Halloween

Yay! Happy Halloween, y'all! My little soft-shell turtle is ready to go out tonight scaring off the neighbors. We might head downtown this afternoon and harass some office dwelling folks, but have yet to decide.
I know I keep saying this, but Mika is seriously close to crawling now. She seems to prefer standing and walking (with help), so maybe will pass over the crawling thing entirely. Her little knees are just red with eczema everytime she spends more than 20 minutes trying to crawl.
Mika is a bone fide jolly jumper addict. She was fussing all morning and nothing would do, until she saw me drag the jumper frame into the living room. Now she's happily moshing away. Mika is tired and should be napping, but must jump. She starts freaking out before she's even strapped in, which makes it even more difficult to get her set up.
We keep trying to grow Mika's interest in music. In addition to playing her hand drum this weekend, she tried recorder and keyboard as well. My great-granny gave me her old casio keyboard. It's handy because it runs on batteries so we can put it anywhere that Mika sits. Daddy was playing guitar for her again the other morning while I slept. Not sure how that went over, I just noticed the guitar case out when I got up. :)

Happy 36 Week Birthday, Mika!

Not much to post about yet today. Mika is still hovering on the edge of being a crawling machine. She sure can go backwards well.
I dumped a bottle of formula on us at 3 this morning. That was pretty exciting. Stupid bottle caps not screwing on properly..:P

DaddyPix

Long long baby
Originally uploaded by DaddyR.

One of my fave's from DaddyR's photos.

Swim Swim!

Mika had her first swimming lesson last night and did she ever love it! She was more into splashing and trying to get away from me than trying to follow the class, but thats kewl. Personally, I didn't want to sing The Wheels on the Bus either, so it was all good. It turns out that Mika has a buddy in swimming lessons..Kaylee!! Kaylee is the daughter of my best friends' cousin..who is more or less like my own cousin as I have known her since I was 4. Kaylee's three older brothers also have swimming lessons at around the same time..the two older boys, Dylan and Jordan, go from 5:30-6 and the youngest, Nicky, from 6-6:30..same slot as Mika and Kaylee. Mika loves Jordan. He is very protective of his baby sister and watched over Kaylee's lesson, which meant that Mika could scope out Jordan quite easily. Kaylee watches Mika as Mika watches Jordan. It's quite the gong show. I didn't realize what a hassle it could be trying to shower and change a baby and shower and change yourself too. I'll have to ask Daddy to check out the mens changing room and see if there are change tables and stuff in there too. It would make things much easier if I could pass Mika to Daddy to get her changed after the lessons. Last night, I got Mika dressed and padded up to the lobby dripping wet in my swimsuit to pass her off to Daddy so I could get myself changed. There is a playpen setup in the change room, but I didn't want to drop the kidlet into it while I changed. It kinda grossed me out for no apparent reason...I mean, it looked clean enough and such. Also..the change room is pure mayhem after the lessons. I think there are 3 classes ending at the same time..many screaming little kids and babies and many irritated moms. Yikes!

My Girl

Mika was so good this weekend. We discovered that she is ready to start having single-nap days. She prefers to stay up a little bit longer in the morning and nap through to the early afternoon. After that, she's up until bedtime, which is between 7:00 - 7:30. We don't have to take her for an evening walk all the time anymore either. I think she's so exhausted from not having two naps during the day that she hasn't the strength to fight sleep.
We had Nana over for dinner on Saturday as a Thank-You for looking after Mika while I've been at work. It went well, though twas a short dinner. Mika enjoyed the curried fruit salad. Yesterday we went out so I could pickup a swimsuit for Mika's swimming lessons that start tomorrow. Swimming lessons! Finally!! Already?? Gah!
Still no crawling for Mika. She tries so hard and gets so frustrated that I almost can't watch. She wants to stand and walk too. She hasn't figured out how to pull herself up properly yet...she seems to think everything involves rolling somehow. Once Mika is standing, she doesn't want to stop. She heaves a big sigh and looks for mischief..like "finally, I can do some real destruction!" When Daddy or I hold her up, she takes off running/moshing/skipping.
One of my favorite activities with her right now is Dance Hour. I strap her into the jolly jumper (many thanks to JenB!), throw on iTunes, and we dance! I spend about half the time on my knees dancing with her at her own level, which she seems to seriously enjoy. Another fave is drumming. I have a hollowed out tree trunk hand drum and Mika is quite content to sit on my lap smacking it for about 10-15 mins. Shamefully, I still haven't made a beater for our Creation drum that I made around the time of Mika's conception. The materials are all here, I just keep forgetting about it. Nice.
Mika is currently reminding me about our other fave activity: singing! She's wailing along with the Beatles' I Saw Her Standing There. I think it's a hint to get off the computer and help her stand up and sing!

