9:25 pm: post last post

And my house is clean! Bonus points 'cause I don't even need to do that planned aerobic workout now! Who am I kidding; I didn't have any aerobic work outs planned, but I digress...
After an hour and a half of mess, my house is clean, although not tidy. HA! Who am I "haaing" at, I wonder? Take that you Demons of Dirt, you Denizens of Disorder, You Plebiscites of Poop!
It's nights like tonight that make me question my dedication to all natural cleaning products, particularly in the face of out of control bodily fluids. I mean, yes I felt virtuous and smug using them, but a good old shot of vim would have done it in a quarter of the time. Remember when we just used the chemical cleaning products and didn't worry about it? Oh wait, we didn't know that we were supposed to worry about it. Our houses were clean, although our environment was slowly being attacked. Sigh....Stupid environmental enlightenment! Stupid eighties and nineties!

A Blippin' blip' of a crazy day

WARNING: MUCH BODILY FLUIDS IN POST TO FOLLOW, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!

So, was having a pretty good day with the babe, out walking and getting things done. I should note, that she's been in fantastic humour all day. However, something seems to be up with her belly and she still has a nasty diaper rash/ heat rash. I say this to explain why she was without her diapers for some of today (only about 30 minutes total believe it or not) and how such chaos ensued!

Between 2pm and 7pm I was treated to one poopy diaper, two regular diapers, 5 pees on the floor, seven throw ups on the floor, one throw up down our massive hallway mirror and into the frame, and one ridiculous poop that was crawled through and currently still extends the full distance of my main floor! The babe has been removed from the scene of the crime, bathed, fed and put to bed. In the process of which, I'm pretty sure I sprained my wrist rescuing her from a suicide jump off the futon! :) I can't even think where to begin cleaning up this mess, so stepped over it, made a cup of tea and wrote about it first. It's such a silly over-the-top scene of chaos it belongs in a movie like Three Men and a Baby (dating myself here) and I can't help but laugh/cry at it!

So, it's 8pm, I have one main floor to entirely clean, one upstairs bathroom, a load of laundry to do, a house to air out, food to organize (guests coming tomorrow) and myself to clean, cause I didn't come out of this skirmish very tidy myself. I suspect that it might be a long night. Just be glad that I didn't post pics of it all!

Happy bday!

Happy bday Liam Corrie Angus Townsend! I love you little buddy, have a great day!

An Awesome Night

I had a wicked awesome night last night thanks to two pals and a loverly husband! My friends Tracey and Megan were over for dinner and to finally meet the baby. So they came at 6 and hung out with the babe until 7pm and then it was our time as she went to bed. One of the things that I love best about Tracey and Megan is that they don't want kids. They think that kids are cute, nothin' against them, but aren't enamored of the whole idea. What they do love is their careers and social lives. I love this, because it means that I hardly talk about Adara, I talk about everything else that makes up me! It's very nice.
Last night was extra special nice because Len made a lovely dinner, served it to us and did all of the dishes. It was like going to a restaurant only better food, more relaxing space and cheaper! For those of you who are wondering, no my husband isn't always my slave! But once in a while he does an evening like this for me, and I just get to enjoy my guests, and he interjects once in a while. Pretty much perfect!
Thanks to Aunt Ruth for the sweet new baby clothes, we'll get some pics up ASAP!

Hmm...

The babe has slept through the night the past three nights. We're talking went to bed at 7 am, not a peep until 5am; got up, had a little milk, slept until 8 am. Why? Don't ask people... don't look to closely at the baby less she get skittish and change her mind!

A Not Very Exciting Video, Unless You Really Miss My Baby!

Here's a video of the wee ones new crawling skills.

Mamma Thoughts

How do you decide when to prioritize yourself and when to prioritize your family? How do you make a decision that you know is slightly selfish but will make you really happy, you think? As I begin the transition to returning to work, I'm really struggling with my work/mom identity. Plus I'm getting really nostalgic and painting my mom life in rosy colours that aren't always true. I'm finding on returning from the PACT conference that I am perfectly capable of operating in mom brain, and professional brain and that my skills are returning. But I can't but feel slightly sad for the coming end of my baby honeymoon.

Happy Eight Months Baby Girl!

Hey Bella Baby Girl. Happy Eight Months.
It seems strange to say, but you hardly even seem like a baby anymore this month. Your dad and I find ourselves having to stop and really look at you and drink it all in; you're changing so fast.
This month you've taken a great leap ahead. In the space of the last very momentous (for everyone) last three weeks you mastered commando crawling, so decided to crawl, then stand up supported on objects (or people usually), then cruise around a room on furniture, and today, to stand completely unsupported. All, I can say is "Slow down charger, what's your hurry?!" In addition, you've added two more emerging teeth to your repertoire.
I suppose that all of these leaps ahead account for your truly abysmal sleeping schedule. Seriously kiddo, can we do the same thing just two nights in a row? We don't know what the heck is going on anymore!
This month also saw you having your first vacation with Grammy and Poppa and without mom and dad. By all reports, you were an angel, and it looks like pretty much the entire extended family came to visit you. You've proven to be very adaptable, not to mention tough. You've had many a knock on the head this month and other then hurt/accusatory looks at whomever is nearest you, you don't seem to react too much.
Well, clearly you're charging ahead to toddler hood, so keep on rockin' little one. But, if you get a moment, stop and give us one of your famous kisses once in a while(open mouth and all). We'll be the two lying on the couch in exhaustion.

