Thursday, May 19, 2011

My Little Nugget is ONE!

Today Evan is 365 days old and I am one proud mama, let me tell you! How can I sum up Evan’s first year? I think pictures say it best!

From this...


To this (5 months later)...


TO THIS!



He is a beautiful human being.

I love you Evan! xoxo

Monday, May 16, 2011

Birthday Extravaganza!

Following in his mother’s footsteps, Evan has started celebrating his birthday a week and a half early. I have been practicing the birth week, instead of the birthday, for years now. In fact, since hitting my 30’s I celebrate birth month! Why not?

We started E’s birthday celebrations with a photo shoot. Thank you Christine Tripp for taking brilliant photographs of our little guy! And for making him his first ever birthday cake! As soon as we put it in front of Evan he went for it. We had to blow out the candle quickly because he attacked that cake as if he had never eaten chocolate a day in his life. Wait, that’s the truth! He started with his hands, he soaked them in icing and started licking them like lollipops. I have to be honest, I was a bit nervous watching him chow down, thinking about what chocolate was going to do to him, but I let him have his fun. Next thing we knew Evan face planted right into the cake. See for yourself...


When he sat up he had icing so far up his nostrils he couldn’t use his nose to breathe. We got him all cleaned up, but chocolate icing was coming out of his nose for days.

Evan’s actual 1st birthday is on Thursday. It’s a milestone and a celebration for John and I as much as Evan. We’re celebrating the fact that we've kept Evan healthy and happy for an entire 12 months! Considering we didn’t know what we were doing when we had him, this is quite the accomplishment. He has become the light in our lives. When I see John look at him it absolutely melts my heart. This little guy of ours is a miracle, there is no other way to describe it. A miraculous, cake eating, smiley, curious, rambunctious, loyal, handsome, affectionate little guy… who is now officially walking by the way! Walking, just in time for his first birthday.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Never A Day Off

In the last week it has really hit me like a ton of bricks. You don’t get a day off from being a mom. An obvious statement, but knowing something is true and actually experiencing it for oneself are two different things. So what is it that’s happened in the last week that has made me truly realize that I am a full-time, 24-7, for eternity mom? I’m pretty sure Evan’s energy brought on this revelation. He’s been sick for a week. He’s had a bad cold, yet his energy has not really been affected. When I’m sick with a cold I’m usually lethargic. Not Evan. Evan just takes his cold on the go, slobbering and snotting all over the place. Snotting, yes, new word! Use it!

I was tired this last week. I was fighting off some nasty germs myself, and all I wanted to do was lie on the couch, read a magazine and sip on some tea, but that is not an option for me anymore. Not with a very active son. I have never worked so hard in my life. I put in a full day at work, then I come home and mother my butt off, then I do house work, and if I’m lucky I get that hour before I have to put myself to bed when I can watch something funny on TV or read a book… The “me time” is the hour I’m cramming into my day. Before Evan it was “me time” pretty much all the time. Good thing I took advantage of it for all those years. Luckily, in many ways, I feel very positive about how I maximize the hours in a day. I can’t believe how much I do, and my sleeping has improved. I hit that pillow and its lights out! There are those moments though when I fantasize about Mary Poppins knocking on my door offering to take Evan for a few hours so I can do whatever I want. I’m fortunate that I have family and friends to watch Evan, but you know, those are always planned “babysitting” type scenarios. It’s not very often where, as a mother, you have someone show up in a random moment of need to give you a break.

Okay, so now I’m tempted to gush about how much I love Evan and how it’s all so worth it. That’s true. My heart absolutely aches with love for him, but that doesn’t change the fact that being a mom is exhausting sometimes and that sometimes I just want a day off and knowing that it is not an option makes me even more exhausted. I’m not going to spoon full of sugar it. That’s the truth!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Ever Been to Mucus Falls?