Happy 35 Week Birthday, Mika!

Hope you have a good day with Nana, Mika! We'll be going to visit G for a little while later..not too long, though. I have to start preparing tomorrow's dinner tonight. Well..start making the dressing for the curried fruit salad and get the chicken soaking in tandoori goodness. Mika, wait until you get a taste of curried fruit salad!! I hope you like it!

Happy 8 Month Birthday, Mika!

Mika, Mika, Mika...you're so old now! We had an awesome weekend and will be taking Mika to visit her G after work. Mika seems to be enjoying spending the days with her Nana, though Daddy has been getting more "Don't leave me" cries and protests this week.


Mika, it's $2.50 Rice Bowl Tuesday at Badass Jacks today. We'll probably stop for a couple. Before we know it, you'll be eating your very own rice bowl..not just mushed rice from Mom's. In any case, we plan to celebrate your day with rice bowls. You have the most thrilling parents ever. Also, please try and keep all 10 toes in your convert-a-foot sleepers. Having the big toe on each foot stick out makes you look like a hobo baby.

Happy 34 Week Birthday, Mika!

Yay! We survived most of the week unscathed. Nana is busy this morning, so Mika and I are hanging out at home until early this afternoon. Nana is going to drop in when she's finished her stuff this morning and I will head off to work then. Daddy and I are looking forward to having a couple of full days with our baby girl this weekend. It's my birthday on Sunday..yay me!
A special thanks to Charlotte for giving us another hella load of baby goods. Clothes, stroller, diapers, shoes, you name it.
I hear by the monitor that Mika is up again. Poor girl..she's sick and her coughing keeps waking her. Off to try and comfort...

Wednesday

Gah..we survived. OK, I survived a day without my Mika. Today was much easier.

Mika caught a bug from her cousin at Thanksgiving and is a little under the weather. Very snot-filled and having some breathing difficulty at night. Poor mewling. We're doing things at such a frantic pace in the mornings that Mika doesn't even get a chance to clue in that she is leaving without her Mama. That's what I tell myself anyway...it's not that she just simply doesn't care whether I am around or not. :P
I think I picked up her bug as I am not feeling well either. It's really dry in the office. Super dry. My unframed photos are curling up. Needless to say that the lack of moisture just contributes to the bleh feeling.
It's amazing how quickly you get back into the old work routine. Sick, really. Tomorrow is the third day back and already I am coming in early to muck with the databases so that the apps are not all mangled. Can't muck about when users are logged in and I certainly don't want to stay late having not seen Mika all day. Plus...every once in awhile, I can get things done and leave early on those days. Yay.
20 more minutes and I'll be on my way home. Getting a ride with Charlotte as she has some bags of clothing and a stroller for Mika. About 30 minutes after I get in, Mika will be home! Oh, and her Daddy too. Yay Mika! I missed her so much today.

Hardly Working

Ugh. We went to bed way too late and had to get up way too early this morning. I managed to keep my bawling and sobbing to a minimum this morning as Mika left with her Daddy for Nana's. I'm sitting in my old office trying to remember obscure logins and passwords...really, I am. I am not blogging..I am jogging my memory. I miss my little bean so much. Can't wait to see her again. I only have 5 printed photos here...thank jeebus for flickr.

Happy Birthday Uncle Lucas!

y'old goat.

One More Day

It's been hectic this weekend. We've completed 2/3 of our family visits. The Shermans was awesome on Saturday. Mika made a new friend, Kaylee. Kaylee is only 3.5 months old, but she sure had an interest in Mika. Kaylee was sitting up and babbling away at Mika. Very cute. Scott's turkey rocked. I was spoiled for my upcoming birthday. Mika behaved so well that it scared me.
My Mom's was awesome yesterday too. She always cooks up a delicious feast...one oven going in the kitchen and another in the basement. It's nuts. The girls were hyper and cute as ever. Mika took an active interest in them much as Kaylee did to her the day before. Auntie Jenn and Uncle Lucas brought MikaTreats in the form of a stuffed puppy that barks and pants when you press his nose. Thanks Uncle Lucas and Auntie Jenn! Grandma gave Mika some new bath toys too...thanks Grandma! Mika enjoyed eating mashed potatoes instead of her usual supper. She woke at midnight and 6AM for a bottle then slept in until 9:45AM! Wooooot!
Today we're off to Nana's for Thanksgiving Round 3.

