Follow the yellow...err...turquoise and red brick road...

I don't know about you, but there are several people I can think of that give directions by describing landmarks...you know, "you turn left at the old Smith place"...trouble is that it was the Smith place 40 years ago and I am only 25...

For the most part, I find landmark direction givers incredibly frustrating. Generally their "landmarks" are not what I would call obvious and the directions make me even more lost than if I had simply asked for the address and googled it! However, the odd time the landmarks are nice and obvious, so it's ok..."you will make a VERY sharp curve to the right before hitting a stop sign where you will turn left and go up over the bridge" OR "You'll know you're on the right road because you will pass a house with a boat being built on the front lawn on the right-hand side" OR "The farm is the first farm on the right. If you get to the red brick house with hideous, bright turquoise shutters, you've gone too far."

Well, we happen to live in a GREAT landmark...the red brick house with the hideous bright turquoise shutters has our name on the mailbox! EVERYONE knows our house and the colour of the shutters has affectionately been named "Vivian Green" by the neighbours in honour of the old lady that used to live here. While it is kind of neat that everyone knows and recognizes our little brick house, those who know me know that I am a "matchy" person. Turquoise paint and red brick are not what I would call complimentary...lucky for me, I am married to a guy that is just as anal retentive as myself when it comes to matching!

I am VERY happy to report that we will have turquoise shutter no more!!! New colours have been picked, the ladders have arrived and the paint scrapping has commenced! In a few short weeks, we will have a brand new look for our little brick house!

I AM SUPER EXCITED!!! Can you tell?

Take one last look at our house as it was...

Carm mentioned to me that when he told the neighbours that we would be painting the shutters this summer, he was told that we couldn't possibly get rid of the "Vivian Green"...but when he suggested that we could have the colour matched for them and they could paint their own shutters that colour if they liked....suddenly the beautiful turquoise wasn't quite the "to die for" colour after all! Can you blame them? Or us? Stay tuned for the "After" pictures as our house goes from eyesore landmark to eye-catching landmark!!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun...

It's been a few days since my last post, but it's been busy at our house the last few days! 

First of all, my little monkey is four months old already! Where has the time gone? With four months comes the second checkup with the doctor and the second round of the dreaded immunizations...uh oh! Now, miss Maddie had a stellar checkup at two months and was actually quite good and only cried for a second for her first needles, so could her second trip possibly be as stellar? HECK YES it could!

Maddie weighed in at a whopping 15 lbs 7 oz and was 26" long today at her appointment! She is right up there for her weight and off the chart for her height...where on earth she gets that from is beyond me! Her mommy and daddy are both somewhat lacking in the height department...hmmm...

But let's talk needles for a second. I was SO proud of my Maddie today! While most babies scream and cry when they get needles, Madelyn took them like a CHAMP! Blame her meaty little thighs if you must, but she looked at the nurses, then she looked at me, then she furrowed her brow a little, and then went right back to telling us stories....not ONE tear. The nurse said that she will always remember Maddie because she is the first baby she has ever given a needle to that hasn't cried! That's my girl! 

On a grosser note, I had more barf on me today than I have ever had in my entire life so far!! First my cute little nephew decided to puke his entire bottle back up on me...it was everywhere except on the blanket where it should've been....even down the front of my shirt! Ahh! I was a little grossed out, but whatever, I got over it. We have started giving miss Maddie one bottle of formula a day now. It seems to be going pretty well, but she is a little more pukey we have noticed...which I clearly forgot when I hoisted her up above my head shortly after feeding her earlier this evening...I looked up at her as she started to giggle and BLAH! All over my shirt, down my pants and on my socks...YUCK! I had to change my clothes right away. I can handle a lot of really gross things that make most people's stomachs churn, but when it comes to puke, that's where I draw the line. I seem to handle baby spit-up okay (much to my surprise), but I am terrified about how I will handle REAL barf. I envision myself running the opposite direction and yelling for Carman to handle it while I cower at the other end of the house with my ears plugged so I can't hear what's going on....heaven forbid Maddie gets sick when Carm isn't home...Maybe I can keep her on an all milk diet until she moves out...

Anywho, in honour of Maddie's 4 month birthday, we took a few new pictures...check them out below!

Lullaby and Goodnight...

