30 meals in 1 day scares me.

I have been majorly slacking and I feel awful about it, I am supposed to review 30 meals in 1 day, but to be honest, I am so scared about starting it. It looks like a lot to take on. I'm sure once I get started it will be fine. I am just worried about getting into it and then having a really cranky baby for the day. I know I wont be starting it until the new year, middle of January at least since I'll be away for the first week. I am really excited for the recipes though, they sounds great.

Has anyone tried this system? Any words of wisdom? Encouragement?

Man, I Feel Like a Woman!

After 23 months of being pregnant or breastfeeding, my period is finally back! And I couldn't be happier! Well the first few days of it anyway I was absolutely ecstatic. Once the cramps started it was a little different story. Granted, these cramps were no where near the pain I felt with them pre-pregnancy. I have heard that pregnancy is essentially a reset button for your cycle. Which for me is great news, maybe for once in my life I can predict my period. Now getting pregnant should be easier than going through month after month blindly.

Something I am considering is mama cloth(re-use able/washable pads, for those of you that may not be familiar). Now that I am cloth diapering Sweet Thing, I think it would be a piece of cake. Maybe a combination of that and the diva cup. Anyone use either of these? What is your preference? Where do you buy your mama cloth?

Were you excited to get your period after having baby? If you were breastfeeding how long did it take for it to come back?

I am anxious to have another baby, so getting my period back is a great step in the right direction, hopefully I wont have to deal with the cramps for many more months before there is another bun in the oven.

What's your story?

Zooper

Well, I did it. I broke down and bought a double stroller. OK, I didn't break down. But, I did buy one. With having two 1 year olds in the house every week, I think it is going to be a great thing. As of right now, nap-time means going for a walk, and with one babe in the single stroller and the other in the Ergo(which is amazing and it works great, but sometimes I'd love a break, and Little Miss doesn't always fall asleep in it). So I am so excited to be getting a Zooper Tango Double Stroller in RED. Oh boy, I hope I don't regret the colour choice. They only white, olive and red to choose from. White is out of the books right away with it's amazing ability to get dirty and show every speck, and Olive just wasn't my taste, and the navy blue was all sold out. So red it is!

Anyway, I have heard amazing things about the Zooper, in fact, I was about to buy one on Craigslist about a week ago, but apparently the lady selling it had no courtesy. As far as I knew I was the first person to contact her, I asked to see the stroller that night. She told me she would have to get it out of storage and that the next day would be better. I waited for her home address so we could go look at it. When I emailed her the next morning for her address I got no response until 5pm. She responded with "it sold."
I just found that so rude, I was so excited to get that stroller, and for an amazing price too. Yet she couldn't have told me it was like a competition or whatever, other people were interested in it before me and they had dibs on it. It was very frustrating for me.
Anyway, I got my Zooper on Mother of a Sale, they still have them up! It was a little more expensive than I hoped I would pay, but it was kind of necessary and I know I will be happy in the long run. So if you are looking for a double stroller, go check it out! Can't wait to get mine!!

Stocking Stuffers

Alright, I know I have been absent for a while. This time of year is insane and with me babysitting Monday through Friday, I have little time to get much done. But the family I am babysitting for is in Cuba for a wedding,(I KNOW, right?)so now is my chance, and I need your help!

Stocking Stuffers! For a 1 year old(girl, mine of course). I've heard all the same stuff so far, like, books, socks, stuffed animal, snacks. But there has got to be something more. Something unique and interesting, yet suited for a 1 year old. Christmas will be here very soon, so hoping I can get something locally. If I have to order now, it might not arrive on time.
So, help a mama out! Let's hear your suggestions! What did you get for your kids?

The Holiday Season is Upon Us

It's that time of year again! As soon as all the Halloween candy has been passed around, Christmas music starts playing and lights are put up before the cold hits. OK, so I'm a bit late to be talking about Halloween, but you know it, we've all been hearing Christmas music everywhere you go since Halloween ended. All the stores were getting their Christmas spirit on, stocking shelves with ornaments and wreaths, stockings and lights. I love Christmas, and as soon as I see all that stuff in the stores I am ready to decorate my own house.

