Flowers, Bows and Pom Poms!

It's no secret that I like DIY projects, arts and crafts. I'm always making something. I haven't had as much time to be creative since Babe came along (I did get three Christmas eggs made this year) but I have had enough time to make the odd thing.

I was seeing adorable baby headbands everywhere but I never came across any. I found a couple of cute ones at Target in the states but I wanted more, more, MORE! But when I got home I couldn't find them here and I'm too impatient to wait for orders from Etsy - but FYI there are adorable baby headbands on Etsy - so I did what I usually do when I want something that I can't find or afford. I make it. If it's makable. By me. That's how I ended up with my kitchen table, cat scratching post, sock monkeys, wall art etc...

So here are some pics of what I have so far. I'm not going to include how-to's here because there are a million places online that you can go to if you want to make these yourself. There are tutorials on YouTube, blogs and websites. I just googled "how to make..." and whatever I was looking for and then scrolled through everything until I saw something I liked.

Anyway, here are some of the highlights:

I started with these pom pom headbands.

I made two different kinds. One kind with fabric and one kind with felt.

Then I moved on to these rolled fabric flowers (top black and white and lower peach).

Then I tried this weird fabric flower which involves twisting and pinning (top multi-coloured) but it took a realllly long time. So I only made the one.

Next I moved onto felt roses. You can see a few others in above pics.

Then I decided that I wanted to make bows. So I started with fabric because I really liked the anchor material above.

But then I found a tutorial on these felt bows and I've been addicted to making them ever since.  

Cream.

White, blue, black. I can't stop.

 Bows without bands yet.

Babe and her pretty little roses.

Every night after Babe goes to bed I have been sitting on the floor in front of the TV with a glass of wine and my sewing kit.

Every baby girl I know is getting one.

I'm Flying Mommy! Part 2.

photo courtesy of feminists-eh.blogspot

Happy first Canada Day to all the new babies out there. 

Anyway, back to the first flights with Babe.

I was flying out of Seattle because it's so much cheaper than flying out of Vancouver. My round trip ticket from Seattle to D.C. cost less than $400 and a round trip ticket from Vancouver to D.C. would've been about $1300. So although it's a hassle to drive down to Seattle the price difference made it worth the trip.

I didn't have many choices for flights because I wanted a cheap direct flight. No transferring planes with a baby in tow for me thanks. So our departing flight was at 7:30 am which meant a sleepover in a local hotel.

On the moving walkway.

As I mentioned in the last post, my two main concerns were Babe's behaviour on the plane and of course, crashing. And I knew that both were mostly out of my hands. You can read in part one all the plans I had to try to keep Babe from upsetting the other passengers but if she was determined to kick up a fuss I wouldn't have been able to remove her from the area, and that was stressing me out.

As far as crashing was concerned there was nothing I could do except to not go at all.

So I did what everyone who is afraid of flying does. No, I didn't take a sedative, I have to nurse remember? I prayed and bargained and paced and fidgeted. And I sat at the gate scanning my fellow passengers trying to decide if any looked like terrorists or if the group looked like the type of people whose smiling portraits you see flashing on the news channel after a disaster.

And once on the plane all I could do was hug my baby tight and trust the pilots and crew. Part of me knew that we would be fine but a little part of me felt like I was putting my baby in danger uneccissarily - after all, we didn't have to go. But I really wanted to visit my friend and I hate bowing to fear so we were going. I had tears in my eyes when we took off though.

Babe was fine. She was actually in her element. Everyone around us was smiling and waving at her and she was in my arms for five hours straight. She couldn't have been happier. I on the other hand was really uncomfortable. She squirmed the whole time, constantly dropped toys and only slept for twenty minutes. She also desperately wanted to touch the man sitting beside us so it was a lot of work to keep that from happening. But she never screamed and showed no signs that her ears were bothering her - so the first flight was a success!

Arriving after a long flight.

The only time I wasn't holding her was in the last hour when I couldn't wait any longer to pee and asked one of the stewardesses to hold her while I went. I relished that five minutes in the crappy airplane john. It was my own little first class. So roomy, so quiet. I stayed in longer than I needed to.

The flight back was a little harder.

First of all I was absolutely positive that I was leaving on Friday. Not only had I checked my ticket a thousand times but I had also booked a hotel for my parents (who were picking me up) for Friday night in Seattle. The mix-up came because it was an overnight flight (so leaving one day and arriving - just barely - on the next) and combined with the time difference and the way the ticket read I got totally confused. Basically I fucked up.

You can see where this is going.

I hate traveling with dirty clothes so everything was washed, dried, folded and neatly packed (no small feat with a baby tugging at your heels). Half a day of visiting was wasted on getting ready to go. Babe was clean and in her airplane clothes and ready for the flight. My anxiety was on high again knowing we had to fly and the hour and a half drive in traffic was grating because Babe was screaming most of the time.

