Today was the first day P went to daycare. It is also the end of the most rewarding time I've had with my child. My time as a stay at home father was incredible for many reasons. I truly feel blessed I had this opportunity. I love you P. You make me a better person, and I will try to be better because of you:)xoxoxo
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
SWIMMING LESSONS......
So P and I have started to do swimming lessons. We try to head out the door by 8:30 am so she can get at least a half hour to 45 min nap. Compounded with this is a new stage in her sleep training. P only comforts herself to sleep if our index finger is in her mouth. She has always resisted the "Sucky" or soother and prefers the real deal. Needless to say, somedays I win and somedays I lose. P starts daycare in Sept. and we can't have her only able to go to sleep if someone's finger is in her mouth..... "daycare ain't cool like that."
Once we arrive at the local community center, it's a mad dash to feed her and get her ready to go swimming. I have to say the first time stepping into the mens change room with my daughter I was apprehensive. A two pronged feeling confronts you when your put into that position. First, a very sort of Alpha Male/ Cro-Magnon side comes out. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cro-Magnon). You don't want some creepy dude checking out your daughter while your her getting ready to swim and the honest thought of " if you look at my daughter the wrong way I will kill you without fail" comes to mind. The second feeling is "I am man in a change room with my daughter, are there people who saw me come in here and are they thinking, hey is that some creepy dude who just went in with a baby girl.....". There is special attention paid (and rightfully so) to men and kids in places of supposed privacy.
What I soon discovered though is that it is a free for all with both sexes of parents and nannies coming in and out. Most of them are worried about timelines and getting out as quickly as possible and on to the next activity; rather than keeping tabs on each other or making faux small talk. Very different from what I thought.
Truly my biggest task though is getting P into the her life vest (http://www.salusmarine.com/product/bijoux.html). THIS THING IS HATEFUL!!! I mean I love that my daughter is in a rather over-priced floatation device and it is peace of mind, but it is a acrobatic feat to get her into it when your by yourself..... Yeah I am crying about.
So once its on, to the pool.
There is a host of mothers, fathers and nannies who are either, waiting, watching or participating with their children. I've had the opportunity to sit down with some of them on the pool side bench. The nannies particularly have a unique insight on how it is to raise some else's children. One nannie told me a story that at once made feel very angry towards someone I've never met and also proud to be staying home with P. She pointed to two children she looks after and said." those are my two. I love them very much. It's sooooo sad though. When their daddy comes home, he never says hi, hugs them, says hello, doesn't even tell them he loves them. They get upset and their mother has to plead with them that daddy has to work really hard and he's too tired to spend time with them. She then reminds them we have nice clothes, nice house, and all the toys you want." As if that should make up for the lack of their father's presence in his children's lives....... The nanny then proceeds to tell me that even on her days off, she spends time with them just so they can hang out with someone. Need I say anything other than the obvious about the absent father. On the other hand I remind self how fortunate I am to be spending time with P. Showing her that her father does care.....
I have to say P does very well in the pool. She's actually pretty chill. Even as I place her down on the cold pool side floor, she starts smiling. Once her feet are just touching the water, she then begins to splash with her feet and laughs. I slide in and pick her up to bring her slowly waist deep into the pool. We sort of sit like this for a few minutes, just to get used to the water. We then start moving around. We eventually end up meeting with the other parents in the pool. P is the only 10 month old. the rest are 3 and up. I will say that I had a Dad pride moment. One of the other parents noticed how calm P was. She swam over with her son, and started to goad him to be more like P. She said "see, P is totally relaxed and having fun. She also does not have a death grip around her father's neck like you do right now. Be like P." I smiled. Inside...... Total Dad Pride.
