Dental Drama...

It seems like a long time since my last post....but we have been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!! Being in two weddings really has kept us hopping the last couple of weeks. Wedding #1 is T-7 so the countdown is ON! My blog will likely be on hiatus again this coming week as we get ready for the wedding on Saturday! But, should I find a spare moment, I will be sure to post something!

We have hit another milestone with miss Maddie. As the title of the post suggests, the teething process has begun. My darling 4.5 month old Madelyn has not one, but TWO little teeth popping through her poor little gums. I have read about and heard a lot of horror stories when it comes to teething. I am likely getting ahead of myself, but so far it doesn't seem to be TOO bad. Maddie is noticeably grumpy and seems a little off her game, but compared to some of the stories I have heard....she is taking it like a champ! These two teeth have been bugging her on and off for a few days now, but tonight is the first night where she was cranky enough to warrant a warm bath, some children's advil and early to bed after an uncharacteristic snuggle with mama bear. Miss Maddie is NOT much for cuddling, so that was the big tip off that she just isn't feeling like herself. Poor little spider monkey!

Lots of the baby literature talks about the babies' reactions to getting their teeth, and I would say that a lot of the information is bang on. Luckily, so far Maddie has been on the happier end of the teething trouble spectrum...THANK GOODNESS!

However, there are a few items that the literature does not cover...

1. The literature generalizes by saying that babies TYPICALLY start to get their first teeth between 5 and 7 months. Now, obviously every kid is different and they do imply that this is not true for all children, BUT since there hasn't been anything to convince me that Maddie is not a "typical" baby...we were quite surprised to discover two little teeth in her mouth at 4 months! After talking to a few different moms about this, I discovered that the majority of the babies I know...including myself, had their first teeth between 3 and 4 months....and a handful not until 8 or 9. Perhaps they should just scrap the "typical" stuff and just say that your kid will sprout teeth any time during the first year....and for a few unfortunate nursing mamas...your baby will be born with teeth! Creepy I know, but my doctor says it happens from time to time.

2. Also on the topic of timing, the books don't really mention that your baby can start "teething" a long time before they actually "cut teeth." According to my doc, if you x-ray a newborn's head, she will have a full set of teeth already, but they are WAY down in her jaw and have a long way to come up before they actually break the skin. Therefore when your precious little babe starts drooling like Paula Deen at a Butter Sculpture Exhibition at a mere 9 weeks old, don't worry because chances are her teeth are already on the move. Where were you on that one "What to Expect the First Year?"

3. It's a bit of a bittersweet milestone for mommy and daddy. On one hand, it is SO exciting that our little baby is getting her first teeth. She is growing up so fast! On the other hand, it's the first real realization that time is really flying...she is growing up so fast! I would not consider myself a real emotional person a lot of the time...generally I am a pretty cool cucumber, but I have to admit that I got a little teary eyed upon discovering Maddie's cute little chompers. Now, part of that probably has something to do with the addition of teeth to the already heinous breastfeeding  experience...whoever says they should "get one good bite" is nuts in my opinion...but part of it is also the newfound "mommy emotions" getting the best of me. You know, the ones that make you misty eyed while singing along to the Darius Rucker song or make you bawl like an idiot during a TV commercial! We used to make fun of my mom when she would blubber away during the Hallmark commercial where the mom is ignoring her kid all day and then realizes at the end of the day that he is down in the dumps and gives him a sappy greeting card with the wind-up butterfly that flutters out when he opens it. Admit it...you have all seen it...cheesiest ad EVER! But, now as a new mom, I better understand why it made my mom grab for the kleenex box!

So, all joking and emotions aside, Maddie has teeth!! Craziness! I just hope that she is over the worst in the next couple days (for these teeth anyways), or the next week could be interesting with that on top of all the wedding chaos!

Many of you have probably already seen this video, but for those who haven't seen it check it out!! Since we are in full on "Wedding Mode" this week, I felt it was an appropriate way to end...Enjoy!

Can't you just picture the Kyle boys pulling something like this off....HA! Not so much!!!

Cheek Pinchers vs. Soccer Moms...

I have always enjoyed grocery shopping...really, who are we kidding...I enjoy any kind of shopping! But, in particular, I do like to grocery shop. I love to cook, so I like taking my time and picking out the ingredients to try out a new recipe. I will stand in an aisle and compare products for a half an hour to make sure I am getting the best product...not the best value or the cheapest, the BEST product for what I am creating. While a lot of people dread doing their groceries, I find it relaxing and look forward to my weekly trip to the Sobey's in Paris...even if it is in a rush after work or at 10 pm on the night before a holiday when EVERYONE realizes they are out of milk and hamburger buns and the store will be closed the following day. I don't usually mind waiting in line and find it entertaining watching the other shoppers far more frantic than myself.

Recently, however, I have been introduced to a new type of grocery shopping.... Grocery Shopping as a Mommy! I thought that grocery shopping at rush hour was fun...man was I missing out! Now that I'm at home all day with miss Maddie, we have started to make grocery shopping a fun weekly outing for mama and baby. We spend easily an hour to an hour and a half wandering through the store picking out Carm's and my meals for the upcoming week. If I happen to go by myself without Maddie, I can be in and out in half an hour if I need to, but it is much more social if I have my sidekick along. Madelyn is like a magnet. Every little old lady, recent empty nester, little girl, pregnant chick, new grandma, new mom, cashier and even the odd man needs to stop and coo at Maddie...one lady even sniffed her....that was weird. Something about loving new baby smell...

