Aedans First trip to Niagara Falls



I'm begining to Love Drews Days off, Advetures are so much more fun with him!

We picked up the backpack child carrier at a consignment store for a really good deal and decided it would be worth a try to check it out on a hike to the falls.

Aedan stayed awake until we started our whole walk down the length of the falls.. He didn't like the mist of the cold water falling on his face so much, he kept shaking his head and brushing his nose, I have to admit on a hot day like today it felt like icy pins and needles, welcome to cool you down, but kind of not at the same time.As we got close to the edge with the rush and the roar he stared wide eyed in amazement, nothing could take his gaze off! It's amazing as a parent to watch your child veiw the world with fresh eye's. You just have to wonder what he was thinking.

We walked through some of the gardens in the parks and nursed under a huge shade tree then called it a day to get back to the infant massage class at 6:00

On our walk back Aedan finally passed out against his daddy's Back for a good long nap.

an "Ah-Ha! " moment

Our house has three steps and a porch for both our front and back doors.

It hasn't been a problem when he fit into the infant carrier and I just clipped it out to bring in the house. But he is getting a little big for that now... he is so heavy to lug around, I've been walking with just the stroller now.

When Taking Aedan for a walk and I get home and if he's sleeping it's been tricky to pick him up out of the stroller and lay him down without waking him.... I've actually gone walking longer just to let him get a good nap in before I have to wake him when we get home.

Well I FINALLY figured out how to get the stroller up the steps with a sleeping babe in it.

I go backwards rolling the back wheels up slowly slowly, just like you would a dolly holding a pile of boxes, then into the house we can go and I can let him finish his nap in the stroller.

WHY oh WHY didn't I figure this out earlier

Crunchy Mama!

5 months ago I had no idea the mom I was going to be. I did a tonne of reading and had all sorts of perspectives and professionals differing opinions ready as tools to help me help my baby when he came. I knew most of it would fall into place as it comes, but I was so nervous about my new role that was about to come.

Now I'm pretty confident about the kind of mom I am. Its amazing to think of me on my due date nervous of my new role to come with our new arrival.

I've already been called by several people "over protective" a "Germophobe" and told I'm "Spoiling" my baby. I've been told I should be feeding my baby solids earlier, that our sleeping habits are wrong, and that I'll get him to used to being carried if I keep picking him up when he cries. I've been told "Oh thats how all first mothers are" and so on.

At first some of these statements used to make me second guess how I was managing my baby, I'd re-evaluate what I'm doing compared to others opions. But all it needed to come back to is what works for Aedan and me and his dad and I would see it's working out almost perfect, that what we were doing felt right in all of our instincts as parents.

I'm actually becoming prouder of these slightly judgmental statements as it's telling me I'm doing my job.

I'm proud to say I'm a Breastfeeding, baby wearing, co-sleeping attachment parenting Mama. ( I would be cloth diapering too if it didn't cause my baby so many rashes).

I didn't expect to become such a crunchy mama. But here I am. It works and it just feels so right.

Aedans Vaxinations

Aedan has had quite a few adventures with me since I've last posted here. I seem to be barley home to touch the computer... I'll try to get some updates in while he naps today. I'm hoping t have a couple more quiet days to get caught up with general housework, email and phone calls... oh and blogging too!

Aedan had his 4 month shots about 2 weeks ago. His 2 month shots gave him some nasty reactions, so I didn't expect these ones to go too well either. While they weren't as bad as I thought they might be, they were a little tough for my guy.

I have a split mind about vaxinations, I used to work in health food stores so I know all the nasty stuff about them. I know some of the long term side effects that can happen, and how hard it is on the short term in a tiny baby. With most other people being vaxinated, I know that the chance of my baby's exposure is minimal on a normal daily basis.

On the other hand, the job I'm going back to, I will be dealing with immigrants. There is also a Daycare available for our clients... Andrew now works in a call center dealing with the same nasty keyboards and breathing the same air in close quarters with several hundred other people. So if a nasty exotic germ may abound,we work in the right places to bring it home.

I hate having those split feeling about these parts of parenting. No choice feels like the right choice.

He got his shots, I waited in another room to nurse him while Andrew stayed with him.Much like his 2 month shots, the first one was no issue, but there was much crying with the second one... So sad.

I held my screaming baby tightly so he could calm down to nurse. He didn't nurse as hard as he did the first time, but he had a good full belly.

After that all seemed well.

But it took until the evening for a fever to break. I kept him on Tylenol for 3 days, he still got a rash, fevered and cried a lot.Unlike last time, he rebounded to his normal self pretty quickly.

We have a check up at 5 months... thank goodness no needles for that one.

Oh and at his last check up Aedan was 17.5 lbs and 27 inches long!! Not too much longer in his infant seat, I guess we better start looking for a new one!

Baby Naps

On Grey days when it's not stormy, Aedan has my favourite kind of naps...

It's one of those days today.

He Fights to stay asleep and needs me constantly to fall back asleep. He will half wake - but with his eyes still closed, fighting to STAY asleep -with this little wine that he can't fall back asleep himself, That he needs me. Thats about every 25- 45 min, but these "Naps" go on the better part of the day for 5-7 hours.

The best part about them is I can get right up close to him,he sences me there then he stops whining instantly. I just hold his tiny little hand, get as close as I can and say in the quietest voice - almost a whisper. Things like "I love you" and "Your such a good boy", as well as all the things that pour out of my heart about how speacial he is.

He will half open his drowsy eyes at the sound of my voice to look me in the eyes and give the best little smile as if to say - "I love you" "Thanks for being here - I'm SO Comfortable in my nap, I'm having the best dreams" and "Why don't you join me?"

Slowly with a smile on his face off to sleep he drifts till he calls me again.

It's these tender moments I love.