ooh! Sickness!

You know how I was celebrating the start of my 5 day weekend last week? Well it didn't go so hot. Friday went like this... we dropped Jason off at daycare to begin our prep for his up coming birthday party. Went to the gym and then ate lunch at 11:30. Sounds pretty benign right? At precisely 4:00pm Paul tells me his tummy is rumbling and doesn't feel so good. Paul has a pretty scketchy tummy as it is so I didn't think anything of it. I head out to pick Jason up from daycare and I notice on the drive over my stomach starts to burn. By the time I get back both Paul and I are complaining of sore tummys. By 6:00pm we have full blown cramping and other symptoms that shall remain nameless. I had to put poor Jason to bed early. 6:30 vomiting violently in the bathroom. And so it went for the next 24 hours. The rest of the weekend was spent recovering... some 5 day holiday...

Another note. It's not a good idea to hire your judgemental ultra anal in-law's to clean your house. More on that later.

Are you kidding me??

So not to turn this sweet blog about my beautiful son in to a political rant page, but I just have to voice my opinion on something.

Yesterday our Provincial Opposition Leader Kevin Taft announced his carefully masterminded plan to change our province's "official sport" to Rodeo... 

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!!!  Does any one else see anything fundamentally wrong with this?

1.) Mr Taft, you want to change our provincial sport to something that I don't believe qualifies as a "sport" and which is viewed by many to be cruel to animals,  myself included. Don't you think a sport should involve willing participants?  How about hunting then? I'm sure there are more people who kill animals for sport then those who abuse them for sport.  Apparently Mr. Taft's favorite event is the chuckwagon races where many horses suffer broken limbs and die needlessly every year.

2.) In a province which is already viewed by the rest of the country as severely "red-neck" you want to reinforce that image by adding "rodeo" to our favorite past-times.  Some of us Mr. Taft, work very hard to get around that image.

3.) You want to waste my tax dollars and time bringing forth this stupid idea into Legislature?  I would rather see my money put to work on important issues such as health care and how are we working on fixing this bed and nurse shortage,  how about keeping youth in school and off the streets and away from drugs and crime or maybe introducing more programs to help those with mental disorders instead of turfing them to the streets.... How about those issues Mr. Taft??

But as Leader of the Opposition your biggest contribution this year will be introducing legislation to change our Provincial Sport to ....RODEO... I must say I'm really glad I voted Liberal... 

Yippie Skippie!

A couple of weeks ago Paul had the brilliant idea of taking this Friday and Monday off so that our weekend would turn into a 5 day weekend extravaganza. That Paul... amazes me some days.

So off I go starting my weekend a day early and not to return till Wednesday next week.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Awe struck

Well I was one of the many Canadians who watched the American election coverage last night and was undeniably awe struck. Not over the fact that Barack Obama will now lead as the first African-American president, or because after nearly 2 years of presidential election coverage had come to an end. I was awe stuck over the turn out of people and the passion they displayed on election night.

This is the turn out for Stephen Harper at his election head-quarters in Calgary.

And this is the turnout for Barak Obama at his election head-quarters in Chicago...

What a staggering difference. Just in the last few years have I really begun to notice the cultural and political differences in our two countries. Canada just seems so dry in comparison. Ok, Ok, before anyone shoots me. There are many things about Canada that I absolutely LOVE, but after a night like this I wonder more about life below the border. It has been a global pastime in recent years to hate on the Americans and I would have to admit that out of fear of being mistaken for one of those "dreaded, obnoxious Americans" that I had a Canadian flag sewn to my backpack while traveling abroad. But after last night's showing, I have a new found respect for the passion the American people display for their country. I was almost embarrassed at the lack luster enthusiasm Canadians showed for our last federal election. What a snooze!

A friend of ours who had relocated to Chicago a few years back, didn't even know an election had gone on in Canada. He does mind you still cheer for the Oilers and knows every move they make. But anyways I do send a big congrats to Americans for making history last night and I could almost feel the hope radiating from the TV. My wish is for Canadians to one day feel that kind of emotion towards our next political endeavor.

Success!

I am happy to say we have successfuly weaned the soother! It has been 2 weeks now and THANK GOD! Considering Jason's stubborn nature I was afraid he would kick up more of a fuss. I am so glad I forgot it that day. The night before I was at the end of my rope with that thing and I think in my subconscious I had already decided it would be gone, so I forgot to take it to daycare. And the ladies (well most of them) made me feel better about it. Some of them still ask if we are bringing it but the more sensible of the lot said "don't worry! he's ok with out it!" Music to my ears.

