Third Trimester Ulatrasound

Baby # 1 showing off her baby doll

While not routine in North America, nor in all Canadian provinces, third trimester ultrasounds are standard in our province. I had my 32-34 week ultrasound this last Thursday. The general idea behind a third trimester ultrasound is to ensure that the baby is growing normally. Measurements of head and abdominal circumference are taken. The bladder, stomach and kidneys are evaluated. The depth of the amniotic fluid around the fetus is also measured. The position of the placenta is determined, especially if it was found to be low-lying in a previous ultrasound. The baby's position, while easy to determine on this ultrasound is not that important, as the baby tends to change position regularly; and is only important after about 37 weeks (position can be evaluated by simply palpating the uterus from the outside). And finally, any anomalies discovered during the 20 week ultrasound are re-evaluated.

With Baby #1, I remember the third trimester ultrasound quite well. Mostly because I had asked my husband to come along. I thought he would enjoy seeing our future baby via ultrasound. While I think he enjoyed the experience, I remember thinking in hindsight that it would have been more interesting for him to have viewed an earlier ultrasound. Mostly because everything is so big at this stage, and I don't think he got much out of viewing close-ups of the brain, kidneys and bladder. At an earlier ultrasound, however, the entire baby could be viewed on the same image.

With Baby # 2, I went solo. Mostly because someone had to watch Baby # 1. While I wasn't as excited as the first time around, I certainly enjoyed viewing the images. She was quite active, regularly kicking against the ultrasound probe. Enough to actually elicit an "oh my goodness" from the ultrasound technician. All the measurements were normal, and it was a relief to discover that she was growing well. She was hiding her face with her tiny hands for the most part, but I did catch a few glimpses of her sweet face:

Sneak peak at Baby # 2's face

Speech Therapy

Getting ready for bedtime with Papa and Teddy

At her 18 month appointment with the paediatrician, I voiced my concerns vis-a-vis our daughter's lack of speech. Although she was babbling quite a bit, her only consistent word was "Mama". The paediatrician, however, was unconcerned. She did ask that we make her two-year appointment a little early as to avoid bringing two babies at once (given that Baby # 2 is expected around Baby #1's 2nd birthday).

Her 2-year appointment with the paediatrician is approaching in a little over a month, and I found myself worried about Baby # 1's speech (or lack thereof). I had been replaying imaginary conversations in my head. "She still only says "Mama"?  Why didn't you tell me earlier? You will have to meet with the speech therapist as soon as possible!" would say the paediatrician. She would go on to delineate what was normal and average for a 2-year old: Speaks about 50 words but understands even more; links two words together; uses simple adjectives such as "big" and "happy"; speaks clearly enough for parents to understand some of the words. My responses would vary from defensiveness, explaining that the Brat's father also spoke late, but speaks perfectly well now...to fear of a pervasive developmental disorder.

Until last week, that is. At long last, our baby has added to her vocabulary. These are a few of the words that we believe she now speaks:

Baby
Maybe (half-way between Mama and Baby?)
Car
Girl
Truck
Circle or Purple (we are not to sure)
No (sometimes pronounced as Na)

Oddly enough she calls her papa "Ma" (half of Mama?).

But at least there has been progress. This happened rather suddenly about two Sundays ago, and she has been adding to her list almost daily. She still has quite a bit of catching up to do compared to the average 2-year old, but perhaps speech therapy can be avoided after all!

Sharing (or the lack thereof)

Dressing Up

I had been told by a few of my experienced friends that kids don't have a good concept of sharing until about 4 or 5 years of age. So I was pleasantly surprised that our generous baby seemed to have no qualms over sharing. Whether during playgoups, or on play-dates, she would happily proffer the toys she was playing with or food she was eating with other kids her age. Whether they were toys belonging to the playgroup, or her own did not seem to make a difference.

Until this week, that is. We had not had any kids over to our house in some time, due mostly to a hectic work schedule and some traveling. However, this week our baby's friend, three months her junior, came over for a few hours, accompanied by her mother. This is a friend of hers that we had had many play-dates with, and they had always gotten along quite well. 

About half-way through the visit, our Brat did something that shocked me, and simultaneously made me laugh. She started hoarding her toys, and would add any toy that her friend was interested in playing with. At one point, she was sitting on her quadracycle, holding a teddy bear, a doll, and somehow managed to find a way to also grab an abacus as well as a "push" toy called a "colour roller". All because her friend wanted those same toys. I considered getting the camera out, but felt I needed to be there to mediate. However, nothing I said convinced her to share. Yet when her friend left the room, she was clearly looking for her; she obviously enjoyed her company, but felt possessive vis-a-vis her toys.

While I realize she was acting as a typical child her age would, simply developing a sense of identity, I feared future toy fights...especially with her baby sister. So I googled "how to get your toddler to share", and I discovered that most experts suggested it would be a very gradual process, and that teaching by example would be the best strategy. But wasn't I already teaching by example? The very toys she considers her own are in fact my toys that I chose to share with her...

Third Quarter

Reading with Mama and Baby #2

I recently entered the third trimester of my current pregnancy, thereby reaching the 3/4 mark. I cannot help but compare my two pregnancies. So very similar in some ways, yet different. For instance, a few weeks ago we were enjoying breakfast out with some of our friends. "How is your pregnancy going?" I was asked. And in that moment, I had actually forgotten that I was pregnant, albeit momentarily.

The main difference is that this pregnancy, I am less focused on the pregnancy, no doubt  because of Brat #1. During my first pregnancy, I could tell you how pregnant I was, to the minute, the fundal height, the fetal heart rate (both of which I checked regularly), and how often I was getting Braxton Hix contractions. This pregnancy, I am definitely less concerned about almost everything. Once the nausea lessened at around 20 weeks gestation, I actually often forgot I was pregnant. I have been so focused on the Brat who demands my full attention, that the small details of my pregnancy take a back seat. Rather than worrying about keeping track of all the normal things of pregnancy, I am simply aware that everything is progressing normally.