Our instructor is 18, and going into her first year of university. P really likes her. This is good, especially when we practice backwards kicking and frontwards swimming. The only time P is a little hesitant is when she is doing a star fish in the water. If she starts to get fussy, I give her a water toy to hold in her hand. That usually calms her down and she can actually start laughing while she floats on her back. Once the half and hour is over we make sure we say good bye to everybody in the pool. I feel really lucky that I live in a city that provides a spot so my child can swim and interact with other parents and kids. Thank You Toronto:) LOVE
Once we arrive at the local community center, it's a mad dash to feed her and get her ready to go swimming. I have to say the first time stepping into the mens change room with my daughter I was apprehensive. A two pronged feeling confronts you when your put into that position. First, a very sort of Alpha Male/ Cro-Magnon side comes out. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cro-Magnon). You don't want some creepy dude checking out your daughter while your her getting ready to swim and the honest thought of " if you look at my daughter the wrong way I will kill you without fail" comes to mind. The second feeling is "I am man in a change room with my daughter, are there people who saw me come in here and are they thinking, hey is that some creepy dude who just went in with a baby girl.....". There is special attention paid (and rightfully so) to men and kids in places of supposed privacy.
What I soon discovered though is that it is a free for all with both sexes of parents and nannies coming in and out. Most of them are worried about timelines and getting out as quickly as possible and on to the next activity; rather than keeping tabs on each other or making faux small talk. Very different from what I thought.
Truly my biggest task though is getting P into the her life vest (http://www.salusmarine.com/product/bijoux.html). THIS THING IS HATEFUL!!! I mean I love that my daughter is in a rather over-priced floatation device and it is peace of mind, but it is a acrobatic feat to get her into it when your by yourself..... Yeah I am crying about.
So once its on, to the pool.
There is a host of mothers, fathers and nannies who are either, waiting, watching or participating with their children. I've had the opportunity to sit down with some of them on the pool side bench. The nannies particularly have a unique insight on how it is to raise some else's children. One nannie told me a story that at once made feel very angry towards someone I've never met and also proud to be staying home with P. She pointed to two children she looks after and said." those are my two. I love them very much. It's sooooo sad though. When their daddy comes home, he never says hi, hugs them, says hello, doesn't even tell them he loves them. They get upset and their mother has to plead with them that daddy has to work really hard and he's too tired to spend time with them. She then reminds them we have nice clothes, nice house, and all the toys you want." As if that should make up for the lack of their father's presence in his children's lives....... The nanny then proceeds to tell me that even on her days off, she spends time with them just so they can hang out with someone. Need I say anything other than the obvious about the absent father. On the other hand I remind self how fortunate I am to be spending time with P. Showing her that her father does care.....
I have to say P does very well in the pool. She's actually pretty chill. Even as I place her down on the cold pool side floor, she starts smiling. Once her feet are just touching the water, she then begins to splash with her feet and laughs. I slide in and pick her up to bring her slowly waist deep into the pool. We sort of sit like this for a few minutes, just to get used to the water. We then start moving around. We eventually end up meeting with the other parents in the pool. P is the only 10 month old. the rest are 3 and up. I will say that I had a Dad pride moment. One of the other parents noticed how calm P was. She swam over with her son, and started to goad him to be more like P. She said "see, P is totally relaxed and having fun. She also does not have a death grip around her father's neck like you do right now. Be like P." I smiled. Inside...... Total Dad Pride.
