Happy 1st Birthday, Brayden!

This post is a couple days late due to how ridiculously busy I've been with all the first birthday celebrations we've had, on top of the typical chaos of motherhood.

On November 28th, we celebrated my little man's first birthday.  Wow... I cannot believe how fast that year flew by. It's a good thing we had family visiting from out of town the week leading into the big day and lots of prep work to do for the three celebrations we were having for him otherwise, I would have been a complete emotional mess.  

I can officially say that I was too busy to get overly sentimental.  That's where blogging comes in :)  I now have my opportunity to reminisce about these last 365 days and basque in the glory of what my life has become.  

On November 28, 2010 The weather was much colder than this year.  I remember this because after racing to the hospital at 9:30 a.m. (what we now know to consider too early) and pacing the hospital floors for a couple of hours, Andrew and I opted to set-up camp in the back of our CX 7 to allow me to lie down and rest for a bit. Although relaxation was not in my vocabulary as I suffered through the contractions, the fact that Andrew thought to fold down all the seats  and crank up the heat in the car in an effort to create a make-shift bedroom for me was totally adorable.  But man, was it ever cold outside that day.

On November 28, 2010 I was not in the celebration mood I had been in this year.  Rather, I remember being scared, excited, nervous, in severe pain -- doing whatever it took to stay calm and survive the next contraction.  It was around 4:00 p.m. when the doctor assessing my dilation progression "accidentally" broke my water.  At that point, I was finally admitted into the delivery room and was administered my first epidural.  Two anesthesiologists, lots of vomiting and three epidurals later, I was finally in a good place.  I was ready to deliver a baby!

On November 28, 2010 I had no idea how I was going to be as a mother. In fact, I didn't even know whether I was going to be the mommy to a baby boy or baby girl.  Would I feel immediate love for this baby? Would the motherly bond everyone talks about be apparent?  Would I instinctive know what to do?  The answer was yes, yes and yes.  There was so much to discover and learn... And, although I still don't have all the answers, I have come to realize that if you just take one day at a time, not only will the answers become clear but you'll enjoy every precious moment getting there. As challenging as things can be, especially in the beginning, time really does fly by.   

On November 28th, 2010 at 11:57 p.m. the joy of my life, Brayden Joseph, was born. And, one year later, Andrew and I celebrate being parents, and all the memories and joys our son has given us so far.

Our first family photo!

I absolutely love being a mommy (or as Brayden says "mamamama") and I can now understand what my mom was thinking when she made all the scarifies and over-extended herself just to make me happy growing up.  Throwing three birthday parties for my one year old -- no problem.  Despite the exhaustion and expense, I would do it all again and again.  Brayden, I love you more than you will ever know.  Happy birthday little man.

Brayden posing with the cake I made for his third party.
Lemon cake with homemade frosting. Yum!

For those interested in browsing more photos from Brayden's birthday celebrations, I'll either post an album on Facebook or post a select few pics here on my blog later this week.

A Month in a Mommy Minute

Where do I begin?... I have neglected my blog this month, and to make matters worse, it's been a very eventful, blog-worthy month! We left off at Halloween. (I know, it seems like forever ago.)  But first, on October 28, Brayden turned 11 months!

Three days later, we celebrated Brayden's first Halloween!

Watching daddy carve our pumpkins.

Our little pumpkin sitting "pretty" with the lovely Chloe
at their first-ever Halloween party!

The pumpkin costume was a hand-me-down from his cousin Alexei!
Brayden had a great time trick or treating with our neighbours.

Enter November.  We kicked off the month by heading north to Haliburton for a Laurier girls (and our families) reunion at Sarah's gorgeous family cottage.  I always look forward to our get-togethers but this one was extra special.  Lisa, who was expecting her first baby, was just 5 weeks away from her due date so we decided to throw her a surprise baby shower!  Having our hubbies up there with us worked out really well, actually.  They took the kids outside to explore on the Argo while we ladies enjoyed some peaceful girl time.

The beautiful and very pregnant, Lisa!

All the kids!
(L-R: Brayden, Mariah, Avery and Caden is behind the couch)

(Follow up note: Lisa and Tim ended up welcoming a baby boy into their family on November 21.  Baby Jakob arrived 3 weeks early!)