Getting all the way there only to find out that my flight wasn't until the next night was horrible. Never, ever let this happen to you when you have a baby. I felt like such an idiot. I was embarrassed that my friend had driven us all the way out only to have to turn around and do it again the next night. And I knew my parents would be less than pleased to have driven all the way to Seattle only to have no one to pick up at the airport.

The next hour sucked. There was no way of contacting my parents so I had to track down their hotel and leave them a message telling them they'd have to stay an extra night. The flight that I thought I was on was over-booked so there was no getting on that and the airline didn't have another flight to Seattle until my flight 24 hours later. I was so desperate not to go back in the car with my fussy baby that I seriously thought about getting a hotel at the airport. But we would've had to check out at 11 am and then what would we have done until our 9:30 pm flight? Plus it seemed dumb to waste all that time alone in a hotel when I could've spent it visiting with K.

So K drove us allll the way back to her place. I think Babe fell asleep...I can't remember. I was super bummed and really stressed out. I'm usually so organized. Always on time, everything scheduled in my day planner. I was so mad at myself for making such a rookie mistake.

That night I tried to unpack as little as possible and the next night we loaded everything back into the car and headed back to the airport. On a positive note; the extra day allowed us to fit in some sight-seeing that we hadn't had a chance to do and as another friend pointed out, it was better than arriving at the airport a day late and having to buy another flight home.

Our flight was delayed and so we didn't leave the tarmac until about 10:30 pm But that was OK because the Baltimore airport has rocking chairs lined up near the windows. At hours past Babe's bedtime and laden with heavy bags I couldn't have been happier to see them. Babe and I rocked and watched planes for over an hour.

Babe in her jammies waiting for our delayed flight home.

We had an aisle seat with two seats beside us. The plane was almost full when a family with two young daughters got on. The parents took the seats behind us and their kids took the seats in our row.

Just before take off the militant father leaned forward and giving his best drill sergeant impression said:

"OK. Don't take out your cameras on this flight. It's night time. No one wants their picture taken. There is nothing to see out the windows so just leave your cameras in their bags.

Be quiet. Play quietly. People want to sleep so be QUIET.

There will be no hitting. No punching. No kicking. No screaming.

Stay in your seats. No squirming and no getting up and down. If you have to go to the bathroom, go now.

There's a baby beside you. Don't touch the baby, don't talk to the baby, don't ask to hold the baby. Do you understand?
"
The girls looked genuinely concerned for their safety.

I thought that's a long list of rules buddy and I laughed out loud.

I shouldn't have laughed.

As soon as we reached cruising altitude and the parents fell asleep the girls got into a fight. I don't know what it was about. It was probably about nothing, but they really got into it. Before long they were kicking the snot out of each other and they continued for almost an hour. And when I say, "kicking the snot out of each other" I mean really beating each other up. They were as violent to one another as they could be within the constraints of their airplane seats. They punched and slapped and got their legs up and kicked each other - in the face!

They even used their seat belts as weapons!

I spent that first hour trying to protect Babe's head from catching a stray fist and willing the parents to wake up and take notice.

Eventually Drill Sergeant Daddy did wake up and he was mad. But not mad enough to actually do anything beyond whisper-yell at them. Guess he was all bark and no bite. And his daughters knew it.

So the next few hours were much like the first. A lot of fighting interrupted by stern words from Dad, but no real action. You'd think they would split them up and each parent sit with one. But I guess neither Mom or Dad wanted to sit with their own kids.

Luckily Babe slept through it all and neither of us ended up with a black eye. And eventually the girls fell asleep and woke only long enough to punch the other if a body part accidentally flopped over the arm rest.

I was again very uncomfortable. Babe was asleep on me which severly limited my mobility. I finally did get my tray down, my laptop open and the internet purchased and working (all with one hand) but Netflix of course doesn't work in the sky and all I had to watch was the Sex And The City disc in my computer. I really wanted to watch it but the Princesses of Hell ruined that. I couldn't very well expose them to Samantha's sex scenes, but I was really bored. So I ended up watching it and turning off the screen every time a dirty part came up.

But thankfully Babe slept, the plane didn't crash and my parents stayed an extra night in Seattle and picked us up from the airport on the correct night.

All in all I would say that the first plane trips with my baby went really well.

I'm Flying Mommy! Part 1.

Recently Babe and I went on a trip to Washington D.C. to visit a long time friend and her baby who was born shortly after mine.

While I was fully confident in my ability to travel alone with her (J. stayed home) I admit I was a little apprehensive about the flights.

Mostly I was worried about Babe's behaviour. She is a notorious loud-mouth. As I've mentioned before she's been quite the little screamer since day one. And in the weeks leading up to the trip she developed a nasty habit of shrieking just for the hell of it. It doesn't seem to matter what I do to try to curb the behaviour, sometimes she is determined to scream.

