tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66086038271378417182024-03-14T11:49:25.193-07:00LilahbilityThe musings and ramblings of a new(ish) mommy.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.comBlogger402125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-63061225974518056202014-04-30T20:45:00.000-07:002014-04-30T20:45:50.143-07:00The Call of the Conch<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Those of us who spend our winters bundling up against the cold, wind, and rain often feel the pull of a warm weather destination by about... mmm, mid-January. Call it the call of the conch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">My dad and his wife have become quite the snowbirds, flying south to Florida for the winter, and for several years, we have considered paying a visit to their nest. Somehow we have always found reasons <em>not</em> to make this trip from Vancouver: a fifteen hour travel day across North America with two small children, two flights, and a three hour time difference being high on the list of so-called obstacles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">But with three sets of parents mostly in their seventies, talk also turns to spending more time with them, and creating opportunities for our children to know their grandparents. The need to show up, to be there, to be present.... becomes increasingly urgent as time marches on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">So this year, we finally stopped focusing on what was holding us back and heeded the call of the conch. And oh, we most certainly did not regret it!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Unconditional Surrender." Exactly.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The moral of the story? Listen for the call of the conch. And follow it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Show up. Get there. Be present.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Because it matters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">And it will most <em>definitely</em> be worth it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">"I'd rather regret the things I have done than the things that I haven't." <span style="font-size: small;">-Lucille Ball</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Mama’s Losin’ It" src="http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac331/mamakatslosinit/workshop-button-1.png" /></a></center>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-88128359845218196832014-04-09T22:42:00.001-07:002014-04-12T11:46:17.425-07:00He Can Ask For It.<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Let's talk about normal-term breastfeeding. (Call it extended breastfeeding if you will, but I prefer full-term or normal-term.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Right now, you are either shuddering or fist-pumping.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Breastfeeding has always been a very important part of my relationship with my kids. Before Lilah was even conceived, I knew I desperately wanted to breastfeed. I just didn't know how long I would want or be able to do it. I tended to agree with that modern adage that if they can ask for it, it's kinda creepy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Wait. What? That makes absolutely NO sense to me now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Once I had Lilah, I realized they are <em>always </em>asking for it. It's simply an evolution. From making sucky faces to crying to nuzzling into my chest to those first rudimentary attempts at making the sign for "milk" (which both of my kids used long before they could say the word) to lifting up my shirt to saying "milk." And in Lilah's case, all the way up to 26 months, just before she weaned, when she could say, "Milk please, Mommy." All of this is <em>normal</em>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxH1yACtbAoyiZa9KAhlsfEOm_L_tzBYS-Y6gf2ntPDeGhErJHW0quwM7K7h-ac5r819_784m0PKMwdGnTADQIPnpHu3KHaKhFbjJuXTr0-Kek6fZd4oxsaD8oTlc7a1_ZlqfWS0_T6dX/s1600/2013-05-02+10.38.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxH1yACtbAoyiZa9KAhlsfEOm_L_tzBYS-Y6gf2ntPDeGhErJHW0quwM7K7h-ac5r819_784m0PKMwdGnTADQIPnpHu3KHaKhFbjJuXTr0-Kek6fZd4oxsaD8oTlc7a1_ZlqfWS0_T6dX/s1600/2013-05-02+10.38.11.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">There is no clear line where they go from "asking for it" to really <em>asking</em> for it<em>. </em>Besides, even if there was, why would it make sense to cut them off just when I'm finally really sure what they want? Is that considered <em>normal?</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Please understand, I support other moms in whatever length of breastfeeding works for them and their children, whether that be never, a few days, a few months, or a few years. I'm just saying that I, personally, have changed my tune completely because my child asking for breast milk just doesn't seem like a legitimate reason to stop giving it to them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Henry is almost 20 months, with a mouthful of teeth, an exploding vocabulary, two- and three-word phrases, and a huge repertoire of songs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">He can definitely ask for it. And he exercises that right several times a day. Most of the time, I am happy to oblige.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPZcEA26L_3uFXc2FghrvaibnI7GqvlkSsmeNbzHWSkbEUgHAQLLTWK9Mkrf2pk79C5frA-ZVkQqU-Ot-bTKGXfH_WaeWqkoVPzxB5eCaSv3CoE8MDYoOrQbo70nl2o8CmBwf9cHRLdJJ/s1600/2013-08-03+15.31.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPZcEA26L_3uFXc2FghrvaibnI7GqvlkSsmeNbzHWSkbEUgHAQLLTWK9Mkrf2pk79C5frA-ZVkQqU-Ot-bTKGXfH_WaeWqkoVPzxB5eCaSv3CoE8MDYoOrQbo70nl2o8CmBwf9cHRLdJJ/s1600/2013-08-03+15.31.52.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Sometimes, it's an inconvenience. The gymnurstics, kicks to the face, and occasional biting can be annoying or even downright painful. But there are other parts that make it so worthwhile. His delighted giggle when I say, "Milk? Sure!" and start to lift my shirt. The cure-all for owies, grumpies, and everything in between. The best way to wake up. The way he tilts his head to one side and says, "side?" when he wants to switch. His emphatic "buh-bye!" as he pulls down my shirt to show he is all done. These are just a few of the many things that make nursing a toddler feel absolutely natural to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Right now, we are both enjoying this aspect of our relationship. And I plan to continue as long as we both continue to enjoy it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Whether that makes you shudder or fist-pump, I really don't mind. Because this is just so... <em>normal.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">I'm linking up with some other Vancouver Mom bloggers who are passionate about normal-term breastfeeding. Drop in on <a href="http://www.apartmentbaby.com/2014/04/yep-im-nursing-a-toddler.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Mama in the City</span></a>, <a href="http://hillarywith2ls.com/blog/2014/4/8/full-term-breastfeeding-or-yup-still-breastfeeding-my-toddler" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Hillary with two Ls</span></a>, <a href="http://www.spokesmama.com/2014/04/normal-term-breastfeeding-or-mama-can-i.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Spokesma</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">ma</span></a>, and <a href="http://onecrazykid.com/mama-milk-please-our-extended-breastfeeding-story/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">One Crazy Kid</span></a> for more normal-term breastfeeding stories. If you're a fist-pumper, link up! Or share your thoughts on full-term/normal-term breastfeeding in the comments.