Holiday Shopping Guide

Happy Holidays! Oh, that's the first time I said that this year and the days are ticking away! I have started my holiday shopping though and I've started it online - no malls, no line ups and home delivery - it's great! We've decided to share our favourite online retailers with you!

Click here to see the first CanadianBabies Holiday Shopping Guide! Our favourite shops spread the joy!

free hugs

I just found this on urbanmoms.ca. It definately made me smile, laugh and hug my kids. Enjoy and please share! Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/v/vr3x_RRJdd4

Free Hugs Campaign has become a global movement. This is what the people at the '>Free Hugs Campaign said:

Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whose sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives. In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.

As this symbol of human hope spread accross the city, police and officials ordered the Free Hugs campaign BANNED. What we then witnessed is the true spirit of humanity coming together in what can only be described as awe inspiring.

In the Spirit of the free hugs campaign, PASS THIS TO A FRIEND and HUG A STRANGER! After all, If you can reach just one person...

The response to this video has been nothing short of overwhelming and touching. Hugs to every single one of you who messaged. There have been thousands of emails from all over the world by people seeking to participate in the Free Hugs campaign and asking for permission. You do not need permission. This is the peoples' movement, this is *your* movement. With nothing but your bare hands you can make THE difference.

Mommy Brain!

Ack, does "Mommy Brain" last forever? I just found myself putting the dishsoap in the fridge! It's either mommy brain or I'm becoming more and more like my own mother - eeek!

Vancouver Doula

I just came across the website Vancouver Doula and am so impressed with the information found there. I have two little ones and had one doula at my first born's birth and two doulas at my second born's birth. The joke is that if we had a third (and we're not!) that we would have 3 doulas!

My good friend, Anona, was the doula at #1 and #2 birth and she was amazing. She was my brains during both births. She coached, supported and helped me mentally get through those waves of labour pains.

We hired Rachel, a massage therapist, to also be there for birth #2. While Anona managed by brain, helping me relax and not panic, Rachel massaged the heck out of my lower birth - my very own handmade epidural!

Doulas are amazing! I can't imagine giving birht without the support of an amazing doula!

There's no candy left at our house...

All our candy left the house on the morning after Halloween - yeah! Although I'm sure there's a stash in my hubby's car!

We adapted the following "tradition" because 3 years ago we were all incredibly sick in November and I'm sure it was because our immune systems were weakened by all the sugar we ate after Halloween (I have absolutely no will power when there is chocolate in the house!).

Both of my little ones dress up (Joshua is now 6 and Sabrina is almost 4). This year Joshua was Batman (although he brought a light saber just in case and Sabrina was the same unicorn she was last year (such an easy age!). One parent stays home and the other takes out the kids - half way through the night we sometimes switch.

Here's our tradition...you can find a few different versions of this story on the 'net but around our house, we collect sugar on Halloween night for the Sugar Sprite. Each child gets to keep one piece of candy - usually the number of pieces is the same as their age. The Sugar Sprite is a fairy who collects sugar in the fall and she uses it to make snow all winter long. Children collect the sugar (candy) for her on Halloween and leave it just outside their front door. While they are asleep she takes the sugar and leaves the children a thank you note and a gift. The kids love to see their small gifts in the morning and to see the Sugar Sprite's 'footprints' in the trail of sugar that she leaves on the front porch! :) Luckily we've always had some snow a few days after Halloween! This amazes the kids!

So for the past years we've been giving away the candy that we collect. Sabrina had 3 pieces of candy last year and Joshua had 5. And they were still pretty good about it this year. Around 8:00 pm, Joshua even asked if he could put his candy outside! Hubby brings all the candy to work the next day - where his co-workers groan about it but it's usually gone in a few days!

a moral dilemma

is it wrong to roast marshmallows for yourself over the burner of your gas stove, using chopsticks, while your kids aren't looking?

Ah, sleep.....zzzz

Recently on a discussion board that I'm on a mom to a 9-month old ask about Elizabeth Pantley's book "The No-Cry Sleep Solution". She had bought the book and was working through it but was getting opposing advice regarding sleep for her daughter.

