Eating Struggles

However hard you try, you will inevitably worry about your child's development. In our case, it's eating food. Yes, still. I don't worry about his survival, I know that his uncle Mark subsisted on waffles for nearly a year of his life as a child, and he is a large, healthy man now. I also no longer worry about him gagging on solid food like I did a year ago. I just wish he'd eat things that are good for him. The struggle of every mom that ever lived, I know.

He knows how to eat with a fork, but he only likes starches, dairy, and meats. I got so excited this morning when he put a piece of kale in his mouth for 30 seconds and didn't spit it out. But he did end up spitting it out. He won't eat fruits or vegetables, he just runs or backs away from me when I try to entice him to eat a beautiful little cut up piece of fruit. So I still have to trick him into eating fruits and veggies through smoothies.

I know that as long as he's eating and growing, I shouldn't worry. Brendan and I were both picky eaters, so this is probably our comeuppance. One day I will get him to love kale salad as much as momie does!

Happy Thursday y'all!

These Are a Few of My Favourite Things

One of the best feelings in the world is reuniting with people you haven't seen in a really long time. Sometimes life takes people in all different directions all over the world, and that's just the way that it is. Today I got to meet up with the Rosales girls (Victoria and Virginia), whom I have known pretty much my entire life. However, I haven't seen them since Vicky and Rob's wedding twelve years ago! Now they've got two adorable and well-mannered little girls, and I've got a crazy, Small Human.

We got to see and eat some Seattle sights and delights, and enjoy the hot, sunshiny day. Pike Place Market was a total zoo, but we still had some fun! I find it so inspiring to see such a well behaved 5 and 8 year old. The girls were so good with Small Human, it just melted my heart, and I kinda wish we all lived closer so that they can play all the time.

It was wonderful to see you again Jinny, Vicky, and Rob, and I am so glad to have finally met your beautiful little girls. See you in Calgary or Boston sometime in the near future? Thank you again for the awesome bounty of Canadian snacks. (Sneaky!)

Cute little half Filipinos

Blueberry Yogurt and Tidbit

We had a really lovely weekend here in Seattle, my beautiful little rabbit girl, Tidbit, is feeling better and will not be dying from a scary ailment. On Friday afternoon after nap time, I loaded Small Human, a stroller and Tid's carrier into the car and rushed off to the vet, who agreed to see me whenever we arrived. I am so thankful to have found such a caring and capable rabbit veterinarian. Within 20 minutes we knew what was paining my little girl: a stomach so bloated with gas that it had enlarged to twice its normal size. Tidbit Eleanor Lofranco-Wilson is now doing wonderfully and behaving like her usual mischievous self, I am happy to report.

Other than that, there was a lot of laughing, playing, exploring, and eating, and momie had a relaxing spa facial yesterday. Life is good again when my family is healthy. I did have a mild, almost heart attack when I was changing the baby's diaper and discovered what looked like a huge, bloody gash on his thigh that really just turned out to be old, dried up blueberry yogurt. Good times!

The highlight of the weekend was the new game Small Human loves to play which is, Peek-A-Boo-behind-the-curtain-and-run-into-momie's-arms-laughing-hysterically. I could play this game until the day I die and would be the happiest girl in the world.

Have a great week everybody! Can you believe it's the last week of July already?!

He keeps hugging me this morning and it's making my heart glow like a sappy loser.

Fur Babies

When anyone in my household is sick, I worry. Alright, maybe worry is an understatement. I freak out, turn into a heart-racing, sweaty stressball with furrowed eyebrows, and hover obsessively over the sick family member. I have tried not to do this but it's kind of unavoidable.

Right now, my little girl bunny Tidbit, isn't feeling well and I feel like my world has just been turned upside down. Pets are like babies for the entire time they are with us. They don't grow up or get that much smarter. They don't suddenly decide that you're not cool, or move out of the house when they're old enough. Pets are your babies forever until they die.

Also it is impossible to administer any sort of medical aid to your pets when you have an insane, laughing toddler trying to climb you or grab the rabbit, so that definitely adds to the stress. The hyper toddler is asleep now though, so Tid and I are free to relax and try to get better. She's not eating, but I gave her a gentle belly massage and some bunny pain reliever, and I'm about to force feed her some water right now.

My poor little, white fluffball is covered in her own pee, which is breaking my heart. I'm off to be bunny nurse, but I'd really appreciate any positive thoughts sent our way. Have a good weekend, xoxo

Eating waffles...

...and then applauding himself for using the fork.

