10 Months Old

Only a few more days until Chance is 10 months old. I took him in to the Public Health Office to get weighed on their scales. It was so strange to see the new moms with their 2 month old babies bundled up in toques and jammies and blankies. I had a hard time remembering what it felt like at that point, to be getting ready for Chance's first needle. We will have to go back in a few more months for another vaccination shot.

Chance has gained 9 oz since July 31, and has grown almost 3/4 of an inch.







































Chance's Toddler Skills at 10 Months of Age:
* Walking.
* Temper tantrums when unhappy (see previous post).
* Sleeping through the night. Sleeping better than Mom.
* Dirtying at least 3 diapers per day. Usually more, especially on the days that we use cloth diapers.
* Conversation: Rarh-rarh-rarh; nuygn-nuygn-nuygn; aah-da (all done?); itty (kitty?); bu-bu-bu-bu (with finger motion over mouth); eeee! eeee! eeee! (while Mom is on the phone).
* Chasing the cat (and catching her every now and then). Learning to pet "gently".
* Drinking formula.
* Drinking bathwater.

Tantrums

Whooooo! OK. We get it. Chance knows he is a discrete, independant, person. With wants and needs. Stress the wants. He wants:

in the refrigerator
in the dishwasher
in the garbage
into the cleaning supplies
to chew on wires (cell phone, iPod, camera chargers)
to chew on the cat
to wrestle with the hairdryer (again, cords)
to put his lips on the toilet seat
to man-handle the toilet brush
in the recycling bin
to destroy the newspaper, Time magazine, library book
to chew the remote controls
to bang on the fireplace
to pull on the speaker wires
to yank the central vac ports open and watch them snap back
to eat random non-food items off the floor
...etc...

Today I denied entry to the refrigerator. For like the billionth time. Except this time there was retaliation. Big time tantrum. No amount of distraction could douse the flames! Mom ran for cover into the office and dialled her mommy. Yikes.

Solution: a cold cloth to the face and neck and then a trip to the mailbox. When Grandma called back Chance was in his highchair happily eating lunch. Angel-kid.

3rd Wedding Anniversary

We went to the park as usual after Chance ate supper to push him on the swings and ride the slide a few times. He always loves piggy-back rides on Daddy's shoulders.




















The squeals of delight are really cute to listen to. If it's a quiet evening they echo through the neighbourhood!















After visiting the park, we took a few minutes to roll around on the grass. Here is Cameron chasing Chance..."Daddy's gonna get you!" Chance is running away as fast as his little legs can carry him!

Don't Panic

Cartoons and cheerios work really well to keep an active baby sitting still on your lap while you apply pressure to a scratched finger.

And shampoo takes out bloodstains.

Don't ask me how I know. I just know.

Early bird gets the....French toast?

Ugh. 5:30 AM wake up call this morning. Chance was wiiiiiiide awake. I tried to nurse him in the big bed to settle him down, but after he was finished, he sat up and tried to crawl away. So, on came the lights (it was still #%%##@ dark outside for cryin' out loud!), and started stripping the bed. Laundry day. In went a load of towels and sheets and Chance and I had a bath together. Then we put new sheets on the bed and as I reached down to grab the last pillow case, I sniffed. Sniffed again. Groaned. Went off to change a diaper. All before 6:30 AM.

Breakfast was French toast, and I did up a 1/2 batch of pancakes and froze the works for Chance's breakfasts for the next few weeks. 3 pancakes should last him for about 5 or 6 meals. That boy LOVES pancakes.

We pick up Cam at the airport at 3:00 ish, so hopefully Chance will catch a few winks in the car on the way there or on the way home. I'm surprised he's not having a meltdown right now, actually, given that he was up so early.

Look Mom, No Tears!

Today was Chance's fourth time at the YMCA babysitting service while I went to the gym to get a bit of exercise. I was told that he complained (loudly) for 5 minutes after I left, but then settled in to playing with the toys and books. What a good boy!

My punchcard for the babysitting fees was nearing its end, so I went to purchase a new one before going home. There I was informed that a baby membership for Chance only costs an extra $3 per month. And that I would save $3 per HOUR by having a membership for him. So, Chance is now a member of the YMCA. We might even go swimming tomorrow.

Weekend Without Daddy

div>So far the weekend without Daddy has gone smoothly. I am getting a first-hand reminder of all the things Cam does around the house on weekends/evenings!

