Love for the Little Guy

I know some stay-at-home parents who would rather not attempt to brave public places with two youngsters in tow. There's the constant danger of an unpredictable meltdown in the grocery store check-out, the need to maintain a heightened sense of "potty radar", and the sacred nap-time that is not to be altered or messed with. Us, we've never been slaves to nap times, for better or for worse. We go places we want to go, when we want to go there (within reason). Sadie and Amelia have always been cooperative car and stroller sleepers and are no worse for wear. I admit there are times when I question why I attempted this errand or that with the kids, but for the most part, I'm glad I'm not on house arrest 5 days a week. We have to get out and about to maintain sanity. There are places to go and people to see.

But the other day, for reasons unknown, I thought to myself "I think it's time Sadie had a Happy Meal." Go ahead and judge. McDonald's is disgusting. But I figure most kids are eventually going to have an experience with a mcnugget and a playplace, and the first time might as well be under my supervision. Kind of like when you drink alcohol underage for the first time, some parents offer up their liquor cabinet just so they know the shenanigans are taking place as safely as possible under their own roof. So we went to McDonalds. The playplace was in a separate room all together, one with some of the poorest air quality I have ever experienced. Zero ventilation. It smelled like a cross between a locker room and a Diaper Genie. Hand Foot and Mouth disease was practically visible on the tube slides. Sadie declined a play. I breathed a sigh of relief. We wasted no time getting out of there once the Happy Meal was consumed.

Thank GOODNESS, on days where we need to get out somewhere, thank GOODNESS for places like Drumroaster Coffee in nearby Cobble Hill. We live in a fairly rural area and the pickin's are slim. I miss living in Vancouver where there are SO many unique little cafes and eateries to choose from. Sadie refers to Drumroaster as the "Robot Shop" because there's a metal sculpture of a robot creature outside. Inside is a funky, family-owned, CLEAN coffee shop with character and pride. They roast their own beans and build their business based on exposing the industry involved in this process. It's kid-friendly, design-minded, and flavour-focused. And I like their packaging so much that I even keep the empty bags of coffee beans when we're done with them.

The girls and I are so grateful for places like this. More accurately, I am so grateful for places like these because they keep me from going crazy at home and the girls are grateful when I don't go crazy at home. An extra strong espresso (last time I had a triple-shot), minus the infectious diseases on Monday afternoons that are never-ending? Yes, that sounds about right.

five months. just like that.

Amelia is gettin' her chub on.

I am hanging on tightly to her babyness, as this second time around, I know just how fleeting a phase it really is.

sure, i still curse the 2 a.m. siren song from her crib as I stumble through the darkness. And of course I don't mean "siren song" as in enticing or appealing. I mean "siren song" as in SIREN.

Last night there was some confusion. The kind of confusion that can only be caused by being the over-tired parents of an infant. Usually by 2 or 3:00, Amelia is sleeping in bed with me. But last night, little Sadie found her way to our room first and jumped into bed. I woke up around 3:40 and heard a baby crying. Scott was pacing our room, half asleep, trying to locate the source of the crying. I became confused. Where was Amelia? What time is it? Scott was clearly very confused. The lights came on. Head-count in bed. Where's the baby? WHERE'S THE BABY?!?!! Oh! Oh. She's in her crib, she's in her room. She's fine, she's fine. Scott please go get her.

So he brings her back to me and we snuggle in. I begin to drift back to sleep. WAIT!! My eyes snap open. Where is Scott? He's not back in bed yet which can only mean one thing......FRIDGE RAID. Except he has a blood test in the morning and is supposed to have been fasting since last night.

"SCOTT!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I yell into the dark stillness of the house. (I don't really even have to ask. I can practically hear his esophagus working).

"HAVING A DRINK OF MILK," comes the reply.

"DON'T DRINK ANYTHIIIIIIINNNNNNG!!!!!!!"

"WHY??............Oh. Dammit!"

In PEI they call midnight snacks "bed-lunch". Scott has been a bed-luncher for as long as I've known him. The way things are going lately, I figure we might as well just become a nocturnal family.

We could have pet owls.

Happy New Year

Here's hoping everyone's holiday was filled with love, laughter and light.

I'm looking forward to a new year that will include fresh beginnings, exciting adventures, and earlier bedtimes (well I can hope, can't I?).

Here are a few photos of the last month around our house:

Sadie and Amelia checking out the goods under the tree

Presents? For me?!!

Holy spit-up! it's Santa!!

Getting around to it

Yes, friends, I am still here!

And now she is too.

I am back from my blogcation and am delighted to announce the safe arrival of our little Amelia Munro. She was born on July 27th at 2:44 pm and weighed a wee 6 lbs 6oz. She was 5/10 when we left the hospital so you can imagine how ridiculously big her car seat seemed. She's packin' it on though, last week she weighed in at a whopping 7/3! :)

I checked into the hospital on Tuesday, July 26th, expecting my "scheduled" section at 2:30 that afternoon. I guess the term "scheduled C-section" is used loosely around here. I was bumped for a full 24 hours due to emergencies and what I suppose was a lack of available medical staff. Because I had to fast, I was S.T.A.R.V.I.N.G. But finally it was game time and I found myself in the O.R. getting prepped for the surgery. It was a much different experience this time around (when Sadie was born via C-section, I had already been in labour for about 6 hours, it was an emergency, and also 2 a.m. so it was all kind of a blur). But this time, it was just your typical Wednesday afternoon and I was completely coherent, and therefore taking in all the details of my strange surroundings.....overhead operation lights, a clock on the wall, heart monitors, surgical tools, an empty bassinet waiting for a baby, and at first 1.....2....then 3...4...5...6...7...8 masked people filing into the windowless room, prepping various stations. Just before I received the anesthetic, I had to focus on a spot on the wall in front of me to avoid panic setting in!

But I can't say enough good things about the team of people that were a part of Amelia's birth. I am so thankful to all of the doctors and nurses. Thank goodness there are people who choose this line of work and are excellent at what they do!

Scott videotaped the entire surgery and delivery. The first thing he said to me was "lots of dark hair!" Then I heard a tiny little cry and saw our second daughter being lifted out of my body. After she was checked over and brought over to me, the first thing I noticed about her was how perfect and fresh and new her skin was. And that newborn smell, OH that wonderful smell! She looks a little bit like her big sister, but also has some of her own unique features of course, like her "uni-dimple" ;)

And just TINY. Almost intimidatingly so. Has anyone seen the movie Babe Pig in the City? You know when the chimpanzees have those babies? That's kind of what she reminded me of....

Now she's 3 and a half weeks old and we're adjusting to life as a family of 4......more about that later. But I will say that it's joy and chaos all in the same moment!

p.s. Ellen is the winner of the K&P baby pool! you were very close, Elle!