I just tried to register for a website, and after 10 minutes I gave up. I could not figure out what the "secret" word was that I was supposed to copy. It's so frustrating to try and figure out what that damn word is. Why do they make it so hard? The letters are hardly recognizable, and impossible for an idiot like me to figure out. Maybe that's the point, to keep idiots out of the website. If that's the case, well done website designers, well done.
Jerks.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Judgement
Why is it that as soon as you get pregnant, it seems to open up the doors for other women (and sometimes men) to "judge" you on your decisions? I was talking with my friend the other day who is pregnant with her first child. She had recently experienced some "judgement" from her friends/co-workers regarding some choices she is thinking of making for her baby.
In my opinion, there is not "one" way to raise a child. There are many options out there, cloth diapers vs non-cloth diapers, breast-feeding vs bottle feeding, co-sleeping vs crib sleeping, homemade baby food vs store bought baby food....the list goes on and on.
Drew was not potty trained until after his 3rd birthday. This was something that apparently bothered ALOT of people in our "circle" of people in our life. In my defence, Drew was not ready. I tried the summer before he was 2, and he would have nothing to do with it, I didn't want to make it a negative experience, so I gave it up....he wasn't "ready" until the following summer, but Hunter was due in July, and I didn't want to overwhelm him, so I waited. When we finally put him in underpants, it took 3 days and he was trained. The fact that it went so smoothly tells me that he was ready. The fact that I got some much flack from people who saw him once in a blue moon still drives me nuts. I'm not sure why people took it so personally, or why I was made out to be such a bad mom because he wasn't trained. They weren't changing his diapers, not sure why it bothered them so much.
Don't get me started on the soother issue.....
It's my belief that parenting is tough, really tough. It's a lot tougher than I thought it ever would be......people who don't have children should not pass judgement because they have NO CLUE what it's like. People who have children should know better. No one is the perfect parent, but if we all stick together, maybe we can make it a little easier......or at least band together and tell all the "judgers" to "F"- off!!!!!
In my opinion, there is not "one" way to raise a child. There are many options out there, cloth diapers vs non-cloth diapers, breast-feeding vs bottle feeding, co-sleeping vs crib sleeping, homemade baby food vs store bought baby food....the list goes on and on.
Drew was not potty trained until after his 3rd birthday. This was something that apparently bothered ALOT of people in our "circle" of people in our life. In my defence, Drew was not ready. I tried the summer before he was 2, and he would have nothing to do with it, I didn't want to make it a negative experience, so I gave it up....he wasn't "ready" until the following summer, but Hunter was due in July, and I didn't want to overwhelm him, so I waited. When we finally put him in underpants, it took 3 days and he was trained. The fact that it went so smoothly tells me that he was ready. The fact that I got some much flack from people who saw him once in a blue moon still drives me nuts. I'm not sure why people took it so personally, or why I was made out to be such a bad mom because he wasn't trained. They weren't changing his diapers, not sure why it bothered them so much.
Don't get me started on the soother issue.....
It's my belief that parenting is tough, really tough. It's a lot tougher than I thought it ever would be......people who don't have children should not pass judgement because they have NO CLUE what it's like. People who have children should know better. No one is the perfect parent, but if we all stick together, maybe we can make it a little easier......or at least band together and tell all the "judgers" to "F"- off!!!!!
Great Wolf Lodge
I was very impressed as soon as we walked in. They have animatronic animals in the front lobby that talk and dance, and lots of details that really make you feel like you are in the wilderness (kinda felt like we were back at Disney actually). James went right to the front desk to check us in. As it turned out, our room wasn't ready yet. James asked about the other, more expensive rooms, and they upgraded us - FOR FREE!!!!!! We love free things, so we were very excited about this.
Went and checked out our room (bunk beds, Drew immediately climbed to the top. He was thrilled.) We headed to the waterpark after our exploration of the room was over. James' dad stayed outside and played with is Ipod, while James' mom came in and watched Drew and Hunter play in the water. Actually, she held Hunter while James and I took Drew down a family-tube waterslide.
James then had to take his parents to the bus station, so Drew, Hunter and I continued the water fun in the bathtub. Once James came back, we all headed to the buffet for dinner. I LOVED the buffet. It was really good, had a bit of everything, and also had ice cream.......perfect. After dinner, James and Drew headed back to the waterpark while Hunter and I finished up with dinner and then headed back to the room for some down time.
8pm was storytime in the main lobby, so we all headed for that. Drew really enjoyed it, and participated fully. After storytime, it was arcade time, then bed.
Slipped under our door first thing in the morning was our bill for easy check-out. On the back of the bill, we found an offer to stay an extra night for 50% off. We were having so much fun, we jumped at it. Called my parents to make sure they could feed Snickers and our cows and headed to the buffet for breakfast. Wily the wolf met us for some pictures at breakfast.....both boys were really taken with him. There was another storytime in the lobby after breakfast, and then it was back to the waterpark.
Drew was wiped after all of the excitement, so he (and I) had a much needed nap. James took Hunter to the grocery store, so we could have some quiet. Dinner was McDonalds, and then back to the arcade and waterpark. Our friends, who live in St. Catharines joined us in the waterpark for the evening and then won Drew a bunch of tickets in the arcade.......god help me, Drew is obsessed with arcade games already!
The next morning, we packed up, and headed for our last time at the arcade. This meant that Drew had to spend all of the tokens we had left, and then pick his prize. He ended up choosing a watch that shines a light on the wall.....very exciting for a 3 year old, I guess.