</span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-45889486482128232592014-04-03T20:52:00.000-07:002014-04-03T20:52:28.566-07:00The Invention of Lying Down Games<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">A couple of weeks ago I had a really rough bout of the stomach flu. For just over 24 hours, all I could do was sleep, toss my cookies, or writhe around in bed with horrible stomach pains and moan. I am not exaggerating. And it took me the better part of a week once <em>that </em>part was over to really feel 100% back to my old self.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">In that time, I had to get through a few (mercifully short-lived) times when I was alone with my kids and feeling ill or exhausted. Enter the invention of lying. down. games.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Through my delirious haze, I somehow managed to convince my kids that it would be really fun to pretend Mommy was a sleeping dragon under the blanket on the couch, and they had to tiptoe around the dragon's cave. If they were too noisy, the dragon would wake up and make them run laps from the living room to the kitchen. (In previous, more energetic iterations of the this game, the Mommydragon would tickle them as punishment for their noisiness, but this time the Mommydragon didn't even have the strength for that.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Shockingly, they ate it up. Lilah is <em>still </em>asking to play this game, and my inner Mommydragon is only too happy to oblige. I'm sure it won't be much longer before she figures out how little effort it requires on my part. But hey, as long as they're safe and having fun, it passes as parenting, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Have you invented any good lying down games I can add to my repertoire for the next time I find myself solo parenting through illness?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-37781474212595493292014-03-23T20:03:00.000-07:002014-03-23T20:03:21.584-07:00Top Ten Reasons I Haven't Been Blogging<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">You may or may not have noticed that I have been absent for quite a while. The hiatus was unintentional, but there is no shortage of reasons for it. Here are ten of them:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">1) We got Netflix. Those of you who have it know what I mean.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">2) I'm trying to get back to a healthier lifestyle and fit in 3-4 workouts a week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">3) I started a new job in November. It's only part-time, but the caseload is broader than I'm used to, and I'm spending loads of mental energy learning and growing as a clinician.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">4) I have a four-and-a-half-year-old and a 19-month-old, yo. (I know, not really a proper excuse. I'm not the first woman to give birth to two children. But there hardly seem to be enough hours in the day!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">5) I've been too lazy to carry my big girl camera around. I used to find that my photos inspired many of my blog posts. Lately my iPhone has been my go-to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">6) Instagram. See above.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">7) The sleep situation at our house has been all over the place for the past few months, meaning that I need to go to bed shortly after my kids if I want to have a hope of getting a good night's sleep. (Well, that's what I <em>should </em>be doing anyway. Netflix says otherwise.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">8) Words with Friends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">9) Despite number 6 and number 8, I am actually making a conscious effort to be truly present when I'm with my kids. Sometimes I succeed at this and sometimes I don't, but I am certainly spending less time on social media and I think my Twitter followers would say I've pretty much dropped off the map.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">10) I feel a certain internal tug-of-war when it comes to blogging my thoughts and feelings on motherhood. I struggle between loyalty to my children and the need to vent when things get frustrating. It didn't matter so much when Lilah was younger and less aware, but now she picks up on <em>everything</em> and while I want to be real about motherhood, I also want to make sure I don't say things I don't mean simply in the spirit of venting or even just to get a laugh. Sometimes I treat blogging like a conversation between friends, but the truth is, I am putting something out there on the internet and someday she or Henry may read what I've written. All this internal struggle has lead to a bit of paralysis, I'm afraid.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">What about you? Do you blog in fits and starts like me, or are you more dedicated? And how do you juggle your Netflix schedule with your blogging schedule? ;) I'll take notes!</span><br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-67672941817081065922014-01-12T19:42:00.002-08:002014-01-12T19:42:54.538-08:00Funk Busters<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Okay, the moment has arrived. Confession time. Here it is: I spent much of the latter half of 2013 in a funk. A big one. I blamed it on a million little things that added up, but the truth is, it had more to do with my own stress management and <em>letting </em>these little things get to me than with the things themselves. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I'm determined not to let 2014 go the same way. Because, after all, <em>who </em>is really in control here? Me, of course! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">And so I give you my list of activities that are pretty much guaranteed to bust me out of a funk, even if only temporarily. I should probably carry this around in my pocket all year as a reminder that I <em>can</em> actually do something about my mood. And -bonus!- these are things that are mostly free or at least inexpensive and pretty easy to do on the fly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">1. Dance party! Anywhere, anytime, and almost always involving the kids. Usually in the kitchen, or while jumping on the bed. But dance parties can be mobile, so anything goes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">2. Watching the baby (okay, toddler, if I'm being honest with myself) sleep. Seeing a body that is constantly in motion during waking hours finally still; lips puckered, long eyelashes fluttering against the softest cheeks... brings an instant sense of peace.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">3. Watching the big kid sleep. That four-and-a-half-year-old mouth that never stops <em>making noise</em> is finally silent, lips parted slightly, breathing deep and heavy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">4. Taking a long bubble bath with a good book and a glass of wine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">5. Watching Glee. I have always been, and will always be, a sucker for a good, slightly cheesy, song and dance number, especially when intermingled with the occasional love story. YouTube clips of flash mobs that end in marriage proposals also slay me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">6. Reminding myself that <em>it's normal.</em> Whatever parenting or life challenges I am having, I'm not the first mom to have them, nor will I be the last.</span><span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">7. Listening to the Raffi Christmas album. I don't intentionally set out to listen to it in the middle of summer, but sometimes it randomly pops up on the iPod and I've discovered it's actually physically impossible to be irritated with my kids while listening to "A Child's Gift of Love" or "On Christmas Morning."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">8. Unleashing my frustrations on a heavy bag or some Thai pads. (If you're new around here, you should know <a href="http://lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2011/04/im-actually-ninja.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">I'm kind of a ninja</span></a>.