Why Grammys and Poppas (Grandmas and Grandpas) Are the Best!

1) Because they know when mammas and dadas really "Just need to do this right now!" without being asked
2) Because they pull out the toys from 1970 and, guess what, babies haven't changed at all. Kickin' it old school!
3) Because they make babies smile and giggle, a lot
4) Because they get up four times in the night because "someone was just feeling lonely"
5) Because they play new games, all of the time!
6) Because they show the baby off, to everyone, everywhere and have no problem saying openly that "She's the most beautiful baby!"
7) Because the offer mammas and dadas advice and don't get angry when it's only occasionally taken. :)
8) Because they don't say "I told you so" when mammas and dadas come back a month later and do what they suggested in the first place, and Surprise, it works!
9) Because the teach the baby to wave and give kisses and high fives
10) Because they love the baby so much and she loves them so much that they just can't wait to see each other again! Although, perhaps after everyone has had their afternoon nap! :)

Thanks mom and dad. We've never seen Adara happier then when she's hanging out with you guys.
We can't wait to get out west and play with Grandma and Grandpa Stannard next!

Happy Fathers Day

Dear Da-Da:
Happy Father's Day! I'm seriously sorry that I woke you up at 7 am this morning and that mamma wouldn't get her lazy bum out of bed, but really, I wanted to hang out with you today! I've missed you da-da!
Thanks for a really cool eight months.


Thanks for letting me sleep on your chest untold number of nights when only your heartbeat would soothe me. Thanks for teaching me the joys of laying back on the couch, sucking on a bottle (or beer) and watching cartoons. Thanks for making sure that I'm warm enough/cool enough/fed enough/played with enough and generally loved a ridiculous amount this year! Thanks for buying me my firefly toy when I was stealing all the other baby's and for getting me a hat when the sun bugged my eyes. Thanks for insisting that I must have the coolest stroller ever and for discouraging mom (and everyone else) from dressing me in pink. Thanks for my jungle themed room!
I can't wait for our year ahead with lots of swings and splash pads and generally silly running around together. Now that I'm crawling and cruising, I'm seriously ready for the fun ahead with you.
I love you so much, so have a beer and chill out tonight; cause we got a big year ahead!
love,
Adara (aka rat baby)

I have absolutely no energy to really blog tonight, but here's some baby sweetness to tide you over until I can. I got back in last night around 2 am and have been running around today trying to put away my stuff and baby stuff. The house reno went great, and everything looks lovely. However, there is drywall dust ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE! It's like after a day at the beach when you find sand in places that sand should not be...


Thanks to Gramma and Grandpa Stannard for the sweet new clothes!


I'll write about my Vancouver trip in a day or two. For now, more cleaning, then bed, please!

Leaving On A Jet Plane

So, yesterday I flew to Vancouver where I'll be for this week for a conference. Adara is staying with my mom and dad who are spoiling her rotten, playing with her all of the time. When she comes back, she's going to be seriously disapointed when mamma and dadda put her right back in "Baby Jail"! :)
I'm typing this from my friends Anna and Caroline's apartment who have just fed me a lovely Vancouver breakfast in their living room which looks right over the water. It's also a 5 minute walk to my hotel and conference activities which is handy! We went out for an awesome dinner last night and I gorged on seafood!
The flight here was surprisingly lovely! I flew on a new boeing 777 with Air Canada, and I gotta say, if you get the chance to fly on one of these, take it! The overhead bins are designed totally different so there's all this head room and leg room. Verra nice! I must admit to having a completely weirdo panic attack on the plane when I realized that there was no way I could get to my baby if I wanted to. I went a little mamma bear for a few minutes, tossing and turning in my seat. Craaaazy!!!
Anywhoo, probably no chance to blog for the rest of the week, but maybe Dada will post a pic if he gets a minute!

A cute pic from about a month ago

Pics for Da-Da Who's Missing Us!

Fun with the Fam

Wooo HOOOO!

Thanks Cousin.

WE've had a couple of busy days here with lots of friends and family around. Adara's been loving playing on the swings and walking around the square with Grammy and Poppa. My nephew Liam and sister Kristen came yesterday. Liam played like mad with Adara and fed her her bottle. Liam was always small for his age and Adara's pretty large for hers. You can probably tell that from this picture of the almost eight year old desperately trying to hold onto his chub-chub eight months old cousin!