A Tuesday

This was our Tuesday:

Rowen got a new dress...

and could barely stand still so Momma could get a photo of it...

 Late afternoon hangout at the Luna Cafe before Daddy went to go teach

Pushing my Bugaboo, no biggie.

Baxter keeping an eye on playtime while Momma attempted to clean up

A song from my Ballerina days came on the radio.  So we all danced.  Rowen's favourite part was spinning around while waltzing.

(We don't  know too much about Classical music but tune into the station throughout the day for Rowen since she seems to like it!)

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.  

Photos: This week.... Hot Hot Summer and the Bugaboo gets a makeover

Man oh man, it has been a HOT couple of weeks! We're in full blown summer now.  I can't believe how HOT this year has been!  It wasn't this hot last summer was it?  I guess not because we're breaking all sorts of records this year.  I find these humid, hot awful days have been putting a damper on our daily walks and excursions because well, I hate being hot.  And so does the Baby!  She gets sweaty super easily and is definitely fussy and grumpy when she's too warm.  I feel guilty hanging around indoors all day because I feel like it's harder to keep her stimulated.  I'm afraid that she's bored sometimes but I really do think the air conditioning is just more Baby (and Momma) friendly.

Rowen, two days shy of 5 months in this photo.  FIVE MONTHS!

  

The Bugaboo got a makeover for the hot Summer days:

Before (and we'll revert back to this later in the year when it's cooler outside again)...

And after!  We got a summer canopy and seat liner to keep the sweaty Baby cool.  Now I like to call the stroller "Flounder".
Rowen is drooling and intently watching Lowell eat a wild blueberry danish from Mabel's.  She is so interested in food these days.  I'm excited about feeding her solids starting next month but it also falls under the category of things that are happening waaaaaay too fast!!!!

 

Went to the mall by myself this week!  Got a Cinnabon for dinner (sigh, a guilty pleasure that I can't seem to quit!).  Felt super weird about not having the Rowen the whole time...

We sold Rowen's cradle to my friend and former co-worker Ashley.  

I was really excited about seeing  pregnant Ashley for the first time and insisted on forcing her to take a photo with me!  I still can't get over it sometimes when people I've known for ages are having babies! 

The piano in Trinity-Bellwoods.  It was cool, so here is another shot from that day.

Saw this on our walk.  Cute right?

"Your hands are different from mine...."

Gooood Kitty!  

Oh man, I love those two!  

Rowen is also completely in love with her cats.  She giggles when she sees them now.  Both of the cats are astonishingly good at being careful and gentle around her.  Rowen doesn't quite get it yet but seems to understand that she can't put the cats in her mouth and is learning that she needs to be gentle.  There has definitely been a gradual decrease in ear pulling and fur grabbing...

Piano in the Park

This morning, we walked and got a one of my MOST FAVOURITE CROISSANTS IN THE CITY (and I've had a lot of croissants in this city) and then headed across the street to the park to check out the piano.  There are currently 40 or 41 pianos placed all around the city as some sort of promo/installation thing for the 2015 Pan Am Games.  

Our park got a cool, aqua coloured "Grenada" piano.

Lowell played for Rowen and a small group who gathered.  

Rowen didn't actually comprehend what was happening, but that's okay.

_______

Earlier in the morning, we read some books.  

Rowen likes to inspect the book after we read it together.

A sign of a good book?

The White Squirrel and Angela Brings Comfort Food

Today was Day 6 of "Momma's Temporary Single Parenthood While Daddy's on Tour".  It was a bit of a tough day as I received some sad news from my Family the night before just as I was headed to bed.  By the time I finally fell asleep, it was exactly the time that Rowen decided to wake up.

But, alas, being Momma to this beautiful little human certainly gives me seemingly super human strength some days.  No matter how tired or mad or sad, this face just makes it okay.

Momma put this funny pink romper on me.  It's so FUNNY!

This gal is my cure-all.

We decided to go for a walk before the crazy heat and humidity (oh the HUMIDITY) set in.  Momma needed a caffeine fix, so we set off for The Squirrel. 

