February 09 mamas-a new home here? - Page 49

[starling&diesel]

Originally Posted by Mal85

So jealous! I can't wait to get outside more! This winter has been super cold and super snowy/icy. We've been cooped up in this house for too long. We try to go outside when we can, but with my daycare kids (2 months old, 1 year and 18 months old) it's hard to get everyone outside in this kind of weather. I cannot wait for spring. We'll have Owyn's swing set up and can go outside and play!

Owyn's birthday party is this weekend. We're having a spaghetti dinner for my whole family (about 35 people). We had her 1 year portraits taken on Saturday and it did not go well. She was not in the mood. Later that day she started running a fever and has been congested really bad ever since, so I'm guessing she just didn't feel very good. I hope she's feeling better for her party this weekend.

I'm sure we'll pay for all this warm el nino weather in the summer when there's campfire bans and water restrictions, but for now, I'm loving it!

That's too bad about Owyn's portraits ... do they have a policy for unhappy babies? Can you go back when she's feeling better? Hopefully she feels better soon, poor wee sproglet.

[starling&diesel]

Mckittre ... by the looks of things, your little one will have a huge love of the outdoors! And just imagine next winter, he'll be trucking around in a big smooshy snowsuit and monster mittens and a toque tied up under his chin and clunky winter boots strapped onto his wee snowshoes, and your problem then will be how to get him out of all his gear so he can use the potty tucked all the way inside the yurt beside the woodstove!

[Everrgreen]

I'm also jealous of those of you in warmer climates! We haven't had too much snow this winter (although we got some last night), but it's still too cold for going to the park. I can't wait until spring! And by then hopefully Royce will be walking and able to actually explore and play at the park! I'm already starting to dream about all the fun things we can do when the weather is nicer and Royce is a bit older - trips to the zoo, the beach, camping, going to the park, bike rides... It's going to be a great summer

[AKislandgirl]

I'm in the February blues here. It has not been a good winter here. Mostly cold and rainy, hardly any snow to speak of. We do lots of walks in our stroller which has a rain fly and I wear my whole rain suit but I'm looking forward to shedding that layer. I do take Fiona to the park but not often and I always have to bring a towel to wipe the swing down. The sun came out this weekend for a few hours. This was littteraraly the first time in weeks. I put a rain suit on Fiona and set her down in the wet grass. She did not like how that felt on her hands at all! She was happy to hold hands and walk around though. I'm longing for the nicer weather ahead. On a good note... its light out till around 6:30 these days. We've been doing walks when DH gets home from work. I love that!

[Vegan Princess]

Wow AKIsland you are brave donning a rain suit every day for walks. It's raining today and we are snuggling up and being cozy. First rain after a little stretch of beautiful weather. But it's supposed to rain for a week straight so I do need to go out and about in it. I'm sure I'll be going stir crazy by the end of today. We actually have had a fair amount of rain here in CA but the nice weather we just had made me feel like it was spring...I so cannot wait for spring!

For those with walkers: how long between first steps and when your babe was really walking around? Makenna took those steps but she is still pretty disinterested in trying to walk other than an occasional 1-2 steps.

Cindy

[starling&diesel]

Hi Cindy ... Esmé started walking at 10.5 months, with about 5-10 steps at a time, between destinations. Over the next few weeks, she kept adding steps and distance, until she was walking more than crawling or cruising. I'd say about a month before she stopped cruising/crawling? Now she's working on running and inclines and uneven ground.

[Mal85]

Originally Posted by Vegan Princess

Wow AKIsland you are brave donning a rain suit every day for walks. It's raining today and we are snuggling up and being cozy. First rain after a little stretch of beautiful weather. But it's supposed to rain for a week straight so I do need to go out and about in it. I'm sure I'll be going stir crazy by the end of today. We actually have had a fair amount of rain here in CA but the nice weather we just had made me feel like it was spring...I so cannot wait for spring!

For those with walkers: how long between first steps and when your babe was really walking around? Makenna took those steps but she is still pretty disinterested in trying to walk other than an occasional 1-2 steps.

Cindy

Owyn started taking a few steps at a time at the beginning of December. It was kind of by accident and she kept up with just a couple steps at a time for several weeks and that was only when I stood her up and urged her to do it. Right around Christmas is when it seemed to click and she realized she could go. By the new year, she was letting go of the furniture and walking a good few feet. It wasn't long after that when she started walking more than crawling.

[AKislandgirl]

Originally Posted by Vegan Princess

Wow AKIsland you are brave donning a rain suit every day for walks.
Cindy

If I didn't, we'd never go out! It rains here all the time!

Walking seemed to have clicked with Fi just yesterday. We went from a couple of weeks of a few steps here and there and crawling when she fell to getting back up at every fall. She's still pretty wobbly but has figured out that she really can get around this way. All of her practice tired her out yesterday and we got a good nights sleep for the first time in weeks! Today she was walking all around the room during our music class too.

[starling&diesel]

Hi everyone ... thread's been quiet for a couple of days, so I thought I'd breath some new life into it by soliciting birthday wishes for me! It's my birthday!
DP commissioned a beautiful necklace from one of my favourite jewelers (and a good friend!) and it looks like this one, only in an oval, and with Esmé's name carved on a scroll on the back. It's beautiful, and an instant heirloom that I look forward to passing down to her some day. It's heavy enough that Esmé can play with it while she nurses. It's simply gorgeous!
We're have a gluten-free pizza party tonight, and cake to follow. I'm 35 ... and that's just starting to sink in. 35. If we have another baby, we should start thinking about it soonish.

