’s been home from the hospital!”
Plus, its really easy to freak out a new mom.
3. “You’re a natural!”
Positive encouragement only please! It’s hard getting the hang of things, give her a break! In the early days, nothing felt better than positive reassurance from friends and family. Sometimes there’s so much well-meaning advice coming from so many directions, it can make your head spin. I think its important for new moms to feel secure with their own maternal abilities and its sometimes discouraging to be given so many pointers! Sensitivity is key!
4. “I want to come by for 10 minutes to see the baby! Let me know whenever works!”
She will let you know, or she might not. Don’t take it personally if she doesn’t. Some moms are like, “Oh yeah! Come anytime! Door’s always open!” But for others, visiting is the last thing she wants to take part in while still adjusting to having a newborn at home. Understandably, its awkward trying to carry on a conversation while breast-feeding, burping, diaper-changing, and bouncing a crying baby.
I was horribly anti-social when Hayden was born. I thought, “Why is everyone so obsessed with seeing the baby!??!!” Because before I had a baby of my own, I didn’t really give a F about babies. But I totally get it now and this time around I will try to be more hospitable.
5. “What can I help you with around the house?”
Maybe some babies only sleep and eat and let their moms get stuff done, but mine did not. Wherever I went, Hayden went. Otherwise, I was listening to her cry which I didn’t like to do (what mom does?) But I totally didn’t mind holding her all the time! I never wanted to put her down and I loved every second of it! Sometimes she was fine in her Ergo-Baby carrier, but only as long as we kept moving! Meaning, no standing at the sink washing dishes, or sitting on the couch folding laundry.
People would always think that I needed a break from Hayden so they’d come and take her and say “Go do something!” Then I would drag my feet to the sink and wash the dishes and listen to someone else try to calm down my baby in the living room, longing to go “save” her. But, its my own fault, because I always felt bad asking other people to do my house-work.
______________________
I could go on and on about all my experiences, but I actually read somewhere that’s something you’re not supposed to do to a new mom, or people without children, so I’ll leave it at that. For now. Muahahaha.
Xoxo Liza
Thursday 1 August 2013
Welcome to the North End Oasis
Hayden and I have two homes. Our primary home and residence is a little white house in Winnipeg’s least desirable neighborhood which I like to call our “North End Oasis”. Our second home is the farm I grew up on and where my parents still live. I am grateful to have both places to resort to when city life becomes too constricting or when country life becomes too dull.
You can’t really know how naïve you are until you go from living in a tiny close-knit community to a neighborhood mostly inhabited by less-than-reputable characters. We have witnessed a lot of madness outside our front yard, but have also crossed paths with a few gems.
In the first few years we lived in the North End, some nights Tyler and I would sit on a now discarded couch in our front porch and just watch the scene in front of us. Since we’ve never had cable, I guess this was our version of some train-wreck reality show. One particular saga involved our neighbor, Danny, across the street and the flood of strange women that were always crawling in and out of his basement window. Danny was actually a nice guy, always waving at us and saying “Hi". The last time I saw him I was pushing Hayden in the stroller and he smiled and said, “Awe you had a baby!! Right on!!!” We’re not sure where he is now.
Despite the late-night pandemonium, I have always felt safe on my little Oasis. A lot of people are surprised by this but I honestly feel like our house exists inside an impenetrable bubble. We’ve never been victims of crime even though our neighbors haven‘t been so lucky. I think the first winter we lived here our snow shovels got stolen but that’s about it. Excuse me while I go find some wood to knock on.
It’s cheap to live in the North End! I don’t understand why more people don’t buy houses here. The immigrants have figured it out! When will everyone else? Amongst the friendliest neighbors are the immigrant families. When we move, I will dearly miss my neighbor, John, and his big Philippine family BBQ’s. The loud conversation and even louder laughter that makes me laugh even though I never know what they’re ever talking about. Often when he BBQ’s he shares with us. Our other neighbor, Jose (now moved) was a young El Salvadorian man who always invited us to come pick whatever we wanted from his tiny garden and apple tree. He and Tyler would often help each other out with random acts of heavy-lifting and the moving of furniture.
