Howdy Partner

Isa's first ride on a horse!

I was the only unlucky one to not get to ride the horse because I did not bring appropriate foot wear...sucks to be me.

At times she kept yelling faster faster, only to get freaked out when the horse would actually go faster. We all had such a blast and we were pretty happy to be able to give her this special memory.

Roughening It in Quebec

Isa and I are in beautiful Wakefield Quebec visiting with the in-laws. We have been here since Saturday morning...1:00 am in the morning to be exact. And thankfully we are going home tomorrow.

I have learned something very very important while spending wayyyy too much time here...don't spend too much time here. Don't get me wrong a get along very well with my MIL and I LOVE her place but there is just so much that one can be away from one's bed, kitchen, routine, and blissfully quiet home. I could go on and on but I think it best to not.

The important thing is that both Isa and her 'Bella" have been having a blast. And she has been able to spend quite a great deal of time outdoors with nature (you should see the bites we have) and bond with her grandparents. As for myself, I have been getting pampered with awesome food, lots of free time to spend on the sunny deck with a book and a cold beer, but more importantly great company.

We have also had the opportunity to go twice to the lake, check out some beautiful horses, eat like it's winter and we don't have to try to look decent in a bathing suit and drink like only people in the country know how.

As soon as I can figure out how to upload the pictures onto our new computer I will post some up.

Well, I am off...there is a nice cold beer waiting for me :)

It's All About The Stickers

Last week I began potty training Isa, in fact I had started writing a post on her first day's progress and I never got around to finishing it. Lets just say that after spending a good part of an evening Googling "potty training" and reading all the advise, as well as the dos and don'ts I was prepared to take on the challenge.

That first day, she went through three of her new pretty 'big girl' underwear in 10 minutes. But I did not freak out, no, I was prepared. I knew that this would happen and I made sure that I explained what happened and got her to sit on her potty and went with the motions. We were able to make it to the potty one time that day. You can imagine the commotion I made when it happened. After all they tell you that you have to make a big deal of the thing so that they feel proud of their accomplishment. And believe me I did.

That was our first day, on our second day things where pretty much the same in the morning. Thankfully I had bought enough underwear to last me for some time before I had to do a wash. I had also prepared the house by rolling up the carpet and making sure that she did not play in her carpeted room (though it did not escape unscathed). A good friend told me that she would reward her daughter with one sticker every time she made it to the potty. So given that Isa LOVES stickers I decided that I would use this as well. All is fair in potty training.

With the promise of a cool sticker as a bribe, potty training turned into the easiest thing in the world. By the third day, she was doing very well and there were only a couple of accidents. Now after one week she is almost fully trained. It is just amazing, she pulls down her own pants and underwear and sits down. When she is done, she does her little cheer and dance, she oversees the flushing of her efforts and chooses her sticker. I ran into a small problem at the beginning of the sticker implementation when she wanted to get two every time. I did not give in and she eventually stopped crying and accepted her one sticker. Nice try on her part though.

Believe me when I say that I was soooo dreading starting this thing. Now the only thing I am unsure off is how to wean her off the stickers. They are like a drug to her. I will ask my friend how she did it...thank goodness for friends.

So, if you are reading this post and are thinking about potty training your little one...use the stickers. Get yourself some cheap ones at the dollar store and bribe your way through.

Good Luck!

Back to Normal

I am putting myself and my house back to 'order' after the chaos that was last week. Now that the Children's Trunk Show is behind us (thank you to all that stopped by) I can relax and spend more time playing with my little Isa.

I felt like the world's worst mother last week for not being able to play with her for too long, not being able to go to the park and lets not even talk about the meals that I prepared. And don't get me started on the state of the house....and the laundry.

Well, today we spent some quality time together at the park digging holes and making 'polar bear' mountains (from Dora saves the day) and I am thinking of making some yummy treats for both of to enjoy later (banana bread anyone?) .

Well, till tomorrow...enjoy the gorgeous day.

Oh, and Isa got herself an adorable haircut. Stay tuned for pictures and the drama filled experience.

