signing off

Hey.

Hi there. It's me. Your long lost blog friend.

A dear fellow blogger asked the other day, "Where's Hilary?"

A good question indeed. I haven't updated in a long while and I guess it's because I haven't had much to say of late. That's not to say that nothing's been going on - I've been keeping busy, Maya is growing like a weed, life is being well lived...I'll elaborate more on this in a minute. I just haven't felt the impetus to post. I don't really know why.

I know I have promised you all a sweet new website. I feel kinda stupid here because it's still not done yet. Well, it's about half done. But somewhere in the process of getting things up and running, I lost my sense of purpose. I have a lot to say and a lot of ideas but the truth is, one day I just woke up and didn't have any urge to keep working on my fabulous new website that I was so proud of just the day before. I felt like I lost my voice. I couldn't remember what I was trying to accomplish exactly. I'm still not sure.

So, then I decided to try my hand at writing a book (I haven't actually admitted this to anyone except for D so don't laugh). The book is about how to organize one's living space and my tips for keeping house. But again, the same thing happened. I made an outline and banged out the first few chapters and then just, well, stopped. Inspiration gone.

And that's where things stand now.

Trust, I am still reading all my favourite blogs often - at least a few times a week. I haven't been commenting as much as I used to, and that probably ties in to my lack of general blogging enthusiasm.

I am feeling extremely contented these days. And maybe that has something to do with my lack of creative drive. I feel very satisfied and happy in general and I suppose that may be part of the reason that I'm feeling expressively suppressed. I have nothing all that interesting to say right now. And let's be honest: No one really wants to read about how last week I got a coupon in the mail for free laundry detergent, the fact that I recently switched conditioners, or how I made a large pot of chicken stew earlier tonight and froze half of it. Boring with a capital B. Boring to read and boring to write. My life is great (knock on wood), and I guess that's the trade off.

So all that said, I think I'm going to abandon this blog. At least for a while. I'll definitely be hanging around, reading and checking in on all my bloggy buddies regularly. I'm not really going anywhere. Just stepping back for a bit. Until I have something to say. Until I find my voice again.

So what has been going on my world these days? The quick and dirty:

Maya just turned ONE a couple of weeks ago. How times flies! I totally feel like she just arrived a week ago. We had a big fun party with all her friends and relatives. It was a "Baby Dance Party" theme and I made a giant playlist of disco songs. Maya LOVES dancing and that kid can really bust a move. It was good times.

Maya took her first steps yesterday. It was so fortunate that BOTH D and I were there to see it. She took about 4 steps and then fell. We were so proud, we cheered and she beamed with pride. Adorable. She tried it again a couple of hours later, this time getting 6 steps in before she lost her balance. It was very exciting to witness.

Maya says about 30-40 words now and adds new words to her repertoire every day it seems. Today, she started saying, "Yeah" and "Yes", although I'm not confident she understands the meaning yet. But she does understand more than we think. I was amazed the other day when I asked her to show me her koala, and she picked it up out of a basket of stuffed animals. Then I asked her to show me her frog, and she picked him up too. I went through 5 or 6 toys and she knew them all. She also knows body parts - hands, ear, feet, hair, nose - and can point to them on herself and others, even if she can't say the words. Such a smartypants.

She is a very, VERY picky eater and mealtimes are usually a headache for me. There isn't much she likes to eat and I constantly worry that she's not getting enough nutrition. I must remind myself often that no baby will willingly starve themselves and that she'll eat when she's hungry. And even though I know this, and try not to agonize over her every bite, when she starts tossing her food on the floor piece by piece, I admit that it does add to my frustration. Yet I refuse to give in. I will continue to offer her a variety of HEALTHY foods and I keep hoping that mealtime will get easier eventually. Plus, the fact that she's has a big poo almost every day must mean that she's eating at least something.

I am still breastfeeding this kid as well (on the breast - she's never taken a bottle so we do it the old fashioned way). We've cut the feeds down to only 2-3 a day now; it's working well for us and we both enjoy it. I would like to continue breastfeeding Maya through her second year if possible (maybe only once a day), and I'm taking my cues from her. I never thought I'd breastfeed this long. I used to tout this self-righteous motto that went something like "if a kid is old enough to ask for it, then the kid is too old to breastfeed." How stupid was I? Whatever made me think I knew anything about breastfeeding? All I can say is that when Maya tugs at my shirt and looks up at me with her big, expectant eyes, smiles sweetly and says, "ba-ba? Mama ba-ba?" there is just no way I could possibly refuse.

I love that it's getting easier everyday to communicate with my daughter. She can now verbalize when she's "all done" with something, she can shake her head no, she can point at what she wants. She can even play jokes. This is a very exciting time for me as a parent. Every day just gets better and better.

D and I are doing really great, and we're happier than ever. Now that Maya is one, we have been inundated by family, friends and strangers asking us when we're having number two. Luckily, D and I are on the same page about the answer to this question: at this point, probably never. We're so happy with our life now, we love our happy little family. I love that Maya gets all our attention. And I am savouring motherhood so much now, I really think that another child would change this dynamic from being a lovely and enjoyable experience to just being all around exhausting. We tossed around the idea of another child a few times, but in the end, we just kept coming to the conclusion that we're blissfully happy as things are, and it doesn't make sense to mess with a good thing.

Being a stay-at-home-mum is fantastic, and quite honestly the best job I've ever had. I am embracing my life as a mother and a homemaker and it feels really right. We are loving our new loft, it's the perfect home for us for right now, and I spend most days cheerfully puttering around at home, cooking, baking, keeping house and playing with Maya. I couldn't ask for anything more.