Another demographic there’s no shortage of in the North End are senior citizens. They have lived in the neighborhood forever and still treat it like the place it once was (which was apparently pleasant and respectable). They all take pride in their charming little flower beds with their quirky (sometimes creepy) lawn ornaments. Most are friendly, some not so much. Our next-door neighbor, Norma, was as friendly as they get! There was no end to her generosity, particularly with baked goods. Once in a while, I would go sit with her and drink tea and listen to her stories. She would tell me about every single person in her entire Italian family, what they did for a living, what their hobbies were, how much money they made, etc. I enjoyed it! She has since moved into a retirement home and I really miss her! When she moved, she gave us her patio swing and Hayden and I swing on it every day.
Tyler and I plan to one day live in the country near my parents farm. The reason we want to live in the country is for the freedom, the space, the privacy and to be surrounded by nature. We don’t like having neighbors 4 feet away at all times! Now, I feel guilty saying that since the only neighbors I’ve ever known have been genuinely kind-hearted and lovely people. I will miss having neighbors!
Until we are able to make the move from city life to country life, our little home is perfect for us. The fact that it’s tiny doesn’t bother me now that I know Norma raised her own 5 children in a house even smaller! And they’re all rich now! So maybe we should just stay here! ;)
Xoxo Liza
You can’t really know how naïve you are until you go from living in a tiny close-knit community to a neighborhood mostly inhabited by less-than-reputable characters. We have witnessed a lot of madness outside our front yard, but have also crossed paths with a few gems.
In the first few years we lived in the North End, some nights Tyler and I would sit on a now discarded couch in our front porch and just watch the scene in front of us. Since we’ve never had cable, I guess this was our version of some train-wreck reality show. One particular saga involved our neighbor, Danny, across the street and the flood of strange women that were always crawling in and out of his basement window. Danny was actually a nice guy, always waving at us and saying “Hi". The last time I saw him I was pushing Hayden in the stroller and he smiled and said, “Awe you had a baby!! Right on!!!” We’re not sure where he is now.
Despite the late-night pandemonium, I have always felt safe on my little Oasis. A lot of people are surprised by this but I honestly feel like our house exists inside an impenetrable bubble. We’ve never been victims of crime even though our neighbors haven‘t been so lucky. I think the first winter we lived here our snow shovels got stolen but that’s about it. Excuse me while I go find some wood to knock on.
It’s cheap to live in the North End! I don’t understand why more people don’t buy houses here. The immigrants have figured it out! When will everyone else? Amongst the friendliest neighbors are the immigrant families. When we move, I will dearly miss my neighbor, John, and his big Philippine family BBQ’s. The loud conversation and even louder laughter that makes me laugh even though I never know what they’re ever talking about. Often when he BBQ’s he shares with us. Our other neighbor, Jose (now moved) was a young El Salvadorian man who always invited us to come pick whatever we wanted from his tiny garden and apple tree. He and Tyler would often help each other out with random acts of heavy-lifting and the moving of furniture.
Another demographic there’s no shortage of in the North End are senior citizens. They have lived in the neighborhood forever and still treat it like the place it once was (which was apparently pleasant and respectable). They all take pride in their charming little flower beds with their quirky (sometimes creepy) lawn ornaments. Most are friendly, some not so much. Our next-door neighbor, Norma, was as friendly as they get! There was no end to her generosity, particularly with baked goods. Once in a while, I would go sit with her and drink tea and listen to her stories. She would tell me about every single person in her entire Italian family, what they did for a living, what their hobbies were, how much money they made, etc. I enjoyed it! She has since moved into a retirement home and I really miss her! When she moved, she gave us her patio swing and Hayden and I swing on it every day.
Tyler and I plan to one day live in the country near my parents farm. The reason we want to live in the country is for the freedom, the space, the privacy and to be surrounded by nature. We don’t like having neighbors 4 feet away at all times! Now, I feel guilty saying that since the only neighbors I’ve ever known have been genuinely kind-hearted and lovely people. I will miss having neighbors!
Until we are able to make the move from city life to country life, our little home is perfect for us. The fact that it’s tiny doesn’t bother me now that I know Norma raised her own 5 children in a house even smaller! And they’re all rich now! So maybe we should just stay here! ;)
Xoxo Liza
Wednesday 24 July 2013
Welcome to the Peanut Gallery
This is an introduction to the bag of nuts that is my family! There is never a dull moment in this house-hold and a day doesn’t go by that we don’t all share a good laugh (usually brought on by my husband).