The White Squirrel Coffee Shop is probably one of my favourites in the city.  It has a great vibe to it... I can't quite put my finger on how to describe it.  It's somehow both sparse and airy yet cozy and homey...if those things could be combined.  I remember going there on a wet winter day for the opening day... and for a good while, I was literally going every single day before work to grab an Americano and a muffin.  Conveniently, it was exactly in the middle of my former 90-second commute to work.  Anyway, my favourite is when the owner is there to make my drink.  And he was today! 

Also, the Squirrel has a feature that I never full appreciated until now.  They have this awesome walk-up window so you can order from the sidewalk and get your coffee (or ice cream!!) without going inside.  Every other coffee shop I can think of in my neighbourhood has a step out front and/or a door that opens outwards.  This makes maneuvering through the doors with a stroller difficult.  Factor in the possibility of having a full hot beverage on the way out and most times, I opt to just skip going in completely if I'm alone.  The window is great for stroller and dog peeps.  As well as smokers, as David the owner pointed out to me today.  I suppose smokers can use the lovely window as well.

The walk to The Squirrel marked my first real walk with Rowen in the Bugaboo.  And man oh MAN, I am in love.  Words... cannot describe what a WORLD of difference this is.  Actually, I lie and up next will be my entry entitled "Stroller Envy Begone - We Are Now Proud Bugaboo Owners, what!!" in which I will use words to describe how marvelous the Cameleon is.

Be still, my heart.

The day continued to get happier when Angela and Cory came by with provisions and open arms for Miss Baby!  Pot pie, Mac n Cheese and cupcakes.  Perfect foods!  Ange, how did you know that all I had eaten all day was a handful of cherry tomatoes at 5am and then a banana muffin with my soy latte?

So now, I suppose we've survived Day 6.  Lowell sent Rowen a video from the van, on the highway somewhere around Medicine Hat apparently.  She liked it and is now fast asleep and I might have to follow her lead very shortly.

Stroller Envy... and other baby items I want or thought I wanted.

More things that I wish I had known about...merchandise edition.
There are so so SO many things to decide upon when you're about to have a baby. Some things are not as important, i.e. "Hmmm what colours of these teeny washclothes should I pick for my registry?" and some are huge. i.e. my first huge decision: Midwife vs. GP vs. Ob/Gyn And some decisions that fall somewhere in between.
Here are a few more random "things I wish I had known" I thought that I'd share.
Cloth Diapers vs disposable
I had this grand idea that I would save a bunch of money and go with a handy cloth diaper system and "occasionally" incorporate disposables for going out and such. I spent WEEKS researching different brands, different services and stores and then committed to putting a kit on our "fancy store" registry. The week before Rowen was born, we ordered the kit. After the baby arrived though, I realized that even though the system was simple enough, I just did not have time to do the upkeep. I WISH I could have committed to it, I really do! But... disposables just turned out to be so much easier. SO MUCH EASIER... and those first few days and weeks at home with a newborn are hard enough, we just needed to do what we could to simplify.
It's like how my Momma friend Jenn recommended that we should NOT keep any formula in the house, so that you would commit to breastfeeding even if any issues came up. If it's in the house, you'll be tempted to use it when you're sore, frazzled and sleepless.
Some good did come of the cloth diapering experience though. We were introduced to a beautiful olive oil based diaper cream that is AMAZING. It's 100% natural, smells great and just felt so much nicer to apply to baby's delicate newborn skin. She had developed a mild diaper rash and this stuff cleared it up and it was so much easier to apply than the classic thick, sticky, zinc oxide creams or oily, non-medicinal synthetic stuffs we stocked up on before she was born. I recommend Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm to everyone!!! It's so awesome!!!
Baby Bathtub