However, now that I have entered the third trimester, it is harder to forget that I am pregnant. For one thing, my belly is bulging. For another, my centre of balance is definitely off, and I can't do things like play tennis with as much ease as I did in my first two trimesters. Nor can I carry the Brat around without quickly tiring. I have a feeling that it won't be long before the Brat becomes daddy's girl...

The Scribe

Caught in the Act

This week, I discovered something very interesting. Baking soda is excellent for removing crayon stains from walls and floors. This was a discovery that came as a surprise for a number of reasons. Mostly because our daughter had showed little interest in colouring up until this week.

I had purchased a set of soy-based non-toxic crayons well over six months ago. I showed her how to colour a scrap of paper. And thereafter regularly brought out the crayons to encourage her to draw. She showed very little interest, preferring to break and throw the crayons. This Monday, however, she went on a colouring frenzy. Approximately one month ago, I purchased a kid-sized table and chairs from Ikea, and placed them next to our kitchen island. Hoping mostly that she would occupy herself while I prepared her meals. On her table, I had set out a few scraps of paper, some stickers, and a tumbler full of crayons.

She ignored the crayons up until this last Monday. She took one, coloured all over the scraps of paper. She then quickly changed colours, and lifted the papers to colour on the clean white table. Next, she coloured on her chairs. Then the floor, and finally the walls. I did not want to stifle her artistic inclinations, so I let her continue for a few minutes. I tried to redirect her to the scraps of paper, but to no avail. She did eventually give up, but not before colouring on everything in sight.

At this point, I quickly googled "how to clean crayons off walls", and discovered that I had the ingredients to a quick cleanup right in my kitchen. I simply powdered a wet sponge with baking soda, and voila, the crayon marks were wiped clean.

The Brat watched with great interest as I cleaned up. She has continued to colour on her chairs and table on a daily basis, but much to my relief, decided to forego the walls and floors. However, since Monday, once she colours on the chairs, she passes them to me to clean. She then colours with renewed vigour on her clean chairs.

Oh the simple joys of childhood...

First Snowfall

Trudging through the snow

I should specify; this is not our daughter's first snowfall, nor this winter's first snowfall. However, it is this winter's most significant snowfall so far, and what will probably be our daughter's most memorable snowfall.

While there have been a few snow flurries recently, the snow never stuck around until this last Tuesday night. I had made plans for Wednesday involving the car, but when we awoke, I quickly realized that my plans would have to be changed. We have not yet installed our winter tires, and there was quite a bit of snow on the ground, and still falling. I resigned myself, and actually told baby # 1 that we would be staying in all day. We did venture downstairs in our condominium complex to check the mail. There, we ran into a little boy her age, accompanied by his grandmother. He was suited up in an impressive snow suit, and they were heading out to enjoy the snowfall. And that's when I decided that we could certainly do the same. While I do not currently own a full snow suit (that would fit given my current shape), I donned my long winter coat, and dressed the baby up in her metallic pink snow suit.

We headed out the back door of our condominium complex, and I thought we would simply loop around and enter through the front. As it happened, baby #1 enjoyed the snow so much that we stayed out for an entire hour. And that's when I realized that if I am to enjoy our harsh winters, then I am going to have to start dressing warmly, and attempt to rediscover the joys of winter. I have fond memories of tobogganing and skating with my sisters growing up, but sadly, I do not remember the last time I enjoyed being outdoors in the winter. I avoided what was left of the winter when our first daughter was born in February of 2010, and only briefly went out with the stroller last winter. But I have a feeling that all that is about to change.

Now if only our winters would start a little later on in the year, and last not so long, the task at hand would be so much simpler...

The Upside to Changing Time Zones

Trying on Grandma's earrings

Last week, we travelled to San Francisco for a medical conference. We had a wonderful week, except for the Brat's really early wake-ups. She woke up at 4:30 every morning. We brought her to our bed, and tried to convince her that it was too early to play. She eventually fell asleep, and slept from 6 to about 8 AM local time. This went on all week, with only a slight improvement near the end of the week.

We returned home Sunday just before midnight Montreal time, and put the Brat to bed by 1AM. We weren't sure what to expect the next morning. Much to our surprise, she awoke just before 10 AM local time. She had woken up only briefly in the middle of the night. Would this pattern continue through the week?

Since Monday night, we have been putting her to bed around 10PM, attempting to do so a little earlier each night. Much to our surprise, she continues to sleep in in the morning... For the very first time in her life. Prior to our trip to San Francisco, she would awaken no later than 6:30AM.  However, since our return, she has woken up no earlier than 7:45AM!

Of course, by putting her to bed late at night, we don't have much time to ourselves prior to our bedtime. Now if only we could strike that perfect balance...

Greetings from San Francisco!

I waffled about whether or not to go, and finally decided that I would attend a medical conference in San Francisco less than a month ago. Initially we were unsure if we were going to bring the Brat along, and eventually decided that it would be too much for my mother if we left her for an entire week. And of course we would miss her horribly...

So here we are in sunny San Francisco. Of course, everything  is relative...The high today was only 20C, but it was a pleasant change from Montreal where we haven't been outdoors for longer than a few minutes at a time in well over a month.

I mostly dreaded the flights, as there are no direct Montreal-San Francisco flights. However our daughter behaved herself surprisingly well on the way over. She stayed in her seat (actually our lap) for the most part, and took a two hour nap on the second, and longer of the two flights.

We arrived on a Monday evening, and my conference started on Wednesday morning. My husband and I would have probably planned our trip a little differently had we been without child, but we found it nonetheless amusing. Here is our week in photos:


Her first cable car ride:

Captivated by the cable car

At the San Francisco Zoo on Tuesday:

Backing up with her very own tractor

On her first ever carousel ride

Wednesday took us to the the Aquarium by the Bay in Fisherman's Wharf:

Looking at a starfish

Thursday at the Yerba Buena Children's Garden:

Warm enough to remove shoes and don a hat!

