Dec 22, 2011

Back from vacay, straight into Xmas

Back from vacay. Had a fab time, although it was hard to get a real break since we most of our day rotated around the little one. What made it a lot easier is that neither of us was distracted by work or life, so we ended up spending lots of time on the beach, or driving, or cooking, or eating out. Pretty much perfect. Even baby-boy understood the new routine fairly quickly and loved it out there. We found a perfect "baby beach" with very shallow water and minimal waves. Baby boy loved the water as much as he did the sand. He had lots of time to explore, and would sleep lovely long naps as a result.


We came back on two flights from hell. WestJet has had a new bright idea that all babies should be put in the same section of the plane. While I sort of understand there might be a logic in that, the issue is that when you have 8 babies/toddlers on the plane and 5 of them are crying, it turns into a nightmare journey for everyone. Baby-boy just wanted to go to sleep but was prevented by the other little ones who were displaying their displeasure in the only way they know how. Arrived home at around 2 a.m. Needless to say we were all shattered. Had a broken stroller that turned out after 11 days of carrying the baby around in our arms, not to be broken after all.


Baby boy slept extremely well two whole nights in a row. Probably just catching up on sleep, poor sod, because nights are now back to their usual pattern of disruption. I'm trying to wean him completely off night breast feeding so that he doesn't build a habit. It's going ok in the sense that he can get back to sleep without feeding, but of course, he still wakes up regularly. I'm hoping a few more months of growth will improve things.


Exciting news is that baby boy is now taking a few steps on his own, without any assistance. It's really quite cute. He's learned to hold his arms out in front of him for protection (even though most of he sways sideways). He can get started from standing still and launch in my direction. Sometimes it's quite a violent launch. It seems he's more eager just to be in my arms, than the process of getting there on his own. But he does seem pleased with himself too.


We've managed to set up a Xmas tree in spite of all the travel and even collected a fair amount of prezzies to go under it. It's really starting to feel like the holidays and we're all breathing a little more easily and taking things a bit more slowly. Happy holidays everyone!



Dec 2, 2011

First night out in ... months?

I went out tonight. The first time in months. The second time in 9 months, to be more precise. Hubby and I did go out when baby-boy was a little younger, but now that he has got a serious case of separation anxiety, both of us going out in the evening is a major no-no. And since hubby has to travel often for work, I am usually at home. 


Tonight, I was invited along to dinner being hosted for a guest speaker. It was great to actually do my hair, put on some makeup and a some decent clothes without having to worry about sweet potato or some other substance ending up on them. I even wore my wool coat, although it was nowhere near warm enough for the frigid temperatures out there.


I chose a good night though. The food at the restaurant was exquisite. Simply no other word for it. And that from someone who is not really a foody. But since most Montrealers are, restaurants here have a lot to live up to.


Things are calming down and winding down. The move is mostly done. Even the majority of pictures are hung. Now it's just the blinds, and hubby managed to rent a major drill so we can get through the concrete that seems to be behind the plasterboard in random places. It'll look really nice once they're up. 


My revision for the paper is also done. I wanted to get it out of the way before we go on holiday next week (the Caribbean, yay!!!). Of course, I now have a revision for another paper, but my co-author is the lead and she's going to take the first crack at it, relieving me of any immediate responsibilities. In the calm and quiet, I even managed to buy a Xmas flower and semi-wreath to put on our door. How domestic of me.


Baby-boy finally seems a bit happier in the house and his room. He even napped a whole 2.5 hours today. Of course, he still woke up after 30 minutes as he usually does, but I put him in bed with me and it worked a charm. Not sure if I'm building a bad habit, but hey, whatever works. He's still not sleeping through the night. Not even close. But at least he manages the occasional 3-4 hour stretch, with shorter stretches in between. While far from ideal, it's more manageable than a 3 hour screaming session in the middle of the night, and he'll actually happily lay in his crib even if he's merely dozing.


I'm on a bit of a high. Maybe from going out and seeing some people. I took advantage of it in any case: I had both an appetizer and desert, and even 2 glasses of wine and a decaf. Let's hope my digestive system can handle it all! (**post-edit: turns out, it can't ... it seems that going out to dinner after a bout of gastro this week wasn't the best idea ever.)


I have some (perhaps unrealistic) notions of doing something big soon. Maybe a writing challenge, mimicking my friend's 50,000 words that she wrote in November (her second novel). I'm aiming for February when I'm supposed to be back at work. To do that, my first priority upon returning from holiday will be to find a suitable nanny.