The waterpark was the next stop. After a few hours there, James wasn't feeling well. He relaxed on a chair for a bit, and then puked in the garbage can. Poor guy. We got changed and left shortly after that. While he was puking, Drew says, "Mommy, why did daddy drink so much of that wine????" Everyone around us assumed that James was just hungover and were rolling their eyes....it was totally not a hangover.....I was a bit embarrassed that Drew came up with that......little bean.
The drive home wasn't so easy. Had to pull over so James could puke on the highway. Good times.
I dropped him off at home, and then I went up to my parents for the evening. James felt much better the next day, but the evening/night was rough on him.....thank goodness none of us caught what he had (knock on wood).
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Swimming lessons and birthday dinners
Drew and Hunter started their swimming lessons today. Hunter is in Parent and Tot 1 and Drew is in Preschool A. James swam with Hunter and I with Drew. Preschool A does not require a parent to go in (as I learned after I was in the pool), but they allow it if the child wants a parent with them. I think Drew would have been ok on his own, but now that I have gone in with him once, I suppose he will expect it every time now. I'm cool with that, despite the fact that I had to get into a bathing suit (ugh), I had fun. Drew seemed to have a good time too. Hunter, from what I saw, seemed to love the water. Everytime I looked over at him, he was smiling....guess we have two water babies on our hands.
After swimming (my parents came to watch) we joined my parents at Tim Hortons for a snack and then it was off to the Glen for an afternoon of fun. James and my dad headed back to the Milton farm. James to feed the cows, my dad to pick up hay. When they arrived, they found Speckles dead in the barn. We're not sure what happened. She had been a bit thin all winter....very sad....she was a favorite.
At my parents, Drew found some bead necklaces that he decided were jewelry fit for a "ball". He had my mother wear some (he wore a few too) and they were off to the "ball", where there was dancing and "romantic" breakfasts (chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. He apparently wanted to put on a dress too, but my mom didn't think James would appreciate that. They spent all afternoon playing this game.....Drew telling me to not "bother" them while they were playing...."no mommies allowed".
Once James and my dad arrived home, we all headed to Mississauga for a bit of shopping and the dinner at Tuckers family restaurant to celebrate my mom's birthday. Both boys were fantastic throughout dinner, and James and I both ate our weight in food......after dinner, Drew wanted to go back to the "ball" at my parents house, so we headed back there for a few hours before coming back home to bed.
Happy birthday, Mama.....we love you!
After swimming (my parents came to watch) we joined my parents at Tim Hortons for a snack and then it was off to the Glen for an afternoon of fun. James and my dad headed back to the Milton farm. James to feed the cows, my dad to pick up hay. When they arrived, they found Speckles dead in the barn. We're not sure what happened. She had been a bit thin all winter....very sad....she was a favorite.
At my parents, Drew found some bead necklaces that he decided were jewelry fit for a "ball". He had my mother wear some (he wore a few too) and they were off to the "ball", where there was dancing and "romantic" breakfasts (chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. He apparently wanted to put on a dress too, but my mom didn't think James would appreciate that. They spent all afternoon playing this game.....Drew telling me to not "bother" them while they were playing...."no mommies allowed".
Once James and my dad arrived home, we all headed to Mississauga for a bit of shopping and the dinner at Tuckers family restaurant to celebrate my mom's birthday. Both boys were fantastic throughout dinner, and James and I both ate our weight in food......after dinner, Drew wanted to go back to the "ball" at my parents house, so we headed back there for a few hours before coming back home to bed.
Happy birthday, Mama.....we love you!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Soothers
Ok, so here's where I come clean. Drew still uses a soother. He is 3, and still needs it to sleep with. We give him "soo-soo" and blankie and he generally goes off to sleep without any problems. This is why we haven't taken it away yet. He sleeps. Hunter, does not. I do not want 2 children who do not sleep. I am very much aware that he is too old to have a soother, and that I need to take it away soon, or I will have millions of dollars of dental work to pay for in the future. Is it wrong that I would rather just pay for the dental work???
We keep putting off the "time" that we're going to take it away...first it was after Christmas, then after New Years, then after our trip to Florida, now I'm thinking it'll be after we go to Great Wolf Lodge next week.......the truth is, I'm not sure how to take it away without freaking him out entirely. Part of me thinks we should just do it quickly, like taking off a band-aid.....suffer a few nights of freak outs and then hopefully he'll be over it. The other side of me says that if we do it gradually, it'll be less traumatic.
Sigh......
We keep putting off the "time" that we're going to take it away...first it was after Christmas, then after New Years, then after our trip to Florida, now I'm thinking it'll be after we go to Great Wolf Lodge next week.......the truth is, I'm not sure how to take it away without freaking him out entirely. Part of me thinks we should just do it quickly, like taking off a band-aid.....suffer a few nights of freak outs and then hopefully he'll be over it. The other side of me says that if we do it gradually, it'll be less traumatic.
Sigh......
James and Drew are playing at the early years centre in Milton as I type. They are at a "daddy and me" playgroup focused on reading. Every so often, the early years centre holds these "daddy and me" sessions, and I absolutely adore them. Not only does it give James some much needed one on one time with Drew, but it gives me some time with Hunter (who is blissfully sleeping right now). It's a win/win! Can't wait for Hunter to be off the boob, so that he can go too, and mommy can get some "alone" time.