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">9. Finally getting a decent night's sleep. (This one is easier said than done.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">10. Skipping down the street holding hands with my four-year-old.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Tell me what <em>your </em>funk busters are - I'd love to add to this list!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.northwestmommy.com/category/monday-listicles" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.northwestmommy.com/home/Listicle3.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-3639057753180293572013-12-29T20:50:00.000-08:002013-12-29T20:50:11.273-08:00Top Ten Photos of 2013<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I'm sure we all say this every year, but my, how 2013 has flown by! I didn't blog as much as I would have liked, nor did I take as many photos as I'd hoped to, but here are my favourites from the past year:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-02-23173827_zpsfe753ace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-02-23173827_zpsfe753ace.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First shared <a href="http://www.lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2013_02_01_archive.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-05-04175104_zpsf84c2511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-05-04175104_zpsf84c2511.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First shared <a href="http://www.lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2013/05/10-reasons-to-love-listicles.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-05-18210631_zps6d9a65f5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-05-18210631_zps6d9a65f5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full story <a href="http://www.lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2013/05/a-full-tank.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-06-15103441_zps89f709a9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-06-15103441_zps89f709a9.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First shared <a href="http://www.lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2013/06/happenings.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/IMG_4937_zpsbeb404a9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/IMG_4937_zpsbeb404a9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First shared in <a href="http://www.lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2013_06_01_archive.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">this post</span></a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-07-06125632_zpsc821e441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-07-06125632_zpsc821e441.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My thoughts on four years of motherhood <a href="http://www.lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2013/07/four-years-in-making.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-07-28185420_zps98798154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-07-28185420_zps98798154.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hands down, my favourite Instagram of the year. Maybe the century. First shared <a href="http://www.lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2013/07/wordless-wednesday-bath-time.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-08-1414101_zps1189434b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-08-1414101_zps1189434b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2013/08/the-boy-turns-one.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Birthday boy</span></a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-10-26115724_zps9596cbc3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-10-26115724_zps9596cbc3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My happy boy at the pumpkin patch. One of those posts I never got around to publishing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-12-24200018cropped_zpsadf9d2ab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-12-24200018cropped_zpsadf9d2ab.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourite <a href="http://www.lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2013_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Christmas gift</span></a> of all time!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Tell me about your favourite photos this year!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.northwestmommy.com/category/monday-listicles" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.northwestmommy.com/home/Listicle3.jpg" /></a></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-10870406585771053392013-12-27T21:04:00.002-08:002013-12-27T21:04:43.904-08:00Christmas Gifts.<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><em>Christmas Eve kisses.</em></span></div>
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-12-24200018cropped_zpsadf9d2ab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-12-24200018cropped_zpsadf9d2ab.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><em>Happy Christmas morning faces</em>.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-12-25085306_zpsda9cfa36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-12-25085306_zpsda9cfa36.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><em>Two of my favourite guys wrapped up in bows.</em></span></div>
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-12-25102430_zps2a9734b1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-12-25102430_zps2a9734b1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Happy holidays from the Lilahbility crew.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><em>Rock on.</em></span> </div>
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-12-25175020_zps1db77ca7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-12-25175020_zps1db77ca7.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-44005491888802542292013-11-19T21:32:00.000-08:002013-11-19T21:53:28.970-08:00This one...<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This one r</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">adiates joy.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-10-13171731_zps204b308e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-10-13171731_zps204b308e.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">This one's favourite word to say is already "no."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">This one dances and "snaps" his fingers anytime he hears the faintest strains of music.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-11-06093238_zpsd2eb4b10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-11-06093238_zpsd2eb4b10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This one climbs anything that looks like a challenge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">This one's giggles could mend a broken heart.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-11-09173510_zpscd86782b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-11-09173510_zpscd86782b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">This one has his daddy's sense of humour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This one is a real charmer.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-10-05102936_zps02b0a8b5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-10-05102936_zps02b0a8b5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Watch out for this one!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-66388461717736273832013-10-27T19:49:00.000-07:002013-10-27T19:50:11.012-07:00As A Mother<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">This post is dedicated to one of my best friends of all time, who, with the joyous birth of her son this morning, was herself reborn - as a mother.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>I wrote this a few weeks ago but, as I've been neglecting my little blog, hadn't gotten around to posting it yet. I figure today is the day to hit the "publish" button, since this everything I want her to know about motherhood. I only hope it isn't too dark for such a happy occasion.