I told you I'm boring! Are you still reading this or did you fall asleep?

So there you have it! My life in a nutshell. If anything exciting happens, or if I ever manage to finish my website (which I'm confident I will, in time) you'll see me pop up again. Or I may just surprise you with an update from time to time. But for now, I'm just going to hang out on the periphery for a while.

But I wouldn't dream of leaving without posting a few recent photos :)

I love this dress. Makes Maya look like an adorable cake.

Maya hearts berries of any kind. They are her passion in life. Needless to say, that white shirt is toast.

My pretty little lady.

There is something about having a baby girl that makes dressing her up so much fun. It's like having a little doll to play with. Maya has a bigger wardrobe than J.Lo, no doubt, and all the hats and accessories to match.

Only one year old and she already has her driver's license!

Love you guys.

Take good care,

Hilary & Maya

good things come to those who wait

So my fantastic new website that I've promised really is coming along. Really.

I'm so excited to share it with you all, it's making me crazy that it's not done yet. I work on it every night and during Maya's nap times when I can. The problem is that as I create it, I keep making it increasingly "deeper" (many, many pages and links) and because I want it to be perfect, I'm taking my time with it. That, coupled with the fact that I have an adorably high-maintenance baby afoot - who, by the way, is crawling like a little machine, standing, cruising and nearly walking now, is why this whole process is taking so long. The good news is that once it's launched, it will be easy to maintain and I expect I can keep up with doing daily posts. Y'all will be sick of me.

With any luck, I should have my new site up and running within the month. In the meantime, I'm following along and reading all your blogs and updates and commenting as much as I can. Lots of exciting news happening in blogland these days!!

So this is me saying: thanks for your patience and stay tuned. You won't be sorry, I'm quite sure of it. Love you guys!

PS- that gDiapers Sweet Deal 6-Pack Promo Code - g1069Detwiller - is only good through July 31st. So if you haven't ordered yet and plan to, you should do it soon.

Must run, I do believe someone just pooped her pants (not me hehe).

gDiapers!

As you may have read in this blog, I am a HUGE fan of gDiapers. So much so, that I have recently become a gMum - spreading the word and answering questions on behalf of gDiapers.

gDiapers is offering a SWEET DEAL right now - use my promo code to get SIX pairs of gPants for only $40! (usually pants go for $18.99 each) PROMO CODE: g1069Detwiller

If you've ever heard of gDiapers, you probably already know that they are a cloth-disposable hybrid diaper - a washable cloth pant and a chemical and chlorine-free flushable/biodegradable/compostable insert. But now there's a new option - a washable CLOTH insert, and I can't wait to try them!

From the gDiaper's website: gCloth inserts offer a washable and reusable option for gDiapers. They are designed specifically to fit our soft little gPants so they don’t require any folding. They provide the same trim fit as our biodegradable gRefills without giving up the absorbency. Six inserts per pack.

gCloth absorbs, naturally. Two layers of soft 100% polyester microflecce wick moisture away from baby’s bottom. Two layers of hemp/cotton hold moisture in. Hemp doesn’t wear out, it wears in. Hemp in particular becomes more absorbent with use so the more you wash gCloth inserts, the softer and more absorbent they become.

You can use both gCloth and gRefills with little gPants. Our system is designed to offer you two diapering options with one diaper cover. Use gCloth at home and gRefills when you’re out and about. Best of all, you only need one type of diaper cover whether you flush, compost, toss or wash.

So check out http://www.gdiapers.com/shop/little-gpants/everyday-g-s-six-pack and use my promo code (g1069Detwiller) to get an amazing deal (6 little gPants for $40)!

Maya loves her gDiapers. Observe:

Now that is a cute gBum...

And of course, feel free to comment with any questions about gDiapers!

www.gDiapers.com

congratulations are in order

Please pop over and visit xbox4nappyrash...

Someone has some delicious news.

coming soon...

I am feverishly working on a new website. More than a blog, this thing is going to be totally interactive and jam-packed full of groovy good stuff.

It's going to take me a while yet to get it a launchable state, but please stay tuned. You're going to love it!

xo
Hilary

relocated

We did it. We moved. We're here at the new place and this post is being posted from my iPhone while I lie in bed next to my two snoozing sweethearts.

The move went well and I absolutely love our new place.

I realized that my whole world (besides Maya) has been all about moving lately, for the past few months. Moving day was kinda like Christmas Day; so many preparations and planning, so much thought going into one big day. And now it's over and I've got a bunch of empty boxes and one huge mess to sort through. I hope to be unpacked and settled by the end of the weekend.

Now that the move is over, it's time to get on with life and especially this blog. My poor readers, you have been subjected to nothing but boring tales of real estate for the past few months.

I'm ready to get back to writing about Miss Maya Papaya and my life as a stay-at-home-mum.

In fact, in the spirit of changes and starting fresh, I am going to change up this blog. I'm mulling over some design ideas and as for content, the focus is going to be more centred around raising my daughter and the art and lifestyle of homemaking in the city. Not that I'm an expert by any means. I'd just like to keep a journal as I navigate my way through my experiences as a mum and wife in my new career as a stay-at-home-mum and homemaker all in the context of living in an urban metropolis. I absolutely love being a mum and I adore my job. For the first time in my life I can honestly say that I am truly happy and content - and I want to share!

