Help!

Ahhh, I'm being attacked by this lamb!

Mmmmmmm, wallpaper paste

OK, so I take back all my feelings of remorse over feeding Kaylin solids. It's not sad at all, it's FUN! Who knew?

Kaylin had her first non-boob meal just over a week ago. We started with good ol' rice cereal. (Why do they call it cereal? Why not just name it what it is for God's sake - mush.) Brian picked up some President's Choice organic rice mush which, when mixed with water, smells and looks like wallpaper paste. Thankfully Kaylin has not yet tasted actual wallpaper paste, so she's none the wiser.

The first spoonful was greeted with curiosity. But as soon as she realized there was something foreign on her tongue, a look of "what the hell is in my mouth?" swept over Kaylin. This was quickly followed by a look of "Finally, something new! Gimme more!"

Not the type to sit back and let someone else do the driving, Kaylin decided by her third spoonful that she would control the spoon. So with each swoop of mush, she grabbed the spoon handle and drove the mush into her own gob. (Don't worry, I continued my deathgrip on the spoon so that it didn't end up halfway down her throat.) Her coordination is not bad for a tiny human, with only the odd glob of mush making its way to her cheek.

And so the solids have begun. Since that day, she has also enjoyed some lovely barley mush. Tomorrow she tries oat mush. And next week, she's moving to the non-mush food groups - veggies!

Happy half birthday!

Happy birthday Kaylin! It's February 16th and you are half a year old today.

OK, I know, my letters to you are usually pretty mushy. But not this one. Today I just want to celebrate you and how much you've grown.

You're such a little person! Your dad and I can't get over it. You are sitting up on your own and saying da-da, ba-ba, and my new favourite bla-bla. I love watching you as you carefully examine your toys, turning them over in your hands, investigating each angle, before popping them into your mouth -- or better yet, drop your whole head onto the toy, instead of lifting it to your mouth.

Your smile lights up the room and your laugh makes me laugh more than anything on this planet. You rock that exersaucer like nobody's business! You are the best thing since sliced bread and I'm so glad you chose us as your parents.

Happy 1/2 year birthday, baby!

Love, mommy

Enough about that baby

My friend Jo posted her answers to the below questions on her blog, the story of today, and invited others to do the same. So here are mine.

I know, you are all here looking for more baby news. Well, tough. I'd like a little attention for a second. I'll get back to that baby tomorrow.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:10 AM.
2. Diamonds or pearls? Pearls in my ears...diamonds on my fingers!
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Oooh, "the cinema" - how fancy...oh, ok, it was The Family Stone (sans baby!)
4. What's your favorite TV show? Lost
5. What did you have for breakfast today? A piece of toast with PB and honey
6. What's your favorite cuisine? Italian
7. What food do you dislike? Mushrooms - ick!
8. What is your favorite chip flavor? Sour cream and onion
9. What is your favorite cd at the moment? James Blunt, "Back to Bedlam"
10. What kind of car do you drive? 2001 Honda Accord
11. Favorite sandwich? My mom's egg salad, with a side of Doritos and a cold Pepsi (a.k.a. my favourite lunch ever)
12. What characteristics do you despise? Big egos - people who brag about themselves (you know they are secretly insecure)
13. Favorite item of clothing? My Old Navy "perfect fit" Ts
14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation where would you go? Australia
15. What color is your bathroom? Painter's beige
16. Favorite brand of clothes? Any brand where the pants actually fit normal women!
17. Where would you retire? Onto my front porch, with my grand children sitting on my lap
18. What is your favourite time of day? Dinner time, when B gets home and we can all be together
19. What was your most memorable birthday? My surprise party - 30th or 29th? I can't remember
20. Where were you born? Chatham, Ontario
21. Favorite sport to watch? Figure skating
22. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? Not sure
23. Person you expect to send it back first? We'll see!
24. What's your favorite laundry detergent? Ivory Snow
25. Were you named after anyone? No
27. When did you last cry? At my uncle's funeral
28. Do you like your handwriting? Hate it
29. If you were another person would YOU be friends with you? Yes
30. Are you a daredevil? No, though I went drug-free during labour (some may call that stupid)
31. Do looks matter? No, though it doesn't stop me from wearing make-up to the corner store
32. How do you release anger? I've been known to throw a thing or two
33. Where is your second home? What, like a cottage? I wish.
34. What class in High School was totally useless? Keyboarding!
35. Do you use sarcasm a lot? As much as possible
36. Favorite movie? "Babe"
37. What are your nicknames? Pie, Pienesh, Pizanno, etc....courtesy of my husband
38. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? No
39. Do you think that you are strong? Hey man, check out question #30!
40. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate
41. What are your favorite colors? Pink, sage green
42. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? Self-doubt
43. Who do you miss the most? My parents (don't worry, they're still with us. They just live a few hours away)
44. Do you want everyone to send this back? No, because I'll never have time to read them all
45. What color pants are you wearing? Blue jeans
46. What are you listening to right NOW? David Bradstreet's "Good Night, Sleep Tight"
47. Last thing you ate? See question #5
48. If you were a crayon what color would you be? I hate these questions... I don't know, red
49. Last person you talked to on the phone? My sister
50. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Eyes
51. What's your favorite drink? Milk
52. Do you wear contacts? Yep, I'm blind as a bat
53. Favorite day of the year? August 16
54. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Happy endings
55. Summer or Winter? Winter
56. Hugs or Kisses? Hugs
57. What is your favorite dessert? Chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream
58. What book are you currently reading? "The No-Cry Sleep Solution"
59. What's on your mouse pad? "DELL"