Last year we decorated extra early because we knew we weren't going to want to do it after we had Sweet Thing, but this year we waited until her birthday was over. Now I am feeling that jolly spirit of the holidays, I have my satellite TV on the Christmas music channel and we've got the tree decorated from 3 feet and up. That's right, baby proof tree. I'm now babysitting another 1 year old on the weekdays and I've definitely had to baby proof to the max, so that means no shiny, glittery ornaments at eye level just waiting to chucked across the room or eaten. Oddly enough the tree doesn't look that bad. I've contemplated taking the bottom three layers of branches off. That way its baby proof AND we can fit more presents underneath! Score! And, yes, that means we have a fake tree, although I suppose you can do that with a real one too.

This will be Sweet Thing's second Christmas, but it will be the first she is home for it. Last year we went to visit my parents in Vanderhoof. This year the Air Canada Gods did not want to co-operate with me, so we are going on the 31st instead. Although I am sad we can't spend Christmas with my family, I am really looking forward to starting our own traditions this year, and I will also be cooking Christmas Dinner(minus the stuffing).

So tell me, what are some of the traditions you love or have started with your own family?
And, if you are far from family, how do you cope during the holidays knowing you can't be with them?

Cows and their Human Breast Milk

Walking through the living room today while the TV was on, I caught a snippet of a music video by Pink called Raise Your Glass. I saw two different babies standing there, and didn't get quite a good look, but I thought maybe they had been wearing cloth diapers. A few minutes later I decided to check it out on YouTube. As I was fast forwarding through the video, I saw the babies, and unfortunately they were NOT wearing cloth. But on to more interesting things. There was Pink wearing a balaclava (or ski mask) feeding a calf with a bottle, the words "Dairy Farm" graffitied on the wall. A little strange to be in a music video, I'm sure there are stranger things. BUT upon further inspection, you see the bottle hooked up to some hoses leading to a machine, and then the machine has hoses leading to something else... women's breasts. Four women with blindfolds on and hoses hooked up to their breasts and a man in a mask inspecting them.
At first, it was a little disturbing, but it makes sense. I don't exactly know how to put it into words. I mean people think breast milk is only for babies (if that at all, which is really sad), and they don't find it weird or strange that we drink milk from cow's breasts, yet milk from their own species is some foreign substance, that is gross or what have you.
Hey guess what, we drink cow's milk, why not feed the cows human milk? Makes sense to me.
The song is about "underdogs". I wonder what is meant by putting that song and the milking human scene together. Is it somehow tied into human breastfeeding? And that maybe it isn't as weird as media makes it seem. I don't know. I have a hard time putting things like this into words.

What are your thoughts?
Here is as link for the music video by Pink. Cows are at 1:14

I just thought this was something worth sharing. I'd love to know what you think.

Snow Day

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!

Campbell River's winters don't usually get much snow, or so I've been told. 2 out of the 3 winters I have been here have been much snowier than I thought they would be. Apparently it is quite uncharacteristic of this time of year. Today is no exception. It is snowing like powdered sugar on a donut... ?
So anyway, we went out to play twice.

First time, it was just me, Sweet Thing and the dog.

Then Daddy came home!

 And all she wanted was to be in his arms.

Ellie LOVES the snow!

 Nice Family shot.

 Sweet Pup Ellie

 And this is what happens when the baby comes to me after being with Daddy. Yep, every time. What a Daddy's Girl

I grew up in Vanderhoof where the snow was bountiful for about 1/3 of the year. Campbell River on the other hand, when there is snow, it only lasts maybe a few weeks at most. Now, I don't love snow, I don't hate it either, but I appreciate it much much more when it's few and far between. It's beautiful and puts me in a festive mood, once that mood fades and the snow is still here, you'll probably hear me complain a little bit( not so much in CR but in Vanderhoof, yea, maybe)
Don't get me started on the temperature though. Coming from a possibility of -40(Celsius) where I grew up to a possibility of -20 on a rare occasion, I have to laugh when people complain about that -11 that it MIGHT get to over night. Granted, I know what -40 feels like and most people here don't, I still feel that you should think about it before complaining, that it's really not that bad.


Either way, we had a fun snow day, and I can't wait 'til Sweet Thing really enjoys playing in the snow and we can make Sweet Snow Angels together.

Growing up too fast

1st Birthday

The Cakes!

Orange and PINK

 Now Orange and...WHITE? Thank you Mr. Sun

The Birthday Girl

 Apparantly the cake wasn't all that good.

 The fork was better.

 Present Time!

 She adores books.

 She LOVED the car!


Now for gifts from Mommy and Daddy.

