Ember's Favourite Trick

Ember is in a hurry to go places. My friend Kim says that Ember vibrates with the desire to go. And, I have always said that there is no moss on our rolling stone. To help us prove the point, Ember is all to happy to stand up now. Bouncing in the exersaucer or holding herself up with help from the couch or Mummy or Daddy is her new favourite past time. Tummy time is so yesterday. Tomorrow, I think she will be treated to a Jolly Jumper.

(I'm so) Happy Friday!!

Here's why:

Ember is blossoming into a smart, independent and charismatic little girl right before our eyes. It's incredible how as the calendar pages turn over, we get to see more of Ember's personality. I truly love who my little girl is growing into. She now plays alone for up to 40 minutes at a time, chatting happily away with her dolls, and bouncing in her exersaucer which allows me time to get dinner ready and tidy around the condo.

Andrew and I have been reading to Ember since day one, and she has always responded. Now, however, she very clearly has favourites and bounces up and down with a gigantic smile on her face while I read 'Knuffle Bunny' by Mo Willems. She reaches for books and really studies the pictures with her eyes and fingers. It's amazing to watch her discover the world. I truly love being her mum!


Playing with her great tummy time toy from Auntie Kim.


Ember loves watching the water move under her hands and fishes float around.


In her exersaucer for the first time!


Ember posing happily for her four month birthday photo.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

A Rant ... sort of

Remember when I spared you the rant about the benefits of cloth diapering and why you should be doing it? Well, you have the choice to click here and read one. The author does a great job of dispelling myths and tackling excuses people often use as a reason to use disposables.

It's funny. Seriously worth it. Just do it, please, maybe it will open your eyes.

Some-bunny loves Easter!

It could be my favourite holiday, I love it. Ember celebrated her first Easter this past weekend. Of course, she's too young for the egg hunt and chocolate but an excuse to wear a dress, well a gal is never too young for that. Her Easter dress came from her Grauntie (Great Aunt) Nedra and Great Uncle Albin and I just love it. I was having great difficulty finding one that I liked in Ember's size so I was thrilled to find it in our Easter parcel.

Nana, Andrew's mom, joined us for the weekend. Ember and she shared many laughs. We had our family dinner on Sunday and I made the best darn lamb I've ever tasted, accompanied by scrumptious three cheese scallopped potatoes. Of course there were other veggies, but they were only secondary to the main events.


Ember sitting up with just a little assistance from Daddy.


Andrew, Grampa Ian, Nana, Ember burying her face in my hair.

Ember goes to Vancouver!

The first week of March, our little family went on its first vacation to Vancouver. Having not been back since moving a year and a half earlier, Andrew and I had a Vancouver itch that just needed to be scratched. It marked Ember's first plane trip, which despite my concern, there was no need for. Once on board, Ember nursed for 20 minutes through take off and continued to sleep the one and half hour long flight, right through landing. She was a champ!!

Our great friends Kim, Isaac and their two daughters opened their home to us for the week, making us feel nothing but welcome. It was great to see them and meet their youngest, Ellie, who is just 12 days older than Ember.

Everday of our seven days there, we spent enjoying a different part of the city or surrounding area - Granville Island, Stanley Park, White Rock and more. Here are some of our photos.



Ember on her very first flight, sound asleep.


Ember and I on the Bombardier train.



The whole group on the pier in White Rock.




Ember and I in front of the Olympic cauldron. We were there between the Olympics and the Paralymics so it wasn't lit.


Ember wanted to drive through Stanley Park.
(Yes, the keys are in the ignition but it wasn't running).


On the seawall with the Lion's Gate bridge behind her.


In Daddy's arms on her first ferry ride to Galiano Island to meet Grandma Michelle and her great-grandparents.



At our favourite lunch spot, Steamworks, in Gastown.



Waiting for our flight to go home; we aren't too thrilled to be leaving.

March - the Good, the Bad and the Annoying

The Good - Our first family vacation to Vancouver. It was an absolute joy. Ember was unbelievably well behaved and a delight to introduce to all our family and friends. Andrew and I basked in escaping the dumpy Alberta winter for spring's glories of cherry blossoms and magnolia trees.

The Bad - My first cold as a mum. I don't get sick often and I found it pretty rough when I was in the thick of it. Ember was going through something at the same time, be it the beginning of teething or a small cold of her own... whatever it was she was waking up every hour and a half for several nights. Poor sleep and no meds allowed (since I'm nursing) make for a grumpy mama. That cold was going nowhere fast and I felt perfectly justified in complaining about it to my husband who was getting a solid 8 hours of sleep every night. In fact, I'm still not 100%.

The Annoying - My laptop died. Lights out. Gonzo. Kapput. The vessel which contains all photos of Ember and details of our life has died. I realize the bulk of it is retrievable however I'm mourning my loss. It's extremely difficult to set up a new computer just to my liking after everything had been so perfectly established. And that's why I've been MIA. However, I now have a new computer all to myself and I'm slowly getting it "just right".

I'll be posting oodles this week, featuring lots of pictures of Miss Ember from our Vancouver trip right up to Easter in her adorable dress (thank you Grauntie Nedra!!). Bear with me!!

The Mum Uniform

No, I'm not talking about front butt jeans.

The 'mum uniform' of a newborn/infant typically consists of pyjamas - all day, everyday. I'll admit that there were days that I saw no sense in getting dressed. Okay, it was a norm for a while. I mean, why bother? I wasn't going anywhere. Probably wasn't going to be able to sneak in a shower. Napping is FAR more comfortable in an elasticized waist.

The problem with spending 24/7 in pants that have a drawstring is that your days and nights begin to meld together. You feel like a big pile of dirty diapers. You begin to blame it on motherhood. Basically, you turn into what you swore you never would.

This only just occurred to me a week or two ago. While I was nursing Ember late one night, I finally realized that motherhood is my job right now. I pride myself on doing the job to the best of my ability and raising a happy, healthy little girl. However, pyjamas impede on that objective and I would never ever go to work in my PJs. That night, I swore I would put effort into myself and therein, my job.

Everyday, I now ensure I get a shower (usually before Ember gets up) and I put on some clean clothes. I strive for more than lululemon though on dreary, winter days, I fall victim to its comfort. I also take the time to put on some make-up; mascara can go a long way. The makeover has changed my daily attitude and productivity, too. I find I am much happier through the day and that I have the energy to get a lot more accomplished around the house. (Keeping clutter at bay makes a huge difference in my peace of mind.)

Having re-fashioned my 'mum uniform' has made my head space so much clearer, I'm almost certain that my job performance has improved. A small makeover was all that was required.