Sometimes I like to curl up in a ball

The End.

2012-01-27T12:28:00.001-05:00

Sloan is done nursing. It was a gradual process, but it's done now. 25 months and a handful of days and she is done. I wasn't sure how it would make me feel, but it mostly makes me sad. It means she is that much more grown up. :(

Luckily it was a very gradual process and I didn't have any discomfort, or need to pump or anything. Since moving into the spare room she has nursed less and less and wasn't asking for it anymore so I just stopped offering. The other day I tried to nurse her because I felt a little engorged on one side after 3 days of not nursing and she acted like I was crazy...so ya...she's done, and luckily that feeling just went away.

I loved the bond we created and the ease of leaving the house with a baby and a few diapers and just my boobs! I will miss it for sure!

xo JBM

Winter!

2012-01-22T09:20:00.005-05:00

Winter has finally arrived! Sloan, Toby and I ventured out for a big walk in the fresh fluffy snow yesterday (Daddy was working). Sloan was up to her knees in fresh snow! I took my new camera along to take a few pics...

On a mission to get to the park!

Lots of little Sloan tracks beside mine...no wonder she was tired after!

xo JBM

Tewwwwww!

2011-12-29T14:19:00.004-05:00

Better late than never...

Sleep Update!

2011-12-22T13:08:00.002-05:00

When I last wrote about our sleep time routine it went something like this "I read to her and rock her in her room, then she asks for our bed so we go in there and I lay with her until she falls asleep - usually not long. Then I go upstairs and do 'whatever' (laundry, dishes, clean up, facebook...veg..) until it's bed time for me and then I just carry her into her own bed and she rolls over and falls asleep."

That worked for a while and then she started waking up during the carrying to her bed portion and spent a few nights in our bed with us...which is cramped!

We have a new solution now and its been working for about 2 weeks! Sloan has moved to the spare room! We have a double bed in there pushed up against the wall with a guard rail on the other side. I lay in there and read her stories, nurse her if she asks for it (which is a whole other post!), sing our lullaby and then lay with her until she falls asleep - about 5 minutes, 10 at the very most. She then sleeps through the night most nights!

There is just one condition she has for this new routine to work...she HAS to have Toby in bed with her! As soon as she gets her jammies on and says goodnight to Daddy she starts calling Toby and yelling Bed! He follows her lead and goes right to bed with her! He lays at the very end of the bed and stays with her all night. Last night I snuck in to check on her before I went to bed and she was actually laying with her back up against Toby's back! It was too cute! I'll have to snap a pic!

Matt and I have never had so much room in our bed! It's crazy!
I guess it might be time for me to start moving all of her 'stuff' over from her bedroom now!
Wish us luck that this continues!

xoJBM

The Sweetest Thing

2011-12-02T12:50:00.003-05:00

Our little Noodle is TWO today! Hard to believe that only 730 days ago she came into our lives - and for every single one of those it has been a joy to be her Mummy.

She still isn't sleeping great...unless she starts out in our bed. Usually I read to her and rock her in her room, then she asks for our bed so we go in there and I lay with her until she falls asleep - usually not long. Then I go upstairs and do 'whatever' (laundry, dishes, clean up, facebook...veg..) until it's bed time for me and then I just carry her into her own bed and she rolls over and falls asleep. We are all getting a great sleep, no one is puking and there isn't any crying! Yay!

Last night when I was putting her down I actually fell asleep next to her (probably because I had a million things to do and my body didn't want to do any of it! lol)...but I woke up when she awoke from a deep sleep, eyes open, completely aware and said "oh WOW", then she snuggled in and went back to sleep. About 5 min later she woke again, turned and looked at me, smiled and said "Tewwwwww". It was so sweet! I guess telling her that it's almost her birthday and that she will be 2 has caught on!

This also kinda makes me wonder though if her sleep issues may have started because she is actually dreaming and remembering them. It would be pretty disorientating to wake up wondering where you were, if you were JUST somewhere else when you were dreaming and you don't understand what a dream is...

I'll post more after her little birthday party with some pictures of the birthday girl!

xo JBM

How facebook ruined our "sleep training"

2011-11-11T08:03:00.001-05:00

Sleep, sleeping through the night, sleeping in her own bed...it all seems to be a thing of the past! Right before I returned to work (so almost exactly a year ago) Sloan started sleeping through the night, it was amazing! I was worried about returning to work as a zombie and was so happy that she finally got it!

We had a few (3 or 4) months of great sleep, she would go down to sleep after our usual routine (bath [most nights], pj's, stories, nurse, sing and rock and then in to her crib) and stay asleep all night. I felt rested! It was amazing! Then she started waking up in the middle of the night again (around 2am), so I started nursing her in the middle of the night again, but it was quick, 5 minutes max and she was back asleep. A small blip in the night, but nothing major, some mornings I couldn't even remember if I got up I was that asleep still. She was able to go into her crib semi awake and just lay there and drift off to dreamland.

Then, about 2 months ago it all changed. Nothing too major has changed...except her sleep patterns! Sloan started acting like her crib was the enemy, she was deathly afraid to go into it. As soon as I started lifting her to put her in she would just start saying 'no mummy, no no no no mummy' and going stiff as a board. We would rock and rock and rock and rock...and then stop and she would lay dead asleep in my arms, but as soon as I started to try to move her to her crib she would wake right up and start with the no, no, no-ing and cling to me. We've had some extremely late nights due to this routine of her falling asleep and then waking and then trying to get her back to sleep.

I feel like we've tried everything! Cry it out? Yup, tried it twice...and both times she threw up EVERYWHERE and we had to start the whole bed time routine all over again, fresh jammies and all. I HATE to let her cry, so that was really hard, then I felt horrible since it was all for nothing since she didn't fall asleep and I ended up going into her room and turning on the light (to clean up) and picking her up. We've tried the pat the bum while holding, and slowly move her to the crib and pat in there...but she doesn't like her back/bum rubbed or patted so she just keeps batting me away. Tried different night lights, different blankets, put her mattress on the floor...the only thing that seemed to work was to either let her fall asleep in our bed, or on the couch or in my arms and then wait FOREVER for her to be in a really deep sleep so I could ever so gently set her down. Then when she would wake up in the middle of the night I would still end up bringing her to bed with us as I didn't want to repeat that whole process again!

Three nights ago I thought I finally found a solution. We were going to try the 'keep laying her down' method (I have no idea what the method is actually called). The first night it took a looooong time. I just kept laying her down while she cried. Each time I laid her down I sat down in the chair in her room. Finally she started to just sit up instead of stand up, then eventually just laid there and kept popping her head up to make sure I was still there. By the time she was at the laying there popping up stage she had stopped crying, but was whimpering and tugging at monkey's ears hard! She finally fell asleep and I crept out of her room...I still brought her into our room when she woke at 3 though. The second night it took just as long! The crying didn't last as long, but then she started trying to talk to me, or just singing to herself. Finally she fell asleep, but again, woke up around 3.

Now, if you've read this far you'll finally get to find out how facebook ruined our "sleep training" (I hate that term!). Last night I was bound and determined to keep trying the laying down method. There was more crying and reaching for me (more than the second night for sure)...and all I could think of was the little blurb that I had read on facebook earlier that day. Someone had read an article on yahoo so it posted the headline on their page "girl age 3 comforts and feeds herself for 3 days alone after mother died" (or something along those lines). As I sat there watching Sloan cry and want/need me, all I could think of was that poor little girl crying out for her mother and not understanding why she wouldn't go to her. I lasted about 5 minutes and then I HAD to pick Sloan up and rock her to sleep. I gingerly laid her in bed and then got up at 3 when she cried out and brought her to bed with us and snuggled for the rest of the night.

As she nuzzled into my arms last night I realized that our new "sleep training" method will be to comfort her as she needs it, whatever that may be. We'll try again maybe when she's older and we can explain the whole "your room", "your bed" thing to her. But for now, it will be rocking and nursing or bed sharing for us!

So ya...facebook ruined it for us, but maybe it's for the best!

xoJBM

Wordless Wednesday: Halloween

2011-11-02T09:26:00.007-04:00

More Yummy-ness

2011-10-19T23:23:00.003-04:00

I keep seeing these cheddar bay biscuits popping up on pinterest: http://penniesonaplatter.com/2010/10/27/cheddar-bay-biscuits/

And let me tell you...they are AMAZING!!!!

Everyone comments that they taste just like the ones from Red Lobster. I don't eat seafood, so I've only eaten at Red Lobster once (and just had ceasar salad that wasn't that great) and didn't get any of these biscuits so I can't compare.

They went perfectly with our chili this cold windy night!

Make some, and enjoy!

xo JBM

Muffins!

2011-10-19T11:55:00.005-04:00

I've been wanting to make A Muddled Mama's lemon cranberry muffins since she posted them...but I keep forgetting to get one thing or the other. Yesterday I finally remembered to get the cranberries, but I thought we had lemons at home and then didn't. I gave in and made them with orange instead and YUM-O! they are delish!

I had to make some other changes too because I didn't start baking until 10pm and Sloan was asleep on the couch because she is deathly afraid of going to bed in her own room for some reason (a whole other post). So I didn't want to use my stand mixer...and I didn't want to get out extra bowls for draining the berries and combining the dry ingredients...too much work and too noisy! I had zested and juiced 2 oranges over 3/4 of a bag of fresh cranberries and let it sit while I was trying to get Sloan to bed from 8-9:30 (when I finally gave up and let her just snuggle on the couch with me). To that I added 2 cups of flour, 1tsp salt, 1tbsp baking powder and 3/4 cup sugar (half brown half white). Then I mixed all of that quietly with a spatula trying not to spill the berries and trying to make sure everything was evenly dispersed. Then I added 2 eggs and 6 tbsp of slightly melted butter and mixed it all up. It was pretty thick, so I added a little more orange juice. It was still really thick, way thicker than normal muffin consistency, but I thought it would just give it more of a cakey/rustic texture. I spooned it into the muffin tins and then realized I forgot vanilla so I just poured a tiny bit over each muffin and topped with a little brown sugar. I baked them for 30min at 350. They came out perfect!

I made a little glaze with OJ and powdered sugar and that perfected them even more! Then Sloan and I were off to bed where she slept soundly snuggled between Matt and I...and we were struck with flailing arms and legs all night!

xoJBM

Wordless Wednesday: End of Summer

2011-10-12T09:18:00.002-04:00

Make, Do, LEARN

2011-10-06T10:46:00.008-04:00

(picture borrowed from lassothemoon )

Sloan is growing and changing at an alarming rate. While it is hard to see that she doesn't need us to do everything for her anymore, it is SO neat to see her learning to do things on her own.

There are times when it would be so much easier and faster to just do things for her, but seeing her sense of accomplishment when she puts her socks on herself, finally gets the lid off of a container, eats her dinner all on her own, brushes her teath (we still help after she is done), or letting her stroll around the grocery store pushing the cart...it's worth the wait.

xo JBM

Instagram-ing

2011-09-15T20:59:00.004-04:00

For our anniversary Matt got me a beautiful pair of earrings, and I got him an ipod (it was the appliance anniversary...and that was the closest I could get to an appliance!). We all know Matt LOVES the gym...but isn't a fan of the chatting and without earbuds in, he is a prime target for the chatters! I was just going to get him a nano or some similar mp3 player...but then I spotted the ipod touch and realized I could get him a gift that we could both use! lol I'm loving the instagram app, and next up we'll (Sloan and I) figure out how to facetime with Randi and Sutton!

Matt snapped the rainbow on his way home from work!

Sloan is working on her mullet!

xoJBM

Taste It.

2011-09-12T23:51:00.000-04:00

I read a lot of different blogs...which means a lot of different blog posts each day. I try to only read the ones that strike a cord with me and make me think 'hmm', or 'Yes!!', or the ones that make me want to try something new, or make something different, and some that just plain make me want to be a better person/woman/mother/feminist/wife/daughter/sister...the list could go on.

Today QueenBloggy posted a video that did the later.

I had all of these lessons growing up...maybe not with the intensity of my Mum reciting it to me in an eloquent spoken word poem...but I still had them. And I want Sloan to have them. I want her to feel loved and wanted and needed and appreciated and smart and beautiful and amazing and independent and enough as she is and just down right special. I want her to know that yes, life can be tough, but it can also be just as great! I want her to know that her Daddy and I will always be here for her, no matter how many times she may fall down, we will help her get right back up. Like Sarah Kay says - Mama is a worrier and Daddy is a warrior. I worry about all of the usual Mummy things to worry about, the stuff that world news shows us to worry about, but I also worry that no matter how much we love her and tell her that we love her, that she will never quite understand just how much we love her...that she will never feel that pure joy and happiness and warm fuzzy feeling that I felt as a child, knowing that my parents LOVED me and my brother. I feel like somehow I just might not be doing it right, doing enough, and then I remember that all I really need to do is to be there. Like actually There. In the moment - in all the little moments...and she will know she is loved.

K...this got way longer and sappier (is that a word???) than intended...I really just wanted to post about the video and how much I loved it...oops.

xo JBM

Hey..past me...pay attention..