Friday, the only rainy day all week took us to the Exploratorium, an indoor kid's science centre:

Making music at the Exploratorium

Saturday at the Westfield Shopping Center:

Trying on some Ugg shoes

Overall the trip exceeded my expectations, but for one small matter. The three-hour time difference. It was a breeze for my husband and I. As for the Brat, she had no difficulty falling asleep a few hours later in the evening. The problem has been the really early mornings. She has insisted on waking up at 4:30 every morning. Despite getting only 6 hours of sleep...my husband and I pretend to be asleep when she awakes at this crazy hour, and she eventually falls back asleep, but 2 hours later! Perhaps upon our return, we will be rewarded, and she will sleep in a little later every morning...

First Hallowe'en

Officially this would be her second Hallowe'en, but her first was uneventful. Last year, she was only eight months old, and we hadn't made any plans for the evening. Then we received an invitation to dinner, and some brief trick-or-treating with our friend's then 4-year-old daughter. We accepted the invitation, but did not purchase any costumes for the occasion. However, for the trick-or treating, I dressed the baby in her cold-weather outfit that resembled a teddy-bear. I placed her in my front-facing baby-carrier, and we ventured out in near-freezing weather. At the time, she loved the front-facing carrier, but we rarely went our after dusk. She lasted all of 5 minutes. And so ended her first Hallowe'en experience.

This year was a different story. We received a similar invitation for dinner and trick-or-treating. At 20-months-old, I did not think that she was quite ready for trick-or-treating. Alas, I think she knew something was in the air, or perhaps she fed off of our energy...but for only the second time in her life, she did not take a nap during the day. At the last minute, I decided to purchase a half-off costume at Toys-R-us that we could easily adjust and that would fit nicely over a snow suit. Almost daily, she plays with her Thomas-the-Train train set, so as soon as I saw the train costume, I decided that perhaps we could give this trick-or-treating thing a try after all. The suit in question was James the Train, no doubt one of Thomas's friends. The package read "up to 6 years of age". I assumed it would be a little on the long side, but nothing a pair of scissors couldn't rectify. Here is a photo taken at our friend's house just prior to departing for trick-or-treating:

CC as James the Train

She did surprisingly well for her first real trick-or-treating experience. She held her 5-year-old friend's hand the entire time, and actually did most of the directing, pulling her new friend here and there. Here is a photo of our daughter with her regally-dressed friend walking the streets in search of well-lit, decorated houses:

CC with her friend the Snow-Fairy

Initially she was reluctant to approach people's homes, but she very quickly got the hang of it. Although I held her pumpkin-shaped candy receptacle for the first few houses we visited, by the end, she was expertly holding it out for her prizes. She lasted almost an hour. Here is a photo of her candy stash (minus a few items that her parents ate):

CC's first Hallowe'en loot

The stash has significantly lessened since, mostly thanks to her parents. But we wouldn't be good parents if we allowed her to eat all of her candy...

Home Reno

Playing with leaves in new snow suit (yes, it really is that cold)

Our condo looks like a daycare. At least what I imagine a daycare would look like, as I have never stepped foot in one. I really don't know how or when it happened. While I was pregnant with baby #1, I made sure to buy only non-primary-coloured toys and furniture. We did not paint her room, and bought mostly neutral clothing and toys.

But as I look up from my laptop, I see only primary colours. Our living room area rug, a neutral ivory colour, has long been replaced by blue and green foam floor tiles. The area rug was replaced after a failed attempt at having it cleaned by a professional carpet-cleaning company. The area rug, once pristine, needed cleaning after multiple spit-ups by the Brat. Rather than replace the rug right away, we opted for a temporary measure until she stopped spitting up. She hasn't spat up in over 12 months...yet the foam tiles are still very much a part of our living room playroom. Additionally, there are quite a few bright-coloured toys in our living room. There is a rocking horse; actually a rocking ladybug which the Brat loves, in bright yellow and red. It was a gift. Our arm chair is covered in teddy bears. Three to be exact, plus one plush puppy dog. At least they are neutral-coloured. Most of them were gifts as well.

Initially, I transferred most large and primary-cloured toys to my mother's house, where the Brat spends on average one day per week. And at one point, I must have realized that we could not transfer everything over there, and the Brat's belongings started accumulating in our home. First it was just a few items, but somehow, they seem to have taken over almost every room in our condo. With the exception of the bathroom, the kitchen and our bedroom, the Brat's imprints are everywhere. While I realize this is usually what happens when you have kids, I have a plan to better organize her belongings. To banish a child and her belongings to one small area of a home is both unrealistic and selfish, but this does not mean that your children's play things cannot be incorporated into your home with style.

I have had this plan for sometime, but this week, it finally took shape. The first part of the plan was to transform the Brat's room. Until this week, her room was part office, part baby nursery. Against one entire wall, custom office furniture resided. Against the opposite wall, we somehow managed to fit her crib, the glider chair and a small table. Her dresser was up against a third wall, right around the corner from the doorway. The fourth wall is taken up by an eight-foot high window. The office furniture was stained dark, in contrast to the baby's bright white furniture. The room was a definite eyesore, and I am grateful to our friends who, this week, picked up the office furniture. The Brat had also learned to climb atop the desk via the swivel chair, making the room off-limits. Her room, now bereft of the office furniture, looks spacious. Her crib (now a toddler bed) and dresser are against the same wall, opposite the glider chair (sadly we still have to rock her to sleep, but that's another story).

The second part of the plan was to set up a shelving unit in her room against the same wall as the glider. This shelving unit would house her many toys, books, and other odds and ends. I had scoured countless home decor magazines and websites, and finally came across a very affordable shelving unit. Actually two units as to take full advantage of our 10 foot ceilings. This would allow her toys to be better organized, all the while leaving room in the centre of her bedroom to play.

