Staying in on a rainy day

  

Rainy Day here! So we are staying in. I want to cherish these days home playing with little K before it's back to work! >insert tears here<

 This cute face! I could squish all day!

 Blowing me kisses :)

Kris loves to sit and play with his toys. Especially playing with the drum. He will crawl and get it wherever it is and start drumming away.

He also loves to crawl to Zoe and pet her. But Zoe will allow him at first but then plays a little rough and may swipe at him. So I always need to tell Zoe to leave! ha!

Since we will stay in all day today playing, I will also use today to get some things done like Online Shopping, Laundry, Clean up, Bake a little and work on my resume that I have been procrastinating with.

Tomorrow will be a nicer day and I'm looking forward to a nice walk in the park!

Hope it's a nicer day where you are today!

Making a 1 year scrapbook already!

I don't know about you, but I feel like the days are flying by!

I can't believe my little one is almost 11 months old!

I can't believe I'm planning his first birthday!

I can't believe he will be going to daycare in November!

I've been working on his 1 year scrapbook. I'm also done. I was crying while doing it! I just can't believe it, I remember bringing him home yesterday!!!

I'm so glad I have this blog, logging all the special moments and milestones so I can always come back to read.

My little boy amazes me everyday! He is growing and developing soo fast!

He is so independent too! He eats all his meals alone and doesn't want my help at all! He even asks for more saying Mmmm Mmmm ha! He is learning to hold his balance while standing and he keeps trying and trying! It's amazing to watch! He is crawling around everywhere throwing his toy balls and getting them back.

He is sooo sweet and social too. Always waving and blowing kisses to people ha!

I love him sooo much!

I need time to hold still for a bit while I absorb all his cuteness!!!

What Fashion Blog do you follow?

Fall is just around the corner, although it still feels like summer here! Which is great too. But as fall is approaching and I'm here still carrying around some baby weight, I'm looking for outfits that will hide or slim down certain areas. I follow many fashion bloggers and they give me inspiration.One of my favorite fashion blogger is Chasing Davies. Do you follow her? Many of my ideas of what to wear or throw together come from her! She is awesome! And a new mama too! What fashion bloggers do you follow? Or are you one? Let me know I'll follow!

Here are 2 outfits I recently bought.

Minus the shoes both outfits are under $50.00!
(Shoes from ShoeDazzle 39.95 plus shipping)

The first outfit I can also add a leopard belt and gold bangles.  I can wear this outfit so many different ways which is what I'm looking to do this fall!

Blazer Winners 16.99 Dress Winners 24.99 Tights H&M 6.50

Jeans Winners 19.99 Shirt H&M 14.99 Belt I had, thin black belt.

 

The baby bathtub is for babies!

For months I've been wanting to switch baby K to the big bathtub in our spare bathroom. Since he started sitting on his own and making a splashy mess. But I never got around to fixing up what we needed in there to make it baby friendly.

Baby K still can sit fine in the small one but boy does he make a mess splashing water all over us and the floor!

So finally yesterday we did it!

I bought a no slip mat for the bottom of the tub and a new carpet and moved bath time into to the spare bathroom!

Big bath tub fun!!! My big boy!

Fun at the Apple Farm, Apple Picking!

We had a fun weekend! Saturday morning I took Kristian to a Early Years Centre a friend has been going to. Many moms and dads and children of all ages were there. Kristian had so much fun watching everyone sing and play games.

Sunday I wanted to go to a street festival just north of where we live, but when we got there it was over! ha! It was only happening on Saturday. So since we were north of the city we decided to go to the apple farm!

We picked some apples and bought apple pastries and apple pie yum! The employees were telling us that this year is really bad for them because of the April frost we had, they didn't get as many apples as they usually do!

We picked a bag full and had fun showing Kris around the area.

He loved holding the apple so tight ha!

Fall is around the corner! Can't wait to buy some pumpkins! And take Kris to the pumpkin patch in October!