I have snot all over me. On my face, my clothes and in my hair. Evan has such a bad cold his nose is like an open faucet, I’ve never seen anything like it. Just last week I was thinking about how lucky we’ve been over the winter, John and I were in good health all season and Evan has really only suffered through a couple of small colds since he was born. Well now he’s got a doozie and it came out of nowhere. Without warning he woke up Monday morning a total sickie. He’s being needy of course, but other than that and his nose he’s actually fairing pretty well. He’s such a trooper.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Damaged Goods?

Are you the type of person that looks at yourself in the mirror before jumping into the shower or do you avoid the naked glance all together? I always look. I’m curious. It’s so rare that I see myself without any clothes on, I want to know what’s going on under the layers. I have to say I’m very pleased with how my body bounced back after being pregnant. My stomach is more or less flat and I don’t have any stretch marks. My skin is stretched, in the sense that when I fold my body in half it sort of gathers in an unflattering way, but really, how often am I going to be posing like that for anyone?! I’ve already told you about my boobs, they’re smaller, but I can deal with that. My legs have always been the bane of my existence, but I’m even starting to finally embrace them. I would say the only thing I’m unhappy with is my c-section scar. I remember looking at it the day after my surgery and my first thought was, “It’s so big!” It looked way bigger than my girlfriend Emily’s. I was so alarmed that I vowed not to look at it again for at least a few days. It looked better once they took the staples out on day three, but I remember still being upset with my doctor. I actually uttered the words, “I told her to make a small incision…” to myself. Now I’m sure some of you are reading this thinking, “She’s so vain!” Well that’s fine, you can think that. Obviously the scar is worth the miracle that came out of it (my little Evan), that’s a given people, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m working on my body right now, I’m working out and I’m eating better than ever (my trainer has me doing this no carbs or sugars, including fruit, past lunch). I want to be healthy and happy, for me, for my son, for John and for bikini weather. I can feel my little love handles are fading away, my arms look stronger, but that scar, that scar and the scar tissue around it fail to disappear. If you touch the actual scar itself it’s very hard, and on either side of it I have these bumps of, either scar tissue, or fat, I don’t know. It looks gross if you ask me… It’s like a little bum. Ewwwwww. Remember that first scratch you got on your new car? Remember how it made you feel kinda sick? That’s the way I feel about my scar on bad days. I love antique furniture, and if one of my pieces gets a nick on it I don’t get upset because it just adds more character. That’s the way I look at my scar on good days. Although I wouldn’t really want anyone looking at me like an antique. I’m only 31 for goodness sakes!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Happy Friday!

They're calling for rain this weekend in the Ottawa area, but I'm praying for more sun, just like we got yesterday! Evan loves blue skies! Just look at the smile on his face.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Bye Bye Boobies

I stopped breastfeeding a while ago, mid January actually. It happened naturally. Evan was totally cool with taking a bottle and truthfully he seemed to be losing interest in the breast. I didn’t pick a day as my last day to breastfeed, I just gradually cut back and then decided I was done. I had a few women tell me how hard it was for them and how they sobbed after their “last feeding” and I just thought to myself - mental note: don’t do that! Breastfeeding is incredible, the fact that my body produced all the nutrients Evan needed as an infant still blows my mind. I’m really thankful that I was able to breastfeed. I especially enjoyed the middle of the night feeds, when it was just Evan and I in the dark of the night, not a sound to be heard, it was very special. I remember crying the first time he had a bottle. I got very emotional because all of a sudden I felt like an inanimate object was doing the same job I was putting my heart and soul into (really, because at the time breastfeeding Evan hurt so much I had to really pull from my inner strength to keep going). As I cut back on breastfeeding I got less emotional about it because (on the up side) I felt like I was starting to get some freedom back. That and I really enjoyed being reunited with red wine. Side note – Do you watch Cougar Town? I’m asking for my very own “Big Carl” for my birthday this year.