Sleep – this was a big issue for me. My first little one couldn’t go to sleep without touching me for the first 8 months of his life – he’s now 6 years old and goes to be faithfully at 7:30 each night and we don’t hear from him, typically for 12 hours ('cept for last night!).

When he was an infant I ended up having to go to bed the same time he did so that I was rested. It actually worked out well, I got the sleep I needed and hubby had to clean the kitchen at night!
A book that was really reassuring to me was Dr Sears’ “Nighttime Parenting”. As well, Ann Douglas’ new book “Sleep Solutions for your Baby, Toddler and Preschooler” has also had good reviews. Heck, everything Ann writes is wonderful and very practical!

Baby Om at Wish

The wonderful Wish magazine recently listed list of studios across Canada that offer baby yoga programs. I want to add to the list their great list here:

The Yoga Loft
5663 Cornwallis Street, Suite 301
Halifax, NS B3K 1B6
Tel: 429-3330

Bluemoon Wellness
684 Osborne Street South (upper level)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
(204) 287-8978

Lion's Breath Yoga & Pilates
Edmonton, Alberta
780.486.4431 or 780.488.4433

Kanata Yoga Centre
2 Beaverbrook Road
Kanata, Ontario K2K 1L1
(613) 858-1114

Namaste!

Got Blogs!

I'm in the middle of shoveling out my office with the help of the incredible Glenda Muir from re:organized living...more on that later, including the embarrassing 'before' pictures, but for now I just have to share that...

...the Canadian baby world is amazing! As Canadian parents we are quietly doing our thing, playing with baby, trying to clean the house, hopping in and out of mini-vans, developing our biceps lugging around infant car seats (you know that I've-got-a-car-seat-in-one-hand shuffle) and all the while there's this quiet underground parenting Meetup/yahoo group/blogging/mompreneur world out there! It's amazing!

Please see the blogs, on the right, I've just discovered on the new and improved urbanmoms site!

Before I Pack Tomorrow's Lunch...

Yesterday Ann Douglas wrote about "School's Eve". Thank you Ann.

Today, I'll write with relief that we got through the day. It was a day of firsts for J. - first day of full school; first day of grade one; first day at a new school; first day riding the bus to school (I followed in the van) and first day of French Immersion. I felt like someone's fist was around my heart all day, but J. was so brave!

To add to the emotions of the day, we were thrilled when the Snowbirds flew over the school to honour Captain Michael VandenBos. From our house, it looked almost as if they flew over the school, over our house and back to the school. What an incredible day! What an incredible story.

gimme blogs, gimme blogs

Ok, I spending way too much time reading and trying to find Canadian baby-related blogs - such great reading! You'll see our 'links' area on the side growing weekly, especially if you feed my new addiction - send me information about interesting and unique Canadian baby-related blogs that you've found! I working to get a collection of blogs from across the country :) - really I'm working and not having any fun with it ;)

Slingin' at Starbucks

While running into Starbuck's yesterday (is it getting too cold for Tim Horton's Iced Cappuccinos?), I saw this adorable young couple with their baby heading towards their car. The dad was wearing their little one in a pouch sling and both dad and baby looked so happy. What is it about this type of picture that just makes you sigh and say "aaawww?"

I love, love, love the carriers I have. We started with a Baby Bjorn that is pretty much standard in the baby carrier world. It's great for a younger baby and my husband loved to carry Joshua in it and go for walks without me (apparently the neighbourhood women gushed all over them!). Joshua could snuggle close and then face out (which he loved!). It got limiting though as Joshua got older (read "longer"!) and his little feet would dangle and get in the way of mommy and daddy's leg.

I also have a Heart-to-Heart ring sling (oh, they've updated their website! cute!). I need Dr. Sears’ Baby Book to help me understand how to use it but once Joshua was in it he fell asleep in 2 minutes! Perfect! It's a very versatile, easy to get into carrier. I've loaned mine to so many people to try - hey, where is it now? Who has it?

Next I found the Hip Hammock online (before it was bought by Playtex). This is an amazing carrier - so many people would stop be to ask about it that I consider selling them. What was next?

Oh, sigh, my favourite - the Ergo Carrier... let me have a moment here ...this such a fantastic and comfortable carrier. I could still carry Sabrina in it and she's almost 4 years old (I won’t though). Just looking at it on the Pookababy site makes me smile.

