One day he's going to grow up...

Being pregnant again has brought to me the realization of how, not too long ago, I went through all these stages of anticipation and wonder with Caiden.  As I read the updates on my week to week pregnancy (at 13 weeks now - woohoo second trimester! ), I see I get to relive those baby moments again...so blessed. Now instead of wonder it is more just a looking forward to.  It is to be cherished and enjoyed, because it does pass.

Caiden is no longer a baby, so each new phase I try to ceize and enjoy thoroughly.  My boy seems to be growing so fast,  he no longer wants to be held like a baby, wants to try to eat on his own,  and wants to sleep in the bed like a big boy. 

Although I will get to once again enjoy those precious baby moments soon again,  I do not want to forget the precious toddler moments I am experiencing right now... notice I am writing this at 5am as he is sleeping vs 5pm when there is chaos and running and sometimes screaming...

Here are my favorite things about having a toddler:

1. Watching him sleep.
Well passed the new parent "is he breathing?" phase and loving the peaceful surrender of him rejuvenating for the next day of running around. So tender.

2. How he calls me "momma".
Best. Word. Ever.

3. How he runs to you with open arms.
My boy is a hugger...it is awesome to have these tiny arms reach around you and squeeze, if you are lucky you will get a "kissee" too.

4. Seeing the world through fresh eyes.
Everything is new and exciting,  lights are "wooooowww" and sounds make you dance,  and everything needs to be discovered. There is no "bad" yet.

5. How he learns through imitation.
Though it's also a scary one,  you just have to be careful.  I love how he throws his hands up and says "touchdown" during a game...or "cheers" with his sippy cup when we have guests...or tries to broom and wipe up spills on his own...or how he grabs the book and thinks he is actually reading...how he thinks he is brushing his teeth right.

6. His banter.
Though his vocabulary is growing and we are able to now make out what he wants,  90% of the time it is pure, beautiful,  baby talk.  He is fully explaining something with passion and intent... we just agree in delight. The hand actions and signaling make it even better...oh man I actually love watching him talk.

7. Dancing.
Music = dancing = awesome moves = adorable.

8. Cuddles in bed.
Yes I give in and let him sleep in our bed, but he won't be small forever,  nor will be want to cuddle forever,  so I give in to really enjoying it while it lasts.  Warm and so tender.

There are definitely endless joys to having children and watching them grow, but as I am preparing to have a baby I realize each stage is so different.   The one commonality is that every stage passes,  and eventually goes away.  They will be grown up and no longer needing you...so I choose to give in and really enjoy every ounce of childhood...to the drop...until they do grow up. 

Turning Mommy - Part 2

I know I have been slacking a bit here,  but hey life gets busy.  I'm a working mommy, come home to spend time with my beautiful family,  have dinner,  cleanup,  play,  prep for the next day,  bedtime routine it up, then pass out...get up and do it all again.   It may sound routine,  but it isn't quite that simple,  but I enjoy it. 

This is life with an active and growing toddler who is full of wonder and energy, and learning the art of the dreaded....tantrum. It definitely is an energy-filled stage,  we have to be on our toes watching the little bugger. It amazes me how he just imitates and learns things.  For example,  if he sees a towel, no doubt he tries to wipe everything in sight;  if he sees a broom he will be sweeping until his arms tire; gets a hold of our phone and he has a full conversation (in his baby language) and tries to swipe up and down.  So interesting and cute,  and sometimes frustrating (I refer to the newly realized tantrums when he doesn't get his way,  whoa baby my boy has some pipes) this little person is.  As Caiden grows,  it's a constant learning for us, as well as him... and it's amazing to be able to focus on that.

But we also realize he is getting older and before too long we think he may need a sibling too.  A sibling to grow with,  teach, build a relationship with, and bond with... hopefully without too big an age gap (by our preference).  He does love kids and playing with others.

Sometimes I think,  wow how can you manage a toddler and a baby?  But it's been done and if you are tired now perhaps knock it all out while you are on a roll...maybe...yeah I think so...right?...YES!  The answer is yes for us! 

Friends, we are happy to announce that I am indeed once again turning mommy.  Caiden will be a big brother,  and our family is ready to welcome another angel, coming June 28. 

I know that we have this little wonder of what the next personality will be like,  because Caiden is a character and a half, but so far the pregnancies feel different.  So I am sure we will have our fair share of stories for the next few years to come. 