Here is a photo that I cam across on one of my favourite websites,  www.ohdeedoh.com. The baby's room is certainly not as spacious as the room depicted in the photo, but we will be installing one 4 x 4 (cubbies) unit, and bolting a 2 x 4 unit above it (in the photo, there are actually 4 shelving units). We will additionally be topple-proofing the unit. We purchased part of the unit last night, and brought the other unit home today (as only one would fit in the car at a time), and we will hopefully be building the unit this week-end.

Inspiration for our shelving unit, expedit from Ikea

The third part of the plan involves working on our common space. We have a very nice open-concept common area, including our kitchen which is bordered by an island, a dining room, and the living room. we have already incorporated a few items for the baby into the common space. There is a small table with two chairs at the end of our kitchen island, and between our kitchen and dining room, there is a non-primary coloured play kitchen (although, not surprisingly, she still prefers playing with our kitchen). With the new shelving unit in place, a lot of her toys currently residing in the living room will find a new home, even though we expect that she will be bringing them into the common space to play with during the day. Additionally, a few weeks ago, we ordered a smaller dining room table to replace our very large current (square) table that is rarely used, thus freeing up some much needed space. In the corner of our dining room, we will be setting up a small corner office with floating shelves as to keep the floor space clear, and to which we will transfer the many items from our old office that are currently in storage. I have yet to reach the carpenter for this project, but I keep telling myself we cannot do everything at once. And lastly, this week, I ordered carpet tile samples from an American company in the hopes of finally replacing our current green and blue foam tiles in our living room.

I find myself excited at the prospect of this mini-home renovation. Although months ago, I did ask myself if it wouldn't be easier to simply move to a larger home. We have quite a few things in storage at the moment, and have given away a number of furnishings to transform our home into a family home...yet at the moment, I think it makes most sense to stay put. No doubt we will be re-evaluating the situation once Brat #2 arrives...

Transitions

BB smelling new bouquet of flowers

I have been thinking a lot about transitions lately. For instance, when will our baby be ready to transition from bottle to cup? While she drinks regularly from a straw and can expertly use a sippy cup, she still drinks a bottle of milk before bed, and upon awakening. When will she transition from diapers to using a potty consistently? When will she stop pointing and start telling us what she wants with actual words?

This last week, one of my queries was answered. Surprisingly early. I had been wondering when she would transition from her crib to a toddler bed. Prior to baby #1's birth, we had purchased a 3-in-1 crib unit. It started off as a small bassinet on wheels for the first three months of her life, and with the addition of side rails and minus the wheels, transformed into a crib up until recently. We thought that surely she would use her crib until at least age 2. Then just this last Monday, our active, fearless baby stealthily climbed out of her crib. My husband was playing with her in her room at the time. But she happily repeated the feat in my presence. That night, we placed large cushions around her crib, and checked on her multiple times. 

On Tuesday, I purchased the toddler bed conversion kit, and my husband installed it the same day. She seemed pleased with her new bed, and climbed in and out several times during the day. Her first night in her new bed, she slept soundly all night, and called for us at around 6:15 the next morning. The second night went equally well, but when she woke up a little before seven in the morning, rather than call out for us, she climbed out on her own, and walked to our room.  She hadn't slept this well in over one month.

Now if only all transitions could be this smoothly...

Who would have thought...

Baby #1 checking out the pumpkins at a local market

With the outdoor temperatures quickly dropping, I find myself looking for new indoor activities for our active baby. She attends a gymnastics class twice a week, but I haven't found any other regular activities in our neighborhood. We do have a heated pool in our building to which we try to take her weekly, and there is a local library with story time that she seems to thoroughly enjoy.

I have been searching for nearby indoor playgrounds, but have come to the conclusion that Montreal is simply bereft of them. Growing up, I remember playing in malls with designated children's play areas, but after an exhaustive internet search, I have concluded that there aren't any nearby. Finding child-friendly, non-fast-food eateries has also been a challenge.

Then just last evening, we found the perfect kid-oriented restaurant with a play area to boot. It was very unexpected. I had mentioned to my husband that I wanted to pick up a few wall shelves for our bedroom, and suggested that we stop by our local Ikea. It was around dinner time, and I had heard the Ikea had a very affordable restaurant. Within 15 minutes, we had arrived at our destination, and made our way to the cafeteria-style restaurant. The baby's meal came to a mere 1.99$ and included milk. There were plenty of high-chairs, and even a separate eating area for kids with kid-sized furniture. After she had finished her meal of fish and veggies, we headed out to the children's section of Ikea, which was adjacent to the restaurant. There were a number of kid's showrooms, and our active baby spent a good hour trying the swivel chairs, climbing through tunnels and playing with the large variety of toys. After about an hour, we were able to pry her away so that I could show my husband the wall shelves that I had been considering for our bedroom.

On our way out, baby #1 noticed the drop-off play area at the entrance, and seemed intrigued by the plethora of colourful balls. She was approximately 10cm shy of meeting the height requirement though, not that she would have gone in without insisting that one of us accompany her.

Who would have thought that Ikea would be the perfect place to spend an evening with an active toddler? And a 1.99$ meal was our only expenditure!

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Baby reading to her bunny rabbit

Several months ago, my husband announced that their office would be changing locations. But because their new office was not yet ready, he would be working from home for at least several weeks, perhaps even for a few months.

I remember being instantly relieved. Relieved that if I were in a bind with baby #1, he would be there to help out. Well, things didn't work out exactly as I had imagined. What I should have realized was that working from home simply meant busy working in a different location, and not necessarily at my beck and call.

My husband returns to his office away from home this week. As I reflect back on these last few months, I realize that the timing was perfect, and that something good is unfortunately coming to an end. His work from home coincided with my first trimester nausea, and although he could not always be there when I called on him, there were some definite advantages. Sleeping in for starters. As he did not have to be anywhere but in front of a computer for 8AM, I was able to sleep in until 7:45, as he thankfully agreed to take the first shift with the Brat, who typically wakes up at 6AM.

