Interspecies Jealousy

Boo Bear posing. See: Attention, Crying for.

I used to be SO in love with Booyah. He was always the wallpaper on my phone. I set my alarm to go off 5 to 10 minutes earlier just so I could give him some good morning pats. He was worth getting up before the sun rises - at 8 years old he still chases his tail, attacks cat nip toys and is the most vocal cat you've ever met. When I came home from work, he would run to the door and greet me with a squeaky meow, a telltale sign he had just woken up from a nap. We would cuddle or hang out together until Chris got home.

Fast-forward to late January. I enter the hospital with irregular bleeding. We spend the night. I have an emergency c-section. We spend the night. The next day Chris is able to get home for an hour to shower and put out fresh food and water for Booyah. We spend the night at the hospital. The next day, we bring Hannah home. Booyah looks happy to see us. Not so much the little crying human in the car seat.

Those first few weeks were the worst. Poor Booyah got put on the back burner. We always made sure he had food, water and clean litter. But our pats and cuddle sessions seemed to all but disappear. I even went out and bought him some new toys because I felt guilty I didn't have as much time to pay attention to him. I was so happy when Hannah reached his weight because it meant I could pick him up and cuddle him.

Checking out the Baby Einstein

When Chris went back to work and it was just me, Boo Bear and Hannah I used him as a sounding board. "Do you think she's crying because she's hungry?" "Meow." "Or maybe she's tired?" "Meow." "Maybe she just doesn't know what she wants?" At this point, Boo usually got sick of the conversation and left the room.

Booyah loves to hide in the bathtub or beneath the covers of the bed. Being on mat leave, I've realized a cat sleeps so much more than humans assume (and that the term "cat nap" really needs more thought - Booyah naps for HOURS, Hannah naps for minutes...). Of course, as soon as Hannah started to fuss, Booyah would suddenly make an appearance and add his noise to the mix. Try dealing with a crying newborn and a crying cat trying to trip you at your feet. Not fun.

I think Booyah has finally accepted Hannah as a member of the family. The first few times we went out with her and brought her back, he looked at us like "You mean, you didn't return her to wherever you got her?" Now he just greets all of us with his usual squeaky meow. Of course, this could just mean he's now adjusted to the new pecking order of our family.

As for Hannah, she is in love with Booyah. She likes to stare at him while we all sit on the couch. She has grabbed his fur a few times, and I try to use her hand to gently stroke his back. Booyah returns the favour by licking her face. And sometimes he attempts to lay/nap with her. Having Boo in her life will teach Hannah empathy, and new research says living with a cat could even strengthen her immune system.

Hopefully as the years go by, Booyah will realize Hannah is another person who can feed him treats, pet him and throw him a toy to catch. Another human who will love him and take care of him. And one day, I bet he will become the centre of Hannah's attention.

Besides, Booyah loves to knead my post-baby belly. So he's already gotten something positive out of this whole situation.

How did your pet(s) adjust to baby?

© 2012 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

Sleep Paranoia

Hannah has been sleeping in her crib since before she turned three months old. While she liked her bassinet, she just grew too tall and moves too much in her sleep to slumber in there for long.

For the first few nights, Chris and I slept in our room and we had the monitor on. But it didn't work. I either couldn't hear the monitor, or when noise did come through, I didn't trust it.

I would get up every couple of hours to investigate, making sure she was OK. She didn't wake up, but it was almost like regressing from those first few weeks home from the hospital for me. Every few hours my body would wake up, get up and then not be able to fall asleep - even though now my baby slept peacefully the entire time.

I couldn't sleep peacefully. So Chris began to sleep in the single bed we have in her room, Hannah was in her crib, and I was in our queen bed all alone. A couple of weeks ago, we switched and now I sleep in her room in the single bed and Chris has the queen bed to himself.

I am 100 per cent convinced that Hannah doesn't care if someone sleeps in her room with her. As long as someone comes to her in the morning to change her diaper, get her breakfast and allow her to start her day that's all she really needs.

It's all me. I sleep better at night knowing if she moves the slightest I am near by. And being near by, in a bed, I can determine whether or not I need to physically get out of bed. And if I don't, it makes it a lot easier to just roll over and catch some more zzz's.

