MISSING: Bandit the Raccoon

This afternoon, Rowen and I went for a walk.  A lovely autumn afternoon walk to the store to pick up some supplies (mouth wash for Lowell, spray shampoo for me, chocolate, etc etc).  We don't normally bring Bandit the Raccoon out of the apartment, but he came to the park earlier that day and she's been really into him lately.  So Bandit the Raccoon came along!

We were returning home, just about a block away when I looked into the stroller and noticed that Bandit was no longer with us.  I looked around,  hoping hoping HOPING that he'd be right there on the sidewalk.  That he had JUST fallen out.  But nope.  No Bandit.  I shook out her blanket to make sure he wasn't just hiding.  Noooope.  I took everything out of the stroller basket, hoping that maybe I put him in there without realizing at some point.  Nope.  So I turned around and retraced our steps all the way back to the store, scanning the sidewalks, hoping to see Bandit.  But nope.  We went back to the store and I asked the cashier if anyone had found a stuffed toy.  Nope.  We circled the store a few times... I kept hoping that Bandit would be there in the shampoo aisle.  But nope.  We walked home calling out for Bandit like a lost pet...  no Bandit.  I suppose he has a new home with a CAMH-er now.  :P

I don't know about you, but the feeling of losing something drives me crazy.  I've woken up in the middle of the night to scour my apartment for a missing lipgloss.  I hate losing stuff.  But losing Bandit has caused a whole new level of anxiety.  I felt absolutely anxious and just awful.  Rowen has yet to notice that her friend is missing and probably won't actually ever notice...but I still feel just awful.  This was one of her buddies and one of the first toys she's had with her since birth.  He was a lovely gift from Angela and I hate that he's missing.  I suppose we're lucky that he can be replaced, but man, something about losing your Baby's friend... it's a whole new awful low feeling.  I've been irrationally upset about the loss of Bandit all evening.  I know that I'm being irrational, but I can't snap out of it.

The lesson I've learned from this: Chip the Cat is never leaving the apartment.  He's Rowen's "comfort" toy and lives in the crib. (Yeah yeah yeah... no soft toys in the crib etc etc).  Chip the Cat however cannot be replaced as he was purchased about 15 years ago.  

Mama Friends... have you ever been in a similar situation?  Have you ever lost your Baby's favourite thing?  How do you get over this feeling of guilt?

Autumn Monday

Our Monday morning... what a gorgeous, kinda chilly day. 

It's officially Fall now!

I love this park.  

I love that this beautiful green space exists a short walk from our home.  I really, really, really don't want to have to move away when we look for our new bigger apartment.  I love walking around the park with a coffee and a croissant from Clafouti.  I love watching the stupid dogs run around in the "dog bowl" (nickname for the offleash area which, did you know, is at the bottom of what used to be a big ol' mini lake/really big pond back in the day?)  I love the view of the giant tower in the distance.

...

Breaking my own rule about keeping this a pregnancybaby/Rowen blog....

How great are these boots?  I want them.  Technically I'm allowed a new pair of boots this year since Eileen peed on my old boots last winter, right?

Diaper Bag Envy?

I think I use the term "lusting after" way too often.  Remember when I was "lusting after" the Bugaboo?  Well, here I am lusting after an extravagant baby item again.  Call me vain, but I just kinda hate the shiny synthetic, bulky, goofy-printed blatantly diaper baggy diaper bags.  And hey, this is something you have to tote around everywhere like a purse.... why shouldn't it be comfortable and pretty?  

I've been on the hunt for a diaper bag that doesn't look like a diaper bag. They certainly do exist but definitely not in a reasonable price range.  Everything within the realm of reason in our price range is kinda, well, butt ugly.  (*cough* Sorry SkipHopJJCole *cough*) Now why not just use a regular purse with a change pad, you ask?  I thought that would work too but having multiple compartments and a  specific spot for diapers turns out to be pretty crucial.  But having too many compartments can be a big ol' hassle too!  

Finding the "perfect" bag seems near impossible.  It seems that functionality, aesthetics and affordability do not want to team up when it comes to diaper bags. 

Why does every "non-diaper bag" looking diaper bag that I fall in love with have to be so darn expensive??  

I'm not rich or a celebrity here but I would love to be one for a day just to get my hands on one of these bad boys.... Or maybe I'll just eventually save and justify the splurge.  Eep!  :)

Behold Friends, my favourite functional and non-diaper bag looking diaper bags!

Stevie Diaper Bag by Kate Spade ($398 US)

The Singapore Sling in Aquamarine (Limited Edition) by tribe($528 US!)

The Society Satchel in "Plum Tart" by Cake ($325 US)

or also in Key Lime Cream

Actually, all of the Cake bag styles are great.  

Hayley in Mushroom Brown by Timi & Leslie ($169 US)

Oh my goodness.  Stop being so materialistic, right?  It's okay though, it's nice to look at pretty things for fun sometimes! :D

"Sweet Cakes Onesie" at ShopRuche.com

Oh, um... how amazingly cute is this???

"Sweet Cakes Onesie" at ShopRuche.com

I wish that I could hit "pause" for just a little while and have Rowen stay small and cuddly...and wear adorable things like this and not outgrow them like, immediately.  

I know, I know, watching her grow is amazing and I can't get enough of her new giggles and this week's newfound interest in her feet... Growing Rowen is FUN... but it's happening too fast.  TOO FAST!!  Can't she stay little for a wee bit longer?  :)

Let's talk crib envy. (I'm not afflicted!)

This is the Oeuf Sparrow.  It's so beautiful isn't it?  

This is the IKEA Sundvik.  It's also pretty, right?

Baby stuff is funny.  For every item that you could think to buy for a baby, there exists a "luxury" version and a "budget" version.  How do you tell when it's actually worthwhile to splurge and when it's fine to be practical?  My answer so far to that question is.... it is hit and miss!  I think as a parent, you're inclined to want to spend as much as you can on Baby.  And if you have the money, I think you totally should!!  But in some cases, more expensive doesn't actually equal better.  (See: THE PUJ TUB.  Boo.)

I present to you, the crib that I would purchase for Rowen if it was practical for our budget.  In the grand scheme of things, $800 +tax for the Sparrow isn't that much money.  But when you can spend $159 on the Sundvik for something that's equally as safe and comfortable, I'm inclined to go with the slightly less attractive version and put the money towards say, a "luxury" mattress.  

The Oeuf is definitely prettier.  Oh so much pretty pretty.  It's made of solid birch and it's from fancy, ambigious "handcrafted in Europe" Land.  The Sundvik is kinda the awkward plain cousin.  Looks fine until you line it up right next to the pretty.  It's made of beech and fibreboard and is made by a machine in Sweden.  A plus is that both convert into nice looking little toddler beds when the time comes!  Of course, the Oeuf conversion kit costs another $300 while IKEA includes theirs.  Ultimately, both comply to the same safety standards.  So I say, spend the extra moolah on a great quality mattress since her little body is going to do so much important growing on it.  

I certainly wouldn't turn down an Oeuf if say, I won one or was gifted one.  It falls under the same category as the freakin' Stokke Xplory.  You know what I'm talking about!  (If you don't, google!)

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!!