When I shared the news to my mom and my sister they were less than enthusiastic about the situation. I don't know why... they don't live with him. They said "why? He's so young! he's just a baby" definately made me feel like I was the worst mom ever for taking his soother away. Like I tore him from his mommy and sent him packing to bording school already. At least I have been getting a better sleep and that definately makes for a less grumpy mommy.

Ok so bear with me, I just have to vent about something... so a friend of mine just had a baby, and a mutal friend of ours is making me feel bad that I have not rushed over arms wide open gifts in tow. I must say, my excuse has been that it has been difficult for me to find the time now that I am working full time and because of this our weekends are usually jam-packed. Now should I feel bad, because I don't really. This person took 6 months to come see Jason after he was born. Am I being shallow? Callous? I figured I'd wait for the shower to go over. Then I found out it is a week day and I am at work. Who does that? Have a baby shower in the middle of the week? Well she didn't come to mine either so I guess we're even... what would you do?

An Update.

It has been so long, I forgot my password to get in here! I think I am ready to start posting again.

So an update...

Jason is 11 months old! can you believe it? Wow how this year flew by. He is walking and becoming less a baby and more a little boy every day. He is even saying a few words, currently his favorites are Ball, (said more like baaalll) Dada, and nana (for banana). I think his next word will be tree, he is almost getting it as we can't walk by a tree with out him pointing at it and attempting to say it. Plans are in the works for his 1st birthday party. I think it will be a low-key affair, mostly family and a few special friend invites. I remember the mayhem of my niece's 1st birthday and don't really want to repeat that.

Paul has really embraced fatherhood as of late. As Jason has become easier to please, or rather we can figure out what he needs a bit better. A little blatant finger pointing has also helped. And we *gasp* took away the soother. Now I am not saying soothers are evil and should be banned from the earth. But in Jason's case, I have a sneaking suspicion that my having to get up several times a night, crawling around on the floor in the dark has something to do with his soother. It happened by accident really, I forgot it one day while Jason was at daycare, We were afraid, the daycare ladies were afraid... but later that day they said he actually did ok with out it. So Paul and I saw it as our opportunity. So we pulled the plug, And we have all had a better sleep for it.

Now for me, I went back to work early... now why on earth would I do that??!! The biggest reason would be $$$$. But I did secure a fantastic job instructing nursing students, so far it has been great. Not to mention my very own desk! It took me a few weeks to stop telling people that I was going to the washroom. Those of you fellow nurses would understand.

I'm hoping to resume posting now that life has settled a little bit.

Talk to you soon!... I hope.

Hey there, remember me?

I Know, I know... It's been a while.

But much has happened in Victor-land.  Since the addition of crawling to Jason's repertoire of skills I have been busy.  Ensuring Jason stays out of trouble has been difficult to keep up with.  We now know that he enjoys the taste of cat food, can climb stairs in a single bound and hates anything to do with "containing" him, ie: we have now put away the excersaucer and the jolly jumper.  For those who know us the absence of the jolly jumper in our living room may come as a shock.  In place we know have a very easy to move baby gate to keep Jason from taking a tumble down the stairs.

In other news, we have successfully survived our first family vacation which including the daunting task of taking a mobile 7 month old on a 4 hour flight and a 5 hour train ride.  All in all we all made it in one piece. I think the hardest part about the whole vacation was staying at our friends house (which wasn't very baby proof).  My biceps look great from lugging 23lbs of baby around to keep little mister out of the cat dishes, electronic equipment, blinds, off the stairs etc.  Once we got to the hotel in Chicago, we could unleash the beast with out worry of too much damage occurring.  The only down side was keeping quiet and busy in the wee hours of morning, as to not wake the sleeping daddy exhausted from a busy week at work prior to our vacation.  So Jason and I developed a morning routine of breakfast in the atrium followed by a dip in the pool.  I was able to strap Jason to me using a pool noodle and swim some laps on my back.  He seemed to enjoy our time together and was oblivious to the strange looks we were getting from the other lap swimmers.  Little did they know that I used to be a lifeguard and am quite proficient in the pool.  

Once we got the hang of taking Jason and all his "stuff" out for the day the trip home did not seem so daunting.  I think sometimes throwing your self in to a situation with out too much "what ifs" is the way to go.  My husband has a new found confidence and now feels like a seasoned parent thanks to our little trip.