One person that has yet to stop us though is what I call the Super Soccer Mom (SSM). You have all seen this woman...she fires into the parking lot and screeches her mini van sideways into a parking spot as close to the front door as possible before jumping out on her cell phone and running full tilt into the store dragging three kids under five with her. She plops the little one into the "race car " cart while the older two (both in soccer jerseys and cleats) squabble over who gets to ride on the front of the cart. She blazes through the store throwing the most obscene amount of food into the cart before standing in the checkout line checking her watch every three seconds and sighing loudly to let EVERYONE know that she is in a hurry. While some may find her rammy and a bit obnoxious, others admire her. "Look at her go! And with three little kids even! How does she do it?"...others like me? "Aww the kids are cute! But thank god it's her and not me!"

It's not that this lady doesn't want to stop and coo over MY cute little baby, she just does not have the time. Clearly. Once through the checkout line, she fires out of the parking lot just as quickly as she fired in...narrowly missing the cart boy and the next crazed minivan flying in on two wheels. Have you ever noticed that 90% of minivans have a ding on them somewhere? You aren't a true SSM unless there is a ding on your minivan from backing into the garage door in a rush to get little Sammy to soccer (or hockey or ballet or whatever).

Having A baby is a lot of work. It's a lot of fun and can make normally mundane tasks like grocery shopping a lot more entertaining, but it is a lot of work. I cannot imagine what it is like having two or three. Maddie is only 4.5 months old, but already she keeps us hopping. Those who have met the little monkey have seen the bald spot on the back of her head that she has given herself moving all over the place!

Lucky for me, I was raised by an SSM...with four active girls each less than two years apart from the next, it was a given that Sherrif became an SSM. She tackled things like her groceries flanked by four little "helpers" and naturally drove the van with the signature dent. She often had four different activities to be at at once, but rarely were we ever late for any of them. So, it's in my blood I guess...hopefully someday when we decide Maddie should have a sibling or two, I won't have a huge problem adjusting to life with more than one little sidekick. There is, however, one thing i will NOT be adjusting to though...I will NOT drive a minivan. Truck or small SUV maybe, but no minivans.

At a mere 4.5 months, Maddie is already super busy. Are we destined for chasing after her constantly? I think so!!

Back in the Whites...

At the beginning of each show season, I am ALWAYS plagued by the same worry...will I be able to fit my ever-widening butt into my white show pants? Or will I be sentenced to the task of trying to find a new pair of decent white pants that fit. I LOVE to shop, which I have already made clear, however, I HATE shopping for white pants. First of all, depending on the year, there are often no white pants to be found...anywhere. Secondly, if it happens to be a "white pant season" the pants are often "trendy" and not necessarily flattering on all body types or showring appropriate. My 5'3" "athletic " frame can't really pull off a skinny, tapered white jean and billowy white linen beach pants are not exactly the showring look. Whoever thought that it was a good idea to make white the colour of choice for showing dairy cattle didn't really think things through.

Needless to say, when my sister called to see if I would like to go to Listowel Fair and show a calf for her, I was a little worried I would be forced on a wild goose chase for the elusive white pants. One year and a baby since I had put them on the last time, why should I think anything different?   

After hanging up the phone, I pulled my whites out of the drawer (and boy they smelled like they had been in a drawer for a year!) and skeptically pulled them on...SURPRISE! So, in a previous blog post, I talked about the thrill of fitting back into my pre-pregnancy wardrobe one piece at a time. Well, last week's item was my show whites! Woot! Oddly enough, I feel they actually fit better now than they have in a LONG time...

So off Maddie and her pack mule (a.k.a. me) went to the fair. We piled (literally) into the truck with Jill, Heidi and Matt and headed to Listowel. It was great show! The white pants fit, the weather was perfect, there were lots of old friends to catch up with and to top off an already great day, it was a super day for Team Shylane in the ring! Mandy was working and unable to come to the show, so I got to show her heifer...which I led to victory! Shylane had the 1st and 2nd place intermediate calf, 4th place senior calf, 1st place group of three and GRAND CHAMPION!

It may have been just Listowel Fair, but it was a fun day and a great way to start off the show season.

My assistant photographer, Heidi, and I managed to capture a number of the moments throughout the day. Below are some of my favourites. I think this is the first time since Maddie was born that there isn't one picture of her...does that make me a bad mom? 

A Hair in the Updo of Life...

They say that once you have a baby, time for yourself pretty much becomes non-existent. Boy! They aren't kidding! With two weddings coming up, I decided it was time to start making myself presentable. Yesterday was the first in a series of beautifying appointments I have booked for the next two weeks, and what better place to start than the hair....work from the top down people!

After booking an appointment for a cut and colour, I got thinking about the last time I had both of these done. My hair hadn't been cut since February, but more appallingly, my hair had not been highlighted since last August...before the last wedding I was in. Yikers! Apparently Maddie was cutting in on my "me time" long before she was born!

I love miss Madelyn, but it was SOOO nice to have a couple hours without her! I got to relax, catch up with my aunt (a.k.a. my hairdresser), discuss what I should do with my hair, flip through a magazine and just enjoy the nice quiet baby-free time. It really was win-win for everyone because Grammie Sheryl got to tote Maddie around town for the afternoon lunching with Maddie's great great grandma and visiting her great aunt along the way. 

It's amazing how a simple haircut and some highlights can make you feel like a new person! I left the shop ready to rock n roll with wedding season...and with the promise to myself that I won't wait another whole year to have my highlights done! Up next? I'm off to the spa next week to visit Michelle for another amazing facial! Wedding #1 is three weeks from tomorrow and I am looking forward to the rest of my primping and prepping as I get ready for the day we welcome another sister into the Kyle clan!

Now, what to do with Maddie while I am at the spa next week...

Maddie and I with the "new do"...although you can't really see much of a difference...

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!