Update - Hallowe'en, shoes, and more!

Tabby is growing so fast, it's hard to keep up.  Some of the latest things I don't want to forget:

• Tabby clomping around in my high heels
• Tabby swanning around in Chris' bright green soccer pinny
• Tabby eating piles of pickled ginger, miso soup and edamame, and even cucumber with wasabi!
• Tabby wiggling her noodles across the table making snake noises "sssss!"
• Tabby climbing on the shopping cart to ride at the front holding onto the cart like a big girl

Tabetha in handknit coat, made by mama

Mama's shoes!

Kisses from the black kitty for Hallowe'en

Peacock baby 

The good stuff

A very dear friend of mine recently told me that she is expecting!  I am ecstatic for her and her husband, and it got me to thinking about the things we were given or that we bought/borrowed/stole that were fantastic when Tabetha was just a wee beeble.  I think I'm going to break this up into three posts - the stuff I'm glad we had, the stuff that wasn't worth it or that didn't work for us, and the stuff I wish we'd had!



Car seat
When Tabetha was an infant we had the Maxicosi Mico, and I still don't think there's a much better  infant seat available in Canada - and you have to spend twice as much to get something that comes in the same range.

But!  You do not need an infant seat at all!  When Tabby was just about 4 months we got a Sunshine Kids RadianXT (the company now goes by Diono) and it is safer than an infant seat, it is good from 5 to 60 pounds, Tabetha liked it better, and it gets rid of the temptation to carry the baby around in the infant seat, which isn't particularly good for baby  and can give you a wicked case of carpal tunnel.  If I were doing it again, I would skip the infant seat and get a really high quality convertible from the start.  They're steel framed, not plastic, it saves money in the long run, it's just a better idea.

Baby carrier
A good baby carrier is a must, and in my opinion, the Babyhawk is the best.  I've written about it before here already though, so I won't repeat myself.  :o)

Diapers
Contrary to popular belief, cloth diapering is just as easy as disposables, it's cheaper, and you do NOT have to touch anything gross (or at least not anymore than with disposables).  In this house we love love love our AMPs and BumGenius.  In both cases I like the one size - one size diaper from birth to potty training.  Easy.  AMPs fit newborns better and come in more and nicer colours - and leak a little less BumGenius are a bit more daycare friendly and have a couple super awesome patterns.  yum!  For me, the critical factors are snaps instead of velcro, one size, adequate leg elastic, sturdy construction, and cute colours.

Diaper bag
My diaper bag is a Petunia Picklebottom touring tote in Frolicking in Fez.  It is GORGEOUS.  I take it to work and get MANY compliments on it.  It wipes clean.  It has nifty little stroller clips.  It's the perfect size.  I adore it.  They are expensive.... but sooo worth it!

Okay, I guess this part will take more than one post.  More to come!

Lazy update

A lot has happened since I've posted regularly.  We had some trouble at the daycare Tabby was attending and made the decision to move her to a different facility.  Thankfully we stayed on all the waitlists iI signed up for a year ago, because we got a spot just when we needed it most.  I wrote a post about all the reasons why, but in the end, it wasn't the right place for us.

I'm already much more excited about the new place, and not just because it's a block away from my office and well over $200 a month cheaper - the level of professionalism and care she is getting is just miles above.

We've been busy doing summer things in these short, fewer-than-usual weeks of nice weather.  Tabetha has had her first cob of lovely Silver Rill farm corn, her first dunk in the ocean, her first run around the yard naked, her first ice cream, her first time touching a horse, and so many other things.  Fall is coming fast now, though - the chill is in the air in the mornings.

Which leads to another thing I've been doing instead of writing - I took up knitting.  I taught myself by way of Youtube videos because I didn't know anyone who knits continental, but I've joined a local knitting  circle as a means to get out of the house once a week, and I'm really enjoying it.  It's amazing to me how much can be done just with two basic stitches, let alone the fancier stuff.  I am very excited about making things for Tabetha and for gifts.

But even I can't type and knit at the same time!

Anyhow, I've forgotten the camera for a few crucial events lately - such as the trip to the fall fair and today's swim at the beach - but I've captured a few really super moments too.  And made slippers.

Jammies

It's funny. I loved pyjamas with feet on Tabetha.  When she was tiny, I even went out and found a pair of little pants with feet so that when she was wearing little dresses I didn't have to worry about her chubby little ankles getting cold.  As far as I was concerned, Tabby was going to wear pyjamas with feet.  I was going to send her off to university with a supply.  I mean, I knew she'd want jammas without feet eventually... maybe sometime after being elected to the house of commons, getting married, and being the first woman on Mars.

But in the last month or so she has start freaking out when things are on her feet.  She has these overalls with blousy legs, and if her feet go in and she can't see them, she completely freaks out.

Plus, she's outgrown the largest size of Pekkle footed jammies from Costco...

So now, Tabetha has NO jammies with feet.

And I am sad.

Catch up, another long weekend, and Tabby's first trip to the lake

Highlights of the weekend:

• Tabby cruising around the party stealing bites of everyone's food, from hamburgers to wasabi quinoa salad
• Tabby wandering around with sidewalk chalk marking everything (and everyone) in her path
• Tabby catching the remote control car and dragging it back to the bbq, like every proud hunter
• Tabby staying home with grampa Gord and grama Jo while mommy and daddy went to Filberg festival and bought her presents
• Tabby's first splash in McIvor lake
• BBQ on the foreshore in the glorious sunshine

and the lowlight of the weekend:

• Tabetha vomiting in the car while on the highway
• Tabetha vomiting in the car while on the highway - again

Things are going well here.  Tabetha has two new words (Daddy, book) and has learned to use inflection to ask questions - so now?  everything she babbles?  is in the form of a question?  Yes!  Tabetha is now ready to be a contestant on Jeopardy!

Sinful luxury

Tonight, I did something that felt sinfully luxurious.  Naughty even.  I revelled in it, and I didn't feel a bit guilty.

I went grocery shopping.

Alone.

It used to feel like a chore.  Now?  It's one of my favourite things.

My daughter climbs slippery slopes

Tabetha is physically brave and adventurous in ways that astound me.  On Saturday she figured out that she could climb up the slide, lay on her tummy, slide back down, and do it all over again with great glee.  She isn't even 16 months old yet!  I'm so glad that mini-me inherited that from her daddy.