The last carrier I tried was a Moby Wrap. It was a little intimidating learning how to use this loooong piece of fabric but when I put Sabrina into it, at 16 months, my first reaction was "oh, I’ve got to have another baby so I can wear an infant in this". Which is a crazy thought because we are not having any more children just to fill a baby carrier! LOL! But the Moby is just that comfy and cuddly.

Enjoy your babies, wear them close and maybe I'll see you at Starbucks! :)

Balance not Boredom

I was recently asked by Rebecca Eckler about my thoughts on "this wave of mothers - mostly from Britain and America - that are coming out and writing about how difficult it is to be a mother, and how they rather go out with friends for drinks, to the gym, etc."

These mothers are writing about how difficult it is to be a mother. Is motherhood at times difficult? Of course, it is! Clean & straighten the house continually, get the groceries, cook dinner that appeals to all, read all the parenting books there are, keep in touch with prebaby friends, attend this mommy class and that one, fill out new child tax forms, make time for the gym, count your new grey hairs (grr!)...and then be a sexy mama at the same time? Something will inevitably go! We are under a lot of pressure. These writers have taken it to the extreme though and that's what gets the press...and the book deal.

Rebecca called these parents "uninvolved" but I would call it "unattached". "Attachment is the strong bond of affection and connection that develops between children and their parents or primary caretakers. The quality of this bond influences the child's physical, emotional, and intellectual development." You need to spend time with your children to be attached to them and for them to be attached to you.

Parenting is about balance. Parents bored of their children? Come on! What was my grandmother's best quote of all: "If you are bored, you are boring." Find a way to get involved with your children and spend time with them. Finds ways to make yourself happy as well.

As parents we need to spend time with our children, our spouses and as corny as it sounds...ourselves. But it's got to be a balance...some of each...not one over the other.

Do you find Barney boring...well, don't watch him! In Canada, there are so many great ways to go spend time with your babies. You can go to Movies for Mommies in Vancouver, Toronto, Waterloo, Ottawa and Montreal. Moms in the City organizes amazing events for parents in Toronto. Wee Welcome is holding "Mama Mingles" across the country. Babyvibe in Vancouver, and soon Calgary, has listings of wonderful events for families. Spas are creating baby days. The MommyClub in Calgary organizes events monthly for parents. There are Mom Meetups across the country. Some very smart spas are even offering stroller days, when mamas can get manicures in a baby welcoming settings - how cool is that! As well there are baby sign language classes, music classes, fitness classes, mom and baby yoga classes- there are so many fun things so much to do with your child.

Add to these some well deserved time with girlfriends (AKA, girls night out, nit and nag, etc). Go out have fun! Through in the regular "dates" with your partner and you've got balance, not boredom.

I like to potty, potty...

Okay, my family is approximately 1 year, 5 days and 7 hours past the potty training stage (but who's counting!) but this website that I just found has a very cute product:

http://www.pottysong.com/index.shtml

I was able to find the personalized version of their potty song for my son (J. went potty, J. went potty...), but couldn't find one for my daughter, but they would record one for her. Each personalized song would cost $9.95 (I'm assuming this is US) . I I would have bought these for my kids, considering what we've paid for diapers.

Another site that I did use when my daughter was toilet training was this Sign Language Potty Training Activity Book:

http://www.linton-entertainment.com/ASL/toilet%20gifs/Pottybook.htm

It was great to personalize the storybook (hmmm, there's a theme here) and read it to her a few times a day. The vocabulary/story really helped all adults in her life follow the same steps and use the same words as well.

We did think of "starting" to toilet train S. when she got close to 2 years, but I thought I could toilet train her for a year and she'll be using the potty by age 3 OR I could not work at it for a year and she'll be using the potty by age 3! :) I choose not to "train" her for a year and she was using the potty on her own about 3-4 weeks past her 3rd birthday. Yeah!

Actually, she didn't really care about it one way or another (her brother was sooo much easier!), when she had an accident she'd just say "it's okay, mommy, you can clean it up"...in a kind of "whatever" kind a tone...sigh! This is so much her laid back personality! What I ended up doing is just telling her we ran out of diapers and we only had a few to use a night time. She thought about it for a bit and came up with, "Hmmm, I better use the potty all the time now." Aaaahh!