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">As a mother, your life will be forever changed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will have some of the highest highs and lowest lows you have ever experienced in life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will come to know <em>certain</em> <em>things</em>. You will develop a sixth sense. You will become just the slightest bit clairvoyant. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will be a small being's source of nourishment, source of comfort, and whole world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will know if your child is feverish just by brushing your lips against his forehead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will sacrifice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, your best self and your worst self will meet and shake hands. On a regular basis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will be needed at just the moment when you thought you could give no more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will dig down, dig in, dig deep.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will hold on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will sometimes have to let go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will deliver magic healing kisses.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will know a new, somewhat uncomfortable, level of vulnerability.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will be your own worst critic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will find hidden reserves of patience you had no idea you possessed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will worship ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will experience an unearthly connection to another soul.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will make mistakes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will have to forgive yourself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">As a mother, you will know a love like no other.</span><br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-46842567115589281602013-09-09T20:22:00.000-07:002013-09-09T20:30:20.461-07:00The Great Big Baby-Led Weaning Post, Part 2<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>***For a run-down on how I decided to start Baby-Led Weaning, please see <a href="http://www.lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2013/08/the-great-big-baby-led-weaning-post.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">part 1</span></a>.***</em></span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"><strong>Getting Started</strong></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Henry's early solids included very soft-steamed or soft-cooked veggies, such as broccoli, yams, carrots, and spinach, and naturally soft fruits like very ripe pears, bananas, and melon. These were almost always part of a family meal we were eating anyway. Whenever possible, we tried to cut them into manageable (long and thin) pieces for him to grasp with his fist. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">For example, I eat oatmeal for breakfast almost every morning, so Henry was also introduced to it early on. You can easily make it into a finger food by cooling it to room temperature and cutting it into strips. It holds up surprisingly well, but is also fun for babies to squish and play with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Which brings me to my next point. Food is very much about play and discovery in the early stages. If you're going to go the BLW route, you have to be okay with that. </span><span style="font-family: Courier New;">The rule of thumb is: food before one is just for fun. (However, I think Henry may have missed that memo, because he has always eaten as if it was his <em>job.</em>)</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;">Letting Go</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I did my best not to worry about how much he was eating, but I have to admit, at times it was hard to sit back and let him take the reins. I worried when he didn't eat much that it would affect his sleep (which wasn't great until he was about 9 months anyway, so who knows?) and when he ate tons I worried that he would spend less time nursing (which happens as they get more efficient anyway) or that he would become constipated. Clearly, I'm a worrier, especially when it comes to my kids' food intake. But it all seems to work out in the end, and BLW was an excellent exercise in relinquishing control. A metaphor for many parts of my parenting journey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">We gradually increased how many solid meals we offered in a day, starting with dinner, then breakfast, and then finally lunch. I didn't keep a food journal, so all of this is from memory, but if I recall correctly, I think he was on three meals a day by around nine months. (This was following his lead. He would literally get <em>angry </em>when we ate meals without offering him some, too.) We also followed doctors' and nutritionists' guidelines of only introducing one new food every 5 days or so, watching for allergic reactions or sensitivities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I was quite surprised at how quickly his fine motor skills caught up to his appetite. He was extremely motivated and quickly learned to pick up small bits of food, such as kamut puffs and rice puffs. This could simply be a difference between my two kids, but I noticed his fine motor skills improving much more quickly at this stage than Lilah's did, and my feeling is this could be partly due to BLW.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"><strong><u>But What About Choking?</u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I was cautioned by a few friends early on about choking, but never experienced any problems with this with Henry. Now, it is important to differentiate between <em>gagging</em> and actual choking. Early on, he gagged fairly regularly, but I could see that it only his body's natural way of moving chunks of food he couldn't swallow from the back of his mouth to the front. Lilah gagged with spoon feeding early on, too, so I knew this was not unique to BLW. And because we waited until he was sitting well on his own, we were confident that his system could handle it. And, it almost goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that we watched him like a hawk anytime there was food anywhere near him. If you are considering starting BLW with your own child but are concerned about choking, there are plenty of clips on YouTube to watch in order to prepare yourself. Here's a video a friend emailed me when I was preparing to start BLW with Henry:</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwm6BMGaI1D5MbzZ6NtLN3wwOyVwEyhqfsn-Vswu8OVlhCF34qKhgmWdgHoQQEkgjVWOv3nSMC73RPg0HPy4A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Isn't she adorable? That was too much broccoli for her little mouth, but her physiology took care of it. And you can see she isn't exactly traumatized by the experience - was that a little yawn between gags? She was about six and a half months at the time of this video, and had no teeth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Henry was rather a late bloomer in the teeth department, but that didn't stop him for a second. His first two teeth appeared closer to nine months, and, at almost 13 months, he is just now working on his third and fourth. He still manages to eat many different textures of food like a champ.