Four Generations

Thursday was kind of a special day because we took Noah to see his dada's maternal grandparents for the first time. He even got to play with some of his daddy's old toys! There were four generations under that roof yesterday, and we left Nonna and Nonno's house with full hearts and stomachs, as per usual!

It's when I see such unabashed, unconditional love like this, that I feel bad about living so far away. Someone please invent a teleportation device, stat.

This coming weekend is going to be filled to the brim with activity! I get to see not one, but two pregnant friends; I get to have a slumber party with my bestie and her family; there's a big Wilson clan gathering; and I get to visit my old office in downtown Toronto! Let's just hope the freezing rain (yikes, welcome to Canada!) doesn't put a damper on the festivities. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Mommy Monday at Julep Nail Parlor

Before we left for our trip, I had the pleasure of going to Julep Nail Parlor near University Village in Seattle with a couple new friends! It was great fun because not only did we get pampered with relaxing manis and pedis, but the salon also features free childcare on Mondays. Genius! You'll have to make an appointment to make sure your child can be accommodated, but when we went Noah was the only bean there.

Julep has been doing this since 2007, so I gather it's doing pretty well. It won't be as relaxing as going to a spa by yourself, but I definitely still felt relaxed, and that Noah was well cared for and safe at all times. For the more concerned mamas out there, your child will be playing about 15 feet away from you, so you can breathe easy.

Did I mention the free parking, and that they use 4-free nail polish? Not only that, but they are dedicated to cleanliness and keeping you healthy, so they send you home with the tools that they used on you for your nail services.

We'll definitely be going back!

Julep Nail Parlor

University District

5001 25th Avenue NE

Seattle, WA 98105

With Aya and Candice! Noah likes the light fixture.

Thanks for taking this pic, Candice!

The Wilsons Have Landed

Yesterday was our big travel day so there was no time to post, but we are safe and sound in freezing cold Toronto! I wouldn't call travelling with an 11 month old easy, but it wasn't bad at all. We got a bulkhead seat so that Noah could have a bit of space to play on the floor, and he slept for almost two hours, thank goodness! There was also no need to bring a boatload of toys because my Small Human prefers to play with garbage, apparently. He loved the plastic water cups and Air Canada napkins, go figure.

Noah got to meet his Lola and Lolo for the first time last night and there was definitely an insta-bond. He shares his Lolo's love for music and dancing!

Noah quickly made himself at home at grandma and grandpa's

Pooped baby

Getting down on the dance floor with his Lolo while Lola played Christmas DJ

Real Talk

We ran out of coffee on Saturday night because we tend to brew two pots a day on the weekends, so I popped out to the grocery store to get some more. It took me under 3 minutes to walk there, which is why I love my neighborhood and really don't want to leave it for another.

Anyway this is really sad, but when I stepped out of the house alone, I felt giddy and exhilarated! I didn't have to lug a stroller with a person in it up and down any stairs, or push anything up and down a hill. I didn't have to talk to anyone and constantly narrate my every move. It was oddly, magnificently liberating.

Honestly, I kinda felt like a caged animal that had just been let loose in the wild. Don't worry, I haven't felt like some downtrodden or oppressed woman, I swear. But it felt so good, which probably means that it doesn't happen very often and needs to happen more!

This might have something to do with Noah's new habit of screaming bloody murder when I'm not in his direct line of sight. Even if his Dada is in the same room! I somehow only just realized that we are always together save for the hour or two in the morning when the boys bond while I get to sleep in. I thought I was fine with not having a break, but I know now that I need more than just relaxing in my house while watching Doctor Who with a face masque on.

Who would've thought that going to the grocery store alone would one day be my special magic getaway?

You know what I want for Christmas? Offers of babysitting while we're in Toronto for 18 days please & thank you hint, hint. :)

Happy Monday everyone!

Co-Sleeping is Definitely Not For Us

The last two nights, Noah has been waking up at around midnight or 1am, ready to party. As I am sure many a parent can understand, this is not an ok turn of events for us. We knew that the 12 hour sleeping couldn't last forever, but we sure wish they would.

