New Year = New Adventures...

Happy New Year friends! I know it has been awhile, but as per my usual excuse...we've been busy! I love the holidays, I really do, but when it's all over, I can't help but be relieved to get back to the routine!

I cannot believe that it is 2010. I don't know about you, but there are still so many things I often think back to and remember like they happened yesterday...and then I realize just how long ago they really happened...like my exchange to Germany...yeah...I left Canada ten years ago this coming August! CRAZY! I think that means it's about time to head back to my second home for a visit...if only I could convince the "boss"...I'll have to work on that. If anyone happens to run into him, be sure to mention that Germany is a fantastic vacation destination and that he really should take the fam...HA!

So, a lot has happened since my last post before Christmas! Where to start?...

Miss Maddie had her first Christmas!!! It was lots of fun, but I kind of think Carm and I were more excited about it than her! We eagerly tore the paper off her gifts, while she played with the tape and the boxes...she will sit and tear magazines to shreds any other day, but we could NOT get her to tear the wrapping paper...strange child. She got lots of great stuff including (but not limited to) clothes, books, noisy toys, quiet toys, bath toys, sippy cups, Christmas tree ornaments, a new car seat and three new teeth! (She is up to eight teeth now!) She was a very good little girl, got to meet Santa and didn't even try to pull down the tree or the stockings. We're looking forward to next year when she is as excited as we are!

Even more exciting than Christmas...Madelyn is almost walking! I believe the books call it "cruising" when she walks around holding onto things....but whatever it is, it is super cute! She is BUSY though! And into EVERYTHING! I am running out of places to put things up out of her reach! The disadvantage to having a baby that is off the charts for her height! Gah!! Eventhough I can't wait for her to actually take her first steps, I also can't help but feel like time is going far too quickly. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing our brand new baby home from the Hospital....now she is close to walking and almost one year old! Soon she will be heading off to Germany for an exchange...

With a new year, comes not only new adventures for Miss Maddie as she creeps closer and closer to her first birthday...but the adventures of being a WORKING MOMMY are also about to commence. A lot of you reading this are in the loop, but for for those who don't know, I have accepted a new job and am scheduled to start on January 14! I am a little sad to not be heading back to my old job....I loved the job and the people, but I am SOOOO excited about this new opportunity....I get to write....and get paid for it!! (among other new and exciting things!) How great is that?!?!?!?!

So, less than two weeks until the start date! I will be headed back to work about a month earlier than I had originally planned and am beginning to think that something is wrong with me actually...most of the mommies I know are in agony over the thought of going back to work and leaving their babies in the care of someone other than themselves...in all honesty, I am ready. I think it will be hard to leave Maddie at daycare for the first few times, and I know I am going to miss being at home all day with her, but at the same time, I am looking forward to getting back to work and to the new and exciting challenges of a new job. I am grateful that we live in an era where it is not only acceptable, but also looked upon favourably to be both a mommy and a career woman. I love to take care of and play with my baby, I love to cook our meals, clean our house, do our laundry and groceries...I love being a housewife, but there is also a part of me that loves having a career and prides myself on the work I do and the paycheck I bring home at the end of the day. January 14 will be bittersweet for me I think, but I know that we will be leaving Madelyn with one of the best daycare providers in the area and she will be excited to see me at 5:00 when I pick her up to go home, so that is making it a little easier....

Check in with me in two weeks or so and see if I'm doing as well as I think I will be!

A new year also means that it is time to make new resolutions. Now, there is NO WAY I am going to post my full list of resolutions....I don't generally make a habit of publically sharing my failures!...But, I will share one. And, that is to make time at least once a week to keep you all up to date on the life adventures of this modern (and now working!) mama in the country!

Until next time!

The Spirit of the Holidays...

"I hear those sleigh bells ringing...."

Happy Holidays everyone! I know it has been a while since my last post, but I will use my typical excuse....we have been BUSY!!

It's so hard to believe it is Christmas time already! The year has absolutely flown by....they say time flies when you're having fun....they weren't kidding!