I know I'm not alone. A lot of my friends were smart enough to just set-up cribs in their rooms so everyone would be together as long as they wanted. Our bedroom is more than ample to put her crib in there, but we'd have to do a lot of re-organizing. And the whole reason we have a single bed in her bedroom (save for the one person who visited us before she was born) was so that one of us could sleep in there if necessary.

And right now, for me, it still seems necessary.

Oddly enough, here it is, a weekday morning and Hannah is napping in her crib. Am I in her room with her listening to her every breath? No. Do I go into her room every 10 minutes to check on her to make sure she's OK? You bet I do.

I'm sure eventually I will grow out of this stage as she becomes older and more self-sufficient. After all, if we ever have another baby, and I still feel the need to be right beside Hannah, the only room that could fit all our beds would be the living room...

Do you sleep in the same room as your baby? If so, are you sleeping with your partner too?

A New Best Friend

My new best friend can be kind of a jerk.

She is constantly the centre of attention, to the point where sometimes I feel I cease to exist.  

She likes to stare at people and eavesdrop on their conversations when we are out in public.

She's a backseat driver who complains when I have to stop at a red light.

She has constant mood swings and takes only milliseconds to go from happy to mad.

She thinks grunting is an acceptable form of communication.

She interrupts conversations. She interrupts movies. She interrupts TV. She even interrupts reading.

She likes to listen to the same song. Over, and over, and over again. And then one more time after that. Sometimes she demands I sing the song. Over, and over, and over again. And yes, even with my singing voice, one more time after that.

She kicks me. She bites my fingers. She pulls out my hair. She scratches my face.

She wakes me up at 5:30 in the morning because she's hungry. 

She has food fights with herself that sometimes ricochets on to me.

She loves to stick out her tongue and blow her spit on me.

She gets irritable when she's tired but refuses to sleep.

She pees in the midst of my changing her diaper. Frequently in public.


She smiles.

And that's when I remember why she's my new best friend. And that I will always do any and everything I can for her.

I love my daughter so much. I can't believe I once knew life without her.

Lil' Bean N' Green - Cafe n' Play

Last week Hannah and I visited a friend in Leslieville who suggested we check out the Lil'Bean n' Green (located at 1133 Queen St. East (between Pape St. & Jones Ave.)).

I had the Lil' Bean Salad with boiled egg which was delicious and made with Leslieville cheese. The menu is a bit more pricey compared to Playful Grounds on College Street, but the Lil' Bean's play area is huge, and definitely geared towards toddlers, so when Hannah is a little older I will be taking her back.

This cafe is also geared to parents - there are extra diapers and wipes in the washrooms and ample stroller parking in the front area. They also have all types of activities, but at a charge.

To find out more, please visit http://www.lilbeanandgreen.com/.

Tummy Time made entertaining

Hannah enjoys being on her tummy, although when I place her on her tummy with nothing to do she gets bored quite easily.

Thankfully one of Chris' cousins gave us a Tiny Love Tummy-Time Fun Ladybug Pillow & Mat at Hannah's shower. Not only does she look more comfortable with the pillow to lay on, but she's interested in looking at herself in the mirror, or the lady bug's face. She also enjoys grabbing on to the toys that make up the lady bug's hands all while she develops upper body strength in the neck, shoulders, and improves her head lifting skills.

© 2012 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

Playful Grounds

Yesterday Hannah, Chris and I met my friend Dave for lunch on College Street. It was Hannah's first "downtown" experience, but it was catered mainly to her.

Dave was nice enough to let me know of a place called Playful Grounds (605 College Street (near Clinton)) - it's a great cafe that welcomes babies and children with open arms. There's a nice big play area, lots of high chairs and booster seats and thankfully OTHER BABIES! When Hannah cried no one stared at us. When other babies cried we didn't stare at them. It was so nice to go out and be in a pro-baby environment. On my birthday we went to Red Lobster and after we were seated, a couple actually asked to be moved so they wouldn't be near us. That's fine, it's their night out too, but they didn't need to give us the death stare. Hannah wasn't even crying! Therefore at Playful Grounds it was so nice to sit in a comfy cafe and not feel ostracised, but welcomed, by other patrons.