And of course she hates the car.

So as much as I was looking forward to the trip I was dreading the flight there. I really didn't want to be the lady with the screaming kid that everyone hates.

I might as well admit now that I am also afraid of flying, so that too was weighing on my mind.

I have experience with kids and flights. Back when I nannied I used to get the kids ready for flights with their families and I also flew with my charges. So I have a few ways of controlling the mayhem on the flight, but of course most of my tricks wouldn't work with a baby.

None of my ideas are rocket science but in case you're yet to hit the tarmac with your own brood here are some things to try when planning your flight.


Clothes:

• Dress your kid(s) comfortably. Some families like their children to look cute or even dressy for a flight. Don't make your daughter wear a frilly dress on the plane, no matter how adorable it is. Do you like flying in business attire or ball gowns? Probably not. Make sure you have a clean cozy outfit ready for them. Sweats are a good bet or even a nice pair of jammies. The more comfortable your kid is the less they will squirm in their seat.

• Don't bother "doing" your daughter's hair. The style won't stay in, the hair accessories will fall under the seat and it'll be a constant fight to keep redoing it in cramped quarters. If you really want her to have a cute doo when she meets Grandma at the airport, bring the stuff you need in your carryon and do her hair just before you land.

• Layer. You might be leaving a cold climate and arriving in a warm one or vise versa. Or the airport might be air conditioned and the plane stifling. In any event, make sure the kids have a short sleeve under a long sleeve and if you're heading somewhere warm, a pair of shorts tucked in your carryon. If you have a baby, a messy toddler, sweaty kids or toilet training issues do not forget to pack an extra outfit. 

• If you are changing diapers make sure the outfit you pick is super easy access. The changing table in the airplane bathroom is the size of a cutting board and the bathroom itself is the size of a broom closet. A million snaps just won't do.

Toys:

• Bring toys that provide the most bang for their buck. Toys should not be too big. The smaller they are = the easier to pack = the more you can bring = the more fun they will have. 

• Noisy toys will definitely annoy other passengers. If your child absolutely loves a particular noisy toy weigh their enjoyment against the inevitable stink-eye from other passengers and decide if you want to bring it. DON'T bring it and then decide it will be too embarrassing and refuse to let them play with it. That's unfair and a guaranteed tantrum, plus you will still get the stink-eye because people will think you're an idiot. Any toys you want on the trip but not on the plane should be stowed out of sight out of mind. 

• Secretly pack a "last resort" toy that you know will stave off a meltdown and whip it out when all else fails. This will only work once so choose the time wisely (not 15 minutes into a six-hour flight).

• If you're willing, buy a few new toys, books, games or crafts to bring out as a fun surprise mid-flight.

• If you allow hand held game devices make sure it is on low volume or mute while in flight. If your kid is used to playing with the sound up, practice playing on mute for a few days before the trip. Bring extra batteries/charger. Like I said above, if you are willing to spend the money, bringing along a new game as a surprise will likely buy you a TON more quiet time if you get it out just as the old game is getting boring. Same goes for movies to play on the iPad or laptop. If you have a reader for sure pick up some new books.

• If you have a safe adult item (like keys) that your little one loves to get out of your purse...make sure it is in your purse.

• Play games like Eye Spy etc. in the airport while you are waiting for your flight so that you don't use up all the novelty of the airplane entertainment before you even board.

Packing:

• Pack what the kids will need in the carryon you plan to store at your feet. You are likely to only need access to your own stuff a few times during the flight. But a kid is going to need something every five minutes. All snacks, toys, tissues, wipes etc. should be in arms reach, not stowed in the overhead. 

• If you have a baby riding on your lap you'll want his stuff and yours in arms reach.

• Older toddlers and kids can carry their own bag. Make them. Little kids will usually be thrilled if they have their very own child-sized wheely suitcase. Allow your child to help pack their bag. Pack them light. Don't weigh down your four-year-old's Disney Princess suitcase with all the camera equipment and travel guides. No matter how sparkly it is she will abandon it halfway to security if it weighs a ton. 

• Make sure you have your kid's essential items in your carryon in case the airline loses your checked bags. As if you weren't carrying enough. Arriving without your bags is a huge drag but it will be easier on you if the kids have the things they need for 24 hours or so. Definitely have any medications they need with you in the carryon (or I always split mine up in case I lose the carryon) because if your luggage doesn't show you don't want to be running around a strange city trying to get a new prescription for Baby.

Seating:

• I've been told some flights have a bassinet seat. This is apparently a seat with extra leg room and a bassinet that you can place on the floor so when Baby nods off you can put them down. My flight did not have this option :( I read that you should ask ahead of time and even then there are no guarantees of getting it.