All The Strollers

I have just purchased our fourth stroller. The first one, a Graco Stylus, didn't work out for us so I sold it; the second one is the Britax B-Agile, my favourite and the one we use every day; the third was a flimsy Dream on Me umbrella stroller we bought for travelling that served us and also our friends well but eventually died; now we have just acquired a Joovy Groove Ultralight umbrella stroller, also for travelling but much higher quality.

I finally settled on the Joovy Groove Ultralight because of its sturdy design, the generous canopy, and the fact that it's so easy to pick up and carry (it even has a carrying strap). So far we've only tested it out in the apartment and it already feels a million times better than the Dream on Me in terms of maneuverability. The frame is lovely and has no sharp edges, and the handle height is fine for both me and Brendan, even though I'm 5'3" and he's 6'1". The breaks are easy to lock and unlock, even in my bare feet, and that is a deal breaker for this sandal-loving mama. If a stroller's breaks ruin my shoes or pedicure, it's out! The recline feature is also awesome, but it doesn't sit as upright as some other strollers. There's a zippered pocket for storage and a little mesh pocket for your cell phone, as well as the standard storage under the seat.

The only negative thing I have to say about it is its flimsy plastic wheels. They look like something that belongs on a toy stroller, but if I recall, our old Graco had similar wheels, which is why it was a bumpier ride. I'm not too concerned about that now that Small Human is a toddler, and I imagine it's part of the reason why it is "ultralight".

It also comes in blue, purple and black, as well as this lovely grey. All in all, my first impression is that I love it (I am a picky-pants) and I can't wait to test it out on our next family vacation!

Please excuse the awful flash photography, it was dark today.

Playing with the canopy

Pleased with his new ride

The Great Muppet Caper and Macaroni & Cheese

It is a stereotypical, rainy Seattle day today, which is a bit unusual in the summer, but quite welcome because the city's grass and plants have been suffering. I am not really a fan of rain unless it's accompanied by thunder and lighting, cause then there's action and something to look at. Clearly I am a toddler too.

I still have to do my best to make sure Noah has a fun time, so we still go out and do things. He loves watching the rain hit the car windows while we drive! He thinks it's the funniest thing, which I am certainly thankful for. Today we had another fun playdate at our friends' house, now it's nap time, and I plan on doing some puddle jumping when he wakes up. Afterwards, even though watching tv isn't recommended for kids under two, I don't care but we are going to watch The Great Muppet Caper together on Netflix and eat macaroni and cheese. Ok, I will probably eat mac 'n cheese and Noah will eat cheese and crackers, cause my kid is a freak and doesn't like it. Maybe one day.

There is nothing better in the world than snuggling with your delicious smelling baby and watching childhood movies on tv, seeing them giggle uncontrollably as they watch it for the first time. I am getting excited just writing this!

For all the crappy things we have to deal with as moms, (like Noah peeing all over the couch last night or me stepping on a block with the arch of my bare foot), there really are a lot of perks and high moments too.

Happy Hump Day, you can survive it!

Noah & Carmen, the crazy monkeys

Playdate

I consider it a successful outing or playdate when my Small Human doesn't scream like he's being murdered, runs away from me constantly, hurts himself, or throws a tantrum. This morning we had a very successful playdate, and it probably helped that I was also well-rested, caffeinated and fed.

My little man has been unbearably cranky in the afternoons because of some teeth coming in, so I was mildly nervous about this morning, until he started giggling in the car the entire drive there! Big, big sigh of relief for this mama. For once, he wasn't at all high maintenance, he just ran around the playground and played, like a kid should.

Even though he doesn't really talk to us much yet, I really love this age. He's still my baby, except he can move around and has ideas of his own about what he wants to do. I know I am about to sound like such a mommy cliche, but I have been especially proud and impressed with Small Human because his friends inadvertently taught him the sign language sign for "more". It's so cute and shocking how quickly these creatures learn. It makes sense I guess, seeing his friends do it and watching them get more food or drink. Toddler jackpot!

Still, it feels good to have toddler distractions. It has felt like dark days for my family because my uncle passed away at the beginning of the month, and now my other uncle is having heart bypass surgery as we speak, the day after his birthday. I feel helpless and sad out here in Seattle, so all I can do is hope and pray and try to focus on love and positivity. xoxo

He was eating wet, sandy dirt, so I gave him some more cornbread blueberry muffin!

The Purse Addict

Ever since I decided to consolidate my purse and diaper bag into one, I have been very sadly neglecting my numerous teeny tiny, gorgeous purses. This summer though, I have been ecstatic because I finally figured out a way to use them again. Well, the ones with cross-body straps anyway: when I am chasing Small Human through a playground or wading pool!