Everyone was really friendly (owners and fellow parents/caregivers alike) and there were babies at different ages and stages. It's nice to see how far Hannah has come by looking at the brand new babies, and it's exciting to see where headed by looking at toddlers who could run around.

The cafe offers sandwiches, salads, pizzas and more. I had the Grilled Cheese and Playful Grounds salad for $6. The sandwich was cheesy, toasted to perfection and the salad was delicious (and I'm not a fan of salads). You can view the menu here.

They also host numerous free workshops for parents. I signed up for the Baby Massage later this month!

To learn more about Playful Grounds, check out their website at www.playfulgrounds.com.

Hannah's Pick of the Month - Infantino Peek-a-Boo Rattle

Since I've wrote about some of my favourite items, I think it's only fair I dedicate one post a month to something Hannah really loves.

This month it's her Bug.  It's commercial name is Infantino Peek-a-Boo Rattle. We never leave home without it.

She loves to just stare at it. She also likes to grab it and hold it. And it's even the first toy she put in her mouth! It entertains her for minutes on end. It also has a neat ring/clip-on thing so I can hang it off her stroller or car seat and it keeps her entertained - the different patterns make it interesting to look at, she smiles at it so much. It's been great to have when we are out and about, and it passed the ultimate test - while in the car she started to cry, I reached around to give her the Bug and she instantly calmed down! Nothing else I've come across yet has been able to do that. It's pretty amazing that when she cries just showing her the Bug or shaking it (as it is a rattle) soothes her.

At first I thought it was a pretty ugly toy when she got it as one of her Easter gifts from my Mom (I also found it slightly creepy that the head moves up to show a mirror, hence the "Peek-a-Boo" name). But now I'm so happy and very thankful to have it. For a toy that's so small and doesn't require batteries, it truly is amazing.

The Infantino Peek-A-Boo Rattle retails for $6.99 at Babies R Us.

Baby's First Fish

There were two gifts on Hannah's registry that were really meant for me. As much as I am all about her being her own person with her own likes and dislikes, I'd at least like to give her opportunities to enjoy what I do.

I really like fish. Like REALLY like them. When I was younger, my dream job was to be a marine biologist or, you know, work at SeaWorld. When I realized you needed to have good marks in science and math, those dreams removed themselves in high school. My marks in those classes just wouldn't cut it (I took Grade 12 Advanced Math TWICE in order to see if I could pass an OAC Math class - no dice).

Anyhow, the two gifts I wanted for mysel- er, Hannah, were the Baby Einstein Baby Neptune Ocean Adventure Gym and the FisherPrice Ocean Wonders Aquarium.

We purchased the Baby Neptune Ocean Adventure Gym for Hannah before she was born with gift cards we received at our coed baby shower. It comes with an "electric water-filled toy" that was almost a small version of the Ocean Wonders Aquarium.

Hannah likes the Gym, and as she gets older I'm sure she'll take advantage of all the different toys it has to offer.

As for the Aquarium I would hmm and ha every time I saw it in the stores. I even showed it to her once and she seemed pretty interested but I just didn't know if I should buy something somewhat similar to what she already had in the "electric water-filled toy".

Then a couple of weeks ago Chris' parents threw Hannah a family shower. And one of her presents WAS the Ocean Wonders Aquarium. When we were setting it up in her crib, I think Chris and I were more impressed than she was. OK. I definitely was more impressed. It plays five songs, has three white noise settings, the fish move, there are bubbles and lights. Once Hannah realized what it could do, she will stare at it and coo at it for a good 20 minutes. Which is amazing, 20 minutes for any parent, knowing their baby is entertained and happy, is priceless. Later on, if it helps the baby go to sleep, the Aquarium also has a remote so you can turn it off without entering the room and disturbing their sleep.

So don't hmm and ha like I did - if you want to buy this toy it's totally worth it!

The Baby Einstein Baby Neptune Adventure Gym retails for $99.99 at Toys R Us (we got it on sale for $60) and the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium retails for $44.99 at Sears.

Glo Worm 2.0

When I found out I was pregnant, a small part of me looked forward to playing with all the cool, new toys that are out there. It's amazing what a few decades can do to the toy industry and how advanced some toys have become.