More news... I am going back to work sooner than expected.  August 6th to be exact.  I was offered a job I couldn't refuse and thus the frantic search for a daycare ensued.  We found a pretty decent one, surprise surprise.  As where we live the waiting lists for day cares are all at least 2 years long.  I'm pretty sad to have to leave Jason and trying not to think about it.  But in this economy there was just no other way.  And apparently " I just have to suck it up sweetheart"  yes, that was an actual quote from an insensitive co-worker of mine.  Which is a whole other post as soon as my blood stops boiling long enough for me to get the story down.

So there you have it... It's been a pretty busy month.  I'm trying to slow down and enjoy the last few weeks of home alone time with my son... I'm going to miss it.

Wow, when I signed into blogger today the words "last published June 3" was looming on my start page. I have been neglecting my blog... I guess I've had writers block for the last little bit, or maybe it is because now that Jason is a crawling machine he is burning up his fuel and has required a bottle in the middle of the night again. This makes for one very cranky mommy the next day. I have always been a person who has required a lot of sleep or I turn into the green-eyed monster. So I tried another one of my mommy tricks. We have now added another feeding of cereal with his bed time bottle and presto... we have successful slumber through the night. It really gives me instant gratification when my baby is sleeping.

In other news, I am continuing to make my own baby food with rave reviews by the little one. Thanks to my trusty recipe book "Easy Gourmet Baby Food" I've made delightful concoctions such as; roasted sweet potato puree, pureed sweet peas, oven roasted banana (yum my fav) and today it is caramelized parsnips. We'll see if JR can digest it. He did inherit daddy's weak digestive tract. I highly recommend making your own food. I know exactly how it is cooked and what is in it. Jason seems to like it too. I'm hoping exposing him to many different yummy foods I'll be rid of the pickiness that comes naturally to young children. In my case, till my mid 20s. I'm really enjoying trying new foods, but my weight-loss quest really limits the variety of food I can eat. I guess once I reach my goal I can partake in some different foods once in a while. Short term sacrifice for long term gain I guess. But I've really been craving a chocolate dipped soft serve cone from Dairy Queen lately. I wonder what's up with that? mmmm ice cream...

Look who's crawling!

Or a reasonable facsimile there of.

I was at work last night. Just for four hours, that's all we are allowed to work when we are on Mat-leave. You must be thinking, why on earth would she be working while on Mat-leave? Well the answer to that is simple, EXTRA CASH! Yes we Canadians are lucky in that we get a whole year off, but it is a whole year off making next to nothing. When I started looking into the whole maternity leave thing I was under the understanding that you would make 60% of you wage. WRONG! If you make over a certain amount you make the max which is 40% of my wage. If you make 50,000 a year or if you make 500,000 a year we all get the same amount. I really believe this is not fair. Don't get me started... I think I may start a letter writing campagin. Watch for that coming soon. I'll have to enlist my hubby as he is a fantastic writer.

So here I was at work last night, I guess I really can't complain. It allows me to get out and use my brain for a little while. But I sure am rusty, I was asked to grab some morphine for a patient and couldn't remember if I use a 3cc syringe or a 1cc syringe to draw it up. I'm sure if I did more than 4 hours every few weeks it would all come back to me, nursing is like riding a bike.

We had a GSW come in (that's Emerg speak for Gun Shot Wound). This man was shot in the face. So out of morbid curiosity I trodded down to the OR where they were getting ready to work on him. Not pretty... that's for sure. But while I was peeking over the surgeon's shoulder I was thinking, Man... I do have a pretty cool job. I get to see stuff like this. I won't describe what I saw In case some of you are squeemish. Being a nurse I have forgotten where the line is when describing some of the things I have been involved in and grossed out a few friends to say the least. But I will say this, this guy will never look the same.

Who is this person?

So after hitting a major plateau this last month and not losing a pound.  I was starting to get pretty frustrated and was thinking, what am I doing this for?  The hours of cardio and sweating it out in the gym weren't doing a thing.  Like I said before, I had never really considered my self a thin person but didn't think I was overly over weight as well.   Then Paul and I found this picture.  At first we chuckled, wow we look pretty dorky.  Nice sideburns  and "bar star" highlights Paul.  Then Paul said, I don't even recognize you, you look like you are wearing a fat suit.  Quite frankly I feel as though I was.  This picture was taken our first summer vacation together.  Kudos to Paul for looking beyond the fat suit to the person who was underneath.  Some one who desperately wanted to be fit and consider them self an athlete.  Some one who wanted to go to the mountains on vacation and not come up with a million excuses as to why they can't keep up when we go for a light jog.  I believe I thought it was the altitude that was making me so winded when we were there, not the 45 extra pounds I was lugging around.   We brought our bikes on this trip too, which went just as well as the running.  We are going back there this summer with our son, and I am so excited to go running and biking in the mountains and feel fit and athletic.  Definitely worth the hours in the gym.  I feel better already.