Last night we went out for dinner with my parents to Boston Pizza. We had a really great experience. Hunter sat in a high-chair there (the first time he's sat in a high-chair at a restaurant) and he seemed really content. He played with a few toys that I gave him, and enjoyed watching Drew play with his. I've put together a little travel pack for Drew. It consists of a few (craft size) pom-poms, a couple of his miniature tractors (one of which is a loader) and his little people mini-dump truck. It's all contained in a large zip-lock bag and has succeeded in keeping him busy for periods of time while we wait for our meals. His play is usually contained to his seating area, and is relatively quiet. Awesome!
Last night we went out for dinner with my parents to Boston Pizza. We had a really great experience. Hunter sat in a high-chair there (the first time he's sat in a high-chair at a restaurant) and he seemed really content. He played with a few toys that I gave him, and enjoyed watching Drew play with his. I've put together a little travel pack for Drew. It consists of a few (craft size) pom-poms, a couple of his miniature tractors (one of which is a loader) and his little people mini-dump truck. It's all contained in a large zip-lock bag and has succeeded in keeping him busy for periods of time while we wait for our meals. His play is usually contained to his seating area, and is relatively quiet. Awesome!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Solids, here we come!
Yesterday (January 14, 2010) we started Hunter on rice cereal. We chose Nestle Rice cereal, the "add water" kind. So far, he's had 3 servings, and it's gone very well. This morning, he gobbled up 4 tablespoons worth of the stuff. Perhaps we should have started it sooner.....maybe we've been starving the poor child. Each time I feed him, I give him his own spoon. He seems to LOVE that. Feeding will become easier as he gets better at sitting up, I hope that happens soon.
Drew and James went to the gym this afternoon. We have joined Premier fitness and are loving it so far. The gym in Milton has a kids area, as well as a pool. Drew seems to enjoy playing in the kids area while James (or I) work out and then he LOVES swimming in the pool. The pool is filled with salt-water, which is a nice bonus. Cost wise, I think it will save us money in the long run as we won't have to pay for public swims at the leisure center.....I haven't been much since we joined as Hunter hasn't been as "taken" with the kids area as Drew has been. If I'm going to accomplish any of the fitness/weight loss goals I've set for myself this year, guess I better get my butt to the gym!
Drew and James went to the gym this afternoon. We have joined Premier fitness and are loving it so far. The gym in Milton has a kids area, as well as a pool. Drew seems to enjoy playing in the kids area while James (or I) work out and then he LOVES swimming in the pool. The pool is filled with salt-water, which is a nice bonus. Cost wise, I think it will save us money in the long run as we won't have to pay for public swims at the leisure center.....I haven't been much since we joined as Hunter hasn't been as "taken" with the kids area as Drew has been. If I'm going to accomplish any of the fitness/weight loss goals I've set for myself this year, guess I better get my butt to the gym!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Day 4 - Whirlwind Disney Vacation - last day
Hunter had his worst night yet. He is so stuffed up, had a hard time breathing. He really wanted his soother to sleep, but couldn't breathe with it in.....would scream within 5 minutes of me putting him down. This resulted in me sitting up with him most of the night. Was not the most comfortable of nights, as the only piece of furniture that I could sit on was a hard, desk chair. Fun times. Finally, at 4ish, I came up with the bright idea of putting him in his car-seat (why didn't I think of this before). He was a little more upright, and slept for 3 whole hours. Thank goodness.
Once we all woke up from our blissful sleep, we threw on some Disney channel, and I packed. We then gave the boys a bath, and off we went to the Pop Century caf for a little breakfast. We had a little more fun in the arcade, Drew picked out his "fabulous" prize (an air-gun that shoots ping-pong balls....dear god) and then checked our bags in to the magical express.
Decided to head to downtown Disney for the morning....played in the toy store, rode on the carousel, had "Earl of Sandwich" for lunch. We bought a couple mickey ears cookie cutters today too, am very excited to try them out.
Caught the bus back to our resort, just in time for the magical express back to the airport. Bus ride was smooth, and the security process was fairly easy. Once we got to our gate, we set up the computer for Drew to watch Thomas movies (free wifi, hooray!). Got some McDonalds for dinner and then got on the plane. Drew fell asleep the minute we were in the air, and Hunter freaked out for about 15 minutes before he fell asleep for the flight too. A dream flight for us, I actually got to watch a bit of tv!
Got back to Buffalo, Drew and Hunter both woke up and were fantastic. We changed them into their pjs, and James got the bags, and picked up the van. Drew was worried he wasn't coming back....I think the fact that the airport was so empty freaked him out...."mommy, when is daddy coming back", "mommy, why is the airport so empty?". Poor little man.
We were worried that because he slept for so long on the plane, he wouldn't sleep at night. He slept right through until 7:30am. Guess the whirlwind Disney trip successfully tired him out.
Staying onsite was neat. I have stayed onsite before, but James had not. Not having to rent a car, or worry about our luggage once we checked in was nice. I think we are a bit spoiled by my parents condo (time-share) though. The room seemed very small, and not having a kitchen, or seperate bedrooms was difficult. I think we realized that being able to go to publix and pick up "fun" snacks once in a while is a nice bonus.....something that we really like to do. I think staying onsite in a resort like that for a couple of days is great, but if we stayed for much longer, I think we would have gone insane.
Once we all woke up from our blissful sleep, we threw on some Disney channel, and I packed. We then gave the boys a bath, and off we went to the Pop Century caf for a little breakfast. We had a little more fun in the arcade, Drew picked out his "fabulous" prize (an air-gun that shoots ping-pong balls....dear god) and then checked our bags in to the magical express.