We're considering selling our condo and moving into a co-op across the street. Same great neighbourhood, but we'd be paying less than half what we pay now, which means I could stay home with Esmé and only work enough to maintain my license. This is sounding very appealing.
We have an interview with the co-op membership board tomorrow.

Downside is that our current place is lovely, and the co-op is a little run down, but the upside is that we'd be selling in a super high market and could maybe re-enter it when it softens after the Olympics. I hope we make the right decision. Any advice is appreciated!

[AKislandgirl]

Happy Birthday Starling!

Moving decisions are hard but I would do it! When we bought our house we bought small so that I would be able to stay home with babes. I don't regret it for a minute! Even though the coop isn't as nice you can work to make it your own. As long as its comfortable and liveable you won't look back and think about the house you lived in so much as the memories you create while living there. Being home with Fiona is the best thing I can be doing right now. I know that you struggled with going back to work. I think that if making this move means you can stay home with Esmé your whole family will be happier for it! Go for it and good luck!

By the way, I just discovered diaper swappers. Holy smokes that place is addicting...especially the all things wool page. I just bought some shorties and a skirty for Fiona. Shhhh! Don't tell DH!

[Mal85]

Originally Posted by AKislandgirl

By the way, I just discovered diaper swappers. Holy smokes that place is addicting...especially the all things wool page. I just bought some shorties and a skirty for Fiona. Shhhh! Don't tell DH!

I LOVE diaper swappers. I've built a good portion of my stash from there. Right now, I've been hunting BG organics and have bought 7 from mamas there in the last month or so. Saved a ton of money! It is addicting though!!

[Vegan Princess]

Happy birthday Starling!! What a gorgeous necklace. I want something with Makenna's name on it but DH has yet to provide. Mostly bc we are sooo watching our pennies. I made a lot more money than DH so my deciding to stay home w/Makenna means we are living on less than half of what we had before (though we still wouldn't have as much as before if I were working bc so much would go to a nanny). Anyway, we moved to a cheaper place outside of the city and are making sacrifices for me to be home. I miss work on occasion but I am so willing to pinch pennies, etc. to be home watching all the amazing changes going on with Makenna. At first I felt like it was all for her benefit but now I just feel so lucky to be watching her learn everything! I think if you can still be in the neighborhood you chose and pay less and be home with Esme, I would go for it! You can always change your mind down the road but you won't get this time back for all the money in the world! Good luck with your decision. Let us know what you choose.

I am just amazed daily by my little girl's language. She is copying so many words now and her signing has exploded. She must use 20-30 signs. Sooo much fun to watch!

Cindy

[Everrgreen]

Happy Birthday Starling!! Hope you are having a great day!

As for your big decision, I think that you will never in your life regret staying home with Esme. I love staying home with Royce, the time passes so quickly, and I love being able to soak up every single second of it. Staying at home with my children is something I have always wanted to be able to do, and I feel very fortunate to have that choice.

Cindy - that's so great that Makenna is using all those signs!! I'm still waiting for Royce to start signing. I'm pretty consistent with signing for nursing, eating, more, and all done. And then I have a bunch more that I use when I remember. Hopefully he'll start signing soon because it would be much nicer than the screaming that I get

[monkaha]

Happy birthday Starling!!

This time last year, I was pushing. Feeling very weepy tonight; whether it's because of the decrease in nursing messing with my hormones, the "official" transition from baby to toddler, the lack of sleep, or some combo of them, I don't know, but dang. Anyone else get a "funk" for a bday present?

[Vegan Princess]

Monkaha - I felt quite melancholy the night before Makenna's birthday, thinking back to where I was the year before and how powerful and exciting those experiences were. Normal, me thinks. Happy birth day!!

Cindy

[Mal85]

I'm also feeling very sentimental. Today was my due date. I remember I went to class that day and one of my professors walked in and saw me there and gave me the saddest face and told me how sorry she was that I hadn't had the baby yet. I refused to go back to school after that day. 3 days later I went into labor and she came the next day.

[mckittre]

Happy birthday starling! That necklace is beautiful. I think you should move. It sounds like it would be a good thing for you, and I doubt you'll spend much time thinking about how it's not quite as nice as your old one. (says the happy yurt dweller, anyway) And I bet you'll spend a lot of time enjoying Esme and feeling happy you don't have to work so much!

Cindy, that's awesome that she uses so many signs! Katmai's signing is just getting going (he did "bear" for the first time yesterday!). He has maybe 5 signs he uses frequently, and another 4 or 5 I've seen him use at least once. Though he doesn't use them all correctly, and tends to use both "milk" and "more" to mean "I want the thing I'm pointing at." Pointing is still his best communication, and I think we're a ways from spoken words yet. I'm amazed daily by how much he understands, though. I think this must be a good age for communication growth.

[starling&diesel]

Thanks for the birthday wishes, mamas!

We had our interview with the co-op today and saw the apartment. It's lovely! Way better than I had hoped. It's on two levels, with the living room and kitchen up, and the bedrooms and bathroom down (we'd need to get another potty to put upstairs for PL). So way more light than where we are now, and quite cute. Give it a good coat of paint and we'll be good to go!

The downside is that there is no in-suite laundry, but if there is a way, we'll make it happen. If not, we'll be shlepping a lot of diapers to the communal laundry room. We wash every other day right now. Do any of you other CD mamas wash every three days? Does it make a stink difference?

We did find out that we're not the only ones they're considering ... so we may not have it. But fingers crossed ... if they offer it, we're going to take it! No more money worries! And I'd only have to work one or two days a weeks to maintain my paramedic license! Woo hoo!

[starling&diesel]

monkaha ... does that mean it's your little one's birthday today?

If so ... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

[AKislandgirl]

Fingers crossed Starling!