WE DID NOT LIKE THE PUJ. Okay, so to be clear. I am not bashing this tub... it's pretty cool and I know so many people who loved it. I did my nerd research and lusted after this thing. But it certainly was not useful for our 9lb longbaby. Living in a tiny condo, any sort of space saving idea was welcome and this thing is some sorta space age foam and folds flat and hangs up out of the way. It was great in that sense.... but not for us in every other way. By the time we put baby in the tub, there was no room for any water and she was so long that she kept kicking the thing open. Bathtime turned into a stressful experience - water leaking out, baby getting cold, baby falling into the sink, Mommy yelling at Daddy... just a bad scene!
We wound up going with a basic plastic basin baby tub that fits neatly in our kitchen sink and it keeps baby submerged properly and I can manage to bather her alone. Most importantly, she LOOOOVES her baths now and everyone is happy.
Stroller envy
The very first thing I spent time doing my nerd research on was our stroller. I absolutely love our Maxi-Cosi infant carrier, it was perfect. But the stroller portion turned out to not be as lightweight and maneuverable as I would have liked. Living on Queen Street, I started noticing all the other Moms (and occasional hipster Dad) with these sleek, modular things. I feel like such a little kid experiencing what I have come to refer to as STROLLER ENVY. It started off innocently enough and then turned into a full-blown obsession. My name is Zoe and I have the Stroller Envy.
But Holy Jebus, these sleek little things are expensive. I've been dabbling with the idea of picking up a second-hand Bugaboo or Uppababy as my Momma friends who have these have endorsed them as being worth the money. I've been watching videos online and okay, yeah, these things with their flippy compact seats, easy to adjust handle and zippy shock-absorbing tired look amazing. There are features that I never even thought about wanting... things like a reversible handle (the thought of not being able to see baby when she first transitions to her stroller pains me!), UV protection in a canopy, a viewing window in the canopy for when she faces forward, shock absorption in the tires (city sidewalks are BUMPY).
So yeah, I'm totally caving to peer pressure. I feel childish that I have the Stroller Envy, I really do. But I justify it with the fact that having a good stroller that's easy to maneuver is important to me. Especially since we do not have a car and walk or take transit everywhere. Stroller = freedom. I am absolutely LUSTING after the Bugaboo Cameleon. I watch the Bugaboo Cameleon video HERE at the bb buggy site daily and drool. The special edition dark purple is just heavenly. When the time comes (i.e. we win the lottery), I have a shopping cart loaded up and ready to click "submit". ;)
Edit: Upon further extensive research, I think I've decided that the Uppababy Cruz Or Bugaboo Bee is the ideal candidate. Has the looks and features that I'm looking for and it's within our price range! I prefer the idea of buying new and having a warranty and original receipt vs buying secondhand if possible. Cameleon, you're gorgeous and I went into Ella + Elliot to push you around again today. And I introduced Lowell to you today and he likes you too, but, Beautiful Cameleon, we simply cannot afford you!
Nursing clothes
But seriously. I already ranted about this but it's important. I wish I had known to pick up a few maternity pieces that are nursing compatible. It's not completely necessary to have an entire "nursing" wardrobe, no. However, when starting to venture out of the house with baby, or say when you have company, it does make things easier. Now that we've got the hang of nursing, it's less of an issue. But at the beginning, there certainly is a learning curve and anything that can make things easier is welcome.

Related topic: nursing covers. An awesome little garment that is helpful. Yes, breastfeeding is great and natural and while I have no problem doing it in public, I do prefer to be discreet. The discretion has nothing to do with embarassment but moreso the fact that I do not want to flash my naked boobs all about. I hated the "nursing aprons" that were big and bulky and usually in some gaudy ugly print. I looked and looked for a nice, understated cover and came across two that I thought were great. The Jolly Jumper nursing pashmina is great. It's like a pretty scarf and comes in different colours. The Ollie Golightly linen apron is also pretty, lightweight and understated. (It's the one I wound up getting)
Sleepers
One word: Zippers!!! Those little snaps are a pain in the ass. In the middle of the night after getting no sleep or when baby starts to become more active and kicky, having a quick ZIP-UP sleeper makes such a huge difference. Most of them, even cheaper ones have a little flap of fabric to guard baby skin from the zipper so that's really not an issue. I wish we had gotten more zippered sleepers!!