Yay! Movies for Mommies!

Best idea ever! I was chatting today with friends from work and was clued in to the concept of special movie screenings around town especially for moms & babies. Apparently, a few theatres do special matinee screenings for Mamas - dim lighting, lower volume, etc. And of course, an audience full of mommies who won't mind crying babies or notice you breastfeeding. Talk about a great idea! I've done a little research and found this:

Movies for Mommies plays at the Ridge Theatre on Arbutus - Wednesdays at 1pm. There's also Stars and Strollers - movies at Cineplex theatres around the lower mainland, various weekdays at 1pm. I've heard that Fifth Ave and the Park do this as well, but can't find info online.

I'm so going to try this out next week! Thanks to Sheila & Laura for the awesome tip - and for the great visit today too, by the way.

Speaking of movies... I'm really looking forward to seeing The Happening, the new M. Night Shyamalan movie due out June 13. I always get in a twist to see his movies, and this one is no exception. Usually it's a bit of a let-down (as in disappointment, not milk!) when the mystery is unveiled - he's better at the suspenseful build-up than the reveal - but the anticipation is so good that it doesn't matter much. I'm hoping that Jamie and I can have our first date night out and go see it!

Mr. Smiley!

Over the past week or so, Cole has started really smiling and laughing when we are playing with him. Catching a smile on film had been proving elusive, but luckily today I did it! Isn't he a doll?

His smiles are so powerful - he really opens his mouth, his eyes smile, and his whole face just lights up. It's wonderful to know that he feels so happy and it's great fun to play along with him and coax more smiles. He is starting also to make some little happy sounds from time to time. It's just amazing watching him change each day.

One of the things that seemed to make him smile this morning is his new Total Playground activity pad.

I got it yesterday, and it was pretty hard to decide which one was "right". There are like five types, all from the same company, all with the same basic idea. Some have lights, some have different animal themes, some make different tunes... I chose the one that has a kick & touch pad so Cole's has something fun to direct his little kicks at! I think he likes it! Check out the view he's getting while on his back!

One thing that makes me smile, aside from Cole's adorable smiles, is the super-cute bulldog Appaman onesie that he's wearing. Thank you to Leah - he looks great in it!

Cole does a turn on the catwalk...

So apparently I can't help taking photos of Cole's outfits every time he wears something new... It's not my fault - he's just so darned cute! And he will be glad some day that I'm only posting ones of him in clothes (so far, anyway) - he's cute in the bathtub too. :-)

Here we see two of our favourites - the 'I Heart Mommy' onesie that Bonnie found for us and the 'Dad's Team' onesie that we got in the States a while back. We got that baseball one as a joke (we don't even like baseball) because it was really funny and has a baseball on the seat, but it actually looks really cute on him. Glad we tried it on him now - it's a 'newborn' size and from the looks of things, it's going to be too small soon! Cole looks fairly introspective/bored/distractable on the subject of baseball...

On the subject of shopping, I was really pleased to find some clothes for myself yesterday on one of our shopping-walking jaunts. It is hard to buy clothes when you are not pregnant any more but not your pre-baby shape yet either! Cole was very good though and slept soundly through many trips into change rooms. I think it must be the tragic emo music playing in various stores at the mall that lulls him to sleep. He's going to grow up and wonder why on earth he has an affinity for faux-mopey bands wearing guyliner and flatironed hair. ;-)

FYI - we were in the big Sears at Pacific Centre to look for a Jolly Jumper (didn't find one) and they have an actual nursing room. If you are looking for somewhere private to breastfeed in that area, it has a chair and a change table and all - third floor. Otherwise I've found regular change rooms to be excellent, so far anyway. :-)

Babylegs are awesome!

Actual baby legs, of course, are squishy and tasty and adorable. But I am referring to Babylegs, the baby legwarmers. We received some as a gift at our shower (thank you Kim & Shawn & Abby!) and we used them for the first time today on Cole. In addition to his hat, Cole needed some leg protection from the sun in the Baby Bjorn, and since he was nice and calm already we didn't want to undress him from his onesie.

Check them out - cute, eh? Cole looks unimpressed here what with the yawning and all (so cute!), but in reality he was super stoked to have such adorable looking legs. And we were complimented on them before we'd walked a block!

Cole's smooth moves...