Decided to head to downtown Disney for the morning....played in the toy store, rode on the carousel, had "Earl of Sandwich" for lunch. We bought a couple mickey ears cookie cutters today too, am very excited to try them out.
Caught the bus back to our resort, just in time for the magical express back to the airport. Bus ride was smooth, and the security process was fairly easy. Once we got to our gate, we set up the computer for Drew to watch Thomas movies (free wifi, hooray!). Got some McDonalds for dinner and then got on the plane. Drew fell asleep the minute we were in the air, and Hunter freaked out for about 15 minutes before he fell asleep for the flight too. A dream flight for us, I actually got to watch a bit of tv!
Got back to Buffalo, Drew and Hunter both woke up and were fantastic. We changed them into their pjs, and James got the bags, and picked up the van. Drew was worried he wasn't coming back....I think the fact that the airport was so empty freaked him out...."mommy, when is daddy coming back", "mommy, why is the airport so empty?". Poor little man.
We were worried that because he slept for so long on the plane, he wouldn't sleep at night. He slept right through until 7:30am. Guess the whirlwind Disney trip successfully tired him out.
Staying onsite was neat. I have stayed onsite before, but James had not. Not having to rent a car, or worry about our luggage once we checked in was nice. I think we are a bit spoiled by my parents condo (time-share) though. The room seemed very small, and not having a kitchen, or seperate bedrooms was difficult. I think we realized that being able to go to publix and pick up "fun" snacks once in a while is a nice bonus.....something that we really like to do. I think staying onsite in a resort like that for a couple of days is great, but if we stayed for much longer, I think we would have gone insane.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Day 3 - Whirlwind Disney Vacation
Hunter does not like to sleep! He was up most of the night last night too, it's really starting to get to me.....need sleep soon.....
He was up for the day around 6:30 am again. I bundled him up, changed out of my pajama pants, and headed out the door to the main building of the resort to let the "big" boys get some more sleep. While there I tested the hot chocolate (no match for Tim Horton's hot chocolate...but really, what do people in Florida know about making hot drinks??) and browsed the shops once more.
Was back in the room around 8am, and when I arrived back, both boys were awake. We dressed and headed for the cafeteria for breakfast. Breakfast was a smorgasboard of selections. Chocolate croissant, chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, sausage, bread, peanut butter, chocolate milk......lots of great food! Halfway through the meal, chocolate milk was dumped onto the chocolate chip pancakes by accident (thank you James) and Drew's sweater needed to be changed. Besides that, it was a lovely meal.
We were planning on heading straight to the magic kingdom, but the bus line-up was long, decided instead to head to Epcot.
Turned out to be a great choice. Rode the Nemo ride, Soarin (Drew's first time...he loved it), rode journey into imagination twice, saw a random jammitor street show, and got to ride the monarail to the magic kingdom. All with only 1 freakout!
Headed to Pacos Bill in Frontierland for lunch (a late lunch, we were all starving). Had burgers, chicken, salad, apples and grapes....did I mention we were starving? This restaurant has a great "fixin" table for the burgers. James and I made a yummy salad out of the fixin's after we were done our burgers, it was the highlight of the meal!
After lunch, James and Drew got fast-passes for Big Thunder mountain railroad, road the train over to Toon town and played in the playground. I took Hunter to the babycare station and fed/changed him. We met back in Frontierland so James and Drew could ride the "big thunder" rollercoaster. It was his first time riding, and he loved it!
Got some popcorn and off to Tomorrowland where Drew and James road the race cars and Hunter and I sat in Cosmic Rays with a giant Diet coke. Headed back to Toon town for some more playground fun, and then took the train back to main street to leave the park and catch our bus back.
Once we got back to the resort, Drew, Hunter and I sat in the caf and had a muffin while James went back to the room to get the arcade card. Spent some time in the arcade and then back to bed.....another long, but successfully magical day.
He was up for the day around 6:30 am again. I bundled him up, changed out of my pajama pants, and headed out the door to the main building of the resort to let the "big" boys get some more sleep. While there I tested the hot chocolate (no match for Tim Horton's hot chocolate...but really, what do people in Florida know about making hot drinks??) and browsed the shops once more.
Was back in the room around 8am, and when I arrived back, both boys were awake. We dressed and headed for the cafeteria for breakfast. Breakfast was a smorgasboard of selections. Chocolate croissant, chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, sausage, bread, peanut butter, chocolate milk......lots of great food! Halfway through the meal, chocolate milk was dumped onto the chocolate chip pancakes by accident (thank you James) and Drew's sweater needed to be changed. Besides that, it was a lovely meal.
We were planning on heading straight to the magic kingdom, but the bus line-up was long, decided instead to head to Epcot.
Turned out to be a great choice. Rode the Nemo ride, Soarin (Drew's first time...he loved it), rode journey into imagination twice, saw a random jammitor street show, and got to ride the monarail to the magic kingdom. All with only 1 freakout!
Headed to Pacos Bill in Frontierland for lunch (a late lunch, we were all starving). Had burgers, chicken, salad, apples and grapes....did I mention we were starving? This restaurant has a great "fixin" table for the burgers. James and I made a yummy salad out of the fixin's after we were done our burgers, it was the highlight of the meal!
After lunch, James and Drew got fast-passes for Big Thunder mountain railroad, road the train over to Toon town and played in the playground. I took Hunter to the babycare station and fed/changed him. We met back in Frontierland so James and Drew could ride the "big thunder" rollercoaster. It was his first time riding, and he loved it!