In the Name of Safety

For some reason I woke up this morning at the beautiful hour of 8:00am (thank you Isa) to the following thought: Safety. I don't really know why I was thinking about this, sure, Isa has had some safety training, but most of the lessons on safety have had to do with potential hazards around the house...you know, the usual ones. Don't jump on the bed. Don't stand on chairs. Be careful with drawers. Don't bother the cat.

When it comes to street safety, the only one she truly grasps is that she must hold my hand or the stroller before she crosses the street. She hates doing it but she has NO choice in the matter and so she has given up fighting with me on it. Well the other day, a good friend told me that she has taught her daughter to only answer to a special name when in public. This means is that she is only allowed to go with people who call her by her special name when in public, a name that only family members and special friends are privy to.

I thought it was a great idea and started thinking of the special name that we could use with Isa. I have come up with many possibilities but they all sound strange when said out loud, specially since I only think of her as Isa or her other cutesy names that I have for her which I cannot ask my family and friends to say in public.

And so, I have yet to implement this, though I don't worry too much as my daughter does not even answer to her own name as it is, even from me. Though it does concern me that she will answer to ice scream. Maybe there is another safely lesson that takes priority...don't take candy from strangers. This will be a hard one.

My Petit Litigator

I recently read a a short chapter from the new book Toddlers Gone Wild! by Rebecca Eckler, where she talks about what a poor litigator her child is. Isa on the other hand is a great litigator, in fact she has learned to negotiate her way into getting more time than we anticipated.

A typical negotiation with her goes something like this:

Me: Isa, it's time to ....(insert activity, ie. change diaper, eat, go home, have bath)

Isa: FIVE MINUT (holds out hand while shouting)

Me: Ok, five minutes
(wait anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes, depending on what I have going on and how in a hurry I am)

Me: Isa, five minutes are up. It's time to...

Isa: TWO MINUT ( again holds out hand with two chubby fingers sticking out)

Me: One minute!

Isa: ok, mama. (point goes to Isa)

After these negotiations she is very responsive, I think that she feels like she got her way and is very proud of herself, which we all know she has.

All this success at the negotiating table has encouraged her to pull out the 5 minute card again on us. Sometimes she gets away with it and sometimes we catch it in time, it all depends on how on the ball the mother is.

FYI Friday

I hope you will forgive my self-promotion for this edition of FYI Friday. But if you are in the market for new toys for you little one, stop by BabyThoughts.ca and take advantage of our great sale!

You can't go wrong with 20% off on selected items and an additional 10% off if you register.

Happy Shopping.

One Month and Counting

Isa has been with me full time now for one month. At this moment she is sitting at the dinning room table singing to her self and breaking up her play dough into little little pieces.

I have to say that the dollar store is a mom's best friend, I have stocked up on construction paper, tissue paper, crayons, glue, stickers, play dough, Popsicle sticks and much much more. Now all I have to do is google for things to do with all the crap.

It looks like I am going to have to keep this post short as Isa is yelling my name over and over again and I can't concentrate.

I have a call at noon and I hope to have her in dreamland by then.

BabyThoughts.ca's New Look

BabyThoughts.ca has had a Makeover!

I am so excited to finally have the new site up, after many months of meetings, design concepts, enless hours of programing and bug hunting the site is done. Bright, fresh and happy are just some of the adjectives that describe the new design.

The new changes will make your experience looking at our Toy Collection or Staying Connected through our mom groups, parenting resources, blog and articles a very enjoyable one.

You are sure to find a toy that will aid in the development and growth of your Newborn, Infant, Toddler or Preschooler!

Stop by and check out the new look >>

French Fries and Pizza Slice

You may be wondering whether this is what Isa had for dinner last night. Though that would be a very good guess, that is not the case. Those are the two phrases that I kept repeating in my head over and over as I hurled down a ski slope last weekend. We were fortunate to spend 3 days and 2 nights at Horseshoe Valley with my FIL and BIL. It was my first time ever on skis and needless to say I was quite scared.