Stay tuned...turning mommy part 2...it's happening! 

;)

"Momma" - Gets Me Everytime

Caiden is definitely in his experimental, wondering, exploring,  testing boundaries, throwing and mimicking phase.  As cool as this is, there is a new word we are using all the time..."No!"  

He doesn't just walk...he runs.  It's fantastic and scary wrapped up into one emotion.  While we can't over-coddle him or smother,  I do try to hinder potential mis-haps, or yell to not touch plugs,  or play with doors...oh yeah...and to stay out of the bathroom (we know what he will play with in there).   So in trying to teach him what not to do, we try to master the "poker" face, no smile, no giving in to those adorable eyes,  and say "No".  Here is how that goes, it works, most of the time, and by most of the time,  I mean when hubby does it.  Now whether I do it, or Vick, our smart monkey turns his attention on us, like he is thinking,  "ok I see your stern voice and raise you a "momma?????"  Gosh....ughh, it is so fricking endearing!!!! It isn't even just a regular "momma", it lingers with a soothing sounding melody,  as if candy comes pouring out, making you melt and say "yesss my bubba...come to momma." 
Gets me everytime. 

I swear he knows it too.

Over time Caiden has learned which things he is not supposed to do, such as playing in the bathroom.  How do I know this? Well several times he manages to sneak away and I go look for him as he is suspiciously quiet.  I find him standing in the bathroom entrance,  just standing; as he sees me he just turns and smirks. The little devil, he is totally testing his boundaries. Or he runs up to the TV and just raises his hand to motion he may press something and turns and looks at us.  Smart...sneaky...sinisterly cute.

In all seriousness,  though he is becoming a handful,  I think,  I hope, we seem to be coping with the dos and donts and he is a pretty good kid...so far. But I can tell terrible twos will be a doozy...this guy knows how to milk it and his smirks tell me he will be a risk taker, or a rule breaker...sigh.

One thing is for sure, though I know when I need to put on my poker face, I totally don't mind giving in to the momma calls occasionally.  The way this guy is growing,  I am sure I will be longing to hear it. So I am not minding his suck-up tactics...I love my momma calls ;)

I should record it...ok I already have...a few times...hehehe.

xoxo
Caiden's momma

One Year Within a Blink of an Eye

I remember July 12, 2013 like it was yesterday...I had my precious monkey in the wee hours, after an 18 hour day at the hospital, in a heat wave,  during probably the busiest baby season BC Womens had seen. Now, one year has passed and Caiden just blew out candles on his first birthday cake at his first birthday party.  I honestly cannot believe how fast the year has gone by.

When you become a mom, there is much anticipation about each coming phase. A baby brings so many lessons and learnings each and every week it seems.  Your baby is growing daily, right before your eyes,  cm by cm, pound by pound.  You start living your life in milestones vs actual dates..."when was that dinner date?  oh right 3 months ago when Caiden started crawling."   There is so much happening, so much developing that no wonder time seems to fly by.

Kind of makes me sad as I wish I could slow it down, just a tad, though I love seeing my boy grow, I know I will be saying this same thing yearly. 

Caiden's birthday bash was a huge success.  We decided to do a summer park barbeque with all our family and friends, lots of food, games, water park, and of course cake!  Fittingly,  the theme was Curious George, oddly I seemed to have an affinity to monkeys from pregnancy to now with Caiden.  The theme worked well and everyone had a great time, including the birthday boy.  It was on the hottest day of the year, but of course we had tents and freezies galore. With the kids enjoying the water, pinata and sweets, the rest of us enjoyed taking snapshots in the curious george photo booth.

The best part was during the cake cutting, I was a little apprehensive that he would freak out. We had a mini cupcake smash photo session a few days earlier and he hated it! However, this happy guy realized everyone was singing to him, realized he was the centre of attention and started laughing and clapping himself!  Though, no, he didn't like eating or touching the cake. 

No surprise,  Caiden was spoiled rotten with more gifts, toys and clothes...he is one lucky guy. 

We wrapped up the day and felt a bit relieved.  The event was a lot of work and planning,  but not only did we get to see everyone participate and enjoy, but we really saw our baby acting like a big boy enjoying in his own way. Seeing him laugh and realizing we have made it through the year raising what seems to be a happy kid, for now, melted my heart.  