All in the family...

Can you see the resemblance?  Paul was wondering if the next one could look like him just a little.  Like I have control over anything.  Like I spent the nine months incubating Jason sending telepathic messages to the little genes... pick mine! pick mine! I have visions of the gene pool picking members like kids pick teams in the school yard.  Poor Paul's genes all shuffling their feet and staring at the ground just hoping to be picked for the big show.  Maybe next time Paul's genes, maybe next time...

Gentle reminders.

I know a million, well ok several people having babies this year.  And you just kind of take it for granted that every one is going to have happy, healthy babies.  Well my cousin had a baby who was born with trisomy 18.  A fairly common genetic abnormality actually, but you don't hear of many because these babies don't usually survive to be born none the less make the first year.  So I was really thrown for a loop on this one.  Especially since I have my own little guy.  I guess that's why I haven't really had much to write about here.  Everything else seems to seem so trivial in comparison.   I couldn't imagine if it happened to me, and my heart just ached for my cousin and her family.  I really couldn't get them out of my mind.  

Now the funeral has passed, it was really lovely and we have all had a chance to make peace with the situation.  I was thinking during the service that maybe this all happened for a reason.  A reminder of how precious life is and how precious everything is that we have been given.  I couldn't help but feel that this has touched everyone around my cousin,  kind of like a trickle effect with it's own gentle lesson for every individual.  It reminded me how my cousin and I aren't as close as we used to be and how this has brought us closer again.  How I haven't seen much of my dad's side of the family since his passing and was given the opportunity to reconnect.  How I appreciate Jason even in moments when I am frustrated and can't figure out what is wrong or what he needs.  A reminder to give him a kiss every morning and every night.  To see what an amazing job Paul is doing, and how great he is for a guy who had never held a baby before his own.  So many things to be grateful for.. 

Have you counted your blessings lately? 

In memory of Madeline.

An Angel got her wings yesterday.  My heart goes out to my cousin and her family.

Happy 1/2 Birthday Jason!

My little guy is 1/2 a year old today.  I can't believe we've made it.  Not that I thought anything bad was going to happen or that we wouldn't make it to 6 months.  But wow what a whirl wind of activity those first 6 months were.  Navigating the uncharted waters of parent hood with nothing but my nerves of steel, my trusty "mom-manual"  What to expect in the first year and oodles of unsolicited advice.  I am now just finally feeling like I know what I'm doing... sort of.  I still consult my mom network for advice from time to time and my copy of "what to expect in the first year" still looks like it has seen better days.  With Jason being so happy and easy to please... most of the time, I feel I must be doing this mothering thing half right at least.  And I feel it's a good sign that Child and Protective Services hasn't shown up at my door (not that I'm saying they would ever need to).  But so far Jason is a happy, healthy 6 month old meeting all his developmental milestones, so I am giving my self a pat on the back.  Now lets see how the next 17 1/2 years turn out... I know, it's kind of dumb to assume that he'll be out of the house at 18.  I actually know he won't because he's already a mama's boy. And I like it that way.

Wordless Wednesday.

This is what a real live angel looks like... My prayers and thoughts be with you.

Did I miss out on the craftiness gene or what?

My sister is so talented. I am always I awe of what she can come up with. She is a sculptor, painter, gardener, sewer and scrap-booker. Not to mention that I have greatly benefited from her trade as a hairstylist. But I was so touched she made me these beautiful wedding albums. When Paul and I had been so busy (Having a baby, Building a house, moving, changing jobs) to notice that we hadn't even had any wedding pictures developed, she gave me these.

My first mother's day.

If spending every day with Jason for the last 6 months hadn't made me feel like a mother, then celebrating my first Mother's Day did. It's official, I've joined the ranks of many women before me. It was a simple celebration, some beautiful flowers and a card. Even though Jason didn't go with him on his shopping trip, they were "picked out by Jason". Our cats enjoy feasting on flowers and every nice bouquet I've received previous had been ruined, so he even made sure they would fit on the mantle out of harms way so I'd at least have a few days with them. Even though yesterday I spied Charlie about to make his attempt at jumping. I caught him just in time.