I think it's more teething, because my poor Small Human has been so clingy and snuggly. Due to this clingy adorableness, and coupled with the fact that B and I are both dead tired, we've been taking him into our bed with us. I don't think I want to do it ever again. He's free to come sleep with us when he's older and has a nightmare or just cause, but not as a baby. Plus I feel like it's affecting his napping too. I NEED those naps to stay sane.

It is impossible to sleep with a little hand grabbing your nostrils or with a foot kicking you in the throat. Then there are the 70 times I woke up to check that he wasn't suffocating. The whole family slept terribly last night, and later that morning I got rewarded with a headbutt to the face that instantly gave me a huge headache.

Sometimes parenthood sucks so hard. And then your baby will rock out to Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas" (my favourite Christmas song) and the world is rosy again. It's like I'm clinically insane, but it's just the highs and lows of being a parent.

May you all have a wonderful weekend, full of long sleeps, cuddles and pajama dance parties!

Please sleep like a champ like you used to, baby man.

Marriage During Baby's First Year

Sometimes I long for those lazy, cold-weather evenings, when my husband and I could just pop out at 8 pm for a late dinner at our favourite Italian restaurant. Actually, when I think back about the days of just going anywhere at all (near or far) without any preparation other than bringing a small bag and curling my eyelashes, it makes me feel happily nostalgic.

Except if I try to think about life without my Small Human now, I would rather be dead than live that life. You can't fully understand the words to "You Are My Sunshine" until you have a baby. It just sounds like a crazy person wrote the song, otherwise. Which makes sense, cause moms are crazy!

But how do you stay you, as a couple? Winding down for the day now comes with a baby play-by-play complete with pictures and video. It's fun to revel in the baby's cuteness and incredible abilities that become more numerous every day, but you can't forget about your partner. You two are in it for the long haul, long after the kids have left the house.

Don't forget about all the time you invested in each other in the beginning. The dates, the dinners, the snuggles and romance. Don't forget about why you're together in the first place and how you ended up here! Your partner still wants to spend time with you, even if you both feel exhausted and drained. The first year of baby's life is one of the hardest and can end in divorce. Extremely sad, but it's the cold hard truth.

What's even harder is when you live thousands of miles away from your family like we do, and no one can help you raise your child. They say it takes a village, and the work of a village is a lot for two people to undertake on their own.

Anyway, all I am trying to say is, for my expecting friends: relish this time to your heart's content. Be a bit selfish and enjoy your partner all to yourself! Go to all the movies, dinners, couple's massages at the spa, and have couch snuggling sessions with your partner and pets!

To all the new parents: You can do it! While baby can seem all-consuming, don't forget about the person you made that beautiful child with. Try to spend time with them like you used to, even if it's just a speed date of 10 minutes while the baby is distracted by the recycling, or taking the time to show each other you still appreciate each other after the baby is asleep. You can still have date nights in your house, that's what kitchens, sound systems, and televisions are for.

Never forget about your partner. Don't be complacent. Kiss every day.

Christmas Presents For the Small Human

Noah has been feeling a bit cranky the past couple of days, and because of this, I got to witness a very serious little monkey. On more than one occasion today, he sauntered over to me with his hilarious John Wayne gait, locked eyes with mama, and seemingly stared straight into my soul. Sure, you think I'm bonkers, but I speak the truth.

This got me thinking about how much he's actually taking in and understanding now. He has always let me know when he's hungry as most babies do, only now he dances with joy when I go make him a bottle! He dances, chirps, and pats my leg happily. (OMG I love him so much.)

If he can comprehend what we are doing and he's now able to directly react and express feelings about our actions, will he understand Christmas presents? I certainly don't want to teach him that Christmas = presents, but I do want him to partake in the tradition, since his family does.

As a parent we want to give our children everything, but we can't exactly do that without repercussions. We still have to remember that we are raising people who need to be well-adjusted, functioning beings in society one day.

Then there are the practical things, like fitting huge toys in our apartment which is kind of a deal breaker. Either way, we're kinda off the hook this year anyway, because I am not going to lug things for Noah across the continent and back.

Sooo, we're going save the toys for his birthday in January, and he's getting a glockenspiel and one of those peg hammering toys! I am mildly terrified for my ears and feet. Can you imagine getting whacked on your bare foot by one of these??

Or we could save money and give him something from the kitchen cupboard.