Jamie and I were looking for something to watch on TV and spent a few minutes watching the useless TV guide channel (newsflash - nothing was on). We happened to notice that there are a lot of shows featuring dancing lately... We had a good time changing the rest of the show titles scrolling by to include 'dancing' as part of their titles... Crime Dancing Investigations or Stardance SG1 anyone?

That actually worked out really well as a smooth introduction to the photos I took of Cole today - particularly the first one. Cole looks like a natural dancer (and brings out his part Irish heritage) with this move - he's got the jig down pat.

He looks like he's skeptical about the whole idea... Laying down and doing the jig is a ways away from any spangly jumpsuits and choreographed routines! :-)

BTW - thanks to Laura for the awesome turtles onesie & coordinated socks!

Baby days

Jamie has just gone back to work after his month off, and Cole and I are doing pretty well so far! (Although it has only been a day and a half!). I know I definitely miss Jamie's company and all his help throughout the day, and Cole does too - he's not too sure why Mama is changing his diapers all the time! ;-) We're sticking with our well-honed routine pretty much - Cole and I went for a great walk yesterday and he was a very good baby for me.

Right now I'm sitting here with a mountainous pile of clean (yet unfolded) laundry on the dining room table and I have just noticed a dab of what I hope is chocolate sauce from cocoa on my laptop. I think I might also smell like milk... Nice! I have at least showered though, and brushed my teeth and hair, and am ready to take us for a walk after Cole's next feeding...

I have been doing more important things than laundry during Cole's short morning nap... Some research online to see what activities are appropriate for a one-month old baby - Cole hit that mark officially yesterday. We have plenty of fun gadgets for him to enjoy and some awesome toys and books from our shower too, but he seems to have the most fun so far just listening to and looking at us, squirming and testing his vocal chords and movements. He's getting really good at raising his head when on his tummy, he is following us with his eyes and he's starting to notice the mobile more too. He also really seems to become absorbed staring at light/shadows. I was wondering if we are on the right track in terms of playtime (of course worried that I'm boring him or encouraging him to sleep too much!). So far, so good, it would seem, from this website on baby development. Very simplified tips, but good for the sleep-deprived!

Thank you!

We had a blast yesterday at the wonderful welcome brunch for Cole hosted by Bonnie and Dave. Jamie and I are so grateful to everyone - thank you so much for coming, for your support and for the lovely gifts - too much really, but we really appreciate everything.

It was terrific to see folks we haven't seen in ages and those we see much more often all gathered together to meet little Cole. He really had a great time - I'm sure of it! He was happy to be held by so many loving hands and he will be making many memories to come in his fancy new clothes, with his shiny new toys and everything in between.

Here we see Cole relaxing on Gramma Bonnie at the end of the day - definitely the party animal! You know you've had a great party when it's a three feedings & diaper changes kind of event! :-)

Thank you to Bonnie for planning such a beautiful event, and all those who helped too - everything was perfect and delicious and lots of fun. A great day all around!

I have lots of photos of the day - wasn't sure about posting everyone's photo online without permission though (is that the semi-professional photographer in me?). I'll be sending lots around via Bonnie...

Wind, personified...

Slate magazine's recent report of the Clio Awards (advertising's big shindig) is pretty funny, and it turned up this hilarious non-winning ad for wind power from Germany.

I can't stand most North American ads, but Europe churns out some pretty good material. I guess taking for granted that at least some of your audience has a brain is a good start!

Hello Summer!

What is up with this amazing weather?! It was SO beautiful today - something like 30 degrees and the first really great summery day... I suspect it's a freak occurrence, since it's not usually this warm here even in July, but I'll take it nonetheless. (Hey - I just got to use the word 'nonetheless'! Furthermore...)

We bought Cole a sunhat for just such a sunny occasion, but it's still a little on the large side.

I think I'll have to find or make a smaller one for the short-term! I need to get a sunshade for the stroller - for now we are using a light blanket to keep the sun off Cole.

We enjoyed the day by making our morning walk extra-long. We walked around the Seawall to Granville Island and back - about 8 km. I made a stop at the fantastic paper shop there, Paper-Ya for some fun little treats. I love paper. We stopped at La Baguette et L'Echalote to pick up a tasty lunch of smoked turkey baguettes and Copenhagens for dessert - délicieux! Cole slept through the whole walk there and the shopping, and woke up to join our picnic in the shade. His lunch was a little less Continental... :-)

Back at home Jamie gave Cole his first glimpse at the future flavours of the world by letting him sniff at an all-fruit popsicle... Too funny.