The mullet is dead! Long live the mullet!

The funny little patch of hair at the nape of Kaylin's neck, to which we lovingly referred to as the "Ajax mullet", is officially gone! For those of you who never met the mullet, it was quite a sight. This picture doesn't do it justice.

The mullet tried to hang on as long as it could. Even when all the rest of her hair came in thicker and blonder, Kaylin's brown little mullet stood strong, vowing to adorn her little head till the end of its days. Alas, its days were numbered and the mullet is but a distant memory. So long little mullet, so long.

What's next? University?

Sigh, I know it's cliché to say this, but they really do grow up so fast. I'm feeling a little blue because tomorrow is a big day for Kaylin - she's trying her first nibble of "solid" food. It's hardly any more solid than the breast milk she's been subsisting on for the past six months, but it's a major step towards eating real adult food. Soon she'll be trying sweet potatoes, peaches, and apples.

Even more so, it feels like a step away from me. Sure, she still needs breast milk every day. But every morsel of solid food we add to her daily repertoire means she's that much closer to weaning off the breast. And weaning means the slow severing of that oh-so special bond that only she and I share. That makes me so very sad.

That makes me so very sad.

It's like the first time I actually watched her daddy give her a bottle of pumped milk. I started sobbing. Why, she didn't even need me to be there! She didn't even seem to notice that I wasn't the one feeding her. She looked so happy to be gulping back this bottle that daddy was offering. Sure, it was me in that bottle, but I wasn't there to hold her in my arms, stroke her golden hair, or stare at her beautiful little face as she drank. And she didn't look up at me with her yummy smile when she was done.

So, tomorrow, I will fight back the tears as my little angel has her first taste of rice cereal. I will try to celebrate this milestone with her and cheer her on as she experiences this new sensation. And when her little tongue first pushes that foreign bit of mushy goo out in disgust, my heart may do a secret little dance of joy.

Enough already

If I may rant for a moment, I'd like to speak out against a disturbing trend I've noticed lately - the excessive use of phrasal verbs in Do-It-Yourself-type shows and articles. It's driving me bonkers!

Here are a few examples. Home decorators and designers no longer just paint. Instead they've started using the term paint out, as in "I'm going to paint out this old table and give it a fresh new look". Puhleeeeze. And chefs no longer simply bake, they bake off, as in "I'll bake off this cake in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes." Ick. I even heard someone describe taking a shower as showering down. What the?

I believe in speaking plainly. Say what you mean for Pete's sake! Why pad your descriptions of everyday activities, like painting and baking, with unnecessary fluff just to make what you're doing sound more complicated? It's just painting!

Thanks for listening. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go diaper out my baby and drink off a cup of coffee.