2011-08-30T21:37:00.003-04:00

Stacy posted this link on facebook and I LOVE it! http://www.reflectionsofmotherhood.com/

I've started a list of what I wish I would have been able to tell myself before Sloan came along...
- Don't bother packing a hospital bag...there will be no time to need anything from it.
- Take more Sloan and Mummy pictures in those early months.
- Learn different latching techniques.
- Really enjoy bring pregnant, you will miss it.
- Despite how prepared you feel, nothing will prepare you for waking up hourly.
- You will love this new little being more than you ever thought possible. Being so afraid of anything that could ever hurt her in this world will be the most painful part of your birth experience...and it won't go away, even 21 months later!

That's all that I can think of for now, but I'll add to it if I think of anything else.

My little love bug...
xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday: Last Weekend

2011-07-20T23:11:00.003-04:00

Drumming on Daddy's head!

xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday: Chicago

2011-06-08T14:45:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday: Summer has arrived!!!

2011-06-01T22:30:00.000-04:00

Chatty Cathy!

2011-04-20T20:29:00.005-04:00

I can almost see the little fireworks happening in the speech-language part of Sloan's brain right now - it's crazy! In the last week she has starting picking things up really quickly!

As of now she is saying...

-baaaaa - when you ask her what a lamb/sheep says

-moooo - or some form of that when you ask her what a cow says

-mowmow - when you ask her what a kitty cat says

-woofwoof - when you ask her what a doggy/Toby says

-zoomzoom - when you ask her what a car says, or point to a picture of a car/truck

-dada - when you point to a picture of Daddy/when he comes home

-mama - finally!!!!!

She is also consistently signing 'milk' (has been for a looooong time), 'please', and she has just started 'more' and 'thank-you'. We started out using the ASL sign for these things, but Sloan has kind of adapted them to her own version! Her milk sign looks more like she is asking for money, and her thank-you is more a brush to her chest!

I'm still trying to get a good video of her chatting away...apparently the camera is too distracting!

For now...some cute pictures...

Hamming it up in the bath:

Spring!!!

Helping Daddy with his trade school homework!

xo JBM

Making Memories

2011-03-27T23:00:00.015-04:00

We weren't able to afford to take a tropical vacation this year, or even go out west like we had hoped, but we are trying to do lots of little things to make some fun memories with Sloan. Last weekend we went to Southampton for a little day trip and checked out the flea market and had a nice lunch out (see my last lunch date wordless wednesday post). This weekend it was the Saugeen Conservation Maple Syrup Festival! It was great! What a nice way to spend an afternoon! And quite a workout with the GIANT hill to climb! Lucky for me, Matt pushed the stroller up it! We started out with a hot chocolate, pancake and sausage lunch, and then Sloan got her first taste of maple taffy (bubbling hot fresh syrup poured on the snow and rolled up on a popsicle stick). I was going to share mine with her, but she slurpped the whole thing up quite fast! So delicious and lots of fun memories of doing that as a child at school! Then Sloan got to take her first pony ride! SO cute! She loved it! She was smiling the whole time (except for the part when she was covering her nose...apparently horse poop isn't her favorite smell!) and trying to pet the pony. For $4 it seemed like a loooong ride - I was getting dizzy! Then, we were off to the animal barn (which was actually more of a shed), to see lots of animals to feel sorry for... What's in here???

Adorable little pigglets...with holes punched in their ears! What!? WHY?!

Sloan got to hold the cutest little bunny!

She was VERY gently petting him (I guess the many times a day that I say 'gentle hands' around Toby and Bane is sinking in!), until I asked her to give him a kiss...I guess she thought it would be easier to bring him to her mouth rather than the other way around! Oops!

What's next???

Tiny, adorable goats!

Next, Sloan and Matt got to go in a giant pen and feed some already very full animals! Oh, hello Mr. Something with Horns!

All-in-all it was a great day! Lots of fresh air and sunshine...and memories!

Sloan showing off her pearly whites (which got extra scrubbing after the taffy today!):

xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday: Nap Time!

2011-03-23T22:39:00.002-04:00

xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday: Lunch Dates

2011-03-16T08:53:00.001-04:00

There.

2011-03-14T19:59:00.003-04:00

After sitting at the computer all day at work, the last thing I feel like doing is sitting down to write a blog post. But I have lots to blog about and LOTS of pictures I could be posting. I would much rather spend the few hours we have before bed time playing with Sloan! So we do, and nothing gets posted!

Here is an adorable video of Sloan feeding Toby breakfast - she has figured out how to open the big container we keep his food in...he isn't ignoring her so much these days now!

Untitled from Joelene Murphy on Vimeo.

Off to Nana's house we go...

xo JBM

Pictures!

2011-01-18T23:28:00.004-05:00

I'm so far behind on posts...but here are some pics from our visit with the Mordaunt family...

Sloan and Nana made eggsalad for lunch together:

Which Ella enjoyed:

Elsie, Adam and Ella made us dinner one night (yum!):

Ella took a break for some blanket-forting with Sloan and Nana:

And then of course some sleeping-bag-riding:

Freddie slept through it all:

In Matt's arms...

Yes, Freddie and Sloan are months, and months apart, but only 2 pounds apart:

Sloan wore and antique nightgown for our sleepover:
And Ella was just plain cute!

We really enjoyed our visit!

xo JBM

One small step for Noodle...

2010-11-18T23:43:00.003-05:00

Well, here it is...Sloan is walking! She took her first unassisted step on November 1st and has been taking a step or two here and there...mainly when she wants to get to Toby or Bane without scaring them off with her wildly fast crawling! I finally pulled out the tripod tonight and was able to get some video without Sloan grabbing the camera right away, but it's awfully dark! I'll set it up again tomorrow to see if I can get a better video...but enjoy this for now!

xo JBM

Little Fish!

2010-11-18T13:26:00.001-05:00

Sloan "graduated" from her swimming class today - how cute is her little report card!
xo JBM

New Layout

2010-11-17T23:27:00.002-05:00

So...tell me what you think? Is it hard to read the white on black text? Does it load properly for you? LK are you able to get in???

Wordless Wednesday: Sleeping Beauty

2010-11-17T19:51:00.002-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2010-11-16T18:20:00.003-05:00

Christmas!!!!!

Matt has this horrible idea that we should wait until December to decorate for Christmas, whereas if I had my way we would be blaring Christmas tunes and flinging tinsel everywhere RIGHT NOW!!! So this year I had an idea...I'll just do small things...to satisfy my need to feel the Christmas cheer now...and Matt won't notice until it is all done and looks great! I won't do the tree yet, since we are planning on getting a real one this year. But I already put up the lights outside...not turned on yet, but they are up and ready to be plugged in asap! Then today I pulled out a couple decorations and placed them here and there...then I thought I could put up some garland around the entertainment centre...but it got a little out of hand...

Do you think Matt will notice this???

I'll let you know what he thinks!

xo JBM

Peek-a-Boo!

2010-11-15T22:54:00.003-05:00

Duckie-lovie has been replaced :( Actually he has been for quite some time and I keep meaning to write about it. I went to Chapters to buy a back up Duckie (just like the one Aunt Randi sent for Sloan), but they didn't have any...they seemed to have every animal but Duckie...and since Sloan loved the feel of Duckie and I was afraid of ever losing him I thought I better just get another animal - they are all made of the same material and have the same little round head. So I settled on a Monkey. Well...now Sloan and Mr. Monkey MaGoo are in love! She can't sleep without him and she loves to rub his little ears! Her little thumb fits perfectly into the groove in his ear and she can always find his little embroidered mouth to give him kisses. We still keep Duckie-lovie near by, but he isn't the same anymore...his beak is no comparison to a grooved ear! Luckily I found another Monkey, so we have two in rotation! I wonder if Mr. Monkey MaGoo will be in it for the long haul like my bear was!

xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-10T10:12:00.002-05:00

2010-11-09T11:45:00.001-05:00

(click to view larger)

Wordless Wednesday: Tooth!

2010-10-06T08:45:00.002-04:00

Dear Sloan: Ten Months

2010-10-04T11:33:00.006-04:00

Well little missy, you are now 10 months old and it is impossible to believe that in two short months you will be a YEAR old! September was a great month, you are growing like a weed and changing everyday it seems!

This month you got your first tooth! We thought it looked like it was going to poke through for a while, but on the 6th it popped through! It is the cutest little tiny tooth! There was one night that you didn't sleep too much, and then next thing we knew it was there! You have been wearing a baltic amber necklace that is supposed to help with the pain of teething and I think it did it's job!

On September 10th Uncle David and Uncle Brad moved to Kincardine - I'm excited for you to have so much family around you that loves you so! Much to my dissapointment you still aren't saying Mama (or any version of Mum, Mummy, Mama, or even Ma), however after spending just a few days with Uncle David you seem to be trying to say his name! You are babbling lots and love to move your lips to see what kind of sounds you can get, but now you are doing 'Day-did' a lot it seems!

You are a VERY speedy crawler now! You make a b-line for Toby's water dish to tip it still, it's a race that you usually win! You love to chase both Toby and Bane, but Toby acts like he will get some horrible disease if he lets you touch him, Bane on the other hand will let you head-butt into him all day! I picked up a little pink ball for you so we could roll it back and forth, but you prefer to roll it all over the house and do this adorable little crouch to look under stuff when it gets stuck under the chair or coffee table. It's hard for me to not just take pictures of you constantly being cute!

In addition to your first tooth this month, you also had your first camping trip and first swimming lesson! We went camping up in Owen Sound at the KOA campgroud and stayed in the most adorable cabin and you were the greatest little camper! Esther is your teacher at swimming and you will go to her just fine for your 1-on-1 time and have even done a little swimming under water with no fuss!

We love you so much Sloan! Finding you standing in your crib, happily talking away to yourself in the mornings is such a delight! Knowing that we then get to spend another day watching you explore and grow is so much fun!

xo Mama

*pictures to be added when bloggers stops giving me a hard time!

Dear Sloan: Nine Months

2010-09-02T11:39:00.001-04:00

Happy 'inside-out day' Sloan! You have now been on the outside as long as you were on the inside for! The nine months that you were brewing in my belly for seemed to take soooo long and we couldn't wait to meet you, but these past nine months have flown by and it's hard to believe how much you have changed in such a short time!

You broke my camera this month so we don't have too many pictures from your 9th month sadly. But of course all the ones I do have are simply adorable - it's hard to take a bad picture of you!

This month you got to meet your western connection family members - your Great Uncle Peter and 2nd cousins Emma and Iain came to visit. We had a ball with them, going to the pipe band, spending time at the beach and in the pool and of course getting lots of ice cream (yes, you even got a taste and loved it).

Your favourite toys right now are really anything that isn't actually a toy! You love to play with bowls - filling them, emptying them, filling them again, banging on them...it's a never ending game! You also love to pull the magazines off the coffee table and leaf through them - you love the sound of crumpling paper!

You are outgrowing the baby stage now, now more laying around doing nothing - you are always busy! But, you do keep yourself quite busy and I don't have to constantly entertain you which is nice. You are a crawling machine now! One day you just got it, and have stuck to it ever since! Toby is on constant look out since you like to try to pet him a lot, which he isn't a big fan of - he STILL hasn't warmed up to you! You do this adorable little nose snort when you get crawling faster and are getting excited about getting to where you want to go! You are also peeing on the potty every morning when you get up, hopefully this will make potty learning a little easier when the time comes! You seem to love sitting there and are quite proud of yourself when you make a little tinkle!

This month we celebrated 2 birthdays - Noni's 90th Birthday and today is Daddy's 29th birthday! You gave big snuggles as your birthday gifts!

Mummy and Daddy love you little Noodle!

xo Mama

Number One

2010-08-27T09:35:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a big day in milestones for Sloan - she went pee-pee on the potty!!!! And then did it again this morning!!! Yay for one less diaper to change!

And as soon as I buy a new camera today (since the other one doesn't open anymore!?!?!) I'll be snapping a picture of the little princess on her throne!

I can't believe summer is coming to an end :( We had some amazing weather, but the last week or so has just been clouds and cool breezes - feels like fall is coming! I even wore jeans and a long sleeve shirt earlier in the week! I feel like I should be going back to school shopping whenever this weather comes along, maybe in addition to a new camera I'll get some pens and paper just to feel young again! This weekend is supposed to be really nice though - humidity and everything! So we might just get in the pool or lake again once more this summer! Matt has a ball tournament and it's the mass pipe band in town Saturday night as well as Kristen's bonfire, so it should be a funfilled weekend!

xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday: Three Years Ago

2010-08-25T14:56:00.002-04:00

Big Day!

2010-08-23T19:17:00.003-04:00

Well, you are really on your way now! You've been crawling all over today - nothing is out of reach for you now! You seem to have found every dust bunny lurking around the house today - thanks for pointing those out (by attempting to eat them)! You also crawled all the way over to Toby's water dish and dumped it everywhere - no big deal, the floor needed mopping anyway ;)

Today you also stood up on your own! You've been pulling up on things for a while, but never have you actually gotten into a standing position, but today you did it! And while visiting Nana! You let go of the coffee table after getting up to your feet and standing for about 20sec, then stood without holding on for about 5sec and then plopped on your bum! You were so proud of yourself! As were we! Of course the next time you tried it you gave yourself a good bonk on the head!

Another first - tonight at dinner you had cut up blueberries for the first time and you fed yourself every piece! Way to go NoodleE!

Of course all of this is happening when my camera has decided to crap out - probably because you gave it a good throw the other day!

xo Mama

On your way!

2010-08-21T14:49:00.004-04:00

Yesterday little Noodle, you made your first successful attempt at getting around on your hands and knees!

You have been getting where you want to go for quite some time now, but not in the most graceful of ways - but yesterday little girl, you did it! You crawled!