1. Dishes and Post-Supper cleanup
2. Diaper changes
3. Piggy back rides to the park
4. Company for Mommy*
5. Bathtime wash up and puppetry
5. PJ duty at bedtime
6. Trash out to the garage
7. Spanking the cat while Mommy comforts Chance following a feline vs. baby cage match**
8. Running bubble baths for Mommy after Chance goes to bed
9. Poking Mommy at 10:30 to tell her to go to bed
10. Making coffee in the morning
11. And many many more things...!


* Very important. Mom got so bored this morning during Chance's nap that she actually answered the door when a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses came by to drop off their magazines. Pretty sure she'll be cursing herself for the next 7 Saturdays when they "pop by" to see how all is going with our spiritual lives...


** The cat has been very good. Chance has been very good. So far. But there have been some close calls. Some pulled whiskers and a scratched nose is probably just around the bend, though.


















Friday morning: do you think he's tired??

And some new items on the menu: Chance is in LOVE with raisins. Silly Mommy, thought since he was enjoying them so much, might as well give him more. Hah, let's just leave it at about 5 dirrrty diapers in a 24 hour period. If Chance as much as sneezed, he was crapping raisins.











Also have been introducing the boy to cutlery. After about 4 attempts with the fork, Chance flings it and gets both hands dug into his food. He's trying. Mom's cleaning the floor. Often.




















On the Move: Chance loves to walk. Preferably with something hard and plastic in his mouth. Removal of said item will cause temper tantrums and back arching. Lovely.

Food Network Follow Up

So the chicken stock bubbled away, and the whole house smelled wonderful! Cooked the stock with carrots, celery, onion (all sauteed briefly before adding the water), bay leaf and some rosemary.














Chance was a darling watching all the activity up in his high chair. After about 10 minutes, he wanted to get going though. That was OK, 10 minutes was all I needed to get the pot ready to simmer.















The resulting Curry Squash Soup was very good, and the spice improved overnight. As I didn't have a recipe for this, I had to taste it along the way and make adjustments. By the time I was done cooking I had about 15 spoons in the sink to wash!

Curry Squash Soup

Saute 1 onion, roughtly chopped in butter in a soup pot. Immediately add ginger, cinnamon, curry and chili powder. This "cracks" the oils from the spices. Add a small amount of garlic salt if you like, and black peppper. Once the onions are cooked through, turn up the heat to high and add some cold milk, chicken stock, whatever to deglaze the bottom of your soup pot.

Puree the squash cooked in the casserole from last night in food processor (blender would work too, I think) with a small amount of milk. I had a large yogurt container full (about 1 L) along with the sauteed onions and spices.

Put the squash puree into the soup pot along with about 1/2 L chicken stock. Add milk to get desired creaminess. Add a little more fresh curry to brighten up flavour. If you like spice (we do), add a good 10-15 dashes of tabasco sauce.

Food Network

I have been stock-piling a bunch of cooking shows on the PVR, and this week I decided to wade through them and write down the stuff that looked good. So I started with some Caribbean Jerk Chicken, which was awesome, unfortunately did not take a photo to share, but let me tell you, it was wonderful. Here is my adaptation:

2 breasts and 2 thighs cut from whole chicken (save carcass for soup, etc.)
Or 4 breasts or 4 thighs or whatever. Important - skin ON. The flavour really sticks to the skin. Leave your diet at the doorstep.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken
1 bunch of green onions, cut into 2 inch sections
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp ground ginger
zest and juice from 1 lime
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp molasses
hot sauce - adjust heat according to your taste
coarse salt

Whiz the whole thing up and marinade chicken for 2 hours in a plastic bag, massage every now and then. Grill over low heat (skin side down first) for 45 minutes, flipping half way. Check that the chicken is cooked through with meat thermometer.

We ate this with brown rice and grilled mini bell peppers ($$ usually but found them on the half-off cart at the grocery store - I actually thought they were habanero peppers at the time...).

We also enjoyed some Apple Stuffed Pork Chops this week. They were so good that I found myself almost rolling my eyes with each bite! Chance even ate these because they were tender and filled with sweet apple stuffing.

