The social girl

So my little Isabelle is totally social! Not that her parents are not at all, but we have nothing on this one. She loves people and seems intent on making them smile and interact with her. She has to date also made the two little men in her life cry. Both Olan and Logan have been so overwhelmed by her attentiveness and exuberance, hence the screams of hello and grabbing hands, that they have been reduced to tears. I would probably feel the same were I faced with that kind of agressive attention. To that end, we attended the library sing a long this week for the first time and I realized that even though her mother is kind of reluctant to attend these "check out my baby sessions", she seems to love them. Ugh. Inevitably mothers are checking each other out, the babies, the strollers, how much hair each one has, how much they are eating, sleeping etc. etc. etc. She has no clue about all these intricacies and seems to love the other kids and the sing song sessions. Her mother, of course, had no idea what over 3/4's of the songs were and felt like a complete ass, but I guess I should get used the the feeling. I told my friend Renee that should anyone ask, I was French Canadian and therefore had a completely perfect excuse for my ignorance - I grew up with only French nursery rhymes. I hadn't really worked out how I was going to explain the lack of an accent.......

The next day we went to Dad's work as they had the Candian Freestyle Ski Team in to do a show. It was great - two big trampolines in the lobby, and five of the team, past and present. Isabelle was the youngest fan there and even got her photo taken with the Olympic champion Jennifer Heil. Gilles wanted her to meet a past Olympic champ as one to a future champ, we're just going to give her a few years. Most of you know the story.....Girl grows up on the canal, and becomes a speed demon on the long blades. He thinks it's a made for tv movie!

We also set up a huge, of course this is relative as she is fairly small, play area for her in the main room of the house. Bought those big foam letters and made a big square so now she has a spot for all of her toys. She loves to roll around and is trying desperately to crawl and it solves the hardwood dilemma for us. It's nice to be able to spend more time downstairs and she can't hurt her little noggin if she falls over from her seated position. Shock of all shocks though that she seems to be upright and having no problems all of a sudden. We also bought a baby to toddler swing and hope to get it up on the front verandah this weekend.

She has started really vocalizing a lot of late. One of her fav's is "Ma Ma Ma Ma". I, of course have decided that this is her first real word, and it's Mama. Please, no killing the fantasy.

On a completely unrelated note, I fear that my days of cereal scooping are now over. Gilles and I both love the PC Xtra Raisins for breakfast, and I especially like the sugared raisins. He opened the new box last night to get his breakfast ready and started to shake the box. I promptly responded with a NOOOooooooooooooooo. Unbeknowst to him, I like the box to stay as is since he pours from the top and gets most of the bran flakes. I head directly to the bottom, with my hand, and scoop out all the raisins which have a tendency to stay at the bottom of the box. Agh, he now knows that he has been getting screwed on the raisin ratio.

Isabelle would also like to send out a thank you to her Great Aunt Janice who sent a lottery scratch and win ticket for Easter. She has won a windfall 3$ and it's now in her piggy bank, where it will not collect interest, but will be indeed a large sum of cash to her when she eventually heads out to the convenience store with her friends for a candy run...............

John Mayer

So, we arrived home from Florida at 5:50pm and I had a concert to attend with Alli Howell at 7:00pm! Needless to say, I held my breath through customs in order to head home quickly and on to the Corel Centre. The tickets were on paper and I am a big fan of John Mayer - they were one of my anniversary gifts for the big #1 (paper!). It was an excellent concert and we had a great time. I must admit that I have always liked John Mayer, and really wanted to see him in concert in case there was actual evidence of brain damage that I couldn't be privy to unless it was in person (along with thousands of other people)!? I mean, the guy lost HUGE points with me when he started dating Jessica Simpson. I don't think that Newlyweds made her look stupid in any case - I tried to give her some credit and she always screwed it up with a completely inane comment - chicken of the sea always comes to mind, although there were countless others. Now you know I saw more than one episode - that in and of itself is somewhat embarassing. The girl can make money though............

Alli stayed for most of the weekend and it was great to visit - had some bbq and a visit to the market. It was sunny and warm so it was an easier transition from Florida that I initially expected. Alli was great fun as always. Super easy to be with and is one of the great friends who is without kids but is totally keen on getting to know Isabelle, and very patient with our schedule - like the half an hour to 45 minutes it takes to get her fed and put her down for a nap. That sort of thing - she grabs herself a book and heads out to the porch. We kept Isabelle busy and she seemed happy to be at home with her toys. After trips like that she usually spends the first couple of days seemingly bored with her Mom - where are all the adoring fans and why is she not being amused each and every second of the day!?