Got some popcorn and off to Tomorrowland where Drew and James road the race cars and Hunter and I sat in Cosmic Rays with a giant Diet coke. Headed back to Toon town for some more playground fun, and then took the train back to main street to leave the park and catch our bus back.
Once we got back to the resort, Drew, Hunter and I sat in the caf and had a muffin while James went back to the room to get the arcade card. Spent some time in the arcade and then back to bed.....another long, but successfully magical day.
Day 2 - Whirlwind Disney vacation
Hunter hardly slept last night, that means that neither did the rest of us. He was "up" for the day around 6:30am, and shortly afterwards, Drew was up too. We all got dressed, showered and James took Drew to the arcade while Hunter and I stayed back to pack the diaper bag and get things ready to go. We left the room at around 8:35am and headed to the bus. We waited about 15 minutes for the bus to Animal Kingdom, but Drew had fun "searching" for the bus on James shoulders....Once there, we were a bit early for our character breakfast, decided to try out "A bugs Life". This proved to be too scary for both boys. The first loud noise freaked Hunter out, and Drew was out the door shortly after....maybe try again when they are a bit older.
We had our character breakfast at "Tusker House", which featured Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Mickey. I enjoyed the food, especially the doughnuts, they were super good. Drew hardly ate anything, wouldn't even try the ham (very unusual for him). Got some pics with some characters, and off we went to the safari ride. The line up for this ride was 20 minutes, we decided to get a fast-pass and come back to it. We went to Dino land and rode the triceritops ride (similar to Dumbo) and then made our way back to the safari. Both boys enjoyed the safari, even mom and dad liked it! During the ride, Drew started coughing like crazy. Since yesterday, Drew had a bit of a cough, but nothing like this. He said he wanted to go back to the room, so we put him in the stroller and started walking back. I should say that since breakfast, we had been offering him snacks, basically anything and everything and he refused everything....had us a bit worried. I happened to look at him in the stroller and he had barf everywhere, and was in the process of barfing more. I had noticed wierd looks from people as we were walking, but assumed they were because he had a soother (I will probably discuss this in a later post, please save your judgement for then.....I know there will be judgement, there always is on this topic!). WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME MY POOR CHILD WAS BARFING ALL OVER HIMSELF?!?!?!? Seriously, sometimes I just don't get people.
Anyways, thank goodness we were right by the babycare/first aid station. We cleaned him up in there, covered him up in a blanket, and sat in front of the tv there while I fed Hunter and James went to buy him a new t-shirt and sweater. Once he was changed and Hunter was fed, we went next door to the first aid to have his temperature taken, and let the nurse give him a "once-over". His temp. was normal, and she gave us some crackers to give him.
The barfing seemed to have restored his energy, he ate the crackers while we walked back to the buses, and had some more on the bus. Once we were back at the resort, James took Hunter to do the laundry so that I could try and get Drew to sleep. He had no interest in sleeping, while we were lying in bed he kept asking if the nap was over. Finally, I gave in and turned the tv on. He fell asleep within 15 minutes, so did I!
Hunter started waking(aka freaking out because he was hungry), so James came and got me. I took Hunter to the main building of the resort, fed him, checked the laundry, and went for a walk around the resort. We came back about an hour and a half later. Drew was still sleeping. It was 5pm, so James and I decided to turn the lights on and let Drew wake.
When he awoke, he seemed good to go. Had lots of energy, and wanted to eat something. We gave him some food, and let him watch some tv in the main building of the resort. While there, we decided to head to Hollywood studios, as they had the extra "magic" hour that night for Disney resort guests. We bundled the boys up, and off we went. Tried to take them to Playhouse Disney Live to see Handy Manny, but Drew didn't want to watch a show.
Drew decided he wanted ice cream, and the only place we could get ice cream was a sit down restaurant called, "Hollywood and Vine". Sat in the bar area of the restaurant, where there was a couch and waited for what seemed like forever for our apple pie a la mode. Turned out they forgot about our order, and James had to go and remind them....not so magical people!
After our desert, we headed over to the new Toy Story ride. It was a 40 minute line-up, but we decided to wait anyways. Drew loved this ride, and actually got to ride it twice as James and I did a "baby swap" (one of us rides with Drew, the other stays back with Hunter, and then you switch who rides with Drew).
Once we finished at Toy Story, it was 10pm and the park was closing. Headed to our bus, and got back to our resort in no time. Drew was hungry again, so we bought a burger and nachos, gorged ourselves and then headed to bed. Another day in paradise (COLD paradise) over......
We had our character breakfast at "Tusker House", which featured Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Mickey. I enjoyed the food, especially the doughnuts, they were super good. Drew hardly ate anything, wouldn't even try the ham (very unusual for him). Got some pics with some characters, and off we went to the safari ride. The line up for this ride was 20 minutes, we decided to get a fast-pass and come back to it. We went to Dino land and rode the triceritops ride (similar to Dumbo) and then made our way back to the safari. Both boys enjoyed the safari, even mom and dad liked it! During the ride, Drew started coughing like crazy. Since yesterday, Drew had a bit of a cough, but nothing like this. He said he wanted to go back to the room, so we put him in the stroller and started walking back. I should say that since breakfast, we had been offering him snacks, basically anything and everything and he refused everything....had us a bit worried. I happened to look at him in the stroller and he had barf everywhere, and was in the process of barfing more. I had noticed wierd looks from people as we were walking, but assumed they were because he had a soother (I will probably discuss this in a later post, please save your judgement for then.....I know there will be judgement, there always is on this topic!). WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME MY POOR CHILD WAS BARFING ALL OVER HIMSELF?!?!?!? Seriously, sometimes I just don't get people.