Since I’ve stopped breastfeeding my breasts have gotten smaller. They definitely look different compared to my pre pregnancy/breastfeeding breasts. They’re… well… they’re sort of limp in comparison and did I mention they're small?! The fact that I’m working out now isn’t helping the situation. Why oh why when I start to work out are my boobs the first thing to disappear?! Why can’t my inner thighs vanish as quickly? Luckily John isn’t a boob guy. He’s a me guy. I’m a lucky lady! If I ever dare tell him I don't like something about my body, he's the first to tell me how much he loves it. So there’s my boob update. My boobs, what’s left of them, are mine again.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Friend Love

We just had a wonderful weekend with our friends Chris and Hayley and their little guy Ashton. Ashton was born on May 9th and Evan was born on May 19th, so technically there are only 10 days between them, but it seems like more. Ashton is walking! He’s starting to know his colours, he can point to his nose when prompted, he's really a mini-man and so much fun! I guess it makes sense that Ashton seems so much further along than Evan because he was 2 weeks overdue and Evan was 10 days early (because of the planned C-section). I know no matter the age every baby develops at their own pace. It’s just really fun to see what’s in store for us. I can’t wait!

So the two little guys really got along well. Evan absolutely loved Ashton! This was evident from the numerous kisses Evan gave him. Evan couldn’t stop showing his affection for Ashton, it was hilarious. Luckily Ashton was a good sport about it. He even got a kick out of Evan steamrolling him! It made me realize how deprived Evan’s been. While I was on maternity leave we had our little play dates with other babies, but since I’ve been back at work Evan’s really only had adults as companions. Seeing him light up around Ashton I decided that I have to make more of an effort to get him out with other kids his age on a regular basis.

Chris, Hayley and Ashton are on their way back to Toronto now and Evan is having a well deserved nap. I’m already looking forward to our next weekend together. Evan’s going to miss his buddy.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Big Teeth

Evan’s two front top teeth have cut through and they look HUGE! Honestly, they look like adult teeth. Poor little guy. Unfortunately due to his discomfort he’s been waking up an average of twice a night and the only thing that will calm him down is feeding him. Not a good habit to get in to I know, but what else am I supposed to do?! This morning he woke up at 4am so I went in, gave him his soother and patted his back. I thought he went back to sleep, but when my alarm went off at 4:30am he was up again. Nothing I did calmed him so at 5:15am I caved and gave him a bottle. I was going to be late for work so I had no other choice. Truth is Evan always wakes up once to be fed. I know he shouldn’t need a dream feed at 10 months, but he’s waking up for it… probably out of habit now… oh what have I done?! We’re going to attempt to wean him off by decreasing the amount of formula in his bottle each night. I hope it works, although I wonder if there’s any point to starting the weaning process while he’s teething. Wait, we have to, he's going to be teething for years! Oh the mixed emotions… I marvel at his development (Teeth, hello?! Totally cool!), but agonize over the sleepless nights his development is causing. Ah well, you know what, who am I kidding, I don’t care that much. I’m the luckiest girl in the world! I’ve got an awesome baby, a fantastic man, oh and there’s my health! I have my health! Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

I'm Back

It’s been a while. I can’t exactly tell you why I haven’t posted anything. I’m inclined to say I’m busy living my life instead of writing about it, but that sounds harsh and that’s really not how I feel. I love writing and I certainly love writing about my little boy, but I guess I can say that for the last month and a bit I’ve really been focusing on myself and getting ‘me’ back on track. As a result I feel better than ever! In less than two months Evan will be one year old. I’m almost there and I feel victorious! First of all because Evan is a beautiful, healthy, happy, fascinating little boy, which to me means I’m doing a good job. I also feel victorious because John and I are stronger than ever and I’m back at work and absolutely loving it. There were (many) days 6, 4… 3 months ago when I didn’t think I would ever feel this way, yet here I am, ready to shout from the mountain tops, “I love being a mom!”. Oh, and can I tell you about the cherry on top of my already great mood? This past Sunday Evan said “Mom”. Now he had no idea what it meant, but he said it. Sure he said “Dad” on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, yesterday and today, but that’s okay. Mom is a harder word and I know I’ll get an ear full of “Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom” as he grows so I’m not worried. Even hearing it once sent shivers through me. We’ve already been through so, so much together Evan and I, but there’s still a lifetime ahead of us.