This requires a bit more extra preparation on my part because it means deconstructing my diaper bag, and I admit that it has left me a bit unprepared once or twice, but I'm getting the hang of it. I am super paranoid about playground theft even though I've never been a victim of it myself. What better target for a thief than a bunch of distracted parents who are busy watching their children?

My friend's entire UPPAbaby G-Luxe stroller was stolen at a park earlier this summer (which still makes me so angry), and a few other parents have had random things like blankets and snacks taken from them, so now I never leave anything I would be sad to miss. I would be annoyed if someone took my wipes and diapers, but those are easily replaceable. 

My paranoia worked in my favour this weekend. There was a pretty, but weird and strung out girl at the park, milling around and repeatedly looking at my big purse hanging on Small Human's stroller. Brendan was with me, so there was always one person with the stroller, and since we were both on the lookout, her sketchiness was obvious and we moved on to other park adventures.

Anyway, it's silly, but using my little purses brings me so much pleasure, like I can still be the old Lilibeth at the same time as I can be new Lilibeth. Hey man, you gotta appreciate the little things. Happy Monday!

Romantic Delusions

I don't know when I'm going to stop my romantic mommy daydreams. Knowing me, probably never because it's fun and I am optimistic about these types of things. In my head, I can have a bunch of beautiful mommy friends with their beautiful babies over for high tea, while we laugh, exchange funny and adorable stories, as our babes play happily in the sunshine, and we eat finger sandwiches and sip tea and lemonade.

I must have read Little Women one too many times because that is not real life. Mommy/Baby get togethers are still fun, they just involve a lot less sitting and relaxing than I would like.

Instead, there was a lot of chasing, standing, and admonishing. There were also heads getting bonked and fingers getting squished accidentally. There was definitely a bit of butt-sniffing, diaper peeking, and booger wiping on the mommies' parts. The whole event being capped off with pre-nap meltdowns, lemonade-spilling, tear wiping, launching of toys off the balcony, fighting over toys and sippy cups, and lots and lots of mama coffee drinking. I think we did manage to stuff some little lemon cakes into our mouths as well, but I'm not entirely certain. Either way, we had a great time.

That my friends, is real life. It keeps us healthy, active, enriched, and on point. My brain never stops trying to organize and prioritize, and my body doesn't stop either until well after Noah is asleep. Parenthood is hectic but fulfilling, stressful but rewarding, and I love it so much even though I complain about it.

My life would be really boring without this crazy toddler, and I think it's good to remind myself of that.

Have a wonderful weekend friends and family!

Unenchanted Evening

Seattle is experiencing a heat wave and no one is happy about it. I would be happy about it if there were no little ones to consider, and in this case I am including my two fur babies as well. Rabbits do not do well in the heat. Luckily, it usually cools down quite a bit overnight, which is a relief.

Anyway, because of the aforementioned heat wave we purchased a medium sized Vornado fan to help circulate the air, and some water toys for Noah to frolic in the cool bathtub with. For some reason, these new items arrived in positively enormous Amazon boxes that I wanted to get out of our small apartment ASAP.

Throwing out the recycling and checking the mail is one of my Small Human's favourite things to do, so off we went into the hot and still very bright and sunny evening. As I was struggling with the huge boxes, Noah thought it would be fun to bring his ball and throw it down the hill and into the street, so I had to drop everything to prevent him from getting killed retrieving his ball several times.

In my rush to get rid of the boxes and keep an eye on my baby son, I ended up throwing my house keys into the recycling dumpster. Silent horror is all I can think of to describe what I felt. I could just see my keys, hanging precariously on someone else's Amazon box but of course when I tried to reach for them they fell further into the extremely full dumpster. I could've climbed in, but what about Noah? I tempted him to stay next to me with a milk jug and his ball while I dumpster dove, but what toddler wants to stay next to mommy when they are free to go wherever they please? Certainly not mine.

I hoped and prayed that my sweet, Tibetan Monk neighbour was home and he was! I knocked on his door and asked if he would mind watching Noah while I climbed into the recycling dumpster, and he just belly laughed at me and obliged! I really needed that, what a wonderful man. The next step was to scale the rock wall of our driveway while holding the lid open, propping myself up on the edge of the dumpster, in my pink summer dress, and jumped in.

So now I have my keys, my baby didn't get hit by a car, and my home is box-free. The moral of this story is, be nice to your neighbours, and don't throw things in the dumpster when you're distracted, recycling or other (Blech!), also thank goodness for pizza delivery.

The end.

Whaddya mean I can't throw my hat off the balcony? Boooring.