Case in point - Playskool's Glo Worm.

Here is the one I had as a child, who served as my nightlight:

Here is what my Mom bought Hannah:

Other than the photographic evidence of clear differences, the only "whistle" my Glo Worm had was that his face lit up WHILE you were squeezing him.

In addition to a glowing face, Hannah's "Gloworld Sensory Glo Worm" plays an assortment of songs - some meant for daytime (upbeat, louder) and others meant for nighttime (slower lullabies). And the songs aren't terrible! They are actually quite catchy and I will find myself humming them at random points in the day. Hannah's Glo Worm also has a setting for the face JUST to light up with no music at all. Furthermore, he has rings, a teething toy and even a crinkly flower. At first I thought the crinkly flower was a weird add on that she would never use, but she actually likes the sound and feel of it quite a bit.

Sometimes when Hannah is fussy I'll play the songs for her and she's actually soothed by the music. She also spends hours staring at her Glo Worm taking in all his fun accessories. He is often placed in the diaper bag for outings and he is as important to pack as her sleepers are for an overnight trip.

I have no idea how much my Glo Worm cost back in the day, but Hannah's retails for around $30. My Glo Worm is currently in my old toy box that's now in Hannah's bedroom. When she's a little older I'll show it to her so she can see what I had when I was her age. Hopefully if I put a battery in 80s Glo Worm he'll at the very least light up.

Is It a Boy or a Girl?

As a new mom, I'm constantly checking out other babies to see how mine compares. Yes, I check out other women too - mostly for fashion reasons, but when it comes to babies I look at their strollers, toys they have been provided and how they are reacting to the same situation Hannah is in (especially if Hannah is irritable and the other babies seem fine).

More than once, I wasn't able to tell if these other babies were boys or girls. Like most people, Chris and I chose to buy gender neutral big ticket items. Hannah has a brown stroller and a green car seat. She has a brown diaper bag to go with her brown stroller. Her warmer coat is yellow. Many of her first outfits are also gender neutral as people didn't want to buy us girl clothes in case our ultrasound technician was wrong about her sex.

So I can understand why sometimes people can't tell right away if whether my baby, or ANY baby, is male or female just by looking.

A few times people have been wrong and I kindly tell them I have a daughter not a son (even when she is completely decked out in pink and has a barrette in her hair that day...). Most of these people have thanked me for being understanding and not jumping down their throats as other parents have done when they guessed incorrectly. What I take away from these encounters is that Hannah is so sweet she makes people she doesn't even know smile. And babies make people smile regardless of their sex. 

However, if said people are sick of getting in to constant hot water, perhaps just saying "What a gorgeous baby!" and leaving it at that would be better for all involved. And if one really must know, you can ask "How old is your baby?" as MOST people will respond he or she is x months old.

It's the plan I use with dogs - try to keep it neutral until the owner reveals the sex. Although dog owners seem to care a lot less about this issue than parents do.

Proud Member of the Unwed Mothers Club

The May 2012 issue of Glamour has an interesting article on divorce and how women today look at marriage and how their views can be affected by celebrities, friends and family they know who split after walking down the aisle. 

The article also mentions that 53 per cent of babies delivered by women under 30 are born out of wedlock (Source: Child Trends - 2009 data). If I lived in the United States, I would be a part of this statistic. To give you an idea of how this "trend" works, back in 1970, only 12 per cent of mothers under 30 were unwed at the time of their child's birth and in 1990 the number rose to 34 per cent.

I know quite a few other couples doing what Chris and I are - raising our baby with common law status instead of being married. On the Today show a few weeks back they also did a segment about this data, and mentioned that while their parents were not married, a larger percentage of babies born out of wedlock still had both of their parents living with them as a family unit.

I don't think Hannah cares whether or not her parents are married, at least not for now. (I won't ignore there have been reports that Brad and Angelina's army of school-age children have started to question why their dad and mom aren't married.) I'm pretty sure right now she's just happy to know there are two people who love her, feed her body and mind, and of course change her dirty diapers.

One need not look far to understand why the carriage comes before marriage more often than not these days. My parents are divorced. Many people in my extended family are divorced. And unfortunately, statistics have a few of my married friends becoming divorced in the near future too.