Now, today it hasn't been replicated, but I can see you trying - you'll be crawling in no time!
We're in trouble now!

xo Mama

For Randi

2010-08-19T16:23:00.005-04:00

Apparently my blog is boring...here is a little placeholder until I upload all of the pics to Sloan's "newsletter" (my least favourite part since it takes so long).

Sloan is dancing to Beyonce!

Also...isn't she the cutest...

xo JBM

Edited to add: I noticed one day that Sloan really likes the beat to Single Ladies when we were listening to the "Baby Mamas: Put a Sling on 'em" version - watch it on youtube- so cute!

Dear Sloan: Eight Months

2010-08-02T12:51:00.001-04:00

Well little Noodle, summer is in full force and you are enjoying it to the fullest! Luckily you love the water, because we have been in it quite a bit lately to get cooled off!

I almost let you have your first sleepover with Nana on July 3rd when we went to a wedding out of town, but I just couldn't do it! I missed you too much! However, you did spend the whole day and all the way up until midnight with Nana and Papa and loved every minute of it - sounds like you didn't even miss us! Nana had a little photo shoot with you and captured some adorable moments!

On July 4th you had your first real day at the beach with Mummy and Daddy! You had been before, and dipped your toes in the sand and lake, but on this day we went for a swim in the lake and played in the sand! We have also had lots of days at Nana and Papa's pool! You love the big pink floaty and splashing around!

We even got a teeny-tiny little baby pool for at home to dip you in now and then!

On July 30th you got to enjoy some music at the Bruce! You stayed out way past your bed time and danced the night away at the Bluesfest - you LOVED the music!

This month you showed your growing independence, and while it is so exciting to watch you become your own little person, it is also so sad to see that you don't have to depend on me so much anymore. You are boogying around like nobody's business! You aren't crawling yet, but you can get where ever you want to go, and quite quickly too! You do this adorable little butt scoot and have also started doing a bit of an army crawl too. I don't think it will be long until you are actually crawling! Daddy better get the gate up at the stairs soon! You are also trying to pull yourself up on things - especially the bookcase and the coffee table at Nana and Papa's house! You can't quite pull yourself up to a standing position, but you do get close!

You love to play on your own, as long as you can see one of us close by, but you can keep yourself busy for a while! Your stacking rings are your favourite toy right now. While you are playing you're always babbling away to yourself, Dadadada is still a common one, but you are also saying yayaya a lot now too. Your little voice is so adorable, as is you little baby dinosaour growl that you still do a lot!

You seem to have grown a lot this month - right out of a lot of your clothes! At night when I am nursing you in the dark and I can only see your outline next to me it's hard not to get a little choked up when I realise how big you have gotten. The tiny baby that fit so perfectly accross my chest, is now sprawled out across my entire lap! Slow down!!!

Now, for your big 8 month birthday you celebrated by having a sleepover with Nana and Papa! Mama was able to loosen up a bit over the last month and realised the day (actually the night) had to come eventually! Mummy and Daddy had friend over and you got to spend some time with your "aunts" and "uncles" before taking off for your night away. And...of course...you did just fine!

Mama and Daddy love you so much Sloan!

xo Mama

Not-so-Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-21T15:10:00.003-04:00

We seem to have issues with power cords on our laptop and another one has bit the dust! I'm debating getting another power cord, a new laptop, a new baby netbook, or a desktop...

For now, it's quick stops in at the parentals house for computer use!

I found this pic on their computer...

This was taken in a beer tent in Ripley during the reunion...the date stamp says Aug 19, 2005 - is that right? Apparently it was during Randi's tomato phase...

xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday: The Toothless Wonder

2010-07-07T18:30:00.001-04:00

Dear Sloan: Seven Months

2010-07-02T22:55:00.002-04:00

Wow, lots of firsts this month! Month 7 absolutely flew by...and got hotter and hotter as it went! It was 43 degrees today with the humidex!

You went on your first vacation this month. We went to visit David out in Vancouver with Nana, but sadly Daddy had to stay home and work. You were a great little traveller - sleeping on the plane, adjusting to the time difference and sightseeing like it was your job! We got to see a lot of great things (you especially loved the aquarium), eat at a bunch of great places (NoodleBox, Dim Sum, Mexican, Cupcakes! and lots of great homemade meals!) and spend lots of quality time with Uncle David and Brad!

You still love the jolly jumper and would stay in there for hours if I let you I think! I bought you a little spongy mat to jump on so you don't hurt your feet! You're also using this mat to roll around on - you're a master roller now! You can even roll towards something to get it! This mat has also come in handy to work on your sitting, which you have also mastered! You look so grown up sitting there on your own, not toppling over!

Last month you mastered the clapping, but this month you perfected it by clapping on cue! If we clap, you clap! You have also figured out that if you bang two things together it makes a noise. It was so neat to watch you figure this out for the first time, and just as wonderful to see you so impressed with yourself each time you rediscover it!

You are eating more and more different foods now. This month we discovered that you love apple-pear sauce (so do I!) and although peaches weren't a big hit at first, you love them mixed with banana!

Your little personality is developing more and more. You are a little Mama's girl for sure! You have this adorable little shy smile when meeting new people and turn into my shoulder to hide your little face - it is so stinkin' cute! You also do this adorable little shoulder shrug that could melt anyones heart!

We hosted our first play group this month - you had 6 little friends over! It was so neat to watch you interacting with them (mainly with eye contact and watching them play with your toys).

Speaking of playgroup, we have also been going to the Early Years Centre on a pretty regular basis and this month you got to paint there for the first time! Yummy vanilla pudding painting! As soon as you got a taste of it, you licked it all of your page - so much for painting! You also did some painting for Father's Day - hand prints on a homemade card and some painting with a brush on a bowl that you helped make for Daddy out in Vancouver - he is one lucky Daddy!

Yum!

You're babbling more and more now. Da-da is still your favourite sound, but I'm working on ma-ma! I say ma-ma and you repeat da-da!

You also went to your first pipe band this month - a weekend tradition I hope to keep since I have so many great memories of it as a child. You watched without a flinch as the band went by and then we marched behind them and Mummy and Daddy got ice cream. On the way back you fell asleep! And stayed asleep as the band went by the second time!

Snoozing...

Lastly, another first - fireworks! You celebrated your first Canada Day! We were off to Cambridge for the day to see the Stewart-Murphy clan and visit with your Nanny Murphy - she noticed a HUGE change in you since this was just her 3rd time seeing you. You napped almost the whole way home, so you were able to stay up late to watch the fireworks over this lake in town. We weren't sure how you would react to them, but you just snuggled on me, and rested your head on Daddy and watched with amazement. I didn't get to see too many because I was busy watching your reaction to them!

You no longer hate the grass!

People keep asking me if I am looking forward to going back to work soon and the answer to that is a big fat NO! I love my job, but I love being with you way more. I can't imagine not being the one to get to watch all of these first with you and getting to see all of the subtle little changes day to day. Hopefully we'll win the lottery before it's time to go back to work! :)

xo Mama

p.s We still mainly call you Noodle! Luckily you aren't too confused by this and respond to either Sloan or Noodle!

Wordless Wednesday: Peaches & Pipeband

2010-06-30T17:39:00.003-04:00

xo JBM

The Clapper!

2010-06-28T14:11:00.003-04:00

Sloan wants to know...

What do you think of our new entertainment unit???

Matt and I feel like such grown-ups now! I should have taken a before pic, but most of you had seen our set up - the tv on an old dresser that I had picked up at a yard sale the summer after first year university and painted orange, and then chocolate brown...and the dvd player and playstation on a tv table beside it...with cords everywhere! lol Time to grow up a little! I still have to finish adding stuff to it, and we need to lose the bookshelf, but I need something else to go there before I can do that - it looked too bare with nothing there...plus, I need somwhere to put all the books!

Also, Noodle loves to clap...

xo JBM

Dear Sloan: Six Months

2010-06-02T16:31:00.001-04:00

WOW! I cannot believe that you are already a half a year old! Half a year! Crazy! In just 6 short months you have completely stolen my heart and replaced it with one that is somehow more full of love than I ever thought possible. Your Daddy and I love you more and more each day and love you with every ounce of loving possible! Also, in just 6 months you have really started to become your own little person. You have likes (kisses, playing in the water, watching Toby & Bane run around, the jolly jumper, seeing Daddy when he comes home from work, the ABC's...etc) and dislikes (laying down unless you are in bed, chicken, the feeling of grass on your feet...). Your personality is blooming and it is so neat to watch!

This month you really started to babble more and make more sounds. You love when we mimic you! Da-Da seems to be your favourite so far! Sometimes you surprise yourself by figuring out how to make a wh or p sound and you look so proud of yourself - you look around to see if anyone is watching as if to say 'did you just hear that - I did that!' It is SO cute! You still do your adorable little growl which is getting louder and all the other Mummy's at baby group think it is so funny!

We have had some really beautiful weather this month - lots of sunshine and some really warm days too! You don't mind coming out to help me with the yard work and loved sitting and watching me plant a herb garden (which is now growing just as fast as you!).

You have tried a few different foods now in the purees I've been making for you. So far you seem to like sweet potato and black beans the best. You also have a new obsession for drinking glasses! If there is one in sight, you want it! You're also pretty good at drinking out of a cup now too!

I got to enjoy my first Mother's Day this month too which was great! I love being your Mummy so it was nice to spend a day just celebrating that!

You've been working on your rolling and have flipped back to belly and belly to back a few times, but are still working on perfecting it - sometimes your little arm gets stuck and in your way! You seem to be able to get a move on most in your crib and I've found you on your belly more than once after your nap! You have also learned to clap this month and it is the cutest thing ever! Each time you do it I say YAYYYY and your little face lights up with the biggest smile!

You have become a better sleeper this month, waking only a couple times a night to eat...yay! We have a pretty good bed time routine going and you seem to sleep best when we follow it. Bath around 8, into pj's and then a story with the dim light on and then nurse and then rock with your music on and then off to dreamland!

Mama and Daddy love you little Noodle! Happy 1/2 Birthday!

xo Mama

Brotherly Love (?)

2010-05-15T17:37:00.003-04:00

This picture sums up Sloan and Toby's relationship pretty perfectly...
HUGE smile on Sloan...Toby...not so much. I think I can see the hate in his eyes! Sloan loves to look at Toby, watch him move, pet him, squeeze him, pinch him, eat his hair, feed him carrots....but yet he still likes to pretend she doesn't exist and thinks if he doesn't look at her she might not be there.

Here she is babbling away to him, petting his ear and all he wants is to get away as fast as possible!

xo JBM

lil' chomper!

2010-05-13T16:02:00.001-04:00

...just testing a new video program with blogger...

which is better for you - watching it through blogger:

or through vimeo:

lil' chomper from Joelene Murphy on Vimeo.

Make-It Monday: CAKE!

2010-05-10T10:00:00.004-04:00

The men were going to do all of the cooking for Mother's Day, but I have been wanting to bake a cake for a while now and can't just bake one for the fun of it since Matt doesn't eat cake and I can't eat a whole cake myself (well...I can...but I shouldn't). So...I decided to bake a cake for yesterday, while Matt did the appetizers.

While perusing blogs a while ago I found this blog and LOVED what she did with cake! Lots of colour and who can resist a rainbow cake! So, Mother's Day would be my perfect excuse to bake a rainbow cake!

Except...I only have one round 8" cake pan (or so I thought, I have since found another while putting the one I used away!), and of course Noodle to tend to! So Saturday night at 9:30 I started on the cake. I thought 6 layers might be a bit much for me to tackle - it would probably topple over! So I decided on 3 layers so I would only have to do 3 oven watches before I could get to bed!

First, I mixed up the french vanilla batter and divided it into 3 bowls and added the dye (warning: I can't take a decent picture in our dim-lit kitchen at night!). I did one layer of blue, one of purple, and one of pink! Fun!

I wanted to be sure it was nice and cooled so I waited until yesterday to ice it. Just a fluffy white icing! Yum! I also added raspberry jam (seeds removed) between the layers and a few raspberries on the outside for decoration.

Looks like a pretty regular white cake, right?!

So imagine everyones surprise when my Mum cut into it and found this:

Tasty!

I think I might do this again, but tackle all 6 layers for Sloan's 1st Birthday! It was so fun and cheery!

xo JBM

Mummy's Day!

2010-05-09T21:07:00.000-04:00

I really wanted to post a video, but the program is acting up so I'm just going to post some pictures and some text (just a few bits) from something (Daughter by Nicole Blackman) I found a loooong time ago before I was even pregnant and knew we were expecting a girl!

"One day I'll give birth to a tiny baby girl

and when she's born she'll scream

and I'll tell her to never stop

I will kiss her before I lay her down at night
and will tell her a story so she knows
how it is and how it must be for her to survive

I'll tell her that people must earn the right
to use her nickname
that forced intimacy is an ugly thing

I'll explain to her it's better to regret the things
she has done than the things she hasn't.
I'll teach her to write her manifestos on cocktail napkins.

I'll say she should make men lick her enterprise.
I'll teach her to talk hard.
I'll tell her that her skin is the
most beautiful dress she will ever wear."

Thank you for making me the Mummy I have wanted to be for so long little NoddleE.
In just 5 short months you have brought so much joy to our lives

Before you were born I didn't know what it was like to have my heart
living outside of my body...now I do.

There is so much that I cannot wait to share with you!