Our instructor is 18, and going into her first year of university. P really likes her. This is good, especially when we practice backwards kicking and frontwards swimming. The only time P is a little hesitant is when she is doing a star fish in the water. If she starts to get fussy, I give her a water toy to hold in her hand. That usually calms her down and she can actually start laughing while she floats on her back. Once the half and hour is over we make sure we say good bye to everybody in the pool. I feel really lucky that I live in a city that provides a spot so my child can swim and interact with other parents and kids. Thank You Toronto:) LOVE
Friday, 10 June 2011
It has been way too long
I have not posted for over a month. I have been slacking. Honestly falling victim to routine and self indulgent pooh-poohing of my lost of independence. Yet I move forward, and still have adventures about P to share. Move Forward, Move Forward, Move Forward. It's easy to not to press your self into trying new things, or even leaving the house while being a stay at home parent. But It is summertime in Canada, there are no excuses, even if it is raining not to explore the outside world and show P what a in bloom cherry blossom or tree looks and smells like. I am lucky and need to carpe diem! Truly live in the moment, for this time will never come again. As my good said recently " you can always work, but in ten years, your going to look back and say this time was awesome!" soooo true dear sir. More to come
IN PEACE
IN PEACE
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Democracy, mix-signals and P
May 2nd was the first time P was exposed to the democratic process of this country. ( well outside the womb). I was rushed to get her ready. I was happy yet worried that there would be a long line up due to the pervious weekend of early voting. A record 2 million people cast their ballots! A bit paranoid I admit,but I didn't want to wait in line for too long.
As I was getting on her socks and wrestling to put on her small multi-colored polka dot hoody, she was "Gah, Gah, bluuuuaeeeahh, oh, baaah ahhhhing". It made me smile. I thought every single leader, community activist or innovator both male and female had more than likely made those sounds somewhere along the line of their baby-hood. It was one of those" who will my child be in this world" moments that every parent confronts. Selfishly, it would be wonderful if my daughter became a leader or social advocate. Challenging the status quo, and pushing the boundaries of women in leadership positions is something I do want to impart on her that is very possible for her to achieve.
As I contemplated this, I was just pulling over the last velcro strap on P's shoe. "Right" I thought " first things first. I have to teach P how to put on her own shoes to begin with. Leading the country to greatness will come in its own time". I am guilty of wanting too much too soon. Patience is something I am learning from P and something C and myself will in turn impart to her. The teacher is teaching the student, while the student is mentoring the teacher. AH!
P, with her hat on head and smile in full gear, were both out the door and on our way down to vote.
(Voters Rights in Canada here: http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=faq&document=faqvoting&lang=e#a6)
As I came off the elevator, (I live in an apt-building, and the voting was in the lobby:) lucky me) I noticed right away that there wasn't the huge rush i was worried about. "Phew" I thought as I approached the registration desk. In answer to my approach, an almost apoplectic women looked at me and with her left index finger pointed at another table and said"OVER THERE!" I instinctive took a step back, looked at P. Whether by reaction or coincidence she had her classic steely-blue- eyed thousand yard stare going on. She was unimpressed. Needless to say after responding with sarcastic kindness I went to the right area and was welcomed by two very friendly Election's Canada representatives.
Both were young, in their early 20's, one women and one man. I noticed the young women was reading "The Book of Negroes" By Lawrence Hill (http://www.lawrencehill.com/the_book_of_negroes.html). C had finished the book about 6 months before and still brings up the potency of his writing and the power of the story. I said to her that my wife had read it and loved it. Curiously I think she thought I was trying to work my mojo on her. For she rather defensively gave a very pert"Yes I know", then with a blushed face she began looking for information again. Then as if on cue, the young man sporting his hipster beard (not even cool to use that term anymore I know) interjected with "Oh I've read it. It very good, Lawrence Hill is brilliant". It was said with the assurance of a dude trying to sound well read for purposes of looking intellectually attractive to women he was working with. F*&^$^N Punk! As for my intentions: I love P, but I wanted to have an adult conversation. Holding my 8 month old daughter, having bed head and spit on my shirt is not exactly couth to begin with, let alone to pick someone up at a voting booth. Eventually I received my ballot and I proceeded to three sided cardboard shield that "ensures" my privacy. While drawing the X, I held P in my right arm and tried in vain to hold down the small square sheet of voting paper with my left hand and write at the same time. Funny how the small mundane things can be the hardest things you encounter some days.