Tyler
The true yang to my yin, he keeps me grounded and in balance. I could never imagine being married to someone who is the same as me! I could very easily daydream my life away and that is definitely not Tyler’s thing (thank goodness)!! He is hard-working, risk-taking, a true rebel at heart, yet thoughtful and the greatest friend anyone could have.
Ty is somewhat of a savant when it comes to constructing things. There is nothing in this world that he cannot build and that is no lie! This talent combined with his dare-devil nature has led him to his passion and career of constructing communication towers. On an average work day you can find him at the top of a 350 ft tower. And if he’s not at the top of a tower (or with us) he’s most definitely on his Harley.
Needless to say, his job is not a 9 to 5‘er. The work days are long and he’ll sometimes have to go “on the road” in a day’s notice (like right now, he's all of a sudden in Daughin. Who knows how long). Luckily he hasn’t had too many long trips since Hayden’s been born, but it’s not uncommon for him to be gone for a week here or there. For this reason, I am a stay-at-home mom. I can’t imagine the day-care drop-off, pick-up, working full-time, making healthy meals, staying on top of laundry, etc all by myself. I know some mom’s do it and I am truly in awe!
Hayden Mary
My sweet little baby/toddler is almost 22 months old! Time goes by too fast. I wish I could press pause on every giggle and attempted jump (she can‘t quite get both feet off the ground) and savor the moments a little longer! Her personality evolves every day! She is becoming more and more animated as her communication skills grow. She is very gentle and compassionate and never hesitates to share her toys or snacks.
Her current favourites include: Cats - pictures of cats, pretending to be a cat, her cat stuffies … I wish we actually had a cat! Elmo - no explanation required. Caillou - I think Caillou is actually the Bart Simpson of the toddler world and I sometimes wonder if she should watch his antics. Books, books, books. She is obsessed with our dog, Rocky. She also loves all of her grandparents whom she refers to as “Bapa” and “Bama“.
Rocky
Of course our dear friend and companion, Rocky, is part of our family! Tyler brought him home out of the blue one day 7 years ago and he’s been here through thick and thin ever since! When he was a baby, Ty would bring him to work and Rocky would run around the job site or sleep in the work truck. When Ty went on the road, he would come stay with me at the farm. He’s had a very wonderful life and I’m certain he would agree.
Although he probably wonders what he did to deserve being harassed by a miniature human on a daily basis. Poor Rocky. Hayden loves him so darn much she just can’t control it! She wants to hug him and lie on top of him, cover him with blankets and give him all her toys. She feeds him her snacks and dinner (probably the reason he tolerates her). She gets so excited, she chases him, waving her arms and squealing! All of this is rather disturbing to old Rocky. But he is the gentlest of dogs and has never so much as raised a lip at her. I still monitor their interactions closely.
Number Two
Yes, I literally refer to my unborn child as “Number Two”. Let’s hope I can come up with a more suitable name before October or it might stick. (“Numero Dos” does have a ring to it!). Honestly, I do have a couple names in mind but I’ll wait until Two is born to put anything in stone.
Number Two is a peaceful little fetus. He/she is much less aggressive with the kicks and somersaults than Hayden was at this stage in pregnancy. When Two is born, he/she will likely be a sweet little baby, who just eats and sleeps and won’t cause too many disturbances. How can I assume this, you wonder? Because I’ve already done my fussy baby time with colicky Hayden. I feel like I knew Hayden was going to be a handful before she was born. A little known side-story on how she got her name:
Before I had Hayden, I literally knew nothing about babies. But I wasn’t worried, because I trusted Nature to instill the knowledge in me to instinctually know how to care for my infant. That, and I read The Baby Book by good ol’ Dr. Sears pretty much cover to cover. In the chapter on fussy and colicky babies, Dr. Sears tells the story of how out of his own 8 babies, one of them was particularly demanding. This was his daughter, Hayden. The name stuck with me! But I obviously jinxed myself. However, I wouldn’t change anything about Hayden’s newborn period. I am grateful for the experience! A little crying? No problem!
And that, is my little family of 4, soon to be 5!