• You can chose your seats and you should. Either at the time of booking, a few days ahead of time or at check in, whichever. You may be in luck, if the flight is relatively empty you might be able to switch your seats to a row that is empty. Then you or the kids get to lay down during the flight. This luxury is becoming less and less common because flights are now often booked over capacity. But it's worth asking. Chose your seats wisely. I love the window, but with a baby on my lap the aisle made way more sense. Don't ever get stuck in the middle.

Safety:

• Sick kids suck. Sick kids on vacation suck more. If you're so inclined there are special preventative supplements you can take which claim to boost your immune system and stave off bugs. One is called Airborne. I've never tried them, don't know if they work or are safe to use. 

• And here is a whole web page that provides tips on avoiding germs on planes.

• Bring gum for older kids to chew when taking off and landing and a pacifier, teething ring or bottle for Baby.

• Babies under two can usually ride for free on your lap. This is a great way to save money. But there is some controversy over the safety of this. Opponents claim that babies can be injured in the event of turbulence or a rough landing (or...eeek...a crash) if they aren't secured in their own seat. There are safety restraints that you attach to yourself and Baby and special seats but check with your airline before hand to see which brand if any it allows. I also read that there may not be enough oxygen masks if there are two bodies to one seat. I freaked when I heard that but I don't know if it is true.

• Don't take your eyes off your kids in busy airports and don't have their name visible on their bags or clothes.

• Tell older kids what to do if they get separated from you.

Planning:

• Avoid layovers and transfers if at all possible. Direct flights are best. It's like ripping off a Band-Aid - just do it fast and get it over with.

• Bring food your kid likes. No one likes airplane food so your kid probably won't either. And there is never enough of it.

• Have all necessary documents on hand. This includes a letter of permission from your partner/spouse if you are taking your child out of the country without them.

• Missing your flight or showing up for a flight that was delayed or canceled sucks when you are single but it is going to be a HUGE pain in the ass when you are dragging a kid and all their gear along with you. TRUST ME! Call ahead to check on the status of the flight and double check your ticket (more on this in part two). 

• You practically have to get naked at security now. Be prepared, especially if you will be carrying your child. Wear shoes that easily slip on and off (because they have to come off). In fact...just do yourself a favour and wear tear-away pants a mesh shirt and no bra. Have all items that need to come out of the bag or need to be turned on in an easy-to-reach place. Don't wear metal jewelry, it will be hard to remove it all while holding your baby.

As it turned out Babe did really well on the flights and I was worried for nothing. But more on that in part two!

Babe on one of the cool rocking chairs at the Baltimore airport.

Sick Mommy.

So I've been really busy this past month but unfortunately most of it wasn't fun. First I had a breast infection caused by the antibiotics for my bout with mastitis. Then I had horrible food poisoning followed immediately with an excruciating tooth infection. And then this whole week has been wasted with a summer cold. Although you can't really call it a "summer cold" since Vancouver's summer hasn't even started yet - it's still mostly rain.

For the most part I have fallen into the rhythm of mommyhood...but that's when I'm healthy.

I've had plenty of practice being under the weather and saddled with kids. When I was a nanny I rarely phoned in sick. I felt bad doing it because it meant screwing up the parent's day and potentially causing them problems with their boss. So I usually just sucked it up, went in to work and had a TV day with my charges. But it always sucked having to cater to needy little monsters when I was feeling like death. As much as anyone loves babies and kids you're a liar if you don't admit that you just want them to bugger off and fend for themselves when you have the flu. But of course, as a nanny I still got to sleep through the nights undisturbed so it wasn't as bad as being a sick mommy.

Even though I know the drill being a sick mommy still sucks. Thank God I have a few tricks from my past. I pity all the poor first time mommies with no childcare experience that have to make it through their first illness with baby in tow. However my expertise still didn't stop me from running to my mommy when I fell ill.

I've always needed a lot of sleep and like most people, when I'm sick I need a lot more sleep. But getting sleep with a baby in the house is never easy. I was very lucky that my parents live close by and I was able to take Babe over to their house so they could watch her and I could focus on getting better.

The weekend that I had food poisoning and thought I was dying I spent almost the whole time under the covers and my mom would bring Babe to me when she needed cuddles or nursing. I don't know what I would've done without her.

Then the tooth infection kept me from getting sleep two nights in a row so when I finally was able to get an emergency root canal and was feeling better my mom again watched Babe so I could rest up.

After that we had a great trip to Washington D.C. and then right after I got home Babe and I caught a cold. This time my dad stepped up for me. Babe spent a few hours each day this week hanging with him in his office while I napped at my parent's house.

Here are the few tips I have for trying to survive motherhood while sick. Obviously if you can send the kids to daycare or hire a babysitter just do that.

