Saskatoon 2008 (and a wee bit of 2009)

At the last minute, I booked a ticket for Aurelia and I to head off out west to Saskatoon from December 26th to January 1st. Some people thought I was crazy (including myself) for even considering traveling alone on a plane with a toddler. My worst expectations were pretty much realized on our way there. We missed our flight, but were re-routed soon after, with the only downfall being we arrived in Saskatoon at almost 1am Montreal time. Aurelia refused to sleep on the plane, and as the plane was literally landing in Saskatoon, she was so exhausted, she began to cry uncontrollably. I thoughther ears were bothering her, because as soon as the plane touched ground her crying stopped. But, when I looked down, she had fallen asleep, and slept through right up until morning. Donna and Lindsay picked us up. It was so great to see them. We got back to Donna's place, where Susan was still up, and we stayed up chatting quite late,then finally went to bed.

The next morning, everybody came over to Donna's- Paul, Mark, Grandmother, Norm & Judy, Adam & Natalie, and their significant others, Sandra & Nacona. Since Lindsay was also staying at her mom's, Paul Schoenau was already there, and so was little Tate, who I finally got to see for the first time (although we did peek in on him the night before while he was sleeping). We all spent the day at Donna's just hanging around, relaxing, and it was really nice. We ordered pizza, and later, some of us went to the movies, including myself. Paul S. and Donna were kind enough to offer to babysit, and man, was it ever appreciated. We went to see the movie "Doubt, starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Not surprisingly, the acting was great, but the movie itself left both Lindsay and I at least with few questions. Apparently, that was exactly what it was supposed to do!

The following day, the Elliot clan and Grandmother came over before the Elliots headed back to Alberta. Before they left, Sandra gave us one of her amazing hula-hooping demonstrations- pretty unexpected and amazing, to say the least. On the Monday, Donna, Lindsay, Paul S., Tate, Aurelia & I headed to the Museum of Western Development. In addition to checking out the permanent exhibit, we also got to see the Eaton's Once Upon a Christmas animatronics display. It was lovely, and Aurelia seemed to like it, too! Donna, Aurelia, and I headed over to Grandmother's house, where Paul and Susan joined us later on.

The last couple of days were spent quietly at Donna's. Donna had to work on Tuesday, so I tried to relax a bit, and stayed alone with Aurelia for a few hours. I was hoping she would nap, but she didn't. There were times during the trip when I found it overwhelming to be alone with Aurelia, who at 19 months, was most interested in playing with all of Donna's breakable trinkets, vintage glass Christmas tree decorations (plucking them off one by one), and, for some reason, squeezing herself behind the furniture everywhere we went. She was also skipping naps, going to bed late, and not sleeping soundly at night. Since we were both sleeping in the same room, this also meant that I was getting the best nights' sleep either. She ate very little while away, and what she did eat, was not the most balanced of diets. Since it was for just a few days, I didn't let it bother me too much, but part of me was indeed looking forward to getting back into our old routine. Later on, after supper, Lindsay, Susan and I headed off to Superstore and McNally Robinson for a little shopping. Donna took care of Aurelia, and it felt nice to get away, even if it was only for a couple of hours.

On New Year's Eve, we all hung out quietly at home. Susan was going out that night, so I straightened her hair for her. She looked great for her evening out! After she left, Paul S., Lindsay, and I all agreed that Donna had done way too much cooking in the last couple of days, so Paul took the initiative and ordered chinese food. He then went out in a snow storm and picked up Grandmother, and we all had a nice meal together. Paul F. came over, too, and later on, I went over to his house just down the street with Lindsay where he gave me the grand tour. What a nice place! We stayed for just a short while since I had to pack, and Mark came back with us. Soon, I went off and started to get my stuff organized, since my flight was for 7:45 the next morning. I was stressed, to say the least, but I got pretty much everything organized. I had just enough time to join everyone in the living room where we welcomed in the new year. Paul drove Grandmother home, and everyone else went to bed. I finally got to bed around 1:15 am, but unfortunately, my sleep was cut short when my favorite little person decided to wake up at 3:15. I was tired, to say the least.

Needless to say, I was ready to go at 5:45, and we got to the airport without a hitch. Because of the snowstorm,however, the flight was delayed, even thought I had checked before leaving Donna's. The good news was, Aurelia was so exhausted by the time we did get on the plane, that she fell asleep almost immediately, and slept all the way to Ottawa, leaving only a twenty minute flight, from Ottawa to Montreal. Adding to our luck, I had a free seat beside me the entire way, so it was nice to have a seat for Aurelia. We got to Montreal around 3pm, and Ben and my parents were waiting for us. It was so nice to see them.