I am looking forward to the day when Jason can actually call me "mom" or "mommy" what ever he chooses, although I like "mommy". The first time I heard my niece call my sister "mom" was pretty neat. It still catches me off guard, oh right she IS a mom too! and Riley isn't just a really cool pet that can do really neat tricks. She's a person who's almost 4! As Jason is becoming his own person too. I remember when he was just a newborn and he didn't really do much but eat, sleep, poop and cry. Paul said, "I don't think it has hit me that he is a person yet, I'm thinking he is kind of like a cat right now."

Soon we'll be able to look back and say, remember when Jason was a baby... and we celebrated our first Mother's day? Time sure is flying.

Yum!

So it's already started, the more effort I put into something the less Jason likes it. I am talking about the delicious home-made baby food I made him. We started with the yams and this is the response I got. Actually making your own baby food is easier than I thought. Buy some vegetables, peel and steam them in a steamer basket until they are soft. I have a food processor that we bought a few years ago, (to make one dish, nice hey?), so I'm glad to finally put it to good use. Mr. Jason inherited his dad's sensitive stomach so getting new food introduced has already proven to be a chore. Nothing boring about this thing called parenthood.

Exciting firsts.

Big things afoot in our house! After what seems like months of teething, we have our first tooth peeking through those precious gums. Being the diligent mom that I am, I had been cleaning his gums every night at bath time. You'd think I'd be the one to notice it first. But no it was his eagle-eyed father that pointed it out to me. I have to admit as exciting as it is to have our son's first tooth coming, I am already going to miss that gummy smile.

Other things of note; Jason has grown out of his infant carrier. Although he still has 1lb left in his seat, he was just looking so cramped. Not to mention the fact that Jason + Carrier= sore back from lugging him around. So we made the move to a more spacious Convertible car seat. After much asking around and research we decided on the Britax Marathon. I do have to admit I was quite sad to put his infant carrier away. The seat we first brought Jason home from the hospital in, the seat we first ventured out into the world as a new family. The seat that kept him contained at a restaurant so we could eat in peace. Those joyous days are now over. But I do look forward to making new memories in the new seat. We already have plans to take Jason and his new seat on a plane to Ontario then on a train to Chicago. Oh my... wish us luck.

One flew over the cookoo's nest...

With the weather being so volatile lately, I've been feeling a little cooped up. It wouldn't be so bad if I was going off to work everyday and operating amongst the living. At first when people would ask me "what's it like being at home, are you bored?" I thought they were insane for asking that. Of course I'm not bored, I'm busy navigating this crazy thing we call parenting. Now that the fog has lifted, and I've figured out how to leave the house with Jason and all his belongings in tow I'm feeling like I could easily succumb to couch-potato-dom. So I was thinking of ways that I keep my self motivated. And came up with this list:

1. Shower every day. I know this sounds like a no-brainer but when you're busy getting the little peanut fed, diapered, changed, napped, or entertained it's easy to forget about your self. I know a few weeks ago I got into the bad habit of not showering until hubby came home from work and I was starting to feel like a slob.

2. Change out of the "mom-uniform" once and a while. I know those yoga pants feel great, but there is something about putting on some real clothes that makes you want to go somewhere.

3. Eat something healthy. When you prepare a nice lunch for your self you are less inclined to sit on the couch watching Regis and Kelly with a box of crackers or chips.

4. Plan a get together with another adult at least once a week.

5. Make your bed everyday, this may seem pretty simple but if my room is clean then I'm more inclined to pick up the rest of the house.

6. When every possible take yourself and baby outside, Jason always naps better when he's had a dose of fresh air, I know I feel better too.

Ever since I was pregnant Paul has been visiting and revisiting the idea of taking Paternity leave, which I'm all for because after almost 7 months of being home I feel that I could rejoin the workforce. But he's afraid he would turn into a couch-potato and that house work and rearing Jason would feel like work. I'm glad that he recognizes the hard work that actually goes into being at home and how easy it would be to fall into the trap of procrastination.

Makes it all worth while.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Yesterday my husband and I were feeling a little cooped up after the "Great April Snowstorm" and it was a relatively nice day out so I had this great idea of going for a walk with Jason in the jogger stroller around our neighbourhood. We just moved here in November and hadn't had a chance to get out and explore. Before I know it our walk has turned into a jog. Which is ok, I can handle a nice jog around the block. About five minutes in, Paul says why don't you get your heart rate up by sprinting down the street to that fence and back. I'm like... uh ok... I do it because I've learned in the past that complaining will get me nowhere. So I'm sprinting, thinking "I don't like where this is going." I get back and Paul gives me the stroller and he takes off. So I see a pattern emerging. The rest of our run continues like this. So much for my leisurely stroll around the neighbourhood. I guess I really can't complain, if it weren't for my "trainer" I wouldn't even be able to run 5k straight which is a piece of cake now. When we met I ran as well as a sack of potatoes so I've come a long way.