For those who don't know, Carm and I had a heck of a time getting miss Maddie to sleep in her own bed. For the first 2.5 weeks we had her, she would not sleep unless she was in the bed with us. As you can imagine, Maddie was very well rested, but mommy and daddy...not so much! Eventually, we were able to get her into the cradle next to the bed. Slowly over the next few weeks, we pushed the cradle further and further away from the bed until it was right next to her bedroom door. When it came time to make the step from the cradle to the crib in her room, we weren't sure how she would react...

Before Maddie was born, we were given a beautiful snow globe for her. It contains a certain cow jumping over the moon and plays "Lullaby and Goodnight"... It really is a beautiful keepsake...you know, the kind that gets put WAY up and out of the reach of little children! However, it fits very nicely with the theme in Maddie's room, so for now, we have it on her dresser...PERFECT!! Maybe the music would provide a nice distraction and she would just fall asleep not noticing she was in a different bed...worked like a charm! Miss Madelyn now sleeps through the night...in her own room! Yay! However, we have now gotten into the habit of winding it up for her to listen to as she falls asleep every night...since her room is just off ours and we are going to bed at the same time...all three of us fall asleep to the famous Brahms' lullaby! 

Last night I took Maddie for her first sleepover at Grandma Sheryl's. Since we have never taken her anywhere overnight before, I was a little nervous about how it would go. Call me paranoid, but I was having visions of having to drive back to Ayr in the middle of the night when the fam kicked us out because of her relentless screaming. However, lucky for us, Maddie's favourite lullaby happens to be the song featured by probably 90% of singing baby items, many more portable than the snow globe! Enter: Raffe the Giraffe...not to be confused with Sophie. The cute, cuddly giraffe is not only one of Maddie's favourite toys, but also happens to play her favourite song...BAM! How do you like them apples?

Needless to say, Maddie's first sleepover at Grandma's was a success much to her mama's relief! Everyone was able to get their uninterrupted sleep and I'm sure, whether they realized it or not, they ALL fell asleep to Lullaby and Goodnight as it played over and over!

Other than the first few weeks, we have really had it easy with miss Madelyn when it comes to sleep. Really, from what I hear from other moms, we are spoiled. We had our challenges in the very beginning, but compared to a lot of babies she is a fantastic sleeper. Hopefully, some day off in the distant future when we decide to have another baby, we will be blessed with another super sleeper....but something tells me we won't be so lucky. They say lightening never strikes the same place twice...

Speaking of sleep, I need to get some! I leave you all with Madelyn's favourite song...may it bring you all sweet dreams!

My Name is Jenn and I'm a Shopaholic...

Ok, so I am not quite a shopaholic, but definitely an impulse buyer. Clothing is my weakness...I LOVE putting on a brand new pair of jeans, shoes, etc. There is just something about it that makes me feel fabulous! I probably don't have to tell you that "retail therapy" is my cure for a bad day!  

However, while pregnant with miss Maddie, I had gained a whopping 50 lbs by the end...as you can imagine, shopping for elasticized clothing is not nearly as exciting. Actually, I must have been to the maternity store ten times before I got up the nerve to actually buy something there...it probably sounds strange, but I think I was almost embarrassed to be shopping there! Once I put on the pants though, I got over it and quickly became a "preferred customer"...maternity pants are pretty much the most comfortable pants EVER!

Nevertheless, by the time Maddie arrived, I was sick of elastic pants too...especially when the weight doesn't exactly fall off afterwards! I was in maternity pants for at least the first month...and in fact, I still looked pregnant for the first few weeks! What kind of mean trick is that?! Needless to say, I was (and still am) determined to get as close to my pre-pregnancy weight as possible. 

Living out in the boonies has its challenges when it comes to a good workout regime. Distance makes  it difficult to have a gym membership and take full advantage of it. We are about a half hour drive from the closest one...not THAT far, but far enough to make it a hassle with a little one. We also live on a VERY busy road, so walking around our country block with the stroller is not an option...I refuse to take my baby for a walk along a road with virtually no shoulder and commuters that seem to think they are driving a NASCAR race. 

So with no gym membership or a great place to walk or jog, Maddie and I have resorted to "offroading" down the back lane between our farm and the home farm next door. I was actually surprised to find it is a great workout! The lane has hills to work the bum and the legs and lots of bumps to work the arms while trying to steer the stroller and keep it from bumping all over the place. Pushing the stroller with Maddie in it is good resistance and I am always carrying at least a diaper bag and usually my camera bag. It's nice to get the fresh air and of course, I can check out my cows in the pastures along the way! I couldn't ask for a better workout really.