Liza xoxo
Tyler
The true yang to my yin, he keeps me grounded and in balance. I could never imagine being married to someone who is the same as me! I could very easily daydream my life away and that is definitely not Tyler’s thing (thank goodness)!! He is hard-working, risk-taking, a true rebel at heart, yet thoughtful and the greatest friend anyone could have.
Ty is somewhat of a savant when it comes to constructing things. There is nothing in this world that he cannot build and that is no lie! This talent combined with his dare-devil nature has led him to his passion and career of constructing communication towers. On an average work day you can find him at the top of a 350 ft tower. And if he’s not at the top of a tower (or with us) he’s most definitely on his Harley.
Needless to say, his job is not a 9 to 5‘er. The work days are long and he’ll sometimes have to go “on the road” in a day’s notice (like right now, he's all of a sudden in Daughin. Who knows how long). Luckily he hasn’t had too many long trips since Hayden’s been born, but it’s not uncommon for him to be gone for a week here or there. For this reason, I am a stay-at-home mom. I can’t imagine the day-care drop-off, pick-up, working full-time, making healthy meals, staying on top of laundry, etc all by myself. I know some mom’s do it and I am truly in awe!
Hayden Mary
My sweet little baby/toddler is almost 22 months old! Time goes by too fast. I wish I could press pause on every giggle and attempted jump (she can‘t quite get both feet off the ground) and savor the moments a little longer! Her personality evolves every day! She is becoming more and more animated as her communication skills grow. She is very gentle and compassionate and never hesitates to share her toys or snacks.
Her current favourites include: Cats - pictures of cats, pretending to be a cat, her cat stuffies … I wish we actually had a cat! Elmo - no explanation required. Caillou - I think Caillou is actually the Bart Simpson of the toddler world and I sometimes wonder if she should watch his antics. Books, books, books. She is obsessed with our dog, Rocky. She also loves all of her grandparents whom she refers to as “Bapa” and “Bama“.
Rocky
Of course our dear friend and companion, Rocky, is part of our family! Tyler brought him home out of the blue one day 7 years ago and he’s been here through thick and thin ever since! When he was a baby, Ty would bring him to work and Rocky would run around the job site or sleep in the work truck. When Ty went on the road, he would come stay with me at the farm. He’s had a very wonderful life and I’m certain he would agree.
Although he probably wonders what he did to deserve being harassed by a miniature human on a daily basis. Poor Rocky. Hayden loves him so darn much she just can’t control it! She wants to hug him and lie on top of him, cover him with blankets and give him all her toys. She feeds him her snacks and dinner (probably the reason he tolerates her). She gets so excited, she chases him, waving her arms and squealing! All of this is rather disturbing to old Rocky. But he is the gentlest of dogs and has never so much as raised a lip at her. I still monitor their interactions closely.
Number Two
Yes, I literally refer to my unborn child as “Number Two”. Let’s hope I can come up with a more suitable name before October or it might stick. (“Numero Dos” does have a ring to it!). Honestly, I do have a couple names in mind but I’ll wait until Two is born to put anything in stone.
Number Two is a peaceful little fetus. He/she is much less aggressive with the kicks and somersaults than Hayden was at this stage in pregnancy. When Two is born, he/she will likely be a sweet little baby, who just eats and sleeps and won’t cause too many disturbances. How can I assume this, you wonder? Because I’ve already done my fussy baby time with colicky Hayden. I feel like I knew Hayden was going to be a handful before she was born. A little known side-story on how she got her name:
Before I had Hayden, I literally knew nothing about babies. But I wasn’t worried, because I trusted Nature to instill the knowledge in me to instinctually know how to care for my infant. That, and I read The Baby Book by good ol’ Dr. Sears pretty much cover to cover. In the chapter on fussy and colicky babies, Dr. Sears tells the story of how out of his own 8 babies, one of them was particularly demanding. This was his daughter, Hayden. The name stuck with me! But I obviously jinxed myself. However, I wouldn’t change anything about Hayden’s newborn period. I am grateful for the experience! A little crying? No problem!
And that, is my little family of 4, soon to be 5!
Liza xoxo
Wednesday 17 July 2013
Peace, Love & Peanuts :)
Hello and welcome to my blog!! If you don’t already know me, my name is Liza and I am the happy mom of 1 happy kid (.5 if you count our pup, Rocky; .5 if you count the little one currently in utero ETA mid-October).