Happy 33 Week Birthday, Mika!

Just wanted to get the shout out..real post later.

Beautiful girl

Beautiful girl
Originally uploaded by DaddyR.

DaddyR has been flickrd

Thanks Auntie Tamara!

Been a busy past few days! Auntie Tamara arrived on schedule and left earlier this evening. It was an awesome visit. Mika took to Tam immediately. We padded around downtown and whyte and had a couple of visits with G. As soon as Tam arrived, we dropped off some bags with Daddy at work and headed straight to G's to surprise her. 'Twas grande! Daddy picked us up after work and we went home to make fajitas..whee! A quick walk to the mall and back later, Tam finished knitting the bestest blanket ever for Mika. Big thick cotton rainbow coloured bink. Thanks Auntie Tamara!
We missed out on a VV excursion with Kris and Saoirse yesterday as we were stomping whyte and I didn't hear the phone ringing. Lame! Mika had her first trip to the Rosebowl last night! At first I felt a little badly for taking Mika to such a place, but there was a 1 year old girl there! I was informed that the little girl was the mascot and is there everyday, so I felt better about Mika's presence. We met up with Kerry and Damon there too. It was so weird. Not meeting K&D, but the Rosebowl itself. The lounge is no longer called the Backstretch..it's the Rouge Lounge. Hrm. I dunno what I think about that. I also didn't see Janice anywhere. They removed the pooltables that were added when the lounge expanded a few years ago and the place is all flashy kind of now. The bar itself is constructed from those square glass cubes with red lights shining through. Of course, there were the same funky regulars hanging about, which makes it even more bizarre. Surreal, if you will. The restaurant has been remodeled as well. Funky neon lights behind the benches, new blue and white frosted hanging lights..three to a table! There's one of those gas fireplaces with the fake flames and a new big flatscreen TV. Clear picture too as it was brought in after the smoking ban. It was just so weird. The pizza was beyond awesome as always. That's the only thing that matters..the best pizza in town. Wonder if they still serve schooners of beer?
We got up this morning and headed over to G's so Tam could have a goodbye visit. Everyone was chipper and happy today, so our visit went well. G was really happy. Harassed Tam about when she's moving back, of course. Auntie Laura was there too and she was kind enough to dump us back at the greyhound station downtown after the visit. We had just enough time to grab a bite to eat downtown and get back to the station for the 6PM departure.
Tomorrow is my last day of being alone with Mika all day, at least for 10 days or so. While I am at work for the next few weeks, Daddy is going to drop Mika off at her Nana's place and pick her up when he is done work. It's going to be so odd to not have her around all day, let alone odd going back to work for a few weeks to cover a position other than my own. Well, the first week will be covering for Anthony, who is covering my mat leave, AND covering for the office mgr. Ant's back on the 18th, so from then til the 26th, I'll just be covering off for K. As far as I know, after Ant returns, I'm only really expected to be in on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hope it works out that way. If not, meh...no biggie, I guess, but I will be missing Mika like mad.

Just a few more weeks until Mika's swimming lessons start!

Monday Post

It's only the beginning of October and already it's too cold for my taste. This morning everything outside was covered in frost.

I turned on the TV and let Mika have the remote control on Friday. I was looking for cheap entertainment. She gave it a quick bite test, then turned to channel 84, CPAC. She flashed for a second over to the shopping channel, then it was back to CPAC. We watched CPAC for about 20 minutes. This is why I don't like Mika watching TV...she picks the wrong channels!
Kerry and Damon dropped in for a bit on Friday night after Mika was asleep. We had some CD's and hair product to trade, ya see..

Another typical weekend for us: some shopping, some visiting, some living space maintenance.
Mika didn't get to see her G as she and Daddy went to see Nana while I visited with G on Saturday.

Auntie Tamara is coming to meet Mika tomorrow! She'll be staying with us until Thursday. Been awhile since we've seen Tam in these parts...

I'll probably have to go in to work on Friday to make sure that I'm caught up and ready to go for Tuesday morning. Ugh. Work. Not sure if I am looking forward to it or not. It's kind of kewl to get a small taste of what it will be like to go back for real come January. At least that's what I am telling myself..