In fact I was terrified of going downhill on two sticks, but with the help of the Husband I was able to get the hang of it and actually enjoy myself. Though I have only mastered the bunny hill (my attempt at a larger hill proved disastrous), I quite enjoy it. So much so that I will be looking into getting some more lessons and finding myself some equipment...cause if you have ever rented ski equipment you know that it's ass.

The reason for all of us(especially me) to make the effort of going and learning how to ski is because we want Isa to learn and love to ski. Well, it looks like our introduction to the sport was a success, because she had a blast. We rented her skis and got her an instructor to teach us what to do with her on our own.

All in all, it was an awesome trip. We all had a blast (especially the guys) and I came back not only with a love for a winter sport (never thought it could be possible) but also lots of sore muscles. Isa came back with an association of snow with skiing and 'the magic carpet', this is the special lift for the beginner hills.

Though I wish that I had taken more pictures of Isa, and more importantly myself to prove to all that I did in fact go skiing, I did not. You will just have to take my word for it that I was actually on skis and that I did in fact go downhill on my two feet and not on my bum.

Enjoy some of the shots that I took of Isa, her first time on skis.

You can see the 'magic carpet' behind Isa. She kept asking to go on it over and over.

Isa going down on her own. She found her balance right away. It was incredible to see how
natural it came to her.

Snowed In

Today, Isa and I will be spending a cozy day at home hiding from the snow. On days that are too cold or when a big snow storm is expected I keep her home.

The funny thing is that she declared after she finished having her morning bottle that "Isa, no school". Lately, she has been saying this quite often, we have had to bribe her with the promise of fun toys and activities at school to get her to head out the door. So every morning it is a small struggle to get her to go and when I pick her up, it is another struggle to get her to leave.

At times when I pick her up from school, I have to use the "I'm leaving now" tactic, many times this has absolutely no success. In fact she actually looks at me, waves goodbye and says "bye mama, see you later". What can you do after this?

So then I have to resort to plan B, which is not very nice...I take Bear and tell her that Bear and I are going home. This usually gets her running fast towards the door. I don't like using this because I find it quite mean but at the end of the day, with the dreaded transit ride home in the cold and darkness, I just don't care. But I should not whine, she is usually really good and is great about putting on her jacket, hat and mittens. Small victories is what being the parent of toddler is all about.

I am off to have another nice cup of coffee and turn up the heating. Let the fun begin.

Cuba, Christmas and Piña Coladas

I have no idea how to start this post, I have had no drive to post anything mostly because things have been pretty quiet and when they have not been I have not been at liberty to discuss.

Well, firstly I would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings, Happy Boxing Day and so on. We had a very nice and quiet Christmas over at our place, which is just what I was hopping for.

We were also able to escape to Cuba for a week of sun, booze, food and relaxation. The three of us had a blast and one of us came back with proof of having been outside in 30 degree weather (me). Both the Husband and I cried quiet heavily as we were leaving paradise but all good things must come to an end. If you are ever interested in going to Cuba and would like a recommendation on where to stay send me an email.

I am looking forward to 2008, there are many ideas and schemes swimming in my head at the moment that I hope to put into action. I have to get everything straight in my head and begin planning.

I leave you with pictures from paradise (Cuba) will share my trip in another post.

cheers, K

At the airport, Isa excited to see so many airplanes

Enjoying a drink by the pool. One drink for mama and one for Isa.

Playing, eating, becoming one with the sand.

Not very impressed with having her picture taken.

The Return of the Prodigal Blogger

I can't believe that it has been one month since I last posted. To be honest I have not had the desire to write and have been putting it off. Partly because I was just so exhausted after the shows and had a great deal of work to do for Baby Thoughts and partly because there was not much going on.

I can't believe how much is happening in the blogging world in the time that I was away. Both Kgirl and NoMotherEarth had their babies, Her Bad Mother sold her house and is probably in the mist of packing and getting ready to move and leave Toronto. I on the other hand have very little to report, we are in the mist of doing some work on the site which is causing quite a mixture of emotions from excitement, to apprehension.

Isa as always is doing very well...though lately she has been giving us some awesome tantrums. I am amazed at how much she has grown up, not only is she changing physically but she has also gone through a developmental spurt. We still have not made any progress in the area of potty training, she still has no interest in it and we have not been pushing it.