Yes, life with a toddler is busy and you may be wondering how I possibly have time to write a blog?! Time will magically produce itself for the things we really want to do. I’ve been back and forth about starting a blog for a while and today I decided to just do it! I feel like I need an outlet to share ideas and revelations about being a stay-at-home mom, and I just love discussing all kinds of stuff with anyone who will listen!
The title of this blog has been inspired by a few of my life rules:
Peace: “First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.” Thomas A Kempis (1380 - 1471).
I would consider myself to be a peaceful person by nature. Of course that is not always true (and my husband will agree). Sometimes life can get a little hectic and “Peace” is no more than a silly ideal better left for the hippies. It’s easy, being a mom, to fall into the roll of “family dictator”. “Do this!” “Don’t do that!” “Come here!” “NOW!”. How am I supposed to be peaceful when toddlers are the farthest thing from it? They resist almost everything, do the opposite of what you ever want, and are so demanding! Since I am not equipped for the roll of “Power Mom”, I’ve found a niche that more suits my personality: “Peaceful Mom”. So when Hayden’s temper is flaring, I make sure to check my own and appreciate these little heated moments because they’re all part of her growing and its all positive.
Love: “All You Need is Love” - John Lennon.
It’s true! If you don’t agree with this then you probably just think its cheesy or your logic is telling you “Of course you need a lot more than just love!!” No, you really don’t, because as long as you have love in your heart, it will lead you to everything else you need. (that’s just what I think).
I also strongly believe that if you love something, or doing something, you should share it with the world if only to inspire others to do the same. Only good can come out of it!
Peanuts: Have you ever wondered why the Charlie Brown comic was titled “Peanuts” when there were never any references made to the shelled legume? (Similarly, this blog has nothing to do with my dad’s favourite snack.) It was called “Peanuts” after the peanut gallery, which is generally just a term to describe a silly bunch of people. So in this case, “Peanuts” represents all the ridiculousness in my life.
I’m so excited to share my thoughts and stories with you! I hope you enjoy reading about my insanity as much as I enjoy living it! Definitely comment if you have anything to share!
Xo Liza
Yes, life with a toddler is busy and you may be wondering how I possibly have time to write a blog?! Time will magically produce itself for the things we really want to do. I’ve been back and forth about starting a blog for a while and today I decided to just do it! I feel like I need an outlet to share ideas and revelations about being a stay-at-home mom, and I just love discussing all kinds of stuff with anyone who will listen!
The title of this blog has been inspired by a few of my life rules:
Peace: “First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.” Thomas A Kempis (1380 - 1471).
I would consider myself to be a peaceful person by nature. Of course that is not always true (and my husband will agree). Sometimes life can get a little hectic and “Peace” is no more than a silly ideal better left for the hippies. It’s easy, being a mom, to fall into the roll of “family dictator”. “Do this!” “Don’t do that!” “Come here!” “NOW!”. How am I supposed to be peaceful when toddlers are the farthest thing from it? They resist almost everything, do the opposite of what you ever want, and are so demanding! Since I am not equipped for the roll of “Power Mom”, I’ve found a niche that more suits my personality: “Peaceful Mom”. So when Hayden’s temper is flaring, I make sure to check my own and appreciate these little heated moments because they’re all part of her growing and its all positive.
Love: “All You Need is Love” - John Lennon.
It’s true! If you don’t agree with this then you probably just think its cheesy or your logic is telling you “Of course you need a lot more than just love!!” No, you really don’t, because as long as you have love in your heart, it will lead you to everything else you need. (that’s just what I think).
I also strongly believe that if you love something, or doing something, you should share it with the world if only to inspire others to do the same. Only good can come out of it!
Peanuts: Have you ever wondered why the Charlie Brown comic was titled “Peanuts” when there were never any references made to the shelled legume? (Similarly, this blog has nothing to do with my dad’s favourite snack.) It was called “Peanuts” after the peanut gallery, which is generally just a term to describe a silly bunch of people. So in this case, “Peanuts” represents all the ridiculousness in my life.
I’m so excited to share my thoughts and stories with you! I hope you enjoy reading about my insanity as much as I enjoy living it! Definitely comment if you have anything to share!
Xo Liza
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