November has also been a month for home improvements!  The most notable has been our fireplace.  It's been a little over one year since moving into our home and we finally got the mess of a fireplace replaced.  Yahoo!  Our new Napoleon gas fireplace and custom mantel make such a big difference in our family room.

Before

After

This takes us to the end of the month.  As many of you know, November 28th marks a very momentous occasion for our family.  It's Brayden's birthday! (I experience a mixed bag of emotions at just the thought of my baby turning one.) Stay tuned for a follow-up post dedicated specifically to Brayden's 1st birthday!

Halloween Cake Pops

Cake pops have become so popular lately.  I first saw them at Starbucks about a year or so ago and ever since they've been popping up everywhere!  I've yet to taste a cake pop but their cute decoration and sheer unique presentation finally got the best of my curiosity prompting my next kitchen challenge.  I'm going to make cake pops!  I figured Halloween would be a good time to test my abilities -- Not only because it's scary that I'm undertaking such an ambitious task but also because I thought pumpkin cake pops would be relatively easy to decorate.  (I didn't want to take on too big of a challenge with an overwhelming decoration element.)
So, here's what I did and how it all turned out.

I started with a standard cake mix and baked the cake as the package directed.
(I went vanilla because I figured chocolate would be too dark thus too difficult to cover in orange later on.)

Next, I mashed up the beautifully baked cake. This felt so wrong but was so much fun!

Then, I added vanilla frosting to the cake morsels, making a perfectly mouldable dough. (I used about 3/4 of the icing can.)

After chilling the mixture for at least an hour in the fridge it was time to get my hands dirty.  I rolled about a tablespoon of dough in the palm of my hand to create a nice round ball.

One package of cake mix yielded 30 healthy-sized cake pop balls.

Next, it was time to put the sticks in. In order to help the pop stay on the stick better, I melted some chocolate and dipped the tip of the stick into it before inserting in the cake ball.

Then, I let them set in the fridge for about an hour.
This step is very important.  I learned this the hard way...  If the sticks aren't secured into the centre of the cake pop well enough, then they can't hold the weight of the chocolate when dipped!

Next comes the decorating part. (My weakest point.)  "Simply" dip each cake pop into melted chocolate (you can use chocolate Merckens discs which are available in a variety of colours and are readily available at Bulk Barn!) In order to get a pumpkin look, I used orange Merckens on some pops and milk chocolate on the others, adding some edible orange glitter and green Jelly Belly's to top it all off.

I can't say I'm overly impressed with my final product but I am happy I gave it a go and have satisfied my curiosity of wondering how these are made. 

For anyone interested in making your own cake pops, here's what you'll need:
1 package of cake mix (and everything needed to make it)
1 can of frosting
Lollipop sticks
Coloured chocolate discs
Styrofoam
Anything else you want to use for decoration

Dem Babies

I'm not a huge celeb fanatic but every now and then I enjoy catching a glimpse into their seemingly glamorous lives... Especially if they are moms!  Today I visited Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's family photo album which displays precious pics of their twins, Monroe and Moroccan. 
I'm sharing the link here for my blog readers who haven't seen Dem Babies yet and are interested in "creeping".  Enjoy!

Our lil Pumpkin

Brayden paid his first visit to a pumpkin patch on the weekend and had such a great time.  We were joined by his aunties Meg and Christina and, of course, the camera! Here are some pictures from our excursion to Whittamore's Farm.

The fam upon our arrival at the farm.

"Mom, I've found our pumpkin!"

Keeping warm amongst all the hay.

Picking out his pumpkin with auntie Meg.

It was a lovely, brisk fall day... with a bit of wind on the side.
"Auntie Christina should be wearing a hat, just like me."

Our lil Pumpkin with our three Halloween pumpkins.
(Note Brayden's waning excitement.)

Another family shot!
(Can you see his lack of enthusiasm at this point?)

"I'm so over this... Take me home!"