Anyways, thank goodness we were right by the babycare/first aid station. We cleaned him up in there, covered him up in a blanket, and sat in front of the tv there while I fed Hunter and James went to buy him a new t-shirt and sweater. Once he was changed and Hunter was fed, we went next door to the first aid to have his temperature taken, and let the nurse give him a "once-over". His temp. was normal, and she gave us some crackers to give him.
The barfing seemed to have restored his energy, he ate the crackers while we walked back to the buses, and had some more on the bus. Once we were back at the resort, James took Hunter to do the laundry so that I could try and get Drew to sleep. He had no interest in sleeping, while we were lying in bed he kept asking if the nap was over. Finally, I gave in and turned the tv on. He fell asleep within 15 minutes, so did I!
Hunter started waking(aka freaking out because he was hungry), so James came and got me. I took Hunter to the main building of the resort, fed him, checked the laundry, and went for a walk around the resort. We came back about an hour and a half later. Drew was still sleeping. It was 5pm, so James and I decided to turn the lights on and let Drew wake.
When he awoke, he seemed good to go. Had lots of energy, and wanted to eat something. We gave him some food, and let him watch some tv in the main building of the resort. While there, we decided to head to Hollywood studios, as they had the extra "magic" hour that night for Disney resort guests. We bundled the boys up, and off we went. Tried to take them to Playhouse Disney Live to see Handy Manny, but Drew didn't want to watch a show.
Drew decided he wanted ice cream, and the only place we could get ice cream was a sit down restaurant called, "Hollywood and Vine". Sat in the bar area of the restaurant, where there was a couch and waited for what seemed like forever for our apple pie a la mode. Turned out they forgot about our order, and James had to go and remind them....not so magical people!
After our desert, we headed over to the new Toy Story ride. It was a 40 minute line-up, but we decided to wait anyways. Drew loved this ride, and actually got to ride it twice as James and I did a "baby swap" (one of us rides with Drew, the other stays back with Hunter, and then you switch who rides with Drew).
Once we finished at Toy Story, it was 10pm and the park was closing. Headed to our bus, and got back to our resort in no time. Drew was hungry again, so we bought a burger and nachos, gorged ourselves and then headed to bed. Another day in paradise (COLD paradise) over......
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Leaving on a jet plane
James and I got up at 4am this morning in preparation for our trek to Florida...well, he got up, I did not sleep (thank you Hunter). James had loaded the van last night, so all we had to do was get dressed, and grab the boys, throw them in the van (no, not literally) and get on our way. Hunter wanted to be fed before we left, so I fed him (what a nice mommy I am) and Drew was so excited to go, he was thrilled to be in the van. Once the boredom of the drive got to them, they were both fast asleep within a few minutes. I was also able to catch a few Zzzzz's on the way there. Our flight was leaving out of Buffalo, so our drive was a little over 1 1/2 hours, we had no traffic and great weather. Stopped at the McD's just before the bridge to the US (got it to go) and had no problems crossing the border. Once at the airport, James dropped me and the boys at the airport and went to park the van. Buffalo airport has a free shuttle from their parking lot, makes for an easy transfer from vehicle to airport. There was a lineup at the jetblue desk, so the boys and I lined up while we waited for James. Once he arrived, we decided that we would pay the 5$ and curb-side check the luggage as there was no line there. Security was a breeze.....as soon as we got to security, Drew says, "Daddy, this is where you take your shoes off". He's done this once or twice I guess. We had about an hour to kill before our flight so we spent it playing in the fisher price play area (love Buffalo airport) and eating our McDonalds breakfast. Once on the plane, we spent our time watching tv, eating snacks (thank you jetblue - they have unlimited drinks and snacks, it truly is wonderful!) and watching Thomas the train and Toopy and Binoo DVDs (on our laptop). Both boys were amazing, and it was a smooth and uneventful flight.
Caught the magical express to our resort, the pop century. Note: If using the magical express, DO NOT forget to bring the booklet they mail you. We skipped what looked like a half-hour line because we had ours. It's lucky my husband is so organized! Once we got here, about an hour and a half total time from when the plane landed, we checked in. James had pre-checked in on the internet, so it was very quick. We found our room, went to have lunch at the resort restaurant (all you can drink pop while we're here....a BIG plus for me!!!) and then off to the magic kingdom. NOTE: Because we used the magical express, we did not have to wait for our luggage. They got it for us, and delivered it right to our room. It was great at the airport, but it was not here when we arrived. We were prepared for this, and had packed our carry-ons with everything we would need at the park that afternoon. Had we not been prepared, it might not have been such a wonderful afternoon!
At the Magic Kingdom we were just in time for the 3pm parade, which Drew and Hunter both loved. After the parade, headed to Tomorrowland, where Drew and James went on Buzz lightyear and the high spaceship thingy ride(sorry, the name escapes me now). Hunter and I rode the carosol of progress. That afternoon, Drew and James rode buzz lightyear a few times(he loves it), the race cars and Drew and I went on the winnie the pooh ride. We bowed out early because of the weather.....and maybe because we'd all gotten up so early today ;).
It was freezing today, and luckily we had Drew's winter coat, and Hunter's winter cover for his carseat.....Drew was still complaining about being cold though. Hopefully tomorrow is better.
