Friday, August 31, 2012

The Rowen on the bus


Yesterday, we went on a short bus ride home from the mall.  We walked there, but ever since I hurt my back last weekend (eugh, don't even want to talk about it) my neck and back still doesn't feel quite right.  The idea of walking home made me very cranky, so onto the dirty Dufferin Bus it was!  

Rowen's been on the bus and streetcar quite a few times in her life, so she's an old pro by now.  She likes to check out the lit up ads and smile at strangers.  On this trip, she kept smiling at the people sitting next to us and couldn't get enough when they were responding to her, calling her "Cute baby" and smiling and waving hello to her.  She just loved it!  And then when they went back to their own conversation, she just didn't understand. She kept leaning waaaay over, eavesdropping and smiling at them, trying to get their attention again.  It was pretty funny.  




Lowell and I were old news, but she did manage to pose for a few photos for us.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

In the great green room....


I know I've been whining and complaining about "cabin fever" to my friends lately.  Feeling housebound or "prisoner" after Rowen goes to bed every night because Lowell's usually going to gigs around the same time.  I suppose it's nice that as a trade off, I have company during the day, when most Mommas are alone with Baby. 

 As the months wear on though, it's been getting harder and harder.... I find myself feeling antsy watching the sun go down, missing social gatherings and that interaction with friends and just being outdoors at night!  Everyone tells you to sleep when the Baby sleeps...but when she's going to bed at 8pm, well, that's hard.  I know that I should be sleeping more but I've always had a hard time going to bed before midnight.  Or 1 a.m. really.  

I know that I should be grateful for every minute I get to spend with Rowen as a little Baby, because she is growing every day.  And I know that I should be grateful that she's still consistently sleeping 8-10 hours every night.  Believe me, I am SUPER GRATEFUL and feel so lucky about this fact!  But even with all this in mind, it's hard to express why sitting quietly at home alone almost every night of the week (sometimes every night of the week actually) can cause so much anxiety.  Sometimes I almost wish the Baby would stay up late and keep me company...and I know that's bad.  

Anyway, with all that said, tonight Lowell was home for bedtime and I did get to go out for a few hours after I put Rowen down.  So what if it was just a walk down the street to Yogurty's by myself because all my friends were either at work or don't live around here?  It was still nice to have some ME time.  

I look at this photo that Lowell took tonight and I feel just a little bit terrible about those occasional nights that I feel like climbing the walls....  Rowen's so special and lovely and I love reading her favourite Goodnight Moon to her after her bath every night.  She has started to help turn the pages and follows along as if she understands the words!  She's so adorable and smart and looking at this photo will help me to keep my stupid anxiety in check and just try to appreciate this time...  

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Photos: This week... Stratford, High Chair Times at Easy & General Cuteness

Last week, we introduced avocados to Rowen's menu...  it might have replaced carrots as her new favourite!   We also travelled to Stratford for a daytrip and had a mini Momma & Baby weekend.  

Stratford, Ontario is my most favourite town. Nothing has really changed there since I started going with my Mom in the summertime as a little kid.  We used to go and stay at a little Bed & Breakfast called The Deacon House, see a show at the Festival... usually the musical depending on which Shakespeare play was running and wander about town.  Wandering about town usually took, oh, an hour or so.  Stratford, Ontario is named after Stratford Upon Avon, the town where William Shakespeare was born.  So naturally, there is an Avon River in Stratford Ontario...

Which is one of the places The Heavyweights played as part of the Stratford Summer Music Festival.   They played on the river!  


Rowen and I tagged along on the first day.  Rowen met some ducks, we watched the Heavyweights' Noon show and then headed to Fellini's for lunch.


I LOVE FELLINI'S!  It is possibly one of my favourite restaurants and they haven't changed in the over 15 years that I've been going there.  The Chicken Parmigiana is my most favourite menu item.  And they have delicious "real" iced teas!  I almost couldn't get my chicken parm on this visit because it was technically still lunch menu time...but they made it for me anyway!  Thanks Fellini's!

Last Summer when Annie and I roadtripped to Stratford, I managed to finish this bad boy on my own. Annie patiently sat there while I chomped my way through this massive breaded chunk of chicken and mountain of yummy pasta.   Must have been one of those crazy hungry periods in between my constant pregnancy nausea... this year, I was only able to finish half!



Remember those pianos all over the city?  They have them all over Stratford too!



Lowell stayed over in Stratford the rest of the weekend. So it was just us girls for the weekend.
We had lunch with Ange at Easy...  another one of my most favourite places.  I think I've been going to the Parkdale location for maybe 7 or 8 years... the food never disappoints.  Oh, and the Banana Latte smoothie is ridiculously yummy and probably one of my favourite things ever. 