And, what a year it has been! It is amazing that this:

Has become this:

In just a few short months....WILD!

With the holiday season upon us, I have been taking some time to reflect on the past year and all of the good things that have come our way. 

Amongst the many good things that have occurred, one definitely shines brighter than all of the rest...#1 - Hands down, Miss Madelyn takes the cake on this one! 

It has been a whirlwind trying to catch on to the whole parenting thing, but lucky for us, Maddie has made it a lot of fun thus far. I have also been fortunate to have a number of good friends and relatives to offer helpful advice and knowledge along the way.

There is one friend in particular that most people close to me don't know about and she has been a godsend from the time I found out I was pregnant with Miss Maddie...in fact, she was the first one to know about Maddie other than Carman and myself and Maddie still plays with the super cute set of farm animal rattles we received from her long before Miss Maddie made her debut!

I am not one for online communities and forums normally, but when I was planning our wedding I joined theknot.com to take advantage of all the great wedding planning tools, tips and ideas. Little did I know, as soon as our wedding date past, I would automatically be rolled over to the thenest.com...a great site for newlyweds and navigating your first few years as a married couple. 

In June of 2008, (when I began to suspect I was pregnant) I stumbled across a new section of thenest.com...thebump.com. The information and planning tools on the bump are awesome and the discussion forums of other new and expecting moms are sometimes helpful, but more often quite entertaining...you think a room full of hormonal girls has drama....try an online community of THOUSANDS of them! Haha.

Anyways, it was on one of these discussion forums that I met "M". We come from different backgrounds...Sunny warm Florida vs. chilly rural Ontario...city girl vs. farm girl..., but somehow we found several things in common (other than babies) and became fast email friends. We have been cheerleaders for each other and sounding boards. We've bounced ideas and questions off each other and shared the "crazy" advice we have been given by various friends and relatives. We even had each other on our text message list for when our little ones arrived. We have been able to share the ups and downs of pregnancy and mommyhood more candidly with each other sometimes than with our closest family and friends, because the beauty of our friendship is that we only know each other. I don't know her family and friends and she doesn't know mine....our secrets are safe!! Muahahahaha 

Ironically though, we have sent enough emails and kept up-to-date on each others Facebook pictures and such that I feel like I know her family and friends....Funny how that works.

Anyways, since 'tis the season of giving, I thought I would share this story in hopes to encourage all the mommies-to-be and/or new mommies or even experienced mommies to check out thebump.com. Like I said, sometimes the entertainment value far outweighs the actual useful information, but sometimes a new friend, a good laugh or an encouraging word is all you need during the long, long, LONG days waiting for baby to arrive, or in the wee hours of the morning when baby is up for the 18th time that night. Besides, you never know who you might meet...I never thought I would find a photography loving, city-dwelling, Floridian version of myself...but I did!

In other Christmas news, it is Madelyn's FIRST Christmas this year and we are VERY excited. The shopping is almost done...I have a few more things to get, but I am in good shape and have even got a lot of it wrapped already! Carm got out our Christmas tree today and Maddie and I spent the afternoon decorating the tree and putting out the other Christmas decorations. The house is now looking quite festive! We even found some Christmas carols to listen to while we worked....Maddie's fav was "All I Want For Christmas is Four New Teeth"...

Yep, she is still teething full-force! She already has two on the bottom and one on the top, but she also has 4 more on the verge of popping through....POOR thing!! She has not been a happy little camper this week, so hopefully they come through in the next couple days so she can be a happy girl for Santa's first visit!

Anyways, I feel like I have provided you all with enough of a novel to read, so it's time to call it a day! Enjoy my pretties!

Decisions of Pandemic Proportions...

...A.K.A. Being a parent during a worldwide infectious disease outbreak.

I know it's been a while, but there's been places to go and people to see folks!

When I was pregnant, I spent nine months mentally preparing myself for labor and delivery. By the time the day came for Miss Madelyn to arrive, I was anxious about L&D, but that wasn't what scared me the most. I could handle a few hours of pain.....but then I had to take this poor, helpless little baby home with me and take care of her. What if I didn't know what to do, what if I did something wrong, how would I know what she needed/wanted? To be perfectly honest, I wasn't scared, I was absolutely terrified. I would be 100% responsible for Maddie's care.