• Sick days are sleep days. Do not try to cook or clean anything. When your child naps, just nap. Right away, stop what you're doing and lay the f**k down.

• Children need healthy food, but not on a sick day. Just feed them whatever will keep them alive until you're feeling better. Not candy, but anything remotely healthy that you don't have to fight with them to get down.

• Screw your no TV rule. As a nanny my kids rarely watched TV. But my deal for coming into work sick was that the kids would be watching the boob tube that day and if the parents didn't like it then I could just stay home. It's amazing what parents will allow a sitter to do when they have a business meeting in half an hour. If your kid is happy doing crafts or playing a board game independently than that's great but if they won't play without you then just put on a movie they love and doze beside them on the couch for two hours.  If your child is too young to sit through a movie then stockpile toys beside you on the floor, stretch out, put your head on a pillow and rest while you pass one at a time to baby. (This will probably only buy you half an hour.)

• If your kids are old enough and still healthy themselves try to arrange a play date at a friend's house and then sleep while they are gone.

• Pile toys on the floor in the bathroom and play with them - from the tub. (Don't do this if you are a nanny, it's not appropriate).

• If you have the energy to leave the house go to the toy store and pick out something new that will entertain them while you lounge on the sofa with a facecloth on your forehead. Alternatively - download a new iPad/iPhone app for them.

• Encourage older children (2.5+) to help their sick "patient". Let them fetch you water (clean up the spills tomorrow), put the thermometer under your tongue, and give you pretend medicine. If they have a toy doctor kit or just some kitchen utensils now is a good time to play hospital. You can just lay on the floor while they cover you with Band-Aids and look in your ears with the turkey baster. 

• Just about anything that is a novelty for them will hold their attention longer while you try to make the pounding in your head stop. Let them blow bubbles in the house. Mix up some water and cornstarch goop. Paint a picture for Daddy. Let them nap in a tent in the living room if it shuts them up for an hour. Nap with them in the tent if it shuts them up for an hour and a half. 

Of course most of these tips only work with toddlers and children, not babies. All you can really do with a baby is lay on the floor and try to relax while they play with blocks or crawl all over you...or pass the baby off onto someone else.

Babe and I are all better now and I'm hoping the Vancouver weather gets better too so that we can finally relax and enjoy the summer.

I love being healthy again!

Will We Lose Our "Baby Boxes"?

Photo courtesy of Wired.com

So I have been really short of time lately and it's been impossible to get a post done. Now I'm backed up and I have a bunch of things that I want to write about.

Tonight I was going to post some photos highlighting Babe's and my recent trip to Washington D.C.

But when I logged onto the Internet I found this article instead. It pissed me off so much that I think I'll just share this and save the pics for another time.

Here is the link to the article about the controversy of "baby boxes".

I always thought that these were a creative solution to a really sad problem. It never occurred to me that anyone, least of all the United Nations, could find fault in them. But then why does it surprise me, people can always find something to get up in arms about.

Vancouver got its first and only baby box at St. Paul's Hospital after a number of babies were left for dead or their bodies disposed of presumably by mothers who were desperate to not have a baby.

The Angel's Cradle at St. Paul's allows a mother to anonymously place her baby inside the cupboard-style bassinet and leave undetected before an alarm sounds alerting hospital staff to the delivery.

The theory is that if women know there is a safe place to leave their newborn and they can do it in secret less babies will be left for dead. Here is an old article about the baby box in Vancouver.

As far as I know Vancouver's baby box has been used only once.

The article states that, "the UN Committee says the anonymous nature of the boxes deprive each baby from knowing their parents; a right all children have under a UN convention."

While children most certainly deserve that basic right they more importantly deserve the right to not be left in a dumpster. And while most children do know where they come from and who their parents are certainly many don't.

What about children who were adopted? Not all adoptions are open and not all adopted children can grow up and track down their birth parents. What about the children whose mothers or fathers won't tell them about their other parent. What about the privacy afforded to sperm donors? Certainly it's better to be left somewhere warm and safe, be assessed by medical staff and then be adopted by loving parents than killed by a confused and terrified mother.

While I highly doubt that baby boxes do much to decrease abortion rates or infant abuse as some may claim they do, I do think that every city should have one. Sadly it's true that they won't stop abandonment of babies, but as the old saying goes, "if it saves just one..."

The article also states that the UN Committee is concerned that babies left by fathers may have been abandoned without the consent of the mothers. Well the opposite is surely true as well.

But we aren't talking about most babies, or most parents. We are talking about a very, very few number of babies that would otherwise be killed or left for dead. Surely most mothers or fathers whose babies were taken by their partner could track their baby down through the hospital it was left at. And while it is tragic that a few babies will be abandoned by angry fathers or pimps to the heartbreak of their mothers these are babies that would probably have been killed at birth by the same men if the baby boxes weren't so accessible.

