anxiously waiting for the phone to ring...

Ben is waiting for his new friend...(could be why he totally didn't sleep well last night, but that's another story). My friend Cathy was having Elizabeth this morning at 8am. It's now 8.55am and I can't stop thinking about her...and Sean...and their new baby. I really hope everything went well.

It was a long road for them,... a lot longer than I probably could have ever endured. Adam and I got lucky. We only really tried to get pregnant for 3 months. That's really short. Very short. We got lucky that Ben was a healthy baby. He's happy. He laughs and smiles and likes his bath. He rotates and squeals. We're very lucky. It's moments like this that remind me of how truly blessed we are.

I'm so excited and happy for Cathy and Sean. Elizabeth is one lucky little girl. She's got two wonderful parents that will love her forever. Ben is excited too. A brand new girlfriend! And since Cathy is a teacher too -- we'll both be off at the same time on maternity leave.

I can't wait for the phone to ring with the news...


NEWS!!! Cathy had the baby at 9.30am -- (a girl, obviously,...she's known for a while!)... 8lbs, 14 oz!!! I can't wait to meet her.

4 month vaccinations...and Ben's first fever =(

Yesterday Ben had his 4 month check up. It went so well and he didn't even cry for his needles. He's such a good boy. He now weighs 14.5lbs and is a long 27 inches! Dr. G. is sending him to a dermatologist to check out the weird growth on his ear...

We also picked up his car seat yesterday and Adam installed it in our car. We ended up getting a Britax Boulevard. Thanks Grandma Linda and Papa Rick for Ben's gift. It's supposed to last him until he's 6 or 7 years old!

He seemed pretty happy and was in bed by 7.30pm. He slept straight until 5.30am this morning and then napped again until 7.30am. A full 12 hours in his crib! But, by 10am,...he felt really warm and when I took his temperature it was 38degrees! I got on the phone to telehealth Ontario... he was also given 1mL of children's tylenol. He's sleeping again, thankfully. I'm so worried about him.

Here's Ben sleeping with his fever... (yes, I took pictures...had to document the event)...


Edit: good news... 2.5 hrs later and Ben's temp is down to 37.22degrees C. phew!

my first attempt at sewing...

since grade 7.

My friend Lisa has hooked me up =) We went to fabricland, I bought fabric and she gave me her template. I'm going to be making my very own rag quilt. At first, I was into sharing... and looked for fabrics that Adam might like. Then I thought... forget this. I opted for a girly quilt. One for myself. The fabrics are turquoise-y, pinky and purple-y. One has hippos, another one has high heeled shoes...that's uber-girly=)

So far, I've managed to cut out 4 of the 6 fabrics... but, alas...Ben is up again and so the sewing (and blogging) must come to an end.

sure... we love the talking...

...but not at 10.30pm and 4am. Last night, Ben learned how to talk in his sleep ...(taking after Uncle Jesse, perhaps?). He was completely asleep... talking away. Sigh. Then again at 4am.

I took him down to the lake to talk to his trees (in hopes that he would get tired and actually take an afternoon nap!) and it was like he was out of words. He lay there with his eyes wide open... Oh sure. Why couldn't he do that at 4am? Adam declared that we need to move. (hah).

In other news... it's 1 more week until school starts... but not for me.. for Adam. Today, Ben and I are off to the mall to go back-to-school shopping... but not for me.. for Adam. How weird is that? The air is crisp and smells like the start of school. I get all nervous every time I drive past a school, see a school-related commercial or even talk to Adam about school. What is wrong with me? Talk about being completely programmed.

Today, I enrolled in a mom-and-me class through Toronto Public Health (yay for free!). Our group is meeting every Tuesday from 1030am-1230pm. I also hope to put Ben into the "ready for reading - baby time" class at our local library. Registration is next Tuesday. That class meets every Wednesday from 1030am-1115am. I'm trying to keep myself busy...

I also started my first rag quilt. Lisa made one for Ben and she showed me how to make one for myself. We went to Fabricland and picked out fabric... Ben loved all the different colours... I decided to go with a girly quilt. One for myself. Last night, I started ironing and cutting out the first few squares.