Lord, help me when she's a teenager! I wonder if there will be a personalized "S. will be home by 10:00 pm, S. will be home by 10:00 pm" song by then? Anyone?? Please...

Gripes!

I was recently asked where to buy gripe water in Vancouver - :) what did you think I was writing about this time!

Most drug stores/pharmacies should have it in the baby section. I’m pretty sure all have no alcohol now but check just in case. Some have different flavours (though not stated on the bottle), e.g., a licorice or dill flavour (!)

I've been doing some searching online for "gripe water" and I'm surprised that what I'm finding for the most part are sites that sell it but not a whole lot of information on it! Even my trusted Dr. Sears has nothing on the topic. Maybe this is a sign?

Other remedies for colicy (don't like the term!) babies are infant massage and wearing your baby. I found the latter out when my son was 4 months old and as soon as I put him in a sling he was asleep in 2 minutes! Grrr!

If anyone else has any hints to share, please do so!

"Mommy Milk" T-Shirts

I’ve create a toddler/children's t-shirts for breastfeeding challenge this fall, on September 30, 2006 at 11am. They are very cute! Text on the t-shirts reads "My WeeHands Can Sign...Mommy Milk".

Profits from the sale of these 100% cotton infant and toddler t-shirts will be donated to La Leche League. For more information about the Breastfeeding Challenge please visit this website: http://www.babyfriendly.ca/

You can have a look at them at this website:

https://www.cafepress.com/weehands.25768269

Please share with all the families with wee babies you know!

Universal Child Care Benefit

Recently, I shared information in our newsletters about the governments new Universal Child Care Benefit. There has been a bit in the media about this. Parents with children under the age of 6 years will be getting $1,200 annually per child, broken down into 12 monthly installments of $100 for each preschool-age child in every family Unfortunately, this benefit is taxable so it will actually turn out to be $80.00/child per month. Read more about this "benefit" and it's intricacies on another blog I've been following lately!

From nibble trays to brussel sprouts

A new mom wrote me today and asked about feeding her 10 month old...or not feeding him...well, not NOT feeding him but he wasn't interested in eated because he had just learned to walk and was too busy exploring the world.

As a mom, I can completely relate to what she was saying! Been there! I told her that Dr. Sears' site would be helpful. I would not have gotten through babyhood with my little ones without Dr. Sears’ (okay a slight exaggeration!) As well the idea of a nibble tray (with appropriate 10 month old food) may be helpful as well.

Believe me I had to do a song and dance to get my first born to eat. Picture me putting a load of laundry in our front loading washing machine just so he could watch the water and bubbles while I fed him – he did NOT want to eat. At almost 6 years now he eats almost as much as my husband at times and loves almost any and all green vegetables – go figure!

If only Ann Douglas had written her book, Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler And Preschooler, when my wee ones were, well, wee! Okay, they are 5 years and 3 year old - they're not ancient. Ann was most likely starting to write her new sleep and food books while I was pacing the floors at 2 am and putting on a floor show for Joshua!

Typical Canadian Mom?

I consider myself a typical Canadian mom...I have my quirks...some of my friends parent the way I do...others, well they don't! Still I think many Canadian moms have asked themselves these important questions...

• Is it okay to put Kahlua in a Tim Horton's Iced Cappucino?
• Is there any residential cleaning services out there that will fold and put away laundry?

Inquiring minds want...no, NEED to know! I think I'll try the Kahlua thing tomorrow night! Meet me on the front porch!

Dear Andre

Fantastic article! Thank you Infact Canada for fowarding it.

This stood out for me, “Yet, in hospitals (where, sadly, most births still occur), nurses and physicians are often too busy to help.” Both of my children were born to midwives at home (both were also nursed until about 22 months). I remember after my firstborn's birth that the midwives helping me/him right away get latched on. I had a great support network but still had moments of am I doing this right? I heard too many stories of friends who had gone to nurses who told them to supplement because they were not producing enough milk. These friends soon gave up on breastfeeding their little ones.

Education or re-education has to be there for the frontline staff – the OB, the family doctors, public health and visiting nurses…even some midwives. As well, post-partum support and doulas is a necessity, especially for first time moms.