I am looking forward to the holidays, especially since Isa is older and can appreciate the season much more. I have dreams of taking her to Nathan Phillips Square and seeing the lights and big tree, as well as signing holiday music and maybe if I get creative working on some crafts for her to give as gifts to the family. If I can get one done, I will be proud of myself. Some researching will have to be involved which could be an issue with me.

What else can I say...not much. I hope to be in a better mood and have some interesting things to share or make up next time.

Where Have I Been?

When Isa was around 3 months old, we attended the Husband's company children's party and she received a Fisher Prize sorting toy (see picture). Needless to say she did not get to enjoy it right away and so I put it away until she was the right age to play with it. The toy says that it is good for children 6 months+ and so I waited to introduce it to her.

Well, I did just that, and what happened you wonder? As expected she had no idea what to do with it. I then tried to show her how you play with the thing but she still had no idea. Furthermore, she would get really frustrated with trying to fit the pieces in the holes and ended up banging on the toy and getting really upset. In the end I would take the lid away and use the toy to teach her the shapes and colours in Spanish. We or I, would build towers out of the circles, squares and triangles, I would also sort them into categories and by colours. Isa on the other hand could care less, she enjoyed destroying my towers and disorganizing my neatly ordered shapes.

After some time, I decided to just put the toy away and to bring it out later. Well, that time came a week or so ago and this morning while I was playing with Isa in her room, she takes the sorting game, takes the lid off and dumps all the shapes. She then takes a moment to sort the squares, triangles, circles, and stars into little piles. Then she lines up each little pile in a straight line. Once she is happy with how they are arranged, she places the lid back on the thing and turns it so that the right hole is in front of her in order to make it easier for her to put the piece in. My mouth dropped to the floor. I wanted to grab her, squeeze her, kiss her and laugh all at the same time. I could not believe that she had done it.

What a wake up call this was for me. I cannot believe that I missed her attempts at mastering this very important toy. I have to be honest and say that I wanted to cry with happiness at her accomplishment. I have no doubt that she has been able to do this for some time and I have not had any idea. It has made me ponder all the other things I don't really know she can do.

This is just another indication that my baby is not a baby anymore. But I am so not ready to see her grow-up. One thing is for certain though...she is lots of fun to play with.

You're Not the Boss of Me!

Mama...come with me.

I feel like lately I should be telling Isa this, the last few weeks she has been bossing me around and for some reason I have been doing what she says.

Frankly I feel like she has always bossed me around, when she was younger it had to do with feeding. I would quickly feed her at the first sounds of a whimper. I was always uncomfortable letting her cry for too long if she was hungry. As she got older it had to do with carrying her too much. Well now in her old age she is still at it and the Husband has told me that I have to take control of the situation.

I should say that it is not like she gets away with things that she should not, that is one thing that I have been able to remain firm on. It is more like she likes me to be in the place of her choosing. For instance, she tells me where to sit down on the couch, when to read her a story and what story. She does not let me lie down anywhere except my bed and if she does not want me to lie down at that particular moment she asks me to 'sit up mama' and takes hold of my hand.

She still does not like it when I am at the computer, she gets really upset and starts crying and pleading for me to stand up. I am not really sure how to handle this, lately I have been getting her to calm down and ask me in a calm voice to please stand up. I don't want her to think that I will stand up when she cries and whines. But I am not sure if I should let her think that she can always get me to stand up? I also don't know if this is something that at this age is fine and when she is older I will be able to provide some sort of distraction or explanation as to why I am at the computer. I have no idea.

The important thing is to be more assertive myself now and not let her push me around too much. I so believe that I have to set some limits, she does need to know that I may not want to sit in a particular place all the time or that I would like to lie down and that she is welcome to lie down with me or go and play with her father.

Okay, wish me luck.

For the Love of Reading

Today is the kind of day that if I did not have a billion and one things to get done, I would spend the entire day in my bed reading a good book. I honestly can't remember when my love for reading started. When I was young living in Nicaragua the only books I had were my school books and to be honest I can't say that I remember reading at all. I would rather spend my time playing in my room or outside with my friends. I also think that what did not help was that we were in a state of civil war and books were a luxury item in a sense.