Mama loves you Sloan!

xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday: Littlest Kitchen Helper

2010-05-05T09:25:00.001-04:00

Make-It Monday

2010-05-03T10:10:00.004-04:00

This past Christmas Brad sent us a great craft gift! Paint-it-yourself paper lanterns! How neat! However, I have a strange fear of doing crafts like this - I'm afraid I'll crack open the box, plan what I want to do, start painting and then hate what I have done and then be disappointed that I have ruined the craft I was so excited about doing and since there is only one chance with this sort of thing I am then left with nothing! So the box sat unopened in Sloan's room since I knew I wanted to paint it for her room.

However...Make-it Monday gave me the idea to finally just do it! Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found two lanterns - a back-up in case I mess up! Yay! This gave me a sense of relief and let me just get to it!

I have wanted to paint pottery for a while now since seeing this cute idea of "dottery" but since we don't have a pottery painting place anywhere near here I thought I would try the dottery on my lantern and look how cute it turned out (which you could see better if I could take a decent picture)!

I also made Make-It Monday muffins! Yum!

I can't throw out bananas...just can't. My freezer is overflowing with black bananas...or I should say WAS overflowing! Boneless skinless chicken breasts were on sale this weekend so I bought 15 (for the price I normally pay for about 4 or 5!) so I had to make room in the freezer! I threw out a few of the bananas that were on the bottom of the pile, but my Mum also called with a recipe for simple banana muffins at just the right time!

Easy Banana Muffins

1 egg

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup softened butter (not melted, but almost)

3 large ripened bananas mashed

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

chocolate chips

Combine in the above order and bake at 350 for 14 min or until a tooth pic comes out clean.

*my changes*

I also added a dash of vanilla...just because. I didn't put a measurement for chocolate chips because you can use however many or little you want. I only had a little more than 1/2 cup (because yes, I am still eating chocolate chips out of the container for a chocolate fix Elsie!) so that's what I used this time, but I will be using more next time for sure - at least a cup...maybe a cup and a 1/4. Also, I cooked my muffins for 18 minutes, but I only made 12 large muffins, you could probably make 15 or 16 regular sized muffins but I didn't feel like having to watch the oven twice!

xo JBM

edit: I can't seem to fix the spacing!!!!

Dear Sloan: Five Months

2010-05-02T22:02:00.001-04:00

Wow Sloan, time is flying WAY too fast! It is so hard to believe that 5 months have gone by already. It seems like you just got here, but at the same time it feels like you have been here forever because it's hard to remember life without you!

This month you found your toes and you LOVE to suck on them! For some reason you have stinky feet a lot so I try to remind you of this when you are about to stick them in your mouth, but you don't seem to mind! It is so cute to see you reach out and then have this look of amazement when you make the connection with your foot and then pull it to your mouth!

You have become a lot more talkative this month and love to be mimicked. I swear you have even said Mama a couple of times and you of course ramble on with a sound that suspiciously sounds like Dadadadadaaaaaaaada! I'm going to work on "training" you so that you actually say Mama first and mean it!

You celebrated your very first Easter at the beginning of the month, and I made my very first turkey! I hope that one day I'll be able to help you make a turkey, but I still need a lot of help myself, so we'll see! The Easter Bunny was good to you - bringing you a basket with books, a puppet, some hairclips and a stuffie from Nanny Murphy! You looked absolutely adorable in your Easter dress!

This month you helped out at the MS Walk - we volunteered on the committe like last year when you were just a little bean! We also walked this year and you won the prize (a giant stuffed monkey!) for the youngest walker...even though you didn't acutally walk! You also made the online local newspaper with the below picture.

Mama tried to go out for a girls night this month, but it didn't go so well! You have stayed home with Daddy during the day and do just fine, but nighttime was a whole other story! Apparently you woke up just about as soon as I stepped off the deck to get into the car and as much as Daddy tried, he couldn't get you back to sleep. Of course by the time I got home he had you calmed down and happy as a clam!

You're still not a huge fan of the bottle, but you will take it now and then and of course try to hold it like a big girl!

There are some nights that I sit upstairs browsing facebook or reading blogs and I can hear you squirm and stir on the baby monitor. I usually hope that you settle yourself so you can drift back into dreamland, but there are also many times that my heart aches and I want to run to you right away just so I can hold you. I love to hold you, especially when you are in that sleepy state and you snuggle right into me and I'm sure you can feel how much I truly love you. So, with the slightest little squeek I do run to you. Yes, there have been a few nights that I have let you stir a little longer, but it breaks my heart to hear you in there and not run to you. I want you to know I am there for you (forever).

You had some crazy sleeping patterns this month that tested this running to you, but I think it was just a little phase you were going through. For almost two weeks you would go down to bed so well and then wake up almost exactly (like to the minute!) one hour later and then the fussing would start. Even through you had just nursed an hour ago, you wanted more (so you got it), and then you wanted to be rocked and then you wanted to be held, then finally, almost an hour later you were back in bed...only to wake a couple hours later, and then all night you were up and down and woke almost every time I tried to sneak out of your room. But now you seem to back in the swing of things and you are sleeping better and usually for 3-4 hour stretches again.

I think you are starting to form a bit of attachement to your duckie-lovie (that your Auntie Randi mailed to you), which has helped in the sleeping I think. When you are nursing you love to wave your arm around and grasp at anything you can get your hands on. When you are just nursing to eat I let you do this, but at nap time and bed time I give you duckie-lovie and your little hand lands on his head and you massage it like a little stress-ball, so cute! Now when you wake in the night and I run in to you I can sometimes just put duckie-lovie's head back into your hands and you will massage him until you are back to sleep. I wonder if this will become your "thing" and if it will continue for many years to come.

The "flailing arm":

Well, for your five-month birthday you celebrated with a two hour nap! You also had an additional one hour nap (with me!) and last night you even slept a full 6 hours straight! Maybe you have matured into a little sleeper!

Mama and Daddy love you more than anything little Noodle!

xo Mama

Note to self:

2010-04-30T10:41:00.000-04:00

A cute mohawk before bed....
leads to crazy hair in the morning!

xo JBM

Morning Chat

2010-04-29T06:37:00.004-04:00

Normally when Matt gets up for work I get up with him and pack his lunch and Sloan stays in bed and then I go back to bed, but the odd time she will want to get up too - today was one of those odd times. Now she doesn't want to go back to bed! 5:30 is waaaay too early for a little Noodle to get up though, so we will be going to at least lay in bed soon! I guess she just has way too much to say this morning to sleep!

xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday: Toe&Thumb Sucker

2010-04-28T12:48:00.001-04:00

Make-It Monday

2010-04-26T21:39:00.003-04:00

On top of Wordless Wednesday's (which I should try harder to keep up with), I'm going to start a new weekly addition of Make-It Monday's. Every Monday I'll do a post about something I have made - whether it be a craft, food....etc. Should be interesting!

When we were in Waterloo this past weekend I picked up some supplies to make some pacifier lanyards. I am planning on making a bunch of things to set up a table at the local market in the park this summer to make some extra dough. I have grand dreams that it will take off and I can start selling online and never have to work again....but in reality I'm not that great of a seamstress so we'll see how it goes!

So, here is the first one! I will make them with only one fabric, but for Sloan's I couldn't decide which fabric I liked best so I thought I would just use both of my fav's! I was in FabricLand for a loooong time (especially long considering Matt was waiting in the car with a napping Noodle), but it was SO hard to decide on which fabrics I liked best! I got 5 different patterns so stay tuned to see the rest!

I need to make it a little more narrow to let it fit better on the clip and through the soother handle part.

So, what do you think? What would you pay for such a thing?

xo JBM

Anti-Venom

2010-04-21T10:54:00.002-04:00

It couldn't have been more perfect timing - this blog post came up in my reader today and is the perfect anti-venom to my feelings of guilt! http://pacingthepanicroom.blogspot.com/2010/04/anti-venom.html

Summer nights, only children and fake boobs...

2010-04-20T20:27:00.006-04:00

I put Sloan down to bed just now and noticed how light it was outside still - summer is on its way! In fact, it is 8:30 and it is still light out! Snuggling her in the twilight, listening to the birds sing their night-time song reminded me of snuggling with my own Mummy before bed and it brings back so many warm fuzzy feelings. I remember going to bed in the summer in just an undershirt and undies and being so tired from being outside playing all day, but still being upset that I could hear the older kids in the neighbourhood still playing - it wasn't fair! Matt and I are soaking up this time with the little Noodle - she is changing so much so quickly and I want her to stay little and snugly forever, but we are both also really looking forward to all the fun things to come - I can't wait to have that snuggle time before bed and hearing all about her day and tucking her summer-blackened feet under the covers that have been checked for monsters!

---------------------------------------------------

I think I now know why some people choose to have only one child...it's the guilt. It's not the sleepless nights and napless days, it's not the endless laundry, poop and spit-up, it's not the crying with no explanation or sleepless nights (oh, I mentioned that already...well it's worth mentioning again!). It's not even the fact that it is now 11 and I have written a paragraph and a half and Sloan has woken up 3 times already (since 8), and once it was for a full hour of wanting more boob! It is however the guilt I would have to assume. It's no secret that Matt and I want a big family, but I have second guessed that a few times lately when the guilt creeps in. The guilt I have that Sloan won't have my undivided attention. I even feel guilty for thinking about having more babes in the future when looking at her at times. I feel like she is looking back at me saying 'am I not enough'. I feel guilty for wanting to take away the fact that she is the only, and sole focus, that she will have to share our attention, and then I feel guilty for future babes that won't get to have that only-child time - they will never get to have that time when they are the only's. I feel like no matter how well Sloan gets along with her siblings, she will always resent me for taking away that time that we shared, just us. But then I remind myself that this time can't be taken away, and also that I had a little brother and loved it (most of the time). I always hear people say that you don't have to divvy up the love you have for your child when another one joins the family, rather that the love just multiplies...so I guess I'll just have to hope for that...and for the guilt to go away!

---------------------------------------------------

Sloan got a set of fake boobs recently!

...

Okay, not real-fake boobs! But fake-boob bottles! And she loves them! I don't really like the idea of leaving Sloan for any amount of time that would require her eating without me (see above re. guilt!), but it is nice to get out for more than just bread and milk at the grocery store! Nana is keen to babysit, but Sloan wasn't so keen to take a bottle. It seemed like the majority of the bottles we tried didn't allow Sloan to latch properly and the milk (that I had spent precious alone time pumping!) was just dribbling down her tiny little chin! And then came the Adiri Natural Nurser...Sloan's fake boobs! It feels like a boob and is smooshy like a boob so she is able to latch onto it...yep...like a boob! Matt has been able to feed her a couple times with the new boob, but we have only left her once with Nana and the boob, but it was for a delicious dinner at Tramonto with fabulous friends and I only called once to check in on the Noodle! It's nice to know that we now can go out to see a movie or something without having to worry about our daughter starving to death! Only problem is...since finding the miracle boobs I have heard that Adiri has closed up shop! So now, I am going to have to be like Elaine in Seinfeld with the sponges and buy a case of fake-boobs!

A picture of Sloan's fake-boobs:

I'm off to bed now...wish me luck that Sloan stays asleep for a while!

xo JBM

2010-04-16T00:13:00.002-04:00

I have a real blog post coming soon...but I had to share this cute pic! Sloan and I spent the afternoon outside in the sun on a blanket - soaking up some rays! I took a million pictures and then Sloan started rolling away from me...that's when I got this picture...look closely...her teeny-tiny butt is poking out! Too cute!

Wordless Wednesday: 6 years ago...

2010-04-14T13:53:00.002-04:00

Giggle-puss!

2010-04-09T21:36:00.002-04:00

I finally caught the giggle on video!

Probably the best sound EVER! Too bad she gets distracted by Toby!

xo JBM

We have a live one!

2010-04-08T10:29:00.001-04:00

Sloan just rolled over from her back to her belly...allllll the way....all by herself!

Wordless Wednesday: The Nana Edition

2010-04-07T09:43:00.002-04:00

Dear Sloan: Four Months

2010-04-04T21:48:00.000-04:00

Well, your nicknames have morphed again...you are still called Noodle a lot, as well as NoodleE, but you also get NoodleE-Pie and Noodle-Kaboodle! It seems like you don't care what you are called, as long as you are talked to! You love to interact! You also seem to love to have me sing to you. At night I sing Down in the Valley which calms you right down, but during the day I sing lots of crazy things, but you seem to like the ABC's best and smile along with me. This past week I sang the Peter Cottontail song a lot...so much that your Daddy asked me to switch to a different song! It was changed a little too..."Here comes Noodle-Cottontail, hopping down the noodle trail...Hippity Hoppity NoodleE's on her way!" Ya, I can see how that could get annoying....

This month you discovered your love for the jolly-jumper (or the Noodle-hopper as I like to call it). You LOVE to be in there with your little toes touching and swaying back and forth. If you start to get fussy and I try to take you out it just makes you hop more!

You got to get dressed up a couple of times this month - you went to your first birthday party - Little Miss Lynli celebrated her 2nd Birthday, and you also got to attend your first International Women's Day celebration.

You delighted us with your adorable little laugh for the first time this month and it was the greatest sound in the world! You have such a happy little giggle! I've tried to catch it on video a few times, but then you clam up! You are also trying to roll over now, but haven't made it all the way over yet - your arms keep getting in the way!