Florida fun!

So, we are now back from Florida...somewhat reluctantly...all right, totally reluctantly. As it is, we ended up staying two days longer than we were supposed to. Thank God for change fees with airline tickets!



New Smyrna beach is on the Atlantic coast, with the Intracoastal waterway to the West. Thus we had the pounding surf and the calmer waters. It was a phenomenal time. Sunny and 30 degrees pretty much everyday - falling asleep listening to the sound of the surf, and Isabelle slept like a log. I was finally able to put her down and enjoy most every evening without running into the room to check on the binky situation, or whatever else usually awakens her. If I could bottle Florida for her, I would as it seemed to be a drug she found entirely to her liking.

She is totally enamoured of her grandparents and had a great time giving Grandpa kisses and shrieking with laughter at her Gran....seems Mom is one of the only people that can make her hysterical. In fact, much to her mother's chagrin, Gran was also the favourite at the pool. She seemed to enjoy swimming with her more that with me! To that end, she adored the pool and had fun sticking her face in the water, kicking her little frog legs and splashing. Total water baby. We're going to head to the open swims at Carleton University now that she has had a taste and seems to love it so much.

Mom and Dad both look amazing. Dad is Slim Jim, tanned and toned - he looks amazing. Mom looks relaxed, and just as good(!) and they are having a great time together seeing and experiencing so much of the sunny State.

The shopping was incredible. We hit the outlets two separate days. Once in St. Augustine and once in Orlando. Let's just say that the Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Osh Kosh, Banana Republic, Ralph Lauren, Puma, Coach and Burberry's are all a tad depleted in inventory due to our arrival. Man, what a high. We even found, much to my amazement a STARBUCKS at the Super Target and I made sure to stock up every time we were there. One man told me that I looked like I wasn't going to sleep that night due to all the caffeine I had in my carry tray.Old habits die hard. I was also amazed that I didn't miss Tim's all that much since Dunkin Donuts is really quite good. Who knew!?

There were miles and miles of beach right in front of the condo so I got to run every couple of days - even saw a dead sea turtle one day. Huge thing and somewhat less scary since he wasn't going anywhere and I could check him out quite thoroughly. Not that, I guess, they are very scary, but they ARE huge and therefore a bit intimidating!

Gilles also came and had a great stay. Started off a little slowly since his wife did not remember his flight time correctly (off by an hour), his mother-in-law deleted his e-mail with his arrival and departure so we couldn't check to make sure, and his father-in-law went to one of the three international airports in Orlando to pick him up, just NOT the one he was at. Who could guess!? Ah, but from there it was all sunny skies. He is swimming like a champ - I couldn't believe my eyes. I swear his front crawl form is better than mine! He had fun running too, and is getting back at it finally and therefore extremely happy.

We had a couple of really great meals at different seafood places, and at the condo courtesy of Dad. He fishes right off the beach and had much luck so we had fresh fish a la Garth quite a few times.

So, Gilles left and I stayed for a few extra days. Mom and Dad's friends Martha and John actually left their condo for a couple of days so when the Collins crew arrived, Isabelle and I were very fortunate to make the move to their place and continue to stay in style for the remainder of our trip. It was great to see Olan, Meg and Adam and the kids had a great time interacting and swimming together. Olan looks so much like Adam, especially now that his hair has grown in so much and is in little spikes like his Dad's.....more and more red too. I am afraid he will continue to change so rapidly and we will miss much of it over the coming years. Even since the last time we saw him only a month and a bit before, he has developed so much more. Wriggly, interactive and sitting up - smiling all the time - little man on the way!

It was a really special time and I am very lucky that Isabelle, Gilles and I have been fortunate enough to travel so much and visit with all the family.

You can dress them up........