I wanted to remember him growing into this one year old boy so we had a poster/collage made. 

Sigh...one year already. 

Happy Birthday Caiden!

Some Stuff I Never Realized Until Now

Being a mother is amazing,  no question about that.  If you have been reading all along you already know just how much sheer joy it brings me. Yes, I know...my child has not yet reached the terrible twos.  So let me bask in how utterly awesome it is...giddily great.

Most of my already mommy friends painted a pretty picture of that for me. They look wonderful,  kids look great and they look like they get it all done.  But here I would like to tell you the things I didn't realize (not bad just different).  I know I may not be the only one that doesn't always have it all together. C'mon now.

Here we go:

I never realized that taking a quick shower with long hair was ever possible.  I may not always get a chance to fully rinse the shampoo out sometimes... never mind always conditioning (that's a luxury now).

I never realized the universal use of wet wipes.  I have been guilty of wiping up spills, my own face, and even feet with those bad boys.  Hey I buy in bulk...good thing.

I never realized that for a foodie like me, it is okay to eat your dinner cold.  After taking a few bites your kid needs something,  when they are settled sometimes you just can't be bothered to warm it up for fear of disturbing him...or you just are that hungry and you don't care at this moment.

I never realized that I would rock a ponytail as often as I do. No its not fashionable but it beats hair on the floor galore and prevents hair pulling.

I never realized how doing nothing is still something.  You never are doing nothing, but when someone asks what you did today, though you stayed home and reply "nothing" that's just simply understated. You are just a well oiled machine on auto-pilot. 

I never realized that I owned so many tights or yoga pants...because that has become the outfit of choice more often than not.

I never realized how annoyed you can get with your partner...for no reason other than you each contest to who is more tired.  Is it really a competition?  Yes, I like to point out I win this round daily...in my mind.

I never realized how much my son would look like his dad...no complaints but yeah he looks a lot like daddy.

I never realized how much I would need to sneak in and out of a room or whisper talk to hubby. We whisper a lot now...didn't know we knew how to.

I never realized how great wine would taste after abstaining for so long. On that note, I never realized you could forget how to even select or purchase wine at a liquor store...yes I was caught looking at a few bottles for quite some time.

Lastly,  I never realized just how much you wouldn't care about much of anything else. For a natural stress case, such as me,  that sounds impossible.  However, I have entered a phase of not caring to people please,  not caring to worry so much of things that you have  no control over; time is precious and your mat leave should be spent as happily as possible.  Which is why I ignored my agenda as much as possible and this is the most important realization I came to.

No point in getting bogged down with "to dos" daily when your one year goes by so fast.  I'm glad I enjoyed my Caiden baby time because, although people told me so...

...I just never realized how fast they grow and how fast time flies...wow. 

Top 10 Things About Being a Mommy

1.  Watching them sleep at night, so peaceful and angelic and cute...you forget all the tiredness of chasing them during the day

2.  Tiny arms and hands wrapping around you with full warmth...you forget they also know by now to pull hair

3.  Hearing a baby laugh is literally the most precious sound in the world

4.  You can bask in hearing how beautiful your baby is and you say to yourself "yup I made that"

5.  You get VIP seats to all the stages in their growing life...as you are their biggest fan. Then you don't hesitate to record and share with loved ones what's the newest accomplishment

6.  You have a legitimate reason to relive your childhood; watch sesame street, play with blocks, read Robert Munch, display stuffed animals

7.  It's cool to go to bed at 9

8.  Maternity leave (thank the lord we get a full year because you need it)

9.  You will never be bored...again

10.  No matter how tough it can be, how worried you get, how stressful a stage may be, or how tired you get...you feel absolute glee like never before. No other gig gives that satisfaction

....this is all of course before they start talking...

A few things to catch up on... including sleep

It's been a while hasn't it?

After the 4 month regression period I heard that another one occurs between the 8 to 10 month period,  and that this is the one that is tough to get through.  Boy was that an understatement! 

By 5 months, sure enough Caiden fell back into his fantastic sleeping style (basically falling asleep on own, waking up only once, at most twice,  through the night). All was well,  we were well rested,  then it came...hits you hard and all of a sudden...the sleep regression...again.