And I've got a great new title in mind too, but I'm keeping it under wraps for now...
Stay tuned!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

still here

I'm still alive. Sorry for my absence of late, just been up to my eyes with packing and getting ready to move.

I suspect I'll remain quiet for the next few weeks whilst we get settled in our new place.

Since my husband is working more than full time hours right now, the responsibility of all the packing and moving preparations have fallen squarely on my shoulders. Not that I mind, I'm a bit of a control freak about this stuff anyway. But I gotta tell you about this mathematical equation that I've recently discovered:

PACKING + CLEANING + LOOKING AFTER WEE BABY = YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING IF YOU THINK YOU'RE GETTING ANYTHING DONE FAST

It's been reeeeeaaaaallly slow going around here. But nonetheless, things are happening, I am turning this mutha out albeit at molasses-like pace. The BC SPCA donation van came round to my front door today and hauled off a cubic buttload of crap, so that's something. Our furniture was all sold on Craigslist (I'm sitting on the floor as I type this, we couldn't bring any of our old furniture because it just wouldn't fit in the new place...). Mostly everything is in boxes, but the place is still a mess (how is that even possible?). We're getting there. Painfully slowly, but yeah, we're getting there.

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know that I'm still here. And even though I haven't been updating, I most certainly AM reading all of you guys (thank goodness for the iPhone, I can read blogs while standing in line at the grocery store) but just not commenting much.

Still here, just busy busy.

teeth times two!

The title says it all - Miss Maya is sporting the beginnings of her first teeth! They're coming up right in the front on the bottom. At first I thought there was only one, but then, a few days later, I saw the other one working its way up. They're sharp and jagged little things, and I'm so excited to see here sweet toothy grin when they finally arrive in full force.

I was so surprised to find them one evening when I was washing her mouth out with a washcloth. Sure, she's been drooling like crazy for last last few weeks and really chewing on all her toys, but she's been in fine spirits and hasn't complained for a second. I've heard nothing but horror stories about teething - the crying, the sleepless nights, the misery. So far, we haven't seen any of that. I'm not sure if we're getting off easy here or if the worst is yet to come.

Of course, it should be noted that Maya now knows how to bite, and she kindly lets me know that she's done nursing with a gnashing little chomp right on my nipple. Not so fun. I have a feeling this is going to become quite an issue in the days to come.

Speaking of biting, the challenge of solid food continues. Maya still doesn't really like eating per se (she prefers the boob on every occasion), but we are getting better at it. It was a real battle there for a while, even getting her to have a couple of spoonfuls of anything was like pulling teeth (pun intended). I have pureed and mashed everything under the sun, hoping to find something she likes, all to no avail. Then I decided to just relax, celebrate what she does manage to eat, and not get frustrated or force her. Mealtime has been much better since. We just keep trying at it, twice a day. I was pleased that today she ate quite a few pieces of banana and some Veggie Booty. And when she shuts her mouth tight and turns her head at the very sight of the spoon coming at her, I just have to keep reminding myself that no child has ever willingly starved themselves and that Maya will eventually "get it". So we just keep trying.

In other news, I've been (slowly) getting my shit together with regard to packing. It's been really hard and very, VERY slow, but I've now got something that resembles a "take" pile and a "give away" pile. I try to get as much done as I possibly can while Maya takes her naps, but it generally doesn't amount to much and I really need to get cracking if I'm going to get all this stuff packed in time. I'm no good at doing the dirty work, I'm definitely more of a supervising kinda of gal. In other words, I need a staff.... and while I'm dreaming, anyone wanna make me a cup of tea and give me a foot massage?

my action pants must be in the laundry

I am completely frozen in my tracks here. I have no idea how to surmount the overwhelming task that lies before me.

My to-do list:
-Pack my entire house
-Separate out all items for the Salvation Army and for selling on Craigslist
-Take pictures of all stuff for sale and attach prices
-Clean, organize, downsize
-Empty our storage locker (which is currently packed to the gills with C R A P)
-Many, many trips to the garbage room
-Purchase necessary items for the new place
-Manage contractors who are renovating the new place
-Clean the old place once empty
-Clean the new place before we move in
-Do our taxes
-Change our address
-Oh yeah and look after my wee baby girl who takes up about 95% of my time and attention

Help!

All I can do is just sit here and stare at everything. I have so much to do I literally cannot even figure out how to begin. So I just keep staring. Doing nothing.

Any ideas on how to get started? And how to get it all done efficiently? I have about 4 weeks to complete all items on my list.

Any help/ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Oh yeah, and as promised, here are a few pics of the new place! (Note that none of the furnishings and decor are ours - the place was still occupied by the previous owner at the time of the photos.)


That guy pacing around is my husband. The other guy (on the stool) is my boyfriend. Haha kidding, that's the building inspector. Although he was kinda handsome. Also, note the exposed beams. Love it! They date back to the first growth forests of the area. Chic AND historic!


This is our view

And of course, my sweet little girl...


More photos to come after we move in...

pack it up pack it in let me begin

I am so happy to report that after an insane crux of real estate madness, the subjects have been officially removed on the sale of our current place AND - even more exciting - we are the proud new owners of a sweet and gorgeous new loft!

Hooray!

Of course, this did not happen without a few hiccups along the way. First off, there was a glitch with the subject removal. The appraiser didn't get his report into the bank on time and long story short, the bank dropped the ball and subjects were not removed when they were supposed to have been. This little detail meant that either we (the sellers) or them (the buyers) could back out of the deal. Fortunately the realtors jumped in and created an addendum to the purchase contract thus buying some extra time. I just got a call from our realtor a little while ago - it's finally official now: this place is as good as sold.

