OMG time is flying by! I actually cried a little the other day as I watched my daughter push a walker across the room... will she be walking soon? I don't know if I am ready for this!
Baby Z turns out to be a little motor and loves to move around and explore! She can now:
-crawl
-crawl and sit and crawl and turn, basically, she can get around and get into things...
-pull herself up
-cruise around while supporting herself on the furniture
-walk with the help of a walker
-play ball with our dog Taco (CUTEST THING EVER!!! - she throws it and he gets it)
-initiate 'peek-a-boo' by hiding behind a blanket/book/something like that and then pulling down so we can see her again
-throw tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants (I thought this was supposed to start at 2 years old?!?!)
-sleep through the night (it's happened 4 days out of 7... I might be pushing my luck on this one, but I'm hoping it sticks!)
She also just had her first fever ever yesterday & today (started last night and lasted all day today). She seems fine otherwise so we're not too worried. Maybe we'll see more teeth soon? She only has the bottom two so far! Oh and she still eats like a champ! I'd say her favourite foods are fish, bananas, black beans, avocados, and berries.
We may have found a good daycare for her, I'll keep you updated about that!
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Friday, May 2, 2014
Finger painting with an 8 month old
Oh what an adventure! My wise sister-in-law had cautioned me against doing finger painting and play-doughing too early, she said it would make a mess and Baby Z would just end up eating everything. Even so, I was all together too excited to let the opportunity pass me by, especially because I thought the finger painting project could be turned into a Mother's Day present for my mom, so why not try?
Of all days, I chose the day I had to bring the car to the shop to get the tires changed (here in Quebec we change from winter tires to summer tires and back every year and it is against the law not to do so!). It was very eventful because I couldn't find my summer tires in my parent's garage where they were supposed to be. I finally got hold of my mom who told me they were under the deck, and was able to drop them off at the shop and all was well that ends well.
But I digress. All that to tell you that while looking for the tires, I was also making home made finger paint for the first time in my life using this recipe:
http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2011/06/squeezable-homemade-finger-paint/
It worked out really well actually, I liked the texture of the paint and the fact that I knew exactly what was in it so I wouldn't mind too much if Baby Z ate some.
The project I had in mind for Mother's Day was found on Pinterest:
http://deborahgilbert42.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/capris-valentine-craft, and instead of writing 'LOVE', I spelled out Z's name using tape, which actually turned out to be fairly time-consuming.
Once we (I) got everything ready, we got started! I set the paper in front of Baby Z, put a spoonful of finger paint on the paper and showed her how to smear it around on the paper. She did not want to play nicely with the finger paint. Oh no! She did want to eat some of it, but mostly, she wanted to pick up the piece of paper, rip it, and then eat it. I figured I would remedy this situation by giving her a blank piece of paper she COULD rip, not the beautiful work of art we would later give my mom, but no no no, she had her mind set on the piece of paper with her name on it. Once she realized I wouldn't let her rip THAT piece of paper, she started howling! So much so that my dad came in wondering what had happened. Oh not much, just that my 8-month-old daughter won't cooperate with my art project for my mom.
I'd like to say I've learned my lesson and that there won't be a next time and that I will listen to my sister-in-law's recommendations, but I know myself. I know I like projects way too much to give up this easily. Anyway, I do have some of Baby Z's finger prints on the paper, of the times she tried (and failed) to grab and rip the piece of paper, so all in all, I won the battle and my mom will receive a beautiful piece of art for Mother's day. Maybe next time we'll try to make homemade play dough?
Of all days, I chose the day I had to bring the car to the shop to get the tires changed (here in Quebec we change from winter tires to summer tires and back every year and it is against the law not to do so!). It was very eventful because I couldn't find my summer tires in my parent's garage where they were supposed to be. I finally got hold of my mom who told me they were under the deck, and was able to drop them off at the shop and all was well that ends well.
But I digress. All that to tell you that while looking for the tires, I was also making home made finger paint for the first time in my life using this recipe:
http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2011/06/squeezable-homemade-finger-paint/
It worked out really well actually, I liked the texture of the paint and the fact that I knew exactly what was in it so I wouldn't mind too much if Baby Z ate some.
The project I had in mind for Mother's Day was found on Pinterest:
http://deborahgilbert42.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/capris-valentine-craft, and instead of writing 'LOVE', I spelled out Z's name using tape, which actually turned out to be fairly time-consuming.