Workout Routine

Haha just kidding, as if I have a workout routine! Oh wait, I kind of do. Small Human's new favourite thing to do is throw his toys off our balcony. He thinks it's hilarious and that he's discovered something incredibly awesome and innovative. That means I have to go down and out and around to get them from the driveway below us multiple times a day. It's so much fun.

Luckily for the neighbour who parks his car below us, he's only thrown really light things, but I fear for the day he throws something heavy. I highly doubt he would be able to lift anything heavy to throw off though. Famous last words, I know.

Now that the weather is ah-may-zing, we've been spending lots of time out on our balcony! We've baby-proofed it with netting, and obviously, we don't leave him out there unsupervised. It feels great to have a bit of outdoor space, cause it's like a seasonal extension of our living room.

Happy Tuesday, I'm gonna do some spinning cause I'm crazy and the baby is napping. (I do workout sometimes.)

As long as he doesn't throw his laptop off the balcony, it's all good... or our laptops for that matter.

Baby Brain Overload

I think it's true when they say kids go through a sleep regression when they are learning and mastering new things. It could be the heat, or this skill mastering that is making my baby resist sleep. He's not into napping anymore, even though he used to nap on schedule from 12:30 to 3. He refuses to go to bed even though he's yawning, rubbing his eyes and is the mayor of crankypants town. It took me an hour to get him down last night. Where is my easy sleeper of a baby?! As he was falling asleep he was whispering "out... milk... out...", which only reinforces my suspicions about the skill mastering.

Yesterday's nap time was just as intense as bedtime, with lots of sweaty crying, fighting to keep eyes open, and physical resistance of lying down. Just as he fell asleep and I wanted to whoop for joy over my victory, I detected a foul smell coming from his butt. He had pooped. I looked at Brendan, feeling defeated and panicked, but went to work defusing the bomb like a hero in an action movie. I thoroughly cleaned up a huge, poopy diaper without ever waking the baby. I felt like a pro-star.

After a taxing weekend of sleep struggles, Monday morning we were treated to a past 10am baby wake up. I was so happy I could cry! For several minutes after we got up, Brendan and I just stood there staring lovingly at our baby son who was still asleep in his crib. It's when he's asleep or happy that I feel like I can appreciate his existence to the fullest, not because I've forgotten all the hard parts, but because we lived through those hard parts together and can recognize and revel in the peace.

Happy Monday, I wish you all a happy and peaceful (but still fun) week.

Banshee Screaming

I am sure this is not unique to our family, but when Noah sees Momie and Dada kiss or hug or even just look at each other while talking, he has taken to screaming like a banshee. Jealousy, perhaps? Feeling left out? Overprotective? Territorial? Who knows, but it's getting ridiculous. As with all things baby/toddler/child related, I know it will change but it is a little disconcerting. Deafening too. Hopefully he will one day take comfort in knowing that his parents love each other.

He has also decided today that napping will be optional. WHERE DOES HE GET ALL THIS ENERGY? Thankfully I am keeping up, but that could change in a couple of hours. I'm trying not to sweat it, but I don't like giving up control.

Enjoy your weekend everyone, I literally gotta run.

Playing dress-up

Creating a Person

I am a worrier. If I'm not completely rested, relaxed, fed, and hydrated, I turn into a stressball when things get a little intense. This is my normal, so you can imagine how that amped up after I found out I was pregnant with the little Blastocyst that was Noah. (No Lindsay, I am not pregnant again) I have not been worry-free since.

The concerns constantly change and evolve, at first you worry about things like taking the right prenatal vitamins for your unborn child. Later you worry if they're getting enough to eat each time you nurse. Then you worry about your baby hitting all the milestones, if they're rolling over when they should be, sitting up when they should be, and talking when they should be.

Once you've successfully passed each stage they always seem easy and simple in hindsight, and the next set of hurdles look even bigger and more challenging. Right now we're in the "OMG if we don't get this right he could turn into a bad person" stage. I am almost certainly overreacting, but it's pretty evident that we're at a point where our actions definitely have a consequence on his behaviour. The way we react and what we react to are shaping him, and the things he sees us do daily are influencing him.

It's both scary and incredible. Our Small Human copies everything we do and he's a little 17 month old! I am constantly underestimating him and what he can understand because his brain is growing faster than I can comprehend, apparently.

So far he is shaping up to be a great housekeeper. He knows how to put his toys away, he throws things in the garbage (like my stray hair), he mops up spills with a paper towel, loves to vacuum, and wants to "cook" so badly! Of course he has also learned to wag his finger at me and give me a stern look while shaking his head. What do you expect, when you live with a mimic?