Additionally, I did not have to wait for him to get home from work to relieve me of my baby duties (temporarily, of course). On a few occasions, I strolled down to the local market, and enjoyed a quiet lunch sans baby, as he entertained the Brat. To be able to eat a meal without the Brat pulling on my legs to come and play with her proved to be a pleasant change.

Baby # 1 will also no doubt miss her father being at home. She would often search him out for a cuddle, or insist on kissing him goodbye prior to departing to the park....All good things must come to an end. This proverb dates back to 1374...and amazingly is still relevant.

The half-way point

Who would have guessed that horizontal handles could double as a ladder?!

I had been looking forward to my second trimester ultrasound for some time. First of all it would mark the half-way point of my pregnancy. Which, based on my first pregnancy would coincide with decreasing levels of nausea (oh how I have been looking forward to eating a full meal without gagging). Secondly, I would find out the gender of baby #2.

Not that gender identification is the purpose of this routine second-trimester ultrasound. The ultrasonographer looks for a number of abnormalities, and takes a few measurements, including femur length, head circumference and abdominal circumference. The stomach, kidneys, spine, brain, heart and limbs are identified and evaluated for abnormalities. The ultrasound report includes an estimate of the age of the fetus, and lists any abnormalities that were discovered.

I had my second trimester ultrasound just this last week. I was relieved to discover that there were no abnormalities. The estimated age based on the measurements was very similar to our estimated age. "Do you want to know the gender?" my ultrasonographer asked. While I know a number of couples who chose not to find out the gender, I prefer to be prepared. Especially when the naming process can be so complex....why double the work?

We were told that we would be having another girl. We had been hoping for a boy, but were expecting a girl. Girls seem to run in my husband's family; his brother also has two girls...something about a propensity to donate their X chromosomes...

We had already been discussing names. Here are a few that we like so far:
-Savannah. We were married in the desert by the same name, and like the way it sounds, however it is a very common these days, and it sounds a lot like baby #1's name.
-Scarlett. I have liked this name since I saw Gone With the Wind oh so many years ago...even though the character's full name is Katie Scarlett.
-Alexis. My father's middle name is Alexander, and we would have certainly given this moniker to a son...Alexis is our favorite feminine version of Alexander.

We are certainly open to suggestions...

Baby # 2, name TBD

Potty Training 101

Our talented baby attempting the splits while holding onto her toy stroller

I bought a potty last week, mostly on a whim. I had read a little on the topic of potty training, and while most experts say that there is no perfect age to start the training (if at all), they agree that the majority of toddlers are not ready to consistently use a potty or a toilet until the age of 3.

Our baby likes everything new, and the potty was no exception. She played with it for a good half hour when she first set eyes on it, and would have no doubt continued longer had we not dragged her away to begin her bedtime routine.

We started our training almost immediately. We took off her diaper, and asked her to sit on the potty. We urged her to urinate an defecate. She willingly sat on the potty, but did not pick up on the latter suggestion. However, she did seem amused. Since the purchase, we have encouraged her to sit often, which she thoroughly enjoys. She has even started reading a few of her books whilst on her potty. I assumed that the timing was just not right for the expected results.

Then yesterday, something very unexpected happened. We had just returned from the park, and my pregnant bladder could not wait very long. However, I did have a chance to quickly remove her sandy pants and diaper. I was surprised that her diaper, changed a few hours earlier, was very dry. As I sat down to relieve my bladder, my lovely baby simultaneously sat on her potty. She made a brief pushing sound, and lo and behold, her potty now held urine. I was so excited, and she seemed equally proud of herself.

Was it really that easy? Or was it just a matter of her being in the right place at the right time? Now if only her language skills would improve, and she could indicate her need for a potty with a few simple sounds...

Monkey See Monkey Do

Baby sticking out her tongue

A few days ago in the park, our baby fell, and got a mouth-full of sand. She was not hurt. My husband, who was with her at the time, decided to teach her a little trick to clean out her mouth. He showed her how to fill her mouth with water from her water bottle, then to spit. It worked. Within a few seconds, she had cleaned all of the sand out of her mouth. When they returned home from the park, my husband described the sand-in-the mouth incident, and I knew we were in trouble.

Now each time she drinks water, once she has had her fill, she leans forward, and spits on the ground. And then she laughs hysterically. For now I have decided that the best way to extinguish this behaviour is to ignore it. Only time will tell if this is a good strategy.

In other news, the Brat's sleep schedule is on course. In my last post, I wrote about how we had decided to discontinue her middle-of-the-night feed. She had slept through the night on the third try. Since publishing that post, she returned to her once-nightly wake-ups. But we persisted. And for three nights in a row this week, she made it through the night without waking up. More than one night in a row for the first time in her life! We were very proud...then the inevitable happened, and cold # 10 halted her streak. She must have woken up a dozen times last night. And so too was our bliss aborted...

Wish List

CC relaxes in the park

I have an extensive wish list. It is a list of things that I would like to get accomplished prior to baby #2's arrival. Although there are still 5 or 6 months to go, the wish list is long. Most of the items deal with baby #1. For instance, potty training is one of the items. However, my husband and I deemed the most important to be sleeping through the night. Because the only thing worse than one baby not sleeping through the night would be two babies not sleeping through the night.

We had planned on starting last month, but decided to delay the training until after our NYC trip. We aren't letting her cry it out, or anything that I deemed too unethical. We have simply decided to remove the nighttime feeding. Most of my friends are surprised that I still feed her in the middle of the night. The way I explain it it that it was simply a natural extension of her feeding schedule. Approximately 3 months ago, she herself started waking up less often (once instead of three times). It was a relief that she was only waking up once, and she would immediately fall asleep after drinking a bottle of milk. One wake-up, I could handle, so we continued this way.

Yet the prospect of two babies waking up in the middle of the night to be fed drove us to action. I fully realized that by feeding her in the middle of the night, I was rewarding her, and thus encouraging her to wake up. However, just as she had cut out the other nighttime feeds, I was hoping she would naturally cut this one out on her own. I have been waiting over three months...