We arrive home after our invigorating run and read an e-mail from Paul's parents. They have been traveling the western US and will be gone for a month. I laughed when I read this:

"Mom and I hiked the longest loop in the park (9 miles up and down) covering all three natural bridges in the park. It was supposed to take between 6 to 8 hours but Mom and I covered it in nearly 4 1/2 hours. I was really proud of Mom for being able to walk all the way down to the bottom of the canyon (roughly 300 feet down) along some very rough terrain ... once at the bottom we had to walk along the river bed and occasionally up the hill to avoid some huge boulders. It was good to be in shape with strong core work, we have been doing at the Servus Place. It certainly came in handy. Today, we did take it easy with some short hikes and are relaxing in Sedona."

Not bad for a couple of 60 year olds, I know the Victor family well enough to know that Paul does come by it honestly. I look forward to being 60 and being fit enough to hike a canyon for 4 1/2 hours. But hopefully we'll be on a beach some where and not in a canyon...

April showers??

You know you're a mom when...

I didn't realize Paul had captured this touching moment on camera...

Think Baby.

So we too have ditched our poisonous plastic Playtex bottles for new safer for baby bottles. Thanks to my friend Tracey, we were made aware of this problem with harmful BPA chemicals in plastics with the most susceptible population being infants. I didn't want to return to glass bottles as we has started out with them and had a few problems which made us switch to plastic. I managed to find BPA free plastic bottles by the name of Think Baby.

I had heard about estrogen compounds in plastics back when I was in University completing my biology degree which was gulp... ten years ago already. I had heard of fish being pulled from heavily polluted rivers where pulp mills had been dumping this BPA, had smaller male reproductive organs and enlarged female ones (Many a comment could be inserted here but I won't). I thought at the time that this wasn't very good and was wondering when something was going to be done about it. So ten years later enough studies have been completed to warrant action. Better late than never, I suppose. Maybe everyone will start listening to Mr. Gore. too. I can't believe there are still skeptics out there... But that is a whole other post.

I guess these "estrogen mimicking" compounds can be found in adult drinking bottles as well such as the very popular Nalgene bottles. But the real problem lies in when the baby bottles are repeatedly heated with formula in it. Thus causing the BPA to leach out of the plastic into the formula. Scary thought, we can never be sure how much of this stuff our little ones have been exposed to but if Canada is proposing a ban then we will in our house too. So I'm resting easy with my new Think Baby bottles and ready to tackle the next threat to my little one.

Ultimate Roast Chicken.

Paul and I are often laughed at in my family because we eat alot of chicken due to our weight loss plans, so I'm always on the hunt for a good chicken recipe and discovered this one.

I didn't have a link to this recipe and wanted to post it because it is awesome!

Jen's Ultimate Roast Chicken

Wash fresh chicken, pat dry with paper towel. Stuff with 1 onion cut into quarters, 1 halved lemon, spoon full of garlic puree, and sprig of fresh rosemary. Rub the out side with olive oil and sprinkle with dried oregano, basil and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Place in large roasting pan, we use a cast iron pot which seems to work well. Quarter another onion and place around bird in pan. Place in preheated oven at 400 C and check in 1 hour. Baste periodically with juices. Chicken is done when drumsticks wiggle freely from the bird and the juices run clear. Or in my case ask Paul because he knows.

Enjoy because this is YUMMY!

Greener Pastures?

I know it's spring in dusty, dirty Edmonton when my husband gets the itch to move out of here to the coast. I know this city isn't the most beautiful city in the world and the weather is even worse. Only here can it be 24 degrees one day and a blizzard the next. To make matters worse we just moved into a new house we built and keep staring out our beautiful windows to the dirt pile we are somehow supposed to turn into a back yard. So the debate is on.

Sure the coast would be beautiful, so close to other great cities I would love to explore, like Vancouver or Seattle. Spring would come sooner and there wouldn't be any -40 deep freezes. I hear the people are more laid-back in Victoria as opposed to Edmonton's to big for it's britches attitude. I have always wanted to live near the water, in a city where being an "outdoors person" is a lifestyle not just a hobby.