Sometime after turning 7.5 months,  just before 8 months,  Caiden started waking up ALL hours of the night and hated being put down...there was no more sleeping on own. It's definitely rattling as you immediately think "what am I doing wrong?  Am I not feeding him enough?  Is he teething?  Is he uncomfortable or in pain?"  There were nights he woke up hourly,  and he would cry if I placed him in crib, the second you put him in; this lasted almost 2 months! During this,  you surely start losing your mind,  Vick and I took turns blaming eachother when we got frustrated due to exhaustion; keep in mind I stopped my afternoon naps at this point because he had reached a stage of basically sleeping through the night prior. I asked other moms and our doctor, and reassuringly found out that this is normal.  Sometimes it's just good to hear others are going through the same thing! 
Here's what happening during this time:
-HUGE development stage (learning to sit, crawl, explore)
-discovering that they are not attached to you,  so separation anxiety even from just leaving the room for a moment.
-may be starting to teeth, even if teeth haven't pushed through,  something is likely occurring below the gums (poor guy)

This was all true in Caiden's case. So because of all this, it's expected to go through this phase of disturbed sleeping. You think it won't end, but it does. It's as  tough as they warned, and you do get worried that he's sleeping enough (even though naps are ok), and you try different things just in case...but it's all ok, this too passes.  Just a few weeks ago we noticed he has started almost sleeping through the night again,  he is starting to sleep in his crib without a fuss again,  and he plays in his play pen without crying if we momentarily step away. It was a phase!

Mind you,  I still put him to bed,  but honestly my baby is only going to be a baby for so long that I really don't mind that. In fact I cherish that moment of reading to him,  then singing and soothing him to sweet sleep.

So what has my little monster (not really a monster,  we lucked out he's a good baby...not a crazy whiner or crier...yet) been up to?
-He learned to sit completely on his own...like a pro. He sits up always,  even during a diaper change.
-He learned to clap his hands, on command and for fun...in fact even when he first learned he wouldn't stop!
-He is officially crawling! He was practicing for a while and would just get angry but surely be figured it out. Though recently he likes to just do the military crawl/slide...funny guy
-He baby talks ALL the time now.  Most of it is discovering sounds but just very recently started saying "momma" then "dadda" and to us!  BEST FEELING EVER!

It's been a busy couple of months, despite less sleep...but amazing!  Now it really feels like time is rushing by, as he is growing and learning these new things which are propelling him to be less dependent on us for movement. It's kind of sad how fast he's growing.  Every day now is literally a new discovery or learning,  there is so much for him to explore and try that it's no surprise why time won't stand still. We are right there watching with excitement and pride and sheer glee...enjoying all these moments is what makes it go all that much more faster.

I'm just trying to capture it, photographically yes, but more in my heart in mind.  It's an indescribable feeling to watch your baby grow.

Ohhhh my bear,  mommy and daddy love you!

Cute cartoon...very true, well so far

Roly Poly Oly

This little guy of mine, well he's not so little, is full of energy and is a super frisky munchkin!  He's not crawling, honestly I'm in no hurry for that,  but moves around like crazy.  This was indicative in my belly however... he was active even then.

Before, diaper changes were a breeze; not anymore folks! Caiden now wants to roll over,  constantly, kick, play, hide under any fabric object,  all while, yes, I try to change him.  As crazy as it gets it's incredibly endearing to see. Wow, he's getting stronger,  bigger and more playful by the day.  My once simple baby is developing not only motor and physical skills,  but a vibrant and enthusiastic personality - to boot!  When you hold him upright,  or if in his exer-saucer, he goes ballistic jumping up and down.  When you give him a blanket,  he plays peek-a-boo.  When you put him on his back and try to put a onesie on, he rolls on to his stomach and giggles.  I love it... though yes it's a bit tougher.

All this new activity is kind of scary though.  Scary in the sense that he will be mobile soon, after which come the inevitable falls,  bumps,  and bangs. I can't picture myself being gracefully accepting of that...he's too precious.  Ok, yes I may be a little attached,  but whatever.  I realize there's nothing you can do... as he grows he will explore,  which is fantastic.  He is becoming an actual person wanting to do things himself and it's officially a stage he's entering where the ball will be rolling faster and faster,  as he grows exponentially fast and becomes less dependent on us for movement.

I kind of like him still needing mommy, but I know that stage is nearing its expiration  in a sense (more realized as I know my maternity leave will be up in a few months).  Feels like I'm not ready, wasn't he just born?  Well I guess that's how every mother feels.  Instead of looking at my list of things to do, I think I will just make the most of every day I get to spend with Caiden before we both have to do our own things.