I’m back and I will try to post more often, thank you for your notes and messages and thank you for helping me through these first 10 months.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

So Much Fun

After dinner I took Evan down to the basement to crawl around and expel his energy before bedtime. He was happily exploring when I started “chasing” him on my hands and knees. He got a big kick out of this. When I stopped and crawled away from him he started to chase me… I swear! When he got to me I picked him up and turned him upside down and he loved every minute of it. Then I sat him back down and he started crawling away from me again. I started chasing him again and this time I said, “I’m going to get you”. Well he let out a squeal and a giggle like he knew exactly what I said to him. He started to crawl faster, but I got him. I did the same thing as before, I picked him up, turned him around and plopped him back down on the floor. Guess what he did next? He started quickly crawling away from me. I said, “I’m going to get you” and he squealed again. Amazing! He really knew what was going on. We were really playing with one another. As I was putting him to bed just moments ago, I looked at him in my arms and realized just how much fun the two of us are going to have together... Feeling very fortunate in this moment to have been given such a gift.

I just want to kiss his little face off!

Ummm, thanks mom...

Okay mom, that's good...

Mom, that's good! Stooooooop!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Up The Stairs We Go

Last night Evan CLIMBED THE ENTIRE FLIGHT OF STAIRS! It was like a miracle was happening right before my eyes! This little guy of mine is amazing. I was playing with him in our living room when he started crawling towards our front door. He stopped at the mat in our front hallway and admired the texture of it by patting it repeatedly. Then he saw the stairs and went for them. He started pulling himself up and I thought he was just going to stand there, but he actually pulled himself onto the next step, and then the next step, and the next one. I started squealing like a little school girl. I was there ready to catch him if he missed a step, but he didn't. He climbed the entire flight as if it was no big deal. When he got to the top he turned around and shot me the biggest grin! I don't know when or where he learned this. Just a couple of weeks ago I was trying to teach him how to climb the stairs and he wasn’t quite getting it. He’s developing so quickly it’s blowing my mind. I can hardly wait to get home from work today to watch him do it again!

Mom, there's someone at the door...


Okay, time to tackle these stairs!


This is a piece of cake mom...

Monday, January 31, 2011

How Quickly Things Change... From Desperate to Elated!

EVAN SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT LAST NIGHT!

After writing my last "desperate" post I continued to up Evan's formula for the rest of the day. In the end I guess that's what he needed because last night he slept through the night. HE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!

Maybe it wasn't just the increased formula, it might have had something to do with the fact that he hardly slept through the day yesterday. That first nap I put him down for only lasted 20 minutes, and it was the same for his second. So he was obviously exhausted when bed time rolled around. I'm preparing myself for the fact that he may be up 5 times tonight... But I'm also trying to enjoy this moment!

I ended up calling my mom yesterday afternoon because I was so distraught. A chat with her was exactly what I needed. She more or less told me to stop sweating the sleep thing. She said that if I could just shift my way of thinking that things might get better. I’ve been so concerned with his sleep schedule and trying to plan my day around when I might be able to get him down… Mom told me to stop all that! She said, if he stays up for four hours straight so be it. As long as he’s happy, he’ll fall asleep when he’s ready. She also said something that really resonated with me. She reminded me that Evan is a baby. She said that sometimes he’ll need me for no apparent reason and because he’s a baby all I need to do is love him and be there for him. So that’s it, I’m going to stop my fussing! If he’s wakes up after 20 minutes and he’s crying for me, I’m going to him. It’s not going to damage him for life, and I have to get it out of my head that he’s never going to sleep well because I don’t have him on a schedule at 8 months. My new belief is that it’s going to work itself out in time. I already feel the stress leaving my shoulders.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Energizer Evan

Evan oh Evan, why do you hate sleep so much? Why is it that you can be up for 4 hours straight and still not want to go down for your nap?! Why, when you finally do act tired and I put you down to sleep do you all of a sudden get your second wind and start playing in your crib like it's a jungle gym?