Much to my relief, a lot of being a mommy in those early days came easily (aside from the whole breastfeeding thing). There were several calls to our midwives/moms/sisters and even one trip to the ER, but for the most part, it wasn't quite as terrifying as I had envisioned.

Enter H1N1.

I know many of you have also struggled with the decisions surrounding the H1N1 vaccination and your kids. In the beginning, we were dead against it. We all have received all of the standard vaccinations throughout our lives, but neither Carm or myself get our flu shots, so when the H1N1 and its vaccine first materialized, we thought nothing of it. It would just blow over. When the hype started up about who would get the vaccine and when and if you should or shouldn't get it/give it to your kids, we still brushed it off.

Then, a perfectly healthy 13-year-old boy got the virus and died two days later. That 13-year-old boy could have very easily been our perfectly healthy 8-month old baby girl. 

That was the first time Carman and I had any real solid talks about whether we should or shouldn't have Miss Madelyn vaccinated. We did our reading and talked to a number of people we trust including our doctor to help us weigh the pros and cons. Ironically, two of the people I figured would talk us out of it, had already received the shot for themselves and their kids. Hmmm...

After weighing all the risks and benefits, we decided to have Miss Maddie and myself vaccinated. When it comes down to it, if Madelyn was to get sick, and we could have done something to prevent it and didn't...we don't even want to think about it.

Today, especially in the western hemisphere, we don't have worry about our kids getting awful diseases like diphtheria thanks to successful vaccination programs. Diseases like polio are almost totally eradicated worldwide thanks to successful vaccination programs. Our generation has really been fortunate to benefit from this, so in a situation where "you are damned if you do; you are damned if you don't," we have made the choice to put our trust in modern medicine. 

It's a personal choice and perhaps the right choice for our family is different from the right choice for your family, but I do encourage anyone on the fence to do their research. Weigh the pros and cons, and remember to take what you hear and see in the media and on the internet with a grain of salt...especially on the internet (you can't tell me "Mary Toko, Vaccine Researcher and Mother of 5 Very Healthy Unvaccinated Children" is the best source of information). Your family doctor is your best source of information on the vaccine and it is their job to give you all the facts and help you make the right choice for you and your family, so give them a call.

It was decisions like this that had me terrified to bring my baby girl home with me when she was born...I can truly sympathize with everyone who is playing the "do I, don't I" game over the H1N1 vaccine. Good luck to all the moms and dads out there with this decision.

On a lighter note, the barn is almost finished!! The finishing touches are currently being put on the new stabling and it really is like walking into a completely different barn. Last night, Carm caught me off guard when he showed up for supper at 7:30 instead of 8:45 or 9:00! Such an exciting change to have daddy home at a decent hour to eat dinner with us and play with Maddie before she gets tucked in for the night!

It's so nice that the construction is pretty much done...the cows will now have nice big comfy stalls for the winter, but just as importantly....the work is done just in time for our favourite time of the year....The ROYAL!!! Did you know there are actually five seasons? Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall and the Royal! This year is particularly special as it will be Miss Maddie's FIRST Royal! We are planning to be there for one day for sure and possibly two. I can't wait!!

To end off, check out the latest pictures I took of Miss Madelyn. We were out taking advantage of one of the last nice fall days. And, of course, Miss Maddie in her SUPER cute pony Halloween costume! Enjoy!

Maddie's friend "Cow" tagged along for some fun in the sunshine and leaves!

Take note of the hat...future competitor!!

Cutest trick or treater EVER!!

Moving and Shaking...

Well boys and girls, it has been a LOOOONG time since my last post, so grab yourself a coffee and get comfy....this one is going to be a doozy!

So just my last post, lots has happened since my last post, so where to start...