I am so glad that Ben pushed me to go on this trip. There were indeed challenges to travelling alone with a toddler, some expected, others a surprise, but as Lindsay said I would, I do feel such a sense of accomplishment to having done it. What was even more amazing was getting to see almost all of my dad's side of the family (with the exception of him and Olivia) together during the holidays. These are opportunities that don't happen often, not to mention, less and less as we all get older. Ben was so right, it was the chance of a lifetime, and I am glad I took it.

Just in Time

Eighteen months. Just in case I forget, and one day, you have a baby of your own and ask me how old you started walking at. Yup, eighteen months. That gave us just enough time to start to worry that everything was OK. Just enough time to see you do a couple of steps three months before you actually really started walking. Just enough time to see your pediatrician on November 13th for your eighteen-month checkup, the same morning you really did start walking, and for him to be concerned enough to send you for testing at the Montreal Children's hospital for Muscular Dystrophy because according to him, your thighs were a little overdeveloped (attributable for those months of walking upright on your knees, we assume).

So, no. To answer your question, you were not an early walker. You were eighteen months old. And over the last month and a half or so, since you first started using your feet to get around, you cannot sit still. I imagine these are the first of many blurry photos of you to come.

First Birthday

Well, here we are. Just four days short of Aurelia's first birthday. I must admit, this anniversary feels a little bittersweet. More than anything, of course, it is a celebration, but it also makes me realize how much time has past since this incredible little person came into my life. I wish I could relive those first moments, not the part of shock in realizing that something, a person, this baby, was growing inside of me, or the moment of finally finding out "it" was a "she", or the coming-to-grips part that I am her mother and that she is my daughter, but rather, to relive that moment with the clarity I have now. To have been able to foresee the scope of the love I would have for her. To have fully realized that my world as I knew it had, in an instant, changed for the better. To have truly understood that motherhood would be the most challenging and most rewarding role of my life. To have grasped the concept that this little person would challenge me in ways I never expected, and, as a result, she would teach me to be a better person.

What I know now is that since Aurelia came into my life, I am infinitely more aware of the wonders of this life, both the beauty and ugliness of this world, and the meaning of unconditional love. I know now that to watch your child discover and learn allows you to experience life from their perspective, with fresh eyes and wonder. Everything seems a little brighter, the small stuff is not as important as it once was, and infinite pleasure can be found in the simplest of things.

While you are pregnant and awaiting the arrival of your first child, many tell you to prepare for the hundreds of diapers, the sleepless nights, a screaming baby. Often, what they fail to mention, is that those diapers will teach you the type of endurance only a parent knows. That during those sleepless nights, while rocking your baby,you will realize, as you stare into your baby's eyes or count her delicate lashes, that you would die for her and do anything to protect her. That a screaming baby will not only teach you patience, but that a parent's worry for their child's well-being is infinite, and that, regardless of her age, she will always be your baby.

On the eve of my 33rd birthday, Reflections of the last year

1. Gave birth and became Mama to my sweet Aurelia
2. Bought a camera way beyond my budget and fell in love with photography
3. Was diagnosed with kidney stones, gallstones, and a DVT
4. Had way too many visits to the hospital
5. Mastered the art of stain removal
6. Went back to my natural hair color
7. Lost all the baby weight
8. Rediscovered scrapbooking
9. Got my eyebrows professionally plucked for the first time, and realized that I can do a better job
10. Learned how to perform most tasks with one hand while carrying a baby with the other

Solids

Your initiation to solid foods came in the form of rice cereal on October 26th, 2007. Papa and I were so surprised when you instinctively opened your mouth for the spoon. Obviously, that first attempt to feed you solids was more to introduce you to eating something other than breastmilk or formula rather than nourish you, but it really went well.

Since then, getting you used to solids has taught us a lot of patience. You seem to enjoy cereals, veggies, especially broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mixture, and you absolutely love mangoes. The biggest challenge has been meat. You don't like it. Try what we may to conceal the smallest morsel of meat in a heap of fruit or veggies, and you have no trouble identifying it, and you manage to spit only the meat out while eating the rest. At the end of February, during your routine appointment at the pediatrician, I told him about your meat aversion. He basically told me to salt the meat slightly because, after all, unspiced meat doesn't taste very good. Things have improve, but not dramatically, it is not unusual for you to gag on meat. Only recently does it seem like we are making progress. I think it's only a question of being patient, and not rushing you.