A whole lot to be thankful for

It was Thanksgiving this past weekend but you'd never know it by the summer-like weather we had.  Shorts and tank tops, even swim suits, were spotted as we strolled around the neighbourhood each day. On top of the amazing weather, we had a fantastic time visiting with family and enjoying Brayden's first Thanksgiving holiday. To kick it all off, Andrew and I hosted his side of the family for dinner on Saturday.  This was a very exciting occasion for me because it lent itself perfectly to finally setting our new dining room table and using our lovely china for the first time!

We prepared a prime rib roast on the BBQ and served it alongside butternut squash, broccoli and cheese, roasted potatoes and carrots. GG made Yorkshire pudding and my MIL brought homemade apple crisp and a plum cake for dessert. Yum!

The Thomson Family

On Sunday, we joined my side of the family at my parents' house for a big turkey dinner. The weather was still very warm so we took advantage of the beautiful day before heading over for the dinner.

Brayden, held by our neighbour Marnie, admiring our scarecrow.

Brayden and daddy going down the slide at the park.

Upon arriving at my parents' house, Brayden was snagged by my sister Christina.  (It's always a fight for who gets to cuddle with him first at that house.  So funny.)

Brayden and auntie Christina having fun together. 
(She put grandma's Halloween spider headband on him.
How ridiculous but oh so cute.)

My parents have a pack & play set up in one of the bedrooms so we thought it would be a good idea to stick to Brayden's usual bed time routine and put him to bed after his dinner.  Well, I guess he's smarter than we give him credit for because he refused to go to sleep. He must have known he was missing out on dessert ;)  Anyhow, while awake in the playpen, he taught himself how to stand up all my himself!  I was so thrilled and shocked when I saw this for myself... Fortunately, I had my camera on hand!

Brayden pulling himself up onto his feet for the first time!
And now this is his favourite new trick.

Finally, Monday was October 10th marking our second wedding anniversary.  We didn't have anything special planned to celebrate this year so we spent most of the day outside, winterizing the yard and taking Brayden to the park.  I have also been fighting an annoying head cold this weekend and after the busy weekend we had had, I didn't really feel like going out for dinner.  So, after putting Brayden to bed, we brought in sushi and enjoyed a romantic dinner at home while reminissing about our history together and where it's lead us to today. 


Anniversary collage



Thanks for the giant cookie, Meg!

I am so thankful for my amazing husband, my loving family, my supportive friends and my adorable little munchkin head.

Go Leafs Go!

Last night was the season opener for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Andrew, my dad and my BIL, Justin, are all huge Leafs fans (despite their embarrassing record...)  To ring in this year's season, we had my sister and Justin over for the "big" game vs. the Montreal Canadiens. (My dad was at the game, of course.) Here are some pics from our fun night!

The meal: chili (my homemade concoction),
 caesar salad (complements of uncle Justin)
 and cheesy garlic bread. Yum!

  

My two boys in their Leafs gear. So cute ;)



The Leafs win 2-0!
(Brayden with auntie Meg)



10 month weigh-in

Further to our 9 month update post, today I took Brayden to the doctor for his follow up weigh in.  You may recall that I had challenged myself to help Brayden pack on some more weight within the four weeks between doctor visits by adding two formal snacks to his daily eating regimen.  He's been eating like crazy, loving all food offered to him, continuing to nurse 3x/day and drinking lots of water from his sippy cup. Today was the big weigh in and I was disappointed to learn that he had only gained 5oz.  He now weighs 16.7lbs. [Insert feeling of surprise and disappointment here.]  Are you kidding me?  This kid eats A LOT.  Seriously though, I had to ask the NP to repeat his weight because I was in disbelief.
Anyhow, we were told that since he's not wanting to nurse more than 3x/day, that we should start offering him baby formula in the afternoon/evenings to ensure he gets all the necessary calories.  I asked about introducing homo milk instead (he is 10 months after all and has been eating milk-based products for at least a month) but were told to start with the formula for now and next month, at our next weigh in, we will discuss homo milk.  We were sent home with a few sample containers of formula and was told to give Brayden 15 oz/day.
I'm wondering if anyone has any insight on the following:
- Is introducing formula a must at this stage? (I don't really want to start bumping again...)
- Has anyone else received similar direction from their HCP?  How did you/your LO net out?
- Which formula brand is most recommended by you? (We were sent home with Enfamil, Good Start and Similac.)
Thanks for your help!