So why not move now? Everyone we talk to says now is the time to go. But there are so many intangibles that are great about here. Family is one, as annoying as family can be at times, once you have a kid they are more valuable than ever. Not just for the free babysitting services, but for the support, and you want your kids to grow up knowing value of family. Just seeing how smitten the grandparents are with Jason is reason enough to stay, taking him away from them would just tear a hole in my heart. This is just one of the many intangibles that are keeping me here. If I could pack everyone up and take them with me, we would be gone in a heart beat.

Therefore after many weeks of weighing the pros and cons, even going as far as securing jobs in the other city. I believe we have decided to stay, in this dusty, dirty city. What was that? the forecast is calling for snow?...

Milestones

A few nights ago I awoke from my slumber and thought I haven't heard from Jason in a few hours, so I check the monitor (we have one of those cool video monitors, which I highly recommend). To heart stopping panic I spy Jason sleeping on his tummy. Ack! I hustle to his crib and turn the oblivious little guy over. It seems Jason, the little monkey has learned to roll over, from his back to his front. Yay! another mile stone reached. BUT, He has yet to learn to roll from his front to his back. This has now added to his repertoire of things to keep his mommy sleepless and busy at night, as now he will roll on to his front in the night and not be able to get back on to his back. Thus panic ensues and he cries until someone comes and rescues him. Which is you-know-who...

So with thousands of scenarios running though my head following this new development, all of them ending in harm befalling my little guy. I figured I'd better consult my trusty mom-manual "What to expect in the first year" and it was saying the risk for SIDS decreases immensely when babies reach this mile stone. As they are strong enough to hold their heads out of harms way. This knowledge has greatly reduced my stress level. For those of you who are new parents you can empathize with the fact that everything stresses you out when it comes to your child. And I have been told by some veterans that you'll stress about your children for the rest of your life. Nice hey? I'm already stressed about when he starts crawling!

Spring is here!

After hibernating all winter in the basement on my trainer, my sessions with Coach Troy have paid off. Paul and I went for the first outdoor ride of the season yesterday and I was astonished as to how my cycling has improved. Even Paul was impressed and he is sometimes pretty hard to impress. I had been spending hours upon hours completing workouts to the Spinervals DVDs and was begining to wonder if this was doing any good. The Spinervals DVDs come with inspiring titles such as; Suffer-o-Ramma, No Slackers Allowed and Hillacious so you can imagine you're sweating buckets and ready to fall off your bike upon completion of the disk.

Trying to get a workout in with a new baby in tow was a little like pulling teeth. Some days I never knew how it was going to go with Jason either bouncing in the Jolly Jumper or napping in the playpen. I would pray to the workout gods that he would just stay happy until I was finished. What I have really noticed about how my life has changed since Jason arrived is that my schedule now revolves around his schedule. This includes having to pause the DVD and get off my bike for the ump-teenth time to either retrieve a soother, change a wet or poopy diaper, or even not finish the workout because some one was getting too cranky. I'll tell ya it is very hard to concentrate on keeping your cadence up over 100rpms when there is a crying baby in the room.

Why all the trouble you may ask? It had been over ten years since I have considered my self a thin person. And right before I became pregnant I had been the thinnest I had been in a long time with still some work to do. So you can imagine the frustration in having to put my success on hold. After much thought and pouting I decided (with some guidance from Paul) that my weight loss journey would now become a journey to produce a healthy baby. Paul immediately signed me up for Babyfit.com and I began receiving emails regarding healthy eating, exercise tips and information on pregnancy. Having worked out until the day I went into labour and delivering a very healthy and robust baby I am now the biggest advocate for exercise during pregnancy.

So now five months later I am 2 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight and am in the best shape of my life. Not to mention my arms look great from lugging big Jason around. It is easier to put down the wings and pizza and pick up an apple and feel good the sacrifice is worth it.

Why are we doing this?

In the middle of the night, while at wits end trying to soothe a crying baby the thought has crossed my mind, "why are we doing this?". When we have missed out on a great trip or night out with our "DINK" friends, I sometimes have to remind my self why. Even though as I write this, I'm tired and I know my words are sounding choppy and it's like pulling teeth to put a coherent thought together. I watched a video we took of Jason splashing in the tub this morning, giggled out loud and knew it was all worth it. I'm sure if I showed the "Dinks" this video they would say, so? big deal he's splashing in the water. Well my dear friends, after nearly five months of just watching him lie there like a log in the water, he's just discovered that he can make it move. He's so proud of himself and thanks to the marvel of technology we've captured it on video. It's like watching a little human being come alive, every day he does something new, he's learning and growing. He smiles when he sees me after an afternoon with the grandparents. It's almost as he is saying "these guys are great but I missed you."