To me it's just ridiculous to put the right of the child to know its parents over the safety of the child.

And as a side note: The baby who was left in Vancouver's baby box was left with a family history and birth information. Much more than a baby left on a doorstep or in a dumpster usually gets. Maybe the baby boxes not only provide a desperate parent a safe alternative to murder but also allows them some time to think through the decision to abandon their baby and take extra care in doing so.

I'd be really disappointed if Vancouver lost its baby box.

Here are a couple more articles on this issue:

The Guardian

CBC


And in unrelated news.
Here is my opinion on this story - GOOD! I hope my daughter gets better teachers than this loser.

Babe's Trip To The Aquarium.

Last week J and I took Babe to the Vancouver Aquarium. It was really fun to take her somewhere that I used to take the kids I nannied. She's still too young to understand the animals but she really liked the lights, the reflection of the water and the moving fish.

Anyway here's some pics:

I think she actually liked this creature-less bubble window the best of all.

My favorite. The frogs.

Baby in a bubble.

J and Babe watching the sharks and the sea turtle.

Wormy guys.

In the underwater viewing area.

The Almost Bomb Scare.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

A couple of weeks ago I had taken Babe out for the afternoon so that J could have a quiet house in which to write a story for the local paper. On my way home I called him to see how much progress he had made and like usual with J the answer was not much. So I decided to stop by Richmond's brand new IKEA to check it out and give J a little more time without the baby around.

I was already pushing my luck with Babe as she had been out all morning visiting my grandmother but I was hoping she could make it one more hour without a complete meltdown.

I drove into the new IKEA parking lot - the kind that looks like an underground but is actually above ground, and started looking for a space. Surprisingly finding a spot was easier than usual - see this post re: the difficulties of parking at IKEA.

I was talking to Babe as I looked for a spot and didn't think much of the object that was sitting in an empty spot until after I had parked and was getting Babe out of the car. As I was grabbing my things to head inside it occurred to me that the mundane object I had hardly raised an eyebrow at was indeed odd and deserved a second look. So still happily chatting with my baby I pushed her through the lot back to the empty spot I had passed.

Yup. There it was. A big black suitcase calmly sitting in the shadows at the edge of a parking stall. I looked around to see if someone was nearby, maybe taking back a cart or loading their trunk with unassembled goods but no one seemed to belong to the bag.

At first I thought that someone had forgotten it but I'm embarrassed to admit that my second thought was more morbid. What if it's a bomb?

As a mommy maybe I shouldn't have stood there thinking over my options, maybe I should have ran. But since I'm new to motherhood I haven't yet fully abandoned rationality for my fight or flight instinct so I was compelled to stand there and decide if I was indeed worried about the bag.

Was it really creepy or was I just paranoid? Would I have thought twice about it in my carefree single days? Yes. It would have occurred to me a year ago that maybe there could, possibly, be a bomb in there but I wouldn't have worried about my own safety enough to do anything about it.

I hated to admit to myself that maybe all the terrorist hype had made its way into my psyche. That maybe I was buying into the fear. That I could actually be afraid of a suitcase in a parking lot on a Canadian Monday afternoon bugged me. It bugged me almost enough to ignore it all together and get on with my shopping. Almost enough.

Now I have a baby. It's not just me. My go-to method of dealing with fear is to pretend I'm not afraid and force myself to do what scares me. Claustrophobic? Take scuba diving lessons. Afraid of heights? Get your ass on the chairlift. Don't much care for big sharks? Strap on a snorkel and dive into the cage. But with Babe to protect it's different. I have to assess danger differently. I can't play the, "how likely is it really?" game anymore. I have to take any threat seriously.

I figured it's not out of the realm of possibility. It wouldn't be my choice target but a large commercial shopping centre, brand new and full of people could be on some sicko's list. I decided that now that I had seen the damn thing I couldn't as a responsible mommy just ignore it.

So I walked back to the entrance where I found a sullen employee begrudgingly stacking shopping carts. I told him that there was a suitcase left by itself at the back of the parkade.

I suppose I thought that he would react to this news in the same fashion that security at the airport would upon hearing this. Clear the area, halt all traffic in a three block radius, call in a bomb squad and detonate the thing.

But he really didn't seem to care. He mumbled something about "dealing with it later" and went back to his carts. Clearly he's not a mother.

Again I just stood there. What if there is no later? I looked around at the unsuspecting shoppers and down at my precious baby and felt...icky. I thought, "If I really think there might be a bomb why am I just standing here like a dumb ass?"

Just then a man came up to the cart guy and told him about the abandoned bag. And again the guy brushed it off. So I got mad and said, "You don't just ignore this. That bag needs to be dealt with now!" In all fairness I don't think the B-word even occurred to the poor guy. I think he just thought what most people would think - someone forgot their suitcase. But when the other customer said he thought it was scary too I felt a little validated and less paranoid.