The gift of hearing

This video is so touching I just had to post it here.  Never will I take for granted the ability to hear... especially my baby's giggles.

Baby food making made easy

As many of you know, I've been making all of Brayden's baby food.  I'll admit, at first I was a little intimidated and overwhelmed at the thought of keeping up with all the meals I'd have to prepare but once I got started I've been on a roll.  To make things easy on myself, I set aside a couple evenings a month (after Brayden goes to bed for the night) to prepare a batch or two of fruit, veggies and meet.  (Most pureed fruits and veggies can be stored for up to 3 months in the freezer and pureed meet is good for 1 month in the freezer.) 
Even as Brayden starts to experiment with table food, I am still finding myself referring to my Baby and Toddler Cookbook (a shower gift, which can be purchased at PBK) and going online to look up recipes and to learn more about what foods to offer baby at certain ages and which foods to avoid.  The website I've found the most credible and helpful, offering a plethora of yummy recipes and menu ideas for babies of all ages is Momtastic's wholesomebabyfood.com.  I highly recommend this website as a kitchen must-have for anyone wanting to prepare nutritious food for a wee one.  Ever since introducing rice cereal at 5 months, Brayden has expressed a love for all foods offered to him, no matter the colour, texture or flavour!

Keeping busy

Maternity leave has been amazing. I am loving motherhood and all the messy and adorable things that come with it.  There have, however, been days where I've felt very lonely.
It was about three months into being home with Brayden that I began to feel comfortable with everything.  Breastfeeding was finally starting to become less of a painful production and I was feeling confident in leaving the house with him (awake or asleep).  Given that it was still winter, the days were feeling extra gloomy and it wasn't exactly the best time of year to be taking a new baby out for walks.  (I despise weather below 0 so I couldn't imagine a newborn enjoying it very much.)  I found myself spending a lot of my time walking around the Pickering Town Centre (which grew old quickly).
One day, I decided to hop on Google to investigate daytime activities for mommy & baby in our neighbourhood.  I found some resources and immediately got involved -- and met some fantastic momma & baby pairs!
I highly recommend new mommas get out of the house and meet other mom/baby pairs.  Not only did it give us something to do during the daytime, but we also got to chat with other adults who wanted to talk baby and share experiences of motherhood plus, we've made some great friends! Be sure to check out what's available in your neighbourhood early on so that you can get on any potential wait lists and take advantage of programs offered to even the newest of babies.
Below is a list of the programs offered in Pickering that Brayden and I took advantage of.  Many of the programs are available across the province and some are put on by the Ontario government and are free!

Ontario Early Years Centre
Perk: Lots of programs to choose from and it's all free!
I recommend Bouncing Babies and Learn to Play. (Both are great for 5 months+)

Mommy & Baby Fitness 
Perk: Locations everywhere!
I recommend Mommy and Baby Aerobics (fall/winter) and Strollerfit (spring/summer)

Babyville
Perk: Mom (and baby) discussion group moderated by a Public Health Nurse
A great way to meet a small group of moms in the community who want to stay in touch after the program's eight weeks!

Swimming Lessons
Perk: Develops a love for swimming and water safety
- Brayden started at 4 months old and was enrolled in Starfish/Duck (Red Cross swim levels)

Nine month update

Brayden had his nine month check up this week. Unlike the previous three appointments (2,4 and 6 months), this time there were no needles involved! In fact, the nine month appointment is optional -- it's an opportunity for the doctor to ensure you're baby's growth and development are on track and for you to ask questions that might probably have come up since your last appointment.

Our appointment revealed that Brayden is 16 pounds and confirmed that he has hit all the typical developmental milestones for his age. (Way to go little guy!) While I'm not one to pay too close attention to the percentiles that inevitably come out of these appointments (usually just numbers mommies harmlessly like to throw around when comparing each other's babies) our HPC did request she see Brayden in a month to check in on his weight. (Though he has always been a slender baby, he's fallen below the fifth percentile...) The advice I received from our HPC in the meantime is to continue breastfeeding 3-4 times/day and offer him more snacks.

So, I've decided to take these next four weeks to test out whether feeding two formal snacks, in addition to the three formal meals and four nursings I've been feeding, to see whether it helps beef up our little string bean.