Apple Stuffed Pork Chops*
3 palm-sized sirloin pork chops, boneless, thick-cut

1 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 apple, peeled and sliced
splash of apple juice
fennel seed
2 slices of whole-wheat toast, cubed

dijon mustard
1/2 cup apple juice

Melt butter in frying pan and saute onion until transparent. Add apple slices and splash in some apple juice to help apples steam. Cover and let simmer until apples are soft. Onions and apples should be browning nicely. Add bread cubes and remove to a bowl to cool down.

Cut pockets into pork chops using sharp knife. Stuff with apple mixture and squish pork chops closed. Heat frying same frying pan to med-high heat and sear pork chops briefly. Move to roaster. Keep heat on frying pan and pour in apple juice and mustard to deglaze. Pour this sauce into roaster. Cover roaster and cook for 45 minutes at 350°F.















All of this inventive cooking has revved up my imagination. I have been finding inspiration outside of cooking shows, and when I bought bought 2 bunches of baby beets from some Hutterite farmers who were set up next to the library, I knew I had to do something creative with them!

Honey Roasted Beets*
10 small beets (tennis ball size), greens trimmed, peeled & cubed.
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
olive oil
1/2 cup water
orange zest
italian seasoning
coarse salt
ground black pepper

Directions
1. Place beets in a roasting pan.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine honey, vinegar, oil, water, zest, spices, salt, and black pepper; pour over the beets and toss.
3. Roast beets for 1 hour. Check to make sure that liquid is evaporating down to a sauce (leave lid off for last few minutes to speed it along if you're in a hurry).

Also I have been on a real squash kick lately. We have been enjoying zucchini squash and small patty pan squash (microwaved with butter and lemon juice). At the Farmer's Market on the weekend I picked up a buttercup squash for three bucks. I made an Apple-Squash Casserole with it.

Apple-Squash Casserole*
1/2 large (head-sized) buttercup squash, cleaned and cubed into 2" pieces.
2 apples, peeled and sliced.

1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp nutmeg

Put squash in roaster, layer apples on top. Mix remaining ingredients and pour mixture on top of squash and apples. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.

This was good, but both Cam and I were not crazy about it - also due to the fact there were a ton of leftovers. I'm baking that chicken carcass left from the Jerk Chicken right now, I'll make a chicken stock with it and then puree it with the leftover squash with some curry powder and perhaps a little milk. So Thursday we will have Curry Squash Soup with Naan and Chicken Tikka....yum....



*denotes that Chance ate this along with us - what a gourmet palate he is developing!

Too cute not to share!

Chance likes to get his groove on these days!

Busy Saturday

We decided to hit the farmer's market this morning but ran into road construction along the way, so doubled back and found a more direct, more scenic route to Millarville. When we arrived, we noticed signs claiming that this weekend instead of $2 per car for parking, we would pay $5 per person, for the centennial market and fair! We saw some cars doubling back at that point, and this is after they spent 20 minutes or more waiting on the highway! How disappointing for them (but to be fair, there were lots of people in the cars, so it would have been $25 just to get in, maybe that was their whole veggie budget!)

We decided to go anyways, and we bought lots of things at the farmer's market: peaches (some bigger than Cam's fist), sugar plums (bright yellow and delicious), cucumbers, dill (an entire grocery bag stuffed full for $1), a zucchini that was too large to carry or fit into the stroller pack, so we tucked it in next to Chance, something called a buttercup squash, baklava (an evening treat to enjoy after Chance goes to sleep), 2 pans of cabbage rolls and fresh perogies!

After the farmer's market we examined some of the fair exhibits, including messenger pigeons, chickens (one of them was so fluffy it looked like a cat!), ducks, an ugly turkey (it gobbled at Chance and startled him, but then he laughed), rabbits, kids' science projects, etc.! We even saw a rooster crowing contest! Chance had some people laughing pretty hard at his "dancing" to the old-time country songs (banjo and fiddle kind of stuff, mountain music).

Of course I forgot to bring my camera. Actually, I chose not to bring my camera. We were only planning on being there for 30 minutes or so, just to pick up some fresh veggies and fruits, and instead spent the entire morning. I am just so thankful that Chance didn't poop his diaper as I didn't have an extra one or changing kit with me!

All of this activity left Chance wound up and not only did he not nap in the morning, he didn't nap in the afternoon as well! Around 5 he was quite irritable, and by 5:30 he was passed out in my arms. I just sat on the couch and watched television for half an hour before supper just to get him through the day. Supper went over quite well and he spent 30 minutes walking (yes, walking!) around the kitchen with a pair of salad tongs. We went to the park and then plopped him into the tub & he was soon asleep in his crib after that.