West Coast Toast, mmmm.  Essentially salmon eggs benny topped with caviar and dill.  And no wimpy sides here or having to choose between potatoes or a salad.... sooooo goood!

Rowen tried out a restaurant high chair for the first time!  She was amused by it but I did wind up holding her to avoid a restaurant meltdown as she was having one of her rare fussy, clingy days and it was close to naptime.  And hey, we survived public transit and a civilized restaurant lunch!  Score!  Thanks Baby!

Playing with Eileen.

"He said WHAT?!"


We went to the CNE on Monday!
Read more about Rowen's first CNE HERE!


And I know I've shared this photo already... but it's just such a crowd pleaser.  Lowell and I both changed our phone screens to this photo.  Our Baby is just too daaarrrrn cute!  

I felt a bit like I was cheating on Baxter the first time I bumped him as phone screen saver.  The Bax has been screensaver forever!  I felt bad choosing a Baby Pic over his, but I think he understands.  Or rather, he doesn't really understand well, anything.  So it's all good!


Let's Go to The Ex!


The CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) is another childhood/teenagerhood/nowhood tradition of mine that I was excited to share with Rowen.  I've been going to the CNE when it comes to town almost every year of my entire life....  I still call it the "CNE" even though a few years ago they started trying to make it hip and cool by calling it "The Ex".  

I have so many fond CNE memories over the years!  My big ass bear that my Uncle won for me when I was 2...which stayed with me until a few years ago.  Getting so sick with Dave and Annie that year we went on the Tilt-a-Whirl too many times.  All the Tiny Toms Donuts, Superdogs Dog Shows, crazy cat lady Cat Shows... man oh man!

Anyhow, tonight we went to the CNE with Rowen after her late afternoon nap.  Just a quickie visit for dinner at THE FOOD BUILDING.  My happy place.  Just one of the best places on Earth, really.  The Food Building, if you've never been (why?  go already!) is truly amazing.  Imagine a mall food court multiplied by 50 and with delicious foods of every style you could want!  And all kinds of crazy deep-fried items (deep fried Twinkie!) and everything wrapped in bacon.

Just taking in the sights and playing with my foot, no biggie.


 We met up with Auntie Ange!  Roasted Corn on the Cob Cheers!


Perogies from the GOOD perogies stand.  I wait all year for these!!
The stand with the amazing onion-krauty-greasy-delicious special sauce and sour cream for free.  Not like the crappy rip-off plain boring perogies stand, ick.  Do not go to the crappy perogies stand!



Tiny Toms, a CNE tradition. 
I hope that Rowen does not inherit my sweet tooth/donut love.  


Lowell and his Hot Waffle Ice Cream

City off in the distance...
Kinda cool being able to walk to the CNE this year.  It was stormy and gloomy all day but we missed the rain.  

Monday, August 27, 2012

Video: Happy Monday from ever jumping Rowen!


Rowen enjoys jumping just as much as ever... and check out her newfound high pitched SQUEEEAL of glee!  She loves to squeal while jumping, squeal while Momma gets her food snacks ready, squeal when the Kitties walk by (the cats love it...not really).

It's pretty much impossible to get a non blurry shot of her jumping these days.  I really, really need to get a "real" camera already!!






Saturday, August 25, 2012

Walking blogging

Out for a walk...blogging on the go while Rowen snoozes.  Still not 100% sure about the Blogger Android app and why it keeps updating but looking the same to me...
Soooo hot out today (humidex 36° yuuuck) but Rowen doesn't seem to mind. She's still smiling!
Still a big toothless grin as those bottom front teeth have been right there for weeks... I wish they would just break through already right?

EUGH why can't i rotate this photo?
Okay.  I'm peeved that I can't seem to rotate this photo.  Blogger Mobile, you're officially annoying!!

... perfection!



I'm sure most Mommas think that their Baby is perfect.  I know most of the time, I do.  But to be clear, just because I only ever share photos of her being adorably smiley and stories of her being amazing and sleeping through the night at 2 months, it doesn't mean that everything is always dandy.  Although... 98% of the time, things are pretty dandy!