Guess what? More photos of Cole!

Jamie and I had a great walk in the beautiful rain today with Cole. We bundled him up in his carriage with the rain cover on and walked to Yaletown and back along the seawall. We try to go for a good, long walk every day - it's a great way to get some fresh air and exercise, and also for the change of scenery! Cole is generally very good in his various contraptions (carriage, Baby Bjorn, carseat) so our outings are also a good chance for him to get in a nice nap while we chat and do something grown-up...

This afternoon the light in our living room was soft and gorgeous, so I hauled out my "real" camera and took some lovely shots of Cole. He had some tummy time (he's getting so strong!) and he also really enjoyed just looking around while reclining peacefully on his back. I can't get over his beautiful eyes! He might grow up to be a ham like his Mama - he seems to enjoy being in front of the camera!

Over 9 pounds!

Cole and I had our follow-up appointment today at the Breastfeeding Clinic. Good news! Cole is gaining weight like a champion - he weighs 4145 grams now - or 9.138 pounds! That is terrific!! The Doctor actually asked me three times if I'd been feeding him any formula (I haven't) and she said his weight gain is excellent. Having a baby is turning me into some kind of European Grandmother type - I keep telling Cole, "Eat - you're too skinny!". He is a tall, lanky baby, so he's not exactly the pudge king, but he is looking so pleasantly chubby!

Speaking of breastfeeding, yesterday during our walk at Van Dusen Gardens I delivered my first ever "public" breastfeeding experience. It wasn't super scandalous or anything - first of all, we found a really beautiful and quiet spot on a bench nestled amongst some shrubberies, and secondly I had my new acquisition - my Hooter Hiders!

The name isn't very eloquent ("hooter" is so Bundyesque) - although also sold as Bebe au Lait. It was a great cover-up that helped me not to feel like I'd be traumatizing any unsuspecting youths in the vicinity... I highly recommend one, if the thought of whipping a boob out in public for sustenance purposes isn't really your thing. I have all kinds of stuff hidden under that thing - a baby as well as a full diaper bag and blanket for him to sit on.

Fun Mother's Day!

Jamie and Cole took me out for a great first Mother's Day yesterday. We went to Van Dusen Gardens and enjoyed a beautiful walk in the sunshine (we go a few times a year and have memberships - I love it there). Jamie had a great time taking off Cole's socks for a minute so he could feel the grass on his little feet!

We also got some yummy Vera's Burgers and went to the beach for a picnic.

And for my Mother's Day present, we had fun making impressions of Cole's hands & feet in clay! It was harder than it sounds to get his little fists to open up, but my present is drying as we speak. We got the kit at Crocodile - although you could probably gather the materials yourself, this was easier and quicker - and it was super simple and not messy at all. And lots of fun.

Visual stimulation

We read that young infants are more engaged by black & white high-contrast objects. Cole seemed to need a little something extra to look at in his crib (not that he's awake very much!), so we found a couple of great products that answer his need for visual stimulation (and my love of line-art style graphics).

Hoping to stimulate Cole's baby blues, we found an awesome mobile for his crib - the award-winning Stim-mobile. It has interchangeable, whimsical cards - you use the black & white ones in the beginning and replace them after the first couple of months with the coloured cards. I had a hard time finding a mobile because none that I found originally really went with our nursery, our aesthetic or fit on our crib. But I really love this one - found it by accident at Crocodile, when I wasn't really looking. Cole isn't too interested in it yet, but soon I think he'll get a kick out of it. I would love to get the Mind Shapes from the same company.

We also found a great set of black & white flashcards by Wee Gallery. Cole seems to really like them - or at least be very entranced by them! We tuck them into the sides of the crib sometimes when he's wide-awake, but we take them away after a short time because they seem to make it hard for him to stop looking! I think as he gets bigger and is being more alert throughout the day we can really see how he likes them. I love the feel of them as well - super thick stock, nice satiny matte finish...

And as part of a really lovely gift from my friend Leah, we now have this awesome book, White on Black. I can't wait to show this one to Cole!

Cole's quizzical looks

Cole is a master of adorable faces. Jamie says he takes after me in this realm - he's got the innocent look down pat!