We have continued to take you swimming - you LOVE the water! You have even gone under a couple of times and don't mind it at all!

The weather has been amazing lately! It was 27 today - unheard of for this time of year! We have been taking lots of walks and you even had a nap outside one day! I can't wait for the grass to get nice and green so you can feel it on your little toes!

You are sleeping exclusively in your crib now, and seem to really like it. You like to sleep on your side the best...and usually with your arm thrown back behind your head. You still like to get up for a quick nurse part way through the night (or sometimes a couple times), but you have slept through the night a few times too!

Nana and Papa are on a cruise right now and we are SO excited for them to get home on Sunday!We have been dog-sitting Jimi and he loves to give you kisses and you love to watch him and his crazy hair!

Everyday I look at you at least once and can't believe how beautiful you are and how lucky we are to have you as our little girl. Your Daddy and I are really looking forward to watching you grow!

xo Mama

Update....soon...

2010-04-04T14:06:00.004-04:00

Like Elsie, I've been procrastinating on writing a blog post....I have lots to say, but that's because we have been busy with things....so instead of WRITING about things, we are DOING things!

I have Sloan's 4 month update written, but it takes forever to add pictures, so that will be coming a little late! I also have an Easter post to write, but since the weekend isn't over yet, that will have to wait!

For now...a sure sign of spring...

xo JBM

Hippity-Hoppity: Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-31T15:43:00.001-04:00

Spring has Sprung!

2010-03-22T18:28:00.007-04:00

It's official...spring is here...and here to stay (I think!). It was a little chilly today, but we have had great weather the past week and the snow is almost all gone! I am able to hang things out on the line again and have them come in dry instead of frozen! There is nothing better than line-dried diapers and crispy towels!

Sloan comes out to help in her stroller, but always ends up falling asleep in the sun spot I have found her! I'm looking forward to when it is nice enough to lay a blanket out for her.

Matt's crew didn't get the overtime they were expecting on Friday (thanks asbestos!), so he had the day off and it was so nice and sunny out! We were going to spend the afternoon doing yard work (including taking down the Christmas lights finally...don't worry, they haven't been on!), but it was so nice we decided to go for a big walk and a trip to the park instead. Sloan had never been over to the park at the ball diamond before, so she went for her first trip!

She slept the whole way there in the sun...

but she was just saving her energy to play on the swings!She loved them!

Toby brought along his birthday present which he promptly destroyed...but I guess that is the game!

She kept looking at Daddy...I think she was asking for another push!

Sloan has really been working on getting her thumb in her mouth lately. She has figured out how to get just her thumb in finally (for a while it was thumb+a finger), but she puts it off to the side and can't quite latch on to it properly yet. She also hasn't figured it out as a soothing mechanism, it's just something fun to do. I tried to give her a soother again, thinking maybe she just really wanted something to suck on, but nope, she still HATES it! She does LOVE the jolly-jumper though and it puts her hand at the perfect position for sucking!

Sloan and I made the most delicious banana bread today! I haven't had much luck in the past making banana bread - it usually comes out really done on the bottom and sides, and still raw in the middle, but this one worked perfectly! I was a little skeptical about not putting any chocolate chips in, but decided to just go with it...plus then I could eat it for breakfast and not feel guilty! It is the perfect combination of cinnamon and banana and the swirl in the middle is oh-so-tasty! The top came out nice and crispy and it is delicious warmed up with a little butter!

I found the recipe on a blog, Lovin' From the Oven, and would definitely recommend it!

Sloan is asleep (in her crib), so I should probably do the same (not in the crib)...I might have a piece of banana bread first though!

xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-17T23:11:00.002-04:00

Music to my ears!

2010-03-10T16:18:00.003-05:00

Sloan just gave me her first big belly laugh - it was the best sound I have ever heard in my entire life!

She has also learned how to suck in her bottom lip - too cute!

xo JBM

Baby Dino

2010-03-05T11:36:00.002-05:00

Here is a quick little video of Sloan doing her best baby dinosaur impression! Her little growl is adorable, but quiet so you'll have to turn up your volume!

xo JBM

Dear Sloan: Three Months

2010-03-02T22:03:00.002-05:00

My dearest little NoodleE you are growing and changing so much! Today, on your 1/4 year Birthday you were 13lbs11oz! And every single ounce is made up of lovable adorableness!

This month you started babbling to us A LOT! You coo and goo and sometimes surprise yourself by how loud you can get! You love to sit on your Daddy's chest and just talk away with him. I've caught your chatty-ness a few times on camera, but you seem to really like the camera and usually just stare into it every time I put it in your face (which is a lot). You also started doing the cutest little growl in the last week or so - it is almost a whisper, but it sounds like you are trying to mimic a growl. I love all of your little noises! Because of your love of the camera I sometimes call you a ham, and sometimes you are acting like a little nut...so sometimes you are called a ham-nut....I'll apologize now for the identity crisis you will surely suffer! Luckily your Daddy calls you by your real name more often!

This month you celebrated your first Valentines Day and went out to a fancy dinner with Mummy, Daddy, Nana, Papa, and your Great-Nanny. You are an excellent dinner companion and draw in the other diners to your cuteness! You have also attended a couple of volunteer meetings (one for the Women's House and one for the MS Walk) and you are a great companion there too - you are still so compact and a great traveller! You love the car and fall asleep almost the instant we take off!

(All dressed up for V-Day dinner)

In other firsts...there was your first swim...which you LOVED! I think you're going to be a little water-baby and can't wait for the summer and lots of beach days! There was also your first Superbowl, you watched with Daddy and helped Mummy prepare all the tasty snacks! And then there was your first Olympic games! We watched quite a few of the games in Vancouver, but most exciting was the final hockey game that Canada won against the USA. Mommy shrieked so loudly at one point you started to cry...sorry for startling you!

(Your 1st swim!)

You are sleeping longer at night now and it breaks my heart that you actually like sleeping in your crib...maybe you are just happy to be away from Daddy's snoring! I miss you in bed with us, but I guess you had to go at sometime...I just didn't think it would be so soon. You always wake up with a smile and I can't wait to get in your room to see you in there! You are able to roll from your back to your side now, so you are moseying around your crib that way, but sometimes I can't believe the positions you get yourself in to!

You still look a lot like your Daddy most days, but I think you are starting to look like me more too...

Speaking of Daddy...he is home now! He is all finished up trade-school as of Feb 26th and we are so happy to have him home for good now! It will be nice to know he will be home for dinner everynight and get to kiss you good bye every morning!

Mama loves you Sloan!

xo Mama

Talkative Tuesday!

2010-03-02T11:34:00.004-05:00

I'll be posting Sloan's 1/4 of a year letter a little later today, but here she is talking up a storm...well sort of...she likes to clam up when she sees the camera...apparently she isn't a performing monkey!

Also, she has been loving the crib lately (much to my heartbreak), but she moves around in there SO much!

This is how I put her to sleep in the crib:

And this is how Matt found her this morning at 5:30 when he went in to say bye:

I have no idea how she managed that!

*this was a reenactment...I didn't think to grab the camera this morning*

We are off to the EYC today! :)

xo JBM

Noodle-Fish!

2010-02-28T21:46:00.004-05:00

Sloan went swimming at the pool for the first time today...and LOVED it!

Sloan's First Swim! from Joelene Murphy on Vimeo.

xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T14:55:00.002-05:00

What a day...

2010-02-22T16:30:00.005-05:00

I'm hoping that if I put in down in writing it will seem like less of a "bad day"....

Matt got up and left at 4 this morning as usual (to get to Hamilton for school)...and then I heard the phone ringing at about 5:30 (at first I wrote it off because I thought it was just in my dream!)...he was almost in KW and the battery light was flashing on the truck and the lights seemed dim. I told him to get into KW and go to a Canadian Tire or something so they could check it out...um...ya...not much is open at 5:30...He called me back about 10min later to tell me the truck had completely died and he was blocking the entrance to a shopping centre! Lovely. He got to use his Christmas gift though and called CAA! They tried to jump the battery, but it wouldn't work so they towed him to CT. At first they thought it might be just the battery...then it was the alternator...then it was both...then it was both plus something else...a conductor or something. So...$536 later...Matt was finally on his way to school...SUPER late!

What a lovely start to the day...

Then I turned on the dryer with a full load...it is turning but there is no warm (or cold for that matter) air coming out. Nice. My Dad is going to come down tonight to look at it, but it sounds like it might be dead.

I've also got the dishwasher filled...but I am afraid to turn it on! I think I'll wait until tomorrow!

Randi recently blogged about the joy of new appliances, looks like I might be getting a new one too! There is something VERY exciting about new appliances...when we got a new stove our old one still worked (with major hot spots), it was just old and not very nice and the new one was a GREAT Christmas gift from my parents...when we got a new dishwasher the following year it was another GREAT Christmas gift and super exciting because we didn't have one at that point. Getting new appliances when the old ones still work or don't exist is great! Getting new appliances because you have to isn't so great. It just doesn't seem as exciting....especially when there are clothes hanging everywhere in the house to dry! Of course this couldn't happen in the summer when I could use my lovely 2 load clothes line!

I'm off to research our dryer options while NoodleE naps IN HER CRIB!

xo JBM

EDIT: The dryer is fixed!!! My Dad just came and looked it over and it was just a belt that had fallen off! Yay for not having to go out and buy a new one! But boooo for not getting a new dryer...I was starting to look forward to a shiny new appliance!
And yes Randi...I sure am glad we have cells now!

Milestones

2010-02-21T15:25:00.003-05:00

We were thinking about taking Sloan to the family swim today, but I am just a little worried the water will be too cold and then she won't be able to warm up because the change rooms are freezing and it's still really cold outside. That would have been a picture-worthy milestone!

But...last night she hit a major milestone...she slept in her crib...and it broke my heart!
She went down at 11:30 (she is a little night owl!) and slept right through until 4:30! She nursed and then went right back down in the crib until 7:30 when she was hungry again. At 7:30 she came into bed with us for some snuggle time! I'm not sure if this will continue without fuss...but it's a start I guess.

Also, another milestone today...she had her first "oh-my-god she needs a bath" poop! All of her cloth diapers were in the wash so I had her in a disposable and sure enough...poop EVERYWHERE! Matt just looked at her and asked if I wanted him to run a bath...yes please! She LOVES the bath so she was super happy to get an extra middle-of-the-day bath!

xo JBM

Canada's Next Top Model!

2010-02-17T22:46:00.006-05:00

I've been meaning to post pictures of Sloan's very first (of many) photoshoot's with Sarah (website here) on January 16th, but I couldn't decide which pictures to post because I love them ALL! So...I've put together a video of all of them! Sarah was great, she came to the house and had lots of great ideas for the shoot. Sloan mostly cooperated and slept through some of the shoot and squawked for some too!

So, without further ado...here is our little star... (there is music so if you're at work or something you may want to turn off your volume) :)

Untitled from Joelene Murphy on Vimeo.

xo JBM

All thumbs!

2010-02-11T22:46:00.004-05:00

For the past week Sloan has been desperately trying to figure out how to get her thumb in her mouth. She gets frustrated and lets out a little squawk after trying for a bit usually. I've tried to pry her little thumb out of her tight little fist to help her out a little, but she just tucks it back in so quickly. When she is trying she usually ends up sucking on her knuckle which satisfies her a little, but it just takes up so much room in her mouth!

Ignore my horrible camera work...

"Hey look...this is what I was sucking on!"

xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-10T22:47:00.001-05:00

Noodlecise take two!

2010-02-08T21:04:00.003-05:00

Since NoodleE has gotten bigger I've started changing her in her crib so she has more wiggle room, and boy does she like to wiggle! As soon as her diaper comes off her legs start kicking! I give her lots of naked time in there and she loves it! Maybe one day she will actually sleep in there! ;)

I didn't realize how long I was taping for, but here is a video of Sloan getting her little leggies moving!

After all that exercise she was ready for a cookie! (of course Toby was too)

She'll have to wait until I "filter" it for her!

xo JBM

Noodlecise!

2010-02-07T15:00:00.003-05:00

I really wanted to try to keep our house free from giant plastic contraptions, but NoodleE loved the exersaucer at a playdate so much I had to get her one. She is still a little small for it, so I have to wrap a blanket around her and only let her go in it for about 5 minutes total a day, but it is so cute when she sees another one of the "things" and gets all excited! Of course on the video I took she is more interested in looking at the camera and Toby!

And here is a picture of her just being cute in it!

xo JBM

Dear Sloan: Two Months

2010-02-02T16:13:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how much you have changed in just one month, and how much you have already changed since your birthday just two months ago! You are growing like crazy and will be getting ready to go off to school soon it seems!

Your Auntie Elsie sent you this adorable onesie and I couldn't believe how grown up you look in this picture! SLOW DOWN! I love this time with you and don't want you to grow and change so quickly! You are so snuggly and I fear the day that you think you are too cool to snuggle with your Mama.

As much as I would like you to slow down, it is amazing to watch you growing. Everything is so new to you and I can see you taking it all in with awe. You aren't just a little noodle anymore, you are growing a personality! I still call you noodle though, and almost exclusively call you NoodleE, sometimes I think I better call you Sloan everyonce in a while just so you don't grow up thinking that NoodleE is your name!

Your Daddy started trade school this month (January 4th) which was tough on us. He is gone alllll week, but gets to spend the weekends with us. I was enjoying the extra room in bed, but you have decided to take up that space! Everyone keeps telling me you will never leave our bed if I don't get out of the habbit now, but you are so snuggly and sleep better close to your Mama. I don't mind if you stay a little longer, but if you are old enough to be reading this, and are still in bed with us....please get out!