Hope you had a great weekend!

Baby is not starting daycare... Yet!

We were getting close! Kristian was to start daycare in 3 weeks! We both were not ready!!

Kristian still breastfeeds 3-4x a day and also in the evening and wakes up a couple times too.

We are trying to daytime wean which has been hard! I'm working at it everyday!

He knows what he wants and if I trick him and put his pacifier in his mouth he will grab it and throw it across the room and tug at me to nurse! How could I refuse that!

So slowly we are working on it, more by distraction, playing longer, going out longer. Things like that.

And I'm not ready either! I love being home with my sweet little boy. Any extra time in a life time of work ahead is better than nothing!

So that said, I requested an extra month off from work. They took a while to respond back and I thought they would decline it. But It's approved! So I have an extra month home with my sweet baby!!! I'm so grateful for this.

Love this sweet little boy!

New steam pot and finger foods for baby

This mama has not made purées in while! I now just steam or cook all his food and let him feed himself. I still give baby cereal a couple times but it has reduced a lot!

I'm always searching these days for good finger food ideas for baby. He is 10 months old and has tried a wide range of foods! Our doctor gave us the ok months ago to try everything! (so always check with your doctor and you know too what your little one is ready for)

Here are some finger food ideas I have. Share yours with me too!

Steamed veggies!
Our favorites are broccoli, butternut squash, sweet potato, zucchini, carrots, peas, parsnips all steamed and cut into small pieces that he can grab.

Fruit, soft and cut into small pieces, favorites here avocado, banana, strawberries (pretty ripe and soft) mango, apricots. Steamed apples and pears (I make them pretty soft)

Egg yolks! Baby loves these. I boil them and cut them up and he loves it.

Black beans and chickpeas! I heat them up to soften them and serve. I cut chickpeas in smaller pieces.

Always watch your little one when they eat. ;) my little guy likes to stuff his mouth really quick! The other morning he was saving watermelon pieces in his cheeks!

I also give pieces of toast with cream cheese.

Cooked pasta cut up drizzled with olive oil.

Pieces of cheddar cheese cut up small.

All meats cut up in small pieces too!

A friend suggested to roll softer foods in Parmesan cheese or baby cereal for easier pickup for the slippery type foods. I'll try that one day too!

Some quick dry snack foods I give that are good for self feeding are the baby mum mum's and gerber puffs and cheese straws (not as meals).

What finger foods do your little ones love!?

First day of school, daycare or work

I live across the street from an elementary school. This morning I watched as all the parents dropped off or walked their kids to school. My street was busy with cars and kids. Everyone looking sharp in their new first day of school clothes, adorable!

Of course this is a reminder to me that I'll be starting work in a month. My little one starting daycare in 3 weeks and 5 days!

We are not ready!!! I am not ready!!

We are not even close to weaning!

Teething had my little guy grumpy all weekend. Not looking forward to zombiemom work days.

I have soo many concerns about daycare. How will they put him to nap? Will they give him cuddles and follow the steps I take to put him to nap? Will they give him the attention he needs. Will he miss me being away from me for almost 10 hours a day!
All first time mom worries, I'm sure. I know he will be fine and love being with the other kids. But it's sooo hard!

I truly never thought it would be this hard. Before I had Kris I was very open to sending him to daycare and looked up all the positives and now we are approaching the time and I only want to be the one taking care of him. I love being with him everyday!

I'm not ready for back to work either! My mind is not in work mode at all. All I want to think about is my sweet baby boy! I'm worried about work life balance, can I handle it? I'll have no choice! Ha! But I hope that in the busy days I always put baby K first! Having less time to play with him and watch him develop has mommy guilt already creeping in!

I know many parents are happy, excited along with worried and concerned about sending their little ones off to school today. Especially the first time preschoolers or kindergarteners. Sending positive thoughts all your way!

Baby K is 10 months old!

Baby Kristian you are 10 MONTHS!!!! I can hardly believe it! The days are flying by!