Night # 1 went not so badly. She fell asleep around 9PM, woke up a little before 4 AM. My husband tried offering her some water, whereupon she shed a few tears (not more than 10 seconds) and then allowed herself to be slowly rocked back to sleep in my husbands arms. This took approximately 1.5 hours. She then woke up for good a little before 7AM.

Night # 2 was a slight improvement. She fell asleep shortly after 8PM, woke up a little after 1AM, and was rocked back to sleep after 1.5 hours. She did not cry. She then woke up at 6:30AM for good.

Night # 3 was what we were hoping for. She fell asleep at 8:40PM, and made it to 6:20AM the next morning without a peep. There was one false alarm in the middle of the night, but she must have been dreaming because she was sound asleep when I went to check on her.

I was shocked that it had been this easy. Had I known, I would have started the training months ago. Now if only she could keep this up... I am half expecting her to catch another cold virus any day now, and disrupt our new-found bliss.

Greetings from NYC

CC tries on mama's heels in a photo taken just prior to departing for NYC

I write these words from the business center in our New York City hotel lobby. The baby is back in Montreal, with her grandmother and her aunt. I was certainly less anxious this time around about leaving her behind. She had such a great time in May when my husband and I had attended a wedding in Toronto without her, so I knew she would be in good hands, and in a familiar environment. We have been coming to NYC over Labour Day weekend for three years now. Partially to attend the US Tennis Open, and in part to visit with some of our NY-based friends.

Last year, we had brought along the Brat. She was 6 months old, and leaving her behind was not a consideration as her main source of nourishment was breast milk. This year, we considered bringing her along. I found a kid-friendly hotel, and even mapped out all of our kid-centred activities; Central Park, the zoo, and various museums. And then I remembered what NYC was like...the crowds, the noisy, smoke-filled streets, and came to the conclusion that NYC is simply not toddler-friendly.

We have barely spent a full day here, and although NYC is vibrant, and very unique, I do not regret leaving our daughter in Montreal. She will doubtless enjoy her mini-visit with her relatives; and as for us, we have already gotten some much-needed rest. I started reading a new book on the flight over, something that I have not done in over a year and a half; my husband and I are once again having conversations not involving the baby; we slept in until almost 9 AM this morning! While I still constantly think of her, I am trying to take full advantage of what will probably be our last mini-vacation before Brat #2 comes along...And then realistically I can't imagine leaving two babies behind, so this will probably be our last mini-break in a very long time...

Who Needs a Thermometer?

CC having fun at the park

Who needs a thermometer when cranky is the new fever-gauge? At least for my baby.

We were at a local library this past Friday. The Brat was running around, gleefully pulling books from the racks, running up and down the stairs, all the while squealing with delight. Then suddenly she reached her arms up towards me, insisting that I pick her up, and instantly started whining. A quick feel of her skin temperature confirmed my suspicions; she was febrile.

Our baby had gotten her 18-month vaccinations this last Monday. I naively asked the paediatrician if this time around, I could expect less of a response (at 12 months, she had 72 hours of fever exactly 1 week after her vaccinations). On the contrary, she replied. Physiologically it makes sense that the response would be more intense the second time, and I knew that. It was just wishful thinking!

This time around, the baby was her usual self for about 24 hours after her vaccinations, and then her temperature rapidly increased. We are now 5 days and counting of fever, and the subsequent crankiness and decreased appetite. Around the clock acetaminophen and ibuprofen have been controlling her temperature, but Friday morning I decided to withhold a dose to verify whether or not the medication would be necessary...And cranky was back!

Thankfully she won't need anymore vaccinations for another 21/2 years. In the interim, baby Brat #2 will no doubt keep us busy...

Speechless in Montreal

She couldn't decide between the two...

Every month since baby #1's birth, I have been receiving e-mail notices from Babycenter.  These notices deal with such topics as the baby's physical development, age-appropriate issues, and milestones. Up until now, baby #1 has been well ahead of the pack for physical development, and most milestones. She crawled early, walked early, and much to our dismay also climbed before the average tot. Speaking, however, is another issue.

Our baby turns 18 months this week, and this month's notice dealt with speech. By 18 months, the notice suggested that "She is using one or more words and knows what they mean. She'll even practise inflection, raising her tone when asking a question, saying "Up-py?" when she wants to be carried, for example. She's realizing the importance of talking and how powerful it is to be able to communicate her needs. Between 18 and 24 months, her vocabulary may include as many as 200 words, many of which are nouns. Between 18 and 20 months, children learn words at a rate of 10 or more a day. Some learn new words every 90 minutes, so watch your language. She'll even string two words together, making basic sentences such as "Carry me."  "


While our baby appears to understand several hundred words, and follows complex commands, she does not say much. "Papa" and "mama" have been the only words in her repertoire for the last 6 months. I am not too worried, as it is a well known fact that infants that are exposed to more than one language tend to speak later than the average toddler (and our baby has been regularly exposed to both english and french). Additionally, her father began speaking at 2 years of age; and so far she has taken after him in every respect.

What I find curious is that she has begun to make animal sounds before human ones. Each time we come across a dog, she makes a very good dog-panting imitation. The other animal sound that she has mastered is that of the monkey. While we do not run into too many of those, anytime I read her a book involving a monkey, she makes a very funny "eah eah eah" sound.

One of my friends suggested teaching my baby baby sign language. Is that similar to american sign language?, I asked. Apparently not; it is a sign language of its own. Rather than learn a new language, I have decided to stick with french and english. I am sure that within 6 months, I will be complaining on my blog about how she won't stop talking...

Our Tennis Staycation

What our baby thought about the staycation

What a novel idea, I thought, when I first heard the neologism for a stay-at-home vacation. You save on transport, lodging and food, and get to take in local attractions. We opted for a staycation this week as it coincided with Montreal's Rogers Cup. We had purchased tickets for every session well in advance. The only limiting factor was the Brat.