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: large;"><strong><u>A Back-up Plan</u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Now, with all of that said, I supposed we weren't super hard-core with the BLW, since we did (and still do, sometimes) use packaged purees for when we were eating meals out and weren't sure if there were going to be any reasonable options for a baby. <a href="http://www.lovechildorganics.com/products/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">These pouches</span></a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBxcBle5B0MGc95Db_Be8-dT6rhyohUxisDCLbOptGIrRGSFwBkoOjd1bE-t0lV6zQiHNEyaoMf_WsGCDKvo_kkTLVXITnVP5XShkjcfq20GgEjFeWySlSjlb9Jw-gMIHKKZFr2fNoD0g/s1600/BB014-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBxcBle5B0MGc95Db_Be8-dT6rhyohUxisDCLbOptGIrRGSFwBkoOjd1bE-t0lV6zQiHNEyaoMf_WsGCDKvo_kkTLVXITnVP5XShkjcfq20GgEjFeWySlSjlb9Jw-gMIHKKZFr2fNoD0g/s320/BB014-l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">are incredibly useful. They didn't have them when Lilah was a baby, and I was so happy to discover them this time around. No more glass jars in my diaper bag! I started by spoon feeding him the contents, but now he just grabs the package out of my hands and slurps it up in two seconds flat! Many companies make pouches like these, but these particular ones are organic and from a company that was started in BC, so of course I am partial to them. They are now available throughout Canada.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">As I've said, BLW worked extremely well for both Henry and our family this time around. It was easier, more relaxing, more fun, and felt far more natural than the spoon-feeding of fortified cereals and purees I did with big sister Lilah when she was a baby. My two kids are different in just about every way possible, so who's to say if it would have worked as well for her as it did for Henry? But in any case, I am very pleased we went the BLW route with Henry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">However you choose to feed your baby,</span> happy eating!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Would you, or have you, tried BLW? Let me know what you think in the comments!</span></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-45409382317883379762013-09-08T20:24:00.000-07:002013-09-08T20:24:07.159-07:00Things I Know... Because I'm Their Mom<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This week's <a href="http://www.northwestmommy.com/category/monday-listicles"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Monday Listicles</span></a> topic is "Things I Shouldn't Know," and I decided to go with a bit of a twist on this one. About anybody else, I probably shouldn't know these things, but about my own kids? Knowing these things is part of what defines me as their mother.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I know their internal temperature settings, and I can tell if one of them is feverish just by holding their hand or putting my lips to their forehead.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I know how to tuck them in just so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I know what they are talking about or pointing to when no one else can figure it out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I am intimately acquainted with their digestive systems, including what time of day they are likely to need bathroom visits or diaper changes, what faces they make when they are working on something, and other matters that would be considered private if I hadn't birthed them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I know the name and whereabouts of each doll and stuffed animal that matters to them. And if I don't, I'm in deep, deep trouble.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I know each of their tickle spots. And I'm not afraid to use this knowledge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I know how to give magical kisses that instantly fix boo-boos and owies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I am acutely aware of their likes and dislikes, especially when food is involved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I know how to make Lilah laugh until she cackles and snorts, and I know how to make Henry's secret dimple appear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I know what makes them tick.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I know what true, fierce, and unconditional love feels like.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/e3d7f29c-eb0a-49e6-a9f2-a7abe1d9a5cc_zps1bcf7bad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/e3d7f29c-eb0a-49e6-a9f2-a7abe1d9a5cc_zps1bcf7bad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-9223543711940202622013-09-02T21:12:00.000-07:002013-09-02T21:13:58.490-07:00Ten Funniest Photos of the Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It is with great sadness that I admit this each year: summer is coming to a close. Going back through my photos from this summer and reminiscing on what a glorious one it was, especially in Vancouver, I found a few that made me laugh out loud. They've helped ease my end-of-summer blues and I hope they'll do the same for you!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-06-29115100_zpsafeb4f3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-06-29115100_zpsafeb4f3a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1. The little photobomber in back is actually licking the water coming out of the pole at the splash park. <br />
But I bet Henry's head tastes better!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2. Whaaa?</td></tr>
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/IMG_5685_zpsf25c4028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/IMG_5685_zpsf25c4028.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3. Seagulls. That's some scary s#!t.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-08-14141002_zpsc54ddc11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-08-14141002_zpsc54ddc11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4. Who's the birthday boy? This guy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5. Because baby booty is always funny. And ridiculously cute.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6. She really thought she was being discreet scarfing down strawberries while picking.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-07-06131429_zpsf8ac7694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-07-06131429_zpsf8ac7694.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7. Everyone else at this party gets cupcakes, and I'm stuck gnawing on this?!?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8. My niece, Maggie, made a glorious mess of her s'mores.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9. Funny. Because, baby booty. (See #5 above)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10. This one has it all - dripping wet baby booty, downward dog, upside down peek-a-boo...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Happy almost fall. And if all else fails, remember: baby booty!</span><br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-72669463018146522092013-08-27T21:52:00.000-07:002013-08-27T21:52:40.814-07:00The Boy Turns One<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">My sweet, special boy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">He gives open-mouthed, slobbery kisses.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He is constantly "singing."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He eats paper when he thinks I'm not looking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">He is a snuggler, despite being in near-constant motion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He says a small number of key words, the most important, of course, being "Mama."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He blows kisses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He giggles like a maniac when his sister does something silly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He kisses the pages of his books.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He is very ticklish.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He slyly initiates games of chase, silly songs with hand actions, and peekaboo.