But that wasn't even the stressful part. When we put our offer in on the new place, we didn't realize that we'd be dealing with a total ass-hat. The current owner of our new place fussed and quibbled over every single cent, to a ridiculous degree. She was totally unreasonable and highly insulting to do business with; D and I almost walked away from the deal a few times during our numerous countering sessions with her. To illustrate how insane this woman was, her OWN realtor very nearly quit during this process because she was being so unreasonable. In the end, we decided that a few thousand dollars wasn't worth the risk of losing our dream home so we just ate it and appeased her ridiculousness. Five years from now, we won't remember the extra cost, but we would have remembered losing a great loft because our pride got in the way.

The good news is that the papers are signed and the Papaya family is movin' on up! Yeah yeah to a deluxe apartment in the sky.... (c'mon you knew that was coming...)

So now the fun part - coordinating the renovations and the move... Oh yeah, and did I mention I also take care of a wee baby 24/7? This month is going to be busy. Like really, really busy.

But worth it! We are very, very excited.

Oh how about some baby details? You know, it's only the reason I started this blog. Let's see...
-Maya is sitting up on her own now
-Maya does not like eating solid foods but we're working on it; mummy's boobs are still her #1 fave
-Maya "dances" when she hears music (by dancing I mean kinda rocking and bobbing up and down...OMG it's beyond adorable)
-Maya gives hugs now
-Maya is mastering cognitive reasoning; if you hide a toy underneath something, she knows it's there and looks for it
-Maya is really getting good at babbling. Her sounds are getting more and more complex every day.

She is such a little joy. And what a fun age she's at now. I am really enjoying this kid more than ever.

wheeling & dealing

OK here's all my updates...

House Sale:
Tomorrow (Saturday) is the purchaser's inspection and if all goes well, subjects will be removed and it's a done deal!

House Purchase:
We put in our offer today. Now just waiting and wondering...

For better or worse, all should be buttoned up by the end of the weekend, possibly by the end of tomorrow.

I'm a nervous wreck. I really hope everything goes smoothly and it all works out. I'm scared to get excited but too riled up to just sit still. The worst part is that there is absolutely nothing I can do to affect the outcome on this.

I think I'm going to go eat a pint of soy ice cream now.

Keep ya posted!

signed sealed delivered

Guess what I just received?

(insert drumroll here)

A signed copy of the accepted offer of purchase and sale on our home!

Yup, we got an offer. A darn good one too. We couldn't be happier with the way this deal is working out so far. All looks fantastic, but of course, we wait to pop the champagne (or the sparkling apple juice for those of us who are breastfeeding) until subjects are removed - which is happening this upcoming Saturday following the inspection.

So now, you may be asking yourself: Where oh where is the Papaya family going to live?

Well my friends, we have had our eye on an ridiculously awesome place. Even better that the first place we tried to buy. It's a warehouse loft conversion in the heritage district of Yaletown in downtown Vancouver. Oh yeah baby, we're talking exposed beams, brick walls, reclaimed wood floors, a REAL warehouse loft. It is soooo sweet and just my taste. Can't show you pictures of the inside yet but you better believe if this all works out I will post the shit out of some pictures of our (*hopefully!*) new place...

Just to whet your appetite, here is a picture of the outside of the building...

Anyway, gotta run, it's nearly 9pm and because of all today's excitement I am now just getting dinner on the table.

So nervous. So hopeful.

So excited.

family portrait

Believe it or not, I think this is the only picture of the three of us together (I'm usually the one taking the pictures). This photo was taken today, when we ran into a friend in the lobby of our building. She took this picture on her iPhone (sorry it's a bit grainy) and sent it to me this evening. Just had to share!

my big girl

Maya turned 6-months old earlier this week. She is growing up so fast, I swear I feel like she was just born a couple of weeks ago. My sweet daughter continues to be such a little joy. She is so silly, so happy, so fun. We are incredibly blessed and lucky to have such a good natured kid.

We started her on rice cereal a couple of weeks ago, and with good results. Some days are better than others though; some days she will open her mouth willingly and gobble up a few spoonfuls of cereal, other days she closes her lips tight and turns her head to avoid the spoon coming at her. Here are some pictures from the very first time we tried rice cereal - it looks like we were torturing her but it's gone much better since that first time.



Tonight will be a bit of a milestone - we're adding apples to the mix! This will be the first food, other than rice cereal and rice crackers that Maya will have. I'm going to whip up some fresh applesauce in my sweet new Williams Sonoma Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker tonight. I'm so excited! I think Maya's really going to like it, I've given her a few licks of banana over the past couple of weeks and she really seems to like that, so apples should be a big hit!

The 6-month stage should be entitled "I want to do it myself". Over the past few weeks, that one phrase has described baby girl perfectly. She wants to feed herself, hold her own spoon, hold her own toys, do everything herself. I think it's awesome and we're encouraging it. She has even been - are you ready for this? - putting herself to bed. One day, she just up and decided that she didn't want to be held, nursed and rocked to sleep anymore (the routine we've had since her birth). It took me a few nights to figure it out. She'd squirm and fuss after feeding and lean and reach toward her crib. I thought she was just been fussy and over-tired. Then, it suddenly occurred to me - she just wants to be put in her crib and left alone to fall asleep. So I kissed her about a million times and laid her in her crib. She was asleep in seconds. And it's been like that ever since.