Wednesday Gilles took a half day at work and we went to Stars and Strollers with Renee and Logan to see Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory - Isabelle didn't drive, although she seemed to want to. The concept is a good one because it get's you out of the house and you get to hang with other moms and babies. On the other hand, you rarely see all of the movie, because what little one can sit for two hours in a darkened theatre without getting fussy, and you end up paying the same 9.95$ to, oftentimes, listen to a whack load of kids cry. I have a problem with this, especially now as a mom. I mean, if Isabelle is fussing, I get up and walk with her, take her out to change her diaper etc. There are however, large numbers of moms who sit in the darkened theatre with screaming babies and the rest of the crowd is expected to just listen because hey, this is Stars and Strollers. My nerves are often shot by the time we leave and my own baby has nothing to do with it!? The good thing is I have yet to see a great movie that I really minded missing 20-30 minutes of, and Renee and I get to hang out and talk through the movie - who can tell when there is so much other noise going on around us?

So, we went shopping with Renee and her little one Logan on Thursday. Isabelle finally wore this amazing outfit we had purchased her in Halifax over Christmas. Truth be told, it was to be an apres ski outfit for Whistler, but it was still too big when we went. Let's just say we paid way too much for this outfit, and she has never worn it. Anyway, off we went shopping and she wore the outfit. It's a cream knit two piecer with satin trim around the waist and a nice satin bow. We were touring around, having a grand old time when I look down and notice that Isabelle was now in fact sucking on the cream ribbon that once adorned her waist. She had, in the time that I selected my size in capri pants, removed the sewn on bow and was happy as a clam with her new teething toy. She was so happy and looked so hilarious that I couldn't help but laugh, at the same time as I realized there really is no sense in buying clothing that expensive for a six month old. You can dress them up, but what happens afterwards is all a crap shoot.

Note to all re: the baby food issue. There is NO ascorbic acid in the veggies, only the fruits. The veggies are only the veg of choice and water. So tell me what I'm doing wrong. I swear if we go down to Florida and Mom cooks up some grub for Isabelle and she eats it, and loves it, I'll know I'm as pathetic with food as I am with gardening. I mean veg and water. How could I have screwed that up?

So today, I went to the Nordic spa. First point ot note, Scandinavians actually walk around to take part in spa treatments. We North Americans are used to sitting and being waited on. There was a whole set up outside and three cabins. The first were the Finnish saunas, the second the relaxation hut and the third the steam baths. There was the nordic waterfall, and a temperate bath and a hot tub on the grounds in the middle. I got there and realized I should have brought a robe and a pair of sandals. Felt like a total newbie spa goer and therefore an idiot. Thankfully I could buy a pair of sandals and they supplied you with towels. Then, I headed out to the steam bath in the two degree weather in my swimsuit and towel, thinking that a really great HOT BATH awaited me.........only to find that it was a room so filled with steam that I couldn't see an inch in front of me and wasn't sure whether I was about to fall into a bath, or just some other half naked person trying to find their way around too. It's totally like being in a de-humidifier, complete with the mentholyptus - big pot of vicks vaporub. If I ever have a bad cold, I know where to go now. So I timed myself for ten minutes and then headed out to the waterfall - touched it gingerly, felt my body temperature sink like a demon and thought I would hit one of the outdoor baths instead - ONLY I chose the temperate one, which is not so temperate in two degree weather. It literally knocked the wind out of my body and must have completely opened my pores. Off to the sauna. At this point I realize the good thing about the steam bath is that you can't see all the other people in their half dressed state. In the sauna, you can, and not a great thing seeing as how many are a tad older and wearing bikinis that only really cover a small part of their bodies. I did leave feeling like I looked pretty damn good after having a baby, and I might add in a full piece bathing suit. Relaxation hut was great - fix yourself a tea and sit back with a magazine, and the hot tub was fabulous. I could have stayed in much longer, but the hour long massage was about to start so alas I dragged my body out and off to be spoiled. Another great thing about this spa is the big open concept restaurant they have in which everyone is in their robes. I mean great, it's like being at home where you really don't have to dress to eat - could it get any better? The massage was fabulous, but as I was saying to Gilles I wouldn't know a crappy massage from a good one. Unless they pound on you, which is probably distinctly unpleasant, someone taking care of your body like that is always a good feeling? All in all a great break, so much so that Renee and I are heading back at the end of April before she has to go back to work.

Off to continue to pack for Florida. Isabelle had to borrow a suitcase from Logan since her little one can't possibly fit all the clothing she has for the warm temps - her mom on the other hand has some maternity wear from last summer and some small clothing from the summer before that she has to go through so she isn't walking around Florida naked. It's all about the baby now!

Happy Easter weekend!