The lesson I have learned is that worrying is exhausting, and I have lots of things in a day to exhaust me already, might as well cut the worry out. Now excuse me while I do one million things now that Noah's asleep. Enjoy your Thursday.

Showing me how to file nails

Oot and OOTD

A really interesting thing about Small Human's upbringing is that he is being raised in America by two Canadians. I don't see this turning him into something drastically different from his friends, but it is sure to add a different flavour.

Noah's latest words are "milk" and "out". He pronounces it "mak" and "owt" or "ott". The word "out" is particularly hilarious for us because it's one of our stereotypical Canadian identifier words. Allegedly we sound like we are saying "oot", but really we're just saying it the right way. ;)

I am curious to see how Noah's accent turns out if we stay in Seattle. Part of me hopes he sounds Canadian forever but I know that will disappear once he goes to school. Still, I was raised by Filipino parents and there are a handful of words that I pronounce like them.

Different cultures and influences are so beautiful and awesome, and one more step towards bringing down unnecessary boundaries and prejudices. Stay cool and happy, folks. I predict it will get to 90 degrees (32 Celsius) in our apartment today, yikes!

Noah's Outfit of the Day: Paddington Bear and the Toronto Blue Jays!

Momie Weekend

The last weekend of June was Brendan's weekend, and so this past weekend was mine. What this means is we each get baby-free time. I have been feeling really burned out the last two weeks, I was tired of my beautiful son. It doesn't matter how much you love your children, you need to get away from them and have time for yourself. This weekend hasn't been 100% baby-free, but it was a solid 65%.

As long as I'm not reading Dr. Seuss aloud on loop, salvaging a lip balm that Noah mashed into the dining table, or dealing with a day of non stop whining, I'm good. I love helping Small Human learn all about life but I'm not a mommy machine, and I am physically incapable of keeping it up 24/7.

So what did I get up to? I baked cupcakes for a 4th of July party on Friday; went for a massage on Saturday and went on a nice, quiet coffee date with myself; relaxed at home then went for a seriously lovely dinner date with a mommy friend; On Sunday I went to the hair salon for some balayage, girl chat and tea detox; then painted my toes in the afternoon on the balcony while Noah napped.

It's a bit less fun having to clean up after taking some time off for a few Mommy Days, (I found a scary old cheese string stuck in between the couch cushions) but it's better than the alternative! All in all, it was a great weekend with mostly good weather, and I feel more equipped to take on the new week. We're kicking it off with some playground and wading pool fun first thing in the AM. Happy Monday, stay safe in that summer sun!

My rambunctious Sunday lunch date

Repetition

My threshold for reading the same book over and over again for an hour is very, very low. I never thought I would feel like killing myself over reading Dr. Seuss too many times in one day. The same Dr. Seuss book, that is, on never ending loop. It's so bad that I dreamed in rhyme last night.

I have a bad case of the repetitions. It was a relief to find out on Wednesday though, that I'm not the only one. The other mamas in my mommy & baby group who have known each other since our toddlers were little beans, all had the same gripe. There's just something comforting about knowing that there are a bunch of other people in the exact same boat as you, and that you're not actually insane.

Toddlers brains are hardwired for taking in a lot of information, and part of the way they can do this is learning through repetition. This is all fine and dandy, but what about the sanity of the person who gets saddled with this job? I felt really guilty because I actually hid "There's A Wocket In My Pocket" today. I hid it under one of the couch cushions because I was going to cry if my beautiful soul of a boy asked me to read it to him 40 more times today like we did yesterday.

It's silly and truthfully, very embarrassing that a book can give me such weird anxiety. I think that Wocket is going to have to go to that special pocket were no Wocket ever comes back from, but we'll see.

Happy 4th and happy weekend everybody!

On The Ball

It doesn't really happen very often anymore, but I just love those days when I'm on the ball. I feel powerful and awesome, and like I can do anything because I'm good at everything. You know the days that I'm talking about, when you get most things done despite a screaming, whining little person following you around. When you manage to do all your chores, the house is clean, the sheets and towels are all fresh, there's food in the fridge and pantry, plenty of clean clothes and baby supplies well stocked. You've fed yourself, you've fed your child, naps go as planned, play dates and classes go off without a hitch (or many hitches), you look good and are clean and well rested, and you've got a tired, happy Little who's successfully explored their world.

Like I said, it's so rare, but you just wanna congratulate yourself and high five somebody for being so freaking amazing at life. If you're still keeping up with your accomplishments list and you feel like you've accomplished way more than 5 things in your day, then by all means step it up and list all of your achievements. You have earned it and more than deserve it, so congratulations, revel in it, and go You!

Here's to being a great parent and knowing it! Happy Thursday. :)