I guess most importantly, my baby is seven months old already!!!! Yikes! Where does the time go?It kind of seems like overnight she has gone from little infant to almost toddler! She eats three meals of solids a day (with bottles in between), drinks water from a sippy cup, she yaps away all day long....sadly for me though, she seems to have forgotten how to say mama and everything is now dada....her dad, cows, me, EVERYTHING! Most excitingly however, miss Maddie has mastered crawling and just today, pulled herself up all by herself and was standing in the playpen! I hear other moms talking about their 9 and 10 month olds that are just conquering these feats, so I am very impressed with our little overachiever! 

Look at her go!

Happy 7 Month Birthday Madelyn!!

While all of this is very exciting, at the same time, it has got me in a bit of a panic! Our house is not at all ready for a little one to be turned loose. We have a lot of furniture to strap, sockets to plug, cords to hide, cleaning stuff to lock up....among other things. I was stressing about getting things in order....right now they are still in the middle of barn renovations so Carm is not around a lot to help me out. I was venting to my sister about it and she introduced me to "the FLY LADY." For all you mamas out there torn between house chores and spending time with your kids, you should definitely check out www.flylady.net. It is a website devoted entirely to people who don't like/want to clean, but know it has to be done. It helps you to get organized and develop routines so that your cleaning gets done, but you don't feel like you're spending your entire life doing it. I have it set up so it sends me daily reminders about what needs to be done and the idea is that you are doing some light cleaning of some description everyday, but you only "detail clean" certain rooms each week depending on the "zone" you are in that week. I have only been following this method for a short while and already I am starting to see a difference and I feel a whole lot more organized! Most importantly, I am still able to spend lots of time with the little hooligan. 

As I mentioned, the barn renos are in full swing still at the farm. They were pouring the last row of stalls today already. It's going pretty well and assuming nothing puts them back, they should be milking cows in all three rows by the end of next week!! Check out a few pictures of the progress below.

So, yesterday while cleaning in my living room, I had the TV on and Dr. Phil was on. Now, normally I really can't stand Dr. Phil and quickly change the channel, but the topic yesterday peaked my curiosity...Working Moms vs. Stay At Home Moms....Hmmm. So Maddie and I took a break to hear what they had to say. Quite frankly, the first woman on there infuriated me. Her opinion was that ALL good mothers are stay at home moms and that basically, unless you are going to quit your job and stay home, you should not have children. Working mothers were poor mothers and by going to work and leaving them with caregivers, they were compromising their children's childhood. Seriously? It didn't take long for three of the show's executives (all women) to march out and share their views with the crazy woman. The three Dr. Phil ladies pretty much tore a strip off the woman and by the end of the show, she was sitting there pretty quietly. I don't know what planet this lady was from...a lot of us would love to quit our jobs and stay home full-time with our kids, but it's just NOT an option for most of us. Does that mean we shouldn't have kids? Ouch.

Well, that should give you all a bit to chew on for a few days! Be sure to check back for more updates soon, and also be sure to check out my photography blog at http://jennkylephotography.blogspot.com ! Until next time my friends...

Breaking News...

I know it has been a while yet again since my last post, but it has been a busy news week in the Modern Mama World this past week! Here is a rundown of the week's excitement!

Baby News: Baby Peters finally made her debut into this crazy world on Monday morning! Miss Hailey Maria arrived at 10:30am and weighed in at a healthy 10 lbs 7 oz!! And, I have to give serious props to her mama Heather who is my new hero....10lbs 7 oz....NO EPIDURAL!!!! Nicely done!! Miss Maddie is very excited to have another little friend to play with and I am super excited to have Heather join the mommy club! Congratulations to the Peters Family!! I have lots of pictures of little Miss Hailey, but since her mama hasn't posted any yet, I will hold on to mine for the moment...

Fair News: Last weekend Miss Madelyn graced the stage at the Drumbo Fair Baby Show. Carm and I weren't able to be at the show with her, but Grandma Nancy and Uncle Curtis did a super job showing the baby. This time, there was better criteria and Maddie won her class! That's right....my baby had the biggest eyes...shocker eh? The three of them had fun and Maddie came home with a bunch of great prizes, so everybody won!

