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!

I Place this Class of Babies...

It's that time of the year again folks...Paris Fair starts later this week! To quote another fellow Holstein/Jersey breeder, "Driving through the gates at the Paris Fair is better than Christmas"...ok so maybe it's not quite that exciting, but it is a lot of fun.

Since becoming an official member of team Ash Lawn, it has become one of the busiest weeks of the year for us. As with other years, we have the usual repertoire of events that we participate in...the dairy 4-H show, Holstein show, beef 4-H show, Shorthorn show and the ever important main event at Ash Lawn, the Jersey Show.  

I am still very leery of the whole beef show thing....I'll be honest. I am terrified that the crazy things would run away with me....so I just sit on the sidelines and watch. I told Carm if he had a cute little well-trained one that I would show that one, but so far no dice. He tends to take older heifers and trains them a couple days before the show....not exactly my idea of well-trained!

I am a dairy girl through and through, so I LOVE the Holstein and Jersey shows. We don't have anything for the Holstein show this year (BOOOO!), so I will just be watching, but we have the usual string for the Jersey show....including my very own little brown cow, Brenda, who has graced Paris Fair with her presence for the past 4 years. Go Brendy! 

Maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves, but Carm and I are super excited for when Maddie can show a little calf of her own at the show! Both of us started when we were little, so we are eager to share the tradition with Miss Madelyn. Since, she is a little young this year (and maybe next year as well...), Maddie will just have to stick to the baby show for this year. Conveniently, the baby show is held in the morning before the Jersey show starts....Perfect! 

I didn't know much about baby shows until last year when I was asked to "judge" the baby show at another local fair. It was quite the experience. There were babies EVERYWHERE. The categories were drawn from a hat and then myself and the other judge had to pick a winner for each category. At the end of the show there was an award given out for the happiest boy and girl in each of the age categories. 

Now I know there are a number of dairy folks that read this blog, so you all can likely imagine how hard it was to keep from laughing the entire time I was there. Essentially, it was like a cattle show. All these parents showed up with their kids....most were locals, but as with the dairy shows, there were also the "Ringers" brought in from other towns/cities. They would call each age class up and the parents would take the kids and line them up (just like a dairy show!). Then we walked up and down the line and picked out he winners. Good thing we didn't have to give reasons..."Ladies and Gentlemen, I place this class of 0 - 6 month old female babies as you see them here today. I'm starting the class off with a girl I feel comes to the top of the class"....

Anyways, since we are now the proud parents of the CUTEST baby girl in not only Paris, but the WHOLE WORLD (ok so maybe I'm a bit biased), we have to make an appearance and show OUR baby at the baby show....we'll bring her in the car though....not the trailer. If you're in the Paris area on the holiday Monday, be sure to stop in and cheer on Maddie as she vies for the title of cutest baby in her "Sunday Best!" 

Daddy's Girl...

As some of you may remember from a previous post, when we found out we had a little farm kid on the way, Carm was hell-bent that it needed to be a boy...a boy to play hockey and be a farmer. We all know how I feel about this, so we won't go into the whole "girls can do anything boys can" spiel again, but the point is Carm was a little thrown off when we were told Maddie was a girl and not a boy.

It took him a couple of days to get used to the idea of having a little girl....I don't think I can count the number of times he told people I "turned his boy into a girl" in those first couple days after our ultrasound. Eventually though, he warmed up to the idea and the closer the due date came, the more excited he became (well, as excited as Carm can get). He constantly talked about the livestock that he and/or Grandpa George were going to buy for her, what chores she would do in the barn, what shows she would go to, the baby contests she would enter and win, etc. And then the moment Miss Maddie made her fashionably late (she IS a Kyle) appearance, any lingering doubt about having a baby girl dissipated as he was handed the little pink bundle that was Madelyn.

She has had him wrapped around her little finger since the word go.

Within weeks of her arrival, Maddie was a budding livestock farmer with a baby lamb, several shorthorn calves, a jersey heifer calf, a holstein bull calf and 21 baby ducks to her name...her first public outing was to the Spring Discovery Holstein and Jersey show in London!

Carman has never hesitated to help out with any of the "Maddie Chores"...he can change a mean diaper and even tries his hand at picking out outfits for her from time to time....he needs a little work on coordinating the socks with the rest of the outfit, but he doesn't do bad! He is a very hands-on daddy and one of the best parts of being a mommy sometimes is just watching him interact with Miss Madelyn. It can be quite entertaining!

Like I said, she has him wrapped around her little finger. 

But, her daddy is not the only man she has charmed in her short life....Grandpa George and Uncle CK also fit nicely into each of her back pockets. I have quickly learned to dress her in her "barn clothes" when we go down to the farm to visit during the day because between her dad, grandpa and uncle, her outfit is never clean for long! She is well versed in making chop, feeding calves, milking cows and checking the cattle at the pasture farm. 

This past weekend I spent the night away from Maddie for the first time. I was a little worried, but Carm didn't hesitate when I said he would have Maddie by himself for a full 24 hours. His mom was also away for the day, so it really was Maddie and the guys for the day. From what I hear, they all had a great time....there was a pile of laundry to prove it!

It is definitely a relief knowing that I can spend the night away without having to worry about how they're getting along. Next up....Carm and I will BOTH be spending the night away from her next month...will we be as lucky? We'll have to wait and see!

On another note, I had a couple of photo shoots with Mandy and Drew and Suzie and Swithin over the weekend, here are a few of my favourites:

Mom's the Word...

That's right folks! At a mere 5 months and 5 days, miss Maddie has given us her first word...a resounding "MAMA"....much to her daddy's disappointment! I think this milestone has been my favourite so far. Since it's difficult to capture first words in a picture, here is a play-by-play of how it went down...

Maddie: "Mama"

Nancy and I look at each other...

Me: "Did she just..."

Nancy: "I think so..."

Maddie: "Mamamama"

Me: "Holy crap!"

Ten Minutes Later....

Me: "Carm, guess what Maddie said a few minutes ago! She said mama!"

Carm: "No, she didn't."

Maddie: "Mammma"

Me: "Told ya"

Carm: "No Maddie, don't say that. Say papa"

Pretty much it has been the above scenario over and over again all day today! Now, we are pretty sure she doesn't fully understand what she is saying or the significance, but nonetheless, she has said her first word and keeps repeating it....much to her daddy's dismay! I think we will have a little chatterbox on our hands in the very near future and I couldn't be more excited!

On another note, "Operation Turquoise Shutters" is now complete! A big thanks to Chris and Steve for all of their hard work on the painting! Our little hobo hut has now been transformed into a classic country cottage.

Now we just have to learn how to garden so our flowerbeds look like flowerbeds and not jungles...

We have also had a couple of unusual "hot" vehicles stop in at Carmalee in the past few weeks. One was some sort of hotrod thing (I didn't get pictures) and the other a hot air balloon. The hot air balloon landed on the laneway right behind our shed! I quickly got over the embarrassment of answering the door in my pajamas when I saw the multicoloured balloon in the backyard!

I don't think you would ever get me up into one of those things, but they're pretty neat and they can land in my backyard any day!