On my way back to drop off the ballot in the box, the young women who gave the pert response, seemed to notice P. "She is soooo Cute!!!!" she retorted. P was back to her normal smiling, inquisitively staring self and looked right at her. I smiled in response and proceeded back upstairs. P I realized not only had her first voting experience, but saw her first misunderstood-not flirting-but was taken as flirting moment. Random but real.
IN PEACE
SHR
As I was getting on her socks and wrestling to put on her small multi-colored polka dot hoody, she was "Gah, Gah, bluuuuaeeeahh, oh, baaah ahhhhing". It made me smile. I thought every single leader, community activist or innovator both male and female had more than likely made those sounds somewhere along the line of their baby-hood. It was one of those" who will my child be in this world" moments that every parent confronts. Selfishly, it would be wonderful if my daughter became a leader or social advocate. Challenging the status quo, and pushing the boundaries of women in leadership positions is something I do want to impart on her that is very possible for her to achieve.
As I contemplated this, I was just pulling over the last velcro strap on P's shoe. "Right" I thought " first things first. I have to teach P how to put on her own shoes to begin with. Leading the country to greatness will come in its own time". I am guilty of wanting too much too soon. Patience is something I am learning from P and something C and myself will in turn impart to her. The teacher is teaching the student, while the student is mentoring the teacher. AH!
P, with her hat on head and smile in full gear, were both out the door and on our way down to vote.
(Voters Rights in Canada here: http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=faq&document=faqvoting&lang=e#a6)
As I came off the elevator, (I live in an apt-building, and the voting was in the lobby:) lucky me) I noticed right away that there wasn't the huge rush i was worried about. "Phew" I thought as I approached the registration desk. In answer to my approach, an almost apoplectic women looked at me and with her left index finger pointed at another table and said"OVER THERE!" I instinctive took a step back, looked at P. Whether by reaction or coincidence she had her classic steely-blue- eyed thousand yard stare going on. She was unimpressed. Needless to say after responding with sarcastic kindness I went to the right area and was welcomed by two very friendly Election's Canada representatives.
Both were young, in their early 20's, one women and one man. I noticed the young women was reading "The Book of Negroes" By Lawrence Hill (http://www.lawrencehill.com/the_book_of_negroes.html). C had finished the book about 6 months before and still brings up the potency of his writing and the power of the story. I said to her that my wife had read it and loved it. Curiously I think she thought I was trying to work my mojo on her. For she rather defensively gave a very pert"Yes I know", then with a blushed face she began looking for information again. Then as if on cue, the young man sporting his hipster beard (not even cool to use that term anymore I know) interjected with "Oh I've read it. It very good, Lawrence Hill is brilliant". It was said with the assurance of a dude trying to sound well read for purposes of looking intellectually attractive to women he was working with. F*&^$^N Punk! As for my intentions: I love P, but I wanted to have an adult conversation. Holding my 8 month old daughter, having bed head and spit on my shirt is not exactly couth to begin with, let alone to pick someone up at a voting booth. Eventually I received my ballot and I proceeded to three sided cardboard shield that "ensures" my privacy. While drawing the X, I held P in my right arm and tried in vain to hold down the small square sheet of voting paper with my left hand and write at the same time. Funny how the small mundane things can be the hardest things you encounter some days.
On my way back to drop off the ballot in the box, the young women who gave the pert response, seemed to notice P. "She is soooo Cute!!!!" she retorted. P was back to her normal smiling, inquisitively staring self and looked right at her. I smiled in response and proceeded back upstairs. P I realized not only had her first voting experience, but saw her first misunderstood-not flirting-but was taken as flirting moment. Random but real.
IN PEACE
SHR
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Working out, Time Management and Music
I had a double awesome Easter. This entailed a double Easter egg hunt, Double dinner, and of course quintuple chocolate:). Although great, these two Easters lead me to my next thought and action,(well trying to action).