Maddie and Uncle Curtis at the Baby Show

Farm News: Monday was a BIG day! The extreme barn Makeover that is the Ashlawn dairy barn, has commenced! After just a week, already significant progress has been made. We will have new stalls in no time! WOOT! I have started taking pictures to show the progress as it happens, so be sure to watch for the updates. You cannot begin to imagine how excited I am for the day my big black & white beauties can lay comfortably in a big new comfy stall!

Construction Day #2

Safety News: As Maddie quickly approaches seven months, she is becoming more and more mobile everyday. This has got us thinking about all of the things around the house that need to be childproofed and safetied before she can get too far. Shelves, electrical outlets, cupboards, etc....the usual. However, yesterday I was enlightened as to another baby safety concern that has never appeared on any of the checklists I have been reading. Carpet...in particular, carpets of the shaggier variety. Many of you I am sure are wondering how in the world carpet could be a safety concern for your baby. Others are thinking of the obvious carpet hazard...dust and allergens. However, I am positive not many, if any, of you immediately thought "choking hazard." But, as Miss Madelyn nearly proved to Heather and I yesterday, carpet can in fact, be a choking hazard. Sitting a mere 2' from us playing on the carpet, Madelyn managed to pull off a couple pieces of the carpet without us noticing and put them in her mouth. Luckily, her gag reflex triggered and the carpet was yacked back up before any damage was done....other than to Heather's and my nerves as we were panicking wondering what the heck she was sputtering about! So, to all the mommies out there trying to convince their cheap husbands to rip out the old carpet and put in wood floors...here is another GREAT reason why the cheap-o should cough up the cash. Maddie was lucky, but the next kid may not be...

Cow News: This week is World Dairy Expo week in Madison. Now that the border is open to cattle and there are lots of Canadian cows making the trip down for the show, we had planned to go down to watch this year. I have never ben, so I was quite excited! However, a certain little someone threw a wrench into the travel plans for this year, so we will have to go another year. For this year, thanks to modern technology, Maddie, Carm and I have been watching the shows from the comfort of our living room. Not quite the same, but for this year it will have to do...

Maddie takes in her first WDE!

(the cooler was her mama's not hers...)

Tis the Season...

I LOVE the fall. I love the colours, I love that it cools off, but doesn't get cold, I love Turkey Day, I love the Fall Fairs, I love the fruits and vegetables that are in season in the fall...apples and squash...Mmmm! But with the beginning of autumn also comes the onset of a less appealing season...Flu season! Boo! At the risk of annoying everyone with more talk of H1N1, I am going to talk about it for a second anyway...

Miss Madelyn had her 6 month check up last week during which she was weighed, measured and given two more vaccinations...the same two she received the first two times. I was quite proud of Miss Maddie ...all 18 lbs and 27" of her. My brave little baby managed yet again to keep the tears to a minimum! Go Maddie! However, I didn't notice at the time, but it was pointed out to me later that during her visit with the doc, there was no mention whatsoever of Flu shots.

I have NEVER had a flu shot...at least not that I am aware of. I never had them as a kid and I have never gotten one myself. Mom and Dad didn't seem to think they were that necessary...we knew lots of people that would end up sicker after getting a flu shot than those who passed on the vaccine. I suppose their theory was the old "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger"...we were farm kids...we ate dirt and played in the barn...with all that barn dirt around us, our immune systems were fantastic! We all had the flu once in a while over the years, but we were never any worse off than our classmates and friends who had had the shots. I have always agreed with mom and dad's decision to not have us vaccinated against the flu...really flu shots are a crap shoot. The health officials make an educated guess at which strain will be the most prevalent and that's the one they use for the vaccine. If you happen to pick up a strain other than this particular one...you're plum out of luck!

Don't get me wrong! I am 100% FOR getting vaccinated...the flu is the only vaccine I sit on the fence about. Maddie has been receiving all of her scheduled shots and Carm and I are up to date on ours...I sort of sound like I am talking about dogs getting their rabies shots...Anywho...