Sure, it's easier and takes a lot less time to put her down, which is great. And she's getting more and more independent, which is fantastic. But I have to admit I am a bit heartsick that she's starting to need her mummy less and less (sniff, sniff). What a big girl I have!

honest scrap

Hey thanks Mel for the tag!



The rules for Honest Scrap are:

1) Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.

2) Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with "Honest Scrap." Well, there's no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon.

3) List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

So here goes...

1.  As long as I don't have to go out again, I always immediately get right into my pajamas the minute I get home.  It doesn't matter if it's 11:00am, if I'm home, the PJs are on!  My husband D will stay in his work clothes until he goes to bed and for the life of me, I just can't understand that.

2.  I have a major handbag fetish.  It's bad.  Last year I finally downsized my collection from about 30 to about 15.  And anytime I get a new bag, it is IMPERATIVE that I also get a matching wallet.  It's just my thing.  (Consequently, I only have about 8 pairs of shoes and that includes my bedroom slippers.)

3.  I have three cats, and since the arrival of miss Maya, I have found myself resenting them.  A lot.  I know it's awful, but I sometimes wish I didn't have pets at all anymore.  Between the expense (they are all on a medicated diet), the layer of cat hair on all the furniture and the stinky litterbox, I'm just over it. While I'd feel too guilty to go through with giving them away, I dream about it often.  

4.  I don't like to travel; my idea of a perfect vacation is to stay home with a stack of books and movies, lock the doors, turn of the phone, and just chill out.

5.  I have a bad habit of picking at my lips when I get nervous.

6.  I used to play the viola.  I was really good at it too.  Then, when I was in junior highschool, someone made fun of me for being so uncool.  Being the sensitive and impressionable pre-teen girl that I was,  I quit playing the viola immediately and never picked up an instrument again.  I regret that.  I don't remember how to play anymore.  (Consequently, I am still uncool despite quitting the viola.  Go figure.)

7.  I am Jewish by blood and was raised as such.  But I don't practice at all anymore.  I think I would consider myself spiritual, but not religious per se.  Truth be told, I haven't got it all figured out yet.

8.  I have seen both Dirty Dancing and The Big Lebowski at least 50 times each.

9. I make the World's Greatest Guacamole. Really, it is SO good.

10. My favourite sound in the world is my husband/daughter/friends laughing.

Okay so now I shall commence with the tagging....Hmmm let's see....

I tag Apron Strings, Destination Baby, Life in the Cat Pad, My Baby Quest, Paint It Black, Roadblocks & Rollercoasters and last but not least Xbox4NappyRash (who consequently is up for the Irish Blog Awards 2009 - winner announced tonight! Good luck, Xbox! Canada is cheering you on! WooHooooooo!).

Have fun guys!

i didn't expect this: 5 things i thought i knew about parenting before i became a parent

1. I knew motherhood would be hard.

I never laboured under the preconception that motherhood would be a piece of cake. The constant diaper changes, the late night feedings, the tantrums, the exhaustion, the mess - this is what I thought the real exertion would consist of. As it turns out, this stuff is easy, now that I've got the hang of things and six month's worth of experience under my belt. I could do these things with my eyes shut. What I've discovered is the real challenge of parenting are aspects that just can't be controlled: The vaccines, baby's first cold, teething, watching the tears stream down her sweet little face and having no idea how to help her. This is the real hard stuff. This is where the real work lies. I can't even imagine how I'll deal with the first time Maya has hurt feelings, the first time she works so hard at something only to fail, the first time she's dumped by a boyfriend.

2. I knew having a baby would be fun.

What I didn't account for was the joy. It sounds corny, but there is just so much joy surrounding parenthood, and I never really expected that. Our daughter keeps us giggling all day long, she's such a silly-pants, I just have the best time taking care of her every day. D feels that too. I go to sleep at night so excited to wake up and spend another day being Maya's mummy. Every day is an adventure, and I laugh. A lot.

3. I knew that once I had a baby, everything would be perfect.

Maya is perfect, that's for sure. But having a baby certainly does not right the world's wrongs by any means. I know I was certainly guilty of romanticizing the idea of having a baby, assuming that it would make my life perfect and everything would be roses and rainbows; but unfortunately, there are still arguments, wars, sky-high piles of dirty laundry. Having a baby does not "fix" a marriage, but it has certainly brought D and I closer together. Having a baby did not "fix" my life, but it has definitely made it feel complete. No, everything is not perfect, but I am, possibly for the first time in my whole life, completely and utterly content.

4. I knew I would follow all the rules.

Turns out rules are made to be broken, especially in the world of parenting. "They" say a lot of things, but all babies are different. What's best for one kid might not be for another. You can read 100 different parenting books and come back with 50 conflicting pieces of advice. They don't call it Mother's Intuition for nothing - and it really comes in handy. In my experience, I have found that if it feels right, then it is right (and vice versa), despite what "They" say. I have found the confidence to rely on my own gut instincts in my 6 months of being a mum. No one knows my daughter better than me.

5. I knew I would love my child.

I just didn't expect to love her THIS much. This kind of love is totally and completely different than anything I've ever experienced. It's the kind you live, die and kill for. I wish I had the words to describe, with eloquence, this feeling. It's too vast to even try to explain. All I can say is this: Maya is, without a doubt, the great love of my life.

the outskirts

This is officially the longest amount of time I've gone without posting. Nearly two whole weeks. I used to get so frustrated with other blogs when I wouldn't see an update in a timely manner. And here I am totally slacking. I have no excuse, really. Well, I guess you could say my excuse is that I just haven't felt that blogging enthusiasm lately. I've had plenty to say, but little aspiration to update.