HELP! What can I do differently to get this baby of mine to sleep well? After talking to my wonderful girlfriend Hayley yesterday I decided that I might not be feeding him enough. Today I increased the amount of formula we give him before trying to put him down for his first nap. Unfortunately it didn't make a difference. Evan (even though he was yawning and rubbing his eyes) still protested when I tried to put him down. He cried while standing in his crib for 10 minutes. At that point I went back into his room, gave him his soother, and rubbed his back. He finally went down, but I want it to be easier than that, I mean shouldn't it be easier than that? I want him to go to sleep happily... Is there any chance he'll change? I've read sleep books and talked to friends and I'm really starting to wonder if Evan is "special" in a sense that he doesn't need the same amount of sleep as other babies? That sounds like a desperate mom talking doesn't it? I know in my heart of hearts he needs the sleep. I just don't know what I can do to help him get it. Even if I do get him down for his nap he hardly ever sleeps more than an hour. In fact, half hour naps are common around here. According to what I've read his first nap of the day should be two hours. Again, what am I doing wrong? I'm not even going to write about the horror that is his night time sleep. I'll just say that he's basically up every two hours.

I know, I wrote a post not that long ago talking about how much his sleeping had improved. Well it looks like the travelling we did over Christmas and our trip to Cuba officially messed that up... And this week we've hit rock bottom.

Desperate Mom - Out.

He only looks innocent...

Friday, January 28, 2011

Boo-Boo

Now that Evan is crawling like a mad man and pulling himself up on everything within his reach he’s getting some boo-boo’s. I follow him everywhere of course and always have one hand on him while he’s practicing his standing, but my reflexes aren’t always quick enough when he loses his balance. He’s already had a few good head bumps. Poor, poor baby. The worst is his cry when he hurts himself. You know the one where there’s silence for 5 seconds followed by a blood curdling shriek?! Ouch! Oh, and I haven’t even told you about the boo-boo of all boo-boo’s. It happened over Christmas. We were visiting our friends in Toronto and Evan was on my lap at the dining room table. I was trying to do something with my right hand so I didn’t have both hands around him when he squirmed. He ended up falling over to my right and hitting his mouth hard on the table. I instantly felt sick to my stomach. I’ve never heard him cry the way he did after that happened. I took him in my arms and held him tight and told him I was sorry. Over and over again I said it, “I’m sorry baby, I’m sorry!” Oh my gosh I felt so guilty. I ran upstairs into my friend’s son’s room and whipped out my boob in the hopes of soothing him. When I pulled him from my tight hold to put him on my breast I saw blood. Bright red blood was coming from Evan’s mouth. That’s when I freaked. I yelled for John and he came bolting up the stairs three steps at a time. There was blood all over my shoulder, and all around his mouth. John was calm, thank goodness because I was not. What happened was he cut his lip when he hit the table. A bit of booby juice and some ice and he was fine, thankfully.

You know I always thought I would be calm in the wake of a traumatic event (let's face it, all scrapes and bruises are traumatic when it’s your baby), but it’s something I have to work on apparently. I know freaking out doesn’t help the situation and I know there will be more boo-boo’s to come, after all, I have a boy on my hands! An active boy at that. I better toughen up.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Evan's New Friend!

My bestie, Emily had her second child on Thursday. She and her husband Brad decided they would not find out the sex, so it was an honest to goodness surprise when they found out it was a BOY! Griffin Patrick Weir is an absolute cutie. I went to visit Emily and meet the new addition to our friendmily last night. He is really too sweet. Congratulations Emily, Brad and Clementine!

Here's Clementine giving her new brother little kisses...

What The Heck Is Going On?