Crafty Mama in the Works

I'm feeling super crafty today! Partly because I already committed myself to doing a few projects for Sweet Thing's birthday and because I completed something and I am so proud of myself.

I always like to think I'm a crafty, artsy person. I always think about projects I'd like to do, like build a doll house from old nightstand drawers. I constantly tell myself to get my pictures developed so I can scrapbook some of them. But this time, THIS TIME I actually did something! I applique-ed a onesie with a "1" on it for Sweet Thing. I also decided to make some flowers with the scrap fabric. Mind you HeatNBond isn't exactly rocket science, it's still something new for me. I even screwed up! Now I need to figure out how to get HeatNBond off of my (brand new, for this project) ironing board. Any suggestions? But other than that I am super pleased with myself and I can't wait to decorate her "1" shaped carrot cake with colourful (homemade) fondant!

Pictures to come.

Wish me luck!

Baby Fever

As Sweet Thing's 1st Birthday fast approaches, I am constantly thinking back to when she was just a newborn, and even the day we found out I was pregnant. And of course while thinking back, it makes me want to do it all over again with a new one. That's right I want another baby, and to be honest, it's not a new feeling. I have pretty much wanted another baby since Sweet Thing was born.  How could you not want another of my babies, they are so pretty.

I may be a bit biased, but I am not wrong.

It's been one crazy year. We had ups and downs, and huge learning curves. It was absolutely amazing at times, and unbelievably hard at others. It was all worth it and will continue to be, every time I see her cheesy grin, and hear her silly noises.

My life has changed so much because of this little girl and I couldn't be happier about it!

I love watching her learn, and seeing the world through her eyes. Everything is amazing and new again.

Winner Winner!

Congratulations!

The Winner of The Charlie Banana Giveaway is:

#37

Laura

You are one lucky lady!

Please e-mail me at tenenda @ hotmail dot com with the title Charlie Banana

Welcome to the World Addyson

It's a happy time here for our family! I have a new sweet little niece named Addyson. She was born yesterday morning to two wonderful parents and two awesome big sisters. I have to say with how ecstatic I am for my Brother-in-Law and his family, I am also feeling a little sad and emotional. I am in awe of how fast time has gone and my own sweet baby girl is just about a year old(in 2 weeks). The time has soared, yet crawled at the same time. I miss the days of holding a fresh and warm, tiny 6lb 9oz baby in my arms, feeling the softest skin on earth. But I have to admit, the first few weeks of my daughter's life didn't go quite as I would have liked.

We had a lot of trouble learning to nurse. I told my story here. It was a very painful time for me, both physically and emotionally. I dreaded every time she needed to eat. I considered quitting nursing every time she woke up. When she wasn't nursing, I was thinking about the next time she needed to. This is not what I had planned for us. I thought breastfeeding would be a cinch. Something I didn't need to read about before-hand, something that would come naturally. Well it didn't, and I was left thinking about the pain every time she would latch. Unfortunately, these thoughts consumed me, and I felt as though I couldn't enjoy my new baby. That was an awful feeling. Not wanting your newborn to wake up for fear of the pain of nursing. The first few weeks of having a new baby is so precious, you can never get that time back. I find myself really saddened by that and the fact that we had such trouble that I don't feel I thoroughly enjoyed it or took it all in. With all of that said, I want you to know, I couldn't be more in love with this beautiful girl my husband and I created, and in the long run my experience has not hindered our relationship. It is just one tiny bump in the road that we got through, and I hope for future babies I may have that we can work to make things different.

I am happy to report that after a week or so of pumping, a week of finger, cup or spoon feeding and 7 or 8 months of using a nipple shield we are doing it all natural. Now we are at almost a year and I am still her #1 source of nourishment. I couldn't be more happy or feel more empowered. This is what my body was meant for and I am using it the way it was intended. Such an amazing feeling.
I am so glad it turned out the way it did.

Anyone who has had a baby knows how fast the time goes, and how precious those first few weeks of life really are. Cherish every moment, take it all in, because before you know it that baby is going to be 1 year old. She is going to be walking and getting into everything possible, she's going to have fits because she can't have something. But don't worry, she is also going to give you the sweetest kisses, the biggest, tightest hugs, and a smile that will melt your heart over and over again.

Thank you for reading my jumbled up feelings and thoughts.
Any words of wisdom for the new(again) parents? This is their 3rd and last child(all girls).

Her First Halloween