Holiday Hiatus

After a week plagued with Roseola, the potential for new business prospects and parking lots jammed with last minute shoppers, it is officially time for the holidays.

Taking a short hiatus until the New Year so I will take the opportunity now to wish you and your families all of the best for 2010.

May all of your dreams come true in a year that promises much health, happiness and success.

Hopefully this midnight mom will make it past midnight to ring in the New Year.

Early Bird

Sticking to the theme of my last post, another little baby entered the world today. In a rush.

In a rush to get his mommy into the delivery room.

In a rush to set his eyes on the wonders of the world.

In a rush to meet his parents.

But at 35 weeks, this young man might have just done his mommy a favour, weighing in at 6 lbs 8 oz. With 5 more weeks in the womb, those newborn sleepers probably wouldn't have fit. So, he made an early debut to truly give his parents a reason to celebrate this New Year.

Welcome baby boy. We can't wait to meet you!!!

Tick Tock

Today we met our friends' new baby.

One month old and almost double Hannah's birth weight, he looked absolutely tiny. It was less than a year ago that we greeted our 6 lbs 14 oz daughter into the world but for the life of me I can't remember her ever being that small. Blame it on lack of sleep, hormones or denial, but I can barely picture her nestled in the bend of my elbow.

Time is fleeting. I wish I could hold on to every second. Luckily, we have over 5000 photos in our iPhoto library to capture those moments (thanks dear) but unfortunately those memories are not as vivid as I wish they were.

It would be great to freeze frame back to the days when we ourselves were in the single digits and days seemed like weeks, weeks like months, months like years. Now, they all seem to merge into one.

It really does remind us that every so often we need to take a step back, take it all in. Savour the moment. Because before we know it, they will be looking at those very same pictures, thinking how did I get myself such a nutty set of parents.

Nutty, perhaps. Loving, totally.

Middle Mercy

Welcome to teeth #5 and #6.

First were the two lower centers, then the fangs, and now the middle top two have decided to make their debut.

She really is a cute toothy monkey until it comes time for a snack.

It's not that she's biting but with a mouthful of chompers, the angles at which she chooses to suck are quite painful. So what's a mom to do? 9.5 months into and it seems a shame to stop now. We have proudly avoided formula thus far. Not that there is anything wrong with it but since we are just a few months away from cow's milk, it seems pointless to introduce it now. Plus, nursing is still totally soothing to her.

At first it was a real bonding experience but now that she is all over the place. It seems that she barely has time to savour what she is sucking. Aside from pre-nap/bedtime, her snacks are a game of on and off, drops of milk streaming down her cheeks, leaving mommy in slight pain in the process.

The early days of nursing were hard enough and I imagine weaning will be just as tough. So what's a mom to do in the interim?

I wonder if they make baby sized mouth guards...

Hump Day

We're never bored on Wednesdays. In the company of some wonderful moms and their babies, Wednesday is a day we look forward to.

But in reflection on what has been a great 9 months of sharing and caring, its interesting to step back and see how we have evolved as a group.

At first, babies immobile, they would lie around, eat and we would scream in delight for the occasional roll or smile. Plenty of time to catch up on their most recent developments, our postpartum weight loss & fatigue and to get our minds back in (somewhat) top form post pregnancy mush brain.

Well, in the two moments that I had to myself at today's play group, I realized how times have changed. With movers and shakers from left to right and a prompt high chair war at noon, we moms barely have a moment to ourselves anymore. With feeding duties, attempts at lessons in sharing and a new position as referee running interference for a slew of offenses (pulling hair, sitting on top of each other, the occasional kiss) we're lucky to get a bite, let alone a moment to catch up.

I guess, in retrospect, those first few months were really playgroup for mommy. Well, it's only fair that they should have their turn too.

But with barely a moment to get a word in maybe it's time for a mommies night out on the town. Let the daddies do the work (ear to the monitor) and the girls can get out and have an actual conversation (without lingering scents from a dirty diaper and spit up clad sweaters).

All those in favour of mom's night out 2010, say 'yea'.

Mum on the Mum Mums

Finger foods are Hannah's new favourite thing. The cauliflower, sweet potato or pear may not always make it into her mouth but the thrill of the challenge keeps her going. Especially when the newly introduced Cheerios are involved.

But her real first taste at texture was a Baby Mum Mum Rusk. Quick dissolving, easy to hold and fun to throw on the floor, the minute these cookies come out of the cupboard, Hannah is on high alert. When she hears the rustling of these rusk wrappers she knows she is about to get a sweet treat.

Well, I admit it. I have been using the Mum Mums to my advantage. To soothe moments of crankiness, to keep her quiet during business calls, to get those few last dishes in the sink washed. Yes, Baby Mum Mums are my solution to keeping Hannah mum (for 3-5 minutes).

I don't call it bribery. Just a saviour for a few much needed mommy moments. It's not like I'm painting my nails while she crunches away...its just a chance to catch up on all of those things I have been dying to do throughout the day. So I'm adding Mum Mums to the list of mommy time savers, along with the excersauser, jumparoo and fridge magnets.

I wish I could add Farley biscuits to that list as they take about 20 minutes to savour. But unfortunately the cleanup required post-cracker takes away from the quiet quotient.

Hopefully, I'm not creating a cookie monster in the process...

Baby Hues

Pinki Blue just moved to an enormous new location on Cote de Liesse.

Check out my article on Sweetmama for all of the details.

Crown Jewels Run Dry

Just about a year ago I became familiar with the term "Dairy Queen." A homage to the breastfeeding mom who was filling her baby up with loads of healthy stuff to start life off on the right track.

My first week at it was rough but now it's like second nature. Only problem is that it seems that the reserves are drying up.