Daddy gets to come home to lots of smiles and coo's and goo's. This month you really started to recognize us and will try to talk to us, but you're very polite in waiting for your turn to talk! Your smile is so bright and your eyes just light up when you smile, but so do mine - it warms my heart to see you smile and that little smile makes me want to give you everything in the world you could ever dream of.

We have been on lots of playdates this month, and you seem to enjoy them! Tuesday's we go to the Early Years Centre, and Thursday's we have been getting together with some of the girls and their little ones that we met at the EYC. The first time we went you slept for the whole time, but now you stay awake and then crash when we get home!

Toby is still wondering when you will be leaving I think. He feels a little out of place, but has warmed up to you a little. At least now he will sniff your head now and then, but he still sighs loudly when you disturb his sleep at night!

I hope you feel all the love that your Daddy and I have for you. We couldn't imagine not having our little Noodleeenee with us and are looking forward to a lifetime of love with you!

Two months old and snoozing in Daddy's arms...

xo Mama

Pet-troductions

2010-01-28T18:37:00.006-05:00

Randi recently posted an introduction to Kobe and Lewis on her blog and I thought it was so cute I wanted to do the same for Toby and Bane! This blog just started out as a place to keep track of my pregnancy (I would like to find a way to print all of my posts for Sloan's scrapbook), and has evolved into a blog about Sloan mainly, but we can't forget about our other family members! So here it goes...welcome to the furry members (or non-hairless members) of the Murphy family!

Toby, March 8, 2004, "Mutt-butt, Bud, Dog-head, Dooter-head, and the original Noodle-head":

This little mutt-butt came to me as a sort-of graduation present. When I was on my way home with all of my earthly possessions packed into my Dad's truck from Laurier after finishing my last exam we stopped in Cambridge for some Timmies and to call my Mum from *gasp* a pay phone! When I was on the phone with her she told me that she saw an ad for Pug cross Boston Terrier puppies and was going to get me one. I was SO excited! Now, every time we drive past that pay phone on the way to or from Brantford I point it out to Matt.

Toby was the cutest little puppy of the litter of 8 and had such a cute little pot-belly. Initially I was looking at another little pup, but Toby came right to me and was quite the little snuggler! We got to meet who we were told was Toby's Dad - a HUGE Boston Terrier...but we have since decided that the lady who we got Toby from must have been delusional as he is clearly a Pug, Beagle cross! A Puggle if you will! Toby came home with us in May of 2004.

When Toby first came home we were living at my parents house for the summer so he got LOTS of attention and loved every minute of it! I wanted to crate train him, but I couldn't stand his whimpers and gave in to letting him sleep in bed with us "just this once" and he has been there ever since (I seem to have taken a similar approach with Sloan! oops!).

We moved to Waterloo in September of 2004 and Toby and Matt and I had our first real home together. We lived in the top story of an old house which had a horrible set of outside steps to get to our door. They decided to replace these steps for us shortly after we moved in and we only had a ladder to access our apartment for a little over a week....so Toby had to take all of his trips in and out of the house under an arm while we climbed the ladder...SO safe! haha Toby didn't take the move too well, he was used to lots of attention and was suddenly home alone a lot more. He ate a hole in our area rug, tore open the backs of our couch and chair, ate the heal off my new leather boot and tried to dig his way out of the front door! He grew out of this chewing phase though and quickly became a well behaved little buddy!

We made two more moves while we were in K/W, each time choosing a place with a park near by for Toby. He adjusted much better with these moves.

Finally in September of 2007 we bought Toby his first house. The main thing we were looking for in a house was a big fenced yard for Toby to have! He has escaped a few times, but for the most part he loves his yard!

Toby had another big adjustment to tackle when Sloan came home...and so far he is just ignoring her. We're hoping that they become best of friends once Sloan is on the move and can actually play with him, but for now, he just acts like he would prefer if she just went back to where ever sh came from!

Bane, November 2, 2007 , "Bane-er (said in a very high-pitched voice), Crazy-Kitty":
I have never been a cat person, so getting a cat was a big deal for me. Matt was the one that really wanted a cat, which surprises most people. I don't have as much of a story for Bane, since he seems to act toward me, the way Toby acts to Sloan...unless he want more food!

I found Bane online through petfinder and we adopted him from the local humane society. I thought if we were going to get a cat, I wanted a big fluffy flat-nosed one, but couldn't fathom the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on a cat, so I opted for the $50 adoption fee...oh, and the idea of saving a cat seemed like a good idea. I thought Bane looked pretty cute and he was described as polydactyl - he has thumbs! Bane came home with us in February of '08.

Bane was a pretty cute kitten, and I warmed up to the idea of having a cat. It helped that Matt had agreed to change the litter box EVERY time since a cat was his idea! Matt changed the first litter box and put on the most dramatic acting job I'm surprised we don't have an Oscar sitting on our mantle (actually we don't even have a mantle...). There was coughing and gagging and a drywall mask and all. After that I pretty much had to take over the litter box duties! I took advantage of the rumour that you can't be near a litter box when you're pregnant and Matt braved the box for a whole 9 months! I think the first thing he said to me when we got home with Sloan was that it was my turn to change the box! lol

Our $50 cat soon became our $580 cat when Bane got a bad bladder infection and had to stay the night at the vets office and have some testing done. He is now on a diet to keep future bladder infections away. I keep telling him he really owes me now!

Bane has only ever known this house and I'm a little worried about what he will be like when we inevitably move. He doesn't do well with change! Toby is quite the guard dog and barks every time someone comes into our driveway, which is Bane's cue to RUN downstairs and hide under the bed.

Surprisingly, Bane has taken to Sloan more than Toby. He comes to sniff her head every time I nurse her and often comes to look at her when she is crying. It's actually pretty cute!

So there we go....I think that pretty much brings you up to speed with the non-hairless members of the fam!

And now, here are Toby & Bane's baby pictures:

Toby looking teeny-tiny in Matt's arms:
Smaller than a work boot!
Toby discovering his new little brother:

Little fluff-head! This pic shows off Bane's extra toes nicely!

xo JBM

Girly Getaway

2010-01-28T16:34:00.007-05:00

Sloan, Nana and I got back last night from our first girly getaway - we had a great time!

It was time for the annual steering committee meeting for my work, so I thought it would be the perfect time to go to Toronto so everyone could meet Sloan and I could show her off! I plotted with our executive assistant and made plans to surprise everyone, as well as arrange a room at the hotel (which they generously supplied us with!).

So Tuesday morning we finally (about an hour after we had planned) loaded up the car with just about everything we own and dropped off Toby and picked up Nana and got on the road to Toronto. Sloan is a very good traveller and slept all the way to Waterloo where we stopped for breakfast and then went on to Cambridge and stopped at the Once Upon A Child. We spent quite a while at the shop, picking out lots of adorable outfits for Sloan - I can't wait for summer so she can wear the adorable dresses we got! Sloan went back to sleep and we were back on the road! We got checked into the Novotel and then headed out for a little shopping at the St. Lawrence Market before I jumped into the meeting to surprise everyone. Of course, just leaving the hotel we ran into someone from work who was out for a smoke break, but I swore him to secrecy! ;)

Everyone loved meeting Sloan and were super surprised to see us there! Sloan got passed around a bit and was quiet as a mouse!

We were lucky enough to get together with Laura K and Laura R for dinner at Ichiban...YUMMMM. I stuffed myself with sushi and tempura veggies and had to change Sloan on the bench in the restaurant...FUN! I really do think it should be mandatory for all restaurants to have change stations in them!

Sloan enjoyed her first night in a hotel:

She looked so tiny in the big white bed!

Yesterday we got up and had breakfast with the work group and then headed out for more shopping at the market...but I couldn't take it in there too long - the smell of all the raw meat and seafood was making me sick. We headed to Mavis road for some more shopping and then made the trek home. The roads weren't bad until we got to about Wingham and then we hit some snow and Sloan started to get fussy...but who can blame her, she was in the "bucket" for so long!

All in all, it was a great trip and I'm so glad Nana was able to come with us! It was also nice to get away because it helped to take our minds off missing Matt so much while he is away at trade school.

xo JBM

Moooo!

2010-01-22T13:19:00.003-05:00

I am loving breastfeeding. I've always assumed I would breastfeed, I assumed it would come naturally to me, but I didn't realize I would love it so much! I love it as much as I loved being pregnant and I'm sure I'll miss it as well when it is over (not for a long time).

In the first couple of days things were a bit rough, neither Sloan or I knew how to get her to latch properly, we struggled and I became very engorged which made it harder for her to latch, which made it very painful and I ended up with pretty sore nipples - it was a rough cycle and I could see at this point how some women turn to formula. But I had done a lot of research and felt prepared for this, so on went the cabbage and lanolin and we pushed through. On day 5 we had a midwife visit that changed everything! She taught me the perfect way to get Sloan latched and breastfeeding has been a cinch since!

I've been lucky that I have an excellent supply, but this brings me to my least favorite thing about breastfeeding...the leaking! I've tried a few different types of pads, but nothing seems to hold the floodgates for long! I've been using diaper inserts since the thought of disposable pads piling up was a little much! Any suggestions? I have some microfiber and fleece so I may try to sew up a few of my own.

We've mastered the art of nursing lying down and we both often fall asleep right after so Sloan frequently wakes up with a little dried up milk mustache/beard/sideburn....SO cute!

Just in the past couple of weeks Sloan has begun to realize that it's me feeing her, not just some magical tap for her convenience. During the day while I am nursing her she will often look up at me and smile...thus getting milk everywhere, but it is just so cute! She will also hold my hand while she eats and searches at night for this comfort.

I also LOVE how easy it is to just leave the house with Sloan, my purse stuffed with a couple diapers and a backup outfit and my boobs...which were coming anyway. Babies seem to have enough "stuff" so it's nice to not have to lug around a bunch more...and to not have to worry about the extra washing - I HATE doing dishes!

I guess the only real thing that I dislike about breastfeeding is that Matt can't share it with us. Sure he can sit with us and talk to Sloan while I feed her, but he doesn't really get to experience it, and I wish he could.

xo JBM

Dear Sloan: One Month

2010-01-02T17:43:00.001-05:00

A while back I stumbled upon a blog where a mother was writing a newsletter to her little one each month telling him all about what had happened that month in his life. I thought this was a great idea and wanted to do the same for you Sloan, so here we go.

This first month has absolutely flown by, it's hard to believe this day is here already. Everyone says to cherish this time because it goes by so quickly...I knew you wouldn't be tiny forever, but this is just too fast! In just one month you have changed so much, I have already started putting clothes away that you have outgrown! In the first couple of days we were off to a slow start with the nursing, but we both quickly got the hang of it and you are now a nursing champ! Your first few weeks of life were mainly spent sleeping, but you liked to be awake most at night...a little backwards! However, this meant travelling with you was easy! You were a breeze to take anywhere! We packed you up and went out for dinner, and for breakfast...and for lunch...I didn't feel much like cooking and we quickly went through the meals I had made and frozen before you made your appearance. You travelled to Nana and Papa's house quite a bit and loved the snuggles near the fireplace.

On December 8th you went for your first walk. Toby was so excited to get out with you, but I think he is really looking forward to when you can throw the ball for him!

The next day you had your first real bath (your stinky bellybutton stump had fallen off, yay!) and LOVED it! You kicked your legs lots and kept your hands out of the water the same way I do when I have a bath!

On December 12th we packed you up and went to the Palmateer family Christmas at cuz'n Krista's house. We were SO excited to show you off and were glad you came in time to make it! We thought you would get passed around quite a bit, but Nana and Papa hogged you quite a bit!
On December 19th we took advantage of your excellent (daytime) sleeping habits and hopped in the car with Nana and Papa and went to Toronto to pick up your Uncle David - he was so surprised to see us there! You wanted to show off your nursing skills so I walked through the airport nursing you in your sling, which you love! We went out for dinner on the way home and Uncle David got to hold you for the first time.

On Christmas Eve you finally got to meet the Murphy/Stewart clan! Nanny Murphy couldn't get enough of you!Your Great-Nanny Stewart thought you were pretty cute too!

After leaving Brantford we went to Listowel to spend the night waiting for Santa at your Great-Noni's house. You had slept most of the day in the car on the way to and from Brantford and got passed around quite a bit so you had a restless night, but we were still up bright and early on Christmas day. Here we are, our new little family on Christmas morning:

Of course you slept through most of Christmas day. Nana and Papa spoiled you of course! We were surrounded in gifts, many of them for you...but you just slept and slept!

You also slept through your first New Year Eve. We spent the night at Nana and Papa's house eating way too much Chinese take-out and watching a funny movie (The Hangover). You didn't even wake up for the ball dropping! The next day, I got one more year older and celebrated my first Birthday as a Mama! It was great!

Oddly enough, despite the fact that we called you Fawn throughout my pregnancy to keep your name a secret, the nickname didn't stick. Instead, you have a couple new nicknames....Noodle and Scraggle to be exact! You also get Noodle-head, Noodle-butt and Noodleeenee (pronunced Noodle-e-knee) and when you look especially cute and I want to eat you all up you are a Noodle-tini! Scraggle can also take these forms, buy is mainly reserved for when you are being fussy. One night when you were being especially fussy and nothing seemed to sooth you, your Dad went so far as to call you "the ultimate scrag"!