I suppose it is because we're so used to such a well behaved Baby, the "bad" days and/or nights seem magnified. Nights like last night where she woke up every hour and a half to two hours (or less...eep) and days like today where was clingy and fussy and refused to let me leave her sight like, ALL DAY are hard.  My neck and shoulders are aching from wearing Miss Baby in the Ergo for at least 5 hours total while she napped or snuggled and I did attempted to do housework.  I don't think I anticipated just how mentally taxing it is to spend the entire day alone with Baby...the older she gets, the more attention she demands with singing and reading and talking.  Sometimes on her fussy days where she wants to nurse for hours and be held constantly, I find myself whining or wishing that she'd  just let me put her down so I could just have some space!  But then I step back and remind myself that she won't always be this little and snuggly and fit in my arms and infatuated by EVERYTHING I say and do... and everything is okay- the exhaustion and sore muscles and frustration disappears.  I love hugging her little body and singing ridiculous songs to get a smile.  I love her new thing of attempting to give kisses by gently cupping my cheeks in her little hands and open-mouth slurping my lips.  I think there is no such thing as a "perfect" Baby, but there certainly are perfect moments....





Thursday, August 23, 2012

Photos: Rowen meets Momma's old pals... a rambly entry!

I've completely lost track of what day of the week I usually post these on!

Rowen has been eating solid foods for a week and a half or so.  Remember when I overshared to everyone about baby poop?  Well, Rowen is still holding her poops for a few days at a time as she transitions from being exclusively mild fed.

Yesterday, the first substantial semi-solid poop arrived and it was, well, traumatizing for both of us.  No more nacho cheese poop, this stuff was almost the real thing.   I never thought that so much poop could some out of this little Baby.  SO MUCH POO.  After I took her initial poopy diaper off,  she pushed and pooped for almost another 20 minutes while I cleaned up in horror.  When it was all over, poor little Miss Baby was flushed, exhausted and wanting snuggles.  We both took a nap afterwards.  Then she pooped herself during the nap, which has never happened before.  Poor Baby.  She's going to be really happy about this post if she ever reads this when she grows up.



How can a Baby THIS cute make....so much poop?


Last Saturday, Rowen and I tagged along with The Heavyweights to the Markham Jazz Festival!  I had not hung out in Markham (where I went to High School) in many, many years!
We met up with Shannon, who I had not seen in quite a few years.  Shannon pointed out that we look very grown up in this picture.  Something about Babies and  "Mama hands" will do that, I suppose!  :)

Shannon and I used to be super close to the point that her house was literally my second home the summer that we were 16.  Oh if only we could show this photo to our teenaged, Taco Bell sharing,  Gurlpages website making selves!

We also met up with Annie's Family!  Little Benny kept trying to pick Rowen's hairclip off her head.  

It was really cute.

Rowen gave Paul a stare down for the first 10 minutes after he got in the car.  It's amusing because she's normally so smiley.  After the stare down was over though, she resumed smiling at him.



A weekend for childhood friends!!  That following Sunday, Rowen met her Uncle Jason and Auntie Lindsay for the first time!  Jason is another friend of mine from High School who had not met Rowen yet.   I had not seen them since just before Rowen was born.   Jason and Lindsay are getting married this weekend in Halifax.... Congratulations, You guys!  I wish we could be there!  

 Hey Friends, let's quit being so adult already and go hang out with our Babies and Spouses at "Centennial" or the mall food court sometime right?



Rowen likes paper bags.  Yeah yeah yeah, call us bad parents but sometimes Lowell and I will let her play with one for fun or as a "secret weapon" when we're eating in restaurants or trying to get something done.  It's probably not ideal but she reeeeeally likes them, so shut up.


There is some crazy cool graffiti happening at the train tracks at Queen and Gladstone/Sudbury.  It looks "the man" has finally given up on trying to white it out because literally every night after they'd paint over the graffiti, it'd all be back by the morning.  

Personally, I kinda like it.  And so do these cats!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Rowen *hearts* carrots

Rowen has been eating solids for about a week now.  On top of her usual feedings she gets one meal a day of either her rice cereal slurry, a fruit puree or veggie puree (or a cereal/puree combo).

Rowen likes to suck her thumb between bites.  I'm guessing that this is a fairly normal response after spending the first 6 months of your life instinctively suckling for food.  Whatever the reason, it's certainly really really cute.  Also really, really messy but who cares?  She's a Baby, right?



Carrots have been the resounding favourite so far.  She's accepted and seemed to like everything we've offered her but she devoured her carrots.



This bowl is empty.... Where did it all go, Momma??

Friday, August 17, 2012

Rowen's Fingertoes Love Bax!

Remember a little while ago when I described Rowen's giggle as a little bit "french man" meets "beavis and butthead"?  Well, this video from last month demonstrates that.  And remember how I've mentioned that she has extreme fingertoes?  Fingertoe use is also demonstrated in this video.  Baxter loves getting foot pats from the baby.  It's pretty darn cute... Enjoy!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Photos: These past few weeks... catch up!