This kimono top by Sweet Peanut, by the way, is the best shirt ever! Jamie likes to sometimes keep Cole in his diaper and a shirt, since he has dealt with a few triple diaper change sessions, and this top is the best. We got it at Baby's World (party time, excellent - guitar noises).

G Diaper review

Well, so far our experience with gDiapers has been less than stellar. We tried them in week 1, and they leaked a LOT. Not poop (that stayed in fine), but the pee just came out the top and wicked up Cole's back, soaking through his onesie, receiving blanket and whatever else he was laying on...

He seems relatively undisturbed by sitting in his own filth... The Seventh Generation diapers are really good actually (although they were always my third choice, after cloth and gDiapers) and keep him nice and dry. I'm hoping to try the cloth service soon - just waiting for a review! :-)

I have a bunch more of the gDiapers though, and I REALLY love the concept behind them, so we'll try again soon. I think possibly part of the leaking could have been caused by us not cinching them tightly enough - we used them when he still had his belly button stump, and we were leaving them fairly loose so that it wouldn't get hurt. I think that as he gets a smidge bigger and now that he's got a nice, not freaky belly button situation, maybe they'll be ok?

Breastfeeding update

So I think we're making some great progress on the breastfeeding front. Last week my review of the matter was coloured somewhat by the pain I was in! I visited a lactation consultant/doctor yesterday who showed me some refinements to the technique - refinements being mostly me ramming his face really quickly into the boob. Apparently I was being too gentle? It seems like it's helping, although my face-mashing isn't quite as vigorous as the Doctor demonstrated! We go back again in a week. The best news is that I am healing and Cole is back up to his birth weight and we could prove too through pre- and post-feed weigh-ins that he was getting plenty of tasty milk.

On the subject of breastfeeding, I caught this recent NY Times article on the subject - very interesting stats! Good reading late at night like this between - what do you know - breastfeeding sessions! :-)

Book alert!

I really love the idea of this book - calm, practical and reassuring advice for first-time parents, with the idea that what a baby really needs is nurturing and love, rather than a ton of gadgets. Sounds like the perfect antidote to the "stress yourself out" kind of book! The author comes from a family of midwives from Holland - for three generations before her.

Seems popular amongst the expecting, but I suspect it would be good for me too! :-) Debating whether to order it online at Amazon or check it out at Chapters... It might be a little while before I get to a Chapters! But then again, Cole is really enjoying our stroller and Baby Bjorn walks, so you never know!

Photos from our week...

This week we have been able to really get to know more about our little gentleman Cole. The first few days at home from the hospital last week were kind of a blur, but we are starting to get a good routine for our days and nights and also better at reading his cues too. Jamie does most of the diaper changing - he's got quite the knack! :-)

We've also been able to venture out all together several times to enjoy this springtime weather - some stroller walks around the seawall and to Yaletown (even into Urban Fare for groceries!), and some other trips out with Jamie carrying Cole in the Baby Bjorn. It is so nice to get some fresh air, and Cole seems to really love to snooze while we're on the go!

At our Doctor's appointment on Thursday Cole's weight was almost completely back up to his birth weight, which is totally normal. His umbellical cord stump fell off on Sunday last week, and it continues to heal well. He's opening his eyes more and more, although his favourite activities are still eating, sleeping and exercising his digestive system!

Here are a few photos of our week...

Babies - Hooray!

Congratulations to Kim & Shawn who welcomed a new baby girl to their family yesterday! All our best to you three as you start your life and adventures together!

Things to do at 5 AM

We have a serious lack of clocks in our house (and a few watches with no batteries), so when Cole is breastfeeding, especially in the middle of the night, I tend to watch a lot of the Weather Network on mute. It's boring, yes, but the time is on the screen the whole time, so I can gauge how long he's been eating.

A few days ago, in our delirium, Jamie and I were sitting there at 5 am critiquing the outfits of the meteorologists... We decided that since we were writing down notes on the breastfeeding & bathroom habits of little Cole, we may as well have some fun and start charting the fashion choices of the night & morning crew on the channel. It's been really hilarious - we have little nicknames for the different people, and it's starting to look like have a surplus of old blazers under the stairs in the studio that they share... One lady seems to favour outfits suitable for an Eastern European prison warden... Yes, I think we have officially started to lose our minds. ;-)