My head is just not in it these days. I think it's the stress of all the constant cleaning, staging, open houses and private viewings that have been taking up whatever attention I have left to pay after I give Maya the lion's share. Selling our house has really turned out to be a full time job! I'm just hoping all my efforts aren't for nothing. The market is BRUTAL right now. While we've had a lot of interest, we've seen no offers yet and it's a bit discouraging. I haven't even heard from my realtor over the past two days.

And, if we DO get an offer, a whole other layer of stress will be added to the mix. Then we have to find a new place to live. Right now is indeed a great time to buy - there are tons of options out there - but until this is all settled, I'm feeling a bit muddled. Selling, buying, moving. Ug.

But other than that, things are great. Maya is wonderful and continues to surprise and amaze me on a minute-to-minute basis. She is two weeks shy of SIX MONTHS and is growing and changing so fast. She continues to "talk" all the time, and she is constantly adding new "words" to her repertoire. She has full conversations us. She even talks to the cats. She wakes D and me up every morning by telling us all about her dreams with such animation. She makes these great facial expressions and varies her tone and volume with each word - it's so funny to watch. She's really trying to communicate! I think she'll be talking at an early age.

Speaking of the cats, over the past two weeks, Maya has become completely obsessed with them. She kicks and waves in excitement whenever she notices one. She'll reach out and smile at them, and seems honestly and truly disappointed when they don't come and interact with her. She is also totally into watching people eat and drink. She'll make a grab for whatever you're about to put in your mouth. Yup, my girl's ready for solids I think. D and I were going to give her some rice cereal for the first time last night, but she's got a bit of a cold so we're going to wait until she's over it and then it's Solid City for miss Maya. I think she's going to like eating. She loves her Baby Mum Mums and I've given her a few licks of a banana this week. All with good and happy results.

Maya went to her first birthday party yesterday - it was her "boyfriend" Jack's 1st birthday. We dressed Maya up in the sweetest party dress and off to the party we went. Maya had a great time watching the other kids and interacting with all the people. She discovered balloons for the first time and once that happened she was completely preoccupied with them for the remainder of the party. It was a really fun afternoon. And I know I'm biased, but I have to say, my little daughter was the cutest little belle of the ball. Unfortunately my camera was dying and I didn't get many good pictures, but here is one I was able to salvage (although it's a bit blurry....booooo):


I'll try to post more frequently going forward. Plus I've still got a ton of photos to upload. I want everyone to know that I am most definitely reading and keeping up with you all, even if I'm not commenting as often. I'm still here, just hanging around on the outskirts. Just for now.

yum yum mum mum

I have been totally consumed with trying to sell our house; hence the lack of new posts lately. The market is tough, nothing is moving and I'm feeling discouraged about the whole thing. Despite two open houses and countless private viewings, we have yet to see an offer. We've had a ton of interest, a few people have come back for second and third viewings, but nothing has come of it thus far. It's been a ton of work and although I'm happy to do it, it does sting a bit to suspect that I've worked so hard to no avail. Yet, anyway. But enough about that.

Maya ate her first solid food today! Granted, she is still three weeks away from being 6 months old (when they say you're supposed to start solids), and because of that, we didn't go all out and do the cereal thing quite yet. I bought her some Baby Mum Mums (rice rusks - a kind of rice cracker thingy that babies can kind of gum and suck and it sort of dissolves). We tried them twice today - the first time with much success and the second time not so much. The second time she actually made some wincy yuck faces and kicked her legs in protest when she tasted the cracker, but kept putting it in her mouth anyway. It was silly. And both times, I ended up eating the lion's share of her cracker after she lost interest. Those things are pretty good actually.

The cup drinking is going quite well, although interestingly she does not care for breastmilk from her cup. She only seems to like it when it's filled with water. At first, I thought maybe I wasn't heating the milk sufficiently for her taste; and then I thought maybe I made it too hot. And then a friend pointed out that (duh) she doesn't want breastmilk from anywhere but my breasts. That's what she's used to and that's what she likes. Other liquids are OK from the cup but not her breastmilk. Makes sense to me. I like to think my daughter's already cultivated a sophisticated palate - she likes her milk warm and fresh from the source. Not the re-heated day-old crap thankyouverymuch.

She's in ONE YEAR clothing now. ONE YEAR PEOPLE!!! She really is getting so big. In fact, D said he saw a little girl at the coffee shop the other day who was almost one year old and the same size as our 5-month old. I must admit, the fact that she's big does make me happy. Somehow in my head I equate that with being healthy, although I realize this is not always the case. Our girl is strapping, I guess you could say. And she's got the sweetest little chubby wrists and legs it's oh so cute.

I realize I owe you guys some pictures. I have taken a TON of them (176 to be exact) but have yet to download them off my iPhone. I got some really cutes ones too. Will post asap. As soon as the dust settles from all this house selling craziness that's currently preoccupying my poor addled brain.

by the wayside

The title of this post describes how pretty much everything in my life has been left over the past week - save for, of course, my lovely sweet daughter and all things real estate.

Our beautiful new place is no longer that: Ours. At least for now. We had a very slight problem with our little financing plan and as such, we've had to hurry up and list our current place for sale in hopes that we make a quick sale for the price we need. Then, if all goes as hoped, we will rush back and put in our offer again (provided the new place is still available) - this time in cash.