While the baby seems to enjoy swinging a tennis racquet, and even attempts to hit her nerf balls on occasion, spectating is a different story. We took her last year to this same tennis tournament when she was barely 6 months old. She behaved for relatively short periods of time, but we did not want to risk disturbing the players on Centre Court (for which we had tickets). I remember thinking last year that this year would be much easier. She could sit on our lap at centre court, we would explain the game to her, and she would be so enthralled as to quietly watch the matches. What was I thinking?!

We didn't even attempt to bring her along this year. We knew from the outset that she was too active to sit still for any length of time. Additionally, the weather was not cooperating. At the beginning of the week, the temperatures were too hot to have her sit outdoors, and by mid-week pouring rain had postponed a few of the matches.

In the end, my husband and I alternated caring for her and attending the tournament. Mostly, my husband attended during the day, while he watched her at home in the evening. This definitely defeated the purpose of us attending together, but like real vacations, nothing guarantees success.

The semi-finals and finals will take place this Saturday and Sunday, and my mother and sister have generously offered to watch her while we attend. Perhaps there is still hope that this staycation will be salvaged... or perhaps the next time we organize a staycation, the Brat comes first!

Sibling Rivalry

CC looking cool (she placed the hat this way herself)

I am not exactly sure in what context it was first brought up. My older sister, along with her husband and two young sons were visiting last summer from Macau. Perhaps it was after an incident between her two boys. My sister reminded me of our sibling rivalry growing up. What rivalry? I asked. Although we were not best friends growing up, I could not recall any rivalry between the two of us. I could not remember one instance of competing for our parents' attention. I will not deny that I had have a competitive nature; I wanted to win at every game or sport we played, and later on in school, I competed against other students for top marks. However, competing for our parents' attention, I do not recall; although it is possible that my sister remembered our very early years. The preschool period remains a bit of a blur in my mind.

In recent weeks, I have wondered many times how our baby (now almost 18 months) would respond to a sibling. Even though we are very attentive parents, she nonetheless regularly seeks out our attention. For instance, if we stop playing with her, however briefly, to do such things as go to the washroom, she will immediately do something to grab our attention. For instance, she may climb up on the dining room table, or open forbidden drawers. We have come to the conclusion that she would not take well to a sibling.

The other day, we showed her ultrasound images of her future sibling. We announced to her that her sibling (gender to be determined) would arrive approximately two years after her birth, and that she still had about 28 weeks or so to get used to the idea.

The Brat seemed completely unimpressed. Bring on the competition...

Future Rival

Bicycling with Baby

CC dons her mother's bike helmet

We saw them on the bike paths, and on streets throughout the city. Happy-looking families cycling with their tots in tow in bicycle trailers. And we thought we would certainly purchase one if we ever had children. My husband and I have actually been talking on and off for almost a year about purchasing a bicycle trailer. We delayed the purchase until just last week. We had done the research, visited a few sporting goods stores, and knew exactly which product we wanted. We live adjacent to a bike path, and knew it would be put to good use.

In hindsight, there were two factors delaying the purchase. Firstly, the product we wanted was a costly 1000$ before taxes. And secondly, while we enjoy cycling, we were unsure about the Brat. Would our stroller-hating, active baby enjoy being pulled behind us, and content herself with passively looking out around her? What finally instigated the purchase was a combination of nice weather, and a sale at a nearby store for the very product we wanted.

We purchased the product last Sunday, along with a jogging kit and a bicycle attachment. It took a little longer to put together than we had anticipated, but we were able to go out for a quick cycle on the day of purchase. We attached the trailer to my husband's mountain bike, and I rode behind in my speedy road bike. As it was late and close to the Brat's bed time, we decided to only go out for 20 minutes. But this somehow turned into 40. The baby seemed content on the way out. She actually squealed in delight. However on the way back, she seemed less than impressed. Perhaps the setting sun and her fatigue played a role...or at least that's what I keep telling myself to justify the purchase. We will give it another whirl this week-end in the hopes that the Brat will become one of those content tots in tow while their parents happily cycle the city paths.

Cleaning House

CC taking a picture of me taking a picture of her

I would have never imagined that I would one day be hiring a housekeeper. Primarily because I enjoy cleaning. I do not think that I have obsessive-compulsive tendencies, I simply enjoy a clean, tidy abode. Ever since I was a pre-teen, I would clean and organize our fridge and cupboards, without ever being asked. My room was always spotless, and I even attempted to clean the grout between the kitchen tiles on a few occasions.

This sense of cleanliness was translated when I moved out. Our current home, a condo my husband and I purchased a few years ago, is, or rather was always spotless. Then along came the Brat. On the surface, the house seems tidy, however, I no longer find time for thorough cleaning. I don't remember the last time I emptied out the fridge and cupboards, or re-organized my closet. As the Brat gets older, the problem seems to have amplified itself. She has been feeding herself since she was 8-months old, as evidence by stains on her highchair, as well as the floor, walls and windows opposite her chair. When she is not eating, she runs around the house creating havoc everywhere she goes. She throws her toys, rids the bookcase of all the books she can reach, and enjoys writing on the floors and walls with her crayons.

My husband and I have been talking about hiring a housekeeper for several months. But how to go about this task? How often would we need him or her? Who could we trust? Would we have to pay for transport? Could we also ask them to cook a meal? There were so many unanswered questions, that I never took the next step of actually contacting someone.

Then very recently, a friend of mine mentioned that she wanted to cut down her housekeeper/nanny to 3 days instead of 5, but was worried that they might lose the housekeeper as she optimally wanted full time work. I instantly offered to take her once a week, and my friend easily found someone to take her on for another day per week. I had met this housekeeper during a play-date, and was duly impressed. When are you planning on cutting down?, I asked my friend last week. Next week, was the welcome reply.

I was so excited, and surprisingly nervous that I slept poorly the eve of her first visit to our home. Would she consider our home too dirty to clean? Would she refuse to clean the toilet? Would she quit the same day she started?