It's 9pm and both boys are fast asleep in their beds as I write, a cold, but great day!
Caught the magical express to our resort, the pop century. Note: If using the magical express, DO NOT forget to bring the booklet they mail you. We skipped what looked like a half-hour line because we had ours. It's lucky my husband is so organized! Once we got here, about an hour and a half total time from when the plane landed, we checked in. James had pre-checked in on the internet, so it was very quick. We found our room, went to have lunch at the resort restaurant (all you can drink pop while we're here....a BIG plus for me!!!) and then off to the magic kingdom. NOTE: Because we used the magical express, we did not have to wait for our luggage. They got it for us, and delivered it right to our room. It was great at the airport, but it was not here when we arrived. We were prepared for this, and had packed our carry-ons with everything we would need at the park that afternoon. Had we not been prepared, it might not have been such a wonderful afternoon!
At the Magic Kingdom we were just in time for the 3pm parade, which Drew and Hunter both loved. After the parade, headed to Tomorrowland, where Drew and James went on Buzz lightyear and the high spaceship thingy ride(sorry, the name escapes me now). Hunter and I rode the carosol of progress. That afternoon, Drew and James rode buzz lightyear a few times(he loves it), the race cars and Drew and I went on the winnie the pooh ride. We bowed out early because of the weather.....and maybe because we'd all gotten up so early today ;).
It was freezing today, and luckily we had Drew's winter coat, and Hunter's winter cover for his carseat.....Drew was still complaining about being cold though. Hopefully tomorrow is better.
It's 9pm and both boys are fast asleep in their beds as I write, a cold, but great day!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Packing
I love going on vacation. I HATE packing. I really hate packing. It stresses me out. I hated it before I had kids, and now that I have kids, it induces stress like nothing else. My husband always teases me about the amount of crap I take with us. We have two kids, having alot of crap just goes with the territory. I am packing (well, supposed to be packing. I seem to be a wee-bit addicted to this new-found blogging hobby of mine) for our trip to Florida. Our flight leaves at 8:30am tomorrow morning from Buffalo. I have restricted myself to 2 big suitcases for the 4 of us. We are only going for 3 nights, so it should be ok. Keep in mind, I have a 6 month old who barfs alot. Multiple outfit changes are a reality, so his clothes alone take up most of 1 suitcase and then there is the 3 year old who is potty trained, but just might have an accident when we are out and about......it all adds up to lots of clothes! Trying to figure out the right balance between having enough, and trying to air out barfy clothes that have been rinsed in a bathroom sink is an artform I have yet to master.
Oh well, it's all worth it. We get to get away for a few days (to Disney even!) and hopefully have some fun as a family.........if only they weren't calling for snow in Florida!
Oh well, it's all worth it. We get to get away for a few days (to Disney even!) and hopefully have some fun as a family.........if only they weren't calling for snow in Florida!
Breastfeeding
I breastfed Andrew for 13 months. While I was pregnant with him, I read many, many books, webposts, articles on the subject. Some said that breastfeeding was the most natural, easy thing in the world, some said that while it is natural, it can be difficult. I was hoping to be able to breastfeed him, but in the back of my mind I was telling myself that it may be difficult. I was not expecting it to be as difficult as it was. Drew had jaundice. He went 36 hours (gasp!) without eating. At the time, I was a bit concerned, but had a nurse tell me it was normal, that it was just his "big sleep" after birth. I now know, that 36 hours without food is not healthy for a newborn. At the 37th hour of his life, a new nurse started on shift (thank goodness for her) and she induced a panic like no other on us. She told us that Drew had to eat, and had to eat now. I told her I really wanted to breastfeed, had been trying since he was born, and he just wouldn't latch on. She introduced us to the finger-feeding method. http://pediatrics.about.com/library/breastfeeding/blbreastfeedingi.htm
We finger-fed him formula every two hours, after which, I pumped. Once my milk came in, we started with breast-milk and then topped him up with formula. It took about a week (we were in the hospital for the entire time, he was being treated with light-therapy for jaundice) but he finally caught on. During that time, I had some wonderful support from some nurses. I also had some not so wonderful support for some nurses. I can remember one nurse pushing Drew onto my breast, him screaming, me crying, and her yelling at me that breast-feeding wasn't the only way to feed, and I should just give up. Lovely. Now, I should say that I'm not anti-formula. I totally understand that in some situations, breast-feeding is not possible, or mommy just doesn't want to/can't. To each her own. In my case, I really wanted to be able to do it, not only for the health benefits for Drew, but for the benefits to my families cash-flow....formula is expensive!
I had a similar, but different experience with Hunter. I had gestational diabetes with Hunter. Right after he was born, he had to have his sugar levels tested. In order for that to happen, he had to eat. I tried to breast-feed him, but he would not latch on. The nurse in the room immediately shoved a bottle in his mouth. I had asked her if I could finger-feed him the formula (remembering my experience with Drew) but she would not let me, said we had no time. Hunter was born at 6:30 at night, and that whole night I had to bottle feed him every 2 hours. Was told that finger feeding wasn't an option. I thought my window for breast-feeding was over.....in walked another nurse, who I swear made it possible for me to breast-feed. I asked her about finger feeding and she jumped on it, got me all the materials needed, and we said goodbye to bottles! Hunter also had jaundice, so we were in the hospital for a week with him too. It took a little longer for him to catch on to breast-feeding. It was very painful, I cried alot, had a case or two of thrush, pumped and finger fed for about 3 weeks before he caught on. I'm not gonna lie, it was hell. I probably should have quit, if not only for my sanity. I didn't though, mostly because of my hubby. He's now 6 months old and still feeding well.