Once we (I) got everything ready, we got started! I set the paper in front of Baby Z, put a spoonful of finger paint on the paper and showed her how to smear it around on the paper. She did not want to play nicely with the finger paint. Oh no! She did want to eat some of it, but mostly, she wanted to pick up the piece of paper, rip it, and then eat it. I figured I would remedy this situation by giving her a blank piece of paper she COULD rip, not the beautiful work of art we would later give my mom, but no no no, she had her mind set on the piece of paper with her name on it. Once she realized I wouldn't let her rip THAT piece of paper, she started howling! So much so that my dad came in wondering what had happened. Oh not much, just that my 8-month-old daughter won't cooperate with my art project for my mom.
I'd like to say I've learned my lesson and that there won't be a next time and that I will listen to my sister-in-law's recommendations, but I know myself. I know I like projects way too much to give up this easily. Anyway, I do have some of Baby Z's finger prints on the paper, of the times she tried (and failed) to grab and rip the piece of paper, so all in all, I won the battle and my mom will receive a beautiful piece of art for Mother's day. Maybe next time we'll try to make homemade play dough?
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Easy DIY baby toys
This past week has been full of easy DIY baby toys so I thought I'd share!
First, at my daughter's development class we made different texture booklets. To do this, you need to:
1. Find a few cool textures (we used: a cut up squishy ball, a cut up bath mat, a cut up stuffed animal (for the fur), a few sparkly stickers and foam)
2. Punch a hole in each item
3. Secure them together with something
4. Voilà!
Then, it was Easter so I bought colourful plastic eggs for Baby Z's first Easter egg hunt. I just hid a few of her toys in the eggs and she really enjoyed it. But the next day, I had a brilliant idea! We could make shakers out of the eggs! This is a really easy toy to make. All you have to do is:
1. Find a small container (ex. a plastic Easter egg)
2. Fill it with something you think will make a cool sound (we used: rice, lentils, and corn)
3. Shake it!
4. Voilà!
I have a few crafty projects in mind for the coming weeks so I will keep you updated on how those go!
First, at my daughter's development class we made different texture booklets. To do this, you need to:
1. Find a few cool textures (we used: a cut up squishy ball, a cut up bath mat, a cut up stuffed animal (for the fur), a few sparkly stickers and foam)
2. Punch a hole in each item
3. Secure them together with something
4. Voilà!
Then, it was Easter so I bought colourful plastic eggs for Baby Z's first Easter egg hunt. I just hid a few of her toys in the eggs and she really enjoyed it. But the next day, I had a brilliant idea! We could make shakers out of the eggs! This is a really easy toy to make. All you have to do is:
1. Find a small container (ex. a plastic Easter egg)
2. Fill it with something you think will make a cool sound (we used: rice, lentils, and corn)
3. Shake it!
4. Voilà!
I have a few crafty projects in mind for the coming weeks so I will keep you updated on how those go!
Diaper wrangling
This should be a new Olympic sport, but who would provide the babies? haha! What I'm referring to here is the diaper change when baby just wants to crawl away. I'll take you through the steps:
1. Baby begins on her back
2. Baby twists and turns and arches her back, finally ending up on her stomach
3. Baby crawls away
This is great news for her motor development, and I'm glad she has mastered all of these skills. However, diaper changing has never been harder! So now here are some tricks I've discovered/stolen from other mommies:
1. Change baby on the floor (this should be obvious, as a baby crawling away from a changing table would be a serious hazard)
2. Give baby a toy/clean diaper/soother/anything to keep his hands and eyes busy in the meantime
3. Change baby near a mirror (those little egocentrics just love to smile at themselves)
*Oh my goodness tonight was the worst ever! She just kept running (crawling) away and I had to call for reinforcement (husband) to help distract her while I got the diaper on!
1. Baby begins on her back
2. Baby twists and turns and arches her back, finally ending up on her stomach
3. Baby crawls away
This is great news for her motor development, and I'm glad she has mastered all of these skills. However, diaper changing has never been harder! So now here are some tricks I've discovered/stolen from other mommies:
1. Change baby on the floor (this should be obvious, as a baby crawling away from a changing table would be a serious hazard)
2. Give baby a toy/clean diaper/soother/anything to keep his hands and eyes busy in the meantime
3. Change baby near a mirror (those little egocentrics just love to smile at themselves)
*Oh my goodness tonight was the worst ever! She just kept running (crawling) away and I had to call for reinforcement (husband) to help distract her while I got the diaper on!
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
8 months
8 months already! It is scary to think of how fast time is going by. I feel like it definitely speeds up exponentially after the 6-month mark! Probably because Baby Z has changed so much in two short months and also probably because this means I only have 4 months left of maternity leave! Ah!
Baby Z can now:
-crawl on all fours (watch out Taco!)