So that brings us to today, you're 1 month today!

Your Daddy and I love you SO much and couldn't imagine our lives without you now. I've always wanted to be a Mum, but being YOUR Mum has been the greatest! Yes, it can be hard when you are being scraggely and waking up all night, but seeing your little noodle-head looking for me makes it all worth while!

xo Mama

Birth Story...finally...

2009-12-30T23:26:00.003-05:00

Sloan Beverly Aislin Murphy
December 2nd, 2009 10:32 pm
8lbs 14oz 54cm long

I’ve been meaning to write this up for a while now, but stealing away a moment of time has been difficult – I just can’t stop snuggling our new little lady! Hopefully this makes sense since I had to write it in a few different chunks of time!

**WARNING** There are some slightly graphic pictures below…so don’t scroll all the way to the bottom of the post if you don’t want to see some blood. Also, I’ve kept all the details of the birth story in…so don’t read if you don’t want to hear about my cervix! lol
ALSO – this is WAY longer than I had initially thought it would be

So...

On December 1st (my due date) I had a midwife appointment which I kept telling them would be my last one, despite their booking me in for another appointment on the 8th, which I told them there would be no way I would still be pregnant then! The future Nana (my Mum) and I went up to Owen Sound for the appointment and I thought my feet would explode with swelling! Previously Whitney had told me that she would do a stretch and sweep (s&s) at this appointment depending on a few things going on. I was REALLY hoping that she would do it, as I was feeling quite ready. I had been taking Evening Primrose Oil, Red Raspberry Leaf tea and some tiny homeopathic pills that tasted like just a sugar pill (caulophyllum thalictroides is whats on the bottle) with hopes that it would help my body prepare, but not push it before it was ready. Whitney said everything was a go for the s&s (there weren’t a bunch of other Women in labour and they hadn’t been up for hours the night before), but that she was secretly hoping that I wouldn’t go into labour until Thursday when she was back on call. So…during the s&s Whitney said I was already 2cm dilated and my cervix was soft, but still thick. I also got the most hilarious compliment I’ve ever received – apparently I have a “great cervix”! I started bleeding pretty much right away which got my hopes up a bit, but I didn’t want to get too excited!

After my appointment we went up to WalMart to get some last few things for the hospital bag and the walking seemed to keep things going. I had a few stronger contractions (stronger than the Braxton hicks I had been having for the last 20 weeks or so), but nothing major. Whitney had suggested that I take an Advil and a Gravol that night to keep the cramping to a minimum while I tried to get some sleep. I’ve never taken Gravol before, so I just took an Advil and went to bed that night. I was up my usually insane number of times in the night to pee, but also noticed that a few of the contractions I was having were a lot stronger and actually getting a little painful.

When I got up at 5am on the 2nd with Matt while he got ready for work I told him to be sure to keep his pager close by as I thought she was going to come that day. I also called Laura to tell her to start faking sick when she got into work, just incase she had to leave during the day. Finally, I called my Mum to tell her I thought something was happening, but that nothing was too consistent yet. I had tried timing a few contractions, but they were all over the place – some 8 min apart, some 5 min apart, some an hour apart. I decided to take a Gravol with the hopes that I would get some sleep just incase it was “the” day and went back to bed.

The majority of the day is a blur – I slept for most of the day off and on, getting up a few times to let Toby out, check my email and answer the phone…oh, and to pee about a million times! I kept waking up with contractions here and there, and noticed that they were worse when I was standing up, but quite bearable while lying down so I didn’t think it was anything too exciting yet.

I decided it might be something around 3pm and decided to page Matt. When he called back I didn’t say I was in labour, but rather just asked him to come home right after work rather than going to the gym or anything which he said was his plan all day since I had told him in the morning that I thought she was coming that day. I still just felt crampy, so I just sat around until Matt got home at 5pm – he was shocked to see me just laying around and thought I would be ready to go then. I wasn’t even really finished packing and wasn’t ready to go to the birth centre at all. I decided that I wasn’t sure if it was real labour or not, so I wanted to go get in the jacuzzi at my parent’s house to see if the crampy feeling went away. There was no way I wanted to drive over to Walkerton if it was going to be nothing.

I had called my Mum to tell her we were going to go over to get in the tub and she said she would get home to meet us there (coincidentally, she was in Home Hardware buying Sloan’s Christmas stocking). We ran around throwing things in the suit case and packing food for Toby, I was convinced that it was still going to be a while, so we packed up the laptop and some movies incase we were at the birth centre for a while. We left the house around 5:30pm and when we got to my parents I got in the tub right away (which thoughtfully my Mum had filled and had waiting for me with lots of candles) and Matt started timing the contractions to see where we were at incase we had to page Whitney – the first timed contraction was at 5:43. This is when things started to get real – I finally was convinced that I was actually in labour! After about an hour of contractions that were about 4-6min apart, that I actually had to breath and focus through, Matt finally convinced me that we had to page someone and that we really should get to the birth centre, so I had my Mum page Whitney – I wasn’t even thinking that she wasn’t on call yet so the recording had her page Michelle…someone I had never even met! Michelle wanted to talk to me and this annoyed me as I thought she should know that I couldn’t chat right then! After though I realized she was trying to get a better idea of how I was actually feeling. Michelle encouraged me to eat something (she suggested bacon and eggs and I thought she was insane) to keep my energy up and we agreed to meet at the birth centre at 8pm. I then realized that I was starving and ate about 4 pieces of delicious crunchy peanut butter toast while trying not to get crumbs in the bath.

Starting at 7pm Matt kept trying to tell me we had to go, but I wanted to wait because I didn’t think it would take us that long to get to Walkerton and I wanted to stay in the bath for as long as possible, but the contractions were getting much more intense and I knew we needed to go soon. My Mum called Laura at this point to tell her we were going to go over to Walkerton but that she had no idea how far along I was or what was going on. I wasn’t sure if Laura should come or not because we were only allowed to have 2 support people in the room (stupid H1N1 ruining my birth plan). The last timed contraction was at 7:16 and then I got out of the tub… and OW! I felt like I needed to pee, so I sat on the toilet and didn’t want to get up…OW! I didn’t say it at the time, but I was a little worried we had waited too long at this point – the contractions were really intense now and I felt like I couldn’t get up. I actually considered going to Walkerton naked for a moment just to avoid having to get dressed! I made it all the way to the livingroom and then had to lay down – there was so much pressure when I was standing. Matt and my Dad had prepared the car – the seat was wrapped in a giant garbage bag and loaded with towels as my water still hadn’t broken.

As soon as we got out of the neighborhood I knew we had left it too long…I didn’t think I was going to make it. It seemed like the contractions were coming one on top of the other and I couldn’t get comfortable. Of course it was raining and we were behind a transport truck that Matt couldn’t seem to get a clear spot to pass. I kept telling him to go faster and to just hurry and to pass asap! Matt was the perfect partner – he kept reminding me to breath and held my hand when I wanted him to and kept putting the window up and down as I requested! With the window down I was too cold and getting rained on, with it up I was too hot – nothing was working for me! I had put the seat down and I couldn’t get back up!

About half way to Walkerton I started to feel the urge to push, I felt like I was going to have her right then and there, of course I was yelling this to Matt with each contraction and that was the only time that I saw him a little worried – he told me I had to wait because he didn’t even know where we were or how much longer it was. When we finally got in to Walkerton the entrance to the birth centre was under construction so we had to go in another way and I directed Matt the wrong way and we wound up at the parking lot for the retirement home next door…I thought I wasn’t going to make it if Matt didn’t hurry up at this point. So, we quickly got to the emergency entrance and I directed Matt to park in the ambulance entrance – I didn’t care what we were blocking!

While Matt went to tell them we were there and get a wheelchair, I went into the bathroom, and again felt like I couldn’t get up off the toilet because of the pressure when I was standing up. Matt wheeled me up to the birth centre and when we got up there a nurse was waiting for us. I stood up out of the wheelchair and told her to show me which room we were in because I needed to use the washroom asap (still really felt like I needed to pee…even though I didn’t). I was horribly annoyed with her and the lack of urgency she seemed to have when she was asking how I was – couldn’t she tell I was dying!?!?! When we got to the room (which felt like miles away, when it was actually probably just a few feet) I sat on the toilet right away and still couldn’t pee when that was all I wanted to do. The nurse told me Michelle wasn’t there yet and I remember looking at the clock and it was 8:20 and again I was annoyed because we were supposed to meet at 8pm. Moments later in came Michelle. Because I had tested positive for Group B Strep they had to start an IV, which had I known how fast everything would have gone, I wouldn’t have concented to. I have told Whitney about how I was more scared of the IV going in than actual child birth and she assured me that she would find the nurse with the most experience to do the IV so I wouldn’t need to worry. Well, wouldn’t you know, there was a student nurse on that night and they wanted her to start the IV. After fishing around for what seemed like forever, the other nurse stepped in and did it. I begged Michelle to check me at this point – I needed some reassurance that this pain was coming to an end soon. She checked me and said there was just a small lip left, but I wanted a number! I remember saying I didn’t know what she meant and asked how far that meant and when she said I was fully dilated and at TEN I wanted to hug her! At this point I asked for the gas and it was there before I knew it. I really hulled on it during the contractions, but it wasn’t taking the pain away – it was just making my lips dry and my eyes heavy, but it did make me feel like I could get a break and a good rest between contractions. Michelle wanted me to lay on my side to help the lip to go away and at this point we talked about the fact that the baby could be born in the cull (still in the sac if my water didn’t break) and how it’s not that uncommon. With a few contractions in this side position I felt the urge to push and Michelle wanted me to wait for a bit, but I couldn’t, it just seemed to be happening. Barb arrived then – she was going to be the secondary midwife and take care of little Fawn – another midwife I hadn’t met before that night – what are the odds! It seemed like once she arrived Michelle told me I could push if I really felt like I needed to. Barb checked the baby’s heartbeat quite a few times with the Doppler, while Michelle kept applying warm compresses which felt so good. Matt was still by my side, applying chapstick, and holding my water as needed and reminding me to breath! I felt the urge to push again and on the second contraction I did push and pop went my water…ALL over! Matt said it looked like Michelle had to dive out of the way and suddenly my foot was really wet and warm – there must have been a lot! Finally that pressure feeling of needing to pee was gone! Michelle said the baby was so low and the bag of water was resting right on my bladder so that was the needing to pee feeling. After my water broke it seemed like that feeling of wanting to push was even stronger with each contraction and Michelle told me I could push whenever I wanted, that little lip of cervix was gone and we were good to go. At first they wanted me to try pushing on my side with Barb holding up my left leg, but I felt like my leg was so heavy and wasn’t being supported enough and I was using all of my strength to hold up my leg and couldn’t’ get enough power behind the pushes so I moved onto my back. With my Mum on my left and Matt on my right and my eyes closed I started pushing with almost each contraction. Two things I remember most – I remember thinking it was so not like TV, my legs weren’t pulled behind my head and there wasn’t anyone counting to 10 yelling at me to push, and Michelle asking me if I wanted a mirror to see and saying no because I didn’t want her to have to leave the room to go get one! My Mum told me she could see the head and that was the greatest thing to hear – I was making progress! When Michelle asked if I wanted to reach down and feel her head I was surprised, it wasn’t that painful so I didn’t think there could possibly be much to feel, but sure enough I could feel her slimy little head! Only a couple pushes later Michelle was telling me to reach down and pull up my baby and next thing I knew, Sloan was on my chest and starting to cry almost right away! She was so perfect looking and ours!

We got to have a good snuggle, Matt cut the cord once it had stopped pulsating, and she laid on my chest while I delivered the placenta (which felt more painful than Sloan!). Then I noticed that there was blood ALL over my right side – somehow my IV had been pulled out which was my biggest fear in getting the stupid thing (my hand was still bruised a week after!)! We also noticed that there was poop ALL over! Sloan had managed to poop on me, herself and her Dad! We attempted to get her latched on, but she didn’t seem interested in eating so she had her exam from Barb at the end of my bed and got rave reviews!

Shortly after, things settled down and I realized that she was born at 10:32 just two short hours after we arrived at the hospital. It seemed so easy and fast! I knew then what people say about forgetting about the pain! I remember it was painful, but it’s so hard to describe! Nana got to have a snuggle with Sloan and I tried to pee…but still couldn’t! It wasn’t until about 1:30 that I finally peed and it was the greatest feeling ever! By about midnight everyone was on their way out and we were alone. Matt fell asleep quite quickly on the couch and I realized that basically everything we brought with us was unnecessary! I tried to get some sleep but couldn’t – I couldn’t stop looking at Sloan and making sure she was still breathing! She ate a couple times in the night, but only for a moment. By about 4:30 a nurse came in and brought me some toast as I realized that maybe I couldn’t sleep because I was starving!

I finally fell asleep around 5 and was up again at 7 with Matt. I said we were lucky we didn't want to stay or sleep in because shortly after 7am the construction started outside our room! We got up and Matt watched Sloan while I showered then we packed up and headed home - we were on the road and stopping for breakfast by 9am! It felt so crazy to just leave with Sloan…like someone should have told us we weren’t allowed to just leave with that baby!