Sample Menu: 4 Week Challenge

Breakfast

- breast milk

- oatmeal cereal

- banana

- yogurt

Snack

- breast milk

- peach slices

- toast

Lunch

- barley cereal

- chicken puree

- corn puree

- butternut squash

- apple sauce

Snack

- breast milk

- cheese cubes

- cracker

Dinner

- brown rice cereal

- beef puree

- mashed peas

- sweet potato 

- pear puree

Bedtime

- breast milk

Daycare Woes

When I sat down to read the Star this morning, the front page headline smacked me on the face forcing me to open my eyes wide... really wide. "Markham daycare shut down after toddlers escape" was the headline and being only a few short months away from transitioning my sweet pea to a daycare centre (in a town not very far from where this incident occurred), the article hit me hard.

Claudia and Damian Alfonso pose with their daughter, Lucia, 18 months, at their Markham home. Lucia and some daycare friends left the centre's playground, crossed a busy parking lot and were found in a nearby drugstore.
ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE/TORONTO STAR


Despite all our efforts to select the "best" daycare for our little ones, can we ever be 100 per cent confident and assured that the care these centres promise is what they're practicing when parents aren't around?

It seems like there's an endless amount of bad news daycares maintaining operation and sometimes the shenanigans are out of the operator's knowledge. It was at the beginning of the summer that I recall reading about a deceptive daycare caterer. "Former employees tell stories of milk bags left overnight in car trunks, ground beef driven to Ottawa in personal cars with no coolers and of undercooked chicken rushed off the grille to meet delivery deadlines," tells the article published in May by the Toronto Star.

It's stories like these that really shake you and make you second guess your decision.  I can only hope that the centre we've chosen for Brayden will never make headlines like this.

If you're interested in investigating whether your neighbourhood child care centres are licensed, or have any conditions placed on them by the ministry, you can visit: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/finding.html
Just know that you will not be able to find out the problems that lead to the conditions.

Crawling: More than just a way of moving around the house

Most babies begin to crawl between the ages of six – 10 months. At nearly nine months old, Brayden is not quite crawling yet. He’s super close – belly scooting/combat crawling and getting up on his hands and knees to rock back and forth – but not quite able to incorporate movement while up on all fours.  We have been encouraging him to crawl with ongoing praise, moving toys just far enough out of stretchable reach and have even been crawling around on our hands and knees ourselves in hopes that he’ll try to mimic us. It’s hilarious!

Among these antics, we have also been encouraging him to stand – leaning him against a sturdy object (like the couch) and holding his hands while helping him to take steps forward. Maybe he’ll just be one of those babies you hear about skipping the crawling stage and going straight on to walking. That would be great!  Or would it be?...

While talking to a family friend the other day, I was surprised to learn that crawling is a much more crucial milestone for a baby’s development  than I had originally thought. Apparently, crawling relates to other areas of development like eye-hand coordination and even later with reading and writing. Children use binocular vision when crawling, which means they look forward to where they are going and then back down at their hands again. Much later children will use this skill in school, by looking up at the blackboard and then back down at their papers to write something.

From everything I’ve read tummy time is fundamental to the progression of crawling. When a baby is placed on his belly he will instinctively lift his head (which helps develop his neck muscles), push up with his arms (which helps develop his hand, arm and chest muscles) and will push off the floor with his legs (which helps develop his leg and hip muscles).

I’ve also read that not all babies will crawl and even if a baby skips crawling it doesn’t mean he will have later developmental problems. <Sigh>

Just remember, as with everything else baby, they will progress at their own pace and will crawl when they are ready.  As parents, all we can do is continue to encourage them.

Brayden's First Haircut

This weekend, Andrew and I bit the bullet and agreed it was time to take Brayden for his first haircut. Our little boy was born with a healthy amount of strawberry blonde hair.

Brayden at 6 days old.

At around 3 weeks old, his hair began to fall out -- but only on the top of his head. And by 5 weeks he was looking like a very handsome old man.

However, in the weeks/months to follow, his hair grew back. And it grew and grew and grew!