This is a better (and by far a financially safer) plan but time is certainly of the essence. And holy moly have I risen to the occasion. I guess it's partly because I am no longer working and I'm enjoying this little challenge on some level. And it's also because I really want to get that new townhome. But let me just tell you: We found out about the financing issues on Wednesday night, I met with our realtor and listed our place on Thursday night, had our home clean and staged on Friday and held an open house on Saturday and three private showings since. I am on FIRE! I've got another showing tomorrow and again on Tuesday. So fingers crossed that we get an offer really, really soon, and in time to snap up that beautiful townhome -- again. *Sigh*

In other news, Maya is FIVE months old now and to celebrate, the era of baby babble has officially begun. She loves to say da-da-da-da and ba-ba-ba-ba and bwa-bwa-bwa-bwa. It's so funny because she makes really elaborate facial expressions when she does it. It's ooohhhh so cute.

Maya's also obsessed with drinking from a glass. A glass! Seriously!! It all started a couple of days ago, I was drinking a glass of water and she kept grabbing for it. So I let her hold it and the minute she got her cubby little paws around it she put the rim up to her lips, tilted her head back and started trying to drink. So I slowly poured some water in. Just a little bit. She made a weird face because I think it felt strange to have something cold in her mouth. And then...she wanted to do it again! And ever since, no glass is safe around my kid. She just wants to drink like a big girl so bad. So that settles it, I'm going to buy Maya her very own cup...AND perhaps this means that the little baby girl who won't take a bottle might just take a CUP instead!

yup, even more photos of the new place - last time i promise

linen closets


looking downstairs to the entrance


front porch - the window looks in on the living room


looking from the master bedroom, past the his and hers walk through closets and into the master bathroom


TWO sinks in the master bath! Ah heaven! No more fighting for space in the loo. I've longed for two sinks since the day I got married...

more photos of the new place

master bedroom - looking out onto the balcony off the master bedroom (ignore the box and junk left out there by the builders...)


fireplace


view from the front porch


kitchen island


another view of the kitchen - that stainless steel drawer you see is the dishwasher

More photos to come - must go for now - baby stirs...

a new home!

My little family had a really big day today. But I'll get to that in a minute.

D and I, as you may recall, were considering a big move a couple of months ago. We were torn between moving out to the country or staying put in the city. Well, during the seriously treacherous and unusually snowy December we just had, we realized that we are just not country folks, nor are we meant for country living. It was fun to consider for a while, but we're happy in the city. And if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

That's not to say that city living doesn't have it's problems with regard to raising a kid. But I guess we'll just have to deal with those issues as they come up. The bottom line is that we don't want to own a car, we don't want to be responsible for the care and maintenance of a house, and we don't want to be away from all the city conveniences and amenities that we've come to totally depend on.

The main draw for considering a move to the country was the fact that I am not working any more, and I don't plan to be working again anytime soon. Which means that poor D is saddled with the entire financial load for this family. The mortgage on our place was a lot for him to bear and he wanted to be able to work less and spend more time with Maya. We wanted to downsize to a less expensive place, and we thought that meant moving out of the city.

But we were wrong. We've been eyeing a great little townhouse a few blocks away for months now. We found out the selling price dropped after the new year and after running the numbers, we realized that we could cut our mortgage in half if we bought it. So we did. Today. Just now. We bought a new home!

It's smack dab in the middle of the best part of the city, right in a heritage district neighbourhood. It's just the right size for our little family - 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, plus a den and a little office. Not only are there awesome boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants, and everything else right we could possibly want right outside our door, but the best part is that my husband's job is quite literally across the street. I am not exaggerating when I say he could walk to work in under 60 seconds. Which means, he can come home for lunch and spend more time with us in general. We love that. And we love our new place! Can you tell I'm super excited?

I took a bunch of photos on my iPhone today - the quality is not great. But here are some pics of our cool new pad:

the front


kitchen


kitchen


view from Maya's bedroom


front loading washer and dryer - yeah baby

I've got a ton more pictures to show you but it's bedtime and my head is swimming. More later I promise.

smell it like it is

The whole family is currently sick. We picked up some kind of yuck recently and we're all plagued with a sore throat / coughing / flu kind of thing. It's been a milestone of sorts, as it's Maya's first cold. She's handled it like a trooper though. Other than wincing when she sneezes (I think it kind of hurts when she does) and a mild bout of green poo, she's been managing pretty well.

I have felt really, really tired and just totally run down in general. My throat hurts, my head hurts and my nose is running like a faucet. At times like these, oh how I miss my old friend NyQuil. But NyQuil's not a friend of breastfeeding so I just gotta tough it out. But that hasn't stopped me from jealously eyeing the lovely green bottle I picked up for my sick hubby this afternoon. Love the 'Quil.

I would at this time like to voice my displeasure with Pampers diapers. As mentioned in a couple of earlier posts, we are a very loyal gDiapers clan. However, they're really expensive if you buy them here in Canada so we order them directly from the company in the states. Sadly, we are fresh out of diapers and our order has not yet arrived; so I bit the bullet today and went and bought some regular disposables to tide us over.

I chose Pampers because I remembered that, unlike Huggies, they don't have those awful sticky tabs that always seemed to stick to poor Maya's tummy when I'd change her (before we started with the gDiapers). Didn't like that. So a big bag of Pampers came home with me and it wasn't until I got the bag open that I realized that they are...shudder...scented. A horrible baby powder scent at that. Yuck.