I had decided that I wouldn't get a flu shot again this year and I hadn't thought about looking into one for Maddie either. However, it was pointed out to me the other day that Maddie is on the priority list for the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available...babies, pregnant chicks and old people. So, now I am a little confused. I hadn't planned on getting her a regular shot...but should I be worried about the H1N1? Everyone I ask seems to have a different answer.

Life was so much simpler when I was only responsible for gambling with my own health...

If you have any opinions on this topic, please be sure to leave me a note...I would love to hear from you all as I weigh the pros and cons!

On another note, Stratford Fall Fair is this weekend!!! WOOT! It kicks off tomorrow night with the annual Fair Ambassador competition. As a past ambassador myself, I am super excited to have been asked to photograph the big event! I must admit that I am also a little nervous...this will be my first big event! Yikes! Here goes nothing!!

Drumbo Fair is also on this weekend. If you happen to be in the area on Saturday, be sure to hit up the baby show and cheer on Miss Madelyn as she takes on baby show #2 on the circuit!...Man, it really does sound like I'm talking about dogs or cows...Yep, we've got her all vaccinated and ready for the show, just gotta load her on the truck and give her a final groom when we get there before the show starts...

Speaking of cows, the boys had me take a couple pictures of one of the Jersey girls this morning. Check out our two favourites that we picked out...

 

Baby Shows, Weddings and Solids....Oh My!...

Well folks, the blog has been on quite the hiatus the last couple of weeks...but, now that a couple of the big late summer/early fall events are out of the way, it's time to get back at it!

Paris Fair has come and gone for another year. As promised, Miss Madelyn made her debut on the baby show circuit...Holy Toddlers & Tiaras batman! I went in there thinking that there would be 40 kids tops and that it would be more of a "fun" competition. Wrong! When Maddie and I got there at 9am to register, there were hundreds of strollers....HUNDREDS! It was like nothing I have ever seen before. There were over 50 baby girls in the "Dressed in My Sunday Best" special class! I also have absolutely no idea how they judged the age classes...I assume the three judges were picking the cutest baby, but one can't be too sure as there was never an explanation. My darling Maddie did NOT win, but had a solid showing earning her very first "thank you for participating" ribbon...BOO! She was the CLEAR winner in my books, but perhaps I am somewhat biased. She was DEFINITELY the most personable and happy little girl in her class....and also the biggest...actually I think she may have been the biggest in the next age class as well... Anywho, we went to the baby show and had fun, but I think from here on out, we'll leave the baby shows to the crazy stage moms that yell at people and have the nerve to call my little Maddie a boy. I'm sorry, I may be biased, but my baby girl does NOT look like a boy. From now on, we'll stick with the dairy shows!

On a VERY exciting note, my very good friend Ursula is now MARRIED! Her and Ted tied the knot this past Saturday in a BEAUTIFUL ceremony in Oakville. The weather was perfect, the party was fantastic and I couldn't be happier to have been a part of it!

One other equally exciting event taking place on Saturday was Miss Maddie's six month birthday! Our little baby is already half a year old...jeez! Where does the time go? Our big girl spent her six month birthday away from BOTH mommy and daddy (we were at the wedding) and much to our dismay, she did just fine without us. I guess we should get used to this since she is only going to keep getting more independent as she grows, BUT there was a small part of me that hoped Grandma Nancy or Auntie Nicole would have to call us...is that bad?

With 6 months comes the intro into the world of solids for Miss Madelyn. On Sunday, Maddie enjoyed her first meal that consisted of more than just milk...Rice Cereal! Yum! Much to our surprise, she dug right in and inhaled the whole tablespoon and half that I made for her. It's a good thing she enjoyed it so much because I sampled a very small amount of it when I tested the temperature and it tastes bloody awful!! It would have been interesting if I had had to convince her it was good... If she is as open with all the new things we give her as she was with the rice, we'll be laughing! Something tells me it may not be THAT easy all the time, but here's to hoping!

Since Maddie is half a year old, it was time for another little photo shoot. Be sure to check out the slideshow below of the pictures!