However with that validation came the realization that I did believe it was dangerous and therefore I had to go. Now I felt too nervous to walk back through the parkade for the car...so I left it. Which was possibly stupid because once outside I realized I had a baby and nowhere to go. And if you've ever been to the IKEA in Richmond you know there's jack around it.

So I walked over to the old, now abandoned IKEA about half a block away (I felt this was a safe distance). Outside the building was a security guard who was keeping an eye on a man who was salvaging metal from the old store.

Considering the bad attitude of the cart guy I was concerned that he would forget about the bag, which meant I couldn't return to get my car. So I wanted to make sure it was being dealt with. I asked the security guard if he worked for IKEA and he said yes. I told him about the scary black suitcase. He looked bemused and said he didn't work for IKEA. "What the?" I told him he should report it. He told me he had no radio and to go screw myself. OK, he didn't tell me to go screw myself with his words...but he did say it with his eyes!

Dammit people!!! I'm trying to save IKEA and all it's ply board furniture wonderfulness!

It wasn't lost on me that just the mention of the word bomb can send Americans into a frenzy but here in Canada I couldn't get anyone to give it a second thought. I guess that's a good thing really.

It occurred to me that I could phone the store and report it but I quickly ruled that out. I once made the very stupid mistake of saying the B-word (in conversation, not as a joke or as a threat) in an American airport and was almost cavity searched by the feds (seriously - they really do freak out about that word). So I wasn't about to be the person who phoned in a bomb threat to the new IKEA. I think a small part of me still believes my name is flagged on a list somewhere. I decided I had done my part and screw them all if they ignored the suitcase.

But now my paranoia...or vigilant guardianship, whichever you prefer, had gotten me into an inconvenient predicament. I couldn't in good conscience go back for the car with Babe and we were too hot, tired and weighed down with stuff to find our way home. And I have no friends in Richmond that I can call on for a perceived bomb threat emergency.

So as ridiculous as this is I felt I really had no other option. I called my mom and asked her to drive into Richmond (about a 45 minute drive in traffic) to hold the baby while I went back into the parkade and retrieved the car. Hey. It was either that or hide Babe behind a dumpster while I went back. I certainly wasn't going to leave her with the useless security guard - he hadn't even been trusted with a walkie-talkie.

She agreed to the madness partly because she's my mom and partly because she's more paranoid than I am. Fifty bucks says she had a burn kit in the car with her just in case we were struck by shrapnel before she arrived.

Now came the shitty part. The nearby Starbucks had nowhere left to sit so I had to sit in the parking lot on a hot day with a cranky baby for 45 minutes while I waited for my mom to arrive. It really did suck and for that I fully believe in my heart that IKEA owes me a sofa.

When my mom arrived we argued over who was going to risk life and limb and go back for the car. I won. When I went back to get the car I saw that the scary suitcase wasn't there anymore. Someone had taken care of it. Guess it was just a forgotten bag after all.

So I went back for my mom and since we were already there and had wasted so much time already...we went shopping in the new IKEA.

I'm still embarrassed that I went through all of that over a suitcase, J certainly thought I was an idiot and you probably do too. But whatever, that's just motherhood.

Happy Half Birthday.

No more pictures Mommy!

The other day was Babe's six month birthday! I know every mother around the world has said the same thing but, "My little baby is growing up so fast!"

I know she is only six months old but she already feels so big.

Six months ago I was asking, "Who would ever have more than one child? You'd be crazy to intentionally go through all that pain again."

But now I'm already saying, "Who would stop at just one?"

As happy as I am that Babe is getting bigger, more fun, more personable and able to go out and enjoy more adventures, I sometimes miss my wrinkly little newborn with the baby lamb cries.

She is changing every day. Just this week she has started saying "da da da da" and "ba ba ba ba". And she is shaking her head no, although I don't think she knows what it means she just does it to make it more difficult to get the food in her mouth.

Even though some hours or days are really frustrating I try to remind myself to enjoy every minute. Recently some job positions have come available that I would have loved to apply for. But that would mean going back to work now and giving up on my next six months of maternity. Even though I  worry about forgetting what I've learned and getting behind my peers in experience I simply can't justify giving up on all that time with Babe. I worked so hard after graduation to earn enough hours to qualify for mat leave. Although a couple of these jobs would have been perfect for me, seeing the change in Babe from week to week just proves to me that I'll never have this time again and there will always be another job waiting. How lucky am I that I get paid anything at all to stay home with my precious baby?

But back to the half birthday. We didn't celebrate the six month mark. I just took some pics of Babe with her birthday balloon (which she thought was pretty cool) and I bought her a gift from the local baby boutique.

I got Babe this great bear! Isn't he cute? We named him Scribbles. I had my eye on him for awhile and finally decided to purchase him with Babe's half birthday as the excuse.