As it happens, my worries were unfounded. She arrived a few minutes early this Tuesday morning, and stayed for over 8 hours. I had left mid-day for work, leaving my baby in the care of my sister. When I got home, I was shocked. Never had our home been so clean. The chrome faucets shone like I never thought they could. We could see our image in the once-stained window facing the baby's highchair. One could eat off the floor in the bathroom. Why had I waited so long to hire a housekeeper? My husband mentioned that the housekeeper, upon leaving, said that there was so much to do, that she couldn't finish in one day, and that she would have to continue the following week.

I had a good laugh. So our home was very unclean after all...I had never spent more than three or four hours in a row cleaning our home, and never imagined that eight hours would not suffice. I wondered if she would ever have some extra time to cook a dish that would last a few days. Would our home ever be clean enough for her to spare an hour or so? Surely there are some chores that don't need to be repeated on a weekly basis. Or would I have to take her on an extra day, or perhaps hire a cook?

Heat Wave

CC cools down in the sink

I read an article this morning warning Montrealers about a heatwave (article). Health officials from the city were asking residents to exercise caution in the sun. With temperatures nearing 30C all week, this is apparently one of the hottest Montreal has seen this summer.

Last week we had similar weather. It has actually been a few weeks that the baby and I have been venturing outdoors only early in the morning or after dinner. It seems like only yesterday I was blogging about our lousy winters, and the need to find indoor playgrounds. Same predicament, opposite weather!

The nice weather up until a few weeks ago was much appreciated by both of us. We headed outdoors after breakfast, before lunch, after lunch, and after dinner. It is no coincidence that my daughter was cold-free for more than 2 months. Unfortunately cold #8 has reared its ugly head; and the three of us have had little sleep for two nights and counting.

Perhaps once the cold subsides, the weather will be more moderate, and we will once again go a few months without any viruses, and plenty of outdoor play. And then winter will be waiting just around the corner...

Why my baby tried to step on a dog

CC dons her mother's cycling glasses

I don't remember exactly when I first noticed the baby mimicking our actions. It has certainly been at least a six months. At one point, I remember her picking up a cloth and wiping the floor. As I smiled, I made a mental note to myself to clean house less in front of her; but there is only so much I can do once she is in bed, and before I find myself dozing off.

A few days ago, she did something that shocked me, until I quickly realized who she was imitating. We were in our courtyard, talking with one of our neighbours. Our neighbour was there with her family, including a three year-old girl and a very small Yorkshire Terrier. As soon as the baby set eyes on the miniature dog, she gave chase. Then as she approached, she lifted one of her legs. "Please don't step on the dog" said our neighbour with a chuckle. She was intrigued at the site of a baby trying to step on her little dog.

I realized almost instantly what my daughter was doing. One would need a little background information on my mother to understand this odd behaviour on the part of my daughter. Although my mother has lived the majority of her life in Canada, she spent her formative years in the Middle East. She grew up believing, like many of her friends and neighbours that all animals, including dogs and cats belonged outdoors. To her credit, she did eventually grow found of Shasta, the lovely dog that we grew up with. She initially insisted that he stay outdoors. However, my sisters and I insisted more adamently that he be let into the house. He spent only one night outside, and the rest of his nights were spent cuddled with one of my sisters or myself. Although my mother grew attached to our dog, I don't ever remember her patting him.

Then one day, while in medical school, I brought home a white-furred blue-eyed kitten. At the time, Shasta had passed on, and I was living with my younger sister in an apartment not far from downtown Montreal. It became very clear within a few days that our kitten was not the indoor type. We would often bring him along when visiting my parents, and would let him roam around in their backyard. One day, we simply left him at their house. He seemed much happier, and the task of letting him out and feeding him did not seem too much of a burden to impose on my parents. The cat quickly grew attached to my mother, and he would follow her around everywhere, even to the local grocery store. While she also grew found of him, she kept her distance. It would be years before she started to pat him. Not wanting to touch him with her bare hands, she would use her socked foot.

The baby picked up on my mother's patting technique on a recent visit, and as evidenced by her behaviour in the courtyard, generalized it to dogs. I have been trying very hard to undo this behaviour, by gently patting (with my hands) every dog and cat that we come across. My efforts were rewarded, as we met a cat today in the park, and there was not a raised foot in sight!

Now if only she would imitate other behaviors; such as changing her own diaper. Or better yet, we could fall asleep in front of her, and she would instantly do the same!

Happy Canada Day!

CC waves her first flag!

Growing up in Montreal, I have very fond memories of Canada Day. It was often a family affair. Whether we went to the Old-Port to witness countless dance and musical performances and partake of the giant cake, or stayed in the West-Island for the smaller festivities, great fun was had by one and all! And as my sisters and I grew older, we were also allowed to participate in the nocturnal festivities including the ever-brilliant fireworks.

This all came to an end once medical school begun. July 1st was no longer a holiday, but rather marked the beginning of the school year, and later on of a new rotation. I don't remember the last time I held a miniature Canadian flag that was handed out, or enjoyed the sights and sounds of a parade.

We had the opportunity to attend last year, but the fatigue associated with parenting a 4-month old baby and erratic sleeper took their toll, and we opted to stay in and catch up on our sleep. But this year, I decided that we would celebrate the event, Canada's 144th birthday, and introduce our baby to an all-important national festivity. I bought washable tattoos for the occasion, and even picked up a 3-piece red and white baby suit. My husband's father was visiting from Cambridge, Ontario, so it truly was a family affair.

We headed towards the Old-Port a little after 11AM on what proved to be a bright Friday morning. We picked up a few miniature Canadian flags, which the baby enjoyed waving around (and chewing on!).

We next headed over to the inflatable play areas. We patiently waited in line for a few minutes, and then realizing that she was much too young to enter on her own, we bypassed the line, and let her play with the giant inflatable toys from the outside. As it was her first experience with this type of toy, she didn't know any better, and seemed to enjoy herself as much as the children that had entered the play area.

We headed home a little after 13h, and within a few minutes the baby was sound asleep. Now if only I could learn to fall asleep that easily!