Life in the north

After two months of being in Dawson we finally got internet! Woo hoo! We also moved from a bachelor apartment that was 262 square feet with one window to almost double the space with three windows.  Hallelujah! Our front two windows look right onto front street and the river.  So wonderful.

That's us next to the Yukon Hotel. We have the two windows to the left of the door.

We got off to a rocky start with two and a half weeks of intense rehearsals and me learning 16 numbers.  It was also a big transition for Doug going to full time Daddy mode and Raphaela not having milk on demand.  After about 3 days they settled in nicely.  We started rehearsals at around 10 am, had lunch at 2pm where I would run home to feed myself and Raphaela, back to the casino for rehearsals and then done at around 6:30pm.  Doug and Raphaela spent most of there day outside biking, hiking or playing. He kept us all happy, fed and the the place clean! If only I made a ton of dough he would be an amazing stay at home Dad! 

 






As for me, I had a few issues as I tweaked my right hamstring and wasn't able to do the shows full out until opening night.  I wasn't even sure if I could do opening night.  But I pulled through and after a week and a half of icing, heat, advil and ice baths, I was my normal flexible self and loving the shows.

                                                                         I go from this:

To this: 

How motherhood has changed my world

Just a warning that this photo may bring you to tears as it did to me.  I felt as if I was a compassionate, empathetic person before having a child but giving birth to Raphaela has opened my heart so much more.  Seeing this picture instantly brought me to tears. It made me want to find a way to feed all the starving children in the world as if they were my own.  I feel so greatful to have been born into my loving, well off family and also to be born in Canada.  I am so so thankful for the life I was given as a child and the life Doug, Raphaela and I will have.  There are times I feel down, sad, lonely, lost but I have so much to be thankful for.  What a reality check this photo is.  I don't know if it is true or not but it had said that the photographer commited suicide despite being awarded for this photo.  What I hope will come from sharing this is that whomever reads this and sees the photo will feel as I did and want to make someones life who is less fortunate than their own, better.  

Settled into a groove

Our little family has just settled into a groove in Penticton and tomorrow we will be heading back to Vancouver for a few days before hitting the road again back to Saskatoon.  This will be Raphaela's 4th time driving from Vancouver to Saskatoon.

Thai Restaurant for lunch, baby loves curry!

Infront of Billie's new GORGEOUS house, when can we move in?

We had such a lovely trip to Kelowna on Wednesday to visit our former neighbour Billie Humeny.  The drive was the first that I've done with just Raphaela and I on a road I hadn't driven before.  It was unlike any road I had driven on. Windy, Rainy, mountainous on one side, dropping down to the lake on the other.  I have to say, I was a bit nervous for us but Raphaela starred out the window the whole time.  I think she has her Daddy's love for roadtrips.  Little sister Stacey is getting married next March in Mexico and Doug is determined for us to drive down. CRAZY!

One thing we will really miss about Penticton is the Wild Scallion restaurant. Gluten, Dairy and Soy free, it's right up our alley.  They have a ginger tea that has inspired me to make my own at home. Boil sliced up ginger in a pot of water, let it sit, heat it again and add a bit of honey.  So yummy for the belly and keeps everything movin. :)

Sipping homemade tea off a spoon

Doug's homemade napkin bib

Baby has been so good at getting into a groove.  She has been having two regular naps in the day and sleeping 'pretty steadily' through the night.  At around 2 and 4 she gets the wiggles but I'm able to feed her and she falls back asleep.  Oh the magic of the boobie. According to the book "The Baby Whisperer" that I'm currently reading, this is known as accidental parenting as I'm not teaching Raphaela to fall back asleep herself but for now, it works REALLY well and we all get a good nights sleep.  We will have to make changes when we head up to Dawson as I'll be dancing 5 nights a week getting home at around 1 am.  Here's hoping baby sleeps 10pm to 10 am.  Maybe with the 24 hr sunlight she won't want to go to bed early. I think Doug is both excited and nervous to spend that one on one time with baby.

One thing I'll miss about our little B and B is my day time tv watching.  I'll be doing dishes and cleaning while its on but I've got into the groove of watching "Live with Kelly and Michael" followed by "The View"  I've decided to grow my hair out (aiming for Kelly Ripas hair) and I would also like her legs for my 30th birthday.  We plan to hike once a week up the Dome so between that and can can dancing, it may be possible!

Mmmm Mmm I love hummus!

Hummus is the new pink in our house.  Doug was trying to teach Raphaela to dip into the container with a cracker but she preferred her fingers instead.  She has been eating like a champ while still nursing.  Top favourites are: sweet potatoes roasted in the oven, individual peas and hummus up to her elbows.  Penticton has the first original Whole Foods Market so we've made a few trips for some great groceries for all.

We have also gotten into the habit of walking downtown at the end of the day to meet up with Doug and then head back up the hill for some exercise.  (It's quite steep and the stroller ain't light!) According to google maps its a 43 min walk down and 51 minutes up.  We've shortened the time heading up the hill to get me in shape for the summer by sprinting.  I told Doug that when he says "Get me in Shape" it does the opposite of motivating me so he asked what he should say instead.  We came up with "Build your strength up for the summer"  He makes me giggle everytime that he says it.  So far he has been an excellent personal trainer. :)

I had a dream last night that Doug and I were getting married and he came out in tight black leather pants with silver zippers at the ankles.  The kind that look painted on.  I told him about it and he said "What a great idea"  I wouldn't put it past him to wear something like that.  I have to be careful with what I say.  He did look great in them in the dream. :) As for when we will get married?  After baby number two when I build my strength back up. :)

Oh I wish I could blog

When I first started writing on my blog post baby I got so excited about doing a daily post. Ok maybe a weekly one?  Monthly?  Nope!  Looks like alot of things I've learned with having a child, things are going to happen when they happen not when you want them to happen.