With all this incredibly rich food, one must think about health, and or fighting to keep in shape. I am finding, like all things in life, one must make a choice in this matter. Do you catch a nap with your child, like everyone says you should? Or do you work out? Ultimately, working out gives you more energy, but it's the start up and commitment that is always the hardest. Then of course, because parental thinking comes into play the next thought is "Hey, if I am working out, I can multi-task as well". Christ! this never ending burden of "I need to do more than one thing while my child is sleeping" is truly insane............ but also necessary.
Because C is no longer home during the day, P cannot get breast milk all the time. C was truly valiant in the effort of pumping and saving, pumping and saving. What we believed was months worth saved milk, ended up being gone in two weeks. So onto the formula. We researched a lot of brands. We found an organic, healthy and Canadian finally. we settled on "My Organic Baby" (http://www.myorganicbaby.ca/products.php?id=formula). Full of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and made with milk from cows that are given organic feed and not given any antibiotics or growth hormones.... We felt it's as good as we can get in terms of formula. Man, I really do sound like an ad for the stuff..... I digress.
Part of the prep is to boil water (It's a powder) then let it cool, pour the water in the bottle and then formula. So while I am boiling the water (the timer is a lifesaver, BELIEVE ME!) I can also clean the bottle(s) from the night feeding before and put them in the sterilizer. While this happening, I can do some quick push-ups, sit ups, tricep crunches, or perhaps yoga style back strengthening. This is day by day and not routine yet. Another thing that gives me energy is music.
Side-note:(Yes, we are still doing night feeds even though P doesn't need them. It works for us right now and we will stop when we are ready).
Signing Off Now
In Peace
Sunday, 24 April 2011
I just lost my last post
I just lost the my current Easter post because I was not signed in properly. ARGGGG!!! I will do my next post tonight or tomorrow. More of Easter to come....
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Feeding Time!
Feeding your child is a whole new adventure all on it's own. My Wife and I have made the choice to go as natural as possible when it comes to feeding P. The only processed food we use is the Nestle multigrain or oatmeal cereal. We use the rule of trying a new food for three days. We then see if there is an allergic reaction at all. To my wife's brilliance, we only try the new food starting in the morning. So if there is a reaction we are not dealing with it late a night.
When placing P in her chair, she is either excited or could careless. Once strapped in though, it is literally a song and dance routine while trying to prepare her food. P needs to be engaged a lot or she is quite vocal or sometimes just a down right "fuss-bucket". Honestly, It has been pretty cool coming up with spontaneous songs or games to keep her occupied. I will admit you cross the line into nonsense while entertaining your child, but who gives a shit. Do you want to see your child laugh or cry?
Once the food is ready, and the bib is on, it's go time! Usually she is an active or very eager eater.
Then there are the times when gets the "thousand yard stare". This is a term given to soldiers who have killed and are forever changed by it. Now to my knowledge P has not done anything of the sort quite yet, but It's as if she is looking right through me, totally on another realm. Other moments to contend with is while bringing the spoon to her mouth she takes a bite and then proceeds to bite down on the front tray; smearing the food that's in her mouth left to right! This can last all feeding, I am torn between laughing, and trying to get the food to stay in her mouth. I win some and lose some.
Feeding time also means I have dinner ready for C. when she comes home. (C is my wife, I don't want to use wife every time while speaking about her.) Taking on the stay at home dad role also means making sure you take care of the person coming home from work. Now I admit, the meals I prepare are already pre-made that C has slaved over usually two weekends before hand. But they are ready when she steps in the door.
When it comes to eating for myself, It's a struggle. P. gets about 20 mins. a day of T.V. while I prepare my own lunch. T.V. is something we try not to expose her to, but its a necessary evil. This comment is not ment to be preachy. People do what they gotta do to get by. This is just our belief. Also to be fair, P usually doesn't like T.V. after 10 mins. anyway. So are we blessed or cursed....? On to dinner now... Good Evening or Morning to all.
Signing off for now. IN PEACE
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