Now, as we approach his ninth month of life, Andrew and I have bit the bullet. We finally took our shaggy haired baby for his first trim. This momentous occasion took place at a local hair salon for small tots. They sat him in a firetruck chair (which hardly phased him) and draped him in the smallest smock I've ever seen.  A-dorable! Brayden sat excitedly as the "stylist" spritzed water onto his head, combed his locks and shaped his sweet head to a much less disheveled look.

As to be expected, in addition to the slue of pictures I took for memory-sake, I also walked out with a clump of Brayden's freshly cut baby hair. Sniff, sniff... But, I must admit, he does look super cute with his fresh new do! 

A glimmer of hope

This morning, after putting Brayden down for his morning nap, I sat down with my cup of coffee and began to read the Toronto Star. My eyes were immediately drawn to the headline: ‘Breakthrough’ therapy rids patients of cancer. With much skepticism, I proceeded to scan Joseph Hall’s article. Upon completion, I found myself feeling very excited about what this reported research was promising and thought that maybe it could actually be a reality for my children to, one day, see the eradication of cancer. 

Essentially, the research involved a novel technique (similar in concept to a vaccine) which transforms blood-borne T-cells into “serial killers” that hunt down and obliterate cancer cells, leaving healthy tissue unharmed. Albeit only conducted on three late-stage leukemia patients, the results are extremely impressive – within three weeks more than two pounds of tumour cells in each patient were blown away. 

Although this post isn’t overtly related to my life as a new mom, this news has left me with a glimmer of hope that there may be children in my lifetime who will not have to know the devastation of cancer.

Maternity must-haves

Finding out you’re expecting is one of the most exciting moments life has to offer.  Being pregnant for 40 weeks, however; you’re bound to experience some unpleasantries such as discomfort, nausea, stretching, and much, much more. A few of my girlfriends have recently announced that they're expecting. Yahoo! As a tribute to them, below are a few things that I leaned on during my pregnancy that I'd like to pass along. Congrats ladies!

Pregnancy app, “What to Expect.com,” is a Free app from Heidi Murkoff, the author of the What to Expect series of books. Track everything you need to know about your pregnancy including week by week updates of your baby’s amazing development  and your fast-growing belly, all at you’re fingertips! My hubby and I would look forward to reading our updates every Friday morning.

Can’t quite do up the button on your favourite jeans or skirt anymore? The Bella Band is a must-have during the first few months of pregnancy. This bando-like waistband enables you to still wear your regular pants even when they've become too snug to do up the button. You grow, girl! 

Lollipops are a yummy way to help alleviate mild nausea. For friends who experience the extreme nausea that pregnancy has to offer, talk to your doctor about Diclectin – a combination of vitamin B6 and an antihistamine.  

Let’s face it, gaining weight and feeling big is a fact of being pregnant. To help feel better about your changing body invest in some good maternity clothes. Looking good will help you feel better and embrace your pregnant bod.

To keep stretch marks at a minimum, apply a belly oil such as Motherlove or Bio Oil thoughout your entire pregnancy and even afterwards. These smell lovely, even for the queasy momma! Bonus, applying belly oil allows you a few minutes in the day to admire your bump and bond with your developing baby.

Getting a massage while pregnant is a good way to reduce stress and labour pain. In fact, studies have shown that pregnancy massage can improve a woman’s mood, ease pain, decrease depression and anxiety and, reduce the risk of complications.  Find a RMT who specializes in prenatal massage then lie back, relax and enjoy. I saw Sarah Barton, RMT, at 360 Healthcare once a week!

Pretty soon after finding out you’re preggers, sleep will never be the same. For some reason, getting comfortable in bed is next to impossible, never mind the middle of the night wakings to pee.  Ugh.  One thing I found to help get comfy in bed was the Snoogle.  Andrew picked one up for me at Babies R Us. Look out husbands, this very well might be the only thing she’ll want to snuggle up to for the next few months. 

As you might know by now, my experience with breastfeeding did not start off on a very positive note.  Among other things, milk supply was a key contributor to my issues.  Only after struggling to nurse Brayden for a couple months did I finally learn about Mother’s Milk tea, which promotes healthy lactation and is traditionally used to increase breast milk production. Most health food stores carry it. I will definitely be drinking lots of this tea in the final weeks of my next pregnancy.