-pull herself up to stand with assistance
-eat pretty much anything we give her (with certain exceptions, of course!)
Also, she has a tooth!!!! I have been waiting this tooth since she was 3 months old, I even bet my family she would have it before Christmas - boy was I off! I also predicted she'd be a boy... oh dear, my intuition seems be be off lately! She also has more hair, which I can't wait to be able to do fun stuff with, like pigtails, ponytails, and umbrellas. She also has a silly face she does where she scrunches up her nose. It is the cutest thing ever!
I have been really discouraged about finding a daycare... I have visited quite a few and none have seemed quite right yet. I'm hoping we won't have to settle for a mediocre daycare and/or pay millions of dollars for a great daycare.
I feel like I'm forgetting things, but I will keep you updated!
Baby Z can now:
-crawl on all fours (watch out Taco!)
-pull herself up to stand with assistance
-eat pretty much anything we give her (with certain exceptions, of course!)
Also, she has a tooth!!!! I have been waiting this tooth since she was 3 months old, I even bet my family she would have it before Christmas - boy was I off! I also predicted she'd be a boy... oh dear, my intuition seems be be off lately! She also has more hair, which I can't wait to be able to do fun stuff with, like pigtails, ponytails, and umbrellas. She also has a silly face she does where she scrunches up her nose. It is the cutest thing ever!
I have been really discouraged about finding a daycare... I have visited quite a few and none have seemed quite right yet. I'm hoping we won't have to settle for a mediocre daycare and/or pay millions of dollars for a great daycare.
I feel like I'm forgetting things, but I will keep you updated!
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Dog & baby similarities
I know I should't compare my baby to other babies, but nowhere does it say not to compare your baby to your dog... when you do, the similarities are uncanny!
They both:
They both:
- love balls
- walk on all fours
- pant when excited (my baby might be weird)
- love squeaky toys
- love going outside
- love tissue and toilet paper (playing with and eating it)
- love getting into the dog food and water bowls (there has been no eating of the dog food by Baby Z ... yet!)
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Public vs. private
OK so I just re-read this and it's a very long post! I guess I had to get some stuff off my chest!
I live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which is a great place to live. I've already posted about how much I love the multicultural vibe this city has, and so many things to offer: museums, restaurants, shows, etc. I am so grateful to live somewhere that is safe and peaceful and have an amazing quality of life. Of course I know that isn't true for everyone, but as far as cities go, this one does a pretty good job of helping the less fortunate. Now I'm going to get into the public vs. private debate today, because there are many things that have been brewing in my mind for quite a while. I'll start off with the negatives to end on a positive note.
The roads here are ridiculously bad. They are notorious for having cracks and potholes, and often you'll hear people say it's because of the weather (side note: there is currently a huge snow storm and it's March 30th... no spring yet here!). You only have to cross the border into Ontario or New York or Vermont to know that the weather thing is a huge lie. They have similar weather conditions and their roads are amazing. So what's the problem? There is a huge construction mafia here, the government actually had to make a public inquiry to try to catch the 'bad guys' of the construction world. And even if they catch a few, my guess is that generally speaking, the situation will still be bad. As I understand it, government officials give contracts to 'friends', who then 'fix' the roads... with the worst kinds of materials so that they'll have to fix them again next season... So that's the first bad publicly managed thing here in Quebec.
The next few are very similar. A two-tiered system has been set up and I'm not even sure that's what the government was going for when it started. I'm a teacher. I would love to teach in a public school, however, if I want to have a job security and know where I am teaching a few months in advance, I have to wait 5-7 years for a permanent contract. During those years, I would have to substitute teach and hope for maternity leave contracts to build up my seniority. When Paul and I decided to move back to Montreal after living in Mexico, this was not an option we could afford, as he was not able to work because of his immigration status. There was no way I was going to be the main bread winner not knowing if I had a job from day to day. So I applied and got a job in a private school. Five years later, I have moved to another private school where I am sure I will have a job next year, most likely in Kindergarten, which is my preference. In the public sector, you can teach grade 1 one year and grade 6 the next, which means a lot of planning and a lot of new experiences. When you stick with the same grade for more than one year, your expertise builds up and you become a more confident teacher. Why the public sector has not figured this out is beyond me!