These dolls really are great. They are called Aminal dolls. They are 100 per cent organic with organic dyes, fabrics and cotton stuffing. They are also fair trade. They are certified by the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) which regulates the working conditions of employees. Aminals say they are "produced using the fairest, safest, most humane labour standards available".  And they are even compostable! So if you decide your kid has too many stuffys you can apparently just chuck your Aminal in the garden. I guessing he's take a pretty long time to break down into soil though.

I thought they were so great that I also bought a couple as gifts for some upcoming kid's parties.

Just Sharing: Take a Sip.

Just sharing the great Take a Sip scene from the Sex And The City 2 movie. Sorry the quality isn't great and there's subtitles but it's the only full version I could find on YouTube. I think most of us new mommies can relate a little.

The Ranch.

Black Mountain Ranch

To those of you who have been waiting for a post (and I know you number in the thousands) - I'm sorry. I literally have just been too tired. The days are full and Babe still refuses to sleep much longer than twenty minutes at a time, so when she hits the hay I'm not far behind. We have been doing a lot during the days but I just haven't had a chance to get it out here.

Once again Babe is asleep and I'm going to try desperately to squeeze in a blog post about our recent overnight trip before she wakes up and needs the boob again. And yes, I do realize that my child needs to sleep longer, for both of our sakes. And yes, we are planning on sleep training her. We were going to start last week but then she got her shots so I put it off for a couple nights. Then she started teething! So now it just seems unnecessarily cruel to leave her to cry it out. So again, sleep training is on hold.

Recently my friend R invited Babe and I to come down to her getaway at Black Mountain Ranch for a quick overnight trip. R has a place at the private campground near Mount Baker. It's a great set-up, everyone has their own campsite equipped with their own trailer, motor home, park model etc. and there is a variety of amenities and activities to enjoy such as horseback riding, pools, golf and outdoor concerts. It reminds me a little of the summer place that Baby and her family stayed at in Dirty Dancing. But with trailers instead of cabins and without all the dancing - although they may have that too, I don't know. Also the name Black Mountain sounds like the setting of a scary movie not a romantic comedy. Anyway...

Since Babe has her papers in order (a passport) it was super easy just to pack an overnight bag (OK, two bags) and jump in the car and go. Thankfully the drive wasn't too long because Babe still loses her shit in the car. 

R did get us lost which added some time to the trip and extended the misery a little but all in all Babe did pretty good on the drive.

The really exciting news is that I finally took Babe for her first swim! I knew she would love it because she is such a fan of the bath. The pool was a little cool compared to her warm bathtub but she loved it all the same. She squealed and kicked until she was getting blue around the lips. We must have stayed in for 40 minutes or so and she literally kicked the whole time. Then after her warm shower she passed out on the walk back to the trailer.

Of course I have a ton of pics and of course I'm gonna share a couple here. I have video too but stupid Blogger won't let me post it.

R is a gymnastics coach and she was really great at helping Babe practice her physical skills - something that J in particular doesn't do, he always holds her. By that evening Babe was actually standing for brief periods while holding onto the furniture. I know she is supposed to crawl before she walks and I'm working on it, but she really just wants to stand.

R and Babe also worked on her sitting skills. Babe is still a little weak in her upper body and so when she sits she just slowly folds over (forward) until she looks like a human taco. So R and I spent a little while holding toys up above eye level to encourage her to sit up straight. See...she's getting a little better.

I didn't bring her little support stand for the tub because I wasn't intending on bathing her, but with the chlorine from the pool I figured I better. So instead of struggling with the big tub, I just bathed her in the sink after dinner. Cute?

The next day we strapped Babe into the Ergo and went for a walk around the park and down to the ol' rock quarry (another scary movie setting). I'll admit this was the first time I've been a little nervous of cougars or bears. I'm a nature girl and I love the forest and I've never worried too much about creatures in the past but now that I have my own little cub to protect I was on high(er) alert. Doesn't she already looks so big in this picture?

And just for fun here's a pic of Babe's crazy hair. It's all falling out on the sides but the top just keeps getting longer and longer!

The next day Babe went to her first birthday party for my friend's little girl. It was a pool party so Babe got to go swimming again and she impressed everyone with her amazing kicking skills. She's gonna be an Olympic swimmer, just you wait and see.

And that evening we brought one of the kitties back from my parent's house. You may remember from a previous post that I brought her home a couple months back. However it didn't work out and she had to go back. Now she is home again and things are going better. Babe is old enough to notice the cat and she is quite thrilled by the curious thing that meows and rubs against her tiny toes. I love this photo of Babe happily reaching for the cat and the cat turning for the door. The blur shows you the speed at which the kid can lurch for the cat and the cat can say, "Ah! I'm outta here."