On Sunday, we went to Lauren's 6th birthday party. Lauren was the youngest baby I've ever held (aside from Ben). We went to see her while she was still in the hospital only hours old. I can't believe she's already 6! She starts grade 1 next week and is so excited about it (why can't I be like that?!).

Here's Lauren...such a big girl!

Opening her presents!
And just for fun... a comparison. Here's Lauren, ... on her 1st birthday.

wowweee....Ben is still sleeping...I guess the tree visit worked!

Here's some recent Ben pictures... he's 4 months old now, you know!

Thanks Uncle Dave and Auntie Marce for this outfit... here's Ben wearing the "small miracle" onesie... Ben received a package of 5 with awesome sayings on them... I plan on taking pictures of all 5 and posting. My personal favourite is "big trouble". hehe.
Ben has started teething (or so we believe)... he's getting grumpier and grumpier by the day!

the worst thing about post-pregnancy...

hair loss.

by far.

It's terrible. I can't stop the clumps from falling. It's so gross. I know I've complained about this before, but it's just ridiculous. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if I didn't go bald by the time Ben was 5 months. Will there be hair left?

I've tried everything to keep it in place,...even for a little while longer.

Putting my hair up is good (if only as a temporary solution) -- I don't feel the yucky hairs on my shoulders and on my back...but then when I take the elastic out -- kaboom... hair loss.

I've tried wearing it curly... maybe the curly hair will want to stick close to home...the scalp. No such luck.

Today,...I've opted to straighten. WHAT A TERRIBLE IDEA. Our bathroom floor was COVERED! with hair. Straightening is definitely a bad idea. It's like it straightens all the hairs out of my head.

Tomorrow -- I'll opt for an up do. The problem now though,...last week I was so annoyed by the hair loss that I had the hairdresser lop off 2 inches, so now all of my hair won't fit neatly into a ponytail. Some stray hairs linger...and this is what Ben reaches for. It's like the stray hairs are his reins and I'm his horse...and he hangs on for dear life...(which causes more hair to be ripped out when I try to pry his tiny fingers off my hair).

Sigh. Mini vent over.

New experiences with mommy!

Yesterday Ben and I went to the movies! I think he loved it more than swimming! The lights, the new smells, the HUGE "TV" screen, the girly romantic comedy!?! He fell asleep halfway through, but I could tell that he was having fun!

Last night he was in bed at 9pm...and didn't want breakfast until 6.30am. woohoo. Happy 4 months to me! Did I mention that Ben is 4 months? Where has the time gone?

Today we're off to Fabricland with Lisa. She's going to teach me how to make a rag quilt. I need a hobby and something to take my mind off the start of school. (or lack of a start for me!)

k...Ben just stuck his hand into my juice glass,...I now have juice in my lap. So much for the times when I could type while holding him =P

Our first swim as a family...

Today, Adam and I took Ben swimming. Aside from the annoying little girl (that totally wanted to join our family -- and who could blame her!),...we had a great time. Ben was laughing and even kicking his legs... (which could explain why he was sleeping before we pulled out of the parking lot!).
Ben on the way home... such a sleepy potato.

Ben in the big boy tub...

So we thought we'd try something new. Novelty is fun. So,... here's Ben in the big bathtub with Adam. He LOVED it ...and wasn't happy when we suggested that the bath was over...


His new hairdo...

This is the look on his face when we tried to take him out... needless to say...he loves his bath.
All ready for bed.

running around ... like a chicken.

You'd think that someone that was on Maternity Leave would have all the time in the world... I'm swamped. Make that... crazy busy swamped.

I have something to do EVERY SINGLE DAY UNTIL THE LONG WEEKEND! Insane. It's just insane. Granted -- I've brought it on myself...but still.

I'm definitely not sitting around on the couch anymore. I'm getting up and doing stuff...and bringing Ben along with me. He's seeing the world.

Today should be a good day. He went to bed at 730pm last night...slept straight until 4am... and then at 630am he woke up "talking". I didn't go to him and he eventually fell asleep until 730am (when he started "talking" again). He's just too cute. It's now 9am and he's taking his morning nap. Today feels like an "easy" day. I like days like this.

Yesterday was Cathy's baby shower. I'm sooooooo excited for her. I can't wait for Ben to meet his new playmate. As nice as it was to get out of the house,...being around all the new baby stuff made me miss Ben (and Adam) more. And I was a super dork. I brought my camera and left the memory card in my computer. DARN IT. She looked great though... you'll just have to trust me on that one.