My love of reading really began when I was around 11 years and I was introduced to the Toronto Public Library. I could not believe that I had the ability to take out any book I wished for free. In the summer time I would ride my bike to the library and spend hours going through all the stacks and looking at what books there were. I loved to read and read anything and everything. My favourites were the mystery/detective books, I loved to read Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. I also liked to read the scary stuff such as Christopher Pike and R.L. Stein. As well as the 'dramatic' stories if you will of Judy Bloom and the Baby-Sitters Club.

Reading has always been a way for me to escape to a different world, imagine myself a different person and to put aside any worries or concerns that I may be experiencing for a short time. If I am feeling sad, worried or stressed I like to escape to my room and take out one my favourite books and read, such as any of my Agatha Christie books or Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. These are my sure bet books, I know that I can read them over and over again and still enjoy them.

I still love to go to the Library and browse the stacks to see what new author would interest me. I always tend to gravitate towards the Mystery section as I love a good mystery and enjoy spending a quite Sunday morning during Isa's nap in my bed with a good detective book.

Recently I have noticed how much Isa loves it when I read to her. I was struggling with reading to her because before she would grab the book from my hand and flip the pages herself not really letting me read. But now things have changed, she likes to sit on my lap holding the book open while I read to her. She no longer rushes or tries to take the book. In fact she likes to have it read to her over and over again. I have also noticed that she can handle books that have a longer story or require her to act out things.

This new interest and maturity that she has shown in reading has made be realize that we need to spend more time in the Library together. I want her to become acquainted with it and to learn the etiquette of being in a Library so that we can spend quality time there among the books. I am really enjoying this as I hope dearly that Isa will have the same love for books that I have.

Back From the Dead

I guess that the title post is a little melodramatic but it sure has been some time since I last posted. I can honestly say that I have no idea where the previous week went. I was so busy with work that by the time I had a free moment to blog the last thing I wanted to do was write some more.

Well, today will be a short and sweet post. I am spending the day trying to get a hold of my toy suppliers and make all my purchase orders for the rest of the year. My brain right now is busy with BabyThoughts stuff that I have nothing interesting to blog about.

I am going to leave you with a few pictures of our trip to Ottawa for Thanksgiving. We were trying out our new fancy camera and so I will like to show them off. Just be aware that just because it is a fancy camera the photographers themselves may not be doing it justice.

We had an amazing time at my MIL's place but had an absolutely awful ride back home that just remembering makes me want to hurl.

I am sure that I have mentioned how much I loath long weekend traffic and now more so with a two year old who spends the entire time begging to get down. And how can you blame her when you too are wishing to get down as well. Not fun at all.

So, like I was saying, we had a blast. All the goals that I set out for myself to accomplish I did. Eat...check. Drink...check. Relax...check.

The view from my MIL's balcony

Isa, doing quality assurance on the pumpkins


The Wakefield Train...this was Isa's highlight of the trip as she is in LOVE with trains right now.

F.Y.I. Friday

I would like to share with you the one store that completely changed my life. This store not only made me look damn good, but it gave me self-confidence, improved my posture and helped my back.


Secrets From Your Sister

If you have not heard of them, I would highly recommend that you stop by and check them out. Secrets From Your Sister is a lingerie store, but more importantly they will measure you and give you your correct bra size. Believe when I say that if you have not gotten measured by a professional you are wearing the wrong size. Even if your breasts are not large, you can still be wearing the wrong size.

I was introduced to them five years ago when I received a gift certificate for my bridal shower. I went to get myself something pretty and I came out crying with excitement because I had found a place where I could get a bra that made me look AMAZING. I do have to warn you that it does not come cheap but having clothes fit well, having your breasts look amazing and feeling so sexy in whatever size you are is priceless. Absolutely priceless.