If I were to recommend some items to help with the breastfeeding I would say, invest in a good pump. We use the Medela pump in style. Also, get a good "cover". We have the wonderful "hooter-hider". It reduces the wierdo looks/comments I recieve from strangers, and also reduces the amount of times I have to "whip it out" in public!
We finger-fed him formula every two hours, after which, I pumped. Once my milk came in, we started with breast-milk and then topped him up with formula. It took about a week (we were in the hospital for the entire time, he was being treated with light-therapy for jaundice) but he finally caught on. During that time, I had some wonderful support from some nurses. I also had some not so wonderful support for some nurses. I can remember one nurse pushing Drew onto my breast, him screaming, me crying, and her yelling at me that breast-feeding wasn't the only way to feed, and I should just give up. Lovely. Now, I should say that I'm not anti-formula. I totally understand that in some situations, breast-feeding is not possible, or mommy just doesn't want to/can't. To each her own. In my case, I really wanted to be able to do it, not only for the health benefits for Drew, but for the benefits to my families cash-flow....formula is expensive!
I had a similar, but different experience with Hunter. I had gestational diabetes with Hunter. Right after he was born, he had to have his sugar levels tested. In order for that to happen, he had to eat. I tried to breast-feed him, but he would not latch on. The nurse in the room immediately shoved a bottle in his mouth. I had asked her if I could finger-feed him the formula (remembering my experience with Drew) but she would not let me, said we had no time. Hunter was born at 6:30 at night, and that whole night I had to bottle feed him every 2 hours. Was told that finger feeding wasn't an option. I thought my window for breast-feeding was over.....in walked another nurse, who I swear made it possible for me to breast-feed. I asked her about finger feeding and she jumped on it, got me all the materials needed, and we said goodbye to bottles! Hunter also had jaundice, so we were in the hospital for a week with him too. It took a little longer for him to catch on to breast-feeding. It was very painful, I cried alot, had a case or two of thrush, pumped and finger fed for about 3 weeks before he caught on. I'm not gonna lie, it was hell. I probably should have quit, if not only for my sanity. I didn't though, mostly because of my hubby. He's now 6 months old and still feeding well.
If I were to recommend some items to help with the breastfeeding I would say, invest in a good pump. We use the Medela pump in style. Also, get a good "cover". We have the wonderful "hooter-hider". It reduces the wierdo looks/comments I recieve from strangers, and also reduces the amount of times I have to "whip it out" in public!
January 9, 2010
My oldest son, Drew, was born in September of 2006. My youngest son, Hunter, was born in July of 2009. 2 boys, 2 wonderful boys. Drew is obsessed with trains, namely, Thomas the train. If Thomas is not around, any old train will do. I have learned more about trains in the past couple of years than I have my whole life. Before Drew became interested in trains I had never used the word "buffer" in a complete sentence. It is now a word that I use on a daily basis......oh how life has changed. Hunter is 6 months old, can roll from back to front and front to back and is mostly interested in chewing on his toy giraffe, "Sophie". Sophie is apparently the "it" toy of 2009. I arrived at my first baby class at the local early years centre and was the only mommy without a "sophie". My sister-in-law quickly changed that, as she had one in her backseat her kids were not using anymore. Hunter now has one, and hasn't let it go since.....In 2006, when Drew was a baby, I believe the "it" toy for a baby was the "whoozit". We had one of those too, also given to us by my sister-in-law. Where would my kids be, if it were not for her??? It should be noted that all of our baby gadgetry, the vibrating chair, the jumperoo, the swing, etc were at one time in my sister-in-laws house. We have timed our children in a way (not on purpose) that we were in need of an item at a time when they were done with it. It has worked out wonderfully, in that we haven't had to shell out cash for the baby stuff, and she has been able to get rid of it easily. Gotta love family!
MissMommy goes online!
Well, it finally happened, I'm a blogger. Did I ever think it would happen? No, mostly because I am an idiot when it comes to computers and never thought I would be able to figure it out. It hasn't been that hard so far, although choosing a name proved to be a little more difficult than anticipated....my first choice was "3 men and a mommy". After some thought, decided that might not attract my preferred audience...hmmmmm.
I guess I should explain why I decided to do this. When my first son was born, I attempted to keep a diary of all things, "Drew". This was not so successful, the writing just gave me a hand-cramp. Now my 2nd son is 6 months old, and I have yet to even start a diary for him. I have read many blogs and thought them a good way to keep a record of all of our comings and goings. Also, perhaps it will help my failing memory. One of my closest friends is pregnant (YAY!!) and has been asking me questions about things that happen early on in pregnancy, and do you think I can remember how it happened in either of my pregnancies??? I'm only 30, and I have the memory of an 80 year old. Awesome.
So, here we go people....
I guess I should explain why I decided to do this. When my first son was born, I attempted to keep a diary of all things, "Drew". This was not so successful, the writing just gave me a hand-cramp. Now my 2nd son is 6 months old, and I have yet to even start a diary for him. I have read many blogs and thought them a good way to keep a record of all of our comings and goings. Also, perhaps it will help my failing memory. One of my closest friends is pregnant (YAY!!) and has been asking me questions about things that happen early on in pregnancy, and do you think I can remember how it happened in either of my pregnancies??? I'm only 30, and I have the memory of an 80 year old. Awesome.
So, here we go people....
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