Water Baby

Summer is here, and even though it offically hasn't started yet, it's certainly hot enough to pull out a pool and go swimming.
Now, we knew Audra liked the water, I guess we were not prepared for just how much she was going to love her pool!!!!
Splish splash is all I have to write!

the family

Some shots of our wonderful family.....

Vacation

Hot, sticky, driving far, meeting new family, and just generally laying low, describes the past week. Jamie had a week of vacation, that started with a great date night of dinner and a movie, and Audra having her first sleep over with the Miller grandparents.
Missed her a bit, and was very disappointed with the reaction we got when we went to pick her up. No big smiles, or any indication that she missed us! (not a bad thing I guess!|)
The highlight of Sunday, was not the Lost series finale, but that we could see the fireworks from the driving park from our house! A great show that both Jay and Audra slept through!
Monday saw us on the road bright and early and Audra was great in the car. Lots of pitstops, and we finally arrived up in North Bay late that afternoon. It was so wonderful to see everyone and introduce the baby. She got to meet 2 great grandmothers (Grandma Firman and Grandma Glenna {aka 3 G-Great Grandma Glenna!}, a great grandfather, lots of Aunts, Uncles and cousins!
It was so hot up in the bay. I was anticipating warm weather but not that hot! But we had a great time, everyone rolled out the red carpet, and it was a truly wonderful visit.
The rest of the week was perfect for relaxing, getting some things done around the house, and errands.

Folder Craft

Take one ugly folder (thanks to Jamie for supplying them!), make up some very snazzy word poems on Wordle.org, cut them all up, and get out the Mod Podge!
The one I created is for all my knitting patterns. I love that they now all have a proper home, and when I need to find one, they will all be in the same spot. A very stylish spot at that!

Cooking

The time has come to make some food for Audra. The poor kid has been eating wallpaper paste (or so the rice cereal would appear), and I thought why not start with some veggies and mix it up?
Peas and sweet potatoes it is. We have these fantastic Baby Cubes, that are individual little containers with a tray, perfect for portioning and freezing. And I bought a little food mill for purees that I need to take skins off food. Otherwise my blender and immersion blender will do the trick.
I can't believe the cost of baby food when purchasing it at the grocery store.
It amazes me how much people will spend for convience, when a few extra minutes in the kitchen, will provide you with so much more, in both the quanity and quality of food that you are feeding your loved one.

Happy 1st Mommy Day

Wow, hard to believe that a year ago, I was just pregnant, and it felt weird to be thinking about myself as a mom. Now, those days feel like a faint memory. Being a mom is a great thing. It is definitely work and somedays trying, but at the end of the day, no amount of screaming, crying, sleepless nights, would make me want to not be a mom. It's wonderful.
Audra (aka Jay) got me some great scrapbooking stuff, some containers to keep it all in, and a fantastic little book to keep track of what I'm reading and have read.
Audra and I went up to the Millers and we all (yes, the entire family) had a great homemade brunch. Yummy! I got a new charm for my pandora, gorgeous gerberas, and a gift certificate for a pedicure-can't wait to use that one.
It was a great day, spending it with my mom, and my daughter. Three generations now. Very special indeed. I can't wait for the day of homemade cards and crafts.

May Shower(s)

May 1st, brought a wonderful shower for Audra and I, up in Barrie, thanks to Grandma Diane and Aunt Trish. It was a great afternoon, full of fun, family and friends and Audra was spoiled rotten!
Audra was all dolled up in her finest party dress and of course looked adorable!
Trish made us a fantastic diaper cake, hard to believe that until recently she had never heard of them! Lots of great and yummy food, including olive penguins, and drunk ducks!
It was a small affair, just the right amount of loved ones there, it was a perfect day.
Audra scored her oh so wonderful highchair, some food and feeding accessories, a new bathing suit, a gorgeous party dress, some toys, and mom and dad even got a few things!
It was a great day!

Good Eats

We are moving into the eating solids world slowly but surely. Audra is still just testing out rice cereal. She is still very indifferent to it. She does not love it, but I am hoping she is getting used to the textures of food in her mouth. She looks so cute in her snazzy new highchair.

The Past Week and a Bit

For some reason, time has escaped me these past two weeks. I am not really sure where April disappeared to, or how it is already the second week of May. I guess I have been slacking a bit. Haven't had much time to send out new posts or pictures or even blog.
We started stroller fitness, which is being done out in Waterdown at a great trail. It's an hour of ups and downs and push ups and jogging, and roughly 50 moms and strollers. Hopefully our crazy weather stays crazy, and it won't be too hot the next couple of weeks. I must say though, all this time outside and walking, has definitely been helping with my tan. I am usually very pasty white, or frozen turkey meat white, as Jay puts it, and this year, I am actually getting a bit of a tan.
For those hot days, we bought Audra a little rainbow pool. She loves the water and I imagine will love splashing around. We haven't blown it up yet, but it's small and has a little rainbow cover, so cute. She is also the proud owner of 3 bathing suits already! Definitely not as many as her auntie Charlotte, but quite a few for someone who has never been swimming before!
Mothergoose is still in full swing, and Audra loves the singing. Each week it's a few new songs and rhymes, and the shark song seems to be her favourite. And I find some of these damn tunes floating through my head for days, and really, all well and good when singing to her, but not when I am by myself! lol.
We visited our genetics "team" last week. Audra is doing great. She is gaining well, she weighed 13 and 1/2 pounds, and the best news was, because she hasn't had any problems, we can let her go about 4 hours between feedings. Now, whether or not she will let us get to that point is another story, but at night I don't feel bad if she does go 4 hours.
I will post about the shower and my first mom's day, along with pictures.