What are you up to?

You LOVE LOVE LOVE to feed yourself! You are unstoppable! I need to give you a little bit at a time because you keep filling up your little mouth full of food!

You are eating pretty much everything these days. I am giving you less and less puree's. I just cut up little pieces of foods either fresh, cooked or steamed. You are also eating our dinners along with us!

This week you are loving peas, black beans, broccoli, cheddar cheese and watermelon! 
 
Last month I was worried you were on the thin side... but that is changing this month with you gobbling up all your meals yourself!. You gained a full pound! Yay!

You weigh 17lbs

Still in size 3-4 diapers, 9 month clothes and still some 6 month clothes.

We are in the process of weaning you... you breastfeed about 6 times a day. Our goal is to daytime wean you as you start daycare full time in 4 weeks and 4 days!!!!!! I'm CRYING! You love to nurse and ask for it now too! You will throw your pacifier and tug at my shirt and say mommaa!

You are learning new things every day! You observe things closely and I can see you thinking haha! You are a happy baby smiling all the time and love when Daddy and I make you laugh! You love to copy us, it is soo cute! You love Zoe and wish she would let you pull her fur right out ha!

You have 2 bottom teeth with 4 up top coming soon!!!

I added more videos of you playing, on my youtube channel  :) http://www.youtube.com/user/DreamTNM

I want to remember all these fun times! We love you soooo much my little snuggle bug!

Our Morning Routine

Here is a little glimpse of our morning routine these days.

Kris wakes up around 8am calling for me while I try and take in any extra minutes I can as he continues to play haha.

 I nurse his for a couple minutes then we get out of bed, I change him into his outfit for the day and I sit him in the bouncy as I get ready.

Since the day he was born this was our routine. I hate leaving the bedroom without being dressed even more now with a baby since our schedule is unpredictable.

He sits nicely or not so nicely as I put my makeup on and get dressed. (I do my eye makeup but my hair is usually up in a pony tail, that I don't have time for, blowdrying and straightening... Haven't done that in a while!)

We then go downstairs for breakfast.

DH makes coffee before he leaves to work, so hot coffee is always waiting for me ;)

These days I need to give Kris a cereal cookie to feed himself to get him in his highchair.

I put some cartoons on and get babies oatmeal ready to feed him in between the breathes of eating his cookie aha


And I sit and drink my coffee while playing online and feeding him all while talking out loud to him about what we will do today ha!

Today is Monday so we have grocery shopping on our to do's. If we were to stay home we would have floor playtime at this time.

We finish breakfast around 945 and make our way to the grocery store.

I carry him in the baby bjorn carrier (exercise for me) and we shop. He gets to hold some packages in his hands as if he is helping and we name the different foods as we go along. He gets the attention of a lot of people and we always get stopped so people can talk to him, Kris loves it! Smiling and talking back.

We are back home around 1045 and Kris is ready for his nap.

We go to his room sit in the rocking chair, play his sleep sheep, pacifier in his mouth and he is out in 5 minutes.

Down he goes and I get a couple hours to clean up, put groceries away, go online for a bit and make his lunch.

We only have 5 weeks left till he starts daycare full time.I'm counting down so be prepared to hear about it in all my blog posts haha!

I think I need to change our wakeup time to 7am soon. Not so much for the baby but for me. I'll work on this soon. It's a lot of adjusting for me too! I'm not looking forward to being a Zombie Mom at work!

So far napping without nursing is going great. I'm still working on weaning him fully during the day.Taking it day by day!

The next 5 weeks we will be busy changing up our daily routine and breastfeeding schedule. Big changes are coming and it's hard work with a little one!

I'll also be taking Kris to an indoor playground weekly.  We went to one on the weekend for my nieces birthday and Kris loved it! I'm considering doing his 1st birthday party at a playground as well, although I always thought I wouldn't for the first birthday, but the kids love it and I think it will be a great first birthday party with his little friends.