I still have some weight to go, but I have been doing very well! I put on the bridesmaid dress for wedding #1 last week and didn't want to cry when I looked in the mirror! There are a couple lumps and bumps here and there still, but nothing a pair of Spanx won't fix!...not bad considering I had to order the dress when I was 9 months pregnant and had to guess what size I would be in August! I haven't been totally appalled by photos of myself lately either...Sweet! Most exciting however, was earlier today when I put on a pair of pre-pregnancy pants!! Sure they were just a pair of barn pants, but I never knew how impossibly exciting it could be to put on a pair of OLD pants! Woo Hoo! 

It used to be the smell and feel of a brand new pair of pants that made me feel fabulous, but right now I am relishing the feeling of just fitting into my old wardrobe. Last week the dress, this week the barn pants....I wonder if anything old will fit next week! In a way, it's kind of like shopping...only without the Visa bill!

I loved my belly, but the elastic pants are back in the closet!! WOOT!

Never a Dull Moment...

Friday morning was off to a good start...it was only sort of raining instead of pouring, Maddie and I were off to visit Aunt Jill, and Uncle CK had sold a handful of lambs. Carm went out to the barn to help CK round up the sheep for the purchaser and standing in the yard, he noticed something was different about his truck...

It took him a second to figure out what exactly was different, but taking a closer look, he realized the tailgate on his one year old truck was missing. Totally gone. Nothing else on the truck had been touched, but the tailgate was nowhere to be found. Seriously? Do people not have anything better to do than drive up and down the roads and steal stupid crap like tailgates? Clearly not. We live very close to a busy road and our "Guard Dog" Molly, tends to hide from strangers rather than try to scare them away, so I guess we're an easy target...After a phone call to his mechanic (a.k.a. his brother) and his insurance broker, it will cost over $1000 to replace the dang thing, but luckily his insurance will cover all but a couple hundred. Still, I'm not sure I will ever get used to living so close to the road...an ashtray of change the first time, a tailgate the second time, but what's next?

I had my first night out with the girls on Saturday night. As much as I love my baby, it was SO nice to finally get out without a little sidekick! I had a GREAT time, but apparently miss Maddie didn't approve of my outing. She got to stay with Carman and go to a BBQ at the neighbours', which I thought would be a fun little Saturday night. Maddie screamed from the time I left her at Grandma Nancy's until they got to the party (about 2 hours). She was a little angel AT the party and then started to scream again when Carm went to leave. Needless to say, they were glad when I got home! I'm happy that Maddie likes hanging out with me so much, but I hope that she doesn't end up being a total mommy-suck. It would be nice to be able to leave her with her dad and go out for the evening without having to worry about her crying the whole time...We'll get there I hope!!

On a happier Maddie topic, her smiles and "talking" are very plentiful these days! I'm hoping that one day soon we'll hear a real word, but for now we get a kick out of listening to her babble away! I think we definitely have the loud kid in class so far...

Du Yu Speeka de Inglish?

I have always had a fascination with languages. While most people balk at the thought of learning additional languages, I embrace the idea and understand that having a second or even a third language is becoming more and more important. 

While most kids couldn't wait until French wasn't mandatory, I loved it. I took it all the way through elementary and secondary school and consistently received top marks. I am by no means able to carry on a conversation now, but I am able to understand a fair bit still. 

Always one for adventure, I spent a summer in Austria with family friends before eighth grade and lived in Germany for a year on a Rotary Exchange when I was 16. When I returned from Germany, I had added German to my repertoire.

Traveling in other foreign countries has never been a problem for me either. Even when you don't speak the language, you can always get by with a few well placed hand signals and a language dictionary!!

Our family has hosted students from every inhabited continent on earth with English skills ranging anywhere from nearly fluent to non-existent. At work, I am constantly interpreting phone calls, voicemails and emails from people who think their English is AMAZING..."Eh! Jenneefair, please, they not want too long days...maybe 2-3 farms at one day. Please, make nice hotels and steak for the dinner. Y Jenneefair, de guys...they want see Michael Bublé"... As a host sister to 25+ foreign exchange students over the years, an exchange student myself, an avid traveler and someone that works with international people everyday in my job, I would also consider myself a master in deciphering the ancient language of Broken English.

There is however one language that I just can't seem to grasp and am far from mastering...the intricate language of baby.