My thoughts about marriage have often differed depending on who I was dating at the time. I always thought that line "You'll just know" ridiculously unhelpful and quite frankly untrue. Not to get all mushy, but when I started to date Chris I DID know. It was just different. There was no drama. We fight, but there has always been this underlying honesty to our relationship. When one of us messes up, it's not to intentionally hurt the other person. It's because neither of us are perfect and we are going to make mistakes.

So when I found out I was pregnant I didn't care that there was no ring on my finger. I knew a few months in to dating Chris I wanted to marry him and start a family. I just didn't expect it would happen in this order. And I think I would be lying if I didn't mention a few of the older folks in my life wish it hadn't.

Hannah shares a last name with Chris, and it is my intention to make it my last name too some day. But I don't see a point in racing down the aisle. A piece of paper won't change the loving family we have already created for ourselves and our daughter. I already know that Chris is my husband and I am his wife - and eventually, the Government will know it too.

The Sound I Never Thought Would Calm My Baby...

Mobile? Of course. Glo Worm? Sure. The sound of my heartbeat? I certainly hoped so.

But I never would have imagined the sound that calms my baby most.

If Hannah has the 3 Bs under her belt (that's Boob/Bottle, Burp, and dry Bum) and is still fussy I try to sing to her to calm her down. A round of Twinkle, Twinkle or Baby Beluga usually works, but when it doesn't I head to the kitchen. And turn on the stove's fan. 

Within seconds of the stove fan humming to life, Hannah's eyes close and she is asleep. We discovered it accidentally one night when my boyfriend Chris turned it on while making dinner. We have resorted to the stove fan many times since. 

Chris suggests the fan most likely reminds her of being in my womb, which sounds like a pretty good hypothesis to me. Regardless of the reason, the stove fan is free, it works and thankfully takes no batteries!

Breastfeeding - The Hand Pump Experience

Hannah latched on to my boob as soon as we hit the recovery room. The nurses were impressed with how quickly she latched on and she sucks quite well. It was me, someone years and not days old, who was slow to pick up on the steps of the breastfeeding dance.

It took awhile for my milk to come in, and even when it did it wasn't enough for my baby to gain enough weight for my pediatrician to feel like she was making real progress. My boyfriend and I made a trip to a lactation consultant at Sunnybrook (where I gave birth) to get some more tips. Lisa was great. She showed us a few new positions and let us know it was OK than Hannah and I were off to a slower start. Breastfeeding seems so easy when you watch videos and read books, but it's actually quite difficult and it's understandable why a lot of moms quickly give up on it all together.

Unfortunately even after the visit to the lactation consultant, Hannah still wasn't gaining enough weight. Part of her pediatrician's solution was for me to pump, and we eventually had to add some formula into the mix too.

Before I gave birth I purchased a Tommee Tippee hand pump for upwards of $50 plus tax. It did not work. I just don't think the Tommee Tippee hand pump fits every breast equally.

On a whim my boyfriend purchased the Life Brand hand pump from Shoppers Drug Mart. It was around $30 plus tax and it works like a charm! It's definitely nothing fancy - but I think that's why it works for any woman's boob (at least it does for mine!). And because it's so simple, it super straight forward to use AND clean!

These days Hannah is still supplemented with formula from the bottle and I still try to breastfeed her a few feedings per day. I like the bonding time so I haven't pumped in a while, but I highly recommend the Life Brand hand pump for other moms!

T-minus two days

So the arrival of the little one is unofficially two days away. I say "unofficially" because babies are rarely born on their due dates. 

However, it would be great if she came within 48 hours because a) life is getting VERY uncomfortable, b) after 9 months I am dying to meet her and c) the "Is she here yet?" texts and phone calls from those caring, supportive individuals in my life are a constant reminder that in fact, she is NOT here yet...

Additionally, other than continually cleaning the apartment and watching online episodes of "Dateline" (which of course, is great for a mother-to-be to watch child abductions, abuse cases and murders...) I don't know what to do with myself to distract from the back pains and irregular contractions...so I, uh, started this blog. 

I hope to use this space as a way to connect with other new moms, discuss cool products I've found, share parenting tricks that work and to talk about general stuff I like and dislike. 

So yeah, I guess that's my first post!