The health services are pretty similar. It is very common for people not to have a family doctor here, because there just aren't enough doctors (due to many factors; among which are salary and language). I luckily have a paediatrician for my baby, who is the same doctor who followed me during my pregnancy, so I can ask her about any little ailments I might have. My husband and I do not have a family doctor, which means we have to go to a drop-in clinic if/when we are sick. What tends to happen is that we don't ever go to the doctor when we are sick because who wants to sit in a waiting room with other sick people all day? The other options here are to go to the emergency room at the hospital or to pay to see a private doctor. We have tended to just not go anywhere and wait until we get healthy again, but this seems like a fault in the public system. I think preventative care would be best, and having incentives for doctors to stay in Quebec would probably be a good idea too!
In a similar vein, the daycare situation is a nightmare. Now there is definitely a silver lining, in that public daycares in Quebec cost 7$ a day - yes you read that right: 7$!!! Which is amazing IF you can get a spot. What I have heard is that is normally takes 4 to 5 years to get a spot in one of these public daycares, which is ridiculous, because at that point your baby will be going to preschool or Kindergarten. I am on waiting lists for three of these public daycares and am hoping to get lucky, but I also have looked into home daycares and private daycares which are subsidized (oh I forgot to tell you about private subsidized schools, which seems so paradoxal!). I'm also on waiting lists for about 10-15 private daycares, but as you can understand, they are all FULL! Finding a good daycare is a nightmare! And imagine if you were on welfare, it would make more sense to stay home on welfare than to look for a daycare.
Ok enough with the Debbie Downer stuff... here comes the positive aspects of paying a lot of taxes. Here are some things we get out of it:
The swimming pool, community center and hockey arena by my house are free! Completely free! Which means that even before becoming pregnant, I would go swimming once or twice a week to keep in shape. I love swimming laps. Since January, I've been going with my baby once a week. The pool also offers swim classes, but I was confident that I could teach my daughter how to enjoy the water, so I just go to the free swim time. It makes a really fun activity for baby and mommy completely free.
In a similar vein, the public library across the street from where I live is AMAZING! And free, of course. For kids, story time for 0-2 year olds is held every two weeks, the book and toy collection is amazing, and there is free computer access as well. For adults, the book collection is pretty good, and there are also CDs and DVDs to borrow. The quiet workspace has proven to be a haven for me every week in order to get my Master's readings and homework done.
While I do my readings and homework in the library, I am able to leave my daughter at a drop-off daycare. It is a subsidized daycare, so it only costs 4$ for a 3 hour chunk of time. I absolutely LOVE the daycare workers and trust them completely with my baby. I so wish that daycare could be full-time, but it is ONLY a drop-off daycare, open Monday to Thursday, and you can send your baby from either 9-12am or 1-4pm, but not the whole day. At this same place, workshops and development classes are offered and are completely free! I go to a mommy/baby group one a week with my daughter and am able to do different activities and meet different specialists (dental hygienist, nutritionist, etc.) all for free!
There are also breastfeeding groups every two weeks at the community clinic where moms can go to talk about various issues they are having and can find support.
And here comes the most amazing aspect of public support: how am I able to do all of these free activities every week? I am on paid maternity leave for a year. One whole year! Not only that, I was on preventative leave for 9 months because of the high risk of catching childhood diseases which could affect my fetus when I was working with young children in Kindergarten. So there may be many things that need improvement, but in general, I'm happy to live in a society that has chosen to respect mothers (I should say parents - dads get 5 weeks of paternity leave and then the maternity leave can actually be divided between parents if that is the couple's choice) and babies. This makes paying taxes A-OK for me. The roads may be bad and the healthcare and education situation may not be ideal, but in general, I think we have it really good here!
I live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which is a great place to live. I've already posted about how much I love the multicultural vibe this city has, and so many things to offer: museums, restaurants, shows, etc. I am so grateful to live somewhere that is safe and peaceful and have an amazing quality of life. Of course I know that isn't true for everyone, but as far as cities go, this one does a pretty good job of helping the less fortunate. Now I'm going to get into the public vs. private debate today, because there are many things that have been brewing in my mind for quite a while. I'll start off with the negatives to end on a positive note.
The roads here are ridiculously bad. They are notorious for having cracks and potholes, and often you'll hear people say it's because of the weather (side note: there is currently a huge snow storm and it's March 30th... no spring yet here!). You only have to cross the border into Ontario or New York or Vermont to know that the weather thing is a huge lie. They have similar weather conditions and their roads are amazing. So what's the problem? There is a huge construction mafia here, the government actually had to make a public inquiry to try to catch the 'bad guys' of the construction world. And even if they catch a few, my guess is that generally speaking, the situation will still be bad. As I understand it, government officials give contracts to 'friends', who then 'fix' the roads... with the worst kinds of materials so that they'll have to fix them again next season... So that's the first bad publicly managed thing here in Quebec.