There have been times when I wished that I could carry a stack of their business cards because I have walked by many women who are wearing the wrong bra. I just want to educate...I want them to feel as great as I felt. The thing to know is that it's not just women of a certain age and size that are wearing the wrong size, it is women off all ages and sizes from young little tiny women to more curvaceous ladies.

I invite you all to stop by their place and get fitted, you can then take that number and shop for your bras at whatever store you like or give your self a treat and get yourself something pretty and sexy from them. More importantly you should get measured every once in awhile and certainly after any big change in your body (pregnancy, after-pregnancy) because your breast size will change.

Happy Shopping!

Here Is To Baby's BFF

I am a little slow on finding out things...only recently did I come across the League of Maternal Justice and their message and mission. In the spirit of motherhood I have decided to step down memory lane to my early days in Breastfeeding Land and drag you all with me. I promise it will be a sweet and short trip.

I have to say that I was unbelievably-freaking-lucky to have had my wonderful doula at Isa's birth to teach me the ins and outs of breastfeeding. She was there to take Isa's little head in one hand, my boob in the other and put the two together correctly. Because of her hands-on approach I was one of the fortunate few who did not have cracked nipples or bleeding (please don't hate me. please).

Breastfeeding was the one thing that I was absolutely terrified about before Isa was born. I was not worried about the labour (boy was I wrong), not the recovery, the complete lack of sleep (I was in denial on this) or the taking care of a new human-being. No. I was was worried about breastfeeding and whether I could do it, whether Isa could do it, whether it would be the most painful thing on earth and whether I would be able to stick it out. Though I knew, read, heard or guessed that it would be work, one thing I had no idea about was how lonely I would feel.

At the beginning when I was trying to get comfortable managing a small baby, undoing my maternity bra and correctly placing the baby to obtain a good latch, I would feed in private. If I was out, I would excuse myself and find a private place, this was so lonely because I would spend the next 15-30 minutes (I really can't remember how long it took) with just Isa. Amazing as she was she was not such good company at the beginning.

But just like everything, things got so much better, by the end I was feeding anywhere and everywhere. I did not care and I got so good at whipping out the boob that I did not feel self-conscious or awkward or embarrassed. I did what I had to do, I was always discrete and the efficient Isa was always quick. If there is a lesson to be learned, it is that you must persevere because the reward is too good to pass up.

Now it is a distant happy memory and hopefully just like riding a bike, it will be like I never stopped so when baby #2 comes along I will be able to get back on it with ease. Not that this is happening any time soon.

We are back now, that was not too long and too mushy I hope. It was nice remembering the good-old days, if there is one thing I miss about breastfeeding is not having to worry about what to feed Isa. Maybe more importantly is that I was always sure that she would love it. This is not the case anymore.

The Dark Clouds are Dissipating oh so Slowly

For the last couple of days I have felt very down and unsure and stressed and worried and ...

I have been struggling with some work related things that I have been finding quite challenging. I have always felt overwhelmed when first confronted with an unfamiliar task and once I have taken some time to evaluate what is needed and tackle it in small pieces I get over my worries and fears and get it done. True to form the same thing has happened with my newest work project, it certainly helped that the Husband was able to talk me away from the ledge and get me to break things down into manageable pieces. He also offered his help which I am so grateful for.

And so today I was able to get a small but very important part done and sent off. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted and I can move forward onto the next step. Positive thinking. Positive thinking. Must have positive thoughts.

Alright, enough of this whining I am going to go and get my lunch ready...I am re-heating left-overs from last night and later on I will make a banana bread to use the very very ripe bananas that we have.

If you want a fast and finger-licking good recipe for Pork here is what I mad last night. It is courtesy of Chatelaine magazine:

Rosemary Pork with Pears

1 pork tenderloin
1 tbsp each of Dijon and chopped fresh rosemary
2 firm ripe pears
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey

Preheat oven to 450F. Place pork in the center of an oven safe dish and coat all sides of it with both the Dijon and rosemary. Slice pears in half, lenghtwise and remove core. Drizzle pears with either maple syrup or honey and place around pork with cut side up. Roast until pork is well cooked about 20 to 25 minutes, serve and enjoy.

Yum Yum Yum!