Ahhh my baby is growing so fast,  not to be corny but seriously where does the fricking time go???

My little Valentine... the sweetest candy

I'm not big on celebrating Valentine's day, honestly I'm not just saying that.  It's not a cynical thing,  I just feel that flowers and candy on unexpected days mean more.  That and,  ok, I get mad when Vick spends triple the value on flowers.  But it's a cute day nonetheless.  It usually falls on a weekday,  so you go to work, come home and go for dinner and what not. However,  this year I got to spend the whole day with my jellybean.  We went to dispute a speeding ticket and won...so made a mini day of it and went for lunch,  got Valentines from the cousins, and I had to and pick up a little keepsake for him also.  I came home and snapped a few pics to commemorate my baby's first V day (though it was with mommy) and realized I didn't get my husband anything...well except a text message.  Ooops...what's supposed to be the purpose again?  I told you I'm no good at Valentine's Day! 

Seems as I've turned it into another "Caiden's firsts". Well I love my sugar...and here's a collage for my love of his loves. 

Dedicated to my husband,  we missed you! 

An Amazing Photographer: Cathy Kam

We decided to get Caiden's 6 month portraits done.  It's such a fun and interactive stage to remember. It also is considered a milestone in the sense it's, quite literally,  the halfway point between newborn and toddler.  I really wanted to memorize him at this point,  as he's growing so fast!

While searching and contacting photographers, I came across the work of Cathy Kam. I loved her work and quickly got in touch and booked a session.  I'm so happy with her shots!  Caiden is a spunky,  happy,  fun baby...she captured that charm in his photos! 

The whole experience was a breeze with her, and I truly loved the results.

Here is a link to her blog where she features Caiden.   I highly recommend Cathy for any baby/child/family photos!  Just visit:  cathykamphotography.com

Click here to view Caiden's 6 month photos by Cathy Kam.

What's for Dinner Ma??

Ok so he's not quite there yet...but my little muffin has officially started eating!   On his 6 month birthday we started introducing him to cereal and since then he's also tried a number of different fruits and veggies.  I was so excited (food is my thing) that I started snapping videos and pics...check him out!

As exciting as this milestone is,  it's definitely a bit of an apprehensive step, being a first time mom.  You have all these ideas of what he will eat (I personally have a list of what he won't), but you have no idea how he will take to eating, given for the past half year he's been drinking all his meals.  Also,  introducing babies to food rules have COMPLETELY changed from when we were growing up.   There is now baby led weaning (BLW)... where you actually give small pieces of food and allow him to feed himself as opposed to just pureed.  Furthermore,  no need to wait to introduce protein foods... meats and egg yolks are allowed much earlier (should still wait on high allergen foods like cow's milk,  nuts,  egg whites,  etc.)  Basically it's up to you and baby.  I honestly was just expecting to be given a strict guideline and month chart of when to give what,  but no... if he's ready,  go for it!  What???....eeeeks...I don't want to screw up!!!...What should I start with??? What if he doesn't eat and spits up... should I keep going???

After my mini- inside anxiety rant was done with, I went grocery shopping for Caiden for the first time!   I've been making him purees at home and also trying the baby led weaning.   Honestly he prefers purees and even has taken the spoon and put it in his mouth!  I allow him to "play" with his foods since it took him a while to learn how to eat...as opposed to just watching and mimicking us (it's ok to be messy I think because it's a learning experience for him mainly). But as days go on, surely Caiden takes to it.  Now I look forward to trying something new while following his cues of course. 

The biggest learning, though, is to not worry so much about what you are supposed to do and really pay more attention to just him,  what he's ready for and trust yourself.  He will show you what he likes and doesn't,  you will learn what agrees with him and what  doesn't,  you will know what you want to try next and what you're not ready to.  If something new comes up (like constipation, which I now know is normal at the beginning), you will figure it out and it will be fine. 

So trust yourself,  let baby be your guide, and have fun!  I decided I want to expose him to variety and definitely evoke healthy choices,  but lose the stress because this too is an enjoyable stage.  It has come up so fast and before you know it it will be a distant memory; as one day he will be a big boy and he will be literally asking you "what's for dinner Ma?"

Bon apetit!

Happy Holidays!