The next few are very similar. A two-tiered system has been set up and I'm not even sure that's what the government was going for when it started. I'm a teacher. I would love to teach in a public school, however, if I want to have a job security and know where I am teaching a few months in advance, I have to wait 5-7 years for a permanent contract. During those years, I would have to substitute teach and hope for maternity leave contracts to build up my seniority. When Paul and I decided to move back to Montreal after living in Mexico, this was not an option we could afford, as he was not able to work because of his immigration status. There was no way I was going to be the main bread winner not knowing if I had a job from day to day. So I applied and got a job in a private school. Five years later, I have moved to another private school where I am sure I will have a job next year, most likely in Kindergarten, which is my preference. In the public sector, you can teach grade 1 one year and grade 6 the next, which means a lot of planning and a lot of new experiences. When you stick with the same grade for more than one year, your expertise builds up and you become a more confident teacher. Why the public sector has not figured this out is beyond me!
The health services are pretty similar. It is very common for people not to have a family doctor here, because there just aren't enough doctors (due to many factors; among which are salary and language). I luckily have a paediatrician for my baby, who is the same doctor who followed me during my pregnancy, so I can ask her about any little ailments I might have. My husband and I do not have a family doctor, which means we have to go to a drop-in clinic if/when we are sick. What tends to happen is that we don't ever go to the doctor when we are sick because who wants to sit in a waiting room with other sick people all day? The other options here are to go to the emergency room at the hospital or to pay to see a private doctor. We have tended to just not go anywhere and wait until we get healthy again, but this seems like a fault in the public system. I think preventative care would be best, and having incentives for doctors to stay in Quebec would probably be a good idea too!
In a similar vein, the daycare situation is a nightmare. Now there is definitely a silver lining, in that public daycares in Quebec cost 7$ a day - yes you read that right: 7$!!! Which is amazing IF you can get a spot. What I have heard is that is normally takes 4 to 5 years to get a spot in one of these public daycares, which is ridiculous, because at that point your baby will be going to preschool or Kindergarten. I am on waiting lists for three of these public daycares and am hoping to get lucky, but I also have looked into home daycares and private daycares which are subsidized (oh I forgot to tell you about private subsidized schools, which seems so paradoxal!). I'm also on waiting lists for about 10-15 private daycares, but as you can understand, they are all FULL! Finding a good daycare is a nightmare! And imagine if you were on welfare, it would make more sense to stay home on welfare than to look for a daycare.
Ok enough with the Debbie Downer stuff... here comes the positive aspects of paying a lot of taxes. Here are some things we get out of it:
The swimming pool, community center and hockey arena by my house are free! Completely free! Which means that even before becoming pregnant, I would go swimming once or twice a week to keep in shape. I love swimming laps. Since January, I've been going with my baby once a week. The pool also offers swim classes, but I was confident that I could teach my daughter how to enjoy the water, so I just go to the free swim time. It makes a really fun activity for baby and mommy completely free.
In a similar vein, the public library across the street from where I live is AMAZING! And free, of course. For kids, story time for 0-2 year olds is held every two weeks, the book and toy collection is amazing, and there is free computer access as well. For adults, the book collection is pretty good, and there are also CDs and DVDs to borrow. The quiet workspace has proven to be a haven for me every week in order to get my Master's readings and homework done.
While I do my readings and homework in the library, I am able to leave my daughter at a drop-off daycare. It is a subsidized daycare, so it only costs 4$ for a 3 hour chunk of time. I absolutely LOVE the daycare workers and trust them completely with my baby. I so wish that daycare could be full-time, but it is ONLY a drop-off daycare, open Monday to Thursday, and you can send your baby from either 9-12am or 1-4pm, but not the whole day. At this same place, workshops and development classes are offered and are completely free! I go to a mommy/baby group one a week with my daughter and am able to do different activities and meet different specialists (dental hygienist, nutritionist, etc.) all for free!
There are also breastfeeding groups every two weeks at the community clinic where moms can go to talk about various issues they are having and can find support.
And here comes the most amazing aspect of public support: how am I able to do all of these free activities every week? I am on paid maternity leave for a year. One whole year! Not only that, I was on preventative leave for 9 months because of the high risk of catching childhood diseases which could affect my fetus when I was working with young children in Kindergarten. So there may be many things that need improvement, but in general, I'm happy to live in a society that has chosen to respect mothers (I should say parents - dads get 5 weeks of paternity leave and then the maternity leave can actually be divided between parents if that is the couple's choice) and babies. This makes paying taxes A-OK for me. The roads may be bad and the healthcare and education situation may not be ideal, but in general, I think we have it really good here!
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