Ahh...it all becomes clear

See what did I tell you. Can't even find my own blog from 5 minutes ago and have no idea if I even posted anything at all.

Hey! I made it to my own blog........

So, it's taken me over six months to finally figure out how to log in and out of my blog site! No, but seriously, it has taken me this long to finally decide to make it a priority and make a small log of how we are all doing, what we are up to and what's coming up. Also, I realize that baby brain kinda precludes you from remembering ALL those little milestones and if it makes it to the blog, I'll always have a record- it's all about serving my own selfish interests :) Seeing as how it's taken me so long, I am not going to go over the past six months and all that has happened, umm, having a baby, travelling across Canada and the like, so you'll just get them as flashbacks if something related comes to mind and the moment takes me away...........

IN a few words though - she's a gem. Happy, social little baby - temperament much like her father, and not her mother - except for her sleeping patterns. She's a night owl. I figure it's just a little karma since my parents had so much trouble with me. She's moved from the 10th percentile in weight to the 90th on her six month check up. Can you say homogenized breast milk? Either that or it's the chocolate, since I can't seem to knock the habit. She's now sitting up by herself and rolls around everywhere. Likes to prop herself up on her hands when she's on her tummy so I expect that she'll crawl sooner, rather than later. Don't know how much I am looking forward to that milestone! She is constantly trying to put everything in her mouth and then throws it, across the room, down on the floor and I feel like I don't stop moving. Speaking of that, I still go to the gym, but haven't had anything to do with my arms since who knows when. Imagine my surprise when I realize that my biceps are pretty neat looking and I haven't done a thing. You can laugh, but I swear it never occurred to me.........

She is in no uncertain terms not "okay" looking. She's a doll. Her hair is turning sandy blonde and her smile could light up a ball park - she's a smiler too. She laughs and I will do anything to make her continue. This includes walking around the mall sticking out my tongue and spitting at her - I figure I have no one left to impress....and that would be a good thing since I can't remember the last time I spent any time doing my hair or putting on nice clothes. Yes, it feels good to be back in shape, but does it really matter since all I want to wear are jogging pants? Speaking of taking care of yourself, Gilles bought me a spa treatment for my birthday and I am finally using it on Good Friday - what a guy! It's for the hot baths - which sounds great right, except that there is a FREEZING COLD waterfall involved in the treatment. Hot to cold and then you cycle about three times. I ask you, does anyone care enough about their pores that they will do this OUTSIDE in 2 degree weather? I'll let you know how it goes. Let's just say that the hour long massage is what I'm really looking forward to, and someone may have to physically remove me from the hot springs to continue on with the "spa cycle" such as it is. I wonder if they'd really do that?

Anyway, on to the bad! Tick off of the week. I make Isabelle's baby food, since, really doesn't every mother who cares? Expectations will be the death of me. In any case, Sunday was the blitz day and we had cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, pears, and bananas on the go. Her favourite, so far, are the sweet potatoes and the bananas. Perhaps I should note at this time that I am an extremely loving mother since the sight and smell of bananas is enough to make me sick. Anyway, I digress. We tried the carrots thinking orange and more orange - peas were not a big hit, nor was the broccoli and I figured ahh, it's the green), and in any case, upon eating them she flipped out, tried to launch herself out of the highchair and screamed EVERY time they hit her mouth. I was, of course stealth mom and tried giving her bananas interspersed with the carrots. Didn't work, one little bit. She was having none of it. This is all a little strange since as much as she prefers some things over others, she NEVER refuses to eat it. Loves her food! Anyway, the next day I'm in the grocery store and I see the bottles of baby food and decide I'm going to try one out. I buy the carrots and figure it won't work, but at least I know she just hates them. Fast forward to her dinner - doesn't happen. Sucks them back and would have eaten more had I had more available. So I ask you, is the ascorbic acid or whatever it is that keeps this baby food semi-fresh in the bottle such a great taste that my daughter will eat them and not the home made variety? I really don't even want to try the other non-hits such as peas. It will only serve to depress me. I mean, I don't spend half that time making Gilles and myself dinner, much less someone 1/10th of our size.

That will be all for now - I'm going to get on track, like my sister who has regaled us all for months and completely puts me to shame, and might even try posting photos. Makes me dizzy even contemplating it but I have to learn something more than baby stuff during this year hiatus from work!

XOXO