I'm off to take a shower and get stuff done before Ben gets up. I'm hoping to take him swimming today at the pool!

oh happy day.

Just a wee brag.

Ben slept from 930pm-730am last night... no wake ups!

Then he took a 50 minute morning nap... no complaints. No crying.

THEN!!! he took an hour long blissful nap in the afternoon from 2-3pm!!!! It was almost to the point that I wanted to check on him because he NEVER naps for that long.

(NOTE: he did manage to bang his head on his crib during the wake-up portion of his morning nap so maybe that was the cause???).. Whatever.

Yay for sleeping.

You know you're a (tired) mom when...

...you want to order in food even though you totally just went grocery shopping.

Does Ben look like me,....now?

Me and my mommy (1979)

to spit up or not spit up...

more like...to put a bib on him or to not put a bib on him...

Adam didn't spit up ...and Leigh and I didn't spit up...so what's up with Ben? (I think it's the universe's way of getting back at me because I hate when people puke).

From the very beginning, Ben has been a "spitter". Actually, in the beginning he was a projectile spitter. It was gross, and it would wet every article of clothing that he would be put into.

During a night time feeding,... I would feed him and then as I'm swaddling him for bed, he would projectile puke -- over everything. His bib, his outfit, our sheets, our carpet, my back, my hair... it was gross and required about 3 complete changes before everything would manage to stay in his tummy. No wonder my night time feedings would last 90 minutes each. Sigh -- those were the days. I remember leaving out about 3 complete outfits on his change table so that I wouldn't have to search in the dark for new clothes!

Recently, Ben has discovered that he can rip off his bib (stupid velcro!). The other day, I put a bib on him... and got into the shower (Ben was in his rocking chair). When I got out,... the bib was off and there was puke down his whole clean outfit. See, this is why we still wear bibs.

I see lots of other babies about Ben's age... no bib, unless they're having a meal. Ben, however, requires a bib ALL THE TIME. It's like a fashion accessory for him. It is getting better though. We are making slight progress...unless he gags, which is a whole other story entirely.

Note -- just so you know... all the pictures with Ben and no bib --- it's because it was TAKEN OFF prior to the picture. Sad, I know. He just has some really cute outfits and the cute parts are always hidden by the bibs...and so me being the anal mother...I carefully remove all bib evidence before I take a picture =) hehe.

mr. giggle pants

Ben and his daddy...

Ben talking to the trees...

my handy side-kick.

Last summer,...I was home alone. Adam was working.
The summer before...I was home alone. Adam was working.

This summer...I have my very own playmate. 24-7. Sweet.

Thankfully, Ben enjoys being in the carrier. Here's us...getting ready to go for a walk.

my little "father earth"

Since Ben was born on Earth Day, it's only fitting that he loves the outdoors. Every afternoon, we take a two minute walk to the lake to chill on the grass. Aside from bath time, I think this is Ben's favourite time of the day. He talks non-stop!

Here are some pictures from our adventure today. It was his first time "crawling" in the grass.

feeding... at 1 day vs. 3 months and 1 day...

We have progressed... (backwards!)..

Day one... and for the first couple of weeks... feedings would take FOREVER. The latching, the burping...the inefficient sucking... It sucked, literally. Feedings would take 40 minutes during the day. In the middle of the night, I would be up for 1.5 hours at a time. Feed, diaper, change, feed.. bed... sigh.

Then Ben became super efficient. We enjoyed this time. He was eating every 2-4 hours but he had it down to 7 minutes. He no longer puked a lot so night time was down to 20 minutes -- max. Feed. diaper (only if really dirty), no need for a change of clothes...and back to bed. Phew.

And now? He's become quite the talker. The little flirt. The "charmer". He likes to talk...and don't get me wrong,..it's super cute. BUT OMG ANNOYING. He's easily distracted while eating... he stops mid-way to have a whole conversation...with anything. Me, Adam, the light on our ceiling... sigh. My 7-minute feedings are now 30 minutes. Or longer. Depending on his mood and the number of distractions.

he's cute though...so I don't mind.

a vent...