My non-parent friends have asked me, what it is like being a parent? I respond to them by saying, you know when you fall in love with someone for the first time? It's like that everyday but exponentially better.

Why is every one looking at me?

This wasn't my bright idea...Let's just say the whole evening at the in-laws didn't go very well.

Sleepless nights...

Last night was a toughie, I have been coming to terms with the fact that my son is a finicky sleeper. Unless I want to start the "cry it out method" which my husband is opposed to as Jason's crying disturbs his sleep. Until we reach our breaking point we'll trudge on. So last night Jason was up at his usual 1am for a bottle. On most nights he happily goes back to sleep till 6:30 am. This I can deal with. BUT, on this particular night he wakes again at 4am, time to bring out the mommy bag of tricks. We tried burping, we got a little burp and some gas then he fell asleep on my shoulder, OK he should go back to sleep now. I gingerly put him back into his crib and creep out the door. I can hear him fussing a bit through the door. Any minute now he should be back to sleep...nope. Crying again. I try some gripe water, this should work now. Again he falls asleep on my shoulder, back into the crib. I sit in the rocking chair waiting for the fussing to stop... It doesn't. Well lets try a bottle. He takes 2 ounces and falls asleep on my shoulder. Back into the crib. Can you see a pattern developing here? By this time it is 5:50am and I'm starting to cry. Sleep! that's all I want. So finally I give in, we go into the guest room and snuggle till we both fall asleep. I'm deep in sleep and so is Jason and in walks my husband at 6:30am. He's up getting ready for work. Trying to be a nice guy and check in on us as deep in his state of snoring he could hear the commotion of the night. Jason and I are both roused from our sleep and the little guy is awake and not wanting to return to bed... Thanks honey! I say through clenched teeth, you better run off to work before I strangle you!

First time for everything.

It's our 1st anniversary today. It seems our wedding is a world away. It's funny, people always say not to get stressed about planning a wedding as it is one day of the rest of your lives. As a bride you want to look perfect, have the perfect day, have your guests think "wow this is the best, most original wedding I've been to." But looking back now, after having our first child, that day is just a blip on the radar of our lives. The thrill of hearing Jason's cry for the first time in the delivery room or seeing Jason laugh for the first time or roll over for the first time, recognize his mommy and daddy for the first time well tops our wedding day. So as Paul and I quietly say "Happy Anniversary" we gaze down at our little sleeping Jason and look forward to celebrating Jason's first step and the first time he says mommy and daddy.

The Maiden Voyage

On the urging of a friend, I've decided to give blogging another shot.  I'm thinking as a new mom on maternity leave there isn't much excitement to write about, but I figure the public could use my new found worldly advice anyways.

I thought I'd start by sharing how our little Prince Jason came into being.  Since I'm sure the bulk of my posts will be about him.

"OOPS!"  is the operative word.  The instructions on the test go something like this; hold in stream of urine and then wait five minutes.  Well I'll tell ya, it's more like wait 1 second.  We were so confused about not having to wait the full 5 minutes for the plus sign that we were sure it must have been a faulty test.  So we immediately ran out to a different drug store and bought a different brand of test, I know, like that is going to make a difference.  That too was positive after 1 second.  I remember Paul and I staring at each other, each waiting for the other to react.  Laughing in shock and saying "Is this good news?"  To be honest, we weren't sure as the past 6 months were a whirl-wind of wedding planning stress.  We were to be married in three weeks!  

Now lets fast forward 8 months.  I'm 7 days over due, I'm desperate to have this baby pack his bags and leave the confines of my body.  We were driving around town picking up various items for the baby's room and after that we were on our way to the gym.  I had been feeling a bit crampy and was determined to walk until, one of two things happened; I went into labour or I collapsed from exhaustion.  Around noon, we were at a fork in the road... I mean literally, a fork in the road, one direction would lead to the gym and the other would lead home.   Paul finally said "I've been watching the clock and these 'cramps' of yours are coming pretty much every 5 minutes, I think we should head home."  Good call!  Talk about denial on my part.  18 hours later, Jason the love of our lives, was born.  After all the build up of the last 8 months ( I say 8 because I was clueless for the first 6 weeks) and the hoopla of labour, The nurse handed us our little bundle of joy and immediately Paul and I look at each other and simultaneously said "Now what?"