IF I WANT MY BABY TO BE SCENTED I WILL SCENT HER MYSELF.

Uh-oh, watch out, here comes the rant:

What's worse is that nowhere on the package does it mentioned that they are scented. Are all diapers scented now? Is it just a given that they are scented after you get to a certain size diaper? What's the deal? (We are in size 3 btw)

I just had to vent that. I'm about to get kinda crunchy granola on my organic soapbox here. I just feel that there are already so many dyes, perfumes, fillers and chemicals that are nearly impossible to avoid in the land of all things baby-related, it would just be great if there was, at the very least, some clear labeling that would allow the consumer to make an informed choice about what they're buying.

It's not like baby powder scent is a necessary thing to make a diaper work, for goodness sake. And baby poo isn't that bad anyway. I'd much rather have Maya smell like Maya, for better or for worse, and change her diaper when it needs to be changed. I don't need any help from fake perfume to make the process more enjoyable thankyouverymuch. It's bad enough that all these disposable diapers are going to end up in a landfill anyway, but now they'll be extra-fake-sweet-smelling all perfumed up to boot.

Okay, I'm done.

babies are people too

...And they have feelings, and do not like to be treated like pincushions. Which is probably why my sweet baby screamed her head off at the mere sight of the doctor today. She turned herself bright red and absolutely wailed before the doctor even did anything. Which is so incredibly strange because honestly, Maya's not a crier. She maybe cries for 5 minutes once a week, if that.

The doctor came in and just smiled at her and just that was enough to send poor Maya into hysterics. I really don't understand what happened. The doctor had barely even said hello to us. Maya was smiling and giggling one minute and when the doctor approached, all of the sudden she was lobster-faced and absolutely losing her shit. So unlike her.

Her four-month exam was hurried, due to the wailing, and when it came time for the vaccinations, Maya turned it up a notch. To eleven, actually. I had honestly never heard her make sounds like that. It was like a suffering type of cry, and it was awful. She was so upset, in fact, that she didn't even want to feed afterwards. Again, so unlike her. One interesting tidbit did come out of today's exam though: Maya is in the 75th percentile for height and 85th percentile for weight. Yup, we sure do grow 'em big here in Canada!

I handled myself much better than last time (if you recall, at the two-month appointment, I cried as hard as Maya did), and I think it was because I knew what to expect. But my poor little girl sure screamed, harder and more desperately than I've ever heard. My heart just broke.

Luckily, by the time we got home, baby girl seemed to have forgotten the whole ordeal. She was happy and smiling and shouting at her toys for the remainder of the evening. Thank goodness. She was exhausted by the time bedtime rolled around, and she passed right out. What a big day she had. She is still on "fever watch" and will be until about 3pm Friday. So far so good, though.

In other news, we had a big whopper of a milestone at our house yesterday -- Maya rolled over for the first time! And she's done it a total of THREE times so far! Today, rolling over. Tomorrow, driver's license. She's growing up so fast!

back to real life

D goes back to work tomorrow and the lovely extra set of hands I've come to find so helpful go with him, I'm afraid. It's been so nice having him home over these last two weeks.

So far my New Year's resolutions have been going strong, of course it has only been five days. But can I just say: I would love to get down and dirty with some of that leftover Christmas chocolate hanging out in the fridge right now. Ah well, probably has dairy in it anyway. I shall remain content with my cup of decaffinated green tea. This kind of restraint should be grounds for sainthood.

Maya was really hard to put to bed this evening. She just wouldn't fall asleep despite polishing off two full boobs and being rocked softly in the glider with mummy for nearly two full hours. I finally just laid Princess Sleepyhead down in her crib and presto! asleep within minutes. Kinda wish I'd done that earlier!

Maya is growing so fast. Even her little feet look bigger to me today.

I want to post a picture of said feet I took earlier today but alas I am posting this from my iPhone and I just don't think I can post a picture this way. I'll owe ya.

Better head to bed myself now. Another big day of child-rearing lays before me tomorrow. And I'm loving every second of it!

'Night all.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

screaming & raspberries

Maya's two new skills.

Just in the last 48 hours, Maya has learned to scream at the top of her lungs and blow giant, spitty raspberries. We're so proud!

The screaming thing came along quite suddenly. D and I were eating dinner and Maya was getting impatient with us not paying her our full attention. She whined, she coughed (do other babies know how to cough to get attention or just ours?), she pretended to start crying and when nothing elicited the attention she wanted, she screamed. Really loudly. Upon realizing that this loud new sound came from her own mouth, Maya looked completely shocked and then smiled from ear to ear. So proud.

And for the rest of the evening, we were treated to a serenade of silly, happy screaming that had D and I laughing so hard. Ladies and gentlemen, my daughter has officially found her voice.

Blowing raspberries started suddenly too. Out of the blue yesterday, she just started doing them. And now it's like she's always been doing them. In fact, I'd go as far as to say she is a raspberry expert now. It's very cute.

---

In other news, this Wednesday is Maya's 4-month doctor's appointment, at which she will have her second round of vaccines. I am so not looking forward to it, especially considering how traumatic the first round at two months was. Does this ever get any easier? I am really dreading it. Thank goodness D is coming with us. I'd no doubt fall apart on my own.

Maya's been sleeping a lot more over the last couple of days. I think she's having a growth spurt. Either that, or all the screaming and raspberries are really taking it out of her!