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He loves food, and eats anything and everything, despite having only two teeth and the tiniest tip of a third just cutting through.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He is already extremely cheeky.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He can throw a ball like nobody's business, and he gets down on his belly to search for it under furniture.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He walks toward me, arms above his head, and then hurls himself the last foot or so, confident that I will always catch him. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">He is pure joy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">And on August 14th, he turned one. We celebrated at a cottage in Ontario, where we were visiting with family (more on that in an upcoming post).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a carrot cake with cream cheese icing and his name spelled out in raisins. With mama love baked right in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big sister helped blow out the candles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And was excited to see him take his first bite.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You could say he liked it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-08-141612_zpsb318913c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-08-141612_zpsb318913c.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And he wasn't the only one.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It was a bittersweet moment in time for me. It is incredibly fulfilling to watch my children grow, but to see my baby looking more like a toddler made me a little nostalgic for the teeny, tiny, snuggly newborn days. (Minus the sleep deprivation, of course.) Ah, such is the plight of motherhood.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Am I right in assuming that I'm not alone in this? Do children's birthday parties make you feel a little wistful too?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-49975656574911228992013-08-20T21:01:00.000-07:002013-08-20T21:01:18.480-07:00The Great Big Baby-Led Weaning Post, Part 1<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">When Lilah was six months to a year old, you could often find me in the kitchen, boiling, pureeing, and freezing organic fruits and veggies to serve to her at mealtimes. Sound familiar?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This time around, as Henry approached the six month mark, I knew I would have neither the time, nor the desire (and certainly not the energy!) to spend his precious naptimes boiling and pureeing away. I wanted to make starting solids as painless as possible for all of us. So I started looking into Baby-Led Weaning (BLW), also known as Baby-Led Feeding or Self-Feeding. I knew a number of families who had tried this method for feeding solids, often with their second or third babies, and I was interested to know what it entailed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Now that <em>I'm</em> the one doing it and posting photos all over Instagram and Facebook, </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I've had several friends ask me about it, and I am more than happy to share my experiences.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">There are some good resources on the internet, including the <a href="http://www.babyledweaning.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Baby-Led Weaning</span></a> site, <a href="http://www.babycenter.ca/a1007100/baby-led-weaning"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Baby Center Canada</span></a> and <a href="http://www.canadianfamily.ca/kids/pregnancy/facts-about-baby-led-weaning/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Canadian Family</span></a>. But there aren't a lot of specifics out there, mainly because the idea with BLW is that pretty much anything goes. You kind of have to wing it, which can be a bit challenging for those of us who are admitted control freaks. And I think that would be especially true for first-time parents. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Even this time around, it felt like a bit of a leap of faith, given that Henry's diet had consisted exclusively of breast milk up until he turned six months. I had been intimately acquainted with every drop of sustenance that had passed his lips, and now I was about to plop some food down on the tray of his high chair and let him go to work on it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">But, when it comes to babies, I have always tried to consider how things would have been done back in the bad old days, before high chairs and blenders and fortified baby cereals and the onslaught of parenting information with which we are bombarded every. single. day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">So I let him go for it. But that's not to say that I didn't have a preliminary checklist to ensure safety and my own confidence in this practice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">First off, my research indicated that babies should be able to sit unassisted before starting self-feeding. Henry was able to sit up by himself by five and a half months. Check. He was showing a definite interest in the foods on our plates and started to get a little peeved when everyone around him was eating without him. Even when we sat him up in his high chair with toys to entertain him while the rest of us ate dinner. Check. I still waited until he turned six months, though. Just to be sure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I also talked to our family doctor about my plans. Her resident, who I initially told about my interest in BLW, brought up concerns about Henry's iron levels when I said I was planning to skip fortified cereals. But then I talked it through with our doctor, mentioning my concerns about him becoming constipated, the way Lilah did on fortified cereals, given that he was already one of those legendary, exclusively-breast-fed-once-a-week poopers. The bottom line of our conversation was that fortified baby cereals are not actually a necessary step, and you can introduce meat and dark, leafy greens quite early on, if you are concerned about baby's iron levels. (Which, I'll be honest, I really wasn't.) Again, I go back to the days of our ancestors. Somehow, billions of babies have survived and even thrived without iron-fortified baby cereals or iron supplements. Gasp!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">There are plenty of reasons to try BLW, but here are a few of the reasons I decided to do this with Henry:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">-I'm lazy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">-It seemed like a natural progression from breastfeeding.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">-There are some studies that show it encourages babies to grow into children who make healthy choices and are in touch with their satiety cues.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">-I had a hunch it would make family mealtimes easier, less stressful, and more inclusive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">-Cavemen didn't have blenders or fortified baby cereals.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">-Fine motor development.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">-Did I mention I'm lazy?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">It turns out I have a lot to say on the subject of BLW, so I've divided it up into segments to make it a little more digestible. (Haha, get it?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"><em>***Stay tuned for the next installment of this post. I'll give the specifics on what foods we started with and how it all went.***</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Please share your own experiences with feeding babies - I'd love to hear about them!