Evan has diarrhea. It started on Monday… it’s now Saturday. It’s been six days of changing the yuckiest smelling diapers you can imagine. He’s pooping 4-5 times during the day and at least once at night. It’s the night time poops that are the worst. Sometimes they’re so bad I have to change his pajamas which totally wakes him up. Of course after feeding him and changing him half an hour goes by that I’m wide awake in the middle of the night. I’m not sure if it’s the after effects of Cuba or teething or what, but I hope he starts pooping like he used to soon. We’ve switched to a soy-based formula in case it was sensitivity to his milk-based formula, but that hasn’t helped. We’ve been giving him rice and bananas, but that hasn’t helped. I called his doctor and he said 10 poops a day is the benchmark for concern. If he’s pooping under 10 times than it will most likely correct itself in time. My question is, how long is it going to take?! The doctor also said to keep an eye out for signs of dehydration. Oh boy, this is not so fun.

What was fun was my date with John last night. We went out in Almonte (so my parents could watch Evan) and had a really lovely time. Our dinner was delicious and we talked each other’s ears off! Ha ha! We decided to spend the night in town so that we could have a few drinks. Unfortunately Evan failed to communicate with us in advance that he really wanted to go home to sleep. He was up ALL NIGHT! Finally at 3:30am I said to John, “Pack up, we’re going home.” We made it back to Barrhaven by 4:30am and Evan went straight to sleep and stayed sleeping until 8am. Then he had an hour and a half long morning nap. It’s weird, it’s like he just wanted to be in his own bed. That’s not cool! How are John and I supposed to get our date on if Evan won’t sleep well in his play pen. I’m hoping this is another one of those temporary things.

Other than that things are good! I gave Evan Cheerios for the first time today and he loved them! Yay, one more thing that can keep him happily amused!

Tonight we’re having some friends over for dinner… I hope (after last night) I can keep my eyes open.

Here he is, poopie diarrhea pants, eating his Cheerios!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Cuba, Si!

We did it! Not only did we survive 7 days out of the comfort of our country let alone our home, we loved every minute of it!

Last Friday, John, Evan, and I along with my parents boarded a plane for Varadero, Cuba. Leading up to the trip I was very excited, but also a little nervous. I was nervous that Evan wouldn’t travel well; that his ears would pop on the plane, that he would have a reaction to the Cuban sun, that he wouldn’t be able to sleep without the white noise of his humidifier (hey, it actually crossed my mind). Thankfully Evan loved the plane (and every woman on it… he’s such a flirt). He loved the sun, although I was very careful to keep him either covered or in the shade, and he slept just fine without the humidifier (thanks to the Sleep Sheep and a fan in the room). Yes, our all inclusive vacation in paradise was just that… Paradise! Thanks to the helpful hands of my mom and dad and brother and his girlfriend (who met us there) I even had time to relax in the sun and get a bit of a tan. Sure, it was different than vacations pre-Evan, but I enjoyed the difference. I hardly drank and I was actually okay with that. Instead of partying all night the way I did just a few years ago when I travelled to Cuba with my girlfriends, I went to bed early in exchange for waking up early to take a beautiful walk along the beach with Evan and John. Like I said, paradise!

I think Evan’s favourite part of the trip was the first time we took him to the beach. As soon as we arrived we went straight for the ocean and I would pay money to see his reaction a second time. He absolutely lit up. His hands and legs were going and he was grinning ear to ear. John knelt down with him and let him put his hands in the sand and he was in heaven. In fact, just his hands weren’t enough, Evan wanted to be crawling in it, so we let him. It was so much fun to watch him discover something new. His second favourite thing was the buffet. Evan is all about the ‘all you can eat’ buffet. Its official, Evan is his father’s son (they share the same appetite). I swear, Evan would have eaten anything we put in front of him. At one point I had to tell John to stop feeding him, I was afraid his little tummy would explode. Evan loved the fruit there and the staff was so good to make mashed potatoes and pumpkin for him. Of course we brought our own food with us as well, but we could have gotten by on the food they provided at the resort.

It was truly a once in a lifetime vacation and I’m so thankful to my family for making it happen.