 I am waaaaaay behind on my usual "this week" photo updates.  
This is more of a "these past 2 weeks" type thing.

Oh my goodness... Rowen turned 6 months!  She started eating solids and can stand on her own (when supported of course)... though, she still refuses to sit.  So when she tumbles down from standing, she takes a quick pit stop on her bum and then flops down flat on her back.  Her Jolly Jumper is still her most favourite activity...though she does love her new daily snacktime.

Hey dudes... my hair that fell out is growing back.  It's a bit lighter!  The existing Rohawk is growing ever long and wavier



Meghan got married!  
It was a beautiful day.  Hot and humid and beautiful!
Maid of Honor Ange and I before the ceremony here....  my flash tape was already starting to melt and shift around in most unflattering ways. :P  

I was originally going to wear a different dress purchased two years ago but it wouldn't zip up waaaah.  




We/I are/am obsessed with Banh Mi Boys.  The food is so so so good
  

Also Yougurty's.  It's so fun.



Aforementioned standing almost on her own!


Pigtails!

How cute is this little Lady Baby right?  This was after her first few bites of apple puree.  Her tongue went crazy.  It was the best thing ever!

Oh, we also finally got our home Internet set up.  They threw in free cable.  I watched 4 hours of So You Think You Can Dance after the Baby went to sleep last night.  Oh man.....

Meghan got married!

Oh my!  We are so very behind on blogging!  I guess we've been busy or something....  Have I ever mentioned that time is flying by too quickly? :)

My dear friend Meghan from pretty much childhood (grade 8...12 years old!) got married!  Meghan got married!  It was a beautiful ceremony, which I attended alone sans Baby followed by a lovely dinner...which Lowell and I did decide to bring Baby to.  I had asked Mego a few months prior if it would be okay and it turned out to be quite a Baby friendly affair.  Rowen seemed to enjoy dressing up for her first formal event!  And she was mostly well behaved.... mostly!


Rowen Whitty - Table 5!


Lemon dessert that Lowell was in love with



Amazing!  Congratulations Meghan and Stephen!  Love you guys and thank you for letting me be a part of your day!  





Thursday, August 9, 2012

The Falls


I found this photo on the computer and I wanted to share it.  My Momma, her Momma and Baby Z... circa Spring of 1984?  I would have been around the same age Rowen is now.  This made me really excited to take her to Niagara Falls one day soon.  Most of you who know me know about my strange love affair with Niagara Falls!  (I certainly hope that she doesn't go through a weird casino-going Roulette playing phase like I did!)  As much as time is flying by WAAAAY TOO FAST, I  love being reminded of all the exciting things we get to do with her.

Do you love your digital camera?

I want to get a new camera.  Does anyone have any recommendations?  I have no specific wants or needs, just would like something better quality than my Galaxy S II phone camera.  Easy to upload to computer/blog/email etc and durable.  Thank-you Friends!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Beaches International Jazz Festival

Last week was the Beaches International Jazz Festival.  It was Rowen's first time going to one of her Daddy's big gigs.  We hung out backstage but she didn't get to actually see much of the music because we don't have her Baby Banz baby ear protection yet.  

I would say that the day started off great, with a super happy well-rested Rowen Baby who was posing for photos, giggling at the security guards and smiling at Uncle Paul of The Heavyweights ....and then as the afternoon went on, things went downhill quite quickly.  At around the second last song, we had a complete meltdown and I wound up having to feed her in the car and since she was too worked up to nap well, she kinda wailed and fussed during the entire ride home. Ah well, we will learn to master these longer Baby Adventures!  

I also recorded a video but it uploaded to YouTube with a weird WAKAWAKAWAKAWAKA over top of the music for a good 30 seconds, so I will have to re-upload it before I share it with you guys.

Here are some photos from our day at the jazz fest:



I turned the camera around in this shot and this was her reaction to seeing herself on the screen of the phone.  Oh Baby Girl, you so funnnny.



WHOA finally something kinda cool in the crazy City Place condos that are popping up like freakin' WEEDS in our city skyline...  The two towers towards the top left/middle of the pic are linked together by some crazy condo bridge thing, what!



Okay, this condo is obscenely close to the highway.  
No exaggeration you could actually lean over and touch the building.  Why is this necessary?


Rowen was really sad in the car.  
She could not be consoled... not with singing, her scrunchy owl and definitely not a pacifier.  This bag of Doritos from the food tent backstage was a last resort.  It made her happy!  It probably makes us look like really, reeeeeally bad parents though. But don't worry, she's not strong enough to pop the bag open!