</span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-64331482791933754682013-07-30T22:02:00.000-07:002013-07-30T22:03:07.092-07:00Wordless Wednesday: Bath Time<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(If you <a href="http://instagram.com/lilahbility"><span style="color: #cc0000;">follow me on Instagram</span></a>, you'll have seen this shot already. But I thought it <em><strong>bared</strong> </em>repeating. Heh, see what I did there?)<!----heh--></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Happy Wednesday!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><!------></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.gfunkified.com/" title="GFunkified"><img alt="GFunkified" src="http://mamamash.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/ippp-polaroid-125-x-125.jpg" style="border: currentColor;" /></a></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-481390935881436252013-07-28T21:04:00.002-07:002013-07-28T21:05:35.838-07:00Life with Young Kids - The Truth<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I just couldn't pass up this week's <a href="http://www.northwestmommy.com/category/monday-listicles"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Monday Listicles</span></a> topic, "10 photos from life with kids." </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I have a number of friends who are on the verge of becoming parents or have recently had babies and I thought I'd take this opportunity to impart a few words of wisdom. You're welcome!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Truths about life with young kids:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">You know how, whe<span id="goog_717113854"></span><span id="goog_717113855"></span>n you look at other people's kids, and they have snot running down their upper lip and food all over their face, and you think, "I will NEVER let my kids walk around like that?" The thing is, you will. And you'll find them irresistibly adorable, even when their noses are snotty and they're covered in sticky food debris. Sometimes even more so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">They'll give you this look. Frequently.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by <a href="http://www.twohosers.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Adam Schwartz</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">But then this look will follow closely on its heels, and you'll forget everything else, at least for a few minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-06-08163746-2_zps093c2541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-06-08163746-2_zps093c2541.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">They'll come at you like this, especially when you're wearing something brand new and/or white.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">They'll try to steal your beer. And your keys. And your phone. The TV remote. And occasionally your dignity.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by <a href="http://www.twohosers.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Adam Schwartz</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">You will spend far too many hours of your life trying to dissuade them from eating dirt/sand/gravel/rocks, drinking from dirty sesspools, and generally endangering themselves and others. It's kind of exhausting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">You will do whatever you can to help them pursue their interests, even when those change more often than their clothes.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/b4e69c20-fc3f-4145-9aac-10ee3fdd3d43_zps43d7790a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/b4e69c20-fc3f-4145-9aac-10ee3fdd3d43_zps43d7790a.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">They'll make you see the world through new eyes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">They'll make you see their co-creator through new eyes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">They'll teach you more about yourself than you learned in the entire first thirty-odd years of your life before they came along.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The truth? The truth is, life with kids, while beautiful and fulfilling, is also messy, chaotic, and quite often even uncomfortable. Let's face it, it ain't all unicorns and rainbows. But we parents must be eternal optimists. (Either that, or complete fools.) Because somehow, the unicorn-rainbow moments are the ones that stay with us</span>. </div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-7122985040684423252013-07-18T20:35:00.005-07:002013-07-20T13:34:35.533-07:00...And the Livin' is Easy...<br />
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Photo by <a href="http://www.twohosers.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Adam Schwartz</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Happy summertime, friends!</span><br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-81573561644354724502013-07-11T22:18:00.001-07:002013-07-11T22:20:57.884-07:00"What's With the Band-Aid?"<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">You may have noticed something conspicuous and pink on Lilah's forehead in her <a href="http://www.lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2013/07/four-years-in-making.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">birthday party pictures</span></a>. If you guessed princess Band-Aid, you are correct. And it's not just for show, unfortunately.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">On Friday morning, the day before her birthday party and two days after her fourth birthday, <em>the incident</em> occurred. I was attempting to make going to the bathroom into a game, since it is something Lilah often resists and it can sometimes take a dramatic turn. But in my attempt to avoid a big upset, I created even more drama. I had scooped her up and was playfully stomping towards the bathroom with her in my arms when I heard a sickening thud. Forehead meeting sharp corner of a wall, Mama's heart in her stomach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I knew as soon as I saw it that it would probably need stitches. So off we went to the emergency room at BC Children's. The final tally was three stitches, two stickers, two popsicles, one plastic fairy wand and one very sorry mama. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">*Warning: the photos below show the cut quite clearly, so if you're squeamish about blood, skip right on down to the comments.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Thankfully, she forgave me almost right away. <em>I</em> took a little longer to get to a place of self-forgiveness, but I'm pretty much there now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The stitches came out today, and now all that's left is to protect the scar from the sun for, oh, pretty much the rest of her life!</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.gfunkified.com/" title="GFunkified"><img alt="GFunkified" src="http://mamamash.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/ippp-polaroid-125-x-125.jpg" style="border: currentColor;" /></a></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-21617858059793251862013-07-10T16:27:00.000-07:002013-07-12T06:50:07.863-07:00Four Years in the Making<span style="font-family: Courier New;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Sometimes, when I take her in, my eyes scanning the familiar lines of her face, shoulders, hands, and long, lean, limbs, my brain registers a vague shock at how much she has grown in four years. And in her growth, I see my own, exponential in comparison. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Her now four-year-old spirit thirsts for learning, and she laps up the small drops of knowledge I can impart, not knowing how much she is teaching me in the process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">From that earth-shattering moment on July 3, 2009 (1:31 am, to be exact) when I became a mother for the first time, I have been challenged, stretched, and pushed far beyond what I thought were my limits. And, as always, with growth and learning come the realization of how little we really know and just how much growth and learning are still possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">To my big girl who is gradually bringing out the bigness in me,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Happy fourth birthday!