This inflatable kiddie pool worked great as a play area for Evan and as a beach crib for him to sleep in!



Here we are on one of our sunrise walks along the beach!



Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Day 2

I told myself that if I could get through my first day back at work I would be okay… and it would appear I was right.

Yesterday my alarm went off at 4:30am… not for an Evan related reason, but to get ready for my first day back at the office after 7 and a half months of maternity leave. Well I guess that’s not totally accurate. I technically started back to work three months after Evan was born, but I had the luxury of working from home, and let me tell you, it was a LUXURY. My commute was two sets of stairs and my office attire consisted of pajama bottoms and a cozy hoodie. Yesterday I had to shower (gasp), do my hair (double gasp), put on make-up (… you get the idea) and bust out ‘real clothes’. Thankfully I wasn’t emotional. I had a plan of attack. The night before, when I was starting to feel anxious about leaving my baby I read. I read and read and read until my eyes were shutting on their own. I knew that if I tried to sleep before exhausting myself I would have tossed and turned worrying about how Evan was going to do without me and with our new nanny.

As it turned out I was actually kind of excited when I woke up. I felt like a kid on her first day back to school. I even bought a new outfit for the occasion. Walking down the hall, past Evan’s room, I didn’t even pause. Not for a moment… I didn’t let myself think about leaving him. When I actually got to work it felt… neat. Within a matter of a couple of hours it felt like I had never left! It was nice to be around my wonderful colleagues and it was nice to discuss non-baby related things. That being said, when my eight hour day was up I bolted for the door. Before Evan my days at the office were 10, 11, 12 hours… not anymore. I’ve got a baby to get home to now, some quality time to spend before bed time.

On the way home I thought about stopping at the grocery store as I needed some things for dinner, but I couldn’t bear another 10 minutes away from Evan so I headed straight for home. I walked in the door to discover he was fast asleep enjoying his afternoon nap. I was disappointed, but happy our nanny was able to get him down okay. When he woke up I ran for his room. I nearly kissed his face off and he seemed happy about it. He was all smiles for his mommy and it made me feel like I was the luckiest woman on the planet. I guess he’ll survive my return to work. I guess I will too.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

So Far So Great

So far 2011 is shaping up to be awesome! The last two days Evan has been the sweetest, most content, easy-going, cute, happy baby! All while cutting two teeth if you can believe it. Yes, just this morning I felt them for the first time. His two bottom teeth are coming in and I’m so excited for him! So how can it be that he’s being so wonderful? I don’t know… Maybe he’s happy to have the holidays behind him. After all it was pretty busy. Or maybe he’s enjoying having both his dad and his mom with him for the last three days. Whatever it is it’s making me love him all that much more.

Now for a little recap. First of all, Christmas! It was wonderful. This Christmas John and I travelled to Toronto to be with his family and it was really great. His family is so kind and warm and welcoming, and they were really tickled pink to be part of Evan’s first festive season. On Boxing Day we made the trek from Toronto to Almonte to spend time with my family which was equally great. For the most part Evan was really good. He was a dream in the car which meant my Christmas wish came true. He was also pretty good with all the new faces. Honestly I can’t complain, for being in different homes and around so many people he did really well. Unfortunately he did come down with a cold on Boxing Day, but it’s almost gone now and besides affecting his sleep a little he’s been a rock star through it. So yes, all in all Christmas was beautiful.















Oh, and I have to tell you that Evan is now officially crawling! Can you believe it?! He also pulled himself up (to his feet) on the couch for the first time yesterday. Thankfully just the day before John and I lowered his crib. I was having nightmares of hearing kurplunk in the night and it seems my mommy’s intuition was bang on.

I tell ya, life as a mom just keeps getting better and better. It’s going to be very hard going back to work on the 4th. As it is, for the last 7 and a half months I haven’t missed a single milestone… that may change now, but I can’t think that way. I’ll manage like all the other working moms do.

I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season. Here’s to 2011, may it be rich in many ways!