Tin Tub

These pics were taken in July at the cabin, but only got the film back yesterday. They are my new favorite photos for sure!

Week In Review

Monday: spent morning organizing the kitchen. Mommy still has no idea where she put the jar of beef boullion mix.




















Tuesday: When Mommy was putting the groceries away, she realized that the house was quiet. Too quiet.





















Wednesday: I am getting brave. Mom keeps on saying something about a heart attack.


















Thursday: Checking out my new boots from Daddy's coworker. I can't wait to fit these in 2008!




















Friday: Mommy took me to the park downtown. We visited with her friends and their babies Sam and Matthew. At lunch time Daddy met us and they ate smokies from a cart. I was stuck with cheese and bananas and squash and bread. I did not drink my formula.

Visiting Okotoks

We visited our friends in Okotoks and had a nice supper with them. Before supper we walked to their community lake to enjoy a few toe-dips in the water and squishing sand in the feet. The kids had a good time together & it was so great to see how much change there was since the last time they got together!




When we got home Chance was asleep in the car seat. He was tuckered out from all the activity, plus he refused his afternoon nap, so we had a tired monkey on our hands. A quick bath and then into bed!

Stair Master!

In the evenings while supper is being prepared, Cam spends some time each day practising the stairs with the boy. Chance is quite good at going up the stairs, but going down requires a "prize" for motivation (measuring cup).

First steps and 2 more teeth!

We are so proud of our little kiddo!

Chance took his first steps today, three of them, towards a toy he wanted (his ride-on truck, he loves the horn). After three steps he had to sit down (hard) on his bum, but he didn't cry, he just shrieked, like he was saying "Hey! I think I did something!!"

Here is a shot of the two upper teeth that he got a few days ago. They are real sharpies!

Why Em See Ay!

I joined the YMCA on the weekend and went for a workout on Monday. It felt great! They gave me $30 worth of babysitting fees too so I will be taking Chance in probably once per week during the afternoon. Additionally there is a free bike class at 6 PM on Tuesdays so I can go get organized and then Cam will go directly to the Y en route to home and pick up Chance. So I should get in about 3 workouts a week at least, maybe 4. Sounds like fun to me!

Rhubarb

*sniff*

I decided to hack down the rhubarb and freeze a bunch for the winter today while Chance napped.

I ended up chopping off the tip of my thumb. I went to the walk in clinic and they steri-stripped it for me (the same stuff they used to close my c-section).

Thank goodness Cam came home from his golf game when he did, I was contemplating leaving Chance with the neighbour.

The doctor said it would be 5 or 6 days before the steri-strips can come off. Have to keep it clean & watch for infection.

*sniff*

Look What I Can Do

It's been like this for a few weeks now, but have had a hard time snapping a pic as he loooooves the camera and immediately drops down to a crawl to try and grab it. The first time he balanced on both feet was middle of June, at his Great Grandma Marie's house in La Ronge.

Oh, the hilarity...

2 PM. Fussy baby. Need groceries. Pack up baby, make grocery list.
2:30 PM. Leave house in stroller. Forget watch in the house.
2:31 PM. Bump into friendly neighbour lady, chat for a little while.
2:45 PM. Encounter construction and take detour to avoid smells and noise. Baby is asleep.
3:10 PM. Arrive at store, shop.
3:20 PM. Have located everything on list, except taco shells. Husband has been dropping hints for weeks that he likes taco shells. Peek at baby. Baby is WIDE AWAKE.
3:35 PM. Where are the ^$@$#@!~ taco shells???
3:36 PM. Oh. There. Good.
3:40 PM. At checkout, glance at clock on computer screen. Force the bubble of panic down back into gut.
3:45 PM. Leave grocery store. Chuck the bread and bananas into the stroller with the baby. 2.5 kms to cover in 10 minutes. Frantically run as fast as possible wearing SANDALS. Baby hoots appreciatively as you tear down the sidewalk with passers-by pointing and laughing.
3:55 PM. Arrive at the house, park baby (in stroller) and run like a maniac into the house, nearly wiping out on the stairs. Dunk head under tap of tub and run back out of the house with hair wrapped in towel. Pluck baby out of stroller and plunk him directly into his car seat and drive (calmly, safely) to doctor's office.
4:15. Arrive at doctor's office and relax - we made it!