I've been writing blog posts in my head at night. Weird, I know. If I had a computer in my bed,...I'd be constantly writing.

I'm tired. no wait. Make that exhausted. Ben has kinda stopped sleeping through the night. Well, by definition, it's sleeping through the night...but not by my standards.

Monday night,...he woke up at 11pm (something he hasn't done in forever!)... I fed him and he slept until 6am. Last night,...he slept until 3am and then was up again at 645am. Now this sounds nice,...but in reality I'm awake at 4, 5 and 6. The reason? Ben's thumping.

Not only is he rotating now,...but he has learned how to "thump" his legs and feet. Adam has managed to sleep through these lovely episodes. Maybe we need to switch sides so Adam can be closer to Ben...hehe. Basically, Ben brings his legs up and then lets them drop so they bang off his mattress. (Alright,...hands up if you're laughing because I SOOOO don't find it funny.) I'm not quite sure how to stop the thumping...I've even resorted back to swaddling (he hasn't been swaddled since month 2)...and it doesn't work. He just breaks out and is more determined than ever to wake me up with the thumping. Grr.

---vent is still on---

Yesterday was a bad day. Everything was going great until 2pm. Ben and I had a walk,... the weather was lovely. He had taken a morning nap without a problem and then 2pm hit. I tried to get him to go to sleep. He was showing all the signs of sleeping...even down to the red eyebrows. But he was refusing to sleep. I would put him in his crib... walk down the stairs... and 2 minutes later he would start to cry. Up the stairs I'd go...calm him down.. and back down the stairs. This lasted for 30 minutes (I was as determined as he was)... and then he finally fell asleep. For 45 minutes. Hardly worth my effort. He was a crying, screaming mess until Adam got home at 7pm. I couldn't wait to pass Ben off so I could have a minute to myself.

My knees are killing me today. Maybe Ben doesn't have to sleep in his crib for his naps. I need him to stay on one level in our apartment.

---vent officially over--- (for now).

sleeping...

I could literally talk about sleeping, sleep habits, napping, signs of sleeping....and just sleep in general for hours. Sleep is so important and as I've started figuring Ben out,...I've noticed that the more he sleeps during the day,... the better he sleeps at night.

His morning naps are pretty much consistent... bed by 9am... up by 10am...ish. He's pretty good about going to sleep in the morning. No fuss.

Afternoons are a different story. Today, it took me 40 mins. before he would fall asleep in his crib. Sigh. I'm getting an awesome work out going up and down our stairs. I've literally figured out which ones creek.

Sometimes,... Adam and I just give up...(bad, I know)... and then this happens...
oh well... he's so snuggly.

Ben again...

But really,...this is what the blog is about, now isn't it? Here is a picture of Ben and his "chapeau"... He actually doesn't mind wearing it...shocking, I know.

Here's Ben and Beans...he's only slowly starting to notice her...
Other than that...nothing much is new.
Yesterday, we went to Leigh and Jesse's house for a post-birthday/see our new kitchen party. A very nice gathering... and we got the greatest gift too -- free babysitting. Jesse and Leigh gave us a theme gift for our birthdays -- movies out (and babysitting) and then a movie-night in... complete with hot chocolate, a blanket, candles and a dvd. Sooo thoughtful. Now we just have to pick a night to go out...

Ben is on a really great bedtime schedule now... Adam and I have our evenings free which is so awesome. Sometimes, I actually forget that we have a baby because once he's in bed...he sleeps until 5am... very nice.

Ben has developed a rather gross looking bump behind his ear... we think it's just a sebaceous cyst... We're waiting to see if it clears up. Dr. G. saw it last doctor's appointment and didn't seem too concerned though.

Ben is still rotating in his crib... it's at the point now that even if I place his pacifier at one end...it usually ends on up the floor by morning.. he has managed to kick it / knock it right out of his crib! Such a crafty boy.

It's only noon,...but I've done a load of laundry, Ben has had one nap... I took a shower and we went for an hour long walk. Ben is sleeping in his chair now and I don't dare move him until I've had my lunch... =)

Hope everyone had a nice long weekend...I'm hoping for Friday again. I've never appreciated the weekends so much as I do now. It's nice having Adam home during the day...

smiling with his crab outfit on...

mommy and me

Us in our hoodies...