I'm sure all of you mommies out there can relate. To me there is nothing more frustrating sometimes than trying to figure out what on earth your baby wants or needs! She is screaming her head off...you've fed her, burped her, changed her, sang her songs, rocked her, gave her a soother, gave her a toy, gave her a bath, danced around with her, bundled her up, stripped her down, taken her for a walk and a drive. At your wits end, you just start to chat away to her in hopes of providing some sort of distraction from whatever is bugging her...as you chatter away about the cows and the sheep and when daddy will be home, she stops crying to look at YOU like YOU'RE the one speaking in foreign tongues. GAH! 

I know that all of the mommies before me say that time flies and to cherish the baby days, and really, I have to agree so far....I cannot believe that Maddie is almost four months old already! BUT, there are also times (like earlier this evening) that I wish Maddie could just tell us what the problem was or what she wants. If babies were born able to talk, it would save all of us a whole lot of stress!! Although...a baby that comes out with a full vocabulary would be kind of creepy...

Anywho, the point is babies can't talk. And, while for the most part their goo-goo ga-gas are irresistibly cute, when they are in distress and can't tell you why, it is SUPER stressful as a new mom. 

There is however one sign that is hard to miss...

"Mama, I am SOOOO hungry I could eat a Giraffe!"

Tears, Ears and Rears...

Yesterday was a day of firsts in our house...some exciting and some not so exciting!

First off, we were awakened to the shrieking of dear Madelyn at 5 am. This is a full 1.5 hours earlier than normal, so Carm went in to find out what her trouble was and found that she had learned to roll onto her tummy! YAY! The only trouble is that she hasn't quite figured out how to get back off her tummy....and she HATES being on her stomach! Hence the screaming we awoke to. Now, I've done my reading and know the importance of tummy time so we put her on her tummy everyday, but she hates it. She will tolerate it for about 2 minutes (pushing up and squirming the entire time) and then just starts to yell in frustration when she can't move. We've tried putting her toys with her and laying on our tummies with her, but she just does not like it. We're starting to worry that she may go from sitting to running and skip the whole crawling thing...

First #2 was not nearly as exciting as #1. After waking up yelling, Maddie proceeded to yell off and on all morning and was just the grumpiest baby EVER! Now she has been grumpy before, but this time she was cranky and pulling on her ear. Even when she would finally fall asleep, she would be holding her ear. Having had a sister and a cousin both plagued by ear infections as little kids, the ear pulling was a bit of red flag for me, but she didn't have a fever so I wasn't REAL worried (I think I took her temperature about 18 times just to make sure). However, after talking to my sister, I decided to call the doctor's office. Keep in mind, the entire time, I am not too concerned, but since today is a holiday and the office would be closed, I figured I should call. When I told the nurse on the phone what was up, SHE was very concerned and said there isn't always a fever associated, so I should bring her right in. So off we go. My doctor wasn't in so we ended up seeing the same doctor that I saw two weeks ago for mastitis. It took him thirty seconds to tell me that she was fine and maybe had some sort of viral thing that was bugging her ear. GREAT! So, we dodged the ear infection bullet, but I'm sure the doctor thinks I am one of THOSE parents that takes the kid to the doctor every time she sneezes...   

This brings us to first #3; we've covered the tears and the ears, so guess what's left! That's rIIIght...rears. We opened poor Maddie's diaper last night only to find the most angry looking diaper rash I've ever seen....ok, so I have never seen a diaper rash before, but this looked pretty sore to me! Anything we touched her with made her yell....yeah, so much for my all-natural bum cream! Ironically enough, the only thing that she liked was a bath...those of you who have been following my blog know that miss Madelyn is normally NOT a bath fan! So, we let her sit in her duckie tub and splash for a few extra minutes before getting her ready for bed. We felt sorry for the little wiener, but could this be the turning point on the bath front?...

So after a long day of tears, ears and rears...these new parents were ready for....bed! Ha! You thought I was going to say beers didn't you? I'm a loser, I know.

On another note, today is Canada Day! Happy Birthday Canada! I heard that they have cancelled the festivities in Toronto because of the garbage strike. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this because I could go on forever, but I will say this. If the city could hire a private company to clean up the garbage after Pride Weekend, then why not Canada Day? Pride Weekend is a celebration for just one particular group of people that takes place over several days...Canada Day is a celebration for everyone on ONE day. What's one more day?

Anyways, Happy Canada Day everyone! I hope you all enjoy whatever celebrations you have planned and of course, if you haven't already, check out the "Canadian , Please" video on YouTube and be proud to be Canadian!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWQf13B8epw