The first couple of days at home were a little insane – we couldn’t get Sloan to latch too well, so she wasn’t eating a lot at each feed, so she was nursing a lot and up a lot at night, but we got it down and now she has been nursing like a champ! At her 3 day visit she was 8lbs5oz, and one week later she was 9lbs3oz...now...at 4 weeks she hasn't been weighed by the midwives yet, but I would guess she is about 12lbs almost!

All in all it was a great experience and I couldn’t have asked for it to go better! I think we’ll plan a homebirth for the next little one just incase things go as fast or faster!

And now for the pictures...

Ready to push!!!

She's here!

Our new family (Sloan really likes to keep her hands up by her face!):

Her previous home (scroll quickly if you don't want to see the placenta):

First kiss from Nana:

First snuggle from Daddy:
Getting examined by Barb:

With Barb and Michelle:

All snuggled up for the ride home:And now, our little noodle today, all smiles!

xo JBM

Development...

2009-12-02T10:57:00.000-05:00

** I post-dated this post so that it will always stay at the top of the page, so if you're looking for a new post, scroll on down :) **

Quick Update

2009-11-21T10:40:00.002-05:00

We're in the home stretch now!!! Matt and I are getting so excited and can't wait for Fawn to be here! Everything is pretty much ready for her - we just need her now! I ordered her basinette for in our room the other day and it has already been delivered to Aunt Bev's sisters house in Michigan where she will pick it up next week. Once that is set up, we are good to go - she can come any time! Although I keep telling her if she wants to come now we will figure something out for sleeping - no worries!

I had a midwife appointment yesterday (they are weekly now) and we got to meet with Angela who is our secondary midwife - we both like her SO much better than the crabby older lady that I met with who basically only gave me bad news last week. Angela said Fawn is right on track and is head down and pretty locked in there - she couldn't move her head around at all. Matt and I asked if she could tell how big she was at all and she said she thinks she is a good size (they won't give a weight estimate) and that she is going to be long (even though her head is down VERY low, her butt and feet are still high and in my ribs), and that she has a nice little butt that isn't boney!

Only problem yesterday was that my blood pressure was high, which was the first time this whole pregnancy. I wasn't supposed to go back again until the 1st because I told them I wanted to only meet with Whitney or Angela and that was the first I was able to get in with them, but because it is high she scheduled me in for a quick check on Tuesday to see if it has come down. I was thinking it would be good because my puffyness had actually gone down a lot - I actually had ankles and my feet fit into my shoes! AND it wasn't just my imagination that the puffyness went down because I actually LOST 4lbs from last week to this - must have been all the extra water I was carrying around!

I'm off to get ready now to go to another shower for Fawn with all the family - she sure is loved and she isn't even here yet!

xo JBM

Full Term!

2009-11-09T19:52:00.009-05:00

It's hard to believe, but as of midnight tonight Fawn is considered full term and safely come anytime now! With just 3 weeks until my due date, we're getting pretty excited!

I've fallen really behind again in updates, but we've been so busy I just haven't had time to sit and write a blog post. Fawn has been spoiled twice now with showers in her honour - her closet is well stocked! We are so thankful for everyone coming and showering her with just about anything a baby could ever ask for!

Her change table is pretty well stocked with tiny diapers and just waiting for a little butt to be on it!

Her crib is all set up and looks so cozy I want to sleep in there tonight...

(this weekend we will finally put stuff up on the walls...just deciding where we want everything to go)

Aunt Janet made her beautiful quilt with the fabric that I found on ebay. I hope Fawn loves it as much as I do and keeps it forever!

And, just in case you couldn't tell from the crib picture...I am getting gigantic!

This is my belly RIGHT NOW!

I'm off to bed early - I need to get in there early with the hopes that I can get a few hours before the tossing and turning and getting up to pee starts...and continues throughout the night! I think I'll be well prepared for getting up with Fawn!

xo JBM

Looooong overdue update!

2009-10-19T20:36:00.010-04:00

I've been meaning to update for a while now, and I've been reminded by a few people that I haven't updated in quite some time, but everytime I sit down to write something I get distracted!

Things are moving along quickly! Only 19 more days of work! Not that I'm counting or anything! AND 4 of those days will be spent in Toronto so it will go by really quickly! This past Friday we interviewed people for my position and I think we found someone that will be great!

This past weekend Matt and I went on a tour of the birth centre and were very impressed! Big private rooms with nice lighting, a couch for Matt (and Laura and Mummy) to hang out on and take turns napping on as well as a rocking chair with stool for breastfeeding! Each room has its own little kitchenette area - microwave & sink. They each have a cd player and portable fan. They each have their own bathroom that is nice and big as well as each having a nice jaccuzi tub. They also supply a birth ball and birthing stool if you want it. And if I have to have the monitor on, it is waterproof so I can still get in the tub. The nurse we met was REALLY nice! So that was a nice experience, Matt was really suprised by how nice it was too! We timed it on our way home and it is 45 min door-to-door, so hopefully we won't have too much snow to deal with as well!

I have another midwife appointment this Friday and Matt will finally be able to come - he hasn't been since I was early on, so it will be nice for him to be able to come again. We started our prenatal classes and have gone to 2 of the 4 so far - lots of info and a few videos so far.

My hips have REALLY been bothering me and my wobble is more pronunced now! It takes me a bit to get going, but once I am going, I'm good! However, my hips, combined with Fawn on my bladder has resulted in me waking up almost every hour to either roll over or get up to pee! I'll be well practiced for getting up with Fawn!

Now...on to the pictures...

A pic from tonight compared to 20 weeks ago...

Fawn's room is coming together...her crib is all set up!

I've been working on some projects for her...babylegs (with help from Nana), cloth wipes & a blanket that was started before she was even conceived!

As a quick side note...Toby is pretty much totally recovered from his "attack". But while he was recovering, he was quite the suck...as seen below. The cute pic is followed by a pic of his wound so close your eyes if you don't want to see blood!

My poor first baby!

I'll try to update again after my midwife appointment on Friday!

xo JBM

Womb with a View

2009-09-24T11:52:00.004-04:00

Oops, I am way behind again!

September 19th was the big day for the 3D ultrasound and it was amazing! Matt, my Mum & Dad, and Aunt Bev and I all went down to London to see Fawn on the big screen! It was the neatest thing! It felt like we were at a spa - nice dim lighting, big leather chairs, soft music, beautiful pictures on the wall - the works! We all got to be in the room and the ultrasound machine was hooked up to a huge flat screen on the wall so we got to see everything the tech was seeing. First and foremost she confirmed that Fawn is indeed a little girl! And then for the next 20 minutes the tech tried to get a good view, but she is so low and squished in there that it was hard to get a good shot - she also kept her hands by her face the whole time and was even caught sucking her thumb! I could feel her moving a bit, so it was neat to see her movement on the screen at the same time. She looks perfect and we can't wait to meet her!

So...on to the pictures...

In other news, Fawn has her feet or knees or something in my ribs and seems to be trying to pop them out! NOT enjoying that!

xo JBM

Another Update

2009-09-15T20:19:00.004-04:00

Just another quick update!

I had another midwife appointment today up in Owen Sound - I hate having to drive up there each time, but it's worth it to meet with Whitney! It was a pretty short visit today, not too much to discuss. Whitney said my bloodwork from my gestational diabetes test came back great so I don't need to worry about that! My blood pressure is still good and I am still measuring on target. I got to hear Fawn's little heart beat again and it doesn't get any less exciting each time! She was at 140 bpm today! Whitney also did some poking around and I got to feel Fawn's head (which is down, where it will hopefully stay!) and she confirmed that she is indeed laying with her butt on my right.

I am off to try and find a comfy spot in bed to watch the BB finale night!

xo JBM

p.s. Cuz'n Krista pointed out another essential for Fawn that I love and would really come in handy around here...

The infant house cleaning mop!

Essentials

2009-09-10T19:48:00.007-04:00

While doing some research for Fawn's registry I have come accross a few things that I think are absolutely essential when having a baby...

Of course there is the lederhosen leash...

Not only nice to look at, it is also functional in helping to hoist your child up the steps to a slide without actually having to touch them...

(modeled by Robert Pattinson)

If you choose not to invest in the lederhosen leash, you may want to register for one of these...

The Jolly Jumper Bumper Bonnet - it is available in various prints incase this one isn't your thing!

And finally, and somewhat seriously...the snot sucker...aka Nasal Aspirator

This is an essential because I once read that if you don't have one you can use your MOUTH!!!!

xo JBM

Sneak Peek

2009-09-09T21:36:00.013-04:00

Warning, lots of pictures ahead!

I've been feeling pretty nest-y (nest-ish?) lately so I've been working on Fawn's room (not that she'll spend much time in it in the first few months). I wouldn't say I'm a hoarder by any means (especially after watching the A&E show about them), but in the past I have had an issue with keeping things "just in case" (eg. scrap paper that I *might* use in a scrapbook in a million years, or a paper that I wrote in first year...you never know when I might need that info again), but since the nesting has kicked in, I've thrown away so much STUFF! We have lived here two years now and there were still a couple packed boxes - no longer! So...below are a few sneek peek pics of Fawn's room. There is still a lot to do - touch up paint, find a change table, get her crib, make a mobile...etc...but here is what we have so far...

Part of Fawn's closet (there are still some of Matt's clothes in there that need to be moved!)

Some of my favorite things from her closet

The rocking chair (which she seems to enjoy already)

The little side table (old desk) that I found at the market in the park - perfect beside the rocker!
Detail pic (the lamb is from Matt's Mum and smells like baby powder, and Fawn's favorite books so far)
Our stroller that I LOVE and can't wait to use! Thanks Nana & Bill??? (my Dad isn't sure what he is going to be called yet by Fawn - so far it's Bill!)

Annnnd...a belly pic from tonight...don't mind my face - I'd been nesting for hours!

xo JBM

Quick Photo Update

2009-09-03T20:05:00.006-04:00

I'm pretty convinced that at this rate we will be having a 12lb baby...should be interesting! aAs you can see, I am gigantic! Fawn is still measuring right on target, and her little butt is still poking out on my right side. I'm wondering if the old wives-tales are true and she will have lots of hair...man-o-man the heartburn!

(wearing my new shirt from Krista - thanks cuz!)

(my bare Fawn belly - see her pokey butt, and my giant face)

(Matt holding Fawn)

xo JBM

p.s. fun Fawn fact...she had the hiccups twice today!

99 DAYS!!!

2009-08-24T20:33:00.003-04:00

We are out of the triple digit countdown - only 99 days until due day!!! VERY exciting!

I don't have much to report, I just wanted to make that known! That's basically 3 months! Which also means I will be done work in less than 3 months - 12 weeks to be exact!!! When I think of how fast the first 12 weeks of this pregnancy went by, that will be gone in no time! Especially because we have fun things coming up to help pass the time - tomorrow we are going to the Harbour Stree Brasserie to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary, this weekend is Matt's ball tournament in town, then we have his year end ball party on the 5th of September, then we have the 3D ultrasound on the 19th and then the last weekend of September is the ball tournament in OwenSound that we might camp during, then we have our 4 week series (every Wednesday night) prenatal classes in October and I have a trip to Toronto for work during the last week of October....and then it will be November and we will have one month left!!! 2 weeks of work!!! Woooohooo!

Fawn has been moving lots lately, I'm excited to find out which way she is laying when I go to my midwife appointment on Wednesday. I always feel her movement in either the lower left part of my belly, or my upper right part - arms and legs? kicking and punching? I'll also be scheduling my gestational diabetes test while I'm there, and booking a tour of the birth centre. :)
In addition to movement, I've also been feeling some braxton hicks contractions - I wish this is what labour would feel like - just some pressure and hardening of my belly. It's exciting that things are coming along so quickly!

xo JBM

Waddle vs. Wobble

2009-08-20T21:25:00.002-04:00

I would like to make a sign to wear that says "I'm not waddling, I'm wobbling". Any time that I've been sitting too long (which is any time that I'm at work) my hips get a little creeky when I get up and it takes me a bit of wobbling to get going...it's almost a limp, but it is NOT a waddle!

Fawn is finally getting strong enough for us to feel her on the outside! I've felt (and seen) her quite a few times, but Matt finally got to feel two really strong kicks this past Saturday - very exciting! I also got my weekly update that says that she can now respond to light and to try putting a flashlight on my belly and see if she responds. Well, let me tell you - she does! We tried it tonight for the first time and it really got her going! I think she was rudely awoken and did NOT like it! I hope I didn't blind her, but it was just too neat I had to do it a couple more times and Matt was able to feel her kick again!

Not much more is new, except my new girth! I seem to be getting bigger and bigger by the day! My next midwife appointment is on the 26th, so I'll have more to update then. :)

xo JBM

Perspective

2009-08-13T21:33:00.009-04:00

I finally remembered to take the camera on our trip to the beach tonight!

So...a little perspective...

Matt was sitting on the beach, this is what he sees...

and...this is what I see...

(yes, my bellybutton is not-so-slowly disappearing, and yes, Fawn seems to be sitting more on the right)

Also, I caved and booked a 3D ultrasound! Mummy is treating us to making sure Fawn is indeed a Fawn, and not a Colt. We are going down to London on September 19th so I'll be posting pictures right after that for sure! I was a little iffy at first about the idea...if we already know we are having a little girl, and have her name choosen, do we really want to know what she is going to look like too? But I just can't resist, I REALLY want to know for sure if we are having a little girl or boy!

xo JBM

p.s. Is it just me or does it look like my butt is getting droopy!? Maybe it's time to invest in some Mum jeans!