Like teething.  Raphaela has 8 teeth already with no issues.  Little extra drool with the first few and one night of interrupted sleep but otherwise, smooth sailing.  Then we go on 'holiday' to Penticton while Doug is working and the real teething starts.  Que  extremely clingy, crocodile tears at the drop of a hat, very unhappy baby! For about 5 days in a row.  I thought I was going to fall apart.  My heart goes out to parents with a colic baby.  Raphaela was a Mary Poppins for the first 9 months. Practically perfect in everyway.

Thankfully we made it through and she's back to her happy little self exploring everything!  She has been crawling for about a month and a bit and is now 'walking' along the furniture.  Her favourite game is when I dump the fresh laundry on the couch to fold, she grabs each piece one by one and drops it on the floor.  I fold the dropped pieces and keep putting them back up until all the laundry is done.  Great for us both.  

One thing we have been able to keep on top of as a family is our new years resolution to make and drink a fresh juice every day for 2014.  So far we've made it up to date.  (One juice was made at 11:30pm but we got it in!)  We've followed a few recipes but our main go to juice includes: Kale, green apple, celery, cucumber, lemon and ginger.  I look forward to it everyday and baby loves it too.  I joked to Doug yesterday that we should just tie dye all babies clothes with green and yellow to hide the juice and curry stains.  Baby LOVES curry.  She has been loving food.  The new favourite is green peas that she can pick up with her pinchers.  

Today we hope to get in another swim at the penticton pool and hit up the lovely consignment store pipsqueaks and damsels as this baby is growing!! They say if an adult of 150 pounds gained weight in a year like a baby by the end of that year they would 450 pounds! Craziness!  Thank goodness for all the hand me downs from friends and family.  Ok, time to get ready for swimming!

My grandma

I don't know if I mentioned this in another post, but I am living in the basement of my parents home.  Attached to the house is a granny suite and it holds just that, my granny. :) Some may go crazy from living with their parents with there little family of three and somedays it is crazy.  Other days it is a house full of love.  Raphaela and I often come up in the morning to Mom and Dad sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast and reading the paper.  Both my parents and my daughters faces light up when they see each other.  That makes up for the shared kitchen, 5 times the mess and bumping into each other here and there.

 

My grandma who is 95 just recently had surgery on her eye.  She is supposed to sleep with her face down for 2 weeks.  She also needs to put eye drops in 4 times a day.  Seeing as she is 95 and couldn't tell you what day it is, she needs a bit of help.  Don't get me wrong, she still has her wits about her, does the crossword everyday and gives cheeky replies followed by chuckles but when life has the same routine everyday (similar to feeding baby, changing baby, playing with baby, bathing baby and putting baby to sleep) you often don't remember what day it is.  The reason I'm bringing this up is while my Mom and Dad are at the lake for a few days, I am helping Grandma.  The drops are to be put in 4 x a day.  How bizarre it must be to her to have her granddaughter help her.  I think of Raphaela, my baby and how HER baby would be helping me.  So crazy!  But it makes me feel really good to help her.  Of all the years she fed us, played cards with us, entertained us in many ways, this is the least I can do.  She promised me she would live to be 100 and I hope that does happen as I will sure miss the day she goes to grandparent heaven to be with my grandpa.

 

Thought I'd throw in something 'Mommyish' #1. Cloth diapers

Cloth diapers.  I love my cloth diapers.  We have 42 in total.  12 bum genius, 6 swaddlebees and 24 pic a pecs which makes NO sense if you don't know anything about cloth diapers.  The best part?  I was given the bum genius and swaddlebees as a baby shower gift and purchased the 24 brand new off of kijiji for 100 bones.  A bum genius alone costs like 28!  Score.

Now what I have learned nay MASTERED about cloth diapers.

1. Washing them:  We do a presoak followed by a wash and a 2nd rinse.  My diapers ALWAYS come out white as snow and no rinse necessary before hand.  We use Nellies natural detergent as well as Rockin Green and when they start to get stinky, Funk rock.

2. Travelling with them: We have a large bummies zip bag that even went to Hawaii with us.  There we had to dry the diapers but I didn't use one disposable on that trip.

3.  Your friend may recommend a certain type of cloth diaper but you and your babies bum will pick their favourite.  Ours? Swaddlebees.  Come in the cutest prints as well.  Raphaela has both monkey and monster printed ones.  

 We bought disposables for the first 5 weeks as the cloth diapers seemed intimidating.  Kid number two will jump right into those bad boys after the meconium passes.  Since we started using our cloth diapers we haven't bought one diaper. No excess waste, no running out for diapers, no diaper rash and saving lots of moola.  Yes it adds to more laundry but with baby you are doing more laundry anyhow.  We also use cloth wipes at home that stay nice and toasty in our wipe warmer.  Would baby like a bum facial? :)