No, Hannah isn't going hungry but my every-other-night pumping sessions are rather lackluster these days. Back in the day 10 minutes of pumping would yield 4 ounces. A suitable serving for my hungry baby. But lately my 10pm pumps have trickled from 3 to 2 to 1 ounce(s).

Today I tried to bulk up on nursing tea (with multiple pee breaks throughout the day) and got a measly 2 ounces out of it.

Yes, I have a freezer full of 2 ounce servings but unfortunately two nights worth of pumping will be needed for one bedtime feeding.

I actually think the whole thing is pretty ironic considering that we just recently hit the milestone of someone other than myself being able to put Hannah to bed. So now that we actually can (and want to) go out, we have to pick our nights so as not to run out of liquid gold (or milky white).

At least Hannah's bedtime is somewhat accommodating at the early hour of 6pm. And we're just 3 months away from hitting the cow's milk mark.

So maybe it really is just my body's way of starting the weaning process.

Hey, if this body is willing to take its time (unlike the grand entrance 9 months ago), I'm all for it.

Olympian Mom

The olympic torch passed through Montreal yesterday creating quite a stir with young and old alike.

A few lucky hopefuls were selected to run with the flame and I just happen to know the lady you ran the 5:15 leg of the race.

A working mom of two, an actress, a singer and now an olympic torch bearer.

Lisa Rubin.

She was a guest blogger on Mommy Said What?. Her blog entry here is definitely worth a read.

Thanks Lisa for giving moms everywhere, a well deserved, pat on the back.

Heinz Recall

Thanks to Abigail's mom for passing along the link to the Heinz cereal recall.

I had just actually bought Hannah a bag but luckily it is not the cereal in question. Funnily enough though, Hannah hates it. I thought she would love the mango, pineapple, pear mixture but it seems as though she likes to start her day off best with Beech Nut Good Morning Cereal.

A warm bowl of oatmeal, on a blustering morning...guess I can't blame her.

Wonder Week 37

Hannah turned 39 weeks old yesterday (or 9 months old).

Since she was born two weeks early, that puts her in the perfect position for the 37th wonder week.

A good explanation for recent clinginess, hesitation towards strangers and a vehement dislike for having her diaper changed (or is it teething?)

So what is this wonder week all about?

It's called the World of Categories.

Humans, animals and objects all fit into their own "boxes". To get to this leap, a lot of examination is involved. Staring at and feeling all sides of blocks, sitting in deep thought, tons of food on the floor, trying to make sense of the world around her.

So what can mom and dad (or grandma and grandpa) do to help in the learning process? Tons of mirror time, playing copycat, naming everything we touch and trying to get baby to participate in tasks (handing us things).

According to the book, weeks 40 to 45 are supposed to be pure heaven full of cheerfulness, independence and progress.

Here's to a ninth month that will hopefully most definitely be noteworthy!

Protect-a-Bub Giveaway

As the temperature drops, thought I would pass this along for your chance to win a little warmth:

Okay, so here's the deal. We want to connect with more of our customers, so we're having a big fat giveaway to encourage people to become a fan of Protect-a-Bub on Facebook. For the next 4 Wednesdays in December, we're going to give away one Snuggle Bub (our fleece stroller bunting) and one Sweet Adeline (our fleece front carrier cover).

The catch?

You have to become a fan of Protect-a-Bub on Facebook to enter. We'll randomly select a winner (every fan is automatically entered) and post the winner on Facebook, our blog, and our twitter page.

*You can only win once and employees of Dynamic Brands, our parent company, and their family members are not eligible to participate.

Make sure to tell your friends and other parents in your network. Our Snuggle Bubs and Sweet Adelines are must-have cold weather items so get them before Old Man Winter really starts to get nasty! If you aren't fortunate enough to win one of these great items, they're both available on Target.com.

See you on Facebook!

Personalized Presents

I have previously mentioned Gwyneth Paltrow's website: GOOP.

Today's issue of the newsletter featured some super cool gift ideas, one of which I'd like to share with you.

To quote Gwyneth:

"Em Tanner’s personalized melamine plates quickly became a colorful basic in my kitchen this year. You can make a cartoon portrait of your kid, or even put a family friend’s entire gang on a set of say, six. Plates start at $24."

What a great gift idea for the holidays! Especially for that picky eater who needs an extra push to gobble up protein and vitamins. Best of all, they deliver to Canada!

And while you're there, be sure to check out other fun items including personalized hair clips, aluminum water bottles and more.

The countdown has begun...9 days till Hanukkah, 23 days till Christmas...time to get your shop on.

Status Quo No Go

Last week we visited Hannah's new school/daycare that she will be attending as of September 2010. It is a wonderful school with 3 teachers per class, homemade (kosher) meals and a slew of specialists on staff including a social worker, physical therapist and occupational therapist.

The visit really put my mind at ease about sending her off at 18 months to socialize, learn and give mommy some spare time.

In that spare time, being a stay at home mom would be a dream. Whipping up gourmet dinners, keeping a tidy house, greeting Hannah with a welcome home smile.

But why stick to the status quo?

Family vacations, a private education, summer camp, skiing...I want Hannah to enjoy all of the luxuries my parents were able to provide to me as a kid.

So Jobboom, Monster and hopefully some great connections will be on my mind (and search engine) this summer...on the hunt for a new job. Hopefully, one that offers flex hours and other perks to accommodate working moms.

In the 6 months post mat leave and pre-daycare, I have decided to take a stab at my freelance career. Marketing, public relations, copywriting and event planning. So while I still have 3 months to relish in the delight of my daughter and mat leave, please do pass my coordinates along to anyone you may think requires some creative services.

And maybe with enough hard work, referrals and luck, I just may be approving my very own flex hours.