</span><br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-54966322683041653042013-07-01T19:49:00.000-07:002013-07-01T19:49:07.442-07:00Signs of Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Happy birthday Canada! And what a beautiful long weekend to kick off the beginning of summer. I don't want to jinx it, but it really feels as though summer has finally arrived in Vancouver. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It's in buckets full of ripe, juicy BC strawberries,</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Epic sunsets,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Cooling off at the spray park,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">And playing outside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It's in toes (and hands) sinking into lush, green grass,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Legs tired from pushing pedals,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">And water play in the golden evening light.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">And also? It's deep in a glass of chilled white wine sipped while sitting on the patio after the kids have collapsed, exhausted, into their beds. And on that note...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Happy Monday! What does summer mean to you?</span><br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-91422041458208538322013-06-27T20:43:00.000-07:002013-06-27T20:43:06.143-07:00Happenings<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Last ballet class.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Last gymnastics class.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Strawberry picking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"Junuary" in Vancouver is almost over, and summer is coming - I can feel it!</span><br />
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<center>
<a href="http://www.mytimeasmom.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Essence of Now" border="0" src="http://www.mytimeasmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/essenceofnow.jpg" /></a></center>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-41798891230323304942013-06-04T19:23:00.002-07:002013-06-04T19:23:43.782-07:00Up in the Air<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2ddc2fba-1c2a-40c0-b177-a7610f29f1dd_zps30df0821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2ddc2fba-1c2a-40c0-b177-a7610f29f1dd_zps30df0821.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.projectalicia.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="”_blank”"><img src="http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo34/iowalish/wwbrown175x175.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-59886082474626897622013-05-28T20:31:00.000-07:002013-05-28T20:35:43.833-07:00A Full Tank<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">We spent May long weekend with the Hubs' side of the family, as is our <a href="http://lilahbility.blogspot.ca/2012/05/weekend-befitting-queen.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">annual tradition</span></a>. This year's destination was a cabin on <a href="http://www.galianoisland.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Galiano Island</span></a>. While sleep deprivation did its best to drain my tank (the baby developed a fever right on cue), the little moments added and multiplied until I returned from our weekend away overflowing with love and contentment. Fuel for my love tank:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Breathtaking views,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Hammock snuggles,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Shared secrets,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Time with cousins,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Bellies full of food,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">And, of course, more than a few photo ops.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">May your love tank always be this full! Happy Wednesday.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.projectalicia.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="”_blank”"><img src="http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo34/iowalish/wwbrown175x175.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-78776262434627914082013-05-26T19:48:00.000-07:002013-05-26T19:48:12.337-07:0010 Reasons to Love Listicles<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Today, my friends, is a momentous day in blogging history, for today marks the <a href="http://www.northwestmommy.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Listmaster's</span></a> 100th listicle. To celebrate, I'm writing a list of reasons to love listicles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">1. They cure the Sunday evening/Monday morning blues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">2. You can make up any excuse to share random and gratuitously cute photos of your baby.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">3. They're free.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">4. No need to mess around with paragraphs, and full sentences are optional. Who doesn't love point form?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">5. If you can count to ten, you can listicle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">6. No one minds if you stray from the proposed topic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">7. Listiclers are a very special breed of blogger, and you get to meet dozens of them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">8. <a href="http://www.northwestmommy.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Stasha</span></a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">9. They will bring a smile to your face and happy emoticons to your fingertips.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">10. What's not to love????</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.northwestmommy.com/category/monday-listicles" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.northwestmommy.com/home/Listicle3.jpg" /></a></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608603827137841718.post-88780853873603421402013-05-08T14:41:00.000-07:002013-05-08T14:43:47.739-07:00This Guy<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Whoa. Extremely long, unintentional hiatus. Looks like I've got some 'splainin' to do. But that's another post for another day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Today I'm going to keep it simple and share some recent iPhone pics. Seems like a good way to ease my toes back into the blogging pond.</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This Guy</span></u></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Destroyer,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Perpetual sock remover,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Stander,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Crawler,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Trouble maker,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">And snuggler extraordinaire!</span></div>
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<a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-04-23103532_zpseb8a7715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-04-23103532_zpseb8a7715.jpg" width="239" /></a><a href="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-05-07170441_zps58a8557d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/amgoodison/2013-05-07170441_zps58a8557d.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901921122145191694noreply@blogger.com10